#it’s no use paul. paul we’ve gotta have it out. i have loved you ever since i’ve known you paul

[franklyimissparis]

what do you mean ‘what happened in india between john and paul?’ THIS is what happened in india between john and paul

[foxintheferns]

Imagine/Fic Request!

Paul Lahote x Reader Imprinting

@baylexxxx this is WAY longer than you were probably expecting but I got so into it! please enjoy. I’m totally down to add a part 2 to this…perhaps a very spicy one…

The Imprint

Jesus, (y/n), you really gotta slow it down next time

Jacob’s surprised and slightly exasperated voice filled your thoughts.

You were still struggling with the concept of constantly having another person’s thoughts in your mind. Hell, you were still getting used to being a shapeshifting werewolf, for crying out loud.

You had accidentally tackled Jacob in your process of shifting into a wolf, it being only your fifth time ever shifting. You were struggling with controlling your impulse and intentionally shifting on purpose, as the first time you’d shifted had been unexpected - and quite painful.

You ran through the trees, following behind Jacob who was several hundreds yards ahead and leading you to the top of the cliffs where the wolves often came together for pack meetings. You felt your massive paws hitting the mossy forest floor with great force, and it felt so effortless. Your strong canine body moved without resistance, muscles pushing you forward in ways you’d never experienced in your human body. It was addictive.

You were living with your father, Jack, down at La Push, who’s been estranged from the rest of your family for quite some time. He never wanted to leave La Push due to his familial and tribal ties, and your mother took you with her when she left him, never truly understanding or caring for your father’s heritage with the Quileutes. After years of a rocky and bitter relationship with your mother, you left New York three weeks ago to reconnect with your father, only to be met with the shocking reality of your genetic inheritance. Your mother had hid much of your father’s past from you, never telling you where he was, and never wanting you to reconnect with him. You had done months of searching online, and finally found distant relatives, eventually leading you back to your long-lost father in La Push. Now, you knew what she was so afraid of. And you despised her for it. Embracing your true identity had brought you to the happiest, albeit confusing and shocking, place you’d ever known.

Sorry Jake, think I’m still getting used to the feeling…you thought back in response to his complaint about your less than perfect shifting.

Don’t worry, (y/n), we’ve all been there! Seth’s sweet and calm voice filled the silence, and you could feel Jacob getting annoyed with the fact that Seth had phased in order to tag along with you on your patrol.

Seth, aren’t you supposed to be at Leah’s engagement party? Jacob thought back.

Psh, they won’t even know I left! Leah’s still drooly over Kai, she doesn’t notice anything else around her half the time.

You started pondering the idea of Leah being so head over heels for her recent fiancé, and due to the boys being able to hear your every thought and feeling, Jacob picked up on your questions quickly.

Imprinting does that to you, (y/n). It’s weird for us to see her so mushy too. We didn’t even think Leah COULD imprint.

Yeah, she finally has someone to put all her love into who actually wants it, I sure am happy for her Seth’s sweet tone and emotion filled the space, and you could feel the brotherly love he had for her emanating from him.

Huh…you thought to yourself, interesting how you and Leah were the only two female wolves in the pack. And here Leah had imprinted, something they were unsure she’d ever be able to do. You wondered if that meant that you could ever…

You bet your ass you can. Jake’s thought broke you from your internal dialogue.

Ugh. I REALLY don’t enjoy having a couple of men in my head and knowing my every thought. Now I get what Leah meant when she said she was grateful to have another girl around here now.

Oh, please. Jacob thought back sarcastically as he began slowing down his pace in front of you. Light broke through the trees and you could now hear Seth’s heavy paws hitting the soft ground behind you as he came up from lower on the mountain. Jacob shook out his russet fur and huffed, stepping into the clearing in front of you. You looked down at your paws, and wondered if you looked as cool as Jacob did as a wolf. Silly to be self conscious even in wolf form, but you were still you…

Don’t worry (y/n), you’re a pretty sick lookin wolf Seth thought in response to your pondering.

Embarrassed at the boys hearing your mind’s vulnerable worries, you tried changing your train of thought.

Yeah, honestly, you are kinda badass looking… Jacob thought, amused at your attempt to backtrack.

Jacob’s compliment peaked your curiosity and you huffed at him, poking his thick furred side with your muzzle playfully as you now came up beside him at the edge of the cliff face.

Jacob’s rich brown wolf eyes met yours, and you saw the familiar boyish, impish, twinkle in them that was so prominent in his human form. You thought back to the first time seeing yourself in wolf form after your second ever shifting, in the reflection of the large living room window of the Blacks’ house in the backyard. Your fur was a soft pearlescent white, with a rich black undercoat, causing your fur to look multi-dimensional and to change tone in different lighting. Your ears were black-tipped, as if they’d been dipped in paint, and your golden wolf eyes glowed against the stark white backdrop of your face.

You flirting with me, Black? You thought back jokingly, trying to deflect from the compliments.

Jacob barked an unbothered laugh in response, shaking out his massive head and flicking his large muzzle towards the cliff face, directing you to keep moving.

Seth was right behind you now, and you were getting a hang of recognizing each of the wolves’ personal scents. Seth’s was musky and sweet, sweeter than Jacob’s, who had more of an earthy note to it.

Hear that, Jake? A girl thinks I smell better. Ha!

You rolled your eyes at the boyish mocking and tried to focus on the task at hand, memorizing the lay of the land around La Push.

You spent the next few hours with Seth and Jacob, running through the trees and taking in new scents, exploring this new world of beauty and heightened senses that you would’ve never thought possible before.

Later that evening, at the Blacks’ house:

The boys had shifted back first, leaving you to be in your wolf form by yourself for a few minutes as they headed into the house, so that you could shift without worrying about being naked in front of them. Maybe one day you’d be able to do it like Leah, without freaking out. You focused and closed your eyes. You began to breathe evenly and intentionally, urging your body to return to its natural state. You shuddered and gasped as your body transformed and phased back to your human form, your body tingling and burning with the sensation. It truly was a bit painful and jarring, and you wondered if that would ever really go away. You grabbed the loosely stacked clothing that was folded up at the bottom of the big pine tree by the edge of the yard, and hid behind the tree as you swiftly put the soft black sweatpants and hoodie on, eager to not be ass naked in the middle of the woods anymore. You shook your long hair out and grabbed the brown utility boots sitting on the pine-needle blanketed forest floor, pulling them onto your feet and jumping slightly as you gathered your balance on one foot to do so.

Finally, you felt put together enough to be able to join the others. With a huff, you stuffed your hands into your front hoodie pocket and walked across the vast yard towards the house, out from the tree-line. The Blacks’ house was glowing with warm light from within, string lights hanging down from the beams over the back porch. You smiled to yourself as you thought of how beautiful your new home was, here in La Push. Your Dad’s house was only a few houses down from the Blacks’. It was so different from New York, and you were grateful for that. Greenery and trees were everywhere you looked. You breathed deeply, letting the smooth and clear mountain air fill your lungs. You’d never get tired of that. You looked over to the Blacks’ driveway and saw your Dad’s blue truck, causing a smile to light up your face. You skipped more eagerly towards the back door of the house, happy to see your Dad after the exhausting day. After years without a father in your life, and only the crappy flaky men your mom brought around, having your dad in your life was incredible. He had missed you so much, and had been searching endlessly for you, too. Your mom had blocked his number and taken you without much notice, knowing that his loyalty to the tribe would ensure he never strayed too far from La Push to search for you. He had lived alone for years, until only two years ago when he had met and imprinted on his wife, Nayla. You were glad he had someone, and were even more grateful that he was ten times the parent you had ever expected him to be. He was your guiding light when you first arrived to La Push three weeks ago, and when within days you had developed an intense fever that had knocked you on your ass, causing you to be bed-bound for a week. He had explained the stories of the tribe to you, stressing the importance of not resisting the natural changes your body was going through, and trusting in yourself to remain calm. Your dad was in his fifties now, and had left his days of shape shifting behind a few years ago, leaving the wolf duties to the several twenty-something’s and teenagers that were rapidly joining the pack after the Cullens came through town.

You pulled open the old, heavy wooden backdoor and stepped into the warmly lit kitchen.

The scent of something savory filled your nose, and your mouth watered. You hadn’t realized how hungry you’d been after adventuring through the mountains all day.

“Hey, there she is! What’s up kiddo?,” your Dad entered the kitchen through the large entryway to the living room, a wide grin on his tan face.

You smiled back, pausing in front of the sink to turn to him.

He strode forward to hug you, swinging you back and forth slightly. It still amazed you how large the Quileute men were, and you smiled at how your height made so much more sense to you now; being 5’10 and lanky never really added up, your petite mother only 5��5 and shrinking at that. Knowing your height was something your dad gave you genetically caused you to feel a pride in it you’d never quite felt before.

“Hey, Dad,” you said back lightly, hugging him in return and groaning out a strained, “Okay- Too! Tight!”, when his massive arms became a bit too restrictive. He pulled away, standing back and putting his hands on your shoulders, eyeing your face from a distance.

“Well, now, how was your first patrol, huh?,” he said with another toothy grin.

You rolled your eyes and smiled again, trying to avoid letting your Dad see any of your new-pack-addition anxiety.

“It was, ya know, pretty cool,” you said with a nonchalant shrug.

“Yeah, right, you were lovin it (y/n)! Sniffing all over the place and running around like a rocket. Just admit it, you think it’s super cool,” you heard Jacob’s taunting, booming voice come from the living room, and several different laughs echoed into the kitchen along with his.

You felt heat flush to your face, and turned toward the counter to see where the good smell was coming from. You heard your dad’s low chuckle from behind you.

“Listen, kid, I’m glad it’s going well. If anything’s ever bothering you, let me know, alright?,” Your dad said casually, clearly trying to play off how much he loved finally playing a parental role in your life. His hand gently squeezed your shoulder. You turned to shoot him a warm, grateful smile.

“Thanks, Dad. I will,” you replied.

He gestured toward the oven, “Warm lasagna in there for ya, too,” He said before bending down to grab a beer from the fridge and heading back with a content sigh towards the living room, cracking the can open loudly.

You piled a double serving of the deliciously aromatic lasagna onto your plate, feeling more ravenous by the second. You took your plate and a fork and headed into the living room where Jacob, Seth, Billy, your dad, Sam & Emily, and Leah & Kai were lounging and eating as well, all surrounding the large tv and a crackling log-fire in the fireplace. You eyed the room, looking for somewhere to settle in. Seth met your eyes and grinned from across the room. He scooted over on one of the dark green couches and moved his plate of lasagna into one hand so that he could pat the spot next to him with the other. You felt yourself flush pink again and headed over to the couch, gratefully taking the spot next to him and starting to chow down on your dinner.

You spent the next couple of hours laughing and chatting with the lot of them, and after a while your Dad said his goodnights and headed home, Billy went to his room, and Leah and Kai were in the kitchen baking multiple batches of brownies. Your interest was immediately spiked when Sam mentioned the rest of the pack’s return.

“Yeah, the guys should be getting back pretty shortly now,” you heard Sam mumble to Emily and Jacob as they sat on the floor in front of the fire.

You had been told when you first became aware of your newfound family that several of the pack’s members were away, in their human forms and traveling up to Canada. Jacob had told you that the pack had come across some news of other wolfpacks living up in the Northern Yukon area, and they had wanted to see if the stories had any validity to them.

You looked up as you heard Sam’s comment. He was already glancing toward you, as were Emily and Jacob.

Suddenly, Leah’s face popped around the corner from the kitchen. “Oh great, (y/n), you’ll be meeting the rest of the pack tonight. Get ready for that,” Leah said with an eye-roll, leaning through the doorway to peek in at you. Her hands were covered in flour and she had the white powder dusted across her blue shirt. Her fiancé, Kai, appeared next to her in the doorway. He chuckled and threw his large arm around her shoulder, tugging her against him, causing her exasperated expression to soften and turn into one of warmth and devotion.

“That bad, huh?,” you responded with a laugh.

Jacob shook his head, his mouth full of a bite of his third brownie of the night, “Nah. You’ve already met Jared and Quill, can’t get much more annoying…,” He cocked his head to the side then, narrowing his eyes and thinking, seeming to second guess his own words, “Well, actually, now that I say that-”

Seth interrupted Jacob to scoff and exclaim, “Oh please, you think Quill has anything on the wrath of Paul? She’ll wanna leave the pack by the time she gets a load of him….”

Jacob snickered in response, shoving the rest of the brownie into his mouth.

Sam’s stoic voice filled the room then, his normally wise tone laced with amusement now, “Cut it out, guys. Don’t scare her off.”

His gentle gaze turned to your face now, seemingly trying to gauge how seriously you were taking the boys’ warnings, “It’s just Embry, Paul, and Collin. They’re all fine. Embry and Collin are nice kids,” he finished.

Seth chuckled, and muttered under his breath, “See how he didn’t put Paul under that nice guy description?”

Sam’s eyes darted to Seth’s face, clearly having heard his comment.

“Paul’s got a… a temper, sometimes, that’s all. Easily provoked into phasing. He’s a rough around the edges kinda guy; we all put up with it,” Sam said curtly, shooting a look at Seth. You saw Emily crack a smile, her eyes flicking to yours. She had been so kind to you since your arrival, expressing her gratitude that more women were joining the pack, as she didn’t have many girlfriends in the reservation, and also liked the idea of some levelheaded females balancing out the testosterone-filled wolf pack. You gave her a warm and slightly timid smile.

Suddenly, a low and deep rumbling sound could be heard coming up the dirt road outside, and the rumbling could even be felt through vibrations in the floor of the house. You glanced over towards the big window next to the couch, and could see a large black pickup truck pulling up alongside Jacob’s Volkswagen Rabbit outside the house.

“Speak of the devil,” Jacob muttered under his breath, picking up the fire poker to adjust the logs in the fireplace with a sigh. The ringing sound of a timer going off flowed out from the kitchen.

“Brownies are done!,” Leah called from the kitchen, and Seth grinned at the announcement of the second batch of brownies of the night being almost ready.

“Jeez, wolves really can eat,” you mumbled, slightly annoyed at your own massively increased appetite since your transformation. Sam chuckled deeply.

“Gotta keep up with these bodies, (y/n),” Sam replied gently, patting his stomach, “It’s a blessing and a curse.”

Just then, the rumbling engine cut off, and the sound of a truck’s doors slamming and deep voices alongside heavy footsteps could be heard coming up the walkway towards the back door. You felt your heartbeat quicken, and internally wondered why you were feeling so nervous. Maybe it was because you were meeting more members of a pack you’d be part of for many years to come. Maybe you felt anxious to be good enough, one of the only two women in the male-dominated pack. You were going back and forth with your inner dialogue when the back door loudly swung open, creaking and slamming as the three massive men entered the small house.

“Yo, yo!,” You heard a baritone voice coolly ring out from the other room, and the sound caused goosebumps to raise across your arms. Two other male voices announced greetings, one of them commenting on the delicious brownie smell.

The backdoor of the home entered directly into the small kitchen, and you heard Leah and Kai greet the three boys. Although you could not yet see them due to the separation of the two rooms, they sounded like they took up a considerable amount of space in the tiny kitchen.

“Aw, damn it! I was hoping you’d stay in Canada forever,” you heard Leah’s playful voice exclaim.

A rough, deep chuckle sounded out from the kitchen, and again your body had an involuntary response, a twitch running through you and a shiver hitting your spine.

“Yeah, yeah, save it Leah. You missed me,” the same rough voice responded, and you almost gasped out loud at the odd familiarity the sound held. The voice was like velvet to your ears, and you felt a pang run through you, as if you had been shocked by a small electric sensation.

Seth glanced over at you from his spot next to you on the couch, eyeing you for a moment, before he hoisted himself up off the couch and casually walked over to the wide entryway into the kitchen. Sam and Emily stood up as well, eager to greet the boys. Jacob sat in front of the fire still, stoking the fire. He shot a glance over to you, and his eyes widened slightly.

“You good, (y/n)?,” He asked curiously, his voice quiet and slightly alarmed. You locked your eyes with his. You must’ve looked a little off, judging by Jacob’s brow suddenly furrowing in confusion and concern. You felt extremely comfortable with Jacob; he was one of the pack Alphas, and he had helped guide you through your first few phasings with such calm leadership and praise. He made you feel inherently safe due to his confident and empathetic presence. Maybe it was for that reason, or due to the fact that he’d already been inside your brain and known your thoughts and feelings for days on end now, that you felt the ability to speak your mind.

“I-… I’m not sure, I- I feel kinda… weird,” You whispered quietly, feeling your hands begin to sweat and become clammy. Jake’s eyes narrowed, and he stood up, brushing the ash from the fireplace off of the seat of his pants. He seemed to be about to speak again when the muffled and upbeat conversation in the kitchen suddenly mentioned your name, and you both paused.

“Yeah, the new addition. (y/n). She’s right in there, with Jake. Seth and him have been showing her the ropes,” Sam’s gentle voice rang out. There was silence, then a few muffled responses.

“Hey now, you didn’t tell us the new one was a girl, Sam! - So old man Jack does have a daughter? Damn, I always thought the guy was crazy when he said he had a kid somewhere and couldn’t find her…,” a new voice responded, a younger sounding and more upbeat tone. Collin, maybe? - you wondered to yourself. The voice didn’t have nearly the same effect that that first voice had just had on you, and you were anxiously waiting to hear it again, your subconscious desperate for the sound for some reason you couldn’t justify in your mind.

The muffled laughs cut off suddenly, and silence again fell across the house, this time filled with a tension that you felt oddly hyperaware of as you stared past Jacob at the lapping flames of the fire. A few brief moments passed, then Sam’s gruff voice sounded slightly alarmed, causing you to glance up from the fireplace. “You alright, Paul?”

You and Jacob both looked up at the same time towards the entryway to the kitchen, where a massively tall, well muscled and extremely handsome man stood, his impossibly large frame practically filling the wide doorframe.

He was holding a brownie in his hand, which within seconds was on the floor, his hand seeming to slip and not even register that it had dropped something, his fingers still outstretched as if the brownie remained within them.

His dark eyes were locked directly on you.

The moment your gaze met his, his expression became impossibly soft. It was filled with warmth, his cheeks suddenly flushing and his features smoothing. His lips parted slightly, and a huff of air escaped from his mouth.

Your heart and lungs felt like they no longer knew how to function. You heard a small, sharp gasp, and it took a moment before you realized it had come from your own mouth.

A familiarity surged through you, coursing along your skin and underneath your flesh, an entirely foreign feeling pumping along your nerves. It felt as though this man was…. not a man, but a soul, standing before you. A soul you knew. A soul that had been waiting for you to come home this entire time - this entire time you’d been somehow existing without it. It felt as though you’d truly, really known him.

As if you’d known him since the beginning of time, though you had never laid eyes on him before. Logically, you knew that. You knew that you didn’t know him. And yet?

“Holy shit,” You heard Jacob whisper from across the room, as he stood still in front of the fireplace. It was clear he was witnessing the two of you, although you couldn’t really register that. You couldn’t feel your body, or the couch beneath you anymore. You couldn’t feel anything other than the reunion of your soul with his. You felt, for the first time, like a seedling, who had been stretching up through packed dirt for its entire existence, searching tirelessly and endlessly for the sun, never knowing why you were growing and reaching upwards without end, but knowing there must be something up there - something just for you. It was as if your entire being had been yearning for its own self, its missing half, and you’d had no idea. You yearned for him, you felt like you had missed him. Like you were reuniting with a love you’d known many forevers ago.

And here he was, standing before you.

.

.

.

.

A/N: pls why is this my favorite story so far ����

let me know thoughts, & I hope you liked the plot! I’m incapable of writing short imagines, my brain is too overly detail oriented and it drives me insane but it’s so satisfying to bring it to life! I’d love to expand on this little imprinting and see where it goes ;) muahahah

Love u bye!

-Ro

[the-fiction-witch]

You and I P6

Media - Nowhere Boy Character - Paul Couple - Paul X Reader Reader - Y/n Rating - 18 + Smut - nudity / cuddling / kissing / making out / morning wood / silent sex / secret sex / risky sex / pleasure seeking / orgasms / fingering / riding / cowgirl / begging / moaning / biting / love bites / Word Count - 3721

When morning came they still remained cuddled up in each others arms the soft warmth of the covers around them and the sound of movement around the house

Paul stirred slowly, his eyes opening as he began to wake from his sleep, the early morning sunlight slowly starting to peek through the curtains. He felt how she still lay against his chest, her body still in his arms, her hair still soft and silky as his fingers gently brushed through it, the sound of the house waking still sounding in the background as he slowly woke up more

He felt her stirring against him as he woke up more, he continued to lightly brush his fingers through her hair, feeling how it wrapped around his fingers in soft waves, smiling softly at her sleepy reaction to him waking her up

"Humm… morning" she yawned,

“Morning, luv” he mumbled in response, smiling slightly as he heard her cute little yawn, his voice still a little hoarse and rough from sleep, his hand still gently combing through her hair, enjoying the way it felt against his fingers

she smiled and gave him a little kiss before nuzzling into him "Time?"

He hummed softly at the little kiss, smiling and enjoying the nuzzling that followed, the feeling of her warm against him so sweet and familiar He looked over at the clock on the bedside table, seeing the time and letting out a groan, “6:30… we’ve gotta get up, luv”

"Why? … it’s Saturday,"

He chuckled softly at her question, but he also knew John and the others would be over to practice and be expecting them “Because we’ve got to practice today… the boys will be over later…” He told her, his hand still moving through her soft hair

"… when do her boys ever arrive for practice earlier than half eight,"

He chuckled again, knowing she had a point, the others weren’t exactly known for being on time, hell, he knew he wasn’t exactly great for being on time either “Yeah… good point… we’ve got a couple hours, I suppose… but we should probably get up soon….” He relented

"Ummm did you want to use the window?"

He chuckled again at her sleepy question, loving how funny she could be in her sleepy state

“Are you asking me if I want to jump out the bloody window, luv?”

"… Merely asking if you want to climb out my window and into the garden so you can enter the house through the front door. So when the guys arrive they don't know you spent the night there."

He paused for a moment, thinking about it, it wasn’t a terrible idea, and it would avoid getting lectured by John about the two of them spending the night together “Yeah, guess that’d be a good idea… as long as you’re willing to help me get in through the window from the garden,” he told her, a slightly teasing tone on his voice

"Or… you could go the other direction and just as the boys come upstairs to John's room, you could come out my room in you’re underwear fully embracing it and enjoying the bragging rights?"

