#it's about the eyebrow cut blonde updo black glasses

[dayabot]

it’s about her

[imaginedhaven]

Reluctantly Rooming: Part Fifteen

Link to Masterpost

I did it! This will be the last update on anything until I get through ACOSF, but hopefully that won’t be too long and I’ll be back with more soon.

The prompts for this chapter are pretty spoilery for the events of the chapter, so I’m going to break my normal tradition and put them at the end instead.

Enjoy!

~*~*~

Aelin spent the drive to the party in a daze, still not quite able to actually believe she was going through with this plan. Before she knew it, they had arrived and hung their coats in a side room. Before they could head into the party, though, Rowan stopped her with a hand on her shoulder, and she turned her head to look at him questioningly.

“Last chance to go home and have a lazy night in,” he said quietly, pine-green eyes bright with concern.

Aelin knew there was only one answer, though. “I’m here for you, right? Because it’s important for you to be seen here.”

The smile he rewarded her with was worth all of the stress she’d put herself through the last several days. “Then let’s go.”

Aelin hardly remembered the people he introduced her to, far too focused on the hand he kept at the center of her back. Though he didn’t touch her skin, a frantic part of her mind kept wondering what would happen if his hand slid just half an inch up and his fingers brushed over her spine directly rather than through the thick velvet of her dress. Perhaps guessing that she was overwhelmed, soon enough he had pulled her to one side and gently pressed a glass of champagne into her hand. “That’s the hard part over. Are you still doing all right?”

She nodded. “I wouldn’t even think of that as the hard part. Do you see this woman I’m supposed to be keeping away?”

He quietly scanned the ballroom, only to shake his head. “Not yet. Trust me, though, you’ll know her when you see her.”

Aelin lifted a single eyebrow. “That bad?”

Rowan grimaced. “Agreeing to go out with her wasn’t exactly one of my best moments. But I’d really rather not talk about this right now.”

“Fair enough. We are at a party, after all. Dance with me?”

She grinned as a look of panic crossed his face. “I don’t dance.”

“Last I checked, your feet aren’t both left feet. How bad can you be at it?”

“I didn’t say I can’t dance. I said I don’t dance.”

Aelin sniffed. “That’s a pity. I bet I could get any man in this room to dance with me, and maybe even a few of the women. But no, the one I came here with won’t indulge me.”

“I didn’t say I was stopping you. Our deal is that you’re free to do whatever you want within reason.”

“Well, in that case.” Without a further word to her companion Aelin strolled toward the bar, where she saw one of the men he’d introduced her to earlier. Golden curls that were likely as unruly as her own were tied back at the nape of his neck, and onyx eyes glittered with amusement as they met hers. Perfect.

She approached him with a smile that she noticed he mirrored. “Fenrys, right? I hope I got it right, I’ve been introduced to so many people today.”

He laughed. “That’s me. Let me guess, your date is being a spoilsport and won’t dance with you?”

“I take it he’s normally like this, then.”

Fenrys nodded. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen him dance at one of these. Are you trying to make him jealous enough to goad him into it? Because if so, you’ve come to the right person.”

Aelin grinned. “I’m so glad we understand each other so well.”

With a laugh, Fenrys offered his hand to her and led her out onto the floor as the band began to play something lighthearted and fast-paced.

Fenrys was a good enough dancer, the light in his eyes matching the lightness of his steps. The laugh he had given as they began to dance proved to be one of many as he spun her around the floor, and she found his amusement to be contagious enough that when the song ended they were both sporting wide grins. He led her back to where she had left Rowan and then departed with a flamboyant bow and a wink toward her companion, and she couldn’t help laughing again. “He’s certainly a character, isn’t he?”

“He is,” Rowan agreed readily. “That was Fenrys. He edits primarily romance novels. You got lucky.”

“Luck?” she asked, affronted. “Never. I’ll have you know that was pure skills.”

Rowan shook his head, though she could tell he was fighting a smile. “If it’s skill, then do it again.”

“All right.” She had to pick a harder target this time, and one just so happened to be at the bar. Perfect.

Dark eyes studied her over the rim of his glass of whiskey as she approached, a perfect match to jet-black hair that fell to the man’s shoulders. His suit was similarly colored as well, and for a moment Aelin wondered if the man owned a single garment that wasn’t black. That was hardly her place to wonder about, though, not when she was openly using him to prove a point.

His brow raised as she settled beside him. “You’re Whitethorn’s roommate, right? The one he brought along tonight.”

“I am. You’re… Lorcan, right? His supervisor.”

He gave her a short nod, and she would be affronted if she didn’t get the feeling that he was like this with everyone he met. “What are you doing over here?”

Sudden inspiration struck her. “Rowan thinks I can’t convince you to dance with me, and I’d love to see the look on his face when I prove him wrong.”

He glanced over at Rowan and she allowed her gaze to follow his, noting with glee the look of panic Rowan was clearly trying to hide. “He didn’t think you’d actually do it, did he?”

“He underestimated me. I’d like him to know he underestimated both of us.”

Lorcan scowled. “You’re not nearly as subtle as you think you are. That being said, I do enjoy riling Whitethorn. I’m in.”

Aelin grinned. “I never said I was subtle. I told him I get results. There’s a difference.”

Much to her surprise, Lorcan barked out a laugh. “Very well. One dance.”

As lighthearted and jovial as Fenrys’ dancing had been, Lorcan’s was calculated and precise, as though he were a warrior and the dance floor his battlefield. She couldn’t complain about his skills, though; he had clearly been taught well and was an adept partner. It was simply a mismatch in personality, she was sure.

He left her as soon as the song ended, but before she could go looking for Rowan she felt arms wrap around her. She didn’t have time to react before she heard his voice as he pulled her into his chest. “Gods above, Aelin, you certainly don’t hold back, do you?”

Aelin grinned, allowing herself a moment to revel in his closeness. “I like him. He agreed just because I said you thought he wouldn’t.”

He sighed. “That does sound like Lorcan. Ornery to a fault.”

Aelin wrapped her arms around his waist briefly before turning to lead them both to a quiet corner of the room, Rowan visibly relaxing with each step. “So, have I proved my point, or will I have to do it again?”

Rowan laughed, the sound sending a thrill up her spine she hoped he couldn’t see. “You got Lorcan Salvaterre to dance with you. I don’t need any further convincing.”

Once they reached a corner of the room, Aelin turned to observe the festivities, only to pause when she saw they were being watched.

The woman currently staring—no, glaring—at them was objectively beautiful, with long icy-blond hair woven into an intricate updo. Her eyes were a cool shade of cerulean, and they were growing cooler by the moment in frigid anger. She had accentuated her height and slender figure by donning a stunning silver dress, thin straps anchoring it at the shoulders before it clung to her every curve. A slit from the hem to her upper thigh allowed her some freedom of movement and allowed a glimpse at the strappy black heels she was wearing as well.

There was no way this was anyone other than the woman Rowan had been talking about. Still, she needed confirmation before she did anything stupid. “That’s her, isn’t it?”

He nodded. “That’s Remelle. We should probably avoid letting her make this confrontation public.”

“Oh, that’s easy enough. Not fun in the slightest, but easy.”

“That’s not reassuring in the least. What do you have in mind?”

Aelin smirked up at him. “Follow me into the hallway. Try to look like you can’t get enough of me.”

Rowan gave her a skeptical look, but followed readily enough when she took his hand and led him away from the main room with a wide grin. It was easy enough to wander down the hallway and find a shadowed alcove, and he didn’t even protest when she gently pressed him into the wall there.

She stepped close to him, and leaned forward so she could whisper into his ear without being seen or heard. “Did she follow us?”

He twined his fingers into her hair and gently pulled her head to one side, and she had to remind herself he was doing it so he could see. “Not that I can… wait. Yes, there she is.”

“Perfect.” Now came the part of the plan he was least likely to go along with, and she steeled her nerves before speaking again. “Now, kiss me so she sees.”

“What?”

Shit, she should’ve explained sooner, but she’d had no guarantee he would go along with it then either. “You want to give her a clear-cut signal to back off, right? If you kiss me, she’ll leave you be and come after me instead, and believe me when I say I can handle her.” She knew her smile was practically predatory at the thought of taking care of this particular problem for him, but she couldn’t quite bring herself to care.

“I can’t ask you to do this,” he protested, tilting her head so that their eyes met once more.

“It’s a good thing you didn’t, then. I volunteered.” Aelin ducked her head, allowing her eyes to close. She had done all she could; there was nothing further she could say at this point. Either he would follow through or he wouldn’t, and either way she’d just have to deal with the consequences.

His fingers brushed her jaw and she glanced up at him again, doing her best to keep the surprise off of her face. Was he actually going to…?

Their lips met and all thoughts fled from her mind.

She had done her best not to wonder what kissing Rowan would be like. Up until this moment, she had seen it as an exercise in frustration and futility, certain that it was a fantasy that would never come to pass. Now that she knew, though, she knew she’d never be able to forget the way they fit together like they were made to do exactly this, or the way he gently tilted her head for a better angle even as he bit her lip to make her gasp. Dizzily, she thought the dichotomy of his gentle touch and the edge of teeth exactly fit who he was as a person.

He allowed her a moment to breathe before trailing his lips along her jaw, and she grabbed at the lapels of his suit for stability. An affronted gasp behind her told her that her mission was a complete success, but she couldn’t be bothered to care, not when Rowan’s hand finally crept to the bare skin of her back and began tracing random patterns over her spine.

Too soon, though, Rowan put a few inches of distance between them. “You were right. She’s gone.”

She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from immediately replying, allowing her mind to catch up with the rest of her. Oh, right; the whole thing had been her idea to get rid of Remelle. “I’m always right,” she replied, hoping it came through with at least some of her usual confidence. “Now, do we need to stay here all night, or have you made your point?”

“It’d probably be best to stay at least a little longer, but we certainly don’t need to stay the whole night.” His hand was on the skin of her back again, guiding her back toward the ballroom, and it was a struggle to focus on his words.

When they finally registered, Aelin realized she didn’t know which option would be better. When they went home together, they would have to address what had just happened. Avoiding it would only make their living arrangements even more awkward than they already were. But as long as they were here, she could pretend a little longer that the night would never have to end and she could always be this lost in him.

Aelin sighed. Tempting as it was, she knew she would rather have whatever she could of the real him than linger forever in her fantasy world. Better to figure this out sooner rather than later. Finally, she found the words to respond to him. “We’ll stay as long as you think it’s appropriate. But be careful, we wouldn’t want you staying up past your bedtime.”

He laughed, and she smiled in return, allowing herself to feel a moment of relief that she hadn’t completely ruined everything between them. Maybe she had even improved things further. There was only one way to know, though, and that wasn’t a conversation she was willing to have in public.

~*~*~

Today’s prompts:

“Luck? Nope. Skills.” – “If it’s skill then do it again.”

and

“That’s my ex-boyfriend/girlfriend.” – “Well, kiss me so they see.”

~*~*~

Tagging:

@ireallyshouldsleeprn @queen-of-glass @fangirlprincess09 @sassys-world @morganofthewildfire @superspiritfestival @perseusannabeth @sis-it-dont-add-up @jlinez @julemmaes @emilyoftheshadows @thegoddessofyou @mymultiversee @swankii-art-teacher @rowansfirebringer @livsdriverslicense @courtofjurdan @danibutterr @woollycat22 @rowaelinismyotp @sleeping-and-books @acciowests @stardelia @anidealiveson @autophobiaxx @rainbowcheetah512 @camilamartinezdunne- your tag isn’t working! Sorry! @in-love-with-caramel-macchiato

[artificialqueens]

Galactica, Chapter 63 (Group Fic) - TheDane/Veronica

A/N: Click here if you’re looking for previous chapters (or here if you’d rather read on AO3). 💫

Last Chapter: The red carpet turned into a major headache for Raja as the Galactica holiday party got underway.

This Chapter: It’s all eyes on Miss Fame as she finally finds out about her best friend and her assistant arriving as a couple. And everyone except Violet seems to enjoy all the shit-talking.

***

The Christmas Party was Maxwell's favorite company event of the year. It was always wonderfully decadent, Fame apparently setting out with an intention of topping perfection every single year, and so far, Maxwell hadn’t seen her fail.

The air smelled like pine and peppermint, the air conditioning running overtime so it almost felt like they were in a winter wonderland.

It wasn’t that Maxwell didn’t like to dance, wasn’t that he didn’t enjoy letting loose when he went with Bob to one of his drag shows, but on a night like this, he preferred observing, watching for inspiration and being taken in by the grandeur.

Most of the designers were already on the dance floor--April twirling in a gorgeous yellow dress, Kiara dripping with gold while Alexis was wrapped in bold red. The marketing team, on the other hand, had set up shop at the bar, some of them already seeming a bit messy.

Maxwell was nibbling on the selection of canapes he had managed to snatch from a waiter, smoked Alaskan salmon on rye, cranberry and brie bites and Swiss chocolate dipped clementines among the night's selection.

“Wait. Wait wait wait wait.”

Maxwell turned his head, looking over at Bob who was standing next to him at the small table they had occupied, Roxy’s face twisted in a shiteating grin.

If it had been any other night, Bob would have been on the dance floor, tearing it up, but Roxy had dangled a secret in front of his face, and if there was one thing Bob loved, it was a good secret.

He had been plying her with drinks from the moment they had arrived, and it seemed like she had finally spilled the beans while Maxwell wasn’t paying attention.

“She’s what?” Bob asked, trying to get Roxy to repeat herself. “Tell me who Courtney’s dating!”

“She’s dating beedeearrrr,” Roxy slurred, and Bob looked at Maxwell, who shrugged.

“I have no idea what she’s saying.”

“Bee! Deeeee! Arrrrrrrgh!” Roxy said again, doing her absolute best to separate her words.

“Wait, BDR? As in Bianca Del Rio?” Bob asked, mouth open in amazement.

“Ding ding ding ding ding ding ding!” Roxy crowed, her brown hair in the most elegant updo, a sparkling shawl over her shoulders. “But nobody knows.”

“Then how do you know?” Bob asked, arms crossed, a skeptical expression creasing his features.

“Because. She’s been getting deliveries.”

“So? Isn’t it normal for Bianca to have stuff delivered to Miss Fame’s office? Aren’t they good friends?”

“Yes! But! Not to Fame. And anyway, they’re coming together tonight,” Roxy said, lifting her glass to her lips. “Courtney said so herself.”

“Sure, sure...I’ll believe that when I see it,” Bob laughed.

Maxwell rolled his eyes just as Jovan walked stiffly up to their table, holding a cocktail.

“What’s going on with your suit?” Maxwell asked, reaching out to touch the orange fabric.

“Spray paint made the fabric inflexible,” Jovan said, “But I made it work.”

“Did you? Because from here you look like you can’t walk.”

“Yeah but I look amazing. Fair trade.”

“If you say so,” Maxwell laughed, thumping him on the shoulder.

“Violet! Come here!” Bob called, beckoning her over. He leaned in and told Roxy, “Violet will know if your little rumor is true.”

*

“Hey!” Sutan got dragged through the crowd, Raja’s nails digging through his suit jacket, his twin holding him a death grip. “Raj, calm down!”

Sutan had barely made it off the carpet and detached himself from the women he had taken pictures with to reunite with Violet, relocating his girlfriend in such a big crowd always a hassle when Raja had snatched him up.

[We-] Raja released him, looking over her shoulders to make sure that they were alone before she continued, [have a problem.]

[I figured.] Sutan straightened his jacket, his sleeve completely twisted. It had to be a serious shit situation if Raja was this paranoid, Indonesian usually enough for her to say whatever she wanted wherever she wanted. [So what’s going on?]

[Bianca brought Courtney.] Raja crossed her arms, her nostrils flaring with annoyance.

[... Who?] Sutan had no idea who that was, the name not ringing any bells.

[Fame’s assistant.]

[The small blonde?] He vaguely remembered her from when Violet had broken her ankle, the woman kneeling next to them, but there hadn’t been anything special about her at all, her face completely blurred out in his mind.

[Yes.]

It took a moment to click, a moment for Sutan to realize what his sister had actually said.

[Oh fuck….] His eyes widened.

[Oh fuck exactly.] Raja huffed. [She is here. As Bianca’s date.]

Oh this. This was bad. There was no way at all that this would go over well with Fame, the entire situation truly an absolute shit show.

[Did you talk to her?]

[I tried,] Raja rolled her eyes, her fingers tapping on her arm, cold annoyance coming off of his twin in waves. [But you know her-]

Sutan did know Bianca, actually, he knew Bianca very well.

[Please don’t tell me.]

[Yes.]

Great. Great great great.

[Okay, so.] Sutan sighed, crossing his own arms. [Are we doing a divide and conquer? Going for the black out? Because I think I can talk Fame into trying all the gins with me-]

It wasn’t that Sutan didn’t like spending time with Fame, getting drunk with her actually a lot more fun than strangers would expect, but he had genuinely looked forward to going home and peeling his girlfriend out of her dress, drinking Fame under the table for the common good wrecking any chance of that happening.

[Bianca said no distractions.] Raja rolled her eyes again. [She wants Fame to-] Raja held up her hands, doing quotation marks with her fingers as she switched to english. “Just deal with it”

“Well fuck.” Sutan groaned, Fame just dealing with it about as fun as rolling around naked in hot coals, his sisters damage control duties as Fame’s right hand woman never ending.

*

“Katya!” Pearl grinned when she finally spotted her roommate between the forest of Christmas trees, the blonde standing against the wall in her poofy dress, not at all looking interested in the party that was happening around her.

“I got you a present,” Pearl slid in next to her, Katya barely raising an eyebrow when Pearl handed her a drink. “The best virgin drink the bartender could whip up!”

“Thanks…” Katya took the glass, the rim lined in sugar, a couple of maraschino cherries floating around in the orange soda.

“Annnnnnd...I saved the best for last,” Pearl smiled, reaching into her pocket, refusing to let Katya’s downbeat mood ruin the night, even if she had to force her friend to feel happy. “I got you a little umbrella. Look! It’s tiny!”

Katya rolled her eyes slightly, but still took the umbrella. “Thanks, Pearlie.”

“Do you wanna dance?” Pearl asked, hoping to distract her while Trixie was off schmoozing the Bloomingdale’s buyer.

“Uh...maybe in a bit,” Katya said. “You know, you don’t have to babysit me. Don’t you have people you need to talk to?”

“Nope!” Pearl smiled, sidling up and leaning against the wall beside her. “I’m all yours.”

“Lucky me.”

*

“Sure I can’t tempt you with a sip?”

Violet looked over at Jovan, who was grinning at her, her coworker standing in a bright orange suit that he never would have gotten away with if he wasn’t known as the company's kooky designer.

It was kind of him to offer, Violet unable to have a drink of her own unless she was sitting, but there was one glaring impracticality with the arrangement Jovan was offering her.

“I’d rather not share a straw, but thanks-”

“Are you absolutely sure you don’t know anything Chachki?” Bob smiled, him taking a long sip of his own cocktail, the man like a fish in water and as giddy as a child.

“Why would I?”

“Because you’re dating Sutan?”

Bob and Roxy had tried to pry information out of Violet, had tried to make her confess if Courtney was dating Bianca, but Violet honestly had no idea, and most importantly, she didn’t give a single shit about it.

“That doesn’t mean-”

“Lovely eyes!” Violet was cut off at the sound of Sutan’s voice, her boyfriend walking up to the group. “There you are.”

Sutan smiled, pressing a kiss against her temple, and Violet couldn’t help but lean into it, even though she was annoyed with him, the man just leaving her with no explanation when Raja had pulled him aside.

“Mr. Amrull!” Maxwell held a hand out, and Sutan took it, Violet barely keeping from rolling her eyes at Maxwell’s obvious eagerness. Thankfully, Bob had no such qualms, openly making fun of his boyfriend.

“Mr. Amrull,” Bob wiggled his brows, holding his own hand out to shake with Sutan, while staring directly at Maxwell, who blushed all the way to his ears, the red matching wonderfully with his sky blue suit.

“Shut up!” Maxwell hissed, pushing an elbow into Bob’s side, but it didn’t seem like Sutan had noticed, the man moving as close to her side as he could, his voice low.

“I’m sorry I just left.” Sutan looked at her, a genuinely apologetic expression on his face, and Violet felt a little bit of her annoyance melt away, Sutan so incredibly good at making her feel like she mattered to him. “There was a slight situation.”

Judging from Raja’s face, Violet wouldn’t call it slight, but before she had a chance to open her mouth, Bob and Roxy had already stepped in.

“Situation?” Bob looked delighted, while Roxy only did a slightly better job of pretending to be a professional.

“Is there anything we can help with?”

“My sister has it all handled.” Violet saw Sutan put a hand in his pants pocket, his tone clearly dismissive while still being polite.

“So there is a real issue?” Bob’s eyes widened, and he took a step forward, his interest just Bob’s usual curiosity, but for once, Violet felt oddly protective of Sutan.

“Don’t answer that.” She leaned against his side, letting him take a little bit of her weight, telling him that she was there with him. “He loves gossip.”

