#like you are them you are other the call is coming from inside the house!!!!!!

[withwritersblock]

Springsteen

~Springsteen by Eric Church~

Author's Note: Requested! I am sorry, this isn't exactly like the request has asked but it is a long one, I hope you guys enjoy it anyway. Summary: Quinn and Y/N experience a summer love and they find each other again after eight years. Warnings: implied smut Word Count: 13,300

Last summer was the first summer the Hughes brothers started staying at the lake house next door. Y/N lived in her house all year round. She was used to seeing families come in for a summer and never come back. She was expecting it to be the same way with the Hughes family.

She barely spoke to them throughout the first summer. She had a few conversations with Ellen throughout the summer. Y/N’s mother and Ellen had gotten close during that time. 

So when her mom told her that the family was coming back, she was shocked. She stopped getting close with the people her age that would stay at the house. She was tired of becoming friends with them and never seeing them again. She kept it polite but that’s all.

She sat on the porch swing with her mom waiting for their arrival. Her mom begged for Y/N to wait with her. Y/N didn’t argue it since it was the polite thing to do. 

“They bought it,” her mother whispered before she leaned back, almost as if it was a huge secret. Y/N met her mother’s gaze and nodded slowly. 

“That’s fun,” she mumbled before she switched her gaze back towards her lap.

“Ellen said that they���ll be here any minute now,” her mother said as she stared towards her phone screen. Y/N nodded again before she tapped her fingertips against the tops of her thighs.

A few minutes passed by and there were two cars that pulled up to the house beside them. As soon as they pulled into the driveway, the three boys climbed out of the cars dragging giant bags with them. 

“Come on, Y/N, let’s go help them out,” her mom said while taking a hold of Y/N’s arm.  Reluctantly, she stood up and followed after her mom to help the boys out.

“Louise! It’s so good to be back!” Ellen called out as she stepped out of the driver seat of one of the cars. Louise continued walking through the grass towards the other house. Y/N followed behind, keeping her gaze on her feet. Y/N awkwardly stood behind her mother as she stared towards the driveway beneath her feet.

“How’s school going, Y/N? How’s everything!” Ellen asked as she switched her attention towards her. Y/N lifted her gaze, meeting Ellen’s eager gaze. She forced a grin and nodded. 

“Everything is good! Excited for summer,” She explained polietly as she glanced towards Quinn who was walking towards his mom. Ellen shifted her gaze towards Quinn, smiling softly before she looked back towards Y/N. 

“Why don’t you help Quinn get some of the bags inside?” Louise expressed as she met Ellen’s gaze. Ellen’s eyes widened as she took a hold of Quinn’s arm dragging him closer to them. His mouth fell open as their eyes met. Y/N took a deep breath as she nodded slowly. 

“Sure,” she muttered barely above a whisper as she continued to watch Quinn shift awkwardly beside his mom. Quinn stepped back as he began to walk towards the trunk of the car. Y/N glanced towards Quinn as she reluctantly followed after him.

Ellen and Louise linked arms and began walking towards the newly owned Hughes house. 

Quinn took a hold of the trunk and popped it open. “You don’t need to help us,” he mumbled as he pulled out one of the many suitcases. She took a hold of it, their hands brushing in the process. “My brothers and I got it,” he continued as their eyes met briefly before looking back into the truck. The suitcases were stacked up like Tetris pieces.

“I don’t have much of a choice,” she mumbled before she took the suitcase and lifted it up from the ground. He chuckled dryly as he took two more suitcases and placed them on the ground. He lifted them up, looking down and meeting her gaze.

“You don’t sound excited that we’re here,” Quinn expressed as he fought off a grin. Slowly, he rounded the car, with Y/N, following behind him. Y/N let out a small laugh before rolling her eyes playfully. 

“Not used to seeing the same people more than once. It’s going to take a while to get used to,”  she expressed while laughing nervously. He nodded as he pushed open the front door to the house with his upper arm. 

Quinn glanced back, meeting her gaze. She looked into his eyes for what truly felt like the first time. Her eyes softened as the corner of her lips turled upward slightly. “These are all mine, so we can drop them off in my room,” he let out while chuckling. He rounded the corner towards the long hallway that held several bedrooms. Quinn nodded towards the room at the end of the hall.

“Did you pack your entire wardrobe?” she asked teasingly as she finally dropped the suitcase back down to the floor. She began to push it since her arms were tired already. 

