#last week Tuesday was the best day of the week and then Wednesday was good

[bringingsexcback]

manifesting another great week

[keeps-ache]

gonna keep it shmoovin man

[occamstfs]

Diet Diaries

Hi all! Thank you so much for 500 followers! Here's a little style switch up to celebrate, got a lotta refs in this one and I quite leaned into the diary entries so I hope it's not too much! Hope y'all enjoy this stereotype reversal and as always, best! -Occam

Monday March 21st-

Andy:

I am beyond sick of Steve. Moving in together was a mistake, I don’t care how cheap the rent is, he is a narcissistic slob and I am eager to never see him again. Well no, I shouldn’t get ahead of myself. Our R.A. had this idea to try and walk in each other's shoes, which I don’t know? It might not be the worst thing? My big idea was switching diets actually- honestly I’m just hoping if he ate more like me he’ll stop stinking up the dorm. I can dream at least. Literally though he just can’t go to the gym as often if he eats like me. If I'm lucky at the very least his deodorant will last longer, I cannot take another day of his b.o. seeping through the walls, ugh! Anyway, wish me luck! I’m sure this will be a breeze for me, he usually just eats junk anyway, hope he enjoys my salads~

Steve:

Andy that little fucker. He was being such a little bitch to James and now I’ve gotta eat his rabbit food for a week or lose this bet or whatever. Steve don’t lose tho. Lil twink’s gotta eat whatever I make him too and you can bet your ass I’m gonna make him match my macros if I’ve gotta starve myself like he wants. Fuck! This shit is going to absolutely tank my routine! I’ve gotta make Andy give up. I’m gonna go so hard on him he’ll have to hit weights if he doesn't want to blow up like a pig. Maybe then he’ll stop bitching any time I don’t fucking shower every time I get back home. 

Tuesday March 22nd-

Andy:

My Lord! He is trying to kill me! I don’t know how anyone could consistently eat as much as he’s telling me to. I’m so bloated from all this food.. He looks so smug every time he tells me to keep eating, I’m sure he doesn’t eat like this. He’s just trying to break me but I’m not going to let him win this easy.

Ugh, I feel so bloated my pants are so tight on my waist. I didn’t think meat sweats were a thing but man I am needing to put on deodorant like twice a day now and I’m not even exercising. I will say that now that I’m eating so much, I don’t hate the idea of going to the gym. It’s been a while since I went but I should probably at least hit up the treadmill lest I get even more of a gut- maybe I’ll see if he wants to go tomorrow. This is all just an exercise to understand each other more after all, no need to make it a stupid competition like he wants eh~

Steve:

Fuck! I am so tired of Andy’s pussy-ass diet. I had absolutely no energy at the gym today, I told all my bros that I was just gonna take it easy but fuck! I really was working my ass off and I struggled to even meet a PR I set last week. It was supposed to be a push day and I didn’t even get a chest pump! Why the fuck am I still going. I’m abso-fucking-lutely not getting gains on his fuckin’ bitch-ass salads and oats.

Eatin’ like a fucking twink and the fucker has the nerve to ask to go to the gym with me tomorrow. I’ll make sure he regrets that >:) Gonna work him like a horse so he’ll throw in the towel! After feeling how sore actually working on yourself makes ya, he might actually learn something. I’ll turn in early so I can go all out and show him what a real man looks like.

Wednesday March 23rd-

Andrew:

Man! I totally get why Steven eats so much now~ I am absolutely raring to go and get this; He said I could go to the gym with him today! He even seemed like he wanted me to go with him! I feel like I have more energy than I’ve ever had before, I might even try some weights!! I don’t know but I’m so excited! It’s like I can feel my chest and biceps begging me to go and hit some iron haha! Or whatever those “bros” say~ I hope he’s got something good planned for lunch because I fuck Sorry! I just want to show him that I can do all this dude stuff too! I’m a man right? I guess all this protein is making me feel more like a man than usual idk. Either way though I’m ready to go! Hope we have some fun!

Steven:

That bitch’s fuckin’ fru fru salads are ruining my PR’s for sure! I bet he knew that when he begged me to take him to the gym today, knew it was the only time he could show off to me was when I’m so out of it. And he didn't! Just to be clear I could still wipe the floor with  him even if I’m not at my A-game. Ugh, I do gotta hand it to the little fucker though. I KNOW he hasn’t even really set foot in a gym before but man. Beginners luck my ass, as soon as I showed him a technique he lifted like he’s been doing it his whole life! It’s like I could see his pecs and tris swelling up with each lift. Not that I was staring at the bitch or anything but he’s just I just need this fuckin’ diet thing to end so I can get back to my grind, I guess I wouldn’t hate taking him to the gym more often, would be hot to make a bitch into a bro Fuck! What am I writing, I just need to lift again.

Thursday March 24th-

Andrew: 

Bro! Weird? Whatever, I am absolutely on fire! Steven’s diet is absolutely killer! I don’t know how it’s working so well but man I couldn’t care less, I felt like a pro in there! My coaches in school would always shit on me for not trying but man! I was barely trying yesterday but I could tell from the look on Steven’s face that I was acing it! I guess I’ll have to admit to him that he is definitely onto something with his macros but man, not until he gives up haha! Man, I need to chill haha, it’s not like I’m any stronger than I was Monday but man, looking at myself in the mirror it just seems like my clothes are just fitting better. Catching on my chest rather than my stomach y’know? I’ve never noticed that there is muscle on my arms before but man the way my sleeves are kinda hugging my biceps mm. I need to chill haha! Can’t use all my energy before hitting the gym again today!

OH! Also totally weird, I’ve had to shave twice this week! Once last night and then again this morning which is so weird! I’m not complaining though, it’s not like I wouldnt look hot with a beard right? Although my face is a little itchy already, my chest too? Whatever though haha! Time to head back to the grind lol!

Steven:

God!! Andy Andrew is being such an asshole! He’s clogging the sink shaving which I know he would so be on my ass if I had done that. Wait, he did get on my ass for shaving! But it hasn’t been a problem this week, it’s like I’m not even growing stubble for some reason? Probably from not working so hard at the gym, is that how that works? Whatever it’ll be over as soon as this stupid diet thing is. We’re halfway through now. Thank God! Because that fucking twink is starting to stink up the dorm which again!! He was such a little bitch all the time to me about that! It’s like he’s literally stopped using deodorant as soon as he started needing it! He’s never exerted himself in his life and now that his pits are sweating at all he’s suddenly allergic to hygiene, ugh! I saw last night too the fucker fell asleep with his head in his pit too so it’s not like he doesn’t know it. 

It was a little surprising actually, cause I would’ve sworn he was hairless like one of those freak cats but man his pit was as thick as my pubes! Thicker maybe, uh? Man I wish I could get that image out of my head, it’s like the tuft was pushing out further each time he inhaled, man that’s kinda hot? Fuck! I swear this twink-ass diet is making me think like him too. I need to sneak to the gym later, without him. I cannot have him getting ahead even while I’m still on his chickenshit diet.

Friday March 25th-

Steven:

Ah!! That Little bitch! He was already at the gym when I got there! Ugh! It makes me want to punch a wall, or fight him. Or something I dont know! It’s just, he was lifting my body weight on the bench when he saw me, it was so ho ugh! It doesn’t matter what it was, I can’t stop thinking of that smug look on his face- what I would give to wipe it off… That absolute prick knew what he was doing. Ugh, speaking of pricks! He may as well have not been wearing shorts at all by how much his cock was showing through them.

I knew my meal prepping was fucking tight but man, I can’t believe hot its made him. It just really fucking turns me on, or no its such a turn on for chicks. Yeah. Whatever. I need this bet to end already. Clearly he’s totally obsessed with my lifestyle so he should just admit it already! Also, hate to say it, but to Andrew’s credit his diet ain't too bad either. I’d never tell him this, and it is all a little emasculating but my skin has never looked this good. I’m not even doing skincare or anything but it’s like I’ve been on a routine for years, it’s crazy! It’s still ruining my upper gains but man, my ass looks so good it's crazy..

Oh also re: facial hair, I woke up this morning and could’ve sworn I used to have chest hair but now it looks like I’ve got just a little left around my nipples and leading up from my pubes? I might go ahead and shave those too, might as well be totally smooth like a chick right haha, I wonder what Andrew would think? I need to chill haha, maybe I’ll go see if he’s still at the gym~

Andrew:

Fuuuuck dude lol. I should’ve started hitting up the gym ages ago. Don’t know what I was even wasting time on before I started doing twice-a-days? Studying I guess but I can figure that shit stuff out hm. Fuck it is so much better to be strong than a dweeb. Every set it feels like I’m just busting out new PR’s! Gonna need to buy new clothes though cause I am absolutely tearing up my crop tops, my twinky little wardrobe just isn’t cutting it anymore. Maybe Steven’d be down for a clothes swap, I’ve seen him eying up my fits all week, god knows he’ll fit them better lol. Oh haha, and speaking of him eying things up >:) You should’ve seen his little face blush when he walked into the gym this morning! He looked so pissed at me lol, but I’m not gonna grab him to come along every time I need to get some sets in right? It was pretty embarrassing for him yesterday anyway, the way I showed him up lol. I’m not just gonna sit around and watch him not lift weights when I can figure this shit out myself, thought it was supposed to be his thing though lol.

Mm, saying that though, I def didn’t hate having a little audience from his treadmill. God, his blushing face as he stared directly at my work-out chub. Fuck, it really got me going. It really helped my sets too haha. Maybe I should hit him up lol, I can tell how bad he wants me >:)

Saturday March 26th-

Stevie:

Ugh! That douche is walking around the dorm completely shirtless! Do you know what it’s like to have an oaf flexing away across the room from you 24/7! He knows what he’s doing, and thank god my dick isn’t showing through my shorts like I thought it usually does because he might literally pounce on me then-

Ugh! I didn’t even mention this morning. I literally woke up to him jacking off his morning wood! Do you know what a bitch-fit he would have thrown if I did that! He would’ve filed a police report, probably the dweeb, or. I guess I could too?? But it was just so fucking hot. I tried to pretend I was asleep, but he totally caught me. He literally smirked and made eye contact as he finished too- thank god he didn’t see my boner as he asked if I wanted to clean up his mess. He’s such an ass! 

I still have a boner now actually, it’s his B.O. driving me actually crazy! It’s like I can’t think near him if he’s going to stink this bad god.. Oh, he’s doing pullups on the door frame fuck. He’s supposed to be hairless but I see sweat dripping from his pits god I can't. God with each pull up his chest looks even more powerful. His cock is bobbing up and down in his pants and I can not look away. Fuck it’s getting even bigger. I’m supposed to be the strong one right? It’s not, fuck. This isn’t right. He just so fucking, god that body, I need him-

And Drew:

Heh. I knew that fucking twink couldn’t resist me. Every little thing I do wraps him even tighter around my finger. Every flex and smirk turns him on even more I bet he can’t even think straight the way his little dick is losing it in his briefs- I took all his jocks since I’m sure he would need them anymore. Bet the little bitch didn’t even remember they were his.  

Might as well have been drooling when he saw me jacking my cock this morning lol, surprised he didn’t take me up on the offer to lick up the mess. I know he wanted to lol. He’ll get the chance soon enough though >:) God it’s a two-way street though. That fucking twink is so fuckable now, thank god he doesn’t need to shave anymore, don’t want his peachfuzz scratching my cock cause god that mouth is so fuckable now.. To say nothing of his fucking juicy ass, god! I’ve been working out in the room all morning waiting for him to give in and ask me to fuck him, idk if I can hold it in much longer. I might need to jack it again, my balls are bluer than I ever thought they could be, fuck. It’s like they're sore. Ugh I feel them getting heavier, heh, that little fucker cant resist though. God I feel precum starting to pool in my jock. If I put my pit within a foot of his face I give him five before he can’t help but shove his face in. I need to fuck him, but as if I’m going to let him see how desperate I am. Stevie that little fucker. He’ll be riding my cock any second now.

Sunday March 27th-

Stevie:

Fuck <3 !! He finally fucked me!! God, it was like nothing I’ve experienced before~ His cock was like a beer can and goddd the scratch of his beard as we were making out.. Hehe if I keep thinking about him I might just cum again right now! He can fully toss my body like a ragdoll and I’d thank him ugh! He’s just so hot, and to think he wants to fuck me!! Ah~ I’ll need to keep myself pretty so he won’t get tired of me hehe! Not that it’ll be a problem, I just need to keep on his diet, God who knew it would be this good! I don’t even remember whatever problems we had before all this and I can’t imagine anything better than getting fucked by him <3 Ah! He he~ He’s staring at my ass right now so I guess it’s time for another round! Can’t thank our R.A. enough for this idea, well he he I’ve got an idea for how to thank him, oh! Drew’s ripped off his jock! Wish me luck he he~

Drew:

My little bitch is so tight, fuck. I’m surprised he can even take my cock but god can he ride it. Gonna have a hard time taking a break from fucking him to even hit the gym. Need to make sure the twink keeps up the diet tho or we’ll have an issue. Be sure to make him come to the gym whenever I do, if not to tighten up then to watch me heh. Won’t hate fucking him in the locker room too. Mm, God his fucking tiny body makes me feel so powerful. And I fucking am. God my bis are the size of his thick thighs, fuck his ass. My cock is straining my jock just thinking about it. His tiny waist ugh, I need my sweaty body over him now. Not like he’ll mind, the horny fucker. Mmm hope he’s ready to take my cock, bet his mouth is already watering heh. Pop my pecs at him and he’ll struggle not to cum on the spot, he better keep it together until I let him though. Can’t be having my bitch blow his load that fast. Thank fuck he’s chilled out finally, though I guess my cock’ll work wonders on anyone >:) speaking of it’s about that time again. Hope he’s ready for some more action, hate to have to find another hole.

[novvabee]

Training for the Ballet Potter?🩰

summary: James Potter x Reader, James takes a ballet class and crushes on the teacher (you)

cw: sexist remarks? it is kind of just gender stereotypes of ballet I guess, i didn't proof read this so just pretend it's good for me

word count: 2.6K

James thought that he might actually quit. This was ridiculous in every sense of the word. It was humiliating and a cruel punishment for sure.

His quidditch coach had the brilliant idea of signing the whole team up for ballet classes. Ballet, as in, turns and tiptoes and tights. This was emasculating to him, so beneath his training and dedication to the sport he should be practicing. 

His coach announced the classes on the last day of spring training. He stated that they were to attend every class until their season starts, no exceptions. He went on and on about how it would benefit the team to become more agile and graceful. But James didn’t understand the logic at all, he needed to be quick, strong, sturdy. Not exactly what ballerinas are known for. 

His coach emphasized the fact that these lessons were mandatory by stating that those who fail to attend would be cut from the team. He was not joking. A few of his teammates tried to protest, but his coach made the ultimatum. He said that if they wanted to be professionals and play on this prestigious team, they would learn grace and elegance in their training.

James loved and valued his position on the team, so he wasn't so fast to say no to these lessons. He was also trying to become captain of the team this year, and pretending to be excited and grateful for these lessons seemed like a way to earn him some brownie points.

So he pretended to the best of his abilities, he got the team together to encourage or change their attitudes, saying that it would be a great experience for the summer and that it was only three months of these lessons. Well, two lessons every week for three months, but that still wasn’t too bad.

When the coach overheard some of the team still complaining about ballet, he made them run and condition until half of them were throwing up. He was not here to play about these lessons.

“Got your leotard?” Sirius teased James from the couch. He had his head resting in Remus’s lap. 

James had lived with his two best friends since the end of school and he couldn’t be happier. Well, he could do with a little less of the making out and the groping he would catch every now and then, but he couldn’t blame them both, they were happy and in love. He just… didn’t need to see it all the time. And now, he didn’t need to be teased to add insult to injury.

“No.” James replied, rolling his eyes. He grabbed his red workout bag with his team’s logo from the opposite couch that his friends were sitting on and slung it over his shoulder.

“I think it’ll be good for you, Prongs,” Remus chimed in, “You could learn a thing or two about grace.”

James again rolled his eyes. He wasn’t in the mood, he was sore from yesterday’s practice, and was now about to prance around like an idiot for an hour.

“I just need to get through this,” James said. “I want to look good when my coach is choosing captains this season.” 

“Anything for that position, eh, Prongsie?” Sirius chuckled from Remus’s lap. “Look on the bright side though, you’ll be surrounded by fit girls in tight clothes and tiny skirts.” 

Remus smacked the top of his head for the comment, earning an ‘ouch’ and small apology. Remus rolled his eyes this time, annoyed by his lover’s crude statement.

James supposed that there was that to look forward to, he would never say it out loud like Sirius, but he was… intrigued by the idea. His male teammates were all put into the Monday/Wednesday classes with a strict teacher apparently. He was selected for the Tuesday/Thursday classes, which he found out were much smaller and taught by a new, younger teacher. A few of his teammates made sure to let him know how lucky he in fact was, the Monday/Wednesday teacher sounded like a hard-ass and a mean old witch.

Another bright side of the classes was that he would be with Marlene, one of his best friends on the team. If he had to endure this torture, he was glad to do it with her at least. It was actually Marlene who was picking him up so they could go to the lesson together. She should be here in about… now.

James bid farewell to his friends and raced out the door before any of the last minute teasing could make it to his ears, and rushed out to where Marlene was waiting in her car for him.

“Hey,” he greeted her, sliding into the passenger seat of her car which felt much too tiny for him to squeeze into. 

“Ready for the ballet Potter?” she giggled, wiggling her brows as she put the car in drive. James found it quite humorous, the two of them, going to their first ballet lesson. The two of them who look like they should keep far away from anything to do with ballet. James, who was a 6’1 burly man with all the elegance of a rhino and knocked into possibly every piece of furniture he owned on a daily basis, and Marlene, with chipped black nails and a self-cut mullet who looks like she would eat the posh little ballerinas for lunch.

Sooner than he would have liked, they reached the dance studio. Marlene parked and they both just sat there for a moment breathing in deep. He turned to her and saw the look that he himself was wearing. One of regret and annoyance. 

“Come on Marls, it's an hour and then we’re done.’’ James reminded her. 

She groaned but opened her door and slipped out.

They both made their way to the door of the building. He opened it and allowed Marlene to walk through first, pretending that it was just a courteous, gentlemanly thing to do, but in all reality, he was just holding onto any time he could have left not doing ballet.

He stepped into the building and into a crowded area with chairs and fake plants, a waiting room for the parents coming to pick up their little ballerinas from lessons. The waiting room was littered with moms scrolling on their phones and looking at their watches. Great.

James and Marlene had to wait for the teacher to come get them and escort them into the correct studio. Marlene plopped herself in a chair and motioned for James to do the same, but he just stood and lingered around the area.

James heard a door open and the chatter and giggles of many children. He heard many “Thank you miss Y/N”s and “Bye miss Y/N”s followed by a flood of little girls all dressed in colorful leotards and skirts filling the waiting room. The children all ran up to their respective mothers and told them about their lesson and how nice their new teacher was and that they all got stickers and how fun everything was. Some of the little girls eyed James and Marlene up and down, Marlene just stared back until the girls got scared and ran over to their adult.

As soon as the chaos broke into the little waiting room, it left. The last little girl put on her pink sparkly light up shoes and bounded out the door with her parent. This reassured everything that James had already felt; that this was useless, meant for little girls. Definitely not quidditch players, definitely not James.

He heard the door open again and turned to see a small woman, about his age, walk out with a clipboard. Her hair was pulled up into a bun. She was clad in a pink leotard and matching pink skirt, light pink tights, and pink ballet shoes. She was pretty, not in a typical perfect ballerina way, but in an entirely different way. James was definitely not expecting someone like her to be in a studio like this, let alone to be teaching.

Her eyes snapped up from what she was reading on her clipboard and instantly lit up.

“Oh hello!” she squeaked. “Are you two here for the 4:00 class?” 

“Uh, yeah.” James replied.

“Perfect! You’re right on time. I’m Y/N, by the way, I’ll be your instructor. You can follow me right in here to studio B.” she said, motioning them to follow her down the hall to the studio. Marlene stood and the both followed. “And here we are,” She said, turning on the light switch, allowing for a better view of the studio.

It was a very small room with light hardwood floors, mirrors lining the back wall. There were mats stacked up in the corner and two parallel bars mounted on the two walls without mirrors.

“You two can go ahead and set your stuff on the wall with the mirrors and then we can get started with stretching.” she announced chipper.

“Aren’t we going to wait for the rest of the class to show up?” Marlene asked from beside James.

“Oh no, you two are the whole class.” She smiled. “You can think of it more like a private lesson, more one on one.”

Private ballet lessons… Sirius was going to have a field day. He looked over at Marlene who just shrugged and made her way to the mirror wall to set her stuff down. James followed.

“It’s just us?” James whisper yelled to Marlene, trying not to let the instructor hear. 

“Is that a problem?” Marlene asked back. “She’s hot.”

James just huffed and pulled off his jacket, tossing it in his bag. 

“Look Potter, think of it this way,” She tried to reason with him, “Now there’s less people to look like an idiot in front of. All of the embarrassing moves will stay just between us three.” She smiled and James nodded his head, feeling like maybe it was a blessing to be in such a small class. “But… I can’t promise I won't make fun of you or use it against you.” She joked.

“Alright, are you both ready?” Y/N asked sweetly. They both nodded and made their way to the center of the room where she was waiting for them. “Alright first things first, welcome to ballet! My name is Y/N, you don't have to call me Miss or anything like the little ones do, just Y/N is fine” She said, her eyes glowing.

 Marlene was right, she was hot. But James wouldn’t be that forward about it, she was incredibly beautiful. If James could do with a touch of grace, she was bathed in it, dripping in it. She radiated confidence and elegance. James didn’t know what to do with his hands all of a sudden.

“I understand that your coach has signed you both up?” She asked. Marlene nodded in confirmation. “Ok, that is perfectly fine, we teach a lot of different athletes here at this studio. But in all honesty, I am a bit new to all of this,” She blushed, looking to the floor, “I mostly work with beginner classes and children so, bear with me.” 

She looked back at them and smiled. “Now, usually we require ballet shoes, but I won't require them for you two, socks or barefoot will be just fine.” she explained. “It is also better if you could wear things that are a little bit tighter. You don’t have to wear leos, but I need to be able to see the lines of your bodies better, so leggings, shorts, tank tops, those are all great!”

She was so cheery. Not only was she elegant and grateful, but kind and bubbly. James felt this warmth within the pit of his stomach now.

“Lastly, I want you two to have fun. I know that this is very different for you but, I promise I will make it as fun and educational for you so that you benefit the most that you can from this experience.” She finished, eyes sparking again.

“Alright with all that being said, let’s start our warm up!” she said.

Y/N led them through a series of stretches, most just like the ones they did at quidditch practice, others that were uncomfortable and pulled on his tight muscles. She assured them that with time, those stretches would get easier.

After, she led them to the bars mounted on one of the walls. She taught them the different positions of ballet; first, second, third, etc.. She taught them plies and releve, coupe and passe, and other French words he didn’t understand and would need to be repeated to him most likely all summer.

“Good Marlene.” James heard Y/N critique from where she was situated behind him. For all the gripe that she gave, Marlene was actually pretty decent at all this.

All of a sudden James felt hands on his abdomen and back, straightening his back into the correct posture. He was startled but continued on.

“There you go,” Y/N chuckled. “And..” she began but cut herself off by setting her hands atop his broad shoulders, pushing down on them. “You gotta relax, your shoulders are too tense. We don’t want them up by our ears,” She said, demonstrating to him by pulling her own shoulders up. “We want an elongated line from our neck and down our spine.” She explained, relaxing her shoulders and looking perfect. 

Next Y/N ran them through some basic turns and steps and they practiced by repeating them across the floor. James couldn’t believe this but, he was actually getting a pretty good workout. He was using muscles he didn’t even know he had, and he knew that if he dared mention that he was sore from ballet in front of Remus and Sirius, they would never let him live it down.

Time actually flew, and class was over before he knew.

“Great job today.” She said to them both, smiling as James caught her eye.

“I heard you give out stickers.” Marlene mentioned, mischief laced in her voice, making Y/N giggle. James loved the sound, decided that he wanted to do anything, everything in his power to hear that again. Hear it forever if he can.

She walked over to where her clipboard lay on the other side of the room, picked it up, then returned to where James and Marlene were now packing up. She peeled off a smiley face that said ‘awesome’ and placed it on Marlene’s shirt. Marlene smiled and started out the door. 

Y/N peeled another off, a star that said ‘you did great’ and placed it on James’s shirt. She pressed it into the fabric, making sure it stuck. James felt the warmth of her fingers radiate through his shirt and into his skin. 

He smiled at her and made his way after Marlene. He turned back to say “See you Thursday!”

She smiled back, waving goodbye to him and repeating that she would see them on Thursday.

Exiting the studio and climbing back into Marlene’s car, James couldn’t get rid of the goofy smile that etched itself into his face. Marlene looked at him and shook her head. “Don’t make it too obvious, Twinkletoes.” She mocked him with a new and reactive nickname.

“What are you talking about?” James asked, pulling his seatbelt on.

“Your little crush.” Marlene said plainly.

James wasn't going to deny it, so what if he had a little crush on the cute ballet teacher? She was gorgeous and so warm. He liked to see the passion in her eyes when she was explaining ballet to them. 

He couldn’t believe it and he would probably never say it out loud but he was excited for his ballet lesson on Thursday.

i wrote this cause I miss ballet and love the athlete x ballerina trope. also ballerinas are in fact athletes, dance is a sport ❤️🎀🩰 also please let me know if you would like to be added to any tag lists

taglist 🍓: @navs-bhat

[jymwahuwu]

(Ignore this if this isn’t your thing)

I think about sugar daddy Yan jing yuan- man got money I know it I know he also prob has more then 2 black cards and lives in a nice home. He be such a sweet sugar daddy but also manipulative and sneaky too honesty. Yan sugar daddy jing yuan pays for EVERYTHING and I mean everything- bills? Done, high education degree?, paid for all the years you take, food? Done, shopping?- just know you can buy whatever you want with daddy money but you also have to get him a nice and cute pair of lingerie for him to see on you UwU.

And it’s not even thag hard for him too- he has the money and the status I mean- if the great general makes dinner reservation I just know the owner will literally be the one to physically be the host, take your orders, cook the meal themselves with their best chief, and serve it with the best personality and smile. Honestly it be no suprised you get the best views or the entire place is slightly empty bc of his status

Shops will absolutely bend over back for him when he walks around, if he ask if there’s a specific peice of lingerie set that they say it was out of stock- suddnly it’s there-

Always he makes sure your given the best in life UwU

He does all this with a few conditions that you have to follow. Each day 8 kisses, always hold him when in public, sit on lap when he’s in his office reading documents, and most importantly take his cock every hour 7 days a week. Yan sugar daddy jing is essentially molding you to a pretty wife for him.

don’t even think about ending this with him because you may see him as a only cash and sugar daddy but to him- your practically his girlfriend soon to be bride to soon to wife. If you do try all that money he given you will just be gone all of a sudden and your left with practically nothing. You’ll have to come back to jing since he always provides you so well.

