#jet x lizzie

[writingonleaves]

don't wanna scrape you off the pavement (i can't be your savior) - jack hughes

pairing: jack hughes x original female character (reckless driving au)

warnings: swearing, angst, fluff, hopeful ending (bc its me), possibly inaccurate dynamics of the 2020 - 2024 umich hockey squads but i tried, some biphobia (not from any main characters), an awful lot of talking about michigan for someone who’s never been there (the college or the state)

inspired by + title: "reckless driving" by lizzy mcalpine and ben kessler

word count: 23.7k

author's note: after about 7 months in the making, it’s Finally here lol. this piece means a lot to me, and not only because it took so long. a labor of love, if you will. i'm very proud of it, so i sincerely hope you all enjoy it as much as i loved writing it! please do let me know your thoughts <3 takes place the summer of 2024

~*~*~

day one - amelie

Amelie Fishel has a love-hate relationship with the state of Michigan. 

She loves it enough that she stayed in the state she was born and raised in for college. But even she knew she would’ve been an idiot if she denied the offer four years ago when University of Michigan offered her an academic scholarship that ended up covering her full tuition. She enjoyed her time at college enough, making a smattering of friends that she really does want to keep in contact with for the rest of her life and developing a solid foundation academically with various experiences that will hopefully help her out to get her dream job, which is on the horizon.

It’s a dream job because it falls in line with what she enjoys doing. But it’s also a dream job because it’s taking her the fuck out of this state. That’s the only request she’s had when trying to close in on an NHL photographer offer — it can be in any state except for Michigan. 

But despite her feeling that she’s outgrown this state, she’s sticking around for one more summer. One more summer of no internships or responsibilities before she has to be a working adult for the rest of her life. A few more months to enjoy the few perks this state does have before getting to leave.

Currently, she’s sitting in the backyard of her grandparents’ new lakehouse. It’s admittedly beautiful and in a wonderful location that offers the tranquility that they’ve been searching for. The lake in their backyard glistens under the sun and the sunsets are stunning. 

It’s a hot day in mid-July and she spent her first full day catching up with her grandparents in the backyard. After she had graduated, she splurged on a trip to Europe with some friends that definitely made a dent in her bank account. When she voiced getting a job for the summer, her parents and grandparents immediately said no. Enjoy the summer, they said. 

After dinner, when the sun’s rays are barely peeking out, she volunteers to walk Susie, her grandparents’ golden retriever that is far too energetic for Amelie’s liking. Amelie grabs the leash, beckons Susie over, and they’re on their way to a walk around the neighborhood. 

She forgoes her Airpods for whatever reason and shoves both her hands in her sweatshirt, walking leisurely behind Susie. She’s so lost in her own head that she almost misses the sound of her own name. 

“Amelie?”

She blinks, stopping at the end of someone’s driveway. Susie trots happily to the guy who’s holding his hand out to pet her. “Luke?”

“Yeah,” Luke clears his throat and bends down slightly to pet Susie, who is loving the attention. “Hey buddy. What’s your name?”

“This is Susie.”

Luke chuckles as Susie’s tail wags crazily. “Hey girly. What a cutie.”

Amelie gently tugs the leash. “Easy, Suz. We don’t wanna kill him.”

She watches for a few seconds as Luke keeps petting her. Yankees hat atop his head and wearing a white t-shirt and swim trunks, it’s been over a year since Amelie’s seen Luke Hughes. The last time she saw him was after the devastating loss against Quinnipiac at the Frozen Four. He had jetted out to Boston that night, but not without giving Amelie an unexpected but genuine hug goodbye. 

As a photographer for the Michigan Athletic Department during her entire college career, she became at friendly with many athletes, especially the guys on the men’s hockey team, since her boss put her on assignment with them a good amount. But she hadn’t expected Luke to remember her or recognize her.

“You live around here?” Luke asks, standing back up as Susie calms down.

“My grandparents just bought a place a few houses down and I just got here. You live here?”

“Kinda,” he gestures to the house behind him. “My brothers bought this place a few years back.”

“Small world,” she remarks. 

He nods with a small smile. “It sure is.” 

“Who’s your friend, Moose?”

She turns her head to the open garage to see a shorter, tanner version of Luke. This guy is wearing a black t-shirt with sweatpants, his hair less curlier than Luke’s. He must be one of his brothers, and even if Luke didn’t just tell her it was his brothers’ place, she would’ve put it together. They both have the same half-smile. 

He’s also beautiful. Almost annoyingly so.

(If her sisters were here, they’d immediately point out that Jack is exactly her type. Well, Charlotte would point out that he smiles similarly to Cooper and Colette would immediately scold Charlotte.)

The guy walks over and Susie gets excited at a new presence. He also bends down to pet her. “This is Amelie,” Luke says. “She photographed a lot of the games back at Michigan.” He turns back to Amelie. “Did you just graduate? Or do you have one year left?”

“I just graduated.”

“Congratulations,” the guy stands up and sticks out his hand. “I’m Jack. Luke’s brother. Well, one of them.”

She shakes his hand with a polite smile. “It’s nice to meet you, Jack. And thank you.”

“You said you’re gonna be here for the summer?” Luke asks. 

“Most of it, yeah.”

“Where do you live?” Jack asks.

“My grandparents are a few houses down. 118.”

Jack perks up. “Stanley and Ruth are your grandparents?”

“Yeah,” she narrows her eyes. “How do you know them?”

“They ran into our parents golfing last week. And I’ve waved at them a few times driving down the street.”

“That sounds about right,” she chuckles. “They love their golf and they love sitting on the front porch.”

Luke straightens up, and with Amelie’s previous interactions with him, that means that he’s about to suggest either a great or horrendous idea. “You should come over for dinner this week. You and your grandparents. Our parents are still here for a few days and we’re going a bit stir-crazy with each other, I think.”

So it’s a horrendous idea this time. She immediately tries to deny the offer politely. “Oh no, that’s okay. I wouldn’t wanna intrude your-”

“We’d love to have you. And your grandparents,” Jack says with an air of finality. “And I know our parents would say the same. They’re sick of also just having us around.”

“I still have your number from when you used to send me pictures after games,” Luke says. “I’ll text you details and we’ll find a time that works?”

“Okay,” she says after a few seconds. As if Susie understands, she barks. 

Jack gives her one last pet with a grin. “This floofer’s welcome as well.”

After one last smile, she and Susie are on their way as the brothers head back into the house. Once they’re out of earshot, she sighs. 

She has no idea how she feels about this. 

day three - jack 

Jack Hughes is convinced he’s going insane.

Well, that’s not exactly true. He’s perfectly fine, great, even. Recovery is going well. He’s back with his family in one of his favorite places in the world. Even in July, the season still seems so far away. Some days he itches to get back to The Rock in front of the fans. But most of the time, he’s enjoying his off-season rehab and training, being on the water and being on the golf course. 

But Amelie – which first of all, an incredibly beautiful name — and her just as beautiful dog Susie have been at the back of his mind for two days straight now. That’s weird. Jack doesn’t usually think about girls like this, especially girls he’s barely met.

All he’s gotten from Luke so far is that she’s a year older than him, which makes her a year younger than Jack, she photographed a bunch of the Michigan games during Luke’s two years there and she’s a bit quieter than some of the social media team’s counterparts Luke knows she worked with. 

And she’s so, so cute. But Luke didn’t tell him that one. 

A few hours before she’s supposed to come over with her grandparents, Jack’s lounging on the boat, as Quinn, who’s in the driver's seat, and Luke are talking about…something. But he’s deeply focused on his phone, trying to do what every Gen Z person does when they see someone cute. Find their Instagram. The fact that he’s held off for over 48 hours is already impressive. 

He finds it relatively easily, as some of Luke’s former teammates who Jack follows follow her, and Amelie isn’t a common name. She’s private, but linked in her bio is her photography account, which is public. While there’s no pictures of her on there, it proves to him that she’s an insanely good photographer. Not just hockey, either. There are some beautiful shots of divers, gymnasts, soccer players, etc. You name the sport, it seems like Amelie’s photographed it. 

“Whatcha lookin’ at?” Quinn asks. 

Jack quickly locks his phone. “Nothing.”

Luke, like the pest he is, narrows his eyes. “Sure.”

“Don’t make me push you into the water, Moose.”

An empty threat, Jack knows, but he starts leaning forward and Luke yelps. “Quinn!”

Quinn rolls his eyes, “You’re both annoying. We gotta head back though. I wanna shower before dinner.”

Dinner. Right. Amelie. Coming into him and Quinn’s home. Great. 

Something must change on his face, because a shit-eating grin grows on Luke’s face. “Oh. That’s what this is about.”

“What?” Jack feigns cluelessness. 

“Amelie’s pretty, isn’t she?” Luke says. Jack just shoves him and Quinn chuckles, catching up. 

“If you think she’s pretty, why didn’t you make your move first?” Jack retorts back. “You had two years.”

Luke shrugs. “Just because she’s pretty doesn’t mean I’m interested. She’s cool though. Way too cool for you.”

“Is that a challenge?”

Luke rolls his eyes, “For once, no.”

“Was she friends with the guys?” Quinn asks. And Jack’s silently grateful that he doesn’t have to be the one to dig for more information.

“I don’t know if I would say friends, but definitely very friendly with everyone,” Luke says. “I think she was a TA in one of Rut and Adam’s classes or something. She seemed to get along with them the best. And I feel like she had a soft spot for Eddy, for some reason. I think it’s that thing where we just all are around each other all the time and the more we saw of her at the rink, the more we got to know her.”

Huh. Interesting. He doesn’t know anything about Rutger McGroarty except that he went to the program a few years after Jack did and was drafted to the Jets. Ethan Edwards is one of Luke’s closest friends from Michigan and could be signing with the Devils organization this upcoming season, and Jack likes him. Adam Fantilli trains with the guys in the summer so Jack’s gotten to know him decently well. That one might say the most. 

Luke gives him a pointed look. “I’m serious. Don’t mess with her. She’s too nice for that. And she can put you in your place.”

And Jack’s downright offended that Luke would even insinuate something like that. But as Quinn guides them home, he thinks. Luke’s never given an opinion on any girl Jack’s dated or had a thing with. He’s spoken maybe three sentences to Amelie, didn’t even directly express his interest and Luke is already all up in his ass. 

He hears when Amelie arrives hours later, Susie barking and the sounds of Stanley and Ruth talking with his parents. He tries to be nonchalant as they all come out into the backyard, when he sees her conversing with Luke, instead making himself busy by introducing himself to Stanley and Ruth. 

But her pink linen pants match her headband and her smile is dripping with gold and Jack is going insane. 

They have dinner outside surrounded by the sound of the rippling lake, the view of a cotton-candy sunset, the feel of light breeze and the warmth of easy laughter. Jack sneaks a few small pieces of chicken to Susie and Amelie catches him, glaring at him from across the table. Jack just smirks as she rolls her eyes, chomping away at her corn and tuning into whatever conversation is going on. 

His parents ask about her background and her time at Michigan and he can’t help but smile when she talks about her double degree — communications and design — and how going to an activities fair turned into working as a photographer for the athletics department. She talks about her first time photographing a hockey game and how hockey is the fastest and in a way, hardest sport she’s ever photographed. But it’s become her favorite. That puts a smile on the faces of the entire Hughes family. 

She gets asked what her plans are post-grad, and she just breezes through it casually, saying that she’s been talking to US Soccer and the NHL but nothing finalized yet. She says it so casually that Jack’s almost in awe. 

Jack never believed in love at first sight, and still doesn’t, thank you very much, but the sound of Amelie’s laughter has him feeling so nervous and stupid and ridiculous. 

Whatever. He’ll unpack this later.

day six - amelie

Amelie’s cameras and her camera equipment are her babies, which, duh, considering her passion and career. Which means she’s very excited to take out the vintage 35 MM film camera she got for a graduation gift from her parents. 

After lunch, she takes one of the many outdoor chairs her grandparents have, plopping herself decently close to the lake to fiddle with some of the settings. She has her trusted DSLR camera next to her as well, the sounds of the birds and a Michigan summer her soundtrack. One of her neighbors must be playing the guitar outside and Amelie finds herself at peace. 

The peace is slowly shattered as she hears a motor coming from the lake. She rolls her eyes to herself. Fucking boats and boatowners who think they’re the shit. 

She does point her camera towards the boat though. It’s a cool shot. 

She doesn’t realize it’s slowing down until it practically stops. She squints and sees someone waving their hand maniacally. She tentatively walks a bit towards the lake. 

“Luke?” 

He nods enthusiastically and Amelie kinda finds it endearing. She quickly takes note of Quinn at the helm and sees Jack’s head popping up from behind Quinn. The boat slows to a stop and she comes to the edge of the lake. 

“Morning. Or afternoon, I guess.”

“Hey,” Jack says with a friendly smile. “What are you up to?”

She holds her camera. “Testing this out. I actually just got a pretty cool shot of the boat.”

“Is that a special kind of camera?” Quinn asks. 

She nods. “Mmhmm. It’s a vintage 35 millimeter film camera, which is the exact opposite of what you want when photographing any sport. What are you guys up to today?”

Luke shrugs. “The usual. Probably gonna be on the boat for a few hours.” He lights up. “Do you wanna come on?”

She opens her mouth to say something but Jack pushes on before she can get a word out. “Yeah, come on!”

“If you don’t already have plans, that is,” Quinn adds. 

She closes her mouth and thinks. She doesn’t have plans today and hasn’t ever been on a boat. Plus, even though she partially chose to spend time out here to reflect on herself and be by herself, she knows it’s good for her to be talking with people that aren’t her grandparents. And, they’ve been nothing but nice to her so far. 

“On a few conditions.”

Jack tilts his head. “Which are?”

“I don’t have to get in the water and I get to bring my cameras.”

“Deal,” Jack says quickly. 

Amelie gives a close-lipped smile. “Give me two minutes.” She sets her cameras down carefully by the chair side and jogs back into the house. She grabs her favorite Michigan crewneck in case it gets cold and grabs her tote bag which has sunscreen, sunglasses, her keys and wallet. When she comes back out, the boat is docked as close to the edge as possible. Without hesitation, Amelie takes off her flip-flops, wades into the water and hands Luke her bag and cameras carefully before Jack pulls her up into the boat. 

She wobbles a bit and Jack’s hands hover behind her back in case she falls. “You ever been on a boat?”

“Not in awhile,” she says, settling down in a seat next to Luke. “I prefer having my feet on the ground.”

Luke’s eyebrows furrow. “You can swim, right?”

“What?” Amelie jokes quietly. “Are you planning on pushing me in?”

“No one is getting pushed in,” Quinn assures, sending a light glare at his two brothers as he starts steering them deeper into the lake. “Especially with those expensive cameras on board.”

“Are you really the one responsible for every photo of Luke playing hockey taken at Michigan?” Jack asks. 

She blinks, absolutely taken aback. “Not every photo, I’d say.”

“Definitely a good amount though,” Luke says. “I feel like you were always at every game.”

She shrugs, “Well, my boss started putting me on hockey more because I’m pretty sure I was the only one who could do it well.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Hey, it’s a tough sport to photograph. It’s fast and unpredictable and you have to have a sense of where the puck is going before it gets there.”

Amelie internally cringes at that last part. She sounds like a coach. 

“Did you like hockey before?” Quinn asks.

“Not really, to be honest. The first game I ever watched was at Michigan when I was shadowing.”

“You must’ve figured out pretty quickly where the puck will go, then, if you didn’t know much about hockey before,” Jack says with something like respect in his eyes.

Amelie smiles. “I guess.”

Quinn nods to the film camera that Amelie had picked up the second she got on the boat. “Can we see the picture you took of the boat?”

“I wish. I’m gonna get the film developed at the end of the summer and that’ll take a few weeks.” Quinn hums in understanding. She takes out her regular camera and pops off the lens cap, shoving it in her back. Luke’s eyes light up in recognition and she can’t help but chuckle. “You recognize this one?”

“How could I not?”

She points it at three of them. “Smile. All of you.” She snaps a couple before putting down her camera and playfully glaring at them. “Geez. At least act like you guys like each other.” She looks quickly at the photo with a satisfied nod, before turning her camera towards the brothers so they can see. 

They continue chatting, talking about various things from Michigan (the state and the school) to one of their cousins who just got engaged to where Amelie’s parents are (they also live in Michigan, though further south, but are currently visiting family in France that Amelie had seen last year when she studied abroad in France) to the upcoming season. Amelie mostly keeps quiet on that front, because she doesn’t need to let them know that she got a call yesterday with news that the NHL is closing in on a job offer that will determine where she spends the next few years.

The thought that she could be seeing these three multiple times throughout the season when she’s currently on their boat right now is just downright weird. She just met Quinn and Jack six days ago. She hasn’t seen Luke in two years. 

This whole thing is just weird. 

But whenever she feels too much in her own head, she just picks up her camera and points it at one of them or out at the lake, fiddling with lighting and focus settings. Sometimes she forgets that photography isn’t just going to be her career and that she can love it differently with no pressure and in a different light, no pun intended. 

With time, she gets more comfortable, sunglasses perched on her nose, chin tucked on her knees and laughter flowing out lighter and easier. It’s easier to pick up her camera when they start taking turns wakesurfing, her eyes widening when Jack jokingly tries to drag her out, and she’s either semi-impressed at their ability to make it look easy or laughing her ass off when they flail and fall. 

As she’s shutting off her camera — contrary to popular belief, she does need to put it away after a certain amount of time — Jack plops down next to her. Quinn and Luke are entranced in their own conversation towards the front. 

Jack runs a hand through his damp hair, “Do you mind handing me my shirt next to you?”

She hands it over with a weary look. “It’s boiling out.”

“Oh, so you want me to keep my shirt off.”

The smirk on his face has Amelie rolling her eyes. Boys. “You’re gonna wanna take it off again in like, 5 minutes. I just think you’re being dumb.”

Jack puts a hand over his heart in mock offense. “Ouch. That might be the harshest thing you’ve ever said to me.”

“I met you six days ago.”

“And my point still stands.” She scrunches her nose a bit when Jack shakes out his hair and some water droplets land on her. He just smiles that half-smile that she’s not sure if she likes or hates. “Are you sure you don’t wanna get in the water?”

“I’m not wearing a bathing suit. And even then, I’m not a huge fan of being in the water.”

“Well, then, what are you a huge fan of? Besides being behind the camera.”

She tilts her head so that it’s leaning against her seat, turning to face him completely. “I used to dance competitively and continued dancing a bit in college. I read a lot. At school, I used to love just camping out at a cafe for hours for the vibes.” She shrugs. “Nothing much else though.”

He nods, before looking at the cameras in her bag. “Why photography?”

She smiles, like she always does when talking about photography. “Taking photos is really cool, I think, because you’re the middle man. You frame the story. And if you frame it well, people will look at the photo and know exactly what’s going on. With sports, it’s all about the timing and the moment. You can write an article describing a game with quotes from the players or whatever, and no disrespect to that. I have a good amount of friends who are journalists. But photo is different, because you can see it, you know?”

Jack nods. “I think I get what you mean. You got a boyfriend waiting for you somewhere? Or a significant other?”

Her eyes widen and a sharp laugh erupts out of her. That’s random. “What?”

Jack just shrugs like he didn’t just completely throw her off. “It’s a valid question, no? Don’t wanna assume or give off an unwanted vibe if we’re gonna be hanging out all summer.”

“Well, uh, no. No boyfriend or partner of any sort like that.”

“Really?”

“I don’t know why that surprises you.”

“Because you’re pretty. Nice. Talented, clearly. Surely the guys and gals and pals at Michigan aren’t stupid enough to turn you down.”

She bypasses all the compliments because that’s too much to think about right now, instead focusing on the latter half of his sentence. She wraps her arms around her legs to clasp her fingers together. “I dated a girl for a bit freshman year. Nothing happened. It just fizzled out. We’re still decent friends. And then I dated this guy for about a year. But that fell to shit pretty extraordinarily.”

“Most of them do, don’t they?”

Amelie unintentionally chuckles. “Oh yeah? And what about you? How’s your love life looking?”

Jack looks out into the distance, breaking eye contact for the first time this whole conversation. “Was in a relationship around two years ago. It didn’t work out because of distance. Nothing much since then.”

Amelie highly doubts that, but she keeps her mouth shut, leaving it alone. “Fair enough.

“So why Michigan? Anything in particular draw you in?”

“Well, I think Michigan is on anyone’s radar who grew up in this state,” she twists her ring around. “And then, uh, when I got offered a full ride, I knew I would’ve been an idiot to turn that down.”

His eyebrows shoot up his forehead. “A full ride? You serious?”

“Yeah. Academic scholarship.”

He lets out a low whistle. “Jesus. You’re smart smart. Even I know full academic scholarships aren’t given out easily.” Amelie ducks her chin down. She can feel herself blushing and she hates it. “Was it your first choice? Going to Michigan?”

“No,” she admits softly. And she knows she’s talking to someone who may not have gone there, but who might as well have. He might love the college more than she does and she’s the one who actually is an alum. “NYU was my top choice. And I got accepted, but I couldn’t afford it.”

He nods, and then Quinn asks Jack to take over so he can go on the water and the moment passes. She does move closer to the front partially so she’s under the sun again, mostly so she can be closer to everyone. Luke tosses her a bottle of water and she chugs a good half of it, shooting him a thankful smile.

Amelie’s missed this, to be honest. Despite deeply cherishing her alone time, she’s always enjoyed being around a small group of people, observing them and their dynamics to evaluate what kind of people they are. It reminds her of when she used to tag along with her two older sisters and their friends. 

And these three are easy-going. They don’t allow Amelie to get in her head because they’re always talking about something and asking for her two cents. In Amelie’s 22 years of life, she’s become quick to notice if people are being nice to be nice or being nice to be kind. 

The Hughes brothers are being nice to be kind. And Amelie hates herself a bit for thinking it would be the other. 

She sits back and relishes in their company.

day seven - jack

Jack’s had a great day. 

Practice this morning went well, he beat Quinn at ping pong (though that’s not hard to do) and the three brothers have confirmed who’s coming to the lakehouse in a few days after they’re back from their mini trip to visit their grandma for her 90th. There’s gonna be quite a few of the guys and Jack’s pumped. He always likes combining different groups of friends. 

After dinner, he’s feeling a bit restless, so he decides to go out on a drive. Maybe he’ll grab some ice cream, though if he comes back with ice cream and none for Luke or Quinn, they’re gonna bitch about it. He puts on his summer playlist, which is filled with country, and rolls down the windows before backing out. 

He’s probably driving too fast for what’s acceptable in a residential neighborhood, so it’s at the last moment does he stop when he recognizes Amelie in front of her grandparents’ place walking Susie. He slows down, and she looks behind her as he rolls up. 

He leans his head out of his window just as he hears her say, “Hey Char, I’ll call you tomorrow, okay? Yeah. Bye. Love you.” She takes her phone away from her ear and shoots him a small smile. “Hey Jack.”

“Hi. Was that one of your sisters?”

“Yeah, that was Char. Or Charlotte I guess. The middle one.”

Susie paws up to the window and he scratches her head. “Hey cutie. You’re such a good girl, aren’t you?”

“She’s been off the rails the whole day, so she actually hasn’t been.” Amelie says dryly, making him snort. 

“You up to anything right now?”

She narrows her eyes. “Why?”

He nods to his car, “Get in.”

“You sure?”

“Of course.”

“Gimme a second to let Susie back in. Pull into the driveway.” Jack obeys, idling the engine and unlocking the doors as he waits for Amelie to come back. 

While he’s waiting, he thinks back to yesterday, being on the boat for hours with Amelie, learning more about her. Jack’s been told that he can be pretty excitable and eager, which is probably how he has acquired so many friends throughout his life. But, despite what a lot of people may think, he isn’t that stupid. He’s been around Amelie the last week enough to know that she’s a tougher nut to crack. And he knows there’s more to her than what she’s shown so far. 

So he’ll take every chance, every moment, to get to know her better. Because September will come around sooner than he thinks. It always does.

She comes back out and climbs into the passenger seat, buckling her seatbelt as he backs out of the driveway. She’s thrown on a Michigan Hockey sweatshirt over herself, settling her small bag on her lap. “You’re not gonna kidnap me and bury me in the woods, are you?” She asks. 

Jack turns down his music with a chuckle. “No. I don’t have the brainpower for that. Have you eaten?”

“Yeah.” 

He nods, starting to navigate them towards his favorite ice cream place around here. “Where’d you get the sweatshirt?”

She looks down at herself, as if she didn’t realize what she threw on. “Oh. I don’t remember, to be honest. Either it was given to me or one of the guys let me borrow it and I never gave it back.”

“Luke mentioned you were a TA in some of the guys’ classes?”

She leans back in the seat, leaning her head on the seatbelt so that she’s facing him. “Yeah. I was a TA my junior year for one of Adam, Rutger and Gavin’s classes. Senior year Luca and Nick, who I think came in after Luke left so you might not know him, took the class.”

“Were they good students?”

Amelie snorts. “Good enough. Though one time Rut tried to bribe me into extending an assignment since they had a big game away that weekend — I think it was Ohio State. I also had to go on that trip and I had to grade all of their stuff plus deal with my own classes, so I told him, in polite words, to fuck off and submit his fucking paper on time.”

Jack laughs. He can picture it in his head, Rutger with his good looks and childish smile turning on the charm to 100 to a skeptical Amelie, bored but amused eyes as she watches him plead his side. Maybe she’s wearing a headband. Maybe she’s not. 

(She’s wearing one right now. A tiny white one that you’d miss if you weren’t looking) 

“Those boys…were they good?”

“You’re the hockey player. Shouldn’t you know?”

“No. I mean, like, were they good to you? Nice to you? Because if they were dickheads…”

“No!” Amelie is quick to assure him. “They were great. Honestly. During my entire four years working with the team, I never really had a problem with any of the guys. And I can’t say that about every team I had to photograph.”

“Oh?” Jack sneaks a look over to her as she’s looking at her hands. 

“Yeah.”

Jack wants to dig, but he doesn’t. He just doesn’t like the idea that people could be outwardly rude to Amelie when she’s just doing her job. He doesn’t like the idea that people could be outwardly rude to Amelie at all. 

They climb out of the car and he locks it with a click as they walk side by side to the counter to order. He smiles to himself as he lags behind a few steps, watching her bounce on her toes to try and see the flavor options. 

His attention is brought back into the moment as he feels Amelie tug the sleeve of his sweatshirt. “Is the Chocolate Delight good?”

“That’s Quinn’s favorite. It’s super chocolatey.”

“Perfect.” They both step up to the window. Jack orders himself a small Strawberry Cheesecake in a cup. Amelie orders a small Chocolate Delight in a cup and before the girl at the window can even finish listing out the total price, Jack practically shoves his credit card into her hand. 

Amelie gives him a scathing look. “Jack. Come on. You didn’t even give me a chance.”

“Precisely.” Her glare stays on her face. “It’s not a big deal. My treat for kidnapping you on our boat yesterday and kidnapping you tonight.”

“So you are kidnapping me,” she says, referring to her earlier comment. She relaxes and Jack calls it a win as they’re given their ice creams. They snag a high-top table that’s a bit away from the other crowded tables. He watches as she digs in, a small satisfied smile on her face, turning sideways to look at the sunset.

He’s not the photographer, but he wishes he could take a picture of her right now. 

They eat their ice cream in relatively comfortable silence, and he feels satisfied when he plays with her foot under the table and it causes her to chuckle. She does kick him back hard enough to make him flinch though.

20 minutes later, they’re sitting in the back of Jack’s car at a lake lookout catching the last streaks of the sunset when he pipes up. “Colette. Charlotte. Amelie. Very French.”

“Well, that’s what happens when your mother is French.”

“What do they do?”

“Col’s doing some cool stuff with fashion merchandising in New York. Just got engaged and getting married sometime next year. Char’s at Stanford getting her PhD in…something that involves physics and is over my head.” 

Jack chuckles. “I feel that. My sister’s doing her residency at NYU and no matter how hard I want to understand, when she gets on her tangents, I can never follow.”

Amelie’s eyebrows furrow. “Sister?”

“Oh, well, not actually. It’s Clementine. One of us must’ve mentioned her yesterday,” Jack says. “She’s not my sister by blood, but our parents have been best friends since forever and we all grew up together, so she might as well be. Went to UCLA and then, also Stanford, actually. So for eight years, I didn’t really get to see her that often.” Jack digs out his phone and flickers through his photos before clicking on the one his mom took of him, Quinn, Luke and Clementine in New Hampshire earlier in the summer.

“She’s pretty,” Amelie remarks softly. 

Jack smiles. “I don’t think I’d be the same if I didn’t have her growing up. We actually live together in Jersey now. Me, her and Luke. It’s a fun time, even if she pretends it’s not.”

“She’s doing her residency, you said?”

“Yeah,” he takes his phone back. “This I do know. Combined residency with pediatrics and the ER. Just finished her first year out of five.”

Amelie whistles. “Good for her. So she’ll be in New York and Jersey for the near future?”

“Yup,” Jack’s smile seems to always be permanent on his face when talking about Clementine. “Though now she’s dating Hisch so that’s a whole thing.”

“She’s dating your captain?” Amelie chuckles, eyebrows raised in amusement. “I sure hope you like him.”

“I love Nico,” he defends himself. “I was rooting for them to get together. They were tiptoeing around each other all of last season. But now that they’re actually dating I just like being a bitch about it to give them a hard time.”

Amelie shoves her hands in her sweatshirt. “That’s what siblings do.”

“I can’t imagine you being a bitch to your sisters’ significant others they’ve brought home.”

She shrugs, “I don’t think I am. I’ve been told I can be a bit closed-off when you first meet me though.”

“Hey. Nothing wrong with taking time to feel people out.” 

“Some people don’t have the patience for that, though.”

“For what?”

