#i miss driving for 10 hours on a road trip

[aetherbladedstick]

.

[goblinbugthing]

guys. guys i might be going to my first ever concert sometime soon-ish

[tongue-like-a-razor]

Hotter Than Texas | Part III

Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x F!Reader

A/N: Thank you for all the lovely messages about this series! I'm so happy y'all are loving it and are excited to see it continued <3

Summary: Bradley Bradshaw is tasked with transporting a not-so-delicate package in the form of Jake Seresin's baby sister, who turns out to be Bradley's dream girl worst nightmare.

Aka it's a road trip, strap in.

CW: swearing, age gap (10 years)

WC: 2200+

Part I | Masterlist

“You got a girlfriend, Brad Bradshaw?”

Bradley looks over at you, sitting in his passenger seat in a green sundress, fiddling with a charm on your bracelet. “No,” he replies rather hoarsely, unsure how to interpret your question.

“Why not?” you continue, your tone light and carefree, as though you’re just asking about the weather.

“I dunno,” Bradley mutters uncomfortably, returning his attention to the road.

You look up at him abruptly and he throws you a brief glance; just long enough to see the concern on your face. “Think about it,” you suggest.

Bradley sighs, making a concentrated effort to check his blind spot before switching lanes – like driving could distract him from this conversation. Why doesn’t he have a girlfriend? He’s never really thought about it so, clearly, it hasn’t been at the top of his priority list. “The last girlfriend I had was in college. Didn’t last long, either,” he says, hoping this might appease your curiosity enough for you to change the subject.

“Hmm.”

He looks over at you again, wondering what you’re thinking. Wondering if you might consider this little detail a red flag. “I haven’t really met anyone I wanted to spend all my time with,” he says. Until now.

“Interesting,” you muse, leaning back into your seat as though you’re satisfied with this response.

“Is it?” Bradley asks, his gaze inadvertently coasting over your bare thighs every time he glances at you.

You shrug mildly, your fingers once again toying with your bracelet.

“Do you have a boyfriend?” Bradley asks, feeling temporarily bold.

“Mmm,” you deliberate, dropping your hands into your lap and slanting your head back against the headrest. “We’ll see.”

Bradley furrows his eyebrows, now watching you more than he’s watching the road. “What does that mean?”

“It means, we’ll see, sugar,” you respond absently. Then, suddenly, you spring up in your seat. “Apple orchard ahead!” you exclaim, pointing at the sign on the side of the interstate.

Bradley, more confused than ever, blinks between your outstretched arm, the billboard, and the road. “You want to pick apples?”

You give Bradley a look and say, “They’ll have pie!”

“Oh!” Bradley chuckles. “Say no more.” He makes a few lane changes so as not to miss the fast-approaching exit.

“We can have the pie for lunch,” you say, glancing at the clock on his dash.

“We can stop for lunch and then get pie,” Bradley proposes, hoping to once again enjoy the pleasure of your company at a restaurant.

You consider his offer and then counter with, “We can have some pie, then have lunch, and then have some more pie.”

Bradley laughs. “Sold.”

…

About an hour later, Bradley is sitting with you on a small dock overlooking a creek, the open pie box positioned in between the two of you.

“That’s a fresh pie,” you comment, sticking your fork into the flaky crust.

Bradley grins at the top of your head as you lean over the box to take a bite. For some reason, your obsession with pie supremely amuses him. “You’re fucking adorable,” he says before he can stop himself.

You freeze with the fork in your mouth and then slowly blink up at him, your eyes searching his for a moment before you sensually draw the fork out of your mouth and then lick it for good measure. Bradley nearly has a heart attack. You smirk at him playfully and then get to your feet. “You think?” you ask, as though you want to hear him say it again. You bend over slightly and lift your leg to remove a sandal.

Bradley watches you gracefully step out of your shoes while beads of sweat collect under the collar of his t-shirt. How could he have let that kind of thing slip?

“Fancy a dip, Rooster?” You eye him mischievously.

Bradley gulps as you bunch up your sundress, exposing more of your legs than he should ever get to see, and dip a toe into the water. The current bubbles around your foot.

“It’s cold!” you squeal, lifting your foot out of the water with a laugh.

Bradley chuckles, getting up as you hop in your excitement on the edge of the dock. “Careful,” he cautions, holding his arm out in case you fall. “Don’t slip.”

You plunge your whole foot into the water before promptly removing it with a splash and a yelp.

“Come on,” he says. “How cold can it be?”

You giggle, taking a hold of his arm as you once again lower your foot into the creek.

Bradley lets his hand close gently around your elbow, steadying you while your toe makes circles in the water.

“How deep do you think it is?”

And before Bradley has a chance to respond, you make your way to the bank and take several steps into the creek, squealing as you go. Bradley shakes his head with a laugh as you wade further in.

“What’re you waitin’ for, handsome?” you call to him when you’re about knee deep in the water.

Bradley, who’s pretty sure he’s going to be replaying that line in his head for the next week, strolls up the dock toward the bank. He slips off his shoes and stands on the slope for a moment, letting the water lap at his bare feet.

“It’s freezing, right?” you exclaim giddily.

Bradley shrugs as he finally enters the – admittedly frigid – water. “It’s nice,” he says. “Refreshing.”

You snort as he strides toward you and, when he’s close enough, you dip your hand into the water and splash him.

“Hey now,” he cautions. “Don’t start something you wouldn't want me to finish.” He’s deep enough now that the bottoms of his shorts are skimming the surface of the water.

You giggle and splash him again – harder this time.

Bradley shakes his head, lowering his hand into the water. “Just remember,” he says, “you asked for this.” And then he glides his hand along the surface, sending a cluster of water droplets in your direction.

You screech, covering your face and, not a moment later, start a boisterous aquatic attack, showering him with icy water and completely impairing his visual field. The skirt of your dress floats in the water like a lily pad as you retreat deeper into the creek.

Bradley, who’s now soaked from head to toe, peels off his t-shirt and tosses it onto the dock. Then, he follows you deeper. “You’ve been warned, princess,” he says, gathering a wave of water and sending it in your direction.

You scream as the giant splash drenches you entirely. You stand still for a moment, accepting your fate, and then you wrap your arms around your shoulders, shivering as you glance up at Bradley whilst water drips from the tip of your nose. “I’m all wet!” you shriek.

Bradley laughs, finally approaching you. “What did you expect?”

“That you’d let me win!”

Bradley eyes you with a smirk. “Let you win? Honey, you don’t know me at all.” Bradley can’t remember the last time in his life he’d used so many pet names, but, looking at you, they just keep rolling off his tongue.

You pout at him, your lashes dripping water every time you blink. “I’ll get you back when you least expect it,” you say.

Bradley chuckles. “Your lips are turning blue,” he says, noticing that your teeth are starting to chatter.

You let Bradley lead you out of the water and, once you’re back on the bank, you start to wring out the bottom of your sundress. The wet material sticks to your curves invitingly and Bradley begrudgingly looks away.

…

“Want me to drive for a while?” you ask, approaching the car.

Bradley looks over at you with an amused smirk as he pulls open the passenger door. “Nope,” he responds.

“You don’t trust me with your precious Bronco?” you ask playfully.

Bradley chuckles, shaking his head. “I just don’t mind driving.”

“Neither do I.” You shrug.

Bradley ponders for a moment before replying, “Next time.”

You raise your eyebrows at him. “Planning another road trip with me already?”

Bradley feels the unwelcome – but vexingly predictable – stutter of his heart as you continue to hold his gaze. He tightens his grip on the frame of the door he’s still holding open because he can’t very well sink his hands into you. Not only are you much younger than anyone Bradley’s ever dated, you’re also Hangman’s little sister, a reality so unfortunate that it almost feels contrived. Of all the girls in the world, why does he have to be so utterly infatuated with you? After a few seconds of – we’ll call it deliberate – silence, he grins. “If you’ll have me,” he says.

You smile. “Fun,” you say, drawing a little closer to the passenger door – a little closer to Bradley. “Where are we going?”

Bradley gulps uneasily. “Anywhere,” he says, his voice raspy and uneven.

You graze your teeth over your bottom lip and Bradley could swear that the heat of the afternoon sun is about to melt his very bones. “I’ve always wanted to take the scenic route to Alaska,” you muse, pursing your lips.

Bradley watches you unblinkingly. “Let’s go,” he says.

You let out a peal of laughter and slap him lightly on the chest. “Can you imagine?” you exclaim.

He can. “It’s a bit in the opposite direction,” he says somewhat ironically. “But anything’s better than the desert,” he concludes, slowly shifting his weight after standing very still for a very long time.

You smile at him sympathetically, as though you can tell he’s suffering greatly. “Rain check?” you ask softly.

Bradley, who is absolutely sure that there isn’t a single organ in his body left uncooked, comments facetiously, “Does it ever rain here?”

…

“Let’s stop for some coffee,” you say about half an hour after getting back on the road.

If Bradley didn’t know any better, he’d think you might be finding excuses to extend the trip. “With a pinch of salt?” Bradley teases you, but obediently merges onto the offramp.

“I’m thinking of switching majors,” you say quietly, as though you’re unsure whether you really want to share this information.

Bradley glances over at you as he pulls up to a red light. “Sounds like you might need something a little stronger than coffee.”

You snort loudly and then let out a dramatic sigh. “I’m thinking you might be right, darlin’.”

Bradley’s heart races as he pulls into the lot of the first bar he sees. Frequenting watering holes is absolutely on the list of things Bradley should not be doing with his colleague’s baby sister. But you seem like you need to get something off your chest. And Bradley can’t imagine a more ideal way to spend an evening.

The tavern is low-lit and crowded, and you shift slightly closer to his side upon entering. Bradley instinctively places a hand on your back, like it’s meant to be there or something. He guides you through the packed bar toward an empty table near the back and waves down a server before taking a seat across from you.

He slides you a cocktail menu and watches you peruse it without saying a word. When the server arrives, you order a paloma.

Bradley orders a whiskey neat and fixes you with a weighty look once the server departs. “You want to talk about it?” he asks.

You shrug. “We can.”

Bradley continues searching your face. “Do you want to?”

You sigh and look down into your lap. “Nobody knows yet,” you admit. “I’m halfway through my junior year so switching would really set me back.”

Bradley nods sympathetically. He knows all about being set back. “What are you thinking of switching to?”

“Psych,” you respond hesitantly.

Then the drinks arrive and you fall uncharacteristically silent. Bradley takes a sip of his whiskey while you down a quarter of your cocktail in one gulp. “You want my advice?” he asks. “Or are you just sharing?”

You meet his gaze distantly. “My parents are gonna flip shit,” you says monotonously, as if you haven’t even heard his question.

Bradley smirks at you. “It’s their job to overreact,” he says. “They just want to protect you.”

You absently run your finger around the rim of your glass. “My brother’s gonna question my judgement. Say I’m making a mistake.”

“Your brother has questionable judgement, himself,” Bradley points out.

You let out a small chuckle. “I wish I knew both outcomes before making a decision.”

Bradley could sure relate to that feeling. “Sometimes, you just have to go with your gut. It may not apply here, to be honest, but this guy I know – one of my superiors – he uh, he has this motto: ‘Don’t think, just do.’ I’m not saying yours has to be a split second decision. But, if it were, and you had to decide this minute, without weighing the consequences or talking it over with your family, what would you choose?”

You blink up at him soberly and state, “Naval Academy.”

Bradley’s eyes widen stupidly as he processes your words. “That” – he croaks, then clears his throat – “that’s not psychology.”

You suck in your cheeks and solemnly shake your head.

Tag List

I’ll be tagging the rest in the comments shortly!

@joaquinwhorres

@katiemcrae

@sehnsuchts-trunken

@toomuchfluffs

@wintercap89

@lonelywitchv2

@callsign-jupiter

@rosiahills22

@olliepig

@coffeeaddictedmay

@boringusername3

@ratedtvpg

@mak-32

@annedub

@jules-1999

@black--lightning

@j-velvet

@xoxabs88xox

@cyanide-cryptid

@callsignvenus

@artemissunn

@gcldtom

@atarmychick007

@callsign-sunshine

@shanimallina87

@birdy-bat-writes

@wkndwlff

@chaosmxlcolm

@iminlovewithenchilidadas

@daniibzz

@avis15

@valhallavalkyrie9

@ijustwantedplums

@hal3ynicol3

@avengersfan25

@hallecarey1

@nik2blog

@kpopgirlbtssvt

@lilianashomaresparza

@lovingperfectionsblog

@bblpbb

@Elenavampire21

@SometimesAnAlice

@risingtripletaurus

@adaydreamaway08

@mattyskies

@desert-fern

@catsandbooksandstuff

@Topguncultleader

@avengers-fixation

[wandamaximoffsbadgirl]

prompt 8 and 14 (shy readers first time) and moms bsf wanda

You Were Red and You Liked Me Because I Was Blue

Mom's bsf!Wanda Maximoff x shy!innocent!Romanoff!fem!reader

Word Count: 1.8k

Warnings: 18+, MDNI, age gap relationship (W=35, R=20) W calls herself Mommy, use of pet names, W fingers R

A/N: I worked on this all day while I didn't feel good and I have a killer headache at the moment so if I missed any warning I'm sorry. I can't think anymore.

The air was cold, without snow falling to distract you it felt unbearable to be waiting for your ride back home for break. Unfortunately you mom was off on a work trip until 3 days before Christmas so instead her best friend, Wanda would be picking you up.

Normally Wanda would have also been preoccupied this time of year, but since her and Vision finalized their divorce and custody of the boys, Vision would be getting them Christmas break first.

You couldn't imagine what that must be like for Wanda. Suddenly after 10 years of family tradition she was alone again and Wanda being alone was never a good thing. You'd known Wanda for a long time. After Natasha helped take down the red room she'd taken you, the youngest widow on the ship under her wing. The day you gained Natasha as a mom, you also gained an aunt Yelena. You had always heard stories of the famous Black Widow that got away and you'd seen Yelena training with others the greatest child assassin the world has ever known. Though you know her now as Auntie Lena who eats Mac and cheese straight out of the pot.

You're pulled out of your thoughts when you see the familiar red subaru ascent. Wanda pulled up with a smile as you opened up the trunk to set your luggage in before quickly getting in the passenger seat with a shiver. Wanda pulled you into her arms, your body instantly heating from her contact.

“Hi sweetheart. How was the flight in?” She asked near your ear, making your heart skip a beat as you pulled back, trying to calm your body down.

“It was fine. Better than having you drive five hours to come grab me.” You told her as you put on your seat belt.

“I wouldn't have minded a 5 hour road trip with you sweet girl.” You bit the inside of your cheek at her words, choosing to stare out the window as she pulled away from the airport.

With Wanda's help you brought your luggage into the house and headed to your room to finally lie down and stretch out. The flight was only an hour and a half and the car ride back was about a half hour. You had barley acknowledged Wanda when she said about her starting on dinner instead choosing to go shower and clean yourself up.

You'd been told that even though you're an adult your mom wanted Wanda there with you. She said it was so you could keep an eye on the other. For Wanda it was so you'd stay out of trouble and for you it was to keep Wanda company. Natasha knew what it was like for Wanda to be alone.

What you and Natasha didn't know though was Wanda had fawned over you since she met you. When Natasha first introduced you and Yelena you always hid away. A little mouse making little to no noise as you moved. Even your thoughts were quiet to Wanda. It was something she found solace in around you. She knew what had happened to you and the other widows. Though you were next step of perfecting what Drekovy wanted out of the widows, total control they had perfected and for you, the only survivor of your age group, an enhanced super soldier serum. It gave you all the same enhancements as Steve and Bucky, but you stayed small, unassuming so no one ever saw you coming.

“Y/N! Dinner's ready sweet girl!” Wanda called up as you looked over yourself in the mirror, the scars lining your arms, shoulders, chest. They were everywhere.

You took the stairs two at a time, hair still damp, but Wanda's cooking smelt too good to keep her waiting. She looked up from moving things from the counter to the dining table. Natasha always used to have these ‘family meals’ where her parents, Yelena, Wanda, Vision, and the boys would come over. They stopped happening when Wanda and Vision decided to get the divorce. A smile was on Wanda's face,

“I made your favorite. Help me move it over to the table.” You happily helped out so the two of you could eat dinner together.

As Wanda was cleaning up and insisting that you go relax on the couch and get a movie ready you watched her from the couch, forgoing a movie and putting on The Office instead. You needed the background noise because to you your thoughts felt so loud that Wanda must be able to hear you if you didn't have something distracting her.

As she finished up and sat next to you she gave no indication of hearing your thoughts which she often did to those around her. Her arm wrapped around your waist, pulling you against her as if you were two magnets. You bit the corner of your lips trying to watch the show.

You knew Wanda was experienced obviously, she has twins. You on the other hand haven't even gotten the opportunity to kiss a girl or a boy or anyone because from the day you met Wanda all you ever wanted was her. You'd never tell her that though.

She was with Vision when you met her nearly 13 years ago. With everything that happened after that with Thanos and then defeating him without the loss of half the population you could just live life normally for the first time.

Wanda's hand found your thigh, rubbing gently as she watched the show, one the two of you have watched multiple times over the years. You enjoyed sitcoms like she did along with being introduced to reality TV which is just a guilty pleasure really.

“W-Wands…” your voice was barely a whisper and Wanda pretended not to hear you. Not even when you started squirming under her touch as her hand grew closer to your hot center. Her hand squeezed you as you let out a little whimper. “Wands…” you tried again, trying to be louder, but you couldn't. Once again your plea goes unacknowledged as her pinky brushes against your clit, your hands fly down to her wrist. She finally looks at you. You don't dare look at her.

“What's wrong sweet girl?” She asks so innocently as if she has no idea what she's doing.

“W-Wands…I…you…” you fumble with your words. Her other hand reaches your chin, forcing you to look at her.

“What about us sweet girl?” You open your mouth, but nothing comes out. She pulls you onto her lap, her hands resting on your hips. “Just watch the show sweet girl. Let Mommy play.” You felt like fireworks went off in your stomach. Sure you'd heard the boys call Wanda Mommy and yeah you'd heard her call herself Mommy over the years, but never in the tone she just used and never directed at you.

You felt like everything on you was burning except for Wanda's hands that were always cold and clad in rings. You did as told keeping your eyes on the screen until you felt her hand push past your waistband. Your hands once again grabbing her wrist, not because you didn't want her to, you really wanted her too. You were nervous.

“W-Wands…I've never…” Wanda moved forward, tilting her head to look at you.

“Not ever at college?” She questioned. You shook your head.

“N-not even a kiss…” you admitted. Wanda's hand leaving your shorts and moving to your face.

“These precious lips haven't kissed anyone else?” You shook your head, “So I'll be your first?” She asked pulling you closer. All you could manage as your heart pounded was a soft ‘mhmm’ before her lips touched yours.

As her lips meet yours, it's a gentle yet electrifying sensation, sending waves of warmth cascading through you. Wanda's touch is tender, guiding you through this unfamiliar territory with ease and patience. With each fleeting moment, you feel yourself melting into her embrace, the world around you fading into the background.

When Wanda pulls back, there's a brief moment of hesitation, as if time itself is holding its breath. You find yourself lost in her gaze, a mixture of emotions swirling within you – anticipation, vulnerability, and a newfound courage. Slowly, a soft smile tugs at the corners of Wanda's lips, her eyes sparkling with tenderness.

With a gentle brush of her fingers against your cheek, Wanda whispers words of reassurance, her voice a soothing melody in the stillness of the room. And as you lean into her touch, a sense of peace settles within you.

The night carried on without Wanda trying to slip past your shorts instead she kept stealing kisses late into the night before deciding it was time for bed. It was when you moved you could feel just how wet you'd before and you freeze, your thighs smacking tightly together. Wanda stopped, a tug on your hand.

“What's wrong sweet girl?” She looked back at you, confusion etched on her face.

“It…its..icky…” you squirmed and Wanda smirked, taking two steps towards you.

“Don't worry my sweet girl,” she tilted your head up, “Mommy is going to take good care of you.” Her breath against your lip, her voice sweet and thick with her accent, the one you heard all those years ago. Your legs want to turn to jelly.

Wanda wasn't expecting you to stay quiet once her fingers slipped past your wet folds, but you did. Little breathy moans, small whimpers, tiny pleas fell past your lips as your face burned and your eyes screwed shut.

“Don't close your eyes Detka. Look at me.” You could only obey with her voice sounding the way it did. You looked at her, she smiled at you and only picked up her pace.

You squirmed and felt like you were going to burst as you whimpered and tried to get away, but she held you there. You tried closing your legs, but she held them open.

“Open your legs Detka. I wanna see you.” Her nails dug into your thigh.

“F-feels weird…” you squeaked out.

