#it to arrive when I had to leave for Chicago and totally forgot about it until my dental appointment today | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

maybeimamuppet · 3 years ago

Text

you happened

hey darlings!! happy wednesday!!!

let’s get right into it shall we?

tw for

discussion of canon events in mg (outing, etc)

discussion of canon events in the prom (homophobia, etc.)

this was requested by @spidy-nugget like forever ago so thank you for your patience and i hope you enjoy!

—

“Oh!” Cady says, interrupting herself in the middle of a sentence. “I just remembered! My cousin is coming to visit next week, do you guys want to meet her?”

“Emma?” Damian asks excitedly. Cady nods. “Yes! Is she bringing the-her… Broadway friends?”

“I dunno, she didn’t tell me,” Cady giggles. “But probably, she said they usually visit her at some point every summer.”

“I should probably be there to stop him from combusting if they do come,” Janis huffs. “But also, yes, I want to meet her too.”

“She’s an absolute icon,” Damian says happily. “God, her song. Still makes me cry.”

“You cried watching Finding Dory yesterday,” Janis retaliates.

“It’s a sad movie! Sometimes!” Damian defends. “Anyway, tell me all about Emma.”

“Okay,” Cady giggles again. “She’s a year older than us, and she’s my cousin on my mom’s side. Um… you know her whole… prom fiasco. I��ve only met her in person once when I was ten, for Rhys’ funeral. But we were pen pals when we were really little. And now we just text and stuff.”

“Cute,” Damian says. “And is her girlfriend coming?”

“Oh! Yeah,” Cady says around a mouthful of Janis’ milkshake. “Her name is Alyssa, she’s, like, super smart. Did every possible activity in high school, that kind of thing. But she’s been with Emma when we’ve Facetimed and stuff before and she’s super sweet.”

“Aww,” Damian coos. “I can’t wait!”

————-

Luckily for him, Damian doesn’t have to wait too long. Emma and Alyssa arrive the following week in Emma’s pickup. Damian has been pressed against the window all day, like a small child watching for the ice cream truck. He gasps dramatically when four people in matching sequined tracksuits also hop out of the backseat, grumbling about being cramped together for such a long trip.

Cady opens the door to let everyone in, and is quickly swamped by a crowd of people much taller than her. Janis pops up on her tippy toes to try and find her girlfriend to save her, but doesn’t succeed.

Everyone heads into the living room, and Janis laughs when she finds Cady being carried in like a sack of potatoes by one of the men that came with Emma.

“Emma, why didn’t you tell me your cousin was so adorable?” He demands. “Look at this, she’s so small.”

“Please put me down,” Cady squeaks. Janis heads over and reaches for her.

“Can I have my girlfriend back, please?”

“And she’s gay!” The man says happily, passing Cady over like she’s a small dog. Janis holds her close and smoothes her hair back to where it was.

“Bi, actually,” Cady grumbles.

“Well, aren’t you something. Oh, my name is Barry, by the way. As if you haven’t heard of me.”

“Barry, we talked about this,” Emma chides. “They haven’t. Except Damian.”

“And where is this Damian? I want to meet him,” one of the ladies says. “Oh, and my name is Dee Dee.”

Damian enters shyly and gives a little wave. Janis cackles, “Dude, you’re totally starstruck, look at you!”

“Uh-hi,” he stutters. “I’m Damian.”

“Aww!” The other lady says. “Look at your little cheeks, what a sweetheart! I’m Angie.”

Damian blushes violently as he’s cooed over by Angie. Barry hauls her off to get a good look at him.

“I like this,” he says. “It’s like a mini me.”

“Just don’t break him,” Emma pleads. “Damian, can I trust you to babysit for a while?”

That prompts a, ‘Hey!’ from all four adults, and an eager nod from Damian. “I can show them around town.”

“This is not a town, darling,” Dee Dee says gently. “But what is there to see?”

“We have… uh-“

“There’s an IHOP!” Cady chirps. “And the mall. That’s kind of it until you get to Chicago. Or the lake.”

“This is the most precious soul,” Barry says happily.

“Dame, we did it. I never thought I’d see the day we found someone gayer than you,” Janis laughs.

“Oh, I like this one too,” Barry says. “Funky little lesbian. She dresses like Emma but goth.”

“I do love the hair,” Emma agrees. “I’m dressed more like Cady today though.”

They both look down at their almost-matching flannels and jean shorts, then back at each other with a nod.

“Same boots though,” Janis cheers, lifting a foot. Emma laughs and nudges it with one of her own doc martens. “Nice.”

“Precious,” Angie says. “Okay, we’ll leave you gals alone now. Damian, show us the sights.”

“It would be my pleasure,” Damian says, leading the adults to the door.

“Yes, show us to the… hopping eyes,” Dee Dee says, sounding both bored and intrigued at the same time. Damian waves goodbye to Janis excitedly and closes the door after him.

“Well,” Emma chuckles. “Oh, I hope he’ll be okay.”

“I think he’ll be fine,” Alyssa soothes. “He’s in good company, and he’s a theatre kid, he gets their… vibes.”

“Theatre kid is an understatement for that boy,” Janis tuts affectionately.

“True,” Cady giggles. “Anyway, we can hang out in my room, if you want?”

Emma and Alyssa nod, so Cady leads everyone up to her bedroom. Janis flops onto the bed and Cady crawls in behind her, lifting her head onto her lap. Alyssa and Emma look around curiously for a second before joining them.

“Who did these?” Alyssa asks, pointing to the paintings and collages adorning the walls. “They’re incredible, especially this one. It looks just like you guys!”

Janis flushes as she points to the one she won her art contest with, of she and Damian and Cady all together. “I did.”

“Dang,” Emma breathes. “You have some serious talent, Janis.”

“Thanks,” Janis squeaks.

“No, seriously! Do you have stuff here?” Emma insists.

“A few things, yeah,” Janis says confusedly, raising an eyebrow. “Why?”

Emma lifts her guitar case onto the bed and flicks the latches open, pulling out her famous instrument. It’s covered in stickers and little doodles, much like Janis’ jackets.

“Will you do something on this for me?”

Janis’ eyes go wide. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah, of course!” Emma chuckles. “There’s room down here if you want it visible, or on the back.”

Janis carefully takes the instrument and assesses the material, trying to put an idea together in her mind. She runs to Cady’s desk when one comes to her, where she keeps a supply of basic colors and brushes in case of emergency. Cady doesn’t mind keeping them, they remind her of her girlfriend.

Cady grins affectionately as Emma and Alyssa cuddle in together. “How did you two meet?”

Her cousin turns to smile at her girlfriend. “I kind of always knew of her from school and stuff, but we didn’t really get close until sophomore year.”

Alyssa nods in agreement. “My mom wanted me to be more creative and have another skill or whatever, so she signed me up for guitar classes. Just so happens she was my teacher.”

“You really sucked,” Emma teases. Alyssa scoffs, aghast, and shoves her so hard she nearly falls off the bed. “Ack! Hey, I was kidding!”

“I know,” Alyssa giggles. “I did suck, I’ve never been much good at artsy stuff.”

“I was never good at art either,” Cady chuckles at their antics. “Jay’s tried to teach me to paint a couple times and it hasn’t gone too well.”

She peeks around the other couple to where her own girlfriend is sitting cross-legged on the ground, tongue poked out to the side as she carefully brushes a stroke of paint onto Emma’s guitar. Janis looks up when she feels her gaze, and grins happily when she sees Cady.

“You have the right instincts, I keep telling you,” she says. “You just get cranky too fast and then start attacking me with it.”

Everyone else bursts out laughing. Emma says, “I don’t blame her, I hated art class. What were we talking about?”

“How we met, dummy,” Alyssa huffs, kissing behind Emma’s ear.

“Oh yeah! So, we started off with actual lessons, but then we started getting to know each other more,” Emma explains. “And then I came out and got kicked out, which… a lot of people heard about, so Lyss figured I was a safe person to tell that she was questioning.”

Cady nods, listening intently to the story.

“I came out to her that summer,” Alyssa says. “And she said she’d had a crush on me all along, and asked me out. So we went on a walk and then got coffee and the rest is history.”

“We forgot to mention the serious gay panic I had during our first lesson,” Emma chuckles. “But that’s the gist of it.”

“How cute,” Cady coos.

“What about you two, how long have you been together?” Alyssa asks kindly, flicking Emma’s ear gently as she aggressively plops down onto her lap.

“Four months,” Janis pipes up immediately.

“Man, you crushed on her for that long without saying anything, Cades?” Emma says, impressed. Janis pops her head up and listens in.

“Oh?”

“She never shut up about you for, like, almost a year,” Emma laughs. Cady flushes scarlet and looks down at her lap with a flustered squeak. “I’m assuming it was you, she never gave a name. But it was always a tall, hot artist with cool hair and nice muscles. And I think she mentioned your butt a few times, she thinks that’s cute.”

Janis cackles as Cady flops facedown onto her bed and groans into a pillow. “How cute, I didn’t know that. But I shouldn’t laugh, I definitely wasn’t any better.”

“How did you get together?” Alyssa asks, patting Cady’s shoulder in an attempt to comfort her. Janis snorts from the ground and Cady gives another groan into her pillow. “What?”

“You tell them,” Cady grumbles, poking her face out just long enough that it’s not muffled.

“Baby, it’s cute,” Janis coos.

“No it’s not!”

“Okay, fine, I’ll tell it in a way that makes me look just as dorky,” Janis compromises. “Caddy came to my school in September from Kenya, and she had these adorable little cargo shorts and socks with sandals on, and-“

“Hold on, what?” Alyssa insists. “Kenya?”

“Cady grew up there, her parents are zoologists,” Emma explains.

“How many conversations have we had with her? And you never thought to tell me she’s from Africa?”

“It never came up! We both had a lot going on the first year and then we just didn’t bring it up,” Emma defends. “And now you know.”

“Sorry,” Alyssa says. “Keep going.”

“It’s all good,” Janis chuckles. “Anyway, I fell for her so bad the first day that I dragged Damian into the bathroom at lunch and made him let her join our group.”

Cady pops her head up and looks to her girlfriend. “You did?”

“Yeah, duh,” Janis says. “We’re not known for socializing with the new kids, I just thought you were cute.”

Cady blushes again, but doesn’t return to her pillow. “Keep going.”

Janis chuckles and continues telling the story as she finishes her small painting on Emma’s guitar. “So we became friends that day, and then had… an ordeal, through the rest of junior year and didn’t really reconnect until spring.”

Cady’s told Emma and Alyssa the whole story, so they both nod at Janis’ quick explanation.

“We got really close over the summer, and apparently we were both crushing on each other. But we didn’t notice, somehow. And then I sorta snapped on her birthday this year and decided to fess up, so I made that,” Janis points to the black and white collage hanging next to one of her paintings on the wall. “But before I could give it to her, this little firecracker got wasted and started crying in my lap about how much she loved me.”

“I wasn’t that drunk!” Cady huffs.

“I found you lying on the ground singing yourself to sleep,” Janis giggles. “And you didn’t recognize me, clearly. Just climbed into my lap and spilled your guts. I was lucky it wasn’t literal.”

“Janis Sarkisian,” Cady grumbles. “Behave.”

“Fine, fine,” Janis chuckles. “Anyway, once she sobered up a little bit we had a chat and realized we both had feelings for each other, so we started dating. And now we’re here.”

“That did not make you sound anywhere near as dorky as me,” Cady huffs. “But yeah, that’s… that’s it.”

Emma snorts once the story is done. “That does sound like Cady. But if that’s what it took, then I guess it was worth it.”

Cady turns to look at Janis again. “It was. But you guys went through a lot more than us, that must have been tough on both of you.”

“I wouldn’t say that,” Emma chuckles, trying to sneak a peek at Janis’ work. The angle isn’t quite right, so she gives up before she falls off her girlfriend. “You guys went through a lot. But yeah, it was really tough. I’m so lucky.”

“I’m the lucky one,” Alyssa murmurs back. “You guys know the story?”

“I do,” Cady says. “I think Jay and Damian just know the bare bones. It’s your story to tell, I didn’t want to give too many details away.”

Alyssa gives her a grateful smile, and Cady grins back. “Do you want to hear it?”

“Of course,” Janis pipes up. “I finished, by the way. Um, here.”

“Hey, you stole my idea!” Cady jokingly whines when she sees what Janis has done.

“But it’s so perfect!” Janis defends. Emma takes her guitar to see, and smiles at the new lion with a rainbow mane in the spot they’d picked. “And it’s kind of for both of us.”

“This is awesome,” Emma says. “Oh! I get it, it’s a pride thing! Pride of lions, and then… oh. Clever!”

“It was actually Caddy’s idea, she made me a rock with it at pride last week,” Janis says. “I thought it fit.”

“It does, you’re really talented!” Alyssa says, leaning over her girlfriend’s shoulder to see it. Janis’ text tone goes off, so she pulls her phone out of the pocket of her shorts to check it. Cady peeks over to see what it is too as Janis bursts out laughing. It’s a picture of Damian surrounded by his new friends, now in a matching tracksuit all of his own.

jamian: Sent a picture: JAN LOOKIT

danis: nice outfit

jamian: Thank u it really suits me doesnt it

danis: honestly

danis: yeah kinda

jamian: Sent a picture: Thank u

jamian: Anyway we’re going to ihop next yall should meet us there

danis: kk love u

jamian: Love u too

“I think your little crew adopted Damian,” Janis chuckles at Emma and Alyssa, showing them the photo of a very excited Damian.

“Aww,” Emma chuckles. “I’m glad they didn’t kill him, they can be a lot to handle.”

“He seems fine,” Janis shrugs. “Whose truck are we taking?”

“Oh, is that one in the driveway yours?” Emma says excitedly. Janis nods. “It’s nice!”

“We’ve been in Em’s all day,” Alyssa chuckles. “Probably best to take yours.”

“I call shotgun!” Cady yells, already tugging on her shoes and running downstairs.

“As if I’d let anyone else,” Janis mumbles affectionately under her breath.

————-

The waitstaff at IHOP look more than a little frightened at the size of their group, and especially at the crew in tracksuits.

“Ey, yo!” One of them calls. “Guys, come here! It’s that guy from the thing! That show!”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Trent grumbles under his breath. “Why is it always that? I played Hamlet!”

They’re quickly escorted to a large table near the back, and Trent signs a few menus as a little gift to the now very excited waiters.

“Was Juilliard worth it?” He mutters to himself. Angie, who’s sat next to him, nudges him with an elbow to shut him up.

Janis and Emma both order for their girlfriends, and also order themselves the same meal of chicken and waffles. Dee Dee gets french toast, Angie gets an omelet, Trent gets some crepes, and Barry gets the most horrifically sweet looking pancakes anyone’s ever seen. Apparently they’re cupcake flavored.

Alyssa looks very content with her large Belgian waffle, and Cady seems delighted with her chocolate chip pancakes decorated with whipped cream to look like a face. It’s definitely from the children’s menu, but nobody says anything.

“So tell us about you guys,” Dee Dee says once their food gets delivered. She looks eagerly to her friends, as if to say, ‘Look how nice I can be when I want to.’ Barry claps quietly for her.

“What do you want to know?” Damian asks. Dee Dee puts her head in her hands, clearly not knowing how to continue. Trent takes over for her.

“How do you guys know each other?”

“Oh!” Damian says excitedly. “Janis and I have been friends, like, forever. We met in tap dance class when we were three.”

“And you knocked my fucking teeth out in that class when we were five,” Janis grumbles.

“By accident!” Damian defends amidst the giggles of their whole group. “I got really into it. Anyway, so we’ve been friends forever. And then little Caddy happened along in junior year, and we kind of kidnapped her for a while.”

“No, I needed to be kidnapped,” Cady laughs. “I was a total wreck. They actually sort of rescued me from the school bathroom at lunch.”

“You were eating in the bathroom?” Barry asks, sounding both empathetic and disgusted. “Oh, you poor sweet thing.”

“I was the new kid, y’know?” Cady shrugs. “Nobody wanted to eat with the dork from Africa.”

Angie chokes on a bite of her food, and Trent thumps her on the back. “From what now?”

“I’m from Kenya,” Cady giggles. “Well, technically I was born in Oregon. But I lived in Kenya for thirteen years.”

“Just, like, in the wilderness?” Barry asks in shock. “With the lions and tigers and… bears and stuff?”

Cady laughs out loud. “Pretty much. But there’s no tigers or bears.”

“But there were lions?” Trent insists.

“Oh, yeah,” Cady says like it’s entirely normal. “That’s mostly what we were studying. They were kind of my only friends.”

“And they never showed any interest in… consuming you?” Dee Dee asks worriedly. Cady laughs again.

“Lions are just big cats, you know, guys? As long as you’re careful and respect their boundaries they won’t hurt you,” she chuckles. “I got swiped at a few times when I was little, but I never needed more than fifteen stitches.”

“Fifteen?” Angie yelps.

“That is kind of a lot, Cades,” Emma chuckles. “I never had to get more than three as a kid.”

“Oh. Well, I was kind of asking for it, I was playing too rough,” Cady hums.

“With a lion,” Alyssa insists. “Do you have pictures?” Cady nods and passes over her phone for them to scroll through her camera roll.

“Anyway, please keep going,” Angie says, leaning across the table to try to see.

“That’s basically it,” Janis shrugs. “Until you get into the whole mess that happened junior year.”

Cady and Damian nod in agreement. The adults all look very excited at the prospect of some new drama. “Do tell.”

The art freaks all look to one another warily, wondering who should begin. Cady decides to after a second of back and forth.

“Well, um… I sat with these two on my first day,” she begins. “But then just before lunch ended I met these three girls. We called them the Plastics.”

“Why?” Angie asks curiously. Damian shows them all a photo. “Oh. I already don’t like this one.” Janis snorts quietly as she points to Regina.

“Anyway, they said I should sit with them, and Janis and Damian wanted me to so I could spy on them,” Cady says sheepishly. “They have some… personal history.”

“Oh?” Trent asks. Cady looks to Janis, this bit is her story to tell.

“Regina, the one in the middle, outed me in eighth grade,” Janis says. “Carved slurs into my locker, that kinda thing.”

“Oh, honey,” Barry says sadly. “That bitch.”

Janis chuckles weakly. “Yeah. The other two just kind of went along with it. They were just generally bitchy to everyone. But I didn’t have many friends because of her, and I went through a lot of counseling and stuff because of it. Spent some time in the hospital for… reasons, but that’s not… something we need to discuss right now.”

Everyone nods, respecting her privacy. Cady continues telling the story. “So, I pretended to join them and would kind of report back to Janis and Damian. I learned that they had this book, called the Burn Book, where they would write mean things about people from the yearbook and stuff. And at the same time I was crushing for a long time on this boy named Aaron, but he was Regina’s ex. She had dumped him earlier for another guy. And she was actually cheating on him with the other one.”

“Oh, can I tell this bit?” Janis asks. Cady nods and gestures for her to keep going. “So, around Halloween, Cady went to Aaron’s party, and I don’t know exactly what happened, but he basically got back together with Regina.”

“What kind of idiot-“ Trent begins, getting cut off by a stomp on the foot from Dee Dee.

“So poor Caddy came to my house,” Janis says, trying to keep down giggles at the memory. “Fucking slams my basement door open, but Dame and I were watching horror movies. Caddy was dressed as some corpse bride with a knife in her back and everything, and Damian screamed so loud, like, higher than I’ve ever heard. But she was crying, so we helped her and then came up with a revenge plot.”

Dee Dee suddenly looks very interested, leaning forwards slightly and resting her head on her folded hands.

“Caddy had these snack bars from Kenya, they’re… Swedish, I think?” Damian says. Cady nods. “They make you gain weight, like, really quickly. Regina was kind of obsessed with her weight and image and stuff, so we got Caddy to tell her they were actually a diet bar to help lose weight.”

“No,” Angie gasps. Everyone laughs at her reaction.

“Yeah,” Cady laughs. “I don’t think anything major happened until around Christmas. The Plastics did this dance every year at the winter talent show, and we had to wear these skimpy little Santa outfits. But Regina had already gained a fair bit of weight, so her skirt didn’t fit…”

“It fell off in the middle of the routine in front of everyone,” Janis cackles. Emma and Alyssa both look slightly scared of her. “Sorry. Personal vindication. But yeah, that was kind of the beginning of the end for her. Cady kind of… got lost in it, by that point. It was hard to tell if she was pretending or not.”

Cady looks down at her lap in shame, so Janis takes her hand under the table and kisses the side of her head a few times to comfort her. Damian keeps going with the story.

“So, Caddy basically overthrew Regina as Queen Bee of the school. She threw a little party and didn’t invite us or Regina, so she kind of was attacking both fronts. We got pretty mad and stopped associating with her, and Regina was obviously furious,” he says. “And so as revenge for that, Regina photocopied the Burn Book and spread all the pages around the school. I saw, like, seven fights before first period even started that day.”

“But didn’t they know that she had written it?” Trent asks.

“That’s the thing, she put herself in it,” Janis adds, now holding Cady on her lap. “So nobody suspected her. She went to the principal and blamed Gretchen and Karen, they’re the other two, and Cady.”

“I don’t like this story,” Barry whines. “Tell me something good happens.”

“Oh, just wait,” Janis chuckles darkly. “There was an assembly called that day, and they tried to make us apologize to each other and do trust exercises or something like that. I kind of went rogue and only apologized to myself and rallied the rest of the girls in our grade.”

“Go Janis,” Angie says, sounding impressed. “Stick it to the man.”

“Thanks,” Janis laughs. “But it only lasted a few minutes.”

“Damn it,” Barry groans. “What happened?”

“Regina got hit by a bus,” Cady says. Angie spits her mouthful of lemonade over Trent.

“She what?”

“Yeah,” Cady laughs. “So, that time kind of sucked for both of us. She was in the hospital recovering, and everyone was saying that I pushed her in front of it or that she jumped in front of it on purpose because of me.”

“She didn’t die?” Dee Dee clarifies. Everyone is more than a little concerned at the disappointment in her voice.

“No,” Cady chuckles. “Well, she died for, like, fifteen seconds, but she was resuscitated and she’s fine now.”

“And did you push her?” Barry asks. “We’re all friends here, you can tell us.”

“No!” Cady huffs. “I may have been a raging bitch, but I’m not an attempted murderer.”

“You didn’t feed anyone to a lion back in Kenya?” Janis teases gently.

“I’ll do it to you if you’re not careful,” Cady retaliates with a laugh. “Where did we leave off?”

“Regina got hit by a bus and you didn’t push her,” Trent says helpfully, still dabbing some lemonade out of his sweater with a wad of napkins.

“Oh,” Damian says. “Okay, so, I don’t… totally remember what happened in between that and Spring Fling, but it’s really not important.”

“I was suspended for the Book, that’s kind of it,” Cady says, gesturing for him to continue.

“Oh, yeah! Anyway, Spring Fling at our school is basically prom but for underclassmen, prom is just for the seniors. Jan and I were each other’s dates, she decorated our outfits and stuff, we looked killer if I do say so myself.”

Janis rolls her eyes lovingly and whacks him with an elbow.

“And Caddy was banned, so she wasn’t supposed to be there, but she showed up towards the end with the Mathletes,” Damian continues. “And she had been nominated for queen, and she won. So she went up on stage and gave the most beautiful speech I’ve ever heard and broke her crown, and we all got a piece. So now we’re all friends and life is good.”

“Nice ending, Dame,” Janis laughs. “Hasty conclusions. But that it is basically how it happened.”

Everyone blinks at them. Trent says, “That was like being in a war zone. Just one bombshell after another.”

“It kinda was, our math teacher got stabbed in the leg at one point,” Cady hums. “Anyway, what’s your guys’ story? If you want to share.”

“Oh, yeah, I’d like to know more,” Damian says. “Jan and I really only know the bare bones. What was in the news, and stuff.”

“You guys can start,” Emma says, pulling a face as Alyssa gently dabs some syrup off her lip. Alyssa giggles when Emma tries to bite her hand and kisses Emma’s cheek.

“Ooh, okay!” Barry says eagerly. “We were in a show. Well, Dee Dee and I. We were in a delightful little show called Eleanor.”

“As in…” Janis says confusedly.

“Eleanor Roosevelt,” Dee Dee explains. She seems surprised when the kids all nod in understanding. “You’ve heard of her?”

“Yeah?” Cady says, tilting her head. “She’s one of the most famous first ladies of all time, we learned about her in our history class.”

“Not nearly enough,” Janis grumbles. “Gotta make time for the men.”

“Amen sister,” Angie huffs.

“Really…” Dee Dee hums interestedly. “Anyway, it was… not a success. Poor advance sales, and then…”

“We bombed opening night,” Barry grumbles. “Apparently. But it wasn’t the show, it was… it was us. The media panned us as aging narcissists and we had to close.”

“On opening night?” Damian gasps in horror. Dee Dee and Barry both nod sadly.

“Regretfully, yes. So, we had to try to change the narrative,” Dee Dee says. “We decided to find a good cause and do something. So we were going to build houses for Habitat for Humanity.”

“But Barry has a bad back,” Trent pipes up. “So then we thought about, like, recycling or fixing poverty or world hunger.”

“But that was all too much for us to handle,” Angie says. “So I went on Twitter and found-”

“Me!” Emma says. “Apparently that all happened on the same night as the first assembly where the PTA cancelled prom in the first place. I guess we were trending.”

