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atlafan · 4 years ago

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Office Neighbors - Part One

a/n: OKAY! this is my new love, professor!Harry x professor!Y/N. This is a slow burn, so buckle up because it’s going to be a longgggg ride. enjoy! (also reblogs/feedback is super helpful) not proofread

warnings:none yet...I suppose some fluff? slight angst??

words: 20K

masterpost

You were all cozied up in bed, in a cocoon of blankets. Even though it was August, your apartment had central air, and it was glorious. You loved nothing more than practically sleeping in a burrito of blankets year round. It was a new place to go along with your new job.

Y/F/N Y/L/N, Adjunct Professor, Communication Department: that was your new title. You had your master’s degree, and now you could finally move on to get your PhD. Your specialization was social media and the like, but you also had background in rhetoric and film. The few faculty that served on your search committee were quite impressed with the research you had already started conducting. Your main research was about the pros and cons of anonymity online. The school was a perfect fit. You would be teaching a couple of the intro courses for the major, and some special topics courses.

Today was faculty orientation. You would be given yet another tour of the university, go through some technology workshops, and be shown to your office. You were excited because you hadn’t been able to meet all of your faculty yet, and you’d be going to your first faculty meeting towards the end of the day.

You check your phone and see that it’s going to be in the mid 80’s today. You sigh and get up to start your morning routine. Once your face is washed and your teeth are brushed, you rummage through your closet to see what would be the most appropriate thing to wear. A flowy dress, in theory, would be a good idea, but the idea of sweating between your legs didn’t sound all that great. You settle on a pair of emerald green shorts that fall just above your knee, perfectly appropriate length for school. Plus, they were just a cute pair of shorts in general. You pair it with a white short-sleeve blouse, and tuck it into the shorts to show the shape of your body. Next, you needed to tackle your hair. You could leave it down, but sweat and humidity were not your friends. You had gotten into the habit of parting your hair down the middle more, you were twenty-six now it was okay to go with your natural part. You thought it made you look more adult, whatever that meant. So, you part it, and pull up each side to make pig tails, then you create a bun on each side. You looked professional, but fun. Just the vibe you were going for. You only apply a little makeup, in fear of it melting off of you. You slip on a pair of white tennis shoes for comfort, gather your laptop and other things, and head out.

Rolling through Dunkin Donuts, you treat yourself with a vanilla late instead of your usual, it was your first day after all. You’re not feeling too hungry yet, so you don’t get anything to eat. A college habit that just hasn’t died yet: barely eating anything until the late afternoon. You park at the building where your last meeting of the day will be, always thinking ahead. You sip on your coffee and enjoy your stroll across the beautiful campus to your first meeting of the day. There were a few people in the classroom, and you shyly smile and wave as you take a seat.

Policies and procedures are talked about after everyone in the cohort introduces themselves. You notice that you’re the only CM hire, there were three math hires, two for history, one for CS, two for art, and two for CJ. Some seemed to be around your age, and other seemed older. Everyone was friendly enough. You observed everyone’s posture and body language. You couldn’t help it, you were practically trained to read rooms and people.

The campus tour isn’t anything new. This was about the fifth time you had been walked around by some students to show you where things were, but it was nice to get outside for a good walk. You’re given a break for lunch, and you opt to eat outside at one of the open picnic benches. You notice that most people wanted to eat alone. It was a lot of social time, you yourself didn’t mind the break from talking and sharing.

After lunch are the technology workshops, making sure your account was set up and that you knew how to edit your courses in moodle. It wasn’t terribly difficult, but it was something everyone had to do. Luckily, as a first year professor, you wouldn’t be given any advisees. That you were thankful for. You had taught before, of course, and you loved helping students, but you wanted to make sure you had a good handle on the curriculum before telling students what they should be taking for courses.

Around 3PM a student comes to show you to your academic building, and escort you to your new office before your faculty meeting. There’s a bit of chit chat between the two of you before they open the door to the overly hot building. You cough when you first enter from the humidity.

“Don’t worry, it’s only like this for the first couple of weeks.” She says and you nod.

She guides you straight in where the communication lounge was. Wow, an entire lounge, you think to yourself. There were a few couches and three offices on the main level. A flat screen TV projecting student projects across from one of the couches. She takes you down a spiral staircase where there were four other offices, one vacant for you. There were two computer clusters, a projects and screen, and more couches. You already liked that it seemed to be an interactive space for students.

“Looks like you got the one with the window.” She smiles. “Have a nice day.”

“Thank you so much.” You beam at the student that you’ll probably never see again.

The door was open for you, and two sets of keys were sitting on your desk. The office was bare just waiting for your interior design ideas to be splashed all over it. Your desk was L-shaped with two monitors and a laptop plugged into a docking station. At least you didn’t have to wait to be given your school sanctioned computer. You smile when you see that you were given a Mac as requested. You look at your one window and take a picture so you could find curtains for it. You open and close all of drawers just to make sure there was nothing left behind inside the desk. There were two seats on the other side of the desk for what you would assume would be for student meetings. You could get better ones. You also definitely had room for a small couch, a love seat perhaps.

“Well, look at that, I finally got a new neighbor.”

You jump slightly and turn around. There were a couple of reasons that you were slightly started. Whoever it was that was speaking to you had a deep, gravel-like voice, and they had a British accent. Not totally uncommon at a university, but still something you weren’t expecting. You were also started because no one else was downstairs with you. As you turn around, your cheeks flush when you take in the man with the toothy smile before you.

He was wearing a loose pair of jeans with a couple of rips in them, beaten up white sneakers with different color laces, and a light blue t-shirt. You barely have time to take in his tattoos, or the thick rim of his glasses before he speaks again.

“I’m so sorry, did I startle you?”

“Only slightly.” You give him a half smile. “I’m Y/N.” She extends her hand out to him and he takes it, shaking it gently.

“I’m Harry.”

“Ah! Dr. Styles, yeah. You were away when all of my interviews were happening.”

“Yes, I was away at a conference, but I heard great things. And please, just call me Harry. We’re not a very formal group.” He smirks.

“So, your office is the one next to mine?”

“That’s right.” He nods towards it, and you step out to look at his door.

Dr. Harry Styles, PhD was on his door along with a paper with his office hours printed on it.

“You’re lucky you got one with a window right away, I’m surprised no one wanted to snatch it up. The two across from us don’t have windows, but maybe some people don’t really care about that. I happen to enjoy looking out the window to see what’s happening when my eyes need a rest from the screen.”

You nod your head and peep inside his office. He had put his desk in the back corner of the room. So if students were to come see him, his back would be to them and they could easily see whatever he was doing on the computer, but you notice he also has a corner set up with a few chairs and around coffee table. Perhaps he’s able to discuss things easier this way. Many ideas pop into your head about how you might like to set things up.

“There’s a really great consignment shop downtown with quality furniture for cheap. That’s where I got those that table and chairs.”

“Thanks.” You squint at the three diplomas framed one the wall, and a couple of certifications as well. He had a small shelf with a couple of awards too. “What’s your PhD in?”

“At the base level, Media Studies, but my master’s was in Literary Dynamics. I’m a bit of a book worm as you can see.” He points to the bookshelf full of worn books and you smile. “Got my doctorate here, same as you’re doing, and they offered me a tenure position. Been here about six years total now, I love it.”

You think for a moment to try to put together how old he might be. There was a boyishness to his features, but he also had crinkles around his eyes and a few specs of grey in his hair. Then again, so did you. You greyed early, not that anyone would know since you get highlights in your hair.

“I turn thirty-two in February, if that’s what you were wondering.”

“Oh…I wasn’t, um, I-“

“It’s okay.” He chuckles. “Shall we head up to the faculty meeting? They sent me down here to get you.”

“Yeah, let’s get to it.” You quickly grab your laptop and follow him up the spiral staircase, trying not to look at his butt too much.

He leads you down a hall to a room used for meetings. A large table with people sitting around it casually, a few you recognize from your search committee.

“Y/N!” Lisa, the department chair, exclaims. “Glad Harry found you, come in.” Everyone turns their attention towards you and you smile. You sit down, and Harry goes to sit at the other end of the table. “Right, so let’s go round the table to introduce ourselves to Y/N. Let’s tell her what courses we all teach as well. I’m Lisa, obviously, I teach Game Design and Senior Seminar. I used to teach more, but so it goes when you’re the department chair.”

“Hi, Y/N, I’m Andre, I teach Communication Theory, Digital Media in the New Age, and Journalism.”

“I’m Mateo, good to see you again.” He smiles and you nod. “I teach Tech Comm, Intercultural Communication, and Strategic Communication.”

“I’m Sandra, I teach Global Perspectives in the Media, Film and Video Production Techniques, and basically any other film production courses.” She laughs.

“I’m Harry.” He gives you that same toothy smile. “I teach Communication, Media, and Wellness, Media Effects, Analyzing Screen Media, Literature into Film, and The Craft of Screenwriting.”

“I’m Janette, I teach Philosophy of Communication, Advanced Composition, and Interactive Web Communication.”

“Wonderful, thank you everyone. Don’t worry, Y/N, our admin Lucas will email you all of this info if he hasn’t already.”

“That’s alright, thank you.” She smiles.

“Why don’t you tell everyone what courses you’ll be teaching this fall and spring?”

“Well, this fall I’ll be teaching Communication and Media Studies, Media and Cultural Studies, and Social Media: Technology and Culture. Then in the spring I’ll teach the two intro courses, along with Professional Social Media, and Rhetoric and Semiotics.”

“We’re so happy to have you aboard.” Lisa smiles.

Lisa goes on to explain any policy or curriculum changes. Y/N notices how casual the group is, and also how diverse the group is. It was nice to see.

“Now, I know it’s your first day, and you just moved to the area…feel free to say no, but we’re all headed downtown to the pub for dinner if you’d like to join us.” Lisa says at the end of the meeting.

“That would be great! I haven’t gotten the chance to eat downtown much.”

“Oh, you’ll love the pub.” Sandra says. “Best nachos I’ve ever had.”

You smile and stand with everyone. You notice that everyone just simply walks downtown. You run to your car quickly to drop her bag off, and continues the walk. You all go in and grab a table for seven. You slide into the booth and Harry slides in next to you, followed by Janette and Sandra. Lisa, Mateo, and Andre all sit in the chairs across from you. You weren’t sure if you felt comfortable drinking in front of your colleagues just yet, but you order a vodka-tonic anyways just to be social.

“Sandra’s right, they do have the best nachos here.” Lisa says. “Should we just get a couple of orders of that? We could do one with chicken and one without.”

“I can just pick it off, don’t be silly.” Harry says.

“I, uh , don’t eat meat either, and I can also just pick it off.” You speak up.

“Oh, please.” Lisa scoffs. “We can get one with and one without, no problem.”

“You don’t eat meat?” Harry turns to you slightly.

“Um, no.” He was very close to you, and you weren’t sure how you felt about it. You just met him. You take a sip of your drink so your mouth doesn’t feel so dry. “My doctor told me to cut out red meat, and then I got sick of chicken and stuff, so I just cut it all out.” You shrug.

“Things were sort of the same with me, I just didn’t like how it made me feel after eating it. There’s other ways to get protein. I eat a lot of beans and nuts.”

“Right.” You were curious as to why he was being so open with you.

“Course, I feel like I’m starved half the time, don’t know if that happens to you, but I always keep granola bars in my office if you ever need one.”

“Oh! Um, thank you. Are we allowed to bring mini fridges? I’m really into overnight oats right now, so if I could just leave that stuff in there…”

“We are! It can’t be one of those huge ones though, it’s gotta be one of those ones that looks like a cube.” Harry makes a fake outlines of a box with his fingers. The waitress comes over and takes the orders for the nachos. “Excuse me, love, could I also get a separate order of chicken fingers and fries to go?”

The waitress nods and Harry smiles at her. You raise an eyebrow at him.

“Got someone at home who requested it.” He says before turning his attention to the other conversations at the table.

You wondered whom might me home waiting for him. A wife, a girlfriend…boyfriend? Harry wore a lot of rings, and his nails were painted, but a lot of men were doing that these days so you didn’t want to make any assumptions.

“So, Y/N, where’s home for you?” Andre asks.

“Oh, I’m from Boston originally.”

“Wow! And you moved up here to the mountains. Do you miss the hustle and bustle yet?”

“Not yet, I sort of don’t mind the quiet, although, when I first moved I had trouble falling asleep at night. It was almost too quiet.” You laugh. “But I’ve gotten more used to it. I’m in a great little apartment building, nice neighborhood. I think there are some grad students that I’m neighbors with.”

“Do you going hiking at all?” Mateo asks. “There are some great trails around here.”

“I haven’t gone yet, but I’d certainly be willing to give it a go.”

“We usually all go together before the semester starts.” Lisa says. It surprised you at how close everyone seemed. All different people of different ages. “There’s this really easy mountain about twenty minutes from campus with a beautiful view of the lakes region.”

“Well, I’ll certainly give it a go. Just let me know when.” You smile.

Sandra was absolutely right, the nachos were incredible. Lots of layers of chips and cheese, fresh veggies and guacamole, not to mention the sour cream and salsa. Everyone squares up their checks and heads out. Harry grabs his to go order from the bar. The sun was just barely setting, god, you loved August.

“I parked in the same lot as you, mind if I walk back up with you?” Harry asks after you all say goodnight.

“Not at all.” You smile.

“So, how was the first day? Is your brain ready to explode?”

“Only a little. I think if I take in anymore new information today I’ll pop.” Harry chuckles at that.

“I remember my faculty orientation.” He smirks and shakes his head. “I think I wore a suit, if you can believe it.”

“I’m sure you clean up really well.” You say playfully and he rolls his eyes.

“Well, you’re right about that, but it was super embarrassing at the time. No one told me how casual it was.”

“A little initiation ritual perhaps.”

“Maybe.” He looks at her. “I like your little, um, what do you call those.”

“Oh! My buns?”

“Yeah! Didn’t know if you’d still call them that, or poofs, or something.”

“Poof works.” You chuckle. “I wasn’t sure how humid it was going to be so I just did it up like that. They’re nice for keeping pens or pencils in.”

“Brilliant.” He smiles and reaches his car. “Well, I hope you enjoyed your first day. Feel free to email me if you have any questions. I know being new the area and campus can be overwhelming.”

“Thanks, I appreciate that.” You nod and get into your own car. You take a deep breath as you drive away. “I can do this.” You tell yourself. You enjoyed how friendly everyone was, you could definitely see yourself fitting in with everyone.

Harry gets home soon after he leaves campus, only living about fifteen minutes away. He owned a quaint ranch-style home.

“Andy, I’m home, bud!” He yells out. “Got your dinner.” He walks into the living room and sees his son playing video games. “Please don’t tell me you played all day…”

“Hey, dad.” He pauses the game and takes the to go box from Harry. “No, I didn’t play all day.” He rolls his eyes. “I went to the skate park at with Brandon, and then we swam in his pool, remember?”

“Right, I’ll have to say thanks to his parents.” Harry sits down on the couch and sighs.

“Tired?” Andy asks with his mouth full.

“Yeah, it was just a day full of meetings, then we all had dinner. Being social is draining.” He laughs. “How’s the chicken, good?”

“Mhm.”

“Let me get you some napkins…water?”

“Yes, please.”

Harry nods to his son. Harry usually got to be with his son all summer, but this year Andy asked to stay for the school year. It was a rather large discussion that Harry had to have with him and Andy’s mother, who Harry wasn’t on bad terms with, but he certainly didn’t live the one on one chat.

“I just feel like he didn’t get this idea on his own.” She whispered to him in the kitchen.

“I swear I didn’t put the idea in his head. He just asked me out of the blue if he could be enrolled at the middle school. He’s going into fifth grade, maybe he wants a fresh start. He has good friends here, Paige.”

“He has good friends at home too…” She sighs. “I just…so what, now I only get to see him on weekends? I’m his mother, Harry.”

“And I’m his father.”

“You get him for the entire summer.”

“You know it’s not enough time with him. I miss him a lot during the school year.” He drums his fingers on the kitchen counter. “Do you think…I mean…your boyfriend moved in with you, right? Do you think he feels uncomfortable with the change?”

“I don’t know, when Noah and I spoke with him about it he said he was fine with it. He was used to him sleeping over anyways. He’s knowing him for two years now, it’s not that weird.”

“I didn’t say it was weird, I’m talking about comfort. Maybe he just doesn’t want to share his space. It’s not just Noah that moved in, he has a daughter too…”

“Andy and Rachel get along really well. She’s only a year younger than he is.” She sighs again. “I don’t want him thinking he’s being replaced, Harry. What if he doesn’t want to come back into my life once he’s with you all the time?”

“I don’t think that could happen, I’ll make sure it doesn’t.”

“And you’d be able to handle him all year long?”

“Sure, I’d have to change when I’m offering my classes so I’m home at a reasonable time, but I can make it work.” He rubs the back of his neck. “I could always send him home to you if I can’t be around anyways, like how you do with me.”

“Right.” She looks into the living room where Andy had his headphones in, and then back to Harry. “That’s my little baby in there. How can I let him go?”

“You’re not letting him go, you’re letting him grow up a bit. Why don’t we tell him we’ll see how this year goes, and then we can talk more seriously about custody and all that?”

“Alright, yeah, that seems fair.”

“You only live thirty minutes away, I could always drop him off for dinner sometimes, or-“

“Yeah.” She nods. “Well, um, let’s go talk with him then.”

That conversation happened after the July 4th holiday. Andy went home every other weekend to his mother’s, and Harry always talked with him about how his time with her was. Andy would always say that had a great time. He really did just like his friends better where Harry lived, and he was getting older. Maybe he just wanted to live with his dad.

“Alright.” Harry hands him the napkins and water. “Shall we watch a movie and then get you ready for bed?”

“I’m not a baby.” He scoffs.

“You are though, you’ll always be my baby.”

“Dad.” Andy groans. “Don’t be gross.”

“Can’t help it, you’re too stinkin’ cute.”

“Please stop before I barf up my chicken.”

Harry laughs and switches the TV to Netflix. Andy looked a lot like Harry in that he had curly hair and green eyes. He had his mother’s button nose and freckles. Andy liked dressing in basketball shorts and t-shirts, but he also like using a scrunchie or bandana to keep his hair off his face the way Harry did. It was cute.

“Am I going to mum’s this weekend?”

“You are, my darling.” Harry sips on a beer while lounging on the couch during the movie. “That alright?”

“Course.” He shrugs. “I actually have a new skate trick to show Rachel.”

“Do you to go boarding together?”

“Sometimes. She’s better on her skates, though.” He munches on some popcorn. “I kinda like going there on Friday nights because her and Noah go to temple on Saturday mornings, so mum and I get up late and make breakfast together.”

“Good, I’m glad you get that quality time together. I hope you’re paying attention to the culture that Rachel and Noah are bringing into your life, though. She’ll probably have a Bat Mitzvah someday and you’ll have this big party to go to.”

“Dad?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you ever…I mean…it’s sort of weird that you like Noah…”

“Is it?” Harry sits up. “I’ve got no problem with him. He’s a nice guy, takes care of your mum.”

“That’s just it, I have friends with divorced parents and they-“

“Well, mum and I aren’t divorced, Andy, you know that. We never got married.”

“Even still…”

“We wanted to do right by you can be good co-parents. I’d be a real brat if I was rude to him.”

“How come you and mum never got married?”

Harry nearly chokes on his drink. He clears his throat and pauses the movie. Andy never really asked questions like this. He never even saw Harry and Paige as a couple, he never knew them together.

“Um…well…we were really young when you were born. I was twenty when we found out about you, and I was twenty-one when you born, I was just barely finishing school when you came along. Your mum was a year ahead of me, so luckily she got her degree before you were born.”

“Were you together then?”

“Yeah.” Harry nods. “Mum and I dated for about two years in undergrad, and then…well…we found out about you, and we were nervous, but excited.”

“But you didn’t want to get married?”

“I asked her, but she said no.”

“Why?”

“She thought I only wanted to marry her because she was pregnant.” He sighs. “Things like that sort of get complicated when you’re older. I also had a lot going on for school, and she didn’t want me to put my career on hold, she already had a full time job and all that. We tried to make things work, but we both realized a relationship shouldn’t be made to work because of…a baby. We both love you very much, Andy, make no mistake about that, but mum and I make better friends than a couple, I can assure you.”

“Oh.”

“Do you wish we were together sometimes?”

“Sometimes.” He nods. “But only because I hate going back and forth.”

“I’m sorry.” He sighs. “We live as close to each other as we can.”

“I know.” He furrows his brows. “I just don’t like when Noah acts like he’s my dad because he’s not, you are.”

“True, but you should still be respectful. Rachel lives there full time too, so-“

“I can’t stand that either, honestly.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know…ugh, she was on the phone with one of her friends and she referred to me as her brother. Not even step-brother, brother! I’m not her brother.” He huffs.

“Andy…come here.” His son gets up and sits next to him. Harry puts an arm around him and holds him close. “You’re going through a lot of change right now, huh?”

“I guess.” He looks up at Harry. “I think Noah’s gonna ask mum to marry her…which I guess is nice for her, but I’d rather just be with you.”

“You are with me.”

“Permanently, though. I’ve felt better just going over on the weekends, it’s plenty.”

“Mum and I said we’d see how this year at school goes, and then we could decide. I want you here, but I have to respect what she wants too.” He smiles down at him. “Poor you, having two parents who just love you so much.” He kisses his forehead.

“Blegh!” He wipes the spit from his forehead away. “What is wrong with you?” He gets up and goes back to his own seat.

“What? A father can’t love on his son anymore just because he’s in the double digits?”

“Exactly, press play.”

Harry laughs and shakes his head as he starts the movie back up.

Your semester was off to a great start. You got your office decorated nicely, and you were able to make it a cozy and homey space, which was good because you spent a lot of late nights there. Balancing teaching multiple sections of three different classes while also making time for research was proving to be a little difficult. Sometimes students were hanging out in the lounge while you were working, so you didn’t feel truly alone.

You were on an incredible team. You met bi-weekly with Lisa just for wellness check ins. She knew how overwhelming the first year could be, and she recommended chatting with Harry. He was the last one to go through all of it, so he would have the best tips. Harry was often out of the building by 3PM most days. He held virtual office hours from his home office. You weren’t entirely sure why he always needed to get home so early. Well, you weren’t sure until the answer slapped you in the face.

“And this is my new neighbor, Y/N.” You hear him say as he knocks on your door. “Got a second?”

“Um…sure.” You stand up and see a young boy with Harry.

“Y/N, this is my son, Andy. He had a half day from school today, so he’s hanging out until it’s time to go home.”

“Oh! Hi, Andy. It’s nice to meet you.” You had foolishly assumed the picture of Harry holding a baby on his desk was a nephew or something since he himself looked so young in the photo.

“Nice to meet you too.” He mumbles.

“What grade are you in?”

“Fifth.”

“Oh, so you just started middle school? How’s that going?”

“Okay, I guess.” He shrugs. “Dad, can I go get a snack at the grille?”

“Sure.” Harry fishes for his wallet and hands Andy a ten dollar bill. “Don’t pig out though, I want you to be hungry for dinner.”

“Okay.” He walks away from them and Harry shakes his head with a smile.

“He’s a human disposal right now.”

“I…didn’t know you had a son.” You say awkwardly.

“Yeah! Yikes, have I not mentioned him before now?” You shake your head no. “Guess that means we haven’t spent enough time together then.” You blush slightly and Harry clears his throat, then pushes his glasses up his nose. “He, um, just turned ten in May…sort of had him young.”

“I see.”

“This is his first time being with me during the school year. He wanted to give this school system a try, couldn’t say no to that.”

“Oh…um…so his mom…?” You didn’t want to pry too much. Harry wore a lot of rings so you weren’t sure if he was married or not.

“She lives about thirty minutes away, closer to the lakes. She’s a para at a law office, does well for herself. We were college sweethearts, but it didn’t work out.” He shrugs and you nod. “She’s got a serious boyfriend and he has a daughter a year younger than Andy. I think he felt like his personal space was closing in on him, so he asked to live with me. I usually just get him for the summer when I’m not teaching, it’s been great having him around more.”

“He has your eyes.” You wanted smack your forehead for making such a weird comment.

“He does! One of the first things I noticed about him when they stopped being that weird, dark color babies have when they’re first born.” You simply nod your head. “Well, I’ve taken up a lot of your time…um…let’s plan a lunch or something sometime soon. I’d love to know how your classes are going. I know it can’t be easy teaching the intro courses.”

“I’m doing well with it, actually. I taught a lot of the first-year courses at my previous institution. I’ve just been more bogged down with my research than anything else.”

“I’d like to hear more about that too, if that’s alright. Didn’t get to hear about like everyone else since I was gone during your interviews.”

“Sure, we could do lunch sometime then.” Harry smiles at that.

“Great. You know, we get together to do a monthly game night with the faculty from the English department. It’s in a couple of weeks, I hope you’ll come. A lot of their classes double count within our major, so it would be good for you to meet them.”

“Yeah, just let me know when it is. I enjoyed the hike a couple weeks ago.”

“I was pissed I missed that.” Harry groans. “I had to take Andy-“

“Dad.” Andy comes back, handing Harry his change. He was biting into a BLT.

“Thank you, let’s go into my office, yeah? You’ve got some homework that needs to get done.”

“Fine.” He goes into Harry’s office with a huff.

“Anyways, I’ll let you know when the game night is.”

“Okay, thanks.” You smile at each other and go back to sit down in your office.

He had a kid, a ten-year-old…holy shit. You couldn’t imagine going through your master’s and doctoral program while also raising a child. Good for him, you think. Andy was a pretty cute kid, a mop of curls, just like his dad.

You gave yourself Saturdays off. Saturdays were for sleeping in, doing a quick pilates workout, grocery shopping, laundry and whatever other chores you may have. Saturdays were for curling up on the sofa with a cup of tea and good movie. Saturday nights were for you and Janette, who you have become pretty close with, to go have drinks.

“You need to find someone to bring home with you tonight.” Janette says, as you both begin your second drinks of the evening.

“Oh stop.” You laugh. “I don’t think I have the energy to pretend to be into someone enough to fuck them.” She rolls her eyes at you. “So…what’s this I hear about a game night with the English department?”

“Oh! It’s so much fun. Once a month someone different hosts it. Sometimes we play board games, sometimes it’s card games, one time we even played Heads Up, that was a hoot.” She giggles. “You should definitely come, Lisa’s hosting the next one. Her house is huge and has a beautiful view of the lakes and mountains.”

“I think I might, yeah.”

“Who told you about it? I think Lucas was planning to add you to the email about it.”

“Oh, Harry mentioned it the other day. He said it would be good for me to get to know the other faculty.”

“He’s certainly right about that.”

“I met his son…”

“Andy was in the office! Damn, I try to keep candy in my office for him. He’s so sweet. He was just a little guy when Harry started, can’t believe he’s in middle school.”

“Yeah, he was really polite. Sort of closed off at the same time.”

“Harry seems to think he’s become more self-aware. It’s a big deal for him to want to live with Harry year round.” She sips her drink. “Shouldn’t gossip too much about it though.”

“Right.” You sip your own drink.

“The students seem to like you so far, we’ve all heard good things from our advisees.”

“Really?! That means a lot.”

“Your teaching must speak for itself.”

“Students are always in the downstairs lounge, it’s nice to chat with them sometimes. They always seem to be visiting Harry. Andre and Sandra are down with us too, and they don’t have as many frequent flyers.”

“I know you’re new and all, but I didn’t think you were naïve.” She chuckles.

“What do you mean?”

“Harry perfectly fits the hot teacher trope, Y/N. He’s slightly mysterious with his tattoos and his nail polish, but still totally approachable. He’s dorky, but funny. He’s got a little muscle on him, but he’s not terribly intimidating, plus he’s fucking brilliant. You should sit in on his Literature and Film class.”

“One might think you have a crush on him from the way you speak about him.” You tease her.

“One would have to be straight, my dear.” She winks at you, and you laugh a little too loud. “However, I know an attractive man when I see one. Girls swoon over him all the time. It was really bad when he first started because he was a little closer in age with students, things have calmed down considerably though.”

“He dresses nicely too, I like his style.”

“It’s a little out there, but it works for him.”

“Sometimes I can smell the nail polish remover from my office.” You giggle. “He really hates when they’re chipped, huh?”

“God, you have no idea. Sometimes in the faculty meetings I’ll catch him chipping away at, next time I see him they’re freshly painted again.”

You take an uber home after having four drinks with your friend. You gossiped about some other people, Harry didn’t remain the topic of conversation for long. You get home and strip yourself of your clothes, and wash up before getting into your blanket burrito.

Sundays were for getting a head start on the week. Sometimes you worked from your office at home, but today you forgot something at your office at work, so you decide to just grab all your things and work from your office for the day. You were making some progress on your research and you wanted to keep riding the wave you were on.

You had a tie-dye t-shirt on under your coat that had a picture of Goofy on it, and a pair of jeans on. You didn’t need to be super dressed up for some weekend work. No one was usually in the building anyways. You get some up and put some music on while you do some reading and highlighting.

“Hey! Look who it is.”

“Jesus!” You flinch and look up. “Scared the shit out of me, Harry.”

“Sorry about that.” He rubs the back of his neck. “You’re a tad jumpy.”

“Hard not to be when you’re always coming out of nowhere.” You turn your music down and stand up to walk over to him, crossing your arms over your stupid shirt. “What are you doing here?”

“Well, Andy’s with his mum this weekend, and I needed a change of scenery from the home office, so I thought I’d come here.”

“Oh.”

He looks you up and down and smiles.

“Is Goofy your favorite?”

“Huh?”

“Your shirt.” He points to it. “Personally, I’m partial to Mickey Mouse, but Goofy’s fun.”

“This is a really old shirt, I did laundry yesterday so this is what I was left with.”

“Ah…and I suppose you weren’t expecting to bump into your colleague.”

“Correct.”

“Well, I think it’s proper cute, so no worries, I won’t make fun.” He winks and goes into his own office.

You feel your cheek and it’s considerably warmer than it was from before he got there. You shake your head and return to your seat, opting to put your headphones in to not disturb him. Just as you’re getting going in the zone again, he comes into your office and plops down on one of the reupholstered chairs you had on the other side of your desk.

“Yes?” You ask, taking your headphones out.

“I want you to come observe my wellness class this week.”

“Why?”

“Because I think you could use some time to distress. You don’t teach any 8AM’s, right?”

“No…um…what makes you think I need to distress?”

“You just look like you’re carrying a lot of tension. It’s a great class. We chat, we meditate. Sometimes students fall asleep, but I’ve told them it’s okay. If their bodies are telling them they need sleep, then they should sleep. We do a bit of yoga as well. Plus, I just think it would be good for you to observe me.”

“I was told your literature class would be fun to observe, couldn’t I do that instead?”

“And let you get out of a bit of meditation?” He scoffs. “I don’t think so, sister.” You laugh at that.

“Alright, which day should I come?”

“It’s my Tuesday/Thursday course. You can pick which morning you’d prefer.”

“Anything else?”

“Tell me about your research.”

“Are you just using me to procrastinate?” You raise an eyebrow at him.

“Hey, what happens between me and the stack of papers I need to grade is none of your business.” You laugh at him again. Harry was funny, no doubt about that. “Come on, just a few minutes, tell me what you’re working on.”

“I am researching anonymity online, the pros and cons, how social media is mixed into it, stuff like that. People carry themselves different on the various social media platforms, trying to show specific versions of themselves, but when you’re able to remain anonymous, you somehow are truly able to be yourself without fear of judgement.”

“So, what are the cons then?”

“Oh, there are tons. There’s the fear of someone finding this anonymous version of yourself and being exposed. Then there are the people that forget there’s someone else behind the screen and send nasty messages to other anonymously.”

“That’s my biggest fear with Andy. He’s been begging me for a smart phone, but I just don’t feel comfortable with that yet.” He runs a hand through his hair. “I told him when he was thirteen we could talk about it.”