“I don’t know. A lot of people just assume people who aren’t outwardly charismatic aren’t worth their time.”

Jack blinks, thinking about her words over and over again like a broken record. “Well, then they’re missing out.”

She looks at him and he’s momentarily distracted by the way her white headband creates a sort of halo around her. She lets out a small smile. Jack wants to frame it and put it on the wall of his room back in Jersey. She chuckles, and Jack feels defensive all of a sudden.

“What?” He asks, trying not to sound indignant. 

“Nothing, it’s just…I don’t know. That’s such an interesting thing coming from someone who I imagine is exactly just that.”

“Just what?” He’s not doing a great job today at keeping track of where a conversation goes. 

She huffs. “Outwardly charismatic. You’re telling me you’re not?”

Jack’s hands suddenly start to sweat. “I mean, I guess. But that doesn’t come easy to everyone. I still don’t think it comes easy to me. I’ve just been forced to be okay at it because of what I do.”

She starts swatting at bugs so they hop out of the trunk and start driving back. She doesn’t miss a beat in their conversation. “That’s another reason why I love photography. No one expects anything out of me or pays attention to me.”

Jack can’t help but laugh, thinking back to his rookie year and all the damn expectations that were placed on him that he didn’t surpass. It’s water under the bridge now, but he would be lying if he said that he doesn’t think about it once in awhile, especially when the draft bust comments come back after a stretch of bad games. 

“I don’t know what that’s like, having no one expect anything out of me,” he admits, carefully pulling out on the main road. 

“Do you like that? Having a chip on your shoulder?”

“Yeah, in a way. Definitely lights a fire under your ass and motivates you. But, I don’t know, it can get to be a lot, I guess. But I’m used to it. People have been expecting things out of me since I was 16. Younger, even.”

Amelie hums, adjusting her headband. “Must be a lonely place to be at times.”

“Where?”

“The top.” 

Jack mulls over her words in his brain. Once. Twice. A third time. He clears his throat. “I’ve never thought about it like that.” 

When he’s about to sleep that night, he replays their conversations in his head until he finally drifts off. 

day twelve - amelie

Amelie’s a bit glad to have had a few days away from Jack — from any of the Hughes brothers — as they went on a mini trip to Canton to celebrate their grandmother’s birthday. She’s been filling her time by taking walks with Susie, tagging along to help Ruth with groceries and humoring Stanley when he wants to go sit at his favorite diner for hours to talk. Retirement’s pretty nice, Amelie thinks, but even she’s starting to get a bit restless. 

So when she gets a text from Jack after finishing her morning coffee — she forgets when they exchanged numbers or if they ever even did. Luke could’ve given it to him — she’s actually excited.

Weird. When’s the last time Amelie has felt excited to get a text?

Jack Hughes

amelie my amelie 

we just got back last night

and a bunch of your boys are here for a few days 

you should come by and say hi

Amelie furrows her eyebrows as she responds. 

Amelie Fishel 

my boys?

Jack Hughes

beniers, briss, blankenburg, fants, brindley and eddy 

i might be leaving someone out but you get it 

Amelie blinks. She hasn’t heard some of those names in years. And they’re just all over the house right now? 

Hockey players are weird. Their friendships and circles and how they overlap are even weirder. 

Amelie Fishel 

that’s a lotta boys 

Jack Hughes 

yeah and that’s not even all of them 

luke mentioned that you’re nearby and they’re kinda harping on me to get you to come over 

i also just wanna see you 

“You should go,” Amelie jumps out of her seat. Luckily, Ruth isn’t directly behind her. She doesn’t particularly want to be nursing her grandma’s injuries. 

“Don’t eavesdrop on my conversations, Grandma.”

“You should go,” Ruth repeats. “Those boys were sweet and polite over dinner. And you know their friends?”

“Yeah. Photographed quite a few of them at college throughout the years.”

“Then you should go.”

“Aren’t we about to go to lunch with some of your friends?”

Ruth tuts. “They’d perfectly understand you ditching us old gossips to hang out with your friends.”

“I’m going to lunch with you. I haven’t seen them in awhile either and I like your friends,” Amelie says firmly. One look from Ruth and Amelie relents. “I’ll go see the guys after dinner. If they even want me.”

Amelie Fishel 

won’t be around until after dinner

dunno if that changes your invite

Jack Hughes 

see you after dinner 🫡

i’ll try to hold off your fan club in the meantime 

(As Amelie goes upstairs to change, Ruth chuckles to herself. She remembers the middle Hughes brother unable to keep his eyes off Amelie at dinner that night.)

After dinner comes, and she shuffles through her dressers before reminding herself that it doesn’t matter what she wears. She throws on her favorite pair of jean shorts and tosses on a Stanford sweatshirt she stole from Charlotte ages ago. She grabs her tote bag, kisses her grandparents goodbye and pats Susie on the head before walking out the door. 

As she approaches the Hughes home, she rolls her eyes at all the cars parked in their driveway and lining down the street. Exactly how many people are here? 

She hears voices coming from the back and decides to forgo the front door and paddles over through their side yard into the back. Amelie pauses at the sight, taking in what must be at least ten people by the firepit. She tries to be discreet, figuring out where or who she should head to first. But a voice calling out loudly stops her. 

“Mimi!” Before she knows it, Adam Fantilli crashes into her body. She grunts into his chest as he lifts her up. 

“Call me that one more time and you won’t have a season to get back to in Columbus.”

Gavin chuckles from behind Adam, before reaching out for his much tamer hug. Good. “Nice to know some things don’t change.”

She huffs, but her heart does feel lighter. “I saw you, like, three months ago, Brinds. No one changes that much in three months.” She lets the two boys each swing an arm around her shoulders and gets smushed in the middle, both simultaneously talking her ear off. She’s not really catching what they say, and she thinks they don’t actually care, but it’s nice to be around them again. Really nice. Familiar. 

She’s led to the fire, and feels her smile grow as Nick Blankenburg, Brendan Brisson and Matty Beniers all bounce over and give her enthusiastic hugs and greetings. God, it’s been so long since she’s seen them. Even though she was younger and more naive when photographing them her freshman year, they were on her first roster. And there’s always something special about the first one.

“The fact that you decided to stick around the boys for four years says a lot,” Nick says with a smile. “Did you like them as much as the guys during your first year though?”

“You never forget your first!” Matty chimes in and Brendan throws his head back in laughter. Amelie’s sick of them already, rolling her eyes as she greets Luke with a tight side hug. 

She beams at Ethan, whose smile is just as big. “Hi Eddy.”

“Hey Ami,” She lets out a laugh as the smiley Canadian smothers her in a hug. “I didn’t think I’d be seeing you so soon. I’ve missed you.”

“Me neither,” she mumbles into his chest before pulling away. “Missed you too.”

“Well, we obviously know who the favorite is.” Someone pipes in and her eyes track toward the voice. This guy definitely didn’t go to Michigan, but has one of the most contagious smiles she’s ever seen. “I’m Trevor. Friend of Jack’s. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

Ah, yes. She remembers Jack mentioning him a few times. “Nice to meet you, Trevor.” She turns to the last person she doesn’t know. Dark brown, curly hair and pouty lips. “You must be Alex.”

Alex’s eyebrows shoot up and Amelie kinda likes that he doesn’t hide his surprise. “Yeah. Jack talk about me too?”

“Yeah. Mostly Ellen though. Said that you’re the favorite.” Alex grins as Trevor howls in laughter. 

“He is,” Jack grumbles from behind her. “Even to this day, It’s quite annoying.” Jack shoots her a quick smile and Amelie smiles back before thanking Quinn quietly as he passes her a cider. 

She looks around to see that all of the guys have beer in their hands. She had mentioned off the cuff on the boat that she hates beer. She’s touched that they remembered. She takes a seat in one of the adirondack chairs, Jack on one side and Adam on her other. 

“I saw Luke’s story. How was golfing?”

“Good,” Quinn says. 

“You a golfer, Mimi?”

Again, Amelie glares at the young Blue Jacket. “I think I’d rather do anything else.”

Brendan chuckles. “I recognize that glare. I’ve almost missed it.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Amelie says, sipping her drink and wrapping her arms around herself. Jack tosses the large blanket over both their legs and she nudges his foot with hers as a thank you. 

The boys are loud and talk over each other and Amelie can’t remember the last time she’s rolled her eyes this much. She takes the bag of chips that Ethan passes her and finishes it off, much to Luke’s dismay. And of course, true to herself, she takes out her camera to snap a few photos. As the sky darkens and fire blazes, Amelie feels warm, chiming in occasionally when she sees fit but mostly listening. 

Amelie’s attention is pulled back to the present with Ethan asking her a question. “You mentioned at the end of the season that you were looking at jobs with some different sports leagues.” She doesn’t remember telling him that, but if there’s anyone she would tell, it would be him. “Did any of that, you know, go anywhere?”

Amelie smiles. “I’m in the final stages of, uh, figuring out something with the NHL.”

Jack’s eyes widen. “No US Soccer anymore?”

Amelie shrugs. “Maybe in the future. But no, not right now. Least not full-time.”

“Wait,” Ethan pushes with wide, excited eyes. “Ami. Are you gonna be-”

“I don’t wanna jinx it,” Amelie says with her hand up, but a smile peeks through. “It’s not a sure thing yet. They’re trying to figure out with what team or area of the country. Or that’s what they told me.”

Cheers erupt and she kinda wants to hide her face behind her hands. Popcorn is thrown at her and she swats it away. She turns to look at Jack, who smiles and picks a kernel out of her hair. 

It’s a beautiful smile. She wishes she saw it more often, instead of the half smirk half smile he always does. 

“Any chance you’d be in Jersey?” Luke asks as Ethan grins and Jack nudges her elbow.

“Columbus also works!” Adam calls out, high-fiving Nick and Gavin.

“California sunshine is nice,” Trevor sings out. 

“Just the west coast in general,” Quinn adds as Brendan, Alex and Matty all nod emphatically. 

“Your pitches all need some work,” Amelie snorts, before shrugging. “Honestly, I’ll be fine anywhere. Just not Michigan. I need to get out of here.” Everyone laughs, but she catches Jack’s inquisitive look. She quickly lets herself get dragged into a conversation with Quinn, Nick and Adam instead. 

She eyes the pool table through the window of the sunroom and Jack catches her, challenging her to a game. She, along with Jack, Adam and Ethan decide to go in for a quick game. They split up into teams, her and Jack on one, Adam and Ethan on the other.

She eyes the chalkboard and grimaces at Jack’s less-than-desirable record. “Do I really want you on my team?”

Jack follows her eyeline and rolls his eyes. “Ignore that.”

“Kinda hard to,” she squints. “Damn, I should’ve dragged Quinn in here.” Jack pouts as Ethan snickers, her waving at Adam to break. 

What Amelie failed to voice when she saw the pool table is that she is pretty damn good at pool. During the few times she went out in college, it’s how she and her friends liked to get free drinks. She would challenge a few of her overconfident guy friends or acquaintances and bet a free drink or two. Though actually, she remembers she played against Adam at least once and absolutely destroyed him. She’s surprised and amused that he doesn’t remember, if his wide eyed indignation at her sinking a seemingly-impossible shot says anything, much to Jack’s amusement. 

“Holy shit,” Jack says, impressed. “Who taught you to play? Can you give me their number?”

Amelie shrugs with a small smirk, watching Adam take his turn. “There was a diner I grew up nearby that had a table. I honestly can’t remember who taught me. I just played against my sisters a lot.”

“We should’ve placed a bet on this. You two didn’t know about this secret talent?” Jack says, directing the question to the former Wolverines. 

“Yeah, Adam,” she eggs on, laughing as his shot misses. “You should remember. I got you and Truscott to buy me a drink out of it once.” Adam curses in realization as Ethan cackles. 

“Wait, I remember that,” Ethan says. “I was even shocked that you were out and about, considering all the times you turned our invites down. Imagine me hearing that not only are you out, you also just single handedly took down the two best pool players on the team.” 

“Turning down invites to parties, huh?” Jack chuckles.  

Amelie rolls her eyes, watching Jack take his shot. “No. They were all just up in my business when I was trying to be professional.”

Ethan scoffs. “Professional? Yeah, okay.”

“Professional,” Amelie repeats. “I was working for you guys, technically.”

“Ew, no you weren’t,” Adam says, crinkling his nose. “Don’t say that. God. You were just as much part of the team as we were.”

“I don’t know about that,” she watches Jack mess up his shot and just rolls her eyes. “All I did was take pictures of you all.”

“Part of the team,” Ethan emphasizes, also messing up his shot. God, Amelie thinks. These boys are bad at pool. “Stop pretending we weren’t your favorites to photograph.”

“Yeah, admit it!” Adam chimes in. “You were easier on me when grading papers too.”

“I was absolutely not,” she says. “The fact that you treated pre-game as office hours made me grade you harder.” They just wave her off and Amelie huffs. 

“Look where being professional got you,” Ethan smirks. “Some fun friendships, eh?” She smacks his shoulder. 

“You’re lucky I like you,” Amelie warns, before sinking in the 8-ball with a smirk. Adam and Ethan groan as Jack cheers, placing an overzealous kiss on her cheek before going to the chalkboard. “You’re welcome for the win.”

When the fire starts to die out and more people start yawning an hour later, Amelie decides to call it a night. She gives everybody a hug, promising more than once that she’ll see everyone at least one more time before they leave in five days. Jack offers to walk her home and she doesn’t even bother fighting. 

They start walking. Amelie flips her hood up and Jack shoves his hands in the pockets of his shorts. “You lied to me.”

She furrows her eyebrows. “Huh?”

“Said the guys were just nice to you. They love you.”

“I don’t know about that.”

“And you love them.”

Amelie stares down at her shoes with a shrug. “Like I said, they’re good guys.” She looks back up and tugs at his sweatshirt sleeve. “Thanks for the invite.”

“Of course.” Jack says. “You’re always welcome.”

“I don’t think you mean that.”

“I never say things I don’t mean,” he says lightly. “Waste of time and energy.”

Amelie swallows, Jack’s woody cologne filtering through her nose and all of a sudden, it feels like he’s too close, but she can’t pull herself away. “Thank you though. Seriously. You’re right. I-I’ve missed them.” 

She lets him pull her into a side hug and doesn’t say anything when he keeps his arm swung around her shoulder. “Do you have any plans tomorrow?”

Amelie chuckles. “What are you thinking?”

“Well, turns out some of the guys want a rematch because they’re mad I beat their asses so we’re golfing again tomorrow, but we’re starting early.”

“I’m not going golfing. Even the best bribe couldn’t bring me out there.”

“I’m not asking you to come golfing,” Jack laughs. “It’s just, contrary to what you may believe, I’m kinda annoying in the morning and need caffeine and fuel to deal with that many people, especially before going on the course.”

“Jack, what are you-”

“Do you wanna grab breakfast tomorrow? Just the two of us? Those fuckers never get up in time.”

“So you’re gonna let them starve?”

“They can figure themselves out.”

They stop at her front door and she turns around. Him being on the step below causes them to be at the same height. “Sure.”

The left side of his lips quirk up. “Yeah?” 

“Yeah. Though subjecting me to your pre-caffeine self seems like you’re trying to sabotage me.”

He rolls his eyes. “Does 9 work?”

Despite herself, Amelie grins. “See you then.” She reaches behind her to twist the doorknob. “Thanks for walking me home. Goodnight Jack.”

“Goodnight.” 

She watches through the window until he walks out of sight. She then looks at the lone light still on in the kitchen and has an idea. 

day thirteen - jack

Jack’s not an idiot, despite what his brothers and teammates may tell you. He knows this isn’t a date. 

But it sure feels like one. 

Jack’s looking at the suitcase he probably should’ve fully unpacked by now, figuring out what to wear. It’s literally just breakfast with a girl he met not even two weeks ago, so he shouldn’t really care what he’s wearing. 

Breakfast. With a girl he met less than two weeks ago. A girl whose company he really, really enjoys. 

He shakes his head at himself, pulling out a black t-shirt and khaki shorts. He decides to clasp on a watch before he can overthink himself out of it. 

At 8:57, he quietly paddles downstairs and grabs the keys off the hook before jumping into his car. He barely pulls into her driveway before her front door opens. A smile spreads across his face at Amelie, her floral pink dress flying behind her as she rushes out, quickly checking she has what she needs in her tote bag before opening the car door. 

“Good morning,” he says. 

“Hey,” she breathes out. She scans him up and down really quickly. It makes him swallow. “You look nice.”

He backs out of the driveway. “You do too.” When he gets to look at her again, he notices the matching hair scarf hanging from her ponytail. “I like the thing in your hair. You look like a fairy.”

“A fairy?”

“Yeah.”

She blinks. “Oh. That’s…really nice, I think? Thank you.”

“Definitely a compliment.” He bites his lip to stop his smile from growing too wide. She hums along to the song on the radio and looks out the window. He rolls it down for her and watches her lean her elbows at the edge, her head peeking out. 

Jack has to drag his eyes back to focus on the road. The sight of Amelie sitting shotgun while he’s driving brings a feeling in his stomach he’s never felt before. At least not to this depth. 

She turns to him. “Where are we going?”

“Sunny Side Up right off Beecher Ave.”

She chuckles. “That’s Grandpa’s favorite place. We might catch him come in as we leave.”

He freezes a bit as he slows the car down with a stop at the light, at the thought of Stanley coming in to see him with his beloved granddaughter, both semi-dressed up on a Wednesday morning, just the two of them. 

When they arrive, he holds open the door for her, and breathes in the smells of coffee and eggs and everything good coming out of the kitchen of Sunny Side Up. The place is emptier than he expected, but he also knows the typical brunch crowd rolls in a bit later. The hostess tells them to sit wherever they like and he follows Amelie to a spot by the window. They barely slip into their seats before he hears a familiar scratchy yet comforting voice. 

“Amelie!” The woman then turns her head and doesn’t even hide her surprise as her grin grows. “And Jack Hughes. What a nice surprise.”

“Hey Sherry,” Jack nods with a grin.

He sees Amelie’s eyes light up, even if it’s subdued. “Hi Sherry.”

The older woman that Jack has seen here every summer since he moved here sets two menus down. She offers Jack a pointed look that looks awfully like his mother’s. “I haven’t seen you here this summer as often as past summers. You cheating on us with some other cafe?”

“I’m a loyal guy, Sherry,” he charms. “I would never.”

Sherry narrows her eyes, “Mmhmm. I’ll get you two some coffee while you decide what you want.”

Amelie nods and flashes a warm smile. “Thank you.” They watch Sherry scurry away. The sound of Amelie’s gentle laugh pulls his attention back to her. “You come here often, huh? Well, clearly not often enough this summer.”

“Hey, you can’t even say that,” Jack whines. “Clearly you come here often too.”

She shrugs, “Like I said, it’s Grandpa’s favorite place. I come here with him at least once a week.”

“Do you have any friends around the area?” Amelie’s eyebrows shoot up and Jack immediately backtracks. “Not that-I didn’t mean it like that. I just-”

Amelie snorts, leaning back in her seat. “Chill Jack. I know what you meant. The ones who are in Michigan aren’t close by and the rest are spread out across the country. I came to my grandparents’ knowing that I wouldn’t see a lot of my friends. Kinda purposeful on my end, in a way. But then Luke saw me walk Susie and now here we are.”

“Don’t pretend like you haven’t enjoyed our company.”

“It’s definitely made my summer more eventful.” Their coffees come and neither of them look at the menu before ordering. Jack orders the french toast with strawberries and blueberries and she gets the house omelet. Jack ignores the pointed look that Sherry gives both of them, because he’s right with her and kinda has no idea what to make of this but is trying to enjoy it while he can. 

He feels her nudge his feet under the table. He snaps his focus back to her as she nods to the cup of creamers next to him. “Pass me two?”

He nods, obliging. “Sugar?”

She shakes her head. “I’m good. Thanks.”

Jack watches her stir the creamer in before a sudden thought pops up. “Yesterday, when you said that you don’t care where you went as long as it wasn’t Michigan, what did you mean by that?”

Amelie, to her credit, doesn’t seem surprised by the sudden question. “Exactly what I said. It’s nothing against the Red Wings. I just need to get out of here.”

“Why?” 

She stares at him for a few seconds, and Jack gets nervous. Before he can take back the question, she answers. “When you haven’t really gotten the chance to travel or live anywhere your whole life and a job offers you to go anywhere, you take the chance.”

Jack nods slowly. He’s gotten to travel to a lot of places through hockey, but he still considers Michigan his home and often feels an urge to come back during the season — as much as he thoroughly enjoys living and playing in New Jersey. It’s hard for him to wrap his head around the fact that someone could want out of Michigan. 

She smiles and chuckles a bit suddenly. Jack raises an eyebrow in question. She just shakes her head. He thinks she’s adorable. “Sorry, I’m not laughing at you. I just thought of something.”

“Do share with the class.”

“I’ve been so excited at the prospect of leaving Michigan, but it’s so clear you and your brothers love it and I don’t know. It’s nice to be reminded of the good parts of this state.”

He shrugs, “I don’t know. I guess throughout the season I don’t really get to be around Quinn or my friends and family that often, so when all of us have the off-season, we all naturally gravitate towards home, which nowadays, is here.”

“You don’t have to defend yourself about why you like this state, Jack,” she says with a small chuckle. “I get it. My family’s technically all here too, so I can’t escape it completely.”

Their food arrives soon after and they spend a few silent minutes just digging in. He cuts a piece of his french toast for her and she in turn cuts him a portion of her omelet. He’s hoping that she’s not catching the fact that he can’t keep his eyes off of her. 

When they finish, Jack shoves his card into Sherry’s hand when she grabs the check, they’re walking out of the diner, full and content. The sun is beating down but not too hard that Jack feels gross. Hopefully it stays that way when he and the boys go out golfing in an hour. 

“Do you have a second to come inside?”

Jack’s eyebrows immediately shoot up his forehead, killing the engine. “Yeah. Why?”

“Just come inside,” Amelie rolls her eyes. “I’m not gonna kill you.”

“Reassuring,” he deadpans, following her through the front door and immediately bending down to pet Susie and prevent her from running out. He watches Amelie disappear into the kitchen for a moment before she comes back out with a tupperware container filled with…cookies?

“For you,” Amelie hands him the tupperware. “And the other guys.”

“What are these?”

“I kinda got a burst of energy after I came home last night and wanted to do something with my hands. You’re gonna tell me you guys are gonna turn down fresh cookies?”

“No,” he says, looking back at her. “Thank you.” 

She smiles. “You’re welcome.”

Jack opens his mouth and then closes it. He wants to ask why she made the cookies. Why she’s giving a large container of them to him and their friends. If it means anything.

Instead, he backs towards the door. “See you around?”

“Yeah,” she says. “Have fun golfing with the boys. I don’t want to hear a single thing about it.”

He laughs. “I won’t subject you to that. Promise.”

“I’ll hold you to it. And thanks for breakfast.”

“Of course.”

“Stop paying for me though.”

“Never.”

She playfully shoves him out the door with an eye roll. He thinks he could see that eye roll for the rest of his life and feel content.

day fifteen - amelie

As she’s pouring herself a second cup of coffee, she hears someone knocking on the front door. Ruth’s out walking Susie and Stanley’s out golfing with friends the day, so Amelie trudges over to the front door. 

It’s Quinn, in a Canucks sweatshirt and basketball shorts, his hands shoved into his pockets.

Amelie smiles easily, albeit confused. “Hey Quinn.”

“Morning.”

“What’s up?”

He shifts on his feet. “Are you busy?”

“Not really,” she opens the door wider for him to come in. “I was just editing some photos. Coffee?”

“Please.”

“Anything in it?

“A bit of milk if you have some.”

She hums, preparing his coffee and carefully sliding it over to him as he rests his forearms on the island. “Where are the rest of the guys?”

He shrugs. “Either asleep or just hanging out. We had a tough practice this morning.”

“And you decided to come here?” She teases. She doesn’t want him to think he’s not welcome, because she actually really likes Quinn, despite spending the least amount of time with him compared to his brothers. 

“Kinda wanted some peace and quiet, to be honest, which is hard to find in the house when there’s so many people,” he admits, before nodding to her open laptop. “You said you were editing photos? What for?”

“Partially to update my portfolio. Partially to brush up on my skills.” She moves the laptop so he can see it. Pulled up is a picture she took last year at a Michigan swim meet. “See how it’s a little too bright here?” She clicks on the dodge tool in the open Photoshop tab and quickly edits. “There.”

“Do you do this with every photo?”

“Sometimes I switch between different softwares, but it’s generally the same process. The big differences that I have to be aware of are lighting and composition when editing.”

Quinn nods. “This is sick. Like, super cool.”

She quickly saves her work before turning her full attention back to Quinn, smiling. “Thank you.”

“Do you have any photos you’ve taken of us the last few weeks?”

With that, Amelie scoots herself closer to him and slowly scrolls through a bunch of photos, starting from that day onto the boat and then to the fire the other night and other miscellaneous ones inbetween. Quinn lingers on a picture that’s one of her favorites, one that makes her smile everytime she sees it. It’s of Jack the night of the fire. The light from the fire is illuminating the front of his face while the dawn of the Michigan sky behind him casts him in a subtle light. 

He’s looking away from the camera — at Gavin, if she remembers correctly — in the middle of laughing. His hair is all tousled over his forehead, some loose strands going over his eyes. His blue eyes are bright and if she showed this photo to anyone who didn’t know Jack Hughes, she’s sure they would be able to hear his laughter anyways.

He looks radiant. Everything like the bright and intense first-overall draft pick he was projected to be. As she watches Quinn’s eyes flicker over the photo, she thinks there’s something incredibly intimate about the way the camera captures the middle Hughes brother. 

(“The subject of the camera makes up less than one percent of the photograph,” Professor Yang, one of her most trusted mentors said to her once. “The majority of the beauty of a photograph comes from the photographer themself and how they see the subject.“

It’s always at the most inconvenient times does Professor Yang’s voice ping through her head.)

She watches Quinn click through other photos, some edited, most of them raw. He makes small comments here and there asking about the mechanics of photography and how she knows when and what to shoot her lens at. She tries to explain in a way that would make sense to someone who knows little to nothing about photography and Quinn, to his credit, is keeping up the best he can. She goes to pour Quinn another round of coffee as Ruth comes back in through the side door, Susie trotting over to Quinn happily, who pets her. Ruth merely smiles as she’s sliding off her shoes at the sight of the eldest Hughes brother. 

“Good morning, Quinn.”

Quinn grins. “Good morning. Sorry for interrupting.”

Ruth waves him off, coming to kiss the top of Amelie’s head. “Not at all. I see Amelie here has offered you some coffee. Would you like some chocolate chip cookies? Also courtesy of Amelie.”

“Not on the meal plan, I’m sure,” Amelie comments dryly. 

Quinn laughs loudly. “No, but it is the summer.” He reaches into the container in Ruth’s hands. “Thank you. I actually had some of the ones you gave Jack last night. They’re really good.”

Amelie ignores the look she knows her grandmother is giving her. “Thanks. I could teach you how to make them, if you’d like. My, uh, an old friend of mine taught me a trick his mom taught him that make it extra gooey.”

She, again, ignores the look her grandmother is giving her. Quinn doesn’t need to know that old friend is her ex-boyfriend. 

(Humans are interesting in the way that they’re mosaics, made up of the pieces — people, in this case — they’ve encountered in their lives. Amelie hates what Cooper did to her, but she will never forget the methods he taught her about making the perfect chocolate chip cookie)

Quinn grins. “I’d love to know, actually. I’ve been wanting to figure out how to bake simple things to, like, bring to events and stuff. I should, right? Being captain and all.”

Amelie snorts as she starts getting ingredients. “If you say so.”

Quinn and Ruth start chatting inbetween Amelie telling Quinn what to do. She can tell her grandmother is absolutely charmed by Quinn’s politeness and overall presence. And to be honest, she is as well.  

It makes sense that he’s captain, in the way he speaks, listens and guides. Amelie thinks if she were on a sports team, she’d ride into battle with, for and alongside him. 

Quinn spills a bit of flour on the counter and Amelie just snorts, waving away his apologies and telling him to crack the eggs. She just eyes him to make sure he isn’t fucking that up while listening to Ruth talk about something Charlotte told her on a call the other day. 

“You know,” Ruth starts and Amelie immediately doesn’t like where her tone is going. “My granddaughters are pretty great people, present company included. Colette’s engaged, but Charlotte’s single.”

Amelie bursts out in laughter as Quinn starts blinking, no doubt trying to think quickly about how to respond to that. “Grandma, at least try to be subtle about it.”

“Why? I’m too old for that.”

“With all love, I don’t think Quinn is Char’s type. Char only dates assholes, remember?”

Quinn laughs in surprise as Ruth taps her chin with a small smile. “I suppose that’s true. The boy she brought back last summer wasn’t too bad.”

“He told me photography wasn’t a real career and that I was wasting my time,” Amelie deadpans as the oven beeps. She nods at Quinn to put in the trays. “I get that he’s in academia like Char, but what a shitty take.”

“Maybe introducing Quinn to her will break her streak,” Ruth suggests. 

Amelie rolls her eyes to humor her. “How do you even know if Quinn is single?”

Ruth eyes him. “Are you?”

Quinn clears his throat, “I am. Newly single though.” 

Amelie didn’t know that, and it’s not her place to pry. She grimaces as she pulls him into a side hug. “That settles it, then. I’m keeping Quinn to myself.” Luckily, that gets him to smile.  

Just as the oven beeps and Ruth moves to start preparing lasagna, (“Sit down, Quinn. You’re not going anywhere.” Ruth had said with a firm voice as Quinn was trying to leave, not wanting to intrude for lunch), the doorbell rings. Amelie blinks. She has a feeling she knows who’s on the other side of the door. 