“And they only cancelled it because you two wanted to go together?” Janis asks sadly.

“Yep. Well, nobody knew about Alyssa, but they cancelled it because they knew I wanted to bring my girlfriend,” Emma explains.

“Those bitches,” Janis grumbles. “Sorry.”

“Believe me, we get it,” Emma laughs. “But my bit of the story isn’t quite here yet.”

“Oh, yes!” Dee Dee realizes. “So, we decided to help Emma, but we were completely out of funds and had no way to get all the way to Indiana from New York.”

“But I had just booked a non-equity tour of Godspell,” Trent half-brags. The other half seems rather depressed at that statement. “So we came on the tour bus.”

“Can I start our part?” Alyssa asks. Emma nods and squeezes her hand under the table. “So, they obviously gave no indication that they were coming. Emma and Principal Hawkins had gone to the State’s Attorney by that point and put some legal pressure on the PTA, so we had another assembly to discuss options.”

“We?” Damian asks.

“Oh, my mom was the head of the PTA,” Alyssa says casually. Damian chokes on his drink and Janis nearly drops Cady on the ground.

“Your mom cancelled your prom?” Janis asks in shock. Alyssa nods sadly. “Oh, because you… she didn’t know. I’m sorry.”

“It was what it was. She knows now,” Alyssa hums. “Anyway, I was there to speak for student council. I was mid-sentence, and then they come barreling into the gym with signs and yelling at everyone.”

“Educating everyone,” Barry corrects. “Loudly and with signs.”

“Right, educating. Sorry,” Alyssa laughs. “So my mom totally loses her shit. It’s chaos. I think Trent had a cowbell at some point?”

Trent reaches into a messenger bag next to him and pulls out a cowbell, resting it on the table with a quiet thunk.

“You just keep that with you?” Janis chuckles.

“For emergencies,” Trent explains. “You’d be surprised.”

Janis tries to think of what emergencies she’s faced that would either be helped or solved with the addition of a cowbell, and surprisingly, she can think of a few.

“Of course he keeps it all the time,” Emma chuckles. “I don’t remember… most of what happened that time. But after a few days they announced that the prom was back on.”

“Because of you?” Damian asks, looking to the stars.

“No,” they all say at the same time Emma says, “I think so.”

Everyone looks her way. “I told you this at the time, but you guys really scared people! I think you at least had a part.”

“How sweet,” Dee Dee says. “Let’s say we had an ensemble part in getting it back on.”

That gets a chuckle from everyone at the table, before Barry continues with the story.

“I, obviously, had to take Emma shopping,” he says. “She only had one dress and it was… a travesty would be an understatement.”

“I’m honestly not sure where it came from,” Emma chuckles. “Just think Little House on the Prarie but somehow so much worse.”

“So we went to the mall, and found this lovely blue dress and some good shoes,” Barry says. Emma looks like she would disagree with his choice of adjectives, but nods. “Did her hair and makeup all fancy, and bought her a corsage.”

“Aww,” Cady coos. “How sweet.”

“That part was fun,” Emma agrees fondly. “But…”

“When we got there,” Barry says. “Poor thing was so excited, but it was-it was just-“

Dee Dee continues for him, as Barry gets too emotional to keep going. “It was totally empty. Barry took Emma into the gym, and it was just horrific. There were barely any decorations, and they were just thrown up. I would be stunned if they spent more than ten dollars on the whole thing.”

“Oh god,” Damian says sadly. “I heard it was a fake, but I didn’t know it was that bad.”

“It sucked,” Emma chuckles sardonically, trying not to get too heavy in the middle of an IHOP. “More than anything. I didn’t care about the decorations, I just… it was so lonely, you know? I realized then that so many people I thought cared about me just didn’t. So many people I thought were my friends, weren’t. I had never felt more alone.”

“It sounds awful,” Janis says.

“It was,” Emma mumbles. Alyssa takes her hand under the table and gives it a gentle squeeze. Emma looks up and gives her a sad but grateful grin.

“I was at the… other prom. The real one,” Alyssa continues, seeming ashamed. “I had no idea what they had done, everyone on student council and the PTA hid it from me too. Some of my friends had seen us together and realized I was the ‘secret girlfriend’ and were trying to break us up.”

“Which worked,” Emma admits sadly. “I called her to try to get her to come to my own personal prom so I could at least have her there, but her mom was at the real one with her and she couldn’t leave. And I just sort of… lost it. I hung up and we didn’t talk again for a week.”

“I never blamed you for that,” Alyssa murmurs gently. “You were still trying to process everything and I just added to it.”

“No, you didn’t,” Emma insists. “We can talk more later. Anyway. I ran out, obviously. And Angie actually came after me, which was nice. She just let me cry and didn’t make me do anything. Helped me get my makeup off and stuff. She even slept on my bedroom floor in case I needed something. It was kind of like having a mom there, which I really needed.”

“How fucking old-“ Angie begins, but Trent claps a hand over her mouth. Emma laughs and continues.

“And then the rest of them came by the next day even though I yelled at them,” she says.

“With ice cream!” Barry butts in. “That’s an important detail.”

“Oh yeah, they brought me Häagen Dazs,” Emma laughs. “It was cute. Especially because they thought I wouldn’t know what it was.”

“Can you blame us? You live in the most yeehaw hick town in Indiana,” Trent says. “And that’s saying something.”

“It’s not that bad,” Emma tuts. “Anyway, they brought ice cream and were trying to convince me to do something to bring more attention to what was happening. Dee Dee actually got me on a talk show at one point, but I knew I would never be able to do something like that.”

“You still owe me a house,” Dee Dee grumbles under her breath. “But what she wound up doing was much better anyway.”

“The song?” Damian asks. Emma nods.

“I had it sort of in my head for a while, and I managed to piece it together in about a week,” she replies. “I was terrified, but it was just an overnight thing. I woke up the next day and it already had two million views.”

Alyssa squeezes her hand with a proud smile. “Half of them were me.”

“The other half were Damian,” Janis chuckles. “He made me watch it at lunch one day and we both watched it so many times we knew all the words by the next day.”

“Aww,” Emma says. “You guys are so sweet.”

“We try,” Janis and Damian say at the same time, locking eyes and glaring at each other once they notice. Cady giggles at their antics.

“Anyway,” Emma laughs. “I wasn’t expecting even that many, but people just kept watching, and then I started getting all these comments on it that were so precious. All these other queer kids all over the world sharing their stories too. Eventually it got back to Principal Hawkins and all of them, and they helped figure out how to set up an inclusive prom. And funded it, which was very helpful.”

“Yeah, helpful,” Dee Dee grumbles under her breath.

“Once we saw where the money was going it was so worth it,” Barry says, gently kicking Dee Dee under the table. “It was beautiful.”

“It really was,” Emma agrees. “But god, it took forever to set up.”

“God, yeah,” Alyssa says. “Oh, and we got back together, like, as we were setting everything up, we forgot to mention that.”

“Oh yeah,” Emma says. “Her mom came when she heard what we were doing in the gym because we never got PTA approval-“

“So she was mad,” Alyssa butts in.

“Very mad,” Emma chuckles. “But you came with her and told her to stop talking, which was both hilarious and terrifying. And then you told me you loved me in front of everyone. I don’t think I’ll ever forget that.”

“Me either,” Alyssa says quietly.

“Aww,” Cady says, even though she’s heard the whole story before. It’s always a good one to repeat. “How sweet.”

“So after that whole thing we finished setting everything up,” Emma continues, smiling at her girlfriend. “And it was beautiful, even I was impressed.”

“You looked so happy when everyone started showing up,” Alyssa says fondly. “I was so proud of you. I still am. You gave so many people an incredible night they wouldn’t have had without you.”

Emma flushes slightly and looks down at her lap. Alyssa squishes her cheeks in her hand to get her to look back up.

“It really was an incredible night,” she says. “And we finally got to dance together, I think that was my favorite part.”

“That was good,” Alyssa nods. “But you’re a terrible dancer.”

“Hey! Just because I didn’t take dance classes for years,” Emma pouts.

“Oh, hush, I’m joking,” Alyssa says, kissing Emma’s cheek.

“You missed,” Emma continues pouting. Alyssa frowns in confusion and kisses her cheek again, but in a different spot. “You missed.”

Alyssa gives her a chaste kiss on the lips this time, and Emma finally smiles. Alyssa rolls her eyes lovingly. “You’re such a dork, goodness gracious.”

“You guys are almost as cute as Caddy and Janis,” Damian says, trying to snap them out of it and get them to remember the presence of the group.

“Almost?” Alyssa says, her competitive side making a slight appearance. “I think you’re biased.”

“Oh, definitely,” Damian agrees. “We don’t really have any unbiased judges though.”

“True. We’ll say it’s a truce for now,” Alyssa says. “Are we all done? I need to get up for a bit. I’m stuffed.”

“I think so,” Cady says, looking around at all the empty plates around. “We could go to the beach for the sunset, if you guys want. It’s not too far a drive.”

“Ooh, yes please,” Emma says excitedly. The adults play rock paper scissors to work out payment, and Dee Dee grumbles under her breath when she loses.

“Hungry kids. Why are pancakes so expensive?”

————-

“Oh, guys, look!” Damian says, pointing to a window of a thrift shop nearby. “We could go try on dresses!”

“We?” Janis chuckles, carrying Cady on her back. “You gonna get into a ballgown, D?”

“Why not?” Damian asks. “I have the figure for it, shut up.”

“I thought we were going to the beach,” Angie says.

“We can do both,” Barry says, seeming strangely excited. “Wear dresses to the beach.”

“Yeah, yeah!” Cady says eagerly, squeezing her legs together a bit to get Janis to go in, as if she’s riding a pony. “Please?”

“I am not paying,” Dee Dee says immediately. Everyone else nods, that’s only fair.

“Fine, fine. Come along,” Trent says, leading them into the shop as their gaggle of children follow like ducklings.

—-

The employees look a bit concerned as all nine of them parade to the discounted gown section and start looking for ones in their sizes. Damian finds his first, a royal purple gown with a high neck and a slit that would reach about to his knee. He takes it off the rack and heads over to the changing room, rapidly followed by Barry with his silver gown.

“How did-“ Emma stutters. “I guess they knew what they were looking for.”

Angie helps Trent find one that would fit him, an emerald green dress with long sleeves and a nice v-neck collar. He shrugs and follows Barry and Damian. Angie then moves on to find one of her own, and picks out a sleek black dress made of lace and with a shorter skirt, about to the knee. Dee Dee follows with one she seems to have grabbed at random, a nice yellow gown complete with a cape.

Alyssa picks a pink dress with a longer train, since she wore a short dress to both of her real proms and wants to experiment a little. Cady picks a yellow one, with longer sleeves and a bow in the back. The skirt is short, which makes her a little nervous, but she decides to give it a go.

Janis and Emma both look a bit lost, staring aimlessly at the racks and flicking through them weakly.

“Jayjay, try this one,” Cady says, offering a long, red, short-sleeved gown that looks like it would have a rather tight fit. Maybe Cady has some selfish motivations here, but she’ll never admit it. Janis raises a slightly suspicious eyebrow, but takes the dress and hauls her girlfriend off to the changing rooms.

“They all look so itchy,” Emma shudders slightly. Alyssa laughs and takes one of her hands.

“If you got one made of something like this it wouldn’t be too bad,” she says, showing Emma one made of an almost satin-like material. “And it’ll only be a couple hours at most. We’re going to the beach, sand is itchy anyway.”

“True,” Emma agrees with a little nod. “I like this one.”

“So try it,” Alyssa chuckles as Emma grabs an amethyst colored ballgown with a big poofy skirt. “Come on.”

Most of their group is waiting outside the rooms, clad in their ill fitting gowns. Trent’s is a bit too big, Barry’s is missing some sequins, and Angie’s has a small hole in the sleeve, but none of them complain.

Cady and Janis open the curtains to their respective rooms, revealing their dresses to one another. Janis is somehow not tall enough to fill her dress out, which makes her look a bit like Morticia Addams, but she doesn’t mind. Cady’s is almost perfect, but the skirt clings to her legs in an odd way.

“You look nice!” Cady says, gently adjusting Janis’ sleeve as Janis tugs at her collar.

“It’s a bit tight,” Janis says, sounding rather choked.

“I can fix that once we buy it,” Barry says, looking at himself in the mirror. Everyone looks at him in concern. “What? I have a stitch kit, I’ll just cut the collar off it.”

“Oh,” everyone says. Alyssa and Emma exit the changing rooms then, prompting coos from everyone.

“Emmy, you look beautiful!” Alyssa says, pulling her girlfriend into a hug. “The color really suits you.”

“Does it?” Emma says, sarcastically striking a pose. “It feels very… purple.”

“I like purple,” Alyssa hums, adjusting Emma’s skirt.

“You look really nice,” Emma replies, looking at Alyssa’s long dress. Hers is the closest to fitting correctly out of everyone’s.

“Thanks!” Alyssa says, putting her hands on her hips and popping out a knee. Emma laughs and kisses her gently.

“Okay, let’s go!” Angie says happily, having been taking pictures of everyone like a proud mom taking photos for her Facebook. Angie, Trent, and Barry split the cost among them, and they unleash their prom-ready selves onto the public.

—————-

“So you guys just graduated, right?” Alyssa asks, strolling down the shore holding hands with Emma. Cady and Janis are also hand in hand walking next to them.

“Yep!” Cady chirps.

“So you must’ve just had your senior prom too, what was yours like?”

“It was so fun! Damian took me shopping and I had the most beautiful dress,” Cady replies eagerly. “And Janis had a suit to match and it was… she looked… so hot.”

“Ooh,” Emma teases. “Scandalous.”

“Hey,” Cady says. “I’m allowed to think she’s hot.”

“Fair enough,” Emma shrugs.

“What about you guys, how are you handling your post-prom fame?” Janis jokes.

“Pretty well,” Emma chuckles. “Or at least I think we are.”

“You certainly are,” Alyssa murmurs.

“Oh yeah, aren’t you starting a nonprofit or something?” Cady asks.

“Wait, what?” Janis asks.

“I’m trying,” Emma laughs again. “Lyss’ mom is actually helping me. And trying to start a charity looks, like, super good on college applications, so that’s nice.”

“I thought your mom started this whole fiasco,” Janis says confusedly.

“Oh, she did,” Alyssa confirms. “But she’s cool with the gays now. She had a lot of questions and stuff, and she’s still having to work pretty hard at it. Changing opinions and thought patterns that were instilled in you from

childhood is tough. But she’s trying.”

“Yeah, she came to pride with us this year,” Emma says. “It was cute, she had a rainbow pantsuit and everything.”

“Go mom,” Janis chuckles. “I’m glad she turned things around.”

“Me too,” Alyssa murmurs quietly.

“Me three,” Emma says, squeezing her hand.

“So what’s this charity you’re getting going?” Cady asks.

“It’s called the Unruly Hearts Foundation,” Emma explains. “It’s a nonprofit that takes donations and stuff to throw other inclusive events around the country. Create safe spaces. And we also donate a fair bit to LGBTQ+ shelters and stuff, too.”

“That’s awesome,” Janis says. “I’m broke but I’ll donate a bit once I get my commissions business going.”

“Thanks, Janis,” Emma chuckles. “You know, we could use some branding. A logo, stuff for our website. If you’re interest-“

“Yes,” Janis interrupts. “I’m interested. Please.”

“Groovy,” Emma laughs. “I’ll be in touch, get Cady to give you my number.”

“You say groovy too?!” Damian asks eagerly as he makes an appearance. “These two always make fun of me for it.”

“Hell yeah I say groovy,” Emma says, giving Damian a fist bump. “Sometimes it’s the only word that fits the vibes, you know?”

“Yes!” Damian says. “See? Emma gets it.”

“I think ‘tits’ is pretty versatile,” Janis says. “You kind of look like Ursula, by the way, Dame.”

“Thanks,” Damian says, swishing his purple skirt around. “I’m gonna take that as a compliment.”

“It was,” Janis huffs. “As if I’d ever insult you.”

“You called me a ‘fucking deplorable kneecap’ on the way here,” Damian retaliates. Emma and Alyssa rode separately and burst out laughing.

“And now I have grown as a person. Developed myself.”

“It was ten minutes ago!”

“And? I’m not the same me I was two minutes ago, let alone ten,” Janis defends.

“Thank god,” Damian grumbles jokingly.

“Hey!” Janis says, breaking away from Cady and running after him. Damian shrieks and holds up his skirts to run away.

“Do we need to intervene here, Cades?” Emma asks with a slight chuckle as Damian and Janis sprint up and down the shoreline in a sort of oval.

“Nah,” Cady shrugs. “They do stuff like this about once a week. Janis knows she needs him, she won’t actually do anything.”

Just as she says that, Damian takes a hard left and runs full tilt into the lake. Janis pauses for a second before shrugging and running after him.

“Or maybe she will.”

“That water must be cold,” Alyssa chuckles in concern.

“Let’s find out!” Emma says boldly, tightening her grip on Alyssa’s hand and running them towards the water as well. Alyssa shrieks as they leap into the lake with a splash. Cady realizes she’s alone and also runs in, managing a cannonball into the water.

“What the fuck are you doing?” Barry yells, walking up on a sort of puddle of teenagers in soaking wet dresses.

“They’re being kids, let them live,” Dee Dee says. “Unrelated, can you swim?”

“Yeah, wh- don’t you dare,” Barry says, turning to face her.

“Oh, I would never,” Dee Dee says, aghast at the mere suggestion. Trent then comes sprinting up and tackles Barry into the lake. “But he would.”

Angie cackles and high fives her. Dee Dee crosses her arms over her chest and smiles down as Barry pops back up with a splutter.

“Dee Dee Allen!” Barry demands. “Get your ass in here.”

“No, I don’t think I will, thank you,” Dee Dee says casually, rocking slightly on the balls of her feet.

“Oh come on,” Angie coaxes. “It’s only fair.”

“I didn’t push him!”

“You had a role.”

Dee Dee ponders this for a moment before she begrudgingly reaches to take Angie’s hand, and they leap in together.

“Yay!” Emma cheers, delighted that all her friends made it into the lake one way or another. Some of them are significantly less happy about this, but everyone is laughing eventually.

“Hey, Caddy,” Janis says. She swims over to her girlfriend and kisses her gently, before booping her nose. “Tag. You’re it.”

Cady laughs as Janis swims away as fast as she can, rapidly followed by the rest of the group. Cady swims around for a second while she ponders her options to decide who to go after. Emma is a strong swimmer, being on her high school swim team and all. Alyssa is okay, but a bit weaker.

Barry seems to be the slowest, and gives her the best chance of success. He looks very anxious as Cady stares him down before lunging for him. He shrieks as Cady manages to snag his skirt and tap his arm under the water before she backstrokes away.

“Damn it,” he puffs. “I’m having elementary school flashbacks.”

“Better than middle school flashbacks,” Angie calls.

“Amen,” Janis says. She screams as Barry goes for her and swims away, huddling behind Damian for protection.

“Hey!” Damian whines, swimming away from her and creating a sort of three-way chase. Janis quickly gives up on Damian’s protection and swims to Cady instead.

“Protect me,” she pleads. Cady smiles as Janis hides behind her, peeking over her shoulder to check where the threat is.

“You’re so cute.”

“No I’m not,” Janis pouts. “I’m being stealthy.”

“Uhhuh,” Cady says as Janis clings to her like a precious little octopus. “If you get me tagged again I’m breaking up with you.”

“That’s fair,” Janis agrees with a shrug. Alyssa suddenly gives a shriek as Barry taps her leg under the water. “Uh oh.”

————-

After an hour or so of tag, the sun begins to set for the day. The water temperature plummets and everyone swims to shore to watch the sky be painted beautiful shades of pink and orange and purple. The adults and Damian head back to the car to go hunt for towels and dry clothes somewhere.

But Cady, Janis, Emma and Alyssa stay behind, deciding they don’t mind so much if they’re in heavy, cold dresses and getting covered in itchy sand. Cady holds Janis on her lap and Alyssa has Emma in hers, all of them staring out over the expanse of the water before them together.

“You guys should visit more often,” Cady says quietly as the first stars begin to make an appearance.

“Absolutely,” Alyssa says, looking down at her girlfriend. “This was an awesome day.”

“And we’ll have more,” Emma says.

Together.

—-

thank you so much for reading! hope you enjoyed!

lots of love,

ezzy

29 notes · View notes

whatisthiswritingthing · 4 years ago

Text

Away Game - Emily Sonnett x Hockey!Reader

Prompt: Can you do an imagine where the Y/N is with Emily Sonnett and Y/N play hockey as well and she is still in college l. Like where Emily surprise Y/N at one of her games because she could tell that Y/N is super stressed out and just a bunch of fluff and cuteness? But also a little bit of feeling as well?

“Hey babe,” Emily greeted Y/N as she connected the FaceTime call before going back to reading her textbook.

Y/N was hunched over her desk in her apartment, textbook propped up next to laptop. Emily’s face sharing half the screen while Y/N typed notes out at the same time.

“Hey Em,” Y/N mumbled out, glancing up to shoot a quick smile to her girlfriend before going back to reading her textbook.

“Y/N, take a break for a couple minutes, then you can go back to studying,” Sonnett tried to encourage. She could see the bags under girlfriend’s eyes and the coffee cup next to her.

“I can talk and study,” Y/N glanced back to the screen, beginning to type, not even looking to Emilys side of the screen.

“I know you can Y/N, but I wanted to talk to you for a second, then we can just hangout on screen together while you study,” Emily tried to suggest again.

Y/N continued to type, periodically glancing at her textbook, not even acknowledging that Sonnett had said anything.

“Y/N,” Emily attempted again with no response. “Y/N!” She finally raised her voice, frustration evident.

Y/N’s head shot up, looking at Emily.

“What? I really need to study; I don’t have time right now,” Y/N snapped back.

“Don’t have time or won’t make time?” Emily snapped as well this time.

“You know I don’t have time Emily,” Y/N growled, the use of her full name showing how frustrated she was. They hadn’t been on the call for two minutes and were snapping at each other. Y/N knew it was her fault, that she could make time and her snapping was perpetuated by the stress of midterms and what felt like a thousand other things.

“I get you’re stressed, but don’t take it out on me,” Emily did her best to soften her tone, understanding the anger was misdirected to her.

Y/N immediately deflated, crossing her on the desk and resting her forehead on them. Letting a sigh, she looked back to the screen.

“Fuck, I’m sorry Em, I’ve just got so much going on right now,” Y/N shoulders were hunched in. Now facing the computer, Emily could see the exhaustion clearly, the way her brow furrowed when she had a headache. All fight had left the younger woman.

“I understand babe, just take a minute and breath, alright?” Emily tried to sooth the student. “What’s all going on that’s got you like this?”

Y/N groaned, dropping head to the desk against.

“What don’t I have? I have two midterms to write on Thursday before we leave for our away game, an essay due Monday, a lab I need to write up on the bus, plus practice and weights, and I should probably sleep at some point. But I can’t because I still need to study,” Y/N rambled. “Fuck.” She groaned, slammed her forehead on the desk, her hands roughly tugging her hair.

“Babe,” Emily tried to get her her attention, YN’s head remained down. “Y/N/N.”

Y/N rolled her head over, looking at the screen, keeping her head down.

“Hey hot shot, I know you have lots going on. Couple more weeks and the semester is done, then you get a break,” Emily encouraged, she wanted to reach through the screen and tuck the stray hair behind Y/N’s ear. She wanted to pull her stressed girlfriend into her arms, massage the tension out of her shoulders, sooth the crease out of her furrowed brow.

Y/N sat up, running the back of her neck, attempting to work out the knots.

“I’m exhausted Em,” Y/N whispered, lowly like Emily wasn’t supposed to hear it. “We need to win this weekend, and I need to do do well on my midterms, and this essay is kicking my ass.” The hockey player continued to ramble, Emily just nodded along, understanding she just needed to be heard.

“I know babe, but you can do this. You are so smart, you are going to do so well on those midterms, and make that essay your bitch,” that earned a small smile from the younger woman. “Plus, I’ll hand deliver coffee to your hotel this weekend.”

“Hand deliver to my hotel?” Y/N looked confused.

“Yea, our camp is in the same city as your game this weekend. I was thinking I could drop some coffee off in the morning before your game. Maybe sneak a hug in there too,” Sonnett finished with a wink.

“Fuck Em, I totally forgot you are in camp right now,” Y/N sat up completely straight, regret on her face when she realized she forgot about Emily being in camp.

“Don’t you dare apologize,” Sonnett said firmly, cutting Y/N off before she could ramble out an apology. “You don’t have to apologize for anything, you have more than enough going on right now. So do not feel bad for forgetting, alright?”

“But that’s something I should remember,” Y/N sounded frustrated, rubbing a palm harshly down her face. “You remembered my game; I should remember your games.”

“No, Y/N, you don’t. You have so much going on already, my camp should be the last thing you need to remember,” Emily watched as her girlfriend chewed her lower lip, contemplating what she said. “Now, I love you and want to keep talking to you, but you need to sleep.”

“I still have this chapter to finish at least before I can go to sleep,” Y/N motioned to the mess of books on her desk, “so I’m definitely not getting to bed anytime soon,” her hand made its way to her face to pinch the bridge of her nose.

“Alright smarty pants, why don’t I hang out for a little until you finish up. We don’t have to talk, we can be together, apart,” the defender suggested with a little giggle at her attempt at a pun.

