#kind of terrible things are you up to chat about' without sounding like im there to tell you things to upset you
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on one hand i would love to talk to other stunticon fans (this is a vague) about my headcanons and their headcanons.
on the other hand. [looks at my headcanons] this is not good for conversation unless someone is willing to hand me a list of what triggering subjects they're up to talk about first given that it hits literally all of them
#red rambles#if you see this and you think it's about you then it is but i am not going to message you first. because i dont know how to go 'hey what#kind of terrible things are you up to chat about' without sounding like im there to tell you things to upset you#when actually its just that the horrific power dynamics i keep turning up to eleven permeate everything i do with them#...which i feel like is how it should be. but i never know who wants to lean out of that and who wants to be like me and lean all the way#in and roll around in a little pit of 'and they will very literally not live like this and someone WILL die if nothing changes' like beasts#rolling around in mud or whatever
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Hi, we don't talk much - if at all - but I'm a longtime lurker in the community you're posting about. I won't pretend to have context for what happened, but I'm so sorry you're hurting. Your reply, which you posted, was full of rational points, and I'm so sorry you're hurting. I do not wish to speak ill of the community, but I have noticed some unusual behavior among the members up til now, which is one reason I don't interact much. You're not cursed. You're a positive and kind person with a lot of passion and exuberance. If others cannot deal with that, that's on them. If they cannot handle hearing things they don't like without freaking out, that's also on them. You're right: people who can't accept that their Fandom opinion is not universal are ill-equipped for mature conversations about Fandom. You have always been so supportive of diverse opinions. Your "be cringe, be free" mentality is inspiring. People who also believe Fandom opinions reflect real life morality - especially in a Fandom all about vampires - need to check themselves before casting stones. Nothing I've seen you say indicates that you're ableist. I don't think an ableist would worry as much as you do about hurting others. Again, I'm not sure what happened, but I think whatever happened could have been handled with more grace and fairness to you and to the admins asked to foster communication between you (who has expressed open desire to communicate) and other adults who should be mature enough to talk to you without asking others to regulate their emotions for them. Those people - whoever they are - need to think about how they conducted themselves. I'm so sorry you are going through this and that whoever had an issue put your friends in the middle. I'm sorry your friends, when put in the middle, felt obligated to prioritize something or someone else. I'm also sorry that you felt obligated to post your chats to feel seen and heard. I imagine doing so will feel bad for you and for them, given time, but that you must feel terrible to have reached out to Tumblr at large by posting screencaps in the first place. I'm so sorry you hurt and feel alone. You all deserve better, especially you. Try to have a good night and know there are people out there who wish you well.
aah i cant stop crying, thank you
i dont wanna sound like im a victim cuz i know i can make people uncomfortable. the whole 'be cringe be free' mentality is always prone to cause others to be uncomfortable by the blunt openness. i know discomfort doesnt mean unethical, but their discomfort is valid. all i want is people to understand my intention is never to hurt, and that i apologize if my literal/direct reactions cause issues. it's why i desperately need communication or some form of these social rules, otherwise it feels unfair when i 'break' them and become seen as unethical/inappropriate for things beyond my control. and it's even more painful when told that there's nothing i can do on my end, while none involved reach out to me
i dont want people to be upset or hate each other, i mostly spoke out because it was affecting my personal life, the games/groups i was in/kicked from, and the way i was being pushed away/outcasted. not only did it hurt physically but it's been messing with my mind so badly. but reading this helps alot, so thank you.
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I’m watching ‘Ladybug and Chat Noir: Awakening’ (you can watch a really bad quality bootleg recording on most pirating sites right now), these are my reactions while I’m watching . A lot of the points won’t make sense unless you’ve seen it too I’m sorry 😭
If you don’t want to watch the movie but want a vague idea of the plot, here u go
⚠️NEW MIRACULOUS MOVIE SPOILERS⚠️
- master fu is soo dramatic
- THIS IS A MUSICAL???
- whoever the singer is for marinette sounds so noticeably different to her it is throwing me off
- the character designs are so cute
- brand placement: 1
- Adrien is brooding so hard with his headphones. I bet he’s listening to something emo
- omg gabriel agreste backstory right away
- Luka cameo
- whyd they make plagg a fart monster
- there are more than 4 background character designs this is crazy
- whyd they make gabe kinda fine
- gabes first musical number as hawkmoth is so insanely Dr Facilier
- they made him such a good villain omfg I’m actually rooting for him he’s got the whole ‘a villain who would sacrifice the world to save her’ thing going for him
- oooo they have the mime villain from season 1 (?), and they are actually showing how op his power is. He could create literally anything and he just made a wall and a gun, he couldve done so much more. They did him justice they made him kinda fine too very Danny Bailey from Schmigadoon
- chat noir calling himself a sidekick is my villain origin story
- didn’t know how much I needed an action montage with a rock cover of the miraculous ladybug song until now
- a slither of adrienette in the montage
- brand placement: 2
- I’m an hour in and chat noir hasnt called ladybug milady ONCE
- oh my god they have the play fighting trope where they end up pinning eachother against a wall this is so them
- I don’t think the songs are very movie like, the words are pronounced like radio songs so you can’t really understand what they’re saying a lot of the time without captions (I don’t have captions 💔)
- the romance feels a lil rushed. Because they spent the first half hour almost exclusively on marinette and setting up her character/insecurities/etc and all the romantic development was in a montage. Now there’s a love song and theyre in love and it feels very underdeveloped to be at this stage already
- this song is cute though I can’t make out the majority of the words but in-love ladynoir content has my heart
- no marichat so far . Waiting patiently
- they haven’t set the love square up to its full potential 💔💔
- ok nevermind they kind of have, ladybug rejected chat noir for adrien, she asked adrien out and he rejected her for ladybug. But there has been no ladybug + adrien interactions or chat noir + marinette interactions yet
- omg gabriel adrien angst omg gabe is so much less of a dislikable character, they actually gave him some depth . Adrien is full on yelling at Gabriel and gabe actually looks like he cares about his son
- this bootleg is terrible quality but even with the bad quality the quality is so obviously good
- I’ve gotten used to the marinette singing voice and now I just love it
- this movie is so dramatic with the love songs and songs about insecurities, I feel like it’s that movie ladybug made fun of in the show
- GABE AKUMATISED HIMSELF AND ITS SO COOL THIS IS SO MUCH BETTER THAN THAT WEIRD IPAD VILLAIN HE WAS IN THE SHOW
- adrien just said ‘the less interested you are, the more they run after you 😒’ because ladybug called him for help after she rejected him😭😭😭😭 bro rlly said all girls are the same
- idk if this bootleg is just clipped together but it keeps randomly turning french with no subtitles and it’s confusing me so much. I don’t know french, why must they be in paris
- these boss fights are so well animated
- chat noir is so bitter god damn
- ladynoir angst but it’s actually high stakes im loving this
- LADYBUG SAVE YOUR CAT WHAT ARE YOU DOING
- SHE LET HIM FALL WHAT
- gabe just turned the water they fell in into lava this is crazy
- they just turned french again I have no idea what they’re saying
- MARINETTE / HAWKMOTH SHOWDOWN
- nevermind
- I’m sorry marinette would pick this dialogue to shreds it’s so corny
- GOT THE TINIEST SLITHER OF MARICHAT I AM HAPPY
- YES YES YES GABRIEL FORCED TO FACE THE FACT THAT ADRIEN IS CHAT NOIR
- HES SELF REFLECTING!!! REALISING EVERYTHING HE DID WAS INSANE AND HURT ADRIEN WHEN HE TOLD HIMSELF HE WAS HELPING HIM. THIS IS WHAT THE SEASON 5 FINALE SHOULDVE BEEN
- THIS IS PERFECT
- this is what ppl wanted for the show . adrien being resentful at first, Gabriel hit in the face with his own guilt and mistakes, having a genuine moment of self reflection, adrien forgiving him and gabe changing instead of getting his wish and being remembered as a hero, plus all of paris finding out hawkmoth was Gabriel, etc. I love this
- brand placement: 3
- omg there’s a masquerade ball everyone looks so good
- so marinette knows that adrien is chat noir but he doesn’t know shes ladybug yet ? That better change in the next 2 minutes
- HE KNOWS!
- marinette is so pretty I’m actually so happy with this
- OHHHH NATALIE VILLAIN ARC ????
- oh theyre talking in french again I have no idea what this ending means
FINAL THOUGHTS!
obvs it isn’t canon but I love this adaptation. The superpowers are portrayed as powerful as they actually are, there’s more drama and angst which I needed, the timeline is VERY different to the show. Marinette stands up for herself to chloe the same day that ladybug and chat noir reveal their identities, so it’s like the origins episode of season 1 mixed with one of the various identity reveals from season 4. Also she’s not friends with any of her class other than alya, adrien and nino, so it’s also kind of pre-origins vibes. Idk, it was really good and I can’t wait to watch it in better quality, with captions, and without ads playing every half hour
Also I’m forever thankful that there was no lila rossi storyline
#miraculous ladybug#miraculous awakening#ladybug and chat noir#ladybug and chat noir awakening#miraculous awakening spoiler#mlb awakening#mlb awakening spoilers#ladynoir#marichat#chat noir#ladybug
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tw grooming
I need advice & reassurance i guess
I knew someone who was a minor,, Im a bit older and an adult and we had been mutuals. I know not everyone agrees with that but i didn’t feel too personal with them & i feel like it’s normal if you aren’t weird. I’m in a relationship & I thought it was clear i’d only love my partner especially someone an appropriate age for me. I didn’t fight with the kid, I wasn’t inappropriate, I never wanted anything from them & never asked, never wanted to meet. I thought if anything we could talk about like the shows we both liked and i could give them advice if they needed it. It seemed very normal to me & i didn’t have bad intentions so i guess that’s why. Nothing happened but they suddenly started saying i groomed them. Apparently people who were harassing me before were trying to manipulate people into saying that to hurt me, affect my relationship, idk. Apparently the kid was jealous of my relationship & I wish i knew that, I feel like i should’ve but there were no signs, because if I knew there was anything inappropriate i wouldn’t think it’s fine to interact. I’m really disgusted & im not sure what to do cus its led to me & even my gf being stalked & harassed & I worry about our safety, our family etc. if this continues or worsens. I take this issue really seriously which is why I know it’s basically impossible for me to do or speak anything seeing as it’s a minor accusing an adult of that so of course they should be believed when people don’t know the truth. It’s led to me to wonder if I somehow had this person thinking i wanted anything from thm? But I know i never asked or implied anything of the sort. We tried to address it when it happened & got attacked. I don’t feel comfortable speaking to people younger than me now because i don’t want anyone to get the wrong idea but i feel kind of like a piece of meat due to past objectification and being treated this way even by other adults who swear im “asking for it” & i was clearly giving them signs. It makes me feel violated. But I feel stuck because I don’t feel like I can speak about it when people already decide i’m guilty. And I want to be sensitive to other victims since I know how that feels. But I feel like no matter what i say its held against me because even to say that this person is lying, that’s what everyone expects me to say, and therefore is considered proof against me that doesn’t even exist in the first place, which again i hate to say but this kid was also apparently screenshotting even the most normal messages from group chats so i thought people would think if anything happened she’d have it. I know maybe that’s terrible to think, and that’s how I end up in these ruts because I know who I am and what i did and d didn’t do, but having many people push doubt on you is hard + I can’t come up with any defense or reasoning without thinking “that’s what they expect you to say” or “you know this is how predators act, you sound just like him.” I know most people don’t think harmless interactions between minors and adults are weird but I think how stupid it was to think it would be meaner to ignore this person. Maybe it’s my fault for trying to be nice. That if i could have foreseen this somehow i wouldn’t have but i shouldnt have talked to this person at all. I could just never imagine it would become this because I don’t even think of hurting people. Maybe i’m naive. But i have to think about my family too. This person wants us dead and has said so. We document things but I’m not sure if legal action is possible or a good idea down the road if necessary, but i’m not sure what else to do? I just feel so stuck. My wife doesn’t deserve to be harassed forever. -🤖🦾⚽️
Hi 🤖🦾⚽️,
I think it is possible for adults to have healthy friendships with minors, especially considering how I was a camp counselor for kindergarten through 8th grade and had a range of 2nd graders to 5th graders during my 4 years there. I always treated the kids like I would a friend and make sure it felt evenly balanced and not "I'm the adult and you're the child". They'd braid my hair and I'd help them make crafts, and at the end of the summer the kids would say how much they loved me as a counselor because I was their friend as much as I was their camp counselor.
I don't know exactly what happened but based on what you've shared it sounds like what happened was not grooming. Grooming is an intentional manipulation tactic to gain a child's trust for sexual purposes. You cannot groom someone on accident. From what I'm hearing, there was no sexual or malicious intent and others were misinterpreting your friendship as predatory simply by this person's accusation alone.
It's frustrating when people don't bother to listen to all sides of the story. While I'm someone that always believes survivors, it's not like false claims are impossible, and unfortunately it sometimes does happen. It's hard to approach survivors' claims in a way that both respects their truth and explores other possibilities, but I think it can be useful to listen to other sides as well when coming to a conclusion. I think this is just a fundamental aspect of critical thinking - it can be good to take other sides into account when forming your own perspective or opinion, without disrespecting any side in the process.
Grooming is quite a serious thing to accuse someone of, and while their vitriol towards groomers is merited, as part of practicing critical thinking skills, it's important to carefully evaluate all possibilites and all information provided before deciding on whether a claim is accurate, especially in a situation like this when it's false.
Perhaps this person took advantage of the sensitivity around fakeclaiming survivors. But it's hard because, at the same time, we shouldn't necessarily dictate who's a survivor and who isn't. This person could’ve used this, knowing the touchiness of saying “Hey, this accusation is false.” especially reflecting on the times when actual abusers will accuse their victim of lying or will fabricate evidence.
This is difficult though, because as I'm trying to think of the situation from the perspective of the people targeting you, I can't help but be reminded of the fact that, as a survivor myself, I have internalized this idea of needing evidence to the point that I have a 300+ page google doc full of detail, citations, interviews, screenshots, transcriptions, all to prove myself and my truth, when my therapist has been trying to teach me that none of it is necessary and that I should be believed anyways. But it's hard because clearly there are situations like this where evidence is crucial, and people who make false claims only further burden real survivors like us with needing to prove we're not lying. So it's a very complex situation.
Regardless, it may end up being necessary to keep track of things such as gathering documents god forbid legal action becomes necessary. But please know that harassment is illegal, depending on where you are, and you don't deserve to feel in danger or actually have your reputation ruined over things you simply did not do.
I hope I could help. Please let us know if you need anything.
-Bun
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Could it be possible to get some romantic Monty please? 🥺
monty x reader assorted hcs !
↳ ft. montgomery gator
「 gn! reader, romantic relationship <3 」
author's note: ( つ᷄.̯σ̣̥᷅ ) <3 o i luv monty sm of course anon!!!! im super excited 2 write these up 4 u- gramatical errors and spelling mistakes might b here tho, apologies in advance ! :(
▸ he's definitely not shy about liking you and he makes that very clear. well, he definitely tries to- he really wants to play it cool around you
▸ on the days where you're at the pizzaplex and it's near closing time, he'd find you just to chat you up
▸ one time he tried to use a pick up line on you. the delivery was so confident, as if he imagined you swooning into his arms after you heard it- but it was so cheesy and cliche that instead of having a reaction he was hoping for, you paused, blinked several times-
▸ ...and then burst out into a fit of giggles. he was a little frustrated at first that it didn't work and thought you weren't just taking him seriously- but the way you were laughing was so innocent and sweet that he realized you weren't laughing at him. you just thought that he was joking around
▸ now he drops pick up lines 24/7 that are just as corny as the first one. swooning or laughing are both acceptable reactions he'll take from you- he just wants to let you know he likes you without having to let down his whole tough guy act
▸ he's taken off or lowered his sunglasses just to wink at you. monty pulls this trick multiple times, and no matter if it gets old to you or not, he thinks it works absolutely great
▸ sometimes, he'll bring you into his green room to let you listen to him play his bass, hoping to impress you.
▸ very, VERY secretly, monty is incredibly soft for you. after talking to you or seeing you, he'll return to his green room and try not to short circuit himself over the pounding of his (non literal) heart.
▸ if you gave him a compliment, no matter how little or brief- he would NEVER stop thinking about it. say his sunglasses look cool? he won't leave anywhere without them. you mentioned his bass skills are really nice? he's practicing even more than usual (despite the fact he is programmed to already know how to play it). you like his voice? he'll give you every opportunity to hear it
▸ monty isn't mean mean but he's definitely not beyond teasing you. it's all playful, but it's pretty frequent. a lot of holding things above your head, which he'll do mainly to get your attention.
▸ he won't let anyone actually be mean to you though. no way. if someone ever made fun of you or treated you badly, you'd physically have to drag him away from the person so he doesn't rip them apart. no one's gonna hurt you and get away with it on his watch.
▸ if his teasing ever makes you upset or goes too far though, he'll literally feel terrible about it and immediately try to apologize after realizing. it's awkward and kind of painful to hear how stiff and unnatural his apology sounds- but it's way too sincere to be something he's just saying so you won't be sad anymore. he really doesn't want to hurt you or scare you off.
▸ your name could legally be "shortstack" by the amount of times he's called you that. you don't even have to be short by human standards, you're shorter than him and that's all that matters
▸ speaking of nicknames- you've got a bunch from him. literally inescapable. but that makes him using your real name all the more personal. the way he says it sounds so caring, like he's trying to show how much he loves you just by saying it
▸ loves when you cling to his arm. he prefers it over hand holding and thinks its the most endearing thing in the world. having you so close to him makes him feel so, so incredibly happy
▸ when you two are closer to each other, and there's a comfortable silence between you two- he'll wrap his arms around you from behind and rest his head on your shoulder sometimes. after a few seconds of being completely stiff- he squeezes you a little tighter and pulls you in a little closer.
▸ though he puts up a tough front most of the time, it goes down when you impress him. it could be anything- having a hobby, being skilled at something, handling spicy food, not being scared of horror movies- if he deems it impressive, he'll boast about it endlessly. it's his way of noticing the little things that make you, you. and he adores you :]
▸ you tried on his sunglasses one time, wondering what it would look like on you. you thought he'd get mad- nope. he nearly melted on the spot. he won't say it, but he was absolutely flustered with how cute they were on you.
#security breach headcanons#fnaf security breach#fnaf security breach headcanons#montgomery gator#monty fnaf#montgomery gator headcanons#monty x reader#montgomery gator x reader
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big brother to the rescue.
BEN MILLER
TRIPLE FRONTIER. ┃ USEFUL LINKS.
❝ request by @meteora-fc: hello hello! hope you're doing well :) i was thinking about a ben miller fic where when they're in the bar towards the beginning the reader is there with her friends and the boys push benny to talk to her bc he's getting distracted from conversation by her across the place. thanks a ton 💖
❝ words: about 1.6k.
❝ a / n: if you'd like to read a second part, lemme know! don’t forget to comment and reblog if you liked it, i’d really appreciate it!
“C’mon, little brother. She’s been looking at you the whole night”. Will says palming his back, after catching him distracted for the third time.
“Go, before I do”. Frankie challenges him with a petty smile, knowing it’s going to be enough to force the boxer to take the step.
Taking a deep, deep breath, finding in that gesture the encouragement he needs, Benny goes straight to you, waiting for the bartender to serve you another beer.
At first, you don’t notice his presence, until the unknown guy stops by your side leaning too over the bar. You two cross your gazes, sharing a soft smile that makes your knees tremble. The blonde looks really good, but for some reason, you have the feeling that he could be an idiot, so when he throws at you one of those horrible pickup lines, you can’t help but roll your eyes.
“I’m gonna give you advice. Don’t hit a girl like that”. You just reply with a chuckle, referring to his words.
“I’m more into hitting men”.
For a second, where you were about to leave with your drink, you squint at him having a sip and trying to understand the meaning of his affirmation.
“I box, professionally”.
“Oh…” You nod your chin, puckering your lips, showing him that this fact doesn’t impress him at all. “Congrats. Good luck in your next fight”.
Not giving him the chance to continue the talk, you come back to your table under the attentive looks of your friends, who are laughing at the poor guy and the gesture on his face. His brothers, on the other hand, have slapped their faces whilst shaking their heads disappointed. As soon as Benny joins him, Santi slaps the back of his neck, causing him to choke in his beer.
“There must be something wrong with my eyes, ’cause I can’t take them off you? Really, Benny? Really?”
The guys are laughing when Pope repeats his sentence, as Will puts an arm over his shoulders. “You’re lucky to have me… Big brother to the rescue”.
Anna nudges you, making you turn on your stool to watch a second guy walking towards you, very secure of himself. The only thing you wanted tonight was to have fun with your friends and seems it’s not going to be an option. Crossing a leg over the other and nailing an elbow on the table, resting your chin on your palm, you force a smirk when he offers you a kind smile.
“Good nights, ladies, sorry to interrupt. William, a pleasure”.
The man holds your free hand without asking for it to stretch it. Firmly. Like only a soldier would do —as your father does. He turns for a second to his friends, laying his oceanic and hypnotic eyes on you with a charming and funny grimace on his face.
“Sorry ‘bout my brother, you know... too many punches”. He has captivated your friends, who are gasping for him and the honeyed tone he’s using, covered by a raspy voice. “He has watched you looking at him and he was nervous, but he’s not a bad guy. Just a little asshole. But he’s worth it, believe me”.
“Okay”. You reply slowly, raising an eyebrow earning your attention little by little.
“He has begged me to not come, but I think you’re too smart to not have a date with him”.
“Your brother was right, you didn’t have to come. And you’re wrong, more or less. I’m very smart, but having a date with him doesn’t seem a very intelligent idea”.
“Got it. But he’ll be waiting for you at seven in Kaleo’s, tomorrow night”. A negative it’s not an option to the soldier, showing you his perfect white teeth in a huge smile clapping his hands before leaving. “Good night, ladies. Have a good time”.
Since last night, you've been debating with your friends if you should go to the date just to prove both men were wrong. Lucy would call you crying if you text her in case the guy is another idiot.
The first test is to see if he'd wait for you, arriving thirty minutes later than the hour William told you. Your heart can't help but race a little when you find the blonde boxer sitting on the hood of a black Mustang, in front of the restaurant. Wearing a white t-shirt and black jeans, he has both legs crossed and his hands laced over his lap. Head bowed down and a sigh escaping his lips as he checks the clock on his wrist. Poor guy, he's thinking you are not going to come.
You send a picture of him to the chat group where your friends are asking you if he's still there and, in less than a second, you receive a bunch of heart emojis from all of them. Keeping your phone in a pocket, as you tuck in your hands too, you begin to walk towards him. Step by step. Taking your time with a soft smirk curving your lips as you come closer and closer. Watching him texting someone too, you roll your eyes, imagining it's to some random chick to hang out with, due you have stood him up. Until you're almost leaning above his shoulder and you see he's texting his brother —who is very interested in knowing if you're there or not. You melt as he replies: “amma wait another thirty minutes, maybe there's traffic”.
“You can say to your brother I'm here”. You whisper into his ear, taking him by surprise and causing the boxer to jump off from the hood.
“Oh, fuck. You scared the shit outta m— Where you readin' my phone?”
“Nah, I've some witch in me”. You lie terrible, feeling goosebumps on your arms when his gesture changes suddenly.
A grin like a Cheshire cat decorates his face, offering you his phone as he pressed the small microphone in the bottom right corner.
“Hey, big brother, I came. I hope you weren't wrong”.
“I'm Ben, by the way”. He introduces himself as keeping his phone in a pocket, to offer you his right hand.
“(Y/N)”. You stretch it then, feeling a little nervous at his touch.
“So, this is the plan. We have a beer, and if you think I'm a freak, you can run away before dinner. No questions, no explanations. You just… leave”.
God, that's really sweet. He's nervous too and you can see in his blue eyes how scared he is if you really decide to disappear.
“Deal”. You accept, tilting your head to the restaurant.
A couple of minutes later Ben is sitting in front of you and the first thing that captivates your attention is the fact that he doesn't put his phone on the table. Living in the technology era, everybody keeps an eye on their devices. Constantly. But he's not like everybody. He wants to talk. Know about you. What you do in your free time, what you do for a living, what unveils you at night… And you talk for hours.