It was both a warning, and an attempt to lighten the mood, and thankfully, Jovan laughed at her jab, Sutan’s hand coming around her waist and holding her close.

“I can hear that.” Sutan smiled down at her, the warmth and humor back in his eyes, his hand grip tightening in the most delicious way. “Can I whisk you away?”

“Please,” Violet smiled back, her heart skipping a beat. She couldn’t wait to find a place to sit down and hopefully be left alone, but it seemed like life had other plans.

“There!” They all turned at the sound of Roxy’s voice, the receptionist pointing into the crowd at Courtney and Bianca who were walking side by side, their fingers intertwined. “I told you so!”

*

“Juju,” Raven hissed, sitting down next to her best friend, her heart beating away in her chest. “You are not going to believe this!”

“Believe what?” Juju was sitting at the VIP bar with Detox at her side, Juju is a gorgeous blue gown  with ruffles over her bump, the dress almost concealing the fact that she was getting rounder and rounder every day.

“Yes,” Detox chimed in, “Believe what?”

“I am trying,” Raven looked around, desperate not to draw Fame’s attention, the blonde thankfully caught up in conversation on the other side of the room, “not to cause suspicion.”

“Oh?”  Detox’s eyes widened, cheshire smirk on his face since the man could smell drama from miles away.

“Raja left me all alone.”

“Really?” Juju raised an eyebrow, “That’s it? I don’t think that warrants-”

“No! You’re not listening. Raja left me, because Bianca is here with someone!”

“So?” Detox sighed. “She has a flavor of the month, how’s that news?”

“This isn’t just any flavor of the month. I didn’t know why I recognized her at first.” In honesty, Raven had been fuming when Raja had left her alone; the only reason she hadn’t kicked up a fuss the fact that there were cameras present and that this was an industry event. “But then I remembered.” It had taken a while, and Raven was pretty sure she wouldn’t have realized who Bianca’s date was if she hadn’t looked so lost. “It’s Fame’s assistant.”

“Oh nooooo…” Juju said, mouth opening wide in horror.

“What?” Detox grinned, his eyes filled with delight. “Oh this...this is a mess I can’t wait to see.”

“Look!” Raven exclaimed, and Juju’s eyes practically bugged out of her head at the sight of Bianca and Courtney walking across the ballroom, straight towards Fame.

Juju grabbed Raven’s arm, squeezing it tight. “Omigod Fame sees them. Omigod omigod omigod…”

“Hey guys,” Raja said, strolling up to the group. “Sorry for leaving, princess, but I had to-”

“I know! We’re watching the drama right now,” Raven said, taking Raja’s arm and pulling her close, making sure she knew that all was forgiven.

“Oh fuck,” Raja groaned, turning away and hiding her head in Raven’s hair. “I can’t look.”

*

Fame smiled benignly, surveying the party with a pleased expression. So far, everything was perfect. She really had to pat herself on the back for pulling off such an extraordinary event year after year. With Patrick happily chowing down at the buffet, she’d strolled off to admire the indoor forest, the trees huge and impressive, covered with a dusting of glittery white snow. She took a deep breath, turning around--and that’s when she saw them.

Bianca, striding towards her with a smile on her face and a spring in her step, her fingers laced together with none other than Fame’s very own Executive Assistant.

Fame stared at them, gripping her champagne glass, blood rushing through her ears. How dare she?

Fame had told Bianca to stay away from Courtney, less than a month ago, and now, she was bringing her as a date, with no prior warning, to a Galactica party of all places?

Even worse--Bianca then gave her a mildly sheepish, casual little wave. Was she on drugs? That was the only possible explanation for this kind of egregious lapse in judgment.

Fame could see how everyone was watching them, Courtney and Bianca suddenly the focus of the party instead of the decor or the menu or the music she had worked so hard on arranging. Fame hated when her plans didn’t work out, when things took a turn she wasn’t aware of, and yet, it seemed like Bianca hadn’t even had the courtesy to warn her that she was going to be all over the gossip sites tomorrow.

She watched them approach, noting that Courtney, at least, had the decency to look both frightened and apologetic. Well, good. She should be frightened. They should both be frightened. As they got closer and closer, Fame couldn’t help but notice the ring she’d bought Bianca for her birthday glittering on her finger.

Well, if she thought that was going to win her any brownie points after this stunt, she was dead wrong.

Fame painted a big, beaming smile on her face, venom dripping from the corners of her mouth, as she opened her arms to Bianca and crooned out, “Merry Christmas, darling!”

*

There was nothing on the planet that Courtney could imagine would cause her to let go of Bianca’s hand in that moment, walking across the grand hotel ballroom towards Miss Fame. At first, her face looked shocked, and Courtney's stomach sank, wondering for about the thousandth time today if showing up on Bianca’s arm was a bad idea.

If her death grip on Bianca’s poor hand was causing her pain, she didn’t give any sign of it, simply squeezed her back, murmuring, “Don’t worry, it’ll be okay,” under her breath.

Courtney thought that Miss Fame’s shocked glare was scary, but she was wholly unprepared for how much worse it would be when she smiled, an almost manic grin spreading across her face as she opened her arms to Bianca.

“Merry Christmas, darling!” she cried, throwing her arms around Bianca’s shoulders and giving her a tight hug. She turned to Courtney, voice light and nonchalant, as if this was all totally normal. “Hello, Courtney. How are you enjoying the party, dear?”

“Oh, um…” Courtney found herself at a loss for words. She wasn’t sure exactly what she’d been expecting. Maybe Fame pulling Bianca aside to lecture her like Raja had. Or giving them both irritated looks and demanding that they keep a low profile. But this, casual small talk? She felt dismally unprepared. “It’s beautiful, Shangela really did a great job.”

Fame gave a low, dry chuckle. “Yes. Shangela. Truly a visionary.”

“Well I mean...you know, executing your vision, Miss,” Courtney said quickly, trying to recover from her obvious blunder. Shit.

“It’s as spectacular as always, blondie,” Bianca said, squeezing Courtney’s fingers slightly, reassuring her that everything was okay.

“I’m delighted you think so,” Fame replied in her most honeyed voice.

*

“This is great,” Detox laughed. “You can literally see the steam coming out of her ears.”

“Shut up, De!” Juju slapped his arm.

Detox couldn’t help it--he enjoyed seeing Fame shaken like this. He’d known her for many years, and generally she was the picture of cool, calm, and collected perfection, so seeing her fury when some small thing went wrong was hilarious. And even better, the fact that she was mad at Bianca, who was normally untouchable.

Over the years, he’d taken more than his fair share of shit for his hair and wardrobe choices, so seeing someone else in the hot seat was delightful. He giggled happily, sipping his cocktail.

“They’re all the way on the other side of the room,” he said. “She can’t hear us.”

“Come on. We both know Fame is basically a bat.”

Detox laughed, shaking his head at his wife’s adorable paranoia, when he saw Sutan approaching the group, Violet hobbling beside him on her crutches.

“Hey Tan!” Detox said, greeting his friend with a hug. He’d always loved Sutan, but they’d become even closer once Karl had moved, the two of them often escaping for a smoke and some quiet time away from the girls.

“Scoot over Raj.”

“Can’t live without your sister?” Detox lifted an eyebrow as Sutan sat down, making room for Violet as well.

“We’re fraternal, not identical,” Sutan put an arm behind Raja’s back, and she slumped back against him. “And we’re not connected at the hip.”

“Coulda fooled me,” Detox joked.

“What’s with them?” Sutan asked, gesturing to Juju and Raven, who had barely acknowledged his presence, their eyes still glued to the drama playing out with Fame.

“They’re obsessed with Bianca’s new trick.”

“Oh. That.”

“Yes, that,” Detox smirked. It was in moments like these when he was extra annoyed about Fame not letting him have his reporters inside the venue, because this would have been a delicious little story.

“I’ve gotta hand it to the little gold-digger,” Raven said, “She might be smarter than I thought.”

“Hey, there’s nothing wrong with sleeping your way to glory,” Sutan said with a chuckle.

“Who says Bianca leads to that?” Raja smirked.

“Well, she certainly leads to better clothes.” Raven threw a lock of hair over her shoulder, “I bet those shoes cost more than that girl’s made in her life.”

“That’s probably true.” Detox smiled, Raven on a bitchy tangent a delight to experience.

“Bianca’s way too generous with these bitches, she should make them work harder for it.”

Sutan laughed again, practically choking on his drink, and said, “Great advice, Rave. Be sure to tell her that.”

“Honestly, she seems like a very nice girl,” Juju said, and off Raven’s scoff, added, “She does! I did her hair about a month ago. But this whole thing is just so…Bianca. In the worst way.”

“A trainwreck,” Raven agreed.

“Let’s go rubberneck up close!” Juju suggested, heaving herself up from the sofa, pulling Raven along with her, who then tugged on Raja’s arm.

“Ughhhh,” Raja groaned. “Do we have to?”

“Come on, come on. We all gotta kiss the ring. May as well be now,” Juju said, beckoning Detox and Sutan along with her, no one noticing that Violet was moving quickly in the opposite direction.

***

Violet had never been Courtney’s biggest fan. Hell, when she found out that she’d shown up on the red carpet with Bianca Del Rio tonight, her first thought had been what an absolutely idiotic move it was, the decision of being so public going against everything Violet had attempted to teach Courtney about blending into the background and being invisible when they still were in Fame’s office together.

However, that didn’t mean she wanted to listen to Sutan and his friends laughing about Courtney. It was incredibly disheartening to hear, not because they called her a trick or a gold-digger, Violet not giving two shits about Courtney’s feelings, but because those words meant there was a risk they were saying those exact same things about her behind her back.

So when they’d all headed over to say hello to Miss Fame, Violet had swung herself off in the opposite direction on her crutches, finding a seat in a relatively dark corner, hoping no one would see her while she took a few minutes to breathe deeply.

“Violet!”

Violet winced, then turned to see none other than Tatianna, who was in a gorgeous golden dress that made her skin glow, her makeup sparkly and colorful, a sweet scent enveloping her as Tatianna gave her a tight hug.

“I’m so sorry to hear what happened to your leg!”

“Hi-” Violet croaked out, desperately hoping she wasn’t blushing as Tatianna sat down next to her, their skirts fighting for space on the small couch.

“I just couldn’t believe it when they told us.” Tatianna’s wide brown eyes were filled with concern, her beautiful lips pursed in empathy. “Like, it happened right there, right in the middle of everything, just, boom!” Tatianna emulated a crashing noise, and Violet wished the floor would swallow her up.

“Thanks for reminding me.”

Tatianna laughed, not at all affected by Violet’s dry tone and sharp sarcasm, the other woman so stupidly pretty Violet swore she was sweating.

“Do you want something? A drink? Some water? I don’t mind getting it for you with your foot and all, the champagne is-”

“I better not.”

“Get more alcohol?” Tatianna grinned. “Me too girl,” she threw her hair over her shoulder, Violet hit with another wave of the delicious scent. “Better not make myself look a fool. It’s so good to see a familiar face. The only reason I’m even at this party is because of Courtney, and she looks...kind of occupied, so I don’t want to bother her.”

Violet had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from rolling her eyes.

“When I asked my agent to get on the guest list, she looked at me like I was crazy. Turns out, she didn’t even know this was happening!”

“Your agent?” This time, Violet did raise an eyebrow. “Aren’t you a model?”

“That’s what I tried to tell her!”

“Wow…” Any good agent worth their salt would know that it was bordering on crucial for newer models to be seen at industry events, and that Galactica was only outdone by Vogue when it came to throwing parties.

“But I guess that’s the life when you’re sighed with One Management.” Tatianna huffed, blowing a bit of her brown hair out of her face, their legs still pressed together. “They’re nice, but they’re not like, fashion fashion,” Tatianna waved her hand, “but they’re the only agency who wanted me.”

“Wait? What?” Violet sat up, not believing what she had just heard. “That’s insane! You’re like, one of the most beautiful girls I’ve ever met.”

“Awh,” Tatianna laughed, and if Violet’s ankle hadn’t been broken, this would have been the exact moment she had run away, a blush rising in her cheeks, what she said so beyond stupid. “You’re so sweet.”

Tatianna grinned, leaning in to give Violet’s cheek a kiss, her lips barely touching the skin before she pulled back.

“Thank you so much.”

“I-”

“Oh!” Someone behind her had obviously caught Tatianna’s attention, her hand finding Violet’s arm. “Gotta go! But it was so nice talking to you!” and then, after another hug and a flurry of hair, she was gone, leaving Violet to sit alone, her fingers finding her cheek to touch where Tatianna had just kissed it.

***

[obx-snippets]

Honey & Glass ❀ Kiara Carrera

Summary: After a night of caring for baby sea turtles, y/n’s only light in her life is Kiara Carrera. But being a Thornton is a heavy crown to bear along with all the expectations.

Warning: cursing, (I think that’s it, let me know)

word count: 4.5k

Pairing: Kiara Carrera x female!reader

Masterlist

a/n: this is my first Kie one shot so hopfully you enjoy!  This fic is based off the song Little Miss Perfect. Stayed up till like 4 am writing this so I’m fried now. But leave feedback of your thoughts. 

*^credits to owner^* ❀❀❀ The verdant hills of the country club golf course weren't as occupied this Sunday morning like it was on other days. The Camerons were scattered about, Rafe and Sarah arguing over a hole in one while Wheezie continually hit her ball until she made it into a nearby lake. Despite the distraction going on around them, the Thornton siblings were locked into their game. Standing atop a hill, Y/n was still as she lined up her wedged golf club with the small golf ball lying on the patch of grass. Topper stood just behind his sister, arms crossed over his blue polo clad chest. A smirk was playing on his lips as he watched his sister's eyes straining on the task at hand. She took the game all too seriously, and it was enjoyable to pester her whenever he had the chance.

Y/n was always known to be the perfect child out of the two. Her ponytails were always slicked back without so much as a stray hair escaping. Straight A's, straight forward, straight path, she doesn't cut corners. She made a point be on time and was even head of the student council at the Kook Academy. Unlike her sensitive turd of a brother who washes himself with girls affection and alcohol whenever he saw Sarah under John B's arm, she's never blacked out at a party. Not once. But even if she attended a party, it wouldn't be her taste considering she only ever jams to Paul McCartney.

Just when y/n was about to make the shot, Scarlet and Sarah wandered by, the blonde's friend passing her a disdainful look. That was the other thing about Y/n Thornton. She wasn't a wealthy Kook by birth. She was adopted when she was only two years old. And though they spoiled her rotten, she can't help but question what she did to get as far as she's gotten.

The scornful look didn't go unnoticed by Topper, and he spared her a glare. Scarlet mirrored his expression before she followed Sarah toward the lake to help Wheezie retrieve her golf ball.

Y/n knew they only hated her because she wasn't a true Kook, and she was blessed with a privileged family. She knew she had done nothing wrong but being little miss perfect wasn't always luxurious. Not when she was hiding a secret that would surely dishonor the family name laid upon her.

Unwinding the tension that built up in her shoulder, Y/n hit the golf ball gently and let it roll into the hole. She squealed slightly and hopped on her white tennis shoes. Topper slowly clapped from behind her, jutting his bottom lips to emphasize he was impressed. The bright smile on her face was worth seeing any day in Topper's opinion.

"Eat grass bitch," Y/n jeered in a drolled tone, bumping Topper's shoulder with her own.  

Topper scoffed at her, raising his hands as he walked to where she was standing just a few seconds ago, rolling his shoulder back to take his shot. "Watch how the real pro does it." he chucked with a smug grin, bringing his sister to roll her eyes.  

Y/n stood next to Topper, resting her weight on the golf club while the other rested on her knee. "Has anyone ever told you that you have shitty form?" she whispered tauntingly in her brother's ear.

Topper swung back, making his sister take a cautious step away before hitting the ball across the field. "I do not!" he said, pointing his gloved hand toward the ball he made into the hole." If anyone has shitty form, it's you!" he jested, hovering his club mockingly in her face before she smacked it away.  

"Whatever, Top, at least my ball never ended up in the lake." y/n sneered playfully over her shoulder as she trotted toward her ball with a skip in her step.

Topper lifted his hand and dropped his arms to his side, rolling his eyes as he followed her. "That was one time!"

The sibling played a few more rounds until Topper called it quits after y/n beat him the rest of the day, making two holes in ones. She had school the next morning anyway, and with the sky colored a deep purple, they thought it was time to turn in for the night.

With her hands swaying by her side, a yawn left y/n lips before she felt Topper bump her shoulder with his own. "So there's rumors going around at school that you've gotta crush on somebody." Topper's tone was hopeful, and the way he lifted his eyebrows suggestively brought her to scoff.

"Yeah, okay. Whatever." she shrugged, suddenly finding the velcro of her white loves quite fascinating.

"Come on! I'm your brother, you can tell me!"

Y/n laughed, letting her ponytail graze her cheek when she whipped her head up toward where Topper walked beside her. "Um, yeah, exactly, you're my brother, I don't really feel like you're the one I should go to for talking about my love life. It's kinda embarrassing."

Topper let his eyes linger on his sister for a moment before looking ahead of him where Rafe and Sarah drove by in their golf cart. The Cameron sibling tossed them a wave in greeting while the Thornton siblings nodded in response. Topper grin began to grow, and he spun on the sole of his foot to walk backward in front of his sister.

"Oh, I know, I know who it is," he said confidently.

Y/n snorted, amused to hear what Topper would pull out of his sleeve. No one would ever know who she had eyes for. She even tried to deny it herself—several times. "Do you now?" she nodded along with his game.

"Yup."

"Shoot then, wise guy."

"It's Rafe, isn't it?"

Y/n nearly choked on her saliva, and she passed her brother a bewildered look. "What- No! Absolutely not." she gasped, shoving him in the chest but to no avail as he stayed standing and laughed heartily at his sister's attempt to knock him down.

"What's wrong with Rafe?" he chuckled teasingly, prodding her on the rib, and opted to walk by her side again.

Once they arrived at his car, she kept her hand on the passenger side handle and glared at her brother through the windows as he stood on the other side. "Should I start alphabetically or chronologically?" she smiled caustically, and Topper mirrored her expression once he unlocked the car, and the two climbed inside.

She thought the discussion had dropped once they shut the doors, and the engine roared to life. But Topper pestered on with his investigation.

"Is it Kelce?"

"Nope." she sighed deeply, resting her head back, irritated he wouldn't drop it. She was saddened that he would never guess the name even if he listed off all the boys on the island.

He tapped his finger anxiously on the steering wheel. "Jeremy from your AP classes?"

"No, Topper."

"Whatever," he huffed in defeat, "I'll find out eventually! Don't you worry."

No, you won't, she thought, letting her eyes draw to the trees in passing. If Topper weren't so concentrated on the dark road ahead, he would have seen the frown that made permanent residence on his sister's face the rest of the ride home. He would have even caught a glimpse of the sole tear that rolled down her cheeks as she thought of the one person she could never have and the one person no one could know she wanted.

___

Adjusting her straightened hair in the mirror that was magnetized in the back of her locker, y/n's mind was reeling with all the duties she had ahead of her. She had a council meeting next period, and she hasn't even gotten her notes in order. Sarah Cameron was leaning against her locker that resided next to y/n, worry pooling in her eyes as she watched her run her hands through her hair for the hundredth time since they've been standing there.

"If you keep stressing your hair like that, it's gonna fall out." Sarah pointed out, leaning her head against the cold metal, and tucked a blonde strand behind her ear.

Y/n shook her head, rubbing her temple with the tip of her fingers. "Sarah, I've been up all. night." she emphases, slamming her locker shut with more force than she intended and turned to her friend, the creases on her forehead prominent. "All night, trying to accommodate everything, and even then, I doubt Trevor will be satisfied. Such a pain my ass, I swear.."

"Stop beating yourself over it, my god. Trever will just have to grow a pair and get over it. You're busy as it is, and he can't expect you to drown yourself in all this crap."

Taking a deep inhale of breath, y/n wrung her hands to rid of the nerves. "Okay, how do I look? Head of the student council worthy?" she padded down the uniform skirt that barely reached past her fings while Sarah tugged on the lapels of her navy blue blazer, her eyes scanning her golden brooch that was pinned to the side.

"You're a babe y/n. Of course, you look good! Also, I was thinking after school we could stop by Scarlet's..."

A pretty girl walks by my locker

my heart gives a flutter

but I don't dare utter a word

cause that would be absurd behavior

for little miss perfect.

Sarah's words are slowly drowned out once y/n's eyes catch sight of Kiara Carrera gracefully walking by. Everything slows, and she wasn't sure if it was time slowing down in her favor or if it was her mind, giving her the chance to catch a glimpse of the one true thing that kept y/n going. The one person who she thought about before shutting her eyes and the first thing she smiled about once she woke up.  

The way her uniform hugged around her curves—the way her tie was loosened as it draped under the collar of her blouse. Kiara's long brown curls looked especially curlier that day as they bounced past her shoulder with every step. The half updo bun she wore accentuated her oval face perfectly, and it gave more space for y/n to admire her features.  

