#i liked sky its so sad that we never got more of her and luke together and its really not clear what shes supposed to be doing Now and its

[doctorwhoisadhd]

auauguaughgh assignmence

[afro-hispwriter]

A Betrayal at its finest(Aemond Targaryen)

Aemond Targaryen x Targaryen/Valaryon!reader

Warnings- angst, main character death, sad dragon, sad Aemond, jealousy, change from 1st person to 3rd

part 2 of A Betrayal

Aemond Targaryen Masterlist

-

“We need allies.” Said Daemon. “And the Baratheons are a great match.” 

“We meet them at Storms End and talk to them.” Said Rhaenerya and everyone agrees. 

“We can’t all go.” You say. “Its not smart.” 

“Send us.” Says Jace and points at him and Luke. 

“No, send me, im more experienced in this and they’re not.” You say and put your hands on the table. 

“I don’t want you too, but you’re right you know how, I taught you how to negotiate.” Says Daemon and places his hands on your shoulders. “Come back to us.” You smile up at him and place a hand over his

“Y/n you’re going as a messenger, not a warrior.” Says Rhaenerya and winces as she rubs her belly. 

“I understand.” 

“Go now.” Says Rhaenerya. “We’ll be waiting for you.” As you walked outside to Vermithor who was isolated himself away. You call out to him and he walks towards you and lowers his head in a greeting. Before you could get on, someone called your name.

“Y/n, hold on.” You turn around to see your father. “Rhaenys told me about Aemond.” Your breath hitched and you looked down. “Im not mad, I know how much love can influence a person.” 

“I thought he’d join us, for me.” You said sadly and Daemon brings a hand up to your hair.  

“Its hard to betray your family, even when you know  they’re in the wrong.” He kissed your forehead and let you go. “Go my little dragon.”

You took off on Vermithor, nervous. You went through multiple scenarios, everything you could say and the posible outcome. You arrived on Storms End at night, thunder had started, practically lighting up the sky. You landed on the ground and the doors were already open, which was suspicious. 

Then a low rumble was heard and you looked up. Vhagar. And if she was here then so was Aemond. You suddenly got very confused. Why would Aemond be here? You entered the room immediately but you were stopped in your tracks, Aemond was there, looking more handsome than ever but he wasn’t alone. He was talking to the Lord Borros Baratheons daughter, and they were both smiling. 

“How pathetic, Princess Rhaenerya sends someone other than herself for this.” Says Lord Borros the men in the room laugh. Aemond turns his attention to you and his eye widens. 

“She should have sent one of her sons Lord Borros.” Said Aemond and he held his arms behind his back. “Do you like my betrothed? Because I certainly do.” He looks back at her and she smiles shyly making you give them both a death glare. His eye is back on you and he almost smirks at your expression. 

“I have Queen Rhaenerya’s terms.” You corrected and say, facing the lord again, you reach for the scroll in the bag to your side. A guard rips it from your hand and walks it over to Borros. 

“Where are my nephews Y/n? I have a score to settle.” Said Aemond and he starts getting closer. “I still need my eye, I need a gift for my mother.” 

“Aemond you loosing your eye happened years ago, get over it.” You tell him and he stops his movements. His jaw tightened and his hand went to his sword, as did you. 

“Hmm. Want to see what they did to me?” He asks and he reaches up to his face, to the patch. He had never taken it off with you in the room, even if you two were alone. The purple emerald was beautiful, it suited him. He threw the patch to the ground and grabbed his sword. “Since they’re not here you’ll have to do.” Your eyes widened at him and you took a few steps back. But you realize, he’d never hurt you. You stood your ground and waited for the blade. It pressed against your neck, but not nicking the skin.

“You’ll never hurt me.” You say. “You don’t have it in you.” Aemonds jaw tightened. “I wished you would have came with me, then we wouldn’t be here.” 

“Im loyal to my family.” 

“Im your family.” You grab his wrist and pull it down. “Im your love, not that Baratheon whore.” Aemond almost snickered at your jealousy. 

“Oh fuck this love shittery.” You heard Borros say and Aemond turned to face him. Aemond then grabbed your hand in his and started walking away. “If you Targaryens walk out that door, you will regret it.” 

“No Lord Borros I think you will.” The lord throws the scroll on the ground with a clatter as he watched you two leave. You walked outside and it was pouring already. Vermithor was in the distance with his head hidden under his wings to protect from the rain. “I apologize for what I did in there, I was angry.” The rain was getting louder so he almost has to yell over it. 

“It’s alright, what are you going to do now? Because im pretty sure neither of us are getting the Baratheons support” You say and squint do to the rain. He grabs your hands in his and leaned down to push his forehead against yours like he would always do. 

“The right thing.” He pushed his lips against yours and held you tightly. You both drowned out the sound of rain, it was just the two of you again. No worry or care in the world. But of course, not everyone gets a happy ending.

The squelching sound of a blade pushing its self through the body of a person was all Aemond could hear. It was followed by his mouth getting blood mixed into his mouth. You slowly pulled away and thats when you let out a quite gasp followed by another squelch. You grabbed Aemonds bicep roughly making him open his eye. He watched blood poor out of your mouth and when he looked down he saw a blade going in and out of your torso consistently. 

“Y/n!?” Aemond looked behind you to see a hooded figure, but a flash if lightening revealed who it was. Ser Cristion Cole. Aemond pushed you out of the way and you let out a sharp pained gasp as you hit the floor. You grabbed you stomach roughly and looked at your hands to see blood, it would wash away with the rain water. You heard a roar in your ears but soon you couldn’t hear it. You heard thumping on the ground under you so you turned your head. Aemond was on top of someone, clearly enraged. Your vision started to blur, not sure if its from the rain or because you were dying. 

Aemonds face appeared in your line of sight and felt pressure against your stomach. You reached up to Aemonds face but your vision darkened. 

Aemond pushed his head down on your chest to feel for movement but there was none. He looked up to your face, your eyes were open and lifeless. Aemond let out a sob and slowly picked up your body, cradling you. 

“No no no no.” Aemond kept whispering and rocked his body in the rain. 

Aemond heard a low growl behind him. He turned his head to see Vermithor, staring at him with hard eyes. Aemond knew better than to stand in the way of a dragon and its rider so he slowly brought his hands up yp to his eyes and closed them, he then let Y/n’s body to the floor. He stood back and watched Vermithor push Y/n’s body roughly, as if trying to wake her up. The dragon let out a sad cackling noise from his throat, another rider gone. Aemond let out fat, ugly tears as he looked as his dead love, it was his fault, was all he said to himself. 

Vermithor grabbed Y/n’s body with his large claw and opened his wings widely. The large dragon took after that, Aemond hearing his roars in the distance. He then heard coughing behind him and he looked down at Criston with a wild look in his eye.

“Th-Thats what happens when you’re a-affiliated with the enemy.” He coughed up blood. Aemond walked to him and slowly pressed his boot onto Cristons chest. “Do it.” Cristion smiled with blood in his teeth.

“Its not my choice- not my- choice.” Aemond choked out before lifting his boot up and slamming it down on Cristons face, knocking him out completely.

-

A crow landed on DragonStone addressed to Daemon from the Baratheons. After reading the components. Nobody was safe, he had just lost his first born daughter in the blink of an eye. He went on a rampage, destroyed anything in sight before finally breaking down.

“My love?” He heard the sweet voice of his wife. Daemon turned to her, he had red eyes from the crying, his knuckles were red and his hair out completely out of place. Rhaenerya got down to her knees and grabbed her husbands hand. “I am so sorry for what happened.” Daemon didn’t respond, just more angry hears running down his face.

“My nephew is going to pay for what he did, even if its the last thing I do.” He says, darkly almost. They were interrupted by a guard at the door.

“Queen Rhaenerya, Prince Daemon. Aemond Targaryen has landed on the-.” The guard didn’t get to finish, Daemon was out the door with the darksister in his hand. He saw his Nephew from afar on the stone bridge wall. He also saw Cristion Cole in front of him, chained. 

“You have some nerve showing up here.” Seethed Daemon and he raised his sword. Aemond looked at his uncle with tired eyes, both men both looked terrible. 

“It was my fault.” He says hoarsely. 

“You killed my daughter, everything is your fault.”Aemond switched to confusion.

“I didn’t kill her, this bastard did.” Aemond shoved Cristion to his knees. 

“Thats not what the letter from the Baratheons said.” 

“They lied, this man killed your daughter, the love of my life right in front of me.” Aemond pointed at Cristion roughly and it already sounded like he wanted to cry again. “I would never hurt her.” Daemon swallowed back a cry and slowly let his sword clatter on the ground. 

“Why are you here?” 

“To do the right thing and support the true heir to the Iron Throne, for Y/n.” 

-

a/n- the way i already know how part of part 3 is going to go

[asweetprologue]

this is for @pencilscratchins​ who has been plaguing my dash with TFA era dinluke concepts. I did not think my first star wars fic would be about rey and luke but here we are! based on this post and more specifically a scene in rebecca’s google doc lmao

a·wak·en  to rouse (a feeling)

Rey finds him at the edge of the city, where the rough geometry of the buildings crack and fragment apart as they give way to dust. It’s one of the areas she’s avoided most intensely; the dense fog of loss lingers here, clawing for her attention. The more she opens herself up to the Force lately, the more she feels the echoes of the life it touched before. The land remembers, and the bones beneath them speak to her in sharp little bursts of time lost.

Beyond, the desert stretches out in its infinite, unforgiving ambivalence. Where the city is a roiling mass of lives long since passed, the ocean of sand before them is a void. No suffering, no pain, no agonized voices crying out. No joy, no love clinging to the rocky surface. There is Force there too, she knows, permeating the stone and air and even the smallest insects scuttling below the surface. No more or less pure than that found in the city, but quieter. She takes a moment to breathe it in, tasting it on the backs of her teeth.

He isn’t meditating. She can feel his disconnect from the Force like a wound, jaring and discordant. But here at the edge of what has become her home, the home he scraped together with the Mand’alor for a dying people, it doesn’t feel so abrasive. Rey hovers for a moment, unsure, before taking a seat beside him. When Luke says nothing, she tries to drop into meditation herself, but as always her mind fights her. She wonders what happened to cause such a great disruption in Luke’s psyche. Such resistance to opening himself to the Force. She thinks about trying to cut herself off from it, now that she has felt its presence in and around herself, and balks. It would be easier to cut off her own hand, she thinks.

She shifts slightly, looking for a more comfortable position, and Luke huffs. It’s an amused sound, and Rey’s eyes blink open to regard him curiously. Luke is looking at her, something bittersweet on his face. “What?” she demands.

“If you’re trying to meditate,” he replies, “you’re not doing a very good job of it. I can feel your mind going a parsec a minute.”

“Well I’ve not exactly had the best instruction,” she grumbles, relaxing from her more formal meditative stance.

Luke’s beard twitches, and though he’s smiling, she can sense his wariness in the air around them. No one hides in the Force. “What makes you think you’re ready?” he asks.

It’s a question that she’s been expecting, that she’s spent hours building arguments around. I’m strong, she had planned to say, or I can already do so much, or I have nothing. I have no one. Make me into something of use. But now looking into Luke Skywalker’s sad eyes, she only has one real answer. There is only one real thing that makes her feel like she must do this, one thing that makes her desperate for guidance. The truth that brought her here.

“There’s no one else,” she says, and for a moment the vast loneliness of the statement washes over her, smothering. It’s probably the most honest thing she’s said since her feet sunk into the sand of New Mandalore. “If it’s not me, there’s no one. So I’m ready. I have to be.”

Luke takes a breath, a glacial motion that seems to carry all the weight that she feels within it. He looks up at the sky above them, shoulders slumping. The moonlight reflects on the desert sand, turning it into a silver sea stretching out infinitely beyond them. The lights of the city are far behind them; the only creatures that keep them company here are the stars, and the ghosts.

“I can’t be a good teacher to you,” Luke says. His voice is clear and crisp; it offers no opportunity for rebuttal. “I failed before. I can’t be a father, or a mentor. I’m not even a Jedi anymore, not really. Maybe I never was.” He laughs, a harsh, cracked sound. “I barely knew my old masters. Most of the teachings of the Order are lost. I tried to rebuild it, and I just forced history to repeat itself.” He drops his chin down, meeting her gaze again. His eyes are very blue, she realizes, maybe for the first time. They’re younger than the rest of his face. The Force suddenly brushes against her consciousness, offering her a fizzling image of a young man with windswept blonde hair, in a desert so similar and yet so different from this one. The man is bright and shining, desperate for adventure, ready to be someone. So deeply, terrifically afraid of the burden the galaxy had placed on his shoulders. The image fades, Luke’s face aging before her, but his eyes are the same. Still bright, still scared.

Rey understands.

“You don’t need to be anything to me,” she says. This does not ring with the truth that she offered moments ago. “I haven’t had anyone, ever. I’ve been alone all my life. I can be what they need without you.” She pauses, takes a deep breath. Steadies herself, forces her rapid heart rate to settle, lets her emotions leak out into the Force until it washes back into her with all the calm of the wide open desert. “I don’t need you, Luke Skywalker. But your help would sure make my life kriffing easier.”

Luke laughs again, and this time it doesn’t seem so bitter. He shakes his head, gray hair flopping across his forehead. “Well, Din will be pleased,” he says lightly, and Rey feels a sense of relief wash through her that’s so powerful for a moment she can’t breathe with it. He’s going to do it. She’s got a teacher. She laughs too, feeling bright and shining and afraid.

They sit together at the edge of the world together, and in the face of the endless desert she finally feels something like hope

[creativeashproductions]

Shattered Hearts // Luke Patterson

Summary: The teenage years are supposed to the best time of life but not when fate has other plans for Sunset Curve. Not feeling well reader stays home while Luke prepares for the performance of his life at The Orpheum. Shit hits the fan hard and the fallout ensues.

Warnings: Swearing, death, hospital, cancer (type is not detailed) angst, and fluff.

Words: 2.3k

Requested: @lolychu​

A/N: I didn’t go into detail about the kind of cancer because I didn’t want to, I want it to be as general as it could. I’ve never gone through it or had someone close go through it so it could be wrong and I apologize for that. Broken heart syndrome is REAL by the way.

Masterlist

Los Angeles, 1995

There are articles of some medical mysteries that can’t fully be scientifically explained, such as when someone dies in excellent health following the death of a loved one. The scientific term is takotsubo cardiomyopathy, but the world knows it merely by Broken Heart Syndrome. It was a day that was supposed to be the greatest of your teenage years, but the day couldn’t have gone any worse.

First, you woke up with an incredibly high fever and newfound bruises. Pain in a wrist out of nowhere but you wrote it off. You had plans, and illness wasn’t scheduled for the day. Your boyfriend and his band had gotten their big break, well their almost big break. Today was the day Sunset Curve would perform at The Orpheum, and you were gonna be backstage cheering them on.

Luke made his appearance at your house in the morning before early rehearsal, and you managed to convince him you were feeling okay. He went on to their studio, and your mother drove you to the hospital in fear.

Life was an asshole. While you waited for test results pale against the hospital sheets, an ambulance rolled in. Carrying three bodies that would go to the morgue for positive confirmation of death. You wouldn’t know for a full day, Luke’s parents too grief-stricken to call you and that’s okay. 

“Mom?” You asked as her form caved in on the floor near your hospital bed, “Mom!”

Her eyes filled with so much pain brought you fear and concern. With a struggle, she came closer to hold your hand tightly and spoke brokenly the fate that would snatch you.

“Baby, you don’t have the flu.”

“That’s good? So just meds and we can go home?” You asked heart clenching as her eyes closed tight and you knew whatever the doctor had told her after pulling her out of the room wasn’t good.

Couldn’t be good with the slump in her shoulders, the pain in her eyes and the guilt coating her every word. Mom wasn’t a housewife; she wasn’t a flower in need of protection, but she never kept something from you. Always said it straight and as it is.

“Sweetheart, they’re gonna move you to another ward.” You knew deep in your heart the news had to be the worst because Mom wasn’t telling you the whole story. Finally, she broke down, “The doctors got the results back as soon as they could. The fever, the bruises, and the broken wrist have a reason. You have cancer.”

Cancer. A word that sealed your fate. It left you reeling in shock. It shattered your dream with just one single name. Couldn’t be seen but made its presence known. The coming hour was spent with the specialist detailing the type and a tentative treatment plan he wanted to initiate immediately.

A nurse escorted your mother out as the orderlies and nurses prepped you to be moved to a new room. Knowing you were in good hands, your mom walked to the main doors for fresh air only to be astounded at the sight of Mitch and Emily Patterson. Equally shocked, they came together.

“Emily?” Your mom spoke, looking carefully at the parents of your boyfriend. She wondered how the Patterson’s had found out, “Did someone call you?”

“No.” Emily spoke with a numb voice. Your mom took a step back, understanding that one could only react that way for one thing. Something had happened to the Patterson teenager.

 “Luke isn’t here, is he?” Your mom asked, turning to look up at the tall building of the hospital, “Y/N, hasn’t had a phone. She only found out, but Luke hasn’t been with you-“

“The cops came,” Mitch spoke tucking his upset wife into his arms. He was equally as grief-stricken and bitter, but he had to be calm for his wife. They wouldn’t get anywhere if one of them couldn’t get answers.

Your mom gasped, “No.”

“I always knew that band-“Emily’s own sob cut her words off as her knees threatened to buckle. Your mom helped lead Emily into the emergency room before she jogged off to join you but not before turning to the Patterson parents.

“We’ll meet up. Discuss why we’re all here.” 

Being told you had cancer and then informed your boyfriend died all in one night was the most painful thing you had to live through. It was weeks of screaming, invasive procedures and therapy sessions. Your father came from his business trip to Dubai as soon as he could and didn’t leave your side.

A painful six months rolled with cancer stealing your hopes and a fucking bad hotdog taking your dreams away. Nothing made you curious. Nothing felt worth living for.

Not the realistic watercolour tattoo your parents let you get of Luke’s blue guitar you loved so much. It seemed to have a terminally sick child made it practically impossible to say no to, so you got a tattoo of your favourite lyrics of Sunset Curve.

In pretty font, it said ‘When all the days felt black and white. Those were the best shades of my life’ just like it said in Now or Never. One of your favourite songs, you got the privilege of watching Luke create.

“Mom, can I have a popsicle?” You asked from your bed. Eyes barely open as she nodded off her chair, “My mouth is dry.”

“Of course.” She nodded, leaving the room with a kiss on your forehead. Both of you mumbling I love you just in case. You felt like your clock was close to the end, so every word had meaning.

It was a good day so far; you hadn’t had to press for more pain medication like the last couple of weeks. You had managed to turn to stare out the window at the pretty sky. Your eyes fluttered shut completely content that this was it.

Your mom returned to a room with doctors and nurses trying to resuscitate you with your father screaming. No one could figure out if it was the cancer or the broken heart syndrome that killed you first. Your death was a double blow to Luke’s parents the most, along with Reggie and Alex’s own parents. 

Los Angeles, 2020

So much had changed since you died in 1995. Phones had changed, and buildings were torn down. You changed as well too. In relief physically, you had changed from the gaunt, skinny, pale patient to the girl you had been before the diagnosis.

Your hair now looked as healthy as it had been before you had cancer and you weren’t gaunt looking. You were looked just like you did a few months before you got diagnosed and you hoped so since you were dead. It would have sucked to be dead and beyond ugly.

“Do you think she went on to have a family?”

You kept your attention on the waves crashing the beach content to watch the waves doing the same movement they had since the beginning. You paid no attention to the group walking by. Not until one tripped over you landing in an awkward heap.

“Ouch!” The voice hissed. Your eyes flicked down to Reginald fucking Hastings’s blue eyes in pure shock. You scrambled away from the teenager with a sharp scream that pierced the ghoul group.

“Jesus.” You grumbled pushing the little sand that had stuck somehow to your body made of air.

“Oh my god. I think I just summoned Luke’s girlfriend.” Reggie hissed towards the equally astounded members of former Sunset Curve and current Julie and the Phantoms bandmates.

“No, you idiot we’re dead.” You spoke, taking a deep breath in, “After not seeing you for five years I thought you passed on. I’ve been travelling around America and Canada. Something felt like I needed to come home.”

“When did you die?” Alex questioned sadly when you were quiet. His sad blue eyes unable to leave your expressive face, he hoped somehow you had lived to your 90s and died to come back youthful.

“It’s wasn’t harm-“

“No, Luke. I don’t think I’ll ever positively know what happened, but the night you guys died my life ended as well.” You revealed sitting back, letting the three boys join you for an intriguing story to them. Luke wasn’t hesitant in grasping your hand in his, “Funny enough your bodies were being unloaded in the morgue while I was being told by my Mom, I had cancer. The battle was hard but short.”

“Cancer?”

“Our love story was destined to be tragic, whether it be cancer or a hotdog.” You told the teenage guitarist to experience in the afterlife to be gentle about it. The three boys flinched from the indifference, “Have you visited your parents yet? My parents are home for a few weeks.”

“My neighbourhood was torn down. Alex doesn’t know about his and-“ 

“-I’ve seen my folks once so far.” Luke finished playing with your fingers, “You say our love story was tragic, I say it would be tragic if we hadn’t had the chance in life that we did.”

You nodded your head, “Where have you guys been?”

All three boys took their chaotic turn in describing their last meal to Reggie tripping over you with the belief of walking through you. They were in a band with a lifer who made them visible to the public when playing music together. You told them that your parents would choose a destination from your dream travel journal; you would follow them on the adventures.

Slowly you met Julie who put up a distance as she acclimated to having the girlfriend of her crush around always. Julie couldn’t help the feeling of jealously when Luke focused on the teen ghost girl. She couldn’t even hate you! You were so lovely and welcoming to the girl with respect for boundaries, in fact, you were exactly the girl she would have been friends with. Julie loved Flynn, but she could be over the top and dramatic sometimes.

“Good rehearsal. I’ll meet you outside.” Luke spoke, pressing a kiss to the side of your head. You nodded before walking through the white, painted barn doors.

Everything put away properly; Luke was quick to meet up with his girlfriend for their date. Alex noticed the stare by Julie. He had seen it for the past few weeks since you were introduced to the passionate musician with a beautiful voice.

“I’m really sorry, Julie.” Alex softly told the sad Puerto Rican girl yearning to hug the teenager but alas his ghostly body couldn’t allow it.

“Did I have an honest chance before she came back?” Julie asked. Her doe brown eyes bringing Reggie’s attention to the conversation at hand. 

“No.” Reggie answered this time solemn with his blue eyes holding no mirth or childlike glee, “Luke’s been in love with her for years. She’s his all or nothing.”

“I didn’t have a chance between them, and I don’t want you between them either. It’s not a nice place to be even if I was mutually breaking up with his as well.” Alex soothed the live girl yearning to physically comfort her but alas that damn hotdog ruined everything.

“Luke also said when the first big payment came, he would marry her. He wanted to give her the wedding of her dreams.” Reggie unintentionally rubbed the salt in Julie’s wound on the topic of her tragic love story.

Julie learnt to deal with the pain of seeing Luke, so in love and happier than before you had reconnected. In her fashion, she had hidden a new box for her thoughts that was so well hidden the boys would never find it. It was filled with papers that progressively got less romance angst.

“I’m just saying,” Alex spoke, raising his hands in the air after another one of Luke’s emotional rants on the loss of things in death. Such as marrying you.

“Dude, we’re dead, and our ghost connections happen to either be our band, Willie or a very questionable sketchy vintage magician.” Luke snapped slouching on his couch sulking as you were spending time with your family no matter how oblivious they were to your presence.

“I’m ordained.” Willie supplied sitting next to the blonde drummer who had easily swayed from Caleb to the good side again. At the group’s looks of disbelief, he continued, “I was bored! Took some art classes too. It won’t be the average wedding, but you could still call each other spouse.”

“I can check local clubs for wedding dresses. Flynn can easily put together music and Alex can find a venue.” Julie piped up, avoiding the sympathetic look from Reggie, who still thought the teenager had feelings for his bandmate. She no longer did. 

“You can use one of your rings on a chain as well. Maybe hold off on getting a ring until we get money from the band.” Reggie gave his input, earning himself a proud expression from Alex; an expression the drummer rarely was able to give his friend.

“I guess I’m proposing.” Luke beamed already thinking of ways to make his proposal special, not like being ghosts wasn’t already impressive enough. 

It wasn’t the ideal wedding, but it honestly didn’t matter as long as the two of you were able to vow yourself to each other. It no longer mattered on the details other than you two.

Tag List (PLEASE SEND AN INBOX TO BE ADDED! I CANNOT GUARANTEE YOU WILL BE ON THE LIST VIA POST COMMENTS!)

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[justasillybear]

Is that a Dog?

It all started, as did many of the things that went wrong in Percy’s life, by not asking the right questions.

In his defence, it hadn’t seemed necessary to ask Grover anything other than “Can I have one” when his best friend and roommate had pulled out some freshly baked brownies from the oven.

First mistake.

The second mistake was sneaking two more brownies while Grover hadn’t been looking.

It could be said, as Percy would later point out, that Grover was the one responsible for everything that happened after that. Months later Percy would look back on that moment and realise Grover hadn’t even attempted to warn him that there was weed in the brownies. Then he’d shake his head and think wow Grover really screwed me over. But that was months away.

In the present, Percy felt like he was floating, everything felt bright and new, and Grover was driving him to go get a milkshake. How could he be mad at Grover when he was the reason Percy felt so at peace? He could hear Grover’s Michael Franti CD playing, and his soft voice singing along, not quite drowned out by the loud honks of irate drivers stuck like them in New York traffic. If he were in a clearer state of mind, Percy would likely have realised that Grover had also eaten one of the brownies and shouldn’t have really been driving. But he wasn’t, instead he let his eyes drift out the window up towards the perfectly blue sky. So blue it almost looked like the ocean and Percy wondered if he just reached up would he fall in and-

What?

Holy. Shit.

“A puppy!” Percy screeched, starting out of the window and at the car a few places ahead of them to the left. He turned to Grover and pointed to the little golden retriever that was poking its head out of a car window. It’s tongue was hanging out of its mouth and Percy felt his heart clench at the sight. He hadn’t known it before, but now he realised that was what he’d been missing in his life.