“You're gonna cum for Mommy it'll make you feel better. Go on. Let it happen.” As if your body was waiting on her word, that coil inside of you snapped. Your back arched as your eyes rolled back. “That's a good girl…Mommy’s good girl.” Her fingers slowed down before leaving you. Your eyes closed but soon enough Wanda was helping you sit up.

“Water sweet girl. Take a few sips.” You did as told, knowing Wanda always knew best. When she felt you had enough she tapped your cheek and you let go.

She helped you clean yourself up, the cool towel feeling nice against your hot skin and then into pajamas which only consisted of an old band t-shirt of Wanda's and a pair of your panties. As she got the two of you settled into your bed, holding you against her chest. Her fingers moved through your hair as your eyes began to flutter she spoke,

“We're going to have a lot of fun until your mom comes home.” You smiled against her skin. You almost hoped she wouldn't be home for Christmas if it meant more time playing like this with Wanda.

[zegrasdrysdale]

[ wrapped in red ] j. drysdale

day five of malia’s christmas fic marathon

paring : Jamie Drysdale x fem!reader

summary : (Y/N) surprises Jamie with his Christmas gift early when he gets back from a rough east coast roadie at four in the morning

warning(s) : smut ! oral (m receiving), p in v penetration, unprotected sex (pls be careful), whining, light hair pulling, use of pet names during sex

author’s note : this is me trying to catch up w the schedule lmaoo anyway … enjoy (even tho i definitely got a little carried away with it. i was having a moment and let the moment take over)

༺═──────────────═༻

The horn sounds through the TV, signaling the end of the game. The Ducks lost to the Devils at the Prudential Center 4-2, and it was Jamie’s first goal back after missing nearly 30 games. He probably isn’t feeling the best right now.

Yet she knows exactly what would make him feel better. She's sure he will appreciate his Christmas gift a little bit early. She's been excited to give it to him since she got it right after he left for the road trip that has kept him away for a week.

Now might be the perfect time since he might need to relax a little bit. She knows her boyfriend so she knows exactly how to help him relax after a rough roadie. She even tells him that she'll wait up for him to get home so she can surprise him.

ʚ jamie baby ɞ - 10:29 pm flight doesn't leave until midnight so you don't have to stay up for me. i won't home until 4. pls don't be up until 4 in the morning, baby. i'd feel so bad

i love you and i'll see you when you get up in the morning, okay ? i won't be good company when i get home and i don't want to ruin your mood

Her plan doesn't change from Jamie's texts. All it does is tell her that he really isn't in a good mood after the road trip. She can take a four hour nap and be fine by the time he gets home. She needs to be wide awake for when she gives him his gift.

The gift also needs a little prep so she'll sleep until three, drink a cup of coffee to wake her up, then get ready to give Jamie his gift.

She's pretty sure his mood will change real quick, especially since he's been gone for a week. They both are a little desperate at this point.

An alarm is set for three in the morning to give her an hour to do what she needs to do. She only needs an hour to prepare the gift. A cup of coffee, a shower, a shave, hair, makeup, and a small snack isn't going to take more than an hour.

For her nap, she wears one of Jamie's Ducks hoodies because they're insanely comfortable. She sends Jamie a text that says goodnight and for him to have a safe flight.

(Y/N) is shaking with excitement as she lies down in their shared bed for her four hour nap. The look on Jamie's face when he sees what he's getting for Christmas is the only thing that causes her to fall asleep.

The sooner she falls asleep, the sooner the alarm will go off and the sooner Jamie will be home.

She dreams of his reaction.

༺═──────────────═༻

A screaming alarm wakes her from her light sleep. It's still completely dark outside and there's a dim light coming from her phone while the alarm goes off. She turns it off and sits up with a stretch.

(Y/N) feels very refreshed though, and she definitely needed the little nap if she is to make it through the night. She allows herself a few more minutes before she goes and makes a cup of coffee.

While the coffee brews, she tracks Jamie's flight. They haven't landed early so she can still definitely pull off the surprise. The team plane is scheduled to land in a half hour. Then it's baggage claim and a fifteen to twenty minute drive to their apartment in Anaheim.

After coffee and a few pieces of toast with strawberries and Nutella, (Y/N) takes a shower. It's a full shower. She shampoos, conditions, shaves all necessary areas, washes her body, and exfoliates her face.

All while Taylor Swift is playing from the Bluetooth speaker on the sink counter.

(Y/N) loves listening to Miss Swift while she showers. Sometimes she listens to it while showering with Jamie, and he gets very into it. That's Trevor's doing though. Trevor is a bigger Swiftie than she is. Sometimes.

It's quarter to four when (Y/N) gets out of the shower. She checks to see where Jamie is and finds he's still at the airport. His location says he's outside though so he's probably headed to his car. She needs to hurry up if she's going to pull this surprise off.

She wraps herself in a towel and secures it under her arms so she can do her hair and light makeup. She blow dries it until it's pretty much straight then runs the straightener through it a couple of times to make sure there is no wave or curl to her hair.

She puts foundation under her eyes to hide the circles that have formed and all over her face to hide any blemishes. She puts on red lipstick and does a natural smokey eye look.

When she looks at Jamie's location, he's on his way home. There are about ten minutes until he's going to be walking through the door and she still has to go get the actual gift out of the closet. She curses to herself and makes her way back into their bedroom after disconnecting her phone from the speaker and turning off the light.

Inside a box in a closet is the gift. It's a red lingerie set that she tried on once when she was with Jamie. He said he really liked it so when he left for the trip, she went back to the store and bought it.

The sleepwear lingerie is made of lace and mesh. The cups of the nightgown part of the set is made of lace and is practically see through. Below the cups is completely see through. A matching mesh G-string will be worn underneath the sleepwear.

(Y/N) looks in the full length mirror against the wall and finds a hot, confident version of herself. Usually she doesn't dress like this, but it's Christmas so she figured it could be Jamie's gift since he liked seeing this set on her.

Somewhere in the apartment, a door softly opens and shuts with a nearly silent click. She makes a beeline for the bed and turns on the lamp beside the bed so Jamie gets a very good look at her when he opens the bedroom door.

There is a sigh and footsteps that are getting closer and louder. She tries to lay on the bed in a way that Jamie will get a good view of her as soon as the door opens. She has just decided on a position when the door slowly begins to open.

Jamie sticks his head into the room and looks right at the bed. His eyes immediately widen and the door swings completely open. His jaw has dropped to the floor and he nearly drops his bags on the ground.

"I- what-," he stammers. She smiles as he tries to find the words. "I don't understand what's going on here. (Y/N), I thought I said not to-"

"Wait up for you?" she finishes. "I didn't. I woke up at three so I could get ready to surprise my boyfriend since he hasn't been home in a week." She allows her eyes to travel up and down Jamie's body. He's tense but it's hard to miss how tight his pants have gotten at his crotch area. "Maybe put him in a better mood because he seemed very cranky after the game."

He shifts his weight between his legs before he drops his luggage by the door. "I am," he tells her. "I mean, I was. I don't think I am now." His eyes travel over her body. "Holy shit, baby."

She slowly gets up off the bed, making sure to show off every part of the set. Jamie's cheeks get red as he watches her walk up to him. She smiles when she is standing in front of him. "Merry Christmas," she says to him. "Decided to give you your present a little early. You said you liked this on me so I went and got it to wear for you on Christmas but then you had a rough road trip. Surprise."

Jamie's quiet, but she can see that he's trying to hold back. His hands are shaking, itching to touch her. "I don't know what to say," he tells her. "Fuck, (Y/N)."

"How about you don't say anything?" she suggests. Her fingers grasp at the collar of Jamie's game day suit jacket. Slowly, she pushes it off of him and he shivers despite wearing long sleeves under the jacket. "How about I help you relax? Let you enjoy seeing me in this while I suck you off. Promise you won't rip it?" He immediately begins to nod.

His eyes are on her fingers as she works on unbuttoning his shirt. She untucks it from his pants to finish unbuttoning it and her eyes meet his. "I wish I could come home to this after every roadie," Jamie softly admits. "I think I'd score a hat trick if I knew this was waiting for me at home."

(Y/N) undoes his belt without looking at what she's doing. It hits the ground with a soft thud. "I'll see what I can do," she replies. "Maybe if you get a hat trick then I'll be waiting for you like this when you get back." Slowly, she sinks to her knees. She is so thankful that the room has carpet. Her knees are definitely grateful. "I'll be waiting on my knees like this for you."

A soft whine passes Jamie's lips when she pulls his cock out of the confines of his suit pants. "Fuck," he groans as she takes him in one of her hands. She presses soft kisses to his hipbone, trailing closer to his dick.

She licks the bright red tip and swirls her tongue around it, collecting the drop of precome that has already formed. She looks up at him as she takes him in her mouth. Jamie sighs and puts his fingers in her hair to probably keep himself upright. She takes as much of him in her mouth as she can then begins to move her head.

Giving blowjobs has never been something she's been particularly good at, but Jamie has helped her improve her skills since they've gotten together. His reactions and the sounds that come from his mouth let her know if she's doing a good or bad job.

Even if she were to give the worst blowjob in the world right now, she is pretty sure that Jamie wouldn't care.

He's already barely here.

One thing she knows drives Jamie crazy is when she hollows out her cheeks and lightly sucks. She tries it once and Jamie's hips buck forward. (Y/N) knew that was going to happen so she relaxed her throat so he wouldn't choke her with his dick. Jamie lets out a soft groan that's mixed with a whine. Her hands fly to his thighs to let him know to relax.

"Keep doing that and I will come a lot sooner than we would both like, (Y/N)," he warns her. She looks up at him through her eyelashes and sees how flustered he is. His cheeks are bright red and his bottom lip looks like it's been gnawed on. "Fucking eyelashes. Fuck."

She smiles as best as she can around him.

Despite the carpet, her knees do begin to hurt. She glances up at him before pulling off his dick. There is a little bit of lipstick on his hipbone where she kissed him. She smiles and looks up at him.

Jamie slides one of his hands around to the back of her neck and puts his fingers in her hair. She stands up and Jamie drags her in for a filthy kiss. She hums against his lips and pushes the unbuttoned shirt off his shoulders. He lets the fabric fall to the floor around his feet.

"Love being on my knees for you," she mumbles between kisses. "I wanna ride you though."

A whine comes from Jamie's throat after her comment. She smiles and turns them so she can push Jamie onto the mattress.

The kiss breaks and he falls onto his back with a grunt when she pushes him in the direction of the mattress. She pulls off his shoes and socks before pulling his dress pants off. Jamie scoots backward further onto the bed as she pulls off his pants and boxers together.

Jamie's eyes are wide when she crawls on top of him. She straddles his waist and cock. Jamie's hands run up and down her thighs for a second as she leans down and kisses him. This kiss is hungry since she has gone a week without kissing him. She's missed the feeling of his lips against her. It drives her nuts every time he goes away for more than a few days.

There's a light pressure over the G-string that she's wearing under the sleepwear. A soft moan comes from her throat as Jamie's thumb circles her clit over the mesh.

He breaks the hot kiss and she rests her forehead against his. "As hot as this is," Jamie begins to say. "I need to be inside you so either take these off or move them to the side because I'm minutes away from coming and I don't want to make a mess of your new outfit."

(Y/N) quickly sheds the lingerie set until she's completely naked. A smile forms on Jamie's lips before he sits up and attaches his lips to her jaw. Her fingers are in his hair. When he hits the sensitive spot right under her ear, she lightly pulls. His thumb is back on her clit and she whines.

Needing relief, she grabs his dick and lines herself up with him. He looks up at her and she kisses him. It's a softer kiss than the kisses they've already shared tonight, but he licks into her mouth and it intensifies.

Slowly, she sinks down onto him. There's a familiar pressure as he fills her up. "Fuck, Jamie," she mumbles against his lips.

"Feels so good around me, baby," Jamie tells her. "Fuck."

It's only seconds later when he's completely inside of her. Jamie's hands find her waist and she bites at his bottom lip before pulling away.

Their eyes meet and Jamie begins to roll her hips against his. Her lips part and soft pants pass them. Her hands fly to his jaw and she holds on like it's life or death.

It feels so good to be like this. It's rare that Jamie lets her take control in bed but she loves it. Even now, he still has some control while she's riding him. His hands are on her waist and helping her move.

She puts her hands on his chest and pushes him back onto the bed. His head hits the pillows and she speeds up her movements. Rolling turns into bouncing on Jamie's dick.

The room is filled with the sounds of the bed squeaking beneath them and skin on skin. She's letting out quiet moans as she throws her head back and enjoys the feeling of Jamie moving in and out of her at her own pace. Jamie even lets out a soft noise or two.

"Riding me so good," Jamie tells her. "Riding me like the good girl you are. Fuck, baby."

His words alone are enough to make her come, but she holds back until he comes first. He's the one that needs to relax so she's focused on his pleasure first. She'll come when he comes.

Then his thumb is back on her clit and she isn't sure how much longer she can go.

"Want you to come first," she pants. "Jamie."

Jamie pulls her down into a kiss full of tongue and teeth.

She's so close. Her legs are shaking and sore from doing all the work. Her clit is so sensitive and she's worried she'll come.

"Fill me up," (Y/N) says against Jamie's lips. Even her voice is shaky. "Wanna feel you come inside me. Please."

A groan and a whine pass Jamie's lips as he finally lets go. He comes inside of her as soon as she comes back down on his cock. He uses his thumb and pointer finger to play with her clit and it's not long after that when she comes.

White paints her vision and she comes with Jamie's name on her lips. She throws her head back for a second before she collapses onto his chest.

She isn't sure that she's ever came that hard in her life. Her body is spent and her breathing is labored.

When she comes to, she's laying on the bed and the bathroom light is on. Jamie appears from the bathroom with a cloth and he begins to clean her up. She can feel his come running down her legs and it's a little uncomfortable until he wipes it away.

"That was the hottest thing I think I have ever experienced," Jamie admits to her. "I'm so fucking lucky."

"Now I have to get you a new Christmas present," she mumbles. Her voice is already slurred with sleep.

Jamie throws the cloth towards the laundry basket and climbs back into bed. He covers them both with the blanket that will need to be changed in the morning.

"I think that was the best Christmas present ever," he softly tells her. "You can worry your pretty little head about it in the morning. Right now, we're going to go to sleep and sleep in then I'm going to return what you did tonight by fucking you when you wake up."

Oh, she should be wrapped in red more often if this is how Jamie is going to react. Maybe next she can wear one of his Canada jerseys with nothing on underneath and see how he reacts to that.

༺═──────────────═༻

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[hopelessrromantix]

kinktober day 10 boot riding

daddy kink, amab reader yes ill post the missing days i swear sjdkf

cis women dni

The longer you stayed at a party, the more boring it got.

Sure, getting drunk and high and fucking around with your classmates was a good time. But after hours of huddling together with sweaty drugged up teenagers and having generic music blasted into your ears, it got a bit boring.

But Billy always found a way to make it more entertaining. Normally by pulling off a rather impressive keg stand. For once, he’d offered to be the designated driver (mostly because you’d done it for the past four parties and refused to do it again), so you were downing your second drink, talking to some junior you barely knew. The buzz of a high was clouding your head, though it wasn’t enough to impair your judgment.

But apparently your boyfriend felt like pissing you off tonight.

Eventually the junior wandered off, probably to flirt with someone interested. Billy, on the other hand, was chatting up some girl from your math class. You didn’t remember her name, but you most certainly remembered the way she talked to Billy.

She gave a fake laugh, making sure to lean forward and give him a decent view of her cleavage. Not that you blamed her for trying to sleep with your boyfriend. Billy was pretty, and it’s not like she knew he had a boyfriend. So no, you didn’t hold any resentment toward the girl.

Billy, on the other hand, was in a world of hurt.

He had every chance to turn her down. Every chance to make up some half-assed excuse or just plain tell her he wasn’t into it. But no. He joked and gave her some cheesy pick-up line. The brat even had the nerve to look your way while he was doing so, giving you a wink.

You watched for a minute longer, waiting for him to make some excuse to leave. But when it was obvious he had no plans of doing so, you decided to step in for him.

“C’mon Hargrove, you’re my ride home.” Luckily your head was clear enough to make walking out easy.

Billy frowned, trying to look as disappointed as possible. “Already? But I was having fun!” The girl next to him looked sad as well, as if begging you to let him stay longer.

“Sorry, I gotta get up early tomorrow,” You said, shrugging. Tomorrow was Saturday, neither you nor Billy had anything to do. But she didn’t need to know that.

“Fine, buzzkill.”

Billy, tap dancing on your last nerve, gave the girl a wink, causing her to let out an airy giggle. You rolled your eyes, stomping out of the house. You could hear Billy mumble what was most certainly a sarcastic comment under his breath.

You sat in the passenger seat the second he opened the door, waiting as he slid into the driver’s seat a second later.

After a second of him realizing you weren’t going to speak, he started driving, the music from the party fading into the background as he did so.

“Your mom and that bastard home?” You knew the answer was no. He’d made quite a big deal about getting the house to himself while Neil dragged his step-mom and Max on a ‘family outing’. Even with Max asking, Billy was left home alone.

“No, why?” He asked, glancing over to you before his eyes returned to the road. He was perfectly aware of ‘why’, you knew that much.

“Gonna let me stay over, pretty boy?” You asked, your tone low. He nodded, quickly taking a turn to head toward his house.

The trip was short and Billy got out of the car almost immediately after you arrived. You chuckled at how eager he was, fumbling with his keys in an attempt to get in quicker.

You followed closely, heading to Billy’s room without much hesitation.

The second you got in, you closed the door, pressing Billy up against a wall.

“You got some fuckin’ nerve, Hargrove,” you spoke quietly and quickly, though you knew he heard you from how he shivered. “You tryna get my attention, or just tryna whore around with some poor girl, hm?”

He shook his head rapidly, gulping down a breath.

Billy tried his hand at being a brat often. Always teasing you, getting your attention in public. But the second you were behind closed doors, he practically melted.

“Words, baby boy.”

“No, Daddy.”

God he knew what buttons to press.

“Then why were you flirting?” You spoke softly, loving how his eyes glazed over with lust when you did so. “Giving her hope for no reason. That just seems mean, baby.”

He made a noise of disagreement, shaking his head again. “Didn’t mean to, just wanted your attention.”

You chuckled. “No, you knew exactly what you were doing.”

He opened his mouth to protest, but you slammed your lips into his before he could. You took over the kiss quickly. His arms twined around your neck, one of yours on his hip and the other gripping his hair. You gave a soft tug to his hair, forcing a loud moan out of his throat.

You slotted one thigh between his legs, giving him the chance to messily rut against you. Both your pants were tight, his jeans no doubt uncomfortable at this point.

“Pleeease just fuck me.” He was practically begging, arms tightening around you. “Please, I’m sorry for flirting with her, I won’t do it again.”

You both knew damn well he’d do it again.

“I don’t think I feel like forgiving you yet, baby.” He huffed at your words, hips still moving against your clothed thigh.

“How about this,” You suggested. You placed your hands on his shoulders, lowering him to his knees and placing your boot between his legs. “You cum in under two minutes, and I’ll fuck you so hard you won’t remember your damn name.”

He nodded rapidly, head collapsing into your leg.

He moved his hands towards his jeans, only stopping when you firmly questioned what he was doing.

"I can't use my hands?" He asked, looking slightly hopeful. As if he'd get off that easy.

“If you really want me to fuck you, you can cum like this.”

He paused for a moment. “Like ‘this’?”

You smirked, tilting his head up slightly with one finger. “You think you can cum in your jeans for me?”

He shivered, nodding fervently.

"Good boy."

He started off slow, moving his hips against the firm leather of your boot. It was just enough stimulation for his sensitive cock. He was burying his face into your jeans, mouthing at your dick over the fabric. You just let him, watching as he desperately tried to get you to force your cock down his throat.

"One minute left." He whimpered.

His thrusts sped up, messily humping your boot in an attempt to get off. Barely decipherable mumbles of "please" "Daddy" and "more" tumbled out his lips, the words jumbled together and high pitched.

"You gonna cum, whore?" You asked, spitting out the term as if it was his name. He moaned, nodding.

"Please can I? Please Daddy? Wanna cum for you so you'll fuck me, please?"

You'd barely said yes before he buried his face into your thigh, hips stuttering and slowing. Cum slowly seeped through the fabric of his boxers, and suddenly he was thankful you'd waited until he was home to ruin him.

"Good job handsome," you said, leaving down and placing a surprisingly soft kiss on his forehead. "You get your reward now."

He was practically buzzing already.

[mewhenimanangel]

cherry, eren jaeger

—synopsis. you and eren reunite after almost two years.