He almost groaned at the thought, he could just imagine the reaction of the other lads, if he walked out of her room in his underwear, the way the others would react, particularly John, would be hilarious, and he definitely enjoyed the thought of having bragging rights, especially over John “Christ… that’s a fantastic idea, luv” He told her, a satisfied smirk on his face

"Umm then I can come to give her kisses while you’re practising"

He chuckled again, and the idea of her coming to give him kisses while he was practising was almost too much to bear, it’d be so distracting “I don’t think I’d get much practising done if you were giving me kisses, luv”

"Would you complain?"

He paused for a moment, pretending to think about it, as if it wasn’t obvious that he wouldn’t complain at all “No… I don’t think I would” he told her with a slight smirk, knowing that she'd see straight through his feigned uncertainty

she giggled and pulled him closer into more kisses

He chuckled softly, the tone of her giggle sending tingles through his body, he was happy to be pulled into more kisses, loving feeling her body press against his, he loved her so much, sometimes it was hard to believe she was real, that she was his, He continued to return her kisses, his hands moving to her waist again, his fingers gently gripping her hips as he kissed her back softly, enjoying the familiar feeling of her body against his, loving the way her skin felt against his, how perfect it felt to have her in his arms

"So… what should we do till the boys get here?" she smirked

He chuckled, loving the smirk on her face and the slightly cheeky tone of her voice, he had a good feeling what she had in mind, and he’d be lying if he said he didn’t want it too, “I’m sure I could think of a thing or two to pass the time…” he told her with a sly grin

"So can I," she smirked and shifted them a little till she sat over his hips again "Shall we?"

He groaned softly as she shifted to straddle his hips again, his hands gripping her waist tightly as she sat on top of him, he could feel his heart begin to race a little and he knew that he wanted her so badly “Christ… yes, please…” He managed to get out, his voice already starting to sound a little breathless with wanting her

"But quiet this time, people are home" she whispered as she shifted her hips a little "ohhhh someone had a nice dream" she smirked at the obvious morning wood

He cursed internally at how good it felt having her hips shift against him like that, and he knew that his dream had very much helped contribute to his current situation “Yeah… yeah, I… had a nice dream… a very nice dream…” He replied, his voice coming out a little breathless as he felt her move against him

"what was it about?" she cooed moving her hips a little against him but not yet letting him inside

He groaned and his head fell back a little against the pillow as she moved again, the feeling of her so close to him but not yet letting him get what he wanted was torturous, he needed her so badly but he wasn’t sure he’d last much longer “God… don’t make me say it, luv…it’ll embarrass me…” He told her, his voice coming out a little ragged

"if you don't tell me, he can't come in" she giggled

He groaned again, a frustrated noise falling from his mouth, of course, she would make him say it first, he should have known this is what she’d do, but goddamn, he wanted her so badly that he’d be willing to do practically anything for her, and he definitely did not want her to stop “It… it was about you…” he finally admitted, his face feeling a little hot as he admitted it out loud

"And what happened?"

He paused for a moment, trying desperately to remember the details from his dream, but it was surprisingly hazy now, and all he could remember were snippets and sensations, he knew she wouldn’t let him get away with just giving her vague details “you were on top of me… just like you are now… and I was… Christ… I can’t remember much, luv” He admitted, feeling a little self-conscious about how much he’d already forgotten

"Tell me" she whined

He let out a frustrated growl, part of him not wanting to say any more because it’d be so Goddamn embarrassing, but the other part of him wanting so badly to keep her happy and have her continue, finally he caved and gave in, deciding it’d be best to be completely honest with her “Goddammit… please don’t judge me for this… ok?” He started, his face feeling hot as he spoke

"I promise"

He took a deep breath before continuing, still feeling a little self-conscious about saying his dream out loud, and he knew she wouldn’t actually judge him for it, but that didn’t stop the feeling of embarrassment

“Right… well… you were straddling me, just like you are now… and you were riding me… quite hard… I remember that bit vividly, luv…oh and I was making you feel good… I remember that too” He swallowed before continuing, his face turning a deep shade of red at his own admission, but he knew her wouldn’t stop until he told her everything “I remember how you felt around me, and how much I wanted you … and I remember how you … how you … God, this is embarrassing…” He trailed off, his voice coming out a little ragged He groaned as he felt her begin to shift on him again, the feeling almost taking his breath away, but he still wasn’t done admitting the details of his dream yet, he knew she’d refuse to give him what he needed until she had all the details “I remember… I’m pretty sure you came… I remember how perfect you look when you cum, and how… how…” He trailed off again, feeling his cheeks turn hot “… and how hot it is when you cum…” He finally managed to complete the sentence, the last part coming out in a low, raspy voice, his breathing ragged and his face red with embarrassment, but he still knew that her weren’t done with her questioning

she giggled "Hummm… I think I had a similar dream"

He paused for a moment, he couldn’t help but be a little surprised that she’d had a similar dream as he’d had, and he couldn’t deny that he was suddenly very curious about the details “Christ… really?.. you dreamed about that too?” He asked, his voice a mix of surprise and interest

"I did, almost the same… except your hands were tied to the bed"

He let out another frustrated moan as she revealed the difference in the dreams, and he felt his heart begin to race at the image he got, but he also began to feel the tiniest bit of trepidation at the thought of having his hands tied to the bed and being completely at her mercy “Bloody Christ… you had a similar dream but with me tied down?” He asked, his voice coming out a little hoarse, his entire body suddenly feeling hot with desire

"Mhm," she nodded as she finally let him inside "Just a silly dream," she cooed starting to move

He let out a strangled moan as he finally felt her sink down onto him, the feeling so perfect he could have sworn he saw stars for a second, he instinctively grabbed her hips, his fingers gripping tightly, his body already tense from how good it felt “God…. Christ….. it’s… luv… that feels so good……” He managed to get out, his voice sounding slightly strangled but his tone full of how much he was enjoying it

"Ssh." she reminds him "My mum will be making breakfast downstairs, and John might be next door"

He groaned at her reminder to be quiet, the last thing he wanted was to have John or her mum come upstairs and discover them, he knew that’d be a disaster. However, it was getting increasingly difficult to keep quiet as she started to move on top of him, he had to force himself not to moan loudly each time she shifted just right “I… I’m trying… but it’s… Christ… it’s so hard to stay quiet… you feel too good……” He managed to get out, his voice coming out as a strained whisper

she giggled and made sure to be slow but purposeful trying to give him the most pleasure, quickly, but without making the bed make too much noise

He let out a breathless whine at the way her were moving, the fact that she was moving so slowly was doing a good job of making the bed less noisy, but it meant that she was teasing him by not giving him what he desperately wanted at a faster pace. He knew that she was doing it on purpose to frustrate him, and he was slowly losing the ability to keep quiet, all he could manage were breathless little whimpers each time she moved against him “Y/n… please… faster… I need…. I can’t…..” He managed to get out in a broken whisper

she giggled "Awww my poor baby"

He groaned again, frustrated and impatient with how slow she was being, he was getting desperate, all he wanted was for her to move faster, but she kept teasing him by continuing to go so slow “Goddammit luv… please…. I need you to go faster… please…. I’m begging you …” He whined, sounding a little more desperate

she grabbed her pillow and put it between the bed and the wall starting to move faster the pillow muffling some noise

As soon as she increased her pace he let out a strangled moan, the tension in his body starting to build at the need to increase in speed, and the pillow between the wall and the bed was doing a good job of muffling the sound of the bed moving, however, it wasn’t doing much to stop his gasps and groans of pleasure “Christ…. Y/n…. that’s…. Oh God… that feels…. So good…..” He whispered, his voice still strained but his tone full of pleasure

she giggled taking his hand and moving it between her legs so this would be enjoyable for her too

He groaned as she moved his hand between her legs, and he began to gently press his fingers against her clit, circling it slowly, all the while still enjoying the feeling of her moving on top of him “Y/n… you feel…. So good…. I want you so much…. Christ…..” he whispered, his voice still coming out as a mixture of a gasp and a

she gasped and whined getting faster as he touched her

As he heard her gasp from her, he knew he was doing a good job at pleasing her with his fingers, he continued to circle her clit, his touch becoming faster and more desperate as the tension built inside him, he wanted to hold on for her but he wasn’t sure how much longer he could take feeling so good “God…. luv… you sound so good…. you feel so good….. I need you …” He whispered into her ear, his voice still strained but his tone full of how much he was enjoying the feeling of her

she bit her lip "…. Fuck it-" She groaned moving at the pace she had last night,

He let out a strangled moan as she suddenly started moving faster, it felt so good he could barely think, all coherent thought seemed to leave his mind and he couldn’t stop the gasps of pleasure and the low moans that left him with every move her made “Christ….. luv….. God….. you feel…. So, so, so good…. So beautiful… so perfect…..” He managed to get out in broken, ragged gasps

"Keep going… please-" She begged holding his hand in place

He continued to keep his fingers moving against her, pressing against her clit and listening to the gasps and moans she was letting out, he could feel his own tension building as she went, but he wanted to see her come first, he desperately wanted to see her reach her peak and hear her come for him again

“Y/n…… I’ll do anything you want…. I’ll keep this up as long as you want…. I need you to cum…..” He told her, his voice still breathy but the tone full of how much he wanted her to cum,

she gasped already clenching around him as she moved

He felt her start to clench, and he knew that they were close, the feeling making his heart race and his own tension continue to get higher, his own breathing laboured from how good it all felt “That’s it…. That’s it luv… let go for me…. Let go… I need to feel you … I need to see you her…” He managed to get out in a broken, stammering gasp, the tone of his voice thick with how much he wanted her to come

"I'm about to-" she whined trying to keep moving as she was on the edge

He let out another groan, desperate to keep her going since he knew she was so close, his hand on her hip squeezing tighter, holding her down onto him “Yes… God yes…. Don’t stop…. Just keep going….. you’re so close……” He said in a broken gasp, his tone almost begging her to keep going

she whined and moved her hips at the same pace doing her best as her legs trembled, before she clamped her hand over her mouth to muffle her scream and she froze up completely her back arching as she clenched and squirted down him

He didn’t have time to register her clamping her hand over her mouth, before suddenly clenching him so tight and completely freezing up, he let out a broken moan as her orgasm washed over him, his own back arching and his hand gripping her hip so hard he was sure he’d leave bruises. It took everything he had in him not to cry out in pleasure, but he eventually managed to make nothing but a strangled gasp, “God….. y/n….. that was…..” He couldn’t manage any more than a few broken words, his body and mind completely overwhelmed by how good that felt

"Did you -" she gasped

He let out another strangled moan as she asked that question, feeling his body tense as he realised he was still so close, but now he was just as desperate for release as she had been a moment ago “No… not yet… Christ….. but I’m so close… I need you so bad……” He told her breathlessly, holding desperately onto those last few threads of control he still had

she moved his hands to her hips letting him move her

He immediately took control once his hands were on her hips, holding her firmly he started to thrust up into her, his eyes focused on her face, his breathing ragged and laboured as he continued to feel so close to the edge “God….. I’m not going to last long……..” He managed to get out, his voice tight and strained, struggling not to just completely lose control and let go

she gasped and moaned against his neck as she was becoming beyond overstiumulated now,

He continued to thrust into her, trying to keep his pace steady and not let himself go too fast, the feeling of her moans against his neck was driving him crazy, and he knew he wasn’t going to be able to keep control for much longer “God…. luv… I’m gonna cum… I’m so…….. close…. I can’t….. I can’t hold….. hold back much longer….” He managed to get out in a strangled gasp

she nodded biting his neck

He completely let go of the last scraps of control he still had as he felt her bite his neck, he let out a ragged moan, and gave one last strong thrust up into her, before he completely fell over the edge and came, arching his back and holding her down against him, his head falling back as he groaned her name through gritted teeth

y/n gasped and collapsed "Fuck-"

He felt her collapse down on top of him, and his arms immediately came up around her, holding her firmly against him. He took a few deep breaths trying to calm himself down, and managed to get out a few broken words “God…. luv…. Jesus Christ….. that was….. that was incredible……” He told her, sounding winded and exhausted, but still enjoying the feeling of her lying on top of him

"I have an opinion…" she gasped

He took another deep breath, finally starting to get his breathing somewhat regulated, and when he was certain he’d be able to speak more or less properly he replied “Go on… what’s your opinion, luv?” He asked curiously, his arms still around her, holding her against his chest, his body still trembling slightly from the orgasm and the exertion of it all

"Riding. is best."

He actually let out a soft laugh at her statement and response, it was such a simple answer, and yet it made perfect sense to him. He let out another soft hum as he thought about it, still holding her close in his arms, enjoying the feeling of her on top of him, and he had to admit he agreed with her “I have to agree with her on that one, luv… God you look incredible when you’re in control like that…..”

"something about coming while riding… is better somehow"

“You’re right… it just feels…. More…. It’s so good…..” He agreed, his voice still coming out a little breathlessly, “I love watching you cum as you ride me, feel you clench when I’m so deep… fuck! It’s so good luv!”

"The issue is if you don't rub on me then it doesn't feel like anything"

He chuckled softly at her remark, and he couldn’t help but agree with her. When her were the one leading and in control, it was up to her to make sure she was getting everything she needed, which meant making sure she could find a good way to rub against him “That’s very true… but I don’t mind one bit…… I think I like you being in control a lot…..”

"Hummm… so tier list is currently riding, is best, missionary is second," she nodded

“That’s very true… I’d agree with that list…..” He agreed, still holding her close against his chest, and he had to admit he was feeling a little tired now from how good she’d both made each other feel

"We need to try standing and bending over next." she smiled giving him a kiss before she climbed out of bed and began getting dressed for the day into her little white lace panties,

He had to hold in a moan as she mentioned bent over, unable to stop the thought of it already popping in his head as he watched her get dressed, the image of her bent over in those white lace panties already starting to drive him crazy

“That sounds good to me… over the bed… in those little panties? Ummm I am very excited,”

she chuckled "Maybe after practice then" she cooed slipping her stockings on

[spidercookie18]

I've had this idea in my head that Paul uses M&M tubes to keep his joints in! They're perfect, they start out having candy AND they're air tight! If you can make anything out of that for the love of all that lives, you gotta.

Summary: Paul is a fiend, and makes it grandpa Emerson's problem Word Count: 2.5k

Great ask! I love this one a lot, you’re gonna get a crack response, but it’s a good response. Cause I’m smoking a crack pipe full of these fruity little bitches!

So, I’ve been toying with the idea of the boys going to COSTCO; hear me out. Any TLB AU where everyone survives, means Lucy will take the boys in; no if’s and’s or buts about it. She is the best 80’s mom ever, she’s for sure adopting them. Which makes the whole David x Michael thing weird bc they would be…stepbrothers? Whatever, vampire relationships are complicated. She would also have to be feeding like 10 people. Hold on, lets actually count. It’s the boys, that’s 4 + Lucy, Sam, Michael, Grandpa E, another 4, then Star, and Laddie, which is 2 AND maybe Max, and the Frog brothers… depending on how that goes. Anyways, that’s still at LEAST 10 mouths to feed.

So, Lucy, being the mom that she is, would get a COSTCO membership to get all the things that her new, big family would need. Now, you’re probably wondering, “Ari, where the fuck are you going with this?”

WELL

Lucy would get a COSTCO card so she could get these rambunctious fuckers what they need. Max would foot the bill, and everyone would be ‘happy’ about it and shut up forever.  (FYI, Costco in the 90’s looked more like a Home Depot, which I hate).

Lucy notices, IMMEDIATELY that her new sons have some interesting snack choices to say the least.

David is waaay too into eggs, to the point where she doesn’t know if he’s even eating them, or if he’s just hiding them somewhere. Marko goes through wheels of cheese like they’re apples. Dwayne likes… pickled fish and marshmallows. And Paul… well, she’s concerned for all of them, but she’s most concerned for Paul.

He’s quickly becoming her favorite. He always helps with chores, even if he doesn’t want to.  He changes light bulbs for her, even catches and releases the bugs that get in the house for her. Sure, he’s screaming and yelling the whole time it takes him to get the damn bug outside, but it’s the thought that counts. He's a mama’s boy through and through.

Lucy started worrying for him though, the second she noticed he would go through candy so quickly.  And not just go through candy, he would go through the damn candy. Paul could eat a whole box of candy, within a few minutes. When she got trick or treat candy for one Halloween, Paul went through several hundreds of dollars’ worth of candy within a few hours. Specifically, she noticed, he would tear through the mini m&m tubes like nobodys business.

Which, if you asked Paul, he’d say it really was, “nobody’s business.”

She would buy the giant COSTCO boxes that had 24 tubes and he would just walk off with the whole box. After he’d done that three or four times, she brought it up to David.

Lucy: I’m worried that Paul is… going to make himself sick.

David: *Leaning against the kitchen counter* We’ve been worrying about that for a lot longer than you have, he’s just like that.

Lucy: No, I mean, he keeps stealing these… little… *gestures with her hands* tubes of candy and I don’t know what he’s doing with them.

David: Oh, *rubs his chin* well that would be concerning… if it wasn’t Paul.

Lucy: Can you just make sure he’s not eating all that candy, can you boys process sugar fine like that?

David: *shrugs*

Michael: *walks into the kitchen, and grabs something from the fridge*

Lucy: OH, oh, Michael, *waving her hands* tell David about the thing.

Michael: *closes the fridge* Oh, no, not this again. *To David* Is she bothering you with this? *To Lucy, pointing with the soda bottle* Are you bothering him with this?

David: *snorts* This is a real hot button issue, eh?

Lucy: I’m worried about him, is no one else worried about him?

Michael: He’s a weird guy, mom. He’s just like that.

Lucy: But-

Michael: Mom if it’s that big of a deal why don’t you ask him about it?

Lucy: I TRY. But every time I try to ask him about it, he bolts. And, *pointing at Michael and David* with all that damn candy, I might add.

David: *laughing* Yeaah, that sounds like Paul.

Michael: Don’t encourage her.

Lucy: *glares at Michael*

David: Listen Ms. E, I wouldn’t worry about it making him sick. But if it means that much to ya, I’ll talk to him about it.

Lucy: Thank you, David, *pats his back*

David: *already halfway out the room* okay byeeeeeeeeee

What lucy didn’t know, was while, yes, Paul was a fiend for sugar, he was hoarding the m&m tubes for a much more nefarious reason.

Paul was like a pack rat. Step one foot into the cave, and you’d think it was just a mangled mess of shit. But, if you looked closely, you’d notice all the little things hidden away.

Paul had been, for the last several months, eating, emptying, and refilling the plastic, airtight containers with grandpa E’s marijuana. He had been sneakily snatching the sticky green buds in the middle of the night and stashing them away for safe smoking.

Albeit, not as sneaky as he thought. Cause, on more than one occasion, grandpa E had been waiting outside in the garden with the spray hose for Paul. Whenever Paul would slosh into the cave the boys knew he got hosed again, and they’d laugh at his ass.

But, Paul, the ever persistent, learned grandpa E’s habits, and how to better sneak the weed away undetected. He’d crawl on his belly across the roof of the house with a bag slung across his shoulder (think army style, when they make them crawl through the mud; that’s Paul). He would peep his little face over the side of the roof and watch for grandpa in the garden. The first few nights, grandpa E stood outside for a few hours with the hose, waiting for the wild blond.

His persistence paid off, after a few days, grandpa E thought it was safe, and Paul snatched up his goodies. Paul thought he was being sneaky by hovering above the ground and not leaving boot prints; but the next morning, when Lucy, Sam, and Michael were having breakfast and they heard a string of old man cuss words, they knew ‘smokey the bandit’ struck again. Lucy didn’t believe for a second that sweet Paul could steal from her dad, so she chalked it up to her dad smoking too much and being old.

The next night when the boys went to visit for ‘pizza night’ grandpa E railed into Paul. He would not stop ranting and raving about how he was, “going to hog tie his ass,” and, “turn him into the ugliest taxidermyed vampire there ever was.”  Lucy gave the boys some money and sent them to get the pizza to let her dad cool down, but when grandpa E insisted he didn’t want Paul back in the house until he apologized, she told the boys to just go out for pizza.

Marko: Paul, you asshole, just apologize so we can go back.

Paul: If I apologize, then that proves I did it- which I didn’t.

Dwayne: Dude, we all know it was you.

Paul: Hey, he’s getting old, that’s 100% not my problem.

David: You know, if you strip the stalk, that kinda makes it more obvious, dumbass.

Sam: You shoulda heard him this morning,

Michael: Yea, it was pretty bad. I’ve never heard him blow up like that.

David: Really? What happened

Sam: He went crazy! He wouldn’t stop screaming!

Marko: *giggling*

Sam: It’s not funny dude, okay? He said words I’ve never even heard before!

Dwayne: Like what? ‘Dagnabbit?’

David: *snorts*

Michael: *Pulling Paul’s jacket by the sleeve* You know if he catches you, you’re dead.

Paul: I’m already dead, also, I’m so not scared of your ‘pappy’.

Michael: Hey, it was a fair warning.

After that, grandpa E went through with operation: catch that flying asshole. He brewed pots of coffee to stay up all night and traded in his hose for a shotgun. Grandpa E sat outside with a chair and his shotgun across his lap, just waiting for Paul to show.

Paul, the ever persistent, waited over a week for his prize. Lucy watched from the kitchen window, as her dad sat outside and stared at the night sky. Her, and Sam were beginning to worry about his mental state. He’d been forcing himself to stay away for hours, and whenever he did fall asleep, Paul would chuck pebbles at him to see if he’d gone to bed for good. Grandpa E would immediately wake up, startled, and one time he’d rang a shot off into the night. Lucy scolded him, saying what if he’d hit a bird, or one of the boys. And his response was, “good! Those fuckers need to learn to stop stealing my stuff!”

One night, after almost 10 nights, there was an opening.

Paul laid on his back, staring at the night sky, rolling the little grey pebble around between his fingers. He was getting sick of waiting, and if he wasn’t worried about what Lucy thought of him, he would have just gone and taken the whole damn garden already. He stared up at the stars, watching the clouds roll in.

Clouds.

He listened to the water as it began to fall softly onto the roof. The pitter-patter came slowly, then faster, then it came in a downpour.

Grandpa E: LUCY!

Lucy:

Grandpa E: LUUUCYYYY!

Lucy: What dad?

Grandpa E: Lucy! Bring me the umbrella!