“Nice spot, what a cute dog.” Grover approved, peering over, his eyes looking slightly red and heavy-lidded.

“He looks... Like he gives good hugs”. Percy mused. He desperately wanted to test out his theory. Percy sent up a quick prayer asking for help, and was elated to find the traffic moving. He waited with bated breath while their lane moved forward until they were parked next to the dog. “Fuck yes!” he virtually screamed. Today was the best day!

“He's so tiny?” Percy mused, eyes continuing to stare dreamily over and then… the puppy looked at him and BARKED. And Percy just knew he was calling out to him. Asking to be petted.

Percy unbuckled his seat belt and rolled down the window, decidedly ignoring Grover’s confused exclamations. “He wants to be petted!” Percy offered as he reached out to touch soft golden fur. The dog yipped happily in response, pushing his small wet nose into the offered hand. Percy could feel his eyes growing misty again. He loved dogs so much. He’d always wanted one growing up, but Gabe had never allowed it. His mum had felt bad about it, getting him a fish instead which he’d loved - but it wasn’t the same. Don’t get him wrong, fish were awesome and that gift had been one of the reasons he was now studying marine biology. But… no fish had ever given him this moment. The moment where they look at you with adoration in their eyes and promise to love you forever. Percy hoped the puppy knew that Percy felt the same way.

“Um, Luke. A stranger is petting your dog.”

Percy looked up from the deep blue eyes of his new ride-or-die bestie and saw a blond girl who looked to be around his age staring at him like he was crazy (which Percy thought was a little rude.)

“Is he your dog?” Percy questioned, reluctantly removing his hand away realising that he should probably have asked the owner’s permission before sticking the upper half of his body out of the car to pet their dog. Even a dog as friendly as this, with beautiful and kind blue eyes.

“No. He’s-“

“Mine.” A deep voice cut in, pulling Percy’s attention to the driver seat of the car, where a young man with bright blue eyes, soft golden hair, and a truly wicked smirk was staring at him. The guy looked around 19 with a gnarly looking scar trailing down from his eye to his chin. Which … Damn! The scar should have detracted from how unfairly attractive he was, but instead, it made Percy want to lean over and touch it. He wondered how it would feel. If it would be rough?

Focus Percy!

“Wow, Annabeth, you didn’t say he was cute”. Percy felt his cheeks flush, and he could hear himself spluttering out nonsense for a good few moments, searching for an appropriate response.

The guy kind of looked like his dog, which was weird. What was even weirder was that the realisation made Percy want to reach out and pet his hair too, to see if it was just as soft as his dogs.

“Uuuh, noo..what, not? I’m not… you’re the one that’s. I don’t – cute! Grover. This guy thinks I’m cute?” Percy managed eventually, much to the growing amusement of the man in question. He quickly averted his eyes, turning to Grover who stared back giggling softly. Traitor.

“Percy, you’re very cute. Now you need to sit back down. We could move at any moment.”  Grover managed between breathy giggles. He didn’t sound very concerned, so Percy decided it was safe to ignore his warning for now. If Percy had to choose between personal safety and the opportunity to spend time with a cute dog and an equally cute owner, well, safety didn’t stand a chance.

“Okay, Grover,” Percy said in a peaceful tone, turning back around to once again pet the head of the puppy, “but I’m in the middle of something very important right now.” At this Grover’s laughter got louder.

“You!” Percy pointed at the driver, “Have a nice face. And smile. And eyes. Grover and I are going to get milkshakes, would you and your puppy like to join us? We could hold hands and talk about your dog and how all three of you are rocking the blond blue eyes thing-”

“Percy the traffic is moving…” Grover butted in.

“Grover, a moment!” Percy begged, yelping when Grover started to inch the car forwards with the traffic, Percy’s torso still half out of the car. Luck seemed to be on his side today however as the other lane was also moving slowly alongside them, so Percy decided to just continue to pet the dog's head. He shot a quick glare at Grover for good measure though.

“Hey idiot, you need to listen to him and get in the car. What if traffic picks up?” the girl warned, mumbling to herself about high idiots.

“Percy is it?” the driver asked, drawing Percy’s attention away from Grover and back to his unfairly handsome face. Percy could feel a grin stretching across his lips.

“How’d you know my name?” he wonders, feeling pleased. He liked the way his name sounded coming from the older guy, all deep and slow like he was savouring each syllable. The guy laughed at the question.

“Your boyfriend there’s said it a few times.” He explained, and Percy nodded vigorously in understanding, and then begun to shake his head equally as energetically. “Grover? No! He’s like… a brother. Definitely not my boyfriend.” Percy explained forcefully, He really didn’t want the hot guy to get the wrong idea. Grover was his best friend, but he’d rather jump into the harbour than date him.

“Why the harbour?” the guy asked through chuckles. Percy hoped he’d keep laughing, the sound was making his head feel as light as the brownies had.

“Did I say that out loud?”

“Yup, green eyes, you did. And I’m sorry, I’d love to hang out more, but I need to drop my sister off at her girlfriends.” He said, pointing a finger at the girl in the backseat. Percy turned to look at her with sad eyes. The girl with golden curls looked like she couldn’t decide if she should smile or scowl. He was disappointed to note her eyes were more grey than blue.

“Oh, that’s sad.” Percy pouted, retreating back slightly into Grover’s car. Before he was fully in, the guy reached out a hand to stop him. He had nice hands, they were large and calloused, and Percy wanted to hold one.

“Wait. Um, maybe I could give you my number, so I know you got home alright? My name's Luke Castellan. C-A-S-T-E-L-L-A-N. We could get that milkshake another… less traffic-bound time?” Luke asked, looking nervous for the first time, making Percy grin. He quickly whipped out his phone and typed in Luke’s details.

“yes! .” He cheered, once to Luke, and then once again to the dog who was still nuzzling his hand. “So, I’ll see you both soon?”

“I’ll hold you to that, Percy.” Luke teased and Percy felt himself nodding.

“Promise,” Percy said firmly, sliding back into the car to Grover's relief. He waved at Luke once the window was rolled up, pleased to see the guy was still staring over at him. He looked like he was saying sometimes but Percy couldn’t tell what. Whatever it was, it made the girl in the backseat lean forward and smack his shoulder. Luke waved one final time before turning his eyes back to the road. His face looked bright and carefree, and Percy wanted to look at him forever. Then the traffic moved and Luke, and his puppy, were gone.

Percy tried not to feel too sad, but he wished he’d taken a picture.

“Only Percy-fucking-Jackson could get a guy’s number after molesting his dog while high in traffic.” Grover giggled, and Percy allowed himself to be dragged away from his thoughts.

“What can I say. I’m irresistible”. He stated, smirking over at his best friend. Grover just continued to giggle. Laying back in his seat he looked back up to the perfect blue sky and thought of Luke's eyes. Luke Castellan, Luke Castellan, Luke-

Maybe he wouldn’t blame Grover after all.

[watchyourbluesturngolden]

cats and babies

This is the first piece I’ve ever written so if anyone sees this be nice pls and thank u

There could be typos/ weird formatting, this was typed entirely on my phone

I also feel the need to say all of my medical knowledge is from Grey’s anatomy and googling things I saw on grey’s anatomy so this is probably not that accurate ¯\_(ツ)_/¯  

Word count: 6,160

Warnings: Car accidents, blood, angst (but with a v happy ending ofc bc sad endings are Not For Me), hospitals/medical stuff, again a very happy ending, I would like to emphasize the happy ending so no one gets scared away from reading this, did I mention there’s a happy ending?

"So, what'd'ya say? Chinese?"

They were deciding where to go for dinner after a long day of touring their favorite art museums. Harry and Y/N had been dating about two years now, and (cheesy as it sounds) they loved each other more and more every day. 

"Chinese sounds great," Y/N smiled, glancing over at Harry. The golden sun reflected off his curls, making him look absolutely angelic. 

He smiled, which turned into a chuckle, which turned into full blown laughter. She was confused. "What is it?" What's so hilariou- eyes on the road!!" 

"Sorry, sorry," he laughed. "Nothing, just- do you-" he breathed slowly, calming down a bit. "Do you remember the first time we had Chinese food? She blushed, laughing with him at the memory. 

Their first date had been... disastrous, to say the least. They had both been nervous, but both trying to act confident. They had decided on a nice, fancy, black tie restaurant, and Y/N was excited. When he picked her up in a limousine, she was hardly unable to contain herself.

However, their plan fell apart almost from the beginning. When they got to the place, a big red sign read "CLOSED FOR REPAIRS"

"Ooook... that's... weird," Y/N had grimaced. "What should we do now?" 

"Uh... we could... try the one a few blocks over? Yeah, that's a good place too, I know the owner. He always has a table for me. That'll work!"

Y/N hasn't quite cared about the wrench thrown into their plans. She really liked Harry so far, and she though he liked her too. So she chirped "Sure! Sounds great."

She hadn't noticed how embarrassed he looked when he opened the car door for her. He couldn't believe his luck! He was finally on a date with a girl he really liked, really wanted to impress, and the best restaurant in town closed with no notice? How could this happen? But he shook it off, climbing in after her and alerting the driver of their change of plans. 

When they got to the next place, Harry immediately got worried. It looked very crowded, and while the owner usually held a table for Harry, it didn't seem so tonight. 

He pulled out his phone.

"Hey, Luke! Yeah, I'm great! Listen, do you by any chance have a table-" He paused, and then his face fell. His voice kept its happy tone, though. "No, no problem at all, I understand. Yeah, for sure, a different night. Thank you!" He hung up, looking more than a little dejected. 

Y/N put a hand on his arm. "It's ok, I promise. I swear I didn't just agree to go out with you for the fancy food. We can go anywhere, 'Im really not upset!" 

"Agh, thank you. You're very sweet. But really, you deserve a fancy place. Only it seems everyone in the world is determined to make sure we don't get to do that," He huffed. "Maybe..." And he pulled out his phone again. He glanced at her curious face. "How do you feel about Chinese?" He asked sheepishly.

  Y/N beamed. "I love it," and there was no trace of insincerity on her face. 

"Right then, Chinese it is!" he found the closest place on his phone, telling the driver the address.

After a few minutes of eating, Y/N looked around the table for a fork. She could handle big foods, like the chicken, with the chopsticks, but definitely not the rice. 

Harry asked what she needed. She was a bit embarrassed to tell him she wasn't good enough with chopsticks to eat her rice, but he was kind about it. He helped show her how to use them without making too big of a mess. Still, she dropped half her plate on a napkin in her lap. 

At the end of their meal, Y/N burst out laughing when she picked up her napkin. Harry looked at her, confused, until she placed what was basically a full serving of rice on the table. He was also unable to contain his laughter, to which Y/N responded by throwing a few grains of rice at him. 

He threw a balled up napkin at her, and she blew a straw wrapper in his face. This escalated until she splashed what was left of her water glass on him. There was stunned silence for a moment, and Y/N thought she went too far. Then he looked at her and burst into laughter. She sighed in relief, laughing with him. "I'm sorry, that was too much," but she couldn't keep the smile off her face at the sight of the water dripping down his face.

"A little water never hurt anyone," he said, his eyes twinkling as he splashed her with his own water. 

Y/N was pulled from the happy memory of their first date when the car skidded on the ice. 

"Careful... if I'd known it was this slippery we'd have found a closer place," she said nervously.

"Nah, we've talked about this, the only good place is the one two towns over. I understand you love Minnesota and all but it is NOT the best place to find good Chinese food," he smirked.

"I will not have this Minnesota slander, not in this house. Maybe you're the issue, with your sophisticated taste and all," Y/N said, laughing at his disgruntled look. "Sophisticated? I took you for Chinese food on our first date. Nothing about that screams "sophisticated" to me." 

"Yeah, but we were dressed VERY fancy. That counts," Y/N laughed. 

"Oh really? that's what makes me sophisticated? alright then, you're right, I'm, extremely-" 

The car slid just a little too far for Y/N's liking. 

"Harry, are you sure it's safe to be driving on this? I think it's getting worse, and- look, it's starting to rain." She checked the weather on her phone. "Yeah, it's at that weird temperature where it's halfway freezing. The road will be worse on the way back." 

"I think we're ok," He reassured her. "The car has 4 wheel drive, and I'll go slow. I think the biggest danger is us not getting our Chinese food," he smiled at her. "Uh, no," Y/N said, rolling her eyes. "I'd say the biggest danger is crashing and dying in a firey car wreck." 

"Always so negative, Y/N," Harry laughed. "We're perfectly fine-" he spoke too soon, because right then the car slid again. A lot, this time. They almost slid right through a stop sign. 

Y/N clutched the armrest. 

"We're almost there, you better not kill me before I get my Chinese food, Styles. I finally know how to eat rice with chopsticks without..." She stopped halfway through her sentence because she was laughing so hard. "Without... dropping all of it on my lap." 

They dissolved into giggles, especially when Harry said, "got any more water to throw at me?" 

The car slid once more, and Y/N felt her pocket nervously. She had bought a ring for Harry. It was nothing too special, but it was the one year anniversary of the first time they had gone to an art museum together. She wanted to commemorate that with something special, so she had gone to the museum gift shop and found the perfect ring. It had a silver band, a little thinner than the rest of his, and a labradorite stone set into it. She thought it would complement his other jewelry nicely. 

She kept her hand on the little box in her pocket, careful not to make Harry suspicious. 

He wasn't looking at her, though; he was completely focused on the road. His hands gripped the wheel hard enough to turn his knuckles white. Y/N felt a little more nervous seeing this. Harry was an excellent driver, and he usually had one hand on the wheel and the other holding hers. He only gripped the wheel this tightly when he felt unsafe driving. 

Y/N looked out at the darkening sky. She was not a fan of storms, especially ones that make the roads icy. Like a true Minnesotan, she knew that under the right circumstances, a bit of rain could make it nearly impossible to drive.

A car sped past them, almost veering into their lane when it went over a particularly icy patch. 

"Harry, really, I don't know if we should keep going," Y/N said nervously.

"I know, but I'm not sure what we should do. I think it's safer to just keep going and hope the rain stops. We're about 10 minutes away, but if we turn around it's almost a 2 hour drive." 

"Yeah... you're right. It's better to just keep going. Just... go slow," Y/N said, biting the inside of her cheek. 

"Stop doing that," Harry chided in a singsong voice. 

"How can you even tell? you weren't even looking at me," Y/N laughed. 

"I know how you are when you're nervous, Y/N. Biting your cheek won't do anything but hurt." 

Y/N smiled. She had never had someone care this much about her. Someone who knew her this well, almost better than she knew herself. She was so hopelessly in love... 

She was so busy thinking about what she would say when she gave him the ring that she didn't hear the horn blaring. She looked up just in time to see the truck driving straight down the middle of the road towards them. 

She could tell instantly the driver of the truck couldn't do anything. He was sliding on the ice like they had before. Harry jerked the wheel to the right, moving the car out of the way. 

It wasn't enough.

Y/N heard a horribly loud crashing noise, and then there was nothing. 

Y/N shot straight up out of the bed she was in, gasping. Someone put their hands on her shoulders, trying to soothe her and get her to lay back down. She pushed the hands away as her vision came into focus. She was in a room filled with people and noise and 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦.

She panicked for a minute before she realized where she was. Clearly an Emergency Room. There were 4 doctors and nurses around her, checking her eyes, ears, reflexes, pulse, breathing. She threw her arms out to try and get some space. One of the nurses caught her hand, holding it in both of hers. 

"Y/N, you're alright. You're in the hospital. You were in a car accident. Do you have any pain? Whe-"

"Harry! Where's Harry?? I need to see him, I have to, I have to go-" She stuttered as she pushed the doctors away from her, trying to get up again.

  The same nurse held her back.

"Y/N, we need to make sure you're ok before you can get up. If you let us help, you'll be able to see Harry sooner. Can you lay back? Do you have any pain?"

  "No, no I'm fine, I'm ok! I need to see Harry, I need to know if he's ok! Please!" Y/N looked frantically around at the doctors, hoping one of them knew something. 

The doctor who appeared to be in charge ordered, "Someone go get an update on the guy they brought in with her. See how he's doing." 

"Thank you, thank you so much," Y/N breathed, finally laying back. 

"There we go. Do you have any pain Y/N?" The nurse asked again. 

"No, I'm totally fine. I'm- " Y/N brushed her hair out of her face. When are brought her arm down, she saw that her hand was covered in blood. "I'm bleeding!" She cried, panicking. 

"It's ok, it's not too bad," one of the doctors said, examining her head. "It looks like it'll need maybe 5 or 6 stitches. We can fix that up right away." 

Y/N closed her eyes. How had this happened? Harry moved the wheel, she knew he did. How had they crashed this badly? 

The doctor who had been sent to check on Harry came back into the room. Y/N snapped her eyes open, looking at her expectantly.

"He is stable. That's the important thing right now. However, he's been pretty badly injured. He broke his femur and clavicle. He has a small brain bleed, and he is covered in cuts from the glass. He's also pretty bruised from the airbag and seatbelt. He is intubated, because he was having some trouble breathing. He might need surgery to repair the brain bleed, but right now they're waiting and hoping it will get better on it's own." 

Y/N exhaled. "But... he's ok? I mean... he's alive?" 

The doctor smiled. "Yes. He's doing ok." 

Y/N finally allowed herself to breathe. She noticed she was crying but she didn't do anything to wipe her tears away. 

"Ok, Y/N," said the doctor stitching up her face. "I'm finished here. You need to stay here for a little while longer so we can monitor you. There is an IV in your arm to keep you hydrated. If you need anything, call for a nurse. Also, and this is important, don't get out of this bed without someone helping you. You've been through a lot today, but the adrenaline is wearing off, which might make you feel shaky. Do you need anything right now?" 

"No, I'm... I'm fine. Thank you," Y/N said, wiping her eyes. 

After he left her bed, she felt her pocket. She breathed a sigh of relief when she felt the ring still there. Then she mentally kicked herself for being worried about a silly ring when Harry was... no. She wouldn't let herself think that. Harry was 𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦. They were both alive, and they were both ok.

About an hour later, a nurse came in. After confirming that she felt totally fine, Y/N anxiously asked when she could see Harry. 

"I'm sorry, the ICU is family only," The nurse said. She really did look sorry, but this did nothing to make Y/N feel better. 

"I- I'm his wife!" Y/N said quickly, not even thinking. She most definitely was 𝘯𝘰𝘵 his wife. She wasn't even his fiancee. She slipped the ring from her pocket onto her finger, then held up her hand to the nurse. 

The nurse pretended not to notice the fact that the ring hadn't been there before, and that the ring was easily a size too big. "Oh! Then of course you can see him," She said, helping Y/N off the bed slowly. "I'll take you to his room." 

"Thank you so much," Y/N said, taking her first few steps slowly. 

"Careful- you're still attached to this IV pole," The nurse said, adjusting the tubing so it wasn't in her way. "You can hold onto it for support- yes, just like that." 

Y/N got more nervous with every step towards Harry's room. What would he look like? Would he be in pain? Would he know who she was? Would he... be mad at her? 

When she walked into his room, she almost started crying all over again. He looked, well, awful. He was covered in cuts and bruises. He had several tubes and wires connected to him, as well as a large tube taped in his mouth. He had a cast on his leg and a sling on his arm.

Y/N looked at the nurse who was taking his vitals. 

"How is he?" She asked in a small voice. 

"He's ok for now. He is stable, which is very good. He's unconscious, but we hope to see him wake up soon. You can sit with him, hold his hand, talk to him. If you need anything, just press the call button." 

She left, leaving Y/N and Harry alone. This time, she really did start crying. This was awful, and it was all her fault. She was the one who wanted to go for Chinese food. She was the one who picked today, the first wintery stormy day of the year to go for a long drive. And now.. 

"Harry... Harry I'm so sorry," Y/N said, sniffling. She held onto his hand, the one that wasn't attached to a broken collarbone.  "This is all my fault, and now you're... and I got off with nothing but a cut on my forehead, and it's not fair and I'm so sorry," She let out a sob. 

She continued on like this, crying and talking and crying some more, for a few hours, before she fell asleep in the chair next to him. She woke up around 9 the next morning with a stiff next and puffy eyes. She looked at his face, still covered in bruises, and kissed his hand. The nurse came in to check on him and told Y/N to go get some breakfast, reminding her that she couldn't care for Harry if she didn't care for herself. Y/N reluctantly agreed, going as fast as she could. The nurse had disconnected her IV sometime in the night, and she could move much faster without it. 

She got back to the room with her bagel and resumed her position in the chair right next to Harry. She talked to him as if he was awake, imagining she heard his beautiful voice responding to her. 

She had managed to keep the crying to a minimum today. She kept telling herself that if- no, 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 Harry woke up, she didn't want to look like a monster with red eyes. 

Her phone had been found by some paramedics, so she found Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone online and began to read to him. It was a little weird, but Harry loved these books, especially when he was sick.

Y/N was used to just imagining she heard his voice with her in the room, but suddenly she heard something that wasn't her. She gasped. 

"He's choking!! Nurse!!" She yelled for help, frantically pushing the call button. "Help!" 

Several nurses rushed in. One ushered Y/N back and out of the room, telling her to give them space to work. 

"What's- What's happening? What are they doing??" Y/N tried to go back in, but the nurse held her shoulders. 

"He's trying to breathe over the tube, Y/N. That's a very good sign. It means he's breathing on his own," The nurse said, trying to keep Y/N calm. 

"Does- does that mean he's waking up?" Y/N asked, not wanting to get her hopes up. 

"Not for sure, but it's a very good sign."

After a few minutes, the nurses came out of Harry's room, looking excited. "Y/N, he's awake! He's very groggy and can't speak yet, but he is definitely awake. You can go in and sit with him again if you'd like. We gave him some more medicine for the pain, so you have about 15 minutes to talk before he starts going a little..." She made a swirling motion next to her head. 

Y/N didn't care if he was high on morphine. She just cared that he was alive and awake and didn't... hate her. 

Harry was laying in the bed, looking at her with great concern in his tired eyes. He opened his mouth to speak, but no noise came out. Y/N rushed over to take his hand. 

"It's ok, they said you might not be able to talk for a little while yet. It's ok, I'm here, it's ok," Y/N said, smoothing his hair. 

Harry cleared his throat, coughing. He gestured toward the water cup on his side table. 

"Oh, of course." Y/N picked up the pitcher and poured him a glass, setting it in his good hand. 

He raised the straw shakily to his lips as   Y/N watched carefully to make sure he didn't spill. She gently lifted the cup out of his hands when he held it up to her.

His small smile was enough to make Y/N cry all over again.

"Oh, Harry," She cried, holding her head in her hands. "It's all my fault. I'm so sorry this happened, I did this to you- you almost died!" 

"W-what?"

Y/N whipped her head up. "You can talk?" She said, overjoyed.

Harry coughed and spoke again. "Of course I can talk." 

His voice was rough and it sounded like it hurt everytime he spoke, but it was the most beautiful thing Y/N had ever heard. 

"What are you talking about, it's all your fault?" He rasped, looking utterly confused. "What even happened?" 

With tears leaking from her eyes, Y/N explained all she knew, which still wasn't much. Harry remembered everything as she told him, both their eyes watering as her voice shook.

"Why... why're you crying? Does your forehead hurt? I can call the nurse..." He reached for the call button.

"No, no, I'm ok," She took his hand in hers. "I'm just so sorry, because it honestly is my fault, I'm the one who wanted Chinese food and picked 𝘵𝘰𝘥𝘢𝘺 of all days to drive 2 hours away and-" 

He cut her off by raising his finger to her lips. 

"It's not your fault... it's mine. I'm the one who convinced you the only good Chinese food is so far away and I'm the one who was driving. I couldn't keep you safe..." 

Harry had never looked so sad. 

"No!" Y/N exclaimed. "Do you not see me right now? I'm absolutely fine, you did keep me safe. You swerved out of the way... wait a minute," She paused, realization hitting her. "You didn't think we could avoid the truck at all, did you? You knew it would hit us either way, but you made sure it would hit as far from me as possible." 

Harry looked down. "I figured you're more important than me, I had to do what I could."

"Harry Styles!" Y/N whisper-yelled. "If you weren't so 𝘪𝘯𝘫𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘥 I would 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘤𝘬 you right now! How could you do that? How could you put yourself in 𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 like that?" 

"Oh, that's actually why I got so injured, because I knew you'd try to hit me for this," He smiled charmingly at Y/N. She just scowled. 

"Did you really expect me to just say, "oh well, guess she's a goner! bye Y/N! nice knowin' ya!" No, of course not. Of course I'd put myself in danger for you. Always." 

Y/N's lip trembled. "Why do you have to be so romantic after you do such stupid things? it makes it really hard to stay mad at you," She said, wiping her eyes. 

"Yeah, that was the goal there," He laughed. 

Then he caught sight of the ring on her finger.

"That's pretty, when did you get that?" He mock gasped. "Did you get engaged while I was in a coma?" 

“No," Y/N laughed. "It's funny actually. I bought it from the museum gift shop. I wanted to give it to you as a present, for the anniversary of the first time we went there together. I was going to give it to you over Chinese food, and it was going to be 𝘢𝘸𝘦𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 and 𝘯𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘨𝘪𝘤 and 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭." 

Harry smiled. "That's lovely of you, darling. Why... why's it on your finger though?" 

"Oh! right." Y/N sheepishly pulled the ring off her finger. "They wouldn't let me see you because I'm not family, so I threw it on and said we were married," She said, blushing furiously. "Sorry about that." 

Harry smiled. "Why are you sorry?" 

"Um... we're 𝘯𝘰𝘵 married... so... I don't know, I just thought you might think it's weird, or, something..."  Y/N finished lamely. She held the ring out to him. 

"Happy anniversary." 

"Why don't you keep it?" 

"Right, of course, you don't need a reminder of this day," Y/N slipped the ring back into her pocket, on the verge of tears because she messed up 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯.

"No, that's not... I meant, why don't you keep it... on your finger?" 

She pulled the ring out of her pocket again, looking confused. "Why?" 

Harry plucked it out of her hand, holding it up to her. "Because I want you to marry me," He said, slipping it onto her finger with the sweetest smile she had ever seen. 

