#i even got a new job opportunity!!!! i was OFFERED a job????!?!?!?!???! can you believe it????!?!?

[sevenyeargap]

practicing gratitude about this past year tonight and it IS actually helping?? a lot????????? unbelievable

[fangirl-dot-com]

🐍 Track 2 - . . . Ready for It?

TAG LIST IS CLOSED

I'm sorry to the ones I couldn't tag. If you do want notifications for when I post, there's always that option as well!

Logan had a new phone. And for the first time in a while, it felt nice to just be disconnected from the world for a bit. The people who truly mattered had his phone number. His Instagram had been wiped, along with every other social media. The American had gone dark. 

And apparently you had done the same thing. 

His parents and brother knew where he would be, just in case for emergencies. However, he asked them to not text much. He needed time away, well, away from the current grid. It hurt him, seeing how supportive everyone was with Theo. No one had ever congratulated him when he first got signed. Hell, even Oscar hadn’t known right away, claiming he had forgotten. 

Of course, he had given you his new number because you’d be the only person he previously knew that he’d still be in contact with. You also gave Logan you’re new number, having similar ideas to your friend. 

Well, he had given George his new number. The Briton had texted his old number in a panic-like manner when Logan deactivated everything. Under a temporary contract, Logan wasn’t legally allowed to tell George anything except that he was safe and needed time away. 

The brunet was not happy with that, but he let Logan know that if he needed anything, he would come running. A bit of happiness let itself seep into Logan’s heart, thankful for the Mercedes driver’s friendship. 

When he had read the email after the social media posts went up, his mind blanked. 

What did Andretti want with him? A washed-out jobless nobody. He believes they should have been looking at someone like Carlos or even Ollie, who was making good times in F2 car. It had to be anyone but him. 

So why was it him? 

He had been about to call you when you had first facetimed him on his laptop. He couldn’t even get words about before you started screeching. Logan chuckled as you went on a rant, as this could be their big break. His silence had given you a look into how he was truly feeling. 

Your voice had quieted down on the device. 

“You’re going to take the offer right?” 

Logan winced at your tone, which gave you the information you needed. You rolled your eyes as you sat on your bed. 

“Logan, we were just dropped by two teams that didn’t even want us. They pushed us away like we were nothing. And now, there’s a team with top potential that truly wants us, and you don’t want to take the opportunity?” 

The American boy sighed. You had a point. 

“I’m just scared that I’m going to get there, and then make a fool out of myself. Then Michael is going to see how truly bad of a driver I am,” he hugged out. 

You could hear the fear in his voice, and it devastated you. Where did your confident and smiley boy go? Williams would pay for it, one way or another. 

You were hesitant to say something. 

“Logan, even if our times aren’t what we’re wanting at first, Michael said that we will get better. He’s sent my manager some data and it looks like we are scarily similar with our driving styles. Logan, the car is going to be made for us. Michael made sure that I knew that we’d have a chance, because I’m not driving if you’re not. Together or nothing, we come as a package.” 

Logan sat up quickly off his bed. He glared at you through his laptop.

“You did not just quote Charles Leclerc to me.” 

“And what if I did?”  

“No, you can’t give this offer up if I don’t drive.” 

You glared back at him, although you had a smile. 

“It’s either both of us, or none of us. I’m tired of never seeing you, and you need a friend you can count on. I’m sorry to say but Oscar has done a very shit job of being your friend. I’d say that George is a better friend than him.” 

Logan sighed. “No, you’re right. It’s just hard to accept that.” 

Your smile dropped a bit. 

“Logan, he was supposed to be your friend and then he dropped you. Everyone had dropped you so many times and you’ve been the one to pick yourself back up. But now, you’ve been dropped a final time, yet someone wants to be the first to help you back up, to clean your wounds, and to heal you. And now you don’t even want that?” 

You had a point. 

Like always. 

“Your words never seem to fail me woman.” 

“That’s because men are the inferior being.” 

Logan snorted. 

“Will I see you in Milan next week?” you asked with hopeful eyes. Logan could see the glimmer that shined in them. He didn’t want to be the person to damped that. 

“I will see you in Milan.” 

The first thing that popped into Logan’s mind when he got to the base was “Holy Shit.” 

The building was massive as he walked through the giant doors. He really thought that this was a movie set with how grand it was. Surely this couldn’t it? Maybe he had the wrong address. 

“Mr. Sargeant?” 

Or maybe he did. His body turned to the lady standing near the front desk. He showed a smile that was definitely a tad too wide and showed too many teeth. Thankfully the lady didn’t show any malice as she sweetly grinned at the blond. 

“Yes ma’am. That’s me.” 

Always the good southern-hospitality manners with him. 

“I’m glad you could make it. If you’d follow me, Michael is waiting in his office for you.” 

Logan breathed a sigh of relief when he finally knew that he didn’t have to circumnavigate the entirety of the building. 

The air was fresh as he walked behind the lady, who he now knew as Marissa Andretti, Michael’s sister and Head of Directors. Her own American accent was like a comforting blanket to Logan. Gosh, did he miss hearing a familiar voice to his own during 2023. 

The one voice he couldn’t wait to hear was your own. He knew he’d be safe once he heard the lisps of a Southern draw when you talked. The slurred vowels and the biting consonants would be music to his ears. 

“How have you liked the simulator and the data so far?” Marissa asked as she led Logan down yet another hallway. How big was this building and were they leading him to his death? 

Yet, despite his concerns, Logan was very happy with the results. 

“The car is already so fast. It’s like it’s just an extension of me instead of working against me. It feels so right.” 

Technically, Logan had been on the first plane to Milan to start testing, as his own anxiety wouldn’t let him wait until the week was up. You had your own simulator back in the States, so you did your testing there. Logan had been back in London when the email came, and his set up was not going to function with the high tech that Andretti needed. 

Marissa smiled over her shoulder. “Good, that is exactly what we are wanting to hear.” 

Finally, she stopped in front of a door that had a giant-ass A on the front. Logan wanted to laugh at the cinematics. Surely, this was a movie and he was going to be the main character. Marissa pushed a button and the door slowly swung open. 

Logan’s smile grew once he saw you in one of the very plush seats in front of the desk. You immediately stood up and jumped into his arms. He breathed deeply and all weight slowly melted from his body. It had been so long since he had gotten to hug you, hold you, feel you. 

When you pulled away, you had a blinding smile on your face. 

“Glad to see you here Logs.” 

His nose scrunched at the old nickname. 

“I don’t think you’ve called me that since we were 12, Y/n.” 

You huffed. 

“Fine, no nickname for you.” 

“I take it back. I ban you from calling me Logan.” 

“Isn’t that your name?” 

“No?” 

“Logs!” 

“Ah there it is!” 

A cough signaled to Logan that they weren’t actually alone. He sheepishly turned around to face the man who, hopefully after this meeting, would be his boss for a couple of years. Logan turned his full body towards the desk and stepped with his hand outstretched. 

Michael had a knowing smile as he shook Logan’s hand. 

“I am so sorry sir, I didn’t even realize that you were already here, and I haven’t seen her in a while, and it’s so good to just here the accents because the grid is entirely too European and Asian, sometimes I couldn’t even understand them, and…” 

Michael put his hands on Logan’s shoulders. 

“It’s just fine kid. I totally get you.” 

Logan visibly relaxed under Michael’s hands. 

“Now, why don’t you sit down and we can start talking contracts.” 

Logan lit up at the word. 

“Contracts?”

You gave him a smirk. 

“Yes Logs, contracts.” 

Logan felt as though he couldn’t breathe. But this time, it was with excitement and not dread. His butt quickly found the seat next to yours. Marissa left the room with promises of coming back with celebratory drinks. 

Michael pulled out two small stacks of paper before he started speaking. 

“So, I’ve talked with both of your managers and we’ve come up with a contract. You two can look over it as I read the big details. The finer print is stuff that you both have already previously gone over, but you are still encouraged to look over it one final time.”

You and Logan had the same exact papers. 

In the initial emailing process, the two of you had voiced that you were a packaged deal. Logan was surprised to see that Michael had said that he wouldn’t want it any other way and was glad to possibly not have to deal with drivers hating each other. Logan thought anything would be better than Brocedes 2016. 

You looked down at the words as Michael read them out loud. 

“Ok, so in the contract, the two of you will be signed until 2027. There is an exit clause in section C, but we are not allowed to terminate prior to 2027. The two of you will be granted ambassadorship with whatever sponsors we’ve received. The sponsorships are in section E and it gives a rundown of each one and what they will be contributing to the team. 

“Per secrecy of wanting to keep the identities secret until we reach the grid for testing, the two of you will go under pseudonyms.” 

You raised an eyebrow. 

“Like a call sign?” 

Marissa flashed a wicked grin. 

“Exactly like a call sign.” 

You continued, “Do we get to come up with them?” 

Michael clasped his hands. “So we thought that Y/n could go by Phoenix and then Logan would go Venus.” 

Your eyes widened as you took in the name. Wasn’t too bad, you thought. 

Logan let out a sigh of relief. “At least it’s not like Eagle or something. That would be super obvious.” 

The boss-man chuckled before he looked back down at the contract. 

“Since the two of you did not specify a salary, we took the liberty to come up with one ourselves. But please feel free to mention what you’d like and we can always raise it. We also liked to put in that for every point scored, the two of you get a bonus as a little incentive. The salary will not be dropped no matter if points are scored or not. Think of it as a baseline.” 

Michael chuckled as he watched yours and Logan’s eyes drastically widen at the sight of the eight digits before the decimal. Logan gulped at the sight. 

“Michael, I think you added too many zeros.” 

“I think I didn’t add enough.” 

Logan couldn’t respond. 

You looked up from the paper to Michael. “I think it’s high enough.” 

The goateed-man smiled back at you and continued. 

“I’ve seen the skills parts on your resumes and thankfully the two of you do not need to learn Italian from scratch. I don’t even know when the two of you had time to learn it, but thankfully it is not required in meetings or in the garage.” 

Logan smirked as he looked at the words. 

“What’s the fun in that? We can have secret conversations with ourselves.” 

You tapped his shoulder. 

“Except Ferrari will know and maybe Lewis.” 

“I’ll have my Duolingo account at the ready.” 

Michael watched as the two of you pored over the papers and bickered like an old married couple. He and Marissa already had a bet going to see when the two of you would get together. But, you didn’t need to know that.

“I digress. You can speak in Italian if you want to. The next couple of sections are just PR related. The two of you wanted to bring you own teams in, which is fine. I’ve sent emails and meeting times to each of them and have been replied to. All is in motion. Logan, you mentioned something to me once about your personal trainer leaving?” 

A sigh left his lips at the mention of Benny. He really didn’t want anyone else. He slowly nodded. 

“He had to leave to be with his family. Williams wasn’t the most accommodating and he was told that he had to be at every race. Normally I didn’t even need him until race day. He’d miss so much time with his family because of traveling and things like that.” 

“Well, I think we have you covered.” 

Logan looked back down at the paper. A small gasp left his lips. 

Ben Jacobs was written in black ink under “Personal Trainer.” 

“How?” 

Michael smiled. 

“It took some convincing, but he said he’d come back for you. Of course, Ben will be highly compensated to return after he said he wouldn’t. His family will also be accommodated for any race that they’d like to attend and Ben can show up however late he needs. His leave will also be paid time as well.” 

Logan could kiss the man if he could. Tears pooled in his eyes and he could only manage a small thank you. Your hand rested on his shoulder in comfort. He just couldn’t wait to see him again. 

“Looks like that is everything. Are you two ready to sign?” 

Yours and Logan’s heads nodded eagerly as pens were uncapped. There was light scratching for a few moments as you filled out the needed information on the multiple sheets of paper. Once everything was completed, you let out a sigh of relief. You and Logan could finally do this. 

Marissa showed up at the right moments with a few different beverages. You took one of the iced americanos, claiming that Italian espresso was, in fact, the best kind. Logan surprised you as he took a mimosa. 

He side-eyed you. 

“It’s freshly squeezed orange juice and you cannot go wrong with it. It’s a classic.”

You held you drink up and your other hand in mock surrender. 

Michael took a black coffee and sipped it. 

“Now, onto the fun stuff.” 

Your eyebrows pinched. “Fun stuff?” 

Michael smirked before pulling up a projector that was attached to his laptop. He started to click through the slides. 

“First, the car.” 

On the slide was a sleek yellow and black livery. The black really highlighted the tamer yellow. 

Michael pointed at it. 

“This is our 2024 livery. We designed it awhile back, but it’s finally going to be used.” 

You let out a whistle as a video played the engine noise. To you, it sounded fast. You had been able to do a few laps with an actual car to get the feel of it since IndyCar were so much different. Michael claimed though that you were a natural in the car, being able to command it to what you needed it to do. Logan was quite the same. 

The next slide showed multiple models of Lamborghinis. With it came a smirk from the sister and brother pair. 

Logan looked at them. 

“I don’t know whether to be excited about the smirks or nervous.” 

Marissa was the one to pull up something on her personal iPad. She showed the official Lamborghini website. 

“Because the two of you will now technically ambassadors for Lambo as well, you two need to pick out what models the two of you would like to own. For now, we can start with one, but Tonino wanted his drivers to start a small collection.” 

You made her pause. 

“Tonino, as in, Tonino Lamborghini?” 

Marissa sent a gentle smile to calm you down. 

“Yes. Mr. Tonino will be at quite a few races to watch. He has mentioned wanting to see Ferrari fail, but our data is saying that although we look promising, there’s not guarantee.” 

Logan exhaled sharply. 

“No pressure right?” 

Michael leaned forward over the desk. 

“Listen to me Logan. You have been with a team that has now destroyed every bit of self-confidence. Mr. Tonino is actually the one who put your name on my radar. If you’re good enough for him, you need to believe that you’re good enough for everyone else.” 

Logan was taken back. Mr. Tonino was the one to bring him up? He felt honored in a good way. A nod of his head let Michael and Marissa know that they could continue. Logan turned your way, only to find you already smiling at him. He hoped that he could always be on the receiving end of that smile. 

Marissa continued where she left off. 

“Just look over the models and customize it however you’d like. We’ll get it sent to the factory to be made in time for the first race in Bahrain. These cars will be shipped along with our supplies so you can always have them.” 

You smirked. “I’ve always wanted a black Lamborghini Aventador.” 

Logan turned to Marissa. “I’d love a black Lamborghini Huracan.” 

A smile grew on your face. “Aw, Logan. We’ll get matching Lambos.” 

Logan thought that if you had been an emoji, you’d be the one with the big teary eyes and a pout. Marissa looked pleased at the requests for the different models. 

You raised your hand. “Do we need to start looking for places to stay here in Milan?” 

Michael lifted his eyebrows. 

“You don’t actually. Between races, the two of you are more than welcome to either go home or adventure somewhere. We will let you know when it is crucial to come back here to do some testing. Housing is provided when you need to be here. There are multiple estates that can be used on bought property.” 

You and Logan definitely liked the sound of that. Maybe you could stay in close villas or something. Or maybe in the same place as you tended to get lonely. That’s what being pushed out of everything does to someone in a year. You can’t remember the last time that you were invited to do something with the team, always retreating to your small hotel room after a race. You feel as though Logan might feel the same. 

Michael moved to the next slide, showing the race suits. 

“These are the suits for the season. Black or white fireproofs will go well with them. Helmets are up to the two of you. You will need on standard for some races and then you can choose what races you want fun ones to be. Miami, Austin, Las Vegas, and Imola are going to be considered our home races.” 

“What about Monza?” Logan questioned. 

Michael had a glint in his eyes. 

“That will forever belong to the Tifosi I’m afraid.” 

You decided to pipe up. 

“Or Charles Leclerc. I feel like wherever he goes, the Tifosi goes with him. You make him trade teams, the Italians will follow him.” 

Logan shot you a teasing look. 

“You always have to bring him up in one way or another.” 

You shrugged. 

“He’s a good driver. Let’s not bring up that you’re such a fanboy for Max Verstappen of all people.” 

Logan’s torso shifted. 

“It’s not every day that one beats Sir Lewis Hamilton and take away his 8th championship!” 

Laughs erupted from Michael and Marissa, making you and Logan pause. You cleared your throat. 

“Sorry, please continue.” 

Michael went a bit further with the slides, going over compatible data to the car. He went over sponsors and things like that before he finally leaned back into his chair. 

“Are we able to drive the cars today?” 

Much like you were, Logan was itching to be back behind the wheel. And hopefully, the wheel belonged to a reliable car. 

Michael stood from where he sat, making you and Logan also rise to your feet. 

“I’d thought you’d never ask,” he said, making his way to the door. When the two of you didn’t follow, he turned back around. 

“Are you ready for it?” 

lamborghini_racing has posted

Lamborghini_racing Are you ready for it?

liked by y/n.nation, logang2, box_box_express, and 4,205,095 others

l4mbo.child a hello or how are you doing WOULD HAVE BEEN NICE

f1_fan I fear they have gagged the entire grid with this

ferrariforza damn, I thought we had the best livery - sorry kings 👑

lambo_drivers all I'm asking is who is going to be driving this beast?

lo-girlies do I even utter his name in fear that it might not happen?

y/nfan or even utter her name?

thepaddock_person who ����

childofF1 I'll say it - LOGAN AND Y/N FOR LAMBO 2024

box_box_express the paint, the yellow, the black, the lighting, THE EVERYTHING

taylorswiftxf1 I see the admin is a Taylor fan??

phoenix95 has posted

phoenix95 baby let the games begin

liked by venus2, Lamborghini_racing, y/n.nation, dior, and 2,195,086 others

4theF1_girlies EXCUSE MEEEEEEE

driver95 ayo - we got the Lightning McQueen number with a queen

lambo_duo oh gosh I hope I live to see the day that they reveal their drivers

venus2 looking snazzy 😎

phoenix95 no one ever says that anymore

venus2 🥺

phoenix95 fine...thank you

venus2 🥰

venusxphoenix WHOEVER THEY ARE - THEY HAVE MY HEART

rising_phoenix95 immediate fan

lambo_child the Aventador is such a slay 💅

lambof1 I wonder if they have like matching cars with their contracts

venus2 has posted

venus2 let the games begin now

liked by phoenix95, marissa_andretti, Lamborghini_racing, and 4,205,850 others

lambof1 I THINK I CALLED IT?? THE MATCHING BLACK CARS

pitstop_nightmare I'M SORRY FERRARI BUT THIS IS TOO SEXY

lamborghinivsferrari THE HURACAN 🥵😱

c16_leclerc I'm guessing they went to Charles's school of serving cunt

hamilton44lewis and graduated with a degree in slay

phoenix95 that's sexy baby

venus2 thanks 😚

phoenix95 ...I was talking about the car?

venus2 sure...sure you were 😈

box_box_express I feel like I have some sleuthing to do - hold please

logansarg2 I miss Logan so much - it's heartbreaking to see all of his accounts go dark, I guess I'll have to stan this dude instead

y/n.nation I miss our girl so much

TAG LIST: @fionaschicken @myxticmoon @cherry-piee @blueberry64857959 @glitterquadricorn @lizzypiastri @disneyprincemuke @sam-is-lost @spilled-coffee-cup @ilove-tswizzle @the-untamed-soul @allenajade-ite @starssfall @torchbearerkyle @judespoision @halfdeadsage @juniper-july19 @severewobblerlightdragon @thatgirlmj @gods-menace @ineedafictionalman @namgification @dark-night-sky-99 @samantha-chicago @2pagenumb @treehouse-mouse @fangirl125reader @megatrilss1885 @kagatinkita @itsjustkhaos @nikfigueiredo @awekbachira @vellicora @skepvids @sunrizef1 @stan-josie @fanficweasley @hiireadstuff @barcelonaloverf1life @c-losur3 @graciewrote @bruhhhhhhhhehhhhhhh @tallrock35 @ashy-kit @kat-s2 @minkyungseokie @lozzamez3 @leslieis-crying @adventuresofrose @lighttsoutlewis

[giselleloversclub]

RIIZE SMAU REC

OSAKI SHOTARO

MAKE A WISH @a3r3n

Y/n loves her best friends, but if there's one thing she would change about them, it is the way they constantly prank her. They think she's too shy and diligent, and that she can have some fun at least through their jokes. But what if one of their pranks leads her to message an unknown number, and they grow close without even knowing who they are?

shotaro x fem reader

___________________________________

SONG EUNSEOK

SO I MARRIED MY ANTI-FAN @nyuoqi

congratulations! you have been invited to korea's #1 romance reality show 'We Got Married' where you will be living with your co-star like a married couple. but what will you do when you find out that your husband is actually your anti-fan?

song eunseok x fem!reader

COLLAB WITH YOU @onlyhyunjin

You’ve always had eyes for Song Eunseok since his debut. He has consistently caught your attention, but you believe he’s never noticed you in that way. Determined to change that, an opportunity arises when the two of you are offered a collab together.

idol!eunseok x idol f!reader

FAVORITE ONE @seokvrtual

you’ve confessed to eunseok a total of two times: once in eighth grade and once in eleventh. both times ended in rejection—something you’re not exactly proud of. now, as you begin a new chapter of life with university starting, you can’t help but feel like the universe is playing a cruel joke as you keep orbiting around the same guy who turned you down twice.

fem! reader x eunseok

BASICS @lwtqts

y/n is low-key a loner at her college and her dearest friend tells her to hang out with his friend, what happens when she entangles herself with him ?

student!eunseok x fem!reader

BOY NEXT DOOR @ywnzn

in which yn keeps texting a random number life updates, that turns out to be the boy next door.

song eunseok x fem!reader.

___________________________________

JUNG SUNGCHAN

BEHIND THE SCREEN @melobin

in which sungchan discovers his favorite camgirl also happens to be his roommate.

camgirl reader x roommate sungchan

! smut / mdni !

TEN THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU <3 @x0llaz

Lee Sohee is tasked with finding someone to date Shin YN, in order to date the girl he has a crush on. When in doubt, he calls upon Jung Sungchan. If anyone was crazy enough to ask her out, it would be him.

Sungchan x fem!reader

HYDRANGEA LOVE @ywnzn

yn, model & owner of a well-known perfume brand, releases a new series inspired by a heartbreak she went through. completely unaware that the new rising model who was chosen to promote the series is the same person who caused the heartbreak itself, park wonbin.

ex!park wonbin x fem!reader x jung sungchan

___________________________________

PARK WONBIN

ღ infrunami @nyanbin

after unwittingly moving in with three boys who go to the same university as you, you learn to become accustomed to the unpredictable dynamics of living with them, alongside the typical troubles that come with being a college student. out of everything, though, your biggeset conundrum seemed to be figuring out where you stand with park wonbin.

park wonbin / fem!reader

CUP OF LOVE @wonbuni

park wonbin’s parents had quite literally the last straw and cut him off. he now had to find a job all while juggling college. why did no one tell him that his long life crush worked at his new job?

nonidol!wonbin x fem!reader

YO WHAT? @xzinbdg

ʏ/ɴ ᴍᴏᴠᴇꜱ ɪɴ ʜᴇʀ ɴᴇᴡ ᴀᴘᴀʀᴛᴀᴍᴇɴᴛ ᴀɴᴅ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ɪꜱ ɢᴏɪɴɢ ɢʀᴇᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴀᴛ'ꜱ ᴜɴᴛɪʟ ᴏɴ ʜᴇʀ ꜰɪʀꜱᴛ ɴɪɢʜᴛ ꜱʜᴇ ɪꜱ ᴡᴏᴋᴇɴ ᴜᴘ ʙʏ ʟᴏᴜᴅ ᴀꜱꜱ ɢᴜɪᴛᴀʀ ɴᴇxᴛ ᴅᴏᴏʀ.

ʙᴀɴᴅ ɢᴜɪᴛᴀʀɪꜱᴛ!ᴡᴏɴʙɪɴ x ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ

STUPID CUPID @gyumibear

after your latest forum fails miserably, you’re almost out of an extracurricular! that is, until a mysterious account going by the name “cupid” brings you just the thing you need to fix your reputation: park wonbin, radio show host and your longtime crush. with the help of cupid, wonbin suddenly falls head over heels in love with you! you’d expect for this to be a good thing right? but no! everyone’s starting to notice how strange wonbin’s acting and now it’s up to you to figure out how and if you can get wonbin back to normal before anyone finds out what you’ve done. especially because “cupid” has disappeared… stupid cupid.

campus crush!park wonbin x journalist!reader

LOVE ON THE RADIO @luvbinnies

Keeho a famous influencer wants to make his radio talk show view ratings sky rocket. So what does he do, he invites two of his kpop idol friends from school to join to do a segment with him. But he had no idea the two used to rivals back in their school days. He also had no idea them bickering for half an hour would absolutely blow up and cause fans to start shipping them.