Lucy: No Dad!

Grandpa E: WHAT?! But it’s a downpour!

Lucy: If you want the umbrella, you gotta come get it yourself!

*Lucy had had enough of her dad’s shenanigans and was determined to get him to come inside from the cold. She hoped this rainstorm was the wakeup call he needed. *

Grandpa E:

Grandpa E: SAM! MICHAEL!

Lucy: They’re not here dad!

Grandpa E: LUCY, YOU BRING ME THAT DAMN UMBRELLA BEFORE I CATCH MY DEATH OUT HERE!

She was done entertaining the notion that Paul, her sweet, kind, always there to help anyone, Paul, was stealing from her dad. He would have to come inside one way or another.

Grandpa E grumbled as his button-up shirt started to get soaked.

Paul turned to lay on his belly and watched his nemesis shift around, trying to determine what to do next. “Go inside, you old bastard,” Paul mumbled to himself. The rain was coming down hard now, if it wasn’t for his vampire eyes, he wouldn’t be able to see anything through the rain. Paul could stay out in the cold and wet forever if he needed to, but he knew grandpa E had to go inside, “go in,” Paul insisted.

He watched as grandpa E pulled the shotgun off his lap and scampered inside. He could hear him mumble something about an umbrella as he ran through the screen door into the kitchen.

Now was his chance!

Paul quickly flew down to the garden. He planted both feet firmly on the ground, what did it matter if his boot prints were in the ground, grandpa knew he was there, and also the rain would wash them out. Paul’s boots squished under him in the wet, burbly mud, he squatted down and grabbed the plant from the base of the stalk and ripped it out of the ground. The roots of the plant dripping down with mud and rain. He repeated his process a few more times. “Fucking old bastard,” he grumbled, as he pulled another plant up by the roots, “making me come out here in the - *grunts* FUCKING RAIN.”

He grabbed a few stalks, tucked them under the strap of his bag and flew off into the night.

Grandpa E heard the “woo-hoo” as he was reaching for the screen door. He ran outside, looking for the umbrella was a flop, it took him too long to search in the cramped closet, so he gave up and decided to return to his green patch of goodness. He scampered back to the kitchen and saw a hurried mess of hair shifting around in the garden.

Grandpa E: Look! There he is! *Pointing out the window*

Lucy: *Walking to the window* Dad, I don’t see anything?

Grandpa E: What do you mean?! He’s right there!

Lucy: *straining her eyes* Dad, it’s a downpour, I can’t see anything.

Grandpa E: *running to the screen door* I got your ass now!

But, as we all know, by the time he got out there, it was too late. Grandpa E, stared at the ground in defeat. He watched as the holes where the stalks used to be burbled and filled with mud and water. The boot prints were fading before his eyes. He knew no one would ever believe him now, and he knew Paul knew that too.

If he didn’t hate him so much by this point, he’d might have applauded him. But for now, he just fell to his knees, the mud sloshing under his pajama pants, and he wailed into the night.

Paul laughed the whole way back to the cave.

When he finally landed, he happily stomped down into the cave. He leaves of the stalks rustling, mud dripping off the stalks and the roots.

His boots squelched under his weight and the mud tracked in behind him.

The other boys and Michael watched as the cocky, rain washed out blond walked into the cave.

Marko: No fucking way.

Dwayne: Oh, Paul you didn’t

David: Atta boy!

Michael: Oooooh, I’m not here.

Paul hummed happily to himself; he ignored his brothers’ jeers as he walked to his alcove. He slung the bag off around his head set the stalks down next to his bean bag chair. He sat down on the tattered, ratty thing with an oomph. He looked at the stalks, he’d clean em and prep em for use later. Paul intended to pluck the seeds out and plant them near the cave, entirely done with being ‘smokey the bandit’.

He shifted to one side and reached a hand under the bag. He rifled around under the chair for a second before he produced what he was reaching for, an m&m tube. He patted his jacket for a lighter and popped open the blue plastic container. He wafted the open container under his nose and turned the tube upside down. A joint slid out into his open palm.

Paul plucked the twisted white paper and set it in his mouth. He flicked the lighter on and lit the end. He took a deep inhale and laid back further in his bean bag chair, still ignoring his brothers half-assed remarks.  

Victory never tasted so sweet.

[tinyinvadr]

Gah! I finished this hours ago but the stupid power went out! Anyway, this chapter is wonderfully dumb and I love it.

Psychoborrower in the Rhombus of Ruin

Chapter 2

“C’mon, kid! Is that the best you can do? Punch those dummies like you mean it!”

I thought requesting to do a one-on-one run through of Basic Braining would make it less stressful. It didn’t.

“Coach, I’m trying, but I’m just not strong enough.”

“That’s no way to talk, soldier! Something’s holding you back, dragging you down… That’s it!”

Coach pressed a button on a remote controller, and a song began to play through the nearby loudspeakers. It had a slow, funky beat to it. Not something you’d expect to hear on the battlefield. Then, the angelic vocals kicked in.

“I’m on my way, to gain my freedom. I won’t let you hold me down again.”

“Uh… Coach? What is this?”

“This is All Paul, Flint. They’re the voice of a generation! Nothing else motivates me the way their music does. Now, try again!”

I tried PSI-Punching the dummies again, and didn’t really feel a difference.

“No, not like that! You’ve gotta feel the music, Flint! Watch.”

Coach practically shoved me out of the way as he started punching the dummy on beat with the song, singing the chorus as he did it.

“Down, down, down. All you do is drag me down.”

Admittedly, it did look kind of fun.

I positioned myself at another dummy and punched on the beat. As I got more familiar with the song, I could feel the motivation to keep up with it. Each hit was more powerful than the last.

“That’s it, kid! Knew you had it in ya!”

After we finished training for the day, I asked Coach about the song. He told me it was off the band’s debut album, “Paul the Way”.

Naturally, when I learned that these absolute geniuses had more songs, I had to listen to all of them. From that day on, All Paul became a regular part of my psychic training.

…

The moment had finally arrived. All of my training was about to pay off. It’s hard to say I could’ve ever been fully prepared, but at least I didn’t have to face it alone. Coach was by my side, and there was absolutely nothing in this world that stood a chance against our combined power.

Nothing could drag us down.

“You won’t drag me down, down, down. I can’t take it anymore.”

Our musical debut was a major success. The energy was electric. The crowd went wild. I knew in my heart that All Paul themselves would be proud if they could see us.

Flint? Can you hear me?

Raz?

Good! I can’t get into Coach’s head, his defenses are on high alert.

Huh. That’s weird. Can I get back to you later? Kind of in the middle of something right now.

Flint, you have Psilirium poisoning! We’ve gotta stop this music!

Are you trying to… drag me down?

Ugh…

As the show continued, I could see stuff getting flung around left and right, and instruments randomly bursting into flames. I knew it was Raz, trying to sabotage the show. He was clearly jealous. I was psychic AND musically gifted, how could he not be?

In retaliation, Coach and I just sang louder.

“DOWN, DOWN, DOWN! ALL YOU DO IS DRAG ME DOWN!”

I had to stop myself from laughing at Raz’s pathetic attempts to wreck our show. Everything he did just looked like special effects that made the performance look cooler. Especially when he started PSI-Blasting.

“Haha! Thanks for the laser light show!”

The curtain behind us burned to ashes, and that was when I finally snapped out of it. The memories flooded back to me as I was faced with a horrific sight: the drowned skeletal remains of All Paul were behind the curtain. We were on their sunken cruise ship in the Rhombus of Ruin.

“All Paul is DEAD?!”

The glass separating us from the submerged part of the boat shattered, and water quickly began to fill the room. That was when Coach returned to his senses.

“Kid, look out!”

He scooped me up and ran for the nearest support beam, then climbed up to get away from the rising water. Though I couldn’t fully understand the curse-induced fear that Raz experienced towards water, I imagined this was pretty close.

“We’re gonna drown! And why didn’t you tell me All Paul was dead?!”

“I didn’t know how to tell you! I knew it would crush your spirit. But listen… their music will always live on. They’ll never truly be gone. And we can carry on with their legacy. They’d want it that way.”

Wiping away a tear, I nodded, newfound determination rising in my chest.

“You’re right. When we get out of here, let’s start an All Paul tribute band! And Raz, you can be in it!”

Uh… I’m good.

“Aw, come on! We need a third Paul!”

Maybe let’s focus on getting you guys out of here first?

Right. Imminent peril.

Turns out Coach can’t swim either. Luckily for us, Paul O.’s shimmering tail was still intact. Raz lifted it up so Coach could jump into it, allowing us to stay afloat in the water.

To my surprise, Sasha’s voice popped into my head.

Flint, are you alright?

“Yeah, I think so. What about you and the others?”

We’re all okay, darling. Raz freed all of us from our Psilirium poisoning. We’re still separated at the moment, but we’ve been able to stay in contact telepathically.

Now that everyone’s back to their senses, we can regroup and get me out of this dentist’s chair!

Coach paused, taking in that last bit of information, then let out a gasp.

“I know who’s behind this! Team, we need to get Razputin outta there, ASAP!”

As we swam past the mutant fish guards, the answer was obvious to me. Still, I was surprised he survived that fall.

“It’s Dr. Loboto, isn’t it?”

“Has to be. Can’t say I know of another evil dentist who’s skilled in creating mutant fish monsters. This has Cal written all over it.”

I could feel the fury as Lili’s voice echoed through my mind.

What does that creep want with my Dad?!

I’m not sure, but if we act quickly, we should be able to put a stop to it. Morry, you’re the closest to Razputin’s current location. Get there as fast as you can!

“On it, Nein!”

We swam at top speed, and we found ourselves underneath a hatch that led into the room where Raz was trapped. I knew it had to be the place. Even without opening the hatch, I could hear Dr. Loboto’s maniacal laughter.

We couldn’t risk going up there to free him, since we would definitely get caught. The next best thing was to supply Raz with the right tools to prevent his brain from being removed. Again.

Coach pulled out his psycho-portal. Just as he was about to hold it up through the opened hatch, I stopped him.

“Wait, let me go with him.”

“You sure, Flint?”

“Raz and I work together. Whatever he has to face in there, I do too.”

He nodded, a look of reluctance in his eyes. It was nice to see how far he’d come along in a short time. I had my old mentor back.

I took the portal, and he lifted me up so Raz could see me. Thankfully, Loboto had his back turned, so he didn’t notice me.

I could see the relief wash over Raz when he saw me, and he carefully brought me over to his shoulder with his TK. We exchanged a look, knowing exactly what we had to do next.

With all my strength, I threw the portal at Loboto, landing dead center on the back of his head. The gateway was open, and the unknown horrors within were waiting for us. But I wasn’t afraid. We were Psychonauts. We could handle anything.

[easypeasylindyvesey]

APRIL 2027- PART 21

The elevator doors open and we make our way out and into the lobby, looking for the doors. We’re met with the chilly morning air. I should be lucky that I decided to wear something somewhat warm. We find our Uber parallel parked right in front of the hotel. The driver lifts the trunk for us to store our suitcases. I shut it and both of us make our way into the backseat.

I take a few seconds to observe our driver. He’s a man, of course, with brunette hair and scruffy facial hair. He’s wearing a baseball cap and is evidently enjoying the music playing on the radio. He looks at the rear-view mirror and smiles. “Morning,” he says. “I’m Ryan. Where to?”

You have got to be fucking kidding me.

“Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport, please,” Jimmy requests, as he buckles his seatbelt into place.

“You got it,” the driver says. “If there’s any pit stops I gotta make, just let me know.” He looks over the seat. “You okay, miss?”

I’m zoning out on the seat in front of me. “Uh, yeah, I’m fine,” I say, reaching my seatbelt over my body. 

“Alrighty, then,” Ryan replies. “Buckle up and we’ll be on our way.”

Once I click it, he reverses out of his parking spot, and down through the parking lot, before finding the exit. We merge onto the highway, the hotel occurrences becoming more of an unsettling memory.

I stare out of my window, watching the early morning sky show off to the world. The sun is still low in the sky, but I can focus on the light blue intermingling with the high thin clouds. It’s a pretty sight, I’ll admit. I have never been a morning person by any means, but I guess it’s not so bad when you have a nice view.

I side-eye my way toward Jimmy. He’s on his phone, doing I-don’t-know what because I can’t get a good look. He’s probably texting Lavi about how I’ve been quiet for a little bit, and oh, should I be worried? Should I try to talk to her? God, why does he feel the need to feel like he has to fix everything?

I lean my head back on the seat and shut my eyes, listening to the tires drive on the road and the sound of the music coming through the back speakers. It makes me relax. I feel as if I’m being transported into another universe, where it’s calmer and nothing has changed and the people that I love love me back. Well, at least I can confirm two of those things were true. 

I hold onto my purse for dear life, feeling the bulges and bumps. I can feel the outline of my wallet, my phone, hand sanitizer, pen.

Pen.

The pen I wrote my speech with.

The speech I forgot for the funeral.

The same speech I forgot in the nightstand drawer.

The same speech I forgot to put in my suitcase.

This can’t be some sort of sign, can it? Leaving everything here and letting it go once we get back? I don’t know if I can fathom that. It’s not like I would take that well. I guess it was a blessing in disguise.

I take my hands and separate my fingers from each other, stretching them out, as a way to silently express my frustration. I don’t want to talk right now. Hell, I don’t think I should ever talk again. It’s not the end of the world, Abby. We’ve already reached that.

My eyes slowly squint open when I see the sun has started to rise, absolutely blinding me through the cracks of the front passenger seat. Guess I won’t be able to fall back into my previous state now.

We’re still on the highway, it looks like, as I concentrate on the Uber driver. I silently thank him for not being a huge talker. I’ve never been a fan of people who constantly suck the daylights out of you by continuously running their mouth. I get if they’re talking about something they’re passionate about; that’s one thing. On the other hand, if it’s constant bitching and moaning about the same old thing, I’m immediately over it. Of course, no one wants to be brave and tell them to be quiet because we want to avoid hurting their feelings, but a good reality check isn’t always the worst idea. Just like what Jim got.

I can feel him looking at me. I focus on the rising of the sun. It hurts my eyes, but it’s a better distraction than having to look into his. The silence is somewhat comfortable, but it’s giving the idea of the person that opens their mouth will regret it. And it’s sure as hell not going to be me.

“I forgot to ask this, but what brought you folks to Minnesota?” Ryan pipes up from the driver’s seat. “It’s a beautiful state to be in this time of year.”

“We, uh, we attended a funeral,” Jimmy says, his voice doing a good job at conveying the dissatisfaction with having to say that sentence out loud.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Ryan replies. “DId you know the person well?”

“We did,” Jimmy responds back. “He was, uh, he was a very important person in our lives.”

Very important? He was everything.

“At least you got to offer your condolences. I’m sure he was happy both of you showed up.”

I mean, I’d be happier if he was riding along in the car with us right now, but okay.

“Yeah, we, uh, we could definitely feel that he was in the room with us,” Jimmy admits. “His family lives here, so that’s why they decided to hold the services in a different state.”

“Where you folks from?”

“I’m uh, I’m from Boston, and she’s from Long Island. We both live in Manhattan right now. We’re taking a flight back to the city.”

“Hey, both of you share those East Coast roots!” Ryan realizes. “I gotta tell you, some East Coasters are so, so nice, and some of them can be incredibly nasty. I’ve driven a lot of people from there, and you could just tell by their demeanor if they were up for a conversation or didn’t want to be bothered. Y’all are quiet, but definitely on the nice list. Now, I understand the quiet given the circumstances. I’m sorry for your loss.”

“Thank you,” Jimmy replies.

The car falls quiet again. There’s no perfect way to deter the topic of conversation after mentioning death. I’m not pouring out my heart and soul to some stranger who just happens to share his name.

We seem to be halfway through our drive already. I’m becoming more eager to get on this plane. I just need to go home. Should I even consider the apartment home yet? It still feels a little unfamiliar to me. I’ve adjusted to my room and the living space, but the only vast difference is that there’s someone in the next room. My privacy has been limited in so many ways. So far, he’s not doing a good job at maintaining it. Of course, it’s too early to confront him, both literally and logically, but he better take the hint soon. Or maybe he already has and I just don’t know it.

I close my eyes again and listen to the music buzzing in the background. The chilly morning air starts to infiltrate its way through the car, making me shiver.

“You cold?” Jimmy asks.

I stare straight at the passenger seat in front of me. “No.”

“Do you want my jacket?”

“I literally just said I’m fine,” I hiss.

“Alright, then,” he remarks. “Suit yourself.”

I roll my eyes, biting my lip to prevent myself from saying something I might regret. There’s already a good amount of stuff that I wish I never did with him right there.

After what feels like an infinite amount of time, we finally merge off the highway and take the exit to the airport. I’m so close to unbuckling my seatbelt and opening the door while the car’s still moving. Hell, if an Uber can’t get there quick enough, I think walking would serve as a more advantageous alternative. Sure, the car would chase after me, but at least he wasn’t going to follow me around like he always does. Even being trapped in the backseat with him makes me feel confined and unable to get my own space. I thought he, out of all people, would understand that. We didn’t have to take the flight to Minnesota together. We didn’t have to share a hotel room. We didn’t have to share an Uber. I didn’t even need to call him.

But I did. I guess this is what I get in return.

Of course, life can never continuously be kind to us, because the road leading up to the airport entrance is at a complete deadlock. I check my phone. It’s 7:20. The flight’s not until 8:30, but they tend to start boarding around half an hour beforehand. God knows how long when, or if, we’ll move at all.

I can see the faintest image of the runway peaking out from behind the airport. There’s a plane sitting there, perhaps getting ready to take off. It’s in that moment when I realize that I am probably never going to come back here with intent ever again. I guess you could count me visiting his family if I so wish, but what’s the point of doing that when he’s not even there?

I unbuckle my seatbelt and reach for a $20, reaching forward and dropping it in the front cup holder. “Thank you,” I elicit, and open my door, shutting it before I even get to hear a response. The trunk pops open and I reach for my suitcases, motioning over to the sidewalk and beginning my journey inside.

There’s the sound of another car door shutting. “Abb!” a familiar voice yells. “Where are you going?”

“Can’t fucking sit in there forever!” I yell back. “If we miss the flight, then, oh, well. We saw that coming.”

“The traffic will move! You gotta be patient!”

“I don’t have any more patience left in me! Either sit there or get your ass up and walk! I really don’t care!”

I respond to him without even looking back. I’m surprised he could hear me all the way from back there. Heck, I’m surprised I could even hear him. It was more of a shout than a yell. I do know there will be a time in the future where he will yell and it will sure scare the hell out of me.

There’s another sound of the trunk shutting. Of course. I mean, what were the odds, right?

I cherish this time without him by my side to finally breathe. I can walk into that airport and feel as if I’ve been traveling alone, like I’m embarking on a solo expedition around the country. I can walk in there and for a few moments, no one will recognize me or know my name. Maybe I should hide in the bathroom so that he doesn’t come and find me. However, he’ll probably be able to pick up on the fact that I’m purposefully avoiding him. One thing’s for certain: I want him to be done asking me questions. I don’t have the answers.

It looks to be a blessing in disguise when I walk through those double doors because there’s not as many people as I would’ve thought. I guess I got lucky in terms of flight time. Yeah, you can thank me for scheduling it in the early part of the day. I didn’t want to stay here any longer than I needed to. Of course, Jimmy would think that’s ‘rushing.’ I call it ‘logical reasoning.’

I approach the TSA line and scan my ticket while letting my suitcases run through security before they make their way to the baggage claim. I receive a card with my gate number and walk over to baggage claim, watching the suitcases spin round and round on the conveyor belt. I look around and see all of these strangers making their way through. Isn’t it weird to think that everyone you see at an airport is here for a different reason? Some people might be going on vacation, others are studying abroad. Heck, there’s a 1% chance someone had to watch their loved ones be laid to rest. Oh wait, that’s me.

Still waiting, feeling a little bit annoyed, because really, how long does it take for bags to go through baggage claim? When we travel to away games, we take a private flight immediately to the nearest airport and go straight to the hotel. We don’t get our bags checked. Of course, that would take too much time, and we’d be stuck there longer than we need to be. This is one of the times where I don’t get that luxury. But hey, curiosity killed the cat, right?

I hear the faintest footsteps approach from behind me. I already know it’s him, I don’t even need to look. I keep my eyes on the baggage claim. I’m starting to think it destroyed my suitcases because where the hell are they?

“Just wanted to say you took my things out of the trunk,” Jimmy pipes up. It’s quiet, but he gets his point across.

Oh. That’s why.

He steps out into my peripheral vision and grabs two navy blue suitcases with the manufacturing logo ingrained at the top. “Your stuff’s just about to make its way around.”

I give him a quick nod. “Sorry.” Even I feel brave for mentioning that five letter word I don’t even seem to believe.

“No worries,” he replies. “It was an accident.”

Was it, though?

“You wanna get breakfast real quick before we board?” he asks.

I ponder the idea of having to spend another meal with him. I ponder another idea of starving for the next 2 and a half hours in the air, where I’d have to resort to crappy airline food. Then again, airport food isn’t even much better.

“Yeah,” I mutter, finally seeing my belongings make their way to the front and reaching out to grab them. I lift the handles and roll the suitcases down the airport floor, looking like a lost puppy trying to find its way home. I look further down and notice a Starbucks located in its own little area. Bingo.

Surprisingly, there’s not a long wait. I order a spinach, feta, and egg white wrap with a grande cold brew with cream, and Jimmy’s sticking to his Boston roots with a plain bagel and grande black coffee. With nothing else. No cream, no sugar, no espresso shot, no cold foam. Damn, he really is bland with his food and drink choices as he is with his nonstop presence.

We find a table to sit at and quickly munch on our overpriced breakfast. Not much conversation ensues, but that’s not necessarily an uncommon factor. I can tell that if he attempts to start something with me, he’ll be met with an attitude, or straight-up ignored. You’d think he’d know better. 

“Oh, uh, just to let you know, we’re taking a commercial flight back to the city, so we’re gonna be with other passengers,” he pipes up after sipping his coffee. “Also, there’s not enough space for the entire team to take just one flight, so there’s gonna be two. Both are scheduled for 8:30. So if you don’t see everyone right away, then that’s why.”

I raise my eyebrows. “You comin with me?”

“Why wouldn’t I come with you?”

Oh, for fuck’s sake.

“Do you want me to go with you?”

I don’t answer.

“Abb?”