Y/N just nodded and went back to studying. Typing and the turning of pages the only sounds for the next hour while to just enjoyed the minimal company they could have with each other. Emily finally needed to call it a night when Mal made her way into the room to go to bed.

“Hey hot shot,” Emily softly said, Y/N just grunted in response. “I’m heading to bed, try not to stay up too late.”

Y/N looked at the screen, giving Emily a tired smile.

“Night you goof, no promises though. Have a good sleep.”

Emily rolled her eyes, “goodnight babe.”

The two disconnected the call and Emily got up to start getting ready for bed.

For the rest of the week, Emily and Y/N had hardly had a chance to text, both women so busy. Emily still finding time to send her girlfriend reminders to eat and sleep enough, or just sending her funny memes though out the day to make her smile.

Y/N had spent the team bus trip to Chicago finishing her homework. By the time they arrived at the hotel, she was ready to crawl into her bed and sleep for a week it felt like. Unfortunately, all she could get was a quick nap before evening skate around and team meeting before the game the following day.

The hockey team all made their way through the lobby towards their rooms. Y/N had her headphones in from the bus still, making it clear to everyone she wasn’t in the mood to socialize with anyone, keeping her head down, watching the feet of her teammate to know where to go.

Suddenly Y/N felt a hand firmly push her to the left, she whipped her head to the right, looking for the culprit. Y/N saw a teammate grinning and motioning to her left where she had been pushed to.

Y/N looked to the left to see Emily standing there with a large smile on her face, bouncing on the balls of her feet, doing her best not to pounce on the hockey player.

“Looks like you have a stalker, Y/N/N,” her teammates chuckled, Y/N’s sleep deprived brain slowly caught up with her. She dropped her bag and took the few steps to close the distance between her and her girlfriend, crashing her body in the smaller soccer player.

“What are you doing here?” Y/N mumbled into Sonnetts chest.

“Rumor has is some stud hockey player is staying here the next couple nights; I was hoping to get an autograph,” Emily said casually, lightly pulling away to jokingly glance around the hotel; Y/N tightened her grip on the defenders shirt, tugging her back in.

Emily leaned down and placed a soft kiss to the hockey players head.

“I’m kidding hot shot. I got a room here. I know neither of us can spend the night together, but I figured it would be perfect a nap before your practice, maybe one tomorrow before your game.”

“You rented us a room just to nap?” Y/N looked up incredulously.

“I mean, we could do other things than nap,” Emily said suggestively with a waggle of her eyebrows. “But why don’t we start with taking your bags to your actual room, then go from there.”

Emily stepped away, picking up the discarded bags and making her way to the elevator. Leaving no room for argument that she would be carrying them. Y/N just followed behind, amazed at the consideration her girlfriend had for her.

The two quickly dropped her stuff in the room, before making their way to the room Emily rented a couple floors up.

Y/N had Emily pinned against the wall of the room before the door even closed. Gripping the back of her neck, hand pulling up her shirt. Emily pushed back, taking her own shirt off before reaching for Y/N’s. Both now shirtless, they battled to press the other into the wall. Y/N being stronger, gripped Emily’s hips and guided her to bed, pushing her to sit. Emily immediately slid up the bed, Y/N following with her knees on either side of Emilys hips.

They continued to make out, hips rolling into each other, hands roaming exposed skin. Emily suddenly pulled Y/N flush against, then rolled them so she was on top. She glided her lips down Y/N’s neck and across her collar bones, slowly making her way down when Y/n let out a loud yawn.

Emily paused, glancing up to make eye contact with the younger woman, giggling.

“I know it’s been a while and I might be a little rusty, but I can’t be that bad.”

“I’m sorry Em, you’re amazing,” Y/N started, only to be cut off by another yawn. It seemed now that she was in a bed her body was done fighting the exhaustion she felt, her eyes already beginning to droop.

Emily made her way back up, running her thumb along Y/N’s cheek, leaning down to place a soft kiss on her lips. “Get some sleep babe, I’ll make sure you’re up for practice.”

The soccer player rolled onto her back, pulling Y/N to lay on her chest. The younger woman gave a small nod, already drifting to sleep while she nuzzled her face into Emily’s neck.

Several hours and a refreshing nap later, both athletes made their way to the lobby. They exchanged a quick kiss goodbye before parting, each to their respective practices. Emily promising to be around the next morning with coffee before the team would depart for the rink.

Sitting on the bus, Y/N leaned her had back, feeling better than she had in months. The three hour nap with her girlfriend doing wonders, it had quieted all her anxieties and stresses.

Emily made her way to the hotel the next morning again, coffee in hand as the team left the banquet room after practice. Y/N walked over quickly, ignoring the snickers and joked coming from her teammates, eyes only on the blonde in front of her.

“Hey gorgeous,” Y/N greeted with a kiss. “I only have a minute before I need to get my stuff and be on the bus.”

“Hmm, that’s alright,” Emily hummed with a smile, “I just wanted to see you before the game, maybe get that stud hockey player to sign my shirt.” She winked, motioning to the shirt she was wearing. Y/N rolled her eyes realizing it was her own team shirt.

Y/N laughed when Emily took the coffee back and replaced it with a sharpie.

“Who should I make it out to?” Y/N played along.

“Oh easy, ‘Emily Sonnett, the most amazing girlfriend’!” the blonde enunciated each word with her hands, like she was spelling them out in the air.

Y/N just shook her head, stepping close to her girlfriend before neatly signing her name on the shirt. Right on her chest, just over her heart.

“There you go you goof, now give me my coffee.”

The two made the exchange, both leaning in for a brief kiss before Y/N rushed off to the get her equipment for the game.

After a quick steal by Y/N and a fast break down the ice, leading to an early goal, loud cheers for the away team scoring drew the attention of the entire team. Y/N glanced up from the ice to see a majority of Emily’s teammates in the stands cheering the team on.

Y/N played the rest of the game with a new focus, she always wanted to win, but there was something different about playing in front of her girlfriend, a strong desire to show off and impress her.

Emily and the few players that knew Y/N personally met her outside the change rooms after the game. Each taking turns to pull her into a celebratory hug after the victory, all talking over each other about what part they liked the most. Mal and Rose pretending to recreate a body check against the boards.

Y/N had pulled Sonnett into her side while they all talked, both only half listening, just enjoying being with each other again.

“Feel better?” Emily asked when her friends were distracted. She could feel how much softer her girlfriend felt now that most of the tension left her body.

“A million times better,” Y/N leaned down and caught Emily’s lips in a kiss.

“Glad to hear it hot shot,” Sonnett whispered when they pulled away, both oblivious to their friends gagging at the cheesy interaction.

#uswnt x reader #uswnt imagine #uswnt imagines #emily sonnett imagine #emily sonnett x reader

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keanureevesisbae · 4 years ago

Text

Protection - Chapter 1

Summary: Mia Makaruku meets her new neighbor, but he isn’t at all what she expected him to be.

August Walker x Mia Makaruku (ofc)

Wordcount: 3.2k

Warnings: Mentions of a car accident.

Masterlist // Previous chapter // Next chapter

My muscles scream bloody murder, as I trudge through the hallways. Did coach Riley have to be so gruesome today? Goodness me, I don’t even know if I’m gonna make it back to my car. However, when I see the coach standing further down the hall, I quickly straighten my back and ignore the slight dulling pain I feel in my ankle and the rest of my leg muscles. ‘Mia,’ coach Riley says in a stern tone as I come closer to her.

Oh no, I think to myself. I did something terribly wrong. If she uses that tone after the first training of the week, it can only mean I��m in severe trouble. ‘Yes coach?’ I hesitantly ask.

Coach Riley’s looks indicate she is strict. Her blonde hairs are pulled back in a tight knot, a pair of glasses with a thick black frame rests on her nose and the eyeliner that hardens her eyes. While the indication is absolutely one hundred percent correct, you eventually find out she is a sweetheart deep underneath that hard exterior.

When I first arrived in Chicago five years ago, I had no idea what Thanksgiving entailed and I was ready to spend it alone in my apartment. She invited—correction: forced—me to spend time with her family, because she did not want me to sit alone in my apartment on Thanksgiving.

With my last foster family being everything but a great success, it felt good to be welcomed with open arms into a family. I’ve had my fair share of families and while they were all sweet, the last one was a total nightmare. Being slightly traumatized by the experience, it was good to be hugged by a grandma I had never seen before.

Hugs from grandma’s do wonders.

‘You did good today,’ coach says.

Great, now I know for sure I have severely fucked up. If coach Riley starts with a compliment, she is going to break some pretty bad news within a few seconds. I have trained with her for a little over five years. I know her and her odd and slightly crude way of communicating.

‘Okay?’ I say, waiting for the bomb to drop.

‘However, I want you to take it easy, so next training you’re going to train with Tristan on the side of the field.’

‘Come on, coach,’ I whine. ‘Why?’

‘Upcoming Saturday it’s the second to last game of the year. I need you top fit then.’

‘But I am top fit. Honestly!’

Coach Riley isn’t impressed, but to be honest: when is she ever? If this woman has made a decision, she’ll simply power through, no discussion possible. ‘You take it easy during tomorrows training and you listen carefully to Tristan. I noticed a limp on the field just now.’

‘There wasn’t a limp,’ I say. ‘I swear, it’s nothing to worry ab— Okay, I’ll take it easy tomorrow,’ I quickly say when I see her cocked eyebrow that does not bode well.

She finally smiles. ‘Good. Now scocch, I don’t want to look at your face any longer.’

Just when you think she is finally a little bit approachable and kind, she thankfully does this, because her smile was nearly creeping me out. I can’t stop my chuckle. ‘See you tomorrow, coach,’ I say, holding up my hand as I continue to walk through the hallways.

The closer I get to the exit, the colder it becomes. When I’m training, I somehow forget about the ice cold temperatures. However, when I’m not training, which is the majority of the day, I remember we are nearing the winterbreak and that handling these types of temperatures, is not one of my strengths.

I tense up when I step outside and if my ankle wasn’t slightly bothering me, I’d run to my car. When I reached the vehicle, I quickly step in and start to heat it up. My car, unfortunately, isn’t the most advanced and it takes quite some time before it’s even remotely warm. I shiver in the drivers seat. My phone peeps in my pocket and I pull it out, to check the notification that popped up on my screen.

Reminder to yourself: YOU NEED TO DO SOME GROCERIES. GET YOUR FAT ASS CAT SOMETHING TO EAT.

No, no, no, I forgot. I totally forgot. I curse morning-me for sleeping in today. If I had just done groceries this morning before practice, I could’ve go home now. Why was I lazy and chose an extra hour of sleep over doing something actually productive?

I drive off the parking lot, wave to some of my teammates and go to the nearest grocery store. If I have a clear idea of what I want before I go into the store, I can actually manage to do this pretty swiftly and then go home, so I can curl up on the couch to watch yet another cheesy Christmas movie. I desperately need to buy some food for my cat, some eggs and chocolate and… Do I need more?

This is why one makes shopping lists.

‘You idiot,’ I mumble to myself, as I park the car in front of the store. I get out and walk to the entrance. While I’m strolling through the aisles, to at least get the eggs, cat food and chocolate I do know I need, I hear some girls giggling behind me.

I look over my shoulder to my right and see two young girls standing at the produce section. When they look away, I see a glimpse of their red cheeks and notice they are both wearing Chicago Red Star jerseys. I can’t—and won’t—stop my smile. ‘Hi,’ I say to them, causing them to carefully wave at me.

They shyly wave back. ‘Are you Mia Makaruku?’ one girl asks when she finally found the courage to do so.

I nod. ‘The one and only.’

They look at each other and exchange some excited looks. ‘Can we get a picture?’

This has been my favorite part of the job so far. I mean, sure, I love soccer with all my life, however seeing girls this age cheering me on during the competitions and hearing about how they watch clips of me, so they can learn from my techniques, makes me realize I love that even more. They call me their role model and with the status I have, I can actually be one for them. It’s a job I should take seriously and I do.

When kids tell me they are going to try and watch the European Championship for Women’s Soccer, because I am on the Dutch National Team, I try even harder to be the best player of the competition and be a model for them to look up to. Be someone for them I wished I had when I was younger.

I nod again at the girls. ‘Of course. I love your shirts. Tell me: whose name do you have on the back?’

They start to laugh and turn around, showing the backs of their shirts. ‘Yours of course!’

◎ ◎ ◎

Life hasn’t always been sunshine and rainbows for me. I just barely think about it nowadays, since it only leaves me with more questions than answers and I’d rather not wander in the dark like that. It’s weird to think about the things I do remember and don’t.

I do remember the second we skidded off the road. I don’t remember I had a mother or father or three brothers with me in the car. I do remember eventually taking the officer’s hand and despite repeating my name like mantra, kept asking him if he had heard my name correctly. I don’t remember any bodies on the scene, because there weren’t any and I also don’t know how their bodies disappeared.

It’s hard sometimes, knowing there is a memory inside my head that I simply can’t reach, but also not knowing what I’m missing in life. Did my parents love me? Did I have a good bond with my brothers? Was there a specific reason I wasn’t in the system? Why weren’t there other people with the same last name in the Netherlands who recognized me?

I moved from foster family to foster family, while trying to regain my memories by visiting multiple specialists. I went to a lot of places. To England, Ireland, France and Luxembourg, but no one could help me out. At the age of twelve, they simply stopped trying, because it was no use anyways and there was one family back in the Netherlands who insisted on me staying in one place for a change.

Thankfully they did, however I only stayed with them for four years, before I moved to my final family, that was a hell to put it mildly.

Finally, for the first time in yearsI wasn’t going from one specialist to another and there was one place where I was always—despite the family—welcome: my soccer team. In all those years of me visiting specialists, there was always one thing I looked for: a ball to kick around. Soccer was my love, my passion and the only thing I started to care about.

And now I have managed to not only make a name for myself in the USA, but also worldwide. When I was nineteen, I debuted in the Dutch National Team during the European Championship and my performance there was what caught the attention of the Chicago Red Stars. I could leave the small SC Heerenveen in the Netherlands behind and go to the USA. I had seen the American National Team. They were exceptionally good and now I got to play alongside some of them.

My first World Championship was when I was twenty one and the Dutch team was in the finals against the USA. Despite my two goals, the USA was too good and beat us with 4-2. Sure, I was disappointed, but still I was very pleased with the fact that the Netherlands became second and it was such a highlight in my seemingly short professional soccer career thus far.

I managed to overcome all these things and still be the person I am today. Since I can’t remember my past, I made it my mission in life to make the most of my future.

Don’t ask me how, but I managed to come back from the store with three full bags. Apparently, if you wander through the aisles long enough, you’ll find tons of excuses to buy crap you didn’t even need in the first place.

I’m finally back at my apartment building and the automatic doors slide open as I reach them. I walk towards the reception and I say with a smile: ‘Hello Harold, how are you today?'

Harold, the clerk behind the reception who is nearing his pension, greets me with his signature smile and I see the two familiar dimples form in his cheeks. ‘Hello, miss Mia, I’m doing splendid this Monday. How was your training today?’

I simply shrug. ‘It was okay, but I have to take it easy now.’ I can’t help but to roll my eyes. ‘According to my coach, I was “slightly limping” and she needs me top fit this Saturday.’

He scrunches up his nose. ‘But my dear, I think you are incapable of taking things easy. Isn’t your coach aware of that?’

I can’t help but laugh. I always like to talk to Harold, it’s so easy to strike up a conversation with him. ‘I think she just wants to bully me. Is there by the way any mail for me?’

‘There certainly is. Three envelopes for you. Almost makes you seem like a very important lady.’ He sends me a playful wink. ‘Oh, before I forget: I told you about the apartment next to you being sold, right?’

I nod. ‘Does this mean Mystery Person is finally moving in?’ I ask.

Harold nods. ‘He moved in today.’

‘Ah, it’s a man. Is he hot?’

He shrugs. ‘He is pretty stuffy and a bit authoritarian looking. I was hoping for someone as radiant as you. I think we need more people like you around here, not a copy of miss Thornhill.’

I throw my long brown hair over my shoulder. ‘Well, what can I say?’ I chuckle. ‘Not everyone is a ray of sunshine like yours truly. Is there mail for him as well? I can bring it to him.’

‘An envelope did arrive, indeed. I don’t think he will go down here to pick it up. We barely made eye contact today. I hardly even know if he is aware there is a reception, let alone that I’m the clerk.’ He hands me the other yellow envelope and says: ‘Are you sure you want to do this, miss?’

‘Absolutely positive. It might be nice to get to know my next door neighbor. Let’s hope he is not a gigolo. I really can’t use sleepless nights anymore. I have two important games coming up, I need my rest.’

‘Mister Toriello was quite the man,’ Harold laughs. ‘Thank you, my dear, for doing this.’

‘No problem, Harold. See you later!’ I walk to the elevator and hold my card in front of the scanner. The doors slide open and when I get in, I press button number nine. I look at the name on the envelope. It’s actually addressed with a sticker, no handwriting, which I find so impersonal.

A. Walker

A. Walker is probably the most generic name I’ve ever heard. This man could be anybody. Would he be bald, have a beer belly and burps all the time or would he be young, attractive and actually a chance for me to leave my forever alone status behind?

While that would be nice, Harold did say that the man was quite stuffy and authoritarian looking.

As someone with barely any date experience (none at all, actually), I’d say stuffy and authoritarian looking isn’t really my type, but never say never right?

The doors open and I step out on my own floor. I walk through the broad hallways and stop in front of apartment number 943. From behind the door, I can hear someone dragging furniture around the apartment and an occasional male grunt. I knock on the door and just hope that he can hear me. I don’t want to start banging on the door like an idiot.

Thankfully, he did hear me, because footsteps approach the door and when it swings open, my eyes widen.

The man standing in the doorway, does not match the generic sounding A. Walker name at all. He is tall, with broad shoulders and the shortsleeved shirt he is wearing, totally accentuates his muscled biceps. I mean, the body is a total A+ (I don’t think I have ever seen someone this buff, while still being proportionate), his face on the other hand… I mean, he does have a beautifully sculpted face and it looks rather perfect, don’t get me wrong, but he looks so angry with that deep frown between his brows and the mustache isn’t really my thing either. Kinda ruins his entire face, if I’m being honest. ‘Who are you?’ he asks, his voice monotone and already bored.

That is not a good start.

‘I’m Mia,’ I introduce myself with a smile, because smiles make people comfortable and this man does not look comfortable. ‘I live next door, in apartment 944. I brought you your mail.’ I extend my arm, so I can hand him the yellow envelope. ‘Thought it would be nice, since we’re neighbors after all.’

He rips the envelope out of my hand and is actually inspecting the seal on it. I am deeply offended. Why on earth would he think that low of me? As if I would snoop through other people’s mail.

After his thorough inspection, he looks at me again. His eyes take me in and leans against the doorframe, crossing his arms in front of his broad chest. The shirt has a slight v neck and is that a tiny bit of chest hair I detect?

I’m almost expecting something condescending leaving his lips (he seems like the type), but A. Walker doesn’t say a word. He simply stares at me and now I kinda regret bringing his mail with me.

He looks and acts like an utter asshole.

‘What’s your name?’ I carefully ask him. Despite him looking like an absolute dick, I do think this is a man you might want to have on your good side. After all, he is my neighbor, I don’t want him to hate me, especially since from the looks of it this man can break me in half with just his pinky, which is intimidating on its own.

‘August Walker,’ he says, tilting his head, as he seems to scan my entire face. ‘Aren’t you that soccer player?’

Before I can even stop it, a smile breaks out on my face. I always like it when people acknowledge the fact that I’m a soccer player. I worked really hard to get where I am now and when people recognize me as that soccer player, it makes me happy. ‘I am,’ I say with an even brighter smile.

Maybe he isn’t so bad after all…

‘I hate women’s soccer.’

I’m dumbfounded. Why on earth does he have to be so rude? What on earth did I do to him to deserve this? What a fucking dickhead. I can’t believe I was actually trying to make a good impression on him. Maybe I don’t want him to be on my good side. Maybe I sort of miss mister Toriello now, with his late night adventures with very noisy female customers. At least he was nice enough to bring me cookies every now and then, to apologize for the noise.

I highly doubt August Walker knows how to bake cookies, let alone buy some of them to apologize for the inconvenience, whatever that may be.

‘Why?’ I ask, as my expression falters.

‘It’s stupid,’ he simply states. To make it even worse, he adds a shrug, as if it’s a well known fact and not just some stupid opinion. ‘Not as advanced as male soccer.’

I frown, as I try to cover up the fact I’m deeply hurt. ‘Well, that’s okay. To each their own,’ I say to him. ‘If we are being frank here: I think your mustache is pretty stupid.’

He simply raises his eyebrows, while his eyes still look bored and annoyed. ‘You do?’ he asks me. ‘Why is that?’

‘I don’t know. It makes you look like a pedophile, really. Have a good day, mister Walker.’ I walk towards my own door and barge inside.

Who gave mister August Walker the right to be this rude to me, someone who he barely knows? What a piece of shit.

My big orange cat Bobo walks up to me and he starts to meow, pulling me out of my racing thoughts.

The hairy companion makes me instantly forget about my new neighbor. ‘Hi, Bobo,’ I say with a chuckle. ‘I missed you too, little fella.’ I place the bags on the floor, before I lift him up, to press tons of kisses on his head. He purrs in my ear. ‘I bought you some food, so that means you can finally stop putting your head in my bowl and be a decent cat from now on.’

‘Meow.’

‘That’s what I thought.’

#henry cavill #henry cavill x ofc #henry cavill x oc #henry cavill x asian ofc #henry cavill x soccer player #henry cavill x mia makaruku #henry cavill fandom #henry cavill fanfic #august walker x ofc #august walker #august walker x asian ofc #august walker x oc #august walker x mia makaruku #mia makaruku #asian ofc

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yikesharringrove · 4 years ago

Note

hop or max (or both👀) realise how close bill and steve have become and love it because they can just see how happy the boys are

The two boys hadn’t noticed Hop standing there.

They were sitting, pressed hip to hip on the stairs outside the Byers’ when he arrived to pick up El.

They were passing one cigarette back and forth despite the full pack sitting between them, and the outline of a pack he could see in Billy’s breast pocket.

They were talking softly, giggling, touch lingering as they passed the cigarette back and forth.

Billy’s face was soft, was open when he looked at Steve. Hop didn’t know much about the kid, but had heard stories, stories of how rough and tumble he tended to be, how he was hard and mean.

He looked like a damn teddy bear next to Harrington on the steps.

And Jesus, Steve was almost unrecognizable to Hopper.

He had known the kid for a long time, knew his dad all through school, knew Steve when he got old enough to start causin’ trouble.

He had seen Steve looking bored and proper, like he was above everything, like he was too good for Hawkins. He had seen Steve get knocked down a few hundred pegs, had seen him rattling about the town with a nervous twitch in his shoulder, a crazed glint in his eye and a spiked bat in his trunk.

Hell, he’d even seen the kid breakdown, had found him in the woods one night, crashing through with his bat, had started spewing off about how he needed to make sure they were all gone, that everyone’s safe.

(He had cried and shook and slept on Hop’s couch for about a day and a half after that.)

He was used to the spoiled little prince, or the haunted teen with trauma past his years.

He was not used to this carefree boy, this giggly mess sitting next to his friend, sharing a cigarette.

He liked the look on Steve. Liked the line of his shoulders when they weren’t carrying the weight of the world.

Max huffed.

She had been woken up by a few thumps in Billy’s room. He had originally figured Neil was in there being awful, but then she heard giggles, unmistakable teenage girl giggles.

That gave way into unmistakable teenage girl moans.

She slammed a pillow over her head, blocking out the high-pitched whimpering. It was the same as the past few nights.

This girl, whoever she was, Billy must like her if she kept sneaking into his bedroom.

Usually, Billy was sneaking out, not letting this girl in.

When the noises had stopped, she took the pillow off her head.

“Sucks that your parent are home. It makes me nervous, you comin’ here. When do they leave again?” She rolled over, didn’t care to hear the chick’s response. She put on her headphones, falling asleep to the Metallica tape still in Billy’s walkman, didn’t hear Steve say, just two more nights, Bill.

“You need any help?” Hop was elbows deep in the sink, scrubbing at the dishes from dinner.

Steve was leaning against the counter, rolling up his sleeves. He didn’t wait for an answer, just shoved himself next to Hop and began scrubbing.

“You and Hargrove seem to be close.” He was too focused on rubbing the stains off of Joyce’s dishes to see how Steve’s cheeks went red.

“Yeah, we’re friends.”

“I think you’re good for each other. You both seem better.”

“‘Do you mean better?” Hop shrugged.

“He doesn’t seem as pissed off. I haven’t given him a speeding ticket in over two weeks for rage driving, and you haven’t seemed so, I don’t know, fucked up.”

Steve had to put the dish down as he laughed, was laughing so fucking hard he had to squat down, try to collect himself. He wiped his eyes when he stood back up.

“He’s secretly a really nice person. Don’t tell him I said that.” Hop winked at him.

Max threw Billy a weird look.

She had asked for a ride to Steve’s house, which was met with a I’ll be ready in ten from Billy. Twenty minutes of him getting his hair just so, they set off.

And then Billy got out of the car with her, walked her to Steve’s door.

“Don’t you got a date?” Billy just furrowed his brows at her. She looked pointedly at his clothes, the red shirt he only wore on his dates, almost all the way unbuttoned.