What does he do with that? He convinces (begs) them to become permanent hosts on the show and to continue to flirt (bicker) with each other. What can go wrong?

idol!wonbin x gn!idol!reader

BOOM BOOM BASS @4doras

park wonbin x fem reader

DANCING WITH YOU @hittoki

y/n plays the violin in a prestigious youth orchestra. wonbin is a struggling artist who works for his family's music store. when y/n's bow snaps during a rigorous day of practice, she searches high and low for her favorite brand but cannot find it anywhere. she settles for the local music shop and, low and behold, they sell it. wonbin needs a girlfriend and when y/n unintentionally interrupts his argument with his parents, he takes the opportunity.

fake dating!au

HYDRANGEA LOVE @ywnzn

yn, model & owner of a well-known perfume brand, releases a new series inspired by a heartbreak she went through. completely unaware that the new rising model who was chosen to promote the series is the same person who caused the heartbreak itself, park wonbin.

ex!park wonbin x fem!reader x jung sungchan

RECONNECTING OUR LOVE @euseol

after being forced to break up because of the public, jung yn just can’t seem to let park wonbin go.

idol! park wonbin x model! jung yn

ONE CALL AWAY @100203s

childhood best friends, yn and wonbin, shared dreams and a passion for pursuing track together. wonbin suddenly moves away one day without notice, leaving YN with unspoken feelings. it isn't until YN finds herself in the debut lineup for HYBE's new girl group that the two cross paths again.

childhood best friends to lovers

idol!wonbin x trainee/idol!yn

་༘࿐ೢִֶACADEMIC COMEBACK: ⸻⸻

⸻HOW TO PASS SCHOOL IN TWO WEEKS @seosracha

you and wonbin were academic rivals: competing to get the worst grades possible. but with graduation around the corner you have to combine your 4 braincells in order to pass.

wonbin x fem!reader

personal fav

HEAL MY HEART @enhaas

after a tragic breakup, yn struggled to love herself again and believed true love just wasn’t a thing. park wonbin, a popular classmate, has been secretly admiring her for so long. after finding out what yn is going through, he is desperate to see her happy again…hopefully with him.

popular! wonbin x fem! reader

BETWEEN THE LINES @bbina

from what started as a simple arrangement to hide your feelings for a certain someone by getting into in a fake relationship soon turns into a tangled mess. in which some things are hard to tell when you can’t read between the lines

park wonbin x reader

YOUR BIGGEST FAN @jaetyun

since your brother formed a band with his friends in high school, you've had a massive crush on the aloof and reserved wonbin. him never paying you mind never bothered you until they became famous, and now you have to share him with every other fangirl. now that they're on tour, it's the perfect opportunity to make wonbin realize he doesn't want to share you either.

rockstar!wonbin x fem!reader

MAGNETIC @heyarei

 it’s not easy having a crush on the most popular guy in school. For starters, almost everyone had a crush on wonbin and you’ve already established the fact that you'll never get a chance with him, as you were no special from the others in your school... or at least that’s what you believed

popular!wonbin x fem!reader

CRAZY STUPID LOVE @lostgirlinthewoods

lee y/n, a competitive swimming athlete, just wants to finish her degree as a scholar. no drama. no distractions. and certainly, no romance. park wonbin, a music prod student and the siren’s guitarist, just wants to make music. no crazy fangirls in line to date him. no insane dms from random people declaring their love for him. and certainly, no dating. imagine the shock on y/n’s face when she received a message from her brother, anton, asking “since when did you and wonbin started dating?”

guitarist!park wonbin x athlete!fem!reader

ALONE TOGETHER @bbina

taking comfort in the thought that you are together in aloneness through late night talks, heartfelt confessions, and a genuine connection. with your shared experience of recent heartbreaks, you wonder if getting together would be all worth it. in which you find solace in each other's company, that you are alone together.

college!au, fluff, angst

___________________________________

HONG SEUNGHAN

FEELS LIKE A THRILLER! ᯓᡣ𐭩 @hangup119

pining after hong seunghan has always felt like an unachievable reality; however, just a few months into your first year of college, it seems that the gods have finally listened to your prayers when news breaks out that your long-time crush is single once again

non-idol!seunghan + fem!reader

HE’S THE ONE 4 ME! @grlscrushing

you’re brothers best friend is definitely the one for you

hong seunghan x f!reader

___________________________________

LEE SOHEE

CLOUD 9 @wonhes

after years of constant pining after his best friend’s sister, yn finally takes notice of sohee and sohee swears he’s on cloud 9. or in other words, loser sohee finally gets the girl.

(uncountable) (idiomatic) often in the phrase on cloud nine: a state of bliss, elation or happiness.

sohee x f!reader

･:*:｡･:*:･ﾟ ready player two ･:*:｡･:*:･ﾟ @wonbin-truther

sohee was a well known streamer, having grown his fanbase over covid with the game minecraft and slowly branched into other games along with sponsorships and modeling offers. he was also well known for being your number one twitter fanboy, never missing one of your posts even if fashion wasn't his greatest interest. what happens when a modeling gig brings him face to face with you?

streamer! sohee x fashion influencer! yn

APT @01zfan

sohee attends a music conservatory abroad in amesterdam. he remembers you from a night filled with drinking games that ended with you two on a couch. months later, you two finally confess on halloween night. before sohee can find out where to you are the call drops. now he's on a mission to find you before the night ends!

sohee x reader

___________________________________

LEE ANTON

DIRTY LITTLE SECRET @prodbyton

living with your older brother had its perks, including easy access to his hot best friend

REWIND @rikianton

anton had to give up on his fat crush on you after you left for america halfway through high school. 4 years later, he’s in a happy relationship and he’s ready to start his 2nd year at seoul national university. little does he know, you’ve finally moved back to korea.

college student! anton x old crush! reader

USED TO THIS @myung-jaes

anton and yn are literally the epitome of childhood best friends, knowing each other from practically the day they were born with their parents being best friends upon their shared move from korea to the states. throughout the years, they’ve gone through their share of memories, rebounds, and earthquakes. despite this, they could never beat the “falling for your best friend” curse, even as they were separated with yn's move back to korea, it only worsening as anton followed in her steps. though rather than embracing their feelings, the two, with all their stubbornness, choose to bury it down, waiting for the day it all blows up.

anton x fem!reader

JOIN GAME ? @hangup119

not everyone is good at playing obby’s on roblox, and you’re no exception to this rule: after a particularly nasty encounter with another player on roblox’s altitorture, you log into twitter only to find out that the very same player who publicly dunked on your gaming skills turns out to be anton lee, a well-known streamer who also happens to be a friend of a friend. fed up with his fans bombarding your dms with teasing remarks or jealous musings, you decide to end it once and for all by appearing on his next stream with a promise to get through an obby successfully. however, you realize that the only thing you’ll be successful at is falling for anton lee instead.

streamer!anton + fem!reader

personal fav !

___________________________________

[ijwrsmff]

Hey, i hope ur having a good dayy...heard yu wanted some yandere arcane asks...how about vi(romantic) with a naïve piltover darling (generally soft and clumsy as well) fem reader please!!💖💕

Thank you so much that's so sweet!!! I'm getting to requests really late, but I'm doing my best XD thank you for requesting and your patience! Even though it's really late, I hope you enjoy ^^

Soooo glad the second season is coming out soon, I crave it so bad XD

Words: 1,642

Vi was in Piltover, doing what she joked was a small heist. It was just her this time, Vander having cracked down on them all not returning to top side in fear of their safety. She made sure Powder was safe first, and left her in the boy’s care. She had received word there was an event going on, a series of stalls and shops along the road. It was the perfect opportunity to blend in and steal from all the rich assholes who could buy out the whole street if they wanted to. 

…That was her plan anyway. 

It started off simple enough, showing up right in the middle of the day when it was the most busy. She paid close attention to the people who looked like they had more money than others…and with how idiotic people could be, it wasn’t hard to tell who could afford the most. Starting off, she took small items they had purchased that she thought could go for more underground. She didn’t expect to be bumped into as a girl fell to the ground. 

As it were, you only wanted to go to see what the shops had to offer. You weren’t paying much attention though, and bumped into something…or someone. Both you and the person fell to the ground, and you looked up at her from the ground as you whined and rubbed the spot on your leg you just knew would be bruised later. She was laying next to you, and you caught sight of her snarl. You jumped up looking her over. 

“Crud! Are you okay? I’m so so sorry, I didn’t mean to bump into you! Did I damage anything you’d bought? I can’t believe I did that again! Gah!” You whined and looked at her as if seeking forgiveness. She looked baffled, and raised an eyebrow in disbelief. “I can pay for anything I broke! Here, let me buy you something, too!” You took her hand, and she accepted it. You couldn’t tell what expression was on her face, but you were terrified you’d made a bad impression on this woman. 

“Uh…you don’t have to. I have what I need.” Vi spoke, and she seemed guarded. It was almost as if she thought you were tricking her, not believing you were really being this nice to a stranger. “You hurt, cupcake?” She said, seemingly coming to a conclusion in her mind. She brushed off your shoulders, touch lingering only briefly. Her touch was rough, but it didn’t seem to phase you. 

“I’m not hurt! Not any more hurt than I usually am when I fall anyway…” You mumbled the last bit, and shook your head. “And it’s okay! I insist, it’s the least I could do!” Your smile was wide and bright, and somehow contagious. As soon as you locked eyes with her, she smiled back at you, though her smile was much more akin to a smirk. 

She leaned forward so your faces were near each other, and her eyes glazed over yours and she continued to smirk as she pulled back. “If you really insist, I have something in mind.” Her original mission had subsided in her mind, and it seemed she had a new plan she wanted to see through. She was still being cautious, but she would play along for now. This could prove to be entertaining, afterall. 

You yapped away, Vi barely getting any words in since giving you her name. She didn’t seem to mind though, and listened closely to everything you had to say. It didn’t take long to learn all about you, considering the fact that you told her basically all the important information. It was fun! You got to tell her all about your job, your close group of friends, and your favorite hobbies and pastimes. Vi even asked questions to learn more, despite you not picking up on her prodding more into your personal life. 

She had tried to justify it as gathering intel for her next trip with Powder and the boys, but she was growing more intrigued by the second. Though as you reached the stall she had escorted you to, you looked at her. “Oh! A flower stall! Are you getting flowers for someone? That’s so thoughtful!” You giggled, and looked at the wide array of different flowers local to your home and even exported from further off. 

Vi smirked, before putting on a small act. She sighed deeply, and looked deep in thought. “I’d love to get her flowers, but I’m not sure what kind she likes. There’s too many to choose from, it’s overwhelming…what kind do you like?” She looked over to you, eyes full of mischief. She only smiled wider when it seemed like you didn’t gather the implications. 

“I think these one’s here are the prettiest, and the bouquet has a good variety of flowers! So no matter the room, you can probably make the flowers suit it perfectly!” You thought carefully about your answer, wanting to make sure she could get the best possible ones for the girl she wanted to get them for. It was no trouble, you did bump into her, so it only seemed fitting to help out however you could. 

“I see…” She said, and picked up the bouquet you chose. “I hope she’ll like these.” As she said it in a thoughtful but playful tone, before handing them to you. “So, do you like them?” Her hand was outstretched, and you looked at the flowers in confusion. She could practically see the gears turning in your head, and tried to wait to see if you’d understand. 

“THEY’RE FOR ME?!” You said, way louder than you meant to. It brought a light blush to your cheeks and you pouted at her. “But I’m the one that bumped into you! I should be getting you a gift!” You looked around the booth, and quickly picked up a bouquet of flowers you thought would suit her. Paying quickly, you copied her motion of giving her the flowers. 

“These are for you then! They have colors that remind me of you and your hair, so I guess it’s…a trade?” You thought carefully, trying to decide if you’d be satisfied with a trade rather than providing something to her from your stumble into her. The flowers weren’t very expensive, so it didn’t really seem fair. 

“How sweet of you…” Vi said, a glimmer of something in her eyes that you couldn’t place. “I’ll happily accept these flowers from you, cupcake.” She gave a wink, but by now she knew you wouldn’t understand the undertones of her words and meaning. She’d have to be more direct to get through to you. Stepping up her game seemed in order, but not just yet. 

“Let me at least buy you something else!” You pleaded, wide eyes as you looked around the stalls to find something else you could give her for her troubles. But Vi looked to the sky, cursing under her breath. At the noise, you tilted your head and asked, “Is something wrong?” You sounded worried, and it only made her heart swell further. 

“My sister is waiting for me at home, I have to go.” She seemed reluctant to say it, but started walking away with a glance to you over her shoulder. “Don’t worry, we’ll meet again.” To you, the words were reassuring…whereas most people would have seen it as ominous. You barely knew her, but you welcomed her regardless. There’s no way in hell this would be the last time she saw you. 

“But! I have to buy you something else!” You called, jogging the few steps to catch up with her. She had the flowers you had bought her in her arms, and the other items she’d “bought” within her carry pack. She stopped as you approached, you putting a hand on her shoulder. 

She hummed, turning to look fully at you before smirking with a dark glint in her eyes. “Then…” She leaned forward, pressing a kiss to your cheek, before playfully breathing into your ear, “We’ll make it a date. Next time, you can take me out on the condition I get to take you out after.” She pulled back, and could have burst out laughing from the shocked look on your face as you blushed. 

It only made you smile wide, “Okay! It’s a promise then! Do I get to pick what we do for our date?” You hopped once in place and waited eagerly for her response.

“Of course, cupcake. Anything you wanna do.” With her final words, she turned, as you lost her in the crowd of people. It only then occurred to you that she had no way of knowing where you lived. What if she got lost and never saw you again? Or even worse, what if you never saw her again? It had crushed your spirit a little, and your eyes cast down as you pouted, walking back to your house. 

Though from the shadows, Vi loomed. She watched you walk all the way home, making note of any recognizable locations and landmarks so she would remember exactly how to get to you. You were a new form of intoxication she’d never experienced. You were pure, innocent. You didn’t pick up on her flirting until she made sure you did, and you never once questioned her attire or why you’d never seen her before. It made her let out a chuckle, as she watched you, almost hungrily. 

You’d see her again, sooner than you’d think…and she’d make sure you could never forget her. She knew it was just a matter of time before she corrupted that innocence of yours, making you hers in any way she wanted…any way she desired. 

You should have run when you had the chance, cupcake. 

[azure-cherie]

PAC : How are your guides / angels / God's / ancestors / working for you

Hellooo , how have you guys been ❤️?? Please choose the picture / pictures that resonate with you , know that this is a general reading and everything might not resonate, i hope a lot of does for you ❤️

Masterlist

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Pile 1 :

Dear pile 1 , what I receive is your guides/ spirits gods have been preparing you for a journey , they are throwing on opportunities for you to multitask , travel by air is significant for you guys for the coming months , things are going to spice up now , you will learn how to live , i believe lot of you here are young adults or just got into adulting , they are protecting and teaching you lovingly the ways of the world , they are teaching you how to handle responsibility in the real world .

They are taking in charge to work out some debatable situations so that you can practice your communication skills more , to argue with someone is a thing and to learn to keep your self respect and keep your point is another that's exactly what your guides have been planning on , they are making sure you can always find a common ground in a discussion always keeping your point with integrity

Practicality is something they are pushing you towards if you hear a voice while you study that you can do it it's them the lovely gods !!!! If you are motivated to plant seeds in your garden it's them the lovely gods!!!!! If you hear a voice while overspending that you are infact doing it's it's them the lovely gods !!!! They are keeping this check on you so that you can take valuable decisions in the future

They are lifting you of burdens and tell you to keep going in the journey, protecting you from a person who has been trying to lurk on your energy because they feel victimized from you but you aren't even doing anything to victimiz them , they just need to heal , you should keep going they are working really really hard to keep you on your toes , they are also motivating you to do more things that you love and are offering you a period of transformation, searching and rebirth with the death , fool and Ace of wands in order , it's such a time for you to grow and while the celestial beings give you infinite nourishment belive in yourself and that you are capable of big big thingssss

Ace of wands gives you a new life now it's the time to be courageous you know it all you just have to apply what you know already all the best to you love ;)

Charms : fish , bunny , tambourine, tree of life , sun , ice skater , heart , love letter , four leaved clover , cat , leaf ; letter - T , J ; number - 333 , 666 .

Songs : Brightside by The Lumineers, DNA by Kendrick Lamar , Vanilla Baby by Billie Marten , Fade into you by Mazzy star , Cold water by Justin Bieber .

Pile 2 :

Dear pile 2 , your guides are literally creating space for you , now it's the time to evaluate that what you are doing is really something that you want are you really into it ?! Are your decisions something you will not regret in the future or are you just acting on the spite of the moment , is it worth it ??? I think you guys are choosing a new degree or a new college or a new job in life , a lot of stuff is ending and you are on a cliffhanger whether to take what you already have or aim for more , you know the thing about working for the things we want isn't an act of greed you literally are hustling for it , go on love aim soooo bigggggg

Alright so what I see from the cards is that you might be taking a very big decision in your life thinking about love or thinking about a lover of yours , they are holding you back , I'm sorry to say that but it's the truth , eventually the surroundings and the people have to change , believe in the power of changes and let go of the old stuff there's literally so much more to look forward to , they are teaching you to look for the right thing at the right time , it's hard but this is an essential lesson , be good to yourself

They are making sure that This new phase in your life will bring you new love and new friends that would feel like a family, you will get what you have been longing for . That's so beautiful I'm so happy for you , spirit still wants you to take in less responsibility, one thing about you is you get too much into the lives of people you love some people like it while others don't appreciate it so in the next phase of your life you are required to just focus on the fun and be great with 2-3 people don't get too much into fights, be the mediator take things from one ear and throw it off the other or i believe that you literally will be crying, it's better to be on your own and care about less people, that doesn't mean the love or care you find newly in your life is fake it just means they are very different people with hard exteriors so it will take time to get close to them , take this slow alright.

You have lost only to gain babyyyyyy , whatever has left you has only left you space for so much more , i see more spiritual growth for you , gifts , if you are a reader , more clients , jobs , offers coming your way , all of it is because of your mindset and how beautiful it is , you will be so blessed I can feel it , they made sure that for all the struggles you get a gift and they are creating pathways for you to be in a leadership position you will soon be taking the responsibility and you will take it so well , you know a lot about the world and life in itself and now you are going to use it in such an amazing way !!!!

Charms : pentagram, flower , tennis racket , hammer , pearl , Christian cross ; letters : D, Z , M , P , N ; numbers : 555

Songs : $$$ by Daniela Andrade , Dynamite by BTS , Talk by Khalid , In too deep by Jacob Collier , idontwannabeyouanymore by Billie , Royals by Lorde .

Pile 3

Dear pile 3 , your guides are now teaching you the worth of emotional wealth , the financial wealth is something that you really value but there's some stuff that is literally not worth your time and energy, they are telling you to step in the aura of your authentic heart and how kind it is , how loving it is don't leave it behind , it could also mean that you are spending too much out of kindness , they are making sure you have enough for yourself, you earn to buy things to feel better , don't be guilty while you serve yourself, you truly ardently deserve all of this . They are making ways in which you can make more connections with people to do well in your professional life , if you're someone who's into a psychology profession , they are making ways for you to have more hold on your conversations while working with a client , your advice giving skills are improving so much.

I see them bringing in a new lover in your life , this person is very romantic and loving and caring and giving , i really wanna tell you that your prayers have been heard , if you have ever felt that you are not chosen first this is the time to be literally chosen , you are so so valued rn , this will get you out of sadness or depression, they could be the golden retriever type . I see that you are looking for something long term and they might be the right choice

If you have been looking to travel they are helping you in go for them , by creating pathways , they wanna tell you that a phase in your life has come to an end and how you are to go to a new one and this one will need a lot of courage because there will be malicious people but you will work so hard and take what is rightfully yours , your fire burns greater than their envy and you will rise win and conquer what is yours no matter how frustrating this might seem , you are meant for the greater things.

With the reading ending with the magician, you are gonna alchemise your life all over 360 and they are gonna support you so so so much , all the good things are for youuuu , if you're a tarot reader , you will gain more wisdom, intuition and the power to read others even better now , wish you the besttt !!!!!

Charms : key , stethoscope, leaf , sun , moon , love letter , witch , camel ; letters - S, Y , H , N , V ; numbers - 222, 666 , 555

Songs : Million dollar man by lana del rey, Whispers by Halsey , It's called freefall by Rainbow kitten surprise, Good looking by Suki Waterhouse, Through me by Hozier , Northern lights by Kennie .

Thank you so much for reading i hope you resonated, please let me know if you did it really helps me .

Have a great day/ night ❤️

[xmasterofmunsonx]

Under Pressure

Pairing: Carmen Berzatto x Reader

Rating: 18+ eventually - mentions of miscarriage, drugs, and language

Summary: You’re a top chef from Atlanta, who gets scouted for a program to help integrate temporary chefs into restaurants across the US to bring something new to each restaurant. Your assignment? The Bear, in Chicago. Your new head chef? Carmen Berzatto.

THE BEAR

DAY 1

Your morning started off rough, the coffee pot in the short term rental wasn’t working, and you barely slept the night before in anticipation of this day. Your boss Ryan had already sent you a good luck text knowing how nervous you probably were. This was a new program where restaurants were switching out chefs for a few months at a time to bring in new ideas, and hopefully improve business. You’d been scouted by Natalie from the Bear, and as soon as you heard that it was a chance to be in Chicago with your brother for 3-6 months depending on how well it went, you jumped at the opportunity.

Your rental was just a few minutes walk to the restaurant, Natalie had scouted the place out for you over a few FaceTime calls, and the company organizing this program handled everything else.

You took a few deep breaths before walking into The Bear, where you were greeted by Natalie’s smiling face. She must have spotted and announced that you were standing outside waiting, because by the time you were walking in you could see heads peeking through the kitchen window. You were dressed casually, not knowing what to expect for tonight- what station you’d be put at, or if you’d be dealing with the front of the house at all. You wiped your nervous, sweaty hands on your jeans before shaking her hand and introducing yourself to her.

Her smile was warm, and she held out a hand to you, “it’s so nice to see you in person finally! Welcome to the Bear, we’re so excited to have you here. And thank you for being so willing to come spend time here.”

You offered a smile, your southern accent slipped out more than you meant to, “Thanks Natalie, I’m looking forward to it. I’ve heard so much about this place.”

“Please, just call me Nat, okay? Your accent is precious- it’s even more in person.” She offered another big smile to you.

“Yeah,” you laughed, “at dinner last night I had three people say something about it so I guess it’s stronger than I thought.” You scratched your neck nervously, “am I dressed okay? I didn’t know how you guys were with tattoos, but I figured I could stay in the back tonight if I had to and wear something to cover them up tomorrow-”

“Please, you’re going to fit right in. C’mon back here and I’ll introduce you to everyone. They’re all prepping for the day, you got here at a perfect time.”

Nat lead you into the kitchen, where the team was already starting to prep for the day. You looked around at the organized chaos and smiled to yourself, it felt like a good fit already despite the nerves still in your stomach. You could tell they took pride in their kitchen by the pristine countertops, and the organization of each station. You were too busy looking around to realize that everyone had stopped what they were doing and had their attention on you.

Nat clapped to get everyone out of their strange daze, “Hey everyone, listen! Here’s our guest chef we’ve been talking about. Just a reminder, she’ll be here for 3-6 months depending on how things go, so treat her nicely, all of you. She’s here to help us, bring in some fresh ideas, and maybe even get things running a little bit smoother.”

You waved at everyone nervously with a small smile, “Hey everyone. I’m really excited to be here. Nat’s done a wonderful job telling me all about everything amazing y’all already have going on for you, and I’m honored to be here. I couldn’t believe I was scouted over my head chef, Ryan.”

A woman in the back made a comment, “that’s because we need more calm in this place. That one beside you can get a hot head sometimes, we needed another woman in here. I’m Tina, by the way.” She smiled at you, and you looked to your left at the well known chef you had heard about already - Carmen Berzatto. You may have been all the way in Atlanta but you knew him and you knew his reputation. He was shorter than you had expected, but his presence was strong.

Carmen was standing with his arms crossed over his chest, and you felt like you were under his microscope. You knew how he felt, you were a guest in his kitchen, and you knew what it was like to have someone who could potentially be invading upon your space. You’d read all the articles, done your research and you knew this kitchen ran like a well oiled machine.

“Good to have you here, Chef.” He spoke calmly, and extended his hand, his large one completely enveloping your small tattooed one. You saw him take a glance at them, but he made no comment.

Another girl stepped forward, a much warmer smile on her face, “I’m Chef Sydney, and we’re excited to have you here even if someone doesn’t know how to show it.” She was motioning her head to Carmen and you just shook your head with her.

“I’m Richie,” a tall man emerged from the side of the kitchen, “welcome to the jungle of this kitchen. We’re all a bunch of fuckin’ lunatics, so I wish you the best of luck.” You laughed at his introduction and shook his hand politely too.

“Believe me, I’ve worked in chaos before. I fully believe I can keep up with it here.”

“You? A Michelin star chef have worked in a wild kitchen before? That’s hard to believe.” You blushed at the fact that he’d also done his research on you. It was something you were proud of accomplishing so early on in your career, but you stayed humble about it. “But you’ve never worked with bear over there. He’s a tough one.”

“Shut up, cousin.” Carmen snapped at him quickly without looking up.

The rest of the team laughed, the tension easing slightly as they adjusted to your laid back energy.

Nat guided you over to Carmen’s station where he had resumed his prep for the day, “As we discussed on our calls, Carmen’s in full charge of the kitchen. He’s the one who will keep you updated everyday, and if you need anything, or if he makes you cry, tell me or Richie.” She winked as Carmen tensed and rolled his eyes.

“Your kitchen is beautiful, I heard about all the renovations.” Carmen nodded, his expression was serious, but not angry.

“Thanks, it took a lot to get here.” He put down his utensils and walked you over to a blank prep space, “You’re on sauce for tonight, think you can handle that?” You nodded, “alright then, we’ll get you settled.”

You took your place in the kitchen, already starting to acclimate to the flow of the kitchen after he explained everything to you. The staff started out initially a little wary, and you could tell by their glances, so you tried to play it as cool as you could, which seemed to make everyone warm up to you quickly. You knew you tended to have an exterior calm demeanor, no matter how you were feeling inside, but your quick wit fit in perfectly with the jokes floating around all night.

You felt Carmen’s eyes on you almost the entire first shift, and you wondered what it was about. Was he regretting his choice of you over Ryan? Were you overstepping in some way he wasn’t voicing to you? Thoughts about you being unwanted were already starting to intrude on your thoughts, and because of your overthinking, you had one small slip up with the sauce that you hoped he hadn’t seen, but his raised eyebrow seemed to clue you in that you weren’t as sly as you thought.

“Won’t happen again, Chef.” You said, as you passed the fixed dish to him. He observed the plate, nodded and called for it to be taken to the table.

EVENING

The kitchen was finally quiet for the night, and you were sweaty. Your hair had made it up into a bun on top of your head, your bangs stuck to your forehead, and you had shed your layers of chef coat down to your simple black t-shirt. You loved staying past close, the lack of clattering dishes, orders being barked, “behind!”, “hands!”, etc. hadn’t been spoken in about 20 minutes and all you could hear were softer noises of things being scrubbed down.

Carmen was busy wiping down the counter tops after you’d cleared them all off, and he’d dismissed everyone else to go home. He didn’t say it to you, and you didn’t want to seem lazy on your first day, so you took the initiative to start organizing prep for tomorrow thanks to the lists and clipboards all around. You appreciated the way the kitchen was similarly organized to yours, but his was a little more controlled, and yours a little more relaxed.

“So, that accent of yours.” Carmen had a smirk on his face as he glanced up at you, “didn’t know people in Atlanta sounded quite like that.” He raised an eyebrow at you and you chuckled.

“I’m actually not from Atlanta.” Carmen leaned against the countertop, crossing his arms again, ready to listen. “I’m from a tiny town a few hours outside of Atlanta, went to school-”

“Oh, I know where you’ve been. We can skip all that.” You wiped your hands nervously on a kitchen towel and leaned against a different counter, facing him. He was trying to intimidate you, but you weren’t giving in. “So, you landed in Atlanta, huh? That’s a good food scene.”

“Yeah, it’s been a ride. I started in this tiny diner back home as a teenager, nothing fancy, but I learned a lot there, and that’s what originally made me want to become a chef. My parents would always ask what I wanted for my birthday and from about age 10 and up, I’d ask for a nice meal at a fancy restaurant in the big city.”

“That’s cute.” Carmen was listening intently and you were wondering what his intentions were with this conversation. “How would you say today went? Feel good about it?”

“Actually, yeah. You definitely know how to run a kitchen. I mean- I didn’t think you didn’t, but I felt really comfortable here and only fucked up once so I would say that’s pretty good. You run it like it’s nothing.”

