#i haven’t visited my home town in like three years and before that it had been five | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

iris-qt · 4 months

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𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚒𝚘𝚕𝚎𝚝𝚝𝚘 𝚖𝚒𝚘

🫧 ᴛʜᴇᴏᴅᴏʀᴇ ɴᴏᴛᴛ x ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ

🫧 ʙɢ ᴍᴜꜱɪᴄ: ᴄʟɪᴄᴋ!

🫧 ꜰʟᴜꜰꜰ

🫧 ᴀ/ɴ: ᴛʜɪꜱ ɪꜱ ᴀ ᴛʜᴀɴᴋ ʏᴏᴜ ꜰɪᴄ ꜰᴏʀ ᴀʟʟ ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ᴏɴ ᴍʏ ꜰɪʀꜱᴛ ᴏɴᴇ. ɪ ᴀᴅᴏʀᴇ ʏᴏᴜʀ ɢᴜʏꜱ’ ᴄᴏᴍᴍᴇɴᴛꜱ ꜱᴏ ᴅᴏɴ’ᴛ ʙᴇ ᴀꜰʀᴀɪᴅ ᴛᴏ ʟᴇᴀᴠᴇ ᴏɴᴇ!

🫧 ꜱ��ɴᴏᴘꜱɪꜱ: ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ꜰɪɴᴀʟʟʏ ᴜɴᴡɪɴᴅɪɴɢ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ᴀʟʟ ʏᴏᴜʀ ꜱᴛʀᴇꜱꜱ ᴏꜰ ꜱᴄʜᴏᴏʟ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀ ɢᴏʀɢᴇᴏᴜꜱ ᴠᴀᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ɪɴ ɪᴛᴀʟʏ. ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴇʀᴇɴ’ᴛ ᴀᴡᴀʀᴇ ʏᴏᴜ’ᴅ ʀᴜɴ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴀɴᴇ ᴏꜰ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴇxɪꜱᴛᴇɴᴄᴇ: ᴛʜᴇᴏᴅᴏʀᴇ ɴᴏᴛᴛ

Azure blue skies and endless summer breeze tails you through the rolling green countryside of San Gimignano, Italy. This was true, pure bliss. A flow of relaxation that you haven’t felt since…Merlin knows when. The stress of endless exams and finals, everlasting prefect duties, and bickering with your horrid nemesis really left a mark; as represented by your unrelenting dark circles and deep forehead lines.

But at least all of that was giving way to the Italian atmosphere and it left behind a happy girl that would donate a kidney to spend her entire summer here. Unfortunately you were only visiting for a week before school began once more; your final year. This brought a sense of dread to your heart as you would miss the enchanting castle. Your second home.

You pushed that aside as you zoomed through the countryside of this ravishing country on your cute little teal Vespa. Truth be told you’d never driven a muggle vehicle before, but there’s always a first time for everything.

And so your lack of experience with muggle vehicles was the cause of you not being aware that gas has to be filled. You thought the meter getting closer to 0 represented the dissipation of your happy mood as you were, per usual, plaguing yourself with paranoid and pessimistic thoughts. The sudden shuddering of the Vespa made you lose balance and you began veering off track, you and your precious vehicle zooming down a hill with the sheer force of gravity. You screamed for dear life, and, at last, landed in a shallow pond with an enormous splash.

You bobbed up, gasping for air, and scrambled out of the lake quite ungracefully, summer outfit ruined and soaking wet. And suddenly, you heard a scarily familiar, devilish chuckle that just so happened to find your tragic predicament amusing: your mood as drenched as your clothes.

As you slowly glanced up trembling, not knowing if your shaking was from the water, shock, pure rage, or all three, you made direct eye contact with a certain boy musing at your tragedy. His eyes were overflowing with humor as he was leaning against a tree, his tanned legs crossed over each other. He seemed to be reading a book which he put down as he had found something better worth his attention. He gracefully stands up, a complete contrast from how you scrambled out of the pond, much to your annoyance.

“Did it hurt when you fell from heaven, angioletto mio?” He smirks.

“Nott,” you scoffed. “Small world…or cruel fate,” you stand there, dripping wet, arms spread out like a martyr.

Of course you knew the insufferable Theodore Nott was Italian and often visited family here, but you didn’t think you’d be subjected to his presence in such a big country, especially in the less populated countryside. It was truly just cruel fate that brought this spawn of satan before your eyes.

“I didn’t know you were that desperate to see me,” Theodore cocks his head to the side, quite enjoying this arrangement. “Risking your life on a muggle vehicle zooming to my town.”

You roll your eyes, and if you were in a cartoon universe, trust that there would be steam coming out of your ears.

“Trust me Nott. I had no intention to run into a walking headache on my vacation.”

The insufferable git kept smiling, moving closer now, standing right in front of you so you could smell the usual dizzying scent of sandalwood and pine. Summer edition Theo had a hint of citrus mingled in with his intoxicatingly annoying scent.

“I already got you soaking wet, now you just have to get naked,” he laughed with the most disgustingly smug look on his face that you almost slapped off.

“Are you done?” You glared at him, ready to storm off and free yourself from the torment of his presence.

He shrugged, looking you over.

“Need help drying off?”

“I need help out of this conversation.”

“Oh stop, y/n, you can do better than that,” he grinned

You sigh very well aware you had no other option. You hold out your arms and shut your eyes waiting for his casting of the Hot Air Charm. Since you had resolved to live the simple muggle life for this vacation, your wand was locked in a vault at your hotel room.

Theo laughs, “Are you waiting for a kiss, principessa?”

You open your eyes, confused. “No, I’m waiting for you to dry me off like you said, idiot.”

He laughs again shrugging and says, “I don’t carry my wand around my domain, there’s no need.”

“Then, pray do tell me, Nott, what was your plan in helping me?”

He gives you the most shit-eating grin and grabs your hand, scaring you a bit, then begins pulling you up another grassy, verdant hill: one that isn’t hiding a body of water behind it. You have the urge to resist, but just give in. The drop from your adrenaline-rush you’d been maintaining for the past 3 days had collapsed, causing you to come down with an attitude of resolve. He dragged you up the hill, your wet sandals making squelching sounds, each one demeaning you more and more. You hated this shift in power where the perfect git was overshadowing you. You hated it. You hated him. I think.

“So why were you in the countryside? Other than wanting to see me so badly, of course.” He looks behind him and shoots his watercolor poison into your soul as he makes that unblinking eye contact. Another thing on the meter-long list of things you despise about him.

“I was in a self-deprecating mood and decided to ruin my record streak of relaxation by finding you,” you deadpanned as you rolled your eyes for extra affect.

“Y/N relaxing? You must be lying.”

He chuckled a bit as you two stopped at the top of the vast hill, looking down to a meadow of wildflowers. They glowed like colorful jewels in the blinding, comforting summer sun.

“What’re you gonna do, push me off?” You smirked, half wishing he’d do so. Maybe this was all a nightmare. A beautiful, lush, tinged with the familiar scent of Theo nightmare.

What you didn’t expect, however, was him saying:

“Precisely.”

And with a surprisingly gentle tug, he pulled you down on the top of the hill, pushed you back in a laying position before you could protest, and quite literally pushed you down the hill. You screamed as you, for the second time that day, gave all free will up to gravity, rolling down the hill at a crazy speed. You knew Nott was your unproclaimed but painfully obvious nemesis but you never thought he’d attempt murder. You finally stopped and lay there, sprawled on your back, heaving from the rush. It was kind of…fun?

Theo rolled down right next to you, laughing, as he sat upright. There was grass in his curly, brunette hair that you couldn’t help but reach out to pluck. He looked away quite shyly. Did your eyes deceive you, or did he just blush? You must have heat stroke. Good thing you had your wet clothes to keep you cool: they were significantly drier now.

You stand up and Theo starts laughing in a way you’ve never heard him laugh before. It was almost…endearing?

You put your hands on your hips teasingly and ask, “What? Do I have something on my face?”

He chuckles affectionately. “Mio angioletto, you have something…everywhere.” He bursts into laughter again. “Beware grass woman rising from the Italian hills,” he gasps through his fits of laughter.

You couldn’t help but smile so wide; his happiness was almost as contagious as his teasing.

You look down and realize the grass was sticking all over your outfit, covering you in verdant greeness. There was an itching sensation bubbling to your skin, but you ignored it. You couldn’t help but join in with his laughter as you could imagine you looked like green Chewbacca.

“Is this your sick way of tar and feathering me, Nott?”

He recovers from his laughter and stands up with you, peeling a wet blade of grass from your cheek.

“Alas, you have uncovered my motives,” he teases, grinning.

“Well, your actual motives didn’t work. I’m still sopping wet.” You wringe out the side of your shirt for dramatic affect as it produces a downpour of water.

“There’s more to my motives, mio angioletto. If at first you don’t succeed, try try again.” He grasps your hand again with a beautiful look on his glowing face and pulls you up to do it all over again.

And again.

Until the sun is caressing the distant hills, getting ready for its nightly departure. The sky is painted shades of teal and purple; still bright but just so. The breeze is still gentle, and so is Theo’s hold on your hand, as he guides you back to his tree by the wretched pond.

Don’t ask yourself what you and him were at the moment. Don’t ask yourself how years of rivalry and pranks. Of stress related to the both of your never-relenting efforts to beat the other. Don’t ask how that all faded away, as you sat in the setting sun.

Unfortunately, it isn’t in your nature to just ignore logic. And Theo knew it. So he distanced himself from you in light of the passing moment of rolling down flower dotted hills, letting go of your hand. It was as if an igniting flame in your heart had been stifled. He sat across from you by the tree. A silence falling between you two.

The slight itching you had felt earlier had been slowly increasing, and as the fun fell away, it began grabbing your attention. The feeling was in your throat now…something wasn’t right. And that’s when you remembered something that Theo’s warm presence had melted away from your mind. As if your brain had tricked itself to forget about this important fact to permit you and Theo’s fun. You were allergic to wildflowers. If exposed to them for a long time? Horribly allergic.

You started coughing and then choking, pointing to your neck to alert Theo to the problem. His eyes widened as he realized what was happening…he had noticed your uncharacteristically red skin, but he had dismissed it by thinking it was the sun’s doing. How could he overlook this?

Your choking grew louder as you fell onto the grass, Theo scrambled around crazily not knowing what to do in his initial panic.

But then he remembered

He pulled out his wand and cast a healing spell which would diminish every affect of an allergic reaction. You started being able to breathe again and your throat cleared, along with your skin returning to its original color and texture. You were gasping in shock, slightly embarrassed that you had been in such pathetic situations in front of Theodore twice today. You were both holding each others’ arms and breathing deeply. You recovered slightly, attempting to lighten the tense mood.

“Well, if your true motive was to kill me, Nott, I’d say you almost succeeded.” You let out a weak, unconvincing laugh.

“I..I am so sorry, y/n, I genuinely didn’t know..” he looked crestfallen. More shaken than you in fact. Wait a minute…

“Hold on,” you raised an eyebrow, your shock of almost dying completely gone and replaced with a new shock. “I thought you said you didn’t have your wand?”

Theo’s eyes widened sheepishly and he grinned, looking as guilty as ever.

“Ok listen before you throw a fit-“

“I don’t throw fits, I diplomatically argue.”

“Before you throw a tantrum, let me explain.” Theo runs his fingers through his hair looking nervous, and, for the first time, failing to make eye contact.

“I just…I knew you’d leave if I just dried you off. You only stayed because you needed help and, well…” he sighs.

“Well?”

“Well, I’ve been thinking about you all summer, y/n. I lay awake all night and I day dream all day. I swear I even saw you in the stars..” he gives a nervous, strained laugh.

“You never leave my thoughts, but I was sure it was just because I had to prove myself. To beat you. But you didn’t even leave my brain after school ended. You haunt me every day. When I saw you I thought I was hallucinating, like, genuinely.” He runs his hand through his hair, looking the most vulnerable he’s ever looked.

You look at him, eyes blazing with emotions you had denied yourself. Emotions that fought to be seen but you always pushed them back. You couldn’t fight back anymore. What were you even fighting against? God, you had some serious issues.

“And so you lied to make me stay?”

Theo nodded, looking to the side, up at the darkening sky.

“Maybe it was the universe that brought me here, because what are the fucking odds?”

You both laughed at that, eyes shining despite the escaping light around you.

“Theo, in my last 3 days I’ve been in your beautiful home country, I’ve visited so many places. The Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon, the Uffizi Galleries. So many amazing places, and I’ve experienced the most inspiring ordeals. But today was, by far, my favorite day.”

Theo regains his composure after hearing that, playfully judging her with his shoulder .

“Because of me, hm?”

You roll your eyes, looking away.

“Say it, principessa..” he prompted, gently holding your face and focusing it towards him.

You dramatically sigh and admit, “Yes, Theodore Nott. Because of you.”

He smiled the most breathtaking smile. If only you could capture a picture of it, but unfortunately your camera went down with the Vespa. You lay your head on his shoulder and squeeze your eyes shut, so that his bright smile could be engraved into your mind. Definitely a core memory.

After many moments of comfortable silence, Theo perks up.

“Oh! By the way, dolcezza, I realized I said the pickup line wrong when you struggled out of the swamp.”

You rolled your eyes at his impertinence and said, “First of all, it’s a pond, Theo. And second of all I did NOT struggle. I emerged like Aphrodite in a shell.”

“Ok my little swamp monster,” he annoyingly nuzzled his nose into your hair as you fought to hold back a giggle.

“Okok let me say the line.”

“Go ahead, Theo.”

“Did it hurt when you fell from heaven?”

You cocked an eyebrow at him.

“Because you have the face of un angelo.”

He grinned his shit-eating grin as you pretended to retch at the line. Jumping up with the fireflies around you, you tagged Theo, reigniting that competitive streak you both so closely shared. You both laughed like maniacs as you raced up the hill again, fireflies dancing around you in a waltz.

#theodore nott x you #theodore nott fluff #slytherin boys #theodore nott #theodore nott imagine #theodore nott one shot #theodore nott x reader

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cheolaholic · 6 months

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ring of love; csc (05)

summary; agreeing to join vernon spectate an underground boxing match wasn't how you'd expect to spend your friday night. you also didn't expect to see seungcheol, someone you've lost contact with for years, become a part of the ring.

modern! au • boxer! au • hhu focused • multiple kinds of tropes • fluff, angst, smut

a/n;; omg, i'm alive????? jkjk, work's been piling up lately and i'm honestly drained by the time I get back home so I couldn't do much writing or even qc the draft before yoinking them into a tumblr draft 💀 but anyways, hope yall enjoy this chapter !! uri boo makes a small little cameo in this chapter :D a part of the angst in this fic has also arrived, pls be prepared (it’s not that heavy tho).

You were 15 when you experienced your first ‘heartbreak’. Though, you call it a ‘heartbreak’ solely because it was a “for the lack of a better word” situation. A week before summer break, your parents had announced that the three of you would be flying off to Jeju to visit your grandparents.

You adore your grandparents, and they adore you just as much. Before you started middle school, you remember constantly flying off to Jeju, or even taking the ferry, to visit them every holiday and school break possible. Even during the initial stage of your move to the small town, your parents had sent you off to your grandparents as they sorted out the heavier parts.

Your grandparents had brought you to the beach, taught you how to make kimchi and even brought you to one of the fireworks shows during your stay. But, when you started middle school and were bombarded by a shit ton of schoolwork, you weren’t able to visit them as often.

So, you were ecstatic when your parents announced the Jeju trip. Both Aki and Seungcheol could see the excitement and happiness in your eyes as you told them about your plans.

Aki asking you questions about Jeju while Seungcheol listens to both of you with a small smile on his face. “how long will you be there, pup?” he asks, cheek leaning against the palm of his hand.

“Uhm… I think maybe for two weeks? I’m not really sure… Dad did ask mom if she wanted me to tag along with them to London afterwards…”

“Oh? What are they gonna be doing in London?”

“They have a business meeting that lasts at least two days. But, they decided to stay back a week for a mini vacation.”

“Do you want to go?” Aki asks as she pops a piece of strawberry into her mouth, stealing a glance at Seungcheol, noticing the way his shoulders are slumped at the mention of you thinking of joining your parents overseas.

Dude looks like a puppy not wanting its owner to leave it alone… she thought to herself, finding the scene in front of her amusing.

“Well, whether or not you want to join your parents, I’m sure you’ll enjoy yourself regardless!” she spoke.

“Take good care of yourself, pup,” Seungcheol added as he reached out a hand and patted your head, sending a faint blush spreading across your cheeks and a teasing smile on Aki’s lips, “If you ever need anything, call me, okay?”

“Or me!”

The older male rolled his eyes at Aki’s words, smiling when you nod your head.

“Seungkwannie!” you squealed out in happiness as you ran up to your cousin who was standing out at the gates of your grandparent's house, engulfing him in a big hug. “I can’t believe you’re here! Mom and Dad said that you’d be in Biyangdo!”

“And miss out on the chance to spend time with my favourite cousin? Never!” Seungkwan proclaimed as he pecked your cheek. “I haven’t seen you in years, ___! There’s no way I’d pass off the opportunity to spend time with you while you’re here!”

Seungkwan is your cousin from your mom’s side of the family. Before the age of 5, you don’t remember much about meeting Seungkwan other than the stories both your parents would tell you over family dinners. For example, when you asked them about the scar Seungkwan had on his chest, his dad said you were the one that left it on him. They proceeded to tell the story of how you had scratched Seungkwan because he had refused to let you watch Pocoyo on tv when both of you were just 3.

Or when his mom would ask you if you remembered Seungkwan hiding in the closet to scare you, but you ended up crying because you had thought he went home. So, instead of scaring you, he came out of the closet and both your parents found the two of you cuddled up on the floor the next morning

After Seungkwan helped you and your parents move the luggage into your grandparent’s home, Both of you sat on the porch, drinking the lemonade your grandmother had prepared. “How’re you, aunt and uncle doing?” he asks, “I heard from Uncle Lee that you’re starting high school soon! probably in a few months, right?”

“Things have been the same, besides the whole mom and dad having to go overseas occasionally and I had to stay with either Aki or Seungcheol.”

