#inspo: team eight

[cerowrites]

MEET THE TEAMS: TEAM EIGHT

YUUHEI KURENAI

The only child of Yuuhi Shinku and Takenada Honoka; Kurenai is a new jōnin, a veteran of the Third Ninja War, and one of the strongest genjutsu users in Konoha. Team Eight is her first team and she's thrilled with the prospect of teaching young ninja.

HYŪGA HINATA

The oldest child of Hyūga Hiashi and Hyūga Hiyomi and the older sister of Hyūga Hanabi; Hinata is a shy girl who greatly admires Uzumaki Naruto. This wallflower desires to be like her hero, Naruto.

ABURAME SHINO

The youngest child of Aburame Shibi and Aburame Kiku and the younger adopted brother of Aburame Torune; Shino is a loner whose only friends are his Kikaichū. The boy would love discover a new species of Kikaichū.

AKIMICHI CHŌJI

The only child of Akimichi Chōza and Satomi; Chōji is the leader of this generation of InoShikaChō and bewildered to find himself not on an InoShikaChō team. This food lover is determined to be the best leader his clan has ever seen.

[kimstills]

i can see you

pairing: aaron hotchner x f!reader summary: "here i was thinking that i was special because you would only look at me with that desperate look on your face, but i see that you give any old man that look, right?” content warnings: jealous!hotch, reader is a panther (aren't we all), bathroom sex, mirror sex, p in v, sexual tension, unprotected sex (r mentions being on birth control but wrap it before you tap it!), rough sex, dirty talk, size kink if u squint, spanking, hair pulling, choking, dom!hotch, sub!reader. word count: 3.9k (y’all this was not supposed to be this long lmao) notes: day 18 of @hotchfiles marchhotchness 'self-image' but also HEAVILY inspired by this post from @softhairedhotch because it made me go FERAL and i love jealous hotch (but pls lmk if taking inspo was okay!!) this is also my first hotch fic ever so pls lmk ur thoughts or any other feedback <333

aaron hotchner was not a jealous man.

he had no right to be jealous over something that technically did not exist or someone that technically was not his.

and although he only had himself to blame for that, he really did wish that you were his. and as much as he was telling himself not to be, he was jealous.

but it wasn’t the typical jealous where he watched you be approached by someone much younger than him—someone your own age instead of his—and by someone who already had him beat in reciprocating that flirtatious energy you often used on aaron himself.

no, this type of jealousy was one that was boosting his ego and making him feel lightweight, albeit the fact that it still made him see red.

it was a typical night out with the rest of the team, all of you having agreed that the eight of you were in need of a couple of drinks after some long weeks of paperwork and back and forth cases.

you were all engrossed in the conversation, but you had left the table to get yourself another refill on your drink and had taken far too long than it normally would have, the rest of the younger members—all besides reid—having decided on hitting up the dance floor throughout the time you hadn’t returned to your seat.

it was practically natural for aaron to look for you in a crowd, but what he hadn’t expected to find was you, sitting in a bar stool on the right side of the bar, being hit up by a man who had to have been a couple of years older than aaron himself.

the front hairs of the man’s head were peeking of several grey hairs, paired with a matching grey beard and an overall radiance that screamed of that older man type that you were apparently into.

the sudden revelation made aaron feel dizzy, the confirmation of your attraction towards older men making his pants tighten as he watched the way you stared up at the man with that sultry look of yours—the one where you were somehow able to perfectly mix mischief and innocence seamlessly together.

while you had used that look on aaron countless times before, times where it had been only you and him alone in his office, way past working hours, he had never done anything about it. but, god, as he watched you do it to someone else, out on the open, there was nothing he was currently regretting more.

aaron’s train of thought was interrupted as he felt someone kick him from underneath the table he sat at, whipping his head to the person in front of him only to find rossi staring at him with a smug look on his face.

he cleared his throat, “what?”

aaron mentally cringed at the way his voice wavered.

“you gonna be done being jealous anytime soon and make a move or are you just gonna sit there throwing daggers at the guy?” dave asked, brows raised.

he took a long sip from his drink, trying to avoid the question for as long as he could as he tried to compose himself, “i don’t know what you’re talking about,”

rossi rolled his eyes, “oh, please, aaron. you don’t have to be a profiler to notice the way you can cut the tension that’s between the both of you with a butter knife,”

aaron’s brows furrowed.

“you have all the confirmation you need right there,” dave pointed his thumb behind him, signaling at you and the man, “if that’s not enough for you, then i’m declaring you helpless at this point,” he let out a sigh, standing from his seat, “i’m going to get another drink and if i find you still sitting here, wallowing in your thoughts after getting my refill, i’ll go up to them and encourage her to go home with the man.”

aaron’s fists clenched at the thought. at the thought of you sprawled on the bed of another man, wearing that same look you had on just now and staring up at him as you—

his body acted faster than his brain did, and before he even had the chance to process what he was doing, he stood from his own stool, not allowing for another moment to pass by as he stormed over to where you and the man were sitting.

from your side of the room, you can see aaron make his way over to you through the peripheral of your vision, the excitement of finally getting a reaction out of him making your heart skip and your thighs press together as you took into count the way his fists clenched and unclenched at his sides.

the pressure you put on your thighs didn’t do anything to relieve the ache you felt in your core as he reached where you sat, coming to stand behind—was his name michael? although the stranger you had began talking to was definitely older than him, aaron was a good several inches taller, towering over the both of you.

he cleared his throat, cutting michael off from whatever he had been talking to you about as he turned around with a raised brow. aaron’s expression didn’t falter, not sparing a single glance at the man as his eyes landed on you, “y/n, can i speak to you for a moment?”

you mentally rolled your eyes. ever the formal one.

michael scoffed from in front of him, angling his body so that he was able to properly glare daggers at your boss, “we were in the middle of a conversation here, if you don’t mind?”

although your attraction for aaron skyrocketed in comparison to the man you had just met, you were thriving off of the jealousy radiating off of the one you wanted the most, the ache in your stomach only growing.

before aaron had the chance to shoot out a reply, you set your hand on michael’s forearm, giving him a small, but sad smile, “i’m sorry, michael,” you butted in, jumping off of the bar stool, “i’ll be right back, okay?”

another scoff comes from michael’s direction, “whatever,” he grabs his drink and rolls his eyes, “don’t even bother coming back,”

ew.

this time you actually rolled your eyes, grabbing at your drink and drowning the rest of it. you shrug, “older men are always a hit or miss,” you mumble, setting the glass down.

aaron’s hand comes to wrap around your wrist, a firm but gentle grip on it as he pulls you close to him, “let’s go,” he seethes in your ear.

you hide a smirk as you follow behind him, letting your body practically flail as you struggle to keep up with him. when he notices your staggered pace, he matches his footsteps with yours, moving his hand from your wrist to your waist as he guides you through the crowd and towards the hallway that lead towards the bar’s restrooms.

the both of you gave a silent thanks at the fact that there was no line, the hallway scarce and dimly lit with the exception of a few people standing together against the walls, either flirting or talking.

“what are you doing?” you ask, standing behind him as he knocks on one of the doors, his grip on your waist still very much present.

“you’ll see,” he mumbles, yanking the door open by the knob after no one replies and pulling the both of you inside before slamming the door shut behind him.

you try to take a good look at the interior of the bathroom, trying to guess if it was a good enough place to do whatever the two of you were about to do.

a faint gasp escapes your lips as you feel something hard press into your ass, immediately melting as one of aaron’s big hands comes to rub at the side of your leg, right below your hip. his whole body comes up behind yours, his other free hand coming to your stomach to press you into him.

“aaron—” you try to speak but get cut off as you let out another gasp, one almost like a sigh, as the hand that was rubbing at your leg sneaks further up and wraps itself around your hip, aaron’s thick fingers digging into your skin despite the material of your shorts that blocked his hand.

aaron dips his head so that his mouth is right next to your ear, his breath and the faint touch of his lips against the lower part of your jawline sending shivers down your spine.

“is this okay?” he asks softly, a total contrast from the vice grip he had on both your front and hip.

you nod quickly, your hand coming up to your right where he held your hip to wrap around his own.

“use your words, honey,”

the pet name makes you whimper and your thighs clench in spite of the fact that you were standing up. you let out a ragged breath as he awaits for your answer, the hand that was pressed to your stomach furthering down until it was right above your pelvis but below your tummy, pushing you further back until you could feel how hard he actually was.

you whine, your other hand coming to wrap around that one, too, “yes,” you sigh, “it’s okay,”

aaron presses his lips into that same spot below your jaw, gently and lovingly before whipping you around so that you were facing him and pushing you up against the counter.

not even giving you a chance to process what he had just done, his lips crash onto yours roughly, making you moan directly into his mouth. your bring your arms up around his neck, running your fingers through his hair and tugging.

aaron hisses, slapping at your thigh in a firm way that had you let out another moan.

“aaron,” you whine, pushing up into his chest out of desperation.

he hums, “do you want my attention now?” he asks through the kiss, “don’t wanna go back and talk to that guy you were all over just a couple of minutes ago?”

“no,” you mumble, huffing as he breaks away from you to wrap his fingers around your chin.

he chuckles as your lips form into a puffy pout, “here i was thinking that i was special because you would only look at me with that desperate look on your face, but i see that you give any old man that look, right?”

“no!” you whine again, your arms dropping from around his neck to wrap around his bicep, squeezing at the muscle to try and pull him closer to you, “just you!”

his confidence was beyond what it normally was, feeling you squirm from against him yet still wanting his touch, “really? so you weren’t planning on going home with that man? all those times you touched his shoulder or the times he would touch your thigh meant nothing?”

“yes, they didn’t mean anything!” you huff, “you’re the one i want to go home with all the time!”

aaron’s heart clenched at your confession, knowing that deep down you really did mean all the time. he had just never been sure if you truly were interested in living a joint life with him. up until now, that is.

he brings his hands to your back, right by your shoulder blades as he connects your lips once more. your shoulders relax and you lean into him with earnest, squeezing at the muscle from his bicep.

you hum, satisfied as he begins to run his hands up and down, resulting in the fabric of your shirt lifting with every time he went up, eventually ending up in nothing but rolled up fabric under his palm. he breaks the kiss once more to toss your shirt over your head and near the sink’s counter, leaving you in only your shorts.

aaron stared at your bare breasts, not expecting you to have not been wearing a bra despite the tight shirt you just had on.

you shiver under his gaze, opening your mouth to say something before he lowered himself and quickly attached a mouth to one of your breasts, the other one coming up to grab and squeeze at it. you moan, gripping onto the marble counter for support as he presses sloppy and wet kisses to each breast.

his fingers come to undo the button of your shorts, hooking them inside your panties before shoving both articles of clothing down your legs, signaling you to kick them off of you. you toed your shoes off as well, leaving you completely naked and bare for him while he remained fully clothed.

he turns you around gently, bringing you face to face with the sight of you completely stripped in the mirror, the image making you clench your thighs together once more as you stabilized yourself on the sink.

aaron’s hands soothed all around your body, a whimper leaving you at the feeling of his calloused hands groping at your breasts before moving down to your soaking pussy.

as if on instinct, you spread your legs open for him, practically inviting him to dip his fingers into your folds and inside your entrance. the thickness of both his index and middle fingers stretching you out. you knew you had always loved his hands for a reason.

a moan bounced off the walls as he pumped his fingers in and out of you, moving torturously slow before he began to pick up the pace. you could feel your slick drip onto the floor and probably onto the rest of his hand, but all you could focus on was shamelessly bucking your hips into your hand and spreading your legs for even more access.

“you’re soaking, honey,” aaron says, hand coming back around to squeeze at your breast again, leaving you gasping as he pinched your nipples.

you whimpered, “just for you,”

“‘just for me?’” he repeats, “not for anyone else, right?”

you shake your head no, pussy clenching around his fingers, “j-just for you, aaron,”

his hand left your breast to smack at your ass, making you jump, “good girl,”

with that, he takes his fingers out of you, a throaty whine leaving your lips at the empty feeling. you arched your back into him, but immediately stilled at the sound of him removing his belt filled the room. you watched from the mirror in front of you as he undid his pants button, reaching past his boxers to pull out his cock.

oh shit.

your mouth dropped at the sight of his dick spring out from where it had been confined, your slick hole clenching at nothing at how big he was. you knew that aaron hotchner was definition of big dick energy, always wondered what he was secretly packing, but now you wondered if you were going to be able to take it all.

he was thick, veiny all around with girth too thick that it hurt just looking at him. as much as you could tell you wouldn’t be able to walk after this, it excited you far too much.

you gulped, meeting his eyes in the mirror, landing on his hungry gaze, “is it going to fit?” you ask quietly, trying to bring your legs back together.

“we’ll make it fit,” he says, sounding confident of himself, a hand coming to stop you from closing your legs, “will you let me know if it’s too much?”

you take another look at his cock before giving him a determined look, “i will,” you nod.

he nods back, angling your head with his hand so he could press a kiss to your mouth.

you give into him easily, arching into him until you feel the tip of his cock slip through your wet folds and line up with your entrance. you had taken dick before, but never this big, so as he gave you one last look, you took a deep breath before feeling him sink into you.

you gasp, already feeling full by just the tip, though the slickness of your pussy helping you in adjust.

“still good, honey?”

you nod again, too busy focusing on how his length was stretching you out further than his fingers had.

smack!

aaron’s hand landed another spank on your ass, making you snap your heads toward him with a confused, dumbfounded expression. he glared, “use your words.”

you huffed, doing your best to not roll your eyes, “still good,” you replied, going back to focusing on how full your pussy already felt, “is it in yet?”

“almost, baby,” you whined again, pushing your ass back onto him and earning yourself another inch inside.

humming in delight, you felt aaron begin to move, setting a slow pace as he inched himself in and out to get you used to the length that was already inside you.

“aaron,” you sighed, “give it all to me,” you pleaded at him through the mirror, “i can take it,”

he studied your expression, all needy and flushed as you tried to buck your hips further back to fill yourself up more, “let me know if it’s too much,” he warned.

you nodded eagerly but didn’t get a chance to reply as he shoved the rest of his length inside, the tip immediately hitting that one spot. you gasped loudly, the feeling of his whole cock inside you awakening a hunger inside of you, “fuck,” you moaned, dropping your hands so that you were resting with your elbows on the counter, “please, aaron. move,”

he hesitated for another moment, and just as you were about to look behind you, you felt him begin to move, pistoling his hips into your ass roughly.

you let out a shriek, your hands grabbing at anything you could reach in order to stabilize yourself as he began to mercilessly pound into you from behind. he slipped his dick in and out of you each time, your pussy hugging the veiny length each time he did.

the sounds your juices made due to you being soaked vibrated against the room each time his hips hit your ass roughly, and it only edged you on further.

“a-aaron,” you moan, breasts jiggling against the cold sink as the girth of his cock stretched you out, “aaron! oh, fuck!”

you thought you had felt good getting his attention when you were back flirting with the guy, but nothing could have prepared you for the feeling of his dick slamming into you.

from above, aaron grunted and groaned, fingers and nails digging into your hips harshly as he pounded into your perfect pussy. he loved the way you clenched around him, taking it back perfectly each time he slipped back in.

his hand reached for your hair, wrapping his hand around it and pulling you back until you were flush against him with your back still perfectly arched. he dropped his hand from your head to wrap around your neck, fingers digging into the sides.

you gasped, not having a choice as you looked at him through the now foggy mirror, the image of your body rocking with every smack against your body only adding onto the sensation.

“such a perfect pussy,” aaron grumbled into your ear, “this pussy was made for me, wasn’t it sweetheart?”

you did your best to nod regardless of how weak your body felt, of the way you could feel your slick drip down to your thighs or the way you were drooling from your open mouth, “belongs to you, aaron,” you mumble, surprisingly coherently despite the way he was choking you.

“yeah, it does,” he grunts, free hand coming to grab at your stomach again before pushing against the spot where his cock was evidently sliding in and out of you, making you squirm, “this greedy pussy belongs to me. not to that bastard you were flirting with, right, honey?”

you nod again, eyes stuck on the tummy bulge you currently displayed, your hole clenching at aaron’s cock even tighter at the way the indent disappeared when he slipped out versus when it reappeared when slipping back in.

“feels so good, aaron,” you mumble, saliva dropping from your lips and onto your pointy, practically rock hard nipples that jiggled with each thrust.

“yeah?” he asks, breath hot against your ear, “taking it so well for me, such a good girl,” he praises, hand leaving from your stomach to slither down to where your bodies connected.

you let out a squeal as his middle finger slipped through your finger and his index began to rub furiously at your swollen clit, the feeling making the knot in your stomach tighten and tighten.

you babbled aaron’s name like a loose mantra, bodies rocking together as he quickened his pace after realizing that you were close to orgasming, hand tightening around your neck and finger rubbing even faster than before.

“c’mon, honey, come for me,” he encouraged, “come all over my cock, pretty girl,”

it was all the confirmation you need to let yourself go, body shaking and aaron’s name being repeated as you chased the high, glad that he was holding you up with his hands as your whole body stuttered.

the feeling of your pussy clenching and unclenching around him violently made aaron groan, sweat dripping down his body as he began to reach his own high just from the way your body reacted to orgasming from his dick. from the way he was fucking you and from the way he was naming you as his own.

you could feel his pace falter from behind you, lazily meeting his pace as you tried to encourage him to finish, “come in me, aaron, please,” you whined, needing to feel him fill you up to the point where his come would leak out of you, “fill up my pussy, aaron,”

he gave you a look of unsureness through the mirror before you nodded at him, “i’m on the pill. it’s okay. please,”

that had been all the confirmation he need for him to finish inside you, his cock twitching inside you as his seed filled you up, making you moan as you rode out your own orgasm, still clenching tightly around him.

you giggled at the way his body practically toppled onto yours as he tried to catch himself, bodies pressed together as he held onto the counter with his dick still inside you.

he snaked his hand around the side of your face as his breath evened, pressing a gentle kiss to your cheek and shutting up your whines as he pulled out from inside you with a kiss to your mouth.

“jack’s at a sleepover today,” he says after a few moments of silence.

you inch an eyebrow at him, watching as he leaned over to grab some toilet paper, snatching some off the holder before wiping himself clean of you and wincing at the sensitivity as he wiped gently at your own folds and thighs, “is he now?”

he hums, tucking himself back into his boxers and quickly buttoning his pants to help you put your own clothes on, “he is,” he grabbed your discarded shorts and parties from the floor and signaled you to lift your legs, “we can go home and i’ll wake you up with breakfast in bed and ask you to be go on an official date with me in the morning,”

your heart pulls as he buttons up your shorts for you, reaching for your shirt, too, “i’ll only say yes if we keep going when we get home,” you admit, making him freeze in his movements.

he pinched your nipple.

[niki-phoria]

pairing: gamer!niki x gn!reader (no pronouns used) genre: fluff word count: 662

includes: gamer niki, non idol au, mentions of live streaming, lots of fluff

a/n: inspired by this post from @lovelylusts !! i hope you don't mind me taking some inspo from your idea <33

gamer bf!niki who mercilessly beats you at mario kart 

— he plays dirty too

— blocks the screen so you can’t see where you’re going, reaches over to tickle you until you drop your controller, distracts you until the time limit passes

— sometimes he does it intentionally just to see your pout

— he lets you win before you stop playing tho, just to see you smile

— if the other members are around while you’re playing they’ll purposely get in niki’s way just so you can win

— he pretends to hate it but the smile on his face says otherwise

gamer bf!niki who teaches you how to play his fav games

— it’s your fav bonding activity to do together

— he’s very cliche about it too

— niki sits behind you, arms wrapped around your waist, hands placed over yours as he helps you press the buttons on the controller

— the type to press kisses against your neck/shoulder when you pass levels or get better too

— probably tickles your sides when you accidentally mess up too lmao

gamer bf!niki who lets you play on his accounts (at the expense of his rank)

— he’ll even purposely go back to intro sequences just so you can see how to play

— niki is extremely patient while explaining everything to you

— he’ll do that thing where he puts his hands on top of yours and shows you how to use the controllers/play the game

— the members call him a simp

— he totally is one

gamer bf!niki who never lets you pay for your own games

— even if he has no interest in whatever you want, he’s willing to spend all of his money on whatever console/game you want

— helps you set up your account and figure out all of the controls too

— niki will play whatever you want whenever you want to

— you always get to decide what game(s) you’re playing for the night

gamer bf!niki who will always be your player 02

— doesn’t even let you think about playing with anyone else

— even if he’s literally falling asleep while you’re playing niki will sit next to you and follow you around your animal crossing island

— he’s totally willing to carry your team on pvp games too lmao

— massacres the other team and then turns to you like “good job jagi :D you got them all”

— he enjoys games the most when he’s playing with you but don’t tell anyone that

gamer bf!niki who makes servers just for the two of you

— he goes out of his way to hide them from his hyungs too

— probably had to kick heeseung off of at least one mc server lmao

— he gets super into it too

— makes a million different servers just to annoy you

— he doesn’t name them either you have to scroll through a list until you find “new world #18” to get which one you want

— “ki which one was the bedwars server again?” “...world number eight. i think”

gamer bf!niki who always invites you onto his streams

— exclusively streams with his members and you

— it doesn’t matter if you have your own channel or not he’ll bring you on whenever he can (or whenever you want to)

— if you do have your own channel, he goes out of his way to shout you out

— he will not rest until you have more follows than him

— “niki the numbers don’t mean anything to me” “but you deserve the support of the entire world”

— it’s really sweet honestly

gamer bf!niki who loves you so so much

— it’s mostly the little things

— the blue light glasses you bought him to prevent eye strain, your gentle hand and shoulder massages whenever his body gets sore, your smile when you drag him out on long walks just so he gets some fresh air

— niki truly adores you

— and he does everything he can think of to makes sure you know it

[senditcolton]

If You Want It Done

summary: after a disappointing playoff loss, brady reappears on your doorstep eight months after he ended things. and he has nothing on his mind but taking out his frustrations by having you desperate and keening for him once again. however, you aren't about to submit without a fight.

song inspo: NFWB by Hozier & Rats by Motionless in White word count: 5.1k warnings: feminine reader. smut! hair pulling, fingering, unprotected penetration, spanking, slight choking, oral (m receiving), and - as always - a healthy amount of dirty talk. plus somewhat toxic and insanely cocky brady.

a/n: no tricks here. just a sweet treat in the form of long- awaited Brady Skjei smut. technically it's a continuation of this blurb, but i just combined the original and the addition into one fic for you all. enjoy and happy halloween.

Sadness. Humiliation. Shame.

Those should be the emotions running through Brady as the plane lands back in Carolina after Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Because he wasn’t back ready to fight for another win. He was here to pack his bags and go home.

The best team in the Metro. Swept. By a wild card team who barely made the playoffs.

It was a disaster, an embarrassment. And Brady should feel the heavy weight of that failure, even if he might only be responsible for one-nineteenth of the blame. Or, at least, he should feel the waves of sadness crashing over him about the way it ended, or the mere fact that it did end.

But he didn’t. Perhaps he had earlier, when that final buzzer sounded and the fans in South Florida cheered. But now, having sat with those feelings for the better part of 24 hours, he was no longer sad.

He was angry.

And so, when the wheels touched down in Raleigh and he collected his car, he didn’t drive home.

Instead, he drove to yours.

~

A tired sigh leaves you as you pull up to your quaint cottage-style home. A long work week was cause for an even longer relaxing weekend and you were ready to start that weekend by getting inside and having a long nap. Or a strong drink. Or perhaps both.

However, after hopping out of your car and wandering up the small path that leads to your front door, your plans placed on a momentary hold when you see someone leaning against your siding, their baseball cap pulled low.

“I’m not interested in whatever you’re selling,” you call out, ready for this stranger to flash you an award-winning smile and tell you all about how their company could save you money on roofing repairs after last week’s storm.

But when their head lifts, you stop in your tracks as you recognize the face staring back at you.

Hell, you used to wake up to it every morning for eight months. Until he ended things.

“Brady.”

His name falls from your mouth in complete practiced apathy. You didn’t need him to know how much time you spent crying over him in the last month. You especially didn’t need him to know how your heart still skipped a beat when his eyes connected to yours.

“Did you see the game?” he asks.

“I heard.”

“And?”

“And what? Do you want to cry for you?”

There’s a humorless chuckle that comes from Brady as his head falls before he takes a step towards you.

“You always knew how to make me feel better,” he says, the sarcasm lacing his voice. And when you hear it, that dry scathing tone, you realize that you didn’t recognize the man in front of you.

Brady was always soft, gentle, welcoming. It made the dichotomy between you even more obvious; you all sharp edges and harsh words and burning fire. It was part of the reason the two of you broke up.

But this Brady… there was something different. Something dangerous. it intrigued you. But not enough for you to give in.

“I’m not going to coddle you, Brady. You should know that by now.” 

“I don’t want your sympathy.”

“What do you want then?” you ask, finally taking a few steps forward, closing the gap between you and your front door. “You want my pity? You want me to say ‘poor you, poor Brady’?”

It’s your turn to let a scoff fall from your lips as you reach into your bag for your keys, Brady now behind you.

“If you wanted someone to feel sorry for you, you came to the wrong fucking house,” you explain, unlocking the door.

Before you can even reach the handle, you feel Brady step forward, his hands falling on your hips as his body crowds you into the smooth wood. You attempt to take a deep breath to calm your heart but it doesn’t help because when you breathe in, your senses are filled with the smell of his cologne. A smell so familiar. One you missed.