Ben tells you what pushed him to be in the army, why he decided to dedicate his life to boxing and he also jokes about how you could fix him up after his fighting. Something like a plan of the future. Together. As friends —as he points out to not make you feel uncomfortable, thinking that he is forcing you to have a relationship. You also discover that your taste in music and movies are very similar, just like your hobbies. And that makes you think about the fact that William will tell you “I wasn't wrong”.
The boxer gladly takes you home, not stopping your chat even when one of the two of you doesn't know what to say, Benny has shown you in some way he enjoys too much the sound of your voice though —how it goes a little higher when you're excited about something, how your throat vibrates when you laugh. And he's falling in love with the disgusted tic that wrinkles your nose when you don't like something, in a funny gesture.
You would die for staying together a little more, but you have obligations to attend tomorrow and your friends haven't ceased sending your texts asking you how it's going. As Ben stops his car next to your house, you sigh not knowing what to do —if just say bye, thank you, ask for his number, kiss him? Yes, you'd like to kiss him right now, but what does it say about you? Should you wait until the second date?
“Got a fight tomorrow night if you're free”. His proposition pushes you back to reality, turning at him on your seat while resting a shoulder against it. “You can invite your friends, mine will be there”.
“Your brother too?” You ask giggling, noticing the change on his grimace to somewhat underwhelmed because of your interest.
“Yeah, he will come”. Ben mumbles pressing his lips after nodding briefly.
“Ugh… Is he the kind of person who has fun saying I told you?”
Ben's gesture suddenly changes again. The shine in his blue deep eyes reappears and you provoke him a strong laugh when you furrow your nose like he literally adores.
“You've had a good night then?”
“Yes”. You don't hesitate to respond, leaning towards him to press your lips on his cheek with a loud kiss.
“See? He told you”. Ben can't help but make fun of you, earning a soft punch to his shoulder that makes him laugh one more time. “It's in the Holou gym, at seven”.
“Okay, I'll not forget it”. You reply, taking your phone and setting an alarm an hour before starting to have time to get ready. “Good night, Ben”.
“Good night, (Y/N)”.
GENERAL TAG LIST: @mayans-sauce @peoniarose @destynelseclipsa @band-psycho @myakai13 @petlaufeyson @-im-fantastic- @horsesandwolvesaremyanimals @rocketqueen @rosieposie0624 @ellyseveronica @jessprins13 @diaryofkali @ravenmoore14 @starrynite7114 @kenbechillin @miahelen @monkeyluver4546 @sheeshgivemeabreak @jadesamhart @rawrlittlepanda-95 @megapeacelovemusic-blog @katsav17 @skits90s @wildsould1221
TRIPLE FRONTIER: @phoenixhalliwell @goldielocks2004 @pedritomando @spideysimpossiblegirl @im-an-adult-ish @chibsytelford
#triple frontier imagine#triple frontier fanfiction#triple frontier#benny miller x reader#ben miller#ben miller x reader#benny miller
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#44. Im your new neighbor and git locked out, help. With uhhhhh tiktoker jask who likes to sing in the stairwells 👀 bonus points if they become boyfriends loooool
thanks for the ask Cheese!!! I hope you enjoy!! <3
I also want to thank @buttercupbard for being a really amazing sport about me borrowing their handle for the tik tok bits!!! I’ve sent some weird dms in my life but honestly, that was the oddest CYA i’ve ever done. I’m super glad it worked out though!!! Thank you again so much, Buttercup!
44. I’m your new neighbor and I got locked out, help!
The first time he heard it, Geralt had been taking his laundry down to the bottom floor because the units on his level were full. It was only for a moment, but who ever it was who was singing scurried away before he had a chance to make out the song they were singing.
The second time, he had passed the door to the stairwell on his way to grab his mail. This time though he was careful as he pushed the door open as gently as he could. The lyrics to Blackbird resonated in the concrete and steel and it made Geralt want to call home. It was a song he remembered his father singing at the kitchen sink while doing clean up in the evening or working in the garage on weekends.
Geralt tried not to be a creep about it, but it was quickly becoming a habit that was hard to break, sneaking into the side stairwell and listening to one of his neighbors sing. It felt somewhere between a terrible invasion of privacy and a private concert.
There were songs that made him ache with nostalgia, where he ended up calling his dad after or texting his brothers. There were songs that made him want to go work out and go get something accomplished. And then there were those songs that made him want to climb the stairs and face that voice and take them into his arms because he sounded so lonely. Geralt usually slipped back out when those feelings started to creep in.
Omg, Geralt, you have to see this dude! He’s insane!
Eskel sent him a link to a tik tok. It took a moment but after it loaded, Geralt nearly threw his phone across the room as if it had burned him. The only thing that stopped him were the blue eyes and brilliant smile that looked back at him.
@buttercupbard
I think my fan is back on the lower floor. Hope he enjoys today’s #lavieenrose 🙌🎶🌹🌹
Oh... Oh no! No no no, this could not be happening. Geralt watched, listening to the same rendition of La Vie en Rose he had heard the day before. Geralt knew only just enough about tik tok to know that the 500k under the little heart and the fact that he knew that this Buttercup Bard had only sung that song yesterday, he could deduce the facts in front of him. One, the singer knew Geralt snuck in to listen, and two, so did his probably thousands of fans.
Geralt clicked the little chat button on the side, pulling up the comments.
“You should go say hello!”
@buttercupbard: Oh no, I don’t know if they’d like that, otherwise they would have come up to say hello by now!
“Wouldn’t it be sweet if they found your tik toks?”
@buttercupbard: 👀👀🙈🙈🙈 Think they’d give me a review? Three words or less!
He wanted to scream. He wanted to run. He wanted to walk up those stairs and be able to drink in the full view of this Buttercup Bard as he sang knowingly to an audience of one. He wanted the earth to crack open at his feet and swallow him whole.
He went back to the video and pulled open Buttercup’s account, scrolling through what seemed like a lot of videos for just a few weeks. He found the one labeled Blackbird and gave it a listen. The caption simply said “This might be the last time I can sing here, someone came in again.”
Geralt frowned as he paused the video, looking down at those bright blue eyes that kept flitting away from the camera to make sure no one was coming. Geralt remembered standing at the bottom of the stairwell, leaning against the cold concrete with eyes closed. It had been peaceful but now it felt as though Geralt had just been encroaching. He couldn’t go back, not now. What would he say if Buttercup came down.
He also had to stop calling him Buttercup, but he had no other name for him. Geralt stopped going to the stairwell and he did his best to not pull up tik tok once in a while just to get his fix. He was doing fine, at least for a little while.
It was about three weeks later when Geralt finally broke down and opened the app he had downloaded just to watch Buttercup sing. That’s when he noticed the little pink ring around his icon.
Buttercup was live right now. Geralt’s feet moved under him without his noticing, walking him to the door. His hand was on the handle as he watched, his whole attention on the screen in his hand.
“I don’t know what happened to them. I guess I wasn’t meant for that kind of cheesy romance story after all!” Buttercup laughed and it sounded like a melody all in itself. Comments rocketed passed and Jaskier chuckled, ducking his head. “Well, you never know, I can’t be everyone’s cup of tea. Do you guys want to hear another song? I was thinking some Presley if you guys-” More comments poured in and Buttercup beamed.
That’s when Geralt heard his door shut behind him. Locked. Fuck.
He dropped out of the live stream and texted Eskel who took a few minutes but finally shot back that he was stuck at work and on the other side of the county. Geralt was going to have to find something to do until he could run over with the spare.
Fuck.
He couldn’t well stand in the hall barefooted. He looked down at his phone and sighed. There was only one thing to do.
----
“Like a river flows, surely to the see, Darlin-” Jaskier gave his camera a wink, chuckling through the lines but below the door opened.
“Uh, excuse me, Mr. Bard?” a voice came up, low and uncertain.
Jaskier gasped, looking in the camera as the chat exploded. He put a hand over his mouth and winced.
“Hello?” Jaskier dropped his head into his hand biting the inside of his lip. When he heard footsteps on the stairs he looked back at his phone and mouthed ‘Got to go’ and blew a kiss. Hopefully it didn’t lose him followers.
Suddenly the follower count didn’t matter. When Jaskier looked up he was greeted by a wall of a man, his white hair pulled back and the most startling hazel eyes. His bare feet wriggled on the linoleum.
“I hate to be a bother, and I know you were in the middle of something,” the man suddenly looked like he wanted to bolt.
“You’re the one who was listening down a few flights,” Jaskier couldn’t help the grin that was breaking out on his face. His followers were going to flip.
“Ah shit, sorry about that I feel like… I should go.” The man turned away from Jaskier and started to make his way back down the steps.
“Wait. Wait, no. Don’t go. Stay, please. Why aren’t you wearing shoes?” His damn mouth got ahead of him.
“I’m locked out of my apartment,” he stood there, looking up through the rail, frowning.
“I… Jaskier.”
“What?”
���My name. It’s Jaskier. Mr. Bard was my father,” he smirked, taking a step down. “Would you like to wait at my place until someone comes to your rescue? I have carpeting and coffee?”
The other man laughed, leaning to press his forehead against the rail for a second before looking up. “It would be appreciated. I’m Geralt from 2C.”
Jaskier tilted his head and smiled. “Well while we wait, Geralt of 2C, you can finally give me a review of my singing.”
“Hmm,” Geralt let himself be led up the rest of the stairs, “Am I restricted to three words or less?”
Jaskier flushed and snorted. And to think he nearly made a habit of doing his videos in this bathroom.
---
You can drop me a prompt from this list here!!
Tag list as it stands now <3: @jaskierswolf @geraskier-trashh @elliestormfound @artistsfuneral @thetinymm @fontegagrilledcheese @anythinggoesfandoms @electricrituals
#geraskier#modern au#prompt fill#singer jaskier#tik tok jaskier#neighbors au#fluff#geralt of rivia#jaskier#idk you guys#it's 3am
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Some of my doodles for Session Six of our Call of Cthulhu game!! We finally got back up with that potion-maker from Last Loop and tried to explain EVERYTHING to her, since she’s the one who seemed the most ready to believe us last time (Also, we saw her voluntarily possessed by a spirit at one point, so it seemed like it would be a good starting point to explain some of our problems).
This went.... chaotically, as there are 0 tells for who’s talking and everyone was very insistent on contributing to the conversation. The alive versions of Sammy and Joey mostly stayed out of this mess.
ALSO!! WE’VE PICKED UP SOME NEW INSANITIES! Henry has a mania that compels him to draw/document everything he learns (in case we lose memories or loop again), Sammy still has the mask thing, Joey’s picked up an obsession with symmetry after witnessing his body horrifically transformed by a corruption across half of it, and Sammy, after seeing the Star Pool lurker’s indescribably horrible non-ink-demon form, is filled with a terrified respect for it and has become strangely deferential. I DID NOT EXPECT SAMMY’S SANITY DROPS TO LINE UP SO PERFECTLY FOR CANON PROBLEMS,
Anyway, have some more out-of-context quotes!! Some of these are just conversation because imagining people trying to hold a conversation with three different voices coming out of “Henry” is my favourite thing now.
[Sammy is played by me, Joey is played by Boo (inkyvendingmachine), Henry is played by Maf (inkcryptid), and Thren (haunted-hijinxer) is our GM!]
[Sammy] *summarising* (So we're gonna run by Josephine and see if she has anything that maybe we should know, uh, based on our current predicament, which has gotten even more complicated than the previous time we talked to her, which hasn't happened yet!)
[Alive!Sammy] Is something wrong? [Henry] No! No, everything's fine. Let's go. [Alive!Joey] ...I don't think anything's been RIGHT for a while...
[Sammy] (Are we, as a, uh, unit -- do we have the mask on?)
[Ghost!Joey] There's... three of us in here? [Ghost!Sammy] Sure, that's a normal thing to say!
[GM] Josephine looks like she is trying to figure out what to say, but she is having... trouble. [Ghost!Joey] Have you ever had someone... hang out with you... during the festival? Like, kind of, possession? [GM] She raises an eyebrow, but nods, and says "Yes, that's part of my duty, as a leader of this religion." [Ghost!Sammy] Fantastic. That seems to be happening to us. [Ghost!Joey] We're not, exactly sure how we managed to get... in the past again... but we're -- *points with Henry's non-sketching hand over at the live ones* [Joey] Live!Joey just confusedly shrugs and sips his coffee. [GM] "...Uh, go back a minute."
[GM] "And you don't know how this happened?" [ghost!Joey] Not exactly? I -- [Henry] Sammy fell into a Star Pool, and Joey got killed, or, was a host for the cultists. [ghost!Joey] I don't know if I got killed, but, [Henry] Well, you looked goopy. [ghost!Sammy] I don't know what was going on with me, either; I still seemed to be running around. [Henry] Also very goopy.
[ghost!Joey] So, that's a confusing answer! Um. Let's pretend *points at alive!Joey* that he didn't listen to you, and he went up to the Star Pools anyway, without the potion, and then something happened up there that resulted in whatever is happening to us now, which included us losing our memories and waking up later as the same... entity, but we didn't know for a while, and.... uh... it looks like the last time we saw our bodies that weren't alive and human still, they looked... corrupted by the Star Pools. [ghost!Joey] Do you know what might've happened to cause all that? [GM] "...I think there's a lot to unpack there," she says.
[GM] And, indeed, one of them has turned up a pair of gloves! It's somewhat worn, but they don't have holes or anything. Though they might not match your ensemble. [Joey] As long as they match each other, that's fine! [GM] They do that. [Sammy] (I mean, Henry has-- not to rag on Henry's fashion sense, as a man who's worn nothing but the same shirt and suspenders for twenty years, but Henry doesn't have much of an ensemble going on, really.)
[chatting while Joey's player steps away for a moment] [Sammy] Sorry for making you guys deal with Alive!Sammy; Ghost!Sammy genuinely doesn't know how to argue for this. [Sammy] It's like, yeah I dunno! Sounds like a raw deal! [Henry] Henry also doesn't know how to argue for this, it's like, Hey! Do you want a whole bunch of awful, horrible, terrible memories? ....No? Oh. [Sammy] CANT IMAGINE WHY!! [Sammy] Like, please? I'd like my body back? ...it's your body, we'd be sharing it-- but not like this situation, uh, [Henry] Just please, take... I have... take Sammy back. [Sammy] Could you take this off of my hands, I'm really tired of dealing with it, [Henry] I love 'im. But I need a break. Please come take your lost.... self. [GM] Your wayward self. [Henry] Who's this sassy lost child. [Joey] *re-entering chat* Ah, we're talking about Sammy. [Sammy] OH MY GOSH.
[Henry] I ROLLED A ONE HUNDRED! [Sammy] Henry is VERY tired and distracted. [GM] Henry's sketching again. He was left unattended for a bit and he's sketching again. [Henry] Yup, [Sammy] *sputters* HE CAN'T BE LEFT UNATTENDED, WE'RE BOTH HERE [Joey] HE LITERALLY CAN'T!! [Sammy] THAT'S THE WHOLE PROBLEM!! SAMMY WOULD LOVE TO LEAVE HENRY UNATTENDED!!!
[Sammy] Is the voice familiar? [Joey] Is it the Lurker's? [GM] A bit...? [Henry] A bit familiar or a bit like the Lurker's? [GM] ...Yes.
[ghost!Sammy] Joey, what do you think it was? [ghost!Joey] I think it has something to do with our situation, and perhaps the fact that-- [ghost!Sammy] "OUR SITUATION" doesn't really clear anything up, that could be a LOT of things right now!
[Sammy] Sammy doesn't want to be back in the actual time we belong in! He's dead in that one!
[Sammy] I guess it's also Alive!Sammy's turn. I don't, uh, [Sammy] ...there's too many Sammys, [Joey] (Alive!Sammy just goes WHAT THE FUCK) [Sammy] Yeah, I don't think he's prepared, when he turns the corner, to find cultists with swords, and Henry immediately drawing a gun and screaming at them; I don't think he's prepared for any of this, or has a game plan for what to do in case this happens, other than just, yelling, “WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!” [GM] at Henry, or the cultists? [Sammy] ....BOTH????
[Joey] Does Joey know of any way to interrupt magic? [GM] Injuring someone is a good, classic way to do that.
[GM] So, you can do an attack, whether it's with the gun or with your fists! [Sammy] *flipping through character sheet* I mean, I feel like I'm probably not just shooting him, I-- wHEN DID YOU ADD "DUSTPAN" TO MY WEAPONS???
[Sammy] The idea of Joey just continuously accidentally killing people is REALLY funny to me.
[Sammy] This is going MUCH better than the last time that we fought anybody! [Joey] Apparently Joey just needs to be really angry, and then my dice are like, “yeah, you can kill people.”
[GM] *flipping through the rules* Here we go, "Disrupted spellcasting, for example, if they are shot!" Well, okay then-- [GM] ......ohhh. [Sammy] Uh, [Henry] "Oh?" [GM] HM! ........ let me get a d8. [Henry] Concern...???? [Sammy] It's probably fine. It's... it's probably fine. [GM] ........ [GM] Uh..... huh. Well. That's an 8. [Sammy] On the d8. [GM] Yyyeah,..... you disrupted his, casting,,, it's not a serious spell so most of this stuff is not extreme, but I rolled an 8, and that says, [GM] "A mythos monster is accidentally summoned." [Sammy] WHAT?? [Henry] WHAT??? [Sammy] WHAT???? [Joey] *dying of laughter in the background* [Sammy] I DIDN'T KNOW THAT WAS AN OPTION??? OKAY!!! [GM] I didn't think it was, at this level of spell!! [Sammy] Remember when I said that this was going well? I NEED TO STOP SAYING THINGS.
[Joey] How is Sammy putting on the mask? [Sammy] With his.... hands...? [Joey] No, like, how is it laying on his head, [Sammy] OH.
[Joey] Ghost!Joey would like to turn it so it's like, in the middle of his head. But like, on forehead, so that they can still see. [Henry] (A fancy visor!) [Sammy] (...you can still see if it’s on the side...) [Joey] (Joey would really like it if we, put it in the middle.) [Sammy] (...I FORGOT YOU HAVE A SYMMETRY THING)
[GM] You felt, when Sammy and the cult leader were both giving the Lurker commands, that there was a kind of tug-of-war going on there, and it seems like the cult leader won that round. [Henry] Wait, we can give the Lurker commands? [Joey] We're allies. [Sammy] Yeah, we're the host. [Henry] Oh, um, [Sammy] Sammy asked it for help! It didn't, uh... this is how things always go for Sammy, so, I feel like this is correct.
[Sammy] (...Henry pulls out a gun, someone tries to grab him and he just bashes that person over the head, Joey tries to help by shooting this cult leader to stop him from casting a spell, and this horrible weird bendy monster is unleashed, Henry IMMEDIATELY kneels to this creature, and it starts listening to him, and he grabs the amulet and starts directing it to murder people after pulling the mask down over his face, so, yeah!! I can see that being pRETTY UNSETTLING actually!!)
[Joey] And I've already accidentally summoned a demon, somehow! [GM] This is just how Joey rolls, he just aCCIDENTALLY SUMMONS DEMONS, apparently! Even when OTHER PEOPLE are casting spells, Joey finds a way to accidentally summon a demon!
[Sammy] We do need those; those ARE our bodies running away,
[Lurker, when asked if he can shapeshift] It depends on the host! I didn't do this. It's pretty awesome, though! I feel like this is actually something that was designed to be this way, for the first time I can remember! Deliberate, you know what I mean? [Henry] “Yeah!” Henry says, not knowing what he means.
[Sammy] We're very focused on getting out of here. [Henry] We're channeling Wally Franks! [Sammy] NO! Don't channel Wally Franks! He didn't get outta there he just YELLED ABOUT IT, which is what WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW!! LET'S ACTUALLY GET OUTTA HERE!
[GM] You guys go around a corner that at least obscures you from immediate sight, though it's good the Lurker is as, uh...... [GM] ........ [GM] ........ [GM] ...uh, for lack of a better word, bendy as he is, [players explode with laughter] [GM] I TRIED, I couldn't think of anything else! [Sammy] NO I SAW THE GEARS TURNING IN YOUR HEAD
[GM] You have a small Bendy. [GM] He's blinking. [Henry] Henry is.... is having, a moment,
[Sammy] We're honoured you're joining us, but we really should get moving?
[Henry] Just let him ride on his shoulders like a kid, that'd be adorable! [Henry] Henry's having SO many emotions right now. He wants to be respectful, but also, oh my god, that's so cute?? and also my OC???? Oh my god??????
[GM] I don't think the Lurker is familiar with the concept of piggyback rides. I mean if he's asked I'm sure he's down for whatever, but, [Henry] Henry's gonna ask the Lurker if he wants to climb on his shoulders and ride. [GM] The Lurker thinks this is a FANTASTIC idea, because nobody has ever carried the Lurker around before!
[Alive!Sammy] Sammy's very pale. [Alive!Joey] You have a... Bendy now, Henry...? [Henry] Uh, kinda! This is the Lurker. [Alive!Joey] “The Lurker”? [Henry] The giant monster? He's... small now, so he's not a giant monster.
[Alive!Sammy] Henry WHAT is going on? Or, whoever you are right now, [Henry] It is me; look, I've been letting the others talk because I have no idea what's going on. I don't know... I just want to get everyone out of here alive. [GM] (What a Henry thing to say) [Alive!Sammy] *snarking* Well, we're alive SO far! Maybe don't run at people with swords, in the future? Might help with that. [Henry] That was Sammy. That wasn't me. [Joey] (*laughing* "By the way, that thing you were lecturing me about? That wasn't me, THAT WAS YOU!")
[GM] The Lurker settles down when it is clear that the hug is not a threat.
[Henry] (I AM LOSING IT! I hope you know what you've done to me!) [GM] (I was not expecting this either but here we are!!) [Henry] (Maybe it was my idea. I can't believe I've done this.)
[Joey] Alive!Joey at some point shows Bendy how to hold the pencil. [GM] He says "Oh, hey, neat!" and has an easier time. [Henry] Oh my god, cute? [Sammy] (*losing it in the background*) [Joey] I was just thinking that if he's sitting next to Henry, and he watches the Lurker fumble with the pencil enough, he's going to just, reach up and-- [Sammy] (I LOST NINE SANITY TO THIS ASSHOLE!!!) [Henry] (But he's so cute!) [Joey] (Well now he's cute, maybe you get some sanity back!) [Henry] (Like petting a cat! You get sanity back from petting the Bendy.) [Sammy] (Yes, he is adorable, I will serve him faithfully.)
[GM] Make a navigate check. [Joey] *rolls terribly* Joey doesn't know where the fuck we're going. [Henry] I missed the navigate check too. [Sammy] Ohhhh boy, we better not get lost... [Joey] Sammy, do you remember where we're going? [Sammy] Oh, don't ask Sammy. Don't ask either Sammy. [Sammy] Alive!Sammy will eventually ask "You DO know where we're going, right?" [GM] You guys..... uh, get lost! Well, let me check one thing. [GM] *rolls* [GM] ... THE LURKER, APPARENTLY, CAN GET YOU BACK TO WHERE HE APPEARED,
[GM] What a useful pocket demon. [Henry] I love our pocket demon. [Joey] I love our son... [Sammy] Joey, [Joey] Firstborn... [Henry] Adopted from a cult! [Joey] We went to Haiti and adopted a son. [Sammy] Sammy's role as third wheel here is getting weirder and weirder.
[Sammy] I can't believe Binoculars is a Bendy fan.
[Joey] (Meanwhile, Ghost!Joey remembers something? There is an inscription on the floor between the laundry room, and Josephine's room, that does not allow the passage of evil spirits. I... don't think the Lurker is going to make it past that.) [Henry] (Ohhhhhhhhh) [Sammy] (Hmm. Also... BRINGING THE LURKER in to see Josephine feels, hostile???) [Henry] (OH... I didn't think about that; he's just my kid now!)
