#i had almost that same exact fucking shirt for one of my kens as a kid too

[trannydean-moved]

DEAN IM SCREAMING KENSEN ACKLES??!????!? SO TRUEEEEE

GIGGLING IKR. perfect for the barbie moving coming out <3

[introvert--weeb]

Hello! Hooe your having a nice day! So please hear me out! Can i request for Mikey, draken, mitsuya,nahoya, ran,rindou,hanma,and baji with a sweet s/o but have a brutal threat to someone with sweet smile and said " were enjoying our day... Can you please kindly fuck off before i lose my cool and chop your dick/rip your ovary? " when someone interrupt them in date by flirting with either of you

Gotta get some jealous vibes on this blog one way! I love this idea! I hope you don't mind that I edited the line a little for each scenario so I don't end up writing the exact same dialogue over and over again

Thank you for requesting and I hope you enjoy it!!

--

Mikey, Draken, Mitsuya, Nahoya, Ran, Rindo, Hanma, Baji on a date that gets interrupted

TW: mentions of threats, language, jealousy, cringe-y insults that authour has made up based around the prompt :)

--

Mikey

It had all started off as a normal date between the two of you. Mikey had insisted that you both visit this new dessert cafe that had opened up not that long ago in Shibuya. He had been saving it as a date idea and resisted the urge to demand Draken to take him. It was torture for the sweet-tooth but it would be worth it when you both could experience it together.

You were as equally as excited as your boyfriend. It had been months since you were both able to just go on a date alone. After all, every other time someone who always show up and it would quickly devolve into a hang out session. Today though, Mikey had made sure to express how this time was just between you and anyone who dared interrupt will be dealt with. Sounds threatening but it mainly meant they would have to make it up to the two of you by buying bag loads of desserts for a week. Childish but effective.

It wasn't long until you were both seated at a table, one that was directly by the window. You couldn't believe how perfect this place was! The tables held a menu that was shaped as a crepe and even the napkins that were available had desserts printed along the surface. It was just so cute!

Nothing could do anything to ruin this date for you. You both ordered your favourite desserts (Mikey had to order something other than dorayaki and so simply ordered ice cream) and were now just waiting for the order to be brought over. All was well in the cafe.

That was until a girl around your age had approached the table. At first, you thought she might know Mikey or was maybe one of Emma's friends who simply wanted to say hi. However, that was quickly thrown out when she began to flirt with your boyfriend, twirling a strand of light brown hair around her finger. You simply watched, anger bubbling dangerously in your chest and you had to keep yourself from beating her ass. She must know you were there, after all, you were right beside her.

"Can you please stop flirting with my boyfriend?" You forced a dangerously sweet smile on your face. "We are enjoying our date. So please kindly fuck off before I rip your ovaries from your body," your tone didn't match your words. Every word was dripping in honey yet your eyes screamed 'murder'.

Mikey couldn't hold back his grin from how you threatened the girl. He knew you could be intimidating but this threat was something that amused him immensely. Rip her ovaries out? Over simply trying to flirt with him? Well, he sure couldn't get any more smug. You loved him that much, huh?

"Wow Y/N, never knew you could be so intimidating," the blond joked, amusement glinting in his dark irises. You simply blushed, feeling a little embarrassed but mainly proud of yourself.

The two of you continued on with your date as the waiter brought your desserts to the table. You couldn't have asked for a better day with your Mikey.

Draken

Draken had suggested that you both go to the beach for the day since the weather was so warm. You had packed a picnic for the two of you, wearing cute swimwear underneath a f/c t-shirt and shorts. Slipping on a pair of sandals, Ken had arrived not too long after and you were both off on your way to your destination.

You had both found the perfect spot and set up the towels. Draken simply threw his shirt off as he was already wearing his swim shorts, while you began to strip yourself of the outerwear. Your boyfriend couldn't stop staring once he realised how good you looked in the swimwear.

However, he wasn't the only one to notice and in fact, a group of boys had taken notice and were ogling at your now exposed figure. Draken nor yourself noticed and continued to enjoy your time together. After all, this was quite rare nowadays since Mikey would take up a lot of the blond's time. You didn't mind, it just made days like this extra special and much more enjoyable.

Ken had offered to grab the two of you drinks from the beach stall not too far from where you were situated. You were appreciative for the offer and asked your boyfriend to grab you your favourite cold beverage. He agreed before placing a soft kiss to your forehead, standing up to complete the errand.

It hadn't even been two minutes since the tall blond had left your side before one of the boys had approached you. If it wasn't for the cocky attitude that practically oozed out of him, you would have waved him off with a smile and an apology. In fact, you had tried. He just seemed to be incapable of taking no as an answer or accepting that you were with Draken and that's who you were going to remain with.

Speaking of Draken, he was beginning his way back to where you were, cold beverages in his hands. Everything seemed fine until he noticed the boy trying his hardest to flirt with his partner. No. He wasn't going to have that. And so your boyfriend began his march over to the towel, ready to smash his fists into this idiot's face once he had handed you your drink. However, as he got close enough, his anger and jealousy dissolved into pure amusement.

"Right, this obviously isn't getting through your stupidly thick skull," a heavy sigh indicated how annoyed you had become. "I am enjoying my date with my boyfriend and I really don't need you ruining it. Now, kindly fuck off back to wherever you crawled out from before I chop your dick off and ram it down your throat!" The smile that accompanied your words was too sweet for the threat. It was as if two personalities were clashing together in this one moment.

The boy, now scared for his own safety, was quick to scurry back to his friends. Draken watched before taking his rightful place at your side once again. Cold beverage now handed to you, he opened his own before taking a large mouthful. It cooled him down instantly and a breath of relief was released.

"So... About you threatening that boy..." Draken couldn't stop the smirk that tugged at his lips as your face instantly burned a bright pink. He was going to enjoy teasing you about this.

Mitsuya

The two of you were hanging out at the park with Luna and Mana. Takashi had invited you with him since the girls were asking about playing with you again. Ever since you both started dating, you had grown close to the two small girls, almost acting like an older sibling in some ways.

Luna and Mana were playing on the play equipment while you and Takashi were relaxing on a nearby bench, keeping an eye on the two young children. An arm around your shoulder as the two of you conversed about your weeks. You had a simple week so far; school and homework, while Mitsuya spoke about his Home Ec Club and the basics of his Toman life.

The date couldn't have been going any better, in your opinion. You were spending much needed time to unwind and be around the sweetest boy you knew. There was very little that could ruin this date, right? Well, Takashi had left the bench to make sure his sisters were entertained and safe. You had told the boy that you would watch over his jacket and bag, a soft smile directed in his direction before he went onto the playground.

Moments later and Takashi looked over towards where he had left you with his belongings. He was expecting to see you maybe scrolling through your phone or even looking over to watch the siblings. However, the sight that greeted him caused his blood to boil slightly and his jaw to clench. Some random boy had decided to begin flirting with you and it looked like you were quickly getting fed up with the advances. Telling Luna and Mana that he was going to check on you, he began to make his way back to you.

"C'mon beautiful! Just give me a chance!" Even his voice was starting to grate on Mitsuya's nerves. If he carried on, Takashi would not hesitate to teach him a lesson, even if it went against his more peaceful ways.

"Listen. For one, I don't know you nor do I wish to get to know you. Another thing, I have a boyfriend and we are currently on a date so he should be back soon. Finally, please fuck off before I rip off your nuts and use them to feed the damn squirrels!" You smiled softly at the boy, your eyes glinting with actual intent on carrying through with the threat. That was enough to scare the boy and for Mitsuya to chuckle to himself.

He understood how vicious you could get when you used your words. It was what had first got him to notice you after all. Internally, he was still seething at how the boy had tried to take what was his, but outwardly, the lilac-haired male gave you a soft smile and sat back down next to you.

Nahoya

Of course the two of you would be hanging out at the arcade. After all, you were both competitive and would settle disagreements with games. The current disagreement had came to be settled with a game of House of the Dead, a zombie shooting game. You would both take a turn and then whoever had gotten the furthest into the game would win this argument. Sure it was costing you more than if you were playing casually but this was your pride on the line here.

Currently, you were winning and Nahoya was refusing to back down. It got to the point where Smiley had dragged you away from the House of the Dead machine and decided this disagreement would be decided through the basketball hoop games. After all, he was much better at this than the shooting games. You just agreed, now enjoying the time you both were spending together as well as how desperate your boyfriend was becoming.

This had quickly evolved into a date, no matter how much Nahoya was insisting it was to settle the disagreement. In fact, he was enjoying himself and kept dragging you from one game to another. At this point, neither of you could remember the initial disagreement that started your trip to the arcade.

Collecting armfuls of tickets, your boyfriend had suggested you both head over to the prize counter to cash them in for a prize that you both could enjoy. And so you made your way to the counter where a girl a little older than you was stationed, looking bored out of her mind. That was until she had caught sight of Smiley. In an instant, she had gone from bored to cheerful and more than happy to help.

Nahoya had allowed you to choose the prize since, although he hated to admit it, the majority of the tickets were yours. However, your answer on what prize you wanted had fallen on deaf ears. In fact, this girl seemed too busy ogling at your boyfriend and trying to appear as appealing as she could. Not that Nahoya noticed.

You tried one more time only to be met with the same result. Part of you wanted to beat this girl's face yet the other part found yourself proud that you had been the one to get someone as desirable as Smiley. However, this was quickly dissolving into jealous anger as she reached across and 'accidentally' brushed against Nahoya's hand as she took the tickets he held. "Oops, sorry~!" Her voice was getting on your nerves along with those flirtatious giggles and glances.

"If you wish to keep your arms and ovaries where they belong, I recommend you stop flirting with my boyfriend and get the damn prize I have asked for twice. Please and thank you!"

Smiley was surprised at your actions. You never usually get so jealous. He noticed how you smiled at the girl, almost gritting your teeth behind the barrier of your closed lips. Nahoya couldn't help but find it so cute and savoured the moment. He was definitely going to be bragging to the boys later on about how badass you seemed right then.

The girl clicked her tongue before going off to collect what you had asked for. She must have been salty over the fact she couldn't continue to flaunt off her assets to Nahoya. What she didn't know though was that she was simply saving herself from your wrath. After all, you were not past dragging her outside to defend what was rightfully yours if she kept testing her luck.

"Remind me to never get on your bad side, babe!" Smiley joked, his usual grin growing. You simply rolled your eyes while agreeing with the peach-haired Kawata.

It wasn't long until you had your prize choice in your possession and the two of you continued what had quickly become a date. That meant a bike ride around Shibuya, heading to the local ramen shop that Smiley loved, and then back to either his or your house to watch a movie.

Ran

You would follow your boyfriend anywhere when you could spare the time. Currently, you were clinging to the taller Haitani's arm while Rindo was talking to his elder brother about some gang business. Although you were always around, you never did get involved in their conversation. After all, Ran had told you were too innocent and sweet to get involved in such a violent life. He did everything he could to protect you from his lifestyle.

Due to how intimidating Ran could look and act, you really didn't have to worry about girls trying to flirt with him, and guys knew who he was so there was no way they would risk it. And so you had no reason to be jealous. Ran however, he was constantly on edge in case someone decided to try and steal you away from him. But then he would remember that no-one would dare mess with the Haitani brothers and everything would be fine again.

"Babe? I just need to nip into the convenience store real quick." You pointed over to where the closest one was situated, remembering how you needed some odd bits of things. Your boyfriend simply nodded in acknowledgement, placed a quick peck on the top of your head before continuing his conversation with Rindo. Smiling over the affection, you quickly made your way to your destination. The quicker you got there, the sooner you could be back with Ran after all.

It was a pretty normal trip for you. You had collected all the items you needed, paid for them and started your way back to where your boyfriend and his brother were probably still waiting. Maybe they had finished the gang discussions and you could join in with whatever the next topic was! You sure hoped so since it was starting to get you down not being able to contribute to the conversation. It was as you stepped back onto the street that a boy had stopped you, a nervous yet confident look in his eyes.

Ran would occasionally shift his gaze from his younger brother towards the store you had entered. It was his way of making sure you were safe. After all, there were a lot of people in Roppongi that disliked the Haitani brothers due to their position. Anyone could decide to take out their grudge against him on you and he would not be having that.

It was one of the times when he glanced up that he had noticed the boy talking to you. Your facial expression was telling him that you were quickly losing patience and that something must be happening. Ran interrupted Rindo mid-sentence before trying to casually make his way over. After all, it could be nothing and he wasn't the one to jump to conclusions about a situation. However, he had a hard time keeping his anger in check once he heard the boy's flirting. It was just too bad the rod was left at home.

"You're either deaf or really stupid. I have said that I need to get back to my boyfriend. Now please, fuck off before I chop your dick off and turn your balls into fuckin' earrings," your expression was really sweet when you had uttered the threat. Your lips were curled into a soft smile while your eyes had shut to hide the murderous aura that would surely be seen within them. Maybe Ran was rubbing off on you too much. After all, you used to be such a sweet person who was unable to say boo to a goose. Now you were making threats that even had your boyfriend nervous.

The boy was quick to follow your advice, walking as fast as he could away from the area. You let out a deep sigh before moving your gaze to where Ran and Rindo would be situated. Instead, you were surprised to find the taller Haitani frozen in place not far from you.

"Hey baby! I got my things!" The hand carrying the bag lifted to display the items. Ran snapped out of this daze before giving you a soft smile. He would have to tell Rindo to not piss you off.

Rindo

Nobody would believe you but Rindo loved taking you to cafes that he would come across when he and his brother wandered the streets of Roppongi. It was more to make you happy but he really enjoyed these outings. He could spoil you with your favourite drink and dessert while it was a quiet space for you both to talk about your days. It was one of the only places where Rindo could get away from all the gang business. Here he was just Rindo Haitani, your boyfriend.

You both arrived at one of your favourite cafes, ready to start the first half of your date. Rindo had planned the day so you were unsure on what would occur but that just made it more exciting! Taking your usual table at the back, Rindo couldn't help but chuckle as he watched you scan the menu. He knew you would pick the same thing every time you visited and yet it was almost a ritual you had developed. Sit at the table, scan the menu, decide to have the same thing. He found this adorable and enjoyed the predictability of the situation. Made him feel like a normal middle-schooler for once.

It wasn't long until the waitress had come over to take your orders. You noticed how she must have been new since you had never seen her working here before. At least she wouldn't judge that you ordered the same thing, you thought. The exchange was starting well, she had taken your order with very little hassle which you appreciated. However, it turned sour when she turned her attention to your boyfriend. It was as if a switch was flicked within the waitress as she began to get a little too comfortable around the blond.

Small arm touches when pointing at something on the menu, leaning over so her cleavage was more pronounced, the flirty heart eyes and giggles. All of it was beginning to irk you. Surely she could discern for herself that this was a date. You really couldn't believe the nerve the girl had in doing what she was doing while you sat across from the scene. Thankfully, she had finally taken the order and went to grab the drinks and desserts.

"You OK babe?" Rindo noticed how your usual smile was tense and more forced in its appearance. It was concerning him since you were fine a moment ago. This poor boy didn't realise how much the waitress was flirting, if he even registered that there was flirting. It's not his fault really. He just hardly gets attention when they could simply flirt with his brother.

You didn't answer, just relaxed a little bit. You couldn't get mad at the blond in front of you. After all, he was clueless when it came to girls liking him. Really, you should have kept that in mind considering how long it took for you both to get together due to his obliviousness to that. Slowly your usual smile was reappearing and Rindo felt like he could relax again himself. That was until the waitress came back over.

"Here's your order, handsome! And a little something extra~!" The girl winked as she placed your boyfriend's drink and dessert in front of him. You had caught sight of a slip of paper and what appeared to be a lipstick kiss staining the surface. Oh hell no. This was not on. It was hurting your face by trying to maintain the sweet expression.

"Excuse me but can you not flirt with my boyfriend while I am sat right here?" Keep up the smile Y/N. "After all, we are on a date and before you decided to act like a desperate hooker, we were actually enjoying ourselves. So now that we have our order, can you please fuck off before I decide to rearrange your face and make it so you can't have children?"

Rindo's eyes were as wide as the plates that held the desserts. He didn't really know what to think at that moment. What had happened to his sweet Y/N? Where did you learn to threaten someone? What he wasn't realising was that he was rubbing off on you after all this time you spent together.

The waitress simply glared at you before storming off back to the counter. She must have seen just how serious you were being even though your face had remained as sweet as sugar throughout it. You were proud of yourself and turned your attention from the girl towards your dessert and drink. In excitement, you grabbed at the spoon and scooped some of the sweet dessert into your mouth like a small child would with ice cream. A happy hum left your body as you enjoyed your treat.

"You're scary, you know that right babe?"

"I'm just protecting what's mine, Rin."

Hanma

Hanma enjoyed having you around him most of the time. He loved how you made his days more fun, especially when it came to how jealous you would get. In fact, he thought it was probably one of the most amusing sights he had been blessed with. You were so sweet usually that it was a huge surprise to others when you got jealous.

That day, the lanky male had decided to take you to the amusement park, thinking it was the best way to spend his time away from Kisaki. It was also a good way to get you to cling to him as you were always nervous when it came to certain rides like the Ferris Wheel. You could handle rollercoasters and other rides, but once you were sat on the rickety bench of the Ferris Wheel, you would have to cling onto your boyfriend's arm in fear of falling out.

Just like most of the others, it was rare for you to get some alone time with Shuji anymore. After all, if he wasn't busy with Kisaki, he was busy with something else. But you knew he would show up at your bedroom window most nights to just say hi and get a kiss before he left again. It wasn't an ideal relationship but it worked for you two.

So when Hanma had text you about the date, you were quick to get yourself ready. You made sure that your outfit was super cute and dolled yourself up a little. Hanma would no doubt tease you about how much effort you put in for him but you knew he secretly loved it. You were his girl after all and he was a lucky man to have you on his arm.

The journey from your house to the amusement park was a pretty uneventful one. Hanma had picked you up on his bike but had decided he would follow the rules of the road. As unpredictable as ever. He parked up his bike and you both went to buy your tickets to start the date properly.

The day was spent like any other amusement park date people went on. You rode the rollercoasters and ate your fair share of snacks that you knew weren't good for you. Everything was perfect. Well, if you excluded having to hold Hanma back from beating up a boy that had tried flirting with you. That took some doing since an angry Hanma is a strong Hanma.

It was as the sun was starting to set that the incident occurred. A girl with long blond hair had decided that she would try her luck in getting THE Shuji Hanma. All while you were standing there, cuddling into his arm. At first, you tried being polite by making your presence known. If she knew he was already taken then she should lose interest and move on with her day. What wishful thinking, eh? Instead, it seemed to spur her on more, even commenting on how Shuji deserved a 'real woman' not a 'child'. That was the last straw.

"I don't know whether you are blind, stupid or have a fuckin death wish at this point." You let go of Hanma's arm and stepped towards the annoyance. "But as you could clearly see, Hanma is taken. Now, unless you want me to put you six feet under, I suggest you fuck off and leave my boyfriend alone."

Maybe it was the sweet smile that accompanied the threat but the girl was scared. You were obviously crazy, she thought as she rushed back over to her group of friends. She was probably lucky to only get off with the verbal threat. If she hadn't have left, you would have caused a lot of injuries to her. After all, you had to be strong enough to do that when Hanma was your boyfriend.

Speaking of Hanma, he had watched the whole exchange with an amused smirk on his face. This threat was tame compared to the others he had heard leave your mouth before. However, he was disappointed that the other girl ran off. He was hoping to see you make that threat a reality until he would have to stop you. However, he still got to see that cute angry pout that would always show up when you had calmed down.

"If only she had stuck around. Could have had some fun."

"Shut up beanpole."

Baji

Baji was the one who would mainly get jealous. After all, you were gorgeous and he felt he didn't deserve you. So when anyone paid a little too much attention to you than what he felt comfortable with, he would get annoyed and have to stop himself from getting violent.

You both had decided to hang out just the two of you for once. Chifuyu was busy working at the pet store after all so you could count that day as a date. Baji had his arm wrapped around your shoulders as you wandered the streets of Shibuya, entering stores that caught your attention.

The date was going well. Considering you both would usually have Chifuyu, and more recently Takemichi, joining you, it was nice to just have some time to be a couple without worrying about making the younger blonds feel like third and fourth wheels. That meant you couldn't really enjoy innocent physical contact like this without feeling guilty. So this was rare and you were enjoying it a lot.

"Hey sweetie, you want to go get some Peyoung Yakisoba?" Baji asked, starting to direct you towards the usual spot you would get the delicious dish. You weren't sure why he asked considering he knew the answer would be yes. So with a giggle, you snuggled into the boy's side with a grin.

Baji felt his heart skip about 10 beats at the sight. You were honestly too cute for him and moments like this proved it.

The walk was only a few minutes but you remained glued to the boy's side the entire way. It was your favourite spot to be. Baji had offered to go and order the noodles while you wait outside, something that you reluctantly agreed to. You only agreed since the noodle shop was so small that you couldn't realistically stick by your boyfriend. And so you sat on the bench not too far from the door.

Baji wanted to be quick, not entirely comfortable with you sitting alone. Usually Chifuyu would keep you company and that kept the boy calm but since he wasn't here, you were forced to be alone. And that didn't sit right with the 1st Division Captain.

You kept yourself entertained by scrolling through your phone but that was short-lived as a boy a little older than you turned up. Placing a smile on your face, you decided to hear out what the boy might want. After all, it could be as innocent of a request as asking for directions. However, you were a bit too naive in that regard.

Your boyfriend exited the building, the noodles in hand, when he saw the boy flirting with you. Anger bubbled almost instantly within his chest and he was about to march over and pummel this idiot into the ground. It was only what you said next that had him stop in his war path.

"As I have said about 14 times now, I have a loving boyfriend and if you think I'm going to leaving him for a limp dick like you, you're delusional. Now, fuck off before I chop your shrimp dick off and offer it to the restaurant to use in one of their dishes. Although there wouldn't be enough to use in even a kiddie's portion." You delivered the threat with your usual smile yet Baji could see that your eyes were sending daggers the boy's way.

Baji couldn't be more proud of you for how you threatened that idiot. It amused him so much that he couldn't prevent the laughter that erupted from him. The boy who had previously seemed filled with confidence, was now running off in fear that you would follow through with the threat. You just glanced over at your amazing boyfriend with a grin on your features.