Once you crawl back he’ll go UwU ofc baby one thing. And that one thing is he gonna fuking you Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday week- every hour, every minute, every second night after night sevens days a week (totally not a song reference 🫢) because after all that it so your too fucked to ever think you could just end things with him like that

You be play and be his pretty little wife and he will absolutely spoil you beyond your dreams. (Ik those dinner dates he takes you have to be SO NICE and these are def just mt extremes dreams to be his wife)

Thank you for writing such length of thoughts, it was a pleasure to read, sugar daddy jing yuan is something I have never thought of before because I was not interested... but 🫣 But this one is good, I added some background stories 😚💖

CW: yandere, non-con/dub-con, manipulation, abuse of power, fem! reader

You need money, really, you need this. You need to pay your bills, maybe it's an accident, maybe it's medical bills for your important person/pet, maybe you're too exhausted to meet those credit requirements, or some other reason. You move into smaller apartments again and again, eat fast food, and sigh while watching space TV. You need to move to a planet with more opportunities, but how? As you swipe your phone screen, a dating social media ad appears in front of you.

You hesitated for a while, but you still signed up, feeling a little nervous and apprehensive. You simply filled in the information. This application should be very popular. There are users from some cosmic species you have never heard of. The photo only shows a blurry profile of you. Out of place among all the pretty, confident headshots. The introduction simply states your hobbies, you… just want to do things like kissing, cuddling, and dating. Sex is the last step. You don’t think much about it for the moment.

A few days later. You're still going about your life, only getting messages from weirdos saying things like, "I want to cum on your face," "Can you give me a clear picture of your thighs?", "It's mating season on our planet. you can come here”. You always delete and block them directly, which is a bit frustrating. And you get another new message, but this time it's a little special.

Anonymous: hi

Anonymous: want to see a picture of my little lion? 🥺 she is adorable.

You: …?

And then you do receive so many adorable photos of his pet lion that your heart melts. You open a series of topics with this user. His profile picture isn't a real person either, but a picture of a kitten showing her belly to invite pampering. You gradually learned more about him and you felt relaxed talking to him, but of course he didn't forget to discuss...intimate things with you.

Then, the user invites you to meet to discuss more details, and even the cost of traveling through space is prepared for you. That is an electronic certification of a VIP ticket. The stewards of those spaceships bow to you and are concerned about your needs, preparing exquisite meals, blankets and pillows for you. You've never been so far away from your own planet and treated so considerately.

The arrival place written on the ticket is Xianzhou Luofu...?

You quietly search for information about this space civilization, and shyly imagine what kind of person "he" would be. After you got off the spacecraft, you thought about finding public transportation, but someone was waiting for you there and took you to the General's Mansion.

You: Wait...did you take me to the wrong place...

The assistant smiled slightly and left, leaving you standing helpless in the garden of the General's Mansion. The one you've been chatting with for months (the one who was even sending you uwu and kitten love memes last night)...is - one of the seven Arbiter-Generals of the Xianzhou Alliance. General Jing Yuan?

But you knew it was him as soon as the burly, majestic man with long white hair opened his mouth. When he caught a glimpse of you, his eyes like the golden sun lit up, and he rushed directly in front of you. He put his right hand on your soft hip and took you off the ground. "Baby, I finally meet you…" You squirmed, feeling overwhelmed and embarrassed, "You-you put me down first..."

"Oh… sure, my bad." After being reminded, Jing Yuan carefully put you down so that your legs could stand balanced on the ground. “We can’t kiss while I’m holding you like this,” he said before kissing your lips deeply. Your heart felt like a lightning strike, and you were frightened by such a meeting.

Is this normal? Is it developing too fast…?

The words and topics you prepared have no effect at all. After a luxurious dinner and confession (?), Jing Yuan carried you in his arms, entered the room and started caressing and breeding. You wrap your hands around his neck and stare at his sculptured, delicate face, his eyes flashing with some unknown desire. Those long white strands of his hair fell on your chest and tickled. Your legs were stretched out and were sore from being pressed by his balls and cock. The white seed kept flowing out unbearably, but you were required to keep your legs clamped around his waist to better receive the seed. Your lips parted, tears kept flowing down your cheeks, moans and cries were faintly heard in your throat, and your lower body was filled with sticky and loud pounding. The previous agreement (only kisses, hugs and dates) was ignored.

You have been living in the General's Mansion since then and have no plans to return to your planet. Once you have such a plan, Jing Yuan will plead with you with puppy eyes to stay, even though he has no intention of allowing this. Then as you describe, the general pays for all your expenses, even before you ask for them. There are no credit points in your bank account (you don’t know why it became 0, and the account was even canceled later…). You can only use the two cards he gave you. Now, even though you are thirsty while shopping, you use his card to buy drinks instead of your own money. He pampers you and you can buy any beautiful clothes, shoes, whatever you want. Of course, you must also carefully select a set of underwear before you finish shopping, spread your legs on the bed and wait for him, otherwise Jing Yuan will not reimburse you for those expenses.

Kissing him at least 8 times a day and holding his hand are still required, but asking you to be by his side all the time is a bit too much, even though Jing Yuan wants that too. He is considerate and knows that you need some time to yourself, enjoy your hobbies and rest. If you want to listen to music, read a book, have a party, exercise, shop, watch a movie, just do it. As long as you don't take too long and can come back to him every night, Jing Yuan won't mind. Sitting on his lap while he reads papers is a perfect plus. You need to warm his cock, comfort him, or hide under his desk and service him for hours. Once Jing Yuan returns to the General's Mansion, it will be the beginning of a long night.

You've tried to change and leave him, but that ultimately failed. After all, you can't open a new bank account right now, and no bank in the galaxy would. There is no way to buy a return ticket...

If you do try to leave in a situation like this, you will only find that returning to him is the only way. Jing Yuan has to punish you a little and put you on the bed to start the sex marathon. When the general had to go to work, you were placed with an electric dildo the same size as him, bouncing and squirting until you learned your lesson and married him. You will be trained to be a pretty little wife, snuggling in his arms, forgetting that you just wanted to pay the bills.

Maybe you should ask him about the purpose of downloading this app in the first place. Jing Yuan is smart, but he won't lie about this. He wants you, wants to love you, and wants you to be his spouse for the rest of his life.

[thirtysomethingloser92]

Chapter 2: You Drew Stars, Around My Scars.

Prequel to The Last Great American Dynasty. Masterlist.

Warnings: Smut, Violence, Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Swearing, 18+.

Summary: In the shadowy underworld of New Orleans, where power is currency and loyalty is a fragile thread, you find yourself entangled with Remy LeBeau, a charismatic and dangerous mob boss. What begins as a chance encounter soon evolves into a complex, intense relationship that neither of you saw coming.

Wednesdays were the bane of your existence. There was something about the middle of the week that left you feeling trapped in a perpetual loop, too far from the last weekend to feel rested and too far from the next one to feel hopeful. Wednesdays weren’t special like Fridays, nor productive like Mondays. They just existed, heavy and unremarkable, the forgotten middle child of the week.

You woke up that morning with a groan, already feeling the ache in your bones from the long shift you pulled the night before. Your head was pounding with a dull throb that pulsed behind your eyes, and your stomach felt like it was filled with lead. It was a tiredness that went beyond lack of sleep—a fatigue that seemed to settle into your very soul, making every movement feel like wading through thick mud. Your fingers absently touched the white bandage that was tightly wrapped around the palm of your hand, underneath holding a gauze which had spent the night soaking up the blood from wound the sharp piece of glass had made.

The memory of last night’s shift played on a loop in your mind, each moment replaying with a sour tinge. It had been one of those nights where everything felt off-kilter, like you were a half-step behind in everything you did. The bar had been busier than usual, packed with patrons whose voices blended into an indistinct roar, each shout for another round grating on your already frayed nerves. And then there was the moment when everything went from bad to worse.

You had been balancing a tray of glasses, trying to navigate through the crowd, when someone bumped into you, sending the entire tray crashing to the floor. The sound of shattering glass was deafening, instantly silencing the bar as every head turned to stare. You felt your face flush with heat, a mixture of embarrassment and frustration tightening your throat. James had rushed over to help, shooting you a sympathetic look, but the damage was done. You could feel the eyes on you, whispers buzzing just under the din of the bar’s usual noise.

“You good?” James had asked, his voice low as he picked up shards of glass with you. You’d nodded, forcing a tight smile that didn’t quite reach your eyes. But inside, you were screaming. It was just another Tuesday, another night that felt like a chore you couldn’t escape from, and now this—another thing to add to the pile of reasons you loathed the middle of the week.

Today, it seemed, was no different. You dragged yourself out of bed, every movement feeling like an uphill battle. The heaviness from the night before lingered in your bones, a stubborn ache that refused to ease up, and your head pounded with a dull, relentless throb that pulsed behind your eyes. Your stomach churned as if you’d swallowed a stone, a sickly reminder of the stress that had wrapped itself around you like a vice. But the clock was ticking, and there was no time to wallow in the discomfort. You had a shift waiting for you, another long day at the bar that wouldn’t let you off the hook just because you weren’t feeling your best.

With a sigh, you trudged into the bathroom, the tiles cool under your bare feet. You peeled off your clothes, tossing them aside without a second glance, and stepped into the shower. The water burst from the showerhead in a warm cascade, and you let it wash over you, the heat slowly easing the tension knotted in your muscles. The steam rose around you, clouding the glass and softening the harsh light of the bathroom. It was a brief moment of solitude, a small reprieve from the world outside, but your mind was far from quiet.

As the water pounded against your skin, your thoughts drifted back to Remy and the envelope of money he’d left you. You could still feel the weight of it in your hands, the crisp bills neatly bundled, a small fortune that had been casually handed over like it was nothing. But it wasn’t nothing—not to you. You couldn’t shake the unease that had settled in your chest since you’d opened it, the nagging question of why he’d done it, and what, if anything, he expected in return.

The money was supposed to make things easier, wasn’t it? A generous gesture that could take the edge off your worries, at least for a while. And yet, it had the opposite effect. Instead of relief, all you felt was anxiety—a prickling discomfort that gnawed at you every time you thought about it. Remy’s note replayed in your head, his messy handwriting scrawled across the scrap of paper: “Now you won’t need the hours for a while.” What did he mean by that? Did he think you needed saving? Did he see you as some kind of charity case, or worse, someone he could manipulate with a wad of cash?

You leaned your forehead against the cool tiles, the water streaming down your back as you tried to make sense of it all. Remy was a mystery, wrapped up in charm and danger, a man who moved through life with a confidence that was as magnetic as it was unsettling. He didn’t follow the same rules as everyone else—hell, he seemed to make up his own as he went along. And now, you were caught in his orbit, pulled in by the gravity of his unexpected generosity.

But generosity from someone like Remy didn’t come without strings. You knew that much. He was a man who played by his own rules, and those rules were as unpredictable as he was. What if this was just the start of something bigger? A debt you hadn’t asked for but now found yourself owing? The thought sent a shiver down your spine, the warmth of the shower doing little to chase away the chill of uncertainty.

You tried to push the thoughts away, focusing instead on the simple task of washing your hair, the familiar routine a welcome distraction. But even as you lathered up, your mind kept drifting back to him—the way his eyes had lingered on you with that knowing smirk, the way he’d effortlessly made the room bend to his will. He was charming, sure, but there was always an edge to it, a hint of something sharper hidden beneath the surface.

You couldn’t help but wonder if he was thinking about you, too. Was this all just a game to him? Another move in whatever strategy he was playing? The water cascaded over your face, blurring your vision as you scrubbed at your skin a little harder, as if you could wash away the confusion that clung to you like the steam in the bathroom.

What did he see when he looked at you? A barmaid trying to make ends meet? A girl with a chip on her shoulder and too much pride to accept help, even when it was handed to her in crisp hundreds? Or maybe he saw something else entirely, something that even you couldn’t see.

You stood there, letting the water run over you until it started to cool, the heat fading into a lukewarm drizzle that did little to soothe the restless thoughts circling in your head. The sound of the shower became a distant hum, the white noise failing to drown out the questions that had no easy answers. You knew you couldn’t avoid him forever—Remy wasn’t the type to let things go, especially not when he’d taken an interest. And with the promise of lunch today, it seemed that whatever game he was playing was far from over.

With a heavy sigh, you turned off the shower and stepped out, wrapping yourself in a towel as the cool air hit your skin. You caught a glimpse of yourself in the mirror, your reflection slightly blurred by the lingering steam. You looked tired, your eyes shadowed with the weight of a sleepless night and the worries that refused to be rinsed away.

You dried off slowly, each motion feeling deliberate and almost meditative, as if you could ground yourself in the routine. But even as you dressed, pulling on your work clothes and tying your hair back, the questions lingered. You couldn’t help but feel like you were standing on the edge of something, a line that once crossed, there’d be no going back.

You grabbed your bag and keys, giving yourself one last look in the mirror—a silent pep talk before stepping back into the world. The bar awaited, another shift that would blend into the rest, but now, with Remy’s shadow looming over your thoughts, even the familiar felt uncertain. You squared your shoulders, taking a deep breath as you left the apartment, ready to face whatever the day—and Remy—might throw your way. But deep down, you knew that today wasn’t just another Wednesday. It was the start of something you couldn’t yet define, but you felt it in your gut, the unsettling sense that everything was about to change. <><><><><><><> Jean Grey walked through Remy LeBeau's expansive penthouse, her fiery red hair catching the sunlight that streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows. The space was as impressive as it was impersonal—clean, modern lines, dark leather furniture, and artwork that hinted at wealth, but not at the man who lived there. Jean moved with purpose, her eyes scanning each room with a quick, practiced sweep, searching for the man she’d known almost her entire life. Despite the warmth in her expression, the kindness that softened her features, Jean was no stranger to the dangerous world Remy occupied. She had been by his side through all of it—the good, the bad, the bloody. There was no one either of them would ever trust more than the other.

"Where the hell are you, LeBeau?" she muttered under her breath, finally making her way to his bedroom.

The room was a study in understated luxury. The king-sized bed, draped in crisp white linens, sat against a dark, slate-grey accent wall. Matching nightstands flanked the bed, each holding minimalistic lamps that cast a soft, ambient glow across the room. The hardwood floors gleamed beneath her feet, polished to perfection, and on the far side of the room, a large window overlooked the city skyline, offering a breathtaking view of New Orleans.

To the left was an open doorway leading into a walk-in closet that could rival a high-end boutique. The light inside was on, casting a warm glow across rows of carefully arranged designer suits, shoes, and accessories. Jean grinned as she caught sight of him inside.

"Ah, we’re going to need intercoms in this place if this keeps happening," she joked, leaning against the doorframe. There he was, standing in front of a full-length mirror, dressed in nothing but a white dress shirt and a pair of impeccably tailored black suit pants, his usually confident demeanor tinged with uncharacteristic hesitation.

Remy glanced over his shoulder at her, his grin reflecting in the mirror. "’fraid I migh’ be too far away to hear y’ nagging, chère?"

Jean’s smirk widened as she watched Remy toss yet another shirt onto the growing pile on the nearby chair. His movements were quick, graceful, but there was a tension in his shoulders, a subtle rigidity that she didn’t miss. He was thinking—overthinking, really—and that wasn’t like him. Normally, Remy LeBeau was all instinct and smooth confidence, especially when it came to matters of appearance. But today?

Today, he was deliberate.

"Dark blue, far right," Jean said, her voice cutting through the silence with amusement.

Remy glanced at her from the corner of his eye, a fleeting look of gratitude passing over his face before he grabbed the suggested shirt. As he buttoned it with practiced ease, Jean leaned more comfortably against the doorframe, studying him like she always did when something was off. She knew him too damn well. And this? This wasn’t just business as usual.

"So," she began, keeping her tone light but probing, "why are you getting so dressed up? It’s just Olivia. You’ve had lunch with her a thousand times. It’s business."

Remy didn’t answer, his hands moving to loop a belt through his suit pants. His face remained impassive, but Jean caught the subtle shift in his posture—the way his jaw clenched just slightly, the way his eyes flickered toward the floor for a brief moment before he focused back on his task.

Jean’s smirk deepened. She knew this game. Remy was trying to play it cool, but Jean had seen him handle real threats—life-or-death situations—without a fraction of the tension he was carrying now. Which meant this wasn’t about Olivia. This was about something, or rather, someone, else.

"Unless…" she started, letting the word hang in the air, "you’re mixing business with pleasure?"

She watched as he fastened his cufflinks, his movements precise, almost too controlled. He didn’t respond, didn’t even flinch, but Jean knew better. She was getting close. Normally, Remy would have shot back some flirtatious quip by now, something playful and teasing to throw her off course. But today? He was silent.

Jean shook her head, dismissing her own theory with a wave of her hand. "No, she’s not your type. So it’s something to do with the bar, because you haven’t changed your regular spot in years. And suddenly, you have with zero issues involved."

Remy’s face remained neutral, but Jean saw the telltale sign of discomfort—the way his tongue pressed against the inside of his cheek, a habit he’d had since they were kids. He was trying to mask it, but Jean knew him too well. She was onto something.

"It’s not the owner," she continued, her eyes narrowing as she pieced the puzzle together. "She’s not your type either. So it’s either a regular… or someone who works there."

Remy moved to grab his suit jacket, slipping it on with his usual grace. But Jean didn’t miss the flash of hesitation in his eyes, the way his hands fumbled just slightly as he adjusted the lapels. It was subtle—so subtle—but Jean had been watching Remy for most of her life. She knew every little crack in his armor, every tiny tell that gave him away when he was trying to hide something.

"Not a regular," she mused aloud, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "You don’t like alcoholics, but you do like a challenge. So it’s someone who works there, someone who can handle themselves… someone who caught your attention."

Remy’s silence spoke volumes. He reached for his watch, slipping it onto his wrist with a precision that felt too forced, too deliberate. Jean’s smile grew. She was right, and they both knew it.

"Friday night," she said, her voice softening as the pieces started falling into place. "That’s when you started going to that bar, right? So whoever it is, they were working Friday... which narrows it down."

Remy didn’t meet her gaze, his attention focused on adjusting the watch, but Jean could feel the tension radiating off him. She was close—so close.

"It’s not a male," she concluded, her tone almost triumphant now. "You don’t fuss over your appearance this much unless it’s for a woman. And I’m guessing it’s the one you left the money for—am I right?"

And there it was—the smallest, briefest pause. Remy’s hand hovered over his dresser, his fingers stilling for just a fraction of a second. It was so quick, so subtle, that anyone else might have missed it. But Jean didn’t. She knew she’d hit her mark.

This was why they were friends. She could read him when no one else could.

She watched him carefully, her smile turning softer, more knowing. "I haven’t seen you act like this since—"

"Don’t say it," Remy cut her off, his voice low, a warning laced beneath the words.

Jean raised an eyebrow but didn’t press. She didn’t need to. She had already seen enough. Whoever it was—whoever had gotten under his skin—was stirring something in him. Not in the physical sense, but in a way that Remy wasn’t prepared for.

Remy LeBeau had spent most of his life building walls. He was charming, flirtatious, always ready with a smooth line or a quick smile. But beneath that exterior, beneath the easy confidence, there was something else. Something raw. Something he kept locked away. Maybe it was guilt, maybe it was grief, maybe it was just the weight of all the things he’d done in his life. But whatever it was, it had made him keep people at arm’s length.

Until now.

Jean could see it in the way he moved today, in the way he was fussing over his appearance. He cared about this, about her. And that scared him—really scared him. Remy didn’t like to let people in. It was too much of a risk. Too much of a reminder of what he’d lost. But whoever this woman was, she had him rattled.

"Is she working today?" Jean asked, her voice gentler now, less teasing.

Remy shrugged, trying to play it off. "No idea," he muttered, but it was clear he was lying. Of course he knew. He wouldn’t be putting this much effort into his appearance if he didn’t know.

Jean pushed herself off the doorframe, stepping closer to him, her expression softening. "Might come say hello to Olivia today," she teased lightly, though her eyes remained sharp, searching for any reaction.

Remy sat down on the edge of the bed, reaching for his shoes. He slid them on with a practiced motion, his fingers moving quickly as he tied the laces. But Jean noticed the way his shoulders tensed at her words, the way his jaw tightened just slightly. He didn’t want Jean anywhere near the bar today, and that told her everything she needed to know.

"Jean," he said, his voice low but firm, "don’t."

She smiled, her eyes soft as she looked at him. "You’re allowed to feel things, Remy. It’s okay."

He stayed silent, his hands stilling for a moment as he straightened his jacket. Jean could see the conflict in his eyes, the way he was fighting against whatever it was he was feeling. She knew he hated this—hated being vulnerable, hated letting people see beneath the mask he wore so well. But this was different. This was someone different.

"You don’t always need to shut the world out," Jean continued gently. "As you found out on Friday."

Remy stood, adjusting the cuffs of his jacket with quick, practiced movements. He didn’t say anything, but Jean didn’t need him to. She could see the truth in the way he moved, in the way he was preparing himself for whatever came next. He was trying to act like it didn’t matter, like this woman didn’t matter—but Jean knew better.

For the first time in a long time, Remy LeBeau cared about someone. And that terrified him.

As he made his way to the door, Jean didn’t stop him. She just watched, a small smile playing on her lips.

"Good luck," she called after him, her voice soft but knowing.

He didn’t respond, didn’t even spare her a glance over his shoulder as he crossed the threshold into the hallway, his footsteps quiet but purposeful. The door clicked softly behind him, the sound almost too final in the stillness that followed. Jean stood there for a moment longer, her eyes lingering on the empty space where he had just been, a knowing smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. She didn’t need to see his face to know what was going on inside his head. She could feel it, like a hum in the air, a tension that had been building for months.

This—whatever this was—was only the beginning.

Remy LeBeau could be as guarded as Fort Knox when he wanted to be. He’d spent years perfecting the persona of the smooth-talking charmer, the careless flirt who never let anyone too close, always keeping the world at arm’s length. It was his defense mechanism, his way of controlling the chaos in his life. But Jean had known him too long, seen too much of the real man beneath the mask to be fooled. She had watched him build those walls, brick by brick, after every loss, every betrayal.

And now, for the first time in a long time, she could see the cracks.

Whoever this woman was, she had done something in one night that no one else had in years—she had gotten under his skin. Jean could see it in everything Remy had done today, in the way he had fussed over his appearance like a man preparing for battle. It wasn’t just about looking good or making an impression. It was about vulnerability, about stepping into a situation where Remy no longer had complete control. He cared—and for someone like him, that was as dangerous as walking into a room full of enemies with no way out.

Jean’s smile softened as she thought about it. She had seen Remy flirt his way through countless encounters, his easy charm always deflecting any real emotional investment. But this? This was different. This wasn’t the calculated charm of a man who knew exactly what to say and do to keep things light and easy. This was Remy uncertain, Remy hesitant, Remy affected—and that was a side of him she hadn’t seen in years.

The truth was, Jean had a feeling that Remy wasn’t going to be able to keep this woman out, no matter how hard he tried. She had already slipped through the cracks, already found her way past the carefully constructed walls he kept around his heart. And once someone got that close, once they were inside, the game changed. Remy could try all he wanted to keep her at a distance, but it was too late.

Jean knew him well enough to know that Remy wasn’t the type to fall easily, but when he did, he fell hard. And this woman—whoever she was—had already managed to make him care. That was the dangerous part. Once Remy started caring, the stakes became higher, the risks more personal.

Jean sighed softly, pushing herself away from the doorframe and walking further into the room. She glanced at the discarded shirts still piled on the chair, at the cologne bottle sitting uncapped on the dresser. She could picture him standing there, staring at his reflection, second-guessing every detail, every choice. It wasn’t like him. Remy was usually the picture of confidence, the man who walked into a room and owned it without even trying. But this woman had him second-guessing, had him thinking—and that was the clearest sign of all.

This wasn’t just some passing interest. She wasn’t just another name on a list of fleeting romances. This woman had gotten to him in a way that no one else had in a long, long time.

And Jean had a feeling that Remy wouldn’t be able to shut her out, even if he wanted to.

What started as curiosity, maybe even a little temptation, had already turned into something more. Jean could see it in the way he had tried to deflect her questions, the way he had avoided her gaze when she mentioned the bar. He was protecting something, guarding it fiercely—but not because he didn’t want it. Because he did. Because it mattered. And that, more than anything, was what made this different.

Jean knew that Remy was walking into something he hadn’t prepared for, something he couldn’t control with charm or wit or the usual tricks up his sleeve. For the first time in a long time, Remy LeBeau was stepping into the unknown.

And whoever this woman was, she had the power to change everything.

Jean could only hope that Remy would let her. <><><><><><><><><><><> The bar felt warmer than usual today, the faint hum of the air conditioning not quite cutting through the lingering humidity from outside. It was one of those sticky New Orleans mornings where the air clung to your skin, and everything seemed to move just a little slower. The low murmur of conversation from the few early patrons mixed with the faint clink of glassware, creating a quiet, almost lazy backdrop that contrasted sharply with the undercurrent of tension building inside you.

The soft clink of glassware echoed through the bar, a familiar sound that usually brought you a sense of calm. James stood behind the counter, working methodically as he dried a glass, his movements slow and deliberate. The lunch rush hadn’t hit yet, and for a short, fleeting moment, the place felt almost peaceful. It was the kind of quiet that was rare in a bar like this, where the noise of clattering dishes, raised voices, and the chaos of service usually filled the air. But now, in this lull, you could hear the hum of the ice machine, the faint murmur of conversations from the few early patrons, and the occasional shuffle of feet on the worn floorboards.

You stood at the counter, absently slicing lemons, the knife gliding through the fruit with practiced ease. The citrus scent filled the air, sharp and fresh, mingling with the lingering smell of alcohol and old wood. It should have been comforting, this routine, this simple task that you had done a thousand times before. And in a way, it was. The rhythm of it, the repetition, kept your hands busy. But your mind? Your mind was far from settled.

You could feel the tension in your chest, a tight knot of anxiety that had been coiling tighter since Friday night. The memory of it played over and over in your head—the dim lights, the low hum of conversation, and him. Remy. The way he had looked at you, the way his voice had curled around your name like something tangible, something heavy with meaning.

“Ya listening, or are you off in your own little world?” James broke the silence, pulling you out of your thoughts with a teasing grin, his voice light but observant.

You blinked, realizing you had slowed your pace with the lemons, the knife hovering over the next slice. You shook your head, offering him a small smile, though it felt more like a reflex than anything genuine. “Sorry, what were you saying?”

James chuckled, shaking his head, but his eyes softened with understanding. “I was saying I’m thinking of taking Nat to that new restaurant on the high street. You know, the one with the ghost tours? Thought it might be fun.”