[Joey] (I have literally no idea for Joey.) [Sammy] (Gosh, what a thing to ask... I just have to appreciate, what a thing to ask a Type Three -- "Okay, what's YOU?") [Joey] (Joey looks down at the mask, feeling all of his inner masks,,,) [Sammy] ("I'M COMPOSED OF THINGS THAT MAKE OTHER PEOPLE THINK IM SUCCESSFUL,,,")
[Ghost!Sammy] After you. [Ghost!Joey] Actually, I would feel more comfortable if you went first, [Ghost!Sammy] ...Fine. Fantastic. [Joey] (This is-- I don't know if Sammy can feel it, but this is definitely out of, still thinking about the slight guilt that ran through him when Sammy was blaming EVERYTHING on him, and telling him to keep them out of this,) [Sammy] (I mean, Sammy just thinks this is risky and wanted Joey to be the guinea pig, so, that's nice that you were thinking of him!)
[Sammy] A quick kiss won't be enough time for Sammy to like, stop bluescreening in time to react to this? So, um, uh, he- he just, uh, needs, uh, a- a minute, but he, will be, blushing furiously. I think that's the only reaction! [Joey] Perfect~ [GM] The spirit lady probably flashes him a thumbs up. [Joey] *laughing* Sammy DIES. We did all of this to get him alive again, and he just DIES. [Sammy] SLAIN INSTANTLY.
#call of cthulu: haunted hijinx#when in doubt just keep drawing#sammy lawrence#joey drew#Henry Stein#I get way too much of a kick out of non-henry Henrys#i wanna draw so many of these convos but like ITS ALL JUST ONE GUY#TALKING TO HIMSELF
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....tinder au??🥺 not to rush u ofc! but i’m having a rough time in school right now and an update would really make my week better🤍
you sent this ask at just the right time! i just finished it up! sorry for the lack of writing. school is also giving me a rough time rn as well! but!!! we will persevere!!!
also im a little buzzed so i hope this is coherent
pt 1 // pt 2 // pt 3
~~~
Rowan didn’t really enjoy dressing up, could go his entire life without attending another large, social gathering. And yet… he had let Aelin convince him to take her to a wedding.
He had forced himself into his nicest suit because Aelin told him to. He sensed that this was something he didn’t want to argue with her about, so he did it with minimal complaint. He figured that it wouldn’t be that bad in the grand scheme of things, and the open bar was certainly a perk.
Not to mention, Aedion would be there well. In fact, Rowan was on his way to his coworkers apartment where he would meet up with the rest of them before heading to the wedding. Apparently, Aedion got roped in as well. His and Aelin’s family were old friends with the groom’s family.
Rowan checked his watch as he climbed the stairs, ensuring he wasn’t late lest he give Aelin a reason to be cross with him. It seemed he was making good time.
Rowan knocked politely, the door swinging open quickly and revealing a surprisingly well-dressed Aedion, who was nursing a bottle of beer.
“Hey man,” he said, clasping forearms with Rowan. “How’re you doing? You want a beer?”
“Yeah, that would be great.”
Rowan stepped into the apartment, lingering in the living room as Aedion slipped into the kitchen. The room was decorated simply, but it was clean. His eyes caught on a few old photographs, picturing what must have been a young Aedion and Aelin together, smiling smiles too large for their little faces.
Aedion reappeared, handing him the beer.
“I can’t believe Aelin conned you into this,” Aedion commented, leaning against the back of the couch. “But, I gotta say, I’m glad you’re coming.”
“Is the company there gonna be that bad?”
“Yes. But I also know Aelin’s doing this to piss off her ex. And I was never a big fan of him. I think it’s going to be funny.” Aedion finished off his beer, glancing at the clock mounted on the wall with a sigh. “Those girls are gonna make us late. Lys! Are you nearly done?”
“You can’t rush perfection!” Lysandra’s voice called from upstairs.
Aedion shook his head fondly with a playful chuckle, clearly used to waiting on the girls.
They chatted casually until Rowan was finished with his beer. It was then that a door opened from upstairs, followed by feminine laughter and the clicking of heels.
Lysandra descended first, looking perfectly elegant in an emerald slip dress that brought out the green in her eyes. She tossed her raven hair over her shoulder as she caught Aedion’s eye, sending him a bright and loving smile.
Rowan barely heard the two of them complimenting one another, all thoughts flying from his head at the sight of the woman walking down the stairs.
Aelin looked stunning, though Rowan knew stunning wasn’t really strong enough of a word to describe her in this instance.
She wore a golden silk dress that hit just above the knee. The conservativeness of the length was offset by the way it hugged each and every curve, as if it had been sewn on to her body specifically. Thin straps held it over her shoulders, leaving her toned arms bare. Aelin’s hair had been straightened and left hanging freely in a gleaming sheet down her back. It was then that Rowan realized how rarely he got to see her with her hair down. When Aelin was working or working out, it was always tossed up in a bun or a ponytail. It suited her. She wore a necklace, and it wasn’t until she got closer that Rowan was able to see that the pendant was a golden sword. It was strangely fitting.
She was slipping something into her clutch, barely even noticing Rowan until she nearly walked through him. Her eyes snapped up, the stunning turquoise color brought out by her eyeshadow look. Her gaze traveled from his feet to the top of his head, assessing and nothing more.
“You clean up better than I expected,” Aelin said simply.
Rowan wished he had something witty up his sleeve, but seeing Aelin in that dress had left his mind in shambles. He was only able to grind out a curt, “Thanks.”
She held his gaze for a moment longer, leaving Rowan to wonder what was going through her head. Before he had much more time to ponder it, she swept away, grabbing a jacket by the door.
“So, is everyone ready?” she asked.
“In case you didn’t notice,” Aedion drawled. “We were all waiting for you two.”
Aelin ignored the tiny quip, smoothing down the sides of her dress. “Well then, let's get going. We have a wedding to attend.”
…
The ride to the venue was uneventful. Aelin sat in the back besides Rowan while Aedion drove them all. The car was filled with friendly chatter back and forth, pop music droning on in the background.
Aelin tried to stop herself from sending sly glances towards Rowan. He looked good tonight. Really good. Rowan was hot on a day to day basis, something that not even his drab PT uniform could hide. But tonight, all cleaned up and dressed in something nice, Rowan was unfairly handsome.
Her only solace was knowing that he was checking her out too. Aelin knew she looked amazing tonight. Part of it was for herself, and she wasn’t ashamed to admit that part of it was to gain Rowan’s attention. She had been successful in that endeavor.
Aelin wasn’t stupid. She knew Rowan found her attractive just as Rowan knew she found him attractive. They had been ready to go out and probably bang until they realized that they were coworkers. Aelin had agreed to keep it professional, but she would be lying if she said that she didn’t want something more with him.
Soon enough, Aedion was parking the car outside the venue. They filed out, Aelin smoothing and straightening her dress, a sort of heaviness in her gut as she looked towards where the ceremony would be held. Although she was excited to see Dorian, and happy that he had found love, she was less than excited about seeing Chaol again.
The scent of pine and snow surrounded her just as Rowan came up to her side.
“You ready?” Aelin asked him, to which he gave a stiff nod. “Good. Don’t embarrass me.”
Rowan scowled, but held out his arm for her regardless. Aelin took it, stepping close to his side, trying to ignore how nice the warmth of his body felt against her own.
It was time to get this over with.
…
The ceremony was simple yet beautiful. Any idiot could see how in love Dorian and Sorscha were with one another. Aelin had only met the bride on a few occasions, but she liked her. Sorscha looked stunning in a flowy gown that made her brown skin glow.
Aelin pointedly ignored Chaol even though he stood right by Dorian the entire time. Instead, she looked at the maid of honor, Yrene, who her ex was now dating. Through talking to Dorian, Aelin had learned that Chaol and Yrene had met through Sorscha. Apparently, the two women worked at the same hospital and were close friends.
Yrene was a beautiful woman with kind eyes. Aelin knew in her gut that she would like her once they got to talking. Perhaps they would find time to chat through the night.
The ceremony ended with a sweet kiss and the happy couple going off to take some photographs. For the guests, it was time to cocktail.
Rowan, at least, was playing the part of a boyfriend well. Without complaint, surprisingly. He held her hand as they went towards where cocktail hour was being held, a steady presence. He even chatted with her, asking her questions about how she knew Dorian. When she whispered snide comments about other guests, he even laughed a few times. It was… nice, she supposed. She was having a good time with him.
Lysandra and Aedion were swept up by Dorian’s parents, leaving Aelin and Rowan by themselves.
The more they drank, the more comfortable they became. It was easier to laugh, easier to forget why they had put distance between them to begin with. They had been pretty good at avoiding conversation with others to begin with, but Aelin knew it was only a matter of time before they crossed paths with someone.
“So what do we say if someone asks how we met?” Rowan asked as they grabbed another drink from the bar.
“We tell them the truth,” Aelin deadpanned. “Sexting on tinder.”
Rowan choked on his whiskey. “We cannot say that.”
“Fine. We can be boring and say we met at work.”
Rowan laughed, and Aelin realized how much she loved the sound. She liked how it softened his normally stony face, made him appear younger, lighter. She could get used to seeing him like this.
They turned from the bar, taking a few steps into the crowd, only to come face to face with the reason Aelin had dragged Rowan along to begin with.
“Aelin,” Chaol Westfall greeted, offering a shaking and awkward smile. “Hi.”
The smile that had been painted on Aelin’s face faltered slightly. She had been enjoying her time with Rowan so much she had forgotten why she had wanted him by her side to begin with.
“Chaol,” Aelin said, smiling tightly. “It’s good to see you again.”
Yrene was on his arm, looking stunning in a deep purple dress, curly hair loose and voluminous. Her honey eyes were bright and kind as she smiled at Aelin.
“You too,” Chaol said, before motioning towards the woman beside him. “This is Yrene. My girlfriend.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” Yrene greeted, reaching out and shaking her hand. “I love your dress.”
“Oh, thank you! I’ve been looking at your shoes all night.” Aelin put a hand on Rowan’s shoulder, pressing herself to his side. “This is Rowan.”
Aelin watched carefully as they all shook hands and greeted one another, carefully studying facial expressions and body language. She had wondered if this would be awkward and tense but… it was normal.
Aelin and Chaol had ended on terrible terms, treating one another like actual shit. She remembered the insults thrown, the glares when they happened to be in the same room. But maybe… maybe they had gotten better. Maybe some time and distance had eased away the worst of the anger and toxicity. She didn’t look at Chaol and feel bad anymore she felt… nothing.
But she could tell that Chaol had Yrene and he cared very much about her.
And Aelin had…
Well, she didn’t really have anyone but…
She looked to Rowan, and for once didn’t try to avoid the longing that swelled in her chest. She wished she had him.
…
Aelin sat down at her table, sipping at a glass of champagne and watching the people on the dancefloor sway slowly to the soft music playing.
The rest of the evening had gone by smoothly. Aelin enjoyed the time she spent with her friends, getting to see Dorian again even though she couldn’t steal much of his time. All and all, it had been fun.
The night was winding down, people filtering out slowly, but there were still those who lingered for a few more dances. Dorian danced with his new wife, both looking at one another with so much love Aelin could feel it from where she sat. Lysandra smiled and laughed and Aedion twirled her around. Chaol held Yrene to his chest as they swayed slowly, lost in their own world.
Aelin sighed and rested her chin on her palm, watching them all move.
There was the sound of footfalls coming her way, stealing her attention from the dance floor. She looked up and found Rowan standing before her, looking to where her gaze was just focused but glancing back at her with a raised brow.
“Do you want to dance?”
Aelin blinked in surprise, sure she had heard him incorrectly. Rowan didn’t seem like the type of man who enjoyed dancing but… the offer hung there.
“You don’t have to,” Aelin said softly. “You did your part.”
“I can tell you want to dance. So, let’s dance. It’s almost time to go anyway.”
Aelin hesitated a beat, studying Rowan’s expression carefully. She didn’t want him to do anything he was uncomfortable with, yet his face showed nothing but sincerity. Rowan held out a hand towards her, brow raised as if to say Well? Are you coming?
A hesitant smile found its way onto Aelin’s face, but she accepted his hand, letting him guide her to her feet. Rowan led her to the center of the dance floor, placing a polite hand on her hip, the other clutching her own. Their eyes met for a brief moment, and Aelin could have sworn time stopped. Maybe she had imagined it, but she was almost sure she saw a flash of the same longing she felt in his eyes.
They began to sway slowly to the music. It was a little awkward at first, but as time passed and the notes rang out, the tension lessened. They moved closer and closer to one another, until to a stranger they might have actually appeared to be a regular couple. It felt more natural than Aelin expected it to.
As the songs played, they kept sending one another shy smiles. Aelin wasn’t sure at what point she rested her head against Rowan’s chest as they danced, but she never wanted that moment to end.
It was a shame that the reception was inching to a close, that the night of being close to Rowan would end. It was a shame that, come the morning, they would go back to being strangers once more.
But, for tonight, Aelin was content to pretend.
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A Taste Of Honey (Part 2)
summary: A 1920's Deacy au! In which the reader, who comes from a family heavily involved in the American temperance movement, meets John, a bootlegger from overseas.
a/n: Well here it is. I'm fully aware interest may be completely lost in this fic but I'm very proud to have finished it. Im not sure where my writing journey will go from here. All I know is that this has been a very long time comin'... enjoy if you dare!
part 1 - 2
∘₊✧──────✧₊∘
"If anything happens, Deacy, I'll have your head!"
Ivan shook his fist from the front porch, illuminated by the light flooding from the opened front door.
"I'll be fine!" You dismissed, skipping toward the car, still getting used to the sway of the heavy golden dress you borrowed from Alice.
"I'm talking about my car!" Ivan shouted, correcting you. John let out a laugh at the remark, and gave your brother a nod, while he opened the passenger door, nudging you toward it.
Your brother and his wife had loaned the essentials to send you and John away for the party a man you never met was throwing. It was a small thrill, the prospect of such fun to be had, in comparison to the sickening exhilaration that coursed through you at the thought of spending any kind of evening at John's side. And the fact he'd asked you to.
The ride was quiet and short, but dragged on with each new glance you dared to steal at the man driving. Both of John's hands relaxed on the wheel. A hint of that deadly smile on his lips.
By the time you got to where you were going, you'd been so preoccupied with thoughts of the man by your side, that you'd nearly forgotten your plans for the evening.
If you had any expectations, they were blown clear away. Before you was an estate made up of too many windows to count, draped in vines and hanging lights.
Even the crunch of the gravel that decorated the winding path you entered into sounded oddly elegant.
Inside was a fever dream of all the things you'd imagined on your short journey into the threshold. Across a giant winding staircase and below the shimmering chandelier were people from all walks of life, crammed together to have one grand time. Different music came from different corners and wild laughter filled the gaps, if there were any.
And before you, John led the way. You couldn't recall the moment your hand found the bend of his arm, or if he cared that you'd reached out to him as he weaved through the crowd. But the grin on his face when he turned back to catch your eye had to be a good sign; despite the way your heart nearly burst at his look.
John led you past hoards of people and trays of half full glasses. There was only one way to go, further inside the home, but John seemed to move as if he had an idea of where he was headed. Sure enough when the pair of you met the landing of the staircase, the host of the party was there to greet you.
The host's initial booming hello was focused mostly on John. And without more than a glance your way, the party thrower shuffled John away from your side, insistent on sharing a chat with him on the top landing of the stairs.
You were left to linger, stalling at the base of the stairs and studying the crowd around you. Girls in beaded skirts and men with slicked back hair passed you by flashing well meaning but entirely distracted smiles.
You'd felt mesmerized enough by the scene to slowly start to drift into it yourself. Reaching to brush your finger across meticulously carved bookcases and daring to take a glass from the extended hand of the first person to smile directly at you.
You reached for the stem of the blue stained flute, and managed to make your talk small enough for the interested lad to wander far off. But offers kept coming. Glasses of this and that shoved in your face. You accepted the offers more out of respectful politeness than any eagerness to lose your wits.
By the time you lost track of everyone's kind gestures, and a man was leading you closer to a table decorated with cards and chips, another hand intervened.
John was back, letting his fingers curl around your shoulder and nudging you in another direction of his choosing. Thrilling as it was for you, to have been handled just so by him, you were a little taken aback.
Funny how after the sips of this and that, you felt steady as ever. But one look from John and your knees threatened to give out and all your cares too.
In the middle of the packed house, with John looking at you that way, you felt like the only person alive. And somehow this all added up to equal your new found courage to speak a little bolder than usual.
"Are you on strict orders from Ivan to steer me clear of any strange attention or do you maybe fancy me a little, John?" You dared wonder. You almost didn't care of the answer. So long as he kept guiding you through this evening with a strong steady hand.
"Both." John seemed to decide, continuing to guide you along. The pair of you had reached the patio doors by now, and the cool night breeze rushed through in perfect time to ease the heat that had rushed to your cheeks at John's response.
"Let's go see the gardens!" You decided at first glance of the sprawling greenery that surrounded the estate.
John let you tug him along, darting between couples and groups who'd come to ruin the fresh air with all their smoke.
He followed along, a very good sport, smiling as you pointed out flowers and trees you didn't realize could bloom in this part of the country. As you turned from marveling over a certain rose's colour, John seemed almost enraptured. Maybe not by your subject but certainly by some part of you. His gaze was fixed, and he seemed to bite back a wider grin. And your already lightened spirits seemed all the more weightless as your eye's met his.
"If you keep looking at me like that, John, I'm going to have to kiss you." You let a small laugh escape, as the foreigners' expressions remained steadfast.
He'd kissed you only the night before, on your brother's staircase. It was the only reason you felt free of regret enough to lean in and brush your lips against his again. John reciprocated fondly, letting one of his hands creep around the bend of your waist. You never realized it was possible to feel so happy.
"Did you do that because you've been drinking? Or do you perhaps fancy me a little?" John mocked your earlier statement, when the kiss died and your eyes locked.
"Both." You smiled, charmed enough to try it a second time. But this kiss was broken much sooner than you reckoned any kiss ought to be.
"You know I'll be leaving soon. Just a week's more time." John killed the mood with a few words. You glanced to your feet and muttered understanding, noticing his hand still clutched your waist.
"I just don't want to see you disappointed." John spoke up after a beat of heavy silence, and the words seemed hard for him to piece together, but he spoke them all the while.
"Then don't disappoint me." You shrugged, glancing back up to the perfectly handsome man, who's smile seemed sad now.
"Come on, then." John said, moving his hand to find your own. "Not even I get to enjoy parties like this too often."
And you let him guide you back inside. You let the sun set on all the pretty flowers. And you let yourself feel grateful for the rest of the evening at John's side.
///
He rode the train home with you the next day, sitting across the bench from you, and not saying very much.
You felt the need to chatter at the pass of every few minutes. You got John to ramble a little about the other places he was due to visit in the states. The guy only one more stop at some.fancy hotel after your town, in the big city, next week. Then he'd head home.
After explaining as much, the man went quiet again. But you couldn't let the silence last. It was as if you didn't work to hold his attention, it would be lost the next time you looked up. Maybe that wasn't true. But you couldn't risk letting John slip away so easily. Not when your heart practically lept from your chest each time his eyes met yours. If it wasn't meant to be, then so be it. But you were going to fight for the chance that you had, while it was still within reach.
So when the train pulled into your neighborhood, and John stepped onto the platform, you stopped him waving goodbye.
"Will you be back? To our shop, I mean?"
John took a step closer toward you with a very serious expression that softened just before he spoke.
"I wouldn't dare leave before telling you goodbye." He promised, in a low, sweet manner.
John pressed his lips to your temple for one brief heavenly moment. And then he turned away to hail a cab.
At least now, in your terrible mix of emotions, something very bright and warm burned within you. And you got to believe, for a moment, that the same reigned true for John.
///
But all was not well at home. How could it ever be?
Your mother was horrified that you'd up and left for the night without so much as a word about it to her, and to your brother's home no less.
Her disdain for her first born left you sick to your stomach more and more each day.
But this was nothing new. You knew to give the woman a showy apology and to stay silent as she confined you to the kitchen table as she lectured about morality. Tomorrow things would be back to her regular sort of unhappiness.
What really stopped you cold in your tracks that night, though, was the sight of your father stood in the doorway of your room with his arms crossed.
To bring a frown to his face was your greatest fear. For he'd loved you and shown it. And you dreamed of doing good by him every chance you got. As you stalled in the hall and waited for him to speak his mind, you hoped this would only be a reprimand for causing your mother unnecessary grief, for her madness made you all ten fold more miserable.
"I know you've been with your brother..." Your father nodded with understanding, not looking right at you as he spoke calmly. "But that also means you've been with John. And I don't like that."
Oh. Ivan had warned you this might be your fathers mood. But you'd ignored his warning in hopes it wouldn't have been true.
"You know John!" You countered, "You work with him! You're telling me you get to work with a man you don't like but I can't see him?"
"He's a fine man. But all wrong for you."
"You're supposed to be the one who lets me find these things out on my own." You reminded. Your mother did plenty of directing you from day to day. Your father knew of what you spoke and nodded reluctantly, uncrossing his arms and looking you square in the eye.
"Well not this time. Stay away from John, you hear me? He'll be gone before you know it anyhow."
Your father rested a hand on your shoulder, giving you a reassuring squeeze as if to ease the blow of his demands. But as he walked back down the hall, the uncertainty that had stormed within you since John left you at the train station, raged wilder than before.
What a jam...
///
There was nothing stopping you from returning back to the depths of the coffee shop, the next time Ivan started up his business.
Your mother was sound asleep, and your father was already there, serving the last of the coffee up top. Once you arrived you knew he'd be cross but unable to march you away.
So you slipped on your finest dress and twirled down the rickety staircase that led to the party your brother charged for.
There were already a good deal of friends jam packed into the small basement; dancing to swells coming from the gramophone and lining up to grab a glass from Ivan's makeshift bar. Your brother flashed a grin when he saw you sauntering in, but his smile turned somewhat more into a worried grimace when he saw you march up the man near the end of those overturned book shelves.
So was everyone concerned over your connection with John? Even the man who'd held your interest sort of frowned at the sight of you demanding his attention.
John had his fingers curled around a glass. You took it from his grasp and the action made the bootlegger grin oh so slightly. But his frown returned after you slammed back the swallow of liquor in his glass- unsure yourself by what had come over you.
"Hey, come on, don't be that girl." Ivan called to you from behind the bar. You couldn't be sure if he was commenting on the way you'd claimed Deacy's drink for your own, or on the way you seemed too eager to get the stuff in your system.
Before you could snap back at your brother's comment, though, John spoke up.
"Don't worry about it," He insisted in the charming draw of his. "Just pour me another." And as the man who you adored stepped past you to hold your brothers attention, John sort of let his hand brush across your waist. And he left his fingers to linger along your sides as Ivan, disgruntled, poured another for John.
"Is that all you cut in line for?" Ivan sighed, nodding toward the few people, impatiently waiting to fill their glasses, stood in a row behind John.
And you hadn't really considered this before your brothers prompting. But at his asking, you were moved to pull out a twenty dollar bill from your coin purse, and demand he give you your money's worth.
Ivan was reluctant, going on for a bit how once your father spotted you here, like this, that he'd surely be disappointed. And you didn't want that, did you? But little did Ivan know, you'd already disappointed your father. And you were determined to get something you wanted tonight, one way or another.
So with a sigh, Ivan poured you a tall drink and informed you were good to come back for a few more, to match your payment.
So began your evening of ignoring John's worried remarks about slowing down. And as you kept the drinks coming you weren't even sure why. Perhaps it was to test your very own limits. To somehow prove you were more in control of your path than all the others who seemed to have something to say about the direction of your life.
And damn John, for the way he kept his eyes locked on yours between the distance he silently kept insisting upon. And damn him for helping you find your balance, despite the steps he kept taking away from you. For letting his hands stay secure around your waist, long after you'd straightened up from stumbling.
And damn your father. He had to have been behind John's change in attitude. From the moment you'd met, John had been a flirt. And steadily, his quips kept getting bolder, until the last party you attended. Ivan's rambling about your fathers dislike of your fondness of John had to be what caused him to step back.
And damn your father, for finding you all dizzy in John's well meaning clutch, now. Your dad pointed to the door and demanded you find your way out of this scene.
"I know you're not taking her back to your hole in the wall you've been staying at, in the state she's in." You father grumbled in a low curse, his eyes searing into John's. You tightened your hold on the fellow, shooting your father a glare all the same. He couldn't tell you where to go or with who.
"Take her upstairs if ya like. But don't step foot past the alley. I'll be up in a minute."