Y/n and Kira have known each other since they both volunteered to watch over a turtle nest back in July. They were both surprised to see each other but nevertheless fell into a smooth rhythm of comfortable conversation. The whole night was spent naming all the baby sea turtles after star constellations that they thought fit their personality. They snuggled close for the majority of the night after Kiara ran to Haywards with a spare key to grab a few snacks to help them survive the night. The cool night air was becoming overwhelming, so they decided to keep up the chattering to distract themselves.

Y/n took this as two girls blossoming a newfound friendship, but it was when Kiara began to speak that really sparked her interest. But the funny thing was, it wasn't something specific. It was everything she was saying. Kiara spoke of her passion for music, her friends, the environment, her dreams, and hopes. She spoke so gracefully that it drew y/n in more and more like a siren thirsty for water. Before she fell in love with Kiara, she fell in love with her words. Her free spirit. Her aura of happiness that drew people in for more. More of the words that trickled from her plump lips light honey. Something so sweet that y/n craved more than anything.

While she was fawning over the girl as she spoke animatedly about her passion for surfing, a crack was heard from the turtle nest. Racing to look over the small hole with flashlights, radiant smiles colored both girls' features, seeing the sand cave in as little baby sea turtles began crawling from their shells.

For a brief moment, Kira gazed upward to see Y/n eyes glowing with the light and smiled. She loved how carefree she seemed away from the strict counsel of her stepmother. The Thornton name was a heavy crown to bear, and she admired y/n for carrying it so effortlessly. And at this moment, Kiara couldn't help but blush when strands of y/n's hair began to fall near her cheek, and she wanted so badly to brush them away. But she was knocked from her thoughts once she noticed the girl hustling around to clear the area for the turtles to move.

The rest of the night was spent encouraging the turtles as they made their way toward the water and protecting them from possible predators.

"Fuck off, crab!" Kiara shouted, picking up a branch from the sand and poking at a hard exterior near one of the turtles.

"Kie that a rock! Focus!' y/n whispered harshly, afraid she would scare the baby turtles as they paddled down the sand path they created for them that led to the water.

"Shit, you're right-- oh my god its Aries!" Kiara exclaimed, flashing her light down at a turtle that was speeding ahead of the rest.

Y/n quirked a brow, 'How could you possibly know? That could be Sagittarius for all we know."

Kie scoured her flashlight toward her, nearly blinding y/n from the abrupt light assault. "What? No way! That is so Aries, I mean, look at how he's showin off and struttin and being a baddie!" Kie then shined her light toward the hole where the last baby turtle flipped out from his nest and slowly moved toward the water. "That is Sagittarius. The lazy bitch."

"Hey, don't call the turtle bitches-- oh my god, Kiara, a crab!"

"Where!?"

After seeing the sea turtles to safety, Kira and y/n walked a mile to the Wreck, babbling loudly, not caring if the residents shut them up. They were just so happy to be in each other's company. The night ended with the girls eating a couple of plates stacked with truffle fries and a carton of ice cream while diving into more in-depth topics. They cried, laughed, and then cried some more before falling asleep on each other's shoulder in a booth. Mr. Carerra came in the next morning and sent them back to Kiara's house where they all but threw themselves on her bed in the comfort of her thick, warm blankets.

After that, the two would hang out every chance they got, even if there was an unspoken spark hovering between them like a magnet. It brought them closer, but as soon as they dared to think of each other as more than friends, they repelled.

Though they spoke of everything, they never mentioned how they fell asleep with their hands intertwined under the blankets.

Y/n breathed hitched once those almond eyes met hers, and the smile she passed her way was at par with the brightness of the sun. It warmed every part of her being, making her heart melt in an instant. Kiara's smile could light up a room; everyone knows that. But what they can't see is that she lights y/n up inside completely that every difficulty of loving her disappears. Every crevice of doubt. Every corner of insecurity. Ever crack of self-loathing. Kiara Carrera filled those spaces so selflessly, and all it took was a smile.  

"Crush" was such an infantile word. But if that's what Topper wanted to call it, then yes, she had a crush on Kiara Carrera.

No, I can't risk falling off my throne,

Love is something you don't even know.

Two hands swaying in front of her face made her vision dizzy once she came back to reality and looked to Sarah, who looked relieved to finally grasp her attention.

"Dude bell rang. You ready?" she asked.

Y/n faked a smile before lifting her head a bit higher once Kira passed her and disappeared from sight. "Um yeah--yeah, I'm ready. Let's go."

Sarah looped her arm with hers, and the two girls moved down the hall. Sarah felt the stiffness in her friend's arm and tilted her head with furrowed brows. "You okay?" she inquired softly with a smile.

"Just lost in thought is all," y/n, sighed, sucking on her bottom lips as she cast her eyes to her shoes.

"Must be unfamiliar territory then." Sarah laughed, giving her a playful shove, bringing y/n to bashfully shake her head at the compliment. "Now chin up, let's show Trevor, who's boss."

Once again, she let her thoughts of Kiara settle in a little corner of her brain, not to be touched until necessary, and went about her day.

Straight hair, straight A's, straight forward

Straight girl

Little miss perfect

that's me

One night my friend's stayed over

We laughed and drink and ordered

Something about her drew me in

What? It's totally platonic

"That is such a lie, Sarah, and you know it!" Y/n muffled around a bite of potato chips. She had called out her blonde friend, who rests her back against her bed's headboard while in a heated game of Kiss, Marry, Kill.

"What is so wrong about the order? It seems fine!" Sarah hiccuped after taking a swig of the large bottle of wine Kiara brought from home. She was currently sitting next to y/n; they're shoulders pressing together as they evened their weight on each other.

"Seriously. Marry Pope, kiss John B, and kill JJ? Where's the favor in that!" Kiara questioned with a shake of her head.

"Hey, Pope is superior." Y/n reminded her as she pointed toward Kiara with the loose finger that wasn't gripping the neck of the wine bottle. She tossed her head back and let the sweet, pungent taste burn her throat.

"Well, of course, he is, that answer is fine but c'mon! Kiss JJ and Kill John B! Simple." Kiara said, letting her thumb wipe off a drip of wine that rested on y/n chin. Too dazzled with a fascination with the spinning fan above her, Sarah didn't notice the lingering glances happening between Kie and Y/n.

Their eyes stayed glued, and Kiara smirked as a blush crept up y/n cheek. She brought her thumb to her lips and tasted the wine that didn't make it into y/n mouth before turning back to Sarah.

"JB is my boyfriend, Kie!" Sarah whined, lightly kicking her legs in a pout with her eyes squeezed shut, the onset of a headache beginning to rack her brain.

"You and John B are a literal walking hallmark movie!" Y/n told her with irritation lacing her tone. "I think he'll understand that you picked JJ over him in a game!"

"But...but -but I - I love jombee," Sarah slurred moments before a silent sob broke her lungs.

Kiara and Y/n both groaned in unison, disregarding how emotional Sarah got after too much drinking. "Pass me the damn bottle," Kira demanded with a roll of her eyes.

"Yes, ma'am," y/n replied.

That night was so exciting

Her smirks were so enticing

Hours speed by like seconds

Then, what happens is iconic

She takes a sip, I bite my lip

she tells a joke, I nearly choke

she braids my hair, I sit there

blacking out for the first time

With her straight hair now pulled back into a loose french braid made by the one and only Kiara, the two decided upon a game of never have I ever. After consoling Sarah for god knows what, the blonde fell asleep, leaving Kiara and y/n to sit at the end of the bed.

"Never have I ever called a turtle a bitch." Y/n narrowed her eyes, sitting on the balls of her feet, waiting for Kiara to drink from the wine bottle.

Kiara threw her head back, and a groan erupted from her chest while her loose, curly hair brushed past her shoulder. "Would you let that go? You know I love those turtles!" Kiara said, sipping the wine from the space in front of her as she sits criss-cross.  

Her eyes flickered around the bottle, meeting y/n eyes for a moment, making her bite her lip and look down at her fiddling hands that rested in her lap.

"I don't think Sagittarius appreciated being insulted. He was just taking his time." y/n said, finally looking back up to see Kie handing her the bottle.

"At least I didn't forget their names! What kind of mother are you?" Kie chuckled, her fingers lining the edge of her oversized yellow t-shirt that covered her gray shorts.

Y/n's lips parted, and shrugged her shoulders aggressively. "We named them when they haven't even hatched yet! Can you blame me for getting confused?"

Kiara's face was reddened by the second as a sudden laugh surpassed her lips. "A mother always knows." she chuckled.

With her eyes fluttered shut, y/n took this time to admire her once again. She watched her selfishly like no one else should have the honor of seeing Kiara in such a lighthearted state where only the two of them could be alone. Nothing was really funny about what she had said, but if she could hear her adorable snort, she didn't mind. She had a laugh like shattering glass, something you want to get so close to, but y/n was sure she would get cut with the shards.

"Right because you are so mother oriented." y/n mumbled, watching as Kiara calmed down and steadied her breathing; she brushed some hair from her face and settled down until her eyes caught y/n's. She could see wind stirred waves in her eyes. If one were brave enough to enter their depths, all else would blur, and you'd fall so deep in love that you'd choose to stay there no matter what.

Y/n was not sure what took over her. It must have been the ambiance of silence, but she couldn't take her eyes off Kiara's wet lips that had just consumed the wine. Uncertainty flooded Kiara's eyes as Y/n hesitantly moved forward, then gently cupped her jaw in her hands and pressed her lips against her lips. Kiara stayed frozen in place, her hands raised around y/n silhouette that was slightly hovering over her like she was afraid to touch her. Because if she touched her, then it made it real. But she wasn't pushing her away, and she didn't know why.

The kiss was innocent, new, an unknown territory that y/n was afraid to tread until now. All the expectations placed upon her to be the model daughter disappeared with Kiara Carrera. The perfect girl her mother wanted was defying everything society said was wrong. But if it was so wrong, why did she feel Kiara's hands touch her waist and kiss her back? The taste of wine was exchanged between their sweet kiss and shared breath. So sweet and savory like honey, but once Y/n pulled away and opened her eyes, her heart shattered like glass. As if what she had just done destroyed her whole being. The glass cut deep like she touched something that she shouldn't have, and now she was paying for it.

Next thing I know, I lose control

I finally kiss her, but oh no

I see a face in my window

then my brain starts to go

She saw her reflection. She saw herself. The reflection of someone she didn't recognize, and she felt an ache in her heart once she met Kiara's eyes again. At that moment, they both seemed to realize what they had done and quickly moved away from one another, standing up to face each other on either side of the bed.

No, you can't risk falling off your throne

Love

Is something you don't even know

Thunder rumbled in the sky, the clouds grayed and shifted the cold air into a moist, dewy atmosphere. Rain droplets raced down y/n umbrella, creating a curtain of water around her body as she stood barefoot at the beach. Her mind was lulled with last night's events, and she hated herself for driving Kiara away. Y/n eyes observed each raindrop like a kaleidoscope. She wondered if she could stop time just one last time, to suspend this watery gift and peek through each one. Perhaps it would be fun to sit inside one of those raindrops and take the gravity propelled ride to the earth. Maybe then, she would be able to melt away into nothingness.

She let her hands stretch out from the safety of her blue umbrella and felt the cold rain soak over her hand. Her eyes gloss over with unshed tears, thinking of the night with Kiara on the beach. Oh, how she wishes she could do it over, just to have on a normal night like that again.

The shifting of sand beside her pulled her from her thoughts, and she stiffened once she caught a glimpse of Kiara's curly hair beside her, holding her own yellow umbrella.

The sound of gentle rain upon the surface shielding their head is all that filled the air. That's what kept y/n from crying once Kiara began to speak.

"We can still be friends y/n."

The words hit her like a ton of bricks, and she didn't care when a warm tear slid down her cheek.

"Okay," she mumbles in response, not believing herself to say anymore. She would surely break down, and she couldn't hurt Kiara like that. Not when she cornered her in a difficult situation.

She could hear Kiara sniffle, and she faced her quickly. "I'm sorry, Yn. You have no idea how sorry I am, but-- I just can't do it."

Y/n chin wobbled, and she quickly bit down on her lip before a whimper could escape. "It's okay," she murmured with a crack in her voice.

That crack nearly broke Kiara in her entirely, and she nearly reached out to touch her arm but stopped.

"Y/n/n, please say something else," Kiara was now crying, her almond eyes looking darker, and the frown on her lips broke y/n's whole being. "Just say something to make me stay. And I will, but I have to hear it from you first."

Y/n let in a shaky breath and finally found the courage to look at Kiara. She tilted her head, a sad smile presenting itself on her quivering lips. "What is it worth if I can't tell everyone else that I love you, Kiara?"

Both girls stood silent, and the decision was made. Hours passed, and a lonesome blue umbrella stayed put on the beach while the yellow one was long gone. Once she was sure Kiara was gone, Y/n dropped the umbrella from her shaking hands and let the sob she held rack her body. She clapped a hand over her mouth to quiet the scream she wanted to let erupt. Holding her body, she let the rain drown out her cries and felt the memory of Kiara's lips be consumed by the raindrops to melt away into the earth.

Rewind, induce amnesia

Deny the truth it easier

You're just confused, believe her

When she says there's nothing there

It's never worth it

When you're little miss perfect.

@pogueszn @mdlyncline @cordeliascrown @acvross-the-universe

 @x-lulu @bricksatanakinswindow @ponyboys-sunsets @kaitieskidmore1 @casper17 @moonshinerbynight @illbesafeforyou @crxstalreeds

[openheartchoices]

Purple (Ethan Ramsey x MC)

Purple

Open Heart: Ethan Ramsey x f!MC (Olivia Summers)

Words: 2k

Summary: He’d never had a favorite color until she took his breath away in that purple dress.

A/N: hi! I’m finally getting back into writing. My schedule has not allowed much time for it recently, but I got this idea and had to get it written ASAP.

Taglist: @mvalentine @myusualnerdyself @kaavyaethanramsey @nooruleman @openheart12 @missmiimiie @bellcat2010 @perriewinklenerdie @ethandaddyramsey @trappedinfandoms @queencarb

Ethan Ramsey had never considered himself to have a favorite color.

Naturally, he did like neutral colors such as gray, black, and white and darker colors like navy, but he had never genuinely had a favorite color. He didn’t have a go-to color that he loved. To be quite honest, Ethan thought that having a favorite color was absolutely pointless.

The only thing on his mind the night of the fundraising gala, hosted by Edenbrook, was that he’d rather be anywhere else. Ethan had to fake smiles and shake hands with rich, stuck up people that he wanted absolutely nothing to do with. If it wasn’t for Edenbrook needing money, he would’ve most definitely stayed home with Jenner. He liked his dog more than most people.

With the gala in full swing, Ethan glanced down to his watch that was hidden underneath the sleeve of his black tuxedo jacket. He had resist a groan of disappointment upon realizing he had to stay for another hour. Straightening out his jacket, he walked around in hopes of finding someone that he didn’t dislike.

Ethan knew Naveen was around somewhere, but he hadn’t seen him since he had gotten there. He was also aware that Harper was floating around somewhere, but, just like Naveen, he couldn’t find her no matter where he looked.

He spotted a few random residents, one of them being Dr. Sienna Trinh. Ethan didn’t quite know her all too well. They did have one person in common, but as soon as the thought of that certain someone came to his mind, he pushed it away. If he thought about Sienna, his mind would immediately go to another doctor. However, Sienna had seen him and was making her way over.

A glass in her hand, Sienna grinned once she stood in front of him. “Hi, Dr. Ramsey! How are you doing?”

“Wishing I could leave,” Ethan replied with a frown. “How are you?”

Sienna laughed. Her hair was out of her usual braid and in an elegant updo while she wore a black, floor-length dress. “I’m doing fine. I can’t find Olivia though. I was hoping you had seen her somewhere. She’s my ride home.”

Ethan, trying to be nonchalant, shot his eyebrows up slightly. “She’s here?”

“Of course she is. Someone has to woo money out of rich people. No one does it better than Olivia. She didn’t tell you she was coming tonight?” Sienna asked with a frown.

“No. Why would she tell me she was coming to the gala?” He asked rhetorically in an attempt to act like he didn’t care.

Ethan and Sienna both knew why she would tell him she was coming to the gala. However, Ethan was shocked, and a little disappointed, that she never breathed a word about how she was supposed to be at the gala.

Sienna cleared her throat, obviously not wanting to get into the middle of whatever was going on with Ethan and her best friend. Even though Olivia had told her many times that she was over Ethan, Sienna saw the longing in her eyes when she saw him and noticed the way she tried to act like she didn’t care about the current rumors floating around the hospital.

“Can you tell her I’m looking for her if you see her?”

Ethan nodded. “Will do.”

He watched as Sienna walked away until his eyes frantically glanced all around for signs of the young doctor that Ethan had, as much as he didn’t want to admit, gotten attached to. Part of him knew why she didn’t tell him that she was coming, but the other part didn’t want to admit it because he knew he had hurt her.

Ethan, very reluctantly, had went on a date with a nurse that had asked him out three weeks prior. She was kind, very pretty, intelligent, and held a really great conversation. The date would’ve been fantastic if Ethan’s mind wasn’t on a completely different person the entire time.

It didn’t take long for rumors to spread around the hospital. For Edenbrook to be a hospital, gossip and rumors traveled faster than at a high school. Ethan had decided to not go out with the nurse again, much to her disappointment, but the entire hospital was convinced they were exclusive.

All of the air left Ethan’s lungs when his eyes did land on her. She stood with Naveen only a few feet away, a big smile on her face equal to Naveen’s as she danced with him to the song that softly played. The loose curls in her hair bounced over her shoulder as Naveen twirled her, loud laughs leaving both their mouths. Olivia always looked stunning, but something about her tonight was especially beautiful.

She wore a long, light purple dress that clung to her body with a sweetheart neckline. The dress was paired with silver earrings, a matching necklace, and silver pumps. It was a simple dress, but something about it drove Ethan crazy.

The color brought out her blue eyes and clashed perfectly with her skin tone. Ethan had seen her dressed up many times, but he couldn’t tear his gaze away from blonde girl in the purple dress. Another laugh escaped her as she was the one who twirled Naveen this time.

Ethan didn’t know what he was doing until his feet were already moving towards her. She hadn’t seen him yet, but Naveen grinned as his eyes fell to Ethan. Following his gaze, Olivia looked over, finally locking eyes with him.

“Do you mind if I cut in, Naveen? I need to have a word with Dr. Summers about a donation made tonight.”

“Not at all,” Naveen replied, giving Olivia and Ethan a knowing smile before stepping away.

Ethan tried to make eye contact again with Olivia, but she looked everywhere but him as his hand gently gripped her waist while the other intertwined with her own hand. “What donation are you talking about, Dr. Ramsey?”

“It’s not about a donation, Rookie-“

“Then I don’t see a reason why you need me, so if you’ll excuse me-“

Ethan huffed. “Can you just let me finish?”

Still not making eye contact, Olivia finally shut her mouth. She looked everywhere but him as they moved in sync to the music.

“You haven’t spoken to me in three weeks,” he said. “You avoid me when we’re on the same floor. I even saw you take the stairs the other day because you saw me on the elevator, and I know how much you hate the stairs.”

“I’ve talked to you, Dr. Ramsey. You don’t see me on the same floor because I’ve been really busy. I took the stairs because I’m trying to be more active.” Was all she said.

He scoffed. “You and I both know you haven’t talked to me about anything that doesn’t relate to work. You’re even calling me Dr. Ramsey and being only professional.”

“It’s your name, isn’t it?” Olivia retorted. “I thought that’s what you wanted. For us to be professional. I’m granting you your wish, Dr. Ramsey.”

Ethan frowned. It wasn’t often that Olivia was like this. She was sweet, humorous, and sarcastic. He couldn’t help but feel like he had caused her anger. “Olivia, that’s not what-“

“Yes it is,” she cut him off, lowering her voice slightly so that no one else around them could hear the bickering. “I’m being professional. You are the one that ran off to the Amazon. You are the one that ended it. You are the one who is currently dating some nurse after giving me a big speech about being professional. I thought that it if I didn’t see you move on, then it wouldn’t bother me as much, but no. I have to see it because she’s a co-worker. You’re breaking your own little professional code.”

“I went on one date with one nurse. It’s not like I proposed to her, and we’re getting married next weekend. It didn’t go any farther than one date because you are in my head. Whatever ridiculous rumors that are floating around in that hospital aren’t true.”

The two continued to dance, their bickering unknown by everyone around them. For the first time since they had started to dance, Olivia looked up to Ethan. “So, let me get this clear, you don’t have feelings for the redhead nurse on the fourth floor?”

“It’s a little odd that you know exactly what floor she works on, but yes. I do not have feelings for the redhead nurse on the fourth floor. It was one date that didn’t mean anything to me,” he replied softly.

Olivia frowned. “I shouldn’t have taken my jealousy out on you.”

“If anyone else talked to me like that, I wouldn’t have been as nice.”