Brady moves closer, his body almost pinning you to the door and you can’t stop your knees from trembling as you feel the heat of him behind you.

“I came here because I missed you,” he whispers into your ear.

“And it took you getting your ass kicked to realize that?” you shoot back. Although, the waver in your voice betrays you, revealing how much your body was responding to him; his touch, his words, his warmth. Brady just lets his previous sentence continue, as if he didn’t even hear you.

“And because I know you missed me just as much.”

You couldn’t let him do this – let him come crawling back to you when he was broken or bored. You no longer belonged to him. It was a recipe for disaster.

“I think you’ve forgotten that I’m not one of those girls that would fall on their knees for you.”

“You seemed to enjoy being on your knees for me when we were together.”

“And we’re not together anymore. So, find someone else to fuck your frustrations out on.”

“Is that what you did?”

“None of your business.”

You feel his grip on your hips tighten and you barely have time to react as he effortlessly spins your body until your back is pressed against the wood of the door, your eyes now looking up at him.

“You’re lying.”

Brady almost spits out the words, as if even the barest suggestion that what you said was true was poison to him. Your eyes follow the movement in his temple, the clenching of his jaw, the storm in his eyes. This wasn’t the side of Brady that you knew.

But it was a side that you were always curious to discover. Throughout those eight months, you wanted to know if Brady had that same fire hiding within him – a passion and intensity that could match yours. And now, you could finally see it peeking through.

You wanted it to come out completely. 

“And you can tell?” you ask, wielding your words with edge and precision. “Does that make you feel worse? If I told you about all the other men that ended up in my bed?”

“You wouldn’t dare.”

“I wouldn’t? Are you sure? You knew what you giving up when you left. Can’t blame me for moving on.”

“You wouldn’t,” Brady repeats, one hand falling away and you barely have time to comprehend where it had gone when you feel the steady weight of the door fall away from you.

Your body lurches back, the momentum pulling you until it is abruptly stopped by Brady’s strong arms, pulling you close and lifting you over the threshold. Your feet find the hardwood of your floors before Brady is spinning you again and you find yourself pressed against the door once more, this time inside your house instead of without.

“You wouldn’t,” he reiterates, “because no one could make you feel as good as I did.”

You hear the deadbolt click, the sound causing the heat pool in your stomach. Brady’s hand moves back to your hip, pulling you close again as he leans in until your lips are barely touching. It’s intoxicating, having him this close to you once again. You are about to surge forward, connect your lips to his, let your fire burn with his. Until Brady speaks again.

“No one could make you feel as good as I’m about to.”

That statement pulls all rationality from you and you don’t hesitate to close the gap between you, crashing your lips onto his. Brady returns the kiss with as much intensity, his hands gripping you tighter while yours move to trace over his arms, his broad shoulders before tangling into that salt-and-pepper hair. The kiss is frantic, all teeth and tongues and it takes a moment before Brady finally pulls away, connecting those brown eyes to your own

“You’re mine,” he whispers. “You always will be.”

The words cut right through you; as a threat or a promise, you weren’t really sure. But the instant that Brady crashes his lips back into yours, you find that you don’t care.

God, you missed this. You would be lying if you didn’t spend many restless nights reminiscing on how his hands felt on your body. How his lips felt on your skin.

But you wouldn’t tell him that. The words would never leave your mouth, not while Brady is standing in front of you. You wouldn’t give him that satisfaction. At least, not yet.

Instead, you get lost in Brady’s kisses, your hands coming to tangle deeper in his hair, pulling him closer to you as your hips roll up to meet his. You think you can hear a dark chuckle rumble from Brady and vibrate directly into your body, sending sparks of electricity flowing through you. His hands roam across your body, up from your hips to the soft material of your blouse before landing on your breasts, giving them a squeeze, causing your head to fall back.

“Missed these perfect tits,” he mumbles, his movements against your chest continuing in response to the soft moan falling from your mouth. Your moan turns into a sharp gasp as Brady grips the center of your shirt and tears it open. The sound of the buttons scattering across the hardwood floor floods your ears and it inexplicably turns you on even more.

If this was any other man, you would be pissed off at him for ruining your one of your favorite shirts. But this was Brady. A new Brady.

In those eight months you were with him, he was nothing but a gentleman, both outside and inside the bedroom. And he was more than satisfactory. But you knew there had to be something underneath all that charm. An untamed animal just waiting to be unchained.

And if this was the key to its cage, you weren’t about to stop everything to cry over a few buttons. But that didn’t mean you weren’t going to complain at all.

“You’re buying me a new shirt,” you mutter against Brady’s lips. Brady swiftly removes his mouth from yours as he looks down at your newly exposed bra.

“Gonna buy you something new to wear under it,” comes his response as his thumbs trace over the edge of the plain nude material and this time, you can stop your eyes from rolling in annoyance.  

“Do you really think I wear lingerie to work?” you quip, staring up at him.

You can see his eyes harden and it is in that moment that you realize he was enjoying this. The chase, the tease, the dare, the push and pull between the two of you.

“If you don’t like it,” you continue, your voice taking on a sultry tone as you continue to meet his dark brown eyes, “then take it off.”

The quick sparkle that appears in his brown eyes makes you think that he has taken the bait, that you might have gained some control over the situation at hand – a situation that you were wholly unprepared for but welcomed none the less. And when Brady leans back in to lock you lips together once again, his hands wandering around your ribcage towards your back, the confidence grows.

However, it takes a sharp plummet when you feel his hands drop from your frame. If Brady had given you a split second longer, you would have broken the kiss to question or quip him again. But you have barely any time to miss the sensation of his hands on your skin before you feel them grip the back of your thighs as Brady uses his athletic strength to effortlessly lift you off the floor.

You gasp, a gasp that Brady gladly swallows before he spins, tearing his lips away from yours to look around your house. There is a part of you that wants to tell him nothing has changed from the last time he was there – the furniture is the same, your bedroom is still two doors down on the left – but your lips have already busied themselves marking the smooth skin on his neck.

There was also a power in your decisions; forcing him to find his way through your space all while doing your best to distract him. And it seems to be working as you feel Brady’s pulse shudder underneath your mouth.

You feel him take a lurching turn right and a slight flash of confusion runs through you until you feel his body lowering. The soft material of your couch hits your knees and the skirt you had on flows out around you as you now straddle Brady.

“Forgot where the bedroom was?” you chirp into his neck, feeling his desperate hands return to your torso as he removes the tattered remains of your blouse from your waistband.

It seems that it takes a minute for your words to register but when they do, Brady’s hand lifts to tangle in your hair. Another gasp escapes from your chest as his fingers tighten before pulling your head away from his neck. He quickly reverses the roles, his own lips moving to your newly exposed throat, your breath transforming from gasps to soft sighs as his mouth works against your skin.

“Who says I’m not going to take you there after I’m done here?”

“Who says I would let you back into my bed anyway?” you retort to keep some semblance of control.

Your pathetic attempt is clearly read by Brady, who makes you falter once again as the hand not tangled in your hair effortlessly unclasps your bra. His lips depart from your neck as he helps slide the material down your arms, throwing it carelessly somewhere in the room. You both hate and love the smirk that appears on his face as he takes in your heaving chest, your pebbled nipples. His dark eyes dart back up to you briefly before he is tugging you into him for another animalistic kiss.

“Seems that you like it so far,” he whispers into your open mouth before he pulls away again, lifting your body upright and pulling you closer. “I’ll take my chances.”

You wish that you could say something back, something to knock his arrogant confidence down a peg but your mind goes blank as his lips move to your collarbone, leaving faint hickeys against the taut skin before moving down to your chest. His lips close around one of your nipples, tongue moving to tease the sensitive peak as his hands rest on your ribcage, his thumbs running across the delicate skin on the underside of your breasts. Your hands fly to the back of his head, keeping him close and you can feel his lips curl against your skin. The action both turns you on and pisses you off, a combination that you weren’t sure could even work until now.

You fly into action, hands moving down to grip the fabric stretched across his broad shoulders, tugging at the material and pulling it upward before he finally breaks away to help you remove the shirt entirely, tossing it away to join your clothes on the living room floor.

His lips return to your chest, moving to leave no skin unmarred with his love bites as your hands drop to his shoulders, fingers digging into the muscle in silent encouragement. Brady’s hands lower before coming to grip your ass and you gasp as he pulls you forward, the action causing your hips to roll. You both let out moans at the sensation of you grinding against him and it turns you on more to feel his erection against your core.

“And here I thought I was the masochist,” you joke, moving your hips of your own volition, pressing deeper into him. The grunt that your actions pull from his chest has you grinning. “Who’d know you get this hard from getting your ass kicked?”

You must’ve struck a nerve, prodded at the memory he came here to forget, because the only thing you hear in response is what could best be described as a growl before he lifts you off of his lap enough to slip out from underneath you. Your brain recognizes the weight of his body disappearing from the couch and you attempt to turn, just to keep your eyes locked on him but Brady doesn’t give you a chance.

His large hand finds the space between your shoulder blades and pushes you forward, your torso falling until your chest meets the back cushions. You can’t stop the gasp that falls, your arms lifting over the edge of the couch as your back arches, your hips pressing back towards Brady now looming behind you.

A dark chuckle echoes throughout the room in response to your actions as he pulls the material of your skirt over your hips, exposing more of your body to him. He doesn’t waste any time, doesn’t even bother removing your underwear, instead choosing to move it to the side before he slips two fingers into your already soaked core.  

You let out a moan, your head falling forward as Brady’s hand moves, winding you up and my God, you would be lying if you said you didn’t miss the feeling. His thumb quickly finds your clit, pressing against the bundle of nerves and you can’t stop the way your body responds to his movements.

“That’s what I thought,” he laughs. “You have no right to that attitude when you’re this fucking desperate for me.”

He emphasizes his words with a curl of his fingers, the tips grazing your g-spot and the combined sensation of his hands skillfully moving against you almost has you falling over the edge. Brady doesn’t give you your satisfaction that easily though as he removes his fingers from your core. You whimper at the loss, listening intently to Brady’s movements behind you, impatient to feel him once more.

Brady doesn’t leave you wanting for long as you hear the rustle of his pants hitting the floor and before you can blink, you feel his hands practically tear your panties down your legs before he enters you in one swift, harsh motion.

The moans that you both let out are delicious and desperate. You whine as you move your hips back, pushing him impossibly deeper. Brady groans, his hands quickly finding purchase on your hips, gripping you tight before he begins to move.

“Oh god,” you moan out as Brady fucks into you with quick hard thrusts, showing no mercy, your ass rippling every time it meets his hips. You are grateful for the couch cushions in front of you, helping to support your upper body as your fingers dig into the fabric so deeply that an irrational part of you worries you might tear it.

“Not God, sweetheart. Just me,” Brady replies, his movements barely faltering. “Come on, say my name.”

You wish you could tell him to fuck off, make a quip about his cocky attitude but your mouth doesn’t seem able to form the words or any words for that matter. The only thing you want is for him to continue. A sharp smack against your ass jolts your body forward and your head whips around in surprise, eyes connecting to Brady.

“Say. My. Name,” he repeats, now more command than anything else, every word punctuated by another spank and you are helpless to comply.

“Brady,” you whine, your desperation painted on every letter, your eyes staying locked on him, drinking in his reaction. He groans, his teeth coming to bite his lower lip, his gaze dropping from your face to connect to where his cock disappears into your pussy.

“Fuck, that’s it, sweetheart.”  

His quiet encouragement is all you need to continue moaning his name over and over. One of his hands falls from your hips to join yours in gripping the back of the couch, his body now completely covering yours, the new leverage only increasing the strength in which Brady thrusts into you. Your head falls to rest against the back cushion, the sounds of your staccato whimpers and breathy curses filling the living room along with the continuous depraved slapping of skin against skin.

You whine as you feel his hand disappear from your hip and slowly trace up your body, the softness of his touch a sharp contrast. The gentleness doesn’t last long and your whine turns into a gasp as Brady’s large hand wraps around your throat, pulling your head upwards.

“Keep saying my name,” he says, his hot breath fanning across the shell of your ear. “Let everyone know who’s making you feel this good.”

“You are, Brady.”

“Yeah? Can anyone else fuck you like I can?”

“No. Only you.”

“That’s right. Only me,” he growls in satisfaction, emphasizing his words with his rhythm.

“Fuck, Brady, please,” you plead, your voice strained from how much focus it took to pry the words from your mouth. “I’m close.”

“Well then, come on sweetheart. Touch yourself. Remind me how good it feels when you cum on my cock.”

The speed in which your hand falls is reckless, frantic to get that additional pressure that you were craving. As soon as your fingers press against your clit, your head falls back against Brady’s shoulder in relief. His praise is muffled against your skin as he peppers your shoulder with kisses, only interrupted by quiet curses as he feels your core flutter.

It is hot, so unbelievably hot – how he’s fucking you, how he’s holding you – that it doesn’t take long for you to finally fall over the precipice, your own hand faltering against you as your orgasm rocks through your body. A groan falls from Brady as he feels you clench around him; a groan that he muffles by sinking his teeth into the flesh of your shoulder, the additional sensation causing you to moan louder, hips rocking back against him as his motions halt.

The haze that pricked at the corner of your eyes slowly dissipates and you can feel Brady’s hand fall from your neck. The cool air cascades over your back as Brady lifts himself away from you causing goosebumps to appear. A small whimper escapes when you feel him remove himself from your core and steps away. The submissive part of your mind, still in control, panics in fear that he might leave. But the concern is short lived as Brady sits down next to you, pulling you back into his lap.

He wastes no time capturing you in another kiss, stealing any remaining breath from your lungs. Brady attempts to break the kiss but you don’t let him, hands lifting to cup his jaw and pulling him deeper into the kiss. He doesn’t resist and allows you to continue to kiss him, his own arms wrapping around your body.

Eventually your hands move, trailing down his throat, dancing over his chest and you smile against his lips as you feel his abs tighten in response to your fingers sinking lower until they finally reach the desired destination.

You gently take his still hard length in your hand and stroke him a few times, which was easy to do with your prior release clinging to the silky-smooth skin. You grin as you feel the vibrations of Brady’s soft moan in response to your ministrations. The cloud of your orgasm had lifted and, in its absence, your own confidence returned.

“Want me to take care of that for you?” you question, only moving far enough away to ask, your lips brushing against his occasionally. Brady doesn’t respond; you knew he wouldn’t. He had worked too hard to give up the dominance he held over you so easily. But you weren’t deterred.

You kiss him deeply one more time before your lips follow the path your hands previously traced: down his throat, over his collarbones, across his chest. An occasional moan and curse fall from Brady as you continue your descent and you grin, knowing that his resolve was slowly cracking. Your body moves, shuffling from being perched on top of his lap to kneel on the plush carpet between his thighs. Brady’s eyes are needy when your own eyes dart up to meet his stare. Your hand strokes him again but you make no attempt to put your mouth on him, the dare hanging clearly in the air.

“Baby, please,” Brady finally speaks, his hips punching upwards.

“Who’s fucking desperate now?” you quip, unable to contain your excitement at regaining the upper hand. Your jaw drops open in surprise as Brady’s hand darts out, grabbing your neck once more, his eyes growing dark.

“You want to repeat that sweetheart?” he asks, that dominant energy rolling off him again. Except this time, it doesn’t make you back down. Instead, it just spurs you on, that heat and elation as it returns – the battle, the chase. Your dropped jaw just morphs into a wicked grin and you are ecstatic to see a similar smirk twist onto Brady’s lips; a quiet confirmation that he was still enjoying the newfound push and pull between you two.

“Come on Brady. Admit it. You are just as desperate for me as I am for you,” you explain, your voice dipping again into your lower sultry timbre. “Tell me, do any of those other girls have a mouth like mine?”

You flatten your tongue against his shaft and lick a bold stripe up his length before moving your lips to leave a lingering teasing kiss on the head. Brady groans, his head falling back as his hand moves from your neck to tangle in your hair, pulling you closer in an attempt for you to fully wrap your lips around him.

“No one can fuck me like you can?” you continue, hand wrapping around his cock. “Well, you’ll never find someone who can give better head than I can.”

You don’t give him any chance to respond as you surge forward, finally taking him into your wet mouth. Your tongue traces every vein that you could feel as your hand moves against the rest of him. Brady’s moans sounding from above fuel you and you continue to work your sinful magic against his skin.

It may have been months since you two were in this particular position but you feel like a part of you will remember everything about Brady, including all the spots that make him groan and twitch and throb. Your lips move to suck on the tip, teasing the area where the head meets the shaft with your tongue.

“Fuck,” Brady curses, his hips jumping causing his cock to thrust into your mouth. You gag a little before withdrawing – not completely but only enough to catch your breath. Your eyes dart to his and find that he is already staring at you, his salt-and-pepper hair falling over his forehead. The moan you release at the sight vibrates around Brady causing an identical moan to escape him. You inhale deeply before lowering your head, relaxing your throat until the entirety of his cock is nestled in your mouth.

“Goddamn, you’re so fucking good at that,” he groans, his fingers twisting in your hair. You move, shallowly bobbing your head as you feel him pulse against your tongue, a tell-tale sign he was getting close. The assumption was only confirmed by the next word Brady spoke. “Fuck, baby, gonna cum.”

You pull your mouth from him, replacing it quickly with your hand and continuing the pace you had set.

“I won’t waste a drop,” you say, keeping your eyes locked to his as you wrap your lips around him once again, your hands moving to the side his thighs and pressing your fingertips up into them. Brady understands your silent request, hand once again tightening in your hair as he moves his hips upward, taking control.

“Yeah? You going to swallow it all like a good girl?”

You nod your head, keeping your mouth open and accepting everything he gives, moaning against his skin as he increases his pace. It’s only a few more moments before Brady throws his head back against the couch cushions, a long groan emulating from his chest as his own orgasm hits. You feel his cum hit the back of your throat and you greedily pull him deeper, determined to keep your word.

You let Brady collect himself and take a few deep breaths before you slowly raise your head, sliding off of his cock. You wait until his eyes connect to yours before you swallow, releasing a satisfied exhale afterwards. You can’t help but make a show of it, licking your lips before opening your mouth to show him that you indeed didn’t let anything go to waste.

Brady grins, a smile which you quickly mirror before his hands are on your body, hauling you off the floor and back into his lap. Your lips connect and you sigh, savoring the euphoric glow that surrounded the two of you. The two of you continue to make out for a few minutes, relaxing before you pull away, looking down at Brady.

“D’you feel better?” you joke, the remembrance of why he came to your house in the first place – and what it all meant now – nagging in the back of your mind. You aren’t sure if you can see sadness lingering on the corners of Brady’s smile as his hand runs soothing circles across your spine.

“A little.”

“Need anything else?”

“Maybe a shower,” he replies, looking up at you with those brown eyes that always made you weak. A sparkle that spells nothing but trouble for you flashes in his irises as his smile turns into a wicked smirk. “And perhaps a round two, starting with my head buried between your thighs.”

“Demanding, aren’t you?” you breathlessly chuckle, your head shaking in playful disbelief as your tear your gaze from his.

“I just know what I want.”

“Which is?”

“You.”

His quiet declaration has your head turning back to him, connecting your eyes once again. The emotions displayed in his own stare are unfathomable and you know that this isn’t the place to attempt to decipher them. You don’t have time to unwind and unravel the mess that defined you and Brady’s connection: your prior relationship, the subsequent break-up, and everything that happened today.

So, instead, you gently climb from Brady’s lap, standing upright before stretching out your hand towards him. He accepts your offer and you help lift him off the sofa before dragging him down the hallway to the second door on the left, back into your bed.

Like he always belonged there.

Like he never left.

tagging the skjei-sy sluts (affectionate) who asked for a continuation + a few others I think would appreciate this: @smileysvech @pyotrkochetkov @cellythefloshie @comphy-and-cozy @laurenairay

[chappcdlips]

//   (  aldis hodge .  cis man  .  he/him  )  .    ⸻  cyrus cromwell ,  a  thirty-eight  year  old  ,  has  survived  another  day  in  red  creek  where  they  have  lived  for  ten months (but grew up there) .  the  magnet  is  known  for  being  charismatic  and vain  and  is  often  associated  with  caffeine fueled days, loud laughter in quiet places, displeasure hidden behind a dazzling smile  .  in  a  small  town  where  they  work  as  a teacher at red creek k-12  word  travels  fast  .  it’s  hard  to  keep  a  secret  ,  and  it  looks  like  the  boogeyman  knows  that  redacted  . 

STATS

full name: cyrus carson cromwell   hometown: red creek, mi   sexuality: closeted bisexual  birthday: may 23   zodiac: gemini sun, sagittarius moon, sagittarius rising  height: 6’2”  languages spoken: english, arabic, mandarin, russian, spanish, conversational french and german marital status: married children: 2, zeke (8) and lily (6)  traits: charismatic, intelligent, driven, vain, manipulative, sycophantic

BACKGROUND

second oldest of the cromwell family, cyrus always knew he was expected to achieve great things

while he helped tori with their younger siblings sometimes, he spent a lot of time out of the house with his friends

he was popular at school and super involved in the red creek community, star of the high school basketball team, class vice president his senior year, valedictorian — his list of accolades is long

when he graduated, he immediately got tf out of red creek, attending stanford

he majored in political science and linguistics with a minor in international relations, eyes on a job with the UN eventually

when he graduated, he moved to europe and then continued to move around the world, working as a translator at various embassies and UN facilities

somewhere in there he met his wife (submitting as a wc... *eyes*) and they had two kids

but about a year ago REDACTED happened and cy shortly after moved his family back to red creek very abruptly

now he's working as a teacher at his alma mater, teaching government to high school seniors and probably is a language tutor on the side for anyone who wants to learn a language he knows; he claims he just wanted to "slow down" but... yeah, that's not really true... ANYWAY!

PERSONALITY AND FUN FACTS tw brief mention of internalized biphobia

kind of an egomaniac, thinks he is god's gift to this earth (and maybe he is idk)

he knows he's hot

very protective of his siblings and family and anyone he cares about

very charismatic, easily commands and keeps a room's attention and LOVES it

was absolutely a ladies man in high school and college, dated a lot before meeting his wife; recent conflict with his wife probably has him being a little flirty when he shouldn't //: men smh

is bisexual but insecure about it and very much tries not to let people know that as he's always kind of felt pressure to be the typical big, strong Man of the House, especially because his parents weren't around a lot he's always wanted to fit the picture perfect image he was "meant for" which only included heterosexuality in his mind

hates navy blue, refuses to wear anything in that color

has an insane workout routine and is in the process of constructing a guest house in his backyard just for a gym space (not very handy like That, so someone please come help him build it)

does not feel guilty about getting tf out of red creek as soon as he could, doesn't feel guilty about most things he does even if they're somewhat questionable????

fake as fuck, even if he hates you he will smile at you like (((:

the murders scared him as a kid since he was around 13 but now he kinda thinks the whole resurgence/boogeyman returning theory is bullshit; he was friends with one of heather's siblings and saw firsthand the kind of grief people were going through, so now he thinks people are bringing it back as a story to scare the young people in town

character inspo: mr. incredible (the incredibles), steve (the haunting of hill house), patrick bateman (american psycho), mouth (the goonies), fitz (scandal)

[theaawalker]

·˚ ༘₊· ͟͟͞͞꒰➳ A QUICK WIPS OVERVIEW.

Hello! If you don't know me yet, my name is A.A. Walker, and I'm the author of 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐔���𝐑𝐃𝐈𝐀𝐍𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐂𝐀𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐀. I'm also a tortured artist who's struggling to find a new job in this economy, but that's for another day. I’m very excited to share my dear projects with the world, but mostly YOU!

These introductions will be brief, but each work-in-progress (WIP) will receive a thorough and detailed post when it's time. The projects are listed in the order of occurrence and when I'll be posting about them, except for the first WIP.

As disclaimer, most of these are fantasy but have marks of philosophy (i.e. existentialism), bildungsroman, and adventure. In my works, I tackle mental health, identity, the psychic apparatus (id, ego, and superego), interpersonal relationships, spirituality, empiricism, generational curses, and our connection to the unknown. In addition, triggering topics such as SA, suicide, child/family abuse, systemic oppression, cult life, and more are depicted. Please heed this going forward, as some subjects might be alluded to in my wip blog.

It will be 12 years in October that I have been developing this series, spawned from a dream I had at eight years old. These stories have been with me ever since, and matured as I have. Each novel was created from different periods of my life, dating back to 2012. I intend to share these literary masterpieces in the 2030s, but for now... I'll keep at the puzzle which is writing characters that are gayer than I am.

Now onward, my friends! To the WIPs!

VOLUME 1

— revised the first act — multi-pov — a young prince chosen to save the world from an ancient evil must [leave his kingdom, travel infinite realms] and unite a team of seven young guardians, confronting both external threats and the internal doubts of his reluctant allies about the worthiness of their mission. — contains philosophical convos around a bonfire, teens with magic, supernatural creatures, and eight clashing personalities. — “‘Besides, the world’s gonna end anyway. Mass murders, overpopulation, pollution, crashing economies, global warming, climate change. People are already destroying the world. Do you think they want to save it? No. Why should [we]? Why postpone the inevitable?’”