After a shared look, John moved, pulling you alongside him. You moved, happily leaning into him, disgruntled by the course of the evening all the while. Even Ivan seemed to shoot you a sorry grin when he noticed you being marched away, from across the room.
The alley was a little cold. But John's figure was warm. And as you followed his lead pausing just beyond the backdoor, you could feel this chance waiting to slip away.
"You like me, don't you?" You wondered, turning to face the man you'd been so taken with since the moment he showed up at your door.
"Of course." John nodded, and answered so softly and with such care truly felt as though it were melting.
"Then kiss me, John."
"You're drunk."
"But we may never get the chance again. One or both of us are about to be beheaded. Either way, that'll make kissing hard to do from now on." You implored, letting your head fall to rest precariously on his shoulder as you finished your plea. You heard John let out a somber little chuckle as he dared to tighten his arm around you.
And then you heard a shuffle beyond the backdoor, and let out a sigh at the timing of your father coming to ruin everything.
But instead, the door bursts open to reveal Rita in a fluster. Her usually perfect makeup streaking down her cheeks. At the sight of the girl you'd always admired, a pang shot through your chest. But not immediately for her upset, whatever it was, but because you realized you'd failed to see your friend here all night, until now.
Before you could apologize, or ask what the matter was, Rita sucked in a breath and let out a string of words for you.
"He was a snitch. He-he told my parents everything." She stammered, wild eye'd.
"Who?" You begged to know, having turned away from John, but not having totally turned your attention away from his hand still rested on the small of your back.
"The pastor's son. Cole. He- he said he was alright with this whole thing. But he... He told your mother. She's on her way here, she's-"
Sound of a car roared closer, and the engine died away, drowning out the last of Rita's warning. For a second, you thought of making a break for it. But then the click of heels on the pavement seemed to count down your fate.
And then she stood there before you. Your mother, dressed to the nines, complete with her usual scowl.
You couldn't let go of John. Your nails seemed to dig into his side on their own accord. The pair of you stared ahead to the woman who gave you life, and kept you from living it all the same. She stood and stared too, almost like she was giving you a chance. And that was the scariest bit of it all.
As time seemed to pause, John let your name escape him in a nervous breath, like a warning. Trying to alert you that your hanging off him wouldn't help. But there was no way you were gonna let him go now.
It was then your mother decidedly sauntered up to the two of you, letting her eyes search your from the top of your head to the tips of your toes and back up again.
When she let out a scof, you realized you'd been holding your own breath. And when you opened your mouth, willing oxygen in, or words of mitigation out, your mother decided what was next.
Before you could blink, one of her strong hands was digging into your arm, and she was tearing you away from John's gentle hold.
And despite his caution earlier, you could feel John's hand still trying to keep hold of you, as you were yanked away. The sensation of being taken from the man's clutch was horrid, but what was more painful was the feeling of his fingers trying and failing to keep hold.
So when your mother tossed you aside, toward the brick of the coffee house wall, you were hardly affected; not like you'd only just been.
And when you looked up, after steadying yourself and dusting your stone imprinted hands of dust, John was stepping closer toward your mother. He shouted something at her, about how she didn't have the right to treat you just so. But before he could finish defending you, he was shut down.
Your mothers hand flew across his cheek, and the sound of the slap and John's shocked hiss echoed through the alley and caused something vile to rise in your gut.
You pushed yourself from the wall then, indifferent to the dizziness you felt, desperate to reach out to the man you'd been so fond of; calling his name.
But your mother was there, more sober and more angry. And she halted your mission to make it to your man, digging her nails into your sides and forcing you in the other direction.
"John I'm sorry, John..." You called past the lump in your throat. That was when Ivan came upon the scene. He darted from the doorway and did his damnedest to block your mothers storming off.
"You're a monster. Let her go!" Your brother fummed, as your mother managed to storm around her first born, pushing you along.
"I'm her mother. And I'll do as I see fit to keep my child out of harm's way." Your mother stated, almost calmly.
"You're no mother. You're a walking nightmare. She's not your plaything-"
"Word's won't fix this, Ivan." You said, reminding him that his defying of the woman only ever made her ten times more evil.
"I'll pray for your children, son." Your mother nodded, opening the passenger door of her car, and flinging you toward the bench. "They're going to need it."
You didn't look to Ivan, as your mother drove off. You didn't dare look to John. You only hung your head and cried silent tears while your mother peeled down the road. And the whole way home, she spat vile things about you and Ivan. Her own children. About your father, her beloved husband. And aout John, a man who, since his arrival, had only tried to help out.
You let your tears dry when the car pulled up to the house you'd never really felt at home in. And went willingly from the ride to the door, knowing you would get very far in the countryside if you dashed away now. You'd need a wiser plan. Still, your mother dug her claws into your arm and marched you up the staircase to your room, like you were a girl no oler to know better.
"Stay here." She demanded after pushing your further into your bedroom, her fist around the doorknob, establishing total control.
You expected to be banished here. What you didn't expect, however, was the return of your mother with boards to nail against your windows. You might've laughed if you weren't the one being all locked up. Wasn't this sort of thing only supposed to happen in twisted fairy tales? You're life was twisted enough, you supposed.
She left you there, trapped in the space that was meant to be your own, meant to be safe. As you sulked in silence, the memory of your mothers assault on John haunted you. The horrid sound her action resulted in. His gut wrenching reaction, the small hiss, his stalling in the place she put him in.
And the way he watched you being dragged off, helpless and sorry for you. It was pathetic, the situation you found yourself in. So you let your tears bubble up again and you cried and cried; until exhaustion set in. Tomorrow was a new day....
///
There was a pounding at your door, loud enough to jolt you from slumber.
"Open up!" The sound of your father calling from beyond the hall stirred you fully conscious. In one swift dash you were stood before your door, jiggling the handle, feeling silly for hoping that would work.
"She's locked it." You groaned. "Do you have a key?" Your wonder was nearly frantic, and so were you- trying still to twist the knob. At the sound of your fathers grumbled cursing, you began to bustle about for some hair pins, but quickly realized you wouldn'tve had a clue to how to finess the tools into working like another.
Then you heard your mother. She shouted down the hall, telling your father to get out of her sight, to leave you be. Shouting that you were better off confined. That you'd be locked away until she found the right reformatory to ship you off to. You knew she meant it. You knew she'd send you away without a care of your consent.
"She's not a child anymore. You can't just treat her like a bad pet who needs training."
"I'm her mother. And I'll be damned if I don't do what's best for my child. I failed the first time. God knows you never cared about either of them like I care." Your mother spat, breaking your heart and your fathers too no doubt.
Their bickering lasted a while longer, and you spun away from listening in to force yourself to think. There had to be a way out of here, out of this life. There had to be a way to a better world.
And the best you could do was wait. Until dinner. Wait until your mother brought you a tray of soup and bread, trading a few put downs before she twirled from your room. And then you checked the time, and counted down the hours to her always predictable nightly routine.
And you waited still, until your bedside clock ticked well passed after midnight.
And then you used a lamp to pry the nails away from windows. You could tell her bedroom light was out by leaning against the sill.
With no time to spare, you tossed a change of clothes in your purse, and the envelope stashed with tips you'd been saving for over a year.
It wasn't a very long way down. With the help of a lattice panel and the dark of night, you found grassy freedom in no time. Your heart beat heavy as you crept toward the road. It wouldn't be safe, not until the city lights were in view. But your shoes were flat and your hopes were high.
Miraculously, no one stopped you. Not the truck who zoomed by somewhere still deep along the dark country road. Not the school kids on the edge of town, tossing bottles off the bridge. And not the sleepy clerk at the desk of the hotel you raced into.
"Be here, be here, be here..." You prayed under your breath, hurrying to the room you remembered John booking. And right as you rounded the hall, the door of the room you'd been in search of opened.
But the squeak of wheels gave away the presence of a maid, pushing her cart of cleaning supplies out into the hall.
"He's gone?" You sighed, stopping at the end of the hall, your feet aching after moving so ceaselessly through the night.
"Whoever was here left a while ago." The maid stopped for a moment, looking to you with a sorry expression. "Around dinner time."
"Right. Is there a phone at the desk?"
The maid nodded and wished you luck, and you thanked her for it. You'd need as much as you could get.
The clerk who was still kicked back, sleeping, startled at your ringing the bell on the desk. And though they didn't seem pleased at your begging to use the phone, they let you.
It only rang twice.
"Hello?" Your fathers voice was a pleasant surprise. Of course he'd gone to stay with Ivan, in the midst of all this chaos.
"Dad, Im-"
"Where are you? Does she know you've gone? I'll come fetch you."
"No." You implored, holding up a hand as if he could have seen your insistence. "No I've phoned to let you know I'm taking the train to the city. I've got to find John before he leaves. And I'm sure of where he is. I've got to try."
John had told you where he was headed next, on your last train ride together. And you'd felt silly for keeping the details at the front of your memory... until now.
The other line went quiet for a beat. And you'd fully prepared yourself for your fathers disapproval. But then he just said,
"Okay." Your father seemed to realize the weight of your feelings, you thought, by his tone of voice. "I knew you'd get out of there, eventually." And once more, you could tell by his tone he wasn't just referring to the room you'd been locked in for the last couple nights. "Phone us again, when you're safe and sound. I know you will be."
At his blessing, tears sprung in your eyes. You were going to go no matter what. But to have your father on your side made you even more determined to fly out of this hotel, and to the next one you knew John was meant to be staying at.
///
Booking a train ticket was nearly impossible. And if you had spent much longer pleading with the station, you would have missed the bus pulling up down the block, offering rides in the right direction.
The couple hour journey was maddening, and thrilling, and terrifying all at once. You were on your way to change your life. No matter what John said, or how he greeted you; no matter if he fell into your embrace or left you in the hotel lobby, you'd never go back the way you'd come from.
And luckily, you managed to find the hotel John had briefly spoken of, without much trouble. It was the grandest of the business booming on this side of the city. Folks flooded in and out of the revolving doors, as you considered the past set of days that had led you to standing before here with such an erratic heartbeat.
But you only stayed paused for a moment. Your feet were darting inside before your mind caught up with how close you were to the mission at hand.
The lobby was just as full of people as the revolving doors had been, lines forming near the desk, groups fighting to fit their luggage into golden elevators.
And though you hated to be the person you'd decided to be, you dashed to the end of the front desk, hoping the clerk would spare you a minute at most.
"I just need to know if someone's booked a room." You begged to know, shooting sorry looks to the people you'd cut in front of. The clerk seemed to have no patients for you, but miraculously, another set of hands swooped in to help. Some nice older woman flipped through the bookings to find John's name, after you gave it, and came up short.
"What about Deacy?" You hoped all of a sudden, quickly beginning to lose your ambition the longer she shook her head.
You'd done what you could, rudely so. And scurried away so your unwelcome presence would no longer be in the way of things.
And as you sauntered away, giving one last pathetic glance about the crowded lobby, you reminded yourself that it was all alright. You might not have found John. But you were finally free.
And then you pushed through the revolving door. And past your ghostly reflection, you spotted a familiar set of grey eyes.
John seemed to wait until your gaze registered his own, before spinning around to make it indoors. You ignored the chilly night air and pushed on until you were right back where you'd just started to leave from.
There he was, before you as real and sure as the sun and moon.
"You never gave me a proper goodbye." You reprimanded through a growing smile. He'd promised to give you a farewell, once.
"How about a rain check? I've got lot's more important things to tell you, as a matter of fact." The man you'd come to adore smiled then, and offered his arm. You held on without hesitation and managed to follow his lead through the crowd, to the room he'd been staying in.
It was a humble little space, his suitcase opened on the coffee table and a yellow lamp left on by the window. John shut the door behind you with a soft click, loosening the pale blue tie round his neck, as you glanced about the room.
"I came by. Your place, I mean." John admitted, leaning against the closed door, as you turned from admiring the wall art to face him.
"You did?"
And then John said your father had dragged the Brit along, that night he'd knocked at your door. John was outside with high hopes. But your mother had caught your father before you'd even known there was a plan.
"So you did try to come and tell me goodbye." You laughed a little, kind of glad he wasn't able to. This reality where you'd run to him was much more befitting to the situation, you thought.
"Well, no." John pointed, not laughing along with you. "I never really wanted to say goodbye."
You stood there, taking in the sight of him. Watching John's brows oh so slightly furrow upward, hope pouring from his expression. You considered the gleam in his eye and the way he slowly seemed to shift his posture a little closer to you.
"So we haven't got to part ways in a hurry then?" You wondered. Asking more than if you could linger a while longer in his rented room.
John seemed to know what you were asking. He seemed relieved, too. His shoulders loosened as the man crossed the space between you, in no big hurry. It seemed the two of you had all the time in the world at your disposal, now. John took his time, reaching out to tuck away some loose hairs near your ear. And his smile grew steadily too. By the time the guy pressed a kiss to your lips, you'd been wondering if the dawn would be breaking any time soon.
But the longer John went on kissing you, the less you thought of the sunrise. As John enclosed you in his arms, all your thoughts were of the man you'd come to adore.
And as laid next to him and closed your eyes to the rising sun, you couldn't recall ever having experienced such a bright morning.
"So you're not too eager to head back home, yeah?" John asked, once you'd both stirred from a restful slumber.
"I think I found a much more suitable place to be." You smiled, referring to the spot you'd settled under John's arm.
And it didn't take much convincing on his end for you to agree on catching the next boat across the pond.
///
The other line rang so long you'd almost decided to hang up. Then your brother answered.
"Helllooooo!" He sang in a chipper timbre, making you wonder if he'd been expecting you at exactly this time, or if he answered everyone that way.
"Well I was going to ask how you were but it seems you're so well I don't have to wonder." You laughed into the receiver.
The morning was early, and a breeze blew back a sheer curtain, obscuring your view of the grey English morning.
Ivan spent the next few minutes yaking about how glad he was to hear from you. And you were glad to listen. On your rather spontaneous journey overseas, you were bogged down for a brief moment, at the thought of being so far from your dear brother. But as he rambled in your ear now, you'd never felt closer to him.
Ivan asked how things were. He asked after John, and that mattered so much more to you than his concerns for your well being. And when you had had your fill of the attention being on you, you begged your brother to give you all the details of what happened after you ditched home.
He said your mother was as furious as expected. Said she tried to blame your brother and her husband for your running off. Said she tried to get the police to shut down the coffee house for hosting such an undignified business after hours.
"You should'a seen her face when she found out officer Willard was our most loyal customer." Ivan chuckled.
"We did have to pay a fine, in the end, so she'd quit her raving. It was almost everything we'd saved away for the baby."
Your brother sighed. And you cooed his name in commiseration.
"But my friend who owns that estate, the one who threw that party John took you to," Ivan explained. "He was good enough to loan us a bit of cash to stash away." Your brother said the man tried to give the money away outright, as a thank you to Ivan for helping start up his own speakeasy of sorts. But Ivan was dead set on paying him back, one day.
"Now we can't decide to name the babe after him, or John." Ivan chuckled.
"And what if it's a girl?" You mused.
"That'll just have to be a surprise." Ivan said, and just then the line went dead. You called your brother's name with a little hope he'd come back to tell you more.
But you didn't worry when the line went on buzzing. You'd see him and his darling wife and his child to be, one day. You'd see your father too, if he was still hiding out at your brothers place. Hell, maybe they'd all come over here.
Maybe you'd build a life with John, in his humble little English flat. You certain felt at home, watching the guy of your fancy stay dreaming as the sun rose.
John had been kind to you. He'd been your friend when he didn't have to be. He'd let you lean into him, and he laughed at your jokes. He invited you into his world and smiled wide the closer your ship rolled toward London.
And he'd treated your shoes as if they'd always been stored in the middle of the welcome mat. John opened his space up to you, and asked every night for the first few weeks, if you were happy, if you needed anything more. Your answers were always yes and no.
And he didn't need to ask for honey in his coffee anymore. You just knew to add a little in the warm cup you'd have ready near the place he liked to sit in the morning.
It was familiar and it was sweet, and so was John. Maybe he liked honey in his tea, too. And dear God, how you prayed every year from here on out; got to be spent guessing at life alongside the man who'd thrilled you by wondering all your answers all along.
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Te amo
I am working on a few of the other prompts and a part 2 to prompt 4 the soulmate au I just recently got another puppy and I still have uni work to do so I'm a bit behind schedule with these and I'm so sorry. Hopefully this little kinda songfic makes up for it.
13th doctor x female reader
Warnings: swearing as usual, fluffy, sad thoughts, twist the original songs meaning, long as fuck.
Probably terrible as its my first songfic
I don't know much Spanish so some of the examples later on are Google translated and I know it can be wrong so I do apologise for any mistranslations
This is based off Rhiannas song Te Amo but I'm switching it up a little. I dont why 13th doctor came into my head when I was listening to it but it gave me this lil oneshot idea so enjoy! The picture is not mine but the rainbow effect added is done by me! Same for the picture later on.
I've been travelling with this amazing alien for a whole year now. The adventures are always amazing if she's there! The others sometimes complain and say its boring, especially on a junk planet but to see her face light up with excitement makes my day and it well worth the dirt we cover ourselves on by the time we are done. And when she finds something that she thought was useful and it turns out, it's not her scrunch is amazing.
Okay, I'll admit it. I'm in love with this alien. I know, weird, a human and an alien together? But I can't help it! I'm completely besotted with her. If she even looks in my direction, my legs go to jelly and I get butterflies. I know, cheesy. But thats exactly how I feel around her. I barely want to touch her because I nearly fainted the last few times. And I fear she may pick up on how I'm distancing myself from her. I don't want to break her heart and leave, the thought of her look kills me as is so I'm trying to get her to kick me off.
It doesn't seem to be working though. I've been distancing myself since I found out about how I feel, which is now 6 months ago and she's trying to get me to be as close as I was with her.
I'll tell her. On one of our amazing adventures but I can't do it straight forward, it's making me sick with anxiety just thinking about it. I'll fancy it up, make her work it out. Whenever we are next to each other and the moment is right, I'll tell her in another language!
I finally get out of bed after I finished writing in my diary. I slip some comfy clothes on and head out to the TARDIS library and hope no one is there, especially her. I'll be distracted and right now, I need to concentrate. I wonder the warm halls, grateful that the TARDIS had considered my preferences. I think the TARDIS likes me more than the others because I talk to her and show her gratefulness for taking us somewhere amazing and I chat to her regularly and I try to involve her in my conversations. The others find it weird, except for the Doctor, she just smiles and joins in with me. Im still learning how to translate her but I think I've sort of got it.
I reach my hand forward and grab the aged bronze doorknob and open to the giant room. There were so many floors that an elevator had to be used to access some of them as the Doctor said "walking would literally take weeks to reach some floors". Thankfully the TARDIS organises them to make them easier to find. I looked forward and saw an interactive map in front of me. My hands touched the screen and many subjects and categories came up. Anything ranging from kiddie tales to straight up smut, I have a feeling either River or Missy are to blame for that addition.
I've never met them but the TARDIS showed me videos from her database and brought books to my attention about them. They both seem very dirty minded people so I'm not surprised those are there. I wonder if the Doctor has ever stumbled upon this section or is it for none Doctor eyes only? If she does know about them, has she ever read one? No, don't go there you stupid brain! She probably doesn't know!
I quickly stop that train of thought and catch my breath. I've never thought about those kinds of things about anyone before. Stupid Timelord, making me go all weird and think dirty things. Now my face is all red, I really hope I'm alone in here. I quickly focus back to the task at hand, finding a new language to learn. The TARDIS seemed to know where to go and blue arrows appeared, guiding me to the right section in what could be a maze.
As I walking, I felt excitement rise within me. What if she felt the same way? What if she was impressed by how far I wanted to go just to say those 3 words? Would her hazel honey eyes sparkle with delight? Would she scronch her nose in amazement?
Before I knew it, I'd arrived at the language learning section and there were many alien languages but the TARDIS seemed to have a better idea of what would be perfect for me as a white hardback book fell off the 4th shelf onto the wooden floor. I picked it up and noticed how smooth the cover was and how old yet unused it looked. The white was a little off, almost a dull cream from ageing which made the gold writing harder to read. The title was simple:
Spanish basics and need to knows.
I did always find Spanish in school fun to learn, more than French or German anyway and I don't wanna stereotype this into a typical French is the language of romance. I never really found it romantic sounding compared to Spanish.
I picked up the book and quickly flicked through to the right page and took a note on my phone as to what the translation was and put the worn book away. I quietly thanked the TARDIS and rushed out of the library and back into my room where I could practice without getting caught.
A few weeks have passed since I picked up the new words and practiced them until I was confident and had the TARDIS' approval that I was saying it right. Today the Doctor wanted to take us to this party in the 18th century and we all decided to dress for the part once we landed.
Yaz was wearing a beautiful black and red ballroom gown, accented with little bows around the bottom and lace cuffs. She had her black hair curled into a ponytail. It was simple and cute, much like her style normally. Graham and Ryan wore similar suits but Graham wore green accents and Ryan wore yellow accents.
I let the TARDIS pick my dress. She picked a black and dark blue ballroom gown with blue roses on the bottom. It had black lace underneath and blue lace as the cuffs. The gown also seemed to glitter slightly in the light making me sparkle very subtly. I put my comfy boots on as you couldn't see my shoes as I walked anyway so why did it matter? With all the running we do, I'm not risking my ankles with heels, thank you very much. I had my (h/c) hair in (fave style). It suited my dress perfectly.
I nearly choked on oxygen when I saw how hot the Doctor looked in her suit. It took me a few moments to realise we match. We both blushed at the realisation. Of course the TARDIS makes us match! No wonder why she was more than eager to help me pick an outfit! Stupid sentient ship, shipping us already!
I quickly cleared my throat and complimented everyone on how amazing they looked but I just couldn't take my eyes off the Doctor for long. She was like a magnet for my eyes. Someone help before she realises!
"Don't we all look brilliant? Perfect for the party! 18th century Yorkshire to be exact! What a great century for you guys. Now then, this party is for Nobles and higher, as per usual in these times. Ryan, I suggest you keep in mind about any racist comments that may come out. But as long as you say your Graham's personal butler, you should be welcomed with little resistance. And Yaz, I want you to be (y/n)'s personal maid. That does mean you'll have to follow your so called "masters" around and do anything they ask unfortunately and Graham, (y/n), please act like the others around you and use them. Unfortunately this is the only way all 5 of us can join the party. You'll be fine as long as you bite your tongues. Now the Noble Edward Collins is the host so be sure to thank him for inviting you, even though you technically weren't. And try not to get too drunk, I know what you humans are like! Now follow me." The Doctor explained. I was going to tell the Doctor today, but I guess, I'll have to wait.
The Doctor opened the doors and we were in a cupboard under some gorgeous marble stairs. As we walked towards the party I noticed some family portraits along the walls. They were a very beautiful looking family. The mother had long blonde hair and pale blue eyes. The father was buff, long brown hair and daring brown eyes. There were two children, a girl and a boy. The girl had long brown hair and sparkling blue eyes, whilst the son had blonde hair and brown eyes. They also had a brown greyhound dog laying by the sons feet. The son must be the host, Edward. He looked not much older than 10 in the last painting but the daughter was no where to be found in the portrait and theu all looked mournful. Is she dead and is that the picture capturing the moment of grief? Why would anyone want that? It's so strange, even for this time period.
The Doctor held me and Yaz close, stopping us in our tracks. My heart was racing at the simple touch. But as soon as the touch was there, it was gone. "I hope its okay with you (y/n) but you're going to have to be married to someone."
My heart stopped for a moment and I nearly choked on air. "What? Why?"
"Because women like yourself would have been married as young as 13 or 14. Now your only choices are me and Graham. You can't choose Ryan as he's supposed to be a butler and you can't choose Yaz as she's your maid. The choice is yours, I just need to know wether or not I should refer to you as my darling wife or not?"
What. The. Fuck.
Why did her even calling me that l, turn me on? Obviously, I'm going to choose her but I'm going to have to perfect my reasoning here.
"As much as I love Graham, it's going to be awkward if I have to kiss him or anything because he's like my grandad! I guess you'll do Timelord. Come on then husband, we don't want to be late to the dancefloor!" I spoke clearly hoping she didn't notice how excited I actually was to have even a hint of a relationship with her. It may be fake but ill take anything when it comes to her.
