#life coach after divorce

[drsoniasharma]

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[nataliescatorccioapologist]

What we know about each Yellowjackets character’s life before the plane crash

Shauna

Not a lot is known about Shauna’s childhood, but it definitely seems like she had an estranged relationship with her parents. It is confirmed that Shauna’s parents divorced when she was younger. Jackie mentioned that Shauna lied to her about her father’s sudden absence, saying that he was traveling a lot because he had become the new president of Hello Kitty (aww Shauna). This suggests that, after the divorce, Shauna had little to no contact with her father. Additionally, Shauna never even mentions her parents in the adult timeline, which may imply that she is no longer on speaking terms with either of them. Further emphasizing this distance is her childhood bedroom, which appeared to be in an attic. Whether she chose to sleep there or not, this detail speaks volumes about how separated or neglected she felt by her family.

Shauna had been best friends with Jackie since grade school, although their relationship was strained by jealousy and Shauna's feeling of living in Jackie's shadow. Nevertheless, their love for each other ran DEEP (a little too deep). Shauna’s jealousy of Jackie led her to lose her virginity to Jeff, Jackie’s long-term boyfriend, behind Jackie’s back. The night before the crash, Jeff and Shauna slept together again and she became pregnant with his child.

We also know that Shauna was a straight-A student and received admission to Brown University right before the crash, and she was a very good soccer player (she was very fast according to Coach Martinez!) even though she apparently didn’t even like soccer.

Shauna was most likely a Defensive Midfielder on the soccer field, given that her jersey number was 6. This means that she was in charge of acting as a shield in the midfield, breaking up attacks, covering teammates, and intercepting passes.

Jackie

Jackie appears to have come from a wealthy family given how massive her house was (complete with those fancy mansion columns). She was an only child and lived with both her parents. Jackie’s parents seemed to put a lot of pressure on her to be perfect, and we see that they tend to brag about her achievements (even after her death), which highlights their high expectations for Jackie’s success. Jackie’s mother may have had a dependence on prescription drugs, as she mentioned that her mom was on “ten different kind of downers”, some of which (Valium) Jackie stole to fall asleep on the plane.

Jackie was popular in school and was the captain of the Yellowjackets soccer team (more expectations that she had to live up to). She was said to possess great influence over others due to her natural leadership skills and magnetism. She had been dating Jeff since freshman year, although she mentioned having broken up with him multiple times, so it seems like it was a tumultuous relationship. She refused to have sex with him due to wanting to make losing her virginity special. Jackie planned to go to Rutgers for college and be roommates with Shauna.

We can assume Jackie was a forward/striker on the soccer field due to her jersey number: 9. This means her primary role was scoring goals.

Natalie

Out of all of the Yellowjackets characters, Natalie’s life pre-crash is explored in arguably the most detail. We learn that she came from a low-income family and lived in a small, cluttered trailer with her parents, both of whom appeared to struggle with drinking and drug problems. Her father worked a blue-collar job, possibly as a mechanic, given the (tire?) patch on his work shirt, while her mother, Vera, seemed to stay at home, often drinking and sleeping throughout the day. We also know that Nat’s father was physically and verbally abusive to her and her mother.

Nat’s best friend was Kevyn Tan, whom we first see her with when she is 14 or 15 years-old, although it seems like they had been friends for a while before that. Kevyn had a significant crush on Natalie, which she was unaware of. When Nat was 14 or 15, her father found Kevyn in her bedroom one day and berated Nat, thinking that they were sleeping together. This escalated into her father beating her mother, prompting Natalie to grab a gun and attempt to shoot him. However, she forgot to take off the safety. Her father then took the gun but accidentally shot himself in the head after tripping on the stairs.

It is strongly implied that Natalie's mother blamed her for his death, as she makes comments in the present day like, "You never know what you have until it gets ripped away from you." This suggests that Natalie had a cold and distant relationship with her mother.

It appears that Nat spent much of her high school years experimenting with drugs and sex to cope with her guilt and had gained a reputation at her school for being sexually promiscuous and a “burnout.”

Somehow she ended up playing soccer, and she was likely a right midfielder or winger given her jersey number: 7. This means she was in charge of attacks in the midfield and passing the ball to other teammates closer to the goal.

And one more interesting detail: Nat was definitely a hardcore feminist in her teen years, as we can see riot grrrl posters all over her childhood bedroom walls.

Travis

We get very little information about Travis’s life before the crash, but we know that he lived with his father, Bill, his little brother, Javi, and his mother. Travis stated that his father was “a shit dad” who “didn’t even like him,” so he clearly did not have a good relationship with his father. Additionally, before leaving to get on the plane, we see that Coach Martinez leaned in to attempt to give his wife a kiss goodbye, but she turned away and appeared stiff. Travis rolled his eyes at this. My guess is that Coach Martinez cheated on his wife and Travis knew about it. His parents’ relationship was strained after the affair but they stayed together for the kids, and Travis resented his father for it. Just definitely seems like the context behind that scene.

Travis seemed to hold some resentment towards Javi as well given his harsh treatment of him even before the crash, perhaps because he received more attention and care from their father. We also know that Travis was bullied since 7th grade after he had spinal fusion surgery and Bobby Farleigh made up the rumor that he got one of his ribs removed to perform…certain acts on himself, earning him the nickname “Flex.”

Van

We got a brief scene in the pilot episode of Van’s home life. Like Natalie, Van also appears to have come from a low-income home. Van’s father was likely not involved in her life, as Van’s mom seemed to be the only option when she needed a ride to the airport and her father was never mentioned. Van’s mother was an alcoholic, as she was laying passed out on the couch and Van had to slap her to wake her up. It seems like Van had to take on a parental role with her mother and likely had to raise herself for the most part. In the adult timeline, Tai mentions that Van had always had a strained relationship with her mother.

Van went to New York City once for her 7th birthday and wanted to do the carriage ride in Central Park, but she was taken to see Cats instead. She dreamed of going back to NYC and doing the carriage ride ever since.

Van is the Yellowjackets’s goalie, and it seems like she and her teammate Taissa had a romantic relationship before the crash (or were at least flirting a lot).

Lottie

Lottie’s pre-crash life gets explored in a little more detail. Lottie grew up in a very wealthy family. Her father, Malcolm, is a businessman who seemed very strict and controlling. Lottie’s mother, Emilia, seemed more soft and understanding of Lottie’s potential gifts. We see that, as a child, Lottie often experienced strange visions, including a time in which she started to scream in the backseat of the car while her parents were at a red light, which ended up preventing them from getting into a car crash when the light turned green. It is implied that Lottie experienced these visions often. Lottie’s parents argued over the nature of these visions, with Malcolm saying that Lottie had psychological issues and needed to be fixed, while Emilia argued that Lottie had a gift for seeing the future. Lottie was placed on medication for schizophrenia, and she is seen taking this medication the morning of the crash.

Lottie had a disconnected relationship with her father. It seems like he never understood her and neglected her as a result. It is implied that he wasn’t around much due to his work. Lottie said that her dad paying for the private plane to take the Yellowjackets to Nationals was “basically his only form of parenting.”

Lottie, according to Coach Martinez, is a talented soccer player with great footwork. Lottie is likely a Defender on the soccer field, given her jersey number: 5. This means she was in charge of keeping the other team from scoring goals and stopping attacks.

Taissa

Tai appears to have come from the most well-adjusted household among the group. She lived in a nice home with both of her parents, who seemed supportive, as shown in their brief interaction in the pilot episode. Her mother offered to drive her to the airport, while her father was cooking breakfast. He reminded Tai that "the most important thing is to have fun," which conveyed a sense of care and encouragement. Despite this, Tai was always intensely focused on success and hard work. As a star player on the soccer team, she was implied to be the best player, according to Coach Martinez.

When Tai was little, her grandmother got sick and Tai often visited her on her death bed. Not long before her grandmother’s death, she saw a “man with no eyes” in the mirror of the bedroom and began to scream. Tai saw this man, as well, and also began to scream. At her grandmother’s open-casket funeral, Tai noticed that her grandmother’s eyes were missing.

Tai was likely in a romantic relationship with Van before the crash.

According to the Pilot episode script, Taissa is the star midfielder of the Yellowjackets. Her jersey number is 8, also supporting that she is a Central Midfielder, which is often considered to be the most difficult position on the field. This means she acted as a link between defense and attack in the midfield.

Misty

Misty was clearly a social outcast before the crash. She was bullied throughout her school years. One classmate, Becky, frequently targeted her with prank phone calls, spreading rumors and mocking her with her friends. During one of these calls, Misty quoted Plato, hinting at her intelligence and academic inclinations. Misty clearly loved learning and equipping herself with knowledge, as she obsessively took Red Cross babysitting classes, had a great deal of medical skills, and paid close attention in Coach Ben’s health classes. Misty always craved the feeling of being useful and needed by her peers. This was most apparent in the scene where Allie broke her leg—Misty was the first to spring into action, trying to help, although her attempt was unsuccessful.

We can also see that Misty may have always had some sociopathic tendencies, as she is seen watching a rat struggle and drown in a pool with no emotion on her face the morning before the crash.

As the Yellowjackets’ equipment manager, Misty didn’t play soccer herself but still found a way to be involved with the team. Her responsibilities likely included maintaining equipment, ordering new gear, and issuing uniforms to the players.

[lanadelnegan]

Down Bad

Coach Negan x F!Reader

Song inspo: Down Bad by Taylor Swift 🤍

Summary: You confess your feelings to your gym coach and he shows you how he feels in return. Warnings: 18+, smut, p in v, slight choking, praise kink, age-gap (reader is 18, Negan is in his 40's)

You had stopped dressing out, stopped walking laps, and stopped giving a damn in general. You were graduating high school in a couple of weeks and that meant that you wouldn't see him again. Coach Negan had been your favorite teacher over the past four years, letting you get by doing the bare minimum while still giving you an A+ each semester.

He's been there for you through it all - Your major breakups, the start of your womanhood, even your parents divorce. When you told Negan about your dad leaving during your sophomore year, he became overly protective over you, like he was trying to fill that void in your life. It was clear to everyone that you were his favorite, and that didn't seem to bother Negan. But you wanted him in a deeper way, and it was starting to become more and more obvious to both of you. 

You turned down the volume on your earbuds when Negan sat next to you on the bleachers. The two of you watched the other students walking laps around the gym silently for a few moments before he spoke.

"You know I can't keep letting you get away with doing nothing, doll. It looks like favoritism."

"Isn't it, though?" You grinned, glancing at him with your arms crossed. He copied your body language, leaning back on the bleachers.

"That's beside the point." His jean covered knee rubbed against yours as he smirked. You sighed and his gaze softened. "Seriously, kid. What's up with you lately?"

You could feel your cheeks turning pink as you looked down at your phone, changing the song. Negan took an earbud out of your ear and held it up to his own, curious as to what you were listening to. 

"No wonder you're so down. This music is depressing as shit." He laughed before putting it back in your ear. 

"Maybe that's part of it." I shrugged. 

"Yeah? What's the other part?" He asked, resting his arm on the bleacher behind you and running his thumb over the back of your arm. Chills instantly spread over your skin and your legs discretely pressed together. At least, you thought you were discrete, but the smirk on his face and the way his eyes dropped to your thighs said otherwise.

"You know where to find me if you want to talk." He said, leaving you and heading to his office.

You sighed louder, dropping your head back after watching him disappear. The cologne trail he left behind filled your lungs and broke you at the same time. The thought of never seeing him again made you want to drop from the face of the earth.

You were in love with him. And you had been for awhile now, which would explain the crippling depression and lack of motivation. There was no way it could ever work between the two of you. He was old enough to be your father. He probably wasn't even attracted to you in that way, but you had built this fantasy world in your mind where the two of you could be together. You spent more time in that world than in reality, and music helped you get there.

The bell rang moments later, dismissing school for the day. You sat still, watching the others file out of the gym like they couldn't wait to leave. And here you were, glued to the bleachers like you wanted to stay forever. 

Before you could talk yourself out of it, you gathered your things and went to Negan's office. You'd been there numerous times throughout the past four years. He kept it unlocked and stayed at least an hour after dismissal. You knocked lightly, waiting for his permission before entering.

"Well, that was quick." Negan smiled, showing his pretty teeth while motioning for you to sit in the chair in front of his desk. His arms crossed as he leaned back in his chair and studied you, completely ignoring whatever he was busy with before.

"Sorry, I know you're busy.." You began.

"Never too busy for you, sweetheart. You ready to talk about what's been on your mind?

"Maybe." You began, sounding unsure and feeling sick. This was a bad idea. 

"Maybe? We talk all the damn time, kid. What's different this time?" 

"I think I'm.. in love with this guy.. who probably has no clue. It's embarrassing." 

"You told me about the time you lost your virginity for fuck's sake. We've had these talks before. Why is it embarrassing?"

You felt your cheeks burning, remembering how you sobbed in this same chair a year ago when your first love broke your heart. 

"Because if you knew who, you'd probably never speak to me again." You said, unable to look at him.

Negan tilted his head curiously, holding back a grin. "Doubt it, kid. Try me."

"Okay, well, he's older. A lot older." You glanced at him.

"Okay." Negan nodded. "So he doesn't go here."

"Well, he sort of does.. He's um, not a student though." You felt lightheaded like you could faint any second.

He sighed. "A teacher?"

"Is.. that.. awful?" You asked, cringing at how ridiculous you must sound.

"It will be... if it's not me." He stood, walking around his desk and leaning against it when he stopped in front of you.

"And if it is?" You asked, looking up at him.

"It fucking better be. Come here." He said in almost a whisper. You stood instantly and he moved out of the way, nodding his head towards the desk that he was just leaning on, silently telling you to sit. 

He stepped between your legs, lifting them slightly as he pulled you forward to the very edge of the desk. Your clothed pussy was pressed against the bulge in his jeans and the friction made you wetter by the second. You tried to control your visible shaking.

"Since we're confessing things now, there's something you should know too." He said, thrusting forward. "I've thought about fucking your little pussy every day since you turned 18. How it would taste, how it would feel wrapped around my cock, how you would sound screaming my name. Is that awful?"

"Negan.."

"Oh and, if if wasn't obvious already.. I'm fuckin' crazy about you, too." He grinned.

You pressed your lips to his and felt his smile widen as he kissed you back. He took the lead, deepening the kiss as his hands explored you further. He lifted your shirt over your head and tossed it to the side while his gaze lingered over your chest. His fingers fumbled with the clasp of your bra before sliding it off your arms.

"So fucking perfect." He practically moaned before dipping down and wrapping his mouth around your perky nipple. He teased the other one too before coming back up to capture your lips again. His movements became quicker, and you became more confident, running your hands up his back underneath his shirt. He stood back just enough to take off his shirt and you admired his hairy, tattooed chest, seeing it for the first time. Your gaze followed the happy trail under his belly button to the hair peeking out of his low-hanging jeans.

"If this it too fast, you can tell me, baby. We don't have to rush." 

"No." You said too quickly. "...I want this."

"Good." He grinned, kissing you again as he began unbuttoning your jeans. You couldn't believe this was happening. You were so lost in the moment when a knock on the door made you both freeze. Negan dropped his head, clearly annoyed. "Yeah?!"

"Coach, can I -" 

The door opened and you covered yourself with your hands as well as you could, although Negan's body blocked most of yours. Negan didn't flinch. Instead, he calmly turned his head and stared at the student at the door. "Did I fucking say you could come in?"

"N-no sir." He stuttered nervously before leaving and closing the door behind him. 

"Negan!" You said panicked. "He could tell someone. You could lose your job." 

"So be it, doll. Nothing is getting in my way of this." He said softly, lifting you slightly to remove your jeans and panties. He slipped them off your ankles and spread your legs, admiring your glistening lips.

"Goddamn girl, you are perfect." He leaned down to lick you once and you whimpered at the quick loss of his tongue.

"Don't worry baby, we have all the time in the world for that. Right now? I need to be buried inside you. That okay?" He asked, unzipping his jeans and pulling out his completely hard cock. He was long, thick and much bigger than your previous boyfriend.

You nodded desperately. "Yes, yes, Negan, please."

He slid into you with one deep motion, doing just as he said - burying himself inside you. It was so deep it made your jaw drop slightly.

"Fuuuuuck sweetheart. You feel fucking incredible." His forehead pressed against yours and he began thrusting into you at a steady pace. Blood rushed to your cheeks at how amazing it felt.