“It’s funny, I didn’t get my first phone until I was fifteen, and it was one of those ones that slid open and had a keyboard. Literally had to use the family desktop if I wanted to go on Facebook.”

“Do people even use Facebook anymore? Feel like it’s just forty-year-old wine moms and Home Depot dads.” Harry snorts.

“No one uses it anymore because it’s not fun. It may as well be LinkedIn.” You scoff.

“Well, I’ll certainly be looking forward to reading what you whip up when the time comes.” He smiles.

“Thanks.”

“I’ll let you get back to it…um, feel like grabbing a bite later?”

“If you don’t disturb me for the next two hours I’ll consider getting lunch with you.”

“Oh, I love a challenge.” He grins and stands up, leaving your office.

You smile and shake your head. Perhaps your neighbor was becoming a pretty good friend.

“You’re coming to Lisa’s tonight, right?” Harry asks you as he slings his bag over his shoulder on Friday afternoon.

“I believe so, six, right?”

“Yup! Do you need directions?”

“I have this thing called a smart phone, and get this…it has an app where if I put in an address, it shows me the route!”

“I really hate it when you’re sarcastic with me.” He rolls his eyes. “Get it enough from my son, you know?”

“Will he be joining the fun as well?”

“Nope, he’s with his mum this weekend. I gotta go get him from school and get him all packed up for her.”

“Does she always pick him up?”

“She picks him up on Fridays, and I pick him up on Sundays.” He shrugs. “It just works for us.”

“Makes sense.”

“Right, well, I’ll see you later.”

“Okay.” You smile and wave him off.

After knuckling at your eyes, you head home around 4PM. You wanted to shower and freshen up before heading to Lisa’s. It was a beautiful, chilly Fall evening, so you opt for a light sweater and black jeans, and a pair of boots. You run your fingers through your hair, reapply some makeup, and grab the bottle of white you had chilling in your fridge. You plug the address into your phone, and get going.

It was about a twenty-five minute drive. Lisa lived in a neighborhood with a lot of beautiful homes. Her driveway was long and winding, and on top of a hill.

“This must be a bitch in the winter.” You say to yourself. Maybe that was why she was hosting the September game night. There were a couple of other cars there, so you didn’t feel totally awkward. You walk up to the door and ring the bell.

“Y/N!” Lisa exclaims and hugs you. “Come on in, so glad you could make it.”

“Thank you for having me. I brought some wine.” You hand the bottle to her as you step inside.

“Oh, thank you, dear.”

“Shoes on or off?”

“On is perfectly fine, it’s all hardwood.” Lisa leads you inside. “I’ll get this open.”

You wait for her to pour you a glass, and then she leads you into the living room. Sandra and Mateo were already there. You wave hello and grab a seat.

“Y/N, this is Dan, the English department chair, Alice, Joe, and Fred.”

“Hi, it’s nice to formally meet you all.” You stand up and shake a few hands.

Everyone mingles and eats the snacks Lisa puts out. Her husband was quite the co-host. Janette shows up next, and you end up sitting with her. Harry’s the last to arrive. Lisa gets him a glass of red right away. He looked handsome. A tan cardigan over a white t-shirt and a pair of light wash jeans.

“Sorry I’m late everyone, Paige was over an hour late picking Andy up. There was an accident on the highway and she got stuck behind it, it was a whole thing.”

Paige, it was the first time Y/N heard Harry actually say the name of Andy’s mother.

“No worries, H.” Andre says. “Relax, we haven’t even decided on the game yet.”

“Thank god.” Harry plops down next to you on the couch. “Janette, did Y/N tell you she observed my wellness class yesterday?”

“She did, she told me she fell asleep the second you turned the lights off.” She snickers.

“Please, keep talking about me like I’m not even here.” You roll your eyes. Harry and Janette both lean over you so they can pretend to speak closer. “Okay, okay.” You push them both away. “That’s enough, thank you.”

“Alright, everyone, I was thinking we could play charades, yeah?” Lisa announces. “It’ll keep us limber.”

“English vs. CM?” Dan asks.

“You know it.” Lisa grins.

You were pretty good at charades so you weren’t worried. The couple of glasses of wine certainly helped boost your confidence. It was fun to let a little loose with your colleagues. It was some much needed bonding. Harry was quite competitive, which surprised you because he was usually so chill about everything. It was down to the final points, Harry needed to guess the name of your film correctly.

You put up two fingers.

“Second word.” You nod and he licks his lips in concentration You pretend to open a book and write it in it. “Uhhh, book…” He furrows his brows. You look up like as if you’re reading something, and then you pretend to write the book some more. “Notes…notebook, oh! The Notebook!” You tap your finger on your nose and your team cheers. “Ha!” Harry stands up and hugs you. He lets you go and looks back at everyone. “That was exhilarating. Better luck next time.” He says to the English team.

“Wasn’t exactly a difficult film to guess.” Alice says playfully.

“I had zero control over the slip of paper I chose out of that hat.” You grin.

You all help clean up before heading out. You slip your coat on and head outside after saying your goodbyes.

“Y/N?” You hear Harry from behind you. “You’re good to drive, right?”

“Yeah, of course. Wouldn’t get behind the wheel if I wasn’t.”

“Alright.” He smiles. “Just wanted to be sure.” He walks with you outside.

“It would be pretty bad if I got so fucked up I couldn’t drive home from our department chair’s house.”

“Lisa would actually get a pretty good kick out of it.” He smirks. You get to your car and press the button to unlock it. “Well…I hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend.”

“Same to you, any big plans while Andy’s gone?”

“Not really, I try to save the fun stuff for while he’s with me.”

“Aw, no hot dates.” You wink at him. Okay, maybe some of the wine was still in your system. He blinks at you for a moment and then he bursts out laughing.

“Right, the ladies are really fighting to knock my door down.” He wipes a tear from under his eye. “Can’t remember the last time I went on a proper date to be honest with you. Not exactly a turn on when you bring someone home and they see kid’s toys hanging around.”

“Oh come on, you’ve totally got the hot single dad thing working for you.” You nudge his shoulder. “Janette I usually go out on Saturday nights for drinks, you should come out tomorrow.”

“Um…which, uh, which bar do you go to?”

“Firefly, little more adult. We don’t really see the college kids there.”

“Sure, yeah, I know that place well. Um, what time?”

“Nine?”

“I’ll be there.” He smiles.

“Great! Goodnight, Harry.”

“Night, Y/N.”

He watches as you get into your car and drive away. It wasn’t until you woke up the next morning that you realize that you essentially asked him out, and that you sort of flirted with him. You text Janette immediately and let her know he may show up.

Jan: Yay! Harry’s so much fun to go drinking with, this’ll be great!

Will it? You think to yourself. It was one thing to have a couple of glasses of wine with colleagues, but you usually got pretty drunk with Janette, always taking an uber to and from the bar. You were a nervous wreck all day, and you weren’t sure why. You were hoping all of your Saturday chores would distract you, but they weren’t.

As you get ready, you decide on a blue dress that showed a tasteful amount of cleavage, pairing it with patterned nylons, and boots. Your hair is down and wavy, and your makeup looks cute, for now. You put on your leather jacket and head out. Well, not before doing a quick shot at home. Your leg bounces the entire time in the uber. Janette is already there at your usual table. She waves you over and you sit down.

“I texted Harry earlier.” She says to you. “Just so he really knew he was invited.”

“I don’t have his number, otherwise I would have. Sorry, I feel like I should have asked first. This is sort of like our girl’s night.”

“Are you kidding?! Like I said earlier, Harry is super fun to drink with.”

After you both guzzle down your first drink, Harry arrives. He’s got a black button up on with the first few buttons undone, exposing the birds on his collar bones. He smiles when he sees the both of you.

“H!” Janette says, getting up to hug him and give him a kiss on the cheek.

“Hello, love.” He gives her a squeeze and a returned kiss. He looks at you and you give him a shy smile before giving him a side hug. “Thanks again for the invite, haven’t been to this place in a while.” He slides into the stool.

“Oh, of course!” Janette says. “I was excited when Y/N said you were coming.”

“Apparently I need to do more fun things when Andy’s with his mum.” He nudges you.

“What do you usually do when he’s gone?” You ask him.

“I usually clean up the house, stalk up on food, wash his sheets…dad stuff.” He shrugs with a laugh. The waitress comes over and smiles.

“Can I get you started with anything?”

“Rum and coke would be great, and I’ll start a tab.” He hands her his credit card and she nods.

“Nother round for you two?”

“Please!” Janette says.

“Yes.” You say with a smile.

The waitress nods and smiles. She walks away and looks back at Harry, blushing.

“Oh boy.” Janette grins. “I think you may get lucky tonight, H.”

“What makes you say that?”

“Our waitress did a double take.”

“She’s probably, like, ten years younger than I am or something. Not my style.”

“Fair enough.” She shrugs.

“What about you? Any ladies you’re trying to take home?”

“Well, if I weren’t in a long distance relationship, sure.”

“You and Sadie are still together?” He asks almost in shock.

“Of course we are! You would have known if we broke up.”

“Doesn’t it get difficult?” He frowns.

“I really don’t mind. When we’re able to be together it’s nice, but I like having my own space.” Janette turns to you. “Sadie is a photographer, traveling for National Geographic.”

“That’s incredible!”

The waitress brings all of the dinks over and you clink your glasses.

“Alright, what’s the gossip, ladies? Who are we shitting on?”

“Hmm.” Jaette taps her chin. “Perhaps Dan? He’s obviously still in love with Lisa.”

“Still?” Your jaw drops.

“Back in the day,” Harry starts, “he and Lisa were quite the item. She met Arnold at a conference. He’s a chef.”

“Ah, that’s why the food is so good.”

“Mhm, he’s retired now, but at the time she had to make this big choice between the two of them, and she chose Arnold. Built an entire life with him. Dogs, kids, big house, you name it.” Harry explains.

“And Dan’s been married and divorced twice. Lisa’s the one that got away.” Janette sighs. “Course, Lisa’s incredibly oblivious, or she pretends to be. You’d think they were simply best friends.”

“I wonder what made her choose Arnold over Dan.” You say.

“Good dick.” Janette says. “Simple as that.”

“Oh, come on.” You roll your eyes.

“You come on! Are you going to tell me you’d give up good dick?”

“So you’re telling me she was seeing both of them at the same time, and she chose Arnold because he hit it better?”

“That’s what I’m inferring, yes.” She sips her drink. “Getting to come every time you fuck is worth it, don’t you think?”

Harry nearly chokes on his drink from laughing.

“I forgot how nasty you can be, I love it.” He says and looks at you. “So, Y/N, what’s your answer? Is an orgasm reason enough to choose one guy over another?”

“Well, considering that I dated some real fuck when I was in college just so I could get some good dick, I’d have to say yes.” You say, enjoying the look on both of their faces. “I mean, it’s hard to remember how much you can’t stand someone when they’re railing you to completion.”

“Very true.” Janette agrees. “Also, Arnold is a really sweet man, sort of the whole package for her. I don’t think Lisa liked be challenged, and Dan, I heard, would challenge her on everything.”

“I’m usually up for a debate, but I get that. I don’t need to be in control of everything, but agreeable people are better.” You say.

“I wouldn’t say it’s because he’s agreeable.” Harry says, finishing his drink, and gesturing towards the waitress for another. “Arnold is smitten, not just in love, big difference.”

“How so?” You ask.

“When you’re…oh, thank you.” He smiles at the waitress brings him a new drink. “When you’re smitten, you walk around with rose colored glasses, to some that can be a bad thing, but I think when you’re that in love, you should really adore the person you’re with too. Arnold adores Lisa, Dan doesn’t. You can tell by the way they both look at her.”

It was nice discussing things like this with people who also observed people the way you did. It makes you wonder, though, what they may have picked up on about you.

After a few more drinks, you knew you needed to stop when your vision began to get hazy. Harry only had his two drinks since he drove himself. He drank some water as the night went on.

“H, Y/N lives not too far from you, help her save a couple bucks and drive her home, would you?”

“Jan…” You scold her.

“She’s right, I could give you a lift, if you want?”

“Um…well…sure.”

You both say goodnight to Janette, and Harry helps you into his car. He keeps the music low as he pulls out of the bar.

“So, where am I taking you?”

“To The Ledges, do you know where that is?”

“Sure do.” He chuckles. “Lived there myself when I first moved to the area.”

“Really?! It’s a great size place. I love it.”

“Got any pets or anything?”

“Nope, just me, myself, and I.” You grin.

“And you prefer it that way?”

“Well, after living at home my whole life, and then having various roommates over the years, I’d say that I’m quite enjoying living alone.”

“Good for you. I’m glad you’re liking it here so much. The person you replaced was such a twat.” You burst into laughter. “I’m serious! He never came to any of the outings. It was like he didn’t even care that we were trying to get him to engage. The second he got his PhD he left. Good riddance.” Harry scoffs.

“I really like it. It’s a lot different than being at a college in the city. I wasn’t sure how I’d do working in a college town, but I’m really enjoying it. I feel safe, you know? I didn’t always feel safe in the city.”

“I’m sorry, that had to have been difficult.”

“On the late nights it was. I usually had UPD walk me to my car. I don’t really have to do that here. I feel like I gained a lot of independence back.”

Harry pulls up to the apartment building, and parks. He turns the ignition off and you raise your eyebrows at him.

“What are you doing?”

“I was going to walk you to the door…”

“Oh…you don’t have to.”

“I insist.”

“Really, it’s okay. Um, thank you for the ride, it was really nice of you.”

“Thanks for the invite, I had fun.” He smiles.

“Me too.” You smile back and get out of the car.

You hear the car turn back on, and you know he waits to drive off until you’re inside.

“Paige, I get him for Christmas, why are you trying to change things?”

“You usually get him for Christmas because you don’t usually get him for the school year.” She crosses her arms as she stands outside in the frigid early December air.

“But you just got him for Thanksgiving.”

“You don’t celebrate Thanksgiving!”

“I observe!” He takes a deep breath. “His plane ticket is already paid for, he’s coming with me to London like always, and he will be back to you for New Year’s, like always.” He steps closer to her. “He looks forward to seeing my mum and Gem every winter, please don’t take that away from him.”

“It’s just…we’re hosting a Hanukkah party, and Noah really wanted him to be a part of it…”

“Shit.” Harry rubs the back of his neck. “There’s Jewish holidays all the time, couldn’t Andy be a part of the next celebration?”

“Dad! Come on, the Pats game is starting!”

“One second, just saying bye to mum!” He yells to Andy, and looks back at Paige, eyes pleading.

“Alright…he can still go with you.”

“Thank you.” Harry breathes. “His cousins would miss him terribly.”

“I know, I’d feel terrible doing that to him. I’m just trying to balance all of this. I wanna be a good partner to Noah, and somewhat of a mother figure to Rachel, but I don’t want Andy to feel like I’m favoring them over him. He comes first, he always will.”

“I’m sure he knows that.” He puts his hand on her shoulder. “Have a latke for me, yeah?”

“Yeah.” She smiles and gives his hand a squeeze before getting back into her car.

Harry heads inside and sits on the couch while Andy sits in his usual spot on the love seat, entranced by the football game.

“What was that all about? I heard shouting.”

“Could barely hear each other over the wind outside. Nothing to worry about. We were just confirming plans for your holiday break.”

“I’m still going to London, right?”

“Of course! No question about it.”

Andy smiles at Harry before returning his attention to the TV. Harry was usually very honest with Andy, but he didn’t need to worry him with any of the drama.

“You survived your first semester, congrats!” Janette says, popping a bottle of champagne as she walks into your office.

“Not over yet, I have finals to grade.”

“Whatever, the kids are gone, that’s something to celebrate.” She nods towards the plastic cups you keep in your office, and you grab two. “Any plans for the holidays? Going home at all?”

“Oh sure. Doing the Hanukkah thing with my folks, and then doing New Year’s in Boston with some friends.”

“Fun!”

“Wait.” Harry says, overhearing, grabbing the bottle for a swig. “You’re Jewish?”

“Yes?” You raise an eyebrow at him and take a sip from your cup.

“Brilliant. Paige’s boyfriend is Jewish, and I think it’s confusing for Andy. He doesn’t much like asking th guy questions, maybe he could talk to you sometime.”

“Sure.” You shrug. “Any plans for the holidays?”

“Yeah, Andy comes home to London for Christmas, and then I send him back for New Year’s with his mum.”

“You send him on the plane alone?”

“I haven’t always, but they let me walk him right to the gate, and he flies first class, so it’s very safe. They let his mum wait at the other gate too. I like to stay home for a few weeks if I can. I’m afraid I’m a bit of a mama’s boy.” He takes another swig of the bottle. “I am not looking forward to grading these papers. I really should just have each class do a presentation, can grade those right on the spot.”

“Tell me about it.” Janette groans. “My Advanced Comp class is going to be the death of me.”

“Well, clearly this champagne is going to keep us all awake enough to get through it.”

The three of you stand there laughing. You were looking forward to the long winter break. It would give you plenty of time to work on your research, and you wouldn’t be disturbed by any students popping in and out of your office, as much as you enjoyed the chats.

It was the beginning of January, there you were, working away in your office. You had a long flowy dress on, for some reason, and your door bursts open.

“Y/N! I’ve traveled across the pond for you!”

“Harry! You’re back.”

“That’s right, darling, I’m back.” He pushes everything off your desk, walks around to your and pulls you close to him. He crashes his mouth to yours.

“Oh, Harry.” You moan.

“Oh, Y/N.” He moans back before laying you on your desk. “I’m going to make you feel so good.” He rips your dress of and kneels in front of you, diving his head between your legs.

You wake up in a cold sweat, panting. Your eyes snap open and you grimace. Your legs feel sweaty, so you kick your blankets off.

“What the fuck?” You say to yourself as you sit up. Harry was attractive, but you never once fantasized about him. You reach between your legs and gasp. “Did I just fucking have a wet dream?!” You lick at your sticky fingers and shake your head in disbelief. “Shower, go shower Y/N.” You were talking to yourself, yes, but it was needed to help you calm down.

You were incredibly embarrassed. Harry was your friend, not someone you wanted to fuck, and certainly not on your desk in your office at work. Most people would be turned off, but doing it in a professional place was a big turn off for you. The idea of getting caught was also not a turn on for you. If you were ever caught you could be fired, and it just wasn’t worth it. Neither was dating a colleague. It wasn’t against the rules or anything, nor was it frowned upon, but dating in the workplace could lead to a lot of problems. You had a PhD on the line. Maybe it was time to just suck it up and go for a one night stand.

You had forgotten all about your dream by the time the January faculty meeting hit. That is, until Harry was the last to walk in. Your face flushes immediately. His hair was a little longer, and he had a bit of scruff that he normally wouldn’t have. He smiles and says hello to a couple of people, and then sits down right next to you.

“Hi.” He whispers with a smile.

“Hello.” You swallow and don’t look at him.

“How was your-“

“Can we get started?” Lisa addresses the group. “Much to go over, we need to start talking about the fall schedule.”

You were grateful for the distraction of the discussion, but you felt Harry’s eyes burn into you every few moments. He had to have known you were acting weird, you wouldn’t fucking look at him. Even if you thought to try, you just couldn’t. Two hours later, and the meeting finally ends. You gather your things quickly and head out, and down to your office. Just as you’re able to take a deep breath, you look up and see Harry standing in your doorway, hands in his pockets, squinting at you.

“Are we good?” He asks.

“Um.” You focus on the space behind him. “Yes, why wouldn’t we be?”

“Because you refuse to look at me. Even now, you’re not really looking at me.” He shifts his weight so he’s stand up normally. “Are you mad because I didn’t reach out over break?”

“What? No! I could care less about that, it wasn’t like I reached out to you.”

“So…what is it then? You make eye contact all the time, it’s not like you to not.”

“I…” You suck both of your lips into your mouth. “It’s nothing, it’s stupid, I’m being stupid.”

“If it’s stupid then just tell me.” He comes in and sits down on your loveseat.

“Harry, please.” You shake your head and sit down in your desk chair.

“Come on, Y/N. Clearly something’s bothering you.”

“Ugh.” You groan and get up to close your door. You sit on the edge of your desk. “I…had a rather odd dream a week or so ago…”

“Okay?”

“And you were in it.” You whisper.

“What was I doing in your dream?” He whispers back.

“That’s just it, I don’t know.” You rest your chin in your palm as you cross your arms over your chest.

“Well I must have done something to make you not even look at me. Did I hurt you, do something scary?”

“No…I suppose I wouldn’t call it scary, but I was certainly disturbed when I woke up.”

“What then?” A smirk grows on his face. “Don’t tell me you had a sex dream or something.” When your face stays the way it is his smile fades. “You had a sex dream about me?” You nod yes. “Where were we?”

“Here.”

“In your office?!”

“Shh!” You swat your hands in his direction. “Do you want the building to hear?”

“You had a dream that we fucked in your office?”

“Well, it wasn’t fucking per say…you sort of…I don’t know…it doesn’t matter.”

“No tell me, let’s talk this through.”

“You wiped everything off my desk, ripped my clothes off, sat me on top, and then…” You wince slightly. “You sort of…got your head between my legs, and then I woke up.” You say the rest of it quickly. “And I was utterly concerned when I woke up because I swear I don’t see you that way, Harry. You’re my friend, just my friend. I forgot all about it, and then I saw you and got all embarrassed again.”

He stands up from his seat and gives you a shy smile.

“It was just a dream, you don’t need to be embarrassed. We’re adults, yeah? Let’s act like it.”

“I just don’t want you thinking I’m some…sex maniac or something.”

“I don’t.”

“Okay…I’m sorry if I worried you during the meeting. It really is good to see you, I’m glad you’re back. We could have lunch soon, I’d love to hear about London.”

“Yeah, maybe.” He smiles, but you can tell it’s fake.

He heads out and goes into his own office, closing the door behind him. For whatever reason, your words hurt him. Just my friend rang through his mind. It wasn’t as though it were a lie, you were just friends, but you made it clear you didn’t want him to be the one between your legs in a dream. At first he was flattered, but now…well, now he just felt sad. Was he not good enough to be the one to get you off? Even if in a dream? He hears a knock on the door.

“Yes?”

You open it slowly.

“I hurt your feelings…”

“A little.” He admits. “Not sure why, though.”

“I just didn’t want you to think I was objectifying you.”

“It was a dream, Y/N, you have zero control over it.”

“But I must have been thinking of you subconsciously, right? Isn’t that how that works?”

“Okay, so maybe you were thinking of me and maybe that got mixed in with…whatever else.”

“I just don’t want you thinking I want to fuck you, that’s all.”

“That doesn’t make me feel better.” He mumbles.

“You want me to want to fuck you?!”

“Now who’d being loud?!”

“Sorry…”

“It’s just, well, how would you feel if I told you I didn’t want to fuck you, you probably wouldn’t feel too great about yourself.”

“It’s not that you’re not attractive, Harry-“

“This is making it worse.” He runs his hands over his face and looks at you. “It was just a dream, nothing to worry about, okay?”

“Things won’t be weird between us?”

“No.”

“You promise?”

“I promise.”

“I’m really sorry. I shouldn’t have acted the way I did in that meeting, then we wouldn’t have needed to talk about it.”

“Did you tell Janette?”

“I resent that, just because I’m close with her doesn’t mean she knows every bit of my business.”

“I just didn’t know if I should be expecting some teasing from her.”

“No, none, and you better not tease me either.”

“I won’t.” He smiles. “London was good by the way…”

“Good, I’m glad.” You smile at him. “Talk later?”

“Yeah.”

“Not that I’m not happy to be out with the two of you, but why are the three of us out to dinner?” Andy asks.

“Mum and I thought it would be nice to see what you wanted to do for your February vacation. Usually you come see me and we go skiing, but mum knows how to ski too-“

“You’re canceling our trip?!”

“No! We were just thinking mum could take you this year.”

“But it’s your cabin.”

“And I don’t mind sharing.”

“Andy…I thought it would be nice for the four of us to go together. Noah knows how to snowboard, and Rachel wants to take a skiing lesson.”

“Great, so now this going to be a huge family trip? I don’t wanna do that, Mum.” Andy groans.

“Andy.” Harry sighs. “I think Mum and I have been very accommodating to you this year. Could you please just try to help us out a little? Do you know how many kids would kill to have their parents take them on a ski trip for their breaks?”

“I’m not trying to be ungrateful, I’m sorry.” He looks down at his plate and then back up to Harry. “Can’t you still come? The house is big enough.”

“It’s not a bad idea, Har.” Paige says to him and his eyes widen.

“Would Noah and Rachel feel comfortable with that? I wouldn’t want to overstep…”

“I’ll talk to them, I can’t see either of them feeling weird about it. She refers to you as Uncle Harry as it is, and it’s your cabin, I don’t think Noah would care.”

“Would you be alright with it?”

“Sure.” She shrugs. “There’s that spare room on the other end of the house, so you could have your own space and the kids could stay in the bunk room.”

“Wait, so this is happening?” Andy perks up. “You’d really come, Dad?”

“Yeah, if it’s not weird for anyone, I’m in.”

Andy gets up from the table and moves to hug both Harry and Paige, both of them looking at each other surprised. They give each other mental high fives for being able to figure things out.

“I’m really excited now.” Andy says as he sits back down.

“Okay, now that we’ve got that out of the way…” Paige grins and looks back at one of the waitresses, giving her a nod. Happy birthday starts being sung throughout the restaurant.

“Oh my god.” Harry closes his eyes and groans. “This dinner wasn’t about me…”

“Nonsense.” She chuckles. “How often do we all get to celebrate together?”

A small cake with candles is brought over in front of Harry. The singing continues and he feels thoroughly embarrassed.

“Wanna help me blow ‘em out?” He asks Andy.

“Yeah!” He leans over and blows out the candles and the restaurant claps.

Harry looks at Paige and shakes his head. She laughs and thanks the waitresses.

“Andy, go get in Dad’s lap, I’ll take your picture together. I’ve got your gift for him in the car too, I’ll go get it.” Andy crawls into Harry’s lap, and Paige uses Harry’s phone to snap the photo. She beams when she looks at it. “You should get this one printed, it’s adorable.” She gets up and leaves to go get the gifts.

“Did you know about all this?” He says to Andy giving him a squeeze before letting him go.

“She just told me we were meeting you for dinner instead of going straight to your place.” He shrugs.

Paige returns shortly with a few cards and bags.

“Alright, this is from Rachel and Noah.”

“They didn’t have to get me anything…”

“They insisted!”

Harry takes the card out and smiles. Rachel had clearly drawn him a picture, it was cute. His smile grows wider when he takes a nail kit out of the small bag.

“I was due for one of these, I’ll have to text Noah a thank you.” Harry opens the next bag and sees a card from Andy that he also drew. In the bag was a new set of pocket squares for his suits, that he desperately needed, some bandanas, scrunchies, and a gift card to his favorite clothing store. “Went all out son, thank you.”

“Thought your…what was the word you used, Mum?”

“Wardrobe.” She chuckles.

“Yeah! Thought your wardrobe could use an update.”

“Should I be offended?” He says, raising an eyebrow.

“I think you should be happy your son has your keen eye for fashion.” She slides another card over. “That one’s from me.”

“You’ve done enough.” He says before leaning over to kiss the top of Andy’s head.

“Just open it.”

Harry rolls his eyes and opens the card. He starts laughing. There was some joke about being close co-parents, and a gift card to one of his favorite restaurants.

“Thank you.”

“More than welcome.”

Andy hugs Paige goodbye in the parking lot before hopping in the backseat of Harry’s car.

“Were you surprised, Dad?”

“Very! Thank you again for the gifts, it was very thoughtful of you.”

“I’m more excited about going skiing now.”

“Sorry if we scared you. I just wanna make sure Mum gets to see you.”

“I know.” He sighs. “Hey, Dad?”

“Yeah?”

“How come Mum has Noah, but you don’t have anyone?”

“I have you.”

“You know what I mean.”

“I just…I don’t know, I don’t have much time for dating.”

“What do you do on the weekends when I’m not with you?”

“Sometimes I see friends, or I catch up on some grading, I clean up too. You’re gonna start doing more chores, that would be the ultimate birthday gift.”

“It’s okay if you wanna date, you know…”

“I don’t exactly need your permission.” He chuckles.

“I know…but I want you to know I’m okay with it.”

“Well, I appreciate that, thanks.”

When Harry walks into his office Monday morning he’s surprised to see a vase full of flowers. There’s a small card with it:

Happy Birthday, H!

- Y/N

Harry smiles to himself and smells the flowers, he couldn’t believe you remembered. He only mentioned it once when his birthday was. Thirty-two was off to a great start. He hangs his jacket up and gets his computer set up. His first class wasn’t until 9AM, so he had some time to prep and wake up a bit more before heading to the lecture hall. He sees you walk by on your way to your office.

“Oh! You’re here!” You had two coffees in your hands. “My gift wasn’t complete yet.” You walk in and hand him his coffee. “Black coffee.” You smile.

“Thank you, the flowers are lovely.”

“Not that I thought you needed more plants in here.” You joke. Harry had a fuck ton of plants in his office windowsill.

“Well excuse me for enjoying nature.” He scoffs, and takes a sip of his coffee. You sit down on the couch in his office.

“Did you have a good weekend?”

“I did, Paige and I took Andy out to dinner to talk about his February break, and it turned into a little surprise birthday thing, it was nice. Can’t remember the last time we did something like that as a family. I mean, we have shared birthday parties for him and stuff, but I think he enjoys when it’s just the three of us.”

“If you don’t mind me asking…did he ever know the two of you as a couple?”

“No.” Harry sighs. “I think he was almost two when she and I called it quits. Now look at us, we’re all going on a ski trip together, including her boyfriend and his daughter.”

“That won’t be weird?”

“Not really, I’ve known Noah a while.”

“How long have they been together?”

“Well, they’ve been a couple for almost three years, but they were friends beforehand. He’s one of the lawyers at the office she works at. He came on, like, a year after she and I split, they were friends for a while, and I think once he knew she and I weren’t getting back together he made his move.” Harry shrugs. “No skin off my nose, I just wanted her to be happy. His daughter Rachel is as cute as a button too.” He takes another sip of his coffee. “Poor thing, her mum died in a car accident when she was really little. Paige is a great mum, so it was a good fit for everyone I think. The only thing I don’t love is that Noah is, like, almost forty.”

“How old is Paige?”

“Almost thirty-four, so it’s not super weird, but…I think that’s another reason why he waited to ask her out, you know?”

“I’m surprised he doesn’t have his own cabin to take her too.”

“Nope, just a massive house on the lake.” Harry chuckles and looks at his flowers again. “Thank you again for these, it was a nice surprise.”

“Oh, don’t mention it.” She sips her own coffee and gets up to go to her own office.

“How’d you know I’d like these?”

“Everyone likes getting flowers, Harry.” She smiles and leaves.

Harry had cancelled his classes during the week of Andy’s February break like he always did. He had forum posts for them to work in in his absence. Going to the cabin wasn’t ask awkward as he thought, and it was good bonding for Rachel and Andy. Harry, Noah, and Paige could hear the two of them giggling as they watched movies at night, it was sweet. Harry mostly stuck with skiing with Andy during the day, and he and Paige took him for a run or two as well. As Andy got older co-parenting got easier, for whatever reason. Any lingering feelings between Harry and Paige had simply fizzled into a normal friendship. There was no malice between them which was good for Andy to see.

“Uncle Harry?” Rachel asks one night at dinner.

“Yes, love?”

“How come you have an accent, but Andy doesn’t?”

“Because Andy wasn’t born and raised in a country where people sound like me. Although sometimes you sound like me when you’ve been around me a lot.” Harry looks at Andy.

“My friends tease me for how I say pasta sometimes.” He chuckles. “I say that like you.”

“It’s true! You say taco like Dad too. It’s pretty funny.”