VOLUME 2

— will continue draft starting dec. 25th — multi-pov — seven guardians, led by a young prince, must retrieve a powerful, magical artifact from the babylonian New World City, battling both fantastical creatures, a hidden malevolence, and crossing paths with tainted outcasts that challenge the guardians' convictions and heroism. — tackles pillars of the patriarchy, powers dynamics, true crime with metahuman elements, and the similarities of cultists and politicians — “‘Are you sure you're the heroes in this stories?’”

inspo creds to yourpenpaldee♡

·˚ ༘₊· ͟͟͞͞꒰➳ THE END (for now).

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[reevezs]

//closed starter for @pleinsdemuses

He couldn't tell how it all started and whose idea it was, he didn't remember how they had managed to put this group together. After a few weeks and thousands of messages in a constantly growing group chat, they were finally ready. The group of eight people who would be responsible for different aspects of the game met not so far from their destination. The hospital's building was still hidden behind the trees and they wouldn't see it almost until the last moment before they reached the fence with a big sign that read Do Not Enter. A sign they would obviously ignore. The next thing they would notice had to be the building's beautiful Tudor Gothic architecture, breathtaking but eerie, and a forgotten maze of roses and boxwoods that once looked impeccable to greet the patients. But that's obviously not what they all crossed the country for.

"It's gonna be fun, can't fail at making a game you have lived, right?" One of the guys mused as they started their little hike to the hospital. "Go to a haunted place, spend a night there... I mean, what better way to get the inspo?"

That guy was responsible for the sound effects and music and was more excited than anyone else; the fifth person to join the original trio along with a certain someone who made the blue-haired programmer opt out. In the proggramer's defense, working with someone who happened to be his ex sounded like a survival game in itself. He left the group as soon as his ex became their character designer... But then returned when a friend of a friend recommended a beautiful brunette as the main character's voice actress and she accepted the invitation.

He shouldn't have been trusted with her picture and the seemingly tiny detail that helped him figure out where she worked - he broke a few rules the group was so obsessed with by visiting her workplace and chatting with the girl on her break. Of course, he didn't tell her who he was when she began rambling about a crazy indie game project that starts with the whole team going to an allegedly haunted place. When? In two weeks, as long as they find someone to fill in for the guy who unexpectedly left the group. He knew damn well he was the guy who abandoned the ship and, hearing the voice so sweet he might have instantly fallen in love with, thought he would gladly return just to spend more time with her.

Half an hour before the sunset, fashionably and much on purpose late, he joined them with two others just when the group was about to turn a blind eye to the huge red sign that's supposed to keep the people off the property. The three missing pieces of the whole greeted the group, but one of them focused his gaze on the brunette, aware that his blue hair stood out enough for her to recognize her customer from two weeks prior.

Someone waved him over, audibly relieved to see their programmer back. "Rio, get your ass here! I thought you fucking abandoned the project again! Let's check if we've got everything we need and regroup. We wanna get inside the building before the sunset."

[gaucheried]

INTRODUCING — * SASHA GRIMM !

faceclaim: aaron taylor-johnson

full name: sasha leon grimm

nickname: sash, sashi, sushi, baby grimm, chloe jr

date of birth & age: november 12, 1993 ( 31 years old )

zodiac sign: scorpio

gender & pronouns: cis man, he / him

sexual orientation: bisexual

occupation: cook at antonio's pizzeria

neighborhood: lakeside

length of residency: 8 years

3 positive traits:��adaptable, sociable, loyal

3 negative traits: frivolous, easily distracted, passive

family: robin grimm ( father, deceased ), stella grimm ( mother ), chloe harrington ( older sister ), nicola grimm ( older sister ), teddy grimm ( nephew, npc )

character inspos: horry ( this is where i leave you ), patrick zweig ( challengers ), angus tully ( the holdovers ), jonah simms ( superstore ), jake peralta ( brooklyn nine-nine ), eggsy unwin ( kingsman ).

— * HISTORY !

Trigger warnings: substance abuse, injury

sasha was born in rochester, minnesota to two hard-working and loving parents and the best big sisters in the world. his family has always been supportive of each other; their mother, especially, had been hands-on in raising her three children despite having a full-time job. as the youngest and the only son, sasha was closest to their mother and was (and still is!) very much a mama’s boy.

he does also share a strong bond with both his sisters; he loved having tea parties and being the dress-up doll for his girly girl eldest sister while also being the guinea pig and frankenstein’s monster for his middle sister nicola’s science experiments.

he was a hyperactive kid from the get-go, had energy reserve upon energy reserve, bouncing off the walls and relentlessly pestering his sisters. this gave his parents the idea to get him into sports, and he fell in love with baseball from the moment he was handed a bat on his first tee-ball practice. he would play other sports as well, as he grew older, like football and soccer, but baseball had proved, in time, to be his one true love.

sasha is dyslexic and was also diagnosed with apd and adhd when he was eight, which was a great source of insecurity for him and rendered academics difficult to navigate. his athleticism became his only saving grace—that and after-school tutorial sessions with his sister nicola—and with continuous hard work, he was able to get an athletic scholarship to north carolina state university in raleigh to play for the wolfpack baseball team. like most college kids, it was his first time ever truly being away from home when he’d been so dependent on his mother and sisters for the first 18 years of his life, which was probably the biggest adjustment besides keeping up with the demands of college academics so he can keep his baseball scholarship.

it was sometime during the early part of his junior year, however, that sasha would slowly start to lose a little bit of himself. he would enter a relationship with a girl a couple of years his senior named gracie, an nc state dropout who worked at the local dive bar his team took him to on his 21st birthday. gracie was something of an enigmatic, if not deeply troubled soul who had sasha wrapped around her dagger-tattooed finger. soon, he’d start missing practice more often and when he did show up, he was either drunk or high or severely hungover. he’d even started neglecting his classes which put his scholarship in serious risk. when his mother was contacted about his performance, stella had chalked it up to his grieving his father’s recent death and had cut him some slack, though she knew that it had his son’s green-haired girlfriend written all over it. things would then only start to get worse.

he’d injured his knee during a game, forcing him out of the team and consequently losing his scholarship. baseball was the only thing he had going for him, having no other plans for his future that now unfortunately started to look bleak. he dropped out at the end of his junior year but remained in raleigh where he moved in with gracie. he hadn’t told his family about dropping out, had only lied to them and said that he would be spending the summer in los angeles with his teammates for training (which was a thing that was really supposed to happen before shit hit the fan). it was after rejecting the invitations of his oldest sister, who had been living in LA at the time, to meet up that she started to become suspicious of his true whereabouts. a quick call at the school would reveal that sasha was, in fact, no longer enrolled.

his mother, who had already moved back to her hometown in michigan at the time, wanted to come and get him, but he resisted, instead latching on to gracie and putting his future on her incapable shoulders. the pair would decide to leave raleigh. or, a more accurate way to put it: gracie had wanted to break up with him and leave raleigh to find her 'true passion and life’s purpose’ but he’d insisted on them staying together as he was afraid to be alone and return to his family with his tail tucked between his legs.

for half a year, he and gracie would travel from state to state with both of them working the odd job here and there, living in motels until gracie would get bored and decide it was time to move. sasha had started drinking more, even developing a bit of a pill habit to manage the pain in his knee, which put even more of a strain on their already loose-threaded relationship. and then, gracie left.

quite literally, one morning, with her bags already packed and her mind already made. she wanted to do more with her life and put herself back on the right path and when he’d made it apparent that he was making no effort on his end to get better, she decided that it was best they part ways.

alone for the first time in his life, sasha continued what gracie started, on his own now, until he’d woken up on a motel bed that might as well have been made out of cardboard on his 23rd birthday, stinking of piss and vomit that he knew he needed to swallow his pride and call his mom.

starting his life all over again in woodside, michigan, living with his mother at 23 years old with no degree and definitely no future in the sport he’d spent nearly his whole life playing, wasn’t where he’d envisioned himself four years prior. but the town had forced him to slow down and perhaps think more about what he was going to do with his life next.

unfortunately, it’s been eight years and he isn’t any closer to figuring out the answer but at least he’s got more meaningful things to fill his days with. like taking care of his mother, for instance, and helping host her book club meetings at home, or coaching the local little league team on the weekends, or watching brain-rotting tv with his nephew when his sister isn’t around but also teaching him things his own father taught him that nicola’s good-for-nothing ex-husband never could. he might not be no baseball star but maybe, in the end, he’s a better person because of it.

— * MORE INFO !

when stella, his mother was pregnant with him, their family hosted a ukrainian business associate of his father's and his his wife for the holidays. the man's wife was named sasha and, at the time, both stella and her husband thought they were going to have a baby girl and wanted to give her the same name. when they ended up having a son, they chose to keep the name. 'leon' is from sasha's paternal grandfather.

sasha enjoyed quite a popular status in both middle school and high school as a jock, even dubbed by the faculty as the boy version of his eldest sister who, during her time, was your typical ‘it girl’ as head cheerleader and prom queen, hence the nickname 'baby grimm'.

has been clean from a painkiller addiction for two years after previous attempts that would intermittently last for a year to a couple of months in the last eight years since moving to woodside with his mother. he's also one year sober.

smokes a lot of weed to manage his knee pain but it's also sometimes recreational.

apart from his dyslexia and adhd, sasha has auditory processing disorder, which often makes people think he's hard of hearing, but he really just has trouble processing auditory signals and can easily get lost in conversations. he's always been a visual learner because of this and most days you'll find him with a pair of earphones that constantly play classical music to give himself something to lock into and block out unwanted signals. he constantly wears these earphones at work and his boss ( who was a childhood friend of his mother's and......former boyfriend ) and coworkers have been supportive and, thanks to his best friend who used to work at the pizzeria with him at the time, have taken to using picture cards and even adapted a visual code system for orders inspired by the waffle house for customizations. he has also asked not to be spoken to during his shifts unless he's on a break which has made new hires think that he's some scary dude that everyone is trying to avoid but rly he's just neurodivergent and wants to get thru the goddamn day.

apart from classical music, he does also enjoy listening to regular music and is a fan of billie eilish, remi wolf, brockhampton, and tyler the creator but he's soooo so bad at lyrics so he just makes most of them up. some of his friends and family have even taken to singing his lyrics instead of the real ones as a lighthearted joke but most of the time they end up forgetting the real words.

loves to play video games with his nephew, teddy. they're both obsessed with all things mario but also enjoy the occasional pvp on the pc ( catch them playing cod warzone on a school night.....sorry nicola ! )

never really 'properly' came out as bi to his family ( perhaps his mother and sisters might argue that they'd somehow assumed all along with the way he used to talk about his high school best friend ) as he still has some internalized homophobia due to growing up around the toxic masculinity surrounding sports culture. his family has only met the girls he's dated, though, to be fair he's only ever had one official boyfriend during his sophomore year of college but that relationship didn't last very long so he was less inclined to tell his family about it. for a time, he and gracie had even entered a throuple with a guy from gracie's work but that fizzled out pretty quickly as well.

a cat dad, sasha and his mother have three cats at home: hash ( because he looks like a giant hash brown ), toad ( from super mario ), and very recently a tiny fluff ball named berlin that his eldest sister had given him for his 31st birthday after just having arrived from a vacation in germany. they also have a senior dog named maggie ( after joe dimaggio ). he also used to have a goofy lil bearded dragon named kevin up until last year but it creeped his mother out. his best friend, however, loved kevin to bits so he decided to give kevin to her and to this day they both happily coparent him.

[unrepentantcheeseaddict]

Hello I realize I am following you and should probably get to know you

First of all, I’d like to know about your wip, and if you can tell/show me what your characters look like then I’ll draw a little chibi like version of them (I love drawing peoples ocs)

Second of all, what Terry Pratchett book(s) would you recommend the most? I know I should read his work but I’m curious as to what a fan thinks I should start with

oooooohh, thanks for the ask!!

I'll start with my Terry Pratchett recommendations: For Discworld, I would start with the Tiffany Aching series, it's a good introduction to how he handles magic and humor, two key elements of most of his work, and it's also the first series I read in that world. For his non-discworld work, the Truckers, Diggers, Wings trilogy (follows a bunch of tiny gnomes as they cause mayhem and figure out they might actually be aliens) is my absolute favorite. My Dad used to read me that one as a bedtime story when I was like eight, so again there's a sentimental attachment for me, but it's also genuinely great writing.

As far as my WIP, I assume you mean God-Touched since it's the one i post about more frequently. Thank you for asking, let's fuckin' goooooooo!!!

My main influences/inspo for it are Firefly, SPN, Nimona and ND Stevenson's version of She-Ra.

Themes/Tropes are: faith in a higher power VS faith in yourself, love as an obligation VS love as a choice, found/chosen family of living disasters, So Much Queerness In Your Face, parentification trauma and how it affects sibling relationships, trauma and healing in general, and mashing up sci-fi and mythology.

Here's the more formal blurb:

The year is 5027, and the only bibles left are in intergalactic museums. Which is a shame, because the next messiah is here and she could definitely use a guidebook. Meet Azrea Shore: a twenty-something spaceship mechanic who’s much more concerned with finding her missing sister than with saving the Universe. But when she finds out her sister was kidnapped by the Devil, it looks like she’ll have to do both. That would be hard enough even with a crack team.

All Azrea’s got is a fashionista angel, two alien smugglers in a beat-up spaceship, and a weirdly naive soldier who happens to be her sister’s girlfriend. Technically her sister too, but only if they can actually rescue her. This is going to take a miracle, and she’s still learning how to use those.

And, in case you still feel motivated to draw the characters after reading all that, here are the picrews I made for them!!

Okie dokie, that's it for now!

[glitchedgoalie]

☆ –– (mason gooding, he/him/his, cismale) who is TYLER KING anyways? ew. you don’t know about HIM, we’ll bet you want to. they’re feeling TWENTY-EIGHT and BAKING COOKIES feels like a perfect night to them. rumor has it they’re MOODY and CLINGY because they care, but they’re also PATIENT and HONEST in the best way. HE works to make a little money as a(n) (BACKUP) GOALIE FOR THE NEW YORK RANGERS. they’ve rented a place on cornelia street in the form of AN APARTMENT. GLITCH(A)/HITS DIFFERENT (A) is the song they could dance to the beat of forevermore.

basics.

full name: tyler james king. nicknames: most people go with ty. some people go with tj.his teammates call him kinger, mostly. gender/pronouns: cismale/he/him/his. sexual orientation: bisexual. birthday: february 28th. star sign: pisces are known to be adaptable, creative, romantic, intuitive...and indecisive. occupation: backup goaltender for the new york rangers. character inspo: take the best part of the scott brothers from oth and put them together, also a little bit of matt saracen from friday night lights.

personality.

positive traits: intuitive, patient, kind, creative, adaptability. negative traits: clingy, moody, sometimes obsessive/one-track minded, indecisive. hogwarts house: i know jkr sucks and we do not claim her but the she is a burned gryffindor (bottom third). alignment: chaotic good ennegram: 2w1 personality type: infp.

backstory.

ty and his siblings grew up mostly with their grandparents. their dad was in the military and never came home from his last deployment. his mom skipped town on them when ty was six. he doesn't really remember her.

what he does remember is his grandpa teaching him how to skate around that time. the ice was an escape for him. when he was flying around that frozen sheet, nothing could touch him. so he threw himself into it. he played on various youth teams and ultimately found that he loved playing goalie and that he was good at it, too. he never left the net after that first game.

because of their home situation, ty knew that if he wanted to go to college, he'd need a scholarship. so he trained hard, kept his grades up, and earned a scholarship to boston college.

he studied psychiatry mostly because it was a fairly easy course load that he could balance with his demanding athletic schedule, but he fell in love with it and really enjoyed his schoolwork.

the plan was always the nhl. he wanted to make enough money to pay his grandparents back for raising him and his siblings. he wanted to get them out of their tiny apartment and into a real house. ty backed up his freshman year, but he got the net his sophomore year and put up some dazzling numbers, helping his team get to the national championship...where they lost to their crosstown rival boston university.

the loss lit a fire under him and he trained hard over the off-season. his junior season started just where the last one left off: he led the conference in shutouts, goals against average, and wins. then, during a rematch against BU, an opposing player hit him just right and his left leg buckled, then got pinned against the post. he felt his ankle pop. that was it. junior season, gone. he'd broken his ankle in three placed and required surgery and physical therapy to even have a shot at returning to the ice.

but he did it. he followed his doctors' orders and was cleared to return for his senior season. only the school had recruited a younger goaltender, and he only played a handful of games that year. still, he showed up to practices and games with a smile on his face and was the best damn bench door opener the team could ask for. he hyped the boys up and helped out wherever he could. and they almost got the championship that year, but fell just short once again.

not playing consistently caused his draft stock to plummet. he wasn't drafted, but he did get an invite to the bruins' development camp.

ty didn't make the team out of camp, but he was offered a minor league contract with the team. he battled two years in the echl before finding his footing in the american hockey league, one step down from the nhl. he wasn't making sidney crosby money, but he was comfortable. and he sent as much as he could back to his grandparents in connecticut.

it was during his time in providence that ty fell in love for the first time. sure, he'd had relationships in college, but nothing serious. this was real. this was going to be forever...until it wasn't.

the breakup hit him hard and caused his performance on the ice to suffer. he was almost sent down to the echl again. but ty buckled down, strung together a few good games, and helped his team win the calder cup in 2022.

and then he was traded away that summer. he wasn't even the big piece of that trade. the bruins were getting a star winger and they had used him to sweeten the deal. so he packed up his shit and moved to hartford to start the whole process over.

he played well in hartford. enough that when the rangers' starting goalie got injured and they needed a backup for their backup, he got called up. and, as it turns out, the starter had to have the same season-ending surgery that ty had a few years back. at least he's benefiting from it this time!

so ty's been in new york for a couple of months now and is still trying to find his footing. it's not really the same as small-town providence, but...he thinks he likes it.

connections.

roommates! i put ty in hits different partially so he'd have some built in connections. give me the ragtag group of roommates that become family because they're all sort of hopeless romantics...or hate love, actually.

the ex that caused him to spiral. i have a juicy idea that this may have been a former teammate. ty was traded in the off-season last summer and had been playing with the rangers' ahl affiliate in hartford. could have been a teammate from his previous team in providence, with hartford, or just someone involved with either of those teams (social media manager, reporter, play-by-play person) who has recently gotten a job with the big club, too, and moved to nyc. awkward.

he's got a sort of thing going on with muse b from glitch, but i would love something like a PR relationship or even something that spawns from a sort of...charity auction. think the boytoy auction from one tree hill (aka bid to win a date with a player).

teammates or other people affiliated with the rangers! social media crew, coaching staff, play-by-play! or even just other people who use the practice space. figure skaters, speed skaters, etc.

give me jasmin savoy brown as his sister and i'll kiss you. if you're into that.

[silentinfamies]

lee   hoseok.     he/they/them.     demi   man.      ›      spotted   at   the   met   steps   ,   jae   kwon   ,   most   likely   listening   to   la   modelo   by   ozuna   with   their   airpods   pro   .   the   twenty   eight   year   old   gained   quite   a   reputation   ,   known   to   be   -resentful   yet   +sensitive   to   anyone   who   knows   them   .   you'll   easily   spot   them   when   you   hear   about   the   sound   of   heavy   gym   weights   hitting   the   ground   ,   the   sound   of   loud,   boisterous   laughter   ,   big   ears   and   an   even   bigger   smile   ,   followed   by   eau   sauvage   eau   de   toilette   by   dior  .   latest   nepoupdates   article   talks   about  youngest   son   to   business   mogul   spotted   at   a   romantic   dinner   with   a   well   known   celebrity’s   wife   ,   but   i   guess   any   reputation   is   good   reputation   .   (   reece   ,   25   ,   they / them   ,   est   .   )

B A S I C S 

full name: jae kwon. nicknames: tbd. gender:  demi man. pronouns:  he/him, they/them. sexuality:  pansexual. age:  28. date of birth:  june 4th. zodiac sign:  gemini. birthplace: new york city, new york. current location: new york city, new york. residence: penthouse. occupation:  aspiring actor, semi professional fitness trainer. languages spoken: english, korean, french, spanish, mandarin.

A P P E A R A N C E

faceclaim:  lee hoseok. height:  5’11. eyes:  brown. hair:  naturally dark brown, dyed black. piercings:  standard earlobe piercings.  tattoos:  none.

P E R S O N A L I T Y

traits:  (+) sensitive, confident, affectionate, charming , humorous. (-) resentful, possessive, clingy, people pleaser , fickle.  mental health:  healthy.  physical health:  very healthy physically. likes:  fitness, food, acting, the beach, vacations, art.  dislikes: being ignored, too hot weather, his surroundings being too quiet, being by himself.  fears:  disappointing his family.  phobias:  none. hobbies:  working out, sketching, drawing, painting, hiking, swimming. skills: acting, art. quirks:  going quiet when upset, crinkling eyes when smiling or laughing, blushing when experiencing intense emotions ( anger, embarrassment, being flustered, laughing a lot, etc ).

F A V O R I T E S

ice cream flavour:  chocolate.  time of the day / night:  early morning.  weather:  autumbn weather.  colours:  colors on the blue spectrum.  music: indie, r&b, pop, rap. 

M I S C E L A N E O U S

a cherished item:  a family photo of one of their vacations from his childhood. first love ( celeb crush ):  lucy liu. usual mood:  happy / upbeat.  character inspo: hercules ( disney's hercules ), kristoff ( frozen ), seth clearwater ( twilight ).

B A C K G R O U N D

jae suffers from what is commonly known as 'middle child syndrome'. he was never neglected by his parents growing up, but he didn't get as much attention as his older and younger siblings; especially from their father. he had learned from a young age what his father's order of preference was when it came to his children - and jae always came at the bottom of the list. it seemed as though no matter what he did, or how hard he tried, he could never really impress his father. while his mother was more affectionate towards him and at least tried to acknowledge his obvious vies for attention, trying to get through to his father was like trying to chip away at a cement wall with a plastic knife.

he went above and beyond during his childhood and teen years to impress his father. getting high marks in school, joining sports teams, learning languages and instruments - the whole nine yards. but he still couldn't seem to get into his good graces with the older man. it was a topic he tried to breach with his father many times, only to be shut down or even full out ignored and brushed off by him. it had gotten to the point where jae gave up even trying to relate and connect with him. it was useless. nothing he did was worthy of his father's praise, and as much as that hurt him, he came to terms with that finally when he reached his mid twenties, with the help of therapy and a healthy friend group.

however, by his mid twenties, he had no idea who he was as a person. he had spent his entire life trying to impress his parents that he had ignored who he was and what he wanted to do. what did he enjoy? what was his calling? he had spent time dabbling in different things; business, fitness, fashion - all things that were easily accessible to him due to the lifestyle he had grown up in. but none of them quite hit the spot for him. fitness was the one he enjoyed the most, but there was still something missing that caused a yearning in his chest.

jae eventually came to the conclusion that acting was his calling. it was a throwback to his school years; when he would perform in school plays. he remembered loving the feeling of stepping into a character, becoming someone new for a short period of time, and he wanted to experience that feeling again. with an endless amount of connections developed in multiple industries due to his wealth and family name, it didn't take much for him to get involved in the acting industry.

he's done a few cameo appearances here and there, as well as a recurring role in a popular netflix show, however he hasn't had a big breakthrough role yet because he's trying to find the perfect role to select to really cement his title as a serious actor. and maybe there's a part of him that hopes that it will be enough to finally impress his father and gain his approval.

[shesholy]

𝖑𝖆𝖞𝖊𝖗 𝖔𝖓𝖊     .     initial     .

full     name:   leighton     huntley     valmont     . nicknames,     aliases:

hunter     valmont     .     (          known     publicly     as         )

lord     of     the     night     .     (         by     fans     /     teammates          )

age:   twenty     -     seven     . date     of     birth:    february     seventh     . place     of     birth:   16th     arrondissement     ,     paris     ,     france     . hometown:     upper     east     side     ,     new     york     city     ,     new     york     . nationality:     french     -     american     . languages     spoken:     french     ,     english     ,     spanish     .

zodiac     sign:    aquarius     . hogwarts     house:    slytherin     . myers     -    briggs:   entj     -     t     .

occupation:    professional     soccer     player     and     philanthropist     . notable     career     details:

soccer     :   went  pro  at  16  years  old  when  he  signed  on  with  fc  barcelona  (          where  he  totaled   156  goals  while  with  the  club         )    that  same  year  he  joined  the  french  national  team  (          where  he  has  totaled  77  goals  to  date          )  .  

in  2017  ,  he  became  the  highest  paid  soccer  player  in  the  world  when  he  signed  a  $263  million  dollar  transfer  to  paris  saint  -  germain  fc  at  just  21  years  old  . 

in  2020  he  was  named  captain  of  the  french  national  team  and  has  held  onto  the  title  since  .  

currently  wears  #10  as  a  forward  for  paris  saint  -  germain  fc  and  the  french  national  team  . 

awards  /  accolades  :  golden  ball  (  for  best  player  in  a  tournament  )  by  fifa  confederations  cup  ,  2013  .  holds  the  record  for  most  man  of  march  awards  (  for  mvp  of  each  fifa  tournament  )  won  ,  four  all  in  2013  .  bronze  boot  (  for  third  top  goal  scorer  of  the  fifa  world  cup  )  by  fifa  confederations  cup  ,  2014  .  la  liga  best  world  player  for  2014  -  2015  season  .  la  liga  player  of  the  month  in  november  of  2015  .  unfp  ligue  1  best  player  of  the  year  for  2017  -  2018  season  .  2x  unfp  ligue  1  player  of  the  month  january  2020  ,  august  2022  .  golden  boot  (  for  top  goal  scorer  of  the  fifa  world  cup  )  by  fifa  confederations  cup  ,  2022  .                  

height:   six     foot     one     . weight:   187     lbs     . tattoos,     piercings:   batman     and     the     joker     on     the     top    of     his     back     (     something     like     this     ,     but     spiderman     is     the    joker    )     .

father:    richard     valmont     (         fifty     -     eight          )     ,     a     french     -     american     business    mogul     and     ceo     of     vortex     enterprises     .     relationship     :    they’ve     always     gotten     along     ,     often     seeing     on     to     eye     on     most     things     but     as     of     recent     their     relationship     has     been     more     strained     behind     closed     door     .   mother:   aira     park     -     valmont     (         fifty     -     five          )     ,     an     american     banking     heiress     ,     philanthropist     ,     and     art     collector     .   relationship     :   a     mama’s     boy     ,     she     struggles     to     ever     shed     light     on     anything     he     does     wrong     ,     in     her     eyes     he     can     do     no     wrong     .     she’s     the     one     woman     in     the     world     he’d     do     absolutely     anything     for       .       pets:     ajax     (         german     shepard     ,     ten     years     old          )     ,     mercy     (         rottweiler     ,     six     years     old         )

gender:   cis     male     . pronouns:   he     /     him     . orientation:   heterosexual     . status:   single     . past     relationships:

.                 