We arrived at the welcome committee and handed our cards over, aka the psychic paper. We were going as Mr and Mrs (last name). The Doctor was holding my hand this entire time and it's driving me insane. I don't know if she can feel my racing pulse under her fingers but if she can I hope she puts it down to excitement! We walked down the most grandest staircase you would ever lay your eyes on.
First we walked around, greeting everyone as they came up to us or if she dragged me to someone she knew, but not personally. She was cute when she was fangirling over these people. Yaz found it annoying as she just wanted to party but I couldn't help it. The way her eyes shimmer with recognition was more beautiful than any galaxy she could ever take us. Sometimes her eyes flickered with admiration and it did make me have jealousy for just a moment before I remembered, I'm staying with her and they aren't .
As the party moved on we met the host Edward. He looked a lot different than in his paintings. He was around 20 years old now and his blonde hair was below his shoulders. He looked a lot like his father with his muscley build. And he was very charismatic which I did not like as he poured all his charm into the Doctor. Does everyone here know that he's gay or does he see through the Doctors disguise? Either way, it was rubbing me the wrong way. I quickly excused myself with Yaz and walked into the bathroom.
"I did not like him. I do not like this Edward guy. Something about him rubs me completely wrong. He's handsome but something is telling me he knows the Doctor isn't a man."
"I felt the same way. He knows something we don't. Before we go out there again, do you mind if I ask you a question?" Yaz asked. My mind was racing a hundred miles an hour. She knows. The jig is up with Yaz. "How do you feel about her, honestly? One minute you 2 are inseparable, then you distance yourself and now you are a nervous wreck around her! I won't judge but I just want to make sure my theory is correct."
Shit. I guess I really was obvious. Does she know?
"If your theory is about me falling hopelessly in love with the Doctor then you'd be correct. I can't help it. I'm going to tell her how I feel without being completely stupid. I just need a right moment to say it." I spoke with a heavy sigh. Hopefully, Yaz can help create that moment thay I need. She nods her head and opens the door. We walk back to the Doctor and notice Edward has gone to other guests and she was talking to Graham. I looked around and saw Ryan flirting with a pretty lady near the food table. Why am I not surprised?
A few hours had passed and the Doctor seemed bored with standing and talking so I made a plan in my head. I grabbed her hand and pulled her to the dancefloor as the next song came on. I didn't quite know how to dance properly but I knew the basics if it. She has to lead and I simply follow suit. It took a few moments but I got the hang of it with the Doctors help. Soon we were dancing so gracefully underneath the most beautiful candelabra that lit up her face perfectly.
Her hair swayed to our perfect dance ever so gently. Her eyes sparkled with amusement and her lips were in a permanent smile. She even laughed a couple of times. Then as the music slowed down to a pace that was perfect, I grabbed her waist and looked her. My heart was going crazy and my legs were about to buckle but I had rehearsed my lines. I can do this.
"Hey Doc. Its been an amazing time with you but I can't continue this without being honest with you. But everytime I get close, I back down in fear. So I'm going to let you figure it out. Doctora te amo. Entiendo que si no sientes lo mismo y me iré si quieres. (Doctor i love you. i understand if you don't feel the same way and i'll leave if you want.)" I spoke with as much passion and intention as I could. I looked into her eyes and saw her confused and trying to work out what I said. I would find it cute if my heart was beating right out of my chest. "Well, I've had a great time but I'm fucking knackered. I'm calling it night. I'll be heading to the TARDIS if you need me."
"I'll come with ya. I'm knackered as well and we both need each other to undo the corsets and mine is starting to hurt a little bit. How we used to do this for a full day, everyday, is beyond my understanding. As beautiful as we look, I don't think its worth the pain this will bring in the morning." Yaz spoke with a slight mumble as proof of her mental state and finishing with a yawn. I chuckled at her state and walked back to the TARDIS with a small amount of chat along the way.
She is right though. These corsets really do hurt you after a while, I'm glad I chose not to wear heels or else I'll be fucked for in the morning. I would literally scream. I think the Doctor had the right idea in wearing a suit, no pain. I do feel bad for leaving her but I just need some space after basically admitting everything that's been built up within me for too damn long. Maybe I should tell Yaz how it went and maybe she can help determine if the Doctor is happy or not.
We walked back into the wardrobe room and I helped Yaz out of her corset. She immediately sighed in relief. She finished getting herself into comfy clothes and started to untie my ribbon.
"So did you tell her?"
"Sort of. I basically told her everything but in Spanish. I just hope it doesn't change anything, except in a positive way, of course! If she wants me gone, I've told her that it's fine and I understand. She's very socially awkward and as cute as I find it, it may not help me in this situation. Do you have any clues on how she may react once she figures it out?"
Yaz stopped untying my corset for a moment and placed 1 finger upon her chin in thought. Her eyes were almost shut and seemed almost completely black in the light. After what seemed like forever, she took her finger off her chin and beamed a toothy smile. Her eyes sparkled as she remembered something and seemed to gleam slightly menacingly. A smirk replaced her smile soon after.
"There's a few times she's shown affection towards you. And I mean romantic affection. She always chooses to hold your hand over anyone else's if given the choice. She always steps I'm front of you when an enemy threatens to kill us all or hurt us in anyway. When you go wandering around on your own, she's terrified thats she's lost you forever to an enemy we don't even know of!" Yaz starts explaining carefully as if she's worried on how to word it.
"Those are just friendly affec-"
"I wasn't done. I was warming up." Yaz interrupts me as I was about to go into a self deprecating speech on how I'm just a friend to everyone and never a lover. "She always looks to see your face on adventures because she secretly loves your reactions, bad or good. When the Master revealed himself, she looked straight at you for support on how she should react. When she came back from the Kasavin, she ran straight to you and made sure you were ok first before any of us. When we were in the Tsungra medical ship, the first person she asked for was you! Whilst she was unconscious on board the ship, she kept mumbling your name, over and over again. When she saw how gorgeous you looked today, I thought she'd take you right there on the spot! She fucking loves you (y/n)! You're just so unbelievably blind to it all!"
Yaz was almost red with rage. Did she really do all that, for me? The TARDIS mustve read my mind and seemed to hum positively in reply. If everything Yaz said is true then she'll be so happy about it and maybe we can be a thing! But then again, maybe losing so many in a similar position as me will turn her away. Maybe her soul is awry and she's asking why right now.
Once I had gotten changed I went to sleep almost straight away, I suppose all that dancing and social ques having tired me out more than I thought.
I woke up to a soft knock on my door. I rubbed my (e/c) eyes and told them I'd be a few minutes as I've only just woken up. It wasn't until I finished brushing my (h/c) hair that I remembered what happened yesterday. All the panic rushed within me at once and I nearly threw up. I took several deep breaths and opened the door.
"GRAHAM THANK FUCK ITS YOU!" I almost shouted at him. He looked a little bewildered for a moment before he seemed to remember what brought him here in the first place.
"Hello Love, I'm here because Doc wanted to speak with you privately in the library. She says that the TARDIS will guide you to her location. She seemed a little off after you and Yaz left. Did something happen? Is everything ok?" Graham asked cautiously. He must be so confused.
"Sort of. I'll explain more when I get back but what do you mean by "a little off"?"
"Well she seemed lost in all sense of the word. She kept muttering "Te Amo" all the time. She was all over the place aswell. She got me and Ryan back here not long after you guys. Something about not trusting Ryan to not get alcohol poisoning without her around. She hasn't really left the library since if I'm honest. She's been in there for 12 hours. I only know she wants you because she whattsapped me on my phone. Whatever is going on, please sort it out, she's starting to really worry me. She hasn't been the same since that Master guy came around." Graham spoke clearly, albeit confused. I nodded my head and walked in the opposite direction to him and hoped the TARDIS would take me there quicker than normal. I want to treat this like a plaster, rip it off in one go.
Sooner than I realised, I grabbed the all too familiar door knob of the library. I took a deep breath and walked in. A blue line appeared towards the interactive map. I awakened the console and I saw a black screen with a few words on it. It looked like a message with how it was presented.
Hello (y/n)! Don't walk until you calm. Breath deeply and try not to panic. I promise you, all will work out in the end. I see more than you realise and I know my thief better than anyone whoever stepped foot into my being. I know of her main problem about the situation. If she loves you, drink this. It won't hurt, she'll know what it is.
The TARDIS
I should have been surprised by this new knowledge that she could speak to me, in a way, but I've seen so much and I am so tender hooks so I didn't take much notice of it. I quickly sat down and tried to control my breathing. After about 5 or so minutes, I felt calm enough to finally meet up with her and hear what she has to say.
I followed the blue line carefully until I spotted her in a comfy room. She mustve gotten changed at some point as she was wearing her usual rainbow outfit, minus the jacket. She was sat on a deep purple sofa, legs curled into her body. Her shoes were on the carpeted floor underneath her, seemingly forgotten for the moment. There were many books surrounding us from many cultures and spieces. One wall had a cozy wood burning fireplace crackling within the silence that surrounded us.
Her face was scrunched within deep thought. Her eyes sparkling with an emotion that I couldn't quite put my finger on; hope, sorrow or excitement? Her lips had a small smirk gracing them and her teeth had bitten a small part of it. Her hands were holding a book in a way where I couldn't quite see what it was.
I didn't want to disturb her as she looked so ethereal with the warm glow of the fire highlighting her in the perfect way. Unfortunately, it's plaster time and I wanted this sorted sooner rather than later. I took a deep breath took in the picture for memory.
"Hey, Graham said you wanted to talk to me? Is everything ok?" I asked gently and as softly as I could so she was carefully brought out of her little world. I didn't want to scare her. She raised her eyes from her book for a moment and bookmarked the page she was at with a little TARDIS paperclip. She placed the book on the table at the side of her and patted the seat next to her.
As I sat down my nerves were through the roof. She gave nothing away as she stared at me for a minute, as if assessing something about me.
"Why are you so nervous? Calm down. You are right, It is to do with last night. You left pretty abruptly after basically confessing your feelings to me. I was so confused, not just about what you said but about myself and what I wanted to do about you." The Doctor spoke monotonously. Did she mean get rid of me? "I had to first of all, find out what you said, well done on learning a new language by the way, one even I'm not fluent at. I'm guessing the old girl had something to do with that idea. Not that, you aren't smart enough but you don't know what languages I do or don't know."
The Tardis seemed to chuckled at the accusation and I simply nodded my head. "I wanted to buy myself time and to impress you."
"You impressed me a long time ago Miss (l/n). That is just a cherry on top. After I figured out what you said, no thanks to my old friend here, I went through a lot of thinking. I've not been in many relationships and you know my history regarding the ones I have been in. You know, River and Missy? And I have such a bad past with it ending in nothing but tears for me. I always lose those I care for deeply." She spoke with tears spilling from her gorgeous eyes. I grabbed her face gently and wiped away the stray tears that managed to escape their home.
"That was when you were a man. You're a woman now, everything is so different. Relationships can be heartbreaking. I know what you're main problem is and the TARDIS has a solution to that. I just need you to tell me the truth. How do you feel about me? Do you want me to stay or not?" I stated holding the small shot glassed amount of liquid in my hand. The liquid was golden and sparkled slightly in the light. There were specks of orange and silver within it and it was as hot as a nice cup of (hot drink). Her eyes sparkled with hope and shock. Her lips were smiling wide. And she seemed to giggle at the sight of it. She held it for a moment as if examining it like a rare artefact, maybe it was. Either way, I trust her judgement and if she's happy about it, then so am I. Once she had analysed the drink, she practically leapt into my arms and pushed me down on my back. She smelled of custard creams and the TARDIS which was odd but completely her and I couldn't imagine her smelling any other way.
"That does solve our problem! What she has just given you is the rarest liquid in the universe seeing as only one thing in the entirety of space can produce it. That drink is known as the nectar of the chosen ones. It's rare as the race that used to make them has practically gone extinct. There's only 3 left in the known universe and you're living in one. That drink is the blood of the TARDIS. It grants you immortality if you drink it. It is said to resemble your favourite beverage no matter who you are. However, it only lasts 100 years and you must drink it every century or else your body clock will kick in and you will age and be as mortal as you are now." She speaks with a warning as we sit up holding holds.
"I have no problem with that. I would sacrifice everything if it meant I got to call you mine. Just please tell me and I'll drink it." I told her with adoration in my eyes.
She held me close and planted a soft and gentle kiss to my lips. It was short but it sent more fireworks than you can imagine through my body. I knew I had found her. She grabbed my waist and whispered next to my ear:
"Te Amo"
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Welcome Home
Pairing: Roger Taylor x Fem!Reader
Summery: Roger’s delayed getting home from tour.
Warnings: SMUT (18+),but it’s like light smut lmao,cock warming,morning sex,just like some fluffy bullshit really
Words: 2326
A/N: Been a lil minute since I wrote Rog and I kinda missed him. this idea came to me last week and wouldn't leave me alone lmao
Taglist: @laedymoon @dtfrogertaylor @vee-ndetta @atomic-watermelon @kellypenac @labessieisallama @deakyclicks @jennyggggrrr @drowseoftaylor @hannafuckingsucks @i-cant-hangout-im-drumming @queenmylovely @supersonicfreddie @taron-egrotten @johndeaconshands @borhapbois
It had been a couple of months since you’d seen Roger face to face. The biggest downside of dating a rock star was dealing with his absence. Everyone seemed insistent on dragging him away from you, often to the other side of the world. You took comfort knowing he missed you as much as you missed him, and that he was leaving you to live out his lifelong dream. What could be more important than that? When he was away, he called frequently to check in with you. You’d laugh about whatever drama he’d had to endure during rehearsal (though privately you were sure he exaggerated) and then you’d tell him all about what he was missing back home. But the further into the tour he got, the more the calls changed. Gone were the long conversations that unpacked every minute aspect of your day. They were replaced with long conversations that answered the question how was your day? in the first five minutes and dedicated the rest of the time to talk of possible ways to celebrate his eventual return, growing steadily filthier. The problem was that, having moved in together, you’d become accustomed to a certain amount of physical intimacy that you just weren’t getting without Roger there. You missed being able to startle him by laying ice cold hands against the back of his neck, missed cuddling up with him on the couch. You even missed the way he’d pinch your bum as he hugged you, laughing when you squealed in response and batted his chest with your palm. Of course, you missed the sex too. He’d always claimed to be a good lay and, so far, he hadn’t disappointed you. It wasn’t always easy to unwind after a long or hard day of work without being able to grab Roger by the hand and pull him into the bedroom for a few hours, and sometimes the forced abstinence just added to any tensions or stresses you were already dealing with. Plus it was nice to have someone you enjoyed having sex with, who liked making you feel good, and it kind of just sucked to lose that. So being stuck with nothing but your imagination soon had you desperate for Roger’s return and he seemed to feel the same. By the end of the tour you’d abandoned all pretence and we just having straight up phone sex every other night, Roger locked away in his hotel room, you wherever you’d happened to pick up the phone – bedroom or kitchen or lounge room, it didn’t matter.
There was some mild embarrassment at the thought of what may be said of you if anyone were to overhear. Things mentioned in the heat of the moment often seemed silly after you’d hung up, the fog of needy lust subsiding. But while you were on the phone you couldn’t care less who heard what, as long as Roger was there, listening to you, describing his own ideas in response. It was good that Roger had just as large a disregard for anyone else’s ears as you because you were sure one of the boys would be in the room next to his, probably able to hear everything he said. Perhaps if they’d been able to hear your voice, your moans, you would have been more concerned, but you were alone on your end of the line, free to be as loud as you liked. And when you were lying in bed, one hand shoved down the front of your pants, listening to Roger describe how he wanted to fuck you, loud is exactly what you were. The hand that wasn’t pressed to your clit held the phone held tight to your ear, as if loosening your grip would shake you loose from Roger himself.
“Christ I miss your cunt,” he groaned down the line, the sound of his hand sliding over his dick audible beneath his words, “tell me you miss my cock,”
“God yes Rog,” you whined, a little startled by just how much you meant it. “Miss how you fuck me. My fingers are fucking shit compared to the way it feels when you fill me,”
“Shit, love. The second I see you I’m going to slide into your pussy and just stay there for as long as I can.”
“I’ll squeeze down on you,” you warned, not in the mood to think about being full and unfucked.
“Good. I’ll cum in you and then stay there until you’re squirming and begging and I’m hard enough to pound you. Fuck you so loud the neighbours complain. Might even keep myself stuffed inside you until I can start round three.”
“Jesus Rog,”
“You like the sound of that? Being my own personal cock sleeve?”
“Mmhmm, so much. You could live in me. Just stay inside me forever, fucking me and pumping me full of cum over and over.”
“Fuck. I can hear how wet you are.”
So it usually went, or something similar.
But, unfortunately, your most recent phone call was nowhere near as fun. Roger had meant to be home by six. You’d been excited and spent the afternoon getting things ready. A nice hot bath with your favourite scents, fresh sheets for you to ruin the minute he walked in the door, a bottle of wine for afterwards. It would pair nicely with the steaks and sides you’d prepped – all easy and fast to cook as soon as you’d recovered enough. You even put on some of your nicest underwear. Not your fanciest lingerie because it was likely to be torn in his haste to undress you, but it was a matching set and one you knew he liked. But six o’clock came and went and he didn’t walk in the door. Enough time passed that you’d gotten cold waiting in just your undies, so you’d thrown a robe over the top and settled in front of the TV under a blanket. But it was hard to relax when you didn’t know where Roger was or why he hadn’t come home when he said he would. After a few more hours the phone rang and you raced to it, slightly worried you were about to hear something devastating. You sighed in relief at the sound of Roger’s voice but he didn’t have much time to chat. He rushed out an explanation for his being late – something about a weather delay and missing luggage – and then hung up again. A little upset at having to wait even longer to see him, and that your night had been ruined, you fixed yourself a quick dinner, leaving the steaks for the next day instead. You didn’t change though, just in case, your head flicking towards the front door at every little sound. It was late when you finally decided to call it a night, stumbling up to your room, not even bothering to change into pyjamas before you slipped under the covers.
The next thing you knew was being woken by someone climbing into bed next to you, the chill of his fingers making you shiver as he brushed hair off your face. You cracked an eye open, but the sun hadn’t risen and it was hard to see more than a vague outline, Roger’s quick apology for waking you confirmation of who he was. He felt you move to try and get a better look and softly told you to go back to sleep. Instead you waited for him to finish undressing and then shuffled closer, reaching out for him. He let you wrap your arms around him, repaid you with a soft kiss.
“You’re home,” you mumbled, not fully awake.
“Finally. Sorry I’m late,” his voice was low and rough and comforting to hear, right beside your ear, undistorted by connection issues and distance, “Fucking terrible night. But I’m glad to see you again.”
“Not quite the welcome I’d planned,” you said through a yawn.
He laughed softly and kissed the tip of your nose, “Me neither.”
“I got all dressed up and everything,”
Roger raised the blankets into the air, peaking under, trying to see what you meant, letting out a low whistle and a “now I really wish I’d been here sooner,” though you weren’t convinced he could actually see the set through the grey black of the early hour.
You laughed sleepily and raised a hand to stroke his cheek as he fell back to the pillow.
“I was thinking about you the whole way home,” he broke off to yawn, “Had to have a quick wank halfway across the Atlantic,” he yawned again and let his eyes shut for a moment, blinking them back open to look at you with a hint of his cheeky grin.
“Remember when you said you’d fuck me as soon as you saw me,”
“Not sure I have the energy for that. Don’t think you do either.”
You hummed in agreement, the sandman tugging at the corners of your brain, but there was another idea there too. Something more insistent. You tightened your grip on Roger, adjusted yourself to be more comfortable, pulled his head closer to the crook of your neck, able to feel his warm breath on your bare skin. “Kinda want you inside me anyway, Rog.”
“Really?”
The more you thought about it the more you wanted it. You’d missed his presence in the house, the smell of his shampoo and his cigarettes and his aftershave all mixed together, the way his laugh could fill a room, how it felt to sit in the backyard on a warm day and listen to him plucking at one of his guitars, the way he smiled when he said he loved you. And now that he was back all you wanted was to keep him close, listen to his every breath, feel his hair tickling your neck, the scratch of his stubble before he shaved, his warmth seeping into your skin. Just lying beside him wasn’t enough. You wanted to drown in him, completely and utterly surround yourself in him. But that was too hard to explain so early in the day, when you’d had only a couple hours sleep and he seemed to be running on even less. So you replied with a short, “Mmhmm,” lilting upward, and dropped your lips to the top of his head.
“You sure?” his question was an exhale against your throat, fingertips dancing closer to the waistband of your knickers.
“Positive. Just for a bit, please,”
He stifled another yawn as he pushed your underwear down, letting you kick them off one foot as he got rid of his own. There was a pause as he ran his hand along his length in long lazy strokes, a needy whine caught on the tip of your tongue as you waited. But it died there, replaced by a gasp as he pulled your leg over him and slowly sunk into you. Your fingers tightened where they lay and you felt his groan as vibrations against your throat as he filled you inch by inch.
“You okay?”
“Perfect,” you whispered back, “Welcome home.”
Roger hummed and breathed deep, taking a moment to wiggle into a slightly more comfortable position, hitching your leg up a little higher, tilting your head down so he could find your lips again. You saw his eyes flutter shut as he relaxed into the pillows, content to just stay like that until he could summon the energy to do more. You let your own eyes shut too, relishing the way it felt to be stretched around him, listening to his breaths slowing down and evening out.
It was Roger’s groan that made you stir. An almost desperate sound, though he tried to keep it quiet. Slowly you blinked your eyes open, trying to tell whether Roger was awake yet too, or whether the noise was made in his sleep. You could see him clearer now, the bags under his eyes, the ruffled unkempt look of his hair. Your leg was still slung over him, slipped a little from where he’d placed it, and without thinking you made to move it back. Roger groaned again as a small gasp left you, the full memory of what had happened the previous night returning to you. It was weird, waking up so full, but not unpleasant.
“Y/N,” he sighed, “you up?”
“Mmhmm,”
“Love, do that again and we’re going to have a mess to clean up,” he warned, softly.
“How long you been awake?”
“Not long. But you’ve been clenching around me a bit in your sleep and I’m so close.” The last two words were almost pained and you briefly considered moving, letting Roger go so he could calm down sufficiently. But you were comfortable and happy wrapped around him and the memory of your phone calls nagged at the back of your mind, “You can let go,”
“What?”
“I’m… what’d you call me…your personal cock sleeve? So let go,”
Roger stared at you, eyes wide though still tired looking, as if he couldn’t believe what he’d heard. But, when you didn’t take it back he leaned in to kiss you, rocking his hips against you slowly, letting out a low noise as you felt him empty inside you. You kissed him in return, stroked his cheek as he calmed down. Just for a moment you let your eyes slip shut again, basking in the feeling of it all. When you looked back at Roger he was still staring.
“I love you,”
“Good, I don’t plan on letting you leave this bed much today,”
“Sounds good to me,” he laughed softly, following it with a hiss when you intentionally clenched on his sensitive dick again, “wait, wait love, give me like another minute.”
You apologised and settled for another kiss instead, leaving a few extra along his jaw until he was able to make good on his earlier promises.
#my writing#my fics#roger taylor x reader#roger taylor smut#roger taylor imagine#tmi but#lowkey the idea came to me because i fell asleep c***warming a d***o lmao#😳😳😳😳😳
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words with friends - ashton irwin blurb.
a/n: okay so i got this dumb idea when i saw lau ( @sexgodashton )’s tags on this post pls forgive me
word count: ~1.8k
warnings: none
****
At first, Ashton thought that the lockdown with his 14-year-old niece wouldn’t be so bad - he’d have someone to talk to, crack jokes with, and binge Netflix with. But about a week into them being told they couldn’t leave the house at all is when things started to get a little rocky.
“Uncle Ash, your WiFi is the absolute worst. This is the 10th time it’s buffered for this episode of Peaky Blinders. It’s too much,” she sighed, pausing the TV so that she could turn to him, “You need to look into getting a better service provider.”
Ashton frowned, glancing up from the game he had just lost on his phone, “Is that why I just lost this game of Words with Friends against Calum?”
“Probably! You both have terrible WiFi - so it was one of you,” On her screen, Ashton could see her looking up potential service providers that could be newly set up without them having to enter your home.
