#i mean? i guess we're all white women with brown hair/eyes??

[mattsnutsack]

The hot tub

chris x fem reader

warnings: smut, drugs, probably more

"MALIAH" my mom scream. I rolled my eyes, grunted, then got out of my bed. she's been calling for me for at least 5 minutes. I opened my door and walked down the stairs with my phone in my hand. "what?" I asked looking around at these random ass people standing next to her.

"uhm?" I said before getting cut off. "this is Mary Lou and Jimmy and their kids!" she gave me that one smile, the smile where she means to fix my attitude and go upstairs and change. I smiled and nodded, "hi, im maliah."

I said coming close to Mary Lou and shaking her and Jimmy's hand. I looked over at the other three boys. "I thought you said you had four kids" my mother asked with her fake nice women voice. Mary Lou's smiled and walked closer to my mom and nodded, "ah yes, I do. I have another boy. his name is Justin. he's been really busy lately with work." my mom nodded and smiled. "

well we're glad to have you guys." she smiled as she looked at the three boys. I walked over to the table and looking at my phone then glanced up at the boys. "yeah so mal, I work with mary lou and invited her over for dinner tonight." she said coming over to me patting me on my shoulder.

"mhm early dinner" I mumbled, still staring at the three boys as they were talking quietly with each other. one of the boys had red hair, tattoos up his arm and a couple on his legs.

I could tell because he was wearing brown shorts with a white T-shirt. the one standing next to him was wearing a black long sleeve shirt with grey sweatpants and white air forces.

he has a good sense of style. the last one was wearing a blue sweater and black sweatpants with white air forces. "introduce your self boys" Jimmy smiled kindly. "oh uh- hi, Im Chris" the boy with longer hair smiled at me and walked closer to shake my hand.

I nodded and smiled awkwardly. then the boy with red here smiled behind him "hi, I'm nick" he smiled shyly, "and that's matt" he also said smiling, while matt nodded once and stood next to nick. "cool, im maliah."

I smiled once again setting my phone in the waist band of my grey shorts. my mom was finishing up dinner and we all sat at the table, I was sitting in between chris and matt.

we were kind of close together but we all got along pretty well. we made small talk and listened to our parents talk. When we were finished eating I picked up everybody's plates and brought them to the kitchen sink. "we were thinking about getting drinks and maybe leaving you kids here" my mom said, smiling at me with that one look mom's usually give you that mean: please do this for me this once. I rolled my eyes and sighed.

everybody agreed and the parents leave. "so, do you guys want anything?" I ask looking around as I pick up the table from dinner. they are all standing around watching me do so. "uh can I get something to drink?" chris asked. "yeah, of course." I smiled back setting my stuff down and walking over to the fridge, "we have Pepsi, you want one?" I asked looking back catching him get a glimpse of my ass. "uh yeah please" he said adjusting his pants and fixing his hair.

I could tell he has a semi boner as his brother matt chimes in "that boy is a fiend for Pepsi" he laughed with his brother nick. I handed chris his Pepsi and then sat next to him. "sooo im assuming your a goodie two shoes girl?" chris smirked. "pffttt- I try to make it look like I am" I smirked back.

"I do alot of stupid shit" I giggled. "okayyyy, sneaky girl" nick giggled with me. "I guess" I smiled and shrugged. "oh shit-" chris groaned. "what happened" nick asked. "

we we're supposed to go to that one thing" chris frowned, "oh, the pool party thing" matt remembered. chris slowly nodded, "it's okay, y'all can go if you want." I added. "you should come with isss" nick begged, "PLEASEEE" he shouted. "fine" I giggled, "go out a bathing suit on under your clothes" he smiled.

I ran upstairs and threw on bikini and put my grey shorts back on and a colorful tank top. once I was finished I grabbed my purse and threw perfume, two blunts, 3 lighters, and my vape, and a charger then ran down stairs. "I'm ready" I smiled while sliding on my flipflops.

Chris was waiting by the stairs and smirked at me. he nodded and smiled and nick and matt got up from the couch. "I ordered an uber" matt said, "kay, cool." Chris nodded, nick was on his phone not really paying attention.

once matt got the notification that the uber was here we all walked outside, nick sat in the front and Chris sat in-between me and Matt. while I was looking at my phone, I felt a soft hand be place on my thigh, I looked at it and looked at chris. he smirked and started to caress it.

I smirked back at him and scooted a bit closer to him. it was around 4pm when we got to the house full of different teens and or young adults. I got out of the car and chris followed me.

I waited for the other boys to get out of the car. I whipped out a blunt out of my purse and lit it. "let me hit?" I heard escape from chris's mouth. my eye brow raised inhaling the weed.

"in which way" I smirked after exhaling and smoke leaving my mouth. "both" he said while having a lustful look on his face.

I giggled a bit and handed him the blunt. we all four stood close together while walking inside, I felt chris wrap his arm around my waist as we walked through the house making our way to the kitchen. matt and nick both grabbed a beer and I sat on top of the island counter as chris made his way towards me in-between my thighs, still holding the blunt.

i wrapped my arms around his waist and whispered "desperate huh?" he nodded slowly, then handed me my blunt back. soon he walked away and didn't come back for awhile, so I was sitting on the counter getting high with matt and nick. we got to know each other better, than I got a text...

ˢᵒʳʳʸ ᵍᵘʸˢ ⁱᵐ ʳᵉᵖᵒˢᵗⁱⁿᵍ ᵒˡᵈ ᶠⁱᶜˢ ᵇᶜ ⁱᵐ ᶜˡᵉᵃⁿⁱⁿᵍ ᵘᵖ ᵐʸ ᵗᵘᵐᵇˡʳ ᵃ ᵇⁱᵗ

𝚝𝚊𝚐𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚝: @aliyahsbody @strniohoeee @sturns4thisbitch @2gay2post @oliviasturniolo21

@liz-stxrn @sturniozo @bluesturniolo333

[epickiya722]

Oh really? I thought mirko was fully black or blasian since people are saying its canon just bc she has dark skin!?

WARNING FOR A LONG POST, I APOLOGIZE IN ADVANCE!

Now I don't know about the Megan Thee Stallion thing being canon (but I definitely wouldn't oppose because she is one of my fave artists), but you're right about the fighter guy!

For those who don't know, Miruko's name and even her fighting style plays tribute to a former pro fighter named Mirko Cro Cop. I have some doubt Miruko's name has anything to do with her race really. A lot of the BNHA characters are referencing something.

Example, Aizawa's hero name is a straight up reference to the 1977 movie 'Eraserhead'. Shishida's hero name is referring to the mythical 'Beast of Gévaudan', while himself is a shoutout to Hank McCoy aka Beast from the Marvel franchise, X-Men. Ashido's first hero name is a reference to the Alien movies.

Really, the only time we know someone's name has to deal with their race and/or ethnicity is with the foreign students, Hiryu Rin and Pony Tsunotori. Rin is canon stated to be Chinese while Tsunotori comes from America, hence her first name actually being an English word.

Now, let me bring up Rock Lock. His real name is Ken Takagi. Now, at first glance you would say he has to be Black American because of his first name, right? Yes and no. Rock Lock is a Black man, but could he be an American one? Well, get this. He isn't the only one with that first name. Cementoss' real name is also Ken Ishiyama. Ken is both an English name and a Japanese name. So with the case of Rock Lock, he could be stated to be born to Black American parents in Japan. He could have a Japanese parent and a Black one. Both parents could be American, but one is Japanese and one is Black. And let's say his Black parent isn't American, but actually African or French or any place. We just know with the case of Rock Lock he is still a Black character because of his features who also happens to be Japanese, hence his last name and that like many other characters, is a native to Japan (born in the Tokushima Prefecture).

Now let's round back to Miruko. This is where I have the issue. Just because she has dark skin doesn't mean she's automatically Black. I need people to be more aware of the fact that Black people aren't the only race of people with brown and dark skin. Yes, we're the first to come to mind, but there are other races of people with brown and dark skin.

With Miruko, it's safe to say she's ambiguous but still Japanese since she's still native to Japan. She's born in Hiroshima. Look at her features compared to Rock Lock. She has straight hair, her skin is just a shade lighter by a tinge. She has red eyes and white hair. Miruko resembles more of an albino rabbit than she does an actual race of human. So it's a free game as to what her race is as long as her being Japanese isn't erased. She could be Blasian, she could be of Spanish descent. Hell, she could be even part Indian. However, that is for us to guess and headcanon all we want. Not CANON.

Horikoshi could have based her off of Megan Thee Stallion. (Who wouldn't want to an anime character of her? I know I do!) I haven't heard about or even evidence, but it's a possibility. Megan doesn't hide the fact she's a fan of anime and BNHA happens to be one of her favorites. Horikoshi could be popping his ass to her music right now, but who is to say?

Now, I'm not saying people shouldn't headcanon her as Blasian. Blasian people do exist. I'm fine with that. But what lies this problem: if you believe Rumi to be Blasian, is it because you relate to her appearance and/or what to see more of said representation? If you do, no issue!

However, if you believe Rumi to be Blasian so you can f*tishize her, that's A MAJOR PROBLEM.

Whether you want to hear it or not, as much as women of color get put down, we are often fantasize by others as if we're objects. HC-ing Miruko as Blasian because you want to do such a thing is a double hitter in a very bad way. Black and Asian women are often seen as nothing but walking sex objects. Not saying this isn't for all women though. It's just a lot of men especially tend to hook up with Black and Asian women because they think it's exotic as driving a foreign car. Not because they simply think the woman is attractive with a nice personality and looks.

I, myself, find Miruko an attractive character and if she was real I would date her in a heartbeat. But as a Black woman, if Miruko was real and someone next to me said "Oh, I'd date her. That fine chocolate bunny." *shivers* I'm punching them in the face. In fact, I have a theory as to why Miruko is so often f*tishize, so I might do a post on that if you want. (And I hope I'm wrong.)