“Nah. Just haven’t done laundry in a while.” He was staring her down.

“Are you and Steve even friends?” But he didn’t answer. The door swung open, revealing Steve dressed casually in a pair of sweats. He smiled at Max, ushering her inside to the kitchen with the rest of the brats as he stepped onto the porch to talk to Billy.

She doubled back.

“You look nice. Got a date?”

“Yeah. Leggy brunet. Totally hot. Has this tight ass, is such a slut.” She cringed at the way her brother was talking about this poor girl. Plus, ehy had he lied to Max, said he didn’t have a date.

“Sounds like a wet fucking dream.” Billy muttered shuddup as Steve laughed.

Steve was making fun of Billy, as wasn’t getting the shit beaten out of him for it.

“Well, come in then. It’s cold.” It really wasn’t but she raced off to join the others in the kitchen, left too soon to see Billy pin Steve against the door, kiss him roughly for a few seconds.

Billy snuck out again, after dropping her off at home.

Hop was on quarry duty tonight.

It was Valentine’s Day, which meant most of Hawkins’ young couples would be parked at the quarry or Lovers’ Lake or one of the other lookout make out spots.

Hop was wandering through with a flashlight, knocking on windows with a Hawkins PD, get outta here, you’re trespassing.

He came upon Billy Hargrove’s unmistakable car, the dark blue Camaro parked under a large tree, mostly hidden from the other’s.

He was expecting to knock on the back window, but heard voices coming from the hood.

Billy and Steve were passing what smelled like a joint back and forth, laying back on the windshield looking at the stars.

“Fuck knows I got no other plans for this year. I don’t mind waiting.”

“It’s a whole year, Steve. You’d be stuck here until I graduate.”

“What else am I gonna do?”

“You might still get into Chicago.”

“Don’t hold your breath, Bill.”

Hopper came stomping up to their line of sight. Steve put out the joint against the side of the car and tossed it into the bushes.

“Subtle.” Billy shrugged at Hop.

“I was expecting to have to pull you off some girl, Hargrove.”

“Hawkins chicks ain’t really my type.” Hop just shook his head.

“Well, you two are still trespassing. Services roads closed at six.” Steve just nodded vigorously as he slid off the car.

“We’ll scurry right off, Hop. Sorry.”

“And if you two are gonna smoke, please do it in a house, or somewhere I can’t smell it.”

The two slammed themselves in the car, Hop could hear them laugh as the car roared to life.

Max was digging through the backseat of Billy’s car, trying to find her skateboard.

He had hidden it from her, like a fucking child, so she snagged his keys when he was too busy being a meathead, working out in the living room.

It was as gross as she was expecting. Billy like to keep his car very clean, especially compared to his pigsty of a bedroom.

She picked up an old worn sweatshirt, found a plain shoebox underneath.

She didn’t want to snoop, but she was curious.

There were a few pictures of Billy’s mom right on top. She only recognized her from the necklace around her neck, the one Billy now refused to take off.

There were some movie ticket stubs, a big wad off cash she made a mental note of, a slip of paper she recognized from a fortune cookie from the place Billy would take her on Thursdays after school in California to get their two for one entree special. He had some jewelry in there, probably more of his mom’s, and a gaudy valentine covered in glitter.

She closed the box, didn’t care to dig further than the valentine, didn’t see Steve’s neat handwriting inside of it, the pictures Billy hoarded underneath it, pictures of Steve, pictures of him and Steve, even a few saucy ones of Steve.

Instead she turned her attention to the hoodie, to the faded Hawkins High Swim Team on the front.

She gave it back to Steve next time she saw him.

“Found it in my brother’s car.”

It would be back in a few weeks, anyway.

Hop opened the door to the cabin when Steve rapt on it.

He was toting a bunch of board games, was there to watch El for the night.

Hop raised his eyebrows when Steve set them down, revealing the faded Judas Priest shirt. He knew Steve liked shitty pop, wouldn’t be caught dead listening to hard rock.

“Nice shirt.” Steve looked down at himself, going red.

“Oh shit, Bill slept over last night, he must’ve left it.”

And then Hop noticed the bruises. The dark hickies on his neck, just under the stolen shirt.

Hop’s pretty sure he would’ve never heard the end of it if Steve had a girlfriend, pretty sure the kid’s would’ve lost their shit over it.

So Steve maybe was dating in secret, dating a boy in secret, a boy he spent Valentine’s Day with, a boy he giggled with and shared cigarettes with, a boy who’s shirts he stole and forgot he was wearing them.

But Steve was soft when he sat down next to El, smiled at her nicely and asked about the book she was reading.

So Hop shrugged, and went to his late shift.

“You wanna go to the mall?” Billy was standing weirdly in her doorway, trying to make himself look like he belonged there. “Could call up that chick friend of yours.”

She narrowed her eyes at him.

“What’s the catch.”

“No catch. Just needed to get something from the mall. Thought you’d wanna go.” He had been acting really off lately.

He’d been talking to her how they used to, before Neil doubled down and moved them halfway across the country. He had even made a joke the other day, one that wasn’t a mean comment masquerading as a joke.

“Lemme call El. Maybe Hop would drop her off.” She was even more suspicious as he smiled at her, went to back to his room. She talked to El for a moment, who said Hop would drop her off in ten minutes.

She poked her head in Billy’s room, saw him looking in the mirror, primping himself.

“Does your girlfriend work at the mall?” He gave her a withering stare.

“Don’t have a girlfriend.” She grinned.

“You so do. You know, I heard her sneaking in here a few months ago. I know that you sneak out to go and see her.” Billy flushed. “And it’s always the same voice, so don’t lie and say it’s different girls you perv.”

“Shut up, Maxine.”

“Make me, William.” He stamped his foot like a little kid.

“That’s it! No more mall for you today. I’m just gonna go by myself.” She blocked him in the doorway.

“Just tell me her name.” He shook his head.

“Fine. Tell me where she works and El and I will leave you two alone.” He shifted his jaw around.

“She works at Scoops Ahoy?”

“Isn’t that where Steve works?”

“He introduced us.”

But, But that didn’t add up. Billy had been seeing this girl long before Steve started working there. Maybe they knew each other before? No, Steve famously didn’t have any friends besides the party when Billy started sneaking around with that gir-

And then it hit her.

The fucking sweatshirt.

The Hawkins High Swim Team sweatshirt.

Leggy brunet. Totally hot. Has this tight ass, is such a slut.

She almost threw up.

Steve was her brother’s secret girlfriend. How did she not fucking see this.

“Cool. We’ll let you two be gross or whatever.”

He gave her a tiny smile. She was trying her best not to scream.

Hopper dropped El off and Billy drove them to the mall, let Max pick the music and at one point, had even hummed along to the Hall & Oates song. Fucking Rich Girl.

She pulled El along to The Gap when they hit the mall, Billy making a beeline for Scoops.

“We’re gonna spy on Billy.” El just smiled slyly and nodded vigorously.

They crouched behind plants out in front of Scoops, could just hear Billy talking to Steve’s coworker.

“Dingus, your homoerotic rival turned lover is here.” Steve’s shoes squeaked as he launched himself from the back room. Max’s hands were clammy. She was right.

“Don’t be so loud, Rob.”

“There’s no one here.” Max heard a sound like something being hit dully. Steve yelped. Billy just slapped his ass. “But, you are not allowed to leave me for more than your fifteen. Not like last week. The rush came and I was alone for an hour, Steve. An hour.”

“O-kay, Rob. We’ll be quick.”

“And disinfect any surface you two fuck on. I refuse to touch that.” Billy roared with laughter as Steve squawked indignantly. Max peeked up to watch Steve drag Billy into the backroom. Billy grinned at Robin, a really nice, happy smile before turning to Steve.

#im sorry for being super inactive #ive been having a bunch of health issues #yikes writes #steve harrington #billy hargrove #harringrove #steve harrington x billy hargrove #billy hargrove x steve harrington #harringrove fic #harringrove ficlet #harringrove drabble

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mrsdobrik · 4 years ago

Text

Not Clickbait - Chapter 30

You can read this as a oneshot about Y/n and David going public 🥰🥰

Y/n was sitting on the couch anxiously fidgeting with a rubber band as David set up the lights and the camera. The day of the reveal video had finally arrived. Fans were starting to get a little too intense trying to figure out anything and everything about David’s new girl and they were speculating about her identity. It had gotten to the point where even leaving the house was tough.

“Are you ready?” David asked as he held her hand in his.

“Not really, but I don’t think I’ll ever be fully ready.” Y/n sighed, leaning on her boyfriend’s shoulder.

“Hey, they’ll love you. Even if they don’t at first, they will as they get to know you better. And even if they didn’t, it’s my life and they will have to learn to deal with it cause I don’t plan on letting you go.”

David turned the camera on and started recording

“Hey guys! Today is going to be a bit of a different video, I am going to introduce you to my new girlfriend.” Y/n’s hand was still in his. He looked at her and gave her a light squeeze.

“Hi! I’m Y/n, I’m the new girlfriend.”

“Okay, that’s it, thank you guys for watching...” Y/n started laughing before David continued “Do you want to tell them how we met?”

Y/n thought about how she was going to phrase the story without giving out any information about where she worked.

“Well, you were with Vardan filming a bit for the vlog and Vardan was running to you and he tripped and fell and his nose started bleeding. I was nearby so I ran to help, I fixed his nose and then we talked for about five minutes before I had to leave.” She said looking at him as she told the story.

“And then a few weeks later I was just hanging with friends and I ran into you at the place where you work and we talked for another five minutes.” He continued “After talking to you for a total of ten minutes I just couldn’t stop thinking about you so I went back there by myself a couple of times and then one day one of your coworkers, who was going to give you a ride, had to leave early and I offered to drive you home.”

“And then I asked you out on a date and for some weird reason you said yes” Y/n recalled with a smile.

“I was so glad you asked me out! Oh my god! I wanted to ask you so badly but I didn’t have the balls to actually do it.”

“I thought you were going to say no…” Y/n giggled.

“But I didn’t and then you took me out on the cutest first date ever. I mean, she took me to chipotle so you can see why I love her.” He beamed suddenly looking into the camera.

“I took you to a library and then I suggested we should get chipotle, it wasn’t just food.” she reminded him.

“Yeah, you even bought me that book of really really short stories that I actually read.” he said and then looked straight at the camera again and continued- and she also got a book called Arabian Nights and she read the first story to me but didn’t tell me how it ended and so I had to ask her on another date, just to hear the ending to the story.”

“Hey! It worked, didn’t it? And I am still reading you stories from that book, just so you have to keep me around.”

“Yeah, now I’m hooked.” he looked lovingly into her eyes.

…

“Okay, I’m done.” David said grabbing Y/n’s hand “It’s ready to post.”

It was a couple of days later and the anticipation for the video was killing them both.

!Okay, here we go.” Y/n sighed biting nervously on her lower lip.

A few minutes later there were already thousands of comments. The reaction was mixed to say the least. There were some people who were really supportive and were excited to get to know Y/n, then there were a lot of shippers (dizas, datalies, darlys, derins, danas and even javids) who were disappointed, angry and just not the nicest, finally, there were also some people who thought Y/n could be taking advantage of David and didn’t trust her at all.

Y/n and David had kind of made a pact not to look at the comments but none of them could keep it for long. Y/n was first to cave, going into David’s bathroom and reading through thousands upon thousands of comments. People on the internet can really make a snap judgement.

Outside, Dave lay on the bed doing the exact same thing. He could feel himself getting heated up at all the nasty comments. Some of them were extremely cruel and they hadn’t even given Y/n a chance. He knew the best thing would be to ignore it completely and just let time prove them wrong but he knew how much all those comments would hurt Y/n and so he wrote a caption that read:

“Today I chose to share with you all a huge part of my personal life. Some of you seem to have forgotten that there are real people behind the camera and that we can read your comments. My girlfriend Y/n is nothing but an amazing, kind, loving, brave and smart woman and I know once you get to know her you’ll love her just as much as I do. “

He posted it with one of their pictures from Napa just as he heard a little sob coming from his bathroom. He opened the door to find Y/n sitting on the edge of the tub, wiping tears from her face as she held her phone in her other hand.

“You read them too, huh?” He said, walking up to her and pulling her in for a hug.

“They hate me!! They don’t even know me yet and they already hate me!!” She muttered trying to calm down her sobs.

“Babe, they don’t know you but when they do they are going to love you, trust me.” He whispered, kissing the top of her head.

“It’s okay, I knew it was going to happen. I just wasn’t expecting it would hit me this hard.” She sighed holding on tight to him. “Even if they never like me, as long as you do I’m happy.”

“Lets order something and watch a movie on the couch!” He said, rubbing up and down her back.

“No, I actually want to cook something, it will help me get my mind off this whole thing… Want to go to target?”

“Sure, babe. Whatever you want!” He replied as he leaned down to kiss her.

…

About twenty minutes later they were roaming the aisles of Target getting supplies for dinner.

“So… what are you making?” David asked right as his phone started ringing.

Mom

“Hey mom! How are you doing?... I’m sorry, it just kind of slipped my mind… Mom, it’s fine… Okay, I’ll ask her… I’m sorry… Yes, I’ll buy the tickets today, I promise… No, we won’t… No… Okay, fine, but let me ask her first… Okay, I’ll talk to you later… Bye!” He hung up

“That was interesting!” Y/n giggled at his expression.

“She wasn’t happy I told the world about you before I told her…” he confessed, looking guilty.

“OMG!! How could you not tell your mom before posting the video!! You need to call her more often!!” She exclaimed, completely embarrassed by his lack of attention to his mom.

“She wants you to come home with me for thanksgiving…”

“Okay… and do you want that?” She asked “There is no pressure to do it just yet, whenever you are ready.”

“I do want that. You’ve met my friends, and you are on my channel now so I think we are ready! Besides the day after Thanksgiving will be 5 whole months from our first date!”

“Then I guess we are going to Chicago for thanksgiving.” She beamed at him.

…

Back at clickbait mansion, Y/n decided to make pasta, and when I say make it I mean from scratch. David sat opposite to her talking and watching her work her magic. Natalie came in carrying her open laptop.

“Hey Nat! Hope you like pasta!” Y/n said.

“Natalie will never say no to food” David chimed in.

“Funny” Nat replied dryly.

“Nat, could you get tickets for Chicago for Thanksgiving? I promised my mom I would buy them today.” David said.

“Sure! Just us two? What hotel should I book?” Natalie asked, happy to know they would be going home for a few days.

“3 tickets, unless some of the guys want to come too. Y/n is coming to meet my parents. And no hotel for us, my mom insisted we stay at the house.”

Natalie’s eyes grew wide…

“Wow! You two have been going fast these past few weeks!” She exclaimed.

“I forgot to tell my mom about us before I posted the video and she was pretty pissed so I’m just doing what she wants for once.”

“I’ll go get the tickets then…” She said before giving Y/n a smile and leaving.

“She is right, these past couple of weeks have been insane. I mean, we…, and then we said the L word and then we told the world and now I am meeting your parents…” Y/n said pensively.

“It’s the internet, it makes everything go faster. Hopefully after this we can chill for a while…”

“And here I was hoping I would get a ring by Christmas…” They both laughed.

“Actually before that there is one more thing we have to look forward to…” David got on one knee and asked “Y/n Y/sn… my one and only love… would you do me the honor of being my date for the Streamys?”

“Yes, yes, a million times yes!” She said very dramatically before pulling him up to kiss him.

#david dobrik #david dobrik x you #david dobrik x reader #david dobrik x y/n #david dobrik imagine

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bleedinghearthalstead · 5 years ago

Text

SWAT!Jay / Upstead AU

A/N: Enjoy part 5! Crossposted on AO3. Thank you all for your comments and suggestions, I’m working on more, but it’ll take some time.

He scratches the back of his head and chuckles nervously. "So this definitely isn't how I imagined our first date."

Jay Halstead is at a total loss. And with all his usual bravado, this is a bit of a foreign concept to him, so he's mildly freaking out. He really doesn't know where it all went wrong – they're at a fancy restaurant, he's wearing a nice suit and Hailey's in a gorgeous dress, the food is really good and it seemed like Hailey was having a good time. Or so he thought.

After their first meeting at that bank robbery turned hostage situation where they were (not so covertly and quite inappropriately) flirting with each other, they exchanged phone numbers and have been texting for a couple of weeks now. It has only taken them so long to go on a date because their schedules kept conflicting, what with Hailey being a new detective at robbery-homicide and Jay being a full-time member of SWAT. They agreed to wait until Jay was on his two-week training cycle, as it was basically impossible to predict when he might have to gear up when he was on duty. Will recommended the restaurant to him, the swanky bastard, and Hailey seemed really excited about it when he told her he booked a table for them.

Arriving at the restaurant, they were both clearly nervous about their date, giggling like two teenagers, but Jay thought they got over the initial jitters after their first round of drinks. Past the small talk, they were reminiscing about their experiences on the beat and comparing funniest arrest stories. Jay even noticed the couple at the table next to theirs giving them funny looks, when they were loudly laughing as Hailey relegated the story about her training officer thinking that he was stepping into a puddle, but actually dropped down an open and flooded manhole.

But since Jay came back from the restroom after they finished their main courses, Hailey has been giving him what he can only describe as some pretty scathing stink-eye. Thinking he is only imagining it, he goes back to their earlier conversation, but Hailey is reduced to one-word answers and is basically giving him the cold shoulder. Momentarily confused, he tries to lighten the mood with what he thinks is the hilarious story of someone (who had obviously failed) at stalk training in sniper school when they let out a high-pitched shriek in the middle of the exercise because a mouse had crawled up their pant leg. Hailey doesn't laugh.

Jay frowns. "Everything alright?"

Hailey sighs in barely hidden disdain. "I'm good." She pulls out her phone, pretending like she received an urgent message. "I need to go. Should we get the bill?"

Jay's frown deepens, easily detecting her lie. Although it's not like she was trying very hard to make it sound believable. "Sure," he says, although he isn't sure at all. He clears his throat. "Listen, I thought tonight was going pretty well, but if there's anything I said or did…"

His date lets out a humorless laugh. "Oh I'm sure you've done plenty of things. Or should I say plenty of people?"

"Wait, what?"

At his dumbfounded expression, Hailey explodes. "Apparently, I'm the only woman in the whole goddamn Chicago Police that didn't know what kind of a manwhore you are!"

Jay can't believe what he just heard and therefore can't help the loud laugh that bursts out of him. "Excuse me!?"

"There's at least three women at my district alone that you've slept with," Hailey continues. "And apparently there's a lot more!"

"That's fucking ridiculous," Jay growls. He's never been this infuriated by a woman in his life. "Who the fuck told you that?"

"You want me to tell you a name?" Hailey asks incredulously. "So, what, you can slutshame her?"

"Well, you're doing it to me right here and now!"

In the silence that follows, Jay notices that all other sounds in the restaurant have ceased, the other patrons staring at him and Hailey with wide eyes. Hailey takes the break in their screaming match as a chance to stand up from her seat and leave.

"Wait-" Jay jumps up as well, not willing to let her go yet. He vehemently wants to prove to Hailey that that's not who he is. And he wouldn't be Jay Halstead if he didn't make a complete ass out of himself when it came to a beautiful woman. In that moment, a waiter with a full tray of drinks happens to pass by him and in his haste to get up Jay knocks his elbow into the waiter, who in turn spills the whole load of (probably really expensive) wine down Hailey's front. Whoever's attention they didn't have before, they definitely have it now. Hailey is gaping at Jay with a shocked expression, then lets out a frustrated scream – that even Jay flinches at – before she turns on her heel and stomps out of the restaurant.

He's just as shocked as she was, but Jay only hesitates for a second, then quickly pulls out his wallet and drops a hundred dollar bill on the table and rushes out of the restaurant, throwing an embarrassed "sorry" over his shoulder. Looking around on the street, he sees Hailey rounding the corner at the end of the block and sprints after her.

"Hailey, wait!" She does a great job of ignoring him, speed walking to get away from him, but he catches up to her way too soon. Jay is thisclose to grasping her arm to stop her, but wisely decides against it. "Please, just wait for a sec."

She huffs and stops, but keeps her distance. "What do you want."

He scratches the back of his head and chuckles nervously. "So this definitely isn't how I imagined our first date."

Hailey just glares. "What, you thought I'd be an easy lay?"

"What? No!" He deflates. Jay looks… hurt? "I thought we had a real connection."

And now Hailey feels extremely conflicted. Because she thought she had felt that connection too, thought they were incredibly well-matched. Jay is obviously attractive. He is intelligent and funny and he has that razor sharp wit, walking a fine line between genius and sociopath. But he's also compassionate and kind. And then there's also that underlying sense of pain and misery that he can hide very well. But so can Hailey. That part deep, deep inside of her that knows that darkness, that she's been carrying with her since she was a young girl… that part tells her to give him a chance. So despite her urge to run for the hills, the urge to hear him out is bigger.

She sighs and puts her hands on her hips. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

Jay looks slightly relieved, then says, "So I'm pretty sure you got a message from Becca, right? She's at the 11th district with you, isn't she?" Hailey only raises an eyebrow at him, although somewhat surprised that he figured it out so quickly. "Anyways, last year, two of my team guys were hitting on these three girls and Becca was kinda fifth-wheeling them. And they needed a third guy so she wouldn't feel left out, so they roped me into it. It was all good and fun, but then Kenny and Sam left with the other two girls and I ended up alone with Becca and she wanted to continue… somewhere more private. But I was having kind of a bad day, I just wanted to get blackout drunk…" He mumbles, "It was the anniversary of something that I don't want to get into right now…" Jay averts his eyes, then clears his throat. "I totally blew her off and got wasted and she's been pretty pissed at me since. Everyone just assumed that we had sex and I guess none of us ever denied it."

Hailey doesn't really know what to say, still feeling conflicted between wanting to believe the other woman or the guy she is feeling a strong connection to, although she doesn't really know him yet.

When he doesn't get a reaction from Hailey, who is still silently staring at him, he sighs. "I'm sorry, I'll leave you alone now." He turns away from her and walks away, rubbing his hands over his face. He can't believe he blew it before it even had the chance to really begin.

"Wanna buy me a beer?" She calls after him.

Jay stops in his tracks and slowly turns back to Hailey. "You sure?"

"Not really." She tilts her head at him and gives him a shy smile. "But you can try to convince me."

He smiles back at her. Even in the dim light, Jay can see that Hailey is shivering. He rolls his eyes at himself, she is basically drenched from head to toe because he's an idiot. "You parked around here? Do you have a change of clothes?" He gestures at her ruined light blue dress that is now more massive red wine stain than dress.

To think that she almost forgot about it, as angry as she just was a minute ago, Hailey looks down at herself and sighs sadly. She really liked that dress too. And now it's disgustingly sticky, clinging to her skin. She shakes her head no. "No, I took an Uber to get here."

"Come on." Jay motions at her to follow him. "My car's parked a block over. I've got some wet wipes and I can give you something to change into." Hailey thinks that she wouldn't normally follow a guy, who is still kind of a stranger to her, back to his car in the dark, but her gut tells her that she can trust him. That she'd follow him anywhere.

Jay leads Hailey to his black jeep, rummaging around in his gym bag and handing her some garments with an apologetic shrug, claiming that those are the only clean things that he has. He lets her change in the backseat of his car, standing watch next to the vehicle. When she emerges, he tries to hide his laugh, but also can't help but think that she looks great in his clothes. Don't get him wrong, she looked absolutely stunning in her blue dress, the color bringing out her eyes beautifully, but this new look is one for the ages. Well, he thinks, she'd look beautiful in anything.

And this is how they end up in a random bar. Jay comes back to their table with a couple of beers and sets one of them down in front of Hailey. He hadn't asked her what she wanted, so good guess on his part. She picks it up and they clink their bottles together. "Cheers."

Hailey is wearing a worn but soft flannel that is a couple of sizes too big on her, paired with some basketball shorts that are dangerously close to sliding off her hips when she moves around too much. She knows she must look ridiculous, but the way Jay is looking at her… and she can't help but feel safe being engulfed in his smell that is so distinctively him, clean soap, peppermint and a hint of gun oil, which she shouldn't know, but already feels so familiar with. Her date has also ditched his suit jacket and rolled up the sleeves of his dark button-down shirt, the two top buttons undone. More dressed down and in a less formal setting, they are more relaxed, but there is still an air of nervousness around them. They're quietly drinking their beers, before they start at the same time.

"Listen…"

"Sooo…"

They both laugh at their own awkwardness, then Hailey motions at him to continue, feeling like he has something he needs to get off his chest.

Jay carefully selects his words, trying to gauge her reaction. "I guess you still don't know what or whom to believe – it is her word against mine. And I know it's my own fault that those rumors are floating around… but it gave me a bit of a reputation and I kinda liked that. It kept things fun and non-committal because nobody expected anything more from me. I just thought it'd blow over eventually, but apparently my behavior hurt her more than I thought, if she went out of her way to warn you about me. But if you'll let me, I'd like to show you the real me." He grimaces at his own clichéd wording, then quickly adds with a hopeful smile, "If you're still interested, that is."

Hailey tries to detect any tells that he might be lying, but comes up empty-handed. Either he's a really good liar or he's being sincere. And he's right, it is his word against Becca's. She was surprised when she got the message earlier because even though she knew Becca from the district, they were nowhere near what you'd call friends or even friendly acquaintances. So when she received a text from the other woman telling her that her date was known for womanizing his way through the CPD, she felt betrayed. Betrayed by a man she thought from their personal interactions and text conversations was a really nice and honest guy. Back at the restaurant, she couldn't help but not believe another word coming out of his mouth. But thinking about it now, Hailey realizes that she automatically assumed that the rumors about him were true, even though she herself had been in a similar situation before.