"Lay back for me." He said, lightly pushing you to lay flat on your back on the desk. He remained inside of you and pulled you closer until your ass was just hanging off the edge. He placed your ankles on his shoulders as he plowed into you, hitting an even deeper spot than before. Tears filled your eyes at the sensation and you covered your mouth, trying not to scream.

"Uncover that pretty mouth, baby. I want everyone in this goddamn school to hear how good I'm making you feel." Your hands dropped to your sides and you let go, moaning loudly without caring.

"Fuck baby. Look at that." He said, looking down at your body. You lifted your head to look down and your eyes widened at the sight of his cock repeatedly protruding your stomach. You both watched in awe, breathing heavily as his thrusts became faster. His large hands gripped your waist, rubbing his thumbs over the bulge in your belly.

"Negan! Feels so good." You cried.

"I know baby, I know. Fuck." He groaned, pulling out of you, only to flip you over. You turned your head to the side, laying your cheek on the cold desk as he pulled your hips closer to him. He helped you wrap your legs around his waist as he pushed himself back into you, pulling on your thighs as he fucked you harder than before. Your chest pressed painfully against the desk but the sensation didn't compare to the bruising he was giving your cervix.

He allowed your legs to drop to the floor, leaving you in a position bent over his desk. Gripping your hair, he pulled you back and leaned over to meet you until his mouth attached to your neck. He bit down on the sensitive skin next to your shoulder while fucked you.

"This little pussy is mine now. Say it." He demanded, his voice in your ear sending chills through your body.

"It's yours, Negan! Only yours."

He chuckled, reaching around and instantly finding your clit. He rubbed his middle finger over it in circles while his other hand wrapped around your throat with the perfect amount of pressure. You tried to moan when you felt your orgasm approaching, but his hand around your throat stopped them from escaping and left your mouth silently gaping open.

Your eyes fluttered shut and your ears started to ring when it hit you - warm juices flooded his cock and dripped down your inner thighs as you moaned his name over and over.

"Thaaaaat's it, y/n. Good girl." He said the last part with a growl, letting go of your throat and turning you quickly. "Knees, now."

You eagerly obeyed him, dropping down and sticking out your tongue to catch his load. He looked down at you while stroking his cock and you closed your eyes, feeling it shoot across your face in warm, pulsating waves. He grunted louder with each one, until every drop was out of him and on your face.

"And here I thought you couldn't get any prettier, baby." He said, cupping your face and admiring you. You both cleaned up, using the tissue on his desk.

"Negan.. that was.. everything. But seriously, I'm worried about him someone finding out."

"Don't, it doesn't matter, doll. I already gave them my notice."

"Wh-what do you mean?" You asked, pulling your pants up.

"It's my last year here. I got an offer to coach basketball at UGA." He said proudly, smiling at you while pulled his shirt back over his head.

You were speechless for a moment. "Negan.. are you serious?! That's where I'm going."

He walked over, pulling you in for a kiss. "Exactly."

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[togrowoldinv]

Milf Wanda Masterlist

Best Friend’s Mom: You wake up next to your best friend’s mom and she begins to seduce you

Devout: You meet Wanda Maximoff at church and she later approaches you with a special request that you just can’t refuse *smut*

First Date: You pick Wanda up at her home for a date and learn a lot about the woman by the time she goes back inside that night *smut*

Five Minutes: You’re jealous, Wanda is jealous. The end result is one very intense break from the volleyball games *smut*

Fix: When you get a house call to fix a car, you have no idea that your payment will come in the form of sleeping with the customer

For The Hope Of It All: Wanda took comfort in you during times of trouble in her marriage. Endings are unavoidable *smut*

Forgetfulness: While dealing with a breakup, you go to the Maximoff house to babysit without remembering you didn’t have to go this week. Wanda comforts you and makes your visit worth your while. *smut*

Friends: You’ve been there for Wanda as a friend, but it’s always felt like something more

Invitation: You accept Wanda’s invitation to ladies night without knowing the deeper meaning of her gesture

It is Well: You’re the choir director at Wanda’s church. One afternoon after church, your relationship with her changes

Love and Baseball: You help coach a little league baseball team and meet the most perfect woman

Mother’s Day Brunch: Wanda invites you over for brunch and things turn intense *smut*

One-On-One: You’re Wanda’s pastor, so when her husband leaves her you reach out to offer her comfort. She tries to push you away on the account that she doesn’t like you, but that changes when she realizes what you could do for her.

Pour Me: You meet an intriguing woman while you’re bartending

Reconnecting: It’s been ten years since you’ve seen Wanda. A lot has changed for her

Settlement: You serve as Wanda’s attorney in her divorce proceedings, which leads to you helping Wanda see she can start again with someone new

Sexiest Woman Alive: Wanda is a renowned actress that you’ve been seeing for a while. She gets named the Sexiest Woman Alive and you show her just how much she deserves it

Sinking Sand: Wanda finds her way back into your life and you can’t resist her

Stress Relief: When Wanda calls, you always meet up with her. Sometimes in her very roomy minivan

Talk: You’re sleeping with your best friend’s mom who has been keeping quite the secret from you

Timeless: After you meet Wanda’s boys for the first time, she finally takes that next relationship step with you *smut*

Swaying As The Room Burned Down: Love in secret and without reason *smut*

The Meeting: When you meet a fellow mom at the PTO meeting, you soon realize just how much love she needs *smut*

The Sweetest Con: When you are put in charge of the volleyball team, you have a very interesting set of interactions with a mother at the church *smut*

To Show Thanks: Wanda does all of the cooking for Thanksgiving and you help her see just how thankful you are for her

Worth the Wait: When Wanda calls you after five years of no contact, you go to her house to talk to her. Some old (and some new) feelings come to light

Find more Wanda here: Wanda Maximoff Masterlist, Main Masterlist

Follow my library blog @togrowoldinvlibrary for fic updates!

[ghoststyles]

Missed Connections

Harry X YN WC: 6K

No smut in this one. Didn't feel right! Hopefully you like this as much as I do :)

______________________________________________________________

New York City, 1998

This dive bar is abysmal. 

Your Coach shoulder bag is sticking to the bar top while a ZZ Top-esque biker gang member chain smokes in the corner, blowing the smoke straight into your face, as One Headlight by the Wallflowers plays at a volume far too loud for your liking. 

The bartender places a poorly laminated menu, riddled with ring stains from the thousands of beers and simple cocktails poured over them. You’d be shocked if the vinyl seats don’t carry some sort of venereal disease, making you pull your jean skirt down, minimizing the direct contact with your skin. 

It’s a Thursday, your long days in the office, and the start of your best friend, Marcie’s, bachelorette party weekend. When did bachelorette parties turn into a weekend affair, anyway?

You suppose it’s because you’re the only single girl in the group; the only one to actually leave your suburban, central New Jersey upbringing to attend college and build a career in New York City. 

This is how you found yourself hosting 4 girls in your 550 square foot apartment for 3 days. Chickie’s the one with the fabulous life in Manhattan, why don’t we visit her! And who are you to say no? If it weren’t for her sister, you’d be Marcie’s Maid of Honor, so an unmitigated amount of guilt fell on your shoulders as the long distance bridesmaid. 

“Smile, Chickie, you look miserable. That’s not gonna get you a boyfriend any time soon,” Jenny teases you as she sits on the stool between you and the biker, her nose crinkling as she smells the vapor of the Marlboro reds. 

Jenny is the powerhouse of the group; the loud mouthed, opinionated friend who takes pleasure in picking on the other girls. You never pay her any mind. You thought for sure she’d eventually phase out after high school, but here she is nagging you, as usual. Even worse, she used your childhood nickname.

“I’m good, Jen. It’s not looking like my husband is going to walk through the door, anyway,” you laugh exasperatedly, looking around at the empty bar room illuminated by red lights and tons of novelty beer branded mirrors. The biker man leans back on his stool, furrowing his brows at you.

Jen laughs, lighting up her own cigarette and taking a long inhale. “You know, Andrew and I can set you up with any of his colleagues. Most of them are divorced once or twice, but, still good looking.”

Your lips purse out in preparation of a smart comeback, but your eyes divert to the door, where a group of late twenty and thirty something men walk through the door, taking seats at the corner of the bar. They huddle around one another, blocking your view of their faces. 

By this point, your girlfriends have changed the music and begin to dance on the tiny checkerboard dance floor, garnering the looks of everyone in the crowded space. Marcie is sloshing her drink around, the miniature veil in her hair slipping down as she moves. 

The biker man, your only ally for the evening, is now on a stool by the dartboard, dozing off as he nurses his umpteenth Budweiser. The bartender has refilled your gin & tonic a few times already, to which you place a few bills in his jar to your left. 

Marcie and Grace are now twirling around to You’re Still the One by Shania Twain, narrowly bumping into the group of men who walked in earlier. Marcie’s veil is barely grappling onto the top of her head, sending the two into a laughing fit.

You smile gently, still feeling the wave of exhaustion from your day in the office. In your own little bubble, your pocket of peace is disturbed when the stool next to you scrapes across the cement floors, sending an unstoppable shiver up your spine. 

“I’ll have a Budweiser, and whatever she’s having,” the new character quietly says to the bartender. Your head whips around to the gentle, but domineering tone, to find he’s not even looking at you. He fishes a twenty dollar bill from his wallet, sliding it in the direction of the barman. His brown, curly hair is unkempt, slightly hanging in his eyes as he looks down at you. 

“Thanks, but I can take care of it myself,” you brush him off, immediately turned off by the lack of eye contact.

“You’re the only one in here matching my energy tonight,” he chuckles, before turning his head to the biker in the corner. “Well, except for that guy.”

“I’m sure he’d love a drink,” you smirk, thumb picking at the laminated drink menu in front of you.

The stranger takes a swig of his beer, before placing it gently on the coaster. He finally turns to look at you, and you have to stop yourself from gawking. His striking eyes and perfectly chiseled jaw is the first thing to stand out. Looking down, his sleeves are rolled up to reveal a few sparse tattoos around his wrist and forearm.

“You’re the most miserable bridesmaid, and I’m the most miserable Best Man.”

You scoff, taking a sip of your cocktail before meeting his eyes over the rim of your glass. You place the cup down, jiggling the ice with it. 

“Bold of you to make any assumptions about me. I’m just here minding my own business.”

He purses his lips, now fully turning to face you on the stool next to him. “I’ve been here 30 minutes. You’ve only given blank stares to everyone in here, and exchanged glances with the motorcycle guy over there in whatever morse code you two have developed.”

About ready to hop off the stool and storm out, you’re intrigued at the next sentence out of his mouth. 

“I’m serious. We might as well get through this night together," he leans on the bar top, fist now supporting his chin. "How about we play 20 questions while your girls take shots and my boys stand there awkwardly watching.”

You scoff indignantly, unbelieving whether or not this twenty-something (thirty something?) man really wants to play 20 questions in the middle of a dive bar on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Laughing to yourself, you turn to face him.

“I’ll go first. Break the ice a little,” he licks his lips, placing his bottle down on the disintegrating coaster on the worn bar top. “Most traumatic childhood memory?”

As the question pours out of his mouth, you take a sip of your watery G&T, eyes bulging at the blatant bold question. 

“That—That, is what you start with? What about the name of my first pet? Name of my elementary school?”

“Who am I, your bank?” 

A smile finally— finally, makes its way to your lips. The tattooed stranger you met 35 minutes ago doesn’t seem so scary anymore.

From the dance floor, Marcie shoots you a knowing smile before pursing her lips and gyrating, taunting you, since you’re the notoriously modest friend.

You roll your eyes before meeting his — Blue? Green? You can’t really tell in the dim lighting. The Rolling Rocks neon sign is casting a hue over the left side of his face, a smile makes its way onto his face while he awaits your answer.

“My mom left me at a Walmart and didn’t realize for about thirty minutes. I stood with the old man who greets everyone at the door until she came back. Then he bought me a bouncy ball out of the machine in the vestibule so I’d stop hyperventilating.”

He sucks his lip in, clearly trying to stifle a laugh. Hesitating, he speaks again. Reaching for your hands folded neatly in your lap, he places his grotesquely large ones over them, staring into your eyes earnestly. 

“I’m so sorry that happened to you,” his voice dripping with sarcasm and mirth. 

Balling up your fists, you shake his hands off of yours. “You asked! I was only 7. It took me months to go back to Walmart, let alone look that poor 75-year old greeter in the eye.” 

He chuckles, taking another swig of his beer. “Okay, next question—” he starts, before you interrupt.

“Wait, I don’t get to ask a question?”

He hums, pretending to ponder it. 

“Mmmm, nope. I got some good ones,” he replies, gently tapping his temple with his middle finger. He sighs, taking another drink of his beer.

“Is the hokey pokey really what it’s all about?” He slightly tilts his head in your direction, shrugging. 

You don’t know if you want to laugh or cry. What higher power above sent this creature over to talk to you? Your lip juts out into a pout as your eye contact cuts over to your safe haven — biker man. He seems to have more to worry about, like not falling asleep in the bar. 

Recognizing the shock that washes over your face, the man recoups, “Shit, I know — I know, that was so bad.”

It’s the gin. The giggles pour out of you, sending a sharp pain to your stomach. You grab his bicep so you don’t fall off the stool, squeezing the solid muscle there. He snorts, tilting his head back. Your kitten heels scrape the metal bar at the foot of the counter, barely giving you anything to grip on to.

“I’m gonna pee my pants,” tears are fully flowing from your eyes at this point. “I can’t, I can’t.” 

The man cackles, placing a hand on your lower back. Now, your group of girls gravitate to your corner of the bar, bumping into one another and spilling their cosmos. His boys have now gained their liquid courage to morph the two groups together. You’re the only single one, but you won’t ruin anyone’s fun.

“And I don’t wanna miss a thing! Even when I dream of you…” Marcie belts out Aerosmith into her pretend microphone. “The sweetest dream will never do, cause I miss you, babe, and I don’t wanna miss a thing!”

In that moment, Christina strides over to the two of you with her disposable camera, ushering you to get in frame with him. He smiles down at you — how tall is this guy? Even sitting down he has at least a foot on you. You smile gently, leaning into him as the disposable’s flash goes off.

“So cute!”

You break the tension by latching onto his built body. He’s standing now, making sure not to block you from view of your friends. With just a few minutes from midnight, you finally feel loose and that you could actually have a good time with this guy. His hand hasn’t left your lower back, so he presses you into him before staring down at you. 

“Chickie! Come to the bathroom with me,” Grace slurs, grabbing your hand. “It’s upstairs and I don’t think my legs will carry me.”

You inhale through your nose, trying to find a moment of patience for your friend and her unpleasant interruption to the moment you’re sharing with this stranger. You glance up at him, unsure if you should go. The comfort his large frame is intoxicating on its own. 

“It’s okay, Chickie. I’ll be here,” he gently touches your lower back. 

You nod, smiling up at him gently, allowing Grace to pull you toward the small staircase leading to the bathrooms. The walls of the corridor are riddled with graffiti, old dollar bills and questionable amounts of gum.

Grace pulls you past and inconspicuous second bar (what kind of dive bar has a second floor? Who do they think they are, Le Cirque?) and through the crowd to the bathroom. 

The alcohol never feels like it hits until you come face to face with yourself in the dingy bathroom mirror. Despite your long history with drinking, (hellloooo football games in 10th grade drinking Burnett’s from the bottle) every heavy drinking night feels like the first time. You wait for Grace to finish up before hovering yourself over the toilet, unwilling to touch skin to porcelain. 

You both wash up, taking a moment to sniff each other’s pits, fluff each other’s hair and dab a damp paper towel on the backs of your necks to cool you off.

The burst of hot air upon opening the bathroom door is enough to knock you out, but, nevertheless, the two of you persist through the throng of bodies that appeared out of nowhere. You’re the blind leading the blind at this point, but you drag Grace’s half-limp body to the top of the steps, peering out over the crowd in hopes of spotting your guy.

You trudge down the stairs, the pounding of the wood reverberating straight to your brain, heartbeat picking up when you don’t spot him towering over the group anymore. You situate Grace on a stool next to biker man, silently nodding at him to watch over your friend before finding Jen, Christina and Marcie. 

“Jen, where did that group of guys go?” You tried to keep cool, not wanting to fall victim to her taunting, even if she’s inebriated. 

“Mmmm, who? OH! The bachelor party. They left.”

Your heart drops, cursing yourself for letting your guard down. Of course it was only a love connection on your end. As a last ditch effort, you look over the crowd, only to find biker man exiting the bar into the night.

“O-oh, um, did the — did the taller guy say anything before they went?”

“No, the groom was pretty fucked up. They basically carried him out. Sorry, Chickie.” 