“Well, those are my two favorite foods so it makes sense.”

“How come you have so many tattoos?” Rachel asks.

“Honey, tattoos can be really personal.” Noah explains.

“It’s alright, I got a lot of them when I was younger. Think my last one was when Andy was born, got his initials my forearm.” He extends his arm out.

“Harry.” Paige clears her throat, nodding towards his mermaid tattoo and shakes her head no.

“Oop! Sorry.” He blushes. “Sometimes I forget she’s there.” He chuckles.

“Can we paint nails after dinner, Uncle Harry?” Rachel pleads.

“Sure! Brought that nail kit you and Dad so nicely got for me.”

“Yay! It’s okay, right, Daddy?”

“Of course, princess.” Noah says lovingly towards his daughter.

After dinner, Harry sits with Rachel at the kitchen table, to not make a mess, while Paige, Noah, and Andy sit in the living room watching TV. On the outside looking in the scene may be odd, but this was working well for all of them. Andy was having a good time and that was all Harry cared about.

It was a Thursday night, you both swiped right, and you met him at a bar. After a few drinks you climbed into the backseat of his car and before you knew it you were bouncing up and down on his dick while he pressed hot kisses to your neck. His name was Gabriel, and he was just what you needed right now. Or he would have been if he had been able to last a moment longer. You were so close, and he came into the condom before you had a chance to have your own release. He didn’t even ask if you got yours, he just kissed your cheek and lifted you off him.

“Care to take this back to my place?” He says.

“Think I’ve had enough for one night, thanks.” You say as you button your pants back up.

“Let me at least drive you home.”

“No, that’s okay, I can take an uber.” You get out of his car and slam the door shut. He gets out and looks at you, you turn around and look at him.

“Another time?”

“No, I don’t think so.” You say bluntly and his face falls.

“Thought we just had a nice time.”

“You had a nice time because you got to finish.” You huff as you fix your jacket. You take your phone out and order your ride.

“Thought you did, my bad.”

“Right.” The car pulls up, and you get in.

This is why you hated doing things like this. Men on these dating apps just wanted to get theirs. They just wanted a place to stick it and they didn’t care if you were left satisfied or not. You take a nice, long shower when you get back, scrubbing the smell of Gabriel away from you. You grimace when you see the kiss mark he left on your collar bone. Luckily a shirt and scarf would cover it, and it didn’t look like it would last longer than a couple of days anyways.

“Well, were you being vocal about what you needed?” Janette asks you as she sits on the edge of your desk Monday morning.

“I said things like right there or like that…he didn’t even warn me that he was coming, he just did. Then he wanted me to come back to his place with him…”

“Maybe he would have put on a better show for you.”

“The previews certainly didn’t leave me wanting to see more.”

“Preview for what.” Harry says, peeping his head in. He had a slight tan from skiing, and it was sort of cute.

“Y/N saw a really bad preview for this movie about this loser, that’s all.” Janette says. “How was your week away?”

“Actually, not too bad. I think it was good for us to all do something together. Andy had a great time, that’s all I cared about. He even agreed to be with his mum for the entire April vacation.”

“Oh? What’s she going to take him to do?” You ask.

“They’re gonna go to New York to see some shows, I thought it was a great idea. It’ll be good for him to get some real culture.”

“And that’s not a trip you wanted to join in on?” Janette smirks.

“Hmm, large cabin where I have my own space or cramped hotel room?” He weighs his option. “I’ll take the bitter cold and the cabin, thanks.”

“What do you think you’ll do while he’s away?” You ask.

“No idea, I’ve got time to figure it out. Honestly, it’s perfect timing because that’s right during advising weeks so I’ll actually be able to help my students without him sitting in the corner complaining that he’s bored.” He rolls his eyes. “I don’t what’s gonna turn my hair grey first, him or the college students.”

“Oh please.” Janette groans. “Men look so much better with a little grey, makes you look distinguished, it’s us who look like old crones when we let our greys out. I don’t wanna hear it.” She shakes her head and looks at her watch. “Gotta get ready for my next class, so you later.”

“Is it true?”

“What?”

“Do men look better with a little grey.” He runs a hand through his hair.

“Depends on the guy, I think. I mean, I’m twenty-six so a little grey wouldn’t scare me away, but I’m not exactly looking for a silver fox.” You laugh and so does he.

“I missed your sense of humor last week. As good of a time it was, I felt like I had to be very careful about the jokes I cracked.”

“Well, no need for a filter here.”

Harry nods and goes into his own office. He thinks for a moment and then peeps his head back into yours.

“So, what movie preview did you see that you didn’t like?”

“What?”

“When I first came in, you and Jan were talking about-“

“Oh! Um, it was so bad I don’t even remember the name.” You tug slightly at your scarf out of nerves.

“Too bad, I could’ve searched it and had a good laugh.” He shrugs and leaves again.

Sometimes you wondered what Harry’s dating life was like, not that it was any of your business. He had mentioned a couple of times he didn’t make a lot of time for it, but what about one night stands? Did he make sure women got theirs when he was with them?

“I’m going to look like a fucking idiot compared to all of you.” You pout as you get your robe and hood on.

“You will not. Sort of miss the master’s robe, honestly, they’ve basically got pockets. You’ll have your doctoral one soon enough.” Harry says, putting on his own robes.

“I can never get this thing right, could you help me?”

“Of course.” He steps behind you and adjusts the blue hood for you.

“Do I need the cap? It’s just an honor’s ceremony.”

“You certainly do, and get used to it. This is one of three times a year you’ll need to put this on.”

“Three?”

“Grad commencement and undergrad commencement are separate ceremonies.”

“And we have to go to both?”

“We do.” He sighs. “You’re also not the only professor on this campus that isn’t a PhD yet, so don’t get down on yourself, yeah? You’re working towards it.” You turn towards him and his hands place gently on your shoulders.

“Thanks, Har.”

He smiles at the nickname and lets go of you. You and the other CM professors head over to the CM Honors Inductee Ceremony. It was a nice event for the honors students within the major. As soon as it ends you rip your cap off. You didn’t enjoy wearing it at all. You mingle with a few parents and take pictures with some of the students that wanted you in their photos.

“Y/N?” One of your students, Kayla, says.

“Yes?”

“I was wondering…for our final assignment, instead of writing you a paper about signs, could I make you a video instead?” She was in your Rhetoric and Semiotics class.

“Hmm, I think that could be really interesting. What would a video entail?”

“Well, I thought I could go to the grocery store and show unwritten rules, like how someone will put a divider down on the belt without having to be asked, or how when you go up to the deli you just grab a ticket, how branding works, stuff like that.”

“As long as you still send me a references page I think that could be fine. Of course, I’d have to show it to the rest of the class.”

“Deal.” She smiles. “Thanks.” You nod and then she walks away.

You head back to your office to hang your robe and hood up in your closet. You grab your back and smack right into your Harry.

“Jesus.” You say and back away. “I’m sorry, I didn’t even see you.”

“No, that was me, I was walking too fast.” He unzips his robe and hangs it up same as you in his own closet.

“Why were you in such a hurry?”

“Single mum at the ceremony got a little too liberal with the hugging, had to get out of there.” He chuckles. “You hungry?”

“I could eat.”

“Wanna go down to the pub? I don’t have Andy’s still in New York…”

“Sure! That sounds great, actually. Let me just drop all this off in my car.” He nods and you both walk down to the parking lot before walking the rest of the way to the pub.

You both sit down at the bar and order drinks. You both end up getting Mediterranean wraps, not feeling quite hungry enough for nachos this time around.

“Any summer plans yet? I know it’s early, but-“

“Paige and I need to sit down with Andy to figure all that out. He got to stay with me all year, so it would be make sense for him to be with her for the summer, but I have a feeling he won’t like that. School gets out in June for him so I’ve got some time…but I have a feeling it’s not going to be easy.”

“Why do you think he wants to be with you so much more?”

“I just think he’s at an age where maybe he feels more comfortable being with me. He’ll be eleven soon, changes are starting to happen.” He chuckles. “Maybe Paige and I could split up the summer or something.”

“How have his grades been? Wasn’t that part of the deal?”

“His marks have been great, he’s doing well. He has some great friends and he loves his teachers. He really enjoyed playing basketball this winter in the town league too.”

“Not that I’m an expert on custody agreements, but couldn’t you do what you’re doing now? Wednesdays and every other weekend with Paige, and the rest of the time with you?”

“He hates the back and forth in the summer, that’s why we agreed on summers with me. I mean, she still sees him in the summer, obviously, but he usually doesn’t have to go every other weekend. We’ll see.” He sighs. “We try to give him what he wants to not make waves, but at the end of the day we’re the parents and he’s the child and what we say goes.” He finishes off his drink and asks for another. “Need a refill?”

“Sure, I could probably handle two.” You shrug.

Two turned into three, then, four, and finally five. The sun had gone down and it was dark outside. You two had split a chocolate lava cake. The bar was starting to fill with college students.

“Holy shit, it’s almost ten!” You say. “Should probably go before some of these kids try to buy me a drink for a passing grade.” Harry laughs at that and agrees. You split the bill, and nearly lose your balance as you hop off the bar stool, clutching as his bicep.

“Wanna split an uber? I can’t drive, and I don’t think you can either.” He chuckles.

“Yeah, good idea. I’ll order it.”

“No, I’ve got it.” He takes his phone out as you both head outside. The car pulls up after a couple of minutes and you both get in. “We’ll drop you off first.”

“Alright.” You smile. “This was fun tonight. I like when we get to hang out.”

“Me too.” He smiles at you. “Can’t believe your first year is almost done.”

“I know, it’s really flown by.” You crane your neck from side to side and sigh. “Maybe now that I know the area better I’ll feel more comfortable trying to really meet someone.”

“Meet someone for what?” You look up at him, making a face as if the answer is obvious. “Oh! That’s cute you think you have time for a relationship.” He laughs.

“Excuse me?”

“Y/N, you spend all your free time on your research.”

“I just spent some free time with you, didn’t I? Janette and I go out, and-“

“Janette travels with Sadie in the summers.”

“Guess that leaves me stuck with you then.” You nudge him. “Actually, I’m hoping to go to Boston for a bit, visit friends and family. I’m hoping to get to the beach too. I love summer.”

“You should come hiking with me. Despite the black flies, May is great because it’s not humid yet.”

“Might have to take you up on that, I really enjoyed it this fall.” The car pulls up in front of your house. “Have a good night, Harry.”

“You too.” You both reach over and hug each other. “See you Monday.”

“See you Monday.” You smile and get out.

Once the school year was over, you sat with Lisa and went over your course evaluations. Overall you did really well, and she reaffirmed how happy she was that she hired you. She wishes you a happy summer, and that’s about it. You ask if you’re allowed to use your office in the summer, and she says yes but it gets really hot so it’s not as great as you may think.

Saturday night as you’re having your last girl’s night with Janette you get a text.

Harry: Hey! Know it’s last minute, but I’m taking Andy up Rattlesnake tomorrow morning, care to join?

Y/N: sure! As long as he doesn’t mind…

Harry: got his permission already, we’re all set ;)

You bite your bottom lip and smile, and Janette peaks over your shoulder to see what you could be smiling at.

“God, what a gift it would be if I come back in the fall and you two are dating.”

“Oh, stop.” You nudge her. “We’re friends.”

“Would it be bad to be more?”

“I don’t really think it’s a good idea to go out with someone you work with…”

“Good luck finding anyone else who’s decent around here then.”

“I could meet someone in Boston, do the long distance thing.”

“That gets old.”

“You’re doing it!”

“Yeah, but I’m more of a free spirit. Sadie and I don’t care about marriage or kids or a house in the hills. You, my sweet friend, would like all of those things.”

“True…” You finish your drink. “Well, if I don’t want to puke on this hike tomorrow I should probably get going.” You both stand and hug and kiss and wish each other fantastic summers.

You get a restful night’s sleep, and get yourself ready in the morning. You had invested in a pair of hiking boots in the fall, so you were feeling prepared. You put on a pair of spandex shorts, and put on some mesh shorts over those. You opt for a sweat resistant short sleeve shirt, and pull your ponytail through a baseball cap. You get everything in your small pack that you’ll need: sunglasses, sunscreen, water bottle, granola bar, rag, and bug spray. You drive out to the trail and park, lathering your arms and legs with sunscreen. You see Harry’s car pull up, and Andy hops out, bandana and clip keeping his hair back, just like Harry’s. Harry had a sleeveless shirt on and you could really see the definition in his shoulder muscles. You put your sunglasses on and head over to them.

“Morning, boys.” You smile.

“Morning.” Harry smiles back.

“Hi, Y/N.” Andy mumbles shyly.

“Hi, Andy. Dad told me you’re doing well in school. Bet you’re about ready to be done, huh?”

“Yeah, only a few more weeks.”

“Can’t believe he’s going into sixth grade. Makin’ me feel old.”

“You are old.” Andy giggles.

“Mhm, thanks.” Harry rolls his eyes. “Let’s get going, shall we?”

Andy walks a few paces ahead of you and Harry.

“His birthday is soon, yeah?”

“Yeah, next weekend, actually…um…Paige is hosting his party this year.” Andy looks back at Harry making a face, and Harry makes a face back at him.

“That’ll be fun.” You say, not noticing the exchange as you look at the various trees surrounding you.

“Yeah…it will be. Um…it’s Saturday afternoon…”

“Weather looking good?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s great. Probably still cold to swim at the lake, though, right?”

“Yeah, but the kids will still have a water balloon fight.”

“Dad, just ask her!” Andy groans as he turns around again.

“Ask me what?”

“He wants you to go with him to the party.”

“Andy!” Harry snaps at him. “Keep walking.”

Andy rolls his eyes and continues to walk ahead of you.

“Is that true, you want me to come?”

“Is that weird?”

“Not really.” You shrug. “Although, I’d only know you and Andy.” You chuckle.

“See…it’s just…Paige’s parents will be there, and that’s fine, but Noah’s parents are coming too, and it would be nice to have a buffer other than my son. He’ll be off playing games and eating junk good, I don’t want him to think he needs to babysit me…”

“I totally get it. I don’t think I have plans, I could go for a little while.”

“Really? I’m not asking too much?”

“Not at all, what are friends for?” You smile and he smiles back.

You walk a few paces ahead of Harry, but still behind Andy, giving Harry the perfect view of your bum in your shorts. He wasn’t staring, but he certainly wasn’t not looking. When you get up to the top your jaw drops. The view of the mountains and the lakes were even better in the late spring. You snap a few photos, taking one of Harry and Andy, Harry taking one of you looking out, and then you all sit down for some water and snacks.

“Andy, do you enjoy hiking with your Dad?”

“Yeah, it’s a lot of fun. We go a lot over the summer.”

“Andy’s hiked two of the 4,000 footers, hoping to get a couple more done this summer.”

“Wow! That’s incredible.”

“You should come with us, Y/N. We’re going to camp overnight at one of them.”

“Oh, you don’t wanna go camping with me, I’m a real snob. I need running water and indoor plumbing.”

“It has that.” Harry says, taking a sip of his water. “There’s bathroom, no shower or anything, but working toilets. You bring all your own camping gear. It’s pretty cool.”

“I’ll consider it. Think I should probably go on hikes that are longer than a mile up.” You laugh.

“You guys can do during the week now that school’s over, right?” Andy says.

“I wouldn’t want to exclude you, Andy.” You smile.

“Don’t worry about me.” He crunches down on his granola bar. He shares another look with Harry, but again it goes unnoticed by you, too busy looking out at the beauty of the mountains and lakes.

You all hike down the mountain in not time and say your goodbyes. Harry tells you he’ll text you with more details about the party later in the week.

“I told you she’d say yes.” Andy says from the backseat of the car.

“I wish you had let me work up to it a little more.”

“You were taking too long. Sometimes you just need to pull the trigger, Dad.”

“Is that so?” Harry laughs. “Things are a little more complicated at my age. Sort of awkward asking a colleague out on a date.”

“If you two are friends does that make it a date?”

“Well, she’ll be attending with me, so that makes her my date.”

“Does that mean you’ll kiss her goodnight?”

“Andy!” Harry looks back for a moment and then gets his eyes back on the road. “No, I’m not going to kiss her. You heard her, what are friends for, that’s all she sees me as.” He sighs to himself.

“That’s why you need to step up your game.”

“Son, do me a favor?”

“Yeah?”

“Just, shut up for the rest of the drive home.”

Andy bursts out laughing, but does as Harry asks, knowing he’s being a bit annoying.

It was a beautiful day on Saturday, but you were worried about being cold out by the water, so you opt for a pair of high-waist jean capris that flare a bit at the bottom. You find a sleeveless white blouse and pair it with a blue cardigan. You put your hair up in your two buns, and throw on a pair of wedges.

Harry: I’m outside

“Shit.” You say, just finishing your makeup. You run around, grabbing your purse, and the box you had wrapped for Andy’s gift, and head out.

You open the passenger seat and get settled, smiling at Harry.

“You didn’t have to get him anything.”

“I know, it’s just a new basketball. I saw it at WalMart when I was picking up a card. I hate showing up to these things empty handed. What did you get him?”

“A new bike.” He grins. “It’s in his mum’s garage already.”

“Oh! He’ll be so excited. He skateboard too right?”

“Yeah, I really don’t know where he gets his coordination from. Other than skiing I’m pretty clumsy.”

“Don’t you go to a boxing gym?”

“Yeah, and I look like a proper oaf.” He laughs and looks at you. “You look nice by the way. Your outfits are always so put together.”

“Oh, um, thanks.” You blush slightly. You wanted to tell him that you did your hair the way you did because you know he sort of likes it, but you thought that might be a weird thing to say. “Does, um, Paige know you’re bringing me?”

“She does.” Harry nods. “You’re not, like, nervous to meet her are you?”

“No.” You scoff. “Why would I be?”

“I don’t know.” You shrug. “What did you say to her about me?”

“Well, before I got a chance to say anything last night when she picked Andy up, he spilled the beans.” He rolls his eyes. “So I told her you’re a friend from work…is that okay?”

“Yeah, that’s what I am so it makes sense.” You drum your fingers on top of the box to the beat of the music. “None of your family will be there?”

“They’re going to FaceTime in for it. They came for his tenth birthday since it’s a bit more sentimental.”

“Do you miss them?”

“Oh sure, but I love here too much to go back permanently. I like going during winter break, that’s enough.”

“You don’t go during the summer?”

“Sometimes I do and sometimes I don’t. Sometimes they come to visit here during the summer too. My sister has two kids of her own so it’s not always easy to travel.” You nod your head. “You know, I’ve known you almost a year and I don’t know a thing about your family.”

“What’s there to know? My parents are still together, somehow, I’ve got an older brother who’s a sous chef at a restaurant in Boston. He’s not married, but he has a partner and he’s just lovely. I usually stay with them if I go home for a visit.”

“That’s great! How much older is he?”

“He’s around your age, actually, so not a huge age difference.”

“And when’s your birthday?”

“Beginning of August.” You grin.

“Wow, so you had just turned twenty-six when you came to us.”

“Pretty much, got hired at twenty-five, not too shabby.”

“Not at all.”

The conversation went on for the entire drive. That’s how it always was with you two, always a lot to talk about. When you get out of the car you’re able to get a good look at Harry’s outfit. His outfits were usually well crafted, you’d call his style dad-chic. He was in a pair of tan slacks that he had cuffed at the bottom, a pair of white loafers to go with them, a white tank top tucked in with a floral open short-sleeve button up. Very handsome. You smile at each other and then he leads you around back to where the party was. You weren’t the first people there, but you weren’t the last either.

“Dad!” Andy exclaims and runs over to you both. Harry picks him up and swings him around before setting him down.

“Happy birthday, kiddo.”

“Thanks! Look, all my friends from school came.” He points over to them. Harry recognizes Brandon and his father out of the bunch.

“That’s great, bud, let us come in and say hi to everyone, can you say hi to Y/N?”

“Hi, thanks for coming.” He gives you a surprising hug.

“Oh! You’re welcome, Andy. Happy birthday.”

He runs back over to his friends and you walk further into the backyard. It was stunning. Grass that led to sand that led to the lake water. A boat parked further down by the docks, and just gorgeous views for miles. The house itself was huge, you couldn’t believe it.

“Harry!” A woman, who you would assume is Paige, comes waking over. She was beautiful. Shoulder length blonde hair, sort of thin, but not quite a stick. She was wearing a yellow sundress. Her and Harry share a slight hug. “He’s eleven.” She pouts.

“He’s eleven.” Harry agrees with a sigh. “Oh, this is Y/N. Y/N this is Paige, Andy’s mum.”

“It’s so nice to meet you.” She says to you. “Let me take that for you, thank you for bringing him something. I’ll put this with the others.” She takes the box from you. “There’s wine and beer for the adults if you like, but we also have soda and water if you’re not up for drinking. I certainly had a glass after my folks showed up.”

“Did your mother put her white glove on and see if there was any dust?” Harry teases her.

“She may as well have.” Paige rolls her eyes.

Harry puts his hand on the small of your back and leads you closer into the party.

“This is a lovely home.”

“Oh, thank you. I sort of inherited it. It’s was my grandparents’.” She sets your gift on the table with the others. “There’s snacks inside and outside. Feel free to hangout wherever.”

“Where exactly are your parents?” Harry asks.

“Up on the deck.” Paige points up towards it. “Feel free to avoid them as long as you like. They’re speaking with Noah’s parents at the moment. My sister should be here soon.” She looks at her watch. “I’m gonna go check on some things.”

“Alright, love, thanks.” They smile at each other. You get a bad taste in your mouth hearing him call her love, for whatever reason. “Wanna meet some of the parents. I know that guy, Ed, the best. He’s Brandon’s dad, Andy’s best friend.”

“Sure.” You nod and Harry leads you over. “I never quite understood why some parents stay at kids parties.”

“Well…look around you, wouldn’t you wanna hang for a bit?”

“Got me there.”

“Harry, hi.” Ed shakes Harry’s hand.

“Good to see you, this is my friend Y/N, we work together at the university.”

“Hi.” You shake his hand.

“Great to meet you. Brandon was so excited when he got the invite. He and Andy get along so well.” The three of you watch them and the other kids playing tag.

“Born to be friends I’d say.” Harry says.

“Uncle Harry!” A young girl comes running over to Harry and he picks her up, kissing her check, and then setting her down.

“Hi, Rachel, can you say hello to my friend Y/N?”

“Hello.” She beams up at you, a couple of teeth missing. “My grammy and grampy are here.”

“Are they?” Harry says.

“Mhm, I love them a lot.”

“I’m sure they love you too, sweetheart. Are you having a good time for Andy’s birthday?”

“Yeah! We’re going to have a water balloon toss soon.”

“Oh, that’ll be fun!”

“Daddy said he’d be on my team for it.”

“Well, that’s good.”

She smiles again and then runs off.

“Your ex’s boyfriend’s daughter calls you Uncle Harry?” You ask.

“Yeah…she sort of started doing that on her own. She knows I’m Andy’s dad, but I don’t think it quite registers with her yet how we’re all mixed together.” He runs a hand through his hair. “Can I get you anything to drink?”

“A glass of white would be great, thank you.” Harry nods and leaves you standing with Ed.

“So, how long have you and H known each other?”

“Well, I started working at the university last August, so less than a year. We’re office neighbors.”

“Ah, how nice. He’s a really great guy, isn’t he? I coach the boys’ basketball team and he was the first to sign up for snack duty.”

“He’s definitely always thinking of others.”

“How long have you been seeing each other?”

“Oh, um, we’re not.” You shake your head. “He just asked me to come with him, ex in laws, you know?”

“Shit, I’m sorry for just assuming.”

“It’s alright.” You assure him. Harry comes over with a glass of wine for you and a bottle of beer for him.

“Sorry that took a moment, I ran into Noah inside and had to do the hellos. Still managed to not bump into Paige’s parents though, so that’s good.” He chuckles, taking a sip from his drink.

“Bad blood?” You ask.

“Even though things between Paige and I are perfectly fine, in their eyes, I’m always going to be the guy that got her pregnant and didn’t make an honest woman out of her.”

“That’s annoying.”

“Very.”

An hour or so passes and then Paige announces that the balloon toss will be beginning soon.

“Dad, be my partner?”

“You got it, buddy. Mind holding my drink?” He says to you.

“Not at all, have fun.” You smile.

More people had come down off the deck so they could watch. Some parents partnered with their kids, and other kids just partnered with kids. Everyone starts about a foot apart. This should be fun, you think, knowing Harry’s competitive nature.

“Would you look at Harry, he looks like an old man from Florida.” You hear a woman scoff.

“Notice how he’s been avoiding us, always a child.” You hear a man say, and this makes you turn towards them. They must be Paige’s parents.

Everyone playing was further apart now, some balloons had popped, but Harry and Andy were still in the game. The balloon pops at Rachel’s feet and she giggles loudly. There were only a few people now. You watch as Harry lobs the balloon perfectly to Andy, and Andy catches it with ease. It was Brandon and his dad vs. Harry and Andy now. Brandon overthrows it, causing the balloon to pop on the sand.

“We won!” Andy shouts running towards Harry.

“Great job.” Harry jostle’s Andy’s hair. Everyone cheers for them.

“What do you say, honey, cake and gifts now?” Paige asks Andy.

“Yeah.” He smiles.

All of the kids sit around a large glass table while Paige goes inside to get the cake. Harry walks back towards you and you hand him his beer.

“What were you saying about you have no coordination?”

“I had to win, it’s his birthday.” He laughs and then stops when he sees Paige’s parents. “Lydia, Nathan, how are you?”

“Oh, are you speaking with us now?” Lydia says playfully, giving him a hug. Harry shakes Nathan’s hand.

“You know how it is when you first get to a party, lots of excitement. I’d find you eventually.” He clears his throat. “This is Y/N, we work together at the university.”

“Hello.” You smile and they both look you up and down.

“How nice for you to bring a friend.” Nathan says, his tone laced with sarcasm.

“I’m gonna go see if she needs help with the cake.” Harry says to all of you, and you also decide to move away from the rude people you were standing with.

Paige and Harry stand on either side of Andy’s chair as everyone sings happy birthday. After cake the gifts come out. Noah takes Harry into the garage to grab the bike.

“Alright…this one is from…Y/N!” Paige says brightly as she hands the gift to Andy. He tears the wrapping paper off and gasps.

“Alright! A new basketball, thank you!” Andy says looking in your direction and you nod with a smile.

“Okay, Andy, Dad and I got you something really special.” Paige says pointing over to Harry who was wheeling the bike over. Andy’s jaw drops.

“Are you serious?!” He stand up and walks over to the bike.

“Know you’ve been wanting it for a while, and your grades have just been so good this year, we just had to do it. Mum’s got a new helmet, elbow and knee pads for you in the house.”

“Thank you so much!” He hugs Harry and then he hugs Paige.

“You’re more than welcome, baby doll.” Paige says to him and then he squirms away from her.

“Mum.” He huffs.

“Right, sorry, not in front of your friends.”

Paige’s sister helps her clean up the remains of the cake while the kids continue to play yard games. You find yourself sitting in a lawn chair when a man you have yet to meet takes the chair next to you, but you recognize him as Rachel’s father.

“We haven’t gotten to meet yet, I’m Noah.” He shakes your hand.

“I’m Y/N, nice to meet you.”

“Likewise.” He smiles. “I was happy to hear Harry was bringing someone with him. Takes a bit of the pressure off.”

“Exactly.” You nod.

“How’d you meet?”

“We’re office neighbors, I started working at the university less than a year ago.”

“Oh! Right, you went hiking with them last weekend.” He says in understanding. “Andy told us. He’s quite the gossip.”

You observe Noah as he speaks. His hair has turned to salt and pepper, definitely had crow’s feet, also wore glasses, but he had a warm and inviting smile, similar to his daughter’s.

“He certainly speaks his mind.” You chuckle. “He’s very sweet though, I have to say.”

“Very sweet. He’s a good kid. It’s nice for Rach to have someone to grow up with a little She adores him, definitely sees him as a big brother.”

“That’s good. I’ve always found blended families to be interesting. You all are doing it well.”

“Took us a while to get to this point, but it’s all been worth it.”

“Y/N?” You both turn to look at Harry. “Party’s starting to dissipate a bit, are you about ready to head out?”

“Sure!” You stand up. “It was nice talking to you.”

“Same here.” Noah stands up and gives Harry a thumbs up without you seeing.

You both say your goodbyes, Andy gives you another hug and says thank you again for the gift. Harry tells him he’ll see him Sunday night, and then you head to his car.

“Hope you didn’t mind when I had to leave to chat a couple of times.”

“Oh, it was fine. I enjoyed just hanging out. It was a beautiful day.” The sun was just starting to set.

“Yeah, I’m glad the weather was nice. I think it’s supposed to rain tomorrow.” He looks at you and then gets his attention back on the road. “You really did look nice today.”

“Thank you, Harry.” You smile and give his shoulder a squeeze.

“Am I…taking you straight home?”

You blink a couple of times before looking at him.

“Where else would we go?”

“Well, I’ve got a back deck of my own. We could sit out, enjoy the sunset…if you want.”

“That sounds nice, actually. Yeah, let’s do that.” You smile.

“Great.”

You notice his jaw and shoulders relax. Were you making him tense? You both listen to the music on the radio as he drives you to his home. You smile as he pulls up. It was a decent size ranch. Cream color paneling and red shutters, very cute.

“Here were are.” He says awkwardly as you both get out.

“Do I get a tour?”

“Of course!”

He unlocks the front door and leads you inside. There was an open concept kitchen and living area. The house smelled like fresh coffee. He noticed you taking a whiff.

“I have an automatic air freshener.” He says and you nod.

“I like it, should get one for my place.”

“There’s a full bath down the hall, Andy uses that, and then I have my own bathroom. Three bedrooms totally, and then you can see I technically have two levels, that’s what I use for my office.”

“It’s a huge loft.”

“Yeah, it’s partially why I bought the place. I didn’t feel cramped. Basement’s partially finished which will be great for Andy when he’s over if he wants to have parties or whatever. Uh, and then the deck is this way. Can I get you anything…I only have red wine, I know you like white…”

“Red’s fine, maybe just put an ice cube in it for me?”

“Can do, make yourself comfortable outside.” He smiles.

You slide the glass door open and smile. It was a decent sized deck. There was a small glass round table with chairs, a grill, and some Adirondack chairs as well. You sit in one of those after taking a glance at the flowers and plants he had in pots. You also notice the various flower beds he had in the yard.

“Here you go.” He says, sitting down next to you, handing you the glass of wine.

“Thank you.” You smile and take a sip. You cross your cardigan over yourself.

“Are you cold? I can get a blanket.”

“Oh, no I’m fine, thanks. It’s beautiful out here.”

“Thanks, took me a while to get it landscaped the way I like.” He lights the citronella candle on the small table between you to help keep any bugs away. “I’ve been thinking of getting an above ground pool for Andy, he loves to swim, but it’s a lot maintenance, and his mum as the lake right there.”

“That house is incredible.”

“Noah’s helped her revamp it quite a bit, and the boat’s his.” He takes a sip of his drink and looks at you. “Thanks again for coming today.”

“Of course, I had a really good time.” You smile.

“You’re not just saying that?”

“Not at all. It was nice to finally meet the people you’ve told me so much about.”

“Are you hungry or anything? I could bring some-“

“Harry.” You put your hand over his that was resting on the arm of the chair. “Relax, yeah? I’m all set, thank you.”

“Alright.” He blushes and looks straight ahead. You notice him check an app on his phone. “Are you free Tuesday morning?”

“I think so, why?”

“Weather’s looking good, how about we go on one of those longer hikes?”

“I’d like that.” You smile. “Anything special I’d need to back.”

“Just a lunch, maybe some T.P.”

“You’re funny if think I’m going to take a piss in the woods.”

“Everyone does it.” He shrugs. “Don’t worry, I’d keep lookout for you.”