It’s a slightly smaller group than the night by the fire. Jack, Luke, Adam, Ethan, Alex and the sweet smile of a guy who wasn’t here last time. But Jack has shown her enough pictures and he’s talked about Cole Caufield enough that Amelie is 99% sure it’s him. 

“Hey Mimi!” 

“Don’t call me that,” she automatically responds to Adam. “You all here for lunch?”

“Ruth invited us,” Luke pipes up. Well, that explains why she was taking out such a large portion of lasagna sheets. “Susie saw Jack getting the mail and kinda mauled him. 

“Of course she did,” Amelie steps aside as one by one, they greet her with a quick hug. She hugs Cole for a bit longer. “Cole, right? It’s nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you too,” Cole beams. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

She chuckles softly as they follow everyone else. She tries to ignore Jack behind them, knowing he’s listening in. “Anything Eddy says about me is 100% true. The others you can take with a grain of salt.”

“Even when Jack tells me he thinks you’re one of the prettiest and talented people he’s ever met?” 

Amelie’s eyebrows jump up as she looks at Jack, who doesn’t even look ashamed. He even shoots her a quick wink and she’s for sure blushing. She turns back to Cole with a shy grin. “I don’t know about that.”

They walk towards the kitchen, where Ruth is shooing everyone out with the plate of cookies Amelie and Quinn just made. Amelie leads them all outside, squinting against the sun as she quickly grabs a few chairs so everyone has a place to sit. She leans her head on her chin as she focuses on what seems a continuation of a previous conversation about relationships, or lack thereof. She rolls her eyes. Typical. She’s honestly surprised this didn’t come up at the fire the other night in the Hughes backyard. 

She munches on a cookie and merely smiles as Jack finds his way to the seat next to hers. He nudges her knee with hers and she bumps him back.

“Hey,” he says softly so that only she can hear him. 

“Hi.”

“I like your bow. You look pretty.”

Amelie reaches up to touch the black sheer bow clipped atop her ponytail. “Thank you. Sorry Suz attacked you earlier.”

Jack shrugs, the sunshine painting his cheeks an endearing rosy pink. “Gonna get lunch out of it, aren’t I?”

“You flash your smile at Grandma and I’m pretty sure she’d bake you a cake everyday.”

He only smirks before they both tune back into the conversation. Though from where Jack is sitting, Amelie has a perfect peripheral view of him. He has a Yankees cap on backwards, his curls peeking out at the ends. His summer tan is obvious against the white t-shirt he’s wearing with light-washed jeans. 

It’s not the first time that Amelie has noticed how attractive he is. It’s the first time that she has to swallow and force herself to focus on Adam’s voice because she wants to…kiss him. Shit, she really wants to kiss Jack Hughes. 

Horrible.

“What do you think, Amelie?” Her head whips at the sound of Luke’s voice. 

“What are we talking about?”

Luke smirks and Amelie wants to slap him. “Past relationships, to sum it up. Mostly Adam’s.” And Quinn’s, Amelie fills in in her head, because it’s true, even if it’s unspoken. 

“What about them?” 

The air suddenly feels a bit heavy, the most solemn it’s been since Luke saw her at the end of his driveway two weeks ago. 

“Do you think it’s a thing to lose feelings for someone? Like is it real?”

Some sort of noise erupts out of her mouth before she can stop it. If the guys weren’t intrigued before, they are now, as they fall silent, waiting for her next words. She chooses her next words carefully. 

“I think it’s more of an excuse that people use when they don’t want to justify or dig into the real reason why they’re feeling the way they are.” Someone whistles. She thinks it’s Alex, but she’s not 100% sure. Amelie winces. “Sorry, did I just attack someone?”

“Just my ex,” Adam says. 

“Oh good. No one here then.” Amelie offers him a sympathetic look. “I’m sorry though. I know how much that sucks to hear.”

“It does.”

“I had to learn that it’s rarely your fault that they supposedly lost feelings. It took me awhile to figure that out, but I did.” She turns to Adam and tries to give him a reassuring smile. “It sucks. Agonizing over everything you could’ve done better and asking yourself why you weren’t enough for them to stick around. At least that’s how it was for me.”

“That’s…kinda exactly how it felt,” Adam admits. “Feels, even now, sometimes.”

Amelie shrugs. “There’s no set timeline for the process of moving on. And it ebbs and flows too. Also no fault in that.”

“You seem awfully knowledgeable about breakups,” Luke states. Amelie catches Ethan’s subtle but pointed glance. How much does she want to tell them about that part of her life? 

“A story for another time,” she says with a dry smile. Cooper Volt and his douchebag ways are not a conversation she wants to have before noon. Or really ever. “But I’m serious, Adam. And whoever else needs to hear it. Feelings can shift and feel and look different overtime, but losing them completely? I don’t know. It’s heartbreaking to hear from someone who used to be such a big part of your life.”

“Commitment is scary,” Cole pipes up. “And it’s hard. Especially, I feel like, with what we do.”

It’s like getting a bucket of ice cold water dumped on her when she suddenly remembers who exactly she’s surrounded by. 

“Do you even want commitment?” Amelie blinks. “Sorry, that’s harsh. That’s not fair of me to ask.”

“It’s a fair question though, I think.” Jack says. Amelie suddenly feels her hands clam up. “I mean, for me at least, I think it’s changed throughout the years. You know, at the start, like five years ago, when it was still chaotic and still an adjustment period, a relationship probably wasn’t on my mind.”

“But now?” Cole presses. 

Jack shrugs. “I think so. But you can’t force it, you know?”

“A relationship would do you well, Jacky.” Luke says, taking a sip of his water. “Don’t know who’d want to deal with you though.” Jack throws his half-filled water bottle at him and Luke squeaks as everyone laughs. Jack nudges Amelie’s knee with a light smile and she has absolutely no idea what to make of that. 

“I didn’t know you were dating someone, Adam,” Amelie comments.

Adam shrugs. “It was for most of last season. Met her through a mutual friend of a mutual friend. I thought it was going well. Clearly it didn’t work out.” 

“But you tried your best?”

“Of course I did. Well, what I thought was best at the time.”

“Then that’s all you can do,” Amelie curls up in her chair. “Sometimes our best isn’t enough. It sucks to hear, but it’s true. And that’s not on you.” She avidly avoids Jack’s eyes that she can feel boring into the side of her head. She should probably stop talking before she reveals more than she wants to. 

Luckily, the conversation steers elsewhere with courtesy to Jack. “Well, what do you look for in someone, Amelie?”

Amelie snorts. “You trying to matchmake for me, Hughes?”

“Maybe.”

Everyone laughs and she puts her chin on her hands in thought. “I mean, tough question.”

“One thing. That shouldn’t be hard.”

“It’s not. Just give me a minute to think. I wasn’t prepared to be talking about our love lives today.” Amelie bites her lip, staring out at the lake in thought. But in reality, it’s an easy answer. “I think, honestly, the biggest thing for me is someone who’s just, kind. Kind to the point where they care about the people around them and how they treat others and the world and….I don’t know. It sounds dumb.”

“It’s not,” Jack says. “Being kind and considerate is underrated, I think. It’s hard to find people like that.”

“Or maybe you’re not looking in the right place,” Alex adds.

“That too.”

Amelie summons some courage. “Well, I’ll flip the question back to you then. And anyone else who wants to answer. What’s one thing you look for in a partner?”

It’s like Jack makes sure she doesn’t break eye contact before answering. “Honestly? Someone I can have fun with and feel completely comfortable around. Which I know isn’t a real trait, but I think if I feel like I don’t have to pretend at all with somebody then they’re worth keeping in my life.”

“That’s quite sweet, Rowdy,” Quinn comments, Jack just shrugs, her eyes still on hers. 

Okay, yeah. Amelie needs space. Or water. Or three shots of vodka. 

The universe listens to her, because Ruth is suddenly calling them all in. Amelie bolts out of her seat and rushes in to help set up utensils. Thankfully, no one outwardly calls her out on it as they all trickle in after her. The conversation shifts to easier topics, and she relishes in being more of an observer than a contributor. 

Along with the delicious lasagna, Ruth somehow found time to make some brownies which Amelie is almost sure is not allowed in any of their diet plans. Nonetheless, she watches them devour the gooey treats and shower Ruth in praise. She herself has one before standing up to put dishes away. She and her grandmother stop any of them, either with their eyes or words, from getting up and they all reluctantly sink in their seats and continue their conversations. Ruth asked them about going to Michigan a few minutes ago and they’re still on that, with Cole and Alex talking up Wisconsin even though no one asked. 

Amelie’s putting the last dish in the dishwasher when someone’s voice in the kitchen causes her to yelp in surprise. She whips around to see Jack’s wince. “Jesus, Jack. Warn a girl next time.”

“Sorry,” he comes around the counter. “I just wanted to see if you needed any help, but it seems like you got it covered.”

“Grandma let you get away?”

“I might have told her I was gonna use the bathroom,” he admits. 

Amelie snorts, shutting the dishwasher. “Why lie?”

“I wanted to see you without everyone’s eyes on us.”

When someone just says that, so honestly, almost rushed out as if he wasn’t thinking of saying it in the first place but it just slipped out, how is she supposed to react, really?

She resorts to what she knows best. Apathy. “Well, here I am.”

“Here you are. Quinn told me you taught him how to make those cookies.”

“I did,” a smile peeks out at that. “He did pretty well. And we made a lot, so please take them with you when you guys leave.”

“Kicking us out so soon?”

“No,” she sighs. “But as much as she’s gonna pretend not to, Grandma doesn’t have as much energy anymore, so I will at some point in the near future gently kick all of you out so she can rest.”

“No worries,” Jack says. “We have plans to head out on the boat anyways. You wanna join?”

She actually does want to, but she already had her own plans to have a day for herself, and those days are important. “I think I’m good. I’ll leave you boys to it. But thank you for the offer.”

“Anytime.” They’re practically touching now, but Amelie doesn’t mind. She doesn’t ever feel like Jack is encroaching on her space. “Earlier, outside, when we were talking about relationships…”

“What about them?”

If he catches her clipped tone, he doesn’t take note. Instead, he tilts his head to the side in curiosity. “You mentioned wanting someone that’s kind.”

“I did.”

“A bit of a low bar, no?”

She scoffs, leaning her back against the kitchen counter. She crosses her arms and looks him straight in the eye. “Well, maybe I’ve just dated some shitty people.”

He holds the eye contact steady. She’s not sure why it surprises her. “Maybe you have.”

Despite herself, she’s amused. “You’re awfully nosy sometimes, you know that?”

“Not the first time I’ve heard it.”

“Does it usually work for you? Being nosy?”

“I call it just being interested.”

She swallows, deciding if she wants to push. She takes note of the voices in the other room. If she wants to push, she needs to do it fast. 

Amelie’s 99% sure this is where her and Jack are the most alike. They’re stubborn and can never back down from a challenge. 

She steps even closer to him where she thinks she catches a whiff of his deodorant. Jack’s eyes are still trained on her, passive, but with something in them that she can’t quite read. “I did, by the way.”

“Hm?”

“Date someone shitty.”

“I’m sorry about that.” He sounds sincere about it. 

“Not your fault.”

“Not yours either.”

She chuckles, “Debatable.”

“Nah,” a smile curls at his lips and she thinks it’s beautiful. “Don’t think you’ve done anything wrong in your life.”

“Does the charm usually work for you?”

He lets out a loud laugh. The sound of it spreads warmth on her skin. “You tell me.”

Oh. That’s a challenge if Amelie’s ever heard one. But even with his close proximity, this building tension of sorts that’s been present ever since they’ve met and his watchful but kind eyes, waiting for the next move, she’s still not sure. 

Fuck it. 

She kisses him anyway. 

Jack responds immediately, his hands finding a home on her hips in a way that has her smiling into his lips. She thinks he’s smiling too, but she pulls away too quickly to really know. He is grinning when she pulls away though, a sparkle in his eye she hasn’t seen quite yet.

He pouts playfully and she wants to kiss him again. But she restrains herself and glares at him instead. “What’s the pout for?”

“What’s the glare for?” He shoots back, squeezing her hips lightly. “You kissed me yet I feel like you’re about to accuse me of killing Suzie.”

“Suzie would probably kill you first,” she replies absentmindedly, before stepping away. Mostly so she doesn’t lose control again and kiss him. 

Amelie might be starting to question her decision, but Jack’s smile is easy. Light. “You gonna let me kiss you again?”

She snorts, but it’s more fond than anything. “Next time.”

He sticks his bottom lip out in displeasure, but he backs away. “I’m holding you to that.” 

She follows him back to the kitchen with a light pep in her step paired with an alarm bell in her mind.

day twenty - jack

Jack automatically smiles when Clementine Sandoval’s face appears on his phone screen. “Hey Clee.”

“Jacky!” She exclaims. “You look tan.”

He gasps in delight. “Really? Thank you.”

His pseudo-older sister rolls her eyes, “Nevermind. I take it back. How are you? What’s up? How’s Michigan? Where are Q and Lukey?”

He chuckles at her onslaught of questions, a pang of guilt in his heart because he hasn’t called her that much since he left New Jersey mid-June. To be fair, he didn’t want to interrupt her trip to visit her new boyfriend in Switzerland — Jack still has to remind himself sometimes that his captain is dating someone who he’s considered a sister ever since he can remember. He loves it, but the fact that Nico could basically become his brother-in-law is a fact he still hasn’t wrapped his head around.

But that pang of guilt washes away quickly, like it always does, as he looks at her warm smile. “I’m good. Michigan’s great. Quinn’s out getting groceries and Luke’s probably still napping. Are you busy?”

“Not at all. I’m just making dinner. I actually do miss you guys at the apartment a lot.”

Jack grins. “We miss you a lot too, Clee. Wish you were here.”

“So what’s up?”

“Hm?”

“You’re chewing on your drawstrings. You only do that when something’s on your mind.”

He lets the drawstrings fall from his mouth as he narrows his eyes. “How do you know that?”

She snorts, “Because I know you, Jack. What’s going on?”

The sound of her sink water running fills the air as Jack takes a deep breath. “I met a girl.”

He snickers as Clementine, with her back towards the camera, freezes. Slowly, she turns back around. “You met a girl?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay,” she starts chopping some garlic. “Tell me about her.”

“Her name’s Amelie. She’s a year younger than me. Just graduated from Michigan. She knows Luke, actually, used to photograph the hockey games.”

“She knows Luke?”

“Yeah. Her grandparents just bought a place two houses down from us and she was walking the dog one day and…yeah.”

Clementine hums, clearing the chopped garlic off her knife and into a small bowl. “What’s she like?”

“She’s a bit quieter, but quick and sarcastic as hell when you get to know her. She’s creative, because, you know, photographer. She’s really pretty. Hang on, I’ll send you a picture,” Jack does just that, sending one he took of her and Adam the other night, waiting for Clementine to look at it before he continues. “She’s always saying something really interesting and cool. I don’t know. We’ve been hanging out a lot the last two weeks and she’s just, really great.”

“You met two weeks ago?”

“More or less.” Jack bites his lip, trying to read the abnormally-unreadable look on her face. “What?”

“Nothing. She just graduated? Any plans after post-grad?”

“Said she’s talking to a few NHL teams for a photographer gig.”

Her eyebrows shoot up. “For real?”

“Yup.”

“Damn,” Clementine says. “That’s awesome. So what? You like her?”

“I think so?”

“It’s a yes or no question.”

“Fine. Yes. I do.”

She smirks. “That wasn’t so hard, was it now?” Jack glares at his phone as she giggles. “Okay. Does she like you back?”

“She kissed me the other day.”

“Oh,” Clementine’s eyes sparkle and Jack feels bashful for some reason. “Did she now? So she must.”

“Hopefully.”

She gives him a look. “Jack.”

“What?”

“You’re being annoying on purpose.”

“I’m not being annoying,” Jack responds instinctively. Okay, maybe he is. “I just, I don’t know. I haven’t felt like this in awhile. Maybe ever.”

“Felt like what, exactly?”

And this is why Jack called the older brunette. She pushes him in a way that isn’t overbearing, but just the right amount where she’s not gonna take getting brushed off. Sometimes, Jack thinks he gets away with brushing things off too easily. Blame it on growing up with two brothers. Luckily, Clementine doesn’t let that happen. 

“Felt this excited about someone.”

“That’s a good thing, Jack.” She says. 

“Yeah.” Suddenly, it’s like a dam breaks. He hasn’t really talked to anyone about how exactly he feels about Amelie yet. “She’s…..I think I really like her, Clee. Like, I just want to be around her all the time. When I’m around her, I just, I don’t know. I can’t stop smiling. 

“She must be some girl.”

“She is,” he responds confidently. 

“So now what? You two have kissed. What’s next? Labels or no?”

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t know.”

“No. I don’t.” Silence. Clementine stops the movement on her end and looks at Jack. He swallows. It’s the kind of look that she only pulls out when she’s about to say something he might not want to hear. “What?” He says defensively. 

“Nothing. Well, that’s not true. It’s okay to not know. You guys literally just met. Really. Just…be careful. I’m sure she’s lovely, but I don’t..you seem to really like her. I’d hate to see you get hurt over this.”

“I won’t,” Jack says confidently. “Clee, you know me. I don’t get my heart broken.”

“You also don’t get like this about girls,” Clementine points out. “And you know how I know that? You’ve known Amelie for two weeks and you’re already telling me about her. It took you three months for you to even mention to me that you had a girlfriend last time. Just…be careful, okay? You’re only in Michigan for so much longer.”

“I will,” Jack says. 

Clementine only nods, before they switch the conversation back to her trip to Switzerland. But the rest of the conversation, Jack can’t help but keep seeing Clementine’s worried look in her mind. 

Clementine’s usually right. He hopes she’s wrong this time. 

day twenty three - amelie

Amelie takes a deep breath before accepting a good luck hug from her grandparents and shutting the front door. She smiles at the sight of Jack’s car and slides over into his passenger seat with practiced ease. 

“You really didn’t have to do this.”

“We’re literally going to the same place.”

“Still.”

Jack backs out of her driveway with an easy smile. “You nervous?”

Like, yeah. But she shrugs. “Even if I am, nothing I can do about it now.”

“You’ll get the job,” he says confidently. “I know it.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” she chuckles. “Where are Quinn and Luke? Don’t you all practice together?”

“Yeah. I forced them to take another car.”

“You didn’t have to kick them out.”

“I think I did.” She just gives him a look. Jack smiles easily. “Don’t worry about it. Remind me of the address again?”

She wordlessly connects her phone to his car and puts in the address of the cafe she’s meeting Heather at. 47 minute drive and she has to be there at 10 a.m. sharp. She’ll have around ten minutes to spare. 

It’s clear they both woke up not long ago, content to spend most of the drive in comfortable silence with her occasional humming to whatever song she has playing from her phone. It’s mostly softer tunes to accompany the earlier hour, Maggie Rogers, Lizzy McAlpine and Noah Kahan appearing the most frequently. She’s 99% sure this isn’t close to Jack’s style of music at all, but he doesn’t seem to mind. 

As he turns off the highway, she takes a deep breath, smoothing down her silk navy short-sleeved blouse she’s deemed her good-luck shirt — she wore it during her first interview with the NHL months ago. Luckily, it’s different people this time. 

“I’m serious,” Jack says. “You’re gonna be great and you’re gonna get that job and get the fuck out of Michigan.”

“Yeah. Yeah, I am.” They pull up to the cafe and she turns to face him with a grateful smile. “Thank you for driving me.”

“I’ll come by as soon as practice is done.”

She waves him off. “Take your time.”

He leans in to kiss her cheek sweetly. “Good luck. You’re gonna kill it.”

Her stomach is flipping now for a whole different reason. She quickly opens the passenger door and looks at Jack’s sweet smile one more time before shutting it. 

The interview goes…so well. So well that she has a job by the end of it, with a promised contract being sent to her email within the next hour. But she barely has to answer any questions before they’re asking her if she’ll take it. It catches Amelie by complete shock and happiness that it takes so much for her to keep her cool in front of Josh, her possible future manager, and Sasha, the recruiter she’s been in touch with this whole time. 

All of her hard work has accounted for something? She wants to pinch herself as she shakes both of their hands and watches them walk out. 

But something settles in her stomach when she looks down at the notes she took. In her cursive-like handwriting. 

Main coverage teams: Rangers, Islanders, Flyers, Devils 

Staring at the last word on the page, she swallows. The Devils. She’s gonna be photographing Jack. 

Realistically, she knew that this always would’ve been a possibility. But she never let herself entertain the idea. 

But now it’s real. And it’s terrifying. And she kissed Jack eight days ago. She wants to throw up.

With shaky hands, she texts Jack that she’s done. He doesn’t respond right away so she takes a deep breath, tapping her fingers against her coffee cup, her brain going a million miles an hour. 

She’s responding to her family’s texts before Jack’s name flashes through with the alert of a call. “Hello?”

“Well?” Jack’s voice echoes through her ears. “Did you get it?”

“Come pick me up and find out,” she tries to tease. She hopes he can’t detect her shaky voice over the phone.

“Amelie,” he whines. “Come on. You can’t leave me hanging like that.”

She lets out a quiet chuckle. “Do you think I’d be this happy if I didn’t get it?”

A pause. And then, “Let’s fucking go, baby! I knew you had it in the bag.”

“Come pick me up so I can tell you more about it,” she mutters 

“You got it.” 

11 minutes later, she sees Jack park by the curb and she walks out of the cafe, willing her hands to stop sweating. He quickly comes around the car and gives her a giant hug. She laughs as he lifts her up. 

“So,” he sings as he starts the engine. “Do you know with what team? Or teams?”

Amelie hopes her poker face is intact. “Actually, not yet. That’s the only thing they haven’t fully settled on yet. And I might not know until, like, a month before I start.”

He tuts. “That’s a bit annoying. They just expect you to move to wherever on such short notice?”

She swallows roughly, hoping he doesn’t notice. “I guess. They said they can help me find housing though, which is helpful.”

He hums, before shaking her thigh with a laugh. “Amelie. This is amazing. You should be so proud of yourself.”

“Thanks, Jack.” Instead of turning onto the highway, Jack takes a right. “Where are we going?”

“Do you have anywhere else to be today?”

“Not until like, 4.”

“Perfect.”

She has to laugh out loud when the USA Hockey arena comes into view. “You forget something?”

“No,” he says simply. “Have you ever skated before?”

“I photographed your younger brother at Michigan.”

“But that doesn’t mean you’ve skated.” 

Fair. “I have. I’m not very good though.”

He kills the engine and flashes her a charming smile. “Come on. To celebrate.”

Amelie lets Jack charm the person working the rentals and watches him tie the skates on her feet, smiling softly as he does it carefully, making sure they’re tight enough. She takes his hand as she steps onto the ice, wobbling a bit but quickly gaining her balance. There’s no one else at this particular rink, which she’s thankful for. People would have questions, and she doesn’t have any of the answers. 

She lets herself laugh and have fun as Jack spins them around. She takes a deep breath, letting the smells and sounds of an empty hockey arena fill her senses again. 

This is gonna be her future for the next while. If she thinks too hard, she can picture herself in Newark, in the Prudential Center, with Jack across from her, just like this. She swallows at the sight of Jack’s bright eyes. 

Main coverage teams: Rangers, Islanders, Flyers, Devils 

“You’re amazing,” Jack says a bit later, as they’re gliding in the middle of the ice, her hands in his, facing each other. “I’m serious. You’re going to crush it.”

She tries not to tear up, looking down at their skates. “I’m really excited,” she says. “This is, kind of, everything I’ve been working towards.”

“I know,” Jack smiles, tugging at her hands lightly. “You nervous at all?”

“A bit. Is that weird?”

He snorts. “No. I was scared shitless my rookie year, despite trying to act like hot shit.”

“I don’t doubt that.”

“But you’re not me, because you’re healthily humble and you have the talent to back up your skill. It’s okay to be nervous, but it’s all gonna work out just fine.”

She hums, hands boldly reaching out to cup his face. She only has so much time left. She swears he softens into her touch. “Quite good at the pep talks, huh?”

“Not usually,” he murmurs, leaning closer as his lips ghost hers. “But, I don’t know. You seem to bring out a different side of me.”

“That’s sappy as shit.”

“I can be sappy.”

“Sure you can.” She hums as he presses a delicate kiss on her lips. She chuckles airily as he pulls away only to start peppering kisses on her cheeks. 

For a bit, Amelie squashes her overthinking and just breathes in everything Jack Hughes. 

(Unbeknownst to both Amelie and Jack, Jim sees them from the offices upstairs. He smiles to himself, as he watches his son spin the brunette girl around the ice, the joy palpable on both their faces)

day twenty five - jack

He doesn’t even bother to come up with an excuse anymore when he shows up on Stanley and Ruth’s front door the next morning. He accepts a cup of coffee when Ruth tells him Amelie’s in the shower, chatting casually with them both about the weather, golf, his family and the upcoming season. 

When Amelie comes down the stairs, she doesn’t even look surprised, simply waving before tossing her hair up and grabbing her bag. She mentioned over text that she just had to run some “boring” errands today. He jumped at the chance to join her. 

With some argument, she relents and lets him drive. He has to stop himself from looking over at her, overwhelmed at…her. Just her. 

The grocery store first to get groceries for Stanley and Ruth, which causes Jack to swallow because God, the way Amelie takes care of the people in her life reminds him of Clementine, who always saw the best in Jack before he was anything. 

Then a stop by at a farm to table place for lunch where Amelie says she’s been dying to try. Then Target, then CVS, then the bank. They never really hold hands, but they’re always in each other’s orbit comfortably. That’s enough for him.

Before being done for the day, a quick detour to a small beach that Amelie claims has “incredible sunsets.” He follows her obediently as she jumps out of the car with her film camera. The sunset is beautiful, but, and it’s so cliche and gross and he would get chirped to hell if his friends could read his mind, Amelie’s prettier. 

He can’t help but take out his phone to take a picture of her back against the cotton candy sky. He always posts some sort of a summer dump on his Instagram. Maybe this picture will go in there. 

day thirty two - amelie

“Who’s gonna be there again?” 

“Honestly, who knows at this point?” Jack’s voice floods her ears through her airpods as she takes Susie on a walk and Jack’s driving back from who knows where. 

“And this is tonight?”

“Yup. Because it’s someone’s birthday? Ethan’s, maybe?”

“Not Eddy,” she responds automatically. “His birthday’s in June.”

“I forget how close you two are.”

“To be fair, the only reason I remember is because he’s like, five days older than I am,” Amelie shushes Susie, who’s barking at a squirrel. “And you’re all gathering at some sort of sports bar at fucking Ann Arbor of all places to… celebrate? Reminisce?”

She can practically hear Jack’s pout. “You don’t have to come if you don’t want to.”

“That’s not what I’m saying,” she chides gently. “I, just, I’m just confused about-”

“Confused about what?”

“About why you’d want me there.”

“Why wouldn’t I want you there?” Jack says softly. 

She swallows, playing with Susie’s leash. “Okay.”

“Okay?”

“Yeah.”

“Awesome,” she knows Jack’s smiling through the phone and she can’t help but smile as well, even though she feels a pit forming in her stomach. “I’m DDing because I lost a bet against Luke on the course yesterday, so you can go as hard as you’d like.” A rustle on his end of the phone. “I gotta go, but I’ll see you later?”

“What time are you coming?”

“Around 7:30?”

“Perfect.”

“See you soon.”

Amelie hears him pull up at 7:23 as she’s scrolling on her phone. A deep breath before opening the door and she doesn’t expect Jack to be walking up her steps. 

“Oh,” she blinks. “Hi.”

Jack smiles up at her. “Hey.”

She looks beyond his shoulder and sees some movement in the backseat of the running car. “You didn’t have to step out.”

“Feels impolite just honking.” She lets him wrap her in a quick hug before she slips into the passenger seat. She turns around immediately to smile at Ethan, Luke and Dylan. “Hi boys. You sure none of you wanna take the front seat?”

“We are under strict orders from Jack that as long as you’re in the car, we will be banished to the back,” Luke snickers. 

Jack blindly reaches back to smack his brother’s leg. “I’m already driving you losers. Don’t make me regret it.”

Luke gasps. “I’m not the one who lost the bet.” Another slap to the leg from Jack and another yelp from Luke. 

Once they reach the bar and Jack somehow finds street parking, the boys pile out quickly and head to the bar. Her and Jack stray behind, and he locks the car before swinging an arm around her shoulder, sneaking a kiss to her temple. 

She shouldn’t, but she leans into it. Leans into him. The bustling bar is coming into view and she’s getting nervous. 

He pokes at her side. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

He offers her a skeptical look but lets it go. “You’ll know most of the people there. No need to be nervous.”

“I’m not nervous,” she lies. 

He snorts, but doesn’t respond. He does pull her closer to his side though. 

Immediately when they walk in and Amelie realizes she has been here before. Not many times, maybe only three or four, but enough for the environment itself to not be unfamiliar. She surveys the scene while letting Jack steer them both towards a corner where both people she knows and doesn’t know are gathering. The first person she makes eye contact with happens to be Carina Scholl, a girl she went to high school with. Because of course. This state is so damn small. Before she can spiral over it, Amelie’s quickly distracted by the sound of Mark Estapa’s voice.

And then it’s like a floodgate opens. Members of the Michigan Men’s hockey team, present and past, greet her, standing in a sort of messy line, almost like they’re queuing to hug her. It starts with Mark, then Rutger and Kienan and Luca. Then Mackie and Nolan, who she hasn’t seen in far too long and didn’t realize she missed until now. 

She feels quite touched that they all seem so excited to see her, wrinkling her nose when Rutger pulls her ponytail lightly.  When everyone calms down, Jack slides her favorite cider towards her. She smiles at him in thanks and he just winks before being pulled into a conversation about hockey that honestly has Amelie immediately tuning them out. 