The young doctor laughed. “I’m glad to know that I’m an exception.”

“The only exception,” Ethan said with a laugh. “Did you manage to get anyone to donate tonight?”

Olivia grinned. “Sure did. All I had to do was expose my chest a little bit more, give a flirtatious smile, and laugh at everything the old rich guys said for about five minutes. I think I did pretty well.”

“You seduced them into donating?” He asked incredulously.

“Of course not,” Olivia said defensively. “I didn’t seduce them into donating. I seduced them so they would donate, Ethan. There’s a huge difference between the two.”

The song came to an end as Ethan, reluctantly, let go of Olivia’s waist, their fingers still intertwined. Olivia’s purple dress shined brightly amongst the lights, a small smile settled on her face.

“Thank you,” she said.

“For what?”

Olivia turned to face him after they had moved away from the crowd of people into a section of the room that wasn’t very visible. “For, y’know, not breaking your whole rule about keeping things professional with anyone who works at Edenbrook.”

Ethan contemplated his next few words carefully, but ultimately decided it was better to say them now rather than never. “Some rules are meant to be broken for the right person.”

Giggling, Olivia pulled him closer. “I wholeheartedly agree.”

As Ethan’s arms wrapped around Olivia’s waist, their lips connecting, his fingers brushed across the soft fabric of her purple dress. Foreheads pressed together, the two doctors couldn’t help but break the kiss to give each other a breathless grin before reconnecting.

No matter how hard the two would try and stay away from each other, they’d always find something to pull them back into each other. It didn’t matter how many times Ethan said they had to keep things professional nor did it matter how many times Olivia told Sienna she was over him. None of it ever mattered.

Ethan Ramsey had never considered himself to have a favorite color. However, he knew exactly what he was going to answer the next time he was asked what his favorite color was.

The answer was going to be purple.

Across the room, Dr. Naveen Banerji smiled to himself when his eyes caught glimpse of Ethan and Olivia. While he was getting up there in age, there were still some strong matchmaking bones in his body.

He knew he shouldn’t have told Olivia what he’d heard from another doctor about Ethan and the nurse, which he knew was completely false, but it pushed her into the right direction to get angry and have a confrontation with Ethan. Overall, Naveen felt accomplished.

They can thank me later, he thought to himself as he was pulled into another conversation.

[cakesunflower]

Quiet Hours [College!Luke AU] Ch. 6

Previous Chapters: Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5

Chapter 6

AS SOMEONE IN her third year of college, Ophelia felt wildly stupid for forgetting about Homecoming Weekend. Friday was spent at the movies and Starbucks with her friends and neighbors, but when she woke up particularly early on Saturday morning, it was to a message from her mother, telling her that they would be arriving on campus within half an hour. At first, Ophelia was confused as to why her family was coming, and then a bell struck in her head and she realized it was Homecoming. How the hell could she have forgotten that?

So, like every year, she put on a pair of her favorite ripped jeans, a red and black university shirt and her denim jacket on top after showering and doing her makeup. Isabelle and Tanya were already out to be with their families, since it was nearly ten in the morning and the Homecoming festivities began at nine. With her headphones in her ears and music deafening her to the rest of the world, Ophelia left the building and headed towards the courtyard in front of the student center where all of the main events were going on and where she was to meet up with her family.

She took out her headphones when she reached the courtyard, hearing the music playing throughout the campus as she saw the amount of people around. It was a sea of red and black, really, with everyone wearing the school colors, and there was a different kind of inflatable obstacle course than last time on one end of the courtyard. Food trucks and carnival games were also setup, along with face painting and henna booths.

Eventually, Ophelia caught sight of her family; her mom, dad, older brother Finn, Paisley, and Paisley’s fiance Elissa, all of whom stood near the steps of the student center. “Oh, I missed you, honey,” Idina Wright sighed as she hugged her youngest daughter before having to pull away so Ophelia could hug her father and the rest of her family.

“You look so cute,” Elissa grinned as she hugged her soon-to-be sister-in-law, taking in her college attire, thinking how only Ophelia could work denim on denim that well.

Ophelia then led her family to the dining hall, where a pancake breakfast was being served for students and their families. It was packed inside, busier than usual as the music playing throughout the room was overpowered by the chattering of everyone there, yet somehow they managed to find a corner table, with Ophelia’s Dad and Finn saving the table for the women to get food before coming back and letting them go.

They ate together, catching up as Ophelia filled them in on what was going on and telling them about being the resident advisor. As she began eating her second pancake, Paisley, who was separated from her with their mom in the middle, suddenly spoke up, “hey, Lia, isn’t that your neighbor?”

Ophelia, having just put a bite of the sweet pancake in her mouth, stared at her sister in brief confusion before following her gaze to the front over her brother’s head, catching sight of who she was talking about. As she chewed, she saw Luke walking in their general direction as he talked to a guy that looked remarkably like him. Luke hadn’t yet seen Ophelia, giving her ample opportunity to just revel in how good he looked, dressed in black jeans with rips in the knees, a red hoodie with the university name written in black with the hood popping out from under the black leather jacket he wore on top.

She nearly choked at the sight of him, the threat of that happening increasing as Luke’s head suddenly turned and his blue eyes locked with her hazel. Ophelia forcefully swallowed down her bite as Luke and his older look-alike got closer, lips parting to form the smirk that always seemed to come around whenever Ophelia saw him as she watched him say something to the guy before the older blonde’s gaze landed on her as well. Oh, God, is he coming this way?

Her thought was quickly answered as Luke walked towards her, the other guy trailing behind him as her neighbor stopped by the end of their table, hands shoved in the pockets of his leather jacket as he greeted, “hi, Ophelia.” Luke’s blue eyes flickered to the other familiar girl seated there before adding, “hey, Paisley.”

Ophelia’s sister waved and greeted him right back while the rest of the family peered up at the tall, Australian boy curiously before throwing this questioning gazes over to the youngest member of the family. Ophelia sat up before offering a smile, “uh, guys, this is Luke—he’s my neighbor.”

Luke wanted to tease her, jokingly wanting to say that he thought they were friends, but let it slide as he offered a charming grin to Ophelia’s family. She watched as his dimples came into view under his dark blonde facial hair, showing off unfairly white teeth as his accented voice said, “it’s nice to meet you all.” Then, gesturing to the man beside him, added, “this is my brother, Jack.”

Everyone said their friendly hellos, and Ophelia’s gaze happened to meet Elissa’s, who was quirking a knowing eyebrow at the younger girl. She felt her cheeks heat up before quickly looking back up at Luke, reveling in the way the top of his hair was pushed back because he had it tied into a sort of half updo. He looked so good. “I just wanted to come by and say hello,” Luke grinned at the family before his blue eyes landed on Ophelia, her own small yet nervous smile on her pouty lips. “I’ll see you later, R.A. Ophelia,” he added, his smile subtly turning into a smirk that only she picked up.

He then walked away after one last smile to her family, who went back to eating their food after he and Jack said their goodbyes, and Luke glanced over his shoulder to offer a two fingered salute just for Ophelia before disappearing in the growing crowd of people lingering in the dining hall.

Once he was gone, Ophelia felt a nudge to her left, prompting her to see the way her mother was raising mischievous eyebrows. “He’s so cute, Lia,” she grinned, using her knife and fork to cut into her blueberry pancakes while wiggling her brows.

“That’s what I said!” Paisley piped in, leaning forward on the table to look at her younger sister. Pointing her fork at Ophelia, she added, “he lives right next door to you—you’ve got no excuse to not get with him.”

Across the table, Finn’s face scrunched up in distaste as their dad held his free hand up. “Okay, hey, whoa—let’s not have this conversation when I’m here.”

“Or me,” Finn added, shaking his head because the last thing he wanted to hear was his baby sister getting with some tall foreign kid.

Meanwhile, Ophelia was staring at her sister and mother in mild disbelief, a small laugh escaping her as she returned her attention to her food. How the hell was it that almost everyone around her seemingly wanted her to be with Luke in one way or the other—her friends, her sister, mother, and even Luke himself. Sure, she also wanted to know what Luke’s lips felt like on hers, if his hair was as soft as it looked, and what it’d be like to have his body pressed up against hers but, shit, at least she was silent and subtle about it.

“We’re just not having this conversation at all,” Ophelia said, shooting a pointed look to her family members as she picked up her glass of orange juice. She ignored the huffs of disappointment from Paisley and her mother, sipping the cold drink as her eyes flickered over the rim, somehow landing on the very boy she was thinking about.

Man, he was everywhere. Lowering her cup, Ophelia saw Luke sitting with people who were probably his family at a circular table in the middle of the dining hall. She saw his profile, with Jack to his right alongside a pretty girl and another older blonde guy that looked a lot like Luke and Jack. To Luke’s right were a man and a woman, who Ophelia assumed were his parents, as Luke laughed animatedly at whatever was being said, his laughter muted by the noisy chatter of the room.

Ophelia shoved another piece of pancake into her mouth, chewing rather roughly because now she was getting worked up at how Goddamn good Luke looked. She hadn’t really seen him wear color a lot, since he mostly kept to wearing white, black and grey, but in that red school hoodie? Luke looked ridiculously cuddly, and that leather jacket on top had her wishing he would press her against the wall and—

Oh, my God, I need to relax, she cut that train of thought off immediately, forcing herself to tune into the conversation her family was having, pushing all thoughts of Luke out of her mind for as long as she could.

                                                        *****

Throughout the day, Ophelia wondered if God, or the universe, was playing some kind of trick on her. She only considered this because no matter where she and her family went, she somehow always either ran into Luke or caught sight of him in the crowd. Whether it be at one of the family alumni sessions—this was Ophelia’s mom’s alma mater—or the football game, or even the huge courtyard where all of the main activities were going on, Ophelia somehow always managed to find Luke.

It was unnerving, how her eyes seemed to seek out his blue ones even through a thick crowd without meaning to. Every time they made eye contact, that smug yet familiar smirk would appear on Luke’s face and he’d hold his hand up in a wave, and Ophelia’s lips would fumble for a smile before looking away as fast as she could. What if he thought she was some kind of weirdo who was stalking him or something? Ophelia was already a flustered mess around Luke most of the time, she didn’t need him thinking she was following him around, too. God, wasn’t she supposed to be better than this?

It was towards the end of the night and the festivities were dying down, and Ophelia was walking her family towards the car park since they, her parents in particular, had a long drive ahead of them. As they walked, Paisley slung her arm around her younger sister’s shoulder and asked, “so can I write you down for a plus one on the wedding invite?” Ophelia quirked a puzzled eyebrow as Paisley grinned, “you know, so there’s a seat for Luke next to you.”

Ophelia’s eyes shut as she let out a groan, throwing her head back as she did so as Paisley snickered. She ignored the looks the rest of her family threw back at them as they walked ahead, before glaring up at her sister. “Would you stop?” she all but whined, trying to push Paisley away though the twenty-four year old didn’t budge. “You’re making it sound like there’s something going on between us.”

Elissa, who was walking on the other side of Paisley, chimed in, “if there’s nothing going on right now, there definitely will be soon.”

Paisley grinned proudly at her fiance, her right hand going to hold Elissa’s left while her other arm was still draped around Ophelia’s shoulder. The shorter girl, however, merely parted her lips in surprise. “Why would you think that?” she sputtered out, a nervous laugh following her words.

The strawberry blonde haired woman on the other side of Paisley scoffed. “Oh, please, Lia,” she laughed, rolling her green eyes. “When he first walked up to the table, the two of you were practically having eye-sex.” Ophelia let out an affronted exclaim as Paisley began giggling, while the former looked forward and hoped her brother and parents weren’t listening in. “And then I saw you kept looking at him literally everywhere we went. Honestly, hon, it’s like you two get off just by the sight of each other.”

That caused Ophelia’s eyes to bulge out in astonishment, a short gasp escaping her parted lips as she listened to Elissa. Get off just by the sight of each other? Was she serious or was she just trying to freak me out? Ophelia couldn’t believe her ears, because surely that’s not what it was like with her and Luke? She just thought every time she stared at Luke she was just looking at him like any normal person does—not having eye-sex with him. What even was that?

Before Ophelia could even hope to defend herself or protest against Elissa’s words, they had reached the familiar family Buick in the parking lot. Ophelia’s parents pulled her in for hugs and kisses, saying she needed to come home for a visit some weekend while her brother hugged and kissed her temple. When she went to hug Paisley and Elissa, both women said something along the lines of hooking up with Luke, which only caused the younger girl’s cheeks to set afire and lips to press together tightly. They needed to stop because she was getting flustered, and it was bad enough she was like that in front of Luke—if she got like that by the mere thought or mention of him, then she was seriously screwed.

She waved off her family, smiling even though her mind was running with her sister’s and Elissa’s words, before turning and walking in the direction of the apartment building—she had to start rounds soon. To distract herself, Ophelia put in her headphones and listened to her eighties playlist, making the five minute walk seem even shorter as she reached the building soon enough. Once the elevator doors slid open to her floor, she stepped out and took out her headphones, only to pause when she saw the person standing in front of their apartment a couple of doors down.

“Haven’t seen you all day,” Luke joked, key card in between his fingers as he looked down the hall towards her approaching form. Just like Ophelia, he obviously realized that he had seen her around campus throughout the day, though unlike her, the amusing thought of her stalking him didn’t ever cross his mind. No—Luke, like Ophelia, thought the universe or whatever God there was, was pulling some kind of prank on him. It was bad enough his thoughts stemmed from the darkest parts of his mind  whenever he saw Ophelia on the occasion, but seeing her around all fucking day—even if it was for a split second through a crowd of people—did not do well for his greedy body.

Ophelia smiled as she walked down the hall. “Yeah, tell me about it,” she responded just as teasingly, pressing her lips together as she walked past Luke to get to her own door. As she fished her own key card out of in between her phone and case, she turned her head to the left to look at Luke as she conversationally asked, “did you have fun with your family?”

Luke stood twirling the card between his ring clad fingers, facing the door yet his head turned to look at Ophelia as he smiled and nodded. “Yeah, I did,” he answered sincerely, and Ophelia’s own lips twitched at the sight of his fond smile as he thought of his family. “They live, like, three hours away so it was good to see them. What about you?”

“Yeah, it was great,” she answered, no longer in a rush to get into her room as she stood in the carpeted hall with Luke just a few feet away. “I’m pretty sure my brother ate from every food truck there was.”

The Australian chuckled at that, before pausing as a confused expression took over his face, brows steepened with a tilt of his head. “Wait, I thought that guy was your sister’s fiance?” he questioned because he could’ve sworn he saw a huge diamond on Paisley’s finger.

Ophelia blinked as a bewildered expression of her own flashed across her face before realization dawned and her lips parted. “Ohh, no,” she finally said, letting out a laugh with a shake of her head. “The other woman—Elissa, the redhead? She’s my sister’s fiance.”

Luke’s blue eyes widened as his eyebrows shot up, a mixture of surprise and comprehension expressing on his features. “Oh! Oh, wow,” he let out a sheepish chuckle, ring decorated fingers running through his somewhat long hair that was no longer in a bun. “Sorry,” he added, feeling embarrassed for just assuming. “They’re a cute couple.”

Ophelia grinned, nodding along. “Yeah, they are,” she agreed, her smile genuine and the cheekbones Luke was finding himself to become obsessed with standing out. She was so lovely, he couldn’t help but once again think if she felt the same under him. Knowing that if Luke kept staring at her so intently the way he was doing so right now, she quickly inserted her key card in the slot and threw a smile his way. “I should, uh, go—I have to start rounds in a bit.”

Luke watched as she opened the door, flipping his card between his fingers before inserting it in his own door slot. “I’ll see you later, R.A. Ophelia.”

Ophelia smiled one last time before entering her apartment. Shit, I hope.

tags: @crownedbyluke @irwinkitten @glitterprincelu @softforcal @valentinelrh @hotmessmichael @meetashthere @astroashtonio @hereforlukescruff @c-sainthood @captain-what-is-going-on @angelbbycal @babygirlcashton @calntynes @invisiblexcth @inlovehoodx @soulmatecashton @calumsmermaid @kchillout @thewackywriter @akacalciumhood @calumculture @ohhmuke @empathycth @flannelpunkcalum @poppedpins @novacanecalum @walkedhomealone @calistheloml @gettingjillywithit @hearts-to-the-sky @old-zeppelin-shirt @5sos-stan4lyfe @all-i-want-is2b-loved-by-you @calumthoodsyonce @xhaileyreneex @rosecoloredash @asht0ns-world @cxddlyash @mysteriouslycali @lmao5sosimagines @monsteramongmikey @calteahood @5secondssofssummer @sublimehood @bloodlinecal @biwriting 

[feminarrie]

ice and tanqueray - two

warning(s): this series contains smut (18+)

[ masterlist ] / [ story tag ] / [ niall tag ]

The First (Non) Date

Y/N should really learn to pay attention in her lectures, but she’s got a nasty habit of scrolling through social media when the material is dry. Her disinterest has yet to get her in trouble despite the quiet giggles and obvious lack of eye contact. Yet, that her streak of good luck seems to end when she receives a text message from Niall. It pops up on her phone screen while she’s reading trash article about the latest celebrity scandal. And for a moment, she thinks about ignoring it until she gets out of class. But, the lecture is just so boring and surely Niall’s message is even slightly more riveting.

And it is.

Would like you to accompany me to Louis’ benefit, if you’re free. Free food, booze, and a chance to step away from school for a bit.

A gasp heaves itself from her lungs which she quickly tries to conceal with a hand over her mouth and stretching an arm up behind her. The fake yawn does little to convince her professor, a stern looking older man that has a fluffy eyebrow raised at Y/N. If he has any choice words to say to her, he does not voice them. He simply makes it a point to keep eye contact with her for an uncomfortably long time before turning back to the presentation. She takes the moment to reread the message. 

He couldn’t have possibly meant to send it to her her. There’s no way that he would want her to join him at something as public as a benefit and fundraiser hosted by Louis Tomlinson. But, when her eyes pick apart each syllable trying to find any indication that he picked the wrong contact, she can’t think of anyone else he would send it to. 

Y/N isn’t an expert on Niall. He is far more complex than one would guess. But, she’s pretty sure she has scheduled enough “play dates” with his friends and colleagues to know he doesn’t know someone still in university. 

Except for her. (But, are they friends? Does this mean they’re friends?) 

She leaves the text message until there’s a collective rustling of papers and a formal dismissal of the class session. Y/N is quick to pack up her own belongings, shoving it into her large bag before booking it out of the classroom. Partially because she needs to find Robin—her roommate and voice of reason—and mostly because she can see the annoyance in her professor’s eyes as he began walking toward her. She hardly has the time or emotional capacity to deal with a firm talking to for a small disruption. Not when she’s scrambling to figure out what she should say back to Niall’s proposal. 

Y/N picks Robin out fairly easily. The thick, tangled auburn bun atop her head stands out amongst the rest. She mumbles quiet apologies as she walks against the grain of people before reaching a hand out to touch Robin’s small wrist. The redhead is a petite little thing, only standing at five feet (and third-quarters, she’ll have you know). Freckles for her ivory skin and green eyes light up when she sees Y/N. 

“Hello, little bird!” Robin nearly sings, allowing Y/N to intertwine their fingers. 

(They’ve come to call each other “little bird” since moving in with one another. For no reason other than Robin’s namesake. Their home had been affectionately named The Nest shortly after). 

“We’ve got a situation,” Y/N leads off, a nervous smile playing at her lips and tongue pressed between her teeth. 

Robin nearly rolls her eyes into the back of her head when Y/N details what has happened. They’re walking toward a coffee shop at the other end of campus, hands still intertwined as they walk. 

“I thought it was something bad, Y/N.” She giggles, the noise cutting through the sound of the wind. “You’re going to say yes, right?” 

“That’s just it! I don’t know if I should,” Y/N says, uncurling her fingers from Robin’s to open the cafe door. “Isn’t that inappropriate?”

Robin thanks her before stepping inside with yet another roll of her eyes. “It’s only inappropriate if you make it inappropriate.” She says, glancing back at Y/N. 

Her messy updo bobs with each step, Y/N notices. It brings a soft smile to her lips and provides a second of distraction. She’s bordering on the line of anxious as she walks with Robin into the mostly empty cafe. Robin senses it, too. She reaches her hand out to graze Y/N’s arm as they come to stand in line. 

“You deserve a night out, little bird. You’ve worked yourself too hard this semester.” Robin says, her voice holding an equal amount of stern and love for Y/N. 

And she’s not wrong. Y/N knows it, too. She’s positive Niall is well aware of it, too, considering his empathy when she was ill. But, the thought of saying yes still fills her tummy with nervous rumblings. Even as she types out the word, thumb hovering over the send button. 

“Let your hair down. It’s just one night.” Robin says, eyes glancing down at Y/N’s phone screen. 

And Y/N knows she right, so she hurriedly presses the send button before shoving the phone into her friend’s hands. She sighs and mumbles something about being afraid to look when he answers. 

“He’s already asked you, Y/N. What else could he possibly say?” 