"I dated a cop in my unit before, he was a sergeant. I was meritoriously promoted for a UC case while we were together, but people think that I slept my way to my detective star," she quietly says. She's decidedly not looking at Jay and plays with the label on her beer bottle. "So when I meet guys who are also cops, they either believe that I'm a total skank and will sleep with them at the snap of their fingers or they believe that I'm a real hardass bitch and they feel intimidated."

Jay scoffs. At his reaction, Hailey glances up at him, although her head is still down. "That's not fucking true." Jay puts a hand on her knee and waits for her to fully look him in the eye. "I've seen the way you work. In the debrief at the bank robbery, you were insightful and competent at building a breaching strategy and everyone thought that your plan was best. Like even Trey, and he usually gets a kick out of poking holes in every goddamn plan. And then that disarm you made at the bank…" He whistles lowly and smirks at her. "You're a total badass. You earned that promotion."

Hailey can't help the slight blush creeping up her face. That's one of the nicest things anyone has ever said about her work. She tries to tone down the massive grin that is forming on her face. "Thanks." She then puts her hand on top of his. "Also, I'm still interested."

Jay smiles and squeezes her knee. "Another round, then?" He gets up and goes to the bar to order them drinks. As Hailey watches him, there's this warm and fuzzy feeling deep inside of her and she's pretty sure that that's not from the alcohol she's been drinking.

#upstead #jay halstead #hailey upton #chicago pd #swat!jay au #first date #awkward babies #bhhfic

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nomoregoldfish · 4 years ago

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Imagine Being Law Enforcement & Having A Complicated Relation /w Amado

I’ve had this idea for months and I was afraid it’s inappropriate (not just the law enforcement part, but a lot of more, you’re being warned.) Then the other day my friend and I were discussing the moral flexibility of fanfic writing. She convinced me it’s just the words, it won’t hurt or jeopardize anyone or their work irl. So here is another 7K nonsense for the Crow. You can also read it on AO3.

You're an ICE officer stationed at the El Paso Detention Center. It's not a glamorous job but a job is a job. It's not like anyone can work against the system, even when it seems unethical, inhumane.

One Friday you throw a bachelorette party for one of your colleagues across the river. You know a great go-go dance club. The scene is always crazier, with more fun down there. You book the catering and transportation, run a background check on the club owner (of course by unofficial means,) make sure both the best female and male dancers will show up that night cuz you're as dedicated to the task as to your job, down to every detail.

You decide to carry a secret firearm, following your professional instinct. It's CD Juárez after all, a notorious border town with the highest homicide rate in Mexico. Good thing is the American border control never searches for weapons southbound.

You all get changed after work, hop up in the van and the "promiscuous" trip begins.

"What's wrong with being promiscuous?" You half-joke, "I, a certificated chaperone, will make sure each one of you return with no condoms left in your purse. Or I'll confiscate and use them myself." Everyone including the bride-to-be laughs.

The night has been amazing. Everything goes as planned until a group of Mexicans arrive around midnight.

Several tables around the pool are immediately cleared for them. And after a man in black that appears to be the group's leader whistles to the club manager, the music's changed to some cheesy Latin pop. It's hard not to notice him, with his filthy long hair and Sinaloan accent, which you recognize straight away. He seems very comfortable in every sense, a complacent smile on his face annoys you in a way you can't really explain.

He must be somebody.

It's not unusual. Sharing miles of Rio Grande as the border between the two countries, Juárez is like El Paso's evil twin. A city of the outlaws, they are able to smuggle in everything from cocaine to humans, and happily take any deal involving weapons from the US black market to complete the vicious circle of their businesses. And the infamous Juárez cartel has single-handedly changed the game of coke, making Juárez an Amazon distribution center of the bloody business. You've heard from your DEA friends that the Juárez cartel is run by some Sinaloan.

You steal a few glimpses of the guy, thinking about making some phone call to find out his true identity or imagining if anything happens memorizing his face would help catch him later.

Yeah, you're that kind of person that prepares for the worst on a tender night.

Surprisingly, the man approaches you when you go for a refill, "If you're gonna keep staring at my ass, at least you can buy me a drink." The bastard smiles, no, flirts with his dark eyes.

"I don't think it's a good idea unless you want soda as well." You get your refill, leaving him jaw-dropped.

"So you gringa come all the way down south and you're not even enjoying it?"

You don't back down from this, instead you move forward and take a real good look at the man who started this, nose tip almost touching his. He's hot, and very well-built for his age. If he turns around and starts twerking like some male dancers did a while ago, you wouldn't be against the idea of "staring at his ass," even throwing him a few dollars.

You're absolutely enjoying it. But he doesn't need to know.

"I don't need to get drunk to fuck some filthy hot Mexican." You whisper.

"I'm Amado, in case you want to brag about the filthy hot Mexican you fuck tonight with the ladies."

The back alley is so dark you almost forgot it. And Amado being a good kisser is not helping either. The fact that there's a gun taped to your thigh is the last thing that keeps you from losing control.

"Tell me you're not a cop." He's leaving bite marks on your neck, big hands cupping your ass cheeks. You can totally feel each other through the clothes. It's just a matter of time before he finds your gun.

"What gives me away?" You ask, searching for more skin to skin touch. And it turns out Amado has a gun too, just behind his back.

"All the gringas are drinking and dancing, you just drink soda and... check me out."

You did check him out, for security purposes though, "Don't worry. I'm not that kind of cop." You put a little bit more pressure on his back, letting him know you've got it.

Amado pauses, eyes locked on you as his hands finally reach your gun, also the sensitive part between your legs.

"What are we gonna do?" He's sucking your lower lip, making things more difficult.

It's easier when you decide to let this one slip. You don't need to figure out who he really is, and it's unnecessary to keep your guard at all times. What you need right now is a good, hard fuck. So you take his gun then ask him to proceed with yours.

Letting Amado release the gun from your thigh is wrong. The bastard makes it painfully slow, licking, teasing and pleasing you like he's on a mission.

You can't help but open your legs to let him know how much you want his touch.

"Hope there's light here so I can see how wet you already are for me. Tell me what you want."

You can't believe Amado goes down on you again after you moan you want his filthy mouth.

Those fucking hands grab your thighs tight as he buries himself between your legs, pushing you to the edge.

It's soooooo good you think it's worth it even if later he murders you and dumps your body in the dark valley.

Amado keeps doing the thing as you come, sending you indescribable waves of pleasure.

"I feel like I just cheated." You're still panting.

"You've got a John up north? Don't worry, I won't call."

"No. I mean, I'm the organizer of the bachelorette party and I'm having the best orgasm behind their back." You chuckle.

It isn't until later Amado pushes you up, fuck you against the wall that you realize what he means by changing your mind, "That was the second best."

You're fully dressed, panties half-way down your knee, when Amado's rocking into you with long, rough thrust.

He fucking pauses, letting you feel so full. You almost beg him not to stop, you want it so much. So you grab his long hair, kissing him ferociously.

"Tell me your name." Amado sounds so genuine. You're absolutely not telling some one night stand your real name but fuck it, you give it away.

And he's right. What happened earlier was only the second best orgasm of your life.

Afterward Amado gets his gun back, but you're not getting yours.

"I'm not playing dirty, baby. You need to ditch the gun before you hit the road up north anyway." He's not wrong. You don't want any trouble with the customs.

"You're not selling it on the street." You're more concerned about Mexico's street violence fueled by illicit weapons from the States.

Amado shakes his head with a sneer, "I'll keep it," Why? "Next time I fuck some whore, I will think about you fuck yourself with the gun as hard as I fuck you tonight."

You lose count of how many fucks he says before your last kiss. You tell yourself too bad there won't be next time.

You never knew one day your paths would cross again and you were the one who begs.

A few weeks later you see the filthy hot Mexican on local TV news. Turns out you fucked the leader of the Juárez cartel (and returned in one piece.) And the picture of him on DEA's most wanted list doesn't look bad at all. Good for Amado, you shrug.

It'd be a once-a-lifetime joke or pickup line, but you never tell anyone about the encounter.

On the other hand, things at work are getting weirder, to a point you question the legitimacy of your own job. By summer, hundreds of detainees, mainly from Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala and other Central America countries, are separated from their minor children. You're not a field officer so you don't have to face the heartbreaking scene. But you know for a fact children are sent off against their families' will every day.

And none of you, not even your boss, has a clear idea where all of the children are taken. You just received an order to facilitate the transaction with some guys from the Office of Refugees Resettlement, which you never heard of. "Oh, we're within the Department of Health and Human Services." They what? This is fucking insane. Then it's out of your hands. If the parents and the children enter two completely different systems, it's gonna be a nightmare to reconnect them whenever their cases are decided. "Tracking record? Maybe you should ask Homeland Security." As if Homeland Security gives a flying fuck about the familia of the "criminals" they're prosecuting.

This is wrong on so many levels. There's no official statement of the new regulation, it's not on the news. You make private calls to people you know within the ICE system, the best answer you've got is this is a pilot program first implemented in El Paso to curb the illegal immigration and deter the asylum seekers.

Parents in the detention centers wait for months in devastation without knowing where exactly their kids are taken. Some are told their children are sent to shelter homes in fucking Chicago, some rejoin with their relatives who have already obtained legal US citizenship in other states, still facing deportation in the future. And if the parents get deported first, it could take years for them to reconnect with or even find their children left behind in the limbo of bureaucracy. They're hopeless. All you can do is keep an off-the-record track of every child you heard or your colleagues talked about, anything from their names, birth dates, medical conditions to last confirmed locations.

As the number of children taken away grows, it catches the attention of some immigration lawyers and children's rights advocates in Texas. You can't really talk to them or go to their rallies because you're part of the system. You're afraid they're not gonna trust you. And to be honest, you have no fucking clue what difference you can make. Call your congressman and congresswoman? Like those families have time for them to pass a new law.

You're frustrated and have to take some time off during summer. Drinking through the hell with cheap tequila down south seems like a remedy. Next thing you know, you wake up with a bad hangover and an empty wallet at some motel in Juárez. You barely remember the guy you brought back last night, let alone figuring out how to get your credit card back.

Except this time, your credit card finds you.

"It got your name on it." The door slides open, a man in black sitting on the back of the van. The smile looks too familiar, irritating but handsome.

"We didn't fuck last night, did we?" You're not sure if it's a bad thing at this point.

Amado looks slightly disappointed, "Unfortunately not. But everything in Juárez runs through me." Right, he is the fucking El Señor de los Cielos.

You ask for your credit card back cuz you're starving to death. Amado insists on buying your lunch.

"Look, you've probably run my name through your network, I understand, I'd have done the same. I'm just some low rank dumbass, no badge, no DEA or federal connection or whatsoever. I don't think you and I have any business to tend to."

Damn, the food is too good to pass.

"I'll be at the club at 10. Come if you don't want to end up penniless again."

Is that a threat? The headache is messing up your mind. Instead of shutting up and retreating quietly from the most dangerous narco in town, you retort, "What? You're a pimp now?"

You put on makeup and a tight emerald green dress. It's not like you have anything better to indulge yourself in. Whatever the drug lord has for you, you're gonna enjoy it as long as you're breathing.

It's weekday, the club is less packed and much quieter.

You two just talk, like two old friends. You can't find another perfect stranger like Amado, when you can't complain to... basically anyone north of the border. You rant about how fucked-up the whole situation is and how traumatized those detainees and their children must become.

"You've got kids?" He asks.

"No. I hate kids, to be honest." You blurt out, "What? Women are supposed to like kids? Never mind. This is WRONG."

You have more drinks as well as further inappropriate discussion between law enforcement and a drug cartel leader. It's an escape, even for a very short period of time.

"You wanna dance?" Amado makes the invitation like a gentleman. Hilarious, and fucking turns you on at the same time.

"I can never move my ass like that, you see?" You point at a female performer as he leads you to the pool.

"Then why are you here?"

"I don't know. Have midlife crisis conversation with the hottest drug trafficker and pray he would take me home and fuck my brain out tonight."

"Shall we skip the dance then?" Amado's offer sounds appealing.

"No. I want to brag about it to my grandkids." You like it when he laughs at your horrible joke.

"You need to make kids first."

The dance is nice but the sex... the sex with Amado is on another level. You let him do things you were never into, like fucking you with a gun he keeps at the nightstand. "Is it my gun?" He nods. "Tell me how many times you dream of doing it." Amado doesn't answer, but he makes you come hard on it.

You don't need to feel safe or protected. You wanna disappear, and Amado makes it happen by fucking you all night long.

No, that's exaggerating. But you find out both of you are light sleepers. He says sorry, you say "Since none of us can kill each other in our sleep, can we get some snacks?"

The drug lord heats up tortillas himself for you, and brags about he has the greatest salsa recipe in town.

You talk about everything standing by the oven, like two adults you are. It's odd you even have a debate on the pending legalization of recreational marijuana in Mexico at 4 a.m. with once the biggest weed trafficker of the country. You think it's about damn time, no anti-drug policy is ever gonna stop people from smoking the shit. Yet Amado is more worried about whether the policy would favor existing players and big pharmas from the States.

"Fuck, you sound like a senator from the opposing party." God, that's awful.

It seems Amado doesn't take it as an insult, "When you play this game long enough, everyone starts to sound like politicians."

It reminds you of all the crazy stories you heard about the Mexican drug war. The man sharing guacamole and chips with you is not just a random fuck buddy. What he's capable of is beyond your wildest guess. You bet.

"I did donate to the opposing party last decade, you know, to diversify my political patronage. The state governor has always been a call away. I've also built roads, churches, parks and schools. You don't believe it?"

You do. But it doesn't matter. The world isn't becoming a better place because you fuck a good guy.

"Come to bed." You could use some cuddles after a long day. You snuggle up to him, Amado is warm and his long hair smells nice.

"You like it?" You just nod, burying your face in it, "We should fuck again in the morning so you'll smell like that, too."

You giggle, this guy is crazy and you love crazy.

After that, Amado doesn't ask you to stay and you don't want to either. No one is always around, both of you know it. You go to Chihuahua for a few days. A hiking trip to Mexico's tallest waterfall and deepest canyon is a good change of scenery.

The outlaw calls at the weekend, when your vacation is almost over, "You want to see some action near the border?" Fuck yeah, you're bored to death. You tell him you will call back once figuring out the flight schedule.

"Just go to the airport. I'm picking you up in an hour."

You're over this flexing thing long ago but man, piloto Amado looks extra hot with that bomber jacket. And you don't mind flying a private jet.

Amado sees you lean towards the window. Without being asked, he shifts the plane to your side so you can get a better view of the Copper Canyon. How he manages to wink at you with shades on remains a mystery.

It's a short flight to Altar, a small town in Sonora. You know the place too well because it's an unofficial hub for border crossers if they choose Phoenix as their destination. You've heard so many tragedies around the desert town, people losing their lives or loved ones on the route to America. Their family can't even bring them home for a peaceful funeral since in most cases the bodies decompose quickly in the desert and vultures prey on them. You never went there before, never met a person before he or she set foot on the deadly route to become an immigrant, despite you're probably dealing with detainees from the very place on a daily basis.

Amado brings you to a dark flat, two rooms full of people who have already paid for the trip, waiting for smugglers' order for their next move.

When Amado talks to one of the smugglers, you just realize it is the Sinaloa cartel that's been running this business in Sonora.

"Tell them what happened in El Paso with all the kids, which like you said might happen in other border cities soon. See if you can change their minds. I personally guarantee them full refund if you can manage that."

You don't know what exactly Amado wants to achieve by pulling this stunt.

"Go on, go save the children and their families." Is the narco mastermind challenging you?

There aren't many border crossers with small children in the rooms. Mainly because the desert route from Sonora to Arizona is the most dangerous one among other approaches. You do see a few teenagers among them.

You try to explain the new risk to those families with your limited Spanish vocabulary. They are confused, but you can't tell them you're with ICE which would bring unnecessary panic to the room. In the end, no family with children under the age of 18 buy your shit, no one is pulling back.

"You see, it costs tens of thousands of dollars for each family here to cross the border. They've probably been saving for a long time to get that amount of money. And the risk being caught or separated from their kids is nothing compared to the harsh reality in their home countries. You worry too much. There's nothing you..." You don't need a lecture from Amado.

You know what he's saying. You can't change nothing about a human trafficking ring that exploits the poorest and a fucked-up system that separates parents and their children. You gonna blame Trump? The notorious Sinaloans? You're helpless.

You can tell from the look in his eyes, Amado means no offense. But it hurts.

You insist on returning on your own. No more private jet on demand, no more flirting with the hot pilot, no more drunk one night stands with the perfect stranger.

You're done. No more adventures down south.

Months pass by, nothing changes except the tracking list you keep in secret gets much longer. They are more than just a few Sofías, Marías, Juans and Felipes. There must be a big family behind every name on that list, mom, dad, grandparents, aunties and uncles, cousins and second cousins.

More sad stories from the lawyers and detainees circle around. One detainee's request to reunite with her two children was denied because some official from HHS said removing children from foster homes and rejoining their parents would pose welfare concerns for the children.

What the actual FUCK? Everyone's devastated.

The tipping point comes one day when a newly arrived detainee committed suicide in a padded cell after forcibly separated from his wife and kids. Everyone's told to keep their mouths shut, even the sheriffs who are brought in to make a record and process the body receive gag orders from above.

You're so sick of everything that happens in the living hell you work for. You need to do something, anything.

You go south, again.

You don't call Amado or send messages because he might be tapped. You go straight to his place unannounced. This time, you're held at gunpoint, waiting for his return.

"This is the better solution you come up with to save the innocent people, dear?" Amado unties you, his hands are still warm but his voice is ice cold, "To hijack a foster home because it's less guarded than prisons like the one you work at, then bring those kids back to Mexico, really?"

You try to explain your plan, which is beyond any rationale. You know you're out of your mind the moment you go to narcos for a vigilante move.

"You know what you sound like? A hypocrite. Do you know where exactly their parents are right now? What's their status? In Homeland Security custody? Waiting for results from the immigration court? What family are left in their home countries? Are they able to take care of the kids? If not, who's gonna take them from here? Do you know what happens to orphans in Juárez? Wanna take a guess at the average age of street kids joining a cartel?" Amado keeps asking, and you don't have any answer.

"HHS may have a point. Think about the education and healthcare those kids get from the resettlement, foster family, sponsors, or whatever it's called. Maybe they want to stay in the States, hell, that's why their parents brought them in in the first place. They can find jobs in construction when they grow up, getting minimum wage, which is much safer and better paid there compared to in their home countries. They don't need rescue, have you ever thought about that?"

You're deranged, defeated, and desperate.

Amado sends his sicarios away. It's just the two of you.

"It's pretty late, you want to spend the night?" He makes it sound like the other day, simpler times.

Before you beg him... To reconsider your stupid proposal? To stay? You don't feel comfortable saying please. That would be humiliating.

"I'll be in another room." He just left.

You show yourself out that night. Drive home, get drunk, as if the alcohol would make you forget everything, including an inside tip that seven children of immigrants from El Paso will be sent to that specific foster home by Friday.

You may or may not drunk dial Amado in the middle of the night. But you definitely don't say please, as far as you can remember.

You're back to work with a severe hangover. Yet you keep digging, trying to find out whether all parents of the seven children are criminally charged, who are the lawyers assigned to them, if any of them has siblings or other relatives, legal citizens or not, that currently live in the States, how to contact them. Any information that might help.

You can't give up. Not because you have a real kind heart, you do it so you can sleep at night.

That's when you receive an unexpected Doordash order of burritos at home. On the back of the receipt it reads "Give me something more concrete so I can work on it."

It's gotta be him. Your heart is beating so fast. Can't believe the plan is still happening.

You respect Amado's discretion on this. No phone calls or emails, you even try to create an encrypted message to sext him. Then he sends one of his associates to personally collect what you have for them. The guy says the less you know about the actual plan, the better for everyone that is involved.

Amado cares. Maybe not about you. You know he's risking so much more on this than you are.

You have no idea what exactly the cartel is planning or when they are gonna strike. After passing over all the information, all you can do is wait.

The kids are gone on Friday as planned, everything is normal. And you hear nothing during the weekend, no report from the sheriff's office, not even a rumor from other law enforcement inner circles.

By Monday, your boss makes a big announcement that since starting the pilot program, ICE's apprehension rate in El Paso municipal district drops more than sixty percent in the last twelve months so they're gonna officially roll out the policy nationwide starting next week. He even says you all should celebrate the achievement.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

You have to get Amado, right fucking now.

"Don't hang up. Please! You need to listen to me. You haven't done it, have you? Abort it. Whatever you have planned. Abort it, NOW." You don't have time to explain everything on the phone.

Amado doesn't ask why, instead he says "You don't get to tell me the dos and don'ts, love."

"I'm not kidding, I swear. Please, please, Amado. I know I'm a mess and you shouldn't listen to me. But..." The line disconnects.

You tell your superior you're not feeling well then hit the road down south right away.

You call Amado again with a burner once you cross the border. He finally agrees to meet.

The remote location serves as a perfect site if the cartel needs to dump your body.

Amado and his badass shades, a view you usually appreciate, now make you question all the moral decisions you made since you first met.

"Please call it off. I can explain." You don't mind getting down on your knees if it's not too late.

"Explain why you get cold feet at the last minute? To save your own ass?"

"This is different. They're gonna make the policy public next week. They call it zero tolerance. The media, border control in other cities, everyone will know it. There would be nationwide uproar regarding the issue, they will find out any incident connected to it, especially if it happens on American soil. It'd be all over TV, social media, a complete chaos. This is DHS's doing, you don't understand, they are not like the feds, or the DEA, worse. I can't... I can't let you..."

You can't let Amado leave a loose end on the north side of the border and become a potential target of Homeland Security. You can't take that risk. Moral or not, if anything happens to him because of this, you know you'd regret for the rest of your life.

"What about the children? You're gonna leave them rot in foster care?"

You don't have an answer for that. Any explanation will make you sound more like a hypocrite.

"Please, I'll do anything. Just abort it." You're literally begging.

You close your eyes, expecting some cartel style punishment. Then all you hear is a phone call to end the mission. Thank goodness no action is carried out. No one would ever find out the infamous Juárez cartel was once interfering with America's immigration issue.

You don't go back north after that. You call in sick, then stop at the first bar you find open. You fuck up everything, your job, your good intensions, and the non-existing relation with a drug lord. So you drink, like the world is ending tomorrow and Juárez is the entrance to hell, where you belong.

You don't remember much later in the day. It's kind of blurry. You're too wasted to walk, let alone drive. But you are taken care of. There's a familiar scent, like shampoo or something damp, in a bathtub.

You have a dream, Amado pins down you, he really takes it out on you. And you fight back, fueled by anger and self-hatred. You hurt each other.

It's probably the best sex you've ever had.

Two months later, a breaking story about the secret pilot program in El Paso emerges on major news outlets, quoting an anonymous insider with unprecedented facts. All the misconduct that brought unimaginable pain and devastation to thousands of immigrant families is exposed. People are furious, more and more get out and protest against the brutal policy. The government has to pull the plug on the zero tolerance policy.

All your friends and family are talking about the situation. They are optimistic since the policy has already been abandoned, there won't be any more tragedy.

You can't share the same sentiment. You know for a fact it'd be a long fight against the bureaucracy to reunite those broken families, some may forever lose their loved ones.

Nothing really changes at work. The El Paso Detention Center is still running at full capacity 24x7, all year round. Immigrants get moved from one facility to another, no one knows when, where, how it's gonna end.

A scandal starts to spread among female colleagues of yours. You can't believe it until a female detainee is carried out by paramedics to a medical facility one day. No suspect, witness, no surveillance camera footage, but rumor says she's sexually assaulted by guards.

Sheriffs have come but high up DHS officials say it's gonna be an internal investigation. No one is allowed to say a word including local law enforcement.

The woman is no longer in critical condition the next day. She's able to identify four guards, who later deny her accusation and claim their DNAs found and tested in her nails are due to a friction when bringing her under control.

Several females detainees lament other minor sexual misconduct is rampant inside the facility but no one's willing to name names. All victims are afraid to speak up.

You pull some strings and manage to visit the victim after work. You want to speak to her alone off the record.

You learn this is not the first time it happened to her, and clearly she's not the only victim. At least there are two other women she's known.

There must be more, considering detainees are moved around all the time. Most of them won't stay at the same facility longer than six months. And the lawyers assigned to them are usually doing pro bono, the time and resources spent on them are very limited. All makes the suspects easily get off the hook.

You leave the hospital with a rage for justice. But before opening another bottle, you ask yourself whether you can make it right this time.

You screwed up hard last time, you can't repeat the same mistake. And the most important thing you learn from last time is you can't sit behind your desk and wait for some savior to come. You can't just do your part, and expect everything is gonna work out and so does your job and your life. You're either all-in or not, you have to get your hands dirty.

You go straight to the official in charge of the investigation, suggesting a criminal lawyer should be assigned to the victim. Of course this isn't gonna work. In order to shut you up, the official agrees the other two women will get a medical examination for STD, scheduled next week. Also allows you to talk to each of them in private.

This buys you a few days.