“Pretty much, this isn’t just our summer house anymore. We’re spending holidays and other breaks when we can,” Quinn explained as he pushed open the door.

Y/N stepped into the room to see it was only half furnished. There was a bed in the corner of the room with a blue bedspread. A dark wooden dresser next to the door. There was a few Maple Leafs decorations on the wall. 

Her face scrunched up in disgust at the blue decorations. He rested the suitcases near the closet. He straightened his frame as he spun around to meet her gaze. She shoved the suitcase towards the dresser, standing up straight. 

“You’re a Leafs fan?” she asked while looking at the flag on his wall. He spun his head around to look towards the flag.

“My dad works for them,” he let out while shifting awkwardly back and forth. Her mouth fell open as she gasped slightly.

“No way,” she muttered, “That’s really cool,” she continued as she crossed her arms over her chest. 

“I guess,” he muttered as he walked towards her and the door. “Does your family watch hockey?” he asked as he took a hold of the door. He stood close to her, their bodies only a few inches apart. He looked down towards her, scanning her features.

She took in a shaky breath as she pressed her lips together. Slowly, she took a step back. “We’re football people but I’m a Canucks fan,” she explained as she began to walk out of the bedroom. He followed after her. 

“How does that happen?” he asked while chuckling. She began to walk slower, allowing him to walk side by side with her. 

“My grandparents are from Vancouver, used to spend all holidays with them,” she explained as they rounded the corner to the living room. Half of the suitcases were already inside. 

“That’s awesome,” Quinn mumbled as their eyes met as they continued to walk towards the front door; side by side.

~~~

She sat on the porch swing, a blanket draped over her lap. Slowly, she rocked the swing back and forth. A romance novel in her hands, she’s read the book three times in the last six months. It was a stereotypical young adult romance novel in which she would always picture herself as the main character. She always dreamed of her own life turning into a romance novel.

“Hey Y/N,” she heard from a distance. 

Lifting her gaze, she saw the Hughes brothers walking towards the wrap around porch. Her eyes widened slightly as she felt her heart jump into her throat. Quinn was leading the charge, his frame was only covered by swim trunks.

“Hi,” she mumbled as she placed her bookmark into the book before placing it beside her.

“We’re night swimming, wanna join us?” Quinn asked as he pointed behind him. His brothers stood awkwardly behind them. Y/N chuckled as she pulled the blanket up higher on her body.

“The water is going to be freezing,” she teased. 

“That’s what I said!” Luke peeped out from behind Quinn. Jack smacked his hand against Luke’s arm.

“I’m also waiting for my friend to come over,” she let out. Quinn’s face fell for only a second before he nodded.

“That’s cool,” Quinn let out, “Another time?” he let out as a car pulled into the driveway. Y/N glanced towards the car before looking back towards the boys in front of her.

“If you guys want to put on some actual clothes you can join our movie marathon,” she offered as she stood up. Quinn looked back towards his brothers; both Jack and Luke were nodding encouragingly. 

“Yeah, we can do that,” Quinn expressed while meeting Y/N’s gaze. She smiled widely as she nodded. “We’ll be back,” Quinn said while ushering his younger brothers off of the porch. She chuckled as she followed them off of the porch towards her friend Georgia’s car.

The car turned off and Georgia immediately climbed out of the passenger seat. “Hey girl!” she shouted out before she slammed the door. “I’m so excited for tonight,” she uttered as she pulled open the backseat and pulled out a large bag. “Bye mom see you in a few days!” she shouted into the car. 

Y/N and Georgia have been friends since Y/N was seven and Georgia was five. They were on the same cheerleading team. Y/N stopped being a cheerleader a few years after that. Georgia was the star cheerleader of their high school team; even though she was only a freshman.

“Don’t be mad,” Y/N said as the car began to drive away. Georgia rolled her eyes playfully as she walked towards Y/N. “I invited the boys next door to join us for the night, don’t be mad at me,” she said swiftly. 

“I don’t mind,” Georgia began as she looped her arm around Y/N’s, “Any of them cute?” she asked quietly. 

“Shush,” Y/N let out while walking back up towards the porch, “Maybe the oldest is a little cute,” she whispered through a giggle. 

“Anyone for me?” Georgia asked teasingly. Y/N shoved Georgia while they both sat down on the porch swing. Georgia picked up the book, showing it towards Y/N. “Seriously? Again?” she said as she placed it onto the side table beside them.

“I know, I know but it’s so good,” she let out as she tossed her head back dramatically.

“You need to experience real love,” Georgia teased, “How is it that I’m younger than you and I’ve experienced love?” she offered dramatically.

“We are not talking about this,” Y/N said while chuckling as she shifted her gaze towards the three boys walking towards the front porch again. Her eyes lit up as she saw Quinn leading the charge again. “That was fast,” she offered. Quinn chuckled as he walked up towards her.

“Was it?” Jack asked slightly out of breath. He shifted his gaze towards Georgia, grinning towards her. 

“What are we watching?” Quinn asked as she stood up from the bench, accidentally bumping into one another. Quinn shifted back, letting out a soft laugh. 

“Scream franchise,” she offered as she slipped past him towards the front door. Leaning against it, she pushed the door open letting the four of them step inside. 

After another thirty minutes, the first movie was playing and it was barely ten minutes into the movie. Georgia and Jack were sitting close to one another and were whispering loudly to one another. 

Luke was sitting in the corner of the L couch and fully engaged in the movie. A movie he’s never seen before.

Quinn and Y/N were sitting close to one another, not as close as Jack and Georgia. Quinn was shamelessly keeping his gaze towards Y/N. His eyes were admiring her side profile. She had a small smile on her lips as the screen continued to play the movie. 

Her lips were covered with a clear gloss that made her lips look so kissable. His eyes widened as the thought entered his mind. Shaking his head, he tried to push the idea out of his mind. Desperately needed the thought to leave his mind. 

Until she turned her head. Quinn forced his gaze past her towards the TV. He pressed his lips together to stop the smile forming to his lips. She felt a small smile on her lips. “Why is your face doing that?” she asked barely above a whisper. Quinn shook his head slightly while he pursed his lips.

She nodded as she scanned his features as she looked back towards the TV. As soon as her gaze was away from him, he looked back towards her features. She was beautiful. 

He noticed her all last summer from afar. Admittedly, she told him that she doesn't like getting close with the summer neighbors. But now his family was permanently there, every summer from now on.

She turned her head again, this time Quinn kept his gaze on hers. Her lips curled upward as she looked into his eyes. His breathing caught in his throat as he scanned her features. His gaze lingered on her lips before his gaze flickered back up to her eyes. 

“Q–” she let out barely above a whisper. He hummed as a response as he subconciously leaned towards her. “TV’s over there,” she pointed towards the giant screen behind them. He chuckled softly as he shook his head slightly. He leaned into her slightly before he looked back towards the screen. 