𝖑𝖆𝖞𝖊𝖗 𝖙𝖜𝖔     .     background     .

inspo     :     wednesday  addams  ( wednesday  )  ,  bruce  wayne   (  dc  universe  )  ,  chuck  bass  ( gossip  girl  )  ,  tyler  durden  (  fight  club  )  ,  neymar  jr.     .

hunter  pulled  the  ultimate  lottery  ticket  at  birth  .  born  the  only  child  to  a  banking  heiress  and  business  mogul  .  learning  to  take  full  advantage  of  his  silver  spoon  life  at  a  young  age  .  gifts  and  spontaneous  trips  where  how  his  parents  showed  their  love  ,  often  leaving  their  son  to  his  own  devices  while  they  focused  on  their  careers  and  public  image  .  mostly  cared  for  by  a  revolving  door  of  nanny’s  (  thanks  to  mother  dearests  jealousy  of  another  women  getting  closer  to  her  son  than  she  was  )  .  when  his  parents  were  around  ,  the  walls  of  their  parisian  estate  were  filled  with  arguing  over  his  father’s  endless  affairs  .  it  was  unbearable  for  a  young  hunter  and  he  quickly  grew  a  resentment  towards  any  woman  who  wasn’t  his  mother  that  got  too  close  to  his  father  .  

the  move  to  the  states  happened  when  he  was  six  .  his  parents  relationship  had  fallen  entirely  by  the  wayside  and  his  mother  decided  to  move  to  new  york  city  with  her  son  .  unbeknownst  to  the  public  his  parents  were  living  in  entirely  separate  countries  for  nearly  seven  years  .  during  this  time  hunter  spent  the  school  months  in  america  and  his  summers  with  his  dad  in  paris  .  from  a  young  age  he’d  taken  a  liking  to  soccer  and  it  became  clear  very  early  on  to  both  his  parents  and  coaches  he  was  incredibly  talented  .  a  young  prodigy  ,  the  massive  ego  was  inevitable  .  at  the  big  dogs  of  the  soccer  world  noticed  him  ,  at  thirteen  he  moved  to  barcelona  were  he  joined  fc  barcelona’s  youth  academy  .  just  under  two  years  in  the  academy  ,  he  rapidly  rose  in  the  team  ranks  and  made  the  first  team  at  just  sixteen  .  despite  his  young  age  ,  he  quickly  rose  as  one  of  the  world’s  best  soccer  players  proving  early  suspicions  of  his  level  of  talent  correct  .  

despite  his  talent  and  fan  fare  ,  his  personal  life  and  overall  attitude  has  long  threatened  to  undermine  his  career  .  a  career  laced  with  scandal  for  over  a  decade  .  early  on  in  life  ,  things  had  been  perfectly  laid  out  for  him  ,  all  he  had  to  do  was  follow  the  script  .  succeed  in  whatever  he  does  ,  smile  and  wave  when  out  with  his  parents  ,  and  never  hang  out  with  the  wrong  crowd  ,  in  simpler  words  :  don’t  embarrass  the  family  .  so  long  as  he  followed  his  parents  lead  ,  there  was  the  silent  promise  that  he  could  do  what  he  wanted  behind  closed  door  ,  and  that  he  did  .  but  with  a  fame  all  of  his  own  his  antics  became  much  harder  to  conceal  .  dubbed  a  diva  on  the  turf  by  many  naysayers  ,  a  number  of  unsportsmanlike  behavior  reported  (  but  never  getting  any  major  consequences  for  )  ,  strings  of  scorned  woman  in  and  out  of  his  life  ,  and  an  affinity  for  night  life  that  could  put  jordan  belfort  to  shame  .  the  most  damaging  report  came  in  2019  ,  when  a  fight  broke  out  during  one  of  his  infamous  yacht  parties  in  the  french  rivera  .  boat  docked  by  a  rooftop  bar  where  hunter  was  reported  to  have  gotten  into  an  altercation  with  another  party  goer  (  only  one  of  a  long  string  of  altercations  he’s  been  reported  to  have  )  ,  the  fight  only  ending  once  hunter  lifted  the  other  guy  up  and  threw  him  overboard  .  the  guy  later  suing  hunter  for  over  a  million  dollar  .  it  was  a  point  in  many’s  eyes  where  it  had  become  clear  hunter  valmont  was  a  monster  .  a  narrative  he  doesn’t  particularly  love  or  hate  .  

his  parents  on  the  other  hand  couldn’t  hate  anything  more  than  his  public  persona  ,  noting  on  various  occasions  to  him  that  he  is  routinely  breaking  their  only  rule  set  in  place  for  him  .  with  his  inheritance  on  the  line  he  has  tried  his  hand  at  cleaning  up  his  image  with  his  parents  help  in  the  last  couple  of  years  but  a  leopard  can  never  truly  change  it’s  spots  .

𝖑𝖆𝖞𝖊𝖗 𝖙𝖍𝖗𝖊𝖊     .     facts     .

as  his  father’s  only  child  ,  he  stands  to  inherit  everything  the  old  man  has  when  the  time  comes  .  allowing  him  the  comfort  of  knowing  what  his  life  has  in  store  for  him  when  his  soccer  career  does  inevitably  come  to  an  end  :  heading  vortex  enterprises  an  international  hospitality  company  .  although  his  antics  have  put  conditions  on  his  inheritance  ,  facing  the  potential  of  being  taken  off  the  will  if  he  can’t  clean  up  his  act  .    

started  a  charity  in  2017  for  underprivileged  kids  ,  the  park  project  .  a  category  of  people  in  this  world  he  has  true  compassion  for  ,  now  that  he’s  a  bit  older  .  throughout  the  year  he  uses  the  money  donated  as  a  way  to  go  into  low  income  parts  of  cities  and  better  public  schools  ,  start  up  after  school  programs  for  free  ,  and  open  food  banks  for  families  in  need  of  a  little  bit  of  assistance  .  holding  an  annual  charity  gala  for  these  kids  ,  where  kids  from  the  community  are  the  guests  of  honor  and  awarded  with  scholarships  ,  clothing  and  food  vouchers  .  since  ,  it  has  become  his  best  quality  that  many  don’t  even  know  about  because  he  started  it  under  the  guise  of  a  pseudonym  (  lee  park  )  ,  starting  the  charity  without  the  need  of  praise  or  approval  but  simply  because  he  cared  enough  to  do  so  .  it’s  out  of  character  and  just  about  anyone  he  tells  doesn’t  believe  he’s  actually  the  one  behind  the  charity  .    

a  notorious  serial  dater  .  always  having  a  new  girl  on  his  arm  .  he’s  never  had  much  of  an  issue  getting  whatever  girl  he  wants  but  has  a  tendency  of  ruining  whatever  relationship  he  gets  into  one  way  or  another  --  cheating  ,  excessive  arguments  ,  ghosting  ,  name  a  poor  way  to  end  a  relationship  and  hunter  probably  has  experience  with  it  .  

extravagance  is  a  personality  trait  to  him  .  luxury  cars  ,  a  home  in  the  french  rivera  with  a  yacht  with  his  name  etched  into  it  docked  in  the  backyard  ,  fashion  show  appearances  ,  sending  one  of  a  kind  gifts  as  apologies  ,  dinners  worth  over  a  grand  ,  spontaneous  trips  out  of  the  country  .  he  has  money  and  he’s  never  been  all  that  afraid  to  throw  it  around  .  

an  instigator  through  and  through  .  he’s  fairly  observant  and  is  able  to  pick  up  on  what  irritates  other’s  the  most  and  pokes  and  prods  until  they  reach  their  breaking  point  ,  out  of  pure  boredom  .  he  loves  a  good  fight  and  has  a  tendency  to  be  able  to  twist  a  story  to  favor  him  in  almost  all  situations  .

𝖑𝖆𝖞𝖊𝖗 𝖋𝖔𝖚𝖗     .     wanted     connections     .

i’ll  put  something  here  one  day    !

[sukirichi]

[ BROKEN RECORDS : ALT ENDING ]

→ heartbroken after breaking up with his ex, suna rintaro hits up an old flame to ease the pain. or at least using you to get someone off his mind was what he intended, until suna realizes that maybe, you were the real one he truly wanted to forget.

cw. explicit smut. minors dni. undertones of angst. implications of unhealthy relationships. cursing. best friends to lovers. breeding kink. creampie. friends with benefits. timeskip setting.

note. this commission is the alternate ending; the original ending of the series remains the same but if you guys prefer this ending more, then feel free to enjoy :D the song at the last part is “thinking out loud” by ed sheeran but i also took inspos from taylor swift’s ‘lover’ !!

wc. 11,768

thank you so much to the lovely @sxnixa​ for commissioning me and happy birthday !! <33

series masterlist

[ playing track 011… ] you’rethe prince of my heart, and now there ain’t no way they going keep us apart — we built a castle of trust and i’m your queen to be, now the story of us about to start

Eight years. 

It had been eight whole years since you’d stepped foot in your hometown, and another lifetime of not having seen your old friends at least once. You couldn’t even fathom how Aran and the others would react upon finding you.

Realizing you couldn’t hide forever, you stepped out of your car, polished nails clutching onto the ends of your dress as you bit the inside of your cheeks, immediately regretting your choice of outfit when the cold mid-winter breeze kissed your back.

You puffed your cheeks out, letting your dress fall onto the ground, your purse clutched by your hip. It was now or never.

There was no need to be nervous, anyway — Osamu had invited you personally to attend the volleyball team’s reunion as his plus one.

So why did you feel so nervous? Why did your chest feel like it was closing in on itself?

Not even your nails digging into the heels of your palm could silence the tiny voice at the back of your head urging you to look. Look closer, look harder — “Y/N, you made it!”

You spun on your heels, mouth grinning wide at the sight of dark hair and broad shoulders clad in a suit. “Osamu!” running up to him, you wrapped your arms around his neck. Osamu chuckled as he spun you around by the waist, the sounds of your giggles muffled by the clinking of wine glasses against each other and chatter floating throughout the room. When he set you down, Osamu held you at an arm’s length away.

His jaw hung to the floor. “I know I invited you but holy shit, you’re actually here. I feel like I’m looking at a ghost.”

You slapped his arm with your purse, sharing snickers with him. “I wouldn’t miss today for the entire world. I could’ve flown here earlier if there wasn’t an emergency back at the office, to be honest, but I’m happy to see you’re doing great!”

Osamu’s chest puffed out at the compliment. Flattening his tie with his palm, he cleared his throat before winking, “You look gorgeous too, and I mean that most respectably for Rintaro.”

A split-second falter could be seen in your eyes.

It was there — the hesitance and anticipation boiling down to your frayed nerves as you shook your head, avoiding Osamu’s gaze as you studied the golden chandeliers instead. “Pfft. What’s Rin have to do with this?”

Osamu shrugged. “Oh, you know. He kept threatening us in college that if we even tried to look your way, he’d stop hanging out with us,” he bumped your shoulder, gesturing to his twin seated at a faraway table, the man too occupied with chatting Aran’s ear off to notice your presence.

You couldn’t help but smile to yourself.

Atsumu was still the same, handsome and playful; it brought you great joy to know he hadn’t changed.

“It’s unfair for Atsumu, but even he knew that you chose Rintaro. He had to learn to let go eventually.”

You didn’t deny his statement. As much as you hated breaking Atsumu’s heart when he only had genuine intentions to begin with, you found no regret in your actions. The last you’d heard of him, Atsumu was happily married and had children of his own, his daughters being a constant welcomed nuisance to their workaholic uncle.

The thought caused a smile to blow out from your lips as nostalgia settled in.

Eight years had passed, yet it still didn’t feel real. Standing here in the presence of your old friends, it was like you were young all over again. No more worries about rushing late to work or missing an assignment, only the warmth of youth which you were proud to not have wasted.

If there was one thing you wasted, however… it would be no one else but him.

“Will he come around today?”

The question slipped past your lips before you realized your thoughts had been voiced, but Osamu didn’t seem fazed. If anything, he looked as if he’d been anticipating it, smiling knowingly behind his hand. “I’m not entirely sure about that. We haven’t seen him in a while, and the last I talked to him would be around a month ago. I’m sure he got the invitation, though. He’ll come if he wants.”

“Do you think if he knows I’m here, he wouldn’t go?”

“You act like you don’t know Rintaro very well,” he snorted and raised a brow, “If he knew you were here, he’d speed down the streets just to be the first to welcome you home.”

Taken aback, your mouth opened and closed. You decided to keep your lips shut when you couldn’t find the words to say. Talking about Rintaro opened up all the wounds you’d long patched up in your heart. Sure, you could admit time did its job to heal you. Traveling overseas, meeting other people, being a thousand miles apart from the one you loved — they all served their purpose in helping you move on with your life.

Until you came home.

Being here with the people you left was akin to taking one step forward and then two steps back. Because no matter how much time made you forget what Rintaro looked like, it would never erase the longing of your hands to brush against his, this burning ache to see him one more time. Or one last time if your biggest fear was true all along; that he was married, living happily and moved on from you.

It was selfish, wasn’t it? How you moved away to forget him and fix your heart, but a part of you desperately hoped he didn’t and would never move on from you.

“He’s been waiting a long time for you, Y/N. If only you had any idea how much he missed you…”

“Well, I’m here now, aren’t I?”

“For him?”

You looked at Osamu straight in the eye. “For all of you,” you corrected, hands shaking as you fought back the tears now that you came face to face at his devastation. When you left, you were too focused on staying away from Rintaro to stop and think about how Osamu would feel, how Shinsuke would feel. Out of everyone in the team, Osamu had been like a brother to you. He was there for both you and Rintaro in your best and worst, acting as the mediator in fights you were too stubborn to resolve.

You had no idea how he felt when one of his friends left, and the one who stayed behind had probably been nothing but a carcass of the could’ve been’s and what if’s.

From all the apologies you owed to people, an ‘I’m sorry’ to Osamu was the most deserved.

“I’m sorry for leaving without saying goodbye, Osamu. I can’t even imagine how it’s must’ve been. Truth be told, the States was kind of lonely when you don’t know a single person there. I’m lucky enough that the staff was nice to me and everyone welcomed me warmly, but there’s no place like home,” you held his hand, closing his fingers to a fist to bump it the same way you did when you were younger. Osamu quickly got the idea and followed you, a boyish smile painting his handsome features, though not enough to hide the sliver of cracks you’d left in its wake. “So I’m really glad to be back, and I can’t be more thankful knowing you guys never forgot me. Although… I don’t think I can stay for long. I have to get back to work soon.”

“Having you here is great enough,” Osamu looped your arms with his, nudging his head in the direction of the bar. “Come on. Let’s go get some drinks. I felt like I hadn’t drank with you since forever.”

Three to four drinks later, Osamu disappeared from your sight. He was there beside you laughing and pointing at the silly photos popping out from the presentation he and Atsumu prepared before you found him whispering down the ear of a woman on the dance floor, leaving you alone in your seat with another empty drink.

Seeing as everyone was either passed out or drunk or talking to someone, you walked out the hall and into the balcony. The fresh air helped you sober up for even a bit.

You leaned over the rails, head tilted to the side as you rubbed your hands up and down your arm for warmth, stars connecting with the tip of your finger. Though the memory was hazy, you could faintly remember you and Rintaro did the same thing once. Was it on his birthday? No, it was probably the first official date. He took you up on a hill and sat you atop your car, looping his fingers with yours to trace the constellations in the sky and telling you stories about his mother, who was fond of the stars. To him, the myth of the constellations served as a bedtime story, while you had your fairytales.

You wondered how Mrs. Suna was doing.

Due to the nature of your relationship with Rintaro, you never got to meet her, but you’d heard enough to know she was a sweet woman who Rintaro dearly loved.

“Lover?”

Your finger froze in the air. Craning your neck sideways, your eyes widened as Rintaro stood before you, as tall and handsome as the last time you saw him, and you could see. He never changed, and not once did the light in his eyes falter — that same happiness crinkling around the corners of his face reserved only for when you were in his sight.

“I-I didn’t believe Osamu when he said you might come,” he staggered before you, arms flying to every direction as if he debated whether to hold you or not. “But you’re here. You’re really here — I’m not making this up, am I?”

You laughed at how adorable he was. “Yes, Rintaro, I’m right here.”

“Slap me so I know it’s real.”

Shaking your head, your gaze dropped. “I’m not going to hurt you, lover.”

I’ve hurt you once. I won’t do it again.

Rintaro’s smile reached up to his ears. “I waited for you for eight years. It’s been long enough that I had to tell myself to stop hoping so much, but you actually came back,” pushing his hair back, Rintaro finally crushed you into a hug. “I missed you, lover. How have you been?”

Tears blurred your vision. You were thankful he couldn’t see you. Otherwise, you’d be falling right into his arms instead if he only knew that all that effort of moving on from him had been ineffective when faced in front of your greatest desire. One touch, one whiff of his perfume that blanketed over you, and one word from his lips were enough to break all the chains wrapped around your heart.

You couldn’t help but hold him impossibly close, fearful that this might be another one last time.

“I’ve been great, Rin. I’m really okay,” It was the truth. You’d learned to live without him, so now you were relearning how to love him all over again until you remembered why you left in the first place. The reminder had you pulling away awkwardly, a forced smile painted on your lips. “What about you? How’s Mari and your baby?”

The pride a father was supposed to have never shown up in his face.

What appeared in its place was nothing but sorrow and grief, masked lightly by a low chuckle. “That would probably be a long story. You got all night to lend me an ear?”

“Oh,” you blinked back in apology, “I have to go home by sunrise. I’ve got tons of things to take care of.”

Rintaro’s face fell before he brightened up the next minute. “Then, do you mind if we go somewhere else? Just the two of us alone,” he laughed nervously, “Nothing romantic, okay! You were my best friend before we dated, so think of it as just a friendly reunion. But if you’re already taken and feel uncomfortable hanging out with me, we can stay—”

“We can go wherever you want, lover. We have all night,” taking the lead as you stepped outside, you stopped at the same time Rintaro stayed rooted in his spot. “Where’s your car?”

“I…arrived here by bus,” he mumbled, turning sheepishly to you as he scratched the back of his head. “I can’t drive.”

A myriad of emotions flickered through his face. Not once did he look away as you studied him, yet you couldn’t unfold the layers even as you stared hard. Averting your gaze from him, you spun your car keys around your fingers. “I’ll drive, lover boy. We’ll be fine.”

Rintaro hadn’t spoken a word the entire time.

He quietly strapped himself beside you, his hand falling on top of yours on the shift gear as if to stop you. Lifting your brow in question, Rintaro surprised you by reaching over your chest to pull at the seatbelt, the sound of a loud click pulling you out of your reverie. You found yourself millimeters away from his face. His lips were close enough to peck your cheek. Slowly, Rintaro’s eyes drooped, leaning close until he was a breath away when you abruptly turned your head to the side and cleared your throat, playing music from the stereo to kill the tension.

“Where would you like us to go?”

Rintaro’s gaze traveled out the window, his fists uncomfortably clenched on his thigh. “Uphill, perhaps? You know the nice place overlooking the city? We used to sneak there each time your parents would fight just to get drunk and watch the sunrise.”

You knew that place all too well. You drove there by memory, your heart not once forgetting the turns and passages Rintaro would often sneak you in until you reached the top of the hill.

He was quick to get out of the car first, opening the door for you and helping you sit above the hood as he took off your heels for you wordlessly. There was a foolish smile on his face as he leaned back. The bright, fluorescent lights burning through the night city reflected on his features, his dark hair slicked back from the wind. It felt surreal — to have him here with you, enjoying each other’s silence like you hadn’t had enough of that for nearly a decade.

Hugging your knees to your chest, you rested your cheeks on it and smiled at him.

“Rintaro. You haven’t changed one bit.”

He smirked. “Am I still astonishingly handsome after eight years?” You knew he was joking, but you nodded sincerely anyway with fondness in your gaze. Soon, Rintaro was coughing in his seat until you were both laughing, Rintaro shaking his head at you like he was both surprised and expecting it. “I sure hope you’re single because I have no idea how to respond to compliments from a pretty girl I’ve always loved.”

“I’m single.”

“Single by choice?”

You didn’t miss the hopefulness in his voice.

“Single by choice and single against my own will,” you inched closer to rest your head on his shoulder. Peeking up at him under your lashes, you followed his gaze to the trail of buzzing lights mimicking the tamed fires in your heart. “My schedule is too hectic for me to even fit in a date. I had to push back a few appointments just so I could come here, so there’s no time. What about you? Married and with a kid?”

“Nope.”

You gaped at him, barely containing your flabbergasted expression.

Rintaro bit his lip while staring at yours, then loosened his tie as he brought out a silver flask hidden inside his suit. He held it up for you to see. “My lucky charm. Osamu got me this as a gift a few weeks after you left. ‘Said to take a shot each time I thought of you, and guess what? I thought of you so much I might’ve been an alcoholic for a while. I mean, look at this,” he pointed to a set of initials at the bottom, “He got your name engraved in it.”

“That’s ridiculous of Osamu. It’s like he never wants you to get over us.”

“No, I was the one who didn’t want to let you go,” Rintaro admitted and spun the flask’s contents, “When you left, my world fell apart. Everything in me screamed to make you stay behind, to beg for one more chance to fix things over. You see… I loved you so much I didn’t know what else to do when you told me you didn’t want that anymore,” his head shot up to the sky. “But somehow, I’m glad you left. If you didn’t, I would’ve never found myself.”

You drew out a shuddered breath.

“Rintaro… are you not mad that I had to leave?”

“I could never get mad at you,” whispering, Rintaro smiled sadly. “I could only hate the things you did, but never you. No matter how much you hurt me and pushed me away, I always understood why you had to do the things you did. So no, I never blamed you for anything.”

“But I hurt you,” your voice cracked from how hard you fought against the tears that threatened to push through.

“That’s okay. Humans are always the most in pain in times when they’re in love. That’s just how we’re built. When we love too much, we’re also hurt a thousand times more.”

Eight fucking years and you were back to square one again.

You still loved him. You had always loved him, and you knew you wanted to love him a little bit more than what you’d shown him. But it wasn’t always that easy — not when the both of you had entire lives lived to the fullest without the other.

There was too much damage that time could never undo.

“Uhm… You never told me if you’re still with Mari or how the kid’s doing. They should be in second grade now, right? Are they doing well in school? Do they look more like you or their mother?” you questioned in one breath, fidgeting because you were unsure if you felt prepared for this. Just how were you supposed to act knowing his dreams of having a family came true with someone who wasn’t you? “I’d love to see their picture if you have any.”

“I don’t have any,” he breathed out, “On the night you left, I had to drive back home to fetch Mari. We got into an accident; Mari died and lost the baby. I was severely injured—” Rintaro stretched his leg outwards, wincing before he could extend it fully. He panted as he desperately clutched at his leg, and you sat up to immediately massage his knee when his bitter laugh rang out. “—to the point I couldn’t play volleyball anymore. I can’t even drive. Sometimes, walking hurts so much I feel like I’d die. If it weren’t for the physical therapy helping me to get back on my feet, I probably wouldn’t be able to walk anymore.”

“Rintaro,” you cried, “Why didn’t you tell me? You could’ve called. If you’d said anything, I wouldn’t leave—”

“That’s exactly why I didn’t call you. I knew you would’ve abandoned all your plans and your future just to be there for me, but that would defeat the entire purpose of your departure, right? If you returned, your mother would never stop tormenting you. Your parents would’ve forced you to marry Shinsuke, but you’d be left tending to an injured man who couldn’t do anything for you. If you didn’t leave, we’d never be free in this hellish cycle of running back into each other’s arms all over again. You would’ve been terribly unhappy around me.”

“Rintaro, that’s not for you to decide. I wasn’t there at a time you needed me most.”

A thumb brushed your tear away.

Looking up, you met warm eyes filled with patience and understanding. “That’s not entirely true. You already broke my heart a hundred times before, so it’s not like having you break it again would make a difference to me. But to you, it would’ve meant the whole world. You leaving made you happier, right?” he insisted, “Were you happy these past years?”