“I wouldn’t say it’s nothing, I’ve been doing it for a while now. You get a pass for today, but we don’t have time for fuckups, even if they’re small, m’kay? I could tell you were on the verge of a panic attack once you noticed I saw it so I let it slide since you fixed it, but I expect perfection every day, just so you know.”

You nodded, understanding completely since you were the same way. “Understood, just first day jitters.” You glanced around again, “You can tell this is a special kitchen. You, or someone has put a lot of heart into it and I can tell just from the first day of being here, feels right at home. I was so nervous about it.”

There was a look in Carmen’s eyes that you couldn’t quite figure out, “Yeah, we’ve put a lot of heart into this place. All of us. And we’re trying to keep it that way.”

You nodded understanding him, he was setting some soft boundaries already about not wanting to change much. You could tell he appreciated you noticing that he’d put his heart into it as he went back to cleaning off the counters, it was something you hoped people would always feel in your own space.

Carmen glanced up again, “So really, what brought you here? Other than the program, why Chicago- the Bear? We don’t have a star.”

You pause, unsure of how deep you wanted to go with the answer. You started to smile as you spoke, “I needed a change. And when I was offered the opportunity by the program, and here was one of the options, after speaking to Nat, I knew it would be the right move.”

You couldn’t help but turn your smile into a grin as you felt an understood respect between the two of you that couldn’t have happened during service earlier today. You were much more at ease now that he understood why you were here.

The air between you two was more comfortable, as you were finishing up the last bits of the closing duties. You heard Carmen clear his throat, trying to keep his tone casual as he glances over at you, wiping down the last of the counters.

“So, you’ve got anyone waiting for you back in Atlanta? Married, dating...?”

You looked up, raising an eyebrow at him as you felt a smile creep onto your face. This isn’t the first time you’ve been nonchalantly asked about your personal life in a kitchen, by a male especially, and you could tell he was just curious by his other questions about where you came from.

“Not anymore. I was married, divorced now. A uh, very brief marriage.” You could tell the word shocked him, it did most people.

“What uh, what happened?”

You sighed, finishing up completely for the night. “Yeah, married very briefly- it didn’t last long. Six months, to be exact. He started cheating on me after I got sober, and I found out six months after we got married.”

You watched as Carmen’s eyebrows knitted together, something in him darkening a little. “Thats fucked up.”

You nodded, “Yeah, it wasn’t easy. He was an enabler, and I guess he couldn’t handle the positive changes I was making for myself. The most fucked up part, was he told me he was cheating on me while I was in the hospital miscarrying, from all the goddamn stress he was putting me through. He left me there alone, and moved his shit out of my house and once I was discharged, I came home to a half empty house. So, that’s why I needed Chicago.” You don’t know why you were so vulnerable so quick, and you regretted immediately when there was a moment of silence between you two that lasted just a little too long.

“Thats really fucking heavy. I uh, I’m really sorry. I wouldn’t have asked if I knew about all of that.” You nodded, appreciating his understanding. “How long have you been sober now?”

“Two years and a few weeks.” You said simply. You saw a look in his eyes again as he scratched at his eye, but not saying anything back. You sighed again, “Sorry for just… laying all of that on you. The city, restaurant, pretty much... everything was tied to him, to that past life. I just needed a small break, a fresh start. Ryan was really supportive, and I still can’t believe I got picked over him, so thank you.”

Carmen nodded, “Yeah, yeah. I totally get needing a change, finding something new without the weight of the past can be hard but I think we’re all glad you’re here. Sydney and I talked for a long time before we decided on you.”

His eyes were softer now, and you could tell there was more he wanted to say but he didn’t allow himself to be anymore vulnerable than he already was.

“Well, I think that’s enough for today. You did a good job today, Chef. Thanks for putting in the extra work tonight too, you didn’t have to do that.”

“If you don’t mind, it’s kinda my favorite part of the day to participate in, I like the quiet before going home. Helps me relax some and leave anything at work, at work.”

Carmen nodded, “Well, it wasn’t expected but it was appreciated. I know they’ll appreciate it tomorrow too when they come in.”

You two walked out together, and told each other goodbye and went your separate ways.

You picked up your phone to call your brother who was living in Chicago too- he had been for a while, you had had dinner with him last night and you knew he was eagerly waiting to hear about your first day.

“So, is he hotter in person than in the pictures?” Your brother asked before he even greeted you, and you heard his boyfriend Blake laughing in the background. You turned around to see Carmen still walking the opposite direction.

“God, shut up. I don’t know, I’m just here to work. My day was fine, by the way. Actually only fucked up once and I didn’t get yelled at.”

“Probably because he thinks you’re cuuuute.” Blake was teasing- you knew at this point you were on speaker phone.

“Fuck both of you.” You were blushing at this point. “I’m working at one of the best restaurants in the city and all you care about is how hot the chef is?”

“C’mon, he’s practically a model. His arms- are they that big, or are they photoshopped?” You rolled your eyes, you should have known this was coming from them.

“They’re really that big and only a little distracting, okay?” You bit your lip, trying not to smile. “He’s alright.” You couldn’t let them know about the post work conversation you both had.

“Ugh, just imagine him all sweaty and yelling out orders. I’d thank him for yelling at me.”

“Blake, come on! I’m a professional chef and you’re being ridiculous.” You were glad they couldn’t see your blushing face, because there were a few times tonight you were thankful the kitchen was as hot as it was because his voice did sound rather… hot as he was barking orders. The way he had full control over his staff, versus your calm demeanor in your kitchen. “He’s intense, but he’s really good at what he does.”

“Ugh, the hot brooding type, and the skills to go with it? I bet he’s good with his hands.” Blake said, and you hollered for your brother to take over the phone call before you got overwhelmed.

“Stop it, he’s my boss.” You continued walking at a fast pace to get back to your apartment.

“So no sneaky make out sessions in the walk-in?”

“BROTHER! GET YOUR PARTNER OFF THE PHONE!” You yelled as you laughed.

“I’m glad you had a good day.” Your brother had picked up the phone, finally. “And who knows, maybe the hot chef with the temper is just what-”

“Fuck off! Both of you!” Your heart was actually warm at the teasing, you knew they were worried about you and wanted the best for you.

“I’m glad you had a good day. Even though you have to let us know if things heat up with you two.” Your brother spoke.

“Thanks, and I truly needed the laugh. I’m almost to the house now, so I’ll talk to you both later.” You ended the call, biting your lip to hold back a smirk as you thought about your day. You plopped down on your couch, thinking of nothing but the intense chef you spent the whole day with, and now you couldn’t get him off of your mind.

THE BEAR

DAY 2

Your second day started off different than the first. Maybe it’s because you were more comfortable, or because you let some walls down last night, but you felt a lot of tension in the air tonight as you were all busy during dinner service.

Carmen had assumed his position at the pass, his eyes constantly scanning the kitchen, but you felt them burning into you, and every chance you looked at him, you caught him stealing a look at you.

Your technique was not one to be fucked with, honestly. You were smooth, well practiced, and efficient. You knew what you were doing, and you were doing it really well. Other members of the staff had complimented you all night, and you couldn’t thank them enough for their kindness.

What you didn’t know, was that this was starting to gnaw at Carmen already. His temper was flaring as the orders picked up, and his voice had a new edge to it that had you making sure you were doing everything perfectly tonight.

You knew he knew about you, and you felt respected by him after last nights talk, but you couldn’t help but wonder if he was acting like this tonight to prove that this was his kitchen, no matter who was receiving the compliments.

“Sauce, NOW! We don’t have all fuckin’ night for this!” He yelled out harshly, and you responded completely unfazed by this tonal change.

Your hands picked up the pace, working quicker than before and more precise than before as well. It seemed to piss him off more that you weren’t barking back, just yet at least, and you couldn’t let him get under your skin like you knew you were under his.

“Yes, Chef, sending sauce now!” You observed him as he took the plate. He analyzed everything about it, and you knew what he was doing. You’d seen it time and time again in men-ran kitchens. They loved to critique the women more than anything and they were willing to throw out a perfectly good dish just for the sake of their ego.

“Too thick. Sending back, didn’t I tell you we don’t have time for this?” He handed it back to you, and looked elsewhere, barking out another order.

You nodded and immediately got back to work, adjusting the sauce the tiniest bit because you knew it was the perfect thickness. It was identical to last nights, and he hadn’t said anything about it last night. Your eyebrows were furrowed as you put together the dish again. You wanted to argue back the more you thought about it, but you decided not to.

Everyone was on edge at this point. Carmen had turned into the chef you’d been warned about, the volatile, temper tantrum throwing chef. You glanced up at Sydney and she offered you a smile with her shrug, mouthing that it was okay.

Carmen’s frustration continued to build as the night went on, and it’s as if each dish you sent up that was perfect only pissed him off more and more. You could tell it was bothering him.

“C’mon guys, move faster! We’re behind as it is!” He snapped and you looked back over at him, as he was glaring daggers at you.

You took a deep breath to calm yourself, but picked up your pace even more, staying just as precise as before. You weren’t letting him get to you, and you could tell he was growing more frustrated. He was being too hard on you, but he couldn’t stop- he was starting to feel lesser in his own kitchen and it was only your second day. How the hell could you do this for three months?

You sent up another flawless dish, and he glared at you.

“Carmen, I’ve got this.” You put your hand on top of his gently. He froze and snapped his eyes back to you. You were quiet, and confident, and it wasn’t something he was used to having to deal with.

“I need this shit done my way.” His voice was low, and his jaw was clenched. Okay, maybe your brother and his boyfriend were right. He was kinda hot.

You locked eyes with him, “I’m aware. This is your kitchen, I’m just here to help, chef.“

There was a thickness in the air between you two, and he paused before speaking. You realized in that moment that Carmen was going to be hard on you just because you were good. He’s not used to being the one not being complimented, or in control. Somehow, your calm demeanor had changed the air of the kitchen and almost made it seem like you were the one running it because you were being so efficient, and that’s what pissed him off.

The rest of the night continued on, but you could tell Carmen was exhausted in every way possible. He’d pushed you and everyone else too hard tonight. You were cleaning up your station with ease, not letting it show how defeated and beat down you had been made to feel, but you knew it was because of his insecurity.

One by one, the kitchen clears up. Carmen leans against the counter with his arms tightly crossed, his biceps practically bulging out of his tshirt, watching you finish up. The room is quiet again, but the tension from earlier still lingered in the air.

“Been on my case all fuckin’ day, Carmy.” You’d picked the name up from everyone else around you and decided to pull it out while you two were alone. “What’s the problem?”

Carmen stiffens slightly at the sound of your voice, the nickname rolling off your tongue so smoothly, but he doesn’t respond right away. Instead, he pushes off the counter, walking slowly towards you, his jaw tight. He knows you’re right—he’s been harder on you than anyone else.

“I’m just making sure things get done right.” He answered through his clenched jaw.

You raised your eyebrow at him, matching his posture and pose. You could smell bullshit from a mile away. Your frustration was simmering, and you tried to not let it show. “That’s not what this is about. I’ve been running kitchens long enough to know when someone’s got a problem with me. So what’s the fucking problem?”

He sighed, running a hand through his messy hair. He leaned against the counter next to you, and you could tell he was searching for the right response. He was quiet, and less defensive when he answered. “You’ve been doing everything right. That’s the problem.”

You titled your head, completely confused by his answer. “Not following here. Like, at all. I get picked on when I do things correctly? Because that’s… not exactly what I signed up for, Carmen.”

Carmen gripped the roots of his hair and let out an exasperated breath when he looked at you. “You’re good—really fuckin’ good. Better than most people I’ve worked with. And it’s... you’re throwing me off.”

You watch him, your brow furrowing as your mind starts to race. You know exactly what it’s like to work with people who can’t handle someone who’s just as good, or better, than they are, especially men. But Carmen’s answer feels different- he isn’t just being competitive.

You dropped your attitude, “You feel like I’m stepping on your toes?”

You watched as his sharp jaw got tighter, and he looked away from you as he avoided answering you. You let him simmer, waiting for him to come up with what he was trying to say.

“Yeah, I mean, maybe. You’ve got the Michelin star restaurant, the experience... It’s hard not to feel like I’m being compared to that. You’ve been here 2 days and everyone already loves you and what you’re making.” Ah, he felt like he was going to lose control of his kitchen.

You felt your frustration melt a little but as you calmed your voice down, l“I didn’t come here to compete with you. I’m here to help. That’s it.”

Carmen exhales, and you hope he realizes that’s all you’re here for.

His voice was low, “I know... it’s just...” He pauses, insecurity written all over his face.

You finish the sentence for him, “It’s hard to let someone else take some of the control.”

Carmen nods, his eyes meeting yours again. You totally got it- you know what it’s like to be in his position, to feel like you have to prove yourself every day, even when you’ve already proven it a hundred times over.

“Yeah. Something like that.”

You smile gently, feeling the tension between you two easing as she steps even closer, standing just a few steps away from him now.

“Look, I promise I’m not here to take over. This is your kitchen. I respect that. But I’m good at what I do, and I think we can make this place even better if we work together. I can take whatever step back that I need to. Fuck, put me on dishes tomorrow. But you can not take this insecure shit out on me tomorrow. I’ve paid my dues in hell kitchens before and I know yours is not one, but you’re not going to make it one for me either. I’m here to help.”

He nods, his shoulders relaxing a bit. “What’s your favorite late night snack?”

“What?” You looked at him like he had two heads because he changed the subject so quickly.

“What’s your favorite late night snack? You’re here late enough, what can I make you?”

“Nothing, I’ve got some leftovers at home.” You lied- you had something frozen at home, but honestly you were probably just going to eat a piece of bread with peanut butter before you pass out.

“Nah, I’m making you something. If you don’t tell me anything I’m gonna just pick something.”

“But we already cleaned!” You stomped your foot, and that earned a smile out of him. “Grilled cheese.”

He clapped his hands together, “Yes, that sounds delicious. Garlic butter or salted butter?”

Your mouth was already watering, “garlic butter of course.”

“That’s the correct answer.” He got to work quickly, not making a mess of the counters to undo any of your work. You felt your phone vibrate in your pocket, and saw it was your brother so you answered it.

“You’re still there?” He asked you.

“Yes, I’m still here. Stop stalking my location or I’m turning it off for you. Closing down a restaurant takes a while.” You said back to him, quickly. Carmen turned around to watch you as you paced the kitchen and he waited for the pan to warm up.

“You sure you’re just closing the restaurant?” His partner chimed in.

“Blake, shut the fuck up.” You knew you were as red as a tomato. Carmen mouthed the word, “what?” “My brother and his partner think you’re the hottest chef in Chicago.”

You held the phone away from your ear as they both cussed you out and yelled at you for outing them, saying they’d never be able to show their face at the restaurant.

“Then quit giving me shit!” You yelled back.

“How was today?” Your brother asked, calmed down.

“It was…” you looked around and Carmen had turned back around to the pan on the gas stove. “It was a day.”

“Oooooh. You’ll have to give the hot tea later. About the hottie.”

“Stop iiiiiiiiiit.” You whined, and Carmen turned around again, laughing at you. “I gotta go, you two go to bed. It’s past your bedtime.” You hung up the phone before they could say anything else, and you placed your phone on the counter. “Sorry. He lives like, five minutes down the road and he is so excited to have me in town that he calls me all the time, and checks in on me-”

“You okay over there? You look a little flustered.” Carmen teased you, and you were mortified.

“Yes, I’m fine.”

“You two seem pretty close.”

“Yeah, we are, we’re actually twins.” You were born first, and you would always brag about it.

“Oh shit! That’s cool.”

“Yeah, except I got all the brains apparently. He’s an idiot and doesn’t know how to act. Sorry about all the uh, stuff.” You vaguely motioned, and blushed, suddenly focused on the fact that Carmen’s arms were naturally flexing as he flipped the grilled cheese sandwich in the pan. Your brother wasn’t completely wrong.

“He thinks I’m the hottest chef in Chicago, does he? Don’t twins like, share brain cells or something?” He turned around to make you blush even more.

“God, stop it, Carmen. It’s been two days and you’re technically my boss, so stop.” You buried your face in your hands, until you felt two hands grab onto your wrists and pull them away.

“Sorry, I overstepped. I was just going along with his teasing. Is he as southern as you?” He squeezed your hands before he let go and went back to the stove.

“God, no. He learned how to talk differently in high school and he never got his accent back. Moved up here for college and stayed ever since.”

“So you’ve come up here to see him before?” He was cooking a sandwich for himself and he was testing the sides to see if they were done yet.

“Once or twice. Not enough, I’m really glad to be able to be here to see him for this long.”

“You know, the program is kind of a placement program too, so if you wanted to-”

“I’m not trying to get ahead of myself here. I’m just needing a vacation from Atlanta, a working vacation, and somewhere that everyone doesn’t call me ma’am.” You joked.

“Triangles or squares?” Carmen asked, putting the sandwiches on paper towels.

“What?” You were confused at his question.

“You seem like a square sandwich kinda person, don’t tell me you like triangles?”

“Is there any other way to cut a grilled cheese, Berzatto?” He raised his eyebrow at you and said nothing, just cut the sandwich into four slices. “They taste better.”

He laughed at your childish comment, “you’re honestly not wrong.”

You helped him clean up the small mess he made and walked out of the restaurant with him again, but you both hesitated at the door tonight.

Carmen’s hands were shoved into his pockets as he cleared his throat, “Hey, you wanna come in early tomorrow and help me with the special?”

Your jaw almost dropped to the floor. You weren’t expecting this kind of integration into the staff or menu yet- three days in. This was a huge deal.

“You really want me to help?”

He scratched his head, “Didn’t we just have a conversation about how you were here to help? I think you’ve got some good ideas, and I think you can handle it.”

“Yeah, yeah, I will.” You tried to fight back the smile you had on your face at the recognition he was giving you after a bad day today.

“Just uh, don’t be late.” He teased you.

“I wouldn’t dare.” You teased back, already wishing this was the Carmen that you were dealing with every day for the next three months. “Thanks for the sandwich.”

“Thanks for everything tonight, Chef.” You blushed again at the comment and waved bye as you made your way to your home, your cheeks keeping you warm the entire walk back.

[girls-alias]

A New Start - Dean Winchester

Title: A New Start - Dean Winchester

Words: 1,216

Relations: Dean Winchester X Reader

TW: fluff.

Prompt:

Dean leaving hunting just so he can be with you.

I sat in the library, book in hand as I read the book to escape the real world. I love reading and today was no different. I was in the library multiple times every week, all the librarians knew my name and they even offered me a job interview. I think I'm going to attend. I love the library so much that to pass up the opportunity would be foolish. Today seemed like any other but proven to be quite different as I read on. 

"Excuse me," a deep voice called to me. I looked up to see a stranger, a complete and handsome stranger. 

"Hi, can I help you?" I asked closing my book with my finger in place so I didn't lose my page.

"Hi, I was just wondering if you knew if they had any books on creature mythology," he asked making me chuckle. 

"Have you asked the librarians?" I asked and he shook his head. 

"They all seemed busy," he commented, I looked over to the desk to see 2 librarians chatting and another reading at the side. I chuckled before standing up. I put my bookmark in place and led the way. 

"Here are some books on mythology and he's a book dedicated to Wendigo, it's quite an interesting read," I explained and he smiled brightly. 

"Thanks, you like mythical creatures?" He asked and I smiled. 

"I find them interesting, I don't know if I think they're real but it's quite fascinating," I explained and he smiled brightly. "Are you writing a paper on them?" I asked but he shook his head. 

"I'm not the college student type," he explained so I nodded. 

"Well, I hope you find what you're looking for," I walked away with a smile. I went back to my seat and continued reading. I found myself looking around slightly to see if he was anywhere close but I hadn't spotted him. After a while, I lost hope that he was still here. A few hours passed and I packed up my things. I started approaching the door when Cara, a librarian, called me over. I approached with a wide smile, she smirked like she had a secret. 

"A man left you his number," she explained making my cheeks go red. 

"What book did he check out?" I asked hoping it was the guy I helped find the books he was looking for. She started tapping on her computer. 

"He checked out with the name of Dean and he got a book on Wendigo's and another on sirens," I smirked knowing it was him. She handed me a small piece of paper. 

"He was extremely handsome so if you don't call him I will," she joked making me laugh. 

"Thanks, I'll probably see you tomorrow," I announced with a quick goodbye to the other librarians. I walked out with a wide smile. I can't believe he left me his number. I started walking down the street and went to my local diner. I took my usual seat in the corner and the waitress instantly brought me a tea with the right amount of sugar on the side. I'm becoming too predictable.

"The usual?" She asked making me chuckle. 

"Yes please," I added as I opened my book. As I pulled it out the piece of paper with Dean's number on it fell out of my bag. I decided to pull my phone out and enter the number. Rather than calling him I texted.

Me: Hey, is this the guy from the library? (He replied almost instantly.) Dean: I'm Dean. I didn't want to disturb your reading again so I hope you don't mind that I left my number. Me: of course not. I'm Y/N. Dean: pretty name.

We started texting a little and every time I send a message I heard a slight buzz. I looked around and spotted a man with his back turned to me.

Me: by any chance are you in the diner? Dean: yeah, how'd you know? Me: I can hear your phone buzz.

I looked over to see him smiling at me. He called the waitress over before standing, grabbing his brown leather jacket from the back of his chair and approaching me. 

"Hey, mind if I sit with you?" He asked with a beautiful smile. 

"Go ahead," I added and smiled as he took a seat opposite me. 

We started chatting and getting to know each other before our food arrived. We had the same cheeseburger and chips so he explained that he liked that I wasn't the type to just eat a salad. I couldn't help but giggle. As we ate we started talking about the book I recommended and ended up talking for hours about all kinds of things. He seemed pretty open and I learnt a lot about him. He had a brother who passed away recently who was a book worm, he had no other family except a man called Bobby who was pretty much his father figure, he was staying in a motel, he loves the town and is considering staying even though he's usually on the road. 

"Do they do apple pie here?" He asked as he looked over the menu. 

"No, there's only three places to get apple pie around here," I explained and he looked at me expectantly. "The market but it's not fresh, my neighbour makes the best pies in the world and I know her recipe." Dean suddenly looked excited. 

"Apple pie is my kryptonite," he chuckled making me laugh. 

"My kryptonite is ice cream, if anyone gives me ice cream I'm like a stray dog, I will follow them home," I joked making him laugh. The waitress brought over our separate bills and explained they were closing in 10 minutes. Is it 10 o'clock already?! Time flies. We packed up our things and walked to the counter where we paid our bills. We walked out and turned to each other. "I should start heading home," I explained and he nodded with a slightly sad smile. "I can drive you if you like? My car is just here," he explained making me smile. 

"I would love that," I added and he smiled brightly.

I woke up with a wide smile as I saw Dean shaking me awake. 

"Good morning beautiful," he chirped making me smile wider as I stretched. "Good morning, baby," he added as he kissed my stomach. He does it every morning and every time it makes me excited for his birth. He kissed my lips with so much love and I melted into his lips. 

"Can't we just stay in bed?" I asked making him chuckle. 

"How about we make some breakfast, go to the store and have a movie night?" He asked making me smile excitedly. 

"A thousand times yes," I commented making him chuckle. 

"Happy anniversary," he added as he kissed me.

"Happy anniversary, baby," I replied in between kisses.

The baby boy was placed on my chest as I recovered from the pain of labour. Dean stood close trying to get a good look.

"Hi, Sammy Stitch Winchester," I commented and Dean smiled at me brightly. He looked just about ready to cry. This is my life right here in this room and I love it!

Masterlist

Working On

[yannaryartside]

Sydney is also trapped in the freeze response.

She is permanently on the brakes. Like Rooster in Top Gun

Let me explain. (Spoilers for top gun maverick)

The character arc of Rooster in the movie revolves around the fact that he is always stuck on “defensive, preventive flying” in the sense that he lacks the initiative to make the risky decisions that are necessary in combat scenarios. The root of this issue is obviously fear, because his father died on someone else’s choices, and he doesn’t want to make a decision that could cost someone’s life.

I am starting to think Syd may have the same issue. I was reading a post about Sydney’s inability to make a decision on the partnership agreement (I can’t remember now I will tag it if I find it).

But the op expressed very well how Sydney has basically been offered the opportunity she has always dreamed of (Shapiro's offer was better but came in later). Still, she postponed the decision while she played the resistance game the whole season against Carmy’s antics. It's like a boxer trying to fight the distance. The conversation she had with Luca in the last episode about “a friend you went through a battle with” seems to connect with this idea. Then, in the end, she has a panic attack and thinks about the people she cares for at the Bear, how they have grown, and the battles they have endured.

I am going to say something that may be controversial: I think Syd has not grown significantly since she came to the Bear. Or, to put it in another way, she has not reached the version of herself that can make it in this industry on her own. The version that could conquer the obstacles of the plot that are designed to change her. There is a reason we don’t see a new version of her in comparison to when she came to the Bear for her first day.

She has taken on new responsibilities and has conquered them. But I believe she has not shown us anything that was not already inside her. She did not change like Richie (that went from unreliable to indispensable and caring, specially with her) or Nat that accepted the restaurant being a good thing for her family and herself, or even Fak, Marcus and Tina, that once thought of themselves incapable of the things they have accomplished.

Whatever beliefs Sydney has about herself that pull the ultimate brakes for redefining herself, she still has them.

She is and has been for a long while a patient, honest person that extends grace to others. And because they were given accountability, support and understanding, people around her were able to grow. That is what the flashback is about. She made a difference. She built something, and yet, nothing seems to feel solid for her.

I wonder what all of this could mean

The brakes analogy

There is plenty of analogies about driving in the show. We have Donna crashing her car on her family’s home, the dream of Cicero about driving out of control and crashing with Carmy’s dad in it (there is something there). Claire's reckless driving, the mentions of her being an adrenaline junkie in some aspects (she used to shoplifting, her job). Like a comparison to people that live life like reckless driving (addiction and other issues).

Meanwhile, Syd was a professional driver. She has a tattoo of her mothers car in her back. She described what “crashed” her business as “going too far, too fast” She even drives Richie because he got his license suspended (reckless behavior). Sydney is perceived as reasonable, mesaaured and reliablee. A good driver (metaphoricaly), but…

Is the show trying to tell us that she is a person who may have a hand in the brakes too often, in the sense that she may freeze in a moment when acceleration is required? In creative careers, you often have to take risks, and you will fail most of them, but what is she a fraud to lose this time? What has she been afraid to lose this whole time?

She even acts like “the brakes” of the plot in moments of chaos. She asked Tina to slow down and completed her task on Doors, and does her own, putting the pace of the kitchen in a “under the speed limit”

She makes Carmy slow down and stop his spiraling thoughts. Yeah, she is the brakes if the car, but she applies them too much on herself. Hope that makes sense.

[joshsindigostreak]

I See Hell in Your Eyes

Chapter Ten

“Flash your teeth though the inside hurts.”