You watched him as he spoke, his face lighting up at the thought of Nat. There was something so...simple about it. Something so easy and real. The way he talked about her, the way he planned little surprises like this—it made your heart ache in a way you didn’t like to think about too often.

“It’s sweet watching you two, I mean it makes me want to vomit of course but the sentiment is still there,” you said, your voice softer now, the knife moving again as you focused on the lemons. “So, is she meeting you here after your shift?”

James nodded, a smile tugging at his lips. “Yeah, I told her it’s a surprise, but hell, I’ve got nothing planned yet.”

You couldn’t help but laugh, shaking your head affectionately. “A picnic. Simple, easy. You can pick up everything on your lunch break. Maybe get Vis to help you out if you’re desperate.”

James snorted, rolling his eyes. “Yeah, and risk Abigail finding out? No thanks. I’m not risking my life for a picnic.”

You leaned forward, resting your chin in your hand, watching him as he finished drying the glass. The bar was still quiet, the lunch rush only a looming threat for now, and you couldn’t help but feel a pang of envy. “I want to be taken out,” you muttered, almost to yourself, the words slipping out before you could stop them.

James looked up, raising an eyebrow. “Who by? Your last date was a fucking trainwreck.”

You shrugged, trying to play it off with a half-hearted smile. “By a bullet or a date, either one would work at this point.”

James laughed, the sound loud in the quiet of the bar, but warm, familiar. “It can’t be that bad. I thought you were done with the men of New Orleans?”

You paused, your hands stilling over the lemons, your eyes drifting out toward the empty tables. “Yeah, I am,” you said quietly, the truth of it settling in your chest like a weight. “But hearing you talk about Nat... it’s nice. I want someone to talk about me like that, you know? Without adding ‘She’s also slightly psychotic’ at the end.”

There it was again—that ache. That quiet, painful longing for something more than late nights at the bar and casual conversations that never went deeper than surface level. You wanted what James and Nat had. Something real. Something that wasn’t complicated. Someone who would look at you and see you, not just the bartender slicing lemons in the corner.

James reached out, giving your shoulder a comforting squeeze. “You’ll get it. You just need the right guy. Someone who can match your energy, someone who understands you.”

You smiled at him, but the words felt hollow. Because even if that someone existed, they weren’t in your life right now.

Just then, the sound of footsteps interrupted your thoughts, and Kate slid up to the bar, her black bangs falling into her eyes, a smirk already pulling at her lips. “I personally don’t know how you don’t have men throwing themselves at your feet after last night,” she teased, her tone light but knowing. “Smooth.”

You rolled your eyes, straightening up from your position at the bar as you glanced toward Kate, her black bangs falling into her eyes in that casual, effortless way that always seemed to work for her. A grin crossed her face, playful and full of mischief, as she brought up last night’s tray incident.

Trying to deflect, you held up your hand, showing the red, angry mark on your palm where you removed the bandage this morning. “Think I could get put on light duties for this?” you asked with a smirk, though the sting from the cut still pulsed faintly beneath your skin.

Kate raised an eyebrow, but before she could respond, James chimed in, not even looking up from the glass he was polishing. “Oh please, you could lose a leg and Abigail would still ask why you weren’t stocking the shelves.”

You let out a soft laugh, the kind that bubbles up more from exhaustion than amusement. The three of you grinned at each other, and in unison, you chorused the infamous line Abigail always threw at you whenever you dared rest for more than a moment: “If you have time to lean, you have time to clean.”

It was a shared joke, but the weight behind it wasn’t lost on any of you. Abigail ran this place with an iron fist, and no one, not even James with his easy charm, was immune to her scrutiny. The moment of shared humor gave a brief reprieve to the tension you hadn’t realized had been steadily building since you walked in this morning. But it was only a brief reprieve.

Kate’s eyes glinted as she leaned in closer, her brown eyes gleaming with amusement. “Okay, Katniss Everdeen,” you shot back at her, trying to divert the conversation, “aren’t you working VIP today?”

She nodded, her grin widening like a cat who had just caught a mouse. “Yeah, but it’s pretty quiet up there, Clint has it covered for now, until 12:30 when your new best friend and his ‘friend’ are supposed to show up.”

The mention of him—Remy—made your heart skip a beat. You knew exactly who she meant, and the knot of anxiety that had been simmering in your stomach suddenly tightened. You tried to keep your expression neutral, but you could feel the heat rising in your chest, an uncomfortable mix of nerves and something else you weren’t ready to name yet. James, ever the keen observer, didn’t miss a beat. He turned to you, his grin widening as he leaned against the bar, crossing his arms over his chest. “Bet you’re regretting not working VIP today, huh?”

You shook your head quickly, forcing a laugh that felt too light, too forced. “Not in the least,” you said, though your voice wavered just enough to betray you. “I’ll take drunk tourists over mob bosses any day.”

But even as you said it, you couldn’t ignore the way your heart was racing, the way your palms felt just a little too clammy. The truth was, the thought of seeing Remy again was already gnawing at you, the memory of last Friday still fresh in your mind. The way he had moved through the bar with a quiet confidence, the way his eyes had lingered on you just a moment too long, like he was seeing something more than just the bartender serving him. The air had felt heavier when he was near, charged with something unspoken, something dangerous.

He was the kind of man you had always told yourself to stay far away from—dangerous, unpredictable, a walking storm wrapped in charm and mystery. And yet... there was something about him. Something magnetic. Something that made it hard to breathe when he was near. The chemistry between you had been undeniable, electric, and now, the thought of facing him again left you both terrified and... intrigued.

Kate, ever perceptive, shot you a knowing glance, her smirk widening. “Sure, you’re not curious,” she teased, her voice lilting with amusement. “But just so you know, the VIP section is wide open if you want to take a peek later. I go on my break at 2, so I’ll come get you to take over.”

You shook your head, trying to shake off the flutter of nerves in your chest. “Yeah, I’m good,” you muttered, turning back to the lemons, though your hands felt heavier now, the knife moving slower. “Let’s just get through the lunch rush without any drama.”

But even as you spoke the words, you knew they were hollow. Kate’s smirk lingered in the corner of your vision, James’s knowing grin hanging in the air like an unspoken challenge. They both knew you better than you wanted to admit. They knew you weren’t as indifferent as you were trying to pretend. Not when it came to him.

You busied yourself with the task at hand, slicing the lemons with mechanical precision, but your mind was already elsewhere. You couldn’t shake the feeling that today was going to be anything but ordinary. Remy was coming back, and no matter how much you tried to push the thought away, no matter how much you tried to convince yourself that you didn’t care, the truth was you did.

Because the truth was, you were already in deeper than you wanted to admit. You could deny it all you wanted, but the anticipation was there, simmering just beneath the surface. The anxiety. The curiosity. The pull. “Look, I’ll have a chat with Abigail when she comes up okay?” Kate smiled as she grabbed a large box of mineral water to take back with her. You shook your head, “Don’t you dare,” You warned. Kate’s grin widened as she turned on her heel and walked back the way she came from. The bar was starting to get busier as the lunch crowd trickled in, the low hum of conversation growing louder by the minute. You and James exchanged a glance, the kind of shared look that only came from working long shifts together, from knowing what the other was thinking without a word being said.

“Do you ever get the feeling that she knows more than she lets on?” you asked, your voice low, but laced with curiosity as your eyes followed Kate’s retreating figure. She had a way of knowing things—of reading people—that always left you feeling just a little exposed, like she could see right through the front you tried to put on.

James nodded, handing you a cloth and the bottle of disinfectant before turning back to the bar. “Oh, absolutely. Never misses a thing, that one,” he muttered under his breath, his eyes scanning the room as if expecting Kate to pop back up with another knowing smirk.

You were about to respond when the sharp clatter of a glass hitting wood echoed down the bar. You turned just in time to see a patron spill his drink, the amber liquid pooling across the top of the bar and dripping down to the floor. A small, involuntary wince crossed your face as you grabbed the cloth and headed down to clean it up.

As you reached the end of the bar, the man—a middle-aged guy with kind eyes and a slightly embarrassed smile—was already apologizing profusely, his words tumbling over each other in a rush. “I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to—please, let me clean it up for you.”

You offered him a smile, though it felt tight around the edges, the automatic response of someone who had dealt with too many spills, too many apologies. “Oh no, it’s fine, honestly,” you lied, your voice warm with the practiced ease of someone used to dealing with messes—both literal and metaphorical. “These things happen. Not an issue.”

Inside, though, you couldn’t help the irritation that prickled at the edges of your patience. The man was polite enough, but cleaning up after someone else’s carelessness always had a way of wearing you down. You wiped down the bar, your movements quick and efficient, while he continued to apologize, asking if you could pour him another drink once you were done.

For a moment, you hesitated, the urge to deny him service flaring up inside you. After all, he’d just made a mess, hadn’t he? Why should you rush to refill his glass when you were the one stuck cleaning up after him? But then, as always, the part of you that knew better—the part that understood the unspoken rules of service work—forced a brighter smile onto your face. “I’ll get right on that,” you said, your voice chipper, though the words felt hollow.

As you finished cleaning the spill, you couldn’t help but glance up just in time to see Abigail making her way across the bar. There was something about her presence that always made the room shift—like the air itself tightened in her wake. She walked with an air of authority, her shoulders squared, her head held high. Even the regulars sat up a little straighter when she passed by, their conversations quieting as they instinctively tried to look more sober, more responsible.

You and James exchanged another look, one that spoke volumes without saying a word. It was the same every time Abigail walked in. Even when she wasn’t watching, it felt like she was always watching.

But then, just as Abigail disappeared into the back office, the front door swung open, and he walked in.

Remy.

Your heart skipped a beat before you could stop it, an involuntary reaction that sent a jolt of warmth—no, frustration—through your chest. You tried to keep your expression neutral, but there was no ignoring the way your stomach twisted when you saw him. He looked as effortlessly charming as ever, his grin wide and easy, his eyes sweeping across the room like he owned the place. And there, tucked neatly under his arm, was a woman—a brunette with long, perfectly curled hair and a body that seemed to mold perfectly against his side.

The sight of her—of them—sent a flicker of something sharp and unpleasant through you. Jealousy. You hated the way it crept up, unbidden and unwanted, curling around your chest like a tight fist. You had no right to feel like this. You barely knew him. Sure, there had been some... moments between you—moments that had left you feeling dizzy and breathless and more than a little confused—but that didn’t mean anything, right?

Right.

You tried to remind yourself of who he was. Of what he was. Remy was trouble. Unpredictable. Dangerous. The kind of man who could sweep you off your feet one minute and disappear the next, leaving you to wonder if any of it had been real. You’d seen it before—men like him, with their smooth words and easy smiles, always keeping you at arm’s length, always leaving you wanting more but never offering anything solid to hold onto.

And yet, you couldn’t stop the way your eyes lingered on him as he led the woman toward the VIP section. His arm was still wrapped around her waist, and she was laughing at something he said, her head tilted back, her smile wide and carefree. The sight of them together stirred something bitter in the back of your throat, but you swallowed it down, forcing yourself to look away.

You had no reason to feel like this. No right. What had happened between you and Remy—if you could even call it that—was nothing more than a fleeting moment, a spark that had flickered briefly before being snuffed out by the reality of who he was.

James, always perceptive, caught the shift in your expression. He glanced from you to Remy, his brow furrowing slightly, but he didn’t say anything. Instead, he just handed you another clean cloth, his voice quiet but steady. “You good?”

You nodded quickly, too quickly, and plastered on a smile that felt a little too tight. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just need to finish up here.”

But as you wiped down the last of the spill and turned back to the bar, you couldn’t help but feel the weight of Remy’s presence, even from across the room. It was like he had cast a shadow over the space, one that you couldn’t quite shake, no matter how hard you tried.

Because the truth was, no matter how much you wanted to pretend otherwise, seeing him with someone else had stirred something inside you—something you weren’t sure you were ready to face yet.

The lunch rush had swept in like a tide, and you found yourself pulled from one patron to the next, each conversation blurring into the next. The stories and small talk were always the same—mundane snippets of life, told with slight variations by different faces. A businessman complaining about his boss. A tourist asking for recommendations. A regular droning on about their week. You nodded, smiled, and laughed in all the right places, the mask of polite interest never slipping from your face. It was part of the job, after all—being invisible, being present, being everything they needed you to be for the few minutes they stood at the bar.

But as the minutes dragged on, you could feel the dull ache in your hand becoming sharper, the wound from earlier throbbing with each movement. Every time you gripped a bottle or wiped down the counter, the skin stretched and pulled, and you had to bite the inside of your cheek to keep from wincing. You glanced down at your palm, the red mark still angry and swollen despite the bandage. But there wasn’t time to stop, not with the bar bustling and James already swamped at the other end.

Finally, when you couldn’t ignore the tightness in your hand any longer, you allowed yourself a brief moment of reprieve. You leant back for a moment, blowing on the cut in your hand, trying to quell the pain. As you heard your name being called from the other end of the bar, you turned to the sound and there stood a familiar figure, his blond hair catching the light, his wide grin instantly putting you at ease. Steve. The sight of him made your shoulders relax, and the tension that had been coiling inside you loosened slightly.

“Well, good afternoon, Steven,” you teased lightly, a grin to match his spreading across your face.

He raised an eyebrow, leaning casually against the bar as the tight black uniform he wore stretched across his broad chest and arms. “What, no nicknames today?” he asked, his voice warm and teasing.

You cleared your throat dramatically, playing along. “Sorry, Captain America,” you replied with a laugh, watching as the amusement sparkled in his bright blue eyes. There was something undeniably comforting about Steve—something stable, easy, uncomplicated. A sense of friendship rooted in years of shared banter and harmless flirting, where neither of you expected more than the lighthearted companionship. There was always a natural ease between you and Steve—a rhythm you’d both fallen into over time, like an unspoken dance. Conversations flowed effortlessly, punctuated by teasing quips and the occasional shared glance that said more than words ever could. He wasn’t just another face behind the bar. Steve was steady, like a lighthouse in the storm, always there to keep things grounded when the crowd got rowdy, or when the night wore on and you found yourself needing a moment of respite.

It hadn’t always been this way, though. Not long ago, when Steve first stepped foot in the bar, there was something more intense about him. He used to have that sharp, commanding presence—like someone who could size up a room in seconds and have everything under control with just a flicker of his gaze. He hadn’t needed to raise his voice to keep things in check; his mere presence had a way of calming the chaos, the same way it likely had when he was still in uniform.

Steve had been forced to leave the Army after an incident—a shadowy chapter in his life that no one knew the full details of. He never talked about it, but the scars were there in his posture, in the way his shoulders tightened when someone asked about his past. Whatever happened had changed the course of his life, leaving a mark that still lingered, though he carried it with quiet grace.

Now, instead of leading soldiers or making split-second decisions in the heat of battle, Steve worked security at the bar. It was a far cry from the days when he’d been responsible for a team, the weight of command heavy on his shoulders, but he still approached it with the same focus, the same precision. You could see it in the way he moved—every step deliberate, every glance calculated. He was always scanning the room, making sure everyone was safe, that there was no trouble brewing. Even when he seemed relaxed, arms crossed or leaning against the bar with that familiar grin, you knew his mind was always working.

The Army had shaped him, molded him into someone who thrived under pressure, who could make order out of chaos, and though he wasn’t in command anymore, some habits died hard. Sometimes, when he thought no one was watching, you’d catch a glimpse of the weight he carried. A distant look in his eye, a slight wince when someone mentioned anything military-related, or the way he’d instinctively roll his shoulder, like the strain of responsibility still tugged at him.

You respected the boundary he kept about his past, never pushing for details. There was no need. Whatever he had gone through was his to carry, and it didn’t define who he was in this place. Steve was more than that. He was the guy who made your worst shifts bearable with his easygoing smile and quick wit, the one who had your back when things got tough. There was comfort in knowing that, no matter what, Steve was there, watching over you and the rest of the bar.

And in return, you offered him that same unspoken understanding. You both knew your friendship—the playful flirting, the camaraderie—it wasn’t going anywhere beyond the bar. There was no secret longing, no hidden agenda. Just a shared connection, a mutual respect, and the knowledge that, in some small way, you were both each other's refuge from the more complicated parts of your lives.

He chuckled, shaking his head. “That’s better.” He shifted his weight slightly, his smile softening as he looked around the bar. “Has it been okay today?”

You nodded, feeling some of the stress of the rush starting to slip away now that you had a familiar face in front of you. “Oh yeah. We’ve got Lebeau upstairs in VIP, so I feel like everyone’s on their best behavior today,” you said with a small grin, though the mention of Remy’s name made your stomach tighten again.

Steve nodded knowingly, his expression thoughtful for a moment before he winced slightly, rolling his shoulder. “Well, let’s hope it stays that way. I’m not sure I’m up for dealing with any trouble today. Pulled a muscle in my shoulder last night, and it’s killing me.”

You couldn’t help but smirk at his dramatic tone, reaching across the bar to give his arm a playful rub. “Aww, poor baby,” you teased, your voice dripping with mock sympathy. But your touch lingered for just a second longer than necessary, a brief moment of warmth passing between you before you pulled your hand back.

Steve chuckled, shaking his head at your teasing, but before the conversation could go any further, you noticed James getting swamped again on the other side of the bar, his movements quick and a little frantic as more patrons crowded around.

You turned back to Steve, offering him an apologetic smile. “Looks like I’m needed. I’ll talk to you later, okay?”

He gave you a quick nod, his smile still easy and relaxed, before he straightened up and waved you off. “Go save the day, bartender extraordinaire.”

You made your way to the customers, a smile gracing your face as you continued to take orders; but you felt the lingering gaze on you, the way your hairs stand up on the back of your neck the way it does when something feels off in the air.

You looked up and saw him—Remy, seated in the VIP section, surrounded by luxury and comfort. His posture was relaxed, but his expression wasn’t. His brow was furrowed, his gaze sharp, but it wasn’t anger or possessiveness that darkened his features. No, it was something subtler. Something more elusive.

He wasn’t even pretending to pay attention to the woman beside him now. His focus was on you, and there was something in the way he looked at you that made you pause. It wasn’t jealousy, but curiosity—intense, unrelenting curiosity. As if he was trying to figure something out, to understand a puzzle that had just shifted in front of him.

His gaze flickered briefly toward Steve, who was now standing near another staff member, laughing at something they’d said. But Remy’s attention didn’t linger on him. It returned to you, his eyes narrowing slightly, as if he was studying your every move. It didn’t feel invasive, but it was certainly... thorough. Like he was trying to understand why you had his attention at all—why he couldn’t look away.

There was a pull between you, but it wasn’t the kind that demanded anything, not in that moment. It was a slow burn, the kind that made you feel seen in a way that was both unsettling and intriguing. His eyes weren’t staking a claim, nor was there any silent demand. Instead, there was an openness—a question hanging in the air between you.

His expression softened slightly, as if he had come to some quiet realization, though you couldn’t guess what it was. And then, just as quickly, his eyes flicked away, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips as he turned back toward his conversation, leaving you with more questions than answers.

Your breath caught, not because of any looming tension, but because you could feel the weight of that curiosity—his, and now, your own. But it didn’t make sense. It shouldn’t make sense. You had no reason to feel this way—to feel anything at all for him. And yet, there it was, that undeniable pull, that inexplicable gravity that seemed to anchor you to him, even when you weren’t looking.

You quickly averted your gaze, your heart pounding in your chest as you forced yourself to focus on the drinks in front of you. But the weight of his stare lingered, and as you moved through the motions of the lunch rush, you couldn’t shake the feeling that something had shifted—something that you weren’t ready to face.

Because the truth was, no matter how much you tried to push it aside, Remy Lebeau had gotten under your skin. <><><><><><><><> Remy leaned back in the plush VIP chair, one arm draped casually over the backrest, the other holding his phone as he turned it toward Olivia. She grabbed it out of his hand, quickly typing something in before handing it back. He grabbed his phone back and looked at it, the familiar excel spreadsheet now showing a long row of numbers.

His eyes slid away from Olivia and toward the bar area, where afternoon’s rhythm was in full swing. You moved with practiced speed, pouring drinks, laughing with patrons, and keeping the alcohol flowing. It was a well-oiled machine, a dance of chaos and control. But Remy wasn’t interested in what you were doing right now. He wasn’t interested in Olivia or the shallow conversations that filled the air. His gaze moved and settled on the dark-haired bartender who’d caught his eye earlier.

Kate, he believed her name was.

She moved with purpose, her hands always busy, but there was something in the way she carried herself that Remy found intriguing. A slight edge to her movements, a tension in her shoulders when she passed him. Her eyes never lingered too long on any one person, but tonight, Remy had caught her looking. And now, he was waiting.

He watched her with the same casual intensity he applied to most things—his posture relaxed, but his mind alert, always taking in the details. After a moment, her gaze flicked upward, meeting his. There it was. The pause, the hesitation.

Remy’s lips curled into a faint smile as he raised two fingers, gesturing for her to come over. It was a subtle motion, but one that carried weight, a quiet command that didn’t need words to be understood.

Kate’s reaction was immediate—her eyes widened just a fraction, and Remy could see the slight falter in her step, the momentary uncertainty. But she recovered quickly, smoothing her apron as if she needed something to do with her hands. After a second's pause, she made her way over, weaving through the crowd with a practiced grace, though her nerves were evident in the way she glanced around, avoiding eye contact with anyone but him.

When she reached him, she took a deep breath in, holding that tablet and standing a little straighter than before. “Can I help you with something?” she asked, her voice steady, though there was a trace of something beneath it. Anxiety, maybe. Or curiosity.

Remy’s smile widened slightly, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. He tipped his head back, studying her for a moment before speaking, his Cajun drawl slipping into his words like molasses. “Don’t be nervous, chère. Jus’ got a quick question for y’.” He nodded toward the lower bar area, where the tall, broad-shouldered blonde had just walked into the gaming room. “That blond man—th’ one who just left the bar. Who is he?”

Kate shifted, her eyes darting toward the gaming room. She saw the blonde hair, the uniform, and then she spotted you, laughing with James as you served a customer. Her stomach dropped. She swallowed deeply, trying to keep her tone neutral. “That’s Steve. He’s, uh… head of security here.”

She said it simply, like that would be enough. Short and sweet, she told herself. Don’t make things weirder than they already are.

But Remy wasn’t satisfied. He leaned back in his chair, his posture deceptively casual, though the atmosphere between them shifted. His fingers tapped thoughtfully against his lower lip, his red-on-black eyes never leaving Kate. The smile that had once played on his lips was gone now, replaced by something far more serious. His voice dropped, losing its earlier lightness, becoming something quieter but harder to ignore.

“Non, chère,” he said, his tone low and measured. “That ain’t what I asked.” His gaze sharpened, fixing on Kate with an intensity that made her shrink slightly under its weight. “Who’s Steve?”

Kate froze, her pulse racing in her ears. She knew exactly what Remy was asking now. He wasn’t interested in some random security guy. He was asking about Steve’s connection to you. And from the way Remy’s eyes bore into her, it was clear he already had his suspicions. This wasn’t a passing curiosity—Remy felt something, even if he hadn’t put a name to it yet.

The silence stretched between them, thick with tension, and Kate could feel her palms beginning to sweat. She swallowed hard, trying to think of the right thing to say, but her brain was moving too fast, her thoughts tangling together. She knew she had to be careful here. But panic, like it always does, betrayed her.

“They’re just friends,” she blurted out, her voice too quick, too loud. The second the words left her mouth, she regretted them. Remy’s eyebrow lifted ever so slightly, a subtle but clear indication that he wasn’t buying it. Kate’s stomach dropped, and she rushed to explain, her words coming out in a panicked tumble.

“Honestly! They’ve got this… weird thing. It’s always been like that since the day he started. They joke around a lot, but it’s nothing serious. I swear.”

She could feel the heat creeping up her neck, her heart hammering against her ribcage. She had definitely said too much now, and she knew it. Her mind raced, replaying what she’d just said, and the realization hit her like a punch to the gut. She had just confirmed there was something between you and Steve, even if it wasn’t what Remy had been imagining. She had given him a thread to pull on, and from what she knows about Remy, he wasn’t going to let it go.

Remy stayed silent, watching her with that same unnerving intensity. His fingers stopped tapping against his lip, and he leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on his knees as he studied her. There was no anger in his expression, no outward sign that he was upset—but his silence was heavy, filled with a quiet, simmering curiosity that felt more dangerous than any outburst.

Kate shifted uncomfortably under his gaze, her hands fidgeting with the edge of her apron again. She wanted to say something else, something to take back the words that had already slipped out, but she knew there was no point. The damage was done.

Remy’s eyes flickered toward the gaming room for just a moment, as if considering something, before returning to her. His voice, when he spoke again, was soft, but it held a weight that made her stomach twist.

“A ‘weird thing,’ huh?” His accent curled around the words, slow and deliberate, like he was tasting them. His lips quirked into a faint smile, but there was no humor in it. “They joke around a lot, you say?”

Kate nodded quickly, desperate to stick to her story now. “Yeah, yeah. It’s like… I don’t know, they’ve got this banter. It’s always been like that. He flirts with her, she flirts with him back. It’s just how they are. But it’s nothing serious, really. They’re just friends.” Her lips fell into a straight line once that came out. She knew what she just said. She just hoped you made it quick when you did kill her.

Remy leaned back again, his gaze drifting from Kate to where you were standing behind the bar, laughing with another bartender. His eyes narrowed slightly, not in suspicion, but in thought. He wasn’t jealous—that much was clear. But there was something about the way you moved around Steve, the way you smiled when he was near, that piqued Remy’s interest.

He tilted his head, his fingers resuming their idle tapping against the armrest of his chair. “Hmm,” he murmured, “So they just got a lil’ banter, is that it?”

Kate nodded again, her throat dry. She could feel the weight of her mistake pressing down on her, but there was no way out now. She had already put her foot in it, and all she could do was hope that Remy would let it go. But one look at his face told her he wouldn’t. Not yet.

“Right,” Remy said softly, his eyes still on you. “That’s all it is, huh?”

Kate could barely breathe. The way he said it—it was like he was testing her, seeing how far she’d go to stick to her story. She nodded one last time, her voice barely above a whisper. “Yeah. That’s all.”

Remy’s gaze lingered on you for a moment longer before he finally turned back to her, his smile returning, though it was small and unreadable. “D’accord, chère. I believe ya.” But the way he said it—it wasn’t a confirmation. It was more like an acknowledgment that the conversation was over, at least for now.

“Merci,” he added, his tone softening as he gave her a dismissive wave. “Go on, get back t’ work. Don’t let me keep ya.”

Kate didn’t need to be told twice. She nodded quickly, mumbling a quick “Thanks” before turning and hurrying back toward the bar. Her heart was still pounding, and she could feel the sweat clinging to the back of her neck as she moved. She cursed herself under her breath, knowing that she’d said too much.

As she put distance between herself and Remy, she couldn’t help but glance back over her shoulder. He was still watching you, his expression thoughtful, almost calculating.

Remy wasn’t angry. But he was curious now. And that, Kate realized, might be even worse.

