#i was friends with the guy who cleaned the exhibits hes just not one for such an elaborate joke and he denied any recollection of a july

[pleaseshootthejester]

The thing about twin peaks is that every town I've been to in forests is just like that.

They're all like that. I lived part of my life in a large forest here in the UK, one july I went to a cafe about an hour from where I lived, just happened upon it. The cafe was in a museum and I had a wander around, the woman on font desk reccomended a soup from the cafe. "Open til we shut" She said.

So after my walk around I found the cafe and I walked into the entire museum staff (5 people including the woman on front desk) having their staff Christmas party. Complete with a tree, crackers, and hats. All of them in gaudy Christmas jumpers.

To repeat. This was july.

They seemed put off to have me there, gave me a cheese sandwich and shooed me away. When I made it back down to the front desk the woman who saw me in asked how my soup was. She was the one who closed the door on me and my cheese sandwich no more than 10 minutes prior. She was now wearing the tshirt she had been in when i arrived again. She warned me that I was getting late (2pm on a sunny july day) and not to stay on the road when the moon comes out, "it's not safe in the trees when the sun goes down, you know how they get." I still have no idea what she meant but I never drove in the forest at night after that.

A while later I went back, new woman on the front desk, I remarked about the Christmas party and asked where her colleague was today. She told me she'd worked front desk for 20 years and their Christmas party was in early December.

I'm fairly sure they were screwing with me but I saw the second woman out and about in the village quite a bit but never the first woman. Was she real? Who can say!

There were loads more bizzare goings on but this one has forever stuck with me, sadly the family member I was staying with at the time moved out of the forest and I no longer drive to get myself there but that was a fever dream of a few years to say the least

[haetrack]

hi!! can i request for smut jaem who lets you borrow his computer while he's still in his room. and he watches you from the back of his gaming chair and slowly becomes touchy (like hugging your neck and caressing your body slowly until he fingers you while still sitting on his chair) oh! and you guys can't be too loud because members are at the kitchen. hehe thanks omg

req 2: bf!jaemin x f!reader (ft. roommates haechan and jeno)

wc: 2.8k

warnings: smut (MDNI!), jealousy, dirty talk, fingering, light exhibition and voyeurism, one bite on the neck, light gagging, soft dom!jaemin, sub!reader, accidental roommate haechan favoritism (im sorry)

it’s rare that you go to jaemin’s apartment. in a mutual, undiscussed understanding at some point, you both decided that it’s better that you go to your apartment over jaemin’s. he’s wary of his roommates being in your presence. he tries making small excuses, he hasn’t cleaned, he has class, even takes you out to eat before you can step foot in his apartment.

he’s seen the way that his roommates look at you. he swears he’s not a jealous person, but he can’t really help it when it comes to you. it’s when he sees haechan cuddle up to your side, sees jeno try to carry your stuff when you come in. he feels bad for lying to you, but it’s better than constantly seeing them flirt with you.

he realizes you coming over might be unavoidable tomorrow. you called him nearly crying, saying how your laptop wasn’t turning on while having multiple assignments due. he couldn’t just let you cry, not while knowing that he has a solution for you in his room. he stares at his computer, looming over the consequences of letting you come over. he’d rather see you pass your classes, more importantly, be happy.

he tells you that you can come over tomorrow to finish whatever you need. you happily tell him thank you, how he’s the best boyfriend in the world. he laughs airly in the mic, saying he’d do anything for his angel. at the end of the call, before you say goodnight, he hears you say can’t wait to see everyone tomorrow. he grits his teeth, giving the nicest response he can to that. you laugh, telling him goodnight. before he turns off his phone though,

jaemin: don’t forget to ask for extensions for your assignments ❤️

you: aaaa i forgot!!! thank u baby 🫶

the dreaded day comes. he decides to pick you up after your class so you can get started on your work right away. he coos, hands cupping your face as he comforts you from the call last night. you grin at him, grabbing one of his hands to place a kiss on it. he has to forcibly stop himself from pressing kisses all over your face, deciding to grab you by the waist and walk you to his car. it all feels normal, and jaemin almost drives to your apartment instead of his.

he tries not to frown too hard when you both arrive, taking a deep breath before opening the door. he knows everyone is in the apartment (because who likes having classes on fridays), so he can’t even move you to his room safely. he opens the door to find jeno and haechan seated on the couch together, immediately taking note of you.

“it’s been so long since i’ve seen you here!” haechan starts, and before he can hug you, jaemin moves to give you a back hug. haechan scoffs, “it’s almost like your boyfriend has been hiding you from us, huh?”

you tease him for his dramatics, “i would be coming over if you guys weren’t so busy all the time! every time i want to come over, jaemin says you’re too busy.”

“i wonder why he’d say that,” jeno snides, “i like seeing you around here.”

“i like seeing my boyfriend’s friends, too! he’s gatekeeping you guys a little too hard.” jaemin dryly laughs at your joke before pulling your backpack off your shoulders and onto his. he sees jeno looking at him before chuckling at the sight, knowing exactly why he was doing that.

“well, my baby has a lot of work to do, so we better get going to my room…” jaemin says, trying to get you out of there before anything else happens.

haechan raises his eyebrows as you leave, “see you soon, angel.”

jaemin turns to give them the middle finger before he shuts the door.

you sit yourself at his desk. despite your lack of visits to his apartment, you feel familiar in his space. he turns on everything for you, sad that his baby has to do all this work when you’re at his place. you thank him once again, pressing a kiss to the side of his cheek. “anything you need, i’ll get it for you.”

“actually! can you refill my bottle for me,” you grab it out of the side pocket, “forgot to fill it up before we left campus.”

“of course. be right back.” he grins. he kisses you as if he won’t be back in two minutes or less. you let out an appreciative sigh, quietly thanking him once again as you ignore the heat on your face.  

jaemin slowly makes his way out of the room, tries not to bring any distractions to you and your work time. he tiptoes in the hallway, kitchen close to his room. he can hear both haechan and jeno’s voices in the middle of a conversation, and he can’t help but listen in. when he hears one slip of your name, he barges in, cutting off their talking immediately.

“you should’ve told us we’d be having a guest today,” haechan slinks next to jaemin, eyes playfully challenging him, “we all could’ve watched something together.”

“you didn’t even let me grab her backpack,” jeno sulks, “i could’ve done that myself.”

“well, those aren’t really your jobs, are they? guess who’s her boyfriend and guess who are not.” jaemin closes the refrigerator, pouring in the filtered water you so nicely asked for.

haechan raises his hands in defense, “i’m just saying, if you bring someone so pretty over, i can’t help but look.”

jeno nods in agreement, “if i were you, i’d be showing her off at any chance i could get.”

jaemin loudly disagrees, “this is how i can tell you’ve been single for too long! you just don’t get it.”

haechan whines, “maybe you could do us a favor and help our sad, lonely sex lives with the help of your-”

jaemin cuts him off, “nope.” before haechan can say anything else, jaemin walks away, and haechan is earned with a second middle finger of the day.

jaemin never feels like this.

he can feel how jealous he is in the pit of his stomach. it’s only you two in the room, you at his desk, and him laying uncomfortably in his bed. though the brightness of his phone screen is glaring back at him, he’s more focused on the sight of you at his desk. he’s not sure you’re aware of haechan and jeno’s feelings towards you, but he’s trying everything to stop them.

he knows they aren’t being serious. haechan is constantly joking about everything, and jeno’s just… like that. though he could never blame you for anything, you’ve never let anyone else have your undivided attention but him. he knows you love him, but he can’t shake this feeling off. he needs a little reassurance right now and he’ll try not to bother you too much.

it all goes wrong when he stands behind you in his gaming chair. you look so good right now, in his room, in his chair. once you feel his presence behind you, you look up and smile. his face mirrors yours, and he plants a sweet kiss to your lips, “keep going, pretty, just wanna watch you for a bit.”

you nod, getting back to your work. his eyes are stuck on your every movement, watching you type, how you shake your leg, how you bite your lip in concentration. you look so pretty like this, not knowing how a familiar feeling sets to the bottom of jaemin’s stomach, eyes becoming hooded at the sight of you. after hard contemplation, he lets his hands settle on top of your shoulders.

he can tell you’re smiling, head nuzzling up against his arm. his bends over to place his head on your shoulder, hands moving to slip up and down your sides. he can feel how warm your face is, the close proximity making you nervous. his hands move a little lower to your hips, grabbing at the skin there. he hums appreciatively, liking how soft you feel under his touch. he can feel you slightly squirm around, trying not to let his touches distract you.

you can feel his warm breath on your shoulder, sending chills down your spine. what’s unexpected is how you feel his tongue swipe across your skin before leaving a wet kiss there. you shudder, and you can feel his sickly-sweet smile against your skin. you whine out his name, and he shushes you, pressing more kisses onto your skin.

you can feel yourself getting lost in him, your eyes skipping over the words in an article you’re reading, mind becoming hazy. your head lolls to the side, giving him more access to your neck. he licks up from the junction of your neck up to your jaw, his hands warming themselves up by your thighs. his hands come close to your core, before he removes them completely by putting them under the shirt you’re wearing.

“jaemin, please.” you’re not really sure what you're asking for, but when you feel his hands by the cup of your bra, you can’t help the pleads coming out of your mouth.

“tell me what you want, pretty. need to know what my angel wants so i can give it to her,” he hums out, fingers messing with the fabric of your bra.

“just-” your breath hitches when he bites down on your neck before leaving a small kiss, “need you, jaemin. wanna feel you in me, just please give me more.”

“all you had to do was ask, angel.” his hands push up your bra over your boobs, groping around them, pinching at your nipples. you whisper out a kiss me, and he just can’t say no to his baby, reaching over further to kiss you. your work is left neglected, the only things mattering right now is your boyfriend and the ache between your thighs. he can see how needy you are, how your moans slip in his mouth, how you push your chest into his hands. 

one hand leaves your chest to slip under your pants and underwear, meeting with your wet folds, “so wet, baby, dripping all over with just a few touches.”

“just for you, jaemin. please, need your fingers.”

and who is he to say no to you? his fingers tease your entrance, a loud whimper slipping out of your mouth. jaemin remembers that you both aren’t alone, hearing the light shuffling throughout the apartment. he removes his other hand from your chest, pressing it over your mouth to cover up your sounds, “can’t be too loud, pretty. those sounds are only for me to hear.”

one finger slips inside of you, a muffled moan covered up by his hand. you can hear him lowly chuckle at you, happy with the results. with being teased too much before, you clench around his fingers, signaling to him that you need more. he obliges, of course, another finger moving inside of you. he curls them in you, feeling for that sweet spot inside you. once he finds it, he feels you moan, feels how drool is already slipping past your lips.

he can feel how hard he’s straining against his sweats, but too enamored by you to do anything about it. plus, he’d rather fuck you without having haechan or jeno around. they don't deserve to hear you like that at all. his breath is getting heavy, he needs to see how he’s affecting you, needs to see his pretty angel’s face.

he pulls his chair back, allowing himself to kneel on the floor in front of you. it’s not until now you can see just how affected your boyfriend is by this. his cheeks are pink, lips swollen from the kissing and biting, your boyfriend on his knees just for you. he has a lazy smile on his face, eyes full of love for his angel. he presses kisses along your thighs, your legs slowly opening up from him to see. 

his hand is no longer covered over your mouth, tsking at the sight of your pleading eyes. “trust you to not make so much noise. don’t want everyone else to hear how good i make you feel, hmm?”

you quickly nod, jaemin reaching up to press a soft kiss to your lips. even now, at times where he has you like this, he manages to be so sweet. it only turns you on more. he spreads your legs further apart, looking at how wet and needy your pussy is for him, begging for his help. he presses a kiss to your clit, your thighs closing around his head. he lets out a genuine laugh before he playfully scolds you, telling you to behave.

his fingers move to your aching core, once again slipping his fingers in. you clench tightly around them, your hips rolling in time with him. his thumb hooks up to rub your clit, your thighs almost closing around his hand. he moves to force your legs open, pressing quick kisses along the insides of your thighs. “my angel is always so sensitive, love it so much.” 

you’re biting down onto your bottom lip, whimpers threatening to come out. he’s so content with just watching you fall apart, his head resting on your thigh, eyes roaming all over your body. you aren’t sure what exactly riled him up, but it doesn’t matter when he’s looking at you like you’re the only thing that exists. you can’t stop the little sobs that escape you as you feel yourself unraveling.

he can see tears forming in your eyes, the pleasure being almost too much for you. he can feel you shaking under his hold, feels how you’re dripping all over his hand. he sees your composure slip as he adds one more finger, a sharp whimper of his name leaving your lips. he watches in morbid curiosity as you grab his free hand and move it up to your mouth, gagging yourself with his fingers.

he nearly cums in his pants at the sight of you overcome by pleasure, the feel of your tongue slipping between his fingers. you wanted to be so good for him to the point of where you wanted to be gagged, wanting to please him more than anything. he doesn’t care anymore, doesn’t care if haechan or jeno can hear you, doesn’t care about his throbbing cock spilling precum in his boxers. he’s so infatuated with you.

he’s pulled out of his daze when he hears footsteps of someone walking towards the rooms. you moan out to him that you’re close, can hear how sopping wet you are and how you’re clenching tightly around his fingers. your muffled voice comes out, “p-please, jaemin. please! i wan’ cum so bad. wanna cum all over your fingers!”

“yeah? my angel wants to cum?” he asks, hearing how the footsteps stop in front of his door. “cum all over my fingers, show me how much you love me. only me.” 

you moan loudly as he lets his fingers slip out of your mouth, moving his now wet fingers to your boob to help you cum. your chest arches forward and your hips grind down, nearly screaming as you cum all over his fingers. he helps you ride it out, praises you for being so good for him, being his sweet angel. 

he hears the footsteps quickly walk away from his door, smiling to himself at the thought of someone hearing the both of you. he sees tears slip out of your eyes, he moves up to kiss your cheeks, whispering to you about how much he loves you. you nod, eyebrows furrowed and mouth unable to say anything just yet. he sits back down to let you catch your breath, one hand soothing over the soft skin of your thigh.

he sees you slowly come back to him, sees the tired smile you give to him. “let’s move to the bed, angel. wanna cuddle with you.”

you hum in agreement, and he drags you over, letting you lay down comfortably onto his bed. he joins you, presses kisses all over where he can reach. “you did so good for me. i love you so much.”

“i love you too, jaem.”

he feels your breaths get deeper, letting yourself fall asleep happily against him, all work and stress forgotten. jaemin almost falls asleep too, not until he feels how his phone begins buzzing.

haechan: god DAMN

haechan: did u guys have to do that NOW???

jeno: do what

jeno: DO WHAT!!!!!!!

haechan: THEY BOTH FUCKED AND I HAD TO HEARRRR

jaemin: literally no one told you to listen in

jaemin: and we didnt even have sex youre delusional

haechan: well u know

jaemin: dont even finish what youre going to say

jaemin: hopefully now you know who my angel loves most ❤️

haechan: who said that

jeno: i suddenly cant read

jaemin: 🖕

a/n: thank u for the request 🫶 literally loved writing this jaemin we all love u. my first jaemin post i’m kinda nervous… i hope u nanadoongies enjoy muah muah

taglist: @vqlentinez @froggyforyoongi

[chlorinecake]

A non con fanfiction? On sunghoon or jake

Btw love you're fanfics! Lots of lovee!🤍

cross my heart and hope to die

syn. Basically while your university hosts a school event, Jake convinces you to help him break into an abandoned frat house before fucking the living daylights out of you

pair. star student!fratboy!jake x gullible!fem!reader

warnings. swearing, guided f. masturbation, cum eating (?), tit play, hickey, petnames (angel, doll face), cnc themes, mild degrading and exhibition kink, light choking/slapping/hair pulling, unprotected sex (stay safe guys), creampie, not proofread

word count. 2.1k

Today marked the day of your university’s annual student and staff celebration, and as promised in the lengthy event criterion, would offer free refreshments, entertainment, awards, and most importantly, a place for everyone on campus to fit in.

Or at least… mostly everyone.

You and your university’s proudly dubbed star student and “spoiled brat,” Sim Jake, occupied yourselves with other plans for the evening.

To most people, Jake in a nutshell was someone who’s brain matched their pockets.

Not that you were particularly interested in Jake’s money or brilliance… you just simply found him attractive. Very attractive.

His strikingly sharp smile, almond brown eyes, perfect cupid's bow, olive skin, strong hands... you could go on for days about how beautiful he was to you.

Gosh, looking at him alone was like a wet dream.

So much so that you'd do basically anything just to be in his presence, despite your own impending bashfulness getting in the way.

And he noticed it. All of your fangirl tendencies...

Despite that, your relationship with Jake wasn't necessarily ideal: you basically just did whatever he asked of you, leading to the partial friendship you two now share.

Though, the only boundary Jake’s favors hadn’t passed yet was anything sexual, all the while one way or another, he planned to change that.

Now, you wish you could say this particular night was all his idea, but you knew deep down in your heart that you had every intent within your own gullible will to join him in his folly.

To give in.

“Hey, you almost done in there, doll face?,” Jake whispered from behind the halfway opened door to the dean’s office, extending his head to take a look down the hallways as if preparing to cross the street.

You two couldn’t risk getting caught.

Not in here, and not over this.

“Yeah, I.... I’m locking the drawer back now, just gimme a few more seconds,” you replied while focused on the task at hand, locking the dean’s desk drawer back and doing a quick check to make sure everything was in the same place you’d found it initially before leaving.

Everything except the key to your university’s former frat house, which had since five or so years ago become a vacant property of forgotten memories and potential.

Of course Jake thought to seek your help with getting the key, hoping that someday, he and his friends would be able to reoccupy the place.

“Alright, we’re good to go,” you said, meeting him at the door as you both ran down the left hall, a flight of stairs, along a few sidewalks, and onto the football field.

“The house should be a few more minutes from here,” Jake added, taking your hand in his to guide you, his touch practically sending electric waves to your heart.

It was starting to get dark quickly, and you weren't sure if the event was coming to an end or not, given how quiet everything suddenly became... but still, you were more focused on exploring anyways.

For better or worse, you were just too curious, too desperate for Jake’s attention.

Click.

You finally unlocked the door upon trying the three other keys you stole from the office, taking in the view of the place that looked as if it’d been kept clean over all these years, with an audacity to smell of pleasant florals, citrus, and pine.

“Hey, where’d you get that?,” you asked Jake, noticing the can of soda he sipped from, and the way his lips glimmered under the faint lighting.

“From the party… I must've been thirsty earlier and forgot I brought this with me,” he said, puppy eyes looking around before meeting you, “want some?”

“Uh, sure, thanks,” you said shyly, taking the soda can to sip, even though the fizz was a bit faded for some reason.

“Oh! Sorry, ____!,” he suddenly yelped, having nudged your hand to take the drink away and accidentally spilling some of the sparkling liquid all over the top you wore.

“Ahh,” you sighed quietly, feeling the cold and sugary drink stick to your skin, “it’s fine, Jake... there’s gotta be towels in here somewhere anyway.”

“Hey, maybe check upstairs, if there's a main bedroom, there should be some cloths in there,” Jake offered, going to discard the can as you did just as he said.

You found a room eventually, where hand towels with dainty cross embroidery at each corner laid on the bed. They stood out like a sore thumb considering the erotic playboy magazine covers hung up on either end of the headboard in gold picture frames.

Jake came back quickly, watching as you plopped yourself on the bed, your chest jiggling a bit with you’re movements as you wiped up your shirt.

He laid down beside you with a groan, yawning out of boredom more than tiredness, “Wonder what kind of shit went down in this room,” he though to himself before glancing back at you. “That’s not gonna work, you know? You’re gonna need to change your entire shirt at this point.”

“But… I don’t wanna risk getting caught by taking anything else, seeing how I’ve already messed up this nice towel,” you rationalized with him.

“Take off your shirt, angel,” Jake said in a husky voice, sitting up now on the bed to look at you better, his gaze practically undressing you itself, “you just look so uncomfortable with it on…”

Your nipples were hard thanks to the cold drink, so they poked through your outfit, just enough for him to get a good sneak peek.

There was something about the tone of his voice that made you feel different this time, though. Nervous.

“I’m fine… really,” you replied before continuing, “So what do you think about the frat house," you asked, still patting the wet spot of your shirt with the towel, ignoring his previous comment.

"Hmm… It's pretty nice... spacious... the condition isn’t too bad, so that means less work for me and the boys,” he answered, shamelessly staring at you, “plus, it already has everything we need in it.”

The place really was like a hidden resort house.

“Yeah… now that you mention it, I wouldn’t doubt they still have some soap in here, too. I really need to wash this stain out, anyway—”

Jake’s hands found your shoulder first, pushing you back first against the bed before straddling you, hooking the lower seam of your top with his fingers and pulling it up over your head.

“W-what’re you doing, Jake?” You stuttered, nervous as you laid half naked beneath him.

“What you obviously couldn’t do yourself,” he slithered, lips already meeting your sweet breasts, thanks to his little soda accident earlier.

You regretfully moaned, already feeling your core warm up at his actions. The effect he had on you was honestly a bit embarrassing.

“M-maybe we should go back downstairs-”

“But you don’t want to…” he whispered against your skin as he left a trail of kisses all over your chest.

“J-Jake, this isn’t why I came here with you-”

“You know how much I like it when you do as I say, angel... now I just need you to keep being a good girl for me, okay?”

“Jake, stop-” you whined, feeling as his hands toyed with your panties.

“Why? It’s not like you haven’t been dying for me to touch you like this,” he grinned, looking up at you with the sluttiest eyes as his hand sat just above the wet spot of your core.

He snickered to himself, “You want this, don't you?”

His hand harshly smacked the tender skin of your inner thigh, a loud sound filling the room as your body flinched.

“Yes,” you yelped in discomfort, biting your lip to hold back any tears.

“So why are you telling me to stop?”

“I was… I don’t…,” your mind was getting fuzzy, chest starting to heave as you struggled to think with his finger circling your clothed clit.

What had gotten into him?

“You were cold because I spilled my drink on you, and now I’m helping you warm up again,” he smiled, mouth connecting with your neck as he continued to suck relentlessly, skillfully teasing your heat as he marked you, “Right, ____?”

“Jake,” you whined, arching your back once you felt his fingers apply pressure.

“Shhh,” he cooed, pulling down your bottoms the rest of the way and spreading your legs.

Leaning back, he finally spoke, “Touch yourself for me… and use two fingers so I can see how your pathetic little pussy struggles to take it.”

And of course, you did just that, already slick enough to put on a nice show for him.

He slapped your face when you closed your eyes, telling you to look at him the entire time.

You continued to pleasure yourself before him, a bit of moisture seeping from your aching hole when he slapped your tit this time, “Oh, you like the pain, don’t you slut? Can’t come without it, can you?”

“Nngh, no,” you answered for reasons you don’t understand, fucking yourself faster as you circled your hips, just as he snatched your wrist, licking the juices from your fingers.

“Up,” was all he said before taking you to the window, bending you over the sill.

“It’s getting stuffy in here, I say we let some air out, yeah?”

All you did was nod dumbly as his words, his belt buckle hitting the ground with a clink as his dick found your entrance, shoving past your slimy tightness with his lips kissing down your back.

His grunts sounded animalistic as he picked up the pace, his accent thick and strong with each curse that slipped from his mouth.

Jake’s hands found your neck, gripping tightly as his thrusts sped up, fucking you back and forth with you your head resting at the window.

“Look up slut, so everyone can see your cute little face tear up while I fuck you from behind… fuck you like my good little cock whore. Taking all of me so well— mmm.”

He pulled your hair by the roots, causing a loud moan to slip past your mouth as he stretched you out. “You’re such a slut for pain,” he grunted, “am I wrong, angel?”

You whimpered at his words, barely even present with how dizzy you felt, “you’re always righ— mghh, yes, right there...”

He pulled you from the window sill, shoving your face against the ground as he continued to thrust from behind, your tits shaking with his aggressive thrusts.

Picking you back up by the elbows, he pistoled into you, fluids trickling down your thighs and glistening against his pelvis as your poor thighs shook from all the pleasure, your weak moans dancing off the walls.

He thrusted in and out of you, fucking you into overstim as he chased him own high, taking pleasure in the way you squirmed whenever you felt his tongue against your skin.

His hands slid up your ribs before cupping your tits again, gripping at them relentlessly as his moans grew louder, breathier.

Needier.

Your hips bounced against his as you helped by fucking yourself on his cock, throwing your head back against his chest as you both came at the same time.

“Aww, fuck,” he groaned loudly, loosening his grip as you felt him paint your walls with his warm release.

Despite how out of breath both of you were, Jake picked you up and brought you to the bed, taking the same towels from earlier to clean you up before joining the empty spot beside you.

The three keys you borrowed from the dean's office were as good as misplaced by now, you and Jake both too tired to give a shut about looking for 'em now.

“You can’t tell anyone about this…," he started with a rasp voice, "nothing about tonight… not your friends, and especially not mine,” he said, pulling you close to him as you laid in only his jacket and your panties, Jake himself wearing just a t-shirt and jeans.

You looked into his face, that was unbelievably more striking with a post-sex glow.

“Cross my heart and hope to die,” you answered softly, as both of you stared at the ceiling, hearing nothing more than your hearts beating and a few faint sounds from outside.

Still, the fact remained that you’d do anything for Jake… even sexual favors now.

“Thank you,” he whispered back, but you were already fast asleep, the final thought on his own mind being that the abandoned frat house would be a place just for the two of you now.

❊ Thank you all so much for reading this quick fic !! I honestly think it's kinda garbage, but I hope someone out there finds it enjoyable at least (probably gonna make a revised version of this for another member tho, we'll see...) !! Also, make sure to check out my masterlist for more reads like this ~

❊ [Perm] Taglist: @squoxle @ashgonedash @nikisdubblchococake @yourmomscuntis2tighy @watamotee33

[anonymousangstmonster]

Idea #39

The Fentons were a family of merciless mer hunters.

But when Jack Fenton found a barely-a-year-old, white haired, black scaled, green eyed guppy washed up on their private beach, he couldn’t just leave the little guy to probably get eaten alive by seagulls. He’d always had a soft spot for kids.

He somehow convinced Maddie to let him keep it, as long as he was responsible for it. Jack had to feed it, clean it and it’s tank, train it, make sure it didn’t try to eat people, entertain it, the normal things you have to do to take care of a pet. Sure Maddie was the one that made sure it was fed most of the time since Jack forgot, but he did all the other things! He even gave him a name, Danny.

They actually got to learn a lot about merfolk biology taking care of him.

Over time the pair of scientists grew more and more attached to the little baby mer in their lab. He was practically a son to them. He was so sweet and cute, who wouldn’t love him instantly!

They taught him how to talk(he had such an adorable voice!), they taught him about the outside world(his eyes always sparkled with curiosity and wonder when listening to their stories).

When an old mer hunting friend came over to visit, he told them to be careful, that the creature could be using its siren powers to make them love it. They assured him that Danny’s powers(if he had any) were disabled by the small and unobtrusive cuff around his wrist.

They arranged for a little boy Danny’s age to come for a playdate, since he always seemed so lonely by himself in his artificial habitat. That young boy was named Tucker Foley, and the two hit it off instantly. Playing in the shallow area of Danny’s ‘exhibit’ with beach balls and plastic boats.

More time passed and Danny grew, his aquarium growing along with him.

Sometimes other hunter and scientist friends of the Fentons would come see the lab, and they would see a teenage merman in a comfortable environment and not on an examination table.

The parents wanted to see their boy free and happy, so they released him into the ocean. It wasn’t until later that they realized they never prepared him for the outside world, they never taught him how to hunt for himself, to avoid fishing nets, he might get seriously hurt or even die out there because they were ‘so eager to get rid of him’.

One of their worst fears were confirmed when they found him washed up on their beach bleeding from his tail, abdomen, and arm, unconscious.

Mer au combined with “Danny has always been lab rat” au, and wholesome up until the plot.

“I also just want Jack to invent a ghost(mer) treat and make Danny do tricks for it.” -that applies to this as well. Also I had the idea for that when eating a soft peppermint for the first time in forever.

ALSO GUYS THIS AU IS SHARED WITH @doiyi-yt! GO CHECK OUT HER STUFF UNDER THE #fish boy au TAG!

[kissingchoso]

guys who you’re in a friends with benefits relationship in but they can’t help but to act like your actual boyfriend. he picks up your favorite food whenever he’s coming around to your place, has an entire drawer in his bedroom that’s dedicated to your clothes you’ve left over the months, texts you clingy messages to the point where anyone reading would rightfully assume you’re dating!

him: ‘there’s a new art exhibit opening tomorrow in the city. let’s go. we can get lunch after.’

he’d proceed to send you a link of the museum you’ve been meaning to go to for some time now. the exhibit looks promising as a lot of the new art have been made by a lot of individuals across different countries, all with the focus of environmentalism and the human body. to say you were intruiged was an understatement.

you: ‘that sounds fun!! there’s this really delicious korean bbq place not too far from there too! pick me up at 10 ^^'

he shows up at 9:30, claiming he didn’t want to be late but he likes to watch you finish your entire routine. he even takes the liberty to make sure your purse is fully packed, even putting your wallet back on the top of your dresser just to make sure he’s the only one paying for everything today.

when you finish and turn to him to get his review, he grabs you and pulls you in close. “you’re the prettiest girl i’ve ever laid eyes on, you know that?” he asks, head tilted slightly to the right and a growing smile on his lips.

you return the smile tenfold, his heart racing at your reciprocation. not wanting to smear off the lipgloss on your lips, he places a couple of kisses on your forehead, nose and cheek before pulling away finally and handing your purse to you.

he takes you on the best date ever. from the museum, photo ops he took of you, even to the delicious restaurant afterwards, he’s fully satisfied with how it ended up being. the shine in your eyes when you are having genuine fun with him. it’s never awkward nor filled with uncomfortable silence. the conversation is genuine through and through and you love it.

it gets even better when you ask him to come back and stay the night. you two share a secret dance where only the two of you know. his hips are unrelenting the whole time while his fingers constantly rub against that special spot that leaves you panting and wanting more. round after round, it’s never ending. his movements are so cruel but his words are sweet, leaving you properly dizzy and at his complete mercy.

