#i love you katie hall

[motions1ckn3ss]

this feels like an apology and it is one which i will grudgingly accept

just found out i won't be seeing raymond walsh as grantaire in the arena tour? he's leaving in like 5 weeks 😭😭

[tundrakatiebean]

I had another modeling session today which was good. I legitimately enjoy doing this. I’m basically getting paid to meditate in the weird positions I sit in anyway and I don’t have to wear uncomfortable clothes because I’m naked.

Truly another one of those “if it paid a proper living wage you could find someone who really wanted to do it” situations

The teacher I worked with today was really cool and sounds like he’s going to fight the system directly to get more hours for me. So that’s nice. I dunno it’s just nice to be around art all the time. It makes me really happy to just sit like a little gremlin and listen to twelve people scratch charcoal on paper.

[woso-dreamzzz]

Different II

Katie McCabe x Teen!Reader

Summary: You get your diagnosis

There's a lot of hoops to jump through to finally work out what's wrong with you.

Mam doesn't like you using those words. She doesn't like referring to it as 'what's wrong with you'. She tells you that you're perfect. Nothing is wrong with you. You're perfect the way you are.

There's nothing wrong. You're jumping through these hoops so Katie can finally understand how to help you.

You meet with the paediatrician who makes follow-up appointments for you with a psychologist and an occupational therapist.

The psychologist rules out things like dyscalculia and dyslexia. She says you don't have anxiety and depression either.

You go to the occupational therapist. He runs you through a series of tests. At first, it's big things like jumping or using a skipping rope before he moves onto the smaller things like holding a paintbrush and placing weird pegs things into small holes.

You go back to the paediatrician.

"Dyspraxia," Katie says that evening as you both sit on her bed together," That's what it's called. Dyspraxia."

"I know," You say," I was in the room with you when we got told."

She's holding the pamphlet and folder that the doctor had given you, explaining all the ins and outs of the condition.

It's nothing that you haven't experienced first-hand. You imagine all of these documents were made for parents of little kids who got diagnosed. You imagine it's more for Katie's benefit than your own.

You know what it's like to live with this condition. You know what to expect and how to adapt.

Katie is the one that will be reading those pages front to back, well into the night even though she's got training the next day.

You're off school for the week.

One of the gas taps in the science laps has started leaking so the whole school was shut down as a precaution.

You're more than happy to tag along to training, stealing one of the muffins from the dining hall to eat by yourself out on the pitch.

"So," Kim says as she sits next to you," I heard from Katie that you finally got that diagnosis."

You shrug. "It's nice to have a name for it now. I think Mam's read that folder at least ten times now. I don't know if she even got any sleep last night."

"That sounds like Katie." Kim nudges you with her knee. "How are you feeling about it?"

"It is what it is," You reply, picking at your muffin," Mam said that she's still trying to take it all in. I don't know if that's good or bad."

Katie had been resistant at first. She hadn't wanted you to get tested for anything. You were perfect the way you were and she didn't want anyone to make you think otherwise.

She was all denial.

Deny, deny, deny.

You were brutal acceptance.

There was something that made you different to the other kids. There was something that made you different to most other people you had ever met.

You don't know now what Katie thinks of your diagnosis, this new label to stick on yourself.

You don't know if it'll change how she thinks of you. If she'll think you're less perfect now that you've got something official to say that you aren't.

"Katie loves you," Kim says," That won't ever change. You're her kid."

"I'm not a kid," You grumble and Kim laughs.

"You're her teenager then," She corrects," But she does love you and all she wants is to give you the best possible life."

"Yeah but-"

"It's not going to change anything," Kim insists," Okay? Katie loves you."

You don't doubt that. You've never doubted that.

You just hope Katie doesn't doubt it either.

She paces in front of you that evening and you hold your breath.

"I've talked to your school," She says," They're working on getting you a school-issued laptop but for the time being you're allowed to bring in one of ours from home. You'll get extra time for your exams and the teachers are going to start giving you more handouts rather than making you write everything up."

"Wait...what?"

"What do you mean what?"

You frown. "Mam...I...I don't get it."

"You're getting accommodations," katie says, sitting right next to you," Because you're different to the other kids and need a bit more support. You're a smart kid. You just need to do things a little differently. We're getting you help."

"Mam, I..." You don't quite know what to say. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me," Katie says," I love you. I'm just making sure you get what you deserve."

[awriterinthenight]

"I Might Even Be In Love With You"

requested: anonymous

words: 1233

warning: swearing, that's really it besides the two idiots being oblivious af

summary: Fred Weasley is obsessed with you, a Hufflepuff student, but he's too afraid to admit it, and you're too afraid to admit you love him too

If you looked up the word 'obsessed' in the dictionary, you would find a very distressed picture of Fred Weasley. Fred was obsessed, and every synonym for the word. His entire day revolved around a Hufflepuff girl, who was now the only reason he believed the world still spun. Fred now truly believed nothing mattered before he met her. All that mattered was that she was here now and it was as if he was attached by a red string that kept him tethered to her.

You were everything to Fred and he made sure to keep a firm grip on you. He would be damned if he let you be the one that got away. He might've taken this a bit too literally, since he always had a hand on you.

When you sat together at breakfast when you snuck over to the Gryffindor table, Fred either had his arm around you, or his hand on your thigh, which was becoming more common the longer you knew him. When you hung out with your friends his arm was either around your waist, or he was holding your hand. In class together he would move your chair closer to his, once again resting his hand on your leg, or his arm on the back of your chair.

Fred was notorious for being late to class, but you didn't know that. Fred would walk with you, his hand on the small of your back to guide you through the corridor, to all your classes.

"Aren't you going to be late to your own classes?" you would ask, concerned he would be late, even though he'd rather skip class just to be with you, but this was his best option.

He knew you'd tell him to stop walking you to class if he told you the truth, so he continued to lie, "My class is just down the hall, it's fine, love," he would say, starting to call you 'love' more often.

You reluctantly accepted that he would walk you to class everyday as long as he wasn't late for his own classes. Fred had become your own personal shadow, which you didn't hate. You enjoyed Fred's presence, and how wherever he was you were immediately drawn to him. It was his laugh, or the way he made everyone around him laugh. The smile that was always on his face, or the way he put a smile on everyone's face. Everything about him was perfect to you.

He made you smile, laugh, feel safe around him, and every time he touched you in some way it gave you butterflies. You had the biggest crush, if it was even that anymore, it was more like you were irreparably in love with him. The only thing was that even though it seemed obvious, you still didn't think Fred returned your feelings for him. Anyone sane would say it was obvious, but to you Fred was always laughing and joking with everyone, the same way he was with you, just maybe less touchy, so you didn't know if he liked you or not, and decided to play it safe.

Luckily your friends were also fed up with you and Fred doing the world's most complicated dance to avoid saying your feelings for each other while also putting them all on display for each other. Angelina was currently trying to knock some sense into you, as the two of you hung out in her dorm room that you snuck into.

"When will you accept that he's obsessed with you, and you both are crazy in love with each other, and will one day be married with 5 kids," Angelina said, annoyed by how you were so blind to all of this.

You let out a sigh, "We don't actually know that, and shut up with the whole 5 kids thing, I swear you add one more each time we have this conversation," you told her, putting your head in your hands.

Angelina was moments away from knocking some sense into you, literally, but lucky for you Katie walked in the room, "Katie, please tell our oblivious friend here, that Fred Weasley is in love with her, and there's no denying it," Angelina said, desperate to get her friend to finally come to the realisation.

Katie looked like she'd just been told the most outrageous thing ever, which she just had, "How do you not see that he's completely in love with you. I mean he's late to class almost everyday because of you-" she cut herself off, but not fast enough to realise her mistake.

Your head sprung up, shocked by her words, "What do you mean he's late to class because of me?"

"Well, the thing is," Katie started, looking a bit nervous, "He told us not to tell you because he knew if you found out you'd stop him from walking you to class, so he had us not tell you," she explained, looking apologetic for letting the secret slip.

"Wait, but why would he do that unless," you said, the lightbulb in your head finally turning on, "I'll be right back," you were not going to be back actually. Angelina was finally relieved that you finally realised, so much so that she was on the verge of throwing a party.

You found Fred talking to George in an empty corridor. Fred saw you and ushered for George to leave, so that it was just you and Fred, "Hello, love, what can I do for you?" he asked, leaning against the wall with his trademark smile on his face.

"You lied to me," you stated, causing him to look confused, then realise what you were talking about.

Fred continued to smile at you, but pushed off the wall moving closer to you, "I'm sorry, love, but I just knew if I told you the truth you'd make me stop walking you to class," he defended.

You crossed your arms, "But why did you do it?" you asked, needing to confirm the truth before you said it out loud.

"Lie to you? I told you why, you'd make me stop-" he said, deflecting from the question, since he knew what you truly meant.

"No, I mean why did you walk me to class even if you knew you'd be late."

Fred let out a breath he didn't realise he was holding in, "I-I, I don't know I just like walking you to class, since I-I," he said, continuing to stumble a bit, which was unusual, "I really like you, I might even be in love with you," he confessed.

You were shocked and at a loss for words, but tried to pull yourself together as best as possible, "I really like you too, love you even," you confessed also, beaming from how overjoyed you felt.

Fred moved even closer to you, wrapping his hands around your waist, leaning in a bit, "There's usually something two people do when they're in love with each other," Fred hinted at playfully.

"Oh yeah, and what's that," you teased. Fred wasted no time connecting your lips together. Your hands found the back of his head, running them through his hair, while his hands stayed on your waist. Both of your torments were finally over. You could be in love forever, and in the words of Angelina get married and have 6 kids.

[anordinarymuse]

unrecognizable.

Draco Malfoy x Fem!Reader

Summary: big fight leading to breakup :(

Warnings: angst, established relationship

Word Count: a little less than 1k perhaps

a/n : dialogue mildly based off of real life + if anyone wants to submit angst requests (possibly including dialogue or song inspo🥹🥹) pls do!! trying to get back into it

navigation.

request here.

Arms were crossed as you faced the freshly discharged from the hospital wing Draco, your cheeks hot from anger and frustration. It was the day after Katie Bell returned from St. Mungos, and the rumors were that Draco had cursed her—and you knew it was the truth.

Once you witnessed Draco’s reaction in the Great Hall and found him after his fight with Harry, you clicked two and two together. All the times he was “up late night studying” or “asking professors last minute homework questions,” he was actually working on the cursed necklace.

“This is how you are Y/N. It doesn’t matter what I say. I tell the truth, you’d be upset. I tell a white lie, you’re still upset!” Draco shouts, his voice echoing off the walls of the abandoned classroom the two of you had been fighting in for what felt like forever now.

“Fine. You’re right I’m still upset, but-” You take a small step backward, noticing he’s grabbed a ruler to fidget with. “The truth counts for something.”

Draco bites the inner of his cheek before responding coldly, “I can’t say anything because if your other friends finds out, then it’ll be my neck at the end of the Dark Lord’s wand, not theirs. Everything I’m working on it’s- it’s too important to be fucked up.”

This selfish asshole, you thought to yourself. Draco convinced himself that he wasn’t like the others, convinced you even, but he truly was no different.

“You almost killed Katie Bell. Can’t you get that in your head? You almost killed her,” the images of Katie’s still and ghostly state, from when you visited her at St. Mungos, flicker like a reel in your mind. “Is it a crime to try and save her life?!”

“See, right there. That’s why you can’t know the truth. I can’t trust you. I can’t trust you with my life because you’re busy trying to save theirs!” And there it goes, your breath hitches as Draco violently chucks the rules across the room. It flies right past your cheek, cracks against the wall, and clatters against the floor.

“You’re my girlfriend, Y/N. You’re supposed to be on my side,” Draco asserts darkly, slowly brooding toward you. With each step he takes forward, you take one back, until your back hits the wall behind you.

“Your side? And what side are you on Draco?” You challenge him angrily.

You search his gaze for the Draco you’d called your own, and he’s not there—only a stranger. Instead, Draco’s glare sends chills down your spine, and the hope that he’d come around begins to crackle and snap just like the ruler he had flung.

“Maybe…maybe it’s time we call this,” you attempt to say calmly, though your lip visibly quivers and the words leave your tongue a bitter aftertaste.

Draco furrows his brow, taken aback, “What? Don’t throw away everything we have because you’re pissed off.”

You avoid eye contact, but Draco, as a last saving grace, reaches to gently cup your cheek he says softly, “Y/N, I love you, you know this-“

“You don’t trust me, and you can’t tell me the truth,” you interrupt quietly, turning your cheek just slightly away from Draco’s palm, “This love you’re talking about, that- that can’t be enough.”

Draco takes a step back, and his facade dissipates. “Do you want to be next victim? If I tell you sensitive information Y/N, it makes you the target. Better Katie Bell than you.”

“Do you hear yourself right now? It’s mental.“

“You can’t leave me. You’re all I have-“

“No, I’m not. If I were, you wouldn’t concern yourself with the offensive actions of He Who Must Not Be Named.”

Draco goes silent, and you take it as an opportunity strike again.

“You tell me this-” you grab his forearm to reveal the Dark Mark, at your touch his body cringes, but you force yourself to ignore his discomfort, “-means nothing to you, but it does.”

Draco tears his wrist from your grasp before replying weakly, “I have no choice, Y/N.”

You study him long and hard, words collecting at your lips, but you don’t know how to express them. He doesn’t get it, he won’t ever understand.

With that in mind, you pivot toward the door. Immediately, Draco launches forward, grabbing your wrist and tugging you backward. His other hand rises to your chin, turning your face to look him directly in the eye, “Don’t. Walk away from me, and it’s really over,”

It sounded dramatic and cruel. But you knew what he meant—no more protection to keep the dark side from reaching you. One step and all the safeguards would vanish.

“It’s for the best. I know you know it too,” you say in a low whisper as a single tear slides down your cheek.

With that his grip on your wrist loosens, and your hand falls to your side. His warmth dissipating leaves chills down your spine, the clock above the chalkboard reverberates with each tick, and any last words have slipped from your mind. You tear your eyes away from Draco’s, whose expression has turned from cold to unforgiving, rather unrecognizable.

**********

taglist: @marimorena06 @missryerye

@agirlwholovescoffee @nicole198205 @siriuspvdfoot @hufflepuffflowers-blog @peachykeen3502 @youngblood199456 @oranee @bobbyjohnsonbeat @will-to-live-who @bellatrixscurls @thegirlwhocriedlupin @wwweasleystan @modernvellichor @lolaperezb @zaraskyla @sirisuorionblack @rinbyo @xdancinggurlx @lupinsravenclaw @hogwarts-boys @inglourious-imagines @siriuslyslyslytherin @the-abyss-gazed-back @eunoia-kth @kaqua @story-scribbler @youreso-golden @natural-ikagai

[russo-woso]

hiii would you please write something like arsenal women are playing just dance as a team bonding and reader is really really good at it to the point where everyone is shocked and filming it and the fans make loads of tiktok edits that the team all see and send round each other and reader manages to get viv to join in next time (she usually refuses but loves reader to much to deny her anything) maybe teen or early 20s reader?! thank you!!

Just Dance || Arsenal Women

Summary The girls support you no matter what, even when you’re doing just dance.

“You don’t understand, I used to do just dance all the time in PE. If it was raining, we’d all be in the hall doing just dance. I’m a pro at it.” You tell most of the girls.

Everyone was in the changing rooms after a training session and were all discussing team bonding that was taking place at Leah’s, and your, house.

Being only 17, the team agreed that it wasn’t best that you lived by yourself and so Leah offered that you moved in with her.

Living with Leah had its advantages and disadvantages.

For starters, she had the appetite of a five year old, only eating chicken nuggets and the most basic foods.

However, it came with many advantages that outweighed all the bad ones.

Leah was one of your team mums, along with Kim, Beth and viv, but Leah was the one you were closest to.

With your parents living up north, Leah took it upon herself to make you feel at home in north London.

And that’s exactly what she had done. Now it wasn’t just Leah’s home, it was yours and Leah’s.

“Y/N, our living room isn’t big enough to do just dance.” Leah pointed out, packing her stuff into her bag before starting to pack yours, knowing that you’d forget to do it otherwise.

“It’s enough for me to do just dance and maybe one other person. Come on, Le. Please.” You looked at her, battering your eyelids as you did your best puppy eyes.

Leah loved you with every ounce of her body, but the one thing she hated, was your eyes.

Them stupid eyes had you hooked around her finger.

Leah tried to fight them this time, but as you put just as strong a fight, Leah sighed before nodding her head.

“Thanks, le le. Right, it’s official. I get to show everyone just how good I am at just dance.” You announced to the changing room, a smile appearing on everyone’s faces at how excited you were. “I’m gonna beat all your arses so best get your dancing shoes on.”

“Sure you will mini gunner.” Katie’s Irish accent filled the room as giggles escaped everyone’s mouths.

“You just wait and see McCabe.”

————————

Later that evening, the whole team was gathered round in yours and Leah living room whilst you set up just dance on the TV.

You were going to go up against Alessia first but lessi being the clumsiest person ever, went and fell off the sofa, nearly breaking her neck.

To Alessia’s disappointment, you insisted that she didn’t play, scared that she’d somehow break her leg.

Instead, you decided to just do it by yourself.

Everyone got their phones out, ready to capture the embarrassing moment.

But what everyone didn’t expect, was their phones to capture a moment where you showed them the truth.

You really were a pro.

Finishing with a perfect score, you turned around and saw everyone’s jaws on the ground.

“I told you. I perfected my dancing in PE.”

Everyone took it in turns trying to beat your score but it was no use.

The night continued, and one by one, everyone left leaving just you and Leah.

You out something on the tv as you cuddled up to Leah’s side, freezing cold even though the heating was on.

“I’m gonna head up, le. See you in the morning.” Leah hummed, pressing a kiss to your forehead.

“Night, tiny dancer.”

————————

“Viv! You posted it on Instagram?” You shouted over the phone.

You had woken up about five minutes ago, and picked up your phone.

You didn’t have many notifications but there was one that stood out.

Viv had tagged you in a video.

You clicked on it, curious as to what video she’d tagged you in, but as soon as the familiar setting of your living room, and the tv with just dance in it appeared, you knew exactly what viv had posted.

That’s what led to a very angry you shouting at your phone.

“It was too good not to post. I had to.” Viv explained, but you were too focused on Beth laughing in the background.

“Beth, do you seriously find this funny? You don’t understand, everyone is making edits of me playing just dance.” You stated, your mouth wide open at the fact they find this funny.

“Kid, you were good. Viv isn’t the only one who’s posted videos of you dancing.” Beth pointed out and you jaw dropped to the floor.

“What? Who else has?”

“Alessia, Katie, even Leah.” Viv responded.

Jumping up from your bed, you stormed over to Leah’s bedroom, banging on the door before an annoyed what was heard.

“You posted the video on TikTok. Out of everyone, I thought you’d be the last one to post it.” You said to Leah, a sense of betrayal in your voice.

“Sorry, kiddo, but I had to. And anyway, the fans love it. Look at what the fans are saying.” Leah suggested and you opened tiktok, Beth and Viv still on the phone.

“Listen, Y/N, the fans loved it. They even want more just dance videos.” Beth stated, as you scrolled through the comments of fans saying how well you did.

“Forgive us now, kid?” Leah asked, noticing how the frown on your face had disappeared.

Whilst Leah spoke to you, a specific comment caught your attention.

We need Viv and Leah to do it now

“I will, but under one condition. You and Viv do a dance with me.” You grinned cheekily, knowing that you were a soft spot for both Leah and Viv, so you knew they wouldn’t say no.

Leah’s face dropped and Viv let out a grunt of annoyance.

After just a matter of seconds, both of them agreed and you knew that this was gonna be good.

————————

“Viv, you’re doing it wrong! You go to the left, not the right.” You exclaimed in a fit of laughter as you recorded Leah and Viv dancing.

The whole team had gathered round to watch whilst they all recorded the embarrassing moment.

“I am going left! Leah’s just going the wrong way.” Viv defended, throwing her hands up in annoyance and anger.

“Follow the instructions on the tv. It’s easy.” You explained and both, Leah and Viv, turned around to look at you, disbelief written on their faces.

“It’s easy? No it is not, kid. This is fucking exhausting and hard.” Leah shouted, out of breath from the dancing.

“We couldn’t all do just dance in PE.” Viv pointed out and Leah nodded in agreement.

“Yeah because you’re both old.” You muttered under your breath, thinking you’d get away with the snarky comment but boy were you wrong.

You heard a gasp from next to you, turning your head to be met with Kyra and a cheeky smile in her face.

“Y/N just said you’re both old.” Kyra snitched and you squeezed your eyes close, dreading what was to come.

“You little shit. You make us do just dance and then call us old?” Leah frowned, hand on her hips.

“Fine. Maybe you’re not that old, but you’re not exactly young.”

“Right that’s it.” Leah grabbed ahold of you, tickling your sides as you helplessly tried to get her off you.

Desperate for help, you called out to your other teammates but it was no use, everyone was in a fit of laughter.

“Say you’re sorry and I’ll let you go. Actually, I’ll stop if you let us have chicken nuggets tonight and not complain.” Leah said, despite the laughter that was leaving your lips.

“Fine, fine. But only if I get to post the video of you and Viv dancing.” You compromised and Leah thought about it for a moment.

“Deal.”

“Hey, I never agreed!” Viv shouted, and you gave her a confused look.

“Sorry, I don’t understand you with your Scottish accent.” You stated, the sneaky comment sending laughter throughout the team.

“Right, that’s it kiddo. Leah, have chicken nuggets for the rest of the week.”

[gunnerfc]

Dreaming | Alessia Russo x Reader (18+) 

Summary: your crush on your best friend starts affecting your sleep but it leads to more when she confronts you.

Warnings: oral (r receiving), top alessia, bottom reader, sex dream, alessia calling r ‘pretty girl’ and ‘baby’, masturbation, jealous alessia, vibrator use, fingering (alessia receiving)

WC: 3.5K

AN: down bad for alessia I fear 🧎🏻

Your head fell back against your pillows as a loud moan echoed around your room. Your back arched off your bed as Alessia’s mouth against your dripping cunt. Your hands tangled in her hair as you pushed her closer to your body. The blonde’s hands tightened their grip on your hips as she kept you pinned to the bed.

“Fuck, Lessi, please,” you whined loudly as you felt your orgasm quickly approaching. Alessia moaned against you, pulling another moan from your lips. 

“Cum for me, pretty girl,” Alessia smirked as she pulled away from you slightly, looking up at you from between your legs.

Just as you were about to let go, a loud ringing pulled you away from your thoughts.

You groaned as you reached over to turn your alarm off before sitting up in bed. You had been having these dreams about Alessia, your best friend, for a couple of weeks now and they were making life very difficult. You could feel how wet you were just from your dream and you quickly go up to take a shower. 