Y/N smiled at him. "It's ok, Harry, you're very high on all the painkillers right now. I won't hold you to anything you say," She laughed a little. 

"I'm not... why would I be on painkiller... oh yeah," Harry grinned, looking around. "I remember why I'm high right now." 

"Riiight." 

"I might be high, but I still want to marry you," he said is a singsong voice. 

Y/N laughed. "Harry, why don't we talk about this when you're sober, ok?"

Harry pouted. "Please? Please marry me? I love you, and you're so pretty, and you're so nice to animals..." He started crying, apparently at how nice Y/N was to animals. "And... a cat! We can get a cat together!" 

"Harry, baby, don't cry, of course we can get a cat," She gently wiped the tears from his bruised face. 

"I won't stop crying until you say you'll marry me," Harry said defiantly, gripping    Y/N's arm. "Pleeeaaase?" 

"Ok, Harry, yes, I will marry you. Sure. You can stop crying now, ok?" 

"That's good, I'm glad, because you're my favorite person, and I looooove you, and you're my baaaaby..." 

At this point Harry was just singing random words, usually circling back to "baaaaby" and "looooove youuuu". 

Y/N felt happy for the first time in what felt like years, while really it had been less than 24 hours. 

Eventually, he wanted to see the ring again. Y/N held up her hand and he gasped. 

"It's so beautiful! I'll buy you a real one though, a real ring for our real wedding. Then we'll get a real house and have real babies, and a real cat," He said, with the dopiest grin Y/N had ever seen. 

"Oh? We'll have babies, huh? How many babies will we have?" 

"3," He answered quickly. "Two girls and a boy. No... 4. Two of each. That way they won't team up one of them." 

"Oh, sounds like you've thought about this a lot," Y/N laughed.

  "Every single day since we started dating, you know why?" 

"Why?" 

He motioned for her to lean closer.

  "Because I looooove you," He sang in her ear.

She pulled back, kissing his swollen cheek. 

"You're a sweetheart," She said affectionately. 

"So're you," He smiled. 

"I kind of like drugged Harry," Y/N laughed. "He's very cute." 

"Drugged Harry also likes drugged Harry, he feels like he's floating." 

"Oh, so drugged Harry talks about himself in the third person?" 

"He does now!" Harry smiled at her again. "Drugged Harry is tired... he's just going to..." 

Then the monitors started beeping rapidly. Several nurses ran in, bustling around and shouting various medical terminology. Another nurse ushered Y/N out of Harry's room for the second time that day. 

"No! No, I need to stay with him! I can't-"

"Shh... it's alright. They're going to do everything they can to help him. You have to let them help him. Why don't we go to the waiting room?"

Y/N exhaled shakily. If she couldn't stay with Harry, she might as well sit instead of hovering around the corner. 

"Yes, let's go to the waiting room," She said, after a few deep breaths. 

Y/N had been sitting on the waiting room for what felt like an eternity, but a glance at her phone told her it had only been 45 minutes. 

A woman in a surgical gown approached her, and Y/N stood up quickly. "What happened?" She asked immediately.

"Unfortunately, your husband's brain bleed did not resolve itself like we had hoped. He is in surgery, and for right now he's doing well," the surgeon said, looking sympathetic. 

"Ok... why did the monitors freak out? Did his heart stop? Is he going to wake up from surgery?" 

"The monitors went off because his heart was having trouble, but they were able to resuscitate him through CPR and defibrillation. It's too soon to know if he will wake up, but the surgeon is hopeful. I will come back to update you as soon as I can."

"Ok, thank you," Y/N said, sinking back into her chair.

  She felt a pain in her chest, like real, actual pain. What would she do without Harry? How would she live with herself, knowing he died trying to save her? 

She caught a glimpse of the ring on her finger and choked back a sob. Would she tell people she was engaged? No, of course not. Harry had been completely out of his mind when he'd asked her. 

She slumped down in her chair, wanting to curl up and cry. Instead, she called her mom. Through her tears, she explained everything that happened. 

"Oh, honey," Her mom sighed. "I'm so sorry. I'm on my way. I'll be there in about 7 hours, I'm sorry it'll take so long. Do you want to stay on the phone with me?"

  "No, I can't," Y/N sniffled. "I have to call Harry's family."

  "Do you want me to do that? I wouldn't mind, they're-"

"No, mom, thank you, but I should. I- I'm going to go. Love you," Y/N said, hanging up the phone. 

Checking her phone, Y/N realized it was the middle of the night in London where Harry's family lived. She didn't think she should wait, so she called Anne without another thought. 

"Oh, Y/N, I'm so sorry. We're getting the soonest flight. We won't be there until tomorrow morning. Will you be alright alone? Is your mother coming?" 

"Yes, my mom's on her way. I'm ok, thank you," Y/N said, rubbing her eyes. 

After she hung up the phone, it set in just how exhausted she was. She had slept poorly the night before, because of the awkwardness of sleeping in a chair and because she was so, so, worried for Harry.

She drifted into a fitful sleep where she dreamed of cars crashing, rings flying around, and Harry standing just out of her reach. He was like a rainbow, the closer she got to him, the more he faded. 

She startled awake and realized there were tears on her face. She checked her phone, seeing that it had only been 3 hours.  

She saw the same woman from before approaching her, this time wearing just scrubs. 

Y/ N stood to meet her. 

"Harry is out of surgery and doing well. We were able to repair the brain bleed. His heart stopped on the table," Y/N gasped at this, "But we were able to get him back. His ribs will be very sore and possibly even broken. All that aside, he is doing well, Mrs. Styles, and you can see him now," She said, Leading Y/N to the elevator. 

Her breath trembled as they walked towards his room. 

Harry was laying in his bed, looking like a fragile child. Even though he was so much bigger than her, right now he seemed so... small. 

Y/N looked at the nurse, asking to sit with him. She nodded and explained that two of his ribs were fractured and his collarbone would hurt him a lot when he woke up. 

Y/N held his hand with a featherlight touch, unwilling to jostle him even the smallest bit. 

After about an hour of her reading to him, she felt a small movement, barely even noticeable. Was it...?

She felt another movement. This time she was sure of it. He was squeezing her hand.

"I'm here Harry, I'm right here," She soothed,  moving her chair closer to him.

  He groaned sleepily before opening his emerald eyes and looking at her.

  "Hi," he smiled, squeezing her hand again. 

"Hi," Y/N said, crying more than a little bit. 

"What... did... are you ok?" Harry's brow furrowed. He seemed to have a hundred questions, but he settled on asking how she was. 

"Yes, Harry, I'm ok. How do you feel?" 

"Hurts," he said, closing his eyes. "But if you're ok, so am I." 

Y/N kissed his hand. "I see drugged Harry is still here? The one that is 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 cute and sweet?" 

"No, he's not. This is just regular Harry. I can tell because everything 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 hurts," He said with a small grimace.

"Oh, I'll get the nurse. They'll give you something," Y/N started to get up, but Harry's grip on her hand tightened. 

"Wait," he said pulling her back to him. "Before they make me go all loopy, I just want to say-" He paused, looking at the ring on her finger. "I love you, to my fiancee. I think it counts more when I'm not high." 

"Your- your fiancee? Harry, I told you I wouldn't hold you to anything you said before. You weren't in your right mind at all, I didn't even think you'd remember saying all that." 

"Yeah, but I remember asking you to marry me and you said yes. You might not be holding me to anything I said, but I'm holding you to that," He grinned. "You really want to deny a dying man his last... dying... wish?" 

Harry flopped his good arm dramatically over his forehead, wincing at the motion. Y/N helped him slowly lower it again. 

"First of all, you're not dying. Secondly, I don't want you to go through with this because you feel obligated, or because you think I'll be upset if you aren't ready to propose. It's totally fine, I promise, but why don't we talk about this when you're feeling better?" 

"No, I feel fine," He insisted.

Y/N gave him a look. "Really? You do? Aren’t you the one who just needed help moving your arm?" 

"Irrelevant. I feel fine, like, mentally. If you don't think you're ready to be engaged to me, that's ok. But don't say no because you think I didn't mean it. I did, with every part of me. I love you, and I want you to be my wife." 

"...Really?" Y/N asked, cheeks heating up.

"Really," Harry smiled. 

"And according to drugged Harry, you want to have a cat and 4 children." 

Harry laughed, wincing immediately.

"Don't make me laugh, my chest really hurts," He said, still holding her hand. 

"Sorry, sorry, they said you have some broken ribs. Also your collarbone. Also your femur. Geez, Styles, you're kind of a mess," You laughed. 

"Yeah, really," He smiled. "But seriously, will you? Will you be my wife?" 

"Of course I will, Harry. I love you so much, of course I will," Y/N said, gently kissing his cheek. 

"Great," Harry beamed at her. "Now that we've worked that out, can you get the nurse? Drugged Harry is ready to make a comeback." 

"Oh, right, sorry," Y/N said, reaching over for the call button. 

The nurse came in, giving Harry more medicine. 

"You'll start to have some relief within a few minutes," She said, leaving them alone again.  

"One more thing Y/N," Harry said. She could already tell he was a little more relaxed. "I have to get you a ring!" 

Y/N smiled, holding up her hand. "I already have one, remember?" 

Harry waved her hand away. "No, no, a bride can't buy her own ring! What kind of... chivalrous... gentleman... would I be if I didn't buy you a beautiful ring?" 

"Ok, Harry, as soon as you get out of here, we'll go ring shopping," Y/N promised. 

"And... to the cat shelter? You said we could get a cat... a kitty, a cat, a little kitty cat..." 

Harry had started singing mumbled words about cats and love and babies. Y/N knew it was going to be a long night. Still, she had never been happier.

[call-signvalkyrie]

Ignite the Spark pt. 1

So I quit my shitty job today. Yay me! With the extra time I had today, I got a chance to finish the first chapter of a Poe Dameron series I’ve been working on. Let me know what you guys think!

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

Summary: After years of undercover work for the Resistance, the daughter of Luke Skywalker has returned. Arriving on Ajan Kloss to a warm greeting from General Leia Organa, the Reader is given a gift and has their first meeting with everyone’s favorite pilot.

Pairings: Poe Dameron x Skywalker!Reader

Tags: talks of the Force, a few flashbacks, Poe being embarrassed lol

Word Count: around 3k

When your transport landed on Ajan Kloss, you weren’t sure you would be cut out for this. You’d spend so much time on backwater planets, filtering information to the resistance and doing your best to go unnoticed. You were so used to not interacting with anyone that the thought of being around so many people on a bustling base was a bit scary. All feelings of reservation were swept away, however, when the door of the transport opened to reveal the face of an older woman. Her hair was different since the last time you had seen her. Her face was aged from the many years of fighting the good fight for the rebellion. Her eyes, however, had not changed a day. They gleamed and twinkled in the dying twilight. Her smile made them sparkle even brighter as she reached out toward you.

“Aunt Leia,” you stepped off the transport and into her open arms. “It’s been too long.”

“Yes, it has. I’m so sorry, Y/N. I shouldn’t have kept you away.” She smiled lovingly, taking your face in both hands.  

“I brought the data you asked for. I’ve got it all here.” You said, pulling a flash drive from your jacket pocket.

“That’s wonderful, Stardust.” You beamed with pride at the mention of your childhood nickname. “Lt. Connix, will you please take this data to the command center. Start running a detail immediately.”  

“Yes, General.” Lt. Connix took the flash drive and was gone before you could blink.

“Beaux, see to it that Lt. Skywalker’s bags are placed in her quarters, please.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Beaux gave you a quick wave before stepping onto the transport and out of sight.

“Now, Y/N, I want to give you a quick tour before you settle in. I’m sure you’re exhausted but I want you to be as familiar as possible with everything on this base. This is your home now. No more field missions, I need you with me.” Leia smiled again, taking your arm and leading you toward the left wing of the base and toward the living quarters.  

Home. Leia was the only thing you had left. Wherever she was, that’s where your home would be.  

After showing you where your quarters would be located as well as the mess hall, med bay, and a quick tour of the Command Center, you were ready to get settled in for the night.  

“Well, Y/N, if you need anything tonight, my quarters are right down the hall. You should have a data pad on your desk all charged and ready to go. It’ll have your clearance codes as well as any information you’ll need to know while on base. I’ll need you with me in the morning to debrief that data. It should be downloaded and ready so make sure to give it a look over before the morning.”

“Yes, ma’am.” You said, smiling softly at the older woman.

“Goodnight, Stardust.” Leia gave a quick wave before walking out the door.  

Turning on your heal, you took a quick second to familiarize yourself with your new home. Being the niece of the general had its perks. Your quarters were small, yes but they were cozy. A small bookshelf and dresser were along the wall to your left, a double bed and desk and chair to your right. The data pad Leia had mentioned was right where she said it would be, all charged and ready to go from the looks of it.  Straight ahead was your own private refresher. After unpacking your duffle of clothes, along with your rucksack containing a few personal mementos, you decided to take a quick shower before bed. You could wake up early and review that data for Leia. It wasn’t like you hadn’t spent the last 5 years gathering every piece of intel you could on the First Order.  

Grabbing a fresh pair of underwear, a grey tank and a pair of sleep shorts from your dresser, you stepped into the refresher. Ten minutes later you were scrubbed clean and feeling surprisingly relaxed. It was amazing what a proper shower could do. Opening the door and stepping into your room, you turned to hang your towel on the desk chair when you spotted something you hadn't noticed earlier. On the desk were two boxes accompanied by an envelope. Scrawled across the front in a familiar script was the word “Stardust”. Opening the envelope, you began to read:

Y/N,

For far too long I have kept you in the dark and for that I will always be in your debt. Please accept these as tokens of my sincerest apologies. I hope at least one of these will help light your way. I understand if you’re conflicted but I have hope that one day you will be able to continue your training. Your fathers only wish in life was to see you follow his footsteps. Maybe we can fix that now.  

All My Love,

Leia

Setting the letter to the side, you wiped your eyes with the back of your hand. Picking up the smaller of the two boxes, you opened it to reveal a small jewelry box. Lifting the lid, you gasped allowed. Nestled on a small black pillow was a beautifully woven silver chain. Placed ever so delicately in the middle of the pillow was a pendant. Pulling the chain from the box, you let it dangle in front of you in the soft light.  

You never thought you would see this necklace again. Your father had given it to you when you left the Jedi temple to be with your aunt Leia all those years ago. When the temple fell and Kylo Ren rose to power, your necklace went missing in the night. That was almost 8 years ago now. Yet, here it was right in your hands like it was never gone. You ran the compass shaped pendant through your fingers, letting the wave of sadness and nostalgia run over you. On one side, a golden crescent moon surrounded by three silver stars embellished the surface. Turning it over, there was an engraving: Stardust.  

You gingerly pulled the chain around your neck and adjusted it to size. That’s why you had always loved this necklace.

“It will grow with you, Stardust.”  

Sniffling, you took a look at the other package. Thinking back to the note, you already knew what it was. How Leia had found it, you would never know but would be forever grateful. This box was longer, over a foot in length. The box was made of a soft wood that smelled faintly of burned embers. It had no exterior markings and no obvious way of exposing its contents. Slowly, you lowered the box to the floor. Taking a seat in front of it, closed your eyes. Reaching out with your mind, you felt it: The Force.

“The Force is all around you, Y/N. Reach out with your feelings and let it flow through you.”

“Okay, dad.”

“Ahem.”

“I mean: Yes, Master.”

The box gave no notice it had even opened. If some random onlooker happened to be watching, they would be none the wiser. You knew, however, the moment it happened. Lifting the lid, your breath caught in your throat. The inside of the box was lined with a soft, deep blue velvet pillow the color of the night sky. On top of the pillow, an emblem was stitched into the fabric. A shooting star wrapped in what looked like wings. Atop this pillow was a smooth cylindrical object, covered in beautiful ancient markings. It had a slightly curved handle for better grip for your smaller hands. You always favored nature and practicality over dominance and your build had reflected that.  

“You must gather your crystals quickly, younglings. The cave is only open for so long. We don’t want any of you getting stuck in here.” You could hear his soft chuckle even now.

Picking up the silver object, you ignited the switch. Your room began to buzz with the soft whir of noise from the object in your hand. Ethereal, green light radiated from the source. You disengaged the ignitor, taking the smooth metal in both hands. How could it have survived? You looked everywhere after the temple was burned and never found it. Had Leia had it all this time and was just waiting for the right time to return it? Who had taken your lightsaber?  

Your thoughts were quickly interrupted by the sound of frantic beeping coming from the hallway. Quickly, you slid the blade back into the box. Tucking it away under your bunk, you scrambled to the door and hit the lock. The door opened with a soft shlick and you stepped into the hallway. Another round of agitated beeps could be heard coming down the hall followed by what sounded like combat boots. Coming around the corner was a small round droid, a BB Unit by the looks of him.  

“BeeBee-Ate, I’m sorry! Buddy, our room’s not even this way, where are you going?” a male voice called after the little droid.

“What do you mean you're telling Leia?! It’s the middle of the night, pal. She’s most likely asleep.”  

Leaning against the door to your quarters, you began to understand the little guy. He was angry because someone named Poe left him alone with the ship. AGAIN. And got captured and made him worry. AGAIN. You gave a slight chuckle as the little guy rolled by, angry beeps the whole way. Punching your code back into your door panel, you were just about to step back in when a voice called out to you. Stepping back into the hallway, you were greeted by a Resistance pilot. He was still wearing his bright orange flight suit. His thick, curly hair stuck up in odd directions from his helmet. He gave you a soft smile and waved.  

“I’m sorry for all the noise, it's been a weird day.” The pilot smiled at you apologetically. “I hope my friend didn’t wake you.”

“No, I was awake.” You smiled back, taking a step out of your room and into the hallway. “Just checking to make sure everything was alright. The General, however, won't be too happy about being disturbed.” You nodded toward the little droid, now rolling his body into your aunts' door at full force.  

“Gods, BB-Ate! It’s not that serious! I -” the pilots voice stopped in his throat as the shlick of the door BB-8 was throwing himself into slid open. The little droid went flying full force into the now open quarters of General Organa. You heard a loud clang followed by a series of confused beeps and whistles from the little droid.

“Dameron, you nerf herder! Get your droid out of my room right now or so help me not even the Force will be able to save you!” the General stepped out of her quarters and into the hallway, glairing toward the man to your right. You had to cover your face to hide the smile that was creeping onto it.  

“General, I am so sorry.” a deep blush began to creep up the man's neck and onto his face. “I tried to get him to calm down but he just wouldn’t! He insisted - “

“I don’t care, Dameron. Get him out of here NOW. You’re obviously alright so whatever it is can wait until morning.” Leia said, placing one hand on her hip. You hadn’t seen Leia this irritated since you were a child. You were glad that look was fixed on someone else for once.  

“Yes, ma’am.” The pilot said, lowering his eyes. “C’mon BB-8. It’s time for bed.” The little droid gave what you interpreted to be a light grumble but complied, rolling out to meet his master. Turning on his heal, the pilot gave you a light nod and started off in the direction he came from.  

“Y/N! Ben! Get in here.”

“I told you not to take her lightsaber!” You whispered to your cousin, jabbing him in the ribs.

“She’s my mom. I can take whatever I want from her.” Ben smirked at you and you rolled your eyes.

“Whatever, Bantha-breath! I’m gonna tell her you said that!” You skipped off toward your aunt's voice, Ben chasing close behind you.

“Y/N, you okay?” A hand touched your arm, bringing you back to reality.  

“Yeah, Aunt Leia, sorry. I think I’m just tired.” You yawned, covering your mouth lightly. “Hey, who was that guy?”  

“Oh, that’s Poe. Poe Dameron. He’s a pilot, leader of Black Squadron.” Leia said, exasperation in her voice.  

“Like, THE Poe Dameron? Wow.” You laughed lightly, shaking your head.  

“He’s a good guy, just has his head in his cockpit most of the time instead of down on solid ground.” Leia said, shaking her head with a smile.

“No, it’s not that. I just thought he’d be taller.” You both smiled, enjoying the joke between the two of you.  

“Well, between you and me, he really is the best pilot I’ve ever seen.” your aunt gave you a little wink before turning to go back into her own room.  

“Even better than...” but you stopped yourself, letting the thought trail on.  

“Almost. Maybe.” you could hear the smile in her answer as the door to her room shut behind her.  

[writingwithciara]

Around The World And Back  ~Luke Patterson~

summary: a ghost falls in love with his best friend, but not without its consequences [lyrics from Around The World And Back by State Champs are what inspired some of the dialogue] 

word count: 1.6k

pairing: luke x reader

warning: mention of death

note: [lyrics from Around The World And Back by State Champs are what inspired some of the dialogue] song lyrics are bold & italicized

masterlist

been around the world and back this year

Being a ghost had it’s perks. You could go wherever you wanted and never be seen. You could do whatever you wanted without any consequences. Well, mostly anything. 

For a ghost, falling in love was hard. It was even harder if the person you fell in love with just so happened to be your best friend, and one of the few lifers that could see you.

Luke was one of the unfortunate ghosts who found his affections for a live human, growing exponentially and without warning. Aside from Julie, y/n was his best friend. She believed in him when he couldn’t find the strength to do so himself. 

Unbeknownst to him, he was falling in love hard. 

And when he figured it out, he fled. Like, completely disappeared. No trace. Not even Alex or Reggie could find him.

He spent a lot of time exploring and trying to comprehend the pain he began to feel, knowing he could never physically be with y/n, if she even felt the same.

told myself i want to face this fear

When he finally returned to LA, it was 3 months later. 

Standing outside of Julie’s garage made Luke feel like he was about to meet a bunch of strangers. He wasn’t even sure they would welcome him back instantly.

Taking a deep breath, he walked through the open door.

“-and then we can....Luke?” Reggie was in the middle of an intense conversation with y/n when he spotted his best friend behind her. 

The minute his name was spoken, y/n turned her head and suddenly, everything came back. Every feeling, every memory. They all came rushing back to her brain as she stared at the ghost boy before her with tears in her eyes.

“Hey.” he weakly spoke, making a quick eye movement to his feet.

“What are you doing here?” she responded.

“I came back to see you guys.”

“It’s been 3 months and you couldn’t even say goodbye, Luke.” her voice was breaking and it was killing him.

“There’s too many ways to say goodbye.” he sighed and took a step towards her, only to have her jump back, nearly knocking Reggie over as he tried to help support her weight. “But it’s quite the opposite this time.”

“If there’s too many ways to say goodbye, why couldn’t you have used one of them? If you wanted to leave so badly, you should’ve at least told us why.” she looked up at Reggie and he nodded. 

“Look, the reason I didn’t say goodbye was because,” he took another chance to approach her and smiled when she didn’t back away. “Oh god. How am I supposed to say this without it hurting either of us.”

“I don’t know. You tell me.” she folded her arms and glared at him. All she felt was anger towards the ghost who broke her heart.

“Reggie, can you give us a minute alone?”

“Yeah, let me just-”

“No. Whatever you have to say to me, you can say in front of Reggie too.”

“Fine.” Luke shook his head and took a deep breath. “The reason I didn’t say goodbye was because I was scared. All you lifers get to do all these amazing, wonderful things and us ghosts get nothing good in our lives.”

“So now I’m nothing good? What the hell, Luke? I thought I meant more to you than that.”

“You do. I swear you do. And that’s why I couldn’t say goodbye when I left. When I left, it was because I found out I’m falling in love and it’s scaring me. Ghosts aren’t supposed to fall in love with a human. It doesn’t work for either party.” By now, Luke was pacing.

“I know that it can work. And if you would’ve stopped to think for a few minutes, you could’ve at least told a certain someone how you were feeling. Maybe they would’ve told you that being in love with someone outside of your ‘species’ wasn’t totally insane. They may have just told you that they have been having those feelings too.” 

“What are you talking about?”

“It came to me in a dream, but I realized that I was also falling in love with someone outside of society’s ‘normal standards’. I fell in love with a ghost and, believe it or not, that ghost is you, Luke. You running off for 3 months made my whole world fall apart. I felt like I lost everything, And I thought that you just didn’t want to be around us anymore.”

“I’m sorry I made you feel like that. It was never my intention. All I wanted was time to figure out how I felt and to see if I could get rid of these feelings.”

“And did it work?” she let go of Reggie and slowly approached Luke.

“Nope. I’m still in love with a lifer.”