"C'mon babe, we're heading home. I'm so proud of how you handled that though." Baji calmed his laughter before placing a kiss to your forehead. Arm wrapped around you, the two of you headed towards the apartment building Baji lived in.

[hornime]

voyeurant | kenma kozume x f!reader

he tentatively wrapped a palm around the shaft, shuddering at the contact, his eyelids fluttering shut. god, i’m such a pervert, thinking about her like this. she’d hate me if she knew i saw her like that, knew that i was touching myself thinking about her tits...

warnings: 18+, timeskip!kenma, kinda dubcon, kenma’s unintentionally pervy, male masturbation, poorly written video game content (i tried my best), mutual pining but u both are oblivious

w/c: 1.5k

a/n: yes, the title is a shitty pun of valorant. no, i will not be changing it. also this tiktok about timeskip kenma made me giggle so pls enjoy.

voyeurant: part one ↓ | part two | part three:

“fuck, i hate this map,” kenma grumbled into his headset.

your voiced chimed in his ears. “is it ascent?” you turned to see his face on your screen, pinched in annoyance. “ha, it is ascent. sucks for you.”

“which one are you on? haven?”

“you know it,” you chuckled. “your favorite.”

“i hate you.” he weighed his options, did he really want to play this game? the layout of the world made it irritatingly hard to strategize, and today’s losing streak was making him more agitated than usual. with a sign, he closed the application. “fuck this. i’m gonna go piss.”

“yeah, yeah, you’re such a big baby. and...” you released your mouse, throwing your hands up in triumph, “we just won. at this point, i’m gonna outrank you.” you were joking, of course. kenma wasn’t just a gamer, he was kodzuken, one of japan’s best pro-gamers, and you were just someone that played as a hobby. but it was always fun to tease.

“hmm,” he hummed. “i’m sure you will.” he turned his head to look directly at his webcam, smirking, “in your dreams.”

“ooh, catboy’s getting feisty!” he flinched at the nickname. “go pee so i can beat you at your best.”

he obliged, pulling his headphones off and looping them on the top of his chair. he casually raised his middle finger at you while smoothing out strands of his hair, prompting a series of profanities to escape your mouth, none of which he could hear. he chuckled playfully as you responded with two middle fingers of your own, before moving out of the camera to get to the bathroom.

you and kenma had met in an... interesting way, to say the least. after going moderately viral from lashing out at him for refusing to heal you in a game of overwatch—while he was streaming—the two of you reconciled over a twitter thread and exchanged gamer tags. since then, you’d struck up an easygoing friendship, characterized by almost nightly discord calls and occasional flirting. but we’re just friends, you often reminded yourself. and you were fine, well, mostly fine, with that.

tonight was like any other night: both you and him spending hours in a video chat with nothing better to do than mindlessly play games and bash each other. it was more than enough to strengthen your relationship but fell short of giving you the romantic tension you craved.

with kenma off in the bathroom, you, already bored, spun wildly in your chair. forgetting that your earbuds were still plugged in, the white wire caught on an opened can of coke sitting on your desk, spilling the sugary drink all over your keyboard and the front of your shirt. 

“shit!” you quickly scrambled for paper towels, but the still-connected wire yanked you backwards. in your haste for something to wipe the soda with, the fact that your camera remained on in the video call completely slipped your mind. making the split-second decision that the trip for a towel wasn’t worth it at this point, you quickly whipped off your shirt, dabbing the keys with the part that was still dry. since you were home, you’d gone braless, and your current predicament had you flashing your webcam.

now, kenma had seen a lot of things from your side of the call: he’d seen you get chewed out by your residential advisor for being too loud, you with two sticks of pocky poking out of your mouth like walrus tusks, and you doing random cosplay moves you’d seen on tiktok. what he wasn’t expecting to see, not even in his wildest dreams, was a screenful of your tits, slightly damp from the cola that had seeped through the fabric of your long-gone shirt.

he stopped in his tracks, still out of the frame of his camera, eyes wide and heart racing, desperately trying to calm down and prevent the gradual hardening of his cock in his pants. unable to deny his desires, he continued staring at your plump breasts on his computer, you completely unaware that he could see you.

you quickly threw your soaked top in the laundry basket before throwing on a random sweatshirt and trying to calm your frazzled nerves. you tentatively touched your keyboard, groaning internally when you fingers lightly stuck to the buttons. it’s gonna take forever to clean this, you mourned.

“hey,” kenma mumbled, reappearing on screen and shaking you out of your thoughts.

“hey.” you noticed his flushed expression. “are you okay? you look really red.”

“uh, yeah. i actually uh, i feel kinda sick. so i’m gonna, gonna go.”

“oh, okay.” why’s he acting so weird? “feel better!” you disconnected from the call with a huff, disappointment morphing your face into a pout. well, you thought, better get to cleaning.

kenma, on the other hand, was still, swallowing as the bulge in his boxers became agonizingly hard. though the only thing left on his screen was his reflection staring back at him, the luscious view of your bust was etched in his mind. his hands moved to free his cock, the tip an angry red and smearing pre-cum over the waistband of his underwear. 

he tentatively wrapped a palm around the shaft, shuddering at the contact, his eyelids fluttering shut. god, i’m such a pervert, thinking about her like this. she’d hate me if she knew i saw her like that, knew that i was touching myself thinking about her tits...

“fuck,” he whined, slowly stroking up and down. his thighs trembled as he fell back into his chair, mind wandering. he couldn’t stop himself, his thoughts become more and more lewd, fantasizing about how your breasts would bounce as he thrusted into you, how your thighs would wrap warmly around your head as he ate you out, how you’d cry out his name so prettily when he made you squirt around his fingers.

it was all too much, and as the circle he made with his fingers tightened as he reached his tip, he lurched forward, alarmed at how good everything felt just by thinking about you. i can’t cum, i can’t, the small part of his brain that wasn’t completely overtaken with pleasure tried to reason with him. there’s no going back if i—shit—if i cum. she’ll know, somehow, if i—if i cum, i—

the ecstasy kept clouding his judgement and his body worked against his mind as his hand pumped faster and faster while his conscience screamed to stop. his wrist wetly slapped the base of his cock, the sounds of both his hands and his moans getting too loud for comfort, but all he could think about was you. your eyes, your mouth, your chest, your legs, your ass, your pussy. god, he wanted to be in you so badly.

he couldn’t hold back, his insatiable need to cum overriding his senses, and the translucent liquid twitched out of his throbbing cock in spurts, drenching his fist and his balls. “fuck, fuck, fuck. i’m—fuck.”

he collapsed against the back of his chair, chest heaving with the sheer intensity of his orgasm. he combed a hand through his hair, the consequences of his actions now weighing heavily on his shoulders. i’m never gonna be able to look at her in the eyes again, he lamented. how am i ever gonna—damn it. 

the sudden ping of a notification had his eyes raising from the mess on his pants towards his computer screen. 

meanwhile, you were messaging kenma, a little off-put by his sudden radio silence but chalking it all up to his mysterious sickness.

[11:05 PM] you: hey ken! hope u feel better

[11:05 PM] you: if u get the chance u should check out what i added to our minecraft house. its perfect for sick victorian orphans like u

[12:14 PM] you: guess

[12:05 PM] you: guess

[12:05 PM] you: guess

[12:05 PM] you: guess

[12:05 PM] you: why arent u responding

[12:05 PM] you: guess

[12:05 PM] you: ok u got me ill tell u

[12:05 PM] you: its a hot tub

[12:05 PM] you: but with soup

[12:05 PM] you: but the soup is lava

[12:05 PM] you: genius right

[12:06 PM] you: anyway get some sleep and feel better <3

[12:06 PM] you: lmk if u wanna play animal crossing

[12:06 PM] you: actually no u should sleep. rest ur eyes and shit

[12:06 PM] you: no animal crossing for u!

[12:06 PM] you: sleep well so i can destroy ur ass in val tmrw

[12:06 PM] you: >:)

he sighed as he read your one-sided ramblings. he really liked you.

and he really wanted to fuck you. lucky for you, you wanted the exact same thing. 

if only kenma knew what you did on the other side of the screen, hands in your undies and his name on your lips...

>> part two

© property of hornime 2021. do not plagiarize any of my writing and do not repost/copy my writing onto any other sites.

[sorry-i-ship-drarry]

16. Sinful dreams

Prompt used- massaging them | WARNING- implied smut | shout-out to everyone reblogging and commenting on these. Ps. Sorry for no update yesterday ( it's hard to keep up )

" well hello the man who thinks it's his house" harry gave Draco a grin who had presumably came to his house while he was out shopping using the spare key Harry had given him.

" I needed a change of space. Did you bring my biscuits ?" He asked

" I would go shopping and not bring your biscuits, you really are Dim witted " Harry placed his palms on the kitchen top before he took out Draco's biscuits and threw it at Draco in the living room who immediately caught before it would've fallen to the ground and get cracked up.

" what are you even working on ?" Harry asked as he started putting things into the refrigerator.

" just grading some papers " Draco replied opening the packet of biscuit and eating it slowly " still as delicious as ever " he groaned. Chuckling Harry turned to see Draco eating his biscuits, he seemed like Someone who had just been given his Christmas gift.

" I thought you already did them ?" Harry asked

" well turned out the question I had basically wronged of every student was infact right, I was the one who made a careless mistake in the question paper, so now I have to recheck every paper and grade them over again " he sighed as he simultaneously went back to grading his papers

" sometimes you work harder than I do " Harry gave a light laugh as he got his juice box and went into the living room to sit with Draco.

" well being a professor is hard. You should see the answers sometimes. They're worse than yours " Draco groaned changing the answer sheet.

" hey, I wasn't that bad. I just didn't like potions because of snape " Harry defended himself as he watched Draco grade the papers. He randomly picked one of the Answer sheet of a kid named ken wood, chuckling almost immediately after reading the answer

" I remember I wrote the exact same answer once and it turned out to be surprisingly right which I see you've crossed at "

" what?" Draco huffed as he took the sheet from Harry, Peering over the answer and as if upon realising his mistake, sighing he corrected the answer and grade all over.

" you do work hard " Harry's Voice echoed as he went into th bedroom.

" you've got no idea Harry, if only one day you accept that job at school, you'd understand " Draco voice echoed as well from where Harry heard it.

He soon came back in the living room carrying his guitar and sitting down next to Draco's feet, tuning it instantly.

" no joke honestly, I am thinking over it. I do enjoy working in the Muggle world but sometimes i just feel like it's better being really who you are and being with people of your sort " Harry explained

" well Ms. McGonagall would be very glad to have you " he replied.

" you're gonna play ?" Draco asked as he finally noticed Harry had set his hands to play

" you don't want me to ?" Harry asked looking up at Draco

" yes please, I will kill myself if I have to do more of these with no source of enjoyment " Draco rolled his eyes..

Smiling Harry started to play lightly. When after the war Harry set out on his path to discover himself and trying out new things, he had instantly fallen in love with playing guitar. It took a great deal of practice but Harry had successfully learned how to play it last. Often he plays for his friends if they ever go out on a trip or if they're stressed out and he had played on a bunch of their bonfire nights. For Draco it had always worked out pretty greatly. He loved listening to harry play, he played it to so whimsically that he mostly found himself lost in the tunes and just hearing Harry hum along as he played. It was soothing and mildly attractive to Draco, not that he's ever going to tell Harry that but he liked to imagine that he already knew and that was why he used to play it more attractively each time.

The thing was Harry never really realised if he ever started to sing lightly along playing or humming, Draco never pointed. So when Harry was lightly humming and singing to the song, Draco found it much easier to grade his paper more fastly and without wanting to kill himself however in between he had groaned because of craning his neck downward and harry immediately took notice of it.

" what happened ?" He asked concerned putting away his guitar.

" nothing, just my neck hurts now from all the looking down just like I have to look down on you " even in slight he hadn't missed the opportunity to tease Harry who flipped him off.

" here, let me massage " Harry got up from the floor and went behind to sit over the edge of the couch, his feets alongside Draco's body.

" you sure, you know- ooh " he immediately moaned in relief as Harry started massaging the bottom of his neck.

" better ?" Harry asked

" much better " Draco mumbled as he closed his eyes and let his head fall back a little enjoying Harry's hands over his neck.

" you overwork yourself Draco " Harry complained knowing Draco, he probably had time but still tries to do everything beforehand

Draco hummed in response. It soon became ritual between them for Harry to give him massages whenever he was tired or very much worked out and harry happily complied. It was only during one Massage when everything became weird, Harry was simply giving Draco a massage when he had accidentally moaned loudly when Harry has massaged a specific spot on his back. Assuming that none of them heard it, Harry resumed giving him a massage when he elicited the same moan out of Draco and suddenly it became too much for Harry to go on and had to immediately stop Because of the sudden sensation going down south.

" Why'd you stop ?" Draco asked embarrassed

" oh nothing, I - I just need to use the restroom " Harry said as he not so subtly got up from behind Draco and ran for the bathroom to cool down but nothing really worked. Hearing Draco's moan was like a cardinal sin and harry had happily became a sinner. His voice rang over and over in his head which only troubled everything. All he could think about was how beautiful his moan had sounded and how in many more sinning ways he could elicit the same moan. Inappropriately thinking about Draco only worsened everything because the images he had thought about Before of Draco now had a sound and it only turned him on more and more.

Harry was leaned against the kitchen sink waiting for his hard on to go away when there was a knock on the door. He must've been in there for longer than Draco could've anticipated because now he was concerned about Harry.

" is everything alright, Harry?"

" yeah, ev- everything's fine " everything was not absolutely fine, how voice sounded much more strained and he was fighting urge to shove his hands down his pants for relief

" you don't sound so fine, open the door Harry " Draco commanded from the other side of the door

" you go, I'll be out in a few" Harry leaned furthermore onto the sink, almost palming over his jeans

" I'll break the door open if you don't open it right now, I'm giving you 3 seconds "

" 1"

" 2 "

" 3 - I'm openi-"

Huffing Harry opened the door " what ?"

" nothing-oh" Draco eyes widened as his eyes fell over Harry's prominent bulge. They remained in a moment of silence where Harry looked anywhere but Draco's face while Draco found it hard to resist to not stare at Harry's pants.

" i- I don't know how it happened- think you moaned and I've just have had pretty off days and somehow- nmph" it was too late for Harry to continue that sentence since Draco had shoved harry inside the bathroom, pining against the sink and kissing him over the lips. One of his hands making its way under Harry's shirt while the other one enclosing him between him and the sink. Travelling his hands on Draco's neck he made the kiss more heated and rough. It was beyond anything Harry could've ever imagined Draco's soft lips could've done but once his lips were against Harry's, it had aroused a wild sensation in him to have him right here and right then. The kiss became more sloppier with each second, not hurriedly but am urgency to discover what else he could do. The hand pressed against Harry's chest under his shirt was exploring the deeper depths of his chest and slowly moving downwards, Which continuously made Harry release moans he had only thought he could produce with a man. As if the heat was unbearable between them, Draco separated for air and travelled from Harry's lips down to his jawline, pressing small kisses before he has finally reached his neck and pressed warm kisses.

" ar- fuck - you sure ?" Harry moaned as Draco resumed kissing and licking over Harry's neck. His grip on Draco's neck had travelled into his hair and grasping enough to make him lose his control.

" I've always wanted you Harry " Draco moaned in his ear. He would've collapsed on the ground if he wasn't pressed against by Draco's body. Biting his lip he suppressed his desperate moans only for a few seconds until he found it hard to resist when he had managed to kiss Harry's sweet spot and initiated giving him a hickey. Losing control Harry rutted softly against Draco in a desperate attempt to gain any sort of friction for relief which made both of the men's moan in pure ecstacy of the moment and deepening kisses.

" you want to move to bed ?" Draco asked as he went back to kissing Harry's lips.

" thought you'd never asked " Harry mumbled against his lips and held onto Draco's neck, wrapping his legs around his body as Draco placed his hands under his thigh and carried them onto the bed and resumed kissing each other, losing one article of clothing one by one until none were left.

It was the night that had officially ruined their friendship, taking things to next level , doing things to each other they had only dreamt off but who would've known that their dreams of having the other men pressed against the bed, desperately moaning their name would've come true.

Requests open

I couldn't come up with any better idea for this prompt. Sorry if it seemed rushed.

Day 15- nobody can ever be you | Day 17- their own song

[scapegrace74-blog]

No Light, No Light (Claire’s Anthem)

A/N  To recap where we’re at in the Metric Universe, Jamie and Claire are living separately while their building gets repaired after a fire.  Jamie has confessed to loving Claire, and she hesitantly agreed to give a romantic relationship between them a chance.  The dates have gone well.  Really well.  Maybe a bit too well...  Rated M, because they deserve it after all I’ve put them through.

All other parts of the Metric Universe are available on my AO3 page.

The amazing song by Florence + The Machine (another guest artist!) that inspired the title and features in a few lines can be heard here: https://youtu.be/HGH-4jQZRcc

August 24, 2018, Scottish Highlands, Scotland

Outside the train, the landscape slid by in an emerald smear.  It had been raining earlier, but as the sun dipped westward it broke from beneath the clouds, setting the greens afire.  The view was violently beautiful, but Claire stared instead at her face, pensive and wan, reflected in the smudgy window.  There was an almost laughable lack of connection between herself and the taciturn man to her left.

It hadn’t started out that way.  After a near-idyllic summer dedicated to their mutual enjoyment of each other’s company, this trip to Scotland was meant a culmination of sorts.  A validation that they were moving towards something momentous.  A delineation between their past as friends and their future as... something more.   

Jamie had first mentioned the idea in passing while they waited in line for a gelato in the shadow of the Gherkin on a hot July day.

“T’would be braw tae introduce ye to Lallybroch before ye return tae yer studies, Sassenach,” had been his exact words.  Claire had learned to appreciate Jamie’s deft navigation of the shoals of her caution.  An invitation to meet his family would have garnered an immediate negative response, but an invitation to his family home received an ambiguous hum.

Several weeks later, they were searching Netflix for a movie they could agree on while cat-sitting for Joe and Gayle.  Said cat was lounging on the sofa cushions between them when Jamie casually raised the ante.

“Tomorrow I’ll be buyin’ my ticket home for the August bank holiday.  The trains north will be packed, so I was thinkin’ I’d grab a second seat.  Just in case, ye ken.  T'is refundable, sae there’s no harm.”

By the end of the evening, the cat had fled the room, Claire’s shirt was down to its last button, Jamie’s summer tan couldn’t mask the flush of blood that raced beneath his skin, and the idea of spending a weekend away together sat like an unopened present on the closet shelf of their minds.

Last Monday, between her day shift and his graveyard, they had met for coffee to discuss the details of moving back into their flat.

“Jamie, my name is on this lease.”  Claire set down her cup rather abruptly on the table, spilling a few hot drops over her fingers.

“Aye, tis.  I asked the landlord tae include us both.  Considering all the delays an’ the nuisance, tis the least they could do.”  Pausing to hand her a napkin, he balanced his fingertips over her scalded knuckles.  It’s yer flat too, Sassenach.  No matter what.”

The gravity of the moment hung heavy in the air.  Neither spoke for a while, letting the hum of ambient conversation dull the edges of their nerves.  Claire slid an unsigned copy of the lease into her satchel.

“I, uh, I ken this mayna be the best time tae be bringing this up, but I’ll be away home come Thursday, back on Monday.  There’s still a ticket in yer name, should ye wish tae come wi’ me.”

She looked at him then, so earnest and open and hopeful, the sunlight from the street burnishing his hair coppery-gold.  He’d crept in like a thief, disturbing the tidy boxes of her life and leaving traces of his passage on her heart.  A thief who gave instead of took, and whose only crime was to love without recompense.

“What would it mean, if I went to Scotland with you?” she asked quietly.

“It would mean everything to me,” he admitted.

That hadn’t been what she was asking, but it was her answer all the same.

The day before they were due to depart, Claire had been eating a late afternoon snack in the hospital cafeteria when a familiar tall form in running gear caught her eye.  She couldn’t suppress the frisson of delight she felt as he made his way towards her table, a whiplash of appreciative female gazes following in his wake.

His infectious smile of greeting faltered and then disappeared as he caught sight of what she was reading.

Oh.

The monthly rental property magazine had been left behind on her table, but she’d be lying to say she was browsing it purely out of idle curiosity.  The weight of seeing her name next to Jamie’s on their new lease had been pressing down on her since Monday.  

On the one hand, it was a tremendous relief - no longer could the outcome of their courtship render her homeless - not that she could imagine Jamie ever being as cruel as Frank.  But it also implied a commitment, a state of permanence between them, that quite frankly scared the shit out of her.  And so she had been perusing her options, not with any serious intent, but because it gave her comfort to know they existed.   Jamie had dropped by unannounced at the worst possible time.

A crowded cafeteria wasn’t the place to start making excuses, so after a stilted exchange about meeting the next day at Euston Station, Jamie departed, a small storm cloud of ire floating above his head.  

By the time they met the following morning, that cloud had darkened to a gale, blowing all hope of casual conversation before it.  Jamie’s disposition was generally sanguine, but when he put his mind to it he could glower like the Viking gods he resembled.  It made for a silent journey.

“Ye can just go ahead and say it, Claire.”  When it came, his voice was diminished by resignation.

“I’m curious what it is you want me to say,” she replied.

“That ye willna be moving back inta the flat next month.  If that means we willna be seeing each other at all, well, I’d rather ye tell me before I go introducing ye tae my family as my girlfriend like a fool.”

When she turned to face this accusation, the first thing she noticed was the absence of light behind his typically radiant blue eyes.  It neutralized the acid on her tongue.

“Those are awfully dire conclusions to be drawing from some rental adverts, my lad,” she quipped.  Then, almost begging.  “You promised to be patient with me.”

“Aye, I did.  But ye also promised tae try, Claire.  I canna help but feel that ye’re just marking time, waiting for me to fuck up badly enough that ye can say, well, that’s that then, another disappointment, and retreat tae yer solitude.”

It wasn’t far from the truth, although she’d never have stated it so baldly.  As with every emotional conversation she had with Jamie, his words left her feeling naked and exposed.  He saw her so well.  She didn’t doubt the sincerity of his love for her, because what else kept a man coming back once all the ugliness was on display?