There's nothing wrong with being attracted to character, but if you do it because of race we can't talk, chief.

I actually hate when I hear someone say "Oh, I only date black girls" or "I'm only attracted to Asians" or "You're not my type. You're not Puerto Rican". It almost sounds like this...

"Oh, I only eat chocolate ice cream" or "Apple flavor suits my palette better" or even "I'm not too fond of savory. I think spicy better"

See what I mean? It's like you're being picky because you believe that you're too good for any woman. You must have the most exotic one in the room. Like WOC are prizes. We're people, too, damn it.

This all can happen to men, too, just want to point that out. Because I'm sure there's someone out there who fantasizes over Rock Lock because he's Black.

To close in, it is fine to headcanon what a character's race is as long as you're not doing this -> erasing their canon race especially if they're of color and f*tishizing them because of race. Until Horikoshi says "Yes, Miruko is a Black woman", than we can say whatever race Miruko is.

[rome5683]

My Secret Mate - Chapter Three

My body was warm all over. I squeezed them tighter to me, savoring the feeling it gave me to feel them against me. It was peaceful, and exciting at the same time. I groggily opened my eyes as I smelled something too delectable that caused a stir in my loins. My breath hitched, seeing his neck right against my lips. His scent was so amazing to me. I could feel my inner wolf stir, Mate. Mark him. He's ready, he's here. Just for us.

Mate or not, he's not our property. He should choose when to be marked, and when to take the next step in being mated. Calm down, Sirius. I took a deep breath, trying to soothe myself back into sleep. But I was suddenly aware of everything about Seth's body pressed into mine, so I got up. I regretted it the minute I got up, because the cold replacing him was blunt.

I ran a hand through my hair, and suddenly winced at the small headache that I felt in the back of my head. It wasn't that bad. As a werewolf, I had supernatural healing and it would go away very soon, which was also why I wasn't that drunk last night. But when Seth woke up, it would probably hurt him a lot more. I could feel Sirius frown at the idea of him in pain.

Protect him, help him. Help mate. I agreed, and walked downstairs. I was surprised to see the house wasn't that much of a mess. I walked into the living room to see Monsè picking up some cups here and there, and I could hear Lance cleaning in the kitchen.

"Hey, what happened after I went to bed?"

She gave me a hesitant face, almost as if contemplating what to say. "Well, Trent got super drunk and came onto Lindsay, which got him a painful shove. Then Bella got super sad and tried to get me to help her look for you, but then I saw you with... that guy."

My eyes widened, "Oh. Yeah, um, he's... wait, what exactly did you see?"

Her face reddened, looking away. "Well, I saw you guys kissing, and I immediately closed the door."

I blushed, feeling embarrassed about her seeing me that way. "Um, well. Did Bella see-"

"Are you gay?" Her question knocked me off balance, and I considered it for a second. Was I? I certainly wasn't attracted to anyone else anymore, but I still could appreciate women's bodies, as well as appreciate men's.

I shrugged, looking forwards the floor, "I think I'm bisexual. I don't know, everyone always assumes straight is the default. I guess, I assumed that too. But when I think about it... men can be attractive to me too."

I looked up to her nodding and going back to cleaning, and raised an eyebrow. "You don't care?"

She rolled her eyes, "Why should I? I only asked because I was curious why you'd make out with some random guy instead of Bella. And even though we're supposed to be super social as werewolves or whatever, you're not always one to go out of your comfort zone-"

"He's my mate."

She looked at me like a deer caught in headlights, showing how the new information was shocking. But then her face went back to its neutral expression, "Oh. That makes sense." Then her eyes widened, "Wait. Your mate's human?"

I nodded, "Yeah."

She winced, "Oof. I wouldn't wanna be you."

I frowned, a growl building up in my throat. "My mate is perfect for me, human or not."

She shook her head, "That's not what I meant. You're gonna have to mark him, and then that'll turn him, and make him go into heat if he hasn’t already. That's a lot of pain to go through for the both of you, especially the turning part."

This piece of information hit me like a ton of bricks. I remembered the first time I heard about it from the other wolves' gossip, about how one of the human mates had been going through the change and was in so much pain. I guess I was too confident about having a werewolf mate, that I forgot about what it meant to have a human mate.

I tried not to think about it as I went to the kitchen to get two cups of water. Lance raised an eyebrow at me as I entered, "So, your mate's a human guy?"

I hesitated, wondering where this was going. "Yeah, last time I checked."

"That's cool. So, he likes you back and everything. I mean, you guys kissed so that must mean he likes you."

I nodded, feeling a little sheepish. "Well, I hope so. We did talk a lot too so..."

He huffed, "Okay. Well, I have a friend..."

I tried to restrain my grin, and he rolled his eyes at me. "It's not me."

I withheld my laugh, feigning that I believed him as I nodded for him to continue.

"And this friend... he kissed his friend, a guy. But now his friend has been ignoring him... and my friend doesn't know why. I think it's cause my friend usually plays around a lot with girls, but maybe his friend doesn't like him the same way?"

I thought for a second, thinking how complicated it must be for him and Keith. "Sounds complicated. Maybe they should have a deep talk? Get everything off their chests."

Lance nodded, going back to washing the dishes while lost in thought. I filled two glasses with water before going back upstairs. I walked back into my room to see Seth on the phone, and I handed him his glass of water.

He looked up, his face still looking amazing with exhaustion tracing his features. His blush was entertaining to see, and I grinned.

"Mornin', beautiful."

He shook his head slightly as he drank his water, groaning. "That alcohol hit me hard."

I shrugged, "You weren't exactly super drunk, though."

"I don't get crazy, or anything. But the hangover is regrettable..."

"Oh." I went over to my bathroom, getting him some Tylenol from my mirror's cabinet. I walked over, feeling glad to be able to help his headache. "Here. It'll help."

Seth nodded, drinking the tablet down with water. I went over to my bedside table, grabbing my phone and checking the time. It was already ten in the morning, which was pretty late considering I woke up extra early everyday for school. "Any plans for today?"

He shook his head, "Not really, it is a Saturday. I was planning to stay at home and watch Netflix for the majority of it. Luckily, my mom's away on business, so she can't freak out about me being away last night."

"But your curfew-"

"I was just supposed to call her when I got home.”

"That's good, I guess. Wanna stay for breakfast?" I went to my closet, taking off my clothes from last night.

"Ye-Yeah. I don't really have much else to do..."

I pulled on some black joggers and a white tee. I pulled off my earrings, necklaces, and rings on my small jewelry stand. I glanced in the mirror, hoping my appearance was okay. I suddenly heard a loud heartbeat, and I looked over to see Seth's reddened face and wide eyes that were scanning me up and down.

I couldn't help the pride that came over myself when I saw the effect I had on him, "You okay?

He nodded, taking a deep breath. "Yeah. Um, I just couldn't help but notice you have a lot of defined... structure in your body."

I shrugged with a coy smile, sitting on the bed next to him, "I guess it's the genes."

"Mm." He bit his lip, and shook his head. "So, about last night-"

Monsè burst through the door, "MOM'S ALMOST HOME!" She ran over to me and Seth, dragging us by the hand to the living room. "YOU GUYS ARE HELPING!"

I nodded with a small gulp, suddenly remembering how much Monsè could be as scary as Mom sometimes. Seth got a broom out as I picked up the bigger pieces of trash on the floor, and when we were done with that, we cleaned the furniture for stains and crumbs of food. Monsè tidied up and re-arranged everything back to how it was, like the decor in the living room and the kitchen, as well as the photos in the hallway. Lance and I placed the audio and lights system in the garage, deciding it'd go there until Lindsay would come pick it up. I fell on the couch, sighing in exhaustion after an hour of cleaning. I could hear Seth and Monsè in the kitchen, making small talk as they both cooked breakfast. Lance sat beside me, "So does sex with a guy feel better than when it's with a girl?"

I sighed, feeling a sliver of offense and amusement at my brother's stupidity. "Have you even had sex with a girl?"

"Well-"

"Nope. You haven't. Because if you did, you wouldn't ask such a stupid question, Lance."

"Why is it stupid? It's a legitimate question-"

I felt exasperated, "Dude, I don't know. I haven't had sex with either gender, and I don't plan to have sex in general unless my mate says he'd like to."

"But, didn't he spend the night-"

"Which meant nothing. He stayed the night, and we slept. Literally. He's a human, remember? Most humans don't just sleep with someone right after meeting them, mates or not."

"Uh, I feel like that's not entirely true-"

"Lance." I gave him a deadpanned stare, "I really can't talk about this right now."

He gave me a knowing smile, "Sirius acting up?"

I cursed, hearing my wolf howl at the idea of mating Seth. "Like no tomorrow."

If you really cared about our mate, Sirius, you'd wait until he was ready.

I'm just excited. Leave me be.

You first.

"Yeah, I get you. Landon just loses his shit every birthday that gets closer to finding our mate."

I huffed, "You'll find them soon. Just, don't get too caught up in other people, it could just complicate stuff.

"Like you and Bella?"

I frowned, thinking how she might feel now. I did give her false hope, but hopefully she would take it well. "Yeah. I mean, I don't have feelings, but I know she does. I don't wanna hurt her."

"Seems a little late for that."

The smell of bacon drifted in the air, and my stomach growled. Lance sniffed the air with a groan, "Damn. That smells amazing."

I nodded in agreement as we both got up and walked towards the kitchen. I saw Seth slightly swaying back and forth on the stool as he ate a plate of egg, hash browns, pancakes, and bacon. There were two other plates awaiting on the island, Lance and I sat eagerly as Monsè served herself some milk in a cup.

Seth poured syrup on his pancakes, "Thanks for having me for breakfast, guys."