—chapter 10 ౨ৎ

𝜗𝜚 content!: au-college/university, time skip, black reader, au-modern, reuniting, confessions, oral sex, breastplay, piv sex, missionary, filthy smut, long chapter

previous ౨ৎ

nia’s ౨ৎ notes: this chapter is pretty long but i felt it was necessary. i loved this story so much it was so cute and so sweet. thanks for reading! 🫧🎀

today was lana's birthday, her 21st to be exact, and you were driving down to her apartment for her party, you were quick with your movements considering you were running a little bit late and it was an hour and a half drive down.

it had been almost two years since you graduated from high school. since then you committed to your dream college about an hour away from home and you were studying for your dream career.

you had a part time job at a clothing store near by and a paid internship at a marketing brand company, so you were always busy between those obligations and classes. but there was no way you were going to miss your best friend's birthday.

your college experience was enjoyable for the most part - you joined the dance team, and were part of the honors program for the school. you were lucky enough to find a really nice roommate, evanie, who you grew fairly close to the last two years, you guys even agreed to continue being roommates as long as you attended the school.

you met a few friends at uni - brooklyn, who was a total party girl and who always brought the excitement. brooklyn's girlfriend, dana, who was a little more introvert than brooklyn, but was really funny and a talented artist. and you met parker, a charming and caring guy with a lean body, in your statistics class freshman year.

who which you hooked up with a bunch of times, and though he assured you he loved every second of it, he decided to come to terms with the fact that he was gay and you guys decided to stay friends.

thanks to brooklyn, you went out a lot more than you thought you would. clubbing, sleepovers with the group, a road trip to the beach - which you missed an exam for, you went to parties here and there, hooked up here and there.

you hadn't really been in any relationships in college, it was more or less, sex. you had this thing with a guy you'd met at a party. his name was daniel, but insisted everyone called him danny. he was on the basketball team.

your thing with him lasted about two months before he accepted a transfer offer to a better school and decided that whatever you and him were, wasn't enough of anything to hold on to. but there were no hard feelings, you were thinking the same.

after he transferred halfway through this school year, it had you thinking about eren again. who you had a sneaky suspicion would be at this party tonight, though lana swore he wouldn't.

it's been almost a year since the last time you spoke to him. not because of anything bad, you just grew apart.

he went to the university of marley and you both just got so busy that you never really talked much anymore.

over the summer before college, you had hooked up at jean's fourth of july party. no one knew about it.

once the barbecue was over, eren offered to drop you home. though, once he pulled up outside your house, something came over the both of you and you smashed your lips against his.

you were lucky eren's windows were tinted so nobody could see the way you crawled over the console to sit on his lap while his mouth left marks all over your neck. or how you grinded your hips against his growing dick.

his hands tangled in your hair as he laid his car seat back and pulled his pants down.

you shook the memory out of your head as you turned left down an intersection. you called lana to tell her you were on your way as you anxiously checked your back seat to make sure her gifts were in fact there.

you had gotten her a designer bag you knew she always wanted and you got dana to paint a picture of the two of you when you were younger.

you searched for five minutes for a parking spot outside of lana's apartment before you went up the elevator to her floor.

you rest the painting and the gift bag at the side of her door before you knocked, it was a rather big painting and you didn't want her to see it just yet.

lana opened the door with a big smile on her face and arms out ready to give you a hug. "happy birthday oh my god you're becoming a big girl" you joked as you squeezed her tight.

"ugh i'm just so glad you made it" she hugged you tighter. "of course i would make it" you said as you held her arms. you took the chance to look past her for a second, the apartment was filled with people - some you recognized, some you didn't. there was music bumping, and people dancing.

you could see a table by her windows filled with mini sandwiches, snacks, deserts, and pizza. everyone was dressed nice as lana told everyone to.

there were pink streamers and flowers decorating her already decorated apartment. she offered for you to live with her full time and as much as you would've loved to, it was just too far from your school. so during the summers, after going back home to your mom, you would spend weeks at a time at her apartment.

"i got you a present" you smirked as you leaned down to grab the gifts of the floor. "ooou you did?" she smiled.

you showed her the painting and she smiled before thanking you and bringing you to her bedroom.

"i'm definitely hanging this up in my living room once all these people leave" she told you and you giggled.

"oh and i have this" you handed her the gift bag as she opened it to find the purse. "no fucking way! how did you buy this?? don't you have student loans to pay off?" she joked.

"alright not too much cause i could take it back real quick" you laughed "i got it when it was on sale" you told her.

"you know im just playing with you, thank you so much" she hugged you again. "did connie come yet?" you asked her. "no not yet" she smirked "why, worried about eren showing up?"

"no!...no i'm not worried. i'm sure he's moved on too. it's just been a while" you shrugged. "you want me to tell con not to bring eren?" she asked you as she lead you out of the room.

"y/n! oh my god i've missed you so much" sasha threw her arms around you for a hug. "i didn't know you'd be coming" she told you. "hey sash, i've missed you too" you smiled. "you have to try the mini sandwiches" she told you. "oh i will" you giggled before she walked over to the table of food.

you said hi to some more familiar faces, occasionally falling into conversations with them - usual questions about school, work, life, etc. before lana found you again.

the sun was beginning to set and you joined your friends in the living room, dancing and sipping on your drinks.

"i'll be right back okay?" lana told you and you nod your head as you continued dancing with mikasa and sasha.

she opened her front door to see connie and eren standing on the other side. "oh baby i'm so sorry. there was so much traffic" connie immediately threw his arms around her. "happy birthday my love, im so sorry" he kissed her forehead.

"it's okay, you can make it up to me later" she winked before bringing him in for a kiss.

"hey eren" she waved before he brought her in for a side hug. "what's up, happy birthday"  she smiled and thanked him.

she closed the door behind them before grabbing connie's hand. "come on baby i wanna show you what y/n got me" she pulled him to her room.

eren perked up at the mention of your name. obviously he knew you would be here but actually being here knowing you were in the same room was a little too real.

"yo man, what took y'all so long" ony dapped him up. "so much traffic" eren hugged him. "it's good to see you bro it's been mad long" ony told him. "yeah man i've been keeping busy"

they talked for a bit before eren’s eyes scanned the room before landing on you. you looked even more beautiful than the last time he saw you, you looked so mature and confident.

your complexion was a little more tan than before, your hair looked as though you’d cut it shorter and it was straightened. you were in a pretty yellow dress and a cute little pair of open toed heels. there was a glass of wine in your hand as you talked to someone he didn’t recognize.

his heart sank when you looked over for a moment and your caught his eyes on you. there it was again, those tantalizing eyes and that charming smile.

the last time eren saw you was in armin’s pool as you all decided to do one last hang out with the group before you would be going your separate ways. after that the most you and him did was text, which fizzled out, his last message with you dating back nine months.

you felt your heart pick up when your eyes landed on eren. his hair was even shorter now, almost back to the way you remembered he wore it in middle school. he looked like he had put on a bit of muscle and grown an inch or two. his outfit looked nice and put together. you indulged in the thought that he got dressed today with you on the brain, the way you did.

you just stood there looking at each other, it became almost rude to the people you were both talking to. you excused yourself from your conversation before making your way over to him.

“hey stranger” he said first, same old grin on his face. ony took this as a sign to step away and let the two of you mingle. “hii, it’s so nice to see you” you reached out to hug him, holding out your drink. his arms wrapped around your waist.

“how’ve you been? you look good” you told him. “thanks,, i can definitely say the same about you” you didn’t miss the way his eyes trailed over you for a second as your lips curled into a smirk.

“so what’s up with you?” you asked him. “just keeping busy you know, school is slamming me. i’ve been working with some brands though”

the two of you talked for longer than you realized, catching each other up on your lives. you poured him a drink before you made your way out onto lana’s fire escape. you talked about your respective college experiences, work, your internship, his projects with brands, anything your minds led to.

talking with him made you realize how much you’ve both grown since the last time you saw each other and just how much you both missed each other.

you took a second to really look at each other as, just for a moment, eren’s eyes dipped down to your lips. a sly grin drew on both your faces as you let out a giggle.

“i have to ask, are you…seeing anyone?” he asked you “no not necessarily” he searched your face for an answer before you laughed. “no, no i’m not” you told him.

he took a step closer to you, standing so close you could feel the fabric of his jeans brush against your knee. you looked up at him, still taller than you even with your heels on, waiting for what he would do next.

“so,, does that mean i can do this?” he brushed your hair out of your face, letting his hand rest on your cheek and leaned in. you grinned as you followed along and held onto his waist, lips meeting for just a moment before connie knocked on the window, making you both jump and step away from each other.

“save that for later, we bout to sing happy birthday come on!” he told you before stepping away.

you looked at each other and laughed before climbing back into the apartment and joining everyone in singing happy birthday.

you and connie were first to give lana hugs and kisses and get your pictures taken before everyone else did the same. the whole time, eren’s eyes were just on you. he missed your smile, and your laugh, and the way you always made other people smile.

once the party was over you, connie, and eren stayed behind to help lana clean up. the four of you talked for a bit, munching on cake and the finger foods you were helping her put away.

“well i think it’s time i head out” you yawned. “okay there’s no way you’re leaving, your campus is like an hour and a half away. plus you’re still tipsy” lana insisted.

“how about you stay in the second bedroom?” she offered. you took a second to look at eren, hiding the small smirk on your face. lana clocked it immediately. “um i can take her” eren spoke up. “hm, very well then.” she nod her head before coming to give you a hug.

“stay safe and make sure he has a condom” she whispered in your ear and you giggled.

eren led the way out of lana’s apartment and down to your car. you let him drive since he had less to drink than you did and he drove to his brother’s apartment where he was staying.

he led you upstairs and opened the door to a spacious apartment with big windows overlooking the city. “jesus what does your brother do” you asked as eren closed the door behind you. “he’s a doctor or something like that. he’s not here though” eren told you as he leaned against the counter and watched you look down at the city.

you turned around to see a mischievous glint in his eyes. he cleared his throat before showing you to the guest room. “um there’s some clothes i had left in there from when i came down here with my mom if you wanna change” he told you.

“aw how is she?” you asked earnestly. “she’s good, she still loves and misses her prized dancer” eren grinned.

ʚɞ

you woke up in the middle of the night looking for water when you saw eren sitting at the kitchen island, doing something on his computer.

he turned your way when he heard the door open. “oh hey, can’t sleep?” he asked you. “nah, just thirsty” “there’s some water in the fridge, i’ll get you some” he got up to take a bottle of water out and handed it to you and you thanked him.

“what are you working on?” you asked him. “something for a class, i was supposed to finish it earlier but i put it off for lana’s party….which I’m glad i did cause i got to see you” he turned to you at the last part.

“i missed you a lot you know” he told you. “i missed you too. it was so nice seeing you again”

he didn’t say anything for a moment and you watched as though the gears in his head were turning.

“y/n….i really want to be with you. i can’t keep ignoring it anymore. i’ve wanted to be with you since we everything senior year. i tried to just push it down and get over you and try on new people but nobody fits, nobody but you. i don’t want this to be like last time, i don’t want this to be the last time i see you for another two years. it’s time for us to grow up and for me to admit that i really fucking want you and i think you want me too…”

you felt like you got the wind knocked out of you with the mini monologue he went on declaring his feelings for you.

“of course i want you too. i want you so bad eren, i don’t think my feelings for you ever really went away. i just, i don’t even know i was just a stupid seventeen year old who didn’t know what to do but i do know now. i want to be with you ren”

a moment went by before eren pulled you in for a hug. “god i’ve been dreaming to hear you say that” he mumbled into your shoulder while your hands played with the back of his hair.

he lift his head off your chest to look up at you and before you could even think, your lips were on his.

the kiss quickly changed from a soft pace to the two of you kissing like your lives depended on it. it was filled with years of tension and need.

eren stood up from the chair, pushing you up against the wall behind you as his hands dipped underneath the shirt you wore and held on to your waist. your mouths continued fighting to taste each other as your arms were wrapped around his neck.

you groaned in his mouth when you felt him grope your boob from under your shirt and his thumb grazed over your nipple. you felt him smirk against your mouth. “still like getting your tits played with?” he teased before moving to leave kisses and marks down your neck.

he reached for the bottom of your shirt and pulled it over your head, throwing it somewhere in the living room. he grabbed your boob and put it in his mouth, letting his tongue swirl over your nipple and sucking on it like a sweet.

a moan fell past your lips as you felt your face getting hot and you tangled your fingers through his hair. he pointed his tongue directly on the sensitive bud, reveling in the sweet noises you were making, like music to his ears.

you could feel your panties moistening by the second as you let your head lay back on the wall. he moved off your tit to show the other one some love, groping at it before putting it in his mouth.

he kissed along your collarbones before meeting your lips again. your hand dipped between your bodies and you teasingly grazed your fingers over the tent in his shorts. “mm what are you doing princess” “haven’t heard that one in a while” you grinned. “i wanna suck your dick” you looked him straight in the eyes.

“i won’t stop you” he smirked. you lowered yourself to your knees, keeping your eyes on his. you reached for the waistband of his shorts and pulled them down, revealing his dick print against his boxers. you pulled those down too.

face to face with his flushed dick, you wrapped your hand around it, slowing pumping to tease him. you licked a kitten lick over his tip, smirking when you heard his sharp inhale.

you pumped his cock between your fist as he let out small moans. most of the guys you’d hooked up with during college were too full of themselves to make any noise during sex. you enjoyed the groans he gave as he carefully held your hair in his hand.

you finally put his dick in your mouth, starting with his tip while you continued jerking him off. you slackened your jaw and manually breathed through your nose as you felt his cock fill your mouth. eren was definitely the biggest you’ve been with.

you combined your vacuuming lips with the licking of your tongue and it sent eren over the edge. one hand held onto the wall in front of him while the other kept a hold on your hair.

“fuck you’re so good at that” he whimpered. you licked along a vein near his tip and you felt his dick jump in your mouth.

“fuck y/n, think i’m gonna cum” he began shifting his hips, pushing himself further in your mouth. you felt his tip touch the back of your throat and you willed yourself not to gag, tears pricking your eyes. “you want my cum in your mouth, princess?” you nod your head.

a few seconds later he came and you swallowed every last drop. somehow, he was still hard and ready to go.

you got off your knees and he hugged your waist before kissing you again. “i’ll make you some tea for your throat” he said before lifting you up and carrying you back to the guest bedroom. he closed the door with his foot before laying you down on the bed.

you propped yourself up on your elbows as he pulled your pants and your panties down in one swift motion before he pulled off his wife beater, throwing all the pieces of clothes somewhere in the room. you think this is the first time you’ve seen each other fully naked.

“you’ve been working out?” you asked, trailing your hands over his soft abs. “yeah but i haven’t been in a while” he crawled on the bed and spread your legs, placing himself between them.

he squeezed your boobs before trailing his hands down to your vagina. you moaned feeling a finger rub over your clit before dipping in your hole.

he smirked before reaching over to the nightstand and pulling out a condom. “no need,,i’m in the pill. i wanna feel you” you told him.

he leaned down to kiss you again. “gonna fuck you so good baby” he whispered in your ear before lining his dick up with your entrance.

he eased himself inside you, hands gripping your hips as his hips snapped against yours in an erotic rhythm.

you felt him fill you up, brain going fuzzy. you reached behind you to grip onto the pillows. “oh my fucking god, ren- feels so good” your words came out airy as every hump inside you made you lose your breath.

your tits bounced and you felt the bed squeak as eren got more rough with his thrusts. “you feel so fucking good princess, like this pretty pussy was made for me” his grip on your hips got tighter.

your pussy engulfed his dick, you could feel his balls slapping against your skin.

the room was filled with the vulgar noise of your skin slapping against his, your pornographic moans, and eren’s grunts. for a second you wondered if the neighbors could hear you.

but you were too busy getting fucked out to care.

eren threw your leg over his shoulder leaning down to deepen himself inside you. “oh my god eren i’m gonna cum” a moan ripped out of you at the new angle.

“go ahead baby, wanna feel you rush on my dick” he kissed your forehead, holding on to the headboard behind you.

it didn’t take long for the knot in your stomach to snap and you were cumming all over eren’s cock. he followed suit soon after too and the two of you sat there for a few seconds trying to catch your breaths.

he pulled you in for a hug and you could feel his heart racing against your chest. you stayed like that for a while, hugging each other while eren’s dick was still buried inside you. “i think i love you y/n, if that’s not insane to say” he said, making you chuckle.

“it’s not. i love you too” you said before he pressed his lips against yours. this one much different than the one before - this one soft and gentle and sweet.

you kissed each other, never wanting to let go now that you’ve made your way back to one another.

[lucid-loves]

Taste Like Venom ~ Simon "Ghost" Riley Part 3

Pairing: Ghost x assassin!reader (fem!reader, no use of y/n, callsign “Hex”)

Word Count: 3.7k

CW: angst, violence, blood, strong language, scars, enemies to friends to lovers trope, slow burn, fluff, clear attraction and sexual tension, smut later on, reader POV and ghost POV, minors dni, Soap lives in this AU

Let me know if I missed any CWs.

Story Synopsis: After Makarov gets away once again, Laswell decides to force a favor from you, the world’s greatest assassin and best-kept secret. You are now expected to help the 141 with taking down Makarov in addition to playing nice with them. It’s hard to play nice when you have always worked alone. It doesn’t help that one of the team members, Ghost, gets curious about you in each interaction. 

Chapter Synopsis: The great 141 road trip is fine in the beginning, but being on the road for eleven hours clearly gets to everyone, especially you. For once, Ghost tries to show you some genuine compassion without any ulterior motives. 

A/N: Thought that this would not only be a fun part to write, but also a breather to get to develop more character dynamics. Feel free to comment what you think each member of the 141 favorite music genre is! Including your own~

Part 1 ~ Part 2 ~ Part 3 ~ Part 4 ~ Part 5 ~ Part 6 ~ Part 7 ~ Part 8 ~ Part 9 ~ Part 10

Such a long drive was new territory for the boys. They were so used to helicopter rides, armored cars, and jets to take them where they needed to go fast. For their size and stature, the minivan was cramped, slightly rough on the road, and just plain weird. It took a few seat adjustments before everyone was as comfortable as they could be. Save for Gaz. He just prayed that a pit stop was coming soon and someone would be willing to switch seats with him.

For the first hour, the ride was noisy with conversation. Conversation that tried to reel you in. Price, looking through the front windshield, asked you a question. “How do you know where you’re going, Hex?”

“I’ve spent time memorizing road maps around the area. We’re taking a back road. A scenic route. Any other cars on the road would further see this minivan as a family road trip through the country.” You elaborated, your eyes steady on the road ahead. There were a lot of twists and turns on this route, but you knew that it would pay out in the end.

“Hidden in plain sight.” Soap added, his tone showing that he was a bit impressed with the logic of it all. Perhaps you knew what you were doing after all. Without you meaning to or doing anything extraordinary, the group was slowly starting to trust you and your judgment as evidenced by your creative planning. You were becoming quite the leader as well. But, you weren’t completely out of the woods yet. They still kept some of their guards up, just in case.

“There’s a method to the madness. Don’t underestimate the power of assumptions.” You advised, a word of advice that would hopefully stick with them after all of this was over. If they listened, perhaps some problems the world was facing could actually be solved. 

Soap pulled out his phone with the intention of making this trip more enjoyable. Making sure that his VPN you required was turned on, he began to browse through songs using his music app. Once he added his favorite songs, he passed it to his captain. “Whatever you want, Cap. No genre limits.”

Price took the phone and rubbed his chin for a second in thought, his brick-brown beard moving with his fingers. Eventually, he added some songs to the playlist. Once he was satisfied, he passed the phone to Gaz who lit up at the idea. “Now it’s gonna feel like a real road trip!”

A few more songs were added before the phone was passed all the way up to Ghost. Hesitantly, Ghost added his own favorite songs. His teammates knew him decently well. They’re even seen his face before under the mask. However, there were still things they were learning about when it came to his personal life. One of which was his favorite kind of music. Thankfully, he was willing to share that information, trusting his team more and more with each passing day. 

He looked at you when he was done, wondering if he should even offer. Having watched the interactions from the mirror, you decided to stay out of it. When Ghost was done, you just shook your head for a silent “no.” Simon imagined that you were rejecting the idea in your mind based on the warning look you gave him. Don’t even try. That made him really wonder what kind of music you liked. The records back home were incredibly diverse. But what was your favorite? Jazz? Metal?

The phone was passed back to Soap. It was quite a diverse playlist. He didn’t realize that his team had such different tastes, but it just made him excited to give it a listen. He connected it to the car’s bluetooth and hit the shuffle button. Ghost went ahead and switched the car to bluetooth mode for him. Almost immediately, the car filled up with music, starting with one of Price’s songs. 