“last one pretty girl,” he groans from above you, hips snapping against your ass while he has two right fingers rubbing nonstop against your clit.

all you can do is whimper from beneath him, grip on your perfectly cleaned sheets becoming looser as time progresses.

he hisses when you clench around him, unable to stop his hips from shaking when you actively are performing kegels on his cock. “fuck i’m gonna cum,” he grunts from above you. “cum with me, pretty. you can do it, i know you can.”

he coaxes his last orgasm out of you with no issue, prompting his own release not too long after. his seed fills your wet cunt, already having some escape through the crevices the longer he stays buried in your holy but he can’t help himself. you’re just too warm.

the only time he lets you go is when your body can’t hold itself up anymore and you collapse forward in bed. there’s a hiss from him when he slips out of you but he’s comfortable to watching the show in front of him, which is when his cum dribbles out of your aching pussy and staining the innocent sheets below. he’s immensely proud of you and shows it by leaving kisses up your backside until he reaches your cheekbone.

it pulls you out of sleep momentarily, long enough to hear his question, “still want me to stay the night, honey?” always the one to make sure.

all you could do is nod and mutter out a please before he’s fully assured.

don’t worry your fuzzy brain any longer. just go to sleep while your not-boyfriend gets your room settled by turning your fan on for the night and your little nightlight you have by your bathroom door. once the overheads are off, he’s tucking himself back into your side so that he can greedily pull you into his arms and doze off for himself.

tanaka, bokuto, HINATA (im biased), ARAN (also biased), osamu, suna, GETOU, yuuta, kazuha, zhongli (but only bc this man loves fwb relations), kaveh, DILUC, aether, CHILDE, AYATO, and ofc any of your favs <3

[doormatty3]

Veiled Passions (Josh Lambert x Reader)

Masterlist Ao3

Summary:

[Josh Lambert x Female Reader] [Josh Lambert x You]  After you and Josh had sex, the mutual attraction between you continues to grow stronger. You know that you should stay away from him - he’s your friend's dad, around two decades older than you and divorced. And yet, you both find yourselves irresistibly drawn to each other. So, as the year progresses, you decide to pursue a committed relationship while keeping it a secret from friends and family. But lies never live to be old - especially when they are this severe. And yet, he makes you the happiest you’ve ever been, but doubts creep in as you're reminded of the reasons you should steer clear. And when Dalton, your friend, also confesses his feelings for you, the misery deepens, complicating an already tumultuous situation. Amidst the chaos, one thing remains clear - your heart belongs to Josh Lambert. OR: Josh shows you who you belong to.

Wordcount: 11440

Warnings: 18+, unprotected sex, creampie, breeding, vaginal sex, smut, dirty talk, older man/ younger woman, daddy issues, face fucking, blowjob

A/N: There it is - the second part of my Josh x Reader stories. So I advise you to catch up on the first one before you read this one: Part 1: Pushing Further

Being a senior has its perks because you have the privilege to venture beyond the campus. While freshmen and those in between can also partake, the administration isn’t particularly fond of the idea.

The freedom to come and go as you please became a valuable asset, especially when it comes to visiting Josh at his house.

Josh, your friend’s father, is almost two decades your senior and divorced but also unbelievably hot and caring.

You got fortunate when you first had sex with him in Dalton and Chris’ room -  you cleaned up and then chatted until they came by. 

You still get wet when you think about that afternoon. It had been and still is, undoubtedly, the hottest thing you’ve ever done. You can still remember how it felt to have his cum inside your cunt dripping out while standing there, trying to appear normal while talking to Dalton and Chris and not like you just got absolutely wrecked by his dad.

Nevertheless, you decided unanimously that the sex in that room had been a one-time thing - the next time, he fucked you in your own dorm bed. And to avoid being caught by anyone, you decided it was safer to meet up at his place since it would have been hard to explain why he was in your room and not in his son’s. 

So far, you haven’t talked about what exactly you are, but there is a silent acknowledgement that your connection goes beyond the superficial. Perhaps fueled by an underlying fear on his part  -  a fear of potential heartache. It’s as if he sees in you the power to evoke emotions that are both thrilling and terrifying. And he’s right with that - the whatever you have has the potential of stirring up dust for both of you. 

Yet, there is a subtle yet undeniable gravitational force that draws you closer to Josh, and in turn, he reciprocates with a magnetic attraction. 

But you know that your fondness for him goes beyond mere friendship or a feeling of infatuation - you genuinely like him. 

As the year unfolds, so does the depth of your friendship with Chris and Dalton. Your bond remains steadfast, growing stronger with each shared moment. You make it a point to meet up as often as possible, cherishing the camaraderie and the sense of belonging that comes with it.

_____

The aroma of freshly brewed coffee fills the air as you, Dalton, and Chris settle into your usual spot at the café. It’s a cosy haven amidst the hustle and bustle of the outside world, a place where you can relax and enjoy each other’s company.

Chris’s eyes light up with excitement as she leans forward. “Hey, guys, I was thinking,” she begins, a mischievous grin playing on her lips. “What do you say we do something fun this weekend? Maybe go on a road trip or check out that new exhibit downtown?”

Dalton nods eagerly in agreement. “That sounds like a blast! Count me in! We could even go camping if the weather’s nice.”

Your heart flutters at the thought of spending quality time with your friends, but as you consider their invitation, a pang of guilt tugs at your conscience. You already have plans for the weekend  -  plans with Josh that you can’t share with your friends.

With a regretful smile, you shake your head. “As much as I’d love to join you guys, I’ve already made plans for the weekend,” you explain, hoping they won’t press for details.

Chris raises an eyebrow, curiosity evident in her expression. “Oh? What kind of plans?”

You hesitate, knowing you can’t reveal the truth. “It’s, um, a family thing,” you reply vaguely, feeling a twinge of guilt at the half-truth. “You know how it is.”

Dalton nods in understanding, though there’s a hint of disappointment in his eyes. “No worries, we’ll catch you next time.”

As the conversation shifts to other topics, you can’t shake the feeling of unease that settles over you. Keeping secrets from your friends weighs heavily on your conscience, but the thought of betraying Josh’s trust is even more daunting.

With a heavy heart, you take a sip of your coffee, the bitter taste serving as a reminder of the complexities of your situation. As you sit in silence, lost in thought, you can’t help but wonder how long you can keep up the charade before the truth inevitably comes to light.

_____

The Saturday morning sun filters through the curtains as you make your way to Josh’s house. It’s early; the world is still waking up around you, but you’re filled with a sense of anticipation as you approach his doorstep. Each step brings you closer to the clandestine rendezvous you’ve been eagerly awaiting.

As you reach the familiar front door, you pause for a moment, taking a deep breath to steady your nerves. You can’t help but feel a flutter of excitement in your stomach, knowing that soon you’ll be wrapped in Josh’s arms, lost in the warmth of his presence.

With a steadying exhale, you reach out to knock, the sound echoing through the quiet morning air. Moments later, the door swings open, revealing Josh’s face, his eyes lighting up with a smile as he greets you.

His brown hair is tousled in a charmingly dishevelled way, and your breath catches in your throat. His stubble beard, meticulously groomed, frames his jawline perfectly, adding an air of ruggedness to his otherwise refined appearance. But it’s his piercing blue eyes, shining brightly with warmth and affection, that never fail to leave you spellbound.

Every time you lay eyes on him, it’s as if you’re struck by lightning, your heart skipping a beat at the sight of his undeniable handsomeness. His presence alone has a way of electrifying your senses, leaving you breathless and longing for more.

Dressed in a soft white shirt that hugs his toned arms and contours deliciously over his soft middle, Josh exudes an effortless allure. Paired with grey sweatpants and bare feet, he exudes a casual charm that only serves to enhance his appeal.

As you take in the sight of him standing before you, radiant and inviting, you can’t help but feel a surge of desire coursing through your veins. There’s an undeniable magnetism to him, a pull that draws you in closer with each passing moment.

“Hey,” he says softly, his voice tinged with warmth. “I’m glad you’re here.”

A rush of relief floods through you at his words, dispelling any lingering doubts or anxieties. You return his smile, a sense of comfort settling over you in his presence.

“Me too,” you reply, your voice barely above a whisper. “I’ve been looking forward to this.”

Without another word, Josh steps aside, inviting you into his home with a gentle gesture. As you cross the threshold, you can’t help but feel a sense of familiarity wash over you, as if you belong here with him.

As soon as the door clicks shut behind you, Josh wastes no time closing the distance between you, his arms enveloping you in a warm, reassuring embrace. The world around you fades into insignificance as he pulls you close, his touch sending shivers down your spine.

With a gentle yet firm grasp, he tilts your chin upwards, his blue eyes locking onto yours with an intensity that leaves you breathless. And then, without a word, his lips meet yours in a kiss that ignites a firestorm of emotion within you.

His kiss is tender yet passionate, a symphony of longing and desire that pulses between you with every beat of your heart. The softness of his lips against yours sends a wave of electricity coursing through your body, igniting every nerve ending with a spark of anticipation.

As you melt into his embrace, you feel a sense of completeness wash over you, as if every piece of your being has found its rightful place in his arms. The world falls away, leaving only the two of you suspended in a moment of pure, unadulterated bliss.

Time seems to stand still as you lose yourself in the sensation of his lips moving against yours, each kiss deepening the connection between you.

In that fleeting moment, nothing else matters except the overwhelming feelings that consume you. And as you bask in the warmth of his embrace, you know that this is where you belong  -  in his arms.

As you break from the hug, Josh leads you into his living room, the soft glow of the morning light bathing the room in a warm, inviting ambience. 

Both of you sit down on the cushions, and he pulls you close, sighing softly and content. As you steal a glance at him, you feel your heart flutter, and you know that this is the moment you need to talk about your feelings. 

There’s no easy way to broach the subject, no simple words to convey the complexities of your emotions.

“Josh,” you begin, your voice barely above a whisper, “there’s something I need to talk to you about.”

He turns to you, his blue eyes reflecting concern as he reaches out to gently squeeze your hand. “Of course, sweetheart. What’s on your mind?”

You take a deep breath, steeling yourself for the vulnerability of your confession. “It’s about us,” you say, the words tumbling forth hesitantly, and you see his brow furrow. “About where we stand, what we mean to each other.”

Josh listens intently, his expression a mix of understanding and apprehension - and fear. “Go on,” he urges softly, his voice trembling.

“It’s just...,” you begin, your voice faltering as you grapple with the weight of your emotions. “I care about you, Josh, more than I can put into words. But there are so many obstacles in our way.”

You pause, struggling to find the right words to convey the myriad of concerns swirling in your mind. “The age difference, the fact that you’re my friend’s dad... It’s all so complicated.”

Josh nods in understanding, his gaze softening with empathy. “I know,” he says gently, and as he continues, his voice gets quieter with every word until he is whispering. “Believe me, I’ve thought about all of that too. But none of it changes how I feel about you.”

His words wash over you like a soothing balm, offering a glimmer of hope amidst the uncertainty. “I want something permanent with you,” you admit, your voice tinged with vulnerability. “Something real and lasting.”

A flicker of emotion crosses Josh’s features, his expression a mixture of tenderness and determination. “And so do I,” he replies, his voice unwavering. 

“I want us to be in a proper relationship,” he continues, his words carrying a weight that fills the room. “I want you to be my girlfriend.”

The air seems to crackle with electricity as his declaration sinks in, and for a moment, you’re rendered speechless. His words echo in your mind, sending ripples of emotion cascading through your soul.

A soft smile tugs at the corners of your lips as you meet his gaze, your heart overflowing with warmth and affection. “I’d like that,” you say softly, your voice filled with a quiet certainty. “I’d like to be your girlfriend.”

The words feel right, settling into place like pieces of a puzzle finally coming together. In that moment, you know with absolute clarity that this is where you’re meant to be  -  in Josh’s arms, as his partner, his confidante, his love.

His face lights up with a radiant smile, his eyes alight with joy as he reaches out to take your hand in his. “Thank you,” he whispers, his voice filled with sincerity. “You mean everything to me.”

As the weight of Josh’s words hangs in the air, a charged silence settles between you, filled with anticipation and longing. In that moment, without a word, he closes the gap between you, his lips meeting yours in a tender yet passionate kiss.

Time seems to stand still as the world fades away, leaving only the sensation of his touch, the warmth of his embrace. His kiss is like a symphony, each movement a melody that resonates deep within your soul.

In that fleeting moment, as you melt into each other��s embrace, you’re lost in a whirlwind of sensation, every nerve ending alight with the electricity of his touch. It’s a kiss that speaks volumes, a silent declaration of the love and desire that binds you together.

And as you pull away, breathless and flushed with emotion, and Josh’s brilliant blue eyes lock with yours, a surge of electricity courses through your veins, igniting a firestorm of desire within you. Without a word, he leans in once more, his lips capturing yours in a kiss that is both urgent and tender.

His hand cups your face with a gentle yet possessive touch, his fingers tracing the contours of your cheek as if committing every detail to memory. In that moment, there’s no room for doubt or hesitation, only the raw intensity of the connection between you.

The world falls away as you lose yourself in the sensation of his lips moving against yours, each kiss igniting a spark of longing and passion that burns brighter with each passing moment. It’s a dance of desire, a symphony of sensation that leaves you breathless and intoxicated with need.

_____

As the weekend unfolds in a whirlwind of love and laughter, you find yourself swept up in the magic of the moments shared with Josh. Each glance, each tender touch, serves as a poignant reminder of the deep connection you share, a connection that transcends the obstacles looming on the horizon.

Despite the challenges that lie ahead  -  the age difference and the complexities of your relationship with Dalton and Chris  -  you can’t help but revel in the joy of what you and Josh have found together. 

But even amidst the euphoria of your budding romance, there’s a shadow that lingers in the recesses of your mind  -  the inevitable day when you’ll have to face the truth to confront the consequences of your choices. The thought of telling Chris and especially Dalton fills you with dread, like a Damocles sword hanging over your head, threatening to shatter the fragile peace you’ve found.

Yet, in the quiet moments shared with Josh, you find solace and strength, knowing that you’re not alone in this journey. He shares your fears and your doubts, but he’s also unwavering in his commitment to fight for what you have.

And so, hand in hand, heart in heart, you face the uncertainty of the future together, knowing that whatever challenges may come your way, you’ll confront them head-on, united in your love and determination.

As the sun sets on the blissful weekend spent in Josh’s company, a bittersweet sensation settles in the air. The time has come to bid farewell, though neither of you is quite ready to part ways.

Standing at the threshold of Josh’s front door, you exchange lingering gazes, each reluctant to break the spell of the moment. The weight of impending separation hangs heavy in the air, a silent reminder of the inevitable reality awaiting you both.

With a heavy heart, you muster the courage to speak, your voice soft but determined. “I wish this weekend didn’t have to end,” you confess, your words tinged with a hint of longing. 

Josh nods in agreement, his gaze filled with a mixture of sadness and affection. “I know,” he replies softly, reaching out to take your hand in his. “But we’ll see each other again soon, I promise.”

The warmth of his touch sends a shiver down your spine, a reassuring reminder of the bond you share. “Do you want to meet up next week?” you ask tentatively, hoping to prolong the precious moments spent together.

A shadow of hesitation crosses Josh’s features, his brow furrowing with concern. “I’d love to, but I have the kids next weekend,” he explains, his voice tinged with regret. “It’s going to be a bit chaotic.”

Your heart sinks at the realisation that your time together will be limited, but you refuse to let disappointment overshadow the moment. “That’s okay,” you say, forcing a smile despite the twinge of sadness in your chest. “We’ll find a way to make it work, even if it’s just for a little while.”

A flicker of determination crosses Josh’s features as he meets your gaze, his eyes sparkling with resolve. “How about you come over during the week?” he suggests, a hint of excitement in his voice. “We could grab dinner or just spend some time together.”

A surge of warmth washes over you at his suggestion, the prospect of seeing him again filling you with renewed hope. “I’d like that,” you reply, a genuine smile gracing your lips. “I’d like that a lot.”

His hands gently cup your face, his touch sending a wave of warmth cascading through your body.

With a soft, reassuring touch, he smooths his hands over your cheeks, his fingers tracing the contours of your face with a gentleness that speaks volumes of his affection. The sensation is electric, sending shivers down your spine and igniting a spark of desire deep within.

With a gentle yet firm grasp, he angles your head upwards, his touch guiding you with instinctual ease. His eyes, a brilliant shade of blue, meet yours with a tenderness that steals your breath away, holding you captive in a moment of unspoken connection.

And then, without a word, his lips find yours in a kiss that is both tender and passionate, a testament to the depth of the emotions that bind you together. It’s a kiss filled with longing and promise, a silent vow to cherish each moment shared between you.

In that fleeting moment, as you melt into his embrace, you’re consumed by a whirlwind of sensation  -  the softness of his lips against yours, the warmth of his touch, the overwhelming surge of emotion that threatens to swallow you whole.

“See you next week, sweetheart,” Josh breathes, his voice laced with longing and affection as you reluctantly part from his embrace.

A bittersweet smile graces your lips at his words, the endearment wrapping around your heart like a comforting embrace. “Until next week,” you reply softly, your voice echoing with the same longing that fills his.

With one last lingering glance, you tear yourself away from Josh’s warmth, a pang of reluctance tugging at your heartstrings as you step out into the cool evening air.

The weight of impending separation hangs heavy in the air as you make your way back to your dorm at university, each step a reluctant retreat from the haven of Josh’s presence. The memory of his touch lingers on your skin, a lingering reminder of the love and connection you share.

_____

The familiar aroma of coffee envelops you as you and Dalton settle into your favourite spot at the café, the gentle hum of conversation providing a soothing backdrop to your afternoon. With steaming cups cradled in your hands, you both take a moment to savour the rich, comforting warmth of the brew.

“So, something strange happened the other day,” Dalton begins, his voice breaking through the tranquil ambience of the café. You glance up, the corners of your mouth quirking into a smile as you listen to him speak.

“What’s up?” you ask, curiosity piqued by the hint of intrigue in his tone.

Dalton shifts in his seat, a thoughtful expression crossing his features. “My brother was over at Dad’s place on Monday,” he explains, his brow furrowing slightly as he recalls the memory. “And he said he saw some women’s clothes in his house and so on.”

Your heart skips a beat at his words, a surge of apprehension coursing through your veins. You try to maintain your composure, but the thud of your heart against your chest betrays the unease gnawing at your insides.

“Oh, really?” you reply, your voice carefully neutral despite the turmoil churning within you. “That’s... interesting.”

Dalton nods, his expression troubled. “Yeah, it is,” he agrees, his gaze fixed on the tabletop as if lost in thought. “I don’t know, it just seems weird, you know? I always thought maybe my parents would try again, but... I don’t know.”

His words hang heavy in the air between you, a palpable sense of unease settling over the table. You can sense the conflict brewing within Dalton, the uncertainty of the situation weighing heavily on his mind.

“What do you think about it?” he asks, finally lifting his gaze to meet yours. There’s a vulnerability in his eyes, a silent plea for reassurance amidst the storm of emotions swirling within him.

You take a moment to gather your thoughts, choosing your words carefully before responding. “I can understand why you’d feel that way,” you say softly, reaching out to place a comforting hand on his arm. “It’s natural to hope for your parents to reconcile, especially after everything they’ve been through.”

Dalton nods, his expression thoughtful as he processes your words. “Yeah, I guess so,” he murmurs, his voice tinged with uncertainty. “But still, it’s just... weird, you know? I never expected Dad to have a girlfriend.”

You offer him a sympathetic smile, knowing that there are no easy answers to be found in situations like these. “It’s okay to feel that way,” you assure him, your voice gentle yet firm. “But at the end of the day, your dad deserves to be happy, just like anyone else.”

Dalton sighs, a hint of resignation in his expression as he nods in agreement. “Yeah, I guess you’re right,” he concedes, though you can still sense the lingering unease in his demeanour.

As you sit together in the quiet of the café, the weight of Dalton’s revelation hanging heavy in the air, you can’t help but feel a sense of foreboding creeping over you. The fear of him discovering the truth about you and his father gnaws at the edges of your consciousness, a dark shadow looming on the horizon.

But for now, all you can do is offer Dalton your support and understanding, hoping against hope that he won’t uncover the secret you’ve been desperately trying to keep hidden. And so, with a heavy heart and a silent prayer for guidance, you continue to navigate the delicate balance between truth and secrecy, unsure of what the future may hold.

Dalton fidgets with his coffee cup, his gaze fixed on the table as if lost in thought. Finally, after what feels like an eternity of silence, he lifts his head to meet your gaze, his expression tentative yet determined.

“Um…I…There is something else I have been meaning to ask…” he begins, his voice hesitant as he struggles to find the right words. “I was wondering if... maybe you’d want to go out with me sometime?”

His question catches you off guard, a rush of emotions flooding through you at his unexpected proposal. For a moment, you’re at a loss for words, the weight of his request hanging heavy in the air between you.

But as you gather your thoughts, you realise that you can’t accept his invitation, not when you’re already seeing his father. The thought of hurting him further fills you with guilt, but you know that you have to be honest with him.

“I... Dalton, I appreciate the offer,” you say gently, your voice tinged with regret. “But I don’t think that would be a good idea.”

His brow furrows in confusion, hurt flickering in his eyes as he struggles to process your response. “Why not?” he asks, his voice barely above a whisper.

You hesitate, unsure of how much to reveal. “It’s just... complicated,” you begin, choosing your words carefully. “I’m already seeing someone.”

Dalton’s expression darkens, a shadow of disappointment crossing his features as he absorbs your words. “Oh,” he murmurs, his voice barely audible over the din of the café. “I didn’t realise...”

You reach out to place a comforting hand on his arm, offering him a sympathetic smile. “I’m sorry, Dalton,” you say softly. “I should have been clearer from the beginning. You’re a great guy, but... I just don’t have those kinds of feelings for you.”

His hurt is palpable, a tangible presence in the space between you. You can see the pain etched in the lines of his face the vulnerability in his eyes as he struggles to come to terms with your rejection.

“I understand,” he replies, his voice thick with emotion. “I just... I thought maybe...”

You can hear the hurt and confusion in his voice, and it breaks your heart to see him like this. You wish there were something you could say or do to ease his pain, but you know that some wounds run deeper than words can heal.

A furrow forms between his brows, his eyes reflecting a mix of hurt and confusion. “I... I thought you were interested too,” he admits, his voice barely above a whisper. “I mean, we spend so much time together, and... I don’t know, I just thought...”

His words trail off, leaving an uncomfortable silence in their wake. You can see the turmoil churning within him, the weight of your revelation sinking in with each passing moment.

“I’m sorry, Dalton,” you say softly. “I never meant to lead you on. I value our friendship, but... I guess I didn’t realise how you felt.”

He nods, his expression pained as he struggles to come to terms with your words. “It’s just... it’s confusing,” he admits, his voice tinged with frustration. “I mean, you never mentioned that you were seeing someone. Not to me or Chris.”

You shift uncomfortably in your seat, feeling the weight of his accusation bearing down on you. Guilt gnaws at your conscience, knowing that you’ve withheld the truth about your relationship with his father.

“It’s... it’s still pretty fresh,” you explain, your voice tinged with uncertainty. “I’m still just... figuring it out, I guess.”

Dalton’s brows knit together in confusion, his eyes searching yours for answers. “But...” he starts, a note of disbelief creeping into his voice. “Why didn’t you tell us?”

The guilt weighs heavily on your shoulders, a burden that threatens to suffocate you. “I... I don’t know,” you tell him, your voice barely above a whisper. “I guess I was just... keeping it private.”

Dalton’s expression remains puzzled, his confusion evident as he tries to make sense of your explanation. “So, who is it?” he presses, his tone tinged with curiosity. “Is it serious?”

You swallow hard, the weight of your deception pressing down on you like a lead weight. “Um... well, it’s someone I met recently,” you reply vaguely, your voice faltering as you struggle to find the right words. “And... yeah, it’s... it’s getting pretty serious.”

As the silence stretches between you, a heavy tension settles over the table, the weight of your deception hanging in the air. And when Dalton speaks again, his voice is tinged with a hint of sadness.

“I want to be happy for you, I really do,” he says softly, his eyes betraying a mix of hurt and resignation. “But I think I need some space to process all of this.”

Your heart sinks at his words, the realisation of the pain you’ve caused him hitting you like a punch to the gut. “I understand,” you reply, your voice barely above a whisper. “And I’m sorry, Dalton. I never meant to hurt you.”

He nods, though the hurt in his eyes remains. “I know,” he murmurs, his voice barely audible over the din of the café. “I just... I need some time to figure things out.”

Before you can respond, Dalton rises from his seat, his movements stiff and uncertain. And with one last lingering glance, he turns and walks away, leaving you alone with the weight of your deception and the echoes of his pain ringing in your ears.

As Dalton’s footsteps fade into the distance, leaving you alone, a heavy silence settles over the café. The air feels thick with tension, each breath you take weighted with the guilt of your secret.

As you sit there, staring into your now lukewarm coffee, your mind races with thoughts of Dalton’s reaction when he inevitably discovers the truth about your relationship. 

The realisation that Dalton harbours feelings for you catches you off guard, adding an unexpected layer of complexity to an already delicate situation.

You had always assumed Dalton viewed you as just a friend, never once considering that his feelings might run deeper. But now, with the truth laid bare, you can’t help but wonder how he will react when he learns that you are involved with his father.

The thought churns in your stomach, a knot of anxiety tightening with each passing moment. You hadn’t anticipated the depth of Dalton’s emotions nor the potential devastation his discovery could bring. The prospect of facing his hurt and anger fills you with a sense of dread, knowing that you will be the cause of his pain.

But even as you grapple with the implications of Dalton’s feelings, you know that you cannot hide the truth from him forever. Sooner or later, he will learn the truth, and you must be prepared to face the consequences of your actions.

You take a deep breath, trying to steady your nerves as you contemplate the difficult conversation that lies ahead. 

But for now, all you can do is wait, trapped in the limbo of uncertainty, and pray that somehow, someway, you will find a way to navigate the tangled web of emotions that threatens to tear you apart.

With a deep sigh, you find yourself grasping for the lifeline of your phone, the urge to seek solace in Josh’s arms overpowering. Fingers trembling slightly, you unlock the screen and navigate to Josh’s contact, your heart pounding with desperate urgency, and you text him.

Hey,

Can I come over? I really need to see you right now…

Please?

The words spill from your fingertips, a plea born of desperation and the overwhelming need for solace. 

Seconds stretch into eternity as you wait for a response, each passing moment feeling too long. Then, finally, a notification flashes across your screen, and you exhale a shaky breath as you read Josh’s reply.

Of course, you can come over. Is everything okay?

Relief floods through you at his words, a wave of gratitude washing away some of the anxiety that had threatened to drown you. 

Without hesitation, you gather your belongings, the need to see your boyfriend overpowering any lingering doubts or hesitations. 

With each step towards his house, the weight on your shoulders lifts slightly, replaced by a glimmer of hope that perhaps, in his embrace, you’ll find the strength to weather the storm raging within you.

Arriving at Josh’s doorstep, you knock eagerly, the sound echoing through the quiet evening air. The door swings open, revealing Josh’s familiar silhouette framed in the soft glow of the hallway light. Without a word, he pulls you into his arms, the warmth of his embrace enveloping you in a cocoon of comfort and security.

As you sink into his arms, the weight of your troubles begins to lift, replaced by the simple reassurance of being held by someone who cares. In that moment, as you bury your face in Josh’s chest, you know that you’re exactly where you need to be.

Then, as if sensing your need for a moment of connection, Josh pulls back ever so slightly, his hands gentle as he brushes a stray strand of hair from your face.

In that simple gesture, you feel a rush of gratitude and affection, a silent acknowledgement of the bond that exists between you. And before you can say a word, he leans forward, kissing your forehead softly.

The gesture sends a shiver down your spine, a tangible reminder of the depth of his care and concern for you. For a moment, you simply stand there, lost in the warmth of his touch and the softness of his lips against your skin.

With a wordless understanding, Josh steps back, his gaze lingering on you with a mix of tenderness and reassurance. He gestures for you to come inside, his silent invitation a promise of safety and comfort in the midst of the storm. With a grateful nod, you follow him into the warmth of his home.

As you settle into Josh’s living room, the weight of your troubles pressing heavily upon you, he takes a seat beside you. His blue eyes, usually so warm and inviting, now reflect a hint of concern. “So, what happened?” he asks gently, his voice a soft murmur that cuts through the silence.

“It’s about Dalton,” you continue, your words hesitant as you try to find the right way to explain. “Today, at the coffee shop... he...”

Josh’s brows furrow slightly, a flicker of concern crossing his features. “He what?” he asks, his voice barely above a whisper, his blue eyes searching your face for any signs of what happened that left you so distraught.

“He told me that he... has feelings for me,” you admit, the weight of the confession hanging heavy in the air between you. 

 His hand freezes mid-motion, his fingers tangled in his hair, his eyes widen in surprise, and his lips part slightly as he processes your words.

“I see,” he murmurs, his voice tinged with a mix of emotions you can’t quite decipher. He leans forward, his arms resting on the table, his muscles flexing slightly under the fabric of his shirt as he waits for you to continue.

You swallow hard, the weight of the conversation settling heavily on your shoulders. “I... I didn’t know how to respond,” you admit, your gaze dropping momentarily before meeting Josh’s again. “I care about him, of course, but not in the same way.”

You take a deep breath, feeling a knot form in your stomach as you gather the courage to speak your truth. “Josh,” you continue, your voice gaining strength, “I want you to know that I only want you.”

The room falls silent, the gravity of the conversation hanging heavy in the air. You watch Josh carefully, waiting for his response, the uncertainty gnawing at your insides.

His blue eyes meet yours, a mixture of surprise and uncertainty flickering within them. He leans back in his chair, running a hand through his hair once more, the tousled strands falling across his forehead in a way that makes your heart skip a beat.