Marcie suddenly bursts between the two of them, placing her arms around their shoulders.

“I’m ready for some McDonald’s!”

~

Why the fuck are you at the internet cafe? 

It’s 1:30 PM on a Wednesday, and your boss thinks you’re on a lunch break. After being talked off the ledge by your girlfriends while flipping through the Sunday Times after draining a bottle of cabernet, you decided to take matters into your own hands. 

Your mystery man from the bar hasn’t left your mind all week. Replaying the initial interaction — a bit cold, on both of your parts. But, the way he so easily opened you up and turned your night around kept you hooked. 

In a city of 7 million, the odds of finding him again were slim to none, so you assessed your options:

Going back to Mick’s.

Recruiting biker man to scour the city with you Ghostbusters style. He gave you his business card for exactly that purpose. 

Or writing a missed connections ad on Craigslist.

So, here you are, sat between a high schooler instant messaging on AOL and an old man using Ask Jeeves to diagnose a very personal medical issue. Taking a deep breath, you start the ad.

Every stroke of the keyboard was painful. This is so insanely out of your comfort zone, but the longing in your chest is too strong to ignore. The ad is the perfect mixture of nondescript and casual, but gives enough context that even if he were as dense as his friend group, he’d know it was him. 

Pressing post, you immediately exit the window, paying your $0.75 for internet time and a print out and fly out the door, a bell jingling in the path of your haste. You shove the ad in in the book in your purse and stomp down the street. The old man makes eye contact with you through the window, snarling a bit at your startling movement. It makes you want to yell at him through the window to go see a fucking doctor!

The heels you have on were not made for walking; exactly the opposite of what that insufferable Carrie Bradshaw promotes on that new show. It’ll be off the air soon enough. Reluctantly, you call a cab and head back to the office in hopes of taking your mind off the possibilities — a happy ending, or heartbreak.

~

The nervous tapping of your foot echos across the marble floor of Effie’s Café. Arriving 20 minutes early, you rotated back and forth between the wicker chairs at this clearly 4 person table. Should you face the door? He’ll see you in the daylight and make a run for it. How about your back to the door? No, he could actually be a murderer and attack you from behind. From the side? No, these are standing jeans only. 

Sigh. You decide to push your anxieties aside and order a glass of white wine, sitting with your back to the door to play up the mystery a bit more. One glass turns into two, and now you’re slightly sloshed for a Thursday at lunch time, hoping and praying you unlock the sweet, cool-girl personality you left him a taste of. 

The café starts to pick up for the lunch rush, so you don’t immediately recognize the familiar deep voice of someone is trying to get your attention from behind you. 

“Ladybug, is that you?”

Ladybug?

Slowly shifting your head to look over your right shoulder, your heart flutters at the tattooed forearm attached to the hand gripping the back of your chair. Only this time, the arm is attached to a tall, clean-shaven, blonde man. 

You look up, making contact with his blue eyes. Now you’re certain that mystery man had green eyes. The man in front of you smiles down at you as he pulls his chair out to sit. It’s like he’s not even recognizing everything wrong about this situation. 

He’s the wrong guy. You’re the wrong girl. Ladybug is the wrong nickname. 

“Um, hi. I’m no—

“It’s nice to meet you, officially. I’m Garrett,” he extends his hand to shake yours. You stare at it, dumbfounded and scheming your next move. 

“I think there may be a misunderstanding. I was trying to contact someone —.” 

“No misunderstanding. You sounded like a sweet girl in the ad. I’m just lucky my impression matches you physically. You’re stunning” 

No. Nope. Absolutely not. It’s not an honest mistake. He didn’t happen to speak to a girl in a dive bar with a silly nickname and tell stupid jokes just to get them to smile. This is the epitome of all of the warnings your parents gave you on computer safety. Sucking in a sharp breath, you locate the nearest exit, and look around in the most subtle way possible to flag down an employee. 

“So, tell me about yourself. What do you do for work?”

“I think I need to leave, this was a mistake —.”

“Mm, I don’t think so,” Garrett fakes interest in your unsettled body language. “You asked for this.”

You finally spot your server, grabbing crumpled bills from your purse to give to her on your way out. Garrett grabs your wrist firmly, preventing you from reaching your wallet. “I’d like to get to know you. We just got here.”

Panic. A feeling you’ve felt everyday since you could remember. Whether it’s being forgotten at a superstore, or sending an incorrect document, destroying the contract for your largest client, panic claws its way out of your central nervous system at any opportunity. 

You look down at your shaking hands, trying to conjure up a plan. Do you run? Scream? Throw your wine at him as a distraction? This man, while he hasn’t intimidated you physically, he’s loud and clear with his intentions. 

“Hi! Welcome to Effie’s. I’m Alannah. Can I start you off with any drinks?”

Garrett smiles up at the young girl sweetly, opening his mouth to speak. You decide to play it cool for another few minutes to minimize the risk of retaliation.

“I’ll have an iced coffee — black. and the lady will have a green tea with lemon.”

You scowl, as if you’re more concerned about what he ordered for you than the fact that you feel threatened by his presence all together. Luckily, you still had your glass of wine from when you thought you would find mystery man. 

“Great, I’ll be right back. Let me know if you have any questions about the menu,” Alannah smiles at both of you before spinning on her heel, ponytail flinging over her shoulder. 

Your jaw is tight, unwilling to make eye contact with your dining partner. Your heartbeat has steadies out tremendously as more people filter into the café. Remaining casual, you begin to unroll the silverware placed neatly on the teal plate. You place the napkin on your lap, lining up the two forks and knife on the table. 

Garrett has been talking this entire time, unbeknownst to you as you gather the courage to carry out your plan. You smile tightly, nodding to give some semblance that everything this okay. Glancing at your fork, you lock your eyes on his left hand sitting limply on the table, moving every so often as he drones on. 

You send him one last sickeningly sweet smile before grabbing the fork nonchalantly. Twisting it around in your fingers, you inhale deeply and swiftly sink the salad fork into the flesh of his hand and shoot out of your chair, purse in hand. The chair scoots across the floor and ultimately tumbles to the side of you bringing on some stares from other diners. Alannah screams, dropping the drinks and covering her mouth, staring at the fork sticking out of his forehand. Adrenaline pumping through your blood stream, you waste no time taking your platform sandals off and making a run for it. Disgusting New York City streets be damned.

Garrett is red in the face, gritting his teeth as he screams after you, a death grip on his now injured hand. Diners and workers of the café gather around him, giving you an extra few seconds to escape. 

Flying down 96th street, you expertly weave through the Upper West Side lunch crowd, feeling every wad of gum and broken beer bottle under your feet. Eventually, as your adrenaline-induced track meet is quickly dying out, so you stop on the corner between the flower shop and laundromat. 

The street looks familiar. The bodega with the yellow awning illuminated by the red ‘Bar’ sign to its right.  The sounds of the city are drowned out by your heavy breathing, but you’re certain your heart stops beating for a moment.

Mick’s Bar.

Look at it this way — a full circle moment. You can wash away the utter shit show of a day and raise one last glass to close the chapter of pining over the mystery man. Somber mood and slightly sweating, you bow your head and head down the clump of 3 steps to the street-level establishment. 

The smell of stale beer and popcorn infiltrate your senses, sending you straight back to that night. Retracing your steps to the end stool, you sigh, pulling it toward you with your still bare feet. You’ll find a way to soak them in acid later.

The same bartender acknowledges you, most likely not even remembering your previous interactions. You're glad he doesn’t think you’re some pathetic woman trying to chase after a man. You are, but he doesn’t need to know that. 

The barman places a coaster in front of you, silently waiting for your order. 

“Gin and tonic, please. A double. With lime.” 

He nods, ducking down to tend to his well, filling up a pint glass with ice and heavy-pouring the gin. You sigh again, gently grabbing the back of your neck and rubbing the muscle, willing away the inevitable tension headache coming later. 

There aren’t many people in here; Just a few couriers and other non-office workers. You’re slightly envious of them being able to spend their days outside of a beige and cold office building. Quiet chatter amongst them stops when the bell chimes above the door. 

Like straight out of a movie, Biker man stumbles through the door, his leather vest swiping the handle of the door. The bartender snickers and shakes his head as he pushes your drink towards you, indicating he wants your credit card. You nod, handing over your MasterCard, expecting no other interactions in return. 

He looks at Biker man. Then you. Then back to Biker man, nodding his head knowingly. You’re not sure what this means, but you're trying to erase the last 2 hours from your memory.

Biker man’s thick, heavy boots thunder across the wood plank floors, sending the rickety stools into a rattling chorus of squeaks. He coughs up what sounds like a lung and waits for his beer, not even acknowledging the bartender. He’s now a stool over from you, staring at the screen portraying some sort of horse race. 

Taking one long gulp of your drink, you turn to face him, the liquid courage hitting you immediately. 

“Sir? Hi, I’m so sorry to interrupt. I’m not sure if you remember me—” you trail off when he doesn’t even face you, his salt and pepper beard making it hard to read his face.

Waving slightly, you confirm you’re in fact talking to him, so now his bloodshot eyes make contact with yours over the frame of his sunglasses. 

“I, um, I was here with a few of my girlfriends, um, the other night. A-and I met a man—”

“Tall fella? Came in with a group of guys and they drug one out of here like a corpse?”

“Yes! Yes, oh my goodness, I can’t believe you remember.”

“My bar sweetie, I need to remember who comes in.”

“You’re Mick?” you choke out in disbelief. You want to laugh, because the imaginary life you made up for biker man did not live up to reality.

For your whole life, you tended to grasp onto little moments with strangers that others wouldn’t think twice about.

You still remember the Walmart greeter that waited with you until your mom came back to get you. You remember your sixth grade bus driver who pulled you aside to give you a pep talk when the older girls picked on you. You remember the woman next to you on a plane who held your hand during turbulence. You grow attached, dreaming up scenarios that are probably so far from the truth. It's harmless fun for you.

It’s why you’re clinging onto your mystery man. There are alarm bells going off in your brain you've never felt before, refusing to let it be a fleeting moment. 

“I’ve owned this place for 35 years. Seen everything you can imagine happen here. Celebrations of life, death, marriage. Lots of heartbreak.”

You’re not sure if you’re too tipsy, but his words make you want to cry. What is he trying to say?

“Teddy, two rounds here, please,” Mick signals the barman who promptly whips up four… lemon drop shots? Biker man — Mick— didn’t strike you as the type to take shots like a sorority girl.

He shrugs, pushing two shots over to you. You clink your tiny shot glasses together, tossing your head back and licking the sugar on the rim. 

Both of you push your glasses toward Teddy and reach for the second, as the bell jingles above the door. With the bar being street level, the sun reflects off the cars outside, slightly blinding you as someone walks in, footsteps thumping.

You and Mick continue on, throwing back your next shot. You wince, this one slightly more lemony than the previous. Mick exhales loudly, shaking his head.

“Careful, Chickie. It’s too early to be having this much fun.”

You freeze, unwilling to believe this is happening. It has to be an alcohol induced hallucination.

“Uhm, ah, hi,” you stutter, looking between the three men staring at you. You feel like you’re on an episode of Maury. 

“Sweetheart, he’s been in here every day at the same time to ask Teddy if you’ve stopped in to try and find him, too. The shots were just to ease your anxiety since I knew he’d be in on his lunch hour.”

Due to a short circuit in your brain, you can’t decide who you’re more mad at — Mick, or Teddy. They could’ve told you mystery man has been searching for you, too.

The mystery man blushes, sticking his hands in the pockets of his pleated khakis, staring down at his worn Dockers loafers. His striped rugby shirt reminds you of Steve from Blue’s Clues, but you're willing to over look that.

“We’ll leave you to it,” Teddy smiles gently, ushering Mick to the office. 

The man sits on the stool previously occupied by Mick, and as he sits, he uses his ankle to pull your stool closer to him.

“I’m Harry. Nice to officially meet you,” he smiles, making two dimples you didn’t previously notice appear. 

“Chick—Y/N. I’m Y/N,” you giddily grab his massive hand, shaking it gently.

He sighs, taking a swig of his Budweiser, “So, let’s get this out in the open. How pathetic am I for coming back here every day for a week straight to ask about you?” 

Cackling softly, you shake your head, ducking down to retrieve your bag from the hook under the bar. You pull out your copy of A Beautiful Mind, pulling the slip of paper out from the slightly worn pages. 

“Not as pathetic as this,” You hand it to him, waiting for him to open it. “You ever read the Missed Connections ads on Craigslist?”

Harry smiles, reading the ad. He’s glad you remember the small details of that night like he does. He’s not making it up in his head. 

“I don’t have a computer. But, they usually print these in the Times on Sundays. I would’ve seen it, but about a week late,” he giggles, his green eyes meeting yours when he looks up. 

“Well, I’m glad this nightmare has a happy ending. I went to the café, and a random man showed up pretending he was you! I ran out of there so fast. I’m scared to think about what would’ve happened if I stayed.”

Harry grabs your lower back, the light touch comforting you as you recount the horrors.

“Chickie, I’m so sorry that happened. The internet is scary. I’m honestly terrified of what it’ll be like in 30 years.”

“And to make it worse, he called me Ladybug. Ladybug! I’m clearly a Chickie,” you giggle. “I’ve been dying to hear another one of your terrible jokes.”

Instead of opening his mouth, he leans in to place a chaste kiss on your dried lips. 

The alcohol is hitting you much harder than it should be, so you kiss back, forgetting about the entire audience in the bar. You can’t even begin to care that you’ll be two hours late returning to work, drunk as a skunk.

You’ll blame it on fate.

~ New York City, 2000

“I wish I could travel back in time to prevent us from signing a lease on a 5th floor walk-up,” you sigh, plopping down with your boyfriend on the red bean bag he got from Sears. He’s out of breath, having just carried up 3 boxes while you followed behind him clutching lamps, hangers and basically anything you could get your small hands on.

Harry kisses your slightly sweaty hair, petting any of the strays out of your eyes.

“You’ll have a really toned butt by Christmas. Not a bad investment on my end,” Harry laughs as he dodges your sharp elbow digging into his side.

“I can’t even fathom getting groceries and making dinner. Okay if we order in?”

“You don’t want to meet our new bodega guy?”

“He’ll see me at my worst soon enough. Let’s leave him wondering a little longer. I do love a bacon, egg and cheese on a bagel when I’m hungover,” you giggle, inhaling Harry’s natural scent. If you weren’t so exhausted, you’d hop into bed (your bare mattress on the floor of your 800 square foot apartment) right now. 

“Sure, baby. We can order in,” he pats your thigh, signaling you to let him stand up. He stretches, examining the room.

His heart swells at the perfect mix of the two of of you in your first apartment together. Your excessive shoe collection. His beloved Gibson guitar that he serenaded you with your favorite song on one of your early dates. He sang Lady by the Styx, not realizing you meant Lady by the Commodores. But, you didn’t have the heart to tell him until your first anniversary. 

Now you’re here, two years later and stronger than ever. He spots a film strip hanging on the fridge from Marcie’s wedding. You hogged the booth for well over 15 minutes, kissing, touching, exploring.

You begged for a plus one at the last second, forcing her to tell her uncle he can’t bring a date. Neither of you feel bad. Next to that film strip is the photo Christina took of the two of you the night you met, held up by a Mick's Bar magnet. She didn't get the film developed until weeks after the bachelorette.

The photo would've helped your search efforts!

The empty walls are begging to be filled with canvases, knick knacks and music posters. You learned Harry works at a music recording studio as a fill-in guitarist and a part-time artist. His art style itches something in your brain you can’t describe — falling in love with every piece he comes home with. 

The boxes will consume you for a few weeks, but he’s excited to be taking this next step with you. 

Harry tosses the Sunday Times at you, “Why don’t you read me the missed connections from this week while I put some stuff away. You did a lot to organize the closet this morning, so I don’t want you to move for the rest of the night.”

Harry putters with the dishes, praying they’re clean enough to go in the cupboard. He's haphazardly putting things away, trying to calm his nerves.

“Ooh, yes. I missed last week,” you flip to the section, adjusting the paper in your hands so you can see better. Clearing your throat, you read aloud.

“I was reading a book on the Q train, you were the cute woman sitting next to whom I assume was your mom, but you get kept sending glances my way when she wasn’t looking. I get it, no matter what your age, it’s weird to flirt with your mom next to you. I got off at Atlantic and you shot me a smile. Dunno why I’m even posting here lol almost zero chance of you seeing this. Oh well, gotta try at least.”

Harry smiles, glancing at you as you peruse the page. He can’t pretend to be busy for much longer. You giggle before starting the next one.