He leaned back in his chair, his fingers drumming lightly on the armrest, his eyes never leaving you. There was no jealousy in his gaze, no possessiveness. Just a quiet, simmering interest. You weren’t an open book to him—you were a puzzle, and Remy loved puzzles.

He smiled to himself, a slow, deliberate smile, as he watched you from across the room. <><><><><><>

It wasn’t the rush that made you hate the lunch shift. The crowd wasn’t the biggest you’d face during the day—not by a long shot. Dinner and night shifts were much worse, especially on weekends when the small, dimly lit club in the basement opened up, drawing in waves of people eager to drink and dance until the early hours of the morning. That kind of chaos, you could manage. You *liked* managing it, in fact. The steady surge of orders, the challenge of keeping up with the pace, the way the energy of a packed bar felt like a living thing, charged and exhilarating.

But lunch? Lunch was different.

It wasn’t just the noise. It wasn’t just the sheer volume of people that filled the space. It was the kind of patrons lunch brought in. The ones who weren’t just loud—they were rowdy, boisterous, and far too handsy for comfort. There was something about the middle of the day that made people drink more aggressively, like they were trying to drown out the daylight itself, as if the brightness outside was something they needed to escape from. You always noticed it—the way they knocked back their drinks faster, ordered another before the first was even half-finished. By the time the second round hit them, the noise level had already soared, and conversations turned into shouting matches over the bar.

And then came the touches.

It was subtle at first, almost innocuous. A hand brushing too close when you leaned over to hand them their change. A casual touch on your arm as someone slurred a compliment at you. But as the hours dragged on and the drinks piled up, those touches became more frequent, more insistent, making your skin crawl. The way some of them leaned over the bar, their eyes glazed and too familiar, made you want to retreat. There was a different energy in the air during lunch shifts—one that rubbed against your nerves and left you feeling raw by the end of it.

So naturally, you hated the lunch shift.

Today was no different. As you caught your breath behind the bar, taking advantage of a brief lull, you wiped your hands on your apron, exhaling slowly. The air was thick with the smell of spilled beer and liquor, the sticky residue of too many drinks mixed with the faint scent of sweat from the crowd. The cacophony of voices had died down for the moment, but you knew it wouldn’t last. It never did.

From your left, you felt someone approaching before you even saw them. A presence that cut through the noise of the bar like a blade. Sharp. Commanding. Unmistakable.

Abigail.

Her arrival was always like clockwork—each step precise, deliberate, the steady click of her heels on the wooden floor like a metronome. Even in the middle of the chaos, she moved with an air of control, like the bar itself bent to her will. In her hand, she carried her ever-present clipboard, its edges worn from constant use, filled with lists and notes you could only imagine were as meticulous as she was.

Without so much as a glance in your direction, Abigail stopped beside you, her eyes already scanning the paperwork in front of her. She was always focused, always thinking several steps ahead, mentally checking off tasks before you even realized they were on the list. Her hair was pulled back into a severe bun, not a strand out of place, her tailored suit as crisp as ever, even in the stifling heat of the bar. The only thing that seemed to move freely about her was the pen she twirled absentmindedly between her fingers, a constant reminder that she was already planning her next move.

She didn’t even look up from her clipboard as she spoke. “We need to restock the top shelf whiskey,” she said, her voice smooth but firm, cutting through the din of the bar. “And the IPA keg is about to run dry. Can’t afford to let that happen again.”

You nodded, wiping a bead of sweat from your brow. “I’ll take care of it.”

Abigail hummed in acknowledgment, still not looking at you. To her, it wasn’t a conversation. It was just another task on a long list of things that needed to be done. You weren’t sure if she ever truly saw you—or anyone, for that matter. She was the kind of person who existed in her own world, where efficiency and control were paramount. The noise, the chaos, the human element of it all seemed to roll off her like water, never sticking.

But you couldn’t let it roll off you. Not today.

You glanced around the bar, your eyes flicking over the patrons still lingering, their voices rising again as the brief lull came to an end. The rowdy energy was starting to build back up, like a wave gathering strength before it crashed. A group near the end of the bar had started laughing too loudly, their hands gesturing wildly as they sloshed their drinks around, already half-drunk despite the early hour. One of them—a man in a rumpled button-up shirt, tie askew—leaned over the counter, his eyes tracking you as you moved.

Abigail, of course, didn’t notice. Or if she did, she didn’t care.

“Make sure the inventory numbers are updated before the evening shift,” she continued, her pen flicking across the clipboard as she made another note. “We’re running behind, and I want it sorted before the weekend rush.”

You nodded again, but your attention was elsewhere. The man at the end of the bar had stood up now, his drink abandoned as he made his way toward you, his steps slow and unsteady. Your stomach twisted, the familiar knot of unease tightening as he approached.

Abigail’s voice droned on, calm and steady, completely oblivious to the growing tension in the air. “Also, I need you to—”

“Sorry,” you interrupted, your voice tense as you stepped away from her and toward the man before he could get too close. “I need to handle something.”

Abigail blinked, finally glancing up from her clipboard. Her gaze followed yours to the man now leaning against the bar, his eyes glassy, a lazy grin spreading across his face. She didn’t say anything, but the faint arch of her brow told you she had noticed him now. Her lips pressed into a thin line, but she didn’t stop you. She didn’t need to. This was your job, after all.

You took a deep breath and moved to the man before he could get any closer, plastering on your best customer service smile. “Can I help you?”

He smirked, his eyes drifting down to your apron, then back up to your face. “You can help me with a refill, sweetheart,” he slurred, leaning in closer than necessary. His breath reeked of alcohol, and you had to resist the urge to pull back. “And maybe with a little… company?”

Your smile tightened. This was what you hated about the lunch shift—the way it brought out the worst in people. The way it made you feel like you were always one step away from something you didn’t want to deal with.

“I’ll get you that refill,” you said, your voice strained but polite, “but for the rest, you’re on your own.”

The man laughed, a loud, obnoxious sound that grated against your nerves. But before he could say anything else, you felt Abigail’s presence beside you again—this time, unmistakable. She stepped forward, clipboard still in hand, but now her eyes were on the man, cold and calculating.

“Is there a problem here?” she asked, her tone devoid of warmth, but not unkind. It was the kind of voice that commanded attention without needing to raise it.

The man blinked, his grin faltering as he looked between you and Abigail. Something about her presence—her sheer, unflinching authority—seemed to sober him up, if only for a moment. He straightened, muttering something under his breath before slinking back to his seat.

Abigail didn’t watch him go. She didn’t need to. Her attention was already back on you, her expression calm and composed, as if the little scene that had just played out was nothing more than a minor disruption in her meticulously organized world. “Get the refill,” she said quietly, her tone business-like. “Then take five.”

You nodded, grateful for the brief reprieve. The tension in your shoulders eased just a fraction, though the knot in your stomach remained tight. You turned to grab the man’s drink, but as you did, you couldn’t help but glance at Abigail from the corner of your eye. She was already back to her clipboard, her pen moving swiftly across the page, as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. To her, it probably hadn’t. She was used to handling these situations with quiet authority, never letting anything faze her.

But for you, it was just another reminder of why the lunch shift always left you feeling on edge.

As you reached for the bottle, Abigail’s voice cut through the air again, sharp and clear—though not unkind. “Wanda—” she began, referencing the red-haired waitress who had helped you clean up after your little… incident the other night. You winced at the memory. “—she’s coming in to take over for you.”

You froze, brow furrowing in confusion. “Wait, what? Why?” You glanced instinctively toward James, who was working a few seats down the bar, pouring drinks for a couple who barely acknowledged his presence. He caught your look, shrugged casually, and went back to his task, clearly just as clueless as you were.

Abigail, however, didn’t miss a beat. She flipped a page on her clipboard, her pen clicking as she made another note. “You’re going to take over for Kate so she can go on her break,” she said, flat and matter-of-fact, as if this was the most obvious thing in the world.

You blinked, trying to process. “Take over for Kate?” The question felt ridiculous on your tongue, and yet there it was. “Why me?”

Abigail’s eyes snapped up from her clipboard, fixing you with a look that said she wasn’t asking a question—she was giving an order. And it was clear that there would be no arguing. Her expression remained neutral, but her gaze was sharp, piercing through any resistance you might have thought about mustering.

“Is that a problem?” she asked, her voice cool, her tone making it very clear that this wasn’t a conversation. It was a directive.

You opened your mouth to respond, but the words that slipped out were not the ones you’d planned. “Did Kate put you up to this?” The second the question left your lips, you regretted it. You knew you’d crossed a line. Abigail’s face didn’t change, but her eyes—those sharp, calculating eyes—narrowed ever so slightly, like a predator honing in on weakness.

For a long, excruciating moment, she didn’t say anything. The air between you seemed to grow thicker, heavier, the noise of the bar fading into the background as her gaze locked onto yours. There was no anger, no raised voice—just that terrifying calm Abigail always carried, the kind that made you feel like you were a step away from falling off a cliff.

Finally, she spoke, her voice dry and pointed. “Now why would she do that?” Her tone was dripping with sarcasm, but there was an undercurrent there. An unspoken understanding that hung between you like a weight. She didn’t need to spell it out. You knew. She knew. Kate knew exactly what she was doing by sending you upstairs, and Abigail wasn’t oblivious to it, either.

And the reason?

He was sitting up there right now, lounging in the VIP section, sipping on a bottle of wine that probably cost more than your rent, his arm casually draped around a woman who wasn’t you.

The question wasn’t rhetorical, nor was it open for debate. Abigail’s pen scratched against the clipboard again, her eyes never leaving yours. “Just make sure you’re not tipping any trays of glasses on people today,” she added, her voice as cutting as ever. “I’ve had to file enough paperwork for you to last the rest of the month.”

You couldn’t help the small, sheepish smile that tugged at your lips, though the weight in your chest didn’t lift. “Oh, we’re still mentioning that?” you asked, your attempt at humor falling flat even to your own ears. You knew it was a losing battle, but you couldn’t help trying to lighten the mood. The incident from last night—the one where you had quite literally tipped an entire tray of glasses onto a patron—was still fresh in everyone’s mind. Clearly, Abigail wasn’t about to let it go anytime soon.

Abigail raised an eyebrow, her expression sharpening, though a faint glimmer of amusement flickered in her eyes. To your surprise, she actually smiled—a rare, thin-lipped smile that barely softened the edges of her usual severity. “Oh, this will be talked about and the footage shown to anyone who asks until the day you decide to leave here.”

You groaned softly, feeling the heat rise to your cheeks again. The humiliation of last night still stung, and the idea of it becoming some kind of permanent inside joke made your stomach churn. Apparently, there would be no living it down anytime soon.

Abigail gave you one last look before nodding toward the stairs that led up to the VIP section. “Off you trot,” she said briskly. “And make sure you’ve got your radio on you. Just in case.” She paused, her gaze lingering on you for a beat longer than necessary. “You know how lunch gets around here. If anything happens, call Steve.”

The weight of her words settled heavily on your shoulders. Just in case.

You knew what she meant. You didn’t need her to say it outright. It wasn’t the lunch crowd she was worried about. It was him. Remy. The implications of being up in the VIP section with him, even for just a short time, hung in the air between you. There was always an edge of danger when it came to him, a sense that anything could happen—and that you weren’t entirely sure you could handle it when it did.

Abigail flicked her pen one last time before turning and marching off, her heels clicking against the floor in a precise rhythm, leaving you standing there with a deep sigh. Your gaze followed her retreating form until she disappeared into the back, and then it drifted upward, toward the staircase that loomed like a shadow over the rest of the bar.

Of course. Of course you were being sent up there. Kate had likely orchestrated the entire thing, knowing exactly what she was doing. She had probably seen the way you’d tensed when Remy walked in earlier, the way your eyes had flickered with something—jealousy? Curiosity? Longing?—when you saw him with that woman.

And now here you were. No escape, no excuses.

Your heart thudded heavily in your chest as you started toward the stairs, weaving your way through the crowd of oblivious patrons. The further you walked, the heavier the air seemed to become, like the atmosphere itself was thickening around you, pressing down on your lungs. By the time you reached the foot of the stairs, your pulse was racing, your chest tight with anticipation and anxiety.

You didn’t want to see him.

But the truth was, you did. You wanted to see him more than you cared to admit, even to yourself.

As your hand gripped the rail and you took the first step up, you tried to push the swirling thoughts from your mind. You reminded yourself, as you had a thousand times before, of who he was. Of what he was. Remy LeBeau was trouble—pure, unfiltered trouble. The kind of man who could ruin you without even trying. You’d seen it happen to others, had watched him charm his way into someone’s life and leave chaos in his wake. You knew better.

And yet, despite all the warnings, despite everything your brain screamed at you, you couldn’t deny the pull you felt toward him. The magnetism. The way he seemed to draw you in, like a moth to a flame, even when you knew you’d get burned.

The woman upstairs with him? She didn’t matter. Not really. Not when you knew that Remy didn’t let anyone get too close. Not when you knew that whatever connection you felt with him—whatever it was—it was fleeting. Temporary. A momentary spark that would never be allowed to catch fire.

But even as you told yourself this, you could feel the flutter of nerves in your stomach, the anticipation curling inside you as you climbed the stairs, each step heavier than the last.

Because the truth was, no matter how much you tried to convince yourself otherwise, a part of you wanted to see him again. And that terrified you more than anything else.

Because no matter how hard you tried to deny it, no matter how much you told yourself that Remy LeBeau was bad news, there was no escaping this truth: part of you didn’t care if being near him burned you.

You just wanted to feel the heat.

<><><><><> The VIP room, perched on an indoor balcony that overlooked the bustling main bar below, felt like a world apart—an oasis of luxury and exclusivity suspended above the chaos. Every detail of the space was carefully curated to exude opulence, from the grand chandelier that dominated the ceiling to the rich, dark leather couches that invited the wealthiest patrons to sink into their embrace. The chandelier’s crystals caught the warm, amber light, scattering it in delicate patterns that danced across the room, casting everything in a soft, intimate glow.

The polished mahogany tables, sleek and gleaming under the low light, were arranged in such a way as to provide small pockets of privacy—secluded alcoves where secrets could be whispered and deals could be made. At the far end of the room, a sleek bar stood as a monument to indulgence, stocked with the kind of premium liquors most people could only dream of tasting. Behind the bar, Kate worked quickly, her hands moving with practiced efficiency as she prepared drinks for the waiting woman who sat nearby, her expression one of disinterested impatience.

The air was thick with the clinking of glasses, the low murmur of conversation, and the occasional burst of laughter that felt just a bit too loud, too exaggerated. It was the kind of laughter that came from people who were playing a role—performing wealth, status, and power for the benefit of those around them. These were people who lived in a world of appearances, where every gesture, every word, was calculated to maintain an image. Even the murmurs of conversation carried a certain weight, as if each word exchanged was part of some intricate, high-stakes negotiation.

But despite the hum of activity, your attention was inexorably drawn to one particular table—the one that always seemed to catch your eye, no matter how hard you tried to ignore it.

As you ascended the stairs to the VIP section, your pulse quickened, that familiar combination of anticipation and trepidation settling deep in your chest. You hated how easily your body reacted to him, how the mere thought of his presence could send a ripple through your nerves. It frustrated you, the way he seemed to have this magnetic pull that you couldn’t shake, no matter how much you tried to convince yourself that he was someone you should avoid. Someone dangerous. Someone who was nothing but trouble.

And yet, like gravity, he pulled you in, a force you couldn’t quite escape.

The moment you stepped into the VIP room, you felt it—the shift. Remy straightened ever so slightly in his seat. It wasn’t a dramatic movement, nothing overt that would draw attention, but it was enough. Enough to tell you that he’d seen you the second you walked in. That small, subtle shift sent a jolt through you, a silent acknowledgment of your presence, a reminder that Remy LeBeau was always aware of you. Always watching.

He sat with his usual air of relaxed confidence, his posture loose and lazy, one arm draped over the back of the leather couch. But there was something simmering beneath the surface, a tension in the way he held himself, as if he were a coiled spring waiting to snap. The stubble that shadowed his jawline added a dark edge to his already sharp features, giving him an air of menace that was impossible to ignore. His lips were curled into a subtle, knowing smirk, but it was his eyes—those dark, intense eyes—that truly set your nerves on edge.

They followed your every movement, slow and deliberate, like a predator watching its prey. There was something in his gaze that made your heart pound harder in your chest, though you couldn’t quite decide if it was from fear, excitement, or something far more dangerous.

Seated next to him was a woman who, under any other circumstances, would have commanded the room effortlessly. Her long, dark hair cascaded over her shoulders like silk, and she was stunning in that way only wealth and confidence could craft. Her high cheekbones, full lips painted a deep, sultry red, and flawless skin seemed to glow under the soft lighting. She wore an emerald-green dress that clung to her body like it had been made specifically for her, its plunging neckline designed to draw attention. Every inch of her screamed elegance and poise, and yet, despite her beauty, there was a palpable disinterest in her demeanor.

She lifted a delicate forkful of food to her lips, her movements slow and deliberate, but her eyes never once flicked toward Remy. In fact, she barely seemed aware of his presence at all. Her other hand idly toyed with the strap of her clutch, her manicured fingers tapping against it in a rhythmic pattern. It was as if she were above it all—above him, above the room, above the entire situation. She was playing her part in this little performance, but her heart wasn’t in it.

The contrast between them was stark.

Her indifference was practiced, almost rehearsed, like she knew exactly how this game worked, and she didn’t need to try anymore. She was here for appearances, for the look of it, not for any real connection. But Remy? He wasn’t interested in her, either. Not really. His body language made that clear. He leaned back in his seat, his gaze fixed on you in a way that made the rest of the room seem to blur into the background. It was as if the woman beside him didn’t exist, as if she were nothing more than a beautiful prop in a scene that didn’t require her presence.

His attention, whether you wanted it or not, was entirely on you.

You hated the way your pulse raced in response, the way your skin prickled under the weight of his gaze. It made you feel exposed, vulnerable, even though you were fully clothed and standing in a room full of people. Remy had that effect on you—he made you feel like you were the only person in the room, like he could see right through you, past the carefully constructed walls you’d built around yourself.

And that terrified you.

Your feet carried you toward the bar, your movements automatic, but your mind was spinning. You told yourself to focus on the task at hand, to keep your head down and do your job. But as you passed by his table, you couldn’t help but feel the pull—the gravitational force that seemed to bind you to him, no matter how hard you fought against it.

Remy’s lips curled into a smile as you neared, a lazy, knowing smile that reached his eyes, making them gleam with something dark and dangerous.  He didn’t say anything, didn’t need to.

The woman beside him didn’t even glance up. She was too busy pretending not to care.

But Remy? He cared. He cared in a way that made your stomach twist with equal parts dread and desire.

Kate was practically vibrating with anticipation, her grin sharp and knowing as she leaned over the bar, brimming with whatever delicious gossip she was about to drop on you. You could feel her eyes on you, her excitement barely contained, like she’d been waiting all night for this moment.

She took a quick glance around the room—more for show than out of any real need for secrecy—and her voice dropped to a hushed tone, as if she were about to share state secrets. “Okay, so,” she began, her tone laced with that familiar edge of exasperation. Her eyes flickered toward Table 7. “Our friend over there is about to be cut off. The guy’s been downing whiskey like it’s water, and he’s well past the point of making a fool of himself.”

You followed her gaze to Table 7, where the man in question was gesturing wildly with his drink, his voice carrying a little too loudly over the low hum of conversation. He was already starting to slur his words, and you could tell it wouldn't be long before he became a problem.

Kate rolled her eyes, her lips pulling into a thin line of annoyance. “I’ve already had to remind him twice that this isn’t a frat party. If he gets any louder, I might just throw him out myself.”

You nodded, mentally filing away the warning. You’d clocked the guy the moment he ordered his third double in less than an hour. He was a disaster waiting to happen, and you didn’t envy the poor soul who’d have to deal with him once he hit his breaking point.

But Kate wasn’t finished.

She jerked her head subtly toward another table, her tone shifting, a little more serious now. “Table 9—that one’s a little weird. The guy’s been feeding his date margaritas like it’s some kind of competition. I don’t like the vibe. Something’s off.”

Your eyes darted to Table 9. The man was leaning in close to his date, whispering something in her ear that made her laugh, but her expression was distant, her eyes slightly glazed over. The laughter didn’t reach her eyes, and the unsettling feeling that had been gnawing at you all night suddenly sharpened. The gut feeling Kate mentioned washed over you, too—a heavy, sinking sensation that made your stomach twist.

“Keep an eye on her, will you?” Kate added, her voice low but firm. “I’ve got a bad gut feeling about it.”

You nodded again, this time more seriously, making a mental note to swing by their table more frequently. Something about the way the man’s hand rested on his date’s arm, possessive and a little too tight, made your skin crawl. You didn’t want to wait until something went wrong.

But Kate wasn’t done, and you could tell by the glint in her eyes that she was saving the best for last.

She shifted her weight, pointing a casual thumb over her shoulder toward Table 2. Her expression softened just a little, the edge of her usual sarcasm giving way to something almost tender. “Oh, and Table 2 is celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary. Vis wanted to send them a special dessert, something on the house. Make sure it gets out to them, okay?”

A small smile tugged at your lips. You’d noticed the couple earlier in the night, their fingers intertwined across the table, still holding hands like they were teenagers in love. Table 2 had been nothing but sweet and polite all evening, and you were happy to make their night a little more special. A soft moment of kindness in the middle of all the chaos.

But just as you were about to respond, Kate’s grin widened into something positively wicked. Her eyes sparkled with mischief, and she leaned in even closer, her voice dropping to an almost conspiratorial whisper. You could tell by the way she was savoring the moment that this was the part she’d been waiting for.

“And of course...” She paused dramatically, drawing out the suspense, her smile growing even more smug. “Your favorite person in the world is being the least interesting man in the room tonight.”

Your heart sank, the familiar tightness settling in your chest. You didn’t need to ask who she meant. The sinking feeling told you everything. But instead of letting on, you raised an eyebrow, feigning indifference as you waited for her to spill the rest.

Kate’s eyes gleamed as she said his name, her tone dripping with mock reverence. “Remy LeBeau.”

You fought the urge to roll your eyes. Just hearing his name was enough to send a ripple through you, but you kept your expression neutral. Barely.

Kate, apparently oblivious to your internal turmoil or maybe just enjoying it too much to care, continued with a smirk. “Him and his date? Zero chemistry. Seriously. They’ll talk for maybe thirty seconds, she’ll look at her phone, and he’ll go back to doing his whole brooding, mysterious thing.” She placed a hand over her heart in mock adoration, sighing dramatically. “Which, let me tell you, I’m a little surprised about. I figured he’d at least pretend to care—flash that charming smile, maybe throw a few of his smooth lines her way.”

Kate paused, letting the moment hang between you like a spark waiting to ignite something much bigger. You could see the gleam in her eyes, the way she was savoring this. And then, with a smug little smile, she dropped the bomb.

"But nope. You know what he did ask me about earlier? Steve."

You blinked, momentarily thrown off. “Steve?” What does Remy care about Steve?

Kate’s grin got impossibly wider, clearly enjoying every second of her revelation. “Yeah. Well, not about Steve exactly.” She leaned in a little closer, lowering her voice as if she were about to share some great secret. “He was asking all casual-like, ‘Who’s that who just walked into the gaming room?’ And me, being the genius that I am, go, ‘Oh, that’s Steve. He’s head of security’” She rolled her eyes dramatically, clearly amused by her own mistake. “And then it hits me—he wasn’t asking about Steve. He was asking about you.”

Your stomach twisted, a knot of anxiety tightening into something sharp. The realization hit like a wave crashing over you, cold and relentless. Remy hadn’t been interested in security, not really. He had been fishing, and Kate—without even realizing it—had handed him exactly what he was looking for.

You felt your heart rate pick up, a strange mix of anger and unease threading through your veins. Of course Remy would find a way to get under your skin without even trying. But what really got to you—what really pissed you off—was Kate's casual slip-up.

“Jesus, Kate,” you muttered, unable to keep the annoyance from creeping into your voice. “You didn’t tell him about Steve and me, did you?”

Her smug expression faltered for a split second, and then she gave a sheepish shrug, biting her lip as if trying to contain a laugh. “Well... I might’ve mentioned the whole ‘flirting thing.’ You know, the way you and Steve are always at each other’s throats but in, like, a cute flirting way.” She waggled her eyebrows, clearly not reading the room—or at least, not your mood. “I figured it was harmless. I mean, come on, it’s an open secret around here. Everyone knows you two have that whole back-and-forth thing that isn’t going anywhere going for you.”

You could feel the heat rise in your chest, not from embarrassment but from frustration. The last thing you needed was for someone like Remy to get the wrong idea about your relationship with Steve. While the banter between you and Steve was mostly harmless—a few playful jabs here and there—it was yours, a private dynamic that kept things light on the long, grueling shifts. It was certainly not something you wanted to be shared with someone like Remy, who would no doubt twist it into something else, something he could use to needle you.

“Kate,” you said, your voice strained. “He’s Remy LeBeau. He doesn’t need more ammunition.”

Kate’s grin faded slightly, her expression softening as she noticed the real tension behind your words. She shifted her weight, her tone turning more serious. “I didn’t mean to put my foot in it,” she said, voice quieter now. “I just thought... well, you know. I didn’t think it was a big deal.”

You exhaled sharply, trying to rein in the frustration that was bubbling up inside you. It wasn’t Kate’s fault, not really. She didn’t know the full extent of what you were dealing with when it came to Remy. She didn’t know how he always seemed to be one step ahead, always watching, always figuring out ways to dig deeper under your skin. She saw him as everyone else did—a little dangerous, sure, but charming enough to make it seem harmless. But you knew better. You’d felt the weight of his attention, the way he could turn the simplest conversation into something that left you unsettled and thinking about it long after he’d walked away.

“I know,” you said finally, your voice softer now, the edge of anger replaced with something more resigned. “But he’s not... he’s not like the others. He’s trouble, Kate. Real trouble.”

Kate gave you a long, searching look, her smirk returning just a little, though there was more understanding behind it now. “Sure,” she said, drawing the word out like she wasn’t buying your explanation for a second. “But whatever it is, it’s got him asking about you. And I’m just saying... that doesn’t happen for no reason.”

You swallowed hard, trying to push down the flurry of emotions rising up inside you. “It’s not a thing,” you said, more to yourself than to Kate. “He’s just... he’s just trying to mess with me. That’s all.”

Kate raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. “Mess with you? That’s what you think is going on here?” She eyed you for a moment longer, then shook her head with a small, knowing smile. “Whatever you say, hon. But if I were you, I’d keep an eye on that one. He’s asking questions—and he’s watching you like a hawk. You can’t tell me that doesn’t mean something.”

You opened your mouth to protest, but the words died in your throat. Because, deep down, you knew Kate wasn’t wrong. Remy’s attention wasn’t random. It wasn’t casual. And that fact alone was enough to unsettle you in ways you couldn’t quite explain. “It isn’t whatever the fuck you think it is,” You mumbled to yourself as you moved around the bar.