I don’t answer again.

“Do you actually want me to take the other flight? If that’s what you want, that’s fine with me. You gotta tell me, though.”

My brain wants to say yes, but my heart’s telling me no.

“You can stay with me,” I let out. “It’s fine.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah, Jim, I’m sure.”

“I mean, if you really-”

“Just don’t piss me off and we’ll be fine.”

“Haven’t I done that already?” 

I look up at him. His lips are moist from his coffee. His eyes tell me that he was sincere when he asked that. Crap. He actually meant that.

I guess I don’t need to answer for the third time. Maybe he’s not as oblivious as I make him out to be.

We finish our breakfast and make our way to our gate. We wait in line until we make our way outside and onto the plane. I find my seat and store my purse in the overhead compartment. I expect Jimmy to move in right next to me, but instead, he shuffles into the row behind him, occupying the middle seat. Is that the seat he was assigned on the plane? Did he purchase that one on his own? I thought it was paid as a group flight.

And then I remember that it was.

And then I remember again that there are no assigned seating arrangements on a group flight.

I would totally thank him right now, but my space is taken up by Goody and Braden, who take the seats on my left. We exchange our facial gestures before we sit down. I see Vinny and Jacob surround Jimmy. A little more room to breathe is nice. Of course, it can’t last forever.

I turn my body to face them. “How are you?” I start the conversation.

“Good,” Braden says. “Tired, but good.”

“What did you think of everything?”

Braden opens his mouth again. “I thought it was nice. They really did a great job organizing everything. I mean, yeah, it’s obviously very sad, but it was a good way to honor him.”

“You got that right,” I agree.

“Yeah, you had a great speech, Abb,” Goody chimes in. “It really came from the heart. We all knew that when it came to you, we wouldn’t have thought to find it anywhere else. Truly, it was one that you could tell everyone had to listen to. They’d see it as one of the most important ones.”

I smile. “I mean, I don’t know if it was the most important one, but I’ll take it. Thanks.”

“Of course. How are you holding up?”

I shrug. “Well, I’m still here. That should count for something.”

“Are you okay? You know, after what happened last night?”

Oh my fucking God. 

I play dumb. “What, uh, what happened last night?”

“Oh, sorry, I, uh, I meant to say earlier this morning. Jimmy told us you woke up panicking, like screaming for help and stuff. I wasn’t sure if he told you that he told us. I wanted to wait until I saw you to ask if you were okay in case you didn’t know.”

I didn’t.

I’m gonna fucking kill him.

“I’m fine,” I say with my voice lowered so that he doesn’t hear me. “Just a one time thing. That’s all.”

“I know you see Jim on a regular basis, but if you ever want to talk to us about anything if you don’t feel like opening up to him, you know we’re always here.” Goody gives me a sympathetic look. I can see it in his eyes.

“I know,” I remind him. “Thank you.”

“He’s not busting your balls, is he?”

“More like imploding them, but same equivalent.”

“Is that sarcasm?”

“You seriously didn’t pick up on that?”

Goody laughs. “No, I did not. You still got that sense of humor.”

I playfully roll my eyes. “I learned it from the best.”

Oh, what a good thing he didn’t pick up on it. Because it’s a lie.

The sound of an intercom makes its way across the plane. It makes announcements about safety procedures and basic rules before the voice tells everyone we’re about to take off. I stare down at my shoes, dangling my feet on the floor of the plane. My heart rate is a little elevated, but steady. When I first joined the team, I had so much anxiety about away games because we’d have to board a plane and be stuck on there for God knows how many hours. I was only on a plane twice in my life as a kid, so I was incredibly nervous about the long flights. Luckily, it got easier with time. It was also easy when your boyfriend would distract you with cards and conversation. I will say that one of my favorite parts about pregame flights is playing UNO with some of the guys. Not to brag, but most times, I reign victorious, even if we’ve played for 7 rounds. Everyone thinks I’m cheating, and I swear that I’m not, but they seem to think that I have a trick up my sleeve. I do have a trick: it’s called luck. As for postgame flights, everyone is completely exhausted, so the majority of the team sleeps or quietly plays cards. I’d use Ryan’s shoulder as a pillow, which I felt bad about because he wouldn’t have been able to move, but I wonder what I’m gonna do now once preseason rolls around. Maybe I’ll have to buy my own.

As the plane ascends into the air and off the ground, leaving Minnesota, I clench my hands on the armrests. Of course, I’m extremely sad, but I have to remind myself that he can rest now. He is free from any harm, any danger, any uncertainty about the future. According to my “dream,” he wasn’t free from it at all. It’s just my mind distracting me from the actual reality that is even more extreme and consequential than I thought it would’ve ever been. I close my eyes and take a deep breath. I’ll see you later. I love you.

[blindrapture]

("And here we are, those that skipped. Jordan was coerced into becoming a European terrorist, earning the name 'the White Jester.' He floundered his way through France and Spain, encountering some weird rabbit holes and seeing a lot of death. Then he came back to England, and he and Donnie defeated the Harlequin, their powerful abuser, in the town of Blackpool. There will be other important plot details I skimmed over, but bringing attention to them here would tip my hand to those who didn't skip. It's okay. There's plenty of story left, and no more to skip.")

SATURDAY JUNE 18TH, 2011 (In the Name of Comcast, We are Blessed for this Pornography)

7:15 AM What a beautiful day outside, just lookit that beautiful red sky! It looks just about ready to hug. I want to hug the sky. Don’t you, journal? I do. :D

7:23 AM There’s a goddamn zombie in the kitchen. Just one. He’s slowly looking around. He looks half-comatose. I wanna say he looks like an adult’s mind trapped in a little kid’s motor skills. I’m gonna go get Donnie. We need to get outta here, anyway. And yeah, journal. I kept my promise. Well, half. I told her it felt so strange, after what Mist the Harlequin did. So she respected that, though I tried my best. I feel almost like a slut. But that’s not fair, journal, it’s not; I’ve read, y’know, about abuse victims and they think really badly of themselves and.. I mean, I guess.. I’ll get over it. Oh, I don’t have to get Donnie; she’s coming down now.

8:01 AM She’s very affectionate today. I’m still getting my mind together. I guess the fact that I killed the Harlequin is still—wait, no, that’s not true, is it? She’s not even dead. I don’t think she can even be killed. We’ve just tried our best to trap her in a freezer. Ohh god, I need to talk more with Donnie about thaaaat.

8:24 AM She says she’s been thinking about that, too. We’ve agreed that we really need to get out of here. But we’re not sure where we’d go. We’re gonna go out, look around. There’s gotta be something, y’know?

8:30 AM Going into town. There’s gotta be something, gotta be. Otherwise all that craziness last night would have been for nothing.

8:38 AM Internet cafe. Internet’s not up, is it? Half this shit doesn't even work.

8:41 AM This computer works. ..but the internet doesn— IT DOES,WAY TO GO INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDERS, THEY’RE THE REAL HEROES It’s just really slow! Heh, ain’t that always how it is? aim aim aim aim AIM EXPRESS FUCK YEAH WHO’S ON, okay, it’s 8 AM so it’s about 3 AM back in the States, but who the fuck is gonna be on? ..Paul Botsford. That’s a surprise. Haven’t spoken to this guy in ages. Old old friend!

8:53 AM Paul’s not been hit by the apocalyptic shit too bad; Sandy Springs is a really quiet place. I’ve been trying to explain my situation so far, with the Harlequin and Spain and all that crazy shit. Paul’s response? “DAMN! Dude, everything bad happens to you.” I.. can’t help but concur. Donnie seems to have found a computer with internet, too, so I guess we might get to stay here awhile. WHOO.

8:59 AM TVTropes looks as fun as ever. Even in the face of the end of all life as we know it, tropers remain caring and organized. I love that. ..oh my god, my thread in OTC is just filled with posts asking if “DJay’s okay.” Somebody mentioned how “there was news of a troper gathering in Blackpool falling victim to the Harlequin,” and.. hang on, right-click that, copy… New Post. Right-click, paste. [[quoteblock]] and [[/quoteblock]] bookending. Now, “The Harlequin isn’t a problem anymore.” What a dramatic entrance. :D I’m explaining most of what I can to these people. “And also, the doubletap really does help, thank you to whoever suggested that.” Explaining how quite a lot of British tropers are unfortunately no longer with us. Kay, posted my stuff. I also asked if anyone had any idea where I could go.

9:12 AM OH HEY PORN

9:13 AM “HOT Rachael-on-Rachael Action!!!” Nah, I prefer dominant women; I’ll pass. “How I Tamed A Rake With My Penis” That just looks like a guy in white latex. “ESCAPE to the UNIVERSE of ONLY NAKED WOMEN!!!” I like how it was done in the style of a B-list horror movie, but I’ve been to that universe. It wasn’t that good. “Rubbing My Balls In A Zombie’s Face” Exactly What It Says On The Tin, and as boring as it sounds. “spider cat gives eight handjobs at once” o___o I guess bestiality’s okay now that civilization’s dead. “THE WOMAN WITH TESTICLES CLICK HERE” …*clicks* “VIAGRA VIAGRA HOT SEX VIAGRA” Yeah no, we still have spam. “SLENDER MAN TOUCHES KIDS” ……that’s what he does? I can’t even tell what’s going on in this; there’s too much distortion! “KINKY SEX HERE” The video description says “help.” What is this? ..oh god. The Harlequin only made me write stuff down. I guess that’s what happens if she sees you have a video camera and internet. o_e Well, I’ll hand it to ‘em. It’s kinky. Okay, enough of that. None of that stuff was much good. I mean, the woman with testicles was interesting, but I wouldn’t fap to any of this shit.

9:25 AM ”Entry #42.” Mister Wagner kept going with Marble Hornets? Heh, I imagine he wouldn’t have much trouble making horror now.

9:30 AM Holy shit. The first minute is just Jay grabbing a shotgun and shooting the Operator in the face. Well, the lack of face. Now Tim’s in the shot. He has a knife and is wearing his mask and he’s asking to join forces, as “The Operator will be back, and in greater numbers.” ..wait, what? O_O That’s a plot twist, Tim. Now Cool Guy came in, or Blasky or Hoody or whatever you want to call him, and he said he’s totheark and they’re joining forces. Now this is a survival video log. Bastards are copying me!

9:48 AM Advertisement for “The Camper Festival.” “IT’S FREE!” “SUCH BIG NAMES AS RUSH GENESIS METALLIC DREAM THEATRE MEGADEATH MASTODON OPETH YES PINK FLOYD GENTLE GIANT KING CRIMSON and many more out there as we locate them!” The fact that they misspelled “Metallica,” “Theater” (it’s a name, so the original spelling applies universally), and “Megadeth” really annoys me. But I gotta admit, it’s a pretty damn good festival. I should go back some day before the bands revolt. The wording on the rest of the page is pretty weird, too. I take it English wasn’t their first language, whoever wrote this.

9:53 AM Still no new replies to my thread. That’s okay; I’ll check back soon.

10:27 AM I’m feeling pretty hungry. Donnie says she is, too, so.. food time!

10:45 AM FOOD, oh my god lots and lots of endless FOOOOD. Flan, crisps, soda, sausage rolls, more flan, chocolate milk efsgji0b BEER. Oh my god. Beer. Oh my god I can have the heavier stuff now. FUCK YEAAAAAAH

11:02 AM I finally stopped throwing up, oh my god. Shit, that stuff tastes horrible.

11:11 AM I WISH I HAD A GIRLFRIEND. Yep, I’m back to wishing for that. …actually, I wish we could find a great way to get as far away as possible.

11:14 AM I’m gonna take Donnie to the beach. Why? ‘Cause I feel like it. :3

11:29 AM Wow, the beach has a lot of junk all over it. Like, lookit this! What is this? It’s a stinkin’ flyer! For what? What could possibly need a flyer in the apocalypse? ..actually, this is quite good. Oh my god. It’s an advertisement for a boat going to America. June 29th, 2011. This year. In a week n’ a half. The R.M.S. Exodus. The flyer says this’ll be its last voyage; it’s never coming back. It’s in Liverpool. Fuck, that’s close.

11:37 AM I showed Donnie. She thinks, if it doesn’t crash and burn, it could be our ticket out. It could be our unicorn. I need to know how close Liverpool is. BACK TO THE CAFE!

12:01 PM Google Maps says it’ll take about fifteen hours on foot. Shit, that’s.. yes. We can do that. We can easily do that. We’ll do it tomorrow. I guess we’ll just relax today. ..I guess we need a day of relaxing.

3:45 PM Replies to thread: Only one was any help, and it was talking about “some ship” which is going to America in a week. So yeah, we pretty much hit the jackpot with that flyer. I mean, both of us wanna leave England for some reason or other. It really is perfect! I just wish it wasn’t over a week away. D:

4:38 PM IMed with Danny. Told him about the Exodus. He asked when I thought I’ll be in the States, and I told him, if the boat gets that far, probably July 4th. We’ve agreed to meet up sometime after the arrival. This’ll be pretty exciting, meeting up with an online friend! Hell, if we can do this, who knows who else we can meet up with?

9:20 PM We had dinner at a fancy restaurant. It was dinner for two. Reminded me way too much of the date with Harly. But then again, I can get over that. I hope. ^^;

10:27 PM Donnie wants to listen to Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence. I love that girl.

10:57 PM Noises from downstairs.

10:59 PM ZOMBIES IN THE LIVING ROOM

11:11 PM I WISH… uh.. hm. I WISH I HAD A GIRLFRIEND. There we go. :D

11:23 PM Donnie’s going to bed. I think I will, too. I mean, big journey ahead of us tomorrow. Plus, it’s fun to sleep with her. (Hahahaha… ha…)

(Attached: “The Internet Service Providers have to deal with a lot of problems in the apocalypse. At first, it was just the Neonate who wanted to take over the internet, but for reasons that will eventually become obvious he gets a little too distracted to keep that up, so the World War Web event doesn’t continue until the Ruin tries for some reason to freeze it all– was he trying to make a pun? From that day forward, the ISP starts issuing its workers flamethrowers as part of their daily protocol. The Morphs are eventually coerced by the Judge to do some catastrophic damage to the world’s servers, but amazingly enough by that point the ISPs have become the equivalent of every country’s defense budget– all remaining governments, in a series of ballsy unprecedented motions, unanimously vouch all their support and give them all the weapons and equipment they need. ISP workers go down in history as war heroes of the apocalypse, keeping watch over all humanity’s information, defending logic itself– and reason!– from otherworldly menaces. Comcast, we salute you.”)

[PREV LOG] [TABLE OF CONTENTS] [NEXT LOG]

[christmic]

I love to color in the lines. I color in the lines I drew. I traced them from the bodies of the many nameless lost souls of the world. African women topless with a hut and a little silver cross inbetween their breasts, and eyes that know more paranormal in their hearts than any overweight psychic back in the states. Who bears the weight of the world on their shoulders and lifts them up mount madonna? Who writes poetry with their wife? Verse in sync. Yeah we need a new girl but Jick is too much of a simp to get his new one in on - gotta get some abstracted away CMON MAN to quote bidenism’s you got hairy legs in the pool and they stand up on end if you let her in on the poliverse too! Also R I P to the shifty clittys and lets face it brother we’re getting old and the natural state of men in our position when it comes to girls is out with the old, in with the new. Not that I’d ever do that to my WIFEI!

I agree to an extent - the second most important lesson is as you said to ‘You can whinge and whine all you want, but there are no shoulds, no should nots, and no nos. There are only the friends you come in with, and the friends you come back to.’ But the first most important is Christ is KANG! Always was and is. You can’t be an elitist and have an iPhone though, and also we have no flies they are lifelong brothers in arms - we’ve deduced it to the bay area kids are much more concerned about seeming smart they can’t do the basics later on in life like let a nice girl in on their inside world outside voice doodling club. KISS - Keep it Simple Stupid. CringeBat can’t write anything because God knows she is running and hiding and crying like season 2 of what she did to whats his name the sweet one omg I took his chick the least I can do is remember his name. Ben? No that’s her cousin right? GEORGE OF THE JUNGLE JUICE!!!!!!!

Wow so wow mom’s Bday was stelar wrapped nice nice nice nice nice nice gifts cute card we took her out stellar times, stellar times! Madonna Madonna- also I outsource wisdom when needed and Bonjo gives the hair advice(style I transcended her after living in the cities) but HAIR she taught me how to do a manbun and I need to move these large mirrors because it feels vain admiring myself so much. I’m glowing in great shape and am happy and blissed all the time. And Jick can be happy to one day! The day he chooses Love over fear, to accept everyone that didn’t grow up with a lawyer mom / engineer ‘dad’. And instead of looking down on their illiteracy he’ll learn to make real food dig real wholes and plant real plants instead of the sea of abstraction that makes up his fortune. Lauren would be so kind to give me her digits so we can mind control him away from simp life! Because the third most important lesson of the whole poliverse is a given - write everyday new new so help us God. That’s it. You can make excuses calling it toxic. You can feel the censors and the edits and the doubts and the noise of life to pull you away. But who hasn’t missed a day yet? Christmic. Who might’ve missed a day but that didn’t count? Christmic. The solution for your fears is to keep writing shadowClit. THe solution for your fears is to keep posting cringeBat. The solution for your fears is to let the girls in twoGimpHands. Then if you’re afraid they’ll read what you wrote just write a buttload more. I understand I had years of prac with poliw.at and it sometimes got me in a lot of trouble - but WORTH IT! We never have to go beyond codenames in verse.

And the other fourth most important lesson of all - stop all feeds. Feeds are for cattle. Leave zuckbook, leave plebbit, leave google, leave twatter, leave instahoe, leave toktick, leave it all. Stop all news. Stop everything. Stop looking at screens. If you’re on the screen, you’re creating at least. Stop all rectangle slave drivers. But me again my only rectangle is the bible atm. And the transition Saul to Paul experienced in his life was epic! He used to ruthlessly kill followers of Jesus until one day on the road on his horse he was blinded by a bright light and Jesus was there and asked him why he was an enemy of him. That’s maybe where the saying get off your high horse. And then Saul became Paul and went all around the empire preaching about Jesus. He was HIGH UP in the Jewish sect at the time and they hated that he started preaching about Jesus. Eventually they killed him for the same reason he used to kill people. Saul to Paul. Saul to Paul.

You can’t not be influenced, so it’s up to you. Do you want to make God smile in your thoughts in actions? Or do you want to feel naked? Schizo hobos will say how dangerous society became when the people stopped doing their holy homework. Bunch of headless chickens bouncing from distraction to distraciton pretending they aren’t one day going to die and meet their maker. It’s only in the brain! HA! I’ve experienced God in a loud direct sense and in many subtle senses to the point it’s not belief, it’s fact. You can escape God if you like, but it’s not as cool as you think. Separation from God is not something I’d wish on anyone. But hey the harder you push, the harder he’ll pull. I was influenced

Starts: I love to color in the lines

Ends: I was influenced

[velvett-tearss]

Cake Day — Jean Kirschtein

prequel to French Wine

summary: Your friends take on the task of planning Connie’s birthday party, only there are a few challenges along the way. Keeping your eyes from staring at Jean happens to be one of them.

warnings: no pronouns mentioned, reader does have hair, cursing, connie is going through a dark time (dont worry, he’s gonna be okay), kissing ;)

genre: fluff, crack

word count: 5.5k bc I am crazy

a/n: no bc i always come back, connie’s bday was a long time ago but this is what i have, literally all of the 104th cadets are mentioned/make an appearance, this is a prequel to French Wine by meeee, hope u enjoy <3

    "Please tell me this isn't actually happening right now."

    "Sasha, it's alright." you say, walking over to where she stands in her Auntie Anne's work uniform with wide eyes. "We can find a new place to host the party, and if not, we can reschedule."

    "No, we can't." Armin admits from his seat on your apartment's brown couch. Everyone winces at the sight of the old thing. "It has to be tomorrow. I already asked everyone to RSVP for tomorrow. We can't just cancel on everyone like that."

    "Why can't we just have it here?" Mikasa suggests calmly, long fingers messing with the hem of her sweater. "We can just put up some birthday decorations and ask Reiner to bring everything else here."

    "No, that won't work. We're always here, and this has to be special. It's Connie's first birthday since..." Sasha loses her words for a moment as she begin spacing around your shared living room. "It's gotta be the best party we've ever thrown. Our apartment has too many bad memories for him.”

    Her words bring silence upon the group. She's right. Every single one of you has seen Connie at his worst, and being there for him on his birthday is the only thing any of you can gift him.

     The plan was to throw him a surprise birthday party at some club downtown, but that proved to be worthless when the owner called a few minutes ago to inform Sasha that there was a leak that managed to mess up the electrics of the building. The owner promised your money back, but it left you without a venue.

    "Whose stupid idea was it to even ask Mina for connections to that place?" Eren demands, walking out of the kitchen with furrowed brows. "Why did we even trust her? Especially after what she did last year."

    "It was yours, genius. And don't tell me you're still upset over her not inviting you to her sorority party." Jean scoffs from beside you. "What about mine and Marco's place?"

    "It's too small and smells like dog all the time." Eren responds easily, to which you raise your brow in amusement. "Sorry, but Marco's mutt is the messiest animal in the world."

    "Jean Paul Marco is a chihuahua, and he is not messy." Jean argues and crosses his arms over his chest. "Sorry, not all of us have renowned doctors as fathers that can pay for maids every other week."

    Eren rolls his eyes and takes a seat beside Armin. A wince is heard from everybody once again. "I'm sorry, aren't you pre-law?"

    "I have an idea." you announce before the two idiots start bickering over meaningless shit. "Why don't we ask Historia to host it? Her apartment is big enough for everybody to fit in, and you know she loves hosting events. There's no way she'll say no."

    "That might work." Armin says after a few moments of thinking, turning over to where Sasha stands. "I'll talk to her about the details. Ymir and Annie won't mind either."

    "And Reiner and Bertholdt can bring the rest of the booze over to their place." Mikasa explains with an assuring nod that seems to quell everyone's nerves. "Eren and I will spread the word about the change in location."

    "And the rest of us can take care of the party decorations and cake." Jean finishes off with a grin, glancing at you meaningfully. "We’ve got this, guys.”

    The brunette lets out a relieved laugh. "Alright, this might actually work." she breathes with a smile. "All I gotta do is keep him distracted."

    "Keep who distracted?"

    Everyone's eyes shoot to where a freshly-showered Connie stands in the hallway, clad in plaid pajama pants and a red DC Comics shirt.