You can't even tell your best friend about what you're working on. Speaking to the official already gets you exposed, you aren't dragging anyone else into this. Too many risks.

There's one thing you need and only one person you know can make it happen.

You don't realize you're holding your breath before sending the message. It's quite simple, you need a favor, and in return you're willing to do whatever it takes.

The answer comes with several gift bags, and a driver waiting outside, warning you a private jet is leaving in half an hour. That's how your name ends up on the guest list of Chihuahua governor's party with delegates from the US Department of Commerce. You're Amado Carrillo Fuentes' plus one.

"I'm glad you came." Amado seems not mad at you. The drug lord looks extremely handsome in a black tuxedo, long hair slicked back.

"When someone sends a jet and this..." You adjust the exquisite sleeveless dress a little, a matching handbag in hands.

"You look beautiful." His voice becomes husky. You miss it. If you're being totally honest, many times through the past few months you fall asleep imagining this voice talking dirty to you.

"Thank you. I'm grateful you honor our deal. But I don't see why I'm here, having champagne with politicians, delegates and businessmen."

"You know they are negotiating a new trade deal to replace NAFTA, right? Having a gringa on this side kind of sends a message."

No sense. "So you're using me as a prop?"

"Likewise. And the best part is you look too old for a hooker. They probably think I have some real connection in the States." The bastard gives you a little nudge. Gosh, you want to smash that smug smile out of his face.

"Don't give me that sullen face. Smile. Enedina should be here any minute. You happy?"

That's right. The deal with Amado is about him introducing you to Enedina Arellano Félix, a.k.a. the only lady boss in the world of narcos.

"You know my roots with the Sinaloa cartel, this puts me in a very awkward position, asking the head of the Tijuana cartel for something personal." Amado pretending to be annoyed is so cute.

"Fuck off. You're The Lord of the Skies, and you run business by forging alliances instead of making enemies. If anyone can sit down with both Tijuana and Sinaloa, it's gotta be you."

It looks like Amado's in a really good mood, which is not what you expected.

You don't get the chance to ask why though, the Queen of Tijuana is here.

The meeting with the matriarch goes surprisingly well. Amado must joke it's just girl's night, but Enedina is indeed the partner in crime you look for. She's smart, fast, and asks tough questions as you explain the great escape plan to her. She's skeptical yet resourceful, and more importantly, she's a decision maker.

"So you really think it's better those poor Latinas come to work for a drug cartel than chasing "American dream" in your country? How refreshing!" She jokes.

"No, they won't be working for any drug cartel. They're gonna work for you, the Queen of Tijuana. You hired chicks back in the 90s, when no women were allowed in this game. Please, don't let them get stuck in prison or pushed to the street. You surely know the femicide particularly in Juárez better than I do. They are hard workers, I guarantee you, they will be forever grateful and loyal to you." You're willing to kiss more asses if it helps.

Lastly Enedina asks, "Why are you doing this? Risking your job, even your life? You probably will face charges helping them get out. Just to feel better about yourself?"

You shrug, "If a woman is raped in front you, I don't think you'd be a bystander. As for me, they'd hold me as a suspect but there won't be any substantial evidence if everything works out." That's the best case scenario.

"I assume Amado already knows." She leaves after giving you a knowing smile.

Speaking of the crow, Amado's standing near the window, talking to a group of Americans. What a scene.

"Excuse us, gentlemen. I'd love to have a dance with my date." You take Amado's hand, leaving everyone else in awe.

"You're so damn hot, sweetheart." Amado whispers as he pulls you closer.

It's slower and much relaxed than your last dance. It's so nice to have Amado in your arms and not worry about anything for just five minutes. Although you're surrounded by politicians and lobbyists, you want this to last a bit longer.

"Why aren't you mad at me?" You can't help but ask. Your body becomes rigid while waiting for his response.

"Well, I was. But since you come up with this crazier idea as an excuse to see me, I'm not that kind of person who holds grudges."

Both of you laugh, "That's not an excuse!"

He ignores your protest, forehead touching yours, like the first time you met.

After the party, Amado invites you to the cabin of his private jet.

"You're not flying tonight?"

"No. I've much more important business to tend to." The fucker just winks.

Yeah, like tearing up the dress he just bought you and asking you to join the mile high club. No need to sneak in the tiny bathroom, you blow him on the soft carpet with plenty of legroom. Then ride him on the broad executive chair. You fuck yourself on Amado's fat cock so hard like there's no tomorrow.

"You're sure you don't need backup? I have guys in El Paso..." He asks when pouring you a whiskey afterwards.

"You're sure you want to talk about that when you have me naked?" You take the drink and continue, "No, Amado. I can't let them trace anything that happens on American soil back to you."

"Why?"

You think he knows the answer, "Don't worry. I get it covered."

You persuade a female guard who's assigned to escort the two detainees to the hospital specifically because she's also Latina, speaks perfect Spanish. She understands the risks both of you are taking and still willing to help.

The day finally comes. She knocks out another guard during the examination, while you bring in janitorial uniforms and wigs, helping the three victims get changed.

Amado does provide something after all. A stolen vehicle he promises without any trace and a route across the border. Technically the secret tunnel under Rio Grande is long abandoned. It's not the 90s, no smuggler nowadays would get muddy for a few kilos.

When all of you eventually see the light at the end of the tunnel, Enedina's people are already waiting. You can't promise the three of them a brighter future in Mexico (if there's any,) but this is the best way out everyone agrees upon. After a few quick hugs, they're gone.

Later on, when threatened with criminal charges, you reveal part of the evidence you've held in secret to the investigation official, "One of the guards turned his body cam on during the assault, later he made a copy before deleting the footage, or he thought he deleted it. For what purpose? Sorry, sir. You can interrogate the pervert yourself. Here is a clip of it, I've had the rest and more stuff saved in the cloud." You warn if ICE doesn't want a huge scandal amid national disapproval after the zero tolerance policy backfired, he should bury the entire investigation and let the female guard and you walk. "And I'm sure you can come up with good reasons to remove the four guards. A little house cleaning wouldn't hurt, right?"

"I can't believe you still haven't quit that questionable job." Amado complains when you finally make time for him after everything against you is cleared.

"That's not fair. I didn't ask you to quit the questionable job you have." You always enjoy the banter with him.

"What? You mean being the hottest drug trafficker? Where are you going? That's what you said before. You can't take it back."

#narcos mexico #amado carrillo fuentes #narcos imagine

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withyounct · 5 years ago

Text

What’s wrong kid? (8)

Reader x Single dad!Jaehyun

Genre: Fluff

Words: 3.7k

Prompt: You notice a child crying at a school playground. You decide to see what’s up and meet an extremely stressed/extremely handsome father.

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A/n: Enjoy!

“God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him. How shall we comfort ourselves, the murderers of all murderers?” You muttered completely hanging upside down on the couch doing nothing as the pressure of blood flowed into your brain. Ten, who was scrolling through his phone, used his free hand to poke you with a stray pillow.

“We’ll drink and get over it. Are you okay?” He was met with grunts as you slid onto the floor. He was gearing up to join you when the doorbell rang. Very swiftly, you enforced the ‘nose goes’ rule and smirked as he begrudgingly went to answer it.

You were pleasantly surprised to see Johnny’s gigantic stature from your place on the ground.

“I think you’ve been over more than Jaehyun. Congratulations. What do you want?” You turned into a sitting position. Johnny, still in his ‘casual’ suit and tailored made trench coat, chuckled and held out a hand to help you up.

“I'm bored and would like to have a father-daughter afternoon.” You tilted your head in confusion because Johnny was the cool uncle type rather than father, but the rare innocent smile on his face forced you to keep the thought to yourself.

You were content with staying in your nicely heated apartment lounging around all day, but unfortunately you had a soft spot for him. You took his hand and was brought up. Telling him to hang out with Ten for about twenty minutes, you ventured into your room to get ready.

You put on some light makeup and picked out a Johnny approved outfit. It was snowing out, so you stole one of Kun’s scarfs as Johnny pulled you out into the cold.

He told you that he didn’t have any definitive plans as you drove onto the highway. You were about to criticize his poor planning when you got an email from the Men’s Wearhouse. You scanned the email and looked up at Johnny.

“I can feel you boring holes into my face, what’s up?” He asked not looking away from the road.

You weighed your options; it would be easy and convenient to have Johnny take you, but the possibility of him telling Jaehyun was risky. On the other hand, the thought of having to leave your house later to do something you could do now was annoying.

“I trust you more than I should.” You sighed. “I need to pick up Jaehyun’s gift.”

“I’ll beat you to it. If I tell him anything you’ll kill me.” He smirked. “Where are we going shorty?”

You scoffed and inserted the address into the gps.

“It’s how much!?” You held on tightly to your card, eyes blown out in shock. The older gentleman that helped you before had his same warm smile which somehow made things worse.

“The total is $150.” He gestured to the screen. You were too focus at the price that you missed Johnny’s whistle behind you.

“Man that’s pricey. By your standards of course, but I got it.” Johnny said coolly going into his pocket. You stopped his arm with more force than needed.

“I will end you.” You threatened, but the pout you displayed made you look more like a sad kitten than anything. You swiped your card before you could regret it and was handed the velvet box. The man wished you both happy holidays as you exited the shop. You were too busy looking at your bank account to care that Johnny took the gift out your hands and inspected it.

“Boring and right up Jaehyun’s alley. Congrats.” He carefully placed it in one of your coat pockets, making sure to button it close. “Come on, let me treat you to lunch.” He didn’t wait for you to reply as he intertwined his arm with yours and dragged you to the car.

Johnny was pretty predictable, so you weren’t surprised when he took you to some upscale ritzy restaurant. Upon his instructions, you didn’t look at the prices of anything and ordered a steak that you were a hundred percent sure cost the same as rent. You were sipping on the sweetest wine the place had to offer when you realized something.

“You’re a good friend.” You said suddenly, leaning back into your chair. Johnny looked up from his food in confusion as you continued. “I hope you genuinely like hanging out with me, but your trying to help Jaehyun figure out what to get me, right?”

“Clever guess, but wrong. Jaehyun already bought your gift.” He laughed reaching over the table to ruffle your hair. “I really just wanted a father-daughter day.” He smiled softly.

After lunch you spent the rest of the afternoon trying to stop Johnny from buying everything he thought would look cute on you and failing. It was nearing the evening when you finally talked him into taking you home, complaining that neither of you had any arm room left.

“Something tells me that you were always this wealthy.” You stated, stuffing the rest of the bags in the back seat and hopping in yours.

“What gave me away? My complete disregard of a price tag or the car?” He joked.

“Both.” You laughed. “No offense, you just give off a ‘trust fund kid, never eaten ramen’ vibe sometimes.”

He chuckled, but nodded. “None taken. You’re half right. Came from money. My father owns an information company in Chicago, while my mom owns a fashion company in New York. I was set the moment I was born.” He said proudly. “I was kind of an asshole as a child and was sent to this boarding school in New Jersey. It was middle school when I met Jaehyun. I’ll let him tell you all the shit we got into, but he was the first person to introduce me to ramen. He loved it, but I wasn’t much of a fan.” There was something in his eyes that soften ever so slightly as he traveled down memory lane in his head. “I’ve known that loser my whole life.” He smiled more to himself than to you.

“You make him happy.” He used the red light as an opportunity to look at you. “I’ve seen him hit rock bottom and try his hardest to fill holes that were impossible to fix. Hyunjin does a good job, but she herself has holes that she's too young to notice. But you,” His laugh was light in wonder. “you just appeared out of nowhere like an angel and started sewing their holes shut.”

The light changed and he sent you one final smile before turning his attention back to the road. “So thanks for that.”

The rest of the car ride was filled with music as you were rendered speechless. Johnny didn’t pressure you into saying anything and you appreciated it. He helped you bring all the bags up into your apartment.

You knew he wasn’t much of a hugger, but you found yourself wrapping your arms tightly around him. You felt the light vibrations of him laugh as he hugged you back.

“I take it I'm your new favorite.” He laughed, ruffling your hair as you let go. “See you later shorty.” He smiled as he left.

It was early in the evening and it was right around the time you would make your way over to Jaehyun’s. After trying to find the closet space for all the new clothes that was gifted upon you, you found yourself getting ready to do just that.

But, there was a moment of hesitation as you skidded over to your phone. You’d totally forgotten that Renjun and Yangyang were leaving for China in the morning. You smiled and opened up the group chat, adding Kun and Ten to it.

‘Let’s do something tonight!’ You sent the message and it took exactly three minutes for you to regret your life choices. Jaemin made a poll and clubbing became the main victor. You sent a ‘I hate you all’ text, tossed your phone, and grabbed one of the outfits Johnny bought you. You still had on makeup from earlier, so you were the first one done.

You wandered into Ten’s room and flopped on his bed as he got ready, wrapping yourself into a cocoon with his covers.

“Someone put in very little effort.” He judged, getting up from his desk chair to sit next to you. He handed you his eyeliner, a silent gesture for you to help him.

“Someone has a man and would rather go laser tagging.” You shot back as you gently tight lined his eyes. “You know you and Kun are our responsible sober adults’ tonight.” You informed. You were met with rolled eyes that contradicted his smile.

“Someone’s got to keep the kids safe.”

It didn’t take long for everyone to arrive. Kun and Ten took four each and headed to the downtown clubbing district. Ten was ready to throw both you and Jeno out the car since you both rather be anywhere but there and wouldn’t shut up about it. No one questioned Jaemin as he ushered the group passed the long line into the club. You turned to see him high-five the bouncer and laughed because that was such a Jaemin thing to do.

You wandered passed the dancefloor and various bodies to the bar. Ten, who immediately forgot about his adult responsibilities, had ordered a raspberry vodka. You smiled as you swiftly took it out his hand and downed it, shooing him away in the process.

You weren’t much for dancing, so you found a comfortable place at the bar where you could watch your friends act like complete fools. You turned to order another drink when one was placed in front of you. You looked up confused at the bartender only to have him nod his head at the male sitting next to you before walking off.

The really handsome guy that you just now noticed smiled at you. Smiling back and noticing his drink, you called over the bartender again and ordered another drink. He was confused, but placed it in front of you. Smoothly, you slid it over to the stranger who looked more confused.

“Returning the nice gesture.” You stated, spinning around on the stool to look at your friends. Even in the poorly lit room you could see the murderous intent in their eyes. Laughing, you threw up a ‘okay’ sign and they returned to their dancing.

“Seungcheol.” He introduced, holding out his hand.

“Y/n. Taken.” You smiled as you shook his hand. Your smile widened as he laughed.

“That’s okay. I hope the drink wasn’t too awkward.” He nervously rubbed his neck. You told him it wasn’t.

Naturally a conversation started between you two. You were both dragged there by your friends, who were oddly dancing around each other. Somewhere in between the jokes, laughs, and drinks, an existential crisis creeped its ugly way into your mind making it a bit hard to focus. In every case before now, you would flirt a little and make out in the bathroom until one of your friends would drag you home.

The conversation gradually became one-sided on his part; you tried to stay engaged, but with the aid of alcohol in your system you eventually fell flat. He was quick to pick it up, stopping midway through a joke to look at your sudden somber disposition. With a bit of hesitation, he lightly tapped your hand.

“Okay why do you look like a kicked puppy? Am I bothering you?” He worried, moving a bit back into his seat to give more space between you two. His dejected tone caught your attention and you hurriedly shook your head.

“No, its just.” You sighed, letting your cheek lean into your palm. You let out an empty laugh and continued to shake your head. “Nothing.” You lied.

There was something in his eyes that soften as you played with your empty drink. “I know it’s usually the bartenders that listen to random people problems, but that guy looks like he hates everything and I'm an excellent listener.” He offered.

You weren’t one to flood people with your troubles, friend and stranger alike, but there was something comforting and accepting about him. You sighed. “My boyfriend said I love you a few months back and I haven’t said it back.” You found yourself saying. You watched his face grimaced. “Yeah, I know.”

Wordlessly, he got the bartender’s attention and pointed to your empty glass.

After securing you another drink, he continued.

“So, what’s the problem?” He asked.

“That’s the thing, there isn’t one. He's downright perfect. Even with a kid.” You paused for a moment. “His daughter is amazing which makes him more amazing.” You groaned letting your arm fall as you laid your head on your forearm.

“Ah, you’re afraid.” He acknowledged. You sat there and let his words simmer for a moment. In your more sober mindset you would deny immediately, it was a stupid reason to be afraid, but somehow you found yourself nodding.

“There's just too much finality with the word love.” You confessed softly to the point you weren’t sure he heard you. He looked down at you sadly as he traded out your drink with water.

Silence engulfed you two, the music and loud laughter for the outside world that seem to dim made its way back into your ears. The alcohol making everything slightly louder than you were comfortable with.

“I know I don’t know you well, but let me ask you one question that you don’t have to tell me the answer to.” His soft eyes had a sliver of sharpness around the edges. “In this moment right now do you see yourself growing old with him?”

You of course knew the answer; you’ve had countless daydreams about it. Waking up every morning wrapped in his arms, helping Hyunjin with her hair before school, late minute dates, forcing Jaehyun to watch more horror movies with you, tending to the garden with Hyunjin, putting her to bed, watching her grow up, arguing, making up, the whole nine yards. Until you’re both gross and wrinkly.

You didn’t notice the smile make its way on your face until Seungcheol proudly pointed it out.

“Take out your phone, I want updates.” He pulled out his phone and you two exchanged numbers.

It was nearing midnight and you were beyond ready to go. You couldn’t fathom how your friends had the energy to keep going, but they always had a way of surprising you. With a sad smile you turned towards Seungcheol.

“Not that you’re not amazing company, but I'm tired an-”

“I got you.” He waved over your friends. Kun, who finally manage to get out of Ten’s grasp, saw and about ran to you. He, of course, was ready to throw hands just in case. But, after some talking you calmed him down and introduced the two. You turned to pick up your bar tab when it was whisked away by Seungcheol.

“Have a good night.” He winked, disappearing to the other side of the bar before you could protest. Laughing and shaking your head, you returned your attention back to Kun. Biting your lip and looking past him you could see the rest of your friends still having fun. You didn’t want to take Kun away from that, but wanted nothing more than to crawl in bed.

“Can you call me a ube-”

“I’ll drive.” He cut you off. “Ten’s with them. He's more responsible than we give him credit for. I’ll come back after dropping you off.” He smiled. It wasn’t every day that Kun complimented Ten, so you decided not to tell him about earlier.

“Jaehyun’s place right?” He asked, a cheeky smile gracing his face.

“You’re the best.” You hopped down for your stool and leaned on Kun as he guided you out the club. You made sure to stop by Renjun and Yangyang to hug them bye and wished them safe travels.

The car ride was filled with Kun’s ballad playlist which was a welcoming change from the loud EDM music you had to suffer through. Just like you the first time, Kun stood and gawk at how nice Jaehyun’s house was.

“My baby is moving up in the world.” He whistled. He walked you to the door making sure you had your keys before hugging you bye.

The living room lights were off and given the time you guessed he retired to bed. Clumsily, you dropped your bag on the couch and made your way down the hallway. You stopped by Hyunjin and snickered at her chaotic sleeping form, looking apologetically at the stuff animals at got kick or punched on the floor. Gently you closed her door and noticed Jaehyun’s office light was still on.

You wandered over and leaned against the doorframe. He was too focused on his laptop and you decided not to alert him to your presence yet. You stood there for a few minutes watching him in deep concentration, smiling at how soft he looked in his ruffled hair and round glasses.

“Boo.” You said, craving his attention. You laughed at how he jumped in surprise, but melted when his smile blossomed. He got out his seat and made his way over to you.

“What are you doing here?” He smiled holding your face.

“I missed you.” You whispered. He cooed at the statement and leaned in for a kiss. He quickly leaned back and looked at you confused.

“Alcohol?” He asked.

You nodded. “I went out with friends. Kun drove me here.”

He gently stroked your cheek and thanked you for being responsible. You told him he could return to his work, but he wasn’t having any of that. Abandoning his laptop, he guided you to the bedroom. You walked into the closet and grabbed one of his shirts to change in. When you walked back into the room he was seated on the bed, your box of skin care by his side. He smiled and padded the space next to him. Chuckling, you sat yourself.

“I'm not that drunk. I can do it.” You explained.

“Nope. I want to.” He beamed. He pulled out your makeup wipes and gently wiped your face. You started to laugh which caught his attention.

“You’re going to need to use more force than that.” You laughed handing him another wipe. He made an ‘o’ shape and applied a bit more pressure. He used more wipes than needed, but you kept that to yourself. After he was done, you went to cleanse your face with the promise he could finish the rest.

He had seen your routine countless times, so you closed your eyes and let him go at his own pace.

“Did you have fun?” He asked quietly.

“Kind of. I mostly talked to this guy at the bar.” You answered honestly. His hands stilled for a millisecond. It was something you would have missed if you weren’t hyperaware of his every movements.

“Oh. What did you talk about?”

“You. He was a chill guy.” Your eyes opened slowly as you smiled. You saw the smile make its way on his face as he nodded.

“Well I'm glad you kind of had fun.” He finished padding in your eye cream and tapped your nose.

“Beautiful.” The same amount of love in his eyes was being conveyed in his voice as he tucked a stray hair behind your ear. Your heart picked up speed at the intensity of his gaze, so you got on your knees and engulfed him in a hug. You smiled at the melodic laughter that calmed your very soul as he held onto you.

“Man I should do this more often.” He gently stroke your head, swaying you side to side.

“Thanks for being you.” You mumbled softly into his neck. He placed a kiss on the crown of your head before pulling the cover to tuck you in. He left to put your box back and turn off the lights.

“The park by my office is decorated as a winter wonderland. Lets go with Hyunjin tomorrow.” He crawled into bed.

“I'm down.” You said with no hesitation.

“Let me guess, you’re going to be bouncing around like a child.”

“Without a doubt.”

“I'm getting beach flashbacks.” He sighed, but there was no mirth behind it.

You found your usual place cuddled into his chest. “Goodnight my human teddy bear.” You joked.

“Goodnight my beautiful doll.”

It was one of those rare times, you were awake before Jaehyun. Usually you would wake up in a cloud of confusion, wondering what events you had to do that day or other random thing. But, there was nothing, just clarity. You grabbed a piece of hair and started to tickle Jaehyun’s nose. His hand was on your side, so on instinct he tickled you back. You’re laughter brought him out of his dreamy state.

“Stop, I need your undivided attention.” You giggled trying to come down from laughing.

“You always have my attention.” He smiled, draping his arm back over your side.

“Thanks.” You started. “I need to say this before I overthink or wuss out. So, I wanted to say this last night, but I had alcohol in my system and I'm not tactless. But, you were doing the most mundane thing and I swear my heart was going a mile a minute which is becoming a frequent thing. I was going to wait till Christmas to make a grand display of my feelings while I gave you your really lame gift, but that’s not how I am and that’s not what love is to me. It’s the feeling I have right now warm in your arms with messy hair and sleep in my eyes, which is fine because you tell me I'm beautiful every morning.” You smiled. “I love you Jaehyun.”

“I know.” He whispered, smile beaming brighter than ever. You move your arm to hit his chest, but was stopped when he grabbed your face and place a kiss that took your breath away. Your eyes fluttered close and you let yourself get sucked into his warmth. He slowly pulled away and bumped foreheads with you. The laughter that left him was that of a child on Christmas day. Pure happiness. It was infectious and you found yourself laughing too. Grabbing his cheek, you placed a chaste kiss on his lips.

“I love you dummy.”

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silver--storms · 5 years ago

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The Only Opinion That Matters.

This was a request from the lovely @mountainofthesunn

“Can i request the boys meeting your best friend for the first time? They know her opinion is valued the most. Like how they react to the whole situation, i guess lol. For the HC/blurb stuff”

Is this a Head cannon? A Blurb? An Imagine? Who knows, but I hope this is close to what you had in mind, love!

This was a blast to write, I tried to make them all start and end the same way to give a good comparison.

Jake:

When you told Jake you thought it was time for him to meet your best friend, expressing how important her opinion is, you watched the color fade from his face.

He spent the week before practically interrogating you for little details about her, from music to movies, anything he could find to use as talking points when they met, he wanted to know.

The day of, Jake fusses over what he’s going to wear, he thinks it’s important for how he’s perceived. He said “Something nice but not trying too hard. Subtle.”

Jake insists on leaving early, giving him the advantage of settling in at the restaurant before she arrives, taking in his surroundings. The three of you had decided on Mexican for dinner.

Jake plays with his lip and is quiet the whole drive over to the restaurant. When you ask what’s wrong, he grabs your hand and says he hopes he passes the test because he knows how important this is to you. You laugh at him, assuring him it’s not a test.

Jake views everything as a test or a challenge, this was no different. You couldn’t convince him otherwise even if you tried.

Upon meeting her, Jake goes for a tight hug instead of a handshake, being his usual warm self.

Jake sits back and let’s you two catch up before jumping into the conversation, observing the way you two communicate.

He asks her plenty of questions, intently listening to each answer she gives him, at this point so enthralled he probably forgot you were sitting there next to him.

At the end of dinner Jake’s charm has completely won your best friend over, she gave you a knowing look and nod of approval.

On the ride home, you looked over at Jake who was beaming, you chuckled “I’m assuming you think you passed the test?” Jake looked over at you with a worried look, “Did I not?” you smiled at him, “With flying colors, babe.”

Jake smirked, grabbing your hand and kissed it “Good.”