Kate raised an eyebrow, clearly not convinced, her eyes dancing with amusement. “If you say so,” she said with a casual shrug, though her knowing grin never wavered. She  stepped back, handing you the order tablet with a little flourish. “Go on, then. Try not to make it too obvious when you stare him down, okay? People are starting to talk.”

You shook your head, refusing to take the bait, though your cheeks burned with embarrassment. “I don’t stare,” you muttered under your breath, but Kate was already turning away, making her way towards the stairs, clearly enjoying your discomfort. You tried to shake it off, focusing on the task at hand, but the question Kate had planted in your mind lingered. Was there something else simmering beneath the surface? Something neither of you was quite ready to confront?

You had barely even made your first drink when you saw him approach.

Remy leaned casually against the bar, handing you an empty glass with that same effortless confidence that always seemed to follow him. His eyes flicked down to your hand, and you could feel the weight of his attention settle on you, even as you focused on pouring a drink for the blonde woman beside him. She smiled her thanks before walking away, leaving you alone with him—the man who had been the source of all the uneasy feelings building inside you.

“Th' usual,” he said smoothly, his voice low and rich with that familiar Cajun drawl. A grin tugged at his lips, but the look in his eyes was different—more intense, sharper. He leaned in closer, his presence filling the space between you, and despite the casual tone, there was something about the way he looked at you that made your stomach twist, your pulse quicken.

You reached for the bottle from the top shelf, trying to ignore the way your hands trembled ever so slightly as you poured the drink. As you set the glass in front of him, you could feel his gaze lingering on you, like he was waiting for something—something you weren’t sure you were ready to give.

Before you could say anything, Remy’s hand reached across the bar, his fingers brushing yours as he gently took your hand in his. His touch sent a jolt through you, soft but firm, as he turned your hand over, his eyes narrowing slightly as they landed on the wound on your palm.

“Wha’ happen’, chère?” His voice was lower now, concerned, the playful tone from earlier replaced by something more serious. His thumb traced lightly over the slightly swollen skin, the small movement sending a shiver down your spine.

For a moment, you froze, heart stuttering at the warmth of his hand against yours. The gentleness of his touch was unexpected, and it stirred something inside you—an unfamiliar flutter that made you feel both vulnerable and guarded all at once. You pulled your hand back reflexively, bringing it close to your chest like you could shield it from him.

“Just… had an incident yesterday,” you mumbled, trying to sound casual, though your voice wavered slightly. “I cut myself.”

Remy’s eyes never left yours as he asked, “How?”

His gaze was relentless, pinning you in place, and for a moment, you considered telling him not to worry about it, that it was none of his business. But the intensity in his eyes—the quiet way he seemed to search for something deeper—made it impossible. You sighed, looking away, your shoulders slumping slightly.

“I dropped a tray,” you admitted softly. “Cut my hand cleaning up the glass.”

Remy’s expression didn’t change much, but there was something in the way he studied you—something that felt too perceptive, too knowing. His eyes lingered on your face, tracing over every line, every flicker of emotion that passed through you. The weight of his stare made your chest tighten, and for a brief moment, you felt exposed under his scrutiny.

But then, he gave a small nod, seemingly satisfied with your explanation. “Gotta be careful wit’ tha’,” he murmured, his voice softer now, almost gentle. He didn’t push for more, didn’t pry or lecture—just acknowledged it with that same easy-going tone, as if he understood that the conversation was over.

The tension in your shoulders eased slightly, though your heart was still racing. You slid his drink across the bar, trying to compose yourself, but the knot in your stomach only tightened with each passing second. Remy was still watching you, his gaze heavy, unreadable, and the weight of it made the air feel thick around you. There was something unsaid between the two of you—something that had been gnawing at you since Friday night.

Before you could stop yourself, the words slipped out, driven by a mixture of confusion and frustration.

“Why’d you give me that money?”

It came out quieter than you intended, but the vulnerability in your voice was impossible to hide. You swallowed hard, fighting the urge to pull back, to shield yourself from whatever answer he might give. “I don’t have anything to offer you for it.”

Remy’s eyes flicked up to yours, and for a fleeting moment, something shifted in them. It was subtle, almost imperceptible, but it was there—like he understood more than you were ready to admit. He took a slow, deliberate sip of his drink, never breaking eye contact. When he set the glass down, his smile softened, the usual cocky edge replaced by something quieter, something real.

“Was a tip,” he said simply, his voice softer now, the drawl in his words less playful and more sincere. “Y’ did good on Friday nigh’.”

You scoffed lightly, shaking your head. “Not that good,” you muttered, more to yourself than to him. “Not enough for a tip like that.”

A small, knowing smile curled at the corners of his mouth, but his eyes stayed fixed on yours, steady and unwavering. “Maybe y’ did,” he replied, his voice low and sure, like he was stating something obvious. “Bu’ either way, chère, y’ don’ owe me nothin’.”

His words hit harder than you expected, catching you off guard. There was a sincerity in his tone that you hadn’t anticipated, and it lodged itself deep in your chest, unsettling you in a way you couldn’t quite explain. You wanted to argue, to push back against the strange kindness he was offering, but the way he looked at you—like he saw past all your defenses—made it impossible. Your breath caught in your throat, and for a moment, you didn’t know how to respond to Remy’s steady gaze. His sincerity had thrown you off balance, and the weight of his words had left a strange warmth in your chest. Before you could even formulate a response, Remy tipped his head back, finishing the last of his drink in a single, smooth motion. The glass clinked softly against the bar as he set it down, and without a word, he turned on his heel and walked away—back to his waiting date.

You watched him, feeling the energy between you shift abruptly, like a door closing with a soft yet definitive click. His date, the brunette with her perfectly styled waves and an emerald-green dress that hugged her like she’d stepped out of a fashion editorial, had been watching the entire interaction. Her eyes, sharp and calculating, flicked between you and Remy as he sat down. There was a flicker of something in her gaze—curiosity, maybe, or amusement—but whatever it was, she kept it carefully masked behind an air of cool detachment.

She looked at Remy as if expecting some explanation, some acknowledgment of the strangeness of what had just occurred. But he didn’t give her any. He didn’t even spare her a glance. Instead, he leaned back in his chair, his posture relaxed, one arm draped casually over the back of his seat. His attention had already shifted, as if the brief exchange with you was all he needed for the moment, like it had been a checkmark on a list, a box neatly ticked.

The room buzzed with noise—laughter, clinking glasses, the low hum of conversation—but it all seemed to fade into the background as you stood there at the bar, frozen in place. Your mind raced, trying to make sense of the strange feeling that settled over you, a feeling you couldn’t quite name but that gnawed at your insides nonetheless.

Remy’s words, few as they were, lingered in the air around you. They echoed in your thoughts, replaying on a loop—the tone of his voice, the way he said your name like he had known you far longer than the two times you have crossed paths, the way his gaze seemed to cut through every bit of armor you’d built around yourself.

And that touch—just the briefest brush of his fingers against your hand—still ghosted on your skin. It wasn’t the touch itself that unnerved you; it was the intent behind it. It wasn’t flirty, not overtly seductive like the Remy you’d heard about. It was something else. Something quieter, more deliberate, like he was trying to convey a message you weren’t quite ready to hear.

For the first time, you wondered if there was more to Remy LeBeau than the swagger, the effortless charm he used like a weapon. Maybe, just maybe, there was something deeper lurking beneath the surface—something he didn’t show to just anyone. And maybe, just maybe, he saw something in you that you hadn’t yet seen in yourself.

As that thought crept into the far corners of your mind, you stood frozen at the bar, your heart pounding in your chest. The moment replayed itself over and over in your head. His words, his touch, the way he looked at you—not with the casual interest that he might’ve shown anyone else, but with a focus that made your skin prickle, made you feel seen in a way that was both exhilarating and terrifying.

You weren’t used to that. You were used to blending in, to keeping your head down, to being just another face in the crowd. But with Remy, it was different. He had a way of zeroing in on you, of making you feel like the only person in the room, even if only for a moment. And that feeling… that was dangerous.

It was dangerous because you knew who Remy LeBeau was. He was the kind of man people warned you about—the kind of man who could get under your skin, who could make you forget who you were if you weren’t careful. He was dangerous in a way that had nothing to do with physical harm and everything to do with what he could do to your heart, to your mind.

And yet, here you were, standing at the bar, replaying every subtle nuance of the brief conversation in your head as if it meant something—something more than just a casual exchange between two people who happened to be in the same place at the same time.

You didn’t know what to make of it, or of him. But one thing had become clear to you in that moment: Remy LeBeau wasn’t just dangerous because of the things you’d heard about him. He was dangerous because he had a way of making you want to know more, of pulling you in even when every part of you knew you should stay away.

And as you watched him lean back in his chair, his eyes flicking briefly toward you before settling somewhere in the distance, you realized that the real threat wasn’t Remy himself.

The real threat was what you might do if you ever let yourself get too close. You watched as Kate sauntered back from her break, a smug smile plastered across her face—the kind of grin that made it clear she’d enjoyed herself way too much. She slid behind the bar with the casual ease of someone who’d just spent the last thirty minutes indulging in something delicious.

"God, I love the Chinese place down the street," she sighed dramatically, leaning against the counter like she was about to launch into a monologue. "I swear, their noodle dish? Life-changing."

You chuckled, placing a glass in the washer. "Careful, Vis will be heartbroken hearing you rave about someone else’s cooking."

Kate snorted, waving a hand dismissively. "Vis can live with it. Besides, I needed something to break up the monotony of this shift." She leaned further into the bar, tapping her fingers rhythmically on the polished wood. "Speaking of monotony, you’re free to go save poor, hard-done-by James, who’s been spending the last ten minutes scrubbing someone’s vomit off the floor."

You winced in sympathy. "Better him than me," you muttered, mentally bracing yourself for the rest of the shift. You went to move, but Kate’s persistent finger-tapping on the bar caught your attention. Her eyes were a little too bright, and her lips were pursed in that familiar way that told you she was sitting on something she was dying to say.

“What is it, Kate?” you asked, turning to face her fully.

She hesitated for a moment, her mouth twitching as if trying to decide whether it was worth saying out loud. But Kate was never one to hold back, and before long, she looked like she was on the verge of bursting. Finally, she leaned in, lowering her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "So... did you talk to Remy?"

You rolled your eyes, a mix of irritation and amusement bubbling up inside you. Of course that’s what was on her mind. "Have a good afternoon, Kate," you said, brushing her off with a playful tone as you moved past her.

You didn’t wait for her response, heading down the stairs and back to the main floor. The bar had quieted considerably since earlier; the rowdy patrons had either left or settled into a calmer rhythm, leaving the room feeling almost peaceful. The low hum of conversation and clinking glasses filled the space, but it was a far cry from the chaos you’d seen earlier.

You approached James and Nat, who were standing by the bar, both looking like they were done for the day. James was just finishing loading the last tray into the washer, his face twisted in the kind of grimace that spoke volumes about the unspeakable things he’d had to deal with. Nat stood beside him, arms crossed over her chest, her expression neutral, but you could see the exhaustion in the way her shoulders slumped slightly. Still, there was a hint of amusement in her eyes, visible only if you knew her well enough to catch it.

"How’s it going?" you asked, leaning casually on the counter next to Nat.

"James is traumatized," she replied dryly, though you could hear the teasing edge in her voice. "You missed quite the show."

James groaned dramatically, casting a look of pure disgust in Nat’s direction as he wiped his hands on a towel. "If I never have to deal with that again, it’ll still be too soon."

You couldn’t help but chuckle, shaking your head. "Well, you’re almost done. Just clock out and try to erase the memory. Pretend it never happened."

James rolled his eyes but grinned, tossing the towel onto the counter. "Easier said than done."

Nat shot him a sideways glance, her lips quirking up into a small smile. "I’ll help distract him," she said, her voice softer now, more playful. "We’ve got plans this afternoon."

You raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Oh yeah? What’s on the agenda?"

Nat uncrossed her arms and leaned against the bar, her posture relaxing slightly. "We’re heading down to the riverwalk. There’s this new place—well, new to me—where you can rent bikes or take a boat. Figured we’d check it out, get some fresh air, maybe have lunch by the water."

James nodded, though he still looked half-dead from the day’s work. "If I don’t pass out first," he added, earning a light elbow jab from Nat.

"Don’t be dramatic," she teased, rolling her eyes. "A little sunshine will do you good."

You smiled at the thought of Nat and James spending the afternoon together. It was rare to get a break from the constant grind of work, and the idea of them sneaking away for a few quiet hours by the river seemed perfect. You could hear that subtle excitement in Nat’s voice—the kind she didn’t show often, but when she did, it was impossible to miss.

"Sounds like a perfect plan," you said, glancing at your watch with a dramatic sigh. "I’ve still got a whole afternoon here, so I guess I’ll just go die in a corner somewhere." You grabbed the list of tasks that still needed to be tackled before the night shift took over, waving it like a white flag of surrender.

Nat chuckled, shaking her head. "At least you’ve got good company." She gestured toward Steve, who was standing a few feet away, deep in conversation with one of the security team, his arms crossed over his chest in that casual yet commanding way.

You rolled your eyes, laughing. "Yeah, he can be okay sometimes," you teased, but the grin tugging at your lips betrayed more than your words did.

James snorted, drying his hands with a clean towel. "Don’t tell him that—you’ll inflate his ego."

"Too late," you quipped, casting a glance toward Steve, who seemed to sense your gaze and gave you a small, curious look from across the room. You quickly turned back to Nat and James, grinning. "Besides, a little ego boost never hurt anyone."

Nat raised an eyebrow, catching the playful edge in your tone. "Careful," she said with a smirk. "Flirting on the job is a slippery slope."

"Who, me?" you said, feigning innocence. "I have no idea what you’re talking about."

James shook his head, tossing the towel onto the counter. "Alright, enough of that. Let’s get out of here before this conversation gets dangerous."

Nat chuckled, giving you a quick wave. "We’ll see you later?"

"Yeah," you nodded, giving them both a mock salute. "Have fun. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do."

James grinned, his arm casually draping around Nat’s shoulders as they made their way toward the door. "That leaves us with a lot of options, doesn’t it?"

You laughed, watching them go, feeling a warm sense of contentment settle over you. They deserved the break, and it felt good to see them heading off to enjoy some time together.

As the door swung shut behind them, you turned back to the list in your hands, ready to dive into the never-ending tasks of the day. But before you could get too far, Steve wandered over, his presence as steady and noticeable as always.

"Looks like they’re off to have a nice afternoon," he observed, leaning casually against the bar next to you.

"Yeah," you said, glancing up at him with a smile. "Some of us aren’t so lucky."

Steve tilted his head, his blue eyes twinkling with amusement. "I don’t know, seems like you’re doing just fine here."

You chuckled, shaking your head. "Oh, yeah, you know me—just living the dream behind the bar." You paused, then added, "Speaking of which, I heard you’re going to your sister’s place next week?"

Steve nodded, and there was something so genuine about the soft smile that crossed his face. His eyes seemed to warm at the thought, the kind of smile that made you forget, for a second, the chaos of the bar around you. "Yeah," he said, his voice carrying that quiet sincerity he was known for. "Heading out for a few days. Haven’t seen her in a while. Figured it was time."

You couldn’t help but tease him, your lips curving into a smirk as you gestured around the bar with an exaggerated sweep of your arm. "Going to miss all this?" you asked, mock disbelief in your tone. "How could you possibly survive without the endless excitement of dealing with customers, broken glasses, and, of course, vomit?"

He laughed—a deep, rich sound that somehow made the room feel smaller, like the world had momentarily shrunk to just the two of you standing there. The way his eyes crinkled at the corners when he laughed always got to you, even if you’d never admit it. "Yeah, it’s gonna be tough," he said, shaking his head as if the thought amused him. "But I think I’ll manage."

You leaned against the bar, feeling the cool wood press against your palms, and tilted your head slightly as you looked up at him.

"You sure?" you asked, the playful edge in your voice hiding the undercurrent of something more. "Because, you know, I could always tag along. Make sure you don’t get too bored."

For a moment, there was a flicker of something in his eyes—something that made you want to take a step back. His grin widened, that easy confidence of his coming to the surface as he leaned in just a fraction, lowering his voice as if you were the only two people in the room. "I think I’d enjoy the company," he said, and there was something in that tone, something teasing but also sincere, that sent a shiver down your spine.

Your breath hitched slightly, but you quickly covered it with a playful smile, your eyebrow arching as you fought to maintain your composure. "Careful what you wish for, Rogers," you shot back.

His gaze lingered on you for a moment longer, and you could feel the weight of it. But before either of you could say anything else, the moment was broken by the sound of footsteps approaching the bar. You straightened up instinctively, pulling away from the invisible thread that had been tethering you to Steve.

Remy strode into the bar, his presence as magnetic as ever, but now, there was something different in the air around him. It was as if a storm had followed him in, darkening the space with a tension you could almost feel on your skin. If Steve’s energy was like a calm breeze, steady and grounding, Remy’s was the opposite—intense, electric, and demanding attention. He didn’t need to say a word; his mere presence was enough to shift the atmosphere.

You noticed it immediately. The easygoing swagger that usually accompanied him, the smooth confidence that seemed to follow him like a shadow, was gone. His movements were stiffer, more deliberate, as if he was holding something back. His dark eyes scanned the room, but when they locked on you and Steve standing by the bar, something flickered behind them—something raw, something unsettled.

"Hey," you greeted him, trying to keep your tone light, but even you couldn't ignore the sudden weight in the air. There was an edge to Remy right now, one that hadn’t been there before when you saw him. The playful banter that had existed between you and Steve just moments earlier seemed to vanish in an instant, like a candle snuffed out by a gust of wind. The room felt heavier, more charged, as if something unspoken had filled the space between all of you.

Remy’s eyes flickered between you and Steve, and you saw it—the brief tightening of his jaw, the way his gaze lingered on Steve just a moment too long. His usual charm, that effortless grin that could disarm anyone, was nowhere to be found. Instead, his expression was unreadable, dark, as if he were fighting to keep something buried beneath the surface.

You could feel it too, that subtle shift in the air. Remy had always had a way of commanding attention, but this was different. It wasn’t just intensity—it was something darker, more personal. As his eyes moved back to you, there was a moment where you thought you saw something flash in them—hurt… jealousy? But it was gone as quickly as it appeared, replaced by a rigid mask of indifference.

He didn’t waste time on pleasantries. His voice was low, clipped, as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a large bill. "Can you pass this to Kate for me?" he asked, his words sharp, like he was eager to get the interaction over with. His tone was so unlike the Remy you knew—smooth, charming, always with a joke or a teasing remark. There was none of that now. Just cold efficiency.

You blinked, momentarily thrown by the sudden shift in his demeanor. "Uh, sure," you said, taking the bill from him with a small nod. "I’ll make sure she gets it."

His eyes lingered on you for a moment longer than necessary, dark and unreadable. There was tension in the set of his shoulders, the way he stood as if ready to bolt or explode at the slightest provocation. And then, just as quickly, his gaze flicked toward Steve, something hard flashing in his eyes. It felt like a silent confrontation, a challenge neither of them was willing to voice.

Steve, to his credit, remained calm, his posture relaxed—though you noticed his blue eyes narrow slightly, as if sensing the shift as well. He didn’t say anything, but the air between the two men seemed to crackle with unspoken words, unacknowledged tension.

Remy gave a tight nod, his jaw still clenched, before turning away. His hand rested lightly on the back of his date as they moved toward the door, but even that gesture felt different—less affectionate, more mechanical, as though he was going through the motions. His usual fluid grace seemed absent, replaced by something colder, more deliberate, like a man who was forcing himself to keep control.

As you watched him go, the knot in your stomach tightened. The air between you and Steve felt heavier now, thick with something unspoken, as if Remy’s tension had seeped into the room and refused to leave. The moment Remy had appeared, the playful ease between you and Steve had evaporated, replaced by a strange, lingering weight.

Steve, who had been quiet through the entire exchange, finally spoke, his voice low and concerned. "Everything okay there?" he asked, his brow furrowed as he glanced at you with a mixture of curiosity and something else—something protective.

You shrugged, trying to shake off the strange vibe that had settled over you. "Yeah… fine," you said, though even as the words left your mouth, you weren’t entirely convinced. Something had shifted, and you couldn’t quite put your finger on what it was. It wasn’t just Remy’s sudden coldness, or the way he had looked at you. There was something deeper, something that felt unresolved.

Steve’s eyes lingered on you, searching your face as if he could sense that something was off. He didn’t press the issue, but his presence beside you felt steady, reassuring in a way that made the knot in your stomach loosen just a little. Still, the unease remained.

As you glanced back toward the door where Remy had just left, the feeling gnawed at you. You couldn’t shake the way his demeanor had changed the moment he’d approached, or the way his gaze had lingered on you and Steve. Was it jealousy? Had he overheard the playful banter between you and Steve? Was that what had gotten under his skin? The thought made your chest tighten, and you wondered if you’d unknowingly crossed a line with him.

Remy had always been enigmatic, but this was different. There was something raw in the way he’d looked at you, something almost vulnerable beneath the surface of his coldness. And that vulnerability, that hint of something deeper, unsettled you in a way you hadn’t expected.

Steve leaned in a little closer, his voice dropping back into that familiar teasing tone, as if trying to pull you back from whatever thoughts were swirling in your mind. "So… where were we?" he asked, his smile warm, inviting you to return to the ease you’d shared before Remy had appeared.

You managed a smile, grateful for the distraction, but your thoughts kept drifting back to Remy. Something had changed. The way he had looked at you, the way his usual charm had been replaced by something darker, more guarded—it all left a knot of unease in your chest. You couldn’t help but feel that whatever had shifted between you and Remy wasn’t over yet.

[baby-yongbok]

Pleasure & Power

Hard Dom!Hyunjin x Sub!Fem Reader x Dom!Felix

Genre: Smut, makes mud look clean, idol

Word Count: 3,236

A/N: 3rd person POV + Thick/Chubby and POC Reader + I wrote this in a haze at 5am lol enjoy.

✨️Masterlist✨️

Summary: Your boyfriends take pride in pleasuring you. On another ordinary day, they decide to show you just how much they enjoy you.

Warnings: Poly Relationship, Unprotected Sex (Wrap it up ya'll), Multiple Orgasms, Semi-Public Sex, Car Sex, Choking, mention of drugs, mention of edging. (That should be all, sorry if I missed anything!)

Reader is called: Baby, Good Girl, Brat, Sweetheart, Angel, Sweetie , Greedy Girl, Kitten

It wasn’t rare that you’d get home first, your shoots tended to start earlier than theirs since you picked the world's busiest photographer and the only consecutive appointment you could secure is a 6 a.m. every Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. You kicked your shoes off and dropped your bag by the large front window that was your primary selling point for buying this house. You strut over to the kitchen after checking that the door is locked twice and opening the blinds in the main room. Your pale pink tennis skirt and white crop top moved smoothly with your body as you reached up on your toes to grab a bottle of white wine that Hyunjin brought back with him from his Burberry shoot last week. The only thing on your mind was relaxing and you planned on doing so by sitting on your suede apple red couch with your feet up listening to R&B while you more than generously treat yourself to this fine wine. 

"Yeah, I just got in." Felix dropped his bag next to yours, locking the door behind him. "Yeah she's here, knocked out as usual."

Quietly, he steps over to the side of the couch trying to ensure that his sneakers against the hardwood wouldn't wake you. 

"Oh? So what are you thinking?" He listened to Hyunjin’s plan as he slipped off his shoes carefully and stepped a bit closer to your sleeping body. 

“Sounds like a plan” The smile on the freckled man’s face spoke a thousand words and little did you know you were about to hear all about it.

"Alrigh', bye"

Gently sitting next to you, Felix puts his arm around you and pulls you into him.

"Y/n" He whispers your name trying to make sure you’re really asleep as he takes a second to take in your outfit of the day, internally moaning at the sight of the pale colors against your vibrant brown skin. 

"You know what." Felix whispers to himself as he moves from next to you, careful not to wake you up. Moving Gently, He sets your feet on the floor from the ottoman and spreads your legs ever so slowly. He wasn't surprised to find you in a thong since it seemed to be your preferred method of undergarment. 

Moving it to the side lightly he wastes no time to lick a hot stripe up your pussy and showing your clit the attention it deserves very early on. Your body jolts at the sudden sensation as it musters and releases an involuntary moan. 

"Baby?" you moaned out before your brain could catch up with what was happening.  

"Mmm" He responded with a hum purposefully keeping contact with your core. He worked his tongue against you just the way you loved it, gaining moans of approval and jolts so powerful that he had to put his arm across your hips to hold you down. 

"Hol' still baby." He mumbles as he pulls back momentarily to lick his lips. "Be good for me."

You tried your best to keep your hips in place, biting down on your lips to displace the pleasure. Your legs shook and your thighs slightly clenched around his head making him moan into you each time. Only the heaven's know how much time passed from the time that he started to now. Five or ten minutes, maybe?  Either way it was enough time for him to get home; the third. 

Felix didn't pull away from your core one bit at the sign of his arrival, if anything, he sucked at your pleasure nub more aggressively attempting to milk a third orgasm from you.  

"Well isn't this a sight to be welcomed home to" Hyunjin, your other boyfriend, comments as he sits his bag down with all the others by the large window. His eyes seemed darkened with lust the moment that he walked through the door and that's when you knew that the two had planned this from the moment that Felix saw you sleeping on the couch. They planned to ruin you. 

"Jin." You moaned his name lazily and reached your hand out to him. He sits on the edge of the curved couch, just out of your reach.  

"Does it feel good, y/n? Tell me about it " Hyunjin's teasing nature was elaborate and nearly demeaning. You'd never guess that he’d like to take the dominant lead until you got to know him.  

"H-he's sucking and licking my pussy so good, Jin." Your answer makes Hyunjin grin.  

"Aren't you glad you have two men who are always planning your pleasure?" Nodding feverishly you let out a deep moan as Felix replaces his tongue with his fingers giving himself a short break.  

"There’s never a day that we don't want you feelin' good, baby" Without a chance to reply, your third orgasm snuck up your spine causing your back to arch in pleasure. A chuckle fell from Hyunjin’s lips.

“That’s a good girl.” Hyunjin gets closer to you, kissing you teasingly soft. He deepens the kiss and you eagerly follow his lead. 

“You know what I want to know?” Felix asks as he slowly removes his fingers from your throbbing cunt. 

“Hm?” Hyunjin asks, pulling away from the kiss between you two. 

“What’s for lunch?” Felix stands from his spot in front of you looking down at you with a menacingly cocky grin. They are not about to do what you think they’re about to do, they wouldn’t.

“I was actually thinking that we should try this Thai place further into town. I think the menu is in the kitchen.” Hyunjin stands with Felix and they both start to make their way towards the kitchen leaving you a literal dripping mess on the couch. You whine loudly earning chuckles from the both of them.