“I hear what you’re saying, Jamie.  I think you know this isn’t easy for me.  Just being here with you on this train, Christ.  I almost called you twice this morning to say I wouldn’t be coming.”

“But ye didna.  Why?”

“Because the only thing that scares me more than being with you,” her voice rose in pitch, “is being without you.  I’m here, but it’s taking bloody everything I have.  So please do not ask me for more,” she pleaded.

A strong arm wrapped around her shoulder and she came to nestle against him willingly.

“I would never ask ye for that, a ghraidh.  I only want ye tae learn tae let go of yer fear, as it serves for nought.  I learned that the hard way with my accident.  T’wasn’t anything I earned nor deserved, but it happened nonetheless.  We canna chose if we win or lose.  We can only chose how we fight.”

She listened to his heart, steadily thumping beneath the muscles of his chest.  To think, he could have been taken away before she came to know the dimensions of its strength.  It sent a chill down her spine.

“I ne’er told ye, that first night we met a’ the pub, how ye reminded me of a fierce lioness.  All golden eyed and imperious.  An’ when I saw those same eyes, peering at me o’er a surgical mask the night of the blast, I understood I would live, because ye did.  Ye’re a fighter, Sassenach.  I kent it from the start.”

“God, Jamie, I was an utter shambles at the time,” she confessed.  His faith in her was overwhelming.

“Aye.  But ye were goin’ down swinging.”

***

Ian Murray, Jamie’s best friend and brother-in-law, met them at the train station in Inverness.  As they navigated the country roads, his conversation with Jamie had the ease and teasing short-hand of timeworn friendship. Claire was content to sit quietly and listen, the inconclusive discussion on the train looming large in her peripheral vision.

It was well past dark as they arrived at Lallybroch, giving the structure an air of timelessness as yellow light bathed the courtyard from windows high above.  The battered wooden entrance swung open to the welcoming chaos of barking dogs, children’s laughter and lilting Gaelic voices spilling into the night.  

Claire hung back, pretending to help Ian with their bags as Jamie jogged forward to embrace a dark-haired woman who barely reached his shoulders, lifting a giggling toddler from her hip and high into the air.  The dogs spun around his legs, practically tripping him as he tried to climb the stairs and answer his sister’s rapid fire questions all at once.  Halting before the door, he handed his nephew over before Jenny disappeared inside, the dogs at her heels.

Feeling absurdly nervous, Claire mounted the stairs and accepted his outstretched hand.

“So, this is it?” she asked inanely.

“Aye, this is it.  Welcome to my home, Sassenach.”

***

They’d eaten on the train, so after a hasty introduction to the rest of the family and a promise to become better acquainted over breakfast, Jamie and Claire headed upstairs.  It occurred to her on the second landing that she had no idea where he expected her to sleep.   Their status as temporary lodgers in other people’s homes back in London had made the question moot.  

Visceral memories of their increasingly heated goodnight kisses caused Claire to trip on braided rug.  Jamie turned as she was righting herself.

“Aye, well, here we are.  The lavatory is jest across the hall.  If ye need anything, the laird’s room is up these stairs.”

“The laird’s room?  Wait, who’s the laird in this story?” she was momentarily distracted from her agitation by this unforeseen detail. 

“Well, me.  But dinna get any grand illusions.  Tis only a leftover title from when Clan Fraser ruled o’er these parts before the Rising.”

Her mouth was moving before she fully considered her next words.

“And does that make me your lady?”

Instead of laughing off her glib comment as she hoped he would, Jamie’s face grew somber.

“Nah.  Tha’ position is presently unfilled.  In this house, the laird sleeps next tae his lady, always.  G’night tae ye, Sassenach.”  And with a soft kiss that barely ghosted her lips, Jamie retired to bed.  Alone.

***

The next two days were a glimpse into a way of living whose existence Claire had previously discredited.  Communal mealtimes, where each family member had an assigned role, from buttering the bread (Jamie’s three-year old nephew and namesake) to clearing the table (Ian, and by their second meal, Claire).  Morning and evening chores that left the adults drowsy and smelling slightly of the chicken coop.  Siblings bickering, slamming doors and then laughing about it by suppertime.  Outings to local landmarks in the rain, a cheerful row of matching Wellingtons and wax cotton jackets tramping along well-worn paths.  Visits to neighbours, carrying a Pyrex dish of some culinary offering and returning four hours later, stuffed to the gills and carrying a different Pyrex dish loaded with leftovers.

Seeing Jamie take his place at the centre of this family dynamic was a shock.  She’d only ever known him in an urban setting, where he was one man among millions; noteworthy for his decency, his peculiar fondness for blood pudding, and because he was hers.  At Lallybroch, he grew before her eyes, taking on new dimensions that challenged and teased her understanding of him.

This was his concept of home.

This was his template for love.

***

On Sunday afternoon, the clouds had lifted to reveal a robin’s egg sky.  Claire accompanied Ian on a circuit of the upper pasture.  A border collie named Jem bounded down the hill ahead of them.  Ian was an easy companion, and they were mid-conversation about the impact of the Scots in the history of medicine when Claire pulled up short, words evaporating in her throat.

There in the hay field just below stood Jamie.  Long rows of golden sheaves that had been cut the past week were now drying in the late summer sun.  Armed with nothing but a pitchfork, Jamie had obviously been working for some time.  He wore boots and loose trousers, but his shirt was long abandoned.  Sweat glistened in the fine russet curls that covered his breastbone and over the sun-kissed curves of his shoulders.  He was so beautiful, it hurt to breathe.

“He’s himself again,” Ian remarked.  “It lightens my heart tae see it.”

Claire tore her eyes away from Jamie.  Ian was watching her with a knowing twinkle in his eye.

“Well, he obviously loves being here, with his family...” she dodged.

Ian shook his head.

“Nah, t’isn’t that.  Since his accident, he’s been... altered.  Jamie was always the golden one, ye ken?  Smart, strong, funny, kind.  He wore it well, but it gives ye a sense of... invincibility, maybe?  Tha’ blast ripped apart more than his back.  I think it made him doubt who he is on the inside.  Ye’ve helped him find tha’ man again, Claire, and for that we are in yer debt.”

She couldn’t look at Ian then, for fear that he would see just how much she wanted what he was saying to be the truth.  To be essential to someone who meant so much to her, to be enough purely by being herself, it was more than her feelings could contain.

It was what Jamie had been trying to tell her all along.

***

The third stair between the guest room and the laird’s bedroom creaked, and Claire froze, eyes darting guiltily down the corridor to where Ian, Jenny and their children slept.   Nothing stirred beyond the drumming of her heartbeat, so she crept the rest of the way, tapping quietly on the solid wood door.

Jamie’s voice was alert as he beckoned, “Come in, Jenny.”  She clutched a thin sheaf of papers to her chest and entered the room.  The only illumination came from the hearth, where a low fire still blazed.  It cast its light on a large, masculine room, with deep blue wallpaper, heavy damask drapes and an immense four poster bed.  Jamie sat up against the headboard, the glow from his iPad echoing in his downcast eyes.

“It’s not Jenny.  It’s me,” she whispered.

With a visible flinch, the iPad fell to his lap.

“Claire...”

He stretched her name out like honey from a jar, trickling sweetly from his mouth.

She wanted to run.  From this plush room, this welcoming home, this uninvited sanctuary of tenderness.  Her legs quivered with the impulse.  Instead, she plunged forward into the room, right to the edge of the bed, and thrust her offering towards Jamie, who followed her movements as though she was defusing a bomb.

“Whas’ this then?” he asked, peering down at the document.

“It’s our lease.  I signed it.  And faxed a copy to the landlord.”

There, she had done it.  The pebble that would start the landslide.  There was no turning back now, and it was pure relief.

Jamie was silent for so long, staring down at her signature, that she began to wonder if he’d fallen asleep.  When he looked up again, his eyes were glassy.

“Are ye sure, Sassenach?”

A drunken encounter in a pub.  Agony radiating from his bright blue eyes on a hospital gurney.  Her rain-soaked salvation.  A roommate.  A friend.  His steady patience as they tentatively grew closer. And now something more, something bigger than she knew how to articulate, sneaking around the margins of her fear.  

She wasn’t sure of much, but she was certain that Jamie’s love could never hurt.  The rest, the panic that she could lose him or disappoint him, that was just the price of paradise.

Instead of answering the question directly, she walked around to the opposite side of the bed and gestured to the empty mattress beside Jamie’s long body.

“Is this place still vacant?”

His smile was radiant.

“For ye, Sassenach, always.”

***

It was like no other sex she’d ever experienced.  Intimacy, up until then, had been a transaction, an exchange of debits.  This was a cancellation of accounts, an obliteration of any mutual debt.  They loved each other with the pure, mindless joy of a wave meeting the shore.

Which isn’t to say that it was perfect.  It felt strange to touch Jamie in more than a friendly way.   Not at all unpleasant, but strange.  Like going to the theatre to see a well-loved play, and suddenly being thrust onto the stage.  The hesitance behind Jamie’s touch told her he felt something similar.  

In a particularly awkward moment, they were jostling and bumping to remove each other’s pajamas when her hair got caught in the buckle of his watch.

“Ouch!” she yelped.  He pulled away, stammering apologies, which only made things worse.  After a few failed attempts on Jamie’s part, she reached up and unclasped the watch band, giving him two hands to work with.  By this point they were both giggling, the gravitas of the moment lost.

“Ye’ve a great deal of hair, mo nighean donn,” Jamie groused as he lay the offending watch on his nightstand.

“Complaining already, Fraser?”

“God, no. Ye’re... would it be sentimental tae say ye’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen?”

She was lying naked, but for a pair of skimpy knickers, the firelight caressing her limbs where they were splayed against the dark sheets.  Jamie’s visual perusal of her body held a potent combination of lust and reverence that warmed her blood.

“I suppose I can tolerate a bit of sentimentality,” she conceded, rolling towards the bulwark of his naked chest.  Her fingers played down the corduroy ripples of his flank.

“You’re beautiful too, Jamie.”

The mood in the room shifted again.  Soon they pitching across the mattress, trying to touch in as many ways possible.  Their skin grew slippery with sweat.  At some point, underwear must have been removed, because she could feel the coarse abrasion of his pubic hair against her thigh, alongside the tensile ridge of his erection.

“Claire,” he gasped as their hips ground together in frenzied pulses. “If ye dinna want me tae go any further, I need ye tae tell me now.”

She reached between them, taking the heft of him in her palm, feeling a spasm of need shudder through his frame.

“There’s nothing about you that I do not want, James Fraser.”

A cavernous groan, a frantic search for a condom in the bedside drawer, the tearing of a foil wrapper, and then a breathless hesitation.  She opened her eyes to see Jamie looking down as though she was the morning sun.  There was nothing left inside her but dazzling hunger, filling the spaces where her fear once resided.

Here was the start.

[sinceileftyoublog]

Riot Fest 2021: 9/16-9/19, Douglass Park

BY JORDAN MAINZER

Much like Pitchfork Music Festival earlier this month, this past weekend’s Riot Fest felt relatively normal. Arriving at Douglas Park every day, you were greeted by the usual deluge of attendees in Misfits t-shirts and dyed hair, the sound of faint screams and breakneck guitars and drums emanating from nearby stages. The abnormal aspects of the fest, at least as compared to previous incarnations, we’re already used to by now from 2021 shows: To get in, you had to show proof of vaccination and/or a negative test no older than 48 hours, which means that unvaxxed 4-day attendees had to get multiple tests. Props to the always awesome staff at Riot Fest for actually checking the cards against the names on government-issued IDs.

For a festival that dealt with a plethora of last-minute changes due to bands dropping out because of COVID-19 caution (Nine Inch Nails, Pixies, Dinosaur Jr.) or other reasons (Faith No More/Mr. Bungle because of concerns around Mike Patton’s well-being), there were very few bumps in the road. Whether Riot Fest had bands like Slipknot, Anthrax, or Rise Against in their back pocket as replacements or not, it very much felt like who we saw Thursday-Sunday was always supposed to be the lineup, even when laying your eyes on countless “Death to the Pixies” shirts. Sure, one of the fest’s main gimmicks--peeling back the label on Goose Island’s Riot Fest Sucks Pale Ale to reveal the schedule--was out of date with inaccurate set times and bands, and it still would have been so had Faith No More and Mr. Bungle stayed, since Fucked Up had to drop out last minute due to border issues. But the festival, as always, rolled with the punches.

The sets themselves offered the circle pit and crowdsurfing-inducing punk and metal you’re used to, with a few genre outliers. For so many bands of all styles, Riot Fest represented their first live show in years, and a few acts knew the exact number of days since their last show. For every single set, the catharsis in the crowd and on stage was palpable, not exactly anger, or elation, but pure release.

Here were our favorite sets of the festival, in chronological order.

WDRL

Last October, WDRL (which, amazingly, stands for We Don’t Ride Llamas) announced themselves with a Tweet: “y’all been looking for an alt black band,, well here you go”. A band of Gen Z siblings, Chase (lead guitar), Max (lead vocals), Blake (drums), and Kit Mitchell (bass guitar), WDRL is aware, much like Meet Me @ The Altar (who, despite my hyping, I couldn’t make it in time to see) that they’re one of too few bands of POCs in the Riot Fest-adjacent scene. Their set, one of the very first of the weekend during Thursday’s pre-party, showed them leading by example, the type of band to inspire potentially discouraged Black and brown folks to start punk bands. Max is a terrific vocalist, able to scream over post-punk, scat over funk, and coo over slow, soulful R&B swayers with the same ease. The rest of the band was equally versatile, able to pivot on a dime from scuzzy rock to hip hop to twinkling dream pop. Bonus points for covering Splendora’s “You’re Standing On My Neck”, aka the Daria theme song.

Joyce Manor

Joyce Manor’s self-titled debut is classic. The best part of it as an album play-through at a festival? It’s so short that you can hear it and you’ll still have half a set for other favorites. So while the bouncy “Orange Julius”", “Ashtray Petting Zoo”, and ultimate singalong “Constant Headache” were set highlights, the Torrance, CA band was able to burn through lots from Never Hungover Again, Cody, Million Dollars to Kill Me, and their rarities collection Songs From Northern Torrance. Apart from not playing anything from Of All Things I Will Soon Grow Tired (seriously, am I the only one who loves that record?), Joyce Manor were stellar, from the undeniable hooks of “Heart Tattoo” to the churning power chords of “Catalina Fight Song”. After playing “Christmas Card”, Johnson and company gave one final nod to the original fest cancellation, My Chemical Romance, who were slated to headline 2020, then 2021, and now 2022. If you ever wondered what it would sound like hearing a concise punk band like Joyce Manor take on the bombast of “Helena”, you found out. Hey, it was actually pretty good!

Patti Smith

Behold: a full Patti Smith set! After being shafted by the weather last time around, a sunglasses-laden Smith decided not to fuck around, leading with the inspiring “People Have The Power”, her voice as powerful as I’ve ever heard it. Maybe it was the influence of Riot Fest, but she dropped as many f-bombs as Corey Taylor did during Slipknot’s Sunday night headlining set. After reluctantly signing an adoring crowd member’s copy of Horses, she quipped, “I feel bad for you have to cart that fucking thing around.” It wasn’t just the filthy banter: This was Smith at her most enraptured and incendiary, belting during “Because The Night” and spitting during a “Land/Gloria” medley, reciting stream-of-consciousness hallucinogenic lyrics about the power of escape in the greatest display of stamina the festival had to offer.

Circa Survive

“It feels good to dance,” declared Circa Survive lead singer Anthony Green. The heart and soul of the Philadelphia rock band, who cover ground from prog rock to post-hardcore and emo, Green was in full form during the band’s early Friday set, his falsetto carrying the rolling “The Difference Between Medicine and Poising Is in the Dose” and the chugging “Rites of Investiture”. While the band, too, can throw down, they’re equally interesting when softer and more melodic, Brendan Ekstrom‘s twinkling guitars lifting “Child of the Desert” and “Suitcase”. Ending with the one-two punch of debut Juturna’s introspective “Act Appalled” and Blue Sky Noise’s skyward “Get Out”, Green announced the band would have a new record coming soon, one you hope will cover the sonic and thematic ground of even just those two tracks.

Thrice

Thrice played their first show since February 2020 the same day they’d release their 11th studio album, Horizons/East (Epitaph). To a crowd of fans that came to hear their favorite songs, though, the Irvine, California band knew better than to play a lot of the new record, instead favoring tracks like The Artist in the Ambulance’s spritely title cut and Vheissu standout “The Earth Will Shake”. Yeah, they led with a Horizons/East song making its live debut, the dreamy, almost Deftones-esque “Scavengers”, and later in the set they’d reveal the impassioned “Summer Set Fire to the Rain”. But the set more prominently served to emphasize lead vocalist Dustin Kensrue’s gruff delivery, on “All the World Is Mad” and “in Exile”, the rhythm section’s propulsive playing buoying his fervency. And how about Teppei Teranishi’s finger tapping on “Black Honey”?!? Thrice often favor the slow build-up, but they offered plenty of individually awesome moments.

Smashing Pumpkins

William Patrick Corgan entered the stage to dramatic strings, dressed in a robe, with white face paint except for red hearts under his eyes. He looked like a ghost. That’s pretty much where the semi-serious theatricality ended. The Smashing Pumpkins’ first Chicago festival headlining set in recent memory was the rawest they’ve sounded in a while, counting when they played an original lineup-only set at the United Center a few years back. It was also the most fun I’ve ever seen Corgan have on stage. Though they certainly selected and debuted from their latest electropop turn Cyr, Corgan, guitarist James Iha, drummer Jimmy Chamberlin, guitarist Jeff Schroeder, and company more notably dug deep into the vault, playing Gish’s “Crush” for the first time since 2008, Adore’s “Shame” for the first time since 2010, and Siamese Dream barnburner “Quiet” for the first time since 1994 (!). Best, every leftfield disco jam like set opener “The Colour Of Love”, “Cyr”, and “Ramona” was quickly followed by something heavy and/or recognizable, Chamberlin’s limber drum solos elevating even latter-day material like “Solara”. At one point, Corgan, a self-described “arty fuck,” admitted that years ago he would have opted for more experimental material, but he knew the crowd wanted to hear classics, the band then delving into a gorgeous acoustic version of “Tonight, Tonight”. And while Kate Bush coverer Meg Myers came out to sing Lost Highway soundtrack industrial ditty “Eye”, it was none other than legendary local shredder Michael Angelo Batio who stole the show, joining for the set closer, a pummeling version of Zeitgeist highlight “United States”. Leaning into the cheese looks good on you, Billy.

The Bronx

Credit to L.A. punk rock band The Bronx, playing early on a decidedly cooler Saturday early afternoon, for making me put in my earplugs outside of the photo pit. Dedicating “Shitty Future” to Fucked Up (who, as we mentioned, had to drop out), the entire band channeled Damian Abraham’s energy on piercing versions of “Heart Attack American” as well as “Superbloom” and “Curb Feelers” from their latest album Bronx VI (Cooking Vinyl). Joby J. Ford and Ken Horne’s guitars stood out, providing choppy rhythms on “Knifeman” and swirling solos on “Six Days A Week”.

Big Freedia

The New Orleans bounce artist has Big Diva Energy, for the most part. After her DJ pumped up the crowd to contemporary Southern rap staple “Ayy Ladies” by Travis Porter, Big Freedia walked out and showed that “BDE”, firing through singles like “Platinum” and “N.O. Bounce” as her on-stage dancers’ moves ranged from delicate to earth-shaking. At this point, Freedia can pretty much do whatever she wants, effortlessly segueing between a cover of Drake’s “Nice For What” to “Strut”, her single with electropop DJ Elohim, to a cover of Beyone’s “Formation”. Of course, the set highlight was when she had volunteers from the crowd come up and shake and twerk--two at a time to keep it COVID-safe--all while egging them on to go harder. Towards the end of the set, after performing the milquetoast “Goin’ Looney” from the even-worse-than-expected Space Jam: A New Legacy soundtrack, she pulled out the beloved “Gin in my System”. “I got that gin in my system,” she sang, the crowd singing back, “Somebody gonna be my victim,” a refrain that compositionally not only leaves plenty of room for the thundering bass but is thematically a statement of total power--over sexism, racism, the patriarchy--even in the face of control-altering substances.

Les Savy Fav

During Les Savy Fav’s set, lead singer Tim Harrington at various points--*big breath*--went into the crowd, deepthroated an audience member’s mohawk spike, found a discarded manikin head with a wig on it, revealed the words “deep” and “dish” painted on his thighs and a drawing of a Red Hot on his back, rode a crowd member like a horse, made a headband out of pink tape, donned ski goggles, surfed on top of a door carried by the crowd, squeezed his belly while the camera was on it to make it look like his belly button was singing, and referred to himself as a “slippery eel.” Indeed, the legend of Les Savy Fav’s live show starts and ends with Harrington’s ridiculous antics, as he’s all but out of breath when actually singing dance-punk classics like “Hold On To Your Genre”, “The Sweat Descends”, and “Rome (Written Upside Down)”. We haven’t heard much in terms of new music from Les Savy Fav in over 10 years--their most recent album was 2010′s Root For Ruin--but I could see them and the extremely Aughts genre in general become staples of Riot Fest as albums like Inches, The Rapture’s Echoes, and !!!’s Louden Up Now reach the 20-year mark. Dynamic vocalists, tight bands, and killer grooves: What’s not to love?

State Champs

This set likely wins the award for “most immediate crowd surfers,” which I guess is to be expected when you begin your set with a classic track 1--album 1 combination. “Elevated” is the State Champs number that will cause passers-by to stop and watch a couple songs, the type of song that can pretty much only open or close a set. And because they opened with it, the crowd immediately ramped up the energy. It’s been three years since the last State Champs full-length, Living Proof, so they were in prime position to play some new songs. As such, they performed their bubblegummy “Outta My Head” and “Just Sound” and faithfully covered Fall Out Boy’s “Chicago Is So Two Years Ago” (releasing a studio version earlier this week). But the tracks from The Finer Things and Around the World and Back were, as usual, the highlights, like “All You Are Is History”, “Remedy”, “Slow Burn”, and set closer “Secrets”. At the end of the day, it didn’t entirely matter: The crowd knew every word of every song.