We all nodded, Monsè poured us cups of milk as she spoke. "What are mates for?"

I glared at her as Seth raised an eyebrow, "Mate?"

Monsè and Lance shared a smirk as she continued, "Yeah, you know. Friends, pals, buddies..."

I seethed, and interrupted quickly, "So what does your mom work in?"

He looked to me, "Oh. She's a social worker. Sometimes she goes to different counties which makes me have the house to myself."

Lance grinned, "Must be fun. You ever throw parties?"

He shook his head with an amused smile, "Not really, I just like to watch Netflix and read books.”

I took another bite of my bacon strip, "I don't usually throw parties but, I figured it'd be cool to have one big one for the special eighteen, you know?"

He nodded, I continued, "When's your birthday, Seth?"

He sipped at his milk, "May."

I was stumped for a second, "Wait. Doesn't that mean you should be-"

"I should've graduated, yeah. I was..." His cheeks reddened, "Held back. Unfairly, might I add."

I chuckled, "What happened?"

My siblings gave him an expectant look, and Seth sighed. "Okay, but you can't laugh."

"Alright."

"So, I was in fifth grade, and on the day of the state test, I got super sick and had an urge to vomit all the time. But it was, like, state tests so I had to go, and when I finished the test, I vomited all over the tests. It was the holes you fill in with bubbles so..."

Monsè gasped, "No."

Lance and I groaned in unison at the embarrassment of it.

"Then, the school and my mom decided I should redo the year over so I can take the test again- which sucked- but it's whatever."

"At least we got to meet."

He looked up, a blush rising to his cheeks. "Yeah, I guess. Listen, I need to talk to you-"

The lock clicked, and everyone but Seth turned to the front door from the kitchen. We could hear them muttering, and I laughed at one of their comments that I could make out.

"It smells like teen desperation in here."

Seth looked at me confused, and I shook my head.

Monsè whacked the back of my head and I winced, pointedly glaring at her. Her loud and scolding voice rang in my head, ‘Could you be any more obvious?’

"Ooh, it smells delicious-" My mom stared with wide eyes at Seth, she hadn't been able to smell him due to the other smells lingering in the house from the party no doubt, and was certainly surprised. She looked at me with a raised eyebrow, "It's okay I'm confused, right? Who is this? You didn't tell me someone was sleeping over."

My father followed in right after, looking at all of us with a confused gaze. "Um, what's going on?"

I scratched the back of my neck, "Mom. Dad, this is my ma-"

Seth interrupted, standing up and extending his hand. "Friend. Seth Truman." His nervous chuckle rang in my mind as I gave him a questioning glance, and even Monsè and Lance looked at me confused. What did he think I would say? Why did it matter? I wondered how much longer I would have to court him in a human way... "Sorry to barge in. I kind of crashed after the party last night."

My mom practically gushed, and looked at me while questioning me through the mind link. ‘Is this your mate?’

I nodded, scratching my neck in slight embarrassment. It wasn't that I was embarrassed of him, hell no. It's just that my mom was very sweet and open, that she was obviously adored with my mate as well, and that she might embarrass me. Who wouldn't be?

"Oh, it's no trouble at all. We're happy to accommodate you." My dad smirked at him from behind my mom as he spoke, and I shook my head in annoyance. My dad gave me a raised brow and I rolled my eyes at his smug expression.

"Ah." Seth chuckled nervously, "Thanks. Your daughter is really good at cooking."

Monsè smirked, and my mom smiled.

"Yeah, she's really big on cooking." I gave him my most charming grin, and he avoided my eyes with a small blush forming on his cheeks. "How about you?"

He looked at Monsè, "So do you always make pancakes from scratch?"

I scowled, and I could hear Sirius whimper in the back of my head. My jaw clenched, and I didn't know whether to be angry or sad. He was sending me mixed signals, and I didn't want that: just tell me everything clearly for fuck's sake. I didn't want to let my anger cloud my judgement, but I also wanted to give him the cold shoulder if he was going to do the same to me.

My mom's hands massaged my shoulders, and I couldn't help but feel calm and relaxed at the notion. I placed my hand over hers and squeezed it, thanking her for the help. My dad was next to us too, hugging her from behind and resting his head on her shoulder. I looked up and smiled softly, talking with them through the mind link, ‘Thanks.’

‘Of course, darling.’

Seth stood up from the barstool, "It was nice for you guys to have me, but I really should be heading home now."

"I'll drive you." I say as I stand up abruptly, and he was about to protest until my sister just patted his shoulder and shook her head. She knew damn well I was too stubborn. He nodded, understanding what she meant.

I took another bite of my plate and told Monsè to save it for me before going upstairs to get a hoodie and my shoes. I came back down in a hurry, and grabbed the keys beside the door, "Seth!"

He came from the hallway after I heard him say his goodbyes to my family, and I opened the door for him chivalrously.

We got in the truck, and I sighed as I sat down. I tried not to glance at him while I made sure the mirrors were okay, and I put on my seatbelt after starting the car. I was hoping to make conversation, so I left the radio off as I pulled out of the driveway. Seth looked out of the window and rested his chin on his hand, and I laughed mentally when I remembered that he'd have to give me his address. I could just drive around until he decided to speak up, and it'd be hilarious. I turned left, and went towards my favorite burger joint.

I glanced at him before speaking up, "So, what is it you wanted to talk to me about?"

I pulled into the burger joint's drive-thru line, awaiting for my turn, and he sighed. "Okay. So about last night, what we did-"

"Was amazing." I smirked at him as I remembered the feeling of his body against mine while we slept. His lips were really nice too.

"It was a mistake." Seth twiddled his thumbs, and I felt a breath escape me. What was he saying? "Look, you're really nice and everything. But I know you and a girl named Bella have something going on, and... I don't want to be caught in the middle."

I cursed inwardly. I couldn't believe I would mess something up like this, and I wondered why I messed with Bella in the first place. Oh, because I didn't want a mate. Well, I changed my mind. I liked him, the feeling of him with me was amazing. I was keeping him, end of story.

"Bella and I were never even together." I pulled up in line, almost close to the order section. "So we messed around a couple times, it meant nothing."

"Maybe to you, but it means a lot to her." He scoffed, and I suddenly realized something.

"Wait, how do you even know this?"

He looked away before cursing under his breath.

"Did my sister-"

"No. Last night, I could see the way she looked at you." I narrowed my eyes, knowing he was keeping something from me. "Fine. I overheard you and Lance talking."

"Oh." I tensed up, then relaxed when predicting it was probably the last part of the conversation since he wasn't concerned about the other parts. "What I said still stands."

"But it didn't mean anything! It was just a drunken kiss-" I interrupted his exasperated rant.

"Not for me." I gave him a hardened stare, clenching my jaw in determination. "I like you, okay? And I want to get to know you."

He looked shocked, and sat back in his seat as he thought to himself. I awkwardly pulled up to the order section of the drive-thru, and asked for two milkshakes.

"I'd like strawberry, please."

I nodded, changing Seth's to strawberry, and made mine Oreo. It was only seven bucks, and was well worth it. I parked in the lot outside and Seth raised a curious brow, "Why aren't you driving me home?"

"I don't really feel like it." I grinned, feeling amused now. Had he noticed yet?

"What are you talking about? You said you would." He furrowed his brows, starting to look angry. I shrugged, nonchalant.

"I changed my mind." He was about to protest when I chuckled, "I'm kidding. You never gave me your address."

"Ohhh." He blushed, embarrassed and I chuckled again.

"It's okay." I tossed him my phone, "Just type it in."

He sipped noisily while typing it in, blushing as I gazed at him while sipping my own drink. It was tasty, but all I could think of was how I woke up next to him in bliss. He handed the phone back to me, and I memorized the route there before placing it in the middle. It wasn't that far, and I parked in his driveway no later than ten minutes.

He ran his hand through his hair with a sigh as I shifted the gear into park. He silently got out of the car, and I wondered for a moment if I should let him go like this. I could hear Sirius whimpering, and I decided I couldn't just leave it like this.

I got out of the car in a hurry, and he looked at me in surprise in front of his door. I scratched the back of my neck in anxiousness, "So about earlier..."

"I can't." Seth held the bridge of his nose, seemingly frustrated. I looked at him, feeling confused.

"Well, why not?"

He groaned, "What part of it being meaningless don't you understand?"

"What part of this," I grabbed his hand and placed it on my chest, feeling the same sparks from last night, from every time I've ever touched him, all over again, "do you not understand? I know you feel it too."

He looked conflicted, his eyes shutting as if in concentration as his body reacted to my subtle touch. My thumb rubbed across the back of his palm, and he huffed at me with a glare. I knew I looked desperate, but I couldn't help it. At first, I thought having a mate would be disastrous and painful. Being forced to be with someone, like some Neanderthal from the 1800s, or something. But then I saw that it wasn't really forced, and that it was a real connection.

"We have something. Don't deny it." His hand slowly became a fist against my chest, but I still held it there as I gazed at him. I silently whispered, "Please."

Seth's eyes met mine, searching for what, I have no idea. He was about to speak when a voice interrupted, somewhat smooth and high-pitched.

"Babe!" His hand quickly retracted from mine, and we both looked towards the sidewalk in front of his house. "Hey, I left you tons of messages. We were supposed to hang out this morning, remember?"

My wolf growled as I observed her, suddenly seeing an obstacle to his mate. She was a little shorter than Seth, with long black and wavy hair. She was slim, with average sized assets. Her face was heart shaped, with pretty red lips that complimented her pale skin and her eyes were big with brown doe-like eyes. She was pretty.

As she embraced him, he gave me a guilty expression while he hugged her back from the waist. My eyes widened as I realized what must've been obvious by now. Seth had a girlfriend.

"Oh fuck."