His brow is furrowed slightly, and his lips are drawn into a thin line while the soft afternoon light filters through the window, casting a warm glow on his features and highlighting the gentle contours of his face.

For a long moment, he says nothing, his gaze fixed on some distant point beyond the walls of his living room. His eyes, a mesmerising shade of deep blue, reflect the turmoil of emotions swirling within him. His jaw clenches slightly, the muscles flexing beneath the surface as he grapples with his own thoughts and emotions. The silence stretches on, the tension between you growing more palpable by the second.

And then, finally, Josh’s eyes search yours, a hint of uncertainty clouding their usually bright blue depths. “Maybe... maybe someone like Dalton would be better for you,” he suggests quietly, his voice barely above a whisper.

The words hit you like a ton of bricks, a shockwave of disbelief rippling through your body. You stare at him, the weight of his words sinking in with a sickening finality as your heart aches at the thought of losing him.

“But Josh,” you protest, your voice trembling with emotion. “I don’t want someone like Dalton. I want you.”

He meets your gaze, his eyes filled with a sadness you can’t bear to see. “I know,” he murmurs, his voice heavy with regret. “But maybe... maybe I’m not what you need.”

The words hang in the air between you, a painful reminder of the chasm that lies between your desires and reality. You want to reach out to him, to plead with him to see things differently, but the weight of his resignation holds you back.

At that moment, you realise that no matter how much you want things to be different, you can’t force Josh to change his mind.

Tears prick at the corners of your eyes as you struggle to come to terms with the harsh reality of the situation. You had hoped that Josh would be the one to offer you solace in your time of need, but now, it seems that even he can’t fill the void that lies within you.

With a heavy heart, you rise from your seat, the weight of your sorrow pressing down on you like a physical burden. “I should go,” you say quietly, your voice barely above a whisper.

Josh nods, his expression filled with a sadness that mirrors your own. “I’m sorry,” he murmurs, his voice thick with emotion. “I wish things could be different.”

But as you turn to leave, a surge of frustration and anger rises within you. You refuse to accept defeat without a fight, not when he clearly wants you as much as you want him. You whirl around to face Josh, determination flashing in your eyes.

“No, Josh,” you say firmly, the intensity of your emotions rising. “I won’t accept that. I won’t settle for someone else when all I want is you.”

He looks away, his expression troubled as he grapples with his own thoughts. “I just don’t know if this is such a good idea,” he admits, his voice filled with uncertainty.

You reach across the table, taking his hand in yours, the warmth of his touch sending a shiver down your spine. “Josh, look at me,” you say firmly, your voice filled with conviction as you wait for him to meet your eyes before continuing. “From the moment I met you, I knew there was something special between us. I wanted you then, and I want you now.”

His eyes widen in surprise at your outburst, the weight of your words hanging heavy in the air between you. But you refuse to back down, the fire burning bright within you.

“I love you, Josh,” you declare, the words tumbling from your lips before you can stop them. “And I won’t let you push me away because you’re too afraid to face your own feelings.”

For a moment, the room is filled with a deafening silence, the tension crackling between you like electricity. And then, slowly but surely, Josh’s expression softens, his walls crumbling in the face of your unwavering resolve. He looks at you, his blue eyes searching yours for a moment before he finally speaks. 

“I... I love you too,” he admits, his voice barely above a whisper and filled with a tenderness that takes your breath away. “But I’m scared, sweetheart. I’m scared of what this could mean for us. Especially now that Dalton has feelings for you.”

You step forward, closing the distance between you until you’re standing mere inches apart. With a trembling hand, you reach out to cup his cheek, the warmth of his skin sending a shiver down your spine.

“We can face this together,” you say softly, your voice filled with hope.

His gaze softens, a glimmer of affection and determination dancing in his eyes as he draws nearer. “Yes, we will,” he murmurs, his voice a gentle reassurance amidst the storm of emotions.

With his vow echoing in your ears, you close the distance between you, pressing your lips to his in a tender, desperate kiss. The initial brush of your lips ignites a fierce passion between you, each touch sparking a wildfire of desire that threatens to consume you both.

His body responds to your touch, drawing you in closer as if unable to get enough of you.

As you both lose yourselves in the passionate embrace, his hands roam over your back, pulling you nearer with each caress. His touch sends electric currents coursing through your veins, drawing you closer with an irresistible magnetism.

When he pulls back slightly with a soft groan, his eyes flutter closed, his breaths coming in ragged gasps as he tries to steady himself. But the yearning between you is undeniable, pulling you back into each other’s arms with an irresistible force.

But before you can catch your breath, his lips find yours once again, reigniting the flames of passion that threaten to consume you both.

“I want you, Josh - only you,” you whisper breathlessly, the words a fervent declaration of your undying love and devotion.

His hands slide up your back, the warmth of his touch sending shivers down your spine as he pulls you even closer as if trying to erase the space between you. You can feel the fervour in his embrace, his body trembling slightly with the intensity of his desire, his lips seeking yours with a hunger that matches your own.

“I can’t imagine wanting anyone else either, sweetheart,” Josh murmurs against your lips, his voice laced with raw emotion. “The way you make me feel... it’s indescribable.”

His words wash over you like a comforting wave, enveloping you in a cocoon of love and longing. In this moment, there is no doubt, no hesitation, only the overwhelming certainty of your connection.

With each word he speaks, you feel your heart swell with love for him, aching to express the depth of your emotions in return. But words seem inadequate in the face of such overwhelming passion, so instead, you let your actions speak for you.

You deepen the kiss, pouring all of your love and desire into the tender caress of your lips against his. as you lose yourself in the intoxicating rhythm of his kisses.

Feeling a surge of emotion overwhelming you, you break the kiss, your heart pounding in your chest as you take a deep breath. 

With a shaky breath, you reach out, your fingers trailing lightly over his skin as you trace the contours of his jaw. His eyes never leave yours, a silent acknowledgement passing between you as you share this intimate moment.

With trembling hands, you slowly sink to your knees before him. The gravity of the moment washes over you like a tidal wave.

Looking up at him, your eyes meet his, a mixture of love, desire, and vulnerability reflected in their depths. There’s a raw intensity between you, a silent understanding of the depth of your connection and the magnitude of your feelings.

“Josh,” you whisper, your voice barely above a breath, filled with a mixture of reverence and longing. “I need you. I need us.”

You begin to trace delicate patterns over the fabric of his jeans, feeling the warmth of his skin beneath. Each touch sends a jolt of electricity coursing through you, igniting a fire that burns hot and fierce within your veins.

Josh watches you intently, his gaze locked on yours with an intensity that makes your heart race even faster. His breath hitches slightly as your fingers dance over his legs.

You can feel the tension building between you, a palpable energy that crackles in the air around you. It’s as if the world has faded away, leaving only the two of you in this moment of pure connection and desire.

With each caress, you feel yourself falling deeper and deeper under his spell, lost in the intoxicating whirlwind of sensation and emotion. There’s a hunger in his eyes, a silent plea for more, and you’re more than willing to oblige.

Your touch grows bolder, more urgent, as you trace the outline of his muscles, feeling the strength and power that lies beneath his clothes. His breath comes in short, ragged gasps, his chest rising and falling with each passing moment.

And as you continue to explore his body with your fingertips, you can’t help but marvel at the beauty and complexity of the man before you. He’s so much more than just a physical being  -  he’s a soul, a heart, a mind, all wrapped up in one irresistible package.

As Josh watches before him, his eyes widen with a mix of surprise and excitement. Without hesitation, you quickly reach for the waistband of his pants, your fingers deftly undoing the button and zipper. With a swift motion, you push his trousers and boxers down to his ankles, and he steps out of them gracefully. 

His erection springs free, thick and hard, glistening with anticipation, and you can’t help but lick your lips as you take in the sight. The dim light of the room dances across his skin, highlighting every curve and contour of his muscular frame.

His breath comes in short, ragged gasps, his chest rising and falling with anticipation. There’s a hunger in his eyes, a primal desire that mirrors your own. He reaches out to you, his hand trembling slightly as he cups your cheek, his touch sending shivers down your spine.

“You’re so beautiful,” he murmurs, his voice husky with desire. “I can’t believe you’re here with me, doing this.”

His words send a thrill coursing through you, igniting a fire that burns hot and fierce within your veins. You lean into his touch, your heart pounding in your chest as you feel the heat of his body radiating against your skin.

You reach out and wrap your hand around the base of his dick, causing his breath to hitch and his eyes to roll back in his head. He is hot and heavy in your hand, thick enough that you can’t close your fingers around him as you jerk him off slowly.

After a few pumps, you swirl your tongue over the head of his cock, coating him in your saliva and tasting his precum. Josh groans lowly in his chest as you tease him with your mouth.

The whole situation turns you on beyond belief, and you really like how responsive and loud he can be - it gives you the confidence to continue and take it even further.

So you open your mouth and take the tip inside, sucking lightly as your hand continues to stroke his length. 

As Josh’s hands find their way into your hair, gently gripping the strands, you feel a rush of electricity shoot through your body. His touch is both commanding and tender, his fingers threading through your hair with a delicate precision that sends shivers down your spine.

His breath comes in shallow gasps, his chest rising and falling with each ragged exhale. His eyes flutter shut, lashes brushing against his cheeks as he succumbs to the pleasure radiating from your touch.

“Christ, sweetheart,” he murmurs, his voice rough and strained with desire. “You know how to drive me crazy. Keep doing that, please…”

His words send a thrill coursing through you, igniting a fire that burns hot and fierce within your veins. You continue to take him deeper into your mouth, relishing in the way he responds to your touch, his body trembling with anticipation.

As his fingers tighten in your hair, you feel a surge of desire and unconsciously clench your things.

The sensation of your warm mouth enveloping further causes his breath to hitch in his throat as he gasps in ecstasy.

His moans grow louder, echoing off the walls of the room as the sensation threatens to overwhelm him. “Sweetheart, that feels incredible,” he groans, his voice husky with desire.

When you run your fingernails over his balls while pleasuring him with your mouth, he bucks his hips, causing his cock to be pushed down your throat.

You gag from the sudden intrusion and instantly feel tears pooling in your eyes. 

Josh keeps his dick deep inside your mouth until he realises you’re gagging on him. His grip on your hair slackens, and his eyes widen with concern as he pulls back slightly, watching you carefully. 

“Sorry, sweetheart. I didn’t mean to push it that far,” Josh’s voice is filled with genuine concern, his eyes searching yours for any sign of discomfort.

But before he can say anything more, the words tumble from your lips without a second thought. “Fuck, do it again,” you gasp, your voice hoarse with desire as you struggle to catch your breath.

His face contorts into a mix of surprise and excitement, his eyes widening in disbelief at your bold request. But he won’t hesitate for your pleasure. With renewed determination, he gently pushes his cock back into your throat.

You gag again, but this time you’re more prepared for his dick, so it’s easier to take it. His fingers tangle in your hair, a firm grip that sends a thrill down your spine as he takes control of the situation.

Looking up at him, you’re struck by the sight before you. His mouth is slightly parted, lips glistening with anticipation as his tongue occasionally darts out to moisten them. His brows knit together in concentration, a display of the focused desire that burns within him. 

Beads of sweat adorn his forehead, catching the light and casting a soft sheen over his features. His blue eyes, usually so warm and inviting, now smoulder with a fiery intensity that ignites a passionate flame within you.

As he guides your movements with a gentle yet firm hand, you feel a rush of excitement course through your veins. Each touch, each stroke, sends waves of pleasure crashing over you, building the anticipation to dizzying heights. 

In the heat of the moment, you find yourself lost in his gaze, captivated by the raw hunger that burns within him. His touch is electric, sending sparks dancing across your skin as he guides his cock deeper into your throat. 

Saliva pools around his dick and drips over your chin and onto the floor as you gag lightly with each thrust. 

Josh’s hips pick up pace as he continues to fuck your mouth, driving himself closer to climax. And as you surrender to the passion that courses through you, you know that this moment will be etched into your memory forever.

His breath is ragged, his chest rising and falling with each laboured breath as he pulls out of your mouth, his dick coated with your spit. 

Almost greedily, you take a few deep breaths to fill your lungs with air again properly as you try to steady yourself after the intensity of the moment.

Worldlessly he steps closer to you, his hard cock still glistening with your saliva and his precum, framed by his shirt that sits clings tight to his defined frame, accentuating his toned arms and soft middle.

Bending down, he presses his lips against yours, his tongue eagerly seeking entrance as he pulls you up to stand. The kiss is electrifying, sending a jolt of pleasure coursing through your veins as you lose yourself in the sensation of his touch.

With a primal need driving him, Josh breaks the kiss, his lips parting from yours as he slowly removes his shirt. As the fabric slips off his shoulders, it reveals the expanse of his chest, every muscle rippling beneath smooth skin. He tosses the shirt aside without a second thought, his gaze never leaving yours.

You follow suit, fingers fumbling with the buttons of your own shirt until it falls away, leaving you bare before him.

There’s a moment of hesitation, a fleeting pause as you drink in the sight of each other, the raw desire reflected in your eyes.  The sight of him, shirtless and exposed, sends a shiver down your spine. 

Appreciatively, you let your eyes wander over his defined, muscular arms - the play of light and shadow accentuates the contours of his muscles, creating a mesmerising display of power and grace.

As your eyes roam over his torso, your gaze is drawn to the dusting of brown and grey chest hair that adorns it. Each strand seems to catch the light, creating a subtle shimmer that adds to his allure. 

You trace the trail of hair with your eyes, following it as it leads over the softness of his middle, which is a gentle curve that speaks of warmth and comfort. It’s a stark contrast to the chiselled lines of his arms, yet somehow, it only adds to his allure. 

His skin is warm to the touch, and you can feel the heat radiating off him as he moves closer to you.

His gaze roams hungrily over your exposed skin, tracing the curve of your waist, the swell of your breasts, and the line of your collarbone. 

Without a word, you step closer, closing the distance between you until you’re standing mere inches apart. His hand finds its way to the small of your back, pulling you into his form until your bodies are pressed together, skin against skin, heart against heart.

His touch is electric, sending shivers of pleasure coursing through your veins as you lose yourself in the sensation of him. The fire that burns within you is fuelled by him. 

“I’m going to fuck you hard, sweetheart,” he growls, low and primal deep in Josh’s chest, sending a shiver down your spine as you feel the intensity of his desire wash over you. It’s a sound that speaks volumes, letting you know exactly what he plans to do with you in the moments to come.

His eyes, dark with passion, lock onto yours with a hunger that sets your heart racing. There’s an unmistakable longing in his gaze, a fierce desire that leaves no room for doubt about his intentions.

He lifts your legs up, resting them on his shoulders as he positions himself at your cunt.

You moan loudly when the tip of his hard, thick cock parts your slick pussy, entering you without resistance. The stretch of his dick sends shivers down your spine as he continues to push it slowly into you.

This is the first time he takes you without proper preparation - normally, he would eat you out or at least finger you before, but you can’t bring yourself to really care. 

Not when he feels so good, so right, and so big inside you.

Josh’s intense blue eyes remain fixed on you, unwavering as they drink in your every reaction. It’s as though he’s trying to memorise every detail of your face, committing the moment to memory as he loses himself in the depths of you.

You mewl when he bottoms out deep in your cunt, filling you completely. 

“You feel so good, Josh,” you whisper breathlessly, your chest heaving with desire. “Please, move.”

Your words hang in the air, thick with longing and anticipation, as you await his response. Josh’s gaze darkens with desire, his lips parting slightly.

With a low growl of approval, he shifts his weight, his movements deliberate and controlled as he begins to move against you, his hips setting a steady, deep rhythm. The sensation of his body moving with yours sends shockwaves of pleasure coursing through you.

As he moves, his hands roam over your body, leaving a trail of heat in their wake. You gasp at the sensation of his touch, your senses overwhelmed by the intensity of the moment.

With each movement, the pleasure builds, the tension between you reaching a fever pitch as you both give in to the undeniable chemistry that burns between you. At this moment, there is nothing else in the world, but the two of you lost in a sea of desire and passion.

And as you cling to each other, consumed by the heat of the moment, you know that this is just the beginning of a night that promises to be filled with ecstasy and bliss.

“That’s it, sweetheart,” he says, his voice hoarse with desire. “Take it.”

His words send a shiver down your spine, igniting a fire deep within you as you move together in perfect harmony. Every touch and every movement is electric, sending waves of pleasure crashing over you with each passing moment.

“God, you’re so hot,” he groans, his eyes locked on your heaving chest. His words only fuel the flames of passion between you, driving you both to new heights of ecstasy. 

His thrusts become more forceful, each one driving deeper into your pussy. The smell of your sweat mingles with the slick sounds of our skin slapping against each other.

He slowly lowers his head, taking one of your nipples into his mouth and sucking hard, igniting every nerve ending it touches with a searing intensity. You arch your back, a moan escaping from your lips as he teases the sensitive nub with his tongue.

His lips follow, leaving a trail of hot, open-mouthed kisses in their wake, each one leaving you gasping for breath.

“You’re so damn responsive for me,” he murmurs against your skin, his voice husky with desire. His hands roam freely over your body, tracing the curves and contours with a possessive urgency that sends a thrill down your spine as he moves to capture the other nipple between his teeth gently.

“Only for you, just you,” you mewl, your voice barely a whisper as you surrender to the overwhelming pleasure washing over you.

“That’s right, sweetheart,” he grunts out, his words punctuated by the soft sounds of his lips trailing lower, his breath hot against your skin. 

His hands grip your thighs tightly as he drills into you, his cock hitting all the right spots inside you.

You feel like he electrifies you, setting every nerve ending ablaze with a tantalizing intensity. With each caress, each whispered word, each deep thrust, he ignites a fire deep within you, stoking the flames of desire until they burn with an almost unbearable intensity. 

You feel yourself teetering on the edge, the pleasure building with each passing moment until you’re on the brink of losing yourself entirely to the intoxicating sensation he evokes within you, your cunt clenching around him.

“That’s it, sweetheart,” his voice is rough with desire as he encourages you, each word sending a jolt of electricity through your body as he pushes deeper and faster into you. 

His chest rises and falls with each ragged breath, the exertion of pleasure etched across his features as sweat beads on his forehead glistening in the dim light.

“Nobody fucks me like you do. Nobody pleases me like you do,” you stammer, your words a mixture of moans and gasps, “You feel so good, Josh.”

“You belong to me,” he growls possessively, his voice thick with desire and dominance, his hips slamming against yours as he takes you roughly. The headboard of the sofa thuds against the wall with each powerful thrust.

His eyes, darkened with desire, lock onto yours, his gaze filled with intensity as he thrusts deeper into you. He dominates you with a primal energy, his every touch igniting a fire within you. As the pleasure builds, you feel yourself getting closer to climax, the intensity of the moment overwhelming yet exhilarating.

Your breath comes in ragged gasps as you feel the tension building within you, reaching a fever pitch. “I’m so close,” you whimper, the desperation evident in your voice.

His own breath comes in ragged gasps as he urges you on, his voice a deep growl of desire. “Let it all go, sweetheart,” he encourages, his hands gripping your hips as his hips thrust rapidly into you and his thumb finding your clit to rub rough circles. “I want to feel you come apart in my arms.”

With his encouragement ringing in your ears, you give yourself over to the overwhelming pleasure that courses through your body. Every nerve ending is alight with sensation as you tumble over the edge, waves of ecstasy crashing over you in relentless waves.

He watches you with hunger in his eyes, his own release imminent as he follows you into oblivion. “That’s it, sweetheart,” he groans, his voice strained with the effort of holding back his own climax. “Let me feel you.”

With one final, desperate cry, you shatter into a million pieces, the intensity of your orgasm washing over you like a tidal wave as his name falls from your lips over and over. And as you collapse against him, spent and sated, his fingers dig into your hips for better control as he drives into you one last time.

He releases himself into you, his body shuddering with the force of his orgasm. His hot seed pumps into you, filling every inch of your tight cunt as he loses control completely.

“Oh fuck,” he breathes heavily, still buried deep inside you. You feel your pussy clenching and throbbing, pulsating with the aftermath of your orgasm, milking his aching dick. 

With your bodies still intertwined, he holds you close, unwilling to let go of the intimate connection you’ve just shared. His chest rises and falls in sync with your own, the rhythm of his breath gradually steadying as the euphoria of your shared passion begins to ebb. His cock remains inside you, refusing to let go of the warmth that is your pussy.

“I’ve never felt anything like this before,” he pants, his voice husky with emotion as he continues to hold onto your hips as his dick twitches inside you, slowly softening. “You’re incredible, sweetheart.”

Your heart swells with affection at his words, the warmth of his embrace enveloping you in a sense of security and belonging. “You’re incredible, Josh,” you whisper, your voice barely above a murmur as you nestle closer to him.

“I love hearing that,” he whispers, his breath hot against your skin as he slowly withdraws from you. 

His cock slides out with a wet pop sound, leaving behind a trail of their mixed juices on your thighs. His gaze lingers on you, filled with a mixture of adoration and desire, as his chest rises and falls rapidly.

“Damn, sweetheart,” he says, his voice thick with desire, his eyes tracing the curves of your body with unabashed admiration. He reaches down, his fingers brushing against your wet and well-fucked cunt, and a soft moan escapes his lips as he feels the warmth of your juices mingled with his own.

His lips find yours in a tender kiss, a silent testament to the depth of his affection.

As you break apart, Josh’s blue eyes sparkle with a mixture of adoration and gratitude, the soft light of the room reflecting off their depths like a shimmering pool. His skin is dewy with sweat, a sheen of moisture glistening on his smooth complexion as he leans in to kiss you once more.

His muscles flex beneath the surface of his skin, the sinewy lines of his arms defined and sculpted from years of hard work and dedication. You run your fingers lightly over his torso, tracing the contours of his body with a sense of wonder and appreciation. 

Josh’s hair is sweaty and tousled, strands of brown falling haphazardly across his forehead as he leans in to kiss you again. His breath is warm against your skin, his touch gentle yet possessive as he pulls you closer, deepening the kiss with a sense of urgency and desire, enveloping you in a cocoon of warmth and protection.

His stubbled jaw clenches with a mixture of desire and restraint, his breath coming in ragged gasps as he struggles to contain the intensity of his emotions.

As you lose yourself in the moment, the sound of footsteps echoing through the house brings you back to reality with a jolt. Panic courses through you as you scramble to dress, the urgency of the situation pressing in on you like a suffocating weight.

Josh moves quickly, reaching for his shorts and tossing you his shirt as you both try to cover yourselves before the inevitable confrontation. 

But it’s too late. Before you can even process what’s happening, the door swings open, revealing Dalton standing in the doorway, his expression a mask of shock and betrayal.

Your heart sinks as you meet his gaze, the guilt of being caught washing over you like a tidal wave. Shame burns hot in your cheeks as you shrink back, trying to make yourself as small as possible in the face of Dalton’s accusing glare.

“Wha- What the hell is this?” Dalton stammers, his voice filled with disbelief as he takes in the scene before him.

But Josh steps in front of you, his protective instincts kicking in as he shields you from Dalton’s wrath. His jaw is set with determination, his blue eyes blazing with a fierce intensity as he meets Dalton’s gaze head-on.

“Dalton,” he says firmly, his voice tinged with warning. 

But Dalton’s eyes are filled with hurt and betrayal as he looks between the two of you, the pieces of the puzzle falling into place in his mind. His anger is palpable as he takes in the sight before him, his fists clenched at his sides as he struggles to contain his emotions.

“I can’t believe this,” he says bitterly, his voice trembling with emotion. “I confessed my feelings to you, and this is what you do? Fucking my father?”

The accusation hangs heavy in the air between you, casting a shadow over the fragile happiness you had shared just moments before. His words cut deep, a stark reminder of the tangled web of emotions and secrets that now threatens to unravel before you.

Josh’s jaw tightens, his eyes flashing with a mixture of frustration and regret as he struggles to find the right words. “Dalton, I... I never meant to hurt you,” he begins, his voice heavy with remorse. “I know this is difficult to understand, but...”

But Dalton’s fury is unrelenting, his eyes blazing with a fire that threatens to consume everything in its path. “Difficult to understand? You’re sleeping with my friend, Dad.” he retorts, his voice laced with bitterness. “She could be your daughter!”

The accusation cuts deep, slicing through the fragile facade of peace and happiness that you had clung to just moments before. Shame washes over you in waves, threatening to drown you in its suffocating embrace as you struggle to find the words to defend yourself.

You feel a pang of guilt at the hurt in Dalton’s eyes, knowing that you are the cause of his pain. But before you can offer an explanation, he turns to you, his gaze filled with betrayal. “And you,” he says, his voice trembling with emotion. “I thought I could trust you. I thought you cared about me.”

Tears prickle at the corners of your eyes, the weight of Dalton’s accusation crushing you beneath its weight. “Dalton, I...” you begin, your voice faltering as you search for the right words. But the damage has already been done, the rift between you widening with each passing moment.

But Dalton shakes his head, his eyes clouded with anger and confusion. “I don’t want to hear it,” he says bitterly, his voice barely above a whisper.

But before you can speak again, Josh reaches out, his hand finding yours in a gesture of comfort and support. Instantly, you feel a sense of reassurance wash over you, the warmth of his touch offering solace in the midst of chaos.

Dalton recoils at the sight, his face contorted with disgust at the intimate gesture. “I can’t believe you would do this to me, Dad. And you,” he adds, turning his gaze to you, “you should be ashamed of yourself.”

With that, he turns and storms out of the room, leaving you and Josh alone in the wake of his departure. The silence that follows is deafening, a stark reminder of the pain and heartache that now fills the space between you.

Josh squeezes your hand gently, his eyes filled with sorrow and regret. “I’m sorry,” he says quietly, his voice thick with emotion. “I never wanted things to end up like this.”

You nod as your heart is heavy with guilt and uncertainty. “I know,” you reply softly, your voice barely above a whisper. “But we have to find a way to fix this. For Dalton’s sake and for ours.”

Josh nods in agreement, his expression filled with determination. “I’ll talk to him,” he says firmly, his eyes meeting yours with unwavering resolve. “I’ll make him understand.”

A sense of hope stirs within you. The road ahead may be difficult, but with Josh by your side, you know that together, you can overcome any obstacle that stands in your way.

[avastrasposts]

When's the last time you lived?

A short little one-shot (2.6k) with sweet Marcus PIke for @pedgito @chaotic-mystery and @amanitacowboy and their Summer Loving writing challenge! Thank you for putting this all together!

I was given a quote, a location and Marcus Pike to write for, plus this lovely mood board as inspiration. No warnings needed, this is all fluff!

You really couldn’t say you were enjoying yourself. Leaning against a wall at the back of the stuffy gallery, you sipped the sour red wine and let your bored eyes drift across the crowd. All of your friend’s new boyfriend’s acquaintances, mingling with dry canapes and faces molded into interesting looks as they competed with each other for the wittiest line about the artwork lining the walls. 

Little did you, or anyone else, know how interesting the evening would turn out in the end. All you knew was that the dark haired guy who kept circling the room, making polite small talk and eyeing the art, was as cute as he was sexy. He was the only thing keeping you from making a bad excuse and dipping out. He kept glancing over at you, catching your eye, and you’d exchanged quick smiles. 

When the front door suddenly swung open and four armed police officers marched in, the party froze. With widening eyes you watched as the cute dark haired guy stepped up to the gallery owner, right in the middle of schmoozing a client, and flashed an FBI badge. Within a few minutes the party was broken up, the owner in cuffs being led away and a team of FBI agents swarmed in and started packing up the artwork. You found yourself ushered out onto the street with the rest of the guests, but as you turned to leave, one of the agents held out his hand. 

“Miss, you’ve been asked to stay just a few minutes, Agent Pike has some questions for you.” 

“F-for me? I don’t know anything?” you stammered, following the agent to the side as the other guests hurried away, throwing questioning glances back at you.  

“Thank you, York, I’ve got it from here,” a second male voice said, putting his hand on his colleague's shoulder. The cute dark haired man smiled down at you as the other agent walked away with a brisk nod. 

“I don’t know anything about all this, I was just here with a friend, her boyfriend-” 

“No, no, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean for you to think you’re a suspect,” he said, shaking his head with an apologetic look, “I just wanted a chance to come over and say hello before you left. I couldn’t interrupt the raid.” He gave you another warm smile and held out his hand, “Hello, I’m Marcus.” 

You huffed a small laugh of relief as you took his hand and gave him your name, “I’m glad, getting arrested by the FBI is not on my bucket list.” 

That’s how you’d met Marcus Pike, FBI agent, foodie, art nerd and all around great guy. Not to mention an incredible lover and pretty damn near perfect at dating. He did move kind of fast, eager to please and to make sure you always knew what he felt about you. It was endearing but unusual, but once he opened up about a particularly bad relationship in his past you understood him more. He needed reassurance that you were both on the same page, and when you told him you needed to move a bit slower, he understood and backed off a little bit. You dated, had fun, and kept it at that for now. No need to rush. 

This evening he’d invited you to the opening of a new exhibition at the National Gallery of Art. He’d been out of town a few days for work, and you’d felt a little jolt of excitement when you’d spotted him in the crowded foyer. He was scanning the crowd for you but hadn’t seen you yet, so while you crossed the room you took in his tall, broad form. The gray, soft looking, sweater stretched across his shoulders as he pushed a stray strand of his hair off his forehead and scratched absentmindedly at his scruffy beard. The beard was a recent addition, he’d been clean shaven when you met, but he’d let it grow out for a job. He’d complained that his beard never filled in, but you loved the look on him, and how it felt when he kissed you. So he’d kept it, making sure to tickle you with it when he trailed kisses over your neck, laughing when you squealed and squirmed under him. 

As you got closer he saw you approach, and he moved through the crowd with a warm smile. His hand cupped your cheek as you met, and he bent his head to press a soft, lingering kiss to your lips. 

“Hey,” he murmured against your mouth, “I missed you, honey.” 

“Missed you too, Marcus,” you smiled against his lips as you felt his other arm curl around your waist, pulling you into his chest, “How was your trip?” 