“Speaking of Seungcheol, how’s that little crush of yours on him going?” Seungkwan asked with a teasing smile, nudging your sides, “Ever thought of telling him before he graduates? There’s a chance he might head off to the big cities or even abroad for college.”

You were silent for a moment.

You have thought about telling Seungcheol your feelings, but you never thought about the timing. Now that his graduation is nearing, you still haven’t told him. As you were still stuck in your thoughts, Seungkwan places a hand on your shoulder, “Well, whatever happens, I wish you happiness.“

“You say that as if I’m leaving you forever.”

“Hey, let me be sentimental!”

Just as you rolled your eyes, you felt your phone vibrate - you had gotten a text from Aki.

aki: did you make it to Jeju safe? ___ bestie <3: yeap! ___ bestie <3: i’m with my cousin rn ___ bestie <3: [sent an attachment] aki: ooh, he’s cute ___ bestie <3: want me to introduce you? aki: gurl aki: don’t try to matchmake me when you’re struggling to tell Seungcheol about how you feel aki: and besides aki: your cousin is cute, but he’s not my type ___ bestie <3: wow ___ bestie <3: you really just did me dirty aki: i’m just saying ___ aki: better tell him before you lose the chance aki: besides your romantic struggles aki: have fun and take lots of pictures! aki: can’t wait to see them when you get back <3 ___ bestie <3: i will!

“Are you gonna stay here with grandma and grandpa while Aunt and Uncle Lee fly out to London?” Seungkwan asks as you set down your phone, refilling his glass of lemonade. You shrugged, still debating on whether or not you wanted to join your parents. “I’m honestly stuck in between… On one hand, I want to see what other countries are like. On the other, I haven’t seen grandma and grandpa in years…”

Your mother who was on her way to give you both a plate of strawberries overheard the conversation and tried her best to help you with your indecisiveness. “___, sweetie,” she began as she set the plate on the wooden porch floor, “you can always travel in the future when you’re all grown up.”

“That sounds like you just want her to stay here in Jeju so you and uncle can enjoy yourselves without her presence,” Seungkwan teased, earning a forehead flick from your mother.

“Well, she’ll be in your care too, Seungkwan. I hope I won’t return to a sassy, diva daughter after leaving her here with you.”

Seungkwan gasps dramatically, placing a hand over his chest at your mother’s statement. “Aunt Lee, I’m hurt and offended.”

“You’re just further proving my point, Seungkwan.”

“Hey, the sass could end up helping her in the future!”

cheollie: hey, pup cheollie: mom said you and your parents made it to Jeju safely cheollie: how are you feeling? cheollie: did you get motion sickness during the flight? cheollie: did you eat dinner yet? sweet pup: ehh, the motion sickness wasn’t that bad sweet pup: grandma made lemonade :D sweet pup: and yes, i ate dinner! sweet pup: grandpa grilled some mackerel sweet pup: [sent an attachment] sweet pup: and look at how fat the strawberries are :0 sweet pup: [sent an attachment] cheollie: wow cheollie: those look good cheollie: hey, do you think it’s alright if we have a call? sweet pup: like, right now? cheollie: yea sweet pup: oh sweet pup: um, let me head out to the porch cheollie: take your time, pup

As you quietly exited the room you were staying in and out onto the porch, you picked up Seungcheol’s incoming call, feeling the butterflies in your stomach intensify when you heard his deep, “Hey, pup.”

“Hi, Cheollie! Have you had your dinner?” you asked, getting a small hum as a response. “Dad got a deal with a big client so he bought steak for us. Mom also cooked calamari.”

“Wow, it must’ve tasted amazing…”

“Yeah, it was. But, tell me about your dinner, ___. I’m sure you had more than just grilled mackerel.” Seungcheol chuckled, a blush spreading across your cheeks as you mentally cussed at how the older male still has an effect on you despite being 2 hours away and talking to you through a phone.

“Well… Mom made raw crabs and seafood soup!”

“Looks like my little puppy is eating well... That’s good.”

“Is there another reason you wanted to call, Cheollie?”

There was a moment of silence on the other end, making you slightly anxious. You hear a faint rustling, thinking he must be lying on his bed as he’s talking to you. A sigh was heard before Seungcheol told you his motive for calling you - and to say it had you on the floor was an understatement.

No, this man had you envisioning a future with him.

“I miss you.”

When you didn't respond, Seungcheol got worried, calling out your name on the other end while you remained stunned at his confession.

“U-uhm, yeah?”

“Did that make you uncomfortable, pup?”

“No, no, it just… It just caught me by surprise…”

You hear Seungcheol chuckle, and more rustling can be heard before he speaks again. “Well, I’m used to having you around me, twenty-four seven, ___. It feels weird when you’re not.”

“I’ll be back in two weeks, Cheollie. You’re being dramatic!”

Maybe he was, the older male thought to himself. But, he pushes that thought to the back of his head as he finally tells you the real reason he’s calling you.

“My parents are thinking of bringing me to Seoul this weekend to check out a few unis… I just thought that I’d let you know since, y’know… I’m graduating soon…”

Your heart sank at the mention of him graduating. You knew it was bound to happen - you even told yourself to not be too sad when he does end up moving out of Daegu for college. But, to hear it coming from Seungcheol himself, the reality hit harder.

“Oh… Well, I’m happy for you!” you tried your best to hide the sadness in your voice, though he still picked it up. “Pup, I’m not going away forever. You’ll still see me when I come back during breaks and when you leave for college, you can come over to Seoul, too!” he assures you, chuckling to himself as he continues, “Maybe our parents might even have us share an apartment so I can watch over you.”

Humming, you stared up into the sky, mesmerised by the stars that were scattered along the blanket of the night sky.

“___?”

“Yea…?”

“Remember what I taught you during our taekwondo sessions?”

“What about it?”

“Don’t forget how to use them, okay? Can’t have my little puppy all defenceless now, can I?”

you bit your lip as Seungcheol went on with his words, how he wished he could stay in Daegu longer so he could spend more time with you. How he wanted to explore the bigger city in Daegu with you (where he implies it being just two of you and without Aki who would often nag at him for having a bad taste in things).

“I’m gonna miss you…” you muttered quietly, not knowing how or what else you were supposed to say. You weren’t going to tell him about your feelings, that’s for sure. but, a part of you wished you could.

Who knows? Maybe you both could end up being something.

“It’s getting late, pup. you must be tired from the flight and settling in. Goodnight, ___.”

“Goodnight, Cheollie…”

When the call ended, you stared at the screen of your phone, a million thoughts racing through your head. You couldn’t put a finger on it, but you had a sinking feeling in your stomach. perhaps you were overthinking the whole situation or something wrong was bound to happen. Whatever it was, you quietly got back into your room and crawled into bed.

Something didn’t feel right.

It was the weekend Seungcheol was due to head to Seoul to have a look at the city and attend a few of the education fairs - and not once, had you gotten a single message from him.

In fact, in the days leading up to that weekend, he had been quiet too. His replies were either short, took too long or there weren’t any replies at all.

It makes you feel uneasy.

“Still no updates from loverboy?” Seungkwan asks, glancing over your shoulder and peeking at your phone, seeing the wall of texts about how the past few days have gone down for you. When you sulkingly shake your head, Seungkwan’s heart aches as he sees his favourite cousin down in the dumps.

“Hey,” he calls out in a gentle tone, throwing an arm around your shoulder and pulling you close. “Maybe he’s just caught up with those college things. Sooner or later he’s bound to update you, right? Besides, you should be busy having fun here in Jeju!”

Looking at your phone one last time, you shoved it back into your pocket and let Seungkwan drag you to a food street, saying how they added more delicious treats since the last time you visited.

By evening, there was still no news about or from Seungcheol. You’ve tried calling him multiple times, but they all end up going to voicemail. It was starting to affect you and your parents began to take notice, but decided to not question it for fear of triggering an episode. After dinner, you decided to call Aki in an attempt to get some form of comfort.

“I just don’t understand, Aki,” you told her, “I texted him, even called him but I got nothing! What if something bad happened to him?”

“Hey now, you’re probably overthinking things. He might just be sorting those uni documents out - you know how lengthy and taxing they can be. Maybe, he’s just tired and needs some rest!”

“You think so?”

“It’s just a guess, ___. whatever it is, I’m sure it isn’t anything serious.”

Oh, how you wished it really wasn’t anything serious.

When the time came to send your parents off at the airport for their trip to London, you had sent a message to Seungcheol and yet again, you got no response. One thing you came to realise in recent years, was how big of an over-thinker you are. It was something you hated and while your family, Seungcheol and Aki have done whatever they can to help you lessen your overthinking, that still doesn’t stop it from creeping up on you from time to time.

Seungkwan does his best to cheer you up. Bringing you to more food streets, a maze field, and even the seaside to take your mind off of Seungcheol but alas, it was as if Seungcheol had taken over your mind just like the virus in ‘The Last of Us’. One evening as you sat on the sand of the beach, staring off into the horizon, Seungkwan came up and sat next to you.

“I know this might not sound nice, but you can’t let something like Seungcheol not responding to you ruin your trip, ___. Sure, it’s upsetting having someone you’ve known for years and care for go ghost on you, but it’s kind of… pathetic, to let it ruin what could be a fun summer vacation.”

As much as those words hurt you, Seungkwan was right.

You hadn’t seen your family that lived in Jeju for years and now that you can, you’re letting something like your crush not responding to you ruin it. “Then, what should I do, Kwannie…?” you asked, wiping the tears that were starting to stream down your face, “I don’t wanna leave Jeju knowing I didn’t get to spend time with you and our grandparents…”

“How about you try calling him only once? If he doesn’t pick up, we’ll forget about it and move on, okay?”

You give it a thought, minutes passing by before you pick up your phone and dial Seungcheol’s number, placing it near your ear.

“We’re sorry, the number you have dialled cannot be reached.”

Seungkwan noticed your body shaking as you redialled the number, your breathing starting to grow shallow.

“We’re sorry, the number you have dialled cannot be reached.”

“___?” Seungkwan calls out, placing a gentle hand on your shoulder. When you began to cry, he pulled you into a hug, rubbing your back as you cried your heart out. “Shhh, it’s okay, ____. it’s okay.”

When you got back to Daegu, your heart dropped at the sight of the empty house next to yours. the entire house looked as if it were fully emptied (which it was) - the potted plants Mrs. Choi had displayed on the gates were nowhere to be seen, the shoes that were neatly arranged on the shoe rack weren’t there anymore, and the Choi’s family car wasn’t parked in its usual place.

“I guess they must’ve moved since Seungcheol is going to start college soon…” your mother tells your father who hums in response as he unloads the luggage from the trunk of the taxi. When she notices the sadness and tears in your eyes, she immediately starts comforting you.”Oh, sweetie… Does it upset you that much?”

“I… I couldn’t even say goodbye to him…” you sobbed out, “I couldn’t even see him one last time before he left…”

“Oh, princess…” your father coos after bidding the taxi driver goodbye, hugging you tight as your mother does the same, “I’m sure he feels sad for not being able to do the same, hmm?”

“Will… Will I… Will I be able to see him again?” you asked through hiccuped sobs, wiping your tears away as more kept spilling. Your mother nods, giving you a pat on the head. “I'm sure you will, honey.”

“He said he’s thinking of joining University of Pledis, right?” your father asked, a small smile on his face when you nod, “Then, you just need to study hard and get in there too! That way, you can finally be reunited with prince charming!”

despite your tears, you still manage to laugh at your dad’s tease. “Dad!”

“Ah-ah, don’t think we didn’t know about your little crush on Seungcheol, ___.” he responded, chuckling as he gave your arm an assuring squeeze.

“Whatever the future has in store, I’m sure the two of you will meet again.”

taglist (unable to tag a few ㅠㅠ)

@yoonclip @1004luvangel @catjunhui @mystikha @spk93 @tinkerbell460 @yoozuku @dnylwoo @christinewithluv @limbomoon @plutoxxxworld @i-give-up-1234 @m1ngyuc0re @yunloyal @leclercloverbot @bettybeako @billboard-singer @ocyeanicc @krupyadoorrahe @seobinnieshi @xcynthiaaa @k411z @disneyprincesshuri @sunnyapp @khxsh @staygenezy @loufi8iepuff @ursweetener @noisypapergalaxy @wonwootakemyheart @sugainpinksweater @leah-rose03 @thisisnotthelastofus @yearnoclock @kwonhoeshi @minhui896 @ohmygodwhyareallusernamestaken @ru-lin @deobiforever @belladaises @cheoliekkuma @duskunt1ldawn @hyneyedfiz @marshmallowshouse @ak6ko @chwevernonlover @jejuboo-s @tsukinluv @atinytinaa @gyros-cum-sock @soupbinlily @jungwoos-luvr @ener-energy @watermelon-sugars-things @cyberpunkhwx @ddaengpotate @nightwingsrobbinhoods @chaerrylov3r @joshuaahong @wonussmile @uliceeeeeeee @wonwoo24 @shinetogether17 @simplejihoon @luvkpopp

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whore-4-drewstarkey · 1 year

Text

Girls Weekend- Drew Starkey x Fem!reader

summary: in which reader has her high school best friends come and visit her new place in Charleston and they finally find about about her secret lover.

warnings: angst? lots of fluff, and a bit of implied sexual content/comments. ENJOY! 😽

A/N: i’m def basing the two besties off of my besties hehehe 🤭 also, i suck at writing so please be nice 😭 ps this is my first drew starkey fic so feedback is defs welcomed 🫶🏻

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it was a late tuesday night in the beach town of charleston, south carolina when Y/N phone had started to buzz lightly. she was curled up on the couch, lamp on, reading one of her boyfriends many books he had acquired throughout the years. she found a stopping point in her (drew’s) book and placed the marker in it, before picking her phone up. she had a few texts from the ‘hometown girlies’ groupchat, immediately smiling, at the thought of her lifelong best friends.

ophelia: hey luvs, so martha and i were thinking maybe we could fly out to see you and your new place sometime soon?

ophelia: like maybe make it a girls weekend?!

martha: we miss you so much! we haven’t seen you in almost a year!

martha: just let us know when would work best for you! <3 xoxo

Y/N: omg! hi my babes!

Y/N: miss you girlies so fucking much it hurts 😢

Y/N: let me look at my schedule real quick! i’ll get back to you in about 20!

“hey, babe, my girlfriends from back home wanna come out and visit sometime soon, like have a girls weekend. are you still going to your mom’s the first week of may?” Y/N asked her boyfriend, drew, who sat close beside her, book in one hand, and his other gently rubbing his thumb across her shin, as she had her legs laying across his lap.

“uh, i believe so, unless someone cancels. why? am i not allowed to be there for girls weekend? oh wait! is this like where girls spill their darkest secrets?” drew rambled on as he looked up from his book, now intrigued by Y/N question.

“well, it’s not that i don’t want you here. it’s just they don’t know about us and i wanted to keep it that way. only the cast knows, and not even all of them know” Y/N let a sigh escape her plump lips. she wanted her best friends to know, yes, but at the same time she really liked the secrecy. not even her family knew about her and drew and that’s how she wanted to keep it, at least for now that is.

“i know i know. i will let you know if it gets canceled. but seriously what do girls do and talk about during a girls weekend?” drew asked with a confused expression plastered onto his face.

“that’s for us girls to know and you men to never find out. also thank you for always being so understanding and caring like all the time. i love you hunny” she cooed to her boyfriend who sat close to her on their shared couch.

“i love you too, angel” the tall, muscular man spoke as he leant over and planted a soft and gentle kiss to his girlfriend’s plump lips.

it had been three long weeks, of pure excitement and no patience. Y/N had just picked her two high school best friends, ophelia and martha, up from the airport and was headed back to her and her lovers’ place.

“i can’t believe you live in south carolina. like don’t you miss good old nebraska?” martha asked her best friend she hadn’t seen in almost a year.

“uh no, not really. i feel like i’m thriving here. i have a good job, a nice place, some friends. but don’t worry they won’t replace you two babes” Y/N giggled as she smiled.

“i mean, yeah you’re totally thriving here. wait! did you ever learn how to surf like you’ve always wanted to? or golf?” ophelia, who had been sitting in the passenger seat the whole ride back, spoke with pure curiosity.

“uh, yeah? kinda. one of my friends, chase, actually taught me how to surf. the guy knows how to do pretty much anything. i mean he grew up along the coast so he’s been doing it for awhile now. and as for golf, i definitely have had some lessons by another friend but he’s not the best teacher out there. like he ge-“ Y/N was cut off by her phone buzzing, notifying her that she had received a text.

without even thinking twice she then asked “hey ophelia, can you tell me who just texted me? i don’t wanna look while i’m driving because this traffic is horrible” she softly spoke.

“yeah, well it only has the name, woah who’s ‘joseph WITH A SWOONING EMOJI?!”

“DID YOU GET A LOVER FINALLY?!” martha screamed from the back seat of Y/N car.

“okay, for starters chill out. like bring down the volume i’m trying to drive here. and also, no that’s just my friend who i work with. the emoji is an inside joke. he’s actually the one who’s been trying to teach me how to golf. like i said he sucks at teaching” Y/N spat out about her secret lover.

“wait what do you do again? how do i not remember this?” martha asked, embarrassed she couldn’t remember what her best friend did for a living.

“dude she’s a makeup artist for some netflix show, right?” ophelia asked Y/N for confirmation, who hummed in response.

the three girls had just pulled into Y/N and drew’s apartment complex, which was near the beach per Y/N request as she had always loved the beach and longed to live near one at some point in her life. she just got lucky to, living with her soulmate near the beach. it’s everything she could’ve asked for and more.

ophelia and martha grabbed their carryons as Y/N tried to help the two women she’d called her best friends for over five years with their luggage. but her best friends of course declined the offer for help. once ophelia and martha gathered their luggage Y/N locked her car, and lead the way up the stairs to her and her lovers’ humble abode.

“the apartment is on the third floor, so my apologies for how tired you two will be when we finally make it to my floor. but hey, at least the view is great!” Y/N exclaimed, beaming with pure joy at the thought of spending the weekend with two women she’d been friends with the longest.