“Did you hear something, bro?” Felix asks.

“Mm nothing besides a whining brat, no.” They both laugh as they get further into the kitchen to look for the lunch menu. You can faintly hear their voices as they laugh and talk over the menu as well as the three orgasms Felix just put you through. “Y/n, you wanna try the Thai place?”

“S-sure” You can’t help but to stutter as you readjust your clothes and fix the wide part of your thong to cover your soaked core. 

“They don’t deliver so Hyunjin is gon call it in and I’m gon pick it up, you wan’ come?

“Yeah, okay, I could use some air.”

Paparazzi were already swarming the streets when you and Felix arrived at the Thai spot. It happened to be in a pretty popular part of town and once they saw the two of you all of the attention went from some up and coming star to Felix. They immediately started asking questions about the new album and what he and the other members planned to do on tour. They asked him how he feels about dating a model and if he shares you with other guys in the group which earned that particular reporter an aggressive push and a warning from Felix. Yes, you were dating both him and Hyunjin but the two men went by a motto when it came to the public eye ‘It’s none of their business who you’re on your knees for’. 

 Ultimately, he told you to keep your head down and stay quiet, don’t leave his side and you’ll be in and out in no time. That was fifteen minutes ago and you and Felix were just making your way back home when you decided that you wanted some payback for what he and Hyunjin pulled earlier. You placed your hand on his thigh ‘innocently’ rubbing his knee. He looked over at you with a quizzical look that you ignored as you continued to stare forward into the headlights of oncoming traffic. 

Suddenly, he made a left turn instead of a right and your hand stopped rubbing at his knee. With furrowed brows you asked where he was going but he stayed silent only glancing over at you with a hard look on his face. Did you do something wrong back at the Thai spot? Did you deal with the paparazzi wrong? He pulls into a parking deck for some huge business building and goes all the way to the back of the third floor where the cars are more than generously spread apart. Just as you’re about to ask him why you’re there his hand finds a tight grip on your throat and he pushes you back into your seat.

“Do you think that I don’t know what you’re up to, Sweetheart?” He grins over at you before pulling you towards him with one hand on your hip and the other staying around your neck. He positions you so that you’re straddling him in the front seat and he leans the chair back a bit to allow you to move a bit freely. 

“Listen to me when I tell you this, angel; I can read you like a fucking book. There isn’t a thing that you thought about that I didn’t think about first.” A moan leaves your lips as his breath hits your neck. The smell of his cologne only amplifies the arousal you feel at your core. “You wanted revenge righ’? You wanted to get me back for leaving you needy on the couch.”

Your eyes meet his and he can immediately see how desperate you are, it’s not like you were trying to hide it anyway, Felix just has that effect on you. “ Go ahead.”

He lets go of the grip around your neck and you take this as your chance to get what you really want. You immediately start to fumble with his jeans, trying your best to undo the buttons and zipper, he makes no attempt to help you, he simply watches with a wide smile on his face. He loves watching you act greedy for his dick, the way you pant as you focus on getting him inside of you is a sight that he could watch on repeat. You finally free his cock from the restraints of his jeans and moan slightly at the sight of his thickness, pulling your thong to the side for him once again. 

Your palm presses flat against the glass of the window as Felix helps you grind against him, the window fogging up from your breathless gasps and heated bodies that are pressed against each other. Your forehead rests against his as your eyes flutter shut, completely and utterly entranced by pleasure. His lips started lingering against yours before deepening into a breathless makeout while your bare core rubbed over his aching member. 

"Fuck, angel." Felix groans, his eyes flickering down between the two of you, he positions his dick right at your entrance and slowly pushes inside. His eyes never leave your aching cunt as he  watches his cock slip in and out of you, his fingers grip into your hips as you ride him, your head is thrown back in pleasure as you take all of his thick member. The stretch of him filling you with each thrust is what you loved the most, it's what you craved every single day that you woke up next to him. 

"So perfect for me, fuckin' me nice and good, aren't you?" Moans fall from your lips as you reach over to grip onto his strong shoulders, not able to form legible words let alone a full sentence. 

“Take it baby, take it all.” That’s the last thing you heard him say before your orgasm quietly built up and melted inside of you, of course that didn’t matter to him. He fucked you through your climax until he reached his own. The overstimulation you felt was like being high on the best weed you’ve ever bought. You could barely pick yourself up off of him when it was time to go. 

“Come on, sweetie, the foods gettin’ cold.”

Hours later you found yourself on the same red couch as earlier watching a movie with Hyunjin. Felix turned in early to make sure he got at least a little bit of rest before he had to be up in a couple of hours. Luckily for you and Hyunjin, tomorrow is your day off. You’re not really sure what movie the two of you are watching, it was a random Netflix pick that turned out to be pretty good. You'd love it even more if it wasn’t a horror film. 

“I think I'm gonna grab some ice cream, ya want some?” You ask Hyunjin and he shakes his head no with a small grin. You waste no time in standing from your previous seat, a bit desperate to get away from the movie for a bit. You reach into the freezer for your favorite Ice cream and turn swiftly on your heels to place it on the counter and pick out a bowl. Just as you close the freezer you jump and scream at Hyunjin who’s snuck up on you while you were distracted. He put his hand over your mouth just in time to avoid waking up Felix. When he feels that you’re calm he lets you go.

“What the fuck Jin why -” He takes a step towards you as he cuts you off mid sentence.

“Did he fuck you in the car?” You look up at him with wide guilty eyes as you take in a large gulp of air. “Did he fuck you in the drivers seat? The back seat? Where’d he fuck you, y/n?”

“I-in the driver's seat.”  He steps forward, and you don’t know if his movements are turtle-like or cheetah-like. You step back again and your back hits the counter. He swiftly moves his hand under your tiny nightgown and runs his finger up your folds. “Is that why you’re so wet?”

You shake your head yes and he looks down at your mouth. You can’t move when he steps closer again, crowding you. There’s a pause and then he leans down, pressing one hand flat on the cabinet above your head. He hesitates, teasing you a bit before you both indulge in the welcome touch of his lips against your own. 

He eases your mouth open with his tongue, sweet and slow. His free hand finds your hip, digging his nails into the skin through your nightgown, you gasp and he takes it as a chance to deepen the kiss. His tongue skates along your front teeth and it urges you to press forward and do the same to him. 

Felix has the things that he’s good at when it comes to pleasuring you but Hyunjin takes the award for best kisser. He kisses you so thoroughly and passionately that you find yourself lost in the exchange. 

Your hands come up to the back of his head, almost without your volition. He sucks your bottom lip into his mouth and when he bites down ever so slightly, a small moan escapes you. He lets go of your bottom lip then kisses it, like he’s soothing the bite mark there, before kissing you fully on the mouth again. Your body shivers in anticipation as you two fight for dominance with your tongues, a battle that you always lose. Getting more into it, you find yourself sucking on his tongue as he exhales heavily into your mouth. You hum, pleased at his reaction, taking control of the kiss for just a second, but of course that’s about to change.

 He pulled back before lifting you up on top of the counter and spreading your legs. He lifted his hand to the side of your neck and pressed his mouth to yours.

“Or are you wet because you want me to taste you? Is that what you’ve been thinking about, angel?” He asked, nipping at your bottom lip. “I saw the look on your face this afternoon. You wanted me to taste you after Felix did, didn’t you?” He said before running his tongue up over your lips. 

“You’re just a greedy girl aren’t you?”

“Yes, sir, I'm greedy.” You answered, brushing his lips against yours. “You and daddy fuck me so good that I can’t help it.” 

Hyunjin shook his head and dropped to his knees. He curled his arms around your thighs immediately lapping his tongue over your clit. 

“Ooh.” You moaned, tangling your fingers in his hair. “ Please, taste me until I’m shaking from coming so much.” You told him watching him suck around your clit. Hyunjin and you had a different type of relationship sexually. Felix was fun and giggly with a side of pounding and domination but Hyunjin was a mind fuck, He liked hearing you tell him how much you love what he’s doing. He wants to tease and bring you close to the edge over and over until either of you can’t go on any longer. Felix enjoyed you but Hyunjin savored you.

 “But his tongue isn’t your tongue.” You said, shaking your head as another wave of bliss crashed over you. The boys liked when you told them how  much better one was than the other. It was a game to them in the end, they’d playfully argue about who fucks you better, understands you better and god knows whatelse.

 “He doesn’t make me come as fast as you can.” You cooed, running your fingers through his hair. 

“It’s so good.” You moaned, pulling the hair at the crown of his head. He growled in response only driving you crazier. He circled his thumb around your clit while he worked his tongue inside of you. You leaned back against the cabinets, finally breaking your eye contact. He ran his tongue back up to your clit just circling it with firm pressure. Your thighs began to tremble as he brought you closer. You knew without a doubt in your mind that he was the best at eating you out. With a groan he began fingering you while sucking at your clit again and a moment later you were reaching your peak. You writhed and moaned and Hyunjin took in every moment of it. He stood up and yanked you closer to the edge of the counter before connecting your lips again. 

“Taste yourself, kitten” You do as you're told, sucking his lips to get a hint of your taste. “I want to fuck you so badly”

He pulls back and his dark eyes meet your heavy ones, a grin sneaks upon his lips as he takes in your lustful state, hungry for more of him. 

“But, that would be giving you what you want and we both know that you need to earn that.”

“Please I-”

“No.” With another kiss Hyunjin lets you down from the counter and as he’s towering over you once again he grabs you by the back of your neck. “I’ll take what I want when I can’t stand the anticipation anymore and if you touch yourself or Felix I will know and I will edge you for hours.” You stared up at him, your eyes still dusted with lust. Right now edging sounded better than not getting fucked by him but you knew that he meant business and you decided to try and be good for once in your bratty life. 

“Am I understood?”

“Yes sir”

[avastrasposts]

A Baker's Dozen - Seven

Twelve Pedro boys, twelve stand alone short stories, all set in the same bakery.

Hello!

Javi P got a lot of attention last week, both his visit to the bakery and for the many Pickled Peña fics he starred in. Thank you so much for all the lovely comments! It really means more than you probably reaslise! It's been a rough week and I feel lucky to have found a great community here and to have found so much fun and enjoyment in writing to keep my mind off things.

This week's Pedro boy is dedicated to my lovely friend @secretelephanttattoo who is not only an amazing writer, but also one of the best people I've meet on Tumblr. Love you ❤

Series Master List

Working in a bakery almost every day means you pick up on people’s habits, whether they come into the shop or not. You know the bookshop owner across the streets always arrives ten minutes late on Tuesdays. The bodega owner next to your bakery always picks up his dry cleaning on Fridays and the dry cleaning lady always throws out her trash on Thursday evening. And you know that the cute guy with a dimpled smile always walks past your shop at about eight forty-five every weekday morning. 

He hasn’t always walked past, it started just a few weeks ago, but now it’s routine. You’d first noticed him when he stumbled over something on the sidewalk, smacking his hand against your window to keep his balance, and making you jump. He’d given you an apologetic smile, that’s how you know he’s got a deep dimple on his left cheek. And a really, really, great smile. 

The next morning you noticed him again as he glanced in through the window and smiled, a quick wave as he hurried down the street. And the same thing the next morning and then it was a routine. Around eight forty-five, between customers, you’d keep glancing over at the window until you see him walk past in his well fitted business suit, always a tie flapping in the breeze. He has a routine with those too you notice; a blue tartan pattern on Mondays, slate gray on Tuesdays, navy blue with white dots on Wednesday and the then tartan one again on Thursdays before he ditches the ties on Fridays. You wouldn’t go as far as saying that seeing him is the highlight of your day, but when one day he doesn’t pass by, you notice. And when the rest of the week passes and he doesn’t show up at all, you feel a little bit sad, even though you never even spoke with him. 

Monday morning, eight thirty, and you’re working your way through the morning rush, serving coffee and selling croissants and cinnamon rolls, he suddenly appears again. But this time he’s in front of your counter, holding on to a credit card as he smiles down at you. 

“Hi,” he says, the dimple deep in his cheek, “I thought it was about time I stopped by and said hello properly.” 

“Hi,” you say, a little breathless, he’s even cuter, and handsome, up close, and you’re suddenly very aware of your shiny face, straggly hair and stained apron. 

“I’m Marcus, Marcus Pike,” he says, holding out his hand, “I’m the creepy guy who slams into your window and never comes inside.” 

“Hi Marcus,” you reply, taking his hand, hoping yours isn’t too sweaty and clammy, “I’m the creepy baker who stares at you every morning.” 

He laughs at that, a warm sound that makes your spine tingle as his eyes crinkle at the corners, a wide smile making another dimple pop on his cheek. 

“I guess we need to be less creepy then,” he chuckles, “maybe I can start by buying a coffee like a normal customer?” 

“That sounds like a good start,” you smile back at him, “what would you like?” 

“A cappuccino, please,” he glances up at the coffee menu behind you. 

“Coming right up, anything else?” You motion at the fresh croissants and pain au chocolat piled up on the counter and he looks at them with longing. 

“I would love too, really…but my job, we’ve got this fitness test thing in a few weeks and I’ve got to be in shape for that. That’s why I started walking to work, instead of taking the metro.” 

“Come back when the test is done then, if you pass, it’ll be on the house,” you wink at him over your shoulder as you start preparing his cappuccino. 

“Now there’s the motivation I need,” Marcus laughs, stepping back and glancing over the selection inside the display cases, “But you don’t have my favorite I think.” 

“No? What’s your favorite then?” you ask, “No, wait, don’t tell me, let me guess.” 

“Ok,” Marucs smiles as you hand him the cappuccino in a takeaway cup,” what’s my favorite?” 

You look him up and down, and he grins and takes a step back so that you can see all of him, holding out his arms and giving you a little spin. 

“Hmm…business suit, always a tie, well polished shoes and a job that requires fitness tests…” you hum, enjoying the chance he’s given you at properly taking him in. His suit stretches almost  tight over his broad shoulders, hugging his biceps, and when he holds out his arms, the shirt underneath hangs on for dear life. The suit jacket lifts up over his butt as he turns and you’re given the privilege of eyeing it for the first time. It’s just as cute as the rest of him and you have to mentally chastise yourself for ogling. 

“What’s your guess?” he smiles, coming to a stop in front of you again. 

“Carrot cake, but you wipe off the frosting to stay healthy,” you say and he manages to look both cute, amused and offended at the same time. 

“No way, I would never sacrifice the frosting!” he says, pretending to be insulted as he grins, “but nice try, I really like carrot cake, but it’s not my favorite.” 

“Hmm…maybe-”

“No,” he interrupts you with a wave of his hand, “you get only one guess per day, you can guess again tomorrow.” He gives you a warm smile and as he taps his credit card to pay for the coffee.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, keep guessing,” he says, stepping aside to let the man who’s just stepped into the shop approach the counter. With a final wave he disappears out through the door. 

The next morning he turns up again, as the morning rush dies down, and orders another cappuccino. 

“Canéles,” you say, pointing at him. “Fancy, French, just the thing a guy in a smart, well tailored suit would like.” 

Marcus grins and shakes his head, “I don’t even know what they are, but keep guessing!”

“Give me more clues then!” you protest as he takes a sip of the coffee you just handed him. 

“Hmm…I used to play bass in a band in college,” he says and you raise your eyebrows. He does not look like a bass player, or any kind of band member for that matter. 

“Special brownies?” you ask with a wink and Marcus almost spits out his coffee. 

“Definitely not,” he splutters, chuckling as he wipes his chin, “and you only get one guess per day.” 

“Says who?” you ask, but you already know the answer, Marcus’s grin tells you. 

“I do, my game, my rules,” he gives you a wink and heads for the door, “see you tomorrow!” 

Wednesday he comes in a little bit earlier and hands you a travel mug. 

“This looks brand new,” you say and he nods. 

“Decided I should save on the environment, and your takeaway mugs,” he smiles, leaning on the counter while you start preparing his coffee, “What’s your guess today then?” 

“Cinnabons,” you say, glancing over your shoulder, feeling butterflies erupt in your belly when his face splits into a wide grin. But he shakes his head and you give him a mock scowl. 

“You’re impossible to guess!” 

“Keep trying, gives me a reason to come in every morning,” he replies, “Not that I need a reason though,” he adds, a pink flush suddenly creeping up from beneath his shirt collar as he gives you an uncharacteristically shy smile. 

“I’ll keep trying if you promise to keep coming in,” you smile back at him, you can feel heat creeping up your own cheeks as you hand him his travel mug. And of course his fingers touch yours, just a light brush, but enough for both of you to glance down at your hands. You jump a little as his breath catches and when you look up at him again, his lips are parted and you see the tip of his tongue peak out, just for a split second, before he composes himself. 

“I’ll see you tomorrow then,” he smiles, “thanks for the coffee again.” 

Thursday he’s a little bit late, and he hurries through the door with his tie hanging around his neck, untied. 

“Sorry, I worked late last night and slept through my alarm this morning,” he huffs as he reaches the counter. 

“You don’t have to apologize to me,” you smile, “I only sell you your coffee,” you hand him the cappuccino you’ve already made him and he gives you a grateful look, “and let me fix your tie while you caffeinate yourself.” 

“Thanks, you’re a lifesaver,” he sighs and takes a long sip of the coffee as you walk around the counter and stand in front of him. You look up at him, taking hold of each end of his tie, and you suddenly realize you’ve never been this close to him before. There’s always been a counter between the two of you. Now he’s standing barely a foot away and you can smell his aftershave, warm and woody, as you adjust the tie. 

“Over…under…over again…” you mumble to yourself, trying to remember what your dad taught you, “up through the neck and down…there, got it,” you say, gently tightening the tie up against the collar as Marcus lifts his chin up, “but you might want to adjust it.” 

“No, it feels perfect,” he says, giving you a warm smile, “thank you.” 

“You’re welcome,” you smile back at him, tilting your head up a little to be able to meet his eyes now that he’s standing so close. You should really move back but he smells good and his eyes are so soft looking, the way he just smiles at you. 

“What’s your guess?” he asks, smoothing his hand down over his tie as you drop yours to the side. 

“What?” you mumble, slightly distracted by how his throat bobs just over the knot in the tie where your hands just where. 

“What’s your guess for my favorite baked thing?” Marcus says again and you blink, catching on. 

“Oh, of course! Uhmm…brownies? But real brownies, gooey in the middle and crunchy corners?” 

“Oh….that is definitely high up on my list, but not my absolute favorite, you’re getting close though,” he grins at you, putting down his coffee mug on the counter. 

“I’ve got to run, but….are you free tomorrow, after work?” he asks, his eyebrows knotting together as he waits for your answer. 

“Yeah, I’m free,” you say, you can’t stop the smile breaking out on your face at the question and he smiles back at you. 

“If you want, I’d really like to have dinner with you, maybe we can both drink something this time?” 

“That sounds nice, I’d like that, Marcus,” you reply, butterflies multiplying in your belly as he gently puts his hand on your arm, “and I’ll definitely figure out what your favorite is by then.” 

“It’s a date then,” he grins, “you supply my favorite and I’ll sort the rest, I’ll come by at closing, ok?” 

You nod and before you know it, he’s leaned in and pressed a soft kiss on your cheek, “I’ll see you tomorrow evening.” 

Friday morning Marcus stops by and buys his, by now, regular coffee, “So what’s my favorite?” he asks with a cheeky grin and you stick your tongue out at him. 

“Not telling you,” you smirk at him, “I’ll serve it tonight, I’m pretty sure I’ve got it figured out now.”

“I can’t wait,” he chuckles, winking at you before he grabs his travel mug and hurries off to work. 

Your day drags on and your nerves tingle every time you glance up at the clock at the wall. When the shop quietens down after lunch you prepare what you hope is Marcus’s favorite dessert, putting it in the fridge for baking later. 

Just a few minutes before the clock hits closing time you hear the jingle of the doorbell and look up to see Marcus step through it. He’s changed out of his usual business suit and is wearing a leather jacket over a gray t-shirt and jeans, a bright smile as he gives you a wave. You ring up your final customer, bidding them a nice weekend as Marcus lingers to the side, and then you get a chance to say hello to him as you go to lock the door and flip the sign. 

“Hi Marcus,” you smile at him as he steps forward.

“Hi,” he says, leaning down and brushing his lips against your cheek, leaving the spot tingling and your skin warm. When he straightens up he smiles at you, his eyes soft and crinkling at the corners, “I hope you don’t mind, but I have a slightly unusual plan,” he says, pointing to the duffel bag he’s got hanging from his shoulder, “Dinner’s on me, but in your kitchen.” 

“You’re cooking for me?” you ask and he nods. 

“Seems only fair, you’re making dessert, so I do the rest….well…” he gives a little embarrassed shrug, “with a little bit of help from my favorite restaurant.” 

“Sounds like a nice plan,” you say, putting your hand on his arm and his smile brightens again, “come, let me show you the kitchen then.” 

You lead him past the counter and into the back room, the kitchen clean and ready for tomorrow, except the dessert for Marcus. “What do you need?” you ask, “Help yourself to anything.” 

“First of all, I need you to sit down,” he says with a smile, looking around the kitchen for a chair and spotting only the stool with wheels on, “Not many places to sit in here, huh?” 

“When would I have time to just sit around?,” you laugh, taking your apron off and throwing it in the dirty laundry basket in the back room, “I usually just sit on the counter.” You heave yourself up onto the large workbench as Marcus starts unpacking his duffel bag. He’s hung his jacket on the hook by the door and now he’s crouched down, digging through the content at his feet. The gray t-shirt hugs his shoulders, stretching tight over his back and riding up, exposing a strip of bare skin just above his jeans. It’s so far from the man in the well fitted business suits you’ve been seeing every morning for the past few weeks, a much more relaxed Marcus. 

“Do you wear the suits every day because your job requires you too?” you ask, taking the opportunity to stretch your tired back as you get settled on the counter, baking all day takes a toll on your body. 

“Yeah, I don’t mind them but I prefer the days when I don’t have to wear them,” he answers, standing up and placing a stack of boxes next to you on the counter. “No peeking,” he says in a stern voice, smirking at you and you hold up your hands. 

“I’m not touching anything,” you reply, “But I never asked what you work with?” 

“I work at the FBI, with art theft,” he says and you widen your eyes. 

“Don’t tell me you’re an FBI agent?”

“Yeah,” he furrows his brow as he looks over at you, “do you..is- is that a problem?” 

“No, no, not at all, I’ve just never met an FBI agent. It makes being a baker seem very tame is all.” 

“Maybe tame is good sometimes,” he chuckles and looks around the kitchen and his brow furrows again, “Hhmm…hang on, I’ll be right back,” he says, grabbing the bag and going out into the shop again, “No peeking!”. 

“What are you doing?” you call out to him as you hear tables and chairs being moved around. 

“Nothing, just setting things up, just wait there,” he calls back and a few minutes later he comes back to the kitchen. 

“Now, let’s get dinner ready,” he smiles, “Plates and a small saucepan?” 

You direct him to them and soon he’s arranging food on two smaller plates. 

“Miss,” he says, winking at you and holding out his arm, “Let me show you to your table.” 

“How nice, please lead the way,” you smile at him and slip off the counter, taking his arm. He brings you out into the café part of the bakery and leads you to one of the small round tables by the window. He’s put a white table cloth on it and set two candles in the middle, another few candles arranged around the shop. The sun is setting outside and in the dim light of the shop the candles spread a golden glow, giving it an atmosphere you’ve never seen before. 

“Marcus…this is lovely, I’ve never had my shop look so nice before,” you say, sitting down as he pulls out the chair for you, “It’s so…romantic,” you let it slip out without thinking but Marcus puffs up a little and beams down at you.  

“I’m glad you like it, I really like your shop,” he smiles, “and I really like the shop owner, I wanted to make it special for you.”  

“You might be my very favorite customer, Marcus,” you smile back up at him, your cheeks heating up and he grins. 

“First course is coming right up,” he says with a smile and disappears into the kitchen. 

“You should give food walking tours of the city,” you joke as Marcus smiles at you from across the table. “I’m so full but I still want to go and eat at all your favorite places right now.” 

“I’d take them here first,” he says, “and make sure everyone knows where the best bakery in town is, but…” he leans forwards and grins at you, “Speaking of baking, I want to know if you’ve guessed my favorite dessert yet.” 

You give him a soft laugh and mimic his movement, leaning forward to meet him across the table, “I think I might have, I just need to go and turn on the oven and then they’ll be ready in a few minutes. But I just realized, you never said what my reward would be for guessing correctly.” 

Marcus hums, tapping his long fingers on his chin as he looks at you, a mischievous smile making the corner of his mouth curl up. 

“I don’t think we agreed on anything, but if you go turn on the oven and I’ll come up with something good,” he says, his smile widening, making your skin heat up as his eyes seem to suggest something enticing. 

Thank god for your industrial oven, it turns on and heats up to the right temperature in no time. While you pull out the dessert plates and take the ice cream out to soften, it hums to life and pings. The dessert goes in and you set a timer and go back out to Marcus, sitting down at the table again. 

“It just needs a few minutes,” you tell him, “did you come up with a reward?” 

“Yeah, I did, but what if you guess wrong?” he asks, “I need a reward too.” 

“If I’m wrong…” you say, thinking out loud, “you tell me your favorite, and no matter what it is, I’ll make it for you.” 

“That’s a nice idea,” Marcus smiles, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms, the t-shirt stretching tight over his biceps, you swear you can hear a seam ripping behind him, “but I like my idea better.” 

“What’s your idea then?” you ask, giving him a suspicious look, he’s got a very happy grin as he looks at you. 

“If you guess wrong, I can take you on a second date,” he says and you laugh, that’s probably the easiest reward he could’ve asked for and you see the corners of his eyes crinkle as he sees your laughter.

“Hardly a difficult reward, Marcus,” you smile at him and he gives you a warm smile back, “But what if I guess right, what’s my reward then?” 

“If you guess right, you get to take me on a second date,” he grins and you feel little happy bubbles in your chest as his soft eyes stay locked with yours, you can’t help but smile widely back at him. 

“Deal, Marcus,” you say, holding out your hand to him. He leans forward and takes it, his large hand enveloping yours, thick fingers gently closing around yours as you both shake on it. 

“I can smell chocolate,” he grins, glancing at the kitchen, “I think you’re on the right track.” 

“I know you, Marcus,” you laugh, “all serious business suits on the outside, but a wild child on the inside, bass player and all.” 

“Hardly the definition of a ‘wild child’,” Marcus chuckles, “now, if I’d been lead singer or lead guitar, then maybe.” 

“Well, the dessert is only a little bit of a wild child, the defining factor is that at its heart, it’s very romantic, just like you.” 

Marcus gives you a slightly embarrassed smile, “It’s that obvious, huh?” 

“That you’re a romantic? Of course, but I like it,” you smile softly back at him, turning off the timer that’s just gone off, “Moment of truth. Did I guess right or not?” 

“Doesn’t matter, I’m getting a second date either way,” he says, winking at you as you stand up and head to the kitchen. 