“Boring but successful, we got hold of the evidence we needed,” he said, still close to your mouth, letting you trail your fingers across his cheek while he smiled, holding your gaze until you had to kiss him again. 

“I should’ve planned a date at my place instead of in public,” he chuckled, pulling away slightly as you became aware of the crowd milling around you. His hand slipped from your waist and took your hand instead as he gave your cheek a final caress.

“Should we go see what the fuss is about?” he asked, holding up two tickets for the exhibition and you nodded. 

“Let’s see if it was worth giving up the couch for.” 

You ambled together through the exhibition, and it was definitely worth it, as Marcus no doubt had known it would be. He’d visited the van Gogh museum in Amsterdam a few years earlier and hadn’t wanted to miss this exhibition, the biggest one of his works in the US. You weren’t familiar with van Gogh apart from the sunflowers. But as Marcus walked you through the exhibition, reading the signs and asking what you thought about different aspects of the paintings you hadn’t even considered, you began to see that there was a lot more to van Gogh than cheap posters of sunflowers and a man who’d cut his ear off. 

You stopped in front of one of the last works of the exhibition and felt yourself be sucked into the image. The small sign said it was called ‘Wheat field under Thunderclouds’ and the petroleum blue clouds gathering on the horizon, threatening to envelope the sunlit wheat fields captured your imagination. Marcus stopped just behind you, his warm palm on the small of your back, as you took in the atmosphere in the painting. It felt melancholy, the end of summer, the end of warm days, a looming disaster in the distance, rolling in to destroy the wheat fields just as they were ripening. 

“What are you thinking?” Marcus asked in a low voice, he seemed to sense that the painting had stirred something in you. 

“The painting makes me sad, it looks like the end of a warm day, the storm clouds are so ominous,” you said, pointing to how they had rolled up right to the edge of the frame. 

“He painted it just a week before his death, along with several other pieces on the same subject,” Marcus said, “It maybe be a bit on the nose, but I always thought of the clouds as his own looming troubles, maybe he was feeling happy when he painted them, but he knew darkness would roll over him again.” 

“Knowing that makes the painting even sadder,” you said, looking at the dark clouds again, “But I really love the painting anyway. That one and the one he did for his nephew,” you pointed over towards a bright painting of flowering almond branches against a blue sky. 

“That’s one of my favorites too,” Marcus said, “and The Starry Night.” 

He took your hand as you walked slowly towards the exit, “I have a surprise,” he smiled, “I’ve arranged something special for us. Wait for me in the gift shop and I’ll go make sure everything is set up, give me five minutes.” 

“Come here first,” you said, not letting go of his hand as he tried to walk away. He turned back with a grin and came willingly as you pulled him down for a kiss. 

“You’re the best boyfriend, you know that right?” you told him and he chuckled, ducking his head for another kiss. 

“I try my best,” he replied with a wink. 

He gave you a quick smile as he left the gift shop, leaving you to browse a ridiculous assortment of pens, mugs, water bottles, umbrellas, trays, key chains, t-shirt and phone covers adorned with artwork. A book on van Gogh’s work caught your attention and you were flipping through it when Marcus came back. 

“All ready for your surprise, if you’ll accompany me,” he said, holding out his arm for you with a big smile, and you put your hand on his soft sweater and let him guide you out of the shop. He led you away from the crowds, further into the museum, where the lights were dim. 

“I found this little nook, hidden away,” he said, taking another turn, leading you into a gallery filled with marble statues, “And I thought it might be a nice place away from the crowds.” 

“And we can be back here?” you asked, looking at the very empty rooms you were passing through. The rest of the museum was closed for the night, it was only the van Gogh exhibition that had been available to celebrate its opening night. 

“Yeah, sure, I’m FBI,” he grinned, “I’ve got my badge with me just in case.” 

“Marcus,” you say, almost stopping dead in your tracks, “are you sure this is ok?” 

“It’s fine, honey,” he smiled, “When was the last time you lived, huh? Let’s bend the rules a little,” Marcus winked again and tugged you with him, and you felt a reckless giggle bubble up as he led you further into the statues gallery. 

“I’m pleading innocence if we get caught,” you laughed and Marcus smiled, turning a final corner. 

“Here, my lady, dinner is served.” 

“Oh, Marcus!” you gasped at the scene he’d set up. Right at the end of the room, surrounded by elegant Roman statues, was one of the museum’s benches. But now it was covered by a white tablecloth and on it was laid out a picnic, if you could even call it that. The bench was laid with plates and cutlery, two wine glasses and a bottle, together with candlesticks and a single red rose in a vase. Several take out boxes sat between the plates and you could smell something delicious. 

“How did you even do all this?” you asked as he led you to the “table” and made you sit down. 

“Easy,” Marcus grinned, “I brought it from home and put the bag in one of the lockers, then I ordered the food while we were in the exhibition and it arrived right on time.” 

“I’m so impressed,” you said, holding up your glass to let him fill it with wine, “you’ve outdone yourself.” 

“I hope not,” he laughed, “I need to come up with something really great for when I p-” He bit his lip and stopped short as his cheeks turned scarlet, “Sorry, forget I said anything.” 

“The dreaded p-word,” you said, smiling to make him less uncomfortable, “It’s not as scary now as it was six months ago. You’re making the prospect of it less intimidating.” 

Marcus’s face softened into a look of relief, smiling as he took your hand, “And you’re making it easier to just enjoy our relationship right now, thank you for showing me how to slow down.” 

The kiss he pressed to your lips lingered, the food forgotten for the moment, until leaning over the bench became too uncomfortable and you pulled a part. Marcus looked down at the take out boxes and picked one up. 

“Let’s eat before it gets cold, it’s from my favorite Greek places, I hope you like it.” 

“You haven’t given me bad food once, Marcus,” you said, accepting a helping a some spinach dish, “I just wish I could repay you, but since you don’t share my fondness for microwave meals, you’ll just have to keep picking restaurants.” 

“Actually, I was thinking,” Marcus said as he served himself and you sniffed one of the side dishes with feta cheese, “I wanna get better at cooking, maybe we could do one of those cooking classes together? And then we could cook together sometimes, what do you think?” 

“That’s a nice idea, I could do with some cooking classes,” you replied, “Did I tell you I actually set fire to the curtains in my first apartment? I put the toaster too close to them on the window sill and then I burnt the toast and the whole thing went up in flames.” 

Marcus looked at you with wide eyes, “Seriously? Were you ok? Did you get burnt?” 

“No, I was fine, my roommate knew where we had the fire extinguisher so she put it out and then the fire department showed up and made sure it hadn’t spread,” you chuckled at the memory and Marcus shook his head. 

“Lucky, and maybe I should handle the toast the next time we’re at my place.”   

“Marcus, you don’t even own a toaster,” you laughed, “between the two of us, we own one coffee machine and two microwaves.” 

“And a popcorn machine, don’t forget the popcorn machine,” Marcus replied, his warm brown eyes smiling at you as he reached out and swiped a crumb from your bottom lip with a soft touch. 

“It does make excellent popcorn,” you mused, watching him turn his attention back to the eggplant dish on his plate. 

Marcus was a foodie, you’d found out on your very first date when he’d planned a three restaurant “pub crawl” that ended up being four when you told him about your favorite gelateria. You’d agreed to share the ice cream since you’d had dessert at the third restaurant. That plan fell through the second Marcus tasted their cherry gelato, you’d both spent the better part of half an hour tasting all the flavors until he’d settled on cherry and hazelnut chocolate and you’d gone for stracciatella and lemon. Strolling through the warm evening, you’d eaten your gelato while Marcus asked if you’d like to go on a second date with him to a food truck festival and from then on, food had been the theme. 

When all the food had been eaten and the evidence of your secret picnic had disappeared into Marcus’s bag, he took your hand and brought you to the middle of the room. The lights were dim, the statues surrounding you cast in shadows, and it could’ve been creepy, if it wasn’t for Marcus’s presence. He put his phone down on one of the benches and low music filled the room, a slow instrumental piece, and held out his hand in an unmistakable gesture of inviting you to dance. With a smile you took his hand and stepped into his arms as he began to move you both in a slow twirl. You put your head against his shoulder as he led you in time with the music, his warm scent and steady heartbeat lulling you into a comfortable silence. His hand gently caressed your back, holding you close to him and you could feel his breath ghost over your cheek as he bent his head and pressed a soft kiss to your skin. 

“I love you,” he whispered, his voice low in the dark room. A simple statement, no grand gesture, no fanfare or lengthy speech, just an uncomplicated affirmation that filled your heart. 

“I love you too.” 

[translatemunson]

thought of calling you, but you won’t pick up • ttfd

chapter four of the tortured firefighters department

previous chapter | masterlist | next chapter

cw: fem!reader, afab!reader, no descriptions of reader, banter (because i love it), reader is a math and science nerd, chris is here, mentions of food, hints of mental issues, proofread by my bye-lingual ass (let me know if i forgot anything)

You checked your phone again. Last night, Eddie texted that Carla would be joining you and Chris on your small field trip because he forgot he had booked her for the day. You never met the lady, but you were sure it was gonna be fine. With an extra adult ticket in your pocket, you waited.

Fifteen minutes and no sign of them. Maybe you should text Eddie and get Carla’s number? She was probably stuck in traffic, but that information would ease your worries — and you could help her avoid the even worse routes the apps were giving these days. At this pace, you’d wear off the soles of your white Nike Dunk and pull every single thread of your maroon sweater.

You were about to text Eddie when you saw the black Jeep Wrangler parking not a few spots down to your left. No fucking way, you thought as you marched into its direction.

“Let’s go, Chris, we’re gonna be late!” Buck helped the kid out of the car and picked up a small paper bag before closing the door.

“Hey, Chris! Are you excited?” You hugged him and kept your hands on his shoulder, finally looking at the one person you’ve been successfully avoiding. “Thanks for dropping him off, Buckley. Is Carla joining us later?”

“Actually, I’m on babysitting duty today.” He extended you the paper bag. “Peace offering?”

“What is this?”

“The reason why we were late.” He insisted you accept the bag. “C’mon, aren’t you curious?”

“He said you’d like it,” Chris added. 

You accepted the gift, peaking it before opening the bag and finding one of your favorite cupcakes from your favorite bakery. The one from the incident that set the whole “we could be friends” situation on fire.

“Can we call it a truce for today?” It was implied, but he was definitely saying this for Chris’ sake.

“Ok, just today. But this doesn’t make things magically disappear, Buckley.”

“Why do you call him Buckley?” Chris asked you, his head tilted in your direction. “I call him Buck!”

“She’s mad at me, little guy.” He took a step closer to you two, probably testing the waters. “Did you get the tickets?”

“Who do you think I am? But give me one second, I can’t enter the museum with food.”

“Take your time. Wanna see if we can get to the museum before Brains, Chris?” And off they went.

You were almost sure Eddie planned this out. Leaving you to babysit his son and his annoying friend, who everyone under the 118 roof knew you were avoiding. One hundred percent intentional, right? And of course he would be late because he drove all the way to Santa Monica to buy your favorite cupcake — someone gave him a tip.

You started to feel a bit sad for ignoring his calls and texts all week long. But you pushed it away while you ate the cupcake and watched the boys walking to the entrance. With your clean hand, you gave Buck the tickets and told them to go ahead and go all the way back after the main hall: it was smart to take advantage of the morning weather on the Nature Gardens outside and explore all the fossils and animals later on. 

You were just a few steps behind when you caught up with them in the outdoor gardens. As a newcomer to this whole Chris’ babysitter duty job, you left to Buck to finish the small walk around the main paths. It was a good opportunity to text Eddie and say that, even though you offered to take Chris to the Museum, you were only assigned to take care of one kid, not two. In his best single-father in the middle of a shift style, he texted you a ‘thumbs up’ back. Oh he was so hearing about it later.

The Natural History Museum in Los Angeles was definitely packed with exhibitions that could keep a child and adults entertained. You’d been there once, as soon as you moved to LA, almost a year ago now, and the featured exhibitions were different back then, but still a pretty good curating work after all.

However, the moment Chris saw the Dinosaur Hall and the Dino Lab, you knew it was over for any other exhibitions. And could you blame him? The dinos were pretty badass and Chris was a very curious kid, so he kept asking you all the questions you could’ve imagined — and a few more you weren’t prepared for. You acted like his own private tour guide, proud of spending some time researching and studying about dinosaurs the last few days.

You almost missed all the attention Buck was giving to you while you talked. To be honest, you couldn’t tell who was more focused on you: the kid or the annoying adult.

After all that talking, you for sure were starting to feel a little tired and overwhelmed. Even with short breaks for some water, you still felt like you needed a reset. You signaled to Buck that you’re going to the restroom for a second, he kept reading Chris the charts about butterflies and insects.

You washed your hands and used some of the water on your neck, trying to calm yourself down. How did you go from wanting Buckley’s head on a plate to babysitting with him? Life was fast and unpredictable by the Pacific shore. One lady entered the restroom and stopped by the sink to your right, trying to get rid of the chocolate and ketchup in her hands. You saw her a few minutes ago, when you stopped to grab some water.

“Can I just say you are an adorable couple? And your son is so sweet.” Her tone was sweet and definitely meant well. But she was so wrong about everything.

“Oh, he’s not our kid,” you rushed to explain the situation. “We’re just babysitting for a friend while he’s working.”

“Well, just like my grandparents told me once: sometimes you’ll have a taste of what your life could be with a special person at the moment you least expected.”

You smiled at her through the mirrors. “Did they give you any advice on how to know if it’s the right one?”

“No, but you look like someone who knows how to find that answer.” She threw the paper towels away. “Sorry for being so cryptic. Have fun!”

She left before you could even thank her for… well, the advice. Not that you asked for it, but it did show up in a nice time. Or maybe not. You weren’t sure. Did that truce mean you could let yourself feel everything you were repressing for the past few weeks? Not just regarding Evan Buckley and his lack of manners, but about everything in your life.

After all the dinosaurs and lectures about natural history, you decided to wrap up and move on to the next stop on your list. Buckley helped Chris get down the entry steps and you took the directions back to the parking lot close to the museum.

“Thanks for your services, Buckley. You can just,” you motioned your head to his car. “Ok, Chris. What do you wanna do now?” You opened your Uber app to get a ride to the next destination.

“Not necessary.” Buckley took the phone out of your hands and stored it into his jacket pocket. “I’m also the designated driver for the day.”

“What happened to you getting out of my hair?” You crossed your arms over your chest.

“I thought we were in this together.” He gave you the classic — and a little bit sassy — Buckley smile. He paid for the parking. “C’mon, Chris, we have places to go.”

The three of you walked to his car, but you were still not convinced. It was your idea to babysit Chris for the day, all your plans were picked towards your goal: having a nice and chill day with him. You didn’t need Evan Buckley and all his golden retriever energy to disturb your perfect equation.

While you were hating on him, he made sure Chris was comfortable and safe on the back seat. 

“Why are you ruining my plans?” You didn’t move from the driver’s door. Maybe, if you were warned beforehand you’d had to deal with him, you'd grow some patience. But not today, not this fast.

“I’m not. Still your plans with Chris. Tell me where to go next, I’ll drive us.”

“Give me my phone back.”

“Are you letting me be your driver today?” He leaned against the car.

“What choice do I have, Evan?” You rolled your eyes.

“Hey, I’ve told you I’m sorry.” You stepped aside, finally letting him grab the door handle. “Also, none of my friends call me Evan, by the way.”

“And since when am I your friend?”

“Since now. Hurry up, he’s gonna grow impatient and snap at us.”

“He would never do that.”

“Wanna test your theory, future doctor?”

“Not at all.”

He closed the door. You went around the vehicle, still pissed at him for taking your phone from you. You jumped into the car and checked Chris.

“Ok, are we hungry already or can we check out this cool place before that?”

“Pancakes!” Chris shouted from his seat. “Please?”

“Sure! Ok, let me just,” you instinctively reached out for your phone, but it was still being held hostage by Buck. “Phone, please.”

“Here,” he handed it to you, an aux cable attached to it. “Put the address in the GPS, and please play something kid friendly, ok?”

“Excuse me? What do you think I listen to while I’m driving to work?”

“With that sassy attitude of yours? I expect the worst.”

Just to prove him wrong, as soon as you entered the address on the GPS, you blasted one of your personal favorites. “I stay out too late, got nothing in my brain. That's what people say, mm-mm,” you sang.

“That's what people say, mm-mm,” and Chris, in the back seat, joined you.

You were definitely getting under Buck’s skin. The fact that you picked a song Chris knew the words too left him in disadvantage because you were sure he wanted the taste of saying “Told you so” as soon as he proved his point. But he should’ve known better than to provoke you.

“And the haters gonna hate, hate, hate. Baby, I’m just gonna shake, shake, shake. I shake it off!” You sang it right by Buck’s ear, dodging his hand because he was trying to get you out of his hair. Well, how does it feel now, Evan?

Your queue was really impressive: it looked like you were up-to-date with what the younger generation was listening to — not that you didn’t enjoy the same songs occasionally, but you never kept your options too narrow. There was just one scary moment where you thought you added an explicit song, but you deleted it in time. 

Buck was too busy following the GPS directions. You were stuck with him for the rest of the day, which was a nightmare by itself, and kinda stuck into the endless LA traffic. Chris didn’t notice the animosity between you because you both toned it down — for him, only for one day. Most of it sounded like some friendly banter.

Under the upbeat pop song you were playing, you could hear him singing another tune, barely familiar, but still unrecognizable.

“What’s that?”

“Oh, nothing.” He made a left turn, but kept on singing it. “If you could see it… been here all along… how could you not know baby.”

Without a warning, you typed the name of the song in your library and gave it priority in your queue. His fingers started tapping in the beat, and he started following the lyrics, saying the right words this time.

“If you could see that I'm the one who understands you, been here all along. So, why can't you see? You belong with me,” you two sang along together. But you really kept your poker face because you couldn’t give him any reasons to be even more annoying.

“Looks like we’ve arrived,” he announced, breaking the spell of one song.

Buck pointed to the restaurant you found a few months ago. It was located south of Santa Monica, a few blocks from the beach, but with the rooftop seats, you could definitely say you were eating by the beach. You parked not far from the entry, and you rushed upstairs to get one of those special tables, telling Buck to help Chris because you didn’t want to ruin the surprise.

On the very edge of the roof, your favorite table awaited you: closer to the corner, with a huge light blue umbrella over your head, the four seat table had the perfect view and vibes. You pulled a chair for your bag and greeted the waiter. She didn’t get why you were in a rush until she saw Chris on Buck’s back.

“Could you just pick a place with an elevator next time?”

“I thought you were the muscles, Buckley. Hey, Chris, let me help you.” You held him tight, removing him from Buck’s embrace and putting him on the floor. “I had to make sure we had the perfect table.”

Three stores of stairs, in a rush, were justified once you got to see the smile on Chris’ face. You could catch your breath later.

+++

Chris ate way too many pancakes. You’d have to do a lot of explaining to Eddie, but hey, if the kid was happy, how could that be a problem?

You had to cancel the last plan of the day — a trip to another museum — and settle down at an arcade close to the restaurant before ending your babysitting duty. Just buying you enough time to Eddie leave the firehouse and be home. So you were watching Buck and Chris playing some games while you tried to schedule some study breaks between classes and shifts.

“What’s wrong?” Buck sat down to your right. Chris was just in your sight, in case he needed more coins or any help.

“Nothing.” You turned off your phone screen, ignoring your packed schedule.

“It doesn’t look like nothing.” He gave you a little smudge on the shoulder. “C’mon, Brains, talk to me.”

“I’m just a bit tired, it’s fine.”

“You know, you can go home now, I’ll take him to Eddie’s. You look like you need a good night of sleep.”

“To be honest, I can’t go back home now because I’d feel guilty. My brain is all mushy,” you pointed to your head, “and I wouldn’t be able to study or relax. I would rather stay here, where my mind is focused on something else.”

“I know what you mean,” he leaned his body back, his eyes staring something beyond what you could see. “I support you distracting yourself, but this won’t go away just because you’re ignoring it, you know? Are you sure you’re ok?”

Being ok was a concept you weren’t sure about the past few days. You wanted to be ok, to look ok to everyone around you, but it was hard. You were just faking until you made it. The PhD program was starting to wear you off, and even though you loved it, the thoughts of giving up were taking every single inch of your notes and books.

But what would be your excuse to leave it unfinished when numbers, probabilities and hours of understanding the impossible things were half of your life at this point?

“Did I hit my head or something? Do you have a fever? Why are you being nice to me?” You swiftly tried to change subjects.

“We’re on a truce, remember?”

“Maybe we could be on good terms again,” you suggested. “I mean, if you ever eat my cupcakes again, Bobby will need to hire a new firefighter.”

“So we’re good?”

“We’re good.” Your screen lit up with a notification. “Eddie is gonna be stuck with an emergency, but Carla is on her way to the house. Should we just go?”

“Yeah, sure. I’ll go get him and then we drop him off.”

“Great.”

Chris black out as soon as Buck started the drive back to the Diaz house. The radio volume was low, and the orange and pink tones of the sunset were being replaced by the dark blue of the night. You found it hard to keep your eyes open for too long, and only noticed you took a nap when Chris was calling for your name, wanting to say goodbye before going inside.

“Thank you for today, Brains!” He hugged you, and it made everything worth it. “Can we do this again soon?”

“We’re gonna chase all the dinosaurs in LA, I promise.” You gave him one last huge and walked back to the car, watching Carla and Buck talking by the front door.

And there you were, back in the car with Evan Buckley. If he wanted to make a comment about how he was right, he let it slide. You connected your phone and entered the address to your house on the GPS. He took your phone from your hands, declaring “Now that everyone in this car is over 18, we can play the good stuff.”

“Are you sure you are old enough? Give me that back, Evan!”

“Hey! I’m driving. And you challenged me. I’m gonna show you what I usually blast in my car.”

You expected anything from Evan Buckley, even the worst genre of music, but nothing prepared you for when you listened to the introduction of ‘You Give Love A Bad Name’ blasting through the speakers.

The playlist had completely changed and moved away from what you played when Chris was in the car. Bruce Springsteen, The Beatles, even a little of Led Zeppelin, just to enjoy some classics you never thought Buck appreciated. But he was more than just a firefighter with a sassy attitude, some wrongs and lots of muscle.

You look around, panicking a little when you notice you’re entering your building’s garage. You were definitely expecting to be dropped off at the front of the building. What the hell was going on?

“What… How did you get the access?”

“So, funny story. Maddie told you about the place, right?” He turned his head to check your reaction. “Well, I was the one that mentioned that a unit was available when I was complaining about my ex neighbor… So yeah, we are neighbors.”

“You’re annoying, you know that, right?”

“I thought Maddie told you.”

Well, she almost did, but she was interrupted by your neighbor himself that night. Shit.

“For how long did you know this?” You pointed to the garage and between you two.

“For a few weeks, when I saw your car after the cupcake incident.”

“I pledge the fifth.” You disconnected your phone from his car. Well, it would only get awkward if you walked to your apartment in complete silence, so you asked, “Wait, so you were texting and calling me from across the hall? You’re unbelievable.”

“What? If I knock on your door, you’ve got a restraining order against me.”

You left the car at the same time, and walked to the elevators.

“I bet I could convince Sergeant Grant to arrest you.”

“You’d make her dreams come true.”

Same elevator, same floor. You took opposite directions: his place was to the left, yours to the right, on the corners of the building, just one unit between you. You waved him goodbye and entered your home. To your right, your kitchen and dinner table. The glass doors to your balcony were opened — your mistake when you left in a hurry that morning — and it felt more like home than you expected.

Under the stairs, your notes and books were scattered. Sundays were for studying and writing the thesis. Your gray couch held the books you were searching the other day, too busy to put them back in the high and long bookshelves you had on the wall. Your television was the least used electronic in the place.

You walked upstairs and threw yourself in the bed. Maybe you should’ve picked up his calls before, but now it wasn’t a problem anymore.

author's note: are we watching the beginning of their friendship? I THINK SO! yes, i love a slow burn, but i swear it's gonna be worth it, ok? hope you're enjoying this series as much as i am. also: i published a blurb, so check the series masterlist bc i kinda loved it, not gonna lie. ALSO, my lovely friend, casey, made a playlist for the series. just check the masterlist! see yall next week!

[sorrelpaws]

what are your personal favorite hcs for morty? (coming from another guy who is prime morty irl) and this could be any morty ^___^ or even hcs for how c137 and pmorty interact and just stuff about them/their dynamic since i really really enjoy how you depict them i feel like you’re one of the few that really Get the way they act around each other yknow. if that makes sense. you are just very epic like that /gen

ANOONNN this is such a cute ask SRYY its taken me a gazillion years to answer this its cuz a lot of my hcs/ the way i interpret rick and mortys dynamic is like. its hard to explain i sort of just get visions of dialogue and scenarios in my mind. BUTTT!!! ive managed to clean up the sludge a little . a huge hc i have for pmorty is that he has a lot of tiny miscellaneous scars because as he gets older he sort of wants to feign independence a little and act like he doesnt want/need rick's help. could also be a form of reclamation, "here's me exhibiting bodily autonomy" and all that. i love drawing him with a little eyebrow scar, its one of the more prominent ones i think um. For Reasons I Will Not Disclose but that i imagine are incredibly apparent either way. But an "canon" explanation for it is that he gets it sometime during the entire rickshank rickdemption fiasco, specifically pre-showdown. since this episode reallyyyyy tests mortys loyalty to rick, i think it'd be kind of fun to have his faith in him be punished with something so tiny but so permanent.

i've mentioned this before but i really think the best parallel to draw for rick and mortys day to day dynamic is high school guys who say they're best friends but dont even know each others favorite colors. like they just spend a lot of time hanging out and doing things together, but emotionally there's very little conscious substance, if that makes sense ???!! in the sense that they dont turn to each other if they need actual comfort, they just sort of bottle it up and cry about it behind the corner.

their whole dynamic is jumpstarted by rick needing someone by his side. he's just an old man who's desperate for company, and so he intentionally isolates morty from his peer, which in turn makes morty very reliant on rick, but rick really doesn't want to or know how to meet the emotional quota he deprives morty of. IF THAT MAKES SENSE. rick wants a loyal dog but doesn't want to put in the effort to earn its trust and respect. this kiindd of changes in newer seasons, with rick being less reliant on morty and instead opting for therapy and Friends in the same mental and physical age group as him, but it seemingly pretends rick's actions in earlier seasons have no consequences, and that morty is in no way affected by being robbed of a social life, which is ugh. whatever. i guess.

they're forever super clingy though. they're each others favorite person, even if they maybe kind of hate each other. rick is very emotionally stunted due to years of unprocessed trauma, and morty is hopelessly devoted to someone who gives him a semblance of positive attention.

[i-am-vita]

Modern AU Headcanons

Mihawk x Oc Ghost Rose x Bogard

👉 My Masterlist

Based on my first OPLA Hot Older Guys Headcanons that inspired all my Oc Ghost Rose fics. My mind works in mysterious ways and now I have a full cozy mystery plot for the Mihawk x Ghost Rose x Bogard Modern AU. I have no idea if I will ever write this monstruosity, but at least it'll remain here for posterity.

Ghost Rose is an artist who returns to her hometown to take care of her niece after her family dies in an accident. There, she reunites with two men she was once in love with.

Bogard was her teenage sweetheart, whom she ended things with because he was willing to give up an excellent opportunity in the Marine to stay with her. Meanwhile, she had the chance to study at an Arts University. She didn't want to give up her dream or have him give up his for her, no matter how much she loved him. She wanted both of them to have a better future.

Mihawk she met just a few months before at an art exhibition in the city. He was captivated by one of her paintings and by her. They had a short, but intense romance. She was happy with her life in the city, though she was already considering returning to her hometown with her family. He had recently acquired some vineyards and would be moving soon. They knew each other too little for him to ask her to leave everything and go with him. So, they said goodbye, believing they wouldn't see each other again.

Upon arriving in town, Ghost Rose discovers Bogard is an Instructor at the local Marine Academy, and Mihawk is the new owner of the vineyards on the outskirts of town. Both are still in love with her and are determined to win her over.

Meanwhile, a few weeks before she arrived, the body of one of the vineyard employees was found with obvious signs of strangulation. Now, a cleaning employee at the Academy also turns up dead under unclear circumstances.

Niece decides to investigate the cases on her own while making friends in the town who also help her with her investigation, including Helmeppo, Bogard’s student, and Zoro, Mihawk's adopted son. They were the ones who found the second body while doing community service for getting into a fight in a bar.

Also, there was a mysterious businessman from the neighboring city interested in acquiring the vineyard lands to build a luxury spa, but Mihawk beat him to it and wants to preserve the land instead of destroying it.

Meanwhile, the Butler of her niece's best friend, Kaya, is viewed suspiciously by Ghost Rose. She met him briefly years ago; he tried to court her, but she found out he was a violent man and rejected him. Now she's wary of him, but has no evidence against him. In reality, deep down, he's a reformed man who is happy with his current job and life.

Ghost Rose's best friend, Shanks, owns a bar, and although they had a brief affair during some summers when she visited her hometown, they are now just good friends. He likes both men who are in love with her, and enjoys teasing them by calling her by affectionate names. He also likes to orchestrate events where Bogard and Mihawk coincide in their attempts to woo her.

A circus is visiting the town (Cirque du Soleil style) during the time the murders began. Ghost Rose knows them from a time they had a show at the city she used to live. She's friends with one of the circus's stars and the circus owner, Buggy (it-was-just-one-time!!!).

At first, the circus is viewed suspiciously by the authorities because of the coincidence of being there when the murders started, but then one of the acrobats is found dead. Although it is later discovered that it's unrelated to the other murders, but rather an internal drama. Two workers were in love with the main star, and one killed the other out of jealousy.

Still, Ghost Rose notices Buggy is still scared of something. Her friend at the circus confides to her that, to up his circus act, Buggy borrowed money from some business man from the city and it's been paying him back. He was scared that the death of one of his employees was a threat.

Days later, Mr. Merry is found dead in an alley near Kaya's house. The butler, Klahadore, is a suspect because they were seen arguing and is taken into custody to be interrogated.