“And I’m still in love with a ghost.” she smiled through her tears and pulled him in for a kiss. A kiss where their lips actually connected, something that they’ve never been able to do. Reggie watched in amazement as Luke began to glow. True love must be what connects them to the lifers. 

~~~~~

A year down the road was when everyone realized just how short a life could be. 

Luke sat on the balcony hanging over the coffee shop. He watched as all the cars passed by. It was something that always calmed him down. It also helped him organize his thoughts.

He was supposed to be meeting y/n on the balcony to celebrate her getting into a good college. She had wanted to go to Stanford her entire life and when she finally got the acceptance letter, she threw a party to tell Luke. He asked her to meet him at her favorite coffee shop for a smaller celebration and since he wasn’t able to poof somewhere with her, she had to drive.

He was sitting alone and looking up at the sky, waiting for her when all of a sudden, he heard a loud crash from below. Fearing the worst, he glanced down.

There was a pile up of cars just outside the cafe. Luke poofed down and searched the wreck for y/n, hoping she wasn’t part of it. But when he saw her car at the back of the crash, her unconscious body still at the wheel, he nearly broke down into tears.

His emotions ran higher when the paramedics informed each other that there were no survivors.

Watching them wheel her body into the ambulance made him break even more than he ever thought he could. It wasn’t the fact that she was dead. It was the fact that she may automatically crossover and not spend any time as a ghost, meaning he would never see her again. 

If that was the case, his last words to her would’ve been ‘I’ll see you in 10 minutes’ instead of ‘I love you’.

When he arrived back at Julie’s garage, the rest of the band and Flynn were all sitting with their heads down. They heard him enter the room and all their attention went to him.

“Is she-” Alex began to ask but Luke nodded before he finished and they all broke into tears. Julie and Flynn pulled the boys in for a group hug as they mourned the loss of their best friend.

“Oh god. I’m gonna miss her sweet smile.” Alex sat at his drums and looked at the sticks y/n had gotten him for his would’ve-been-birthday. “She was the best.”

“Yeah she was.”

At this point, Luke hadn’t said a word. He looked at the guitar she would play as he taught her the right notes to a song.

“Luke, you okay?”

“No.” he sighed. “I never got to tell her I loved her.”

“Yeah you did. A year ago when you came back after being gone for 3 months.”

“I said I was falling in love. That didn’t mean I loved her. It meant I was working towards it.” he began to pace and his anger started rising. “Now I’ll never be able to say it.”

“Say what?” 

Everyone heard the voice and they all turned towards Luke. Their eyes widened and he spun around quickly.

Y/n was standing in the doorway of the garage. Flynn, being the only one to have processed the situation, went over to her and tried to touch her but her hand went through her arm.

“Yup. Another ghost.”

This new information made Luke feel intense feelings. He ran to y/n and was quick to pick her up and spin her around. Instead of the sad tears he was shedding just mere minutes ago, he was letting all his happy tears flow out of him. He had never been happier to see someone dead.

“So, is anyone going to answer me?” she giggled as Luke set her down. 

“I forgot what you asked.” he smiled. “I’m just so happy to see you.”

“I just wanted to know what you said you’d never be able to say.”

“I thought I would never get the chance to say I love you.”

“But, you did, didn’t you? A year ago.”

“Apparently, that time didn’t count. He said he meant he was working towards it.” Reggie chimed in, causing y/n to giggle.

“Oh.”

“But I do love you. I really really do.” 

“I love you too..” she smiled. “I feel like we’ve been around the world and back this year.”

when you believed in me, it brought us together. everybody says that it won’t last forever

[dclsbaby]

mykonos-crossed lovers (part ii) 🦋

🎶 playlist for part ii

prologue

part i

part iii

part iv

Summary: When you drunkenly book a girls trip to a tropical Greek island to help mend your broken heart, you would never for a second think it will take you exactly to where he is. Him. A tale of the right person at the wrong time, an overused cliché made into plots of movies you never thought would live through in your reality. Two people, still madly in love with each other, hearts still broken, suppressed by the alcohol and distractions consumed on this trip. Will they let their egos get in the way, protect what’s left of their already broken hearts, or will let their hearts speak?

Word Count: 3.6k

Warnings: angst angst and more angst

Author’s Note: part 2 is finally out! thank you so much for the continued love on MCL, i can't accurately put into words how much it means to me seeing all the positive responses! i hope i haven't upset you too much on last chapter’s cliffhanger, and if so, i hope this one makes up for it a little bit 🤍 please let me know what you think! xx

Gif:

***

***

***

“It’s funny, I’ve flown out to this island to forget you, yet here you are. I can’t ever get away from you can I?” Dom asks, rather rhetorically. Shocked, you turn your head and see your ex standing in front of you, in Mykonos, of all places. You cringed at his honesty, but you can’t say you didn’t escape to the warmer climates for the same reason. “Hi, Dom,” you smile at him. “The boys are here?” you ignore his initial remark. “Yeah, Mase, Davo, and Ben are sat there,” he gestures to a table close by yours. “Luke’s flying out tomorrow”, he says. “So the full team,” you comment. “It seems you’re in for quite a holiday then,” you add.

He walks ahead to stand next to you, his toned arms resting on the white border, dangerously close to yours and he takes in the view you’ve been absorbing. Silence fills the space between you two. A little to quiet for both of your likings, you could’ve sworn you heard your heart beat out of your chest. You decide to break the silence.

“So, how’ve you been?” you asked, voice a little shaky, unsure if you even wanted to know. You looked up at Dom, and caught him sniggering at the question. “Never better,” he raises his eyebrows. “Got my call-up, ball finding the back of the net week in week out, all’s well. You?” he shifts his body to look at you. “Well,” you pause to face him. “I’m on a tropical island with my girls, away from work and grey British skies, so I’m enjoying it,” you replied.

“British Vogue is it?” he asks. You landed the job a couple of months after your breakup. It was the job you needed to make a life out of yourself, to have a career you loved. It was a job you left him for. So, to say that you were good at it was an understatement. If you had to endure the pain of a devastating heartbreak for your career, it had to mean everything to you. And it was. It had been your dream job for as long as you could remember, you have always loved fashion, and this love was complemented when you began dating your ex who has an eccentric fashion sense, always straying away from the mainstream mediocrity, which somehow, he always pulls off. It’s a gift.

“Yeah, how’d you know?”, you were curious. “Mum’s told me about it, she’s proud of you, by the way,” he stops to look at you. “Sounds like a big deal,” he says as he lets out a small smile. It’s the first time he’s ever shown some warmth since the conversation started. You smile back at him and nodded. “It’s been my dream since forever, if you remember,” you look up at him. “And that’s lovely from your mum, do let her know that I miss her,” your heart warms thought of his mum. “Of course you do, you two would gang up on me whenever she’s around,” Dom chuckles. “Only because we both know how obnoxious you could be,” you joke. “Obnoxious enough for you to break my heart I see,” he jokes as he smiles at you sadly. “I d-didn’t mean it like that,” you feel terrible. “I know, I was messing with you,” he lied. A part of him wants you to know that his heart is still broken.

Two people, former lovers, with so much shared memories, once each other’s worlds, reunite in unexpected circumstances.

“I miss you, you know,” Dom says. Your head turns to face him as you try to catch a look of his eyes that are looking down on his fingers. Standing at 6’2, you had to crane your neck to properly look at him. A painfully gorgeous man, his green-hazel eyes still shine so bright despite the evening sky, lips so full waiting to be touched, his curly locks tied up in a bun only to accentuate his perfectly sculpted jaws. He is so beautiful, the pain so visceral, so intense.

***flashback***

“It’s not fair,” your best friend said. “You two would make the most gorgeous babies,” you and Dom chuckled at her comment. “When they’ve got a mother with a face like this I’d imagine it to be difficult to not produce beautiful babies,” Dom says as he cups your face and plants a kiss on your forehead. “You did not just say ‘produce’!” you move away from him, jokingly made a disgusted face and laughed at his choice of words.

Later that night as you two were tucked in bed, you drift off into a daydream which caught Dom’s attention. “What are you thinking of in that little head of yours babe?” he asked. You softly smile at him. “You really think we’d have babies?” you asked as you look at him. “What do you mean?” he asks, shifting his body so it’s resting on his side, with his knuckles supporting his head up. “I mean, is this where we are headed?”, you clarified. Dom runs his fingers through your hair. “I absolutely wouldn’t mind having babies with you,” he pauses as he moves closer to you. “I want no one else more than you, to be the mother of my children, my partner through it all,” he looks at you with loving eyes. “You mean it?” you asked, a little surprised at his honesty. “I’ve never meant anything more in my life,” he says as he pulls your body closer to his.

***

Dreams of starting a family with who you thought was the love of your life quickly shatter as you realise where you were; stood in front of him, both with hearts that need mending.

“Don’t do this,” you quietly say as you stare into his eyes. “What? It’s true,” he shrugs. “I miss you and I thought you should know. You should know how much you’re hurting me by not being with me,” Dom confesses. The alcohol has definitely kicked in, Dom thought to himself. Liquid courage got him pouring out the subconscious thoughts he’d never unlock without a little help. “Dom, please. You don’t mean it, you don’t know what you’re talking about,” you close your eyes for a second. “You’ve had a lot to drink, you should go be with the guys,” you say as you take your arms off the wall. “Come, I’ll take you back,” you say as you lightly push his elbow to lead the way.

“What more do I have to do to show you that I am still in love with you? Fuck’s sake,” he says as he mutters the last two words. He quickly turns around to face you, shocking you in the process as you drop your arm. “I don’t know, Dom, maybe not have tabloids put pictures of you and different girls on its covers I’d assume?” you sarcastically said, referencing to the covers you have seen of him from the week before.

Dom cringed at your comment and shakes his head. “You seriously can’t believe what those tabloids say-they blow things out of proportion!” he says as he flails his arm out of frustration. “And did you expect me not to see other people? What was I supposed to do, sit and mope around, waiting for you to come back to me? Please, do enlighten me!” he encourages. “Tell me how I can get over you because I am desperate to get you out of my fucking head,” he rants angrily, loud enough to get the attention of several guests.

He pauses to catch his breath. Before opening his mouth again to spill his suppressed thoughts.

“You were my heart, my soul, my whole fucking body—my entire life revolved around you!” he yelled, not as loud, but his frustration was emphasised as he stresses every syllable. Every bit of pride he held onto dissipates, showing his true feelings that still held onto you.

Offended, you retaliated. “You act as if I didn’t do the same for you! But I’m not stood here telling you how much I’ve missed you after I’ve fucked about with random guys!” you replied, matching his volume.

“I’ve never fucked anyone since you, so don’t ever fucking accuse me of that,” he says in disgust. “And you have no right to tell me how I should cope, when you left me! You were the one who left!”, he points at you repeatedly. “You left me with nothing,” he says nearly out of breath, and drops his arms to his sides.

“It surely didn’t seem like it when you go through girls like they’re some kind of pitstop!” you angrily responded. “I was fucking hurt! You fucking broke me! I was sad and desperate, give me a fucking break!” he says as he brings his hands to his forehead. “And don’t act so innocent,” he spits out. You give him a confused face, unsure as to what he meant. “I know you’ve been out with him,” he emphasises. “Yeah, our friends talk,” he states the obvious.

You knew who he was talking about. The friend he fell out with, another footballer friend. Things got too competitive, the words exchanged at the end of a match too harsh to redeem with a handshake. The same friend who could’ve sworn he chatted you up first, but you and Dom’s connection was too strong to deny. Of course, it was nothing like he insinuated. His friend, or, former friend, rather, had dipped his toes into the world of fashion, which caught the attention of your seniors. They assigned you to an interview with him, knowing your connections in the sporting industry and knowledge of it, as you dated a footballer after all. “Th-that was nothing,” you shake your head in disbelief, shocked at what you’re being accused of. “Bullshit,” he curses. He still remembers the day he saw you two on the news. Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s Ex Moves On with His England Teammate?, the headline says. Beneath it were pictures of his former friend sitting opposite you, as you two enjoy each other’s company at his favourite breakfast place in London. It is your favourite too. He recalls trying to ignore the jealousy, he tried to stop reading gossip sites that had the tendency to over-exaggerate, but he couldn’t. It made him angry, so angry, he threw his phone across the room and smashed it into a wall, its screen shattering. Sick and nauseous, he ran to the bathroom and dunk his head into a toilet bowl, dispensing the contents of that day’s breakfast. The effect you had on him was still potent and undying.

Your conversation was interrupted when you feel a hand wrap its fingers around the back of your arm, surprising you as you jump a little. “Hi, hun, everything okay?”, asked two of your friends, who spotted you as they were making their way to the bathroom. You nodded and gave them a smile, “I’m okay,” you whispered. They were beyond shocked to have seen Dom, but they knew better than to mention the obvious. “Give us a shout if you need anything,” your other friend says softly. You nodded. Your friends waved at Dom, then walked to where they were headed, which Dom did the same before you two returned to your conversation.

You take a deep breath before speaking. “You know I never meant to hurt you, Dom,” you look at him with sad eyes. “You know why I had to end things with you, I honestly thought you understood,” you say as you try your best to blink the tears away. “No, I never understood, and I still fucking don’t,” he says as his large hand grips the surface of the wall.

“None of this makes any sense to me! I understand that it is important for you to prioritise your career, be in control of your life or whatever it was you said,” he throws a hand up. “But I will never understand why you had to sacrifice me in the process, of all things,” he replies with absolute honesty. “So, what? You expect me to drop every possibility of starting a career instead, and invest all my time and energy in you?” you ask in disbelief. “That’s not fair, Dom!” you argue.

Dom throws his head back out of frustration as you cross your arms. “I would’ve fully supported you every step of the way, given you the space you needed, anything!” he responds. “But instead you left, and took my entire life with you,” he argues back, panting as he tried to catch his breath. “You didn’t have to leave,” he quietly says.

You two look at each other in silence, both feeling the pain the other endured. The pain heavy, overwhelming, a sinking feeling.

“I wasn’t trying to compromise you,” you say softly. “I had felt so detached from myself and made you the centre of my life and I was fucking terrified, Dom,” you try to justify yourself. “Had you left me at any point, I wouldn’t have survived it,” you sigh.

“Had I left you? How could you ever assume that? You think I am strong enough to be apart from you for even just a day? For fuck’s sake,” he curses as he closes his eyes and pinches the bridge of his nose out of frustration.

“I never said you would, I said if you did,” you clarify.

“So, you’re saying you left me purely due to a hypothetical scenario? Come fucking on. Don’t you fucking get it?,” he pauses. “You left me because you were afraid you couldn’t live without me, when that was never the case to begin with. If anything, it was the other way around,” he mutters the last sentence, just enough for you to hear.

“What?”, you asked, looking up at him.

“If one of us were to be too attached to the other person, it would be me. I’m not even fucking ashamed to admit that. I’m just pissed you assumed I could ever leave you. And that you broke my heart,” he reveals, a little too much for his liking but he didn’t care. You had to know.

“I-I never knew you were this upset,” you reply, still trying to process what he just said. “Clearly,” Dom says with sarcasm. “All you do is assume,” he comments. “That’s not fair,” you respond. “None of this is,” he quickly says. “I’m sorry I hurt you, I hope you know I would never intentionally do anything to make you feel that way,” you try to assure him. “Yeah okay,” he looks away.

Silence fills the room once again. What used to only be comfortable silence between you two turned into awkward, deafening silence. Silence between two people still in love with one another, both stubborn, both hotheaded, both their egos in the way.

You hated this. You wanted out. Your heart could no longer handle the different coexisting emotions, the sadness, anger, exasperation, confusion, equally intense, equally felt. It was all too much.

“I-I think I’m just going to go, it’s been lovely to see you, I'm sorry again Dom, truly. Have a great-“, “You’re fucking joking,” he cuts you off and shakes his head. You sigh, surprised at this interruption. “What now, Dom?” you asked, a little agitated.

“You’re leaving? After I’ve poured my heart out to you? Fucking pathetic that,” he said angrily. “What else was I supposed to say, Dom! I told you I was sorry, I told you I didn’t mean to hurt you! What more do you want?”, you responded with aggravation.

“YOU! I want you! How could you be so dense? Honestly, fuck this—you broke my fucking heart and I am not going to let you walk away from me again,” he gestures angrily. “This time I’m leaving you, have a great fucking night,” he says as he storms off, taking half of your heart with him.

At that moment, it felt as though every effort you had put into moving on, all your self-care nights, girls night outs, mental health days, music playlists of happy songs, immersing yourself in work, suddenly meant nothing. All your efforts were countered, destroyed after seeing him again for the first time in months. All you could do was stand there and watch him leave you standing alone, under the blue Mykonos sky with the most breathtaking view of the island, whilst heartbroken once again. The perfect irony.

You were left in shock. You could see Dom walking through the crowd where everybody was partying from your peripheral vision. It took him way too quickly for your liking to wrap his arms around a certain blonde-haired girl in a blue dress you recognised from tabloid pictures. You feel a sharp pain in your chest from a sight you never wanted to see. You knew you had no right to feel this way since you were the one who left, but it hurt you nonetheless.

Two things could’ve come out of this scenario. You could a) suck it up, take three straight tequila shots and party the night away with your girls, who are increasingly growing concerned about your whereabouts, or b) you could call it a night and figure your heart out.

After moments of deliberation, you chose the latter option. The intense conversation you had with Dom was too emotionally draining for you to continue on. Seeing your ex on the exact trip you booked with your girls to remedy your heartache, listening to him tell you how much you’ve broken his heart, how he wants you, but proceed to wrap his arms around another girl minutes after, all in one night... you could not bear it all. You quietly made a swift exit and made sure to text your girls’ group chat as you’re walking.

Babes, I’m heading back to the villa. Rough night. Details tomorrow. Will leave some paracetamol on the counter. Be safe and have a blast! Love you. X

You took the furthest route towards the exit door away from the party scene, not giving your friends a chance to even stop you. You wrap your arms around your body, holding yourself together as your heart crumbles. The only affection you could seek from is yourself. The pain of growth slowly paying off, as you manage to at least leave the scene in one piece.

However, despite extra efforts to not get noticed, Dom caught you slipping out of the club.

You stood outside the breezy Mykonos night and waited for your taxi to come. What just happened? You thought to yourself. You were a bit tipsy from the drinks, your tired body making you feel a little delirious. It seemed like it was all a dream, a nightmare perhaps, but it isn’t. That actually happened. You inhale the fresh air, and pace your breathing to calm your nerves. The background music spilling from the narrow gaps of the doors slowly fade as you close your eyes and focus on your peace.

Peaceful silence suddenly interrupted by a loud sound of doors bursting open.

What the fuck was that? you thought to yourself as you turn your head towards the loud noise. Your heart nearly stopped when you saw Dom clumsily stumble through the door. “What are you doing?” you asked, completely taken aback.  “I saw you walk out,” he says out of breath. “And I know you like to go on walks to clear your head. I was making sure you weren’t, this isn’t the place where you could do that safely,” he continued.  “I know, I’m waiting for a taxi,” you say quietly.  Dom nodded. “Okay,” he looks away. “Be safe,” he says as he looks at you one last time. You look at him with a sad smile and nod.

As Dom retreats back into the club, he had to hold his chest, clutching where his heart is to contain the pain of seeing you force a smile at him, it was too intense, he couldn’t bear it. He wanted nothing more than to pull you into his arms and tell you again how in love with you he is, but he knows his heart can’t take another heartache.

So Dom does what he does best, fake a smile, join his friends, and power through the night despite the building anxiety of being away from you. He feels sick to his stomach and would love nothing more than to call it a night. He goes on to reject every girl who threw themselves at him left and right, which Mason took notice of.

“Mate you okay? You don’t seem like yourself,” asks Mason. “(Y/N). She’s here. Well, she was,” Dom says. “Here? In Mykonos?”, Mason asks in disbelief. Dom nods his head. “Shit. What happened?” asked his concerned friend. “Told her she broke my heart. I lost my head. Told her I want her, then walked away,” muttered Dom as he looks down to play with his fingers. “Mate, I mean, do you still want her? Even after everything you went through?” Mason asks carefully, cautious to push any buttons.

Dom takes a deep breath.

“There is nothing in this life I want more than her,” he spills, looking at his friend dead in the eye.

“You know what you have to do, Dom.” Mason says.

[dokoni-mo]

Far Away, Together || Darth Vader x Reader (Epilogue)

(A/N: ***warning very sappy an*** I just want to thank each and every one of you from the bottom of my heart. Before writing this, I was in one of the worst head spaces of my entire life. I was in multiple...  bad, relationships before I came on tumblr, and had literally zero amounts of self-worth and respect in me. I thought I was actually meaningless and worthless, and this fic was one of the only hopes I had left in the world. If I posted this and didn’t have all the love from you guys I get, who knows what would have happened to me. And for that, I thank all of you. You guys literally saved me, and I am so honored to have each and every one of you along for the ride. I am so blessed to have people like yall in my life, and so privileged to have made friends like i have now along the way. I simply cannot thank you enough. I am very sad to see this series end, but happy that it has allowed me to start a new chapter in my life. So please, stick around. I promise I will live every day doing my best for each and every one of you. I love you 💕) 

WARNINGS: some cursing, otherwise none

Key: (F/N) = first name, (L/N) = last name

Word count: ~4500

Chapter One: [x]  || Chapter Two: [x]

Chapter Three: [x] || Chapter Four: [x]

Chapter Five: [x] || Chapter Five ½: [x] 

Chapter Six: [x] || Chapter Seven: [x]

Chapter Eight: [x]

~~~

The thing you hated the most about your new home was the damn birds. 

Deep down you were grateful for them, however, since they acted as your alarm clock. But, you would appreciate it if they could be more gentle about waking you up, rather than just them squawking outside your cottage every time the sun rose. 

However, you could deal with it. It was just one of the very few cons about your new home. 

The cons were far outweighed by the good. 

One of the many good things about your new home was that you got to spend every second of every day with him. 

Your love. 

Squinting open your eyes that morning, the first thing you felt was the absence of a large, heavy figure behind your back as you lay in your plush, warm bed, a wash of sunlight acting as another blanket upon its surface. This didn’t surprise you, however, since it was only on rare occasions that he would wake up before you and lie next to you as you continued to sleep. You loved those days, but often felt bad. 

This was because you weren't able to wake him up with breakfast. 

Today, you guessed, was not one of those days. 

Taking in a deep breath through your nose, you pushed yourself up to sit upon the bed, washing your face with invisible water as you let the sleep fall off of you. Opening your eyes fully, you turned your head to look out the window opposite of your bed. You were greeted with the same view as always: lush, green grass, a clear, blue sky, the morning sun, the trees surrounding your home, and a partial view of your self-grown garden. Smiling to yourself, you admired the familiar view as the remaining bits of sleep fell off of your shoulders, your face illuminated in the morning sunlight. As time passed, you began to dissipate into your thoughts, your hands rubbing your arms as you recalled how lucky you were to be here. 

Your conscious coming back to you, you turned your head to the corner of the room. Sure enough there it was: the giant, black meditation chamber you had to scramble together upon your arrival to this planet. It had undergone many repairs and upgrades throughout the years, it's exterior adorning many patches and stitches. 

You had asked him before if he wanted you to make it look more pretty. 

He said no.

He said he liked how it reflected the time the two of you spent together here. 

Your smile broadening for a second, you figured that he must still be asleep, since the doors to his chamber were closed. Deciding that it was the perfect time to take action, you pushed your sitting frame up to a standing position, stretching your arms as you made your way into the small kitchen that accompanied your home. 

Covering your mouth to hide a yawn, you rubbed your eyes as you bend over one of your cabinets, pulling out a few pans and setting them on the stove as you turned on the fire. Pulling out some ingredients, you decided that eggs and meat with vegetables would be best for him that day. 

That’ll start him off with good vitamins and such, you thought to yourself. 

Watching as your body went into autopilot to start making his breakfast, your eyes glazed over as you slipped into your deepest thoughts. 

Staring down at the food cooking in the pan before you, you were quietly and subtly hit with a truth. A truth you always knew, but never consciously thought about. 

Years ago, you made a promise you never said out loud to your love. 

To find it's source, you had to travel very far back into your memory. 

Many years ago, you and him had professed your love to one another (a small smile painted your lips as you thought of this). Instead of going back to Endor, he kept you as his mechanic, and eventually finished his TIE. After the craft was repaired, you didn’t have much else to do. You spent the days fiddling around with a few things, bored out of your mind when he wasn’t there. When he was there, however, your bond only strengthened and strengthened. The two of you would talk for hours, and you had never felt happier. 

That was jeopardized, however, when he came to you much more somber than normal. 

Noticing his mood, you asked him what was wrong. 

You couldn’t hide your shock when he told you he had a son. 

Should I apply for adoption papers? You had asked him. 

No. He said. It’s… complicated. 

No matter how complicated it was, you told him that you would stick by him no matter what. 

And you did. 

Through thick and thin. 

Even when things seemed the darkest. 

~~~

In every sense of everything ever, Lord Vader was ready to accept his fate and die right then. 

He had done what he thought to be impossible. He had created a bond with his son, and destroyed the man that had imprisoned him for many, many years. 

He was injured beyond repair.

There was no mistaking the wheeze in his respirator as his son had taken off his mask. 

Luke was so beautiful. 

His blonde hair and big, blue eyes reminded the dark lord so much of himself when he was a boy. It surprised him that he still held onto those memories after all these years. 

Lord Vader was very content with his son being the last thing he would ever see. He could feel his life slipping away by the second, but felt no fear. 

He was at peace. He was content. He was… 

No.

He wasn’t ready. 

There was still so much he wanted to do with that girl.

That girl who’s boots were clacking at a feverish pace down the hallway. 

That girl who sounded so scared calling out his name over and over. 

His blue eyes softening, Lord Vader made a decision. 

To fight. 

For her. 

Even still, he could feel consciousness slipping away from him. The lightning had done a number to his life support systems. Yet, Lord Vader still wasn’t afraid to die, for he knew that he wouldn’t. 

You were capable of fixing him.

In one more way than you already have. 

Upon your entrance, Lord Vader watched as his son turned his head to face your small frame, your chest heaving with big breaths and your forehead gleamed with sweat. Your eyes darted to and from Lord Vader and Luke, a look of fear and worry in your beautiful eyes. After a moment of standing in shock, you quickly assumed a kneeling position next to Luke, completely disregarding his existence. 

Lord Vader didn’t blame you in the slightest.

“M-my love! Wh-What in the galaxy-” you began to say, tears forming in your eyes as your face contorted into one of worry. 

He cut you off by taking your hand into his, holding it close to his heart as he gazed upon you. 

“Do not fret, my sweet,” he said to you, rubbing the back of your knuckles with his thumb, “I did what had to be done.” 

It took you a second to process what he was trying to tell you. He could see the gears turn in your head before your eyes widened then quickly softened. Breathing out a smile, you lifted up his hand and placed a gentle kiss upon the leather, reaching out your free hand to cup his cheek. 

His pale, scarred, bare cheek. 

A tear slipped down your face as you spoke, your voice soft. 

“This is…” you began to say, pausing to swallow the lump in your throat, “I-It took you long enough to show me your handsome face, dear…” 

For seemingly the first time in years, the faintest, tiniest smirk of a smile painted his features. 

“I had to make sure you would not run away, darling.” 

You breathed out a quick laugh before responding, leaning forward to press a soft hiss to his forehead then press your own to it's surface. 

“Never. I would never.” 

Lord Vader felt his heart swell as everything turned to black. 

~~~

A pang of fear had run through you as you felt his body go limp, but it quickly subsided as you flicked your eyes down to the buttons on his stomach. 

He was still alive. Relief surged through your veins as you let out a silent sigh.

You almost jumped out of your skin as the blonde-headed guy crouched next to you spoke. You had totally forgotten that he was there.

“I, umm… i-is he…?” he spoke as you shot your gaze to him. 

“No, he’s not. Just unconscious, but fading.” you spoke quickly, “Here, help me get his mask back on. We need to take him to a medical bed now. Help me get him up.” 