Pulling them out of the oven you quickly plate the dessert and scoop up the vanilla ice cream, finishing with a light dusting of cocoa. Your hip bumps open the door to the shop and Marcus watches you eagerly as you bring the plates over and set them down on the table. 

“If this is what I think it is, you’ve got yourself a second date,” he jokes and grins up at you. 

“That’s not helpful, Marcus,” you laugh, “either way, you’ve got yourself a second date.” 

“I know, that’s the beauty of this deal,” he chuckles, picking up his dessert spoon and looking at you expectantly, “Can I guess?” 

“Sure, go ahead,” you smile and he pokes the dessert lightly. 

“Chocolate fondant?” he asks, looking up at you, raising his eyebrows, before he digs the spoon in and cuts it open. The soft chocolate cake exterior gives way to a thick river of chocolate that pours out of the interior of the little cake. Marcus giggles and scoops up a bite of both cake and sauce and puts the spoon in his mouth, humming at the flavor and closing his eyes. You watch with pride as he tips his head back and moans, the spoon still in his mouth as he sucks it clean. 

“How did you know?” he asks, a bright smile on his face when he’s finally done with his first bite. 

You shrug and smile back at him, “You’re not a health freak, you didn’t recognise the more complicated French pastry, you like gooey brownies and you’re a romantic. Chocolate fondant seemed like the obvious choice. Decadent, sweet and just the right amount of fancy,” you grin at him. 

You take a spoonful from your own fondant and put it in your mouth, watching the chocolate flow out from the inside, just the right amount of undercooked to keep the inside flowing and warm. The chocolate flavor spreads across your tongue, paired with a hint of vanilla and salt, rich and warm and you let an involuntary moan escape. When you glance up you don’t miss the dark look Marcus gives you, his eyes fixed on your mouth as he takes another spoonful. 

“You really guessed right, I love chocolate fondant, but I’ve never had one this good before,” he says, humming around the big piece in his mouth. “How come you don’t have them in the shop? Actually, don’t have them in the shop, I’d buy them all every week.” 

You giggle at his blissed out face as he takes another big bite, dropping his head into the palm of his hand as he sucks the spoon clean, “It’s like hot chocolate, brownie and chocolate sauce all in one fluffy soft shell of cake.” 

“I’m glad I guessed right, seeing your happy face makes me happy,” you smile at him and the tips of his ears go a pink in the dim light as he clears his throat and chuckles. 

“Coming to your bakery makes me happy,” he smiles, scraping the last bit of fondant from the plate while he looks up at you, his eyes crinkling at the corners and it’s your time to feel the heat rise in your face, his grin widens as he sees you shift awkwardly in your chair and glance at him with a smile.  

“Really, getting my morning coffee has become the highlight of my day,” Marcus says, “How sad isn’t that?” 

“Not sad, you coming into the bakery every morning has been the highlight of my day,” you say, finishing off the fondant and putting the spoon down while Marcus watches you with a smile. He suddenly pushes his chair back and stands up, holding his hand out to you. 

“Dance with me,” he says, the warmth of his hand spreading across your palm and down your arm as he pulls you to your feet. 

“There’s no music, Marcus,” you laugh but he just grins and spins you around before catching you in his arms, one around your waist, the other still holding on to your hand as you put your own hand on his shoulder. 

“Who cares about the music,” he says, gently swaying you back and forth while he gives you a soft smile, “it was just a clever ruse to get to hold you.” His hand on the small of your back is lightly stroking the fabric of your shirt and you’re very close to him, pressed up against his chest as he holds you near, moving slowly in a circle. You can smell his aftershave, mixed in with the dark chocolate of the dessert and without thinking, your hand slips into the soft looking curls at the back of his neck. Marcus tilts his head as your fingers play with the silky strands, letting go of your hand and moving it slowly to cup your face, his thumb stroking the soft skin on your cheek as he seems to inhale slightly and dip his head to yours.  

His lips are just as soft as you’ve imagined them, warm, gentle, as he parts them and tastes you. His steady hand holds you close, the curve of his strong nose brushing up against your cheek as he angles his head to better kiss you. You feel your fingers gripping his hair, willing him to press you even closer to him. All of his warm, solid body is pressed up against yours, his hand at the small of your back sliding up to hold you closer to him, your own hand gripping his shoulder, steadying yourself as you feel like melting into his touch.  

He’s still swaying the two of you gently, your lips moving slowly together, tasting the chocolate on each other's tongues. Heat is creeping through your body, wrapping around you, as you feel him tighten his hold on you, his breath skating over your lips as he exhales, a quiet groan leaving his throat. 

“You taste so sweet, even sweeter than the dessert,” he mumbles, his mouth close to yours, “I never want to stop kissing you.” 

You stand on your tiptoes to reach more of him, your hand around his neck, and part your lips for him, letting his tongue lick into your mouth with more fervor. He also tastes sweet and the way he pulls you closer as you steady yourself against his chest makes you moan under his increasingly heated kisses. He’s not swaying you anymore, instead he lets you melt into his body, his arm holding you up, as he bends his head, another groan slipping from him as he feels your tongue slip around his own. 

Marcus’s kisses make you forget the time, where you are, and not until he pulls away with a sigh, do you open your eyes and look up at him. His eyes are dark, filled with lust, and it’s mirrored in the way his body feels against yours, his arousal a clear presence between you. And you can feel your own fill your core with heat, a slow shiver as you touch upon the thought of having him even closer. 

Marcus keeps his eyes locked on you, his warm hand gently stroking your cheek as he seems to take a deep breath, composing himself. Your fingers are still toying with the impossibly soft curls at the back of his neck, letting them slip through your fingers, and you feel like you might drown in his dark brown eyes if he doesn’t release you soon. 

“Is it too soon to ask for a second date tomorrow?” he whispers, his eyes dropping down to your lips again, and then back to your eyes as you shake your head. 

“No, tomorrow sounds like a very good idea,” you mumble, slightly hazy from the way his hands never stop touching you, warming your body and sending shivers to your core. 

“Ok,” he mumbles back, “can I kiss you again?” 

“If you do, we might not get out of here tonight, Marcus,” you smile at him and he chuckles, nodding and pulling back a little. 

“You’re very right, maybe it’s best to save more kisses for tomorrow.” 

“I look forward to them though,” you say, letting your fingers slip from his hair and down over his shoulder, caressing his arm, his wrist, and finally his hand. He takes your hand then, enveloping it in his larger one,  and brings it to his mouth, pressing a soft kiss to it. 

“Tomorrow then,” he smiles. 

Part Eight

@harriedandharassed @inept-the-magnificent @sheepdogchick3  @readingiskeepingmegoing @noisynightmarepoetry @survivingandenduring @vabeachazn @amyispxnk @oberynslady @vabeachazn @amyispxnk @thewiigers

[clarisse0o]

Camp Wiegman-Part 56

Lucy Bronze x Ona Batlle

Alternative Universe : Military School

Words : 6k

Masterlist

———————————————————————

Friday, February 19; 3:00 PM -Alps

"Mom," I sighed again. "Do I really have to argue with you about this?"

"Why wouldn't you want to come home as well? I really expected you to visit."

"How many times do I have to repeat myself?" I replied with a weary tone. "I have an interview on Tuesday. We would have come after that, but all my friends are staying here."

"Yes, but..."

She started her sentence but quickly stopped to sigh in turn. I had been struggling with her for nearly fifteen minutes about our possible return to Barcelona. I knew it would be difficult to tell her we weren't coming, but I didn't expect it to be this hard. She seemed really upset.

"I would have loved to see you again... Plus, I'm a bit worried about letting Joan travel alone."

"Oh come on, it won't hurt him to manage on his own, don't you think? And it's not like we're never coming back to Barcelona. It's just that the end of this vacation isn't convenient for us."

"Yes, I understand..."

I rolled my eyes as I turned to lean against the railing of our small balcony. I had stepped outside to get some space. I didn't need Lucy hearing our conversation. Who knows how it could have gone. Surprisingly, it was going more calmly than I had imagined. Especially for a disagreement. She had never acted this way with me before. It's the first time she's trying to see me, and maybe that's why I'm not being as harsh for once. From this new angle where I positioned myself, I could see inside our room. Maybe it wasn't a good idea to move. Lucy was gathering our things, offering me a perfect distraction. It's our last day today, and we're leaving in the next hour... Just thinking about it makes my stomach turn. I would have loved to extend this vacation.

"I took a few days off, you know," my mother continued, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"Are you trying to make me feel guilty?" I teased. "I can be stronger than you at this game, Mom. For instance, you've never taken a vacation for me before."

An awkward silence followed. I could almost feel her nervousness from here, and yet I hadn't even raised my voice this time. She knew I was right, and she must have been afraid that I would get angry. However, now that I think about it, I can't blame her. Our relationship was so shaky that she avoided taking vacations at the same time as me. It was better for everyone if we didn't want seven to fifteen days of door-slamming arguments.

"Alright, I get it," she sighed. "I give up, but do you think you could come back soon...?"

"I don't know. Probably. We'll make sure to come back over a weekend if you really want to see us. Has Lucy made such an impression on you or what?" I teased lightly.

"I love Lucy, but I'd also like to spend time with you."

I nervously bit my lip. Her words seemed sincere, but for some reason, I felt like there was something more behind them. She really insisted on my girlfriend's presence, which was very unsettling. My daydreaming was quickly interrupted by Lucy waving at me from inside to get my attention. It wasn't hard to understand that she was waiting for my help. I sighed as I ran my hand through my hair.

"Listen, Mom, we'll come back, for sure, but it won't be next week. Just get a ticket for Joan. The best would be for Wednesday," I said, repeating what Lucy and I had agreed on.

"Alright... I'll let you know the times. You fly this route often, do you know someone who could take care of himS?"

"Yeah," I said without even thinking. "Ask Shay to take care of her. She's young, probably Lucy's age, very nice. I don't know if she'll be on that flight, but you can try."

"Okay, I'll see. Did you have a good vacation otherwise?"

"Really great. I'd love to keep chatting with you, Mom, but I need to gather my things, you see. Lucy will come looking for me outside if this goes on," I chuckled softly.

"Oh," she replied, embarrassed. "Sorry for keeping you..."

"No, don't worry. I'll call you when we get back to tell you all about it, okay?"

This conversation was getting stranger by the minute. I don't know where these words were coming from, but I felt compelled to say them given how she was behaving. One thing is certain, it does nothing to ease our awkwardness.

"Alright," she responded uncertainly. "Be careful on your way back."

"Promise. See you soon."

"Safe travels."

"Thanks. Bye, Mom."

The words slipped out again. I had never said "bye" to her at the end of a phone call before. I quickly hung up to avoid prolonging this strange and unusual conversation. I took a deep breath before heading back into the room. The first thing I did was take off my jacket. Lucy was no longer visible, but I understood she was in the bathroom from the noise coming from there.

"Did everything go well?" she asked me.

"Mm-hmm," I replied nonchalantly. "I don't want to leave," I added to change the subject.

"Oh, come on. Don't act like a child."

I relaxed, relieved that she was playing along by responding to the second part of my sentence instead of asking questions about what I had been doing outside. So I quickly continued in that direction.

"It was way too short."

"Are you done? Help me finish packing our things instead of complaining."

"Blah, blah, blah," I mumbled with amusement.

I smiled as her head peeked out from the doorway to give me a threatening look.

"I'm not kidding. Your clothes are still in the closet, so make sure to pack your suitcase."

"Yeah, yeah."

I rolled my eyes before turning my back on her. Looking her in the face right now could be regrettable for me. At the same time, it really was a perfect stay. It's the first time I've had such a hard time leaving. Yet, I tend to be the kind of person who loves returning home to find my routine after a trip. But today, I have to admit it's the opposite. Lucy was right again. I'm going to be the one making us late if I keep delaying our departure. With these thoughts, I started packing my suitcase as Lucy had asked. Everything was folded, so packing was easy. Then I tackled the nightstand, dumping what was left on it into my bag. I sighed at the same time, which made Lucy laugh in the next room.

"Aren't you done yet? Are you going to mope too?"

"Yes! Completely."

"Well, I guess I'll leave you here then."

"Hey!" I protested. "You wouldn't do that."

"Why not? You just confirmed that you'd be depressed if you left here, so you could stay here, right? That would solve your problem."

"But no," I complained. "You don't get it. I'll be even more depressed if you leave me here alone."

"Really?" she murmured in my ear, making me jump.

She placed her hand on my hip. I didn't expect her to be behind me when just a few seconds ago, she was talking to me from the bathroom. I glanced over my shoulder to see her little charming smile. When I tried to turn around, she held me back to pull me closer to her.

"So, I'm more important than a place, huh?"

"You know very well you are," I whispered. "You understood perfectly when I said I wanted to stay here. It meant with you."

"I didn't understand it that way, though," she teased lightly.

I closed my eyes as she placed her lips on my neck. My God, how I loved her kisses. Anywhere, as long as she gave them to me. She's the only one who can drive me crazy to the point of letting her touch me like this. I still can't figure out how she managed to fit so easily into my life, but she did. And damn, do I love it.

"You should..." I finally whispered.

"And why is that?" she murmured against my neck.

- Because. I don't want to go anywhere without you anymore...

I pause for a moment after saying this. I don’t even recognize myself anymore. I was never someone clingy, and I definitely feel clingy saying this.

- I can't believe I just said that, I mutter out loud, making Lucy chuckle.

- But you did. It’s cute.

I take advantage of this moment to turn around and face her. She gives me a quick peck on the lips without adding any more comments that could make me uncomfortable.

- Alright, now that your little bout of depression is over, can we finish packing our things? I promise we’ll end our vacation just as well as we started it.

- I know, but it’ll be different. Not as... magical. We had our own little world here, you know?

- I can't argue with that... It’s true it will be different, but we have to return to the real world sooner or later.

I nod in agreement. It’s true, we’re really going back to reality. This last week of vacation will bring more work and responsibilities. It will start with the interview Lucy arranged for me, and then with my brother's arrival. I’m quite happy I won the battle against my mom. There was no way I was going to impose another long trip on us. Plus, after talking with the girls, I found out that Ale is staying in Manchester with Jenni, and Mapi already bought her ticket back for next weekend. Going back under those circumstances was out of the question. Having spent several weekends in Manchester before, this is the first time it’s happening. I can understand why my mom is worried about sending Joan, but he’ll only be traveling alone for one trip as we’ll make sure he returns with Mapi.

- Well, Lucy says, closing the suitcase. It’s time to head down. Are you done on your end?

- Yep.

I throw in the last of my things that I had in my hands before doing one last check. If there’s one thing I hate, it’s repacking when leaving. I always feel like I’m missing something. Fortunately, everything seems to be in order. I close my suitcase and join Lucy, who has already moved towards the door. I glance back one last time with a slight pang in my heart. I’m really going to miss this place. It was truly our little haven.

- Let’s go, Lucy murmurs.

I give her a sad smile and grab her hand. She shuts the door behind us, and we head downstairs. I’m surprised to see that we’re among the last to finish. I expected the others to take more time, considering this is the first time it’s happened. Usually, we’re among the first.

- I’ll go return the keys, Lucy tells me.

She steals a kiss before heading to the reception. I take the opportunity to join Alexia and Mapi, who seem to be having an animated conversation from where I’m standing. It looks like it’s the case, given how they greet me.

- There you are at last! Mapi calls out. We had an idea, Ale and I.

- Oh really?

- Yeah, she says proudly. Do you think Lucy will let you go for a night? We were thinking of having a girls’ night when we get back. Just the three of us, no girlfriends, nothing. Just us.

- Do you really think I would spoil the night by not wanting my presence, Mapi?

Once again, Lucy catches me off guard with her sudden appearance. The girls didn’t expect it either, judging by the looks on their faces. Since I told her what Mapi thought, this is the first time she’s made a remark that could suggest a reproach. Yet, I know they’ve talked. Neither of them wants to tell me what was said, but all I know is that things are better. They’ve settled their differences and know what they think of each other. I had pestered Lucy to be kind, and it seems she was. The most important thing is that their relationship has improved. It would be great if they didn’t take three steps back again. The comment had its effect on Mapi, as she gives me a disapproving look. She knows I told Lucy. At the same time, she should have known that was the case. A little cold sweat breaks out when she looks back at Lucy again. She almost seems embarrassed.

- It’s not that, it’s... Well-...

Her distress is evident in her eyes. Fortunately for her, Alexia comes to her rescue.

- We just wanted to have a night with friends, you see, Alexia interrupts. We’ve never had the chance to do one since we’re never together.

I bite my lip as I see Lucy raising her eyebrow seriously at Alexia’s intervention. Knowing her better now, I immediately relax. I was afraid she might react negatively, but I quickly realize she’s just teasing them. She often plays on her influence, and it’s very amusing to watch. I’ll never know how she manages to stay so serious every time. It’s something I could never do. Her serious expression slowly turns into a smile, making me burst out laughing.

- It’s fine, relax, Lucy finally laughs with me. Do you really think I’d stop her from going out? I’m not her mother, I’m her girlfriend, remember?

The girls’ faces are priceless. It’s funny that they always ask for Lucy’s permission. They still see her as my school chaperone. They haven’t yet understood that Lucy clearly distinguishes between the two relationships, and it will never be the case.

- But the night needs to be decided so we can plan, okay? Lucy adds while running her hand through my hair.

- Yes, Commander, I tease.

She rolls her eyes with a little smile.

- I’m going to Jenni’s, she finally says.

She kisses my cheek before heading off in her direction. I linger on her before turning back to the girls, who seem really uncomfortable.

- Forgive us, it’s just that we always feel like she’s the one calling the shots, Alexia apologizes first.

- I assure you, she lets me live my life fully, I giggle. If that wasn’t the case, I’d let her know.

- Okay, so when would be a good time for the girls’ night?

- Probably in the next few days. Joan is coming, so I’d rather avoid having him with us or leaving him with Lucy, I say with a shrug.

- Really? Joan is actually coming? You managed to call your mom?

- Just about. It was hard to convince her because she wanted us to come instead, but she finally agreed.

- That’s awesome! Alexia exclaims. So, you’re staying?

- Well, yeah, I laugh. We weren’t going to leave when you’re all here. Joan will probably come on Wednesday, but it would be best for us to have this girls' night over the weekend.

- We could do it tomorrow night. It’s Saturday. Saturday night is fun, right?

- Yeah, Alexia agrees. Jen told me she hasn’t done anything with Lucy in a while, so it’ll be a good opportunity for everyone to go out.

- We’ll check with them then, I say.

- Hey girls, are you coming? Beth calls out to us. It’s time to leave.

- It’s funny that it’s the latecomer calling us, Mapi jokes.

She nudges her playfully before they head off together, joining the others in laughter. It’s amazing how this trip has brought everyone closer. As for me, I’ve spent a lot of time with the four girls and Jenni. That girl is great, and I’ve learned some stories she shared about Lucy. It seems she was very protective of her and still will be if necessary. It’s good to know she’s surrounded like this, though I often wonder why. From what I know of Lucy, it’s hard to believe she needs it. Other than her, I’ve also talked a lot with Beth since she loves art, but also with Aitana during the evenings we spent together. Lucy was never far when one of her friends approached me, and I’m grateful for that. She has a good understanding of my anxiety, so I’m glad. Speaking of Aitana, she’s the last latecomer before we finally head out. We were very lucky with our cars. Since we barely used them these past few days, they were all covered in snow. Fortunately, the staff noticed and offered last night to clear them before our departure. Now that we’re in front of them, the result is really there. They’ve cleared everything, both on top and around. We decide to keep the same seating arrangements as on the way, which suits me perfectly.

- I’m still sad, I confess to Lucy while Jenni loads the car.

- We’ll come back, I promise, she chuckles.

- Hmm... But we might have to wait. Our next trip will be somewhere sunny.

- Are you going on vacation this summer? Alexia joins our conversation.

No. With the work at the gym, we won’t have time, Lucy replies. We’ll probably go to my parents' place during the next school holidays.

Lucy brought up this idea to me this week. I wasn’t particularly thrilled, but I couldn’t really say no. She had already met my mother, and she herself agreed to come back with me when I asked her. She admitted to visiting them twice a year: once during the end-of-year holidays and the second time during the summer vacation. Unfortunately, this year the second visit won’t be possible. Since she’s leaving her job to open her gym with Jenni, it goes without saying that they will have a lot of work on their plate this summer. When she told me about it, I expected her to say she wasn’t going. However, she promised them that she would come during the April holidays, so she can’t back out now. At first, I thought she just wanted to warn me about her departure, but in reality, I quickly realized that she wanted me to accompany her to introduce myself. I clearly panicked. It was sudden, and Lucy is older than me. Her parents must expect things different from mine. I don’t even know myself how we’re going to move forward after school, and I’m not in a hurry to find out, to be honest. All I want is to take my time. I was almost ready to say no to her, but she then explained that her parents have been worried since Keira’s death. Understanding Lucy’s desperate state, they had asked her to come back to Portugal, but Lucy categorically refused. She explained to me that she didn’t want to do that, that it would have been like taking ten steps back in her life. According to her, she had gained her independence by coming to Manchester and she had learned to love this city. It was because of this event that their project with Jenni truly came to life. If all this hadn’t happened, they would have waited before starting their own business. However, it was apparently the only thing that convinced Lucy’s parents to let her continue living in UK. Lucy managed to hide from them that she felt lonely and destroyed, and instead, she was determined to continue her new life. I felt bad hearing these revelations. I didn’t like knowing she was feeling so badly. Her solution to cope was Camp Wiegman. She confessed to me that it was her best way to heal. With this job, not only was she able to make money, but also, she managed to forgive herself for not being able to save Keira by helping other people in distress. It’s crazy that we could have met this way, but I’m so happy that her presence has been woven into my life.

- Yes, that’s exactly what I thought, that’s why I was asking, Ale continues with a smile. It’s cool if you can leave before! And where are you coming from then?

- From Portugal.

- You too? she wonders, knowing that I am too. Wow. Two Portuguese together, then, she giggles.

- Oh yes, Lucy laughs.

- It’s true that it’s a good idea to come back, Jenni says, closing the trunk. It’s been a long time since we did that with everything that’s happened.

- It was you who didn’t come back with me in December, Lucy replies. But if you want, you can come with us, Lucy offers. We will definitely leave the first week of the April holidays, but that remains to be confirmed.

- That would be cool! I agree. I would feel less alone, I joke.

- So yes. Know that Ona is really scared of meeting my parents, Lucy teases, making me blush.

I was panicking too. After what she told me, she never introduced someone after Keira. I can imagine that I would be the center of all their attention to ensure that I wouldn’t harm their daughter. In itself, I can’t blame them. I would have been the same and that’s what terrifies me.

- Well, at the same time, there’s a lot going on with Diane, Jenni laughs. Does she at least know that you have someone new in your life? It’s been a long time since you introduced someone to them.

- Since Keira, she murmurs. They don’t know about Ona yet, but I was planning to tell them over the phone in the next few days.

- I feel like you’re going to get a good scolding, she mocks. How long has it been since you called them? Knowing you, you’re still avoiding them like the plague, right ?

- Oh stop it. I avoid them much less than you avoid yours. I call them every weekend since... Well, every weekend except last weekend. She might have noticed that I’m hiding something from her, and I didn’t want to tell her about Ona right away. Anyway, did you know that your parents asked about you? she smiles amusingly at this news.

- Yeah, that doesn’t surprise me, she grimaces. But with all the organization and everything, I was pretty busy. That’s why I’m saying that maybe I should go back there, she giggles.

- You’d better call them more often, she scolds.

- You’re not in a position to preach to me. Start by telling her about Ona. You should know that the sooner the better. They’re just waiting for you to come back with someone.

- Hum, hum, she rolls her eyes.

- Hey guys, Aitana calls out to us, interrupting. Are we good to go?

Yeah, we’re good, Jenni confirms. Let’s get going before we get yelled at again, she tells us with a little laugh.

- That would be the height of irony since we were always the first this week.

We laugh as we get into the car. As on the way, we take off our jackets to be more comfortable, and Jenni hurries to turn on the heater. After Jenni checks the other cars, she opens the road as it’s still us who have the GPS. I look back with a slight pang, but I forget it very quickly the moment Lucy rests her hand on my thigh.

- Anyway, in all this, Ona, I confirm that you have reason to worry, she jokes. Diane will be relentless with you, believe me.

- Hey, Lucy replies upon seeing my face. She’s already quite panicked like that. Don’t make it worse. I would have preferred if you reassured her.

- Do you want to know the truth? she asks me.

- Because that wasn’t the truth?

- Yes, she laughs. But what you really need to know is that Lucy’s parents are adorable deep down. They’re just worried about her, so they’ll simply make sure that you deserve her. To do this, you’ll certainly have to go through a very thorough questionnaire, and they’ll definitely check your background—

- Jenni! Are you out of your mind?

- What? We both know they’d be capable of that, she snorts. No, seriously Ona, knowing you, they’ll adore you once they get to know you, believe me.

Lucy sighs before resting her hand again on my thigh. Looking at her now, I almost feel like she’s more stressed than me about this meeting. Maybe if she wants to take me right away, it’s to do it as quickly as possible like Jenni said earlier? I won’t hesitate to ask her. Anyway, I would follow her to the other side of the world if necessary. She has already done so much for me, so I wouldn’t hesitate to return the favor. However, it doesn’t change the fact that I’m totally panicked and if it were up to me, I would have gone back to Barcelona to spend my days studying for my exam.

- Everything will be fine, OK? she finally tells me. It will be the rest of the world against the two of us, in any circumstance.

This sentence may be cliché—and I hate it so much—but coming from Lucy, it's just adorable. I link my hand with hers and bring it to my lips to kiss the back of it.

- I know, I murmur before taking a deep breath. Anyway, you’re going to come with us too, right? So maybe they’ll have other distractions since it seems like Jenni hasn’t come back in a long time.

My subject change ended up easing the atmosphere. We laugh under the groans of the driver of the car.

- The worst is that she’s probably right.

I smile, staring outside. After all, it’s not really a bad idea this vacation. I’m going to have to face her parents sooner or later, and I’m happy to return to Portugal. It’s been a while since I last set foot there, me too. I miss my country. Maybe I’ll ask her to stop in my city as well...

Friday, February 19; 9:30 PM - Manchester.

I can’t take it anymore. I’m literally exhausted. In a good way, of course. Since it was mealtime upon our return, we all stopped at a pizzeria again to grab a bite. It’s been about an hour since we ate, and we’re now chatting. Most of our conversations are about our stay. Unlike in the Alps, there’s no more snow here, but it has been transformed by rain. Lucy told me she got used to this city, but I still wonder how. Maybe the weather will warm up now. I blink several times to stay awake. I try to follow what’s being said while being completely slumped over Lucy. A little more and I’m lying on her.

- Do you want to go home? she whispers to me.

- Hum, hum.