Kaya stays the next few days at Ghost Rose and Niece home. Kaya doesn't want to believe Klahadore did it, so the girls bring the boys to help with their investigation and if it could be related to the other suspicious deaths.

Later, it's revealed that the death of the Academy janitor was an accident.

The kids find through some secret security cameras from Kaya's house that Klahadore was indeed at home all night, he fell asleep in the kitchen, and couldn't have been the killer. Later, the police find through some street cameras a mysterious burly man running to a car parked in an adjacent street from Kaya’s house that drove away out of town, but there is no clear description of what he looks like.

The investigation of the vineyard employee's death remains open, but Mihawk suspects it was a threat from that businessman from the city, and he worries it could endanger his beloved and Bogard who, despite their rivalry for Ghost Rose's love, has also become a friend. Especially after receiving a package of photos of the three of them, together and separately, walking around the town. Inside, a little key chain with a fluffy pink feather.

Inside his top, Buggy shivers while passing photos of his staff walking various cities they have been to, but most choking, of himself going to the city to pay his debts. After the last one, there’s some odd paper glasses, the likes for watching 3D movies at the cinema, pink in color and with a curious sharp shape.

At the city, the owner of the most exclusive casino contemplates a threatening package filled with photos of himself from years ago, when he was dedicated to more dubious business, his wife and kids, and oddly from that business rival that beat him to buy those vineyards and the clown who owes him money. All wrapped in an obnoxious pink paper adorned with flamingos.

.

.

.

[ayelbee]

MORE THAN LOVE | K. MBAPPÉ | 2

previous chapter | next chapter

Summary: Sometimes even love is not enough for relationships. But it's fine because you are over it. But getting again in a contact with his younger brother wasn't smart.

TW: shitty english grammer, poor writing skills and few swear words

Notes: Hey, firstly i want to thank all of you for the activity on my previous post, i didn't expect that! It means the world to me, so thank you very much <3 ! Also if you want to be added to the tag list let me know. And lastly, i know that today's part isn't really entertaining but i promise that the next chapter will be better.

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You loved fridays, not just because you knew that weekend was ahead, but also because on friday nights new exhibitions were opening. This friday was the opening of the exhibition that you were working on since October, the author of the paintings herself was attending to it which made everything even more special. You were so excited.

It was a week after Ethan's birthday and in a meantime, you both decided that the two of you will meet tomorrow for your movie marathon. That was also the reason why you spent the whole yesterday cleaning your apartment and why you also spent three hours grocery shopping so you could have all the snacks you both love so much.

Now you were just getting ready for the opening. You weren't able to decide if you should wear a long-sleeved dress or wide-leg jeans with a backless top and a blazer over it. You were more into the dress, but your best friend on the other hand was begging you to choose your second option.

"Y/n if you are going to go with that dress no one will pay attention to those paintings there." she laughed, you could also hear a door opening in the background.

"You are ridiculous." if you two weren't face timing each other you would probably poke her in the shoulder for not really helping you.

"Look, even Lukas thinks that you should go with the jeans, right Lukas?" now you saw her boyfriend's face on your screen who was almost aggressively nodding his head. In the end, you decided to stick with their option as you started to grow more nervous about running out of time.

"Okay, thank you, guys. See you next week." you waved your hand to say goodbye and then just hung up.

You finished your look with a purse and nice pair of heels, catching a quick glance into the mirror before rushing from your flat to catch the cab that was already waiting for you outside of your apartment building. In the cab you noticed a notification from Ethan on your phone, he was asking for your address so his mum could drop him off at your place tomorrow. You answered with your address attached.

------------

"You really did a good job with this." your colleague Maria told you as you were both looking at the painting in front of you.

"Thank you, but all I was doing was really listening to the painter herself and how she feels about her paintings and how she thinks that they should be displayed." you shot her a smile as she rubbed your back.

"Oh Y/n if I could be humble as you are." she laughed and you joined her. It was almost midnight, most people were already gone just a few people stayed. You were getting more and more tired and Maria noticed that. "You should go home, you already left here your body and soul." she smiled at you.

"You are probably right, I will just go to say goodbye to the rest." you hugged her as she said goodbye too.

"And Y/n," she called as you were getting more distant from her. You turned your head her direction as she continued "don't forget to be proud on yourself." you shot her one last smile before heading to the last group of people.

------------

The cold air was hugging your body as you were waiting for your cab, but you didn't care, because you were happy. Happy about yourself, happy about tonight, and happy about the fact that six months ago you never thought that you will be able to smile without him.

You were looking on your instagram on the post you made earlier tonight. Scrolling thru the comments your smile growing just bigger and bigger.

@y/n: Thanks to everyone who came to the opening tonight, it was great! And to the people who weren't able to make it the exhibition is on display till February 15th! Also big thanks to @anxt herself for attending tonight and sharing with us her stories about creating these master pieces!

liked by @hiba_abouk_ and 6 553 others

A familiar voice pulled you away from scrolling thru the comments. Your head automatically snapped upwards just so you could meet with well known sight.

Kylian was walking on the pavement a few meters from you with Achraf on his side. You froze, you didn't see him since August and now you weren't even ready for it now.

Achraf, who was talking to him noticed that Kylian wasn't listening to him. He looked at his face, trying to notice what was he so focused on, and after he saw you, he knew why Kylian was drafted into his own world. Getting closer to you, Achraf slightly pushed into Kylian trying to make him stop staring at you so hard. Which he did.

You on the other hand were praying for your cab to be here as soon as possible. Your wish came true. At that moment Kylian with Achraf were two meters away from you. Achraf saw how awkward this situation already was, so he just said hi to you. You returned his greeting, now saying simple hello two both of them. You couldn't hear Kylian's answer as you jumped into the taxi as soon as it stopped. The driver pushed on the gas as he started to drive away. You exchanged one last look with Kylian who was looking like he just saw a ghost, which he also was in your mind.

"What the fuck was that Kylian?" Achraf pushed again into Kylian as he was still staring at the cab leaving in the dark.

------------

That night you ended up falling asleep with tears on your cheeks. Making you more than confused. Your breathing getting heavier as you were thinking about seeing Ethan tomorrow. You didn't know why you reacted that way, you know that you couldn't avoid Kylian forever. Paris was a giant city, but Kylian was everywhere.

Because Kylian was Paris and Paris was Kylian.

"What are we going to do today love?" Kylian looked at you as you were lying on his chest.

"I would lie all day in bed and maybe order pasta from that small restaurant you like so much." You answer as you were drawing small circles on his bare chest. Today you both had the day off. No work, no plans, no training or game. Days like this were your favorite days.

"Or we could do something more fun." Kylian was playing with your other hand. Making your fingers tangled up with each other.

"Are you trying to tell me that cuddling with my isn't fun?" you furrowed your brows, making not a nice face at him.

"No, cuddling with you is my favorite thing. But if we are gonna be just lying all day i'm gonna be all stiff tomorrow." He placed a kiss on your head.

"Okay, so what is Mr. I'm gonna be stiff tomorrow suggesting that we should do today?" you let out a simple giggle.

"I think that we should go for a walk as tourists, you know? Getting dressed up so nobody will notice us, going to see the places everybody loves, eating street food and watching the sunset along the Seine." he looked into your eyes, making butterflies in your stomach. But a quick realization came after.

"Well, I'm still a tourist that doesn't belong here." your smile getting smaller now as you referred to a comment that was made under your instagram post today, which made Kylian angry.

"That's not true Y/n. You belong here" You pulled out from him, leaving him confused about why are you standing now.

"Get out of bed Mbappé, we should get dressed." you told him as a way to light up the mood again.

Later that day you were walking thru the city center of Paris hand in hand. Letting out small giggles as you both find entraining the fact that nobody noticed the two of you.

"Hey look there, do you see that hot guy?" you pointed to the flat screen TV in the storefront. Now playing some AD with Kylian in it. "He's everywhere, don't you think?" you laughed.

"It's because he's Paris." he looked deeply into your eyes.

"And Paris is him." you added to it.

"That's also the reason why you belong to Paris Y/n."

"What?" you didn't understand.

"You belong to Paris because Kylian Mbappé loves you so much Mon amour"

------------

Tag list: @nightlockcornucopia, @she-lives-in-her-dreams, @sorceresski @m4k444

[miraclesabound]

All of This is Temporary

Summary: What should have been Mikey and Reader's special night goes sideways, and unfortunately, it never gets fixed.

Pairing: Mikey Berzatto x F!Reader, pre-relationship

Notes: This idea of Mikey and his friend getting thrown out of some VIP event came to me in a dream (and the music cue as well). A surprise cameo from one of my other favorite characters from a different show, because he showed up in the dream too. Also on AO3.

Warnings: Spoilers for The Bear, canon-typical language, classism, unrequited (?) love, addiction themes, tragic ending (mention of Mikey's suicide)

Tags: @pettyprocrastination, @cinewhore, @phoenixhalliwell, @nolita-fairytale

NOVEMBER 2021

The movie that Mikey won tickets for is at Doc Films , and given the place's history, you and Mikey are almost more dressed for an opera than a movie. He's done out in an old but clean tux, bow tie and cummerbund included - and you bought yourself a silver dress with matching clutch. You may not be a couple, but you take internal satisfaction in knowing how good you two look together right now.

The main thing that's important to you is that, at least from what you can tell, Mikey is fully sober this evening. You know you're not his keeper, but you feel some pride on his behalf - whatever he's strugging with, he's made the effort for you tonight, and that warms your heart.

However, that warmth sours in your stomach when you actually get to the theater. When you and Mikey walk in, it's clear that this is a much smaller event than you thought - and that you and Mikey are WILDLY overdressed. Of the maybe twenty total people there, the only other person dressed formally is a gruff-looking man whose hair is almost as dark as Mikey's is. In his case, he's wearing a strikingly modern all-black suit.

Mikey smiles when he sees the other man and gives him a hearty handshake. "Roy fuckin' Kent! What brings ya this way?"

Roy shrugs, but he accepts Mikey's handshake just the same. "Mikey Berzatto, ya old dog - just takin' some travel time - Coach Lasso fuckin' insisted... And who's this, then?"

Mikey introduces you, explaining that Roy had visited The Beef by accident a few years back during an exhibition tour in the States. "You better come in for a couple sandwiches tomorrow for lunch, ya hear me?" he tells Roy. "Won't take no for an answer!"

"Wouldn't miss it," Roy says. You and Mikey take your seats on Roy's other side.

A woman a few seats away chimes in with: "Oh, you two look so nice - is that your tux?" You don't care for the look of her - she comes across like someone trying to draw Mikey's sister Natalie from a mirror image only.

You want to believe that she's just being nice, but something about her tone is venomous, and Mikey must feel the same way. His response is icy. " 'Course it's mine, why wouldn't it be?"

"You're Michael Berzatto, right?"

"Yeah?"

"My cousins love your shop - I guess I'm just wondering why a sandwich shop owner would need to buy a tux instead of renting one; that's all."

If you didn't know better, you'd think she was trying to call you and Mikey tacky. Apparently Roy feels the same way, because he leans over towards her and says, "Oi, Pam, knock it off, yeah? Movie's startin'."

"Pam..." you think to yourself. "Why does that name sound familiar?" The lights turn off, and you smile to yourself when you hear a familiar musical sting playing for the movie intro.

"Don't call me by my name...all of this is temporary..."

You know this song very well, and you can't help but hum along. To your pleasant surprise, you swear that Roy is humming too. Who knew such a brash guy liked Halsey? Neither of you notice Mikey staring at you like you hung the moon and stars.

Suddenly the lights come up, and that woman who looks like Natalie's evil twin is standing in front of you, a sickening smile on her face. "Miss, you're going to have to leave," she tells you. "This is an exclusive event, and you're causing a disturbance."

Roy, God bless the man, speaks up for you - and thank goodness, because you feel like you're going to vaporize from embarrassment. "Pam, it's nothin', I was humming too."

"You're a VIP, Roy, and she isn't. It's my movie, and if I want her and her ridiculous disco ball of a dress out of here, that's my prerogative." Shit, you realize. This is Pam Stratford, the writer that Mikey enjoys so much. No wonder he was excited to get these tickets...

Mikey pulls you into his side - almost as if he expects Pam to take a swing at you. "Listen, I've always liked your work, but you don't get to talk to my g- - my friend like that - we got our tickets fair and square."

You can see that flash in Mikey's eyes that means either a bender or a fight is coming, and you don't want to see him arrested. Pam seems like the type to call the police in faster than they're needed. Pushing lightly against his chest, you say "Bear, it's ok, I'll just go..."

"Then I'm leavin' too," he says. "Roy, I'll catch ya tomorrow - Pam? You can go fuck yourself for bein' a snobby bitch." The silence is deafening as you two leave the theater, but the outraged look on Pam's face is almost worth it.

You shudder as you step out into the night air, even with Mikey holding you and blasting like a furnace. "It's cold - take me home?"

"Yeah, let's get you back before you freeze."

--

The train ride back to your neighborhood is quiet, and it's not until the two of you are walking up to your stoop that Mikey says, "Pam was wrong - you look gorgeous in that dress, and that's God's honest truth."

You smile at him. "You clean up pretty well yourself."

"Do we...wanna try this again some other time?" he asks, holding your purse for you as you dig out your keys. "Maybe not a movie, but some other excuse to dress up?"

"I'd like that, Bear," you agree. "Let's aim for after Christmas - I know how nutty things get for you during December."

"Then it's a date?" Mikey asks. He doesn't mean to put you on the spot, but if you don't feel the same way he does, he'd rather know now.

Your smile grows even wider. "It's a date - we'll nail down details after New Years." With a sudden burst of bravery, you hug him tight and kiss his cheek. "G'night, my bear."

--

Unfortunately, the holidays madness makes Mikey spiral in a bad way, and he never texts you back about the date. In fact, you don't realize as you turn to open your door that this will be the last time you see him alive.

[ereardon]

My Girl [Chapter 6][Jake "Hangman" Seresin x OC]

Summary: Jake Seresin could be the answer to all of your dating woes. He’s the full package: steady job, mature, dependable, attractive to a fault. The polar opposite of every guy your age and he’s everything you’ve ever wanted in a partner. But there’s one roadblock: he’s a single father to four-year-old Ellie. Jake is looking for a level of commitment you’re not quite sure you’re ready to give, and he’s not willing to bring someone into his daughter’s life who isn’t there for the long haul. And even if you are stepmom material, is Jake ready to let someone back in his life while still mourning the recent loss of his late wife? 

Pairing: Jake “Hangman” Seresin x OC [Lawyer Natalie West]

WC: 3K

Warning: Age gap, cursing

Series masterlist here

Please fill out this form here to join my tag list

“Daddy, look!” 

Ellie stuck out one tiny hand, pointing to the polar bear that was strutting lazily across the enclosure, an orange carrot sticking out of its mouth. She skipped ahead of you and Jake, pressing her palms against the low stone wall at the edge of the sidewalk, gazing in awe at the giant bear. 

She turned around with wide eyes. “It’s huge!”

“It’s a polar bear,” Jake said, stepping forward and brushing his hand over the top of her head. “They usually live way, way North of here, all the way in the North Pole.” 

Ellie’s eyes turned into saucers. “With Santa?” 

Jake nodded. “Yeah, baby, they’re friends with Santa.” 

“Wow.” She turned her gaze back to the animal and Jake smirked at you above her head. You had to stifle a laugh and not give it all away. 

It was the third time you were seeing Ellie. Jake had invited you to a park date with the two of them after the Christmas movie night, and Ellie herself had suggested you join the zoo outing, according to Jake. 

“Where to next?” Jake asked softly, taking one of Ellie’s hands in his own. “There’s pandas. Or we could go find the bird house.” 

Ellie turned and looked up at you. “What animal do you like, Natalie?” 

You bent down a little and smiled at her. “I like the cheetahs because they can run faster than any other animal.” 

She grinned and then turned back to Jake. “Let’s go see the cheetahs, daddy.” 

He nodded and shot you a smile. “Sounds like a plan, honey.” 

After the cheetah exhibit, Jake excused himself for the bathroom and while he was away, Ellie persuaded you to share a cotton candy with her. By the time Jake came out of the visitor’s center, Ellie’s hands were sticky with the pink and blue sugar. 

“What do we have here?” he tutted jokingly. 

You shrugged and shot him a guilty look. “Lunch, I guess.” Jake laughed and looked at his watch. “It’s ten thirty in the morning.” 

Ellie looked up at him, blue sugar staining a ring around her mouth. He chuckled and grabbed a napkin from the vendor cart, crouching down to wipe her mouth clean. “OK, just this once, because Natalie said so.” 

The three of you spent the rest of the day milling around the exhibits. There was something so joyful about watching Ellie discover the animals. Something to be said about experiencing the world through a child’s perspective. Every new animal sparked so much joy, from the way her eyes lit up to how she did a small clapping and jumping in place in front of the gorilla exhibit. The excited way she tugged on Jake’s hand to show him something. 

What you didn’t notice was the way Jake’s eyes lingered on yours, as you bent down to read through the exhibit plaques with Ellie, or trying on furry monkey hats at the gift shop. 

During lunch, you listened carefully as Ellie blabbered on about another girl from her daycare, the story following the kind of nonlinear pattern that only children’s tales can. 

So at the end of the day, as the three of you exited the zoo, headed for Jake’s Range Rover in the parking lot, you had to hide your shock when Ellie slid her tiny hand into yours. You looked up at Jake, who held her other hand, and then down at Ellie sandwiched between the two of you. It felt like you were holding porcelain, she was so delicate. 

Anyone on the outside looking in would think you were a little family. 

A part of you wanted it to be true. 

***

“Pass the rice?” 

Bob leaned over, holding out a paper box of white rice to Phoenix who took it with a smile. The sound of clattering chopsticks and chewing was drowned out by the loud conversation Bradley and Coyote were having. 

“No, bro, I am telling you. It’s culs-de-sac not cul-de-sacs! It’s French, man.” 

Bradley shook his head. “Ridiculous. Have you ever heard something so ridiculous in your life, Natalie?” 

All eyes turned to you and you blushed behind the glass of red wine you had pressed to your lips. When you set it down, you said, “Coyote’s right, sorry to say.” 

Coyote grinned, letting out a small whoop, while Bradley grimaced into his plate of beef and broccoli, shaking his head. 

Jake leaned over. “Taking sides? Dangerous game, sweetheart.” 

You shoved his shoulder lightly and he chuckled, digging back into his plate of lo mein. 

Across the table, Ellie sat in Bradley’s lap, quietly chewing on an egg roll. The full dagger squad was crowded around Jake’s formal dining table eating chinese takeout, something that was apparently a Sunday tradition of sorts that you were now privy to. 

The easy nature of their friend group was evident the more time you spent with each of them. From the way that Bradley held Ellie casually in his lap, whispering in her ear and making her laugh, to the way Phoenix strolled into the kitchen and grabbed a water glass from the cabinet with ease, like she had done it hundreds of times before. It was intimidating to know that you were walking into something that was so well defined. A communal relationship that had begun far before you had entered the scene. 

Ellie slid from Bradley’s lap once everyone had finished eating, and you watched her run upstairs, her small feet smacking on the ceiling above.

“Should we follow her?” you asked Jake softly and he shook his head. 

“No, I think I know what she’s doing, she’ll be right back.” 

You nodded and he was right, a minute later you heard her light footsteps on the wooden stairs, and the team burst out laughing as she emerged in the dining room wearing a pair of wire glasses with the lenses popped out. 

“I look like Uncle Bobby!” she squeaked, running up to Bob and he lifted her effortlessly into his lap, giving her a tight squeeze around her belly. 

“You look great, princess,” he said softly. “Where’d you get the glasses?” 

“She found them at a garage sale,” Jake laughed. The team turned to her, noticing how the wire frames were too large for her face, slipping down her nose. “And insisted we get them because she wanted to look like you.” 

Bob blushed and you could have sworn you saw Phoenix tear up a bit, which she covered by coughing into her paper napkin. 

Ellie reached out and nudged Bob’s frames further up his nose and he laughed, copying the motion on her. 

Without thinking, you pulled out your phone and took a photo of the two of them, laughing in each other’s arms. 

“Alright honey,” Jake said, standing up and circling the table before plucking Ellie out of Bob’s arms and settling her on the ground. “Time for bed. Can you say goodnight to everyone?” 

“Goodnight!” Ellie said and the team murmured a chorus of goodnights back to her. It was clear that every single person around the table adored her. They all felt responsible for her. 

They felt responsible for Jake, too. Not that they would ever tell him that. 

Jake followed Ellie out of the room and up the stairs. 

You took a sip of wine and turned back to the table once they were out of eye shot. Bradley shot you a smile. “She’s great, isn’t she?” 

“She’s amazing.” 

Phoenix nodded. “Listen, I’m not a kids person. Never have been. But when Jake and Lizzie had Ellie, we just all knew she was different. It changed all of our lives.” She looked around. “Made us all realize we’re a bit behind.” There was laughter. “Hey, Mary and I are thinking of having one!” Fanboy said and Rooster clapped him on the back. “Only if we can guarantee she’ll be as well behaved as El, though.” 

You chuckled and then a hand slid down your shoulder and you turned, startled, to see Jake standing at your side. “Honey?” he asked softly. “Ellie wants to know if you’d read her a story before bed.” 

“Really?” 

He smiled and you stood up. 

“Are you coming?” you asked. 

“She only asked for you, darlin’.” 

Upstairs, you spotted Ellie’s open bedroom door and stepped inside lightly. She sat up in bed, legs tucked in, wearing a pair of red polka dot pajamas. “Hi,” she whispered and you smiled, crossing the room and bending down. 

“Hi sweetie,” you said softly. “Your daddy said you wanted to read a book together?” 

She nodded and held up a small flag book before scooting over, making room for you on the side of the bed. You laid down carefully and Ellie pushed the book into your hands. 

“Oh, this is a good one,” you replied, opening The Rainbow Fish. You couldn’t believe she had it, it was something your mother had read to you when you were small. 

As you read, Ellie laid back against the collection of pillows. You could sense her growing tired, and when you got to the end, and the Rainbow Fish had given away all but his last shiny scale, you looked over to see Ellie’s eyes were closed, her curly blonde hair partially covering her forehead. 

You gently closed the book, edging off the bed slowly so as not to wake her. But as you set the book down on her small pink desk, there was the unmistakable creak of the bed as she rolled over. 

“Natalie?” 

“Yeah hon?” You turned to see Ellie peering at you through drowsy eyes. 

“Will you be here when I wake up?” 

“I can be.” 

“Good.” She smiled. “It’s pancake day.” 

You gave her a grin. “Then I will definitely be here. Go to sleep, sweetheart.” 

She closed her eyes and pulled the duvet closer, and you inched out of the room, shutting off the overhead light, pulling the door most of the way closed. 

As you made your way downstairs, you stopped near the landing, Jake’s voice cutting through clearly from the next room. You were hidden from sight of the squad in the dining room as you crouched on the stairs. 

“Ellie really likes her,” you heard Jake say. 

“So do you,” Phoenix added. “I can see it in the way you look at her.” 

“Of course I do,” Jake said quickly. “She’s fucking amazing. But that doesn’t stop me from thinking every now and then that she’s going to bolt. She’s twenty six. She doesn’t want to be tied down. She doesn’t want this lifestyle. Eight o’clock bedtimes and back to school shopping and organizing playdates. How am I supposed to compete with the guys her age who can offer her exciting Saturday nights and all I can offer her is a dance class carpool?” 

“She’s here, isn’t she?” Bob said. “She obviously cares about you enough to try and fit into your life. With Ellie. With us.” 

“But how long until she realizes that she’s bored?” 

“Why do you have to assume she’s going to leave?” Bradley asked. “Can’t you just be happy about it, man, and stop fucking yourself over in your mind?” 

Jake sighed. You sat down on a step a third of the way to the bottom, curious to hear what he was saying in the comfort of the group, without knowing that you were listening. 

“I think I love her,” he said softly. “But I’m not sure if I should.” 

***

There was buzzing on your nightstand. You shot up in bed, bleary eyed, and grabbed your phone, sliding it open automatically without even checking who was calling. 

“Hello?” 

“Natalie?” It was Jake. You rubbed your eyes and squinted at the top corner of the screen. It was one o’clock in the morning. “Honey, are you there?” 

“Jake? What’s happening? Is everything alright?” 

His voice was muffled, and there was a lot of background noise like he was multitasking. “Listen, honey, I’m sorry to do this, but can I bring Ellie over? They called us, all of us, for a mission and we’re leaving tonight. I have to be on deck in two hours and there’s nobody else I could ask.” 

“Yeah, of course,” you said, stepping out of bed and pulling on a robe. “Come over whenever, I’m up.” 

“I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this,” Jake said and there was a sense of panic in his voice. “We’ll be there soon.” 

The call ended and you made your way to the kitchen, clicking on the kettle and pulling out a packet of decaf tea. 

Ten minutes later, the doorbell rang and you rushed for the door, pulling it open. Jake stood with wet hair, Ellie curled in his arms, her cheek resting against his shoulder, a small blanket clenched in one balled up fist. 

“Hi,” he whispered quietly, stepping inside and you took the small tote bag he had in his free hand, setting it on the ground. “Nat, I’m so sorry.”

You shook your head. “God, don’t be. I’m glad you called.” 

Relief swept across Jake’s face. “She’s pretty sleepy. I tried not to wake her too much.” 

You nodded. “I don’t really have a good guest room set up, it functions as my office when I work from home. So you can just put her in my room.” You pointed to the open door and Jake walked in, laying Ellie in her striped pajamas down gently on the right side of the bed. He knew you slept on the left. She opened her eyes and reached out to touch his face. 

“Daddy?” 

“Hey sweetheart,” Jake said, kneeling next to the side of the bed. Ellie’s eyes roamed over his face and then landed on you hovering behind Jake. “Listen, baby, daddy has to go to work. It’s really late, so you’re going to stay with Natalie, OK? I’ll be back tomorrow night so be a good girl for me and be really nice to Natalie alright?” 

She nodded and Jake leaned forward, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her forehead. 

“I love you, munchkin,” he said and she smiled.

“I love you.” 

Jake stood up as Ellie closed her eyes, rolling over to her side, her back to you. You stepped out into the hallway, shutting the door most of the way closed. He ran his fingers through his hair. “We should be back tomorrow night. I guess tonight, technically. I’m not sure.” He shook his head. “They didn’t really say much. I haven’t flown a mission since Lizzie.” Jake’s hands were shaking as you took them into your own. “I don’t want to leave her.” 

You pulled him into a hug, felt his strong arms wrap around you, his lips pressing soft kisses into your temple. “She’ll be fine here,” you said softly. “I promise.” 

Jake leaned back, slipping two fingers under your chin, pressing his lips to yours. “I have to go.” 

You nodded. He stepped toward the front door, one hand on the metal handle, when your voice stopped him. “What did you mean when you said you weren’t sure you should love me?” 

Jake froze, turning around, his green eyes holding yours. “What?” 

“At Sunday night dinner. I overheard you say that you thought you might love me, but you weren't sure if you should.” You stepped forward. “What did you mean?” 

His mouth hung open. A quiet stillness clung in the air as you waited for Jake to respond. But then his phone rang, and he pulled it out of his pocket, sliding one large thumb over the screen. “Lieutenant Seresin.” There was a pause, and then he nodded. “Of course, Admiral. I’m on my way.” 

Jake slid his phone back into his pocket. 

“Nat, I have to go. Can we discuss this later?” 

In the span of two minutes you felt like you had aged a decade. Instead of your boyfriend dropping his daughter off at your house in the middle of the night, you felt like an exasperated wife on the verge of a breakdown, watching her husband walk out the door mid conversation. 

You nodded. 

“Yeah, fine.” 

Jake leaned forward and pressed his lips to yours softly. “I’m sorry. I’ll call you when I know more.” 

And then he was gone, jogging down the steps toward the Range Rover. You grabbed Ellie’s bags and hauled them into the kitchen. Jake had packed the glittery backpack you had given her for her birthday and that made you smile. 

So did her tiny body curled up in your bed as you tiptoed back into the room. 

You slid down into the covers, trying hard not to jostle the bed or wake Ellie. When you turned to look, she had her blankie scrunched up in one fist, her tiny mouth slightly ajar, her breath even. You laid back and closed your eyes. 

You had never imagined having a kid, let alone a daughter. So when Ellie shifted and curled against you, her small fingers spread out on your bare upper arm, the fluttering in your stomach surprised you. 

The longing. 

It made you hate the fact that you knew Jake was ready to pull the plug on your relationship. A part of you wanted him so badly. Perhaps a bigger part of you wanted Ellie, too. 

The gravity of the situation floored you. Jake had up and left Ellie in your care. You didn’t know if he was headed to Florida or Shanghai or a secret bunker in the Ukraine. All you knew was this tiny girl sleeping next to you has nobody else to depend on but you. 

For the next twenty-four hours, you were her world. 

Tag list: @double-j @seresinhangmanjake @topguncultleader @hangmandruigandmav @momc95 @minamisulemisa @shawnsblue @blue-aconite @brehonodea @crthurston @angelbabyange @jason-toddsthighs @secretsicanthideanymore @taytaylala12 @mandylove1000 @mizzzpink @showmethewayhomehoney @tvjunkie08 @mygyn @wkndwlff @sadpetalsstuff @shanimallina87 @averyhotchner @oneelleandaneye @starrynightskyz @daddymack01 @buxkybarnez @pookie-cleary @clairedelarosa-blog  @princessofglitterland  @tiredqueen73 @lovingjakeseresin @lilyevanswhore @kurtkunkle17 @amortentiadrops @hotch-meeeeeuppppp @abaker74 @xoxabs88xox @novagreen04 @townmoondaltwistle @rosiahills22 @indynerdgirl @entertainmentgal8 @misshoneypaper @starkleila @ebonyhogan24 @rosewritesitout @sammysimpin @khaylin27

[chris-hartley]

Happy Pride!!