It’s not so much what he says that has Y/N reeling as she steps outside of her apartment building. It more has to do with the way Niall is leaning so nonchalantly against a black Range Rover that she can very nearly see her reflection in. A perfectly knotted tie sits atop a crisp white shirt and beneath the blazer of a surely overpriced tuxedo. 

The sight reminds her of the first night they met, but her face doesn’t pinch up in annoyance when he smiles at her. Not even when he pushes himself from the car door, hands still shoved in his pockets. He looks the picture of ease and Y/N envies him slightly. Her bones are still rattling with nervousness. It brings on an external shiver that she tries to pass of as the result of the night air. 

“You look beautiful,” Niall says easily, pulling his hand from his pocket to open the door as she nears the curb.

It would all be really cliche if this was actually a date, she thinks. Plucked right out of a movie.

“Thank you,” she says, careful to pinch the slit of her dress together as she climbs into the passenger seat.

The high slit of the black dress is tasteful enough for an event like the Tomlinson Foundation Benefit, but exposes enough of her leg to make her feel slightly uncomfortable under Niall’s quick gaze. Not because she can feel the way his eyes are trailing up the soft skin of her legs–which he does for just a moment before he catches himself–but because she has never felt this exposed in front of him. 

Niall grins back at her before letting the door shut and wandering over to his own side. He’s pulling out of his parking spot before Y/N has clicked her seatbelt in. Something she would chatsie anyone else for, but she doesn’t feel all that unsafe in the car with Niall. Quite frankly, he makes her feel timid and calm at the same time. Both wash over her in waves while she just tries to stay afloat. She would prefer if she could just float lazily at the surface, in control and unattached, but his presence hardly allows for that. 

“I’m glad you decided to come with me tonight, Y/N.” Niall says with a momentary glance that lands on her profile. “S’gonna be a good night. Louis’ events always are.”

Y/N doesn’t doubt it, either. She might have done a little bit of research on Louis and his benefit after she had agreed to attend. Short phrases entered into a search engine quickly loaded picture results for the event. The one they are attending is only the third annual one, but there appeared to be no shortage of A-list celebrities and well-known footballers. Another quick search turned up results for the purpose of the event and solidified Y/N’s reason for going.

(Louis had developed the benefit to raise money for various charities that helped children and families in need. Some were sports related, others to help children battling childhood cancer. Regardless of the way it which it benefitted kids, Louis tried to support it).

“I’m glad I did, too.” Y/N admits, adjusting the clutch in her lap to sit more comfortably between her thighs.

Niall didn’t tell her that they would essentially be sitting in front of all of the attendees. They were sat across from Louis and to the left of some football players that played for Doncaster. I mean, she doesn’t really mind it all that much when she is wandering through the crowd to get to the bar, but she minds it more when they’re sat for dinner and long speeches. 

So, when everyone is given permission to mingle and have fun, Y/N does. Niall had long since excused himself to speak with a few old friends and potential new clients. Y/N is alright once she finds a nice tennis player that doesn’t intimidate her like the rest of the attendees. He’s only sipping at a glass of champagne while Y/N rambles on about how she even came to be at the event because she thinks it is painfully obvious that she does not fit in with the crowd.

But Alexander, the tennis player, reassures her that she doesn’t need to fit in. Even tells her that he came to talk to her because of it. It makes her already alcohol-induced flush heat up even further beneath her makeup. She can feel the heat blossom lower on her cheeks and tries to ignore her increasing heart rate. Because Y/N tries hard to remain independent, in control. Cute boys with strawberry blonde hair that are likely harmlessly flirting with her doesn’t exactly scream independent and control. 

But, when she catches a glimpse of Niall across the room, she’s reminded that tonight isn’t about being either one of those things. He invited her out to relax and not worry about her upcoming assignments or when the rent is due. (Or how she’s going to scrounge up enough money to pay for designer shoes that aren’t even for her). She does her best to compartmentalize them in some corner of her mind where she can ignore them for a few hours. At least to the extent where she can have a little bit of fun and not worry about wasting her time with some boy.

Niall’s stay on her even as she turns her attention to the boy across from her. He hardly recognizes him, but the pang of jealousy still leaves a lasting sting. He doesn’t try to convince himself that it’s something else because he knows damn well that it’s not. Though, he hadn’t thought he liked her quite as much as to be jealous of someone flirting with her. But, he is and Louis is quick to pick up on it.

“You’ve been watchin’ her all night, mate.” Louis laughs, nudging him with his elbow.

Louis takes a long swig of his beer, eyes watching Niall finally drag his watchful gaze from Y/N. His image is slightly clouded by the caramel covered glass, but he can still see the way Niall attempts to smooth out his features. Wiggling his jaw, slightly sore from being clenched just slightly. Pulling his shoulders from his ears and letting a sigh fall from his lips.

“S’obvious, isn’t it?” Niall chuckles, the sound dry in his ears. 

He knows he’s essentially fucked. That he is the one who fucked himself over by hiring her. 

“Well…” Louis leads, leaning against the mahogany wood of the bar. “Don’t know why you didn’t just ask her out on a date if you were goin’ to stare at her all night anyway.”

“She’s my assistant,” he stresses the last word to remind himself. 

“Hardly looks like that’s all she is to you,” Louis laughs and it’s times like this that Niall wishes he wasn’t so cheeky. “Why’d ya hire her if you fancied her this much?”

Niall stays silent because he doesn’t want to admit he hadn’t thought it through. Simply thought that it would be a great way to bring them closer. He hoped it would make her see that he isn’t all that bad. Not nearly as arrogant as the day they had met. At least not all the time. 

“Does she even know ya like her?” Louis persists, a smirk now playing at his lips. He takes Niall’s extended silence as a no. “School age stuff, innit? You’ve got to at least tell her.”

Niall knows that Louis is egging him on, but he knows that is with good intentions. Louis knows him well enough to know that his friend hardly ever gets jealous over some girl. He thinks it is safe to assume that Y/N is more than that. Significantly more than that based off the way Niall’s eyes wander back over to her during the lull in their conversation.

She’s laughing at something the strawberry blonde boy has said and a delicate hand comes to brush his arm. Louis watches a frown settle on Niall’s features. He’s pouting, really. But, Louis doesn’t want to overstep his bounds tonight. 

“Could tell her on that business trip you’ve got comin’ up,” Louis suggests, “You did say you were bringing her along, yeah?” 

The trip to Barcelona had completely slipped his mind despite his correspondence with another agent there. He had intended to invite Y/N along, but his intentions had been purely business. With a multiplicity of potential new clients to meet and a few sporting events to attend, he knew he would need help. 

But, perhaps Louis’ suggestion isn’t all that ludicrous. Maybe the sun, food, and time together will suddenly make a relationship blossom organically. Or maybe and more likely, Niall needs to buck up and tell Y/N he likes her.

[somethingvaguetodo]

The Chat of Monte Carlo

This was written for @auyeahaugust Day 10: Secret Agents. It is somewhat suggestive, so keep that in mind before choosing to read. Read on AO3 here

“Well, chaton, what do you think?”

Ladybug scanned the room from her spot in the corner. The ballroom in Hôtel Hermitage was as opulent as the rest of the building, but she was well trained in not letting her awe show.

Chat Noir’s voice came through her earpiece as if he were standing next to her. “I think you look stunning in red. Surely I’ve told you that before.”

Ladybug rolled her eyes but hid her smile behind her champagne flute. For this job she needed to blend in to the wealthy crowd, but not stand out more than any of the other opulently clothed women. She personally disagreed with the idea of a bright red gown if the idea was discretion, but Tikki, her desk agent, had assured her that it would be fine. Besides, the dress waiting for her in the small hotel room in Nice was gorgeous, and she would be a fool as a person and as an aspiring fashion designer not to wear it. It was sleek and rather modest, with an embellished bodice and three quarter length sleeves and a small peplum at her waist.

Next to most of the women in their designer ball gowns, she barely stood out.

“I meant do you have eyes on the target?” she muttered in response to him. All she knew was that the comb they were supposed to be obtaining would be on the head of a blonde woman around her age. Her cursory glance around the room showed many blondes, but neither of the two blondes she wanted to see.

“Also remind me why you are waltzing around with a tray of drinks while I have to smile and pose?” This was a simple, but unusual mission for Ladybug. She was quickly gaining the reputation as the agency’s strongest player, and was often sent on reconnaissance and assassination missions. They typically didn’t involve parties for the rich and famous in Monaco, and the acquisition of a small piece of jewelry. She had no idea how this was helping to take down Hawkmoth. But Ladybug knew by now that Master Fu had his reasons for everything, even if she didn’t understand them.

The other unusual part of this mission was that she and Chat Noir were split up. When they were paired together, they were usually given the opportunity to actually work with one another, but here she was nodding her head at dignitaries while he was somewhere with the kitchen staff.

Chat’s laugh was clear in her ear. “I can’t be Chat Noir with this crowd,” he said enigmatically. “As a waiter, I’m invisible, which is what I need to be with these folks. Top of the room, buy the windows.”

His sudden change in tone alerted her to move, and she started making her way around the perimeter of the room. Ladybug was not interested in having to make any more small talk with the other guests, and the cover story that had been constructed for her reason to be invited to such an exclusive affair felt sticky on her tongue.

A waiter with a tray of paté was coming toward her. Ladybug quickly drained her champagne and set the empty flute down on his tray. He glanced up at her, his green eyes bright under his bangs, and she let her fingers linger over the ring on his right hand before they separated. Chat’s hair was longer and shaggier than usual, and he was dressed in solid black: a button down with the sleeves rolled and a sleek vest over it, trousers, and patent shoes. The only exception was a pure white bow tie at his neck.

“You look pretty good in a uniform, minou.”

“You should have seen me in the police officer getup last month,” he answered automatically. She glanced back quickly to see that he was already on the other side of the room, but noticed that he was looking her way. He winked.

Ladybug shook her head as she walked toward the windows. Not for the first time, she wondered who Chat Noir was when he wasn’t working as an agent. Marinette Dupain-Cheng was an anonymous Parisian, which made it easy for her to be Ladybug. Chat had dropped hints, like the one before, that he was someone who fit in and would be recognized in these exclusive social circles.

Chat was a mystery. She didn’t always work with him, but he was by far her favorite to team up with. Carapace was good for tech jobs, and she got along really well with Rena, but Chat made the job fun, despite what had happened the first time they worked together. That was a day she would never forget, but it meant more than she could describe in words that Chat was the one to help her through it. Perhaps because of that, she trusted him more than anyone else. She hated that she never knew when she was going to see him, or even if they would ever be paired up again.

Ladybug’s attention was suddenly pulled to a woman by the window, her blonde hair piled up on her head in an elaborate updo. Her gown was voluminous and bulky, a flashy yellow tulle skirt taking up most of the space around her. A gleaming comb was nestled in her hair.

“Spotted,” Ladybug whispered, hoping Chat enjoyed the little joke. His chuckle told her that he did.

“Work your magic, LB.”

Ladybug made eye contact with the woman, sending her a friendly smile. The blonde raised one delicate eyebrow, her gaze traveling down Ladybug’s dress before sneering. “Something tells me you would have better luck with this woman.”

Chat laughed again. “Unfortunately, you’re right. But we go way back, there’s no way she wouldn’t recognize me.”

Ladybug was curious about that, but didn’t say anything as she pulled her purse open to see what Tikki had given her this time. A pair of reading glasses were nestled between a pack of tissues and her burner phone. She slid them on her face. A tint of green was over the lenses. Night vision.

An idea sparked in her mind. “Chaton, is there an electricity breaker near you?”

He hummed while looking. “Give me a minute.” Ladybug patiently waited, turning her body to look out the window while making sure to not let her target out of her sight. “So…” Chat began, “I was thinking maybe after this you and I could grab a bite to eat. Café de Paris is open until 2.”

That was… new. And potentially dangerous. This was a lonely job, and they weren’t meant to be friends outside of a mission. Or anything more than friends. She knew that Chat was attracted to her, and she knew that he made her feel more alive than anyone else. It could get dangerous very quickly.

It was a good thing she liked danger.
“Depends how quickly you can cut the – ” The lights cut out before she finished her sentence.

“Sixty seconds before the generator kicks in.” Chat’s voice in her ear spurred her to move, and she quickly darted forward, able to see through the panic of the guests due to her enhanced glasses. She quickly stepped forward toward her target, swiping the comb off her head.

Ladybug was on the other side of the room when the lights came on, her glasses and the comb tucked into her purse.

She walked at a leisurely pace, listening idly to the conversations of other people, speculating about why the power surged. She slipped unnoticed out of the ballroom, and around the corridors to the lobby.

“All set, M’lady?” Ladybug hummed, smiling gratefully at the doormen as she exited the building.

“Yes, what a lovely evening it is,” she commented. She paused for a moment to look at the sky, which had just darkened despite the late hour, before making her way toward the sea bank.

“I’m sure,” Chat said. “So are we on for eating?”

The air by the docks smelled like the ocean. “Don’t you have a shift to finish, garçon?”

“I can be there in 20 minutes.”

She spotted Wayzz on the deck of a yacht. She didn’t acknowledge him.

“Give me a half hour. I need to get out of this dress.”

“I was hoping you would say that.”

Ladybug woke up to bright sunlight streaming through the terrace doors. She was confused for a moment, as the room she was in was far nicer than the one the agency reserved for her in Nice.

A glance at who she was laying on reminded her of the night before.

Judging by the color of the sky, it was much later in the morning than she would have liked. Chat was warm underneath her, and she snuggled into him. One hand rested on her lower back, fingers splayed, the other was slowly and rhythmically stroking her hair. It almost lulled her back to sleep before she realized his movement meant he was already awake.

“Shit.”

“Good morning to you too,” he said, his voice light. She looked up at his face. When Chat had met her in the restaurant last night, he was almost unrecognizable from the waiter at the party. His shaggy hair was back to short and meticulously combed (“extensions?” she had exclaimed), and he had rid himself of the white bow tie and popped a few buttons. Thankfully he had kept the vest. She could blame that for her lack of self control.

Now, he looked much less put together. His hair was rumpled, his eyes were sleepy, and his smile was far too sweet and innocent.

“What?” He asked when she didn’t respond. She propped her chin on his chest. His hand was still running through her hair.

“I don’t usually do this,” she answered. He smirked. “I mean the whole cuddling-morning-after sweetness. It’s not my MO.”

“So I should count myself lucky you didn’t bail before sunrise?”

Ladybug hummed, not mentioning that had been her plan.

“You seem to be doing pretty good at it right now,” Chat commented. She could hear the laughter in his voice.

“You’re warm, the air is kind of chilly. That’s all.”

“I see.”

They lay in silence for a moment. Ladybug tried to decide what to do. She didn’t think she could stand it if she never worked with him again, but how awkward would it be to see each other and pretend this never happened? It wasn’t like there were other options; they were secret government agents. She didn’t know his name, or what he did for his day job, or how he could afford a sea view suite in L’Hotel de Paris. And that wasn’t supposed to change.

Chat was watching her carefully. He leaned down and kissed her, soft and sweet. It was something that Marinette, before being hardened into Ladybug, would have loved.

She pushed herself up so she was hovering over him, trying to deepen the kiss because she just couldn’t stand how gentle he was. Chat pulled back, his hand moving so his thumb could graze her cheek.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“If I need to tell you, then I don’t know how to explain last night,” she responded.

Chat smiled. “Not everything has to be the maximum, LB. I wanted to kiss you just for the purpose of kissing you. Nothing more.”

Ladybug regarded him carefully. “You’re not what I expected,” she muttered, not moving from her position above him. He tipped his head to the side in question. He looked like his code name. “You’re softer,” She elaborated.

His smile was back to achingly sweet. “Is that a bad thing?”

Ladybug sighed, letting herself drop back down to rest on him. “I don’t want to hurt you, Chat, and I don’t want to do anything to jeopardize what we have. But I don’t know how to handle a relationship, especially not one with a co-worker. I’m too stubborn, too independent...” She trailed off at the look on his face. “What?”

“You think I don’t know all that already?” He asked. His hand had never left her back, and it felt like it was burning. “You think that doesn’t make you a million times better in my eyes?”

“Chat...” She didn’t know what to say. He seemed content to let her figure it out, and resumed stroking her hair. She could see the tip of a sailboat on the sea. “So what does this make us? Lovers?”

He stilled at the word. “I was hoping you would be interested in the title of girlfriend.” She felt her heartbeat increase, and Chat seemed to understand. “What about partners?”

Ladybug smiled. “Partners.”

She looked at him, his green eyes sparking and a happy smile on his face. She kissed him then, just because she wanted to kiss him.

[curlsandcrown]

I’m a Fiend and You’re All I Need (Bughead, 18+)

Summary: Serpent Betty Cooper and Northsider Jughead Jones are thrust into an arranged marriage as a way to bring peace to the rival sides of Riverdale. (Ao3) Characters/Pairings: Betty x Jughead, apperances by Veronica, Toni, and Alice Word Count: 9,598 Warnings: arranged marriage, fluff, some language, smut (18+) sex

Betty’s boots echo off the walls of the Whyte Wyrm as she walks to the bar where Toni is readying the glasses for the day. As much as she wanted to sleep in for once, her slumber had been interrupted by an urgent text from her mother calling for a mandatory meeting for all Serpents. The last few months have been a test for everyone on the Southside and anytime Alice Cooper called for a meeting, especially a mandatory one for everyone, that meant something big was going to happen. Betty could only hope her mother had a new plan to join the Southside and the Northside once and for all.

“Morning, Betty,” Toni says without looking up from her work.

Settling on a bar stool, Betty watches Toni silently for a short moment. “I know it's early, but can I get a drink?”

Toni’s eyes meet hers and she can see how tired the other woman also is. “The usual?”

Betty nods. Toni grabs a bottle of the best whiskey they stocked and fills up Betty’s glass halfway. Then she pours herself one. If this meeting is going to be like any of the others recently, they will need it.

“Cheers,” Toni quips with a raised eyebrow and they both knock back their glasses.

As if on cue, the doors open and in comes Veronica followed by Sweet Pea, Fangs, and a few other male Serpents. While the men are dressed in their Serpent jackets, Veronica is clad in a form-fitting black dress and a black coat. If she didn't know better, she would have no idea that Veronica is a Serpent. She would think she was a New York socialite. Oftentimes, her appearance is a huge help to the Serpents.

“Good morning, ladies!” Veronica greets with a smile, leaning against the bar next to Betty.

“Can I get you anything?” Toni asks after the girls greet each other and the men walk past to set up a game of pool while they wait. Not many of the Serpents were morning people.

“Martini,” Veronica answers simply before looking at Betty. “Do you have any clue what this meeting is about?”

“My mom hasn't told me anything. I know as much as you do.”

Toni places Veronica’s glass in front of her and she sips it delicately.

“Think it's time for peace?”

Betty laughs. “More like time for a truce, but never peace. The Northside won't be happy until we're all working for them.”

Veronica rolls her eyes dramatically and sits on a bar stool after taking off her coat and crossing her leg. “Surely there has to be a way to end this silly feud.”

“Silly?” Toni voices then leans her elbows on the bar. “It's been going on since your parents were Serpents, before they moved to New York and came back with you to help out in the business.”

“You know what I mean, T. We have the upper hand in this town. We just need to assert it. Besides, who on the Northside can speak for everybody?”

Her best friend raises her eyebrows, taking a sip of her martini and Betty has to give it to her, she's not wrong.

“That is what we're here to discuss,” Alice calls out before moving her way to the stage of the bar.

Betty abandons her drink on the bar top and stands, not drifting towards her mother like she usually would. She's nervous.

“Have you been able to negotiate anything?”

Alice nods and sits on the edge of the stage, looking at everyone in the room. “I met with a few of the people who essentially run the Northside along with the mayor. We've come up with something that could bond the two sides.”

“That's amazing. I'm surprised they agreed to something. What is it?” Veronica asks as she turns in her seat, smiling to Betty before looking to their fearless leader.

The older blonde seems to hesitate before meeting her eyes. Betty stiffens and raises her eyebrows in question.

“They proposed a marriage, between Betty and one of their own.”

“What?” They all exclaim.

“That's absolutely absurd,” Veronica states as she moves off the bar stool. “There's only a handful of men over there that they all deem as the golden boys. And not to mention all the older horn dogs.” She shudders in disgust then looks over at Betty with a distraught look.

Betty smiles softly at Veronica’s concern. Her best friend has a great point and, although Betty would do almost anything for the Serpents, the thought of marrying someone she doesn’t know sends a shiver of dread up her spine. She has read enough romance novels to know that it could very well be one of the older men. He could be a secretly horrible man with unhealthy desires or prejudices against the Southside. It doesn’t sit right with her. 

“Shouldn't it be our choice since they picked Betty?” Sweet Pea asks in the distance, leaning against the pool table.

“I'm glad you mentioned that. My best friend from high school, FP Jones, suggested his son before they could say that we can't pick a suitable bachelor. He recently got out of a relationship, he owns the Riverdale Register and runs it with Archie Andrews who is his best friend, and everyone thinks very highly of him.”