Sammy:

Sammy surprised you with having a few days off between shows, you were ecstatic he was visiting you, but you remembered you have plans this weekend to have dinner with your best friend.

You were nervous to ask Sammy if he wanted to meet her, not knowing if it was too soon, but Sammy was all about it. He said it was way overdue and perfect timing.

Sammy had known a little bit about her, overhearing some of your phone calls in the past, but didn’t want you to fill him in on anything beforehand.

Sammy said he wanted it to be as authentic as possible.

He suggested you all go out for pizza on Friday night, keep it casual.

He wore his favorite blue flannel, black jeans and his hair up in an adorable messy bun, his signature look.

Sammy insisted he wasn’t nervous or worried about it at all. He said he was excited more than anything.

He was cool, calm and collected all the way up until you all sat down together.

You could tell he was nervous by the way he kept playing with his hair while your best friend drilled him with questions about himself. He answered them the best he could, being put on the spot was not his forte, looking to you at times for your input.

Sammy absentmindedly played with his pinky ring, another nervous habit he had, completely locked into the conversation.

Of course Sammy just had to bring up who has the best pizza debate, being from the Midwest he said Chicago, your best friend arguing LA and you caught in the middle.

Feeling forced to pick sides, you threw your hands up “Look, this is between the two of you, leave me out of it!” the two of them laughing at how distressed you got.

Sammy playfully nudging your arm “Hey, you wanted us to meet, this is what you get!” both of them laughing at you.

At the end of dinner Sammy paid the bill, saying it’s the least he could do as a ‘thank you’ for keeping you out of trouble when he’s away on tour. You scoffed at him and rolled your eyes at the two of them.

You and Sammy walked her to her car and said good night.

Driving back to your apartment Sammy told you how much he liked her and was glad you had someone so down to earth around you, especially with you living in LA.

Josh:

Josh brought up meeting your best friend before you even had the chance to. He knew it was her birthday this weekend and even though he only had a couple of days with you, he wanted you to spend time with her.

Josh was so excited to meet her, you two had been friends since kindergarten, he knew she was the most important person in your life.

You made reservations at her favorite steakhouse for the three of you. You texted Josh to wear something nice and to be ready by 7:00pm.

When you went to pick Josh up he had a silly smile on his face and one of his hands behind his back, hiding something.

He was wearing all white, with polka dots on his shirt and brown shoes. He looked nice when he dressed down from his usual flamboyant self.

Josh got into the car revealing a small box gift wrapped with a tiny bow on it. You smiled at him, “You’re cute.” he smirked, “You can’t go to a birthday party without a gift, that’s just rude.”

“Josh, it’s just dinner, but you’re sweet.” you teased, but his thoughtfulness made your hear flutter.

You asked what he got her to which he replied “You’ll just have to wait and see.” with a mischievous grin.

Arriving at the restaurant Josh immediately pulled her into a big hug “It’s great to finally meet you!”

Your heart fluttered at the interaction between the two of them, “Perfect” you thought to yourself, your two favorite people in the same room.

You got seated and Josh handed over his present, watching excitedly as she opened it.

He got her a small gold necklace with an owl pendant, her favorite. She loved it and thanked him.

You turned to him slightly, totally shocked at how he knew she was obsessed with owls. He returned your look of confusion with a wink and a hand squeeze under the table.

Josh ordered a fancy bottle of wine for the three of you, declaring loudly “You only turn 25 once, we’re going to make it special.” he chuckled, “Happy Birthday.”

You swooned over the gesture and how easy they were able to vibe together.

You were very impressed with how Josh held himself. You had never seen him so calm and laid back as he was tonight.

You could tell he was trying really hard to make a good first impression.

The night came to an end and on the drive back Josh wouldn’t stop dissecting the night.

“I’m so glad she liked my gift, I was so nervous.” he admitted shyly “She’s a very chill person, I liked her a lot.” you kissed his cheek as he payed attention to the road “I��m happy to hear it. You did great babe, thanks for doing this.”

Danny:

Danny had been bothering you for a few weeks now, asking when you’d get to meet your best friend.

You finally found time in all three of your schedules to get together for an hour or two.

It was Danny’s idea to get together for coffee, wanting to keep it low-key.

Danny chose to wear his go to comfy sweater, dark jeans and his hair half up, half down.

Danny treated the three of you to coffee, all sitting down around a tiny table next to a window.

Danny wasted no time with small talk, asking your best friend about her interests and what she was studying in college. Why she chose that major and how she is liking it so far.

He didn’t seem nervous at all, engaging in conversation with a sense of excitement.

He made a genuine effort to get to know her as much as possible, he knew how close the two of you were and who is important to you is important to him.

Danny and her were both well traveled, talking about all their favorite spots they’ve visited and what countries were still on their bucket lists.

You watched Danny as he so effortlessly connected with her. You had never had a boyfriend try so hard to get to know the people you loved, it was so endearing.

Half way through the conversation Danny offered to grab everyone refills, like the gentleman he is, as he got up and left the table your best friend gave you a telling look.

You got nervous, she had been known to not like a lot of your boyfriends in the past, all of them she’s been right about. Danny knew this, her approval was the only one that mattered.

She leaned in close to you “If you don’t marry him, I will. He is phenomenal, the sweetest man ever. “ you laughed as she continued, “No, seriously, it’s been like what, an hour and he’s easily my favorite boyfriend you’ve ever had. I more than approve!” you smiled at her, glancing over your shoulder, watching as he struggled to carry all three mugs back to the table with a big goofy smile as you two locked eyes.

Turning your attention back to your friend “Yeah, he’s pretty great, isn’t he?” you beamed.

On the car ride home Danny asked “So, how did I do? Did I get her blessing?” you giggled at how formal he was being, “Yes, she loved you” you smirked “But who doesn’t love you?”

As always let me know what you think! :)

#greta van fleet #gvf #danny wagner #josh kiszka #jake kiszka #sammy kiszka #my writing #head canon #blurb #imagine #what it is #this was really fun to write

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designer-dad · 5 years ago

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Peak Design Everyday Backpack 30L - The Review

So we’ve arrived. The culmination of years of fine-tuning and honing in what I look for in a bag. Years of tastes growing, becoming uber-specific and demanding. And 6 months of searching for a very good bag that won’t (totally) break the bank. Something that a frugal person can still say is worth every penny.

Behold, my EDC choice: The Peak Design Everyday Backpack in 30L, Charcoal.

Peak Design first caught my eye when they developed the Everyday Messenger Bag. I was thoroughly taken by how a bag could be so simple, yet powerful. It didn’t require very specific pockets for every possible item. What it had was a thoughtful and novel approach to organization that, while based on camera gear, worked exceedingly well for EDC. With thoughtful and useful pockets, the ability to expand, and those awesome gear dividers, I knew they had a winner. But I was already getting past the stage of messengers and looking at backpacks. if only they did a backpack...

... And then they did. And what a backpack. It was very hard as a designer not to fall down the rabbit hole of videos on the features and uses of this bag. There really isn’t a whole lot you’d wanna do with this (as an EDC/typical travel bag) that you can’t do. True, it’s not submersible, and I don’t think it would do well with a hydration bladder, so it won’t really work as a hiking pack. But aside from that, this thing really can do it all. Drone carry? Check. Tripod? Check. Yoga mat? Check. Lots of giant water bottles? Check. Laptop and tablet? Check. Camera gear for days? Check. Room to grow? Check. Slinging a days worth of purchases from the Mahane Yehudah Market in Jerusalem? Check.

There’s no shortage of reviews and videos breaking down this bag, so I won’t get into all the nitty gritty of what makes it awesome. It’s pretty much unanimous that it is. So I’ll go through why it checks my particular boxes, and then run through how I think it could get even better.

1) Masterful Organization Major pros here, a few cons. Overall, Peak addresses my biggest issue with backpacks, which was really the main sell for me. They employed a way for me to subdivide the giant big pocket into smaller chunks that are easy to reconfigure in both immediate ways (simply flipping a flap one way or another) or more semi-permanent ways (removing/adding a divider, or simply moving one). This is epic. This scratches my organization itch SO SATISFACTORILY. 2 side water bottle pockets (more on that below), handy soft-lined kinda hidden zipper pocket at the top of the laptop compartment, interior hidden passport pocket, and 2 side panels of smaller organization which expand to hold FREAKING ANYTHING. Seriously, I’ve never not been able to fit something in there, even things that obviously should not fit. And it’s got hidden loops and tethers all over the place for carrying literally any kind of weird thing strapped to the outside as well. It covers all the bases, some better than others, but certainly covers them all. I can store big stuff, little stuff, weird stuff, and more, and know it will all have a place, no matter the size or shape or fragility. Other than documents. More on that later. And it’ll grow to add more. YES.

2) DSLR/Camera Carry This is what Peak Design focuses on, and this is what they do exceedingly well. Taking cues from many other DSLR carry inserts, their origami style dividers have flaps that allow you to move a portion of these semi-rigid dividers to the side to make way for larger camera grips, or lay long lenses across. But that’s an understatement. These movable flaps give an excellent combination of structure, flexibility, protection, and modularity to allow for nearly any kind of setup you’d like. They pretty damn well near nailed this aspect of bags.

3) Travel Buddy/EDC Buddy Yeah, it’s more or less a joy to use this bag for travel and EDC. It flexes nimbly between what I use everyday and the particular items I carry for travel. It grows to carry my extra gear for travel (prayer paraphernalia, books, cable pack, snacks), yet shrinks back to a reasonable size when all I’ve got is my lunch and collection of way-too-many EDC knives.

And no matter the kind of trip, it can tackle it. Overnight stay to get away from the kids? Done. 3 day work trip to North Carolina? No problem. 3 day winter break with the kids in Louisville? Got it. Week with the boys in Scotland? Yup. 10 days with the wife in Israel, along with day-pack use? Check. 2.5 day Design Show in Milan? Sure.

It’s a great airport companion, as the quick release strap adjusters and swing-to-the-side move make backpack carry almost as easy to access as messenger carry, and always stymies TSA just enough that they tend to give up on it quick and leave me alone. And I love being the only guy on the Metra in Chicago with this bag. Other than that one time I sat next to another dude with the same bag, and proceeded to make a new friend.

4) Backpack Carry Now almost any backpack could theoretically satisfy this requirement, but Peak does it in a pretty special way. The straps are fairly comfortable, very ergonomically sculpted, and have a giant swiveling rivet at the top that allow it to fit my 6′2″ 230 pound frame, as well as my 5″4′ 120 pound wife, all without issue. It has a somewhat ventilated back panel, to ease comfort a little (but still doesn’t quite measure up to a serious hiking pack like an Osprey), though it will still yield a pretty sweaty back with prolonged wear. But for a bag that’s rigid, holds its shape well, stand on its own when you put it down, protects your gear, and has a water-resistant coating, it’s a pretty dang comfortable bag.

5) Water Bottle Carry YES. This bag does this better than almost any I’ve seen. The side pockets are deep, fit even GIANT bottles, and somehow tuck flat back against the bag when not in use. It looks fitted empty, with my slim travel umbrella, or a 750ml bottle in it. And it has a pocket on BOTH sides.

6) Laptop Carry Do you carry a giant 17″ CAD Mobile Workstation? Then you’re out of luck. Anything else, and you’re covered. It fits my 15″ Mobile Workstation just fine, and that’s massive. The 20L would fit a 15″ standard laptop as well. It’s got a soft protected pocket with top access, keeping it separate from the main compartment, and it expands to the inside of the bag when occupied, so the bag does not physically grow when you add a laptop. I find it nice that the bag always maintains the same profile. I don’t have to readjust on the train to avoid hitting people if all of a sudden my bag is really full. It also has a tablet sleeve, but I find it hard to keep one in there if I’m toting my beast laptop. Admittedly, this is a problem for very few people.

7) Svelte but Spacious As I said above, I love the fact that the profile of this bag pretty much never changes. Yes, it gets slightly taller when it’s crammed, but front to back, side to side, it’s always the same, semi-rigid structure. It’ll always fit under the seat in front of me on the plane. I won’t accidentally hit people with it because I forgot I added a pair of shoes. Yet it looks sleek, and not gargantuan, even though it can hold up to a generous 30L. It’s more like 22L when not fully expanded. Granted, it looks on the larger side when my wife is carrying it, but on a, uh, fully grown male such as myself, it looks just fine. Not too large for EDC.

8) Generally Awesome Designers like toys. We love novelty. Cool features. Little pleasant surprises. This bag is full of them, and they continue to provide joy on a daily basis. This is how products should be. From the unique magnetic latch and bar system, to the hidden magnets for the water bottle and hidden pockets (everyone loves magnets), various hidden tethers, stretchy expandable pockets, lovely detailed hardware, plethora of carry handles that don’t look like luggage handles, this bag just delights over and over. Even with it’s few frustrations.

Ok, so now I want to share my wishlist for the next Everyday Backpack. Nothing is perfect, and this bag is no exception. So here are the VERY FEW issues I have with this bag, after about 2 years of use for both EDC carry and frequent travel, both domestic and international.

1) I wish there was a small, quick access pocket. Not big, not deep, but a pocket on the outside of the bag that I can stick the boarding pass, earbuds, train ticket, spare change, passport, or whatever single random small thing I need to stick somewhere that's not in my pants pocket, but can quickly take it right back out without undoing 2 zippers or a flap. Like the Timbuk2 Napoleon pocket.

Maybe along the seam between the side and back panels. A little 6 inch zipper. I like the pocket in the laptop pocket, but can't access that with the quick sling to the side move. I would like to get at that pocket using that move.

2) I wish there was a dedicated spot to clip a carabiner onto the shoulder strap. Gotta keep my keys somewhere quick. They include a tether for keys in the water bottle pocket (that uses the same clip as their strap system, oooOOOooo), and I like the tether, but it's not the fast access of a carabiner. This is a couple ways I've been doing it, but it took a while to figure out these solutions. I could use a couple loops on the strap to do it.

3) I wish I had a good document storage solution. I have a hulking laptop, so that pocket won't work if my laptop is in there. I need another thin vertical sleeve. I’ve seen a YouTube video with a workaround for that, but it’s inelegant, and renders a divider and a lot of space much less useful.

4) I wish I had better writing implement organization. Maybe 5 dedicated pen slots. I know I'm not most people, but as a Designer, I have a handful I need with me. Sharpie, pen, pencil, Xacto, felt tip, pocket scale. They scratch against each other in a shared pocket, and the material is too thick for the clips to clip onto for most of them, so they tend to slide too far down to reach quickly. I also don’t like that it’s not quick to pull out a pen. It’s swinging the bag to the front, opening a zipper, opening a flap, opening another zipper, pulling out the pen, then reverse. Nah.

5) Sweat. So. Much. Sweat. I’ve worn this for hikes, all day shopping in markets, at trade shows, in giant airports, and the back sweat is measurable in inches. Not as bad if there’s a coat and it’s cold, but if this is on the shirt on my back, I will be wetter than I care to be in normal attire.

6) While I like the little pocket at the top of the zippered laptop compartment, it grows into the main pocket, and right at the top. This pocket is the natural place for sunglasses, keys, etc, but as it grows, it greatly interferes with access into the main compartment, and can also crush stuff in that little pocket.

7) I’d love to see other kind of dividers or organization options that can attach to that velcro-ey interior of the bag. I wanna get their tech bag that fits nicely, but would love to have some more specific options available to mix and match with.

There's a part of me that hopes they never put these into play, because I don't wanna drop another $280 on a bag. But if they do, I happily will.

#edc #everyday carry #backpack #bag #messenger #camera #dslr #gear #travel #luggage #review #design #peak design #peak #industrial design #product design #product review

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lindsayisfindingflow · 5 years ago

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Ironman Wisconsin 2018 - the days before the race

Alright a year plus late but I’m going to do it. I completely forgot how much I wrote about this race! I’m going to split it out into a couple posts. The first one is probably the least interesting, so feel free to skip, but I talked about the days leading up to the race. Pictured above is me at a wedding the day before the race, sporting my Ironman wristband and making sure I’m getting enough fluids. 😂

———————————————

The days leading up to this race were a bit hectic. I’d known since the beginning of the year that the morning before the race was a good friend’s wedding, so I was going to have to come up to Madison a few days before, get all my bags ready, leave my bike and transition bags with a teammate so they could check them on Saturday, then head to Chicago on Friday for the wedding.

We got arrived in Madison on Thursday afternoon, and my first thoughts were: a.) this weather feels like fall b.) it’s windy and the water is super choppy. We checked into our hotel, which was in the same building as transition/athlete check-in. Given that the weekend would already involve a lot of traveling, this was totally worth the extra price per night.

Once we were checked in I headed to athlete check-in. As I waited in line, I definitely felt intimidated by all the super serious looking athletes. Once I got all my stuff, I headed up to my room to “relax” (read: nervously put my transition bags together). That night we got dinner with my triathlon teammates, which was super fun. The next morning I walked my bike down to the lakefront path. I was planning to do a 20 minute ride, just enough to stretch out my legs one more time. I had to dodge some road closures and weave around commuters, but otherwise it was a nice ride. It was cool and breezy, way cooler than the late August weather I’d had at home. I did a quick 15 minute run afterward as well.

When I got back Xiao and I grabbed breakfast, which was pretty busy for a Friday morning thanks to all the triathletes. It was super tasty though. When we got back to the hotel we packed our wedding bags, dropped off my gear/bike with my teammates, and headed out to Chicago.

Friday night was the rehearsal dinner, and for some reason my stomach felt terrible there, and I was starting to feel like I was getting sick. We headed out early so I could try to get some sleep. We were up around 6 on Saturday to help set up the wedding, then afterward we left Chicago around 1:30, and got back around 4:30. When we got back I did some last minute bag/race prep, and just relaxed until we met up for dinner with friends who live in Madison. Our evening was so relaxed that I almost felt like I wasn’t racing the next day. The only slightly anxiety-inducing thing was that I waited until after dinner to try to get something I could eat for breakfast, and all the nearby drugstores were closed. I knew there was a breakfast buffet at the hotel though, so I just hoped they’d have something I could eat.

I headed to bed pretty soon after we got back from dinner, because we were out a bit later than expected. Since I was still feeling a bit congested/off from the evening before, I took a Claritin before I went to sleep, and hoped for the best.

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yikesharringrove · 5 years ago

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I am such a crackhead, when you said to request some stuff for your birthday I immediately thought of an idea that I hate myself for 😂 So imagine it's Billy's birthday and let's just say that Susan, Neil and Max are away, so Billy invites Steve over, right? But he told Steve to just walk right in whenever he arrives. So he does and the second he walks through the door he says, "I see my cake has arrived." And Steve is so confused, Billy has to explain to him that he means his ass 😂

I LOVE THIS.

So I totally hc Billy as a summer baby, like late July, maybe even early August.. I also really weirdly love the idea of him being super young for his grade in school. I also included my Jewish Steve hc because that’s like, hella strong in my brain.

Billy was gonna vibrate outta his skin.

Susan had taken Max back to California for the summer, to spend some time with her dad while Susan visited her sister she left out there. Neil was keeping to himself, wasn’t jumping down Billy’s throat with him working most days at the pool, and just generally staying out of the house (usually at Steve’s), and as long as Billy had his chores done everyday, Neil was leaving him alone.

Until one Thursday, when he sat Billy down.

“My branch is sending me to Chicago for a meeting this weekend. I leave tomorrow morning and will get back Sunday night. While I am away, you are not to have anyone over. If you so much as think about having a party, there will be consequences. Do you understand?”

“Yes, sir. Have a good trip.” Billy kept his face neutral, his body stiff until he was in his room, proceeding to let loose. He jumped around silently, wiggling and dancing around all excitedly.

“Hello? Harrington residence.” Steve always sounded so bored over the phone.

“Baby, its me.”

“Bill! Hi! Are you okay? Do you need me to pick you up-”

“No, I’m good. Look, my dad’s gonna be out of town all weekend. I want you to come over.” Billy was twirling the phone cord like some lovesick school girl. He supposed he was kind of a lovesick schoolgirl.

“Wait, really? He’s leaving town over your birthday?” This sentence showed a few fundamental things about Steve: 1. He remembers everything when it comes to Billy. Everything. 2. He is shocked a parent could leave their kid on their birthday, despite the fact his parents have been around for any of his birthdays since his bar mitzvah, six years ago. 3. Despite knowing Neil’s a piece of shit, apparently he is still somehow surprised by this fact.

“Yeah, he’s gone ‘till Sunday night. He said he’ll get back at like, eight. We can have the whole weekend together.” Steve made an excited little noise.

“I’d say I was gonna pack a bag, but I think we should just spend the whole weekend naked. What about that?” Billy groaned.

“If you pack a bag I’m kicking you right back out.”

Neil left at about five in the morning on Friday. Billy was sitting in the front room, waiting excitedly for Steve. Steve had only ever snuck into Billy’s bedroom once. They both had too much anxiety to ever try it again. Plus, the next day max had told him she could hear whatever girl he had in there the night before, so Steve coming over was off the table. Billy doesn’t even think Steve has seen the inside of his house, going in and out Billy’s big window by his bed.

Steve still parked down the road, didn’t want a neighbor spilling to Neil that Billy had someone over.

He walked in, wearing a stupid party hat, a big grin on his face.

“Happy Birthday, Bill!”

“Ugh, finally my cake is here.” Steve’s face fell.

“Was I, was I supposed to bring cake? Bill I forgot. Holy shit, I’m so sorry let me go get you one.” He was halfway to the door when Billy grabbed him around the middle, pulling him onto the couch, straddling Billy’s hips.

“Relax, Pretty Boy. I was making a joke. About this cake.” He grabbed a rough handful of Steve’s ass. “Now get in my room, and get naked. I wanna eat my cake.”

#yikes writes #yikes is 21!#harringrove #steve harrington #steve harrington x billy hargrove #billy hargrove x steve harrington #billy hargrove #harringrove fic #harringrove fic;et #harringrove drabble

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quickeningheart · 5 years ago

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Eighteen

Charley draped her arms over the back of the sofa, sipping her coffee as she watched her cousin race back and forth, preparing for her first day of school. Vinnie sat beside her on the couch, and Modo and Throttle were in the kitchen, taking surreptitious glances around the doorway as they cleaned up the breakfast dishes. All three mice seemed completely mystified by Alley’s behavior.

When she headed down the hall, abruptly stopped halfway, and turned around to make a beeline back to her bedroom, Charley couldn’t take it anymore.

“Alley. Alley!”

The frazzled blonde screeched to a halt, looking over her shoulder with wide eyes. “What?”

“Will you please relax?” Charley held up her mug with a grin. “You’re makin’ my coffee very nervous.”

Alley blinked, then broke into a sheepish grin of her own. “Sorry. It’s just … I’m nervous. And excited. And nervous.”

“What’s the big deal?” Vinnie scoffed. “It’s just school. Ain’t that a normal thing around here?”

“It’s not just school. It’s college. It’s like … like jumping from the little leagues straight into the big ones!” Alley protested.

“That’s right, boys. Our little Alley has to put on her big girl panties now. She’s playin’ with the grownups,” Charley teased.

“You, shush!”

A pair of balled-up socks was launched her way, almost landing in the mug. Charley managed to catch them without spilling too much coffee, and tossed them back. “And why are you taking an extra pair of socks?” she asked curiously.

Alley blinked down at them, then threw her arms into the air. “I don’t know!” she wailed as she stomped back to her room.

Charley leaned her forehead against the couch and laughed.

“Is she gonna be okay?” Modo asked with amused concern.

“Don’t worry, big guy. First day jitters.” She offered a reassuring grin. “We all got ‘em. College is kind of a big deal, and I think her parents are expecting a lot from her, especially her mom.”

“Did you attend college?” Throttle wanted to know.

“Hmmm.” She finished off her coffee; Vinnie instantly got to his feet to fetch her a refill, and she offered a grateful smile along with the mug. “Sort of,” she replied to Throttle’s question. “I graduated high school a few years ahead of everyone else my age, and I took some courses at a local technical school, just to supplement my knowledge and get an official business degree. I’ve always known what I wanted to do, though, and I already had the work experience, thanks to my dad and uncle. So I never felt the need for the whole college thing like Alley’s doing. Still, I do know how it feels, moving out on your own for the first time and all. It is exciting, and kinda scary. Nobody’s there to hold your hand anymore, ya know?”

“Don’t worry, babe. I’ll always hold your hand when ya need it.” Vinnie plopped down beside her, handing her the mug and taking her free hand to press a soft kiss into her palm. His red eyes glowed with impish humor as she blushed at his charming actions. Throttle and Modo looked at each other knowingly and grinned.

Alley made a reappearance, dragging a large, rolling backpack behind her that looked a bit like a miniature, bag-shaped version of her van. She set the gaudy pack by the stairway.

“Are you bringing your entire library?” Charley asked, amused.

“They’re my textbooks. And my computer.”

“Do you need all the books? That’s a lot of extra weight to drag around. What classes do you have today?”

“Lessee … Schedule…” Alley frowned. “Schedule…?” She patted herself down, eyes widening. “Schedule!” She turned on her heel and made a mad dash for her room, much to the amusement of her audience.

“Girl’s gonna give herself a stroke before she makes it out the door,” Throttle observed with a chuckle, shaking his head.

She reappeared with a thick yellow envelope and her phone. “I need a favor. Can someone take my picture? Mom demands pictures of my first day. I’ll never hear the end of it if she doesn’t get any.” She offered the phone with a pleading expression.