~~~

The weather was finally starting to feel like summer. She was laid out on the dock, a towel beneath her back. Her frame was only covered by a black bikini. She had a small speaker sitting beside her head. It was blasting One Direction. 

There were steps walking towards her. Lifting her head up, she turned around to see Quinn walking towards her. A small smile formed on her lips. His body was only covered by his dark blue swim trunks.

“Hey,” she mumbled before she laid back down. 

“Taking the boat out, wanna join?” he asked. She sat up again, spinning her frame to look towards him. She blocked the sun with her hand as she looked towards him.

“Your brothers coming with you?” she asked as she slowly stood up, taking the towel with her. She let it dangle in front of her as she met his gaze. He shook his head while he awkwardly pulled up his swim trunks slightly. 

“It would be just us,” he muttered as his lips curled upward slightly. She nodded as she leaned down and took a hold of her speaker and her phone. Pausing the music she continued walking towards him. After a few seconds, she stopped short as she met his eye. “If that’s okay,” he let out quickly.

She chuckled as her eyes lingered on his frame for a moment. “Let’s go then,” she mumbled as their eyes connected. Quinn’s eyes widened slightly as he nodded. He began to walk backwards, keeping his gaze on her the entire time. “As long as I can play the music,” she offered as she delicately tapped her hand against his arm.

“Deal,” he muttered as he spun around, walking normally as he guided her towards his backyard that had his family’s boat tied up. “I just got my license a few weeks ago, so bare with me,” he offered as he jogged ahead towards the dock. She laughed while taking cautious steps down the small hill towards the dock. 

“Oh man, you are trying to kill me aren’t you?” she teased as she continued to follow after him. Quinn was already inside of the boat waiting to help her on. She smiled towards him as he reached his hands out; awaiting the speaker and her phone she was holding. 

“If I was trying to kill you, I wouldn’t have asked so nicely,” he explained teasingly. She handed him the speaker and her phone and he quickly rested it onto a seat beside him. He held his hands out towards her again. 