“You men have it so easy, you can just whip your things out, go quick, and you’re all set. Me, I’d have to roll my pants down, squat, hope none of it got on my shoes, wipe, and then get dressed again.”

“I’ve had to do that before, sometimes you just need to take a shit in the woods.” You burst out laughing at that. “Course that only happened because I went out drinking the night before.”

“Good to know.” You wipe a tear from your eye. “But seriously, I’d love to go hiking with you Tuesday.”

“I know it was more so Andy that invited you on our little camping trip, but you’re welcome to join in on that if you feel comfortable.”

“I would just feel like I’m intruding on your quality time.”

“You wouldn’t be, he likes you…um…I like you.” Your head snaps in his direction and your eyebrows shoot up. “I mean, like, I like hanging out with you, is all.” He was internally cringing at himself.

“I like hanging out with you too.” You swallow. “I’m glad we’ve gotten to know each other so well. You’ve been a great help with my classes. You’re so progressive, not always using the same syllabus and being willing to make things work for the students. It’s refreshing.”

“Please, go on, the narcissist within me is loving it.” He smirks and you roll your eyes. “Don’t sell yourself short, you’re doing really well. I enjoyed observing your rhetoric class. It was a nice refresher. I hope you won’t work yourself to much this summer. I know it’s more time for research and writing, but it’s also time for you to clear your head.”

“Thanks, I’ll try to keep that in mind.” You finish off your wine just as the sun it setting, the light from the candle being the only thing to keep things bright enough to see.

“I can, uh, bring you home now if you want.”

“I could just get an uber so you don’t have to go out again.”

“Don’t be silly, it’s no trouble.”

Harry drives you home, and you find yourself lingering in the car.

“So…Tuesday?”

“Tuesday.” He smiles. “Bright and early.”

“How early?” You raise an eyebrow.”

“How’s six sound? I’ll come pick you up, we’ll get to the trailhead by 6:30. It’s always better to summit earlier in the day.”

“You’re the expert.” You shrug. “Works for me.”

You both lean across the console to give each other a hug a goodbye, like you normally would, only this time…you press your lips to his cheek before getting out of the car. His gaze stays fixed on you, and it’s not until you’re inside your building where he lightly presses his fingers to his cheek to feel where you kissed him.

#harry styles #office neighbors #harry styles series #harry styles au #harry styles imagine #harry styles fic #harry styles fanfic #harry styles x reader #harry styles x y/n #harry styles y/n #harry styles fluff #harry styles angst #harry styles smut #professor!harry #singledad!harry #professor!y/n

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baka-monarch · 4 years ago

Text

Honeyed Blood Over Fresh Snow

(btw this takes place back when Tommy moved out of Logstedshire and in with Techno)

(TRIGGER WARNINGS: DEATH, KILLING, MENTION OF SUICIDE)

____________________________________________

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Came Fundy's voice from behind the tiny hovering president.

"It should be fine, it's just Tommy" Tubbo had been sneaking off to Logstedshire for a while now, and had been planning this visit for weeks. The small bee hybrid had regretted exiling Tommy for a while, and during his few small hidden visits his guilt had grown even more. He couldn't bear to see his best friend- no- his brother suffering like he was. Tubbo didn't know why he had even listened to Dream in the first place, Tommy had a plan, one that Fundy and Quackity had even agreed with, to take down the smiling man- and now because of Tubbo, Tommy was suffering. "I have to talk to him. Alone."

"Yeah, but what if Thomas is mad at you- Tubbo you're not exactly- well your-" Quackity was quickly shut up as Tubbo cut him off with a glare.

"I'm tiny. I know." Tubbo shrugged. "But don't worry, I'm going in bee form and I can just fly away if it seems like he… like he…" Tubbo didn't want to think about what would happen if Tommy was mad at him. Flashbacks of the festival and the sounds of fireworks overtook his mind for a moment before he shook those memories away. "I'll be fine." At Tubbo's words he received worried looks from both Quackity and Fundy. "And if I somehow don't come back…" he looked to Quackity specifically, "Go through with it without me."

Quackity gave a curt nod, and before either of them could do or say anything, Tubbo was transforming into his bee form and buzzing away. The only thoughts running through Tubbo's mind as he flew above the water was his worry for Tommy. His friend had been forced to be alone with only Dream for weeks now, and Tubbo hadn't even properly visited them- who knew what all happened in that small camp Tommy had built. The bee boy felt guilty for what he did, he wanted to make it up to Tommy by finally talking to them after all this time. Who knows, maybe Tommy would forgive him for practically betraying their friendship at the hands of the green man they've always been against. Ever since Wilbur, through the wars, the disks, everything- they had always been together against Dream and now Tubbo had joined their enemy's side and exiled his best friend. He had to fix this.

As Tubbo flew closer to Logstedshire an uneasy feeling began to creep it's way up his fuzzy back. Something was… off. He couldn't hear Tommy- yes his friend had been getting more quieter based off the few times Tubbo had spied on them, but Tommy was never the type of person to let a silence hang, always preferring to fill it with some sort of noise, whether it was their own voice or the sound of music. Then there was what Tubbo was beginning to see- on the shore was a small table, chairs, and other things as if someone had been preparing for a party… and the closer Tubbo flew the more his eyes teared up. He began to see a small crater and a decimated house, the one he thought Tommy had been living in. Why was it blown up? Why would Tommy… why would anyone…

Then he saw it. How could Tubbo miss it? The tall structure making the bee freeze at the sight as he looked up and up and up and up-

Tubbo's breathing sped up. "No…" he buzzed to himself, too overwhelmed to turn back into his more human-esc form. "No no no no no…. Please NO!!!" He flew over to the bottom and began searching. "Surely not- he didn't- he couldn't have- he he he…." There was a compass on the ground. "No…." Tubbo landed on it, and sure enough engraved to the side was 'Your Tubbo'.

The small bee felt his entire world crashing down around him. He couldn't do this- he couldn't- couldn't be here. With all those thoughts and images of Tommy falling plaguing his mind Tubbo began to fly- to fly as fast as he possibly fucking could away from that cursed place. He had to get away from there. He didn't care where he flew, he didn't even pay attention to his surroundings as he flew and flew as fast as his tiny wings could buzz forth. Screaming out a buzz of agony that only he could hear.

Tubbo could painfully remember thousands of times he'd land on Tommy's nose and be teased about being clingy, only for Tommy to then rest a hand over him to keep him there. Memories of getting tangled in Tommy's never ending curling hair, and laughing as his human friend complained. All the times Tubbo would forget about flying and would be caught in the warm familiar hands of his brother. Hundreds of times Tubbo would bury his way into Tommy's pocket and take a nap. Their time in POGtopia whenever Tubbo wasn't with Schlatt and got to stay in the ravine, there wasn't enough supplies and they had to share a bed, and Tubbo would always wake up being gently cuddled…. And Tommy's laughter, it filled his head and-

Tubbo paused his fruitless flying and realized he was now in the tundra, near a small house he didn't recognize. He looked up hearing a far too familiar sound that shattered his heart.

Tommy's laughter… It filled the frozen air and warmed it too much for the small bee, and as he looked over he was overwhelmed with emotions as he saw Tommy- standing there, smiling, ALIVE. Tubbo didn't even hesitate to fly over to Tommy, not caring that Technoblade was there too, not caring that his emotions were too overwhelming to not turn back into his human form, and not caring if Tommy was mad at him. Tommy was alive and that's all that mattered- all Tubbo wanted to do was to never leave Tommy's side, fuck the excile, fuck Dream, all be dammed he was going to stay with his friend and make sure nothing like what he thought happened at that tower would happen again.

"Fucking annoying bees…" Tommy absantmindedly swatted at what must've been an escaped bee as it annoyingly buzzed around his head. Tubbo didn't care as he dodged the hand, he'd just stay flying around Tommy until his emotions were in control, he could turn back, and explain. The bee continued to fly around Tommy's head, and Tommy continued to swat at Tubbo, not realizing it was his friend yet.

"Tommy, stop messing with the bees!" Came Techno's voice, and it distracted Tubbo. In that millisecond of hesitation Tubbo didn't see the hand coming, and suddenly he was smacked out of the air and fell down into the snow.

The next few moments almost seemed to happen in slow motion. Tubbo didn't even have any time to scream as he looked up to see Tommy barely even noticing him, just having this annoyed look on their face. The bee boy looked up more, and paled in horror as he saw the Sketcher tennis shoe raise up. Tubbo opened his mouth to scream, he turned back instantaneously, but it didn't matter as the shoe slammed down onto him. Tubbo felt his bones crush and crack, blood bursting out of him in some places, and he couldn't even scream as he was choking on that blood with a lung being either torn or popped…He couldn't tell. It didn't matter as the shoe pressed into the ground, as if trying to smear him down, and Tommy… Tommy turned away, not even looking down or noticing what they'd done. As if he'd squished just another random bug.

"Alright alright, they're annoying anyways-" Was the last thing Tubbo heard Tommy say as the human walked away…

•••

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM!?!" Quackity screamed at Tommy as soon as he saw them, they're invisibility potion having worn off along with Techno's pot.

"What are you talking about!?" Tommy yelled back, he quickly scrambled behind The Blade. They'd just come sneaking into L'manburg for some supplies, he didn't think this whole Butcher Army thing would come out of nowhere and yell at them.

"Tubbo!! Where the fuck is he Tommy!?" Quackity continued to yell.

"I don't know what you're talking about, I haven't seen him since I was exiled!!" Tommy yelled back. Quackity just gave Tommy a confused look.

"Tommy… Tubbo went to visit you a week ago and didn't come back…" Fundy spoke up sadly. Tommy paused at that.

"What do you mean? I- I didn't see him..?" Tommy looked up at Techno.

"Don't look at me kid, I didn't do anything to yer little tyrant" Techno shrugged, but he could already see the panic starting to form on Tommy's face.

"You really don't know what happened?" Quackity dropped his weapon to his side. As much as he wanted to finish off Techno right now, Tommy was starting to worry him. "He went in bee form, so no weird bees either?"

"No, no I didn't…." Suddenly, Tommy froze, parking as he remembered something he did a week ago. "No… no no no, fuck NO!!" It was then that Tommy turned and ran back to the nether portal, ignoring the shouting from Techno and The Butcher Army as they ran after him. The teen's mind was a swirl of fear, he couldn't have not to Tubbo- never to Tubbo. There's no way that he…That he…

No, no. Tommy would never have hurt Tubbo, not even unintentionally. He'd even promised back during POGtopia that no matter what happens, he would never hurt Tubbo, not even by accident. Never would he ever… never, just- he could never…

As soon as Tommy saw Techno's house he ran straight to the bee farm and fell to the ground in front of it. The place where he'd done it now stuck in his mind. He began to dig into the snow, only speeding up more as his fingers got covered in red blood that was in the snow until- Tommy let out a sob.

They didn't even look dirty, the snow seemed to have melted a bit around where their body was and had washed off any blood or mud that could have been on them. Tommy gingerly scooped Tubbo's body up into his hands. They were cold… too cold. Their body was so limp that Tommy felt like he was holding more of a rag doll then… then his best friend…

Tommy screamed.

He sobbed.

He hugged Tubbo's body to his chest.

But Tubbo was dead.

____________________________________________

Mcyt g/t tag list:

@nomynameisanon @trashpumped @loriepoptale @encaos @i-am-a-weeb @wyforyu-gaming @shy-septic-dragon @5unfl0writ3r @colorfulsiren @moonmwah @iwasgoingtohellanyways @echoslime @wilbur-simp @trouble-off-grid @the-misfits-system @lilsyxx

#mcyt g/t #mcytg/t #tiny!tubbo #bee!tubbo #g/t tommy #tw death #tw killing #tw suicide mention

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vannahfanfics · 3 years ago

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Before you read, here’s the previous chapter.

A Dream Unbroken

Ao3

Chapter 1: The Beginning

The rain drizzled down from the cloudy-gray sky, dusting Naruto in miniscule droplets as he trotted down the sidewalk. The soles of his tennis shoes scraped against the slick, dark gray concrete and the weeds poking through the cracks. Alongside him, cars threw up mists of water as they rolled down the road; their tires bumped over the potholes and uneven pavement to make the automobile creak and groan. Thunder rumbled in the distance, sounding like the faraway footsteps of giants.

Naruto would stand upon the shoulders of those giants one day, but for now… he needed to practice.

The door to the gym was unlocked, as he expected it to be. Naruto pulled down the hood of his rain jacket to shake out his fluffy blond hair, dusting the air with water vapor. He slipped out of the jacket to hang it on the set of metal hooks by the door, leaving it to puddle water on the floor. His shoes squeaked across the smooth tile floor as he walked through the dark. He ran his hand along the wall, feeling the bumps and grooves of holes that had been filled in time and time again, until his fingertips hit the enamel surface of the light switch. He flipped it, and the fluorescents flickered to life.

The soft white glow bathed the boxing ring in an almost ethereal light, and Naruto inhaled with awe. Nothing ever prepared him for the adrenaline rush that gripped him when he gazed upon the ring, the way his nerves sang with the desire to fight. Naruto was born to box, plain and simple.

However, for the first time, apprehension coursed through him, too.

He grimaced as he reached around to paw at his shoulder. During his debut season last year, he’d gone up against a brutal opponent and suffered severe muscle damage that had ended his quest for glory before it had really begun. The physical rehabilitation had been agonizing, and though his recovery was nothing short of remarkable, he knew in his heart that his punches would never be the same.

Still, he thought, his gaze sliding to the punching bag hanging in the corner. I said I wasn’t down for the count, and I meant it! I’m gonna come back with a vengeance, believe it!

So, he trotted over to the hooks on the wall where several pairs of boxing gloves hung. He picked up his favorite pairs, sleek black ones with yellow bands across them, and then sat down on the small bench underneath the hooks. He fished his bottle of anti-inflammatories out of his pocket, popping two of the large white pills into his mouth and then leaning over to the nearby water fountain to slurp them down. He grimaced at the feeling of the pills sliding down his throat, like he were swallowing rocks; however, he knew he’d regret it if he didn’t take them before going a few rounds with the punching bag.

“Just gotta get back into shape, and soon I won’t need ‘em at all,” he told himself, though it probably wasn’t true. His shoulder twinged almost as if to protest his wishful thinking. “Stop it,” he scolded his muscles before sliding on the boxing gloves. He clenched his fists within, savoring the familiar feeling of the plush gloves enveloping his hands. “Oh yeah,” he grinned. “Oh, I missed this.”

He pushed himself off of the bench, punching the air a few times and beaming at the way it moved around the aerodynamic surface of the glove. How he had missed the sound of the air crumpling under the force of his strikes. He walked over to the ring, hopping up the small steps abutting the thick floor, and then slipped through the bright red ropes rimming the square space. A punching bag was suspended from the rafters, hanging down in the middle of the ring and practically begging for Naruto to hit it.

So he did, delivering a solid left hook that had it swinging wildly on the chain. Naruto grinned as the jingling sound filled the air. The soles of his tennis shoes scraped across the scuffed surface of the boxing ring as she swiftly side-stepped the swaying sand-filled bag. His fist slammed into the black outer shell with a loud pow!, flinging the punching bag careening in the opposite direction. Naruto’s breaths came in small pants, but not because he was exhausted; no, he was exhilarated, high on the thrill of the fight after so many months licking his wounds.

Oh, how he’d missed this.

Grinning madly, he flitted around the punching bag— striking it here, skipping away as it heaved to circle it and punch it from behind, hopping away again with fleet-footed steps to hit it again. It jumped and jerked wildly on the steel links, bouncing the rafter beam to make it shudder. With one final, centrally-placed punch, the chain links snapped. The bag went sailing across the ring to smash into the ropes, bouncing back a little before falling to the floor with a thud. Naruto looked at it with electric blue eyes, a thin sheet of sweat shining on his flushed face, and a breathless smile.

He then winced as pain coursed through his shoulder, and he reflexively reached over to try and massage his fingers into the inflamed flesh. It was kind of a useless effort with the gloves in the way. After tugging the glove off with his teeth and letting it flop to his feet, he started gently pushing into the muscle, and weighed quietly in relief as the pain slowly dulled.

“I warned you that you may be coming back too soon.”

Naruto glanced up as the voice echoed through the otherwise empty gym. A smile split his face as a silver-haired man stepped out of the shadows, his hands buried in the pockets of his sweatpants and a smile evident even through the cloth mask covering the bottom half of his face. As quickly as he could without further jostling his shoulder, Naruto skirted out of the ring to run up to him.

“Kakashi-sensei!” he cried with delight, and Kakashi affectionately ruffled Naruto’s slight sweaty blond hair when he stopped in front of him. “Thanks for leaving the gym open a little while so I could stop by. Although I’m afraid I may have overdone it already,” he sighed as his shoulder twinged again.

Kakashi sighed, then ushered him out of the main room down a side hallway to his office. After unlocking the door, he walked over to the mini-fridge to retrieve an ice pack from the freezer. Naruto nearly melted on the spot when the cold jelly-like pack met the hot, burning flesh of his shoulder. Anticipating his slumping over, Kakashi kicked the plastic chair in front of his desk behind Naruto, who graciously collapsed right into it.

“Are you sure you want to come back this season?” Kakashi asked, walking around his desk to shuffle through a few papers littering its worn wooden surface. “You could always wait another year.”

“No way!” Naruto refused, though it wasn’t as powerful with the way his voice strained with the pain. “I’m not waiting another year, Kakashi-sensei,” he insisted while slumping further into the chair. “I’ve waited long enough. I’m not gonna let this bum shoulder stop me from achieving my dream.”

“Optimism is all good and well,” Kakashi said, clutching the edge of his desk to stare levelly at him, “but it can easily be confused with overconfidence. Overconfidence leads to a point of no return. You have to remember that this is a dangerous sport, Naruto. A bum shoulder may not be all you walk away with next time.”

The scar over Kakashi’s eye shone bright pink in the lowlight, further punctuating his warning. Before owning and operating the gym, Kakashi had been a championship boxer himself. He’d won several titles and was even on the international scene. However, a particularly brutal fight had earned him that scar on his face, and cost him both his vision and his career. Now, he could only train new hopefuls like Naruto. Not a bad existence, but definitely not how Naruto wanted to end up in his early twenties.

“Yeah, yeah, I know! I’ll be careful,” Naruto promised poutily and pressed the ice pack further against his skin with a small whistle through his teeth. When Kakashi continued to levelly stare, Naruto clenched his teeth before shouting, “I get it, okay? I promise, I won’t overdo it! Now quit badgering me!”

“Well, it’s good to see your injury hasn’t lessened your attitude,” Kakashi sighed wanly, tilting his head to the side. Naruto let out a small “tch” at the blatant sarcasm, but couldn’t help but smile at his mentor’s teasing— and unspoken agreement to abide his wishes, however foolhardy they may be. “All right. We’ll begin your regular training regimen on Monday, but you have to listen to me when I tell you to stop. We have to ease back into the exercises lightly and rebuild your stamina, so that means no extra jogs or workouts without my permission.”

“Aw, man!” Naruto whined, but Kakashi raised his eyebrow pointedly. “All right, all right, whatever you say. I got it,” he relented with a wave of his hand, and Kakashi smiled in satisfaction. Naruto had the utmost trust in his mentor, so light exercises or not, he knew he wouldn’t be a pansy by the time official fights came around. Even with the dull ache in his shoulder, Naruto was bristling with excitement.

“Oiiiiii!” came a distant shout down the hall, and both he and Kakashi looked to the door. “Naruto! Where ya at, man?”

“Back here!” he called, and the sound of footsteps approached. First came a wild jangling, and Naruto barely had time to prepare himself before Akamaru came bounding into the office. “Whoa, boy!” he laughed as the giant hound hopped up, trying his best to fit his massive furry bulk into Naruto’s lap so he could slather his face in sloppy licks. Naruto evaded the big pink tongue the best he could, laughing, while scratching Akamaru enthusiastically behind the ears. He looked over the back of the chair when Kiba strolled in, followed by a yawning Shikamaru.

“‘Sup, Kakashi-sensei?” Kiba greeted with a head nod, adjusting the snapback on his head, and the older man greeted him with a polite wave. Kiba then trotted up behind Naruto, slapping his hands on his shoulders— gently on the injured side, Naruto was grateful for. “Hurt yourself already?” he chuckled when he saw the ice pack. “Come on, man, what good are ya if you bum your shoulder again before the season even starts?”

“Shaddup! Don’t jinx me!” Naruto whined, leaning forward while hugging Akamaru’s giant body so he could knock on the wood of Kakashi’s desk. After flopping back in the chair, he looked at Kiba and Shikamaru with raised eyebrows. “Why’re you guys here, anyway?”

“We’re going to Tsunade’s!” Kiba answered enthusiastically.

“Apparently, she’s hired a new singer, and from the rumors, she’s a beauty,” Shikamaru reported as if he couldn’t care less, studying his cuticles. “In honor of her first performance, Tsunade’s got a half-off drinks promotion to try and drum up business.”

“Oh, so that’s why you guys wanna go!” Naruto laughed. Not only did half-price alcohol sound good, but Naruto had to admit, he was intrigued by the thought of a pretty vocalist. As such, he shoved Akamaru off of him so he could rise from the chair. “All right, Kakashi-sensei, I’m gonna go to the bar with these dudes. Would you like to tag along?” he asked while dragging the chair back to its rightful place.

“No, I’m afraid I have to attend to the gym’s finances,” Kakashi said, shuffling through a few of the papers.

“All right! We’ll drink some beers for ya!” Naruto grinned, walking backwards out of the room with Kiba and Shikamaru while giving him two thumbs up.

“Not too many, I hope,” Kakashi called after him, and Naruto just laughed while he whirled on his heel. He trotted down the hall after his friends, Akamaru padding by his side with his tongue lolling and dripping drool all over the tile. As they walked out into the cool night air, he breathed in deep, savoring the hint of incoming rain on his tongue.

This is just the beginning, he thought with a smile at the cloudy gray sky.

And it was, but the beginning of more than he could have ever imagined.

Enjoy this story? Here’s the next chapter! Please consider perusing my Table of Contents.

#naruto #naruto shippuden #naruto uzumaki #uzumaki naruto #naruto x oc #naruto oc

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lezliefaithwade · 3 years ago

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A Breath of Fresh Air

The summer after my first year of theatre school, I was sleeping on the living room floor of my cousin's apartment in Toronto, trying to figure out what to do with my life. My cousin had been an actor before he became a quadriplegic in a car accident, and as I unadvisedly bemoaned my unemployment status, he said something like, "Seriously? You're complaining about your life? Don't make me burst a colostomy bag." He was right, of course. I wasn't in a wheelchair, though I did have a stepmother who had rendered me homeless because of her dislike for me. She was always saying things like, "Your hair can't be as ugly as that hat you're wearing." Or simply refusing to invite me to things like Christmas dinner. I always admired people with families. My boyfriend at the time was one of five kids who were always doing things together. Their house was always full of noise and activities. Even as a shiksa, I felt more at home there than with my stepbrothers and sisters, who never lost an opportunity to point out that I was weird. I wanted to stand up to them, but not wanting to cause my father any grief, I held my tongue and sought refuge elsewhere. It occurred to me that perhaps I was using the theatre as an opportunity to say things through characters that I couldn't find the courage to express myself.

The Toronto Star was still open on the kitchen table, and I rummage through the Want Ads, that dirty part of the newspaper near the back where complete strangers will soon become complete assholes in your life by forcing you to work menial jobs in humiliating uniforms for minimum wage.

"Find anything?" my cousin called from the bedroom, where two attendants helped wash and dress him.

"Social services are advertising for camp councilors to work with emotionally challenged kids."

"Oh yeah," He said. "That might suit you."

I'm not sure I knew what he meant but, I was beginning to think I'd outgrown my welcome. My cousin probably would have encouraged me to join the circus if the option had been available. Knowing my living room days were numbered, I thought it best to make an effort and apply.

I had no experience teaching drama—no experience working with kids and no experience going to or working at a camp. Despite all that, I was hired. It's worth noting that it's probably not a good sign if you get a job with no qualifications whatsoever.

My official position was Drama Councillor, and I prided myself that with only a year and half of theatre training behind me, I was well equipped to help others benefit from the wealth of my experience. I imagined myself, Maria Von Trapp, teaching children how to sing while they looked at me adoringly. Somehow, I conveniently blocked out the rebellious early stages she experienced and skipped straight to the good parts. Also, I might add, forgetting about the Nazis and having to climb over a mountain. Still, visions of me biking around camp with a group of happy campers behind me filled me with a sense of self-satisfaction.

As I packed my knapsack with deet and a secret stash of Twinkies, I thought of how only three weeks earlier I'd been in New York walking through Central Park and savoring Cappuccinos at outdoor cafés on Columbus. Now, here I was, ready for something different. The wilderness, I imagined, would be a welcome change—fresh air and loons instead of smog and sirens. I thought smugly about my classmates sweating behind visors at take-out windows shoveling fries into cardboard cups or wrapping sandwiches in tinfoil. Thumbs up to adventure, I told myself. The fact that I'd never once in my life enjoyed the great outdoors didn't factor into my mind. All of this changed with each accumulated minute of the 391 Kilometer drive north.

It was late afternoon when I arrived at the compound. Overcast, sullen, it was a place so secluded you'd need flares to find it. It had that distinct aura of someplace time forgot. A place left behind and neglected. In the brochure, the sun was shining, flowers filled the meadow, and you could practically hear laughter floating off the page. What I was looking at bore more of a resemblance to a situation in a Stephen King novel where camp councilors discover a pack of hungry teenage zombies have lured them to a seemingly idyllic retreat. Situated right in the heart of black fly country, I spent most of my days swatting insects so big they seem Jurassic.

During our orientation, child care workers warned us that children with mental health needs tend to run away - a lot and to keep strict attendance records and all eyes on them at all times. "These kids are resourceful and clever," they cautioned. I couldn't imagine being so determined you'd risk your life by escaping through the woods that surrounded us, but then again, I'd never been around children who weren't allowed cutlery before either

I shared my cabin with three other women with who I had absolutely nothing in common. Delia, a humorless 27-year-old cooking instructor who answered every question with a monosyllabic grunt, Jennifer, a 26-year old tennis instructor with massive blond ringlets who talked so quickly she sounded like a record on high speed, and an older aboriginal woman named Sunny who made us all dream catchers and offered advice about how to heal ourselves on days when we'd feel spent. "Remember, these kids need us," she said while purifying our cabin with sage. As I glanced around my assigned bunk, taking in the spider webs and loose floorboards, I had that sinking feeling that comes when you know you've made a terrible mistake. Before long, I was eating copious amounts of peanut butter on stale bagels amid a never-ending supply of starch. I'm not sure who thought it was a good idea to feed children with challenges like anxiety, depression, hyperactivity, and eating disorders copious amounts of sugar and carbs. It certainly did nothing to help them or me.

On the first day of class, I sat everyone in a circle. "Welcome to drama class," I said with a smile. "Let's begin by sharing with everyone a little bit about ourselves. Anything at all you'd like us to know?" A hand went up.

"I'm Tracy, and I hate my stupid ass brother. He can go straight to hell."

"Okay," I said, "That's a start. Who's next?"

Another hand. "I'm Jonathan, and this place sucks so much I wish it would burn to the ground!"

"Fair enough. Anyone else?"

"I'm Jo. I'm schizophrenic. So sometimes I'm Rachel and Julia. You'll know the difference because Rachel has a British dialect, and Julia talks slang."

"O-kay." I glanced at the social workers who sat on the edge of the room and looked at me with an expression that basically said, "We can't wait to see what you do next."

"Let's write a play," I suggested. "Write anything you want. Once you're happy with the work, I'll shape it into a cohesive piece that we'll rehearse and then present at the end of the season talent showcase."

The kids liked this idea. The showcase was a big deal. It was an opportunity for them to blow off some steam and express themselves to friends and family in a creative way. My only stipulation was not to use profanity. As the weeks passed, I was impressed with how well they all threw themselves into this project—all except Eric, the oldest boy in my 12 to 15-year-olds. Eric often wandered around the rehearsal space, unfocused and sullen.

"Any ideas for your piece?" I ask, checking in to see if I could help.

"I'm thinking," he'd say and then pace.

With three weeks left in the summer, I took my well-deserved week off to decompress. My boyfriend came up from Toronto and drove me to his parent's house at Post and Bayview, where caterers were preparing the tennis courts for an outdoor party. I walked into his mother's living room, and she gasped. "What happened to you?"

I didn't blame her. I hadn't spent much time looking at a mirror the past four weeks, but one glance at the large one in their bathroom told the full story. My hair was ratty; I had scabs on my knees, bruises on my arms and legs, and I was sunburnt. I was wearing a vintage skirt and blouse that was probably more Value Village than vintage and a pair of worn, scuffed purple moccasins; in essence, I was wearing slippers on my feet.

"Please take her to the mall and at least buy her a pair of shoes," his mother said, handing me her credit card and then rushing off to make sure the stuffed alligator would float in the pool. That week I ate my way through rugelach, hamantaschen, brisket, and bagels while his family watched me with awe and disgust.

Back at camp, the smell of burning insect repellent greeted me along with the news that the sailing and tennis instructors were sacked for disorderly conduct. Never mind, I had renewed energy and a sense of purpose. There were costumes and props to make. Sound and lighting effects to create. And we needed to rehearse. It was only a tiny stage somewhere on a remote camp in Northern Ontario, but the excitement was palpable. I was excited. This would be the best talent show ever, and my kids were going to blow the socks off everyone there!!!

"Eric," I said, "How's your piece coming along?"

"I finished it," he mentioned casually

"That's great. Can I see it?"

"I want to surprise you. You're going to love it, though. I promise."

I patted myself on the back. Eric had a breakthrough. All my encouragement and patience had paid off. Perhaps I'd helped him have a developmental breakthrough.

"Can you tell me what it's about?" I asked.

"The Beatles."

"Great. Okay," and left it at that.

Talent Night arrived along with parents and family friends. The lights dimmed, the kids performed, and the audience enthusiastically applauded as each "Mighty Mite" or "Spirit of Paradise" breezed across the stage, acting out skits about fairies and monsters and assorted escapades. Finally, it was Eric's turn. Out he came, looking serious and theatrical. He cleared his throat and addressed the audience.

"This is called, The Beatles Last Recording Session. By, Me."

Three of his closest camp friends filed out and took a space on the stage. The audience was silent.

There was a dramatic pause, then the piece began.

"Fuck you, Ringo,"

"Fuck you, Paul."

"Fuck you, George."

"Well fuck you, John."

Then they bowed and left the stage.

Personally, I thought it was kind of brilliant. Needless to say, I wasn't showered with accolades about my teaching methods or the effect I had on kids. I left there having no catharsis about mental health except that giving people the opportunity to express themselves without censor is probably a lot healthier than insisting they stay quiet. I admired the honesty displayed in the kid's work. If only, I thought to myself, I could be half as brave. Wasn't that what I was spending time and money learning how to do?

A week after being home, I found myself packing, once more, for school in New York. Our term letters had arrived with instructions on where to buy character shoes, leotards, copies of The Children's Hour, and Death of a Salesman. The camp already felt like it was 391 kilometers away - soon to be 659. My father drove me to the train station with my stepmother beside him; she was there, no doubt, to ensure I boarded.

"You going to be okay?" my father asked, giving me a hug and slipping a $50 bill into my pocket.

"She'll be fine." Elsie chimed in. "You don't have to worry about her. Let's go."

But I wanted my father to worry about me. Not all the time and to the exclusion of all else, but certainly the appropriate fatherly amount.

As I settled myself on the train, I watched my stepmother pull from father from the platform to the car and thought of Eric's brilliant play. Under my breath, I whispered the immortal words of the Beatles, "Fuck you."