Once in the shower, your mind again drifted to thoughts of the blonde as one of your hands slid down your body. It didn’t take much work from your fingers before you were cumming, a faint moan of Alessia’s name on your lips. You stood under the warm water for a moment to catch your breath before actually taking a shower. 

You weren’t sure how you would face the blonde at training without being awkward. Things would have been so much easier if you both didn’t play for Arsenal, seeing her every day did not help with your feelings for her. How could you not be in love with her? Alessia was one of the best people you knew and everything she did was perfect to you.

You took as much time as you could getting ready and eating a small breakfast to delay getting to the training grounds. The more time you took, the less time you would have to see Alessia. You have been trying to avoid the blonde ever since your dreams took a sexual turn, but Alessia was determined to figure out what was going on. 

Arriving at the training grounds, you immediately spotted Alessia’s car and made sure to park as far away as you could. You were one of the last few to arrive and you were grateful that everyone else had already split into their normal groups in the dining hall. You took a seat next to Katie, who was in a dramatic conversation with Leah over god knows what. After greeting your teammates who were also at the table, you subtly looked around the room trying to spot your best friend.

You caught her eye since she hadn't stopped staring at you since you entered the room. You sent a small smile before turning back to listen to the conversation Leah and Katie were having. You missed the frown gracing Alessia’s features at your actions, the blonde missed you and couldn't figure out what she had done that could make you avoid her.

As breakfast carried on, Alessia knew the best way she could get anything out of you was to invite herself to your place. The blonde was going to get answers out of you one way or another and she was getting her best friend back. What you didn’t know was that Alessia was having similar feelings about you and you avoiding her just made her want you more.

Training dragged on for ages and each time Alessia got close to you, you quickly made yourself busy. Anytime you were told to pair up with someone, you made sure to pick someone before Alessia could say your name. As training continued, Alessia was becoming more and more frustrated that you wouldn't talk to her.

You hated upsetting Alessia but seeing the blonde pissed off affected you more than you would like. You had to shake your head to clear your thoughts a few times throughout the day, different thoughts of Alessia roughly fucking you because she was upset or the blonde going down on you again and again as you made a mess on her mouth. You were thankful when Jonas finally ended training, you needed to get home as soon as possible to take care of the feeling between your legs. Again. 

You quickly said goodbye to your teammates and you were out the door. You didn't want to spend any time in the locker room, it would have given Alessia a chance to approach you and you didn’t want that. You hurriedly pulled out of the parking lot and headed toward your apartment and in your rushed state, you failed to notice a familiar car following you.

When you reach your place, you rush inside and throw your things to the side before making your way to your bedroom. You rummaged through one of your nightstands, looking for a vibrator you kept in there. Once you found it, you started stripping, starting with your shirt and tossing it somewhere to be picked up later. 

Before you could continue, a loud knock pulled you from your thoughts. You groaned as you picked up your shirt off the floor and headed to the front door. You didn’t bother looking through the peephole but when you jerked the door open to face Alessia, you wished you had. Your eyes widened when you saw the blonde and before you could form a sentence, she used your shock to her advantage as she pushed past you.

You stood with the door open for a minute before you heard Alessia call your name from your living room. You blinked a few times before closing the door and taking a deep breath before you followed her voice. Alessia was standing in front of your couch with her arms crossed and a pissed look on her face. 

“What are you doing here, Alessia,” you mumbled quietly but you knew the forward still heard you.

“Oh, so you can still speak,” the blonde huffed, her frustration had peaked. She missed her best friend and you were avoiding her for seemingly no reason. 

Your eyes locked on a painting you had on the wall, finding it much more interesting than the very pissed yet very attractive blonde in front of you. “Are you gonna keep ignoring me or are you finally gonna tell me why you’ve been avoiding me,” Alessia’s voice was lower and it sent tingles down your spine. 

You continued to ignore her, hoping that maybe she would get bored of being ignored and leave. But when she took steps toward you, you knew that was not going to happen. Alessia stopped when she was right in front of you, her hand raising to your chin to turn your head to look at her.

“Look at me, y/n. I miss my best friend and you won't even look at me,” Alessia’s voice was laced with frustration and sadness. You felt your stomach drop at her words, of course, she only saw you as a best friend and nothing more.

“It’s nothing. I’ve just been feeling a little sick,” you lied but you knew Alessia would instantly pick up on it. You’ve never been the best liar, especially not with Alessia. 

“And now you’re lying to me. If I did something to make you upset, please tell me so I can fix it,” Alessia was practically begging you to tell her what was wrong, but you couldn't.

If you told Alessia you had feelings for her and were having dreams about her fucking you, she was going to leave and never speak to you again. “I can’t,” you whispered between the two of you, your breathing heavy at the fact that you were this close to the blonde.

Alessia sighed before letting go of your chin and taking one step back. The blonde wasn’t sure how to proceed, she knew you were hiding something from her but she couldn’t figure out what you would want to keep from her. Unless it wasn't something, but rather someone.

The thought of you avoiding her because you were seeing someone had Alessia heated. She hated the idea of you dating someone other than her, you kissing someone else made her clench her jaw as she thought about it.

“Are you seeing someone? Is that why you’ve been leaving training so quickly and saying no every time the team goes out,” Alessia’s voice was now filled with anger.

You furrowed your brows in confusion, why did it matter if you were seeing someone, not that you were. “What? No,” you shook your head in confusion.

“Then why are you avoiding me? Why won't you even look at me for longer than a second at training,” the blonde snapped, though she was a little happy you weren’t seeing someone.

“Because I can’t stop thinking about you! You’re all I've been able to think about for weeks and it's driving me crazy! I can't even escape you in my dreams because you're there too and it hurts because I know that all they are are dreams!” you yelled, finally snapping.

You both stood in silence as your breathing was heavy. You watched Alessia’s expression change multiple times as she processed your words. You couldn't tell what the blonde was thinking and you were scared she was going to yell at you for your confession.

“Lessi,” you mumbled, a slight tinge of sadness in your voice. Alessia blinked a few times before her eyes were locked with yours with a look you didn’t recognize. 

The blonde didn’t speak as took a step closer to you, her hands moving to your waist as she pulled flush against her. Before you could ask her what she was doing, her lips met yours in a hot kiss. Your lips moved against hers roughly and you moaned against her lips. 

Alessia quickly pulled back after you moaned, her eyes wide at the sound you made. You prepared yourself for her to leave, but that never happened. “That was so hot, pretty girl,” Alessia whispered against your lips and you fought back another moan at the pet name she used. 

Alessia’s lips were back on yours as she moved to sit on the couch, pulling you down to straddle her thighs. You tangled your hands in her hair, tilting her head back slightly as she held you tightly against her. Without realizing, your hips started rolling against her in search of some relief. Your movements pulled a low groan from the blonde below you and you decided right then that was your new favorite sound. 

“Bedroom,” Alessia whispered after you pulled away to trail kisses along her neck. Before you could move off of the blonde, she stood up from the couch with you still wrapped around her. 

You kept your legs locked around her waist as she moved throughout your apartment, she’d been over enough times to know where your bedroom was. Your back met the cover on your bed as Alessia laid you down, her lips still locked with yours. You kept your hands tangled in her hair as she moved to rest beside on either side of your head, though instead of hitting the cover, her hand hit the forgotten vibrator you left you. 

Alessia pulled away from you, confused as to what she hit. Her eyes locked with the toy next to you, smirking at the idea of you getting yourself off before she knocked on the door. You turned your head slightly to see what she was looking at, your eyes widening when you saw the white vibrator. 

“What kind of dreams were having about me, pretty girl,” the blonde smirked down at you and you felt your skin heat up at her words.

You tried to stutter out a response but you couldn't get anything out. Alessia chuckled lightly at your failed attempt to explain yourself before pressing a kiss to your lips. “Wanna hear a secret,” she said in between kisses.

“I’ve had dreams about you too. How you would sound when you screamed my name or how you would taste,” her lips moved to trial kisses along your jaw before meeting your neck.

You moaned at her words and the feeling of her leaving hickies along the side of your neck. Hearing Alessia confess to dreaming about you turned you on even more and the wetness between your legs grew. Alessia pulled away from your body, moving to straddle your waist as she pulled her shirt off her body. Your eyes locked on her chest as she took her bra off as well, tossing both to your bedroom floor.

Alessia smirked as she watched you stare at her bare torso before she moved to pull your shirt off your body. You let the blonde undress you completely, all of your clothes joining all of hers on the floor a minute later. You whined at the cool air hitting your dripping cunt and Alessia felt her breathing pick up at the sight of you lying naked under her, waiting for her to touch you. 

“Lessi, please,” you whined when she did nothing but stare at you. Hearing you whine her name, Alessia shook her head to bring her back to what she was doing. 

The blonde leaned down to place kisses all over your chest, nipping the skin here and there as she did so. An idea popped into her head as she sucked on one of your hardened nipples and she pulled back, a string of spit connecting her lips to the bud. Alessia moved to grab the vibrator by your head before moving herself to only straddle one of your thighs. She pushed the other up so your legs were spread for her and she could see just how wet you were.

Alessia bit back a moan, seeing you so worked up for her was driving her crazy, “Since you had this out, we might as well use it. Right, pretty girl,” the blonde asked but she wasn’t looking for an answer. 

The forward switched the vibrator on to the lowest setting before placing it on your wet cunt. You moaned loudly at the sensation, one of your hands moved to grip one of Alessia’s thighs as the other held the cover beneath you tightly. Alessia moved the vibrator up and down your folds slowly, not wanting to give in just yet.

Her name fell from your lips like a chant, followed by broken pleas for her to turn the toy up or to do something more. Without saying anything, Alessia switched the toy to the highest setting and your back arched off the bed as you gasped loudly. The blonde watched as you threw your head back in pleasure, your eyes rolling back as you were brought closer to the edge. 

“I’m gonna cum,” you cried loudly, the pressure was becoming too much.

“Cum for me, pretty girl,” Alessia husked, moving the toy in ways that made you moan loudly.

The familiar coil in your lower stomach broke and you came hard all over the toy. You moaned loudly, Alessia’s name falling from your lips as you let go. Alessia watched in awe at you cumming on the vibrator before she pulled it away from you and turned it off. You whined at the loss of contact, still not completely satisfied. 

Alessia tossed the toy on the floor with your clothes, you two could worry about cleaning it later. She moved to kiss you again, kissing you was something she wasn't going to get tired of now that she's done it. Your lips moved against each other roughly before she pulled away to kiss down your body. As she reached where you needed her, you got flashbacks to your dream this morning and you couldn’t believe you were experiencing it now.

When Alessia was face to face with your soaked cunt, Alessia moaned softly over the fact that she was finally going to taste you after weeks of thinking about it. She leaned in and lightly licked up to your clit.  You gasped at the feeling as you brought one of your hands to the back of her head, tangling in her blonde hair. 

Alessia took a deep breath in anticipation before she took your sensitive clit in her mouth, sucking on it slightly. Your hips lifted at the feeling and Alessia wrapped her hands around your body to keep you level with her mouth. Your hand that was in her hair tightened as you pushed her closer to you, your legs moving to wrap around her shoulders. 

From your spot above her, your head fell back against your pillows as your breathing picked up. You couldn’t believe your best friend who you had a crush on was currently between your legs, her mouth sucking on your clit. Alessia moved away from your clit, her tongue now running through your wet folds. Each time she moved her mouth, a loud moan echoed off your bedroom walls. 

Alessia took her time as she ate you out, moaning here and there as she tasted you. Each time she moaned against you, vibrations ran through you and you whined. You could feel yourself teetering on the edge of an orgasm and you needed more from the blonde.

“Alessia,” you moaned, gaining her attention fully. Alessia looked up through her eyelashes and you nearly lost it when your eyes locked with hers. “Faster, please,” you begged, you were so close. 

Alessia sped up her movements, her tongue thrusting in and out of you with a greater speed than before. You gasped loudly at the feeling of her tongue inside you and your legs tightened around her as you were close to your second orgasm of the night. 

“Make a mess, baby,” the blonde mumbled against your skin as she pulled away for a moment, quickly diving back in after she caught her breath.

Your back arched off the bed and your head fell back as you let go, coming all over her mouth and chin. Alessia didn’t let up though, letting you ride your high fully before she pulled away. As she leaned back, your weak legs fell off her and you let go of her hair. Alessia moved up your body, quickly pulling you into a kiss.

You both moaned at the taste you left on her mouth. Both of your breathing was heavy when you pulled away, needing air after a minute. You both stared at each other as your chest heaved and you knew this was just the beginning. 

With the little strength you could muster up, you flip your positions. You whined softly when your sensitive cunt met her thigh, your hips inadvertently moving against her skin. Alessia was soaked from pleasuring you and the sight of her below you was everything. 

You moved one of your hands to trace lines along her hips before tracing down to where she needed you. You ran one finger through her folds, earning a loud moan from the blonde. You knew it wouldn’t take much to make her cum but you were going to enjoy every part of making her fall apart.

You circled her clit lightly, rubbing it here and there before pulling away. Before Alessia could protest, your two middle fingers thrust inside her. Alessia let out a loud gasp at the feeling of your fingers inside her, moving rapidly as you fucked her. You moved your fingers quickly, bringing her closer to the edge one thrust at a time. You felt Alessia clench around your fingers, making it a bit harder to move.

With each thrust, Alessia’s moans got louder until she was moaning “please,” begging you to keep going. After a few more thrusts of your fingers, Alessia came all over your fingers. You kept your fingers moving as you fucked her through her orgasm, helping her come down for her high. When she had calmed down some, you pulled your fingers out of her.

Alessia cried lightly at the empty feeling, but she watched through hooded eyes as you brought your fingers to your mouth. Your eyes closed as you sucked your fingers, moaning around them at the taste of Alessia. You pulled them from your mouth and your eyes opened to lock with Alessia’s. The blonde sat up to pull you into a searing kiss, so much emotion in the kiss had your head spinning. 

“Any more dreams you wanna recreate, pretty girl,” Alessia smirked when she pulled away. You matched her smirk before mumbling “I have a few ideas” against her lips as you pulled her into another kiss.

You didn’t expect your relationship with Alessia to change that day but you weren’t complaining. You knew the two of you would have a lot to talk about but for now, you were more focused on the pleasure both of you were experiencing.

[scarlethexelove]

I saw that you are looking for requests & I had an idea after seeing a BTS photo of Kate Bishop/Hailee’s face all bruised/cut.

What if Kate comes back from a mission and reader sees her all bruised and wants to help, but Kate is frustrated and angry after the mission and fucks reader w/a strap until she feels better 😅🥰

Let Me Use You

Not my gif found from google

Pairing: Kate Bishop x Reader

Word Count: 2698

Warnings: Smut, Dom!Kate, Sub!Reader, Fingering (R receiving), Strap-on (R receiving), Squirting, Dacryphilia, Slight Bondage, Light Marking. I think that is it.

A/n: This one was fun I love Kate so much. Thanks for the request for her. Hope you enjoy.

NO ONE IS PERMITTED TO STEAL, COPY, OR REBLOG MY WORK AS THEIR OWN

You’re sitting on the couch in your living room. A movie playing on the Tv as you eat some popcorn. The night is quiet and your girlfriend should be on a mission. It worries you but you know she will come home safe to you. She has to come home safe, you think to yourself. You have been dating Kate for a year now. You met her when she saved you from being mugged. You were so thankful but couldn’t help but reflect on the beautiful girl that saved you that night. It brings a smile to your face. You never dreamed of dating an avenger. A regular girl who just so happens to have stolen the heart of an avenger. 

You're pulled from your thoughts when you hear a crash in your bedroom. You scramble putting your popcorn down on the coffee table quickly kicking the blankets off your lap and getting up. You grab the baseball bat that is sitting by the front door and make your way down the hall. You can hear some grunts as you get closer. With your heart beating out of your chest you grab the handle. You take a deep breath before twisting the knob and swinging the door open. Charging in with the bat held high ready to hit whoever is in your room. 

You scream closing your eyes and swinging the bat down. You feel the momentum of the bat before it stops. You slowly open your eyes to see piercing blue eyes staring back at you. Those blue eyes that you would know anywhere. “What the hell was that Y/n/n?” Kate questions you loudly. “I-I-I thought you were an intruder. You - you're supposed to be on a mission.” You stammer, setting the bat down. 

Kate sighs, her shoulders are tense and you can now see the scratches and bruises littering her face. You quickly move forward and reach for her face but she grabs your hands pulling them around her waist as she pulls you close crashing her lips into yours. You get lost in the kiss before remembering what was just happening so you pull back. Which elicits a growl from the back of your girlfriend's throat. She pulls you closer by your hips but you stand strong even if your knees feel weak. Your girlfriend's possessive behavior always having an effect on you. 

“Your hurt Katie please let me help.” You try to persuade the woman in front of you. “I’m fine princess. I was checked at the compound.” She tells you which makes you feel better. But that still leaves a question in your mind and like she knew the next words that were going to come out of your mouth she speaks again. “I lost my keys and my phone is dead so I climbed up the escape ladder.” You can’t help but chuckle at this. It has been the first time and it more than likely won’t be the last. 

You can still feel how tense she is while holding you. So you give her a gentle kiss before looking into her eyes. “What’s wrong baby?” You ask her, moving your hand and gently caressing her cheek.  “Let me use you” She growls before attacking your neck leaving reddish purple marks. You let out a groan and your legs almost give out, but Kate's hold on you keeps you in her arms. “K-katie?” You stutter out. She hums against your neck lifting you into her arms. You wrap your legs around her waist as she carries you towards the bed. You’ve seen her like this a few other times and know exactly what she wants so you let her do it. You can’t complain because you get so much pleasure out of it too. 

Kate tosses you on the bed before climbing on top of you. She continues to attack your neck and slowly move down. Once she reaches your shirt she gets a little frustrated with it being in the way so she leans up and rips your shirt down the middle. “Katie!” You yell at her. “I’ll buy you a new one.” She grumbles before leaning back down and leaving marks on your chest. She pulls your bra down letting your breast spill out. Taking your nipple into her mouth, scraping her teeth over the sensitive bud before sucking harshly. You moan out and your hand flies to her hair gripping harshly. Her hand moving to your other nipple tweaking it between her fingers making sure that it gets the same attention. Once she is satisfied she moves her mouth to your other hardened peak and does the same.

You grip her tightly and pull her closer. “Katie please.” Your whines fill the room as you start to buck your hips for some form of relief. You can feel her smile around your nipple before she pulls back and sits up looking down at you. She climbs off of you which causes you to whine and for her to chuckle. “Get undressed princess.” She tells you heading into the closet. You take no time and start to do what she says. “Leave your underwear on pretty girl.” She pokes her head out from around the corner of the closet, a dark look in her eyes. Once you are done you sit back down on the bed waiting for your girlfriend to come back out. 

After what feels like an eternity your wetness soaking your underwear in anticipation for what is to come Kate walks out. A large purple strap hanging from her hips makes you squirm. It must be new and it looks bigger than anything you have taken before. You let out a small whimper before trailing up to her eyes. You see some bruising on her side which concerns you. You get up and start making your way to her forgetting all about what was going on before. “Oh Katie.” You say holding her hips and taking a look at her side. 

Kate grabs your hands and places them together. She starts to tie your hands together with the rope that you had totally missed. “I told you I’m fine princess. I just need to use your pretty little body for some stress release. Can you let me do that sweet girl?” You nod when looking back up into her beautiful blown out blue eyes. “Good girl.” She praises you as she leads you back to the bed. 

“Lay down.” Kate tells you. You scramble the best you can onto the bed with your hands tied. She gets on after you and settles between your legs. She takes your tied hands and moves them above your head before tying them to the headboard. You wiggle a bit and whine. You knew it was happening but you didn’t want it to. You want to be able to touch your girlfriend. She just gives you a sickly sweet smile and kisses your head before settling back. 

Kate licks her lips as she looks down at how you have soaked through your underwear. “As much as I want to taste you baby girl, that will just have to wait. I want to see your pussy stretched out around my cock.” You look down at her as she jerks her faux cock. “Too big.” You whimper, which makes her grin wider. “Don’t worry your pretty little head princess. I’ll make it fit.” She presses a finger to your clit through your underwear, which causes you to squirm and moan. Your hands balled into fist as you pull on the restraints trying to reach for her. But she doesn’t pay you any mind with that. She pushes your panties to the side and uses two fingers to tease your entrance. 

You buck your hips hoping that with Kate's frustrations she won’t tease you tonight. She loves to tease you for hours before finally fucking you. And lucky for you tonight she takes mercy on you. She shoves two fingers into you and quickly starts working them in and out. She doesn’t give you much time to adjust but you're already so wet for her that you don’t really need it. “F-fuck Katie.” You moan out. 

Your hips bucking into Kate’s hand as she pounders her fingers into your pussy. She curls them expertly as she draws them out. Her skilled fingers are already bringing you close to the edge. Her thumb moving and pressing down on your bundle of nerves. Your whimpers and moans echoing off the walls. “Always such pretty noises.” Kate purs. She adds a third finger stretching you deliciously. Her fingers picking up even more speed that you didn’t know was possible. Your hips bucking wildly as your walls clench tightly around her fingers drawing them in more. The knot in your stomach is close to snapping. “You want to cum pretty girl? Cum on my fingers show me how good I make you feel.” You push your head back into the pillows as a loud moan is ripped from the back of your throat. Your legs tremble and you try to close them as your orgasm takes over you. Kate pushes them open as your cum coats her fingers. 

She keeps working you through your orgasm. She starts scissoring her fingers a bit inside you as she pulls out. Stretching you out so that you are prepared to take her strap. Your whimpers are heard as she knows you're a bit sensitive now but she just wants to make sure. Once she deems you ready for her cock she pulls them out and pops her fingers into her mouth. She moans at your taste as she sucks them dry. Your chest is heaving as you watch the woman you love. “Fuck tastes so delicious. Not as good as right from the source but I’ll have to come back to that later when you're all messy and I need to clean you up.” She smiles and you shudder at her words. 

Kate leans down and kisses you making you taste yourself on her lips. You moan into her mouth from your taste and when you feel her faux cock nudging against your clit. She pulls back and looks into your eyes. Her pupils are dark and blown with desire. She gives you another quick peck before sitting back on her knees. She pushes your underwear out of the way with her cock as she brings it to your entrance. She slowly pushes the head of her cock in. You can tell she wants to go faster, to ruin you right away but she doesn’t want to hurt you. 

You flex your hands before balling them into fist as the head makes its way into velvety walls. Already feeling fuller than you ever have before. Kate pushes her hips forward as you take more. The stretch is deliciously painful as she sinks her cock all the way in, down to the base. You whine at the stretch and how full it makes you feel. “I know princess. I know it’s a lot but it will feel so good soon I promise.” Kate coos as she wipes the tears rolling down the side of your face. You hadn’t even realized that you were crying. You hate to admit how good the pain felt. 