I shake my head, sinking into her neck. I don’t want to ruin the evening because of me. Everyone still seems to have their heads in the living room. We've done so many things that there's a lot to talk about. Lucy kisses the top of my head, holding me close.

- We’re going to go home.

No, I mumble.

- "Yes, let's go home," she giggles. "I don't exactly want to carry you all the way to my apartment."

- "I'm fine," I mumble. "I'm not that tired..."

I try to sit up, but she firmly keeps me against her.

- "You're allowed to be tired, babe. We've had a long week."

I smile at the thought. We definitely had a long week. Between parties, hikes, and activities, I don't know where my head's at anymore. Lucy had promised we'd go sledding, and that's what we did yesterday on our last day. Afterward, we stopped by a chalet for hot chocolate and ended the evening in the pool. It was the perfect way to unwind one last time. I didn’t expect to be this exhausted, though. There were nights when we didn’t get much sleep, but I should be used to short nights by now.

- "Alright, everyone," Lucy says to the others. "Any volunteers to drive us home?" she asks.

- "We’ll take you," Jenni teases. "We’re falling asleep too."

Eventually, everyone agrees to head back. I was surprised to find out it was already nearing ten o'clock. Suddenly, I didn’t mind going home. I thought it was much earlier. I struggle to get up, barely managing to stay on my feet, which seems to amuse Lucy.

- "It’s not funny," I mumble with a small smile.

- "Do you want me to carry you?" she teases.

- "No, and stop mocking me," I complain.

- "Oh, by the way, we didn’t get a chance to talk about the girls' night," Mapi says, approaching us.

- "You can talk about it tomorrow. She won't remember anything tonight," Lucy laughs.

I groan again, giving her a gentle push. Bad idea. Not only does she barely move, but I also stumble. Without another word, Lucy lifts me into her arms, making me let out a small cry of surprise. It was the last thing I expected her to do after joking about it. I smile as I relax against her, no longer finding the strength to protest. It takes just a few minutes for sleep to take me.

Saturday, February 20; 3:00 PM - Manchester Supermarket.

I sigh for what feels like the hundredth time as I push the cart. Whose idea was it to do the shopping the day after a vacation? Especially on a Saturday. It’s packed with people. This isn’t exactly how I imagined getting back to normal life. At least I got a good ten hours of sleep last night... I could’ve easily slept ten more.

- "I’m sore all over."

- "Are you done complaining? You've been doing that since you woke up," Lucy teases.

- "I’m sleep-deprived. I don’t really understand why you volunteered us to do the shopping. The others volunteered too. We could’ve spent the day on the couch!"

I’m starting to think it was a mistake to agree to this evening so soon. I should have known that with Mapi, everything would need to be meticulously organized, and that’s exactly what happened. This morning, during breakfast, she called me bright and early. Before her call, Lucy had confessed that she wanted to bring it up last night, but I fell asleep before she could. Mapi didn’t hesitate to remind me, teasing me about it. I laughed it off, so I can't really be mad at her. It’s something that’s never happened to me before. Then again, we didn’t get much rest during the vacation. We scheduled the girls’ night for tonight. I would have preferred to move it to tomorrow, but Lucy and her friends will be heading to The United while I’m out.

- "I’m starting to think I should have let you sleep in that restaurant last night instead of carrying you. And to think I said I wouldn’t do it."

I gasp, lightly hitting her arm.

- "It’s not my fault I was completely exhausted. You would’ve dared?"

- "Hmm... I would have if you were acting like you are now. You wanted this girls' night tonight, so own it."

- "Listening to you, it sounds like you're not too thrilled about it."

- "Don’t put words in my mouth," she sighs.

- "Then what? Are you going to say it’s my fault again? I consulted you, and we didn’t really have a choice since you’re also going out to your bar."

- "That’s not what’s bothering me right now."

- "Then what? Are you going to blame me for agreeing to a girls’ night? Did you not want me to?"

I ask, feeling a bit panicked. What if that’s it? I barely consulted her, but she said it was fine yesterday. At least, it seemed like tonight worked for everyone since she’ll be out with Jenni and Ingrid while I’m with the girls.

- "Of course not. It’s not about the night out. It’s you making a fuss about these groceries that’s irritating me. That’s all."

- "Well, the others could’ve handled it. Mapi and even Ale offered to help."

- "We needed some groceries anyway. Besides, Jenni’s going to start working solo on our room, so I owe her since she’s already doing a lot. And as for the other two, I don’t trust them with the shopping list. You know what I mean?"

I swallow the words I was about to throw at her. I’m such an idiot sometimes. I should know by now that most of her decisions are well thought out.

- "Sorry," I mumble. "I get it now, but I was just expecting we’d spend the day on the couch, so I’m frustrated."

- "It’s fine, I know. We’ll have time for that too. I promise, babe."

- "Yeah, well, I’m afraid we won’t have much time left, you know? Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve had a chance to relax?"

- "Are you going to tell me you regret last week?" she challenges, raising an eyebrow.

- "Of course not... Alright, have you finished contradicting me just to change my mind?"

Lucy laughs as she continues filling the cart that I’m pushing. Some of it’s for us, and the rest is for tonight, as she mentioned earlier. We’re staying at Jenni’s apartment, so we needed to buy stuff since she’s low on supplies too. We decided to make pizza, so we bought what we needed, as well as some drinks. In the end, I’m glad we’re taking care of it. At least I know what we’re buying, and if it helps the others out, then all the better.

- "Nope. It’s actually pretty funny," she teases with a small smile. "Anyway, how about we grab some things for a movie night tomorrow, hmm?"

I was about to pout, but Lucy knows just how to talk to me to avoid that, it seems. I nod enthusiastically.

- "That sounds tempting, for sure."

- "We can finally finish the Harry Potter series after all this time."

- "You’re the best."

- "Alright, let’s finish these groceries then. We’re almost done."

Now that I look into the cart, I realize that Lucy had already started picking up stuff for tomorrow. I smile, amazed at how she always manages to distract me. It’s incredible.

- "Hey, you’re not really mad at Mapi, right?"

- "Why do you ask? I thought everything was settled."

- "I thought so too. It was just a question based on your remark yesterday. She blamed me for talking to you," she giggles.

- "Oh. I was just joking. I thought you guys understood that."

- "I did. I just wanted to make sure now that we’re alone."

- "Mapi is your friend, Ona. Like I said before, we’ve settled our differences. As long as she stays honest with you, I’ll appreciate her."

- "Even if she makes me drink tonight?"

- "Well, I’d rather not talk about that."

I laugh, knowing exactly what she’s thinking. She really doesn’t like it when I drink. Keira must have really left a mark on her in that regard.

- "I’m kidding. I promise it won’t be a wild night. Alexia didn’t seem to want that, and with what you picked out, I doubt we’ll get drunk."

I say, glancing into the cart. There are mostly beers, two bottles of low-alcohol liquor, and some soft drinks. I don’t think we’re at risk of getting drunk with this.

"And what do you plan to do tonight? Do you have any plans yet? »

My smile widens. She just can’t help but be curious. Even though she told me this morning, and just repeated, that she didn’t want to know anything about tonight.

- "I have no idea. We’ll probably talk a lot. Anyway, you’ll be looking for me tonight, so there’s no risk of anything happening to me, right?"

- "Don’t be so sure. If I find you drunk, I’ll make you run beside the car on the way home to burn off the alcohol."

I burst out laughing. The craziest part is that she really would do it.

- "Well, we’ll try to avoid that, huh?"

- "It’s up to you to avoid it, sweetheart," she replies with a wink. "Come on, let’s check out. When we get home, we can prepare the room for your brother, get the snacks ready, and finally relax. I’m starting to get tired too."

- "It’s about time," I giggle.

- "What can I say? I guess I have more stamina than you," she teases.

- "Yeah, well, not all of us are as athletic as you," I retort with amusement.

- "True," she smiles. "But even the best can get tired."

- "What nonsense! I never said you were the best."

- "I don’t need you to say it. I know it myself, and that’s enough," she boasts.

I laugh, giving her shoulder a gentle push. Her smile widens, making mine grow too. She’s joking when she says that, but she probably doesn’t realize how true her words are. She’s such an amazing woman, and I feel like she doesn’t even see it. I can’t wait to get home and hibernate on the couch with her.

[askhatchetfieldhigh]

OOC: Hello everyone! If you didn't already know, I work in the wondrous field of ✨professional theater✨, which means I am constantly going around preforming in regional theater statewide. I am currently in a production of a show, where I play a very significant role, and we are heading into tech week for that show very soon, which means I will have less time to be on here. Here are the days in which I will/may not be able to check into my inbox:

Thursday Nov 7

Monday Nov 11

Tuesday Nov 12

Wednesday Nov 13

Friday Nov 15

Saturday Nov 16

And, as of right now, that is it. There is a good chance that either Friday, Saturday or Sunday I won't be able to (going to take a road trip to see my best friend, who is also in regional theater. We acted together in my last regional show and she is currently performing in a show) but I don't know which of the 3 yet.

Thank you for your continued support of this blog... love you all lots!

[gontasaysfuck]

Hello Everyone!

We are very happy to announce that in one month, we will be hosting the "Let Gonta Say Fuck" Week for the very first time!

With plenty of prompts for you to choose from, we hope that everyone has a great time with these prompts, whether you be an artist, a fanfic author, an animator, a poet--whatever your creative medium is!

Without further ado, here are the written out prompts:

Monday, July 8th: Swear Jar/Self Hatred/Lying Tuesday, July 9th: College AU/Zombie AU/Tragedy AU Wednesday, July 10th: Bachelor Party/VRAU/Fantasy AU Thursday, July 11th: First Times/Last Words/Mercy Killing Friday, July 12th: Lust for Lovers/Best Friends/Teamwork Saturday, July 13th: Out in the Wilds/City Living/Nobility Sunday, July 14th: Free Day for the official "Let Gonta Say Fuck" day!

Please be sure to tag any submissions for the event as "#LetGontaSayFuck" along side the tag "#Day (x)" (Day 1, Day 2, ectect) as well as @-ing this blog to make sure we see it!

Please read the Rules and the FAQ! If you have any further questions, please send us an ask and we will do our best to answer!

Good luck, and see you guys in July!

[in-my-shifting-era]

Not In The Mood

(Draco Malfoy Angsty but ends Fluffy)

Summery: Having a playful academic rivalry with Draco Malfoy results in some mainly playful banter. What happens when reader has a bad week and Draco is the only person to try and fix it.

Warning: Some mature language. Maybe some strong language. Draco is kinda a softie in this.

Authors note: Draco won my poll! This is my first blurb of him for let me know what we think.

————————————————————————————————————————

You’ve been having a bad week. On Monday you got detention for being late to class because your alarm didn’t go off. Tuesday you spilt ink on your brand new uniform shirt. On Wednesday you snapped at your best friend and she’s giving you space. Then on Thursday you lost 15 house points for laughing at a prank pulled on Snape during class. When Friday came around you prayed it would be a good day. All was good throughout the day. That was until you got back your Transfigurations test from the last class and getting a bad mark.

To get away from the week you’ve had you decided to hide away in the Hogwarts library to try an escape into your new book. This plan didn’t last very long because a smug laugh interrupted your peaceful moment. “How did I know I’d find you here? A bore like you would spend their Friday evening in the library.” You looked up from your book to see Draco with his signature smirk as he leaned against the shelf you were sat by. You gave him and exhausted sigh and closed your book. “I’m not in the mood for your shit Malfoy; I’ve had a bad week.”

Your voice was flat. You didn’t really sound annoyed or rude with your words. To the blonde you just sounded numb. He wasn’t getting the rise out if you that he wanted. He shifts himself off the shelf to stand closer as his playful gaze softens. “Yeah I’ve kinda noticed you’ve been in a mood all week. I even heard you called Granger a stick in the mud. I actually want to talk about what happened their?” He’s pushing at your buttons but you won’t give him the satisfaction of his comment getting you to talk back to him.

Rolling your eyes at his comment you look at him fully now “Seriously Draco leave me alone. I’m on a streak of saying things I regret and I’d refuse to apologize to you if I hurt your feelings.” Your tone was playful this time making Draco’s lips turn up into the slightest smile. You take this moment of neutrality to get up and put your book back into your bag. You start to walk around him. You’re stopped when You from walking past him by stepping in your way.

“Go for a walk with me. Going for a walk always helps me clear my head” A look of uncertainty falls onto your face not knowing what to think of Draco’s offer. Draco notices your hesitation and sighs softly. “Don’t be a stick in the mud now. I promise to play nice.”

A smirk finds its way back to Draco’s face as you roll your eyes and give him a playful glair. You push your shoulder against him playfully as you walk past him towards the door. “ Can you do something nice for someone without making a snarky comment Malfoy?” He smiles to himself seeing your attitude return and follows behind you. “What would be the fun in that? My snarky comments are part of my charm darling.” You roll you eyes at him and let out a small laugh as you walk out of the library with him.

The comfortable silence that followed as you two walked the empty corridors brought you a small moment of peace. You look at the blonde and see his usually tense and guarded demeanor is replaced with an comforting presence. His eyes scan the many paintings that line the halls of Hogwarts. He turns his head having felt you staring into him and cover yourself by asking him a question.

“How did you know about my test score? We don’t have Transfigurations together so I know you didn’t see it some how.” Draco looks down lightly and let’s out an awkward laugh. “Uh Blaise actually told me. He sits near you and he told me you looked disappointed when you got your test back.” You give him shocked look. “Do you have your friend keeping tabs on me Draco?”

Draco scoffs lightly and rolls his eyes. “ No I don’t. He knows about our academic banter and he was telling me to leave you alone on this one. I had to still poke my fun but I wanted to make sure you were okay. Failing a test is not like you at all so I figured something more was going on.” He gave you a sympathetic smile as he says this. Something you’ve never seen often from the tough Slytherin.

Your demeanor softens and you smile up at him. “You’re the only person to notice I was struggling this week so thanks Draco.” A soft smile fall onto his face Draco’s face. He hold your gaze with his gray eyes staring into yours. “I may like to get under you skin sometimes but never aim to intentionally be cruel do you.”

In this moment you’re seeing a side of Draco you’ve never seen before. The burning blush that hides on your cheeks as you both bicker back an fourth if fully dusting your cheeks a rosey red. Talking like this with Draco feels nice. You like seeing this side of Draco. Truly you bring it out of him. Through he would never admit that.

[lastoneout]

Hey uh @ people with ME/CFS I got a question...

Everything I've read and heard about kinda seems to go hard on the idea that over-exerting yourself tends to lead to exhaustion that just never gets better at all no matter how long you rest after, and like I always assumed I didn't have it, because yeah overexerting myself tends to make me way more exhausted than is does other people and the exhaustion lasts like, a week or more sometimes, but it does eventually get better.

Like last weekend I went shopping for my birthday and also to an art gallery, and then I did a few small errands, and I conserved my energy as best I could, resting often, using mobility aids, ect, but I had to spend Mon-Fri in bed doing basically nothing aside from watching youtube, listening to music, and playing tetris because that was all I had the physical and mental energy to do. And granted that was dragged out a little because I had to go to the ER on Wednesday due to a migraine that got triggered by all this(bcs overexerting myself almost always triggers a migraine) and on Tuesday I sat in the car while we took my cat to the vet for a quick nail trim, but aside from that I just rested and even though I am feeling a bit better today I'm still just SO fucking tired and I know I'm going to have to take it easy for a few days more just to be sure I'm okay.

Which like, idk doesn't sound normal, that's for fucking sure, but I do know that with enough rest eventually I will return to my normal, which isn't everyone else's normal but is still normal enough that I can make myself easy meals and sit at my desk and talk to people and make phone calls and run errands without it killing me too badly.

But like idk my doctors seem convinced that I don't have any kind of autoimmune condition(although they haven't actually ran any tests they just keep insisting I'm not showing the signs of one and to keep up with physical therapy even when I tell them that just going clothes shopping for a few hours puts me on bedrest for the next 2-3 days) but idk again this does NOT seem normal. I legit feel SICK sometimes when I push myself too hard, like I think I'm coming down with a cold or something but it never actually turns into one, I just have that "eugh" sick feeling for a day or two and then it goes away once I've rested enough(also for clarification I never get any real cold/illness symptoms like a temperature and I mask literally everywhere and this ONLY happens after exertion so I don't think I'm actually getting sick). I also don't usually feel rested when I sleep but I always chalked that up to the insomnia more than anything?? But it does happen even when I have a good night's sleep with no tossing and turning or nightmares...

Anyway if anyone who does have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome could maybe explain to me what it's like for them I would appreciate it because idk what else could possibly be going on with me but I am so fucking tired of my doctors acting like there is nothing wrong. It might not be ME/CFS, and I have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia so maybe this is all just that? So I also wouldn't mind if someone who has fibro can tell me if this is all just fibro stuff. But idk I just want to know for sure, you know? (If it helps in addition to the fibro I also have arthritis, hEDS, orthostatic Intollerance, and occipital neuralgia.)

[rrenzwrld]

secreto de amor VII

chapter 7! read chapter 6 here

“y/n~i need to talk to you.”

“you always need to talk to me. talk to your other friends.”

“don’t get smart with me. i just wanted to remind you about the business trip i’m going on. i leave next wednesday.” jean worked with a company that providing them with relaxing trips out of the country twice a year because they know how taxing the job can be.

“where you going this time?”

“it’s actually a cruise, going to the bahamas. i’ll be gone for two weeks tho, much longer than last time.”

“two weeks??” that caught your attention. you were used to jean and his trips but you’ve never been left alone for two weeks.

“i figured you don’t need a babysitter because you’re 18 but some people will swing by to check on you.”

“you tell—“

“yes i told mom and dad. they’ll come check on you and if you get scared just stay over there.”

“anything else i need to know?”

“nope, think that’s all. love you!” jean closed the door behind him. although it was only tuesday and he had about a week to prepare, it shouldn’t worry him about leaving you. he knew that you were a good kid, you don’t cause trouble , and you’re practically already independent apart from you living with him. so he didn’t know why he was feeling weird about all of this.

later on that day, you called tia to have your daily conversation and some interesting things were brought up.

“you said he said what now?”

“just reposting tweets n shit and relationships, talkin bout some ‘i’ll take my old bitch over a new bitch any day’” the dude in question was your ex you dated for two years until he cheated. he was your first and last boyfriend and luckily you hadn’t lost your virginity to him or else you’d be going mad even now.

“a weirdo for real. remind me why you follow him again?”

she shrugged. “to be nosy. give us something to talk about.”

“valid.”

“your brother still going on the trip thingy?”

“yeah, why?”

“just asking. don’t he always go around the same time?”

“yeah but i didn’t think you were paying attention. he’s gonna be gone for two weeks this time.”

“two weeks?? oh you’ll be dead before he gets back.”

“don’t say that! i can handle myself fine for two weeks.”

“you don’t even sound like you believe yourself. but look at the bright side,” you rolled your eyes as you already knew what would come next. “connie can come over without any interruptions and he’ll stay and keep you company, and then~” tia started clapping her hands and moaning.

you laughed. “i fucking hate you. i don’t even think about him like that, he 22.”

“so? older dick be the best dick.”

“i’m gonna hang up on you.”

“it’s okay if you wanna hang up on me to call your man.”

“i don’t have a man.”

“sure..”

next wednesday rolled around quicker than you thought and it didn’t seem real to you up until you saw your brother all packed up in suit and tie.

“why you dressed up? i thought you were going on the trip to relax.”

“there’s a meeting right before we board the plane.” you nodded as you watched your brother put on his dress shoes. “are you sure you’ll be okay? you’ll call or text if you need anything right?”

“yes, i’ll be okay. just have fun.”

“i already called everyone to let them know so some one would be there everyday to check on you. and don’t throw any parties or anything while i’m gone.”

“i’ll try not to.” you joked. but he knew you weren’t like that. the most you’d probably do is have tia sleep over or something and just the two of you do stupid shit in the comfort of your own home.

“well,” he started as you helped him load the last of his things in his car. “i love you, i’ll be back in two weeks. i’ll call and text everyday, just don’t die on me.” he laughed while he pulled you into a tight embrace

“i won’t die, promise.”

after the both of you struggled to let go, you bid him a formal farewell as you watched him back out the parking lot, “love you too, be safe!”

after all that, it was weird having the place to yourself but you’d just operate how you would normally do. the only difference was that jean wasn’t present and you had to get used to that. but as he said, over the two weeks, people came to check on you every day.

you had visits from your older stepbrother elliot snd his girlfriend, your mom, your stepdad, and even your biological dad who really just started speaking to you after your mom remarried. but family wasn’t the only people who were there for you. you had visits from sasha who you’d hang out with from time to time, and sleepovers with your friend tia. but one person you really should’ve saw coming was connie. but you didn’t know how you felt just yet.

“y/n~” you heard connie call out to you from your room but he stopped in the doorway when he made it. “your brother told me to—“

“check up on me?”

“yeah, but.. a little more than that.”

“what?”

“he gave me a key, see?” he held it up proudly but you were shocked and maybe a bit upset.

“when did he give you a key? and why?” connie walked into your room and sat at the chair by your desk.

“he wants me to check on you

everyday—“

“people do that already.”

“yeah but he wants me to check on you everyday.. for multiple times a day.”

“so i don’t have a choice.. but to see you everyday?”

“multiple times a day, yes.” he smiles. “but that makes it easier for us to get to know each other.”

“don’t you have things to do? like work or..?”

“yeah but i���ll just come here after.” you rolled your eyes. although jean suspected that connie was trying something with you, he still trusted connie to keep you safe if anything else.

“whatever.” you went back to whatever you were doing.

“right,” connie stood up to walk out the room. “and imma need your number or something.”

“to track me?”

“no, just to keep in contact with you. weirdo.” he laughed. you were the weirdo? you ended up putting your number in his phone and he put his number in yours. “i turned locations on by the way. i’ll be back, bye!” he left before you could even get on him about it.

[smutallyouwant]

If you could pick a different idol to have sex with each day of the week, who would you pick for which day?

Monday : For the desserts I would like to have Dahyun. Her waist would be a good view while doing her in the back

Tuesday: I'd pick Jihyo and suck her good boobs all day.

Wednesday: Aespa Karina, I find her so hot lately so I would like to try her. I bet she'd be so hot to fuck with.

Thursday: Thursday will be Sana day, would be nice to fuck her outdoor.

Friday: Chaeyoung, I will violate her and make her suck my dick in public places.

Saturday: Somi, she's so fucking hot and I would fuck her all day.

Sunday: Save the best for the last, Mina it is.

[anaer]

wip wednesday (sept 18 24)

JJK time travel fix it fuck it up fic CHAPTER TWO (in which gojo ends up back in time and decides its time for a hostile takeover) sukugo/stsg rating: gojo plots murder

“So I think I’m going to kill the higher-ups next week,” Gojo announced to Nanami and Shoko that evening.

Nanami choked on the beer he was drinking, squawking like he was dying even more when Gojo (very gently) slapped his back to help him.

“Stop that before you break his ribs,” Shoko chided, reaching over the table to shove him away from Nanami.

“I was helping!”

“Helping make my life more difficult when I end up having to heal him.” Shoko gave him a pointed, blank look. “And it sounds like I’ll have my hands full in the next few days, so I want to enjoy my night.”

“Ah, it’s fine; I won’t do it until at least Tuesday. You’ve got time.”

“No,” Nanami said between coughs, pounding on his own chest. “Stop talking. I don’t want to hear this.”

Gojo leaned to the side, face fully in Nanami’s space. Nanami tried to lean backwards but there wasn’t much room in the inside of the booth he was trapped in. Regret was already written over his face, but regret was the only emotion Gojo ever got from Nanami, so he paid it no mind. “Don’t worry, Nanami! I’m not killing them just for shits. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll definitely enjoy it, but this is just because Sukuna said society’s hierarchy should be determined by strength and he thought I’d be in charge, and I’m thinking he might be right.”

One second, two, three of Nanami processing what Gojo had just said. Confusion ran across his face followed quickly by abject horror before settling into resignation as he said, “What?” Fingers pressed against his forehead, pinching away the headache he would most likely claim was growing. “Why are you enabling this idiocy?” he asked Shoko.

Shoko laughed and tossed back her whiskey. “Oh, right. You don’t know. Gojo is apparently from next year.” She nodded in Gojo’s direction. “He made a whole timeline. It’s pretty interesting. You die, apparently, but I make it.”

Nanami’s face looked even more pinched as he dragged his own drink to his mouth.

“Yeah, I died, too,” Gojo added. “Which, you know, kinda sucked, but as far as ways to die go, I’d say that was a solid nine out of ten. Pretty fun, all things considered.”

Nanami mouthed ‘fun’ with disbelief against the rim of his cup.

Shoko was still laughing, entirely too amused for what was, in fact, a very serious situation. Gojo didn’t mind, though. Unlike some people (Suguru), she took his threats seriously. She just thought he was naturally funny, which he was. “And get this: he’s also in love with Ryoumen Sukuna now.”

Nanami started choking again. Gojo very pointedly did not try and help him this time.

“The mummified fingers?” he finally managed. He dropped his glass back down onto the table, but only because it was empty.

“Mm,” Gojo acknowledged. “I’m pretty sure he’s at least a little in love with me, too. Or at least he was; now I have to go through the whole process of seducing him again. Fuck. It went so perfectly last time! I nearly killed him. He killed me. We had a moment!”

Nanami blinked very slowly at him. “And this is why…you want to kill the higher-ups,” he said, voice dry.

Gojo waved him off with one hand and sat back in his chair. “Nah. That wouldn’t impress him; they’re too weak. I’m going to kill them for me.” He beamed as he said it, delighted by the thought.

Nanami rubbed his forehead like that would at all ease the impending headache growing behind his eyes. He didn’t get it. Of course not. Gojo nodded as he decided to explain further.

“Here’s the thing: I didn’t kill them last time. I mean, I did. I completely butchered those fools, and it was the best part of my birthday.” Nanami looked like he wanted to die. Gojo ignored it and continued. “But I didn’t before they fucked everything. I could’ve. I should’ve. But, you know, everyone’s so insistent you have to be a good person all the time. If you murder people, they’re all ‘oh you’re an evil cult leader now, you have to be kicked out of society’.”

“To be fair,” Shoko interjected, “Geto deserved it. Don’t defend him for that; he dumped you at a KFC.”

“First of all, he didn’t dump me. We just grew apart. Because he’s obnoxious and I can’t stand listening to him talk. Also, the whole murdering most of the world thing is a big turn-off. If he’d only decided to murder a couple thousand people, I could’ve been on board.”

Shoko and Nanami exchanged a look.

“Anyway,” Gojo continued. “That’s not the point. I tried being a good person, and it didn’t end well for anyone. And killing those idiots was both fun and a net good, so why wait this time? I’ll do it now. Before everything is fucked. I can’t possibly run things worse than they do.”

It was possible Nanami mouthed something like, ‘so we’re all doomed,’ right before he downed the rest of his drink, but Gojo, as always, graciously ignored him.