Vampire!Josh x Vampire!Reader

Authors Note: Happy Valentine’s Day my loves!! The nature of this chapter absolutely called for being posted today, and I had a blast writing it. Enjoy!!

Word Count: 8,589

Warnings: SMUT, 18+, Minors DNI, blood play, cum play, hand jobs, biting, swearing, descriptions of blood, I do believe that’s it!

The next night, you were awoken by a freshly-turned Vampire kissing all over your face. 

“Sweetheart…it's after eight…,” he whispered against your cheek. Your nose crinkled and you blinked your eyes open, only to find your favorite dark brown irises inches above yours. 

“Yeah? So?”

“As nice as this place is…I miss my bed, and I miss having you in it even more,” he grinned at you. 

You sat up and rubbed the sleep out of your eyes, “you got me there..I should probably go let Dimitri know we need to get-”

“Already taken care of, sweetheart,” he said as he pecked the side of your mouth. 

You looked at him in confusion, “what do you mean?”

“While you were still asleep Dimitri came around and asked if we needed anything, to which I politely explained we needed to be on our way and after a little back and forth everything was settled and he’s got a car waiting for us downstairs to take us back to your apartment.” 

You arched an eyebrow at your Vampire, “what do you mean ‘a little back and forth’?”

Josh’s eyes twinkled at you while the previous conversation ran through his head.

The new Vampire had woken up before you did, and turned towards the door when he heard it open after a soft knock. Dimitri dipped his head in and gave Josh a nod as he walked in. 

“Good evening, dear Joshua,” he greeted warmly. 

“Hi Dimitri,” he replied stiffly. 

“I hope you are comfortable here, despite the circumstances.” 

Carefully, Josh replied, “you’ve been very generous…all things considered, but I think we need to go home soon, if that's possible.” 

Dimitri nodded, “of course. I didn’t plan on keeping you here longer than necessary, but I didn’t want to just toss you out as soon as you were turned. I can have both of you driven back, it's the least I can do.”

Josh looked at him gratefully, “that would be great, thanks.”

The older Vampire glanced at you, still fast asleep, “it's funny, twenty-four hours ago I came to check on you and she was the one watching you sleep. She needs her rest, though.” 

Josh nodded in agreement and looked down at your sleeping form, “she absolutely does.” 

“I wanted to use this opportunity to thank you for your decision, and saving not only yourself, but her as well.” 

“It was a no-brainer.”

Dimitri eyed him curiously, “You know that wasn’t the first time I’ve offered a hunter the opportunity to be turned?”

“Really?”

“Oh yes. Your…people aren’t as stealthy as you think. Many of them get too cocky and end up being caught. So naturally I give them a choice. Death…or new life as one of us. As someone who grew up in that environment, I’m sure you know that many willingly chose death rather than to ever know the true decadence of blood. I’m sure on your end it's spun to make it seem like choosing death was the “better” choice. That it’s more “noble” to die a human than to live as a Vampire.” Josh looked down at his lap, knowing what Dimitri said was true. “But I’ll tell you right now, dear Joshua, that you? You were the first to ever say yes. The immediate agreement, to lay down your human life just to save…her. To give up the sun? For her. A fool would have watched our conversation and said that you weren’t thinking, that it was impulsive. But I saw your eyes. I saw how you clutched her hand, rubbed her knuckles, and I saw how you didn’t even hesitate. You committed the ultimate sin as a hunter to save the Vampire you love…So don’t downplay what you did. Being turned isn’t an easy process by any means, and agreeing to it is not a small decision. I know it wasn’t easy for her, either.” 

Josh looked over at you again, and gently took your hand that was resting over the covers, “I know…” 

“Now, I’m not one to spread other Vampire’s business, as it's not my story to tell, but I’ve known her long enough to know what she’s been through,” the older Vampire eyed Josh pointedly, hoping he’d get the hint. 

“She’s alluded to some things,” he replied distantly. 

“One doesn’t live for over three centuries without being put through the wringer. When I met her in 1923, she was very lost, and clearly hurting. She’s come a long way since then, Joshua.” 

Josh nodded slowly.

“Don’t ruin that.”

“I don’t…I don’t think I even have it in me to hurt her,” Josh said softly. 

Dimitri breathed through his nose and nodded, “good. I’d hate to have to give you a guided tour of the tunnels underneath this house.” The two Vampires maintained eye contact for nearly a minute, coming to an understanding. The older of the two relaxed his shoulders and smiled at Josh. “Now, the other part of our deal will begin in two nights.” 

Josh raised his eyebrows, “the other half?”

“Yes, the two of you making appearances at my other Blood Den establishments?” 

Realization crept over his face, “oh…that.” 

“Don’t sound too excited, Joshua. You will have VIP status at every Den you visit, along with transportation and sleeping arrangements. I’ll spare no expense.” 

Josh furrowed his brow curiously, “what do we…what do we have to do?” 

Dimitri threw his hands up, “honestly, not much. Your presence alone will garner enough attention. At the most you’ll just answer the same questions over and over again from patrons wanting to know your story from your perspective.” 

“My story?” 

He gave Josh a flat look, “yes, your story. How you loved your Vampire so much that you renounced your entire hunter bloodline to save her and be with her forever. You’ll quickly find out that Vampires love a classic love story, and trust me word travels fast with us.” 

Josh was skeptical, but he had no choice in the matter, “ok…” 

Dimitri’s tone was significantly lighter than before, “excellent. I’ll have a car pick you both up at her apartment. You’ll use my private jet.” 

Of course he had a private jet, Josh thought. His thoughts wandered as Dimitri prattled off the itinerary. He’d only have two nights before his next “chapter” would begin. Which meant he only had two nights with Jake before he took off…again. Fuck. He knew without seeing him that Jake had been a wreck this whole week, he didn’t even need his ‘twintuition’ to know that. He knew how Jake was, and how much Jake despised sudden change. Especially this kind of change. 

“...and the last week of October you’ll land in New Orleans. That Den isn’t necessarily new by any means, but it's currently under renovation and will be ‘reopening’ that week, just in time for Halloween!”

Josh blinked as he refocused, “is Halloween a big deal for Vampires?” 

Dimitri wobbled his head, “not necessarily but we love a good theme. Plus it makes it a lot easier to walk around the city covered in blood.” 

“Makes sense.” 

“Anyway, I’d best get going while the two of you continue to rest. I’ll text you further details soon.”

Josh was once again confused, “how do you have-”

“Oh my dear Joshua, I know so much more than you think,” he flashed him a smile before swiftly exiting the room, shutting the door quietly behind him. You rolled over with an incoherent mumble, and the newly-turned Vampire stared at your sleeping form, deep in thought. 

“The point is, we have about two nights before we’re off on our next adventure,” he kept his tone light, not wanting to worry you. He gave you a brief rundown of the plans Dimitri had, but he left out the part of the conversation where he discussed your past. 

“...so we only have two nights to pack and essentially be ‘on the road��� for the next two months?” 

“At least, yeah.”

“Are you ok with that?”

“I mean…we don’t really have a choice do we? It was part of the deal.” 

You looked off for a second, deep in thought, “sure…are you ready for your new life to begin, Boy Scout?”

He smiled, flashing the tooth gap, “as long as you’re with me.” 

You feigned an eye roll, “if I must!” Smiling yourself, you lifted up to rest on your elbows and gave him a secure kiss, relishing in how he melted into  you. 

~!~

The ride back to your apartment was a lot smoother to say the least, which led Josh to believe that Dimitri’s men drove like maniacs on purpose that first time. Knowing that you were in a time crunch, the two of you took a completely G-rated shower, and redressed as quickly as you could. 

You could tell that Josh was anxious to get back to his apartment, the gravity of the last few days catching up to him. He took a few turns a little too fast, and ran a couple red lights, but you just reached over and took his hand, comforting him while he drove. 

He wanted to call Jake, or at least text him, but he was at a complete loss for words. How would he even start the conversation, ‘hey bro i’m still alive…sort of…be there in ten?’ Any type of conversation starter fell flat and clunky in his head. It sounded shitty, but showing up in person was his best bet. 

The block of his apartment came into view, and thankfully a space on the curb was free. In probably the worst parallel parking job he’d ever done, Josh’s Jeep pulled to a stop. He nearly jumped out of the car, not even noticing he had used his new-found speed to circle it to open  your door. You gave him a sympathetic look, and squeezed his hand as you stepped on the sidewalk. He appreciated the gesture, knowing what you were trying to silently say: that it would be alright. But as sweet as you were, he still felt like he had a rock sitting at the pit of his stomach, sinking lower and lower as he ascended to the third floor where the attic stairs started. He looked down at his phone and noted that it was after eleven o’clock, nearing midnight. But he knew Jake would be up. In fact part of him wondered if his twin had slept at all these past few days. 

With a final breath, he gripped your hand and slowly made his way up those narrow stairs. Every familiar creak and groan of the wood normally would comfort him, but as of now it just made his anxiety worse. Finally you two made it to that top, barely-there landing, with only two inches of wood separating him from his other half. 

Because of his sharp hearing, he was able to decipher several voices from the other side. Familiar voices. He gave you a curious look before trying the door, finding it unlocked. With a shaky hand he pushed the door open all the way, fully unprepared for the sight on the other side. 

You were also frozen in place, as you did not know two of the faces that greeted you in your Vampire’s apartment. Sitting on that beat-up sofa, was a rather muscular man with a dark mane of curly hair. His dark eyes were fixed at the doorway, his mouth slightly agape. 

Standing in the middle of the room, was a rather Jesus-looking individual, with long skinny legs and equally long arms. His dark brown sanpaku eyes were darting between the two of you, as if he was unsure of what he was seeing. 

“Josh…?” the one that looked like Jesus said softly. He blinked a few times before rushing over and nearly tackling him in a bone crushing hug. You took a few steps down to give them space on the landing. Josh squeezed him back just as much, burying his face into the taller man's neck. 

“Hey Sammy…,” he muffled. 

So this was Sam, his little brother. Well, little in age only. He had nearly half a foot on Josh. The realization made your eyes water, as the memory of Josh leaving that voicemail echoed in your mind. 

Sam pulled back, just enough to rest his hands on Josh’s shoulders. 

“You’re ok…,” his voice was still soft. 

“Yeah…yeah I am,” Josh said, nearly whispering.

Sam turned to go back inside, his hand still on his brother’s shoulder, but an invisible force kept Josh from following him across the threshold. Because the owner of the building was human, and Josh was only renting, he’d have to be invited into his own apartment. It was a weird technicality that you yourself still didn’t fully understand, but you couldn’t change it. 

Josh looked up at Sam, hoping he’d remember this bit of Vampire lore. His cheeks flushed slightly out of embarrassment, another bit of reality sinking in.

 

Quick on his feet, Sam put two and two together fast enough that he very smoothly went, “hey come on in, Danny’s here!” 

Josh’s shoulders relaxed instantly and he followed his little brother through the doorway. He was grateful that Sam was on top of his creature lore, or as his fancy degree was called: cryptozoology. He graduated second in his class, bested only by some girl he always complained about in his phone calls home, but her name escaped Josh at the moment. 

Since you were already invited into this apartment, you had no trouble following the two men inside and shutting the door behind you. 

The other man, who you assumed was Danny, had stood up from the sofa and slowly walked over. He was even taller than Sam, but not by much. His curly hair fell just past his shoulders, and his hazel eyes and striking nose had you nearly transfixed. Josh had never mentioned Danny to you personally, so you wondered what relation he was to the rest of them. But something…something else was different about him in particular. For one, he smelled different than the rest, and two, there was this energy behind his eyes that was very peculiar. He wasn’t human, that was clear. But what was he? You studied him, and he seemed to catch on to your stare, and he met your gaze briefly, the color of his dark iris flashing an amber color so fast you almost missed it. Did his eyes just flicker? Or was it the light? No. He wasn’t-, you thought, it had been a good few years since you had run into one of them. 

Werewolves, that is.

“Good to have you back, man,” Danny said as he gave Josh a warm hug. 

As heartwarming as this scene was, it was interrupted by the sound of slow, stomping boots. Jake. 

Josh looked behind Danny, and saw his twin approaching with his arms crossed, an unreadable expression on his face. They stared into each other's eyes.  As tired of a cliche it was, it really was like looking into a mirror. But Jake's eyes were tired, the circles underneath them were even more prominent than normal, and the question on whether he had gotten any sleep lately was answered. 

This time it was Josh who nearly tripped on his feet to get to him, wrapping his arms around Jake’s shoulders and burying his face into his neck. Jake stiffened at first, and after a few excruciating seconds, slowly uncrossed his arms and wrapped them around Josh’s back. They almost looked like puzzle pieces this way, perfectly fitting together with their same height and builds. 

Even from the other side of the apartment, you could hear the shaky breaths the two were taking, as if both of them were trying to keep it together. But neither could fight it anymore, and the shaky breaths tumbled into full on muffled sobs. 

You had to turn away, it was too much for you. Quickly you found a spot on the floor, a scratch in the hardwood to focus on. But as emotional as it was, you were glad that Josh was able to see his brothers before whatever Dimitri had in store for you started. 

However, the spot on the floor couldn’t stop your ears from hearing Josh whisper to Jake, “told you I’d be ok…” After a few minutes, the twins pulled apart and quickly rubbed their eyes dry. 

Josh seemed to snap right back into “lighten the mood” mode and immediately formally introduced you to both Sam and Danny. 

Sam, it seemed, had inherited a charm very similar to his oldest brother, and gave you a warm smile as he shook your hand, “so you’re the Vampire from the file…,” he threw a look at Josh, “that he stole.” 

Seizing the opportunity, “oh, the file that was almost entirely incorrect?” 

Sam’s smile fell slightly but he recovered, “if that’s the case I’d love to correct it.” 

Josh watched the exchange, and noticed that Sam was still holding your hand. He arched an eyebrow as he looked from you to Sam. 

“Anyway, this is Danny, Sam’s childhood best friend,” he said loudly to get you to look over at him. 

“More of a brother, really,” Sam corrected, his eyes twinkling playfully at you. 

“It's lovely to meet you,” Danny said, his low voice causing you to turn your attention to him and shake his hand. His pulse was different from a human’s; faster, and his hand felt significantly warmer. 

“Likewise…” 

Exasperated, Josh guided you over to the sofa. CiCi had made her way over and sat to your left. You barely knew her, but her presence was a comfort to you already. You couldn’t decide who was more calm, her or Danny. Sam wedged himself between you and Josh after pulling a black notebook out of his bag.

“Not that fucking notebook…,” Josh said with an eyeroll. You looked at Josh confused and he answered, “he writes everything in those things. You’ve been through, what, forty of them by now?”

“Fifty-six, actually,” Sam retorted while flipping to a blank page. 

“For…what?” You asked. 

“Important scientific research of course!”

Josh leaned forward and gave you a look, “he wants to be the Jane Goodall of supernatural creatures.”

 

Sam’s lips parted in offense, “Jane Goodall is a hero.” 

You turned to CiCi and whispered, “is it always like this?” 

She nodded, “just be glad they haven’t tackled each other yet.” 

“Yet,” Danny said with a shake of his head and a small laugh. 

Sam, undeterred by his older brother, leaned over to you with curious eyes, “so…do you have a favorite blood type?”

“You don’t have to answer that,” Josh leaned forward to cut in.

You chuckled and smiled at Sam, “A Negative is always a good one.” Instantly Sam scribbled down your answer, nodding his head. 

The mood in the apartment remained light, despite the circumstances, but you felt eyes on you every so often. Eyes that were identical to your boyfriends. Jake hadn’t fully joined in on merriment, preferring to sit at the little table across the room with a beer. Danny sat across from him but Werewolf was fully engaged in the conversation. Jake remained quiet. 

Sam distracted you from it all by bringing over the file he had made about you and nearly grilled you on things that he “somehow got wrong.” He gave Josh a look when he saw the handwritten, favorite color: purple, note on the first page. But seeing it again made you look at Josh with warm eyes, remembering when he had you up against that tree. 

“...Natasha is going to be so jealous when I get back,” Sam mused quietly as he crossed out sections in the file and made corrections. 

“Since when are you talking to her again?” Josh asked. 

Sam squirmed slightly and chewed his lip, “we’ve been…we’ve been working together…”

You looked at them confused, “whose Natasha?”

 

“This girl Sam went to college with that he’s had a thing for forever,” Josh laughed. 

“What do you mean, ‘working together’?” Jake finally spoke.

Sam’s face was getting redder by the second, “she needed help for a research project and I…volunteered to help and she’s been helping me organize a lot of my archives ever since.” 

“That’s one way of putting it…,” Danny said. 

Sam gave him a hard look, “that's all we’re doing. It’s completely professional.” 

Josh looked at Danny, knowing the Werewolf would know the truth, “really?”

“Oh I stay far away from whatever it is they get up to in the basement,” he threw his hands up in defense. 

Josh gave Sam a disgusted look, “really…in the basement?”

“Oh my god that’s not what happens!” The room quickly dissolved into laughter at Sam’s embarrassment, with the exception of Jake, who fell back into silence. 

In the lull, Josh looked over at you, a little nervous about telling his brothers that he was going to be leaving the following night. Sam leaned forward, writing in his notebook, which let you reach behind him to gently twirl some Josh’s curls in your fingers. He still couldn’t get over how much your touch soothed him. 

With a deep breath, Josh looked around the room at everyone, “I umm…well we…have something to tell you.” Four sets of eyes turned to you specifically, wondering what Josh was talking about. 

“What is it,” CiCi asked. 

“We’re umm…we’re leaving tomorrow night,” he said quickly.

“What do you mean you’re leaving?” Jake’s voice was sharp and bitter. 

“Part of the…deal…was that if Josh was turned, the two of us would make a few appearances at some Blood Dens that Dimitri owned,” you answered. 

“Why?” 

“It's kind of a marketing thing, and it’s only for a few months-”

Jake cut you off, “are you fucking kidding me? Not only do you get to turn him into one of you but now you have to parade him around like some traveling freak show?” 

“That’s not what this is,” Josh cut in, giving Jake a warning look. 

“Oh, please enlighten me how it’s not, Josh,” he replied with an eyeroll. 

Josh scoffed, “look, it's only until the end of October, and then I’ll be free to do whatever I want.”

Jake straightened his shoulders, “not everything,” the implication was heavy in the air. He looked down at his watch, and then looked up at CiCi, “I think it's time we get to the hotel.” 

“Jake…,” Sam tried but he was ignored. 

Josh stood up at this, “what do you mean the hotel?” You looked around and noticed that the air mattress was no longer on the floor, and that their bags weren’t there either. 

“When Sam and Danny got here yesterday I got a room at the same hotel they were staying at. My back couldn’t take the air mattress anymore.” 

Josh deflated a little, “you don’t…you don’t have to do that there’s plenty of room here.” 

Jake stood and waved his hand, “it’s fine. It’s almost 1 AM anyway.” 

Before anyone could protest he was out the door. You needed to talk to Jake, you needed to explain. You stood up and went after him, distantly hearing CiCi apologize to Josh on Jake’s behalf. 

You followed him all the way out to the street, before he turned around and gave you a hard stare. 

“Can I help you?” 

“Jake please just let me-”

“I don’t want to hear it,” he shoved his hands in his pockets and turned his head to look down the street. He turned back to face you, “you know we’re five minutes apart, right?” 

The chilly night air nipped at your ankles as you silently listened. 

“There was a running joke that Josh pushed me out of the way to come out first and he’s held it over my head our whole lives,” he looked down at his feet and twisted the toe of his boot into the sidewalk, “five minutes. Five minutes older. Five minutes wiser. And now?” He looked up and locked eyes with you, “Now I’m 48 hours older than him and it doesn’t feel right at all.” He mumbled the next bit, as if you weren’t supposed to hear it, “I’m not meant to be older.” 

Jake turned away from you for a moment, nearly turning around so you couldn’t see his face, but the small sniff and the way he quickly rubbed at his face was a dead giveaway. You felt like absolute shit. The guilt was still eating away at you, even if Josh tried to reassure you that he was fine. It was more than Josh, and you couldn’t help but blame yourself.

Eventually, after a few tense minutes, he turned back to you. Dark, red-rimmed eyes looked at you in pure disgust, “all I’m saying is…you better be fucking worth it.” 

Before you could open your mouth you heard the rest of the group make their way downstairs and through the front door of the building. They filtered out onto the sidewalk one by one, trying to not let the moment be as awkward as it already was. You looked at Josh who was trying his best to look unbothered, but you could see through it. 

CiCi gave you a small hug and whispered, “he just needs time…,” referring to Jake.

You nodded and hugged her back, before looking over at Sam who had files tucked under his arm. 

“Are you going too?”

Sam nodded, giving you a sympathetic look. He turned and gave Josh a hug, mumbling something about finally getting his files back, and to text him later. Danny stood there rather awkwardly, but he looked at you, and flashed his eyes again quickly. It was a small formality that Werewolves did, they were very big on nonverbal communication. But you understood it, and nodded as he turned to get into his car. 

Jake pulled Josh into a final hug, not as intense as the one earlier, but almost. He pulled away and like Sam, told Josh to call him later. The four of them got into their respective vehicles and drove off to whatever hotel they were staying at, leaving you and Josh alone on the street. His eyes were fixed on Jake’s car in particular, watching it drive off until it took a left and disappeared out of sight. 

You turned to your Vampire, taking his hand into yours, “are you ok?”

“I just…let's get back inside…”

Later on in the night, the two of you were cuddled up in Josh’s bed. He had been quiet after everyone left, and you tried to distract him by helping him take down his evidence wall. Sam had collected everything that Josh had “stolen” but there were still other photos and notes left behind. Everything was carefully put in a spare box in Josh’s tiny closet, next to his old crossbow. 

Now, he laid against your chest, letting your arms circle him and your hands gently twist the curls at the base of his neck. Occasionally he’d leave lazy kisses on the forearm closest to his face, working his way up to your palm. 

“He’s never looked at me like that before,” he mumbled into your skin. 

“It’s a lot all at once, Boy Scout,” you whispered to him. 

Josh nodded, “I know it’s just…it’s Jake, you know?” 

You reached up to his face and stroked his cheek with your thumb, “he’ll come around.” 

He readjusted himself to lie fully on top of you, face hovering above yours, “I wanted to tell you something the other night, before you- before I…before I was turned.”

You tilted your head curiously, “tell me what?”

“The first night at that bar, when I was watching you,” he started, suddenly nervous, “it was more than your outfit and general demeanor that let me know who -or what- you were.” 

“I’m confused…”

“I walked in, and I took one look at the crowd and found you instantly. You weren’t paying attention to anything but your phone, but I couldn’t take my eyes off of you.”

“But you…you hated me that night…”

His cheeks reddened, hating how it sounded, “I know…and I’m sorry, I think that's what pissed me off even more.”

Josh was being so vague and not getting to the point, but you played along, “and what was that?”

“That you were the most beautiful creature I had ever seen,” he said, his shoulders visibly relaxing, brown eyes softening even more, “it was like two sides of my brain were fighting each other. On one hand, I had a voice in my head reminding me of ‘why’ I was there, and why I was looking for you in the first place. That you were one of them. But the other part of me, in all my years of hunting, had never realized that Vampire’s could be as pretty as you. I never looked at any twice before that night. They were just numbers and jobs. But you? You almost looked…familiar. I stood at that pool table trying to think if I had ever come across you before, but I didn’t. I would’ve truly remembered if I did.” His fingers traced patterns on your cheek, “I couldn’t help but think, there you are, at the sight of you. And not in the way that I had found my target, but in the way that I was seeing you again for the first time in a long time.”

You were truly at a loss for words, having never had someone speak to you so beautifully, “Josh I-”

“I remember what I said the other night, as well.” 

You licked your lips, eyes shining with tears, “...and what did you say?” 

“I think you know,” a smile formed on his face.

“Then say it, Josh,” you teased. 

He lowered his face to brush his lips against yours so softly that your heart stuttered, before pulling away just enough to look you in the eyes, “I love you, sweetheart.” 

You grasped his cheeks in your hands, “I love you too, Boy Scout,” before pulling him back down to kiss him again. Instantly, he melted into you and smiled against your lips. 

In a flash, the little clothing you both had on was thrown in different directions, leaving you naked on those blue plaid sheets. Your legs wrapped around his waist as your tongue pushed its way past his lips. He moaned into your mouth and grinded into you, nearly gliding his cock through your folds with how wet you were. You rolled him over with ease, kissing along his jawline and down his neck. Out of habit, you were still being careful with him, not wanting to bet too rough. 

Josh seemed to sense that you were holding back and as you were kissing your way across his adam’s apple, he said, “what are you holding back, for?”

You paused, while you were very much aware of his new state of being, you were so used to your hunter being a human that the thought of throwing him around like you truly wanted to still seemed out of the question. With a shrug, you fiddled with the hair on his chin with your fingers, not looking up at him. 

He sat up slightly, resting on his elbows, “I’m not that delicate anymore, you know.” 

This caused you to look up at him, staring into those perfect brown eyes, “you’ll always be delicate to me, Boy Scout.” 

His eyes softened, appreciating the sentiment while he reached up and stroked your face, “and I love that, but we’re both Vampires now, show me how it really goes…”

A wicked grin spread across your face, “you want me to be rough with you, Josh?”

He nodded, eagerly. 

Your eyes darkened at him, and using your strength you pushed him back down onto his back, capturing his lips in a bruising kiss. His hands gripped your hips to the point his fingertips turned white. You moved down his jaw once again and onto his neck, sucking hickeys that stayed for just a couple of minutes before healing. Your nails dug into his hips, and this time you weren’t as concerned if they broke the skin or not. 

Your fangs hadn’t lowered yet, but you were biting your way down his body, enjoying his flesh between your teeth. He threw his head back onto the pillow, mouth agape and eyes closed. Your hand wrapped around his cock as your tongue licked a stripe where his thigh met his body. Your Vampire was an absolute mess of cusses and moans, and he didn’t even know what you had in store for him. You took the head of his cock into your mouth, lapping up the precum and smiling around him as he nearly shouted at the contact. His hands were gripping the sheets, with the very real possibility that he could rip them at any second. You worked your way down his cock, taking every inch of him in your mouth until your nose brushed against the curls at the base. Your tongue worked the underside of him as you bobbed your head.

But before he could get close, you pulled off of him and trailed light kisses down his right thigh. The sigil that he had been given was still there, but was no longer warm or pulsing due to him no longer being human. For now, it was just a pretty tattoo, and a reminder of his past. The real prize was the artery just below it, its pulse singing in your ears as you left open mouth kisses around it. 

“Do you remember when I mentioned drinking from someone's thigh?”

Josh sat up a little at this, and in his lust-fueled haze he nodded. 

“I never got to do this with you when you were human, and in all honesty I was afraid it would get out of control if I did. But as you said, you’re not human anymore, are you?”