GUESS WHO GOT A BINGO!!! Hehe. I have been kinda neglecting this challenge a bit cause life got hectic but I'm back with this fic of my Total Drama OC Skylar with his boyfriend Kai (@samgiddings' character). This fic chronologizes their first (and second) kiss, and then their first date! Feel free to follow our blog for these OCs (@teadocs) for more fun moments!

(To hide these posts going forward blacklist #kenziewritespride)

Skylar had opted to skip the party that the people in the program were throwing for New Years and was heading back in the direction of his dorm when he felt a hand on his shoulders.

“Crikey!” He muttered.

“Skylar,” the familiar voice brought a smile to his lips. It was Kai, the guy Skylar had spent a lot of time with during his stay back in Australia.

“Hi Kai,” he looked over, “What’re you doing? Thought you were out with the others.”

“I got a roadie,” Kai held up the two beers in his other hand, “For both of us.”

Skylar nodded, “Well I’m going to hang out in my room.”

“Can I come with you?”

“Yeah,” he nodded.

Kai smiled, walking along with him, “Not really getting on with the other blokes?”

“It’s not that. I’m not much for partying anyhow. Even my friends at home knew I was kinda a buzzkill.”

“I’m sure you weren’t,” he reassured.

Skylar shrugged, “I don’t know.”

Kai nudged him playfully, “Don’t be so hard on yourself. You’re a great guy.”

He smiled softly, “Ta Kai.”

When they made it back to Skylar’s dorm, the two of them went in. The living situation was pretty nice, Skylar shared a room with a guy named Rocky and the two of them shared a living room and kitchen with two blokes named Hunter and Jack. But all 3 of them were out having drinks to celebrate with the others.

Kai sat down on the couch, flipping on the TV to the New Years countdown which read there was still 30 minutes left. Skylar sat beside him, taking the beer that Kai had gotten him and taking a drink.

“So, you got any more interesting stories about working at the zoo?” Kai said with wonder in his eyes.

On one of the first days, Skylar had gotten paired with Kai for a task which he was used to doing at home so he kinda took the lead on it all, leaving Kai to ask about what it was like to work in an actual zoo and not just the petting zoo he was used to. Skylar had told some funny stories about things that happened and every time, the way Kai’s eyes lit up made him happy so he kept going.

“Well, there was one time I was going to check on the hippo exhibit cause Peter, the guy who usually goes to clean up in the morning was running a little late, and I walk in and one of the hippos had pulled out a huge chunk of the grass we keep out for them and it was just everywhere.”

“A real dog’s breakfast,” Kai chuckled.

Skylar chuckled. His whole family was Australian, but there had definitely been a lot of new terms he’d learned in the 2 months he’d been here.

“So I’m like crikey! What happened here! And I had to go grab the rake and get it all back in the feeding area and I found one of the baby hippos had laid down for a nap in the grass.”

He awed, “A baby hippo.”

“So I just let her have her little nap and cleaned around her,” he smiled.

Kai took a sip of his beer, “That’s a bonzer story, Sky.”

“Thanks. I know you like hippos so I thought you’d like it,” he nodded.

Kai smiled, “So tell me more about your life at home.”

“Like another zoo story?”

He shook his head, “No. Like… What else do you do for fun?”

“Oh,” he shrugged, “I mean I’ve been on Total Drama a couple times.”

“Total Drama? Like… the TV show from when we were little?” Kai raised his eyebrows.

He nodded, “Yeah. They did a reboot of it and I was on seasons 3 and 4.”

“Crikey! That’s so cool! Is it as fun as it looks?”

Skylar chuckled, “It’s kinda fun. But it for sure has its downsides.”

“I bet,” Kai smiled, teasing, “Is that all? No more secret hobbies?”

He shook his head, “No, not really.”

“You… got a girlfriend?”

“No,” Skylar shook his head, “Girls aren’t really my thing.”

“Boyfriend?”

Skylar took a sip of his beer, “No. Why?”

Kai was quiet for a second and Skylar followed his glance to the TV. 3 minutes left on the countdown. He looked back at him, raising his eyebrows.

“I think you’re cute, Sky,” Kai explained.

Skylar’s heart started racing and he could feel his cheeks turning a little pink, “You do?”

He nodded, “And if it’s alright with you I’d like to kiss you at midnight?”

“K-kiss me? Is that a thing people do?”

Kai chuckled softly, smiling, “Yeah. You ring in the New Year with a kiss. Doesn’t have to mean more than a kiss if you don’t want it to.”

“Oh,” Skylar swallowed hard, a little nervous as he continued, “Well I think you’re… cute too. But I- I’m not- I haven’t ever dated anyone so I don’t know… I might be bad at it.”

“Not possible,” Kai said reassuringly, “So is that a yes? I can kiss you?”

Skylar nodded, glancing at the clock as it started to count down. His hands got a little sweaty as he watched it.

“Skylar?” Kai said.

He turned to look at him as the people on the TV cheered. Kai slowly leaned in for a gentle kiss. Skylar kissed him back, a little more hesitant. When they broke apart, Skylar smiled shyly. He’d never really understood the phrase for having butterflies in his stomach but as he looked over at Kai he started to get it. 

---

After they kissed at New Years, Skylar freaked out. Okay freaked out was too loose of a term. He had completely lost his mind. Because these harbored feelings he’d had for Kai came to a bursting realization all at once. 

And it got to the point where he couldn’t even bear to be in the same room as Kai, because the second he looked over at him and caught him looking at him, it was like his stomach flipped and his face turned a bright red. He didn’t know what he was supposed to do, just like he hadn’t really for the entirety of this internship.

He’d made the private decision to keep some distance unless in group settings so he would be able to avoid… whatever that was. And it was going well. Okay scratch well, it was simply going. Kai and Skylar were teamed up to do a project together, which left them spending a lot of nights at one house or the other working on it together.

And that’s where they were tonight. On the couch in Kai’s living room. Sitting in a bout of awkward silence while they individually worked on their parts to this… rather dumb project if Skylar was being honest. There was no purpose, besides making him spend hours in the same room as Kai, trying his best not to make eye contact cause every time he did? Well…

“What do you reckon this has to do with working in a zoo?” Kai asked, looking down at his laptop, “Do you have to pitch ideas for events with the zoo to do?”

Skylar looked up from where he was gluing something on their posterboard, “What? No. Nobody is gonna ask us to do that.”

“Really?” Kai asked, looking at Skylar, “You never pitched stuff for your Canada zoo?”

“I kinda just got told what to do,” he shrugged, feeling his chest tighten as Kai looked at him so he dropped his gaze, “It wasn’t…”

“Interesting,” Kai muttered, looking back at his laptop.

Skylar pressed down on the picture as if it hadn’t already been firmly stuck on the poster, just wanting to do something with his hands while he waited for Kai to print out the words that were supposed to go across the top.

Kai stood up, going over to the printer and grabbing them and for a second, Skylar was alone and felt a bit of relief. He felt like such an idiot. Kai liked him! Kai had liked him enough to kiss him at New Years. And he’d gone and been weird and ruined it all. And now he was completely screwed over. Now he was the one with feelings, and Kai… well… he probably hates Skylar now.

He came back into the room, handing Skylar a pair of scissors, sharp end out. He instinctively went to grab the handle instead of the sharp end, to be safe, their hands touching probably a second longer than they should’ve. Skylar could feel his stomach flip again, his heart racing a little as they made eye contact, Kai’s eyes flicking down to Skylar’s lips.

He took the scissors and started cutting out the letters, putting all his focus on the paper in front of him as he gathered his thoughts. They sat there, the only sound breaking the silence was the dual noises of them cutting out the label for their poster.

“Whi-” Kai started but Skylar’s one track mind and anxiety cut him off.

“Do you like me?” His eyes darted up to Kai’s, trying to gauge his reaction. Facial reactions were always really hard for him to make out. From what he could tell, Kai looked surprised. There was a pause before he responded.

“I- Yeah. Why?”

Skylar could feel his mouth completely dry out as he continued to blurt out exactly what he was thinking, with no filter, “Because I like you. A lot. And I’ve been freaking myself out about it and I’m sorry. But we’ve been sitting here for the last twenty minutes doing this stupid project and all I can think about is kissing you again.”

If his face hadn’t been red when he asked the first question, it sure was now. He took a deep breath.

“Sky…” Kai had an unreadable look on his face.

“So can I? Kiss you I mean.”

A smile came to Kai’s face, “Yeah.”

Skylar set his scissors down, cupping Kai’s face in his palm, taking a calming breath as he shut his eyes and leaned in to kiss him. And while he’d been nervous up until this moment, the second he felt Kai kissing him back, the nerves melted off him.

As they broke away a few moments later, Skylar cleared his throat, “Uh. So what now?”

Kai chuckled, “What do you want, Sky?”

“I’d… like to maybe go on a date. Would that be okay with you?”

“That would be more than okay with me,” he smiled, “Should we get back to the project?”

Skylar chuckled, “Maybe.”

---

Skylar stood in front of the closet of his dorm in Australia, staring at the clothes hanging in it. He had a date. A date. One that he initiated! That still blew his mind. How had he gained the guts to do that? He barely recognized himself.

He pulled out one outfit, looking it up and down. It was cute enough, right? He put it on, standing in front of the full length mirror hanging on the back of his door.

He was startled as a knock came from the other side, “Sky?”

“Yeah?”

“Can I come in?”

“Uh, yeah,” he nodded, opening the door to spot his roommate Rocky standing on the other side, a bottle in his hand.

“I heard you have a date tonight,” he seemed a little surprised.

Skylar nodded timidly.

“Do you wanna wear some cologne? Chicks dig it.”

His face went bright red and he shook his head.

“You sure, mate?”

“I’m sure,” he swallowed hard, “I don’t think I’ll need it.”

“Alright then,” he patted him on the shoulder, “So how’d you meet her?”

The more Rocky spoke the more he realized nobody here knew that he was gay, except Kai. Shoot.

“Work stuff,” he shrugged his hand off.

“Work stuff. What? Is she in the program?”

“Something like that,” he bit his lip.

Rocky’s face lit up, “Well crikey! Who is it? Poppy? Riley?”

“Uh,” just as Skylar was about to admit it, the doorbell rang, “I’ll get it.”

He went to open the door and Kai was standing on the other side.

“You ready?” He grinned at him.

Rocky came up behind Skylar, “Kai, mate. You come to see Skylar off for his big date?”

Skylar’s face turned bright red.

“Big date, huh? You’ve been telling people about it?”

“I didn’t te-”

“I heard it through the grapevine,” Rocky said confidently, “Apparently it’s someone in the program.”

Kai, playing innocent, smirked. Skylar cleared his throat.

“So um. I’m gonna go on the date. With… Kai,” he said timidly.

“Oh is it a double date?”

Kai chuckled, “No.”

“OHHHHHH! You two are…”

Skylar nodded, wishing he could disappear.

“Well, I hope you two have a good time. See you later, Sky. Kai,” Rocky nodded.

“You ready?” Kai asked again.

“Yep.”

---

Skylar walked awkwardly alongside Kai as they headed over to the restaurant he’d picked out. Why he’d picked it out he couldn’t for the life remember because this walk felt like it was going on forever. Was he sweating? Oh god he was sweating. He hoped his deodorant would hide anything. He should’ve taken the cologne offer from Rocky after all. Kai probably was thinking-

He looked over at Kai, who seemed to be on cloud nine, walking peacefully. How was he so calm about this?!

Kai’s gaze turned to Skylar and his eyebrows furrowed, “You alright, mate?”

“Mm? Yeah. Fine. Uh. We’re just about there.”

“Crikey,” Kai said jokingly, “And here I thought you were gonna ask to hold my hand.”

Skylar’s face turned bright red, “Uh- oh- um, is that something people do?”

“Yeah,” Kai nodded, continuing to walk, “But we don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

Skylar stood there contemplating what to do before he quickly walked to catch up with him, taking Kai’s hand in his. He turned to him with a smile, squeezing Skylar’s hand.

“I took that as a hint. Hope it’s alright.”

“More than alright,” Kai nodded.

When they reached the restaurant, Kai opened the door for Skylar, letting him walk inside. Skylar cleared his throat as he approached the hostess.

“Table for two. Under the name Witter?”

“Right this way,” she smiled, leading the two of them to a booth in the back.

---

“Two barramundi tacos?” the waitress said, carrying their plates over to them, setting them in front of them.

“Ta,” Kai nodded.

“Thank you,” Skylar smiled at the waitress, starting to pick up one of the tacos.

Kai did the same and they both took a bite.

“Mm,” Skylar moaned, nodding, holding a hand up as he chewed, “This is good.”

“See! I told you you’d like it. It’s an Aussie staple,” he grinned.

Skylar chuckled, liking how happy he was. It was cute. He could feel the butterflies in his stomach acting up. He took another bite, happily chewing.

“So, um, what else do people do… on dates?”

Kai raised his eyebrows, “Have you never been on a date before?”

Skylar blushed, looking down at his tacos, “Uh… no…”

“Oh,” Kai cleared his throat, “Sorry.”

“Why are you sorry?”

“Because I guess I just- you probably should’ve had a better first date.”

Skylar looked confused at him, “What? What do you mean a ‘better’ first date?”

“You know…”

“Kai I really don’t,” he started wondering if he was stupid and hesitated slightly before continuing, “I like you, Kai. A lot. As far as I know, unless I missed some major thing, that’s all you need for a good first date.”

“You like me a lot?”

Skylar fought the knot in his throat, “I do. So I’m having a good time. With you, eating these really good tacos.”

“Would you wanna do this again sometime then?” Kai asked, a smile on his face.

“If you want to,” Skylar nodded, “I wasn’t really sure… how you felt about me.”

“Mate, I’ve liked you for a while. I just didn’t think you were on the same page as me,” he chuckled, “But that definitely clears things up.”

Skylar chuckled softly, nodding.

---

Kai walked Skylar back to his dorm, leaning against the railing of the decking, “So… tonight was a lot of fun.”

Skylar looked down at his hands, which were running along the seam of his shirt, “Kai?”

“Sky?”

Skylar looked up at him and took a deep breath, “Would it be alright if I kissed you goodnight?”

“Absolutely.”

Skylar timidly stepped closer to Kai, shutting his eyes as he leaned in to kiss him again. Once again his stomach was filled with butterflies as Kai leaned into the kiss.

A few moments later, they broke apart and Skylar nervously licked his lips, “Uh. I guess I’ll see you at work tomorrow?”

“You will,” Kai nodded.

“Goodnight Kai,” he turned to open the door to his dorm, but then quickly turned back to kiss his cheek before going inside.

Kai chuckled, surprised, “Goodnight Sky.”

[chemistryread]

disclaimers/tags: female oc. written as a reader insert but reader has a lot of backstory. slowburn. angst. implied domestic violence. minors dni.

a/n: some rash decisions on this one, get ready! if you love angst as much as me, this can be read as the ending, but there’s another chapter coming :) also very sorry at how long this post is, but i really wanted to make this story 4 chapters so ! anyways, enjoy and thanks all of u who have liked, rbed or commented in some way 🫶

right cowboy, wrong time

rhett abbott

part 1

part 2

summary: you’re not home and your boyfriend’s a dick. thankfully, not all cowboys are bad.

"Did you sleep with someone else?"

"Did you?"

That was basically it.

(There was a lot of screaming and attempted emotional blackmailing you don’t bring up. What would be the point?)

You're retelling the events to Dani, working side by side with her.

A kid had joined the staff, and since he's still in school he needs the night shift. Now, you're bumped back to mornings alongside your friend. Things are looking up.

"I can't believe it was solved with one non-violent conversation."

She's actively ignoring the marks in your arms but you take her selective blindness as good-spirited. Focus on the good.

With that in mind, you don't mention how close you got to apologizing and taking it back when he questioned your ability to be alone. Saying you'd only fall on hard times once more and return to him for help. But...you were alone before him, and you were okay before him. It will work.

"I know. I mean, I'm not at all under the impression that he’s not planning some sort of revenge, mulling it over. He'll still be around for another two weeks. And we can't pretend that didn't play a huge part into how well he took it."

"Took it. Right." She laughs, handing you the clean menus to set on the counter. "Be honest. He was aware that this was the only way to do it without exhibiting lack of power. Like it was beyond anyone's control."

During your conversation, it was made clear that he did not yield, you agreed it was unsalvageable. Stupid to keep trying. And he wasn’t stupid. Dani’s right.

"Hey, I'm not disagreeing. Or complaining."

"Hey, I'm not disagreeing. Or complaining."

Her smile falters and you frown.

"I have to say, though, I was convinced you would not fall for him."

She shoves the pen and paper in your hands, along with three menus, and spins you around towards the tables.

If it isn't the little Abbotts and Amelia. Just your luck.

You do not regret it. At all. It would be spoiled of you to.

However, it obviously soured things between you and Rhett. Which is precisely what you did not want.

You meant it, when you said you didn't want to be one of his girls. In a way. You would either take him (yes, take him) out on a date and do the whole process with an open heart, or shut him out and remain nothing but the friendly waitress until you left for home and never saw him again.

The way things are right now, you can't possibly do either with an honest face.

And honesty is a huge thing for you. The motivator behind admitting to being unfaithful that night, putting yourself in a risky situation in front of your boyfriend. Ex.

Amy's smile when she sees you approach the table helps you believe in the good things again, even if only for a couple of minutes.

"Yes! I told my dad, if any of the other girls tried to serve us, I was gonna fake cry until we got you."

Rhett avoids you, taking a coin left as part of the tip from the previous seaters and flipping it between his fingers.

You wink at her and point your pen to Perry, before clicking it. "You're raising her right. What can I, and only I, get you guys?"

His cap is not wide enough to hide the circles under his eyes, and he orders a standard hangover breakfast. You exchange shy nods, but it's not confident.

Amelia’s next.

"And if I could have that with a side of that story your stupid boyfriend didn't want to read, please?"

Your jaw hangs open. She's a rockstar.

"Amy, she said no once, don't push it."

She glares at her uncle.

Perry adds, “And don't call people stupid."

"But he was! Stupid and rude."

Your giggle draws the table's eyes.

"No, he was. About time we broke up."

Her dad looks impressed, like he thought he would never see the day. It bothers you a little. You don't have the guts to look at Rhett, even if you can feel his eyes on you.

"Really?" She asks excited, and you nod. "Cool! So you can marry my dad or uncle Rhett and then you'll be in the family forever."

"Jesus."

"Amy!"

You laugh again. These men do not appreciate her humour and it's kind of sad.

"I'm too young to get married, kid! I'm not a child bride." It flies over her head but Perry laughs. You'll win him over someday. "About the story, I'm afraid I got rid of that one, it wasn't good. But when I start working on something new I'll ask you for help, deal?"

She nods with tight lips, silky straight hair shaking down her shoulders.

"Good. I'll be right back with your food."

It’s a busy morning, so they had no choice but to sit at an unclean table. You’re retrieving the plates, stacking them up against your left arm and shoving the bills into your apron’s pocket. That’s when Rhett taps the coin on the table three times, startling you.

Your eyes snap to his. Unreadable. Pupils large, deep blue flooding your insides. Nearly choking on it. He offers you the coin, you open your palm, and he drops it. All whilst maintaining eye contact. Honestly, you feared breaking it, as if the second you did your memories of each other would be erased. He doesn’t look away. Your eyebrows furrow, blinking a couple of times, clearing your throat and walking away with a weak step.

Dani mouths, what the fuck?

Your best guess is none, shrugging and taking the dirty dishes to the kitchen.

They eat peacefully, and you suspect Amelia got a talking to from her father because she sticks to polite smiles when you serve them.

They leave as you take another family's order. Back at the counter, Danielle kicks you in the calf.

"What?"

Your coworker simply nods to the back. The butterflies in your stomach can only mean one person.

Stubbornly, you fight off the urge to fix yourself or take in your reflection off the windows before stepping outside to meet Rhett.

He looks cuddly in a hoodie.

"What are you smiling at?"

Hearing his mumbled teasing is like being lift straight out of hell and into heaven.

"What do you want?"

"Asked you first."

You bite the inside of your cheek, hands clasped behind your back, playing with your rings. Hiding your nerves from him.

"Cool hoodie you got on."

"Fuck off."

You two burst into outright gross, happy giggles.

"So?"

"Were you gonna tell me you broke up?"

Your answer is fire rapid, delighting in petty revenge. "No. It's not like I'm running away with you."

He tsks once, hit.

"Right. But if you'd like to-"

"Don't." No, don't look at me like that. "I can't. Not yet."

He takes a deep breath, as if entirely too used to your bullshit, and steps closer. You let him.

"Explain."

"Yes, well, one of his ventures sailed off in Montana. He's going to move there for a while. But not yet." He looks too hopeful, and the full story scratches up your throat. "He knows I slept with someone."

A more somber expression, but he still doesn't get it. Briefly, you wonder if 'sleeping with' was too formal for what you actually did together.

"He doesn't know it's you." Your arms fall back to your sides, nails digging into your palms. "If he finds out-"

"I can handle him. Trust me."

"Look, hotshot, it's not about that. Sure, he'd probably threaten to punch any other guy who had his way with me. But one of you? And it's not like you took advantage of me, I chose you. I- I seeked you out. I wanted you. That's a whole other…I've seen what he can do when he's actually mad. When he loses. He'll want to fucking kill you."

"He's not that dangerous. You're being ridiculous."

"Hey, don't tell me I'm being ridiculous when I have suffered in his hands." He doesn't say anything to that. "Just get this through your proud little thick skull…If he hurts you because of me, it'll hate myself. Spare me, okay?"

His features soften at your confession. You wish he would simply accept circumstances for his own well-being, but if he won't, you'll appeal to his sensitive side.

"When does he leave?"

"Two weeks. I'm moving in with Dani tonight."

You didn't protest when she offered the extra room at her place, wanting out of that house before his brothers could give you a piece of their minds.

Rhett squints at the sun, hands on his hips, worn gloves poking out of his pant's pockets. He looks so much younger in the green cap and a plain gray hoodie.

"I can wait two weeks."

You want to run up to him, kiss the breakfast grease off his lips until Danielle calls you back inside to help her, run your fingers through his hair, feel the fabric tasked with warming him up.

Instead, scared he doesn't want any of that, you roll your eyes amusedly and run up the steps. You should set a calendar reminder for two weeks from now.

——————————

Thirteen days. He leaves tomorrow, finally.

In the meantime, he uncharacteristically leaves you alone. It's a very peaceful time in your life.

Rhett comes to the diner from time to time. You bump into each other at the shop and he ends up helping you put away the groceries at Danielle's, where he sees the begonias in a vase by the window. He relocates them to a better spot.

He learns more about your university and you about his family.

You put that knowledge to test one afternoon, when he comes by during your break and asks if you want to have lunch at his house. Royal eats very little and quickly returns to work, just as you had been told he would. Amy skipped school because she woke up particularly down and missing her mother (probably why Rhett thought of inviting you), therefore Perry eats even less but spends more time at the table, just looking at his daughter. You feel for him, really.

Cecilia is the one who suggests you go rest under the shade while Perry helps her clean up. You get the sense his mood is entirely affected by his daughter's, so mother and son need a moment to talk.

Amelia sits between you and Rhett, all three quietly eating fresh strawberries.

"Grandpa did say somebody messed with them. They're not as good."

You disagree. They taste pretty delicious for you, who's in the midst of licking the juice off your lips, satisfied.

But you know what she means, unfortunately. So you purposefully avoid Rhett's eyes, leaning back against the tree trunk and guiltly keeping your mouth shut.

He assured you this has happened for as long as he remembers being neighbors with your ex and his brothers.

Trying to dissipate the tension in the air, you poke Amy on the side.

"I've been writing something. Wanna read it?"

She almost drools when she smiles, shoving the open jar on her uncle's stomach and getting him sticky with splashed strawberry juice.

Reaching for your phone, you remember something.

"Oh, I bought a really pretty vase to put the even prettier flowers you got me, look!"

Rhett sits up awkwardly beside his niece as you show her a picture of the golden hour sunlight shining on the pink begonias.

"I didn't get you any flowers." She matches your confused expression. "I've been told off by grandma way too many times from messing around in her garden to do it again. But it does look really pretty."

Rhett's cheeks are burning red, and your stomach is doing flips.

Completely lost for words, you switch from the photos app to a Google drive document and hand the little girl your phone with tremendous trust. Kids are brutally honest.

"Here. It's, uhm, a horror short."

She picks it up with toddler-like grabby hands and sits back to enjoy it like it's a new young adult best seller.

Your eyes are still on the boy next to her, who's holding your gaze in an electric back and forth.

"Can I read it?"

"No."

After devouring four-thousand words, Amelia runs back to the house, shaking your phone at her dad's face, practically bragging that you let her read something of yours. Her first impression is pretty positive, if not over-the-top, and she tells you she'll write down her ideas and 'get back to you'.

Everyone chuckles when you shake her hand as if this was a business meeting. Her being the big publishing agent, of course.

Cecilia makes a comment about rushing back home, there being a lot of work to be done, when you gather your stuff so Rhett can drive you back to the diner. You simply smile at her.

You're biting your tongue, busying yourself with lowering the passenger side's window, but Rhett's getting a little too good at reading you.

"Speak now or-"

"I'm not dumb, you don't have to protect me." He laughs, unphased by your random instances of snappiness. "Of course it has something to do with me, Rhett. You think people don't talk?"

"We're not even doing anything."

"But there's a 'we', that's enough to create gossip. And I told him I had been with someone. The fight at the bar, the 4th when you knocked on his door holding my coat…You really think he hasn't put everything together?"

He's quiet. Rhett is not stupid, what he is is inconsequential. He thinks everything will always be ok.

"We have fought over girls before, it's always been like this."

It stings, to be put in such a common role in his life.

"Well," He turns his head your way, hearing how your voice wavers, and you cross your arms defensively. "I'm glad they didn't worry like I do, but I do. Your family has nothing to do with this. Your dad shouldn't have this put on his plate too."

"He'll be fine, trust me, he likes the work. He lives for it. Always has, since we were little boys. He's fine."

You just don't want your ex-boyfriend and his brothers taking things too far.

"I think your mother doesn't like me anymore."

He cackles and you pout. Of course you sound silly, you know that. But maybe this is what it's all about. His family are good people. You don't want good people to dislike you, or go through anything bad because of you.

It's not their fault you cling to those who seem nice and helpful. Sometimes you forget yourself. That you have been and can be alone. Being single is a great moment to capitalize on your independence, accept it. At least that way you won’t take anyone down with you.

Fingers snapping pull you out of your self-reproach.

"Don't…Don't spiral over what she said, alright? She just wants me to stick to the work, be responsible and stuff. Not wander off."

"Maybe you should."

Blue eyes search yours for a sign that you're kidding. Infuriating that you can't trust yourself not to breakdown around Rhett, you look straight ahead. One block away from the diner.

Your body is free of the seatbelt before the light can turn green again. "I can get out here, it's fine."

He doesn't move, and you stare at each other for what feels like minutes. Then he swallows, looks down, and unlocks the doors.

You hop out, carefully stepping around the car and onto the sidewalk. He calls out your name and a shiver runs down your spine, both because of how heartbreakingly confused he sounds and because you're scared one of your ex-boyfriend's brothers or friends just heard Rhett Abbott yell for you from his truck.

Turning around, you glance up and down the street, sighing in relief when everyone seems to continue their lives without noticing you two. You want to say sorry for being weird, for not being a better liar or knowing how to mask your feelings. But it would serve you more than him, at this point.

Instead, you step up to his window, hand closing around his own that is hanging halfway out and squeezing it.

All you say is, "Thank you."

——————————

You're a mess all day.

Spilled drinks, dropped knives and even a broken glass.

Danielle has to pull you out of your own head every five minutes, she's exhausted by the end of your shift.

You felt childish, telling her boy gossip at work. Ridiculous even, since she scrunches her nose when reminded the boy is Rhett Abbott.

Nothing against him, per se, he was just always such a predictable choice in high school, she had said. Good heart, though.

She ruthlessly mocks your insecurities but dutifully listens to your ramblings. Your worries about harming his family, moving on too fast, disappointing Amelia.

A wet dishcloth fight starts in the kitchen when she suggests you're in a little deeper than you had assumed. You hit her right across the stomach before she can profess the term 'in love'.

Because no, you refuse. He's a good boy, and you are attracted to him. You like him, obviously. Too obvious to deny. But you have to hold back.

Actually, until tomorrow. Perhaps that's why you're freaking out. When your ex leaves, everything becomes more real between you and Rhett. Or it's allowed to. It's your choice.

Dani and you are handing the night shift waiters your aprons when your phone pings.

"When was your last fun Saturday night? We're at the same bar as always. Danielles welcome. First rounds on us"

Somewhere in your texts - texting Rhett all day long at work was starting to get on Lenny's nerves, you should watch out - you had mentioned it was bound to be a girl's night at home, since Shiree was staying at a friend's for the night.

It's her first time too, so you had imagined pizza and wine to be a good way to keep Dani's heart at ease. But this could work too.

You show her the text, and she immediately smiles. You know it's been a while.

Eighteen. That's how old you were the last time you got to dress up as a single woman for a night out.

You're aware this isn't Boston, however. Tricking an entitled Harvard Law alumni into paying for your drinks is not up for grabs tonight, so you don't go too overboard. Still, Dani is a little speechless when she comes out of the shower. Right back at her, honestly (even though she definitely looks local and you don't).

Danielle drives to the bar, and you're already having a great time critiquing her stiff driving, begging her to relax.

"Wait, Perry's not thinking that we…"

"No, I don't think so."

"Good, makes things less awkward when you and his little brother make your eventual escape."

"That's not going to happen." She looks at you like she really doesn't believe that. You point two other trucks in the parking lot, owned by your ex and his brothers. "Even if I wanted to, it's not a good idea."

"Shit, I'm sorry. Do you want to leave? We can still get pizza."

You smile at her, sincere. You'll miss her so much.

"It's fine, I figured. It's his last day. Hopefully, we will all stay on different sides of the room and he will be enjoying his going-away party too much to care about lil' old me."

Perry's hand comes up as soon as you step inside.