“are we almost there yet” martha huffed out as she trudged her way up the last set of staircases. she was tired already and just wanted to take a seat in a chair or on a couch. it didn’t matter which one at this point.

“yes, marti, it’s right here” the young makeup artist beamed as she unlocked the apartment door, pushing the door open, letting her friends go in first. they made a bit of noise, rolling their luggage on the wood floor as they entered the place, notifying a certain someone, that his lover was finally home.

“babe, you’re back! i tried texting you, anyways i’m about to head out to go shoot some hoops with J.D. an- uh hi?” drew spoke from your guys’ bedroom, as he entered the living room and kitchen area, only to met with three sets of eyes instead of one. as soon as he entered he finished pulling his shirt on, a light blush filling his cheeks as he had not expected to see two extra pair of eyes on him.

“joseph andrew! what the hell are you still doing here? i thought you were visiting your mom this weekend?” Y/N huffed out shakily, not really prepared to be interrogated by her two hometown girlfriends. she looked down at her feet as she felt her lovers’ and best friends’ eyes on her, wanting answers.

“first off, not a ‘hello, my love’ and yeah i texted you, told you my mom had to cancel because she had to work. something about wrapping up for the school year. i’m not really sure. plus, she wanted you to come as well” drew smirked as he walked past his girls’ best friends, lifting her chin up to look into his bright blue eyes. he could tell she was nervous. “why are you so nervous?” he spoke softly, as her friends looked at her.

“um… what’s going on here? WAIT! is THIS the guy who texted you earlier?” martha exclaimed in excitement.

“OH MY GOSH THIS IS THE GUY WHO TRIED TEACHING YOU HOW TO PLAY GOLF!” ophelia belted out with the realization who the guy had texted Y/N earlier was.

“u-uh y-yeah. guys this is m-my boyfriend? drew i’d like you to meet my best friends from back home, ophelia and martha. martha, ophelia, meet my lover, drew” Y/N stuttered out, feeling drew squeeze her hand, in a comforting way to let her know it’d be okay. he knew she didn’t want to tell them yet, but here she was, spilling her biggest secret to her girls. “and yeah, this is the guy who can’t teach me golf to save his life” she chuckled out lightheartedly, trying to lighten the mood.

“it’s not my fault you wear a short skirt every single time” drew mumbled out louder than he’d thought, as Y/N swatted his chest and her two friend chuckled lightly.

“whatever you say. now go play basketball with J.D. because i don’t wanna be blamed for you being late. i’ll never hear the end of it on set” Y/N smiled sweetly up at her lover, who’d bent down and pecked her lips softly, briskly walking out the door. “love you!” drew shouted from behind her” “love you too dumbass!” Y/N hollered back. and with that, drew was gone for the next few hours, leaving Y/N with ophelia and martha.

“i’m utterly speechless!” ophelia exclaimed loudly, not being able to control herself anymore. she’s waited for the day her best friend would find her significant other. and in all honesty, she was worried she never would. mainly because Y/N had a hard time opening up to men and trusting them with everything.

“you know we’re gonna get the dirt about everything out of you later tonight, right?” martha quizzed Y/N as she just giggled in return shaking her head in disbelief.

as the three girls got done eating and slightly catching up with each others lives, the front door opened, revealing none other than a shirtless, sweaty drew. the door opening had brought all three women’s attention to who had just entered. “drew, put a shirt on, better yet go take a shower. you smell. i can smell you from here babe. ew. what did you and J.D. do, run suicides?” Y/N scrunched her nose up as her boyfriend came closer to her, wafting his sweaty-smelling self to her.

“actually we didn’t do that. we just played a one-on-one game of basketball. and J.D. was losing per usual and came up with the dumbest rules that aren’t even real! i mean come on, i would know if those rules were real or not. mans a sore loser for sure” drew rambled on, ignoring his girlfriend’s statement to put a shirt on or take a shower request.

“okay, drew, so do you like know every sport or?” martha questioned her best friends boyfriend, eyebrows crunching up with the questioning look she’d given him.

“well, martha, if you’d like to know. i don’t know every sport. i try to act like i do but i typically just stick to mainly basketball and golf because that’s what i’m familiar with. however, i do think i’m a basketball pro” drew grinned cockily, as he rested his hands on Y/N shoulders from behind as he’d been standing behind her dining room chair.

“don’t even” she sighed, letting a giggle escape her mouth, as she spoke to her two friends. it was more of a warning to them, as drew could go on for hours about basketball and all the rules. “babe, go shower please. you smell like a sweaty pig” Y/N bellowed out again to her boyfriend once more.

“fine” drew puffed out, kissing her cheek and walking into their shared bedroom, shutting the door.

“okay i think we need to play for the girls card game and hope we get all the dirt out of you about mr dreamy and you!” ophelia let out, walking to her suitcase and digging the card game out.

“i can make the cocktails while you set up, if you don’t mind showing me where everything is!” martha told Y/N sweetly with a big smile that happened to be very contagious.

“okay fine, the alcohol is in the top right cabinet as well as the glasses. let me clean up the table and we can get started i guess” Y/N smiled nervously as she knew they wouldn’t stop until they knew each detail.

as soon as the three girls sat at the table, the game began. of course Y/N got picked first, picking up the card which was a truth.

“have you ever sexted someone? if so, who?” Y/N read out before continuing “what’s considered sexting?” she blushed lightly as her two best friend started to lightly freak out.

“really? if you have to ask then you totally have. actually it’s you we’re talking about you’ve never talked about doing sexual things through text” ophelia giggled as martha nodded her head in agreement.

“so NOT true. the answer is yes, and as for who, that smelly man is taking a shower. now it’s your turn ms ophelia” Y/N stated matter of factly, leaving her two friends with gaping mouths.

“shut up! no way! wait real quick how old is he again?” martha asked bewildered.

“well i’m 22 and he’s 7 years older than me so that makes him 29” Y/N stated in a smartass tone, sassily.

“WAIT! he’s almost THIRTY?! the guy doesn’t look a day over 24!” ophelia spat out to her girlfriend.

“tell me about it. i thought he was in his mid twenties and was flabbergasted when i found out hes almost thirty” Y/N chuckled out as she ushered ophelia to draw a card.

“give this card to the most likely to have had the most hookups. whelp, looks like i’m keeping this card. i’ll admit it!” ophelia sheepishly shrugged her shoulders. next it was martha’s turn, who had picked up a dare.

“dare. text your partner and tell them you’re pregnant. oh fuck. chad is not gonna like this. hell i don’t even like this” martha huffed out as she texted her boyfriend back home that she was pregnant. now it was a waiting game. “okay your turn ms innocent” martha gestured to Y/N who sat next to her.

“i’m telling you right now, if i get another stupid fucking truth i’m gonna lose it” Y/N grumbled as drew opened their bedroom door, walking out, freshly cleaned and with a fresh set of clothes. he had on his coors lite tshirt that hugged his biceps just right and a pair of blue jeans. it’s almost like the guy couldn’t go anywhere without a pair on. even if he was just chillin in the comfort of his own home.

“language m’lady!” he chirped to Y/N as she got done complaining about what kind of card she’d pick up next. “did you save me any of your homemade cooking?” drew asked her sweetly as he came up from behind Y/N chair again, softly massaging her shoulders, her leaning her head on his right arm in return.

“mmm of course i did my love. it’s in the microwave. hey before you go will you make me another cocktail? maybe a hurricane?” Y/N tilted her head back to look up at her extremely tall boyfriend, with a buzz cut still on show. she really did like that buzzcut and she hated to admit it, but it did things to her. she gently put her left hand on his right which was still sat on her shoulder, running her fingers across the cold metal that adorned them. “hey, you put your rings back on” she mumbled to herself as she played with them some more, waiting for an answer from drew about her cocktail.

“of course i’ll make you a hurricane. anything for you, quite literally” he smirked, bending down and planting a chaste kiss to her jaw, picking up her empty glass.

“Y/N girl pick up the card already” ophelia urged Y/N to pick up the next card. Y/N was praying it wouldn’t be another stupid truth, but of course the gods didn’t listen to her pleads.

“ugh! you’ve got to be kidding me! another truth. oh god. didn’t want to give this out” she huffed and puffed as she kept rereading her card. drew on the other hand wasn’t listening, minding his own business. he’d opened himself a beer, and began making Y/N her cocktail.

“read it!” martha started chanting to her now south carolina native best friend.

“are you a virgin? if not tell about your first time” Y/N mumbled out, getting drew’s attention, as he spat his beer out of his mouth all over the counter. he started to cough in the process, suppressing a laugh. he knew the whole story because he was the one who took it from her. and boy what a story that was.

“you gonna answer it? actually we both know the answer already” ophelia giggled because Y/N had always said she wouldn’t give it up til marriage.

“not true, also drew babe you good?” Y/N blurted out before she could even process her own words, leaving her two best friends utterly shocked.

“i’m peachy. just choked on my beer because i was definitely not expecting this to be that kind of game you girls play on a girls night weekend whatever it is. but yeah, not true” drew winked to his girlfriend’s two best friends.

“spill. answer the card. do it. right now” martha pressured Y/N to spill the details.

“ugh! okay fine. no i’m not a virgin anymore okay?” she blushed profusely, as drew walked over to the table with her freshly made cocktail in hand. he gently sat it down in front of her, going back to grab his dinner from the microwave as it went off.

“okay and? you gotta answer all the questions babes!” ophelia squealed out, taking a sip from her mimosa.

“like was it everything you dreamed of and more?” martha questioned seriously.

“ahh, don’t you even think about it!” drew warned his girlfriend from telling the somewhat embarrassing story of their first time as he sat down at the island near the table.

“hey mr party pooper it’s the rules of the game!” martha blurted out to drew from across the way. drew just laughed lightly, knowing she was right.

“this is awkward. i don’t like that drew’s staring at me! babe stop looking at me with those stupid fucking ocean blue eyes of yours!” Y/N screeched as she giggled, feeling tipsy already.

“babe, i’m just waiting for you to answer the question. that’s all” he chuckled with a smirk plastered on his face as he continued to eat his dinner.

“ugh so it was probably i don’t know 7 months ago. we had just wrapped up filming and we’re all partying. i kinda got a bit tipsy but don’t worry drew was too so don’t go hounding him on this. anyways we went back to his place he’d been sharing with austin, another costar and long story short we thought we were alone but turns out austin had come back early from partying and was actually trying to sleep in the next room over. also don’t worry drew kept asking me if i was sure and blah blah blah. very annoying by the way because i said i was sure and you kept on asking!” Y/N spoke out with hardly any breath left over, glancing at drew who cringed at the thought of his roommate hearing the both of them making love to one another.

“hey now, sorry for trying to make sure you wanted to” drew jokes back to Y/N who just smiled sweetly at him from across the way. “also, all i’m saying is if you weren’t so vocal he wouldn’t have known” drew smirked cockily at you, standing up, carrying his dirty dish to the sink.

“JOSEPH ANDREW STARKEY SHUT UP!” Y/N yelled playfully at him as she walked over to him, smacking his chest, making him let out the biggest laugh of the night.

“drew come draw one card!” martha urged her best friends boyfriend to play one round of their game.

“ugh, fine” he chuckled as he picked up a card, laughing when he read it in his head, before he began to read it out loud. “never have i ever had sex in public…”

“so? have you?” ophelia started to grill not only drew but her best friend, Y/N as well.

“i mean yeah? is that weird? have you guys not?” drew laughed nonchalantly, face plastered with a cocky smile, as if his answer wasn’t a big deal. martha and ophelia sat there, with their mouths wide open in shock.

“stop, wait really?! wait where?!” ophelia, the nosier friend of the two pried.

“the beach at like dusk and also at dawn oh and the communal bathrooms at the tennis court” drew blurted out, causing his girlfriend to scoff at him spilling the details. this just caused her two best friends to giggle.

“so, this, this is the guy that cracked the Y/F/N Y/L/N? some tall guy, who’s super cocky, and who’s by the way WAYYYY better looking than any other guy we went to school with?” ophelia spoke loudly, in shock that her best friend who had said for all these years she’d wait until marriage, cracked.

“yes, what can i say, he’s the sweetest, goofiest and between us three the nerdiest guy i think i’ve ever met in my life” Y/N chuckled happily as drew had his chest pressed against her back, thick arm wrapped around her body as he gazed down at his girl lovingly.

“hey, i’m not that nerdy!” drew attempted to defend himself but failed majorly. “babe you double majored and read very old books in your free time. you’re very nerdy” Y/N smiled up at him, gently scratching his scruff covered jaw.

“wait hold up hold up! he DOUBLE MAJORED?! i couldn’t even succeed with that and you know me. i’m like pretty smart. i’m intrigued. like i was not expecting this at all” martha spoke still flabbergasted by the whole situation.

“uh yeah i did double major. not that big of a deal. also hey babe before i go read my new book, tell me, did you ever finish east of eden?” drew looked down at Y/N quizzically.

“almost. i have like three chapters left. once i finish i promise i’ll talk to you about my thoughts on the book” Y/N smiled sweetly, pulling him down so she could give him a passionate kiss. “love you” Y/N mumbled against drew’s lips, as his hands cupped her waist, as she stood on her tippy toes. “i love you too. don’t stay up for too long. i need your cuddles to sleep” drew smiled shyly down to his girl, before he strolled his way to their bedroom.

“so tell me, was he big?” ophelia raised her eyebrows wanting to know all the deets on her besties new man.

“don’t you even fucking dare answer that baby” drew yelled, turning his head back, smirking, as he approached the bedroom door, opening it and entering. just in time for Y/N to whisper out a response.

“have you not seen how tall and muscular he is? hes a big boy, you do the math. hes definitely not small” Y/N winked at her two best friends who started to squeal out. drew, who had just sat down on the bed, back against the wall, just smirked to himself, shaking his head as he heard his girl gossip about him, not having a care in the world that she just spilled some personal information. he really enjoyed hearing her gossip and flaunt about him. he always had. and always will.

#drew starkey #drew starkey fluff #drew starkey x reader #rafe cameron #rafe cameron x reader #rafe outer banks #drew starkey fic #drew starkey x female reader #drew starkey x y/n #drew starkey x fem!reader

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silentangel2002-blog · 2 months

Text

Blurred Lines

Conrad Fisher x Female Reader

A/N: Even if it’s not addressed in this chapter, Y/N is a female chubby character just a heads up!! This chapter is an introduction!! We will see more of Conrad in the next chapters!! Didn’t check for grammar!!

Warnings: Panic attacks, mentions of body image issues and insecurities. Angst

Chapter summary: Your mom was very close with Laurel and Susannah. After a car crash at Cousins, Susannah took you and your younger brother in when you were young. You kept pushing everyone away for years.

Age gaps for this story

Y/N-21

Conrad-19

Jeremiah, Steven- 17

Belly-16

Liam (Y/N’s brother)- 16

Summer at Cousins was always your safe space. It was an escape from things back at home, your parents always arguing, you having to protect your younger brother Liam from all that chaos. Liam is the same age as Belly, and you are two years older than Conrad. Each summer felt like a fairytale, like something that was too good to be true. Until that night changed summer and Cousins for you all together.

It’s been three weeks since Susannah’s passing. It breaks you that you couldn’t go to her funeral. You had talked to her the week before she passed away. Only she knew why you drifted away from your friends and her boys. You two used to meet up at a small town by Cousins to talk and catch up. When her cancer came back you used to visit her often, when everyone was out of the house she would call you knowing you’d come at any time of the day. She even has a painting of you hidden underneath her bed.

You know that everyone is mad at you. After all, you disappeared on everyone except Susannah. Haven’t texted or called back anyone. You made sure no one at Cousins saw whenever Susannah needed you in the house. It was easier for everyone. At the moment it’s what was best for everyone.

Flashback (One month ago)

Susannah just called for me to go over in an hour, I decided to stop by and get her this amazing lemonade we used to drink at the restaurant we used to visit to catch up. She had mentioned that the door would be unlocked. As soon as I go in there she is in her bed tied up to who knows what. I told myself I wouldn’t cry but when I felt her weak yet warm arms around me I broke down. “Hey my baby queen, I’m still here, it’s okay.” She told me as I moved to the side of her bed. “Can you drink any fluids?” I ask her. The last time I brought her a muffin her body could not break down solids anymore. She smiles looking down to you. “What did you get me?” I pull up the lemonade cup. “Heck yes I can have yummy fluids!!” She says as I put the straw up to her so she can have a few zips. As I put the cup down you feel her staring at me. “What? I don’t want you to hurt yourself for some lemonade. I'll give you some more in a bit.” I say as I laugh at her. “Come here.” She says making a little space on the bed for me to sit. “ Look Queenie, last time you were here, one of the boys saw you.” I suddenly felt my heart sink down to my stomach, as I felt my heartbeat out of your chest. Susannah reaches to hold your hand “Breathe baby, it’s okay, they didn’t hear anything we talked about. He just really misses you.” Truth is I have been struggling with my mental health since I was young. It started with panic attacks. Susannah was the one that helped me through my first panic attack. I lightly squeezed her hand. “ I’m okay, I’m okay” I tell her.

“He really wants to see you. He’s not far from here.” I don’t know if it’s Jeremiah, but I do prefer Jere over seeing Conrad right now. Before I decided to leave, me and Conrad had a huge fight. “Is it Jeremiah?” I ask her. “ Of course it is.” She says reaching for her phone. “Jere, I’m okay hun don’t worry, she’s okay with seeing you.” The fact that she didn’t have to explain who “she” is makes me wonder how much he pestered her about seeing me.