Rintaro knew he wasn’t happy, but if you were, then it would’ve been worth it.

His eyes said it all.

Your lips quivered. “I was. I had slowly moved on from you, and nothing else made me happier.”

“Then it’s okay that you weren’t there. Bad things really happen sometimes; don’t blame yourself for what happened to me. The accident was my fault alone.”

“But—”

“No but’s, Y/N. If you were happy, then that’s all that mattered,” he reassured, his smile falling when you began crying louder. Planting yourself in his arms, you stained his suit wet. Rintaro chuckled as he patted your back soothingly, making space for you between his body by spreading his legs apart. “Jeez, stop crying. We’re past thirty now, and you’re still tearing up like a child. What, is this your way of asking me to hug you?”

“You annoy me so much, Rintaro. Eight years and you’re still a pain in the ass.”

“Eight years and you’re still the same soft-hearted woman I fell for,” pulling you back, Rintaro cupped your cheek, watching as you hiccupped and struggled to breathe. “Stop crying now, lover. I promise you I’m okay. There’s nothing you should worry about. We had our time of heartbreak and another time to heal — us meeting again might be the final chapter of our story. We started as friends, ended as friends. We’ll be alright, yeah?”

God. Why did it sound excruciating against your ears to hear that dreaded word?

“Friends? You still consider me as your friend after everything we’ve been through?”

Rintaro nodded. “You’ll always be my best friend. Nothing in the world could ever change that.”

You would be lying if you said you preferred being ‘just friends’ but for what purpose would it be if you weren’t? He was right. You started as best friends, and thanks to being his number one person, you found happiness in your life far greater than anything you could’ve imagined. Maybe that was why it hurt so much – not only had you lost a lover, but you also lost your safe space.

“Then, since I missed my best friend and my lover so much, do you think he can entertain me by holding me a little longer? I’ve missed enough sunrises to watch without you.”

Rinraro’s smile weakened. “I could hold you forever if you asked,” shedding his jacket off, he wrapped it around your shoulders and kept you between his thighs, his chin on your shoulders and his lips mindlessly kissing at your bare skin. You stayed there as if he was a safety blanket, Rintaro squeezing your waist as he did so, lips hovering over a patch of skin that brought back a memory. “Your tattoo…the ones we had together, did you remove it?”

“I did. I had it removed a few days before I left Japan.”

“Hmm,” he hummed, “The avocado didn’t match you, anyway. Maybe a tiger or a dragon tattoo would’ve worked better.”

“The avocado was cute!”

You shared a placid silence with him when he laughed with you. You stayed there for who knew how long, wrapped in each other’s arms and watching the sunrise, a sleepy Rintaro breathing peacefully by the crook of your neck. To wake him up would be asking for another ache in your chest, but you knew you had to leave soon. You were never meant to stay anyway.

Nudging him awake, you found yourself saying goodbye once more. “Rintaro. I need to go now. I have to go home.”

“You’re already home.”

“I have to go back to work, Rintaro,” you told him, “There’s a flight I can’t miss.”

Rintaro’s grip on you tightened before his arms fell limp around your body. “Even though I’ve watched you leave countless times before, I could never get used to it,” he murmured, helping you move away first before he moved, hissing silently when his foot hit the ground. Despite his pain, he exerted effort to open your door for you. “But you’re right — you need to go. Work should be the priority.”

He never left all the way to the airport.

It felt like déjà vu. You were leaving Rintaro again, and like always, he stood by himself alone to watch as you walked away.

One of your drivers would take him back home to assure his safety, though it didn’t feel right with you. Each step you took felt heavy as if chains were anchoring you down. You couldn’t tell if this was a mistake. When you first walked away from him, it hurt so bad you weren’t sure if you’d wake up the next day, but slowly, you found your way back. You learned how to be happy, and now you were here again.

You found your way back to him. Did that not mean anything?Could the universe be trying to tell you something?

Spinning on your heel, you ran back to Rintaro.

His widened eyes were enough of a telltale the last thing he expected was for you to come running after him again, much less utter, “Come with me.”

Panting for air, your smile grew wide. “I’d love it if you could come with me. There’s not much to help me in the States, but if you were there, I think I could work better, and I’ll provide you with everything you need too. Of course, I understand if this is too much, so—”

Rintaro tugged your hand wordlessly. “I’d go with you anywhere as long as you asked. I can’t be the only one who feels this way – our story isn’t meant to end yet.”

Rintaro hadn’t realized the grave consequences of his actions until the fifth day of staying with you.

Seeing you walk away from him what seemed like the thousandth time, accompanied by the inevitable heartbreak you never failed to deliver him with — all of it messed with his head. After all, how could he forget? He waited and longed for you each night in the darkness of his room, staring at the crumpled Polaroids that became a ghost of the past. He missed them all. He missed you; your touch, your scent, the sound of his name when spoken through your sweet lips — his body would deteriorate first before he forgot anything about you.

He’d been so confident; reassured that he had enough time to accept maybe you two could never be more than friends.

You tried, it failed, so there was no need to insist on things that were not meant to be.

This was what he kept telling himself as he leaned against the doorframe, watching you unclasp a necklace while slipping into the bed.

Rintaro had to control himself. Someone whose presence he never felt for eight years was also the same person he’d been living under the same roof with for nearly a week of his life. He had never been more wrong when each passing day reminded him that not a single thing had changed.

Albeit older, a little more broken and closed off to the world, he knew he felt the same.

But did you?

“Rintaro. Where are you going?”

Rintaro stopped in his tracks. He moved on reflex and turned away from you like his new senses knew it was better to keep some distance.

“Back to the couch?”

“Nonsense. Let’s share the bed,” patting the space beside you — and he didn’t dare ask why you had a queen-sized bed when you lived alone — you smiled up at him.

You didn’t have a guest’s room under the reason you were barely home due to a hectic work schedule, so Rintaro had homed in the living room ever since. To be invited to sleep next to you… as much as he wanted it, he’d grown up. He’d learned. He knew all too well he was still madly in love with you.

Anything and everything that would pull him closer to you again, only to result in another heartbreak he wasn’t sure he could handle again, Rintaro didn’t want to take the risk. No matter how much each cell in his body screamed at him to hold you close like you’d asked him to, his feet remained planted on the ground.

Making the same mistake more than once was no longer a coincidence. It would be plain idiocy.

Rintaro wondered why he agreed to come here in the first place.

Who was he kidding? Through the years, through the new smile lines appearing on your face and being flown halfway across the world – none of them erased the fact he would always be weak when it came to you.

“Come on. Let’s go to bed.”

“Are you sure we should do that?”

You rolled your eyes at him, kicking the comforter away to make space for him. “Silly. It’s not like we haven’t slept together before.”

Gulping, Rintaro obediently followed. He slipped under the covers and turned his back from you, his chest heaving as his heart pounded upon the realization the pillows smelled exactly like your floral shampoo. The scent, albeit faint when it wafted to his nostrils, smelled strong enough to trigger memories of a broken youth.

“You’re too far away. Come closer so I can hold you.”

He felt a poke in his back. Rintaro shut his eyes and rolled over, scooting until he was at the edge of the bed and clearing his throat. He could feel you shuffling behind him; trying to get a good look at the sweet face he desperately hid. Sweaty palms gripped the sheets desperately, his breath barely kept in check when you finally flipped his shoulders, forcing him to stare wide-eyed at your bare face — eyes hopeful and curious, fingers hanging mid-air from reaching out to him.

“Am I making you uncomfortable?”

Rintaro’s heart ached at the guilt in your voice.

“Don’t you think we’re moving too fast?” he croaked out, resisting the urge to rest on his elbows and brush his thumb over your lower lip.

How long has it been since he’d seen you like this? Dressed in nightgowns, eyes droopy with sleep and gazing down at him with gentle affection — he both took pleasure and ruin from it. His torn heart ripped into pieces raged inside with the confusion if he wanted you to look at him like that a little longer, or stop seeing him at all.

“I’m not sure what you mean by that.”

Rintaro let out a bitter laugh. “Where are we even headed? You still confuse the fuck out of my heart, Y/N. I can never tell whether you just see me as a friend or something more. I don’t have the slightest idea if you brought me here because you want me beside you or you just took pity on me. And now, we’re sharing a bed like nothing ever happened between us before. Platonic or not, I know you know. I never moved on from you,” he fumed, stopping only when he caught the surprise on your face. Sitting up in apology, Rintaro almost held your hands with the need to reassure you when he paused to think over his words, “Look, I’m sorry if I’m not making sense right now. I told you I’d hold you for as long as you want me to, but looking at you now, I can’t just forget how much we’ve been through. We can’t overlook that in one night.”

A pregnant pause filled the room.

Grabbing a pillow, he watched as you placed them between your bodies, acting as a barrier for whatever emotions and accidental touches could occur. “You’re not the only one. I hadn’t completely moved on from you either, but you’re right. We’re moving too fast. I’m not even promising you anything, so I understand if you’re confused,” puffing out air from your cheeks, you gave him a melancholy smile. “For tonight, though, I just want you to rest well. I saw how uncomfortable you were at the couch. It must be bad for your leg so I have pure intentions by inviting you here.We…we can just be friends if that’s what you’d like. I’m probably not ready for dating, either.”

“You never were,” he bit back sharply, turning away the moment he caught a flash of hurt pass through your eyes. “Good night, Y/N. Maybe I’ll feel better tomorrow. I didn’t mean to ruin the mood.”

“No, it’s okay. We’ll be alright,” you muttered dejectedly.

You’d both be alright not because you’d work it out, but because that was how it always ended. No matter what argument, no matter what heartbreak any of you caused to each other, the story always ended the same way. He’d find his way back to you, and you to him.

It was a hellish dream — one he didn’t truly want to wake up from.

Living with Rintaro was neither a dream nor a nightmare for you. It was reality at its most bittersweet core.

Rintaro, who tried his best to hide his sorrow, was as easy to read like an open book. There were times Rintaro assumed he never woke you up when he had nightmares in the middle of the night, sitting up and gasping out the name of a woman he had loved at least once in his life.

You pondered whether you should hold him or not. You wanted him to know you were there now; he didn’t have to feel so alone, but he’d get out of the bed too quickly and kiss you on the forehead before disappearing. Each morning, you’d find him wearing an apron and cooking by himself, a plate for two sitting across each other.

It had been a routine from the months that passed by.

Seeing Rintaro waiting for you at the crack of dawn was the daily life you’d woken up to — surrounded by the scent of waffles and his aftershave, greeted by his broad shoulders leaning over the counter and saying good morning with a sickly sweet smile your tooth ached.

It felt like college all over again.

You were back in that tiny apartment that surrounded your whole world, blanketed by his warmth and engulfed in his devotion for you. But this was no longer the past. The same Rintaro who wouldn’t hesitate to tell you everything as he sat you in his lap while the television played in the background had long been buried ever since you left.

The Rintaro you lived with didn’t open up. Not once did he mention anything to you about his pain, not even when you were driving him to physical therapy, until one day, he stopped.

He no longer called out for her.

The walls he’d placed around himself gradually lowered. Rintaro found himself smiling genuinely once more, removing the barrier pillows and finding comfort in caging you in his arms. As friends, he said, but you knew better. You were never just friends, but you had to accept that even though you had finally become ready to be with him, you were the one walking on eggshells.

Until he gave the green light, you’d enjoy this peace for now.

You had him again. He was in your world once more, and you would only leave if he no longer wanted you.

Now that you had made peace with the fact times had changed, you hadn’t left his side ever since. Being with him only intensified the love you had bottled up inside for forever. When once he was a part of your world, now you wanted to revolve your world around him, opting to work from home or clock out early just to spend more time with him.

Beside you, Rintaro leaned against the couch with an arm extended behind your head, one leg folded to his chest as he watched a movie. You had your laptop on your thighs as you rested against him, shivering now and then from Rintaro’s fingers mindlessly tracing the nape of your neck.

This domestic life was your daily life now.

If you held all the playable cards, you’d make this a permanent thing.

You’d ask him out again, tell him you loved him and given him everything he wanted. If he gave you a the hundredth second chance, you wouldn’t hurt him ever again.

“Hey,” he pecked your cheek, snapping you out of your reverie. Blinking owlishly, you craned your head towards him and smiled. “Shouldn’t we go to bed? You’ve been working long enough.”

“No, I’m fine. You can go ahead if you want, though. I need to finish this report tonight for our meeting,” although Rintaro nodded, he didn’t budge a muscle despite his tired eyes turning red. He stayed stubbornly beside you, breathing in your scent as his head fell on your shoulders, mumbling out incoherent sleepy words. “Go to bed, Rin. I’ll come as soon as I’m done.”

“Marry me.”

“What?” fingers hovering over your keyboard, you chuckled nervously. “That’s so sudden. Where did this come from?”

“Think about it. There must be a reason we keep finding our way back to each other, and no matter who comes into our lives, you’ll still be the one I keep running back to. Remember when you promised you would return to me someday? Us meeting again could be that sign we’re looking for,” fluttering his eyes open, Rintaro’s smile reached his cheeks dusted pink. “We’ve known each other for a long time. You know me; I know you. I don’t want anything more than to spend the rest of my life with you. I want to make you happy. I want to treat you the best like you deserve and grow old with you, take care of you, and keep making you smile. That’s all I want. That’s what I’ve always wanted,” inhaling sharply, Rintaro snaked his hands to yours and kissed your knuckles, his lips featherlike and soft. “So… please marry me, lover.”

You couldn’t move, couldn’t think properly.

There was no way of telling if this was real, or he was just sleep talking, but who cared? At this point, you were babbling too, shoving your laptop aside and placing your hands on his shoulders.

The surge of confidence quickly disappeared as you found yourself hitched up to his lap, chests pressed to another, and heartbeats syncopating — his brown eyes pooling with the same sincerity and adoring gaze ever since the moment he laid his eyes on you.

He loved you so much you knew.

“I-I would say I’m not sure what I feel about that, but that would be a lie. Ever since I left, I hadn’t seen anyone. I had a few blind dates here and there when my friends forced me to come, but there was never a second date. Honestly, deep down I knew that if it couldn’t be you, if it wouldn’t be you, then I’d rather be alone forever.”

Rintaro snickered. Rubbing circles on your hip, eyes flickering on the skin as your shirt rode up, his lips extended into a smirk. “Does that mean you haven’t gotten laid in eight years?”

“Oh my gosh, seriously? Out of everything I said, and that’s your takeaway?”

“Answer my question, lover. I want to know,” he insisted, though he gave you no time to respond as he was latching his lips on your neck, hands smoothing onto your stomach and under your breast. “Was I that good nobody else could satisfy you anymore?”

“Shut up, you weirdo!”

He caught your arm before you could smack his shoulder. With a mischievous glint in his eyes, Rintaro began to poke at your sides. Bursts of laughter rang throughout the room until he hovered above you, his hair falling over his eyes before he rested his elbows beside you, his head softly nudging with yours.

“I love you,” you blurted out, your grin full-blown wide. “I always have, but you need to know it’s not going to be easy. We’ve been through so much. Some people and scars will remain with us for a long time. We’ll never forget them, but it’ll be easier someday, and if not, then I’ll stay right by your side through thick and thin,” caressing his face, you felt Rintaro’s elbows falter in weakness. “I love you then, and I love you now. It would be my greatest honor to love you until the day I die.”

He leaned into your touch. “Even if it took a thousand more years, it’ll always be you. You’re the one I’ll keep choosing until the end.”

Rintaro wasted no time diving to capture your lips, one hand cupping your jaw and the other gripping your waist. Eyes shut tight, you leaned up to return the same passion. He tasted of mint and smelled like home. His gentle touch contrasted the constant teasing of his little nips.

Moaning into his mouth when he nipped at your lower lip, your lover’s chuckles vibrated against your chest until he was hoisting you up and around his legs.

Rintaro abruptly pulled away as you both stumbled into the bedroom.

“Ow, ow fuck. Get down. My leg hurts.”

Gasping, you detached yourself from him and reached out for his bad leg, massaging the area while Rintaro winced. “I’m so sorry! Are you alright?”

Rintaro’s frown flipped upside down.

“Kiss me again, and I will be.”

You couldn’t contain your smile. Happiness burst through you from every vein as you pressed your lips with Rintaro’s, lightly tugging at the ends of his hair. Soon, the door closed with a kick of his foot, and the rest was history.

“About fucking time!” Osamu groaned, tugging at his tie in frustration as he swiped a drink from a passing waiter. “You guys have been pissing me off for half of my life with this running around in circles thing. I’m surprised you aren’t tired of each other already. I mean, how could you want to wake up to Rintaro’s face every morning of your life? That’d be like hell. Do you have any idea how much I detested seeing his face, drunk out of his mind, stumbling into my restaurant for a whole year after you left? He was a mess.”

You laughed at Osamu’s endless complaints.

The wedding had been small and intimate — only the closest friends and family invited. Neither you nor Rintaro wanted to wait any longer, so in the blink of an eye, you’d booked a flight back to Japan and finished wedding preparations.

It all felt too dreamlike until now, holding hands with your husband as the reception flew by in full swing.

The fact you married the love of your life hadn’t quite sunk in to you yet. You’d woken up one morning surrounded by brushes smoothing across your face and your feet slipping into a pair of heels, walking down the aisle alone as the boy who once taught you how to love turned to the man who asked you to spend a forever with him waited for you at the end.

Rintaro stood there — his usual bored expression replaced with a beaming smile, hands wrung behind his back excitedly, and if you looked closer, there’d be tears crystallizing with pools of brown.

You invited the entire team Rintaro played with; the boys laughed with one another and congratulated Rintaro with a slap on his back with knowing smiles. It took him long enough, they said, and you couldn’t agree more. It had been a hellish time in your youth. There were too many heartbreaks along with tears shed for when you couldn’t be with him; your own heart a spear in itself that drove deep into him, but now you’d plucked out all the thorns causing him pain.

You both flourished in your own time.

“Thanks for taking care of me, ‘Samu. I owe you one.”

“Yeah, whatever, I’m just glad I’m not your babysitter anymore,” Osamu rolled his eyes, gaze softening when it landed on you. “You look stunning, by the way. I’m really happy for you both. You’ve come a long way from being the two idiots making out in the backseat of her car to settling down now. Like who would’ve thought? We all believed you’d end up together eventually, but you were both so complicated even we weren’t completely sure.”

“I’m not going to deny that, but we worked out well, didn’t we?”

‘Worked out well’ would be an understatement.

Rintaro joked enough about how the stay with him in the States was just a ‘married couple trial.’ He cajoled about  testing the waters out whether you were a suitable wife or not, but even after witnessing several accidents of you nearly burning the kitchen down, it wasn’t like Rintaro would change his mind. He happily married you — the man whose hands looped with yours more than happy to greet the guests one by one despite his aversion to people.

He hadn’t stopped smiling ever since, taking the opportunity to kiss your knuckles at any given moment until you were pulling away from him with a lighthearted laugh.

“Why so eager, Rin? You have me for the rest of your life.”

“I just find it hard to believe—” lips smoothing over the wedding band on your ring finger, Rintaro smiled up at you adoringly. “—that I’ve married the girl of my dreams.”

Before you could respond, skin heated and heart fluttered from his smoothness, a mop of dark and grey hair popped behind him.

Your hand flew to your mouth.

“Shinsuke!” you exclaimed, gripping Rintaro’s bicep to stabilize yourself before you’d bunched your dress up, carefully making your way into his welcoming arms. “You made it! Gosh, I missed you so much; how long has it been? Six years? Maybe four? It feels like forever since I last saw you!”

Shinsuke chuckled at your enthusiasm. “It’s been six years, and I am terribly sorry if I arrived late. It was hard to leave the kids back at home when their mom was out at work, but I wouldn’t miss this for the world,” his hands placed on his abdomen, Shinsuke bowed curtly before his gaze met your husband’s curious ones. “And you must be Rintaro. I’ve heard lots about you, but this is my first time meeting you, and I must say…” head nodding in approval, Shinsuke’s lips stretched into a smile. “You both look great together. You are a perfect match. The both of you have no idea how delighted I was to receive news of your marriage.”

Rintaro’s perfectly gelled hair fell out of place when he rushed forward to shake Shinsuke’s hand, surprising the shorter man from his shaky grip, “Thank you, Kita, for everything. I’ve heard how kind you were to my wife. I’ll always be grateful for you for that.”

“Y/N’s a lovely person. She deserved the best, so I’m happy that she’s happy. Congratulations to you both. I couldn’t have wanted anything more for her.”

Warmth flooded your skin.

Not in the way that Rintaro had always made you feel — it wasn’t the warmth that made your toes curl in happiness, nor was it the type of arms that hugged you from behind in the middle of the night. Instead, it triggered a faint memory. Shinsuke’s smile felt like the long-forgotten bliss upon being kissed on the forehead by both of your parents, the innocence of youth when your father would carry you on your shoulders, and your mother would laugh in the background.

You wondered how they were doing.

Not once did you think of your parents ever since you left, but after seeing Shinsuke’s smile with the fatherly love graced by unconditional people to the people he cared about, you couldn’t help but miss them.

The little girl forced to grow up quickly inside you craved for her father to walk her down the aisle.

That same little girl wished her mother would’ve been there for her, caressing her face and tears forming in her eyes as she passed down her wedding ring as an heirloom. She would’ve told you how beautiful you looked.

Except wishes weren’t always the best when granted. If your parents had been here, they would tear you apart again with their lies and the chains you’ve broken free from. So you watched Shinsuke walk away, guided by the arms of your lover — your true family — who led you in the middle of the dance floor as the people leaned back in their seats, supportive smiles on their faces. That was right; only loved ones could come. Your parents and your sister would never have smiled like this; they would never have been happy for you if you’d invited them.

“Penny for your thoughts? My wife seems distracted for our first dance.”

“God,” you threw your head back, teeth showing from how hard you smiled. “I don’t think I could ever get used to being called that. It’s… a thousand times better than being called lover.”

“I beg to differ, lover. In fact, it just occurred to me now how lucky I am that you married me,” he snorted, sneaking a glance to Shinsuke sitting with his legs crossed elegantly, back straight and handsome even for his age, the light grey hairs adding to his chiseled features. Rintaro whistled lowly under his breath, “Like what the hell were you thinking? You never told me that Kita heir was so handsome. If I were you — and I’m smarter than you — I would’ve chosen him over me. He’s handsome, kind, and rich? Why me? That’s messed up. Even I feel like I’d be happy if I ended up with him.”

The music began to play.

Your feet moved in sync as you placed your hands on his shoulders, his sliding down to your waist before Rintaro pulled you close. Smirking at your surprise, Rintaro chuckled.

He made sure space would become a myth with the way his body moved with yours, the both of your dances flowing like time didn’t exist. It was as if you’d never felt broken by him before, and neither did he remember any of that each time his finger brushed over your ring.

He was happily yours, and he knew you wouldn’t be anyone else’s but his.

“Shinsuke is a great man, but you are the one I love. Simple as that.”

“Are you saying I’m not great?”

“You’ve got tons to prove to me, husband,” nudging your nose to him, you turned your gaze to the guests. Everything else turned dark and blurry from the spotlight following your bodies. Surely, if you were to pull a stunt, you’d not have to witness the horror written on their faces. “What do you say about leaving the reception right now, hm? I’m sure the guests won’t mind. We waited years for this. Plus, my feet are killing me.”

“Just say you’re itching for the honeymoon — ow, okay. That’s a good idea,” Rintaro winced when you lightly pinched him, “Let’s run away on three?”

Bobbing your head in agreement, you squeezed his hand, wiggling your feet closer to the shoe for safety. On the count of three, Rintaro grabbed your arm and took off. Audible gasps resonated through the hall as your husband pushed the doors open and jumped with you inside the limousine, his lips right on yours the moment the windows rolled up.

The song never finished playing.

After receiving an earful at the honor of Osamu about the newly married couple running away fiasco, Rintaro learned his lesson and had his phone shut down for a week straight.

He claimed there’d be nothing getting in the way of his lovely time with his wife. True to his word, there was not an instant where Rintaro wasn’t behind you if he was not glued to your hip already, his hand so accustomed to swinging yours you couldn’t imagine what not holding him would’ve felt like.

“I still don’t know why I agreed to have our honeymoon here. This place has too many memories, including ones I wish never happened.”

Snapping your book shut (or more like Rintaro kept flicking the pages away as if it were offensive, because ‘he can’t believe you were reading when you had a six-foot-tall god in your bed’), you placed it on the bedside table and allowed Rintaro to kiss you by the neck.

He’d been touchy ever since the honeymoon, and you weren’t complaining.

You loved how Rintaro barely gave you time to breathe when he was always all over you, and now he was inching his way between your legs spreading for him as a natural response. Long, slim fingers danced in the pads of your inner thigh as you fell back down on the pillows – neck, and collarbones bared for his greedy kisses.

“Don’t get jealous. You’re my husband now. I’m nobody else’s but yours. Those memories have long been forgotten.”

“Or we can make new, better memories,” he mumbled, the words lost in translation at your skin. You couldn’t help but giggle when Rintaro harshly tugged at the bows of your nightgown, your husband’s eyes darkening with lust at the sight of your erect nipples greeting him. “Hm. And I thought I was the insatiable one, yet you’re already so ready, aren’t you, lover?”

“Just shut up,” you whispered back, the heat in your core intensifying the longer he stared. “Kiss me already, lover. Don’t make me wait too much.”

Rintaro smirked. “Glad to know we’re both impatient then.”