“Did you lose an entire ham? It's a bone-in ham, not sure it's obvious from the photo. It's been eaten on some parts, but there's definitely some serious meat left on it. Looks like it was pretty tasty in its day.”

He laughs, his leg anxiously bouncing against the lower cabinet. He leans on the counter for support, gently swiping over his sweat pant pocket. Closing his eyes, he waits.

Scanning the page, you gasp.

You drop the paper in your lap, watching your boyfriend leave your tiny kitchen with the black and white checker floor tile to kneel in front of you on your ratty bean bag chair. Your hands cover your mouth as some tears threaten to spill over your eyes. It’s like everything is in slow motion. 

Harry’s tearing up, too, as he pulls a velvet box from his pocket, opening it slowly to reveal an emerald cut diamond ring on a simple gold band. Elegant and timeless, like you.

He swallows thickly, finding the courage to speak.

“I could’ve gone on and on in the ad, but I figured I’d save it for now,” he laughs nervously. You still have your hands in front of your face, scared to move them in case this is a dream.

“Since the night we met, I knew we were meant for each other. I haven’t had many moments in life where I’ve made the right decision, but I can say with my whole heart that I love you and want you to be my wife.”

You sob slightly, still donning a wide grin. You let him finish.

“I would’ve married you the day we found each other again at Mick’s. But, I didn’t want to scare you,” he laughs again, a small tear escaping.

“Chickie, will you marry me?”

“Oh, Harry,” you blubber, jumping to your knees to wrap your arms around his neck. “Of course! Yes, yes, please.”

Pushing him to the ground, you lay across him, peppering kisses on his face and neck.

When you’ve both calmed down, you’re laying in between his legs, leaned back against the bean bag, basking in the moment. You haven’t even called any friends or family, yet. There’s an uncorked bottle of wine on the floor that you’ve been taking swigs of, absolutely over the moon and tipsy.

"Why did you let me read the one about a ham before asking me the most important question of your life?"

He kisses you to shut you up. You sigh contently, thinking about your future.

After some silence, Harry quietly asks, “Do you think we can force Mick to become an ordained minister?”

You cackle, turning your head to look back at him.

“That was the first thing that came to my mind.”

________________

EEEEEE! I HOPE YOU LIKED IT :))))))) IT WAS SO FUN TO WRITE ABOUT OLD REFERENCES EVEN THO I WAS A BB DURING THAT TIME

Pls let me know what you think <3

ALSO BIKER MAN IS THE REAL MVP I WAS SO HYPE TO KEEP REFERENCING HIM LOL

[artssslut2]

Falling In Love Again

Art Donaldson x Reader

Summary: Art falls in love again after Tashi.

You met art about a year after his divorce from Tashi. Art was convinced he wouldn’t date again let alone get married, he decided to just focus on being a great father to Lily. He had been hurt by Tashi in ways that made him never want to love again. However when he met you that all changed. You met through work, you owned an athletic wear clothing brand and were making a deal with Arts foundation. He was instantly in love with you, the way you spoke, how your eyes twinkled when you would look at him, you gave off such a warm loving vibe unlike anything he was used too. You were younger than he was by a few years, he was in his early thirties you were in your mid twenties. It took Art a long time to make a move, and he was a nervous wreck when he did. You thought it was adorable, he never left your mind. He went all out for your first real date he took you to the most expensive restaurant in town and got all dressed up he bought the most expensive bottle of wine on the menu. You never sleet with men on the first date but Art was a different story. It was the best sex you had ever had in your life. No man had ever made you feel the way he did. (He definitely fucked you on the bathroom counter at the restaurant) You were the first women he slept with after Tashi and he didn’t last long and was probably embarrassed about it, but it didn’t matter because it was amazing. You and Art became inseparable, he loved you more than anything. Your love was healing him slowly, he felt like he could open up and be himself again. He never felt judged or pressured around you, you were so kind and gentle with him. Art and Tashi were civil with each other and tried remaining friends because they still had a child together. After a while Art asked Tashi if he could introduce Lily to you. She was reluctant at first but gave in when she saw how much Art loved you. She wanted to meet you first and it scared the shit out of you. It actually went well, she was mature about it as were you and Art. Lily loved you, like absolutely loved you. She brought you to her room without Aft to show you all her toys. That sealed the deal for Art and he proposed shortly after. Everything felt so different for him, he was relaxed and enjoying everything about life with you. You taught him how to trust again. You were young and still wanted more kids, so did he. He would always ask Tashi for another baby but she didn’t want one. You loved Lily and treated her like your own child. Tashi grew more distant when she started coaching again and it broke Arts heart for Lily. Lily lived with you and Art basically full time, Tashi would see her any weekend she was in town. You and Art went on to have a few more kids and moved into a beautiful home together. Art loved rebuilding a new life, the life he had always wanted.

[benjinotes]

too sweet for me // strong family hcs ?

omg i was waiting for this! (modern au, reader is dating benjicot) based on this!

rhaenyra and harwin had a happy marriage for several years and had four children together: jace, you, luke, and joffrey.

eventually, they chose to have a peaceful divorce, maintaining a respectful and supportive relationship for the sake of you and your brothers.

even after the separation, your parents made a concerted effort to have dinner or lunch with you regularly, ensuring they stayed involved in your lives.

as their only daughter, harwin and rhaenyra make a concerted effort to engage in activities with you, ensuring you don't feel left out. they always dedicate time to try hobbies you enjoy or simply spend quality time with you.

they always spent christmas and other celebrations together with all of you, to avoid forcing any of the children to choose between their parents. although daemon isn't fond of this arrangement, he accepts it for your mother's sake.

you are extremely spoiled by your parents in every aspect of your life, as well as by your siblings and even your stepfather, although he wouldn’t admit it openly. whether it’s a holiday or not, you always receive rewards, whether you pass a test or not, because no one in your family likes to see you sad. :(

and since we're talking about spoiling, we can’t overlook your maternal grandparents! aemma and viserys adore pampering their grandchildren and especially enjoy having them visit. they simply want to keep their grandchildren close.

you and your siblings often argue about who is the grandparents' favorite. (it’s you)

speaking of siblings...

you and luke are the middle siblings in the family. you're just a year younger than jace and three years older than luke, which means you and jace have a closer bond.

although you have a closer relationship with your older brother, this doesn’t mean your bond with your other siblings is affected—in fact, quite the opposite! luke often turns to you for help with his homework or advice on girls or boys—who better to guide him than his older sister, right?

joffrey, on the other hand… he’s a bit of a troublemaker, and you’ve lost count of how many times you’ve had to help your mother when he wouldn’t calm down or screamed until his throat hurt. but despite his chaotic behavior, he’s so adorable that you can’t stay upset with him. i mean—have you seen his little eyes? 😞

jace is a different case. you and him were always close; you were like his shadow, and he was like yours, always going to your school events just as you go to his games. he is your best friend and advisor, however—oh boy—he’s extremely protective. (harwin is proud of this)

and when you started dating one of his friends, his protectiveness skyrocketed to 200%.

jace had to do his best to control himself and avoid hitting someone when he saw you and benji kissing near the college locker room. you swore you had never seen him so red with anger and embarrassment; it was a sight you will never forget.

it was a memorable moment for you, since annoying your brothers always made you laugh, and seeing your boyfriend embarrassed for the first time felt like a double gift.

yet, you still begged your brother not to say anything to your father, fearing that he might remove benji from the team. and even though you knew it was unlikely, you weren’t willing to take the risk.

however, it didn’t last long, as within two weeks your father discovered that his beloved daughter was dating one of his players and called him into his office for a little talk. benji pissed himself.

it was a simple quiz that your dad already knew the answers to. but hey, as a coach, he only had those answers for his job; he felt it was his duty to play the overprotective father too—after all, you’re his baby!

wait until harwin finds out that his baby fucks with her boyfriend; at any change she has —

anyways — your mother, on the other hand, was thrilled when you told her you were dating. however, from the warning glance she gaves benji time to time, it was clear she wouldn’t hesitate to run him over with her car if he ever harmed her only daughter. (jokes on you, rhaenyra, but i think benji would prefer being run over rather than hurting you.) after all, you were her little girl. :’(

as incredible as it may seem, luke, despite witnessing harwin, jace, and even daemon’s murmurs of disgust at the sight of you and your problematic boyfriend, he actually liked him, which made you quite happy.

joffrey also liked benji, but that wasn’t much of a surprise to you, given that he seemed to like anyone who gave him attention.

your family was quite chaotic, but you loved them for it, and perhaps that was why benjicot was so nervous about the dinner your mom had invited him to.

part 2 preview

[drsoniasharma]

Divorce Life Coach: Making Post-Separation Life Easier

While being in a happy relationship makes life better, ending one can be extremely painful. Most of the time, people become stuck in their lives and find it impossible to overcome the pain that comes with endings. A pile of questions and never-ending "what-ifs" cross one's mind during a divorce. A divorce life coach is necessary because of the never-ending confusion and suffering that accompany and follow the divorce process.

https://drsoniasharmaacademy.blogspot.com/2023/12/divorce-coach-separation-life-easier.html

[sinvilles]

I forgot I wrote a one-shot ages ago... context is Orel and Shapey went to visit Clay for the first time since he disappeared after the divorce (maybe a year out) and Orel brings up wanting to live with him on the farm. Danielle has to explain to Orel why that's not going to happen.

Sobriety AU, Orel is around 14ish here.

Danielle guides Orel out to the patio and takes a seat on the bench, gesturing for the boy to join him.

He lets him get comfortable before he drops the headline.

"You can't live with your dad."

A pause settles between the two of them on the bench.

"I just figured that... since he's better now... and he stopped drinking..." Orel trails off, with very little hope.

"He's sobered up..." Danielle sighs, "But that wasn't the only reason he had to leave you."

"Then... why else did he have to leave?"

"It isn't because he doesn't love you, Orel. Your dad has... problems."

"Nobody's perfect..." Orel shrugs, then catches himself. "Except for God."

"True, but your dad's problems make it so that he isn't..." Danielle chooses his words carefully. "Clay is not well equipped to be a very good father to you or Shapey."

Orel stares at the ground, despondent.

"You know this already, Orel. He's not even well equipped to have this talk with you, which is why I have to do it."

"Yeah..." Orel sighs.

"I'm sorry."

"But I can still come see him sometimes, like this?"

"Yes."

"Coach... how are you able to live with him?"

"Mmm. I suppose it's because I'm an adult, and I know how to handle his attitude. And because I'm a coach, I can keep him focused on his long-term goals, like staying off the sauce for good. But the average person might not be able to live with him, no."

Orel nods solemnly at this.

"Did you fall back in love with him?"

The darnedest questions, this kid asks.

"Well, Orel... looking back, I don't think I was really in love with your daddy. I thought he could fill a void in my life. But I didn't really know who he was."

"And now you really know him?"

"Yeah."

"What's different about him?"

"He's trying to be better. He needs somebody reliable to be on his side to motivate him. Even adults need that."

"Golly." Orel contemplates this. "Well, I guess you can't choose who you love."

Daniele seems to stare at something far behind Orel's head before sighing.

"No, Orel. Maybe you can't help who you're attracted to. But loving somebody is a kind of choice you make. Because it means you commit to being in their life and trying to do right by them."

He lets Orel take this in before continuing.

"And I'll admit, there are people who might say it's foolish of me to stand by someone like Clay."

"Because... you're two men?"

"No, because he's done very bad things and used to indulged in very dangerous habits- and so have I, if I'm being honest... But I chose him. And whether he keeps sober or relapses or recovers or falls to pieces, I'll continue to choose him until I change my mind or one of us dies."

Orel's stare prompts him to add an afterthought.

"And he's just... nice to have."

"And to hold?"

The swiftness with which the boy tossed him that statement threw him off. When the meaning registered, it made Danielle smile in spite of himself.

"Yeah... and to hold."

Orel smiles back at him.

"Well... it sure makes me feel better that he has you in his corner."

"I'll keep him out of trouble. Don't you worry your little head."

[masonmontz]

hellooo everyone :) hope you like it

REMEMBER: english is not my first language

angst, angst and… angst, and a bit of fluffy (but with a happy ending) word count: 8,7k

So, I didn't want to ruin any player's family or reputation so I invented a player for this story, so we can insult him as much as we want :)

Mathew - 28 years - defender

✶✶✶ - (italic) MEMORIES

✦‎۟    ࣭   ⊹

There are many things in life that Mason cannot understand.

First, he can’t understand why he feels so lonely even when he has a lot of friends, and second, why he feels so unsure when you are next to him. And there are many other things but these two are the most important for him. 

When Mason looks at you, he feels his heart racing, he feels his hands sweaty and he can’t control himself to touch you everytime. Everyone who knows you two see how crazy you are about each other, but they can’t understand why you still avoid a relationship with Mason.

He sleeps at your’s every week, some weeks more than once, but you never slept at his house, and this is something he can’t understand either. You can have dinner there, take a shower in his bathroom, wear his clothes, stay all day lying in his bed, but when the night comes, you go to your own home and he stays alone.

When he moved to Manchester, he thought that things could be easier, but he has never been so wrong. Yeah, the team is great, all the players are nice to him, the coach is a great friend who Mason can count on, but he feels like everyone has their lives and family and he is left behind.

Until he met you, four months ago.

Mason doesn't believe in love at first sight but he definitely believed in admiration at first sight. He didn't have a mirror with him but he knew his own eyes lit up when he saw you for the first time. 

You looked stunning in a red dress and Mason felt insecure about himself, so he asked Bruno to introduce you two when you were around each other. In the first month in Manchester he was still trying to get into a routine and that's when his captain realized that Mason needed to be involved in some things to stop feeling alone, and that’s why Bruno invited Mason to his wife’s birthday, so Mason could meet some of the players' families and some of his personal friends.

And that's when Mason met you.

You are a great friend of Ana's and you wouldn't miss her birthday for anything in the world, especially since you missed the kids after traveling for a few days. And of course, Ana was an incredible friend after the difficult period you went through after your divorce with Mathew. 

You knew Mason hadn't taken his eyes off you since he entered the room, but you pretended you hadn't seen him until Bruno introduced you. You noticed that Mason was shy and he wanted to talk to you, but even if you weren't interested, you couldn't help but be nice to him just like he was being nice to you. And obviously, Mason was handsome and polite, so it wasn't exactly a surprise when you found yourself in his sheets a few weeks later.

After Ana's birthday you and Mason met two days later at the supermarket, then he asked you to have coffee with him. After that, you met in the park one morning and discovered that you lived in the same neighborhood. Mason wasn't going to lie and he hoped every day to see you in the neighborhood, just to say a “hi” or see you for 10 seconds.

You started meeting in the park a few days during the week just to walk and chat about random things, sometimes in the morning and sometimes late at night when there’s no one out on the street. Mason was fun and made you laugh and you were mysterious and left him walking on eggshells most of the time, but he couldn't control himself and fell in love with you.

Mason knew that you were his teammate's ex-wife, he found out on Ana's birthday when he asked you how you met Bruno. He felt guilty that he was secretly meeting someone who was important to a friend of his, who welcomed him to the team with open arms and did everything he could to help Mason adapt.

Sometimes he opens his mouth to ask you the reason for your divorce, but something always stops him. Mason was afraid you would say that you were still in love with Mathew, or that you would like to get back together, and he knew he couldn't handle that. 

He never felt this way about anyone.

Mason has been feeling insecure about your relationship, he would rather live in the dark than be denied by you, but he can no longer hide how much his heart breaks every time he doesn't get an answer from you and everyone can see how miserable Mason is. 

Except you. 

✦‎۟    ࣭   ⊹

✶✶✶

“I hate winter, I can't believe autumn is coming again.” You complained and Mason laughed. You were walking again, it was a Tuesday night and you sent Mason a message asking if he wanted to go out for a walk with you just to chat. You were stressed because of your job and Mason has a gift for cheering you up. 

“I know, but it means Christmas is coming.” He said and put his arm over his shoulder, walking beside you.

“That’s your favorite holiday?” 

“I love Christmas and I love spending time with my family, it's the best time of the year.” You smiled at him. Mason always talks about his family and you love the way he loves them all, especially his nieces and nephews, and now you know all their names and ages. Mason always talks about his mum too, so you noticed he is a mama’s boy. “How about you?”

“I love spring, it is my favorite season. I love to see flowers everywhere, all the colors, everything is so beautiful.” You said and he smiled. 

“What's your favorite flowers?”

“I love tulips.”

“And what about your family? You never told me anything about them.”