    "I'm helping Sasha get the neighbor's number." you lie quickly, walking over to put your hands on the woman's shoulders. "I told her if she wore that one shirt with the lace, he would totally get distracted."

    "Ah, the cheetah print one?" Connie questions with an approving nod. He walks past Armin's flushed state and into the kitchen in search of dinner. "Yeah, but isn't he a chef or something?"

     You exchange a glance with Jean, who offers you a shrug.

    "What does him being a chef have to do with anything?" Mikasa asks, glancing over to where Sasha stands with a red face.

    "Nothing. I'm just saying that he's a chef."

    "Then why'd you say ‘but?’" Eren questions with a confused face.

    Connie peaks his head out of the refrigerator, mirroring Eren’s expression. "Because he's a chef?"

    "That isn't correct grammar." Armin sputters out, turning to where Connie is. "It would be better to say ‘and he's a chef’."

    "Yet you understood what I was trying to say, didn't you?"

    "Yes, but—"

    "And what's the problem then?"

    "So," Mikasa says with a bored expression on her pale face. "You would say, ‘so what's the problem then?’"

     Connie lets out a scoff as he makes himself a bowl of cereal. Him and Eren start talking about some soccer game that aired last night, and the topic of his surprise birthday party is long forgotten.

     "Would you stop freaking out?" Jean orders, golden eyes wide at you. He's holding the end of the orange balloon in a tight grip, tying it to keep the air from gushing out. "You're making me freak out."

"Sorry. I'm just nervous." you apologize, frowning as you tie your own white balloon. "And on the verge of passing out. Tell me why we got stuck with blowing the balloons again?"

Jean grabs another balloon to fill up. "I know. Why didn't we just buy one of those air tanks for this? I would've brought one if I knew we still had to make more of these shits."

A snicker echoes from the hallway.

"I thought you guys were good with your mouths? Isn't that what you always say?" Reiner chuckles, walking through the living room with a white box in his beefy arms.

You scowl and grab another balloon to... blow. The thought of tossing a balloon at him crosses your mind quickly, but you know it would only waste your time. Plus, it looks as if he is carrying the cake.

"You've been carrying platters of food the entire time we've been here like some busboy while we've been giving our all, including our oxygen, to make this party come to life."

Reiner lets out a hearty laugh, ignoring Jean's chatter. "Historia only sent the two of you here to get you to shut up for once." he confesses, but you know it's a lie.

The guy next to you makes a faux scowl, watching as the blond disappears into the kitchen where the cake would be kept for the time being along with the other plates of food.

Your eyes scan over Historia's apartment. There are white and orange balloons and confetti scattered over the counter and her rosy coffee table. Earlier, Mikasa set up an extra table where all the beverages (mostly booze) sit. And Marco claimed to know someone who made the best cakes in town.

"I mean, not to be that person, but is this the best idea?" you question softly, throwing a raised brow at Jean. He purses his lips, giving you a knowing look. "I just wonder if Connie's in the mood for surprises."

He nods, eyes scanning to make sure Reiner is still occupied in the kitchen. "Sasha says it'll be good for him, but you know how over the top Historia gets when it comes to birthday parties." he mumbles back.

"You can say that again. I mean, haven't we learned enough from surprising our friends?" you ask as the the two of you recall when Historia threw Mikasa a surprise birthday party two years ago. That event only led you to learn two things: Mikasa hates surprises, and her right hook is amazing. "We're lucky it was Eren who took the hit."

Jean nods knowingly. "I think this will either result in everyone having a nice time and getting shit-faced, or we all might have a crying session after this."

     You snort, raising a brow. "Let's just hope it's the former, then."

"What do you think about it?" Jean asks, glancing at you before starting to fill his balloon. "I mean, Connie's been living with you and Sasha for — what? — 6 months? You guys probably know how he'll react."

It's a tough question to answer. Hell, everything about the situation is tough. Is Connie in the right headspace to be thrown a birthday party? His first birthday after all that he's gone through in the past year?

     "I don't know. I've never seen someone like him go through something like this." you reply in between breaths as you fill your balloon. "I think celebrating his birthday with friends will do him good, but a surprise party?"

     Jean nods in agreement. "Yeah. Didn't he say he wanted to keep his birthday small?"

     "Yeah, but Sasha thinks it's a lie." you reply.

     "That's what Marco said."

     "And when has Marco ever been wrong?"

     "He has his moments." he states with a shrug and slight grin playing on his lips. "But there's no point in questioning what's already been scheduled. If Connie hates it, which I hope isn't the case, at least we'll know we tried."

     You nod, tying your balloon. "On another note, I heard Mina's bringing some guy from her nursing class."

     Jean raises a brow, as if this is the first time he's hearing such a thing. "She's coming? And Eren's not losing his shit?"

     You laugh. "Armin said that Historia insisted that we invited Mina — to show it's all water under the bridge and all." you answer, looking for another balloon to fill. "But it was Ymir who told me she was bringing Thomas."

     "Hmm," he hums. "At least someone's getting laid tonight."

     "Have you seen Armin and Annie?" you ask with an incredulous laugh. "There's no way they aren't going out."

     "Annie? With Armin? Please." Jean asks, surprised. "She looks like she could tear his head off. Shit, I'm even afraid of being alone in the same room as her."

     You laugh at his exaggeration, and he joins in. The two of you know Annie's the definition of someone who could and would kill you, but you all know very well how much of a softie she's become for the group.

     This is what you like about Jean. He's the only person you can manage to have an intellectual conversation with (if discussing your friends' business is considered intellectual). It's not hard to bounce off ideas with him, as well as laugh with each other.

     Eren likes to poke fun at you and say you like spending time with Jean so much because he's got a nice face, but that's not true. Jean's handsome face has nothing to do with how much you enjoy his company.

     Totally.

     "What about you?" he asks suddenly.

     You sigh, lightheaded from blowing into balloons and laughing. "What about me?"

     "Who are you bringing tonight?"

     "I think I should be the one asking you that question." you reply with instead of answering. "Last time I checked, you were dating that chick from your study group."

     "She was just a friend." Jean says easily, watching you. "And that was a long time ago. Haven't talked to her in a few weeks."

     "What about that chick from Marco's study group?"

     "Also a friend."

     "And from Armin's study group?" you hum, avoiding his golden gaze. "Or was she a friend too?"

     "If I'd known you were so interested in my love life, I would've made more of a show out of it." Jean scoffs, joking, and you smack him. "But, yes, they were all friends. At least they are now."

     You nod, hiding your grin. "Oh, so that means you've got your sight set on someone new?"

     "It means I'm currently unattached." he explains with a sense of finality. The smirk on his face grows because he's an idiot. "Why? Who's asking?"

     "If this is your way of asking if I have any single friends, you're sorely mistaken because there is no way I am letting you or your dick near them."

     Jean laughs, but that doesn't stop his next words to lack in seriousness. "I don't want to know if your friends are single."

     "Good." you say, an immense feeling of relief washing over you like an icy bucket of water on a hot day. "'Cause I can assure none of them want to date you."

     "Good, because I don't want to date them either."

     You smile, but it falls quickly. "Should I be offended you don't want to date my friends?"

     "No, you should feel sorry for them." he answers, looking down at his balloon before bouncing against the top of your head. "They'll never get never have a chance to blow balloons with me, let alone date me."

     "Right," You swat his hands away from your body as the orange balloon bounces somewhere on the floor. "Because the pipeline from blowing balloons with you to dating you is totally possible."

     "Do you want it to be?"

     You snap your head to look at him. A fire spreads across your body.

You can't say this is something you were expecting, especially not when you're wearing one of Connie's cartoon shirts. You're about to come back with something that you hope will have him burning, but Historia bursts out of the kitchen with two triangles of concealer under her eyes and hot pink rollers in her blonde hair.

      "What the hell are the two of you still doing here?" she cries, blue eyes widened at your flushed face. "Go home and get ready before Sasha and Connie arrive!"

     You're shocked to see her in such a panic. "Hisu, we still have enough time to finish up and get ready. It's only 6pm right now."

     "It's 6pm?!" Jean cries in a panicked state, searching his pockets for his phone frantically. "Holy shit, why didn't you say anything sooner?! Where's Marco?"

     "Everyone's gone, Jean. They left through the back door to not mess up the decorations in front." Historia says, grabbing the both of you by your wrists and dragging you to her backyard. "See, this is exactly why I told Armin we shouldn't put the two of you together without supervision. You guys always get carried away!"

     Your cheeks burn at her words as you drive home, hands gripping the wheel so tight your knuckles turn white.

     "It was entirely your fault." is the first thing Jean says as the two of you race to Historia's back door.

     "My fault? I had no idea Connie and Sasha would show up at 7pm! Eren said they wouldn't arrive until 8pm!" you hiss back, hands reaching to unlock the wooden door that led to the backyard. "If anything, it's your fault. You knew exactly what time they would come, and you still got carried away."

     "Why would you listen to Eren? The guy can barely differentiate left from right." Jean throws back with ease, swatting your hands away from the door handle. He unlocks it without any difficulty, which you scowl at him for. "And I couldn't pay attention to the time with you distracting me!"

     "Oh, I'm sorry watching me blow balloons in Connie's Super Mario Bros. shirt is distracting." you scoff as the two of you rush into Historia's brightly-lit backyard.

You have to admit that your friends have truly outdone themselves. When you suggested Historia's, Ymir's, and Annie's shared apartment as the location for Connie's birthday party, you weren't expecting them to turn the place into such an amazing event.

The backyard is decorated in lightbulb strings hanging across the thick trees to illuminate the round tables draped in white coverings to give a sense of class to the event. It carries the same weight as an actual event thrown by a professional party planner.

It has Historia written all over it.

"Where have the two of you been?" Annie demands as she opens the sliding glass door for the two of you. She's wearing a baby blue dress that brings out the color of her eyes. "Don't look at me like that."

Your eyes jump to hers as you step in. "What?"

"I can hear your thoughts." she hisses, cheeks burning bright red. "I don't own anything that isn't a neutral color. Historia said I should wear this. End of story."

"You look nice." Jean grins, nodding at her dress. "I've never seen you put this much effort into your appearance. Hah, you're even wearing eyeliner."

Annie's narrows her eyes at him before turning around and waking back into the kitchen to hide from any more comments about her appearance. You don't miss the embarrassed flush of her cheeks.

"Jean," you whine, smacking his shoulder.

His brows furrow as the two of you walk around to inspect the apartment. "What did I do now?"

"You shouldn't have made such a big deal about the dress."

"I didn't say anything about the dress. That was you, actually." Jean corrects as the two of you stop by the table of beverages. "I only commented on the eyeliner she was wearing."

You scowl but pour a drink for each of you.

"She should get used to compliments if she wants to date Armin. He's always got something sweet to say." he adds. A grin grazes his lips when you hand him his cup. "Besides, there's nothing wrong with spending time to look nice."

You take a sip of your drink, letting the liquid burn your throat. "Of course you would say that. You spend a ridiculous amount of time doing your hair."

"But it looks nice, doesn't it?"

You hate it because he's right. His light brown hair resembles that of the caramels of the the earthy hues, and it looks best under the light of the apartment's lighting.

Lying is a wrong, so you turn away.

     Jean leans against table. His gaze creates fire across your skin. You can barely process anything with the subtle aroma of his cologne blinding your ability to think. You suddenly feel more exposed to him than you've ever felt in the past years you've known him. Why is he staring longer than usual? Why now?

     "Oh my gosh," you breathe, suddenly very horrified. "Do I have something on my face?"

     "No!" he laughs loudly, reaching a hand out to calm you down. "No, you have nothing on your face."

     That grants you little relief. "Then why are you staring? It's scaring me."

     He shakes his head, smiling like you've created the sun with just your hands. "You're perfect."

A breath gets caught in your throat. You weren't expecting him to say something along the lines of You're perfect, especially not with so much conviction. His words replay in your head, looping through your mind as the two of you gape at each other with a slight tension in the air it makes it difficult to breathe.

     There's a distorted beep from outside the apartment, which causes everyone in the area to stiffen. You all know that noise to belong to Sasha's old sedan the same color as shit-brown. In a flurry of freckles, Marco appears out of thin air and tugs you and Jean by your wrists to get close enough to the front door without being seen.

     Everyone's shuffling around as quickly and quietly as they can. You bump into Mina and Thomas with so much force, the air in your lungs dissipates, and you think it's Eren who mutters out a string of apologies for stepping on your foot.

Once everyone is in their places, Ymir orders shut your mouths, or I'll scream. Maybe it's because you're squished between Reiner's arm that leaves room for no air at all and Jean's intoxicating cologne, or maybe you just manage to get an unflattering angle of the freckled woman, but you find everything in the moment hilarious.

     You left out the most silent chuckle you can muster, but it's still too loud from the way Ymir gives you the side eye. Her expression only make you want to laugh even more.

     A hand comes from behind you and clasps itself over your mouth. You'd be alarmed if you didn't know the only thing separating you from the wall is Jean.

     "Be quiet," he murmurs into your ear. His voice sends a multitude of shivers down your spine. You find no humor in how quickly you wish to obey. "Or she'll slap the shit out of you, and I'll laugh."

     You elbow his stomach, but there's little power to it.

Once your fit of laughter has disappeared and shows no signs of coming back, his hand leaves your mouth, but he remains close to you, hand finding purchase on your shoulder, close to the nape of your neck. Like clockwork, the fire he brings along with him ignites across your body. You hate that he does this to you without thinking of the consequences.

Doesn't he realize how much he affects you?

You don't have time to think much of Jean intentions, for the front door which was left unlocked is slowly pushed open. Everyone holds their breaths, waiting for the right moment.

But it never comes. You hear voice whispering on the other side of the door.

"Oh my gosh," Connie's voice comes out in a terrified tone. "Sasha, the door is unlocked. What the fuck? What if they got robbed? What if—"

"Then we oughta check on them!" she replies back quickly. "Connie, just open the door!"

"What? No! Why me?!" he says immediately. "We should call them to make sure they're alright."

"Constantine, if you don't—"

"That's not my name!"

Jean stifles a laugh from behind you. It sends goosebumps across your body. He takes note of them, so runs his hand down your arm as if to soothe you. His touch leaves you scorched.

You hear a groan from Sasha before quick stomps come close to the door once again. There's enough light from the moon for you to see her stand in the entrance of the living room, but not enough for her to see you.

The light remains off. "Look," she orders, holding her hand out to the dark, yet safe, emptiness of the apartment. "No one is here."

"Fine, you win." Connie sighs and walks into the apartment, closing the door behind him. "But if some crazy guy jumps out and starts robbing us, you're giving him your earrings."

Sasha grins, walking past the threshold to get the light and send the signal. "Just hurry up, so I can change my shoes."

"I thought you said you wanted to change your shirt."

     The brunette reaches the light switch and flicks it before he can ask any further questions.

     "Surprise!"

     Much to your delight (and surprise), the party ends up successful as ever. Everyone owes an apology for doubting Sasha. She knew a surprise party was just what Connie needed, and you have to give credit where's it's due.

     You just wish she would shut up about it.

     "And I was just trying to getcha to stop freaking out and come inside," Sasha guffaws as she retells the story, as if everyone wasn't there. Her face is red from amusement and the alcohol in her system. "I was shitting myself!"

     Connie's laughter is amplified at her words, nearly doubling over from his laughter. "I- I thought we were going to get kidnapped, and all you could talk about was your shoes!"

     Their version of the story is hilarious, and just hearing their laughter brings smiles on everyone's face, but it's the 16th rendition they've told in the past hour.

     And it's getting old.

So after listening to the wheezing laughter and slurred jokes from Connie and Sasha, you decide to find refuge in the kitchen.

It's a mess when you walk in — plates of half-eaten cake, bottles and bottles and more bottles of alcohol, and even more napkins are littered across the kitchen counter.

You pour yourself a glass of Annie's most treasured wine (because you know she won't mind, not if it's you) and begin cleaning as best you can.

Most of the items are paper plates and plastics utensils and cups, but the rest go into the kitchen sink. Decidedly, you choose not to go near the dirty dishes if your life depended on it. Instead, you settle on letting them soak with a few dollops of dish soap.

"There you are."

Jean finds you sitting atop the counter beside the kitchen sink, sipping away at your wine. He's got a boyish grin on his pink face as he walks toward you; you blame the alcohol. "I was looking for you." he says.

"Were you?" you hum, curious. "I've been here."

"Cleaning?" he questions, golden eyes gazing around the kitchen. It's much better than before, but the stacked dishes in the sink lessen the shine.

     Of course, his eyes stay on them.

     "I was going to get to that later," you say, the sudden need to explain rising out of your throat. He walks over to them, watching the bubbles fizz. "I just hate doing dishes."

     Jean doesn't care. He turns the faucet on and submerges his hands into the sink.

     "You don't have to—"

     "Oh, I don't mind." he informs you with a light shrug as he begins washing the many, many plates and bowls and forks. "Marco does the restrooms, and I do dishes."

     An image of Jean doing dishes after breakfast, still in his pajama bottoms (because you know he doesn't wear a shirt to bed), with a serious case of bed head and a sleepy face pops into your head.

      You just nod, letting silence fill the room aside from the sound of running water. The silence gives you enough time to observe Jean as he works.

His jaw appears even sharper without the stubble he had earlier. He must've shaved when he got home. You can't help but notice the curl of his lashes and the perfect nose he seems to have. His hair, as always, is styled to your definition of perfection. You twitch with the sudden urge to run your hands through his hair.

He's beautiful, you think. He always has been. There's never been a moment in your day that you've thought otherwise. You couldn't deny such a fact the day Eren introduced the two of you during freshman year, and you can't deny it now.

"You know," Jean begins, grinning as he looks to where you sit. "I'd tell you to take a picture, but I like the way you stare at me."

You roll your eyes, doing little to hide your embarrassment at getting caught. "Get over yourself. I was not staring at you. I was just wondering how disgusting you must be to like doing the dishes."

"Have you never washed dishes before?" he asks with a laugh.

"Of course I've washed dishes, Jean. Doesn’t mean I like it."

"So? Doing them doesn't mean you like it." he replies as he washes what you assume is the last fork. "But I had to get away from whatever the hell Sasha was doing on the dance floor." He shuts the sink off and uses a rag to dry his hands. The left over bubbles begin to fizz out on their own.

"Last I checked, she was retelling a story we were all there for." you reply, amused.

He laughs, and suddenly he's so much closer to you than before. "Connie and Historia dragged Sasha to the dance floor, and you know how disoriented she gets when she drinks."

     You raise your brows, setting your plastic cup of Annie's wine beside you. "Oh no," you breathe, holding back your laughter. "Don't tell me she took her pants off."

     "She took her pants off." Jean confirms with a nod.

     "Oh my gosh," you groan, heat rushing to your face at the thought of your roommate dancing like a headless chicken with no pants. "Did someone stop her?"

     Jean nods, grinning at the memory. "Mikasa took her into Historia's room before anyone who isn't us could get a peak."

You make note of his subconscious groupings: you, him, your close-knit circle of friends, and then everyone else. You like it. You've never had friends like you do now, and you probably will never get the chance again. To him, you don't exaggerate over his word choice. You act natural, as if his words don't phase you at all.

     But to you, it means the world.

"Sasha's happiest when she's being nurtured, and Mikasa's happiest when nurturing." you say instead, nodding. "I'm glad everyone is enjoying themselves."

"Me too," Jean agrees, grinning at you. It's dazzling, as always, and spurs a grin of your own to paint itself on your face. If anyone were to walk into the kitchen right now, they would find two idiots staring at each other with big smiles on their faces. You don't think you would mind, not if it's with him.

"You shouldn't tell the others, but you're my favorite." he admits, setting his hand on your knee. The weight of his words (and his hand) make your cheeks burn. "Don't let it get to your head, though.” he warns, reaching up to brush your stray hairs away from your face. “It’s already huge enough."

"My head is not huge." you correct quickly, swatting his hand from your face. You choose to ignore the one on your knee and leave it there. "Your head is huge, and I know it is because you've got all that hair covering it up." You bring your hands to his hair and reveal his perfectly normal forehead. "See? Look at your big ass forehead!"

Jean scoffs at your antics and takes this opportunity to poke at your sides, coaxing a laugh out of you. He does it again and again, your laughter spilling out of your mouth and filling the kitchen with the sound. You manage tickle him back, and his laughter joins yours in the kitchen.

Before you know it, a truce has been declared and you can barely breathe with how close he is. You don't know when his hand managed to move from your knee to up your mid-thigh.

     You place your hand over his. "Jean," you whisper softly, moving his hand higher, closer. You act without thinking. "You're my favorite, too."

     This is as far as you'll go. You won't risk your friendship for your selfishness and stupidity. If he doesn't get the hint now, he never will.

     You know your mind isn't playing tricks on your when he starts inching even closer. Your heart races agaisnt your chest as you watch his eyes flutter shut, and you know it's coming.

     It feels like everything around you has slowed into a quiet hum. The only thing you can focus on is Jean, Jean, Jean. His eyes, his hands, his lips. You've fantasized about a time where you actually had a shot with him, but you weren't expecting this. You weren't expecting him to actually want you back.

     His lips brush your tentatively, slowly, giving you enough time to pull away and stop this at any given moment. When you don't, when you open your mouth and allow him further access, when you show him you want him just as much, his hand leaves your hip and travels in search of yours. He brings your palm to his chest, right where his heart is. You don't notice it at first, but suddenly you feel it.

     The plundering of his racing heart against his chest. It makes your hands curl into his hair so deliciously that he lets out a groan. Something has changed. His kisses grow deeper, desperate. It's intense and intimate and something you've never felt before.

     You hear a door open and stumbling footsteps come closer. Like clockwork, Jean pulls away from you and switches on the kitchen faucet, submerging his hands into the leftover bubbles. You bring your almost-forgotten cup of wine back to your lips, attempting to hide the smile on your face.

"Ah! It's you guys!" Connie giggles, stumbling into the kitchen. His cheeks are tinted a rosy color from the alcohol and the spring heat. Jean shuts the water off and dries his hands with a dishcloth. "I'm having so much fun, you guys. I've had way too much to drink."

     He shuffles over to where you and Jean are, putting his hand on the man's shoulder. "I'm just having a really nice time, and I'm, like, so blessed right now. I mean, you guys know what I'm saying, right?" the drunk man continues. Tears begin falling from his eyes. "There is so much pain in the world, but not in this room."