*Flashback over*

Without going into detail you managed to tell Jeremiah that you were struggling with some things that you needed to take care of by yourself. He gave you an invitation to his graduation. The last time you saw Susannah you had a terrible panic attack, you had to stay in the hospital given your history. After not attending Susannah’s funeral you weren’t sure if he was upset with you again or not. You would understand if he was. You decided to sit away from anyone possibly seeing you. When all of the guests leave you wait behind to look for Jeremiah amongst the graduates. You didn’t even have to call him as soon as his eyes landed on you, you could feel it. He slowly walks up to you with tears in his eyes. “You know when my mom told me that you might disappear again. I didn’t think that meant not coming to her funeral.” He whispers. You bring him into a hug. “This time I’ll tell you what happened. But you have to give me time before I talk to the rest, I’m just not ready for that. Inside my gift I left my number.” You say handing him a gift bag. “When you have time we’ll catch up. I understand if you’re still upset with me right now.” As you walk away from him you hear his voice break down “please don’t push us away anymore.” All you can do is look back at him and give him a small smile. Not knowing that Conrad was watching you leave. As you left the venue everything came flooding back into your mind

Flashback (13 years old)

It was the Fourth of July, Jeremiah, Liam, and Steven were playing in the pool. You were fixing Belly’s hair, adding some cute bows to her Pigtails. She just turned 8, you want to help her as much as possible. “Hey y/n?” She turns up to look at you “what’s up little Belly?” You ask, smiling at her. “How are you so pretty?” Even if you didn’t feel pretty, being with your loved ones always made you forget your insecurities. “The more time you spend with people you love, the more you laugh and smile, the prettier you get.” You tell her as you see her eyes fill with joy. Looking out the window you see the clouds moving faster than usual. It never rains much out here. You see Laurel and Susannah come out “Boys!! Pool Time is over!! We’re getting a thunderstorm tonight.!!” Susannah yells. Your mom was just with Susannah and Laurel, not seeing her you go look for her. “Mom!!” You find her in the living room teary eyed. “Mom!! What’s wrong?” You say lowering your voice, not to worry about the rest. “ Nothing sweetie, your dad is upset I brought you guys here during this storm.” You all work together to make the living room comfy. You see the lights flickering on and off. Laurel has a box full of candles, while Susannah has some blankets. The boys help your mom move the living room furniture to the side. You and Belly lay the blankets and fall flat to the floor laughing, Now you all have space for everyone to sit down and sleep during the storm. As expected the lights went out.

As you were drifting to sleep you heard yelling. “I told you it would rain. But you never listen. You brought the kids next to an OCEAN. During a thunderstorm.” You already recognized your dads voice. “Michael, calm down. I thought you were lying about the rain just so we didn’t come here this summer.” You see your parents walk out while it’s still storming “Mom!! Dad!!” You see your dad slap your mom before anyone else walks out of the house. “Put my children in danger again, against my orders I’ll make sure you lose custody after this divorce.” Your dad sees you in the corner of his eye and tries to calm your mom down. “Look I didn’t mean to hit you. Let’s go home.” Your mom, scared, steps away from your dad. “Do NOT come any closer to me.” She warns him. And suddenly in slow motion you freeze. You see your dad step closer to your mom, and headlights coming closer to them. You try to run but Conrad and Steven hold you back.

*Flashback over*

After that day you lived with Susannah and her boys. Lost your mother at 13, and your dad afraid to go to court over anything left and never came back. Each summer you would go to art camp or volunteer at a Daycare. So that you would never go spend another summer at Cousins. Back in Boston you kept yourself busy and away from others. Even found an after school Job when you turned 16 so that you didn’t have to eat dinner with the rest. But Susannah always kept you company. After you turned 19 Susannah helped you get and apartment near a small art school you always wanted to attend. You’ve been living this routine away from your loved ones for a while now.

#tsitp #conrad fisher #x reader #angst #the summer i turned pretty #x yn #conrad fisher x reader #jeremiah fisher #susannah fisher #belly conklin #steven conklin #reader insert #drama

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fandom-blackhole · 2 years

Note

hi, i really liked your work in ao3, so i’d like to request about joel where reader is pregnant and she’s freaking out a bit about telling joel, afraid he’s not going to take the new well, mostly cause of his traumas, but also cause it’s not a safe environment to raise a kid. thank you!

So sorry this took me absolutely forever to get to my lovely, school has been super busy for me! But I'm so happy that you liked my other Joel works and came over here send a request <3 I hope you like this!!

WC: 3.6K (this one got away from me woops)

Warnings: afab!reader, pregnancy, set in Jackson, no real spoilers (that i noticed), one cuss word, mentions of doubts and intrusive thoughts over the pregnancy, very unedited (i am tired and i am sure there are a ton of mistakes sorry)

When the sickness first started you chalked it up to food poisoning from the twenty some year old can of Cambell’s baked potato soup you had found and eaten while out on a three day supply run. Joel had warned you about eating it, but you had been too excited over the soup and the nostalgic memories of before the outbreak that it brought with it. So it wasn’t too much of a surprise when two days later as you were hunched over the toilet, Joel rubbed your back gently and waited until after you were finished and he passed you a glass of water, crossing his arms as he leaned back against the door frame and sighed, “Told you not to eat that soup.”

You had only huffed at him and lifted your hand, motioning for help, to which Joel helped you up off the floor and helped you to bed. He left you there with your glass of water and a small trash can, but not before he pressed a lingering kiss to your forehead and whispered, “Rest up. I’ll come check up on ya in a few hours.”

Of course when a week passed and you were still running from bed each morning, Joel insisted you visit the doctor in town. You pushed back at first, saying that it was probably just the flu, it was that time of year right before winter fully sets in and the weather bounced from warm and cold and almost everyone had at least the sniffles. Joel, however, kept pushing and eventually he won out after a particularly rough day where you could barely hold down water and you couldn’t handle Joel’s worried glances anymore.

So the next morning, before he left for his patrol, Joel walked you to the building downtown that had long been converted into a doctor’s office. The whole walk there Joel kept fretting over you.

“You sure you’ll make it back home alright? I can ask Maria to come and walk you back when she’s finished, or have her grab Ellie to do it.”

”I’ll be fine. I swear you act like I am gonna walk out of there knocking on death’s door.”

Joel of course gives you an exasperated look as the two of you turn the corner to the main hub of Jackson that was downtown and he gives a huff before saying, “You just have me worried. I’ve never seen you this sick and you haven’t been getting any better. It’s been two weeks, you should be getting better by now.”

“Joel, I really think you are making a mountain out of a molehill here,” you reply to his worry, trying to reassure him just a little, but as he opens the door for you to enter the doctor’s office he just shakes his head while looking at the ground. When he meets your eyes again, he says with full seriousness, “I don’t think you ‘re taking this serious enough. Maybe I should stay an’ make sure you don’t downplay everything.”

At that you take a step forward towards Joel and stick a finger on his chest with your eyebrows raised.

“Oh no, you are going to go do your patrol with Tommy. I can do this like an adult,” you pause and meet Joel’s hazel gaze, reading into his worry with a sigh, “and I promise I will tell the doc the whole truth, leaving nothing out. You aren’t going to lose me to something as small as the flu Joel Miller, you’re stuck with me.”

That earned you a small quirk of Joel’s lips, before he sighed again before nodding. You gave him a small smile back and pressed a kiss to Joel’s nose before whispering a goodbye and walking into the doctor’s office.

---

Well, Joel was right it would seem. It wasn’t the flu like you had assumed. You weren’t even sure how to wrap your head around what the doctor had come in and told you. He had told you that he ran the test twice just to be sure, but both had come back positive. You were pregnant and there was no doubt in your mind whose child it was.

You didn’t mean to start crying, but once it started you couldn’t stop, the tears cascading down your cheeks as your shoulders shook with silent gasping sobs. Your doctor held you, letting your tears soak his shoulder as he ran a comforting hand up and down your back. From his reaction, you doubt this is the first time he’s comforted someone with news like this, afterall who wants to bring new life into a world like the one surrounding you now, it wasn’t a safe environment for children.

Once you had calmed, the doctor pulled away and with a gentle voice started giving you the pregnancy spiel- avoid this, don’t drink that, try to eat more of this. All of it was a blur in your mind, shock clouding your thoughts. The doctor told you he estimated that you were about six or seven weeks in, which is when morning sickness tended to make an appearance. So he gave you a bottle of multivitamins to start taking as well as a chamomile and ginger tea that is supposed to help the nausea. He also gave you a small bag of honey and mint candies, saying he was a little worried about your lack of calorie and fluid intake over the last week, telling you to drink the tea and try and suck on a few candies until you thought you could hold down actual food.

As you got ready to leave, your tote of goodies, as the nurse had called it, slung over your shoulder, the doctor gave your shoulder a reassuring squeeze and a small smile telling you, “Try not to worry too much, you’re in the best spot in the whole country to be going through something like this, and you aren’t alone, you have a whole town at your back. Not to mention the hardest fighter in town beside you.”

You returned his smile, though your’s was hollow and full of worry, and nodded. You wished the doctor and the nurse a good week and walked home, not stopping until you were alone in your bathroom sobbing as you slid down the wall in your shower.

---

Weeks passed and your nausea and morning sickness eased with the help of the tea which you drank in the mornings, smiling over the rim of your mug as Joel drank his coffee, always offering you some and you always declining. He never seemed any suspicious of your condition. He believed you that evening when you had told him a lie, told him that you had been right, that the doctor said it had been the flu making you sick. He didn’t question you when in the mornings after saying you were better you still drank the tea telling him you had really liked it and just didn’t want it to go to waste, when in reality you were still waking up with a queasy stomach each morning.

You aren’t completely sure why you continued to hide the pregnancy for Joel. He didn’t say it much, but he had told you that he loved you, he showed it to you almost daily through small things like bringing you fresh eggs when you mentioned a craving for cookies but you were missing that one ingredient, how he brought home you favorite food from the dining hall once you were finally able to hold down food again, how he surprised you with a gift yesterday- a small wooden bird carving he’d started for you when he noticed you’d been feeling down. He loved you, you knew this, and you loved him, but you were terrified of telling him. What if it changed how he felt? What if he didn’t take the news well?

You should know to ignore these doubts, you really should, but they cloud your thoughts anyway. Joel had already been through so much with his daughter, Sarah, and his adoptive daughter, Ellie. He’d long since confided both of their stories to you, he had told you how the death of his daughter had shattered him and how his cross country trip with Ellie had broken him back down once more. What if the pregnancy brought up all the bad memories and traumas for him? What if it was too much for him to go through the process of raising, caring, and protecting another kid?

That’s not even mentioning your own personal worries of the pregnancy. You knew Jackson was one of the safest places left, but that doesn’t mean that it is completely safe from the outside world. The town often had enough raids from hunters to remind you of that fact, and the hordes of infected wandering up north and getting closer to town were of no comfort to these worries either. And what about all the possible complications? Things could always go south and put you at risk. You could die giving birth, the baby could die, both of you could die. You both could end up as just another name on Joel’s list of loss. You didn’t want to be another source of pain for him, you didn’t want to hurt the man you loved like that.

So you don’t tell him. You continue to smile at him over the rim of your mug each morning. You continue to live your life around Jackson like nothing is different and you live in fear of the day you can no longer hide yourself from the man you love.

---

Months pass and you continue working. You continued patrols with Joel and you kept putting on the facade that everything was fine and like there wasn’t a constant fight going on in your head. Joel of course ever observant gave you worried looks like he could see through your mask, but never brought it up nor asked you what was troubling you. It was tearing you apart being the only one that knew and unable to bring yourself to say anything.

The nausea and morning sickness started to fade around the three month mark and you were truly overjoyed to not be waking up feeling ill each morning. But of course there had to be a downside. You only got another two weeks without the morning sickness before you noticed the thing that was going to be your undoing.

You had been pulling on your jeans, getting ready for the day’s patrol- one of the longer routes and you’d be accompanied by both Joel and Tommy- only when it got to buttoning them, you couldn’t. You’d noticed them getting a little tight, but had hoped that you’d have more time. Luck had never been on your side however, so as you struggled with the button you could feel your heart in your throat as your panic started to take ahold of you.

After several minutes you gave up, knowing your struggle was going to stay fruitless. Looking around your room for a solution, you paused on your spare pair of boots. As quickly as possible you dethreaded both sets of shoelaces and slipped them through your jean’s belt loops as many times as possible before tying the sides together and zipping the jeans closed as much as you could.

After shoving your boots that still had their laces on, you raced downstairs and rushed out an apology as you slipped your coat on, the weather still holding its chill.

“Sorry I couldn’t find my warm sweater. Let’s go before Tommy starts complaining about us holding him up.”

Joel just shook his head with a fond smile, holding your bag out for you to take as you passed to leave the house.

The walk to the front gate was quiet, the morning sun just gracing the horizon as you rubbed your hands together and slipped them into your pockets for your gloves which you hurriedly pulled on. Like you had predicted, once you reached the gate, Tommy stood next to his horse with his arms crossed and he spoke up as you and Joel approached, “What took you both so long? Coulda slept in in my nice warm bed if I’d known you’d be late.”

You rolled your eyes as Joel helped you up onto your horse and he replied, “Someone couldn’t find their warm sweater even though it was hanging right there in the closet.”

Gasping, you nudged Joel’s shoulder with the toe of your boot as he walked away, grumbling, “Just throw me under the bus why don’t you. See if I agree to go on anymore patrols with you two.”

Tommy laughs as he swings onto his own horse before leading the three of you out of Jackson and out towards your path for the day.

The three of you travel in silence for a little bit, you yourself enjoying listening to the early morning bird songs. Once you all get to the first sign-in point, you all take the chance for a pause and a stretch. You walk around the converted home, stopping to look through the bay window in one of the upstairs bedrooms. The room was clearly a kid’s room, the walls painted with fields and a barn and farmhouse surrounded by houses, cattle, chickens, and bison. The bed one of those that grew with a kid, going from cradle to toddler bed. Toys and stuffies long forgotten and scattered around the room. You leaned down and picked one up, a weathered build-a-bear wearing a pair of faux denim overalls and a red handkerchief. Gently you wiped the dirt and dust off the eyes, letting the black plastic shine once again.

Without realizing it, one of your hands drifted down to lay on your lower abdomen as you swallowed heavily and your eyes start to water. But you don’t get too far, as a soft knock on the door behind you brings you back. Turning, you find Joel looking over you, eyes slightly worried as he holds out a small pack of dried fruit. You give him a small smile and set the bear down on the bed before grabbing the food, noticing the hand on your stomach, quickly laughing and patting the hand there saying, “You must have heard my stomach growl downstairs.”

Taking your lead Joel gave you a grin replying, “Thought there was a runner up here from all the noise it was making.”

You huffed a laugh, kissing Joel’s cheek as you walked back downstairs and let out a sigh of thanks to whoever let you get away that easily with such a terrible lie. But you didn’t dwell on it, the three of you hopping onto your horses and setting out on the trail once more.

As you went this time, Joel and Tommy passed the time with conversation. You though just listened to them, eating the fruit Joel had given you and occasionally adding little input when prompted.

Tommy made mention that the meat stores were running a little low and he’d been asked to try and catch a deer if he could. That led the two down a conversation over how the food stores as a whole were doing and if there needed to be any supply runs anytime soon. You however zoned out at this knowing they would probably get wrapped up in the conversation. Instead you looked around as you rode, both to keep an eye out for anything and to keep your mind busy. Not that it worked as your mind drifted.

You were starting to show and while it wasn’t too noticeable right now, it would only be a matter of time before nothing fit and you’d be forced to tell Joel, or he’d figure it all out himself. At this point you're worried over his anger at being left in the dark over this for so long as well, adding to the number of worries you already held. The doctor had told you on your last check up that all your stress and worrying was causing your blood pressure to raise and that worried him. He had urged you to take a break, to try and relax but you couldn’t, not when relaxing meant your thoughts would be given more time to circle and bring you more stress and worry. You just wished all of this would disappear, that everything was fine and you only had to worry about the usual things like hunters and infected. You hated yourself for it, because you had truly not wanted it, but in the beginning you had hoped and prayed that something would happen, that this would go away and you wouldn’t have to tell Joel. But here you are and you should have known that this child being part Joel meant it wasn’t going to give up, that it was going to be there no matter how hard they had to fight, and fuck did you already love the little devil, but the worry it brought left you breaking apart.

Hearing your name shouted pulled you from your thoughts. Jerking your head you met Joel’s worried and confused look as he said, “Come on, Tommy is gonna go start a fire for us all to warm up an’ I spotted some deer tracks so you an’ me are gonna go see if we can find anything…..you good?”

Looking around, you noticed the three of you had reached the next sign in spot on the patrol route while you had been lost in your thoughts. Turning back to Joel you nodded before sliding from your horse and tying her up.

“Yeah, yeah I’m fine, just got a little lost in thought. Sorry.”

Joel just nodded slowly, his worried look not leaving, before he nodded his head to the right, saying, “The tracks lead this way.”

You nod, and grab your rifle from your shoulder, and start to follow after him, watching the tracks as the two of you go. It didn’t take long to catch up to the deer, the pretty female gazing on an open patch of grass only a fifteen minute or so walk from where you both had left Tommy and the horses. Quietly, both you and Joel looked through your scopes that the deer as she slowly stepped and ate at the patch of grass. You had had a clear shot, and were about to take it, knowing Joel’s own was blocked by a thin tree in front of him, but you paused when you saw movement next to her and that’s when you saw the small fauntling clinging close to its mother’s legs.

For some reason all of your worries came to a head as you saw the two together, and your hands shook as you put your rifle down. Joel turned to you confused as he had yet to notice the baby, so you just turned to him and shook your head and pressed your fingers to your lips before pointing to the deer and cradling your arms, signing to him that she had a baby with her. Joel took another quick look and sighed, putting his rifle down as well when he finally saw the fawn.

The two of you started back to Tommy to tell him that the prints had been a dead end, but halfway back you couldn’t help but pause, and say, “Do you ever feel jealous of them?”

Confused, Joel turned to look at you where you stood and shook his head as he said, “What?”

You sigh and refuse to meet his eyes as you motion back to where the deer were, clearing your throat.

“The animals. Do you ever get jealous over how they aren’t chased after like we are, how they can’t turn into monsters that become murderous and hunt down the rest of their species? They just have to worry about running fast enough away from those of us that are living so they don’t become some terribly seasoned stew.”

Joel takes a step towards you, reaching a hand out to cup your shoulder, and says your name, “Where is this coming from? Does this have to do with what’s had you so stressed lately?”

You opened your mouth to reply, to brush it all away and just say nevermind, that it didn’t matter it was only a thought, but you met Joel’s eyes, the hazel swirling with concern and his voice laced with the need to help. In that moment every reply is lost to your tongue and your eyes swell with tears as you utter the words you’d been so terrified to share.