All discarded clothes decorated the floor.

You’d seen this exact scene before — lacy underwear and dark boxer briefs scattered in the most bizarre places like how your bra hung to the chandelier from the ceiling, your suitcase barely opened and used when Rintaro preferred you naked under him at all times. On some nights, he’d insist you rode him as much as you pleased. You were in seventh heaven each time you placed your hands on his chest, hips swinging back and forth and swirling figure eights while his skin turned slippery and his low groans elicited an orgasm from you.

Each day was different from the rest. You had no idea what he’d do to you today, so when Rintaro stopped kissing you and effortlessly flipped you over, hoisting your hips until you were inching up his chest, your mouth formed an ‘o’ shape.

“Can I ride you again, lover?”

“I’d love that,” he rasped, lips caught between his teeth as his lust-filled gaze trailed down your shaved pussy. “But I’d love it even more if you could sit on top of my face. I want to kiss a different pair of lips tonight.”

Your jaw dropped at his vulgarness.

“Don’t get shy on me now. It’s not going to be the first time you’ve suffocated me with your thighs, and I’d honestly want to experience that again, so buckle up. You’re going to ride my face,” Rintaro slapped your ass, shutting you up the next second when he slid down and grabbed you by the hips. He wasted no time in pulling you until your pussy hovered right on top of him. Hands flailing as they clutched at the headboard, your head fell back when you felt his fingers spread your lips apart, the heat of his gaze causing your legs to shake.

“So fucking pretty… now go sit on me, lover. I want to taste you.”

The moment you sat down on him, the roles had been reversed. You were the one who struggled to breathe.

However, Rintaro wasn’t having any of your hesitance and fear to fully crush your weight down on him. Your husband took the initiative himself and grabbed your flesh until you were all over his face, slick smearing over his cheeks and clit right inside his mouth. Mewling, you began to ride him. Rintaro gobbled you up like a menace, lips sucking and closing in on your clit before he switched to his tongue lapping up every trickle of arousal as if he was a man starved and you were his last meal.

He never stopped massaging your ass to encourage you to lose yourself in the pleasure and lost you were.

You couldn’t think straight anymore, knuckles gripping the headboard so tight you feared you might’ve broken the wood. But for now, the only thing you wanted to ruin was your husband who used both thumbs to keep your pussy lips spread apart, desperate to taste your sweetest core and drink whatever you offered him.

The pleasure was too much. The ache in your legs too sore from this morning’s event where Rintaro had fucked you all the way to dinnertime without a break longer than five minutes, it didn’t take long before you were coming undone before him.

“That’s right,” he groaned, eyes rolling at the back of his head when you ground down on him. Whimpering when his nose bumped into your clit, you jolted upwards before Rintaro grabbed you down again, eyes narrowed in warning. “Stay here. Keep fucking my face. You made me miss dinner time, so I deserve this at least.”

“Rin,” you whined, “C-Can’t. I’m tired.”

His gaze softened.

No more words needed to be spoken as you got off him, thighs quivering as your cum flowed out. Rintaro, on the other hand, didn’t even bother hiding his stare as he watched the liquid trickle out and into the sheets, even going as far as to reach over and squish your ass cheeks apart to get a better view of it.

Meanwhile, you laid there breathing heavily, watching him with lazy hooded eyes while Rintaro’s fingers prodded your hole.

“My wife is tired, hm? Should I do the job then?” lifting one leg to his shoulder, your hands frantically grabbed at the sheets from the new position. You were laying on your sides, Rintaro’s throbbing cock nudging at your bum while he hugged one of your legs to himself. Soon, his cock slid easily in your pussy, causing your mouth to fall open in a mute gasp. “Fuck — I should get you pregnant. You’d be so beautiful round with my baby, needy and more gorgeous than ever as a mommy, yeah? I’d make you swell up with our child.”

The first drive of his cock into your hole had you shutting your eyes from the pleasure. You didn’t need to open them to see whether crescent moons formed in your palm.

The slow yet hard strokes of him kissing your insides, along with the thought of being filled up with his child planted in your brain, and the promise of a forever and more with him was too much to handle. You were tightening around him before you knew it, driving your husband to the edge as he slowed in his pace just to pummel back harder.

Satisfaction was written all over his face when you had to reach for his hands to ground yourself, unable to think clearly when Rintaro was driven on a mission to knock you up.

“You’re close, aren’t you?” Rintaro gritted his teeth, gently letting your leg rest down before he leaned over, hips pulling back and forth in such a tantalizing, slow pace your mind numbed. Closing your eyes, you lazily leaned up for a kiss like you weren’t gushing all over him already. You could tell Rintaro felt you cum by the way his breath sharpened, followed by a burst of warmth spreading inside you. “Mhmm — fuuuuck, I… you feel so good, lover. You’re so perfect. Fuckin’ love you so much.”

Your laugh came out weak and muted. Pulling your husband down by the neck, you ignored the uncomfortable patch of wetness between your legs and kissed him, humming at your saccharine taste left on his lips.

“You think that’ll do it? Did it take?”

“We don’t know for sure,” you mumbled sleepily, eyes drooping heavily. Rintaro shot out of bed for a moment to clean you both up before he was settled behind you again, drawing lazy circles over your hip. Rolling around to rest your cheek on his chest, you stroked his chin and smiled at the stubbles showing through his chin. “Rin… if we had a kid, how many would you like? Would you want a girl or a boy?”

“How many you want is up to you; that’s your body, but since you’re asking, I’d want a little girl. She’d look exactly like you, have your smile, and be the most beautiful girl in the world just like her mom. Honestly though, it doesn’t matter. Whether it’s a girl or boy, or whoever they want to be, I’ll love my child no matter what.”

Your chest tightened the same time you wrapped your arms around him a little closer, tears prickling at your eyes when you realized that life wasn’t always going to be so bad.

“I love you, Rin.”

Grabbing your hand, Rintaro kissed your wedding ring. “I love you too, lover.”

Love… it was something you worshipped as a child, only for reality to crush it all for you.

Your dreams of meeting a prince charming, having your happily ever after — you’d long let go of it. It was a fantasy of yours you’d abandoned when the world taught you fiction couldn’t come close to reality, and you ended up fooling yourself how Rintaro could never be your prince when he was far from perfect. And maybe you were right. But growing up, growing old with him, you realized he didn’t have to be perfect when he already was.

Rintaro was the most perfect when he finally met his child and showered them with all his love the way he would’ve had his first baby lived.

He was perfect even with his flaws. You loved him through and through even when he fell in love with others and found his way back to you, just like how he loved you endlessly even when you left him.

Your story with him couldn’t come close to the fairytales you’d read about as a little girl; a fact you took pleasure from because if there was one thing they didn’t share in the fairytales, it would be the arguments. It would be the long nights when you thought you couldn’t stand each other, only to find yourselves tangled together in cuddles in the middle of the night. Fairytales didn’t tell you that pregnancy would both feel like heaven and hell, that there’d be days you could barely stand your husband’s scent, and there would be days you needed him more than anything else.

They never told you about how tiring it was to wake up at dead hours of the night when your baby cried and you and Rintaro would rush over to sway them back and forth, or how you cried for days when you broke your wrist in the eagerness to tend to your baby, or how it wasn’t always going to be pretty. You wouldn’t always be the picture-perfect Princess you dreamt of being.

But it was worth it. All of it was worth it.

You didn’t regret a single thing. You never loved Rintaro any less as you patted your son in the back, the little boy happily sucking on his thumb while your daughter, Semi, plopped down on the ground in her fluffiest skirt from the courtesy of Grandma Suna.

“My, you are the most beautiful Princess here, Your Highness. I am very blown away by your beauty,” Rintaro faked a deep bow, dressed in his old blouses and pants as he played tea time with her.

“That’s a lie, Prince Rin-Rin! I keep hearing you tell Mommy she’s the most beautiful every night. Princess Semi, not Mommy.”

Smiling at your way, Rintaro hid a smile behind his plastic teacup. “Princess Semi is a beautiful princess, and Mommy is a beautiful Queen. Queens are the ones who rule over the kingdom, working hard day and night to make sure the Princess is healthy and happy here in her garden. So, let me ask, is Princess Semi happy?”

Frowning, Semi stole the cup from her father and pretended to sip from it before she fanned herself. “I am, but I want a Prince Charming already! Shinichi from school is very handsome—”

Everything happened in a flash.

One moment, your daughter sat across from him, but now she was hoisted into her daddy’s arms. Rintaro stomped out of the playroom as he made his way to you. Rintaro’s flabbergasted expression was downright comical as if he couldn’t believe his five-year-old daughter formed crushes. “No, you’re too young to have a boyfriend. I don’t allow it.”

“But, Daddy! Isn’t Uncle Shinsuke our friend? So Shinichi is our friend too, and Mommy said good husbands are also good friends—”

Rintaro feigned a glare to you, to which you shrugged innocently in response. “Don’t listen to Mommy. If Daddy says you can’t date, then you’ll never date. Maybe when you’re thirty, but not right now. You don’t even know how to color inside the lines, Princess Semi!”

Your daughter’s chubby cheeks puffed out, arms stubbornly crossed on her chest.

“Rin.”

Sighing at the scolding tone of your voice, Rintaro kissed his daughter’s cheeks. “Okay, I’m sorry. Princess Semi is the beesssttt painter. She’s the best at everything she does.”

“Thank you, Daddy!”

“Anything for my little girl.”

Through his forced smile, you could see the lines of worry appearing already. Your prediction was proven true once the kids were finally put to bed; you in charge of the baby resting peacefully on his crib and Rintaro reading bedtime stories to Semi, who still wouldn’t stop rambling about how Shinichi, Shinsuke’s son who was around her age, would be the Prince Charming she always wanted.

Like mother, like daughter, Rintaro said.

Doors closing behind him, you watched as Rintaro rubbed a tired hand down his face, mumbling a ‘thank you’ as you offered him tea. “Can you believe it? She’s five. Why does she have a crush on Shinsuke’s son? She should be out here playing, not… not fawning over boys.”

“Let her be, Rin. She’s just a kid.”

“She’s growing up too fast,” he grumbled, setting his tea down and grabbing you by the waist until you were locked between his legs, arms around your frame, and his chin on your shoulders.

“They always do,” you patted his hand reassuringly, craning your head to place a kiss on his cheek that made his shoulders deflate. Behind you, you heard him release a slow exhale. “Don’t be too sad, Daddy. You’re a really awesome father to both of our kids — they love you so much. I promise you Semi will never forget you or love you any less once she falls in love someday. She’ll still be our number one girl. She’s a daddy’s girl, and she did promise that you’ll always mean a lot to her. You’ll even be her first dance.”

“And if I’m not?”

“You will be.”

True to her promise, Semi danced with Rintaro before she shared the dance floor with her husband.

You stood there from the sidelines with a content smile on your face, half-laughing, and half-crying because Rintaro in all his grey-haired glory had burst into tears, which made Semi chuckle while she tried comforting her dad.

You could hear him saying it to you again; how the kids grew up too quickly, but a parents’ duty wasn’t to tell them how to live their life. You were supposed to guide them, let them follow the path that would be good for them. It wasn’t easy for Rintaro to watch as his children left the house one after the other, but if there was one thing that remained constant in his life, it would be you.

It still felt like you were just dancing with him at your wedding yesterday even though a lifetime had passed already.

Had it been fifty years, maybe forty?

You’d lost count from your hazy memories, though you’d never forget how your foot would step back when he stepped forward, and your body could never forget the way Rintaro would spin you overhead along the second line of the song.

“Happy Anniversary, lover,” he greeted, wrinkly hands resting on your waist as his forehead brushed against yours. The glint of the gold wedding bands under the fluorescent lights had been proven true and tested time and time again — you and Rintaro would always find your way back to each other. “Here’s to more years and another lifetime with you.”

Take me into your loving arms,

Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars,

Place your head on my beating heart…

Smiling fondly at the memory, you stepped closer to Rintaro and focused on the sound of his calm heartbeat — the original lulling sound to your soul. “I love this song, Rin. Let’s dance to it one more time.”

“We have the rest of forever to dance to it, my love.”

Funny, now that you think about it, how your relationship with him was akin to a broken record repeating the same song over and over again in agony. It sounded like a cry of help.

When you left, the songs stopped playing. There was no longer music, but as you promised, you found your way back to him as if there was an invisible string of fate connecting you both, tying you forever and for a thousand years more. Now, the same song played continuously and everlasting because there could be no better song expressing how much your heart bled for him.

And if you could go back in time, you’d stroke the head of your younger self and told her, Your fairytale of a prince charming may not have come true, but that’s because he doesn’t exist. A prince charming exists for books and fantasies only. What you had instead was a love grander than anything you could’ve imagined, and you didn’t find a Prince Charming.

You found The One.

[ THE END. ] 

[txemrn]

Book: The Nanny Affair

Pairing: m!Sam Dalton x MC (Brynn Schuyler)

Summary: While preparing for the third grade Christmas jubilee, Brynn learns that her future stepsons have been bullying another student; but with a little tinsel and Brynn's big heart, she creates some Christmas magic of her own

Music Inspo: "My Grown-Up Christmas List" - Pentatonix ft. Kelly Clarkson

Warning: pretty fluffy; discussion of childhood bullying

A/N: This is my submission for the @choices12daysoffictmas, hosted by @leelee10898 and @emichelle (y'all are AMAZING! Thank you soooooo much for hosting this event for us!). I was given Day 6 (no, no. Your calendar is correct. I am posting this on the 7th!), and I was given the word ✨tinsel✨ HUGE Thanks to my pre-reader, hand-holder, cheerleader, and sergeant @kat-tia801 for helping me get this piece done!

A/N: Some characters belong to our friends at Pixelberry!

-----

No more lives torn apart

And wars would never start

And time would heal all hearts

Everyone would have a friend

And right would always win

And love would never end…

… this is my grown-up Christmas list.

-----

The crisp chill from the first snowfall of the holiday season tickles every nose, both young and old, into a perfect hue of pink. The sidewalks are lit up with festive lights, greenery and vibrant colors of deep red and brilliant gold. There's even a sweet hint of pine hanging in the air-- that, and the pungent exhaust fumes from the typical New York City traffic.

Preparing for the upcoming third grade Christmas jubilee at Sterling Academy, Brynn Schuyler plans an early Saturday morning outing with her favorite eight-year-old twins, Mickey and Mason, at a local craft store.

"Alright, team," she pulls out her shopping list, and begins reading to herself out loud. "Hot gluesticks; sixteen-ounces of red glitter; a ream of holiday paper; LED replacement heads. Hrmmm, let's see here." She contorts her lips while clicking her tongue. She studies her items, looking back and forth between the paper and her little helpers. "Oooo! I got it! Let's start with something fun."

With the boys curiously staring at each other, they follow their future stepmother up the main walkway. Brynn guides them with her shopping cart to a converged aisle of wall-to-wall tree ornaments, the shelves completely adorned top to bottom with glittering bulbs and glass characters on metal hooks.

"Whoa!" Exclaimed Mason, adjusting his glasses. "Look at all the colors--"

"Oh my gosh, Mase!" Mickey runs to a group of ornaments. "Dominion Royale!" Mason and Brynn catch up to Mickey, admiring the various designs. "Can we get one, Brynn? Please?"

"They're even on sale!" Points out Mason.

"Absolutely, you two." Brynn smiles at their enthusiasm. "You need to pick out one that represents you for your class's holiday tree, and then pick out one for the game room tree. Sound good?"

Mickey turns around with his arms filled with characters from his favorite role playing game.

"Oh, um, Mick, I love the enthusiasm, bud, but--" Brynn stifles her giggles, "--leave some for other customers." Brynn bends down, and starts hanging up the ornaments.

"Hey, Mase, look!" Mickey calls to his brother conspiratorially. "Isn't that Patches?" Mason chuckles into his cupped hands, nodding his head.

Brynn stands up, looking in the same direction as the boys. "Patches? Who's Patches?"

"He's this kid at school--" Mason starts to explain.

"--and his name is Patches?" Brynn interrupts, raises an eyebrow.

The twins nervously glance at each other as Mason continues. "His name is Peter, but we call him Patches."

"Why Patches?" Brynn's tone becomes more serious, more concerned with her future stepsons. The boys glance at each other again, a guilty look flooding their faces.

"He's not like the rest of us," informs Mason. "His uniform isn't from where we shop and oftentimes has holes that get patched up with another piece of clothing. Sometimes they are wrinkled--"

"And-and Mr. Hodges says, 'Boy, did you sleep in those?'" The boys snicker, but quickly stop when they notice the furrowing of Brynn's eyebrows.

"Are you kidding me right now, boys?" Brynn sighs. “You make fun of him?” Words fail her as she returns to her shopping list. The original joy on her face has run cold, and all that's left is a look the twins have never seen before this moment.

"Mom, I--" Mason starts, his voice mournful.

"Get your ornaments," interjects Brynn stoically. "We need to go."

At that moment, a woman with a young, red-headed toddler in her buggy turns down the ornament aisle. Brynn takes in the young woman’s exhausted appearance, noting the dark circles under her eyes and empty expression on her face.

"Peter. C'mon. Stop dawdling."

His mother. At her call, a lanky, fairly awkward red-headed boy with glasses sulks around the corner. Even with his eyes trained to the ground, it's clear he's several inches taller than the twins, maybe the tallest kid in the class.

Brynn's heart fills with so many emotions, especially seeing a child so downtrodden; however, she believes this is a perfect opportunity to show kindness--not just because it's the right thing to do, but Mickey and Mason need an example.

"Excuse me?" Brynn steps forward with a coy smile. "I don't believe we've met yet, but my sons were telling me that they go to school with Peter at Sterling."

The woman's face brightens with the gesture as she puts her arm around her own son. "Oh! You have to excuse me," she nervously chuckles, "I just got off shift,” she combs a hair strand behind her ear before fidgeting with her shirt. “We just needed to run some errands."

"Oh, I understand," smiles Brynn, pointing to her basket. "My name is Brynn Schuyler."

"Nicole. Nicole Reynolds," she eagerly shakes Brynn's hand. "I'm sorry," she looks down at Peter, "I'm not familiar with your sons. Schuyler?"

"Oh! Well,” Brynn titters, “technically they’re not my sons. I’m going to be their stepmother in a few months." Brynn turns towards the boys, noticing they are hiding behind the buggy. "That's Mickey and Mason Dalton."

"Dalton?" The woman's face falls at the mention of the name as she squeezes her arm tightly around her son. "Well, it was nice to meet you--"

"It was very nice to meet you, Nicole." Brynn stops her from taking off. "And maybe some time, Peter and the boys can have a playdate or something--"

"Mommy?" The girl in the basket innocently interrupts the conversation. "Can I have this?" The little girl lifts up a small bouquet of Dum-Dums candy.

"No," Nicole whispers, "you know we can't afford that. But maybe Santa--"

"I'm so sorry to interrupt," coyly says Brynn, "but I have a coupon." She digs into the pocket of her jeans, pulling up the folded up discount code, offering it to the young mother. "No one should ever pay full price in here--"

Nicole glared at the coupon before turning her withering stare at Brynn. "We don't need charity. Especially not from you or the Daltons." She backs up her cart to turn a different direction. "Excuse us."

Dumbfounded by how quickly the Reynolds family retreated from her presence, Brynn knows instantly there is more to the story, and there are two little boys that hold the truth. And it wasn't pretty.

The trip home is awkwardly informative as the boys reveal reluctantly that they, as well as their classmates, have been relentlessly teasing Peter Reynolds, a scholarship student at Sterling Academy whose mom works two jobs to make ends meet. Most of his clothes were from thrift stores or donated. He eats alone; he plays alone. But, otherwise, he’s a great student.

Brynn was at a loss for words. Her sons, the boys that she knows and loves so dearly, were always so kind and friendly and loving; it was a quality she would brag about with her friends and family. Now, Brynn isn’t foolish enough to think that Mickey and Mason were invincible from doing wrong. Afterall, she was their nanny; she is well-aware of their clever antics.

But, bullying?

What was she supposed to do now? Punish them? Reward them for coming clean about their poor actions? Force them to be friends with Peter? Would that subject them to being bullied, too?

After dinner, Brynn decided to go straight to bed as the guys played video games together. A few hours later, Sam joined her.

“You’re awfully quiet tonight.” Sam pulls back the covers, slipping between the warm sheets of their bed. He rolls over, slipping his arm around Brynn’s waist, pulling her back into his chest. “You barely said two words at dinner,” he whispers in her ear, his breath tickling goosebumps to life across her soft neck. As she laces her hand with his, he intimately presses his lips to her bare shoulder. “Wait,” he mumbles against her skin, “did I do something wrong?”

Brynn snickers, rolling over to face her fiancée. “What do you think?” She sweetly pecks once--twice against Sam’s lips before he’s able to grip ahold of her bottom lip.

“Tease,” he playfully growls, intertwining his legs with hers. But even as Sam peers into her eyes, he sees that the light in her natural sparkle is dim. “Okay, c’mon,” he tucks a hair behind her ear, “talk to me, baby.”

Brynn sits up, leaning up against the tufted headboard, pulling the blankets over her chest. Letting out a soft sigh, she offers a coy smile. “Do you know who Peter Reynolds is?”

Sam freezes with concern, raising an eyebrow at Brynn. “No,” he singsongs as he sits up to face his bride-to-be. “Do I need to?”

Rolling her eyes, Brynn clicks her tongue, dismissing his blooming jealousy with the wave of her hand. “He’s a student in the boys’ grade--actually in Mickey’s class.”

Sam traces circles seductively down her arm. “Is he giving them trouble?”

"Uh," she scowls at Sam's advances. "Hardly." Brynn scoffs, pulling her arm away. “Sam, I learned today that our boys, along with some of the other boys, have been teasing and making fun of him.”

Sam smirks, shrugging his shoulders. “Brynn,” he pulls a knee out from underneath him, hugging it loosely, “that’s just what boys do. I’m sure they’re all just playing--”

“--Sam, this--” she sighs, casually crossing her arms, “--this is different. I met him and his mom this morning. She was very friendly until I mentioned the name Dalton. Then she couldn’t get away from me fast enough.”

“So, your feelings are hurt because she wouldn’t be your friend?”

“Really?” Brynn furrows her eyebrows, shaking her head as she turns her attention to their bedroom window.

“Baby,” he reaches for her hand, warming it in his grasp. “Seriously, guys just do that. I’m sure Peter has teased the boys before--”

Brynn shakes her head. “That’s not what Mickey and Mason told me, Sam.” She pulls her hands back to herself, rubbing the top of her tickled nose with her finger. “He’s one of the students that received a scholarship to attend.” Brynn continues to explain Peter’s home situation, and how money seems to be a real challenge for them. “And on top of everything else, Mickey gave him the nickname Patches because of his worn clothes.”

Sam stifles a chuckle, looking away from his fiancé.

“Sam!” Brynn grabs her pillow, threatening to hit him with it.

“Okay, okay,” he shields himself for mercy, “I’m sorry.”

“Our sons are bullies--”

“Now wait a minute,” Sam scoots in closer, becoming more direct in Brynn’s face. “I wouldn’t go that far and call them that.”

“For the rest of Peter’s life, he will refer to Mickey and Mason as his childhood bullies.”

“Point taken,” Sam grimaces.

“Now, I know it’s not realistic that they are going to be friends with everyone,” Brynn pauses, giving Sam a tender look, her eyes welling with tears. “But our sons,” she presses her hand to her chest, “they know better. They know to be kind--they are kind! I just--”

There’s a sudden, gentle wrapping on the door.

"Dad? Mom?"

Brynn and Sam simultaneously shrug their shoulders at one another. Brynn slips out of bed, grabbing her robe before opening the door.

“Can we come in for a minute?”

Brynn sniffles back her tears, motioning for the twins to come inside the room.

“Hey, buddies--” Sam pats the bed, “--come get in bed. Let’s chat.”

As the whole family settles into bed together, curled up with warm throws, the boys start the discussion with apologies, naturally calming Brynn’s nerves. Together, they discuss Mickey and Mason’s behavior, and the importance of showing kindness to everyone regardless of their background and lifestyle. They also discuss how privileged the boys are to be born into such a notable name without a single need or want in the world, and because of that, it's important they use their privilege for goodness and love.

While they chatted, Brynn found the boys--her sweet, loving boys--clinging tightly to her arms as they snuggled into her side. These are the boys she knows, the boys she adores so much, the boys she would give her life for.

The twins fell asleep in Sam and Brynn’s bed that night, cuddled closely in their arms. As Brynn savors the smell of their chestnut curls, she realizes something: Sam is right; ‘boys will be boys’. But, that doesn’t mean it’s right. These precious kids aren’t perfect, but they won’t be boys forever.

The following Friday is the big day of the third grade holiday jubilee. Brynn was able to take off from the company to help the other moms decorate the rooms and set up the tables with scrumptious, Christmas-inspired treats. Right before recess, each student took the time to open and share with their peers the ornaments they had brought for their class tree. Brynn snuck into Mrs. McAllister’s class to watch Mason talk about his science beaker ornament, flipping a tiny switch in the back to show it glow lime green. After blowing him a kiss, she tip-toed over to Mr. Hodges’s class to watch Mason open his Mighty Minotaur ornament, his favorite character from his favorite video game.

Brynn stands up to excuse herself to start assisting the other moms with moving chairs and tables while the children are playing. But, the next name on the docket stopped Brynn in her tracks.