He begins full-on sobbing against Jean's body. "And I never thought we would be here, you know? But, like, it's just so hot outside, and I figured it would be nice to stretch my legs out, you know?" Connie sobs, gasping for breath as he wipes his tears and snot on Jean's dress shirt. "You know, everyone, like, they have a person who fits them, that's made for them, you know? And, like, it's so beautiful."

Jean chuckles at his friend, wrapping a consoling arm around him. "Yeah, man," He exchanges a glance with you. His cheeks are still tinted pink and his smile hasn't left left his face since your lips did. "It is."

[georgiapeach30513]

Open Your Heart, Part 2

Summary:  Life with Paul, he’s just the sweetest

Pairings:  Paul Diskant X Reader

Rating:  explicit

Warnings:  explicit language, explicit sexual content, unprotected sex, PIV sex, cream pie, fainting, life with a heart pump, 18+ ONLY

Word Count:  1.6K

Previous

Series Masterlist

*Dividers by @firefly-graphics​

Removing your batteries, you put them on the charger, plugging yourself into the night time machine, when Paul walks in the bedroom, “Don’t give me that look,” you tell him.

“I didn’t say anything,” he smirks, walking closer to you. “You look beautiful,” you roll your eyes at him, and he pulls you closer. His hand runs down your side, and he starts a steady rocking of your bodies.

“Do you doubt me?” he asks, leaning forward, pressing open mouth kisses on your skin.

“No, just sometimes I don’t feel it.”

“This was part of our vows. I’m not leaving you because we have an obstacle, you can live a relatively normal life,” you shush him, laying your head on his chest to hear his steady beating heart. “Blossom…”

“Shh, I like hearing normal,” he holds you close to his chest, gently kissing over your head. Leaning back you gaze at one of the most handsome people you’ve ever seen. “Thank you.”

“You think I’m actually going to leave? We’ve got you on the transplant list.”

“If we find one soon enough,” you try not to cry. But the thoughts of you leaving Paul behind, when you’d barely got to experience life together hurts.  He didn’t deserve to become a widow so young.

“Or maybe the county hospital can figure out…a way or something,” you sigh, pulling him back close to you. “There’s got to be something that they can do. You plugged in?” laughter is the only way to deal with this.  And he knows that sometimes the lighthearted approach is what makes you feel best.

“Because,” he starts picking you up, “the doctor said in order for you to strengthen your heart, you needed lots of sex.”

“That’s not what they said,” you laugh at him, but he nods excitedly. “No, they said cardio.”

“Exactly, your husband wants you to ride him. It’s the least I can do to make sure you get your cardio in. Plus, you said missionary makes you uncomfortable, you’re afraid I’ll tear your hose out,” he carefully sets you back down, patting over said hose, “I’m only doing what I can to help, Blossom.”

Undressing isn’t quite as sexy as it used to be, but still when you’re left with nothing but your panties on, it does the trick. He backs the two of you back onto the bed, and you let him shimmy out of his boxers before sliding back on the bed. “Go on, no need to put on a show for me. Just come here.”

You wiggle out of your panties, and crawl up towards him. Straddling his legs, you let Paul rub his tip through your folds. Grabbing your hip to push you down until your balls deep. Paul pushes himself off the bed, and starts fondling your tits.

Leaning a bit, kitten licking at your bud, and you roll your hips one time, “Keep going. I want to hear you become a whimpering mess.”

His mouth fully engulfs your breast, and you start a steady rocking over him. Your fingers run up and down his spine, and you get completely lost in the feeling of your husband. This was always the best, learning each other in different ways.

You thought he had made the ultimate sacrifice by him staying with you, but it was you who made the ultimate sacrifice, for not giving up.

The way he gazes at you while you work yourself over him, it’s true unadulterated love. Every sound that squeaks out of your mouth, because he just feels so good seated inside of you. While this isn’t how you thought your life would go, you’re so happy he’s in it with you.

He whispers your name, and you grind down harder on him. In these moments forgetting about the heart pump, and it’s just the two of you. Wrapping your arms tight around Paul, you hold him closer, and he brings his lips to yours. You made him weak, and he made you stronger.

Stuttering your movements but he gives you a swat to your ass, “You gotta get in your cardio,” he moans out when your walls flutter around him. “I’m only looking out for you.”

You giggle on him, but quickly succumb to your orgasm. Your walls clench down tight around him, and he lets go, knowing you got off. Resting your head on his shoulder, you pepper kisses on his skin. Paul holds you tight, scared that his days with you are numbered. “I love you Paul. I’m sorry about this.”

“I love you, but this isn’t your fault. Come on, let’s go to bed.”

Paul gives you the sweetest kisses in the morning before he leaves. Everything is always giggly with him, he was what kept you sane. “So, the sheriff is wondering if his wife could come over,” you snarl your lip up at him, but he just gives you another smiling peck.

“She wants to bring us a cake or pie or something. Just go with it. He means well. He didn’t have to give me paid leave.”

“No, I know. I’ll be nice.”

With a final goodbye, he heads into work. Ready to get the day started, but Lee pulls him into the office as soon as he walks in. “So Diskant, you didn’t tell me your wife was deathly ill.”

“It’s not something I parade around, and it’s not exactly like that,” Lee raises up his eyebrow, gesturing to the chair in front of his desk. “For the most part, she’s normal. The heart pump takes care of everything. The problem is the bacteria did a number on her heart, and the pump isn’t enough. Ideally we’re hoping for another year. It could be as short as five months before,” he shakes his head, trying to get himself out of that mind frame. Paul hates listening to the possibilities with your life. Hates that he may only have months left.

“That’s why we moved here. Meade has a great cardiac unit. Heart transplants are difficult because you can’t have a live donor. Someone has to die and be a match. We’re just doing what we can.”

“What caused the bacteria?” Paul shrugs, his eyes looking at Lee’s door. He didn’t talk about this with people. It was too upsetting. “Maybe I could put in a good word, or I don’t know. You tell me what we need to do, we’ll get it done,” Paul nods his head, and turns to leave.

“We’ll get it done,” Lee whispers mostly to himself. Tapping his fingers together, he needs to research how to determine how a heart was a good match. He’ll get you what you need. No matter what.

“Your home is precious,” Judith says with a smile. Her red velvet cake now pretty and on display on the counter. You’re unsure if her words are sincere or condescending. But you smile anyways. New people make you nervous. Especially in your home.

“How long have you and Paul been married?”

“Five. Together eight. He’s great. Red velvet is one of his favorites,” you see her eyes lingering on your battery pack, and you turn to grab some lemonade. “Thirsty?” you ask quickly. Pausing to look at your medicine, unable to remember if you took it. But something felt off. An odd dizzy feeling bursts in your brain, and you struggle to take a deep breath.

“Honey, you okay?”

“Check and see if Wednesday is gone,” you sit the pitcher down, pointing at the case. Heavily blinking your eyes. Not again.

“Yeah,” she says quickly when you stumble.

“Paul. I need Paul,” Judith lets out a scream when you fall to the floor. Quickly grabbing up her phone to call Lee.

“Is Diskant there?”

“Yeah? What happened?”

“Oh god, Lee, she passed out.”

You drink a glass of water, staring at Paul, “You’ve got to be taken off that medicine. They can’t get the dosage right, and you’re either lethargic or passing out. One of these days you’re going to get really hurt. We’re not doing this.”

“It’s blood pressure medicine, Paul.”

“They can give you another. That’s twice this month that you’ve passed out. And there’s no pattern as to why it’s happening,” you smile up at him. “I’m serious.”

“I know.”

“Don’t bother taking her blood pressure,” he tells the paramedic, and she stands staring at him confused. “It won’t register with the LVAD. We’ll make an appointment with her doctor though. Lee, thank you for this.”

“Don’t think anything of it. You just take some time off to take care of this little darling,” Judith cuts her eyes over at Lee. She typically was the only person that Lee called little darling. “I hope you get to feeling better, Mrs. Diskant.”

She knows Lee will try to explain it away, but he winked at you. Instead of being delighted, you recoil into Paul, and hide your face from Lee. “Well, alright then, me and the Mrs. are gonna head home. Let me know if you two need anything. Anything at all.”

Judith makes a note to ask Lee about this. He was a notorious flirt, but even he was being blatantly obvious. And in front of your husband, and his wife. She gets an uneasy feeling about this. Sure, their relationship was on the rocks. But this was different. Lee had that determined look in his eyes. He found another damsel in distress.

But one that didn’t need him to save her. You seemed very comfortable and in love with your husband. So what was Lee’s deal? Even if she asked, he’d lie like he always does.  You seemed to be the one that wasn’t falling for his charm.

She gets in her car, and Lee grabs ahold of the door, “I think we should do a fundraiser for them. Maybe like a county potluck or something,” she doesn’t have to dig too deep. Lee was obvious about what he wanted. And right now, he wanted you.

Next

Masterlist

Taglist:  @tis-thedamn-season​ @marveloustaylortot​  @pono-pura-vida​ @sstan-hoe​ @peaches1958​ @elrw24​ @infatuatedjanes​ @kthynes​ @oatballsoffury​ @flannellover67​ @murvelle​ @sgtjaamesbaarnes​ @potatothots​ @thedarkplume​ @randomagnes0210​

[thevampirearchive]

Commentary on Interview With The Vampire - Episode 1 (Spoilers)

Shorter thoughts vers

Barely fully in and it already looks beautiful. Was the budget in the billions because this shit is so crisp, fuck!

Hannah Baker was out-fucking performed. TAPES RO HARRASS A DYING MAN WHO DIDNT USE YOUR VAMPIRE SECRET? Lestat would be so proud!

I am so happy this is the direction they chose — brining us to modern time, the only time I wanna hear about the pandemic in entertainment media. And all while humanity does, Louis is stuck in his high tower with some high tech ass Dubai apartment? Purr.

Nvm, Mans seem sick of it lmao. Stuck there in his own personal house-coffin (I’d still prefer a coffin, and I feel like Lestat would have never chosen a place penthouse. He’s too French for modern builds. “Louis? NO QUALITY WOODEN COFFIN?” He’d say, in a French accent, in disgust.

I am a whore for period piece and they’re taking us to 1910 AND New Orleans? Spoiled. We’ve been spoiled.

Gosh the vulgar language, I am shaking from excitement! Pls!

I know a lot of black folks hate it when they have the white say the n-word, but that ‘unhand me nigger’ comment killed me, that white man forgot where he was for a second

I too agree, anal without consent is against god (I screamed, the whores are funny)

Not Paul tryna play captain save a Ho, man’s brough a Bible Too — I love him.

THE BRAWL! And this whole time Lestat is watching like it’s forplay for later.

HE PULLED A SWORD ON HIS OWN BROTHER? That’s cold Lou, but I respect it, gotta do what you gotta do.

Lestat watching, BRICKED UP, and I cannot believe nobody’s falling in love like this ANYMORE. WE USED RO BE A SOCIETY! (How I imagine Lestat internally, as he watch his man pull a whole sword out of his Pimp 3000 Cain)

Pls not the disgusted faces on the white men watching Louis walk in!!! Fighting for their lives to not say sum — TRY IT :^b

The lines should have been “damn so they just letting anybody in” so I could have really lost it. His racism wasn’t racist enough — I predicted they’d make him a proper French (racist) but they didn’t drive it all the way, and I get why. Can’t have the protagonist calling the other protagonist a nigger after all (well I haven’t seen Ep. 2 so perhaps) but it would be accurate. I just don’t believe white ppl weren’t racist, even the DOCTOR was sliming it around and that’s the homie, y’a know?

Awww Lestat is like a tarot girlie after watching one Tiktok reading and suddenly she sees 11.11 everywhere. “Ah Louis?! I was heading to St. Louis? Hahah so you’re my saint haha”, Lestat pls you look desperate pls breath baby breath (same tho)

His French is so good!  Ça m’a pris par surprise! Qu’est-ce qu’il est français ou il est juste un bon acteur? I could Google it, but how else will I flex that I too, speak French. Lestat is actually my cousins neighbor, oui oui baguette.

LMAOOOO “that explains the attire” SHOTS FIRED. Man’s came for his whole fit, and Lestat laughed it off cuz he’s in love, wow.

Lestat is such a scorpio sun libra Mercury scorpio mars because who tells a story, LEANS FOR A SLUTTY KISS and continues with the same elegance? He’s such a slut, I love it!

The way he just had foreplay and the whole time Louis fighting for his life to not bust. Cuz what? Watching a man touch a woman that way with their gaze fixed on you only? He’s playing with you Lou! RUN (not to fast tho, make it clap as you go tihi)

Am I wrong for thinking Louis was not just mad that Lestat froze him but that he knows without much effort? He knows Louis a raging homosexual and it’s been what? Minutes? Pls!

“I’ve emptied a bank volt to sample” LESTAT! He’s a whore but I’m still shocked, I knew this BUT IM STILL SHCOKED!

He really saw Louis in the act for seconds and decided to not just stay but get a home, furnish it, get a wardrobe, ignore that it’s basically a red light district (sure there’s buisness but he comes off too french to ever accept to live near the sound of cheeks being clapped) JUST cuz Louis is there. When will it be me god?

“You are his destiny Louis”— istfg if I do not experience this soon I will combust. PlS!

The bidding war was so hot and then he placed his ring and I felt it in every fiber of my being. Can’t beleive Lilly didn’t say ‘just get y’a cocks out and let’s do it the proper way’ the way they were slinging

Louis’ idk if I wanna be him, beat him or fuck him moment was real, man’s was fighting gay thoughts with all his might (and looses, later)

His mind filled with just Lestat huh? So the gay thought’s won? I wonder if he tells Lestat that? If he does I think lestat’s head will grow too big for his hats.

Thé poker game was smooth and I love how Louis just went meh, and didn’t question the time freezing, the voice in his mind or the enormous compliment — you are worth more, king. Big ups.

Pls Not them having put and Louis bring smt to read, he’s such a weirdo bro we know you know he’s basically taking you out on dates and you love it! PUT THE BOOK DOWN AND FLIRT BACK *holds up a gun*

THE CINEMA! Such cultured lads! I love them. Out here watching while Lestat watching his snack, I MEAN HIS MAN, I MEAN HIS BUISNESS PARTNER

‘He’s not white he’s French’ — this is what all white Man’a whore tell themsleves. Didn’t I fucking predict they’d say that? Lmaoo I did!

NOT HIM CALLING HIS MOM MAMMA DU LAC! He’s tryna fit in and Paul fighting back from saying sum (not too hard tho cuz now he’s going in lmao GET HIM LIL BRO)

“What’s the nature of your relationship with my brother” All my mind can think off is ‘everybody knows… everybody knows that he fucks you’. Cuz why would he ask that? Clearly that’s your future brother in law AND PAUL KNEW! The voices told him he was amongst the gays tihi

Okay Lestat pls don’t trauma dump on Paul lmao, answer the question or politely ignore it cuz I feel like Paul has some ‘you’ve got the wrong time but the right bitch’-him and just swing cuz what? But I think he’s being pulled in so he couldn’t even move if he wanted to.

NOT LOUIS SETTING IT STREIGHT! Idk why I thought he’d be a pushover after all the dreamy stairs Lestat has given him:)

This is all I can imagine Lestat thinking as he dinned with black ppl probably for the first time ever — rich and educated at that.

Please! A Lilly for his front pocket and a Lilly for Louis to do nothing with but entertain him, tihi

Not her revealing he’s gay, girl, bffr. “It’s okay” this strange white man now knows too fucking much babes but whatever

THE ALMOST TOUCH! I had to close the screen sorry I am used to fluff only (no I am not, but that yanked me)

now he’s in his head, fucking his mind and eyes and watching him get hard for him cuz Lilly ain’t doing shit but be a buffer. A pretty buffer getting a taste of Lestats man FOR NOW! Good *gets closer to screen* IS THAT FINGER SUCKING? Even pulling away in disgust was not convincing babes, !BE WHO YOU ARE!

THE FIGHT FOR DOMINANCE! MY GOSH AND THE RELEASE! It’s like he was pretending before going full ‘yeah now after we’ve kissed and touched titties, you know I’m into it so let me chill’ and he went lax, and now they floating, fucking and sucking. Gosh, this better win an award.

No because I fully beleive being drank from by a vampire is the closest thing humans will ever get to experience true euphoria and that’s why I will not simply be turned immediately. MAKE ME YOUR BLOODBAG FOR AT LEAST SEVEN DAYS AND SEVEN NIGHTS PLS I need to feel the THRILL

That was the most romantic, tender yet agressive love making bloodsucking scene I’ve ever witnessed. I’m bricked up, down there and up here (holds heart)

The wedding! This about to be good cuz y’all know black ppl know how to celebrate!

ARGH THE MONEY TO HER DRESS! The diaspora is ALIVE!

Thé dancing! Arghhhh this show is so freaking black, I love it! Anne is probably rolling in her grave, arguing with Satan to be resurrected so she can sue. Love it here

THE THROWN MONEY! YAAAAAAAS! Y’all don’t understand! This how we really be!!!! Black folks RISE! This one’s for us!

Now they climbing a whole roof just to … see the sunset? Babes… bffr.

Awww “I love you-“ why did that sound like a Goodby! Where is HEGOING NO-

NOOOOOOOOOOOO

Noooooooo! I’m fenna cry, PLEASE NOT PAUL! (I knew he dies but I also forgot but I also was just enjoying myself and they caught me slipping. Now I’m pausing to take deep breaths…)

And that was his last sunrise? Yeah, cuz the fucking cameras.

Pls not death is boring… Speak for yourself, some of us have yet to try >:( ( but I’ll probably agree. It’s so inevitable like boo, give us smt fresh, smt unexpected!)

Not his mama tryna blame him… pushed? Babes be fucking Fr rn. Fuck sakes. And his sister not defending or nun. She probably wanted him gone and now she got it.

I just feel bad cuz suicide is a sin and still he did it :/ sad.

MANS PULLED UP TO THE FUNERAL! Lestat you are sick (I love it). PLEASE NOT HIM ACTUALLY NOT GAF! Didn’t even wear black, even tho I know that wardrobe fully stocked!

“Not here” Louis says and Lestat is on sims ‘I texted, I called, I send a pigeon and nothing, ignoring me huh?

THE GASP THAT LEFT ME! NO LESTAT YOU CANT SAY THAT AT THE WALK TO THE FUNERAL! All in attempt to ‘pick me, choose me, love me’ into Louis’ heart, now Louis ready to fist fight you in the same streets you fell for him tsk me tsk tsk. Maybe y’all should step to the side and kiss. Cuz clearly Lestat was NOT leaving …

This is the lvl of toxic and possessiveness I thought I’d see in twilight… y’all fooled me. Cuz Bella would have loved this ngl and I’d have loved it more but Edward is a runner and a track star. Lestat tho? He’d probably kill the whole town for Louis to notice him.

This man went to the burial, didn’t even wait for his obsessive fangirl behavior, AND he killed Lilly leaving nobody for Louis to turn to. Now man’s fighting for his life and all I’m wondering is why no other vampire in history has ever been this obsessive so I’d know this is how fucked up I am (derogatory) wow. Went to every fucking limits just so Louis wouldn’t know peace.

NOT THE CONFESSIONAL WITH THE PRIEST! Louis you don’t even beleive! It’s giving “Ariana! What are you doing here!”

Did Lestat not think of the priest? Tsktsk didn’t even eliminate all sources of outlet! Should have burnt the church, house, brothers and had every townsman flee just to get a text back. For legal reasons I am joking…

Nvm, he barely got into the juicy bits before man’s was dragged out and is now being devoured. (Kinda hot. Didn’t even let Louis finish)

At this point, whenever Louis doesn’t breath is Lestat direction it’s PICK ME CHOOSE ME LOVE ME. He’s so obsessive *plays obsessed by Mariah Carey*

All I see is Lestat being so angry and hurt that Louis went to confess to a god he does not beleive in before he came to Lestat. Like damn. You’d rather come here then come to me ? “Do I mean that little to you-“ type of hurt. :( Aww babes, he’s just afraid cuz once he comes to you, it’s over. That’s the beginning of a life he doesn’t beleive he can have and he’s want all of you … can’t be gay and black in these parts (time + place) I fear

Please not the stabbing! 😭 babes pls you know this man isn’t a regular man, he drank from you and you decided to never speak to him again for a reason.

Pls not the slowmo! It looks so fucking cool! Even when he eats ppl it’s so agressive and looks so painfull! Love messy eater vampires.

“I’m not the devil- but I can give you death-“ Pls why has nobody offered me this ?? It’s not fair! “I love you Louis, you are loved.” Nawl I’m fenna cry. (And I am crying)

Envious that this is not my character arch, I am stuck consuming it rather then being CONSUMED! He wanted to create an infinity Between them. Remove death AND life from the equation!

That was the most beautiful asking ever. The way their just :’) This is such a tender, romantic, loving moment. That moment was … beautiful. I have no words! I too forgot the barbaric scene (lmao as did Louis ofc)

AND THEN CAME THE NOD! THE KISS AND THE BITE! The way he kissed him, alone, I could tell he released all fears and pain he had in this life. Fear of loving a man, of being who he was, pain of being at fault for things — for his role as a pimp, him as a son, a brother to his brother, a provider for his family. The one who promised his father strength without truly ever wanting it but doing it because he was good at it. He was hurting so much and Lestat just liberated him (too bad Louis doenst realize this too is a prison, but with a nice view, unhinged love of your life and a future daughter, have fun)

That was perfect. The description of the transformation — THE HAARTBEATS! Gosh I wanna be able to have senses heightened this much! ImGAINE!

I am SCREAMING it was so quick! I’m a whore for varsity in transformations! Some vampires die and require burials. Some are dead for much longer! EVERYYING! EVERYTHING

This was dead ass the best vampire tv show I’ve ever seen. They gave me black ass moments and I am living! TENDERNESS, POSSESSION! OBSESSION, trauma, laughter, depth! Script was INCREIDBLE! These are really good writers! What a team! And the actors? Give those two their fucking awards RIGHT NOW!

I cannot believe we’re witnessing the best vampire show unfold right before us.

[always-andromeda]

Hey all, Meda here!!