His eyes darkened as he stared down at you, “no…not at all…” 

“Would you like me to show you?”

He trapped his bottom lip between his teeth, and his cock twitched in your hand at the thought. 

“Please…,” he breathed. 

With a smile, your fangs lowered in place, and you went back to his thigh, grazing his flesh with them. You pinpointed exactly where you needed to bite, and with a deep breath, your teeth broke the skin and sank into his flesh. One of your hands continued to pump his cock, heightening the sensation for him. The strangled sound that left Josh’s throat was music to your ears as you took your first pull of his blood, his taste flooding your mouth. That flavor that was so uniquely him, and if you were being honest, the best you’d ever had. 

The flashes began as you pulled, not as many as the last time, but still welcomed glimpses into his life. The first was from when he was a teenager, arguing with Sam over breakfast, while Jake stood at the table completely unimpressed. It was such a normal, brotherly moment that you wished you could’ve seen more of it before it flashed to another memory.

 The next was more recent, but his hair wasn’t shaved on the sides, and he hadn’t grown out his facial hair either. It was daytime, and he was waiting outside of what appeared to be a normal looking house. Suddenly, the front door burst open and a younger Jake was shoving a Vampire over the threshold and into the sunlight. The immediate screams and sizzling filled your ears before the memory went dark and you were back in Josh’s bed, your teeth still hooked into his thigh. 

Your hand worked his cock in tandem with your mouth, pumping him while you continued to drink. Within a few minutes, his cock twitched and he cursed up at the ceiling as he came in your hand. Slowly, you withdrew your teeth from his skin, watching the puncture wounds close up and heal on their own. You gave him a final kiss on the area as you sat up on your knees, bringing your cum-covered hand to your mouth to lick off the mess he made. His pupils were so blown his eyes nearly looked black as he watched his cum meet your blood stained lips. You smiled around your fingers, looking up at him through your lashes. 

He couldn’t take it anymore and in a speed he could only recently achieve, he had you pinned down on the bed. His mouth claimed yours and he reviled in the combination of his own blood and release that met his tongue. 

“My turn…,” he announced in a low, gruff voice. He kissed his way down your body as you had done to him, biting and nipping at your skin. He stopped at your breasts and took his time in giving both of them attention. His tongue swirled around your nipple while his hand pinched and squeezed the other, and he switched to the other side before continuing down your torso. 

His lips skipped right past where you needed him most, zeroing in on the same spot on your right thigh. He looked back up at you through his long lashes, and you nodded at him, breathing out a yes. Looking down at your thigh, he concentrated and his fangs lowered into place a lot easier this time. You couldn’t help but smile, proud that he was getting the hang of it. 

He roughly bit into your flesh, sinking his fangs deep into your thigh. You weren’t kidding when you had told him that feeding from the femoral artery was a lot faster than the neck or wrist, as your blood flooded his mouth so quickly he nearly choked. But he used this to his advantage and swallowed quickly before taking a true pull. Your cherry-flavored blood was all he could think about. It was so sweet, so you, that he wanted to taste you every single day for the rest of his life. 

In his mind's eye, a memory of yours came into view. It was dusk, and you were being risky in the remaining sunlight, keeping yourself under the awning of a building on the street. It looked to be sometime in the 1800’s, given the carriages and clothing. Your eyes were fixed on a man sitting with his son on a bench across the street. He recognized the man from the other memory he had seen the other night, the one you called “Colin.” The one you had been in bed with. You were watching the two of them, sadness filled your eyes and your hands twisted your gloves. Colin and his son were oblivious to your presence, and you made no move to make yourself known. 

The memory flashed to another scene, this time it was noticeably later, maybe the fifties going by your hair and attire. You were chatting up a few friends at a bar, lighting a cigarette and laughing at one of their jokes. It was such a stark contrast to the memory before it that it almost gave him whiplash. 

As he came back to reality, his hips ground into the bed, already hard again. Hesitant that he wouldn’t be able to stop, he pulled his fangs from your thigh, licking at the bleeding wounds as they healed. 

Over the next few hours, he took you against any available surface he could find. A round against the wall, another on what little kitchen counter space he had. There was even an attempt at using that tiny poor excuse of a table, but you may or may not have pushed him a little too hard against it, resulting in one of the legs to give out and send you both to the floor in a fit of giggles. 

Eventually you ended up back in his bed, wrapped up in each other and in the now completely ruined blue plaid sheets. It wasn’t until the sun was peeking through the curtains that you two collapsed in exhaustion, letting sleep wash over you as you laid in each other's arms. 

The next night, Josh awoke to a few texts from his brothers. There was a selfie from Sam, showing he and Danny sitting next to each other on a plane, with an accompanied text that read, “on the flight home, promise I won’t clap when the plane lands.”

 

He laughed softly and then opened the text from Jake, which was short and sweet, “just got to Memphis”. There weren’t any other messages or missed calls, and went back and forth with himself on what bothered him more about it.

Instead he distracted himself with cleaning up and packing. He started by picking up his poor lamp that had somehow landed on the floor during your escapades and making sure it wasn’t too damaged. He organized his suitcase while you took a shower, his cheeks warming at how domestic it all felt. 

When it came time for the two of you to leave and head back to your place and wait for Dimitri’s car to pick you up, Josh couldn’t help but feel a little sad in leaving the tiny apartment. It was only for a few weeks, but he had grown rather attached to the place recently, and he was going to miss it. 

Back at your apartment he helped you pack multiple suitcases.

“Are you really only putting shoes into this one?”

You looked at him confused, “and what about it, Boy Scout?” 

He threw his hands up, “no reason…no reason at all…” 

“One thing about me, I never travel light,” you remarked, kissing him on the cheek before venturing back into your closet to grab more clothes. Centuries of traveling had made you an expert in packing, and even with all your little tricks to get more into a bag, you still always traveled with a bunch of suitcases. 

Within an hour, you had six different bags next to your door. Dimitri had sent you a text stating that his driver was on his way to take the both of you to the jetport. All you were waiting for now was a knock on the door. 

Josh stood next to you, slowly lacing his fingers with yours in anticipation. 

At his touch, you turned and looked at him, “hey, we’re going to have fun,” you reassured. “Dimitri will take good care of us. All we have to do is look pretty and in love.” 

Josh tried to hold back a smile, causing the dimple in his cheek to show, “does this make us Katniss and Peeta?” 

Your eyes widened in mock offense, “this is not the same and you know it!”

A smile fully cracked on his face, his tongue between his teeth,  “how many districts -i mean- Dens do we have to visit?” 

You playfully pushed at his chest, “not twelve!” The both of you dissolved into giggles, enjoying these last few moments before your next adventure began. 

Catching your breath you said, “Besides, can you even bake?” 

“What?” 

You gave him a serious look, “Bake. Peeta was a breadmaker, so have you ever made bread?” 

“Woah woah, who said I’d be Peeta in this situation? You’re the one who's all gungho on this telling me to play along and smile like the Capitol wants…” He planted his hands on his hips and looked down at the floor dramatically, “I’m the one who was plucked out of his normal life, away from his family…and technically I am an archer by trade…”

 

You rolled your eyes, “Katniss used a regular bow and arrow, not a crossbow, so that doesn’t count.” 

“Whatever you say, Peeta.” 

“You little sh-”

Bang!

Bang!

The cute moment was rudely interrupted by an equally rude pounding at your door. 

Time to go. 

Now you were in the backseat of the same SUV that had picked you up those few nights before, but this time you weren’t fearing for your life. You made it a few blocks from your apartment before a thought occurred to you, and you leaned forward to speak with the driver. 

“Hey, can you make a right up here?” 

“I’ve been told to take you to the jetport, miss.” 

“I’m aware. But please make a right,” you said tightly. 

With a huff he obliged, turning down the side street. 

“Ok just pull over on this block.”

“Miss I really-”

“Just give us five minutes, I promise. I’m sure Dimitri has plenty of other henchmen on standby if we take too long.” 

“Five minutes,” the driver repeated, giving you a stern look in the rearview mirror before he pulled up to the curb.

You grinned and took Josh’s hand and got out of the car. 

“Sweetheart where are we-”

“I just…I wanted you to meet someone before we left!” You pulled him down the street and turned into an alley, and a familiar heavy door came into your view. Josh was still completely bewildered as to what you were up to, but he trusted you. You flashed him another smile before banging on the door. 

The door swung open, and a rather annoyed New Yorker stood on the other side. 

“Now what the hell- Kid!” Les’ eyebrows raised in surprise, and then furrowed in concern, “you in trouble again?”

“No no, I just…I wanted to see you before I took off again for a little bit.” 

“Oh, well, come right on in,” he sidestepped to give you space, but when Josh followed behind you, he blocked his way. “Now who is this?” 

You turned and tried to hold back a smile, “oh this is…Josh…” 

Les stared at him, looking at him up and down and quickly analyzing him. 

“He’s not human…so he can’t be your dinner…you gotta be invited in?” He looked down at Josh. Les was easily over half a foot taller than Josh, and he used his height to his advantage. 

Josh gulped, totally caught off guard by your friend. Behind the intimidating man, he noticed several different weapons lining the walls and he felt his fangs threaten to come down in defense. 

“Les, he’s with me he’s fine.” 

The corner of Les’ mouth twitched but he motioned for Josh to come in anyway, “well why don’t you come inside then.” 

Josh quickly crossed the threshold before Les shut the door behind him.

Les wasn’t through with his questions, “you got a last name?”

“Les,” you sighed before standing next to Josh, taking his hand. 

“Now, now Kid, he's a big boy, he can answer for himself.” 

Josh squared his shoulders, “Kiszka.” 

There it was. The lightbulb went off in Les’ head, and his eyebrows raised again. 

“A Kiszka…just had to be invited in?” Oh, now he was connecting the dots. He turned to look at you, trying to hold back a smile, “so I was right?” 

You opened your mouth to make a smart ass remark, recalling when he had made the suggestion that the hunter who cuffed you was a bloodline hunter, more specifically a Kiszka.

“...maybe.” 

Les turned back to Josh and took a full step forward, “so you’re the one who put her in those cuffs? You didn’t even see the shape her wrists were in when she got here.” He pointed over to his work bench, his voice cold, “took hours to scrub out her blood from my bench.” 

“Well…about that,” you started, before giving Les a rundown of the last few weeks. The range of expressions he had on his face as you told your story was comical. After you finished, he was quiet for a few moments. 

He looked at Josh sympathetically, “the Council are a bunch of assholes, damn. So where does Dimitri have you running off to now?” 

“First stop is Chicago, at his new Den.” 

Les nodded, “Chicago is decent…but their pizza sucks. If you can even call it that.” His mouth twisted in disgust, “more like a casserole than anything…guess it's good you can’t eat it anyway.”  

You laughed, “I’ll remember that.”

Les turned and pointed his head toward the wall, where a familiar pair of cuffs were clean and hanging on a nail, “I wasn’t going to anyway, but you’re really not getting those back.”

Josh replied lightly, “that's perfectly fine. You can keep them.”

The arms dealer narrowed his eyes, “oh I wasn’t asking for permission. Finders keepers and all that.” 

Josh gulped again. 

“Now come on, give me a hug,” he said, holding his arm out to you.

You nearly leaned back, “since when do you hug?”

 

“I’m only going to ask once, Kid.” 

You smiled and wrapped your arms around his waist in a full hug. The gesture warmed your heart, as you had never seen Les be affectionate to anyone, let alone you. 

As you pulled away, you whispered, “I really like him, Les…” 

He gave Josh a warning look over your shoulder before replying, “if he puts one finger out of line, you know how to reach me.” 

“Les,” you warned again. 

He chuckled slightly, “ok, ok. Now get outta here, you have a plane to catch.” 

He opened the door, and you waved at him before nearly bouncing out the door. Josh followed behind you, but was stopped by a large hand on his shoulder. 

Les leaned in close to his ear, “I meant what I said. You ever hurt her like that again, Dimitri’s little goons and his tunnels will be the least of your problems. I know a lot more than Vampires.” 

Josh nodded, “understood.” 

“Now run along…it's almost Blue Hour, you know,” his voice was ice cold, driving home his point. 

Without looking back, Josh caught up to you in the alley, walking towards the SUV. 

“That was twelve minutes,” the driver said, his voice laced in annoyance. 

“Yeah yeah yeah, whatever we’re back,” you rolled your eyes as you and Josh slid back into your seats.  

The rest of the ride was relatively quiet, and eventually the jetport came into view. The SUV drove directly onto the tarmac, pulling up to the stairs up into the plane. 

This was it. 

The inside of the plane was as luxurious as you expected. Leather seats lined one side as one massive couch, with fixed chairs and tables on the other side. You took your seats on said couch, the both of you feeling a little out of your depth at this point. 

It didn’t take long for the plane to take off, and when you reached altitude, an older gentleman came out of a pair of doors towards the back of the plane. He had a decanter filled with blood in his gloved hands, along with two crystal wine glasses. 

The sudden smell had Josh snapping his head in that direction, his eyes fixed on the decanter. You squeezed his knee, in reassurance, knowing that he was still figuring out how to properly react in the presence of blood. 

The gentleman stopped in front of you, “Dimitri sent his regards, and as a thank you, he sent over a supply of a French vintage, a classic 1972, A Negative.”

You looked at Josh and looked back at the decanter. Yeah, you could definitely get used to this. 

To be continued…

Tag List:  @dannyandthekiszkas , @readyforthegarden , @sinners-go-to-drink-the-wine , @wideminded-dreamer , @runwayblues , @wildbluesorbit , @llightmyllovee , @rhythm-of-space , @sacredthefran , @writingcold , @alwaysonthemend , @wetkleenex-gvf , @josh-iamyour-mama , @lightsofthe-living-gvf , @gvfcinema , @sacredthethreadgvf , @losfacedevil , @jakekiszkasbuttsweat , @shutupdevvie , @hearts-hunger , @gretavanfleetposts , @ascendingtostardust , @mackalah , @andromeda-raine-gvf , @jake-kiszkas-smirk , @gracev0609 , @sacredjake , @earthlysorrows , @gvfpal , @myownparadise96 , @itsafullmoon , @gvfmelbourne , @twistedmelodies , @that-witchy-pan , @gold-mines-melting , @texas-bbq-pringles , @jakekiszkapunchmeintheface , @sadiechar , @char289 , @stardustvanfleet , @sunfl0wer-power , @holdingup-fallingsky ,

[all-my-ocs-are-evil]

more Grojband au drawings and headcanons bc apparently I only like making fanart for fandoms that are non-existent or on the brink of extinction.

(au ramblings after the keep reading)

Relationships

Platonic/Familial:

Lanes and Larry (nickname Lars or Lars Bar) got really close during middle school. They found comfort with each other bc they were in similar situations regarding their crushes. They'd sneak off after band practice to rant to each other about their band leaders and just wallow in self-pity. And that didn't really change as they got older. If anything, they got even closer, acting more like siblings than friends—they even got similar/mirroring piercings to match and wear coordinated outfits—, constantly ranting to or annoying each other at any opportunity. However, their audience doesn't really believe that it's just that (having given both of them the titles of casanovas for dating each other and their band leaders). And neither does Corey. Which, as you can probably guess, often leads being a point of contention between them.

Kim and Konnie: I've made them really close cousins. Why?. Because I can! jk jk but tbch I just wanted to add some variety in the lineup's dynamics. I'm also playing with the idea of one of them being half-white and the other being half-Filipino and having them be raised in different households to see how that would affect the different ways in which they'd interact. They are still close like sisters and each other's best friends, they were born on the same day and wear matching hair ties like friendship bracelets, but I want them to have things about them that make them different from being exact copies of their counterparts. However, this is definitely subject to change as I explore the concept more.

Corey and Carrie: acquaintances. Over the years their rivalry has seriously mellowed out and are more or less pleasant with each other. They will tease each other from time to time but that's kind of just what you do when you've known someone as long as they have.

Mina and Trina: Not quite sure where to put this one lol. Their relationship imploded senior year when Mina confessed to her and Trina responded in the worst way possible. Now Mina is doing school abroad and Trina had to repeat her last year. No one really knows what happened but rumor has it that Mina had said something so bad to Trina that it made her completely break. She doesn't hang out with anyone and she rarely, if ever, talks. She spends all her time alone in her room or at her job that nobody is even really sure she has.

Romantic:

Kon and Konnie: they are just happy and cute together. They started hanging out together more during sophomore year when Konnie's gym closed down and she had to go to a new one. They were definitely more awkward at first, they didn't really dislike each other but their friends did so they kind of just...didn't interact, but once they actually started talking they found they got along really well! They would often spot for the other and offer encouragement when working out. Inevitably they caught feelings and tried dating in secret. But that didn't last long (bc ofc it didn't lol) and they got caught. Both bands were more irritated than mad but eventually got over it.

Kin and Kim: a bickering old married couple. they are constantly 'breaking up' and then getting back together the next day. They are snarky and live for drama and gossip. They both think that the other is more in love with them and can control them bc of it. In reality, they are both equally whipped for each other but refuse to admit it. They constantly 'fight' to show that they aren't in love then somehow always fail miserably every time. They haven't made their relationship public and hopefully never will. They like having their fans think they're single and that if they found out it would ruin their images as the mysterious prince and princess of their respective groups. The bands' reactions to them range from exasperated eye rolls to mocking laughter.

Larry (yes, I'm sticking to calling him Larry) and Carrie: ??? Larry adores Carrie and she knows this. He makes it very clear and is willing to do almost anything for her. But how Carrie feels for Larry is unclear, at least that's what he says to Laney. She will treat him like a best friend and they'll hang out alone without problem, but she will have this weird distance about her that she doesn't close. That is until the cameras come on. During interviews and shoots, she will pull him close to her and say things that can be easily interpreted and romantic, but when asked to specify she will laugh and deflect the question. Then, once the cameras are off, she goes right back to being distant. He is unsure whether or not she actually likes him romantically or is just refusing to clarify for the sake of the band, but he'll lean into her touch whenever or wherever it's given. He seems to have come to terms with this being their dynamic and just...goes with it. There is one thing he knows for certain, he loves her and regardless of whether or not she cares for him romantically, he will stay by her side no matter what. Oddly enough, whenever the topic of Larry and Laney's relationship is brought up, Carrie refuses to talk about it. To be honest, she'll act like she has no idea what they're talking about and bluntly steer the conversation towards literally anything else.

Laney and Corey: Contradictory. Laney has essentially given up on forming a romantic bond with Corey. However, her actual feelings don't seem to have gotten the memo. She still cares for him so much it hurts. So much so that she's come to terms with the fact that she will never be able to be with anyone romantically because of it. Laney used to love the high of being in love, floaty and light, and now she feels more like a suffering addict, lost and panicked. She drowns in every touch and caress given to her but at the same time feels burned and scorned every time she realizes how simple and platonic they are. She can't blame him for not liking her back, but she's come to resent him for it. Just a little bit. She sometimes even wishes she had never met Corey. Constantly thinking about the life she could have had had she not been pulled into the living whirlpool that was Corey. She loves him, and he doesn't know it. But he holds her closer than anyone else. He is possessive of her and her attention. Whenever it's directed towards someone else, Larry especially, he pulls her back into him and refuses to let her go. This makes it even more unlikely for her to move on, in fact, it makes her angry. They argue about it often.

I have the beginnings of several scenes that explore these relationships and stuff but I'm not too sure I wanna share them just yet ^^; (my creative writing skill is a bit more than a little lacking lol)

[starcrossedxwriter]

Oscars Night Part 2 (MBJ x Famous Black OC)

A/N: So we got Michael's Oscar win… here's Charlotte's! A little fluff and smut with our favs. This gif has nothing to do with the Oscars but he looks damn good so here we are… Enjoy!

Warning: Smut

“And here we have the insanely gorgeous star of the night, Mrs. Charlotte Elsbeth Jordan. Mrs. Jordan, how are you feeling?”

Charlotte slid her hand into Michael Strahan’s as he politely helped her step up onto the platform for her pre-show interview at the 90th Academy Awards. Her stylist had gone for full glam with her outfit, it was a bit more dramatic than she would usually go for but it hit the mark and clearly was a showstopper, which was exactly what Law believed she should be for the night. However, without her husband’s usual arm to steady her, she questioned how she even made it this far down the carpet by herself. 

“I am doing amazing, thank you! So excited to be here.” She offered him and the camera a dazzling white smile, which expertly hid the massive waves of anxiety crashing over her. 

Her eyes carefully examined the chaotic terrain of the red carpet and wondered silently how her peers sauntered down these red carpets with such ease and confidence. It was certainly not her first award show, it was not even her first time at the Oscars. It was, however, her first time as a nominee and she felt like a fawn testing out its wobbly new legs for the first time. Despite all the award shows and events she had gone to in her career, tonight felt as if she had ascended into a whole new level of terrifying. And it did not help that she had to make it through the evening without the one person who could keep her anxiety in check, the only person who knew the right words to pull her back from the edge of anxiety and doubt. 

“Well, first, you look absolutely stunning. Tonight is a huge night for you as a first-time nominee. But it could also be a significant historic night for you and the film industry. You are only one of three women nominated for Best Song and Best Actress in the same year. And you could become the second Black woman to win best actress, and the youngest person to become an EGOT in history. How does that all feel? Are you excited?” 

She let out a quick and light chuckle, “No pressure at all, right??” She paused and shrugged. “But honestly, I am trying to not think too much about all of that. I just… I just strive every day to do my best work and be the best vessel for other people’s stories that I can be. Naomi really was the embodiment of that for me. And given the reckoning that is happening across the country, but particularly in our industry over the last few years, I think Naomi’s story is too familiar for far too many people. And it has been great to see the conversations this film has started and how it really centers the journey of survivors. So I am just so proud and honored to be part of it. And while the recognition from my peers this season has been incredible, I am more happy about that. So I’m just looking forward to performing tonight and celebrating the best of the best in our industry. I try not to get too caught up in all the other stuff.” 

Her role in the indie film, Bird Set Free, was timely and deeply personal for Charlotte due to her own struggles with abuse. The film tells the story of Naomi, an aspiring songwriter who is assaulted by her boss at her part-time job. The project, loosely based on the screenwriter’s own life, followed Naomi’s journey to recovery and shed real light on the harsh impacts of trauma on survivors. With this role, Charlotte had the rare opportunity to both play the main character and dust off her songwriting skills by contributing to many of the songs showcased throughout the film. As a survivor of abuse herself, Charlotte knew her performance tonight was her moment ensure her performance of “She Used to Be Mine” reflected her character’s and her own experience overcoming trauma. She had poured all that pain from her own journey into that ballad, creating one of her most emotional songs yet. 

“That is amazing and we wish you all the best. Before you go, I do have to ask, you are missing the other Michael tonight. I know he is out promoting a little movie folks may not have heard of… just a billion dollar cultural phenomenon.” 

Charlotte’s lips curled into a soft smile, her sadness still coloring the edges though she tried to hide it. 

“Yes, Michael is promoting Black Panther with the rest of the cast overseas. I am sad my partner in crime isn’t with me but this is a historic moment for him and the entire cast so I couldn’t be prouder. And our marriage works because we both do what we love. So I know he is cheering me on.” 

She had repeated that refrain over and over to herself for the last week since Michael revealed he would have to go out of the country to promote the film and would not make it back in time for the Oscars. Work was work and Marvel required a lot of the cast to promote this historic blockbuster. But she would not lie to herself and pretend it was not still disappointing. And while she knew she could not say this to the well-intentioned reporters interviewing her, deep down today only served as a reminder of the downside to being married to a fellow actor: neither of you could be as present as you wanted or should be. 

“But,” she continued. “He sent a gorgeous bouquet of flowers and champagne for me and the team while I was getting ready. So if I can’t have him, champagne is a decent replacement.” Her light laughter was cut short by two strong hands wrapping around her waist and settling on her hips, her body pulled back into a familiar embrace. 

“Hey honey bee…” 

Charlotte whipped around, her legs almost giving out beneath her as she found her husband standing behind her. Her hands immediately ran over his arms as if she had to feel him to believe he was truly there and not a ghost. Tears sprang to her eyes as she drank him in, any and all words stolen right out of her throat.  

“W-what…. H-how?” She mumbled as he pulled her into a kiss, her interview long forgotten. The kiss was brief but she felt it, all of his whispers to relax, urges to breathe, and desires for her to enjoy her moment. 

Just a moment in his arms made Charlotte feel more at peace than she had been since she woke up this morning. She pulled back from their embrace to study him, her brain still refusing to believe he was really with her and not across the world. She could not stop the wave of lust that hit her as she took in his tux. It baffled her how he always managed to look so damn good.

“Where there’s a will…” he shrugged, smiling down at her and offering her a sly wink. She dabbed her eyes to stop the tears from falling, knowing she would never hear the end of it from her team if she ruined her makeup before the show even started.

“That is just beautiful. Safe to say you are surprised?” 

“Yes, 100%! He called me earlier, pretending he was in a whole different time zone,” her tone playfully accusatory as she poked his side. “Usually, I’m pretty hard to get a surprise over on but he definitely got me this time.” 

Michael leaned over and offered a quick peck on her nose, Charlotte’s face scrunching up as she blushed. 

“You two are definitely going to be relationship goals by the end of the show. Michael, it’s always great to see you and best of luck, Charlotte.” 

Given they had not seen much of each other in the last two months since Charlotte was doing Oscar’s press and Michael was promoting the film, the pair found it difficult to keep their hands off each other as they finished the rest of the carpet. With Michael’s calming presence by her side, Charlotte did not desire to rush through the carpet as she normally did. Instead, she savored the moment, posing and grinning and joking with Michael as photographers took their pictures. 

Charlotte found it hard not to simply stare at Michael the entire time though. Words could not describe how elated she was to have him there. She could not explain it but the outcome of the evening mattered significantly less to her now that he was by her side. Charlotte was never one to fuss over awards. The only one she had ever truly cared about winning was her Tony. After all, she had risked everything for that shot, a 20% chance at an award she dreamed about since she was old enough to have ambitions. 

She wanted the others, aimed for that status of EGOT. But she was young and knew it could take decades to do so. She wanted it, but she also knew this would not be her only chance if it did not work out. That was the reality she chose to remain grounded in. But whatever the outcome, she knew Michael would help her enjoy the night and not obsess over what was to come.

She barely had time to enjoy the first half hour of the show or Michael before she was whisked away from her front row seat to prepare for her performance. This was the only portion of the evening that did not make her nervous. Charlotte’s acting chops were only outdone by her own singing talent. Though she never wanted to a full-time singer, she always gravitated toward roles that allowed her to also sing, which is why musicals were perfect for her. It was as thoughtless as walking or breathing for her to sit at a piano and sing. She just let the words and music consume her, and the audience just melted away like ice on summer day. She could do that in her sleep.