After a moment you start to grind your hips into Kate. You wrap your legs around her signaling to her that she is ok to move. She waist no time in pulling back till only the tip is in before snapping her hips forward. She has been fighting to not to just ruin you. She loves to see you cry as she fucks you hard and rough. How your body reacts under her touch. You were made for her to use and to fuck for her own please. 

Kate pounds into you mercilessly as she sees your tears rolling down the side of your face, your eyes closed as you’re lost in the pleasure. . Your mouth hangs open as your moans fill the room. Kate moves her hand down between your bodies and you feel a small vibration come to life. You snap your eyes open and look at your girlfriend. She moans as she snaps her hips. She has a vibrator in the base to help with her pleasure, which gives you a bit more. She turns it up causing both of you to moan at the same time. 

You throw your head back as you buck your hips and pull her closer by your legs. Kate loves when you're so eager to please her. She works the cock in and out of your soaked cunt. The squelching sounds of your pussy filling the room along with your combined moans and some of Kate’s grunts. You pull on your restraints in dire need to touch her to pull her even closer. She notices and gives in. Working to untie you as she never falters in her quick deep thrust. Once she is able to release your hands, they immediately move to her back and you dig your nails in. This causes Kate to moan at the pleasurable sting. She loves it when you mark up her back. 

You drag your nails down her back as you pull her closer trying to help her thrust. Your walls clench around her cock as she pushes into you. If she meets any resistance you can’t tell. “Fuck! You're so pretty when you cry and let me use you like this.” Kate leans down and kisses you. Rutting her strap into you as she does so. She pulls away from your heated kiss and places her head on yours. Watching your face as she continues to fuck you. “Mmm s-so good Katie.” You whimper and moan the knot growing tighter in your lower stomach again. 

Kate's thrust starts to get sloppier as she gets closer to impending release. Your nails dig in more to her back, her thrust causing scratches to appear up and down her back. You tear stained cheeks sending her into more of a frenzy. Wanting both of your releases. 

With Kate’s sloppy thrust and your walls clenching hard around your cock it isn’t long before both of your orgasms are daring to crash over the both of you. “Cum with me princess.” Kate mutters before kissing you hard. Her body goes ridge above you. You moan into her mouth as your mutual orgasms wash over the both of you. You cum coating her cock, squirting out onto her abdomen and soaking the sheets below you. Kate moans and looks down watching your juices flow out of you. She ruts her cock into you as she helps you both ride out your highs. 

Once she stops leaving her cock buried deep inside of your soaked cunt and she shuts off the vibe. She rolls you both on your sides as you cuddle in close to her. “I-I’m sorry.” You stutter out. Upset with the mess you just made. “Don’t be princess that was super fucking hot.” She caresses your cheek and smiles gently at you. You nuzzle into her hand. Both enjoying the soft moment. 

“Feel better baby?” You ask Kate as your breathing gets back to normal and your legs aren’t trembling as much. “Much. Thank you baby for letting me use you.” She kisses you softly. You can’t help but chuckle. “How can I say no when the orgasms are mind blowingly good when you're like that.” This causes you both to break out in a fit of giggles. Once those giggles die down again you both lay there in utter bliss. Kate shifts unexpectedly causing you to moan as the cock still buried deep inside of you moves. 

You watch as Kate’s gaze darkens again. The sound of your moan revitalizing her need for you and to destroy you. She starts to gently thrust again and you know now that you're in for a very long night. “I love you princess.” Kate mutters her head presses back against yours as she thrust. “I love you too.” You reply. Ready for the long night ahead.

[deathclassic]

even more shameless fic recs bc my last post got too long

part one part three

aka i went through all my shameless bookmarks of 2024 bc this fandom is fucking talented

Highway of Hedonism by @gallapiech @roryonic

Imagine Us In Heaven (This Is It, Baby) by ish_the_fish

Darkness comes before the Dawn by @creepkinginc @transmurderbug @ian-galagher

in this and every life by biblionerd07

Statesville Summer by @rayrayor

Arrest Me, Officer by tearyzombie

guaranteed to satisfy by @catgrassplantdad

Keep your friends close, by makeapointofhavingfun

Gallavich trapped in IKEA by sejeaugusta

Parking Lot Lovers, or Drive-Thru Dick Down?  by @nymacron

Africa by @ian-galagher

The Night Shift by @blue-disco-lights

elevator music by gallavichsecurity

A New Personal Best by @jrooc

Leave this blue neighborhood by @redwiccanrobin

Reconfigure, Deconstruct, and Begin by @iansw0rld

Learnt It In Basic by @iansw0rld

right across the hall by @sam-loves-seb

No way out by Anonymous

Saddle Up by @mybrainismelted

Rub One Out by @whatthebodygraspsnot

Pickpocket by MyAmisFics

The Meeting with Mr. Gallagher by TomarryIsLifeee

Let the light in by elejsh

Treat You Better by ShipperGirl121

Having A Ball by @callivich @gallawitchxx

i’m too misty, and too much in love by pinkpantherman

Accidents happen by whatyouandihave

I would go to hell and hit the devil for you. by patrochilleslov

Baby Oh Baby by TomarryIsLifeee

Silent Pain in Emerald Eyes by takeyourpillsbitch

Spousal Privilege by BitterTongue

I Dreamed a Dream by princess_sarah

Being an older brother by Dannee2704

Forever Is In Our Eyes by hell_yeah_stargazer_lilies

A Song Only You Can Hear by @suzy-queued

The stranger by Gallavichxlove 

tell me it's love (tell me it's real) by likethescarofage

old love by @em-harlsnow

Katie by @mybrainismelted

i know he needs you, you’re all that he sees by Itstheurgetofall

The Ink is a Witness to This by pink_ink

I Want a Divorce by KateJ

Asking nicely by Pillox

The fuck did you just call him? by Snuggle_snakes

Sinner by @thepupperino

Right Here With You by TomarryIsLifeee

Like Heroin, Morphine and other Opioids (College Boys and their Fentanyl Brothers) by Elmer_s_s0cks

a beginner's mind by @spoonfulstar

with you between my arms by @darlingian

the edge of all we’ve ever known by @sam-loves-seb

Caught by TomarryIsLifeee

Old Habits and New Revelations by @whatthebodygraspsnot

Set Up For Failure by SpiritCat179

I Got Your Back by TomarryIsLifeee

perfect fit by @catgrassplantdad

Who's Mickey? by AnniseFreya

Hallucinations by SpiritCat179

Battlefield Chicago by @mybrainismelted

Black lace by Gallavichxlove

Unlearning His Love by SpiritCat179

The Dock Scene (but not as you know it) by @bawlbrayker

Everybody Wants A Taste by @nymacron

[rosemariiaa]

~Lines we Drew~

part: 6 last part

pairing: Paige x Azzi

a/n: well..i really liked this series yall, but let me not get sappy 😞. I hope you enjoy this last part as much as I loved writing it, Im also thinking of doing an epilogue do y’all want that? other than that i love youuu 💌

themes: angst, language, fluff

Enjoy!!!

The air between them was still heavy from the argument. Paige’s body felt like it was burning from the inside out, anger boiling under her skin as she replayed the words exchanged with Azzi. She could feel the tears building, but she refused to let them fall in front of Azzi. Not again.

Paige clenched her fists and turned away, storming off down the hall. Her vision blurred as the tears finally slipped out, and before she even realized it, her feet had taken her back to her dorm.

She didn’t stop until she reached Nika’s room, barging in without knocking, plopping onto Nika’s bed in a crumpled mess of tears and frustration.

“What the hell happened?” Nika asked, clearly taken aback, but there was concern in her voice.

Paige buried her face into Nika’s pillow, her voice muffled, “Everything. It’s all just… fucked.”

Nika sat beside her, rubbing her back gently. “You wanna talk about it?”

For a few moments, Paige was silent, the weight of everything pressing down on her chest. “It’s Azzi… we argued again. I—I told her how I feel… how I’ve always felt… and I just… broke.” Nika’s eyebrows shot up. “Wait, you mean—”

“I mean everything,” Paige interrupted. “She left me, Nika. She fucking left me when I needed her the most. And she just acts like it wasn’t that big of a deal. Like… like I didn’t matter.”

Nika’s hand stilled on Paige’s back, her expression softening. “Paige…”

“It was my birthday, Nika,” Paige whispered. “The day she left. She didn’t even say goodbye. Just disappeared… left me with all this shit. My parents had just divorced, and I had no one to talk to… except her. And she just vanished.”

The floodgates opened, and Paige sobbed into the pillow, all the anger, pain, and heartbreak from years ago pouring out at once. Nika stayed quiet, letting Paige release everything she had held inside for so long.

———-

As Paige stormed off, Azzi stood frozen, watching her walk away with tears streaming down her face. Her heart ached seeing Paige like that, and for a moment, she wanted to chase after her, to stop her and fix everything… but she couldn’t. Suddenly, she was pulled back to that summer years ago, to the day before she left.

Flashback to USA Basketball Camp

She was just 15, playing on the USA Basketball team with Paige, and even back then, their connection was undeniable. But there was also something else. Something that confused her, scared her. Azzi was starting to realize her feelings for Paige weren’t just about basketball, weren’t just friendship. And that terrified her.

She remembered sitting at the kitchen table with her mom, Katie, the night before she left for good.

“Mom, I don’t know what to do,” Azzi admitted, her voice trembling. “I… I think I have feelings for Paige. But I don’t know if I’m ready to deal with that, I’ve never felt this way..towards anyone. I don’t know if I’m… ready for any of this.”

Katie looked at her with a soft, understanding smile, placing her hand on Azzi’s. “You don’t have to figure it all out right now, Az. It’s okay to be confused.”

“But what if I hurt her?” Azzi asked, tears brimming in her eyes. “What if I can’t… what if I’m not what she needs?”

Katie sighed gently. “Paige loves you, Azzi. That’s obvious. But you can’t make decisions out of fear. Whatever you choose, I’ll support you. Just be sure of one thing… Paige will understand, but you also can’t be surprised if there’s another reaction.”

Azzi had nodded, but deep down, she didn’t believe it. So the next morning, she left. She left Paige without a word, without an explanation. She couldn’t face her, couldn’t confront her own feelings. She didn’t even tell Paige goodbye. The guilt haunted her every day.

She thought she could run away from it, that distance would make it easier, but instead, it only made it worse.

———-

Present Day

Hours later, Paige, Azzi, and the team found themselves at a bar downtown. Nika had insisted that a night out would help everyone cool down and lighten the mood, but as soon as Azzi walked in and saw Paige across the room, all the tension came flooding back.

Paige was already at the bar, nursing a drink, her eyes flicking up to meet Azzi’s briefly before looking away. Azzi tried to ignore the sinking feeling in her chest, but after a few drinks, she couldn’t take it anymore. She walked over to Paige, standing beside her.

“We need to talk,” Azzi said, her voice low.

Paige snorted, downing the rest of her drink before turning to face her. “Talk? Now you wanna talk?”

Azzi hesitated, seeing the fire in Paige’s eyes, but pressed on. “I’m sorry. I should’ve—”

“Sorry? You think sorry is enough?” Paige interrupted, her voice rising. “You fucking left me, Azzi. You didn’t say goodbye. You didn’t give me a chance to… to understand. You just left.”

“I didn’t know what to do!” Azzi said, her voice desperate. “I was scared, Paige. I was confused. I thought leaving was the only way.”

The bar had gone quiet, people turning to watch their argument unfold, but neither of them cared.

Azzi’s eyes filled with tears. “I never wanted to hurt you, Paige. I didn’t know how to handle… us. I was scared.” “Scared of what?” Paige asked, her voice breaking. “Of me? You know what I can’t..I’m not doing this Az.”

Paige stormed out of the bar, her heart pounding in her chest, tears blurring her vision. She felt the heat of anger and betrayal boiling inside her, twisting her gut. She couldn’t believe how everything had spiraled out of control. The chaos of emotions threatened to drown her, and she just needed to get away.

She hurried down the street, not knowing where she was going but desperate to escape the suffocating weight of it all. All she knew was that she couldn’t face anyone right now.

“Paige! Wait!” Azzi’s voice cut through the night, pulling her back from her spiraling thoughts.

Paige paused but didn’t turn around. “What do you want, Azzi? Another half-assed apology?” Her voice dripped with sarcasm, masking the pain beneath.

Azzi caught up, grabbing her wrist gently but firmly. “No, I—I need to explain.”

Paige yanked her hand away, her heart racing. “Explain what? How you ghosted me when I was falling apart? Or how you dipped without a word and shattered my heart on my damn birthday?”

Azzi’s expression fell, guilt washing over her. “I know I hurt you, but—”

“But what, Azzi?” Paige interrupted, her voice shaking with frustration. “You left when I needed you the most! I was drowning, and you just ran away. You weren’t there for me when my parents divorced, when everything was crumbling. You were my rock, and you just disappeared!”

Azzi swallowed hard, feeling the weight of every accusation. “I’m sorry..I didn’t know that, I didn’t know how to handle it, Paige. I was lost, too.”

“Lost? You just left me!” Paige’s chest heaved with every word, anger mixing with hurt. “You were supposed to be my best friend. I thought I could count on you!”

Azzi’s heart ached, guilt crashing over her like waves. “I was scared,” she confessed, her voice breaking. “I was so confused about everything—about you, about me.., about us, and the pressure from the media, the coaches… I couldn’t deal with it. So I ran. I thought it would be easier.” Paige’s chest tightened, her emotions spilling over. “You didn’t give me the chance! You could have at least tried!”

Azzi took a shaky breath, the rawness of their argument hanging heavily in the air. “And I regret that every day. But I didn’t want to drag you down with my mess, Paige. I thought leaving would be better for both of us.”

Paige’s anger flickered, a new understanding dawning on her. “I get that you were scared, Azzi,” she said softly, her voice trembling. “But I was scared too. I felt so alone when you weren’t there. I thought we could face it together. I thought you understood what I was going through.”

“I should have been there,” Azzi said, her voice barely above a whisper. “I should have known you needed me, and instead, I just ran away.”

“Yeah, you did.” Paige paused, her tears glistening in the dim light. “And it hurt like hell. But I can see now that you were hurting too. I just… I needed you to be strong when I couldn’t be.”

Azzi looked down, guilt washing over her. “I wanted to be strong. But it was all too much for me, Paige. I was terrified of what my feelings meant, terrified of messing things up even more. I couldn’t handle the pressure and my feelings for you.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Paige asked, her heart softening as she reached for Azzi’s hand, intertwining their fingers. “We could have figured it out together.”

“I was scared of losing you,” Azzi admitted, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “I thought leaving was the only way to protect both of us.”

Paige’s heart ached at Azzi’s confession. “I didn’t realize you were dealing with so much too. It felt like I was the only one hurting, but now I see how we both were. I just… I wish you hadn’t left me, especially on my birthday.”

Azzi’s eyes shimmered with remorse as she reached into her pocket, pulling out a small, delicate infinity necklace. “I left this for you. Under your pillow before I left. I thought maybe one day you’d find it and understand… But when it got sent back, I thought you didn’t want anything to do with me.”

Paige stared at the necklace, confusion mixing with the flood of emotions. “I’ve never seen that before,” she murmured, wiping her eyes. “How did it get sent back to you?”

Before Azzi could respond, the bar door swung open, and Jose, stepped outside, overhearing their conversation. “Wait, are you talking about that necklace?” he called out, pointing.

Azzi nodded, her heart racing. “Yeah, why?”

Jose shrugged, looking sheepish. “One of the coaches found it in your room at camp and sent it back to the house. I thought you knew.” Azzi blinked, disbelief flashing across her face. “Well, obviously not!”

Jose gave them an awkward smile before retreating back inside. They stood there for a moment, stunned, then burst into soft, teary laughter—laughter that felt like a release.

Azzi stepped closer, taking a deep breath. “I’m so sorry, Paige. For everything. For leaving, for being a coward, for hurting you when you needed me the most.”

Paige felt her heart clench, tears still falling. She reached out, taking the necklace from Azzi’s trembling hands. “I didn’t think I’d ever see this,” she whispered, looking up into Azzi’s eyes. “You’ve always meant so much to me.” Azzi nodded, her eyes glistening. “I never stopped caring about you, Paige. I was just too scared to face it all.”

Without thinking, Paige stepped forward, closing the distance between them, and kissed Azzi softly. It was hesitant at first, but as Azzi kissed her back, the world around them faded. It was just them—two hearts finding their way back to each other, the weight of the past still there, but lighter somehow.

When they finally pulled away, both breathless, they lingered close, foreheads touching. “I want to be with you, Azzi,” Paige murmured, her voice thick with emotion. “I’ve always wanted that. I’m sorry I didn’t see your pain before.”

“I want that too. I want to try,” Azzi replied, her voice trembling with sincerity. “Whatever it takes, I promise to never leave you again.”

“Good, because I’ll be damned if I let you go again,” Paige whispered, a small smile breaking through the tears.

“Deal,” Azzi replied, grinning through her tears.

———-

Game day: UConn vs. Villanova

The next day, the gym buzzed with excitement as the team prepared for their game against Villanova. The atmosphere was electric, a mix of nerves and adrenaline. Paige and Azzi exchanged glances during warmup, a silent understanding passing between them.

As the game started, they fell into a rhythm, communicating effortlessly on the court. Azzi set a perfect screen for Paige, who cut to the basket, receiving a crisp pass that she finished with a layup. The crowd erupted, and for the first time in a long while, everything felt right.

The tension in the gym grew as Villanova pressed hard, trying to claw back into the game. Just when it seemed they might gain an edge, a player drove to the hoop, determined to score. But Azzi was ready.

“YEAH!” Paige yelled as she watched Azzi leap into the air, her timing impeccable. With a powerful swat, Azzi blocked the shot, sending the ball flying across the court. The crowd erupted into cheers, and Paige was right there, pumping her fists in the air. “That’s what I’m talking about!” she shouted, her voice filled with excitement.

Geno smiled from the sidelines, nodding in approval as the team rallied around Azzi. “That’s the energy we need!” he called out, clapping his hands together.

As the game progressed, the chemistry between Paige and Azzi shone through. With Nika assisting from the wing, they executed a flawless fast break, leading to another basket.

In the final moments of the game, with the score tied, Paige found herself with the ball. She dribbled, her heart racing as she spotted Azzi cutting toward the hoop. Without hesitation, she tossed the ball to Azzi, who caught it mid-air, spinning around her defender and sinking the shot just as the buzzer sounded.

The crowd erupted in cheers as their team celebrated the victory. Paige grabbed Azzi in a whirlwind of excitement, lifting her off the ground and spinning her around. “We did it!”

Azzi laughed, a sound of pure joy. “You’re crazy!” she yelled, her heart soaring.

As the team celebrated, they all gathered in a huddle, chanting and cheering.

———-

After the game, Instead of heading out with the team to celebrate, they quietly made their way to Azzi’s dorm, wanting to be alone together. Once inside, the door closed behind them, sealing off the noise of the world. The room felt cozy and intimate, filled with the lingering energy from the game. Azzi turned to Paige, her heart racing.

“Can you believe we won, I mean they were going really hard tonight?” Azzi said, her eyes sparkling.

“Of course I can, with the way we played I had no doubt, you were amazing Az,” Paige replied, her voice filled with enthusiasm. “But right now, I just want to be here with you. Just us.”

Azzi nodded, her heart warming at the thought. They settled onto the bed, surrounded by pillows and blankets. The weight of the past started to lift, and as they shared stories and laughter, everything felt right.

As the night deepened, Azzi began to drift off, her head resting comfortably on Paige’s chest. Paige gently stroked Azzi’s hair, feeling a wave of contentment wash over her. She thought Azzi was fast asleep when a sudden wave of love hit her like a tidal wave.

“I love you,” Paige whispered softly, her heart vulnerable and exposed. She thought the words would hang in the air, but in the stillness of the room, they felt like a promise.

“I love you too,” Azzi whispered back, her voice barely audible but filled with warmth.

Paige’s heart leaped at the sound, her eyes widening in disbelief. A smile broke out on her face, one so bright it could light up the room

Their smiles grew wider, the unbreakable bond between them solidifying in that moment. As they settled into each other, everything felt right, the past behind them and the future ahead filled with possibility.

———-

a/n: okay i’m sad now bye. oops forgot to tag my lovelies @thaatdigitaldiary @patscorner @imaginespazzi

[girlgenius1111]

ACL tear #4, ACL couple #2

r tears her ACL during the wolfsburg game. she's dating leah, but no one else on the team knows.

angst + fluff

In the world of football, there was no injury more infamous than an ACL tear. Every female footballer felt like they knew exactly what the injury detailed, hearing about it from so many teammates. Especially at Arsenal, where you were down 3 of your best players with it.

Which is how you knew what happened before you even hit the ground. The pain in your knee was excruciating, but it didn't compare to the dread that filled your body when you heard the pop. It was exactly like everyone had described.

The sound of the crowd seemed to fade, until you could only hear your heartbeat in your ears. No one was coming to you, and they needed to get you off, get someone else on, and beat Wolfsburg. That was really all you could think about, aside from the pain; that you'd drag yourself off the field if it would be faster. You waved your hand up in the air, trying to tell your teammates to kick the ball out. Eventually, Katie did. Her and Manu were the first to you, crouching down. The looks on their faces told you that they knew what this was too, but still, they asked.

"What hurts?" Katie said, placing a hand on your head.

"ACL," you responded, "heard the pop." The girls exchanged looks above you, and Manu motioned to the sidelines. You felt more hands on you, and then Lia was speaking in your ear quietly.

"It's gonna be alright, y/n. If that's what it is, we've got you," she told you. You appreciated her words, everyone's support, but you wanted everyone to just stop talking. You were fighting back tears now, and you were determined not to cry on the field.

Through clenched teeth, you asked, "are they coming?"

"Yeah, almost here," Frida told you. You nodded, still laying in a ball on your side. The pain was radiating out from your knee, and damn, everyone talked about how much it hurt, but this was worse than you were expecting. You continued to try to take steady, measured breaths as the medics got arrived.

You repeated what you'd told Katie, and their faces were grim as the got you up. You wanted to walk off, something you told the medics, Lia, Jen, anyone that was near you really.

"No, we're gonna need the stretcher. We don't need to make it any worse," Lia said.

"Leah walked off." You reminded her.

"I know, y/n, but lets just get you on here, alright?" You couldn't get off on your own, and it was clear they weren't going to let you walk off. So, you relented, allowing them to lower you back onto the stretcher. You were growing used to the pain in your knee, or maybe it was fading slightly, and as they carried you off, all you could think was that you just wanted Leah.