“Peter. Peter Reynolds. It’s your turn, buddy.”

Brynn tucks into a corner and watches as the young boy timidly steps in front of his classmates. He digs into his pockets, pulling out a sandwich bag filled with silvery strands of straw.

“Is that tinsel, Peter?” asks Mr. Hodges as a few students start to whisper, one begins to snicker.

Peter clears his throat. "Yes, sir."

"Did you not have another ornament to share with the class?" The teacher continues, but the only response Peter can give is a shrug.

Brynn watches the parents around whisper snide remarks.

"Ugh, so tacky."

"And cheap. I didn't know they still sold that stuff--"

"I think it's, like, a dollar. For a pound of it!"

"Poor kid. He shouldn't have shared anything at all."

"That kid doesn't belong here anyway."

Brynn had heard enough. She could feel her heart beginning to race as her hands formed fists at her sides. Tears well up in her eyes as a coat of red crawls across her skin. How could these children be so cruel?

Here’s the answer-- they're learning it from their parents.

Brynn ran to the bathroom to calm herself down. She splashes her face with water before taking big, deep breaths. Dabbing her cheeks and neck off, she stares at herself in the mirror, noting the glistening of her own eyes.

And suddenly, she forms a plan.

Returning to the classroom, she notices the kids are lined up and heading outside for a snowy recess. Brynn taps Peter on the shoulder, motioning for him to stay back with her.

With Mr. Hodges being the only other person in the room, Peter walks back in with Brynn, taking his seat. She squats down next to him.

"Do you want to put your tinsel on the tree?" Staring at the desk, Peter slowly shakes his head no. Brynn continues. "What if I helped you?"

For the first time, Brynn finally saw the gold flakes in Peter's hazel eyes as he looks up at her innocently. "My mom said not to let people feel sorry for me."

A smirk grows on her face. "You think I feel sorry for you?" She chuckles. "I feel sorry for this sad-looking tree." She points to the class holiday tree, Peter grinning. "This thing needs more holiday cheer and I really think your tinsel will do the trick." Brynn ducks her head down, trying to match her stare with his.

Quickly stealing his attention, Brynn shows him tricks on how to hang the tinsel. "I think three strands is the perfect amount for each branch." She grabs the tip of the arm of the fake pine tree, and shows where to place the silver straw. Peter watches intently, draping the tinsel as instructed.

He timidly looks back at Brynn. “Th-thanks. Miss Schuyler.”

Brynn continues to decorate, not making eye-contact with him. “For what? We’re just making this Christmas tree look better. Plus, tinsel is not a one-person job.” She offers a cordial smile. “Oooo, that looks perfect, Peter,” she nods in approval. “You’d never guess this was the same tree.”

Branch by branch, the tree becomes covered in a stunning, silver sparkle. As the string lights reflect off the tinsel, fractals of beaming colors cascade across the room. Peter's tinsel is the absolute perfect addition.

Once finished, Brynn crawls onto the floor, laying on her back under the Christmas tree. She quickly calls out to her partner-in-crime. “Peter! Come over here!” She pats her hand on the rug next to here. “Best seat in the classroom!”

Mr. Hodges lets out a hearty, encouraging chuckle as he watches Brynn. He puts a comforting hand on Peter's shoulder. “Go on. Take a look, son.” The teacher turns off the overhead lights to the classroom, allowing only the holiday tree to illuminate.

As soon as Peter relaxes under the tree, his eyes widen with excitement at the vision, a smile growing across his face. “This is so cool.”

As the children come back in from recess, they are stunned at the beautiful sight. Their lights from the tree shimmer across the entire room in a beautiful dance thanks to the addition of the tinsel. Even the ornaments shine a little brighter.

“Wow, Mr. Hodges!” exclaims a little girl. “Did you do this during our recess?”

Mr. Hodges gives a mischievous grin as he addresses his stunned students. “I didn’t do anything.” He walks over to Peter is laying. He helps him stand up, patting him on the back. “Peter did this.”

An abrupt hush falls over the students, their shocked gazes turning to Peter.

“This is so cool, Peter!”

“We have the best tree now!”

“Good job!”

Brynn sits up from under the tree, and starts motioning students to come over, encouraging them to take her spot. Within an instant, the classroom is silent with only the sudden ‘awe’ of wonder. The stepmom-to-be leans against a desk at the back of the classroom, admiring the children coming together, loving each other over a creation they made together.

Suddenly, her attention is pulled by the classroom door opening abruptly.

“Ms. Reynolds,” Mr. Hodges whispers intently, “we are so grateful you were able to make it today. The jubilee isn’t for another twenty minutes, but the kids are enjoying the tree they just finished–””

“Hey, Moma,” Peter runs up to his mom, giving her a big hug. The gesture clearly catches her by surprise as her eyes grow big.

“Hi, baby,” she giggles reluctantly, rubbing endearing circles on his back. “Are you having a good day?”

“Yes, ma’am,” he whispers, trying to conceal his snaggle-tooth grin. “Look at the tree!” Peter buries his head into his mother’s shoulder, her arms enveloping snuggly around him. She looks around the room, bewildered at the children obsessing over the tree. The young red-head looks back at his mother. “Thanks to Mickey and Mason’s mom, everyone loves my tinsel.”

“Oh,” Nicole’s face drops, her attention finally landing on Brynn at the back of the class.

“Peter, come over here with us!” Calls out one of the boys, inviting him into a group of classmates that included Mickey.

“Go play, Peter,” his mother encourages. As he scurries away, Nicole stands up, sauntering closer to Brynn, her attention remaining on the children. “For what it’s worth,” she sighs, “thank you for helping my Peter.”

Brynn kindly smiles, nodding at the sentiments.

“But let me make it clear,” she lowers her voice, “we don’t need people feeling sorry for us, or to write us off as a tax break–” she crosses her arms across her chest, “--or-or to make them feel better about themselves for being unkind to us.”

Brynn chews on the sides of her mouth. She looks at her shoes as a stillness settles between the two women. She knows she can’t take back what the boys have done against Peter; she knows that her words of encouragement will fall on deaf ears. Brynn did the only thing she knew she could do: she could relate.

“I was six years old when my dad left my mom and older brother–”

“Miss Schuyler, I–”

“--and my mom, a full-time homemaker–and damnit, she was the best,” Brynn glances at Nicole with a twinkle in her eye, “was forced to work outside the home with only her GED. Two jobs, barely ever home, and we still were hungry, We wore hand-me-down clothes that had holes in them.” She sardonically chuckles to herself. “Gah, we were so poor. But,” she smiles brightly to herself. “All I ever wanted was a real friend.”

Nicole’s expression softens as she turns towards Brynn.

Brynn continues. “Now, here I am, years later, about to marry into the Dalton family.” She turns towards Nicole. “And still, all I want in life are real friends.” She puts her hand on Nicole’s shoulder. “I hope today is a fresh start for Mickey, Mason, and Peter. And then maybe you and I can have a coffee sometime.”

At that moment, the women are called to help arrange the room for the third grade Christmas jubilee. Brynn grabbed her purse to store it away, but before she could walk off, someone grabs her arm.

“How about Sunday morning?”

Brynn twirls around, and instantly smiles, seeing Nicole holding on to her arm kindly. “How does nine sound?”

“Nine it is.”

------

PERSONAL TAGS (please let me know if you'd like to be added/adjusted/removed):

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-------

TWELVE DAYS OF FICTMAS TAGS

Writers:

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Readers:

@iaminlovewithtrr @tessa-liam @tinkie1973 @lovingchoices14

[nyxthejinx]

One year and ten months from Mondstadt Capitano decided it was best to monitor me closely, he knew I wasn't the problem, but if anyone tried to provoke me again they would activate Childe's beast mode, again. Apparently I became Capitano's favorite student…

A beast was sighted.

They entrusted me to go with a group to the southeast, it was not something difficult since the entire assigned group was made up of the youngest in the recruitment, they talked about the typical things of a normal young man. I was more focused on the strange markings on the path we were following. "Hey Scarlet, we were wondering that after training you could go –" – I cut him off with a sign for him to shut up, I'm sure he heard something he didn't even want to see up close. We hid among the trees and moved carefully. It was what I feared, a couple of meters out of the trees this beast of eight meters seemed to be chewing what was its prey, I could tell that it was a human, that smell is never forgotten after as much exposure as mine. Around there were cut trunks and they grazed secured in piles with chains, surely the beast had attacked lumberjacks in the area and the attack was noticeable since some piles were loose from the grip on the chains, but what caught my attention was a young woman , was still alive but one of her legs was caught in a pile of logs that broke loose, she was paralyzed with fear, her eyes seemed dead but she knew that apart from her leg she was fine, you could tell that monster was intelligent, she attacked those who they could escape and I save the one that was injured for dessert. I told my team a plan, as I expected their frightened faces said it all, but there was no time, the wind covered our smell for now, but as soon as it was for the girl and killed her, we and the other scattered squads would be the next on your menu. We surrounded the beast, I would go to a chain that I saw loose with my musket in hand, they had to get as close as possible to the girl and then I would shoot, everything had to be fast. I screamed for the beast to see me, and as soon as I did, the countdown began… The beast was impaled on a large chunk of ice and breathed its last. Tiredness suffocated me, I was still in the cold and soft layer of snow, I was very sleepy. But I was woken up by the roar of another monster, great, it was his partner. It was coming right at me, and then… Blood… howls of pain… the head… the other beast's head was pierced with someone's slash. "Ca… Captain…" - I felt weak, I knew it was something in my rib or my leg, I think I'm losing blood. I saw the silhouette of the herald, drawing the embedded sword from the monster's head, I saw him tense his body as he looked in my direction. "Cadet!" – I heard him shout, before everything went black, Dottore will surely laugh at this, why do I think of that crazy man at this moment?… Curious, I don't think of my old family at the moment, I just want to play another fun board game with the Tzarina… I want to be with mom, yes… she's my mom, I miss mom, letters never beat talking directly to her.

I know, too long, sorry. Goodbye.

This genuinely gave me anxiety cause beast??? What beast??? Racked my brain to figure out which Genshin mob you meant and got even more creeped out as I realised it was up to my imagination. And my imagination is a little bitch who loves to scare me.

BUT juicy stuff that'll give me some inspo hopefully, loved the violence! kinda reminds me of a scene I imagined o.o AND MOTHER TSARITSA WHO PLAYS BOARD GAMES W READER PLS I'm crying, so real. + Sorry if I sound a bit flat but I'm super drained-- Thank you for sharing this snippet tho, amazing!!

[bbrandy2002]

Happy Birthday Burnsy!

The Country AU -- I'm Gonna Live Where The Green Grass Grows

Pairing: Drake x Alyssa, Liam x Riley, and a whole host of other TRR characters.

A/N: This was a silly little idea I had months ago for an AU built around the places and people where I grew up. I never had plans to actually write it, but I mentioned it to Burns, and well ... she wanted it lol so here we are. And she’s already read half of this and is the one who made the mood board for it and the song inspo hahaha. Thank you to @mskaneko for the edits of our OTP’s, and @charlotteg234 for pre-reading the first half of this.

Trigger warning: Gun usage, hunting, mild language ... I think that’s it

@burnsoslow

My dearest friend, when I think back at where we were one year ago, I can’t help but be reminded of the vastly different world we live in now. On February 5, 2020, there was no covid keeping us sheltered and fearful, families were complete, jobs were stable, and so many of the things we worried about then simply pale in comparison to now, Life wasn’t so bad. But here we are with all these new changes and mindsets. Through it all, one thing remained consistent: YOU. You have been my strength, my rock, the anchor that grounded me. We have cried together, laughed a lot together, worried for each other, and celebrated those small victories that were important to each other. And I get so happy when someone comments about how much they love the friendship between Riley and Alyssa because it's the most real part of Fearless. If anyone ever wanted to know what we’re like, it's all written out in that story. I’ve got your back, and you have mine. You’re my best friend and I just love the hell out of ya! I hope your birthday is amazing and that this fic is everything you wanted for this AU.

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

On Sunday mornings in southern Georgia, you did one of two things: You woke up early for church services or woke up late to watch NFL football.

Some people figured out a long time ago how to do both.

Sitting in the back pew of the First Cordonian Church of Everlasting Peace, Alyssa Walker sat quietly with the sweetest southern belle smile, nodding her head along to the beautiful words spoken during Pastor Hakim’s sermon and hiding a pair of earbuds lodged in each ear. 

She and her husband, Drake, had laid claim to the pew when they were teens trying to sneak a kiss or two during prayers. After ten years of marriage, they no longer needed to sneak kisses but stayed in that same seat, believing the biggest sinners should stay as far away from the minister as possible. Why be the barrier that may prevent the spirit from reaching the rest of the congregation? The couple felt it was the least they could do.

They were actually pretty good folks and well respected in their community. Alyssa had taught first grade for eight years at the local elementary school, where her two children, nine-year-old Audrey and six-year-old Patrick, also attended. Her best friend since third grade, Riley, was the art teacher there. 

Drake worked nearby as the lead mechanic at Rys and Sons Chevrolet out on North Ramsford Avenue. Constantine had owned the auto dealership for 35 years before passing it down to his sons, Leo and Liam, when he ran for and became the town's mayor. Leo peaced out, heading to South Florida, while Liam took on the sole responsibility of ownership himself. 

And while most people in this sleepy little town of Cordonia were Falcons fanatics, Alyssa grew up rooting for the team where her parents were born and raised before settling in Georgia as newlywed lawyers: The Chicago Bears.

With the game against the Packers blaring into her ear, she kept a keen eye on the rest of her fellow parishioners. When they clapped, she clapped. When they sang, she sang. She raised her hands in hallelujahs when they did. She had learned to read lips and could “Amen” and “Praise God” right on cue with the rest of them. All the while, she sat in contentment, listening to her weekly football games. 

“The score with 14 seconds left in the second quarter is Chicago -- 14, Green Bay -- 17. The Bears have the ball on the 5-yard line. It’s third and goal. If Trubisky can score here, they’ll go into the locker room at halftime with a lead for the first time in this game, or possibly tie it all up with a field goal after this down. This is a huge, HUGE play, Jim ...” 

Alyssa twined her fingers together and lowered her forehead onto them as she waited with bated breath for the announcer to call the play-by-play. As far as anyone else knew, she was praying fervently for the Hebrews crossing the parted Red Sea away from Pharoah's army that the pastor was chronicling.

“And here comes the snap. Trubisky backs up. He tosses to Robinson in the end zone. OHHH! So close… batted away by Alexender …”

“JESUS!” Alyssa yelled out in anger. With earbuds in, she didn’t realize how loudly that just came out of her mouth. Drake nudged her in the thigh. She glanced over at him for a second before he nodded to the 123 pairs of eyes that had all turned at once in her direction. It instantly dawned on her that everyone in the congregation heard the outburst.

Feeling the color drain from her face, Alyssa placed a hand over her chest and addressed, “I am soooo into this sermon, Hakim. Woohoo! Go, Jesus, go!” She pumped her fist in the air like she was rooting him on.

Drake dropped his face onto Patrick’s shoulder, who was sitting on his lap, to cover the incessant laughter that threatened to spill out of him. He was doing a terrible job of it, as a momentary burst of muffled snickers could be heard through the sound of the game playing in Alyssa’s ear. Her husband was nothing but a big kid himself -- she wouldn’t change that for anything.

“Mommy,” Audrey whispered next to her. “It’s about Moses. Not Jesus.”

Alyssa smiled, patting her daughter’s knee. “Same thing, baby. They both performed miracles.” She cut her eyes to the phone hidden under the cardigan draped across her thighs. “And the Bears need a miracle right now, guys,” she muttered, “Part those shithead Packer’s defensive line, Lord. It’s time to help my Bears get to the promised land.”

“Going for it on fourth down, Trubisky drops back. The Packer defense is putting a lot of pressure on the Bear’s offensive line. Every man is covered in the end zone. He has no one to throw to, Jim. They’re running out of time. Four seconds left. And, NOOO, they sack Trubisky on the 10-yard line … WAIT THE BALL IS LOOSE … THE BALL IS LOOSE ... he fumbled the ball. The Packers are scrambling to get it. There are green and white jerseys all over that ball. BUT LOOK … Green Bay’s Klark picks it up. He’s running the other way … and he just slipped … he just slipped, and the football fell right into the hands of Chicago’s Robinson --”  

Alyssa grabbed Drake’s thigh, her fingers digging deeply with hope and panic. “Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck,” her stressed words weren’t audible to the crowd, but they were speaking volumes in her heart.

“--Robinson’s on the 20, now 15, he’s sweeping past the defense to the 10 -- 5 -- TOUCHDOWN, CHICAGO!!!”

"FUCK YES!" Alyssa jumped up, her arms outstretched in a V shape. “Hallelujah. Holy shit. Thank ya, Jesus.” She let out a huge sigh of relief, feeling nothing short of elated, not concerned in the slightest by the heads that twisted around again.

Hakim stood slack-jawed from the raised platform for a moment, his tallish physique slouching on the pulpit, before adjusting the microphone and clearing his throat deeply. "I'm certainly glad, Sister Alyssa is ... feeling the spirit this morning."

"I am feeling it, Brother Hakim," She shook her head profusely. "I. Am. Feeling it." She shot him a dimpled grin.

Drake snorted loudly, covering his face with one hand and grabbing the side of her dress to pull her back down with the other.

They turned to each other, neither one able to control the snickering and shaking of their bodies. Drake lifted a sleeping Patrick over his shoulder while Alyssa grabbed Audrey's hand; the Walker couple decided they were too immature for church this morning.

They laughed all the way to the parking lot.

"It's never a dull moment with you, baby girl," Drake chuckled, turning over the ignition.

"You know me …” She blew on her nails before rubbing them against her chest. “... just doing the Lord's work." 

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

It was customary in Cordonia for families to gather together each week for a big supper after church. 

The Walkers traditionally took turns hosting with Liam and Riley, and Constantine and Regina. This week's meal was at the elder Ryses.

Sitting down at the dining room table, everyone licked their chops, hungry and ready to dig into all the made-from-scratch southern goodness Mrs. Regina had prepared: Fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, coleslaw, macaroni and cheese, green beans with hamhock, corn-on-the-cob, deviled eggs, biscuits, sweet tea, and coffee. It was all accompanied by two containers of broccoli salad, Alyssa picked up from the Piggly Wiggly deli after church, and Riley's lopsided carrot cake.

There was always a lot of food, a lot of love, and what would it be in a small town without a little gossip here and there.

"Regina, you've outdone yourself on this meal," Liam raved while placing his five-month-old son in a high chair and fastening the clasps. "If it tastes as good as it smells, we're all in for a big treat."

Everyone agreed as she sat down, Constantine pushing her chair in with a peck to the top of her head. "Thank you, Liam." She looked up at her husband with a sincere smile, rubbing his arm. "Only the best for our family."

She meant every word of that as she and Constantine glanced around the table at all the cheerful faces of the people they loved most — that included Drake and his family. 

Drake's father had been the sheriff for many years before his untimely death, while the younger Walker was a teen. Connie had never met a braver, more hard-working man than Jackson; the now mayor stepped in after that death to be the father figure in Drake's life. Drake was already best friends with Liam, and over time, the family just considered him one of their own. Drake and Alyssa's children referred to them as Mamaw and Papaw Rys.

As everyone settled in and passed the food around the table, the doorbell rang; 7-year-old Ellie -- Liam and Riley's oldest -- jumped up to answer it. With everyone focused on getting their helpings, Riley leaned over and whispered to Alyssa, "Any more scoop on Savannah?"

Alyssa passed the potatoes to her and answered in a hushed tone, "I drove past her house yesterday ... Chuck was there. His big rig was backed right up into the driveway. They're not even trying to hide it anymore."

"I knew it." Riley slapped a scoop of potatoes onto her plate, passing them across to Liam. "When does Bertrand get back from that Bankers Convention in Atlanta?"

"I think Max said on Tuesday. And I guarn-damn-tee, Chuck will be there until then."

"Of course he will. Have you told Drake yet?"

Alyssa shook her head, peeking over at her husband, who was in hog heaven, dousing everything on his plate with white gravy, blissfully unaware of their idle chitchat. She turned back to Riley. "Not yet. You know how protective he is. I'll need to hide the gun cabinet keys when he finds out ... if he finds out. You remember how upset he got when Bianca got caught at the Love's Truck Stop with Landon Ebrim over the summer. His mama can do what she wants, but not with a married man."

Riley agreed with a nod before taking a sip and swallowing her sweet tea. "Ya know, I've never seen sweet Emmaline that angry."

"Yeah, me neither. She sure whopped ass that day." They both giggled lightly. "Landon's dentures flew clean across that truck lot."

"I saw her the other day at the Food Lion, grinnin' like a baked possum. Got that ol' dog for everything he had."

Alyssa huffed, "Cept' his nuts."

Ellie ran back in and hopped in her chair. "Miss Olivia is here!"

Alyssa stiffened, clutching her fork a little tighter before letting out a faint groan. Not that she didn't like the Assistant Principal of Cordonia Elementary -- she was her boss, after all, and they grew up together -- she could just be a little off-putting, sometimes with her treatment of Drake. In light of Olivia's recent divorce, she had, however, started directing most of her scorn on her ex-husband, Anton.

Everyone greeted Olivia as she strolled in behind the youngster, shrugging her jacket off and tossing it on a counter with her purse. "I smelled your chicken and taters all the way from Lythikos Drive, Regina. You know how I love a good rib stickin' meal."

"Is Travis and Waylon here?" Patrick piped up eagerly from the children's table, hoping to have some boys to play with rather than the three little girls who kept ganging up on him.

Olivia pulled out a chair and started loading her plate down. "They're with their daddy this weekend, sugar. I'll tell them you asked about them."

Drake lifted his coffee mug, not making eye contact with anyone. "Speaking of ... I saw Anton yesterday at the Dollar Tree ... with someone." He smirked into his drink. While everyone else knew who and was trying to avoid the elephant in the room, he owed her for years of squabble.

"Who? Madeleine?" Olivia spat, adding heaping spoonfuls of sugar to her already overly sweetened tea. "Bless her rotten heart, he was seeing her before our break up. Moved in with her right after the divorce was final, so I hope she's enjoyed cookin' and cleanin' after my youngins' all weekend, cause she's gonna be doin it a hell of a lot more now that she got herself fired."

Madeleine was a bank teller in the drive-thru at First Cordonia and also Leo's ex-fiancee. 

"Madeleine got fired?" Alyssa asked in surprise. "She's been there for years."

The redhead swirled the sugar around in her tea with a spoon before licking it off and continuing, "Mmm-hmm. Bertrand caught her on video, stuffing her gaudy drawers into the vacuum tubes at the bank and sending them to that bastard when he drove through to make a deposit. He was making deposits alright. Right between her scrawny, cankled ass --"

"Olivia!" Liam quickly interjected, knowing once she got going, it would likely turn R-rated with several little ears listening. "I'm dying to hear how the Christmas Festival for next Saturday is coming along." He shot a look across the table at Drake for getting her worked up. Drake simply grinned.

By late afternoon, supper had been eaten, dishes cleaned, and pants unbuttoned. After a couple of hours of chatting on the back porch and watching the kids play, the two younger couples packed up leftovers Regina insisted they take home and were ready to hit the road. 

Liam and Riley lived next door and walked out with the Walkers who were making their way to the Tahoe parked on the street.

Alyssa bounced and cooed over baby Jacob before handing him back to Riley and getting into the vehicle's passenger seat. 

Liam was leaning into the driver's side window, having a casual discussion with Drake about the opening day of deer season next Saturday and asking what time he wanted to head out.

Alyssa was half-listening and half-working the stereo when an idea popped into her head. "You know what would be fun?” Both men stopped talking and glanced over at her. “We should all go?”

Drake knit his brows. “Go where?

“Hunting. We can make it a double date. You and me, Riley and Liam. The great outdoors. Some quality time together. I’ll even make snacks for everyone. It’ll be fun,” her voice was chipper. She was excited about it. 

She was also deadly serious. 

So were the dubious looks Drake and Liam gave each other over the thought of taking their wives on the most important hunting event of their year. Not that either didn't enjoy spending time with their significant others, but hunting was a whole different world. It was a one-person sport where you spent the day away from reality and responsibilities and just enjoying the great outdoors —a place to be alone and experience the thrill of a good hunt.

“Guys, I’m serious. We go fishing together, and I’ve shot targets plenty of times. I really wanna go hunting with you. Riley wants to go too, don't you?” She cast an inquisitive glance out her window at Riley, who glared back with the biggest what-the-fuck look she'd ever made. “See, she wants to go too.”

“Baby,” Drake began softly, giving her knee light squeezes. “I don’t mind taking you, but this is opening day. We’ll be in the woods for hours, in the cold. It’s not really what someone would consider a ‘date.’ And we’re going to the Festival that night … we’ll get a chance to spend time together there.”

She held his gaze as her lips began to quiver. “I understand. You .. you need time to be away from me, and it was a dumb idea anyway --”

“No,” Drake cut in. His heart plummeted from the sadness in her voice and eyes. “That’s not it at all. I love spending time with you. And if you really want to do this, then … let’s do this.”

“Really? We can go together?” Drake nodded with a smile before she squealed in his ear and pulled him into a tight hug. “I can’t wait! Thank you!”

Stuffing his hands in his pockets, Liam let out a heavy breath as he looked over at Riley -- The woman he knew would not be a fun hunting partner next week -- still standing on the sidewalk, appearing like she might faint. “Yeah ... I can’t wait either.”