#stepmother #mental health #children #young people #summer camp

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alison-anonymous · 5 years ago

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flawsome bandits pt. 6 ♡ sonic

Flawsome Truth

THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS A FLASHBACK. It is set in the past, and you will now all get to understand why those awful cliffhangers were a necessary part of this story ;) Feel free to gawk in the comments section if you wish, but I have many more plans for this story! I think I’m going to even continue it on past the movie plot line too! I love you all my darlings, thank you for your patience. Next update might come a little slower due to the whole corona virus thing. Stay safe!

Warnings - Flufffffffff

♡♡♡

It was a beautiful day in another world, far, far away from the one we know.

The sun was shining high in the sky, smiling down on the exotic loop-de-loops, flora, and fauna. Critters fluttered about the land, most of them average and just going about their days. But if you looked very closely and kept your eyelids peeled, you could see an electric blue blur zipping through the fields. Behind the blur, not too far away from its tail, was another blur, only it was an icy blue color, just a pinch away from being white.

The two zipped throughout the island, and you could just barely hear a soft little tune coming from the electric ice blur as it raced after its friend.

Ah~, ah~. High and low, then high and low again. The song echoed softly over the hills, almost as if it were being intentionally silent, trying to suppress its full abilities of vocal range. The two balls of light zipped through the blades of grass, flying through loop-de-loops and racing past the echidnas until they finally burst through the door of a tiny little hit in the trees. They hit the very tall, very beautiful owl that had been sleeping on her perch with a start, and finally slowed down to a stop on the ground, revealing two hedgehogs. One was a bright electric blue with a set of the most dreamiest green eyes you had ever seen. He wore a pair of white gloves and some very worn out tennis shoes on his feet, an excited smile never leaving his face. His quills here spiky and brushed out of his face, but posed as a threat to anyone who got too close. The other one had a gorgeous icy blue coat on her. Her eyes were a bright e/c and her smile could make anyone fall in love. She had some of the softest quills anyone had ever seen, falling back onto her head in what any human would have mistaken as her hair. Two gold piercings were embedded on her left ear, and she sported the same pair of white gloves and a slightly smaller pair of shoes that the boy did.

They were very young, barely teenagers.

“Ha! I beat you again, N/n!” The blue hedgehog taunted, sauntering around in circles around his friend. She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, watching with close eyes as he walked around her.

“I’ll beat you one day, Sonic.” She spoke confidently.

The young Sonic stopped and stared at her for a moment. Eventually she grew uncomfortable under his stare, waiting for him to say something. Finally, he lowered his eyelids, a sly smirk crossing his lips. Her eyes widened. She was in trouble now.

“Oh, really?”

Y/n watched with fearful eyes as he advanced on her, like a cat stalking his prey. With every step he took, she took one back, her strong and confident facade crumbling until he finally sprang over to her. He grabbed her face surprisingly gently and pressed a kiss to her cheek. She let out a shriek, not being able to control the giggle that erupted from her as she pushed him away.

“Sonic!” She rubbed her cheek, attempting to get away from him but he was quick to grab her wrist, pulling her back into him where he kissed her other cheek again. She yelped again, both cheeks burning a bright red as his laughter filled the air.

“Stop it!” Y/n laughed. It wasn’t too long before Longclaw’s laughter mingled with theirs. The two young hedgehogs turned back to their mentor, not even noticing that they were still holding hands. The owl’s smile slowly fell and was replaced with a stern expression.

“You two need to be more careful, running around like that! What if someone had seen you?” She glanced from Sonic to Y/n. “Or heard you?”

“No one saw us,” Sonic dismissed. “And Y/n’s been working on keeping her vocal telekawhatever under wraps-”

“Telekinesis,” Y/n corrected, her pitchy voice sounded a bit congested. “But he’s right! I was barely even singing that loud! I’ve almost gotten to the point where I can hum and still have the same effect!” She smiled proudly. Longclaw had found Sonic and Y/n in two different places at two different times, both with their own set of insanely powerful and unique abilities. Sonic was born with incredible powers that granted him super speed in every aspect of his being that became supercharged with his emotions. Y/n was born with what Longclaw had identified as vocal telekinesis. She had abnormally strong vocal chords, so much so that whenever she sang, she could move whatever she focused on. So far they had only been able to help her carry herself as a booster in order to keep up with Sonic when she was running, but they had been able to get her to lift a flower or orange here and there.

“And besides, I wanted to bring you this,” Sonic shot the owl the most adorable smile you can imagine, whipping an exotic flower out from underneath his quills. A smile began to form under Longclaw’s beak as she leaned forward to take it. Something moved out of her peripheral vision.

“Get down!” She cried, leaping forward and sweeping the two hedgehogs into her wings, slamming the door shut with her back just as the echidna tribe shot at the door. Y/n and Sonic clutched on to one another in fear, Y/n burying her face inside of her friend’s chest in fear. He held her closer to his racing chest, glancing around frantically as the guilt began to set in. They had led them here. They weren’t careful enough. The one time that they weren’t cautious and were just trying to have a kind hearted race was the time that they got caught. Longclaw was quick to tuck the little hedgehog’s under her wing as she burst out the window, flying high up in the sky, determination set in her eyes to get her children away from the danger. Unfortunately, the echidnas had very good coordination, as they sank one of their arrows straight into her rib. She let out a cry in pain, crashing onto the ground, hidden behind some trees.

Y/n and Sonic tumbled out of her grasp, and once Sonic regained his balance, his first instinct was to grab onto Y/n. It was out of fear that if he wasn’t touching her that he might lose her to the ones that wanted their powers. Longclaw was quick to recover, ushering the two behind her as she pulled out a single bag with a handmade label on it reading “emergency.” Sonic and Y/n glanced worriedly at one another.

“Listen carefully you two,” she struggled for breath. “You both have powers unlike anything that I have ever seen. And that means that someone is always going to want them. The only way to stay safe is to stay hidden.” The two watched as she threw one of the golden rings, opening a portal to some strange, dark forest. Y/n’s heart began to race, tears beginning to form in her eyes as she realized just what exactly was going on here. “This land is far away from here, somewhere where you two will be safe. Stay with each other, combined you two will be safe.”

Sonic’s hand slowly found its way to Y/n’s, and this time she didn’t pull away. Longclaw handed the sack of rings to Sonic.

“But we don’t want to leave you!” He protested.

“You must-” Longclaw was interrupted by the sounds of yelling, the echidna tribe fresh on their trail. “If either of you are ever discovered, use one. Never stop running. Now go!” She used her wing to push the two towards the portal. With one last tearful glance at their foster mother, Sonic tugged Y/n with him through into the dark woods. They turned back just in time to see Longclaw spread her wings out before the echidnas, trying to protect them from view.

“Longclaw!” Y/n screamed, ripping her hand out of Sonic’s and racing towards the only mother she had ever known. Longclaw turned her head at the sound of the voice, a small smile lining her beak.

“Goodbye, Y/n.”

“NO!” She screamed, running into the portal just as it dissipated. She stumbled on her feet, crashing onto the ground. Sonic zipped over to his best friend and sat down on the ground next to her, the bag of rings still firmly grasped in his hand. His gaze met Y/n’s just as the dam broke and the tears began cascading down her face.

“H-hey,” Sonic stuttered, not being used to seeing her cry. She sobbed, tilting her head towards the ground as her body naturally leaned in towards him. At such a young age, neither of them were having a very easy time processing that they were now completely and entirely on their own.

They only had each other now.

Sonic’s own emerald eyes filled with tears as he wrapped an arm around her, pulling her into his chest, hoping she couldn’t sense how much it was racing. “It’ll be okay… we’ll figure it out.”

Her sobbing slowed a little at his words, wrapping her own arms around his torso and giving him a hug. They stayed like that for a very long time...

♡♡♡

It had taken quite a while for Sonic and Y/n to grow accustomed to their new home. Since they were barely used to having to fend for themselves, even with Y/n’s competencies and Sonic’s ability to see the light in every situation, it wasn’t too long before they got discovered on the first planet Longclaw had sent them to. So, they went to another one.

And another one…

And… another one.

Until they finally came to a stop at the one they were on now. It was some sort of water based planet, where the grass was blue and the weeping willow trees were made of suspended particles of h2o. It wasn’t exactly the best planet for the two to be living on in order to practice their powers (they were growing with every year that passed), but they made do with what they had. The two hedgehogs were now around eleven years old, and they had already taught themselves how to build a shelter, how to find food, do chores, and ultimately protect themselves during the night. For the first couple of weeks, they had slept in shifts to keep an eye out for any predators that might come breaking down their wooden door.

Maybe it was some PTSD from the echidna attack, but Y/n was the one who always had a horrible time sleeping, so she took most of the shifts. Out of “lack of materials”, Sonic had convinced Y/n that it would be easier for them to just share a bed, plus it made more room in their home to live. It was a bit uneasy at first, the tension in the air so thick that even a knife would have a difficult time cutting it. They had laid awake, just staring at each other until Y/n finally began to giggle and rolled onto her back. He did the same and by the morning light, they were in a tangle of limbs and leaf-sewn blankets. It turned out that Sonic moved quite a lot in his sleep, so when Y/n woke up with his arms wrapped securely around her, it was quite the pleasant surprise.

Honestly, to any other person that could have met these two, they would have easily mistaken them as a couple. From the way that even though they were opposite genders, they were able to work so perfectly. They switched on and off with cooking or finding food that they would eat for the night, and they helped each other train by imitating things that Longclaw used to say to them. Sometimes it helped them feel like she was still there…

But besides the whole sleeping thing and spending all of their time together, the second Y/n asked Sonic for something or even was just about to suggest that they do something, he was always entirely on board. She didn’t even have to finish her sentence in order for him to be on board. She was all that he had, and he was all that she had.

Secretly, Sonic just could never find it in him to say no to her. With those gorgeous, dreamy eyes and bright smile, the way that her laugh made his heart melt, she was just so-

Nope. Nope, nope, nope. He wasn’t in love with her. There was no possible way!

She wasn’t like his sister, of course not! Y/n was more like… the insanely pretty girl that he lived with. God damnit.

Even though Y/n tried to convince herself of the exact same thing, she couldn’t help but notice that she felt differently about Sonic than anyone else she had met. No matter how many hours she spent with him, she never got tired of it. Things were always interesting whenever they were together because they both had a knack for the unusual adventures. He was always showering her with compliments (even when she tried to reciprocate he would always just turn up the heat), and he was just so sweet to her. He wasn’t too bad to look at either, if you get what I mean ;)

As time progressed, the two grew closer, their bond knitting tighter together with every day. They had made some enemies along the way, and those enemies taught them that not every person is as good as they may seem. So they tried to stick to themselves as much as they could. It took a very long time for them to get over Longclaw as well, each day being a little bit harder to get through once the memory floated across their brains. But they knew that as long as they had each other, they would be okay.

They could run for as long as they wanted to.

But at least they’d never be alone.

♡♡♡

It was a rainy day when something horrible happened.

Sonic was at home, goofing off as he listened to some music playing through a set of water speakers he had stolen from someone by the ocean. He was deep in the music, creating his own dance moves as he went along, bobbing his head to the beat. It was only when the door to their home burst open and a very frazzled looking Y/n slammed it shut that he turned off the speakers.

“Hey, N/n,” he greeted, but his happiness slowly faded as he realized she was trembling. The ice blue hedgehog hadn’t moved from her position by the door, gloved hand still placed firmly on the doorknob as her eyes peered through the slight curtain covering the window next to the door. Her tail quivered like crazy and she was staying a lot quieter than normal. Sonic took the opportunity to slowly approach his friend, concern filling his eyes.

“Are you okay?”

The second the words left his lips, she whirled around to face him and that was when he realized why she had been facing the door. She was crying.

Tears streamed endlessly down her cheeks, her nose turning a bright red. Her eyes had grown puffy, proving that she had been crying long before just now, the e/c irises full of guilt and pure sadness. Sonic could feel his heart breaking in his chest as he instantly wrapped his arms around her.

“H-hey, what’s going on?” He stuttered, running a hand along the back of her head, stroking her hair-like quills back. After so many years of comforting one another, they had learned tricks to instantly make each other calm down. The stroking had a decent effect on her, but she still trembled in his arms as she tried to force out a coherent sentence.

“I-I didn’t m-mean-I didn’t kn-know they-following m-me…” She choked on the extra saliva in her mouth and sniffled, burying her face into Sonic’s warm chest until she could hear the steady beat of his heart. It calmed her to know that he was still here. He was safe.

Sonic did his best to process what little he could understand that was coming out of her mouth. “Did someone follow you?” Y/n slowly nodded her head, more tears gushing down her cheeks as she pulled away just enough to look him in the eyes.

“I-I’m so sorry, S-Sonic-” She was cut off by another sob wracking up her pipes. Even if he wanted to, Sonic could never be mad at her. He held her tighter against his chest as he himself glanced through the window. His heart stopped in his chest as he saw something move.

“It’s okay, N/n, this is what we have the rings for, remember?” He glanced over at the bag sitting snugly under the covers on their bed. “Besides, this is your first time getting us caught out of my, what? Four times?” His joke was able to successfully get her to crack a smile, her tears beginning to slow down thankfully. They still kept a firm grip on one another as Sonic began to maneuver them towards the bed in order to get the rings. Once Sonic had finally grabbed the bag out from under the blankets, they let go of one another as he pulled out one of the shiny, golden rings. He held it up and thought of the next planet on their list and-

Suddenly, the door slammed open.

Y/n’s scream was so shrill it could have shattered glass, the fear coursing through their veins. The figure standing before them was dressed entirely in black, a hood pulled over their face so that neither of them could tell who or what they were looking at. A horrible aura floated through the room.

Something was very wrong.

Sonic’s first instinct was to jump in front of Y/n and protect her, so that’s exactly what he did. Zipping in front of her in less than a second, he gently pushed the frightened hedgehog behind him and prepared to throw the ring again.

“Leave us alone!” He yelled, closing his eyes as he envisioned the next planet they needed to go to. Y/n’s hand slowly entertwined with his, refusing to let him go, when the form before them started to… laugh. It wasn’t one of those lighthearted laughs either, it was one in which you knew something bad was coming. The two hedgehogs inched closer together, their hearts pounding rapidly against their chests, noses twitching and bodies trembling as the adrenaline coursed through their veins. The sudden sound from the intruder had been exactly what they had needed in order to distract the two.

Something sharp was pricked into the side of Sonic’s neck. He let out a sharp hiss and quickly pulled out a dart. “W-what?” He began, the room around him already growing fuzzy.

“Sonic!” Y/n cried, wrapping her arms around his waist in an effort to keep him standing. The serum within it was very fast acting, as he crashed down onto the floor before her, groaning. She kneeled down before him, refusing to leave his side, and shook him rapidly, the tears now coming down her cheeks faster. She was more than able to protect herself, but she needed to know he was okay. “Please, stay with m-”

A dart sank its teeth into her neck.

“N-no,” she stuttered, yanking the dart out of her neck and forcing herself to try and stay awake. Unfortunately, the poison coursing through her veins was stronger than her will. Her world went dark as she fell on top of Sonic, unconscious.

♡♡♡

When Y/n finally came to, she couldn’t see anything.

She couldn’t move either. It was almost as if something had taken away her ability to move from her brain, leaving her limbs lifeless against the cold surface she was lying down on, belly up. Her eyelids felt heavy, like a dozen quarters were resting on top of each eye in order to keep them closed. She was surprisingly calm given the certain situations, her pulse beating as steadily as it would if she were asleep. But she did feel rather drowsy… perhaps it was from whatever was in that dart…

Dart… where was Sonic?

The panic instantly began to rise, the need to open her eyes becoming almost unbearable to ignore. But she could still hear.

“Alright,” she heard a voice murmur. Her mouth remained shut, unable to move that, either. The voice didn’t sound like anyone she had ever known, and she couldn’t tell if its owner was a boy or a girl. “End… his happiness…” The voice seemed to be fading in and out, like whoever it was was walking towards her and then walking away, presumably to another table of sorts. But ending whose happiness? “This serum will make him forget about her entirely. It’ll be like she never even existed.”

A slight tapping noise against something floated through the air, making Y/n’s frantic panicking come back full force. No.. No way… they weren’t talking about her and Sonic were they? They were going to make Sonic forget about her? But why? Why would they do that? Sonic was the only person she had!

She couldn’t lose him!

Y/n tried with all her might to scream at the top of her lungs, to move her legs or even to just open her eyes but they were all futile. It was as though she were dead, her body as limp as a paperweight. Tears threatened to spill down her eyes as the feeling of helplessness suffocated her. The silence that continued on for countless moments made her want to die wondering what was going on. She could just picture it in her mind, her worst fear: Sonic being injected with some kind of serum to make him forget about her, and then being tossed into a portal to some realm that she didn’t know how to get to.

She’d never see him again.

Minutes turned into hours as they laid there in that torture, wanting nothing more than to feel Sonic’s arms wrap around her. To hear his voice, to feel his heart beat against her ears… She didn’t have a purpose without him.

Footsteps suddenly sounded through the tense silence. Y/n’s body tensed, which brought a celebratory light on in her mind that she was actually able to move a little. The footsteps came closer to her and stopped right next to her head.

“Ah, Y/n the Hedgehog…” the voice chuckled darkly, sending shivers down her spine. “I’m going to make your life miserable.”

Venom seethed from their tone, and without any warning, four needles dug themselves into her arms and legs. They pierced into the flesh so furiously that she screamed in pain, not even the sedatives she had been under being able to stop the primal instinct to such torture. Whatever liquid it was raced through her veins, spreading the white hot pain like wildfire. It felt like something was forcing her limbs to stretch and become much longer and larger than they were meant to be. Like growing pains, but set on fire. With gasoline. The pain seemed to go on for hours until the world turned dark once more. She finally released her breath in the blackness, relieved that the pain was finally over. A sudden bright light pierced through the darkness, and in her haze, she reached towards it. Blinking her eyes in order to adjust to the brightness, trees filled her vision.

“Honey? Sweetie, can you hear me?” A woman with yellow hair tied up in a bun was leaning over her, a worried look across her face. Her form twitched in and out of Y/n’s vision as she tried to focus on her.

“H-huh?” Was she standing up or sitting down? What was that smell? Who was this lady? Where was she? Wait a minute… What was her name?

“Sweetie, can you tell me your name?”

“I think… I think it’s Y/n?”

“Okay, we’re going to get you to a hospital.”

Hospital? What was a hospital?

...Who am I?

♡♡♡

It was a slow day for Doctor Robotnik. He had been considering going back to college for about a trillionth time in order to gain yet another degree in something that he hadn’t already accomplished. Which was nothing. Do they even give you degrees for studying nothing?

He was resting in his home when one of his bots hovered over to him, dropping down his mail onto the coffee table before him. The main glanced down at the junk mail littering the table, but stopped at a very peculiar looking package. It was about the size of a small throw pillow he had once seen in JoAnns (no comment on why he was there), and there was a small letter taped to the top. He cautiously proceeded to swipe the letter off and opened it. The contents were even more peculiar.

Dear Dr. Robotnik,

Inside this box are two vials for two beings. You must make sure that they never remember or find them. If they consume their contents, the whole plot will be lost.

It wasn’t signed. He furrowed his brows, wondering if one of his stalkers had sent him more men’s lingerie again. The letters tended to be very misleading. But, throwing caution to the wind, he opened the box and lifted the lid, staring down at the contents. There were two vials, just like the note had said. One was an ice blue with the title Y/n on it. The other was a dehydrated yellow, with the name Sonic written across the label. Y/n and Sonic… seemed pretty normal compared to other things he had witnessed.

And then the blue one started to sing.

♡ a.a.

#sonic #sonic x reader #sonic imagines #sonic the hedgehog #sonic the hedgehog x reader #sonic the hedgehog imagines #sonic the hedgehog movie #sonic the hedgehog movie x reader #sonic the hedgehog movie imagines #sonic the hedgehog movie 2020 #sonic the hedgehog movie 2020 x reader #sonic the hedgehog movie 2020 imagines #sonic the hedgehog 2020 x reader #sonic 2020 x reader #flawsome bandits

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lunarsaga · 4 years ago

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EPISODE 3: ABOUT ALICE

Y'all, I am SO CLOSE TO catching up to myself with these chapters! I can't wait for y'all to see the next chapter, it's gonna be all kinds of heartbreak~ >:3c

ENJOY~!

REMINDER: [Dialogue like this is English!]

The farther northeast they traveled, the more Luna missed the absolute shit out of her clunky old gas guzzler of a pickup truck.

Now she wasn’t ever one to complain—she knew better than that—but holy fuck did her feet hurt. She’d had these shoes for god only knows how long, and it was a good thing they were practically made of mithril, because if they hadn’t been mythically indestructible, they definitely would’ve been worn out by now. She had to bear it—they all did. Sore feet were mostly likely only gonna be a minor pain compared to what they were gonna face once they caught up to this Naraku guy (or so she’d heard). So complaining would only make things more irritating.

And she was already irritated enough, thanks to Inuyasha.

“We would’ve caught Naraku by now if all of you weren't demanding we stop and rest every five minutes!”

“Inuyasha, you have to understand that we don’t have your superhuman strength.” Miroku, always the diplomat.

Luna, not so much. She gave her sister a look that all but read she was about to snap, and spoke to her in English: “[If he says one more thing about us having to stop and rest, I’m throwing my shoe at him.]”

Kagome sighed. “[Luna, please don’t do that.]” Their friends looked, confused, between the both of them.

“What’re you guys saying?” Shippo asked.

“Don’t worry about it,” Luna chuckled, starting to dig through her backpack. “Damn, I need to be careful about how much I fire my gun, I don’t have as much ammo as I thought…”

Kagome furrowed her eyebrows. “I thought you brought everything?”

Luna glanced up, still rifling through her pack. “I brought everything I could, but I had to leave some ammo and one of my weapons at Kaede’s place, along with my guitar. Traveling this much, especially walking? I had to pack more food and survival shit than ammo, so I gotta conserve what I have if this is gonna take much longer—especially if we’re getting this far away from the Well.”

Inuyasha snorted, and Luna felt her blood pressure spike. “Wouldn’t be taking so long if you all weren’t so damn weak…”

Luna looked at her sister again, and completely disregarded the warning look she got back. In less than a second, she had one of her boots off and chucked it full force at the half-demon’s head. The ensuing chaos was definitely worth the satisfaction.

“WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?!”

“For being an absolute prick about us needing to rest!”

“Luna, can you please not?!”

“He’s the one being a little bitch about it!”

“WHAT DID YOU JUST CALL ME?!”

“Stop it, you two!”

“I called you a little bitch! Clean out those fuzzy ears!”

“OH THAT IS IT!”

“BRING IT, DOG BOY!”

The imminent fight (which Sango, Shippo, and Miroku were watching like a Tennis match) stopped before it actually got started. Kagome grabbed her sister by the ear and pulled back, causing the older girl to yell out in pain, before pointing at Inuyasha and shouting:

“INUYASHA, SIT!”

The aforementioned half-demon slammed face-first into the ground, and the situation diffused.

“I am sick of you two fighting!” Kagome said, ignoring her sister’s little mutters of “ow, ow, ow” until she finally let go of her ear. “Can’t you guys just try to get along?! We’re supposed to be a team here; how are we supposed to fight Naraku if you two won’t stop fighting each other?!”

Ego bruised (and her ear too, just as likely), Luna tried not to pout as she got up to retrieve her boot. “Can’t promise it won’t happen again.”

“Yeah, me either…” Inuyasha’s voice cracked as he was finally able to lift his head and glare at the elder Higurashi.

“What we’re doing is a little more serious than petty conflicts,” Miroku said, “It might take an adjustment period for all of us, as Luna is new to our group, but we still need to focus on our actual goal.” And of course, as he gave this incredibly insightful bit of wisdom, his hand was drifting.

Sango flinched, then turned to slap his cheek, pinching the skin on his hand to keep it away from her butt. “And what part of that goal is this?” She growled.

The monk chuckled nervously, “N-nothing?”

Luna rolled her eyes, a small smile on her lips as she sat back down to re-tie her shoe. “Never a dull moment, huh?” She sighed as she knotted it, finally glancing over at Inuyasha. “Alright. I’m sorry, okay? But you gotta not complain like that. Gets on my nerves.”

“I’ll complain if I wanna complain…” Inuyasha mumbled. He quickly corrected himself, as the harrowingly angry look Kagome gave him struck fear into his heart. “F-fine. Whatever. Sorry.”

Luna chuckled. “There then, that’s put to rest. And, speaking of!” Instead of a second half of that sentence, she stretched her arms out and fell back to relax back on the grassy hill they’d chosen as their rest stop. She sighed, enjoying the quiet and the sun for a few minutes. She could swear she was about to drift off to sleep, when she heard the softest little “mew!” just beside her. She opened one eye to find Kilala blinking big red eyes at her.

“Adjustment or not, Kilala seems to like you,” Sango said with a light smile.

“She sure is cute,” Luna mumbled happily, sitting up and giving the kitty little scratches on the head.

Sango chuckled. “Thank you. Kilala is my very best friend—she has taken care of my family and my clan for generations.”

“Yeah?” Luna tilted her head, quizzical. “Does she always stay in cat form?

“What do you mean?”

Kilala paid the conversation no mind, she just decided that this person petting her was the lap she wanted to lay on for the moment. Luna chuckled as the nekomata curled up with her head on her thigh. “Well… funny enough, my best friend is a cat demon too? She’s even done the same—watching over our family for generations.”

“Really?” Surprised, Sango looked to Kagome, who nodded.

“I thought you said there weren’t any demons in your time, Kagome?” Shippo piped up.

“It’s not that there aren’t any,” Kagome said. “They’re just… not all over anymore, like they are here.”

“Japan is one of the only places I know of that have actually kept their supernatural m—” Luna cleared her throat, “uh—inhabitants?—in check. The country where I live? Not so much.”

“But you mentioned the cat demon you know has a human form?” Sango asked. “I’ve never seen Kilala take on any form than this one or her full demon form.”

“Maybe… it’s because Alice is a Bakeneko? Rather than a Nekomata?” Kagome mused.

Luna nodded. “Could be, yeah. She’s got a cat form like this—and like Kilala’s full demon form too—but a lot of the time she stays in her, ah….” Luna started snapping her fingers at Kagome, trying to think of the word in Japanese. “[Humanoid form?]”

Kagome shrugged, “Most of the time, Alice just looks like a human.”

“600 years old and looks 25,” Luna rolled her eyes. “ ‘I choose to look this cute~!’, that’s what she always says.”

“She’s also watched over the Higurashi Family for generations. Heck of a coincidence, huh?”

~ ~ ~

Everything hurt.

From the tip of her nose to the end of her tail, every inch of Airisu’s tiny, feline body hurt. Her black fur was matted with blood and dirt, one of her eyes wouldn’t open all the way, and she struggled to draw in breath. Not only all that, but she was running low on her own demonic power as well—if she tried to use any to heal herself, she might not make it through the night. As it was… she feared she might not make it through the night anyway, but she had to keep going. Her family would have wanted her to.

It had been an incredibly rough night for the little cat demon. Her family was the last of the Bakeneko clan this far south; all the others of their kind had moved to the northern mountains a hundred years ago. And it wasn’t until now that Airisu saw why: down here, they were plagued by other demons. Their family over the years was slowly picked off, until it was only her, her parents, and her brother and sister. Until now, she’d done her best to try and protect them… but tonight… she’d failed.

Mama… Papa… everyone… I’m sorry… If she could shed tears in this form, she might have been. But all she could do right now was limp forward. At least I’ve lost the pig…

Or so she thought.

A rustling in the bushes caught her off-guard. Hackles raised (despite the sting), she hissed as the figure of the same ugly boar demon that murdered her family lumbered out of the woods. The boar’s crude scythe weapon was still coated in her family’s blood—and she could see a stain or two on its tusks, as well.

The thing’s laugh was a little more than a snort. “Thought you could get away, eh?! I’ll eat you, just like the rest of your little family!”

Grief twisted in her gut like a cold steel blade. This was it. She had just a little power left, and if this was going to be her last stand, then she was gonna use it to avenge her family. This boar was going to pay for the lives he’d taken. She summoned up her last nerve, and grew to her full size; flame erupted from her paws to ignite the transformation, her front fangs elongated past her chin, and her body grew to the size of a panther. She wouldn’t have long in this form, so she would have to strike quickly.

She leapt at the boar, one last war cry roaring from her maw. She aimed for its throat, but the boar wasn’t as exhausted as she was. He swung his weapon faster, catching her in the chest. She landed, chest heaving, and attempted to swipe at him with her claws, but she was too off-balance. As she fell, she shrank again, the last of her demonic power used up.

At least I went out fighting, everyone… she thought as she crumpled into the dirt, prepared for death.

It didn’t come. Instead, there was another voice; a human one. Airisu could only keep one eye open, straining to see what was happening:

It was a human woman, strangely dressed but boldly blocking the boar from finishing off the half-dead feline. She held an odd weapon—a rifle? But it looked so different from the ones Airisu had seen before… When the woman fired it, it looked like it spat fire, and the boar demon reeled back, squealing. No rifle Airisu had ever seen had that kind of effect on a demon: his flesh seemed to be sizzling as he tried to get away into the forest.

“Ugly-ass PIG,” The human girl shouted as she cocked the rifle again, “You leave that poor kitty alone!” She fired it again, and the boar demon fizzled into nothing.