“Joel, I’m pregnant.”

The seconds ticked like hours as you realized you finally let the truth slip. As you watched the emotions filter over Joel’s face. Surprise, confusion, worry….wonder. His eyes danced around your figure as a single tear finally slipped.

“You’re sure?”

You nodded choppily and you gave him a timid smile.

“Yeah…turns out you were right months ago, it was never the flu,” you paused, taking a shuddering breath before continuing, “I…. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner, I-I just didn’t know how and my head kept fueling all these ‘what ifs’ around my thoughts and I just didn’t know how to handle it but god I should have told you and I am sorry.”

Gently, Joel cupped your face and wiped away the tears that had fallen as you apologized. He looked at you like you had just whispered to him the secret cure to the infection, one that didn’t involve Ellie.

Joel’s eyes bounced between your own as he asked, “How far….how far along are you?”

“Almost three and a half months,” you reply, your stress slowly fading to the background and slipping away.

Joel, as if he could see all of your doubts over the last three months, looks you right in the eye as he says, “You don’t have to worry anymore. Nothing will happen to either of you, not under my watch.”

Have an idea or headcannon you want written for Joel? My askbox is open! Feel free to send it to me! Thanks for reading and check out my other Joel fics! <3

Masterlist

#joel x reader #joel miller x reader

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vladajwrites · 1 year

Text

Razor’s Edge

Part Three || Part Four || Part Five || Part Six

Summary; Reader moves to Woodsboro for her senior year of high school. This story take place in the setting of the Scream 4 movie. This story is dedicated to all of the girls living through the current Rory Culkin revival. I love and see you. <3

Also available to be read on AO3 here

It's imperative for me to mention MAJOR trigger warnings for this story; blood, violence, sexual content, alcohol usage, and mentions of abusive situations and suicide. I will add and edit tw's as needed.

WC; 5830

Notes; this chapter has actually had my head spinning lol

again, truly thank you for reading! much much love <3

(Not Beta Read)

You spent the remainder of the school day restlessly waiting to see Charlie again. The more you thought of it, the idea of him orchestrating that night with you, the more you warmed up to the idea.

It was an interesting and covertly complex tactic, definitely, but you were thankful he actually made a move. He clearly was not the type to just outwardly express his feelings and emotional intentions. The lying to you and Robbie, finishing up the project on his own; it should make you understandably unnerved, but it doesn’t. So, if this was what he needed to do to convey his feelings to you, you could learn to find it endearing.

You stopped Charlie in the hall on the way to film club after the last bell rang. His cheeks were tinted red as he met your eyes.

“Charlie,” you began.

“Look, I can’t tell you how sorry I am. I shouldn’t have lied to you.” He tripped over his words.

His expression showed his confusion as a small smile slipped up your lips. You loved how nervous he still was around you.

You placed your arms over his shoulders. “I forgive you, but don’t you dare lie to me again, Charlie Walker.” You whispered right beside his ear.

He cleared his throat, stumbling back a bit as you pulled away. “Yes, ma’am.”

You laughed, sliding one of your arms through the gap between his elbow and stomach.

“Ma’am? I am not my mother.” You teased him, pulling him down the hallway.

He tensed a bit as your free hand came up to hold around his upper arm.

You both walked in silence for a moment. You could see from the corner of your eye that Charlie was anxiously looking up to meet the perplexed gaze of the students you passed by. You guess this was really the first time that you had shown any affection towards Charlie publically.

You only held him tighter. You hardly noticed anyone else around the two of you.

“Did you hear about Kirby’s party next weekend?” You broke the silence.

He looked down to meet your eyes. His face held something that almost resembled discomfort.

He nodded before responding. “Yeah, I did.”

You stopped for a moment as you rounded the corner that led to film club. “Well, Kirby invited me, but I only want to go if you can come with me.”

His arms dropped to his side. You followed suit. What was this expression he now had? You couldn’t read it. He couldn’t meet your eyes before responding.

“I made plans to visit my mom at Isle Institution. I haven’t seen her in a while-“

Your face dropped as you took in his words. Isle Institution? That was the psychiatric care facility in the next town over. When he had said that his mother was in and out of psychiatric help, you never imagined her living in a facility like that. You immediately felt horrible for bringing up the party. Visiting his mother was clearly more important.

“Oh, no, I completely understand. Go and see your mother. It’d be nice to have a night in on my own, anyway.” You gave him your most reassuring smile.

He looked down to meet your eyes again. You could tell he was rolling some idea around in his head.

“No go, I shouldn’t be gone too long. I’ll meet you there. I’d love to go with you.” He tried to give his best smile in return. You weren’t sure you were buying it. You really didn’t want to go to this party alone, didn’t mind spending the night at home, but if he was able to meet you there not too long after? You’d like that very much.

“Okay,” you nodded. “But don’t worry if you can’t make it. Just try to let me know, please.”

“Deal.” He replied.

Film club passed by quickly, as did the rest of the weekend.

You spent most of your free time texting back and forth with Charlie. He was so much more sure of himself over the phone. Maybe it just was the face-to-face stuff that made him so nervous.

The school days during the following week were spent looking for Charlie when you could. You made an effort to pass small touches in the halls, could tell he did the same. You couldn’t help but feel your stomach twist up when you caught him watching you in class.

It’d be a lie to say you hadn’t become even more enamored with him with each passing day. He was so incredibly interesting. You wanted to know more, know everything. You caught yourself laughing along with every dumb joke he’d try to make.

You’d invite him over after class nearly every day. His confidence around you grew as you spent more and more time around one another.

You couldn’t lie, being in such close proximity to him was making you feel frustrated in a way you hadn’t felt before. You just wanted to be closer to him. You’d watch his lips, his hands; and pray that he’d just reach over and hold you underneath him-

But as the next few days passed by, you could tell something was growing increasingly troublesome in his mind. He just seemed so far off, distant. You wished you could have just found the right words to say to him, take away whatever was worrying him. You wanted him to come back to you so desperately.

On Friday, you finally worked up the courage to ask him what was wrong. You laid in your bed next to him, pretending to work on something for your English class.

“What’s bothering you, Charlie?” You asked. He sat beside you, staring out your bedroom window.

“Hmm?” He replied as if he hadn’t caught your question.

You grabbed his hand, urging him to look at you as you adjusted yourself into a sitting position.

“What’s going on with you?” You asked gently.

His eyes darted quickly over your face. “Nothing-“

Your brows furrowed as you shot a look at him that said, ‘I know you’re lying to me.’

He sighed before continuing, “I- I don’t know. It’s just my mom, I think. I haven’t seen her in a while, to be honest. I’m always nervous to be around her. I don’t want to upset her.”

You ran your thumb over the back of his hand and nodded. “I’m sorry Charlie, I’m sure she’d love to see you.” You smiled softly.

He sucked in a breath, nodding.

You both sat there for a moment, hand in hand, heads against the headboard. Music played faintly in the background, filling the lapse in conversation.

Charlie was the one who broke the silence after some time had passed. His question was so quiet, you nearly weren’t able to catch it. “Could you hurt someone?”

You turned sharply to look at him. His face stayed forward, but you were able to catch his gaze from his peripherals.

“What do you mean?” You tried to conceal your confused tone.

He turned to face you now. “If you had to, could you do it if you absolutely had to?”

His question was nearly disorienting. Why would he ask you this? Your confusion cleared as you thought back to his mother and his father. Was this what he meant?

Could you? Really, could you bring yourself to do it?

You swallowed hard. “If it were between my life or someone else’s, I think I could.” He settled into the bed a bit at your answer.

“If this is about your father, Charlie, you did what you had to do. I’d never hold that against you. And I’m sure your mother wouldn’t either.”

He didn’t reply, only let his gaze fixate on the ceiling fan above. You didn’t push it any further. You hoped he’d be back in his usual spirits after his visit with his mother.

You woke the next morning in a tangle of sheets. The record you had been playing the night before was skipping over and over again on the player. The conversation you had with Charlie the day before played over in your mind. You frowned. It must feel so lonely to go through life after what he had lived through. You prayed this day would go well for him.

You sat up, groaning, pushing the hair out of your eyes. You reached for your phone, scrolling through your limited notifications.

Kirby’s text was at the top. “I’ll see you later. ;)”

“Can’t wait!” you replied. You honestly hadn’t been keeping up with Kirby as much as you believed you should have. You made a mental note to thank her for the invitation when you saw her tonight.

Charlie had also messaged you, “I should still be able to make it back in time for the party. I’ll let you know if anything changes.”

There was a second message from him sent slightly after the first one. “Send me a picture of what you decide to wear.”

You smiled to yourself. He didn’t care about what you had decided to wear, not so smooth. “You’ll see what I’m wearing when I see you at the party.”

You honestly hadn’t given much thought to what you would wear. Kirby had messaged you asking for advice on her outfit a few days before. You wanted to dress up like her, look nicer than usual.

You stood, lifting the needle on your record player and turning it off. You pulled your closet doors open and riffled through the mess of hangers inside. After throwing skirts and dresses and other articles of clothing into a pile on your bed, you realized that nothing you owned fit the image you had in mind.

You groaned, collapsing amongst the pile. It was useless, you resigned yourself.

Just then, Irina passed by your door, which was propped open about a quarter of the way. An idea came to you then. She’d surely have something. You knew she kept most of her clothing from her life-of-the-party days. She had amassed a comprehensive collection of clothing over the years. Her closet was nearly daunting to explore on your own.

You quickly stood, throwing open your door. Irina jumped at the end of the hall.

“Oh, I’m sorry.” You tried to laugh it all off. She grabbed at her chest, laughing with you.

“Is there something I can do for you? Or were you trying to give me a heart attack?” She asked, steadying her cup of coffee.

You made your way down the hall toward her, apologizing again. “Yes, actually, I’m desperate.”

She cocked an eyebrow, following you into her bedroom. She turned to face you again, unsure where the conversation was about to go.

“Okay, there’s this big party tonight,” the smile on Irina’s face grew to meet her eyes as you continued. “And I have nothing to wear. It’s just not coming together.” You sighed, dropping onto her bed.

She set her coffee on the nightstand beside you before opening the doors that led into her closet.

She started flipping through hangers towards the back of her wardrobe. She reached for a hanger before turning over her shoulder. “Oh, I definitely have an idea or two.”

You smiled as she walked out, holding a black silken dress in her hands. She placed it in your hands as you looked it over. It was definitely beautiful, imaginatively form-fitting, low-cut, and incredibly short. Not the type of thing you were used to wearing, but you trusted Irina’s vision. She returned from her closet again with a pair of deep red heeled-boots.

She dropped the boots in your hands as well. “Well, go try it all on.”

You nodded, standing up.

Once in the bathroom, you stepped out of your clothes, gently pulling the dress over your head. You slid on the boots before giving yourself a once over in her full-length mirror.

Your breath caught in your chest at the sight. This was it, exactly the sort of thing you had wanted to wear. How could she always tell?

You hadn’t realized how long you stood there before Irina knocked on the other side of the door. You steadied yourself, smoothing over the dress before opening the door.

Irina’s eyes lit up immediately, her hands came up to her chest. “So beautiful, sweetheart.”

“Thank you,” you replied breathlessly.

She fixed the straps and tugged at the waistline a bit. “It’s just a little big, but should work for tonight. I’ll have it tailored for you sometime soon.”

“Thank you so much. Really, thank you.” You replied, wrapping your arms around her.

The rest of the day was spent anxiously pacing around your house. You fussed with your hair and makeup until giving up and calling in Irina to help you with that as well.

Once you were all ready, and it was time to go, you collected your few things in the clutch your aunt had also let you borrow. She insisted that your usual purse would have completely ruined the entire outfit. You didn’t fight her on it.

Irina stopped you at the door. “Have your phone?”

“Yes, fully charged.” You replied.

She nodded. “Well, keep your ringer on. Call me if you need anything.”

“Okay.” You reached over to give her one last hug before leaving.

“Have fun tonight. Be safe and responsible! If the police pick you up, I’ll post your bail!” She called after you as you made your way to your car. You laughed, waving at her over your shoulder.

You followed the directions to Kirby’s house carefully, trying not to pay any attention to your nerves. You parked in the first spot you found amidst the ever-extending line of parked cars in front of her house.

You locked your car, shoving the keys back into your clutch.

The music was loud enough to be heard from the street. You noticed a few people standing on her front porch smoking.

You anxiously smoothed over your dress. The cool air made your skin prick up. You should’ve brought a jacket. Maybe you could go back and grab one-

No, you quickly put the idea to rest, knowing if you left now, you wouldn’t return.

You wished Charlie was there to walk in with you as you entered the party. You quickly grabbed a plastic cup from the table that had been set up in the entryway. You filled it up with whatever alcoholic concoction was sitting in a tub in front of you. You finished it in a few gulps, swallowing down hard. The first drink was always the worst.

You filled it up again before making your way further into the party. The music was making the floor pound. It was hard to keep steady as you pushed through the crowd toward the living room. Most of your peers already appeared to be completely inebriated around you.

You tried for a few moments to find Kirby but gave up after a while figuring she must be busy or off doing her own thing.

There were black and white masks thrown about the party. It took a moment, but you eventually recognized them from the Stab movies. You had never personally watched them, but had always seen the advertisements for the films.

Of course, you thought. You honestly hadn’t even really thought about the terrible reality that those movies were based on since moving to Woodsboro. The only time you had really heard about the murders was briefly in your childhood, and occasionally on the news during the anniversary of the killings. Hadn’t they happened in October?

You found the mask’s presence here odd, even a bit morbid, but you hadn’t actually grown up here. You figured that the lifelong residents who had lived through this all had a right to remember it however they wanted to.

As you pushed the thought of the murders toward the back of your mind and made your way deeper into the growing crowd, your head began to grow fuzzy and swim under the neon lights that flashed around you. It was a welcome feeling, slowly working to drown out your nerves from before.

After finishing your third cup, you decided to have a fourth. After this, you’d slow down, you promised yourself.

You eventually ran into Kirby. She looked stunning, as usual. She was clearly already drunk but held herself together eloquently.

“Oh my God, it’s so good to see you. I wasn’t actually sure if you would come!” Kirby said while pulling you tightly into a hug.

She stumbled a bit as she let go. You held both her and yourself steady. The effects of the alcohol were slowly reaching a peak inside you.

“Yeah, it’s good to see you, too. Thank you for the invitation!” You had to shout your reply. Your voice was still nearly muffled by the voices and music around you.

“Of course! Hope I run into you again.” Kirby smiled and went to turn on her heel. She stopped herself briefly, grabbing your arm before you also walked away. “Have you seen Jill anywhere? She was supposed to be here hours ago.”

You barely caught the last of her words. “No, I’m sorry. I haven’t seen her.”

Kirby looked a bit defeated but nodded. “She’ll turn up. Thank you anyways!”

After leaving Kirby, a girl you recognized from your homeroom class passed you a shot glass and another cup of too-sour mixer and what surely must’ve been cheap tequila. You took the gifted shot with a small group of people in the kitchen before slipping back through the main area of the party. The music was becoming too loud; the lights were blinding. You felt so hot, could barely breathe.

With the cheap DIY margarita still in your hand, you made your way into the backyard. You just needed a moment, needed to see if Charlie had reached out to you yet. The back patio was dimly lit, the cool air was now a welcomed companion.

A small crowd was formed around some more tables on the lawn below. Beerpong was well underway, and apparently very intense at the moment based on the way people were yelling and cheering each other on.

You took another sip of your drink before setting the cup on the patio railing, reaching into your purse for your phone.

You swayed a bit, frowning to yourself after seeing you had no messages from Charlie, no missed calls, either. Your fingers hovered over the screen for a moment as you tried to make out the now swirling letters on your keyboard.

“Are you almost here?” You took your time rereading the text to make sure you had gotten out the right words. Satisfied, you pressed send.

You watched your phone for a moment, staring at the screen, hoping for a quick text back. You just wanted to be near him so badly. You came to the conclusion that he must be on his way if he wasn’t responding. Seemingly resigning, you dropped your phone in your bag again.

As you reached beside you for your cup, it was picked up before you had the chance to grab it.

Your heart sank as you turned to face the man who was now holding your drink hostage. Scotty towered above you. You watched in disgust as he quickly finished the rest of your drink.

Even in your now almost drunken state, you wanted to be away from him as quickly as possible. As you turned to walk away, his hand rapidly planted itself on the wall beside your head. You watched with disdain as he threw the now empty cup over his back and placed his other hand on your shoulder.

His grip was bruising as you tried to shrug him off of you.

“Hey, where are you trying to run off to? We can be friends, right?” He smelt like liquor, his eyes could hardly focus on you.

You shivered as he stumbled forward, planting a knee between your thighs, effectively pinning you to the wall.

You shook your head, looking around for anyone else close by that could step in and help you. It was just the two of you alone on the porch. From what you could tell, no one was paying any attention at all from the lawn below.

You brought your hands up on his chest, pushing him with all your strength. Your head felt so dizzy, he barely moved an inch. Your body was effectively working against you. You instantly regretted coming to this party, drinking, all of it. You could hardly even find the strength to use your voice.

“Come on, sweetheart. I know you want me, too; showing up here looking like this tonight. I’m glad you ditched that loser you’ve been seeing.” He brought his head down closer to yours.

The blood under the surface of your skin boiled. Without giving it any thought, you leaned in closer, spitting in his face.

“Get the fuck off of me.” Your words were more slurred than you had imagined they would be.

A satisfied smile graced your lips as you watched him stumble back, wiping at his face.

The proud expression you held quickly transformed into terror as you watched Anderson’s line-of-sight turn dark, filled with rage.

You barely had time to process what was going on before he stepped back closer to you. You could feel his sickly hot breath on your skin. He closed the distance so quickly. This time, his aggression was not hidden behind the sly mask he wore only moments ago.

He wouldn’t really hurt you, would he?

Your question was devastatingly answered as he stepped back half a step, raising his arm to swing. An absolutely evil look showed in his eyes. You wouldn’t have been able to slip past him in time to escape.

You dropped nearly to your knees, shielding your face with your forearms.