Without hesitation, she held her hands toward him and he quickly took a hold of her arms. She stepped into the boat, allowing him to take a cautious hesitant hold of her waist as she stepped inside. Quinn stepped back giving her a bit of room.

His hand was still resting on her waist as she rested her hand onto his bicep. Their eyes met for a second before Quinn cleared his throat as stepped back. “Let’s get going, yeah?” he asked as he began to untie the boat from the dock. She nodded slowly before she sat down, her gaze following his movements.

“How long are you guys staying this time?” she asked softly. Quinn continued to shuffle back and forth getting the boat ready. 

“Uhm, we gotta be back before August,” he muttered before he walked past her towards the driver seat. Without hesitation he began to start the engine and soon steered the boat towards the center of the lake.

“So two months,” she mumbled, dropping her gaze towards her lap. The sound of the water lapping against the sides of the boat drowned out her voice but Quinn was glancing towards her every few seconds.

Every few seconds their eyes would meet before she would shyly look back down towards her lap. It didn’t take long for them to reach the center of the lake. Quinn hopped out of the driver seat and wandered to sit beside her. 

Her gaze was still staring towards her lap, her body was covered in goosebumps. He cleared his throat as he stared ahead, watching the sun hit against the water. “I can’t wait till I get my own lake house one day,” he let out as he continued to stare ahead. Carefully, he rested his arm behind her on the ledge of the boat.

“Yeah?” she asked softly, tilting her head to the side to meet his gaze. He nodded as he scanned her features. His gaze lingered on her lips before he looked back up towards her eyes.

“Jack and I have talked about it. We wanna buy a place,” he explained, “If the NHL works out at least,” he muttered.

“What do you mean if?” she asked with a soft laugh leaving her lips. He smiled softly, tilting his head to the side as he contemplated the best way to answer.

“Draft ranking could tank by the time the draft comes around,” he offered half jokingly. She rolled her eyes dramatically. “It could,” he let out while leaning towards her.

“Yeah right, I’m sure it’ll go up actually,” she offered as she took a small breath. He smirked as he looked into her eyes with so much admiration.

“You’ve never seen me play,” he teased.

“A shame,” she mumbled.

Looking into his eyes, she realized how close he actually was to her. His arm was wrapped around her back. His fingertips were delicately grazing the skin of her upper arm. Their noses were nearly bumping into one another as their eyes were connected. She watched his pupils dilate the longer their eyes remained connected. She took a deep breath as she tilted her head to the side slightly.

“Y/N,” he let out barely above a whisper. Her eyes flickered shut as her breathing started to quicken.

He raised his hand up and delicately brushed a small piece of hair away from her face. He tucked the piece behind her ear before he took a hesitant hold of her cheek. Her eyes opened suddenly as she tilted her head up slightly. 

“You are the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen,” he whispered as their gaze locked once more. He felt heat rise to her cheeks as the corner of her lips perked up. 

“Really?” she asked softly. He nodded as he glided his thumb along the apple of her cheek. “No one’s ever told me that before,” she muttered as she scanned his features. 

“It’s true,” he mumbled as he leaned slowly towards her. Almost as if he was waiting for her to stop him. Yet she remained still, her eyes fluttering closed. 

He smiled before he kissed her delicately. It was soft as their lips moved in sync. It was as if they knew exactly what each other wanted. After a few seconds, he deepened the kiss as his hand moved to the base of her neck. He entangled his hand into her hair as a soft hum fell from her lips.

She pulled back, leaning her forehead against his as she breathed heavily. “Q–” she muttered as she shifted awkwardly beside him. He nodded as he reached over, taking a hold of her bare thigh. He helped her climb onto his lap. Her hands rested on his shoulders for stability as their foreheads remained pressed against one another.

Her hands delicately glided along his shoulders towards the base of his neck. His hands rested on her hips as they shared smiles. She glided her thumbs across his jawline for a second before she leaned towards him pressing her lips against his with much more urgency.

His hands tightened along her hips as she slowly grinded against his lap. A breathy moan fell from his lips that was muffled by her mouth. 

Sure, she’s kissed guys before but nothing like this. Nothing that felt like her body melted from their touch or the way his lips moved with hers. His hands were so delicate against her skin that her body erupted in goosebumps against the hot windy air. 

Quinn pulled his lips away from hers as she tilted her head back. He began pressing wet kisses along her jawline and down her neck. Careful not to travel lower.  His hands glided along the skin of her back. He toyed with the string keeping the top of the bikini on. 