Instead of tuning out, you tuned in. Very much so. Small details, even favorite songs, could say a lot about a person. You were learning about the men now. Not for the sake of potential friendship, no. For the sake of information for potential future manipulation if things went sideways. You always prepared for the worst, even when times seemed like the best. 

The discussion carried forward, now with the ease of real music in the background. Gaz decided to take the plunge and ask you a question. “So. . . Hex. . . You lived a long time out in the woods. How did you survive on your own? There doesn’t seem to be a grocery store for miles around.”

You adjusted your sitting position, trying to get comfier in the driver’s seat. If you were going to deal with this for most of the trip, you might as well get as comfortable as you can. You answered, one hand on the wheel and one arm resting near the window. “I have an acquaintance who’s a farmer that gives me whatever I need. In return, I pleasure his wife, which helps save their marriage.”

His eyes got huge, not expecting the answer. He nearly tripped over his words. “Really?!”

“No, Kyle. You really think I would do such a thing?” You scowled. Internally, though, you were cracking up at his bewilderment. Soap and Price began chuckling in their seats. Even Simon was cracking a smile that no one could see. Kyle’s embarrassed blush that matched the falling red leaves outside made them even more amused. Who knew you had a sense of humor? A crude sense at that. 

He muttered an apology. At least he was a good sport about it. A part of him found it quite funny too. After the chuckles died down, you answered his question truthfully. “Kate does supply drops for me. Not all the time, just when I need more meat than the woods can provide. Everything else I grow.”

It was an answer that made sense and didn’t reveal much about yourself. Nothing too fascinating about it. At least, to everyone save for Ghost. He took note of your truth, pictured you growing fruits and vegetables, hands in the dirt and sweat dripping down your temple. He imagined you hunting too. A heavy rifle and camo. Patience, aim, fire. He thought that some of the foods he had from your kitchen tasted a little gamey. 

“Didn’t you ever get lonely being out there all by yourself?” Soap inquired, not afraid to ask the question that was on everyone’s mind. All eyes were on you as you took a deep breath.

“No, Johnny. Never.”

This was partially a lie as well as partially the truth. There were times where you did feel alone. Like the only human left on the planet. Kate’s calls every now and then help curb it a little, but it wasn’t the same as actually being in the same space with someone physically. Yet, when you were surrounded by people on a classified mission or watching disaster after disaster on TV, it made you glad that you weren’t a part of any of it. The flurry of different emotions coming from all different sides when with civilization was often too much for you. You needed control. More control than what you could usually get when you were on the outside again.

Simon was watching you carefully now, trying to pick up any indication of a cracked resolve. A twitch, a change in breathing, anything to read into further. There was no way you never felt lonely. Yet, you said it with such conviction that it startled everyone. Ghost just couldn’t believe you.

Having killed the conversation, the boy awkwardly tried to change topics. Now excluding you. Good. You preferred it this way.

~

A few hours in and the car was quiet. Light, easy music played now from the car speakers as everyone took a nap. Except for Ghost, of course. Fortunately, he did keep himself occupied by reading the book you lent him. The first couple of chapters were a miss in his opinion. After a couple more, it started to get good. It didn’t take him long to actually get invested in the story, reading between the lines as you had done when you read. You had good tastes.

Enjoying the quietness of the trip was something you didn’t think you would be able to do. Especially with Simon in the front. Surprisingly, he was being good which you hoped would like for the rest of the trip. Unfortunately, you jinxed it in your head. Out of the corner of your eye, he bookmarked his spot and took a break. Now, he wanted to talk to you.

“You didn’t play your own music.” 

“So?” You shrugged, wondering where he was going with this. Nothing good probably.

“Why not?” He simply asked, himself not knowing what the big deal was. It was just music. You could have even lied. Picked out music you hated. Instead, you just opted out, not even willing to risk three minutes of any particular melody.

You suppressed an annoyed groan. Not this shit again. “What part of ‘leave me alone’ do you not understand, Simon?”

There you go again, saying his name with such disrespectful ease. It still made his heart beat faster hearing it from you. It still made his muscles tense in vexation as well. You noticed this from how the grip on his arms got tighter, his arms crossing his chest. “How much could music taste actually reveal about you as an individual?”

“A lot! God damn it, when are you going to drop this stupid shit? Quit playing your stupid fucking game?!” You spat, trying to keep your cursing at a low volume lest you wake up the rest of the team. Your knuckles were turning white with how hard you were gripping the steering wheel, desperately trying to keep your cool.

However, he didn’t drop it. He didn’t want to, so he wouldn’t. Simon could be just as stubborn as you which made you want to punch him. Have his teeth fall out of his mouth and get caught in his skull mask. “You mean to tell me that you’ve learned a lot about us based on our favorite songs alone? That’s just ridiculous, Hex.”

He could use your name as a curse too. Anything to get you to keep talking to him. Anything to keep your attention. To figure you out. As much as you didn’t want to give him what you wanted, you did anyway out of sheer aggravation. “It’s called Music Psychology, you fucking ass! Do they do anything besides tell you what to shoot in that god forsaken military?! Do they really keep you all fucking braindead?!”

“Watch your mouth, Hex! You don’t want to say anything you don’t mean.” Simon warned, his voice low like a bass about to snap its strings. He had to remind himself that you weren’t like them when it came to combat approach to cool down. The 141 employed leadership, strength, swift execution. An assassin like you employed other values, one being the art of psychology apparently. 

He wasn’t going to let you badmouth his team and those back home that don’t deserve your slander, though. Many people back home were plenty capable with their own skill sets. It wasn’t fair to put them all in one box just because they followed the orders of the government.

“Watch my mouth?! Have you even heard the shit that’s coming out of yours?! Or is your head so far stuck up your own ass that you can’t hear what you say?” You antagonized further, making the situation worse with each passing insult.

“Why are you so fucking defensive?! You cracked a joke earlier, but now asking about your music tastes is too much? You don’t make any fucking sense, Hex. What the hell are you so afraid of?” His own voice was rising with volume as he spiraled out of control as well.

You were practically yelling at this point like the rest of the world didn’t exist except for you and Simon. A personal bubble where you could really try to rip him a new one. You didn’t hold back. “I’m not afraid of anything, Ghost! I just want you to leave me the fuck alone! Why are you so desperate to know me?!

“You’re part of this team, whether you like it or not!  Whether you want to be an enemy or not! Part of that is trusting us with your life. All of it!” He argued, trapping himself in this conflict bubble with you.

Your temper was boiling over to the point you could cry. Why was he doing this to you? Why couldn’t he just let this go? “Why can’t you understand that I am never going to be part of your team?! I never can and I never will!”

At that he paused. There was something about your last retort. Never can? It was oddly specific. What did that mean?

Just then, the light for gas lit up on the dashboard. You clenched your jaw, cursing more profanities that would have anyone blush. A couple miles down was a gas station. A wave of relief washed over you. Now you had an excuse to exit the car to get away from Simon.

You didn’t realize it before with how provoked you were, but the 141 in the back was awake and clearly heard the two of you bickering. The tension thick enough to choke on made it hard for them to interfere. This pit stop would hopefully let things settle down again.

As soon as the car was parked near an empty pump, the doors slid open to let the men out. It felt good to stretch their legs and breathe in some fresh air. It was about time Gaz was relieved of the back seat too. Price, Soap, and Gaz headed into the convenience store for a moment to pick up drinks and snacks, something that was essential for their road trip experience. You leaned against the car, waiting for the gas pump to finish. The entire time, Ghost sat silently in the front doing his own breathing exercises to get his temper under control. God, you were venomous. Troublesome, irritating, infernal, a million other words. Yet, you were beautiful when you were pissed. He couldn’t understand it.

Finally, the car was loaded up once again, now complete with drinks, snacks, and a full tank of gas. The seating arrangements changed, Price now in the back to allow Gaz a chance to let his legs stretch out more. Besides that, he didn’t really want to be up front with all of the conflict. He would normally break it up, but he still didn’t know enough about you to feel comfortable doing so. It was better for this to just play out. It wasn’t like Ghost couldn’t hold his own.

In an attempt to lighten the mood, Soap ripped open a bag of chips followed by a joke. “Looks like mom and dad are fighting again.”

The smirk on his face was quickly wiped away as a pair of keys jingled right near his ear, embedded in his head rest. You had turned from your seat as soon as you registered his distasteful joke, thrown the car keys like a knife, and narrowly missed pinning his ear against the fabric. The car was dead silent as you stared daggers into him. Despite being a strong man with plenty of experiences with danger along with close calls, this experience had Johnny near pissing himself. If looks could kill, he would have been six feet under already.

What was worse was the fact that you missed on purpose. 

“Shut the fuck up! You are not to insinuate that again. Ever! Now, I don’t want anyone trying to talk to me or talk about me for the rest of this fucking trip. Talk to each other, I don’t give a shit. But no more dragging me into any conversation. Are we fucking clear?!”

You were met with quick, obedient nods followed by Soap gingerly handing you back your keys. Before you all knew it, you were back on the road like you didn’t just nearly kill Soap.

Simon was speechless, not expecting you to be so. . . dangerous. His feelings about what just happened were conflicting. On one hand, he wanted to fight you to defend his trusted sergeant that meant no harm, even if he didn’t really like the joke either. On the other hand, he’s never been more attracted to a woman in his life.

The car ride was silent for the next several hours.

~

Your muscles ached from your stiff position. You’ve been driving this whole time, only allowing gas breaks to be your time to stretch out. The boys have rotated seats every stop, now including Ghost who was finally giving you some space by being in the back. Last stop, though, he moved right up to the front with you once again. 

You were getting the dreaded road trip tunnel vision. After so many hours of driving, you couldn’t see anything except for the road ahead. You weren’t so much as driving anymore. You more like just looking out the front windshield, barely keeping up with the surrounding area that passed by. What you normally would recognize as trees, road signs, and roadkill were now just a big blur.

“You’re tired.” Simon commented, treading very carefully. He didn’t want to start another fight. Far from it. He just couldn’t bear to see you so exhausted from driving. 

“I’m fine.” Your voice strained, having lost some of it from the screaming match earlier in the trip. You weren’t used to talking so much as you have been for the past week, let alone fighting with words. A warm cup of tea with honey sounded so good right now.

Ghost took a deep breath in before he gently settled his hand on your shoulder. The fact that you didn’t shrug his touch away was very telling that you were really out of it. “Come on, Hex. Just for a bit. Pull over and I’ll take over the drive. We can switch back after you recuperate.”

It took you a minute to agree. Pulling off to the side of the road, you switched places. The room to stretch out in the passenger side was very much needed. Your bones cracked as you really gave yourself time to take it easy for a moment. “Just an hour. Then, we’ll switch.”

He nodded, finally agreeing with you on something out loud. “Just an hour.”

~

You ended up dozing off for longer than intended. Despite the agreement, Simon let you rest. The trip was already almost complete anyway. What was two more hours to add to your much needed rest?

When the car slowed to a stop, the gang woke up out of their naps, eager to exit the minivan and head into the average-looking hotel you had designated as the new checkpoint. It was nearing dinner-time, the city bustling with people heading to enjoy their meals. Price was ready for something other than chips. Soap and Gaz were already discussing potential food spots as if they were tourists. 

As they unloaded the car to carry their things into the hotel, you stayed asleep. Dead asleep. The deepest sleep you have had in what felt like a lifetime. The men were careful to not wake you up as they unloaded luggage after luggage out of the trunk. When everything was squared away with checking in as well as bringing luggage up to the rooms, you were still snoozing away, much to their surprise.

Price opened up your door, ready to wake you up to get a move on. However, Ghost stopped his hand from touching you. “I’ll take her up. Just go ahead and grab some grub.”

Well, John wasn’t going to say no to that offer. He would rather not be bit by such a feral woman. Though, he did feel like he had to warn Ghost of what he was really doing, having observed just about everything he was trying to do in regards to you. “You’re playing with fire, you know.”

Ghost unlocked your seatbelt and picked you up out of the minivan in a princess carry. Miraculously, you still didn’t wake up. “I know. . .”

The hotel staff were concerned with him carrying you into the hotel. A large man with a skull mask carrying an unconscious lady certainly didn’t look good. In order to avoid interference, Simon had a lie ready for when a bodyguard approached. “I know the mask is scary, but it hides some burn scars. I’m just taking the missus up to the room. She fell asleep in the car.”

Not being paid enough to question the lie, he allowed the both of you to pass by. 

You were heavy in his arms, but nothing he couldn’t handle. He could feel the softness of your skin, the firmness of your muscles. He could make out each individual eyelash that just barely kissed under your eyes. As much as you drove him crazy, you truly were beautiful.

The ding of the elevator reaching their floor knocked him out of his trance. Using a room key, he headed into your space for the next couple of days. The room was pretty basic. A bed, a dresser, tv, bathroom, nightstands, a desk. The only thing that really made it stand out was the original art of the wall made by local, Italian artists. 

He settled your sleeping body down onto the queen-sized bed, brushing your hair out of your face as you settled into the mattress. Looking at you like this was a breath of fresh air for him. He didn’t think he would be able to see you like this so soon. 

Sleeping around others was a sign of trust. Were you just really that exhausted? Probably. Ghost would still take this as a sign of victory anyway.

For a few moments longer, he studied your features. The sound of his stomach grumbling for a meal encouraged him to leave you be for now to which his brain protested. Then again, you probably wouldn’t like it if you found out that he watched you sleep.

Before he left, he took one last look at you, burning the image into his mind. “You said you didn’t sleep, kitten.”

[verdemoun]

timewarp au shitpost while i put off working on my essays: found family roadtrip

lenny has to sit in the middle because sean does not have the spatial awareness for the responsibility of sitting in the middle seat.

sean properly hates being in the car for any amount of time. it's too hot, the radio sucks, he can't stretch. fidgeting quickly devolves into nearly punching lenny as he tries to adjust and find something resembling comfortable

hosea is too busy admiring how calm and amazing and beautiful bessie is (she has to drive, obviously) to parent despite a brawl being about to begin in the backseat.

kieran quietly points out every horse he sees and immediately the back seat is silent as they all lean forward to look. hosea looks too because they all miss horses from time to time. if it's a quiet stretch of road bessie will pull over as a little reward and they can try to pat the horse.

lenny stays in the car for 5 minutes of peace while sean, in an awkwardly protective/supportive way, tries to warn kieran there's an electric fence which he knows from personal experience are not fun to touch

((they're actually going to a trail riding place as a surprise.)) bessie tried to warn the supervising instructor but they are still unprepared for the sheer chaos of a group of horse starved outlaws adjusting their own tack before taking off into the woods without a guide. bessie quietly offers the poor woman her phone, revealing she hid an air tag in sean's pocket and promises that lenny will probably not let him do anything stupid. they still don't follow the guide but bessie and hosea go on a little romantic trail ride through the forests.

kieran was following them for 10 minutes before vanishing. they start to genuinely worry they're going to need to call search and rescue but turns out after a very lazy slow plod around for an hour he found his way back to the ranch and is brushing and tending to all the horses they have. by the end of the day he has all the names, breeds and histories memorized. the ranch owner says 'your adult son clearly has some neurological wonk but feel free to drop him in here the tack has never been so clean'

the trip back is much more peaceful as lenny and sean immediately fall asleep on each other with the exhaustion of using muscles they haven't even thought about in months riding horses.

kieran infodumps about the horses they were riding while hosea happily asks questions because kieran talking about anything is still a very big deal. he still points out every horse they pass on the way home.

[levisjinchuriki]

forever yours - chapter 10

summary: gojo surprises you and haru with a weekend getaway

warning: slow burn, fluff, lingering looks, gojo being sweet

word count: 2.3k

a/n: so sorry to keep you all waiting!! i have classes, a job and an internship so i have been super busy, but i have more chapters to post!!

The anticipation of the surprise trip has been building since Gojo first mentioned it, but he remains tight-lipped about the destination even as you’re driving there. as haru sings along to the music playing, you wonder where gojo is taking you and why he’s being so secretive about it. 

You turn to him, a playful frown on your face. “I can’t believe you won’t tell me where we’re going” you say in an attempt to coax out the truth. 

Gojo glances at you, a mischievous grin on his face as he continues to drive. “If I told you, it wouldn’t be a surprise,” he says, his tone light and teasing. it’s friday and gojo has a four-day weekend due to the holiday. he wants to do something nice. you all deserve a reward for navigating life so well together recently.

You sigh dramatically, leaning back in your seat with a mock pout. gojo chuckles and reaches over to give your hand a squeeze. “you’ll love it. i promise” he says. 

the journey is a few hours long. you haven’t taken a trip this far in years, with haru being so young. 

As the cityscape slowly fades into rolling hills and the scenery outside the window grew more rural, you start to feel a sense of familiarity. The road becomes more narrow, winding up gentle hills. haru gets excited when he sees horses as you drive by.

You glance at Gojo, a question forming on your lips, but before you can ask, you notice the path ahead—the one that led to the place you used to visit every year.

Your breath catches as realization dawns on you. “Satoru…”. 

He meets your gaze with a soft smile, his eyes shining with warmth. “Surprise,” he says simply, his voice carrying a mix of nostalgia and something deeper.

The cabin. the place where you’d both go to escape once a year. the second the cottage is in sight you’re flooded with memories of the past. it’s where you’d talked about your future and dream of what your life could be. It’s been years since you’ve last visited—so much has changed since then. The sight of it brings a wave of emotions—happiness, but also a bittersweet reminder of the time that has passed. you’ve missed this place. 

You step out of the car, the crisp air filling your lungs as you take in the view before you. The lake stretches out in the distance, its surface shimmering in the afternoon sun. The surrounding fields, lush and green, sway gently in the breeze, and the familiar sight of the cabin—your cabin—stands as a welcoming beacon. It’s a place that had been a backdrop for so many of your happiest moments.

Gojo comes around to your side, his expression soft as he watches you take it all in. “Welcome back,” he murmurs, his voice warm and affectionate. He wraps an arm around your shoulders and plants a tender kiss on your temple.

The gesture is both comforting and reassuring, and you lean into him, savoring the closeness. “Thank you,” you reply softly, your eyes still fixed on the cabin. “This is… perfect.”

Gojo smiles, giving your shoulders a gentle squeeze before stepping back to unload the car. He brings your luggage into the cabin with effortless ease, his movements smooth and practiced as he carries the bags inside.

As you step into the cabin, you take in the familiar, comforting scent of aged wood and the faint aroma of pine. It’s a smell that instantly evokes memories of past visits, of warmth and laughter, and of cozy nights spent by the fire. The cabin is just as you remembered it, with its warm, inviting charm and familiar rustic details. The large windows offer clear views of the surrounding countryside, and the scent of pine fills the air, mingling with the faint scent of woodsmoke from the fireplace.

“mommy look!” haru says as he visits every room. he’s filled with energy as he darts around the cabin. Your heart warms as he discovers the charm of the cabin. His joy is infectious, and it’s clear that the magic of this place is still very much alive for him. 

haru is thrilled by the wide-open space, running ahead of you and Satoru, his laughter echoing in the stillness of the countryside. haru runs into the tall grass, letting the greens tickle him as they blow in the wind. 

it’s only been a few minutes and you can see just how happy haru is to be here. it really is a magical place and the perfect way to spend the long weekend gojo has due to the holiday. 

“It’s so peaceful out here” you sigh as you watch haru play. gojo smiles, happy you’re enjoying it. 

he looks down at his watch. “hungry? we can have a picnic” he suggests. it’s a good idea. the drive was long and you’re sure haru is hungry, although it’s masked by his excitement. 

gojo grabs the sandwiches he had packed for you all and sets up a picnic outside in the large field that surround the cabin

it’s perfect. the sun beams down on you, warming your skin as you enjoy the outdoors. 

—-

The first night under the same roof in months felt a bit surreal, but the absence of awkwardness made the experience surprisingly comfortable. It was a new kind of normal for both of you, and the respect Gojo showed by sleeping in a separate room underscored his consideration for your boundaries.

The following day is filled with exploration and enjoyment as you and Haru discover the charming small town nearby. The quaint shops and scenic streets provide a delightful change of pace, and Haru’s wide-eyed wonder at each new discovery adds to the day’s joy.

As evening fell, Gojo took Haru outside for their special stargazing activity. The sky had cleared, and the absence of city lights made the stars appear incredibly vivid and bright. The countryside offered an unobstructed view of the celestial display, making the experience even more magical for Haru. 

Gojo lifts Haru onto his shoulders, giving him an elevated view of the night sky. Haru’s face lights up with excitement as he settles into his father’s shoulders, his small frame nestled comfortably. The moon casts a gentle glow over them, highlighting their expressions

As they gaze up at the expanse of stars, Gojo begins to explain the constellations with a soft, engaging tone. Haru listens intently, his eyes wide with fascination. “Woah,” he murmurs, clearly enchanted by the stories and the sheer magnitude of the night sky. 