The entire world seemed to slow and stop around you. It was only you, your back against the wall, your heart pounding in your throat.

You tensed your entire body, bracing for the impact you were sure was to come.

Suddenly you were just a child, on your bedroom floor, your father smacking you around as he verbally tore into you.

You couldn’t help the tears that welled in your eyes.

Abruptly, you felt a heavy thud in front of you, pulling you from your thoughts. You jumped, the deafening buzz in your ears subsided as you recognized a familiar voice.

You peeked over your arms. Scotty never got the chance to make contact with you.

“I’ll kill you. I’ll fucking kill you.” The sound of a fist connecting with the hard bone of a lower jaw rang out around you.

It was Charlie.

He was standing over Anderson’s barely conscious body. His left fist was hooked into the collar of his shirt, while his right swung back to let into him again and again.

Your eyes widened in shock. The sound of Scotty choking back on his own blood urged you to your feet.

By now, people from the lawn and the thrown-open back door were filing onto the patio. The shocked whispers of those around you fell on deaf ears.

You reached forward, wrapping your arms around Charlie’s arm that held Anderson in place.

You pulled with all your strength, working on pure adrenaline. “Stop, Charlie, please. You’ve got him. It’s okay, I’m okay.”

He slacked at the sound of your words, straightening up to grab you in his arms. You could feel his heart pounding in his chest, or maybe it was just your own that you were feeling.

“I’m so sorry. I should’ve been here sooner. I’m so sorry.” He said over and over again. His hands worked themselves comfortingly up and down your back.

You nodded, painfully pulling yourself away from him for a moment. There were now a few people surrounding Scotty, trying to pull him up from the ground. You could feel the questioning and shocked eyes on you and Charlie from the small crowd that had formed.

“Please, please, can we just leave?” You gasped out.

Charlie nodded, looking you over. His arms draped over your shoulder, pulling you into him. He skillfully and carefully moved you through the crowds and out of the house.

You shivered and stumbled out into the street. Charlie was quick to steady you. He shrugged out of his coat and threw it gently over your shoulders. The tears were steadily streaming down your face and onto your chest.

Once at your car, you messed around in your purse, digging for your keys.

“Here baby, please, let me drive you home.” Charlie reached for your purse and walked around with you to the passenger side. He opened the door for you, waiting until you were in comfortably before closing the car door slowly. He was quick to find your keys and turn over the engine.

The car was silent. You were both unsure of what to say.

“I’m so sorry,” Charlie spoke just above a whisper. You looked over at him. His knuckles, from what you could tell, were white as he gripped the steering wheel. A thick layer of blood had dried across his right hand.

You shivered again at the thought of what had happened just moments before. You honestly would’ve never believed Charlie had that kind of physical strength in him. To drop a man, who was objectively much bigger than nearly everyone was, to the ground- it was just so-

You looked up to meet his eyes. “Please don’t be sorry. If you hadn’t come when you had, hadn’t done what you had done to protect me- I’m sorry that you even had to get involved.”

He sighed, reaching to rest one of his warm hands on your bare upper thigh. “Don’t apologize to me. It should’ve never been able to get to that point.”

You put your hand over his as gently as possible, carefully avoiding his knuckles that were already beginning to swell.

How could this have all happened? How could you put yourself in this position? You tried to will away the dark thoughts that were telling you that this was in any way your fault. You truly couldn’t shake the feeling of guilt, though. What if Charlie got into any trouble because of this? What if Anderson pressed charges or tried to get back at Charlie or you in some horrible way? Were you both in any danger now? No one stood up to men like Anderson and his group.

And if Charlie hadn’t gotten there when he had-? How was it possible for him to always be there in the moments you needed him? And how was he able to do what he did? It was all just so unbelievable. You had seen a side of Charlie tonight you would’ve never imagined you’d see. The venom in his voice, the strength, the quick brutality of actions-

This entire situation sobered you up rapidly. You dropped your head in your hands, willing away the tears. You hadn’t even realized you were beginning to hyperventilate until you felt Charlie’s hand tighten around you, urging you out of your own thoughts.

You could feel him steal small glances of you as you stared out the passenger window.

“I’m sorry, I’m okay.” You said, your voice raspy and broken. You sat up straight, wiping away the last of your tears. You had to be stronger than this, it was going to be okay, it had to be.

“Don’t say sorry anymore, please.” Charlie looked over to meet your eyes.

The hand he held on your thigh came up to rest in the mess of your hair. He moved his fingers, carefully working to comfort you.

Your eyes fluttered back as you relaxed into him.

As long as you were with him, it would be okay. You would work it out together.

Charlie’s hand dropped back into your lap as your breaths evened out a bit more. His fingers traced steady circles on your upper thighs, just above the silk of your dress.

You carefully shrugged out of his coat; it was just getting so warm. You went to reach for the dial that adjusted your AC, only to find it had been shut off this entire time.

You felt your face flush as you dropped your hand back in your lap.

“You know, I’m glad I waited to see that dress on you in person.” Charlie gave you a smile, trying his best to reassure you, relieve any of the tension that still drilled into your nerves. “You really do look beautiful. I mean- you always do, I-“

You let out a sigh that nearly resembled a real laugh, sinking further into your seat. Your head fell to rest on his arm.

“Thank you, Charlie.” Your heart swelled as you looked up at him. The features of his face lit up so perfectly under the dim street lighting. You wished you could capture this image and keep it forever. You hadn’t even noticed that you were now parked in front of your house.

He was just so beautiful, kept you safe. You knew, in his own way, he absolutely adored you. He was absolutely everything to you. You would do anything, if it brought him any sort of peace.

Your smile widened as he looked down at you.

He gently moved the hair out of your face and tucked it behind your ear.

“What’s going on, babe?” His brow furrowed a bit as he tried to find the cause of the tears that had begun to well in your eyes again.

You never wanted to be away from him. You just hoped he understood how deeply you cared for him, how much you needed him. How much you lo- “I love you.” The words spilled mindlessly out of you.

He immediately tensed beside you. Had you actually said that out loud?

He was quick, carefully wrapping his hands on either side of your face, pulling you close to look at him. He studied your face for any hint of sincerity.

Had you been sincere? Yes, you resigned yourself. You really did love him. Whatever love meant to you, it filled your heart just for him.

“Do you mean that?” His voice was so low.

You nodded. “Yes Charlie, I just love you. I mean it.”

His lips were on yours before he could give himself another moment to process it all.

You melted into him, matching his fervent need.

“I love you, too.” He spoke against your lips. The tears finally began to fall again. After all the terrible things that had happened to you in life, if you had to experience them all over again, just to stay in this moment with him like this for a moment longer, you’d choose to go through it in a heartbeat.

He worked quickly, picking you up over the center console and helping you over his lap.

You needed more of him, impossibly more.

His grip around you was nearly suffocating. You just wanted more. All the terrible things that had happened that night seemingly melted away while in his arms.

He pulled away for a moment. His gaze was full of wonderment and adoration as he looked up at you. He made you feel so beautiful.

“I’ll pray every night, just to thank whoever brought you into my life.” He spoke just above a whisper. He traced kisses softly against your chest and neck, marking a careful path back to your lips.

You sighed, arching further into him. Your hands worked through his beautiful hair.

You weren’t sure how long you both stayed like this. You could’ve stayed in this moment, just in his arms forever, as far as you were concerned. However, the sudden light from your porch sent you both back into your original seats.

You looked over, eyes falling on Irina, who now stood in the open doorway wearing her robe. Her arms were crossed lazily in front of her chest.

You groaned quietly, dropping your head into your hands.

You peaked over at Charlie, who was clearing his throat and clumsily adjusting the waistband of his pants.

You gave him a smile before letting out a real, heartfelt laugh. You wished you could’ve just invited him, climbed into bed, into his arms-

He stepped out of the car quickly, flashing a smile toward you. You hoped he didn’t feel any shame about seemingly being ‘caught’ by your aunt. You knew she wouldn’t care, was just being nosy as usual. You made a glaring mental note to give her the rundown on the escalation of your relationship with Charlie. How could you have not said anything about it to her sooner?

Charlie made his way over to your side of the car and popped open the door. He held out a hand, helping you out of your seat.

Once your feet hit the pavement, you threw your arms around him again. “I’ll see you again soon. Are you sure you’re okay to walk home?”

“Yeah, don’t worry about me.” He smiled down at you.

You kissed him quickly. “You know I always will.”

“I know. I love you for it.” He replied softly.

He stepped away, turning to face your aunt. “I’m sorry, just wanted to make sure she made it home safely.”

Your aunt nodded, “Uh huh.” She couldn’t hide her wide, knowing smile. “Good to see you again, Walker. Have a goodnight.”

You tried your best to keep your cool as you made your way up the porch steps. Turning back once to wave goodbye to Charlie.

Irina eyed you over as you both entered the entryway. You knew she must be dying to hear all the details from the night.

You honestly wouldn’t have the first clue where to start. You curbed her line of questioning before she had the chance to begin.

“I’ll tell you all about my night tomorrow. I promise, I am just exhausted.” You made your way up the staircase, turning once over your shoulder to face her again. “Thank you for everything tonight, I love you.”

You could tell Irina was trying her best to hide her slight disappointment, “Okay honey, get some good rest. I love you, too.”

You slipped out of your clothing and heels, running through your nightly routine as quickly as you could before dropping into bed.

You’d process the entire interaction with Anderson another time. Quite frankly, you believed he deserved to get his teeth knocked in much, much sooner. You were just thankful that Charlie was the one who had stepped in. A sick sense of pride washed over you at the thought.

For now, you could sleep peacefully knowing that Charlie Walker loved you, too.

#fanfiction #fanfic #charlie walker #charlie walker fanfic #charlie walker fanfiction #charlie walker x reader #charlie walker x y/n #scream 4 fanfic #charlie walker smut #fanfiction author #razor’s edge

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ninja-knox-ur-sox-off · 6 months

Text

My Dearest Friend...

Glaciated Memory AU | Master Of Ice Art | More to Me (pt 2)

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Imagine this, if you will: you meet your best friend when you’re young and he already has graying hairs.

Well, young is a relative term. You’re not exactly young, or at least you don't think so. The younger children around the village call you old even though that’s hardly something to judge one's age by--you’ve only just started university--but your friend is older.

You had never enjoyed the snow coating the grass or the cold and frost that cling to your lashes on the early morning walks to your winter classes before, but that day, with ice stretching in front of you, shielding you and keeping you safe from harm, that day when he looks back over his shoulder at you and gives you a warm smile that makes the corners of his eyes crinkle, you exhale and see the frost on your breath and you suddenly find you can never look at things like winter and white and cold the same way again.

His eyes are so light of a blue they are almost white. They’re a heavy contrast to his dark skin. At first you think the ends of his long hair are white but it sparkles like glitter and ice and you realize it's coated in frost.

He saves your life.

He has a limp you notice when he leaves the village, simply a traveler passing through like a snowfall. You drop your papers, your pencils, your projects and they spill over the ice at your feet.

“Wait--Wait!”

He waits.

You design and build a leg brace for him in your dorm. He waits patiently, standing, still as an ice sculpture until you're finished the next morning.

“Come back if it stops functioning,” you tell him.

He studies you with calculating eyes that shouldn’t have been so warm when their colour was so cold. He nods.

And he does come back. A few months later. You offer him tea and show him your plans for a new brace--one that improves upon the failures of the old one--something you started designing the moment he’d left the first time. He sits down this time and smiles and you chat. Your breath shows in the air with every exhale the longer he stays. Your teeth chatter through your grin and he grins back before throwing back his head to laugh.

You become fast friends after that.

You learn to wear more layers. His hair grays more and you graduate after many long sleepless nights studying and designing. Biomechanics, biomechanical engineering, robotics--you find fascination with building, with bodies. “A marvel,” you mutter. “A marvel. I wonder if I could replicate it.” And he smiles at you.

He comes and goes as often as cold weather. You stay holed up in your house for the most part. Designing, building. You wave him over to his new brace, made from a material more resistant to cold than the last. You’re learning. He stays for tea and you make up a guest bedroom just for him. It stays there for years to welcome him whenever he visits.

Once, someone comes to find you for knowing him. You need a leg brace of your own after that.

He has more enemies than he has friends it seems.

“I am sorry, my dear friend,” he says. There is a blizzard outside.

Your discoveries are stolen one night and someone else’s name is plastered across your work no matter how hard you try. That breaks you more than anything else.

“I’m thinking about moving,” you tell him one night, as though you haven’t been silent for the past three days.

“Oh?” he says. “Where to?”

“Somewhere cold.”

He laughs.

He takes you to a place outside of any town. Remote and freezing.

“This is my home,” he says to you. It’s a perpetual winter.

“I think I’ll build a bunker,” you say, your nose numb from the chill.

You get kicked by a treehorn and you make a sign Beware of Treehorns and hit your dearest friend with it.

“I apologize, I should have warned you,” he laughed. “I had forgotten they were unfriendly to others.”

“My ribs do not accept your apology,” you sniff.

“Will you accept it instead?”

You huff and puff out frosty breaths and jam the sign into the ground.

Of course you forgive him. How can you not?

You build something to protect you and your bunker from the creatures when your friend is not there.

He enters your bunker shaking snow off his layers and off his straw hat.

“No--not on the floor.” You throw your hands into the hair. “Now I’ll have to mop it all up.”

“My apologies,” he says, though he’s smiling wide enough to show his white teeth. “I shall assist you.”

When the frost finally melts from his hair in the warmth of the bunker you see it wasn’t the ice and snow making it look white this time.

“What is this?” he asks, looking at your project, a skeletal structure made of spare parts you’ve started to construct, loose wiring and tools scattered about it.

“A marvel of engineering--or well, it will be soon.” He looks dubious so you take off your glasses and wipe them on your shirt. “Don’t look at me like that, I’m only just beginning to build what I need.”

“I won’t be back for a while,” he says quite suddenly.

You put your glasses back on hastily. “Is something wrong?”

“Please, keep far away from the north side of the forest until I return.”

You’ve known of the serpentine war for a long time. You hear of it in the north when you’re purchasing supplies from the nearby town. You know it's over when he stumbles into your bunker and collapses face-first onto your carpet.

You have never seen him in red before and you find you do not like the sight.

The type of first-aid he needs is one that requires study and time that you do not have.

He catches your hand mid-way through bandaging his side.

“I’ll be alright,” he says, his voice like a cool, barely-there breeze.

“Of course you will.” Your teeth are chattering, you realize, even though it’s not cold in your bunker.

He does heal up. It takes a few months before he’s hiking with you to the town, leaning heavily on you and the walking stick you’ve made him. Your project lays on the table forgotten.

The Birchwood Forest is colder than it ever has been.

“I’ll be back,” he says once he can walk on his own.

“You won’t be leaving,” you say firmly.

“Julian,” he says. “My friend. I must go.”

You wonder if it makes you a terribly bad or terribly good friend for letting him.

You pour yourself into your work. A body takes shape in front of you. You do everything you can to make it human.

No one can steal this from you. It is yours and yours alone and it is marvelous.

It’s years before your friend returns.

Your creation is walking by then. There are wires still exposed and kinks to work out but you’re so proud of it. He enters through the door, slowly and with enough snow on him you’ll be swimming in it by the time it melts, but you don’t care.

You introduce him to your work.

“I used the face I knew best!”

Your friend smiles. There’s sadness there.

“Julian,” he says. “I’m dying.”

His hair is fully white.

Your smile vanishes.

You hadn’t noticed your own gray hairs and wrinkles until then.

“I have no family. No one to pass my element to. I have been looking, Julian, but…”

He needs your help. Not to live, no matter how much you talk to him, but to ensure the element he carries within him does not die.

So you create something that can store it. You travel to places together, you gather what you design, you design and through trial and error you make something that can hold the power.

“There’s no one I trust with it more,” you tell him as you tinker with your creation. “He’ll keep it safe. I designed him to protect.”

“Thank you,” your old friend says, like a breath of relief.

You create him a holder for his element and store it in the creation that shares his face.

He wants to pass in the snow. You carry him the Glaciar Barrens and it is there your friend takes his final breath.

And you discover you have done more than store his element.

Your Zane acts differently. From the moment your friend takes his final breath, your Zane seems to wake up.

You continue tinkering, researching and you don’t know what you have done but nothing can explain it.

It’s his eyes that are the same. His face that you replicated to the best of your abilities still has some differences.

The eyes however. The eyes you know.

You don’t have time to begin to miss your friend when he’s standing right in front of you.

Zane feels, just like you wanted him to. You put everything you can into upgrading him until he’s as human as he can be. Until he can feel the temperature of something by touching, until he can feel the breeze and the snowflakes as they fall on his skin.

You add a memory switch, something that is not human. You hope that it will return his memories from before, but it does not. You leave it untouched for years.

And then you are old.

You are old and your friend has not aged. You have built him everything, you have taught him how to speak again, to learn to read and observe, you have taught him everything you can. But you do not know how to teach him to move on. You never did.

“Goodbye, old friend,” you say and you flick the switch so that he may start anew and live on without you.

You watch the light fade and his eyes darken to brown.

You close your eyes.

And a long time later in a dusty empty bunker, they open back up.

----

Zane blinked.

It was cold.

He was standing at the edge of a village, bare feet in the snow. His toes were numb. Villagers who had caught sight of him were approaching, calling over others to bring warm water and blankets.

He felt as though he was forgetting something rather important.

#LEGO Ninjago #zane julian #Doctor Julian Ninjago #Dr. Julian Ninjago #Glaciated Memory AU #KNOX WRITES (me)#i dont know why this ended up the way it did but HERE WE ARE IG #wrote this in one sitting wheezeHDJFJJG #i blanked out i remember next to none of thisHDJDJFJ #ALRIGHT weeeeeee time to work on other fics my goodnessHDJFJG #no edit we die like garmadon #SILLY GOOFY TIMES FOLKS

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countrymusiclover · 2 months

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58 - Family Certainty Does Change

Part 59

Family is More than Blood

@melvia-ito @vavafaure1994 @kmc1989 @tallrock35

“Are we going somewhere?” Klaus came inside our bedroom inside the mansion seeing me close a suitcase with some clothes for about a week. I decided the school was currently safe and that gave me time to think through what had happened between me and my twin brother.