She looked up at me in confusion, and Seth visibly paled. I couldn't help the laugh that escaped me, my emotions becoming numb as one ruled above the others; anger.

"I can't believe this..." I shook my head, murmuring to myself as I was almost seething at this point. "Motherfucker..."

"Can't believe what?" Her question had an edge, and I felt like a deer caught in headlights. I immediately turned on my charm, chuckling as I pretended to be bashful.

"How pretty you are. I mean, who thought Seth would have such a hot friend?"

Her eyes widened, and I laughed again before speaking up again.

"Oh, wow. How rude of me," I grinned mischievously as I extended my hand out to her, "My name's Xavier, with an X."

She smiled, her eyes still somewhat confused as she placed her hand in mine. I brought it up to my mouth, placing a ginger kiss on the back of her palm while she blushed. I could feel Seth's glare, but I kept my gaze trained on her as I let go of her hand. This is what I get for actually liking my mate. I should've rejected him from the start. God, I want to forget ever meeting this bastard. This hot bastard...

She chuckled, nervous, "My name is Cassie. It's nice to meet you."

"I assume you're single." I bit my lip with a smile, coyly crossing my arms to flex my muscles. Yes, I was being a douche on purpose.

"Oh." She laughed again at my flattery, "No. Seth here is actually my boyfriend."

I laughed back, still focused on her while I could see Seth's jaw clench from my peripheral view. "Oh. Yeah, I was hoping not."

I narrowed my eyes at Seth with a scowl. Cassie raised an eyebrow, and I shrugged as I grew a grin again.

"You know, because you're pretty."

"How do you know my boyfriend again?" She shook her head with a scoff, but still smirked.

"He went to my party last night. I had to let him crash at my place because he got a little rowdy, to say the least." I smirked back, and she looked at him with a questioning expression. He guiltily smiled, and she chuckled. "Then I drove him home after a nice breakfast. So, yeah."

She smiled again, "Well, thanks for that. I really appreciate you taking care of him."

"Yeah." I scoffed at the unknown innuendo she just made, and I laughed sarcastically. "Yeah, I took care of him. He was practically all over me too."

She gasped and Seth cursed under his breath.

"Seth, I didn't know you got that drunk." She pressed her hand up to his forehead, "Do you have a headache?"

He shook his head, smiling the fakest smile I've ever seen, and glanced at me nervously. I nodded while scolding myself, practically wanting to die right then and there.

"Well," I clapped my hands together, "I gotta get going. It was nice meeting you, Cassie," I extended my hand out and shook hers gently, then patted Seth on the shoulder roughly. "And it was good hanging out with you last night, Seth."

He nodded, his smile more like a grimace. I turned, feeling defeated before I came up with an idea suddenly.

"Hey, Seth!" Both he and his girlfriend turned around, Cassie curious and Seth panicking. I smirked, "Don't forget about our study session this Monday!"

She looked up at him, no doubt wondering what I meant, and he raised an eyebrow at me. I smiled, "You said you'd help me with History at my house after school this Monday, remember?"

I didn't have history.

Seth made a surprised expression before quickly giving me a thumbs-up. He then took his girlfriend by the waist, and turned her towards the front door while he discreetly gave me the finger. I laughed sarcastically to myself before opening my car door and sitting down in my seat. I turned the radio to my favorite station, and drove home.

The minute my bedroom door closed behind me, I exhaled heavily. The weight in my chest was so heavy. I felt like I couldn't breathe, and I wondered if my family would ask me what was wrong if I cried. Luckily, I'd managed to avoid them as I stomped up to my room, but no doubt they already knew something was up.

I went into the bathroom, turning on the shower on it's heaviest. I took a deep breath as I looked myself in the mirror, trying to calm down, but I could feel the familiar sensation of my eyes tearing up. I clenched my fists as I choked up, and the sob broke out before I could stop it. I grit my teeth to try to stop it, sniffling while my hot tears were flowing now, but it didn't work.

This whole situation brought up things I'd rather forget. But I couldn't, no matter what I did, they stayed with me.

I had walked up to him during recess, smiling, 'Hey, why didn't you come over the other day?'

His eyes were hardened, and his mouth turned upwards in a scowl before he spat out the words I remembered all too well.

'Why do you care so much?'

I was about to respond, but he had already said the worst part.

'What are you? Gay?'

I shivered now as I did back then, exhaling deep as to not induce another sobbing fit. But right now, it was already too late, I was crying and I couldn't stop it.

I shivered now as I did back then, exhaling deep as to not induce another sobbing fit. But right now, it was already too late, I was crying and I couldn't stop it.

He was another closeted male, except this time it was worse. He was my mate, my soulmate, and he had a girlfriend. I cursed the moon goddess, hoping I'd get smite down to avoid the pain of this. Unfortunately, the pain never went away.

It had already been an hour, and I heard my cellphone ring in my back pocket. It was Bella. I debated what to do, and Sirius practically screamed at the notion. I shook my head as I answered it.

"Hey."

———

The full story below:

[sarah-writes-stories]

Chapter 8: Will You?

A Post-Canon Inuyasha Romance/Adventure Epic

Find it on: Fanfiction.net / AO3 / Wattpad

Words: 1,720

Prologue  •  Chapter 1  •  Chapter 2  •  Chapter 3  •  Chapter 4  •  Chapter 5  •  Chapter 6  •  Chapter 7  •  Chapter 8  •  Chapter 9  •  Chapter 10  •  Chapter 11  •  Chapter 12  •  Chapter 13

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Inuyasha's lips moved over Kagome's with an urgency that couldn't be mistaken.

Her mouth opened to him on a needy whine. He growled his approval as his tongue plunged into her mouth, seeking out all the secret recesses within.

'Oh, Kami!' Kagome couldn't think. His hands were everywhere all at once: stroking up her back, along her nape, into her hair, then back down to skim across her waist, pressing her closer once again.

She shivered under his hungry touches, returning them in kind. Her hands travelled up over the firm muscles of his chest, across his broad shoulders, then back and up to fist in his mass of silver-white hair.

Kagome finally tore her lips away when air became a necessity, only to trail a line of hot, wet kisses from Inuyasha's jaw down to his neck. She found the spot where his pulse beat rapidly just beneath the surface. He was always so strong, so powerful. For her to be able to touch him in such a vulnerable place was thrilling. Her tongue snaked out to taste the sensitive skin.

"Kagome…" Inuyasha growled her name in response to the feel of her tongue on his neck. He buried his nose in her hair, drowning in her scent. He could feel himself losing control. He'd wanted her so badly for so long, and now suddenly she was his. His manhood began to throb.

Kagome instinctively ground herself against the stiffness she felt pressing against her stomach. The gravelly way he'd said her name, sent a wave of heat coursing through her body to pool directly at the juncture of her thighs.

The scent of her arousal hit him like a backhand to his senses. He groaned and before he could think better of it, his hands were sliding down her back, each one grabbing its own handful of pert, round ass.

Kagome shuddered and whimpered at the touch, unable to reconcile that it was, in fact, Inuyasha who was kissing her so fiercely. Inuyasha who was cupping her backside so gently, pulling her in to grind against him some more. At night, back home in her room, she'd often dream of him touching her like this, but now…? Now it was really happening.

"Inuyasha," she whispered his name breathlessly. She reached up and cupped his face, pulling him back to look at her. She needed to see him, needed to prove to herself that yes, this was really real.

Inuyasha brought his hands up to place over each of hers on his face. He looked into her chocolate brown eyes then and saw reflected back the same love and lust he was sure his own eyes betrayed.

And the longer he looked, the more he could feel all his fears and worries evaporating: the fear of losing her… his doubts about whether she actually wanted him in the same way he so desperately wanted her… Even his insecurities about whether or not he was even good enough for her when he was just a filthy hanyou… All of it evaporated under the searing truth that shone in her eyes.

This. This was where they both belonged.

He reached one of his hands out and gently stroked her cheek with the pad of his thumb, bringing his lips down slowly for a soft kiss. She was his. His Kagome.

"I– I love you, Kagome. I think… I think maybe I always have." He rested his forehead against hers, a rueful smile playing across his lips.

"You…?" Her eyes widened. To feel his passion for her had been one thing, but to actually hear him say those words…? Her eyes filled with happy tears and a beatific smile spread across her face.

"Inuyasha, I have loved you so much and for so long that there were times I thought I might die from the ache of it."

His gut clenched at her raw confession. "Don't– Don't ever leave me again, Kagome. I don't think I'd survive it if you did. Please? Will you–? Will you stay with me? Will you… I mean, would you consider… maybe… becoming my mate? My– My wife?"

Kagome inhaled sharply before she began laughing and sobbing at the same time. Her eyes swam with tears that gathered faster than they could even fall.

She jumped up, throwing her arms around his neck before squealing with joy.

Inuyasha slicked his ears back against his skull at the noise but smiled a broad and genuine smile against her shoulder as he hugged her tightly.

"So… Uh… I'm gonna take that as a yes?"

"YES! YES! YES! YES!" She was positively giddy.

He laughed then, too. Her joy was infectious. He swung her up in the air, spinning her in a circle, making her squeal even more, before slowly lowering her back down to wrap his arms around her and pull her tightly to him once more. Her nose pressed against the juncture of his neck and shoulder, his nestled deeply in her hair.

They held each other like that for a while, neither wanting the moment to end.

It was Inuyasha who finally spoke first. "So, I should probably be getting ya back to Kaede-baba's place. She's gonna start worrying if we don't show up there soon."

Kagome pouted a bit at his words. "Yeah," she sighed. "But…"

"But?" Inuyasha asked in a tone slightly squeakier than he'd intended.

"Well, I know I have to go back tonight. It would be rude of me not to… But, I mean, since we're…" She sighed, "…going to be married, I mean, would it be okay with you if… maybe… I stay here tomorrow night?"