She ventures to familiar territory — a booth housing Ethan and Luke — and they happily let her slide between them, introducing her to the faces she doesn’t recognize as she politely nods. She does brighten up when one of the girls, Sarah, she notes, says she recognizes her from her photography. (“I was on the gymnastics team. My family might have one of your photos framed in the house.”). 

Photography and Michigan. Those are topics Amelie can talk about. 

After a bit, the boys slide out and she finds herself gravitating towards Sarah and two of her friends Amelie doesn’t know, content with sitting back and listening into their conversation, with some comments here and there. She spots two more girls she went to high school with — Shannon and Abby — and swallows roughly. She’s pulled back in the conversation with a call of her name from Madison. 

“I saw that you came in with Jack Hughes,” Madison says. Immediately, Amelie wants this conversation to end. But Madison’s smile is curious, not malicious. “Are you two…you know?”

Amelie blinks, stomach suddenly dropping. “Are we…”

“Together,” Sarah finishes with a teasing eye roll. “I don’t know why you didn’t just say it, Maddy.”

“I didn’t want to be impolite!” Madison exclaims as Ellie, the third girl, laughs. “I mean, we just met. It’s none of my business, really.”

“We’re not,” Amelie says, softly but firmly, even though she wants to crawl under the table right now. ��Friends through Luke, I guess. Found out my grandparents live by him and Quinn’s place just a few weeks ago.”

“You hadn’t met beforehand?”

“Nope.”

“Huh,” Ellie says. Amelie follows Ellie’s eyeline to where Jack is talking to Adam. With a High Noon in one hand, the other shoved into the pocket of his jeans and that stupid backwards cap on his head, Amelie can’t look away. “I wouldn’t have predicted that. It seems like you’ve known each other forever.”

Amelie laughs shakily. “He’s like that with everyone.”

The girls let it go, but Amelie can’t. Is it that obvious to people? Should it be? Is he like this with everyone? It wouldn’t surprise her if he was. Just because they’ve kissed, doesn’t mean she’s anything special. 

After a bit, she excuses herself to go grab another drink. If Jack is also at the bar as she approaches, that’s just a coincidence. 

It’s interesting. She simultaneously wants to be away from him, especially because it seems like “Main coverage teams: Rangers, Islanders, Flyers, Devils” is flashing through her mind at all times. But she also wants to be around him because he makes her feel at ease

She nods at Luca, who Jack was talking to, with a wry smile. “Luca.”

“Amelie,” he sings in the same tone. Amelie considers herself closer to the younger Fantilli, but Luca’s constant positive energy was always a welcome sight when she entered Yost. “You look beautiful.”

“That’s kind of you to say.”

“I feel like you’re about to yell at me for not answering the question again.”

“That was one time,” she says dryly. “Let it go.”

Jack looks between the two of them with interest. “Amelie being a strict TA? That doesn’t surprise me.”

“She wasn’t strict, perse,” Luca teases. “Just didn’t want to deal with our shit.”

“Because I dealt with it enough at the rink,” Amelie says. She brightens up momentarily when Jack shoves another cider in her hand. Without thinking, she presses a quick kiss on his cheek as a thank you. Luca, to his credit, just raises his eyebrows before Gavin beckons him elsewhere. 

She pokes at Jack’s chest. “You trying to loosen me up? You didn’t have to buy me another.”

“I told you to go crazy, didn’t I?”

“I think I’ve spotted three people here who went to my high school.”

Jack just raises an eyebrow casually. “No shit. Did you say hi?”

Amelie snorts. “No.”

“Why not?”

She gives him a look and realizes he doesn’t understand. She doesn’t want to get into it. “I just don’t feel like it.”

“You sure?” He nods at something behind her and she turns around, making eye contact with Carina. 

She turns back around to face Jack again. “I’m sure.”

(She’s not. She’s not sure about anything all of a sudden. It’s starting to feel like too much for her. But that’s not Jack’s problem to deal with)

“Okay,” he stops pushing. “Who should we tackle talking to next?”

“Didn’t know this was a team effort,” she teases lightly, the weight on her shoulders deflating by the second. 

He readjusts his hair under his hat with a roguish grin. “Hey. I dragged you here. And these are mostly Luke’s friends. Of course we’re in this together.”

She rolls her eyes. Because he’s a liar. But she humors him, nodding over to a group consisting of Rutger, his girlfriend Kayleigh, Nolan, Mackie and Mark. “They seem safe.” Jack snorts, but obliges, letting her lead the way. 

More time passes, and Amelie’s buzzed. Jack mutters in her ear that they’re probably gonna head out within the next 20 minutes or so, which she could’ve predicted, as their crowd is getting smaller and smaller. Adam already smacked a kiss on her cheek as a farewell. She figures she should probably go pee before the drive back. 

After a quick trip to the bathroom, she walks out and pauses suddenly in her tracks. She watches a girl blatantly flirt with Jack, which is fine, it is. The frog she has in her throat isn’t anything. The prickling she feels in her spine is because of the heat, not because of the girl’s hand placed on his bicep. She can’t even let herself feel any sort of satisfaction when Jack casually shifts himself a bit away from her politely. 

It suddenly all hits her in the face. It’s like the bubble she’s been living in for the last however many days has immediately popped. 

Of course he’s being flirted with. This probably happens everytime he goes out. How could she be so stupid?

Jack’s never going to be anything more than a friend. He’s based out of New Jersey for most of the year — which, to be fair, Amelie might also be in a few months, which he still doesn’t know — and Amelie’s 99% sure it just wouldn’t work. They’re too…he’s him and she’s who she is and this isn’t how it all works. 

Sure, she kissed him first. But she didn’t mean for it to go this far. And sure, he kissed her back. But he’s one of the biggest up and coming superstars in the league that she’s about to work for. To some degree, she knows how this is gonna end. She’s lived through it. 

(Sometimes, she’s relieved that MLB never got back to her. The idea of having to photograph Cooper almost makes bile creep up her throat._

She has to stop this before it crashes at their feet.

Amelie takes a deep breath and straightens her shoulders, before making her way back to Jack. He looks towards her and brightens up, excusing himself from the girl before jumping off his stool with her jacket she asked him to hold while she went to the bathroom. 

“Ready to go?” He mutters. 

Amelie nods stiffly. “Where are the others?”

“I told them to wait by the car. Do you need to say goodbye to anybody else?” 

She looks around. “No. I did my rounds before I went to the bathroom.” He hums and she follows him out of the bar. ignoring his outstretched hand. 

(She misses the flash of hurt that passes by Jack’s eyes. But it’s gone as quickly as it came) 

“Thanks again for coming with me,” Jack says, his voice suddenly sounding so loud contrasting with the quiet Ann Arbor air. “Really. I know it’s not your scene but I appreciate it anyways.”

“You’re welcome,” she says, hoping he doesn’t pick up on her sudden change of mood. 

He does, furrowing his eyebrows. “Is everything alright?”

“Fine. Everything is fine.”

“You’re lying to me.”

She doesn’t quite snap back, but it’s close enough to it. “How would you know that?” 

He blanches slightly, but they’re at the car. So he just wordlessly opens the door for her. She smiles softly at Ethan, who ruffles her hair from the back and snorts at Dylan and Luke, who are sleeping with their mouths wide open. 

The drive goes by extremely quickly yet painfully slow at the same time. Amelie actively avoids eye contact with Jack, busying staring out her window and making mindless conversation with Ethan. If he feels the tension. he ignores it. 

Jack pulls up to his place first, rolling his eyes as Luke, Dylan and Ethan clamber into the house. As soon as the door shuts, Jack turns to her. She reluctantly turns to him.

“Are you okay?” His eyes hold so much concern. It makes Amelie bite her lip. “And please be honest with me.”

“I’m fine, Jack,” she croaks out. She’s a bit tipsy. She’s very tired. Her resolve is crumbling fast. She feels like she’s running out of time. “I think I’m just overstimulated.”

“I’ll drive you home,” he says softly. He places a gentle kiss on her forehead and it takes everything in Amelie not to let her eyes tear up. 

He’s barely backed out of his driveway when she can’t take it anymore. “Rangers, Islanders, Flyers, Devils.”

Silence. “What?” He says.

“Rangers, Islanders, Flyers, Devils,” she repeats, trying to keep her voice steady. “Those are the teams I’m covering.”

He parks in her grandparents’ driveway, killing the engine. “Did you just find this out today?”

She squeezes her eyes shut. “No. I’ve known since I got the official offer.”

The silence washes over her like the most destructive tidal wave. “You lied to me?” He whispers. 

“I’m so-”

“Why did you lie to me?” He asks in a hurt voice. 

“Jack-”

“Were you ever gonna tell me?” She snaps her mouth shut. That gives him his answer. He swallows roughly, running a hand through his hair. “So what? You were gonna just walk in during media day and pretend we haven’t met before?”

“That’s not fair,” she manages to get out. 

“Pretend we haven’t kissed before?” Jack presses on.

That makes the fire in Amelie’s stomach flame. “We’ve known each other for like, a month, Jack. I don’t owe you anything.”

He scoffs. “You don’t think so?” She flinches at his harsh tone and he softens a bit with a sigh. “I just don’t understand why you didn’t tell me.”

There’s plenty of reasons why. Many of which Amelie doesn’t want to say out loud. She settles for: “I mean, would it have mattered?” Her voice cracks. “You were always going to go back to Jersey and I was always gonna leave Michigan and whatever this was would’ve only lasted for so long.”

“Whatever this is?” Jack repeats, tilting his head back against the headrest in frustration. “So what? You thought that we’d go back to our regular lives and all of this would just…be forgotten?”

“I don’t know,” she says, frustrated. 

“But you clearly thought about it.”

“Of course I did,” she squeezes her eyes shut. “Jack, you’re…you’re Jack Hughes. I don’t necessarily care about it like that but I know you have a franchise on your shoulders and you’re the best of the best and we met under weird coincidences and I’m glad we have, believe me, but this always had a timer on it.”

“What exactly is ‘this?’” The roughness in his voice has Amelie simultaneously feeling like she wants to cry and scream. Jack laughs humorlessly. “And it’s funny you bring up all that shit now, considering you never for once cared about who I was and all of that since the day we met.”

“I don’t care,” Amelie insists. “In fact, it’s probably the thing about you I care the least about, in the nicest way possible. But whether we both like it or not, it’s a huge part of who you are. And I don’t know if I…”

“If you?”

“If I have a place in your life when it comes to that.”

“Because of what I do? Because of my job?”

Amelie scoffs. “Stop trying to underplay what you do and the impact you have on the league, Jack. I may have just met you a month ago but I, in some way, work in the same fucking industry you do. I’m not stupid.”

“I know you’re not stupid,” he rolls his eyes. “You’re probably one of the smartest people I’ve met in my life. I’m not trying to underplay anything. At the end of the day, hockey is just my job. LIke photography is yours. I don’t see how that has anything to do with us.”

“Well, maybe that’s exactly the problem.”

Jack huffs. “It’s my life. Shouldn’t I have a say in if I want you in it or not?”

And sure, Amelie thinks, Jack has a point, but so does she, even if she’s not explaining it well. She turns in her seat to fully face him and tries a different angle. Tries to get him to understand. “Have you thought about this at all? Like, sat down and really thought about what’s gonna happen when we both leave Michigan? Jack, you know I don’t want to come back unless I have to.”

“What does that have to do with us at all?”

“Jack,” she deadpans. “You love this place. You feel the most comfortable here, you told me that yourself. All I want to do is get out here and all you want to do is stay.” She deflates. “You really didn’t think about the future of any of this?”

“Yes! No. Maybe?” Jack raises his voice in frustration. “I just-I enjoyed, enjoy, spending time together. You kind of make me forget how to think when I’m around you in the best way possible. And I want to be around you all the time. Isn’t that enough?”

“I still don’t even know what we are! Friends? Friends who kiss sometimes? Dating? Hooking up because it’s convenient?”

He blanches. It’s the most hurt he’s looked this whole conversation. “Amelie-” he whispers.

“I know I’m being unfair, but please try to understand my reasoning,” she wipes her tears with the sleeve of her top. “I was already up for this job before I met you. And then I met you. And then I thought, oh, maybe I do care about where I end up. Wouldn’t that be nice and convenient? But we’ve known each other for a month. And I’m not gonna let someone I’ve only known for so long dictate the start of this really important moment for me.”

“I wouldn’t have ever asked you to do that,” Jack says meekly. “I know how important your career is to you.”

“And I believe that,” Amelie softens with a swallow. They’re not getting anywhere productive. “I-I’m sorry, Jack. I shouldn’t have lied to you.”

“But you did,” he says. He runs his hand roughly through his hair again. The curls are beginning to become very unruly.  “Was this whole month just, I don’t know, were we not on the same page?”

“Maybe we weren’t,” she bites her quivering lip. “I like you, Jack. I do. But I can’t…I can’t do this. Us. Whatever this is.”

Silence, before his voice cracks. “Now or ever?” 

“I don’t know,” she sniffles. “I’m sorry.” She cries, rubbing her eyes roughly with the palms of her hand. She knows this is all her fault. She knows this isn’t the only thing he kept from him. She knows that she’s been cautious telling him important things about herself this whole time, where he’s been nothing but fearless and honest. She knows she fucked up. 

But she can’t say any of that out loud. He wouldn’t get it. And maybe she doesn’t really want him to. Isn’t ready for him to

She feels his hand on her cheek, which causes her to cry harder, her tears falling cascading onto his fingers. Through blurry vision, she can see him swallowing roughly. “Can I say one last thing?”

She can’t help but let out a weak laugh. “Sure.”

“A few weeks ago, you asked me if the top was a lonely place to be. And you know, it can be a lot,” he admits. Her heart aches at how vulnerable he’s being. “My brothers and teammates and friends understand mostly, but it’s not the same. Y-you’re the first person in a long time who's made me feel like it doesn’t have to be lonely.”

That causes Amelie to cry even harder. Every part of her is fighting her to fight for him. To keep groveling, even though it doesn’t even seem like he wants that, which is somehow even more heartbreaking. To fill in the gaps for him about why she can’t fully let go and let him in. But she can’t. “I-I’m sorry I lied to you. And I’m sorry it had to be this way,” she croaks out.

“Me too,” he says, backing away slightly. She misses his touch instantly. “I-I’ll give you some space and n-not contact you for awhile. Um, you have my number. When…if you ever wanna reach me, you know how to.”

Her heart splices in half completely. She’s the one who lied to him and he’s the one offering space. Amelie knows she’s selfish for asking her final question, but she does it anyways. “And you’d pick up?”

Jack laughs with a watery smile, “Every time.”

It takes all her willpower to not kiss him one last time. She unbuckles her seatbelt and rushes into her grandparents house. She closes the front door and leans her back on it, sliding down and muffles her cries into her hand. 

day thirty three - jack 

Everything hurts. 

That’s the first thing Jack thinks when his eyes blearily open with the sun. His eyes hurt from crying too many freaking times the last few days. His ribs hurt from where Luke checked him into the boards yesterday. It wasn’t even a particularly hard hit, but Jack’s head was anywhere but the ice and he didn’t see it coming until it was too late. 

And his heart just…hurts. 

Luckily, they have the day off today so he can sulk without feeling too guilty. Maybe he’ll take the boat out into the water by himself and just lay there. He hears some voices downstairs and squeezes his eyes shut to try and decipher them. Quinn, Luke, Dylan and Ethan. The latter two obviously don’t know him as well, but Jack knows them well enough that they’d probably actually be really nice about Jack’s situation. Especially because Ethan’s close to…yeah.

Jack launches himself out of bed, quickly brushes his teeth and splashes some water in his face before stumbling downstairs, his pace faster once he smells a fresh pot of coffee. 

“Mornin’” Jack croaks out, nodding at Dylan and Ethan who are sitting around the island with Quinn, who just slaps his shoulder in greeting. Luke wordlessly pours out a mug for him and Jack smiles at him gratefully. 

“You look like shit,” Luke says bluntly. Jack would face wash him for that if he had the energy. And if he was wrong. 

“Luke.” Quinn chastises. 

Jack waves his older brother off. “It’s fine. He’s right.” His eye catches the sight of an envelope at the end of the table. “What’s that?”

It’s silent for a few seconds too long until Ethan clears his throat. “Uh, Amelie said she developed the shots for her film camera. Dropped some by that she said you guys might want.” 

Jack swallows with a curt nod, chugging the whole cup of coffee in one go. He nods at Luke to pour him more. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” Quinn asks tentatively. 

Immediately, Jack wants to shoot that down. But then he looks up, and he sees all four of them looking at him with varying degrees of worry in their eyes. Jack shoves down the instinct to avoid — like he’s been doing the last few days. “I don’t even know where to start.” He whispers.

“Anywhere that makes sense to you.” Quinn suggests, because Quinn’s always been the one who directs. Who guides. 

So Jack lets it all out. He talks about how he purposefully didn’t want to cling to her all night because he didn’t want to come off that way but how he couldn’t take his eyes off her no matter where she was in the room. He talks about how beautiful she looked (“I mean, you guys aren’t stupid. That top with her eyes? Lethal combo.”) and how he had a moment where he felt like all was right in the world. He talks about that subtle shift in her mood after he lost her for a bit and how quiet she was in the car ride home. 

That’s the easy part. 

Jack inhales a muffin from a box that someone must’ve gotten this morning from the local bakery before continuing to recall him and Amelie’s conversation in the car after he dropped off everyone. When he drops the revelation that Amelie’s actually going to be around the Tri-State area covering the Rangers, Islanders, Flyers and the fucking Devils, all four of them look shocked, but don’t say anything. He talks about how his initial reaction was that he was hurt that she hadn’t told him because he thought that they had something going on between them. He talks about how he felt like the conversation escalated so quickly but also calmly because Amelie doesn’t raise her voice and Jack is not a yeller and how it almost would’ve been easier had they been screaming at each other. He talks about how he can’t really remember when Amelie started crying but how he can remember how he felt his stomach dropping to his feet when she did. He can barely remember how they fucking got there in the first place. 

Jack sniffles, hastily wiping his tears away before they can fully fall. “All I know is that I fucking made her cry and whatever we had is probably ruined, which is extremely fucking convenient considering I’m gonna be seeing her around during the season.”

“It’s not ruined,” Ethan speaks up after a few seconds of silence. 

Jack snorts. “No offense, man, But how would you know that for sure?”

“I know you two have gotten close in the last month or so, but besides that, I would argue that out of everyone here, I’m the closest with her.” And Jack swallows, because shit, Ethan has a point. Ethan continues. “Despite her lying to you and everything falling to pieces, it’s not ruined. Amelie isn’t like that. You have to really fuck up for her to cut you out.”

And like, yeah, Jack knows that, to a degree. But, “I don’t think she’s ever gonna wanna see me again.”

“Well, did you say anything that was particularly horrible?” Luke asks. 

Jack swallows. “No? Maybe I was snappy at some points, but I don’t think so”

“I mean, it’s fair,” Quinn says. “Even though it’s harsh, you were right to be mad about her lying to you.”

“Did I give off that impression that she couldn’t talk to me? Like yeah, we practically just met, but I feel like, I don’t know. I just don’t really get why she’d hide that from me.”

“I might have an idea,” the guys turn to Ethan as he swallows and debates something in his own head. “Uh, this is random, but hear me out. Did she ever tell you about her ex?”

“Which one?” Jack asks.

“Cooper Volt. Baseball player at Michigan. Drafted to the Mets, I think.”

“A bit but not much. Why?”

“Look, I’m not trying to, like, spill her secrets or anything. I think it just might put things in context.” Jack nods and Ethan sighs. “So basically, she was dating him, right? Pretty serious. Lasted for a little over a year. Anyways. I don’t know the details, but I know that the break-up wasn’t pretty. Or, I just assume it wasn’t, because I only found out they broke up after I saw Cooper with another girl on his arm and was confused and literally asked Amelie about it. Apparently, it had only been two weeks since they broke up and he had already gone out and found someone else?”

“What an asshole,” Dylan says, his first verbal participation in the conversation. He’s been munching on cheerios, intensely listening. Quinn’s eyebrows are furrowed in a way that only appears when he’s concerned or really pissed off and Jack’s kinda fuming that someone put her through that.

“Right? Yeah, so that’s that. And typical Amelie, you know, said she was fine and I knew that she had her own friends checking up on her.” Jack’s nodding, following on to his every word, even if a bit confused on where Ethan is going with this. “Okay. So, this is, our sophomore year, so her junior year. The seniors are hosting a party and we convince her to come for once. You know how those parties go. They get big. People are filtering in and out. I just remember coming to the kitchen to refill my drink and seeing Amelie looking so fucking dejected as Cooper and his new girl are talking to her.”

“Did you hear what they said?” Luke asks. 

“No, but I didn’t need to, not with that look in her eye,” Ethan scoffed. “I caught the tail-end of their conversation though, which, like, I don’t even wanna repeat, but it was basically Cooper just saying shit about how he never liked her anyways and he took a shot at her being bi? I don’t think I remember it quite accurately to be honest because the second I heard him say that shit I just saw red.”

“He threw the fact that she’s bi to her face?” Jack asks sharply. He’s trying his best not to throw his cup at the wall.

“Something like it,” Ethan says. “Yeah, I know. Absolute piece of shit. I kicked him and their friends out of the party, because, like, there was no fucking way they were staying.”

“How did I not know about this?” Luke asks. “I’m pretty sure I was at that party.”

“You were. If they had refused to leave or whatever or put up more of a fight, I would’ve gotten backup. But they didn’t. And you know Amelie. She begged me not to make a big deal out of it. So I just kept an eye on her for the rest of the night.” 

“That’s so shitty,” Quinn says softly. “Putting that against her. With his new girlfriend there too.”

“Yeah, but…anyways. The point is, a week or so after that I kinda caught her after a game or something and I drove her back to her place and she kinda exploded. Went on a whole rant about athletes and sports culture from what she’s observed and all that, which I’m not saying isn’t true, but basically, I think the situation with Cooper was kind of the nail on the coffin.”

“That what?” Luke asks. “All athletes suck?”

Ethan clears his throat. “I think getting fucked over by Cooper, and then meeting Jack and realizing she has feelings for him then thinking back to the last time this happened and how it ended…can you blame her for being a bit scared?”

“She should’ve told me she was covering the Devils when she found out where she was gonna be placed.” Jack says firmly, and he stands by it. 

“Probably,” Quinn agrees. “But Jacky, think about it. Even just some of the guys we’ve played with. Not saying they’re all assholes like this guy…it’s just, even if it’s unfair she might place you in the same category, that might be how she feels.” 

“She should’ve told me,” Jack repeats. He squeezes his eyes in frustration. 

“But did you tell her you were serious about her?” Luke says. Immediately, Jack wants to snap back at his younger brother, because he’s a pest and who is he to doubt Jack about his own fucking relationship, or lack thereof. But then, Jack realizes and a whole new pit appears in his stomach. 

“She kept interrupting me,” he whispers. As he puts his head in his hands, he misses the sympathetic looks the other guys exchange. “Fuck. I never-I should’ve been clearer.”

“Jack-”

“I should’ve made that clear from the start,,” Jack says as Luke immediately shuts his mouth. “She had to have known. She had to.” Jack swallows roughly. He’s not the smartest, but he knows now. She didn’t know. And he never clarified what she meant to him. 

“I’m sorry, Jack,” Ethan says softly. Jack just waves his apology away. This is all on him. He excuses himself, putting his dish and mug in the sink. 

“We’re heading out on the water later. You should come,” Quinn gently urges. Jack just nods, before clamoring up the stairs to take a shower or do something, anything to get rid of the feeling in his stomach. 

The feeling that he’s fucked it all up. 

day fifty six - amelie 

Amelie’s at the Prudential Center by 6:30 a.m. The players start rolling in just after 8, while she’s finishing up helping to set up equipment and lighting. She has two cameras on either shoulder and one hanging by her neck and she has a headband in her hair and she feels happy. She feels at home. 

She gets introduced to the guys that she’s been researching for a month now. All of them are pleasant and patient. She does let out a genuine smile when Luke reaches out for a hug in greeting. What happened between her and Jack has nothing to do with him, and she hopes he knows that as she gives him an extra squeeze before pulling away.

When she introduces herself to the captain, she swears there’s a spark of recognition that flashes through Nico’s eyes, but it leaves just as quick as it came. Within their first few minutes of conversation, she concludes that Nico is almost unfairly kind. No wonder Jack loves him. 

It’s 10:19 a.m., and she still hasn’t seen Jack yet. She knows he’s scheduled in for his on-ice media shots sometime in the late morning. She purposefully didn’t grab herself a second cup of coffee after finishing her first one. She can’t be shaking when she’s trying to get pictures of him. 

Jack comes in and shakes everyone’s hand. He just waves at her with a polite smile and she waves back, her stomach dropping. They can play it off as Amelie being across the ice and too far, but in reality, she’s not sure if she would try to fake a handshake and pretend they’ve never met, hug him and never let go, or do something incredibly fucking stupid like kiss him. 

He looks so handsome. He must’ve cut his hair recently, in a shorter style that makes him so carefree and young. 

His stuff takes around 20 minutes, and she doesn’t really have to talk to him, instead just taking direction from Mira, head photographer / videographer.

He’s not directly interacting with her, but she feels her stomach swirling and her palms sweat, causing the camera to almost slip out of her grasp multiple times. She wants to smile at the comfort he brings her just from being near him and wants to cry at how they left things in her grandparents’ driveway. At how bad she still feels for lying to him. At how much she’s missed him, as pathetic as it sounds.

It’s neither of their faults that things fell to pieces the way they did. But now, as she snaps a silhouette shot of Jack, she’s deathly afraid that this is just what it’s gonna be. 

Jack’s the last one before lunch, so while everyone is taking their lunch break, Amelie takes a few moments to head to an empty room. She braces her hands on a table and takes three deep breaths. Her heart is beating fast. Her mind is starting to get away from her. She needs to focus. She cannot fall apart at work.

“Amelie?” She whips around to see Jack, dressed back in his Devils hoodie and shorts, looking at her in concern. 

She wipes her sweaty hands on her jeans. “Jack. Hey. Can I help you with something?”

“No,” Jack shuffles into the room. “I just heard your sighs. I- I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

It feels like she has molasses in her throat, but she manages to respond. “I’m okay. Thanks.”

“Okay. Good.” 

He’s about to walk out of the room but her brain thinks before her mouth. “Jack!” He turns back around and she takes a breath.

“Yeah?” His face is unreadable. 

She forces herself to keep eye contact. “Would you wanna maybe grab dinner or something?”

Jack blinks. Amelie wonders if he’s ever been rendered speechless. His voice doesn’t give anything away either. “Like, on a date?” She nods. Her stomach is dropping and she feels shame cripple up her spine until-”

“Yes.”

Her stomach drops, but for an entire different reason. “Really?” She asks in a small voice

“Of course,” His eyes glow and the light smirk on his face doesn’t feel arrogant. It feels light. Fond, even. “That sounds..perfect.”

“Oh, okay.” She whispers and her throat closes up as he steps closer. 

“I’ll text you?”

“I’ll text you.”

He smiles brightly, and she can’t help but smile back. She’s missed that smile so much. “Okay,” he whispers. “I can’t wait.”

“Thank you,” she croaks out. “I’m sorry about…well. I’m sorry.” 

Jack chuckles, and it makes her heart feel a bit lighter. He gingerly grabs both her hands, looking right into her eyes as he brings them up to his lips and kisses them softly. She bites her lip, overwhelmed. “Nothing to be sorry for,” he says. “Promise.” 

“Jack,” she whispers. 

He walks backwards shyly, but his eyes stay on hers stubbornly. “You know, with you, it’s always gonna be a yes.”

“Jack.”

He just winks. Amelie’s breath hitches. “I’ll see you later, Amelie.”

She smiles as he walks out of her sight. 

~*~*~

tag list (lmk if you wanna be a part of it!): @ru-kru

[bratshaws]

through the hourglass 391. brb x oc

/n: my week has been super bad, so i apologize for my absence and if the chapter isn't great.(comments and reblogs are super welcome and encouraged!)

pairing: plus size!oc x rooster

warnings: none

goodness gracious (pls read this one to know more what this fic is about!!)

chapter

1/

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/367/368/369/370/371/372/373/374/375/376/377/378/379/380/381/382/383/384/385/386/387/388/389

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@lyn-js

-

“Ugh. Uuugghh…”

“Baby?”

He sinks in his seat, running his face with both hands “I swear,I know I fly jets but my god,” he adjusts himself, his legs were too long and he was too broad for this seat, “It’s like they get smaller every year.”

‘Roos, you are a big guy.” she smiles sweetly, seeing her husband try to get comfortable before the airplane takes off, “You’ll fill…a bit more.”

Rooster chuckled weakly, his discomfort evident as he shifted in his seat once again. "Yeah, but it feels like I'm being squished," he replied, his voice strained, "I miss the spaciousness… of places.”

Beatrice reached out to gently rub Rooster's shoulder, "I'm sorry, honey," she murmured sympathetically, "Flying commercial is never as comfortable as flying a jet, I imagine."

Rooster nodded in agreement, his expression resigned as he settled back into his seat. "Yeah, you're right," he admitted with a sigh, "But I'll endure it for your."

 "You're a trooper, Roos," she said softly, "And I promise, once we land, you'll have all the space you need to stretch out and relax." she looks down at her phone, “Talked to Mav too, he said the kids and the dogs did great. Of course, there isn’t much they do,you know.”

“Hm,true.” he finally settles, “...I miss them a lot, you think they got bigger since we left?”

“...honey,we’ve been away for three days.”

"I know, I know," he admitted with a smile, "But they grow so fast. Sometimes it feels like I blink and they've grown another inch."

Beatrice smiled back at Rooster, "I'm sure they've missed us just as much as we've missed them," she replied reassuringly, "And I bet they'll be thrilled to see us when we get back."