Does this woman think I am a mere cat…? Airisu wanted to laugh, but she didn’t have the energy. She was fading fast. Either way… she saved me… even if it was in vain...

~~~

“Thought you said you had to save your ‘am-hoe’, and you got and blow some of it on some weak-ass boar demon?”

“Inuyasha, please don’t say it like that—”

“No, let him, it’s hilarious.”

“He does have a bit of a point,” Sango cut in, before either Inuyasha or Luna could spark another fight. “You did say you had to save your ‘shells’, right? It seems a little wasteful if you used some on that boar demon—why did you?”

Luna nodded down at the little bundle in her arms—it was the little cat that the boar demon had been after the night before. She was asleep; Luna had bandaged her injuries and kept her warm and safe all night. As the little cat slept, her breathing had evened out, and Luna figured (what with the demon markings and all) that she would be alright soon.

“This little cat was trying to fight him,” She said softly. “I saved her.”

“Well ya ain’t keeping it—”

“Inuyasha!” Kagome chastised.

“Quit yelling at me!” Inuaysha snapped back, “It ain’t like it’s a house pet! She’s a demon cat like Kilala. She’s alive, so we should leave her be and keep going. She’ll heal by herself.”

“Who died and made you King of the Rock?” Luna grumbled at him.

“Guys, look!” Shippo, sat beside Luna, stretched up to peek at the little bundle. “She’s waking up!”

Quickly but gently, so as not to alarm her, Luna set the cat down and backed away a little. The demon cat’s eyes blinked open, blurred and confused. Luna smiled at her.

“Hey there, kitty,” she said softly. “You’re gonna be okay now…”

She sat up a little, pulling out something wrapped in paper and tied with a string—a handful of little fish from the river. She let the cat sniff it before setting it down in front of her. Cautious, the cat stared at her for a long time before she began to munch on the offering.

“[‘Atta girl,]” Luna chuckled, “You feeling better now?”

The cat paused in eating, blinked, and then disappeared into a cloud of smoke. A little startled, a couple of the group jumped back, but Luna stood where she was.

In the place of the little cat now sat a girl. Short waves of black hair fell around a pair of sleek feline ears and kissed her cheeks. The pupils of her eyes were catlike as well, sitting among irises that resembled a sunset. She wore a short, tattered pink kimono, and had a bit of black fur tucked around her collar. She had the same magenta markings that the cat had; on her cheeks and forehead, as well as the same bushy black tail.

The girl plucked the little cloth she’d been wrapped in as a cat off of her head, smiling brightly as she held it out to Luna.

“Much better!”

There was a beat of confused silence, before the others began to clamor in confusion.

“She had a human form this whole time?!” Inuyasha shouted.

“She was probably weak from fighting, Inuyasha, that could be why she stayed in her smaller form—” Miroku tried to reason with him.

“She did look a little like Kilala does—but she has only one tail.” Sango uttered.

“Then she’s a Bakeneko!” Shippo proclaimed, “They’re not common around here, my dad used to tell me they all went up North!”

Kagome looked suspiciously at her sister, who wasn’t shocked at all by the new information. Luna just stood there, watching her friends start to freak out with a sly little smile on her face. When she caught Kagome’s eye, she quirked an eyebrow, but said nothing as she turned back to the Bakeneko sitting before her. Like she knows something… Kagome mused to herself.

“My name is Airisu,” the Bakeneko said, bowing her head in greeting, “I want to thank you, Miss. That boar demon took the lives of the rest of my family last night, and would have taken mine as well if you hadn’t intervened.”

Luna shrugged. “I was only doing what I thought was right.”

“Well, for that, I owe you my life,” Airisu bowed her head once again, placing her hand over her heart. “I doubt I could ever fully repay you, but to show my gratitude, I will do the same for you. I will follow where you go, and protect you as you have protected me.”

Luna opened her mouth to respond, but her friends were once again surprised:

“That seems rather extreme…” Miroku said.

“You’d think so!” Shippo commented, “but some Bakeneko are really loyal like that! Especially since she saved her life!”

“Really?” Sango wondered.

“Still though…” Kagome chuckled awkwardly.

“Luna doesn’t need her protection,” Inuyasha scoffed, “she’s got that crazy weapon—and if she did need someone else to protect her, she has us!”

“Guys,” Luna waved her hand at her friends, laughing, “Don’t worry about it. I got this.” She extended her hand to the Bakeneko. “Alice, I accept.”

The cat demon pouted. “It’s Airisu!”

“Right, right. Sorry—Airisu,” Luna corrected herself. “Welcome to the team.”

“Hold on, Luna,” Kagome grabbed her sister’s arm, pulling her aside. “Shouldn’t we all talk about this first? I mean… you only just met her?”

“No I didn’t,” Luna said, with that knowing little smile on her face again. “You kidding? I’ve known her all my life. And so have you, Kags.”

It took a second for Kagome to put the pieces together. She glanced back over at the Bakeneko, who had started formally introducing herself to the rest of their friends. The bubbly smile, the black hair, the vibrant orange eyes—it finally clicked. “Wait… you don’t mean that’s—”

“The very same,” Luna smiled fondly as she watched the realization cross her sister’s face. “She’d be pretty young for a demon by now—only 40 or 50 years old—but that’s Alice alright. And I’d trust that cat with my life.”

“I can’t believe I didn’t recognize her at first,” Kagome said softly.

“Well, it’s also been a few years since you’ve seen her, too,” Luna nudged her sister. “But look, we can’t tell her that we know her in the future. Gotta Marty McFly this, okay?”

“You can’t go two seconds without some pop culture reference, can you?”

“Absolutely not.” Luna laughed.

#fanfic #fanart #inuyasha #inuyasha oc #kagome higurashi #the lunar saga #inuyasha fanart #inuyasha au

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sugarcrash · 5 years ago

Text

Clumsy // Ethan Dolan

(A/N: So, I’m taking up writing again, now that I’ve gotten the swing of things in the new school year! Feel free to request! Also, ya’ll better be grateful, this took a long time to write and it’s 4,396 words lol)

Summary: When Y/N gets clumsy, she ends up making a mess - on Ethan Dolan. So how will it go down when they meet again?

Warnings: Swearing, quite a long intro (lol sorry)

*****************************************************************

“Ugh.” Y/N groaned at her phone. The alarm had been going off for the past minute, blasting the same annoying tune into her ears. Rolling over, she hit the “stop” button on the glowing screen.

The girl turned to snuggle back into her sheets when the door opened, revealing her mother, who was still in her pajamas.

“Y/N, you’ve really got to stop setting that thing so loud.” she complained. “It’s woken your brother up twice this week, and I honestly can’t handle it anymore.”

The young lady smirked into her pillow. Her 10 year old brother, Tyson, was a crazy creature when woken up early. She heard his tinny little voice singing the obnoxious Pokemon theme song, and it was clear he was seeking attention.

“Ty!” her mom stalked to the little boy. Y/N listened in silence as she heard her mother scold him for almost waking up their cranky father.

Just as she was checking the time on her iPhone, her older brother, Asher, appeared at her doorway. “Hey nerd, gonna get up or what?” he raised an eyebrow.

Y/N let out a sigh and shifted her head to meet his eyes. “Just because I wear glasses doesn’t mean I’m a nerd, y’know.”

Asher rolled his pupils to the ceiling. “Well, the glasses and the fact that you’ve never gotten a grade lower than a straight B.” he knew she couldn’t argue with that.

“Whatever. Now leave so I can get dressed.” he did so, shutting the door behind him.

Y/N lugged herself out of bed and stared at her body in the full length mirror next to her dresser. She rubbed her tired eyes before glancing at the digital clock on her wall, which read 5:30 am.

“Why does school have to start so early?” she whined to herself as she bent over to her drawers, shifting through them before finding some simple black leggings and a pale yellow sweatshirt, one of her favorite outfits.

Before Y/N threw them on her body, though, she gave herself a quick sniff. Sure, she’d taken a shower last night, she smelled fine, but the bra she had been wearing for the past two weeks did not. She quickly changed her bra and panties before noticing there was a red splotch on her underwear.

“No, no no! Shit! You’re not supposed to be here for another week!” Y/N grumbled. Thankfully, she never put her tampons in the bathroom. Not only is it farther away from her room, so she’d have to run in bloody panties, but Asher and Tyson would probably find them.

She reached to her secret stash in her nightstand, pulling out the familiar blue-wrapped tube.

After she put in the tampon, she shoved on her clothes and rushed to brush her teeth. While she was doing so, Y/N received a text from her best friend, Lola.

*Text*

L: Hey babes!

L: How ya doing?

Y/N: Not good, Aunt Flo decided to visit

L: Aww u poor thing! Cramps start yet?

Y/N: Nope, just waiting in agony. I hate having to walk around school with a little box of tampons

L: U can do it! For women everywhere!

Y/N: Cheers, bitch

*End*

Y/N spit the foamy toothpaste down the drain, watching it swirl as she got lost in her thoughts. Wasn’t that math quiz today? No, that was tomorrow. Would she see her crush, Alex? Would he acknowledge her?

“C’mon, dork, if you want a ride, get a move on!” Asher announced, walking down the hallway. Y/N grabbed her laptop and phone from her desk, brushing her hair as she made her way down the stairs. She grabbed her backpack from the coat rack, shoving her electronics and hairbrush inside before checking to make sure her tampon box was ready to go.

In the little flimsy plastic pouch she had found in a tampon kit for this very reason, there were three orange paper tubes. With a sigh, she stuffed them in her low side pocket on her leggings, throwing on some random socks and her Adidas tennis shoes.

Y/N checked the time again. 5:45. School started in around 20 minutes, and it was 15 or so minutes away from the house. ‘We’re gonna make it’ Y/N decided as she pulled her hair into a quick ponytail.

With her backpack over her shoulder, she wen to the kitchen to look for breakfast when Asher shouted “Think fast!” Before she knew it, Y/N was hit in the face with a breakfast bar.

She leaned over, face twisting into a mad expression when she saw what it was. She picked it up, then complain loudly to her 18-year-old brother. “Asher, you idiot!”

“Keep it down! Dad’s trying to sleep!” her sleepy mother came downstairs, Tyson weaving in between her legs.

“Mommy said that’s a potty word!” he announced, making Y/N roll her eyes. She needed to escape this mess, so with her breakfast bar in hand, she turned the handle and stepped out the front door.

She hopped into Asher’s worn-down pickup truck, a gift from their grandfather on his 16th birthday. Y/N’s older brother soon appeared in the driver’s seat, using the key to start the car. Y/N pulled some headphones over her ears and let the music consume her.

A few minutes later, Asher pulled his car into the school parking lot with an abrupt stop, as to get Y/N’s attention. He lunged forward a bit, her headphones slipping off her ears.

“We’re here, sis.”

“Well, duh, I know.” the 15-year-old grumped.

“Alright, then get out.”

Y/N huffed and opened the car door, stepping out and taking a deep breath before starting toward the doors.

She looked down at her phone, and the time read 6:10. She had exactly five minutes before classes started and she was in trouble.

Y/N practically ran to the front doors, almost falling twice before reaching them and yanking the metal handles, revealing a main area full of students, most groggy.

She rushed to her locker, twirling the familiar lock to the right combo when Lola appeared next to her.

“Hey, hon.” she chirped. Lola had always been a morning person, whereas Y/N was not.

“Hey.” the girl’s locker swung open, the small mirror reflecting her face. She gave a little smile to it before stuffing her backpack inside the cold metal space, grabbing the materials for her first class, language and literature.

“Aren’t you so glad that we have lang and lit this hour? Poor Maddie, having to go to math first.”

Y/N nodded her head just as the warning bell sounded, demanding that students get themselves ti their classes before they needed a late pass. “Better start walking. We don’t need Mrs. Cooper getting mad at us again.” she nudged Lola, teasing her for yesterday’s mistake.

“Okay, okay, shut up.” she groaned at the memory. “Don’t look now, but someone’s right there!” her voice dropped to a singsong-ish whisper, and Y/N blushed, knowing just who she was speaking of.

She glanced and caught his eye as they passed. His.

Alex Kallio’s.

The brown-haired boy had been Y/N’s crush since eighth grade, but he never noticed her. He fit in with the popular crowd. She did not. It only actually worked in movies.

“Y’know, Hayden was over there, too.” the girl told her friend. Her cheeks instantly flushed, and Y/N smiled. “You can’t deny it anymore.”

“I don’t have a crush on him! God!” her face was adorned with playful annoyance as the young lady next to her rolled her eyes, showing that her little love was all too obvious.

“Sure, whatever you say.”

“Stop it!” Lola whined. They pretended to be mad at one another before looking at one another, bursting into laughter.

They then reached the door. “Wanna know something?” Lola asked Y/N, who nodded. “I think one of the Dolans was totally looking at you.”

“No way. They’re, like, the most popular sophomores. And so handsome.”

“Looks like someone has two new crushes. Move over Alex, here come Ethan and Grayson.” the two giggled and took their seats just as the teacher walked in.

“Good morning, class.” Mrs. Cooper spoke, her voice filling the room.

“Good morning, Mrs. Cooper.” the class groaned back.

There was a click from the door and in waltzed the Dolan twins, goofy smiles on their faces. “Sorry.” they apologized together, but it was clear that the word meant nothing.

“Boys! We’ve talked about this before, you can’t continue to be late to class every day!” Mrs. Cooper scolded the teens.

Y/N raised her eyebrows and closed her eyes, her ears soon filling with the daily lecture on how it’s important to be a good student, and blah, blah, blah.

The twins sort of just stood there, secretly stealing looks and rolling their eyes at their friends, showing that it was clearly not a care. Then Ethan caught Y/N’s glance for a split second, and that’s when she realized she’d been staring.

“Lola!” she hissed at her friend. “How long was I looking?”

The girl let out a giggle. “The whole damn time.”

Y/N groaned and hid her face in her hands at Lola’s response, lifting it up only to see that class was starting.

*Time Skip*

Finally, 4th period. Lunch. Y/N could finally hang out with all her friends at once, rather than having to pass along notes and retell stories over and over again.

Y/N subconsciously walked into the cafeteria, lost in her thoughts. She found herself heading over to the lunch line, thinking about her love life.

“Do I really want Alex? What about Ethan? Or Grayson? I suppose there’s always that one kid, Adam, who’s always been nice to me.” she thought to herself, grabbing a tray from the stack.

As she made her way down the line, she noticed that the kids at the popular table somehow got a hold on a small foam football. She shook her head, getting a focus back on reality, rather than daydreaming and watching.

Y/N waited patiently as the long line got shorter, until she was next to get food. A school cook scooped some spaghetti onto her little tray, along with some salad. Just as she had gotten out of line, she turned to her usual table, where all her friends were placed.

Y/N began to fast walk toward them, not looking at her surroundings. Neither was Ethan Dolan, who, at the moment, was making an attempt to catch the small football before it hit the ground. He caught the ball in a jump and settled on the ground

Y/N was walking forward, but her head turned when she looked across the room, getting back to her thinking. She headed straight toward Ethan and, BAM! They collided.

Y/N spaghetti flew out of her hands , landing on her favorite sweatshirt with a thump, probably leaving a stain. She fell backwards onto her butt, the small tampon pack in her leggings flinging out, unclasping and sending the products all over the floor.

Ethan had barely flinched at the contact.

He took a look at who had crashed into him, before realizing what a mess the girl was in. He immediately ran to go get napkins for her, as she got herself up and tried to gather everything.

People started to laugh as they noticed what had happened, and Y/N felt hot tears begin to prick at her eyes. “I’m so stupid, so clumsy.” she thought.

Ethan came back while she was still attempting to clean, though it was hard. She sat on her knees for a moment, resting her hands on her sides before feeling around.

Her tampon box was gone. Y/N started to mentally freak out, now frantically looking before someone found them and she got even more embarrassed. But it was hard to search, seeing that her eyes were blurry with tears.

“Hey, are you okay?” Ethan asked. Y/N only nodded her head. “Are you looking for something?”

She was about to nod again, stopping herself and realizing that, if she told him, he’d want to help, and he’d have to know what it was. She decided against his help, responding with a short “No.”

“Well, it looks like you are. Here, I’ll help.”

Y/N panicked as he looked on the floor, trying to find something that he didn’t even know what it is was, before his eyes settled on the bright orange tampon wrappers, along with the little blue box. Y/N was doomed.

The muscular boy picked them up and smiled, proud of himself that he did something right, but then Ethan realized what they were.

Both sophomore’s faces flushed with embarrassment as people realized their predicament, roaring with laughter around them.

“A-Are these yours?” Ethan asked sheepishly.

Y/N snatched them out of his hand, touching it for only a second, but long enough for something to spark. She looked into his eyes, then tore her gaze away, sprinting out of reach and into the empty hallway.

Once alone in the girl’s bathroom, Y/N broke down, tears running down her cheeks. Her favorite sweatshirt was ruined, she embarrassed herself and a popular kid in front of the whole school, and her crush would probably never look at her again.

The door burst open with a bang, hitting the wall behind it, and in came her friends Lola, Maddie, and Zoe.

“Oh my god, are you okay?” Maddie asked.

“We saw the whole thing!” Zoe exclaimed.

Lola sat down next to Y/N, and the two other followed. They gave her a huge group hug and let her cry.

After Y/N was finished, Lola suggested that she get a new shirt. The girl agreed, and the four went to the office to look for something in the lost and found.

“Well, honey, why don’t you go look in the bin? There should be a shirt or two in there.” the secretary told the girls.

They sifted through the large blue bucket and found two shirts, an old white one that smelled awful and was looking a little yellow, and a stupid Lego Batman shirt that was in pretty good condition, but smelled as if someone mixed too much cologne and sweat together.

“No doubt, these are from the boy’s locker room.” Zoe pinched her nose with her left hand as she used the right one to hold the shirt far away from her while she examined it.

“Whatever. At least it’s better than the one I’m wearing now.” Y/N grabbed the dangling shirt and sighed before marching to the bathroom.

A few minutes later, Y/N came back into the office. The shirt fit her perfectly, giving a sign that it was probably from some nerdy kid with no build whatsoever.

“Oh, good, sweetie, you found something. Now, you kids better get back to class before your teachers get mad.” the secretary instructed. The four girls nodded and headed out.

Once alone in the hallway, Maddie spoke up. “Okay, like, I know this whole thing was traumatizing for you, Y/N, but can we just talk about how cute you and Ethan would be?”

Zoe and Lola laughed, but Y/N quickly clamped a hand down on Maddie’s mouth. “Don’t! Someone could hear!”

“Yeah, but it’s not like it’s a false statement.” Zoe giggled.

Lola smirked. “Totally. I ship.”

Y/N covered her ears, playfully getting annoyed at her friends and running ahead of them, making the girls chase after her. They reached the sophomore hallway, laughing as they rushed to their lockers as to not be later than they already were.

Y/N collected her binder, pencil case, and laptop before turning to her friends. “Bye guys, see you after class.”

“Bye.” they called in unison.

The rest of the day went on painfully slow, and Y/N was called out several times during the day, getting comments on how she was clumsy or embarrassing. But there were always a few nice kids who asked her if she was okay.

By the time the bell rang at the end of the day, the girl was exhausted. Sh had been assigned at least 5 pages of homework, and probably an essay or two. But she couldn’t really say, because she hadn’t been paying that much attention.

To top of all the bad luck of the day, Ethan hadn’t looked at her again. No matter how many times Y/N attempted to catch his eye, he’d purposely turn his head the other way. They both knew what he was doing.

“Fine then.” Y/N thought to herself. “Save your ego. Can’t have anyone catching you look at me.”

She then blushed, realizing she was getting mad at him like he was her friend. They had barely ever interacted, why was she feeling and acting this way?

Y/N met Asher outside of the school, in the student parking lot. He was already in the car, obviously annoyed that his little sister had taken so long.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” she babbled apologies as she clambered into the car and buckled up. Though she would never admit it, she tried to impress her brother and stay on his good side. He was in with the popular crowd at school, and she took every chance she got to look cool to him.

“Yeah, whatever. Listen, I heard what happened to you today.” Y/N’s face flushed red when he brought up the memory. “I know you had a bad day, so I’m gonna give you a deal. It’s a one time thing, though, okay?”

He turned to look at Y/N, and she nodded.

“If you want, you can come to this party with me tonight. I’m hearing that some of the sophomores will be there, too, so it’s not like you’ll be alone. You wanna go?”

“Oh, yeah. That sounds like fun.”

“Okay. We’re leaving at 8:30. If mom or dad asks, we’re going to the movies with a few friends. I will not have my night ruined by some kid who can’t keep her mouth shut.”

His sister pursed her lips, showing that her lips were sealed. He put his key into the ignition and started it, driving back to the house.

Once they arrived from the ten minute drive, Y/N raced straight up to her room, taking no time in saying hello to the rest of her family. Really, though, it was only her mom, because her dad was at work and Tyson was still at school.

Y/N immediately texted her friends about the party.

*Text*

Y/N: Guysss!!!

L: Wat

Z: What is it??

Y/N: I’m going to a party 2nite!

M: R u serious? How?

Y/N: Asher

L: Ah, that makes more sense

Z: What r u gonna wear?

Y/N: idk

M: Well, when r u leaving?

Y/N: 8:30, why?

L: IT’S 3:30 U ONLY HAVE 5 HOURS TO DECIDE WHAT TO WEAR

Z: R U INSANE HURRY

M: U guys r so overdramatic

Y/N: Agreed. Will text when I have perfect outfit.

*End*

Y/N set her phone gently on the bed before turning it off, going over to her dresser and rooting through it to find the perfect combination of an outfit.

She pulled out various dresses, skirts, pants, and shirts, sifting through each one carefully and pairing together different items that may look good together. Y/N tried on each option before settling on the perfect ensemble, one that was casual but cool at the same time. “Coolsual”, she called it.

Y/N flopped onto her bed and flipped open her laptop, going to YouTube to entertain her for a few hours before she showed her friends what she’d be wearing.

Eventually, time passed (though Y/N would admit quite slowly because of how excited she was to go to this party)

She threw on her outfit, a skin-tight black off-the-shoulder top that adorned long sleeves, paired with a pretty black and white plaid skirt with a small chain hanging off the hip and connecting to one of the belt loops. Y/N also had on knee-high black socks, and finished off with a slight coat of make-up.

The girl stood in the mirror, snapping a picture before sending it to her awaiting girlfriends, who responded with “omg!”s and “love it!”s.

Y/N smiled at her phone, knowing they would’ve said the same thing if she staples herself in a trash bag, even if she knew they were lying.

“Are you coming or not?” Asher yelled from the bottom of the stairs up to her room. Y/N hadn’t realized the time and yelled back in response, grabbing her purse and heading downstairs.

She pulled on some quick tennis shoes, not wanting to be bothered with the burden of having heels on, even if they weren’t that tall.

“Finally, you slowpoke, I texted you only a million times!” her older brother complained.

“Girls take longer!” she complained, but the both of them knew that she was just lazy in getting ready.

Asher chuckled and shook his head at the younger girl. “Whatever. Let’s go.”

They started out the door and into the driveway, entering the car. The senior put his key into the ignition and they drove the 5 minutes in silence to his friend’s house.

Once they arrived, Y/N noticed that there were so many more people than anticipated. She could already tell that this wasn’t going to be as fun as she expected, and she recognized no one out on the lawn.

“Whatever.” Y/N thought to herself. “I’ll just hang out by the cooler the entire time. No big deal.”

But she was lying to herself, and she knew it. It was a big deal, seeing as she was never one to be so involved with large crowds of people. She had her group of friends, and that was all she needed. Nevertheless, she snapped out of her thoughts and brought herself to push open the car door.

The minute they stepped out of the vehicle, Asher was swooped away by his friends, no surprise there. Y/N, left to fend for herself, went to the food. It was in the corner by some chairs anyways, so it was a nicer place to be alone rather than out in the sea of bodies that were dancing, some quite inappropriately, she may add.

Suddenly, the girl felt someone sit next to her. Y/N turned her head to find Amber, a girl that she sometimes talked to in her math class. They were getting to know each other pretty well, finding things in common when they had the time.

“Hi.” the brunette spoke, a bit quietly. It could’ve just been the loud music, but Amber was a known introvert, so it was a surprise to see her in a place like this.

“Hey. What are you doing here? I wouldn’t expect to see you at a party, no offence.” Y/N responded.

“None taken, and I could say the same for you. My friend Samantha dragged me here. I don’t know why though, because she knows I don’t go to these things.”

“Ah. My brother offered to take me, since I had a pretty bad day, but I realize it’s definitely not my scene.”

Amber hummed in response, and the two girls people-watched for a few minutes, until Y/N noticed a certain someone in the crowd.

Ethan Dolan.

He stood next to his twin, Grayson, talking animatedly to a few of his friends. Y/N hadn’t noticed she was staring until Amber poked at her side for the second time.

“Y/N! Earth to Y/N!” she called, before noticing who she was looking at. “Ooh, you like him?”

“Yeah.” the girl called absentmindedly, unaware that Amber had even asked a question, let alone what the topic was.

Amber squealed. “Oh my god! It’s gonna be hard to get to him, though, he practically has a line of girls waiting for him.”

“What?” Y/N turned to Amber. “Please explain, I have no idea what you just said.”

As Amber talked to the sophomore next to her, unbeknown that she was being watched.

From across the room, Ethan was looking directly at her, watching as she talked to a girl that was probably in the grade, but never bothered to learn who she was.

Y/N and Ethan had only ever crossed paths a few times, seeing as she was obviously less popular than he. But after today, he felt butterflies dashing around in his stomach, and he wasn’t sure if it was from embarrassment or having a crush.

Little did he know, Y/N felt the same way.

Whatever the feeling, the muscular boy decided to suck it up and go talk to her. On the other side of the room, Y/N was oblivious to his attempts to get her attention.

After a few minutes, her gaze eventually shifted to him, and Y/N grinned at Ethan when they made eye contact. He ended his conversation and sauntered over to the sitting girl.

“Hey.” he spoke, causing Y/N to blush a little bit. She couldn’t believe it, a popular kid, talking to her. Willingly.

“Hi.” she quietly spoke, afraid that she would mess something up. The two sophomores looked at each other for a minute, small grins on both of their faces.

“So,” Ethan broke the ice. “How are you doing after today? Y’know, with the whole cafeteria thing...”

Y/N silently thanked him for asking “I’m doing good. Unfortunately, my favorite sweatshirt was ruined, but it’s okay.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, I should’ve been watching where I was.”

“No, no, it’s my fault.”

The taller boy breathed out of his nose before speaking again. “So, see you around?”

“For sure.”

With that, Ethan left Y/N to go find his friends once more. What they didn’t know is that both of them felt the same feeling of butterflies invading their bodies, jittery and nervous.

Alex Kallio who?

66 notes · View notes

starshine583 · 5 years ago

Text

Grumpy Beginnings

(here it is! the moment you’ve all been waiting for! Chapter one of “The Unbreaking” is officially out!! Enjoy!!!)

Phoenix gasped for air as he ran, his lungs aching at this point. You would think it would be easier to lose three guards in a forest like this.

“Power dampeners. They just had to have power dampeners.” He huffed, darting around trees and hopping over bushes. It wouldn’t be much of a surprise if his black tennis shoe soles were worn through after this. Every other step he took seemed like his legs were about to give out. He needed a break or else his mission was going to fall to pieces much sooner than he preferred.

Hoping to lose them, Phoenix made a sharp left turn, only to completely collide with another person. They both grunted, stumbling a few steps together, before Phoenix threw himself backwards and held his hand out to his side. As soon as he did, a black sword with a glowing blue lighting appeared in his hand, blue dust draping off of it for a second. Good to know his swords still worked.

The person he ran into gasped, and he looked up to see a girl staring at his sword with wide, purple eyes.

“You have an enchanted sword?” She asked, curiosity and wonder filling her tone as she reached out to touch his weapon.

He pulled it back, studying her with a raised eyebrow. Black t-shirt that faded into a galaxy theme.. dark grey jeans.. black converse.. short, blonde hair with light grey streaks.. She didn’t look like she was working for them.

Phoenix relaxed slightly, only to tense up again when twigs snapped not too far from them.

Clasping his sword to his back, He ducked behind a tree and pressed his back against the trunk, periodically glancing around the trunk to check for guards. They couldn’t be far behind him now.

The girl gasped again when she saw him clasp his sword, and he winced. Too loud. They’re going to find him faster if she doesn’t shut up.

“You have two enchan-”

Phoenix cut her off by clamping his hand over her mouth and lightly pushing her up against the tree.

“Hush.” He whispered, sparing her a warning glance. That should be enough for her to understand the seriousness of the situation.

He then turned back to the noises, cautiously searching the trees for any sign of movement. Maybe he’d get lucky for once, and the guards would pass right by them.

Yeah, right.

As Phoenix sifted through his mind for an escape plan, he felt a chill pass through his hand that was holding the stranger still.

His gaze flicked to her, only to see that she wasn’t against the tree anymore. Instead, she stood beside him glaring daggers. Her mouth and jawline were tinted with a light, swirling grey color, as if smoke had clouded over part of her face. After a few seconds, her features returned to normal, although her glare remained intact.

Now it was his turn to stare at her with fascination.

“You’re a Shadow Weaver..” He thought aloud.

Her glare faltered under his gaze, that didn’t stop her from chewing him out.

“Good to know you have eyes.” She retorted, voice acidic. “Now, I don’t know where you came from, but I don’t tolerate being ‘manhandled’. Kindly keep your hands to yourself. This is your first and last warning.”

Phoenix blinked at her, then snorted. That’s so something a Shadow Weaver would say.

“Understood. What’s your name again?” He whispered curiously, a smirk lingering on his lips as he checked the surroundings again.

The girl crossed her arms, but huffed, “Leilah.”

“Phoenix.” He replied simply, turning back to the trees.

“What are you looking for anyway?” Leilah frowned, peaking around the tree as well.

She’d barely gotten the sentence out when a dart came flying through the woods straight for her chest.

Phoenix straightened in alarm as the dart went right through her, but Leilah didn’t seem affected. It only left swirls of grey that were similar to what was on her mouth earlier.

A wave of relief washed over him. Good. She was still in “Shadow Mode”.

“Not what. Who.” He answered, turning to see three large men stepped out of the bushes. Looks like they found him.

They held up their guns, and Phoenix held out his arms, feeling the weight of his two swords appearing in his hands. All three men fired at once. Phoenix dodged each of the darts as he ran towards the guards. Each of the men separated to get better angles. He threw his sword at the middle one, hitting the guard straight in the chest.

“Hey, careful! You’re gonna kill somebody!” Leilah shouted behind him.

“That’s the idea.” Phoenix grunted, extending his hand once again for his other sword as he charged towards the next person. The sword teleported from the previous guards chest, back into Phoenix’s hand with no blood on it at all.

“Are you crazy?!” The Shadow Weaver cried as he charged for the other two.

“Depends on who you ask.” He remarked, striking a blow on one of the guards’ shoulders before kicking him into the tree. Phoenix then whirled around and sprinted towards the last guard.

The man panicked, shooting as many darts towards Phoenix as possible.

He simply used his swords to dodge them and, once close enough, knocked the gun out of his hand like the first guard.

As he raised the sword to slice the guard through, a cloud of smoke appeared between them, before reforming into the girl he’d run into.

She held out her arms defensively. “I cannot allow you to-”

Unfortunately, Phoenix couldn’t react in time, and ended up running his sword straight through her waist.

Leilah gasped and jumped back, grey swirls sprawling across her waist. She’s lucky she stays translucent so much or else she would have died or been critically injured at least twice.

The guard behind, however, had no such luck. He slumped to the ground a few seconds later, blood pooling onto the grass next to him.

Leilah stared at Phoenix with wide, horrified eyes, her gaze flicking between him and the guard as he casually clasped his sword to his back again.

“Did you have to kill them? You could have killed me! Why couldn’t we have just run?” She spouted out in one breath, kneeling beside the guard to check his pulse. Phoenix didn’t know why. Even if the guard wasn’t dead yet, the nearest hospital was a good few miles away, and Shadow Weavers can only teleport themselves if he remembered correctly.

“I’ve been doing that for the past half hour. If I didn’t kill them, they were going to keep chasing me until I was taken back to Scorch and Blizzard.” He was kind of on a blacklist at this point, to be honest.

Leilah’s entire body stiffened at the names.

Slowly, she turned back to face him, a whole new wave of terror plastered on her features.

“You.. you’re involved with the Samiya Twins?” She croaked.

Phoenix simply shrugged, plopping onto the ground next to her. After all of that running, he needed a break.

“Sort of? It’s a long story, but they took something that belongs to me. I want it back.”

Leilah didn’t respond, and he wasn’t sure if she didn’t hear him or was just ignoring him now.

Before he could decide, she ripped her hand away from the guard and abruptly stood up.

“I have to go.” She said, barely above a whisper. “If I stay any longer, I might get a target on my back.”

Her upper torso faded into a swirling smoke for a moment, then reformed with her wearing a deep purple jacket.

She pulled up the hoodie and looked down at him with a frown. “I’d say it was nice to meet you, but.. you know.. It wasn’t.”

With that, she disappeared into a cloud of smoke, leaving Phoenix by himself.

He raised an eyebrow at the comment, but eventually shrugged it off and settled in the grass to stare up at the clear blue sky. There was no need to worry about some stranger in the woods. They’d probably never meet again, anyway.

~~~~~~

Leilah stuffed her hands into her jacket pockets and muttered to herself as she walked towards the nearest shadow. She couldn’t believe she got herself into this mess. The Samiya twins, otherwise known as “Scorch” and “Blizzard”, are the most feared crime bosses within these cities. They’ve been famous world wide ever since the two worked together to make a fortress out of lava and ice, constantly steaming from the contradiction of temperatures.

The government has tried a few times to infiltrate the fortress and take them into custody, but the twins just morph the walls, eventually leading the raid parties back outside. Not to mention the fact that they practically have an army of “soldiers” at their disposal.

Lots of criminals, upon the rising of the Samiya Twins, gladly pledged themselves to their rule. Even other crime bosses pledged themselves to the Samiya sisters. Therefore, the dreaded twins soon had “friends” all around the globe. The only place they hadn’t gotten a hold of was her home, Amarok.

“And thank goodness for that.” Leilah sighed. Maybe this whole thing would blow over. If that boy- Phoenix -actually killed them, then no one would know she was in the woods with him.

Her eyes light up when she finally found a big enough shadow next to a maple tree. Finally, she could go home and forget about this madness.