The two of you had been together for 6 months. No one knew yet, you'd been keeping it to yourselves, enjoying the privacy and the ease. It had been casual, until she'd done her knee, and suddenly, you were the only person outside of Viv and Beth that she'd really talk to. You'd watched her go through this, knew how hard it was. And as Viv walked with you, saying something that you didn't really hear, you just wanted Leah.

They took you back through the tunnel, and into one of the medical rooms. They set you on a table, and worked around you for a while. They hadn't let anyone in the room except Viv, and you loved her, you really did, but you knew Leah would be in the hall, going crazy. You couldn't think of any way to ask for her though without raising suspicion, even as Viv stood next to you, asking if she could get you anything.

"Alright, we need scans, but it seems like it's your ACL. I'm sorry, y/n." One of the medics told you. You nodded numbly, staring at the white ceiling, feeling tears burn the back of your eyes.

"You're gonna be alright, schatje, you won't have to do this alone." Viv spoke softly, and you shut your eyes.

"Can I just have a sec?" You asked, voice breaking pathetically, because if you couldn't have Leah, you didn't want anyone. The medics shuffled out, and Viv stepped away hesitantly, looking like she wasn't sure leaving you by yourself was the best idea.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, just need a minute." You replied. You were still staring at the ceiling, but out of the corner of your eyes, through tears, you watched as Viv walked out the door, shutting it quietly behind her. You covered your face with your hands as you let go, trying to muffle your cries in your hands. Your body shook with each sob, and you were sure that you'd never felt this bad, this upset, in your entire life.

-----

Leah had followed the stretcher at a distance, as Viv got to you first. She'd wanted to shove everyone out of the way and get to you as fast as she could, even when you were still on the field. She didn't care if people found out, if people talked, she just needed to make sure you were okay. But she would be damned if she was going to allow your privacy to be taken away from you too, along with your ability to do the thing you loved. In an impressive show of restraint, she felt, she kept her distance.

She paced the hallway outside the room you were in, feeling Beth's eyes on her as she walked back and forth.

"She'll be alright, Leah, she's a tough kid." Leah hummed in response, but kept pacing. She knew you were strong, but you were also her girlfriend, and she wanted to be with you. "Oh for god's sake, stop pacing." Beth said, grabbing Leah's hand and tugging her to sit in the chair next to her.

Leah obliged, but her nervous energy had to go somewhere, or she was sure she'd go bursting in the room, so she began to rapidly bounce her knee. Beth gave her a look, not really sure why Leah was acting like this. Sure, you were friends, and Beth was worried about you too, but the panic and worry she saw on her normally composed captain's face was so out of character.

"What is with you? You're normally the calm one when someone's hurt." Beth remarked, studying Leah closely. Just then, the door to the room opened, and the medics shuffled out. Leah tried to peek in and see you, but Viv closed the door quickly behind her. Leah looked at the Dutch woman with a question on her face, terrified of the answer.

"ACL," Viv said simply and Leah felt her whole body fall in on itself. She was sure then, very suddenly, that she must love you because she was trying to figure out a way to give you her good ACL, if it meant you'd be okay.

"Why aren't you in there with her?" Leah questioned, as soon as she'd pulled herself back together. She knew she was glaring at poor Viv, but she couldn't help it.

"She wanted some space," Viv told her, exchanging a look with Beth. Neither of them had ever seen Leah act like this before. Now that no one was speaking, they could hear you crying through the door, and they all flinched at the sound.

Leah sighed heavily, burying her face in her hands. Viv took the seat on the other side of Leah, looking over her at Beth. Beth just shrugged at her, and both of them pulled their attention back to Leah, as her shoulders began to shake lightly. Both girls blinked down at her, almost not believing their eyes. Leah never let anyone see her cry, not even when she'd hurt her knee.

"Lee," Beth began, placing a gentle hand on her back. Leah jumped up suddenly, wiping her face harshly.

"I can't take this, I'm going in there." She said, voice choked.

"She said she wanted-" Viv started.

"I don't care what she said, she needs me." Leah said aggressively, and her words had a finality to them. They knew better to argue, both throwing their hands up in response to Leah's deep glare. Leah pushed the door open, walking in quietly. She closed the door behind her, but not before Beth and Viv caught her first word to you.

"Love?" She said, just as the door fell shut.

Beth and Viv looked at each other. It wasn't odd for Leah to call a teammate that, but the word paired with her downright bizarre behavior since you'd gone down was leading them to question some things.

-----

Inside the room, you hadn't noticed Leah enter until you heard her soft voice.

"Love? Is it alright if I come in?" She asked, the harshness she'd shown Viv and Beth gone without a trace. She was only ever gentle with you, only ever soft and kind.

You pulled your hands down away from your face, and looked at her through tearstained and puffy eyes, taking in how worried she looked. Her hair was pulled back in a messy low bun, and you remembered it being down at the start of the game. Leah always fiddled with her hair when she was nervous. You nodded slightly, in response to her question, lip beginning to quiver again.

"Oh, baby," She said, walked quickly to your side. She pulled you into her arms, and you buried your face in her sweatshirt, inhaling the scent of her perfume. "I'm so sorry, my love. So so sorry," she told you, pressing kiss after kiss to the side of your head. You didn't respond, only pulling her in closer to you, grabbing her sweatshirt in your hands, as if afraid she was going to leave. She held you for a long time, only letting go when she felt you pull back.

She held your face in her hands, looking deeply into your eyes, trying to see how you were doing. "You can do this. I'll be here the whole time." She said, her words matching her unwavering expression. It was what everyone had been saying to you, and yet coming from her, it made you feel better. She watched as the defeat clear on your face disappeared, replaced by a fire she recognized. You pulled her down to you, pressing your lips to hers in a searing kiss. You tried to put your appreciation for her, your love for her into that kiss, even if you hadn't said the words yet. You both quickly got lost in the kiss, letting the world and everything that mattered fall away.

You were still kissing when the door opened, but neither of you noticed.

"Are you guys- oh. Viv you were right." Beth said, blinking at the two of you as you jumped away from each other. She said the words as if she hadn't just caught two of her friends making out, like it wasn't really a surprise. You felt your cheeks burning, and saw the blush reflecting on Leah's face. "Well, you're clearly alright. We're coming in now." Beth told you, and she walked into the room, taking a seat on the other side of you. Viv followed her in, both girls smirking at the two of you.

Leah tried return to being stern, but she was too worried you were mad at her for kissing you, and getting caught. She gave up the dirty look she was sending your friends, as they both sat next to your bed, staring at the two of you with stupid grins on their faces.

She turned back to you, deciding to pretend they didn't exist. "I'm sorry baby, I think I might have given that away. I was a bit of a wreck out there and then I charged in here, and I didn't mean-" You cut her off.

"Lee, it's fine. I just wanted you in here, but I didn't want to tell people before you were ready." You said. You both laughed lightly, realizing you'd wanted the same thing, but were too concerned with the other person to ask for it.

"You're gonna have to tell the rest of the team. Try to get Beth to keep this a secret, she'll lose her mind." Viv teased. Beth wacked her in the arm. All of you laughed at the disgruntled look on her face, and eventually she joined in.

Viv handed you a water bottle, and Leah pulled a chair over to the side she was standing on, sitting down. She was barely sitting though, leaning forward to hold your hand until she was almost off the chair. The other girls decided to leave her alone over that, opting to ask how you were feeling instead.

"Alright. It doesn't hurt a much anymore," you said, pausing. "How hard is it?" you asked quietly. They let the question hang for a minute before they each answered in turn.

"Nothing you can't handle." Viv said.

"Especially with blondie over there taking care of you." Beth said, once again smirking mischievously at you. Leah ignored her, waiting until you looked down at her before answering.

"Doesn't matter how hard it is. I know you can do it." She said, her voice full of confidence in you. You nodded, accepting the answer. Her words filled you with a feeling, one you could only describe as being loved.

-----

[vallettamango]

Camp Half-Blood Headcanons

Things that probably would happen at camp. (Also ik that its set in the 2000s but just ignore I wanted to include some newer pop culture)

They have a annual memory/yearbook for the summer 

Chiron will pick a few kids from different cabins and give them old film cameras to capture moments from camp

Chiron takes the “yearbook” committee  group into nyc for a weekend they develop the pictures and make a single yearbook which Chiron keeps a stack of in the big hall where any campers can look back at past ones in their free time

A few years back at the request of some summer only campers he has started scanning the books digitally and emailing it to campers/parents so everyone can have a copy

They take one big camp group photo on the last day of summer

 There’s a section at the end called “camps most likely to” and/or voted most ____

Here’s a few of them: 

Connor Stoll is most likely to win a pie eating contest

Will Solace was voted most helpful camper

Austin Lake was voted to have the best smile 

Cecil Markowitz was voted to have the best laugh

Alice Miyazawa was voted most likely to stay calm in a stressful situation

Drew Tanaka was voted best dressed (Piper and Leo still think that’s not true camp opinion and that the voting was tampered with)

Nyssa Barrera is most likely to shave her head

the stolls obviously sell contraband to other campers (snacks, weed, makeup etc) 

Apollo cabin has 1 of 2 CD players in camp. When their older siblings would go home for the summer they would burn CDs with requests from everyone in the cabin and bring them back the next summer 

The other one used to be in the big hall and used communally 

It got broken during an intense food fight, everyone blames Ares cabin because their the ones that flipped their table over 

The secluded area at the top of the strawberry field is known as the date spot for older campers 

Aphrodite cabin made an initiative to have the camp supply campers with sex Ed and started a bowl of condoms in the infirm for anyone to take 

Will Solace (and the other counsellors before him) will have dance partys to cheer up their younger siblings. like they'll just turn on music and jam n dance, they even have a specific CD for it. (Lee Fletcher started tradition)

Katie Gardner from demeter and Rachel Dare started baking as a new camp activity during free periods. They also teach about growing your own ingredients and nutritional value 

Hermes cabin (Travis probably) once tried to make slap ass Friday a thing, it didn’t end well.

Definitely at some point some older campers in Demeter were growing weed in the greenhouse and selling it to other campers (in partnership w the stolls who distributed it)

they were stopped after about a month or two by Chiron who was not happy at all 

Once Sherman yang became head counselor of Ares they all got matching pjs (I’m sorry I just love that idea)

Valentina and Mitchell’s from Aphrodite like to braid the mains of the Pegasus 

Athena cabin loves to compete amongst each other of who can do sudoku the fastest, do a crossword first or win scrabble

Clarisse used to take ares cabin on morning jogs everyday 

Once Hephaestus cabin built a giant nerf gun that shot meatballs 

Aphrodite cabin covers their walls in posters of fashion and pop culture icons like: vivienne Westwood, the devil wears prada, Marilyn Monroe, 10 things I hate about you, destiny child etc 

they’re currently obsessed with Sabrina carpenter. Lacy brought the CD of short n sweet and they’ve been listening to it non stop (Apollo cabin has been nice enough to lend them the CD player when their not using it)

A bunch of the younger ish campers were obsessed with the magic tree house book series (iykyk) because the camp had a box set in Ancient Greek (somehow?)

They thought it was cool how the magic treehouse was kind of like the human vs demigod world so relatable in a way

Kids from all the cabins would share them so they got pretty beat up but they were very well loved until the day the binding literally fell apart

For year round campers their end of school year Summative for social sciences (geography, history, Ancient Greek/english) they each research an event in American history then explain how it’s related to a specific god and the impact they had on the event 

They all present them and they can present the project in any form they want (an art piece, a speech,  a retelling of the event etc)

When campers go for their last summer they sign their bunks

After the battle of manhattan or a demigod dies before they get to turn 18 their sibling will sometimes write their names on the bunks for them

Once Aphrodite cabin snuck into other cabins during the day and hid a photo of Channing tatum's abs under the bed slats of all the head counselors

Everyone was just confused when they found this random photo months later  

 If you walk by the communal showers on Apollo cabins shower day and you’ll definitely hear all them harmonizing to baby by Justin beiber

[woso-dreamzzz]

End of the World II

Katie McCabe x Child!Reader

Summary: The World Cup tension

The next time you see Ma and Mammy in a room at the same time is at Ireland Camp.

You arrive with Ma, happy and smiling in your own shamrock green Ireland jersey and wave at the social media person who's recording everyone's arrival.

You're the littlest team member and Ma makes sure that you don't run ahead enough that she can't see you anymore. Ever since that day that you cried and got to go to Ma's early, you've been staying with her.

You still don't know what happened between her Mammy but you remember that night the tension between Ma and Caitlin so you suppose it must have to do with that.

It's fun being with Ma and you've really been missing her but you've also be missing Mammy too. It's an odd feeling because you know that if Ma sent you back to Mammy then you would start missing Ma more than Mammy and you're scared that you're always going to be wanting the one that you don't currently have.

But Ireland Camp is different.

It's better.

Now that Ma and Mammy have to be together all the time, maybe they'll remember how much they love each other and then Ma will move back in and you'll no longer have the weird icky feelings in your chest that you can't explain.

Mammy's already there and you pull away from Ma to crash into her. She looks shocked to see you smiling up at her but she squeezes you with just the right amount of pressure that you happily go boneless and let her pick you up.

"Hey, kiddo," She says, raining kisses onto your head to make you laugh.

"Missed you, Mammy!" You tell her, resting your head against her collarbone.

"I missed you too." She holds you for a few moments, just soaking in the weight of you in her arms. "Who are you rooming with this camp, kiddo? Me or Ma?"

The questions makes you frown and you pull away. Ma is standing a long way away from you both, not looking at Mammy at all.

"But...But...Sleep in the same room as Ma and Mammy."

They both wince and Ma says," Not this camp."

"No!" You say," Every camp!"

"Not this camp," Ma says again," Who do you want to room with?"

You don't answer. You don't do much actually. You just kind of go limp in Mammy's arms and hide your head in her neck.

Mammy sighs. "I'll take her, Ruesha. I haven't seen her in person for a little while. I'll look after her."

Ma and Mammy don't talk at all during Ireland camp unless it's about you. They don't even look like they want to be in the dining hall at the same time and you don't understand what's going on.

Ireland camp wasn't meant to be like this. Ma and Mammy were meant to be in the same room all the time and give each other kisses because they're in love and that's the whole reason they had you.

They're in love enough to want a baby together and that baby was you.

You don't know what's meant to happen to you if Ma and Mammy don't love each other anymore.

You try your absolute hardest to get them to hang out but the most they come to interacting outside of training is to hand you off to the other. No words are exchanged other than a polite nod or an explanation on what you've already had to eat.

They stay on completely opposite ends of the plane when you take the flight to Australia and you start crying when Ma glares at Mammy and then you cry even harder when Mammy sneers at Ma (though they both put it down to you being completely exhausted by the late night).

Ireland being at the World Cup is meant to make you feel all bouncy and happy but it's just the most horrible time in your life.

Ma and Mammy link up well on the pitch but off of it...It's like they don't even know each other. They don't talk. They don't do anything together and you miss old Ireland camp where Ma and Mammy were always together and they give you big kisses on both of your cheeks at the same time.

The only time they really, truly interact is an argument.

It's the game against Australia and Mammy wants you to walk out with her. She's the captain.

Ma, however, doesn't want you anywhere near the Australian team and so they argue about it.

Mammy ends up winning the argument because you ask Ma why you're not allowed to be near the Australians and she doesn't answer you besides saying that it's complicated.

So, you end up walking with Mammy and even though the World Cup hasn't been as fun as it should be, you're more than happy to sit on the bench with the rest of the Ireland girls to watch the match.

But, like everything that's happened since Ma and Mammy broke up, it goes downhill.

You're not quite sure what happened but all you know is that Ma is yelling at Caitlin and someone's holding her back from doing you don't know what.

It scares you a little bit and you cover your eyes tight. You didn't like Caitlin in your house but you didn't like Ma yelling at her either. It scares you a lot and you hide your face in your shirt and don't come out until the match is over, even when some of the girls try to coax you out with promises of food and drink.

The match ends with Ireland losing and you crying.

You're crying heavily and when Katie approaches, she knows it's not because she's just lost.

"I-I...Want to go home!" You say through your sobs, little chest heaving," Want to go home!"

"I know," Katie says. There's not much else she can say, not with Caitlin looking on in worry and Ruesha on the other side of the pitch signing shirts. "I know. We'll be home soon."

She wipes your eyes softly and kisses your head.

"I-I go home with you or Ma?"

"Who do you want to go home with?" She asks, drawing you into her arms," If you go home with Ma, you'll probably only see me every few weeks. If you go home with me then you'll have to be around Caitlin a little."

"Mammy?" You ask," Why does Ma hate Caitlin? Did she do something bad?"

"It's complicated."

"Ma says that too. Am I not allowed to know?"

"Well," Mammy says," It's not something that we should talk about until you're a bit older." She brushes hair out of your face.

You turn away from her. "Are you and Ma done forever?" You ask, a fresh wave of tears dripping down your cheeks.

"I'm sorry, baby."

Your bottom lip trembles and you say again," I want to go home."

[dqrciedaily]

baby arsenal pt.2, arsenal wfc x teen!reader

a/n: proper old arsenal photo oops

but i’m really enjoying this series so feel free to send some ideas or requests in x

this was also inspired by my hatred of math during gcses

-

after a tiresome day of training, gym sessions and still a team meeting to be had, y/n trudged wearily into the communal area of the shared living space. the weight of her school backpack felt heavier than usual, laden not only with textbooks but with the burden of many impending assignments.

with a dramatic sigh, she flopped onto one of the couch’s, her exhaustion noticeable as she buried her face in her hands. "i actually can't do this," she moaned, her voice muffled by her palms. "i just can't focus on schoolwork! especially after a day like today."

lia, who had just walked into the room after a physio session, glanced over at y/n with a sympathetic smile. "i know you don’t want to y/n/n, but i’m really not in the mood for another email from school," she said gently. "but you know you have to get it done. how about this? if you do as much of your homework as possible, you can decide what we have for dinner tonight."

"anything i want?"

lia nodded, her smile widening. "anything you want," she confirmed, but before she could continue leah walked into the room. “what’s going on?” she questioned setting down next to y/n. “wally said i get to pick what we’re having for dinner tonight!” y/n excitedly told the blonde as she took out the first assignment.

“uh no, i’m coming round for dinner tonight you better not pick something i don’t eat!” leah groaned but y/n paid little attention as she got started on her work.

her brow furrowed in concentration. but as she dived into the complexities of her math assignment, frustration quickly replaced her initial enthusiasm. the numbers swirled before her eyes, a jumbled mess of equations and formulas that refused to make sense no matter how hard she tried.

despite the best efforts of her teammates, who all tried to help her with either words of encouragement or even some attempts at explanations, y/n found herself sinking deeper into despair.

"it's actually no use," she muttered to no one in particular, her voice tinged with defeat. "i just don't understand maths. it’s stupid."

kyra who was sat on the couch opposite from y/n finally had enough of her complaining. “okay no i’ve had enough of hearing you moan and complain. stop moping about and let’s go annoy katie or something!”

with a mischievous twinkle in her eye, kyra led the charge out of the room, eager to abandon the maths assignment that had about three lines written down, y/n quickly followed kyra to the dining hall where the others were. but as they approached the dining room, their plans were abruptly halted by the arrival of kim, who cast a curious glance in y/n’s direction.

"hey, y/n/n, have you finished your homework yet?" she asked, her brow furrowing in concern.

y/n shook her head sheepishly, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. "no, not yet," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.

kim's expression softened with understanding. "it's okay," she reassured her, "but why don't you go work on something else for now? you can figure out the math later."

“oh but please just a few minutes of break we just wanted to ask katie a quick question” the puppy eyes deeming unsuccessful as kim’s expression didn’t change. “please kimmy.”

“fine. only a few minutes though!”

the duo shouted “thank you kimmy, we love you!” over their shoulders as they raced off to go bother katie.

upon their arrival in the dining room many heads turned but then turned back to their conversations. they spotted that caitlin had gotten up from her chair, leaving both seats next to katie vacant. they quickly occupied the chairs turning to face her, almost in unison.

“pineapples or blueberries?” they said in unison

“sorry what?”

[harrygoeswest]

Infatuation On A Mutual Level

You and Harry are housemates and are both secretly quite fond of one another.

A/N: Woooo she’s here!!! I loved writing this one shot a lot and I really hope it shows. I haven’t had motivation to write for ages and this year I’ve really come back to it and I’m so happy. I hope you all love it as much as I do. She’s special to me. Special mention to the only person who ever wants to read for me @all-things-fic​ <3 Please come tell me what you think afterwards!! Katie x

Trigger Warnings: sexual content, brief mentions of loss, nightmares

Word Count: 18,777

~.~.~.~.~

Now

Every morning was the same.

The creak from the only bed on the first floor began the day. Then the gush of the tap in the shared bathroom. The kettle in the kitchen on the ground floor. The door closing when George left for the day. Then again 15 minutes later when Rhys did. Abbie starting the shower immediately afterwards now her boyfriend was gone. And then the only thing that ever made your skin prickle:

Harry’s door opening.

Every morning you would roll over at the sound, away from it. God forbid the man who defined ‘sex on legs’ ever pinned you with that warm, green-eyed stare first thing in the morning through the open gap of your own bedroom door. No, you might never be able to survive such a thing.

Living in a shared house was hard. Not least because you felt responsible for the place itself; owned by your single dad who would do anything to bring in what income he could, including taking more rent off his eldest child than he’d like. An argument arose regularly over your living situation but it was hard enough filling the fourth bedroom with a tenant. Living in the third was the least you felt you could do. The building was in dire need of some TLC but it wasn’t exactly an affordable fete. Sometimes the ceiling leaked on the second floor when it rained thanks to some shabby scaffolding work a few years back; the main reason why it was so hard to let the fourth bedroom. Part of you didn’t want to.

It was also hard in a house share because people were messy and you had a horrendous phobia of general mess. If you could quit your job and play full-time housekeeper you absolutely would. But your dad wouldn’t allow that. “Not in my lifetime,” He’d say with the gentlest scowl.

But the hardest part, by far, was being in such close proximity to the man who rented the bedroom across the hall. You weren’t sure why you were so terrified of him. Scarred by your original encounter with him, perhaps, but he wasn’t actually scary. He was, rather annoyingly, the nicest person in the house. Constantly aloof, yes, but still the poster boy for gentlemen everywhere.

Maybe if you spoke to him you’d learn he’s just a normal bloke, your inner voice trilled.

“Shut the fuck up.” You hissed into your pillow.

You waited for the inevitable sputter of the shower starting up again, and then rolled out of bed, threw on the clothes you’d hung up on the wardrobe door the night before - clean white shirt and grey trousers, ironed within an inch of their life - and scurried downstairs to arrange your usual to-go breakfast. Coffee in a reusable cup and a cereal bar. Hair and makeup could be fixed at work. You were always thirty minutes early anyway.

~

Harry wasn’t sure how you managed it. How every day you managed to evade him to avoid a puffy-eyed “good morning” or a potentially awkward conversation over breakfast.