"Yeah, you're probably right," Rooster agreed with a nod, a sense of longing evident in his voice, "I can't wait to hold them in my arms again."

Beatrice reached out to take Rooster's hand in hers, giving it a gentle squeeze. "It won't be long now," she said softly, "Just a few more hours and we'll be back home with our family."

After a few minutes, the captain's voice came over the intercom, announcing that they would be taking off shortly. Rooster tightened his grip on Beatrice's hand, feeling a surge of excitement mixed with a tinge of nervousness.

"Here we go," he murmured softly, his eyes fixed on the window as the plane taxied down the runway.

Beatrice squeezed Rooster's hand reassuringly, offering him a warm smile. "This was fun,right? This trip to Virginia.”

Rooster returned Beatrice's smile,"Yeah, it was," he agreed softly, "Virginia holds a lot of memories for me, both good and bad. But being there with you... it made it all worth it."

Beatrice nodded in understanding, her heart swelling with affection for her husband. "I'm glad we went," she said sincerely, "It was important for both of us…you feeling better? Especially because of the reunion and such?”

"Yeah, I do feel better," he replied honestly, "And being able to visit my parents' graves...it was hard, but it brought me some peace. And having you by my side made it easier."

Beatrice smiled softly. "I'm glad I could be there for you," she said softly, "You mean everything to me, Roos. I just want to see you happy."

Rooster leaned over to press a gentle kiss to Beatrice's cheek, his lips lingering against her skin. "I am happy, Bea," he murmured against her cheek, "Because I have you. You make me happy,gorgeous.”

Beatrice's eyes shimmered with tears at Rooster's words, feeling overwhelmed with emotion. She wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close as they shared a moment of quiet intimacy.

"I love you, Roos," she whispered, her voice filled with love, "I don’t want to cry on the plane.”

“Sorry,gorgeous.” he chuckles, gently wiping her tear with the back of his finger, “Didn’t mean to. And don't apologize, Bea," he murmured softly, "Your tears are precious to me. They remind me of how much you care."

Beatrice smiled through her tears, feeling grateful for Rooster's understanding and support. She leaned into his touch, savoring the warmth of his hand against her skin. "Thank you, Roos," she whispered, her voice filled with emotion.

They sat together in silence for a while longer, their hands intertwined as they watched the world pass by outside the window. The hum of the plane's engines filled the cabin, lulling them into a sense of peace and contentment.

After a while, Beatrice leaned back in her seat, feeling a sense of exhaustion wash over her. She closed her eyes, allowing herself to relax into the familiar rhythm of the plane's movements.

Rooster watched Beatrice with a fond smile, feeling grateful for the opportunity to share this moment with her. He reached out to gently brush a strand of hair away from her face, his touch light and tender.

"You should get some rest, gorgeous," he murmured softly, "We still have a few hours until we land."

Beatrice nodded sleepily, ‘Are you going to sleep too?”

Rooster shook his head with a small smile, "I'll keep watch over you, make sure you're comfortable," he replied softly, "Then maybe I'll take a nap too."

Beatrice smiled gratefully at Rooster, feeling a wave of warmth wash over her at his words. She leaned into his touch, her exhaustion starting to catch up with her as she closed her eyes.

"Thank you, Roos," she murmured softly, her voice barely above a whisper, "You're the best."

Rooster's heart swelled with love for the woman beside him, feeling grateful for the opportunity to take care of her. He pressed a tender kiss to Beatrice's forehead before settling back into his seat, keeping a watchful eye on her as she drifted off to sleep.

As the plane cruised through the night sky, Rooster sat quietly beside Beatrice, lost in his thoughts.Despite the cramped quarters and the discomfort of flying commercial, Rooster couldn't imagine being anywhere else but here, by Beatrice's side

The hours passed by, Rooster found himself reflecting on their trip to Virginia. It had been an emotional journey, one filled with both sorrow and joy. But through it all, he had felt a sense of healing, a sense of closure that he hadn't felt in years.

Visiting his parents' graves had been difficult, but it had also been cathartic. And the reunion…was bearable.

Rooster smiled to himself as he thought about the future, about the possibility of having a place in Virginia with Beatrice. It was a comforting thought, knowing that they could create new memories together in a place that held so much meaning for him.

But for now, Rooster was content to simply be here, in this moment, with Beatrice by his side. He reached out to gently brush a stray hair away from her face, his touch light and tender as he watched her sleep.

"You're my everything, Bea," he whispered softly, his voice filled with love, "And I'll always be here for you, no matter what."

She smiles in her sleep.

Eventually he fell asleep too.

The hum of the plane's engines filled area, creating a soothing background noise as Rooster and Beatrice slept peacefully.

Hours passed by, Rooster stirred from his slumber, feeling a sense of warmth and contentment wash over him as he blinked away the remnants of sleep. He glanced over at Beatrice, still sound asleep beside him, her breathing steady and even.

A smile tugged at the corners of Rooster's lips as he watched his wife,he reached out to gently stroke her cheek, his touch light and tender as he admired her peaceful expression.

"You're so beautiful," he murmured softly, his voice filled with awe, "Even in your sleep."

Beatrice stirred at the sound of Rooster's voice, her eyelids fluttering open as she slowly came back to consciousness. She blinked up at him, her gaze soft and filled with affection as she returned his smile.

"Hey there," she greeted sleepily, her voice still thick with sleep, "Did I fall asleep?"

Rooster chuckled softly, brushing a strand of hair away from Beatrice's face. "Yeah, you did," he replied warmly, "But don't worry, I kept watch over you. You looked so peaceful, I didn't want to disturb you."

"Thank you, Roos," she whispered softly, her voice filled with love, "You're always looking out for me."

"I'll always look out for you, Bea," he murmured against her lips, his voice filled with sincerity, "You mean everything to me."

“Are we in San Diego yet?”

Rooster checked his watch before glancing out the window, noticing the city lights twinkling below them. "We're getting close," he replied with a smile, "Just a little longer and we'll be home."

Beatrice's face lit up with excitement at the prospect of returning home. "I can't wait," she exclaimed eagerly, "I miss our bed, and the kids and the dogs, and just...being home."

As the plane touched down at San Diego International Airport, Rooster and Beatrice woke up fully and gathered their belongings and made their way off the plane. They navigated through the terminal together, their hands intertwined as they made their way towards the exit.

Once outside, they hailed a taxi and climbed inside, relieved to be back on familiar ground. As they drove through the city streets towards their home, Rooster couldn't help but feel a sense of gratitude wash over him.

"We're home, Bea," he murmured softly, his voice filled with warmth, "Back where we belong."

Beatrice smiled back at Rooster, her heart overflowing with happiness at the thought of being home. "I missed this place," she admitted softly, "But most of all, I missed being here with you."

Rooster reached out to take Beatrice's hand in his, squeezing it gently as he met her gaze with unwavering affection. "I missed it too, Bea," he replied sincerely “...we should go on a date this week.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, take the kids too, it’ll be fun.’

She smiles tiredly at him ‘...yeah…it will.’

[elliefictions]

A MET OF THEIR OWN (PART 2)

Pairing: Pedro Pascal x Original Female Character

Summary: Pedro gets back from the Met Gala and is welcomed by Lizzie, his longtime girlfriend, who watched his red carpet from home and prepared a surprise for him...

Takes Pedro’s POV. 

warnings: fluff and some smut

Word count: 2,5k words

PART 1

---------

It was 1am. Usually, Pedro would already be in bed, like the old man he was. But he was only on his way home from the MET GALA afterparty, his head still buzzing, his mind still racing from the anxiety he felt in waves throughout the night. The crowd, the photographers, the people he got to mingle with. It was nerve-wracking but also so gratifying. Some personal heroes of his came to him and complimented him, mentioning his recent works. Those were pinch-me moments that he’ll never forget.

He was relieved to go straight home, and not make a detour to the hotel to revert back to his civilian clothes. Those were in a duffel bag placed at his feet on the car back to his apartment building.

He looked at his phone and found a text from Lizzie, begging him for another additional picture. This was before his red carpet. He chuckled. She’s probably been served thousands of pictures by the Internet and did not feel the need nor wanted to bother to add more to the pile. And she was going to see the outfit with her own eyes anyway.

P - 1:13am

“Hey, going back home, I’ll be here in a few mins.”

He almost thought she was already asleep but he received a reply a few minutes later.

L. - 1:17am

“Still awake! I’m waiting for you…😘”

Ten minutes later, he was at his doorstep, searching his bag for the house key. His hand finally grasped the keychain but he also felt something else. He retrieved his findings and found the fake lip ring he was supposed to wear on the carpet. But he decided against it as it made him feel a little too self-conscious. And he was afraid of swallowing it during dinner. Looking at this piece of jewelry reminded him of Lizzie’s earlier text. He placed it back on his lip, rearranged his hair and opened the front door.

Once entering the lobby, he stopped dead in his tracks. The lights were dimmed. And he didn’t know he could actually do that, he didn’t even remember having bought a dimmer switch. The furniture had not moved though, which indicated that he was indeed in their apartment.

He slowly set down his keys on the counter while observing his surroundings. He was digging the atmosphere. And then he heard footsteps approaching from the living area. Lizzie appeared and Pedro’s brain froze and his hands slipped, dropping his duffel bag.

He thought she would just wear her nightgown and she actually was wearing one. But this was not the usual lavender satin robe he got her for her birthday.

A luxurious burgundy tulle fabric was covering her whole body, tightly hugging her bust, and then flowing from her waist down the floor, its endings and sleeves made of feathers. She wore a red collar with three laces attached to it. But the different red shade and the fabric indicated that it was not belonging to the robe, but to the garment underneath it. He couldn’t see the full outfit underneath, yet he tried to figure it out through the tulle.

He took all of this in, looking her up and down, then up to her face. She has always focused her makeup on the eyes, and this was no exception, with burgundy-mauve eyeshadow, black liner and fake lashes, giving her a piercing gaze. Her lips were in brown shade, not far from her natural color. Her long jet black hair, usually straightened, was more wavy. Her burgundy-painted nails were holding two glasses of wine, and she was sipping one of them.

She looked like a doll coming straight from a gothic novel, or these old Hollywood movies. She was definitely sexy, but not in her usual badass, rockstar looks. It was like meeting another version of her from an alternate universe.

Lizzie slowly approached him, not breaking her soft gaze. She was displaying a smug smile. She then stopped a few feet from him, as she stared at his face, first in the eye, and then slightly lower, at his lower lip, where the ring was. Despite the dimmer lights, he could see her pupils dilate and she couldn’t suppress biting her lower lip.

“New York is an amazing city. I can’t believe all the things you can buy at 10pm just two blocks from here.”

Pedro was puzzled by this sudden change of tone and couldn’t help but giggle.

“Let me guess…the dimmer switch?”

“Well, yes. But also this robe. And what’s underneath it” She raised her eyebrows. “Did you know there’s a sex shop selling boudoir lingerie in our neighborhood? Very useful for women planning to seduce their partner at the very last minute.”

“Sounds quite like a specific niche. Did people recognize you?”

“I don’t think so, I was actually in and out in ten minutes. I knew exactly what I wanted…”, Lizzie was now very close to him, looking up at him expectantly, her eyes inviting him to touch her.

With just his fingertips, he grazed her waist through the robe and he could feel a harder fabric underneath it. He felt her tremble at his touch which made his lower body twitch in anticipation. His hands then traveled up her body and landed on her cheeks as he approached his face and kissed her, her tongue immediately touching his lip ring. This made both of them shiver.

He didn’t know how much time passed but they were both panting and gasping for air when Lizzie broke the kiss. She handed one of the wine glasses she was still holding. He took it, sipped it, and was surprised at the taste. She must have opened one of the finest bottles in their cellar.  

He followed her to the living room, whose lights were also dimmed. He wondered how the fuck she has changed all the lights and pampered herself in a such a short amount of time.

Lizzie was standing up, facing him from the opposite side of the room, looking at him quizzically.

“So what’s the occasion?” He finally asked, drinking the wine.

“To congratulate you on being now the most fashionable human being.” she exclaimed, raising her glass. “Knowing you for as long as I do, you’ve actually come a long way”

He couldn't help but spit his wine and cackle. He’s always found her quite funny, yet he always got surprised by her occasional deadpan humor. Lizzie giggled softly and hid her smile behind one of her large sleeves, happy of the effect of her delivery.

“Thank you…I guess?” he said in between giggles. His laughing fit mixed with the side effects of the alcohol he drank earlier and him actually wearing a wool coat indoors actually made him sweat. He tried to cool down by fanning himself.

“You know you can take off your coat, right?” Lizzie said as he set her drink aside, got closer to him and held both lapels. She held a serious stare and he looked back at her amused. He could see she was cooking something in her head as he placed his own glass on the coffee table. She then suddenly broke into a grin.

“It’s gettin’ hoooot in heeeere, so take off all your clooothes” She started singing as she removed his coat from him.

He didn’t know what she drank or ate to actually think of Nelly’s song but she was chaotic tonight. And he was usually the chaotic one in the couple. But he loved every bit of that and felt like he had no other choice to match her energy.

“I am gettin' so hot, I wanna take my clooooothes off', he tried to sing the high notes, helping her remove the coat and then loosening his tie. But sure enough, as expected: he was off-key pretty much the whole time, making them both wheeze and laugh so hard that Lizzie had to hold on to him to gain back her composure.

“Just sit down, honey, I’ll just put the coat in the closet. I’ll be right back.” she said, her eyes teary and her voice strained.

She quickly retreated back into the lobby as he sat on the couch waiting for her, wondering what was actually going on in her mind. The whole set up made the intention of a sexy time obvious but the sudden switches of tone and the jokes were definitely sexy time killers. But above all, these were a little bit unusual.

He did not have more time to think about it more that she was already back and sat right next to him. He held her hand to his lips and kissed it.

“My love, I appreciate this celebration of me being finally fashionable in your eyes but this does not really explain…” he enquired, gesturing to her outfit.

“Well…” Lizzie started, looking down, with a shy tone he hasn't heard in a while. “A few hours ago, I was actually wearing your Lakers shirt. And I looked like I didn’t see the sun for years.”

The fact that she wore his shirt made him smile fondly. But he could also imagine the rat’s nest that must have been her hair and how disheveled she must have looked by focusing solely on her work. He just hoped she hadn’t forgotten to eat something.

“Usually, I wouldn’t care that much. But knowing that you would come back here looking like this” She gestured at his outfit. “and that you kind of arranged this for just me…I felt like it was unfair to welcome you back looking like a mess. And I wanted to match your color. So, there you go”.

She looked up at him sheepishly, her demeanor so different from her usual confident self. And deep down, he knew this was the real her, within her always composed face. Or at least this was a side of her that he was privileged to witness.

“Do you like it?”

“Of course, I love it. You can’t see I’m hard right now?” he snickered. “It’s just that…it’s very different. You look different.”

She turned away, blushing and sighed. He immediately cupped her chin, and made her look back at him.

“But just so you know. I love when you wear your combat boots, your leather jacket and bra and your gothic jewelry and play the most insane guitar riff. Do you remember when you performed in Santiago last year?”

“Yes? What about that show?”

“You were the sexiest when you were working on the crowd, making them jump, scream and sing. Like the rock goddess that you are. This is when…I knew I fell madly in love with you.”

She looked at him and he felt like his admission was making her teary. He couldn't help but feel that this emotion was also tinted with an underlying sadness.

He let go of her chin to give her some space to breathe.

“Just so you know.” Her voice was veiled. “I love you with your band and basketball shirts. And your Henley shirts. I grew fond of those. Please never get rid of them. It’s just that…you really looked so handsome and…”

She became hesitant, her eyes trying to find his’, and seemed to be struggling to find words. He waited for her, stroking her shoulder reassuringly through the tulle. He was already beaming with pride at her compliment. It meant a lot coming from her.

“You look like my teenage self’s wet dream fantasy, ok?” she finally admitted.

“Wh..what?!” he said, incredulous.

“Yes. The red shirt, the slim tie, the rings on your fingers and that. Fucking. Lip. Ring. Oh, and the slicked back hair?! The slutty little knee?? Come on! I don’t know the concept you were aiming at. Punk demon? Vampire Godfather? Anyway, this literally ticks all of the boxes for what I fantasized about when I was sixteen. And as a matter of fact, you make me feel like I’m sixteen again. And I don’t know what to do. I’m horny but I’m also intimidated. You make me blush and wet at the same time. This is so embarrassing!!”

As she hid her face in her hands, Pedro took some time to process the sudden outburst, which was pretty rare coming from her. And he came to the simple conclusion that he was living for it. He managed to stifle a laugh but couldn’t contain a sly grin. Since he was her fantasy right now, better lean into it.

He gazed at her sweetheart, trying to make the most lustful expression and got really close to her on the couch so that she had no choice but to lie down. He was towering her and cupped her cheek with one hand.

“So, you like what you see? Am I making your "teenage self" horny right now?” he asked softly in a lower tone, almost like a purr.

It was hard for him to contain his amusement, but she didn’t seem to take notice. She couldn’t avert her gaze from him and just nodded. He squeezed her cheeks with one hand.

“With your words” he commanded in a stern voice.

“Yes. You’re making her wet at the moment.” she replied softly, almost like a whisper.

“Good”. His tongue licked her lips. “But what I am more interested in…” he kissed her, deliberately grazing his lip ring on her chin. “Is what your adult self is thinking of right now”.

Lizzie took a few seconds to ponder his question, averting his gaze. She smiled shyly and finally responded.

“The teenage and adult selves are the same person. But the adult self is also so proud of you.”

Pedro broke character at this new change of mood.

“You looked so badass on the carpet. Like the king I’ve always thought you were. I’ve always felt that your red carpet clothes were wearing you and not the opposite. You and Julia have done a great fashion work lately but this…this is different. This is an eye-turner, it is edgy yet elegant and…it’s so different from your usual red carpet style yet it is so you at the same time. And also, you looked so happy and confident there. Maybe a little anxious at times but definitely confident. And confidence is sexy.”

She looked him straight in the eyes. The lust was still there but he could also sense a deep, indescribable fondness.

“I’m probably going to repeat myself and what everyone has told you lately. But I’m so happy for you. I know how much you wanted this and how hard you worked for it. I can’t wait for the day when I’ll be able to stand next to you and proudly hold your hand for the world to see. I’m so happy I can call you my partner.”

She stroked his cheek and he melted at her touch. This wasn’t just about the MET GALA anymore. It was about everything else. He felt her love in waves, washing away any trace of the anxiety he had felt. There was just raw, pure emotion and love and tenderness.

“Don’t do that” Lizzie suddenly scolded.

“Do what?”

“The puppy eyes. Stop it. How dare you.”

“But you’re making me cry!” Pedro shouted as he kissed every inch of her face, avoiding her lips, saving those for last.  

“I love you, Lizzie”, he whispered to her, like it was a secret.

“I love you, Pedro. Always”. She whispered back as she grazed his upper lip with hers.

Pedro leant into the kiss, deepening it, wanting to convey how desirable she was and how much he wanted all of her. Pedro lifted her up, placed her on his lap and he kissed her, caressing her in all places, making her sigh and moan loudly as she removed his tie and started working on his shirt. He thought for a second that the neighbors must have heard it but then opted out of that thought: he actually couldn’t care less. He just wanted to worship her.

The robe looked regal but it was definitely beginning to bother him. There were too many clothes on her. Also, he was getting curious as to what was underneath it. He untied the knot at her waist while kissing her neck.

“Off off off off off off”. He ordered as he easily removed the robe.

And he had to stop and stare at the bright red leather-like bra with straps connected to her collar. The red garter belt was hugging her waist while a red-laced thong completed her look, turning her from a gothic character to a bondage pinup doll. Which hardened him. That was her girl.

“Now that, I like very much…”

He placed his hands on her ass and lifted her up as he got up from the couch, which made her squeal in surprise. She immediately strapped herself to his waist. He saw her wanting to say something but he shushed her immediately. He wanted to avoid another mood switch.

“I don’t want to talk anymore. Bedroom?” He asked, getting rid of all courtesy.

This seemed to have taken her breath away.

“Bedroom” she only managed to utter before kissing him hard, this time biting his lower lip.

He couldn’t suppress a growl as he carried her to their bedroom, closing the door with one foot.

[yumestar19]

Black Butler X Splatoon 3 Headcanons

Ciel Phantomhive

Preferred Weapon Type: Shooters

Main Weapon: Splattershot

Favourite Mode: Splat Zones

Sebastian Michaelis

Preferred Weapon Type: Dualies

Main Weapon: Jet Squelcher/Dark Tetra Dualies

Favourite Mode:

He is the one everyone is the most scared of and he is indeed pretty above average, being damn fast, not missing a shot and handling the battlefield like a master of situations, buuuut... As long as Ciel gives him orders from behind, he cannot put his full potential to use.

If he loses a battle, it is only because the referee cat distracted him.

He forgets to press continue at least once per session because he can't get enough of the cat.

In the lobby he hangs out near the cat every time, watching it and wishing to touch its fluffy paws, then realising it's just a game and getting depressed.

He loves Splatoon 3 for the sole reason that it has cats as referees.

Elisabeth Midford

Preferred Weapon Type: Brellas/Dualies

Main Weapon:

Upon seeing her low rank, you are going to assume she's a total noob and doesn't move the team forward, but then surprise, she's the one who leads everyone to victory, slaughtering one by one and competing even with Grell.

She's actually a pacifist, but Splatoon 3 makes her forget all morals and good manners, mercilessly killing players who are just standing around or swimming up the walls.

She is a team player, shielding her teammate and rushing to their rescue, but she is also great at solo.

When Ciel is near, her skills are skyrocketing. If Ciel is killed, you have hopelessly gotten yourself in a deadly situation, because she will go berserk, wiping out the entire opponent's team.

Edward Midford

Preferred Weapon Type: Brushes

Main Weapon:

Favourite Mode:

He is relatively average, a little less good compared to Lizzy, Sebastian and Ciel, but does his job decently. However, if you kill his sister, then running away won't help you anymore, because he chases you all over the field and won't rest until he slaughters you. Probably dies as well during the attempt, but he doesn't care, as long as the opponents dead

Also, he gets absolutely pissed if the opponent kills him before he could take revenge

One of his strategies is to hide behind his sister's shield and then race fast behind the enemy and finish them off. This won't work every time.

Mey-Rin

Preferred Weapon Type: Chargers

Main Weapon: E-liter 4K Scope

Favourite Mode: Turf War/Anarchy Battles

She is the incredibly talented sniper that you won't notice until the very moment you die. Always changing positions and never staying in one spot for too long, she's hard to kill and even harder to avoid. She can wipe out an entire team and protect the base like no one else. However, if you manage to get close, she struggles with her short weapon range and easily gets killed. Her skills also vary depending on the stage.

Bardroy

Preferred Weapon Type: Blasters/Splatlings

Main Weapon: Range Blaster

Favourite Mode: Turf War/Rainmaker

Finnian

Preferred Weapon Type: Sloshers

Lau

Preferred Weapon Type: Stringers

Main Weapon: Tri-Stringer

Favourite Mode:

He would actually be useful in battle IF he wouldn't

Grelle Sutcliffe

Preferred Weapon Type: Splatanas

Main Weapon: Splatana Stamper

Favourite Mode: Anarchy Battles

William T. Spears

Preferred Weapon Type: Chargers

Main Weapon: Snipewriter 5H

Favourite Mode: Tower Control/Salmon Run

Ronald Knox

Preferred Weapon Type: Rollers

Main Weapon: Dynamo Roller

Favourite Mode: Clam Blitz/Splat Zones

He abuses the boyaah-button far too much

Undertaker

Preferred Weapon Type: Shooters

Main Weapon: N-Zap '85

Favourite Mode: Turf War

In General

For absolutely no canonical reason: if Mey-Rin and William were to fight each other, it would be an extreme battle between two professional chargers. It would be difficult to judge which of them would win.

[numbuh900]

Codename: Foals Next Door

KND x MLP AU

A universe where everyone in the kids next door universe are My Little Pony ponies/creatures, also alot of the characters don't have human names and instead go by more Equestrian sounding names.

Also this universe still has stuff like human technology like cars, the internet, space travel and stuff. 2x4 technology is the same tho there are special trained magic user operatives in the FND, Celestia and Luna or any Equestrian legends are seen as just fairy tales but they have some hints of truth to them.

Celestia and Luna were FND alicorn operatives that fought against evil adult's together back in the midieval times, like with Numbuh Zero, some believe they existed while others say they were just myths.

Comes from a long line of umbrum which is why he and his Dad don't have cutie marks.

Mom is a dragon named Ruby.

Dad is a earth pony(umbrum).

Doesn't have rocket boots like his human counterpart, just uses his wings instead.

Like Scootaloo,he has trouble flying with his wings so me makes jetpacks and jets for himself so he can enjoy the rush of flight.

Has a special 2x4 tech weapon that shoots horse shoes.

Her special attack is blasting rainbow blast from her horn, she's the magic expert of her Sector as she loves finding/making spells for Numbuh Five to use.

Got his cutie mark when he knocked out a whole group of teens with the throw on one dodge ball.

Main attack is a hindleg flipkick love called "The BuckFlip"

Her special talent is hunting for candy and being able to sense it.

Knows a few candy themed spells she learnt from Cree back when she was in basic training.

And now for the only villain I ponified, Father.

Is an Umbrum and comes from a long line of them.

real name is Brimstone Burner.

Didn't discover his powers until his teens year's.

Headcannons for what creatures the other characters are

Toiletnator=Earth Pony

Rachel=Unicorn

Fanny=Dimond Dog

Count Spankulot=Bat Pony

Numbuh 20,000=Sea Pony/hippogriff

Sonia=Griffin

Numbuh 60=Reindeer

Lizzie=Earth Pony(Secretly a alien plant pony)

King Sandy=Sea Pony/hippogriff

Crazy Old Cat Lady: Abyssinians

Miss. Goodwall=Minotaur

Chester=Donkey

Lura Limpin=Earth pony

Mr. Boss=Dimond Dog

President Jimmy=Griffin

Stickybeard=Avian

Ace/The Kid=Avian

KnightBrace=Pegasus pony

The Delightful Children From Down the lane: Lenny is a earth pony, David is a Unicorn, Bruce is a pegasus, Alessandra is a unicorn and Constance is a earth pony.

The interesting twins from beneath the mountain=changelings

The Common Cold=Earth Pony

Numbuh 30c=Seapony/hippogriff

Mr. Wink and Mr. Fibb=Warlrus and Moose pony hybrids

Gramma Stuffum=Dragon

[doyelikehaggis]

Fandoms + Ships (for Prompt Purposes)

As I like to reblog prompts a lot but have the annoying little habit of jumping ship on a fandom, I decided it is finally time I make an official list, which will be constantly updated as I develop new interests! If there’s a ship you want to request but it isn’t here, just ask and I’ll let you know where I stand with it!