“Quinn,” she mumbled. He pulled back, leaning his head back as he scanned her features. His gaze dipped towards her frame, admiring the way her chest looked in the thin black bikini. He hummed as his hands continued to run along her lower back. “Not here,” she let out as she teasingly dragged her thumb along his bottom lip. 

A small grin formed on his lips. He nodded as he watched her climb off of his body and walk towards the other side of the boat. “Where are you going?” he asked as he rested his arms on the ledge as his gaze lingered on the curve of her ass. 

“Where does it look like?” she asked teasingly before she hopped over the boat and jumped into the water. He tossed his head back while laughing. After a few seconds, “Are you gonna join me or not!?” she called out.

Quinn chewed on his bottom lip for a moment before he followed her steps and jumped into the lake. Purposely splashing her in the process. As he resurfaced, he reached towards her. Looping his arms around her waist he pulled her towards him. 

She smiled widely before their lips met again with giggles falling from their lips.

~three weeks later~

Each day that passed, the sun was getting harder and the water was getting warmer. Just like every day before, she was sprailed out on the dock soaking in the sun. For the first time she had someone laying beside her. 

Quinn was sprailed out beside her, pretending to enjoy tanning in the sun. He didn’t mind listening to the music she played or doing things that she liked. He couldn’t find a single reason why she liked laying in the sun, he found it so boring.

Although, he didn’t mind peaking every few seconds to get a glimpse of her body. She was stunning to say the least. The red swimsuit on her frame was imossible not to stare.

“Quinn,” she said quietly. Her eyes remained closed as she had a small smile on her lips. He hummed while his eyes continued to scan her frame. “You’re staring,”

Quickly, he tilted his head back and shut his eyes instantly. He fought off a grin as his cheeks flushed red. “Sorry,” he muttered as he chuckled awkwardly.

A few more minutes pass, allowing Quinn to behave and keeping his head straight ahead, feeling the heat of the sun against his skin. For a while it felt nice, but as each second passed, the more bored he was getting. 

He wasn’t used to doing nothing. His mind was constantly busy. Whether that was from hockey or from school. He never sat still for this long unless he was sleeping. Even then, he was never a guy that stayed still while sleeping. 

He heard her shuffling beside him and despite his best efforts he watched her roll onto her stomach. She tilted her head to the side to face Quinn. A soft smile on her lips as their eyes connected for only a second. She shut her eyes, letting the sun hit against the skin.

Swallowing hard, his gaze trailed her frame, admiring every single curve of her body. He bit his bottom lip as his gaze lingered on the curve of her–

“Quinn,” she scolded breathily. His eyes widened as he pursed his lips forward to fight another toothy grin forming to his lips.

He forced his eyes shut as he repeatedly clenched his jaw, “Can you blame me?” he let out barely above a whisper. She chuckled softly before she began to hum along to the song playing out of her speaker.

After a few seconds, subconciously he tilted his head to the side and scanned her frame again. She was so beautiful and sexy. She didn’t even have to try and she looked perfect. He let out a huff of air as his already hot frame erupted in tingles. He dragged his tongue across his bottom lip as his gaze lingered on her somewhat exposed frame.

He sat up, urgently. “I’m gonna cool off,” he muttered as he stood up instantly. She peeked with opening one eye to see him diving off of the dock into the lake. A smirk toyed to her lips as she shut her eyes.

She heard him pop up for air, a dramatic intake of breath in the process. She giggled as she shook her head slightly. “You gonna join or what!” he shouted from the water. She took in a deep breath as she somewhat reluctantly began to stand from her lying position.

She jogged towards the edge of the dock and jumped into the water. She purposely landed close enough to Quinn. He leaned back with a loud laugh leaving his lips. She resurfaced and reached towards him. Quinn instantly looped his arms around her waist, pulling her towards him.

Instantly she wrapped her arms around his neck. “Come ‘ere,” he mumbled as he leaned towards her, desperate for her lips on his. She smiled into the kiss as her hands glided along his neck towards his cheeks. 

A couple hours later, they were laying together in her room. She was laying somewhat propped up, her back pressed against several pillows. Her gaze remained on the screen across her room. It was season sixteen of The Amazing Race. Quinn has never watched the show so over the summer she was showing him her favorite seasons of the show.