The two of them continue to scan the sky, their attention drawn to the glittering display above. Suddenly, Haru gasps, his voice breaking through the calm night air with excitement. “Daddy, look!” he exclaims, pointing eagerly at a different part of the sky.

Gojo's gaze quickly shifts to the streaking light across the sky, his smile widening at Haru’s infectious excitement. “It’s a shooting star! Quick, make a wish!” he encourages, his voice filled with enthusiasm.

Haru’s eyes close tightly, his little face scrunched in deep concentration. “I wish we can always have fun and be together forever” he says sincerely. 

Gojo’s heart swells with emotion at his son’s sweet and innocent wish. He gently lowers Haru from his shoulders, wrapping him in a warm embrace. He showers him with tender kisses, causing Haru to burst into delighted squeals. “That’s a wonderful wish,” Gojo says softly, holding his son close, savoring the closeness.

As the two of them continue to gaze up at the stars, your heart warms from the back porch where you stand, watching the scene unfold. The sight of Gojo and Haru, so engaged and happy, fills you with a profound sense of contentment. The moments of shared joy and connection between father and son are precious, and you are grateful to witness them.

—

The warmth of the fire pit contrasts with the cool evening air on the last night of your weekend getaway. The flames crackle rhythmically, their light flickering and dancing across Gojo’s face, casting a soft, almost ethereal glow that makes your heart flutter. He stands with his back to you, his attention fully absorbed in adjusting the logs to keep the fire steady and inviting.

You approach him, blankets in your arms. The crisp night air feels refreshing, a gentle reminder that this weekend, while perfect, is coming to an endThe sight of Gojo, illuminated by the firelight, evokes a deep sense of contentment within you.

Gojo glances up, his eyes meeting yours with a soft, affectionate smile. He takes a step back from the fire, brushing off stray bits of bark and ash from his hands. “Remember the last time we were here?” he asks, his voice a gentle murmur, tinged with nostalgia.

You nod, a warm smile spreading across your face as the memories come flooding back. “How could I forget? We spent half the weekend trying to get that old fireplace inside to work,” you reply with a chuckle, the laughter from that time still bright in your memory.

Gojo’s laughter joins yours, rich and full of the same fondness. “And we didn’t even need the fire. We had plenty other ways to keep warm,” he says with a teasing grin.

You feel the heat rise to your cheeks at his cheeky comment, and you can’t help but groan, a mixture of embarrassment and amusement coloring your voice. “Satoru,” you say, covering your face for a moment.

He grins, clearly enjoying your reaction. “What? It’s true, isn’t it?”

You shake your head, unable to stop the smile spreading across your lips. “You’re impossible” you mutter, though there’s no real annoyance in your tone.

You can still recall curling up together on the rug in front of that stubborn fireplace, the warmth of the flames competing with the heat between you. It had been a simpler time, just the two of you, your future wide open and full of possibilities.

As the firelight dances across Gojo’s face, you’re struck by the contrast between then and now. The nostalgia of those past moments mingles with the present, creating a sense of both longing and contentment.

You take a deep breath, letting the nostalgia wash over you. “We were so different then. We had no idea what was coming, how much things would change.”

Gojo’s expression shifts to one of contemplation, his gaze thoughtful as he listens. “Yeah… but some things haven’t changed,” he says, his voice carrying a deeper, more heartfelt tone. He reaches out, his fingers brushing lightly against yours, and the subtle contact sends a shiver of emotion through you.

You glance down at your hands, where his fingers linger just barely touching yours. The simple touch stirs a complex mix of emotions—nostalgia, longing, and a deep-seated affection that you’ve tried to keep buried for so long. “Like what?” you ask, your voice barely above a whisper, your heart racing with anticipation.

Gojo steps closer, his body almost brushing against yours. The proximity amplifies the warmth between you, and his gaze locks onto yours with an intensity that makes your breath catch. “Like how I feel about you,” he confesses, his voice steady and sincere, carrying the weight of unspoken words and unaddressed feelings from the past. “I never stopped loving you, you know. Even when things were at their worst, that never changed”.

Your breath catches in your throat, the sincerity of Gojo’s words creating a magnetic pull that draws you closer to him. “Satoru…” you whisper, the name slipping out with a soft, reverent tone, as if speaking it aloud is both a revelation and a confession.

The weight of everything left unsaid settles between you, blending the past and present into a single, poignant moment. As you look up at him, your heart races, feeling the intensity of the connection between you. The firelight reflects in his eyes, mirroring the same longing that stirs within you.

Your gaze lingers on his lips, drawn to them in a way that you can no longer ignore. The space between you narrows, the world around you fading into a blur as your focus sharpens on each other. The night air feels charged, and the warmth of the fire seems to amplify the heat of the moment.

The distance between you diminishes, and the air crackles with anticipation. Every second that passes creates an almost tangible tension. The promise of rekindling something that had always lingered, never fully extinguished, hangs between you.

The moment stretches, suspended in time, as you both feel the pull of your shared history and unresolved emotions. The connection is undeniable, a powerful force drawing you together with an intensity that makes the rest of the world feel distant and irrelevant.

Just as you’re on the verge of closing the gap between you and Gojo, Haru’s voice rings out from inside the cabin, breaking the spell. “Can we have s’mores now, Mommy?” he asks innocently, a reminder of the promise you’d made to him for this last night at the cabin. His excitement is palpable, and he clearly hasn’t forgotten.

You jolt slightly, the intense moment between you and Gojo abruptly halted by Haru’s call. A sheepish smile tugs at your lips as you step back, creating some space between you and Gojo.

“Yeah, honey! We’re just getting everything ready,” you reply, your voice carrying a mixture of affection and a hint of regret.

Haru’s face lights up with a beaming smile as he scurries over to his chair by the fire, eagerly settling in and waiting for his s’mores. The sight of him, so full of excitement, brings a warmth to your heart that makes you forget the interruption’s sting.

The moment was gone, but the emotions it stirred lingered, simmering just beneath the surface. Even though you hadn’t kissed, the closeness you’d just shared felt like a step forward, a small but significant step toward finding your way back to each other.

---

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[inmyminditsreal]

Crushes and camping

Fem!reader x Spencer Reid

Word count: 1k

Summary: You decide to go camping with the team, You have a crush on Spencer and have been looking forward to this for a while. Oh, look! You have to share a tent..

SORRY I'VE BEEN GONE SO LONG!! school has been beating my ass 😭. This is very rusty im sorry.

Camping!!

On a rare long weekend for you and the team, you all decide to go camping. With only a little bit of objections you settle that it would be fun and a nice way to relax. In contrast to your very chaotic work schedule. You would be going to some remote wooded area, a “special” spot as you had said. You’re the one leading this camping operation. And as the day comes for you to pack and get ready, you start to stress. Telling yourself it will be fine. It will be fine.

The day comes. It’s around 8am. Everyone’s cars are parked outside your house. Everyone carrying bags. You're not the one who's going to be driving. It’s Hotch. You’ll be Navigating. Which kinda freaks you out, just a little.

“All right, are we ready to go?” Asks Derek as he loads the last few bags into the back of your car. You chime back with, “Yeah I think we’re all set.” Looking around catching nods from the rest of the team.

Everyone awkwardly piles into the car, it’s cozy, in a ‘ready for a road trip’ type of way. You’re in the passenger seat, Hotch in the driver's seat. Spencer and Derek sitting in the middle two, with JJ, Emily, and Penelope piled in the back three. Cozy. You’re very excited for this trip. Your family hadn’t really been big on camping, and anytime you did go, it ended in catastrophe.

You pull out a map as Hotch pulls out of your driveway and onto the street.

“Finally” you sigh.

About two hours fly by and you’re finally outside of civilization. The beautiful trees meet your eyes and you smile. It’s around early fall so it’s still quite warm but the leaves are vibrant shades of red, orange and yellow. You also see Spencer, reading a book with his elbow on the arm rest. He looks perfect reading there. You stare for a while then, you’re brought back to reality when Hotch asks,

“Where's the next turn?” You freak out a little, having lost your place and flip over the map a few times before finding your place and adding, “Right up the street, I'll tell you when I see it.” He nods. You look at Derek and see him smirking at you, he winks. You look away, embarrassed.

After four hours, a little bit of screaming directions, silly jokes, stares between you and Spencer, and stifled giggles later, you make it to the campsite. Stepping out of the car you wobble around for a second. You have only taken a few bathroom breaks/snack stops so your legs feel like jelly. You stretch all your limbs.

“Oh my god! We made it. I thought we’d be trapped in there forever.” Penelope laughs while hopping out of the car.

JJ adds, “God, I know right.” Emily and Spencer laugh.

Everyone’s out of the car and you walk around to find the perfect spot. After around 10 minutes you find the most perfect place ever and say, “This is it.”

“Damn okay, this is nice.” Derek smiles while laying down the bags. He was carrying most of them. After setting up the tents, you frown. You’re missing a tent. Asking everyone if they had brought a tent you come to the conclusion that you had, forgot, a tent. Feeling so very embarrassed you say, “Shit, I’m sorry guys, I made sure to check everything. I swear I brought one.”

“It’s okay, just means SOMEONE will have to share.” Derek laughs while looking between you and Spencer.

Spencer smiles and looks at you, you smile too. Hotch notices people looking for an answer and states, “I’ll decide who shares. You and Spencer,” While pointing at the two of you. The girls giggle rapidly behind you while they share knowing glances at each other. They know you like him. Derek laughs as soon as he sees your face go bright red. You smile, nod at Spencer and say, “Alright, who’s ready for a bonfire.”

Everyone nods as you go to gather firewood. “Hey, can I come with you?” Spencer asks as you’re about to leave. You’re surprised by this because he has been ignoring you the last week or so, but nonetheless say, “Sure yea.”

You begin the walk, grabbing some firewood, and looking at each other every few seconds before you break the silence and ask, “Why have you been ignoring me, Spencer, did I do something wrong?”

There’s a silence that rips you in half, until,

“I like you too much.”

“Wait what?”

“You’re the only person I’ve ever wanted to hold, to love and cherish. I can’t deal with those emotions. I love you.”

You’re stunned, and by this time you’re already back at the campsite and it's getting dark. So you part ways and start the fire. The flames barely envelop your feelings, you have no idea what to do. Sitting around the fire, you keep looking at Spencer, to find him already looking at you. After scary stories and s'mores, around midnight you decide to call it. Everyone leaves to their tents. You put out the fire before walking towards yours.

Spencers inside, reading a book. The only light coming from a warm lantern. He notices you walk in and sits up, placing his book down. You change into pajamas in your sleeping bag. You finally meet his eyes and he says, “I’m sorry I made things awkward, I know you don’t have an answer and that’s okay but-”

“I love you too.”

“Really?”

“Always.”

You wrap him in a bear hug, breathing in the scent of pine and coffee with too much sugar. You both lay down and he says, “Goodnight.”

“One more thing, Spence.”

“Sure, yea.”

You kiss him softly while holding his cheeks. After pulling away he looks stunned, as you roll over.

“Hey- what you can’t just roll over after that.”

“Goodnight, Spencer.” you say as you turn off the light.

You cuddled him to death that night. He loved every second of it.

[mystic-writings]

remember the nights | chapter one — new beginnings

WORD COUNT — 2,403

WARNINGS — none

NOTES — i'm legit sobbing i can't believe this series is already 2 years old

previous chapter | masterlist | next chapter

This morning was the last one you’d spend in your childhood home. After 17 years of memories, you were saying goodbye to the place you were overjoyed to call home. It wasn’t bad — that was something you were sure of — but it was upsetting. This place is where you came home after being born, where you spent birthdays and holidays and had almost all of your firsts in. You learned to walk here, to talk, to read. It was here that you decided you wanted to be a ballerina, only to decide you wanted to be a teacher just a week later. It’s where your mom lived, where you lived. And now, for a very good reason, you were giving it up. 

Your father was trading away his two-bedroom, floor to ceiling windowed, eleventh floor condo for a lovely blue suburban just a few hours away. No more big city, no more 10 hour shifts at the office. Finally, your dad was getting married.

His fiance, Maggie, was the most wonderful woman you’d ever met, and damn near perfect for him. Her sons, who look nearly identical to her, were the most well-mannered teenage boys you’d met. Thomas, her eldest, was the same age as you — give or take a few months — and one of your closest friends. 

Chuck was her youngest, and was turning 13 early next year. He was shy, but once he had warmed up to you, he became the funniest kid you’d ever talked to. He shared all of his interests with you, even if you didn’t know what he was talking about half of the time. 

Over the past three years, you’d had plenty of time to get used to Maggie and her sons, seeing as they’d spent every other weekend here in the city for the past year or so, so it wasn’t as though you were completely uprooting your life. You’d already seen them as family, and have for a while. Every time they came to town, you and Thomas would make the most of things, wandering the city for things to do or look at or buy until well after sundown, while Chuck normally spent his time with Maggie and your dad. 

You had no reason to be sad, and you weren’t. It was just nostalgia, rooted deep within your chest, of the few vital memories you had left of your mother that had all taken place in this condo. 

“I know this is hard for you, honey,” your father said as you carried your last box of items through the living room. 

“I’ll be okay dad, don’t worry.” You assured him with a childlike smile. “This is a good thing for us, you know? And I’ll have Thomas and Teresa to help me out, so I won’t be completely lonely and friendless.” 

Your father nodded, his lips pressed together tightly as he rested a hand on your shoulder. Whether he was comforting you or trying to comfort himself, you didn’t know. Still, he took the box from your arms and walked out the front door, leaving you to take one last look around the place that had once been your home before walking out yourself, closing the door and leaving that part of your life behind. 

Though the drive took nearly three hours, it felt like half an hour. Most of your time in the passenger seat of your father’s sleek black Camaro was spent messaging your best friends about how much you already missed them, and replying to other school friends to thank them for their well-wishes and promises to meet up soon, even though you knew it would never follow through. 

Traffic-jammed highways quickly turned into two-lane blacktop, surrounded by farmland and forest, which then faded into cookie-cutter homes and family-owned stores. It would be quite an adjustment compared to bodegas, high rises and packed streets, but you knew you had no choice. 

You’d been in this town quite a few times before, and the route to your new home was quite familiar, seeing as some weekends it would be you and your father making the trip instead of Maggie and her family. A left turn on the main road, right after the only cafe in town, then a right turn, then another left. 

Maggie’s house was tucked into the right corner of the cul-de-sac, and it still looked as charmingly beautiful as ever. With dark, gray-blue siding, a lovely white painted front porch capped with a shingled awning, and deep red brick supporting the foundation, it was like it was built straight out of a fairytale. The garage extension jutted out of the house, and its wall marked one end of the porch, while the other was supported by a bay window that looked into the kitchen. To the very left, a white-painted fence and gate led into the backyard that, while you couldn’t tell from the front, was fairly large, and decorated entirely by a beautiful garden, wicker furniture, and a light gray brick fire pit. 

The second the car was in park, you were hopping out of the vehicle, ready to pull your bags from the trunk and bring them to your new room. It had been the office/storage room for Thomas and Chuck, but Maggie cleared it out as soon as they told you that they were engaged. There was a room downstairs near Chuck’s that wasn’t being used, but it was isolated and therefore would be your father and Maggie’s shared office so that he can work entirely from home. 

In her last FaceTime a few days ago, Maggie showed you the room, already filled with the furniture you’d sent from New York weeks prior. One window inside faced the front of the house, and the other faced the side yard and part of the neighbors backyard. 

You pulled your duffle bag from the trunk just as the moving van that had been following you from the city parked on the street. Thomas and Maggie had stepped outside to help bring boxes in, and you greeted them both with short hugs and a wide smile before asking where Chuck was. 

“He’s inside,” Thomas rolled his eyes. “Been hiding in his room all day.” 

There wasn’t much heavy lifting to be done, since your bed, desk, dresser, and nightstand table had already been moved in, and the boxes contained mostly clothes, personal items, and whatever technology your dad needed to be brought with him. The rest was sold or given away, considering Maggie had a house full of stuff on her own. 

By mid-afternoon, boxes covered the floor and most other surfaces in your room, and you were elbow deep in a box of hangers and whatever clothing wouldn’t fit into your bags when Thomas poked his head in the door. 

“Having fun?” You could hear his mischievous smile in his words as he stepped inside. 

You rolled your eyes. “I don’t know. Does untangling a mess of hangers and tank tops sound like fun to you?”

“Nope,” Thomas winced, crossing the room and dropping onto your bare mattress. “Glad you’re here, though.” 

“Me too,” you said, “I think.” 

Thomas lifted his head to look at you. “You think?”

“Well, I only know you and Teresa, and I’ve never had to deal with living someplace where everything closes at 7pm.”

“Everything does not close at 7pm,” he scoffed. “The diner doesn’t close until 10pm, and the convenience store closes at 8.”

“Oh, wow, a whole extra hour for the convenience store,” you mocked the boy, who scoffed once more at you. “My point is, I have a lot to get used to, and it’s not exactly like I can say  I don’t like it here and everything goes back to the way it was.” 

Thomas sat up. “You’ll be fine, I swear. You’ve got me and Teresa, plus you’ll be meeting our friends in a few days.”

You only nodded, working through the mess of clothes and hangers as Thomas fell silent for a few moments, typing on his phone for a bit. 

“Do you wanna do something with me and Teresa?” He asked as you began putting the hangers into your closet. 

You immediately perked up at the mention of Teresa. “Of course I would. I haven’t seen her in months,” you said, “Why? What does she want to do?”

“We’ll probably take you to the cafe, or go to hers for a movie night,” Thomas said. “There’s not much to do around here.” 

“That’s fine,” you shrugged, “I’ll be fine with whatever, you know that.”

Thomas made a quick noise of acknowledgement and returned to typing on his phone, before getting up and walking past you toward the door. “Alright, well she’s down. I’ll come get you in like a few hours, maybe.”

“Oh-” you started, looking at Thomas as he left the room. “Okay, then,”

You continued to untangle and pack away your clothes, mind wandering to almost any thought that crossed your mind. Shortly after Thomas’ departure, though, a knock sounded at your bedroom door before opening. In the doorway stood Chuck, silently observing the room now that you had begun to move into it. 

“Chuckie!” It was his least favorite nickname by far, especially when Thomas used it on him, but you couldn’t help yourself. To you, he’d always be 9 years old, hiding behind his mother’s leg in your condo’s living room. 

You stopped what you were doing as he stepped into the room, meeting you by the bed to greet you with a wordless hug. He ended up helping you out with the hangers, talking adamantly with you about how his friends were spending the night next weekend to watch  Star Wars with him, and how now he and your dad could do more stuff together since he wouldn’t have to wait for the weekends to see him anymore. 

After the box full of hangers was organized and put away, Chuck left and took the broken down box with him. You opened the one you’d put all of your knick knacks and other items in, beginning to organize them around the room when you pulled out your favorite mug, wrapped delicately in layers of bubble wrap and newspaper. 

You decided to take it down to the kitchen immediately, peeling the layers from it as you headed back downstairs. It was a gift from your grandmother, a white mug with a black handle, a silhouette of a ballerina painted onto one side. She gave it to you when you were nine, a tribute to your mother, who used to be a ballerina herself. 

You found a space for it on the bottom shelf of the cupboard of mugs, smiling gently at it. Somehow, this was what cemented the fact that you were in a new home. That you’d gone through a positive change for once. For the most part, the life you used to live was long gone, and you had much more to look forward to, despite how terrified you were.

The next couple of hours included you dressing your bed in its sheets and pillows and blankets, plus rearranging and re-organizing things in your room. It was a little small, sure, but you didn’t mind, as everything fit perfectly. Now, all you were doing was waiting for Thomas to get you to bring you to Teresa’s house.

When he finally did, the sun was beginning to set and Maggie was helping your dad organize his DVDs in the entertainment center under the TV. They muttered quick goodbyes as you headed out the door, hopping into Thomas’ old truck and heading to Teresa’s house. 

You arrived at the familiar white-siding home in no time, and you already had Teresa in your line of sight before you had closed the door to the truck. You both ran for one another, crashing into one another in an excited, bone-crushing hug in the walkway to her front porch. 

“Jeez, why don’t you greet me like that, babe?” Thomas said, casually walking up the pathway. 

Teresa pulled back a bit, glaring over your shoulder. “Because I see you every day, Thomas. I haven’t seen N/n since June.”

“That shouldn’t matter,” Thomas muttered under his breath, obviously defeated as a pout formed on his face. 