Shaking my head I picked up my phone showing him the screen with an airplane ticket to New Orleans appearing on it. “I’m going to Orleans to face my brother and apologize.”

“You’re brother who cussed you out because he had to fall in love with a hybrid werewolf then thought he could face someone more powerful than an Original once he became a heretic. In the end somehow pissed at you because that bloke can't have children anymore. Forgive me for asking but why would you try to make up with him?”

Putting a hand on my hip I sent him a slight glare. “Remind me again what you did when you had a fight with one of your siblings. Oh right you dagger them. Unfortunately I can't do that so an actual apology is the way to go for me.”

“Rae, that's not what I meant. My point was "are you sure he'll want to see you?”

My hybrid husband had a point in his question. For 5 years my brother hadn’t talked to me. For 5 years his daughter had ran back here so she could attend school with her friends which I knew had to only make him more angry with me, but he hasn't returned to force Andrea back home either. “My mother used to say never to go to sleep angry. I have to try and make things right between me and my brother. I don't want an entire century to pass by and we're still not

speaking to each other.”

“I'll call Caroline and tell her we're taking a little trip. Our kids are getting old enough now that they should be able to handle things here for a few days.” Klaus took out his phone going to the vampire blonde leaving me to finish the packing I needed to do.

The trip from the airport and into a rented car making the drive into the city to visit Cami first before I went to go comfort my brother and possibly see my second daughter who takes care of my grandchild that I haven’t seen for a while. Walking into the bar the familiar blonde was running around taking different orders from people seeing us rushing around the bar island to greet us. “Raelyn! Klaus! I didn’t know you two were coming into town.”

“Yeah I felt it was time to travel back to Orleans for a little bit. And this time it’s under somewhat happier circumstances.” I hugged the vampire blonde who belonged to my former sire line.

She wrapped her arms around me in a warm embrace. “I saw your brother walking in the Quarter a few days ago. I tried to talk with him but he just walked the other way. Has something happened between you two?”

“We had a fight five years ago that kinda broke us apart for some time. I’m here to hopefully fix that between us.”

Klaus picked a glass of whiskey that a different bartender had brought him where the three of us sat down at a nearby table to continue our current conversation. “If this was a fight between me and my siblings I would have daggered them for cussing me out the way Jacob did to my wife.”

“I guess he should be thankful that they only work on an Original.” Cami nervously chuckles.

Bringing my glass of bourbon to my lips I took a long drink. “Anyway the fight was about him not being able to have more kids like Nik and I magically can. When I had black magic in my grasp he asked me to use it on him but I refused. Next thing I knew he left Virginia and came here with Alina and her family.”

“Well I hope everything goes good for you.” She smiled before we saw more people entering the bar wanting drinks.

Raising myself to my feet I slipped her a twenty dollar bill leaving her with my husband vamping away once I wasn’t around too many people who would see me use my supernatural powers. “Thanks for the luck, Cami. I’ll see you two later. I’m going to find my brother - J! Jacob! Jacob - gah!” I called out into the area standing outside their old hunting cabin that they still owned living in the bayou rather than in the busy city. I kept calling his name until pain shot through my head causing me to drop to one knee.

“What the hell are you doing here, Rae?” My twin brother's voice came out of the front door of the cabin with his left hand raised in the air where I knew he was using magic.

Holding the side of my head I struggled to get my words out too focused on the massive headache. “Jacob, I’m here to talk - not to fight you. Ahh! Ventuce.” Moving my hand from my head I launched a spell at my brother knocking him onto his back giving me the chance to scramble to my feet. Jacob vamped behind me and wrapped one arm around my neck holding my back against his front about to snap my neck until I used another spell doing a flip causing him to get thrown onto his back and my freehand pressing down on his chest. “Demeter. Do you give up yet, J. I’m better at defense magic than you are.”

He bared his teeth at me kicking me in the leg launching me onto my back like I had done to him. “Metar - I’ve been practicing, sister.”

“Uhh! Jacob , I am not going to fight you. I came here to apologize for not trying to find a way to help you have more children.”

He glared at me shaking his head no. “You’re just saying what I want to hear. Tenebris lapsus.”

“Enough of this - imperium monstrum, immobilus!” He had managed to pop both my knees where I bent them back into place. Until he tried to vamp away but I froze him in a boundary spell trapping him.

He struggles to move watching me slowly walk up to the edge of the force field. “Rae, go away. I don’t want to see you.”

“What if I told you I might have a way to give you and Hayley another child?”

My brother made a confused face reminding me that I used to be a witch who only used light magic until I met my husband and faced his mother. “You said the only way was through dark magic. You’re telling me you’d go through that risk for me.”

“You’re my brother. I can’t not have you in my life, especially now that we are both immortal and stuck with each other forever. So do you want to hear my reckless plan or not?” I snapped back at him until I heard footsteps coming out onto the wooden porch causing me to turn my head in that direction.

The figure that stepped out onto the porch was Alina, holding another baby boy in her arms. The infant

had dark black hair like Jackson but my daughter Alina’s eyes. “Mom, what are you doing here?” She simply stood there with Xavier standing behind her leg.

“Momma, who is she?” Xavier asked and my heart nearly broke realizing she hadn’t talked about me to her firstborn son. Maybe I should have just stayed back at the Salvatore School.

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fromasgardandback · 2 years

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Tour Of Asgard // Loki Laufeyson Headcanon

masterlist | oneshots

you were the first girl Loki was bringing home. he never brought anyone back to Asgard and unlike Thor, it wasn’t an abrupt and sudden coming

you were excited and nervous. you had no idea what to expect considering you were going to another planet and dating their prince

you already met Thor since you worked with him and that’s how you and Loki met. he was aboard the first time he came to Earth when he fought in the Battle of New York

you sat in front of the clear circular dome he was in and talked about anything. you were sent to analyze who Loki was and why he acted the way he was. Instead of finding a monster, you found a man in pain wanting to prove himself to his father while trying to figure out who he was supposed to be

you walked through the portal and Heimdall stood in all his glory. like a gentleman, Loki introduced you and even had two white horses awaiting your arrival to travel the rainbow bridge to the castle

along the way you looked both left and right almost getting whiplash from trying to take in all of Asgard’s beauty

you couldn’t believe what you were seeing and told yourself it was all a dream

“Over there, is where I shifted into a frog to scare Thor,” Loki looked over at you. “My love, are you listening to me?” He asked.

“Huh? Sorry, no I was taking in all the beauty of this place. I can’t believe I am even here. It feels like a fantasy, or more like a drawn-up movie or a tale to tell the kids at night.” You said still in awe.

“Well darling, believe it. You’re dating a prince. Here it is called courting because I am a royal. We are courting to become Asgard's future prince and princess. Even though we haven’t spoken of marriage, others will see it that way.” He said leaning over to kiss my hand.

“Princess. Princess of Asgard. I like that title. As long as you’re my future they can talk about marriage all they want.” You said looking at him lovingly.

he got the bags in his room before leading you to a private balcony for lunch. he knew the journey was long for a Midgardian, so he set up an impromptu date overlooking the waterfall

Asgard has some of the best food you’ve ever tasted and mainly because it was all fresh, but you would need to smuggle some of your favorite snacks and treats because they have no chocolate. no chocolate was your deal breaker

after the meal, Loki walked you around the entire palace and described each and every story he shared with Thor and their friends. the kind of battles and fighting, real and not, and places he would escape to

speaking of escapes, he showed you all three of his hiding places. one in the palace, one in the mountains, and one in the town. he treated it as no matter where he was, he could run to his hiding place every time

“I came here a lot when no one noticed. Especially in my younger years when I didn’t feel understood, which was quite often. I was bringing a blanket and snacks with me to keep me occupied. Although I wasn’t the best at hiding from my mother. She knew where I was at all times, being that she is a witch herself.” Loki smiled softly with sadness behind his eyes.

“Would she sit and stay with you?” You asked and held his hand.

“She would. She’d stay with me until I felt comfortable coming back. My father, Odin, was not a father to me as you know. But he would show his affection in a way that others would see as equal to Thor and me, but cruel and hurtful in reality. But mother,” He chuckled, looking down at his hands. “Mother was my best friend.” Loki looked at you.

“She would be so proud of you, that I know. I’ve only met her a few times when she came to visit, but I do know the kind of special bond the two of you have.” You sat up leaning over to press your hand softly to his cheek. “It is an honor to be shown the places you were and are most vulnerable and places you shared memories with her. Thank you.”

you spent the night in one of his hiding places with him just talking about anything and everything

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my-castles-crumbling · 6 months

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This is an extremely bizarre thing to ask but I need advice so here I am

Me and my girlfriend went back to her home town to visit her parents. It’s both our last year of uni and although i’d met them over the phone it was my first time meeting them in person. (It went well btw, they love me).

Unfortunately a bunch of others were back from Uni too.

When we were in town in a coffee shop, four guys came over to us. Two of them stayed silent the whole time and the other two immediately called my girlfriend by her deadname and were using the wrong pronouns. She changed them halfway through school, and she’s passing, it was blatantly obvious they were doing it on purpose.

I told them to fuck off.

They asked me “What I am?” To which I assumed they meant “What’s my label?” So I answered, lesbian. Cause I am a lesbian.

Then they called my girlfriend a transphobic slur, called me straight, and left.

This obviously brought down the mood but she was so excited for me to see her town so I just asked a bunch of questions so she could put it out her mind and get all excited, and she did. We had a lovely day after that.

So we get back to her parents place and she tells me these were boys from her high school. As I said she transitioned halfway through so they should’ve known.

Anyway, the next day she’s doing something with her little brother (yearly tradition that’s just them, i didn’t wanna impose) and her parents have plans so I thought i’d go into town and check out the library (it was fire btw, amazing books, cool architecture- for a town anyway- and peaceful… well mostly).

So i’m there for like three hours and as i’m leaving this guy approaches me. He’s one of the four from yesterday. One of the silent ones.

So he asks if he can tell me something and I asked what he wanted. He said he just saw me here and remembered me and didn’t have the guts to say this to my girlfriends face but he needed to admit something.

I stay silent cause i’d rather he tell her but I know for sure she doesn’t want to see this guy and in my experience if guys like this just say what they want, they’re more likely to leave you alone.

So he admits that he and my girlfriend were close friends before she transitioned and he refused to talk to her after since his friends weren’t cool with it so he went along with them.

It makes sense, she found her old yearbook and pointed all the guys out the night before, in case we wanted to call the companies they work for or the police or something (they did yell slurs at us after all) and she seemed most bothered that this guy was there.

Then he tells me that his father was the principle and the day of their high school graduation he told the guy announcing (I think it was one of the vice principles or someone else important) to use her deadname when calling her up. Even though she specifically made arrangements beforehand to make sure they’d use her actual name.

I’ve heard this story from her before, but obviously I didn’t know this fucking guy was behind it. He said his friends made him do it.

Apparently he threatened the teachers job (he was apparently known to have had his dad fire ppl) so they did. Announce with her deadname.

I was fucking pissed when I heard this story.

I just walked off.

We were there a week and now we’re on a little trip. I haven’t told her yet. I don’t know how to bring it up. I know she has a right to know but i also think it’s bringing up old pain for no reason.

Anyway, sorry for the story Cas. I can’t decide how or when to tell her. If I even should. What do you think?

Damn, these boys sound terrible.

First, I want to say, you sound like an amazing person. Like...they way you support and affirm your girlfriend is super heartwarming. Keep doing you!

I do think your girlfriend deserves to know that happened. Part of me is like, oh, it's in the past, let's not reopen old wounds! But if she EVER found out you knew and didn't way anything? Just putting myself in her shoes, I would be devastated.

So I would make sure to tell her in a very intentional way. Not with ten minutes until you have plans, or something. Pick a time when you have a few hours to yourselves, and explain to her just like you explained to me. And tell her that you told her because she deserves the truth. And remind her that she didn't deserve to be treated like that and you're here for her. And then, listen. If she wants to talk about it, let her talk. If she wants to scream, scream with her. If she wants to move on, let her move on. Take her lead, you know?

I think it's also worth having a conversation with her (at a later date) to decide as a couple, do you want to tell each other these things? Like, if you find out people have done hurtful things to her or vice versa (talked behind backs, for example) do you WANT to know? Do you want to stay unaware? ASK her if you did the right thing by telling her. What are the boundaries there, if that makes sense?

But this time, yeah. Tell her. I'd want to know.

Hope that helps! <3 <3 <3

#ask #asks #ask cas

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madneedshelp · 2 years

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Funny Seeing You Here- Sam Kiszka x F!Reader

Summary: It’s been years since you last saw your ex-boyfriend. Somehow, you’ve managed to run into him twice in a weekend. Is the coincidence of it all enough to convince you that maybe there’s a reason for it all, despite the way you left things?

Note: This kind of tense/angsty and idk why I decided I needed it to be a thing, but here you go

The last time you stood face-to-face with Sam Kiszka, you were shrouded in angry tears with harsh words lingering between the two of you. Then you left.

That was four years ago.

You had never imagined that you’d see him again. After all, Nashville was a big city and you were only in town for a few days to visit a friend. But here he was, and here you were, at the same fucking coffee shop on a random Friday morning.

You had been trying to get some work done before you went out later, but as soon as you’d packed up your laptop and gathered your things, you looked up and he was there. The two of you locked eyes and froze. What the hell kind of karma was this? Why was he here of all places?

He seemed to snap out of it first. He took a step toward you, your name starting to form on his lips, but you hurried past him looking straight ahead. You couldn’t handle this today. It was too weird.

Still, you caught an odd flash of…disappoint as you exited the coffee shop.

The whole encounter, despite it being so brief, plagued your thoughts all the way back to your friend’s apartment. It didn’t hurt that you’d known her for most of your life, but she sensed it on you immediately.

“What’s got you in a funk? Did something happen with work?” Allie quirked an eyebrow at you.

You set your stuff down on the kitchen table with a sigh. “I think I just saw Sam.”

“What?! Sam like Sam that you dated for like all of high school?” She gasped at you.

Another set of footsteps padded into the kitchen as Lena, Allie’s girlfriend, wandered in.

“What’s going on?” She yawned, looking between the two of you.

“Nothing much, I just ran into my ex.” You shrugged in attempt to downplay the whole thing.

Allie was not about to let that go that easily, however. She let out a scoff and folded her arms. “Oh just ran into him? You say as though you were together for four years and then he just left.”

You rolled your eyes. “Yeah thanks for clarifying that.”

Lena and Allie had only been together for about a year and a half, so Lena didn’t know all the nitty gritty details of your relationship’s downfall.

“So what happened with you two?” Lena furrowed her eyebrows in concern. Though you’d not known her nearly as long Allie, she was caring enough to quickly become a close friend.

You let out another sigh as you thought about the chaos that was that day four years ago for the second time in an hour.

•••••

“Hey hon, how are you? How was the end of your first semester of college? Feels like you haven’t been around in ages!” Karen Kiszka smiled at you as she let you inside her home.

“I’m good, and still wiped from finals.” You returned her grin. “It’s good to be back for the summer though. I’ve missed you all.”

“We’ve missed having you. Especially Sammy. Speaking of, he’s up in his room. I won’t keep you any longer.” Karen winked at you with a chuckle.

She’d always been so kind to you. You and Sam had been together for four years and she’d always made you feel so welcome in the Kiszka home.

You made your way up to Sam’s room and knocked on the door three times. It was the same pattern he liked to use on your window when he used to sneak over.

Instantly, you heard footsteps and the door swung open to reveal your lanky boyfriend. It had been at least two months since you’d seen him in person and you missed him like crazy.

“Sammy!” You flung your arms around him and wrapped him in a tight hug.

He returned the embrace after a brief second, but you tried not to dwell on his hesitation. After all, the two of you had been texting last night about how you couldn’t wait to see each other as soon as you got back home.

You felt him press a quick kiss to the top of your head and you pulled back to smile at him. “God, I missed you.”

He smiled back, but it didn’t look quite as genuine. “I’ve missed you too.”

You walked over to his bed and plopped down. “So, how’s the band stuff going? Oh, and how are your brothers and Ronnie and Danny? I should probably say hi to them at some point, especially Ronnie. She got so mad that I didn’t visit her last time I was home.”

Sam joined you on the bed, but he didn’t grab your hand or wrap his arm around you like normal. “They’re all doing pretty good. Not here unfortunately, you’ll have to catch them another time.”

You shrugged. “Well that’s alright, I mean I’d rather spend time with you anyway. Seriously, fill me in on everything!”

Sam seemed to stiffen slightly. “Well, Greta is really picking up. We’ve been writing a lot lately and we’ve got a lot of shows booked.”

You poked his arm. “Okay Mr. Rockstar, that all sounds fantastic, so tell me why you look so unenthusiastic.”

Sam took a breath and then scooted to face you. “Because I think we need to end this.”

You blinked at him. It was like you were being hit with a truck that had slowly been creeping up on you since you entered his room today.

“Are you really suggesting we break up right now?” You stared at him in shock.

This explained why he was being so weird today, but just last night he sounded normal. You called all the time and things were normal. How long had he been faking?

He nodded silently.

You let out a bitter laugh. “Do I at least get to know why? I mean, four fucking years, Sam. That’s how much of my life I’ve spent with you. Can I get more than a fucking nod?”

With your rising anger, you could sense him growing more irritated.

“Listen, the band is getting busier. Like I said, things are picking up. We’re thinking of moving out to Nashville. I barely see you as it is, how are we going to have time once I’m out there?” He practically spat the words at you.

“We’ve been doing long distance for a year, and you have a problem with it now? If I’m gone anyways, what difference does it make if you’re here or in Nashville?”

Sam chuckled darkly. “Oh yes, I forgot that our relationship revolves around where you are. All that matters is that you’re gone, not what’s going on in my fucking life!”

You gaped at him, eyes burning as tears were forming. “I didn’t say that!”

“You clearly didn’t listen either. I said I’m busy now! Things are actually happening for me and I. Don’t. Have. Time. For. Us.”

Those words hung between the two of you for a moment. Tears were fully streaming down your cheeks now, but you weren’t sad, you were furious. All thoughts of trying to fight for your relationship were instantly shoved away. You weren’t fighting for someone who didn’t want to try.