She averted her gaze, looking downright sheepish, as a deep blush flooded her face. Inuyasha could only stare at her, mouth gaping open like a fish on a hook.

"You mean…?" He didn't want to say what he thought she meant out loud in case his mind was jumping to conclusions… And at that moment his mind was definitely jumping to some very provocative conclusions.

"Well, I mean, where I come from women live with their boyfriends and intended husbands long before they actually get married. It happens all the time. It's normal, and frankly, I've been away from you for long enough. I could give exactly zero fucks about what anyone else might have to say about it."

"Oh, I'm guessing there'll be plenty of village gossips that'll have something to say about that all right. The legendary Shikon Miko living out of wedlock with a hanyou? Heck, us getting married was gonna be shocking enough as it is!"

"Inuyasha, zero fucks, remember?"

"Kami, I love it when you talk dirty." He gave her a quick but heated kiss.

"I don't know if I'll ever get used to that. You kissing me, wanting to be with me, thinking it's sexy when I swear?! It's too much. I think I might just burst right open and die here on the spot!" She covered her face with her hands, shaking her head.

He chucked at her girlish silliness, pulling her in for a hug. Some things would never change and he was more than glad for it.

"Well, whatcha think it's like for me?" He sobered a bit before continuing. "The second I'd finally been able to kiss you, to touch you… The second I was ready to tell you just how much I loved you... you were gone. And I was here all alone with just the memory of you." He shook his head sadly at the thought of it. "Having you really be here. To hold you like this after only having dreams and memories to hold onto for years? How'd you describe it? 'Burst open and die?' Yeah, that about sums it up." He smirked at her then.

She smirked back and swatted him on the arm for throwing her words back at her, but the sadness in his voice had not been lost on her.

"Those three years apart… They were awful for you too, huh?" She asked.

"More than awful. Never leave me again, Kagome. Promise me. Swear to me that you'll never leave me alone again. Not for as long as we live."

She looked him deep in the eyes. She wanted this so badly that she could feel the truth of it right down to her soul. "I swear it, Inuyasha. There's nothing I wish for more in this world than for us to spend the rest of our lives together."

The moment those words escaped her lips was the moment a rolling wave of pink energy flowed out of her, over her skin, encircling her entire body from head to toe. Inuyasha was forced to release her from his embrace, the power pushing him back.

"Inuyasha?" Her voice was edged in fear. Inuyasha could only stare as Kagome was enveloped in a hazy blanket of pink light.

She could feel the power flowing up and over her body, tingling across every one of her nerve endings. Then the tingling became more like a burning, until the power felt like it was searing into every cell in her body.

"Inuyasha!" She screamed in pain.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha tried to again to reach through the barrier surrounding her, but his hand began to sizzle the second he got too close.

He couldn't touch her, he realized in horror as he watched, not knowing what was happening to the woman he loved.

It felt like her cries of pain went on forever but there was nothing he could do about it. "I'm here, Kagome. I'm right here." He tried to reassure her.

"Inuyasha…" she groaned in painful exhaustion as the power finally began receded back into her body. The second it fully dissipated, Kagome's eyes rolled back into her head, and all Inuyasha could do was catch her before she crashed to the floor, unconscious.

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A/N: I do not own Inuyasha, or any of the characters created by Rumiko Takahashi. (I only own this original story.)

[leelee10898]

Born to Love you: Felt good on my lips (3/?)

Leo & Alicia... A closer look at how these two frisky love birds came to be, and the moments in between. If you have not read the OG when Leo met Alicia.. you should do so, events in this story will coincide with it.

This is from the CGW(Cordonians gone wild) AU. A collaborative effort by @ao719 @speedyoperarascalparty @cocomaxley @riseandshinelittleblossom and myself. Find out other adventures HERE

   It was a warm spring day, Leo had decided to take advantage of the weather and show her some sights on the coast. They pulled into a small diner on a back road for a little lunch.

  “So I didn't really peg you as a diner guy.” She grinned as they slid into a booth by the window.

  “To be honest, I would rather eat a burger over lobster any day.” he answered handing her a menu. “This is ok, right? Did you want to go someplace more fancy?

  She arched her brow at him “In case you haven't noticed, im probably nothing like those women at court.” she rolled her eyes. “This is perfect.” her reaction bringing a wide grin to his face.

They looked over the menu and ordered. Both getting a burger and fries.

“so tell me more about the mysterious Prince Leo.”

“What do you want to know?” he folded his hands on the table.

“Leo. What's it short for?”

“Oh, ah well. Leonard. My mother would call me Leo when I was small. It kind of stuck.” His eyes darting down to the table.

“Tell me about her. Your mother,  what was she like?”

He hesitated, he never spoke about his mom to anyone.  It had been years since he brought her up. He sat in silence for a few minutes

“Leo?” her voice pulled him from his thoughts.  

“Oh, sorry. My mom? Well, my father chose her during his social season, she was new to court. I was born shortly after they were married.”

He picked up a fry popping it in his mouth.

“Ok, but what was she like? Do you look like her? Did you two have any special things you did together?”

Leo straighten up, feelings he pushed down long ago began to come to the surface.

“She had long brown hair, brown eyes. Her smile was warm and welcoming. She loved me, but she wasn't happy with her life.”

“Leo, i'm sorry I didn't mean to. I didn't know.” she apologized.

“No, its ok. I just. I Haven't spoken about her to, well anyone.” Alicia reached out grabbing his hand, her warm smile calming him immediately.

“she sang me to sleep every night,I remember that. She enjoyed the simple things in life. She left court because she wasn't cut out for this life. Me,being the heir.  she couldn't take me, by law. In a way I guess that's where I get it from.”

“I think those are good memories to have of her. She gave his hand a squeeze.  “Ok. Enough of this. Lets get outta here. I have someplace I think you'll like.” He stood tossing money on the table, grabbing her hand.

After a short drive they pulled into a private beach area.  Alicia's eyes lit up at the sight of the pristine beach in front of her.  The water as blue as Leos eyes, the sand a sparkling white. “Wow. This is. This sort of amazing.”

“You like it?”

“Yeah, I do. It's probably the most beautiful thing I've seen here so far.” she turned towards him smiling. “Well, maybe 2nd most beautiful thing.” she shot him a sly smirk, turning and walking towards the ocean. He chuckled to himself

He closed his eyes, saying an internal prayer. lord help me, I am trying to behave.

He silently groaned tilting his head back. He ran up to her “My family uses this to host the beach party for social season. Docks are that way.” He pointed “That's where we host the Royal Regatta. It was my father's favorite event.” his eyes dropped for a second. “But. That's not what I wanted to show you.” she looked at him inquisitively. He lead her down a trail through a small wooded area, he pulled the brush back as they stood in a clearing, they could hear the roaring waters just up ahead. Alicia's face lit up, her smile reaching eyes as he nodded his head. He walked out first wanting to see her reaction.

She walked out to a beautiful waterfall, the waters so clear you could see to the bottom. The flowers in full bloom on the nice spring day.

She was silent, unable to form words at its natural beauty.  Leo walked up next to her, his hear lowered close to hers “You know, there's a legend about these falls. It starts with two lovers.”

Her eyes met his as he told her about the legend of the falls. “that's so heartbreaking.” she  pouted. “It is but, they say that if two lovers climb to the top and jump in together, they'll get the blessing of the lady of the waterfall.”

“oh really? So what if two people who are not lovers jump in together,  then what?” she challenged him.

“I don't know.” he answered, not really sure of what to say. He rarely had someone have a come back and he wasn't used to this.  

“I see. Well, then that settles it.”  she sighed taking off her shoes and socks. she started unbuttoning her jeans sliding them off her legs.

“wha. What are you doing?”

“come on, don't act shy. Were jumping in.” She motioned towards him.

“What? You seriously want to jump in from up there?” Leo shouted.

“Hell yeah I do. Are you scared or something?”

“No. NO, I just. I'm surprised, most girls would have freaked out at that.” He chuckled as he pulled his shirt over his head, now stripped to his boxers.

Leos eyes ravaged her body.  He had seen her in her bra on a small phone screen, but the real time view was stunning. He let out a low growl under his breath, discreetly adjusting himself.

She stood on the opposite of him, taking in his toned muscular body. She bit her bottom lip, shaking her head trying to break the thoughts. “Ok lets go.”

They climbed to the top, overlooking the drop off.  “So what are we doing here?” He questioned.

“We're testing something." She smirked "Two non- lovers jump in. Since we're just friends we should be safe right?” she looked at him.

“In one theory yes. In another." He paused for a moment, trying to hide the smile tugging on his lips. "We become lovers.”  he smirked.

“Well,  I guess we will have to test this out then, since. Since it'll never happen.” She gave him a playful look as she grabbed his hand. “One. Two. Threee!” She shouted as they leapt over the edge plunging into the water. They bobbed up laughing hysterically as he dunked under water tickling her sides. “Ahhh. Leo!” she screamed, laughing afterwards. He  emerged and she splashed him “Oh you're gonna pay.” he dove at her, tackling her into the water. She squealed and laughed as they wrestled.

He grabbed her by the waist pulling her into him, she put her arm around his neck pretending to put him in a headlock “Alight, alright. You win.” she dropped her arm hooking it around his neck, bringing the other over as they locked eyes. They slowly moved in, lips inches from each others when the loud ringing of a phone pulled them from the moment. “We should probably get that.” she unlocked her arms from his neck making her way the the shore, leo following after.  They checked their phones it was Liam for Leo. He called him back

“what's up Liam? No, I am not coming to dinner tonight. Regina can not call a family dinner on a non-family dinner night. You know I hate lamb. Well, tell Regina I already had plans. What noise? Don't worry about where I am. Goodbye Liam.”