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

Saturday. 5:15 a.m. The cellphone alarm on Drake’s bedside table let off a series of rhythmic beeping sounds and vibrations. 

The alarm wasn’t needed. The man had been awake for hours, listening to his wife's gentle snores; the anticipation of bringing home at least a 12-pointer keeping him from falling back asleep. 

Letting out a ferocious yawn and a hearty stretch, he picked up his phone to dismiss the alarm and rolled over to wake Alyssa.

With her ass perfectly curled into the space between his stomach and thighs, his hands settled on her curvy hip, jostling her slightly. “Time to get up, my little peach. We gotta get crackin’ before all the good deer are gone.”

“I just need one more hour, okay? Thanks,” she protested with a drowsy murmur, pulling the pillow over her head.

Drake chuckled, rubbing soothing circles over her back. “No. We have to get up now. We’re wasting time, sleepyhead. Unless … you don’t want to go.”

Alyssa’s heavy eyes stung as she tried to peel them open one at a time. “No, I wanna … go ...” she trailed. Her eyes slowly shut again, and she was out.

On a day like today, Drake was usually up and ready in ten minutes. Once he could finally get his wife out of bed, dressed, and back awake again from where she fell asleep on the toilet, it was close to 45 minutes. 

Maxwell, who was also a childhood friend and the music teacher where Alyssa taught, rented the room over their garage. He agreed to come down that morning and watch the kids while the pair spent their morning in the woods. Bianca used to help out in that regard, but the kids complained she slept the whole time, and Alyssa was pretty sure her mother-in-law smoked pot around them.

Drake loaded up the truck, placing his rifle and a smaller .22 caliber for Alyssa behind the seat. Dragging herself slowly to the vehicle, the night sky still pitch black and her breath turning to thick vapors in the frigid air, she listlessly tossed a Taylor Swift tote bag on the floorboard and climbed in.

Drake looked at his phone after everything was packed up to see if Liam had sent a message about being late. It was unusual for him not to be there already. Typically, his best friend was up and at his house before Drake was even ready. He sent off a quick text to check.

Drake: Where you at, man?

Liam: Running late. Riley had to put makeup on and do her hair. 

Liam: I’m having so much fun already 😑

Liam: snark

Drake: Lyss couldn’t decide which gloves looked the best with her orange vest. I guess she wants to impress the deer before she kills them.

Liam: We’re not catching deer today. We’ll be lucky if we catch a cold. Be there in 10.

Twenty minutes later, Liam’s gray Silverado pulled onto the Walker’s gravel drive. Riley had wanted biscuits and gravy from McDonald's, and she had to run back inside to pee, so that set them back. But, with everyone now there, they were finally ready to head out.

Just down the rural road from where Drake and Alyssa lived, the current sheriff of Cordonia, Bastien, owned several acres of unoccupied land that he used for recreation. He had been a close friend of Drake’s dad and agreed to let Drake and Liam hunt and fish on his property whenever they wanted.

Turning onto the dirt road and opening the gate, the four friends arrived at their spot just as dawn was breaking. 

No one spoke much as they trekked through the mud, sticks, and brittle fall leaves that littered the path to the deer stands. Riley and Alyssa were too exhausted to say anything. Drake and Liam just weren’t used to talking at all.

"Riley, love,” Liam whispered softly. “Can you watch how you’re walking? The noise is going to scare the deer away.”

“I can’t help it if … " She reacted loudly in frustration before Liam placed a finger over his lips, and she resumed speaking more quietly. “I can’t help it if there're leaves everywhere. I’m walking on them as delicately as possible.”

“How much further? I think my toes are frozen and I need coffee.” Alyssa bemoaned while walking on the balls of her heels. Drake was basically dragging her sluggish body by the hand. Her eyes were still drooping from exhaustion with every careful step.

“Just over yonder of that fence row is our stand.” He pointed out.

Alyssa aimed her flashlight around the woods in several spots. "And where do we pee at?"

Liam lightly snorted as Drake answered matter-of-factly. "Just over yonder of that fence row below our stand."

"Oh ... " her tone was small and apprehensive, "... I guess that's ... okay." She glanced back timidly at Liam, who was following close behind.

He shielded his eyes from the beam of her flashlight in his face and frowned. "I'm not going to watch you pee, Alyssa."

Riley gasped, "Eww! I don't want Drake watching me pee either." 

"Shhhhh." Liam was quick to remind her again of the volume of her voice.

"Stop, shushing me, Liam! Those deer don't know I'm out here."

Drake grunted, then whipped around to face the three of them. "Would you keep your voices down? No one's watching anybody take a piss," he whisper-yelled. "Lyssa and I will be at least a hundred yards away from ya'll. Riley, I promise you can piss your little heart out, and I won't see it."

"We're separating?" Alyssa asked wistfully. "What if I need to ask Riley something, and she can't hear me yelling across to her?"

"You'll just have to ask her when we're done, baby girl. And ... please don't yell questions to her while we're out here. Low voices."

They continued on with their noisy hike.

"Having so much fun," Liam grumbled to himself.

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

Liam and Riley headed to their tree stand as Drake helped Alyssa climb up the ladder to theirs. 

The stand and ladder were made of plywood -- chipped and faded from years of exposure to the elements -- and were attached at the apex to an oak tree about twenty feet off the ground. At the top it had enough room to take a step onto, with a wooden seat just wide enough to accommodate them. One plank rail came out on both sides. 

Alyssa plopped down onto the seat, clutching her tote bag of goodies on her lap. She lifted the brim of the orange beanie she borrowed from Drake -- that smelled of animal carcass and gun powder -- above her eyes and peered out to the wilderness spread monumentally below. She closed her eyes and slowly inhaled the fresh, dewy air, taking in the sounds of twittering birds, branches clashing from the nearby squirrel frolicking on them, and the rippling of a bubbling brook streaming down the hill. 

A pleasant warmth overcame her as Drake's much larger body sat down next to her and protected her from the frosty wind blowing in from his side.

Alyssa wrapped her arms around his waist, snuggling into him. "I can see why you like this so much. It's so quiet and peaceful ... look how purty it is out here, Drake. It's just real purty, isn't it?"

Working diligently on getting their gear together, he stopped briefly to look out; affection glowed in his eyes. “It sure is, darlin’. Almost as purty as you ... and notice I said 'almost.'” He winked, and Alyssa blushed, feeling that same love trickling up inside her she'd had since they were teenagers. Drake could charm the pants off a chipmunk, but she was thankful he only used that gift on her.

"Sooo ... " She drawled in her thick Southern accent. "How long will it be before the deer start coming out?" 

Drake drew the barrel of her gun back after loading it with shells and explained, "Don't know. It could be minutes. It could be a few hours. Just whenever they head this way, I reckon."

Perplexed, Alyssa nodded slowly. "A few hours? I s'pose that's okay. What do you do while you're waiting?"

He shrugged, passing a gun to her. "You just ... sit here."

"You just sit here and do what?"

Drake leaned over to kiss into her orange cap and replied, "Wait."

"Wait." She acknowledged. "I can do that. I'll just sit here ... and wait."

Several minutes had passed, and Alyssa was already bored with listening to nature, Drake's gurgling stomach, and sitting quietly with nothing to do. Every so often, a shotgun blast was heard in the distance, signifying either someone out there had gotten their prize or Riley had driven Liam insane. It was the only break from the monotony that came with the boredom of sitting in a tree for who knew how many hours.

Letting out a giant exhale that caught Drake's attention, she propped her rifle against the railing and pulled the cloth tote that was sitting between her boots into her lap. Rummaging through the bag, she pulled out her phone and began thumbing out a message.

Drake furrowed his brows and asked, "What're you doin'?" 

"Just texting Riley,' she answered dismissively. He shook his head and leaned it back against the tree while she formulated her message.

Alyssa: You still alive over there? How's it going?

Riley: This is boring as shit.

Riley: And now my texting is apparently scaring away the deer. F the deer Liam. F all the damn deer!!!! What were you thinking, Lyss?

Alyssa: I was thinking we could spend quality time with our husbands. The men we love and cherish with all of our hearts. I’m having a great time with Drake so far 😍😘

Alyssa: And no one twisted your arm to come bitch.

Riley: Liam's just staring through binoculars. He hasn’t spoken in 20 minutes except to tell me to point the gun away from him or to quit moving. Let’s go get our hair did at Adelaide's.”

Alyssa: OHHH Yes! And get Chinese food ... CRAB RANGOONS!! I'll have Drake drive us back. Girls Day Out. Love you!

Drake let out a belch and blew it away when Alyssa turned to him with a dazzling smile and a sparkle in her blues. "Can you drive Riley and me back to the house?"

"What? Right now?" he shrieked. She answered him with a cheerful nod. "What happened to all that talk about wanting to spend quality time with me?"

"I still do. But ... we're just sitting here, not really doing anything. I could be getting my hair done for tonight's festival. I also have a ton of laundry to do, some papers to grade, and I’m supposed to be making the Devereaux’s famous peach cobbler for the raffle. If I leave now, I’ll have time to do all of it.” Alyssa knew she probably wouldn’t do half of that, and Audrey would likely make the cobbler, but it made the situation sound more urgent.

"It's opening day, baby. I'm not leaving this spot." He reached into the pocket of his overalls and pulled out his keys. "If you and Riley wanna take my truck, I'll ride back with Liam."

She gave him an exasperated look. "I don't know my way back to the truck. And I sure as hell know Riley doesn't."

He smirked, stuffing his keys back. "Then you're stuck."

The next hour was brutal. Alyssa texted Riley to alleviate the boredom for several minutes, but there had been no responses in a long while. She wasn't aware that Liam tossed her friend's phone over the hill when she started making TikTok videos of her plight -- Liam took his deer hunting seriously: No noise meant no noise.

Drake wasn't much better; he was quieter than his usual self. It wouldn't have been so bad if she could at least talk. An occasional whispered word was not going to cut it.

Alyssa sighed heavily. She wiggled around for comfort. She unwrapped a Nutty Bar. She crunched. She opened a can of pop. She tapped her fingers. She flipped the pages of a magazine. Each one got that look from Drake that let her know it was too loud. If she ever made it out of there, she planned to jabber and stir until she couldn't do it anymore.

After another half-hour of stewing quietly in her thoughts without a sign of a deer anywhere, Alyssa decided now was the time to finally just talk. 

"Do you ever think about having another baby?" It was a topic that had been on her mind for a while. To her surprise, Drake didn't give her a look or even freak out the way she anticipated. Despite his own rule of silence, he even responded in kind.

"Yeah. Kind of a lot."

Her right brow darted up. "Really?" 

Drake took a breath and shifted the gun across his lap. "I mean, of course. It's always been my dream to settle down and have a bunch of youngin's with the woman I love." He studied her lit-up face; he'd swore she'd gotten more beautiful with age. That's why he hesitated when he added, "But ... "

Her shoulders slumped at his words, and a deflated look impressed upon her face. "But ... " The word barely made it past her lips.

Drake reached for her hand and gripped it tightly. "Lyssa, we have so much going on right now. You're working on National Boards, Audrey has piano recitals and basketball, Patrick has peewee football and Boy Scouts. We barely have time -- except for right now -- for just ... us. I'm not saying,"never"... just that right now ... isn't a good time."

"I understand that, but ... we've always made it work. And don't you miss those tiny little fingers wrapped around yours? And the way they smell fresh out of the bath? And those chubby little cheeks pressed up against yours?" she goaded.

“Of course I do. I remember the first time I held Audrey and PJ in my arms -- there’s just no better feeling in the world than ...to look down ... " Drake paused as his voice cracked, and his brown eyes glistened like glass. " ... and to see someone so small ..." When she sniffled, it made it that much harder for him to speak. "... that you created with the woman you've loved since you were 16 years old. But I like who they are now, and watching them grow, and doing things with them ... And, well ... there’s no shit clean up.”

“You obviously haven’t washed Patrick's clothes in a while,” Alyssa retorted with a chuckle that brought out one in her husband.

"I’ll have to talk to him about that." He gazed deeper into her eyes. "But I do love you ... more than all the peaches in Georgia, Lyssa Claire.”

Alyssa smiled.“That’s what you said to me when you promised to marry me when we were teens.”

Drake returned his own smile. “I did. I remember like it was yesterday too. Sitting in your parent’s basement, watching Friends reruns, eating pizza, making out. And hell, it’s still as true today as it was then. Somehow, even more."

Their cold lips parted and joined halfway for a fervent kiss, with Drake's hand meandering around the subtle groove at the junction of her waist. Just as it became more intense and desirous, a rustling of twigs off in a nearby thicket caught Drake's ear, and he broke away, his eyes scoping the perimeter. Alyssa wasn't offended, she heard it too, and her heart raced with excitement.

Lifting the binoculars hanging from his neck, he spotted two deer eating from a blackberry patch some thirty yards away. He pointed in their direction; Alyssa gave a quick thumbs up, letting him know she saw them too.

Drake carefully lifted the rifle resting in his lap as Alyssa leaned forward and squinted to get a better visual. "Is that a buck and a doe?" she whispered, not moving an inch.

"Sure as fuck is." He mounted the stock of his .30 caliber, Winchester, just beneath his collarbone;  the rush of this moment coursed ravenously through his body. He lined up the scope and placed a steady finger on the trigger -- his thumb pulling the hammer back.

“Wait.” Alyssa loudly whispered. “You can’t shoot him.”

"I'm gonna. Better cover your ears."

"No, Drake. There's a doe with him. What if that's his wife? You can't just leave her all alone without him."

"Lyss, this is the whole reason we're out here."

"So you can make a widow out of her?"

"No ... so I can make deer chili out of him."

Alyssa's mouth flew open. "No. No. RUUUUUUUUN! RUUUUUUN!"

Drake pulled his face away from the scope and fired her a look. "What the hell are you doing? They're getting away!"

She tilted her chin boldly. "I don't care. That was her husband, and they're in love, and you can't take that away from them. I would be so sad if we were just out eating berries and someone came up and shot you, ALL SO THEY COULD EAT DRAKE CHILI!". 

Drake dropped his head. He knew there was no point in arguing with her. As long as he’d known her, she was stubborn, and at that moment, she was dead set in believing those two deer were living out the greatest romance of all time. Nothing he said or did would change her mind on that. 

A thought emerged while he attempted to comprehend the logic of the situation. Those deer ran off in the direction where Liam was set up. Maybe if he could give his friend a heads up, it was still possible at least someone would leave those woods with the prized buck.

Turning his back from Alyssa so that she couldn't stop him, he pulled a small walkie-talkie from his pocket and radioed Liam. Alyssa knew what was up and jumped to her feet, thrusting her arms around him in an attempt to stop the travesty.

"You can't do this, Drake," she hollered, "That’s her soulmate. And why don't I have a walkie-talkie? I want a walkie-talkie!"

While seated next to Liam, Riley was swinging her legs, purposefully making the soles of her boots scrape against the platform. Liam tried to ignore her; maybe he had been a little too uptight about every little noise and utterance she made. But this was playing a whole different ballgame now: she was now making it her mission to piss him off.

Prepared to pound his head against the tree, Liam gritted his teeth, skimming his eyes in her direction. "Love, do you have to do that?"

"Did you have to throw my phone in the woods?" She spat back.

Liam rubbed his hand over his face. "No, and I am sorry that. I apologize for all of eternity. I promise I will get you another one as soon as we get back, okay?”

Riley huffed. "Fine, but that phone had all of my contacts on it. It had our babies' pictures and videos on it ... our vacation photos. I can't get those memories back ever, and I have to find it, and God only knows where it landed. It could be ..." She stopped rattling on when she caught sight of the distressed look Liam was giving her. Knitting her brows, Riley asked, "What?"

"Nothing ... just ... can you lower your voice a little? You're gonna scare the deer away," 

He regretted it as soon as it came out. 

“LIAAAAM!”

He saw the steam gushing out of her ears. There was no time to answer the incoming call on his walkie-talkie from Drake.

Belting out a furious screech, Riley jumped up and tried to jerk the gun from his hands. There was no question she wouldn't shoot him, but she'd sure as hell shred his favorite gun apart piece-by-piece and toss them all the way to Portavira Lake on the other side of town.

Riley tugged with all of her might. "I have HAD IT with being quiet for those damn deer, Liam. HAD IT!"

"Sweetheart, you need to calm down ..." He stood up in front of her, pulling back on the rifle even harder, surprised -- and not pleasantly so -- his considerably smaller wife had this much struggle in her.

"Don't you sweetheart me. You have shushed me for the last time, Liam Preston Rys!"

“Okay, I’m sorry! But can you at least admit us fighting over a gun is dangerous? Somebody is going to get seriously hurt, and I don’t want it to be you, Riley. Please. I won’t shush you anymore, I promise.” His face softened, eventually adorning a loving smile at his wife, who, with a sigh, was unable to resist that handsome face and relaxed her grip. 

Riley gave him a half-smile in return. “I’m sorry, too. I’ve ruined your hunting trip.”

“Yes ... you did.” Liam agreed, dodging the playful slap she nearly made to his upper arm. “But I don’t want to fight anymore.”

With the War of the Ryses finally over, they went in for a makeup kiss until Drake’s voice called out to Liam again through his walkie talkie. Liam set the gun down on the bench and leaned it against the tree before he started digging into his pocket to answer the device. Riley dropped down onto the seat, her elbow brushed against the rifle and caused it to slide away until the barrel end hit the railing and set off a powerful blast.

When the ringing in both of their ears subsided, and the smoke had cleared, Liam and Riley collected themselves from the sudden spine-gripping explosion that shook them both. While Riley explained to Liam what happened, a hysterical sounding Drake came back over the walkie-talkie, wailing, “Alyssa’s been shot! Alyssa’s been shot! Help me!”

__________________

Later that evening, in the courthouse square, the street was lit up with zig-zagged rows of red, green, and white lights. Strands of garland were wound around every lamppost in perfect spiraled loops, and red bows hung and waved with the wintry breeze.

With traffic rerouted away from the area, vendors lined sidewalks selling local goods to put the town's citizens in the festive spirit. What would this small town in Georgia have been without boiled peanuts, low country boil, fried green tomatoes, barbecue, and peach everything? 

Once Constantine had lit the 30-foot spruce, surrounded by hundreds of merry people from all walks of life that made up this small community, the festival was officially kicked-off.

In a large tent set up on the square, Liam and Riley laid out styrofoam containers and drinks they’d purchased from a barbeque vendor on one of several picnic tables inside. With their two young daughters munching away on their meal, and the stroller with their sleeping son beside them, they both sat down with heavy hearts and restless minds.

Liam bit into his barbecue sandwich, noticing Riley only prodding at her mac-and-cheese while staring off into the distance. He didn’t have to ask what was wrong; he knew what happened that morning was bothering her with guilt and worry. It wasn’t every day she accidentally shot someone.

“Are you going to be okay?”

Riley shook her head slightly with a sad look. “No. It’s just not the same without Alyssa here. You know how much she loves Christmas and the festival. She was so looking forward to it too, until --”

“You shot her.”

“Yeeeeeesssss,” she cried out. Liam reached across the table and gave her hand a comforting squeeze, his thumb caressing her smooth skin. Riley continued to sniffle as she grabbed a handful of napkins and wiped the barbecue sauce off Liam’s sticky fingers that were now smeared all over hers. “I didn’t mean to, I swear it. And the way … and the way Drake cried. It broke my heart. Now he has her on bed rest AND house arrest. He won’t let her take calls. I’ll never see or hear from my bestie agaaaain.” The tears continued to flow in steady streams.

Liam stiffened, feeling the eyes of everyone in that tent, gawking at his overly-dramatic wife breaking down. He started to tell her to lower her voice, but after the gun battle in the woods, he thought better of it. “Riley, darlin’, you know Drake is really overprotective of Alyssa. And as scary as what happened was, she only needed the one stitch and band-aid for her graze wound. Something tells me Drake won’t be able to keep her down long.”

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

Liam was right. As much as Drake tried to keep her in bed so he could wait on her hand and foot, protect her from the careless friends of the world who could inadvertently do his baby girl harm, and check to see if she needed a new band-aid every few minutes, he could not keep her down. She had been far too excited to hang out with the people she loved so much and celebrate at one of her favorite festivals.

Maxwell had left for the events with Audrey and Patrick an hour ago; they were part of the children’s caroling group and needed to be there early. Against Drake’s wishes, Alyssa showered, got dressed, and made sure he knew in no uncertain terms would he be able to prevent her from going. The only thing he knew to do was to go, follow her around the entire night, and make sure she wouldn’t get shot again.

They circled the block where everything was held several times, but spaces to park were impossible to find. Three blocks away was the church where they attended, and the parking lot was completely empty. Drake didn’t like the fact that Alyssa would have to walk so far in her debilitated condition and was prepared to haul her piggyback style if he had to, but this was the best spot he could find.

Drake moved the gearshift into park and reached over to grab Alyssa’s arm, who was already bounding out the door. He pulled Alyssa back inside, the chilly air blowing through her open door swept her straighten hair this way and that way. 

She cocked her head to the side and exhaled, “Drake, I can open my own door. I’m not broken. It’s just a scratch. I’m fine.”

“I know.” He smiled that tenderhearted smile only Alyssa had ever seen. The same one sending a shudder through her already chilled body. “I changed my mind,” he replied simply

Alyssa slammed her eyes shut and groaned. “I just told you I was fine --”

“No, no,” He shook his head. “About having another baby. I want to start trying.”

Saddled with curiosity, she slid back into the truck and shut the door. “But, I thought you said we didn’t have time for that --”

“Yeah, I did say that. I still believe it. But … today made me realize that yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today …”

Alyssa’s hand flew to her mouth as she laughed out loud. Drake gave her a confused look before chuckling awkwardly to himself, “What’s so funny?”

She lowered her hand, still laughing. “You got that saying from a quote on a poster in my classroom. You’re the one who hung it up for me.”

The memory dawned on him, and he lowered his head, attempting to cover the guilty grin that spread over it. “Well, hell. Here I was trying to make you think I was all insightful and smart and stuff.”

Alyssa’s hand splayed across his rugged chest as she leaned over to kiss him.“You are very insightful and smart. You know I never settle for anything less than the best.”

“I s’pose.” he said, forking his fingers through his hair. “But … I guess what I wanted to say was … I know that bullet missed you, barely … but what if it hadn’t? What if I’d left those woods without you today? Just like you were afraid that doe might. Time wouldn’t matter anymore. There will NEVER be enough time with you. You’re my life, Alyssa Claire. You’re my lover, my friend, my heart, my confidante, my soul, my everything … my little peach. I want to experience all that life has given me with you as my wife … and forever make time with you.”

“DRAAAKEY!” she bawled, spreading her tiny arms wide around his bulky body. Alyssa drew him into her so hard it nearly crushed the wind right out of his lungs. “I -- love -- you -- so muuuch!” Drake patted her back and kissed into her hair as she sniveled into his shirt. He hated when she cried, but damn if this didn’t feel good to him. Anytime she was happy made him that way too. 

They took a moment to kiss and pet each other a little before Alyssa sat up and asked, “So … when do you want to start trying for a new baby Walker?”

He shrugged. “Whenever you want, baby.”

Alyssa looked through the back window of the truck and scanned the parking lot. She bit her lip and looked back at him impishly. “What about … now?”

Drake’s eyes flew open wide. “In the church parking lot?”

Pursing her lips, she affirmed, “Yes. We’ve done it behind the Piggly Wiggly plenty of times. And let's not forget the ‘Great Ass Blow-out of 2019’ in the Atlanta Convention Center parking garage.”

“I will never forget that.” Drake shook his head as that momentous sexual experience replayed in his mind. “Mmmm, you performed magic that day, woman.”

She raised a brow and coaxed him on, “So? What’dya say?”

Drake took a tentative look around at the dark, empty lot, then back at her. “We’re so going to hell, but I’m in.”

“Eeeeeee,” she squealed, jerking his arm around in excitement. “Try to keep your ass out of the window this time, okay?”

Thirty minutes later, Pastor Hakim pulled into the church parking lot with Mara, the game warden, following behind in her truck. There had been several reports from passerby’s of loud animals howling and screeching behind the church. The stray cat population was out of control in that area, and several cats had burrowed their way inside the church on occasion. 

Hakim parked his car, with Mara pulling in beside him. They both got out simultaneously and listened quietly to see if they could decipher where the commotion was coming from. 

Within seconds, a load moan roared out, followed by several consecutive whimpers that were hard to make out by the duo.

Mara listened intently, then gestured with her flashlight to an area near the back of the lot where clusters of shrubs and dry brush bordered. Hakim ambled behind her, the noise getting closer and closer until the pastor's brow furrowed at the shaking of a nearby truck.

“Damn, teenagers,” he grumbled as they tipped toed discreetly.

Mara crouched down by the truck's tailgate, Hakim bending over while she duck-walked toward the driver's side door.

The game warden turned to the pastor and instructed, “On my three. 1 -- 2 -- 3.” They both jumped up at the same time, flashing the light inside the cab. “HAHA Caught ya! OH MY GOD!”

Alyssa, who was on top of Drake, completely naked except for the band-aid on her left arm, looked up in utter humiliation and shock. She crossed her arms over her chest to cover her breast, feeling like she might faint. Not knowing what to say at that moment to rectify their actions or why those two were still staring inside the truck, Alyssa smiled sheepishly. “I’m still feeling the spirit, Hakim.”

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

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