You and Teresa laughed before the brunette girl spoke up, grabbing your hand. “Come on, I’ve got everything set up inside. Movies, snacks, and I ordered pizza from the takeout place across town. I wanna hear everything I’ve missed out on since I saw you last.” 

Thomas trailed behind you as Teresa led you inside her home, despite knowing you’d been there quite often over the years. 

You spent over four hours at Teresa’s house. By the time you were pulling back into the driveway, the entire town had gone quiet, lights turned out as everyone wound down for the night or were already asleep. 

The first hour of your time was spent catching Teresa up on anything interesting that had happened in New York, then she and Thomas did the same for you. They also took the time to explain the school and how things worked in a small town as best as they could, but you quickly decided you’d just learn as things went on. You managed to watch two movies, devouring whatever food Teresa had set out for the three of you relatively quickly. 

Once you stepped inside, it was quite clear that everyone else in the house was already asleep. You and Thomas managed to sneak upstairs without waking anyone, bidding one another a quick ‘goodnight’ before heading to your own rooms. 

Soon after, you found yourself in an oversized fundraiser shirt your dad got from a work trip to Arizona years ago, laying in bed as your eyes scanned and took in every inch of your room. Thinking over every detail, about how different it felt, how this new space held every aspect of you and your life up until this moment. And as you thought, you felt your heart grow and swell within your chest, getting lighter and lighter. 

This town, these people, had yet to prove themselves to you, to show you if you belonged or not, and you were eager to see it all, to experience everything it had to offer. All you had to do was give it a chance.

series masterlist: @heliads @ghostofscarley @badbatch-simp24 @virginia-peters @third-broparcelicito @lamolaine (open!)

[hedonistpoet06]

Crawling Back To You - Part One:

2007! Leo x Female OC

Synopsis: Evangeline Blackwell, or Evie as she preferred to be called, always knew that New York City held an abundance of secrets which she was itching to uncover, hence why she decided to move there for college. However, she didn’t consider that one of the cities' secrets was the existence of a particular blue clad mutant turtle and his crime fighting brothers. Evie thought her biggest obstacle in her first year of college was going to be getting good grades, making new friends and getting used to dorm life. But alas, she now has to worry about a new crime organisation called ‘The Foot Clan’ working under The Shredder, the arch nemesis of the turtle and his family who she was beginning to grow very attached to. However, after too many close calls, Splinter soon realises that perhaps the turtles were not as strong as a team as he believed them to be, and thus Leo was not experienced enough to lead them. So what better fix is there than a year long trip to South America?

Authors Note: This work is also available on my AO3 'heartofthehedonistpoet06' if you wish to read it there!

Word Count: 3,651

Song: The Night We Met - Lord Huron, Phoebe Bridgers

☆.。.:・°☆.。.:・°☆.。.:・°☆.。.:・°☆

It wasn’t uncommon for it to rain in New York City, it was more just an inconvenience.

It was especially inconvenient for Evie who had been rostered on the closing shift that night at ‘Urban Greens & Goods’ which was really just an overpriced supermarket with half decent pay.

It wasn’t that she hated the rain, quite the opposite actually. Evie wanted nothing more than to be cuddled up in her king single dorm bed with a cup of herbal tea in hand rewatching ‘Bridget Jones’s Diary’ for the millionth time. Oh how she missed that particularly firm dormitory mattress right now, it would be much more comfortable than how her feet felt after standing on them all night.

But instead, the young college student was going blind from the artificial fluorescent lights in the grocer whilst the store's radio blasted the same overplayed top ten hits for the week. And as the rain poured against the pavement outside, all Evie could think about was how she had to journey back to her dorm room in the pouring rain.

She cursed herself for not reading the weather forecast earlier that day.

The store closed its doors at 10:00pm, however, after counting the cash float, mopping the floors and covering all the remaining fruit and vegetables for the night, Evie didn’t leave until an hour later.

“You gonna be alright heading home in this weather?” her coworker asked as he locked the staff door.

“Yeah, I'll just take the bus. It drops me right outside of campus.” Evie replied, zipping up her waterproof jacket which she silently thanked herself for bringing.

“Alright, well I could always drop you home.” he offered.

The gesture was thoughtful, and Evie appreciated it, but she hadn’t known the boy long enough to feel comfortable sitting in his car and making him drive her home.

Besides, she always caught the bus.

“That’s very thoughtful, but I’ll be fine. Thank you.”

“Okay, just get home safe.”

“I will!” she called out, waving goodbye to her coworker.

The bus stop was only a bit further up the street, meaning Evie could take shelter from the rain and hide under the storefronts while she waited for her ride. She prayed the bus driver had the heating turned on because she was beginning to freeze from the cold air which nipped at her fingers and cheeks as the rain continued to pummel against the road.

A few minutes passed, then it became twenty, soon it turned into thirty.

Something wasn’t right, Evie knew this particular bus came rather frequently. She quickly opened the app on her phone which gave her live updates on New York City transport and traffic. It was a life saver in the first few weeks of living here.

Her cold fingers typed in the route of her usual route and almost immediately she was notified of how the bus was cancelled because of flooding on certain roads from the downpour.

“Shit.” Evie groaned, tossing her head back as she examined the downpour.

There was no way she was forking out a ridiculous amount of money for a taxi and it was right about now she started to regret not taking that lift from her coworker.

So, with no other option available, she decided to walk. It was about a twenty five minute walk back to campus, twenty with how fast Evie could walk when she was determined enough. She flicked up the hood of her rain jacket and rummaged in her bag for her earphones, if she was going to walk this long and in this much rain she had to listen to something to make the time go faster.

She threaded the wires under her jacket and shirt, protecting them from the rain and shoved her phone into an interior pocket of her jacket. Evie sighed as the tempo of her playlist started to reverberate in her ears, she reminded herself of how she would have to snatch one of the good clothes dryers in the dorm laundry when she got home and pray nobody dumped out her stuff, which would often result in a few missing socks.

The rain was heavy, Evie felt the weight of it almost blur her vision, making it difficult to even see the rain soaked pavement in front of her. However, she knew the route well enough, so seeing in front of her wasn’t the problem.

It was the fact that she couldn’t see what was behind her which was concerning.

The blaring music from her earphones combined with the intensity of the rain made it difficult for Evie to hear the sound of footsteps following her.

Evie immediately screamed in shock when she felt a firm pair of hands grab her arms, forcibly pulling her backwards.

Her earphones fell out of her ears from her sudden thrashing against whoever had decided to grab her, she screamed, yelled and cursed as she felt herself being dragged out of view from the bright streetlights and pulled towards the darkness of a back alley.

“Let go of me!” Evie screamed, still jolting her body erratically in an attempt to free herself from her attacker's grip.

However, this only angered him as a slimy hand slithered its way up to Evie's mouth, covering it. She gagged at the smell of dirt, grease and liquor filling her nose.

“Shuddup ya bitch” a deep voice slurred, signs of intoxication evident in his speech.

Evie's blood ran cold as he spoke into her ear, she couldn’t see his face but she could imagine what he had looked like. Vile and oleaginous. This was exactly the type of situation her parents had warned her about when she said she wanted to move to New York for college. She felt incredibly guilty for calling them paranoid when they gave her pepper spray during her move in day.

Evie also felt furious at herself for not accepting that lift, she would take an eternity of an awkward car ride over whatever was going to unfold in this dimly lit back alley.

She tried to do all those self defence tricks she had heard about, screaming, scratching, thrashing, although nothing seemed to pull her away from her attacker. His frame was significantly bigger and stronger than her, anything she tried was futile.

Suddenly, one last idea appeared in Evie's mind as she lunged herself forward, digging her teeth into the filthy flesh of the man who restrained her. She tried to ignore the foul, bitter taste of his skin as it filled her mouth, making her feel even more nauseous.

She heard him scream and curse at the sudden bite, however, even as his grip loosened slightly, it wasn’t enough for Evie to escape.

He quickly and roughly grabbed her by the back of the neck, forcing her body to collide with the wet concrete beneath her. Evies chest was pinned to the ground, making it increasingly difficult to breathe alongside the adrenaline and anxiety which coursed through her.

The man held one arm across her back whilst he used his free arm to pick up her tote bag which had slipped off her shoulder in the process.

“Whaddya have?” he said, talking to himself mostly as Evie couldn’t find it in herself to form words.

As he rummaged through her bag there was a small pathetic part of her which thought that maybe if she cooperated with him, he would let her go.

“Whaddis this shit?” he slurred, growing frustrated as he dumped out the contents of Evie's bag.

She didn’t bring a whole lot to work, just her dorm key, bus pass, her name tag, a water bottle and a few other random items worth next to nothing. The most valuable thing on her was her phone, and that was tucked away in her jacket, which she hoped her attacker wouldn’t realise.

A sob escaped Evies lips as she felt his anger grow. Unaware of what he would try to do next now that she didn’t have anything he wanted.

What made her all the more terrified was the fact she couldn’t see her attacker's face, not only was she facing away from him the rain had continued to pour, making seeing almost impossible.

Evie begged for the man to let her go, insisting that she didn’t have anything, as she continued to plead and she suddenly no longer felt the weight pinning her down.

But then something cut through the air, something that wasn’t Evie's cries for help or the man's cursing, it was a voice, somebody's voice.

“Let her go.” the voice said.

It was a masculine voice, only it didn’t sound as disgusting as her attackers. Whoever it was, his voice was deep yet pleasant, calm but firm and that reassured Evie immensely.

The air quickly became filled with a few confused words from the man and shortly after, the sound of punches and groans echoed in the alleyway.

Evie, who had previously buried her head into her arm in a protective manner, tried to peer over her shoulder and see who had saved her from this god awful situation. But the rain and the darkness made it so all the girl could see was shadows, fast moving shadows.

It wasn’t until the sound of a heavy body colliding with what Evie assumed was a brick wall that she knew it was all over. The alleyway became silent except for the rainfall and the few deep breaths of Evies saviour, whilst her attacker was most likely out cold, or worse. With shaky arms, Evie pulled herself up off the ground, her body still absorbing the adrenaline from the events that had just unfolded.

As she stood up she turned around, expecting to meet the face of her saviour, only she couldn’t. Evie could see what looked like the outline of someone, she struggled to identify any discernible features but she could tell someone was standing there, a few feet away.

She looked to her left, just barely making out the figure of her attacker slumped against the alley wall, knocked out unconscious.

“Are you alright?” the voice said gently through the darkness, making Evie's heart accelerate slightly, only this time it wasn’t out of pure fear.

“Yeah I’m fine…” she said, her unsteady voice obviously betraying her “just a bit shaken up that's all.”

“That's understandable.” he replied “looks like you just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, just a homeless drunk wanting anything of yours that's of value.”

“Well, he chose the wrong girl. It’s not like he was going to find anything.” Evie said, deflecting the tension of the situation with humour as if she wasn’t pinned to the ground by a man twice her size just a moment ago.

He chuckled slightly at her response, not expecting for the girl to respond with such wit after a traumatic experience.

“Were you on your way home?” he asked.

“Yeah. I was just on my way home from work, I only had about two more blocks to go until well... you know.” Evie trailed off, gesturing to the man's unresponsive figure.

He chuckled softly once again and Evie swore she felt her chest tighten as the sound filled her ears.

“You know I actually saw you for a while already walking on the street. You shouldn't walk alone in this weather, let alone at night. It's dangerous."

“Wait…” Evie started, realising what he had just said “So you were watching me?”

“I was minding my business on the rooftop when I saw you walking alone, and thank god I kept my eye on you.”

“Hallelujah huh?” she replied “but what exactly were you doing up on the rooftop, mysterious white knight?”

She couldn't see his face but Evie swore that he rolled his eyes at her nickname for him.

“Well if I must answer your question, it's kind of what I do. I watch out for trouble, save people like you from harm.”

“So you’re like a vigilante.”

“Something like that.” he said through a breathy laugh, “although i’d like to think of myself as more of a protector.”

“A protector?”

Curiosity gnawing at her, Evie decided to step forward to hopefully bridge the distance between herself and the one who saved her. Although she noticed how he quickly retracted himself backwards, further into the shadows almost as if he didn’t want her to see him.

“Don't.” he said firmly.

“What?” she asked innocently.

“Don’t come any closer to me…” he spoke up again, his voice softer now but still serious.

“I just want to see the face of who saved me, so I know who to thank.”

“I prefer to stay in the shadows, hidden.”

“Please, I promise I won't tell a soul who you are.”

“Just…” he started, genuinely contemplating this “just know that it was your choice to see my face.”

“I’m aware.” Evie replied.

“And just promise not to freak out, okay?” he asked and Evie was surprised at how cautious he sounded for someone who so confidently beat up her attacker.

“Considering how calm I am after just getting mugged, I'd like to say I'm pretty good at not freaking out.”

“Okay just stay calm, please?”

And with his last plea, he stepped out of the comfort of the shadows, exposing himself to the dim light of the alleyway.

Evie’s breath hitched in surprise as his figure came into view, her breath getting caught in her throat leaving her speechless as she absorbed every detail of her savior’s appearance.

He was unlike anything she had ever seen before.

He stood at least six feet, his entire frame was covered in green skin that looked almost reptilian or maybe more amphibian, Evie just knew he wasn’t human, but it didn’t scare her. If anything, she was intrigued at his appearance.

As her eyes began to wander further she noticed the anatomy of his chest that closely resembled a plastron. His body was adorned with straps of leather, pads for his knees and elbows which was obviously used for protection in combat and upon his back Evie swore she could see the outline of a shell with the handles of two long katanas sticking out either side.

His green skin almost appeared luminous to Evie as the rain dripped down his body, he didn’t seem phased by it all, it was as if it was natural to him. Like he was in his element.

Evie could tell his body was defined by muscle and the discolouration of small scars which littered his arms and legs, most likely evidence of the fights he had endured.

But what surprised Evie most of all was his face, which was green like the rest of him, but it was his piercing blue eyes and matching blue mask he wore across them.

Evie could understand why he had explicitly warned her not to freak out, it was unusual for sure, he looked almost otherworldly, but she wasn’t scared. Perhaps it was the certain softness that resided behind his eyes which made the girl believe he wouldn’t hurt her, besides, he did save her from that disgusting man.

He tilted his head slightly upon seeing Evie's reaction, confused by the silence that consumed them. The turtle was anticipating a terrified scream, but instead, the girl in front of him looked as if she was in awe of his appearance and not completely terrified.

“Are you… alright?” he asked, sounding confused.

“Sorry… I just,” Evie stammered, slightly flustered by her lack of response, “wow.” was all she could say.

He let out a small laugh, taken aback by her reaction as he crossed his arms over his plastron.

“Can I just ask something?”

“Sure.”

“Are you a frog?”

“Pardon?” he scoffed humorously.

Evie felt her face grow hot as a small smile graced the corners of his mouth, obviously not expecting her to ask such a question.

“You know I just thought with the three fingers-” she started.

“Frogs have four fingers.” he replied matter of factly and despite the cold rain, Evie could tell her cheeks were most likely flushed red from humiliation.

“Forgive me, I'm not a zoologist.” she said, holding her hands up defensively.

She watched intently as his gaze shifted downwards and he began to shake his head in amusement.

“No you are certainly not.” he laughed.

“So are you going to tell me your name?” she asked, diverting the topic of conversation quickly to hide her embarrassment.

“It’s Leonardo, but my family calls me Leo.” Leo answered and Evie swore a name had never matched someone so perfectly.

“Leonardo huh? like the artist?”

“Yeah, let's just say my father is a big fan of the renaissance.”

“I don't blame him, it’s a pretty revolutionary art movement.” Evie smirked, tucking a piece of wet hair behind her ear, only just now realising she probably looked like a disheveled mess after just being held against the ground.

“I like it, it suits you.” she continued.

“Thank you.” he said softly, unfamiliar with the genuineness of her words.

“Sorry, um what is your name?” Leo grew slightly flustered himself as he felt rude for not asking sooner, he rarely met new people so his social skills were somewhat limited.

“It’s Evangeline, but please just call me Evie! I hate when people use my full name!”

“Why?”

“Because it’s what my parents call me when they’re mad at me about something.”

“I know the feeling.” Leo replied. “Well it’s a pleasure to meet you Evie.”

“Likewise Leo.”

“And just so you know, I'm a turtle.”

“That definitely checks out.” Evie nodded, mentally cursing herself for not figuring it out earlier as if the shell and green skin weren’t clear indicators.

“Can I ask you something now?” Leo asked, purposefully repeating Evies own words from earlier which caused the girl to chuckle in amusement.

“Yes, you can.” she rolled her eyes playfully.

“Why aren’t you freaking out or running away?” Evie noticed the seriousness in his voice, and she couldn’t help but feel a wave of sympathy wash over her.

Were people really that terrified of him?

“Why would I be scared of someone who helped me when I needed it?” Evie crossed her arms over her chest and shrugged.

Sure, she was shocked by his appearance but if Leo really wanted to hurt her, he would have done it by now already, so why was there any need to be scared?

Something in Leo's eyes softened at Evie's words, like he wasn’t quite used to getting that reaction.

“Most people tend to be afraid of the unknown. It's usually a natural reaction. I mean, look at me. I'm not exactly subtle.” Leo explained, taking a bold step closer towards Evie, feeling more comfortable somehow.

“I never liked subtle anyway.” Evie tilted her head playfully, her gaze still fixed on Leos.

Leo swore he could feel his heart just about ready to beat out of his chest. Was this girl flirting with him? Or was she just being overly friendly.

Whatever it was, this kindness was a reaction that Leo found foreign and unusual, and yet he couldn’t find it in himself to stop talking to her.

However, Leo noticed a small shiver that went through her body, most likely a natural reaction to the rain which had somewhat eased but was still present.

“You’re cold, aren’t you?”

“Yeah, I don't think this rain jacket is doing much anymore.” Evie replied, holding out her arms to display the drenched fabric which was not so water resistant now.

"You can't walk home like this. You're freezing to death. Come on, I'll take you home.” Leo said as he knelt down to pick up Evie's bag and belongings which were long forgotten now.

“Oh, thank you.” Leo simply smiled as he handed her the tote bag which looked almost comically small in his grip.

“Are you sure you want to? I already caused a bit of a scene earlier and I know there's probably other people who need your help.” Evie started, feeling guilty for having played the damsel in distress card once already.

“Don’t be ridiculous, I want to.” he said through a small smirk, “Besides, it's in the middle of the night and you're soaked to the bone. No chance I'm letting you walk on your own.”

“Well, I guess chivalry isn’t dead after all.” Evie replied, knowing it was futile to argue with the turtle.

She had only just met him but his stubbornness was evident enough.

Leo tilted his head, a boyish expression painted his face which made Evie wonder what he was plotting.

“I have another question. Do you get motion sickness?”

“I don't think so, why?” Evie raised an eyebrow, suddenly cautious of what Leo's words meant.

“Because we’re going to travel a different way.”

“What?”

“I hope you like piggy backs.” Evie finally pieced together what Leo meant and she couldn’t quite believe what he was proposing.

“Are you sure?” she asked, but before Leo could answer, he had turned around and picked her up, placing her on his shell as if she weighed nothing.

Evie’s breath hitched in surprise at the sudden movement, but she was impressed nonetheless by his graceful manoeuvre.

“Now I hope this isn’t too forward of me, but what’s your address?” Leo asked as she rested her arms around his neck, careful of the katanas which were strapped to his shell.

“No, not too forward at all white knight.” she replied and Leo chuckled at the mention of the nickname again, “do you know where the college campus is?”

“I do.”

“Well I live there, in the dorms.”

“Well, we’ll get there in no time” Leo said as he adjusted his grip on Evie, making sure she was alright, “Hold on tight, Evie.”

[doueverwonder]

not spoiling your fics <<<< needing to talk about ideas to be able to think them through

anyway my ideas so far for @/wttt-week :)

Day one: EO declaring there are only two genders, Nevada, as a nonbinary person, declares this means that as they don't exist anymore she is above the law and can do whatever she wants :) Gov fumbling bc thats not how that works (i don't think gov can agree OR disagree with anything he's just kinda there he's just trying to damage control). random states chiming in with "no i think they're right" bc first and foremost all the states are dedicated to telling the government to fuck off regardless of political alignment send tweet.

Day Four: Midwest Shenanigans, "did you know it's possible to get a DUI while driving a tractor?" one of them comments, "how do you know that?" gov asks tiredly, "oh... reading laws" cue the flashback to the shenanigans that ended with them finding this out.

Day Six: Branches road trip! fighting over seats, Navy being a horrid driver (hc courtesy of @floridagirlboy), Marine Corp being an even worse front seat passenger, Air Force & Space force being forced to sit in the very back bc they're the youngest + Air Force questionable music taste & Space's cryptic questions that cause the entire car to go silent for a solid 20 min after each one, Nat'l Guard and Army fighting over the AC/Heat and being insanely competitive at the license plate game, and Coast Guard getting forgotten every single time they stop. Just every time. They add like 4 hours onto the trip alone in having to turn around to go get Coast.