Following your order, the blonde picked up the pieces of your love’s mask and secured them back upon his head, his respirator sounding not all thatmuch better. Shifting your weight, the two of you hoisted the dark lord upon one of each of your shoulders, the pair of your grunting from his weight. 

Your muscles were screaming for a break after all the running you had done coupled with the weight-lifting, but you barely felt it. Nothing but pure adrenaline running through your veins, you were focused on only one thing: 

Saving your love’s life. 

Eventually, you and the blonde man were able to shuffle your lover into a small medical wing and place him upon the examination table. Hurriedly, you hot-wired on the medical droid in the room, and told it to assist you with tending to the unconscious sith lord. Obeying your command, the droid immediately got to work alongside you, the blonde simply watching dumbfounded. 

This caused you to purse your lips at him as  you fiddled with the buttons on your lover’s stomach.

“Are you gonna help or just stand there?” you asked him, your voice cross. 

He shot a wide-eyed look at you as a result of  your words, his adams-apple noticeably bobbing before he spoke. 

“What? I- Y-Yes, I’ll help.” 

With that, the blonde joined your flurry of equipment and button-pressing, following all the orders you and the droid barked at him without any complaint. After a long while of you cursing, shouting, almost crying, and the blonde encouraging you that you could do this, the droid beeping, the equipment buzzing, and the beeps of buttons, the sith’s respirator finally returned to it's normal pace and tone. Realizing this, all three of you paused and looked at each other as you listened to make sure your ears were not deceiving you. After a moment, you shot your gaze down to the buttons that adorned your love’s stomach. 

All of his vitals were normal. 

He was okay. 

Relief washing through you, you slumped over the sith’s body as you felt the adrenaline dissipate out of your bloodstream, the blonde backing up to the wall and sliding down it's surface into a seated position. 

The two of you held these positions for a long while as the droid finished cleaning some equipment before shutting down. Hearing the whirr of the droid powering off, the blonde looked up at you, licking his lips before talking. 

“I'm sorry ma’am but… who are you?” 

Your ears perking up at his voice, you picked up your head to look upon the blonde man, your lips slightly parted as your chest heaved for air. Realization setting in, you quickly became aware that you didn’t know who this kid was either. Or why he was with your love, at that. 

Looking at him a moment, you took in all of the man’s features, your eyes darting to scan his face. Oddly, it seemed very… familiar, to you. 

His nose…

His face shape… 

His lips… 

Then, the kicker. 

His eyes. 

You had seen those eyes before.

Those beautiful, sky blue eyes. 

You knew them better than you knew you own face, even if you had only seen them once before only a few minutes prior. 

They were eyes you would never forget. 

Your lips pressing into a small smile, your eyes softened at the young man before you, his eyes glinting slightly in confusion. 

“Well,” you said, “If you are who I think you are… You may have to start calling me mom.” 

~~~

You were rudely interrupted from your thoughts by the smell of vegetables becoming dangerously close to burning. 

Letting out a quiet oh shit, you quickly turned off the fire to the stove, stirring the vegetables so that they wouldn't burn. 

Your lips forming into a soft smile, you realized then why those memories played back for you that morning. 

From that day on, you made a promise to your love, one that you never even had to say to him. 

You vowed that for the rest of your days…

You would take care of him. 

You hoped that it could even begin to show him how much you loved him. 

Finishing up the rest of his meal, you pushed the food onto a plate, making sure that it looked appetizing. Placing a napkin under the plate and grabbing a fork and knife from the drawer, you balanced the plate, silverware, and a drink in your grasp as you walked back over to your shared bedroom. 

A small smile assuming itself upon your lips, you set the breakfast on your nightstand as you walked over to his meditation chamber. 

“Good morning my love,” you said as you knocked upon the metal of the glorified metal pod, pressing a few buttons on your home-made control panel to open it. 

Flicking your gaze up to the inside of the chamber, your lips fell from a smile to a neutral position as your eyes absorbed what you were seeing. 

Empty. 

The chamber was empty. 

There was no beloved sith lord within it. 

Your brow furrowed. You were terribly confused. A sense of worry bubbled deep down inside of you. 

What the hell? You thought to yourself. 

Leaning partially into the chamber, you scanned the inside as if he was somehow hiding from you. Returning to a normal standing position, you realized how dumb that was. He would never do that. But still, you didn’t really feel dumb for it. You were worried for him. 

Glancing over at his breakfast, you headed out of your room. Turning past the doorframe, you shuffled into the small living room of your cottage. 

“Vee?” you called out to the sith lord. Of course, nothing came in response. 

You thought about calling out his nickname again, but you decided against it. The house the two of you shared was small, so if he was there, you knew he would have heard you. 

You had designed the house to accomplish exactly that goal. 

After Luke had helped you save Vader’s life, you went with him to the rest of the rebel fleet. Although a lot of them looked at you with either fear or venom in their eyes, the ones you did talk to were surprisingly friendly. Leia, who you learned later on was Luke’s sister, was kind enough to give you a shuttle to take you off Endor with Vader. Of course, this was not without exception, and a lot of reasoning from Luke. You had to vow that neither you nor him would ever be seen in the public eye again. 

Done and done. You had said, I have a sneaking suspicion that we’re done with politics. 

With that, the two of you were sent off Endor. Finding a deserted planet to settle down wasn’t much of a challenge, since the Empire had left a lot of places in shambles. 

You still remembered the flight down to the planet which you were on now. 

Your home. 

How about that one, dear? You had asked. The map says it's called, erm… Naboo? Weird name. Have you heard of it before?

...Let’s find another location. He had said. 

Ugh, fine… you had said in response. 

Ah, memories. 

Upon landing, you had discovered a nice clearing of space that wasn’t too far from the wreckage of an old Star Destroyer. Being from a village who made their homes out of what was available, you were able to construct a permanent home for the pair of  you in a very short amount of time, even equipped with all the necessary appliances, a garden, and even a meditation chamber for him. It was perfect. And, much more comfortable than sleeping in the shuttle you arrived in. 

What do you think? You had asked him when the house was complete. 

He had took your hand in response, pulling you close in a tight embrace. 

Since you had designed the house, you were beginning to become very worried that you had gained no response from your love as you called his name. You had no idea where he could have gone. 

Your eyes scanning the room for any signs of life, you felt a pang of aha run through you as your eyes pointed out a small detail. 

The doors in your living room that led to the garden were slightly ajar. 

That was certainly the next place to look. 

Picking up your feet, you slowly made your way over to the doors, pushing them open just enough for you to slip your body through. 

Sure enough, there he was. 

The love of your life. 

He stood immediately in front of the fence that lined the garden of your house, his cape fluttering in the breeze of the morning. He had assumed no special stance, but faced outwards towards the horizon of your house’s view, his long cape over his shoulders. Instead of the black it used to be, the long cloth was now a mid-toned blue, the ends of which were decorated in a gold pattern.

You had made the new cape as a celebratory gift for him long ago. Upon seeing Luke’s cybernetic hand, you were inspired. You hadn’t known the technology that went into his hand was available, but cherished that it was. Even though his nerves were severed, Luke was still able to feel touch. 

You wanted the same for Vader. 

The wreckage of the Star Destroyer on this planet gave you the necessary parts to create that kind of prosthetic for Vader. Over the course of many months of trial and error, you were finally able to engineer a hand for Vader that would allow him to feel again. 

That was a very emotional day to say the absolute least. 

A few days later, to celebrate, you made the new, blue cape for him. 

Your old one was really raggedy, you had said, so I made you this one. You can tell me if you don’t like it. I won’t be offended.

My dear, he responded to you, anything you make for me, I will adorn with pride. 

A smile came upon your lips as you flashed that memory in your mind. 

“Vee.” You called out to the sith lord, leaning your body again the doorframe. Hearing your voice, your love turned to face you, his mask pointing down to greet your smiling face. 

“(F/N).” he rumbled out in response, “Good morning, my love.” 

With that, he held out his large hand to you, extending it so that you could put your own in it’s palm. Your smile became slightly bigger as you took note of how he always extended his “feeling” hand to you. Stepping forward, you placed your hand into his, assuming your spot by his side as your fingers intertwined. 

“I was looking for you,” you said as you glanced up at him before gazing out upon the horizon of your new home planet, “I made your breakfast. It’s getting cold, but I can put it away if you’re not hungry.” 

“I apologize for making you worry, my joy,” he said in response, rubbing the back of your knuckles with his thumb as he joined you in looking at the view, “I simply wished to admire the view.”

You quickly shot a smile up at him as you gazed out beyond your garden, your hair blowing in the breeze of the morning as you listened to the sound of the birds and his respirator. 

“It's okay,” you said, “I know you wouldn’t ever run away from me.” 

Vader stole a glance at you as he processed your words. Feeling his gaze on you, you shot a playful smile back up at him. Returning your gaze to the horizon, you leaned your head against his armored shoulder, making him look out to the horizon once more as well. 

A long moment of silence fell over the pair of you as you breathed in time with him, a sense of peace and tranquility washing over you as you felt the muscles on his body flex and relax under his layers of leather. 

Forgetting all about the meal you had prepared for him, you were the one to break the silence.

“Do you… Do you ever miss it, Vee?” 

It took him a moment to respond. 

“Miss what, my dear?” 

Your gaze fell to his fingers intertwined with yours as you spoke. 

“The Empire… and the Super Star Destroyer. Your TIE… do you ever miss it?” 

Another one of his trademark pauses from him. Glancing up at him, you noticed how his mask was pointed out to seemingly nowhere, or perhaps a memory from long ago. 

“Yes.” he responded. 

“Really?” you breathed out, a hint of a chuckle in your tone, “Why?” 

Another pause. You had begun to think he wouldn’t answer before he finally responded. 

“Because… It was there that our love came to be.” he said, “And now we can never return.” 

You breathed out another smile at his answer, nuzzling your head against his shoulder affectionately. 

“Funny… That’s why I miss it too.” 

Squeezing your hand tighter, Vader continued to look out upon the surface of the planet, committing every detail to this memory. 

You again broke the silence that came over the pair of you. 

“I want you to try out a prototype I have of your other hand today,” you said, your voice a bit softer than normal, “It looks promising… but I want to make sure it’s comfortable for you first.” 

“I am sure that it will be excellent,” Vader responded, shifting his gaze to you, “I have full faith in your abilities, mechanic.” 

Stifling out a chuckle, you looked up at your love with a smile, your free hand pressed to your forehead in a joking salute. 

“I appreciate the compliment, my Lord.” 

Gazing at you a moment longer, Lord Vader returned his gaze to the view, you following suit as another pause loomed over you and your love. 

You had not completely forgotten about his breakfast as he broke the silence. 

“(F/N)... how do you think Luke is doing? And… and Leia?” 

You looked up at him briefly in surprise. It wasn’t often he talked about his children, and even less often about his past. You knew it pained him to do so, but always received his softness with open arms. 

You loved him. And every piece of baggage that came with him. 

“I’m sure they’re both fine, dear,” you responded, snuggling yourself closer to him for support, “If they needed us, they would come to us… But still, they’re both very strong. And independent. I’m sure they’re just fine out there.” 

Another pause from him. You could almost hear the gears turn in his armored head. 

“I suppose you are right.” was all he said in response. 

Ordinarily, you wold respond in some sort of quip or joke to something like this. However, you knew better than to play shits-and-giggles in one of these rare times of his softness. You decided to give a kiss to the back of his hand instead, your lips warm and in a soft smile. 

“Come on, how about we go inside?” you offered, suddenly remembering his meal, “I’ll heat up your breakfast again and we can relax together for a little while. How does that sound?” 

Without taking his gaze off the horizon, your love responded to you. 

“Nothing in this galaxy,” he said, “sounds more enjoyable, my darling.” 

Your eyes twinkling in adoration and your lips curving into a brighter smile, you rested your head upon his armored shoulder again, hugging his strong, muscular arm close to you.

In that moment, the two of you were absolutely, totally, positively inseparable. 

“I love you, Vee.” you whispered out, your heart swelling for the sith lord at your side. 

And you were. 

Not one bone in your body, not one atom didn’t love that man. 

It took him a second to say anything in response, but you didn’t mind at all. 

“...Anakin.” 

Looking up at him, you had thought you had misheard him. You recognized what he had said was a name, but you didn’t know of anyone by it. Nor were you aware that he knew anyone by that name. 

You were perplexed. 

“What, love?” you asked, beckoning him to clarify. 

Without a word, Vader took his gaze off of the horizon, settling it on your face instead. Never in his life had he seen someone as breathtakingly gorgeous as you. He relished in the fact that he knew your beauty was, in fact, not skin-deep. 

To him, you were perfect in every way. 

To him, you were his savior. 

To him, you were his treasure. 

And as he took your face into his hands oh so gently, he gazed upon you and held you with every ounce of love he had for you in his body. Watching you as you smiled up at him with that hint of confusion still in your eyes, he knew. 

He would never again feel pain. 

He would never again be scared. 

He would never again be a slave. 

He would never again fight a war. 

He would never again hate. 

He would never again feel anger. 

He, instead, would only spend the rest of his days… 

In pure, absolute love…

With you. 

“That was… That is my real name, darling.” he continued, “Anakin... Skywalker.” 

You could have sworn you felt the ground beneath you fade away as he finished. Your heart swelling inside your chest, all you could do was breathe out smile after smile as you gazed up at him, your hands planted upon the broad expanse of his chest. 

You knew then how in love the two of you were. 

You knew then you and him would never be apart ever again. 

This was no machine standing before you; you knew that for a long time. 

But now solidified it. 

The man you had come to love and cherish with every fiber of your being… 

Was exactly that. 

A man. 

Your voice was barely above a whisper as your reached up to his neck, gently pulling his head down so that you could rest your forehead upon his as you closed your eyes. 

“I love you, Anakin Skywalker.” you breathed. 

“And I love you, (F/N) (L/N). More than you will ever know.” 

~~~

TAGS: @spaghetti-666 , @soullesstaco , @arsonistvoyager , @robin-obsessed , @glitter-rian , @captainrexstan , @easterncryptid , @deviatedwinter , @roseangel013bf , @danicalifxrnia , @dartheldur , @finest-trashbag , @yeah-boiiiiiiiiiii , @elongatedmusk-rat , @shads121 , @muffinbeliever , @sakuramadae , @padme-parker , @khapikat222 , @the-official-memester , @rens-angel , @obiwankenobiness , @yvette1703 , @missmannequin , @breakfastpizzagalaxy , @clearnostolgia , @scarletsinsandsnowwithetragedies​

[obx-enthusiast]

Now that I have you ~ JJ Maybank x reader

Requested by: @maybebanks

word count: 2.5k

warnings: fighting, swearing, angst, sad jj

prompt: 6 for angst “don’t you ever do that again”

summary: Y/n’s parents forced her into a realationship with Topper. but what will happen when sparks fly between her and a certain blond?

The life of a kook was always interesting. At least to other people it seemed. Y/n could really care less about the social classes of the outerbanks. She preferred the pouge life. Freedom, not having to uphold reputations, being able to do what ever you want whenever you want. Y/n wanted that. And she found that when her best friend Sarah, started dating John B.

The pouges all loved Y/n. She would go help Kie at the wreck, John B with the HMS when it needed fixing, Pope with school and grocery runs, and JJ whenever he needed help with his dad or just a place to lay his head. But no one knew about her daily adventures with the pouges. Especially not her boyfriend Topper. And the pouges didn’t know about Topper either. She preferred to keep thoes two worlds separate.

Y/n held almost no feelings for Topper. The arrangement was made by both of their parents after him and sarah broke up. She was more drawn to a certain blonde pouge. But Y/n’s parents didn’t really care about her feelings. Saying things like ‘honey, this will bring such good things to our family. don’t you want that?’ her mother would tell her whenever she complained about Topper and his stupid friends.

————

The sky was black with the exception of lighting striking acrosst it. The summer rain was tapping on her roof, but little did she know that tonight was one of thoes nights when JJ needed help.

Y/n’s eyes were quickly taken away from the tv when she heard the sound of light tapping on her window. The tv screen was the only thing lighting up the dark room. She quickly crawled out of bed and made her way to the window. The soft rain drops were sliding down the glass. Her eyes scanned the view when she spotted JJ. She unlatched the lock and pulled opened the window. JJ pulled his arms up and started making his way into the room. Y/n grabbed ahold of his arm to help him steady himself. “I don’t know what to do” the boy whispered under his breath as he glued his eyes to the floor. Sadness was evident in his tone. The easiest way to describe it was that JJ sounded broken.

Y/n sighed as she grabbed the boy and pulled him into a warm embrace. JJ’s arms wrapping around her waist as he stuffed his head into the crook of her neck. Soft sobs shaking through his body. Y/n reached up and put her fingers in his hair. Playing with the soft strands as he let all of his emotions out. “shhhh Jay.” she whispered in his ear. “I’m right here. You’re okay.” Y/n said, now rubbing circles into his back. JJ’s sobs slowly came to an end and he finally looked at her.

“Come on lets go sit down.” Y/n whispered as she led him over to the bed. She sat down with her back against her pillows. JJ crawled over to her and laid his head in her lap and let out a deep breath. Y/n went back to playing with the long strands of hair. “Why didn’t she take me with her?” he let out. His voice breaking as he played with her anklet. “Was I not good enough? Y/n’s heart sunk as she watched the boy she cared for so deeply, question if he is worthy or not.

“oh Jay...” She whispered as he turned his head to face her. “you are one of the kindest, funny, amazing people I have ever met. You don’t deserve any of the stuff that has been handed to you. You deserve the world and I wish you could see your self from my eyes. Then you’d see how wonderful you really are.” She smiled as she brushed his hair off of his forehead. JJ moves so he was now sitting up, listening to every word she had to say, tears forming in his eyes. “Your mom really missed out on getting to know one of the most beautiful souls I have ever met. It’s not on you that she left, it’s on Luke.” She held his face and wiped the tears that were falling from his eyes. JJ nodded his head as she took her hands away from his face and dropped them in her lap.

“Thanks Y/n/n. I really don’t know where i’d be if it wasn’t for you.” he whispered as he looked deep into her eyes. “It’s not a problem Jay. I’m always going to be here for you.” she smiled at him. JJ took in a deep breath before he gently grabbed her face and brought his lips to hers. Shock filled her body but before she knew it she was kissing him back. She brought her hands to the back of his neck as his made their way down to her waist. This was different than any other kiss she’s had. This kiss made her feel weak in the knees and like her heart was going to beat out of her chest. That’s when she remembered Topper.

Y/n brought her hands up to JJs chest and pushed him back before jumping out of her bed. Her eyes widening as her mind ran at a million miles an hour. A puzzled look crossed JJs face and his brows furrowed together. “what’s wrong y/n? i thought you liked me too?” he said as he pushed himself of her bed and made his way to her. Y/n looked at the floor and whispered “I think you need to go..” “wait but Y/n-“ he tried to reason. “I said go JJ!” she shouted and pointed at the door. His eyes widened. She never called him JJ. She always called him Jay.

JJs shoulders slumped and his eyes sunk to the ground as he walked out of the room without another word. Tears brimmed Y/n’s eyes and she let out a shaky breath. She heard the front door close and she finally let out a sob.

She wanted JJ so bad. She wanted to call him hers and she wanted to never have to go on another horrendous date with Topper. She crawled into the bed and grabbed her pillow. The smell of JJ filled her nose and she hugged the pillow tightly wishing it was him in her arms instead.

————

The early morning light shined through Y/n’s window. The girl simply rolled over and groaned. She grabbed her phone and looked at the time.

6:00 am.

Jay🏄🏼���♂️: 3 new messages, 2 missed calls.

Topper💕🏌🏼: 1 new message.

Y/n yawned and checked JJs texts first.

Jay🏄🏼‍♂️: Y/n I am so sorry I overstepped.

Jay🏄🏼‍♂️: I really thought you felt the same.

Jay🏄🏼‍♂️: Please forgive me?🥺

Y/n: Yeah, I forgive you :)

Sent.

A smile made its way to her face as she read his messages. He really did care about her. Her smile quickly changed to a frown as she checked Toppers message.

Topper💕🏌🏼: Dont forget we have a lunch date today babe.

Y/n: Crap I totally forgot! I made plans with sarah today. Any chance we can make it a dinner?

Topper💕🏌🏼: why are you so unreliable? Do you have any idea how many girls would drop their plans to go on a date with me? But I mean I guess I can switch some things around. So yeah that should be fine.

she now knew what she needed to do.

————

Y/n rolled her eyes and got out of bed. Playing some music before walking over to her closet. She grabbed a yellow bikini, a blue hawaiian shirt and a pair of high waisted shorts. She slipped the clothes on and tied a knot into the front of the shirt. She made her way to her bathroom and did the rest of her morning routine before she headed to the kitchen to grab a protein shake and get on her way.

She walked down the driveway to her coral 1967 beetle. It was her pride and joy. She had restored the whole thing with JJ last summer. It had a surf rack on the roof and ran like she was brand new. She checked the time as she opened the door and crawled in. 8:00 am. She shrugged her shoulders as the engine turned over and she made her way down her driveway to the chateau.

About 10 minutes later she pulled into the dirt driveway of the chateau. A smile spreading across her face at the sight of Sarah and John B curled up in the hammock. “Good morning lovebirds.” She cooed as she approached the two. “Morning y/n/n.” sarah blushed. “So what’s the plan today?” Y/n smiled. “Well we’re going out on the HMS with the rest of the pouges to go swim.” John B turned as he looked at y/n. “Sounds like a plan. When are we leaving?” “We’re picking up Pope and Kie around 9:00 and JJs already inside.” John B stated, pointing at the house.

Blush rose to her face at the mention of JJ. Y/n quickly looked at the ground trying to hide her face. “Well i better go make sure he’s up and give you guys your alone time back.” Y/n awkwardly said. Before they had the chance to respond she was already on her way to his room.

She made her way through the kitchen and livingroom before she was standing outside his door. Y/n opened the door to find a shirtless JJ in sweatpants standing in the middle of the room. “Woah ever heard of knocki-” JJ was quickly cut off when Y/n walked across the room and placed her lips on his. JJs body tensed but he soon relaxed into the kiss. His hands found her waist as she gently tugged at the ends of his hair. His tongue swept against her bottom lip and she gladly let him in. Y/n felt butterflies like she had never felt them before. The kiss was slow and sweet but equally filled with passion and hunger.

Their lips finally broke apart as they rested their foreheads against eachother. Both breathing heavily. “you have no idea how long I have wanted to do that.” JJ smiled at her, just above a whisper. Y/n stepped back to look at his face, his hands now leaving her hips. His hair was messy, his lips were swollen and his pupils were blown wide open.

“I want to be with you Jay. I want to be yours and I want you to be mine.” She smiled up at him. “I meannnn I guess it would be pretty nice..” JJ groaned out. Y/n’s jaw dropped as she playfully pushed his shoulder. A smile spread across JJs face and he pulled her by her waist into a hug. “I would love that y/n/n.” he whispered in her ear. “Good. I mean i’m not gonna lie, I have to figure some things out before we can make it official, but I promise it will be done and over with by tonight.” Y/n told him. A look of puzzlement crossed his face but before he could say anything John B’s voice called through the chateau. “Come on guys we’re leaving!” Y/n took that as her chance to escape but JJ quickly called after her. “We’re definitely gonna talk about that later.”

————

The boat ride and swimming went by smoothly until Sarah got stung by a jellyfish. Again. Causing their day in the sun to be cut short as they all made their way back to the chateau. The silence was broke when Y/n’s phone rang.

Topper💕🏌🏼 is calling..

She groaned before she brought the phone to her ear.

“Hello?”

“Where are you?” topper asked his tone sounding angry.

“I’m with sarah, why?”

“We’re having a change of plans and i’m coming to get you.”

“No you’re not”

“Yes I am. Now tell me, where are you?”

“I’m at the chateau..” She winced out.

“i’ll be there in 10 minutes.” That was the last thing he said before he hung up. She felt her chest tighten. Worried looks crossed everyone’s faces as they looked at their friend. Sarah being the only one who knew what was going on.

By the time they got to the dock Topper was already there standing by John B’s van. If this was a cartoon there would definitely have been steam coming from his ears. Y/n hesitantly walked towards the angry boy. The rest of the pouges followed her, not too far behind. Everyone was in complete confusion at what she had to do with Topper.

“Damn y/n just when I thought I knew you. Rather than spend time with your boyfriend, you went hanging around some dirty ass pouges!” he shouted as he gestured towards the group. Y/n’s eyes narrowed as she stared down the boy. “it’s better than spending any time with you” she spat at him. Toppers jaw clenched and before she knew she was being pushed up against the van. Toppers arm holding her down by her throat. JJ immediately stepped forward, but John B grabbed his arm and held up a finger. Signaling for him to wait. “Care to say that to me again?” Topper dared her. “I said it’s better than spending any time with you!” she cockily smiled at him. He pressed his arm further into her neck causing Y/n’s face to turn a deep reddish purple. His hand met the side of her face. Y/n’s eyes widened and her jaw dropped. Now there was no holding JJ back.

JJ sprang forward, ripping Topper off of Y/n. She fell to the ground and gasped for air. Short shallow breaths and coughs were the only thing that could be heard from the girl. JJ and Topper were wresting on the ground. Each one fighting to pin the other. JJ finally got Topper to the ground. All JJ could see was red. He delivered blow after blow to Toppers face. “Don’t you ever!” *punch* “do that!” *punch* “Again!” *punch* JJ yelled in between punches. Y/n gasped as she watched the scene infront of her. “Jay stop!” she hoarsely cried out. He kept punching him. “JJ stop you’re gonna kill him man!” John B yelled. Another blow. Y/n dragged herself off the ground to where the boys were fighting. She put her hand on his back “Jay i’m okay. You can stop now..” she cried.

JJs eyes widened at his bloody fists and Toppers newly rearranged face beneath him. His anger scared him at that moment in time. But he wasn’t finished yet. JJ nodded at Y/n before leaning over and whispering in Toppers ear “If I ever fucking see you near her again, you better fucking run.” JJ said through gritted teeth. Toppers eyes widened and he nodded his head profusely. “Now get out of here.” JJ told him as he pointed in the direction of the road.