Leo tossed his phone onto his clothes. “its hilarious when you and Liam bicker, and i've only seen it once.” she giggled.

“ so, you're not going to dinner with your family?” He looked at her a cocky grin spread across his lips “Nope, we are going out.”

“We are? Where to?”

“I know a good place, its a bar a few towns from the palace. They have excellent food.”

They put their clothes back on heading back to the palace for another shower and change. They quietly crept through the halls, avoiding running into Regina. They were almost in the clear when they heard “Leo?” Leo grabbed her hand once they rounded the corner they ran into the garage. Leo handed her a helmet here. “What. What's this for Leo?” she stuttered.

“Were taking the bike. Have you ever been on the back of a bike?” she shook her head no.

“Ok, It'll be fine, just hold onto me and move with me ok. Seriously we gotta go. Now. Or Madeleine's gonna catch up.”

She put the helmet on and climbed onto the back of the bike. He started it up as Madeline came through the garage door and they speed off. Madeline watched as he pulled away with Alicia on the back. She did not know who it was, she huffed turning around and going back in.

They zipped through the roads, everything a blur but the rush was amazing.  Her arms wrapped tightly around his waist, her body pressed against his back. Leo couldn't help but smile, that almost kiss playing through his mind. Fucking Liam, had to ruin the moment. It was probably a good thing, he thought.  He was trying to behave, he told himself he wanted to be her friend, but the more he got to know her, the more he wanted to pursue her. In that moment he decided to follow her lead, if she made a move or gave off signs she wanted him to do something, then he would.

They pulled into a small bar, it did not look nearly as upscale or crowded as the one Anitah and her went to in the capital. They walked inside,  “let's grab a booth and then I'll get some drinks.” they got settled into a booth he found out what she wanted and he approached the bar. “Leo, haven't seen you in a while, where you been?” the bartender shook his hand. “Yeah, I've been in Santorini for a while. How you been Doug?”

“Oh, can't complain. So what can I get you?”

“I'll have a beer and I need a Malibu bay breeze.” Doug eyed him, “since when do you drink fruity shit?”

“I don't. Its for my friend.”

“You've been here all of 5 minutes and already have a friend?” he grinned shaking his head as he worked on the drink. “I brought her with me smart ass.”

He grabbed the drinks and headed back to the booth. “Sorry, the bartender was giving me shit.” he chuckled.

They sat around talking and joking. Leo not wanting to drink a lot since he was on the bike and driving.

“I don't get it. How do you not have a girlfriend? You are an amazing guy, funny, smart, charismatic, thoughtful, hot…” she blushed at the last word.

“You know, you keep telling me im hot, you're going to give me a complex.” he chuckled.

“Im serious Leo.”

“I don't know. I don't really know why I guess. It's just not something I ever worried about.” He took a sip of his beer.  “It was decided for me that I was to marry Madeline. We got engaged, Regina picked the ring, I wanted no part. I handed her the box and walked away.”

“Wow, that's rough.”

“She didn't care about the ring, or me really. She cared about the crown. I guess at some point she became clingy, she was convenient.” he grimaced at the words. “Wow, that sounded really shitty.”

“It sounds like the whole situation was just one fucked up mess.”

“It was. I'm not going to lie to you, I have had my fair share of women. Mostly one night stands. I haven't been with a woman more than twice before I move on. The only person I have been with multiple times, was Madeline.”

“But isn't that lonely?”

“Maybe? I guess I never really thought about it that way. Whenever a woman finds out who I really am. They change. They get caught up in the what ifs of the glitz and glamorous life.” He sighed. “I dont think ive ever told anyone this before. What is it with you? I feel like i can tell you anything and you won't judge me.”

“ well, that's because I won't. I think you're a really great guy Leo.” she reached over grabbing his hand. He scooted forward “you amaze me you know that. I  have never met anyone like you. You are smart, funny, fearless, fierce, beautiful.” a familiar feeling washed over both of them, their lips inches apart again, her eyes locked with his and then, her phone rang, pulling them from the moment again. Leo dropped his head and chuckled.

“Sorry, I should probably take this.” She got up and stepped outside. Leo sat there lost in thought.  Twice they almost kissed, twice they were interrupted by phone calls. He wanted to kiss her, but he didn't want to because he wanted to jump into bed with her. He wanted to get to know her, everything about her. He felt a connection with her, he couldn't explain it, and it scared the hell out of him. They had only known each other a few days, but she definitely had all of his attention.

“everything ok?” He asked as she slid back into the booth.  “Yeah it was my mom, she had a question about and order we got at the bakery.”

“Oh, so you work with your mom? I am an asshole, I never thought to ask what you did for a living.”

“its ok. I am a pastry chef by choice. I did not like the environment in a restaurant kitchen, baking was always my nirvana.”

“You're a chef? That's amazing.”

“when I graduated from culinary school, I went to work in one of the fancy restaurants in NYC as a sous chef. I hated it. My mom offered to make me partner at the bakery and I accepted.”

“wow, that's amazing Alicia. I can imagine you are good at what you do. Maybe you'll cook for me once?” Leo smirked as they walked out the door to the bike. “Maybe.. if you play your cards right.” She winked at him. His willpower was quickly crumbling. He knew he promised Liam but she was making it very hard.  

They drove back to the palace, her arms still wrapped tightly around his waist. She could feel the ripples of his muscles through his shirt. The thoughts that ran through her head she knew she shouldn't be having. She was leaving in two months, and she was not one for a one night stand. They pulled into the garage, parking the bike and putting the helmets up. Leo walked her to her room. They stood in front of her door “Thanks for today, I had a really great time.” she hugged him. “so did I. There is more I would like to show you, that is of you want.”

“Of course. that would be great. Thank you Leo, really you have been amazing.”

She stood against the door. An awkward quiet settled over them. Their eyes locked, she bit her lower lip, hoping he would make a move because she was to scared to. When finally he leaned in pressing his lips to hers. His tongue tracing a line between her lips, her hands flew around his neck as she melted into the kiss. Their tongues dancing together in perfect harmony. They pulled apart as he rested his forehead against hers. “Good night Leo.” she breathed out. “Good night Alicia.”

Alicia closed the door behind her, her back against it as she slid down onto the floor in shock.  She touched her hand to her lips, that kiss.

Leo wore a wide grin his entire walk back to his quarters. He kissed her, he finally kissed her. Those lips, that kiss.  It was everything he hoped for and more. It was perfect, it was almost like a spark ignited between them.

But it left more questions for him. What happens now?

Tag: @annekebbphotography @carabeth @moneyfordiamonds @give-me-ernest-sinclaire @3pawandme @indiacater @ooo-barff-ooo @ownworldresident @tornbetween2loves @perfectprofessorherokid @stopforamoment @editboutique @wannabemc2 @zaffrenotes @enmchoices @lauradowning29 @lodberg @smalltalk88 @gibbles82 @heatherfilliez @drakesensworld @nikkis1983 @sweetest-marbear @classylady1234 @daniv2278 @rainbowsinthestorm @jared2612 @liamxs-world @notoriouscs @blubutterflyy @captain-kingliamsqueen @whenyourheartskipsabeat @lynne1993 @coldcollectornight08 @be-still-my-aching-heart @dcbbw @explorer-of-gems @kennaxval @hopefulmoonobject

[lifeisdabubbles-undersalmondean]

La Pomme ~ Chapter 11

Pairing: Sam x OC (eventual Dean x OC and Dean x Castiel. And I mean eventual.)

Series summary: George is a casual French-Mistake-universe Supernatural fan living in no-COVID 2020, who's life is upended when she's suddenly launched between realities, two years into the boys' past (S13E22). What begins as an insane, immersive fan experience turns into more when Jack goes missing and George offers up her AU information to help track him down. Soon it's discovered that she and Sam may actually have history. But that's impossible, right?

Word Count: 4,800

Warnings: {smut, fluff, angst, show level violence, swearing, mentions of suicide} ***Detailed warnings will be tagged for specific chapters.

A/N: Following the events of my prequel Paradise and second story From My Eyes Off. Reading those first gives context but isn’t necessary to start this one.

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"Cab company says one of their drivers picked up a random fare in front of Target two hours ago and took them to Carson City!" Sam shouted to Dean and Cas as he jogged back anxiously from inside the gas station. "I got the address."

"We sure it's George?" Dean asked, screwing the gas cap back on and shutting the flap

"Well, she said she was from there," He answered matter of factly. "If she ran, home is the most likely place she'd go, right?" Dean gave him a skeptical look and Sam shrugged as they both climbed back into the Impala, "And it's our only lead, so let's go!"

Knowing Sam was right about their very short list of options, the engine roared to life and Dean began driving in the direction of Carson City. 30 minutes later, Dean pulled up along the front of a tall, sprawling beige building.

"We think this is where she went? A community college?" Dean asked, looking skeptically at Sam. He didn't respond, looking at the building curiously. It was definitely strange but Sam felt confident. Or at least, he tried to because if he didn't he would spiral into panic.

Dean had graciously allowed George an extra 30 minutes in Target-because you know how women are about clothes-while stewing hangrily, before he'd gotten impatient and stormed into the shopping center with the other two men in tow. They'd swept the store and the parking lot twice with no sign of her, then started to get worried. After questioning nearly everyone in Target, they'd driven around Reno for an hour looking for any sign of her with no luck-and no food. Finally Dean suggested contacting cab companies in the area to inquire about recent fares and Sam thought it was genius. This had to be right.

"This is the address the cab company gave me," Sam explained, looking around at the-clearly closed-buildings. Dean kept slowly driving past the main building and turned left into the school, looking for signs of life.

As they came back to the main building at the end of their circle and hadn't found any, he finally asked, "OK, so now what?"