Bayside

Putting State Champs and Bayside back-to-back on the same stage made an easy decision for the many pop-punk bands at Riot Fest. Bayside’s been at it for twice as long, so the breadth of their setlist across their discography is more variable. Moreover, they’ve thrice revisited their discography with acoustic albums of old songs, so even their staples are subject to change. They provided solid versions of Killing Time standouts “Already Gone�� and “Sick, Sick, Sick”, Cult’s “Pigsty”, and older songs like their self-titled’s “Montauk” and Sirens and Condolences’ “Masterpiece”. For “Don’t Call Me Peanut”, though, they brought out--*gasp*--an acoustic guitar! It was a rare moment not just for one of the most popular pop punk sets but the festival in general, a breather before Vacancy shout-along “Mary”.

Rancid

“Rancid has always been anti-fascist and anti-racist,” said Tim Armstrong before the band played “Hooligans”. It was nice to hear an explicit declaration of solidarity from the street punks, reminding the crowd what really matters and why we come together to scream and mosh. The band expectedly favored ...And Out Come The Wolves, playing almost half of it, and they perfectly balanced their harder edges with more celebratory ska songs like “Where I’m Going” from their most recent album Trouble Maker (Hellcat/Epitaph). My two favorite moments? The breezy, keyboard-laden “Fall Back Down” from their supremely underrated 2001 album Indestructable, and when they asked the crowd whether they wanted the set to end with “Time Bomb” or “Ruby Soho”. “We have 4 minutes left, and it’s disrespectful to play over your set time,” said Armstrong. It’s easy to see why Rancid continues to make an impression--instrumental and moral--on touring bands new and old.

Run the Jewels

The brilliant hip hop duo are masters of balancing social consciousness with the desire to fuck shit up for fun. Live, the former tends to come in between-song banter, the latter with their actual charismatic, tit-for-tat performances of the songs. However, Run the Jewels also are probably the clearest live performers in hip hop today, Killer Mike and El-P’s words, hypersexual and woke alike, ringing in the ears of audience members who don’t even know the songs. (Looking around, I could see people smiling and laughing at every dick joke, nodding at each righteous proclamation.) Some of the best songs on their most recent album RTJ4 (Jewel Runners/BMG) are perfect for these multitudes. Hearing both RTJ MCs and the backing track of Pharrell Williams and Zack de la Rocha chanting “Look at all these slave masters posin’ on yo’ dollar” on “JU$T” as the rowdy crowd bounced up and down was the ultimate festival moment. For those who had never seen RTJ, it was clear from the get-go, as Killer Mike and EL-P traded bars on “yankee and the brave (ep. 4)” that they’re a unique hip hop act. For the rest of us, it was clear that Run the Jewels keep getting better.

The Gories

It felt a little weird that legendary Detroit trio The Gories were given the first set of the final day--I’d have thought they’d have more draw than that. No matter what, they provided one of the more satisfying and stylistically varied sets of the festival, showcasing their trademark balance of garage punk and blues. Mick Collins and Dan Kroha’s guitar and vocal harmonies were the perfect jangly balance to Peggy O’Neill’s meat and potatoes drumming on “Sister Ann” and “Charm Bag”, while folks less familiar with The Gories were treated to their fantastic covers of Suicide’s “Ghost Rider” and The Keggs’ “To Find Out”. Smells like time for the first Gories album in 20 years!

FACS

I thought it would be ill-fitting to watch a band like FACS in the hot sun, early in the day. Their monochrome brand of post-punk seems better suited for a dimly lit club. But the hypnotic nature of Brian Case’s swirling guitar and Alianna Kalaba’s slinky bass was oddly perfect in a sweltering, faint-inducing heat. Just when you thought you might fade, squalls of feedback and Noah Leger’s odd time signatures picked you back up. Songs from their new album Present Tense (Trouble In Mind) such as “Strawberry Cough” and “XOUT” were emblematic of this push-pull. And everything from the band’s red, white, and black color palate to their lack of stage banter suggested a cool minimalism that was rare at a festival that tends to book more outwardly emotional bands.

Alex G

On one hand, Alex G’s unique combination of twangy alt country and earnest indie rock makes him an outlier at Riot Fest, or at the very least a mostly Pitchfork/occasional Riot Fest type of booking. On the other hand, like a lot of bands at the festival, he has a rabid fanbase, one that knows his back catalog hits, like “Kute”, “Kicker”, and “Bug”, as much as if not more than hyped Rocket and House of Sugar singles, like “Bobby” and “Gretel”. Backed by a band that knows when to be loose and when to tighten up--and the instrumental chops to do so--Alex G was better than he was a Pitchfork three years ago. He still sings through his teeth, making it especially hard to hear him on louder tunes such as “Brick”. But when the honesty of his vocals combines with the dreamy guitars of “Southern Sky” and circular melodies of “Near”, it’s pure bliss. 

HEALTH

The formula for the LA industrial noise band has pretty much always been Jake Duzsik’s soft vocals contrasting John Famiglietti’s screeching bass and pedals and BJ Miller’s mammoth drums. Both in 2018 and Sunday at Riot Fest, the heat affected Famiglietti’s pedals, which were nonetheless obscured by tarp. Or so HEALTH claimed: You wouldn’t know the difference given how much their sound envelops your whole body during one of their live sets. Since their previous appearance at the festival, the prolific band has released two new records on Loma Vista, Vol. 4: Slaves of Fear and collaboration record Disco4: Part 1. Songs from those records occupied half of their excellent set, including battering opener “GOD BOTHERER”, “BODY/PRISON”, and “THE MESSAGE”. It was so wonderfully loud it drowned out K.Flay’s sound check drummer, thank the lord.

Thursday

Last time Thursday played Riot Fest, Geoff Rickly was battling heroin addiction, something he talked about during the band’s triumphant late afternoon set on Sunday. He mentioned the kindness of the late, great Riley Gale of Power Trip in extending a helping hand when he was down and extended his love to anybody in the crowd or even the world at large going through something similar. To say that this set was life-affirming would be an understatement; after 636 days of no shows, Rickly was at his most passionate. He introduced “Signals Over The Air” as a song the band “wrote about men beating up on women in the pit,” that a record exec at the time told them that it wouldn’t age well because he thought--no kidding--sexism would eventually end. Rickly’s voice, suffering from sound issues last time around, simply soared during Full Collapse’s “Cross Out The Eyes”, No Devolucion’s “Fast to the End”, and two inspired covers: Bruce Springsteen’s “Dancing in the Dark” and Texas Is The Reason’s “If It's Here When We Get Back It's Ours”. The latter the band played because TITR guitarist Norman Brannon’s actually on tour with them, though Rickly emphasized the influence the NYC post-hardcore greats had on Thursday when they first started. Never forgetting where they’ve come from, with self-deprecating humor and radical empathy, Thursday are once again a force.

Devo

Much like the B-52′s in 2019, Devo was the set this year of a 70′s/80′s absurd punk band with some radio hits that everybody knows but with a swath of die-hard fans, too. It’s safe to say both groups were satisfied. You walked around the fest all day wondering whether the folks wearing Devo hats were actual fans or doing it for the novelty. By the time the band actually took the stage after a career-spanning video of their many phases, it didn’t really matter, because it was clear the band still had it, Mark and Bob Mothersbaugh and Gerald Casale’s vocals booming throughout a massive crowd. They ripped through “Peek-a-Boo”, “Going Under”, “That’s Good”, “Girl U Want”, and “Whip It”, which caused the fans waiting for Slipknot (and presumably some Devo heads) to form a circle pit. And that was all before the first costume change. Mark passed out hats to the crowd, fully embracing converts who might have only known “Whip It”. The feverish chants of “Uncontrollable Urge” and synth freakouts of “Jocko Homo” whipped everyone into a frenzy. And the band performed the “Freedom Of Choice” theme song for the first time since the early 80′s! I had seen Devo before, opening for Arcade Fire and Dan Deacon at the United Center, but the atmosphere at Riot Fest was more appropriately ludicrous.

Flaming Lips

“The Flaming Lips are the most COVID-safe band in the world,” went the ongoing joke, as throughout the pandemic they’d give audience members bubbles for their bubbles to be able to play shows. The normally goofy and interactive band scaled back for Riot Fest. Before launching into their traditional opener “Race For The Prize”, Wayne Coyne explained that while the band is normally proud of where they come from--Oklahoma City--they’re saddened by the local government’s ignorant pandemic response and wouldn’t risk launching balloons or walking into the crowd because they might be virus spreaders coming from such an under-vaccinated area. To his and the band’s credit, they wore masks during the performance, even when singing; Coyne removed his only when outside of his bubble that had to be deflated and inflated many times and that sometimes muffled his singing voice even more than a mask. Ever the innovative band, they still put on a stellar show. Coyne autotuned his voice on “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Pt. 1″, making it another instrument filling the song’s glorious pop melodies. Less heavy on props, the band favored a glitchy, psychedelic setlist that alternated between beauty (”Flowers Of Neptune 6″, “Feeling Yourself Disintegrate”, “All We Have Is Now”) and two-drummed cacophony (“Silver Trembling Hands”, “The W.A.N.D.”). They’ll give a proper Lips show soon enough, but in the meantime, it was nice to see them not run through the motions.

Slipknot

Apart from maybe moments of Slayer, I’ve never witnessed a headliner at Riot Fest as heavy as Slipknot was. Even the minor ethereal elements present on their most recent and very good album We Are Not Your Kind, like the chorus of voices during “Unsainted”, were all but abandoned live in favor of straight up brutality. Sure, there were moments of theatricality--Corey Taylor’s menacing laugh on “Disasterpiece” and pyrotechnics in sequence with the instrumentation on “Before I Forget” and “All Out Life”--but for the most part, Slipknot was the ultimate exorcism. Taylor’s new mask, with unnaturally circular eyes, seemed like it came from a particularly uncomfortable skit from I Think You Should Leave. They bashed a baseball bat to a barrel during the pre-encore performance of “Duality”. And the songs played from tape, like the gasping-for-breath “(515)”, were designed to contrast Slipknot’s alien appearance with qualities that were uncannily human. For a band whose performances and instrumental dexterity are otherworldly--who else can pull off tempo changes over a hissing, Aphex Twin-like shuffling electronic beat on “Eyeless”--the pure seething emotion on songs like “Psychosocial” and “Wait and Bleed” shone through. Like Smashing Pumpkins, and like so many other successful Riot Fest headliners, Slipknot abandoned drama for pure, unadulterated dirt.

[btsfan15]

New Roommate (Part 2)

It’s been a few weeks ever since Jin moved into my dorm room, and I would say it was going pretty well. I enjoyed being alone, having peace and quiet to myself, but it did get lonely sometimes here and there. I’ve always thought of having another roommate, but I wasn’t expecting it to be my bias and bias wrecker. I thought I had hit the roommate jackpot. Not only was he kind, he did his fair share of the housework, and he could cook. And cook well. His good looks didn’t hurt either.

Except they did. And as the weeks went on and turned into months, I found myself growing increasingly frustrated. It doesn’t help that it was the first time either of us had a roommate of the opposite sex. It led to situations where I’d walk out of the bathroom in only a towel, hair dripping wet, and he’d be in the living room watching a show, trying to keep his jaw from dropping to the ground.

Or when he’d come back from a morning jog and be so sweaty that he’d strip his shirt off the moment he stepped in the apartment without thinking, just wanting to get the drenched fabric away from his body. And I’d be left in the kitchen trying not to have my breakfast dribbling down my chin. It was an automatic reaction, but both of us found your habits gradually changing as time went on.

Why couldn’t I have had an average looking roommate, or even a slightly above average one? I’ve started locking the door every time I change after an incident where Jin came in to ask me about groceries without knocking. Instead he found me with my shirt halfway off, my bra clad chest completely exposed.

Jin has started locking the bathroom when he’s taking a shower too, after I barged in on him once. To be fair though, I really had to go that time. The curtain was drawn anyways, so I didn’t see anything… Not that I wanted to see anything. Really, I swear. We’ve always slept away from each other. Me on the bed and Jin on the fold out couch. I know it would be weird if both of us were sleeping together cause that’s kinda like...you know.

Sometimes I feel embarrassed when Jin’s in my room. I don’t know why, but I’m controlling myself from saying something stupid. Also, I feel sort of...different in front of Jin. Like, whenever I see him or sit next to him, I get this weird feeling in me. When I’m alone, I feel fine. It just goes back and forth. And you know what’s really annoying and embarrassing? Not only do I feel different around Jin, but my brain gives me these pictures of me unbuttoning Jin’s shirt.

What the fuck is wrong with me? Why can’t I control my brain?! Jin didn’t do anything wrong, and neither did I. It’s just this pesky thing called sexual tension. Curse my hormones. I don’t want to say I like Jin. I mean, I do, but not in a boyfriend type of way. I just like him. As a friend. I think he feels the same way, too. At least, I hope so. None of the other members know about this. I really don’t want them to know about this. But, they’re gonna find out one day. Can’t wait for that.

To be honest, I really wanted to have sometime to myself. I couldn’t keep up with all this. And if you think that’s not worse, the next thing I’m about to tell you is. The other members went on a trip and guess who’s stuck with Jin? Yep, that’s right. Me. I’m already going crazy with this sexual stuff in my brain and now Jin and I are alone in the house. Great. 

Thank god he went out of town. I can finally have some alone time, and I mean alone time. I settle in with a glass of wine and start my solo session of Netflix and chill. No really, I’m not kidding. I had my laptop and everything, the newest season of the Baby-Sitters Club came out. However, my session is interrupted when my phone vibrates halfway through my second episode.

[Jin]

I miss you, Navya.

The message is followed by a slightly blurry selfie of Jin, but it’s clear enough that I can see the ruddiness of his cheeks, hinting that he is probably not the most sober right now, and also the fact that his shirt. Is completely. Unbuttoned. Excuse me, what? From what else I can discern, it seems like he’s in a bathroom of some sort, probably the one at his friend Ken’s house, whom he’d been staying with. My cheeks flare up at the image on my phone.

Sure, I’ve seen him shirtless before, but that was an accident, and I was too shocked to actually get a good look at him. Now, I have an image of his bare chest and toned abs immortalized on my phone. Shit, am I drooling? I shake my head vigorously, trying to clear my mind of anything that shouldn’t be in there. And there is a lot that shouldn’t be there. I take a few deep breaths before replying to his message.

[Me]

Jin… Did you mean to send that?

I watch the pulsing three dots that show that he is typing, holding in a breath.

[Jin]

Wait, is this not Navya’s number?

[Me]

… Um, it is

So wait, he meant to send that?

[Me]

Why did you send that?

[Jin]

I said already~ I miss you~

I scream internally, my cheeks flushing with enough heat to set something on fire. In fact, I’m surprised that there aren’t little flames on my face already.

[Jin]

I tnihk I’m drukn

[Me]

You think?

[Jin]

Ya… I’m slepeyy toooo~ can you tuck me in?

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. My hands shake as I type in my reply.

[Me]

You’re in the next city over. I can’t.

And thank god. If he was right in front of me don’t know if I’d be able to refuse him.

[Me]

Go to sleep Jin, you’re going to have a bad hangover in the morning.

[Jin]

If that’s what you want, I will~

I let out the breath I had been holding when I finish reading the last message, glad that it’s finally over, but are startled by one last message. Another photo, to be exact.

[Jin]

Good night~

In the picture, Jin is puckering up those plump lips of his, as if he is kissing my mouth. Maybe it’s the wine, but I can’t help but think where else I’d like him to—no. Shit. Shit. No. I can’t do this. I lock my phone and toss it beside me on the bed, lying back on the mattress. I should probably sleep now, that exchange tired me out. I momentarily get back up to put away my laptop then return to the bed, tucking myself under the covers.

However, as the night goes on and I toss and turn more, I keep on find the image of Jin with his shirt unbuttoned creeping into my mind once again, and a heat spiraling between my legs.

“Fuck it.” My hand starts smoothing down my body until it reaches the junction between my legs. Maybe an orgasm will tire me out enough to get me to sleep. And if Jin is what gets me off this time, well, what he doesn’t know won’t hurt him.

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I’m a bit giddy when I wake up, perhaps because I had let out a little of the sexual frustration that had been building since moving in with Jin. However, that all comes to a halt when he walks in the door during my breakfast.

You see, when I made the choices I did last night, I didn’t really consider how it would affect how I would see Jin. I mean, I am already stupidly attracted to the guy, how much worse can it get?

A lot, apparently. Because imagining him in the way I did last night just makes me want him more. Fuck. I hate myself. I gotta distract myself.

“Jin! You’re back.” Wow, Navya. Smooth. Real smooth.

“Yeah, didn’t I tell you when I was coming back?” He asks. “You did, you did. I’m just tired.” All thanks to me. “Welcome back, Jin. How did your trip go? Did you have fun?” I flash him a smile and I hope it’s not too forward. “Oh, I had an amazing time! We all went out to party everyday and ate at different restaurants! You should’ve come, Navya! I think you would’ve have a blast with us!” Jin says. “T-that does sound really fun. M-maybe next time?” I say.

“Maybe.”

“Why don’t you get unpacked? You’re probably tired too.”

“Yeah, I’m still kinda nursing a hangover. I went out drinking last night,” he explains while rubbing his temples. “I’ll leave you to your breakfast. I’ll be in my room if you need anything.” He starts walking back to his room. I let my gaze linger after him, and as I scan my eyes over Jin’s broad shoulders, I realize that he hasn’t mentioned anything about last night’s text exchange.

Thank god, because I am not looking forward to that conversation. But I also wonder if he remembers at all? Oh well, he’s going to find out soon enough, since the messages are still on his phone. That’s going to be fun.

I sigh before taking another bite of my bagel. I’m almost finished with one half when Jin comes out of the bathroom, changed into new clothes. “Hey, do you mind if I cook dinner tonight?” He says as he slides into the chair across from me. My first instinct is to nod vigorously, because each time Jin has cooked dinner, it has been amazing, and I’d always gone to bed with my stomach full.

However, while I’m not going to take back my agreement to let him cook, because good food is good food, I can’t help but internally panic at his offer. I know it’s not a date, because we’ve done this countless times before, but recent events are making me anticipate tonight in a way I don’t think I should.

“S-sure, that sounds good. Do you need groceries? I can get them for you,” I offer, needing to get out of the apartment and put some space between me and Jin. “You don’t have to do that.” Jin says.

“It’s fine! I already have some errands to run, so it’s no problem.” It’s true, I was planning on making a grocery run anyway. “Why don’t you make a list of what you need, and I’ll buy it for you.” I think this is a pretty reasonable offer. Which is why I’m surprised when Jin shakes his head no.

“Why don’t I just come with you? It’ll be easier that way. Besides, wouldn’t you want help carrying all those groceries?”

“S-sure.” Well, there goes Operation Avoid Jin for as Long as Possible™.

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A few hours later, we were at the supermarket. “Um, you said we needed eggs, right?“ I ask as I scan the fridge shelves.

"Yep.”

“Uh, okay.” I stare up at the top shelf, where the last carton lies. Shit. It’s just out of my reach. Why do supermarkets even put things there? Don’t they want customers to actually be able to buy—

“Here.” While I was busy with my internal rant against supermarkets, Jin had taken it upon himself to use his height to his advantage and grab the carton for me. “If you wanted help, you could’ve just asked.” He says, a little smirk playing at the ends of his lips. “I-I was fine,” I stutter, and I hope he can’t see the way my cheeks heat up, because he was standing really close to me.

“Really? Then why were you staring at the top shelf for the past five minutes?” A little puff of air escapes from his mouth, hinting that he is trying to hold in a laugh.

“Oh my god, let me live.” I bat at his free arm, covering my mouth to stifle my own laugh. My chest swells with relief that Jin took it upon himself to break the tension.

“Don’t worry about it. It was cute.” And now the tension is back.

“Uh, let me put this in the cart—” I reach for the carton, when I’m interrupted by a shrill squeal.

“What an adorable couple,” says an lady on the far side of middle age as she waddles up to me and Jin, carrying a huge purse almost a quarter of her size. “You’re both so good looking! And isn’t he so sweet to help you out like that, I know my husband would never do something like that.”

“Oh, we’re not—”

“Thank you so much, ma'am. But we really need to get back to shopping. It’s date night you know, I’m making her dinner,” he says with a wink, and the lady swoons. I would be unamused at his antics, if he didn’t have a similar effect on me.

“A man who can cook! You’ve really found yourself a keeper.” The lady nudges me with her elbow, sending her own wink my way.

“Y-yeah. I sure have.” The smile on my face is abnormally tight and to anyone but this woman it would be obvious that it’s fake. Jin can sense my discomfort, and grabs my arm to lead you away from the lady.

“Come on, Navya, we still need to buy the vegetables.” He starts pushing the cart with one hand while he continues to lead me with the other one.

“Oh yes, I won’t keep you any longer. You guys seem busy.” She gives us both one last giddy wave before stalking down the next aisle.

“Thank god.” I let out the breath I had been holding in, letting go of Jin’s hand. “Come on, let’s finish shopping before she sees us again.”

“I don’t know, she was pretty nice,” Jin says with a teasing smile, the curve of his lips causing my heart to pound in a way that can’t be healthy.

“What has gotten into you lately? Why did you lie to her?” My voice lowers to a harsh whisper, just in case the lady is still lurking around.

“Well, I don’t know if you’re aware since I’m the one who usually buys the groceries,” he sounds a little bitter at that, I’m not going to lie. “But that’s the owner of the store.”

“… Oh.”

“And she also slipped me some coupons,” he smiles, mostly to himself, as he pulls out the little slips of paper from his pocket.

“When did you even get those?”

“Does it matter? Come on, lettuce is buy one, get half off!” He starts pushing the cart at a pace that makes me think that their should be shopping cart speed limits.

“Wait, Jin!” I groan before jogging after him, but I can’t help but smile as I catch up to him. Wouldn’t it be nice if it could always be like this, instead of always walking on eggshells around each other?

The rest of the shopping trip goes off without a hitch, with the store owner nowhere in sight. However, just when I think I’m out in the clear, with me and Jin walking back to his car, he grabs my hand. The action startles me so much that I almost drop the groceries I’m holding.