Before she knew it JJ wrapped her in a hug and pulled her to him tightly. He rested his chin on the top of her head and her arms went up behind his shoulders. “Jay are you okay?” Y/n looked up at JJ who now had a pretty good cut on the side of his face. He shrugged it off and smiled. “I am now that I have you” he whispered as he leaned in for the kiss.

————

A/N: i really hope you like this I had so much fun writing it! Also this is the car I based hers off of

[wastelandcth]

spooky baskets - cth

anon requested: u can use this for a blurb if you want but I was just:( thinking of dovey and cal packing care packages to all their friends in quarantine and since they live together and take care of each other all the time it's kinda pointless to make ones for each other but each of them does that without the other knowing:( and they're like ~surprised but not really since they're soulmates so they could have seen it coming~ but the things inside??? so precious omg:(

summary: spending halloween season in quarantine means that Dovey has to resort to other fun ideas, like spooky baskets. 

author’s notes: thank you to the anon who requested this! i know quarantine has been a hard time for everyone (trust me, i know) but i hope this blurb brings a little joy to these uncertain times. 

masterlist || request

As the weather switched from the hot summer heatwaves into the cooler nights where Dovey was finally able to sit outside in the backyard wearing a sweater without wanting to melt, she knew that eventually, the seasonal sadness that crept its way into Calum's soul would come. She knew it would mean that as the sun set earlier and came out later in the day, Calum's mood would change and the already quiet personality he had would be heightened. So she'd come up with a plan to get him out and be productive while still being safe and socially distant from the crowds of people that seemed to think the pandemic was over. 

"Hey Dove, do you think we could pop over to the store tomorrow? I was thinking we could make care packages for everyone, it's been almost two months since we last saw anyone in person and I think it'd be a nice surprise for them." she had offered while they both ate dinner, a rerun of a show playing softly out from the television. "I was thinking we could make them spooky baskets!" 

"Spooky baskets?" Calum asked softly and chuckled, raising an eyebrow at his wife as he looked up from his bowl of roasted veggie pasta. "What are spooky baskets?"

"Oh you know, they're like care packages but they're themed to Halloween! It'll be nice for everyone to have a little Halloween basket. We could get them some candy, pumpkin spice stuff, oh! Fuzzy socks and maybe even like wine." she nodded excitedly and chuckled. 

And that's exactly what Dovey and Calum found themselves doing the very next day. Dovey had woken Calum up with some banana protein pancakes he'd been meaning to try for the past couple of weeks and a cup of coffee. She'd been excited to go out ever since Calum had agreed that care packages for their friends would be a nice way to celebrate Halloween in the current state the world was in. So with both of them wearing a mask and Dovey's bag stocked with a bottle of hand sanitizer and wipes, they made their way into Target to browse for anything they could use for their spooky baskets. 

It wasn't long before their cart was filled with candy, gummies, multiple bottles of wine, and anything that Calum and Dovey deemed appropriate for a spooky basket. Dovey had even managed to sneak in a couple of items for Calum, who she was sure hadn't noticed as he'd been too busy looking for things the band would like. Calum however, had been too busy looking for things that Dovey would appreciate, having snuck an extra orange pumpkin bucket that he knew she would never notice since she wasn't the best at simple math. By the time they had reached the self-checkout and had managed to hide each other's presents from one another, they were in the car sanitizing their hands and driving back home. 

"I think Ashton would prefer to have the socks and Michael would enjoy the hand lotion," Calum said as they sorted through bags of Halloween themed self-care. "Maybe we could give Luke the set of nail polish? I know he's been itching to get his nails done but doesn't want to risk it by going out to a salon." 

It went on like that for a while, Dovey showing Calum a pair of socks or a shirt or any of the other things they'd bought for their friends and then they'd both discuss who they thought it would be best for. Soon enough, they had a line of spooky baskets on their dining table and all they had to do was finish writing on their Halloween themed cards which Dovey had specifically picked out for every single one of the baskets. 

"Do you mind finishing up the cards? You have a way with words, I would just say something weird and you're poetic. I'm going to take a shower and then we can watch a movie?" Dovey asked as she handed Calum the stack of envelopes and cards, walking down the hallway to their bedroom where she had hidden the bag filled with everything she'd gotten Calum for his basket before he had time to even notice. 

Calum sighed in relief as he saw Dovey walk away into their bedroom, waiting a few moments before he made his way over to his office where he'd hidden his bag of treats for Dovey under the desk. He worked silently, arranging everything he'd snuck into their shopping cart while Dovey had been distracted looking at homeware and Halloween mugs, and when he was finally done, he set the basket back under his desk before making his way back over to the dining table to finish up writing the cards for their friends. 

The next day, the morning sky was grey and the cold air had made its way in through the bedroom window that Dovey had insisted stay open throughout the night. Calum wished he could've stayed in bed all day, knowing that there was nothing he and Dovey could do either. Tour had been rescheduled and all their trips and vacations had been put on hold, with no guarantee of when he could fly back home to see his parents or even fly to London to see his sister. He'd rather stay in bed and sleep the day away, knowing there was nothing else to do but stay home and stay safe. Dovey, however, had different plans and when he heard music playing from somewhere in the house, Calum knew she'd come in with plans to take on the day. It wasn't too long after Calum had woken up that Dovey walked into their bedroom, holding two mugs with coffee and the smile that Calum knew he could count on seeing every day. 

"Ready to deliver spooky baskets?" she asked as she sat down next to him in bed and handed a skeleton mug over to him. 

A few hours later, after many sneaky deliveries of spooky baskets, Calum found himself in Dovey's arms while they laid on the couch. He'd been taking a nap, the cold air from outside had seeped into his bones and he'd been in Dovey's arms covered by a blanket to chase off the cold. She'd been watching television while he slept, her fingers raking through the curls which had grown out ever since the start of a lockdown. His short hair transitioning from a pink that Dovey had been obsessed with to a blonde quiff that made him look golden, and now into a mess of brown curls that she couldn't help but run her fingers through whenever she got the chance to. It wasn't until she felt Calum's lips on her shoulder that she realized he was waking up from the nap he'd accidentally fallen into. 

"I have a surprise for you," Dovey whispered into Calum's hair, a soft kiss pressing onto his forehead which brought Calum back down to Earth and into his lover’s arms. "Need to get it from our room though, I'll be right back." 

Calum was still half asleep as he sat up and watched Dovey wander off to their bedroom. He let out a yawn and let himself stretch out onto the couch, his eyes closing again as his mind tried recalling whatever dream he'd been having a few minutes ago. It had made him warm, flashes of Dovey's smile and her laughter mixed in with little ones chasing after Duke. He knew if he kept his eyes closed for a while longer he'd slip back into the dream and stay a little while longer. 

"Dove?" At first, it seemed like Calum had slipped into his dreamworld and the love of his life was roaming the halls of a house filled with love and kid's toys, but as he felt a hand on his cheek, his eyes opened again and he was met with Dovey's eyes, who seemed to hide the excitement. "I have something for you." 

Calum's eyes wandered down to Dovey's lap, which was currently holding an orange basket that was filled with flowers, candy, and gift-wrapped boxes. Calum's yawn was met by a laugh from Dovey who placed the basket in his lap, her body practically bouncing in place as she waited for him to open everything. Inside the basket, Calum unpacked a new coffee mug with a painted dog wearing a sheet over it making it look like a ghost, a blanket which was so soft Calum was surprised that Dovey hadn't kept it herself, and along with some more candy and snacks that Calum loves, he found a new journal with a polaroid picture of Dovey and Calum inside of the cover. 

"Sweet girl, this is amazing. I, I can't thank you enough for this." Calum nodded and pulled her into his arms, "I have a surprise for you too, you know? Guess great minds think alike." he chuckled and set the basket down to go grab Dovey's own spooky basket from his office. 

Dovey couldn't hold back the laughter in as she saw Calum walking into the living room holding a basket that resembled the one she had made for him, filled with goodies and self-care needs she loved. When Calum handed her the basket, she looked through it, her own heart swelling as she unpacked candles, lotions, and all the sour gummy worms she could dream of. It was everything a spooky basket should've been and all she could do was pull Calum into a kiss. 

It wasn't until a while later when candles had been lit on the coffee table and the Doves were laying in each other’s arms under the world's softest blanket that the group chat all of the guys and their partners were in started to go off, with pictures of the baskets Calum and Dovey had worked hard on. Calum couldn't help but chuckled as he read through the messages his friends had sent to them, answering their praises with memes he had saved from conversations with Dovey. It wasn't until he heard a sleepy whine coming from Dovey that he realized she was asleep and the constant buzzing from her phone was probably going to wake her up soon.  With a goodnight to the group chat and with fall candles being blown out and covered, Calum carried Dovey over into their bedroom and laid her down in be, making sure that the window was open before he laid down and closed his eyes, yearning for dreams of Dovey and the big house filled with laughter, love, and spooky baskets. 

[goldensunflowers98]

Coffee House Dreams

Luke Hemmings Imagine

Please let me know what you think❤️

Aurora sighed as she blew a golden blonde curl from her line of vision once again, her fingers lightly pressing against the piano keys while trying to find the right sound. The small coffee shoppe nestled in one of the side streets of London, where her sister worked tirelessly, bustled with life, the strong scent of espresso overwhelming her senses with every inhale.

She was here almost everyday since she couldn't afford a piano this nice at home, knew most of the customers by name, and she always enjoyed a classic, sweet, vanilla cappuccino after a long day at Uni.

Aurora was a simple girl who loved the sight of rain droplets on rose petals, the sound of the ocean waves crashing against the shore at night, and the scent of espresso as she played the piano. She loved the color red, especially her crimson colored scrunchie that currently tied her mess of golden curls up, and she found unkind people to be the scum of the earth.

She also found the mysterious blonde haired, blue eyed boy that hid his face being a pair of sunglasses and a steaming caramel latte to be the most beautiful creature she'd ever seen. He had started coming in just in the past week, but Aurora found his Australian accent positively enchanting and the dimples that appeared when he smiled made her slam her fingers down on the keys of the piano the first time she saw them, causing a loud crash of discord to sound through the small shoppe and for her to duck her blushing face when he whipped around confused.

He sat perched at the window seat across the way and Aurora noticed how he had a blueberry muffin as well today, his fingers picking at the treat as he watched the raindrops rolls down the clear glass beside him.

He looked sad today, Aurora noticed, the corner of his lips turned downwards and he anxiously fidgeted every few minutes, scratching his temple with his sweater paw.

Now, noticing she was staring like a crazy person, Aurora clears her throat, turning her attention back to the keys and the song she was trying to figure out.

Well the sky is finally open, the rain and wind stopped blowin'

But you're stuck out in the same old storm again

The notes just don't sound as perfect as she wanted and she tries again in another key.

You hold tight to your umbrella, well, darlin' I'm just tryin' to tell ya

That there's always been a rainbow hangin' over your head

She groans to herself, placing her head down on the polished wood, frustrated that she couldn't even get the cords right to her own song.

"That's a beautiful song. Have you tried it starting out in 'G' though?"

She gasps in shock, jumping backwards, her sheet music flying everywhere, and she nearly falls off the piano stool as she hears the accented voice of the mysterious boy who loved caramel lattes right beside her.

He looks mortified at her reaction, his bright blue eyes that were no longer covered by sunglasses were wide and his long arms were out like he was about to catch her before she hit the ground.

"Whoa! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to scare you," he says but it's all muffled as Aurora stares up at him in shock and wonder.

This mysterious boy wasn't so mysterious after all. He was Luke freaking Hemmings from her old favorite band, 5 Seconds of Summer. She had been staring at Luke Hemmings like a certified freak for over a week now and didn't notice. She really needed to get more sleep.

"It's fine. Everything is fine. Just startled me is all. First, you're way over there and now, you're all the way over here. You must have some long legs on you," she mumbles frantically like a crazy person, picking up her sheet music and as she finishes her sentence, her eyes trail from his torso, down his long legs, and to his feet that were awkwardly doing this thing where they turned into one another. "I rest my case."

He laughs lightly at that and her eyebrows raise when he rests his latte cup on top of the piano as if he was staying awhile.

"Sorry, I tend to creep up on people without them noticing. I'm Luke, by the way," he reaches out his hand for her to shake and Aurora smiles at the sight of his red gel fingernails, her favorite color.

"Aurora... I love the red," she says, earning a brilliant beam from him with a hint of a blush. He mumbles a 'thank you' quietly, tucking a wild blonde curl behind his ear sheepishly.

"You come in here a lot. Do you live close by or something?" He asks, taking a sip of his hot drink as she assorts her music once more.

"Are you stalking me, Luke?" She smirks as he nearly chokes on his drink and starts to fumble over his words.

"N-No! No, I just hear you play every time I come in. It's quite nice and it's a small... it's a small shoppe. Oh, god... Please don't think I'm a psycho stalker," he winces behind his cup, knowing his previous words made him sound like a creep.

"I'm just kidding," she giggles with a mischievous grin, finding his nervousness to be quite funny. "It's a small and quiet coffee house. Not many new people come in, so you're a sight for sore eyes, for sure."

She furrows her brows as he doesn't really reply to her statement, looking back at the door as it chimes, lips bitten harshly by his front teeth. He looks disappointed as Andrew, the local dog walker who liked a double fudge hot cocoa after a long morning of trudging along behind a sweet saint bernard, two huskies that were brothers, Mrs. Henderson's prize winning poodle, and a teacup yorkie that had a bite of a lion, walked in.

"Waiting for someone?" She asked quietly, trying to be gentle as his face is crestfallen after checking the time.

"Uh.." he runs his hand through his curls, tugging at the roots anxiously for a moment before turning back to her. "My girlfriend. She... We've been fighting a lot recently, but she was supposed to meet me an hour ago to talk some stuff out."

Sierra Deaton, Luke's girlfriend, was a sweet girl from what Aurora observed from the tweets and Instagram posts, but every relationship had its downfalls.

"Maybe she's stuck in traffic. You know how London is," she once again tries to be gentle with his feelings and her heart aches just a bit when she sees his deep frown.

"Yeah... Maybe it's just London." He hides his upset eyes by a fake smile and Aurora finds it upsetting at just how good he seemed at that specific action; hiding his true feelings.

"Fuck," he suddenly curses, looking frantic for a second as he starts collecting all of his belongings.

"What's wrong?" Aurora asks, his nervousness making her anxiety spike.

"I'm late for rehearsal. Shit! I completely forgot," he shoves his phone in his pocket and shoots back the rest of his latte quickly. "It was so nice finally meeting you! Um, I'll probably see you tomorrow! Try starting the song out in G!" As quick as he stumbles out his words, he is out of the shoppe and Aurora watches in hazy confusion as he speed walks past the window, tugging at his hair nervously again.

"That boy is going to go bald one day if he keeps that up," she mumbles, turning back to her piano and feeling a bit confused and star struck by her encounter.

"What boy?" She hears her sister ask as she walks around the corner, taking Luke's empty mug from off the piano and placing it in the dirty dish tray she had rested on her hip.

"Just a boy, Cece," she smiles up at her older sister who looked disheveled after a long shift. "Damn, you look rough."

Celestia rolls her eyes playfully at her little sister, reaching up to maintain her jet black hair that was nothing like her sister's. You would have never have known that they were related if you had set your eyes on the curly blonde haired, green eyed, shy girl and the older, upbeat girl with obsidian hair and bright, blue eyes. "Want another cappuccino?" She asks, earning a grin and a nod from Aurora as she walks away.

Looking down at the ivory keys, Aurora hums to herself as she hovers her fingers over the 'G' key. Beginning to play the song, she can't help but grin and scribble down notes inside her tattered song journal. Maybe Luke knew what he was talking about after all.

________

The sun is dimly shining the next morning and Aurora inhales the smell of wet asphalt after the night full of rain, a small smile on her face. Turning the corner towards the coffee shoppe, she nearly stops in her tracks as she sees a familiar, teary-eyed boy through the window, sitting in his normal seat. He was alone, no coffee or muffin in sight and she watches as he buries his distraught face in his hands.

Trudging along slowly while taking looks back at the upset Luke through the window, Aurora frowns as she enters the shoppe and walks over to the counter. "Hey, Cece. I need a vanilla cappuccino, a caramel latte, and two blueberry muffins, please. Put extra caramel drizzle and whipped cream on the latte too."

She ignores her sister's confused smirk as she places the money on the counter, continuing to look over at Luke, who's shoulders were now lightly shaking with sobs. Her order is quick to arrive and she collects the cups and muffins carefully, making a beeline towards Luke's table.

"Hey, sunshine," she whispers solemnly, a gentle, comforting smile on her lips as he looks up with red rimmed eyes, a flushed nose and cheeks, and sniffles quietly.

"Hey," he croaks, wiping his eyes and looking embarrassed that she caught him in his weakest moments.

She slowly slides the muffin and caramel latte in front of him and when he looks up at her confused that she got his order right, she shrugs lightly. "Lucky guess," she says before taking the seat in front of him.

"I know we just met and aren't the best of friends, but I felt like you needed someone to talk to or else you wouldn't be sitting here in the middle of a public coffee house and crying, so... Here I am," she says, stuffing a large bite of blueberry muffin in her mouth and ignoring the crumbs that fall onto the table.

He doesn't say anything for a few moments, a dazed look in his eyes as he gazes out the window and stirs his spoon around and around the rim of his cup.

Aurora is patient, half of her cappuccino finished before he finally parts his lips to speak.

"She left me. She said she didn't want to deal with the distance when we go on tour again and that she didn't trust me to not h-hook up with other girls while I'm gone. I've never done anything but give her l-love and reasons t-to...to trust me! I would n-never cheat."

His words, heaving chest, and his trembling lip are enough to make Aurora wince in sympathy, nearly burning her tongue as he says it in the middle of her taking a larger gulp.

"I'm so sorry, Luke... I know she meant a lot to you or you wouldn't be having this reaction." He nods solemnly as her words before she continues. "If it's any consolation, she didn't deserve you after you kept trying to meet up and talk and she never showed. You tried. She didn't. Some people aren't worth your tears. I know that's not going to stop you from being upset, but it's a thought to think about."

His eyebrows furrow a bit at her words before he gives a small nod. "I guess you're right," he says, showing progress in his mood as he finally picks up his latte and takes a small sip.

It's quiet for a few more minutes and the second that Aurora sees his bottom lip start to tremble again, she panics and leans forward. "Hey," she reaches out and lightly touches his hand. "Want to get out of here? I've got this place I'd like to show you if you let me. It's a bit of a drive, but you won't regret it."

Looking down at his watch, he seems to weigh the pros and cons for a moment before giving in. "Why not?" He says, standing and throwing his jacket on as Aurora looks up, slightly dumbfounded that he accepted.

"Okay," she stands up and gets out an excited giggle, placing their cups in the bin. "Lets go"

With a wave to her sister, who was giving her a proud smirk, Luke puts on his sunglasses and they leave the coffee house, making their way to her car that was parked around the corner.

"Holy shit, this is amazing!" Luke laughs unbelievably at her cherry red 1976 Cadillac Eldorado Convertible with cream colored interior.

"Thanks! It was my granddad's!" Climbing in, she cranks the car and with an excited grin and looking both ways, she pulls out into the traffic.

The wind blows through their hair as the cruise down the roads and Aurora gently smiles when she looks over and sees Luke grinning as he looks at the scenery and people around.

"Here," She hands him her phone as she enjoys the cool breeze, placing her sunnies over her eyes. "You choose the music."

"Brave choice," he hums, taking the phone and beginning to scroll through the songs until he gets to a certain category.

"I knew it!" He shouts with a crazed laugh, Aurora giving him an odd look as she worries for his health.

"You okay there, bub?" She asks with a slight chuckle before he shoves her phone in her face with a wide grin.

"Every one of our albums, including our old EP's, and features. I knew you were a fan!" He laughs as her face drops, a blush taking over her cheeks.

"I never said I wasn't," she sticks her tongue out at him before smirking at his dumbfounded face. "Play a song, doofus." She shoves him playfully as he continues to grin, his thumb scrolling through the songs.

English Love Affair starts playing through the speakers and Aurora rolls her eyes behind her sunglasses. "I see what you did there," she laughs as he smirks over at her cheekily, his sadness hidden well, but Aurora knew it was still under the surface.

________

Oh tie up your boat, take off your coat, and take a look around

Everything is alright now

The door to the coffee shoppe chimes cheerfully the following day, making Aurora look up in curiosity. A smile tugs at her lips as she sees the familiar, lanky, blonde boy walk in but her eyes slightly widen as three other beautiful boys follow behind him.

"Holy mother of God," she mumbles to herself wide eyed as she sees Luke turn towards the piano and give her a smile and wave, making a beeline towards her with the boys in tow.

Gulping, Aurora tries to hide her shaking hands by sitting on them, nervously grinning as they come closer.

"Hey, Ro! These are my friends, Michael, Ashton, and Calum. I told them about your song and they really wanted to hear it." Aurora almost fell over as a pleasant nickname passed through his lips but what really made her vision blurry was the end of his sentence.

"O-Oh, that's so... that's so sweet, Luke. It isn't finished yet though," she frowns, biting her lip as he seems to deflate.

"Oh, well maybe next time then," he says sadly and the look on his face is enough for her to grab his hand as he starts to turn.

"Wait! I-I can show the parts I do have," she says, making his smile appear once again.

The boys all crowd around her, making her feel extremely nervous but with Luke's encouraging smile, she places her still shaking hands over the keys.

When it rain it pours but you didn't even notice

It ain't rainin' anymore, it's hard to breathe when all we know is

The struggle of staying above, the rising water line

She continues the song, trying to his cracking, nervous voice, until she no longer has any lyrics, trailing off with a quiet hum and shaky exhale. "That's all I've got so far," she looks up to see the four boys grinning at her widely.

"She's perfect, Luke," Calum says over to Luke proudly and Ashton nearly jumps up and down.

"Such a smart breadstick, you!" Ashton pats him hard on the back as Michael continues to smile but stay the calm one.

"I don't understand," Aurora nervously picks at her bottom lip as they continue to talk excitedly amongst themselves. That's when she realizes her music journal that was testing on the piano is in Ashton's hand and they are all flickering through the pages with excited grins.

"Um, excuse me," her eyebrows are now furrowed as they read her personal songs and words from her heart and Luke looks up as they hear the edge in her tone.

"Sorry, Ro," He yanks the journal out of their hands and places it back on the piano with an apologetic wince. "I think we owe an explanation." When she nods annoyed, he gulps and continues. "We are in a band called 5 Seconds of Summer."

"I know this... Plus, there's only four of you," she deadpans as Ashton snickers in the back.

"Anyway! We are in a band and we are looking for an opening act and someone to sign, but we didn't want anyone to mainstream or famous. We think you'd be perfect to open for us."

Aurora stares up at them in shock, her mouth becoming dry.

“So... what do you say?” Luke asks, his cheeks turning slightly red.

What should she say?

[suchalonelysunflower]

“I know”

(Ashton Irwin X Fem!Reader || Angst/Fluff)

Summary: FINAL PART OF THE KNOW YOU SERIES. When everything feels lost, there’s nothing like the rain

Warnings: Strong Language, mentions of: alcohol, abuse, anxiety, depression, toxic relationships. Ansgty and Fluffy. Bad English (not my first language, sorry)

Word Count: 5.2 K

A/N: ITS HERE the last part of my first Ashton series 🥺 I had fun writing this, it helped me a lot. I hope you like it just as much! Reblogs are always appreciate it as well as feedback, I would love to hear your opinions 💙 You can check my other works HERE. Thank you so much 🦋

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

Sierra hasn’t heard from you in almost a week. You’re not answering any of her text or attempts to FaceTime and she’s getting really worried. She knows you’re deeply hurting if you went completely MIA. 

Last time she saw you, you were running down the stairs at Ashton’s house, trying to pass the sea of people between you and the door. She remembers calling out your name, and she knows you’ve heard her, since you stopped for a second to look in her direction before turning your face away and walking out the door without saying anything. 

But she already saw the tears on your face. 

Sierra turned to her boyfriend, to confirm that he saw it too, but Luke’s confused gaze was already on her, asking the silent question: ’What the hell happened?’

Luke’s eyes followed the trail you had just walked, but Sierra’s hand was already in his, pulling him so he followed her upstairs. 

“Maybe she was just overwhelmed and needed some space” suggested Luke when they reached the top of the stairs and started walking the hall. 

“Probably, but Luke, I know her. She wouldn’t leave without saying goodbye and she looked really upset” Sierra’s voice was filled with concern“Something happened and…” 

Suddenly, they came to a stop when they heard a light sob. It was almost inaudible due to the poundering thunders that came from the sky, but it was there. Luke and Sierra hurried down to the balcony, not knowing what to expect but at the same time not expecting the sight in front of them. 

Ashton was sitting on the floor with his back pressed to the same wall that had you pressed to him just a few minutes ago, when everything just felt right.

 His hair was a mess and his ringed hand covered his eyes as he cried, his shoulders shaking with every sob that came out of his lips. For the first time in a long, long time, the boy who smiled like sunshine was falling apart like the rain. 

Sierra’s first instinct was to go over the broken man and kneel down next to him, putting her delicate hand in his shoulder. Her heart breaking as he lifted his gaze, just enough for her to see how much he’s hurting. 

“Ash?” 

“I fucked up” He said in a broken voice “Sierra, I fucked up so bad” 

That was on Saturday. Today’s Thursday and you still haven’t picked up your phone. Ignoring, not just her, but everyone. Crystal has tried to reach you countless of times, Michael has been hitting your DM’s from every social media (including in the games you played together) Calum and Luke have been spamming you with texts and even tried to lure you in with pictures of Duke and Petunia. And Ashton… well. Ashton was a complete mess, his smile was none existing since that night and, if it weren’t for the fact that they were already working on a new album, he wouldn’t even be seen. “He barely talks to anyone” Luke said to her “He’s just… numb. I haven’t seen him like this in years, he looks just like me before I met you, maybe even worse” 

Sierra tried to call you one more time before hearing the familiar voicemail tone. You were shutting down, and she was scared that the silence meant something else.