“Well, fuck you too, Sam.” You grabbed your keys and headed for the door.

•••••

“Oh shit, that is bad.” Lena winced as you finished your recap.

“I know. We haven’t talked since then. Not even a text. Shit, I haven’t even listened to a Greta Van Fleet song since we broke up.”

Allie walked over and slung an arm around your shoulders. “Neither have I, I would like to point out. Solidarity and all that.”

You chuckled and nudged her away. “Which I told you you didn’t have to do. Just because things ended bad doesn’t mean I’m praying for their downfall or anything.”

“So did he see you or say anything to you?” Lena asked.

You shook your head. “We just saw each other in passing, we didn’t talk or anything. I kind of beelined for the door.”

“But did he look like he wanted to talk?” Allie narrowed her eyes at you.

“I don’t know, maybe? I didn’t look that closely. Let’s just forget about that. I’m here to spend time with you all, not talk about my ex. Let’s focus on the important thing. I believe someone mentioned getting lunch earlier?”

•••••

You were happy to say you didn’t think about Sam for the rest of the day. The three of you had went out to lunch and walked around the shops for a bit. Allie and Lena showed you some of their favorite places in the city. Finally, you all came back to the apartment and got ready to go out for the night.

About two hours and some slightly slutty outfits later, the three of you were on your way to one of the newer bars in the area. They had just opened a couple weeks ago and your friends were dying to check it out with you.

It felt great to dress up and go out like you used to with Allie during college. Of course it was nice to have Lena around now too. You did have to appreciate that they made sure you never felt like a third wheel.

As soon as you got to the bar, you offered to go grab drinks for your little group. Allie and Lena went to go find you a table in the crowded venue. You went ahead and opened a tab because you had a feeling the three of you would make use of that, and went ahead and ordered all of your usuals.

“I’ll have one of those too, actually.”

You knew that voice. It was a little different, but you could still tell who it belonged to. Your head whipped to the side to face Sam.

The bartender went to work on all the drinks, which left the two of you to wait in silence. You have got to be fucking kidding me, you thought as you pressed your lips together in a tight smile.

“Hey, Y/N. It’s been a while.” Sam gave you a similar expression to the one you were wearing.

“Hi, Sam, and yeah I guess it has.”

Now that you were this close to him, actually talking to him, you saw how different he looked. His hair was still long, but he’d grown some facial hair. He honestly just looked…older. Kind of like he’d grown into himself more.

“How have you been? What brings you to good ol’ Nashville?”

You appreciated his attempt at humor to lighten the tension. “I’ve been doing good. I’m here visiting friends for the weekend. Congratulations by the way, I’ve heard that Greta Van Fleet is doing really good.”

He gave you a small smile at that as he nodded. “Thank you, we are actually. We’ve been touring a lot lately since the new album came out, but it’s been incredible. The guys are thrilled about it all too.”

“I’m really glad it’s all worked out for you guys, you worked really hard.” You truly meant it, you were proud of them. “Looks like Nashville was the right move for you after all.”

As soon as those words slipped out, you wished you could undo it. You didn’t mean that in a snarky way and you really didn’t mean to say it at all, but it was too late for that. Whatever semblance of a friendly conversation grew tense again.

“Y/N, look, I was such an ass.” Sam started, but you cut him off quickly.

“Listen, I really didn’t mean that to come out the way it did. All I meant was Nashville really helped you guys, it’s pretty obvious that Frankenmuth isn’t overflowing with recording studios and producers. And I really am happy that you guys have done so well.” You held up your hands defensively and you blurted your explanation.

Sam shook his head. “Still, I really should apologize. I was awful to you and it wasn’t fair, and honestly you should be pissed. I shouldn’t have just ended it, especially not the way that I did. I hurt you, and I’m so fucking sorry.”

You were silent for a moment. It did feel kind of good to know that he regretted what he did, but something still didn’t sit completely right with you.

“Can I…Can I ask why you did it? I know what you said, but was that really it, Sam?” You asked hesitantly.

He sighed and leaned against the bar. Your drinks were done a while ago, but the two of you didn’t even notice. “I was honestly just being really stupid. I was hurt that you were away at college doing great and being happy and I was hurt because I missed you and…I think I got pissed that I was being so pathetic about it all and I was tired of hurting. Pushing you away was the worst way I could have dealt with it all. I’ll never forgive myself for what I did and what I said to you.”

Hearing his answer made you more unsure than before. You genuinely couldn’t tell if it helped or made it worse to know that. If you both had talked it out, you might’ve been able to work through it at the time. But you didn’t want to get caught up in what could’ve been. You didn’t want to spiral to that place after being over it for so many years.

You grabbed you and your friend’s drinks and turned to go. Before you walked off, you spun to face him. Leaving him hanging after that felt wrong. After all, he was essentially your best friend for those four years and you used to truly love him.

“You did hurt me, and I guess I hurt you too. We were young, neither of us really knew how to handle shit. Hell, we’re still young and stupid now. My point is, I forgave you a long time ago, and I think you should move past it too.”

That was probably an incredibly cheesy, embarrassing thing to say, but you felt like you needed to say it. You were glad you said it. Now, you were fully prepared to run back to your table to deal with your embarrassment.

“Wait!” He blurted as you took a step away.

Once more you turned to face him. “Yeah?”

“How long will you be in town?”

“Until Tuesday. Why?”

He looked as embarrassed as you felt. “Would you maybe want to get coffee before you go? Just to catch up, I swear. It was nice talking to you again, and I’d like to talk some more if you’re okay with it.”

You wanted to laugh at the irony, since you saw him at the coffee shop this morning. Was coffee a good idea? Well, it was just coffee. No implications, no commitments. Just coffee. And fuck, you kind of missed talking to him too. This didn’t mean you were going to immediately forget everything and get back together. Just. Coffee.

“Yeah, I think I’d be okay with that.” You smiled.

#greta van fleet #sam kiszka gvf #sam kiszka x reader #sam gvf #sam kiskza #x reader #fanfic #writing #x y/n #imagines #greta van fleet fan fiction #gvf fanfiction #fanfiction

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frostandflamesfanfic · 2 years

Text

Take Me Home for Christmas (College!Steve Harrington x Reader)

Take Me Home for Christmas (Rated G)

Pairing: CollegeAU!Steve Harrington x Reader (gender neutral)

Word Count: 2.2k+ (it's a longer one!)

Warnings: References to uncomfortable family relationships(?), suggestive content, fluffy cuteness

Summary: Inspired by the song, "Take Me Home for Christmas" by Dan + Shay; It's yours and Steve's first winter break as college students. When you have to go back to your separate homes for the holidays, Steve doesn't want to say goodbye just yet. Little did you know what other surprises would be in store...

Baby, when December comes

When it's gettin' cold outside

And your bags are packed

I don't wanna say goodbye

“Remind me why you have to go again?” Your boyfriend asked you from his position beside you. He was supposed to be helping to pick which clothes to pack for your family’s annual holiday celebration. Keywords being “supposed to.” Instead of stuffing fabric into a suitcase, the two of you were cuddled on your twin-sized bed. Your head was resting against your boyfriend’s chest, which proved to be a more-than-adequate pillow.

“Steve,” you hummed. “We’ve been over this. I have to go, at least for a little bit. Then I’ll catch a flight out to Hawkins after Christmas so you can introduce me to all your children.”

“They’re not my children,” he was quick to correct, although he had a ghost of a smile against his lips. When you first met Steve and heard about his found family back in Hawkins, Indiana, it was impossible to think those kids were anything but his. The way he practically lit up talking about Dustin’s latest invention or Will’s new comic idea made you want to kiss him senseless (and you had on several occasions).

To anyone else, the topic of having and wanting a big family would be a major red flag on the first date. But it felt natural for you and Steve. The two of you bonded over your shared desire for a family in the future. Like Steve, you were an only child who grew up with a relatively strained relationship with your family. However, unlike your boyfriend, it seemed to be easier to perfect and enjoy your I’m-here-but-not nods and less-than-interested hums of acknowledgement as you got older. Who knew that being part of a big extended family meant acting in the world’s most realistic play?

It was simultaneously your favorite and least favorite time of year. On one hand, you were able to catch up with family that you actually liked being around and haven’t seen in forever. On the other hand…were those family members and questions that increasingly encroached closer and closer to overly personal territory. At least this year, when Grandma Cecile badgered you about your dating life, you could finally tell her you have a boyfriend. You already knew most of the time would be spent talking about your boyfriend just because you’d miss him so much.

You and Steve met early on in the school year. Robin Buckley, Steve’s best friend, was assigned to be your roommate for the semester. Now, Robin was amazing, but you had to admit she could be a bit…spacey at times. When classes started, Steve had visited your dorm no less than three times in the first week because Robin had left her notebook in the classroom or wanted her sweatshirt (which was actually Steve’s) back but forgot to grab it before the big game. Sure, you had hit it off with the dark haired freshman, flirting every now and again, but you quickly put a stop to it. With how close the small-town hometown duo appeared to be, you had automatically assumed they were a couple and tried to respect their privacy.

Robin was quick to clear up the confusion, though, when she noticed how awkward you appeared to be around Steve. “You know the dingus and I are, like, totally platonic, right?” she asked you during one of your late night conversations. “Like, platonic with a capital P.”

“Oh,” you replied. “I guess I just assumed that—“

“Oh, yeah, no, totally! It’s not uncommon for us to get that question. I mean, we are really close! But that’s just because we’ve been through a lot together— and I mean a whole lot of shit.” There was a brief moment of silence. “You know he’s, like, totally head over heels for you…right?”

“…what?!”

“You didn’t know?! God, wow, you both really are helpless…or is it hopeless? Probably both, but you know, if you both can’t tell that you love each other…it’s probably more of the latter.”

A few weeks later, the two of you (finally, according to Robin) stopped skirting around your obvious (again, according to Robin) attractions to the other and went out to see a movie the film club was showing. So what if Steve didn’t completely understand the premise of Empire Strikes Back? The way he smiled and nodded while you ranted about certain aspects of the plot made you feel like the most special person in the world. The two of you were inseparable the remainder of the semester, much to Robin’s mock dismay. You couldn’t help it. Every day you spent with Steve made life so much better, from the simplest of smiles to the gentlest of kisses against your cheek.

“But why can’t you just come home with me first?” Steve’s voice broke through your thoughts.

“Because Christmas is in two weeks,” you explained with a sigh as you sat up to ultimately take on your original task.

Your boyfriend groaned dramatically. He lifted an arm up to cover his eyes. “Two weeks?! I won’t see you for two whole weeks!”

“Oh relax, lover boy,” you reached over to sleepily pat at his abdomen. “Just two weeks without me, then you have me all to yourself all through to the start of the next semester.”

Steve groaned again. “We just finished finals,” he whined. “Don’t remind me there’s more!!”

“God, I’m not going to miss your whining.”

“Hey!!”

When I see the trees light up

When they hang the mistletoe

“Are you sure you have everything?” Steve asked, hand on his own suitcase handle. He glanced behind you at the suitcase, carry-on, and backpack waiting by the front door for the taxi. “Pajamas, dress, hairdryer?”

You couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped your lips. “Yes, mom,” you teased. “Everything is packed and within a reasonable limit of the TSA’s guidelines.”

Steve nodded absentmindedly, eyes transfixed on something else now above your head. “Good, good,” he acknowledged. “But, uh, I meant…are you sure you’re not forgetting anything?”

Brows furrowed, you tilted your head and followed his gaze in confusion. Everything clicked into place the second you recognized a familiar white-berried plant placed in the doorframe. “Steve Harrington,” you mumbled, a smile gracing your features, “how long has that been up there?”

“Long enough for me to wonder when you were going to notice it,” he whispered back before he leaned down to press his lips to yours. He tasted like that of chocolate and cinnamon from the farewell breakfast you two had shared that morning at your favorite nearby cafe. Your hand reached up to cradle his neck, currently covered by a soft brown and white flannel scarf to shield him from the cold winter air, which prompted him to pull you closer by the waist. Neither of you wanted to let go, but you knew it had to happen.

“Call me as soon as you land tonight,” you whispered against his lips, eyes locked onto his own half-lidded ones.

Steve nodded and searched for your lips once more to kiss you softly. “Promise,” he whispered. “You’ll be the first to know.”

“‘M gunna miss you so much. You better be ready for the best hug of your life in Hawkins after Christmas, Harrington.”

The boy before you gave a cheeky grin. “Hopefully it’s more than just a hug, babe.”

“You’re disgusting,” you gasped and swatted at his arm playfully.

“Hey, you’re the one that put us in the gutter now, babe,” Steve attempted to defend himself. “I just meant kisses.” He puckered his lips and closed his eyes for effect.

A honk sounded from behind you, signaling the arrival of your cab. Heaving another sigh, you pressed a gentle kiss to his lips. “I have to go.”

Steve nodded. “I know,” he said. “I’ll see you soon, okay?”

You nodded, appreciating his respect for your not wanting to say goodbye. The two of you had both done your share of those and it made things feel much more finite than they actually were. “Miss you already!” you exclaimed as you started to load your luggage into the taxi.

And I'm by the fire

I don't wanna be alone

“Hi, hello!!” you exclaimed as you ran up to the counter. Checking your watch, you still had….ten minutes to spare. “I’m here to check in for my flight? Seat 3A?”

You had had the worst experience with airport security once you arrived. First, you were selected at “random” for a security pat down, then were subjected to watching your suitcase being torn apart due to a metallic zipper on one of the dresses you had brought for the festivities. Not only that, but you had ended up at the wrong gate and thought you had missed your flight thanks to a less-than-helpful attendant. This trip was off to a fantastic start. All you wanted to do was plop down into your cheap economy seat, lean back that half an inch recline that was provided as part of the “luxuries” afforded to you through your ticket, and pass out for the first hour of the trip.

“Oh, yes,” the clerk smiled gently at you as you lifted the ticket into view. She flipped through her little booklet on the desk and raised her eyebrows slightly. “Well isn’t this a treat? It looks like you’ve been upgraded to business class. Your new seat number is 45C.” With another friendly smile, she printed out your new ticket and held it out. “Enjoy the flight and happy holidays!”

“Uh…yeah, you too,” you responded politely as you began to make your way into the boarding area.

Upgrade? Was it possible? Did someone at the airport feel bad about your travels so far and take pity on you? Either way, you weren’t going to complain. You had heard the rumor of moist towelettes and additional footwell space available in business class. Now you’d be able to check it out for yourself. As you strolled through the aisles of seats, you felt a renewed burst of energy once you left economy seating. You were finally on your way after hours of security and stress.

After a few minutes of walking and mumbling the number to yourself, you finally found your seat. It was much more spacious than where you would have been sitting and you spoke a silent prayer up to the travel gods for helping you. You placed your carry-on and backpack up in the overhead compartment, making sure to take out your walkman before plopping down in the seat. You took a deep breath, closing your eyes for a moment in an attempt to get some peace. There was a small gust of air against your face and the sound of fabric squishing leather nearby. When you opened your eyes and turned your head to meet your seat partner, your breath caught in your throat.

“Hey, travel buddy,” Steve flashed you a toothy smile. “Think you can squeeze in room for one more at Christmas?”

“What are you doing here?!” you exclaimed in a barely hushed tone. “You’re supposed to be on a flight to Hawkins with Robin tonight!”

“Yeah, well you see, babe,” your boyfriend began to explain. “I decided to take a little detour.”

You crossed your arms across your chest. “What kind of detour?”

“The….two-and-a-half week long kind?” came the sheepish response.

“Steve!! You can’t- why?” you sputtered. “What about your family? What about going back to Hawkins?!”

“Look, it’s okay,” Steve soothed. ”I already called your parents and asked about it. I’ll stay through Christmas and then we can celebrate with Dustin and the other little shits when we fly back on the 27th. Your mom said it was fine. In fact, she said everyone was pretty happy to hear I was coming…once they found out who I am, I mean.”

You cringed at the explanation. So your family already knew. Your mom knew, your dad knew, which probably meant your grandmother knew. And once Grandma Cecile knew…..everyone knew. “Oh God,” you groaned, hands reaching up to cover your face.

“Babe?” Steve’s voice was concerned now. “Babe, what’s wrong? Did I do something? Are you mad?”

“No!” You replied way too quickly. “I’m not mad and nothing’s wrong per say. I just…may not have explained to my family that we’re….” You made weird gestures with your hands in an attempt to select the right words.

“Dating?” Steve supplied, causing you to nod.

“Yeah,” you admitted. “It’s just- every year I’m badgering about my love life or what I plan to do. And this year, I- well I finally have something I can be happy about sharing. I got into a good college, made some great friends….started dating my boyfriend.”

Steve grinned. “Boyfriend, huh?”

You felt the bright flush crawl up your neck and rest itself against your cheeks. “Yeah,” you admitted quietly, “boyfriend. Is that- is that okay?”

Steve’s response was a gentle press of his lips to yours. Yes, it said. That would be more than okay. You allowed yourself to relax against his hold and return the affectionate gesture. It was a feeling you thought you had needed to deprive yourself of for the next few weeks. Even though it was a shock, you were glad Steve was coming to spend the holidays with you.

You just hoped that your family wouldn’t scare him away.

All of your traditions

I wanna know 'em all

You'll check every box off of my list

If you take me home for Christmas

======

Author's Note: So sorry today's fic got out so late -- I meant to post it sooner, but due to life getting in the way, it just didn't end up happening. This is one of my favorite stories I've written for the event so far...I'm really hoping that the timing of it's publication doesn't make it flop :(

If you liked this story and want to see more like it, make sure to leave a comment and reblog! Likes are very much appreciated, but it's the other two interactions that really help me out as a writer. It spreads the word about my work AND gives my brain cells the happiness they need to be motivated to keep writing! To make sure you don't miss out on all things Stevemas and ficmas for this year, maybe consider giving my blog a cheeky follow. With Tumblr eating posts in tags, it might help keep you in the loop as to when the next fic will be posted, as well as other crazy happenings in the life of El!

Until next time, my little sparks <3

Taglist: @bakerstreethound

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