“I think it’s his, I’d put my money on it. My internet’s been fine all this time,” Ashton typed up a message to Calum that said ‘bro your wifi is shit get it fixed’.
“Fine, or were you just never home long enough for it to become a problem?”
“Wow, hard hitting facts for a 14 year old.” Ashton’s phone pinged, a simple middle finger emoji as a response from Calum.
“Look, I found one that has contactless set up, and their reviews are great. Just think about it - you don’t know how long this is going to last, and you don’t want to be in the middle of kicking Calum’s ass--”
“Language!” He laughed, placing a hand to his forehead, “Alright, alright. I hear you. Send me the number so I can contact them about it.”
Within a few hours, everything had been arranged - Ashton realized he had a weird sense of attachment to his internet service provider, feeling guilty that he was cancelling on them, especially during a hard time like this. Some reassurance from his niece helped though, and he accepted that his life would likely be better if when he was home he could watch a movie straight through without needing to pause it, go make a snack or two, and come back to see if it had loaded enough.
The next day, the new router arrived on his doorstep, and the man who delivered it was outside in his van, phone at the ready so he could walk Ashton through the setup. Overall it was easier than expected, everything ready to go in less than an hour - he had expected some type of all day event; but much to his delight he was back settled into his couch, underneath a cozy blanket as he opened Words with Friends once again.
He was eager to be able to call his friend out on his poor WiFi, now knowing (hoping) that it would go rather seamlessly. Unfortunately though, Calum was busy at the moment, so Ashton was left to select playing against a stranger the game suggested was his match of the day. It wasn’t often he did that, trying to keep it to just the people he knew - but just this once couldn’t hurt. What did hurt was the fact that this person was absolutely kicking his ass, making his jaw drop with every word they made.
At the end of their game, Ashton frowned when he realized he lost by almost 100 points - how was that even possible? His phone notified that this person wanted to go again, and he wondered for a moment if they wanted to face him again because he seemed like an easy person to win against. His competitive side came out tenfold for this round though, trying his best to think of words that would give him the most bang for his buck, as it were. He almost had them, a few points ahead - but then they put down a word that completely obliterated him.
Ashton almost threw his phone, he did, not used to losing so easily against someone. He liked to think of himself as a wordsmith, he was a songwriter after all, he should be able to be better at this. Tapping the ‘chat’ option, his fingers hesitated over the keys before typing out ‘HOW?’. Aggressive? Maybe, but he needed to know what their secret was.
Their reply was quick, a casual ‘😇’ and somehow that frustrated Ashton more. Maybe he needed to go for a walk. There was no reason why he should be such a sore loser about a game, maybe being on lockdown was driving him slowly stir crazy. His phone buzzes with another notification and the person asked ‘Another round, or are you too scared to lose again?’. Oh, now it was on.
A couple hours, and many rounds later with some occasional banter back and forth between the two of them, Ashton finally needed to stop - his eyes felt like they had gone dry from staring at his phone for hours on end. His niece came into the living room, her head cocking to the side.
“You’re in the same position that you were when I last came down here - have you finally turned into a couch potato? Should I call mom that I’m gonna have to start using you as our produce?” she asked, a grin on her lips. His niece was a mirror image of his sister, and it made him frown - missing her more and more every day. “Why is your face so red? You feeling okay?”
Ashton hadn’t even realized that his face was warm - was he getting sick? Or was it the witty banter back and forth with the person from the game that had gotten to him? He hoped it was the latter, he’d feel incredibly guilty if his niece was stuck in his house with him while he was fighting what was likely the common cold, but the times were uncertain.
“D’know, doesn’t matter. What do you want for dinner?” He asked, brushing off her questions as he followed her into the kitchen.
***
Days later, Ashton had kept up the banter with this stranger. Their conversations were more frequent, and their games less so. It was kind of nice to talk to someone new, someone who didn’t already know what to expect from him, or things to say. His stranger friend seemed off today, and it made him frown slightly, thinking that maybe they were growing tired of talking to him.
‘Your wittiness is off today, friend, you doing alright?’ He typed out, pausing for a second before he pressed send - was it weird to ask that of someone?
It wasn’t long before his phone lit up with a response, ‘Sorry, just tired. My neighbour likes to stay up until ungodly hours playing music, or drums. Sometimes both at the same time.’
Ashton was mid-yawn as he read the words, a small laugh falling from his lips as he recalled his night; staying up until 3 am in his studio playing drums. ‘Wow. Sounds like me and your neighbour could be buds, you should put in a good word for me.’
‘Would if I knew them, I moved in not long before all of this started. Didn’t get a chance to be the weird neighbour that pops by with cookies.’
Ashton bit his tongue at that, a grin tugging at the corners of his lips, ‘Do it anyways, be even weirder and leave them on the doorstep, give em a scare and a treat.’
‘Should I leave a nice note saying ‘please keep any and all banging prior to midnight’?’
‘I’d leave out the banging part, but that sounds like an amusing idea.’
Ashton left their conversation at that, figuring he could continue with his day. Not that his day would consist of much, just attempting to write songs, and test out new recipes with his niece that she always ultimately hated, but it was worth a try. She decided they should go for a walk around their neighbourhood in the afternoon, and after some contemplation he agreed. He never ended up going for a walk the other day like he had meant to.
The sun was warm on their skin as they walked, and his nose picked up the faint smell of apples, making him smile. He thought of his Words with Friends friend, hoping their baking was going well too if they had decided to bake a treat for their new neighbour.
Ashton hadn’t realized how long he and his niece had been gone until his phone buzzed with a new notification from his RING app, alerting of someone at the door as well as making him aware of the time. Wasn’t uncommon, he was waiting on a couple packages - but when he opened the app, he saw someone set something down on his doorstep before walking away. They didn’t appear to be dressed in any type of mail carrier uniform, and Ashton grew a bit distressed by the idea of a foreign item being left on his doorstep.
In an attempt not to worry his niece, he didn’t voice his concerns, instead voicing they should head back. It wasn’t much of a ways away, them already on their way back - but when they arrived Ashton saw a small red tupperware container sitting there with a note on top.
“What’s that?” His niece asked, leaning down to pick up the note - a smirk spread across her lips, eyes flickering towards Ashton, “Seems like your neighbour doesn’t appreciate your late night drum covers,” she spoke, handing him the note.
Reading over the note, Ashton made the connection almost instantly, his heart racing.
“What’s wrong? You look as if you’ve seen a ghost.”
“That person that’s been annihilating me in Words with Friends, apparently they are our neighbour. We were talking earlier and they mentioned making cookies for their neighbour since they’d just moved to the area.”
His niece nodded, a knowing smile on her lips, “Seems like you guys talk about more than just what is basically Scrabble.”
Swatting at her arm gently, he shooed her inside, picking up the container and opening it - he realized then that the smell of apples that had invaded his senses earlier was them, and it made his heart warm at the thought they were so close.
Taking out his phone, he snapped a quick picture of the container to send to them, simply adding a ‘Thanks for the cookies, I’ll try and keep it down.’ Below it before tucking his phone into his pocket to enjoy one of the cookies they had made.
That’s one way to socially distance meet new people, he supposed.
tag list: @haikucal @talkfastromance4 @softbabiestan @boyfriend-cal @calum-uncrowned @wildflowerirwin @irwindoll @gosh-im-short @atlcalm @thesubtweeter @heavenisapeach @ridingcthood @loveroflrh @wokeupinjapanisabop @mantlereid @inlovehoodx
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Okay i actually have no clue on how tumblr works (hope I'm doing this right lmao) but I'm writing my first fic (I still can't really move on from orv so I decided to make my own content lol.), I really love your writing style, do you have any tips??
Hmmmm tips tips tips tips.... First of all I’m really flattered that you like my writing enough to ask me about it! I’ll try to give my best answer... I think that I used to read a lot of people’s “writing tips” but ultimately I ended up not really understanding them until I started writing a lot? Either way it’s fun to read how other authors think... It’s really cool that you’re writing your first fic and you thought to come to me... did I already say that? Okay long post under the cut.
I don’t think this will be all that helpful, but this is just things that I think about if that’s interesting!
For me a lot of writing is like struggling with motivation (I have ADHD so that’s probs why), I really have to pace myself while writing because I can’t just force myself to do it. If I go in every day and think “I have to write today I’m not doing anything so I should be writing” I can get burnt out really easily, even if I really like the thing I’m writing and know how it’s supposed to go. So one of my big things is that when I’m not thinking about writing I’m not thinking about writing. that gives my brain a break and refreshes me when I get back to my google document.
Something I’ve also struggled with having to remember is that there’s like. Never a perfect way to write. What I end up doing is thinking up ideas and fragments and sentences in my head and the very moment I think of something I like I have to write it down in my notes app. Most of my writing process ends up being like. Filling in the blanks and connecting the dots between scene fragments.
For fics in particular I’d also just recommend rereading your favorite parts of the og work! I’m the kind of person who has a pretty good reading memory, so people may have noticed that I include a lot of little details referencing the text in my fic. Just reading the work kind of helps you remember the voices of the character and the style of the narration, and if you just like. internalize it. you can probably replicate it pretty well if you wanted to.
OKAY I say that but don’t worry too much about replicating things in the og work perfectly. I find that a lot of times when I’m writing I’m inserting a lot of personal touches and putting things that are a part of me in the work. Writing is always going to be like. an extension of your voice, no matter what you’re writing. I think that when I heard about stuff like that from authors in the past I was always like. What? I’m not writing about things that happened to me. I’m writing about grown adult men having emotional issues, silly. But there’s like a lot more nuance to writing about yourself, I guess. Like you don’t have to have like a self insert or be projecting onto a character to have yourself reflected in something you’ve written.
I’d say that like, whatever you write as your first fic is going to be lovely, but when you grow up as a writer and look back on it, you’re not going to remember who you were when you wrote it. I think that’s why a lot of people look back on their first works and are like “I can’t believe I wrote that, what was I thinking, cringe cringe cringe ugh.” Like I definitely do that sometimes, but I’ve found that the old work I’m happiest with nowadays is the stuff where I can recognize myself in it, even if I’m not in that fandom anymore or if there’s old jokes or typos I don’t remember making.
With that being said, I’m the kind of person who always gives myself a mission statement when I’m writing. I sort of mentally go, okay, I’m writing this kind of thing, and this is why I’m writing it. It can be something like oh I’m writing this fluff piece because I love this character and wish they had a happier ending, or oh I want to write this multi chapter fic exploring an issue touched on in the original work but I feel like with my own experiences I could expand on it more than the author did. Just something that tells me why it is important to me to write this thing when I’m writing it.
AAAH I feel like I made that sound more dramatic than it really is, that’s just how I think I guess. I’m the kind of guy where its like things need to have like MEANING to me when I do them. I’m dramatic and gay and that’s my personality I guess 😔.
Hmmm maybe it’s also my BIGGEST writing tip tho. Like kind of just thinking things through when you’re writing is pretty important. When I was first learning to write at all (talking about baby baby me here this is like sort of a side tangent sorry) I think that a lot of times I would copy phrases and developments that I had liked in things that I had read without really fully considering why I would include those things other than the fact that that was just what I thought writing was. It’s important to consider what importance every scene and sentence has to do with the flow of the story. Are they just things that are happening, or is there a reason that the audience needs to know these things? The weight of your words should have some sort of consequence as a result of you writing them. Are you telling the audience information they need to know? Is it about how the character feels? What does this say about the character? Etc.
I suppose that’s sort of my own writing style. You’ll probably notice that I don’t write a lot of descriptive prose if you read my fic. The thing about me is that I never want to write something that makes my audience question why they’re reading it, I guess. I’m sort of self conscious and think about the reading experience a lot. All of the things I choose to describe are usually so that the reader can understand where people are in the scene and what emotions they are having. There’s a lot of emphasis that I put in like. A reader’s ability to read into things, which works against me sometimes because I’m not always certain if people picked up on different things that I put a lot of thought into (the curse of being seen... sob).
ALSO use paragraph breaks. In my first fic (that I’m not going to tell anyone what is even though its on ao3 because im shy) the thing I always regret the MOST is that there are big chunky paragraphs that are hard to read through at the start. Like my eyes get lost. I mentioned I have ADHD before but even though I like. physically can’t read a big chunky paragraph I will always write them that way if left to my own devices. Paragraph breaks don’t have to just be broken up by dialogue they can be wherever you feel like doing them. You need a lot of them. This post should probably have more of them... oh my god it’s so long...
OKAY FOR REAL THOUGH IF YOU COULDN”T SLOG THROUGHT THE REST OF THAT THE MOST IMPORTANT TIP IS RIGHT HERE:
JUST LET YOURSELF WRITE
I have a lot of like. academic trauma, so maybe this is just me, but the reason I didn’t write fic until I was like 16 was because I was always really scared that whatever I wrote wouldn’t be good enough for some impossible standard I was setting for myself. I was always telling myself that I had certain bad writing habits or that I was terrible for never being able to focus on things for very long and all of my projects were doomed to failure before I even started. But then I wrote my first like 8 chapter fic in the summer of my junior year and I was like... oh. that wasn’t so bad. Like. It’s okay to know your limits, but you don’t really know them until you start writing. Like I wrote an 8 chapter fic, and then a few one shots, and then I tried to take on a very complicated project that ended up being over 40 chapters and I had to put it down because I just wasn’t really at the writing level to finish it. I would advise against writing fics that take so long to write that you start hating the way you wrote the first chapter, basically lol. Know how whatever you’re writing is supposed to begin and end before you start writing it.
Nowadays I always have like. plot outlines in my head when I start a fic. Like okay this needs to happen here this needs to happen here etc. I like making lists if it seems to overwhelming when I’m writing something long, just to organize my thoughts.
OKAY I JUST TALKED A LOT. SORRY IF YOU DIDN’T WANT TO READ ALL OF THIS BUT I’M A LITTLE CHATTY IF YOU DIDN’T NOTICE.
Defo feel free to dm me if you have like questions or just want to chat about orv or whatever. I’m a lonely little man out here floating on my pile of words, and I’d love to hear what your fic is about!!
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The Most Dramatic Season Ever - Week 6
Summary: It’s your time now! You are ABC’s new Bachelorette and this is your journey! All these men (including our fav BoRhap boys and then some) are competing for your heart! Will you find love? Will you get engaged at the end? Or will you end up heartbroken? Find out, on the most dramatic season ever!
Word Count: 10.1k (this one’s a DOOZY)
Tag List: @psychosupernatural, @someone-get-a-medic, @bensrhapsody, @deakyclicks, @crazylittlethingcalledobsession, @minigranger, @crazyweirdocalledfriday, @the-moving-finger-writes, @assembledherethevolunteers, @rose-writes-prose, @queenlover05, @moon-stars-soul, @danadeacon, @deacyblues, @thesundrop, @cupidben, @lostlittlenerd, @delilahmay39, @timmvrphy, @queenmylovely, @loveandbeloved29, @free-pool-trash, @fairestkillerqueenofall, @local-troubled-writer, @babyalienfairy, @littlecarowrites, @allthethingsicant, @im-an-adult-ish, @mirkwoodshewolf, @squishy-gay-astronaut, @sherlollydramoine, @butlegendsneverdie, @dogmom2014, @rocketrhap917, @26-7-49, @lelifesaver, @frozenhuntress67 If you’d like to be added, let me know!
A/N: A note on the names in this chapter! So, I went with Ben’s family name being Hardy since we all know him with that name. I understand that in reality, his parents would be Mr. and Mrs. Jones. And with Rami’s sister, I couldn’t get a confirmation on whether her name is spelled Jasmine or Yasmine so I went with the J spelling because that was what I saw first.
Warning(s): Mentions of racism.
Night 1 Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5
Week 6 here we go!!!
Your first hometown date was with Ben in Sherborne, UK. You met him at the center of the town, which was small and quaint. But you liked it. Especially once you saw Ben walking over to you. You ran to him and leaped into his arms. He caught you with a laugh and a sweet kiss.
“I can’t believe you’re here,” he said, shaking his head. “In Sherborne.”
“I can’t believe it either,” you replied. “But I’m so happy that I am!”
“Me too,” he agreed as he set you down. “I thought I’d just give you a bit of a tour so you can see where I grew up before we head to my parents, yeah?”
“Sounds perfect!”
He took your hand and started down the road. At the end of the street was a vintage car. It was a black convertible, like you’d seen in old movies. It looked glamorous.
“This,” Ben said, walking up to the car. “Is our ride for the day.”
“Are you serious?!” you cried. “Oh my God!”
“Glad you like it,” he chuckled.
“I love it!” you told him.
He opened the passenger side door for you and you slid in. Then he walked around to the driver’s side and got in beside you. He looked at you, smirked, and then started the engine. He looked so sexy behind the wheel you had to turn your attention to the road so he wouldn’t see you blushing.
He drove slowly. There wasn’t much traffic, anyway, so you really could see all the places he was pointing out to you. He showed you the church he attended as a kid. Where he went to primary school. The tree under which he had his first kiss. It was all so sweet. It was all so Ben.
“I wish you could be here in October sometime,” he said. “We’ve got the Pack Monday Fair, which is always a great time.”
He told you about the fair and all his fondest memories, especially attending with his father. You were melting.
“So, how often do you get here to visit your family?” you wondered.
“As often as I can,” he said. “I’m all the way in London, and it’s not like I’ve got weekends off. But I definitely get here for special occasions and holidays.”
“Do you think you’d want to settle down here?” you asked. “When you’re ready to start a family?”
“As much as I love it here, I’d rather stay in London,” he said. “There’s more opportunity there and more diversity, which is something I want my children to experience. But believe me, they’ll be coming here to visit Nan as often as possible. My mum can’t wait for me to have kids, so she’ll be all over them.”
You giggled. “I like that. I want an involved family.”
“You might regret saying that one day,” he joked.
You drove on, and by the end, you felt you had seen almost the entire town. You stopped at the store to pick up a bottle of wine and some flowers for his mother, before at last going to the house. It was a cozy little home, and it looked inviting. You took a deep breath before starting up the driveway.
“Nervous?” Ben asked.
“A bit,” you admitted.
“Don’t be,” he said and kissed your cheek. “They’re gonna love you.”
Before you could argue, he reached out and opened the door, allowing you inside first.
“Hello!” Ben called.
Seconds after his voice rang out, a swarm of people were upon you. All rushing to hug Ben and get a glimpse of you. He introduced you to his mother and father, and then to his aunts and uncles who were there. His grandmother remained seated on the couch, so you all made your way back to her so Ben could say hello.
“These are for you,” you said to Mrs. Hardy, handing her the wine and flowers.
“Oh, thank you, darling,” she replied. “They’re beautiful!”
You smiled as she disappeared into the kitchen to put them in a vase. Then Ben’s father approached you. You smiled and shook hands again.
“Y/N, right?” he asked.
“Yep, that’s right,” you told him.
“Come on, let’s get you a drink,” he said.
“Won’t say no to that,” you replied.
You followed him into the kitchen. Mrs. Hardy had already set out the flowers on the counter, and she was fussing around the food, which was evidently almost ready. Mr. Hardy poured you a glass of wine and handed it to you.
“Thank you,” you said.
Ben’s parents were surprisingly easy to talk to. You offered to help his mother with dinner, but she insisted you just relax. His father was a lot like Ben. A bit reserved, but friendly. So you chatted with them for a bit while Ben got caught up with the rest of his family.
When dinner was ready, you all sat around the dining room table. Mrs. Hardy served up a delicious meal, and then told you all to “tuck in.” You had a great time during the meal. His family was funny and warm. They welcomed you with open arms. You felt comfortable with them immediately.
“So, Y/N, can we have a chat?” asked Mrs. Hardy once the plates were clear.
“Of course,” you agreed.
You followed her to the sitting room. You sat together on the couch, and she gave your knee a maternal pat.
“How’s it all going?” she asked. “With Ben, that is.”
You smiled. “Ben and I have something really special,” you told her. “He told me that he’s falling in love with me, and I feel the same. Which I’ve told him.”
“I’m glad to hear that,” she said. “Has he told you that he’s never been in love before?”
“He has,” you said. “And I’m still a little worried about that.”
“Worried? Why?” she asked.
“Well, because I don’t want him to feel like there’s more out there,” you said. “Or to get confused. I don’t want him to wake up say, ten years from now and wonder if he made a mistake because he didn’t really know what he was doing.”
“I don’t think you need worry about that,” she said. “Ben is...a unique man. He’s struggled to find love because he’s quite aware of his feelings. He has told me about girls he’s gone with and expressed things like ‘Mum, I liked her, but I don’t think she’s the one,’ or ‘Mum, she’s beautiful, but I can’t go forward just because we’re attracted to each other.’ If he’s falling in love with you, then he means it. He isn’t confused.”
“That’s a relief to hear you say that,” you said. “Because I just wasn’t really sure if he knew. But you’re right, Ben is a self-aware person, and I have faith that what he’s telling me is true. I did promise him I’d never doubt him.”
You explained to her what Luke had once said about him.
“That’s ridiculous,” she scoffed. “Ben’s honest and kind. And, Y/N...he’s ready. He’s ready to find his partner and settle down.”
“I think he’d be a wonderful husband,” you told her. “And I suppose I have you to thank for that.”
She giggled and took your hand. You smiled at each other.
Meanwhile, Ben was talking to his father. They stood out on the back patio, each smoking a cigarette. You didn’t like that Ben smoked, but he did it pretty rarely since he was an athlete. And he also told you it was his goal to quit by the time he had children.
“So, Benny,” Mr. Hardy said. “How’re you feeling?”
“It hasn’t been easy,” Ben said. “I’ve...well, I’ve fallen in love with her.”
“Has she fallen in love with you?” Mr. Hardy wondered.
“She says she’s getting there,” Ben told him. “But there are still three other guys.”
“They good blokes?”
“Yeah, actually, I like them a lot. Consider them friends, even.”
“That’s good, it shows she’s got taste,” Mr. Hardy joked.
Ben chuckled. “Yeah. I’m just worried. I want to tell her that I love her. But I don’t want to get my heart broken.”
“There’s no way to fall in love without taking that risk,” Mr. Hardy said. “If you love her, love her with everything you’ve got. Pursue her. Let her know why she should choose you.”
Ben smiled. “Thanks, Dad.”
You switched parents, so Ben went to speak to his mother, and you went to speak to his father. You looked at Mr. Hardy and saw Ben’s features in his face. It was like looking through time and seeing Ben as an older man. Only, Mr. Hardy had brown eyes. Ben got his eyes from his mother.
“Can I ask you how you feel about Ben?” Mr. Hardy asked.
“I care a lot about him,” you said. “He’s probably the sweetest person I’ve ever met and...well, I’m falling in love with him.”
“He’s not hard to look at, either,” he joked.
“Well, he gets it from somewhere,” you returned, pointing at him.
He laughed.
“You seem like a nice girl,” he said. “I think you’d be a good wife to Ben, if that’s what you both want. I’m just happy if he’s happy. And he seems quite happy with you.”
You looked at Ben through the window, where he was sitting with his mom.
“You guys must miss him a lot,” you said.
“Terribly,” Mr. Hardy said. “But once again, he’s happy.”
“I’ve so appreciated you welcoming me into your home,” you said. “A home as loving as this shows me what I can expect from Ben. Thank you.”
He opened his arms to you, and you gladly accepted them.
Inside, Ben was telling his mother exactly what he’d told his father. That he was in love with you and was nervous about telling you.
“I agree with Dad, darling,” Mrs. Hardy said. “I think if that’s what you’re feeling, you should be honest with her.”
“It’s just scary since...well, I’ve never done it before,” he said. “How do I…” he trailed off with a sigh.
“Do you think it matters to her how you say it?” she asked.
“No, I think she just wants me to be honest,” he returned.
“Then there you have it, love,” she said.
The night wound down and it was time for you to go. You said fond goodbyes to Ben’s family and he walked you out to the van already waiting for you.
“Today was such a great day,” he said. “They really seemed to like you.”
“I really like them,” you told him. “You have a great family, Ben.”
“I hope you come back,” he said.
“Me too,” you replied.
A beat passed. Ben pulled you into a tight hug. Then he lowered his lips to your ear.
“I love you, Y/N,” he whispered. “I love you so much.”
You wrapped your arms around his waist and gave a small squeeze.