“Don’t turn around,” he whispers to me. “But she’s looking.” I want to groan, but I stay silent and let him intertwine his fingers through mine. He doesn’t let go until I’m loading the groceries into the trunk, even though he knows that the store owner had already gone back inside by now.

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“You sure you don’t need me to do anything?” I ask Jin as he works at the stove, an apron tied around his waist. I know it’s a bit pointless to ask at this point, he seems completely focused on his cooking, but it doesn’t hurt to ask. I feel a little bad to watch him do all this work by himself, but I know he can get caught in his own world when he cooks.

“I’m fine,” he says as he stirs something in one of the pots in front of me. “If you want, you can set the table,” he offers.

“Okay!” I immediately agree, having been looking for something to do to distract me. Because honestly, just sitting and watching Jin cook is stirring something within me. He just looks so… domestic. Would he do something like this for a girlfr—PLATES. I NEED PLATES.

I scramble over to the cupboard where we keep the plates. However, as I pull out the plates, I’m still distracted by my mental images of Jin that my grip slips on the plates, sending them hurtling to the ground. One, luckily, stays completely intact, but the other one lies shattered on the floor. “Shit!” I bend down and try to pick up the pieces of what had been the plate, but my frenzied mind doesn’t really register that touching the jagged pieces of ceramic with my bare hands, isn’t the best idea.

“Ow!”

“Navya?” Jin looks away from the food to see me crouched on the floor, holding one of my fingers to put pressure on where the skin has split open. “Oh my god!” Jin makes sure to shut off the stove before he walks over to me, making sure to avoid the shards of ceramic on the ground. “Are you alright?” He asks as he starts to lead me to the bathroom. He helps me up into the counter before looking under the sink and taking out the first aid kit.

“I’m fine, I think I just cut myself, ow.” I wince as he disinfects the wound. He seems completely focused as he bandages up my finger. “God, I’m such a fuck up,” I mutter to myself, but Jin picks up on my words and his head snaps up to look me straight in the eyes.

“What? Why do you say that?” I sigh.

“Well, you’re over there cooking a full dinner that is sure to taste amazing, while I can’t even hold a plate properly.” I laugh, trying to lighten my words.

“Nonsense. We all fuck up from time to time in fact,” Jin chuckles sheepishly as he ruffles the back of his hair. “This dinner was supposed to be an apology. Because apparently I sent a certain roommate of mine some drunken nudes.”

“Well, it’s not really a nude unless it’s below the waist,” I automatically repeat my friend Marjurie’s age old saying, immediately embarrassed by my words. Jin, doesn’t seem to mind though, laughing good-naturedly at my quip.

“I guess that’s true. I’ll keep that in mind next time I send you a picture.” Now it’s his turn to be flustered. “N-not that I was planning sending you any more.” Look at that, now we’re both flustered.

“Uh, so are we still going to have dinner? I’m sorry for interrupting your cooking, you seemed really focused.” Jin gives me a small smile.

“Don’t worry about it, I was done anyways. Come on, we don’t want the food to get cold.” He takes my hand to help you off the counter. I’m still so flustered that I don’t realize that he doesn’t let go until I get back to the kitchen.

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A week later, after the disaster dinner is almost completely forgotten, I receive a text from Jin while I’m out shopping.

[Jin]

Hey, so I got off work early and was wondering if you want to try this roommate dinner thing again, since last time went so well.

I start to think over his offer, when he sends another text.

[Jin]

Actually, you can’t say no because I’m already buying ingredients.

So that answers that.

[Me]

Well, since you were so kind to give me a choice, sure. I’ll see you later.

I slip my phone back into my pocket immediately because I know if I keep looking at the messages, I’ll start to freak out. But then I feel my phone vibrate in my pocket, and I take it out as fast as I can, not able to keep myself away.

[Jin]

Okay, then :D Can’t wait!

I never thought a happy emoticon would make me want scream, but here I am. As I go through the rest of my shopping, my mind keeps returning to the upcoming dinner. Sure, we have had dinner before, but the most recent one has made me question what the both of us have between each other. I feel that it’s clear that there is some sort of attraction to each other, especially since my talk in the bathroom. But neither of us have taken the steps to voice out exactly how I feel. And I really don’t want to make assumptions on how he feels, but at the same time, I hope I haven’t been reading the signs all wrong.

My worried thoughts motivate me to shop quicker, and I finish an hour early. I bid the shop owners goodbye before shooting Jin a quick text that I’m going to be home early, not checking to see if he answered before heading home.

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“Hey, I’m back!” I call out as I walk into what seems to be an empty house. Hmmm, maybe Jin’s still buying groceries. I dismiss the thought as you walk to your bedroom, eager to change out of your work clothes. My ears perk up as I pass the bathroom door, picking up on the sound of a steady stream of water coming down, and I stop dead in my tracks outside the door.

So that’s where he is. My face turns red when I realize what he’s doing, and heats up even more when a sound besides water pouring down on the tile joins in. A moan, to be exact.

“Navya…”

Well then. That just fucks things up even more. My hand starts to wander towards the door knob, but I quickly snatch it back before I can do something I regret. I quickly to our dorm room, not caring if he can hear the door slam shut behind me. Besides, he’s probably a bit preoccupied.

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“So, how was work?” Jin asks as he pours me a glass of wine. Apparently, the store owner saw him again and gave him a discount, saying to share it with that lovely lady of his. While I couldn’t turn down free wine, I can’t help but feel a little frustrated with her. I wonder if the candles on the table were her doing too. I wouldn’t put it past her.

All these things contribute to me feeling like this dinner is different than all the others. Or maybe it’s the way Jin is looking at me—fuck, he’s looking at me.

“Uh, work was fine.” I say before taking a sip of the wine he poured me. "How about you? How was your day?”

“Same as you. Fine.” He shrugs before sipping some his own drink. I nod, taking in the few words he said.

“That’s good—”

“We need to talk.”

“—Okay then.” I wait for him to say something, he just ends up staring awkwardly at me, before darting his eyes to focus on his wine glass instead.

“I’m sorry,” he says with a sigh. “For all this. I feel as if I’ve been confusing—” Suddenly there’s a loading knocking at the front door. Both me and Jin get up from our seats to answer it, but Jin’s longer legs let him reach the door. The door is hardly halfway open when we’re both greeted by a loud voice yelling.

“Surprise!” At your door stands a tall man, as tall as, and admittedly almost as handsome as Jin himself. Well, almost, at least.

“…Oh, it’s you, Joong.” Oh, so this is Joong. Jin doesn’t sound the most excited to see his brother.

“That’s how you greet your brother? Come on, man.” Joong’s head turns as he suddenly spots me. “Oh, never mind, I can see you were busy.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, this is just my roommate.” Joong’s face completely changes when he hears who I am, but I don’t really notice because my heart is too busy falling into my stomach with the words just my roommate. But that can’t be it, right? After all I’ve been through, I would’ve thought—"Navya, introduce yourself.“ You snap out of your daze and hold out your hand for Joong to shake.

"Hi, I’m Navya, Jin’s… roommate.” I hope that neither of the men noticed how I hesitated on the last word.

“What are you doing here, Joong?” Jin sighs as he steps aside to let his friend in, and I follow suit.

“Well, when you came to visit me a few weeks ago, I realized I’ve never been to your new place.” Joong’s already slipping off his shoes, making himself right at home.

“Yeah, you always said you were busy. What does this have to do with anything?”

“Well, guess who got some time off this week!” Joong says with a bright grin on his face, one I reciprocate halfheartedly and doesn’t return at all. If Joong notices the less than pleased expression on Jin’s face, he doesn’t say anything. “So, have you guys eaten yet?” He rubs his hands together as he heads towards the kitchen, where me and Jin’s pseudo-romantic dinner is still set up. Me and Jin jog after him, only to find him already sat down in one of the chairs. Luckily, he is courteous enough to take one of the places that aren’t set yet, leaving Jin’s and my seat free.

“Uh, I’ll get another plate.” I start heading towards the cupboard, when Jin stops me, putting a hand on my shoulder.

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll get the plate. He is my brother, after all.” I can only nod, a little flustered by the skin contact. I wordlessly take my seat, next to Joong and across from where Jin’s chair is. Jin quickly returns to the table balancing a plate, some utensils, and another wine glass. He sets everything in front of his brother, before taking his glass and filling it with wine. “Here, have something to drink.” I would have thought this to be a simple gesture of welcoming, but I catch a glint in Jin’s eye that suggests otherwise.

“Thanks, man.” Ken raises his and me and Jin take this as a cue to do the same. “Cheers!”

“Cheers!” Jin says with a smirk on his face, and I can’t help but wonder what he’s up to.

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“Nice call on the wine,” I say as I help load the plates into the dishwasher, Jin having already rinsed them in the sink.

“No problem, Joong has always been a sleepy drunk.” Jin glances over his shoulder to see where his brother is snoozing, head resting on the kitchen table.

“Still, I feel kinda bad. We should probably move him somewhere. The couch, maybe?” I dry off my hands before walking back to the kitchen table, inspecting Joong’s unconscious form.

“Well, since he’s my brother, technically, I don’t really want to leave him on the couch. He can take my bed.” My eyebrows raise at this, thinking about my  relatively cramped couch in the living room and Jin’s broad frame.

“You sure about that? The couch is tiny, I’ll sleep there.”

“N-no, it’s fine! I don’t want to kick you out of your room,” Jin’s response comes out a bit rushed. He hoists Joong up out of his chair. “I’m going to put this guy to bed. Good night, Navya.” With that he’s dragging his friend off to his room, leaving me no more room to protest.

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Later that night, I can’t sleep. Mostly because someone else can’t. I can hear the squeaks of the springs of the couch as Jin tosses and turns, unable to find a comfortable position. I sigh. He has been like that for the past hour. Taking pity on him, I roll out of bed and trudge out to the living room.

“Jin.” My voice startles my roommate to sit up, eyes flying open. “Jin, you have been tossing and turning for the past hour. Just take the damn bed,” I almost beg, wanting to be able to get some sleep myself. Jin shakes his head no.

“I told you, I don’t want to kick you out of your—”

“Fine then share with me.” I don’t really know how to describe the sound that comes out of Jin’s mouth. Maybe a strangled yodel? “Just come on. I’m tired.” I grab his arm and pull him away from the couch to my room. “Look, there’s plenty of room,” I say, gesturing to my spacious bed. I don’t wait for him to answer before climbing into bed. I look at him expectantly, and he takes a spot at the opposite end, almost falling off the edge. I roll your eyes but let him be. You settle back on the pillows. “Good night, Jin—”

“I never got to finish what I was saying earlier.” Oh. I assume he means before Joong arrived. However, I’m not sure if I’m ready to hear it.

“Can it wait? I’m kinda tired.” I punctuate my sentence with a yawn. Jin shakes his head.

“No, I want to do this while Joong is still asleep and can’t mess anything up.” Jin turns over slightly so he can face me. “What are we, Navya? Are we friends? Are we just two people who live with each other? Because honestly, I’m not sure anymore. And I’m not sure what exactly what I want us to be either.” I can see his hand twitch by his side, wanting to reach out for me, but holding himself back. “But I know I want more.”

“Jin…”

“I feel like I’ve been pretty obvious, but you deserve to hear it directly, Navya. I really like you.” I hear him let go of a breath he must been holding in for a long time, and I start to feel as if a weight has been lifted off my chest. I unconsciously move closer to him on the bed. “And being here with you in bed tonight, it’s so hard for me to control—” I cut him off by rolling over so that I’m straddling him. “—myself,” he almost squeaks out the last word.

“Mmmhmm, and what if I don’t want you to control yourself?” I say as I boldly roll my hips against his. “You know, you have really been working me up lately.” I lean down so that my arms are on either side of his head.

“… Oh, have I?” He smirks as he takes the opportunity to roll his hip back up into mine, letting me feel the steadily growing bulge in his sweatpants.

“You have no idea what those pictures did to me.” I nestle my head into the crook of his neck, starting to scatter kisses up the skin. God, I’ve been wanting to do this for ages. I start to nibble on his earlobe, coaxing him to groan, when he tugs at my hair.

“W-wait, but Joong—”

“You and I both know Joong is out for the rest of the night. Now kiss me.” I don’t wait for any more response from before crashing my lips onto his. Finally. Once my lips touch, Jin almost immediately relaxes. One of his hands tangles in my hair, while the other grasps my waist. I start to nibble on his bottom lip, coaxing him to groan, when he tugs at my hair.

“Wait, all my condoms are in my room. And Joong’s in there…” I roll my eyes before kissing him again.

“Don’t worry about it, I’m on the pill.” "Now, don’t you think we’re wearing too much clothes?” I ask while my hands start to play with the hem of his t-shirt. I slide my palms under his shirt, running up and down the toned muscle of his abdomen. Fuck, if it feels this good, he probably looks even better. I reluctantly separate my lips from him so I can pull his shirt over his head, and oh, are my suspicions correct. “Holy shit.” Jin takes advantage of my dazed state to flip me over so that I’m the one under him now.

“My turn.” He wastes no time in tugging my shirt off. He sucks in a breath when he finds out that I had not been wearing a bra underneath it. “Shit, were you really going to wear no bra with me in bed?”

“H-hey, it’s more comfortable.” He immediately swoops in to press his lips across the top of my chest, before traveling slightly lower to take one of my nipples between his lips. “Oh my god, Jin. That feels so good.” My fingers weave through his hair so I can hold him closer, while I press my hips up into his own. After a few moments, he switches which breast he’s working on, his hand coming up to massage the breast he left unattended. As he tugs on the bud lightly with his teeth, I can’t help but let out a moan. “Shit, Jin, I need more.”

I push him off me so I can reach for the waistband of his pants, pulling the sweats down easily along with his underwear. His hard length springs free from the fabric, and I have to keep yourself from drooling. I’ve always suspected that my roommate was well endowed, and seeing it in person very much confirms my suspicions.

“Holy shit, you’re huge,” I say as I start to pump his hard member in my hand. Jin tosses his head back at the contact, letting out an almost heavenly moan.

“Navya…” He almost pants as he bucks his hips into my hand.

“Do you like that, baby?” I smirk as my pace on him increases. Instead of answering, he just pushes my hand away, pushing me back to rest on the mattress.

“Why are these still on?” He asks as he easily slides off my pajama shorts, my panties soon following. His hand goes straight to my core, his palm massaging my clit. After a few moments, he slips in a finger. “You’re so wet, oh my god.” I can hear his breath hitch when he feels how aroused I am, how aroused he made me feel. He soon adds another finger, deeming me wet enough to be able to take it, and I grind my hips into his hand as he continues to pump into me.

“Jin…” My head lolls back against the pillows as I get lost in the feeling of his fingers inside me.

“Do you like that, baby?” He asks, repeating my own words from not too long ago.

“Shit, yes. Give me more, Jin.” I whine as he removes his fingers from me, momentarily popping them into his mouth to clean them off.

“Mmmm, I don’t know if I could ever make something this good.”

“Well, technically you did help make it.” I giggle as he rolls his eyes at my quip. I don’t stop laughing until I feel him position his tip at my entrance.

“Ready?” He asks, pressing a short kiss to my lips. I place a hand on the back of his neck to guide him to look me straight in the eyes.

“Fuck me, Jin.” He groans at my words, finally pushing himself in. A moan is muffled into my neck as he adjusts to feeling my tight wet walls envelope him. After a few moments, he starts a steady pace of thrusting into me, his hands coming up to hold my thighs.

“Navya, oh, you feel so good.” I wind my arms around his neck and pull his face closer in to me.

“God, I love feeling you inside me,” I moan as I start to roll my hips up to meet his. “Fuck, go faster, Jin,” I say with a buck of my hips.

“Shit, Navya.” He wraps my legs around his torso as he starts to quicken his pace inside. He crashed his lips onto mine while his hand makes its way in between my legs, starting to thumb at my clit. My breathing starts to pick up as I feel the coil in my stomach start to tighten.

“J-Jin, I’m close,” I gasp out as my nails press into the bare skin of his back.

“M-Me too,” he groans into my neck at feeling my walls start to tighten around him. He starts to massage my clit faster. “Let go, Navya, I want to feel you come around me.”

“Jin.” I toss my head back as I ride out my high. Jin manages a few more thrusts into my tight walls before succumbing to his own pleasure, releasing inside of me. His hips drive into me as he comes down from his own orgasm, his lips coming down to capture my own. After a few moments, he slows his pace, before stopping and pulling himself out. He rolls over beside me, letting out a big breath.

“Finally,” is all he can say.

“Finally,” I agree, before reaching over to my bedside table and grabbing some tissues to clean myself up. Once I finish, I snuggle up to Jin’s bare body. God, he’s just as warm as I thought he’d be. “So what does this mean?” I ask after a few quiet moments of just cuddling against him.

“Well, for one, it means we are kicking Joong out as soon as possible because I want to do that again.” I laugh at his response, leaning up to peck him on the lips.

“Sounds good.”

[mymelodyheart]

Highland Destiny Chapter 3 ~The Meeting~

James Fraser knew he was doomed when he realised he couldn't shake off the image of the Sassenach. What he thought of as a fleeting attraction had become an obsession that plagued his dreams and waking life.  He couldn't stop thinking about her. It's as if when their eyes locked for a brief moment, the stars aligned only to be scrambled again like some cruel joke. Jamie knew it was no longer a matter of choice - he had to find her.

It was a baffling notion that she could simply vanish from the face of the earth without a trace. He made enquiries in and around Inverness and not one of his contacts, emergency institutions nor were any of his friends were able to assist. His last hope in finding the elusive English woman was Mother Hildegarde from St. Agnes, and he planned to visit her later in the hospital. Surely she would know something considering the mystery woman was sleeping under her roof. 

Christ Sassenach, where are ye??

..........

It was early Monday morning, and Jamie was jogging back to the distillery. He sprinted the last half-mile in the hope that the exertion would diminish the frustration he was feeling. By the time he reached Frisealach Compound, he had worked up quite a sweat and his secretary, Laoghaire MacKenzie was waiting with a towel in her hand as he came through the door.

"Good morning to ye Jamie, enjoyed yer run?" He was greeted by a beautiful, blonde girl with too much make-up on and a dazzling smile. "I was watching ye from the window running like a mad-man, so I ken ye'd be here soon. I took the towel from your sports bag. Did ye spend the night in the office?" She approached Jamie purposely.

"Aye, and thank ye." Not offering any further explanations, he ignored the seductive look from his secretary and took the towel from her. "Don't ye have anything better to do?" Jamie asked, mildly annoyed and slightly out of breath from running all the way to the fifth floor.  

Disregarding the hint of sarcasm, Laoghaire smiled sweetly, "You have some messages, and I left them on your desk. Also, Murtagh called to remind you about the general meeting at 10 today." She reached out to Jamie for the towel. "Here, let me dry your back... ye're soaking."

"That'll be it Laoghaire, thank you." Ignoring her antics, he quickly made his way to his office, shutting the door firmly. 

Christ, I need to do something about that woman! 

Jamie quickly made a few business calls and arrangements with the bank to donate £50,000 towards the St. Agnes Orphanage's restoration. Next, he grabbed his sports bag and keys and headed back out again. 

"See you later. I'm going home to change, and then I'll be at the station for the rest of the morning. Anything important just passed it on to Rupert." 

Before Laoghaire could utter a word or react, Jamie was gone.

..........

Claire's first weekend in Inverness started off with a bang, literally. She belatedly discovered that the fire was caused by an exploding furnace. Fortunately, there were no fatalities, and everyone in the orphanage that night made it to safety.

Following the events of that Friday night, Claire made a new friend in the form of Tom Christie, the junior doctor from the paramedic team. She learned that he was employed at the Royal Northern Infirmary, where Joe had taken his residency job. With nowhere else to go after the fire, Tom helped her locate Uncle Lamb's cottage and carried her suitcases into her new home. She was thankful that only a handful of her possessions perished in the blaze as most of her belongings remained in the car when she arrived at St. Agnes. 

Claire spent the next two days unpacking, shopping, catching up with her best friend, Joe and visiting Mother Hildegarde in the hospital. Likewise, she visited some of the orphans and nuns injured in the fire. Worried about their plight, she was reassured by a nurse that the orphans were rehomed temporarily across the Highlands until St. Agnes is restored. This was comforting news! 

The remainder of her Sunday was spent at home unwinding and was pleasantly surprised when Tom popped in for a quick visit bearing a bunch of flowers and a basket of preserves from his sister's shop.

"Ach, it's nothing. Just a wee house warming gift and my way of saying thank ye for helping the other night," Tom explained, after giving Claire a quick awkward hug.

What a sweet gesture, Claire later thought as she got ready for bed. With that in mind, she dozed off, feeling confident that all will be well. And that night she dreamt of Frank whispering to her, "Yes darling, all will definitely be well. Hush now and sleep."

..........

Monday morning, Claire got up early to get a good head start at work. She had been previously instructed by a Mrs Henderson to come before 10 am in time for a joint general meeting between Scottish Ambulance Service and the Inverness Fire Department. Mr Fitzgibbons, the Head Fire Officer, wanted her to meet the whole team, including the volunteers with whom she will be working closely with in the future.

"Easy day on Monday Ms Beauchamp. I'm tae inform ye that yer first day will be familiarising yersel' with your surroundings and colleagues unless of course, we have some emergency. Yer official first day of work will be Wednesday when Mr McCoy goes on holiday so that will give ye plenty of time to organise yersel'," A woman explained over the phone. 

That's no brain surgery! Pretty straight-forward enough, Claire thought. 

But Monday didn't turn out to be as straight-forward. First, Claire's unruly locks refused to cooperate, so she tied it in the messy bun. Then her car keys were misplaced and spent 15 minutes looking for them. Then halfway to the Fire Station, her car over-heated and had to wait for roadside assistance to take it away for repair. Luckily enough, Tom was driving by and happily gave her a lift to the station before heading for work.

Claire arrived at 9:55 am to be exact. She thanked Tom and hurriedly made her way through the station. To her dismay, Claire realised the meeting had started. She followed the sound of the voice, addressing a room, and it led her to the back of the building. 

Right at the very end of the corridor, Claire saw an open door and peeked through. There were approximately 30 men assembled around the tables arranged in U-shape. At the head of the gathering, was a brown-haired man with a thick beard, doing a roll call. She surmised that it must be Mr Fitzgibbons.