I don’t want to make a habit out of pointing out the numbers and follower milestones too often because I know that’s just going to ruin my head and I don’t want that. But I just hit 200 followers and I want to say a huge thank you to everyone that follows me. I’ll leave sappy stuff for under the cut for anyone who cares to read it, but just as a general note, if you like, comment, and reblog my work, thank you so much!! I am so grateful for all of you little weirdos!! 🤎✨☺️

Now, hello, under the cut readers! I wanted to talk a little bit about myself. I’ve been writing in some capacity for almost eight years now. It’s been one of my biggest passions for as long as I can remember. Throughout my teenage years I was completely convinced that I would be a published author and was constantly writing basically every single day.

That all came to a peak when I decided to write a fiction novel for a project I was working on during my senior year of high school. For basically a whole year, that was the only writing project I worked on and it completely consumed me.

I graduated high school feeling burnt out creatively and I had actually come to really hate writing. So for two years I just didn’t write. I wrote songs and occasional bits of poetry and things for college but no bits of creative writing. It was probably one of the hardest things I’ve experienced yet, as that was one of my biggest outlets to express myself. And for a very long time, I simply didn’t have it.

I didn’t truly feel the fire for writing again until I watched The Batman in theater and started immersing myself in the Dano fandom on here. Paul will always mean so much to me because the roles he plays and his personality as a filmmaker reminded me of all of the wonderful parts of writing and storytelling that I used to love so much.

The biggest growth I went through, though, reminds me of this quote from Paul, “Putting yourself out there is important. Cause you have to hustle as well; we’ve gotta slut it up a little bit.”

I will always have a fondness for this community because it was other fanfic writers I followed that made me want to start posting my work. Seeing all of these other people actually sharing their stories and ideas with the internet inspired me to slut it up and just put my work out there, no matter what insecurities I have. And boy, am I ever so glad I did.

I am DELIGHTED that y’all seem to be enjoying everything, as evidenced by the growth I’ve experienced in the month since I’ve started posting. I’ve made so many new friends whom I adore and found a community of people who actually enjoy what I write. Truly, to my friends on here, the folks that message me after I post something, and folks who leave comments on posts, thank you. Thank you so much for giving me something so full of light and chaos and love.

I can only hope that as time goes on, I will continue to grow and get better as a writer and create things that make me happy but also make those of you who care enough to pay any amount of attention to me happy as well. Love all y’all and thank you so much!!!

[torchickentacos]

Out of Context Tag!

Hello! I was tagged to do this by @maybenow22, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR GIVING ME THIS OPPORTUNITY!!! 

Rules:  The rules for this tag-game are as follows: Include one character quote — of your choosing ⁠— from each chapter of your WIP (or as many chapters as you'd like). Give absolutely no context, save for what's between two parts of an interrupted sentence, should that occur. You may mention who said it.

.........Except as I copy paste this out I realize I read it entirely wrong hours ago because I was so excited and I did one quote per CHARACTER instead of per CHAPTER, and I spent too much time picking something for everyone to back out now, so... out of context quotes, one per character? New tage game I guess, whoops? Anyways, this is open to everyone since I changed the rules on accident and I just like having them be open, but @lmaoirrelevant @chikoritadave @maybenow22 @ everyone else in new jersey, maybe you guys would want to do my accidental new version of this! Either way, enjoy these quotes from Hell in a Honda! Reblogs are fine if you want. 

Oh, boy. There’s a lot of characters and a lot of quotes to go through here. Also, not every character is here because there’s just too many of them, so here’s everyone in the car. Everyone is at least 20. Some of this may not make the final cut, I never know. 

Brock: “All of you, cut it out. There will be no kissing, fucking, marrying, or killing in this car, unless I drive us off of a cliff and kill everyone, which I am SERIOUSLY CONSIDERING.”

Ash:  “Um, not sure where to start. I met god once or twice and saved him from dying, does that count?”

Misty: “SUCK IT, OAK! FIFTY BUCKS!”

Gary: “Kiss me, huh? And why was that such an easy decision?”

Tracey: “It was a blessing in disguise. Don’t worry. Kiawe picked me up.”

May: “What? I’m not a Rihanna person, I just know a good song when I hear it. Not my fault that she’s into some freaky stuff.” 

Drew: “Honestly, it scares the fuck out of me, but with the amount of time we’ve spent whispering to eachother right now, I think that everyone’s ship of reasonable doubt has sailed, so…”

Harley: “Execution by firing squad, mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, and no divorce. You’re stalling! Just answer the damn question!”

Max: “Yeesh. That’s gotta be some sort of record.”

Dawn: “Why’s nobody this invested in my love life?”

Paul: He is silent the entire time. 

Barry:  “No way, I’m burning up over here! I’m all squished against Dawn and she’s like a human heating pad-I will FINE YOU if you turn the heat up!”

Cilan: “Alright, let me make sure I’ve got this straight. May, Clemont, and Paul are asleep and don’t have an order, but May can just eat everyone’s leftovers when she’s hungry because she doesn’t care who eats before her, which is gross but moving on. Brock, you don’t want anything. Drew and Lillie, you both just want coffee-Drew, cappuccino, Lillie, Mocha. Max and Bonnie, kid’s meals with fries even though you’re both seventeen. Hey, don’t look at me like that! Not judging. Lana, Fillet-o-fish with no cheese. Chloe, Misty, and Goh, Egg McMuffin. Harley, Tracey, Dawn, and Sophocles, chicken sandwich. Wait, Brock, pull over, I’m not ready yet-”

Clemont: “Paul, I don’t think nokias even support hotspots.”

Bonnie: “Awwwww, guys! He finally grew a pair!”

Serena: “OH DEAR!” 

Lillie: “That’s a little… vulgar.”

Sophocles: “You know they both die at the end of Romeo and Juliet, which the song is based on, right?”

Mallow: “Never call it that ever again, please.”

Lana: “Too bad, Gerard Way.”

Gladion: “I don’t even like My Chemical Romance that much-”

Goh: “I want no part in any of this.”

Chloe: “How are you doing? Other than the migraine and rear-view mirror romcom kiss scene reenactment jumpscares?” 

[migilini]

I Do - Charlie Gillespie

a/n: I watched to many seasons of married at first sight and this came to mind. Just pretend that Charlie in this GIF is wearing a suit. Kinda a part two to Fifth Time Workes A Charm

Requests are open btw! (not just for Charlie)

words: 3k

warnings: none just fluff and a lot of crying

MASTERLIST

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

You barely slept during the night. You kept waking up what felt like every hour to check if it was time to get up. The bed felt awfully empty and you would give everything right now to be in his arms. Then finally, the clock strikes 9 am and you are up on your feet, the nerves getting the better of you. The hotel room was nice and clean, you didn't like it, it felt too white and too lifeless to you right now.

You looked at yourself in the mirror, glowing but tired eyes staring right back at you. Taking a deep breath you tried to shake the nerves with a silly little body shake, then you smiled at yourself before heading into the bathroom to wash your face.

A knock on the door interrupted you mid-splash and you went to the door with a dripping face. “We’ve arrived!” your best friend Elouise or Eli for short exclaimed and hieved her whole baggage onto your bed. “What do you mean we?” you leaned your head out of the room and into the empty hallway. Just as you were about to close the door, feet pounded on the carpeted floor. “Sorry, sorry! Had to finish the call with hair and makeup.” Tris, your other best friend screamed through the halls, as she frantically came running towards you, phone clutched in one hand while the other held two dresses that flattered behind her.

You looked at her in amusement "Need a glass of water?" You chuckled at her heavy breathing and closed the door behind you.

"Oh yes please"

"Y/N you're so not ready...well lucky for you we are here. So hop hop go shower ma lady." Eli shushed you into the bathroom "and scrub every inch! I'll check if I have to!” You still heard their laughter as you get rid of your clothes and step into the shower. The warm water relaxed your muscles and your nerves immediately.

Several minutes later, now smelling like a goddess and wrapped into a soft white towel, you sat on the bed in your now crowded hotel room. While you were showering your nerves away, your dress, the hairdresser and makeup artist arrived.

“There she is!” greeted the makeup artist “Come sit down, we’ve got everything out and you and I already discussed your look. Are we still okay with it?”

“Yes, Carlos. But make everything as cry proof as possible okay?” you said laughing slightly.

“I also brought you a coffee and a croissant. I know you don’t usually eat something in the mornings but we don’t want you to faint now do we?” Tris held a tablet in front of her with several cups of coffees and something to eat. You took a cup gratefully, shooting her a quick thanks, holding the cup as Carlos started on your face and Melissa, the hairdresser started drying and styling your hair.

“Can I have my phone back?” You said to no one in particular.

“Nope, sorry.”

“Emi! What--It’s my phone!”

“I do know that. And you should know that Tris and I know you very well and you would’ve called or more likely face timed him by now and put a bad omen over the whole day.”

“Yeah. You and Charlie can’t be away from each other for long.” Tris acknowledged and sided with Emi.

“You’re just jealous that I’m in love.” You shot back with a smile and stuck your tongue out at your friends which in return gave you a growl from Carlos and Melissa who needed you to sit still.

After what felt like an eternity you were done and now it was time for your bridesmaids to get ready. They purposefully taped a piece of cloth over all mirrors so could only see yourself when you were 100% finished with getting ready.

Now that you had some time to actually think about today, your mind started to wander. Was Charlie ready by now or were there some complications? Tris did get a call earlier to then just run out of the room and come back 20 minutes later. What suit would he wear? Was he just as nervous as you? Totally unaware of how much time you passed, you were ripped out of your thoughts with a forceful swat on your shoulder.

“Miss Bride? It’s time to get the dress on.” Tris squealed.

You took a look at your best friends who looked absolutely stunning, at some time they got changed into their dresses. Emi smiled at you with a glossed lipped smile, her brown hair up in a bun while little strands of glitter strings framed her face. She wore a turquoise halter dress with some nude heels. Tris wore a bit of a darker turquoise strapless dress, her colourful hair falling straight over her shoulder. Both had simple makeup, a nude smokey eye with eyeliner.

Your eyes started to tear up. “Guys...you look absolutely stunning.” Emi walked over to you and embraced you in a hug. “We look really fudhing good but you’re gonna look even better. Now hop hop get undressed we have to lace up the dress.”

While your friends were working on lacing your dress up, you wondered out loud. “How much do we wanna bet that Owen lost the rings?” You chuckled and then yelled, “That's way too tight!”

“Oh Owen is so gonna lose the rings but we'll be fine. You’re gonna have rings or I'll run and get you some new ones.” Tris reassured you with a smile.

“Can I finally look at myself? I want to see if I look like a bride.” Emi and Tris shared a quick look before agreeing. Emi ripped the cloth away from the closest mirror. An audible gasp was all that was heard, everybody fixated on your reaction to yourself.

“I look like a real ass bride. I- oh my god… I look so good.” You coaxed out, trying not to cry, this got all a bit real too fast.

And you really did look amazing. Your open hair fell over your shoulders and ended right underneath your boob. It had a lot of volume and little glitter braids in it and Melissa had curled them to perfection so they framed your face perfectly. Your makeup was stunning as well, the reddish-brown and glittery smokey eye complementing your skin tone and eye colour. Carlos finished the look with a pinkish nude lipstick. You were glowing.

The cream coloured dress sat perfectly on your figure, the A-line cut highlighting your waist, the flowery lace flowing from the corset top down to your feet. The dress was poofy but not too much. You looked more like Sofie from Mamma Mia and less like Cinderella. You adjusted the straps and smiled at yourself.

“And I’m telling you, Charlie will bawl his eyes out when he sees you.” Emi patted your back and finished lacing up your dress. Tris couldn't contain herself anymore and let out a little sob “I’m sorry. You just look so gorgeous. I can’t believe you're getting married.” You pulled her into a hug.

“We don't have that much time anymore. the photographer should be here in five minutes to take your bridal pictures and pictures with the bridesmaids.”

The photo session went by quickly and you could tell that they turned out amazingly, by the way, Paul, the photographer, smiled at his screen. Megan, Charlie's sister and your other Bridesmaid came in at the last minute, due to the fact that she just flew in in the morning.

Then it was time for the first look. At first, you weren't sure if you should do this or if it would be better if the first look would be at the ceremony itself. You thought it would be funny to send Tris to the first look instead of you. So you, Megan and Emi sat in the hotel room waiting patiently.

The door opened “You two are really made for each other.” Tris came back in with a huge smile on her face. “Why? What happened?” You asked, the nervousness in your voice was evident. “Was he mad?”. She started to laugh “No absolutely not because he had the same idea as you and sent Owen.”

The room erupted in laughter “Oh no he didn't!” “Of course he did”

The next couple of hours flew by so quickly. You got to the venue. Your parents came by to say hello to you and to shed some tears. They also told you that most of the guests have arrived and everybody is waiting excitedly.

Finally, it was time. You nervously cracked your fingers, as you waited for all the guests to take a seat, the closed door in front of you the only thing shielding you from your fiance, your dad standing beside you in a suit.

“Nervous?” he asked you with a slight smile, you could tell that he was trying hard not to cry.

“Very. But I’m telling you if he doesn't cry I'll turn around and we gotta try again.” you joked.

“Oh my dear...he will.” he quickly took a look at his watch and then linked his arm with yours.

“Ready?” you shot him a smile and nodded “As ready as I'll ever be.”

The outside speakers started to play the instrumental version of Cherry Wine by Hozier and the doors opened.

It was mid-May and you and Charlie decided on an Outside wedding. After searching for a great venue you finally found one. It was an old brick house with a small colonnade of bushes in the garden. It was absolutely perfect but you didn't even look at the decorations because as soon as your eyes met his, the world stood still.

He stood at the front of the colonnade where some candles burned beside him. He wore a forest green tuxedo and that dashing smile of his. The closer you got, the more you saw how much he was crying and all you wanted to do is hug him and wipe the tears away. Your cheeks hurt from all the smiling but you couldn't stop, some tears of your own spilling out of the corners of your eyes.

You kissed your dad on the cheek and let him sit down in the front row, your eyes only momentarily leaving Charlies. “Hi, handsome.” You smiled up at him and instinctively used your thumb to wipe away some tears. “Did you cut your hair?” you asked, nodding to his now chin-length hair (think October Charlie) He grabbed your hands in his and kissed your knuckles while slightly nodding his head “You look...just wow,” he whispered so that only you could hear. You just wanted to give him a compliment when the officiant interrupted you.

“Now it's getting serious.” you said while he said “No backing out.” with a wink.

“The couple standing in front of me met at the young age of 18 in the middle of the street. Y/N bumped into Charlie here and practically fell for him right there and then. She shot him a quick sorry and went her way but the universe knew that these two needed to be together so the next day he bumped into her, totally accidental of course.” the crowd laughed and you and Charlie beamed at each other. “Sadly for Y/N that day she carried an expensive Cake that flew to the other side of the pavement. Charlie felt so bad that he promptly invited her to the next bakery where they got a cup of coffee and a new cake. Today we’re gathered here today to celebrate that love.”

“I believe that the two of you wrote your own vows? Y/N would you like to start?” You nodded and turned around to take a piece of paper from Emi who stood behind you, already missing the warmth of his hands in yours.

“Charlie, you know I’m not very good with words so I really struggled to write this, but here we are standing in front of your family and friends to share our love. I knew I loved you…” your voice wavered and you let out a sob “sorry...I knew I loved you in the first week that we’ve met. We sat on a bench in the little park right around the corner from where we met. You were late and totally out of breath when you arrived. You apologized like crazy but I didn't care, you don't know this but I had a really shitty day that day and just seeing you made it all worth it. That smile of yours knocked me off my feet completely.

From that day on I only loved you more and more. I love the way you try to wake up every day with a smile. The way you always seem to have so much energy and that you try to share that energy and love with the whole world. I love waking up in your arms because they feel like home and I miss you like crazy when I don't see you for a day.

I never really believed in love at first sight before I met you and I’m so glad that you ruined my cake. I promise to try and make you smile at least twice a day, to listen and care for you, to dance with you in the kitchen while our pizza is in the oven. I also promise to try your questionable food combinations at least once every time.

I can’t promise you that we won't fight or that we won't have our ups and downs but I will promise that we’ll work it out, that we’re not going to bed with grudges, to talk about our problems and thoughts and to always make up. I promise to be your partner in crime and to take all the blame if we ever get caught and lastly, and most importantly...

I promise to love you more and more until my heart stops beating, even when the day comes that we're old and grey, I promise to always see you with the same eyes and the same heart that I see you with at this exact moment.” You took a deep breath to try and stop your sobbing. Now it was Charlie's turn to wipe away some tears.

“Baby, don’t cry your makeup will get ruined.” he joked and you let out a small laugh. “Charlie, I believe now it's your turn to speak your vow.”

He took a shaky breath in before taking a folded piece of paper from the inside of his tuxedo pocket. “I want to start off with a simple I love you. I love the way you still give me butterflies every time I see you. I love the way you care not only for me but for everyone around you. I love the way you're patient with me. I love how much you're willing to try new things with me to make me happy because you really didn't like swimming with sharks. I admire how hard you work to help others and above all, I love how you love me.

It's in the way you look at me with such patience and compassion, the way you listen to me even if I'm rambling on, the way you push me to try harder even when I feel like I've done enough. You love me without judgment and chose to see the beauty in my flaws. Today, I want to make promises to you that I will always keep. I promise to love you back forever and harder each day. I promise never to get angry at you for making honest mistakes, even if I asked you to turn the lights off every night for the past week...

I promise to never stop holding your hand or give you a goodbye kiss. I promise to walk through life, as your biggest fan, your shoulder to lean on, and your best friend and I vow to stay silly, to never take ourselves too seriously, and stay just immature enough for cake and breakfast for dinner.

You're my soldier, my lover and above all, my best friend and I'm so excited to spend the rest of my life with you.”

Both of you were grinning and crying like idiots. “Now can we have the rings please?” the officiant asked the crowd and a teary-eyed Owen stepped forward the rings clutched in his hands.

“Thank you.” the officiant gave each of you a ring. “Do you Y/N Y/L/ want to take this man as your husband in sickness and in health?”

“I do.” You smiled up at Charlie and slid the ring on his left ring finger. “Oh good it fits,” you murmured and made him chuckle.

“And do you Charlie Gillespie want to take this woman as your wife in sickness and in health?”

“I do.” He grinned widely and also slid the ring on your left hand.

“I now pronounce you husband and wife. Charlie, you may kiss the bride.” Your lips locked with his and you couldn't be happier. Your hands found their way into his hair while his hands gripped your waist. His lips were soft and warm and you missed them dearly in the night the two of you were apart. The crowd cheered when he dipped you.

“I present to you for the first time Mr and Mrs Gillespie!”

[fatiguing-thoughts]

“Victoria’s Game” - Embry Call

Request: It’s so nice to find another Embry lover lmao um, maybe a Embry x reader where Victoria is after the reader for some reason and Embry and the pack are all very protective??

********Should I make a part two to this? I’m thinking about it.********

Part One  / Part Two  / Part Three  / Part Four

Embry’s POV

“No I will not tell you where I’m taking you.” I laugh, still covering her eyes with my hands. 

“Em, we’ve been walking for like ever. I haven’t been able to see for like fifteen minutes!” Her beautiful laugh echoes the woods around us. 

“I know we’re almost there. Just be patient, babe. Step higher up, we’re going up!” 

“Easy for you to say. You try being blind on a hike for as long as me, wolf boy!” She says, slightly stumbling into me where the step up was. 

“Okay, okay. We’re here, I’ll let you see now, I guess.” I remove my hands from covering her eyes. 

“Thank god, I’ve been stressing out over here.” She begins but then looks at where I brought her. 

(Y/N)’s eyes gleaming with excitement, smiling ear to ear, turning around to me. The weight of her hands gripping mine before her slight excited jumping and pulling me to the meadow of flowers I found on last night’s patrol. 

“Oh my god, Embry it’s… it’s so beautiful.” She trailed off, running her fingers through the high flowers surrounding her. 

“I think you look beautiful. These flowers got nothing on you, babe.” I snake my arms around her waist, pulling her into my chest. 

“Emmmmm.” She whines, giggling at my cheesiness. 

“But it’s true babe. I knew you’d love it here, though. This could be a new spot of ours, if you want. None of the others found it, I was by myself last night.” 

“Yes, we can add it to our list of spots.” Her voice blissfully filling my ears. 

She pulls me into the middle of the meadow, the scent of hers mixing with all the flowers made me feel like I was in heaven. We sat down on a large rock, just enjoying each other’s company, her head on my shoulder, eyes closed. I could hear her inhaling my scent, the teakwood scented cologne I know she loved. 

(Y/N) was slightly drifting in and out of her slumber on my shoulder, her breath and heartbeat slowing. How did I ever get so lucky?

I look down at her, admiring her beautiful face, stroking her soft hair. 

That familiar, rancid smell hit my nostrils. Sending me into a panic. Where was she? 

My eyes widened, I frantically scanned the treeline without moving, attempting to not wake (Y/N) up and scare her. 

I then saw the fiery red hair in the treeline. 

She turned her attention over to (Y/N) and staring for a moment, before looking back at me and smiling crooked. She waved goodbye before running off into the distance, out of my scent range. 

This was a game to her, now. As we hunted Victoria for months, she was going to hunt (Y/N), my source of light, source of happiness. I had to let the pack know, (Y/N) too, but it was vital to start a new regime up to make sure (Y/N) stays safe, not just Bella anymore. 

“Babe, wake up. We gotta go to Sam’s.” I gently shook my shoulder, grabbing her waist with my arm to keep her balanced. 

“Okay, how late is it? Is everything okay? Was I asleep long? I’m sorry.” She yawns. 

“No, don’t apologize. Not long. We just have to go, now.” I urge her. 

Her heartbeat sped up realizing how serious I was about leaving immediately. 

I make the walk back to the car quickly paced, knowing she would keep up or that I would carry her in her sleepy state, either worked for me. We just had to get out of here ASAP.

I call Sam on our walk back. 

“We need to have a meeting, I’m on my way to your house now. I’ll be there in a half an hour, get everyone ready.” I hang the phone up, putting it into my pocket.

“Embry, please tell me what’s going on.” Looking up at me with pleading eyes. 

“In the car, okay?” I say, giving her hand a slight squeeze.

She nods and we make our way to the car, walking in silence for another fifteen minutes. 

I start the car and drive off immediately, she looks at me once again with a worried face, killing me slowly to see her afraid. 

“Okay, well I smelt something out there. It was her, and she saw you. I think she’s going to be coming after you. So no more being out in the woods, especially without at least a few of us. We’re going to need to patrol by you, too. You’re going to get protection, okay? I would never let anything happen to you, (Y/N). I’ll keep you safe. I promise.” I look into her eyes as I make my promise, but quickly turn my attention back to the road. 