Both of them do a doubletake of your outfit, lingering on the bright red cliché cowboy boots, but you decide to pretend you don't feel their eyes on your bare legs. Rhett gets up to greet you (you honestly didn't expect him to) and your words slip out before you can contain them.

"You smell good." He laughs, and Dani groans a playful 'oh my God' behind you. He's pink. You pat him in the shoulder with a sympathetic smile. "Sorry."

"I'll get another round."

Perry gets up to greet you as well and struts to the bar.

Rhett finds it strange when you take the seat across from him, instead of by his side, but you decide to stick to a good behaviour tonight.

The four of you fall easily into conversation. It's nice when they speak about their school memories and you get to listen, watch them remember and cringe at their old selves.

Your legs are stretched under the table, incidentally in between Rhett's spread legs. He gives you a small kick whenever he catches you looking over the divider to guarantee your ex is not searching for you. So far, so breezy. It's weird.

The other two drink faster, which is why, you assume, Dani jumped at the opportunity to dance with an old flame the minute he recognized her. Perry went to the bathroom.

It's just you and him.

He looks mostly sober and his tanned skin is glowing nicely under the bar's scarce lighting. His hair looks especially droopy.

You smile at him sheepishly.

"I'm sorry, I have to ask. The begonias. What was that about?"

"Oh, God. C'mon. Do you have to?"

The words push through gritted teeth, his entire body recoils in embarrassment.

You simply nod, leaning forward with a teasing grin.

When you do, your legs draw back, but not too much. He doesn't let them. His boots trap your ankles, dragging them forward, closer again.

Rhett’s pupils darken at the way you jump and you bite your cheeks so hard your dimples cave impossibly deep.

It'd be stupid not to take advantage of the moment. You blink slowly. "Please?"

Teeth trap his lower lip, but he quickly rolls his shoulders back.

"It was me. You figured that much." He looks at your for confirmation. Amelia wasn't subtle, and he was even less. "Why did I lie? Uhm, I- Shit, after you said you used to hang out with street racers, well, I felt like a loser giving you flowers from my mother's garden."

You laught at his face. Unabashedly. A nice surprise when he actually laughs along.

"Stupid, right?"

You love when he acts shy. Mousy.

"No. I never got flowers before. I would've liked knowing they were from you."

Your heart beats faster at how wide open this moment is. He did something no one has ever done for you, and you liked it. You liked that he did. And you just told him that.

"More than if they were from Amy?"

You can't look away from his eyes.

"Yes. But don't tell her that."

Perry scares the two of you by slapping the table. He's very much drunk.

"Your turn to get the drinks."

He points at Rhett, who hesitates before awkwardly smiling at you and sliding out of his seat.

The older Abbott is kind of all over the place, so you return his favor from many nights ago and look away, turning your attention to a very relaxed Danielle enjoying the dancefloor.

"I just talked to them in the toilet, you know." The brother finally directs his words at you. He must think you were looking for your ex's table. "They're not happy about this. At all. And they don't like when folks think they're idiots."

"I know. I don't mean to-"

"Yeah, you never do. But all of you who get obssessed with my little brother did not grow up here. You haven't dealt with- You don't know what these lands are like. Consequently, you don't understand the people. Who can blame you?"

You think obssessed is mean.

"I'm sorry, Perry."

"Appreciate that. Still should leave him alone. You've played with him long enough, don't you agree?"

You sip your beer. His eyes are looking past you, venting to no one in particular. Not personal.

"Right."

As a reflex, you look for Rhett. The reason why he is taking so long leaning next to him, making him stutter and laugh.

"Oh, yeah, and then there's that." Perry points the bottom of his beer at Maria. "Sixteen. The first time I saw him look at her like that, and he still does. Not a difference. My folks believe he'll marry her, if he ever gets the chance to."

"What are you saying, Perry?"

You're running out of patience. You never liked people who only spoke their true feelings when intoxicated, while you made an effort to be honest all the time. Well, guess you haven't been doing much of that here.

"Look, you're fine. But who are we kidding? You want big things, you go to a fancy school, you probably drink cocktails during happy hour."

You feel small when he laughs. His attention turns to his brother letting the beer sweat on the counter, transfixed on Maria talking. That's all she's doing, and he looks gone for. Her hand is on his shoulder and he's leaning into it.

"Bless him. He's never gonna leave. And he deserves to find love here, with a nice girl who knows what this place is about, how to deal with a guy like him. And with his family."

If you had eaten anything, it would be coming up.

Did you embarrass yourself with his mother, with Royal? Was there something in the story Amy read that was inappropriate? Did they make fun of you behind your back, at Sunday lunch?

A million thoughts swarm your brain.

"Shit, I didn't mean to make you cry, I'm sorry."

Perry laughs again, with his whole body, and it draws Rhett's attention from the bar. You look away.

"Don't worry about it."

His eyes widen, instant sobriety, seeing you stand up. Before Rhett can join you back at the table, you're fleeing to the bathroom.

When you reach the door, someone walks out of the men's. Your eyes meet, and your ex is the second guy to laugh at you in the span of sixty seconds.

A young girl leaves one of the stalls and lets you borrow her eyedrops, and in a record three minutes, you're walking to the table as if nothing happened.

Rhett is trying to convince Perry to finish the beer in front of him before getting another and Dani is nowhere to be seen.

You're happy for her, letting her hair down. Selfishly, you also think that if she were at the table she would see right through you and ask what's wrong, and you'd start crying all over again. These boys don't have the feeling for that sort of stuff. Good.

The youngest does search your face extensively, however, reaching for your hands under the table. You pull away, leaning your head on them.

You ask Perry about Amelia, a subject you know will make him go on for hours. Ten minutes in, Dani rejoins you with a bit of a flushed look. You smile at her and let the proud father continue.

With three other people there to react and respond, your mind takes the liberty to drag you out of the moment and consider what you've been told.

It isn't wrong.

You don't belong here. Maybe Rhett thinks you are his ticket out, but you don't want to take him away from his family. No, he doesn't want that either. He's better off with someone who, as said, knows this life. Their identity meshing with the dry air, blending in with the colorful streamers in the arena every weekend. Rolls with the punches, all the machismo, better. Can be happy with and despite.

Unfinished business waits for you in Boston. A life. Your life.

And Maria. You won't pretend to know her very well, but she seems liked wherever she goes. Fondly remembered and broadly welcomed. Nice, beautiful, educated and most of all familiar. Ran away from her hometown long enough to be interesting, returned in enough time to be seen as grateful. Prodigal daughter.

The way you have seen him look at her. Bask in her warmth.

It's a really sweet tale.

You think of how often you brought his peaceful mood down with your own paranoia. You took the prize he won to help yourself. How many times did he become anxious and upset when he was around you?

Standing in his way is the worst thing you can do to someone, a family who is kind.

You don't want him to think you were using him or to notice any changes (yet), so when Perry and Dani finish talking about their kids, you spark back to life to ask if anybody's hungry.

"It's early enough that we can still get that pizza."

The perfect comfort food. You nearly melt into her, the two of you holding hands and getting up. "Are you…?"

"Why wouldn't we?"

Rhett asks, and he seems apprehensive. Did you fail already?

Dani shoots you a weird, questioning look.

"I don- I don't know. Just asking."

Perry is still tipsy, heedless. "Want to ask Maria if she wants to come?"

Your hand is painfully squeezed by Dani, and you squeeze back to avoid any awkwardness.

"What?"

"Just saying."

They're standing nose to nose, and it's weird to watch.

You clear your throat, tugging Danielle forward. "We're going! Walking out the door now!"

It breaks your heart when Rhett jogs behind you, catching up and hugging you from behind, swinging your body to the side like he's going to pick you up. He notices your laugh is strained.

"Everything okay?"

"Yeah-"

"Abbott!"

You should've made a more discreet exit.

"Yes?” His arms slip away from your form, turning towards your ex-boyfriend, and you enter a state of panic. “I'm all ears."

You almost move to pull him back before catching yourself. Filled by a weird feeling of deja vu. This is ridiculous.

"Did you think I wouldn't kick your ass on my last night?"

"Try me."

"Hey, don't touch-"

Big hands push Perry, and he stumbles back before you and Dani catch him.

Fed up, you place yourself in the line of sight of both men. Not exactly in between them, but close.

Rhett looks at you for a significant amount of time considering the tempers. It's a clear message. Go ahead, if you want, but I won't entertain it.

"Really, she's got you on a leash already? I have to hand it to ya, I never thought-"

You walk towards him, pulling on his arm for the last time, so you can talk. Eye to eye.

It's hard to say what the other three can hear. You're not whispering, but it's for you and him only.

"It's over. You and I are fucking free. Aren't you relieved? I am. And look at you-" You pat him on the chest, with a proud smile. "Big things in Montana. Lots to look forward to. And you're still stuck on this? Both of us are meant for greater things than this town and anyone in it. Let go."

Lying through your fucking teeth. This place has rotten you.

He smiles, hat casting a shadow over your eyes.

"See, I knew you never stopped being smart."

You return his grin. Sick.

"And you're smarter than your brothers. Tell them to stop messing with the Abbott land before you get a chunky lawsuit. It's not worth it."

Glossy eyes roll to the back of his head, hands on his hips. Doesn't admit it, but not arguing. You smile, self-satisfied.

"Have a good one."

Before you can walk away, he grabs your wrist. Rhett takes a step forward and Danielle tries to cuss him out but is scared of him too, and it dies in her throat.

"You know he's in love with the other girl, right?"

Two seconds ago, he was a big man ready to get physical. Now he's whispering in your ear, fighting dirty.

You sigh, and look straight into his eyes. Laying everything out for him, more than he deserves.

"I know."

He lets go of you, and you flash a last fake smile for him, before walking away.

"And you're okay with that?"

He yells. The others act as bystanders, trying to piece together your conversation.

"Don't worry." You exclaim already on your way to Dani's truck, loud enough for him to hear. "Didn't mean anything."

Readjusts his hat, shakes his head. Boisterous laugh. To Rhett, he says, “Another time. I feel sorry for you, now.”

You look past Rhett's puzzled face, shrugging. Your ex goes back inside.

"Can't believe that worked."

Dani comes up to you, tossing her keys into your hands. You grin. Smart woman.

"Pizza. Please." Perry mumbles like a sedated patient, Rhett helping him stay up.

"Try and keep up."

It's all you say before climbing behind the wheel, releasing a big exhale. Face muscles sore from the strain of forcing yourself to smile so many times in one conversation.

"Okay?" Dani caresses your arms. Smart fucking woman.

The taste in your mouth is revolting, stomach sinking as the words echo in your head. Sorry for him, what an asshole. And you propped him up to believe it, to say it to his face. Lying is taking a real toll on you.

"Will be."

Your emotions are behind your fast driving, as they have always been. Dani's tipsy fit of laughter is an added bonus to the experience.

Perry is just as delighted when you park.

"What the hell, woman?"

You clear the hair in your mouth, smiling wide at the brothers.

"Just showing off. Who's hungry? I'm starving."

Due to your recent change of plans, you have decided a night eating pizza with a group of nice people could be a good lasting memory.

No more overthinking and paranoia. For tonight.

They all look happier when you pretend everything's fine. (Rhett's smile is actually not reaching his eyes, and it concerns you over how much he heard, but you will not think about that tonight).

You'll leave when you're supposed to and they will recover very well.

——————————

The Abbotts come in for breakfast a few times. Even Royal.

Every time, you stash the tips they leave for you in Danielle's box.

You have enough money to go home, pay for your last year and support yourself until you find a job. Actually, you've had it for over a week.

It's hard to imagine leaving. Saying goodbye is terrible. You think about Amy. Part of you wants to pretend like you're way short just so you can stay a little longer.

To silence that part, you buy your ticket and call the university, arranging your schedule. There's a date. And a ridiculous cancel fee.

The following week is spent soaking up the familial nights with Dani and Shiree, watching Pixar movies and eating ice cream.

Giving Lenny a precocious Christmas present. An air freshener for his car, he kept mumbling about his husband asking for one but forgetting to buy it.

Visiting the Abbotts.

Cecilia and Royal appreciate the company of a new person not trying to steal, buy or camp on their land. You give Amy two of your favorite books, a horror novel and one on writing. She promises not to snitch on you.

Perry takes you on a horse walk and you forgive him. He has no recollection of telling you anything, instead, he talks about how much he loves his brother, wants the best for him. It eases your initial reaction that night.

Rhett asks for a date. Friday night. Drive-in movies. You have a whole argument about whether or not it should be official.

"If it's a racing movie, will you say yes?"

"Only if it's Tokyo Drift. I love Han."

(It isn't. It's Grease 2 for, what he says, the third time that year.)

He doesn't understand why you want to go 'as friends'. It's really hard, too, because you've secretly always dreamed about a small town drive-in date.

He gets the better of you.

You go, and hold hands, and he kisses you in his truck. You joke about the windows fogging up. He drops you off at Danielle's with another kiss. A proper goodbye, slow. Hands on your ass and wet noises that you hope the neighbors don't hear. (Danielle does and mocks you relentlessly.)

He invites you to have dinner with his family the next day. You leave on Tuesday morning.

You're washing the dishes while he dries them. Perry brings a sleepy Amelia in his arms to kiss you goodnight. She compliments your strawberry-patterned dress for the tenth time. Royal and Cecilia watch TV on the couch, nearly asleep themselves.

"I think he doesn't know how to tell you, but Perry likes having you around Amy. Like a big sister she never got."

The sponge slips out of your hands, thoughts of his brother's drunken words coming back to you. Actually, this is as good a segue as you're going to get.

"Mhm, I don't know."

"What?"

"I adore her, obviously. But I'm more like the young English teacher she apparently missed out on. Which is a real shame, those are important when you're growing up."

"Don't get a lot of young teachers around here."

He's watching you suspiciously as you hand him the last plate. Too used to your bullshit.

"I'm just saying, maybe I'm not the role model for a little girl like her. I have no family, no prospects, a regrettable love life. I'm an abandoned Bostonian, for crying out loud. Struggling to pay for school and a small apartment, for myself. Not really the poster child for a bright and respectable future in the western lands."

Rhett carries the dry plates back to the cupboard.

"I don't like it when you talk about yourself like that." Please, shut up. Don't be nice now, I'm trying to get at something. "You're just different from us. And, just 'cause she likes you doesn't mean she wants to be you."

You think about the writing book you gave her. What a hypocrite you are.

"Younger siblings tend to look up to the older." He smiles, as if you're personally attacking him. "Hey, you brought up the metaphorical sister stuff. I said teacher."

"So you're teaching her to be you?"

"No! I-" You groan and steal the cloth from his shoulder to slap him with. Folding it in your hand, you swallow your feelings to be able to muster your sentence. "All I mean is that, yes, she should have a good influence in her life that isn't related to her by blood. But it should be someone who is consistent, similar. Someone she can relate to but also trust. Possibly, someone she already knows. That all of you do."

You're struggling not to say her name.

"Are you or are you not talking about yourself?"

He's genuinely confused and you sigh into the folded dishtowel. "Nevermind."

The parents sleep soundly, leaning on each other. You think of how long they’ve been together, how much they’ve gone through. Still so supportive of each other and their family. It’s a nice reality you know nothing about.

Cautious not to wake the couple on the couch, you step carefully around the living room and pick up your discarded coat and purse. You're trying to quietly slip on your Vans when Rhett puts a hand behind your back to steady you.

"I was thinking you could stay."

Glad to have strong arms to hold onto, you nearly let yourself fall back into him, basking in the unapologetic seduction in his words. But you think of the disrespect of having sex while his family is sleeping, sneaking out of the room many girls have snuck out of before, just to move back home in three days.

"I really should go." You smile. "But I'm gonna need help walking in these to Dani's truck without falling on my ass."

He laughs. "Useless fuckin' shoes."

Light rain is still falling, rattling the leaves. It smells amazing. You see the dogs taking cover in the driveway.

You'll miss this so much.

The two of you walk like senior citizens, shuffling your feet to avoid an accident, to the car.

"Okay. Thanks."

You chuckle as he opens the door.

Quickly, you throw your stuff on the passenger seat and climb inside, very obviously avoiding saying a real, kiss-involving, goodbye to him.

He squints his eyes but opts for brushing it off, complimenting you instead.

"You look really pretty tonight."

Don't think about him saying it to her when you hand him over in a platter.

"Thank you. So do you."

You're smiling, but not moving to touch each other.

After a beat, he gives up.

"Alright, goodnight. Drive safe." He steps back, hands in his pockets. You think of a teenage Rhett saying goodbye to his dates. "Like a normal person would."

An awkward, disingenuous laugh. Turning the ignition. Calm before the storm.

"Night."

Your foot is on the pedal before you can regret everything. Before you can tell him that you're so sorry about leaving this way.

In the rearview mirror, you watch him wait until you're completely outside of the gate, then jog back inside.

The whole way home, you think you're going to cry. But you're empty. Resolute.

On Sunday, you ignore his calls, eventually texting him that you're busy with Danielle and you'll talk tomorrow.

It's all true.

Dani had been an unbelievable friend, so you figured she deserved to know that you were leaving before everyone else.

Truthfully, you expected a better reaction.

She had seen you save money, she knows you want to finish school and that if it weren't for her, you'd have nothing keeping you here. She pulls the full truth out of you and you agree that the Abbotts would be a reason to stay.

Except they aren't.

You tell her all about Perry's accidental revelation, the logic behind your sudden leave and why it is better this way.

"Don’t you think Perry would only say that if he was scared his brother is falling in love with you?"

You glared at her, then. Begging silently to not be encouraged in favor of optimism and romance.

"No. He made it clear he thought I was wasting his time, preventing him from being with the person he actually needs."

"Maria? They’ve had their chance and neither of them has ever done anything about it, that should say enough."

"Dani-"

"And, so what? Your feelings don’t matter, are not worth seeing through because he had a crush on the girl everyone had a crush on?"

Reinforcing how desired she is doesn’t help.

"Please. Stop."

It's safe to say she doesn't agree, and she calls you a moron a handful of times, but ultimately concedes when she sees you've made up your mind.

"I think you'll regret the way you're going about it. But I've also never seen you backtrack on a decision. For better or worse, we'll see."

She helps you pack and write your resignation letter, and you end the night watching another Pixar movie with Shiree and ice cream.

Your phone sits on the bedside table all day, untouched.

—————————

It's Monday, your last here.

Lenny is the most supportive, happy to hear you're going to finish school. He requests that you send graduation pictures, and it's a great idea.

You and Dani spend your entire shift attached to the hip as it's a slow day, talking about how she'll be miserable again at work and you will look for her in every diner you go to.

Like a storm to finish the day, a sweaty Amelia Abbott bursts through the doors. Did she run here?

"Is it true?"

"Amy, what are you-"

"Shiree said you're leaving tomorrow. Is it true?"

You look back at Danielle, who has an apologetic look on her face. Turning back to the little girl, you're ready to beg for forgiveness at the sight of her blue eyes filling up with tears.

"Oh, Amy, I was gonna say goodbye."

She turns and runs out of the diner. Danielle is already dialing Perry to let him know that he should drive past the school. Right after, she bolts out of the back door to go get her before she gets too far.

The heartbroken child sulks into her father's car, and you watch from the counter.

Dani comes back inside, walks past you into the lockeroom, and comes back again with her own keys.

"There's like an hour left."

"It's your last day, he won't even notice, go."

You sit there, picking your words, before starting the truck. For someone who calls herself a writer, you're often out of right things to say.

The quiet inside the house when you knock is daunting.

Perry opens the door, and he looks distressed, almost pleading for you to come in and explain.

Inside, Rhett is looking at you in disbelief.

"I was going to say goodbye, I promise."

"Can somebody, please, tell me what's going on?"

It's funny that Rhett, expert mutterer, is the one who understood what a crying Amelia was saying. Now, you can hear soft sobs from one of the rooms with the door closed.

"I'm going home tomorrow. Back to university. Quit today. I only told Danielle yesterday, but she told Shiree so she wouldn't have a shock and then she told Amelia at school."

The father looks unsurprised, which in turn surprises you.

You point to the closed bedroom door. "Can I try?"

He nods.

You sit down in front of the door, knocking first.

"Amy, it's me. I'm sorry. I was going to say goodbye. I'm sorry you found out this way, really." You breathe in. "Look, I have one year left. Remember when I showed you the campus pictures? I love that place. I love what I study. I want to be able to practice it. It's…who I am. I'm going after what I most want. We talked about doing things for ourselves, right? That's all this is, okay? My number stays the same, and you can send me any draft you write, anytime. Or questions your stubborn old English teachers don't want to answer. Any book report you need help with. I'm not too far away, Amy. It'll be fine."

Your eyes are closed, brows furrowed in hopes that she's actually listening instead of shoving her earbuds in like you used to when your foster parents tried to discipline you.

There's more that you wan't to promise her. That she can visit you, that you'll write letters to each other to practice, that you'll come see her. But that would make you too present in the Abbotts' life. You made sure she can reach out to you if she needs, and your communication will be direct. If you sent a letter, everyone at the house would be reminded of your existence. It's not what you're after.

There's no response, so you stand up, smoothing your clothes silently.

Rhett's chair screeches against the floor and he swings the front door wide open, stepping outside. It's your cue to follow. Perry stops you on the way to say he'll try and get Amy to come out and hug you goodbye, which you find oddly sympathetic.

You lean against the porch, watching him pace in front of you.

"I don't get it."

"C'mon. You funded part of my back to school campaign. Hardly a surprise that I'm going back to school, is it?"

"Don't be fucking sassy with me now."

You take a deep breath, preparing to fill the shoes of the asshole. It's deserving.

"Rhett-"

"What? How are you gonna defend this? Amy's heartbroken. Again. You think she likes to be left like this? Time after time. And with no warning. Swept off her feet."

You suspect he's not talking about his niece.

"I'm sorry."

"Sure, yeah." He finally stops pacing. You're standing in front of him, your hands clasped in front of your body, eyes burning against the sun. "I thought…"

"I apologize if I lead you on-"

"You didn't lead me on, kitten, you meant it. What happened to your honesty? Why are you lying to me?"

Right into your lap.

"That's the thing, Rhett. I don't know. Ever since I've been here, what I've done the most is lie. Sneak around. I don't like it. I don't belong here, and it shows."

"Bullshit! Who told you that? Was it one of those blonde fucking pricks?"

"Please, I can't have thoughts of my own?"

"Not insecure ones like this, no."

This is more hurtful than what you imagined. But it's good that he's being honest. You'll remember these words forever and probably be too embarrassed to return here.

"Like I said, I'm sorry."

He throws his hat on the ground, stepping right up to you, grabbing your hands in his.

"Stop fighting yourself."

It shakes you to your core, to hear what you needed to all your life. And from someone who you…

You can't.

"Jesus, Rhett! Wake up!" You push his hands away. "This is your life, your family. Doesn't it matter to you? It's not about me. You need to step up for them, and I'm not the girl who's going to get you there, I'm just not! So you need to find her. If you haven't already."

His blue eyes have never been icier. You can imagine what he thinks of you now. Manipulative. Spoiled. Deceiving.

In the background, Royal's sprinting on top of a horse, cussing angrily. You question Rhett.

"What's up with him?"

He runs a hand across his forehead, reluctant.

"Our dear neighbors are convinced we trespassed their property and are legally demanding we give it back. It's a, uh, considerable amount of good land."

You feel like snapping that useless piece of shit in two. Had it not been enough? To tell him that it meant nothing, that you weren't going to stay with him or feed into this silly rivalry…

You praised him while backstabbing Rhett for him to betray you one last time?

He notices your thousand-yard stare nearly setting fire to all the grass in your vicinity. He warns you, calling your name in a way that says 'don't'.

"Those shitheads- Son of a bitch! I asked him…"

Rhett finally closes the distance, fingers kneading the knots on your shoulders as you huff, exasperated.

"Relax. This shows it has nothing do with you."

His hands massage your neck, thumbs caressing the ends of your jawline, and you close your eyes for a second.

"How so?"

"I'm assuming that's what you pulled him aside the other night to talk about. Play the game. Boost his ego, ensure I'm no threat, and he'd leave us alone. Because you're smart. If it was about you, they would have stopped. It didn't work, so it's unrelated to you, right? It's business. You don't understand, forget it."

You let him pull you in for a hug, stroking your hair while your arms envelop his body.

But then, it hits you. You don't understand. Maybe you made things worse by talking to him, maybe he told his brothers to punch harder, or didn't talk to them at all. Once again, you're proven to be out of your element. You wonder if she would have made this mistake. Or if she would have known the right way to handle this, them. Part of you roots for her.

You push him off.

"Or I wasn't convincing enough. Leaving can still make things better."

"Is that why you're going?"

"Rhett-" You're tired. Can't he just yell, grab your arm, tell you to never show up here again. That, you know how to thread. "It's not why, but it's a damn good reason."

He laughs at you, incredulous. Like he can't take you seriously. Like his brother, when he was drunk. It's a nauseating sight.

"Ok. So, what, you're bad for me? Get over yourself."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me." He's in your face again. "You really think that works on me? Is that how stupid you think I am? You’re bullshitting."

How is he controlling the situation? How did this happen?

"What do I do with that?"

"Tell the truth."

"I am!"

"Not that. Just two weeks ago. Prick's last night in town. You said to him, it didn't mean nothing. What didn't?"

"I didn't know you heard that."

"Well?"

"You and I. It didn't mean anything, soon enough I'd go back to Boston and you'd stay here."

"Did you lie to him, or to me?"

"I have a ticket back to Boston so-"

"Did it mean nothing to you?"

He's staring you down, breathing fast on your face, eyes searching yours for any signs of weakness.

It's right in front of him. The answer.

All these years valuing honesty, putting it on a pedestal, clinging to it as the one virtue you can count on… It made you a terrible liar.

He knows. You realize, then, that his point isn't to hear that you cared for him and that it wasn't all meaningless. Your leaky eyes, heaving chest, gritted teeth, it shows him that you do care.

He's asking you to speak up. To fight for yourself, instead of against. He probably doesn't mind you going back to school, he helped you, even. All he wants is to hear it.

Are you going to let go, tell him how much he means to you and that you'll be back for him? Or will you cower and run, leaving him behind?

You swallow an entire speech.

Rhett backs off, side-eyeing you one last time as he walks towards the steps, before turning to you. "In that case, you're probably right."

Then, Amelia interrupts your moment, running past her uncle and almost knocking him down in the process. You almost tumble yourself with the force of her hug.

It's crushing, and wet from her tears. You smooth her hair.

As fast as she came, she goes. Her weight is missed.

She takes her uncle's hand as she goes up the porch's steps, Perry watching from the doorway.

You fish for the truck's keys in your pocket, hearing the wooden door of the house shut behind you.

—————————

It's an even quieter than usual morning for the Abbotts.

The goddamn dogs look disinterested.

Amy woke up asking to skip school again, but his brother said no. She has spoons under her eyes to try and downsize the puffiness.

He didn't cry. Why would she?

Danielle called, he's not sure why, to say that you were gone. And to relay that you sent Amy a hello, wished her a good day in school.

Life is swift.

They'll be fine.

But he doesn't get it. At first, he thought he could save you from a poor excuse of a man. He had stolen girls from the boys next door before.

Eventually, the obvious dawned on him. They're not teenagers anymore.

You weren't nice to him to be saved, you were just nice. Yourself. Even if you hid, guarded up, dipped your toes in the water before diving. It was only fair. You decided he was good enough to let in.

And then he had screwed it up by fucking you in a strange place against a wall. Coming inside you with no regard for your well-being despite telling you he wanted to make you feel good. Instead, he probably ended up making you feel like another notch under his belt.

He was terrified. That he had lowered your expectations on people even more, convincing you to stay with your boyfriend because it doesn’t look too much better out there; that he had shown you his worst side and you'd never want to look at him again.

But you smiled, just a few days after. Teased him like he noticed you only did with him. Told him he had nothing to worry about, while you worried sick for him and his family. Didn't let him ease your nerves. A no-good, infuriating tendency to be self-righteous.

He knows- He knew you. What he doesn't understand is why you couldn't break those vices for him. What else could he have done to make you feel safe enough to?

You'd sacrifice yourself if it meant his family would be alright.

Did he not make it clear that he doesn't want you to? That, as long as you're gone, he will not be alright? And if he's not alright, he can't step up or whatever you said.

Then, there was all that talk about Maria. Obviously, the woman still affects him. They never got their chance, it's bound to make him wonder…

But even after all these years, he has no clue who she is. What she likes, what she hates. He knows her story by accidentally being part of it, and even then, he doesn't know it that well.

In a few months you managed to leak into every bit of his life. He memorized all of the pieces that built you, made the effort to. And he wanted more. He wanted you everywhere.

Everyone but his niece was skeptical. They liked you despite how vastly different you are, it scared them. For a family who has been through enough hardships, change is always uncomfortable. He spent nights awake thinking about how he could sprinkle a good word about you every dinner, maybe recruiting Amy, so that you'd feel loved by them too. They could love you, he's sure of it.

He doesn't understand why he's not enough. You must have noticed his effort. Sure, he wasn't too good with romance but he never gave up on you. It's not entitlement, you don't owe him anything, he chose you. Like you had said once, that you chose him. What changed?

Why was he not enough?

His mother is frustrated, to put it lightly, that now her two sons brood around the house, and so does her granddaughter. His dad spends even more time working to avoid the off-putting energy in the house.

So she suggests no one goes to Lenny's diner for a while. And that they all go watch him ride on Friday. Then they'll get some good chicken wings on the way home. Together (she means no bar after, no drinking).

They obey dilligently.

The show that night is good, he scores a great time. Maria is there. Not surrounded by blonde assholes, just her friends, he notices. Approachable.

They'll be fine.

————————

last part coming soon :)

[cupoftaae]

Forever And A Day (KTH x READER) series ♡ The Art Exhibit (Chapter 6)

Summary: your lifelong friend is forced to face his true feelings for you once he breaks the number one rule of becoming friends with benefits: dont fall in love. He knows he loves you, but you on the other hand need more convincing of the most important thing: the right decision.

Genre: fwb. Roommates, friends to idiots to lovers, fluff, angst, smut, the whole 9 yards tbh.