“Well, I have three younger brothers.” You said and you could see that Mason was surprised. “I know, I have a big family.” 

“That’s so cool, I can’t imagine my life without my family.”

“Yeah. My parents lives in London, I don't see them as much as I want, but I try to go to London sometimes. They always come here to see me, my brothers too. I have a nephew and he is my favorite boy.” 

“Oh, so you prefer him, uh?” Mason mocked you.

“Well, yes, you are in second place.”

“I need to try harder then.”

“You should. You played for Chelsea, right? All my family is blue.”

“Oh, damn it.” Mason put his hand on his head and laughed. “So your father must not like me very much. He won't like meeting me.”

“If you meet him someday.”

Two days later you received a bouquet of pink tulips at your house.

✶✶✶

✦‎۟    ࣭   ⊹

“What’s going on, Mase?” Luke asked Mason when it was just the two of them in the locker room. “It seems like you've been feeling down the last few days.”

Mason didn’t answer, but he knew Luke was right. Besides Bruno and Luke, only Lisandro knew about you two, and that's why he knows he can blow off some steam with Luke, who is a great friend.

“I know. It’s just… I don’t know, everyday I feel more insecure about Y/N.” 

“Have you talked to her about this?”

“I'm afraid of her answers.”

“Mason, look, I know you love her and everyone can see that in your face, but if you have doubts about your relationship or maybe if you don’t know if she has the same feelings for you, maybe it's time to end things between you two.”

Mason felt a lump in his throat.

“I know you have a weight on your shoulders because of Mathew and this is eating you alive, but you can't carry the weight alone when Y/N shares it with you. You don't have to go through this alone.”

Mason continued looking at the ground and without trusting his own voice to speak, so he just nodded and Luke said goodbye and left, leaving him alone and lost in his own thoughts.

Maybe Luke is right. Maybe not. Mason has been with someone he barely knows for four months. Sometimes he is surprised by the things you say, because you open up so little to him that he lives in the dark. Every time you say something to Mason, he's surprised by how smart you are, and he's always amazed when you say some personal opinion.

Mason tells you everything about himself all the time and you just listen, it's very difficult for him to know what your childhood, adolescence was like or what your family is like.

He packed his things and prepared to leave the locker room, but Mathew arrived and Mason had no idea he was still in Carrington. 

“Hey Mason, working overtime?” Mason nodded and gave him a small smile, feeling the guilt wash over him again. 

“Yeah, but I’m leaving, I was just talking to Luke for a bit.” Mason held his own backpack and looked at Mathew sheepishly, hoping he wouldn't notice.

“Since you are here, I would like to invite you to my birthday party. It's this Friday and I can send you the location. Take your girl if you want, I heard you got someone.”

Mason got stuck. He froze. He stares at Mathew to see if he's being ironic, but he doesn't seem to know who Mason's girl is. Mason breathes a sigh of relief.

He couldn't say anything for a few seconds, but then he thanked him for the invitation and told Mathew that he would try to go, then he ran and left, leaving the locker room and Mathew behind.

“Fuck.”

✦‎۟    ࣭   ⊹

✶✶✶

“So good, Mase.” You gasped while you were riding him. Mason was lying beneath you, his eyes were closed and his hands ran all over your body, touching you everywhere. “I’m gonna cum.” 

“Cum with me.” he groaned. Mason pulled you against him and you laid on his chest while still riding him. “I’m so close.”

“Me too.” You whispered in his ear. Mason got goosebumps when you scratched his chest and he sped up his movements, so when he moaned loudly, you knew he had cum. “Oh, Y/N. You’re so good.” He was whispering rambling things while still cumming inside you. “You’re so hot, so beautiful, I love you.” 

The orgasm that passed through your body disappeared when you heard Mason's words. You froze on top of him, but he didn't notice.

He loves you? What the hell?

“I feel like every time it gets better.” Mason said and you notice that probably he said it without thinking, just slipped it out. 

You sighed and smiled at him, ignoring what he had said.

“I know.”

✶✶✶

✦‎۟    ࣭   ⊹

“Why are you so quiet today?” you asked a few hours after Mason arrived at your house. Mason was different. He arrived quietly, had dinner next to you in silence and now, lying next to you in bed watching a movie, he was still very quiet.

“I’m tired.” He ran his hands over your hair and smiled, but his eyes remained sad.“You look so beautiful today.” 

“Thanks Masey.” You smiled at him, knowing that he says that every time he sees you. “But seriously, what is wrong with you?” Mason didn't respond and continued watching, but you knew he had things to talk about.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.” You left a kiss on his bare chest and looked at him.

“Can you tell me why you and Mathew got divorced?” You weren't ready for that question but you knew it would come at some point. You and Mason had been together for four months and he never asked anything about it, but you could tell it was consuming him. He was always curious.

“Why do you want to know?” you asked carefully and Mason sighed.

“I feel like I'm carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders all the time, that’s why.” Mason leaned against the headboard. “He's so nice to me and I feel like I betrayed him in some way. He talks to me a lot every day and he doesn't know that I’ve been sleeping with his ex-wife, someone who was married to him. He invited me to his birthday next Friday and told me to bring my girl but I don't even know if you want to be my girlfriend.”

“Mason, I…” You didn't know what to say, that's the truth. Mason never told you he felt guilty about being with you. Or did you never ask? “I didn’t know you’re feeling this way.” 

“I don't want to pressure you, Y/N, but honestly, this is killing me.” He ran a hand over his face, looking nervous and anxious. “We've been together for four months now and I've been feeling this way all this time. I want to go on a date with you, or take you to my games as my girlfriend, but I want to know if you want that too.”

You sat on the bed next to Mason, placing your hand on top of his.

“Mason, I don't think we need to give it a name, things are going well and-”

“What?” He looked at you painfully. So painful it broke you inside.

“Look, I don't need to tell you why Mathew and I got divorced, it's in the past and it's painful for me, I’m sorry.” Mason pulled his hand away from yours.

“Do you still love him?”

“What?”

“Do you miss him? Why is it painful for you?”

“It's not that, but you're the last person I want to talk to about this.” Mason jumped out of bed and you couldn't read the expression on his face.

“Cause I don't mean anything to you, right?”

“That's not what I said.”

“You don't have to.” Mason laughed, but he couldn't hide his sadness. “Even without you saying it, I feel it. I mean nothing to you, I'm not good enough to be someone you want to date, maybe marry, I'm not even good enough for you to introduce to your friends.”

“Please stop saying that.”

“But it's the truth, isn't it?” Mason yelled at you. “What are you afraid of? Or are you ashamed of me? Is it because Mathew and I play together?”

“I'm not ashamed of you Mason, stop being so stupid.”

“Then why? Why do you stay with me if you don't want a future by my side?”

“It is not that easy.”

“But it is. Why are you afraid of the feelings you have for me? Why?” Mason is panicking, he screams and you don't know what to do to calm him down. You start panicking too. “I love you. Y/N, I love you so much that I don't know how to explain it.”

“You don’t.” You snapped at him. 

“I do. I love you, how can you not see that?” This time he speaks quietly, looking at you as you continue to sit on the bed. “Everyone sees how much I love you. I was already in love with you the first time I kissed you, but now I realize that you never showed that you felt the same way.”

You feel a lump in your throat but you don't want to cry. You won't cry in front of Mason. 

“You didn't want to meet my family, my friends. I say everything about me to you, I give all of myself to you, you don't give anything of yourself to me, you don't even try.”

“Mason… I-”

“Every time I tried to get closer to you, you moved away. You do this because you don't feel anything for me, right? You don’t love me?”

That’s not the truth. Mason is everything you ever wanted, but he's so broken, so sad, that it's not worth staying by his side to not make him happy. So you didn’t say anything.

“I’m sorry.” Mason was already broken and you could see it in his face, but when you didn't say you love him back, he didn't react, he just agreed.

You don’t shoot a dog when it’s already dead.

✦‎۟    ࣭   ⊹

✶✶✶

“How do you like your meat?” Mason asked and you lifted your head from the computer and looked at him, seeing that Mason is cooking dinner for the two of you tonight. He looks cute wearing sweats and concentrating on what he is doing. He shows you the pan with the meat. “Good for you?”

“Sure. It seems good.” Mason blushed and you smiled to yourself, realizing the effect you had on him. 

“I hope this pasta tastes good too.” Mason put the food on the plate and you looked up from the computer once again. The food actually looked good and the smell was all over your kitchen. 

You were working and Mason texted you asking if he could see you tonight. You said you needed to work, but if he wanted to come over to your house today, that would be fine. Mason showed up within 30 minutes with grocery bags for dinner and other things you like. 

He was silent while you worked, but sometimes he would drop something on the floor and you laughed at him. When he announced that dinner was ready, you turned off the computer and walked over to him, hugging him and pulling him in for a kiss. 

Mason is a natural kisser. He is so good at this that you think you could kiss him all day. Maybe you were born to kiss each other, cause even Mathew was never this good.

“Thanks for coming here.” You said and he left a kiss on your forehead. “I’m starving.”

“I love being with you, you know that.” Mason served you and the two of you had dinner while talking, he talked a little about training and his family and you talked about your job.

“They are coming next week, my parents, Jaz and Lewis.” 

“That’s nice, do you miss them?”

“Yes, I haven’t seen Summer and Mila since I moved here.” He said. “Maybe we should have dinner, so you could meet them.” 

“What?” You were confused.

“I was wondering this, I already talked about you with my mother, she wants to meet you.” 

You definitely weren't expecting that. You got divorced four months ago, you met Mason two months ago. You don’t want to meet any parents or family. Things got a little difficult after you got divorced and you don't want to be in a relationship, not after everything you've been through.

“I’m going to London next week.” That's what you said. Now you have to go to London. “My dad sent a message and asked me to spend a few days with them.”

“Oh, I see.” Mason said and looked sad, but you weren't ready for that yet. You don't know if you'll ever be ready again. “Maybe next time.”

✶✶✶

✦‎۟    ࣭   ⊹

Mason got into his car holding back tears, and held them back until he got home.

Never in his entire life had he felt so sad. He had never felt so much sadness after losing a football match, so he didn't know his heart could hurt this much. He was feeling so much pain that it turned into physical pain. Mason's chest was so tight and he could barely breathe.

When he got home, everything was cold, sad, and a house that was happy when you were with him, became a nightmare.

When he faced the empty wall, that's when he broke. The tears he's been holding back until now are streaming down his face, and he's not sure, but he cried so much that he fell asleep on the couch while he was thinking about you.

✦‎۟    ࣭   ⊹

Mason left and you cried.

You cried and hated Mathew with all your might for playing with you, for making you insecure, for destroying all the years you were by his side.

You hurt Mason and now you've walked away from him forever. The sweet man who brought you flowers, chocolates, who cooked for you, the man who loves you. 

You perhaps destroyed the best thing that had happened to you, and it was entirely your fault.

✦‎۟    ࣭   ⊹

You dropped your phone once again and decided not to call him.

You cried your heart out when you realized what you had been doing to him for the past few months and you felt guilty for never realizing how he felt. Mason is the best person in your life and you broke him into a million pieces.

Mason left your house so disappointed that you couldn't call him and apologize, but now all you want is to lie down next to him again and hug him, tell him you are sorry. You went to Ana's house this afternoon to talk to her about what had happened, she is a great friend and listened to you for a long time until Bruno arrived, then he said that Mason was so sad that he infected everyone with his sadness during the day. 

And that was your fault.

Your and Mathew's relationship has never been easy. You had been together for years and it was difficult to get out of a painful and uncomfortable cycle. You two met when you were teenagers, your families were friends and everything was easy when you were with him. You got married early, everyone loved you two but the truth is that no one knew what the real Mathew was like.

He was controlling, possessive, rude and treated you badly. He changed a lot after you got married and felt entitled to boss you around. You couldn't wear an outfit you liked if he didn't like it. You couldn't even look away or talk to someone without him looking at you angry. No one imagined how Matthew was away from the field, from training, from his friends, and unfortunately it was you who had to deal with the bad version of him every day.

Mason was the complete opposite. 

He was calm, he never yelled at you, he praised you all the time and even pajamas were the perfect outfit in his opinion. How can you hurt someone who was the opposite of someone who hurt you so much?

You felt the tears approaching once again and thought about calling Mason or going to his house, but you preferred to go for a walk alone. It's better this way. 

✦‎۟    ࣭   ⊹

Mason decided at the last minute to go to Mathew's party just because he couldn't stand feeling the emptiness in his chest anymore. 

You didn't send a message. You didn't call. You didn't show up. Four days without any news from you.

Going to your ex husband's party wasn't the best idea, but Mason wanted to forget about you for half an hour. That was enough.

The place was full, hot and noisy. As soon as Mason entered, he regretted it, but some of the players had already seen him and he had no way to escape. He forced a smile and walked towards them, feeling anxious again. Mason didn't know how to behave at a party anymore, especially since you and him hadn't been to any parties together. 

Mathew had a girl dancing on his lap and Mason wondered if you would be okay with doing this in front of other people when you were married to him. Probably not, he knew you. But he was relieved to see Mathew with someone else, maybe then he wouldn't mind when he found out about you and him.

There is no more you and Mason. There is nothing for Mathew to know.

Mason felt his eyes filling with tears but he smiled and greeted his friends.

“Maceeee, thanks for coming mate.” Mathew got up and greeted Mason, leaving the girl alone for a while. “You didn't want to bring your whore?” 

“My what?” He got angry with Mathew's disgusting speech, but at the same time Bruno approached and pulled Mason. 

“Hey, he’s drunk. Just ignore.” His captain said. 

“That was disgusting. He called Y/N a whore.” 

“In fact he doesn’t know about her and he didn’t say that about Y/N.” 

“Nevermind, we are not together anymore.” Mason acted like he didn't care but Bruno could see in his eyes that he was broken and sad. 

“What do you mean?” Mason could see Ana approaching. “Mason?” 

“I decided to end things. I’m not good enough for her, that’s the truth.” Ana looked at him with a sad look and Mason couldn't smile at her. “I think she still loves him.” 

“Mason, don’t say that ever again.” Ana scolded him. “That’s not true.” 

“Ana, I’m sorry but I don’t wanna talk about this anymore.” Mason apologized and she agreed, so Bruno offered him a drink and Mason drank it in one gulp. 

If Mason needs to get drunk to forget you, then that's what he'll do.

A woman Mason didn't know approached and started talking to him. She ran her hand over Mason's arms and legs as he continued drinking and just agreed with her, not really caring about what she said. 

“Maybe we should go to your’s, what do you think, handsome?” She kissed his neck and Mason didn't even remember her name, Polly, Molly, Hillie, it doesn’t matter. “I wanna do a lot of things with you.” 

“Let go of me.” Mason spoke rudely and she left angry, not before calling him a twat, so Mason tried to get up but fell again. Everyone there noticed how much he was drinking, all of them surprised because they had never seen Mason like this before. Now, he is sitting on the sofa alone and drinking a lot, so Luke walked over to him.

“Mason, I think you’ve had enough.” Luke snatched Mason's drink away. “Let’s go home, mate.”

“I don’t wanna go home.” 

“Mase, c’mom, we’ll drive you.” Anouska said and sat down next to Mason and he nodded again, saying he was going to stay at the party with the others. “Mason, you can’t drive when you are this drunk.”

“Why didn't she call?” He asked and Anouska felt sorry for Mason. Luke was sad to see his friend's condition, drunk and as sad as ever. “I miss her.” 

Mason spoke with a trembling voice and Luke didn't want to leave him alone like this in a place full of people, they could record Mason or take him to another place, and he’s not even thinking right.

“Let’s go home, please? Then we’ll ask her.” Anouska convinced Mason and helped him to his feet, then they both drove Mason home. Tomorrow he will deal with his car. 

✦‎۟    ࣭   ⊹

Sunday's game was stressful and Mason was ready to attack the other team's players. The referee was ignoring the other players' attacks against Manchester United and giving yellow cards to all of his teammates, which is why Mason got a card when he pushed a player.

“Fuck off” Mason swore angrily, then his captain walked over and asked him to calm down. Luckily they were winning 1-0, but the game was very difficult.

Mason also had to be grateful for starting the game as the week of training was difficult and he was unfocused. He was sad, stressed and taking out his anger on whoever was close to him. He was never good at understanding his own emotions.

“Calm down or you could get thrown out of the game.” 

“This little shit is just giving us a yellow card.” Mason snapped at Bruno and he saw Luke approaching while he was gesturing. 

“Stop it Mason.” Luke said and gave Mason an angry look. 