She took one last deep breath before the curtain opened and the spotlight came down on her. She blocked out everyone and everything as she listened to the opening refrain of the song and began to sing. There were no frills or hooks in her performance tonight. It was simply her and an orchestra of all women of color behind her as she sung her heart out. She still remembered the day she wrote this song. She poured out all of the grief and regret she once felt for the pieces of her that died after her ex, the pieces she, at the time, believe she could never get back. She recalled that hopelessness as if it was still part of her, still had its claws so deeply rooted in her soul. She was no longer that woman, but that was who Naomi was when she wrote it and that song represented her and Naomi and countless survivors at their lowest points, when the road to recovery seemed too dark, when all you could do was drown in the regret of the person you weren’t in anymore. It was them at their most vulnerable and Charlotte, ever a performer, showed that with every note. 

It was not until the final note played that she came back to reality, her mind unable to ignore the standing ovation and cheers that rung out around her. Her eyes immediately fell to Michael though, whose cheers could be heard above the rest. He gave her a discrete thumbs up and mouthed, “I love you,” as the show went to commercial break and the lights went down.   

Like a well-oiled machine, she had no time to rest before she was ushered backstage and back around to her seat before the commercial break ended. She hated that her categories were among the last of the evening. She enjoyed the Oscars but sitting and waiting all night was not her idea of fun. And though it was great to see friends and people she admired win throughout the night, she could not deny that it felt as if she was dragging toward the end of the show. 

She rolled her neck and straightened up in her seat as John Legend walked up to the microphone and launched into his scripted speech. His words sounded muffled in her ears as she sat there, unable to register anything. She was sure whatever his spiel was about the importance of music in film was true but now that her category was mere moments away, all the anxiety she had pushed off was crashing over her like a tsunami. 

Her mind only checked back into reality when she heard the announcer read her name and heard a few bars from her song in the movie. She instinctively sat up and put a smile on her face, knowing the camera would be on her from that moment forward, win or lose. Her hand sat in Michael’s lap as he held her hand, his thumb rubbing soothing circles in the inside of her wrist, his nonverbal cue to relax. His grip was tight but not unwelcome as she waited to hear if she would make history. 

“And the Oscar for Best Song goes to…” Charlotte closed her eyes as she waited with bated breath, the seconds inching by as John opened that damn envelope. “Charlotte Elsbeth Jordan, She Used to Be Mine.” 

Charlotte’s face immediately fell into her hands as she heard her name, her shock paralyzing her in her seat. Everyone around her jumped up with loud applause, cheers and whistles filling her ears. It was not until Michael discreetly tugged on her arm that she broke out of her trance and stood up. She hugged him tightly and kissed him before making her way to the stage. 

After her quick obligatory hug to John as he handed her the statue, she stood in front of the mic and waited for a moment until the cheers died down. She examined the card in her hand, reading it for a moment. 

“Wow… I am honestly just in shock. Literally just wanted to read it to make sure it really said my name,” she chuckled, a few cheers and laughter breaking out as she paused, her brain moving too slow to remember her speech. 

“T-this… this is an amazing honor.” Her voice broke slightly as she continued, the weight of this moment starting to truly hit her as she spoke.“T-thank you to the Academy, it is a true honor to be recognized by one’s peers. U-Um, thank you to the entire team that worked on this song with me. It was a blessing and honor to tell this story with you. Thank you to Christina, our amazing screenwriter, for trusting us with this story, for trusting me with your story. I… I can’t think straight and left my notes at my seat so I am saying honor a lot, which is weird,” Charlotte rambled. “And now I’m rambling, everyone who knows me knows how on brand this is. So I will just say apologies to anyone I forgot. But thank you all so much. No song is created alone and I owe this to all of you for pouring your souls into this piece of art.”

“Lastly, to my dad and siblings and my friends, thank you for listening and enduring all the terrible songs I wrote when I was 10. Your unwavering support of my love for music got me here. And to my husband, thank you for all your love and dedication to me and to supporting my dreams. I love you so much. Thank you!” 

She lifted the Oscars in the air slightly and smiled before turning to walk off stage. As she passed folks backstage, everyone offered her hugs and congratulations. However, Charlotte barely registered any of it, she just let the PAs guide her where she needed to go to be back in her seat for Best Actress. She still could not believe that had truly happened. Part of her was still waiting for someone to find her and tell her it was a mistake and rip it out of her hands. She was officially an EGOT, something she had always wanted but felt so far out of reach. And it was finally hers. 

“See, I told you,” Michael whispered as she settled back into her seat. He brought her hand to his lips, kissing the that held her wedding band. “That’s why I’m always right. 

“How could I not know that by now??” She whispered as she leaned over to kiss him on the lips. And he was not wrong, Michael said every day since she was nominated that she would walk away with at least one Oscar tonight. She just had not believed him.  

“That’s what I’ve been sayin’ this whole time,” he joked. “An EGOT… man, I’m so proud of you, baby.”

They shared another deep kiss before the lights flickered, signaling that the commercial was over and the cameras were about to roll again. Charlotte’s stomach did backflips as she watched Mahershala Ali walk up to the mic. This was the award that would truly determine how she felt about this historic night. Of the two awards she was nominated for, this was the one that held more weight to her. She was proud to win Best Song, but Charlotte was the most critical of her acting. It was the craft she had to go to school for, study, and train to be her best at. She never believed she was a strong actor. And though she would not be all that disappointed if she lost, she knew it would be the affirmation she needed to finally cast all doubt aside. 

“These five women gave us performances that blew us away. From a spunky young teen to a survivor trying to rebuild her life, these performances made us laugh, made us cry, and made us question our world. These are the nominees for Best Actress.” 

Charlotte watched the reel closely, her heart filling with pride as she watched snippets from some of her own personal favorite performances from the year. This was a tough category, and Charlotte knew she would be happy to see every single woman walk away with it. She wanted it, but at least she knew it would go to someone truly deserving if she lost. Michael’s grip was now on her thigh through the slit in her dress and almost painful as she, once again, straightened up for the camera. 

“And the Oscar goes to… Charlotte Elsbeth Jordan, Bird Set Free.” 

She shook her head in disbelief but she stood up quicker this time, tears already streaming down her face. She repeated the same path toward the stage after hugging and kissing her husband.

“Wow ok, being up here a second time is kinda perfect so I can say everything I forgot the first time.” She paused as the crowd applause renewed. “U-um ok, thank you once again to the Academy. First, I want to say what a blessing it is to be even included among this insanely talented group of nominees. I want to thank the entire cast, crew, production team of this movie. I was so insanely proud to come to work each day and bring this story to life. And proud to wake up daily and portray the story of Naomi, a story that is too familiar to myself and many of us in this room and many of you watching tonight: the story of a survivor who took their power back and decided to thrive. Our world and our industry has a ways to go but I want every survivor here and watching to know that I see you, I love you, and this is for you.” She paused as the crowd applauded her. 

“Lastly, I want to thank my husband, Michael. Your…” she looked up at the ceiling for a moment as she tried to stop tears from falling. “Your love for me is unlike anything I have ever known and there isn’t enough time or enough words to adequately express how grateful I am to walk this Earth each day with you by my side and spend those days loving you and being loved by you. There has never been a dream that you have not encouraged me to chase and never been a door that you haven’t helped me push open when I doubted whether I could do it myself. I would not be here tonight if it weren’t for your unwavering belief in me.  Thank you for being you and for always encouraging me to be my fullest and most authentic self. I love you to the moon and back over and over and over again.” She blew him a kiss before smiling and offering a last broad thank you to the entire crowd before turning to exit the stage.  

From there, the night felt like a blur of congratulations, interviews, and parties. She endured all of them, the chaos and frenzy of every event, though she really just wanted to retreat to her hotel room with her husband. 

Finally, on their drive to the third after party, Charlotte said, “How committed are you to going to this party?” 

Michael raised his eyebrow and chuckled, “Tapping out already, old lady?” 

She rolled her eyes, “Shut uppppp. Seriously, you wanna just head back to the hotel?” 

Michael merely shrugged. “Not up to me, baby girl. It’s your night, Oscar winners get whatever they want for at least a week. So you’re callin’ the shots. So what do you want?” 

She tilted her head as she studied him for a moment, the lust she felt earlier in the night returning with full force now. 

She slid across the limo to sit by him, her legs straddling his hips. It was a bit dangerous in a moving car but she did not care. She leaned in and kissed him softly, before moving down to his neck. She sucked softly on his sensitive spot, smirking as a moan escaped his lips. 

“You know what I want, baby,” she whispered in his ear, his hands immediately going to grip her ass. 

“Aye, brah!” Michael called out to the driver. 

“Yes, sir?” 

“Take us back to the hotel. I’ll triple your tip if you get there within 10 minutes.”

Charlotte laughed as they continued making out like two horny 20 year olds. Charlotte willed Michael to fill her right then and there, but he refused, deciding they could wait until they got to their suite. By the time they reached their hotel, in record time thanks to their motivated driver, Charlotte’s need was so overwhelming she felt as if she might die if he did not touch her. 

The moment their suite door slammed suit, the pair were all over each other. They made quick work of removing Charlotte’s dress as they kissed hungrily, Michael pushing her body against the wall of the hotel room as he kissed every inch of skin he could find. 

Charlotte let out a small yelp as Michael hoisted her into his arms and carried her to the bed. He threw her down, immediately hooking his fingers on the small fabric of her thong and sliding it down. Michael placed a trail of soft gentle kisses slowly down her body, starting at her neck and working his way down to her soft stomach. He took special care with her breasts, his mouth engulfing her nipple as he sucked lightly. Her groans of pleasure filled his ears and spurred him on as he switched sides, ensuring he gave each equal treatment. He knew Charlotte loved nipple play and he knew exactly which buttons to press to turn her into a blubbering mess in his hands. 

By the time Michael reached her lower stomach, Charlotte was panting, her pleads for more were on the tip of her lips, her pussy aching to be touched. 

“B-baby, please,” she begged.

“Let me take care of you, honey bee,” he whispered, placing a kiss and softly biting her inner thigh. 

“You know how much I love you, Els? How fuckin’ perfect you are?” He asked as he alternated between soft kisses and gentle bites that drove Charlotte wild. Each kiss got closer and closer to Charlotte’s aching core but not close enough. 

His hands pushed her legs open, her flower already dripping wet for him. He licked his lips as he prepared for his favorite meal. 

He immediately dove between her legs, his tongue caressing her sensitive bud and causing her back to arch off the bed. 

“F-Fuck! J-just like that, baby,” she moaned as a deep shudder of pleasure racked through her body. 

Charlotte’s hands gripped the comforter as he pushed her up a mountain of pleasure. The things Michael could do with his mouth were otherworldly. Charlotte quite literally often saw stars. He knew everything there was to know about Charlotte and her body. He did not have a college degree but he had a ph.D in his honey bee. So every time he was between her legs, he made sure she was more than well taken care of, often taking her body and pleasure to new heights she could not even fathom. 

As he inserted two fingers inside her, Charlotte knew it would be one of those marathon, new heights type of evenings. Her moans and screams created a symphony throughout their hotel suite as Michael spelled out his love for her with every kiss, lick, and touch. 

Feeling how close she was to her peak, Michael increased his speed, curling his two fingers into her G-spot. 

Charlotte let out a breathless scream as Michael sent her over the edge. Her words were incoherent as waves of pleasure pulled her deeper and deeper under the surface. 

He gave her no time to recover as he continued pumping his fingers in and out of her at a relentless pace as he emerged from between her legs. He roughly pressed his lips to hers, allowing Charlotte to taste herself on his lips. 

“Just like honey,” he whispered, causing her to smile as he recalled something he said to her the first time they had sex, the genesis of his second favorite nickname for her. 

She whimpered against his lips as the pleasure became overwhelming. 

“I-It’s too much, B-Bakari,” she moaned as she felt her orgasm building again too fast and too soon. 

“Take it, baby. I know you can,” Bakari whispered in her ear, his deep voice causing Charlotte to acquiesce to his will immediately. She would do whatever he asked of her, ride the waves of whatever pleasure he was willing to give her. “You got one more, baby girl. I know you do.” 

Bakari smirked as her eyes rolled back into her head, her mouth falling open with every moan. They had been together for years and the sight of her cumming never got old to him. She looked perfect, wild and uninhibited. 

It did not take long for his expert ministrations to send her tumbling down yet another earth-shattering orgasm. 

Her vision went white as she came on his hand, Michael whispering sweet nothings to her. 

“Good girl. That’s right, cum for me, baby.” 

He finally removed his hands from inside her, watching her come back to reality. 

“You’re…a… fuckin’ menace…” she whispered after a few minutes of silence, causing Michael to chuckle. “I can’t feel my damn legs.” 

“You said you wanted me, baby girl. So I’m giving you all of me. And there’s still a lot left.” 

He gently slapped her thigh, spurring her to push herself up on her forearms. 

“Hey,” she grabbed his arm and pulled him in for a soft kiss. The entire evening had been frenzied and chaotic. She just wanted one moment that was slow and intimate, a true moment of quiet between the pair of them before the night was over. “Thank you, Bakari. Tonight was perfect. I don’t des-” 

He stopped her and captured her lips with another kiss before saying, “Aye, none of that today. You deserved every moment of it and more. I’ll never let you forget that. Now lay back down so I can keep showing you how I proud I am of you, aight?” 

She laughed and laid back on the soft comforter and nodded. “I’m all yours baby.” 

Tag list: @certifiedlesbianbaddie @reelwriter19 @bangtanxmegan @prettyisasprettydoes1306 @msniaimani @hi888888sworld @destinio1 @lynaye1993

***

AN: Bird Set Free is a fake movie, of course lol but She Used to Be Mine is a real song if folks were wondering - from the musical Waitress. I’m obsessed with it.

[4thwallbreakerdraws]

IT IS TIME PEOPLE

Since Kat asked to show off Self-insert OCs for the Blank Script AU, I thought it would be the perfect time to introduce my own self-insert OC to you.

Meet Xaviar Bellon, businessman and employees at Innova Corp. who also works as correspondent between his and Black’s company.

Basic information:

Xaviar is 26 years old, male and goes by he/him. Neck, part of his face and back as well as his complete right arm are replaced through cybernetics. They cannot be removed as they are parts of his body. He’s your typical rich boy who often acts like a snob and putting his main focus on the profit.

Personality:

Like mentioned before Xaviar often comes of as a snob who likes to brag about his wealth. He’s also very cocky to those around him, not afraid to give a snappy comment. However, he’s also a massive coward, immediately losing his entire attitude when he feels like his life is threatened and becoming a nervous wreck. Xaviar does not believe in actions without benefit or rather doesn’t see the significance I’m actions if they don’t benefit him. So love for him is just people wanting to use him or his money, same goes for friendships.

Deep down Xaviar is deeply insecure about his looks and existence. Without money he thinks he’s worth nothing and weak. Ever since he got parts of his body replaced, he also questions if he’s even really human anymore, reacting especially aggressive when someone calls him a robot.

Backstory:

Xaviar grew up in a rich family with two younger brothers. Due to their successful and wealthy status it made them targets in the eyes of people who felt mistreated, gangs and other criminal groups. While his parents always warned him about leaving home without any sort of security, Xaviar ignored them until the day he was kidnapped and held for ransom.

Due to his family refusing to pay ransom, Xaviar was supposed to be killed, but managed to free himself and fight his kidnappers. However this quickly escalated and ended in an explosion that killed almost all of the kidnappers and injured Xaviar heavily.

But even in that condition, his family did not pay his treatment, leaving it to Xaviar to pay everything on his own and making realize then that without money you’re nothing and that it’s the only thing you can rely on.

Despite that however he never founded his own company, instead traveling from company to company who often searched for any way to get rid of him due to his cocky behavior.

His little travel eventually led him to Innova Corp. where every employee immediately started hating him in the span of a few days. However, the boss is too afraid to catch a bad reputation by firing him so this is where Xaviar resides for now. That doesn’t mean however that his boss doesn’t send him to a certain life threatening parable.

Xaviar and the parable:

Before we go into the specific people and how Xaviar thinks of them it should be of note that Xaviar does not like visiting the parable. It creeps him out, it makes him question his sanity and he would rather not think about half the things he witnesses there. Yet he still continues to work there for the money. His job is being the middleman between Innova Corp. and Black, informing the narrator over new business ideas, opportunities and offering some advice.

Black:

Xaviar doesn’t know what exactly it is about the Narrator that creeps him out more. The eyes? The height? The weird heavy feeling he gets whenever he’s around? Maybe all of it. Fact is that the Narrator has his whole respect and attention whenever he grazes Xaviar with his presence.

Stanley:

Now Stanley is another story. His introverted attitude and slightly malnourished look don’t exactly make Xaviar respect him in any way, if anything he’s below him. Still, Xaviar is aware of Blacks and Stanley’s relationship and therefore does his best to be as nice as possible to Stanley in the Narrators presence. That fake smile however immediately drops when they are alone.

The Children:

The stuff of Caviars nightmares. You would have to pay him very good money to get him anywhere near these monstrosities. Unfortunately he had a meeting with one right on his first day in the parable which left him a bit traumatized even though he didn’t even saw it’s face. If anything keeps Xaviar out of the lower levels, it’s them.

The Maiden:

While they are still creepy to Xaviar, he doesn’t fear them as much as any the Children. They are robots, they work on calculations and orders. He knows as long as he doesn’t accidentally get on Blacks bad side, he doesn’t need to fear them. They even protect him. So he’s a lot more relaxed with them. At least after he got used to them randomly showing up out of now where.

Mariella:

Much like Stanley, he doesn’t have an ounce of respect for her, but he stays away. There is something about this woman that makes him think that she wouldn’t hesitate to stab or beat him up right in the spot.

I don’t know Xaviar, maybe it’s because you have a very punchable personality

Other Blank Script AU Self Inserts and Xaviar:

Sies ( @corelex):

Since Sies gives him a similar vibe to Black, he is decent enough to know when to back off with the short jokes. Yet, he also doesn’t get as appalled from her as from the others, as he understands her to some degree or at least what it’s like to be judged based on rumors. He’s also trying to get to hire her as her bodyguard but fails miserably.

Steve ( @xandyprojects):

While the chef is by far one of the most neutral inhabitants of the parable, Xaviar can’t help but get slightly nervous whenever he takes a knife in his hand. Steve’s no food gets wasted rule and his spoiled mannerisms also slightly clash which often ends in him getting picked up like a wet cat.

To you others out there, I’m always happy to let our sillies interact more🫵

Other Fun Facts:

Xaviar loves to skateboard and is quite good at it

Despite his declaration that children are like the plague, he likes them (but would never admit it)

he goes to therapy

Xaviar gets freaked out by fire and loud noises

Xaviar can often be seen scratching or brushing over his prosthetic arm

he doesn’t like looking into mirrors

Despite trying to avoid his family, he still visits their parties to keep up his image

He would scam you

he’s the type of businessman who you immediately shut the door in the face

Xaviars cybernetic face parts can extend into a full face mask, but he rarely uses it as it makes him look even more inhuman

Other images:

Bonus:

X, my self insert Maiden who I’ve been neglecting lmao

WOW YOU HAVE REACHED THE END!! Can you tell who of these two OCs is my favorite? /silly

@blackkatdraws2

[bam-stroker]

I got possessed by the opportunity for silly in @keferon's Texaid mech au and ended up with a slice of serious as well. Oh well, Bone Apple Teeth! - - - - -

Every muscle and joint in First Aid’s body aches. Flopped over the official break room lunch table, his face has been buried in his arms for at least twenty minutes. He’d taken one tired bite from a sad little sandwich at the start of his break, and now it’s just wilting beside him before he officially decides to just trash it. To be honest, he can’t find the energy to actually care. After months of cleaning up the messes left behind by that thing, lunch has become a “me time” escape for him as opposed to an actual meal. 

Well, to an extent. It can only be so much of a solo time with the cross over of employee lunch breaks. 

“You know, it’s not good to skip a meal when you work as hard as you do.” 

The sentiment is entirely sincere. Even face down, he can see the exact sad little face across from him. Those familiar blue eyes always twinkling with feeling. First Aid only grunts in acknowledgement. Why does Tailgate always have to be so… caring? He thinks to himself. Somewhere in the back of his mind, the memory of harsh laughter echoes at his thought. But it’s mechanical. As if that… machine is now a part of him. Haunting him. Or maybe it’s like a disease? But he can’t think of any illness where something like that can listen and watch to see the world through his eyes. Haunting it is then.

Whatever. He’ll take more time to care about that when he’s able to lift his head back up. Below his breath First Aid mutters, “I bet you like that, huh? Wearing me out. Must be so funny.” 

The voice in his head has nothing to say. 

First Aid huffs. Jerk.

Tailgate on the other hand, continues to pry. “So… Were you talking to him just then?”

Great. He’s saying shit out loud. Stellar! Amazing! This is going to do great things for his crumbling people skills. First Aid musters up that one sandwich bite’s worth of energy left in him to sit up. The popping of his joints should be concerning, but on the priorities list—stepping into a death trap daily as a new career—it’s hardly the top of it. 

“Look, Tailgate, I’m sorry. Yeah… I was talking to—” he starts to reply, and then cocks his head in confusion. “Wait, did you just say ‘him’?”

And there goes the old Tailgate big wet eyes shine. He nods his round little pale face, the short crop of his bleached white hair bouncing with the movement. “Well, yeah! Vortex is the one haunting it, right?” 

First Aid can’t help but sigh, slumping back into the uncomfortable break room chair. “Come on,” he replies. “Don’t tell me you’re another ghost believer?” 

He tries to keep the shake out of his voice. He tries to keep up the act, because if he admits it… if he admits it then it all becomes real.

Tailgate nods, giving a thoughtful hum as he eyes the sandwich waiting patiently to be eaten. “There’s a lot of stuff I don’t understand. But, it feels easier to talk about it like that,” he says. Looking back up to lock eyes with First Aid, there’s a weight behind his gaze. “You’re not the only one cleaning up the messes around here. So let me be a little superstitious to help me get through the job.”

With a heavy sigh, First Aid breaks the eye contact. It’s too much. 

He crosses his arms, staving off a shiver from the memory of the first time he ever cleaned up the mech. Of the look on Tailgate’s face, so scared, when he’d handed him the remnants. 

The janitor and the wannabe medic. What a sad sorry pair.

All First Aid can offer is a nod of his head in acknowledgement, before he changes the subject. “So yeah, I’ve been talking to…him. It’s about all I can do, since he’s the one, ugh, actually driving.” 

Tailgate gasps loudly, as he leans forward. “It’s like reverse Ratatouille!”

“What??” 

“He’s the rat, and you’re the chef.” Tailgate continues, an entirely too excited smile on his face. 

“No!”

“Yes!!” 

First Aid groans, rubbing his palms against his eyes. “Tailgate. Please. How is this anything like ratatouille?” He pleads.

Between the cracks of his fingers, he watches Tailgate gleefully lay out his vision. “Everybody thinks it’s you—but it’s really him driving. So you’re like the chef, but instead of being on the outside, you’re on the inside—that’s why it’s reverse—because the rat is in the hat driving the guy like some kind of chef mech suit in the movie. But the ghost mech is driving you. So you’re reverse ratatouille!”

There are no words. There’s absolutely nothing he can say in response to the nightmare of his new life being summed up as accurately as “reverse ratatouille”. 

With a weary sigh, First Aid leans forward on the table, staring down as if some other answer to what his life has become will appear like a magic eight ball in the scratched up countertop. 

No such luck. It’s the same table he’s looked at day after day. 

“Reverse Ratatouille…” First Aid murmurs. A haunted look in his eyes.

“Reverse Ratatouille.” Tailgate chimes back chipperly.

Far off in the haunted abyss of his mind, First Aid hears the crystal clear laughter of the mech at the revelation. 

Reverse Ratatouille.

[mxtantrights]

Famous dc!au (dick's version)

TRACK EIGHT: POPROCKS AND COKE

The offer is staring you right in the face. You could literally pay for a year’s rent with this opportunity. You could have a little bit left over for fun or for a big emergency. You could do so much with this offer.

But you really don’t want to take it. You feel like if you do, whatever is happening between you and Dick can’t happen. If he keeps kind of being your boss, you cannot ask him out. There is no way.

You’d probably look like a fool. And maybe you’d be laughed of the industry, having to find a normal job somewhere doing things you don’t like. Could you see yourself being a music video actor for the rest of your life? Of course not. But since you’ve started you want to see it through. 

You sigh and shut your laptop. The stress had been lingering since you got the notification on your phone last night. Just thinking about it turned you in knots. Did Dick not see you in that way? Even though Theo theorized that he might feel the same way you do, you aren’t sure that’s true. And if he wants you to work on another video with him how could it be true?

You pick up your phone from the couch and decide to leave your apartment. Working on autopilot you lock up and take the elevator down, and there on the sidewalk in front of your place is an older man with a box.

“Can you help me?” He asks you directly.

You look up and down the block first. There is no one else outside on this street but the two of you so it would be mean to ignore him. Then again this could be som weird stunt and you didn’t want to get yourself hurt. 

You look at the man again, “What’s in the box.” 

“She’s all yours if you want her.” 

You want to back up and walk away from the man. But he’s quicker then you and leans the box down so you might look inside of it. Your eyes catch a glimpse of something moving inside , underneath a read blanket. Your mind thinks the worst.

“Sir, is—if that’s a baby maybe we should drop it off at a firehouse.” you say. He shakes his head, “it’s a puppy.”

And sure enough the pup pokes it’s head out of the blanket. It’s not facing you at first. It’s head turns left then right and then all of a sudden the pup looks at you. A gray and white puppy with familiar blue eyes. 

You were done for.

-

Dick is listening to the final mix of the song and he feels like something is missing. The words are great and they feel real and authentic. The production is like nothing he’s ever tried before and yet it works. But there is something that is glaringly missing from the overall song.

He sits back in his seat. 

Then he turns to the producers, Dinah and Constantine. He can’t believe he’s sitting in room with Constantine but stranger things have happened. Zantana recommend him seeing as this was a new sound in his wheel house.

“Something is missing.” Dick says.

“I agree, but I can’t pin point what it is.” Dinah replies. Constantine suddenly gets up from his seat with out another word. He’s up and then he’s standing right in front of Dick. Dick isn’t sure why but honestly the three of them have been the studio for four hours now so he’s not thinking clearly anymore.

“The person you wrote this song for, do they know it’s about them?” Constantine asks.

Dick sheepishly looks around, “No, but I was planning on telling them—hold on what does that have to do with anything?” 

Constantine smiles, “It has everything to do with it. Music is a secret langue between people. If you’re making a song for someone there needs to be something in there to let them know it’s for them.” 

Dick shakes his head, “I’m not changing the lyrics.”

“I’m not saying that. I’m saying maybe there’s an instrument they like, or a sound. Something you can include in the song that would only be between the two of you.”  Constantine says.