They all look to Betty and she can feel her breathing begin to quicken. Why is this happening to her? And why did they pick her out of everyone. Veronica is a better catch and looks more like a Northsider than herself.

“Maybe it won't be so bad, Betty. How old is he?” Toni asks, laying a supportive hand on her bicep.

“Same as Betty, 24.” Alice looks at her, a hesitant and sad smile adorning her face. Betty can tell how tired she is, fighting with the Northside constantly and defending them over their previous Southside reputation. Her mother has turned it around from what it used to be, especially after her father left with her older sister Polly.

While Betty is relieved that he’s the same age as her, it’s still not the way she expected to get married. And with the obvious pressure on her mother and the Southside, she’s not sure she could ever say no.

Toni’s hand is still on her arm, which is a great comfort now, and Betty takes a deep breath to calm herself before saying, “If you believe them, mom, that this will help everyone else, I’ll do it.” The thought still doesn’t sit well with her, but she trusts that her mother wouldn’t make a decision that would ruin her life. At the very least, she believes that her mother feels that it’s the only option they have left.

Her mother is clearly surprised by Betty agreeing so quickly, but if she has learned anything over the last few years, it’s that sometimes she has to put everyone else first. No Serpent stands alone. She knows that her family will support her every step of the way.

The day of the wedding, which is three weeks and two days after she has met Jughead and his father, Betty is standing in front of a mirror in a lavish mansion. Her friends and mother are moving around behind her to ensure everything is going according to plan, but she's looking at the dress she picked out last week, the intricate details of the flowers spread out and flowing along with the fabric pooling at her feet.

Part of her wants to cry but the rest of her wants to laugh at the situation that she has found herself in. It's her wedding day and it's the dress of her dreams but she's being married off to a Northsider like some sort of sacrificial goat peace-offering. Betty scoffs and turns in the mirror, glancing at the low cut of her dress that's exposing  her back and the small slits along her ribs. Her hands smooth down the fabric, fingering the small petals now and then before dropping her arms to her sides.

“You look so beautiful, Betty,” Veronica murmurs in her right ear.

Toni and Veronica flank her on either side while looking into the mirror. They both have a proud smile as her mother comes up behind them to put the veil in her loose curls pinned back in a braided half updo and her blonde hair falling down her shoulders. The sheer cloth drapes along the back of her dress and Betty knows she looks amazing.

“The most beautiful bride the Northside will ever see.”

Her blood turns to ice as Betty meets her mother's eyes. “Will every important person going to be here?”

“If you mean mayor McCoy and all of her posse, yes.” Alice pauses and asks both of her best friends to give them a moment. After they walk away, she turns Betty towards her and tucks a stray hair back behind her ear. “Thank you for doing this, Betty. I know it's not ideal but FP speaks proudly of his son. He'll treat you well until you two can get an annulment, once they see that this union shows that the two sides can come together and live peacefully among one another.”

Her eyes drop to the ring on her right hand, running the pad of her thumb over the small diamonds along the band that Jughead had given her. Betty knows that he'll be good to her. In fact, he’s been nothing but a gentleman the few times that they had met. He even did a small proposal and gave her an engagement ring without even needing to because he was put into this situation just like she was. But he wanted to because he thought it was right, that they should have the little things to symbolize this marriage despite how they got here. It's far more decadent than she thinks she deserves, being a Southside Serpent, with its delicate rose gold band, the diamonds running along it and the large oval diamond.

Betty swallows roughly and looks out towards the area where she'll say her vows. He deserves better than her.

“I know that look, Elizabeth. You are not a bad person.”

She wants to believe it but she's done things, bad things, for the Serpents. Jughead is good and the last thing she wants is to taint him with her venom.

Betty rolls her eyes as she thinks over her mother’s comment. Obviously part of her wants to disagree but she also knows that her mother has worked really hard to turn around the Serpent ways. There are some things that can’t be avoided in gang business but Jughead doesn’t need to know that either, however, at this rate it might be inevitable.

So she changes the topic completely.

“I’m surprised that the Blossoms even let us use their property for the nuptials.” Betty moves closer to the window and looks over the gardens then to the greenhouse that will host the reception.

Her mother moves next to her, adjusting the veil tucked into her bridal hairdo. “The mayor says it’s the most beautiful grounds for a peaceful union between the two sides.”

Betty huffs out a laugh, “Maybe if you can ignore the part of it that seems haunted by the ghosts of Blossom’s past.” She turns and sees the solemn look on her mother’s face and the tears threatening to fall. “Mom?”

Alice brushes the tear away with a manicured finger, always looking impeccable no matter the occasion. “I’m sorry that this is how your wedding is happening and that I put you into this position. Your father would be horrified.”

Moving closer to her mother, she intertwines their hands together. “Who cares what dad thinks? He left, mom. It was his own choice and even if this was my happily ever after, he still wouldn’t be here because I’m a Serpent. I’m doing this for us, for our family and for peace in this territorial, twisted town. Jughead doesn’t seem so bad,” she offers with a smile.

They hug for a few minutes, feeling the tension of the moment melt away despite what they were about to do for the sake of the Southside. Alice pulls away and strolls across the room, picking up the extravagant peony bouquet that Veronica had designed. This entire wedding is thanks to her best friend’s style and planning and the Northside’s funding. With that in mind, Veronica had went all out, making a lavish New York style wedding at the Blossom’s house.

“Are you ready?”

She nods, taking the bouquet then holding up the end of her dress as they move towards the staircase. “I’m ready to see what kind of dent V made on their wallets.”

The Cooper women grin towards each other than her mother moves down to go out to the ceremony grounds with the rest of the town. Betty makes it to the bottom of the stairs and sees both Veronica and Toni standing with their bouquets in dark green dresses. She thinks it’s quite smart that they pulled Serpent green into the wedding without the Northsiders seeing what’s happening.

“You two look amazing.”

They both turn and smile, the two of them tilting their head to look at her. Her best friends take a long, appreciative gander from her perfectly curled hair down to Betty’s blush pink wedding shoes with gold vines running up the heel.

“Not as amazing as you do. That dress is absolutely stunning, B.” Veronica says as tears come to her eyes and holding a hand over her heart. They’ve been best friends for years and this is a big turning point for them both, despite the fact that this union has been planned between the two rivalry sides of Riverdale.

“Jughead is going to die once he sees you in that dress. All of the Northside probably will.” Toni throws in with a wink.

That makes Betty grin as she flares out the bottom of the veil over her dress. “Think they’ll hate it? Too much skin?”

“Absolutely not!” They both exclaim.

“You are the Southside Juliet to today’s story. They won’t dare say anything bad today or else they will have our most prominent people jumping down their throats. Now, let’s go see how your Romeo cleans up. I’m sure he’ll have a hard time keeping his hands off of you.” Veronica quips and neither her nor Toni dare to say otherwise on her thoughts.

She nods with a smile and follows them out onto the manicured lawn where everything will take place. The groomsmen are waiting to walk them down the aisle, more of the peace treaty being shown to the town.

Betty lingers back so the men can’t see her dress, wanting everyone’s jaws to drop as she moves towards her groom. A man named Reggie holds his arm out to Toni and they begin to walk towards the crowd in front of them while Veronica meets the best man. Betty watches as Veronica’s hand moves to his arm, a redhead named Archie. Her best friend gives him a cheeky grin, saying something quietly before they begin to move behind Toni and Reggie.

She glides along the grass to where her closest friends were just standing, watching as they take their respective spots by the canopy that was constructed in the gardens. Betty sighs and looks to her side, feeling a slight pang of sadness at the spot where her father should be standing. As her eyes look over the grass, imagining the indent from polished leather shoes, her mind lingers to a time long ago when Betty would often fantasize about her wedding day. Polly would be standing next to Veronica and Toni, her signature headband replaced with a braid. Her dad would be holding back tears as his baby girl walked to him for the final time before giving her to the love of her life. 

But now, Betty wonders if he’s walked Polly down the aisle to her own prince charming with neither her or their mother there to help get her ready for the ceremony. And if she has replaced her with a different maid of honor, maybe the first friend she made in whatever city they moved to.

Her heart hurts just thinking about it.

Shaking her head to drive the thoughts away, she looks forward and straightens her back, waiting for the wedding march to start. This is her day, even if Betty didn’t actually pick any of it herself and she doesn’t want the bitter taste of her family abandoning them in her mouth.

The music starts and she’s pulled out of her reverie, causing her to move forward while the attendees stand and turn to watch as she comes. Instead of looking to her friends and family, who she knows are looking to her with pride, her eyes immediately look for Jughead. As soon as she’s in front of the crowd, Archie taps his arm and he turns. Betty locks eyes with him, looking for any sign of apprehension or disgust but instead she is met with blue eyes that show shock and adoration while skimming over her dress as if to memorize every single detail.

During their first dance, his hand is low on her back, warming her skin while they move close together. Kiss Me by Ed Sheeren is playing in the background and Betty rests her cheek against his, tilting her lips towards Jughead’s ear and closing her eyes.  

“Why did you agree to this, Jug?” She asks in his ear while everyone watches their every step, the song choice probably being a joke from the Northsiders.

Jughead pulls away and looks down into her eyes and she notices that they are a different shade of blue than earlier. “My dad is best friends with your mom, at least our family is connected and you aren't with a complete stranger. I can't imagine you being with someone like Reggie.”

They both look over at the man in question who is talking up Toni, running a finger down her arm in his groomsmen tux with the tie undone. Betty giggles and moves closer to Jughead without realizing what she's doing.

“Or Archie, even though he's my best friend. He's,” Jughead hesitates, tilting his head in thought. “I don't think he'd be able to keep up with you. He's great but I also think he wouldn't be able to pull it off since his sights are aimed elsewhere.”

She looks over to where Archie and Veronica are huddled together, his finger tracing a pattern high up on her best friend's leg. A smile is adorning her face that Betty has never seen before, as if her friend is smitten. Betty laughs lightly and squeezes his bicep. “Well thank you for being kind and throwing me a bone.”

Her head tilts back as the corners of her lips stay in a smile and their eyes meet, a comforting smile of his own meeting her. It's weird how she does feel safe with Jughead in this moment, like he won't take advantage of this.

Suddenly the room fills with clinking from the Northsiders in the room.

“What is happening,” Jughead trails off and looks around.

“They want us to kiss.” Betty laughs softly. “It’s a wedding tradition. We’re supposed to kiss anytime they clink their glasses.”

Jughead looks apprehensive and despite the situation, Betty finds herself wanting to soothe him. She squeezes his arm again, causing him to look down into her eyes.

“We don’t have to, but it would help sell us to them.”

He shakes his head at her and smiles sheepishly. There’s a boyish charm about Jughead that makes her stomach flip in ways she hasn’t felt in years. Who knew that she would end up with someone like this, even if it’s just for a year before they tell the town that it just couldn’t work out.

“No, we do have to do it. We have to make them believe this is real, after all.” There’s a teasing tone to his voice and a sparkle in his eye that wasn’t there before. It’s enough to make the nerves in her stomach tighten into something else.

Wrapping her arms around her husband’s shoulders, Betty places a hand at the back of his neck and pulls him down toward her, Jughead meeting her halfway. When their lips touch for the second time that night, the pressure of his mouth on hers stays there for a long moment before they pull back for air, looking at each other with matching smiles. The imprint of his lips are all she can think about for the rest of the reception. Luckily for them both, the Northside doesn’t let up their clinking until it’s time for everyone to leave.

Once they arrive at their suite by the airport - because Jughead insisted on them going on an actual honeymoon, Betty moves towards the window and looks out at the night sky. The moon is bright and low in the sky but her nerves are unsettled. She’s married. It’ll be at least a year of awkward conversations and temporarily moving in with Jughead into his apartment to keep up appearances.

She hears Jughead drop his tuxedo jacket onto the chair in the corner but she still hasn’t turned towards him. They’ll have to share a bed since they’re officially a couple but Betty isn’t sure how she’s supposed to act right now.

Suddenly his hand rests on her waist and the heat from his body causes chill bumps to raise along her skin. His touch is electrifying and her breathing automatically speeds up, thinking of the way his hand felt on her bare back while they were dancing hours earlier and how she had wanted it to move just a bit lower.

“We don’t have to do anything, Jug,” she says quietly into the room.

Jughead moves to stand in front of her and she has to tip her head back to look up at him. The tie at his neck is undone, the top few buttons of his dress shirt are unbuttoned as well. He pulls her closer and raises his free hand to run the back of his fingers along her jaw. “I’ve had to look at you all night in this dress. Did you even know that part of it was see through?”

Her lungs are struggling to take a normal breath, her intake of air coming in short bursts as he pulls the straps of her wedding dress down her arms. “No,” she whispers.

“Luckily everyone knows you’re a Serpent and mine now, but seeing the shadow of your legs every time you moved around the room,” he trails off then runs his finger to her chest, gently scratching his fingernail down her sternum to the low cut between her breasts. Jughead’s digit hooks into the fabric there then ducks his head down to her ear. “Do you know how sexy you are?”

She whimpers in response as Jughead pulls away and dips his head down, tongue replacing the spot where his finger was. Betty brings her hands to his hair and tips her head back, pulling the strands a bit before his tongue follows the trail that his finger created and comes up the valley of her breasts. His lips stop at her collarbone and begins to suck a mark into her skin.

“Jug, this will make everything more complicated.” Even as the statement leaves her mouth, Betty knows how much she wants this. Him. Maybe this is all a result of the champagne.

Then he says the three words that makes her lose all of her control. “I don’t care.”

They clash together in a searing kiss, his hands moving down to her ass to pull her up against his pelvis and she can feel how hard he is. Betty starts to unbutton the rest of his shirt and pushes it off his shoulders and gasps for air when he pulls away for a moment. Once the white fabric hits the floor, Jughead’s hands move up to push the straps of her dress down the rest of the way and moans when he’s met with her braless chest.

“Fucking hell, Betty,” he pants before pulling her into a bruising kiss.

It’s messy and uncoordinated but kissing him sends a thrill through her and his reaction to her lack of bra makes her clench her thighs together. Betty wants to ask him something but he feels so good that she’d rather just keep undressing him.

But he has other plans.

Jughead pushes her dress past her hips, the fabric floating to the ground in a sheer pile around her high heels. His fingers brush along her ass then follows the fabric of her dark blue thong to the front of her pelvis, causing her to moan against his lips.

He spins them and backs her towards the window sill, getting Betty to sit along it before dropping to his knees. She looks down at his lust blown eyes and opens her legs for him to nestle between them. Her breathing hitches at the sight of him in the white tank top undershirt, biceps on display and flexing as he pulls her underwear off. Betty moans when his hands grip her thighs and spreads her wide.

“God, you're gorgeous,” he says mostly to himself but it makes her heart soar.

“Touch me, Jughead. Or get naked.”

Jughead laughs a bit at her bossy demand but bends down to bite her inner thigh. Her hands drop down to his hair and tugs at the dark strands while guiding him to her core. As his tongue licks a stripe up her center, Betty's head drops back against the window and she shivers. The thrill of it all is turning her on even more; whether it's because of the way they're deceiving the town or just the fact that this is something new.

Or maybe it's the way he's expertly moving his tongue against her and bringing his fingers up to tease her entrance. Betty whines out as they move inside her, curling up while Jughead’s lips fasten over her clit.

“Fuck, Jughead, yes,” she murmurs as her grip tightens on his hair. Betty rolls her hips and makes a keening sound as he flicks his tongue over the bundle of nerves. The closer she gets to her release, the more that she becomes inpatient. “I need you naked. Now.”

Betty can feel him smile against her as he pumps his fingers faster, then curls them as she clenched around him. Her back arches as she rides out her release but Jughead stands up, fingers still moving then uses his free hand to undo his belt and strips out of his dress slacks, green eyes watching his erection spring free. She spreads her legs more as he pulls out, watching as his tongue darts out to clean the fingers that were just inside of her. Jughead strips out of his undershirt and her mouth practically waters at the sight of him naked.

Jughead moves towards his jacket but she hooks a leg around his calf before he's too far away. He raises an eyebrow in question but Betty bites her lip as he returns between her thighs and runs a thumb over her nipple.

“I'm on birth control, I'm clean and I'm aching for you to be in me.”

“Is that so, baby?” He asks and Betty nods, running the heel of her wedding shoe along his leg. “I’m clean, too. You ready?”

She nods again, not sure if she could speak a coherent sentence and sighs when he slides in, head resting back against the window again while she grabs onto his biceps. Jughead leans down to kiss up her neck then connects with her lips, causing her to moan as she tastes herself on his tongue.

“You're so tight,” he murmurs as he presses closer and hooks his arms underneath her thighs.

As if answering to a silent demand, Betty spreads her legs and wraps her arms around his neck. She threads her fingers into the dark strands while they deepen the kiss, arching into Jughead’s torso. “You feel so good,” Betty whispers along his lips as she pulls back. With a firm tug, she exposes his neck and scrapes her teeth along Jughead’s jaw before sucking a mark onto the soft spot behind his ear. “Take me to the bed.”

He picks her up with what seems like zero effort and transports them to their king size bed. Jughead rests her down ever so delicately, their connection broken as he slides out of her before climbing over Betty's body. His hand runs up her side and they begin to kiss again, her breasts brushing up against his chest as she kicks off her shoes.

Jughead slides back into her and she releases a loud moan. The feel of his hands slowly caressing her body paired with the feeling of him hard against her is almost overwhelming. Betty fists one hand in the sheets as her other wraps around to his shoulder and she grips with her fingertips, trying to get him even closer. It’s when he holds her hips with both of his hands, fingers gripping for purchase, that she lets out another loud moan.

“Harder, Jug,” she whimpers out, meeting his thrusts with her own. Her husband works his hips so he’s pressing harder into her, but his pace remains the same, earning a breathy moan from her. He’s touching every part of her that she needs him to as if he already knows how to read her body.  “Yes, just like that.” She’s barely known him for three weeks yet there’s something about him that makes this wedding night mean more than she ever could have imagined.

Suddenly Betty encourages him to flip them so she's on top. The change of angle makes her gasp into their kiss, Jughead's hands moving up to pull the pins from her hair, tossing them towards the nightstand. She sighs in relief as his fingers work the braids lose, her hair cascading down and protecting their faces in a blonde curtain. Their tongues stroke against one another while Betty rolls her hips down against his length.

“That's it, baby,” Jughead murmurs encouragingly against her lips.

Betty sits back with her confidence soaring, grinding down before she lifts onto her knees and rocks down in a quick tempo. She runs a hand through her hair, moving the strands out of her face while looking down at her husband, his eyes never leaving hers.

A slow smile begins to work it’s way onto his face, Jughead’s hips starting to raise and thrusts to match her speed. Betty can feel her heart quicken even more, a flush starting on her chest as a drop of sweat starts to move down the valley of her breasts. Her eyes follow the movements of his hand as it moves to her core, his thumb brushing against her clit.

She can feel her hips falter for a moment then tips her head back, completely lost in the feeling of Jughead thrusting into her. Betty brings a hand to her throat and runs it down her body, brushing over her nipple then down to rest on his torso, wondering how any of this is real. How did she get into a marriage with a man who is so incredibly sexy and good in bed?

“Betty, look at me.”

Her eyes automatically obey his command and she looks down, clenching around him at the sight of his hand bringing her pleasure and the quick rising and falling of his chest.

“I need to feel you come, Jug,” she says to him a bit breathless.

Jughead moves his free hand around her waist then up to the middle of her back. With a bit of force, he stills her from moving and just as she looks at him in confusion, he takes over and thrusts hard up into her.

“Fuck, baby, yes,” she moans out as his thumb continued to flick over her bundle of nerves.

Both of his hands move to her hips so he can focus on their release. She leans back and grips his leg for purchase while her release builds up, Jughead hitting the spot that makes her legs shake.

“I'm close,” he moans and moves a hand to begin rubbing at her clit again.

All she does is nod, hoping it's encouraging enough for Jughead to release since her own orgasm has begun. Her teeth dig into her bottom lip as he thrusts into her, clenching around him while she tightens her grip onto his thigh as Jughead makes an obscene noise to make Betty aware of his own release. His thrusts are a bit more erratic, faltering slightly as their eyes connect and ride out their orgasms.

She grinds down against him, swiveling her hips in a figure eight pattern before he pulls her up and grips her waist, thrusting up one last time before his body goes limp against the mattress.

Betty collapses against his chest, closing her eyes and feeling how they’re both trying to catch their breath, completely in sync. This was a bad idea, she tells herself. After how mindblowing that was, how could they avoid touching one another until they get an annulment. If they can even get one now that they consummated their marriage. She tries to push the thought from her mind, just wanting one night of not thinking about the stupid feud or the pressures of the Northsiders and everything else that has been going on.

“Holy shit,” Jughead gasps as his hand runs through her hair.

“That was amazing,” she replies honestly before propping herself up on her elbows. Betty notes how sleepy he looks and it’s then that she remembers how long of a day they’ve had. “I’m going to shower real quick.” When he nods, she leans down and kisses him softly then stands up.