“It means so much to hear you say that,” you said.
You desperately wanted to tell him that you loved him too. Because you did. But you knew it was a bad idea. All you could do was convey how you felt through the embrace. And then when he kissed you...it was nothing like the way he’d kissed you before. This was something else entirely. It felt more like a promise.
“I’m gonna miss you,” he said.
“I’m gonna miss you too,” you told him.
With that, he opened the car door for you. You slid into the back seat and smiled at him once more before he closed it. He stood on the street and watched you go, feeling like you were taking his heart with you.
Your next hometown date was with Gwilym. Like Ben, he currently lived in London, but his hometown was Sutton Coldfield, where much of his family still resided. Gwilym had told you a little bit about his hometown, so you were excited to see it in person. You met him at Sutton Park.
He looked dashing where he stood waiting for you, despite only wearing a sweater and jeans. You ran up to him and he caught you in his arms. He planted a warm and welcoming kiss on your lips. You held him a little tighter.
“I’m so glad you’re here, cariad,” he said as you parted.
“I’m glad to be here,” you replied.
“I figured I’d show you Sutton Park,” he said. “It’s a staple of the town and quite lovely on a day like today when we’ve got nice weather. Fancy a walk?”
“Sounds perfect,” you agreed.
He offered you his arm, which you took. It really was a pleasant day, with a rare bit of sunshine. As you walked, he told you who you would be meeting that day. His family kept it small, so it would just be his parents and siblings. Gwilym was the youngest. It was difficult for you to picture him the youngest sibling, since he always struck you as mature and grown up. He assured you that his childhood was normal, and that he and his siblings were very close now that they were all adults.
You walked together in the park for about an hour. Then he told you there was another stop to make before going to his parents’ home. You emerged from the park, walked another fifteen minutes or so, and then you saw it - a library.
“Since you saw my personal collection, I thought I’d show you where I first gained an appreciation for literature,” he said. “Right here at the Sutton Coldfield Library.”
“I can’t wait,” you told him.
He smiled, took your hand, and led you inside. The library looked fairly typical. It wasn’t grand or beautiful, but it had some charm to it. You tried to imagine young Gwilym poring over the books, trying to decide the one he’d like best. You smiled at the thought.
You were just about to tell him so when a distraction in the shape of a little girl came hurtling over, throwing her arms around Gwilym’s legs. She was maybe six years old. Her blonde ringlets settled against her face.
“Mr. Gwilym, you’re back!” she cried, clutching a handful of his jeans. “We’ve missed you!”
You blinked, shocked at the sudden appearance of the girl, but even more surprised that she knew Gwilym and was comfortable enough to hug him so tightly.
“Hello, Rosie,” Gwilym replied, patting her head. “I’ve missed you all too.”
Suddenly, more children emerged from a section you saw was the children’s library. Their little faces lit up at the sight of Gwilym, and they all followed Rosie’s example of throwing themselves on him. He laughed and then saw your bemused expression.
“I come home twice a month to read to the kids,” he told you. “To give back to this place.”
A little boy had clamored onto Gwilym’s back.
“Where’ve you been, Mr. Gwilym?” he wondered with a pout.
“Well, you see, children,” Gwilym said, nodding toward you. “I’ve met someone very special.”
In a swarm, they detached themselves from him and walked over to you, staring. You bit back a laugh.
“Hey, kids,” you said kindly. “I’m sorry for keeping Mr. Gwilym away.”
“You’re pretty,” Rosie said. “Are you Mr. Gwilym’s girlfriend?”
“I am,” you told her.
“Are you gonna get married?” asked another girl beside you.
“Maybe!” you said.
You met Gwilym’s gaze as the children demanded more information and you did your best to answer them. A future with him was suddenly much clearer.
“Alright, everyone leave Mr. Gwilym and his friend alone,” said the librarian, an elderly woman with her silver hair in a long braid down her back.
“Hello, Joan,” Gwilym said warmly, bending down to kiss the woman’s cheek.
Joan smiled at you as Gwil introduced you and she asked how everything was going. You told her it was all wonderful, and Gwilym agreed. Then Rosie returned and tugged on Gwilym’s pant leg.
“What are you going to read for us today?” she asked.
“Oh, Rosie, I’m sorry, we just popped over to say hello,” he told her. “We don’t have a story today.”
Tears shone in her big, blue eyes and you nearly started crying yourself.
“Please,” Rosie begged.
“Please!” the other children echoed.
“Read them a story, you monster,” you teased, punching his arm lightly.
“Alright, I’ll read you a story,” Gwilym said. “If Miss Y/N reads it with me.”
“Please, Miss Y/N!” they cried.
You laughed. “Alright, then,” you agreed. “Story time it is.”
They all cheered, returned to the children’s library, and settled into the back corner. It was a cozy little set up, with bean bag chairs and cushions and stuffed animals everywhere. A wide bench was placed under the window, where the reader would sit. The kids picked out a story while you and Gwilym took your places.
He started off the story, and his enthusiasm was not something you had seen him yet. He did voices, he made faces, anything to amuse the children. They giggled and snickered, enjoying themselves to the fullest, and totally riveted by him. You were too. You knew you were reading the words and doing your best to be convincing, but your mind was on Gwilym and how impressed you were with him. It showed you how much he valued learning, and the kind of father he might be.
When the story was over, you had to say goodbye and head to the Lee household. The kids were sorry to see you go, but their parents were arriving to pick them up. Gwilym even knew their parents, and said quick hellos before guiding you out and down the street.
“That was….” you trailed off. “So amazing. I feel like every time we’re together, you show me a new side of you. And I think that one is my favorite.”
He chuckled. “I just want to give back to the next generation,” he said. “Maybe they’ll go on to be great writers or professors. Maybe they won’t. But no matter what, they’ll support their local library.”
“You’re the actual sweetest, you know that?” you said.
He only laughed before throwing his arm over your shoulder and leading you away.
For the evening, you went to his parents’ home. It was a bit larger than what you were used to seeing in the UK, but looked inviting. You met Gwilym outside, and he hugged you tightly. You did your best to return it with the flowers and wine in your hands.
“Are you ready, love?” he asked.
“Ready as I’ll ever be,” you replied.
“Let’s go in.”
Together, you walked across the threshold as Gwilym called out to his family. The first person to round the corner was his father, who wrapped his son up in the friendliest bear hug. His brothers and sister were not far behind. His mother approached you first.
“Hello, dear,” she said kindly. “I’m Ceinwen. It’s lovely to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you too,” you replied. “I’m Y/N.”
Gwilym introduced to his father, Tom, his brothers, Geraint and Owen, and his sister, Rhiannon. They were all very friendly and gave you hugs as they met you. You followed them into the kitchen, and as you walked, you observed your surroundings. This family was undeniably Welsh, and proud of it. Gwilym told you that both his parents were from Wales, and he connected strongly to that heritage. Seeing the home, you understood why. You envied that connection a little bit.
“You have such a lovely home,” you said to Ceinwen. “Thank you for having me.”
“We’re glad to have you,” she replied. “Come, sit down for dinner.”
It was already on the table when you arrived, so she said you had perfect timing.
“I’m relieved,” Gwilym said. “We got a bit delayed at the library.”
“Oh, did you take her to see the children?” Ceinwen asked.
“I did,” he told her. “We had a wonderful time with them, didn’t we?”
He looked over at you and took your hand. You beamed.
“We really did,” you said.
They asked how your day was overall, and you were excited to tell them that it was great. You always felt like you could gush about Gwilym. His family exchanged happy glances at your every word.
After dinner, Rhiannon asked to speak to you. You happily agreed and followed her into the sitting room. You each took a seat on the couch.
“How’s this whole process been for you?” she asked.
“It hasn’t been easy,” you told her. “I’ve had to make really difficult decisions, but I’m just following my heart the best I can.”
“How many men are left?” she wondered.
“Including Gwilym, there are four,” you said.
“And how are you feeling about him as compared to the other three?” she pressed.
You swallowed. “That’s difficult to say. I sort of have to compartmentalize each relationship and evaluate it on its own strengths or weaknesses. I know that Gwilym and I have been strong since the beginning. He’s really opened up to me, as I have to him, and we’re falling steadily in love.”
“And has Gwil expressed his feelings for you?”
“He’s told me that he’s falling in love with me,” you said. “Which made me so happy because I’m falling in love with him too.”
“Have you told him that?”
You shook your head. “I haven’t. But I plan on letting him know soon.”
“As long as you’re honest with him, he’ll be honest with you,” she said with a smile. “Gwilym’s reserved, but not afraid of the truth.”
“I definitely see that about him,” you agreed. “We’ve always been totally honest with each other.”
You smiled at each other. You spoke to his parents next. His mother sat on the couch beside you and his father in a chair across the coffee table.
“Can I just start by saying what a wonderful man you have raised?” you began. “Honestly, Gwilym has been such a dream and completely unafraid of the risk involved in this. He’s great.”
They both grinned.
“Thank you,” Tom said. “We hope that means you’re feeling strongly for him.”
“I am,” you assured him. “I told Rhiannon that I’m falling in love with him.”
“That’s wonderful,” Ceinwen said. “He told us the same about you.”
“Now, there are still other people involved in this,” Tom said.
“I know,” you said. “But believe me. I care so deeply for Gwilym. The last thing I’d ever want to do is hurt him.”
“You must understand,” his mother said. “As his parents, that’s our worst fear. After he lost his fiance, he was a wreck. I don’t want him to return to that.”
“I understand,” you assured her. “I will do what I can to keep him from that. But please understand my position as well. I can’t make any promises right now.”
“Right, of course,” Tom said.
You chatted a little longer, and you once again told them how much you admired Gwilym. Meanwhile, he was talking to his siblings.
“So, how are you feeling about her?” asked Owen.
“I’m falling in love with her, for sure,” Gwilym answered. “I really could see her being my wife.”
“But you’re not completely in love?” questioned Geraint.
“I dunno if I could say that with other men involved,” Gwilym replied. “I want to be down on one knee before I give myself that completely.”
“She seems like a great girl, Gwil,” Rhiannon added. “You two seem compatible. She’s got a good head on her shoulders. But are you sure you could propose after just a few weeks?”
Gwilym looked at his wine glass and swirled the deep purple liquid around, just for something to do while he considered this question.
“You all know how seriously I would take an engagement,” he began. “I think, if within the coming weeks, Y/N and I find ourselves at that point, then yes. I could see myself proposing.”
The siblings all exchanged a look. If he was that serious about you, they would support him.
Overall, Gwilym’s hometown went well. It wasn’t as smooth as Ben’s, but given Gwilym’s history, you understood his family’s skepticism. Even so, they seemed genuinely happy for him. As Gwilym led you out, you swung your clasped hands with joy. He smiled at you.
“Gwilym,” you said. “You told me back in London that you’re falling in love with me.”
“Yes, I remember,” he said.
“Well, I just wanted to tell you that….I’m falling in love with you too,” you said. “Hard and fast.”
His smile widened.
“I’m happy to hear it, cariad,” he replied.
With that, he turned you toward him and pulled you in for a kiss. His lips pressed into yours with a need you had not felt from him before. His gratitude for your validation was deeper than you thought. Perhaps his feelings were as well.
When you broke apart, you coiled your arms around his neck and held him close. You stood there for what felt like hours. Despite everything you had been through with him, and the beauty of that moment on the London Eye, this was the most romantic moment you felt with Gwilym. Just you and him. Outside his childhood home, knowing each other without even speaking.
“You need to get going,” he finally said.
“I wish I didn’t,” you replied.
“I do too,” he agreed. “But there’s more to this journey.”
You stood on your toes and kissed him again.
“I’ll see you soon,” you whispered.
“I can’t wait,” he replied.
He walked you to the car and opened the door for you. With one last kiss, you got in. As you drove away, you felt your heart breaking without him.
After Gwilym’s hometown, it was time to leave the UK and head back to the states. Your first stop was in New York for Joe’s hometown. He was from Hyde Park, which you knew nothing about. You were excited to see it though and understand Joe better.
You arrived at Hyde Park and met Joe on what appeared to be a random street. You sprinted to him, eager to be in his arms. You had missed him desperately while you were apart. He caught you and spun you around with a laugh before he kissed you.
“I’ve missed you so much, baby,” he said.
“I’ve missed you more,” you returned.
“Wanna bet?” he shot back.
You laughed. “What are you going to show me today?”
“Hyde Park isn’t exactly known for tourism,” he said. “We’ve got the Vanderbilt Mansion, sure, but other than that we’re just your average town.”
“So, are we going to see the mansion?” you wondered.
“Actually, I thought we’d do something better,” he said. “Come with me.”
He took your hand and began to lead you down the street. This community was clearly close-knit, as several people stopped Joe to talk to him and catch up. He introduced you as his girlfriend and they all smiled happily for him. Finally, you stopped outside a restaurant. The name on it was Mazzello’s. You grinned.
“Your family’s restaurant!” you cried. “I’m gonna get to see it?!”
“Absolutely!” he returned. “My brother, John, has been handling things since I’ve been away, so he’ll be the first family member you meet.”
“I can’t wait!”
You followed him inside. A wave of voices overtook you as Joe walked through the door. It seemed his whole family had surprised even him by showing up at the restaurant. His mother was there, as were his brother and sister. His nieces and nephews raced to hug him and he miraculously scooped all of them into his arms.
There were hugs all around. The Mazzellos had spared no one in coming to meet you. Joe’s grandparents were there. His aunts and uncles. Family friends. Even restaurant regulars. It showed you how well Joe was loved in his community. It made you love him even more.
Joe introduced you first to his mother, Virginia, his sister, Mary, and then his brother, John. They were all thrilled to meet you. As you made your way through the crowd to meet everyone else, you felt there was a missing piece. When you looked over at the counter you realized what it was. A picture of Joe’s father hung behind the register.
You turned your eyes to Joe and saw that he was looking at it too. He shook his head and then looked at you.
“Come on,” he said with a small smile. “Let me show you the kitchen.”
“Alrighty,” you agreed.
You walked with him behind the counter and into the back of the restaurant. The kitchen was huge, with everything you could ever need to make Italian food. And it was authentic. Joe showed you where they made dough, how they turned it into noodles or pizza crust. The massive cooler for all the fresh vegetables. They also had a garden behind the restaurant where they grew their own herbs.
“Joe, this is incredible,” you said, still looking around in awe.
“My dad was dedicated to being authentic,” he said. “So we’ve kept it the way he started it.”
“You shouldn’t change a thing,” you told him.
You were alone together in the kitchen, so he took this opportunity to pull you into his arms. He held you for a long moment, and you felt him shake as he released a breath. You wrapped your arms around him and squeezed him gently.
“Thanks,” he sniffled. “Being back is just bringing up a lot of emotions.”
“I’m here, baby,” you said. “I’m so sorry.”
“Come on,” he said. “I’ve gotta show you how to make all this.”
“We’re gonna cook?” you asked, surprised.
“Course,” he said with a wink. He tossed you an apron. “You gotta learn if you’re gonna be a part of the family.”
You smirked. Then you tied the apron on, rolled up your sleeves, and got to work. His family joined you to help out as well, and Joe took every moment he could to flirt with you. When he showed you something, he stood behind you and put his arms around your waist. If he helped you get something, he reached over you, putting his chest to your face. If he was passing you and no one was around, he gave you a light pat on your ass. You had never had so much fun.
Together, you and the Mazzellos prepared a huge meal for everyone there to see Joe and meet you. Joe’s family was just as fun as he was. They poked fun at him - in the most loving way possible - and welcomed you warmly. As you all sat down to eat, Joe said a quick prayer. Then you dug in to the food.
“Oh my God,” you moaned as you took the first bite. “This is delicious!”
They laughed with you. Sharing a meal with them was like nothing you had ever experienced. Everyone at the table got a say in any discussion, even the children. In fact, Joe frequently consulted them. It seemed that Uncle Joe was a popular person. Many people had questions for you, and Virginia made a special effort to make you feel included. Not that she had to try too hard. You already felt like one of them.
After your meal, they opened a bottle of wine. When the glasses were distributed, you made a toast. Then, Virginia pulled you aside. You followed her to one of the small tables on the patio and sat across from her.
“It’s so nice to finally meet you,” she said. “Joe’s been talking about you since he got home and we were all so anxious.”
“I’m glad I don’t disappoint,” you replied.
“Never,” she said. “All I want is for Joe to be happy. He’s been burned in the past and I just want to protect him.”
“Of course you do,” you returned. “You’re an amazing mother. I can’t promise you that Joe and I will end up together because I’m not sure how this will go yet.”
“How do you feel about Joe?” she asked.
You took a moment to form a response. There were so many things you admired about Joe. His humor, his wit, his good heart. The way he made you feel understood and loved. The way you could rely on him. Tears suddenly stung your eyes.
“Oh!” Virginia gasped when she noticed. “Well, then. That tells me all I need to know.”
“I love him,” you choked out anyway.
It felt good to say it to someone. You were in love with Joe. But he hadn’t said it to you, so you weren’t sure about saying it to him.
“I’m glad to hear that,” she said graciously.
She paused a moment before continuing.
“It’s funny, seeing you two together,” she said. “I’m reminded of myself and Mr. Mazzello. The way you seem so at ease with one another and have fun. But behind all of it...I see the depth of what you feel. I know you’d be there for him when things got rough, just as he would be there for you.”
“Joe has been the most solid connection I’ve had,” you said. “He’s never let me down. Truly, Mrs. Mazzello, I see a future with him. Especially after today.” You took a moment to take a breath since your emotion was threatening to overwhelm you again. “I see it so clearly.”
“I’m touched that he means so much to you,” she said, opening her arms. “Come here, Y/N.”
You melted into her and let out a small sob. It hit you so suddenly how much you loved Joe and it had caught you off guard. When you settled down, she wiped your cheeks before kissing them. You beamed at each other.
Joe spoke to his mother next, while you went to chat with his siblings. Virginia took her son in her arms and held him for a quick moment before they sat down together.
“So, how’d it go with Y/N?” he asked.
“Wonderful,” she replied. “She cares for you, Joe.”
“I hope so,” he said with a chuckle.
“No, listen to me, honey,” she said. “I asked her point blank how she felt about you. And she started to cry. You mean a great deal to her.”
Joe flushed, both pleased and distressed by his mother’s words. He hated that you had gotten upset, but he was also touched by the sentiment. He had confessed that he was falling in love with you. Was now the time to tell you that he was there? He was so madly in love with you that he’d do anything in the world for you?
Inside, you had begun talking to Joe’s siblings, but his nieces and nephew quickly interjected.
“What’s your favorite thing about Uncle Joe?” you asked them.
“He’s fun!” his oldest nephew cried. “He always plays with us when the grown ups are being boring.”
“What’s your favorite game to play with him?” you asked.
“Tickle monster!” they all agreed.
“Do you want him to get married?” you wondered.
“Yes!” said his niece eagerly. “That way he can have babies too, and we’ll have even more cousins to play with!”
“Do you wanna have babies with Uncle Joe?” asked his other nephew.
You blinked, a bit taken aback. Then you smiled.
“Very much.”
Out of the corner of your eye, you saw John and Mary grin at one another.
All too soon, the sun went down and it was time for you to go. You said warm goodbyes to everyone before Joe led you out to the car that was waiting for you.
“What a great day,” he said, before leaning forward and kissing your forehead.
“It was wonderful,” you said. “Do you think if we asked nicely, they’d let us do it again?”
He chuckled. “Afraid not, babe. But hey, I’ll see you again soon.”
You looked into his eyes. He felt the brutal urge to tell you now that he was fully in love with you. He opened his mouth to let it out, but then closed it again. Something in his heart was telling him to wait.
Your brow furrowed. You were hoping Joe would say “I love you.” When he didn’t you were a bit disappointed.
“Everything okay?” you asked.
“Yeah,” he said absentmindedly. “Yeah, I just...I had such a good time today and I’m gonna miss you.”
“I’m gonna miss you too,” you said.
You rested your head against his chest, not ready to let him go. You got a sudden burst of bravery.
“Joe, I -”
You stopped yourself. Why were you hesitating?
“Yes?” he pressed.
“I...I really am gonna miss you.”
His face fell, and you felt terrible. Why was this so hard to say? Perhaps because it meant so much.
“I’ll see you at the rose ceremony,” he said with a smile.
He kissed you once more. Then he opened the car door and you slid inside. You whispered a tearful goodbye to him, which he returned. Then he closed the door. The driver started down the street. You hung your head in your hands.
“That was stupid,” you said to the camera. “I should have just told him.”
Little did you know, Joe was giving himself the exact same lecture. His only regret in the journey so far was not telling you just then that he loved you. He hoped it didn’t cost him a rose.
From New York, you flew back to Los Angeles for Rami’s hometown. The first three had gone so well, you had high hopes for the last. Rami’s family lived in Sherman Oaks. Most of his extended family was in Egypt, so - like Gwilym’s hometown - you would just be meeting his parents and his siblings. You were a bit nervous going in, since he had mentioned that his sister was protective.
All nerves melted away when you saw him. You surged forward to get to him and planted an enthusiastic kiss on him. He laughed into it, and held you tight.
“I’m so glad to see you,” he said.
“I’m glad to see you too!” you returned.
“I know you’re familiar with Los Angeles, so I wasn’t sure what we could do today,” he said. “But I thought of just a tour of where I grew up.”
“That’s perfect,” you said. “The whole idea is to get to know you better.”
“Awesome, let’s get started!”
For your tour of Rami’s corner of Los Angeles, you had scooters. They were ridiculously fun, even though frightening at first. Rami took you all over Sherman Oaks. He showed you his high school, where a few big name actors had also attended. He took you around his neighborhood, pointing out houses where his friends once lived, and the times they had together. You stopped at a park, where you got some ice cream and sat on a bench together.
“So, it seems like you enjoyed growing up here,” you said.
“I did,” he replied hesitantly.
You frowned. “What is it?”
“Y’know, growing up here was amazing,” he said. “But after 9/11, things changed. People say California is so progressive and welcoming, but after that happened, my family was treated differently, even here.”
“I’m so sorry,” you said, taking his hand. “That’s terrible.”
“We stopped speaking Arabic in public,” he said. “We tried even harder to assimilate. My father took down the Egyptian flag we used to hang outside. Even though we aren’t Muslim...or from the country that attacked that day...we were Middle Eastern enough for people to suddenly suspect us.”
“I don’t even know what to say,” you told him. “That’s just...horrible. And so brutally unfair.”
“It is,” he said. “Eventually, things settled down again, and our neighbors warmed back up. But it was never really the same. In school, I always felt like I was struggling. Having to tell people how to pronounce my name, only to have them butcher it or say it with some offensive accent. It wasn’t easy.”
He took a deep breath.
“But I’m really proud of my heritage,” he said. “I am Egyptian. No matter the generation or where I grew up. It’s part of me.”
“That’s beautiful, Rami,” you said. “You should be proud.”
“Thanks, Y/N,” he replied. “I just wanted to tell you this because my hometown isn’t all great memories. Parts of growing up were very difficult for me. And I wanted you to understand.”
“Believe me, I’m glad to listen to every part of how you grew up,” you said. “The good, the bad, and the ugly. I want to support you and help you through it.”
“You’re amazing,” he said.
“You’re even more so,” you returned.
You kissed him with a smile.
You didn’t stay out too much longer before you headed to his parents’ home. It was a decent sized suburban house, and you hoped his mother would appreciate the flowers. Rami told you to skip the wine because his parents didn’t drink. Out of respect for their home, you decided you would not partake while there. Rami told you how much he appreciated it.
When you walked up to the door, you gulped. You were always nervous right before meeting them. Then Rami kissed your cheek swiftly before opening the door.
As soon as you were into the foyer, Rami’s brother crashed into him.
“Rami!” he cried, engulfing him into a hug.
Though he and his brother were twins, they had their distinctions. Rami was slimmer and just an inch or two shorter. Sami was broader with a more relaxed air about him.
“Oh, this must be Y/N,” Sami said as he released his brother. “I’m Sami. It’s nice to meet you.”
You shook his hand. “Nice to meet you too.”
“Sami, are they -” Rami’s sister, Jasmine, came into the hall and stopped herself. “They are!”
She went to Rami and hugged him similarly to Sami. His parents appeared behind their daughter and grinned at the sight. You went over to them and offered the flowers.