In The Flesh

• Kieren x Rick

• Kieren x Simon

The Hunger Games

• Everlark (Katniss/Peeta)

• Finnick/Annie

• Haymitch/Effie

• Katniss/Madge

HSMTMTS

• Caswen (Ricky/EJ)

• Portwell (EJ/Gina)

• Mashlynn (Maddox/Ashlynn)

• Ricky/Jet

The Vampire Diaries

• Stelena (Stefan/Elena)

• Mattlena (Matt/Elena)

• Tylena (Tyler/Elena)

• Elenijah (Elijah/Elena)

• Barolena (Bonnie/Caroline/Elena)

• Stexi (Stefan/Lexi)

• Denzo (Damon/Enzo)

• Forwood (Tyler/Caroline)

• Maroline (Matt/Caroline)

• Bamon (Bonnie/Damon)

• Bamenzo (Bonnie/Damon/Enzo)

• Carenzo (Caroline/Enzo)

• Dalijah (Damon/Elijah)

• Parkwood (Tyler/Liv)

• Klayley (Klaus/Hayley)

Legacies

• Handon (Hope/Landon)

• Jandon (Josie/Landon)

• Henelope (Hope/Penelope)

• Hizzie (Hope/Lizzie)

• Kizzie (Kaleb/Lizzie)

• Methan (MG/Ethan)

• Ked (Kaleb/Jed)

• Dark!Jobastian (Dark!Josie/Sebastian)

• Landizzie (Landon/Lizzie)

Teen Wolf

• Sciles (Scott/Stiles)

• Scydia (Scott/Lydia)

• Mccallinski (Lydia/Scott/Stiles)

• Stalia (Stiles/Malia)

• Malydia (Malia/Lydia)

• Stira (Stiles/Kira)

• Scira (Scott/Kira)

• Liason (Liam/Mason)

• Allydia (Allison/Lydia)

• Allerica (Allison/Erica)

• Berica (Boyd/Erica)

• Malisaac (Malia/Isaac)

• Lydora (Lydia/Cora)

• Allora (Allison/Cora)

• Scanny (Scott/Danny)

• Malira (Malia/Kira)

The Witcher

• Yennskier (Yennefer/Jaskier)

• Geraskerer (Geralt/Yennefer/Jaskier)

• Raskier (Radovid/Jaskier)

• Trennefer (Triss/Yennefer)

• Geralt/Triss

EastEnders

• Frobby (Bobby/Freddie)

• Chryed (Christian/Syed)

• Ballum (Ben/Callum)

• Sukeve (Suki/Eve)

• Ben Mitchell/Kheerat Panesar

• Jack Branning/Michael Moon

• Whitney Dean/Chelsea Fox

• Lauren Branning/Peter Beale

• Lauren Branning/Lucy Beale

• Peter Beale/Fatboy

• Zack Hudson/Martin Fowler

• Zack Hudson/Felix Baker

• Anna Knight/Bernie Taylor

• Stacey Slater/Danielle Jones

• Peter Beale/Tamwar Masood

• Darren Miller/Tamwar Masood

• Masood Ahmed/Jane Beale

• Anna Knight/Bobby Beale

• Anna Knight/Bobby Beale/Freddie Slater

• Linda Carter/Alfie Moon

Hollyoaks

• McHay (Ste/John Paul)

• McShepherd (John Paul/Carter)

• Stendan (Ste/Brendan)

• Brendan/Walker

• Joel/Theresa

• Brendan/Warren

• Brendan & Mitzeee (platonic)

• Brendan & Joel (platonic)

• Amy/Michaela

• Leah/Vicky

Friends

• Roey (Rachel/Joey)

• Chanoey (Chandler/Joey)

Stranger Things

• Elmax (El/Max)

• Elumax (El/Lucas/Max)

• Byclair (Lucas/Will)

• Byler (Will/Mike)

• Ronance (Robin/Nancy)

• Steddie (Steve/Eddie)

Glee

• Blam (Blaine/Sam)

• St. Hudson (Finn/Jesse)

• Tike (Tina/Mike)

• Quinntana (Quinn/Santana)

• Pezberry (Santana/Rachel)

• Quinncedes (Quinn/Mercedes)

• Sike (Sam/Mike)

• Jarley (Jake/Marley)

• Kurtbastian (Kurt/Sebastian)

The Flash

• Barrisco (Barry/Cisco)

• Snowbarrisco (Caitlin/Barry/Cisco)

• WestStein (Joe/Martin)

• Superflash (Barry/Kara)

• Thallen (Barry/Eddie)

•Westthallen (Iris/Barry/Eddie)

• Westhawne (Iris/Eddie)

Outlander

• Jamie/John

• John/Brianna

• Brianna/Roger

• Lizzie/Josiah/Kezzie

• William/Denzell

Lucifer

• Lucifella (Ella/Lucifer)

• Douchifella (Lucifer/Dan/Ella)

• Mazifer (Maze/Lucifer)

• Douchifer (Dan/Lucifer)

• Chlaze (Chloe/Maze)

PJO/HoO

• Jasico (Jason/Nico)

• Jercy (Jason/Percy)

• Perachel (Percy/Rachel)

• Rachabeth (Rachel/Annabeth)

• Pipabeth (Piper/Annabeth)

Merlin

• Merthur (Merlin/Arthur)

• Mercelot (Merlin/Lancelot)

•Merwaine (Merlin/Gwaine)

• Morgwen (Morgana/Gwen)

The Dumping Ground

• Elektra/Faith

• Elektra/Carmen

• Carmen/Lily

• Tyler/Jody

• Jody/Sasha

• Tyler/Ryan

• Chloe/Candi-Rose

• Candi-Rose/Bird

• Candi-Rose/Jay

The Story of Tracy Beaker

• Tracy/Crash

• Tracy/Ben

• Tracy/Lol

• Lol/Wolfie

• Crash/Rio

• Justine/Rebecca

Life With Derek

• Dasey (Derek/Casey)

• Derek/Sam

• Derek/Trevor

• Casey/Sally

Boy Meets World

• Shory (Shawn/Cory)

• Jeric (Jack/Eric)

• Eric/Jason

• Shawngela (Shawn/Angela)

• Shawpanga (Shawn/Topanga)

Girl Meets World

• Rilaya (Riley/Maya)

• Riley/Zay

• Riarkle (Riley/Farkle)

• Lucaya (Lucas/Maya)

• Maya/Zay

• Riley/Maya/Zay

Descendants

• Jal (Jay/Mal)

• Jaylos (Jay/Carlos)

• Mevie (Mal/Evie)

• Hevie (Harry/Evie)

• Buma (Ben/Uma)

• Umaudrey (Uma/Audrey)

• Haudrey (Harry/Audrey)

• Humaudrey (Harry/Uma/Audrey)

• Bevie (Ben/Evie)

iCarly

• Creddie (Carly/Freddie)

• Carly/Sam

• Carper (Carly/Harper)

• Sparper (Spencer/Harper)

Victorious

• Tandre (Tori/Andre)

• Jori (Jade/Tori)

Zoey 101

• Quogan (Quinn/Logan)

[bloodmoon24]

any ships that you don't like?

Oh, boy. Get comfy. I’m gonna make a HUGE ASS list of ships I don’t like:

Sonic Ships: Sonic x Amy/Knuckles/Tails/Eggman/Blaze/Jet/Mighty/Metal Sonic (practically everyone but Shadow, since he’s the only one I shipped Sonic with), Sonic x Twilight Sparkle/Rainbow Dash (because I know those exist somewhere), Knuckles x Fang, Rouge x Blaze/Amy, Amy x Shadow, Amy x Metal Sonic, Shadow x Rouge, Rouge x Wave

Hazbin/Helluva Ships: Loona x Moxxie/Millie, Moxxie x Verosika, Vortex x Ozzie, Blitz x Moxxie, Blitz x Ozzie, Stolas x Stella, Striker x Verosika, Striker x Fizzarolli, Chaz x Moxxie/Blitz/Millie, Blitz x Moxxie/Millie, Charlie x Angel Dust, Alastor x Vaggie, Sir Pentious x Cherri Bomb, Striker x Stella, Alastor x Husk, Katie x Charlie, Angel Dust x Valentino, Valentino x Vox/Velvet, Sir Pentious x Angel Dust, Mammon x Fizzarolli

Murder Drone Ships: V x N/Uzi, J x Uzi/N/V, Doll x Lizzy, Uzi x Thad, N x Cyn

The Amazing Digital Circus: Jax x Ragatha, Gangle x Zooble, Caine x Pomni, Pomni x Kaufmo, Jax x Bubble

So far, this is what I have on the top of my head. This WHOLE THING are ships I DO NOT like. And sorry for those who do ship these people on this list, but these ships aren’t for me

[henelopekru]

Illicit Affairs

CHAPTER ONE. Welcome Back

A Hope Mikaelson x Penelope Park (Henelope) Fic "Don't call me kid, don't call me baby."

Word Count: 2k words

Summary. Inspired by an old tweet I saw just after the second season of Legacies aired. In which Penelope had returned to Mystic Falls after all, only to realise Josie had moved on. Her so-called romance with a forgotten friend is only a ploy to make her ex-girlfriend jealous, never intending to go as far as it does.

A/N. Honestly this is a fic I've wanted to write for a while now. I actually haven't checked, but I imagine Henelope doesn't get a lot of love since they literally interacted twice the entire show lmao. Also please forgive me if some of this is a little inaccurate to the show, it's been a while since my last rewatch of Legacies!

Penelope wasn’t sure whether it was the circumstances that made her irritated by seemingly everything or if it was just Mystic Falls High. The school receptionist typing away at a computer likely older than Penelope herself, the ticking of a clock prehistoric in appearance.

8:55am, it read. Penelope frowned, it was far too early to be awake, especially while her body was still combating a severe case of jet lag. How long had she been waiting now? The email she’d gotten after enrolling last night had asked her to arrive at the reception at 8:30, it wouldn’t surprise her if they’d just forgotten about her. She contemplated asking the receptionist, who Penelope was about seventy percent certain was playing a flash game instead of actually doing any work.

She didn’t want to be here, pulling at a loose thread on her chair, trying hard to ignore the oddly stale scent in the air that threatened to make her nauseous. Still, this had been the agreement she’d decided on with her parents, she could come back to Mystic Falls without them, but she had to continue going to school - they just hadn’t specified what school.

Never in a million years would she have imagined she’d be going to a public school of all places, but anywhere sounded better than the Salvatore School right now. She couldn’t go back there, not after what had happened last night.

The plan had been to surprise Josie with her return. After the way their goodbye had gone, Penelope had assumed Josie would be thrilled to have her back. Sure, maybe they wouldn’t have gotten back together, but she’d just been excited at the idea of seeing her again.

But seeing her with someone else? With Landon Kirby of all people?

At least they hadn’t seen her, that Penelope had spotted them first. She’d managed to preserve her pride so far, but she wouldn’t have stood a chance if they’d known she’d seen them. That was the only silver lining she could see for now, but she didn’t feel optimistic enough to try and think of any others. It was a shitty situation, nothing could fix it.

Josie had been the only reason Penelope had even returned, wanting to warn her about the Merge, wanting to love her in spite of all her flaws and in spite of Lizzie. Her new school in Belgium hadn’t been so bad after all, designed completely for witches, the only downside it had was that there was no Josie. She was too late, Josie had moved on and there was no way Penelope could go back to the boarding school, she couldn’t stand seeing her and Landon together again.

The worst part was that she had no real place to be angry or hurt; Penelope had already broken up with Josie, long before she’d even left for Belgium, she’d broken her heart first - so this was what it felt like, karma stung more than Penelope would’ve liked. 

She’d never actually been broken up with before, or rejected, but she got the feeling her situation with Josie was more painful than any other kind of heartbreak could be. It wasn’t that neither of them cared, Penelope had just messed up and it was too late to fix it.

It was her own fault, she’d caused this.

Penelope had hardly had the time to give much thought to the other girl she’d seen near the mill that night, right after she’d left Josie and Landon. The girl was a student - maybe? - but not one that Penelope recognised, she’d simply chalked her down to being a new transfer, she didn’t look young enough to be a freshman, probably around Penelope’s age.

The girl was the last of her worries though, just as she had been last night. Besides, Penelope doubted that she’d even see her again, she didn’t intend on going anywhere near the boarding school.

“The principal will see you now, Miss Park.” The school receptionist mercifully tore Penelope from her thoughts before she could wallow in any more self-pity. 

Penelope nodded, standing up from her seat in the waiting room, boots squeaking as they made contact with the rubber floors. She grimaced at the harsh sound, approaching the door to the headmaster’s office, reading over the newly placed name plate.

‘Principal A. Saltzman’

It didn’t come as a complete surprise to Penelope, she’d known Alaric had taken a job in Mystic Falls High. Perhaps she hadn’t known it was the job of principal, but it made sense, considering he’d been the headmaster at the Salvatore school. Still, that didn’t take away the dreadful awkwardness that she knew would come with having to talk to her ex-girlfriend’s father.

With a near inaudible sigh, Penelope knocked on the door, waiting for permission from the man inside before she entered the office, unsure of what to expect.

“Take a seat, Penelope.” Alaric gestured towards the empty seat across from his side of the desk, hitting the witch with an odd sense of deja vu from her first day at the Salvatore Boarding School. It felt like forever ago now, since she’d first convinced her parents to allow her to move from her home in New Orleans to a small town in Virginia.

Sitting down, Penelope wouldn’t even dare to look Alaric in the eye, out of.. What? Embarrassment? Guilt? She couldn’t pinpoint it exactly, but both seemed to apply. Embarrassed she’d believed Josie would just take her back, guilty they’d even broken up in the first place. Penelope wondered if Alaric knew about Josie and Landon, if the kiss she’d witnessed the night before had been the first of many to come or if they’d been together since Penelope had left for Belgium.

The silence in the room was deafening, as Alaric quietly flicked through his computer screen, likely looking through Penelope’s files from her last two schools. 

She wondered if Alaric resented her, for everything that had happened. She’d never had to worry about that when she first broke up with Josie. While he’d been the headmaster at Salvatore’s, there’d been no room for him to take sides and if anything, Penelope wasn’t sure she’d ever seen him take Josie’s side - it was obvious he struggled to balance being a father and a headmaster all at once.

But now, they were in a different school, where maybe he could allow his love towards his daughters to take the forefront more often. Despite her silent disagreements Penelope had towards Alaric, mainly ones that involved him not telling Lizzie and Josie about the merge, she actually liked him. Surprisingly - even to her - she’d actually be quite disheartened if he treated her differently.

Eventually, Penelope cleared her throat, “Why did you leave the boarding school?” She asked, leaning back in her seat. In a way, she was relieved Alaric was her headmaster again, she didn’t feel like trying to suss out a brand new person.

Alaric was too occupied with the computer to look up, although Penelope didn’t take offence, she knew what he was like and it was just nice to have some sense of familiarity after everything that had happened since she’d come back.

“I thought the school would be more suited to a headmaster that can help better than I can.” He explained vaguely after a pause, looking up from the screen in front of him.

She let out a quiet burst of laughter, it had never been a secret that Alaric was ill-equipped when it came to running a school of supernatural teenagers. “You mean someone who’s not a human, right?” Penelope asked, earning a glare from Alaric.

“Penelope.” He began in a hiss, “You don’t know who could be listening.”

Penelope only shrugged in response, although she knew he was right, so she decided not to press any further. Even if she was hurting more than she’d care to admit, she knew throwing the rest of her former classmates under the bus would be unfair. Perhaps the council had stopped vampire hunting years ago, but there was no use in risking it.

“You applied for your enrollment quite late.” Alaric noted, looking up from his screen to shoot her a knowing glance. Maybe this Josie and Landon thing had been going on for a while. “Last night, to be exact. You’re lucky I recognised your name.”

Penelope could only pray that Alaric wouldn’t mention Josie. She wasn’t sure she could handle even the mention of her former girlfriend’s name right now.

She chose not to offer an explanation, to be safe, “So can I still enrol?” Penelope asked nonchalantly, like she had other options. Technically, she could go back to Belgium, but how would she even explain what had happened to her parents? They’d had no idea about her and Josie and for good reason, they never would have approved of the relationship.

Alaric nodded, “You can, but I don’t understand, Penelope.” He answered, finally tearing his full attention away from the computer, resting his arms on the desk he sat at, “You fit in well at the boarding school, you were well liked.. I just don’t see what you gain from coming here instead.”

Shifting uncomfortably in her seat, Penelope sat up straight. “Maybe I want a different experience.” She shot back, just about managing to hold back her sarcasm. She made a point of lowering her voice as she continued, “Besides, it’s not like I need help controlling my magic, I grew up around witches in the French Quarter.”

“And you’re sure there’s not another reason?” Alaric asked, as though he already knew but was just waiting for Penelope to confess the truth.

Penelope nodded in response; a lie that Alaric appeared to see right now.

He paused uncertainly, “Have you spoken to Josie since you got back? I know she missed having you around school.” Alaric commented, a statement that caused Penelope’s heart to sink.

She didn’t want to think about how Josie must’ve felt after she left, their tearful goodbye had been painful enough. She wondered how long it had taken after that for her to grow close with Landon, if he was just a rebound or if Josie really loved him - neither option was preferable.

“No, I broke up with her, remember?” Penelope clarified, feigning disinterest. She almost immediately dropped the act, more so out of shame rather than the fact that she was talking to Josie’s father. He probably didn’t think very highly of her after she broke his daughter’s heart the first time around. “If I see her, I’ll say hi..”

Seemingly satisfied with the answer he’d been given, Alaric momentarily returned his attention back towards the computer, clicking and typing a few times before he spoke, “Then congratulations, Penelope, you’re officially a student at Mystic Falls High.” He announced, not bothering to lace his tone with enthusiasm, he knew it was the last thing Penelope wanted.

With another click at the computer, a sheet of paper appeared from the printer behind Alaric’s desk, the machinery making a soft buzz. He turned around in his chair to grab the paper, handing it to Penelope. “This has your timetable and your locker number.” He stated, pointing towards each area where the necessary information was located.

Taking the paper in her hands, Penelope quickly skimmed over the information, enough to know that her first lesson of the day was History. She nodded, “Thanks, Alaric.” Penelope acknowledged.

“That’s Mr Saltzman to you.” Alaric corrected her half-heartedly. He shook his head, knowing that she wouldn’t listen, Penelope had been too close to Josie and the rest of the Saltzman family - excluding Lizzie, of course - to even consider Alaric an authority figure. “Just be careful what you call me around the other students.”

Penelope nodded again, humming in amusement as she stood up from her seat. “Yeah, sure.” She mumbled, gathering her things and folding up the sheet Alaric had given her, “I guess I’ll see you around then."

For the first time during the entire exchange, Alaric offered Penelope a smile. Strangely enough, Penelope found it reassuring, easing nerves she didn’t know she had about her first day, “Good luck today.” He said, “And welcome back to Mystic Falls.”

[aggravateddurian]

OC Interview: Valerie Ocampo-Gonzalez

From Brother's Shadow

Was tagged by @katsigian to do this OC interview game. Thanks katsigian!

Name: Valerie Ocampo-Gonzalez

Nickname: Val

Gender: F (cis)

Star Sign: Libra

Height: 5'6" (167.64cm)

Orientation: Bi

Nationality/Ethnicity: American, with Filipino and Mexican ancestry. She takes a bit more after her father though.

Fave Fruit: Mangoes (if only she could afford real mangoes) - her father once bought a real mango from a Nomad merchant and the taste has stuck with her ever since.

Fave Season: Spring (not as hot as summer, not chilly like winter)

Fave Flower: Roses (the pink variety)

Fave Scent: Campfires (she acquired this when she joined the Aldecaldos and realised that she really liked the smell).

Coffee, Tea, or HC: Coffee, but she doesn't mind Hot Chocolate in the early morning.

Average Hours of Sleep: Anywhere from 5-8 hours. Depended entirely on whether or not she had to work nights at Lizzie's when she used to be with the Mox, then when she left the Mox and went full Solo, it depended on whether or not she got a gig. Now she's a Nomad, she's guaranteed at least 5 hours a night because she often pulls early morning piquet (sentry duty).

Dog or Cat Person: Cat (she owns a ginger cat, who in turn owns one brain cell as all ginger cats do)

Dream Trip: She would like to go to Cebu at least once to meet her paternal lola (grandma). Orbital Air's fees are ridiculous though (flying United is torture that not even Rosalind Myers would subject someone to), and she's worried that if she jetted off to the Philippines to visit family, she would be abandoning the Aldecaldos (her other family, as Saul likes to remind her).

Favourite Fictional Character:

Favourite IRL fictional character? - Spider-Man (she always thought Night City could use their own Spider-Man)

Favourite in-universe fictional character? - Grace from Bushido X (10) because she had an absolutely DISGUSTING crush on her when she was a teenager (before she met Clara during high school)

Number of Blankets They Sleep With: Between 1 and 3 (this drives Judy absolutely nuts) - Val doesn't feel the heat, but she really feels the cold, so the second it gets chilly, she's raiding the blanket box.

Random Fact: Val is a bit of a sneakerhead. She has a collection of various kinds of sneakers ranging from common (just about every colour of the default fem sneakers in game) to rare (early-21st century shoes like Jordans etc).

[yoyok-era]

Look at us, you and I (back at it again) - chapter two

Elliot Stabler x Olivia Benson ♡ Law and Order: SVU ♡ 0.8k ♡ Ao3

[Series Masterlist]

"Do you think she'll recognise us?"

It's one of many questions Noah's been asking as he paces in the waiting room at Mercy General. After almost four hours, Elliots surprised that the boy still has any energy in his legs.

It's nearly two o'clock in the morning now, and the doctors haven't said anything yet. Most of the squad and the stabler family has taken up residency in the waiting room, running on crappy coffees and vending machine candy.

Jet looks down at her phone, frowning down at the screen before replying, "You're kidding, right?" She raises her eyebrows pointedly, shaking her head when Noah looks up at her. "You look the same way you did back then, just taller."

Noah nods, taking a few more steps before asking his next question. "Do you think we'll recognise her?"

The silence in the room is heavy as the question falls on all of their shoulders.  Nobody really wants to answer it, even though it's been on everyones mind since Elliot got that phone call.

It doesn't take long for someone to speak up. "We'll know soon enough, I'm sure. Right, El?" Fin asks, turning towards Elliot, who's sat on one of the plastic seats in the corner, head in his hands as he rubs tiredly at his eyes.

His gaze flits up from where he's hunched over. He scans the faces in the room; Joe, Kathleen and Fin are standing against a wall, Lizzie and Vincent are sitting in the seats next to them. Amanda has her arm around Jet's shoulder and Carisi has his around Eli's, and Muncy's coming in with a new batch of coffee for everyone.

Noah's standing in front of him, eyes wide with expectation. "She's gonna be fine, right Dad?" The boy's eyes shine with hope and fear, his bottom lip trembling as he curls in on himself, hugging his arms to his chest. "I can't lose her again." His voice is thick with unshed tears, his face wet with them as Elliot stands and opens his arms, pulling the boy into his chest as he cries softly into his shirt.

They don't break apart until a nurse walks into the waiting room, asking about the family of Olivia Benson. Her expression is grim, and she looks at him and Noah with a sympathetic smile as he states that they're her partner and son.

"She's hypothermic and frostbitten, but she's awake,"  the nurse informs them, speaking far too slowly for Elliot's liking. "Three fingers in her right hand are broken, but otherwise it doesn't look like there's any major injuries.. She also seems to have some cuts, bruises and scrapes covering her body and most likely a concussion. We've also found evidence of prolonged torture."

Noah flinches at the word. Tortured. His mom, Captain Olivia Benson, tortured for who knows how long. Elliots arm comes to wrap around his shoulder, giving him a comforting squeeze.

"We told her that her family was here. She's asked to see her son and her partner before we perform the rape kit." 

Her words echo inside Elliot's head, the image of Olivia bleeding and beaten, pale and weak haunting his mind. He shakes his head, clearing it of the thoughts as he stands up. He takes a shaky breath, giving Noah's shoulder another gentle squeeze.

"That's us."

o0o0o0o0o

The oxygen is crushed out of Elliots lungs when he sees her, pale and shaking under a layer of blankets. Her hair sticks to her forehead with dried blood, butterfly stitches covering cuts and scratches on her face. The small amount of skin he can see is covered in welts and bruises, and his heart squeezes painfully as he approaches the bed.

A drip line runs into her wrist, attached to a machine at the end of the bed that keeps beeping rhythmically.  The machine gives off a steady hum as its readout shows the numbers changing slowly, indicating that the machine is working overtime to keep Olivia alive.

She doesn't move, doesn't blink, not even when Noah settles at the edge of the bed.  He reaches forward, brushing a stray piece of hair from her forehead. 

Elliot's stomach twists when Noah reaches forward, laying his palm flat against Olivia's cheek. Tears are streaming down his face, leaving smudged tracks down his cheeks as his lower lip trembles.

"Hi mom," he whispers, his voice catching in his throat. 

Elliot watches as Noah leans forward, pressing a soft kiss to Olivia's cheek, resting his forehead against hers for a moment before he pulls away.

Elliot's throat closes up, and the lump in his throat threatens to choke him. He swallows hard to ease his throat, before clearing it. Noah's eyes flick up to meet his for a brief second before returning to his mother.

"How long?" It's so quiet he almost misses her question.

Elliot slips his hand into hers, frozen fingers meeting warm ones. 

"4 years, Liv."

Her hand tightens slightly within his own, and a sob escapes the confines of her throat. He doesn't say anything else, simply squeezing Olivia's hand in reassurance. 

[elliot-olivia]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Law & Order: Organized Crime (TV 2021) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Jet Slootmaekers/Elizabeth Stabler Characters: Elliot Stabler, Jet Slootmaekers, Elizabeth Stabler, Olivia Benson, Ayanna Bell Additional Tags: Father-Daughter Relationship, POV Outsider, some background eo because i legitimately can’t help myself, i’d say i tried but i actually didn’t, Texting Summary:

“You will not date my daughter,” Elliot says.

Jet doesn’t look away from the computer screen. “Copy.”

probably the most ridiculous thing i’ve ever written so like ! enjoy !

[mm9688x]

I developed this hc on the SVU discord server that's too good not to share:

One day, a season or 2 into the future, the squad and their fam, plus the Stabler clan, Jet, Ayanna and her wife, are all over at Liv and Elliot's new house when Noah (in the midst of a nerf gun phase) starts an impromptu Nerf Gun Battle.

Carisi is weirdly a really good shot w a nerf gun. And Amanda, who's normally the best shot in the squad, is crap at it. At least at first.

Everyone splits off into teams. Team Bensler, Team Rollisi, Team Fin and Phoebe, Team Ayanna and her wife, Team Kat and her girlfriend, Team Girls (Jet, the Stabler girls, Jesse and Billie), and Team Boys (Dickie, Eli, Noah, and Maureen's husband).

Fin and Phoebe are the first to get knocked out. Fin's all like "I'm too old for this shit." Ayanna and her wife are next followed by Kat and her girlfriend.

Team Bensler and Team Rollisi agree to a temporary alliance to take out Team Girls and Team Boys since it's 4 against 10.

Amanda and Elliot are insanely competitive so they go full Rambo at take out Jet, Kathleen, Lizzie, Dickie, Maureen's husband, Eli, and Jesse in one go.

Billie attempts pull the daddy's girl card on Carisi, but he doesn't fall for it and takes her out.

Liv takes Noah out cuz she gets weirdly into it too. He's all like "Mom! I'm your sweet boy!" And she's like "Nope, sorry. Not today bud." and pulls the trigger taking him out.

It's down to 4 against 1. Maureen is the sole survivor of the kids. No one expected her to be so good. But she's still no match for a NYPD captain, a Marine, a Southerner, and a cop turned ADA.

Now that the kids are out, the alliance is over. It's Benson and Stabler vs Rollins and Carisi. The Battle of the Partners Turned Lovers.

Carisi gets taken out first by Liv. Elliot follows shortly after being ambushed by Amanda.

It's down to Liv vs. Amanda now.

Amanda thinks she's got the win in her pocket bc she knows shes the best shot in the squad. But her cockiness is what ruins her in the end. She forgets that there's a reason Olivia is a legend.

Liv sets up a trap and Amanda walks right into it. Using one of Noah's toys, she makes Amanda trip. Amanda's gun flies out of her hand. Liv steps out of the shadows, kicks the gun out of Amanda's reach. Lines the nerf gun up for the shot, execution style. Then says her iconic line "You're My Bitch Now!" and pulls the trigger.

(Elliot's in the background laughing his head off bc he was there when Liv said her iconic line)

Liv is crowned "Queen of Nerf Guns" while Elliot looks on proudly w a smirk that says "My girl's a Badass".

After that, the squad learns never to mess w Liv and Elliot when they're in Benson and Stabler mode. And also to never mess w Liv when she's holding a nerf gun.

[bratshaws]

through the hourglass 323. brb x oc

a/n: happy crysler ;) (comments and reblogs are super welcome and encouraged!)

pairing: plus size!oc x rooster

warnings: none uwu

goodness gracious (pls read this one to know more what this fic is about!!)

chapter

1/

/316/317/318/319/320/321/322

(pls let me know if you want to be added to the taglist! )

taglist: @mirandastuckinthe80s @roosterschanelslut @wiipes @lcahwriter @novastories @gretagerwigsmuse @frenchtoastix @lizzie-rdj @fanboyluvr @atarmychick007 @comebacktoearthpls

@peachiicherries @mak-32 @lizziespidiepridie @roosterswifey @ollyoxenfrees @piceous21 @sqrlgrl22 @hofficoffi @lexhalstead3 @lorilane33 @legendarydreamersharkparty @luckyladycreator2

@emilybradshaw @louisahale @leobabbyyy @booklover2sblog @winter-run @ktjmac @graciereads @bigpoppajes @taytaylala12

@caitsymichelle13 @becks-things @caatheeriinee07 @fanboyswhore9 @jesfreedark @katiemcrae @lilmonstrjedi @hobiismyhopeu @teacupsandtopgun @insominac23 @gh0stsgoodgirl @mygyn @chavivaelisheva @kmc1989 @enchantingharmonyalpaca @callsign-magnolia

-

He checked the calendar on his phone and his deployment time was coming to an end. Sure, that with the whole thing now he might have to stay a bit longer, but he was almost home.

Fuck he missed Beatrice so much.

Maybe it was the stress of…everything,because if she was close by he could easily place his head on her lap and let her know what was bothering him in person, not on a phone. Rooster huffs, thumbing through his gallery to check every picture he had of her and the kids, he does not regret buying extra storage to keep all of these. 

In the quiet solitude of his temporary quarters, Rooster couldn't help but smile at the images of Beatrice and the kids. Their faces, frozen in laughter, joy, and the everyday moments of family life, offered a respite from the complexities of his mission.

 The distance only intensified the love and longing he felt for them.

A knock on his door interrupted his contemplation. Rooster looked up to find McAllister standing at attention. "Sir, Vice-Admiral Simpson requested your presence in the briefing room. It's about the latest findings in the investigation."

Rooster sighed, the bittersweet moment with the pictures fading as duty called. "I'll be there in a minute, McAllister."

As McAllister left, Rooster took a final glance at the pictures before locking his phone. The countdown to his return was tangible, and the prospect of being reunited with Beatrice and the kids only fueled his determination to bring the investigation to a resolution.

He wastes no time then and leaves his quarters. The briefing room was a controlled chaos of officers, maps, and data projections. Rooster took his seat at the table,placing his hands on the surface while Vice-Admiral Simpson stood at the front, ready to address the assembled officers.

"At ease, everyone," Vice-Admiral Simpson began, his gaze sweeping across the room. "We've gathered here to discuss the latest developments in the ongoing investigation brought to our attention by Lt.Bradshaw.”

"Our investigation has revealed that Lieutenant Mark was involved in clandestine activities that go beyond the scope of his official duties," Vice-Admiral Simpson stated, his tone measured. "The modifications to his jet were not just an upgrade in communication systems. There's evidence of advanced tracking capabilities, undisclosed software patches, and deviations from assigned flight routes."

The gravity of the situation hung in the air, and Rooster exchanged glances with McAllister, both understanding the implications.

Fuck

Cyclone  continued, "These actions raise concerns about the potential compromise of mission security and the unauthorized gathering of sensitive information. Lt. Bradshaw, please provide us with a concise summary of your findings so far."

Rooster stood, projecting the key details of the investigation on the screen. He outlined Mark's deviations during missions, the modifications to the avionics suite, and the discovery of key contacts linked to Mark's activities.