As he stood in the hallway between your bedrooms towelling his hair dry in nothing but a pair of boxers and a damp t-shirt, he stared into your bedroom and marvelled yet again at how you seemed to have managed to keep it tidied to a borderline compulsive degree.

A large king bed sat against the left wall with ironed white linens and a plush sunflower yellow throw draped across the foot. One lone bedside table tucked against the right side with a tasselled muted green 60s velvet lamp and a book resting atop. A picture hung above the headboard - some vibrant canvas of abstract art. Every morning he wondered if you’d painted it yourself. Against the opposite wall stood a tall regal-looking cherrywood wardrobe next to a matching dresser with a sleek TV on top. It was the most modern thing about the room. In the window overlooking the garden a dream catcher hung in the dead centre. It was the only nicknack you seemed to have, and part of him hated that it seemed like something negative. Something to catch nightmares, to ward off evil.

Did you have bad dreams? And if so, why?

As always, the window had been opened two inches to let in fresh air. You never closed your door, not even at night. You never had clothes left out. Clutter didn’t exist in your vocabulary. Dust wasn’t permitted in your room. Or the bathroom, or kitchen, or living room, he’d deduced. You took Wednesdays off in the week and cleaned when no one else was home to bother you. He doubted the others had picked up on these things about you, but he’d noticed.

Harry had noticed a lot about you.

Especially that in the mornings, you waited until he took his bathroom time to get ready for work and leave without having to run into him. Some chaotic part of him wanted to change his routine so you’d have to. He wanted to know what you looked like straight out of bed with puffy eyes and linen marks on your cheeks and hair in disarray. The other part of him, the gentleman, told him not to. Who knew what might happen if he threw your routine off kilter.

Distress, probably?

No. He wouldn’t be having that.

Shaking his head, he wandered into his own room and shut the door behind him. One day the puzzle of you would finally form a complete picture. Today, he settled for the tethered, jumbled segments he’d managed to collect this far.

~

You stared at your phone, face a picture of bewilderment. Deciphering text messages from the housemates was starting to get increasingly difficult, no thanks to the fact that you were shit at it and everyone else seemed to excel.

Blackpool Tower

🌚 👰🏼❌🧽🍽️🔄

🌝 🙈🖕🏼

👰🏼 😕

Translation: Abbie George didn’t wash his dishes again.

Rhys Oh for fuck’s sake.

George Whoops.

You were on a roll with the emojis. It had started as a joke because George had said he hated people who only used emojis to text each other rather than actual words, so for a week the four of you had sent every text using only emojis. Then it had turned into a bet: how long could all of you go without using words, and who would be the first one to crack. You all knew that, without a doubt, Rhys would crack first, even though he was the one who’d proposed the bet in the first place. It had been two weeks and no one had cracked yet.

🍉 🤔👰🏼🥄🥄🍱🔄

👰🏼 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣😠

🌝 😒🙄

🌚 🏃🏻‍♀️🏃🏻‍♀️🏃🏻‍♀️

👑 ❌❌❌❌❌❌❌

Translation:

Harry Maybe George should cook dinner again…

George HAHAHAHAHAHAHA no.

Rhys Yeah right.

Abbie No thank you.

You Absolutely fucking not.

Why did all of you have such ridiculous headers?

Abbie and Rhys were the twin moons because that was the look they always gave each other when they thought something was cute, funny, interesting, or otherwise. They’d moved into the house as a couple and had remained in said couple for 3 years. Sharing a room was their way of saving money to buy a house. It made sense.

George was a blonde bride because he was the most outwardly gay man any of you had ever known and often acted like an utter madam. Madam was actually George’s nickname to his friends now thanks to the house’s light ribbing. He had also chosen his own emoji.

Harry was the watermelon because we were never without it thanks to a frankly concerning obsession. If there wasn’t a watermelon in the fridge, or slices, or packaged chunks, something was very wrong.

And you were the crown because you’d refused to pick an emoji and the house had affectionately bestowed the title of Tower Queen to you. You’d pretended to hate it, but they all knew you viewed it as the highest compliment.

Oh, and the group chat was called Blackpool Tower because you lived together in a tall, two-rooms-to-a-floor townhouse at the top of town. The Eiffel Tower had been suggested but George immediately pointed out that we were not a classy enough bunch to live in such a fine establishment. I’d told him to speak for himself.

The talk of food made you hungry, and it hit you like a landslide that you hadn’t had any dinner. You rolled off your bed and sent a text to Blackpool Tower, then shoved your phone away.

~

Multiple things happened at once. The shower turned on in the bathroom; your bedroom door opened with a quiet creak (which would not happen again since you went through WD40 like a bee in pollen); Harry’s phone vibrated with another text.

Blackpool Tower

👑 👩‍🍳🍝 … 🌚🍝🌝🍝🍉🍝➡️🧊 … ❌🍝👰🏼

Harry snickered.

Translation: You Making dinner. Leftovers in the fridge. None for George.

It wasn’t unusual you’d make enough food for everyone. Harry had learned that you’d picked that trait up from your dad. Sometimes no one would stop you, especially since there was never anything wrong with a meal you’d cooked. In fact, if there were a restaurant with food cooked by you, Harry would dine there every night. But he also knew that letting you cook for all the other housemates all the time wasn’t fair.

🌚 🍉➡️🍉❌🍉➡️🍉❌👑

👰🏼 🚫🚫🚫🚫

“For fuck’s sake.” He muttered.

Rhys must have been in the shower. If George or Abbie were home they’d have rugby tackled you to the floor given the chance.

Harry abandoned his phone and lurched out of his room, down the stairs to the kitchen. He nearly stacked it twice but he made it, with panting breaths to accompany him.

You turned your gaze on him with a startled look, giving him a once over. “What are you doing…?”

“Don’t you dare cook for everyone else.”

You blinked twice and then rolled your eyes. “It’s fine - I’ve got plenty.”

“It’s not fair.”

“If I don’t cook it today it’ll go off. So might as well.”

Harry looked at the produce you’d piled on the counter and back at you, then back again. “Bullshit.”

“Excuse me?”

“You bought enough for everyone.” He straightened and folded his arms across his chest.

You spluttered and scoffed for far too long. “No.”

“Yes.”

“You can’t stop me.” You scowled at him.

It was the most emotions he’d ever seen on you. If he’d known all this time that all he needed to do to get a conversation out of you was wind you up a bit, he’d have done it much sooner.

“Yes I can.”

You put a hand on your hip. Christ. “How?”

He stared at you, statuesque and cursing himself for challenging a bet he couldn’t win. You were right. How would he stop you? He wasn’t going to drag you away from the kitchen and up the stairs without your permission. Hell, he didn’t want to do anything without your permission, threats begotten. He hadn’t thought this through.

You let out a breath, a mocking one, and turned away from him and picked up a knife to start chopping. “Didn’t think so.”

“You can’t do this forever.”

Chop.

“Do what?” You challenged, refusing to look at him again.

Chop chop.

“Look after every person that comes in here because you feel like you owe people something. The world will take advantage of you. Is that what you want?”

Your shoulders visibly tensed over the words that tumbled out of his mouth. They weren’t even spoken with malice. They were soft and cautious.

CHOP.

“This feels like a very deep conversation to be having on a Tuesday evening.”

He growled, frustrated. “Stop babying everyone.”

Chopchopchop.

“If they didn’t want me to baby them they simply wouldn’t let me. And maybe I like babying people. Sometimes it’s nice to have a responsibility.”

“That’s just it, though. They’re not your responsibility.”

You smacked the knife down on the chopping board and turned to face him, an unfamiliar anger in your eyes that muddled with something else murky and grey. Hurt. “Will you just let me cook my fucking dinner in peace?”

Harry stood, tense, staring at you with his fists clenching and unclenching. Finally, he said, “Fine. But you’ve got to let me help you.”

“Oh, Jesus Christ, Harry.” Your head lolled back.

“Two different people, but I appreciate why you might get confused.”

You stared at him for an indecipherable length of time. Or gawked might have been a better descriptor. And then you snatched the tea towel off the side and smacked it in a whip-like movement against his arm. “Git.”

~

Two weeks later and you and Harry had begun a sort of ritual; you would cook with each other every other night. The distinct difference was that when you bought food, you bought enough for everyone. When Harry did it he only bought enough for the two of you.

You hadn’t quite figured out yet if being in this new… friendship with Harry was better or worse. Cooking together four nights a week versus blissful ignorance towards him and his attractiveness? The now near-constant proximity to him was making your head spin for stupid reasons. Namely said attractiveness.

His biceps for one. No one should be allowed arms that had the ability to make one’s mouth water. Pair his strong muscles with the litter of tattoos that were drawn down his right arm and you’d found yourself sweating even on the coldest day. A man’s body should not have such a strong effect on a person, yet here you were - a swoon personified.

Then there was his face, which was worse. Eyes mouth jaw. Those three things individually on a man were the first thing that always drew you in, but Harry had a triple threat. Seaglass green, blush pink and the perfect 100 degree angle. Not too square. And to top it all off, a wispy mop of chestnut waves atop his big head.

The perfect man?

“Aye,” Harry took the knife off you before you started chopping an onion, “thought we established that needed sharpening. A blunt knife is more dangerous than a sharp one.”

A man who cared about your wellbeing?

His bedside manner could use some work.

“Fuck off.” You whispered to your inner voice.

“What?”

“Nothing.” You shook your head, cheeks burning. Great, he probably thought you were crazy.

You silently passed Harry the stone out of the drawer. He could sharpen it if he was going to make such a big deal out of it.

“Thank you.” He mumbled, and started swiping the edge of the knife along the full length of the stone.

Chalky noises. Sharp noises. Furrowed brow. Biceps flexing. Obscenely attractive. Abort abort abort.

You busied yourself by turning on the hob and drizzling oil into a pan. Basically looking anywhere but at Harry and his arms. Sexy arms.

Sex on legs.

Your legs were wobbling. A flame of burdened heat licked its way between your thighs and you had to lean against the counter to stop from buckling. It had been a long time since a man had touched you.

Yeah. This was worse. Definitely worse. Hyper-awareness of everything going on around you wasn’t unusual, but being hyper-aware of everything Harry did was like some unfound form of torture. There was being attracted to someone and then there was whatever this situation was.

Ridiculous?

It was ridiculous, but at least you could suffer knowing that your inner voice had been wrong. Harry was not a normal bloke. He was some kind of enigma.

~

For the past couple of nights Harry had kept his door open. He’d learned that you did indeed have nightmares regularly so the dreamcatcher you kept in your bedroom window was doing little for your unconscious mind. He’d debated buying a bigger one for you but wasn’t entirely sure how appropriate that would be.

You weren’t loud. In fact, if he hadn’t kept his door open he never would’ve known, because the ajar-ness of his door had come prompted for completely different reasons - that unusual urge to see you first thing in the morning. Now two nights in a row he had been woken up by your little yelp, followed with a hissed string of curses while shifting around your bedsheets to get comfortable again. As soon as he knew you were asleep, he wasn’t too far along after you.

He still hadn’t been able to decide if cooking with you nearly every night was a good thing or a bad thing. While he never failed to enjoy himself during your bi-nightly kitchen sessions, he hated separating from you afterwards. It wasn’t enough. The persistent nearness of you for an hour or so only to be followed by a later severance was almost painful. The bedroom door being left open was just another attempt at trying to get closer to you.

He knew it was you in the bathroom because you took longer than everyone else. Not because you were using up all the hot water but because you used it as an excuse to give it a thorough clean. Being able to hear everything going on in the house was both a gift and a curse, but Harry wasn’t attuned to all the tenants. Only you.

Five minutes later the bathroom door opened, and you plodded up the two flights of stairs. He knew the way all the stairs creaked, and you were going at nothing more than a leisurely pace. He caught a glimpse of you as you passed, but it wasn’t enough. It was never enough. The scent of strawberries and jasmine wafted through the gap in his door after you.

Harry’s phone vibrated.

Blackpool Tower

🌝 Friends coming over tomorrow night for drinks 🍻 we’ll behave

👰🏼 You idiot

🌚 RHYS

🌝 NOOOOOOOOOO

🍉 Pay up dipshit

🌝 😭😭😭

A few minutes later Harry got a notification to say he’d received a £10 payment into his bank account.

~

Then

The cold had crept in again. Not from the weather - it was warm at night. This was a different kind of cold. The sweaty kind that kept you up at night. Medication had kept the nightmares away for some time but now you were locked in the house for the foreseeable future you couldn’t bear the idea of being constantly dimmed down by it in front of your housemates.

Last night was the first time you’d had a nightmare in close to a year and it was just as terrifying as it used to be. Some traumas just wouldn’t leave you be. You’d taken a couple of painkillers to numb your headache and they’d graciously knocked you out for another few hours and brought you right on through to 8am. You couldn’t remember the last time you’d slept that late. With everyone at home all the time now, it seemed no one wanted to get out of bed.

You had a job to do today, anyway. The room next to yours had finally been rented, so you’d been tasked with giving it a proper clean before the new tenant arrived this evening.

You did need to eat, but before that you wanted to get the window open in there to coax some fresh air in.

Hauling yourself out of bed, you meticulously tidied your room the same you did with every morning, dressed in clothes appropriate for cleaning, and took the short step across the hall to the other room.

The door was closed which was unusual. You always left the doors to the empty rooms open with a wedge so they wouldn’t get stuffy from disuse. Maybe you’d opened the window yesterday and forgot? Had the wind closed it for you?

Shrugging to yourself, you opened it anyway.

“Oh,” your eyes widened, “fuck, shit, sorry.”

Inside, collapsed face down on the bed dressed with only a sheet was a man, near-naked in only a pair of boxers. You couldn’t see much of his features bar a mop of chocolate curls, a heavily tattooed arm, and a particularly nice arse beneath his pants.

He lifted his head, complete with a gorgeous profile, and peeled open an eye. A very green, beautiful eye. He made a confused, questioning noise.

The room was full of belongings, so this must be the new tenant and not some homeless person who’d managed to sneak in without anyone realising. At least you hoped.

“I’m sorry, I thought you were moving in later today. Sorry.”

“Friday.” He managed. A sleep-coated, groggy and somewhat delirious voice. It was delicious. You wanted to taste it.

“What?”

“Friday was moving day.”

“Yes. Today.”

“No. Yesterday.”

You looked at your phone. “Christ. I’m sorry. Isolation is getting to me. You don’t care. I’m sorry. I’m interrupting your sleep. I’ll go. Sorry.”

You pulled the door closed before you could embarrass yourself any further, and then hid yourself in the bathroom out of sheer embarrassment.

If you never saw that marvellous-looking man again it would be too soon.

~

Now

Harry often thought about that first day.

Morning. Just after dawn. Early summer sun casting you in gold. Tiny shorts. Faded creaseless t-shirt. Sleepy face messy hair.

He hadn’t seen you anything of the sort since and he craved it like an addict did cocaine.

A pandemic had ruined many things for many people, and the most recent ruin back then had been Harry’s longest relationship. That’s what had brought him to a double bedroom in a shared house rather than a flat and his own fucking space. He couldn’t afford the latter.

It had been hot that night, moving into a new home in the darkness. He’d picked up the key from the owner, your dad it had turned out, and transferred his possessions from one place to another in the late night simply to avoid having to discuss his situation with people he didn’t know.

But yes, the heat is what had caused him to strip down to his underwear before passing out. The startled look on your face at the sight of him had absolutely been worth it. The sight of you had been worth it. Such a strong attraction to someone fresh after a breakup should be wildly inappropriate, but there you suddenly were, bare-legged and dangling yourself in front of him like a piece of string to a kitten. Still, the fact remained that Harry liked to think himself a gentleman. He tried to be a gentleman, and after living so close to you for so long, it didn’t take long to learn that you liked to keep to yourself. So he had done the same.

Until now, apparently.

“That housemate of yours here?”

Harry’s ears pricked up at the question like a cat’s would if it heard something interesting. He recognised the voice and hated the speaker. He always had. Today was no exception.

“Which one? I’ve got three of ‘em if we don’t include Abbie.” Rhys’s oblivious laughter filtered up the stairs to the sanctuary of the top floor.

“Well I ain’t talkin’ about the lads, am I?”

Harry shivered. He imagined if you could hear them then you would too.

“She’s here”, “Don’t bother,” came simultaneously from Rhys and Abbie. Abbie sounded almost defensive, and that pleased Harry to no end.

“Why not?”

“Because she isn’t interested.”

“Maybe you should let her decide that for herself.”

Unconsciously, Harry rose from the desk in his room and made his way across the hall to yours. The door was open, obviously.

You were sitting up with a book but you had earplugs in. Whether it was playing music or just to block out the noise from downstairs he wasn’t sure. As soon as you spotted him a small smile curved on your lips, and you pulled an earplug out. It was playing music.

Harry had never met anyone who could listen to music and read at the same time. There were surely plenty, but this put you in the Elite Tier in his head.

“What’s up?”

Footsteps began on the stairs, and Harry threw a cautionary glance over his shoulder before he slipped inside and closed the door behind him, sliding the lock across.

You were leaning forward now, a crease in your brow. “What’s going on?”

“Rhys’s friends are here.”

You blinked. “I know.”

“Yes but his idiot friends are here.”

You tipped your head. “I’m not following.”

“I don’t trust him.”

“Who?”

“I don’t know… Gaz? The one with the teeth.”

“Oh. Right. Why not? He’s harmless, no?”

“Is he? I’m not so sure.”

Your name suddenly trilled from the floor below. “You home?”

You looked at the door as Harry moved to the side, dumbfounded. Harry shook his head at you when you began to move.

Why not? You mouthed.

Harry pretended to drink from an invisible glass and grimaced.

The idiot called your name again and knocked on the door. “Come on, come say hi.”

Harry was really scowling now. You flashed glances between him and the door multiple times.

“She’s probably asleep, mate!” Rhys hissed from outside the door. “She works early some Saturdays.”

That was not true. You’d never worked weekends, not even as a teen. It was Rhys’s smart ruse to get him to back off.

The door handle jostled. Harry suddenly looked more threatening than a mafia boss, and your jaw fell slack from shock.

“Oi,” smack, “what the fuck is wrong with you?”

“What? Worth a shot.”

“No it fuckin’ weren’t, go downstairs.”

Some heated muttering commenced, but neither you nor Harry moved or spoke until you were satisfied they wouldn’t hear anything.

“Did he seriously just try and get in here?”

“While you were ‘sleeping’?” Harry air-quoted around the word. “Yes. He did. Hence the distrust.”

“What the fuck…”

He watched you for a moment and the look on your face said it all. You were upset, in a confused sort of way. Your mind was somewhere else, no longer in this room. Eyes glassy and breathing shallow.

Someone had tried to come into your personal space while they had the impression you were sleeping. If that had been the case there was no telling what would’ve happened. If Harry hadn’t come in you probably wouldn’t be any the wiser to Rhys’s friend’s real character, and that was what scared him. You had a tendency to put too much faith in people as just people. If someone was being nice to you that must mean that they are nice.

“What are you reading?” He asked into the silence, not only to break the quiet but to pull you out of the trance you’d been in.

“Oh, er,” you looked down at the book in your lap and turned it upwards, flashing the cover to him, “some daft romance.”

You put it aside after slotting the bookmark inside to keep your place. He smirked to himself. God forbid you dogear a page.

“Happy ending?”

You nodded, playing with your loose earbud. “Yeah. Has to be.”

“They’re my favourite.”

You gawked at him then. “Really?”

“Yeah.” He shrugged. “Is that so shocking?”

You laughed musically. “I don’t know… I kind of assumed a guaranteed happy ending would irritate you or something.”

“Not at all. Sad endings are rubbish.”

“Aren’t they?” You patted the bed by your lap, suddenly animated. “I hate them.”

“Me too.”

“What are they for? No one wins, everyone is miserable, and someone has almost always died in the middle.”

He folded his arms, brows furrowed in a mock defence. “Now who hurt you? Tell me. Who do I need to beat up?”

“John Green.”

Harry scoffed. “He’s the worst.”

“Paper Towns? What the fuck was that all about?”

“Load of shit.”

“Exactly!”

He grinned, relaxing his posture. A commotion began downstairs, and he turned over his shoulder towards the door. Two phones dinged inside the room.

Blackpool Tower

🌝 🍻🍻➡️🌃➕👰🏼

You were being left alone. Thank God.

Harry met your gaze with a passive smile that didn’t touch his eyes. “I’ll let you get back to your reading.”

“Wait…”

He raised a single brow at you. “Yes?”

“Why don’t we watch a movie? If they’re pissing off out…”

He was both surprised and elated by your suggestion. All he’d be doing otherwise was looking for flats to move into alone and listening to some murder podcast before passing out. Friday nights were raucous in one’s late twenties.

“Two movies.” He bargained. “One we can bitch about first, and then one we like to make ourselves feel better.”

Your returning smile was prizewinning. Priceless. “And… takeaway? I really don’t want to cook.”

He clicked and pointed a finger at you. “You’ve got yourself a deal, madam.”

~

This was a new low for you. Or perhaps it was a high - you hadn’t decided yet. Using the newfound common ground over a love of happy endings off the back of the fear of a mad man trying to let himself into your room to coax Harry into a movie night with you. In your room, no less. The house was empty yet you chose to suffer the shitty WiFi signal in your tower room because your bed was more comfortable than the communal sofa in the living room on the ground floor. The cold ground floor.

Now, after a shared pizza that was delivered in record speed, you and Harry lay parallel to one another as you batted bitchy comments between one another about the infuriatingly devastating plot of Atonement.

“I wanna smash her face into a wall.”

You nearly choked on your wine, and wiped a pre-existing tear off your cheek. “Harry,”

“What?” He whined. “Every time I get to the end and she tells the real story I see red. Why get people’s hopes up like that?”

His eyes were red around the rims.

You sat forward as the credits began to roll and looked at him with a timid smile. “Opinionated, aren’t you?”

He was draped across the left side of your bed closest to the door, legs crossed at the ankle and hands tucked behind his head against the headboard. He was close to slouched, but he looked so impossibly at ease you wanted to just nestle right into him.

You could do it. Nothing is stopping you.

You repressed a growl.

“Coming from you?” He retorted, amused.

Childishly, you stuck your tongue out at him. “What’s next?”

He pursed his lips and gave a thoughtful look towards the ceiling. “Notting Hill?”

You gasped. “Fuck yes. Do you fancy dessert?”

“Always. What have you got?”

“I picked up a chocolate trifle on the way home from work.”

“That sounds dirty as fuck.”

“It is dirty as fuck.” You agreed and stood from your bed. “I picked it up on the way home with the intention of eating it all by myself, but… I’m willing to share.”

“How kind.” Harry chuckled. You felt his gaze on you leaving the room.