“For you, Mrs. Malek,” you said.
She grinned. “Thank you, Y/N.”
His father also shook your hand before calling his children back with him to the kitchen. Mrs. Malek, whose name was Nelly, put the flowers into a vase. Mr. Malek, whose name was Said, checked on something in the oven which smelled delicious. You told him so and they thanked you.
“So, how’s it been so far?” Sami asked. “Been anywhere exciting?”
“We’ve been to Asheville, North Carolina,” Rami said. “Then we went to London.”
“Oh, I love London,” Jasmine interjected.
“It was amazing,” Rami told her. “And after that we went to Killarney, Ireland.”
“How fun!” Nelly said.
“We had a great time in Killarney,” you said, looking fondly at Rami and recalling your magical one on one date.
“It was beautiful,” Rami agreed. “Especially the company.”
He put his arm around your shoulders and squeezed you as you giggled. You caught a disgusted look on Jasmine’s face, which discouraged you. You had the sense that she would take a while to warm up to you. Unfortunately, you only had one evening to change her mind.
Rami’s parents were incredibly kind. His mother was already teaching you some Arabic as you helped her prepare more food. It was just simple words here and there, but she told you that you were doing a great job. Meanwhile, Rami spoke to his siblings in the living room.
“Rami, I hate to be the wet blanket here,” Jasmine said. “But what are you doing?”
“Enjoying an evening with my girlfriend and family,” he replied. “What do you mean?”
“You’ve known this girl barely two months,” she continued. “All while she’s been dating thirty other men.”
“I know what I signed up for,” he said.
“I still don’t understand why you even signed up,” she snapped.
“Hey, calm down,” Sami said. “Love happens in crazy ways. Who's to say this isn’t how it’s meant to work out for Rami?”
“Because it’s ridiculous,” Jasmine said. “How can she really love you if she is also falling in love elsewhere? And what about your career?”
“What about it?” Rami demanded.
“Don’t you think you should wait for marriage and a family until you’ve established yourself more as an actor?” she wondered. “This is a huge commitment.”
“We’ve talked about it,” he said. “She knows that we could balance it.”
“Probably not the way she’s thinking,” she said. “I saw her on the last season. This girl is ready to settle down properly. Is that something you want?”
“We can talk more about it,” Rami said. “Right now, all I need for you to do is be my sister and support me.”
“I am doing that,” she said. “And one day, you’ll see just how much.”
With that, she swept from the room. Rami scowled.
“She’s making some good points, Rami,” Sami said.
“No, she isn’t,” Rami argued. “This is something Y/N and I have already discussed and worked out.”
Sami sighed. “Alright then.”
Dinner was ready within the next few minutes. It went smoothly. You liked Rami’s family and the way they interacted. Teasing and fun, but with lots of love. Rami was clearly the apple of his mother’s eye especially.
When dinner was over, Jasmine asked to speak to you. You were glad for the chance because you wanted to be close to her if it was you and Rami at the end of this. Together, you went out to the back porch and took seats on the cushioned wicker furniture.
“Y/N, I want to start by saying that I don’t have a problem with you personally, but this process makes no sense to me,” she began.
“I understand that,” you said. “It’s difficult for lots of people to understand unless you’re in it. But it’s just a way for people to find love. Like any dating app or even the traditional stuff. It just happens to be on TV as well.”
“But the expectation is not traditional,” Jasmine said. “The idea is to get engaged after just two months.”
“It seems fast, but believe me, the feelings are real,” you told her. “What I feel for Rami...that’s real. Whether other people understand it or not.”
“But you also have real feelings for three other men,” she pointed out.
That stung. You understood why the families were concerned about this. They didn’t want their loved one to be the one to get hurt. But this was the process that you all signed up for, and you were growing tired of this being thrown in your face.
“I do,” you said. “But every relationship is different.”
“So, tell me what you and Rami have discussed about life outside of this,” she said. “You know he wants to be an actor.”
“He already is an actor,” you replied. “We’ve talked about how we would balance schedules with each other and if we have children.”
Jasmine sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. Then she looked at you, a hard expression in her eyes.
“Rami is ambitious about his acting career,” she said. “Now isn’t the time for him to be getting married and starting a family.”
You wanted to flare up and scream at her, but you held back.
“Don’t you think that’s something Rami should decide for himself?” you countered.
“Y/N, listen to me,” she said. “I’m not saying this to be a bitch. I’m saying this for both your sakes. Let’s say this goes well and you and Rami get engaged. If you have to wait for his acting career to take off before you can be a mother, you are going to resent him. If he sacrifices his aspirations in order to stay where he is and be with you, he is going to resent you. He’s not ready.”
“Why would he come on this show if he’s not ready?” you challenged, trying not to let her words take root in your heart. But you couldn’t deny the truth of them.
“Probably because - like anyone - he does want love,” she said. “But he’s not ready for the commitment you want from him.”
You let that sink in. Tears welled up in your eyes. You were still falling in love with Rami, and hated the thought of saying goodbye to him.
“Excuse me,” you said, getting up from your seat.
You walked out into the yard and around the side of the house, sniffling. A tear slid down your cheek. This was the last thing you expected from his family. For them to tell you that even if you and Rami love each other, these things would get in the way. It hurt so much to hear because Jasmine was right. You were afraid of resentment building if either of you had to wait for your dreams.
“Hey.”
You turned and saw Rami standing there, a little winded and looking concerned.
“What did she say?” he demanded when he saw you crying.
You broke down and told him. He heaved a sigh and pulled you into his arms.
“Y/N, don’t listen to that,” he said. “We can figure out how to plan our lives after an engagement. We don’t have to get married and have kids right away, we’ve got a lot of time.”
You pushed him away.
“Is that what you think I want?” you asked. “To just be indefinitely engaged? Without a plan? To basically be dating each other after this?”
“No, I’m sorry,” he said. “I understand you want a serious commitment, and I’m willing to give that to you if I have to.”
“If you have to?” you questioned. “Rami, I need someone who really, really wants that. I’m upset because I think Jasmine is right. We don’t want the same things going back into the world after all this.”
His eyes filled with tears too. “I want you, Y/N. I love you.”
You blinked and looked at the ground. “I don’t know if that’s enough.”
He sucked in a sharp breath at your words, and you couldn’t look at him.
“So...what do we do?” he asked.
“I don’t know,” you whispered.
You stood there a brief moment, wondering where to go from here.
“I’m not ready to say goodbye,” you said.
“I’m not either,” he said.
“At least we can agree on that,” you said with a humorless laugh.
Another beat passed.
“I need to go,” you said. “I have a lot to think about.”
“Y/N, please…” he trailed off.
“I’m sorry,” you said. “I just have to go.”
With that, you walked out to the front of the house. You couldn’t say goodbye to his family like this, not when you were falling apart. Alone, you went to the car that was waiting for you and climbed into the back seat, closing the door behind you. As you pulled away, you looked into the camera.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do,” you said. “I really just don’t know.”
The next day, you woke still conflicted. You had a rose ceremony that night, and you had to decide who to send home. Rami’s hometown date had been the least successful, but it opened your eyes to what might happen if you went down this road with him. But you also felt confused about Joe because of the moment before you left and he didn’t tell you he loved you. But Gwilym hadn’t either. The only one you were sure was getting a rose so far was Ben. His family was sweet, and you had no doubts about where you stood with him. You were absolutely ready to move forward with that relationship. The others...you had to consider and weigh your options.
You were meeting the men back at the Bachelor Mansion, where the journey began. Chris stood out front, where you had been night one to meet the men. The remaining four were arriving one by one before going into the rose ceremony.
Joe was the first to arrive. He smiled at Chris as he walked up to shake his hand.
“Joe, how are you?” Chris asked politely.
“I’m feeling pretty good,” Joe answered. “I think my hometown could have ended better, but I hope that’s not enough to lose a rose tonight.”
“Well, good luck, my friend,” Chris said. “Go ahead inside.”
“Thanks,” Joe replied.
He walked through the house and into the courtyard. He stood to one side and looked at the little table with just three roses on it.
Rami arrived next. He couldn’t smile just yet.
“Rami, how’re you doing?” Chris asked.
“I’m anxious,” Rami said. “Things didn’t go well on the hometown date and I...I wish I had more time to talk to her before all this.”
“If the connection is there, she knows how to move forward,” Chris said. “Go ahead inside and good luck.”
“Thank you, Chris,” Rami said.
He followed Joe’s path. He finally grinned when he saw Joe and the two embraced. Then Rami spotted the roses and swallowed, wondering if he would get one.
Ben was third to arrive. He had a wide smile on his face.
“What’s up, buddy?” Chris asked as they shook hands and clapped each other on the shoulder. “You look happy.”
“I am happy,” Ben said. “I think things went really well, so I’m feeling confident about tonight.”
“That’s great to hear,” Chris said. “Go ahead inside and best of luck to you.”
“Thank you,” Ben replied.
He walked into the courtyard and he was pleased to see Joe and Rami already there. He gave them both quick hugs before taking his place in line.
Finally, Gwilym arrived. He straightened his tie as he stepped out of the limo and approached Chris.
“Gwilym, how are you?” Chris asked as they shook hands.
“I’m nervous,” Gwil admitted. “But I think everything went well enough. I just hope she feels the same way I do.”
“I hope so too,” Chris said. “Go ahead in and good luck.”
“Thank you so much,” Gwilym returned.
He too made his way to the courtyard, where the other three men stood. They all embraced him when he arrived, but quickly resumed their spots. Things had changed between them now that it was more serious. They all considered each other friends, and they respected one another, but there was some tension now. They waited.
You were the last one to get there. As you walked into the courtyard in your gown, you took a deep breath. You had made up your mind, but now you had to go through with it. You were going to hurt someone you cared a lot about - someone you loved - and that was never easy.
“Hi,” you said meekly as you looked at the four men before you. “Thank you all for being so gracious and allowing me to meet the important people in your life. I felt truly honored. I got a glimpse into what the future would be like with each of you, and it really helped me see who has the most potential to be my husband.”
Rami hung his head at these words. Then he looked at you again as you picked up the first rose.
“Ben,” you said.
He let out a sigh and walked up to you.
“Ben, will you accept this rose?” you asked.
“I will,” he replied.
You pinned it to his jacket. You picked up the second.
“Gwilym,” you called.
His body relaxed at the sound of his name and then he approached you.
“Gwilym, will you accept this rose?”
“Of course I will.”
You pinned it on and he kissed your cheek before returning to his spot. Your heart began to pound inside your chest. Chris came out and put a comforting hand on your shoulder.
“Y/N, gentlemen,” he said. “This is the final rose tonight. Whenever you’re ready.”
He let go and you inhaled deeply. The exhale was slow and shaky. With a trembling hand, you picked up the last rose. You looked at Rami and you looked at Joe. Your eyes watered.
“Joe,” you choked out.
Joe’s relief was written all over his face as he walked over to you.
“Joe, will you accept this rose?” you asked, trying to keep your voice even.
“I will, Y/N, thank you,” he replied.
He had to help you put it on since your hands were so unsteady. Then he gave you a quick hug before returning to his spot.
“Rami, I’m sorry,” Chris said. “Take a moment, say your goodbyes.”
Rami was shaken. He had hoped that you could move past what Jasmine said and work through those issues together. Especially since you told him you weren’t ready to say goodbye. And here you were, saying it anyway.
He gave short hugs to the remaining men, who all whispered some words of comfort to him. Then he slowly walked to you. You had tears streaming steadily down your face. You tried to inhale, but you were short of breath.
“Can I - can I walk you out?” you asked through a sob.
“Yeah,” he said gently.
You took his hand and started back inside the mansion to exit through the front door. When you got to the driveway, you stopped and sat him down on a bench.
“I’m so sorry, Rami,” you whimpered. “I just...I don’t ever want to hold you back. You’re so talented and you’ve got so much to give, and I never want to stand in your way.”
“I don’t think you would…” he said.
Rami was numb. He still could hardly believe it was ending.
“I would,” you sobbed. “I want to settle down and have someone who comes home every night to me and the kids, y’know? And with what you want out of your life, that could never be us. As much as I care about you…”
He blinked and you saw a tear roll down his cheek slowly.
“I love you, Y/N,” he said.
“I love you too, Rami,” you replied. “But that kind of love isn’t enough to have a successful marriage between people as different as we are.”
A beat passed and you sniffled again.
“I want you to know that you’re amazing,” you said. “My feelings for you are so deep and so real, and that’s why this hurts so much. You deserve a successful career and someone who can be there for you through it. But that’s just not me.”
“I understand,” he said.
He began to move, as if suddenly gaining feeling back in his limbs.
“This is where we say goodbye, then,” he said.
“Goodbye, Rami,” you returned.
He hugged you. You held him for a moment, but you knew you had to let him go.
“When you win an Oscar, I’ll be cheering for you,” you teased, forcing a smile through your tears.
He chuckled halfheartedly. “Thanks. Bye, Y/N.”
“Bye,” you breathed.
With that, he opened the door and climbed in. You closed it and watched the tail lights disappear through the gate. You let out one final sob and dabbed at your eyes.
Rami, once inside the car, put his head in his hands and tried to breathe. He released a small whine, but kept his face covered. Then he took a deep breath and moved his hands to wipe his face.
“God,” he sighed. “I’m...I hate this. I really wanted to be with her and I hate that she couldn’t see a future anymore. F**k.”
He paused.
“I still love her.”
Back at the mansion, you had your makeup touched up before returning to the three men you had left. Your nose still ran and bit, and your eyes were still red and puffy, but you went to them anyway. They offered sympathetic smiles as you walked up.
“So, um,” you began, voice shaking again. “That was really difficult. But, I really am happy to be moving forward with all of you.”
Joe handed you a glass of champagne. They all already held one.
“Next week is a big week,” you said. “It’s fantasy suites, and where we’re going really is a fantasy.”
“Where is it?” wondered Ben.
“Gentlemen, we are going to New Zealand!”
They cheered and toasted to that. You hoped you were ready for the overnight dates. But you looked at the faces of each of these men and smiled. You were ready. You absolutely trusted them with your heart.
#ben hardy#gwilym lee#joe mazzello#rami malek#ben hardy x reader#gwilym lee x reader#joe mazzello x reader#rami malek x reader#ben hardy imagine#gwilym lee imagine#joe mazzello imagine#rami malek imagine#ben hardy x you#gwilym lee x you#joe mazzello x you#rami malek x you#borhap boys#borhap boys x reader#borhap boys imagine#borhap boys x you#BoRhap cast#borhap cast x reader#borhap cast imagine#BoRhap#borhap imagine#bohemian rhapsody#Queen#queen imagine#the most dramatic season ever series
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The Night Before X
Chapter: 10/15
Rating: T
Summary: Ringo hangs around after the club closes and meets a stranger.
Tags: Smut, Slow Burn
Pairing: George Harrison/Ringo Starr (Background McLennon)
AO3 link here / Fic masterlist here
Morning seemed to arrive suddenly without much warning, Ringo pressed his head down onto the pillow and before he knew it several hours had passed. He felt far more refreshed than he'd been expecting, but the mess in the living room was enough to remind him of last night's antics. George woke up relatively soon after Ringo, enjoying the cups of tea Ringo made for the both of them. They didn't speak much, but Ringo felt there wasn't anything that needed to be said, they just enjoyed one another's company as they trudged through their waning hangovers.
The two of them recounted the night fondly over pieces of toast, not wasting much time before they headed over to reclaim George's abandoned attire. The host of the party, whom neither of them recognised, gave them a strange look as they returned the shirt and shoes. Apparently nothing major had happened with the police, seemingly they just wanted to scare everybody off. Ringo feigned being annoyed at the prospect, but in reality he couldn't have been happier with how the night had turned out.
Returning to Ringo's, George hopped into the shower once again. Ringo began clearing up, which consisted mostly of chucking everything into a bin bag which was left in the kitchen to be dealt with later. While he waited for George to finish he finally responded to John's texts.
sorry i didn't see these im still with george
you really are obsessed with him aren't you??
no comment
well good for you rings its about time you got some
thanks dad
you wanna come over later?? paul wants to get a chinese
sounds good to me
be sure to bring all the juicy details about your juicy date
it wasn't a date
was it juicy????
shut up ill see you later
It wasn't long after Ringo put his phone down that George had reappeared, fully dressed with his hair slightly damp.
"Hey, I don't want you to think I'm running out on you or anything..." George began.
"But you're gonna run out on me." Ringo completed with a grin.
"Yes." George chuckled "I had a great time though, really. Thanks for everything, you're an absolute saint."
"My pleasure." Ringo couldn't help feeling a little sad, knowing that they'd soon be apart "Do you want a lift back?"
"No, no, you've done more than enough already." George fiddled with the zip on his jacket.
They looked at one another for a few moments before Ringo broke the silence "Can I see you again? Preferably sober, but I'm flexible."
George laughed "Sure... I'm a little busy these next few days but I'll let you know. I've got your number."
"Alright well I guess I'll see you later, then." Ringo smiled solemnly.
"See you later." George repeated, turning to leave but stopping for a moment "Let me know how much I owe you for those chips."
"Oh, sure." Ringo nodded "They were alright then?"
"I've had better." George smiled "Next time I'll chose where we eat."
Ringo said nothing more, just widening his smile a little as George made his way out of the flat. Ringo tried to keep his spirits light, focusing on the day ahead. At least George seemed genuine about wanting to see each other again, Ringo could hold onto that for a while at least.
He headed straight back to bed, an easy way of making time pass before he could see John and Paul. Most of the remaining time he spent cleaning, just to make the time pass. Having a moment of weakness, he picked up the shirt George had discarded and brought it to his nose to smell. It only made him miss George all the more, but he tried to think of another things as he tidied up the mass of clothes cascaded around the room. It was a difficult balance of remaining positive without being too optimistic about his relationship with George, yet he didn't want to try too hard to be realistic and confront the fact that it was very possible that nothing more would come from their time together. It was hard to deny that their connection felt far too special for it to mean nothing at all, but Ringo had read the signs wrong many a time in the past.
Ringo hurried over to John and Paul's as soon as he could. They'd been living together for a couple of years now and it wasn't unknown for Ringo to stay there for several days at a time just because of how homely it would feel. Paul opened the door, happiness spreading across his face, stepping aside to let Ringo into their warm home. John was waiting in the living room, sprawled out on the sofa like a relaxed feline, hardly moving when he noticed Ringo other than giving a grin and a small nod.
"Here he is, man of the hour." John announced, Paul sweeping his feet up so that he could sit on the end of the sofa.
Ringo took a seat across, stretching his legs over the arm in a way he knew would be terrible for his posture "Feels like I haven't seen you guys for ages."
"Well you've been busy, haven't you?" Paul teased, the smile still spreading his lips.
"Tell us all about it, I know you want to." John waved his hand dismissively, but his expression was kind.
"Come off it." Paul laughed "John's been going on about you and that George bloke for days, he's been dying to know everything."
Ringo shifted himself to get comfortable "Well... What do you wanna know?" He couldn't help feeling a little shy when talking to Paul and John about his various relationships.
John sat himself up excitedly, blurting out with little to no shame "How big is his dick?"
Ringo spluttered into laughter "Jesus, John... Why would that even matter? My bottoming days are long behind me."
Paul joined in with the laughter "How did that party go? I know you were freaking out about it."
"It was alright in the end. Some bird tried cornering me and the police showed up and everyone scattered." Ringo recounted "But we still had enough time to enjoy ourselves, if you catch my drift."
John scoffed "We're not teenagers, Rings, I want details. Who's blowing who? Is he freaky? Is he half in good in bed as he is hot? I need to know!"
Ringo rolled his eyes playfully "You're right, John, you're not a teenager you're practically prepubescent."
"Let Ringo get settled first. There'll be plenty of time to spill the beans later." Paul spoke softly, mindlessly giving John's feet a massage as he spoke.
"Not over dinner I hope." Ringo chuckled.
"In all seriousness though, it's nice to see you so happy again. Isn't it John?" Paul pinched John's ankle to spark a reaction.
"Yes, yes, we're so happy that you're happy." John spoke as though reading from a script "Now I'm gonna ask you something point blank, and I need you to be honest with me."
Ringo's heart fluttered in panic "What is it?"
John furrowed his brows in an attempt to appear serious "Did he blow you in the toilets?"
"Uh..." Ringo laughed, unable to find his words "I don't-"
"Before you even try to deny it," John interrupted, holding his finger up "I saw the marks on his knees, and I'd know those marks anywhere."
"Why're you asking me then?" Ringo threw his arms up defeated "You think I'm gonna say no to a guy like that offering me a blowie in the toilets?"
John clapped his hands together loudly "I knew it! You absolute whore, Ringo, what would your mother say?"
"Don't act like I haven't caught you and Paul in the exact same position countless times." Ringo sat up a little, desperate to defend himself.
"Hey now, don't bring me into this." Paul interjected "Those days are long behind me."
John cocked an eyebrow, making Ringo snicker "Well now you're just lying, love."
The three of them remained relaxed in the living room for a couple of hours, every so often it would become playfully heated as either John or Ringo slipped up in their words. They never needed to have very solid plans when seeing one another, Ringo could happily stay chatting with them for an entire day and he wouldn't feel like a single second was wasted. It helped get his mind off his worries about George, although the conversations always seemed to lead back to him in one way or another. John's questions only became more prying, not even holding back when they'd settled down to eat some Chinese food. Throughout their conversations Ringo tried to gauge whether Paul and John seemed to like George, though there was little to go off other than their very brief meeting and how they'd respond to Ringo's stories. Whenever he'd started seeming someone new, their dynamic with his two best friends was always in the back of Ringo's mind.
"Well maybe one of these days we could go on a double date or something." Paul suggested, crunching on a prawn cracker.
"That'd be nice." Ringo mumbled, not bothering to cover his mouth while he ate "We haven't really been on a date though yet. Not a proper one anyway."
"But you've fucked him, right?" John asked with a grin.
"You know I have John, so why are you asking?" Ringo felt like throttling him sometimes.
"I just wanna hear you say it." John winked at him "Here I was thinking it was slutty to shag on the first date, but you didn't even wait. Was it just the once?"
Ringo glared at him, but it was impossible to keep up the act of annoyance "Are you trying to make me hate you?"
"I'm just making sure I've got the whole picture, that's all." John teased, Paul slapping him on the wrist lightly.
"I don't ask about your sex life with Paul." Ringo said far more harshly than he'd intended.
"God, I wish you would." John perked up "We tried this new toy the other day-"
"John, I suggest you think very hard about whether you want to finish that sentence." Paul raised both his eyebrows impatiently, it was enough to make John shut up, the only person who seemed capable of such a feat.
All three of them were laughing again soon enough, a moment of tension never lasted too long. Time flew by with none of them keeping track of it, and soon enough Ringo had to retire back to his own flat, which was now seeming very empty indeed. He chucked his keys onto the coffee table and sunk into the sofa, debating how he was going to waste the hours before it would be acceptable to sleep. He had to work in the upcoming days, it was coming up to two years now that he'd been employed at a music shop in the city centre, it was decent pay and only relatively taxing so Ringo knew he could have it a lot worse, but it definitely wasn't something he looked forward to. Deciding to mindlessly scroll through his phone for a while, it suddenly vibrated with a text message from George.
I know it's a little early to make plans but I'm here to make plans
what did you have in mind?
Ringo wasted no time in responding, he didn't see the point of pretending that he hadn't been staring at his screen as soon as it had sent, even if he hadn't been he would've no doubt picked the phone up immediately.
Dinner and then back to my place?
that sounds delightful
Is this Friday good?
very good
Perfect I'll pick you up It's about time I started treating you
im not gonna say no to that
A smile spread across Ringo's face, Friday felt like a lifetime away but the promise of this date would be more than enough to get him through the week.
My treat so you better not bring your wallet
if you insist
I do
any other orders?
So many But they can wait I'll see you Friday
see you then
Ringo let his phone drop onto his chest, letting out a happy sigh. Things seemed to be going too well, but he wasn't going to let his paranoia get the better of him, rather he was going to bask in this seemingly endless happiness that George brought to his life. Friday couldn't come soon enough.
#the beatles#Beatles#beatles fanfiction#beatles fanfic#George Harrison/Ringo Starr#george harrisonxringo starr#george harrisonxreader#ringo starr/george harrison#starrison
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