Sam thought about it for a minute, trying to logically figure out their next move. Maybe the buildings were open when she'd gotten here earlier? But what was she looking for here and where did she go next? He scoured his memory of their conversations trying to identify any clues.

Just as Sam was about to give up, Castiel pointed to something on their right side, "What about over there?"

Off in the distance, behind the football field and next to the student parking garage was a more modern, silver building with all it's lights still on. The brothers exchanged a look before Dean drove over.

"A library?" He asked as they pulled up.

"A library! That's it!" Sam exclaimed excitedly. Dean parked the car and Sam quickly reached into the glove box and grabbed out three fake IDs that looked closest to security badges.

The three of them got out, Sam passing out the badges, and as they walked up to the entrance Dean asked, "What? How is this 'it?' Why would she go to a library?"

"For the internet?"

"The internet?" Dean was confused. "You think she ran away from us to look at porn?" They reached the glass doors and Castiel opened the left side for them to pile in.

Sam rolled his eyes and said quietly once they were inside, "How many times do I have to tell you there's more to the internet than porn?" Not waiting for an answer, Sam walked over to the large, round information desk conveniently located in the middle of the entryway.

Sat behind the counter was a woman who looked older than your typical college student, but younger than him; he guessed 30ish. She wore a white ripped up band shirt under a black button down and lots of gold jewelry on her wrists and fingers. She had multiple facial piercings-nearly everywhere you could have them-and her hair was styled in short, red wine-colored dreads that fell to her chin. When she looked up at him, he noticed her strikingly beautiful skin was a random pattern of rich terra-cotta brown and stark pale pink. Sam realized she must have vitiligo.

"Hi, I'm Officer Grohl from campus security," he flashed the badge too quickly for her to actually see and continued confidently, "Officer's Cobain and Novoselic," he pointed at Cas and Dean, coming up behind him. "What's your name?"

"Stacey." She removed her earbuds and stood up nervously.

"Nice to meet you Stacey. Can you tell me how long you've been working tonight?"

"Started my shift about three hours ago," she responded curiously.

"Great, then maybe you can help. We're looking for a woman; caucasian, tall, long blonde hair, blue eyes, friendly, rambles a lot. Sound familiar?" They could instantly tell she knew something. Her well practiced, customer service friendly expression was replaced with shock and guilt as soon as Sam finished his description.

Clearing her throat, Stacey responded, "Uh… why? Is she in trouble?"

"Well, we don't know," Dean began, feigning concern. "She's a student that's been reported missing by her boyfriend. Have you seen her?"

"Sorry, did you say boyfriend?!" Stacey's attitude shifted quickly, placing an indignant hand on her hip. It was clear that she was annoyed by that information, though it wasn't clear why.

Dean glanced at Sam curiously before confirming, "Yea, I did. Why?"

Stacey didn't answer right away, clenching her jaw and huffing. Finally she rolled her eyes and smirked in anger, "She came in about two hours ago with some sob story about losing her ID. Said she had a paper due the next morning; seemed stressed about it."

"So, you let her in?" Sam guessed and Stacey nodded guiltily. "When was this?"

"She got here about midnight, just after my shift started."

"Can you tell us what she was doing while she was here?"

"Erm… Mostly, she was on the computer. I assume working on her paper?"

"Really? Can you show us where?" Sam inquired.

"Sure," Stacey said with some frustration, leading the group to a computer station about 50 feet away. "Right here."

"Do you know what she was using the computer for?" Sam asked, wiggling the mouse and getting a login screen.

"I didn't ask and she didn't say."

"Is there any way to find out?"

"Not without a warrant," She sighed with a bit of attitude. Obviously she felt they had overstayed their welcome. The three of them shared a surprised look, unsure how to respond.

Sam turned on his sad puppy dog charm and cleared his throat, "Listen, Stacey, her boyfriend is really concerned. When she left, she left with nothing; no ID, no money, no keys, no phone. She's out there by herself in the middle of the night with nothing and could be in danger. We just want to get her home safe."

Stacey hesitated for a moment, then rolled her eyes in frustration, "Look, I don't know what she was doing while she was here but before she left I gave her directions to the closest Brown Cub Diner, over on Carson street. I assume that's where she was headed next? Left about 30 minutes ago."

Dean looked like he was going to blow a gasket at that information but Sam was elated, "Great! Thank you for your help."

The three of them turned to leave and she followed them back to the front desk.

Sam and Castiel shared an eye roll as Dean held the door open and muttered furiously, "After all this, she's going to the diner for my pancakes?!"

Sam paused in the doorway and turned back to when Stacey called, "Officer Grohl!" Dean looked back as well and Stacey lobbed, "I don't need any more confused straight girl drama. If you find her, tell her to lose my number!"

"Wha?" Dean was very confused.

Sam was too but they didn't have time for it, so he called back, "Sure thing!" before grabbing his brother and pulling him out the door, "C'mon."

They made it to the diner but were unfortunately no closer to finding her. According to the waitress inside, a woman matching her description came in almost an hour prior, bought nearly two bags worth of to-go food, and left. The best they had was a direction. Dean pulled the car back onto the main street through town in said direction while Sam searched carefully out the window for any sign of her. He was very worried. If anything happened to her… he didn't want to think about it.

"Well this is great. Just great, Sammy." Dean was furious, and Sam seemed like the easiest one to take it out on, considering he hadn't let Dean get any food at the diner. Maybe Dean was also a little worried that they wouldn't find George but that was no one's business but his. "What do we do now that we've lost your confused-straight-girl friend, huh? Cas can't sense her because she's not human apparently, so how are we going to find her?"

Sam's neck snapped back and he glared at Cas, "You told him about that?"

"I didn't say she wasn't human. I said maybe not entirely human," Castiel said softly. The more time he spent with her the more he liked her and, though he was still suspicious of her, the suspicion made him feel guilty. But he'd already spilled the beans earlier to Dean when Sam was inside the gas station.

"Why didn't you tell me about it?"

"Uh-about what? George being… 'fuzzy'?" Sam mocked defensively. "What's there to say? We don't know if that means anything. Even Cas isn't sure what to think. She's from an alternate dimension for Christ's sake, it stands to reason she'd be a little fuzzy!"

Dean and Cas were quiet in response to Sam's outburst. They could tell he was a bit on edge.

Even so, Dean muttered, "Listen, I get it. It's not a lot to go on, and if you ask me, the only thing she's a real threat to is your abstinence." Sam clenched his jaw and glared, nostrils flaring as Dean smirked proudly. "But, that's something we should both get the opportunity to decide together. I get that the two of you have history," Sam turned his head and looked out the window guiltily, "and you've got all the feelings now, but she didn't step into the Sam Winchester show. We're brothers and we're in this together. When you start hiding things from me, shit blows up and the next thing you know you've jump-started another apocalypse, alright? Both our lives get affected by this stuff; you just gotta keep me in the loop."

Sam stayed silent but unclenched slowly in his seat. He knew Dean was right, it was irresponsible, dangerous, and unfair to keep things from each other; he wanted to agree to those terms but he wasn't sure if he could. Would it mean having to tell Dean about the dream? No, right? For his own sanity, he'd decided that the woman in the dream couldn't be George, so they weren't related… but his feelings were obviously the reason for Sam's recent missteps, so how was he supposed to explain himself without mentioning it? He was very conflicted.

As he continued scanning the area Sam felt a pull in the pit of his stomach and he leaned forward in his seat. Spotting a sign for the Motel 6, he sat forward like his whole body was being wrenched toward it.

He pointed, "Dean, there."

"What about it?" Castiel asked curiously, as they both looked toward the motel.

"She's-" Sam began confidently and then stopped. How could he say this without seeming crazy? "Maybe she's there?" He tried to sound casual while stopped at the red light just before the motel, "It's possible right?" Dean and Cas shared a look and then Dean stared at him suspiciously. He explained quickly, "Where else is she gonna go with all that food? We can at least just go ask," Sam offered, defensively.

"Fine." Dean grumbled in exhaustion and pulled into the parking lot once the light turned green.

After having gone inside to ask the clerk if they'd seen a woman matching George's description, Dean was walking back to the car and seemed relieved, but still pissed. "Jerry Garcia behind the desk says little miss runaway checked in about 30 minutes ago. Room 24." Dean pointed to a room on the second floor of the motel as he got close enough to Sam and Cas to relay the information.

"Are they sure it's her?" Sam asked anxiously. He wasn't sure if he was happy or freaked out. He definitely wanted to find her, of course, but this strange feeling of knowing where she was was very unnerving.

"Based on my description, which included the phrase 'confusingly endearing blabbermouth,' he seemed pretty sure," Dean shrugged. "Which begs the question-"

"How did you know she'd be here?" Cas asked while he and Dean gave him matching accusatory stares, waiting patiently for his explanation.

"I don't know-I mean, I didn't! I didn't know. I just…" Sam searched for something plausible but came up empty, "lucky guess?" Dean gave him a 'wtf' look, obviously wanting more of an explanation for how Sam was able to find the world's smallest needle in the world's largest haystack. Sam became exasperated; he wasn't able to fully explain it to himself, let alone to anyone else. "I don't know! I guess I just figured with her cab and pie expenses, she's probably low on cash. This is the cheapest motel in the area, so it just stands to reason that she'd have come here, alright?!"

"OK, man, don't blow a gasket. We found her, let's just go get her, so we can get the hell out of here." Dean had lost all patience at this point. They'd wasted the last three hours driving left, right, and center of Nevada to track her down, not knowing whether they'd find her alive or not. All he wanted to do now was to strangle-er, wrangle her back into the car and go get Jack. He'd had enough of Nevada and her shenanigans, and he'd be lying if he said he didn't also want some of that food she'd ordered!