Pairing: taehyung x female!reader

rating: 18+ (minors dni!!!)

word count- 5k

chapter warnings!- swearing, alcohol, this is kind of a fluffy ass chapter, but the end is a little frusterating. NO BAD VIBES THOUGH! reader is finally happy rn. tw: annie.

a/n- Hi guys! first of all, HAPPY SPRING! Also happy Ramadan to anyone who is celebrating!! I really wanted to publish this by last Monday at least, but I ended up getting a cold, and then I had an exam this week too that I crammed studied for. I wasnt happy with the ending of this chapter and wanted time to fix it up a bit!! we are getting to the good stuff now so I really hope you enjoy! (ps. another thanks to all the likers, rebloggers, commenters, it means so much to see feedback, ily guys.

The song of this chapter was on repeat while I wrote it !!

This week had been good.

For the first time in what seems like forever, life was actually giving you a break....sort of.

"Kwan, cmon! I promise French isnt that hard if you just sit and let me teach you!" you exhale with a wide smile, looking at the 6 year old who was now running around the living room.

Since Tae quit his job, you decided to start picking up after school shifts to tutor your neighbor, Mrs.Chin, and her bratty 6 year old. You used to tutor her other child, Mimi, who was always well behaved, but she went to study abroad, leaving you alone with the devil reincarnated.

"I dont wanna! its stupid!" the younger child yelled back, making you take a moment to breathe before responding. "Kwan, I would appreciate if you let me teach you, or at least if you even sat down and listened to me read." you said calmly.

You looked over at the pouting boy and his action figures, arms now crossed over his chest as he glared. You sighed and ran your hands over your face, lets just say if the pay wasn't $90 an hour, you probably wouldn't submit yourself to this.

"Kwan." you said, getting up with your textbook and sitting on the floor next to him "your mommy hired me to help you learn, I really want to be able to teach you something here, because whether you realize it now or not, learning a second language is a really beautiful thing" you show him all the pages of notes youve taken from your own classes, watching him view it over.

"I wanna be here for you, we can be buddies, ok? no more fights, no yelling. How about this-" you turn around to him "If you let me teach you for a half an hour, 30 minutes, you can have 20 minutes of playtime, yeah?" you spoke softly

"mmkay.." he looked at you, nodding gently.

"aw, see, you are a good boy I knew you were, cmon, sit and i'll teach you how to introduce yourself in French, so when you go to daycare tomorrow, you can show it off to everyone" you smiled and gently tickled the boy, making him giggle loudly.

You really did enjoy teaching and learning, something about it just made you feel incredibly intelligent, and yes, you loved acting too, but the idea of being able to offer something new to someone genuinely got you excited. If you could go back and change your major to anything, It would probably be French or some other foreign language, teaching abroad doesnt sound too bad.

-

At the apartment, Tae had been cleaning a little bit more. He figured if he was going to have more free time, then he needed to learn to help out around the house....He also needed a distraction from the fact that tomorrow night is the art exhibit, and to say he was nervous was a complete understatement.

The work he'd been creating is done, but like always, he wanted to change it last minute. You sat with him last night and explained that it didnt need to be changed, and he needs to be more confident with himself and his art.

His thoughts were interrupted when you walked through the door, offering a quick smile at him before walking off into the kitchen. He put down his broom and walked over to you, "How did tutoring go?" He asks softly, watching you pour coffee into a mug. "It was okay" you shrug, looking at the clock and internally sighing, it was dinner time and you hadnt prepared anything.

"You okay?" he asks

you look back at him and lean against the counter, "yeah...Kaito was supposed to pick me up at 8, and I sat outside texting and calling him until 8:30, when I decided to just get an Uber home"

"why didnt you call me? I would have drove over there" he frowns, leaning against the opposite counter. "ah, didnt want to bother you" you shrug.

He sighed and looked down. "I made you dinner, by the way" he spoke, making you look up at him warily. "by made, I mean bought, dont worry theres no food poisoning here" he rushed, making you giggle.

"thank you tae, I really appreciate that" you walk over to hug him gently, telling him you were gonna wash up and shower before eating.

He finished cleaning the living room before finally crashing on the couch, watching as you left your room with a towel on your head, making him laugh. "are you gonna tell me my fortune"

You scoff and grab your bulgogi, sitting onto the couch next to him.

"yummy?" he asks, searching for something to watch, "mhm" you smiled and offered a bite which he gladly took.

"oh also, Because tomorrow night is the art show, I was thinking afterwards we should get dinner or something..." he trailed off, avoiding eye contact.

you turned your head to him, smiling softly, "hm that sounds fun. are we thinking Mcdonalds?" you giggle, making him laugh as well.

"nooo, no" his head shook, "I dont know yet, I'll look around."

"we can go to that Korean barbecue place that just opened, and celebrate your win" you shrug

"we dont know if Im gonna win, there are many talented artists participating. I have like no chance, y/n."

you scoff and shake your head, "you are telling me, that THE Kim Taehyung has no chance? I dont believe this!"

He smiled and watched as you rambled about how he has worked for this and deserves it, laughing quietly.

"yeah...I dont even care for the money to be honest. I Just want to go to Paris again...it was fun when we went last time" he sighed.

You chewed your food and nodded, standing up in front of him with your hands on your hips, "Mr.Kim, I am putting it into the universe now, that if somehow you dont win, I will make sure we both go to Paris once more"

"really?" he spoke after a moment, unable to take you seriously with the towel head.

"really"

"I dont think Kaito would like thattt" he sung jokingly, getting up and grabbing the blanket from the other side of the couch, covering himself in it.

"I dont careeee" you sung back before jokingly jumping onto him, squeezing his face as you continued to speak. "I dont even know where he is right now, probably drunk or something"

"does he get drunk a lot?" tae asked, smiling as you poked around his face with your hands. "yeah....kinda. He can handle it most times but.." you cut yourself off, not wanting to say anything else.

"but what?" tae asked, head turning to yours as you laid on him. Your eyes simply scanned over his face as he did the same with you. The urge to kiss him was there, but you knew better.

You got up and off him, making him sit up and look at you. "but what?" he repeated

"nothing" you smiled before stealing his blanket and running off to your room, making him get up to chase after you.

You were both laughing, but Tae was still catching his breath. You looked like you wanted to kiss him, no? His mind ran around in circles, ultimately convincing himself that he really does need to drop this and stop over analyzing everything.

He sat into his bed that night, looking over at his painting which leaned against his desk. He so desperately wanted tomorrow to be perfect, he wanted to win, but he also wanted to impress you.

His mind wandered down the rabbit hole. was it too clingy to ask to go to dinner after? was he annoying you and you didnt have the heart to tell him?

He rolled his face against his pillow, sighing heavily as tannie ran up and jumped on the bed, cuddling with him.

Across the hall you paced your room, glasses on as you tried to memorize your studying and figure out an outfit for tomorrow.

You gently hummed to yourself before moving the coat hangers around to see what you had, you dont exactly have 'art show' worthy clothes. You knew that ultimately it didnt matter, it wasnt about you, it was about him.

You climbed into bed and wrapped up your homework, deciding to pull your phone out and see if your boyfriend called or texted.

0 notifications

you sighed and opened up messages, texting him quickly.

you: hey....I hope you are okay? You havent texted or anything, im a little worried. you were supposed to pick me up today and then go for like coffee or something. did you forget? its okay if you did, just hope you are safe.

you bit your lip as you sent the message, waiting for a few minutes for a possible reply, but ultimately receiving nothing.

-

"ah, Yun Y/n, you really have impressed me, this is amazing"

you looked at your theatre teacher with hopeful eyes, glad that she appreciated the project script you stayed up to finish last night.

You bowed politely, "thank you so much, that means a lot"

"of course" she responded, taking her glasses off, "I really do hope you decide to take this class next year, you are one of my best students and I think the incoming freshmen would love to learn from your writing skills"

you smiled and nodded, "I dont see any reason why I wouldnt stay" you laughed lightly, making her nod, "good!"

she handed you your papers back with the received grade, allowing you to walk out into the hallway to see a certain someone.

"um...hello?" you spoke, aggravation evident in your voice. Kaito looked up from his bag at you, a guilty expression now showing.

"y/n, baby im sorry about yesterday"

"Look, I dont care about the pick-up thing, why couldnt you text me this morning even? I thought you died or something"

he laughs yet you were not amused. "My phone broke" he cleared his throat. You sigh and look around. "you know how many phones are on campus? you also have so many classes with Chae, would it kill you to relay the message?"

"im sorry, ok?"

you glared at him. 'Sorry' had become his broken record repeated phrase lately, and honestly, it didn't sound all to genuine anymore.

"yeah" you shrug and begin to walk away before he stops you. "Oh, are you free tonight?"

you stop and turn, shaking your head, "no, I have plans"

He scoffs, "doing what?"

"I have an art show with Taehyung and its late, we are going right home after"

"I see" he nods sarcastically, obviously pissed off. "are you going to the party that Jungkook is throwing at least?" he adds

"oh yeah....Dahyun invited me, I'll be there I guess" you mumble

"good" he smiled and held your cheek, making you look up at him. "dont bring him, okay?"

you look over his face before rolling your eyes and turning to walk to your next class.

Things lately with Kaito havent been as well as you had planned. When you two first started dating, the romance was there, there was a spark within sharing similar interests and likes, there were cute dates, late night conversations. As you find yourself walking down the hall, you wish that perhaps you never got to know the quiet boy in your acting class. You ponder about what would have happened if you two just remained friends, strangers, even.

His drinking was something you had been made aware of by a few classmates, but you can only blame yourself for ignoring them. As much as you hated to admit it, you didnt care in the moment. You are a young girl, who has vulnerabilities and of course wishes to find someone that makes her feel special....but given that....you also deserve pride, and the power to know, or to walk away from situations that arent helping you grow.

You dont ask much of kaito, he couldn't even pick you up on time and let you know why. It was borderline pathetic. He was pathetic, and the marks still evident on your wrist were enough to prove it.

you dont know what you had done in a past life to get such shitty treatment from men, but you could only pray that either the universe sends you in a different direction, or fixes the broken path you are currently trying to fight through.

-

"I called the restaurant, they take walk ins" Taehyung cheerfully spoke, barging into your room to see you sitting with your back towards him, papers sprawled around your desk surface.

"thats good" you mumble, refusing to turn around at the excited boy.

Taehyung notices the shift in your voice, the way your back is slumped over as you hid yourself in the piles of paper and homework. As he walked over, small droplets of tears resting on the wooden desktop below you are visible. You had been crying. A gentle hand comes up to graze against your back, remaining still for a moment before he spoke. "Y/N, whats going on?"

You sniffled, wishing that you could just be alone but also refraining against sending the boy out, he just wanted to help. "Im just stressed" a simple shrug and a blow of the nose make taehyung sit on the end of your bed as he faces you, deciding its enough distance from you, but not too much. "do you wanna talk about it?" he asks softly, his hair resting in front of his eyes, its grown so long these days.

You looked back at him and remained quiet for a moment before opening your mouth, "no" you shook your head. "I just....I just want tonight to be fun, I want you to have fun, I want this for us, just one day without anything pulling us down, okay?"

Taehyung nodded slowly, not sure what could have sent you into a spiral like this, but respecting your decision to not speak on it. "Okay, yeah, we will have fun okay?" he whispers, hand now holding yours as he got closer to you, wiping away your tears. "don't cry, everything will be alright sweet girl" he brings you into a tight hug as his words are close to brining you to cry again. You can blame it on being hormonal, but something about the comforting nature of the boy in front of you made you just want to constantly be there, support and love him for what he is. You would cling to him like a koala if you had the chance.

but he wasn't yours, and you were not his.

You had not been the best friend to taehyung for the past few weeks, something youve tried to make up for by either cooking, or buying him new art tools. You even stayed up late with him a few nights ago just letting him rant about all the shit on his plate. It made you realize that this boy would tell you every little detail about his life, he trusts you so much, yet you couldnt even be honest about the kaito situation.

Guilt was the best emotion to describe the feeling in your chest.

The best thing you could do tonight is to treat him like he were king of the world, he deserves a break, and it would kill you to have to be the one to ruin it again.

You sniffled and looked back at him, "so are you gonna show me the menu of the restaurant or what?"

Taehyung laughed lightly, squeezing your hand as he helped you up and led you out into the living room with him.

-

Every time Taehyung see's you upset, he feels as if those emotions transfer to him. If he could snap his fingers, or wave some magic wand, he would make it so you never cried again. A part of him was upset that you didnt feel comfy enough to open up about what exactly was bothering you, yet at the same time, he was able to understand your reasoning. You two fought more in the past few months than you have in your entire lives, it felt like walking on eggshells every time he spoke, he was fearful of losing you as a friend, so he made sure each word that came out of his mouth was nothing but delicate, kind, and loving.

He buttoned up his suit, smiling at himself in the mirror as he sprayed on some cologne you bought for him last Christmas. He remembers how much you loved to cuddle up to him when he got home from work, hiding your face in his neck, complimenting how good he had smelled.

Seems like those memories are so distant, in a way he almost mourns them. He is grateful to even have you at all, but as time goes on he truly believes he may never get over you, that you will always just be the one that actually got away.

He looks down at his drawer in his bathroom, the drawer that had been shared by you whenever you had used his bathroom. It hadnt been open in a while, but as he looked through it, he couldnt help but laugh.

purple nail polish.

You asked him if you had left it in his bathroom and he told you no. He thought it was cute that its the shade youve always worn. He even bought you a new bottle just so he could keep the one you left behind.

His mind flickers back to when you had begged him to let you paint his nails, after about 30 minutes of pestering, he finally gave in, letting you give him the full spa treatment.

He softly smiled as he examined the polish, carefully putting it back before walking out and into the living room.

"AHH you look so cute!" you giggled and ran up to him, squishing his bread cheeks. Tae had never worn a suit before, but you took him shopping a few days ago and convinced him he would look really good in one, and he has to admit he feels pretty well fit in it.

You fluffed his hair up and smiled softly, watching his eyes scan over you, something that made you blush. "You look really good, is this a new dress?" he asked quietly

"wow you noticed" you teased

"Of course, you look so pretty in it" He wanted to go on, he wanted to tell you how beautiful your smile looked and how it didnt matter what you wore, because in the museum full of brilliant art, he probably would only be able to look at you tonight.

"thank you" you shyly spoke, "are you ready?"

He held up his canvas, smiling brightly and nodding. "Here" you placed a plastic bag over the art so it wouldnt get destroyed or ruined in any way, especially since it was raining out.

"thank you" he spoke, lifting it up again before grabbing the umbrella and walking towards the door. "Lets go win that prize and rub it in everyones face" you tease, cheering as you made your way down the hall, tae walked behind and watched your childish nature, giggling to himself.

-

It was crowded.

You didnt even know there was this many art students in your school.

"just stay with me, its okay" Tae whispered to you after dropping off his artwork at the front table so they could enter it into the contest. He noticed your fidgety state, gently grabbing one of your hands with his own. You offered a light squeeze in acknowledgment.

"Taehyung!!!"

You both turned around to see Annie running up, smiling brightly with a glass in her hand. "Uhg Im so glad you made it, did you submit your work??"

"yeah I just gave it to them" he pointed at the adults working the table. "great, I seriously cant wait to see your work hung up, I know whatever it is will be beautiful."

"ah thank you, you are too kind" he spoke softly, feeling your grip on his arm tighten.

"Hi Annie" you spoke, annoyed that she chose to ignore you. "Oh hi!" she waved. "Im sorry, I forgot your name, what is it sweetheart?"

Taehyung scoffed quietly, stopping you from speaking before him "Her name is Y/N, I only talk about her all the time" he looked down at you, offering a reassuring smile.

"Oh, I forget everything im sorry" she giggled loudly. "cmon, lets go get something to drink" She tugged on his other arm eager to get him away from you.

"do you want anything?" he mouthed to you, making you shake your head. "no, go have fun" you offer, watching him give into annie's aggression with a sad smile, walking away.

You took your time walking around the exhibit, stopping at each frame to read the small descriptions and notes. You were never super artsy like Taehyung was, but it was impressive to see how dedicated he was.

you made your way through the large crowds of chatter, searching for taehyung before spotting him in the corner by the food stand. You walked over and gently hugged him from behind, it wasnt an act of anything, you just hated being in crowded areas, so you clung to him as best you could. His hand gently grazed along your arm before turning, a audible scoff from Annie is heard as he turns to face you.

"Hi sweet girl, You okay?"

"yeah" you nod, "I was just looking at all the art, which is beautiful but I think they have nothing on yours"

"Youre biased" he chuckled

"tsk tsk, I tell the truth" you giggled, hugging him as you rested your head on his chest, his arms around you loosely. To any onlookers, you two were a couple.

You both are naturally cling people, perhaps it can be to blame for how you both fell so easily into the friends with benefits thing.

"I didnt know you guys were dating" annie took a sip of her wine, gesturing between the both of you.

"oh no, we arent" you quickly spoke, "we are just really close"

"ah..." she trailed off and gave a knowing look to Taehyung, making him shrug. He didnt like to be mean, but he also liked seeing how jealous she got of you. He would never date Annie, and he felt guilty for maybe leading her on, but he feels pride in knowing that shes jealous of you.

you are his girl whether you were dating, friends, anything, everyone knew that.

"they have food if you are hungry" he suggested, patting your back to get your attention.

"Oh, thats okay, im saving room to stuff my face with Tteokbokki later" you both giggled,

"lets go look around, yeah?"

you nodded and grabbed his hand, leading him away from the judgmental girl watching you both like a hawk.

You noticed his frown as you sat in front of a canvas filled wall, "whats wrong, tae?"

"these are all....amazing..." he gestured towards a few, head lost in thought and self doubt.

"bubs, i promise you, yours is just as good if not better. remember what I said, no matter what happens, the outcome will be okay" you rubbed his shoulder, watching a small smile appear on his face.

"everything will be okay" he whispered to himself, taking a deep breath before nodding

-

As the night went on, guests were informed that the ranking and award ceremony would be taking place in just 15 minutes. Taehyung had been wrapped up in conversation with another one of his classmates, eyes absent mindedly searching around the banquet hall for you.

You told him a bit ago that you were gonna go grab a drink, and its been 10 minutes.

Across the room, little to his knowledge, you were wrapped up in your own conversation with a boy who caught you admiring his own work. "It took me a few months" the boy spoke softly, both of you standing in front of his painting. "You didnt want so submit it into the competition?" you asked, watching him shake his head. "I dont need people judging my art, it doesnt matter what they think. I like being able to just put it out into the world for what it is, I dont need a prize for that"

You were taken back by how well and soft spoken he was, unsure how to respond, "Whats your name by the way?"

"My name is Jung Hoseok" he bowed his head lightly, smiling brightly at you. "Ah nice to meet you Hoseok, Im Yun Y/N"

"pleasure meeting you" he spoke, shaking your hand. "so are you here tonight for your own art?" he added

"oh no, no, I am definitely not an artist", you giggled. "Im here with my best friend, he is the one participating tonight"

Taehyung finally found an out in the conversation and began his search for you, pushing through the room to see you standing next to some stranger. He would be lying if he said he didnt like to see you with other men, especially Hoseok, who was in his art class. He would rather you be standing with Kaito at that point.

"Oh taehyung!" Hoseok greeted the man you didnt even know stood behind you, making you turn and smile. "Sorry, I got lost" you giggled, taking his hand as he moved beside you. "Hello Hoseok" tae bowed his head.

"Y/N told me you are trying for the contest, good luck, I heard the judges tend to pick favorites" he laughed and tapped his arm, making him awkwardly smile. "I think he will be ok, wait until you see his painting, its beautiful" you spoke up

"Im sure" he looked at you both, bowing politely before walking off into a new conversation with his nearby friends.

"dont let his charm get to you, he isnt the nicest person" taehyung turns and speaks, gently leading you back to the front of the banquet hall.

"What? he seemed so sweet" you spoke

"I heard he is kind of....you know....like, he likes to play with multiple women at once" he explained as best he could, making you smile, "a man whore" you suggested, making him laugh. "yeah, a man whore"

"dont worry, Im not interested. Ive had enough boy drama to keep me away from any penis within a 5 mile radius" You spoke, watching Taehyung burst out in laughs. "speaking of him, is kaito mad you are here?"

"If he is, I dont care, tonight isnt about him, only you"

-

A few moments later, everyone had gathered into the front of the banquet hall, a panel of 3 judges proudly standing on the small stage ready to reward the prizes in rankings of the top 5 works of art submitted tonight.

"I am so nervous" Taehyung whispered, not directly at anyone but himself. You looked back and smiled, grabbing his hand and entwining it with your own. "Stop stressing, your hair is gonna go grey." you both quietly giggled before the lady on the mic began to speak.

"Thank you all so much for coming to our annual art banquet show, this is the 11th year we have been graciously welcomed back and we could not be more excited as the number of participants grow each year." she adjusted her glasses before speaking again. "Tonight is not about winning, or being the best, it is about recognizing talent of all unique levels, seeing things from other peoples eyes, its about the beauty of art"

The audience clapped lightly, making you smile as you looked around at everyone piled up together in anticipation.

"With that, I believe we are ready to begin the gift ceremony. The other judges and I graded on not only the art itself, but the impact received through it, we were looking for those who went outside the box, and we are happy to say we were not disappointed."

Taehyung looked at the black cloths that hung over the art work that was pinned on the wall up front, unsure if his was one of them or not.

"I'll remind everyone of the prizes, 5-3 place recieve a generous cash prize, as well as a discounted art session for next semester, 2 place recieves a larger amount of cash, while 1st place gets a visit to the Louvre Museum in Paris France, fully paid!"

The crowd happily cheers, the excitement in the room can easily be felt. You were nervous for Taehyung, not because you didnt think he could win, but you knew how much he wanted this trip. You wanted to see him happy, and most importantly, you wanted him to be proud of himself.

"We will now begin" The older woman walks to the lined up art, standing in front of one. "In 5th place, we will happily be awarding this to...." she gently pulled the black sheet off, revealing the art as the crowd clapped happily.

"Seo Yoon, with 'a walk with existence'"

you looked around to see the girl stand up and go to collect her certificate, bowing and thanking the judges.

"4th place, goes to.... Park Jimin, with 'serendipity'"

Everyone cheered as the younger man walked up to join the others.

You felt taehyungs hand squeeze yours lightly, as the 3rd person was revealed and it wasnt him, now he was eager. He either got 2nd, 1st, or none at all.

you gently rubbed his back as the woman went to reveal 2nd place. "In 2nd, we have..." the painting was revealed, "Kang Annie, with 'daydream'"

You both looked at eachother, "I didnt think her art was that good" taehyung claps but whispers in your ear, making you giggle and hold his arm for support. The tension in the room grew as the judge made her way to the remaining painting, the cloth gathering in her hand.

"and for first place, we, the judges have decided to reward...." the curtain felt like it fell in slow motion, taehyung quite literally on the edge of his seat.

"Kim Taehyung with 'Forever and a day'"

You jumped up immediately as his name was called, his beautiful painting on display for everyone to see as claps and "congratulations" were gifted his way.

"I won?" he mumbled, standing as you grabbed him close, hugging him tightly. "I fucking knew you could win!!! Im so proud!!!' you cupped his face and smiled, making him smile as well.

"get up there and claim your prize" you mumble, urging him up to the stage where he went to collect his prize and certificate. "Congratulations to everyone who won, and everyone who participated! lets get a round of applause for all the talent here tonight"

The room clapped loudly as you caught his eye, smirking and chanting loudly, maybe a bit too loudly for an art show. He laughed and congratulated the other winners, giving annie some bullshit answer when she joked about being his Paris plus one.

"You have no fucking idea how proud I am, Taehyung" you hugged him once more as you two started to get ready to head out. He made sure you took 10 million photos of his painting on display, making it your lock screen on your phone.

"I still cant believe I won.....it doesnt feel real" He joked, linking your arm with his as you both made your exit after saying goodbyes to everyone.

"wait until it hits, you are gonna be so proud of yourself. Paris....PARIS, taehyung, this shit is huge. Im not gonna lie, I almost cried when I heard your name"

"you did not!" he chuckled as you both walked to your car.

"Yes I did, you just dont get it" you teased "felt like such a power moment, you just know annie was pissed too....little bitch"

Taehyung bit back his laugh as he sat in the drivers seat, pulling his seatbelt on and resting his head back as you got in. "Thank you for everything, for coming....for just being my support" he spoke kindly, wide grin stuck on his face.

"dont thank me, im always gonna be here for you, seriously. Now, lets go eat until we get full, order dessert we cant finish, take it home and get drunk" You put your seatbelt on, car filled with excitement and giggles as he began to drive to dinner.

He really did feel excited, He was mostly in shock on how he was able to win something he threw together last minute.

Blame it on the alcohol, but some deep part of him wanted to come clean in this very moment, as you were now in the crowded restaurant, music blasted as you sang loudly, you looked so beautiful and alive.

The painting was about you.

Taehyung spent hours dedicating himself to that painting, and it was about you. It seemed like a perfect time to just rip the bandaid off right now, a night where everything was going right.

"y/n..." he mumbled, watching as you happily looked over at him, his heart now in his throat. you stopped dancing and made your way over to where he sat at the bar, your drunken self leaning forward to hear him over the music.

"I just wanted to tell y-"

"youre so handsome, jesus christ I hate you" you interrupt, words slurring as you look at him lovingly.

He knows you are drunk, but the comment still made him laugh, "thank you" he whispered as you walked back out to the dance floor, dragging him with you.

"ah y/n, im not really a dancer"

"you dont need to be, just listen to the music and feel it" you shout, jumping around and holding his hands. He has to admit, seeing you away from your usual tight knit persona was really attractive, of course he admired you always, but he never saw this side before, it was new and exciting.

He allowed himself to relax a bit, taking another shot before finally giving in and dancing with you in the crowded bar. "thats it!" you yell, jumping around with him as you both fell into fits of giggles. "cmere" you turned around and pressed your back to his chest, and even in his drunken state, his heart still fluttered at the sudden contact. You carefully danced against him, not in a promiscuous way, simply just a light sway.

You two ended up spending a bit too much money at the bar, making tae ultimately put a cap on the drinks for the night. You werent ready to leave yet, so he ordered a basket of fries and water, sitting at a table with you in the next room.

"we have to sober up just a little bit, I still have to drive home" he giggled and sat beside you, taking a few fries and shoving them into his mouth. "thanks bubs" you slur, eating the fries and chugging water like you havent had any in weeks.

"are you having the best day of your life?" you ask, making him smile, "yeah, I am actually" he held a fry up and fed it to you. "good, me too" you spoke, mouth open and full of food.

the two of you sat and spoke until you felt some of the alcohol waving off, "hmm, do you wanna go home?" you asked him, noticing how tired you both were getting.

It had been almost 5 hours youve been here, and you didnt want him to only stay because you wanted to.

"yeah...its kinda late" he smiled softly, standing up and helping you.

"youre okay to drive?" you ask, watching as he looked into the next room, listening to the jazz song that was playing.

"tae?" you walk over, watching him turn and smile. "wait, before we leave.." he held your hand and led you into the other room. "dance with me, just one last song" he looked down at you, and there was no way to say no to him.

You two were surrounded by some older couples, all of them turning their attention to you as you made your way into the center of the floor, saxophone blaring through the speakers.

Taehyungs long arms wrapped loosely around your waist, resting just above your butt, your arms reaching up to hold his shoulders as you two slowly swayed to the music.

"Why are you looking at me like that" you mutter, thankful for the dark lighting hiding the current blush on your face.

"Like what?" he smiled

You shrug, giggling softly, "I dont know" you bit your lip and looked at him, alcohol still able to be felt deep in your veins.

"whats so funny, hm?" he teased, looking directly at you with a wide smile, "whats my girl always laughing about?"

you shyly looked down, the weight of his gaze too much. Your head rested against his chest as butterflies filled your stomach. this was wrong.

"you cant say that" you whine quietly

"why not?" he stood back and gently spun you around, making you smile as your hands returned to his shoulders.

"because....im not your girl" you mumble, eyes fixated on both of your feet below.

He sighed and rested his head against yours, words not needed, yet actions saying much more as his hands squeezed your waist gently, rubbing up and down carefully.

you looked up at him finally as the song was coming to a close and allowed yourself to just be, smiling as he looked at you. "You will always be my girl" he whispered so only you two could hear, he quickly turned, grabbing your hand. "lets head home"

You felt breathless, and most of all guilty....but not in the way most would think. You were guilty about not feeling guilty. You had fun, and you werent going to apologize for the mindless flirting that occurred tonight.

-

The both got out of the car and jumped under the hood of your apartment complex, looking at the rain pouring.

"I had fun, tae..."

"I did too" he looked at you hopefully, his hand returning to yours.

"we need more time for just us, we've been so wrapped in other shit" you sigh, the sound of rain surrounding both of you.

"I agree, I dont care what we do, im always enjoying myself with you"

You smirk and jokingly jump towards him, embracing him tightly "ahhh tae tae...what will I do with you, little art boy" you smile as he laughs.

You both pull away, arms still on eachother as you stood outside your home. There was a moment of quietness, eyes scanning over eachothers faces.

"Tae...." you whisper, gathering your thoughts before he slowly leans in, nose brushing yours. The top of his lip grazes against yours as you lean in, suddenly realizing what was happening as you pull your head away.

He didnt react sharply, just watching you with sad eyes.

"we cant" you whispered, shaking your head

"why not?"

"because we dont know what we are doing tae, we know better than this." you firmly say

"do we?" he spoke calmly, eyes still fixated on you.

"yes.."

He looks down at your hands, squeezing them "please...."

You frown when he isnt looking, dragging your hand to pull his wet hair out of his face. "Im sorry" you softly spoke, rubbing your thumb over his cheek, "lets go get some rest, yeah?"

he waits a moment before nodding, silently following you into the apartment.

You werent sure what exactly was in the air tonight, but you knew something changed, and maybe it was the universe finally answering your call.

A/n: sorry ...

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@turnthepageandbeburnt @taebangtanbabe @borahaexoxo @lelefoodlover @tan-veee