Quinn wasn’t paying much attention to the show, he was listening but he was exhausted. His body was a fresh shade of pink as he forgot to put on sunscreen and he was regretting every moment of it.

His face rested in the crook of her neck as the majority of his body was laying on top of her. She was delicately running her fingertips along his sensitive skin. Every so often, he would press his lips against her skin. It was almost a reminder that he was still awake and listening to the show that was playing. 

“Q–” she mumbled as she glided her fingers through his hair. He hummed before he pressed his lips against her skin for several seconds. “It’s almost midnight,” she mumbled. 

Slowly, Quinn lifted his head up and looked down towards her sleepily. “Your parents are out of town,” he mumbled before he leaned down and pressed his lips to her cheek sweetly.

“And you have a curfew, Q,” she let out as she raised her hand up and rested it onto his cheek. His skin was hot to the touch, his cheeks seemed to get more red as time went on. He pouted before he leaned down and pressed his lips against hers.

“Jack and Luke have curfews, I just have to let them know when I’ll be back,” he offered as he pulled back, looking into her eyes. She squinted her eyes slightly while dragging her thumb across the apple of his cheek. He smirked before he pecked her lips for a second. He flopped beside her as he reached towards his phone. “Watch,” he mumbled. 

She rolled her eyes playfully while she laid onto her side as she began to trace her hand along his chest. He tilted his head to the side as he began to type a message to his mom. It only took thirty seconds after Quinn hit send for his mom to reply. 

Her message wrote: okay, behave. Love you.

He flashed Y/N the message that his mother sent him with a smirk on his lips. She shoved him slightly, he winced in pain. Her eyes widened as her mouth fell open. “Sorry I forgot,” she mumbled half-heartedly. He rolled his eyes dramatically as he bit his bottom lip.

“You forgot?” he said as he waved his hand slowly over his red face and his chest. “My skin is literally red,” he let out while laughing. 

“Not my fault you can’t put sunscreen on,” she teased. He rolled his eyes dramatically before he carefully pushed her onto her back. A small gasp fell from her lips as he climbed on top of her.

“You think you are so funny,” he mumbled as he leaned towards her. Purposely hovering his lips over hers. A smile began to form on her lips as she raised her hand up and glided her fingertips along his jawline. She hummed as her gaze lowered towards his lips. 

A soft smile formed to his lips for a second as he watched her eyes flutter close with anticipation. Quinn brushed his lips against hers for a moment before he kissed her fully. Instantly, she parted her lips and deepened the kiss. 

Time seemed to fly when they were together like this, yet she never wanted time to stop. All she wanted was this moment with him to last forever. 

He pulled his lips away as she tilted her head back. He smirked as he pressed his lips against the side of her neck. Slowly yet urgently he began to suck the skin beneath her ear. A breathy muffled moan fell from her lips as she tugged at the ends of his hair. Quinn began to pull up the ends of her shirt, higher up on her frame. Y/N arched her back into him, allowing him to pull it over her head. She smiled towards him, “Hey,” she mumbled as she ran her hand across his cheek. He hummed as he scanned her features as he leaned closer towards her.

She hummed as he bumped his nose against hers. A soft giggled left her lips as she ran her thumb across his cheek. “Hey,” he muttered as he delicately kissed the corner of her mouth. “You okay?” he asked softly. She nodded as she glided her hand across the base of his neck. “Are you sure?” he asked again. 

“Quinn,” she mumbled as she tilted her head to the side, meeting his gaze. He chuckled as he rolled away from her. He laid onto his back as he stared towards the ceiling. Her eyes widened as she rolled onto her side. Slowly, she glided her hand along his chest. His heart was slamming against his chest. “Are you nervous?” she asked quietly. 

“A little,” he mumbled as he kept his gaze towards the ceiling. She took a deep breath as she reached towards his cheek. She took a hold of it as she turned his head to face her. He swallowed harshly as his gaze lowered towards her lips. 

A small smile formed to her lips before she leaned towards him, delicately pressing her lips against his. “Let’s just watch this, yeah?” she mumbled against his lips. He nodded as he took a deep breath. Quinn held out his arm and she quickly rested her head onto his chest.

Delicately, he ran his hand through her hair. He carefully twisted a few pieces of hair between his fingers. Slowly, she ran her finger along his chest in a figure eight. She pressed her lips against his chest before looking up towards him. His gaze was already looking down towards her.