Two minutes later you returned with an unwrapped trifle and two spoons. Harry had already found Notting Hill on one of the many subscription sites you paid for and had it paused right at the start. He sat up straighter as you settled back down, pressed play, and then the two of you sunk into cake and gooey chocolate layered beneath sweet cream.

“Is Hugh Grant too posh?” Harry asked between mouthfuls.

“Yes, but it suits him?” Your question pondered. “Like, I couldn’t imagine him with a Scouse or Georgie accent.”

Harry’s returning laughter was delighted, magical. “This would be a very different film if he did.”

You gave a gutterall, mischievous laugh. “I would like to see it.”

Once you’d spoiled yourselves with trifle you settled back down, two parallel figures unmoving in the dim room, except to drink wine.

Harry was an ominous presence beside you. Warmth radiated off him in languid rolls, beckoning to you like an evil sea siren. Your hands fisted on your stomach, muscles tense. It really was taking everything in you not to lean into him and inhale his scent. Let it lull you to sleep like a safety blanket.

Occasionally you peeked glances at him. If he’d noticed you he never said anything, and it made you brave. After so long the film became background noise and Harry was the real star. A black t-shirt across a flat, muscular chest, steady breaths causing a rise and fall. Black jogging bottoms that rose higher up his legs with each slight movement, showing more scrumptious leg hair per inch. Big, boney, veiny feet with heinously long toes. Hair taken off his face with a tiny claw grip, a little greasy around the ears.

The overwhelming need to shove your face into his armpit finally gave motive to look away. Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts meant nothing anymore. There was a sexy man sprawled across your bed who ate your trifle and wanted to watch stupid rom-coms with you.

You fell asleep before the end.

~

Harry was sure he was dreaming. It wasn’t possible, the situation he found himself in. It was what he wanted, what he had really wanted for a while now, but the actual possibility of it coming to fruition had been next to none. Zero. Impossible.

He’d woken up in your room. That was the first tell that he was still dreaming. Then he found a warm body curled around him, and him around them in return. Your warm body. Leg draped over his thigh, arm slung across his torso, head tucked under his chin, his arms around your shoulders and inhaling your strawberry shampoo.

You were both still on top of the covers, neither able to finish the movie without passing out. He’d even noticed you had nodded off first but he didn’t want to leave you without making sure you’d lock the door behind you again in case Rhys and his idiot friends returned.

Huh. Maybe it wasn’t a dream. That was too accurate and not nearly lucid enough for an unconscious mind.

He didn’t want to move in case he stirred you, but he was desperate to see your face. Your beautiful, sleeping face. He refused to believe you’d cuddled up to him while conscious. Because it had been that way around - you were parked up on his side of the bed. His lips pricked upwards at the corners with that knowledge.

It was raining heavily outside. It fell against the window in loud smatters, the room cast in a dull grey tone. It made him want to squeeze you tighter, to keep you from any harm. He still refrained.

Eventually you woke. He could tell from the way your body tensed and your breath caught in your throat.

“Don’t freak out.” He mumbled, voice thick from lack of use.

You took in a deep, obvious breath. “No? Why not?”

“You don’t need to.”

“I think I do.”

“Explain, please.”

You hesitated, wetting your lips, and took in another deep breath. “I’ve embarrassed myself.”

“How?”

“I’ve put myself into your personal space without your permission.”

“You were unconscious.” He argued.

“Doesn’t make it any better. You should’ve run for the hills the second my foot touched your lovely hairy leg.”

Harry chuckled. He tightened his arm around you and brushed his nose through your messy hair. “Maybe I don’t mind you in my personal space. Maybe… I like it.”

“Do you?”

“Perhaps.”

“Perhaps?”

He laughed again. “You’ve nothing to worry about.”

You sat up and faced him.

Gah. There you were. Puffy eyes, cracked lips, scruffy hair. His stomach did a backflip at the sight of you - a dream he had nightly. In equal measure, he missed having the warmth and weight of your body against him.

“Don’t think about it too much.” He gave you a gentle smile. “Nothing needs to be complicated.”

You remained silent, either awestruck or dumbfounded. He wasn’t sure.

He stood, reluctantly, and pinched your cheek. “You’re cute when you’re in shock.”

That sorted you out. Your face rearranged itself into a scowl, gaze following him as he left the room. He hadn’t wanted to leave, but such a conversation felt too poignant for 8 o’clock in the morning. You needed space to let your thoughts take over.

~

Cooking dinner and movie nights. That had become yours and Harry’s thing. After he’d dropped what you considered a bombshell that he didn’t mind you in his personal space you’d had the longest shower of your life - accidentally using all the hot water - and then spent the morning face down on your bed trying not to scream into your pillow.

Since then you’d been obsessively cleaning, more so than usual by way of distraction from the man living across the hall. The house was spotless. You’d even cleaned the windows at one point, outside, with help from your dad and looked at a way to fix the leaking problem in the empty bedroom.

It still didn’t stop your mind from constantly drifting back to the other morning. Waking up curled around Harry like that had been both terrifying and utterly perfect. For a man with such a hard physique he’d been incredibly comfortable. Too comfortable. Then he’d said a number of things that threw your somewhat orderly brain into complete disarray and chaos.

“You’re cute when you’re in shock.”

Harry hadn’t seemed to take his own words lightly, either. He’d been more comfortable in closer proximity with you since that morning, in the little things like light touches to your arms and back while you cooked together, or a kiss on the top of your head before you disappeared into your room for the night. Some nights you would share a bed after a movie because it was just easier - you were already settled, and you always woke up cuddled against him like a fucking creep.

“This,” Harry said as he pulled the oven door open, a waft of heat filling the cold room, “is gonna be fuckin’ banging.”

“Mhm.” You quipped, shoving a tortilla chip into some salsa, and then into your gob.

It was a Saturday night. By a freak stroke of luck, all the other housemates had gone away for the weekend - George to his parents’ and Rhys and Abbie on a weekend break to Amsterdam. So, a dinner and movie night had been a given, but you’d stuck a portable heater in the communal living room downstairs, found as many blankets as you could and piled them onto the sofa, then queued up enough movies to last all night.

Harry’s carefully crafted pizza sat atop the stove, cooked to perfection with your favourite ingredients on one half and his on the other. Your mouth watered.

You carried everything into the lounge, set it all up on the coffee table, and pressed play on your first movie of the night.

It was civil while you ate, and you were admittedly starving. To Harry’s credit the pizza was delicious and you wished it was bigger because you could’ve eaten another. You filled the hole in your stomach with tortillas and salsa instead. He graciously took all the dirty plates back into the kitchen when you were done, and returned with two bowls of strawberries, raspberries, and of course, watermelon. It was a very healthy dessert but the watermelon looked seriously out of place.

“I can’t believe you’re letting me eat your watermelon.” You joked. “Feels like a sacred honour.”

He snorted but remained silent.

Eventually, after all the food and a couple of glasses of wine, you were horizontal, your feet in Harry’s lap. He had his hands locked around your ankle after you accidentally kicked him in the thigh.

“If you were in a rom-com, who would you want to play your love interest?”

Harry pursed his lips. “Hugh Grant.”

You giggled, turning your face into the sofa cushion. “90s or current Hugh Grant?”

“90s. Current Hugh Grant is into much more sophisticated roles that I don’t care for. Even if they are generally great films.”

“I see…” you mused.

He squeezed your ankle, a smile flirting on his lips. “No, I don’t know. Who’s queen of romantic comedies? Reese Witherspoon? J-Lo?”

“Oh my God, I love J-Lo.” Your voice was a dreamy, breathy sound.

“A fine woman indeed.”

“I love it when you talk like it’s the 1800s.”

He laughed so loudly it was almost a bark. “Noted. Who would you want to play opposite?”

“Sam Claflin.”

“The king of rom-coms.”

“Exactly. Very easy on the eye.”

Harry was smirking again. His hands were moving now, smoothing up and down your leg in easy strokes.

Thank fuck you shaved, you little scruffy bear.

You mentally flicked your inner tormentor behind her ear.

The film played on and held your attention for some time. You were possibly the most relaxed you’d been for a very long time. Not one muscle in your body felt tight.

Harry’s lackadaisical caressing continued, which you were still half-conscious of. It was nice to be touched that way - you don’t think you ever had been. You didn’t panic until you realised he’d been venturing just a touch further up your leg with every stroke; until his fingers tickled your thigh.

You gasped, grabbing his wrist, wrenched yourself upright.

Heat flooded your centre, slick and warm. It was so instantaneous it took you by surprise, and your cheeks burned, the tips of your ears warm.

His eyes were on you, wider than usual. “Sorry,” he tried to speak but it only came out in a whisper.

What is wrong with you, woman? You wanted this.

The inner tormentor was right. You had wanted it, and for quite some time. But the advance of it had taken you so completely off-guard that your body had reacted before your brain did.

“Shouldn’t have done that.” Harry muttered, a furrow between his brow. He was angry with himself.

Finally you managed to shake your head. You managed to manoeuvre yourself by taking one leg - the leg he still had his hand on because you were keeping it there - off his lap and tucked it under itself. You pressed his palm flat against your skin, smoothing over each of his long fingers in turn, and met his intense gaze.

You were much closer now, faces and bodies mere inches from each other. You could feel his breath against your face, and you knew he could feel yours too from the way his eyelids fluttered with each exhale. Shiny eyelids, you noted.

He slowly closed the space to brush his nose upwards against yours, and your next exhale was much shakier.

“What are we doing?” You asked.

“Whatever you want.”

You wanted many, many things. And 99% of them involved him.

You licked your lips, and his gaze dropped to them at the action. Your stomach squirmed and your inner voice squealed with nerves.

Harry placed his other hand firmly on your hip and tugged, and you spilled over his lap, straddling him with your hands using his shoulders for balance. Another gasp fell out of you at the feeling of a certain something between your legs. A certain hard something.

“Is this okay?” He asked, both hands tentative on your thighs.

“Mhm.” You managed.

His hands spread wider, and you grew wetter, breathing heavier

He swallowed thickly. “Can I kiss you?”

All you could do was nod.

You noticed the beginning of a smile before his mouth was on yours. That mouth you’d thought of many times, at all hours, on all days of the week. And it was finally on yours, and perfect too. Soft, big, spongy. It felt like heaven against your own.

He took his time, leisurely testing the waters with you. What you would allow and what you wouldn’t. What you liked and what you didn’t.

You liked all of it.

His tongue was reverent as it eased your lips open, but thorough once you’d granted him access to you. He tasted like strawberry and watermelon, a delicious combination. A lethal combination.

His hands still smoothed over your thighs, reaching for your arse but never quite making it there. He didn’t want a repeat of the previous reaction from you.

You held onto him tightly, hands squeezing over his shoulders in an accidental but welcomed massage. You wanted to touch him everywhere but weren’t sure if he was okay with it.

“I never thought I’d be able to do this with you.” Harry’s voice was gruff, strained. He spoke against your lips.

“Neither did I.” You said breathily.

“Thought about it a lot.”

“Me too.”

He groaned into your mouth, hands rising to your hips and waist, tugging on your loose t-shirt.

You continued kissing, mouths bruising with lust, skirting around the removal of clothes. His arousal only got harder between your legs and it made you wriggle. Your wriggling caused friction, and the friction caused whimpers.

“I won’t last if you make noises like that.”

This information gave you immense satisfaction. He practically ate the smile off your face, and you wriggled again over the top of him. More whimpers, more movement. Back and forth, back and forth until you were utterly soaked inside your pyjama shorts.

“Jesus Christ,” he hissed.

“Harry,” you moaned, fisting his t-shirt at the chest.

“Keep going.” He practically begged.

You gave a frustrated noise and did as he said, rolling your hips over the length of his clothed shaft. Over and over and over again. Tits began to bounce. Back began to sweat. Toes began to curl.

Harry stripped you of your top and buried his face in your chest. Kissing, licking, sucking, bruising. A canvas of vivid colour. He dragged his lips across any inch he could, leaning forward, arching you backwards, just to access more. More more more.

Rolling, dragging, rolling and dragging your dampness against his erection. It was your sole focus. You needed it - the release you hadn’t felt for some time. You were always too nervous to masturbate with only two walls and doors separating you and Harry. You needed this more than anything else.

He held onto your back with one strong arm, hand gripping your waist while his other cupped your breast, and he took your nipple into his mouth without any further hesitation. Lick, suck, lick.

You squealed at the sensation, grabbed his face and brought his mouth back to yours. Faster faster faster you moved your hips and devoured his mouth until-

“Harry!”

Heat burst through your body, crashing through every cell, corner and crevice. You were tense as you came, clinging to Harry as tightly as possible. Then, as breath left you, you fell limp against him.

Harry stroked your hair and kissed your temple. His nose drew circles on your cheek.

When you pulled back, thoughts catching up to you, you looked confused.

“What?” He asked, head tipped to one side.

“This doesn’t make sense to me.”

“What doesn’t?”

“This,” you pointed between him and you.

“Why doesn’t it?”

“Because,” you gestured at him and then dropped your hands to your lap, “have you seen you?”

“Many times.”

You gave an exasperated sigh. “I’m serious, Harry. People that look like you aren’t interested in people who look like me.”

“What a horrifically outdated cliche.” He said in a flinchingly bored tone. “For the record, I think you’re bloody gorgeous. Have done since the day I met you.”

“Why?”

“Because I do! Life is too fucking short to let society dictate who is attractive enough to date who.”

You made a face, one where your eyebrows and your mouth stretched. “Yes, but-,”

“-No buts. I fancy the pants off you and that’s all you need to know.”

“Are you sure?”

He laughed. “Well, I certainly wouldn’t have let you do what you just did if I wasn’t sure. Would I?”

“I don’t know… some men are pigs.”

Harry rolled his eyes. “Look,” he took your face in his hands, “some men are indeed pigs. But I like you. A lot. And I’ve had fantasies a hell of a lot like what we just did together for a damn embarrassing amount of time. About you. That’s all you need to know. Ever since I met you, I’ve been all about you.”

You pulled your lips between your teeth and stared at his chest, unseeing. Giddiness filled your tummy and white noise flooded your ears.

Harry picked up your hand and pressed a kiss to the palm. He watched you closely as he peppered kisses to your skin. “You’re thinking too hard, but I get it.”

“I think too hard about everything.” You mumbled. “Especially when it comes to you.”

“Is that a good thing?”

“I don’t know but I’ve always thought about you more than I’d like to.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. You’re very distracting.”

“Sounds like a compliment to me.” He said, and pecked your nose. “Shall we finish our movies and go to bed?”

Involuntarily, and as if prompted by the suggestion, you yawned. “Probably a good idea.”

Harry smiled, wrapped his arms around your middle and squeezed you tightly to his solid frame. “Let’s do it.”

~

Harry worked late a lot over the next week or so. He hated it mostly because it meant less time with you. Less conscious time, anyway. For the first few nights he’d come home to find you asleep and couldn’t bear the idea of accidentally waking you up, but after sharing a bed with you for so many nights now, it had been a hard drug to quit.

It was late now, well past midnight and you’d probably fallen asleep hours ago. But seeing you curled up and facing the window, sheets bunched up to your chin and face buried in your pillow, he couldn’t help himself.

He quietly stripped out of his clothes, save for his boxers, shut the door behind him and slid into bed beside you. He surrounded you with his warmth - arms around your middle and his face pressed between your shoulder blades. He tugged you backwards until your bodies were flush together, chest to back, and sponged a wet kiss into your shoulder.

You did rouse a little, giving out a soft, sleep-filled squeak. “Hi.”

He smiled, leaving another kiss closer to your neck. “Hi.”

“Wondered when you’d be back.” You said around a content sigh.

“And me.”

You giggled. You took a hand that clasped around your chest and brought it up to your lips. “Tried to stay awake for you but failed.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

“But I want to.”

He littered more kisses against your skin, because he could just never get enough of you. “Thank you.”

“Pleasure.”

“Now go back to sleep.”

“Yes sir.”

~

“You look different.”

You frowned, meeting your sister’s scrutinous eyes between washing a saucepan clean. You were washing, she was drying, like you always did. You didn’t trust her enough to actually clean the dirty tableware. Sometimes she didn’t properly dry things either, but you’d make the most of what you could.

“What do you mean?”

“I dunno.” She shrugged. “You’ve got a kind of… air about you.”

“Right…”

“Hey,” your dad appeared, nudging your sister’s arm, “maybe she’s got a boyfriend.”

Embarrassed heat filled your body.

“No, that’s not it.” Your sister shook her head. “Anyway, whatever you’re doing, keep doing it.”

“I don’t…” you didn’t know how to finish that.

Perhaps your many nights sharing a bed with Harry had been what she was talking about, but the label of boyfriend/girlfriend definitely hadn’t come up yet. You just liked each other. A lot. Add that to the fact that any night you shared a bed with him you didn’t wake up in cold sweats or choked screaming fits, it wasn’t exactly something you planned to stop doing any time soon.

“Oh my God, don’t overthink it like you do everything else. It’s a compliment. Take it.” She rolled her eyes.

“Aye, don’t be snotty.” Dad swatted your sister’s arm.

“I’m not!”

Your sister was younger than you, and for all eternity most definitely cooler. She was in school and that hadn’t changed into adulthood. It didn’t particularly bother you. Generally you got on very well, she just didn’t have a problem opening her mouth when she had an opinion.

“Anyway, don’t forget family dinner night. Next Friday?” Dad reminded you.

Ah yes. Family dinner night was not here at Dad’s house with just you and your sister. It was at the house with Dad, your sister, and all the housemates. George proclaimed it his favourite time of the month, because Dad, an ex-chef, always cooked. Harry, because of his often awkward shift work, was almost always absent.

“Okay.” You nodded.

After finishing your last dirty dish, you pulled your phone out.

Blackpool Tower

👑 ❌😃

Sometimes a text simply couldn’t be written exclusively in emojis, so you’d come up with a rule whereby if you needed to write one, you’d send a ❌😃 to alert them.

👑 Family dinner night next Friday. Be there or be square 💘

👰🏼 🤯🤩🤯🤩🤯

🌚 🎉🎉🎉

“You’re still doing the emoji thing?” Your sister asked with a narrowed gaze.

“We have another bet running to see who’ll crack first.”

“Right… will everyone come?”

“I don’t know. Maybe.”

“That’s me asking if Harry will be there, by the way.” She said with a smirk, nudging your arm.

If you didn’t know any better you’d be hot under the collar thinking she was onto you. The mention of his name got you flustered anyway, but you did know better. As any sensible woman would, your sister had a little thing for Harry that she’d never shied away from.

“I don’t know.” You repeated, somewhat irritated.

“Well, find out! Do I need to make an effort or not, you know?”

“I mean… he doesn’t usually come. So probably not.”

“Double check. To be safe. Or give me his number.”

“No.”

“Please?”

“No.”

“Bore.” She scoffed, and swished away.

~

Sundays were laundry day. Harry knew this, which is why he’d never do his on the same day. Everyone in the house knew that first thing on a Sunday morning you would head down to the basement with a book and a basket full and sit there until everything had been through the tumble dryer (unless it was delicate in which case you’d air it in your window for the day).

Today, though, Harry travelled from the top of the house to the very bottom and slipped inside the utility room, closing the door behind him before any of the other housemates could hear him.

“What are you doing?” You asked, voice light with laughter.

Harry’s gaze rested on you, full of some kind of infatuation. You were sitting atop the industrial-size tumble dryer in the far corner of the room, back against the wall and knees up, book held against your thighs.

He shrugged. “Wanted to come irritate you a bit.”

“You never irritate me.”

He grinned and put himself in your personal space. He found your bookmark and placed it between the pages, and then took it away, abandoning it. “Are you sure?”

You let him manoeuvre you; pulled you forward a little and spread your knees apart. Your legs fell over the side, resting either side of his hips, and your breathing quickened. He placed one hand on your thigh and the other stroked over your cheek.

“Feel free to interrupt laundry day any time you want.”

“That’s all I’ve ever wanted.”

You laughed at his mock genuine tone and brushed your fingertips against his lips. “You know, my sister has a massive thing for you.”

He stood quietly for a fraction of time, gaze assessing. “I would tease you about it but I just can’t. I kind of already guessed.”

“Did you?”

“Mhm. She’s not exactly subtle.”

“No, she’s not. She asked me for your number.”

“Did you give it to her?”

“What do you think?” You rolled your eyes.

He smirked. “You getting possessive of me?”

“Maybe. But she’s too self-absorbed to realise. She thinks I’m doing it because giving out your number willy nilly is morally wrong. Which it is. But yeah, I also just don’t want her to have it.”

His lips tightened, nose flared, eyes light - batting away a smile. “I think I like this side of you.”

You gave an uncharacteristic grunt, but your eyes never left him. “You look like a frog when you make that face.”

His face neutralised and he sucked in a breath. “You’re not the first person to tell me that.”

This visibly delighted you. “Maybe I’ll start calling you Froggy.”

“Too far.” He pinched your waist

You giggled, hands pressed against his chest. Your palms felt warm over his t-shirt and he never wanted you to take them away.

“How long left on your cycle?”

“Er…” your gaze dipped downwards to the screen on the washing machine. “Like, 20 minutes probably.”

“And then it’s going in the tumble dryer?”

“Yes… why?”

“Because,” he pecked your lips once, “I think I know,” he kissed your left cheek, “something we can do,” then your right cheek, “while we wait.”

Your gaze was curious and intense as he started sponging his lips down your front, from neck to chest to stomach. You reclined some, breathing heavy, and he pulled your legs up by the ankle and planted your feet back on top of the dryer.

“Oh,” you spoke, voice caught.

“You okay with this?” He asked hesitantly.

Even though you’d been sleeping side by side something close to 5 nights a week, your little dry humping session last weekend was as far as you’d gone in the sexual intimacy department.

You made a strangled noise. “Christ, yes.”

Grin fully spread across his face, he smoothed his palms up your thighs to your hips and tucked his fingers into the silky waistband of your pyjama bottoms.

“Can we take these off?”

You hummed an affirmed noise, and lifted your arse off the surface. In one smooth pull he had the garment off your legs and over his shoulder, probably in the same vicinity of the book he’d taken off you.

He met your gaze with a lifted brow. “Not a fan of knickers?”

“Not in my jim-jams, no.”

His smile blossomed like daffodils in spring. “That’s either the cutest or sexiest thing you’ve ever said.”

“Can we go with sexy considering what I hope you’re about to do?”

“Sure thing, cutie.”

You squealed a little at the name, but he couldn’t tell if you loved it or hated it. Regardless, he kept a firm grip on your legs and lowered his lips to your knee. In a slow, measured movement, he kissed his way up the inside of your legs with his hot, wet mouth.

Your breath was laboured as you watched him, eyes wide when he met your gaze again but so incredibly keen. To prove it, you pushed a hand through his curls and massaged his scalp, coaxing him forward.

“I’ve wanted to taste you for so fucking long.” He admitted, mouth dragging over the softest part of your thigh.