The three of them headed toward room 24. They approached the door and were just about to knock when it opened lazily. George was standing on the other side, seemingly unscathed. She didn't seem at all surprised to see the three men outside her room; as if she'd opened the door in response to their arrival. Her eyes were bloodshot like she'd been crying and she was "dressed" in only one towel wrapped around her body and one twisted atop her head.

"Come on in," she sniffled flatly, turning away from them. In her towel dress, Sam couldn't help but notice that the bright ink he'd seen glimpses of on her calf not only stretched down onto her foot but also up her thigh, disappearing under the towel; it looked like the same colors he'd seen on her waist earlier as well. He still couldn't make out what it was supposed to be but his curiosity definitely piqued.

After they'd exchanged a few confused looks, it took the stunned men a good 15 seconds to snap out of it. With a shrug Dean stomped into the room, Sam following closely behind, and Castiel shutting the door behind them. She walked over to a chair across the small room and flopped down dejectedly.

Once inside, they stood in awkward silence, not a clue how to respond to the sight in front of them. Dean especially had been ready to rip her a new one for the stunt she'd pulled. He hesitated now, seeing her so sad and pathetic; the fact that she didn't have any clothes on made it challenging, too. But this anger had been building for three hours and even a sad, naked woman wasn't going to be saved from his hangry wrath.

"What the hell did you think you were doing?" Dean began ranting at her and pacing around the tiny room. "Do you know how dangerous it was to run like that? We've been driving around for hours, worried out of our minds that you'd been hurt or worse, with no way to find you-and I never got my damn pie!" He gave her his best angry dad face, pausing for her to provide an explanation.

At the mention of food, she got up and walked to the nightstand by the bed, which had a large brown bag filled to the brim with takeout boxes set on top. She pulled out the two stacks of boxes and set them back down on the nightstand, tossing the bag aside. She grabbed the top box and checked to make sure it was the right one before walking over and handing it to Dean.

"Here you go. A slice of strawberry rhubarb pie and a double stack of sweet cream pancakes." She went back to her chair and sat down again, slumping forward and laying her head face down on the wooden table next to her. "I didn't know what kind of pie you'd like, so I got one slice of each, they're in the other boxes on the nightstand. Help yourself." Came her muffled voice as she spoke into the table.

The three of them looked over at all the takeout boxes and then at each other in shock. Dean nearly shed a happy tear. He hesitated for a moment, worried that it might seem insensitive to start eating, but she did say to help himself. Eventually he grabbed a plastic fork from the discarded bag and plopped down on the bed to dig in, ignoring Sam and Castiel's judgmental looks.

"How did you know we were coming?" Castiel finally asked, gobsmacked.

"Dunno, just did." George shrugged. Castiel gave Sam a concerned look, Dean was too busy eating-if you could call it that, it was more like inhaling-to notice.

"George, can you tell us what happened?" Sam began in a gentle voice. "Why did you leave? Where were you going?"

She lifted her head and looked at him, a devastated, frightened look on her face, "Home." He frowned unconsciously and she winced, "I'm sorry, I don't really know what I was thinking. I just thought I saw--I just--ugh, just being so close to home I realized how insane the last few weeks of my life have been and I panicked!" She shouted defensively. Then she sighed and shrugged, "I simply panicked and ran. Trying to get to the only safe place I could think: home."

She paused for a moment and the three men shared understanding, yet uncomfortable looks. Welling up a bit she croaked, "But it doesn't exist. My home doesn't exist. My family doesn't exist. I don't exist!" At that she burst into tears again and hung her head, the towel atop falling away clumsily. Her long wet hair fell forward and draped down over her knees. The three guys froze, half a pancake hanging out of Dean's mouth, looking at each other like "wtf do we do?"

Sam wanted to comfort her. Truthfully, the second she opened the door he'd wanted to grab her and not let go; 'relieved' didn't even begin to cover it. But this whole situation was so very complicated. He was undeniably drawn to her--unnervingly, so--but felt deeply ashamed of his history and had convinced himself that she was just being polite and friendly as a fan of the show. Therefore, he was trying to be respectful and maintain appropriate distance.

When he caught his brother's eye again, Dean motioned for him to go to her as if to say "you're up dude!" Sam scrunched his nose at him before hesitantly moving to her side and carefully pulling her into an awkward side hug against his knees. To his surprise, she stood up suddenly and hugged him tight. Instinctively, he wrapped both arms around her, too, and closed his eyes briefly, relishing the feeling of her in his arms again. It was strangely familiar and comforting, as though she was made to fit perfectly there.

When his eyes opened again, he ignored the smirking look of approval on Dean's face , and asked her quietly, "What do you mean, you don't exist?"

Pulling herself together after a moment, George pulled back and clumsily tried to wipe her snot from Sam's jacket. Dean made a yuck face, shoveling another bite of half pie half pancake into his mouth. Sam was too busy trying to ignore the sudden cold, empty feeling and the strange ache in his chest from the loss of her to notice the snot.

Way to maintain an appropriate distance, dude.

"According to historical records, my grandparents were killed in a house fire shortly after my Aunt Lorna-who was the oldest of my mother's siblings-was born." She reached over to grab a couple pieces of printed paper which were sitting on the opposite side of the table and handed them to Sam. "Copy of the newspaper article about the fire from 1963," she explained. While he scanned the pages quickly, she grabbed a hand towel from the vanity, wetting it at the sink and then rubbing it over her face as if to wash away the sadness. With a sigh she continued, "Second page, half way down: Franklin and Bernadette Byrne. My grandparents. Dead. 5 years before my mom was born."

"That would mean-" Cas began to state the obvious but was cut off by George.

"My mother was never born in this stupid reality! And if she was never born, then I was never born and I shouldn't exist-I don't exist! Here! Wherever here is?" She began pacing in the small room as she spoke out loud, "A television show? But that makes no sense because you all are terrible actors. A dream? That was certainly my first theory, considering it's obviously not the first time I've had sex dreams about fictional characters, not even the first one I've had about The Winchesters-or you, Cas; and I promise it was always Misha-" Sam and Dean exchanged "yikes" looks; she was rambling. Suddenly she stopped and took a deep breath before continuing, "But-but something about this experience seems far more real and distinctly un-dream like. But it also doesn't feel like my real life because ever since I've been here I've felt weirdly… comfortable? The pain is gone and I can actually listen to my instincts which feel heightened somehow; I trust them now more than ever! Which feels like it means I'm supposed to be here, like I'm where I'm meant to be." Sam tried not to look too happy about that statement, as she gave a pain expression before saying, "But how can that be if I don't exist?" She paused only briefly and then turned on her heel and started again, "Or, does it make sense that I don't exist here already because if I did, there'd be two of me in one universe and I suppose that could cause some kind of paradox? Maybe-"

"OK, time out!" Dean stood up and put his half finished food down. He turned to look at her for a split-second before turning back around and picking the food up again. He spoke to her between bites, "it's been a long day and we're all too tired to get into paradoxes right now. Why don't we go see if we can get adjoining rooms and try to get some shut eye. Give ourselves a little time to rest, recharge, and then we can talk things through in the morning? How does that sound?" Dean's mood had improved exponentially now that he'd had some food in him and his offer was tempting to everyone. George felt like a spinning top that would never slow down and figured maybe sleep wouldn't be so bad, so she just shrugged concedingly.

"Sam and I will go talk to the front desk about the rooms." Castiel wanted to talk to Sam alone.

"And I'll stay here and supervise the pie while you take a nice hot bath to relax, OK?" Dean took the last bite of the food in his first takeout box and tossed it into the trash before nudging George in the direction of the bathroom. She gave a loud sigh in faux-test but went and started the bath anyway. She'd already showered but he had a point; a hot bath would probably help her relax enough to sleep. Cas and Sam headed out the door while Dean grabbed a second take out box and they heard an excited "Cherry! Score!" as the door shut behind them.

"Sam, I'm concerned," Cas stated as they were walking to the lobby building.

"You don't think they're going to have adjoining rooms available?"

"Not about the hotel, about George," Castiel clarified. "I'm concerned about how she says she's feeling."

"Cas, it's totally natural for humans to feel sad. She was ripped out of her world and plopped into what she thinks is a TV show and then she finds out she doesn't exist? I mean, it'd be overwhelming for anyone. When Dean and I got stuck in her reality, it was-"

"I'm not concerned about her emotional state, Sam," Castiel stopped Sam from walking and made him turn to look at him. "I'm concerned about her saying she feels like she's meant to be here? Like her 'instincts are heightened'?" Castiel questioned, checking to see if Sam had heard that too.

"So, what's wrong with that? Maybe we've just been making her feel so at home that she's having a nice time." Sam felt defensive; he'd been nothing but selfishly happy that she seemed to feel so comfortable here. Hoping beyond hope that maybe he might be part of the reason why. Questioning that was a can of worms he wanted to keep tightly closed.

Cas gave him a look, "It's more than that. You saw all that food in there, how she opened the door as we approached." Castiel shook his head, a suspicious look on his face. "I think this goes beyond good hospitality…" he trailed off though, as he really wasn't sure what this was. Every time he was around her, he felt a niggling sense of dread that he couldn't shake and the more she displayed this strange, coincidental clairvoyance, the more the dread grew. Yet she was an inarguably pleasant human, who had been nothing but kind and friendly to him. If only he could sense her, he'd feel a lot better.

"What? You think it's something bad? Something to be concerned about?" Sam didn't see what all the fuss was about. Sure, she'd had food waiting for them-Dean's always hungry and she maybe felt like she needed a peace offering? And she opened a door five seconds before they knocked-maybe their footsteps were rattling the wall of the rickety old motel, who knows? Sam didn't see the relevance either way.

"I don't know," Cas admitted finally.

"OK, then let's just get some shut-eye for now and like Dean said, we can talk about all of this, including your concerns, in the morning, yea?" Cas conceded begrudgingly since he knew humans tended to function better after having slept.