“So beautiful,” he mumbled. Her lips curled upward slowly as her eyes squinted slightly. 

~~~

The pair were sitting on her front porch swing. A blanket was laid across both of their laps. Her back was pressed against the arm rest as her legs were criss-crossed together. She was facing him as he had one of his legs propped up beside him while his other leg was hanging off of the swing. He was slowly rocking the swing back and forth. 

He rested his arm on the top of his knee as he leaned his head into his hand. Their eyes connected as they were listening to the soft hum of the country music playing from her speaker.

“You look really pretty,” Quinn offered as he scanned over her features. She dropped her head, smiling shyly.

“I can’t believe you're leaving in two weeks,” she mumbled as she began to spin the ring on her finger. Quinn’s eyes widened slightly as his breath caught in his throat. Swallowing harshly, he reached towards her. He took a hold of her hands, delicately gliding his thumb along her skin to force her gaze towards him.

“But we’ll be back next summer. We can pick up right where we left off,” he explained with a soft smile forming on his lips. “If we’re both single of course,” he muttered, a chuckle falling from his lips. Furrowing her eyebrows, she nodded slowly. 

She pulled her hands away from his, “So we’re just not gonna talk for ten months?” she asked as she crossed her arms over her chest. He shook his head.

“That’s not what I meant but you know this isn’t a relationship,” he let out nonchalantly. She nodded slowly as she pursed her lips forward. Her eyes were shifting from everywhere but his eyes.

“Right,” she mumbled.

“It’s not like we’ve done anything to be in a relationship,” he expressed, completely oblivious to the fact that Y/N was upset. She began to blink rapidly, tilting her head back slightly.

“Right, we’ve done nothing like what people in relationships do,” she let out harshly. His mouth fell open as he scanned her frame.

“Y/N,” he let out barely above a whisper.

Her bottom lip quivered as she stood up from the porch swing, taking a hold of the blanket in her arms. Pressing her lips together, she collected the blanket in a giant ball in her arms. 

“You should go, it’s late,” she said walking towards the front door of her house. Quinn stood up, her name falling from his lips.

With zero hesitation, she stepped inside letting the door slam shut behind her. Standing still, she stared ahead. Her eyes brimmed with tears. Tears that she didn’t realize she was feeling. She promised herself to never get attached and now she was attached more than ever. 

She climbed up the steps, ignoring the faint sound of her mother’s voice calling after her. She spun the corner towards her bedroom and pushed the door open. Her eyes landed on her bed, a familiar image popped into her head. An image of her and Quinn, sprailed out on the mattress together. Innocent and nothing more. She thought Quinn was okay with that.

She tossed the blanket onto the bean bag chair sitting in the corner of her room. Y/N walked towards her bed and sprailed out onto the mattress, feeling a tear fall onto her cheek.

There was a soft knock on her door and she rolled to face the wall. Reaching in front of her, she took a hold of the pillow and squeezed it to her chest. “Y/N,” Quinn’s voice rang out. She squinted her eyes shut harshly, almost as if her name leaving his lips was like a dagger in her chest.

“Go home Q,” she muttered. 

“Your mom let me inside,” he expressed softly.

“Please go home Quinn,”

He took a deep breath as he dragged his tongue across his bottom lip. He shut the door delicately, pressing his back against the door.

“I didn’t think you liked me enough,” he mumbled as he raised his hand up and delicately rubbed the side of neck.

“Enough for what?” she questioned softly, still facing away from him. 

He tilted his head back against the door, watching her shift slightly on the bed. Slowly, she rolled and sat up, keeping the pillow near her chest. Her gaze stared towards the edge of her bed, avoiding his gaze.

“For more than–for more than just kissing or whatever,” he expressed, somewhat embarrassed. “Do you want a relationship?”

“What?” she questioned breathily. She lifted her head, looking towards him. 

He took a cautious step towards her, awkwardly running his fingers through his hair. “With me? Do you want a relationship with me?” he asked as their eyes met. Her heart jumped into her throat as she took a shaky breath. 

“I don’t know,” she mumbled as he continued to walk towards her. He sat down at the edge of the bed.

“If you don’t know then why did you get mad at what I said outside?” he asked, a sigh leaving his lips.

“You acted like I’m some backup plan,” she said, squeezing the pillow tighter to her chest. 

A scoff fell from his lips as he shook his head, “Like Y/N Y/L/N could ever be someone’s backup plan. You are my only plan, I only said that because you don’t like getting attached to people,” he explained as he scooted closer to her on the bed. She nodded as she scanned his features.