Determined, she picked up her phone one more time, but she dialed a different number “Hey” she said, as soon as the other person picked up “Y/N needs our help and I’m not going to wait any longer” 

****************************************************

You opened your eyes as the sun warmed your face. You groaned as you got up to close the curtains, ready to submerge yourself under the covers again. But the sound of your growling stomach kinda forced your way into the kitchen. 

Taking in the sight of your apartment, you let out a sad sigh. It was just as messy as you felt. Take out containers (most of them still full) and dirty dishes decorated your kitchen island, your once neat living room had scattered papers all over it, many of them being plain trash that you couldn’t care to throw properly in the bin. You saw the bottle of vodka sitting in the middle of the table and it made you nauseous. This isn’t right. After everything that has happened you thought you finally got a break, that everything was going to be fine. But life has never been easy on you. 

As you poured yourself a cup of coffee, you couldn’t help but stare at the bay window. You couldn’t help but think of him, the way he smiled and the sound of his thousand laughs. How he always cheered you up with a good morning text and how he could spend hours telling you stories about his childhood, in an attempt to distract you from reality. How he was always up for anything you needed, weather it be just listening to you or just needing his company, always making sure you were alright, and you were, with him everything was alright. Then your thoughts wandered over that night. The way he held you, the way he kissed you.. the way he rejected you. 

You didn’t realize you were crying until a tear dropped in the middle of your coffee cup. You haven’t stopped crying since that night. Feeling useless and scared, but most of all, hopeless you would ever find that sense of security and happiness you felt next to him.

It’s impossible to deny how deeply in love you were with Ashton. You tried to hide it, but you were only lying to yourself. You love him and he probably hates you, again. Once again, you felt like you’ve ruined everything. When your lips touched his you felt like you were in cloud 9, everything was coming together, but seeing his face full of regret after that… 

Maybe he was just too drunk, maybe you weren’t what he expected, maybe you should’ve stopped him, maybe he wanted to stop. It was wrong, a ‘mistake’ as he called it. But it felt so right at the moment that you didn’t want it to stop, and maybe that was selfish, but you could’ve died in that kiss and you would’ve died happy, instead of living the pain and the hurt of his disgust and rejection when he pulled away. 

He probably told everyone how you fucked up. Everyone must hate you. In one night you lost everything you ever dreamed to have, and it was your fault. You turned off your phone that night, emailed your boss the morning after, claiming to be sick, but in reality you were just too scared to face the daylight of a world where you had nothing again. Maybe your mother was right and you didn’t deserve happiness after all. 

Finishing your coffee, you tossed the mug in the filthy sink and headed to bed. That’s when you heard the knocking at your door and your breathing stopped. 

You tried to ignore it, but whoever was at the other side was persistent. Against your better judgement, and hoping it was just a neighbor, you opened the door. 

Outside the door you saw Sierra, Crystal and KayKay…oh shit. Your thoughts were running a thousand miles per hour, thinking that they were there to give you shit for what you did. 

Sierra’s eyes winded when she took a sight of you and, without wasting any second, she launched herself towards you and held you in a tight hug. 

“You weren’t answering your phone” she said “we were all so worried about you! We were so scared that you would just disappear and…” 

An overwhelming feeling came over you as the tears spilled down your cheeks. It was all too much. Sierra kept talking, but you couldn’t listen. The others made their way into the apartment, careful to not overstep your boundaries, you noticed they had some bags filled with groceries and your heart shrunked. They weren’t there to hate you, they… they came for you, because they care about you. And you were standing there, numb in the same pajamas from five days ago, with countless bags under your eyes and a messy knotted hair. You didn’t deserve this. 

“Oh, baby” Sierra cooed as she felt you breaking down in tears in her arms “We are here for you, we will always be here for you, Y/N. We love you, it’s okay”

“No, it’s not okay” you said between sobs “I fucked up. I fucked up, it’s not okay. I’m so sorry” 

You kept apologizing, it seemed like you were unable to form another sentence that wasn’t ‘I’m sorry’ but the girls were having none of it “Y/N, listen to me. You did nothing wrong. You hear me? Nothing. Stop apologizing, you don’t have to, you don’t need to. Look at me” Sierra pulled away from you and grabbed you by the shoulders, forcing you to look at her and the others “You. Did. Nothing. Wrong” 

Her stare was honest, stern and serious. You felt like breaking down again, but KayKay stepped in

“Why don’t we go talk in the living room? Crys and I will put the groceries in the kitchen, I’m assuming you didn’t go shopping this week, Y/N?” you shook your head, she nodded and gave you a sympathetic smile “It’s okay, dear. We got you covered” 

“Y/N, have you been eating enough?” Crystal asked from the kitchen, looking through your take out containers with enough food to feed an army. 

You wiped your tears “I - I don’t know. I don’t remember. I couldn’t…”

“Shh, baby. It’s okay” Sierra said, sliding her hands up and down your arms to calm you down “Don’t worry. Why don’t we go sit, yeah?” You walked into the living room together. Sierra’s eyes were immediately fixed into the bottle of vodka in the middle of the coffee table. You felt ashamed “Y/N, did you..?”

“No” you said quickly “No, I couldn’t. I tried to, yes. But the smell… it reminded me too much of her and I just… I couldn’t” 

The girls were sitting around you. They knew it was bad, but they didn’t image it to the point where you would even consider drinking as an escape. They hated to see you like that. You were the girl with the endless smile, the one who would happily put others before herself, the one that would be there at any time, at any moment. Being the life of every party, or at least in their tight group of friends, the one who has been through hell but came back as strong as ever. You didn’t even seem like yourself, you were broken. And they were determined to try to fix that. 

“Why don’t you tell us everything? It will make you feel better, I promise”

So you took a deep breath and started. You told them how close you and Ashton got during quarantine. How you, even without knowing it at the time, hoped to talk to him everyday, how he made you feel special, the way his smile brightened your day. How you could always tell if he was in a bad mood just by looking at his eyes and not finding their gleam, how he made you feel like you could trust him almost instantly and how glad you were to be friends with him. You told them about the night of the party, how he seemed so happy to see you but acted strange around you and the others, almost like his old self. You told them about the balcony, what you talked about and how you kissed. How happy you were until he said those words. 

“And I know he meant it” you said softly through your tears, like a little kid “it was a mistake, we should’ve never done it, he was right. I fucked up, I should’ve told him to stop, but I…” your voice broke and you were unable to continue, but KayKay stepped in. 

“You didn’t want to” 

You look at her, trying to find a hint of hate inside her eyes “Kay, I’m so sorry.”

“Stop apologizing, Y/N. It’s fine” 

The sincerity in her voice confused you. 

“But.. but he’s your ex and you’re my friend. I could never..”

“Y/N, stop it” She said, placing her hand on your knee “It’s okay. Our relationship ended eons ago and we were never right for each other” she gave you a small smile “I love him, as a friend, just that. We were never meant to be. You want to know how I know that? Because I could never talk about him in the way that you just did, the way you described him and everything he did… you really love him do you?”

Your eyes winded. You didn’t tell them that, hell you weren’t able to tell yourself that until a few days ago. However, you couldn’t stop yourself from nodding. 

“That’s alright. We can all tell how much you love that stupid boy. And I’m okay with that, honey. Really. Our friendship is stronger than that. And besides…” her smile grew “I know he feels the same”

“What?” You asked in disbelief. 

“I talked to him a few times during lockdown, just to check on him. Everytime we talked he mentioned you in some way, weather it was a message you sent him or something funny you said or did, or even just out of nowhere you were always on his mind and, girl, the way his smile lighted up and his eyes shined… I’ve never seen him like that, not even with me, so I knew he was head over heels before he even knew it himself” 

Saying that you were confused was an understatement “But he…”

“Y/N, remember what I told you about him? He never lies about his feelings but…”

“He avoids them” you finished. 

“Sounds like someone we know…” Commented Crystal. 

“And it sounds like you should definitely talk to him!” Sierra chimed in. 

You started to protest but she cut you off. 

“No, I don’t want to hear it. Y/N, I don’t know what that voice in your head tells you, but it’s lying. We are not going to stand here and let you drown, we will not allow it. You deserve your happy ending, you deserve all the love in the world and we love you so so much. How can we get it pass your head? You are not alone, you are loved. We are your family and we will not go anywhere, no matter how much you try to push us away” she raised her thumb to wipe the tears off your face “We will not force you, though. You will talk to him when you’re ready, but you have to talk to him. He’s just as broken as you are, maybe all you need is each other” 

You nodded silently, thanking the universe for putting these amazing people in your life. But fearing the moment you will see Ashton again, not feeling completely confident for that. 

*****************************************************

Ashton, on his part, was a complete wreck.

He can’t eat, he can’t sleep, he can’t concentrate hard enough on the fact that he has a mini concert in two hours and he didn’t rehearse as much as he should’ve. He can only think of you and the sound of your heels walking away from him. 

It’s been a week since last Saturday and he’s looking at his screen, hoping selfishly that your name would pop out at any second, but knowing damn well it won’t. He tried to message you a couple times, saying how sorry he was, but he could never find the words or the courage to send it, even though he knows he should. Feeling the tears burning in the back of his eyes, he tried hard to contain them. He’s been crying all week, but  knows that now it’s not the best time to let it out. 

He looks around the small room the venue gave them to prepare themselves. He can hear Michael warming up and he spots Luke talking to Sierra in a corner of the room, she’s smiling and he looks so happy. Ashton never wanted to hit that pretty boy’s face till now. 

“You alright, mate?” Asked Calum, pulling him out of his jealous thoughts as he took a seat next to him on the couch “You look like shit” 

“I feel like shit” Ashton averted his gaze back to his phone. 

Calum nodded, choosing to ignore how harsh his comment sounded, knowing how hard this must be for his friend “Still haven’t talked to her?” Ashton looked at him shocked, he didn’t mention to Calum what was happening, only to Luke and Sierra because they caught him crying over Y/N “Luke told me, but to be honest I would’ve figured it out sooner or later” 

Ashton’s voice was soft and filled with guilt and hurt, breaking Calum’s heart as he spoke “Has she told you how incredibly stupid I am?” 

“I don’t need her to tell me that” The bassist gave his friend a small smile that he didn’t return “Besides, she’s not talking to me. She’s not talking to anyone, actually” 

“What?” 

“She’s been ignoring us, turning off her phone and shit. She didn’t talk to anyone after that night.You thought she was only ignoring you?” 

Ashton’s world fell apart right there. Not only did he pushed her away from him, but he pushed her away from the only people he knows she loves the most. He royally fucked up this time and he will never forgive himself for this. Why can’t he stop hurting her? 

“Why do you think she will talk to me, though?” Calum asked after a while. 

“You were always so close” said Ashton in a monotone voice, trying to hide the hint of jealousy he felt towards his best friend “Always with each other and always talking about things none of us understod, so I thought…”

“Woah, you think there’s something between me and Y/N? Dude, no. Never” Calum said in disbelief “She’s amazing, don’t get me wrong and very pretty but she’s also like a sister to me, she reminds me a lot of Mali. And I could never do that knowing that my best friend is in love with her” 

“What!? I..”

“Mate.. c’mon. Isn’t it useless to deny it any longer? We know you love her, it’s clear as the day. You do love her, don’t you?”

Ashton let out a sigh “Why does it matter? She will never feel the same” 

“Now, why do you say that?” 

“Because it’s the fucking truth, Cal” he said, his voice breaking at the end “I hurt her, every time. And she doesn’t deserve that, she.. she wouldn’t want me. She doesn’t want me and I made the stupid mistake of being selfish and kissing her, knowing damn well I shouldn’t have” 

“Then why did you kiss her?”

“Because!” He said a little exasperated “Because she started talking about the stars, because she looked absolutely beautiful under the night sky. Because she was kind and she smiled at me in a way that I felt like the world was ending because there’s no way something as pure and beautiful as her could be smiling at me that way after everything I put her through” he sighed “Because when I kissed her I felt like I was were I meant to be and I never wanted to let go. Because I’m a selfish asshole, because I’m in love with her. And because of that I ended up hurting her, again” 

Calum placed his hand on Ashton’s shoulder, patting it a little bit before saying “Then it’s your job to fix it, mate. She’s hurting, but I don’t think it’s because the same reason you think”

“Wh- what do you mean?”

“Talk to her” 

Ashton felt like there was more to say, but they were interrupted by the stage manager asking them to follow them because the show was about to start. 

He definitely wasn’t in the right headspace to play. Too many thoughts and emotions running through his head, to many questions without answers. Maybe when he sits on the stool and starts playing it might help him forget a little bit, but it was useless. 

 He could still feel your lips against his, and could still hear your little moan in between. He had you tattooed in his memory, the sound of your voice as his favorite melody. He loves you, but knows he shouldn’t. As he was playing he thought of you with so much passion, in every way and form, that he could almost swear he saw you at the side of the stage. But it wasn’t until Sarah gave you a hug that Ashton realized that you were actually there. 

***************************************************

You made eye contact with Ashton as he was playing one of their new songs on stage. His eyes winded when he spotted you and immediatly started to look around to make sure he wasn’t dreaming. You were there, and you were starting to regret it. Maybe this wasn’t the right place, maybe he didn’t want to see you, maybe…

But then he looked at you again, and you felt like the rest of the world faded away, in that moment it was only you and him. Asking, wondering, loving, hoping without saying a word. That was the moment that seemed to last eternally. 

You held his gaze until he had to look away, breaking the spell that caught you both. You tried to concentrate in the concert and the other boys, but your attention drifted to Ashton and, every time he could, he would look at you, almost afraid that you would disappear. 

The concert ended and Ashton was the first one offstage. He came to you rather quickly and still filled with adrenally “We need to talk. Can we talk?” He asked with pleading eyes. 

You nodded and let him guide you, people were trying to talk to him, but he ignored them all and didn’t even attempt to stop until you reached the rooftop of the venue. 

It was a very windy night, so you wrapped your arms around yourself, though you weren’t sure if you were shivering from the cold or from the nerves. Ashton closed the door and turned to look at you, properly this time. He was sweating and panting due to the energy he displayed on stage, but he couldn’t feel a thing, not now because you were right there in front of him, looking like a dream he would never want to wake up from. 

“Ash..” “Y/N” you said at the same time.

“Me first?” You said, he closed his mouth and nodded. Not sure if he wanted to hear what you got to say. You took a deep breath and started talking before you chicken out. 

“I should hate you” you spatted “I should hate you, but I can’t” Ashton’s features visibly relaxed for a bit, scared of what might come next “I can’t because I miss you so damn much. I miss talking to you everyday. I find myself waiting for your name to pop up on my screen randomly, knowing it will make me smile. I didn’t mean to get so attached to you in so little time given than last year you were practically a stranger to me, you wouldn’t talk to me or even acknowledge me for years and I let it pass. I let it pass, not only because I didn’t understand it, but because I hoped one day you would notice me. When you said those things, I should’ve hated you back then, but I couldn’t and I didn’t. When you came to apologize I said I couldn’t do it yet, I was wrong. I forgave you that day without even realizing it because I can’t hate you, Ashton.” 

You took a breath, trying to hold the tears that were threatening to escape “Then we became friends, and against my better judgement I let you in in my life and you let me in in yours because you made it so easy to trust you. I knew that one day that would’ve happen eventually, us becoming friends, and I wanted nothing more than that. What I didn’t know is that I would end up falling in love with you” 

Ashton’s eyes winded at your confession his expression going from confused to shock to sad in less than one second, it seemed like he wanted to say something, but he held it in, knowing you weren’t done. So you continued.

“I love you, Ash. I know it might seem rushed, but I never lie about my feelings, I avoid them. And that’s exactly what I was doing before that night. Ashton when you kissed me…” you closed your eyes for a second, trying to find the words “I felt home. I felt safe around your arms like I’ve never felt before. I wanted it to be endless, I didn’t want to let go but then.. you did” you looked him in the eyes “I knew there was a possibility you didn’t feel the same, I won’t hold that against you. You are free to feel whatever you want and I know that I’m not perfect in any single way and I can’t even attempt to compete for your affection. I was always scared this would be something temporary and as I told you before, I’m used to mess it all up and to people walking out of my life, every one of them giving me a reason why. So I’m here to ask you: Why?” 

Ashton looked at you, confused “Why?” He asked 

“Why did you kiss me? Why did you pull away?” You said “Ashton, I can’t eat, I can’t sleep, I can barely function as a human being. So please, answer me so we can be at peace with each other. Maybe it won’t hurt that much this way” 

Ashton couldn’t believe it, you really didn’t know? You think he would leave? Did you want him to? 

“I kissed you because I wanted to do that for the longest time” he started, taking a step closer to you without breaking eye contact “I pulled away because I felt like it was for the best” 

“For the best?”

“I don’t deserve you, Y/N” 

Now it was your turn to be shocked. “Excuse me?”

“Y/N, since the day we met I’ve done nothing but hurt you. I refused the idea of getting to know you like everyone else did and for what? It’s still one of the biggest regrets of my life. I know I hurt you when I said those things, I still beat myself up everyday because of that. I don’t know why I did it, what was the intention besides hurting you. I didn’t know you and you made that very clear that day” You could see he was starting to get frustrated, but not with you “You said you forgive me, I’m saying I don’t deserve that” his voice was clear, but the hint of pain betrayed him “Getting to know you was and still is one of the greatest experiences of my life, you let me in when I should’ve stayed in the streets, I could never thank you enough for that. Your calls were the best part of my day, hearing your voice or seeing a text from you made me feel like the luckiest man on earth, I felt like heaven because I had you in my life and you made it worth living. Y/n, I fell for you so hard that I don’t think I’ve known love until I met you” Your breathing stopped as he said those words, your heart beating up so strongly you were afraid it might explode on your chest.

“But then I saw how you were with the others, how they were always so close and I felt like I was always ten steps behind. Y/N, I was jealous of everything we didn’t have and what we will never have and I know that sounds horrible because it was my fault to begin with. But seeing you with them made me realize just how undeserving I am of you” 

“Ashton…”

“I’m not good for you” he said sternly. His eyes were glossy with the tears he was holding, but they never left yours “I’ve known that from the start and still I selfishly hoped that one day I will be, but we both know that’s not the case. You should be with someone that doesn’t hurt you, someone that will bring smiles instead of tears, someone like Cal or Luke or Michael. I can’t… I will never be good enough for you. I knew all of that when I kissed you that night, and I would be lying if I said that I didn’t know what I was doing or that I didn’t want it, because I did, I still do. But I can’t do that to you, even though it kills me, I don’t deserve you” 

“Stop saying that” you said.

“Y/N..”

“Stop saying that! It’s not true!” You yelled at him “Who are you to tell me what’s good for me or not?! Who gave you the right to decide that?” He tried to talk but you shushed him raising your hand “ You’re telling me that you love me that you can’t be with me?! Like I’m a price or a toy? They are my emotions too, Ashton! I should have a say on it, don’t you think? I can’t believe you” 

“What do you want me to say?!” He raised his voice as well “Do you know how much it hurts seeing you in pain and knowing that I was the once who caused it?”

“You’re being selfish”

“So what if I am!” He raised his arms in exasperation “I’m scared Y/N! I’m scared I will ruin everything again and break your heart!” 

“Then don’t!” You yelled, louder “don’t break my heart, Ashton” your voice was softer now “I want to be with you, I love you! Is it that hard to love me?” 

Ashton looked at you. Your eyes were filled with tears and fear, and even though you were shivering from the cold, he swore you couldn't look more beautiful. His eyes softened as he came closer to you “Loving you was the easiest thing I’ve ever done” 

In a brave move, you wrapped your arms around his neck and pulled him closer to you, pressing your lips together once again. 

Scared at first, Ashton closed his eyes into the kiss, relaxing when he felt your hands play with the back of his head, twirling your fingers in his hair. He wrapped his arms around your waist, lifting you up in tight hug. Taking advantage of your little gasp to push his tongue into your mouth, making himself home. 

You melted into the kiss once again, swearing you could see every color and every star, you felt infinite as you pressed against him. Taking everything you can form each other, memorizing the way you tasted and how good you felt. You threw away every meaningless fear you had, now it wasn’t the time to overthink. You loved him, and he loved you, that was all that mattered at this moment. 

You hummed into the kiss when you felt a drop of water hit your cheek. At first you thought it was one of yours or Ashton’s tears, but when one drop became a thousand you realized that it was actually raining. 

Ashton broke the kiss but rested his forehead against yours. He held a smile so wide that made you feel like the luckiest person on earth just for being a witness of that. 

“This is so cliché” he laughed. 

You giggled “I always liked the rain. It means new beginnings, a fresh start. It helps you grow as you go. It reminds me of a home I never had until I fell right into your arms” 

“Well” Ashton said, kissing your forehead “Let this be the statement of our new beginning, because I am completely in love with you, Y/N. I know I am selfish for saying that, knowing that I will never fully deserve you. But I can’t help it, love. And I will do everything in my power to prove it to you, every single day of my life. Y/N, you make me want to be a better man. I want to know you for the rest of my life” 

You kissed him one more time, happiness taking over you as your heart fluttered with his words, smiling into the kiss “I love you” 

The rain kept falling, sealing your promise into solid ground. And as you walked back in hand in hand, you thought that, finally, your life came together. Finally allowing you to be completely and overwhelmingly happy. 

[tangledstarlight]

julie’s ready for a year away from home, studying and trying to refind the magic in music. luke’s about to start on a summer tour around europe opening for a band. they meet one night, sparks fly and emotions run hight. now they’ve just got to try and see if they can maintain a long distance friendship.

DAYS GO BY AND SEASONS CHANGE (LETS TRY AGAIN NEXT WINTER)

trigger warnings!! alcohol and swearing and mentions of death (julies mum)

also on ao3 –– [ 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | extras 1 & 2 ]

summer

Summer had always been Julie’s favourite time of year.

Well at least it had been. Back when summer's meant spending time with Flynn and Carrie, making up dance routines and climbing trees and begging Victoria to take her to get ice cream from the shop near the pier.

Back before her mom got sick and hospital visits took over from dance routines and a funeral replaced visits to an ice cream shop.

It took her a long time to start liking summers again. To stop associating warm nights with hospital a/c and trips to the beach with a distraction technique while her mom got chemo. She can appreciate summers again now. It had just taken a long time.

But there’s still moments when it hits her. When she remembers all the long hours spent in hard hospital chairs and the terrible staticy tv’s in waiting rooms and the half finished songs tucked away in the back of her old favourite notebook.

(That she’s not touched in years but still brings along with her, just in case. In case of what, Julie doesn’t know, but it’s not stopped her from packing it on every trip and extended visit somewhere new. Just in case she wants to look at them. Just in case inspiration strikes. Just in case she suddenly decides she’s ready to finally finish the songs they started together. Just in case.)

Her favourite moments in summer had been when her mom would pack up their car, with fold up chairs and blankets and a cooler full of snacks, and drive them out of the city until all the bright lights faded away and the sounds of cars grew distant and they could see the sky.

Nothing but the sky and the moon and the stars.

They’d done it every year since Julie could remember, always at the end of summer before school started again, always just the two of them. It was their thing. To go watch the stars and eat all the sugary foods they could. Julie had learnt the stars like that, working her way through bags of gummy worms and sugar laces while her mom told her stories and made the world feel magical.

It’s been a long time since Julie had been out of the city and looked up at the stars with her mom. They’d not been able to make it that last year, and her dad offering to take her hadn't been the same. So it had been a long time since Julie had seen the stars so clear in the sky and remembered why she’d loved it all those years ago. Other than getting the chance to spend time with her mom, the stars made her feel like anything was possible.

There’s something about looking up at a night sky, full of hundreds of thousands of little pinpricks of light that fills you with wonderment and awe. It reminds you that in the grand scheme of things, they’re all pretty small. And that people throughout all of history have looked up at the same sky and seen the same stars and come up with their own stories for them all.

“I hate this, how are you so good at finding the constellations?” Flynn’s complaining brought Julie back down from her wondering and winding thoughts. Back to Cairngorms National Park and the crappy chairs they’d borrowed from the hostel they were staying in and the ‘who can name and find the most constellations’ game that Carrie had started.

“It’s a skill,” Carrie shrugged, trying to toss her hair over her shoulder as she did, but she didn’t want to take her hands out from under the blanket, it was a lot of shoulders jumping up and down and head swinging wildly in a circle. A far cry from the usual smooth movement it normally was.

Julie bit down on her lip to not laugh, Flynn didn’t have the same courtesy and outright cackled, but took sympathy all the same and helped move the stray locks away from Carrie’s face.

“Told you you should have bought gloves.” As if to prove her point Flynn wiggles her gloved fingers in her face and Carrie just frowns, pretends to lean forward to bite them.

“It’s summer. It’s meant to be warm,” she grumbles, and Julie secretly agrees. The three of them aren’t used to having to remember to take a jacket out with them in the middle of summer. But England always seems to run a little cold and the Scottish Highlands don't seem to know what the word ‘summer’ or 'warm' even means.

Especially not at 3 in the morning, but that’s more on them then the country.

Julie pulls her jacket a little tighter to her body as a breeze blows through their little clearing – the collar still smells faintly of Luke’s aftershave and mint, like it’s trying to cling to the last remnants of it’s rightful owner for her sake and it’s own, so she doesn’t forget who she wants to return it too one day – and tilts her head back to look at the stars. She can still hear Carrie and Flynn talking, bickering about gloves and a very clear, “You’re cheating! You’re looking them up on your phone!” from Flynn that makes her smile.

She’s twenty and with her two best friends about to start on an adventure through a mostly unknown country and she’s looking up at the same stars she’d once looked at with her mom, but everything else is different enough that it doesn’t hurt like she thought it would.

Sure she’s still a little sad, still wishes it was her mom sitting next to her, coming up with a wild story or an on-the-spot song about Cassiopeia. But she takes in a breath of air and feels her phone vibrate with a text notification where it’s tucked under her leg and smiles.

She’s always loved summer and despite all the bad memories she’s gained of the season over the last few years, she’s determined to enjoy this one.

//

“Tell me about the music thing.”