Tfw you and the buddies are all stationed out west at the moment and u gotta be in DC for something but miss the flights and there's not another one in time so you drive, they're running just a little behind and have to get ready in the car like 45 min outside of DC. Navy and Coast both cursing the decision to wear Whites (its July wearing blues (the winter uniform) would look weird) while trying to change in a car with three days worth of road trip grime. Navy refuses to let someone else drive so he's trying to get dressed while letting Marine steer. "does this look like 1/8 of an inch?" "why didn't you do this at home" "I didn't think i'd have to do it in a moving vehicle" & "my shirt is wrinkled, do we have an iron???" "in the car???????" & "I'm missing a star, has anyone seen a star???" "just take one off the other side so they're even no one will be paying attention" "yes they will be, where is my fucking star!" & "who sat on my hat?!" "oh that was me, to be fair it was ugly so I kinda did you a favor" & "I swear on Washington's grave if you get shoe polish on my pants" It sounds like a flock of wind chimes has descended upon the car when they're all trying to get their medals on, marine being a good bf puts navy's on for him so he can focus on driving-- who said that. Everyone makes fun of Air Force for carrying dry shampoo on him until right now, Air will be smug about this for the next 70 years. Space gave up on putting her hair in a bun in a bumpy car after like 10 min, her braids are slightly uneven, she's just praying no one looks too close she did her best. They get out of that Honda minivan looking as sharp as if they had the right place and amount of time to get ready, but are still walking in with the "nobody's gonna know, nobody's gonna know, they're gonna know. how would know? how would they know?" Sound playing in their heads in entire event.

um that’s all I have so far thanks <3

(sorry last one is so long using those idiots to cope with irl haha)

[joysmercer]

post-season 3

Terri will freely admit that she wasn’t overly enthusiastic about her daughter suddenly deciding (with less than a month’s notice) to spend two weeks of summer at a camp run by her boyfriend and otherwise minimal adult supervision. Yes, a lot of it was because she (selfishly) wanted her daughter to spend that time with her after not being together for half a year, but she was also concerned on a more general level: across the country with no cell phones? The summer before her junior year? Terri would much rather she stay home, focus on SAT prep if anything, and prepare for her future—not go to some theatre workshop where she’s unlikely to learn anything of value. 

It did help to find out that Gina has been cast as the lead in the first-ever stage production of a wildly popular Disney movie and will also be starring in the associated documentary. This is a novel experience, can go on her college apps and résumé, and really, who is she to judge when all expenses are paid in exchange for signing a few release forms? 

Still, she misses the days she could hear about each rehearsal straight from the source instead of random teasers dropped on the Disney+ twitter account, and she especially hates that she has to work and miss Gina’s big debut. By the time intermission is called on the livestream, Terri (ever-so-grateful for the weekend off) is already en-route to California. 

Terri pulls into the Shallow Lake parking lot and spots Gina immediately among the throng of campers checking out and saying their goodbyes. She’s grown at least an inch, Terri realizes with a jolt. Gina is nearly seventeen now, on the brink of adulthood, and the way she’s carrying herself now demonstrates a demeanor entirely different from the teenager she’d dropped off at MSY just a few months ago. Why does time always move so fast with these kids? 

Gina whips around as soon as Terri slams the car door shut, as if she was able to hear it from all the way across the yard, letting out a loud squeal of delight that sends Terri’s heart melting before launching herself straight into her mother’s arms. Terri is instantly reminded of a five-year-old Gina doing the exact same thing at kindergarten pickup.

“Hey, sweet pea,” she whispers, returning her daughter’s tight hug. Some things never change. 

“Mom? What are you even doing here? I thought you were closing on the house? Oh my god, I had no idea—"

“I finished all that yesterday, and since I have a free weekend, I thought we could take a mother-daughter road-trip back home – just like old times.” While their last few moves had been too far apart to drive, she and Gina used to spent nearly every school holiday or long weekend transporting their lives across state lines while eating their fill of fast food and pancakes, touring random obscure roadside attractions, and making some of their fondest memories. 

Gina beams. “I’d love that,” she says, bouncing on her heels excitedly. “I finished packing, actually, so I just need to take care of one thing real quick and we can head out.”

Then she smiles big and wide again, an expression she saves for truly special occasions (like, apparently, 10 hours with her mother in a car), and quickly kisses Terri’s cheek. “Love you, mommy. Be back in a bit.” 

Gina sprints off in the direction of, according to a nearby sign, a “Yurt Locker”. Strange name, Terri thinks. She doesn’t have a chance muse on it (or what the hell it even means) further, though, because someone bellows GENEVIEVE MARIE! so loudly that both Gina and Terri, now at least 20 feet apart, jump at the sound. 

The source of the voice appears a second later—or at least Terri assumes that’s who the curly-haired boy with a shit-eating grin on his face now standing in front of Gina is, given her daughter’s currently crossed arms, flushed cheeks, and, surprisingly, equally playful smile. Terri eyes the boy curiously. Gina doesn’t give out her full name to just anyone and rarely allows anyone to use it (Terri can’t remember the last time she herself even said the word Genevieve, let alone added her middle name to the mix). But Gina seems entirely unfazed now, as if having this boy yell it for all to hear is a regular occurrence. Who is he?

Then she notices the acoustic guitar he’s clutching, and it hits her. Kristoff: Ricky Bowen.

It had been a while since Gina had mentioned Ricky in their weekly FaceTimes. His name had only ever come up in relation to Ashlen’s role of Belle in the spring musical, and even then, it was mostly to complain about his two left feet. If it weren’t for a panicked text conversation on Valentine’s Day (Gina’s teddy bear got lost in transit, long story), Terri would have entirely forgotten about him.

Clearly, not only has his dancing greatly improved this summer (if yesterday was any evidence), but so has his friendship with her daughter.  

Ricky pulls out a set of keys and gestures to the parking lot, fanning his face with his free hand, and that’s when Terri realizes he’s wearing…a pink-and-blue snowsuit. Gina laughs and rolls her eyes at him, clearly teasing him about his ridiculous attire for an LA summer, but when he says something else, Gina suddenly shakes her head, pointing straight at Terri. 

Terri gives a small wave to the kids, and Ricky immediately waves back excitedly.  Okay, then. 

Turning back to Gina, Ricky says something else and Gina smiles shyly and nods. Terri watches as the pair hugs goodbye, a motion that is simultaneously so natural neither think twice about it—falling into a tight embrace that nearly lifts Gina off the ground—but so awkward when they separate that Terri can feel the tension from all the way over here. Okay, then, indeed. 

Ricky meanders toward the bright orange bug almost double-parked in the last slot of the lot. Terri recognizes the car from her driveway last fall – but also remembers Gina mentioning that Ashlen’s boyfriend also drives an orange bug that the three of them and EJ would carpool to school in, leaving Terri to wonder which possibility is weirder: that Ricky and his friend got matching ugly vehicles together, or that Ricky transported his friend’s car across state lines for two weeks and his friend actually agreed to it. 

There isn’t much she knows about Ricky Bowen, actually, except that he has an apparent penchant for nabbing lead roles out from under everyone else’s noses and—surprisingly—actually justifying those casting choices. Gina’s scene partners are often so dry she has to work double-time to make the chemistry believable. Last night, however, Ricky showed a level of talent that nearly matched her own daughter’s in the way he was able to hold the audience captive even without Gina on stage with him. There was one solo of his in particular that had actually caught Terri’s attention (she had taken the opportunity to answer some emails) when, right at the end, he suddenly directed the final line of the song away from the audience and into the wings: you’re what I know about love, he sang, straight to Ana. Straight to Gina. It was not only a genius move but one she doubted he was directed to do—he must have come up with it himself. 

Still, something about him sets Terri on edge. Questionable decisions (seriously, snowsuit?) aside, he has the demeanor of a class clown, someone who stays while it’s fun but bolts when things get hard. It makes Terri uneasy, especially since it’s clear that this is someone Gina cares deeply about. 

“Sorry about that.” Gina’s back, suitcases in hand, shaking Terri out of her reverie. “I had to tell Ricky I didn’t need a ride first.” 

“Oh, I thought EJ was giving you a ride home,” Terri says, taking one of the suitcases from Gina. 

A tense silence. “Mom, I told you we broke up, remember?” 

“I know, sweetheart,” Terri quickly assures her. Gina had called early yesterday morning from Kourtney’s phone, relating the news with a quick “it was a long time coming, we’re still friends, prom was super fun otherwise, see you soon” and hanging up before Terri could even get an I’m sorry out. “I just assumed you’d keep the same arrangement since Ashlen and your other friends are there, too.” She winces. “I see how silly that sounds out loud, though.” 

“Yeah.” More silence. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” Terri asks gently. 

Gina shakes her head no emphatically. “I told you, it wasn’t really a surprise. I’m fine.”

“Okay, okay, got the hint.” Terri laughs, sighing internally with relief when Gina gives her a (albeit watery) smile. She opens the car trunk and shoves the suitcase inside.

“So, why was Ricky wearing a snowsuit?” Terri asks as they settle in and buckle up, unable to keep the question to herself any longer. 

“Oh, he wasn’t supposed to be at camp at all, and showed up without a ton of clothes, so he mostly borrowed from others I think, and got pizza all over his laundry yesterday, too.” she giggles slightly, then continues, “plus the guys dumped ice water on themselves last night and he put is wet towel on top of his open suitcase, like an idiot.” She says all this with the nonchalance of someone explaining 1+1=2, not…whatever she just said about sudden enrollment, pizza, and ice water. 

“That doesn’t explain the snowsuit,” Terri says, now even more confused. 

“Rumor has it he was supposed to go skiing with his ex? he didn’t say, though." Gina shrugs. 

“that girl Jamie’s working with?” 

“No.” Gina doesn’t elaborate. 

“Well, regardless, he’s very talented,” Terri supplies. “I did enjoy that one ballad of his yesterday, the one with the guitar and lights.” 

“Oh.” Gina smiles softly, almost to herself. “I liked that one too.” 

Terri’s stomach twists, like they’re about to go barreling off a cliff they can’t see and can’t stop. 

“Is he doing the fall musical as well?”

“I dunno. Probably. It’s his senior year, he won’t have many more chances.” 

“I didn’t realize he’s a year ahead of you,” Terri says, surprised. “How are his college apps coming along?”

“Mom,” Gina groans. “It’s literally summer vacation, and believe it or not, I didn’t ask. He probably hasn’t even started thinking about them yet.” 

“Fair,” Terri says, although, internally, she disagrees. if Ricky were truly serious about his future, he would have had his summer plans set in place long ago, and a solid school list by now. 

I can tell you like him, Gigi, she thinks. And then, suddenly, I wish you didn’t. 

It’s a strange thought, and a foreign one—Gina has yet to make a friend that Terri straight-up disapproves of.  What Ricky does with his life is really none of her business, and Gina’s a smart girl—she won’t go rushing into poor decisions even if her friends are walking bundles of chaos. Plus, from the little she’s seen, it’s clear he cares about Gina, too. Maybe as much as she does him. 

But Gina in a relationship is…different. Gina in a relationship was more carefree, a little less focused. She begged to go to prom despite having an exam the next Monday, she shifted her summer plans around for a camp she showed no interest in before, and she prioritized FaceTimes and texting every night over reading or sleeping. there were no lasting negative repercussions for any of this, but if there was ever a time for Gina to conserve her extra energy for something worthwhile, it’s now. 

Ricky a good friend, Terri decides. As friends, he keeps her grounded—but anything more than that? She’s just not sure. 

[stardustshelb]

"Strawberry" Part One

Word count: 6,749

Chapter One

“Are you sure you can’t drive me to the airport in the morning?” I asked Kenneth wearily. I knew he was reluctant to allow me to go to Nashville for Riley’s bachelorette weekend. He says he’s worried about my safety, but I know the truth is that he doesn’t want me to go out without him, especially with a group of girls.

He groaned, “I have to be at work by 8 a.m. and your flight leaves at noon. I’m not sure if you know how time works but–”

“My plane leaves at 2 p.m. I have to be there by noon,” I interjected before he finished his insult.

“Whatever. Either way, I can’t swing it. Just drive yourself or get one of your friends to give you a ride,” he said as he shut the bathroom door in my face.

He knows good and well that Riley and our other friends live hours away in other states. Everyone got out of this town the second we graduated college. Well, everyone except me. Kenneth took over his father’s business so I stayed behind too. I don’t resent him for it; I love my small town. I love that my family is no more than 15 minutes away in every direction. I love my job and my students. I love my  simple two-bedroom home where I spend most of my evenings alone with Sassy, my border collie. I love my comfortable life. But I hate that my best friend since middle school took a marketing job that required her to move 738 miles away from me.

Life sometimes gets lonely when your closest friends are your coworkers who are old enough to be your parents. Finding a teaching job in this small town was easy because I went to school here. My classroom is the same classroom I once sat in to learn 9th grade English; now I am on the other side of the desk.

When Riley asked me to be her maid of honor, I cried tears of joy… and jealousy. Kenneth and I have been together since we were 16 years old. Although we celebrated our 10-year-anniversary in August, we were quickly approaching the two-year-anniversary of our engagement. Riley met her fiancé less than a year ago; yet, I am the one putting on a bridesmaid dress before a wedding dress. 

“Can you turn off the light?” Kenneth’s question snapped me back to reality. I looked at the piles of folded laundry on my side of the bed with my barren suitcase next to them.

“I’m still packing,” I said.

“Well, some of us don’t get to go to Nashville. Some of us have to go to work to help fund a trip we don’t even get to go on,” he responded.

Ouch. Yes, it’s true Kenneth is the breadwinner. His father’s business is lucrative and Kenneth does well for us. He has asked me to quit my job time and time again since he can support us financially. Everyone knows a teacher’s salary isn’t much to brag about, but I still feel pride in bringing home a paycheck every month. I love my job too much to quit. It’s already lonely in the evenings; I can’t imagine staying home all day by myself too. 

“You know I booked the cheapest flights I could find. Everyone else is flying in together and I am arriving a day early because tomorrow’s flights were more expensive than–”

“Turn off the light!” Kenneth snapped.

I collected my laundry piles and tossed them into my suitcase before shoving it to the floor. I guess I will have to finish packing in the morning after he leaves for work. I put my phone on the charger, turned off the light, and climbed into bed. Sassy jumped into bed to sleep by my feet, our nightly routine. She has always been my protector. I am going to miss her so much while I am gone, but I am looking forward to this miniature vacation. I haven’t had a trip to look forward to since my senior year of college. Kenneth is always too busy with work for us to have a vacation together. He doesn’t like to fly but he also gets car sick. If anywhere I wanted to go required more than two hours on the road, count him out. Plus it will be nice to see Riley again. I shut my eyes and tried my best to fall asleep. I am used to going to bed angry. Anger is like melatonin to me at this point. But the excitement and longing kept me awake. I pulled my headphones out of my nightstand and connected them to my phone. I scrolled through my Spotify playlists until I found one to soothe me to sleep. I selected “Boyfriends” by Harry Styles and the irony wasn’t lost on me as I drifted off…

Chapter Two

I collected the parking ticket from the machine as I drove into the airport’s economy lot. I found a spot closest to the entrance, but I knew I was still going to have to walk a billion miles. The economy lot is furthest from the airport but it’s the most affordable option. I wanted to save every dollar I had for this trip, so I figured it was a small sacrifice. I parked and started to collect my things from the trunk of my car. I grabbed my carryon suitcase and hung my purse on its handle before I started my trek to the airport. Anxiously double-checking every item on my pack-list in my head, I walked through the double doors of the airport. I made my way up to security and got in line behind what seemed to look like the entire population of my town. Luckily, the line moved fairly quickly as I approached the TSA agent’s desk. I placed my luggage on the conveyor belt, removed my sandals, and emptied my pockets. 

The large woman in the TSA uniform waved me through the body scanner. “Come on through, sweetie.”

I stood on the yellow marker and held my hands above my head. I knew I had nothing on me that would set off any alarm, but this moment always made me hold my breath. 

“You’re good, sweetie. Have a good day,” she smiled as I breathed a sigh of relief. I collected my things and scurried off to the side to put my shoes back on. When I grabbed my phone from the security tub, I noticed that I had two missed calls from Kenneth. 

I called him back as I tried to make my way through the crowd, pulling my luggage behind me. He answered on the first ring. 

“Why didn’t you answer my calls?” he asked with a bit of anger in his tone. 

“I was going through security. I couldn’t be on my phone,” I explained.

“Well, I only have so long of a lunch break and I wanted to check in before you got on your flight. What time are you set to land again?” he asked.

“3:30 p.m. for the hundredth time,” I sighed.

“Ok, you need to text me as soon as you land,” he commanded.

“Sure thing,” I replied.

“Alright, well I’m gonna get back to work,” Kenneth said.

“Hey, don’t forget to give Sassy a treat after she goes outside because that’s what she’s used to. Oh, and don’t forget that she likes to have dinner at–”

“I’ve owned the damn dog just as long as you have. You don’t have to give me instructions,” Kenneth cut me off.

“Can you send me pictures of her throughout the day? I’m really going to miss her,” I pleaded.

“You’re going to miss the dog more than me,” Kenneth scoffed.

I thought about that comment for a moment as I approached my gate. I glanced over the TV screen to verify my boarding time. 

“Wow, you don’t even deny it,” Kenneth said.

“I’m sorry. I got distracted by my gate. It’s really busy here. I will text you when I land. Please send me pictures of Sassy. I will keep you posted. I love you,” I nearly lied into the phone.

“Love you too,” he said halfheartedly before ending the call. 

While pulling my belongings behind me, I found a spot to sit down in the waiting area of my gate. The airport seemed to be a madhouse, but it looked like my flight wouldn’t be so crowded after all. There were more empty seats than I expected. I checked the “Nashville Babes” group text on my phone. I’ve had the notifications silenced for weeks because I can’t stand getting notified every 10 minutes. I asked Riley to text me separately if there was anything I really needed to know. I hate that I appear to be an unsupportive maid of honor, but seeing my phone light up constantly throughout the day–and night–has been a nightmare for my anxiety. Riley knows and understands that I get overwhelmed easily. She took charge of planning her own bachelorette weekend because she knew I would get stressed out. I still feel guilty about it, but she assured me that she truly wanted to plan it. I wasn’t going to argue. She’s always been the most supportive and constant person in my life. I hate that I am secretly jealous of her when I should be reciprocating the support. 

“Now boarding Group A!” the airline attendant announced over the gate’s speaker. I checked my boarding pass: Group C. Once again, I took the most affordable option on the cheapest flight I could find. Being last to board on Southwest meant that I am doomed to a middle seat between two strangers. I just hope that whomever I get stuck between put on deodorant today. When I say I’m looking forward to a vacation, I mean I am looking forward to a break from 15-year-olds’ body odor. One of the many drawbacks of being a teacher. 

“Excuse me,” a man in a white sweater and khaki pants said as he tried to shuffle by me. I thought he looked funny wearing both a baseball hat and sunglasses indoors. That doesn’t look suspicious in an airport. I moved my things from his path and he headed to board the plane. So he’s in Group A… This guy has money. Well, maybe not. He is flying Southwest after all. I’m sure I could have booked Group A tickets, but I didn’t want to ask Kenneth for any more money than I already needed. This trip was fully funded by me and I was proud of that. Well, until Riley picked the most expensive Airbnb in Nashville. I almost fainted when I received her Venmo request. I was grateful she didn’t charge me extra for staying one night by myself since I had an earlier flight. I swallowed my pride and asked Kenneth if I could have an extra $400 to add to my savings to help with my portion of the bill. He gave me the money with no issues, but he has enjoyed holding it above my head every chance he’s had.

Once I heard the announcement for Group C, I grabbed my things and headed to stand in line to board. I glanced at the Nashville Babes group text: 80 missed notifications. I cleared it from my phone as I opened the Southwest app to show my boarding pass. Once I was scanned in, I headed through the hallway to board the plane. I stepped on the aircraft and gazed over the heads of strangers who were all avoiding eye contact. I knew they were all pleading to themselves that I wouldn’t take their middle seat. The flight wasn’t too packed, but there were no empty window or aisle seats left. Wonderful. I scanned the rows once more looking for any open overhead space when I noticed someone’s eyes locked on me. Eyes that I hadn’t seen before; yet, a face that looked all too familiar. The Group A stranger had removed his sunglasses and was staring at me. I started to move down the aisle when he whispered to the guy in the row with him. Whoever he was, he looked angry receiving whatever news he just got. No chance I want to sit between a bickering couple. I located a row nearby filled with two women who looked rather normal. I went to lift my luggage to put in the overhead space when the Group A stranger grabbed my suitcase.