Before stepping in, Claire checked her attire: everyday blue jeans, a white shirt, black leather jacket and white sneakers. She smoothed her hair and realised not much can be done. That will have to do Beauchamp... nothing fancy, just like one of the guys.

"Beauchamp!" the voice called out. The men in the room glanced around to determine who Beauchamp was. No answer. Meanwhile, Claire was unaware her name was called. She was too preoccupied smoothing her curly locks as she stood out of view from behind the door.

"Beauchamp, are ye here?!" the voice called out for the second time, this time almost shouting.

Claire finally heard her name called. Come on Beauchamp you can do this! She took big deep breaths and stepped into the room. "I'm right here," she announced loudly if not a bit croaky.

Almost all the men gave a start, chairs making squeaking and screeching sounds caused by a sudden movement of turning when a feminine voice answered.   Sweet Mother of Jesus H. Roosevelt Christ!   There was a long silence, and a wide-eyed Claire stood frozen on the spot as she absorbed the room's shocked countenance. Appreciative stares, wolf-whistles and "oooohhhs-and-aaaahhhs" ensued after what seems like an eternity of speechlessness much to Claire's disconcertion. She wanted to back away out through the door and run.

"Hey Hugh, is the lady my belated stag-do pressie?" a voice shouted from the back. The room howled with laughter. Cor blimey, we have a jester in the house...just absolutely fucking great!

Ignoring the comic and the boisterous reaction, Claire gathered as much bravado she can muster and took a few more deep breaths. Aware every eye in the room was on her, she squared her shoulders and spoke, "Good morning, everyone, I'm Claire Beauchamp." Clearing her throat, she continued, "I'm terribly sorry that I'm late...my car broke down on my way here." 

The room calmed down when she spoke, and there were shuffles and murmurs, as the men turned to listen. Thereupon, a man with the beard walked over to her and extended his hand. "Hello Claire, I'm Murtagh Fitzgibbons. Call me, Murtagh. And, erm, welcome to Inverness and welcome to our team." His arms made an extensive motion to the room.

Claire took the extended hand, but before she could say a word, Murtagh, said, "Take a seat." Awkward! 

Somewhat still flustered and annoyed, Claire looked around for an empty chair. In her peripheral vision, a very tall man with auburn hair stood up and pulled out a seat next to him. "Hey Claire, over here," Ginger gestured to the vacancy next to him with sweeping arms. She spun in his direction and glanced up. Her gaze locked with a very amused pair of familiar, blue eyes.  Oh my stars and garters, it's the bloody Scot!

Reluctantly, Claire made her way to the offered seat and nodded. "Thank you!" She flashed a vain effort of her best smile, hoping to conceal her agitations.  

Before Claire could sit, suddenly, Ginger's hand extended towards her. "Hello, Sassenach! I'm James Fraser, or ye can call me Jamie if ye wish." Ah, Ginger has a name!  She peered up at the grinning face. "Listen, lass, dinna mind these loons - they may look scary, but truly, we're all a friendly bunch here," Jamie explained in the way of an apology, loud enough for everyone to hear. 

Standing next to Jamie, Claire felt petite with her 5'7 height.  Her eyes were almost at the same level as the hollow base of his throat. Up close, she couldn't help but be very aware of the broad expanse of his shoulders as her gaze involuntarily drifted to his collarbones and, damn,  he smelled like he just came out of the shower. He was wearing a white shirt that clung to him like a second skin and stretched precariously tight across his well-muscled chest. Avoiding his gaze, Claire quickly shook his hand, but as their hands touched, she felt an electric jolt bolt through her body in waves and swirls. Attempting to ignore the unsettling sensations, she responded, "Hi, nice to meet you too." Then she glanced up and saw Jamie staring too intently for her own comfort.

"Oy Fraser, smooth move" one of the men shouted, making Claire snap out from her reverie. The whole room erupted in laughter. Oh, crikey, here we go again!

"Aye, ye can learn a thing or two on how to be a gentleman," Jamie countered back laughing and threw a crushed paper at the direction of the joker.

Another joined in the teasing, "Gentleman my arse! The Frasers are just tae quick when it comes to pretty lasses. Ye're yer father's son, Jamie lad. My da tol' me how yer da, Brian stole the Mckenzie lass right under my uncle's nose!"

Everyone roared with laughter, and even the dour-looking Murtagh found the outburst hilarious. More banter and hilarity ensued.

Grateful for the distraction, Claire hurriedly sat down. She said "Thank you," again to Jamie and felt rather stupid for doing so. She lowered her head to hide the heat creeping up her face, as she busied herself, arranging her satchel on the table and taking out a pen and notepad.

"Right, that's enough. Everyone wheesht! So, are we all quite done here yet?" Murtagh hollered, "If so, let's get on with it. Aye?" Although the laughter ceased, you can still hear a few sniggering here and there. 

Calm restored, Murtagh proceeded with the meeting. Drawing his attention again!  back to Claire, much to her dismay, he asked, "Right, Beauchamp, which one is it officially, Randall or Beauchamp? I have several papers here with two different names."

Claire's face turned crimson. "It's Beauchamp. Randall is my late husband's name. Oh and by the way, just call me Claire."

Jamie nudged her arms lightly with his elbow, and he whispered with a cocked eyebrow, "Sorcha!" followed by a feeble attempt at a wink. Claire frowned, not understanding and she mouthed Shush at Jamie. 

"Verra weel, Claire Beauchamp it is. Or simply Claire" Murtagh declared. Flipping through more papers, Murtagh added, "Oh hang on a minute, I omitted to inform ye lads. It's actually Dr Beauchamp. She is joining the paramedic team for a year while she is on sabbatical. And if I were ye, ye better be in yer best behaviour. I hear Dr Beauchamp is quite handy with the scalpel, her being a neurosurgeon and all."

That revelation was followed by laughter, impressed nods, Jamie patting her hand, and more wolf whistles, much to Claire's chagrin. All she could do in response was offer a weak smile and shrug.

Murtagh smiled at her and continued, "Moving along..." Oh, sour-face can smile after all!

Even though the proceedings had moved on to other matters, Claire had difficulty focusing. She couldn't decide whether to blame it on Jamie's closeness or on the boisterous banter from earlier. Her concentration was further disrupted as Jamie scooted closer, his knees brushing against hers. He tapped her on the elbow with a pen and whispered, "Hey Sassenach, so ye're a Neurosurgeon, eh?"

She nodded, her eyes fixed on Murtagh. Jamie clearing his throat, spoke again in a low voice. "Hey Sassenach, did ye recognise me from Friday night...ye ken, the fire at St. Agnes? 'Twas me who carried ye out when ye fainted."

Claire quickly glanced sideways to say something but got diverted at the sight of bulging muscles of his forearm as he leaned close, both elbows pitched on the table. The view made her mind wander afresh to imagining how Jamie would look like without his shirt. The thought made her swallow a lump forming in her throat. Catching herself, she shook her head, as if the mere act of doing so would dismiss all silly thoughts. Determined more than ever, Claire redoubled her effort to solely focus on Murtagh.

Unperturbed by her lack of response, Jamie nudged her knees with his. "Well?" he urged." Did ye or did ye not?"

"Shush ..." She gave Jamie a warning look and feigned annoyance, but to no avail. It only made him scoot his chair closer until both their arms were grazing. 

Claire realised Jamie wasn't about to give up. So she looked at him with the sternest expression she can muster, pointed a pen towards Murtagh and mouthed to him, Later ok? Eventually, he conceded and acknowledged with a nod. Relieved, Claire mouthed thank you and was rewarded with the most beautiful smile she's ever seen upon any man's face. Oh, sweet Jesus H. Roosevelt Christ, the man's bloody gorgeous. Defeated, Claire gave in to this renewed distraction and daydreamed leaning forward to kiss the indentation on Jamie's chin.

The meeting lasted for two hours, and the only thing Claire could think of was her growing attraction towards Jamie. And little did she know, he was in the same predicament.

[glenncoco4]

Not Soon Enough

A/N: Chapter 16 of Meant to Be. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

He’s woken by a buzzing sound right next to his ear. When he finally realizes that it’s his phone ringing he reaches out and is surprised by whose face is on the screen. His eyes dart over to the right side of the bed where his fiancé currently is not.

“Good morning, handsome.”

He can hear the smile in her voice, stunning him for a minute because as cheesy as it may be today’s the first day of the rest of their life. “Hey, where are you?”

“Well, Chloe and I just picked up our dresses and are headed to my parents’ house. She’s so excited.” Kensi says laughing because she’s that happy.

He lays back down resting his head on his pillow as he thinks about when he and his soon to be wife told their little girl that they were getting married.

(September 7, 2014)

They’re sitting on the couch after dinner all curled up as they watch the toys join hands and wait for their fiery demise. Soon the room is filled with sniffles, needing the comfort that she can only get from the two of them, Chloe turns to her parents with tears in her eyes.

“Oh, baby.” Kensi reaches over wiping her daughter’s tear stained cheeks and pulls her into her lap unable to stop her own tears.

He’s solely focused on his two girls as their tears continues to fall. As he watches his fiancée pull the little brunette in her arms he can’t help but do the same. Taking hold of Kensi’s arm, he pulls her towards him.

Knowing exactly what he’s doing, she maneuvers herself and sits in his lap, curling herself into him as Chloe does the same to her. “We’re a mess.”

Marty runs his fingers through her brown locks trying to sooth her as much as possible as they continue to watch the scene play out.

The watch in suspense as the claw comes out of nowhere scooping up the beloved friends bringing a resounding sigh of relief through the house. A few minutes later and Bonnie is left with the toys as they begin their new adventure and speaking of new adventures.

Marty looks down at the two brunettes with a neutral expression trying his best not to give anything away. “I think we should celebrate.”

The first grader perks up. If she gets a chance to get her favorite dessert then she’s gonna take it. “Ice cream?!”

“I love where your head’s at, sweet girl, and ice cream for sure but…..your daddy and I were thinking about something else.”

Her tiny brow furrows wondering what it could possibly be. “What?”

“Well what do you think about your mom and I getting married next Sunday?”

“Really?!”

They both nod affirming her question. “Really.”

She squints for a second as if she’s trying to put something together and then as if a lightbulb in her head goes off the puppy eyes make themselves known. “Can there be an ice cream cake?”

Kensi’s eyes go wide and she quickly turns towards her soon to be husband almost giving herself whiplash. “Oooh, can there?!”

The blonde laughs, they wouldn’t be his girls if food wasn’t on their minds. “Anything for my girls.”

(Present)

“Aw, but why aren’t you here?” He pouts, going back to the fact that it’s their special day and he really wants to be with her.

“You know exactly why.”

“Happy wedding day, wifey.”

“Happy wedding day, babe.”

He takes a quick look at the clock on the wall already counting down the minutes until he can see her again. “So I’ll see you guys in about four hours?”

Kensi’s heart flutters at the fact that he’s counting down until they see each other again. It’s only been 8 hours since they said goodnight in their own way and honestly it’s been the longest 8 hours of her life. “Yes, and I put your khakis and that blue button down I love in the bathroom. They’re hanging on the door.”

He know he’ll be a blubbering mess once he sees her and he’ll most definitely be at a loss for words but she needs to know this. “The way I feel when I am with you…I just-I can’t wait to marry you, Kens.”

“Me either.” She takes a deep breath because if she doesn’t she’s gonna pass out, damn her fiancé and his way with words. “Listen, I have to go before Chloe has another meltdown.”

“Another meltdown?”

“Yeah, she said everything has to look perfect for her mommy and daddy.”

He huffs a laugh. Their girl is a bit of a control freak even at seven years old. “We’re gonna have our hands full when she gets older.”

“Indeed we are.”

“Okay, I’ll let you get to it then.” He doesn’t want to say goodbye but the sooner he does the sooner they can both get ready and meet each other at the end of the aisle. “I love you, baby.”

“I love you, too, handsome.” She’s just about to end the call when a lightbulb goes off in her head. “Oh, and there may be a surprise for you in the living room.”

“Oh, really?”

“Bye.”

“Bye, beautiful.”

After hanging up the phone he hurriedly gets out of bed, slips on his boxers and runs down the hallway more excited than a kid on Christmas morning. He’s search the living room, looking on and under every piece of furniture but nothing is sticking out.

“Hey there, sleepyhead.”

His head snaps towards the very unexpected yet very familiar voice as his brother walks out of the kitchen with a piece of bacon in his hand. “Callen? How did-“

“I get here?”

“Yeah.”

“Well about five days ago I got a call from a fiery brunette about how my brother was getting married and I’d better get my ass to LA or else.” Callen laughs when he remembers the phone call from Kensi whose so clearly in love with his brother. “I gotta tell you, Marty, your fiancé is not a woman I want to mess with.”

That’s when the CIA agent loses him as Marty drift off into dream land thinking about what’s waiting for him at the beach.

XXXX

She rests her head on her husband’s chest as they sway back and forth to the music coming from the small white tent a few feet away. The past week has been a whirlwind but she wouldn’t have it any other way. Her life had never been rainbows and unicorns but when she had Chloe all of that changed. She loves her little girl with all her heart but something inside her was still missing, they were missing that piece of the puzzle that would complete their family. For six years she’d all but given up on finding a man that would love, respect and treat her like she deserved to be treated. A man that would love her little girl as if she were his own. Then one day, 373 days ago to be exact, he abruptly came into their lives and changed their entire world. She had found that missing piece.

“What’s going on in that pretty little head of yours?” He places a kiss to the top of her head breathing in the scent that is so uniquely her.

“Just feeling content that’s all.”

“Oh, it wouldn’t have anything to do with the way my ass looks in these khakis would it?”

She bites her lip when he says what she was thinking the first time she saw him in the particular pair of pants. Why else would she pick them out for him to wear on their wedding day. “You’re an idiot.”

“Yeah, but I’m your idiot, Kensi Deeks.”

Resting her chin on his chest, she looks up at him so mesmerized by this moment.

He looks down at her getting a full view of the beautiful face that he’ll get to wake up to every morning for the rest of his life. “What?”

“We’re married.”

“We are. Are you happy?”

She smiles as he leans forward closing the distance between their lips for an all consuming passionate kiss. When air becomes scarce they both pull back panting. “Deliriously.”

“Me too.”

“I love you.”

“I love you more, wifey.”

“Don’t start a fucking battle you can’t win.”

“Oooh, save some of the dirty talk for tonight.” He wiggles his eyebrows at her but he’s unprepared for the seductive gleam that is shining in her eyes as she bites her bottom lip.

Before she has a chance to respond they hear the sound of a small voice being carried by the wind. Kensi pulls back from her husband’s embrace and smiles at the sight of their little girl running towards them with something in her hand.

“Daddy! Daddy!”

“Hey, princess, what’s up?”

“I got something for you.”

“You do? What is it?”

Kensi remains curled up in Marty’s side resting her head against his shoulder as she watches the tiny brunette hand him a piece of paper.

His eyes immediately see the bold black words at the top of the page and tears begin to flood his cerulean blues. Adoption Request. “Really?”

He says it just loud enough for her to hear. It’s so faint and filled with awe that tears being to make theirselves known in her own mismatched orbs when she looks up at him. “Of course really. But if you don’t want to-“

“No, it’s not that it’s just that, I consider us a family no matter what but are you sure this is what you both want?” Looking into his wife’s eyes he tries to find anything that would qualify as doubt, but of course the only thing he finds in the beautiful chocolate orbs that have become his home is love, uninhibited, irrevocable love.

He’s so lost in her eyes that he’s unaware of what’s going on until he feels something pull at his shirt, rather someone. His eyes look down toward the little girl that along with her mother has become his whole world. Realizing that she has something to say to him, he gets down on his knees so that he’s eye level with her.

Standing directly in front of him, looking deep into his eyes the seven year old brings her hands to either of his cheeks, holding his head in her hands. “You’re my daddy.” As she says the words one of purest looks he’s ever seen is shining bright in her eyes.

His arms immediately wrap around her as he lifts her in the air, peppering her face with kisses. “I love you, squirt.”

Kensi was already a sobbing mess before but now, now that they’re officially going to be a family, she can help the torrential rain of tears that run down her cheeks.

After he pulls back from his soon to be legal daughter’s face, he turns back towards the love of his life, his arm instantly finding its way around her shoulder as he pulls her back into her rightful place at his side. His eyes look between both his girl, the shear and utter contentment that runs through his body is the most breathtaking feeling he’s ever known. “I love you both so much.”

“We love you, too.” The brunette reaches up on her tips toes placing a kiss to her husband’s inviting lips.

The scene of the family bathed in the colors of the Santa Monica sunset halt the party guest. Each of them knowing just how much those three people were meant to be together.

[imagineclaireandjamie]

Jamaica

Note from Mod Bonnie: 

I wrote the story below as part of the Candle for the Caribbean fundraiser last year. Now that the period to download the fanfic anthology has passed, I am posting the story here. I still hope you’ll donate to disaster relief! The need is great, and we can all do something! 

In any case, if you’ve already read this, I hope you’ll enjoy it a second time ;)

Jamaica

Drums of Autumn (Chapter 41), Diana Gabaldon

Her aunt's voice, coming from a great distance, saying, "The poor child is asleep where she sits; I can hear her snoring. Ulysses, take her up to bed."

And then strong arms that lifted her with no sense of strain, but not the candlewax smell of the black butler; the sawdust and linen scent of her father. She gave up the struggle and fell asleep, her head on his chest.

Later that night

River Run Plantation

Royal Colony of North Carolina

I fought. 

With fists and feet and every ounce of strength I possessed, I fought; against the man’s hands on me, against the sheets and blankets as I struggled to get free of him; against the panic—I had to get away. 

The next thing I knew was that my back was braced securely against the wall on the far side of the bed, cold and solid through the fabric of my shift. My chest was heaving; my hands were raised against him, ready to fight, and each breath was raw and ragged in my throat. I honestly didn’t know how long I’d been screaming, and that terrified me more than—

“I’m so—I’m sorry, lass.”

I jumped to see the man was on the other side of the bed—huge, the shape of him. His voice was— it was gentler than I’d remembered, and that made me tense still more, refusing to believe his cunning and lies again. Those eyes were wide and blazing. Blue…not green?

His hands were raised, too, nothing like my own shaking claws. His palms were facing me,  poised and braced as though against the charge of a wild animal.

“It’s only me,” the man said. “It’s—Da.”

And with that word, that tiny key of a word, my entire body unlocked and tried to sink to the floor. I kept myself upright only by sheer will as I closed my eyes and tried to breathe normally again.

Only a dream, Bree.

The green-eyed man was only a dream.

…this time.

“I heard ye cry out from the other room,” Jamie (because it was only him) was saying, urgently. “I ran in and ye were crying and shaking in your sleep and then I tried to wake ye, and—Jesus, lass, are ye alright??”

My eyelids felt unbelievably heavy, my heart still pounding, but the emotion in his voice made me open my eyes and look at him (really look at him) for the first time.

He was dressed only in his shirt, hair wild and blazing in the dim firelight. The eyes were red with sleep, still wide, terrified as his gaze continued to search me.

Even with the bed between us, though, I could see more written there—the quiet, underlying hunger in his eyes; that desire to connect; as palpable and real to me as if it had physical shape, but held carefully—so, so carefully—in check. I could see it so plainly because it had been the same for me, since we’d met; the exact same.

I was so absorbed in it, actually, that I forgot that I had been staring openmouthed at him, not answering his question. 

“I’m fine,” I blurted finally, smiling as best I could, both shaking and nodding my head like a complete moron (well done, Bree: poise and grace incarnate). “Perfectly fine.”

To my shock, Jamie Fraser laughed.

...And I experienced a sudden visceral impulse to throw something heavy at his fucking head.

“Forgive me,” he said at once, seeing my reaction, though he didn’t bother to suppress his grin. “Only—Christ, but ye sound like your mother when ye say that.”

“Oh, no,” I groaned, barking a laugh despite myself. “Shit, I DO! I mean, oh— um—yikes.....sorry.”

I fumbled for another less vulgar swear (don’t want him to think his daughter a complete heathen after less than twelve hours), but he snorted and waved me off. 

“I heard worse cursing from Claire within the first hour of meeting her, and it evidently didna put me off in any lasting way.”

We laughed, both of us this time; shy laughter, but real, and it blessedly eased the tension of the night a little further, bringing us another inch closer to connection.

We were careful with one another, Jamie and me—not just now, in this room still clouded by nightmare, but for the entire time since we’d met earlier in the day. For what it was worth, I thought we would keep erring on the side of caution for some time, months, or even years, even if all continued to progress well between us. If Jamie was feeling anything like I was (and I would have bet money on it), the last thing he wanted was to scare me off by showing (let alone expecting) too much overt affection between us or presuming an intimacy, of asking too many questions, no matter how much he wanted to.

It was a little awkward and more than a little bittersweet, but completely natural, from my point of view. As much as we both would have liked to pretend otherwise, there was a wall between us—a huge Hoover Dam of a structure, built to withstand, made of twenty-three years; of grief; of doubt; and of suspicion. Honestly, I hated myself for even admitting that last one, but it was the cold, hard truth. No matter what he was to me factually or what I hoped he’d be someday, I didn’t know this man except from stories, nor did he know me. It just wasn’t realistic to trust one another implicitly and ignore all our reasonable reservations and cautions; at least, it wasn’t for me.

Still….there was a spark there, in each of us; a look here, a joke there, a shared moment of understanding— gentle tugs pulling us toward one another, each a tiny chip falling away from that indomitable wall. It was the simple ease of it that had shocked me, getting to know him so far. Jamie had that genuine quality you couldn’t help but be drawn to, and I absolutely was. I would have liked him even without knowing our blood connection, I think, and more importantly, I could see why Claire had loved him; why she had come back for that love. That knowledge was worth quite a lot to a daughter’s heart, really, still scarred from the loss of a mother.  

“My bed is in the next room over, ken?” Jamie said, taking a careful step forward and—seeing that I wasn’t going to bolt or go into hysterics— settled onto the edge of the bed. “…And when I heard ye scream like that…”

He shook his head, and the rest was lost in a rushed exhale. One word I caught, though: ‘…terrified.’

I noticed for the first time the knife that had been dropped on the carpet behind him.