Leilah walked over the shadow, standing in the exact center. Then, as if the ground suddenly gave way, she fell right through, leaving only a small cloud of smoke in her place.

Leilah landed on her back with a *thud*, forcing a grunt out of her.

“I really gotta work on those landings.” She grumbled to herself, sitting up and rubbing the back of her head. You’d think falling on bedrock so many times would prompt her to practice.

Purple crystals glittered overhead, casting a hazy light over the glowing city of Amarok, otherwise known as the “Shadow Realm”. Of course she would manage to teleport outside city bounds.

Leilah pulled herself to her feet and brushed off her clothes, before starting the trek to the capitol building. She tried to avoid the larger rocks as best she could so she wouldn’t trip. Being at the center of the earth, there was no sunlight to help them see. They did use Emory crystals, which were ground into the rocks above and made to look like stars, but Leilah still struggled. She hasn’t gained full control of her night vision either. Maybe she should bring a flashlight with her next time?

Leilah had just reached the first set of buildings when a chill crawled up her spine. She paused mid step, scanning the streets and furrowing her eyebrows. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but something felt.. off.

Fear gripped her heart when a series of screams suddenly pierced the air.

That’s coming from Twila. She thought, breaking into a sprint.

Twila, the capitol building of Amarok, could best be explained as a castle, similar to what the surface dwellers had. Usually, Shadow Weavers lounged around there all day long. Some would be climbing the towers and practicing their teleportation abilities. Others would be watching the crystals with someone special or debating politics inside. Right now, however, everyone was running away from it.

Leilah couldn’t see much as first, due to the crowds. They must have forgotten to teleport in their panic. She would have done so herself except she didn’t know what lay ahead of her.

Eventually, she managed to push through the crowd enough to see, only to wish she hadn’t.

A group of surface dwellers were marching towards the front gate of the castle, each holding guns.

But how did they get in? Leilah thought to herself in a panic. Only Shadow Weavers were able to enter Amarok, although they could bring someone with them if they wanted, but who would-

A figure appeared in a swirl of smoke in front of the posse, giving Leilah her answer.

Elowen, a renowned member of the council, was leading them.

Leilah tried to level her breathing. Her blood boiled, but her chest ached. How could someone betray their own kind like this? What could Elowen possibly gain?

She watched helplessly as they opened the front gates and walked inside. Why the capitol building? Surely, Elowen wouldn’t be stupid enough to think she could hold Twila for long. No, that couldn’t be it. Think! She was after something. Something important.. Something..

“The cosmo crystals..” Leilah gasped. They were after the cosmo crystals in the left wing. They had to be. Nothing else would be important enough for Elowen to bring surface dwellers here.

Leilah closed her eyes, teleporting to the front of the west wing. She couldn’t let any of the crystals get stolen.

As soon as she arrived, Leilah came face to face with a group of Shadow Weavers who pointed spears at her immediately, nearly giving her a heart attack.

“Wait!” One of the women called out, stepping towards the front. Celeste, Leilah’s assigned Arwen. Arwens were basically guardians and mentors of younger Shadow Weavers.

“Leilah, you shouldn’t be here.” Celeste cautioned, failing to hide the worry in her voice. They hadn’t been under attack in over a thousand years, and although they continued training throughout that time, no one can truly be ready for such situations.

“But I can help!” Leilah protested. There were only five council members there, and she counted at least ten people outside. They needed all of the help they could get.

“No, Leilah, it’s too dangerous. You need to-”

“Well!”

The two were interrupted by Elowen’s voice echoing across the room, around ten soldiers halting behind her.

“I’m glad to see you all came to give me a warm welcome.” Her sweet smile twisted into a scowl. “Now step aside.”

Celeste moved in front of Leilah, gently pushing her back.

“Elowen Hearst. You have broken our most sacred law by intentionally bringing invaders into our land. It is with great regret that you are convicted of Treason and will be punished accordingly. You are no longer a member of the council and are sentenced to death. If you leave now, however, we will spare your life, but you can never return. What is your choice?” Her voice was strong and confident, her composure equally so. Leilah had always admired her for her bravery and wisdom.

Elowen, however, only laughed in her face. “You were always so full of pride, Celeste. No matter, you will fall just like everyone else in this room. And the bigger they are-” she held up a hand, causing the soldiers to ready their guns. “- the harder the fall.” Elowen finished with a devious smile, pointing straight at Celeste.

The soldiers fired at will, aiming for Celeste at first, then separating to different targets.

The Shadow Weavers charged towards them, thankful that the enemy’s bullets weren’t Amarok proof and went right through them.

Unfortunately, Elowen had an Amarok spear, which would very much injure a Shadow Weaver whether in “shadow mode” or not.

“Gang up on them and shoot one while it’s fighting another! They can’t hit someone and be translucent at the same time!” The traitor ordered, keeping her eyes on Celeste.

Of course, Celeste went straight for her, and their spears clashed together.

Leilah, completely ignoring Celeste’s instructions, ran into battle with the other Shadow weavers, determination coursing through her veins like liquid fire. Now that the men were closer, she noticed that their armor was similar to the men Phoenix fought in the forest. The guards that worked for Scorch and Blizzard.

Of course they would be the ones behind this. Leilah thought with a growl. They basically had the entire surface world at their feet. Why did they need Amarok too?

Leilah was brought out of her thoughts when she heard Celeste let out a painful cry.

Her gaze snapped to her mentor, who was doubled over in pain. Elowen had gotten a blow to her side with the spear.

“No!” Leilah gasped, vainly reaching a hand towards her.

Taking the opportunity, the guard she was fighting punched her in the stomach, picked her up, and threw her into another Shadow Weaver. Thankfully, the other four Shadow Weavers were still going strong, and the numbers had fallen in their favor. Not including Celeste, it was five to four.

While they were taking care of the last few guards, Elowen teleported to the middle of the room where a large tree stood. At first, one might mistake for a willow tree, but upon closer inspection, they’d notice that instead of leaves, the tree’s branches held grey colored crystals. Her people called it the Astral tree.

Leilah, once on her feet again, ran to Celeste’s side to help her.

“Are you okay? You’re bleeding.” She asked worriedly, kneeling next to her.

Celeste was on her knees at this point as well, one hand cleaved to her side and the other firmly on the ground. Grey mist poured between her fingers, fading before it could reach the floor.

“Leilah.. The crystal.. She can’t.. She can’t get them.. Don’t let her..” Celeste sputtered out with labored breaths.

Leilah’s eyes flicked to Elowen, who was already pulling on one of the crystals to shake it free.

“I-I’ll be back in a second. Don’t get any ideas about dying.” Leilah wanted her voice to be as strong as Celeste’s had been during the speech earlier, but it was only feeble and fearful.

Drawing in a deep breath, She closed her eyes and teleported right next to Elowen, kicking her in the stomach before she could react.

The former council member flew backwards, crashing onto the ground.

Leilah stepped forward, ready to continue the fight. To her relief, the other guards had just been finished off, so the other Shadow Weavers were there to help.

Silence swept over the room as they waited for Elowen’s next move.

Then, an eerie laughter came from the woman, sending a shiver through Leilah.

Slowly, Elowen pulled out her hand, waving the foggy crystal that she held.

“Thank you, my dear.” She said, her lips curling into a devious smile. “I couldn’t have done it without you.”

Leilah gasped, her hands clasping over her mouth. The Shadow Weavers wasted no time pouncing on the woman, but it was too late. She had already disappeared, leaving a thin fog behind.

~~~~~~

Leilah sunk to the floor in disbelief. How.. how did this happen? Elowen had been right there. Right in their grasp, and she just.. got away.

She glanced around the room and saw that the other Shadow Weavers were just as distraught. It wasn’t until they heard Celeste cough that they turned their eyes from the empty place Elowen should have been.

Leilah was the first to rush over to her, followed by the rest of the council members.

“Celeste, I’m so sorry. I let her get away and I helped her get the crystal and It’s all my fault, I-”

Celeste placed a hand on her forearm.

“Don’t do that to yourself. It’s not your fault. Elowen’s the one that made the decision.” She soothed, graciously hiding the pain with her coaxing tone.

Tears stung the corner the corner of Leilah’s eyes, blurring her vision.

“We need to put her into care, or else she won’t heal.” Sylvia advised, gesturing to another woman to help pick Celeste up.

“How is she going to heal without the crystal?” Leilah asked, standing with them as they picked up her mentor.

Celeste hissed with pain, but remained silent.

“We don’t know if that was Celeste’s crystal.”

“Either way, it’s the crystal of other Shadow Weavers. We’re going to go after it, right?”

“It was the only one taken and it was brought to the surface world already. The best thing we can do is place extra guards in the palace to protect the other crystals.”

Leilah faltered in her step, but quickly caught up to them. They were going to leave the crystal?

“But what about the Shadow Weavers that belonged to that crystal?”

She knew she was trying Sylvia’s patience, but this was a serious matter. If they didn’t get the cosmo crystal back, the Shadow Weavers that belonged to it wouldn’t have their core anymore. They wouldn’t be able to recharge their shadows, and thousands would die. The council can’t just “Let it be” or “take precautions for the other crystals”.

“I’m not arguing about this Leilah. I’m a member of council, and you are not. It’s not your choice to make.”

“But-”

“Leilah, I said enough. The conversation is over.” Sylvie stated firmly, turning away to ignore anymore of Leilah’s attempts.

Leilah huffed, crossing her arms and lightly tapping her forefinger in thought. It wasn’t her choice to make? That was such a lie. Maybe Leilah couldn’t decide for all of Amarok, but she could certainly decide for herself. She refused to let thousands die simply because Sylvia was too scared to go to the surface world.

Unfortunately, Leilah still needed a plan. If Elowen was working with Scorch and Blizzard, she could be anywhere. Leilah’s read a few history books, but she needs more information than that. Someone who can guide her to the other locations that Elowen might be staying at. Someone who’s worked with the twins before..

A pair of glowing swords popped into her head, and she grimaced.

Oh, this was a bad idea.

This was absolutely a bad idea.

..but what other choice did she have?

Leilah shot a glance to the council members, who were all occupied with Celeste at the moment. What a terribly perfect opportunity.

She slowed her pace, lingering behind them until they rounded a corner. As soon as they were out of sight, she mentally slapped herself for making such stupid decisions, before disappearing into a cloud of smoke.

~~~~~~

Phoenix’s eyes fluttered open, his gaze met with green leaves swaying above him in the wind. He let out a groan as he stretched across the prickly, green grass, and sat up. A small patch of sunlight caught his eyes, making move slightly to the left to hide in the shade of the trees. How long had he been asleep?

He stood up, briefly checking his surroundings for anymore unwanted guests. The bodies were still where he left them, so that was a plus.

Phoenix casually walked over to the figures, searching their armor for cash. He never understood how someone, especially people without powers, could wear something made entirely out of ice.

Because of his sword, there were several cracks in the icy armor, revealing a few layers of thermals underneath.

“Still wouldn’t wear this thing.” He mumbled to himself, a satisfied grin crossing his lips when he found a wallet. There wasn’t much money in it, but at least he could get something for lunch. All of this fighting had made him hungry.

Phoenix stashed the wallet in his back pocket and stood up, staring down at the deceased guard.

The eyes were still wide open and turned towards the sky, hollow and lifeless.

Phoenix sighed and reached down to close the guard’s eyes. Then he turned on his heel and traipsed off towards the edge of the woods.

Once there, he walked into the city, finding the nearest cafe he could. He didn’t want to spend too much time there since Scorch would most likely send scouts to find the missing guards.

Tch, who am I kidding. She doesn’t care if her soldiers come back or not.

If anything, She’d probably kill someone out of frustration rather than sending scouts after the guards. Nevertheless, Phoenix still wanted to keep this visit to half an hour. He needed to visit Zeke about this stupid dart injury.

He pulled out a chair and sat down at one of the tables on the patio. Thankfully, no one pointed out the swords still clasped to his back.

This is why I love Bellmare. Phoenix thought to himself with a smirk.

After a few minutes, a waiter came and handed him a menu, then took his order for a drink and shuffled back inside. Phoenix barely started to look through the options when a familiar figure sat across from him.

“I wanna join you.” Leilah declared, crossing her arms.

“Cool. Do I get to know why?” Phoenix asked, not even looking up from his menu. It’s a tad strange that she came looking for him after her earlier comments, but Shadow Weavers were known for their fighting skills. If she wanted to “join him”, then he wouldn’t argue.

She hesitated, and he could feel her skeptical gaze.

“Well, like you, Scorch and Blizzard took something from me. I want it back.”

He nodded absently, trying to decide between chicken tenders or a grilled cheese sandwich. Which one would he be able to eat faster?

“Alright, then,” Leilah spoke up again, “If we’re going to be partners, you’re going to have to answer some questions.”

Phoenix lowered his menu slightly to give her a flat look. “Weren’t you the one that wanted to partner up with me?”

“First question,” She began, completely ignoring his comment, “How old are you?”

He rolled his eyes, answering anyway. “Just turned eighteen last week.”

Why that mattered, Phoenix didn’t know.

“Happy late birthday. I’m seventeen, but I’m turning eighteen in a few months. What are your powers?”

“Teleportation.” Was there a point to this?

“Mine’s teleportation, translucence, and night vision.”

“What are we playing? Twenty questions?” Phoenix retorted, not fond of being barraged with questions.

“Last question,” Leilah continued, yet again ignoring Phoenix, “What did they take from you?”

Phoenix tensed, though he kept his expression neutral. She wanted to know what they took?

The waitress came with his drinks just then, giving him a brief distraction. After taking his order for food, the waitress noticed Leilah, and took her order for a drink.

“You first.” Phoenix finally said, once the waitress left.

Leilah blinked. “What?”

“You first.” He repeated. “Tell me what they took from you, and I’ll tell you what they took from me.”

It was only fair. She’s the one that offered to partner up. If he was going to have to answer personal questions, it only made sense that she did the same.

Leilah pursed her lips. “If you must know, they took a cosmo crystal.”

“They what?”

Phoenix had never been to Amarok, but he’d read any books he could find on the city. One of which talked about special crystals called “Cosmo Crystals”. They created Shadow Weavers and acted as core to them. Taking one was like killing thousands of people while still thousands of kids at the same time.

“Yes. Now, I’ve answered the question. Your turn.” She insisted, taking Phoenix from his thoughts.

He didn’t say anything at first, simply staring at her.

Then he shifted his gaze to the ground.

“They took my dad.”

Leilah gasped, and Phoenix didn’t have to look at her to know that the familiar concern and sympathy was flashing in her eyes.

“I..I’m sorry.” Was all she ended up saying.

He shrugged, not too interested in being pitied by a stranger.

Conveniently, the waitress came back to give them their food, pulling their mind from the subject.

“Now, if you're done asking questions, I would like to eat and get going. We can’t be here when the scouts show up. Especially since we’re both targets now.” Phoenix remarked, taking a bite of his food.

“I’m satisfied.” Leilah smirked.

“Good, cause’ I probably wasn’t gonna answer anything else.” He replied flatly, his voice a bit muffled from the food.

Leilah snorted, then extended her hand.

“So..Partners?”

Phoenix stared down at her hand as he thought it over. He didn’t want anyone weighing him down, but having a partner could be helpful..

“Partners.” He agreed, shaking her hand.

Let’s hope he doesn’t regret this.

Tag List: @chrismarium @agumon1123 @luciferge @yue-caelum @persephonebutkore @constancetruggle @fanficaddict4ever @johnlockfeelz @imfreakingmagical @tinybrie @crazylittlemunchkin @zazzlejazzle @thewheezingbubbledragon

#Phoenix #Leilah #The Unbreaking #OCS #Original Story

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purplesurveys · 4 years ago

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916

What Rhymes With “AIR”?

1. Are the walls of your room bare or do you have things hanging up there? I have some things on the wall, yes. A few paintings, Audrey Hepburn wall decors, and a poster of Nam Joo Hyuk. I used to have wrestling posters but my mom, ever the control freak, removed them because she didn’t like them. Sigh.

2. When’s the last time you went outside to enjoy the fresh air? I went out this morning to take Cooper to the vet for his anti-rabies shot. I didn’t necessarily do it to enjoy the fresh air, but that came along with the experience as well anyway.

3. Do you watch the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air? I started watching it this month actually! It’s super fun and Will Smith’s physical comedy is hilarious, but it isn’t really the type of show I’d binge-watch given how old the jokes and some of the tropes already are. I definitely don’t dislike it, but I just take longer to watch the episodes.

4. When’s the last time it felt like you were walking on air? Sunday, when I had my virtual grad and found out my parents and aunt and uncle got all my favorite food delivered to the house :) We had baked sushi, baked samgyeopsal, Pancit Malabon, and pichi-pichi that day, aaaaahhhhhh.

5. Have you ever been on air, on a radio station? Very briefly. One of our field trips in high school was a visit to a major broadcasting network, and we we were brought to their AM radio studio. The broadcaster on air at the time – one of my favorites of all time – welcomed us and gave us a chance to say hi on air.

6. Have you ever felt like all of the air was coming out of your lungs? Sure, but I guess it’s more accurate to say that I’ve occasionally felt the sensation of my chest increasingly tightening.

7. Has it seemed as though anything has ever disappeared into thin air? Have you ever pulled an idea out of thin air? The first one, yes. I have this stupid ability to drop a certain thing and have it disappear forever; I hate that it happens to me all the time lol.

I can relate with the second situation as well; when I was still in school and had to write essays, reaction papers, anything of the sort, I’d wait till the last possible minute to start working on it since it’s by then that the good ideas start pouring in.

8. Have you ever wanted to be on “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire”? Sure. I’ve enjoyed trivia for as long as I can remember, so the show has always been right up my alley.

9. Do you know a billionaire in real life? No. I know a loooot of CEO kids, kids of MNC owners/executives, and kids of political dynasties though...comes with the environment I grew up in and the schools I went to.

10. Would you like to be an heir or heiress to a fortune? I wouldn’t say no to that.

11. Would you be able to successfully get away if you ever came across a bear? The one thing I keep hearing is to stay very still, so I’d be doing my best to do just that. I got no other survival skills though and if there’s apparently anything more that needs to be done during a bear encounter, then I don’t know of them.

12. Where’s your favorite place to go? How long does it take to get there? Hmm I’ve loved going to many places. My favorite vacation spots so far have been Sagada - that’s a 15, 16-hour road trip from Manila; Vigan - 8-hour road trip; and Palawan - an hour or so plane ride from Manila. If we’re taking nearby places, I like going to coffee shops to unwind and have a pastry or two. I don’t have a favorite one; I just go to whichever one’s the nearest to me at the moment.

13. How often do you err on the side of caution? I keep it at a healthy 50/50. There are times I’m okay with taking a big leap, but if I’m not super invested in something anyway and/or if there’s not a lot in it for me, I play it safe.

14. How often do people say they’re angry with you? My life revolves around being a (very cautious) people pleaser and making sure I don’t piss off people. The only people who have told me they’re angry with me are my mom and girlfriend.

15. Do you own any long underwear? I have never heard of these until today. I’d love to live somewhere so cold I need to wear clothes specifically meant to be worn underneath my actual outfit lol

16. How much Tupperware do you own? I’m Filipino, man. Filipino moms practically make it their life’s mission to collect as many Tupperware containers as they can. I’m pretty sure we have a bunch that we didn’t even own to begin with - just magically ended up in our cupboard after all the parties and gatherings we’ve had hahaha.

17. What color is your underwear right now? Green.

18. Do you still sleep with a teddy bear? I never slept with stuffed animals; I preferred pillows.

19. What pair of your shoes has the most wear and tear? In my first year of college the only shoes I owned was a pair of Keds. Used it for everything and it unsurprisingly ended up being super worn out - soles got detached from the shoe and all that. I think we still have it here at home – still destroyed – but it’s been untouched for a while.

20. Do you like to play Solitaire? It was a great boredom buster game for me for a time, especially when phone apps weren’t all that expansive yet. I haven’t played it in many months though.

21. Do you or your family own a full set of silverware? We do.

22. What do you have to take everywhere with you? Phone, wallet, car and house keys. Because of school I’ve also developed a habit of accidentally bringing my laptop nearly everywhere I go – I brought it to the vet once, lol

23. Would you like to visit Delaware? Yes. Delaware actually stands out in my memory because I remember reading in a kids’ almanac many years ago that it was the first to become a US state. Ever since then I’ve kinda bookmarked the place in my head.

24. Last time you received dental care? December. My tooth had been hurting for a couple of months but it became absolutely unbearable by that month so I had to book an emergency appointment days before Christmas. I felt super bad for the hassled dentist (who doubles as a family friend, which made it more embarrassing)... but at that point I was crying myself to sleep every night and would wake up at 3 AM crying in pain, and I would’ve done anything for the toothache to go away.

25. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be? Somewhere brutally cold.

26. Where in the world is Carmen Sandiego? I’ve never been able to relate to this question, lol soz.

27. Are you satisfied sitting here, taking this survey, or would you rather be elsewhere? I’m satisfied for now. I found more potential leads when it came to job-hunting and I’m not feeling too anxious anymore. I’ve been so focused on looking for corporate communications/PR jobs in the private sector that I forgot about the possibility of applying my skills in something I’m even more passionate about - museums! We have a few government agencies focused on museums, culture, and the arts and I definitely see myself performing in the jobs they offer. It’s even better because it’ll help me get my foot in the door in government positions, and as someone who’s indecisive about law it’ll be a great bridge to start with. Guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

28. Last time you sat in a barber’s chair? Early March.

29. Do you own any cans of compressed air? I’m not sure...had to look that up. Maybe we do? Idk. Dad will sometimes hoard random grownup stuff from the hardware store so I’m not ruling this one out.

30. Do you have a swivel chair at your desk? Nope.

31. Do you prefer an armchair or a rocking chair? Rocking chair.

32. Would you rather have a beanbag chair or a hanging swing chair in your room? Hanging swing chair sounds so hipster and awesome lol. I’ve had my time with a beanbag chair anyway.

33. What’s the last non-survey related questionnaire that you had to fill out? SSS form.

34. Are there any crimes that you feel make someone deserving of the electric chair? Not really a death penalty kinda gal, but if anyone had to sit in the electronic chair it’ll be people torturing and abusing animals for fun.

35. Do you know anyone who uses a wheelchair? Yes.

36. Do you know anyone who is on welfare? I probably do.

37. Do you play Modern Warfare? Nopes.

38. Do you ever feel like life is unfair? It is, objectively. I’m a little pessimistic when it comes to this.

39. Have you ever visited Times Square? No. I dunno if I wanna go there...it seems so crowded and claustrophobic, not to mention super tourist-y haha. I’d love to visit once just to see the bright lights and the giant ads, but I’d much rather be at museums and historical sites.

40. Do you tell people to “take care” at the end of a conversation with them? Sometimes. I’ve been saying it a lot more often these days, for obvious reasons.

41. Where is somewhere that you would like to move to? Canada. But I also feel like if I moved there immediately it would be such a culture shock in terms of the weather, culture, how far away I am from family, etc. and I doubt I would cope well. I suppose I can move to either Vietnam or Singapore first, as kind of like a baby step.

42. What is something in your home that needs to be repaired? One of the stovetop burners stopped working last night and my dad’s determined to fix that.

43. What kind of sleepwear do you own? I go to bed in just my normal home clothes; I don’t change to anything else.

44. What skin care products do you use? Water. ;) I’m one of the lucky ones lol.

45. Do you have any spyware on your computer? Nope.

46. Do you own any sportswear? What sports? I have athletic shorts from when I played table tennis.

47. Do you like Fred Astaire? Sure. I’ve only seen one movie of his (Funny Face) and he was a delight in that.

48. How long does it take you to prepare a meal? I only ever make instant meals, oops.

49. Do you know anyone named Pierre? Yes, Eva’s youngest sister is a Pierre. I’m just not sure if it’s also the same spelling.

50. Are you going nowhere fast? I hope not. I’m giving myself a quick break for now after studying for 18 years straight but like I’m not out of ambition or anything like that at all.

51. How often do you have a nightmare? Not very. They only show up when I’m going through a depression. My last nightmare was two or so years ago.

52. How often are you able to catch something in mid-air? It’s unpredictable with me. Some days my reflexes are great but sometimes I’ll just be so clumsy.

53. What do your lawn chairs look like? Brown and wooden.

54. How many chairs are at your dining/kitchen table? Six; just right for our family of five.

55. Favorite type of footwear? Sneakersssssss.

56. When’s the last time one of your senses were impaired? From what? My left eye still gets irritated from time to time. We never really found out what’s wrong with it; my first checkup happened on the day before lockdown, so we never got to go back. When it starts to act up, I usually have no choice but to wait for it to go away.

57. Have you ever been in a hot air balloon before? No. I’ve been to hot air balloon festivals though. That’s enough for me haha; I’m not desiring to be in one and be up in the sky.

58. Do you have a good health care plan? My parents do for us kids.

59. Last time you went to the hardware store? Months ago.

60. Have you ever played foursquare before? No. I thought that was just a website. Oops.

61. Do you own any types of eyewear? I’ve worn a pair of glasses since I was 11. I had needed them much earlier but my mom always thought I was being a sissy and just ‘wanted’ glasses to fit in with other kids. It was such a stupid mindset, and it was so stupid of her to not believe her kid WHO WAS STARTING TO NOT SEE. It was only when I took an eye exam at the school clinic and the school wrote her a letter that she finally believed me, but I had been suffering for a while and could barely read the chalkboard for like two years, which definitely affected my grades.

62. What brand of cookware do you have a lot of? Not sure about brands.

63. Nothing can compare to: Having a complete, loving, and supportive family.

64. Have you ever worked in a childcare center? I haven’t.

65. Do you have a “beware of dog” sign on your gate? Nah. I usually say it myself. Kimi never got used to strangers.

66. Have you ever attended daycare as a child? I guess you can say that? It wasn’t daycare per se but some malls used to have play areas/centers and my mom used to drop me off in those while she ran errands for a few hours. Those aren’t too common nowadays because I guess it’s more dangerous to leave your kids now, even with attendants, but they were a fun part of my childhood.

67. Are you very aware of your surroundings? I’m honestly a little ditzy so no. I always need a more responsible, more street smart friend by my side especially when I’m going somewhere unfamiliar.

68. Have you ever had an au pair or a nanny before? We used to have househelp, but we never saw them as nannies. A vast majority of them never met my mom’s (extremely high) expectations and quit in a few weeks or months, sometimes even days; the few ones who did eventually wanted better lives for themselves and resigned after a few years, which we didn’t stop them from doing. At some point my mom gave up having help around and realized that ultimately, she’d rather clean up and do chores her way.

69. Do you know anyone who has had an affair? Yes.

70. How much are you willing to spend on airfare? I’ve never bought my own ticket so I don’t know how much they’re supposed to be on average...but I imagine I’m willing to pay a lot of money if it means going to the destinations of my dreams.

71. Who do you care about the most? The friends that I count as family.

72. Are you more likely to choose truth or dare? Truth. I’m too shy to do dares and I’ve never had a problem telling the truth anyway.

73. Have you ever seen the Blair Witch Project before? Yes, a few times.

74. Do you like the name Claire? Would you spell it with or without the I? I love it, it sounds elegant and graceful and it’s one of my favorite names. I prefer it with an I – I don’t know any Clares, actually.

75. Last time you went to a fair? Last week of January.

76. What can be done to make life more fair? Ending world hunger and poverty and making education accessible for all.

77. How much are you willing to spend on cab fare? Not much. Cab fares should be fair after all.

78. Do you have a lot of flair? To some extent, I guess. I’m certainly not dragging myself down haha.

79. Do you own flare jeans? Nopes.

80. Is there a glare on your computer screen right now? There isn’t.

81. When’s the last time someone glared at you? Sometime in the last week would be a safe guess. My mom will sometimes communicate through glares and I’ve picked up the habit from her as well.

82. What type of hair do you have? (color, length, texture, etc) How often do you wash it? It’s black, quite thick, a bit on the wavy side, and has a tendency to get frizzy when it’s humid. Length-wise, it currently reaches just my collarbones. After a rebonding disaster around a decade ago my hair got a bit dry and it never really recovered from that, so I need to wash my hair with a giant blob of conditioner every time I take a shower otherwise it would get dry and hard.

83. Do you know the difference between a rabbit and a hare? I know hares are larger, but that’s about it.

84. Do you like to eat eclairs? LOVE them.

85. What do you consider to be your lair? My car has served as my safety bubble for so many depressing days in college. That’s why I got a little heartbroken when my dad told me he might have plans to sell it to my aunt (his sister).

86. A female horse is called a mare. What is a male horse called? A baby horse? Stallion; foal. Thank you, kid’s almanacs haha.

87. Have you ever used Nair before? Did it work? I used Veet in middle school when razors still scared me. It worked, but it took a whiiiiile and sometimes it wouldn’t even take all the hair off, so eventually I just started shaving.

88. Has anyone ever told you to “grow a pair”? No, and no thanks.

89. What is something that you own a pair of? Dogs.

90. What is a rare quality that you have? Other people will have to answer that. They’re the ones who see me and get to decide what’s rare about me.

91. Last food you pared? I don’t think I’ve done that.

92. Do you know someone who is a debonair? Sure.

93. Do you like to scare others for fun? No.

94. What is something that scares you? The idea of being in a plane crash, for one.

95. Do you like Sonny and Cher? Can’t say I’m a fan or that I’ve listened to anything of theirs.

96. Do you know how to share? Do you like to share? Sure. The only thing I’m a little selfish about is my food lol.

97. Have you ever played a snare drum before? A few times before, yes.

98. What do you do with your spare change? I give them to the tambays who help me get out of parking spots. That or I use it to buy food in school, since everything in UP’s cheap enough to pay with coins.

99. Do you know how to put on a spare tire? No. I’m interested to learn though.

100. Have you ever gotten a spare while bowling before? Yep, it’s happened a few times.

101. When’s the last time you wished someone would spare you the details? A week ago.

102. Do you win games fair and square? Sure. I’ve only cheated once and that was on an exam.

103. Do you know how to find the square root of something? Not anymore. I do have a bunch of perfect squares still memorized, though.

104. What are the characteristics of a square shape? Four equal sides that are also right angles.

105. Have you ever been called a square before? No. I don’t know what that means either, so if I got called that I wouldn’t know how to react.

106. Do you prefer the elevator or the stairs? Elevator.

107. Do you ever stare at other people? Only if it’s a bizarre situation. Once when this drunk guy got arrested in BGC and was being physical with the police, I stared and watched the whole thing. I do try to look away for most scenarios though.

108. How often do you swear? A few times a day.

109. Do you ever “swear on your life”? It’s not a saying that I commonly use, no.

110. What do you like to “tear up”? Eh, I don’t really like tearing up things.

111. What type of wares would you sell? Not interested in sales or business, so that’s a pass for me haha.

112. What kinds of clothing do you like to wear? I like wearing whatever’s trendy, as long as I genuinely like the look.

113. Have you ever had a pregnancy scare before? Never. [a-zebra-is-a-striped-horse]

#survey #surveys

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officeimaginesandpreference-blog · 6 years ago

Text

'Sales Call' Pt.1 •Andy x Reader• Imagine

You sat at your desk tapping your pen to the beat of the quiet music playing from Andy's worn-out computer speakers. You, Andy, and Michael were preparing for a vital sales call. It was a very high profile company, and Michael wanted two employees from sales.

The drive there was quite eventful, with Andy having to stop the Prius in order to let Michael vomit numerous times. And of course when someone else vomits, Andy has to follow suit. Considering all of this, it took you 45 minutes to get to a building that was only 20 minutes from the Dunder Mifflin Scranton branch.

Michael had seemed to calm himself down after the adventurous car ride, but Andy was obviously still nervous. You felt bad for him. He made it clear that he wasn't confident in himself as a salesman.