His hot breath fanned against your waiting lips and you visibly clenched.

“I’ve wanted you to, believe me.” Your voice was but a rasp.

“Yeah?” He sighed happily, left hand moving closer to your centre. He extended his thumb out, “Are you wet for me?” He pulled your lips apart, and the noise he made at the sight of you was practically carnal.

“Harry,” you whimpered, tugging on his hair.

He hummed again, face inching closer to your dripping lips. He licked between you, wetness collecting on his tongue. The taste of you was something better than he could’ve ever imagined and he growled because of it. He gripped your legs tighter, hesitant no more, and buried his face right between your soft thighs.

“Oh, God,” you whined. Your head lolled backwards and both fists found purchase in his beautiful hair, twisting and tugging.

He grunted in response to you, spurred on. He collected as much of your juice as he could, firm stroke after firm stroke of his perfectly capable tongue.

He played with your clit in a way that made you squirm and squeal, eliciting the most delectable little noises out of your hoarse throat. Harry didn’t hold back - he never had in that department. He went for it completely and utterly.

The washing machine launched into rapid spinning, filling the room with wheezing, screaming noises.

“Harry, don’t stop.” You begged, body rigid with desperate tension.

He obeyed your every word. He spread your legs further and further with his digging grip. He burrowed his face into your cunt, tongue plunging inside of you and spading inside your heat like a desperate gardener.

“Yes, yes, yes,” you panted as you lifted your head again to watch him.

His eyes were already on you, dark and hooded and filled with keen lust. His head moved with an eager precision like his mouth did. He wanted you this way. He’d wanted it for so long he couldn’t quite believe he was getting it. You were a goddess, ethereal and perfect.

The washing machine’s cycle reached its peak, vibrating harshly beside the two of you. It was deafening yet the least bit distracting.

Harry pursued his advances on your cunt relentlessly and without breath until your body went rigid and then shuddered. You screamed his name, withholding nothing, any cries drowned out by the washing machine. Your body visibly vibrated like the machine beside you, and eventually your limbs weakened to jelly.

Harry stood straight and helped you sit up again, wrapping his arms around your middle. He tucked your head into his neck and twisted his face into your hair.

“You’re right, that was incredibly sexy.” He mumbled.

He revelled in your returning laughter, the sound light and airy. You showed no shame in clinging onto him, fingers raking through the curls at the back of his neck.

“Maybe you can do it again later.” You suggested, lips sponging against the skin on his neck.

“Any time you like.”

After another minute or so you pulled away, eyes scouring his face. “You’re a mess, sir.” You commented as you wiped your thumb around his shiny mouth.

He made a wordless noise, held your wrist, and took your thumb in his mouth. “I’ll be a mess for you.”

“Perhaps I’ll be a mess for you, too.”

His brows shot up and it made you laugh. “It’s cruel to joke about that.”

“I’m not joking.”

He gave you a challenging look.

“Want me to prove it?” You offered.

Was it even worth the question? “Always.”

You grinned. “Let me put my washing in the dryer and I will.”

He took a step back and bent at the waist, arms extending like he was bowing. “M’lady.”

You hopped down from where you’d been sitting and pulled him in for a kiss.

“Sir.”

~

The kitchen was a hive. And a mess. There was shit everywhere and your anxiety was through the roof just looking at it. It wasn’t an unfamiliar sight because any kitchen your dad found himself in nowadays ended up looking like a pig sty but it didn’t settle the tightness in your chest.

He moved around the room with chaotic precision while you trailed after him tidying up any unnecessary mess, and your sister sat at the dining table Rhys and George had brought up from the basement an hour ago, scrolling through her phone.

“What about him?” Your sister flashed her screen to the two of you, the next Tinder profile filling it.

Your dad leaned over and squinted. “His eyes are too far apart.”

“Ugh. Knew you were gonna say that.” She grumbled.

This was a game you played regularly. Your sister would showcase potential Tinder matches either for her or for you (which you always declined to comment on), and your dad would garner his unfiltered opinion. It was probably a big part of the reason you were both still (technically) single. No one was ever good enough. That, and you didn’t have a Tinder account. Or any dating app account, actually.

“Him?” She flashed the next profile to you both.

Cute. But…

Not Harry.

Your inner tormentor smirked.

“What’s his anthem?” Dad knew all the terminologies now for the dating app world. He liked to call Hinge ‘UnHinged’, because that’s what the suitors on there usually were.

“Um… Wonderwall.”

You gagged, and Dad scoffed. “Next.”

You carried on for a little while, joining in when you felt like it but mostly just trying to keep the kitchen at an acceptable level of clean.

Rhys, Abbie and George were upstairs getting themselves ready for dinner as if it was some kind of gala they were about to attend. They did it everytime; dinner with Dad felt like an occasion. Harry wasn’t home and you hadn’t worked up the nerve to ask if he was going to be. He left at such a weird time this morning you couldn’t figure out what shift he was on and how that would affect his ‘home time’.

“Lay the table please, poppet?” Your dad asked of your sister, because he knew it was the only task she’d willingly do.

She leapt to her feet in a dramatic flurry and made for the cutlery draw. “Have we got enough for matching sets?”

“Very unlikely.” You muttered. You hadn’t eaten dinner with matching cutlery since you moved in.

The front door opened, cold air blustering in and mixing with the heat of the kitchen. Harry stepped in, bundled up in a big coat and rucksack slung over one shoulder.

“Hope I’m not late.” He said in a gravelly voice, smile sheepish.

“Harry!” Dad greeted him with complete joy. “Wasn’t expecting you, what a nice surprise.”

Your sister looked flustered all of a sudden. She’d convinced herself he wasn’t coming. Part of you had, too.

“I’ll just change and be back down.”

“Sure, we’ve got a bit of time yet.” Dad waved him away.

You’d pretended to busy yourself, but you watched as he headed for the stairs and caught the subtle wink he gave you.

Ah shit.

“What am I going to do?” Your sister panicked. “I'm a disaster - I look hideous.”

“No you don’t.” You grumbled. She’d never looked hideous in her life.

“Can I borrow some makeup?”

It was easier to just give her what she wanted rather than fighting her on it. “Sure - what do you need?”

She listed off a bunch of makeup items, most of which sounded completely foreign so you were sure you didn’t have them. You’d just give her your entire makeup bag and let her do what she wanted.

You knocked on Harry’s door before you went back down, makeup bag in hand. He opened in just his jeans, a light straight-leg pair with gaping holes at the knees.

“Hey,” he smiled, and rested an arm against the doorframe.

“Hi… I thought you’d be working late?”

He shook his head. “I was supposed to be. Swapped my shift ‘cause I always miss family dinner.”

“I see… well, you’ve successfully panicked my sister.”

“That was my plan all along, actually.”

“Mhm, sure.” You bit away a smirk. You liked this playful side of him a lot. “If you need half an hour to mentally prepare… I’d take it.”

“Noted, thank you.”

You left him to change and made your way back downstairs. Your sister eagerly took your makeup from you and dashed to the bathroom on the first floor.

Neither she nor Harry, or anyone else for that matter, came down until it was time to sit down.

Your dad sat at the head of the table as he always did, spread laid out in front of you in the middle. You sat to your dad’s right on the corner, and your sister to the left. You knew she was going to try and save the seat on her other side for Harry, but George ended up taking it instead, which visibly irritated her. She did have a particular ‘gay man’s best friend’ vibe about her - they flocked to her like sheep. Abbie sat at the other head, Rhys on her left, and then Harry sandwiched between Rhys and you.

He squeezed your thigh under the table, and you tried to pretend like it didn’t have some obscene effect on your intimate places. You lightly kicked his shin and started piling food onto your plate.

Like some kind of mafia father, your dad went around the table and asked all of the housemates for an update on their lives. He liked to do this, and fortunately your housemates liked pleasing him. He was a good landlord, and that showed by the way they gravitated towards him. He probably wouldn’t do this sort of thing if you weren’t living there, but he had a responsibility to them as tenants as well as you, his eldest daughter.

When you were done eating you sat back in your chair and put your hands in your lap. Harry didn’t hesitate to take one in his own and link your fingers. You peeked up at him as subtly as possible, unable to fight the giddy warmth that spread through you. He didn’t meet your gaze for the sake of keeping everyone else out of your business, but he did squeeze your hand, which only made the airy, slightly delirious feeling inside of you that much stronger.

Your sister spent 20 minutes talking about herself without breath, and as self-absorbed as she was, she was harmless, really. Not to mention entertaining. You never laughed as much as you did when she had her mouth open.

“Harry, you should come to these more often.” She said to him, batting her eyelashes.

You were about to walk her and your dad to the car and send them on their way. Harry was trying his absolute hardest to escape.

He cleared his throat. “I probably should, yeah.”

“It was good having an extra nice body.”

You gave her a look, brow raised. She shrugged. “I think it’s home time, no?” You prompted, gripping her arms and nudging her away.

“Fine.” She huffed, and began walking towards the street. “Bye team!”

Most people had already disappeared to their rooms but you had to admire her spirit. Dad was already gone, eager to go to bed.

You were halfway to the car when your sister asked, “So are you gonna tell me or what?”

You met her gaze with another raised brow. “Tell you what, exactly?”

“Mate,” she swatted my arm, “I am not an idiot. I know when I’m not wanted, because it’s not often.” She could not get any more vain if she tried. “I always did wonder what I had to do to get Harry’s attention better, and today I finally figured it out. I need to be you.”

Ah. Not as ignorant as she appears, then.

You pressed your mouth closed, looking away. “Er,”

“Don’t ‘er’ me. I saw that wink he gave you when he got home, but I thought he was just trying to wind me up. And then he sat next to you, not by choice it seemed, but there was barely an inch of space between you and practically a metre between him and Rhys. Then he just didn’t stop looking at you, even though he pretended he wasn’t. Let me tell you, that boy has not learned the art of subtlety.”

She turned to you then, a searing gaze heavy. “Look, I don’t know if you’re aware of it, or if you’re already shaggin’ him and lying to me about it-,”

“-We’re not having sex.” Yet.

“Okay, fine. Whatever. Just do something about it, please. If I can’t have him you should. Don’t let a man that beautiful go to waste. You hear me?”

“Loud and clear.”

“Good.” She huffed, and then pulled you in for a tight hug. “Fed up of seeing you alone and underselling yourself. You’re hot shit! I know it, and Harry clearly knows it.” She suddenly takes your face in her grasp. “So do something about it.”

~

You appeared in the doorway of Harry’s room around 20 minutes later, fresh-faced and in your PJs. He was reading in bed, having stolen a book out of your cupboard.

“Is he secretly in love with her?” He asked without taking his eyes off the pages, his long finger brushing the spine.

You squinted at the title as you moved closer to him. “Yes. What made you pick that one?”

“Because it’s obviously your favourite.”

“How’d you work that one out?”

“The spine is cracked beyond belief. It’s nearly falling apart.”

“I might’ve bought it from a charity shop.”

He lifted a brow. “Did you?”

“No.”

He put the book aside, focussing all of his attention on you. You’d sat down cross-legged on top of the covers, and you wore a calm yet unreadable expression. There was a hint of something in your eyes. Infatuation, maybe?

“What’s going on?”

You shook your head, smiling. “Nothing. I’m just… happy.”

“Me too.”

You remained quiet for a moment, gazing at one another in a comfortable silence. Eventually, Harry opened his arms in request of your embrace, and you gave it to him without hesitation. You settled against him, head tucked under his chin.

“I like this, Harry. Us.”

“So do I.” He nodded, pressing his lips into your hair. “A lot.”

“You make it easier.”

“Make what easier?” He asked, and then held his breath.

A beat passed. “Life. Sleeping. Consciousness. Cooking. Just… being.”

“That’s a very big compliment.”

“I mean it.”

“I know you do.”

When you peered up at him, he lowered his mouth to yours for a slow and tender kiss. It wasn’t abrasive or demanding; it was perfect. Full of an understanding that neither of you expected to find in another person.

“Tell me about your nightmares.”

“I don’t have them when I’m with you.” You admitted, as if he hadn’t already worked it out. When he didn’t respond to you, you reluctantly continued. “They’re about my mum. She died in a car accident a few years ago and I dream about it sometimes.”

Harry’s heart found its way into his mouth. “You were there?”

“No. My sister was. I was with dad - it was a weekend. Me and dad at his work cooking, mum and my sister shopping in town. Were on their way back and someone just ploughed into the side of the car, driver’s side. She died on impact and my sister was in hospital for a week.”

Harry held onto you tighter, his lips against your temple. “I’m sorry.” He whispered.

“It’s okay…” you swallowed, body tensed in stillness. “I dream about that day a lot. Mostly the part where Dad broke the news to me. Seeing my sister in the hospital plugged in and drugged up. The funeral; the look on Dad’s face. I wake up crying more than screaming, usually.”

He took a deep breath, and he clung to you like you might disappear. “I’m really sorry. Sorry that happened to you and your family, and that you have to relive it most nights. That’s not fair.”

You met his gaze, cupping his cheek. “Ever since we started doing… this, I haven’t had a single one. Not even on the nights we don’t share a bed. I don’t know why, I guess my conscience has decided it’s safe with you. And I do feel safe with you.”

“Then I will stay with you every night to make sure you never have a bad dream again.” He vowed, turning his head enough to kiss your palm. “I like knowing that you feel safe with me. S’a pretty big compliment.”

“I’m full of those when it comes to you.”

His chest swelled, a helpless smile on his face. “Even when you tell me I look like a frog.”

You snorted and hid your face in his chest. “You do, though.”

“Okay, thank you.” He huffed, feigning offence, but he didn’t let you go; didn’t loosen his hold on you.

You talked late into the night until you fell asleep, wrapped around one another and bundled under his bedclothes. Having you so close and being so open gave Harry a sense of clarity. He’d had an attraction to you since the day he met you, but this was turning into something more. Feelings were now coming up to bat, and he had a pretty solid idea of where they were heading.

~

“You are filthy.”

You wiped your brow, meeting Abbie’s gaze with indifference. “I am not letting this garden turn into a jungle again like it did last year.”

“I know, but I’ve never seen you so dirty. You’re the cleanest person I know.”

“Believe me, I’ll be jumping straight in the shower once I’m done.”

It was the warmest day of spring so far, and for once it wasn’t raining, so you’d taken the opportunity the second you had it to get outside and sort the garden out. The winter had turned it into a tangled overgrown mass of green mess, and you’d been desperate to get it sorted.

Abbie had offered to help but had realised very quickly that she was out of her depth, and eventually offered moral support in lieu of the physical kind. You didn’t mind the company - it beat waiting inside for Harry to come home, alone all day.

You chopped away at the forest that had grown, turned the soil over when you found it, and potted some new plants to give it some life. By the time Harry came home your legs were covered in dirt, cuts and fresh bruises, nail beds black, hair full of dead foliage, and just downright sweaty.

Abbie had surrendered to the house to be entertained by Rhys, and George wasn’t home. He was never home much anymore, you were all under the impression he had a boyfriend.

Harry helped you to your feet where you were kneeling in the soil, eyes giving you a thorough once over. “You look…”

“Filthy. Yes, I know.”

He grinned. “Yeah, but I like it.”

“Really?”

He followed you as you collected your gardening tools and hid them in the shed tucked against the side of the house. “Absolutely. You’re so clean and put together all the time, it’s kinda nice seeing you a bit roughed up.”

You hummed out a laugh. “Interesting.”

Harry boxed you up against the wall, out of sight of any of your nosey housemates. His hips trapped yours, hands holding your sides at the ribs. Without a hint of hesitation, he pressed his mouth to yours, eagerness overpowering tenderness.

You simply let him, never one to deny the most handsome man you knew a hot and heavy kiss. You enjoyed being wanted by him. Who the fuck wouldn’t?

“I’ll let you go shower.”

“Okay.” You murmured, delirious.

He pulled away, giving your hip one last squeeze before he vanished into the house. You spent five more minutes in the garden making sure you’d tidied up after yourself, and took some pictures to send to your dad.

Your shower was longer than you’d have liked thanks to the state of you, and in turn it took you longer to clean the bathroom down than usual. You were starving by the time you got back to the top floor.

Harry was at his desk when you slipped inside his room, browsing something on his laptop.

His room and yours were polar opposites of one another. Where you hid all your belongings, made your bed and kept things as minimal as possible, Harry had more shit than necessary. A bulging wardrobe, unmade bed, things everywhere. He was a man with stuff, and lots of it. Sometimes it made you itch. But he wasn’t dirty in any capacity. It smelled of fresh linen and clean air all the time.

“Do you feel better?” He asked, closing the lid on his laptop again.

“Mm. Loads better.” You gave him a warm smile as you perched on the edge of his bed.

He rolled over to you but abandoned the chair halfway to stand up. Then he crawled over you, forcing you to lie backwards and caged you against the bed.

“You smell amazing.” He said with a voice like gravel.

You ran a hand down his front and slipped it under his t-shirt, trailing your fingertips over his chest. “Thank you,”

He lowered onto his forearm, face an inch from yours and groin against your pelvis. You inhaled sharply, noticing the very obvious stiffness coming from Harry’s midsection. His hand smoothed the length of your side, down your thigh to your knee and then back up again to your arse.

He met your mouth with a kiss, deep and hungry. Dizzying. He led and he was all over you, tongue devouring yours.

“It was a lot harder than it should’ve been to not follow you into the shower.” He admitted.

You let out a soft whine and fisted his t-shirt, pulling him flush against your chest. You wanted to feel the weight of him on you. “You should’ve.”

He returned that with a growl, and his hand on your arse gripped tighter. Your name tumbled off his lips in a husky plea, “I want you so fuckin’ bad.”

Hooking your legs around his hips and pushing his centre against yours, you gave him the silent go-ahead. You looped your arms around his shoulders, fingers tangling in his hair.

“I’m right here, and you can have me.”

Something inside Harry snapped. Any reservations about your desire for him vanished. His kisses became punishing and carnal. His hands on you a little rougher than before, than ever. Possessive.

You helped him out of his top and in turn he helped you out of yours. You scooched backwards up the bed as he drank you in. It wasn’t lost on you that this was the first time he’d seen your top half naked. Somehow, amongst all the nights of bed-sharing, you’d never been fully naked.

His eyes were dark, hooded. He looked at you like you were his last meal, and honestly you lived for it. You wanted to die under that gaze.

“You’re so sexy.”

You bit away a timid, flustered smile. Bashfulness wasn’t sexy.

He stalked you like a wild cat as you lay back. His mouth and hands descended on you again, searching and exploring every inch of you, searing hot and wet kisses into your skin.

His hands slipped into your pyjama bottoms, feeling around your arse again before he tugged them down your legs, leaving you completely stark under his burning gaze. A strangled moan fell out of him while he regarded your naked form, hands smoothing and squeezing your hips, your waist, your boobs.

“You’re so fucking soft.” He said the words like praise.

You laid your hands on his as they travelled over you, and he pushed his mouth back to yours in that same eager dance as before. He ground himself against you, hard as a rock underneath his joggers, and it was doing all sorts to your core. Your heartbeat fell down and down again to your middle, slick heat flourishing between your legs.

“Please, Harry,” you begged him, pushing his hand down.

“What do you need?” He asked, a little cruelly, as if he didn’t know exactly what you needed.

“Touch me.”

The man gargled at you. He was fucking strangled. He traced between your thighs delicately to the point it tickled, and swiped a finger easily in a stripe up your folds, wetness collecting.

“Like that?”

“Yes.” You wriggled under him, desperate for more. “More.”

He played with your clit teasingly, enjoying the way you squirmed. “More?” He asked as he slid a finger into your waiting heat.

A small cry left you. It wasn’t enough and he knew it. “More.”

“Bossy, aren’t you?”

You whined. Now you were the one being carnal. You gripped his head tightly and kept your mouth to his, tongue abrasive and lashing.

While he wound you up in the most irritating way, you found your own ways to move him on. Your feet dug into the backs of his thighs and pushed downwards at an attempt to budge his joggers off. You didn’t want to wait anymore. You wanted him in all his solid glory, right now.

“Are you trying to take my bottoms off with your feet?”

“Yes.” You grunted.

“Oh,” he gave you a dark laugh as his kisses trailed back down your front, “that’s gonna cost you.”

He licked around your belly button, the warmth of his hands vanishing from your body to push his joggers down. He gave your cunt the shortest, most mind-blowing piece of attention with his mouth, dragging noises out of you that you weren’t even aware you could make. Then he turned you over without warning, on your front, and tugged your arse up to rest against his crotch.

You gasped, excited by the somewhat aggressive nature he’d taken on. Your Harry - soft and gentle as they got - man-handling you. You peered at him over your shoulder as he produced a square foil wrapper from somewhere and ripped it open with his teeth. He watched you watching him as he rolled it down his shaft, drawing your attention to it - visually, anyway - for the first time. You had to swallow the lump in your throat.

“This what you wanted, darlin’?” He asked as he smoothed his hand over your arse, but his gaze never left you. “You want me to fill you up with my cock?”

“God yes.” You said without a hint of a waver.

“You want it like this?” He lined himself up, fisting himself at the base, and glided the head of him through your wet, parted, waiting folds.

“Yes.” You whimpered. “Please. Please please please.”

He made that noise again, his large fist grabbing your hip as he hovered at your entrance, and then he thrust himself inside you.

A ripping, searing pain had you wanting to scream so loudly you had to shove your face into the mattress to muffle it. An ache blossomed in place of the initial pain, one that was all too familiar and yet quite unfamiliar. It had been absent, like a friend who lived too far away. Now it homed itself inside of you like it belonged there. Perhaps it did, and the only way to quell it was to entertain it.

“Jesus fucking Christ, you feel good.” He hissed, his hands squeezing your hips and your bum in turn.

Harry pulled out, enough that only his head remained inside you, and then he gave another powerful thrust until he completely filled you. “So fucking good, my God.”

He started moving, in steady, sharp movements. He didn’t want slow. Hell, you didn’t want slow. You wanted fast and hot and sweaty, and that’s exactly what he gave you.

Harry started fucking into you so viciously you could feel it in every part of your body, from the jiggle of your tits to the shake of your arse to the rock of your hips. Oh, and the stretch of his cock as he buried deeper and deeper inside you. Every part of your body was aflame with need, a desire, a craving to be fucked into oblivion.

His hands were on your hips again, fingertips digging into your skin. He rocked you back and forth in time with his thrusts, not that you needed him to. You were doing that all on your own.

He grunted and hissed through every single powerful drive of his cock into your cunt, your name tumbling out of his mouth over and over again.

“Harry,” you whimpered, “harder.”

He growled and obeyed, pistoning inside of you.

“Yes, oh fuck yes.” You cried, head burrowing again.

You felt him on you, all over you then, his chest against your back, lips kissing your shoulders and his arms with a vice grip around your middle. His skin was tacky, as was yours. You were surrounded by a cloud of packed heat, like a humid summer day.