“It was a nightmare?” he clarified, after a moment.

“A bad one.” I sat on the opposite side of the bed, trying to put on my most assured, calm face, for his sake. “But only that.”

He nodded and his shoulders seemed to relax a bit further. “Do ye need anything? Water? A bit of food?”

“I was just thinking I’d go out to the balcony.” I jerked an awkward hand toward the glass door. “It’s, um, a little warm in here.” 

A lie. It was sweltering and I was sweating like a pig, still trembling from the aftershocks of memory and dream.   

“Oh. Aye. Well.” He stood up. “I’ll—ah—leave ye to it.” An awkward bow. “Goodnight, then, lass.”

He was almost to the door before I found my courage. “Would you stay? Just for a little while,” I added quickly, flushing even more, kicking myself for the asking almost as much as for being afraid enough to risk it—afraid of being alone in the dark, alone with my thoughts.  

The way his face lit up, though—it was like the morning sun breaking from behind a hill. There, right there, that was him: the lad Mama had seen all those years ago.

When he edged out onto the narrow balcony to join me a few minutes later, he was still barefoot but now wearing breeks with his hair tied back. He hadn’t come empty-handed, either, I saw as he settled onto the wicker loveseat beside me, carrying a bottle and two glasses.

“Oh, um—Sorry, I don’t mean to be—” 

(Please don’t be offended. Please, please don’t think me awful and ungrateful for shitting on your nice gesture). 

“I don’t really like whisky,” I said with the awkwardest of laughs.

He smiled. “Aye, I ken that. Your mother told me so, once,” he said with a shrug and a widening grin. “It’s brandy, in fact, but I can fetch ye something else, if—“

“No, no, that’s fine! Great!” I said hastily, hands flapping, reeling a bit from the thoughtfulness (not to mention the steel trap his mind must be, to remember such an insignificant piece of trivia about someone he’d never meet—good grief!). “I’ve never actually tried brandy before.”

He poured a large glass and handed it to me with confidence. “Nothing like it to calm an unsettled mind.”

The first sip was like a warm hug, spreading from my throat down my spine and into my toes. “That’s good,” I said with feeling, taking a long swallow. “Thank you—for thinking of me.”

“Thank your great-aunt for keeping a well-stocked larder,” he said, off-handed.... but his eyes were warm, I saw, glowing just that little bit more from the shared moment, however small.

It went quiet between us, then, but in a surprisingly comfortable way, like when Daddy—Frank—and I would ride through the mountains, enjoying the scenery and one another’s’ company in silence for long stretches at a time.

I do miss you, Daddy.

Taking a deep breath, I made a quick— but firm—decision not to feel guilty for comparing them. They were both my father; they both mattered; but Jamie was the one here, now, the one I had the chance to get to know.

The minutes passed like that, both of us breathing the warm air: grass and woodsmoke; the sharpness of pine sap; a musty sweetness I thought might be magnolia leaves. Despite the moonlight, the grounds were dark as pitch, so that every now and again, I could see the twinkling of a firefly down below.  

And it seems like it goes on like this forever

You must forgive me,

if I'm up and gone to Carolina…

“Do ye often have troubling dreams, lass?” Jamie asked, quietly so as not to startle.

“....I didn’t used to.....” I swirled the brandy in the bottom of the glass. “Since Mama left, though—Yeah, often enough.”

“I’m sorry. I think ye might get that from me,” he said, sounding actually sorry for it.

“It’s okay. I mean, it isn’t your— It happens,” I said firmly, huffing a bit in frustration at how ludicrous it was to be accepting an apology for such a thing. He saw it and understood and we both smiled. I shifted in my seat so that I was leaning against the armrest, facing him. “So, you have bad dreams a lot, too?”

“Strangely enough, my own have been less frequent since Claire returned. A talisman for the both of us, she must be.” 

He said this with a smile so pure that it plucked at my heart with longing to see her, and a tender (and, yes, a bit jealous) awe at his evident love of her. Maybe he did deserve her, too. 

What would it be like to see them together? To have all three of us together?

“But aye,” he went on, “I’ve always been prone to nightmare, when there are troubles on my mind. It isna at all pleasant.” He offered more brandy, which I gratefully accepted. He concentrated hard on the pouring, avoiding my eye. “If there’s anything ye wish to....If I can be of....” His sigh of frustration sounded uncannily like my own a few moments before. “All I mean to say is, I’m here. If ye want to talk about it. About…anything that might be on your mind.”

I managed to get out a smile and a genuine, “Thank you…” but my guts had clenched tight at the thought of exactly what had been on my mind. The blackness started creeping in, those horrific flashes, but also a newer stab of heartbroken dread:

Would you still want to get to know me, James Fraser, if you knew what happened on that ship? Would you be able to get past the shame of it? Of me? 

“They’re not always bad, though,” I said cheerily, choking down my panic and another gulp of brandy as I forced us down a less fraught line of conversation. “I’ve just always been a vivid dreamer, even besides the nightmares.”

He seemed to be as grateful for the shift of tone as me. “What are your happier dreams like, I wonder?”  

“A lot of times it’s about painting—the colors, you know,” I said, pulling my knees up close to my chest to lean my glass on them. “Other times, just about what I did that day. Sometimes the most ridiculously absurd things, too.”

He cocked his head, amused. “Such as?”

“Umm…..? Oh, okay, once—this is embarrassing—But one time last year, I dreamed that I was in a singing contest on the moon (no idea why the moon, but there was a huge audience there) and had to sing ‘Sugartime’ with President Nixon and Donald Duck. We didn’t even win!”

Jamie snorted into his drink. “Well, I dinna ken about Presidents, but ducks are no’ known for having braw singing voices….Though,” he added fairly, “likely this Donald availed himself better than could I, so I’ll no be casting stones.”

We laughed, and at his urging, I sang him a few bars, snapping my fingers to recreate a bit of the honkytonk feel that made the song so damned catchy that it had wormed its way into my sleep.

“It’s funny though,” I said abruptly, struck by a memory in the midst of our discussion (trying all the while not to giggle) of the likely metaphor behind the ‘sugar’ in question. “It’s because of a dream that I’m here at all. Why I came here from my time, I mean.”

“Oh, aye? How’s that?”

“I had this dream last year about you and Mama being in the tropics,” I explained, memory of it giving me goosebumps. “Roger and I—” (Oh, Jesus Christ, Roger....) “—had been looking in the historical records for months, trying to find something to confirm that she had found you and that you were both living well in Scotland, but with no luck. We’d all but given up, to be honest. When I had the dream, though, it got me thinking that maybe you’d emigrated, and one thing led to another, and sure enough, I found records of you being on Jamaica in 1767.”

“Well that was a piece of good luck,” he said with approval. “You’re verra determined, lass, a fact for which I’m grateful. What came to pass in the dream, then?” He raised an eyebrow and the opposite corner of his mouth. “Were we singing sweet songs wi’ Kings and Hippopotamuses?”

“No,” I laughed (Good grief, he was witty, too? Mama never stood a chance), “and actually, as helpful as it ended up being, this was one of the spooky dreams. Not quite a nightmare, but—“ I shivered. “Eerie.”

He was interested, ready to listen.

“It was at night and I was in a huge field of sugarcane,” I said slowly, trying to remember the details after so long. “There were fires burning in the distance, lots of them, so that there was this glowing dome of smoke overhead. I walked and wandered, turning this way and that, until I came to a clearing, and Mama was there. She was talking to a crocodile. So yes, it did have some ridiculous bits, too.”

I added this last part because I’d seen Jamie stiffen at mention of the crocodile, markedly, his eyebrows drawing together. Before I could study him too closely, he relaxed (though, I thought, not completely) and bade me go on.

“There were drums...” I said, still unsettled. “Beating loud and.....ominously, and I don’t know if it was them or what else, but somehow, I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something stalking Mama, wanting to hurt her, you know? I tried to call out to her, warn her. I was begging her to not to go after it, but she was—I don’t know— in a trance, or something. She couldn’t hear me…. but you could.”

“….How did ye ken it was me?” He was still as stone and his voice very tight—terse, almost.

“A red-haired man with my mother? I guess I just assumed.” I shrugged. “I turned to him—you—and I called for you to save her from whatever it was …or something like that….” I shrugged again. “ And you saw me. You heard m—Um….Are you okay?”

He had stood abruptly, setting down his glass and going to stand at the railing. Jamie didn’t have a rude bone in his body. Something I’d said had upset him, and my belly was crawling again, trying to figure out what it had been.

“What is it ye said?” It didn’t even sound like Jamie. He had a vice grip on the iron. “In the dream. Do ye remember the words?”

Baffled, but having no idea of what else I might say next, I closed my eyes, trying to remember. I could always recall colors, from my dreams; colors and shapes and movement and light, but words always slipped through my fingers like sand. I could almost remember, though. Don’t—something…Don’t—?

“Don’t let Mama go alone....”

My eyes flew open.

“That’s what ye said, aye?” Jamie still had his back to me, shoulders hunched. “We were in a cane field, your mother and I. On Jamaica. There was a crocodile.” He turned and looked me dead in the eye. “And we did hear your voice, lass.”

“That’s....not possible.” I heard glass shatter and I was on my feet, though I didn’t remember getting there. “You couldn’t possibly…”

“Your mother can attest,” he said, his face drawn and white, but his eyes wide. “I’d no’ have believed it to be anything other than base trickery, sorcery, only I saw her face—went pale as stone and just as still. It was your voice, Bree. Yours, in a wisewoman’s mouth. You go with her, ye said, I’ll keep you safe....And then ye said—” His voice broke, then broke off entirely as he hung his head.

I was shaking from head to toe and I couldn’t even blink. I had to hold my hands over my mouth to keep from exploding, because it was exactly as he described, the words verbatim, even down to the cadence and tone of my own manner of speech. How…. HOW—??

When he looked up at me again, he was weeping freely. “Ye said... I love you, Daddy.”

“It….” I moved my hands away enough to ask the unfathomable. “It was real?”

“I dinna ken how,” came the husk of his voice, “but—aye—in whatever way— It was real.”

Then I was throwing my arms around his neck. 

“Oh my God,” I kept saying, my hands and my jaw shaking as though it were freezing cold. “Oh—dear GOD—“

He was saying more or less the same, in the same tone, as he held me, or that’s what I thought at first. After a while, I realized what he was saying: Thank God.

“It terrified me so, and yet I treasured it,” he said against my hair, still speaking through sobs, kissing a spot just behind my ear. “I felt as though it were a sin to rejoice, for it was black sorcery that had brought it about, or so I thought—but yet—I couldna think otherwise except that—“ He broke off and held me tighter. “It was the only time this side of Heaven that I’d hear your voice….I’ve thought about it so often, since.”  

“I’m glad it wasn’t,” I choked out, hugging him as tightly as I could. “The only time.”

“Christ, so am I, my...my Brianna.” A big hand came up and cupped my head securely against him. He gasped for air. I could feel the genuine struggle of it in his chest. “I know I shall live my entire life—before I’ve done enough good—to deserve it... the gift of you, mo chridhe.”

“Oh..... Da…”

All my fears—of cane fields and wisewomen, of Irishmen, even of the possibility of being shunned—they all melted away into the night, and I let them. I closed my eyes and surrendered to the power of him, my father, a shelter against the paranormal, letting only the essential remain: the connection between us, those tiny, tentative sparks, protected from the wind and growing stronger. Maybe someday, it would tear down the wall entirely.

“It’s getting late, a leannan,” he murmured a long, long time later, kissing the top of my head, “and you’ve had a long day. A long many days, I think, and a trying night. Get ye back to your bed for some rest, now.”

He started moving toward the door, but I clutched at him, holding him back. “I can’t.”

“Another glass of brandy may help, if—“

“I don’t want to sleep again.”

His mouth twitched in a tiny smile as he put a hand tenderly on my cheek. “Ye might find that difficult to sustain, after a week or so.”

I was dead-serious, my fears wrenching out of me in a whisper, a raw plea, like the frightened child I was. “What if everything I dream is real?”

He could have told me not to talk nonsense; that I was a grown woman and obviously dreams were dreams, excepting the one event in question.

What he did, though, was to squeeze my hand and draw me back down onto the loveseat, putting his arms around me. “Lay your head, lass,” he said, bringing my head gently to his shoulder. “We’ll bide together, you and me.”

I felt the words stirring on my tongue as sleep began to settle around me, knew it would be the truth of my heart to say them aloud, but I couldn’t speak even one word in my present state, let alone those.

Besides, I’d said it before I even knew him.

I love you.

… Da.

[dylanmurphystyles]

Drunk pt 1 [Dylan & Misty]

@itslostgirlmisty

[Misty]

Misty had told Mark to go home and was heading to the lost girls camp when she heard someone calling her name. Turning to face that person she leaned against the tree.

[Dylan]

Dylan had been walking around when he saw Misty up ahead. It had been a while since he last saw her and he wasn't sure what condition she was in. “Hey, what are you doing so far from the castle? Are you alright?”

[Misty]

“I’m fine.” She slurred as she looked at Dylan. “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you. How are things with Jack?” She asked before laughing. “Oh wait he’s dead.”

[Dylan]

“Fine? You sure about that? You seem a little drunk princess. You never know who you might run into. How about you come back to my place and sober up or we can have some fun of our own?” He asks while taking her hand and leading her to his cave.

[Misty]

Misty felt him grabbing her hand and followed behind him. “Won’t Sam be home? I’m not sure he would be too happy about me being there.” She replied.

[Dylan]

“He isn’t where I am bringing you. This can be our little secret…” He smirks before leading her into the cave and enchanting it so she couldn't leave. “Make yourself comfortable.”

[Misty]

“I hate secrets...they hurt. Nibs keeps secrets from me.” She said walking into the cave. “It’s so hot.” She complained taking off her shirt but leaving her bra on.

[Dylan]

“You know, secrets only hurt so long as you let them hurt you. And oh please, you used to keep secrets from him as well. You kept Finn hurting you a secret from him forever and you called him your best friend. You know it was only a matter of time...But doesn't matter, would you like another drink? I mix a mean cocktail.”

[Misty]

“I didn’t have to tell him. He was never around. And when he did find out he didn’t beg me to stay. Nibs does what he wants and gets mad when I do the same. Nibs kept who bit me a secret when he knew it was Ash. Nibs doesn’t tell me about our son. He would keep me in a box if I let him. It’s like he hides things to protect me but what happens is it just hurts me.” She replied sitting on the couch.

[Dylan]

“You do know that the reason Ashton bit you was because Mark brought Finn back from the dead right? Well if it's something concerning your son, let your son come and tell you on his own. Give him some responsibility otherwise if your kid can't trust you, they will hide things from you.” He responds while mixing and drink and giving it to her. “Here try some of this.”

[Misty]

“I don’t have a problem with my son not wanting to tell me, or even that Mark brought Finn back. I have a problem with being told late. Nibs could have told me when he found out. He agreed to hide something from me and then he found out about Ashton and waited. But if I do that, I’m lying to him.” She rolled her eyes and took the drink. She downed the drink before placing the glass on the table.

[Dylan]

“You know, you two share a heart don't you know everything he does? I am sure you saw it while biting him during sex but you just didn't realize it. How is he enjoying that gift from Ombra by the way?” He smirked before taking a seat at the nearby table.

[Misty]

Misty looked at Dylan and shrugged. “I don’t know maybe? I would have remembered that. Seeing as how I lost two sons, I would never forget something about him.” She said. “I assume you mean the bracelet. The one he didn’t tell me about until it started working. I don’t know.”

[Dylan]

“Well if your issue is with the secret, then you should talk to your son. I don’t necessarily like Nibs but it’s not fair to hold something over his head for something that his son is dealing with. That would be like if you knew something about Hope and never told him which I am sure there are many things you haven’t told him. He is respecting someone’s privacy, that is rather admirable, you can know that he can keep a secret for you if you had one.”

[Misty]

“You should be married to Nibs I’m sure he would love to hear that.” Misty stated as she stood up and grabbed her shirt to leave only to find she couldn’t. “What did you do?” She asked looking at him.

[Dylan]

“Yeah no, he already killed me once I don’t need to be dealing with that again. It’s rather sad that he allowed you to go out like this...or that you allowed yourself to get so angry that you decided to resort to drinking and maybe sleeping around. You would be so dumb as to risk your bond together and risk dying because he didn’t tell you something your son couldn’t? It’s rather funny though, you have always blamed him for things but when he tries to look out for you, you turn and do the exact opposite. What is it that he sees in you?” He asks before finishing off his drink. His eyes flickered before turning void. “You aren’t leaving, you can try but it won’t work.”

[Misty]

Misty rolled her eyes. “Dylan this isn’t funny.” She said looking at him. “Like I said if you are so concerned about Nibs go to him, but leave me out of it. Open the door so I can get out. Seriously.”

[Dylan]

“You think this is some kind of joke? You came here for fun did you not?” He asks while stepping closer to her and letting her drop her shirt to the floor. “Come on, let loose and have some fun with me.” Dylan purrs into her ear.

[Misty]

She pushed Dylan away from her and quickly realized that her powers weren’t working. “You drugged me? You are like the eighth person to fucking do this.” She groaned. “Dylan let me out.”

[Dylan]

“I mean come on you should have seen this coming sweetheart. You should listen to Nibs more, he really does have your best interest at heart too bad you never listen to him. I hate to see you have to suffer with him but you know...I see you have two choices here. You turn off your powers and have him try to get you to turn them back on again or we sleep together and you both die. I mean the choice is yours. Irene already has TJ wrapped around her fingers it’s only a matter of time before she takes my offer.” He smirks.

[Misty]

She listened to his words and just nodded. “Fine I’ll turn off my emotions. But you have to remove the enchantment on the cave before I do. I don’t want to sleep with you. In fact I would rather beg Peter to bring my father and mother back then do that.” She replied.

[Dylan]

The alpha just let out a laugh, “You really think that you are in any position to make a deal with me? You wouldn’t have to beg Peter to bring your father back had your husband not killed him. No. We are going to have our fun then you will run back and not remember anything I will tell you. You will go on living as if you never heard anything I tell you and I will watch your life fall apart around you just as you and him have done to me multiple times.”

[Misty]

“No we aren’t. What you going to rape me again? Was that fun for you Dylan? Cause that is the only way anything is going to happen. I don’t plan on doing anything or letting you ruin anything. You thought Jack would destroy us and take care of you, and yet he left you. He didn’t want you. So if that’s me messing up your life I’m sorry you fell for sick asshole who wanted to fuck his own daughter.” She snapped grabbing her shirt. “Now we could both just stand here or you can undo the magic and I’ll turn off my emotions and leave.”

[Dylan]

“No I am not going to do that. Do you think it was fun? I was doing what I was told. Oh please, he didn’t leave. Your husband killed him. He wanted me and seriously? That is the worst thing you got on him? I am pretty sure every kid has had the thought of at least one of their parents fucking them. Think about it, Hope probably fantasized about Nibs at some point. I know Ken did, he never told me but I could tell. I mean for fucks sake, Hope almost fucked Jack too but that never seemed to bother you did it?”

Dylan snapped his fingers and removed the clothes so she could stop taking them back. “You know what I am going to let Nibs think that you cheated on him while sober, that bracelet will have him thinking otherwise and since the magic has changed around it. You won’t be the one in pain when I do this.” He smirked before pulling her to him and kissing her before letting her go. His eyes dark enough where she could see her own reflection in them if she looked.

[Misty]

Misty acted before she could really think about it as she saw him pulling her closer and she just punched him before he could kiss her. She could feel her hand breaking as she didn’t have any real strength with her powers gone. “Ow fuck that hurt.” She said holding her hand. “I wasn’t joking Dylan. You can keep trying but I will break every bone in my body before I let you kiss me. And just because your fucked up family wants to fuck each other doesn’t mean my does.” She said moving away from him.

[Dylan]

He growled when she punched him before pinning her against the wall so that she couldn’t move. “That’s funny because you aren’t strong enough to keep me away. What? Hope isn’t your family anymore? She is the one that wanted to fuck your father. What kind of example are you setting for her to have her think such a thing, I mean she is good in bed and all but still. Who knows, if Jack were around and Zach were out of the picture, the three of us could have had such fun.” A devilish smirk was on his face as he use magic to keep her pinned in place in a way she couldn’t smack, headbutt or punch him or physically harm him in any way. “You are quite feisty when drunk, maybe I should mess with your mind, make you think I am Nibs...have you break the bond that way. Imagine how heartbroken he will be when you go back telling him that you thought you were sleeping with him.”

[Misty]

Misty could feel her body being forced to stay still and just looked at Dylan. “You aren’t the first one to do this to me. And I am sure you won’t be the last. Try whatever you want but as much as I hate him, I have my father in me and unless you plan on breaking me, you aren’t touching me.” She replied. “My daughter has taste. She would have to be blind to fuck you again. I heard about the first time, she said her fingers gave her a better orgasm.”

[Dylan]

“You do have your father in you but maybe I could use that to my advantage. I could trade your life for his. No one will miss you. Nibs would be dead without you. The kids would have to rule and not have time to worry or think about who you are. Oh darling you are forgetting you also willingly fucked me before or are you forgetting that. That’s cute, that’s the best she got? Surely she could have thought of something more creative.” He responds while going over and grabbing another glass of wine for himself before walking over and standing extremely close to her. “Her mother and her have similar taste, you both slept with me, you have both dreamt about sleeping with your husband. Soon enough, you won’t just have Irene or Maya to worry about going after him… you will see.”

[Misty]

“Do you like dream about what my daughter is thinking? She doesn’t want her dad, trust me I would know. But thank you for fantasizing about Nibs and my daughter.” She said rolling her eyes. “Oh by all means please kill me. If that will stop you from speaking I will happily volunteer to die.” She smiled.

[Dylan]

“This won’t stop me from doing what I will.” Walking closer so that his lips brushed against hers. “What I mentioned before...still stands. Maybe when you leave I will make you think that you did cheat on him. Then you can have a secret of your own but won’t be a secret if it leaks that you were so drunk and just begging for me to help you get rid of your horrible memories of him.” He responds before kissing her before she could fight back. “Noah had the right intention when he kissed you. You might not feel anything but I can guarantee that Nibs does because he will always take the fall for your mistakes which is one of his greatest weaknesses.”