Julie blows out a breath at the question, her gaze fixed on the ocean in front of her as the waves crash against the shore, the sun just starting it’s rise into the world on the horizon. It’s 4:40am and the world is silent save for the waves and Luke on the other end of her phone. They’d picked this time because for him the sun was making its final push into the world and for her it was just starting. The closet they could get to watching it rise together with their hour time difference.

It did also mean Luke had been up for a whole hour longer than her, but he didn’t seem to mind. Julie was just happy she’d managed to find coffee in the small hotel’s kitchen before she’d left.

“How do you know there’s a music ‘thing’?” She asks and she knows she was avoiding it, talking about it, thinking about it, but Julie liked that Luke didn’t treat her any differently. That he didn’t know about how she’d once dreamt only of playing music and how now it was like a festering wound in her heart every time she looks at it.

“So I wasn’t like, preying or anything, but Bobby mentioned how you and Carrie and Flynn used to perform together all the time. But that you stopped. After your mom,” he doesn’t say the word, that one little word that still makes her feel sick. But it still hangs in the air between them.

Julie’s pretty sure if she said she didn’t want to talk about it then Luke would let the subject drop. That he’d talk to her about the sea and the sun and the tour and what weird information Reggie had learnt about wherever they were today. And a part of her wanted to do that. To avoid the conversation and having to try to explain all her messed up feelings to someone else. She had no reason to think Luke would understand anymore then her family had, and yet she found herself letting out a sigh and talking.

“My mom she– she introduced me to music, y’know? She used to be in this punk rock band, toured around the US, and made this amazing music that made you feel stuff. And then, even after she wasn’t in a band anymore and had met my dad and had me, music was still this like– it was this huge part of her life. Of my life,” Julie blinks back tears as she talks, her eyes still fixed on the horizon as if it will help. “She taught me to play piano. A little guitar too, but I’ve never been that good at it. But the piano, I fell in love with it. Everything about it. It used to be the one thing in the world that I knew would cheer me up. When I think about my childhood there’s always music in it somewhere. Playing in the background or mom making it or me trying to help her write it. She loved music, and it– it was more than that because it was like music loved her too, y’know?”

Julie pauses, to breathe, to collect her thoughts, to make sure she hasn’t scared Luke off with her rambling. But she can still hear him breathing on the other end of the line and the little ‘yeah’ he breathes out at her rhetorical question.

“She was there for every show I did, for every performance and recital, every time I had too many emotions and needed help to write them down. We did other stuff together too, but music was this thing that we did together that– that made anything feel possible. Is that stupid? That making music with my mom made the world feel magical?” She doesn’t really expect him to answer, it’s a weird question after all. But Luke has a way of surprising her every time.

“It’s not stupid. You spent so much time making something amazing with someone you love more than anything. I can’t really think of anything more magical than that.”

It knocks the breath out of her, the way he seems to get it after such a short time when even her dad still doesn’t really get it. Julie takes in a stuttering breath, unable to stop the tears that pool in her eyes this time with excessive blinking. So she lets them fall.

“Whenever I used to play or sing it always felt like I was doing what I was supposed to do. Like, sitting behind a piano was where I was meant to be, y’know? It was just one of those things I was so fucking sure about. Like that my dad would make pancakes on Saturdays and Sharpey wasn’t the villain of High School Musical and my tia would never learn to knock before coming in and that my mom would always be there. But then she–– she died. And it was like– fuck, I don’t even know. It was like nothing in life made sense anymore anyway, so why would music.” Julie bites her lip, blows out a shaky breath and wipes at her cheeks with her sleeve.

“I stopped playing for a– a long time, afterwards. I just...I couldn’t, y’know? And I know it worried everyone, me not being able to play. So I um I made myself sit at the piano and play something, anything really. Just to prove that I could. That I can.”

“So you made yourself play for everyone else and then last year you finally admitted that it wasn’t the same anymore?” Luke puts it so simply it almost makes her want to laugh.

“Pretty much, yeah,” she says, blowing out a breath. “It’s like, I don’t know how to play music the way I used to without my mom. Everything about music to me is so connected to her that when I play or sing it’s like something is missing and I don’t know how to fill it.”

“Maybe you don’t fill it then.”

“What?” Julie blinks, a small furrow between her brows as she tries to work out what he means.

“Music and your mom, they’re always gonna be linked together for you. There’s no way to undo that, even if you wanted to. And, honestly Julie, it sounds like you got back into music before you were ever ready to and not for yourself. Which, I– I mean, I get it. Everyone who cared about you was worried and you didn't want them to be. So you made yourself play again. But music shouldn't be something your force, it should just be, y'know, easy. And I’ve seen the way you used to play and– fuck, it’s–” Luke blows out a breath as he seems to struggle to find any words and Julie feels her frown deepen, just a little.

“You said making music with your mom felt like magic and that’s what it looked like too. That’s not something you can rush back into. It’s not a gap you can just fill in. It’s something you’ve got to look at and accept and use. When you’re ready to.”

It’s the last thing she expected him to say. Because honestly Julie has never thought about it that way, about how it wasn’t something to fill in or plaster over. That it was just a part of her that she’d have to live with, sand down the edges and put up hazard tape but maybe make into something new. One day.

A bit like how the grief she still feels about her mom is always with her, even though it���s easier to look at now, easier to think about. She’s learnt to live with it. No one’s ever said she should do the same thing with music.

“No one’s ever put it like that before.” No one else had ever seemed to understand that music for her felt a lot like magic either. Part of her knew it should scare her how much Luke seemed to understand her after so little time, but another part of her, a bigger part of her, was just relieved that someone got it. That she didn’t need to explain it again or pretend it was fine.

“Yeah well, music and pain is something I get. Not to the same extent but, yeah. I get it,” his voice trails off and Julie wonders what he’s thinking about. What memories his words have conjured early in the morning. She knows he’s got problems with his parents, that things are strained, she wonders if there’s story there he'll share with her one day.

The sun is peeking over the horizon now, a small semi-circle of orange light that makes her squint as she looks out, but it’s beautiful, watching the sun rise over the sea.

“When have you ever seen me play?” Julie blurts out, suddenly recalling Luke’s earlier words that had made her frown.

“Oh uh–” the question seems to catch Luke off guard and he’s stuttering, a bit like the first time they’d met in the cafe when he’d ruined her jacket. Julie can practically see him, sitting on his bench overlooking the tourist traps of France, hand rubbing at the back of his neck as his cheeks slowly turned pink. “So I wasn’t like, internet stalking you or anything. But, well when Bobby mentioned that you used to perform and I uh looked some of them up? Carrie has a very organised facebook and youtube channel. There’s playlists.”

And this time Julie does laugh, loud and bright in the still morning because he’d see the jumpy and blurry iphone videos of them messing around for their parents and school and still thought it was magical when she played. If he hadn’t sounded so serious when he said it, Julie would think he was just trying to be nice.

“God those videos were terrible. We got Flynn’s mom to help us make costumes for some of them, I definitely remember us being convinced that pillowcases and duct tape would make the most killer look,” she shakes her head at the memory and it feels lighter, easier than it would have done an hour ago.

“You looked very cute in your pillowcase dress and duct tape headband, I’m honestly surprised it never took off. You could have been a trend setter,” Luke says and she can practically hear him holding back a laugh.

“Alright Mr I-think-jean-chains-are-cool, settle down.”

“Hey! You said my chain was very cool,” he whines, she can practically see his lower lip protruding in a pout.

“I was also very drunk at the time, I was probably just trying to be nice.”

“You know what? As soon as the sun is fully up for you I am so hanging up the phone dramatically,” Luke mutters and it makes her laugh again. How he’d made her go from spilling her emotional guts up to crying to laughing all within a few minutes she’ll never know.

But she wants to thank him for it anyway, for understanding and helping and calling her magical. She’s not quite sure how to fit that into a single thank you though.

“Hey Luke?” She says it softly, almost as if she’s scared of frightening him away.

“Yeah?” His voice is just as soft and it makes her smile.

“Thanks for watching the sunrise with me.”

“Anytime.”

//

When they had first planned out their summer road trip starting in Scotland with a side trip to Belfast and ending in London they’d imagined something a lot more glamorous. They’d planned out all the places they wanted to see and visit that weren’t on the usual tourist route, and Flynn had even bought a paper map so they could mark places off as they went. They’d definitely anticipated more sunnier days then they’d gotten. And the surprise detour into a rural Welsh village was still being argued over about whose fault it was.

(Julie firmly blamed Flynn, she was the one giving directions. Flynn blamed Carrie because she was the one driving. And Carrie blamed Julie because she was sitting in the back having a nap. Either way they’d ended up stuck in a field after following a dirt road and only got back on track when a farmer had laughed at them for what felt like an hour.)

But this was their last weekend before they went back to their respective schools and they were determined to make it the most memorable yet. Full of drinks and laughter and tourist photos and over priced food.

Carrie had spent hours on instagram, sitting cross legged on the weird little half sofa in their hotel room, looking through all the bars and clubs people frequented with the best drink prices and photo opportunities. Flynn and Julie had spent the same amount of time on instagram looking for the cutest places to eat and cheapest spots for shopping.

They’d all reconvened on the bed in their shared hotel room with their lists of places and made a plan. They had three days and were determined to do all the touristy things they could. They’d saved it all for London because that had made the most sense when they’d first made their plan. What was a trip to the UK without a photo of the London Eye or the weird clock thing?

“...and then we went to Camden Market which was really cool. There was this stall with these really cool photos that my dad would love, now I’ve just got to work out how I’m gonna keep them safe until I go home. And oh my god! This other stall had all these old tapes and records of some real old school classic bands, you’ve got to check it out when you’re back.” Julie glanced down at her phone where she’d propped it up against the door while she sat in front of the floor length mirror in the hotel, makeup and hair products scattered around her.

She can see half of Luke’s face and half of Reggie’s watching her from the screen, both of them listening to her ramble about her day like they care what she has to say. Like they’re truly interested in the prints she bought for her dad and the pins she’d found for Victoria.

“Ask her if it’s–” she can hear someone start on their end of the call, the voice growing muffled as Luke’s eyes look somewhere over the top of his phone. She thinks it’s Alex talking, but she can’t be sure.

“Alex asked if that’s the place with the people painted gold and the ones who juggled in the streets?” Luke relays the question, an eyebrow raised as he looks at her. And Julie knows, logically, that he’s not really looking at her, because there’s a screen and a few hundred miles between them, but it still feels like he’s staring right into her soul. Even with the one and half eyes that the screen lets her see.

“Um,” she swallows, bites the end of her eyeshadow brush as she looks away and tries to think, glad for the slightly staticy quality of their facetime call. “No, that’s the other place. Um – hang on, Flynn! What’s the name of the other place we went?”

Flynn’s head appears around the doorframe of the bathroom, hair already done, eyeshadow standing out against her skin – the blues and greens of her eyeshadow blending together so well it makes Julie want to ask her to do hers too – and a mascara wand in hand. She tilts her head to the side, lips pursed as she thinks about it before leaning over Julie’s head and pointing at her phone.

“He’s thinking about Covent Garden. It’s got that design your own ice cream place and looks way cleaner.” They both watch as someone's hand descends over the camera and someone shouts and the phone shakes and then Alex’s face is filling the screen, the snapback on his head doing nothing to stop his hair from falling into his eyes.

“They had a really cool cupcake store, did you go there?” Someone’s hand appears in the frame for a second, and they can hear muttering in the background but Alex just shifts slightly to the left of wherever he’s sat, completely ignoring who she can only assume is Luke and Reggie complaining.

“Mhm,” Julie nods, not even bothering to hide her grin at the annoyed ‘Alex’ she can hear one of them make in the background.

“Did you try the triple chocolate one?” Flynn asks, sitting herself down next to Julie on the floor and wordlessly plucking the brush from her hands and picking up the palette she had been using from the ground. She swears, it's like Flynn can read her mind sometimes.

“Yes! It was so good,” Bobby pushes himself into view, chin resting to Alex’s shoulder like he’s draped himself over the drummer's neck like a scarf. From the corner of her eye Julie watches as Alex tries to shrug him off only for Bobby to somehow wrap his arms around his neck, holding on tighter.

“Close your eyes,” Flynn says, brush poised in the air to work and Julie quickly does as instructed.

“I preferred the coconut lime one,” Julie comments and she can hear someone let out a gasp on the phone.

“Over chocolate? Oh man, I didn’t know you had such a bad taste in cakes Julie.”

She bites her lip to stop herself from laughing at Lukes words – who has clearly forced his way back into view of the phone because his voice is close and unmuffled and teasing.

“What are you going to do? Hand up the phone dramatically?” She wishes she could open her eyes, to see his face, see if he remembers saying that. But she doesn’t have to open them to know he remembers when she can hear him laughing, can hear the smile in his voice.

“I would if Alex would give me my phone back.”

“Don’t you dare hang up I want everyone’s opinions on which dress I should wear,” Carrie calls from the bathroom and Julie peeks open one eye to see her poke her head around the doorway to glare at them and the phone before vanishing again.

“Ooo fashion show! Lets go girls!”

Flynn stops tapping at her eyelid and Julie opens her other eye to look at her quickly before glancing down at her phone where half of Reggie’s face takes up the screen, the other three boys fighting in the background.

“Did someone say fashion show?” A new voice joins the chaos on the other end of the phone and Julie frowns a little until Willie’s face joins Reggie's, blocking out the other three and grinning at them. “Woah your eyeshadow looks wicked Julie!”

“All credit for that goes to Flynn,” she says, waving her hands at Flynn as she finally gets the chance to look in the mirror, taking in the magic Flynn has worked on her eyes. It’s all dark purples and hints of silver and specks of glitter and Julie honestly has no idea how she’s done it. She turns her head to give the other girl a wide smile, “Fuck, this is so pretty Flynn!”

“If my music career doesn’t take off I’m going to make a killer makeup artist,” she tosses her braids over one shoulder, eyes glancing up a little as she grins.

“Always good to have a back up career,” Bobby’s face appears between Reggie’s and Willie’s, his arms wrapping around their shoulders. “Mine is landscape gardening.”

There’s a beat of silence on both sides of the phone, even Luke and Alex in the background seem to have gone quiet at their friends' words. Julie opens her mouth, though she’s not sure what she’s going to say, and she can see a similar thing happening to Willie while Bobby is just smiling, either unaware at the confusion he’s caused or knows, and is just extremely pleased with himself.

They’re all saved from breaking the weird silence by Carrie coming out the bathroom, burgundy slip dress swishing above her knees and blonde hair curled down her back, she puts a hand on her hip and rolls her eyes at the phone.

“Robert. You still cut your chin every time you shave, shut up about being a landscape gardener,” after rolling her eyes again, Carrie straightens up a little, brushing down her dress and posing so they can all see, “Now, this is option one!”

Eventually, after Carrie has gone through three dresses – picking the first option, of course – and Flynn has shown off her dark blue halter neck jumpsuit and Julie has twirled in her black lace skater dress, they’ve all done a shot together in solidarity and reapplied lipstick and they’re getting ready to leave. Julie is cradling her phone in front of her face and it’s just Luke on the other end now.

“You look really nice, by the way. Beautiful in fact.” He rubs at the back of his neck, an almost shy smile on his lips as he looks at her.

She gives him a small smile in return, just a twitch of her lips really, even though her stomach feels like it’s exploded in butterflies. Julie knows she doesn’t need someone else's approval on how she looks, but hearing Luke call her beautiful doesn’t exactly hurt.

“Thanks,” she bites her lip, wanting to say something more, but not knowing what. Carrie calls her name from the hotel door, nodding her head to where Flynn is already waiting in the hallway. “I gotta go. Talk to you later?”

“Yeah, yeah. Have a good night. Let me know when you get back okay, okay?” He raises and eyebrow at her and Julie can’t help but let out a small laugh.

“I will.”

[zairapvrker]

Teeth: Vampire!Luke // Chapter 8

Summary: Luke knows the rules and his boundaries, he has respected them for centuries. He knows he should stay as far away as possible from every human on his path. But that was before she came along.

Author’s Note: idek, i just hope exams end soon even though i know it’ll be another month

series masterlist | regular masterlist

It had been silent since she last spoke. Beatrix hadn’t opened her mouth in a long while and seemed determined to keep her eyes - seemingly empty - locked onto the patch of grass right in front of her. He could almost hear the wheels turning in her brain. 

“So the myths and legends are true” her voice almost felt too loud in the silence that surrounded them and Luke nearly flinched at the sound. He looked at her, sitting with her arms around her body almost as if she wanted to keep herself from falling apart. The only thing telling him how much time had actually passed was the sky tinted with the beautiful colours of the sunset fading away.

“I’ve never encountered many witches if that can help you” he shrugged, his voice surprisingly not betraying the nerves that would’ve made him tremble if he were to be human. “Especially during the witch hunts” 

A distant, small smile made its way on her face, giving Luke some hope. “I should be heading home, I think my mom’s about three seconds away from calling the sheriff” she then said, standing up abruptly as if noticing just then how late it had gotten. The blond stood up as well, disappointment coursing through his veins.

“I’ll walk you” he wasn’t really offering, he would’ve done it anyway, no matter if she protested. Bea looked up at him, and for the first time in centuries Luke couldn’t make out what was hiding behind her hazel eyes. He stood there, dumbfounded, as she flashed him a grateful grin and started walking. Catching up in a millisecond, he walked by her side in silence - not really knowing what to say to her given that he knew things should be different by now,  knowing that she should remember. The town was pretty quiet, people and cars were still running around trying to get home but the silence between the both of them felt heavy with the weight of words left unspoken. 

“It’s alright to break” he found himself saying as they walked up the street her house was at the end of. She was still looking ahead of her, gaze shifting from the trees to the ground beneath her feet. Luke knew from the way her heart was beating that she was close to losing it, yet she still had so much to discover, and he couldn’t think of a better word of advice. Bea simply nodded, finally looking at him again just as they reached her house.

“Thank you, Luke” her voice was still quiet, just above a whisper. 

“I need you to know that no matter what happens, I’ll be here” Luke smiled back, yet again attempting to comfort her as best as he could. She was quick to look away from the intense blue of his eyes. In an inexplicable surge she let her hand shoot towards his, holding it in hers and intertwining their fingers. 

“Please don’t let me fall” she whispered, looking at their hands.A bright smile opened up on the vampire’s face. 

“Wouldn’t dream of it, Beatrix” The girl took in a sharp breath of surprise, her whole body stiffened, and finally she let their eyes meet again.  “How do you know my full name?”

“I think that that’s for me to know and for you to find out” he smirked earning a soft giggle back: a small victory in his heart. Bea let his hand go and started taking small steps back, looking at him until she disappeared behind the door. 

“Do you know how worried I’ve been, young lady?” Luke knew he shouldn’t have stayed behind to listen to her mother’s scolding, but it was stronger than him. “You could’ve told me you were going out to see your boyfriend, or you could’ve snuck out like every other teenager does, and let me live in blissful ignorance till you came back!” he smirked. Boyfriend. He could perfectly picture Bea’s shocked face and blushed cheeks. “He’s not my boyfrie- Where you spying on me?!” a low chuckle escaped him as he started to walk away, their bickering keeping him company until he was out of ear shot. 

-

Storming up to my room I tried to put behind me the yelling match that had just taken place in the living room, more important and pressing matters instantly coming back to mind. Luke was a vampire. Rubbing my face with a little too much force, I started pacing around my room whilst trying to get a grip on what really was reality. A vampire. Snickering in disbelief, I sat down on the edge of my bed, letting the thought marinate in my head until it stopped feeling like something out of “Twilight” and found its place into my reality. Somehow it wasn’t too difficult. I fell back onto the soft sheets of my bed, my hands were quick to come up to my head, fingers getting lost in my hair and pulling lightly at the strands. If I thought too much about the fact that I knew – had known? – a vampire an incredulous laugh would still spill right out of my lips. It felt like going crazy, trying to justify the existence of a myth into my life. The world even. What baffled me the most, aside from the fact that apparently supernatural beings existed, was a more personal matter. Something that probably only had to do with me, with us: how was it possible that through every lifetime of mine Luke would come and look for me, with the knowledge of it ending as badly as it did? Now that he’d found me, would I be doomed like every other time? How was it possible that every time he found me he’d risk it all just for love? That last word echoed in my mind, bouncing left and right. There was something else I needed to know, to find out. 

The next day at school I patiently waited for my friends to gather in our spot in front of the building, usually we’d converse until the bell rang and then reluctantly make our way to class, however today I was faced with a rather different sight.

“Hello” Luke appeared out of nowhere, his voice taking me by surprise and making me drop my notes.

“You’ve gotta stop doing that!” I slapped him on the arm lightly, probably causing zero real harm and bowed down to pick up my notebook. 

“Sorry” he let out an airy laugh, watching as I faced him again. He smirked as my eyes narrowed, clutching my notebook closer to me.

“You’re not” I sad then, his smirk only widening at my words.

“You’re right” the blond shrugged simply, then seemed to be distracted for a second, listening to something else. 

“Well, I better get going, your friends are making their way over” his lips formed a little smile and he seemed to debate, very quickly, his next move. “Have a good day” was the last thing Luke said before walking towards the school entrance, leaving me dumbfounded. 

He was right, though, when he mentioned my three friends coming. Soon enough they were in front of me, Michael and Calum seemingly wrapped up in a discussion of their own and Ashley just looking at them in mild desperation. 

As soon as her eyes landed on me however, a knowing grin made its way onto her lips.

“So” she started, dragging the o for a little. “What was Hemmings doing here?” she wiggled her eyebrows, making me inwardly roll my eyes.

“Saying hi and wishing me a good day” I simply shrugged, not seeing the point in lying.

“Sure, sure” she nodded, not convinced, when finally the two boys decided to include us in their discussion over which answer was the right one for our Maths homework, the only class the four of us had together. From then on, waiting for the bell to ring but also on our way to class, we started throwing around our answers, debating and going over every passage of the problem. 

Turns out, none of us had got it right and Calum even received a disappointed look from our teacher the second he’d tried to explain our misplaced calculations.

“I won’t miss this pathetic excuse of a subject one bit” he sighed, still enraged, as soon as the four of us stepped out of the classroom, earning giggles and nods of agreement.

“She could’ve at least been nice about it! Her job is literally to teach us, not yell how much of a disappointment we are” Ashley added, still fuming about her own interaction with the teacher over homework. 

“Well, it is eight in the morning for her, too” shrugged Michael, earning pointed looks from the rest of us. Dragging Calum away before he could start yelling again, this time his frustration directed towards the green-eyed boy, I laughed lightly watching a little colour flow back into the blond’s cheeks – clearly afraid of his friend’s temper.

“See you later!” I waved towards them walking towards the Physics classroom, the blue haired boy following and muttering under his breath. 

As we walked in and I took my seat behind Calum’s, I noticed that Luke wasn’t here yet. Since when do you notice? – asked the other part of my brain, quickly shushed as the blond in question walked into the door and shot me a wink as he walked by me. Calum was quick to turn around and face me with slightly widened eyes.

“When did Hemmings start to wink at you?” he asked in a whisper, leaning in close, still I knew the vampire would be listening. Or could he? Had I watched too many shows?

“He doesn’t” I opted for, but my friend only raised a brow at that. 

“Fine, I don’t know” I groaned quietly in mild irritation. 

“Now turn around!” I folded my arms over my chest as Calum put his hands up in surrender, giggling. Snickering I turned around myself, searching for Luke’s eyes – which of course were on us. “I heard that” he mouthed at me gaining an eye roll, but also making me blush lightly. Before I could think too much about the latest interaction, the teacher finally walked into the classroom demanding everyone’s attention.

The rest of the day went by easily, except every time I had to suffer through the sneaky remarks of my friends about the blond vampire. Luke was definitely up to something, always making sure to pass by me in the hallways, saying “hi” every time and even winking, at times. It felt like the heat that rushed to my cheeks whenever he did these sort of thins would never go away. 

“You know” started Michael as we were making our way to Calum’s car after the insufferable day spent at school. “I think you should really go over and talk to him” he nodded towards the other end of the small school’s parking lot, making all of our heads turn to see Luke standing there, busy with his phone. 

“Yeah, he’s been parading around you all day today” agreed Ashley, her knowing grin ever present. 

“He winked at her in Physics” added Calum.

“He winked at her all day” deadpanned Michael, making everyone giggle except me. I gave him a pointed look, but he just shrugged with a smile.

“Alright, I’ll go, but just to make you lot shut up” raising my hands in surrender I started walking backwards towards the subject of our discussion, earning a quiet cheer from the trio. 

“Ask him how’s his eye!” exclaimed my green-eyed friend, making everyone laugh and eliciting a groan for me. I seriously doubt his eye is anything less than perfectly fine. 

As I turned to face Luke still cringing at the quiet hollers coming from my friends, which followed my through the emptying parking lot, I noticed his small amused smile.

“Just to make them shut up?” he asked once I was closed enough, I rolled my eyes- again.

“Yes” I nodded. “What was all of that today?”

“All of what?” he feigned ignorance, his hands buried deep in the pockets of his leather jacket as he started walking towards the exit. I followed mirroring his action, although I doubted he hid his hands because he was shivering from the cold. 

“You know what” I lightly elbowed him, a little taken aback by the sudden urge to be this familiar with him.

“Well, I was just saying hi to my friend” he turned his head to look down at me due to the height difference between us. “And I rather like seeing you blush” he added, a Cheshire cat-like grin stamped on his lips. Now that he’d said it, there was no way I was going to be able to maintain a straight face or stop the heat from rushing to my cheeks. “Beautiful” he murmured still looking at me. 

Completely overwhelmed by his words, I steered the conversation into an entirely different direction. “So what happens now?” I asked, he raised a brow as if encouraging me to explain myself better. “What happens now that you’ve found me again?” I clarified, the question had rung in my head all night barely allowing me to get any shut-eye time. 

Luke looked tense, clearly familiar just as much as me with what could happen, and shrugged. “I’ll go to any length to keep you safe” he’d stopped walking, looking at me with such intensity I had no trouble believing the words he said. I nodded, resuming our walk.

“Where are we going?” the question almost came out of my mouth on its own, having danced around my mind for a little while.

“Do you trust me?” he asked back, offering me his hand to hold. It took less than a second for my brain to think of the answer.

“Yes” and I grasped his hand in mine.

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