She moves over to the suitcase she packed and grabs all of her toiletries then heads to the bathroom, turning on the shower and pulling her hair up into a messy bun. Her reflection shows how much she enjoyed having sex with Jughead - her flushed cheeks, swollen lips, the hickey that’s angrily appearing on her collarbone, the salty sweat drying on her skin. In a way, she doesn’t want to wash any of it off, wanting to keep this memory vivid in her mind for the struggles they might face after the honeymoon.

But with a shake of her head, Betty moves into the shower and sighs in relief at the heat on her tired muscles.

After toweling off and doing her nightly routine, Betty moves out into the room and sees Jughead laying on the bed while looking at his phone. She smiles over at him when he stands and moves into the bathroom, probably following suit to shower the day off. As the door clicks close, she bends to pick up her dress and smiles fondly at it. Betty grabs two hangers out of the closet and puts the dress on one then hangs it up by the window, moving to do the same with his tuxedo.

The hot water feels amazing on his back after all the events of the day but his mind keeps going back to their first dance and the question Betty asked him. Why did you agree to this?

It's something he's been asking himself for three weeks. First it was a favor to his dad, to not let his best friend's daughter be thrown to the wolves of the Northsiders. Then he actually met her and he agreed with his father, half of the men in Riverdale who would sign up to be her husband as a peace treaty would be disgusting horndogs. He knows what kind of guys he went to highschool with.

Jughead turns in the shower and tilts his head back so the water can wet his hair. His hair that is damp with sweat at the roots from the mind blowing sex with his wife. Wife. With her slightly see through wedding dress and low cut slits by her chest and ribs. He turns and lowers the temperature of the water a bit then tips his head back again.

And he didn't think it would be so bad, having basically what is an arranged marriage. After the explosive end of his last relationship, the thought of being set up with someone who his father thinks pretty highly of didn't seem like such a bad idea - plus he was given the option of getting an annulment after a year once they've sold it and hopefully by then, peace will have came over Riverdale instead of the feuds he would constantly hear about at school and work.

With that final thought after he's washed his hair and cleaned off, he exits the shower and runs a towel over his body then over his head. All of his clothes are out in his suitcase and he really doesn't care about Betty seeing him naked at this point.

Jughead moves out of the bathroom, the cool air hitting his body as he moves a hand through his wet hair. Betty is hanging his suit next to her dress by the window, the moonlight streaming in through the curtains along her pale skin, still just as naked as when she left the bathroom before him. Just as she finishes putting his tie around the collar, he moves behind her and squeezes her naked waist with his hands.

“What are you doing?”

She looks at the tangle of fabrics hanging in the window, running her fingers down the length of her dress before turning to look at him over her shoulder. “Just hanging everything up. Do you feel better?”

Their eyes meet and instead of answering her question, he feels captivated to say something else. “Tell me something about yourself that no one else knows.”

Her teeth dig into her bottom lip as she thinks about it. “I love to read and write. But what most people don’t know is how I want to travel, get out of Riverdale and leave all the bullshit behind.”

“Good thing you’re going to Hawaii in the morning,” he teases and squeezes her hip.

“What about you?”

Jughead sighs in an exaggerated manner as if there’s nothing secretive about him that no other woman would know. She rolls her eyes and he chuckles, learning that she’s not the most patient person in the world. “There is something new lately that I haven’t even told Archie about. I’ve been getting into photography.”

Betty turns and rests her forearms on his shoulders, smiling at the revelation he’s told her. “Really?” He can feel his cheeks burning and turning red, like maybe he should have kept that small detail to himself. But soon she’s pulling away and looking at the room around them, then to the moonlight coming in. “Do you want to practice with a nude model?” she asks coyly before turning back towards their wedding attire.

Jughead swallows roughly and watches how the light filters over her skin where she’s standing. She looks angelic and it’s the first time he’s noticed the Serpent ‘S’ snake tattoo on the left side of her ribs.

“I don’t have my camera on me, so the phone will have to do. You sure you want to?”

She turns and looks at him, nodding. “Absolutely.”

He moves to the bed and grabs his phone from where he left it, ignoring the large amount of text messages he’s received from high school classmates who managed to snag a seat at the wedding. Betty is standing by the window, waiting for him to notify her of when he’s ready. But he doesn’t.

Instead, he opens up the camera icon then moves behind her to get the right angle for the lighting he saw just moments earlier. Betty moves her hands up to her hair and takes the hair tie out before letting it drop down over her shoulders, the curls falling flat and more into silky waves of cornsilk. Jughead is a little breathless as he snaps photos of his wife, moving around quietly while she is unaware that he already has at least ten photos taken. His blue eyes follow as her left hand moves up, fluffing out the strands and her wedding rings twinkling in the light. He takes this opportunity to move a bit closer to capture her Serpent tattoo in the moonlight, wanting to touch it but refraining.

“Juggie?”

His eyebrows lift at the nickname, a small smile forming as he moves behind his wife. “Yes?”

Betty jumps and turns, looking over her shoulder at him then down to the phone in his left hand. “Are you ready to start?”

“I already did,” he replies with a smirk before bringing the phone up to capture her freshly cleaned face with the light moving over her cheeks.

A blush begins to bloom over her face and he can’t help but think how beautiful she looks. Jughead would even say he prefers this raw, unguarded version of Betty that he guesses not many people get to see than when the two of them being paraded around like show ponies. Though as he looks at her wedding dress, the image of her walking towards him looking like an angel is burned into his mind.

“What do you want me to do, Mr. Jones?”

“Can you step into your dress and pretend you’re taking it off?”

Betty nods and takes the dress down, proceeding to do exactly as he asked. He moves back and begins taking photos again. She moves slowly as the straps come off her arms again and the low dip in the back of the dress falls down her hips. Jughead is completely mesmerized as the fabric falls to the floor and she begins to hang it once more before turning to him.

She smiles shyly, a complete opposite from when Betty told him that she would be his first nude model. Maybe his only nude model. He nods his head towards the bed, watching as she walks over to it with a sexy sway to her hips. The camera shakes slightly due to his nerves becoming heightened and his arousal making its way to the forefront of his mind.

Her arms come up again as she stretches like a cat, fingers threaded together as they reach for the sky. No matter what she does, every photo he’s taken looks amazing and it’s all because of Betty. She bends over the bed, laying on her stomach and looking over at him.

“Is this still okay?”

“More than okay,” he murmurs as he walks over to her. Jughead takes a final photo before placing the device in front of her to look through the ones he took. As she swipes through each one in the gallery, he moves over her body then starts to kiss up her spine. “I’d dare to even say perfect.”

Just as he places a kiss between her shoulder blades, Betty moves to prop herself up on elbows and looks over her shoulder to him.

“They look amazing, Jug. No one has ever captured me looking so…” she trails off and pauses as if she’s trying to find a word that fits.

“Sexy.” Kiss. “Angelic.” Kiss while moving down her body. “Seductive.” Moves even lower. “Sensual.” Kiss. “Risque.”

As his lips reach the small of her back, Betty is keening and pushing her hips back towards him.

“Yes,” she replies breathless.

“Are you ready for more, Betts?” The nickname falling off his tongue like he’s known her forever.

“More than ready. Please?”

He doesn’t need any more encouragement than her consent and the sweet ‘please’ that fell from her lips. Jughead takes his hands to her hips then runs them up her stomach to find her breasts. They fit perfectly into his hands like they were made for him as her ass brushes up against his erection. He nudges the tip of his cock against her entrance and a quiet moan comes from underneath him, reviving his energy from earlier.

Jughead slides in slowly and he moans against her spine, even more so when she pushes back against him until he's bottoming out. He stills so she can get used to him at this angle, rubbing the heel of his palm over her nipples.

She sets the pace as she slowly pulls away then pushes back against his pelvis. Jughead let's her resume the control, his hands moving from her breast then down to feel the contours of her body. He presses kisses along Betty's shoulder blades, closing his eyes as he concentrates on the feeling of being inside her, so different than when they connected together a couple of hours ago.

After letting Betty control the pace for a bit, he grabs her hips and raises up fully onto his knees, thrusting in slowly. Jughead watches as her back arches, lowering her front and stretching both arms out to clutch the sheets beneath her fingertips.

“How do you feel so good?” Betty asks to the white plush comforter while pushing back and clenching around him.

Honestly, he wonders the same but snaps his hips to thrust a bit harder. The resulting gasp makes him grin before pulling out. With those words, he wants to see her beautiful face as she says them. “Roll over, Betts.”

She complies and rolls onto her back as Jughead steps away, slowly stroking himself until he can see Betty's flushed chest. Her green eyes travel from his chest down to his moving hand, licking her lower lip as if he's something she wants to devour.

“See something you like?”

Betty lets out a breathless laugh and nods, biting her lip while she looks at the expanse of his body again. Not even his ex girlfriend looked at him this way. It was invigorating to know he has this affect on his wife. Her eyes meet his before dropping down to his moving hand once more. Betty's mouth opens a bit while her breathing increases, eyes practically glazing over as Jughead runs his palm down the length of his erection. The extra boost of confidence makes him eager to be inside of her again.

“Yes, my husband and his incredible body.” Her eyes then dart to his wedding band, just a white gold band with raised satin in the middle that she had picked out for him.

That sentence leaves him speechless and Jughead doesn't think he could form a coherent sentence to reply to her. Instead he moves down against Betty's body and brushes his lips against hers.

Betty's hands come up to rest on his cheeks while wrapping her legs around his waist to bring him closer. She teases his bottom lip with small kisses, seeking permission to go further and deepen it. When their tongues brush together, he slides back into her and muffles her moan with a kiss. Her back arches, causing her breasts to brush against him and Jughead starts to thrust with long, languid strokes and pulls away to reach a hand up into Betty's hair. His lips brush along her jaw while she pants then tugs it back to expose her neck. Their eyes briefly meet and her teeth begin to sink into her bottom lip before Jughead leans down to lick up the column of her neck. The shiver that runs through her body beneath him encourages him to snap his hips and bite her pulse point.

“Fuck, Jug. Keep going,” she murmurs as her head tilts to the side.

Jughead thrusts into her quicker and braces his left hand by her shoulder and moves his other down to Betty's breast. “That good, baby?”

When she nods, her breathing becoming even quicker while she moans, he brushes a thumb over a hardened peak while Betty's nails begin to dig into his skin. The pain that it brings spurs him on. His tongue moves along her nipple, sucking on the sensitive flesh until Betty begins to writhe beneath him and chants his name underneath her breath. Something in him tightens at the sound. None of his prior sexual partners have ever been this reactive to him in bed.

He picks up the pace a bit more, closing his eyes as his forehead rests against Betty's chest, her heart thudding against his skin. Jughead feels her hand move through his damp hair until her fingers softly caresses his cheek.

“Juggie,” she murmurs. He looks up into her lust filled eyes. “Come here.”

His body moves, obediently following her request. Their lips meet together once more in a lazy and much softer kiss. With his hand still braced against the bed, Jughead uses his right to pull her thigh up into the crook of his elbow. The change of angle has Betty moaning against his lips and he continues to bottom out with each languid stroke.

“I'm so close, Jug,” she whispers as her forehead pressed against his.

“Touch yourself, Betts. I'll come with you.”

Betty nods and he watches her hand move between them. Her fingers circle her clit and Jughead pauses long enough for them to gather some of her wetness from his cock then begins to thrust again. He pulls her thigh wider so he can look at their bodies connecting, her walls beginning to clench around him, so Jughead begins to thrust faster.

“Look at me, Betty. I want to see you come.”

Her eyes connect with his and he can feel his gut tighten as his release sneaks up on him. Her teeth dig into her bottom lip once more before a long moan releases and her orgasm begins to move over both of them. Jughead's hips falter for a moment before his own release starts.

He rests his forehead against Betty's, murmuring how fucking good she feels while her free hand digs into his shoulders. Her head tips back and he kisses her neck once his hips stop moving. She has some residual clenching around him but their breathing is in sync as they both come down from their high.

“You made me see stars,” she murmurs before moving to kiss again. Part of him stirs inside her, causing Betty to laugh. “You need rest, Juggie. We can do this again in Hawaii.”

He pulls back and looks down at her, blonde hair fanned out against the sheets. Jughead looks for any hint of hesitation but doesn't see any. A shy smile accompanies the blush on her cheeks and he nods. “Absolutely. Though you're welcome to wake me up in a few hours.”

Betty laughs louder this time while running her hand down his back. “Be careful what you ask for.”

He rolls his eyes playfully and pulls out, both of them hissing a bit at the loss of contact. “I'll be right back.”

Jughead walks to the bathroom and wipes himself off before grabbing a wet rag to go back into the bedroom with. He's met with Betty looking at her phone and a scandalous look when he asks her to open her legs up for him. The washcloth dangles between them and she blushes as he cleans between her thighs then tosses it away. Betty’s blushing may be one of his favorite things about her.

“What a day,” he murmurs when he lays face down beneath the comforter and she hums in agreement. His eyes close as exhaustion takes over, barely recognizing the sound of Betty putting her phone away. The light turns off, immersing them into darkness. She turns onto her side, facing him and he rolls so that Betty can move closer. “C’mere,” he says gently until he can wrap his arm around her then kisses her forehead.

Both of them instantly fall asleep, wrapped around each other as they're thrust into this new marriage.

One Year Later

Jughead wipes the sweat off his brow with his forearm after piling another box on top of the small stack that is forming in the living room of his apartment. It's been a year since him and Betty said their 'I do’s’ and the town has been a more peaceful place to live. No longer did any Northsider fear going to their southern part of town. Businesses had flourished and now it's difficult to tell who is actually Northside or Southside.

He sighs while looking around, most of the memories from the past year are packed up different stacks, one in the living room and one sitting by the kitchen.

Jughead is in the kitchen, drinking from a bottle of water and tossing things into a donation box when the apartment door opens and Betty moves inside.

“Hey,” she murmurs before moving towards the bathroom.

His eyebrows dip in confusion and Jughead moves around the counter before following her in. But as he moves into the small space, he notices that she's dabbing her cheek. “Not a good meeting I'm guessing?”

Betty's eyes meet his in the mirror and she nods. “The morons from Greendale I can handle, this,” she points to her cheek before dabbing it again, “was an unfortunate crash with Sweet Pea. The worst part of the visit was my mother.”

After finishing off the bottle, he caps it and nervously bounces it against his thigh. “What was she saying?”

She turns and leans back against the sink, sighing a bit. “Asking if we're getting the annulment since our anniversary is on Sunday.”

The bottle crushes underneath his fingers, their eyes meeting but neither of them say anything. He clears his throat and tosses the bottle into the trash can then leans against the door frame. “What did you tell her?”

“I told her I didn't want to talk about it just yet. Honestly, I wanted to wait until everything is settled and done.”

Betty averts her eyes and he moves towards her, lifting her chin with his finger so that they'll meet again. Jughead smiles reassuringly then leans down to kiss her softly, knowing how frustrated she can get when Alice bombards her with a million questions. One of the many things he's learned about their relationship this past year. “I understand. I'd rather wait until everything is in the new house and we can get packed for our vacation. Run out of here before they can start firing off another million questions about our relationship.”

She nods and raises to her toes to kiss him again. “Let me change then I'll help finish packing.”

When she brushes by him, he playfully swats her ass, causing Betty to giggle down the hall to their room. Jughead goes towards the kitchen and resumes tossing in random mismatched things from bachelorhood into the box.

Just as he's taping the flaps down, she moves in wearing tight shorts and a tank top. Her arms wrap around his middle, pressing a kiss between his shoulder blades. “Have you been packing all day?”

“Yep. Figured if we got done we could go celebrate. Or order in.”

“Mm, ordering in sounds perfect.”

Betty begins rummaging through the kitchen, picking out things she'd like to keep and then makes a pile of things that she would need his opinion on. As he watches his wife move, her rings sparkling under the lights, he smiles. It's weird how a feud gave him everything he's ever wanted.

Turning towards the freezer, he pulls out the wrapped top tier of their wedding cake and places it in front of her so it can thaw out for dessert later.  He settles his hands on her waist while dropping a kiss to Betty's neck. She tilts her head to the side, effectively stopping the work she was doing then brings her hand to rest of the back of his neck.

“Are you happy?”

Her fingers pause their movements in his hair and moves so she can glance at him. “Of course, Juggie.”

Jughead hums and moves his lips to her neck again, scraping his teeth teasingly where her neck and shoulder meet. Betty shivers a bit and moans quietly, tugging the strands of hair between her fingers.

“Jug-” she whines out.

“Does this mean we can officially change your name to Betty Jones?”

Jughead imagines she's smiling, pausing her reply just to torture him. “Yes. I want that more than anything.”

“You're making me the happiest man on this planet, Betts.” He pauses and looks over his wife's shoulder at the dessert on the counter. “Are you sure we can eat that cake? It looks weird.”

“Yes, Jug,” she giggles out. “I wouldn't let a piece of cake kill you after being together for a year. I'd miss you too much.”

He grins against her warm skin then takes Betty's left hand in his, looking at their rings. They're about to start the next chapter of their lives and no one but them knows it yet. And as if she's thinking the exact same thoughts, Betty says something that makes his heart soar.

“I love you, Jughead.”

After she turns in his arms, he kisses her gently then runs his hands underneath her tank top, his right hand settling on her Serpent tattoo. “I love you, too, Betts.”

Written by J. (With a little help from R, but this is all J’s work!) This was an idea that we had based around the Arranged Marriage trope and we had to throw Serpent Betty into the mix! Please let us know what you think!

[discord-of-laughter]

The OC challenge! - Phase 1

The sideblog isn’t ready, I [melody-of-scream] am not ready and the challange isn’t finished, but I just can’t hold back any longer, so I’ll just start by posting phase 1 only until I got phase 2 finished. Which takes forever with that many OCs.

The wonderful @cantankerousintrovertedpumpkin 💋 made this challenge up and tagge me. And how could I have resisted! 💛

Phase 1 – Introduction

How many are there?

21 – 5 male & 16 female – that are currently in use or in any way still present in my mind and used in my thoughts. There are more… trust me… Some are kind of @steverogershield’s fault because she keeps encouraging me instead of stopping me… fine Jason and Lou are just two but that’s 9.5% that could have been avoided! Just kidding dude ~

What are their names? [+ in my case which fandom are they from]

Allete “Alouette” Toupine [Man from U.N.C.L.E.], Belial “Bel” [Lucifer], Cardia Rose [Disney Descendants], Johanna “Jo” Jayne aka “Counter” [X-Men], Damian ? [Marvel’s Defenders], Deicida [Young Justice], Gabriele Hoffmann aka “Blueprint” [X-Men], Guinevere aka “Jennifer Elisabeth Kross” [Kingsman], Ophelia [...] Shilazar aka “Gust” [DCEU/Legends of Tomorrow], Aquila Pace [The Librarians], Kayleigh Fortuna Porter aka “Lady Luck” [Dr. Strange], Loreley [American Gods], Lucius “Lou” Kadin Perez Bowman aka “Voiceover” [DCEU/Flash], Phionee Esteria Usmin [Guardians of the Galaxy], Rachel Woods aka “Roads” & Daniel Weston aka “Danton” [Supernatural], Skandra Thorn aka “Skadi” [Thor/Avengers], Mariana Josefa Moraes Cardoso aka “Somnia” [X-Men], Jason Tiberius Green [Suicide Squad], Vanessa Lind [Harry Potter] and last but not least Cain Goldfin [Shadowhunters].  

What’s one word you’d use to describe them?

Allete: determined

Bel: demonic

Cardia: burdened

Jo: restless

Damian: lying

Deicida: emotional

Gabriele: torn

Jennifer: loyal

Ophelia: fiercely

Aquila: sly

Kayleigh: cordial

Loreley: wary

Lou: controlled/sweet

Phionee: lost [formerly reasonable]

Rachel: unyielding

Daniel: bossy [formerly protective]

Skadi: sore/persistent

Mariana: disappointed

Jason: stubborn

Vanessa: kind

Cain: angry/proud

What do they look like?

Allete: A lot like Eva Green, light skin colour, dark hair, blue-green eyes, tall, slender, full lips, from France.

Bel: A lot like Mariette Valsan, middle dark brown/Indian skin tone, brown eyes, under the right circumstances insanely beautiful… but her appearance changes based on the attitude of people towards her or humanity in general, she’s missing the little finger of her left hand though. Originally from heaven, then hell.

Cardia: Pale, red and black dyed hair, very dark eyes, short, stocky, curvy (on her belly too!), small hands, scars on her arms. From the Isle of the Lost.

Jo: Slightly tanned, light brown eyes that seem to glow slightly, very long brown hair, small nose, chubby cheeks, short, with a bad posture, from the US.  

Damian: Slightly ashen skin tone with a hint of olive hidden beneath it and a hint of yellow over it since he smokes quite a bit, black, short hair, blue eyes, not exactly tall for a guy, rather thin due to a certain lack of physical activity, leads a pretty unhealthy lifestyle in general, dark rings under the eyes, thin lips… despite everything he’s still kind of attractive though, from the US of unknown heritage.