Mason agreed and the game continued. Garnacho scored a second goal and Old Trafford went crazy. It's a relief when he realizes the game is ending and they're winning.

The fight with another player while he was trying to catch the ball from Mason was rough and he was pushed, then the referee blew the whistle and Mason felt the player step on his thigh.

Mason felt pain in his thigh when he touched it and there were 10 minutes left in the game. He tried to get up and he thought he could keep running, but as soon as he got up and went to run again, he screamed. The other player received a red card and Mason fell to the ground again and knew he was screwed. 

The cry reached his throat again as he felt his thigh hurt, with his hands on his face, he tried to hide how much it hurt, but soon the doctors were there to take Mason off the field and all the players were around him. Mason cried as he was carried to the infirmary and he knew everyone was watching, but he could never care less.

Everything is shit.

The game ended and Man U won, so the fans were happy with the victory, but Mason received the news that he wouldn't play for months because of the injury and that ended up killing him.

He had to take strong medication to deal with the pain in his leg, the physiotherapists said that surgery would not be necessary, but he would still be out for a few months. Mason's head was full and he just wanted to sleep and forget everything.

Mason was taken to the training center to have some tests done, he was quiet and everyone knew how difficult it was for a player to receive the news that he was injured. Mason didn’t say a word while the doctors and the physiotherapists were talking to him, in fact, he was just pretending to listen. 

After that, one of the doctors took Mason home since he couldn't drive, and told him he would bring his car the next day. Mason thanked for the drive and snuggled up on the couch, sighing and cursing to himself.

Ace walked over and Mason remembered the dog who had been alone for hours, and probably noticed that Mason was in a bad mood as he just snuggled up next to him and put his head on Mason's non-hurting leg. 

“Hey buddy.” Mason spoke and ran his hand through the dog's hair. Ace just sighed as if he was sad like Mason. Maybe he was. “You miss her, don’t you?” 

Ace howled lowly.

“I miss her too,” Mason said more to himself and his thoughts flew to you once again. “So much.” 

His phone vibrated and Mason was disappointed to see a message from his mother. Deep down he would like it to be a message from you.

He wouldn't be able to deal with his mother following him all the time, so as much as he would like her presence there, he would rather be alone for a while, then he can cry, scream and get angry with no one to stop him.

✦‎۟    ࣭   ⊹

“Oh my God.” That’s exactly what you said when you saw Mason lying and crying in the field. You felt your heart racing when you saw him suffering. Mason was stressed out on the field and you knew it wasn't normal, he was fighting, attacking and had already received a yellow card, and you feared that he would receive a red card until the end of the match.

“He's not fine, Y/N.” Anouska said to you. You just looked at her and agreed, but what can you do? “Maybe you should talk to him.”

“I hurt him a lot, An.” You felt guilty. “He's too good for me, I don't want to pull him into a hole with me.” 

“But he makes you so happy, Y/N. You shine when you're with him.” She said. “He’s not Mathew, Mason will never treat you badly and he loves you so much, you know that. Maybe it’s time to make yourself happy, forget about your past.” 

“I'm so afraid of hurting him. I know I hurt him this week, but I don't want to make him sadder.”

“Look, I think you should tell him your fears, but Mason needs you now. I've never seen him so sad, he drank so much at Mathew's party that Luke and I had to drive him home, he was in no condition to drive.” You had no idea about that. 

“I don’t know if I should.” Your brain was in overdrive. Did Mason want to talk to you? 

“You must.” 

✦‎۟    ࣭   ⊹

You texted Anouska in the morning. 

You spent the night awake and now you had dark circles under your eyes, you spent the night thinking about Mason and what to do. You cried again as you realized that you could have lost him forever because of your choices and speeches.

And that's exactly why you're driving to his house right now. You're hoping Mason doesn't tell you to leave and you're so nervous you feel like you're going to throw up. You have the key to the gate of his house and that's why you can get in, so you stay in the car for a while longer until you feel ready to face him. 

You ring the doorbell, but no one answers. You ring the doorbell one more time, but two minutes pass again and no one appears. Your eyes fill with tears, but maybe Mason isn't even home. You turn to walk back to the car, but as soon as you take two steps, the door opens behind you.

Mason had a crutch under his arm and seemed surprised to see you there. He didn't say anything, he just stared at you, so you ran to him and threw yourself into his arms, almost knocking him over. 

He held you against him, pressing you against his chest as you cried into the crook of his neck. You cried so much that Mason dragged you into the house and closed the door, even though his leg hurt, he didn't let you go.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry Mase.” You felt his hands on your back. 

Mason sat on the couch and sat you on the leg that wasn't injured, then he pulled you back into a hug and placed his face in the crook of your neck. You felt some tears on your skin and this time it was you who pulled him against your body.

“It’s okay, Y/N.” 

“No, it’s not.” You sobbed and made him look at you. “I’m sorry, I treated you so badly and you didn't deserve what I put you through all this time.”

Mason wiped the tears from your face and gave you a sad smile. 

“It’s fine, really, you don’t have to talk about your feelings, I don’t want to pressure you and make you say things you don’t want to.”

“That’s the point, Mase.” He looked at you confused. “I should’ve talked about the things that happened, but I left you with nothing all these months. I made you sad and I-”.

“Shhh, calm down love.” 

“Don’t be nice to me, Mason.” You sobbed.

“What? Are you crazy?” He laughed.

“I’m not.” You looked at him and saw him smiling at you. How can he be so sweet? You hurt him, you let him suffer and now he put you in his lap and is hugging you just because he loves you so much that it doesn't even matter that you broke his heart. “I wanna talk.”

“Go on.” You take a deep breath before starting to speak.

“So, I met Mathew years ago, we were just seventeen, I was young and he was starting his career, but he was very kind to me, to my family, and that’s why I love him so much. We had a good relationship, but Mathew sometimes exploded at me for no reason, putting the blame on me for things that weren't even my business, but I loved him and I ignored all of that.”

“He asked me to marry him when we were 22 and I accepted, of course I did, I had already finished college and I could have my life with him. But he was always rude, he didn't like my clothes, I couldn't go out with my friends without telling him, and he kept yelling at me without me doing anything. It made me insecure, all of this erased me. We came to Manchester and I was away from my family, from everyone I loved and I only had him, but he made friends here and I was lucky that he let me get closer to Ana and Anouska.”

“I got pregnant at the beginning of this year, but I suffered a miscarriage in March and it was the worst moment of my life.” Thick tears fell from your eyes and Mason wiped them away for you. “I thought a baby would make me happy, I always wanted to be a mother and I would have a baby and I wouldn't have to deal with Mathew all the time. I think he was happy too, but even though I was pregnant he continued to get stressed with everything I did.”

You took a deep breath, still feeling Mason staring at you as he listened to you. His hands were still on your back and he was comforting you.

“When I lost the baby, Mathew was horrible to me. For a long time I believed it was my fault as he said, if I had been more careful I could have had my baby with me. Ana and Anouska helped me a lot, I don't know what would have happened if it hadn't been for the two of them with me. I know Bruno and Luke like me, but I don't like that they have to be torn between me and their friend. In fact, what he did to me has nothing to do with the two of them or the team.”

“I do not agree with this.” This was the first thing that Mason said. 

“You don’t have to.” You smiled at him. “So, after the miscarriage I decided I wanted to get a divorce, I couldn't put up with him blaming me all the time and being bad and toxic to me. I still don't understand how he accepted it so easily, but later I found out that he cheated on me several times and it's easier to be single than to be married.”

“He's a piece of shit.” Mason said, angry.

“Basically that's it. I'm sorry for leaving you without answers for so long, it was never my intention to treat you badly, to make you sad like I did, but it's very difficult to believe that I can have something good after so many years in a bad relationship, I think I was afraid of you disappointing me and I ended up disappointing you.”

“Thank you for telling me all this, I had no idea and I'm so angry at him.”

“You don't need to be mad at him, Mason. He's your teammate and you can treat him well.” You wiped the tears from your face and looked at Mason, then cupped his face and made him look you in the eyes once again. “I’m sorry for the other day, I’m sorry I made you feel sad. I'm not ashamed of you Mason, I never would be. You are perfect, you make me happy since I met you and I think I'm not good for you.”

“Don’t say that, Y/N.” Mason spoke and left a kiss on your shoulder.

“But I love you.” You spoke and Mason froze, then looked at you and he couldn't let the smile leave his face. “I do, I really do.”

“You sure?” 

“I'm more sure than ever.” You smiled at him. “I want to introduce you to my parents if you want, I don't have any other friends besides Ana and Anouska here and you already know them, and I don't mind going to the games with your shirt on. Number 7 has always been my lucky number, if you want to know.”

“I love you, Y/N. I've never felt this way about someone before, you make me happy just by lying with me, having dinner with me and making me laugh. I don't want that with someone else.”

Mason pulled you against him and you spent a few minutes cuddled together just swearing your love to each other. Your heart felt like it was going to explode with happiness when you realized that things were resolved.

“I was afraid you would tell me to leave.” 

“I couldn't do that, I missed you so much.”

“So, what about this thigh?” You pointed to his leg. 

“Yeah, not good news. I won't play for at least four months.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine.” Mason said and you looked at him. “It’s not fine, I wanna punch that guy in the face.”

“I'll take care of you, don't worry.” You left kisses on his cheeks and he tickled you, who was still on his lap..

“That's right, I'm fine now.”

✦‎۟    ࣭   ⊹

“I’m panicking.”

“Y/N, there’s no reason for you to be worried about.” Mason said and you couldn’t believe his words. “They already love you.”

“Yeah, right.” You arranged the table with dishes once again, the tenth time in fifteen minutes. “What do you think?”

“Hey, c’mere.” Mason called you and you saw him approaching with his crutches. It's been two weeks since his injury and you stayed with him every day, just to make sure he was okay. Mason was great, to be honest, it was a dream come true, waking up with you next to him every day. “I swear, there's no reason for you to be scared.”

“Okay, I'll try to relax.”

Indeed, Mason's family is wonderful. Only his parents came to Manchester but it was great to spend the day with them. You cooked and Mason helped you as much as he could, but because of the injury he couldn't stay on his feet for long. Debbie helped you wash the dishes after lunch and you talked for hours. You realized why Mason was so polite and kind, his parents were too and raised their son very well.

“I'm glad he has you here in Manchester. When he moved I was scared he would feel alone, but I think he's happy. He's happy, in fact, I can see it in his eyes.”

“Mason is wonderful, he always talks about you or the kids, he seems to love his nieces and nephew.”

“Mason is their favorite.” Debbie laughed. “Summer wants to call him everyday.”

“I can’t wait for him to meet my family, but they live in London and all of them have their jobs, so it’s hard for them to come.”

“He told me your father is a Chelsea fan.” 

“Yes, but I found out he was always a fan of Mason.”

“My beautiful boy, I've never seen him so in love as he is now.” Debbie looked at you and you smiled at her, blushing. “Thank you for making him happy.”

✦‎۟    ࣭   ⊹

“Are you sure?” Mason asked once again. “We can go home if you want.”

“Mason, it’s fine.” You said. “I'm going to sit with Ana, Anouska and the kids.”

You two arrived at Old Trafford for a game against Arsenal. Mason still can't play, but after one month he can finally walk without crutches. Mason decided to watch the game at the stadium and invited you to go with him, so he gave you a ticket to the family area and you can watch with your friends while Mason watches with the other players.

You're nervous, it's the first time you've been to the stadium in months and you're sure that some of the fans will recognize you, but this time the number on your back is different.

Mount 7.

Mason almost cried when he saw you ready and wearing his shirt, he spent ten minutes kissing you and telling you how beautiful you look. You might cry because you love him so much.

“I'll take you there.” He spoke as soon as the two of you entered Old Trafford.

“Mason, it’s not necessary. I'll be fine, really.” You gave him a light kiss on the lips and Mason agreed, then he told you once again that he loved you and left towards the locker rooms to talk to his teammates. 

You quickly got there and soon found your friends. They were so happy to see you there that they hugged you for long minutes. You hadn't seen them in the last month because you were with Mason every day, so you missed them and the kids.

“Mason is not here?” Anouska asked when you sat. 

“Yes, he went to the locker room to see them. He's doing physical therapy every day and barely talks to them, he must miss the training.”

A woman you don't know entered the box and sat in the corner, so you saw that she was wearing the shirt with Mathew's number. She looked at you with a disgusting face, but she looked the same way at Ana and Anouska, so you ignored her.

“That’s the new one.” Anouska said and looked to the field where the team is coming in to warm up. 

“Bruno told me that they are trying to sell Mathew next season, he is not performing on the field and is always at parties and missing training.” Ana said to you and Anouska. 

If it was a while ago you would have cared, but not now.

“That’s not my problem anymore.”

“Woww, that’s our girl.” 

✦‎۟    ࣭   ⊹

Manchester United won 3-0 and you knew Mason was happy before you even saw him, but he wanted to play too and you're sorry he was injured. The girls invited you to join them and meet the players after the game to celebrate the team's victory, and knowing that's where you'll find Mason, you accepted.

You passed some of the players and ended up saying hello to them, as well as the Manchester United team, who were always kind to you. Of course, you didn't fail to notice the surprised look on some people's faces when they saw that the number on your shirt was 7.

Anouska pulled you close to her and led you to where Mason was. You saw him talking to Luke, Onana and Rashford and Mason looked happy to finally be with his friends. He saw you and smiled at you, you melted when you felt his passionate gaze on you and smiled at him in the same way.

“Y/N?” 

That wasn't the voice you wanted to hear.

You turned around and saw Mathew approaching you. He had a look on his face like he didn't understand anything that was happening, it was a shame. 

“Hey Mathew, how are you?” You smiled at him, but the last place you wanted to be was there. 

“Why are you wearing Mason's shirt?” He asked and pointed to the shirt you're wearing. “What the fuck is that, Y/N?” 

“You liked it?” You tugged at the hem of your shirt and looked, smiling at him and ignoring his angry tone. 

“Do not play with me.” He pulled your wrist and squeezed. You raised your eyebrow at him, and he started putting on a show in front of everyone. “Are you fucking with him?”

“I’m sorry?” 

“You couldn't stay away from a player, could you?” He asked wryly. “What a slut you are, you should be ashamed of yourself.”

You felt tears come to your eyes and you pulled your arm out of his hand.

“Don’t talk to me like that. You're not half the man Mason is.”

Mathew turns red with anger, maybe because this time he couldn't manipulate you.

“Is everything okay, Y/N?” Mason came to your side and put his arm around your shoulder, leaving a kiss on your forehead and then looking at Mathew. “Hey Mathew, I didn't see you there.”

“You're a coward, Mason Mount. You left Chelsea as a traitor and you are here as one, I hope you make good use of this bitch.”

Mason threatened to go to Mathew, but you held him back. You realized he was angry, but Mathew was rotten and always tried to touch someone's wound, he was the coward. Mathew left angrily and passed all the other players without talking.

“Don't mind him, please. He's a twat.” You looked at Mason and he nodded, then pulled you into a hug and left a kiss on your head. “I’m sorry for this.” 

“Don’t be sorry, it’s not your fault, Y/N.” He said and gave you a smile. “Thanks for coming with me.” 

“I will always be by your side, even when you don't want me around.”

“I always want you around.”

✦‎۟    ࣭   ⊹

December arrived and so did the snow. 

Mason was celebrating everywhere that Christmas was close and everyone would come to his house, including your family. He spent his days planning what to do with the kids, what to talk about with your father and your brothers, if your mother would like him or if she would like his mother. 

“Should I buy other games for the PS5?” He asked when he entered the room. Ace followed him and laid down on his bed in the corner of the room while Mason threw himself on top of you on the bed. “Your nephew likes football, doesn't he?”

“You've already bought about five games since last week.”

“I know, but there are a lot of children to entertain.”

“Mase, don't worry, it's only three days and they will play with each other.”

“Uh, fine.” He grumbled and snuggled into you under the warm covers. “What do I buy for your dad?”

“Oh my God.” You spoke and Mason laughed at your reaction. “You don’t have to buy anything, you know that.”

“But it doesn't feel right.” 

“It doesn't matter, he'll thank you thousands of times for letting them stay here.”

“I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight, I'm nervous.” 

“Then I'll have to tire you out.”

✦‎۟    ࣭   ⊹

“Mason, your home is beautiful.” Your mum said to him and he blushed, approaching her to talk. 

“I know, I bought it because it's big, I think it worked well since we have a big family.”

Mason walked away and went to show your mother another part of the house. He got along well with everyone, your father loved him as did your brothers and your nephew has a favorite uncle now. 