“Allow me,” he said with a smile that displayed the tiniest of gaps between his unusually white teeth. But rather than placing the suitcase in the compartment I had decided on, he placed it in the compartment above his row. 

“Would you prefer the window seat or the aisle seat?” he asked.

“What happened to the man who was sitting with you?” I answered his question with a question.

“I asked him to sit elsewhere. I figured you’d prefer a better spot,” he smiled that smile again.

Bewildered, I responded: “I’ll take the aisle.” No way would I be confined to the window seat with this strange man trapping me in. I needed an escape route in case he was a pervert or something. 

“Perfect. I love to watch the clouds anyways,” he said as he shuffled into the row. I followed suit but sat to keep an empty seat between us. 

“Why didn’t your friend just sit in the middle if you wanted to give me a good seat?” I asked confusingly.

“That’s my–um–assistant. He can stand to sit elsewhere for the short flight since I see him all of the time. I’d prefer to sit next to someone more pleasant anyways,” he joked. 

God he’s adorable. A little too forward but adorable nonetheless.

“Well, I appreciate you doing that for me. I figured I was going to have to sit between two strangers, but an aisle seat is definitely a welcomed surprise,” I said.

I opened my phone to inform the Nashville Babes that I had boarded and would be landing in roughly an hour and a half. I completely ignored the hundreds of messages that came before mine. I was about to put my phone on airplane mode when I received a private text from Riley.

Riley: “You ok?”

Me: “Yes, of course. I’m so excited to see you! Get ready to lose oxygen from my hug when I see you tomorrow.” 

Riley: “Just checking. Haven’t heard from you in a couple days. Let me know when you land and when you make it to the Airbnb. Safe travels, love.” 

I sighed as I read her message over and over. I smiled and held the message down to “love” it before searching through my purse to retrieve my headphones. 

“Already getting the music out and we haven’t even heard the safety instructions yet. I think you need to pay attention,” I heard the adorable stranger say.

“There isn’t much I can do if there were an emergency. Knowing that I need to breathe oxygen through a mask that will drop in front of my face is all I need to know,” I said with a laugh.

“Just make sure to put your own mask on before you help me with mine,” he said.

“Who says I would help you?” I turned to him and asked.

“I helped you with your luggage. I helped you get an aisle seat. The least you can do is help me breathe,” he said with a smile that displayed his perfect teeth again.

I laughed and replied, “Ok, well I am not banking on there being an emergency, so no need to worry.”  

“Does anyone ever bank on an emergency?” he asked. Smart ass.

I rolled my eyes and placed my headphones in my ears. I opened my Spotify app to find the playlist I downloaded to prepare for the flight.

“Who are you listening to?” the stranger asked. I am beginning to wish I had sat between the two women after all. Not having to play 20 questions with this guy would have been worth sacrificing the extra space I had in this aisle seat.

“Nobody yet as I literally just opened the app,” I responded.

“Can I give you a song suggestion?” he asked.

“Um… I guess?” I replied questioningly.

“May I?” he asked as he reached for my phone.

“I’m not giving a stranger my phone,” I said with a shocked expression to my tone. The nerve of this guy.

“What am I going to do? Run off with it? You’ve got me trapped in,” he smiled showing that cute, tiny gap again. 

“No thanks,” I said as I went to start my music. 

Suddenly, he unbuckled his seat belt and stood up from his seat. I stared at him wide-eyed as a flight attendant stopped by our row to say, “Sir, please stay seated and buckle your seat belt.” 

He waved to the irritated attendant and displayed a soft smile as he sat in the middle seat beside me. Immediately I was hit with his fresh cologne scent that made me crave more as he started to buckle the seat belt. You have got to be kidding me.

“What are you doing?” I somehow yelled and whispered simultaneously.

“Please let me pick a song for you to listen to. Then I will leave you alone. I promise,” he said with a slight pout to his lips. God, his lips. How did I not notice those yet?

“Give me your phone in exchange,” I said with an air of confidence in my voice.

“Ah, so she’s smart and she’s beautiful,” he said as he reached into the pocket of his khaki pants. I tried to hide the blush that I could feel warming my cheeks. I couldn’t remember the last time I received a compliment.

“I’m not unlocking it, but I will let you hold it for ransom,” he said as he held his phone out to me. I took it from his hands as his fingers brushed against mine. I felt an immediate rush of energy run through me as our hands briefly touched. What was that? I handed him my phone and watched as he typed the words “Greta Van Fleet” into the search bar in my Spotify app. He made a face that almost seemed disappointed, and then clicked  to download the band’s complete playlist. He attempted to hand my phone back to me, and I stared at him confusingly as I reached for it. I was too busy watching him with my phone; I never even glanced at his lockscreen. Before I gave him back his phone, I tapped the screen to see what his background was. On display was a photo of a crowd of lights, but the photographer must have been standing on the stage when they took it. There had to be thousands of phone flashlights in this one photo. It reminded me of tiny stars in the midnight sky. 

“I took that picture, ya know?” he said with a proud smile.

“Are you a concert photographer?” I asked. 

He let out a wild laugh and then glanced down at my phone’s screen, “It’s almost finished downloading.”

“I thought you said a song suggestion. A. One. Singular. Not a whole playlist,” I said.

“I mean… I wanted to give you options,” he said.

Waving his phone to him I asked, “So, is this crowd picture from this band’s concert?”

“Yes,” he said, like there was more he was wanting me to ask. I decided to have the upperhand and gave him his phone back without asking another question. I watched my screen as the playlist was nearly completely downloaded. 

“I’m Josh,” he said like he was annoyed that I hadn’t asked for his name yet.

“Hi, Josh,” I replied disinterestedly. 

“And you are…?” he asked.

“I’m about to listen to this playlist,” I said with a matter-of-fact tone.

“Smart, beautiful, arrogant…” he muttered under his breath.

“I’m going to pretend that I didn’t hear that,” I said as I put my headphones in. “You can move back to the window now.”

“We are about to take off. If I stand up, I’ll cause a scene and then we’ll be delayed. Then I’ll probably become a flight risk and be forcibly removed off of the plane. Everyone would be recording the fiasco and posting it online. Let’s just avoid all of that and I’ll stay seated here,” he said with a smirk.

“You have quite the imagination…” I said hiding my smile.

“I’m sacrificing a coveted window seat for you. I hope you know that,” he replied.

“I never asked you to change seats,” I said.

“No, but you didn’t object either,” he responded with a smug expression on his face.

Once the playlist completed its download, I switched my phone to airplane mode. I sighed in frustration and scrolled through the playlist to view the songs. Whoever this band is, they have quite a discography. I wanted to ask him which song I should start with but I didn’t want to give him the satisfaction. I scrolled until the title “Trip the Light Fantastic” caught my eye. Intrigued, I selected the song and tilted my head back to listen to it. Before I shut my eyes, I noticed Josh was staring at my phone to see which song I chose first. I closed my eyes and relaxed as the lyrics danced through my ears. I have never heard anything like this before. I was so entranced in the music that I didn't even realize we were now speeding down the runway about to take off. The music, plus the feeling of lifting off the ground, was nearly overwhelming in the best way possible. I felt like I had stepped into the song itself. When the song ended, I didn’t want to open my eyes. I wanted to stay in this moment for as long as possible. 

“What did you think?” I heard Josh ask as I removed my headphones.

“Wow,” is all I could formulate. My thoughts ran wild and I wanted to describe the feeling I just had, but I couldn’t put it into words. 

“What did you think about the guy’s voice?” he asked.

“The dude is talented as hell. I just wish I could understand everything he sang,” I said.

There was that wild laugh of his again. “Yeah, I think the band receives that criticism a lot,” he said with a shrug. I truly wanted to listen to another song, but I didn’t want him to know I was so interested in this band. I guess one could call me stubborn. 

“While I love to share music with new people, I’d love to talk some more if that’s alright with you,” he said sheepishly.

“I feel like you would talk to me even if it weren’t alright with me,” I said sarcastically.

“Smart, beautiful, arrogant,” he repeated. I playfully pinched his arm. 

“Hey!” he exclaimed as he rubbed his arm.

“I let it slide the first time. I wasn’t going to let you get away with it again,” I said.

“Now that I’ve been physically assaulted… Are you going to Nashville for business or pleasure?” he asked.

“I’m attending a bachelorette party,” I said.

“For you or someone else?” he asked, looking down at the dainty ring on my finger. The same ring that has been without a wedding band companion for nearly two years. The same ring I wanted to leave inside the jewelry box before I left my house this morning.

“It’s for my best friend Riley,” I said with a sadness that I couldn’t hide like I normally do.

As if Josh sensed the change in my mood, he completely turned his body to face mine. I could tell that he positioned his head to get me to look at him. I locked eyes with him and it was like I could actually see the wheels in his head turning. 

“How long will you be in Nashville?” he asked.

“For four nights. I had to take two days off from work, but I’m looking forward to it,” I said with a forced smile.

“You don’t sound like someone who is excited to attend a bachelorette party,” he said.

“It’s just a lot, but I am excited for Riley,” I said trying to convince the both of us that I really was excited.

“What do you do for work?” he asked while continuing to hold eye contact. As I stared into his dark brown eyes, I studied the long lashes that I would kill to have. 

“I teach 9th grade English,” I responded.

“Smart, beautiful, arrogant, and a world changer. A difference maker. One who shapes the minds of our youth. You’re a hero to our doomed society,” he said. I felt my cheeks redden as I processed the way he just described my job. I don’t normally feel appreciated at work, not even at home. It felt good to have someone remind me of my purpose. 

“Sometimes I feel like I’m just a glorified babysitter,” I said with a nervous laugh.

“You should never feel that way. I think you have one of the most important jobs in the world. I’m just a concert photographer,” he said with a tone that I couldn’t quite place.

“Thank you. I appreciate it,” I said, finally giving into a real smile. I watched his eyes fall to my mouth and I could feel a million butterflies in my stomach. Why does he have such an effect on me? I shook the thoughts from my head as I opened the Southwest app to see how much longer our flight had. A little over one hour to go with a stranger who makes me feel better about myself than anyone has in years. Maybe I should take a nap.

“What’s on the agenda for your bachelorette weekend? Bars and strippers?” he asked with a smile.

“Definitely the strippers. That’s a necessity,” I responded with a smirk.

“Well, when I’m not taking pictures at concerts, I happen to moonlight as an exotic dancer,” he said returning the smirk I gave.

“I’m sure you make more money taking pictures,” I said biting my lip.

“First you physically assaulted me and now you’ve verbally assaulted me,” he said. 

“I’m sorry,” I said, covering my face from the embarrassment of inadvertently insulting him.

“No, you’re right. The crowd usually pays me to keep my clothes on,” he said tilting his head down in shame. Unlikely.

“What’s your stripper name?” I asked. Before he could answer, the plane suddenly dropped in altitude. I heard screams from the rows behind us. I gasped and grabbed his hand before shutting my eyes. The turbulence was over quickly as everyone seemed to breathe a sigh of relief at the same time. I slowly opened my eyes to realize everything was ok. I didn’t realize I was still holding Josh’s hand until he asked, “Are you ok?”

“Yes, sorry about that,” I said as I quickly jerked my hand back to my lap.

“No need to apologize for the hand-holding. It was nice while it lasted,” he said with a wink.

“Who was the first person to cross your mind when you felt the plane drop?” I asked him in a serious tone.

Without hesitation, he responded, “My mom.”

“Tell me about her,” I said.

“She’s the most important person on the planet,” he said looking at his hands. “She has given up so much for me and I hope I make her proud.”

“I’m sure you do,” I said while trying to swallow the lump in my throat. I’m not sure if my nerves were shot from the temporary panic or if his sentiment was getting to me. 

“Who did you think of?” he asked.

“Honestly… I thought of myself,” I admitted with shame.

“Really? Elaborate on that,” he said as I could tell he was giving me his full attention.

“I’m sure I sound narcissistic, but I thought I was about to die without having lived, and then I’d leave a legacy of nothing behind,” I said with a sigh.

“I know I don’t know you. Shit, I don’t even know your name. But, I can tell that your death would most definitely leave an impact on people,” he said.

“Nothing like discussing death with a total stranger,” I said with a light laugh.

“Death doesn’t scare me. I know it’s not the end. I just enjoy my life and the love I can give to the world while I’m here in my physical form. The love I provide won’t leave when I fade away,” he said. I stared at him like I just heard one of the most philosophical phrases come from another person’s mouth in years. He’s insightful and adorable.

“I got that from a song, by the way. It’s on the playlist I downloaded to your phone. Don’t be too impressed,” he said with a laugh.

“Ah, plagiarism,” I said.

“That’s actually my stripper name,” he said with a smirk. 

“Now I definitely know you aren’t making any money,” I said, trying not to laugh.

“How about I give you a glimpse of my routine and you tell me what I can do to improve my shtick to make more money?” he asked.

Stunned by his foreward remark, I immediately felt guilt running through my veins. This is the most flirting I’ve had since high school. I’m not used to this sort of attention. I looked down at my hands in my lap. 

“I’m sorry if that was too much. I–” Josh began to say.

“No, no it’s ok. I was just worried I wouldn’t have enough money in my purse to get you to keep your clothes on once you started,” I said stifling a giggle. 

“Alright just kick a man while he’s down,” he said as he clutched his hands over his heart. He threw his head back acting like he was wounded and I eyed his neck. His adam’s apple protruded, making me feel weak. 

“I wonder if there is a doctor on board to help you,” I said sarcastically looking around the plane.

Suddenly he rose out of his seat and shouted, “Is there a doctor in the house?”

Completely stunned, I stared at him with wide eyes. I cannot believe he just did that. I watched a flight attendant quickly make his way over to our row. Oh my God.

“Sir, are you having a medical emergency?” the flight attendant asked him. Next to the attendant stood Josh’s assistant, the angry man who changed his seat earlier. 

“No, no, I am ok now. Sorry for the alarm,” he said, trying not to laugh. His assistant rolled his eyes and quickly returned back to his middle seat. I’m sure he is used to Josh’s antics by now. The flight attendant gave a displeased look to both of us before walking away. I felt like I had just received punishment for a crime I didn’t do. Guilty by association. 

“That was so not funny!” I exclaimed with a sigh.

“I can’t help myself sometimes,” he said with a smile. This dude is nuts.

“You’re a lunatic,” I said, getting my headphones back out.

“No, wait. I am sorry,” he said. “I’ll move back over to the window seat and leave you alone,” he said with a sense of shame in his voice. I put my headphones in as I watched him change seats then position his body to where he was looking out the window. I was no longer in his line of vision. I opened my Spotify app and his Greta Van Fleet playlist was there. I hesitated. I wanted to listen to another song but I also wanted to block this guy from my mind and listen to my own music. Against my better judgment, I selected “Light My Love” from the playlist. I closed my eyes and listened to one of the most beautiful songs I had ever heard.

Chapter Three

I was six songs deep into this playlist when I felt someone tap on my arm. I reluctantly opened my eyes for I was enjoying being in a complete and utter trance of this band. Josh looked sheepish as I removed my headphones. 

“Do you care to let me out to use the bathroom? I really need to stretch my legs,” he said. Without responding, I shifted my body and moved my legs into the aisle to give him a clear walkway. He shuffled past me and I got a whiff of his cologne again. He smells so damn good. Maybe I’m being irrational for giving him the silent treatment. I’m 26-years-old but I’m acting like I’m 12. I decided to act more civil once he returned to our row. I don’t want to look too anxious, but I couldn’t help but watch the bathroom door awaiting his return. After what felt like an eternity, I decided to do something irrational. I can be crazy too. I took my headphones off and left them in the seat as I shoved my phone in my jeans pocket. I stood up and started to make my way to the bathroom to check on him. As I got closer to the door, it opened and he exited. I wanted to retreat back to my seat from pure embarrassment, but there was nowhere to turn. He looked up at me and scrunched his eyebrows together like he was confused. As he should be. I decided to try to play it off that I needed to use the restroom rather than run back to my seat like I desperately wanted to. As he moved past me, his body brushed against mine and I felt every nerve from my toes to my scalp tingle. I felt like I could no longer breathe. I made my way into the tiny bathroom and stared at myself in the mirror. “Get it together,” I said aloud to my reflection. I took a few deep breaths and made my way back to my seat. I made the mistake of looking at him because his deep brown eyes were once again locked on mine. A shiver immediately ran through me. I sat back down in my aisle seat and tried to think of something to ease the awkward tension.

“What has been your favorite song off the playlist?” he asked, breaking the silence.

“That’s difficult to say. I have genuinely loved all of the ones I’ve listened to so far,” I said with a smile. His cheeks almost looked like they were a new shade of pink. Was he blushing? I quickly added, “Thank you for sharing this band with me.”

“Thank you for listening,” he said back with a smile. I bit my lip as I felt like the awkward tension was over. However, a new tension was forming. 

I checked the Southwest app and realized we were set to land very soon. I put my headphones back in my purse as a sign that I was ready to talk to him. He picked up on my cue because he quickly switched seats again. His cologne hit me and if I hadn’t been sitting, I may have collapsed. He buckled his seat belt just before the overhead light signaled us to do so. 

“What’s the first thing you and your friends are doing tonight?” he asked.

“Actually, I am flying in a day earlier than everyone, so I have the Airbnb alone until everyone flies in tomorrow,” I said. I suddenly realized that I shouldn’t have told a stranger that I was going to be staying alone in an unfamiliar city, but the words had already left my lips. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

“Really?” he said as he sat up straight in his seat. I nodded but then looked away. I can’t believe I just overshared this information with him.

“If you’d like some company…” he said quietly. I quickly turned my head back to him. I was dreading another night by myself, especially without Sassy. Riley said I could FaceTime her tonight, but I didn’t want to bother her while she finished packing and getting her stuff together. I was going to use the time to decorate the place before her arrival anyways. 

I stammered, “Josh, I–” 

“How about dinner? I can take you to some of my favorite places in town. What do you like to eat?” he asked with a big smile. The idea of not being alone was tempting and as frustrating as he had been at times, I really did enjoy his company. 

Before I could give him an answer, I felt our plane touch the ground as we braced for a complete stop. This was always my least favorite part about flying. 

“I really need to decorate the Airbnb and unpack. I’d like to get settled in rather than go out. Plus, I don’t have a vehicle,” I finally responded as the sounds of seat belts unbuckled around us.

“If it’s not too forward, I could always come over and cook for you. I can bring some groceries and wine, or whatever else you’d like to drink. I can even help you decorate. You can’t spend your first night in Nashville alone,” he said. 

I mulled over his offer as people around us began to stand up and form a line in the center aisle as they collected their luggage from the overhead compartments. Josh appeared not to be in any hurry to leave, nor was I. 

“Fine. But I want to text your full name, picture, vehicle description, and phone number to Riley in case I go missing,” I said with a matter-of-fact tone.

He laughed nervously and then said, “Give me your phone.” I put in my passcode and handed it to him. He stared at my background, a picture of Sassy and me, before opening the contacts app. “I’m giving you my number so you can text me your address when you’re ready for me to come over to cook you dinner,” he said as he was typing. I watched the plane empty row by row until it felt like we were the last two remaining on board. I noticed his assistant standing in the aisle waiting on Josh. “I think you’re going to get an earful when you get off the plane,” I said, eyeing the angry-looking man. 

“I usually do,” he said with a smile as he passed my phone back to me. I glanced down at the contact name that read Plagiarism with the winky face emoji. I covered my mouth as I laughed loudly. 

“Ahem,” we both heard his assistant clear his throat as he began tapping his foot impatiently.

“Ok, I think it’s time to go,” I said as I grabbed my purse and stepped into the aisle to let him out. While Josh exited his seat, he stood so close that I could smell his delicious scent again. I watched him open the compartment and get our luggage out. He lifted the handle of my suitcase and handed it to me. I smiled at his kindness, avoiding eye contact, because I had about all that I could stand.

We made our way down the center aisle following his assistant off of the plane. Before he stepped inside the airport, I watched as he put his sunglasses back on. Weird. 

“I’ll be anxiously waiting for your text,” he said to me as he pulled his hat down a little further over his face. Before he walked away, he said, “I’ll send you all of the info you need for Riley when I hear from you,” with a wink.

I made my way down to ground transportation and requested an Uber to take me to the Airbnb. I sent Kenneth a text to let him know that I had landed, but I texted Riley that I was going to call her ASAP. I needed her advice now more than ever. I knew I was treading in dangerous waters by allowing that adorable, frustrating, sexy, funny, crazy stranger to come over, but something made me want to be around him. I may be in too deep, but I’ve always been a strong swimmer.