She nods and looks out her window, trying to take it all in I suppose. 

I feel her heartbeat thumping in the car, breathing uneven. My poor girl. 

We pull up to Sam’s and I walk inside with her, my hand on the small of her back. 

We sit down at Sam’s kitchen table, joining everyone else who awaited our arrival. 

I sat down and explained what happened out in the meadow, everyone growing uneasy as the story progressed. 

“And then she ran out of my range of scent, this is a game to her, now.” I finish it off. 

We all grew up best friends with (Y/N), I just was the lucky one who imprinted on the girl I loved my entire life. So to say we all were protective of her was an understatement, she was family to everyone here. 

“Well, we’re gonna have to patrol more, and she can’t go anywhere alone anymore. We’ll have to watch her house, too.” Sam announces. 

Jacob seems to grow a little uneasy, probably at the thought that this meant less protection for Bella. I tried to contain myself from getting angry with him, but I knew he didn’t mean any malice behind it. Still, I couldn’t help but shoot him a glare. (Y/N) was my imprint for god’s sake, not just a girl stringing me along while her boyfriend skipped town. 

“Bella will still be okay. Maybe we can try to keep them together sometimes, making it a little easier on us.” Seth offers up, picking up on some of the tension. 

“We can do that, it’ll ease things up quite a bit, sometimes.” Sam affirms the idea. 

I look over at (Y/N) and she nods at me, letting me know she trusts us. 

“Don’t worry, (Y/N). The redhead won’t lay a finger on you with us around.” Paul chimes in, giving her shoulder a light nudge for comfort. 

“Thank you.” She smiles at him. 

We sit and chat for a bit, before deciding it was time to go check on Bella and tell her about the whole situation and new plan. 

We got into the truck and drove over to Bella’s to pick her up, seeing as Jacob was going to do that anyway so they could work on their bikes. 

Jacob goes to the door, being greeted by Charlie who waves to (Y/N) and I in the truck, earning a smile and wave back from us. 

“Embry, I’m scared.” Her small, sweet voice mutters next to me. 

I wrap my arm around her waist in the back seat of the truck, and pull her closer. 

“(Y/N), I will never let her hurt you. I’ll keep you safe. Even if it’s the last thing I ever do, until my dying breath.” I say, looking into her sweet eyes. 

“Em, don’t say that. It’s too… real.” She chokes out. 

“I mean it, (Y/N). We all will. You’re everything to me.” I kiss her forehead, feeling the tears falling from her eyes and onto my shirt. 

I held her tighter, the silence in the truck engulfing us as we awaited Jacob and Bella’s entry to the truck. 

______________ Part One  / Part Two  / Part Three  / Part Four

Word Count: 1340

SHOULD I DO A PART TWO? Lemme know everyone!

I hope you enjoyed it, anon! Thank you for the request!

[since0202]

Taking Time—Four

Sunday blues...

Word count: 4,244

Content warnings: None

Sundays are the saddest of all days. I used to love them though. My dad and I had a long running tradition where we’d go kayaking or hiking or just driving around the rez to spend time together. That kind of ended when I started high school though. My Sundays were swallowed with endless homework, community commitments or school events. Nothing good ever happens on a Sunday anymore.

Maya knew things were off when she slept most of Saturday day and into Saturday night. The rain helped but she had no desire to do her homework, let alone pull herself out of bed. Maybe it was getting drenched and the subsequent shock of the day, but she was still trying to come to terms with everything.

Keye and Becks had been exceptionally supportive as she knew they would be.

“What the actual fuck. That’s completely...I have no idea what to say My.” Becks said after Maya had told them about the council meeting, the imprint, and how she had felt which solidified that this might actually be real.

“It’s fucking creepy is what it is. What are you some child bride?! I can’t believe the council supports this. You remember Tiff Turkey?” Keye said hurriedly. She’d been a blast of chaotic energy throughout the whole conversation.

“Thats not her name Keye,” Maya said, her voice monotone.

“It is her fucking name, she thinks she slick, I know what she was doing in that utility closet with Kyle Corning during the spring fling. That girl got basted like a turkey!” Keye retorted. Maya covered her eyes with her hand, still in her towel from the shower.

“Didn’t you let Hurley Chast motorboat you in that utility closet sophmore year?” Becks said nonchalantly. Maya let out a laugh. She was grateful for the distraction.

“That’s not the POINT! The point is, Tiff Turkey saw those guys roughing up some weird dudes outside of town. They were at that grungy nightclub we’ve always wanted to go to. These guys were very sketchy. Sam and his disciples showed up out of nowhere and hassled them out of there quick! Tiff said she got a mega weird vibe from Sam and his crew.” Keye concluded.

“What’s your point again?” Maya said suddenly after a brief pause.

“That they’re WEIRD, okay?! You can’t be caught up in weird shit. You’re going IVY LEAGUE BABE. What if it’s actually a gang?! This imprinting thing sounds like some backwards Caligula nonsense.”

“Oh gross,” Becks said, making a joking gag noise. “Keye, don’t freak her out. That’s not what this is. From what I remember from the stories, the imprint is just supposed to be a bond thing. Gives the warriors purpose and incentive to protect the tribe. Ties them more closely to the land and calls them home, like in the hunter/gatherer days.”

“What...does that have to do with me now? We’re way past hunting and gathering, so what, I’m just randomly tied to this guy I don’t know for life? Also, can we please talk about the fact that none of the imprints in our legends are just friends with their imprinters?!”

“Yeah, that’s a tough one. They do always end up together...” Becks said calmly.

“You need to skip fucking town. Can you like graduate early and just go move to wherever the fuck and lay low for a while? You’re technically 18 so...” Keye said, she was starting to sound frantic. She had a point—Maya was legally allowed to leave but she wasn’t going to run. Why should she? This was her town too.

“Ha! Like my parents would ever let that happen. And anyway, that’s not even an option. Chief Black said we have to have some kind of relationship. Full stop. And Paul looked pissed about it.” Maya paused and then said softly, “Do you think I’m the first imprint in history to have their imprinter not like them?”

“Impossible, you’re adorable.” Keye said quickly.

“Yeah, I don’t think it works like that Maya. The whole point of the imprint is that you’re soulmates right? And you said you have like this...physical reaction to him that’s not lust, it’s something else right? That’s gotta mean he feels that too. There’s no way it’s one sided.”

“Unless he’s fighting it.” Maya said. She groaned again and rolled over. Why did she even care?! If he didn’t like her that made her getting out easier. Maybe it was the imprint or maybe it was the fact that she was thrilled at the thought that someone liked her like that and she’d never felt like this before, but she wanted him to like her at least a little bit. Maybe then whatever this weight was in her stomach would go away and she could breathe easier again.

“Just...feel it out. Give it a chance and maybe it won’t be as bad as you’re thinking.” Becks said reassuringly. Keye snorted in rebuttal.

“Yeah, the super buff, hot guy in his twenties who probably wants to impregnate you if you gave him the chance might not be so bad.” Keye joked. Becks started in on Keye again but Maya had a sinking feeling in her stomach that what Keye said might be closer to the truth than she wanted.

Maya had spent the rest of Saturday locked in her room and vacillating between working on her English paper and Physics homework and getting up to pace her room. Her mother knocked on her bedroom door intermittently to check on her, but each time Maya proclaimed that she was fine and just working.

That night's sleep was fitful and the wolf was back again. It was starting to feel like a nagging presence and this time in her dream, Maya took a step forward. The wolf’s eyes were trained on her feet at the movement and she wondered if it might attack her, but it stood there waiting.

Sunday morning, Maya made her way downstairs for some coffee and breakfast. Her parents were wary around her but seemed generally recovered from yesterday’s news. Tom, Maya’s dad, was chipper and asked Maya if she wanted to help him clear out his shed today. The day was cold and bright, but Maya still needed to finish her paper, so she excused herself after breakfast, intent on getting it done. Her mother gave her a knowing look as she went and heard Rish mumble something to her dad as she ascended the steps to her room.

Throughout the morning, Maya’s phone buzzed annoyingly. Some were from Becks and Keye checking in, but mostly the same bothersome number that kept popping up was Jeremy’s. The preview of messages on her lock screen filtered in over the next few hours from him:

Jeremy: Sundays, right? Aha...how are you holding up?

J: You take AP Spanish right? Como se…

J: Did you hear that Tara got into UW?

J: Sorry, you’re probably still waiting on letters…

J: Where did you apply to again?

J: Are you okay? I don’t want to bug…

J: After sending that I realized I probably am bugging you…

J: We could meet up to study if you…

J: Give me a call if you want to talk or go over the answers to…

After the tenth text message, Maya switched her phone to silent so she could work without the constant buzzing and lighting up of her phone.

Shortly after noon, Maya got up to take a break, grab some water and go to the bathroom. Her mom was in the kitchen seasoning steaks.

“Woah, fancy.” Maya said absently referring to the steaks.

“Seemed like a good time for it,” her mom shrugged and Maya nodded, grabbing a water bottle from the fridge and making her exit.

As she took a swig of her water bottle, holding the feeling of water in her mouth for a minute before she pushed open her bedroom door, she had the sharp feeling of tension buzz through her head. It was kind of like that feeling you get when you know someone is standing behind you and you’re preparing yourself to not be startled by it. Maya hesitated and then pushed her door open quickly to see a handsome face peering into her second story bedroom window.

Immediately, Maya spit out her water. No amount of preparation could have anticipated this. She looked behind her down the empty hallway and then quickly shut her door before darting to the closed window and wrenching it open.

“Jeremy, what the FUCK are you doing?!” Maya said in a shocked whisper. He gave her a lopsided grin and pulled his body through the open window with a light grunt.

“Thanks,” he said, getting his bearings in her room. He looked around curious, clearly not understanding why Maya was so shocked by his sudden presence.

“How the hell did you get up here!?” She glanced out the window and saw there was no ladder that her dad stored out in the shed propped against the side of the house.

“I do parkour, it’s not that hard,” he said, now moving around her room without permission. She suddenly realized he was shirtless.

“Jeremy, what the hell are you doing here? And where the fuck is your shirt?”

“Jeez, touchy.” he said, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Aren’t you freezing? I have a hoodie I think that would fit you, hold on,” she said, turning to her closet. The shock was wearing off and Maya was switching into polite caretaker—another trait her parents had hammered into her.

“Nah, I’m fine, really.” he said sitting on the edge of her bed now. Maya was a little perturbed at how naturally comfortable he was in her room. “Why haven’t you been answering my texts?” he said, sounding a little put out.

“What?” Maya said.

“My texts, I’ve been trying to talk to you,” he said. Maya rolled her eyes and then, ever aware of being rude she shrugged her shoulders.

“I’m working and my phone’s on silent. I’m sorry. Was there something important?” She almost turned to grab her phone and check.

“Just….wanted to see how you were,” he said. Maya raised an eyebrow at him.

“What’s going on?” she said finally.

“Nothings going on, I’m just...trying to be a friend,” he said. He wouldn’t meet her eyes and Maya had the distinct feeling that he wasn’t telling the whole truth. She crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes.

“Jeremy...No offense but we’ve had very minimal contact until this imprint thing happened and you became one of Sam’s crew. So fess up, what aren’t you telling me?”

“I’m not not telling you anything,” he said, and then gave her a sly grin which he quickly wiped off his face when he saw the angry one of Maya’s.

“I swear to god, Jeremy. I will scream and get your ass kicked out of here so quick.”

“Okay, okay. Jeez, chill. I’ve been asked to...to check on you. As a...favor,” he stumbled over the word ‘favor’ as if it didn’t quite fit what he was describing. Maya stared at him confused for a moment and then realization dawned on her.

“Oh my god, it’s him isn’t it? He asked you to check on me?!” When Jeremy didn’t respond Maya let out a harsh laugh. “This is just great.” Why was he checking on her? This made absolutely no sense. Yesterday, he wouldn’t even look at her and now he has Jeremy doing his bidding for him? “Well, what are you going to tell him then?”

Jeremy took a moment to choose his words carefully and then said, nonchalantly, “That I checked and you seemed fine, and that you’re bad at answering text messages.”

Fine, he wanted to spy so would she. Maya sat down at her desk and swiveled her chair to face Jeremy.

“What’s his deal anyway?”

“What do you mean?” Jeremy said as he hopped up off her bed and resumed his look around her room. Maya pulled her knees up close to her chest and let her eyes follow him.

“Paul,” she said his name slowly, just feeling his name in her mouth gave her a weird sensation, “He seems...mad about all of this. You said it was because he thought he’d never imprint?”

“Yeah, I mean imprinting isn’t supposed to be that common apparently. But we’ve also never had a pack this big before, so it makes sense that more of us would, I guess.” Pack? That was a weird way to refer to their group, she thought. “Paul just thought that since he made it this far without imprinting that maybe it just wasn’t in the cards for him. And then you happened and he’s just kind of been...off since then.”

“Off?” Maya said. Jeremy pulled a book off of her shelf.

“Yeah, like distracted, snaps a lot. I mean he was kind of a hot head before, but you can tell he’s stressed and he loses it a bit more.” Jeremy suddenly stopped and turned to face her. Maya swallowed hard. “Don’t take that the wrong way, he’s a good guy.”

“A good guy,” Maya was tempted to roll her eyes again, “Great. What else?”

“What else...uhhh, I don’t know what do you want to know?”

“How long has he been in Sam’s group? What does he do? Who does he hang out with? What’s he like?” Maya couldn’t help but let the questions spill out of her. They’d been plaguing her all night and Jeremy seemed up to offering some answers.

“Ahhh, shouldn’t you ask him that yourself?” he said skeptically.

“You think he’d talk to me right now?” she retorted, annoyed.

“Yeah, you’re probably right,” he replied. She knew that was coming but it still kind of hurt. “Let’s see...he’s been in Sam’s group for awhile, since he was 17 I think? So 11 years. Long time. Uhh, he doesn’t really hang out with anyone outside of the pack, seems kind of a lone wolf,” he smirked at this, like he was laughing at an inside joke. “And what was your other question? What’s he like? He’s…” Jeremy looked at Maya carefully, “I don’t know Maya, he’s Paul. My interaction with him is definitely different than what it’s supposed to be with an imprint. He’s kind of a jerk? But also super loyal and takes protection very seriously. I’ve only been hanging out with the guy for a month so it’s not like I know him that well,” Jeremy skirted. Maya’s palms were sweating nervously.

She was having a hard time catching her breath again and Jeremy noticed.

“Oh jeez, Maya, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. He really is good and he’ll come around. I just wanted to make sure you were okay—he wanted to make sure you were okay….Ah,” he looked out her window suddenly as if he heard a call coming from outside. “Listen, I have to go, but please just text me if you need anything.”

Before Maya could say anything else, Jeremy was hopping out of her window. She let out a startled cry and rushed to the window, sticking her head out to see Jeremy land softly from the drop and jog off around the side of the house.

Her gaze lifted to look out over the bay that backed her house. The cold wind whipped at her face and Maya found that her brain was stuck on one thing that Jeremy had said.

He’s kind of a jerk.

Paul was a jerk? Her soulmate was a jerk? Great..

The evening was quickly encroaching on Maya’s study time. She finally wrapped her paper just before dinner and went to wash her face. Since she had practically been wearing the same outfit since yesterday, Maya changed into a light pink sweater, her white bralette peeked out of the deep V of the neck line. She pulled on some heather grey soft sleep shorts and brushed her hair out before fixing it up in a high ponytail. Her hair was so heavy that it gave her headaches. She toyed with the idea of cutting it short like Becks’ but hadn’t mustered the courage yet.

Just as she finished putting some face lotion on in her bathroom mirror, Maya heard the doorbell ring. They rarely had people show up at the house unannounced, let alone on a Sunday. Maya ignored it and smoothed some nourishing oil across her cheeks that made her soft brown skin glow in the light.

“Maya!” her mom called from downstairs. “Can you get the door please?” Maya fixed the cap on her oil and shuffled out of the bathroom and down the stairs to the front door.

“Got it!” she called over her shoulder as she pulled the door open. The cold air rushed over her exposed legs but Maya immediately burned hot from the visitor standing on her doorstep.

Paul Lahote stood towering on her porch. He was wearing a dark blue t-shirt and dark wash jeans with shiny brown shoes. He had pushed his shaggy black ink hair back away from his face and the stubble she saw yesterday was clean shaven away. His eyes instantly connected with hers and Maya felt her heart fall clean through her. This was the closest she’d ever been to him and her eyes moved from his eyes to roam around his body, taking in the large sinewy arms, broad shoulders, and wide hands. His skin was a warm shade of red brown, like he’s out in the sun a lot. Her eyes rested on the line of his mouth, his lips looked soft and full and Maya felt a rush pull through before she instantly snapped back to the present and got a hold of herself.

“What are you doing here?” she breathed. His mouth parted slightly as if to respond. His eyes had never left her even as she had stolen a glance to take him all in, but before he could respond, Maya’s mom was behind her at the door with a smile on her face.

“He’s here for dinner. Paul welcome! Thank you for joining us,” Maya was speechless, her mouth hung open in shock. “Maya move please, let Paul in, it’s freezing.” For the second time in less than a minute Maya had to get a grip. She turned sideways and pressed her body against the doorframe so Paul could come in.

“Thanks,” his voice was low and soft and he gave Rish a warm smile. She pulled him back toward their dining room. Maya stood frozen in the doorway as the icy wind licked at her legs. She looked down suddenly, mortified at what she was wearing and before she could run upstairs to change she had a change of heart.

Why should she care what she looked like? She wasn’t trying to reel him in, get him to like her. It seemed like he pretty much already made his mind up about her anyway. Maya decided to use this unwanted intrusion to figure out if he really was a jerk and hopefully, get some answers.

She closed the door and padded toward the kitchen.

“Maya, can you please bring the pitcher of water to the table? Please please sit!” her mom continued to Paul in their dining room. Maya saw her father coming in from the back with steaks in hand. He wore a smile and seemed genuinely pleased to see Paul. She pulled the pitcher of water from the fridge and gave a great sigh, steeling herself to be in front of him again and walked into the dining room.

As she emerged from the kitchen she noticed Paul immediately looked at her but just as quickly he fitted his gaze back to her mother. She felt that familiar magnetized pull in her body toward him and wondered for a second if he felt it too. Setting the pitcher down, she hesitated to choose a seat. Should she sit across from him? That would offer the most physical distance but she was more likely to catch his eye that way. If she sat off to the side of him, it might look like she was trying to be close to him which he clearly didn’t want.

God, shut up, just sit down, her brain shouted at her. Why was she overthinking this?!

“Maya, sit here.” Her mom pulled out a chair next to Paul and the decision was made for her. Her father set the steaks down in the center and he sat at the head of the table across from Paul after shaking his hand and exchanging pleasantries. Her mother was chattering away about council stuff at Paul that Maya didn’t even know if he cared or knew about. She sunk into the chair next to him and out of the corner of her eye saw him shift in his seat positioning his body ever so slightly away from her.

Maya internally groaned and the weirdest dinner ever ensued.

“So, Paul what do you do for work?” Her father asked in between bites of steak. They’d already blown through a host of topics including where Paul lived (just at the edge of the reservation close to the beach on Red River Road), if he had any family left in the area (he didn’t), what he did in Sam’s group (neighborhood watch stuff and mentoring), and if he enjoyed the bonfire gathering (he did, very much).

“I’m a private contractor...carpentry mostly. I do work in the area but most of my clientele is in the greater Seattle area,” he said.

“You’re being modest, Sue says your work is very sought after.” Her mother interjected. So she was doing reconnaissance as well, Maya thought. To this though, Paul simply shrugged and said:

“It pays the bills.” Her father chuckled and nodded, silently commiserating. Paul glanced sideways at Maya. He seemed to be trying to read her expression, but Maya kept her face smooth, feeling his eyes on her as she pushed the broccoli around on her plate.

“Maya, can you refill the pitcher please?” Her mother asked. Maya stood immediately and leaned across the table to grab the pitcher. Paul cleared his throat and averted his eyes. As she left for the kitchen she heard her mother continue,

“We’re so proud of Maya, she’s got big college plans and the start to this year has already been stressful what with school and waiting for her acceptances and the..uhh imprint. Everything’s an adjustment, but we’re just so hopeful for the future.” Maya rolled her eyes as she slowly filled the pitcher at the sink—leave it to her mother to brag.

“The council seemed pretty proud of her at the bonfire.” he replied. She could just see the light shining out of her mother’s face now.

“Oh yes, the first ivy hopeful for our community. It’s a big deal,” her mother said.

“We want those things for her.” Her dad suddenly interjected and Maya’s eyes went wide. Oh god. There was a clear awkward pause. Should she make a run for it now?

“I do too,” she heard Paul say firmly.

“Good,” her father replied. Maya’s mother quickly changed the subject as Maya came back into the room. Paul’s eyes flickered to her again when she re-entered as if he couldn’t help himself.

By the end of the night, her parents seemed to love him.

“I’ll walk you out.” Maya says, resigned. She hadn’t said a word all night. Paul's eyes were instantly drawn to the sound of her voice. After a handshake with her father and a wave to her mother, Maya led Paul down the hallway to the front door. She pulled it open and he quickly exited. Maya followed him over the threshold and left the door slightly ajar. She crossed her arms in front of her body instantly cold in the frosty January night.

“Thanks for coming, I guess.” she said, letting her eyes rest on his now. Her body relaxed the tension it had been holding in a great exhale. Can someone be simultaneously tense and relaxed?

“Something tells me you didn’t know I would be coming by,” he said gently. He was careful to look nowhere else but her eyes.

Maya shook her head, pursing her lips.

“Sorry about that,” he tried. Maya shrugged.

“It’s fine.” His eyes looked around her face now and Maya had the feeling that he was trying to read her again, or maybe buying time. Her body ached to get closer, the cold was causing goosebumps to ripple down her body and her lip trembled slightly from the cold.

“I’ll see you soon,” he promised, backing down the stairs before turning toward his forerunner. Maya watched him go, holding herself in place on the porch even though she was freezing. When he turned on the headlights, the bright light washed over her body, lighting her up. She could just see him beyond the windshield. He was staring at her intensely, a look of fire in his eyes as he gripped the steering wheel.

Maya sucked in a quick breath of air and for a beat they stared at each other. Then, he flipped into reverse and quickly pulled down and out of the drive.

What the fuck.

Next > >