Dick sits and thinks to himself. Well, he can’t go asking you what your favorite instrument or sound is now. You’d for sure know the song was about you, and he wasn’t sure he could do that yet. Not with the offer hanging over your head too.

Was there something else?

Constantine walks away, further into the studio. He has a bag of chips, halfway gone already, that he wants to finish. 

Dick shuts his eyes to think. He knew your favorite color. He knew how you took your tea. He knew plenty of things about you. But that would be too forward. What was one thing the two of you shared that wouldn’t make this whole thing weird?

Then it hits him. He knows exactly what the song is missing. He opens his eyes and fishes his phone out of his pocket. He starts texting his assistant for b footage from the music video.

“Dinah, it’s the intro.” Dick says.

Dinah doesn’t say anything. She just moves the track to the beginning and presses play. The start of the song floods the room and Dick doubles down on his idea. His assistant sends over a folder of videos. He knows which one to look for.

The one he took of you standing in the middle of the blocked off street. He had managed to record it while you were staring off into the distance, and no one on set was making noise. It was just the sound of wind on grass, a faint airplane maybe. 

“Let me airdrop this to you, maybe we can put it at the begging and have it fade into the song.” Dick says.

Dinah nods, “Alright Richard, I like where you’re going with this.” 

“Me too.” Constantine says with his mouth full.

-

You’re scrolling on your phone trying to find the nearest pet store when you see a link to one of those trashy news sites. You don’t want to click on it but you feel like you have to when you see Dick’s name. 

You wish you hadn’t. 

The article, if you can even call it that, is just a run down of his former relationships and some speculation. But another thing catches your eye. Once towards the beginning and then again at the end. Donna Troy and Zantana. You look at the images again and then it hits you. 

Those pictures are new. He went to Donna’s house. Zantana went to his house. Theres one of him and Donna hanging out at a food place. And there is one of him leaving the studio with Zantana. Your whole body deflates. 

A part of you, a very small part, thought you had basically no chance with Dick. It was the more ‘realistic and sensible’ part. The part that told you to not over spend incase you might need the money later, and to not over drink because no one likes a hangover. That part of you is almost always right. And these pictures all but confirmed it. 

You exit the news site and tap your way on to your email where you draft up a response to accept the offer. Yes it’s really going to suck to have to be all lovey dovey in a video with a guy you know you have feelings for. But on the other hand at least some of your bills would get paid.

A soft whine comes from your side. You look down at the gray baby pit bull laying on your couch who is looking up at you. 

“I’m gonna find a name for you, I promise.” You say, as if the puppy can understand you.

And yet, she yips and runs off your couch like she does. You sit back and type on your phone. Maybe this will be the last time you see Dick Grayson and you can let your heart move on. Maybe you weren’t cut out for this business at all if you fell in love with a heartbreaker.

[renegades-garbage]

Admissions

Hey guys I'm back lol. Finding out about the new renegades book inspired me to write for the fandom again! I decided to write a little fic about Adrian and Nova getting back together a few months after the Supernova assuming that they broke up to deal with their mental health and such. This ended up being a lot longer than I intended and I did a shitty job proofreading but I love you all and hope you enjoy it anyway. It's also on ao3 as usual!

PS. I hate writing combat scenes so I simply didn't even though it may have been necessary sorry lol

Adrian watched as Nova examined the broken window. They were out on a call for a home invasion but considering this was the only thing amiss Adrian was beginning to wonder if this was just a prank by some neighborhood kids and not a robbery as the elderly woman inside was so convinced.

Most of Adrian’s team came back to work only a few weeks after the Supernova but Nova had, understandably, taken a bit longer. This was only her first week back on patrols after four months and Adrian would be lying if he said it wasn’t hell. He wouldn’t exactly call their breakup messy but it wasn’t exactly easy, necessary and mutual, but definitely not easy.

Nova was a very valuable asset to their team but she was also extremely strong willed and after a few months without her they all needed to remember how to work together again. That was the only reason he was finding her return difficult. It had nothing to do with the fact that she had been doing a lot of healing and had a new brightness to her skin and eyes, or the fact that she was experimenting with new hairstyles and clothes that suited her much more than what she had before. No, none of that had any impact on him. Breaking up was what was best for both of them and he knew that. He truly believed that. One hundred percent. 

“Sketch? Hello?” Ruby’s voice crackled through the communication band. He hadn’t even realized she’d been talking to him. 

“Sorry what did you say”

“I saaaaaiid” she replied in mock annoyance. “Did you guys find anything on that side of the house, because we’ve got nothing.”

“Just the broken window she was telling us about but it looks more like it got hit with a baseball or something than a home invasion.” Just as he said it Nova shone her flashlight inside.

“Adrian.” her voice shook a bit. “Look”

He peered through the broken glass and sitting on the floor was an orange haired puppet. 

Nova looked up at him concerned. In the weeks past a man impersonating the Puppeteer had been terrorizing homes with small children, and the Renegades hadn’t been able to catch him or even find any clues about his identity. He was all anyone was talking about at HQ and Adrian knew that his dad’s would have sent a more advanced patrol group if they were aware of the perpetrator, especially since Adrian hadn’t yet finished re-tattooing his sentinel abilities, but maybe this could be a good opportunity to prove themselves.

He lifted his wrist to his mouth “Red Assassin, Smokescreen can you guys go inside and check if this lady has any young grand-kids staying here or anything.”

Ruby’s voice flowed back through the band “Um sure but why? Is there something wr-... Wait, did you guys find something? Is it that puppet guy?”

“Ruby. Please just go check. We might have limited time.” 

“Yeah of course. Okay. We're going inside now.”

Nova began reaching her hand inside to grab the puppet. 

“Careful of the glass” Adrian warned though he knew she would be. Nova only nodded and offered a small mhm. 

Though the window was very low to the ground and the puppet was just inside Nova was having a hard time reaching due to the jagged glass. 

Adrian knew she wouldn't ask for help so he simply walked over and grabbed it easily.

“I could have done that.” She mumbled.

“I know”

They both looked down at the creepy thing which was almost an exact replica of Winston Pratt’s infamous puppet Hettie. A note was pinned to the front of the doll which read, It’s time to pay for your betrayal Nightmare. A shiver ran down his spine and Nova’s jaw hardened.

“We don’t have to do this, you know. We can always call for backup if this is too much.” The threat was disconcerting to say the least and even besides that, Adrian knew that Nova’s connection to The Puppeteer was complicated and this may not be the best thing for her mental recovery. 

“I'm fine Sketch.”

She didn’t exactly sound fine, and Adrian wanted to insist that they call someone else, considering Nova was much more important than his desire to prove himself, but before he got the chance they heard Oscar’s voice through his communication band.

“Two kids in the upstairs bedrooms. A boy and a girl. Going to check on them now.”

“I'm going to check the back of the house.” Nova began to walk towards the gate that led to the backyard. 

“I'll come with you, Monarch can check around the other side.” 

“No, everyone else is still inside. It's faster if you go around the front and I go around the back.”

“Nova there’s a note on this thing threatening you.” He said holding up the doll. “I'm not leaving you alone.” 

“Adrian I'm not scared of him and I can handle myself, you know that.” 

In any other situation Adrian would have insisted that they stay together, but there were kids in danger and they needed to find this guy. He didn’t want Nova to be unsafe but he was probably just being paranoid, how much of a threat could this guy be? 

—

Nova’s head was pounding. Her memories of the night were coming back to her in short bursts. The sound of maniacal laughter. A face covered in marionette makeup exactly like that of the Puppeteer. The cold press of a knife to her throat. Her hand fumbling to find bare skin. A stab in her side. Pain. Searing white-hot pain. And then nothing. That’s when she had lost consciousness. And now she was laying in a hospital bed with large bandages wrapped around her midsection. 

‘Miss Artino?” 

Nova opened her eyes and looked up at the man in the white doctor's coat standing next to her bed. An older, balding man with friendly eyes.

“How are you feeling?”

“Um…fine I guess” she replied, testing her voice, and it was true she did feel fine. She had some soreness from the wound in her side but the prodigy doctors at HQ were some of the finest and she was sure it would heal completely within a couple of days.

“Good, the wound was pretty severe but it looks like you’ll make a full recovery. Would you like me to let your friends in? They've been here all night.”

Right. Her friends. Her team. Adrian. Was he okay? 

She shook herself. She should be asking about her whole team. She shouldn’t care any more about Adrian’s safety than the rest of them. And she didn’t. She definitely didn’t.

“Miss Artino?” The doctor looked at her mildly concerned, and Nova didn’t blame him. She probably looked crazy right now.

She cleared her throat “Yeah, yes please let them in.”

The doctor offered a small friendly nod and walked over to the door, exiting the room and letting her team file in. Ruby being the first to burst through the door, followed by Oscar, Danna, and Adrian. He- They all looked tired, drawing some minor scrapes and bruises but they were otherwise unharmed. 

“Oh my stars I am so glad you're okay,” Ruby rushed over to Nova’s bed offering an enthusiastic yet gentle hug, which Nova did her best to return. “You were covered in blood and it looked awful. I mean the doctors told us it wasn’t as bad as it looked but it was terrifying and that guy was so creepy.” Ruby shuttered.

“Oh come on we all knew she would be fine. Nova is the toughest of us all.” Oscar walked over to give her a gentle nudge on the shoulder. “You did have us scared for a second there Artino, but I knew you’d pull through.”

She could tell that Oscar was trying to sound braver than he actually felt, as he so often did. It warmed Nova’s heart a bit to see that her team truly cared, even if they couldn't all fully admit it.

“Well I'm glad you had faith in me.” she said a bit weakly. She was still tired from the battle and her injury. “What happened to the Puppeteer impersonator after I passed out?’

The answer came from Danna “You ended up putting him to sleep right as he got you. We have him in custody.” 

Nova nodded. This was a relief to her. She didn’t want that guy out there impersonating Winston, especially if it meant hurting kids. That, and she didn’t almost die for nothing. 

“I'm really glad you're okay Nova.” Danna sounded sincere when she said these words. Nova didn’t think Danna would want her to die, no matter how rocky their relationship, but the way she said it made it seem like more than that. Like maybe in these past few months she had found friendship and maybe even forgiveness for Nova. 

“Thank you.” Nova offered the brightest smile she could muster up, but it wasn’t great. 

She turned her eyes to Adrian who hadn’t said a single word since they had walked in. He looked like he’d been crying. Maybe that meant he still had feelings for her? No, he was just concerned, as he would be for any of his teammates. She wasn’t special, well, not anymore. And she shouldn’t hope to be anyway. They couldn’t be together. And besides she was over him. Totally. One hundred percent. They just stared at each other. No words came to her, and no words came to him either apparently.

“Weeeeeelll,” Oscar’s voice cut through the tension. “Guess it’s time to get home, maybe grab some food. Long night and all.” He said, gently grabbing his girlfriend's arm and feigning a yawn. Nova just shook her head at him. 

Danna began walking towards the door as well. “Yeah I’m gonna second that.” 

They each said a rushed goodbye, and Nova thanked them for sticking around before they exited the room.  

She looked back at Adrian. She had the striking thought that he looked handsome, even with obvious red eyes from tears, and being awake for many hours, he still looked handsome. She knew she shouldn’t be thinking about that, this wasn’t the time nor the place, and they had been broken up for months. But still, she thought it.

When he finally spoke his words were heavy. “I thought I lost you.” 

Stupidly, Nova relished in the words he chose. Not, ‘I thought you died’ or ‘I didn’t know if you’d be okay’. He didn’t want to lose her and that meant something. To both of them, she hoped. “Nova this is what? The third time you’ve almost died? You have to be more careful.”

This was slightly offensive to Nova considering his track record. “You're the one who’s always saying this job is dangerous, and you're almost more reckless than me.” 

“I know. I know okay.” he sighed. “But you should've let me come with you as back up. Someone else could have checked the rest of the house.”

“Well it’s over now and I’m fine. I survived.”

“No Nova, it's not over now.” He was starting to become angry, well not angry but more…flustered? Nova didn’t understand why he was acting like this. He knew better than anybody about risking his life. “This is our job. This right here.” He made a general gesture to the space around them. Or maybe between them? She couldn’t quite tell. “This is our life.”

“Adrian. I’m not sure I understand what you’re saying.” And the truth was she didn’t. Why was he getting so upset?

“Nova I can’t do this okay.” He was almost struggling to get the words out now. “I can’t go into work everyday and watch the person that I love almost die.”

Nova was taken aback. There it was. Plain and simple. His admission that he still loved her. And she wanted to believe him, but he knew they couldn’t be together. This was sleep deprivation and emotion talking. He couldn’t possibly know what he’s saying. 

“Adrian, maybe you should get some sleep, and we can talk about this tomorrow.” It hurt Nova to say these words but she knew she had to. Out of respect for him. 

“No, Nova this past week has been horrible. Ever since the Supernova things have been hard, but having you here, around the team, with me, but not with me. It’s been hell. I know exactly what I’m saying. I love you, Nova Artino.” Nova’s jaw was almost on the floor at this point and she saw the look in his eye as he misread whatever he was seeing on her face. 

He started towards the door. “Um you know what, maybe I should get some rest, and we can just put this behin-”

“Adrian” 

“No, I'm really sorry. You're trying to heal and I’m just-”

“Adrian” She said again, more forcefully this time, stopping him in his tracks. She could practically hear Adrians heart racing, alongside her own. 

“Come here.” Adrian started towards the bed slowly and as soon as he was close enough Novas grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled his lips to her own. Adrian made a small noise of surprise but didn’t pull away. He  sat down on the edge of the bed, cupping her face in his hands as the kiss became more intense. 

Nova pulled away gently pressing their foreheads together.

“I love you too Adrian Everheart.” 

He smiled that beautiful smile of his and pressed one final kiss to her lips.

“Do you mind if I stay here tonight? It's pretty late and I told my dads I would stay in one of the rooms we rent out.”

“I would love for you to stay with me.”

Adrian gently maneuvered himself and the blankets so that they could both lay down without hurting her. They laid together in comfortable silence for a few moments, a feeling Nova had missed so much these past months, until Adrian whispered into the darkness. 

“So does this mean we’re back together?”

Nova just laughed and replied “I hope so.”

[aissa-snapped]

Vikings and Hairstylists

Summary:You get the opportunity to work on the set of Vikings. But when you meet your celebrity crush, how will you react? Will anything happen between you two?

A/N This was so exicitng for me to write. I hope yall will enjoy this as much as I did.

Word count:8795

You couldn`t believe it. You got the job! This was so unbelievable, that you kept repeating the memory of how it went down.

You were fresh out of Beauty School, looking for a job. Ever since you started watching hair braiding tutorials on youtube, which was a few years back, you found a new passion for hair. You watched every hair video, hair routine, hair products reviews there was on the internet, and you couldn`t wait to one day become a famous hairstylist, specializing in braids and giving people the hair of their dreams.

With that in mind, you were trying to gather your thoughts and come up with a strategic plan that could allow you to launch a career in this field. Maybe I should ask around at salons to take me in as an assistant. That would give me a good start. You thought. Many people started off as just that, hairstylist assistants. But that was not to be looked down upon, for it was the best way to practice and learn more tricks.

You were getting tired, and decided to just let the idea rest at the back of your head, and switched to scrolling through Instagram. It was as if the Gods were guiding you towards your path, because it was at that very moment that you opened the app, that you saw something that was a clear sign of the Higher Beings listening to your cries.

`` FELLOW VIKINGS FANS, WE ARE ANNOUNCING SOMETHING VERY EXCITING. WE ARE OFFERING OUR FANS A CHANCE TO COME ON SET AND WORK WITH THE AMAZING VIKINGS TEAM. WE ARE HAVING 5 OPEN SPOTS FOR NEW HAIRSTYLISTS, TO COME AND WORK CLOSELY WITH OUR CAST. REQUIREMENTS: -A DIPLOMA THAT LEGALLY ALLOWS THE PERSON TO WORK AS A Hairstylist and -A PORTOFOLIO OF PREVIOUS HAIRSTYLES DONE ON VARIOUS TYPES OF HAIR ( LONG, SHORT, CURLY,STRAIGHT) SEND US YOUR PORTOFOLIO TO OUR E-MAIL, ALONG WTH A VIDEO OF YOURSELF DOING AN INTRICATE BRAID (YOU CAN USE A REAL PERSON OR A MANNEQUIN) WE WILL SEND AN E-MAIL TO THE 5 LUCKY PEOPLE WHO WON THE CONTEST.

It was utterly shocking. Mouth agape, you re-read the announcement at least ten times, before finally squealing in happiness. You were a HUGE fan of the TV series Viking, hence you were trembling, and with shaky hands, you closed your phone, taking deep breaths in and out to calm yourself.

Moments later, with a clear head, you re-read the requirements, and frowned at the one year experience requirement. Your beauty school lasted exactly one year, and you had to also help at the salon you were studying at, so you wondered if that can count as experience. As for the portofolio, you had done some amazing hairstyles on your models, and, thank the Gods, you were now more than ever grateful for the fact that youve had this inclination towards braids, because half of your phones gallery was full with photos of you doing all sorts of braid variations on your friends. You even took inspiration from the show, and tried to recreate one of the most complex braids on your models. So your portofolio was pretty solid.

It had been days after you sent the requested things to the Vikings e-mail, and you couldnt sit still for not even one second. You kept checking your e-mail, your Instagram dms every hour, fidgeting with your phone all day long. You told your family and closest friend about this of course, and they were all very happy you found this opportunity, tho you could tell by their eyes that they felt sympathy for you, knowing you`d never get selected out of all thousands of fans out there.

And you, too, started to believe it slowly, after each day passed away without any feedback from the Vikings team. So you decided you wouldn`t sulk around, and you started enjoying your free time by meeting up with your girlfriends and forgetting you even submitted the e-mail.

Until one day, when it was late and you checked your e-mail for a confirmation code for an app, that you saw another e-mail had been sent, and when you saw who was it from, you almost threw your phone up to the ceiling, almost smashing it in excitement. The Vikings team had written back to you, expressing their amazement and eagerness to have you as a new member of their team.

And now you were on a plane, on your way to Dublin, to start working on the set of Vikings. This was still so surreal, you had to hold back giggles and excitement, not wanting to look like a maniac to the other people around. Oh, if only they knew where you were going.

Once youve landed and got your baggage, you were met with a large crowd of people, each standing and waiting for someone. You glanced around the crowd, until you noticed a man in a black, fancy suit and a woman standing next to him, holding a big sign with your name on it. You rolled your baggage over there, greeting both of them politely. '' Hello there. I am Emily. And this is Kevin, one of the drivers. We will take you to the hotel now, and in the meantime, I will explain to you briefly tomorrows schedule.'' She smiled kindly, putting a hand on your back and guiding you towards the exit, while Kevin took the baggage for you, carrying it towards the car.

The ride was about twenty five minutes, enough for Emily to give you a rundown of how everything works around there. Tomorrow, you were going to be picked up by the same driver at around 5 am, and then taken to the set. You were going to meet Shaila, the main stylist, who will guide you and show you what you have to do. It seemed easy enough, only, you couldn`t believe you were going to meet the actors you were only used to seeing on TV. You were especially nervous to meet Alex, who plays Ivar. Emily also explained how the filming of season 5 was beginning officially tomorrow, and that you would witness first hand how the magic happens.

Once you reached the hotel, you glanced at the name. Conrad Dublin. 5 Stars. Damn It looked extremely luxurious. You were dearly hoping you wouldn`t be the one paying for the stay.

Emily helped you check in, while Kevin brought in your luggage.

'' This is yours.'' She handed you a keycard, with the numbers 203 on it. '' Today is your free day. As its only 3 in the afternoon, you can feel free to explore the area. The center is less than a kilometer away. Theres tons of pubs around here, stores, supermarkets. The company will take care of your bills for the room. Unfortunately, we do not offer an included breakfast pack with the stay, but seeing you are on set more than half a day, we have a buffet there, so you don't have to worry about that. my suggestion, don't stay up too late. Go to sleep earlier, and don't forget, be out here before 5. Other than that…'' She trailed off, seemingly trying to think if she told you everything you needed to know. '' Well, I guess that`s it. Feel free to explore the city. Bye.'' She waved and left with Kevin.

You went to your room, plopping down on your bed. It was a small hotel room, but honestly who cared? It was so luxurious, and so well kept, you were at first afraid to touch anything. You inhaled the fresh smell of the sheets, sighing in contentment.

You wondered, were you the only one staying at the hotel? Or were there other cast/crew members?

You took a nice cold shower, trying to get off that travel dirt off of you. You got out of the shower all energized, ready to go for a little stroll. Changing in a simple oversized shirt, with a David Bowie picture on it, and comfy sweatpants, you grabbed your phone, placing your keycard inside your phonecase and took the elevator down to the lobby.

Taking a brisk walk, you took every second to glance at various buildings, appreciating the infrastructure. As Emily said, there were tons of pubs, and in your 10 minute walk, you saw at least 5. You loved the Dublin atmosphere. For a capital city, it wasnt as crowded or as loud as you would have guessed. Or maybe that was just because you werent necessarily in a touristic area.

You decided to turn back around, after 30 minutes of walking, deciding this was enough walking. On your way back home, you stopped at a supermarket, called Fresh and bought some junk food that would get you going until the next day.

You finally reached your hotel room, plopping onto the bed yet again and turned on the TV, for some background noise. You opened your bag of chips, along with you store bought coffee, and started snacking, while texting your family, letting them know you got to the hotel all safely. When it was around 10 pm, you decided you should listen to Emily, and go to sleep.

You were rudely snapped out of your deep sleep by your alarm, ringing insistently. With a grunt, you quickly turned it off, and after a few seconds of staying motionless, you rolled out of bed with a long sigh. You brushed your teeth, washed your face with some cold water, to get the puffiness out of your eyes to go down, and then went straight to the pre-established clothes you decided on wearing the previous night. You weren`t aware of any dresscodes, so you decided not to overdress, nor underdress. So your final decision was a pair of clean, simple jeans, a plain white shirt, and a pair of green converse. You hoped this would suffice. Grabbing your handy-dandy backpack, packed with your essentials, you headed towards the exit of the building.

It was really chilly outside. The sun wasn't even up yet, and well, considering it was still 4 50 am, it wasn't a shocker. Down at the lobby, you couldn't see anybody. Not even the receptionist.

A couple of chuckles were heard behind you, and you turned to see a group of 4 girls coming up to you.

'' Hey… You don't happen to be the new hairstylist…for you-know what, do you?'' A blonde girl asked.

You were wondering if thee girls were the other 4 contestants that won. '' For… The.. Show you mean?'' You asked directly. The other 3 girls giggled, and the blonde one smiled. '' Yeah. That`s what I meant. I had to make sure you're not just a random person. You see, we signed some papers, that forbid us to tell other people where we actually work.''

'' Oh..really?''

'' Yeah. Anyway, I am Aurora. The ginger one is Phoebe, that one is Amalia and Cassie.'' She presented, pointing to a curly haired girl, with ginger hair, respectively two brunettes, one with long hair, Cassie and the short haired brunette Amalia.

'' Yn.'' You replied timidly, slightly intimidated by how beautiful these girls were.

You 5 started chatting, asking each other basic questions, such as how and why you got into this field, for how long, and other personal ones, until you were interrupted by the arrival of Kevin, who waited patiently and silently for you all to climb into his vehicle. He greeted you all with a short mornin and then remained silent throughout the whole car ride, that was fortunately filled with the conversations struck by the girls.

Half an hour later, you came to a stop, somewhere far from the city, on a hill, that looked pretty much like it was in the middle of nowhere. But at a second glace, you notice, you were in some form of parking, for there were many cars around the place, scattered messily over a mile, and tons of trailers at a walking distance. You girls were guided by Kevin through a little gate, who was guarded by a security man, and after checking your ID`s, you were told to go find trailer number 13.

You felt your nerves resurfacing. You were actually here. On the set of one of the most streamed shows. Luckily, you werent completely alone, as you had the new found girls by your side. You all found the trailer, and by public demand, you were chosen to be the one to knock on the door. Shakily, you used your knuckles to hit the door two times, hoping someone inside heard it. After you all heard a faintcome in`, you opened the door and stepped into the trailer, with the rest of the girls following you.

Once inside, you noticed three typical hair stations you'd see at any salon, with a mirror each, and pictures of the actors with the hair on. At last, you glanced at the far end of the trailer, bent down, a woman. She quickly stood up, and that's when you finally glanced over her frame. She was a woman in her mid 40s, with a chubbier figure, mid length hair, with some blonde highlights all over. She looked very kind, like a mother that would bake you cookies every day.

'' `Ello girls. I'm Shaila. The main hairstylist. '' She shook hands with every girl, listening in return for each of their names.

'' Right. So let's get straight to it. This is the first week of filming season 5. We have an awful lot of new characters, and old ones that need an upgrade. Today is Monday. We don't usually film on Mondays. We test new hairstyles, see what works, what doesnt. We prepare for the shooting days. Michael told me about the contest. Ever since I told him we need more stylists, he's been doing the most to gather some new ones. The thing is girls,'' at this, she was giving you all a nervous look. '' This week you 5 will be on probation. That means, by the end of week, we will announce which one of you will be staying here permanently. I know the announcement said 5 people will be working here, but truth is, in the meantime, we have found 4 other stylists that are more familiar with working on a movie/TV show set. But, we are in need of one more. So you have until Friday to do your best, impress us and we will decide who will get the post.'' She finished, studying each girl independently. There was a dull silence.

You glanced at Aurora, next to you, but she was looking down. Shaila was waiting for someone to ask a question, but after a few moments, she took the silence as a que to speak again.

'' Alright. So each one of you will be working closely to one of the other main stylist. I am now going to tell you who is going in which trailer.'' She then proceeded to assign each girl to a separate trailer. '' You Yn, will be working in this trailer with me. Alright… Now-'' she glanced at her watch.

'' Oh dear, we need to hurry. It`s 5:30. The cast will be here any minute. You girls go ahead. We will see each other at lunch. '' She shooed them off, shutting the door behind them. Once you were left alone with Shaila, she turned around and grinned at you.

''So… Yn. Beautiful name. Unique. Here let me show you.'' She pointed at each seat. '' In this trailer, we work always on the same three people. Look here.'' Glancing at her pointy finger, you followed it and saw there were several pictures with whom you recognized as the Ragnarsons, with the focus on their hair, from different angles.

'' We mainly work on Ubbe, Hvitserk and Ivar`s character here…'' She trailed off. '' You know who they are I assume?'' You nodded quickly.

'' My colleague, Peter, works alongside me. And you see, Ivars hair was, so far, short. So there wasnt much to do. But as for this season, we are going to change his hairstyle, because his hair has grown out some more and we have more options. You see, as characters evolve, so does their hair. So we were in need of someone new to work with us. Because without a third stylist here, it would be too difficult for us two to finish their hair on time.''