His family arrived after them and you can finally meet Jazmin and his nieces. She was sweet like Debbie and you adored her. 

As soon as Mason came back, you saw your mom and Debbie talking and realized that your family fit together perfectly. You breathed a sigh of relief when you realized that Mason was what was missing in your life, and you had never felt so loved and happy as you did now.

“A penny for your thoughts.” Mason said and hugged you when he saw you leaning against the wall near the stairs. “Everything’s okay?” 

“Yes, I’m just thinking of how lucky I am.” You said and looked at everyone in the living room. “Everything worked.”

Mason pulled you into a kiss and you smiled against his lips, then Mason realized how happy you were there. 

“You look happy.” 

“I am happy.” You said and ran your hand over his face, then Mason pulled your hand away and left a kiss on your palm. “And that's because of you, thank you.”

“I will always make you happy.”

[charmedreincarnation]

Success story (not the void)

Maya, as I promised you, I'm writing you my success story. It's quite a wild one, so please bear with me.

My journey started during the Angel era, when I was struggling with the void state. I tried everything I could think of to get out of it - every method, every meditation technique, affirming, intention, lucid dreaming, and even coaching from various LoA experts, including those not so well-known. I was desperate for a breakthrough, a key to unlock the life I deserved. I would have done anything, even ate dirt if that was what it took.

At that time, my family was going through a rough patch. My abusive father, a police officer, divorced my mother and left us with nothing. We were homeless, living out of our car, while my dad was living a comfortable life. He had a new girlfriend, a younger woman, and continued to be respected in his job. Meanwhile, my mom, who was a victim of his abuse, was labeled a liar and lost everything. I was filled with rage, towards him, towards the world, towards the jury that declared him innocent. I wasn’t safe in this world especially being homeless, women and children are the most vulnerable to sexual and physical assault. I was scared, unsafe, and had nothing aside my mother and siblings.

I wanted to enter the void, not just for myself, but to give my family a better life and to bring justice to those who had wronged us. I was at a point where I was harming myself, but I couldn't give up because my family needed me. I remember messaging you, Maya, pouring out my story, begging you to help me enter the void. Despite your initial hesitation, you responded with kindness, sharing some personal experiences, and reassuring me that I wasn't alone.

Your words gave me hope. You made me realize that many people who find the law have gone through, or are still going through difficulties. If they could overcome their struggles, so could I.

So, I decided to let go of the void. Not because I didn't believe in it, but because I had elevated it to a status akin to a genie that would magically solve all my problems. When non-dualism and other loa concepts were introduced, everything finally clicked. I realized I didn't have to be angry, or try to be someone manifesting master, or do all these fake methods. I have always known that my family and I were meant to be happy.

For a month, I went through a process of shedding my ego. It was uncomfortable, and there were times I found myself fighting my own thoughts, telling them to shut up. I was separating my ego from myself. You, Maya, had once said that this process was similar to withdrawal symptoms of someone quitting drugs. This thought comforted me. I was becoming someone new, my old thoughts weren't there anymore.

Living in my car, I began to see it as my mansion. My mom's crying turned into laughter, my siblings' whine for food turned into jokes. We pretended that we were living our dream life, and after a while, my siblings joined me in this game. We would come "home" from school and yell at each other, pretending that the house was so big that we needed walkie-talkies to communicate.whenever I needed to steal food it was because we owned the place and can take whatever we want, not because I had to.

One day, we parked at a field, and I started imagining my life. I tried to become the clouds by thinking I am and accepting that my consciousness could be whatever it wanted. I got my siblings to do the same. We became the flowers, then the sun, then the stars at night. Even though physically I was still in the car, mentally and emotionally, I was living my dream life.

When I woke up, I was in a large room. It was decorated to perfection. I heard my siblings running around, throwing toys, and my mother laughing with a man, who's laugh alone sounded like gold. I explored the house, and it was beautiful. There was no yelling, no violence, only laughter and love. My mom introduced me to her boyfriend, and he was holding a newspaper that read that my father had been arrested for domestic crimes and fraud. He was losing everything.

At that moment, I realized that I had done it. My mom was happy, beautiful, and loved. My siblings had plenty of toys and clothes, and our house was filled with love. My family and I were finally living our dream life.

I have been living my life for about a month and now, and it has been blissful to say the least. I go to a well known private school and I am the top student. I am apart of many clubs, and also spend a lot of time volunteering at domestic shelters, and speaking to victims of intrapersonal abuse. I have made friends of people who volunteer with me, so it’s nice to have people who care about the same thing I do.

I am also apart of my writing club, and found comfort in reading and writing and have decided I want to be an author once I graduate. I have always wanted to be a writer but they don’t make enough money often. But now not only do I know I will be successful but my family has enough money to last us multiple generations plus some more. My Bio father had gotten much to what is coming to him and he will be going to jail. I hope he drops the soap but I have let go of my anger with that barbaric fool. So has my mother who has also recently gotten engaged and I get to be her maid of honor. She has a friend group of mothers from school and I have never seen her happier. My now father treats her like a goddess and treats everyone like that. He spoils my mom and us with gifts and luxurious trips. He also spoils the help such as the maids and cooks and never treats them below us. He does not expect anything from my mother except for her to be happy and spend time with us. He is kind selfless loving and respectful. the real definition of a man. I adore him so much and I’m so happy to call him my father.

I find great joy in the little stuff. I love cleaning my room. My bio dad was a hoarder and the house was always a mess because my mom was the sole provider though my “bio dad” made much more. He instead used it on hookers, alcohol, and drugs. Pathetic excuse for a man I know. I love going shopping, as I don’t have to look at the price tag. It feels normal, there was no shift. This is just life constantly changing. I have 5 pets and spend great time with all of them, and they are all so loving and adore me. I love school, and doing my homework, taking tests, assemblies etc. i love talking to my teacher about my ideas and how I can improve. They’re always so encouraging and kind, and I have never experienced that. I also loveeeee having crushes hehe. I never had time nor the “looks” for that prior to these past few months, but I receive a good amount of attention from a lot of sweet man and the “what if” aspect of having crushes is fun. I just love being a teenage girl, something I was not always able to say. I love the world and the people in it, the creations I bring and make, and all I did to make it what it is. I never worry what happened to my old self or life. It died, it doesn’t exist I am here right now with them and the old story is gone. Like an author erasing a part of a story she doesn’t like and never producing it, I did the same. My one true reality and I am so blessed.

Also big thanks to bloggers like @awarenessis @starbursts777 @consciousnessbaddie for introducing this concepts to Tumblr in a simple and kind way. Love to everyone in this devoted app.

Congratulations on your astounding success story 🥹 Your journey is a testament to the power of the human spirit, and it's an honor to hear about your transformation. This is beautiful wild tale, but it's your reality, and it's absolutely beautiful.

Your story is a powerful reminder that we have the power to shape our reality, no matter how dire our circumstances may be. It's a testament to the power of belief, determination, and the human spirit. I'm incredibly proud of you and wish you and your family all the happiness in the world.

[lushrue]

hockeyteam!141 headcanons

wanted to write more for this au but i don't have enough creative juices for a part 2 yet, so have some hcs about the 141 + some reader backstory! 💖

price (#35)

has been playing since he was a kid, found something he was good at and stuck to it

skate guards, stick tape, mouthguard, everything is blue because that’s his favorite color

gets really concerned when any one of his guys goes down on the ice, he’s usually right there beside the team medic until they shoo him away

is the first one back in the locker room after a game to greet the others with a fist bump or a high five for a job well done

(ghost thinks it’s corny, but he always asks for a fist bump after a particularly tough match)

ghost (#42)

picked up the sport as an escape from family life, it was an outlet to let out his rage and he took it

carries around a communal bottle of peroxide for washing jerseys

sometimes, the other guys on the team will give him their bloody gear cause no one can get the stains out as good as he can

technically, gaz gave him his nickname first (“you’re like a bloody spectre out there, mate”) but soap was the one that made sure it stuck

is definitely the guy on the team that yells at everyone else when they aren’t paying attention to price

has gotten called the captain’s pet more than once for it, too

really likes the flavor of red gatorade, but he doesn’t like how it stains his teeth

soap (#07)

started playing when he got kicked off of his youth football/soccer team for being too aggressive, parents picked a more physical sport for him

definitely chews on his mouthguard when the game is getting close, will chew on it regardless if he’s been on the bench for too long

gets really annoyed with how sweaty the mohawk gets under his helmet and has fully considered buzzing his whole head multiple times

chirps both on and off the ice, started an all-out brawl by calling another player a “sack of yankee-dankee-doodle gobshite” once (yes, he got it from gordon ramsay)

once he puts those pads on, he will do anything and everything price tells him to do

refill his water bottle? done. grab the whiteboard so he can sketch something out? it’s already in his hand.

speaking of sketching, johnny really likes to draw and has drawn everyone on the team at one point or another

gaz (#74)

definitely was one of those kids that played every sport they could

this man was in hockey, rugby, football, anything that would let him sign up and give him a position to play

price handpicked him for the minor league team after seeing him play in a local match (still had to run it by the head coach, laswell, though)

dances in his seat on the bench in between plays and has definitely bribed the announcer to play some of his favorite songs during the intermissions

is relatively quiet on and off the ice until he sees something he doesn’t like

once, someone landed a pretty nasty hit on price and kyle got himself ejected from the game fighting with the ref over the lack of penalty

bonus reader hcs!

i want to leave most of the physical characteristics vague (gender, hair color, etc.) but i have some backstory for the reader in this au!

decided they want to be a figure skater after watching the olympics with their parents as a kid

they started classes as young as an instructor would take them, and before that, they made their mom take them to the ice rink every day after school

always refuse to compete with a partner because they got burned by an almost-dating situation when they were in high school

as much as their coach keeps trying to get them to do upbeat routines to rock/pop music, they’ve always preferred the more flowy routines to instrumentals

despite that, they always warm up to divorced dad rock

gonna write a pt 2 for the story soon, so stay tuned!

[growingstories]

Growing stories

[lizzy06]

Ukai Keishin x Reader Fic Recs!!(Tumblr/AO3/Wattpad)

Haikyuu! Fic Rec Masterlist

Other Characters Fic Rec Masterlist

Assumptions ✨by MrsTanaka (oneshot, soulmate au) Soulmate AU in which the name of your soulmate is tattooed on your wrist.[COMPLETED]

Your Shoujo Prince by queensbury ✨✨💖 A collection of unrelated Ukai x reader stories. [COMPLETED]

Smoke Stop ft. Keishin Ukai ✨✨by cloudnine_1 (oneshot, enemies to friends to lovers, angst,hurt/comfort) You were a hard working marketing manager working in the Miyagi prefecture. But one day while rushing again to work, you happened to bump into a blond haired man at a smoke stop who may have annoyed the hell out of you for no reason, and he seemed to think the same. Just wait until he realizes that your grandfather is the coach of Nekoma High’s Volleyball team-.[COMPLETED]

Something More✨ by melremade (friends to lovers, angst with happy ending, hurt/comfort, smut)In the ten years that you’d known Ukai, how could you never have noticed the way he looked at you?[COMPLETED]

A prevailing Love✨ by @liillyliilly (oneshot, childhood friends to lovers, fluff, humor, idiots in love, love confessions)a memory from childhood- getting locked in the bathroom. the life he's living now still carries themes from his teenagerhood.[COMPLETED]

The Way To A Woman's Heart Is Through Her Stomach✨  by  theacevampire (oneshot, enemies to lovers, fluff, humor, implied smut)I always thought the blonde cashier at the Sakanoshita Market was cute. Until he opened his mouth.[COMPLETED]

Unexpected Connection by Teapots_and_Teacups (oneshot, fluff)You're a divorced mother to 8 year old Takeru. You find an romantic connection with Ukai Kenshin thanks to a chance meeting at a mixer. You didn't know that technically he already knew your younger brother Tooru.[COMPLETED]

seek the light✨ by sanktaallina (oneshot, friends to lovers, fluff, smut)ack home after losing your job, you wander into a convenience store not realizing you would see a familiar face.[COMPLETED]

Is There Anyone Out There? by FearTheDerpyCone (oneshot, soulmate au, fluff)Soulmate AU with Ukai where whatever you write on your own skin shows up on your soulmate's skin as well.[COMPLETED]

Fly (Keishin Ukai)✨ by KarasunoParkingLot (fluff, hurt/comfort, amnesia, mutual pinning)They said she would be the best player in the world. Four years on and she had not touched a Volleyball since. However, what happens when she finally decides to turn her life around and becomes the assistant coach for her younger brothers volleyball team? [COMPLETED]

I Still Love You by @awearywritersworld (angst)Your younger cousin Hinata is desperate for someone to fill in as Karasuno’s volleyball coach until Takeda is able to find a more permanent solution. You oblige, eventually meeting the man who accepts the job, your ex, Ukai Keishin.[COMPLETED]

Second Chances✨ ✨by applescentedcandle (smut, fluff)It was supposed to be a one-night stand with a man you had nothing to do with, in a town you only visited once in a blue moon. You were a lawyer in Tokyo, he owned a shop in Miyagi. You were never supposed to see each other again.[COMPLETED]

The Upside of Change ✨by melremade (oneshot, friends to lovers, fluff, hurt/comfort)You had been Ukai’s best friend for so long that he never saw it coming—the realization that he was in love with you. And now that he knew, how could things ever be the same?[COMPLETED]

Piss Off Your Parents ✨ by @lostinthewiind (series, fluff, eventual smut)freshly turned 18, you want to prove to your parents that you aren't a child for them to push around anymore. First, get a job at the local corner store. Second, use the store owner's 26-year-old son with piercings and a cigarette addiction to piss your parents off. Third, accidentally fall in love.[COMPLETED]

petty game of cards by @ushiko (oneshot, ) Just keishin getting his ass whooped by his girlfriend in speed. [COMPLETED]

Five by glassandroses(oneshot, fluff, humor)You and Keshin have always had a strange, flirty banter when you come to his shop every Sunday. It only escalates when he refuses to let you pay for your tea, so you did what you do best…You played a little game.[COMPLETED]

[at0michips]

people pleaser — art donaldson

summary: after years of worrying about other peoples needs, art finally finds the pleasure of having someone do everything it takes to make him satisfied.

Art Donaldson was known for lowering his head for a long time, as a kid if his grandma asked him to do some chore he'd drop whatever he was doing and obey her, just to hear a "Thank you nana's love, let's bake you some cookies". At boarding school, Patrick would always be making bets with him just because he knew Art would do the stupidest things just so he could see his friend smirk and pat his back saying how impressed he was that Art really did that. During his marriage things were no different, Art would do whatever Tashi said inside and out of court. He was determined to make her satisfied, to be seen and rewarded just how it happened his whole life, in all his relationships.

However, this didn't last forever. During Lily's first years of life, Art didn't felt the pressure of pleasing his wife, in fact it was the first time he didn't felt the need to please anyone around him. All he wanted to do was care and protect his baby, and he was so happy to do so, until she was big enough to stay with Tashi's mom and they had to go back to the routine. After this it seemed like something shifted and Tashi was way colder and bossy about his performance, and all of a sudden he wasn't able to please her anymore.

It did took some time, but Art finally built up enough courage to ask her for the divorce and shortly after, retire from tennis. He bought a big house, decorated Lily's room with her during recess and thought he had finally found some peace.

And for sometime he was, he kept on going to sports events, watched some tennis matches and kept as much sponsorships as he was able to. But then one day, he was invited to a sports event at Stanford, where all the students who played something would be listening a lecture he and other alumni would say how much the university helped them in their careers, answer some questions and maybe take some pictures. Nothing out of line, right?

That was until the end of the event, when one of his former professors approached him with a girl by her side. She introduced her as the top of her class and, an amazing tennis player just like you were. Art notices that he does know this girl, he remember avid movements on court, how she basically devoured her opponent. She was in fact an amazing tennis player, and also a fan of Art Donaldson.

Art learned how to aprecciate his fans more with time, enjoy the attention, and as they both walked through campus he was enjoying it too. Although she was basically asking him things about his career, he noticed how she was nervous about being around him and even stuttered sometimes, seemed to be worried about the next line.

But the moment he could see the nervousness in her eyes, was when they were sitting down both with a cup of coffee on their hands and she asked the question "i was hoping you would be my coach". The nervous girl was able to make the confident Art Donaldson spechless. Coach? Art had never thought about it, let alone after retiring, but he would be lying if he said he didn't missed the feeling of competing, and as he heard her reasons Art started to wonder if maybe, it wasn't what was missing in his new life, a little bit of his old one.