“Hey, you're gonna do fine. Sure, it would be great to gain this client, but if we don't, we won't gain anything but we won't lose anything. It's not a big deal, okay?” You said consolingly. “Thanks. But don't you think it would be cool to say 'Andy Bernard and Y/N Y/LN recruited Dunder Mifflin's biggest client in decades!’?” Andy said, forgetting Michael was part of the pitch as well.

“Yeah, but it's not worth barfing over.” You earned a small, appreciative laugh from Andy as you walked into the sleek, intimidating double doors of what could be the turnaround of your an Andy's sales reputation. Before you opened one of those doors, Andy grabbed your cold hand into his warm one without making eye contact, just like a small child instinctively grabs their blanket when they are scared.

It wasn't a totally foreign gesture, but it wasn't something he did often, judging you were only friends. He had only grabbed your hand once before at the 2009 Dunder Mifflin Company Picnic.

••• ••• •••

It was after Scranton painfully lost a well-played game of volleyball. Michael had invited members of the Buffalo branch (ones that were willing) over to a campfire that he had poorly built, in an attempt to apologize for revealing their shutdown in such an inconsiderate way.

As various employees from Buffalo made their way over, Andy immediately looked nervous. He was sitting right next to you,and you could have swore he was shaking, but you blamed the cold Pennsylvania air. Before you knew it, Andy had swiftly grabbed your hand and interlocked your fingers. No eye contact and no explanation of his action to follow.

He quietly whispered in your ear, while nonchalantly holding your hand, “You see that big, tall, guy in the cargo shorts over there? At last year's picnic, when I was with Stamford, I accidentally hit him in the face playing tennis. I got carried away and ‘woosh!’ the tennis ball hit him right in the left eye. He told me that next year, he'd make sure he paid me back.”

You were relieved to hear there wasn't an extreme reason why he was nervous, but you still weren't sure why he interlocked your fingers as a coping mechanism. Sure, you guys were great friends. You may even go as far to say that Andy is your best friend in the entire office. You guys have so much fun together and you care for each other very much. But why did he have this thing where he wanted to hold your hand. Andy could have held Phyllis’ hand if he was that nervous.

••• ••• •••

You sat in the lobby reading an outdated magazine and practicing in your head what you were going to say at the pitch. Andy was stuck in a stupor, staring at a distant wall, looking like a deer in the headlights. He still hadn’t let go of your hand. You weren't complaining though, it was actually helping you stay calm.

“Mr. Scott, Mr. O'Connor is ready to see you and your employees now. Third door to the right,” the woman said.

You an Andy walked hand-in-hand down the hallway following behind Michael. You were thankful for this position, for if Michael were to see your hands, he would make a big deal out of nothing.

As you sat in the intimidating office of Mr. O'Connor, a possible future client, Andy reluctantly removed his hand from yours as he sat on the other side of Michael.

Michael was in the middle of the three chairs, while Andy sat to the left and you sat to the right.

The sales call went surprisingly smooth, with Michael doing most of the talking while you and Andy elaborated on what he said.

As the meeting came to an end, Mr. O'Connor wanted a moment alone. The three of you stepped out of the office in a quiet, single file line.

“Oh my God. I think I might have actually been successful!” Michael exclaimed quietly, ignoring the fact that you an Andy had contributed. You brushed it off and continued the nervous action of rubbing the heel of your boat-shoe against the thin carpeting.

“Hey guys, you can come back in now,” Mr. O'Connor said. You returned to your seat and awaited the final decision.

“Well, I have decided to go with Dunder Mifflin for all of my paper needs. Mr. Scott, you and your employees have done an exquisite job explaining to me why I should purchase paper from your company and I thank you.”

“No, thank you! We will be in touch with you shortly Mr. O'Connor.” Michael explained.

You left the building managing to contain yourselves, but once you made it back to the parking lot, it was time to celebrate! Michael started throwing high-fives in the air, almost killing the mood when he accidentally hit Andy in the eye. Despite having a new black eye, Andy was ecstatic and you couldn't be more happy for him. Michael had returned to the back seat of the Prius, in order to call his mom, hoping that she would congratulate him. This left you and Andy alone in the parking lot to bask in the excitement. In one quick motion, Andy picked you up and hugged you just a little too tight while spinning in a circle, but you didn't care.

“We did it!” Andy exclaimed.

“Totally worth barfing over.” You laughed at his reference to what you had said just a little over an hour ago.

Andy, always being a gentleman, opened the car door for you. Before you sat down, you gave him a soft kiss on the cheek.

“I'm really proud of you Andy,” you told him with a sincere smile.

“Thank you,” he responded appreciatively.

“Poor Richard's?” Michael suggested.

“Sure,” you responded.

“Andy, I need you stop me at a gas station. I gotta use the restroom.”

“Why can't you go at the bar? We'll have to go the opposite direction to get to the nearest gas station,” you questioned.

“Because...I don't wanna go in that contaminated shit hole,” Michael answered.

“I'll stop, it's okay. Not a big deal.” Andy interjected.

To be continued...

#andybernard #theofficeus #theofficeusimagines #theoffice #theofficeimagines

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bourbonboredom · 6 years ago

Text

A Reason To Believe Chapter 5

Being an undercover officer is a perilous job and Flip Zimmerman knows this far too well. He keeps his romantic life limited to one-night stands, never letting anyone get too close. That all starts to change when he meets a vivacious Jewish woman named Elle just as he’s about to take on a seriously dangerous undercover job; infiltrating the KKK. Elle and his undercover work make him question things he’d never thought to before and challenge him to see the world, and himself, in a whole new light.

A Flip x OC Fic

Word Count: 5,897

Warnings: N$FW (smut), very brief mention of medical gore

Well you're dirty and sweet Clad in black, don't look back and I love you You're dirty and sweet, oh yeah Well you dance when you walk So let's dance, take a chance, understand me You're dirty sweet and you're my girl

(x)

As soon as the chief called him into his office and informed him he'd be going undercover with the Rookie, as the Rookie, in order to infiltrate the KKK, he knew he wouldn't be able to talk about this with Elle. Letting small day-to-day cases slip was one thing, but telling your Jewish girlfriend that you're hanging out with a bunch of white supremacists at a bar after hours? He didn't want to even think of her reaction.

He also wasn't going to mention that he already calls her his girlfriend in his mind. It had only been, what, a month? Way longer than any of the other relationships he'd had in the last few years, but he knew this was different. Elle was different.

But he couldn't think about that right now.

His focus was on the case. And how stupid this Rookie was for using his real name and his real voice while talking to the chapter leader. Flip tried to chalk it up to him being new, but this was just next level stupid. And now he was being dragged into this next level stupid plan.

So now here he was, wire taped to his chest, driving to meet a bunch of white supremacists in a parking lot on the far side of town. It was just another job. He just had to gather some intel and get out of there.

Or at least that's how it should feel.

He tried to think logically about it, but when his partner reminded him to take his necklace off before heading out, he took pause. While Jimmy and the Rookie stayed in the equipment room, Flip headed over to his desk. He unclasped the chain from his neck and held the delicate silver star up to the light.

He rarely took this necklace off. It was a gift from his grandfather, his mother's father, after he passed. It had been his grandfather's fathers from when they came over from Russia. His mother wasn't very pleased when he decided to wear it around his neck. But the cold silver resting against his skin became a comfort. He wore it along with his dog tags when he was in Vietnam, and under his uniform when he graduated from the police academy. He's had many women gingerly touch it while engaged in pillow talk, asking him questions he couldn't always answer.

And now here he was, taking it off for the first time in years, because he was infiltrating an organization that would kill him for wearing it. He rubbed the small pendant between his rough fingers, for luck maybe? He wasn't sure, it just felt right. He lowered it into his desk drawer, closing it away until this case was over.

He vaguely heard Jimmy call him from across the room and he snapped out of his thoughts. He was motioning for him to get a move on, it was time to go. Now wasn't the time to be sentimental, he had a job to do.

-----

Flip got back to the office much later than he thought he would. The clock on the wall of his office read 1AM when he stumbled in. He'd removed the wire from his shirt and helped Jimmy put the recorder back in the equipment room and then everyone said goodnight. He didn't want to talk about the night yet, and his partners looked too tired to process everything with him. So he waved them off and told them to get some sleep.

They said their good nights and he sat down at his desk to root around for a piece of paper. He wanted to write down some key things from the evening, before the couple of beers he had would make his memory fuzzy. He scrawled some quick thoughts down before sticking the paper in his drawer for safe-keeping. When he opened the drawer, his necklace glinted under the fluorescent lighting.

Instinct told him to put it back on, his brain told him to keep it off. This case might last a while. He could forget to take it off one day and could land him in a world of trouble. He thought about Elle, how her Star of David peered out from under the collar of her uniform, proudly on display despite anything she might face.

What time did she get off tonight? It was Friday, right? So she would have had the late shift. He looked at the clock. It read 1:30AM. She would have only gotten off shift a couple of hours ago, she might still be up. Without much thought he reached for the phone on his desk, entering her phone number on the rotary dial with a practiced ease.

He probably shouldn't remember her number this easily, or her work schedule, he thought to himself as the line rang. It picked up after two short rings, the line clicking to life.

"Hello?" Her voice reached his ears, making him breathe a sigh of relief he didn't know he was holding.

"Hey Trouble," He smiled to himself. "Did I wake you up?"

"Flip? It's 1:30 in the morning, it everything okay?" Her voice shifted, seeing worried.

"No, everything's fine. Sorry for calling so late. I had to stay late to finish a case tonight and, well, I know you work late on Fridays so I figured you might still be up. Do you want to go get food?"

"Food? At this hour? Is anything even open?"

"There's a diner that's open all night. Is that a yes?" He asked. He didn't want to sound too desperate but he really wanted to see her after tonight.

"I'll be ready in ten minutes, meet you out front?" He could already hear her shuffle around her apartment to get ready.

"See you then Trouble," He hung up the phone, grateful she picked up in the first place.

-----

Elle was waiting on the stoop of her apartment building when Flip's car pulled over to the sidewalk. She smiled as she saw him get out of the car and come over to the passenger side door to his car.

She was dressed casually, a pair of high waisted jeans and a t-shirt, with a corduroy coat to keep her warm. On her feet were a well-worn pair of tennis shoes. It was a far cry from her prim and proper uniform but she still looked great.

"Now what's a pretty girl like yourself doing out at this hour?" He asked as she approached him.

"A handsome but very nocturnal man asked me on a last minute date," She pressed her chest to his and stood on her toes to give him a quick kiss.

"Must be a pretty great guy to be up for him," He smiled as he opened the car door for her.

"Eh, he's alright," She winked as she slid into the seat.

They drove to the diner, which was a few blocks to the west. It was an old chrome building, reminiscent of the 50s, with a long front counter and pleather booths lining the window. They slid in to a booth and a waitress came over with a pot of coffee.

They both decided to order breakfast food. Pancakes with syrup for her and bacon and eggs for him.

"If that's okay with you," He said hurriedly once he realized he'd ordered pork.

"It's fine, don't worry," She waved a hand at him. "I don't care what anyone else eats. Besides, my family is reform. We aren't as strict about keeping kosher. My grandparents supposedly made some great pork schnitzel,"

"Alright then," He chuckled.

Their food came quickly and they wasted no time tucking in. He didn't realize how hungry he was until he smelled the bacon on the plate the waitress held.

"So how was your day?" She asked between bites of pancake

He chewed some eggs while he thought about how he was going to respond. A part of him wanted to tell her. He wanted to share his life with her, and have her share in return. He wanted to spend meals with them talking about their days.

On the other hand, he knew when he signed on for this job that discretion was mandatory. And he couldn't risk his life or his coworkers for just a girl. Though he knew she wasn't just some girl.

"Long," He finally settled on "I was still at the office when I called you, had to finish up some paperwork,"

"That's rough, did you finish it?" She asked.

"For now, its kind of an ongoing thing," He tried to keep things as vague as possible. "How about you?"

"Today was calmer than usual, just some broken bones and stomach pains. I stayed a little later to cover a girls shift, she had to run home to check on her own kid,"

"I like how broken bones is at the light end of your job's work spectrum," He smiled at her, she smiled back.

"It was a clean break on his radial,nothing was sticking out and the bone hadn't splintered. The guy fell off a ladder getting the leaves out of his gutter. He'll be fine," She explained.

"What's the grossest thing you've seen in the ER?" He asked, adding another forkful of bacon to his mouth.

"Flip, we’re eating," She cocked an eyebrow.

"I'm a detective, I see gross things all the time," He brushed her off. It couldn't have been anything he hadn't heard of before.

"One time a guy came in with legs burned so bad you could see parts of his bones sticking out. His skin, where there still was some, was completely cooked and a lot came peeling off with his clothes. He'd tried to sneak a cig while hooked up to his new oxygen tank and it exploded," she deadpanned, staring him dead in the eyes. "Most of the nurses had to leave the room to keep from throwing up. Burnt flesh doesn't smell too good,"

Flip stopped chewing. Elle cut another section of pancake and continued her meal.

"Alright, you win," He grimaced, pushing his plate away while thinking of how his bacon isn't too far off from her story.

"Can I eat your eggs?" She asked, clearly pleased with herself.

"Knock yourself out," He mumbled. "Maybe we should be hiring you to the force, you got a stomach of steel in you,"

"I'm good with nursing, but thanks," She scraped the remaining eggs on to her plate.

He watched her finish up her pancakes while he drank his coffee. She didn't notice at first, comfortable with the silence between them. When she finally looked up and noticed him staring, she smiled. He smiled back. Her smile fell a bit as she looked at him a little longer.

"You aren't wearing your necklace," She stated, pointing to his chest with her fork.

"Oh, yeah, I took it off earlier. Must've forgotten to put it back on," He looked down, met with the bare skin on his clavicle that normally held the tiny silver star.

"It looks strange to not see it on you," She admitted, finishing her pancakes and pushing the plate next to Flip's.

"I'll put it back on soon," He assured her. He didn't know when "soon" was, but he wanted it back on too.

He tried to toss some bills on the table after the waitress put the check down. Elle immediately covered his hand with hers.

"I can pay for my own," She stated.

"I was the one who dragged you out at 2 in the morning, let me get this one," He said, turning his hand up so he could hold hers.

"Alright," Her eyes flirting between his gaze on her and his hand holding hers. "But I'm paying the next time we do this,"

"Deal," He agreed, giving her hand a squeeze before pulling away.

They drove back to her apartment building, windows down to let in some of the fresh air. It wasn't too cold out yet, and Flip was eager to get in the last bit of warm weather. As he pulled up to the sidewalk outside her building she turned to him.

"I have a some beer in the fridge, do you want a nightcap?" She asked.

Despite turning her down several times, he was appreciative that she'd still ask. Today was stressful, and he was damn near exhausted. He'd have to report to chief first thing in the morning to talk about the assignment and he knew he should head home.

But home felt less and less like home recently. It was a lonely apartment, barely room for two people. There didn't seem to be room in his life for another person. But when he looked into her big brown eyes, he wanted to make room, just for her.

"Sounds good," he said, turning the engine off and following her up to her apartment. He mentally checked to make sure nothing conspicuous was hanging out of his car in case anyone walked by, on the very off chance.

The walk up to her floor was quiet, with him trying not to stare at her ass too much as he followed her up the stairs. Her jeans clung to her figure, moving with her as she swayed her hips. He willed himself to think of literally anything else.

She opened the door to her apartment, letting them both in, before closing and locking it.

———

“So you’re telling me that you can’t handle one story about bones poking out but they made you a detective?” Elle smirked.

It was only a few moment later that they found themselves sitting at her kitchen table. They both held their own Coors in one hand, their other hands just barely touching one another from across the table. It wasn’t long before the conversation had turned back to gross job stories.

“I’m not a homicide detective, its narcotics. We deal with drugs more than death,” He countered.

“That explains why that guy you were harassing at my job was such a pain. I had to stop the girls from using one kind of pain medication because it was messing with his blood pressure. He must’ve had something in his system still,”

“You’re such a good nurse, treating suspected mafia affiliates even when they’re handcuffed to the bed,” He teased, his large fingers moving to cover her hand.

“It made it harder for him to try and grab my ass,” She laughed, turning her palm upward so she could trace her fingers along his hand.

“Kinda sad I couldn’t see you in your uniform today, it’s a good look on you,”

“Well, find a new criminal to arrest and maybe you’ll see me at work again,” She leaned a little closer to him, her voice dropping to a sensual tone.

“Do you think I could get away with a grab Nurse Blum?” He matched her motions.

“I think I’d let you get away with it, as long as I get something out of it too,”

“What do you want?” His voice was low, both of them barely breathing as he waited for her answer.

She leaned over the corner of the table separating them, bracing herself in the wood as her lips met his. She tasted of Coors, and he was sure he did too.

His hand fully covered hers as he kissed back. He wanted this. He wanted her. He knew his job was demanding and that his timing was shit for deciding this after starting an undercover operation. But Elle was different, he could feel it. She was good for him, and he wanted to be good for her in return.

His hand left hers and reached out to stroke her waist, encouraging her to come closer. She got the message and moved from her chair to his lap while continuing the kiss. His tongue brushed along her bottom lip, begging for entrance that she soon granted.

They must've looked like a couple of teenagers, making out at the kitchen table when the adults weren't supervising. She angled herself so she was straddling his lap, the seams of their jeans touching. He could feel himself start to strain against the denim, he was sure she'd feel it too. He held her to his frame, one hand on the small of her back, one hand in the back pocket of her Levi's.

She broke the kiss, lips flush from contact and eyes hooded with lust.

"Stay the night?" She asked.

They'd been dancing around this for weeks. She'd asked him before, and he declined because of work. But work be damned, he wanted her. He was sure of this, he wanted to give into his feelings for once and let himself have more than a one night fling. And Eliana Blum was more than a one night fling.

"Please," his voice was low and too needy for his liking but she didn't mind.

She smiled at him, rubbing her nose against his before giving him a quick kiss. She got up from his lap, taking the hand that rested in her jean pocket and lightly tugging him out of his seat. He followed her across the small apartment into her open bedroom.

She pulled him into a heated kiss as they stood in the dim light, the back his legs knocking against the bed frame. She let him sit down on the edge before standing between his legs. She ran a hand through his hair and looked down at him. Her curls were falling in her face but didn’t obscure her eyes as she looked at him with adoration.

She moved his hand to the fly of her jeans, giving him silent permission to undress her. He obliged, his large fingers unbuttoning the denim encasing her hips.

He slid the fabric of her tucked in t-shirt up her stomach. Slowly, as if unwrapping a present. When he reached just under her breasts he stopped, not wanting to go further without her permission.

She lifted his hands higher, letting him come into contact with the lace covering her plush chest. Her shirt left her body, allowing her to stand in front of him in just her jeans and the lace bra that did nothing to conceal her pink nipples. He groaned at the sight, pressing forward to bury his face in the valley between her breasts.

Her skin was soft and warm around him, he could feel her heart fluttering in her chest. He was careful not to scratch her perfect skin with his facial hair as he turned his head, eager to watch as he brushed a finger over a pert nipple. Her back arched ever so slightly as she let out a shaky breath.

Her hands once again guided his own down to her unbuttoned jeans. He tugged the denim down her figure, revealing a pair of smalls that were made of the same lace as her bra. He chuckled to himself as she stepped out of her jeans. He ran his hands up her thighs as he spoke.

"Do you always wear stuff like this?"

"I might have been hoping you'd stick around tonight," She smiled. "I dressed accordingly,"

She braced her hands on his chest and straddled his lap, bringing herself down to his level.

"I'm glad I chose to stay then," He murmured before pulling her into a kiss.

They kissed passionately, her arms looping around his neck to bring him closer. He clutched her waist, holding her firmly against his growing erection. She rolled her hips against him, making him stifle a moan against her lips.

"I think I'm a little overdressed," He whispered in her ear.

She kissed him again, moving her delicate fingers to unbutton his flannel. Her hands worked to slide the fabric from his shoulders. They broke apart long enough for his undershirt to be pulled over his head, the two of the quickly meeting again as she began to un-do his jeans. He stopped her just as she began to tug down the heavy denim.

"Lie down sweetheart, lemme take care of you," He lifted her from his lap, placing her in the center of the bed.

He stood up and let his pants slide off, kicking them into the pile of clothes growing on her floor. As soon as he was freed he covered her bare frame with his own, propping his weight on his elbows at either side of her head. She palmed at him through the cotton of his boxers, making him let out a low moan.

He kissed down her neck to her chest, teasing her through the lace. She arched her back enough for him to unclasp the bra and he slowly pulled away the fabric, leaving her bare in front of him. He brought his calloused palm across her soft skin, stopping to roll a nipple between his fingers.

Her eyes shut and she let out a moan so pretty it made him twitch. He had to make her do that again. He traveled further down her figure, stopping at the apex of her thighs.

The lace of her smalls, much like her bra, did little to conceal her. He ran a tentative stroke down from the waist and over to her core, ghosting over her clit. She let out a whine, biting her lip to keep quiet.

"Let me hear you sweetheart," He murmured, pulling at the elastic at her hips.

"Flip I have neighbors," She warned "We can't be too loud,”

"What are they gonna do? Call the cops?" He smirked, sliding the fabric down her legs to fully expose her to his gaze.

"You're pushing your luck Zimmerman-" Her scolding was cut off with a yelp as he buried his face between her thighs without warning.

He took a deep breath, letting the scent of her dark curls surround him as he moved her legs further apart. He curled his arms around her thighs, keeping her still as he went to work.

He flattened his tongue and ran it along her slit, groaning as he finally got to taste her. He’d barely begun before he felt his chin start to grow wet. It only encouraged him to work harder, to collect every drop of her she gave him. A hand reached down to run through his hair as his mouth moved against her. Flip looked up to watch her, to see how she was reacting to his ministrations. The sounds she was making were delicious but the sight of her splayed out on her sheets, hair fanned out around her, eyes closed and mouth open to a perfect “o”, he could've died happy right then.

He unhooked an arm from around her thigh, bringing it to her entrance and brushing against it lightly. Her hips bucked up involuntarily and he slowly slid a thick finger inside, relishing the way she moaned in response. His mouth moved to focus on her clit as he pumped in and out of her, adding another finger when she was begging for more. He held her hips down with his other arm as she began to rock her hips against his face.

She was calling his name, the hand in his hair tightening its grip as she grew closer and closer to climax. It wasn't long before his own hip started rocking, rutting against the mattress in an attempt to relieve the pressure building below.

“Fuuuuck,” She groaned as she threw her head back onto the pillow. “You feel so good, I don’t think I--,”

“You don’t have to baby, let go for me, I wanna hear you,” He wanted to see her come undone under him. He wanted to taste her, please her, take care of her.

The pace of his fingers sped up, making sure to brush up against her walls in a way he’d learned through experience drove girls crazy. Sure enough, she squirmed under him and rolled her hips toward him. His tongue eagerly pressed against her clit, spelling out incoherent phrases as she squealed above him.

He could feel her tighten around him, like a coiled spring ready to release. Her whole body was tensing under him, he looked back up to her face, watching her eyes squeeze shut and her free hand grasp at the sheets as she tried to ground herself. With a few more stroked of his fingers and expertly drawn letters with his tongue, she was trying to choke out words meant for him.

“Flip, I’m— I’m—” was as far as Elle got before she interrupted herself with a desperate moan.

With his fingers curled against her g-spot and his mouth sucking against her clit, she came. The fingers intwined in his hair were shaky as she loosened her grip, the aftershocks of her orgasm still flowing through her. He coaxed her down from her high, gently moving against her until her body began to squirm from overstimulation. He wiped his face on his arm, licking off any cum she managed to get on his mustache before crawling back up her body to meet her face again.

“How was that?” He asked, pressing kisses against her flushed skin.

Her eyes fluttered open and she untangled her hand from his hair, using it to guide his lips to hers. She kissed him, no doubt tasting herself; a thought that caused him to let out a muffled moan.

“If you keep giving me orgasms like that, I might have to keep you around,” She murmured.

He felt pride swell in his chest and he pulled her into another kiss. His rock-hard erection was pressing into her thigh and she shifted slightly in order to give him some much-needed friction. He rutted against her before he could stop himself and she laughed against his lips.

“I think it might be my time to take care of you,”

Elle reached down and stroked him through the fabric of his boxers. A small wet patch was collecting on the fabric as she pulled them down past his hips and his long limbs. He inhaled sharply as the cool air hit his hot member. He was so hard he was throbbing, the head turning purple from neglect. He shifted his hips, looking for any relief he could get.

“I’m on the pill,” She said suddenly. She looked up at him, big brown eyes breaking through the lust to address something serious. “I have some condoms too, if you want,”

He’d heard of “the pill”. Birth control had only been made available for unmarried women last year. Before it had been only for married couples, and only if the husband allowed it. Some of the men in the office weren’t very trusting of it, saying it made women more promiscuous. He’d been the victim of a pregnancy scare before, so he wasn't against the use of contraceptives. He’d wear condoms with his one night stands, despite them feeling a little too snug against him sometimes. He wanted to be tied down for the right reasons with the right woman, not because of a preventable accident.

Though the way Elle was currently looking at him made him sure he didn’t want a condom. He wanted to feel every inch of her as best he could.

“Pill’s fine, I’m clean,” He growled pouncing back on top of her.

The two of them were frantic, desperate to explore every inch of one another. Their hands moved across each other’s bodies, groping and tweaking and kissing. He was above her, pressing her body into the mattress with his weight, his cock nudging at her entrance. She pushed him up, using her body weight to roll him on to his back while straddling his thighs.

“I want to be on top,” She bit her lip, awaiting his reaction.

His cock stood at attention, he was more than okay with this change in positions.

“Anything you want,” He murmured, running his hands along her waist to steady her.

She stroked him a few times before lining herself up with him. She held his cock in place, using the precum gathering at his slit to lubricate her movements. His breath hitched, giving in to her touch. His hands grasped at her hips, calloused thumbs brushing over her smooth skin. She lowered herself so the tip of his cock was just at her entrance.

“Are you ready for me sweetheart?” He asked.

She nodded, pushing down slowly, letting him penetrate her. He was on the larger side, and he knew it. He was used to girls eyes widening upon seeing it, or having to take a minute to adjust to his size. Elle moved slowly, rocking her hips to find an angle that would let him in deeper. She went too fast at one point, whimpering as her hands flew to his chest to steady herself.

“Take your time, I dont want to hurt you,” He coaxed, using a thumb to press small circles into her clit.

She gasped, eyes fluttering closed. She slowly impaled herself as he watched, her pussy stretching to fit every inch of him. When she finally sunk all the way down, she let out a moan.

“Fuck you're big,” Her voice was strained, straddling between pleasure and pain.

“You're taking me so well baby,” He stilled his hand as she got used to his size. After a moment she began to ride him, taking him slow at first.

She was warm and wet, her walls hugging him like velvet, fitting him like a glove. He tried not to rock his hips too much as she worked him, letting her take over. It was becoming harder as she began to go a little faster.

“Fuck, you’re perfect. I think you're pussy was made for me,” He moaned.

Her hands gripped his shoulders as her body moved over his, stopping right at the end of his shaft before sinking back down to the hilt. They moaned together, his hands pressing into her delicate skin as he felt his heart flutter in his chest.

He’d spent countless nights with women in their beds, and he could safely say no one he’d ever been with felt as good as Elle. Sex had just been sex up until tonight, a way to relieve stress and have a little fun. But this was different, he thought. The way she was riding him, her tight cunt squeezing him as the head of his cock nudged at her cervix, her breasts bouncing, nipples pink and pert. Every thrust pulled a moan from her parted lips, each sounding sweeter than the last.

“You’re gorgeous,” He groaned, moving his hands to palm at her breasts, tweaking pebbled flesh with calloused fingers.

Her hips jerked forward, and she lowered her body to be closer to him. She cupped a hand to his cheek and kissed him passionately. He took control of their movements, lifting his hips to meet hers, a hand snaking down to brush against her clit.

“Please don’t stop,” She moaned.

He could feel her tightening around him again. It’d felt great when it was just his fingers, but her cunt pulsing around his cock was enough for him to contemplate passing out from pleasure. She was getting close, and he was nearing climax himself. He wanted her to go over the edge first though, feel her around him.

“Don’t stop what? This?” He asked, his hand stilling against her clit.

She whined at the loss of contact.

“Flip, please!”

“Please what?” He thrust into her harder, the headboard of the bed knocking into the wall. She was barely holding on.

“Use your words sweetheart, I know you got that filthy little mouth, tell me what you want me to do to your pretty little cunt,” He cooed, loving the little whimper she gave when he called her sweetheart.

His hand rested at her clit, taking care to not brush over it as he thrusted. He nipped at her breast as it bounced her his face. He curled his tongue to flick over a nipple before drawing it into his mouth to suck. She cried out, desperation taking over dignity.

“Please Flip, let me come. I want to cum all over your big cock, it feels— fuck— you feel so good inside me,” She babbled as she bounced on him.

He drew a sharp breath, considering her pleads.

“You wanna cum all over my big cock? Huh?” He pressed tight circles against her clit, her body jerking at the touch. “Do it. Come for me,”

That was all it took for her to go over the edge. Elle’s body seized up before going slack, draping over his own frame. She called out his name, pussy squeezing around him rhythmically as he continued to thrust. He began to feel his hips move erratically.

“I’m close Elle,” He gritted out, giving her a fair warning.

“Cum inside me,” She panted before pulling him into another fierce kiss.

With just a few shallow thrusts, he plunged deep inside her as he came. Thick ropes of cum coated her walls as he grunted. His whole body shuddered, hands flying to pull her deeper into the kiss.

Once they’d both calmed down, he continued to lazily move his hips against hers, letting them both come down from their high. This was perfect. The way their bodies connected, the way she was kissing him like it was the end of the world, he wasn’t sure he’d ever get enough.

She finally broke the kiss, letting them both catch their breath before she spoke.

“How was that?”

“I’m about to call off work and spend the next week between your legs,” His voice was deep and filled with lust.

She laughed, smacking him lightly in the arm.

“How was it for you?” He asked.

“I’m not sure I’m gonna be able to move fast enough to deny you of that. My legs are jelly right now,” She touched her nose to his as she spoke.

He gently guided her off his cock, groaning at the sight of his cum trickling down her inner thigh. His member was soaked as well, a testament to how satiated they both were. Before he could help her lie next to him she crawled down his body, her head occupying the space her cunt possessed moments ago.

“Where are you doing?”

“Just cleaning up,” She ginned, placing her hands on either of his sturdy thighs before licking the head of his cock.

His breath hitched. He would become overstimulated very quickly but he couldn't bring himself to stop her. He watched this gorgeous woman trail her tongue up his shaft, cleaning him if their cum. Was is possible for him to orgasm twice?

Elle looked up at him with hooded eyes as she kitten-licked over his frenulum, coating her tongue with seed. He groaned much louder than intended, gently pulling her off him before positioning her on the bed.

“What are you doing?” She asked, propping herself up on her elbows so she could look down as he kissed her inner thigh.

“Just cleaning up,” He smirked before licking a wide stripe up her wet cunt.

Yeah, he wasn’t going to be able to get enough of this.

--------

NOTES

There aren’t a ton for this chapter, but here is a brief history on birth control from a publication that first appeared in the 1970s. It was one of the first books of its kind, giving women access to information about their health and about sexuality.

Different Jews have different feelings about keeping kosher. I had friends in college who kept kosher all through undergrad and grad school, and I had friends who would only do it for Passover. I have friends where they don’t even like the smell of pork and I have friends who chow down on bacon when we go to a diner. They’re all Jewish. But all in all, don’t be a dick about people’s religious dietary restrictions.

Elle’s story about a patient could be a true story. Oxygen tanks and cigarettes are not friends

#flip zimmerman #flip x reader #flip zimmerman x reader #flip x oc #flip zimmerman x oc #clyde logan #ARTBmasterlist #masterlist

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