"As of now, we have identified connections that suggest Lieutenant Mark was involved in off-the-books operations, possibly gathering intel or engaging in activities outside the purview of the Navy," Rooster explained, his voice steady. "The advanced tracking capabilities indicate a deliberate effort to avoid detection, which raises questions about the nature of these operations."

Vice-Admiral Simpson nodded, acknowledging the gravity of the situation. "This has the potential to impact the squadron's reputation and national security. We need to act swiftly and decisively.  I’ve already…did my own part such as speaking with the Lt.’s relative, who, tried terribly to play as if Mark did nothing wrong."

“But,as you know,the Navy takes breaches of this nature seriously, and we will cooperate fully to get to the bottom of this. Lieutenant Bradshaw, Mark is probably aware…so Lt.I’d like for you to join me when I talk to him.”

Rooster nodded in acknowledgment of the order. "Understood, sir."

Vice-Admiral Simpson dismissed the officers after the briefing, instructing Rooster to meet him later for the discussion with Lieutenant Mark. Rooster took a moment to gather his thoughts before leaving the briefing room. The weight of responsibility pressed on him, and he had to inhale to calm himself down.

As Rooster headed to his temporary quarters to prepare for the upcoming conversation, he thought about the impact this could have on the squadron and the Navy as a whole. The reputation of the squadron was at stake, and the potential compromise of mission security raised alarms at the highest levels of command.

He paused at the door of his quarters, taking a deep breath before entering. The pictures of Beatrice and the kids greeted him when he unlocked his phone, a comforting reminder of what awaited him upon his return.

The investigation had entered a critical phase, and Rooster knew he had to tread carefully. 

He was nervous.

He couldn’t lie.

His mind raced through the key points he needed to address with Lieutenant Mark. The challenge was not only in extracting information but in understanding the motives behind Mark's actions. 

Once ready, Rooster made his way to meet Vice-Admiral Simpson. The atmosphere in the naval base was charged with so much tension, it crackled. The investigation had become a focal point, and rumors circulated among the officers.

No one had ever dealt with something like that, no one from his age forward because the older officers appeared - while upset- not at all surprised. He huffs through his nose, then rolled his neck as he walks forward.

Upon reaching the vice-admiral's office, Rooster was ushered in, finding Lieutenant Mark already present. The atmosphere in the room was strained, and Mark's expression revealed nothing for now.

Brave yet stupid, if Vice-Admiral Simpson’s expression was anything to go by. "Gentlemen, we find ourselves in a situation that demands clarity. Lieutenant Mark, you are aware of the nature of this meeting. I expect your full cooperation and transparency."

Mark shifted uncomfortably in his seat but nodded. "Yes, sir. I'll answer any questions you have."

He turned to Rooster. "Lieutenant Bradshaw, please sit down.”

Rooster took a seat, his gaze focused on Mark. The air in the room felt charged with tension, the impending confrontation palpable and Vice-Admiral Simpson wasted no time and delved into the heart of the matter.

"Lieutenant Mark, the evidence gathered during Lieutenant Bradshaw's investigation suggests unauthorized modifications to your jet and deviations from assigned mission routes. We need an explanation for these actions, and we need it now."

Mark hesitated, glancing between Rooster and Vice-Admiral Simpson. His eyes betrayed a mixture of unease and defiance. "Sir, I can explain. The modifications were necessary for a classified mission I was undertaking. I couldn't disclose the details due to the sensitive nature of the operation."

Vice-Admiral Simpson raised an eyebrow, skepticism evident in his expression. "Classified mission? Lieutenant, you are required to follow protocol and obtain proper authorization. These off-the-books modifications not only violate Navy regulations but also raise concerns about the compromise of mission security. And you already started wrong by lying to me. No mission,secret or not, goes without my say so.”

Rooster's gaze remained fixed on Mark, a quiet intensity in his eyes. He said nothing, only kept watching.

Mark swallowed, a bead of sweat forming on his forehead. "Sir, I understand the protocol, but this mission was different. It involved sensitive information that couldn't be shared even within the chain of command. I had to take matters into my own hands to ensure its success."

Vice-Admiral Simpson leaned back in his chair, his expression stern. "Lieutenant Mark, the Navy does not operate on individual whims. You had a responsibility to communicate the nature of your mission to the superiors who could evaluate its necessity and provide the required clearances. By bypassing this protocol, you've compromised not only the mission but the integrity of the entire squadron." he frowns “And Lt.Bradshaw is one of your superiors in this mission, did you hear anything about it,Rooster?”

“No,sir.”

Vice-Admiral Simpson nodded, his stern expression deepening. "Lieutenant, your actions have not only jeopardized the mission but the trust and cohesion within this squadron. These are serious offenses, and you will be held accountable. Now, I want the truth. What was the actual nature of this so-called classified mission?"

Mark shifted uncomfortably in his seat, his eyes darting between Rooster and Cyclone . The weight of the situation hung heavy in the room.

"I...I well," Mark stammered. "It's a matter of uh,security.”

Cyclone’s patience wore thin,and his blue eyes narrowed. "The consequences of your actions extend beyond personal discretion." he pauses, “...whatever your reason was, lying and obscuring it was does not help your situation.’

Rooster maintained his composed silence, observing Mark's feeble attempts to navigate through the web of lies he had spun. 

Vice-Admiral Simpson leaned forward, his voice cutting through the tension. "Lieutenant Halton, the Navy values trust and transparency. Your actions not only undermine the core principles of our organization but also endanger the lives of those around you. It's time for the truth. No more evasions."

Mark swallowed hard, the beads of sweat on his forehead multiplying. His eyes flickered to Rooster, a hint of desperation in the gaze that met Rooster's unwavering stare. Rooster felt a surge of frustration,but he remained quiet.

Cyclone continued, "I won't jump to conclusions, Lieutenant, but your actions demand accountability. Now, you have a choice. You can come clean, provide an honest account of your actions, and face the consequences within the framework of military justice. Or, you can continue down this path of deception, and the repercussions will be severe."

Mark hesitated, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. The room seemed to close in around him as the weight of his transgressions pressed down.

"Sir, I... I can't..." Mark's voice wavered, the façade crumbling. "I can't disclose the details. It's classified, and I can't risk—"

Vice-Admiral Simpson cut him off with a sharp gesture. "Enough, Lieutenant. Your refusal to cooperate and your attempts at secrecy have already painted a damning picture. If you choose not to provide a full and honest account, we'll proceed with a formal inquiry, and you will be held accountable for your actions."

“You CAN’T DO THIS!” Mark shouted “Do you NOT KNOW WHO MY AUNT IS??”

Silence.

That outburst wasn’t planned and…well, it slammed the nail on the coffin easily.

The room fell into a heavy silence after Mark's outburst. The mention of his aunt added a layer to the situation, but Vice-Admiral Simpson's expression remained unmoved. Rooster, though surprised by the revelation, tried his best to remain quiet himself.

Vice-Admiral Simpson spoke with a measured tone, his gaze unwavering. "Oh I am quite aware. Your aunt already tried to pull your ass off the fire."

Mark's face turned pale as he realized that his attempt to leverage his family connection had backfired. “What does he have that I don’t?” Mark snarled “His father was a pilot too! And yet–” the mention of Goose made Rooster’s jaw clench and he almost moved up to Mark to face him down but Cyclone held his hand up, “And Maverick! Maverick is his uncle! This is unfair treatment!”

Jesus Mark was a spoiled child.

The tension in the room escalated as Mark's outburst hung in the air. Cyclone, maintaining his calm demeanor, addressed Mark's accusations. "Lieutenant Halton, personal connections and family history do not exempt anyone from the rules and principles that govern the Navy. Your attempt to use your family's influence will not change the fact that you violated protocol and jeopardized the mission."

Mark's face contorted with anger, and he shot a venomous glance at Rooster. "You think you're so special, Rooster…you think no one knows? Without Maverick you’d be nothing. He protected you so much before,right?"

"Lieutenant Halton," Cyclone warns, “That is enough.”

Mark seethed with anger “You are just…less than me.” he growls, “My aunt is a vice-admiral and yet I’m still a lieutenant! Why?! How is that fair?!”

"Lieutenant Halton, your personal grievances and accusations are not relevant to the situation at hand," Vice-Admiral Simpson stated firmly. "We are here to address the breach of protocol and the potential threat to the mission–"

Mark's face contorted with a mix of anger and frustration. "This is unjust! How did he get this far without his uncle’s help?”

The realization weighs enough for him to stop talking.

Cyclone’s eyes narrow, “...what did you say?”

The room's tension was palpable as Mark's last words hung in the air. Cyclone's piercing gaze bore into Mark, a subtle warning in his eyes. 

Mark swallowed hard, realizing the gravity of his words. “I–”

Cyclone's voice cut through the silence like a blade. "Lieutenant Halton,are you saying your aunt helped you move through the ranks and your promotions are without merit?"

Mark shifted uncomfortably under Cyclone's gaze. His mind raced, searching for the right words that could possibly salvage his deteriorating situation.

"I didn't mean that," Mark stammered, attempting to backtrack. "I just meant that, well, people have connections, and it helps sometimes. I didn't mean to imply–"

Rooster turned to face him, finally speaking up  "Your aunt helped you move up." he says firmly, “That’s what you are saying.”

Rooster's words hung in the air, and Mark's attempt to backtrack faltered as the weight of the truth settled around him. He cast a furtive glance at Rooster, realizing that his own words had inadvertently exposed a well-guarded secret.

Cyclone's stern expression deepened, and the room seemed to shrink with the gravity of the revelation. The Vice-Admiral's gaze shifted between Mark and Rooster, assessing the situation before he spoke, his voice measured. "Lieutenant Halton,if your promotions were influenced by factors other than your merit and dedication, it undermines the integrity of our entire institution. Is it true?"

Mark, cornered and exposed, found himself at a crossroads. He was quiet.

Cyclone's gaze remained fixed on Mark. "Answer the question, Lieutenant."

Mark hesitated, the internal struggle evident on his face. Finally, he spoke in a subdued tone, "Yes, my aunt has helped me. She has connections, and she used them to ensure my career progressed smoothly."

The room fell into a heavy silence. Rooster's expression hardened, mouth falling open in surprise. Cyclone's face remained impassive, but there was a flicker of disappointment in his eyes.

"I see." Cyclone mutters, “...that explains a lot.”

Cyclone's gaze remained fixed on Mark, his disappointment evident. "Lieutenant Halton, the Navy values integrity and merit. Using personal connections to advance one's career goes against the principles we stand for."

Mark, realizing the gravity of his admission, attempted to salvage the situation. "But sir, my aunt j-just believed in my potential. She wanted to ensure I had opportunities—"

Cyclone cut him off with a stern look. "Belief in potential is one thing, Lieutenant. Undermining the fair and competitive nature of our organization is another. " he sighs “And this goes beyond the breach of protocol during the mission. We now have to reassess your role within the Navy, Lieutenant Halton. There will be an inquiry into the extent of the influence exerted on your career."

Rooster took the time that Mark was quiet to speak, “...did Miranda know?”

“What?”

His eye twitched,”Did Miranda,your wife, know about this?” he grinds his teeth, “Is that why she was saying shit to my wife?”

Mark's face turned a shade of pale that matched the tension in the room. The mention of Miranda,caught him off guard, and he fumbled for words. "Miranda didn't know the specifics," he admitted hesitantly. "I-I mean, not everyth–”

Rooster's expression hardened. "So, she did know, right?"

“W-Well–”

“And she was bothering Beatrice, my Bea, because she was also jealous of her? Or was she just helping your little scheme?”

Mark shifted uncomfortably in his seat, beads of sweat forming on his forehead as Rooster's questions pierced through the already tense atmosphere. "Miranda knew that my aunt was in a high-ranking position," Mark confessed, avoiding direct eye contact with either Rooster or Cyclone. "But I swear, I never asked Miranda to harass your wife. That wasn't part of the plan."

Rooster's jaw clenched, the muscles in his face tight with frustration. "Plan? You had a plan for this? To use your family connections to climb the ranks and then drag my wife into your mess?"

Mark stammered, his attempt at salvaging the situation crumbling. "I didn't mean to drag anyone into this. Miranda took it upon herself to –"

"To what? Make Bea's life miserable?" Rooster's voice rose, anger bubbling to the surface. "You can't just wash your hands of this, Mark. You initiated this chain of events, and now you have to face the consequences." he snarls, “...none messes with my girl,Mark. No one.”

The room seemed to tighten with every passing moment. Mark shifted uncomfortably in his seat, his eyes darting around the room, searching for a way out.Rooster's eyes narrowed as he leaned forward, his hands clenched into fists. 

Mark's attempts at an explanation faltered as Rooster continued, his anger escalating with each word. "You used your aunt's influence, and God knows what else. But my wife? She had nothing to do with your ambitions, and yet you let your plan spill into her life. You should’ve focused on me. I don’t give a shit if Miranda thought about this on her own, she.overstepped.the.line."

Cyclone interjected, his voice firm. "Lieutenant Halton,personal relationships have been affected, and that will also be considered in the inquiry." he blinks, “Now,anything else you want to add before,” he gestures to Rooster, “Lt.Bradshaw loses his temper even more?”

Mark's face turned from pale to flushed, caught in the crossfire of Rooster's wrath and Cyclone's stern reprimand. He swallowed hard, his attempt at composure faltering as he glanced between the two officers. "I... n-no sir I-"

“Wonderful. Rooster, please wait outside my office,yes?”

Rooster shot one final stern look at Mark before standing up and nodding at Cyclone. Without uttering a word, he left the room, the heavy door closing behind him with a resounding thud. 

He rubbed his eyes, then inhaled deeply. It was finally over, he hoped.

Jesus.

[chelleztjs18]

Cupcakes For My Cupcake (E.O)

Elizabeth Olsen x Short!Fem!Reader

Pairing: Elizabeth Olsen x Fem!Reader

Summary: Everybody calls Lizzie "The Y/n whisperer" for a reason or maybe two.

Warning: None, I think. Just a little teasing about height. But mainly FLUFF.

Requested: Yes.

A/N: Hello! I'm glad to say that I finally got some requests done and this is one of them. Thank you @honey-sweet-hiraeth for helping me brainstorming and picked the title. I was dealing with ear pain and couldn't think of any title.. lol. Also, this wasn't proofread well. Anyway, happy reading! I have another Lizzie fic coming. Enjoy!

“Cut!” Anthony, one of the directors exclaimed and the filming of a part of a scene stopped instantly. All the cast who are in this scene turn their head to him. “Uh, okay, Y/n, maybe we should try to move you somewhere else. I can barely see you from any angle if you are next to Hemsworth. It looks like you are gone completely when you stand next to him.” Anthony expresses his thoughts as he crosses his arms in front of his chest. His thinking face looks so obvious.

“Aww, come on y/n. Don’t be shy and hide behind me.” The Australian actor pitches a joke in a sing-song tone. You laugh. “I wasn’t hiding, it’s just your muscles are too bulky and taking my spot here.” Everybody laughs. It was a playful sarcasm but they found it funny.

Being 5 feet tall has its own pros and cons. People always think you are adorable. It’s not hard to find clothes your size and other perks. The cons? Well, of course they are no fun. Despite being called adorable sometimes makes you feel nice if it’s in certain circumstances by certain people. You are definitely not immune to some or perhaps lots of jokes about how short you are. Families and friends casually poking fun about it and you are used to it. Sometimes you play along but sometimes you don’t. And when you don't, they never take your retorts or feisty come back personally. They all love you.

For working situations, as an actress, it hasn’t been really an obstacle for you to get a role. Surprisingly, you got some projects with Marvel. It's no secret that your height has been a little something extra for the director to figure out especially on camera angles because your friends a.k.a other marvel casts are taller than you. Sometimes the directors think you are “drowning” when you are surrounded by them

Since you joined Marvel, you have officially taken Scarlett’s title as the shortest Marvel’s cast and she is pretty much happy about it because now, she is not the target for all those height jokes anymore. You are.

Today’s filming has been a little challenging for you. If you can be honest, you are tired and the jet lag from the time difference of different filming locations doesn’t help at all. You were excited when you woke up to go to work but then your mood descended as soon as you found out that Lizzie is not scheduled for today’s filming. Your friendship with her has been very close and inseparable. She is your favorite person you met through Marvel.

“How about if she stands next to Benedict?” Joe proposes his idea. “Yeah, we can try that.” Anthony agrees.

You follow their instructions to move next to the British actor and restart the scene filming. You understand that this is about your height but this time it agitates you a little, not to them but to your own shortself. You thought the angle problem had been solved this time but you were wrong.

“Cut! No, it still doesn’t work well. How about next to Mark? No. We can’t put her next to him either because of the Hulk visual effect.” Joe mumbles her thoughts.

“Maybe we should lift her up a bit with the invisible wire, put a little visual effect so she will look a little taller.” Benedict’s heavy voice and thick accent cover another teasing comment and this time you let out a fake bitter laugh but everybody’s laughter sounds really spontaneous. “Don’t mess with a short girl, Benedict. With wires or not, I still can kick your ass.”

"Ouh, you better be careful, Benedict. Don’t piss the little one off, you won’t be able to see where shorty goes and before you know it, you’ll get your ass kicked. " Another one of the cast, Josh Brolin, adds a remark, joining in with the other joking around. This time you only patch a quick smile and reply “Okay, purple giant. I guess, thanks?” Josh laughs at your snarky response.

“Y/n, how about standing on Jer's left? I think that would be the best. Sorry, y/n.” Anthony requests and he notices how tired you look and having a mood swing but he understands and even kindly apologizes to you.

Your stomach growls but not loud enough for anybody to hear. You are starving because you didn't get the chance to have breakfast. “Yeah sure. No problem.” You agree without hesitation and move again. Then they ask you to wait for them to check the view from different angles. 

“Don’t worry, y/n. We all know that you are vertically challenged, we’ll figure out the best angle so fans will see you in this scene.” One of the camera crews pointed out more as he laughed with others and that was it. You are on your limit on being bombarded with endless height jokes.

“Well, I believe that making fun of the short girl really IS the best way to let out everyone know you are compensating for a ‘sizeably’ challenged dick.” Just like that you blew up a little and you made the air quote. “Oooohhhhh burn!” everybody reacts in unison at your reply to him.

“Dang! Y/n! Mic drop.” Anthony Mackie was genuinely surprised by your words and a few seconds after that everybody laughed along with the guy that you addressed your frustration just now.

“You know what? I’m sorry, I need a few minutes.” With that, you walk off the set to your trailer.

“Uh-oh. She is pissed.” Jeremy comments as he watches you walk away. “Of course, she is. It was like one after another of jokes you guys threw at her. Poor y/n. She’s not in the mood today.” Scarlett finally breaks her silence.

“Oh yeah, shit. How couldn’t we notice that? Lizzie’s not here today. I guess we kinda forgot the line with the jokes.” The god of thunder actor points out his realization.

“So, should we call the ‘Y’n whisperer’ to make her feel better? Lizzie has been the only one who can calm her down or cheer her up.” Mackie lets out the first solution that came up in his mind.

“It’s Lizzie’s day off, we can’t call her for that.” Chris Evans disagrees. “Well, just let her take her time a little bit. We all can take a break. It’s almost lunch time anyway.” The directors announced.

Little do everybody know, Scarlett stepped aside and reached her phone to call Lizzie but she got no answer. A minute later Lizzie walks in with her hands full. The security guards help her to bring some more stuff in.

“Hi everybody! I cooked some food for lunch. Come and get it!” She greets as she puts on the tables where the food usually is. The casts right away greet her and go to the table to have lunch together.

One by one they thank Lizzie for the food. “Where is Y/n?” It was the first question that jumped out of Lizzie’s lips as her eyes searched for her while she set the food.

“Y/n walked off the set. The boys pissed her off.” Scarlett answers quickly. “Aww, did you guys joke around about her height again?” Lizzie guessed with a knowing look.

“Not me. It was Hemsworth, Benedict, Josh and one of the camera crew, I forgot his name.” Jeremy denies and casually tells Lizzie who did it with a little laugh. “But she gave a great come back to him though. It was awesome and she was feisty!” Mackie proudly tells Lizzie about you while he scoops some food to his plate.

“And she called Josh ‘purple giant, don’t forget that’.” RDJ slips in a comment and they all laugh. “Well, she is probably tired and hungry. I made her favorite food so I’m gonna find her and talk to her.” Lizzie casually speaks and grabs one brown paper bag that was separated from others. With a smile, she walks away to find you.

_____

You heard a knock on your trailer door. “I’ll be on the set in a few minutes.” You subtly refuse to open the door to whoever it is behind the door.

“Y/n, it’s me. Let me in, please. I cooked your favorite food.” Oh that voice feels like rain on a desert. It soothes you and lifts up your spirit. Your favorite person comes to surprise you. You quickly opened the door and a wide smile welcomed her. “Lizzie!” You open your arms inviting her into your hug.

“Hey you, grumpy Gus. Whatcha doin here?” Lizzie jokingly greets you and hugs you tight and rubs your back then walks in. “Oh, nothing. Just need a little break.” You smile awkwardly then close your door and back to your chair.

Lizzie puts the paper bag on the table and takes a seat face to face with you. “I heard what happened.” She starts the conversation and grabs your hand tenderly. Her thumb delicately rubs the back of your hand, making your heart leap.

In a millisecond, you are not upset anymore. You feel better. “Yeah, I didn’t mean to be a bitch about it. You know me, I usually don’t mind their jokes about me being short. I was just not in the mood I guess.” You try to keep your cool in front of her while explaining to her.

“I know, y/n. You are tired and hungry. Also, you miss me aaand my cooking." She scrunches her nose and confidently shows you how well she knows you and followed by a little laugh as her sparkling green eyes look at you.

"Yes, yes and no." You tease her by your pretend disagreement that you miss her and your cooking. She was right, you miss her. That's what trigger your mood swing in the first place.

"Ooh?? Okaaay. I see how it is now. You don't miss me and my cooking? Alright then, I will go right now and take this with me." Lizzie cutely plays along with your joke and pretends that she is leaving with the bag she brought.

"No..no..no.. Wait.. wait.. I was just kidding. Yes, I miss you and your cooking.. Happy now?" You admit it in defeat and giggle as you grab her hand. She turns around. You hear her laughing and saying " Yes, I am. You know me, I love it when I'm right." She gently taps your nose with the tip of her finger followed by her adorable giggle.

"Now, where is my food?" You ask as you rub both of your palms excitedly.

"Well, it's on the table where we usually eat. Everybody is eating now but I also made this special for you." She slides the small brown paper bag to you.

"Really? Special for me?? Sweet!!" You quickly open the bag and pull out a box of it like a little kid on Christmas morning. Her warm forest green eyes are drinking the view in awe. Cherishing every second she has with you.

"Cupcakes for my cupcake." She said, her eyes sparkling with adoration and love. She always loves seeing your excitement every time she makes something for you.

"Chocolate cupcake!!" You exclaimed with an ear to ear smile.

"Uh-huh. With Scarlet Witch red frosting too. Since you like her so much." She points it out in a proud tone.

"Yes, I like her so much but I love the actress that plays her." You casually speak as your finger takes a little of the frosting and you taste it. You hum in such enjoyment with your eyes closed.

You and Lizzie are really close friends. Both of you sometimes casually express how much you love each other or compliment each other and even tease each other.

"Gosh, I love everything you cook and bake. They are always so delicious." You compliment with a satisfied sigh.

"Don't tell the others that I brought you these cupcakes because I only made them for you." She giggles. "Oh, wow. I'm that special. I'm honored, Liz."

"Of course you are." Lizzie leans and gives one quick soft kiss on your cheek before she stands up. You died a little inside with happiness for a few seconds. The feeling of her lips brushing your cheek makes your lungs forget what oxygen is.

"You are my favorite short girl, remember?" She jokingly pats your head.

"Well, special for you, you can call me short or joke about my height anytime you want. I don't mind." You voluntarily propose the idea.

She laughs louder and the sound of it makes your brain turn into a puddle. "I know, honey. Now, let's go have lunch. Everybody's waiting for us." She grabs your hand and leads you out of your trail.

_____

“Y/n! You are back! Come here, have lunch with us!” Scarlet welcomes you in such a thrill. “Well, look who’s back!” Jeremy gives the same excited tone as Scarlet did.

“See! I told you! Lizzie, the ‘Y/n whisperer’ ! I was right. Only Lizzie can cheer Little Miss Grumpy back and bring her here.” Pride sounds clear in Mackie’s tone.

“Hi guys! I’m back!” You greeted them with a cheerful tone, totally opposite from how you were earlier.

“Come sit here” Hemsworth’s heavy voice chimes in as he points at two empty chairs between him and Benedict. You take your seat. “Y/n, we are sorry if our jokes crossed the line.” The man with the red cloak apologizes on behalf of everybody.

“Oh no. It’s okay. I’m sorry too that I was a little over reacting.” You stated.

“A little? You were a total drama queen earlier.” Mackie blurted out playfully. You know he was joking. “Well, an adorable short drama queen.” The buff blonde man wraps his arms around your shoulders close to him in a brotherly manner. You gotta admit that what Mackie and Hemsworth said were funny.

“Okay, y/n. Here, I already prepared a plate for you from home.” The brunette lays the plate of food in front of you. You thank her and instantly take a bite of it.

"Oh my god. My favorite..So good.." another praise comes out of your lips as you eat. You even dance a little from how delicious it tastes.

"Wait, Y/n got a special prepared plate? Wow. You both need to date, seriously." The archer cast finally vocalized what everybody has been thinking.

You choke a little from the comment and grab a drink right away. You look at Lizzie, she doesn't say anything but all smiling complete with blushing cheeks.

"What–uh what did you mean?" You clear your throat nervously as you stutter with your question.

“Oh please y/n. You know what he meant. We all know you both are VERY close." Scarlett stated with a knowing smile.

"Yeah, like Mackie said, Lizzie is the only one that can cheer you up whenever you are not in the mood. Everytime Lizzie comes to the set or any event, you are the first person that she will ask or look for." RDJ adds more facts to back Scarlet up.

"Well, look at you now. Just from eating what Lizzie cooked, you are a completely different person now, all smiling and dancing. Earlier you were a feisty little woman." Chris Evans laughed out loud with his hands on his chest as soon as he finished talking.

"And, Lizzie here keeps smiling. Not saying a word says a lot about this, darling" The tall British guy takes his turn pitching in his opinion. As Lizzie sits between him and you.

You look at her, and Benedict was right. Lizzie is all smiling yet not saying even a word, you start to think if she agrees with everybody that you both need to date. Does it mean she likes you?

You have been having a crush on her for a little while now. You don't know what to do because you are worried it will change your friendship. Also, you think that there is no way the goddess of beauty herself will like you back more than as a friend.

You try your luck to find out by playing along with them and joke "Well, maybe if she'd ask me out we would be dating already." You try your best to look as if you're joking but deep down you were actually serious about it. That's actually the thought you have been thinking every time you have a "what if Lizzie.." thinking session by yourself.

"Oooohhhhh" the cast exclaimed all at once, very thrilled. “The truth has come out!” Hemsworth exclaimed as he raised his hand up as if he just won something.

Lizzie finally hinted in a subtle way the truth from her side. “Y/n, you’re already coming over for movie night, tonight. I’ll order take out and we can cuddle on the couch and call it a date.” She innocently smiles, glances at you and then takes another bite of her food.

“It’s a date!!” Mackie shouted in elation. Without a doubt, the others cheer.

Meanwhile, you marveled at what Lizzie said and how she nonchalantly addressed it. A pat she gives you on your shoulder brought you back from your daze. “You okay?” Her gaze really lifted your mood and calmed you down. It felt like a caffeine buzz and sedative at the same time.

“Y-yeah. I’m okay.” Once again, you stutter. You got a warm, fuzzy feeling.

After lunch, everybody walks back to the set and you are the last one at the table. “Well, Liz, I gotta go back to the set. Thank you for the lunch and the cupcake. I love it. You made my day.”

“You’re welcome. I’ll see you tonight for our first date.” Excitement raced through her. She glows inside. You feel drunk in happiness as you get another kiss on your cheek before you walk away.

You felt giddy and couldn't stop smiling. Tonight, you will have your first date with the woman who always has her way to your heart.

A/n: Well, that's it for today. I hope you enjoy the fluff! I'm in the mood of fluff writing, so you'll see more fluff coming. Reblog and comment are highly appreciated! Follow me for more. See you!

Cheerio!

Taglist: @madamevirgo @musicinourlips @unstable-sapphic-hoe @fanboy7794 @chloe7076 @b0mbdotc0m @trikruismybitch @ichala @californianwhiterabbit @honey-sweet-hiraeth @imfuckinggenius @sxfwap @chaekhan @daenerys713 @luvmcgrath @stupidsapphicsstuff @pattypavo @frvny @franfineashell @heyyoweveryone @ygtft-chen @yaaskasey @sweeet-likeeee-cinnamonn @paumxmff @dopeyouth @beaniejennie @ineedafinghug @idkwhatimwriting @lucydiibi @mainly-rebloging-fics-i-like @gloriousfoxruins @grxvitye @mcubreakdown101 @aos22 @wandanatstan @paulawand @yeeterthekeeper @femalehomosexual666 @snowdrop1026 @modernmonalisa @nothingisrealanyway @idamaemann @sweeterlust @royalityofmultifandom @playboysaleen @peabrain112 @gwhaley127 @harleyswanda @bodhi-j @darth-rain @cristin-rjd  

[elen-aranel]

Chanced Chapter 5: Starbase 114

Pairing: Christopher Pike x F!Reader (no Y/N) Warnings: Mentions of sex. Holidays. WC: 5k Taglist: @fzziiee​  (if you'd like to be tagged, please let me know <3) Notes: Sometimes you have to take a chance to get what you want Rating: Mature Summary: “I have a ship.” The words are out of your mouth before you really think them through, and you look down at the bar for a second while you gather your thoughts. But… Yes. You like him as a person, and he’s always behaved like a gentleman toward you. You trust him. You know becoming captain of the most prestigious ship in the fleet is not a hundred percent guarantee of character, but you also know you can protect yourself. And there’s always been that spark…

< Previous Chapter • Masterlist • Next Chapter >

Starbase 114, 2250

Starbase 114 has parts you need for Lizzie Bennet, your little ship. And that’s really the only thing it has going for it. You can’t even get a good sandwich – there isn’t a Miller’s here. You’re not sure why, because it’s not one of the older bases, but everything is a bit grim and rundown. No one seems to want to be here.