Laughing, Charley held out her hand, but Throttle intercepted. “Stand with her. I’ll take one of you together,” he said.

“Great idea!” Alley grabbed her cousin by the arm and hauled her to the bare wall. “Say cheese!” she teased, giggling at Vinnie’s snort.

Charley stood stiffly and managed an awkward smile, clearly not used to being in front of a camera. Alley, on the other hand, snapped off a playful pose, flashing a double thumbs-up with a brilliant grin, hamming it up with practiced ease. The flash went off, and she relaxed, accepting the phone from Throttle. “Thanks!” She studied at the picture. “Hey, this thing has a great camera. Charley, why do you look constipated?”

“Oh, shut up.” The mechanic laughed as she delivered a playful shove.

“Is someone honking outside?” Modo rumbled, head cocking to the side as he listened. They fell silent, and in another moment, the faint sound of a car horn drifted in through the open window.

“Oh! That must be Chex.” Alley slipped the phone into her pocket. “She’s giving me a ride to the campus today since we have some of the same classes.”

“Not Chris?” Charley slid her a coy glance.

“I think he would’ve, except Chex beat him to it,” Alley replied with a laugh, hoisting the heavy bag onto her shoulder.

“That was nice of her.”

“Nah. She only offered ‘cause she’s hoping I’ll convince one of you guys to give her a ride on your bikes.”

They all stared at her. She flashed a hopeful grin. “Just one? Doesn’t have to be far. Around the block, even. Oh, and when I say ‘one of you’, I’m pretty sure she means you, specifically.” She turned her smile on Modo, who straightened at the sudden attention.

“Why me?” he asked, confused.

“Oh, I dunno. Maybe ‘cause you saved her life? And she’s got a serious case of hero-worship as a result?”

He looked flustered as Throttle and Vinnie snickered behind his back. “I’ll, uh, think about it.”

The horn sounded again, sounding even more impatient. “Alright, I’m comin’!” Alley huffed to no one in particular as she bounded down the stairs.

The four of them stared after her for a moment, before Charley sniggered. “So,” she began amicably, “bets on how long it takes her to figure out she’s not wearing shoes?

~*~*~*~*~

“You’re such a blonde,” Chex snorted as Alley slid into the passenger seat of the little, silver-blue Accent (after scrambling back up the stairs to retrieve her shoes amid hoots of laughter from the peanut gallery).

“Yeah, yeah. Just drive,” she grumbled, hauling her heavy pack into the car with her. “Sweet little ride, by the way. I sorta figured you'd drive up in a hearse or something.”

“Don't I wish.” Chex pulled a face. “The step monster gave it to me. Said I needed a reliable car that’s good on gas mileage.”

“She gave you a car?”

“Yeah, she’s the type who likes to buy her way into the hearts of children.” Chex sniggered. “Hey, a free car is a free car. I just make sure I park it way back so people don’t see me in it. It totally does not fit my image.” She was silent a few minutes, before sliding Alley a sideways glance. “Sooooo … did you ask ‘im?”

Alley laughed. “He said he’d think about it. Keep badgering him; I think you’re wearing him down. He's not the type to turn down a lady's request.”

“Sweet.”

“Oh, yeah! I almost forgot. Since we were speaking of step monsters, Chris said yours works a lot with jewelry appraising and stuff. Do you think she could help me and Charley out? We got some antique jewelry and loose gems and wanted to try and sell ‘em, but we need to know the value and find buyers and stuff.”

“Yeah? What do you got?”

Alley opened the front pocket of her bag, withdrawing the sapphire and diamond necklace Stoker had left behind. “Here’s an example.”

Chex’s eyes widened as she took a good look; quickly turned her attention back to the road when someone honked loudly. “Holy shit, is that thing real?”

“As far as I know.”

“Where’d you get it?”

“It was a gift from Stoker.”

“Some gift! And you say there's more?”

“Yeah. I guess precious gems and stuff aren't worth much to the mice. Stoker got what he needed from 'em—like the gold and most of the diamonds—and handed the rest over. Good thing, too, 'cause Charley could really use the money they'd bring in.”

“She in trouble or something?”

“Or something. Can't really talk about it. But do you think your step-mom could help out?”

“Yeah, sure.” Chex shrugged. “I guess you can try and arrange a meeting with Victoria. I’ll give you the number to her office and tell Chris to let her know you’ll be calling. She'd probably be more open to helping if the request comes from him. She doesn't like most of my friends.”

Alley didn't quite know what to say to that. “Well, thanks, that’ll be really helpful. I'm sure Charley and the guys'll be grateful, too.”

“Cool. Think it’ll earn me some points toward scoring a ride?”

Alley laughed and rolled her eyes.

~*~*~*~*~

Chex showed Alley the most direct way to get to the main campus through Chicago, warning her to leave at least two hours ahead of time to avoid any potential delays such as mid-town traffic jams. Most of the professors did not take kindly to tardy students, and wouldn't let her into the class if she arrived late, no matter what sort of excuse she had. Luckily, they had no such issues and made it to the campus with plenty of time to spare. They parted ways in the parking lot with promises to meet for lunch, as their first classes were in different buildings. Alley used the opportunity to give herself another lightning tour of the campus; now that the maps had all been switched back to their proper places, it was much easier to figure out where she was. She also made a mental note to check out the secondary campus in the middle of the city, where her first business classes would be held the following day.

However, it shortly became apparent that she wouldn't be taking those business courses any time soon. Or any of her other courses, for that matter. No sooner had she signed in on the roster and chosen a seat, the young student assistant taking attendance called her back to the desk.

"Sorry, Miss Davidson, but your name isn't on my list," he began, his bored tone suggesting that this wasn't the first time he'd had to make this announcement to a new pupil. "This is Music Composition 101. Check your schedule."

Alley clenched her teeth, annoyed by the insinuation that she'd gone to the wrong class. "No need. I know my schedule," she replied with as much politeness as she could muster. No need to take it out on him; he was just doing his job, after all, and she didn't doubt he'd already had to send other students on their way to the correct classrooms. But she wasn't one of them, darn it!

At his obvious skepticism, she pulled the thick envelope from her bag and riffled until she found her schedule, handing it over with pursed lips. "Right there.” She tapped the page. “Music Composition at ten o'clock. Room 317."

He glanced over it, handed it back with a shrug. "Must be a scheduling error. You'll have to take it up with the office." He went back to his roster, a clear dismissal.

She stared at him. "What, you mean … now? But class is about to start!"

He shrugged again. "Sorry, but the rules are if you're not on the roster, you can't attend the class. Better get it figured out and make sure there aren't any other conflicts." Seeing her expression, he softened. "Look, Professor MacDougall is running late today. Her kid has an ear infection or something and her nanny just quit on her. I'm taking over for her until she can get here. The class lasts two hours. You can probably get it sorted in more than enough time. Come back with a note from the office, and I'll let you sit in the remaining time. If Professor MacD shows up, I'll explain the situation."

"Yeah, okay. I'll do that." Alley wasn't very happy with the solution, but at least he was trying to help. She hoisted her heavy bag and started for the office, grumbling to herself. What a way to start off her college career!

~*~*~*~*~

"What do you mean my scholarship's been revoked?"

Alley gaped at the secretary, wondering if she'd started hallucinating for some reason. Delayed effects of Stoker's miracle cure, by chance? She would skin that mouse alive when she saw him again!

The secretary—Her name was Mary, Alley recalled—was clearly uncomfortable with the conversation, tapping away at the computer and nervously adjusting her wire-framed glasses. "Um, you see, there has been some discrepancy with your SAT scores—"

"What kind of discrepancy?" Alley growled. "I passed those tests with more than enough points to earn my scholarship! I studied my ass off to get those scores!"

"Please lower your voice, Miss Davidson." Looking distressed, Mary adjusted her glasses again. "You see, I am very sorry, but there appears to be some … concern over how you … acquired your high scores."

Alley's eyes narrowed. "I. Studied."

"Are you certain that is the only way you passed?"

She felt like she'd just been kicked in the gut. "Are you actually accusing me of cheating?"

Mary cleared her throat. "Please, lower your voice," she repeated, more firmly. "The fact is, through most of your academic history, your scores have always been … less than spectacular." She adjusted her glasses yet again; Alley was sorely tempted to rip them off her face and stomp on them. "Yet you managed to pass your SATs with scores that put you within the top fifteen percent of the entire country. That is no simple feat. You must realize how … suspicious it all looks."

"Slacking off does not make me a cheater," Alley hissed. "I was just lazy. I never cheated on anything in my life! And I'll have you know that in my last two years, I completely turned it around, got As and Bs in all of my classes. Or does that not count for anything?"

Mary pursed her lips, then calmly swiveled her computer monitor until it faced Alley. Puzzled, she gave it a cursory glance. And then her jaw dropped as what she was seeing registered.

It was her permanent school record. Only it wasn't. All four of her high school years were displayed clearly on the screen, except that for two of them, the high scores that should have been there seemed to have been replaced with grades that could only be described as abysmal. Even her art and writing classes—her favorite subjects in school—barely covered passing ground.

"Are you kidding me?" she screeched, ignoring the secretary's glare. "With scores like that I wouldn't have even passed high school, much less made it into college!"

"Yes, that is exactly my point," Mary replied primly.

Alley massaged her temple, where a headache was steadily forming. "And you seem to be completely missing mine," she growled. "Those are not my grades. I've been … set up or something!"

"Why would anyone set you up?" The secretary looked more than a little skeptical.

"I don't know!" Alley threw her hands into the air. "Maybe some bored student decided to play a mean prank and picked me at random. It happens, right? That thing with the maps? And it's not like computers can't be hacked or anything!"

"Our system security is top-notch. Not just anyone can break into it." Mary looked offended at the very suggestion; Alley decided that mentioning how easily her cousin could probably break in wouldn't really help her case at the moment.

"Then it's some bizarre glitch in the system," she muttered, struggling to think of any answer. "I took those tests a year ago. If I'd really cheated, wouldn't someone have figured it out way before now? I mean, I was in here with the dean's kids last week filling out forms! Remember? Why didn't you bring up this situation then? It sure would've saved me a lot of hassle now."

Finally, a hint of doubt in the secretary's eyes, before her expression firmed. "I am very sorry for all of this trouble, Miss Davidson. I promise I will look into the matter and see if it can be resolved in a satisfactory manner."

"And what am I supposed to do in the meantime? Can I go back to class?"

"I'm sorry, but that just isn't possible at this time. As I said, your funding has been revoked. All of your classes have been canceled. Until this situation is resolved, policy states that you cannot attend this school."

Alley started to panic. "But keeping my scholarship depends on me maintaining my grade point average! If I can't attend those classes, I'll flunk out by default, and I'll lose it all anyway, even if I manage to get it back! It could take weeks to get it all sorted. It'll all be for nothing!"

Mary was sympathetic but unwavering. Alley realized she would be getting no more help out of her, turned and trudged from the office as the churning mass of dread, confusion, and defeat sat like a sick lump in her gut.

All she could think of was how in the world she was ever going to explain this to her parents.

#Biker Mice from Mars #BMFM #bmfm fanfiction #main cast #OCs #There's a plot!#And it thickens!

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shineefivebyyourside · 6 years ago

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Hounds of Love, Part 1

starcourt mall isn’t the only new arrival in hawkins.

a disclaimer: i know hounds of love didn’t come out until september 1985. this is obviously set before then. but! this whole fic was heavily inspired by that song, and a summer setting felt important, so here we are. i acknowledge that i didn’t solve that conundrum. let’s just suspend our disbelief, shall we?

tw: mild swearing i’m sorry if i left anything out here. please kindly let me know if i did, and i’ll fix it.

this is the first fic i’ve ever written, and thus, most definitely the first fic i’ve ever posted to tumblr (or anywhere). hope you enjoy reading it as much as i’m enjoying writing it!

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I found a fox Caught by dogs He let me take him in my hands His little heart It beats so fast And I'm ashamed of running away From nothing real I just can't deal with this But I'm still afraid to be there

Wind whipped through Frankie’s hair as her ’66 Special slid down the highway, past blurred trees and quiet farmland, carrying her further and further into her memories, into her past, back down the rabbit hole, through the mirror…

I feel your arms surround me…

The drive from Chicago to Hawkins wasn’t that far, and Frankie’d already belted her way through almost two full albums at what felt like an alarming rate. Maybe she earned a break.

One full tank and a snack. Let’s do this.

The afternoon sun blazed high in the cloudless sky, and the late-spring breeze bore harbingers of midwestern summer: freshly mowed grass, wet dirt, and earthy hay. The distant familiarity of her surroundings left Frankie feeling a bit listless. The welling-up after her father’s first call, the cracks in the dam growing with each visit to the library, the urgency after the flood, strategically packing a new life into her car while everything held tightly in her chest burst forth with such gut wrenching force… All the wild emotions leading up to this journey, this moment, subsided - almost unnervingly so - as she sat enveloped by the calm rustle of the middle of nowhere. Frankie pulled her knees up and leaned forward, her strawberry popsicle plopping bright, sticky drops onto the Buick’s warm, beige hood. She slurped up the last sweet juice and squinted off at nothing in particular, chewing absently on the wooden stick. A giant Van Halen t-shirt and cutoffs didn’t necessarily scream poised and groomed. She’d have to make one more stop before reaching Hawkins limits.

Hopefully somewhere with an actual bathroom. She scoffed.

Frankie hopped off the hood, took one last sighing stretch, and ducked back into the drivers seat.

One more hour until I’m someone else.

———————————————————————————————————

“Steve, honey, did you bring those bowls in from outside?”

“Yeah, mom, they’re on the island.”

“Ok, when you get a chance, will you take the decorations down? Your father has to stop by the office, and I have some errands to run before tonight.”

“Yeah, mom, I’ll get ‘em. What’s tonight?”

Mrs. Harrington appeared at the top of the stairs, in the middle of changing her earrings.

“Honey, I know we just had your graduation party, but we’re having dinner tonight, remember? With that exchange student, or whatever. You’re father’s got business in California next week, so we need to make sure everything is set up before we leave.”

“But I told Dustin I’d take him to the arcade later.”

“Well, I’m sorry Steven, but you’ll have to call and cancel. Tonight’s not negotiable. They arrive this evening, and I won’t have you missing dinner with a guest,” and with that, she disappeared back into the upstairs hall.

Steve sighed and made his way back to the kitchen. It’s not that he didn’t have fun this afternoon. He got to see some cousins, and a few of his classmates stopped by, mostly encouraged by their parents. Of course, his close friends and their families came, but it was different with his parents around. Stuffier. Lots of small talk about the future. His future. If Steve was honest, he didn’t even want to have a party, the whole idea soured last Halloween. He didn’t want to talk or even think about the future. He didn’t want to hear about the new mall, or let on that he’d be working there as soon as it opened. What he wanted was to take Dustin to the arcade later. With any luck, Jon would show up with Mike and Will, and they could all get pizza after. That sounded like a much better celebration to Steve.

But now I have to be at this stupid dinner. Of course we can’t have family dinner, like, with just our family. It’s always gotta be when they’re trying to show off to someone. What the hell.

Once his parents were gone and all the streamers thrown in the trash, Steve turned on the TV and flopped down by the phone.

“Henderson residence.”

“Hey, man, it’s Steve.”

“Steve! Hey! Is it cool if Max and Lucas come tonight? They said they could ride bikes, but maybe you could pick them up, and we could all get pizza after? I can use some of my graduation money so you don’t have to pay for my pizza. Or-”

“Hey, buddy, listen, I’m not gonna be able to take you guys tonight.”

“What? Why? You said earlier that you could!”

“I know, man, I’m sorry.” Steve draped his arm across his forehead. “My parents are hosting this exchange student for the summer, and with graduation and everything, I totally forgot.”

“Oh, yeeeeah. What are they studying? Is it, like, something cool? Probably not if they’re coming here, right? Unless it’s, like, science or something, and they get to work with Mr. Clarke-”

“Honestly, I don’t know. My parents want me to be there for dinner tonight when they get in, though, so.”

“Well, that sucks, but hopefully they’re cool. You’ll let me know if they’re cool, right? Maybe they’ll be some, like, crazy scientist, and they’ll blow your house up!”

The dark pressure Steve created over his face and Dustin’s familiar chatter, coupled with the plush sofa cushions… Well, this was starting to feel like the recipe for a nap. Steve chuckled sleepily and yawned over his words. “Sure, bud. I’ll let you know.”

———————————————————————————————————

Gravel crunched and twigs popped as Frankie pulled off the road. Tentatively, she exited the Buey and approached the construction fence. Her heart slammed against her ribcage, shallow breaths shaky and quick. A wide building loomed just ahead, dark and ominous, blocking out the late orange sun. Frankie whipped her head around and froze at a rustle from the trees behind her. She listened. A deep exhale escaped her lips. She melted, heavily leaning on her knees, letting her head dangle.

Jesus, Frank, calm down. As far as we know, it’s gone. She huffed. Some squirrel, huh?

Once she lifted her gaze, though, every fiber of her being was struck once more with overwhelming panic. She immediately gasped and stumbled backward, eyes wide and unblinking. Sickly, dripping vines covered the new mall, now decrepit and crumbling. Ethereal dust hung in the air, and a putrid stench emanated from the site. Francine’s breath swirled forth in white plumes, a damp, unsettling cold sweeping over her. She rolled over, desperate to find the safety of her driver’s seat, but to her horror, the vines enveloped it, too. There was no way she could drive out of here in that, no way to escape the nightmare she thought was over. She scrambled to her feet just as a car door slammed beside her.

“‘O, there.”

Frankie’s shivering quieted as warm, glowing sunlight washed over her. She stared in utter confusion as a police officer slowly approached.

“Got a call about some kids in a strange car heading back here. You got friends with you?”

Frankie shook her head and tried to catch her breath.

“N- no, sir. Just me. Just- just taking a look at the- the new mall site, sir.”

“You sure? Haven’t been drinking out here, or anything?” The tall man nodded his chin at something just beyond Francine’s feet. A few crushed beer cans lay strewn among the foliage.

“No. No, sir. That wasn’t me. I’m driving,” Francine averred a glance at her car. Shadows of high-up leaves danced on the hood. Just as she’d left it.

Jim surveyed the scene. She seemed innocent enough.

“Chicago, huh?” A beat.

“Uuuuhhh, yeah. Yes! Sir.”

“You got family here, or something?”

Frankie took a deep breath and settled her gaze on the officer’s badge.

“I did. A long time ago.”

“Yeah? What’s your name, kid?”

“…Pine. Josie Pine.”

Jim squinted and leaned back on the door of his truck. “Don’t think I know anyone by that name. They live here long?”

“Um, no. No, not really.” Frankie shifted uncomfortably. She felt like she’d been standing there too long, out in the open, nothing to hold onto or shift the focus. Here was this giant man, leaning cooly on his junker of a cop car, while she fidgeted with her watch and dusted her clothes, skittish like the squirrel she heard earlier.

“Is it alright…? Can I…?” Francine motioned toward the Special. “I was just here to check out the new mall. I should probably get going.”

“You drove all the way from Chicago to look at a mall that’s still under construction?” Jim peered over his sunglasses at her, eyebrows raised in skepticism. She seemed innocent enough.

Frankie laughed nervously. “No. No, it’s just- it’s been a long time. I’m just taking it all in.”

A long silence elapsed between the two strangers. Jim trying to work out why exactly this random girl was rolling around alone behind a closed off construction site - if her story really checked out; Francine alternating between studying her hands and the man before her, carefully considering her next moves.

“Actually, officer… Hopper?”

“It’s chief, but go on.”

“Chief… I’m… here for an internship. For college next year. And like I said, it’s been since I was really little… Do you think you could point me in the direction of my host family’s house?”

———————————————————————————————————

The doorbell rang just after 6:30. From his bed, Steve could hear his mother shuffling things around downstairs and scurrying to the front hall.

Alright. Let get this over with.

“Hello! It’s so nice to meet you. Welcome! Come in, come in! My name is Margaret, and this is my husband, David…”

Mrs. Harrington’s syrupy voice greeted a rather wide-eyed and flustered girl holding several bags. She blinked a few times and shook her head, smiling apprehensively as she shuffled through the door.

“Here, my son can help you with your luggage. Steve, will you get- Oh, I’m so sorry, dear, what’s your name?”

“Josie. It’s Josie Pine. It’s nice to meet you Mr. and Mrs. Harrington.”

Steve watched from above as Josie untangled herself from her belongings before hopping down the stairs and grabbing two small suitcases.

“Steve can show you where the guest room is and everything. You go ahead and get settled in and just come down when you’re ready. Dinner should be done soon.”

“Thanks, Mrs. Harrington. It smells great.” Josie shot her another tight-lipped smile before following her luggage upstairs.

Steve carried the suitcases into the guest room and set them near the closet. Josie bustled in after him, dropping her bags immediately inside the door and heaving a great sigh. And then she just stood there… looking around. It took Steve a minute to realize he, too, was just standing there. Staring at her. In the dark.

“Oh, shit! Sorry, um. Lemme get- uh. There’s a light switch behind you.” He started towards it, just as Josie turned and flipped it on.

She blinked at him in the sudden brightness… There was that smile, again. The one that said, “I don’t know who the fuck you people are, and I feel too awkward to actually talk to you yet.”

“Uh… Well, this is your room for… however long you’re staying here.” Steve gestured vaguely to the room around them and slowly backed up.

“Yeah, here it is. I’ll be here until August.”

Steve gaped at her. The hand unconsciously rubbing the back of his neck stilled.

“Woah. That’s, like, the whole summer. What’re you doing for that long?” He leaned in the doorway, trying to be casual - trying to make his guest, or maybe just himself, feel comfortable.

“I’m here for an internship.” Short and crisp. Josie began to rifle through her bags, dragging them onto the bed, chewing the inside of her cheeks and furtively glancing around.

“Cool, cool…”

Steve stayed for a minute or two longer, watching Josie unpack. She wore a black and white polo with white slacks and a skinny black belt. Simple earrings, watch on her left wrist, a pair of smart burgundy loafers discarded at the foot of the bed. All the other clothes she pulled from her suitcases were similarly tidy. Neat and prim and professional. She moved with swift decisiveness, despite the slightly troubled look on her face.

“Well, I’ll let you get settled. See you downstairs.”

Josie gasped and jumped a little bit, as though she’d already forgotten Steve’s presence.

“Yeah, I’ll come down. Thanks for carrying these.” She waved a shirt over the luggage.

“Yeah, of course. No worries.” Steve flopped his hand in a vague summation of a wave as he trudged out of the room.

Mom is gonna love her. Fuck.

———————————————————————————————————

“So, Josie, what is it you’re studying this summer?”

“Oh, I’m not really here to study, per se. I have an internship helping with some research and lab work at a doctor’s office. Hoping to get some solid experience before the school year starts.”

“Well, we’re honored to have an aspiring medical student in our home! All the way from Chicago!”

Mrs. Harrington was a nice woman, she really was, but all Frankie wanted in that moment was for her to disappear. The dinner, the small talk, the questions - it was all far more than she had bargained for. When the doctor overseeing her project said he knew of an unassuming family who frequently left town, she jumped at the chance to stay in their house. But this… This seemed like a family who wanted her to be a lovely summer guest, someone to entertain and dote upon.

“Oh, um, well, I’m actually going into forensics. Forensic science.”

“Do you hear that, Steven?” The youngest Harrington barely acknowledged his father as he shoveled mashed potatoes into his face. “You’ve certainly got some high aspirations, young lady. Maybe you can teach our son here a thing or two about ambition and the importance of an education.”

Steve paused his shoveling and shot Mr. Harrington an indignant look. “Dad…”

Francine busied her fork with some peas and slowly took a bite of the chewiest thing on her plate while the Harrington’s bickered as politely as possible. Who would’ve thought she’d be relieved by some dysfunctional family dynamics? Fuck it. I’ll take this. Just… please. Please talk amongst yourselves.

———————————————————————————————————

The Harrington’s left a few days later on a business trip (Or was it a vacation? Francine wasn’t sure). She worried for her privacy when their son - who albeit wasn’t nearly as nosy - stayed behind, but relief quickly set in when she realized he was almost never home. Steve kept himself occupied watching over a bunch of fourteen year olds and didn’t expect to spend much “quality time getting to know each other” in the evenings. Even when he started a summer job sometime during the second week, their schedules stayed different enough, and Frankie was thankful she didn't have to search for alone time. She just had to make sure she was in the guest room, undisturbed, before he waltzed in. Easy. She could probably keep this up all summer and complete her mission without a hitch, even if she did have to endure a couple awkward dinners along the way.

Francine felt delightfully full as she put in her nose ring one night around the beginning of week three. The Harringtons kept their fridge pretty stocked, despite their prolonged absence, and Frankie was more than happy to keep the food from going to waste. This particular night, she even set aside some leftovers for Steve. It was the least she could do, considering how standoffish she had to be in his presence. It felt good to do something immediately nice for someone. Not be so focused on the longterm for a change. Especially someone so genuinely sweet as Steve seemed.

Frankie pulled the plush comforter up to her chin and allowed her body to sink into the mattress. She knew at some point she would have to acknowledge what happened that first afternoon. But not right now. She pushed the thought to the back of her mind and allowed some much needed sleep to overtake her.

Nothing even remotely close has happened since then, Frank. It was probably just a flashback. Nothing but a horrible daydream.

@thechickvic @strawberryicecreamm

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