As soon as you graduated you went pro. You couldn't believe it when you heard him agreeing with becoming your coach, it seemed like a dream, you remember being eleven and watching one of his matches with your dad and immediately falling in love with Art, and just like every girl who's obssessed with a celebrity, started consuming everything related to him, and yes it meant that you also begged your parents for tennis classes. The surprise came when you were actually good at it and started to enjoy it, good enough to earn a scholarship to Stanford.

With time, your crush on him became less and less intense and eventually escaped your head. That was until your favorite professor and you were having a talk about your future and you revealed the wish to go pro to her and she started saying about how one of her best former students became a professional tennis player, and how he could help her with that.

The first time you met him, it felt like you were eleven again and as he started to coach you it got even harder.

It didn't took much time for Art to start regretting his decision, you were great, and after he started coaching you got even better. The public saw it, the brands saw it and quickly everybody noticed you, by your talent and also your coach. But being on the spotlight again was not what was bothering Art, it was how you would move as he told you, hit the ball as he told you, at how powerful he felt as you looked sad when you would screw something up during training and immediately try to fix it, was how even outside the court you were always trying to find the right words to talk to him and how eager you were to be perfect for him.

Your body became stronger, your were always showing off your toned legs and everytime your eyes weren't on the ball, they were set on him. He wasn't stupid, he knew you had a thing for him and he knew that if he asked you for any favor you'd just drop whatever you're doing and help him out, if he decided that you would receive some embarassment punishment after a mistake in court you would just do it, and he was pretty sure that if he simply bent you over the bench you would simply stick your ass up to his cock. And he enjoyed it, he genuiely enjoyed how much power he had over you.

And for that he hated himself, you were barely legally drinking while he was retired, divorced and a father, it was impossible for anything to happen between you two.

That's what he thought while he was setting down on his hotel room, it was the first time you and Art had to travel for a tournament, it was a big one and it would start the next day, however your coach wanted you to know the court you'd be playing, train a bit and enjoy a good night of sleep without having to worry about waking up late and fuck everything up. You'd be lying if you said that you weren't shaking nervous, everything you did after Art became your coach was milimetrically calculated to be perfect and meet his expectations, you were living the dream and wouldn't let it all go away with your stupid mistakes, this you could and would control. You weren't so sure about how hot he was, Art was on his 30s but he really couldn't look hotter.

You kept trying to get rid of this thoughts all day long, but the fact that he was always there watching you closely and talking to you wasn't helping at all.

Even after a cold shower and a good 30 minutes tossing and turning around your hotel bed, your mind wouldn't stop thinking about Art, not giving you any peace of mind to focus on your breath and fall asleep. Tired of it, you decided to take a walk around the hotel, hoping it would finish tiring your body. Shit, Art would be mad if he saw you awake this late? Or would he have a disappointed look on his face? 

Grabbing a sweatshirt and putting it over your head was all you did before opening your door and facing your coach. “Y/N, what are you doing up this late?” he said in a low and rough voice

You looked up at Art, caught off guard by his unexpected presence. His sharp gaze met yours, a mix of concern and something more inscrutable flickering in his eyes. The hallway was dimly lit, casting shadows that seemed to accentuate the tension between you.

“I... I just needed to clear my head,” you stammered, trying to sound more confident than you felt. The late hour and the quiet of the hotel made the situation feel even more intense.

Art stepped closer, his imposing figure filling the space in front of you. His presence was both intimidating and oddly comforting. “You should be asleep,” he said, his voice softer now but still carrying an authoritative edge. “You’ve got an important match tomorrow.”

You nodded, feeling a mix of anxiety and excitement stir within you. “I know. I just couldn’t stop thinking... about everything.”

Art’s eyes softened, a rare glimpse of vulnerability from the usually unyielding coach. “Thinking about me?” he asked, his tone almost teasing but laced with something deeper.

You hesitated, your heart pounding in your chest. “Yeah. About how I messed up during practice and how I’m not ready.”

He chuckled, a low, rumbling sound that sent a shiver down your spine. “You’re ready,” he said firmly. “You’ve been working hard. But I get it. Sometimes the mind doesn’t shut off as easily as we want it to.”

You looked up at him, meeting his gaze with a mixture of gratitude and uncertainty. “I didn’t expect you to be out here. I thought you’d be asleep too.”

He smirked slightly, the corners of his lips curling up in a way that made your breath hitch. “I have my own ways of dealing with things,” he said cryptically. “And right now, it seems like you need something else to help you unwind.”

Before you could react, Art closed the distance between you, his hand gently cupping your cheek. The warmth of his touch was startling, and you could feel the electricity crackling between you. His thumb lightly brushed against your skin, sending a shiver through your entire body.

“What are you—” you started, but the words died in your throat as he leaned in closer.

His lips met yours in a kiss that was both fierce and tender. It was as if all the unspoken words, all the hidden desires, were being conveyed through that single, intense connection. You melted against him, your initial surprise giving way to a deep, burning need to reciprocate.

Art’s kiss was demanding, yet gentle, his hands sliding to your waist as he pulled you closer. Your own hands found their way to his shoulders, gripping them as if they were the only thing anchoring you to reality. The kiss deepened, both of you lost in the moment, forgetting the world outside and the looming challenges.

When the kiss finally broke, both of you were breathless, your foreheads resting together. Art’s eyes were dark with a mixture of satisfaction and something that could only be described as tenderness.

“You needed that,” he murmured, his voice low and rough once more. “And I needed it too.”

You nodded, still trying to catch your breath. “Yeah. I think... I think we both did.”

Art’s gaze softened further, and for a moment, the stern coach was gone, replaced by someone who seemed genuinely caring and vulnerable. “Go back to bed,” he said gently, his thumb brushing your cheek one last time. “I’ll be right here if you need anything.”

You nodded, feeling a newfound sense of calm. As you turned to head back to your room, you couldn’t help but glance back at him. Art’s gaze followed you, a silent promise in his eyes.

“Goodnight, Art,” you said softly.

“Goodnight, Y/N,” he replied, his voice carrying a note of warmth that lingered even as you closed your door behind you.

[artssslut2]

Pinky Promise

Art x Lily x Reader

Summary: It’s Lily’s birthday and Art wants to give his little girl the best day ever.

It was the night before Lily’s birthday and you and Art were staying up extra late to get ready. Tashi had started coaching three new players since Art retired. She had been gone a lot for work after they got divorced, Lily missed her a lot but would call her everyday. Lily loved you though, she always did. Art waited a while before letting her meet you he wanted to make sure you were the one first. Once you met Lily and he saw how the two do you got along he put a ring on your finger almost immediately. Lily was the flower girl at your wedding and was beyond happy about getting you as a bonus mom. You were younger than Art, he knew that you wanted more kids, he didn’t mind that idea he actually loved it. Lily also loved it, she had been begging for a sibling since the day you got married. And now here you were eight months pregnant with another little girl. This was your first time around but Arts second, he was more relaxed since he had been down this road before, it was calming for you. Art loved that he was around for everything that was something he couldn’t do with Lily.

Lily was Turing eight and Art was of course going all out for his little girl. Art missed Lilys third birthday because of a match and he has never been able to forgive himself, he knew she wouldn’t remember but it still made him sad. So now he always made the day special.

Lily was a dancer, she had played tennis for a little bit but she didn’t really like it, tashi was mortified but art was relieved. He didn’t want her to be put under all that pressure. After quitting tennis Lily started taking ballet classes and she loved them, she was an amazing dancer easily the best in her class. Art never wanted to put pressure on her, he wanted her to be a normal kid but dance became the thing she loved the most, she wanted to dance all the time. So Art had been working non stop on her own dance room in the basement. He put in dance flooring, mirrors and a ballet bar, he lined the walls with all her trophy’s and medals and old costumes. Seeing Art be such an amazing dad made you love him even more, you couldn’t wait to see him become a dad again.

“Do you think she’ll like it?” Your husband asked hanging some streamers by the door, you looked at him and smiled

“Of course she will. She’s gonna love it.” You wrapped your arms around his torso he leaned against you a little. You noticed Art seemed off “you okay baby?” You asked softly. He took a deep breath

“Mhm. I just don’t want her to feel left out… when she was a baby I wasn’t there as much as I wanted to be. Now with this baby I will be here, all the time. I’ll never miss a birthday or anything, what if she thinks it’s because I don’t love her as much as her sister?” Art asked looking at the floor putting his hands in his pockets. You waited a minute, you knew he struggled with self doubt about fatherhood and it broke your heart because he was the greatest dad.

“She won’t Art I promise. We won’t let that happen. Look at all you are doing for her… everyday you are showing her how much you love her. She’s smart and she knows the baby might take up more of your time but she knows you don’t love her any less. Neither will I, I love her more than anything Art just like she’s my own, okay?” You told him grabbing his hands, Art looked at you with glassy eyes and gave you a little smile. Art loved you so much. He never thought he would meet someone after Tashi but somehow he lucked out and met the love of his life. He knew you would be a great mom to your own children, but Lily was also your baby.

“I love you.” He said kissing your head and pulling you in. You smiles against his chest. “alright let’s go to bed we have a big day tomorrow.” He took your hand to lead you out of the room.

The next morning you both woke up early so you could be awake before Lily. Art had the whole day planned out for her. You both waited downstairs for her to wake up. Finally you hear little feet running down the stairs, Art walked to them

“Do I hear my Eight year old?” Lily giggles jumping into her father’s arms and giving him a big hug, “oh my gosh you look a year older do you feel a year older?” He asked holding her up and dramatically examining her,

“No!” She laughed trying to catch her breath, seeing their interaction made you laugh

“Happy birthday Lily Pad.” You told her joining them in the living room with a gift bag,

“Thanks, what’s that?” She asked staring at the pink bag pointing at it

“We wanted to give you one of your gifts now so that you can use it today.” You smiled handing her the gift bag and kissing her head

“Can I open it now!?” She asked very loudly bouncing up and down, you and Art laughed and nodded. She ripped the tissue paper away and dug into the bag. You had gotten her a new outfit, Lily loved fashion and dressing up. It’s how you first bonded, you work in fashion it’s actually how you met Art.

“Oh my gosh! It’s so cute!” She shrieked holding the light pink romper up, there was also a matching bow and shoes in the bag.

“You wanna go put it on?” You laughed moving her bed head from her face,

“Yes! Thank you y/n!” She said jumping into your arms squeezing you so tight then running up to her bedroom to change. You looked at art and he had the biggest smile on his face, a smile he only got when he watched his two favorite people.

“Your the best” he said coming over and kissing you,

“It’s easy when she’s the best.” You smiled

“Y/n! Can you come do my hair!?” Lily shouted from upstairs, you both laughed and you headed up to help her.

Once Lily was dressed and had her hair done she was asking about breakfast. You told her that she should ask her dad so you went to your bedroom to find him. He came out of the bedroom and showed off his shirt to his girls,

“What do you think, how do I look Lily Pad?” He asked doing a spin. He was wearing a shirt that said “girl dad” on it, you and Lily got it for him when you found at you were having a girl.

“It’s perfect!’ She giggled, she loved getting her dad clothes you both would often go shop for him together.

“Lily we have two more things for you before breakfast, the first isss…” he dramatically held out his words to build suspense

“Daddy! What is it daddy!” She asked bursting with excitement Art pointed at you so you could finish his sentence.

“We are giving you a yes day. Whatever you want to do we have to say yes too.” You smiled presenting the offer to the little girl. Her eyes lit up and she looked so happy. You could see wheels turning in her brain thinking of what she wanted to ask first

“Can we get Starbucks for breakfast?!” She asked enthusiastically, of course that was her first request. Art looked at you like he was thinking of what to say

“Hmmmm…” he said dramatically like he might say no “of course we can baby.” Lily laughed “but before we go we have one more thing.” He said reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small wrapped box.

“What is it daddy?” She asked scrunching her eyebrows just like her dad does

“Open it” he handed it to her and she tipped it open, she gasped. It was a necklace from Tiffany’s that had her birthstone on it, it was way too expensive for an eight year old but art didn’t care.

“It’s so pretty daddy! Thank you so much I love it!” She said wrapped herself around him. She looked at the box again

“But wait. There’s earrings too I don’t have mine pierced.” She said confused

“Well we thought since your eight now…” you told her you didn’t need to finish she knew

“No way are you serious?!” She looked back and fourth between you and art and you both nodded. She squealed and jumped up and down then kept into Arts arms and held onto him as tightly as a little girl could, he laughed enjoying this moment.

The day went on perfectly, you loved watching Art be a father, you loved that you could share the joy and be lilys bonus mom. When Lily got her ears pierced Art was more nervous than she was. Lily was trying to be brave and had a very focused look on her face while she sat in the chair alone.

“Are you nervous?” He asked his daughter

“No… but can you hold my hand daddy?” She asked timidly, Art chuckled

“I’ll do you one better.” He told her lifting her up and placing her on his lap. You filmed as she got her ears pierced she didn’t even flinch. You showed Lily a picture so she could see and she loved them

“I look beautiful!” She gasped

“Yes you do baby.” You smiled

Lily picked her favorite place to eat dinner of course.

“Can you guys say yes to one more thing?” Lily asked while eating her Mac and cheese “can I pick the babies name?” She smiled giving her best puppy dog eyes, you and Art looked at each other knowing you would have to say no but wanted to humor her

“Hmm… well what are you thinking Lily pad?” You and Art had had a list of names but hadn’t been able to decide, you wanted to go with an L name to match Lily.

“Luna.” She said confidently “Then we can call her Lou Lou.” She pled her case

“Was that your favorite name on the list?” You asked her, she nodded. You looked at Art

“We will think about it I promise.” Art smiled holding out his pinky, she smiled back giving him a pinky promise. You did really like the name, it would be special if Lily chose it.

Once you all got home you gave Lily what seemed like a thousand presents, pink and purple wrapping paper covered your living room floor. Lily was a very grateful little girl she didn’t act spoiled in the least, even if she was a little spoiled by her father. After she opened her last gift and blew out her birthday candles Art stood up,

“Lily we have one more gift for you.” You saw lilys eyes open wide

“Another one?” She asked surprised,

“Your daddy worked veryyyy hard on it” you added

“Follow us okay Lily pad”

You led the little girl to the basement, the last few months you told her she wasn’t allowed down there because they were doing renovations, she quickly saw that there was nothing new and looked confused then you covered her eyes

“Since you have been working so hard in dance class we wanted to surprise you with a… “ Art opened the door slightly to what used to be one of the guest bed rooms “dance room!” He threw the door opened and you uncovered lilys eyes

“WHAT?!” She yelled running in the little girl was speechless she looked like she could cry, she was quiet then hugged you both

“This is the best gift in the whole entire world.” She said squeezing tightly, Art kissed your cheek while in the group hug,

“Well why don’t you teach me some moves?” Art laughed, Lily ran to the middle with her dad. For the next hour Lily taught, well tried to teach her dad her new ballet routine. It was adorable. She wanted you to learn it too but Art told her when your center of gravity was back to normal she can but not right now.

Art was a great tennis player but he was definitely not a ballerina like his daughter. You laughed so hard at the pair watching the routine you almost peed your pants. It was such a perfect day with your little family.

Now Art was putting Lily to bed. It was past her bedtime but since it was her birthday it was fine. Lily called Tashi on Arts phone like she did every night then Art read her a story, Art kisses her head and was about to leave when she asked

“Today was the best day. But daddy my wish didn’t come true.” She said frowning a little. Art furrowed his brows and knelt back down

“How come Lily pad? What was your wish?”

“I wished that the baby would be born today.” She sighed, Art smiled a little. He was slightly relieved that she didn’t say it was something he could’ve done.

“That would have been pretty cool baby. But the baby needs to grow a little bit more before she can come out remember?” He asked softly stroking her hair. She nodded

“Yeah… I just really want to meet her it’s taking sooo long.” She told her dad and he smiled, he thought about how long nine months would seem to an eight year old

“I know Lily pad I wanna meet her oo. But she will be here so soon, before you know it… I promise.” He told her holding his pinky out again

“Daddy do you think I’ll be a good big sister?” She asked looking at him with her big eyes, his heart melted

“I think you might just be the best big sister in the entire world.” He smiled kissing her head, and He believed that completely.

Art got ready for bed then joined you under the covers pulling you close, you had been thinking about what Lily said earlier

“You know Luna is pretty cute.” You whispered Turing over to look at Art

“Yeah?” He asked sitting up on his forearm

“Yeah.” You nodded

“Then Luna it is.” He grinned ear to ear putting a hand on your stomach then leaning down to kiss it. What a great day.