“You are…” Harry began to say, panting in your ear, and his head shook against you, “fuck, I can’t even think straight.”

You moaned, lifting up and twisting your head in search of him. He caught your chin and brought your lips to his in another deep, claiming kiss. You wanted every kiss to be like that from then on - owning, possessing, asserting. You were his and you wanted him to know it.

He gave another round of punishing thrusts before he made a winded noise, “Turn over,” he pleaded, “I want to see your face.”

A whimper fell out of your mouth when his thickness disappeared from inside you, and he helped you onto your back before he got straight back in there. He was low over you, chest on your chest, hand on the back of your thigh, and his eyes roamed your face while it contorted with pleasure.

He hooked your leg over his hip and went harder. Harder, faster, harder, faster. Your head lolled back and a string of curse words fell out of your mouth. His lips danced across your chest and you tangled your fingers in his hair to keep him there. There was nothing better than being worshipped by a mouth. Especially Harry’s mouth.

He licked and sucked over your skin until your boobs and sternum were littered with little purple spots of lust, and honestly you didn’t care. You wanted them all over you. You wanted yours all over him.

His hips never stopped moving - pushing, pushing, pushing you towards a beautiful, glorious high like a high-speed train ploughing towards a dangerous cliff edge. God, you wanted that edge and you wanted it now. You wanted to be flung off it whilst securely attached to the man currently pushing you there.

You pulled Harry’s mouth back to yours, holding your body to him as you clenched, milking him towards his end and yours. You needed it. Your head was about to explode with rampant thoughts and you needed to wash them away.

“Fuck, Harry,” you whispered, neck and shoulders spiked with heat. It radiated off you.

“I know.” He groused and bit your lower lip. “I’m fucking close. So fucking close, and I’m gonna blow if you keep doing that.”

“Please do it,” you begged, clenching again to feel his growl in your mouth, “come, Harry.”

And boy did he fucking come.

His body wracked with a shudder, movements ceasing as you wrapped yourself tightly around him. His muscles rippled beneath your fingertips while he came, oblivious to your own masterful undoing.

You calmed together, lips moving in tender kisses until your breath was caught again and your limbs were sore. You deflated when Harry abandoned you to clean himself up, and you dipped into your bedroom to do the same when you found the strength.

When he came back you snuggled up to him in his bed, between his legs with your head on his chest. His lips grazed through your hair, breathing light and content.

“I am… fucking obsessed with you.” He mumbled.

You traced your fingers over the hair and the swallows on his chest, a warmth filling you, like an acceptance. Being wanted hadn’t mattered to you until now. Until Harry.

“I… am also quite infatuated with you. And I have been for some time. Just… quietly.”

“You been sniffin’ my bed sheets while I’m at work?”

You giggled and nuzzled closer to him. “No. Not recently, anyway.”

“Not recently?”

“I’ve never sniffed your bed sheets, Harry.”

“I wouldn’t mind if you did.”

“I’m weird, but I’m not that weird.”

“But you’ve been infatuated with me for ages.”

“Not enough to go into your room and sniff your bed sheets.”

“Did you do anything a bit weird?”

“No.”

“Really? Not even… a little… you know?”

You gave him a bewildered look, and he waggled his eyebrows at you.

Haha. You totally did that, you creep.

“Maybe.” You murmured, hiding your face again.

He chuckled and held onto you tightly. “I did, too. Feeling’s always been mutual, darlin’.”

You heaved a content sigh. “I’m glad it was. I really do like this. Us.”

“Me too.”

~

Harry had been living life with a permanent spring in his step. He had you, living in the same house and sharing a bed, cooking at dinner time, shagging at night time, and just generally being wonderful, fantastic, gorgeous, brilliant you.

Tonight you were at your dad’s house with your sister so he was cooking alone, but George was in the living room watching one of those daft culinary competition programs on Channel 4, the commentary filtering out with an occasional expletive. Abbie and Rhys were out but would likely be home soon. You’d be back eventually, too, and he liked knowing that nowadays you came home to him.

Rhys and Abbie came back first. Harry had decided to join George in the living room, too intrigued by the shouty drama on Come Dine With Me to ignore it.

Abbie gasped at the TV. “This is the one!” She squealed.

“What one?” Rhys demanded. “Oh, yes!”

“What am I missing?” Harry asked, a little bewildered.

George shushed everyone with a finger to his lips. “I’ve been talking him through it but I want him to see.” He flailed a hand in the couple’s direction.

All four pairs of eyes glued to the TV, a vetted interest in the argument unfolding. The contestants from that week’s episodes were gathering in the final host's living room, bank notes spread in a circle atop a silver tray and holding up a scroll wrapped in red ribbon.

The front door of the house opened again, and in you waltzed, a baffled look on your face. Very rarely did you come home to find everyone in the living room.

Abbie squeaked your name, begging you to join before it kicked off on the telly. “Come on, quick.” She patted the space between her and Harry, conveniently.

His eyes were no longer interested in the TV drama, only in you.

“In fourth place is… me.”

“Ah,” you said in recognition of the scene on the telly as you sat down. Your arm brushed against Harry’s as you tucked your right foot under your left thigh, and caught yourself before you settled into his side like you normally would.

A chorus of patronising oohs filled the room from the contestants on the screen. The host was shaking his head.

“Wait, is this the-,”

“You won, Jane.”

Barking laughter filled the room from the housemates, including Harry, but the host didn’t stop there.

“Dear Lord, what a sad little life, Jane.”

“You’ve got that on a T-shirt!” Harry swatted George’s arm.

“Damn right I do.” He grinned. “Cultural icon.”

“You, or the bloke having an aneurysm?”

“Both.”

“... grace of a reversing dump truck.”

More squeals filled the room, as if the entire scene hadn’t been a meme for years now.

Abbie patted your shoulder. “Did you see the video of Penn Badgley doing this?”

“Obviously.”

“Wait, I wanna see.” Rhys frowned.

Episode forgotten, Abbie found the clip on her phone and showed it to everyone.

“Oh my God, I think I’m going to hear it in that voice forever now.” George muttered, a wistful look in his eyes.

“Shall we watch a movie or something?” Abbie suggested, a hopeful look in her eye. “We never do anything all together… it would be nice.”

“I’m up for that.” Rhys grinned, because why would he ever turn down one of his girlfriend’s ideas?

“Yeah, me too.” George nodded.

All eyes turned to you and Harry. You couldn’t very well say no now, it would look odd. Especially if you both did, which is what you both wanted to do. There were two perfectly good beds upstairs, one of which needed to be destroyed. That wasn’t very well going to happen if you both sat on the couch and watched a film with your housemates.

“Yeah, sure.” You finally said, because you hated the way everyone was looking at you.

“Go for it.” Harry managed, much worse at hiding his disapproval than you were.

“How are we going to decide, then? ‘Cause I don’t really watch the horror films you two are into,” George pointed between Abbie and Rhys, “and Harry probably only watches underground indie movies or something.”

Harry had no idea what gave him that impression, but the laugh that came out of your mouth - hearty, loud and delighted - was worth the assumption.

“Why don’t we all write a movie name down on a piece of paper that we’ll all like - a comedy or something - and do a raffle.”

“Okay, but who’s choosing?”

Harry rolled his eyes and waited for the inevitable to happen. George and Abbie fought for five minutes, both arguing that one of them should choose, and then the decision was given to you as the honorary house mediator. Everyone wrote their choices down on a scrap of paper and dropped them all into one of Rhys’s beanies. Then you closed your eyes, body screaming reluctance at having to be the decision-maker, and plucked a folded square out.

Your mouth lifted at the corners. “Shrek 2.”

Snacks were brought in, beers were shared out, and someone pressed play on the film where it had been queued up.

“Wait!” George screamed.

You all looked at him, bewildered by his dramatics. He’d even stood up.

“What?” Rhys gave him a baffled look.

“I wanna sit in the armchair.” George pointed to the very one Rhys sat in. “I don’t wanna sit in a couple sandwich. A third wheel is bad enough, but a fifth wheel is a disaster.”

“What are you talking about?” Harry asked, laughter nervous and the ultimate giveaway.

“Oh fuck off if you two think we don’t all know you’re a thing.”

Your body tensed. Harry could feel it, the way you went from soft to rigid in a split second. “What?”

“We’ve known for ages.” Abbie said with a sweet smile.

“Yeah, like, the second Harry moved in.” George rolled his eyes.

“But we haven’t been-,”

“-Maybe not the whole time, but definitely recently. I can hear the floorboards creak, you know.” George gave you an accusatory glance. Curse him living directly beneath you. “Amongst other things.”

Harry wasn’t sure whether he was relieved or whether he wanted the ground to swallow him whole. His cheeks and the tips of his ears had turned pink, and you looked like you were in shock. “Right…”

“I am slightly offended that you didn’t want us to know.” Rhys folded his arms. “What did you think was gonna happen?”

He had a point. What did you think was going to happen? Mild ribbing and inappropriate jokes? It wasn’t exactly any of their business what the two of you were doing on the top floor, but that didn’t mean you’d needed to hide everything from them. Why had you stopped yourselves from being affectionate when around them? They were your friends. You all had inside jokes and a group chat and emoji code names. They were like a second family in a way. Even though you all enjoyed your own company, you liked each other too.

“I think… for a while we didn’t really know what was happening.” Harry finally spoke, twisting in his place. “We just started hanging out and it kinda grew from there.”

“I called this on day one, by the way.” George said smugly.

“It’s true, he did.” Abbie nodded, still smiling. “Two good-looking people at the top of the house? Recipe for heaven.”

“We’re happy it finally happened. Just… don’t hide shit like that from us. We’re all friends.” George was back to scowling.

“Friends.” Rhys cooed, like Jay from The Inbetweeners.

“Anyway, now that’s all out there, can we start the film please? Or it’s gonna be my bedtime.” Abbie flailed her hand around.

The movie started, everyone settled into their places, and you managed to find a comfortable position against Harry’s side.

Even though you chatted along with conversations and laughed at the telly, Harry knew something was off. You were still tense, and you didn’t touch him like you normally would. He wanted you in his arms, not pushed awkwardly against his side. He wasn’t sure if it was because you were uncomfortable displaying affection in front of other people, but whatever it was he wanted to make it go away.

He shifted at one point in an attempt to wrap an arm around your middle, but instead you moved further away. That utterly terrified him.

As the movie credits rolled, everyone started to move, ready to get to bed for the night. Except you.

“Guys,” You said, quiet as a mouse, but everyone heard you. Because you never stopped anyone for anything, “can we all have a chat?”

Dread nestled itself into Harry’s stomach. A chat? About what? Everyone? Why did everyone have to be present? What was going on?

The housemates sat back down, if a little tentatively, gazes wary. You finally gave Harry your attention, if only fleetingly with a worried smile.

“Are you alright?” Abbie asked and pulled your hand into hers.

Harry leaned forwards.

“You’ll all be getting an email tomorrow, but I wanted to tell you in person.” You licked your lips, stare heavy on the stone floor of the living room. “Dad is selling the house.”

~

A little piece of your heart broke that evening when your dad told you his plans to sell. It was a place that you had such an odd relationship with, because while it cost a lot of money and caused a lot of financial problems, it also brought you a family you never asked for and a man you never dreamed of having.

You knew your dad would try and hold onto it as long as he possibly could because it had become your home, and he’d been in bits over dinner as he broke the news. He cried, so you cried, and then your sister cried, too. Everyone had been a mess.

“What?” George said, dumbfounded. Hell, everyone was dumbfounded.

“It’s the last thing he wanted to do, but it’s kind of burning a hole in his pocket and we can’t afford it anymore. Between the leaking second floor and dodgy plumbing there’s also woodworm and stone repairs and all sorts of other crap I don’t want to bore you with.”

“You found this out today?” Abbie asked, bottom lip trembling.

“Yeah, an hour or so ago. I’m really sorry, guys.”

“Don’t be sorry.” Rhys frowned.

Abbie crawled across the small gap between her and you and wrapped her arms around you. “We get it. It’s old, it’s a bit rickety and it needs a lot of TLC. We all know your dad gave it all the care he could afford and it’s okay that he can’t afford it anymore.”

“How long do we have to find new places?” George asked, biting his lip.

“As long as it takes to sell. Given the condition of the place it could be fuckin’ ages.” You managed a laugh.

“If your dad needs us to do anything, he just needs to let us know. And we’ll make sure it’s tidy as fuck for viewings and shit.”

“Thanks, Rhys.”

The housemates starting shifting again, collecting up their bits and leaving with softly spoken good nights. You still didn’t move, and neither did Harry. After a quiet minute or so, he slipped his hand into yours and gave it a gentle squeeze.

“What are you thinking?” He asked in a gravelly whisper.

You took a deep breath, nibbling away at your lower lip. “That I’m scared.”

“Scared?”

“Mhm.”

“Scared about what?”

You turned to face him, cataloguing every crease of worry on his handsome face. “Us. What this means for us.”

He gently cupped your cheek, his thumb stroking over your cheekbone. “What do you think it means for us?”

“Well, I don’t know. I’m scared it means the end, when I don’t want it to. I’m scared that what we’ve been doing is just… convenient? And now that we have to leave it won’t be so convenient anymore and it will be over.”

“You don’t want it to be over.” It wasn’t a question.

“No. Not even a little bit. I… I don’t want a night without you ever again. I can sleep with you around. I can breathe. I need to breathe, and I can’t do that without you. And part of me hates that I need you, but I do, and the rest of me that doesn’t hate it tells me to fuck everything to the wind. Because it’s not just need, it’s also a want. I just want you around, like you have been. Presence is such a funny thing when it comes from different people, but yours… I like yours. A lot.”

Harry spoke your name in a low voice, gaze on your mouth as he smoothed his thumb across your lower lip, “I don’t want it to be over, either.” He meets your gaze again, cool, calm and collected. “I really hoped it wouldn’t be at any stage ever, least not because we have to leave the house and find another one. I’ve been living with you for three fucking years and I also don’t want to have to spend a night where you don’t live with me. Hell, it’s not even a fucking option. I know you love this place because it’s your family’s, but I don’t care where we live as long as we do it together. I’ve been looking at other places since the day I moved in, and the only reason I haven’t bothered to leave is because you kept me here, whether you meant to or not. And now we have to leave, and I’m sure as shit gonna take you with me, because I can’t live without you.”

You stared at him for a moment, and then launched into his arms, tackling him into the sofa. You peppered his face with kisses until he caught your lips and held you there, happy in the knowledge that you needed each other and that was absolutely fucking okay.

“You’re special to a lot of people, but especially to me.” Harry mumbled into your lips. “I’m selfish enough to not let you go.”

“I don’t want you to.”

“Good.”

You remained in the lounge for a little while longer, wrapped up in one another, until movement began upstairs and you decided it was probably time to head upstairs to bed. Before you made it to the stairs, Rhys and George appeared in front of you. Rhys looked apprehensive and George looked irritated he’d been dragged out of his room again.

“What’s going on?” You asked, cocking your head.

“Abbie’s in the loo so I’m gonna make this real quick before she comes back.” Rhys threw a wary glance over his shoulder. “I need your help.”

~

Every morning was the same.

This week it had been, anyway. You woke up with the sunrise, wrapped in Harry’s arms, and you listened to his heartbeat and his unconscious breathing for a blissful twenty minutes before his alarm went off. Then he’d fall out of bed with a reluctant yawn, mooch his way around the room and disappear into the bathroom to get ready for work.

Upon reappearing he’d head to the kitchen to make a coffee and leave a cup of tea on your bedside table, then a kiss on your lips, and then you’d watch the man who defined ‘sex on legs’ leave your apartment from the comfiest spot in the bedroom.

Today was the same, but different. He wasn’t going to work today, and neither were you. It meant longer in bed, with enough time for sexy shenanigans, then he’d make for the bathroom, bring you tea afterwards and breakfast.

You spent the day in bed, right up until 5 o’clock when you had to get up and go out to give your keys back.

Yes, your dad had managed to sell the house. It had taken a while, but it got there. The new owners were moving in tomorrow, and you’d all arranged to meet your dad and your sister there to do a final ‘handover’.

George had moved into a studio flat in the centre of town but spent most of his nights at his boyfriend’s place. Rhys and Abbie had finally bought that house they always wanted, out of town but easy to travel into. And you and Harry also had your own place, still renting and in the city, but it was yours together, and that was all you wanted.

“Are you nervous?” Harry asked as you walked up to the front of old Blackpool Tower.

“I’m not the one that needs to be nervous.” You shrugged, even if you had been the one to help Rhys with most of the planning.

He’d been a lot of work over the past few weeks. After he initially asked for your help he spent so long searching for the damn jewellery he forgot about the rest of it. You had reminded him on many occasions that it didn’t need a big song and dance, but he insisted, because he wanted it in the house you’d all shared with her favourite people to witness it.

The garden was lit up in the early evening with fairy lights and candles. George, your sister and your dad were already at the far end waiting for Rhys and Abbie to arrive. You gave over your keys - dad had the house professionally cleaned even though you had offered, because it was too big a task for one person.

Blackpool Illuminations

Rhys We’re nearly there…

Yes, Rhys had really named the group chat for the planning committee ‘Blackpool Illuminations’.

You stood next to your sister who wrapped herself around your middle, and Harry kept hold of your free hand.

“I hope she says no.” Your sister said, and Harry snorted. “Just for a laugh.”

“I don’t think Abbie has it in her to say no to Rhys.” You mused.

Five minutes later the couple in question turned up. Abbie had no idea what was going on, obviously. She’d been told they were going for dinner and then for a walk. The walk was always supposed to end here, at the old house.

Abbie gasped at the sight before her, hands on her mouth as she moved through the garden. “What’s going on?”

Behind her, Rhys swiftly dropped to one knee and presented the ring he’d spent months agonising over. “Abbie,”

You all watched and listened as Rhys spent five minutes talking about how perfect his girl was for him. It was very typical Rhys - overboard and unnecessarily long. Most things maybe could’ve been kept for his wedding vows.

Just as your sister was about to explode from restlessness, Rhys finally asked, “Will you marry me?”

“I would’ve said yes five minutes ago.” Abbie giggled, nodding, and held her left hand out.

George and your sister started hollering, your dad was pretending not to cry, and you fell into Harry’s hold again, watching the happy couple with a warm smile.

“I hope to God they don’t ask me to help plan the actual wedding.”

Harry chuckled and pressed his lips into your temple. “I’ll make sure they don’t.”

Your sister presented herself in front of you with an assured look on her face. “When are you two getting engaged, then?”

Harry choked behind you, and you gave your sister a bewildered look. “Reel it in, please.”

“What?” She shrugged. “Being in love suits you. A wedding would really suit you.”

“A wedding isn’t something you arrange for an aesthetic, sis.” You reminded her.

“Speak for yourself, but I do recommend heavily considering it.”

After she turned away, Harry lowered his mouth to the shell of your ear. “I wouldn’t mind marrying you.”

You tightened his arms around you. “One day.” You said with a kiss to his palm.

His smile imprinted on your cheek. “One day.”

~.~.~.~.~

Thank you so v much for reading if you make it this far. It’s a long one, I know. The longest one shot I’ve actually ever done. Much love to you <3

[funnyjb]

To All of the Boys I Loved Before

……………………………………………………………………………

Summary: you have always fantasized about finding the one but never knew who that one would be. You wrote about your love in letters and spilling your feelings for whom ever your one may be. What happens when one of those letters get sent?

………………………………………………………………………….

“Y/n Taylor!”- Katie (your sister)

You bounced out of bed from your sister yelling out for you from the kitchen downstairs. It was the first day of junior year. You weren’t as nervous as you thought you would be. You were going into junior with a great best friend and the courage to try out for the cheerleading squad again and hopefully get in for the second time.

You quickly brushed your teeth and did your hair and subtle but cute makeup. You then quickly changed into your first day of school outfit.

“Y/N!”- Katie

“Coming!”- you

God she’s so annoying

You grabbed your school bag and headed downstairs.

“Let’s go.”- you

Katie grabbed her helmet.

“Why do you have that?”- you

“Because you’re driving.”- Katie

You rolled your eyes

“Get in the car.”- you

……………………………………………………

The hall was filled with squeals and laughter from friends not seeing each other for so long over the hot summer break. There was chatter and even new gossip just from being in school for not even ten minutes. The air was cold from the ac and backpacks slightly hitting you trying to make your way through the crowds to get to your locker.

“Y/n!”- Alexa

“Alexa!”- you

Alexa ran up to you and gave you a big hug.

“I know we saw each other yesterday but it feels like we haven’t seen each in years.”- Alexa laughs

“I know right!”- you

You unlock your locker and put away some notebooks that probably won’t be used since you have five others in your bag.

“So, tyler hooked up with jade over the summer and now jade is ghosting him. You should have seen the look tyler gave her in the hall just now.”- Alexa

You laugh

“Heads up!”- Joe

A football lands right near you and almost hit your head.

Joe runs over.

“I am so sorry, y/n. Are you ok?”- joe

“Yeah, yeah I’m fine.”- you

Joe smiles

Is his smile always so perfect?

He grabs the football from next to you.

“Sorry about that, again. How wa-”- joe

“YO, Burrow!”- tyler

Joe turns around and gives tyler a bro hug.

“We got to go check out the new locker room.”- tyler

“Oh ok.”- Joe

He looks back me.

“See you later, y/n.”- joe waves bye

I give him a small wave.

Alexa stands there like she’s just seen her celebrity crush Justin Bieber.

“What?”- you

“You-you, just talked to THE Joe Burrow.”- Alexa

“So, I have know him since sixth grade which is a little bit longer than I have known you!”- you laugh

“Ok, but he’s the hottest guy in school even though he is taken.”- Alexa rolls her eyes

Joe is dating one of the cheerleaders. Her name is Ellie. She is the kind of girl who has beautiful long blonde hair and whenever she flicks her hair out of her face it makes everyone stop in there tracks and think she has been sent form heaven, but in reality she is rude and selfish and only thinks about her social status and if her instagram followers have gone up. She doesn’t care about Joe. You can tell.

———————————————————

(Later)

“So, anyone you think is cute? Tyler looks like he’s off the market.”- Alexa

We were hanging out in my room. Alexa was sitting on my bean bag while I was on my bed writing down my homework.

“No, he’s not my type.”- you

“Good, because I wanted him.”- Alexa

We both started laughing.

“Do you ever wished you had a boyfriend?”- Alexa

“Sometimes. Why?”- you

“Just you never dated anyone and when I start to date tyler we could have double dates.”- Alexa

“Seriously you have an obsession with that guy. But I’m focused on school.”- you

“Ok, whatever you say!”- Alexa

————————————————————————-

MY NEW SERIES!!!

Hope y’all love!! Plz send me ideas or anything for It! it’s based of off the movie!