But you won’t be here for long. There is one other thing in this base’s favour: it’s only a few hours from Risa. Lizzie needs fuel – deuterium and dilithium – and a couple of components that you couldn’t fabricate on the Cooper to renew her space-worthiness certificate. Work is well in hand, and soon she will be re-certified and you will be sipping a Risan mai-tai, watching the suns set.

You love the Cooper, your crew there and the work you do. Exploration is your favourite part, even though that isn’t often, but you enjoy other missions too. You’re often in the background while command and science officers do the real work, but occasionally you get to take the lead. You love it so much you haven’t taken leave in quite a while – just a couple of days when you were able to meet up with Penny and Cameron on her new ship when the Cooper was at Ardana, and an afternoon with your parents on Starbase 83.

All work and no play makes you a dull girl though, and the stress of trying to keep other people safe mounts up eventually. You’ve even wound up in sickbay several times in the past few months. You don’t mind; injury comes with the territory, and much better you than someone else. But you’re ready for a break from that for a little while.

You’re sitting looking out of the slightly dirty viewport of a large observation lounge, watching the stars and ships as they approach or leave the station. There are all sorts, mostly small: Starfleet and civilian ships from different planets.

And as you sit your eyes light on your reflection: you take in your hair dyed a cool silver, your pale blue tunic, the silver chain round your neck, and you see a normal person. Someone who isn’t responsible for anyone around her. Someone who has laid that weight aside. You need this. Risa has a bit of a wild reputation, but there’s lots to see and do. And while you’re not looking for wild, per se, you can handle yourself and… it’s been a while since you were with someone. You’re not seeking anything out, particularly, but if an opportunity finds you, you won’t complain.

You finger your silver star pendant as you look out at the stars and ships again, and wonder vaguely what Chris might be up to these days. Whether he’s exploring somewhere new.

But your attention is pulled by a civilian transport that has just dropped out of warp. It’s long, grey, and boxy; you always think they look a bit awkward, but something about this one seems off. It’s approaching too fast, and definitely on the wrong vector – it’s much too close to that little Starfleet shuttle ahead of it, which is already being tractored on its final approach to a docking bay. You frown. Cameron could steer it better, even with the awkward shape, and he’s only eight.

Is there something wrong with the thrusters? Jets of gas are firing off too brightly in orange and blue on the starboard side; they must be trying to compensate for something, but it doesn’t seem to be working. You find you’re standing to get a better view as the transport’s speed slows, but not enough, with the shuttle caught in the beam, powerless to do anything. Why doesn’t the station tractor the transport?

The hum of chatter around you has quieted; everyone is watching in horror as the transport tries one last burn to course correct. You think it’s going to work; you can see the thrusters firing, but at a much lower level. The transport straightens up, almost back on the correct course. But suddenly the thrusters flare bright, much too bright, and it’s spinning, crashing silently into the shuttle. Your hands fly to your mouth – the transport, with its thicker hull, will likely be fine, but did the shuttle pilot beam out? A tractor beam fires, finally, securing the transport, and—

Force fields. You can see force fields protecting the cabin of the shuttle. You breathe out a breath you hadn’t realised you were holding, and a ripple of relieved applause flows across your fellow travellers: the shuttle pilot will be okay.

Show over, you sigh and sit back down with your PADD in hand. You’re glad that most of the work on Lizzie will have been done by now, but two damaged ships coming in mean things will be delayed. You imagine all the engineers the on the base will want to take a look, at least. You’ll read a book for a bit while you wait to hear how much longer Lizzie will be.

You’ve been walking round the promenade, looking for somewhere to eat—get a drink— something— for a while now. Starbases do have a day, but incoming ships are often out of sync with it, so as well as drab looking shops and run-down cafés, you’ve walked past bars with loud music and restaurants serving synthesised dinners. None of them appealed, but the worst was the one where you could hear a loud, flat, karaoke rendition of what was one of your favourite Space Sister songs as you went by. You quickened your pace to get out of earshot.

You try to think if you’ve had any recommendations for anywhere on this base, but most people you know wouldn’t have a reason to stop here. But eventually you find a little bar that’s not too dark and not too loud, with a couple of people in fleet uniforms sitting at various tables. It’s a bit early for a drink for you, but, you figure, you’re on holiday.

The bartender gives you a friendly smile as you walk in. “What’ll it be, love?” She asks as you take a stool. You scan the bottles behind her, and you see one you recognise.

“Hanrian—no. Hin—”

“Hinarian white gin, please. One for the lady and one me.”

That deep, assured voice. It can’t be. But it is. “Chris! I never—It is so good to see you!”

You jump down from the stool, turning to face him.

“We did say Starbase 114,” he quirks a crooked smile, shrugging slightly, and you laugh as you step into a hug, enjoying the contact. His hands are still holding your shoulders gently as you separate, and you take in his appearance. He’s as handsome as ever, although his perfectly styled hair has a couple of threads of silver in it.

“I thought you were going to stand me up. I was thinking about you earlier, actually. But I imagined you on the frontier somewhere, making discoveries…”

“No, I’m—You’re wearing it,” he says softly. Your confusion must show on your face because he clarifies: “The necklace. You’re wearing the necklace I gave you.”

He moves his hand across to touch the star at the same time you reach up to the necklace, and just for a second there’s a spark as your fingers touch his warm ones, before he drops both of his hands down by his side.

“Oh, um, yes.” you feel the cool points of the star on your fingertips. “I like it. I wear it often… it’s special. And… we did say Starbase 114.”

“I’m glad,” he says, blue eyes warm. You sit back on your stool, and Chris sits next to you, arm brushing yours as he reaches for his drink.

“How are you? How’s the Enterprise? I didn’t see her on the docking list?”

“The Enterprise is great. She’s in dock for refits; we’re between five-year missions. I’m actually set to re-join her soon… as her captain. Still can’t quite believe it,” he adds, shaking his head.

“Congratulations!” You raise your glass, clinking it with his. “I can. Four pips on your badge?”

“Stripes on my wrist — we’re getting new uniforms. Think I’m going to miss the blue, though. But how are you? How’s the Cooper?”

“The Cooper is good. Very good, actually. I made full Lieutenant a few months ago. But it was time for a break, and Lizzie needed maintenance… I thought I’d be gone by now, but there was that accident with the transport and a shuttle, so things are a bit delayed. Glad I’m not, now you’re here,” you add, taking another sip of your drink, enjoying the spice.

“So… er… that shuttle?” His tone makes you turn sharply.

“No. You were not the pilot. My gosh are you okay? I was watching through a viewport; my heart was in my mouth…” You examine him again, trying to see if there’s any evidence of his ordeal on view that you missed.

“They checked me out in sickbay and the base commander lent me some quarters to get cleaned up, get a fresh uniform,” he says, seeing you study him. “I wasn’t even due to dock here – I got hit by a nano-meteor in subspace and it damaged the warp engines, so I had to reroute to get them fixed. And then the transport. They’re still assessing whether the shuttle’s worth fixing, or if it’s just going to be scrapped.” He sighs.

“I thought it looked bad, but scrapped? Wow.”

“Yes. The two things together caused a lot of damage. Today isn’t my day. Originally I was en route to Casperia to meet up with friends – you remember Leland? But he called to say they can’t make it now. Classified.” He shrugs, and takes another sip of his drink.

“I’ll get a transport back to Earth, celebrate with Tango and Mary Lou instead.” He shakes his head. “But enough of my bad day; plenty of good ones to come. And even today has a silver lining.”

“I have a ship.” The words are out of your mouth before you really think them through, and you look down at the bar for a second while you gather your thoughts. But… Yes. You like him as a person, and he’s always behaved like a gentleman toward you. You trust him. You know becoming captain of the most prestigious ship in the fleet is not a hundred percent guarantee of character, but you also know you can protect yourself. And there’s always been that spark…

“I have a ship, and… I’m going to take leave on Risa for a week. If you aren’t wedded to your Earth plan, would you like to come too? There’s a lot to see and do on the planet, I could just take you there, let you make your own arrangements, but…”

You take a breath, and look up, into his eyes. “I don’t know if there’s anyone in your life; there’s no one in mine. I like you and… if you would like to spend your leave with me, or even just the first night, you would be welcome.”

The moment holds – you’ve clearly taken him by surprise, and you worry that you’ve said the wrong thing, that you’ve managed to spoil this—this friendship that you’ve developed, over the years.

“There isn’t anyone. There hasn’t been for a while.” He smiles a little, looking sidelong at you as he raises his glass again. “Yes, I would like to come to Risa with you.”

“Would you mind if I—”

“Do you want to—”

You both laugh as you speak at the same time. You’re heading into Lizzie’s little cockpit, you having got your certificate, fuel and parts, and Chris having got his luggage, which thankfully survived the crash.

“You first,” Chris says, gesturing for you to continue.

“I just wondered if you’d like to take Lizzie out? Ensign Umer –  pilot on the Cooper – said it’s important to get back to flying after a crash so you don’t build it up in your head.”

“That, and she looks like she’ll be fun to fly. That was what I was going to ask. Thank you.” You open the door and take the co-pilot chair. “Is there anything I need to watch for?” He asks as he begins going through the pre-flight checks.

“Yeah, I remapped the thruster control switches. I just find they’re easier to handle this way.”

You reach across him to a bank of red buttons, brushing against his hand as you do. You smile a little at the contact, and how it makes you feel.

“Port and starboard, fore, mid, and aft. I think it’s easier this way round. See what you think. Oh and the computer’s wake word is Lizzie.”

Chris laughs at that. “Of course it is. Did you name her? Commander Pike to ops, clearance for shuttle Lizzie Bennet to leave the station, please?”

“I think one of my grandparents was the Jane Austen fan, originally. Not sure. My parents’ ship is the Pemberley, and they named Lizzie to continue the tradition. Elizabeth Bennet was always my favourite Austen heroine, though.”

“Ops to Commander Pike, clearance granted. Please follow the vector assigned. Ops out.”

“Probably a good thing they named her really because I don’t know what name I’d have picked at eighteen.”

“Hmm. I’m going to go with Rosa Nebula,” Chris fires the thrusters. “Hearing that karaoke bar on the lower promenade…”

You roll your eyes. “Wow. You’ve known me too long—hey! Gently!” You exclaim as Lizzie jerks into motion.

“Sorry, didn’t expect that,” he says, adjusting the controls. “Ships this age don’t usually respond this well.”

“It’s your fault, you know. Microfusion thrusters. They really made a difference to her handling.”

He smiles, corners of his eyes crinkling. “You listened.”

“Of course.”

Once the course is set to Risa you retire to the cabin. There are lines you won’t cross in the little ship, not when you’re headed to Risa, but you’re touching at every chance you get. You bump into each other as Chris steps round you to change out of his uniform in the tiny bathroom. Your fingers brush against him as you show him where the synthesiser is. You feel that desire building. Even while eating the chicken tuna sandwiches that he makes, which are… not as bad as you expected.

“So does Lizzie have a transporter?” Chris asks as you drop out of warp into orbit of the planet.

“Yes, but it can only handle one person at a time. I never use it. Do you want to bring her into land? I have the co-ordinates…”

Risa looks beautiful, and you feel relaxed as Chris steers you through the atmosphere, away from the blue-green sunward side into the dark. You keep half an eye on the sensors, but it isn’t necessary; Chris may not have been a test pilot for a long time, but those skills haven’t gone away.

He lands Lizzie in the exact centre of the shuttle pad, with only the tiniest bump to let you know you’re on solid ground.

Outside is dark and warm, the moons glowing in the sky, and you can hear the soft lap of waves on an ocean you can’t yet see. You can smell the ocean, too, but mixed with earthy and floral scents from plants that are still dark shadows. The shuttle pad is edged in tiny lights which lead toward a path, the dark silhouette of your villa at the end of it. You and Chris head in that direction, cases in hand.

You don’t get far before you hear footsteps approaching, and a Risian man approaches, smiling warmly.

“Welcome to Risa, we’re delighted to have you. I am Curmal,” he clicks a control, “and this is your villa.” The building you could almost see in front of you lights up, revealing a large bungalow, roof sloping down to large French glass doors, with warm light spilling out over what you can now see is a garden surrounding a little pool with a fountain playing.

Chris whistles. “Fancy… I was expecting a hotel.”

“But this way I get private shuttle parking.”

“Please, no need to carry your bags. If you’ll allow me?” You and Chris place your cases where Curmal indicates, and he puts a fob on them before pressing his control again. They disappear in a sparkle of blue transporter energy.

“You will find your luggage in your closet. Please step this way.” He leads the way along the path toward the back of the bungalow, and you take Chris’ proffered arm and follow.

“Privacy is assured, madam,” Curmal continues, “and all the amenities of a hotel are available to you just a short walk away, sir. The full resort guide is on the computer, but we have a spa, restaurants, bars. And anything you require can be brought here, or transported, entirely at your pleasure. You can also ask the computer for anything you need in the villa.” He steps up to the French window. “The villa is programmed for your access already, madam, but sir, if you could—”

You step away from Chris as he and Curmal program his finger and voice prints into the villa’s computer. You’re feeling… you’re not sure. You have a few nerves; you’ve had casual encounters in the past, and most weren’t especially fulfilling. But with Chris… the attraction is not just to his looks or his body, as handsome as he is. It’s the man he’s shown himself to be.

“One last thing,” Curmal says, picking up a small wooden statue from beside the door. “This is a horga'hn. Take it with you, if you wish to seek jamaharon.”

You meet Chris’ eyes, and he returns your knowing smile; clearly he’s heard the stories too. “I don’t think we’ll need it. But thank you,” you say as Curmal hands it to you.

He bows slightly. “It would also make a good decoration. I will leave you now, but if you need anything, please let me or another staff member know.”

He walks a little way along the path as you press the control for the door, but you barely register the whine of the transport because as soon as you put statue down Chris takes you in his arms, door closing behind you.

The kiss tastes different to your first one.

Then you were saying we wish we could have this.

This time, you both know you can.

It starts gentle, but you’re both hungry for it. Your lips part and your tongues tangle, and you feel that light, that burn again as his hand slips down your back. But this time, as you touch his face, run your hand through his perfect hair, you can fan it to flames.

“Your shots up to date? Mine are,” he murmurs against your lips when you finally pause for breath.

“Yes. Want this,” you say, and you’re kissing again, almost desperate. You had planned to offer him champagne when you got here, drink a toast to celebrate his promotion. You had thought you’d at least have a look around the villa, maybe see more of the outside. But he’s backing you through the open doorway to the bedroom, and you’re more than happy to go.

You’re down to your underwear, yours and Chris’s clothes in an inelegant jumble on the floor, and you pause for a moment, just breathing. The light in here is soft and warm, just bright enough to highlight Chris’ muscles. You take him in: hair mussed from your fingers, blue eyes hot, kissed lips and the barest hint of stubble along his jaw. It’s bright enough for him to see you, too, and you can feel his gaze like a caress, desire written clearly across his face.

Then you’re together again, skin to skin, and you can’t wait for more as he drops to his knees.

You stretch as you wake, feeling comfortable, content, and warm. Warm from the body snuggled against your back. From the arm holding you close.

You think back to last night, and how Chris had made it his mission to find out what turns you on, what makes you gasp, how to make your body sing for him. How he had shivered at your touch. And how it felt when you came apart together.

You don’t think it’s been quite this good with anyone else.

Tiny beams of bright sunlight are escaping round the edges of the curtains, promising a beautiful day outside, but you turn away from them toward Chris, who is blinking his eyes sleepily.

“’Morning,” he says, voice gravelly from sleep, and he smiles as you reach out and touch his lips.

“Hi,” you say, soft, as he kisses your finger, and tightens his arm around you. You feel desire stirring within you again, and really, you think, as you press against him, replacing your finger with your lips, what better way to start your first day on the planet?

Wearing Chris’ shirt is a cliché, but it was on top of the pile of clothes, the fabric is soft, and it smells of him.

You’re part exploring, part in search of coffee.

“Computer, open the curtains,” you say, twirling around, trying to take the view out of both sides of the large room in at once as the white fabric pulls back. You can see the garden you came in through last night, flowers in reds, yellows and pinks looking vivid in the sunlight, and on the other side, a wide deck and then the ocean.

You can see the room better too. It’s spacious, light, with a corner sofa on one side, where you can sit and watch the ocean, or the screen on the wall. There are chairs and a table on the other side near the ocean window, and two stools and breakfast bar by the kitchen area, which, as you investigate further, seems surprisingly functional. There’s a synthesiser, of course, but also a coffee machine, a hob, and an oven. You vaguely remember the brochure when you booked the place saying you could have a chef come and cook Risian specialities.

You open all the cupboards and find some coffee beans, and you put them into the machine, which starts grinding them quietly. You perch on one of the bar stools while you wait, enjoying the coffee scent as it fills the room. There’s a computer screen here, and you tap through the breakfast options before you find something perfect. You smile, satisfied.

“Do I smell coffee?” Chris pads in from the bedroom, looking good in just his boxers. You manage to clear the computer screen before he comes round behind you, putting his arms round you, bending to kiss your neck.

“It’s brewing. There’s a real coffee maker. The whole kitchen is real, actually – I’ve just been having a look. It’s meant for a staff chef, but I haven’t cooked in ages. I was wondering if I could order some ingredients.”

“I have a kitchen in my quarters on the Enterprise. The synthesiser’s good, but it’s not the same. Ask Curmal; I sure he’d be happy to get raw ingredients for you.”

“Yeah, maybe I will. I ordered breakfast already, though. They’re beaming it out onto the deck in about half an hour. Time for coffee and a shower first…?”  You twist round to look at him, raising an eyebrow.

“Sounds like a plan. And nice shirt,” he adds with a small smile, sliding a hand under it.

It seems incredibly decadent to be sitting either side of a wooden table, suns in the sky, ocean softly lapping beside you, with the sound of distant seabirds carrying over the water, while you wait for breakfast to literally materialise in front of you.

But it’s not like this is your everyday life.

In your everyday life you don’t have sun loungers, or a large, heated pool recessed into the deck right outside the French doors from your bedroom, which feels like it’s an extension of the ocean. You don’t have palm trees. And you don’t have a small flight of wooden steps leading down to your own private section of a pristine white sand beach.

Even so—

“Champagne?” Chris asks with a smile, as a bottle in an ice bucket on a stand materialises by you, and a crisp white cloth appears on the table.

“Champagne breakfast,” you say, as the flutes and food materialise. There’s fruit – bowls of berries: strawberries, blueberries, and other fruit we you don’t recognise. There’s French toast dusted with cinnamon sugar. Stacks of mini pancakes. Muffins and pastries. Eggs Benedict. Little quiche-like bites, and some other Risian specialities. “I wanted to toast your promotion… I thought we could do that when we got here, but we were… too busy last night.”

You take the bottle and pop the cork, then pour the drinks.

“To Starfleet’s newest captain. May the solar winds fill your sails, and may all your landfalls be expected.” He grins as you clink glasses, and you take a sip, enjoying the bubbles. “How are you feeling about it? Being the one in charge?”

“Ready,” he says, after a moment. “It will be a challenge… and I know that people will be watching. But the Enterprise… she’s the best ship in the fleet. The best crew. And getting to be the person that leads them… I couldn’t ask for anything more.” He picks up a small plate. “Is this caviar?”

“I did see that on the menu…”

You don’t see much of Risa, at least to begin with. Besides the sex, definitely the best you’ve had in… forever, you both need time to relax, and you have space to do that here. Space for soaking up sunlight on the deck. Watching – trying to watch – a film together on the sofa. Enjoying a double sunset with a glass of wine in the pool.

Eventually, though, you do venture out. You dive a reef in Suraya Bay, and swim with the Risian equivalent of dolphins, followed by fresh caught seafood for dinner from the restaurant boat moored just off the beach. You dance at one of the nightclubs, enjoying the energy all around you, but knowing who you’ll be leaving with at the end of the night.

You skydive, loving the rush – it’s not the first time, for either of you, but it’s so much different doing it just for fun rather than for a training exercise. You love how it feels like flying, high up in the air in freefall, and the view after you’ve deployed your parachute, over forests and the sea, is stunning. You love the satisfaction of landing perfectly on your feet, and you try not to look too smug as you offer Chris a hand up after he misses his footing. Later you sneak a kiss in the subterranean gardens beneath a tree that glows.

You do enjoy doing those touristy things, but you enjoy the calm of the villa, just being together, more.

“I used to pop a conduit open on the Pemberley, and brown these with the plasma,” you say one evening, wielding a torch over the crème brûlées you made for dessert.

“No you didn’t,” Chris says, brow raised, mouth quirked in amusement. He hasn’t shaved since he got here, and while you do like the clean cut look on him, the slightly rugged look of his stubble definitely does something for you too.

“Yes I did. Okay—once. And it did brown… well. Blacken. And then the ramekin shattered, and I cut up my hands so badly I couldn’t hide the bleeding from my parents. These are much better.” You smile, admiring your handiwork.

Chris shakes his head before pouring out the dessert wine. “There’s something to be said for a kitchen on a planet. You can still have accidents, but…”

“I suppose you can’t be quite that reckless. But on the other hand, you can’t eject your cooking fails out an airlock… Mmm. I’ve missed these.” You close your eyes, savouring the smooth sweet vanilla flavour, and the crunch of the caramel.

You had chosen to make ravioli for your main course – Curmal had provided all the ingredients, and you enjoy the process of making pasta. When you’d had the chance to cook in the past it had mostly been alone – once you were old enough to be trusted in the small galley on the Pemberley your parents left you to it, and you didn’t have anyone to cook with in your little kitchen on Starbase 58. But Chris had come in from outside, looked at the recipe and got stuck in. Weighing out ingredients, chopping. Working with him felt so natural, as you passed things back and forth, and chatted about how best to adapt the filling to the local ingredients you had. The results are delicious, and you love getting to eat outside in the warm Risian evening, too.

“There’ve been a few things I’ve made on the Enterprise that I’ve wanted to recycle. Airlock seems a bit extreme, though. You ever cook on the Cooper?”

“Not often. Only if I’m on Alpha and I can’t sleep – the galley is usually pretty quiet during Gamma. But I’ll bake something easy like oatmeal cookies, then whoever’s around can have them as a post shift snack or an early breakfast.”

“Perhaps we can bake some here before we leave. I have my eye on the grill too, though.”

“I’ve never had a cookout. I’ve spent almost all my life in space,” you add, at his shocked expression.

“Not even at the academy? I’m remedying that.”

You spend your last afternoon laying on a lounger on the deck, the feel of the suns on your skin, the calm of the ocean waves and a gentle breeze through the garden lulling you into an almost meditative state. This is your happy place, you think, trying to memorise details like the feel of the fine cotton of the cushions. The smell of your sunscreen. This is where you will come to when things get stressful.

“The shuttle’s a write-off,” Chris says, handing you a drink as he comes to sit on the other lounger. “But there’s a transport to Earth tomorrow at 10:00. I’ve booked a seat. I looked up where the Cooper is; going by Starbase 114 would be out of your way now, anyway.”

“Thanks,” you say, taking the drink. “I would’ve been happy to drop you off. But yeah, I’m not surprised they gave up on the shuttle, it’s a shame but it was pretty mangled.”

You settle back on to the lounger. “I’m going to miss this,” you say softly, taking a sip of your drink, the icy cold juice providing a welcome contrast to the warm air. “I’m going to miss—”

You stop yourself.

I’m going to miss you.

You knew, in your head, what you were getting into when you invited him to Risa; you knew it would just be a temporary fling. But this thing between you… it’s been much more special than you imagined it could be. You knew you liked him as a person. You knew you were attracted to him as a man. But you wonder, if you lived different lives, had different callings…

But you can’t say that. You don’t want to make things weird.

Chris looks at you, though, blue eyes thoughtful, and… perhaps you don’t need to say it.

He grills that evening, and you think maybe one day you could settle on a planet. If you could eat perfect steak like that on a regular basis.

And then that night… the last early morning that you spend in his arms…

You know he feels it too.

[editorandchief]

Choice We Made|Bonnie Gold

Warning: None

Pairing: Shelby!reader x Bonnie Gold

Summary: Reader and Tommy aren’t seeing eye to eye which leads them to make some rash decisions.

Being Tommy Shelby’s daughter Y/N never felt like her father really loved her as much as everyone thought, of course he was protective of her like her was for the rest of the family but protecting cane with the Shelby name.

It wasn’t always like that just as many thing Tommy changed after the war, and no matter how hard she tried she could never get him to look at her as he had before. That was until Grace showed up, she put the spark back into her fathers eyes the only difference was he only had it for Grace not her, and once Grace snitched them out and left it was back to the same cold, emotionless stare that he had before.

“No” Y/N said staring unwaveringly at her father.

“What?” He asked even though he and everyone else had definitely heard her. Tommy had just announced the ‘glorious’ return of Grace and the upcoming baby and wedding.

“I said fucking no.” She replied.

“Well it seems you mistook my relay of information at a request for permission.” Tommy stated and his usual cold stoic voice. “This is happening.”

“So she snitched you out, leaves you high and dry, and marries come Calvary man.” You list off as you stand from your seat. “and after one fuck we’re supposed to welcome her back with open arms?”

“What you mouth.” He warning pointing his finger between her eyes.

“Carful Tomas your wouldn’t want anyone to know your my father.” She snapped back.

“Y/N I know I haven’t exactly earned your trust-.”

“I’m not talking to you whore!” She shouts at the blonde who in her eyes made it even harder to receive her father affection.

Slamming his fist onto the table Tommy to get a to his feet now staring you in the eyes.

In situations like this people could really see that you were indeed Tomas Shelby’s daughter. You shared the same deep blue eyes, jet black hair, and chilling demeanor.

“Now I’ve had enough of this, Grace is having my child and both of them will be apart of this family.” Tomas tells you.”

“Fine.” Y/N stated pushing back her chair and starting for the door.

“Where the fuck are you going?” Tommy asked having how sat down rubbing his forehead in frustration.

“Marry you whore Tomas have you child.” She opens the door. “But is she’s apart of this family, I won’t be.” She finishes walking you slamming the door leaving an eerie silence in her wake.

“Are you just gonna let her go Tomas?” Polly asked waiting for her nephew to do after his daughter.

“Leave her pol.” He replied reaching into he breast pocket pulling out a cigarette. “She just need to blow off some steam then she’ll be done with this tantrum.”

“Tantrum? My niece just denounced our family and left this house.” She said snatching the cigarette from his lips. “You better hope this is just a tantrum.”

Two Years Later

“Just two targets.” Aberama stated knowing Y/N were already a bit hesitant to do a job in Birmingham, as she, Aberama and Bonnie watched as the two apparently Italian men setup and aim at what looked to be a funeral. “Y/N.” He called nodding in the direction of the man who seemed to be keeping watch.

Unfortunately for him he was watching in the wrong direction as she easily snuck up behind him covering his mouth before shoving her knife into his neck only to deal out several more to insure the job had been done, not taking any notice that the other Italian mans attention was now on her as well as his gun only turning at the sound of Bonnie’s gun launching a bullet at the man’s back.

“You should be more careful dove.” Bonnie slightly chastised as he moves towards her laying a kiss on her forehead.

“Why would I need to do that with you around?” She joked back as Aberama belt the final shot into the chest of the man Bonnie had shot.

Mounting the back of Bonnie’s horse as the men loaded the bodies onto the back of the others.

“Polly!” The familiar voice carried across the field has they rode closer to the group, it was stupid of her not to think it would be her family the caravan burning should have been her first close, not a lot of gypsy families in Birmingham. But who was dead?

“500 each, 100 for the brace,” Aberama informed not stopping for confirmation. “Where do you want them?” He asked.

“Charlie take them to the yard.” Tommy answered not even looking up if her had we would have seen the eyes identical to his belonging to the daughter he lost two years prior.

“Y/N,” Polly calls drawing her and everyone else’s attention, it had been so long since anyone had even dared to say the name of the missing shelby. “Y/N Shelby, and where the hell have you been? Off the fucking horse, Now” she ordered. Deciding that obeying would give her a better of survival on the inevitable scolding she was in for, dismounting the horse after insuring Bonnie she would meet up with him later.

As soon as her feet were sold on the ground Polly wrapped her around waist leading her away from the black clad crowd, but not before her eyes were drawn to Tommy only to find his following her as she exited the field.

✨

Arriving at Charlie’s Yard with Polly, Ada, and Lizzie was a relief to Y/N, after hours of being yelled at by Polly and a little by Ada then immediately smothered with hug and kisses both demanding to know everything about her travels over the passed years.

Although she did miss most of her family she had to admit it was still a bit awkward in the presence of the people she thought would have forgotten about her by now. The news of John’s death had also left her a bit in shock not knowing what kind of condolences she could offer for the loss of her uncle and her cousins.

“Never did I think my high heels from pairis would be stepping through the shit of small Heath again.” Polly complained as they entered the yard were it looked like dinner was just getting stated.

“In only temporary pol.” Ada assured as they went to take their seats.

Y/N made her way to the end of the table toward Aberama and Bonnie, the younger of the two sliding over a seat to make room.

“How was it.” Bonnie asked as Y/N became comfortable in her seat as Bonnie secured his arm around her waist placing a kiss on her lips.

“Well I’m alive.” She answered laying her head on his shoulder. “Which is more than I expected.

Part 2 ?