He smirked before pulling back and going back over to finish his glass of wine. “You are powerless so long as you are here so I can keep you here for whatever I like. Enchantments are so much fun. Maybe the next one will be making you want me...nothing wrong with boosting a little ego. Your father seemed to love to boost mine, I rather miss it.”

[Misty]

When he brushed his lips against hers she knew what he was going to do and there was no way she was going to give Dylan any satisfaction in using her to hurt Nibs. Before he kissed her she turned off her emotions causing her to just smile as he pulled away. “He boosted your ego cause you have a tiny dick. He wanted to make you feel special.” She replied as her eyes went black.

[Dylan]

“Is that really all you got? Dick insults? Really? That’s low and for your information I almost split your dad’s ass by the way due to how tight he was. It was amazing. The way he begged for me to take him and after I got that one on one with you. I was special to him, he reassured me we could have some fun with each other and he kept his promise.” He purrs. “Now that you have done what I wanted, would you like another drink? We could have some real fun...just like last time. Come on, I know you liked it deep down last time we did this.”

[Misty]

“You sound like a teenage girl.” She laughed as she heard how special Dylan felt with Jack. “Can’t really have any fun with me stuck to a wall now can we? And don’t you want to see Nibs in pain? You must have done this for a reason right? My pussy can’t be that amazing for you to do all this for just a taste.”

[Dylan]

“Oh it’s not that amazing. I have a reason but I guess that is for me to know and you not to.” He smirks before removing the magic from the wall so that she could move. Blowing some fairy dust on her before she could stop him, Dylan wanted to make the most out of this. “Give me a show Misty. You went out to the bar dressed like a whore for what reason? You want to dress like a stripper? Well then show me what you are capable of.” He sits down in the nearby chair and waits for her to follow directions.

[Misty]

Misty smirked as she nodded and pushed herself off the wall as she started to slowly take her clothes off. “Can I have music?” She asked letting down her hair.

[Dylan]

The male made a bottle of alcohol appear before turning on some music. “Go ahead. Is this music good enough?” He asks while looking at her with dark orbs.

[Misty]

She nodded as she looked at him with black eyes. The girl put on a show for Dylan as he asked of her and took off all of her clothes before straddling him.

[Dylan]

Dylan watched with eager eyes as he occasionally took swigs of alcohol from the bottle before offering her some as well. When she grinded against his lap he couldn’t help but to feel aroused.

[Misty]

Misty took the bottle and stood up holding out her hand. “Dance with me.” She said taking a swig of alcohol.

[Dylan]

Dylan got up and started to dance to the music with Misty. He pulled her close so that she could feel what she was doing to him. “Show me what those hips can do princess.” He purrs into her ear.

[Misty]

She took another swig as she started grinding against him, moaning softly as she felt how hard he was. “Did I do that?” She teased finishing the bottle.

[Dylan]

“I don’t know you tell me baby girl. Did you make me this hard?” He purrs while his hands move around her waist and slips beneath her waistband. “Tell me, what do you like hm?”

[Misty]

The siren pushed Dylan away. “I do believe I told you earlier I wasn’t doing that. You have a hand, you want to get off use it.” She said playing with the bottle in her hand.

[Dylan]

“Oh please, you would have thrown yourself at the first person to grab your attention at the club. You have a tendency to do that you know. Imagine if it was someone else instead of Nibs that you slept with when you got beyond wasted that one time.” He shook his head while taking the bottle back and drinking some more of it. “Even your father was more fun than you, there isn’t a drop of him in you.” He scoffed.

[Misty]

“Sorry to disappoint but you aren’t Nibs. You wouldn’t be able to please me anyway.” She replied taking the bottle back. “And since you aren’t letting me go, this will be a rather boring time for you.”

[Dylan]

“I can make it rather fun, you underestimate me.” He smirked before blowing more dust on her to give her the illusion that he was Nibs. “Misty what did I tell you about going out and drinking. Didn't I warn you what would happen if you went out without me again?” He asks while his eyes glowed red.

[Misty]

Misty was a little confused on why she was standing half naked with a bottle in her hands in front of Nibs, in a cave she didn’t recognize. “Uh I don’t remember.” She answered looking at him. “What are you doing here?”

[Dylan]

“I brought you here remember? I did the same thing last time you drank but instead of here I brought you to your tent. You aren’t leaving here. I am not risking you going out and sleeping with someone else. You know what that would do to me.” He responds while looking at her. “You turned your emotions off….why would you do that?”

[Misty]

“No...I must have drank too much.” She said looking at the bottle. “Yeah I remember that, I don’t remember getting undressed with you around.” She replies looking back at him. “Dylan gave me two options and this was the better one. But you can just get me to turn them back on.”

[Dylan]

“How so? I don’t understand? I thought it wasn’t so easy as to turn them on.” He asks while pulling her closer to him. “Come on princess. Show me how you do it then.” The male kisses her and pins her against the wall.

[Misty]

Misty felt him kissing her and pushed him away a bit. “Nibs you know how. Aren’t you mad that I’m half naked? We aren’t even talking cause I’m mad at you.” She said putting the bottle down. “Maybe we should go home?”

[Dylan]

“Who said I wasn’t mad at you? We aren’t leaving until you are sobered up. We will stay here the night. No more alcohol for you. Why are you even mad at me?” His eyes flashed void before returning to their normal color. “You are mad our son won’t talk to you? We said no secrets between us. The secret you want me to tell isn’t mine. Therefore it’s not a secret between us. You want to know so bad, ask TJ to tell you. Push him until he tells you.”

[Misty]

“No I am mad because you won’t even tell me if it’s bad or not. I’m mad because when you found out you decided that I didn’t get to know. I know our son is like you, he wants to protect me from things or he wants me to see only the good and he got that from you. But you know there’s nothing in this world you could do that would push me away. I’m mad because you didn’t tell him that. I’m mad that this is even an issue.” She said before noticing his eyes. “What is going on with you?”

[Dylan]

“I already told you that it is getting worse which is why I wanted to show you remember? Nothing is wrong with me. You are right it shouldn’t be an issue you are the one that is making it the issue.” He responds before looking at the other and his eyes were back to normal.

[Misty]

“It shouldn’t of had to get worse for you to fucking tell me.” She said before placing her hand on his heart and her own. “Your heart...it’s not beating the same as mine.”

[Dylan]

He stepped back when she went to touch his heart. “My heart is fine. It’s not my place to tell you it’s TJ’s. Now why don’t you let out all that anger in the way that Mark taught you but not on some random people from the bar because I really prefer not to die but you should really turn your emotions back on, we don’t want our children seeing you like this.”

[Misty]

She watched as he stepped back and shook her head. “No it’s not.” She replied. “You want me to have sex with you? Now?” She asked in disbelief. “That’s not how it works I can’t just turn them back on by myself and you know that.” Misty said moving closer to him and grabbing his hand. “Your wedding ring. Where is it?”

[Dylan]

“Yeah you are right you can’t turn them on by yourself. You mean this?” He asks while showing her the hand with the ring on it. “You shouldn’t have so much to drink you know, you are starting to imagine things.” The male teases while pulling her close as their hearts beat in sync. “See? Everything is fine.” He responds while kissing her gently.

[Misty]

Misty didn’t know what was wrong with her. “I’m sorry. I think it was something I drank. Maybe it was spiked.” She said trying to clear her head. “Just ignore me…”

[Dylan]

“That’s what I figured princess. See that’s why it’s too dangerous to be drinking.” He shakes his head while looking at the other before bringing her closer to him. “Come on princess turn those pretty emotions on for me. I can’t take you home if they are off. You said it yourself last time remember?”

[Misty]

“That’s not how it works Nibs. Just do what you did last time.” She said looking at him.

[Dylan]

His eyes flashed black as he collected memories once more before they turned back to normal much quicker than she could notice. Snapping his fingers he made a girl appear before them. “Well hello beautiful.” He smirked before pinning the girl against the wall and going to kiss her.

[Misty]

Misty watched as Nibs kissed the girl and oddly felt nothing. It bothered her seeing it but she didn’t feel anything. “It’s not working.” She said before looking around the cave for her clothes and finding them.

[Dylan]

He made the girl disappear. Things weren’t going as planned and he wasn’t sure why. “Fine keep your emotions off. I am not letting you leave until you turn them back on, our children need their mother not someone with their emotions off. The kingdom is skeptical of you as it is, they don’t need another reason.”

[Misty]

“Okay. I don’t know what you plan on doing in here until that happens since I can’t turn them on myself.” She said putting her pants back on. “Where did Dylan go?” She asked looking at him. “I don’t remember you even coming to find me. And I don’t remember you talking to him.”

[Dylan]

“Why are you asking me about Dylan? You know what, whatever.” He snaps the girl back in the cave, “I’m heading to bed. You can take the couch.” Nibs takes the girls hand before leading her to the bedroom and shutting the door behind them.

[Misty]

Misty heard the door close and didn’t make an effort to try and stop him. It was like the image bothered her but not the act itself which was so weird. She looked at her hand and noticed that it was still broken from when she hit Dylan and found it strange Nibs never asked about it or that her powers hadn’t come back yet. Grabbing the alcohol bottle off the ground she moved and hit it against the wall.

[Dylan]

Dylan healed Misty’s hand before making is sound like Nibs was sleeping with someone else. He made it so that her heart hurt when she heard what they were doing or pretending to do. He always expected a challenge but this was something that he didn’t mind.

[humphriesblog-roadkilldiaries]

“Woodward the Lazy Eyed Wonder”

I had to go meet with a CPA about something so my friend recommended this guy who’s office is in downtown Atlanta. I made it just in time and I went in his office noticed two quick things right away, one, he had a toupee’ he might as well put a chin strap on it was so obvious and unsettling to me for some reason and two, the walls, the desk, the floor was  covered with pictures of a young boy who seemed a bit cross eyed doing different things mostly by himself and I kid you not  there must have been over two  hundred pictures of this same boy  almost like a shrine, so many pictures I thought something must have happened to the poor child so I  shook Mr. CPA’s hand and followed my greeting looking at practically a planet of pictures and said “Thats a fine looking boy ya got there was he yours”. Thinking he was dead. Now Im not one to judge anyone, “ever” but this guy was no Daniel Boone. I didn’t foresee Mr. CPA and I sipping on a bourbon scratching our balls talking about Georgia football anytime soon. Im still standing center room, the dang boys mug is everywhere and you didn’t have to look hard to notice something was off with that left eye, either it was a slow eye or lazy eye, maybe even a glass eye but I perused many of the pictures and it was obvious something was sort of fucked up with the boy. I also noticed  he even had the exact same picture of his kid holding a purple frisbee in two different areas of the office, you could see one of them upon entering his office and one exiting the office apparently not an accident but get this it gets even more crazy, Mr. CPA lands next to his office desk chair and he then takes his suit jacket off and in his front shirt pocket he had not just a  pen, not a couple of pens but a row of 5 black Bic pens mounted neatly next to each other perfectly aligned as if they were standing at attention, same height exact same color almost as if they were painted on, my first take I actually thought it was a sticker of pens in perfect order, maybe he was trying to be funny or something but no they were real and there were five of them and they were all black and they were Bics.. Well Im a pretty   quick read on someone and I figure he’s a firkin CPA, he’s a human calculator, school was all A’s no friends no girls just shorted of some common sense and probably dreams in black and white instead of colors like most do. I tried not to make much of it just sort of wanted to get the meeting over with I was hungry, I forgot this CPA mans name and I was wearing gym shorts holding a briefcase while the whole company was walking around in suits and skirts and I was already getting dizzy seeing this geniuses sons face with a droopy left eye every time I blinked every where I turned. Im still standing in front of his desk in gym shorts acting as if Im totally taken by the thousands of pictures of his son everywhere then the CPA sits with his five Bic pens, awkward toupee and a huge sunshiny  goofy proud grin on his face there is a silence and suddenly from nowhere he barks out the name “Woodward” almost a yell then he falls totally silent again it was kind of like the movie “Rainman”!! Now Woodward is a high school here in Atlanta for those of you who aren’t from Georgia, so I take a look at this guy, the five pens, trying not to stare at his head, a young mans wall of fame, waiting for the next word, hes still silent so I say “is that where your boy goes to school” as II turn my eyes back to all these pictures really staying calm but starting to freak because when I look at the pictures I can feel Mr. CPA looking at me staring at this flicking   picture trying not to notice the lazy eye then looking back at Mr. CPA trying not to notice or stare at his wig  faking my best  star struck   grin its all becoming uncomfortable work and I just don’t need this shit today. Mr. CPA starts pawing through a box under his chair he says   suddenly “No that is Woodward he’s 10, my only one.” So Im thinking to myself you gotta be fucking kidding me, how could someone do something like that to their child naming it Woodward. So I am usually good on my feet with words and conversation but Im flustered trying to make the environment a little less awkward or less pensive shall I say Me Mr. Stupid comes back with “oh wow I was an only child too trying to throw in a bit of dry humor and lighten things up I said only I didn’t breast feed so I had mommy issues and that lead to a very dysfunctional childhood” waiting for a laugh or ha ha nothing but silence why, because he’s a CPA he doesn’t speak dry wit understand it or appreciate it, poof right over his head and everything falls silent as Im terribly misunderstood to follow that Im waiting for someone to say something so to further the foot in mouth conversation I follow with “What happened to Woodwards face, he have a glass eye or something?. Again total silence and this is all to weird getting weirder by the minute.Now Im getting worried and wondering if I am at the right place with the right person so I take a quick sit and start to text my pal Ken who referred me to this living nightmare, I needed to at least get Mr. CPA’s damn name, just  his name then Im thinking this must be a  prank my boys are playing on me then it   gets more bazaar as Mr. CPA fumbling through the box and you will never guess what he pulls from the  box yet another picture Mr. CPA brandishes it close to my face almost hitting me in the eye and say it aint so but it is “Woodward” yet again and folks you cant make this stuff up the picture was of “Woodward” holding an accordion one eye looking east and one eye looking west and Im thinking Dear God this cant be true, this is not happening to me as Mr. CPA holds the picture of “Woodward” playing an accordion about two millimeters from my face he dotes with so much pride . Then me Dumb ass looks at Woodward holding that silly thing eyes rolling back in his head I said oh great this must have been his Halloween outfit. Duh Mr. CPA follows “Woodward” is very gifted he’s been playing the accordion since he was five and he’s “special”, duel jointed and “Mamma” still takes him twice a week to lessons North of Buford Georgia 34 miles each way.”Then he was kind of defensive and said his left eye is astigmatism it can be corrected and it isn’t hardly noticeable. Im like bullshit you can spot that thing from the space shuttle but live and let live this is getting to nuts and  I am stopped like a dear in headlights thinking this must be a dream, I  just stare at the floor Mr. CPA still holding that picture frame right next to my head then I hear his voice again “Bob do you have any kids of your own.” Im thinking to myself he just called me Bob, if I had a kid like Woodward Id have to put him up for adoption then Im thinking to myself Ive got to get the  fuck out of this three ring circus I mean 3 2 6 out of here so I take one look at “Woodward” with the crooked left eye holding a real live accordion  , then Mr. CPA toupee, five pens picture frame held high in the air, still all I knew was Im getting the fuck out of here so I look at them then back to the floor, I grab my briefcase in my gym shorts as I stand I aim my body at the exit door and just practically run through the sea of pictures out his office door without saying a word as I walk through the suits and the skirts in gym shorts briefcase in hand I look back over my shoulder for one last take of where I was and there is Mr. CPA peaking through the blinds totally confused, holding the picture of “Woodward” playing the accordion with one lazy left eye. As I left the large building my cell was ringing away and I just let it ring. When I got home I had 4 voicemails all from Mr. CPA all saying the same thing. “Can we reschedule tomorrow same place, same time see you then Bob. WoW Been me up Scottie…

[bhumphriesblog-roadkilldiar-blog]

“Woodward the One Eyed Accordion Boy”

“WOODWARD THE ONE EYED ACCORDION BOY” I had to go meet with a CPA about something so my friend recommended this guy who’s office is in downtown Atlanta. I made it just in time and I went in his office noticed two quick things right away, one, he had a toupee’ he might as well put a chin strap on it was so obvious and unsettling to me for some reason and two, the walls, the desk, the floor was  covered with pictures of a young boy who seemed a bit cross eyed doing different things mostly by himself and I kid you not  there must have been over two  hundred pictures of this same boy  almost like a shrine, so many pictures I thought something must have happened to the poor child so I  shook Mr. CPA’s hand and followed my greeting looking at practically a planet of pictures and said “Thats a fine looking boy ya got there was he yours”. Thinking he was dead. Now Im not one to judge anyone, “ever” but this guy was no Daniel Boone. I didn’t foresee Mr. CPA and I sipping on a bourbon scratching our balls talking about Georgia football anytime soon. Im still standing center room, the dang boys mug is everywhere and you didn’t have to look hard to notice something was off with that left eye, either it was a slow eye or lazy eye, maybe even a glass eye but I perused many of the pictures and it was obvious something was sort of fucked up with the boy. I also noticed  he even had the exact same picture of his kid holding a purple frisbee in two different areas of the office, you could see one of them upon entering his office and one exiting the office apparently not an accident but get this it gets even more crazy, Mr. CPA lands next to his office desk chair and he then takes his suit jacket off and in his front shirt pocket he had not just a  pen, not a couple of pens but a row of 5 black Bic pens mounted neatly next to each other perfectly aligned as if they were standing at attention, same height exact same color almost as if they were painted on, my first take I actually thought it was a sticker of pens in perfect order, maybe he was trying to be funny or something but no they were real and there were five of them and they were all black and they were Bics.. Well Im a pretty  quick read on someone and I figure he’s a firkin CPA, he’s a human calculator, school was all A’s no friends no girls just shorted of some common sense and probably dreams in black and white instead of colors like most do. I tried not to make much of it just sort of wanted to get the meeting over with I was hungry, I forgot this CPA mans name and I was wearing gym shorts holding a briefcase while the whole company was walking around in suits and skirts and I was already getting dizzy seeing this geniuses sons face with a droopy left eye every time I blinked every where I turned. Im still standing in front of his desk in gym shorts acting as if Im totally taken by the thousands of pictures of his son everywhere then the CPA sits with his five Bic pens, awkward toupee and a huge sunshiny  goofy proud grin on his face there is a silence and suddenly from nowhere he barks out the name “Woodward” almost a yell then he falls totally silent again it was kind of like the movie “Rainman”!! Now Woodward is a high school here in Atlanta for those of you who aren’t from Georgia, so I take a look at this guy, the five pens, trying not to stare at his head, a young mans wall of fame, waiting for the next word, hes still silent so I say “is that where your boy goes to school” as II turn my eyes back to all these pictures really staying calm but starting to freak because when I look at the pictures I can feel Mr. CPA looking at me staring at this flicking  picture trying not to notice the lazy eye then looking back at Mr. CPA trying not to notice or stare at his wig  faking my best  star struck  grin its all becoming uncomfortable work and I just don’t need this shit today. Mr. CPA starts pawing through a box under his chair he says  suddenly “No that is Woodward he’s 10, my only one.” So Im thinking to myself you gotta be fucking kidding me, how could someone do something like that to their child naming it Woodward. So I am usually good on my feet with words and conversation but Im flustered trying to make the environment a little less awkward or less pensive shall I say Me Mr. Stupid comes back with “oh wow I was an only child too trying to throw in a bit of dry humor and lighten things up I said only I didn’t breast feed so I had mommy issues and that lead to a very dysfunctional childhood” waiting for a laugh or ha ha nothing but silence why, because he’s a CPA he doesn’t speak dry wit understand it or appreciate it, poof right over his head and everything falls silent as Im terribly misunderstood to follow that Im waiting for someone to say something so to further the foot in mouth conversation I follow with “What happened to Woodwards face, he have a glass eye or something?. Again total silence and this is all to weird getting weirder by the minute.Now Im getting worried and wondering if I am at the right place with the right person so I take a quick sit and start to text my pal Ken who referred me to this living nightmare, I needed to at least get Mr. CPA’s damn name, just  his name then Im thinking this must be a  prank my boys are playing on me then it   gets more bazaar as Mr. CPA fumbling through the box and you will never guess what he pulls from the  box yet another picture Mr. CPA brandishes it close to my face almost hitting me in the eye and say it aint so but it is “Woodward” yet again and folks you cant make this stuff up the picture was of “Woodward” holding an accordion one eye looking east and one eye looking west and Im thinking Dear God this cant be true, this is not happening to me as Mr. CPA holds the picture of “Woodward” playing an accordion about two millimeters from my face he dotes with so much pride . Then me Dumbass looks at Woodward holding that silly thing eyes rolling back in his head I said oh great this must have been his halloween outfit. Duh Mr. CPA follows “Woodward” is very gifted he’s been playing the accordion since he was five and he’s “special”, duel jointed and “Momma” still takes him twice a week to lessons North of Buford Georgia 34 miles each way.”Then he was kind of defensive and said his left eye is astigmatism it can be corrected and it isn’t hardly noticeable. Im like bullshit you can spot that thing from the space shuttle but live and let live this is getting to nuts and  I am stopped like a dear in headlights thinking this must be a dream, I  just stare at the floor Mr. CPA still holding that picture frame right next to my head then I hear his voice again “Bob do you have any kids of your own.” Im thinking to myself he just called me Bob, if I had a kid like Woodward Id have to put him up for adoption then Im thinking to myself Ive got to get the  fuck out of this three ring circus I mean 3 2 6 out of here so I take one look at “Woodward” with the crooked left eye holding a real live accordion  , then Mr. CPA toupee, five pens picture frame held high in the air, still all I knew was Im getting the fuck out of here so I look at them then back to the floor, I grab my briefcase in my gym shorts as I stand I aim my body at the exit door and just practically run through the sea of pictures out his office door without saying a word as I walk through the suits and the skirts in gym shorts briefcase in hand I look back over my shoulder for one last take of where I was and there is Mr. CPA peaking through the blinds totally confused, holding the picture of “Woodward” playing the accordion with one lazy left eye. As I left the large building my cell was ringing away and I just let it ring. When I got home I had 4 voicemails all from Mr. CPA all saying the same thing. “Can we reschedule tomorrow same place, same time see you then Bob. WoW Been me up Scottie…bh April23, 2017