Deicida: Grey skin… like really silvery-grey skin, looking like metal, dark grey lips, white hair and golden eyes, much heavier than she looks. Middle tall for a teenage girl, slender… the back of her legs is pointed like a blade and as sharp – yes blade legs and grey skin, she is weapon forged by Hephaestus and given a soul and can turn back into her original sword from if needed. From… well Hephaestus’s forge.

Gabriele: A lot like Sonja Gerhard. Short, blond, slightly curly hair, grey-blue eyes, like a perfect little white skinned angel. From East Germany (DDR) when the country was still divided into DDR and BRD.

Jennifer: Naturally red, curly hair, deep green eyes, rather tall for a woman, comparably skinny, small chest, prominent cheekbones, slightly bigger nose, in her late forties, early fifties, still considerably pretty. Of Irish descent.

Ophelia: Dark, Arabic skin tone. Long dark brown hair, with three green dyed strands of hair, eyes so green they seemed to glow and strange green marks running down from the middle of her lower lid to half of her cheek. Naturally rather red lips, but even brighter lipstick, hourglass figure, slender fingers, unfortunately creepy laughter but sweet smile, freckles on her chest, 6’7, in her end twenties. Of Iranian descent.    

Aquila: Think of Kat Dennings dressed fancy. Brown wavy hair, blue eyes, large chest, 5’3… the whole package. Usually dressed unassuming but tidy. Wears glasses to read. From… that would be too much of a spoiler, so let’s say the UK. Also her names a made-up fake as well.

Kayleigh: Assumed the form of black girl, rather dark skin tone, attentive eyes so dark brown they appear black, long, really long bright orange hair – says it’s natural, no one believes her, sly smirk, surprisingly pinkish lips, not very tall with little curves but not petit. Looks nothing like either of her sisters. From a place that is too much of a spoiler.

Loreley: Like Diane Kruger, straight, thin light blond hair, light blue eyes, pale lips, would be considered petit if she wasn’t a bit too tall for it. So pale and thin it’s close to making people worry. Often either dark rings under her eyes or red, slightly swollen eyes. She has lost quite some of the beauty (and weight) songs sing about. From Germany but that was a long, long time ago.  

Lou: Very mixed heritage reflected in his skin colour – Latin-Arabic and a bit of white. Black hair but buzz cut, grey eyes, unassuming, sweetest and brightest, toothy smile and perfectly straight teeth, slightly crooked toes, moderate height and weight. Tries to stay fit… but music and Aunt Isabella’s food are not helping. Long, slender fingers. Born in the US.

Phionee: White skin, not like a human white skin tone but white-white. Humanoid Alien. Dark pink, sharp eyes, slightly pointy ears and a long, slender tail that ends in a sharp point [kind of similar to Nightcrawler’s], feet that are a bit more claw like, white, straight hair usually worn in a pinned updo. Eyebrows that give her a snarky expression, light pink lipstick and pink eyeshadow, very cold skin and since she’s from an ice planet it’s usually to warm everywhere for her, so she wears short shorts and cropped tank tops when others are about to freeze off some parts. Still manages to make a point by wearing Ravenger red. Thin but athletic build. From the Usmin planet Sikon.  

Rachel: A lot like Natalina Maggio. Caucasian but likely with a southern European heritage. Green eyes with golden speckles. Thin, straight, dark brown hair. Unassuming figure but well-trained and a bit muscular for a woman. Thin face, thin lips, piercing gaze. Always seems to show a slight frown. Huge ban tattoo on her left side since she was a baby. Not very tall. Often dark fingertips from old ink and such. Found on the doorstep of a hunter family – Westons – when she was still a baby.  

Daniel: Light skinned but with a bit of a tan, short, curly, brown hair. Light blue eyes. Full lips, stubbles all the time. Tall, obviously well-toned and thoroughly fit body but a bunch of scares hidden beneath his clothes. Always seems to have an amused expression and sparkling eyes. Rachel sometimes calls him “Disney Prince” because he’s the pretty of the two of them. Youthful looks even though he is in his late thirties. From an hunter family which has been doing their job in the US for generations.  

Skadi: A Jotun goddess and born frost giant. Very tall with a swirling intricate pattern on her skin. Pure white eyes and hair and whitish lips. Strong and sturdy but athletic build. Full lips… and with a human form magic and living among the gods of Asgard allowed her to take on. Still kind of tall, very pale with a bluish touch with slightly bluish lips, pale blue eyes and a lot of long, full-bodied, wavy hair that she dyes black to not stand out so much. There is something rough and wild about here that tends to draw people in and push them away at the same time. From Thrymheimr and/or Asgard.

Mariana: A lot like a slightly younger Morena Baccarin with half-short hair. Black hair, warm brown eyes, rather light skin tone but still noticeably a Latina. Thin lips, a bit bigger ears, 32 years old, with surprisingly long legs. Has a nice smile but a tendency to frown due to bad decision-making. From Brazil currently living in the US with a work visa.

Jason: Like Seth Green – just google him, like that. 5’3 short, green eyes, ginger hair and beard, mole under his left eye, the best and worst smirk, more buff than Seth Green though. Small/Short power package. From the US and of Scottish and Polish heritage.

Vanessa: Kind of shortish, with a pale skin with a golden undertone, slightly prominent nose and chin, small ears, bilious green eyes and ash brown hair. Kind eyes. Hints of being a bit stout but working against it constantly. Very small feet and rather small hands. An unsuitable mean smirk. Inside and outside of the school day she can usually been found barefooted. From Wales.  

Cain: Soft facial features – a bit of a baby face – broad nose, narrow eyes the lightest blue imaginable. Round face, slightly tanned skin, short dark hair, full lips. Well-built but not very tall… in the form he got from one half of his parents. The other one granted him golden and black scales and rough golden and black skin, gills on the side of his cheeks, the same broad nose and narrow eyes of the lightest blue imaginable, but his features seem less soft like this. Oh and of course a golden fish tail. Lavish and to show off, he’s considered too flashy to be pretty by his mother’s people where he grew up.    

 Any illnesses/disorders/disabilities…?

Cain has BPD. Vanessa has a well-hidden but not specified anxiety disorder. Mariana is rather emotionally instable without an explanation so far… don’t know if that counts. Damian has a heart condition. Skadi is dyslexic but you can bet the goddess won’t tell anyone. Rachel has ADD and so has Lou. Bel is missing the little finger of her left hand. Cardia has gotten past self-harming tendencies and Mariana was thought to have narcolepsy for the longest time… until they found out it has to do with her mutation and an inability to control her power. And do Deicida’s blade legs count and the fact that human emotions confuse her? Not like on the autistic spectrum though just because she hasn’t had to do much with them before and is still learning.

 Who’s your favourite?

That’s not fair *whines*, they are all my kids!! Skadi and Ophelia are always high on the list but always rivalled by the OC or one of the OCs from the fandom I’m just in the most.

 Who is most like you?

??? There is a bit of me in every OC I make… but I try it to never be too much. However… Vanessa maybe? She’s probably the oldest of them and the most like I’m when it comes to looks. But personality vice… I’d like to think Jo maybe or Cardia.

 Do you ship any of the characters you’re talking about here?

Yes. Some but very few with canon characters mostly it’s just a thought though nothing I would insist or necessarily talk about. And I ship Rachel and Daniel with each other ~ it’s difficult though.  

[snoozingcat]

fill for Cap-Iron Man Bingo prompt "bold," featuring earth 3490

No one could ever say Tasha Stark wasn't bold. In dress, in philosophy, in person. She was colorful, and bold, and bright, and asking her to dance was impossible.

Steve grabbed an hor d'oeuvre and made his way through the crowd in a gentle circle, trying to look like he wasn't better suited for holding up a wall somewhere.

Pepper Potts caught his eye from across the room, quirking an eyebrow at him. Steve felt his shoulders hunch in response as he smiled sheepishly, and Pepper gave the ceiling an utterly despairing sort of look. Then she turned back to him, jerked her head at Tasha, pointed at the dance floor, and flapped her hand at him in a shooing motion.

Steve’s ears burned. Obediently, he turned toward where Tasha was holding court, surrounded by an enraptured audience. Her dress was simple: stark white, so that her skin seemed to glow and the few dark tendrils of hair artfully loose from her updo looked dark and lush in contrast. The sleeves were long and off-shoulder, baring tantalizing stretches of smooth tanned skin, and when she turned a little, the low-cut back exposed the toned expanse of her shoulders and lower back.

Steve gulped.

A woman talking to Tasha spotted him and inclined her head his way, saying something smirkingly. Tasha turned to look at him, her face lighting up.

“Steve,” she said. He couldn't hear her, but he recognized the shape of his name in her mouth. He cut through the crowd to her side.

“Tasha, hi,” he said, feeling unaccountably shy. Well, not entirely unaccountably-- he rather suspected the avid gleams in the eyes of Tasha’s friends had something to do with it.

“Hey, stranger,” she replied, smiling. Her lips were very red, and her eyeshadow had been done in shimmery orange and gold like a sunset on her skin. It made the blue of her eyes seem Caribbean clear. “I've hardly seen you all night.” She reached out and grabbed his forearm, squeezing just a little.

“I-- I've been busy. It's. You know. Crowded.” Steve managed, and valiantly resisted the urge to strangle himself. A young woman in periwinkle giggled.

Tasha turned him toward the group and introduced him to a flurry of names, most of them preceded with “Dr”s and followed by stunning lists of accomplishments. Steve nodded and smiled politely, and grappled all the while with a mental image of a blonde gorilla in a tuxedo.

A dark-skinned woman with a doctorate in biochemistry, a nonprofit that provided free afterschool for at-risk youth, and a low-cut yellow dress kissed Tasha on both cheeks and bid her farewell, shooting Steve a little wink as she did so and taking most of the gaggle of women with her.

“Thank you for coming with me,” Tasha said, snagging his arm and leading him towards the bar. “I know it's very boring, but it does help me to have you here.”

‘Boring’ was not how Steve would have described the evening so far. ‘Emotionally agonizing.’ ‘Wracked with indecision,’ maybe.

Boring, no.

“It's no trouble,” Steve replied. “I'm happy to help.”

Oh, god. He was going to chicken out again. He was going to miss his chance and spend the night counting specks of dust in the mansion’s library and probably the rest of his life watching Natasha date people who were terrible for her and also not him.

Tasha asked him something.

“What?” he started.

“Never mind,” she said quickly. “Can I get a peach ginger ale, please?” she asked the bartender. “Hey, I'm gonna go talk to Pepper for a bit. You wanna Coke or something, Mack the Knife here’ll hook you up.” She jerked her head at the bartender, whose name tag read “Mack” in thick black letters.

Hey, a reference Steve understood.

She swooped away with a thin little smile and a glass of amber soda, beelining for Pepper across the room. Steve watched her go, trying to keep his face from looking like that of a man giving into the abyss of despair.

He was a coward. Why was it easier for him to jump off a skyscraper than it was to ask his best friend a simple question?

“Sprite, please,” he said to Mack the Knife, who had probably never stabbed anyone at all, much less enough people to resemble the subject of a jazz hit from the 1950’s.

He was watching the ice melt in his glass, having just finished nodding and smiling his way through a conversation with the mayor’s son, when Pepper found him again. She put her hand on his arm, and her manicure dug into his suit jacket, a warning in nude pink.

“Steve,” she said, her voice as smooth as an ice rink, and holding just the same hint of chill. “How many times have we had this conversation?” She began leading him away from the bar, and he hurriedly set his glass on a tray.

“Several?” he guessed. “Is this the ‘sulking in a corner’ conversation or…”

She gave him a flat look. “It's the Tasha conversation. The one where I beg you to put me out of my misery and ask her to dance. Or dinner. Or just to go ahead and marry you; frankly, I don't care what you two do together as long as it gets her to stop asking me if I think you think she thinks you're wonderful.”

She said all this with the arch tone of someone who was recalling something exactly, and yet, Steve could only think of the time when he was eleven, and Frank the butcher’s son swore up and down that Vera Martin thought he was cute.

She hadn't, but Frank had sure gotten a kick out of watching her politely but awkwardly turn down the three daisies Steve had gotten for her.

Steve bit back the urge to ask Pepper if she was sure again. He definitely didn't think Pepper was the sort to play mean tricks like that. “I just don't want to mess up what we have,” he said instead, hearing the weakness of the excuse in his voice. “I don't know what I would do if things went wrong and we couldn't be friends anymore, and… things tend to go wrong, for me.”

“And I'm trying to be respectful of that, Steve, I really am,” Pepper said wearily. “I don't like to meddle in people’s personal lives-- it's condescending and ridiculous. But you two are both crazy about each other, and both big scaredy cats when it comes to initiating a romance, apparently.”

“Scaredy cats who've had their tails stepped on one too many times,” Steve added a little ruefully.

Pepper smacked him lightly, laughing. “Come on, Captain. If you can't work up the guts to dance with her, you can at least dance with me and make her jealous enough to spit.”

“I don't want to make her jealous,” Steve said without thinking, staring out over the crowd to where Tasha was chatting with a wild-haired elderly man. “I want to make her happy.”

Pepper blinked at him rapidly. “I may swoon,” she said. “That's the most romantic thing I've ever heard. Forget the dance-- after that, I need a drink. And Steve?” She raised an eyebrow at him, and gave a pointed look at Tasha’s corner of the room. “Please go talk to her.”

Steve watched her slice through the crowd, all elegance and towering heels. Then he looked toward Tasha. She was gesticulating wildly as she spoke now, irritably brushing at the smoky dark curls some exorbitant stylist had deliberately left in her line of sight, and he felt a smile take over his lips. His heart beat crookedly in his chest.

He inhaled deeply, setting his shoulders. One dance. He could ask for this.

One dance.

[gethealthy18-blog]

30 Stunning Maroon Hair Colors

New Post has been published on http://healingawerness.com/getting-healthy/getting-healthy-women/30-stunning-maroon-hair-colors/

30 Stunning Maroon Hair Colors

Anjali Sayee June 13, 2019

“It’s a bit of red and pink? No, it’s a mix of red, blue, and brown? No, it’s uhhh…”

That’s the description of maroon that I’ve gotten from most of my friends. This trending color has caused many a problem when it comes to its description. Often, women complain that they didn’t get the right maroon hair color done at the salon. Here’s what you need to know to avoid such a fiasco.

What Exactly Is The Color Of Maroon?

Maroon is most often mistaken to be burgundy. Maroon is a shade of red that has a tint of brown. Burgundy, on the other hand, is a shade of red with a tint of violet. Magenta is a mix of pink and red.

What Colors Does Maroon Go With?

Maroon is a cool-toned color. So, opt for colors that are more cool-toned – like silvers, blues, and greens. If you have warm-toned skin, you will need to consider a warmer shade of maroon that has a hint of orange, yellow, or gold.

Here are 30 stunning maroon hair shades to help you understand and get on board with this maroon faze.

30 Stunning Maroon Hair Colors

1. Wine Maroon

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Wine maroon is the color of the sophisticated. Go wine this summer, and you won’t be sorry. While wine is mostly a burgundy shade, hair colorists have come up with a few wine shades that have more of a maroon tint in them.

2. Maroon Braids

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Black braids are stunning! But if you are bored of black and brown hair, you can jazz them up with some maroon braids! You can either color your hair maroon or go for colored extensions. Either way, it’s sure to dazzle your weave.

3. Auburn Maroon

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Auburn is my favorite shade, hands down! It has a nice warmth to it. It works perfectly when blended with maroon. It will give your hair an edgy reddish-orange tint and make it shine.

4. Deep Maroon

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If you like darker shades, opt for this deep maroon color. If you are cool-toned, this intense shade will accentuate your skin. Notice that the roots are darker than the rest of the hair. This adds dimension to the locks.

5. Red Maroon

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Maroon is a blend of red and brown. Opt for this color if you have warm-toned skin. Adding more red to the maroon gives it a bit more earthy feel. It looks wonderful!

6. Rosé Maroon

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Who doesn’t like to unwind with a nice glass of rosé? So, why not try it on your hair? This shade of maroon will add a new and feminine lease of life to your locks.

7. Plum Maroon

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We know that red and purple make for a great combo. It’s the same with plum and maroon. Mixing the two gives you a lovely deep purplish maroon that will make you swoon with glee.

8. Brownish Maroon

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We know that maroon has a hint of brown in it. It’s what sets this shade apart from burgundy and magenta. But if you have natural brown hair and don’t want to color it too much, opt for this brownish maroon shade.

9. Hints Of Bright Red

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As you keep staring at this lovely hair color and stunning updo, you will begin to notice slight hints of red spread all over her hair. This is to add dimension and depth to her locks to make them look thicker.

10. Light Maroon

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If you want to take the full plunge into maroon, go for a lighter shade and try it in highlights to see how it suits your skin tone. This works especially well if you have blonde hair.

11. Deep Brown Maroon

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Do you have naturally dark brown hair that looks so intense that it could be a thriller? Then, you are in luck! Add some light maroon to your locks to jazz them up. The deep brown adds tons of texture to the maroon, so it looks natural.

12. Dark Rooted Maroon Locks

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Keke Palmer shows us that keeping your roots dark can help accentuate your added hair color. This is a great way to blend an added color into your natural hair color, especially when it comes to shades like maroon.

13. Deep Red Maroon

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Red is such a fantastical color. It is super bright and feminine. It is also a color that works well with other shades. If you are head over heels in love with red, opt for this deep reddish maroon.

14. Deep Plum Maroon

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Maroon is a stunning shade. But when you add a deeper shade of plum to it, it takes on an intense feel. It adds shine to your hair and also makes it look darker and thicker.

15. Light Maroon Dimensional

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If you have thin hair or are looking to add structure to your face, consider a maroon dimensional. The multiple shades of maroon come together to make your hair look thicker while accentuating your facial features.

16. Maroon And Purple

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Remember those rebellious teenage years when you wanted to (or actually did!) color your hair red? This blend of colors is the new rebel look! Relive your past glory days by going rebellious once more and stand for what you believe in.

17. Intense Reddish Maroon

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This cool shade is perfect for the summer! It looks brilliant against the backdrop of a beach. So, plan a vacay this summer and treat yourself to a makeover. You deserve it!

18. Blonde Maroon

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Before you raise your eyebrows at this shade’s name, hear me out. Mixing blonde with maroon will add a glossy shine to your locks. It also adds warmth to your hair, making it look vibrant.

19. Pinkish Maroon

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Pink symbolizes feminine strength, while maroon symbolizes confidence and passion. And, they go hand in hand! Take all that feminine energy to your locks and be the queen that you are!

20. Bright Red Tips With Maroon

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If you have already colored your hair maroon, here’s a way to jazz it up. Highlight your maroon hair with bright red tips. This draws attention to your thick maroon locks. It also streamlines your jawline. It’s a win-win!

21. Burgundy Maroon

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As I’ve said before, burgundy and maroon are two of the most interchanged colors. Why separate them when they make for such a great combo?

22. Intense Brownish Maroon

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If you have warm or neutral-toned skin that leans towards warm, consider this shade. This maroon will look stunning in the winter or autumn as it has an earthy feel to it.

23. Glossy Maroon

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We all want our hair to look glossy and shine like a diamond. Go for this glossy maroon by adding a dash of blonde to your locks. The shade of blonde you pick depends on your skin tone and preference. You will need to use a toner to remove the yellow tint created by the blonde.

24. Lighter At The Top

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Notice that the top layer of hair on this look is light, but the layers below are deeper. This is to help frame your face and add volume to your locks. Cut your hair in layers to make the colors blend better.

25. Pastel Pink Tinted Maroon

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Pastel shades are all the rage right. Pastel pink, even more so. If you are on the pastel pink bandwagon, this hair color is for you. Those curls make it look even more glamorous.

26. Maroon Brown

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When you decide to color all your hair, it is a big step. So, before you plunge in, why not try out this shade? It adds a light touch of maroon to your brunette locks. You can try the same with blonde locks, which will give it a deep strawberry shade.

27. Deep Auburn Maroon

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If you are looking for a shade to brighten up your spring even more, try this surreal, deep auburn maroon shade. Brown and red blend into the auburn to give you a lovely sun-kissed reddish shade.

28. Shocking Maroon

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Move over electric red, say ‘hello’ to shocking maroon. Shocking maroon is a bright yet deep shade of maroon. It is perfect for a makeover after a break-up or as an act of rebellion.

29. Orange-Tinted Roots

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Look closely at the roots, and you will notice a slight orange tint. This makes the maroon hair look deeper and thicker. This color works on both short and long hair. It also helps frame your face.

30. Maroon With Red Highlights

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Add some red streaks to your maroon locks to infuse a bit more pizazz in them. Choose a shade of red that works more as a dimensional maroon over a stand-out red shade.

Maroon stands for confidence, passion, power, and strength – all the strengths of the woman of today. So, go maroon and let us know about your experience in the comments section below!

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Source: https://www.stylecraze.com/articles/maroon-hair-colors/