With widened eyes, you looked at her, amazed that you will be meeting one of your favorite characters in a few. You nodded along with everything Shaila was saying, to show her you were paying attention.

Soon enough, Peter joined you two. He was a rather tall scrawny man, short gingered hair and a slight beard coming through. He was super funny, and very energetic, for the fact that it was this early in the morning. But that could`ve also been an added factor from the coffee in his hand.

You were getting more nervous by the minute, knowing the three main characters of the show would be walking in at any given moment. Peter and Shaila were conversing casually, not the least bit worried or nervous, as you were. Which was understandable. They`ve been here for quite a long time.

Lacing at your smartwatch, you felt your heart jolting, when you heard faint masculine voices, fastly approaching the trailer. Now, more than ever, you felt as if your heart would jump right out of your body. With a loud creak, the trailer`s door was forcefully opened, in stepping the boisterous boys. You first saw a bearded man, with his sides shaved, and a base cap on, greeting Shaila and Peter. Second, you saw a young man with quite longer hair than the first one, holding a beer in his hand, and laughing obnoxiously loud at someone behind him. And then, you saw… Him.

Your celebrity crush, the most handsome man youve ever set eyes on. He was talking in a language you couldnt comprehend. Must be Danish. Sporting a simple black shirt, and grey sweatpants, hair in an improvised man bun, he stepped into the trailer last, shutting the door loudly behind him.

The boys all struck up a conversation with Shaila, while each going to their assigned chairs. It was only after another minute, and Shaila mentioning there`s someone else in the trailer, that they all glanced at you, through their respective mirrors.

You made yourself look as small as possible, for it was under their gazes that you felt like a little mouse in a wolf`s den, if that makes sense. They all smiled at you, and one by one, got up from their seats and lined up to greet and shake hands with you.

'' Jordan Patrick. Nice to meet you.'' The bearded man presented himself, giving you a firm handshake. You could hear a very strong Australian accent from him. '' Yn.'' You said quietly, hoping he won't make you repeat it. '' Marco.'' The second man seemed to have a little smirk on his face, and took it a step further and kissed the back of your hand.

You blushed furiously, even forgetting to say your name back. Last, but not least, Alex approached you. '' Alex. Nice to meet you.'' He grinned, waiting for you to shake hands, but when you reached out, he instead put his arms around you, pulling you into a bear hug. You took a second to react, and when you came back to your senses, you hugged him back, but not with the same intensity, as you feared you would come off as a crazy fan. Your cheeks were so hot, you could feel it.

When he pulled away, he winked at you, and when he turned around, he grinned at Marco. He got seated back in between Marco and Jordan, looking at the former. ''Fik hende til at rødme'' He said something to Marco, not that you could understand it, and he started laughing while Marco was scoffing, almost jokingly. ( Made her blush)

Shaila showed you how a normal day looks like in the trailer, explaining theoretically and visually how she worked on the boys hair. She showed you reference photos and other sketches of how she was imagining Ivar`s hair this season.

'' I want to start today with something simple. Can you do Dutch braids?'' She asked. You nodded promptly.

'' Good. Please start with a central braid, and then two smaller Dutch braids on each side of his hair.'' She showed you, using her fingers, where she imagined each section to start and end.

With clammy hands, ( you quickly wiped them on your jeans, trying to be discreet) you picked your rat tail comb, and started sectioning the central part for the braid. While doing so, Alex was watching your every movement, making it even more difficult for you to calm down.

Once you had each section parted and clipped out of the way, you slowly started working on the biggest braid. The first few strands of the braid were beginning to create the shape of the it, and you were getting into your element. Before you even realized it, you had the first braid finished, and began working on the side ones.

The other actors were chatting with each other, occasionally Shaila piping in, or Peter saying a very corny joke. You loved Alexs laugh. It was so genuine and filled with happiness. You could only imagine what it must feel like to hear it every day. You sighed.Oh great, nows not the time to daydream about being his gilfriend.

Alex glanced back at you after he heard you sigh, lifting one eyebrow at you. Making eye contact through the mirror, you refrained a smile appearing on your face, and immediately looked away from him. You heard him chuckle quietly, and then engaged back in a conversation with the other guys.

You notified Shaila, hoping she will satisfied with your work. Alex looked at you, giving you a thumbs up and an encouraging smile.

'' Hmm.. You could`ve added a bit more gel here. See these tiny fly aways? And tease the hair at the roots just slightly here on top, for a bit of volume. We want to make sure it appears they have lots of hair. '' She continued analyzing each braid carefully, humming to herself.

''But overall, this is really good. You did great. For your first day. '' She patted you on the shoulder.

Alex winked at you, causing you to turn away from him to hide your blush. Damn he really is flirty you thought.

When all the guys were finished, they all ran out of the trailer to check the set, run lines and gods know what else actors do.

You were left with Shaila, while Peter left the trailer to smoke a cig. The woman pulled a head mannequin out of a cabinet, and began showing you typical braids they do on extras, teaching you and giving you tips here and there where she felt like it.

Hours later, you were starting to get hungry. It had been hours of you just standing in the trailer. Shaila insisted on showing you every single little tool in there, explain to you how a real work day unfolds, since she didnt consider this particular day to be one at its full intensity, which quite frankly scared you, because this was already too much, but if this wasnt the hardest, then what was to come?

Around lunch time, the two adults led you towards the lunch tents. It was like at a festival, with big tents, dozen of wodden benches, and so many people, it was crazy. Shaila showed you where to go to get your food from, and then she left back towards the trailer stating she had some work to finish up for tomorrow.

You felt so intimidated by the number of these people, and you hoped you could see the girls somewhere, so you could go to them.

Once you grabbed your lunch, which was mostly mashed potatoes, some tomato salad and some grilled cheese, you desperately tried spotting some known faces around here, for a second time.

It seemed impossible in this sea of people, so you now decided to walk towards the exit, hoping to find an empty table, but as you were passing between tables, you heard someone yell out your name.

You turned your head and tried to find the person who shouted, and almost instantly you spotted Alex, waving his hands highly in the air, as if attempting to make himself noticeable for you. You stood there motionless, unsure if he was actually the one to shout at you, but when you saw him make a hand gesture that signaled for you to come over, you took slow, self-conscious steps towards him.

He seemed eager to have you approach, and once you reached his table, he put his hand on your back, guiding you to sit down next to him.

Now that you were finally settled, you looked around the table, and you almost screamed. You saw Marco and Jordan, but also recognized Alexander Ludwig, who plays Bjorn. and then you also observed a beautiful blonde girl, sitting next to him, whom you knew to be Georgia Hirst.

You were sat down next to Alex, who himself was sat between yourself and Marco, and then on the opposite side, you had Georgia sitting right face to face with you, next to Jordan and then finally Alexander.

'' Alex, who have you brought here?'' Asked Alexander, with a teasing tone and nudging Jordan to join in on his teasing.

'' Oh. She`s the new hairstylist in my trailer.'' He put his left hand on your right shoulder, squeezing it softly.

You laughed softly. '' Uhm actually… I`m on… probation. We will find out who stays here permanently at the end of the week.'' You chuckled nervously.

'' Well, I Know you will. Cuz you were so good with your hands.'' Alex said, seemingly not aware of how that sounded. Once the other guys started laughing and hooting at what he said, he blushed and tried to correct himself. ''I- meant shes fast. She worked really fast. Thats what I me- Oh Shut it'' He reached across the table to whack Alexander on the arm from all the teasing he was doing.

You looked at your food, starting to feast on it and ignoring the comments flying around you.

'' And what is your name?'' You made eye contact with Georgia, who seemed to be the sweetest and the most normal person from this table.

'' Yn.'' You replied shortly, and then started eating some tomatoes, hoping no one would talk to you anymore, because you were hungry and wanted to be left alone.

''So…? Tell us!'' Alex insisted, looking at you and waiting for something from you.

Confused, you frowned your eyebrows at him, shrugging '' Tell you..what?''

'' Well about you. How you got here, how long have you been doing hair, have you watched the show?''

And so you answered all their questions. Well, more than 90% of them were fired by Alex, but occasionally one of the other guys would also ask you something as well. Georgia listened intently to what you had to say, but then calmed Alex and the other boys down when she noticed you were starting to get overwhelemd.

'' That`s enough. Let her eat.'' And with that, the boys listened like good children, and left you tending to your food.

Right before you all left, he saw you standing up ready to leave, so he asked you to give him your instagram.

You were quite embarrassed to have him look at your profile, knowing the photos you`ve taken were not nearly half as good as his, but then you also thought, he asked for it, so he should suffer the consequences.

You were back at the trailer, and for the next hours, you were told to recreate some hairstyle Shaila showed you on a picture, until it was finally time to go home.

You were completely exhausted. And you were scared for tomorrow. You went to the parking lot, found Kevin and jumped into the car, finding relief in being able to sit down and give your legs a bit of relief. The other girls approached the car one by one, and when you were all in, you all started sharing your today`s experience.

'' I met Harald Finehair GUYS. UGH he was so fine.'' Amalia said, exaggerating and making you all gag and giggle.

'' Ew stop it. He`s way too old for you. But I met Georgia Hirst and Ida. They were super nice.'' Phoebe added.

When you told them about who you met, they all seemed a bit.. Jealous? They gave you a fake smile, and then quickly changed the subject.

Once you reached your room, you sighed in relief, finally you were alone. You took a shower, dried up and then you pulled your phone out, noticing all the unread messages from your frineds. After you answered them all, you went on Instagram out of habit.

You went to see you had some notifications. iris2002 liked your post 3h carina0_donnell liked your post 4h alexhoeghandersen liked your post 6h alexhoeghandersen liked your post 6h alexhoeghandersen started following you 6h

WAIT WHAT??!?!!? HE FOLLOWED ME BACK?! SHIT I mean, it was expected. After all, he did just ask for your Instagram didn`t he?

You checked your dms, seeing as you had some unread messages on there as well, but the one that popped before everyone else, was from the same person who had followed you back a few hours ago.

You shakily opened the chat, not knowing what to expect.

Heej. What are you doing? Hiii. I just got back to the hotel. im so exhausted

I know how you feel you hungry? do you maybe uh wanna grab some food? I know a few good places around Dublin :))

You blinked rapidly, your heartbeat rising. Was that for real? You kept clicking on his name, checking to see if he is the Real Alex. You left him on read for a few minutes, while you were contemplating on whether or not you should go.

With sweaty hands, you unlocked your phone again, and decided to give him an answer sure... let's do it. I'm starving

great. which hotel are you staying at? Conrad Dublin

gotcha. I'll be there in half an hour

`Half an hour? shit. I need to get ready.

You got out of your freshly put on pijamas, and rummaged through your luggage for some decent clothing. You opted for another oversized t-shirt, with a Jurassic Park logo on it, and your trusted shorts, who fit on your bum perfectly. Messing with your hair a bit, you ruffled it, and then you decided you`d just tie it in a bun. You grabbed your trusted perfume, and sprayed it once on each side of your neck.

You grabbed your fanny pack, strapping it over one shoulder and put your phone inside it, grabbing also some cash and your keycard.

The moment you stepped into the elevator, you felt your heart once again start galloping inside you. How could this happen, and on the first day?

Once you stepped into the lobby, you were aiming for the exit, until you saw a familiar guy sitting on one of the couches, on his phone. You studied him a bit. He looked so effortlessly beautiful. He was wearing a black hoodie, along with some jeans, paired with sneakers. He had his hair in a manbun, but that only made him look even hotter.

He was scrolling on his phone, with his back rested on the couch, one arm on it, and legs spread out in front of the coffee table.

It didnt take him too long after youve reached the lobby to take notice of you. When he finally did, he quickly put his phone back in his back pocket and stood up, taking long and fast strides to reach you.

'' Hey.'' He approached you and pulled you in a hug, kissing you on your temple once he let go of you.

'' Hello…'' You said timidly, not knowing what to say next.

Alex seemed to be such an expert in keeping up a conversation going, that he never allowed any sort of awkward silence fill the air. He grabbed your forearm, pulling you softly towards the exit. '' So.. What are you in the mood for?'' He broke the peaceful silence once you stepped outside. '' Mmm… Honestly? I dont know. I dont want anything fancy, but not junky either. Maybe pasta?'' You laughed awkwardly. He smiled and giggled.

'' Then pasta it is.'' He led the way, and started asking about your personal life back at home the whole way to the restaurant.

Once you`ve reached it, you read the name Sano Pizza. Looks good from the outside.

'' It`s one of my favorite restaurants. They have some amazing Pizza. And the spaghetti should also be up at the same level.'' He praised the place. You smiled and followed him inside.

He led you between many tables, and then finally in a more private and calm section, he found an empty booth for the two of you. When you finally sat down, you noticed the QR code being placed on both corners of the table, making you scoff.

Alex looked at you curiously. '' What`s the matter?''

'' This. I cant scan the fucking menu. And its so frustrating to me cuz then I have to search it up on the internet, and it takes so long. Like, give me the goddamn paper menu and we`ll be good.'' You complained, sighing in annoyance.

Alex seemed to not take your attitude too seriously, as he chuckled at you and pulled his phone out, scanning the code in less than a second and handing you his phone.

'' Here. Take a look and then let me know what youd like to eat.'' You flushed at his actions.Yeah, it was a small gesture, almost insignificant. But still, it made my heart flutter.` You went over the menu on his phone, and when you were finally ready with your order, you handed his phone back. He took it gently, cupping your hand slightly when you passed it to him.

''Alright.. What will it be then?'' '' Penne Quattro Formaggi. Aaand a lemonade.'' You nodded to yourself, thinking that`ll be good enough.

'' No dessert?'' He asked nicely. '' Nah. Im good. I probably wont even finis the pasta.'' You laughed. '' Why?'' He joined in your laugh.

You shrugged. '' I always eat half of it, then I get full and I have to sit and let my stomach digest the food. I don`t know why. The food is too dense.'' ''Dense?'' He asked, amused. ''Yeah…dense.''

He chuckled and when he saw a waiter, he waved for him to go over there. He ordered the food, and then he turned back to you, propping his chin on the palm of his hand, admiring you.

'' Uhh.. '' You chuckled nervously. '' So…'' '' What do you think? You liked your first day?'' '' Well.. It was.. Intense. A lot of new info at once, but Ill get used to it. That is..if.. Ill stay..'' You trailed off, almost with a hint of sadness, thinking of the possibility of not staying permanently.

Alex placed his warm hand over yours, rubbing your kunckles with his thumb, reassuringly. '' Youll stay. Ive seen you work. You did a great job.'' You waved a dismissive hand at him. '' No Im serious! Hey. Ive seen others work. And so far, no one has been as skilled with their hands as you.''

'' Oh… I dont know. Well see.'' ''- And even they happen to Not choose you, which, theyd have to be nuts not to, Ill talk to them personally. I`ll go straight to Michael and ask him personally we are buddies, me and him, and-''

You shook your head and giggled at him. '' Its okay. If I dont get the job, then maybe they choose someone else for a reason. Maybe Im not made for this environment. And thats okay. I`ll accept it.'' You interrupted him, assuring him you were willing to take a blow, if needed be.

Time seemed to pass so fast with him. He made you feel so at ease. He had this natural charisma about him. You were laughing the whole time, not being able to stop, he was that funny. At one point, the food showed up, and you both calmed down and dove right in.

The young actor definitely knew where to take you. The food was exquisite. You enjoyed every little bite, savoring the flavors, and filling your stomach with enough food to keep you running till the following day at lunch.

Another hour had passed, and it was already 8 pm. It was already pretty dark outisde, and you wanted to walk a bit. You kept glancing out the window, noticing faint silhouettes and buildings in the distance.

Alex followed your gaze, then turned back to you. '' What is it?'' He asked concerned.

'' Oh nothing. I just really wanted to take a stroll, to walk some dark alleys and enjoy the Dublin vibes at night.'' You admitted dreamily.

'' Well, let`s do it.'' Alex said, standing up. '' Wait a second ok?'' He grabbed his phone and went up front, talking to the waiter who served you. When he came back, he helped you up, and then locked arms with you, putting his in his pocket.

'' Wait. We have to pay first.'' You pulled him back. He shook his head, smiling.

'' Already did. We can go.'' He continued pulling you towards the exit, while you were frowning, looking back and forth between Alex and the waiter, that was at his computer thingy.

''But-when?'' You were now outside, and you couldn`t help but let the chilly weather embrace your body.

'' When I left the table. I payed on my phone.'' He explained simply.

'' Ok. How much was my part?'' You said while you were zipping your fanny pack in search for cash, but Alex took your hand away, zipping your fanny pack back up, and shaking his head.

'' It`s on me.'' '' No!'' ''Yes. It was my idea to invite you. Where did you say you wanted to go?'' He changed the subject fast when he noticed you were trying to pay him back.

You huffed, and pointed a finger down a darker alley, which seemingly looked to be empty. He nodded his head at the alley, as if asking for a confirmation that was the one you pointed at, and when you nodded, he pulled his arm that was locked with yours out, and instead draping it over your shoulders, pulling you as close to him as posssible.

You guys started walking in a comfortable silence, the only sounds available coming from behind you from the main street, from which faint voices could be heard.

'' So… Why did you want to walk this way? Was there something in particular you wanted to see?'' He asked chuckling, squeezing your shoulder.

'' No… I just…enjoy walking down dark and empty streets. It`s so… I don't know. Peaceful I guess.'' You answered, while looking around you and taking notice of the buildings.

'' You do this often?'' He furrowed his brows. '' You walk at night, alone?''

'' Well… Yeah I do that a lot back home. Sometimes I even go out to listen to some music, or glance at the sky and observe constellations.''

'' Look, I know you are an adult and you decide what you want to do, but maybe you shouldn`t do that here.'' He stated, with a low and serious tone.

'' And why is that?'' You questioned, quizically.

'' Well because…'' He licked his lips in a stressful manner. '' I dont know what its like back there in you country, but here in Dublin, the streets get dangerous at night. That is why we always go out together clubbing or something. But none of us go out alone. It`s not… The safest.'' He took a breath of air. ''Especially not for someone like..you.'' He said lowly afraid you might misunderstand his words.

You choked out a laugh, and turned your head to the side to look at him. '' Someone like… Me? What do you even mean by that?'' You laughed, and locked eyes with him, challengingly.

'' Well… Haha.. Dont take it as an insult. I meant a girl like you. You are pretty, lets not be modest. Any guy would glance at you when you would be walking anywhere, but at night, there are people out there who might not have the best intentions and would try to harm you.'' Alex gave you a worried, showing complete honesty.

You didn`t even respond, but simply blushed and shook your head. But just then, ahead of you, you both noticed a small group of people coming in your direction. You could only see their shadowy silhouettes, but that was enough for Alex to move you both to one side of the street, opposite of the group, ensuring he was standing between you and them.

Tho it was a small gesture, you flushed, thinking how much of a nice and genuine guy he was. He paid for your dinner, he was being so kind and funny, you honestly didnt know if he wasnt faking this all just to sleep with you.

You kept walking, turning random streets, until it was pretty late at night, and you both agreed to head back, since the next morning was starting very early for you. He insisted on walking you back to the hotel, tho you reassured him youd be fine by yourself. He didnt give you time to argue, pulling you towards the hotel.

So now when you were finally in your hotel room, having taken your second shower of the day, you got in bed, ready to sleep. Right before you were about to close your eyes, your phone screen`s illuminated, letting you know you had a notification. Sleepily, you opened your phone and saw a message from Alex sent on instagram.

I had lots of fun. hope you did too good night see you tomorrow :))

You didn`t even open the app, but just smiled at the message and went to sleep, with a grin on your face.

The following day, same way, you got ready, met the girls down at the lobby and then you all left for the set. You stepped into the trailer, in a much more confident way than yesterday. You chirped a morning to Shaila and Peter, and then you got to setting up your tools. Shaila greeted you also, explaining that today was more serious, and that she will work on Alexs hair, and youll help her out, so you could see exactly what you`ll have to do in the future.

Not long after your arrival, the three Ragnarssons stepped into the trailer, first Jordan and then Marco and lastly Alex. The first two greeted you, while heading towards their seats, but when Alex stepped into the trailer, he immediately locked eyes with you, giving you a charming smile. He came to you and hugged you, kissing your right cheek when he pulled away.

You stood there motionless, trying to hide your blush. Alex grinned at you, and then snapped something at Marco in Danish when he kept teasing him.

Peter got to work on Jordan, and in the meantime, Shaila and yourself got to work on Alex. The middle aged woman explained as she went along, how she was envisioning his hair, showed you what products and in which order to use, and overall, you felt like you were back in beauty school, when all you had to do was sit next to the teacher and watch her work on the mannequin.

Only in this case, you actually got to help, holding hair sections, handing Shaila tools or products and such. It was a very nice experience. You felt really important, knowing you were helping in building a character`s visual side.

Alex was being his funny, extroverted self. He was joking around with Shaila and you as well, occasionally him softly grabbing your arm and rubbing it at certain times. One hour and a half later, you were done with him. He had intricate twists on his head, giving him a true Viking air. They looked really hot on him.

He got out of the chair, admired his hair closely in the mirror and then thanked you both.

'' Ah you women are amazing. My hair looks fabulous.'' He complimented, joking towards the end with a girly voice and posing funnily. You laughed at his antics.

Alex had to leave for the makeup and costume trailer, so with a respectful ( but exaggerated bow) he kissed you on the cheek once more, leaving you with the other guys who looked at you funny and started teasing you as well.

The day went by slightly faster, since you had so much more work to do. You were entrusted with doing hair for some extras, which was nice. You got compliments here and there, filling you with confidence.

The end of the day was approaching, and you couldn`t wait to get back to the hotel, so you could sit down and relax.

You were heading towards the parking lot, but felt someone running behind you. You felt strong hands encircling your waist, lifting you from the ground slightly. You yelled in surprise, but calmed down when you saw it was Alex, laughing acutely at you.

''What are you doing?'' He asked casually, falling into a walking rhythm with you.

'' Going home. You?''

'' Oh. Well same. Hey, you didn`t answer my message yesterday. Why is that huh?'' He interrogated you, poking your sides, causing you to squirm from how ticklish you were.

'' Oh-Al-St-o-p. I uhm.'' You struggled to say, since he kept poking and tickling you. '' Well. I was very tired. But I did read it. I just didn`t have the energy to text back. Sorry.'' You responded apologetically.

'' `S okay. Just wanted to make sure you were fine. Anyway, wanna go out tonight as well? Or you could come over to my place. I can tell Marco to leave the place so we can-''

'' Alex, what exactly are your intention?'' You interrupted him, getting straight to the point. '' I dont know what youre trying to do, but Ill tell you what I wont do, and that is having a fling. Or sleeping around.''

Alex frowned, confusion all over his face. '' Wait… WHAT?! N-.'' He sighed, frustrated. '' THat`s what you think I was trying to do?'' He chuckled bitterly. '' Wow… Thanks for thinking so low of me.'' He snapped, taking bigger and faster steps in front of you, getting ahead of you.

Realizing what you`ve done, with widened eyes you jogged towards him, grabbing his arm to stop him in his tracks. He turned around, with his jaw clenched and hurt yet angry eyes.

'' Im sorry. I didnt know what to think of it. You were so nice and amazing, it truly felt surreal, as if it was all an act.'' You explained, getting emotional. '' I`ve had… bad experiences with guys acting all nice and cute and then being complete dicks once they got what they wanted. And I was only trying to avoid getting hurt.'' Your eyes were getting watery from all the explaining, and at that, Alex softened his gaze.

'' I didn`t want to assume anything. But to me it seemed impossible that a guy like YOU, would ever be interested in someone like me. And I am terribly sorry for insulting you. '' You said sincerely, letting a tear drop fall onto your cheek.

Alex let his forehead rest on yours, getting really close to you. Raising both his palms, he cupped your face, using his thumb to wipe the cheek off your face. Kissing your forehead, he then nuzzle his nose against yours, as if silently asking you to stop apoligizing.

'' Youve got nothing to apologize for. Its not your fault you were surrounded by idiots. But please, just give me a chance.'' He begged.

You nodded slowly, announcing you wanted to forget the previous embarrassing moment.

Alex pulled slightly away, to be able to look at you, smirking. '' Did the other jerks give you such a loving and sweet kiss?''

Frowning, you looked at him with a tilted head. '' What kis-'' You were interrupted by his soft lips shutting you up. You closed your eyes, enjoying the moment. He left his lips lingering on yours for a few more seconds, but not daring to try to take it any further.

When he felt like it was enough, he pulled away, leaving you both out of breath. You smiled, looking at him and giggling. He joined in on your giggling, pulling you in a comforting side hug. You stayed hugging each other`s sides a few more minutes, until you saw the girls approaching, and other people coming into the parking lot. You pulled away, with difficulty, since Alex was trying to hold you there.

Finally freeing yourself, you waved at him goodbye, giving him a grin.

The next days went better and better. Each passing hour, it felt as if you were learning and constantly perfecting your skills, giving you more confidence. You were eventually allowed to do half of Alexs hair, Shaila still insisting shed have to go over your parts as well to perfect them.( perfectionist much).

Alex and you were being close every morning, him giving you a hug and a kiss on the cheek, but not taking it further in front of the others.

Time flew by so fast, that you stepped into Friday and realized, today you were going to find out who was going to stick around. Shaila texted you 5 to come a bit earlier in her trailer, where she was going to announce the winner.

'' Right. So, I want to preface by saying you are all talented. That is why you got here in the first place, which was already a big step. With that being said-'' She grabbed some papers, looking through them.

'' I want to thank you girls for having you here. You helped us a lot, as much as you also learned a bit of how the magic happens in these chairs.'' She used her free hand to slap the back of one of the chairs.

'' Alright. This was tough. But the final answer is…''

''Yn. Congratulations.'' She said in a neutral tone, clearly trying to hide her excitement.

You squealed in happiness, hugging Shaila and then each girl in return. You could tell they were looking at you bitterly, but you couldn`t do anything about that.

'' No hard feelings?'' You asked them.

They smiled sadly, hugging you one last time, before they were all escorted out. You barely had any time to let this new information sink in, when the young actors were already making their way inside. You locked eyes with Alex, grinning from ear to ear, nodding your head, silently telling him that you won.

He immediately understood your message, sprinting towards you and picking you up, spinning you softly. He laughed in happiness, and then with a newfound boldness, he attacked your lips. You gasped, taken completely by surprise, but nonetheless enjoying it.

The guys whistled, and when Alex pulled away, Marco patted him aggressively on the back, as a congratulation.

Shaila fully entrusted you this day to work on Alex alone, and when the three actors left the trailer, Alex rushing to plant another kiss on your lips, the woman pulled some brand new black t-shirts out of a cabinet, with the History Channel logo on them, handing you the clothes.

'' Welcome to the Vikings team, dear. We will need you around here.'' She greeted you officially, hugging you.