“I don’t know if I want a relationship,” she explained softly. He nodded as he reached for the pillow against her chest. He took it and tossed it to the floor. She watched his movements, cautiously. He stood up from the bed, taking a small step to be directly in front of her.

Their eyes remained connected as he reached down and took a hold of her thighs. He separated them as he tossed her onto her back. A sudden gasp fell from her lips as he climbed on top of her. Her legs wrapped around him as he instantly pressed his lips against hers.

“We’ll figure something out,” he mumbled against her lips before he kissed her desperately. 

“Yeah?” she mumbled against his lips. He pulled back, his lips hovering over hers. He nodded as his lips curled upward into a smirk. 

“Yeah,” he whispered with a soft giggle falling from his lips. He leaned towards her, taking her lips with his. She parted her lips, allowing their tongues to connect desperately. Her hands glided along his upper back, needing to feel his skin beneath her touch.

Slowly, she began to tug at the shirt. He pulled back, sitting for a second as he tossed the shirt to the ground. He smirked as he climbed on top of her again, pressing his lips against her jawline. She took a hold of the ends of her shirt, hiking it up her frame. Quinn leaned back, biting his bottom lip as he watched her pull the shirt from her frame.

 She bunched it up and tossed it to the floor. He shook his head slightly as his gaze scanned her frame. She took a shaky breath, shifting awkwardly beneath him. Leaning down, he pressed a delicate open mouth kiss against the skin beneath her collarbone. 

“So fucking beautiful,” he mumbled against her skin as he looked up towards her. She let out a huff of air as she tilted her head back. He trailed his lips up her neck as he continued to press his lips against her skin.

Her hand gripped the sheet beneath her as her breathing began to quicken. He began to suck and bite against her skin. Delicately, he swirled his tongue along the reddening marks to soothe the spot.

Quinn began to trail his lips up higher, pressing fast kisses along her jawline before he delicately kissed her. “I’m gonna be so mad at you later for that,” she mumbled. He smirked as he took a hold of her chin, tilting her head to the side. He bit his bottom lip to stop the smirk widening on his lips. 

“Don’t like it?” he asked teasingly. She rolled her eyes dramatically as she raised her hand up and took a hold of his neck.

“You’re an ass,” she teased as she glided her thumb along the side of his neck. 

“Let me show you something else you might like,” he offered, raising his eyebrows slightly. Her breathing caught in her throat as she nodded slightly. He smirked as he began to lower his body down her frame. His lips kissed every inch of her frame on his way down. 

He pressed his lips against her hip bone as he toyed with the waistband of her shorts. He looked up towards her, watching her arch her back slightly. “Can I?” he asked softly. Without hesitation she nodded.

“I will open this door in ten seconds and you better be decent in there,” her mother called out from outside of the door. Her mother began counting slowly back from ten.

A gasp left both of their lips as Quinn instantly stood up from the bed. He reached for their shirts that landed in a pile beside the bed. He tossed her shirt towards her as he quickly pulled his shirt onto his frame. She covered her frame with her own shirt as Quinn hopped over her and climbed under the blanket. His eyes widened towards the mark forming on her neck. He pointed towards his own neck. She nodded, pulling her hair off of her back, letting it cover her neck. 

Her mother pushed open the door, a sigh of relief leaving her lips. She kept her hand on the doorknob. “Quinn, you are welcome to stay the night. I spoke to your mother, but this door needs to be open. All. Night. Long. Okay?” Louise expressed, shifting her gaze from Y/N to Quinn. 

Louise pursed her lips forward as she continued to meet both of their gazes. “Got it?” Louise pressed, trying to sound authoritative. 

“Got it,” Y/N let out, forcing a tight lip smile to her lips. Quinn could only nod as he dropped his gaze towards his lap. 

“Okay,” Louise offered as she walked away, leaving the door wide open in the process.

Y/N leaned into Quinn, turning her head to the side to meet his gaze. She let out an awkward laugh as he pulled her to his side. He kissed the side of her head in the process.

Nine Years Later…

She couldn’t believe it. She saw his face all over the city of Vancouver. His name was in bright lights and his photo was all over the city. Especially now that he was captain. Vancouver was a big city, there was never a moment she thought that she would see his face again. At least not in person. 

He was sitting in the corner of the coffee shop, a girl across from him. They were smiling and laughing together. She stood on the opposite end of the coffee shop waiting for her latte. There was a brace on his hand that she has heard every Canucks fan talk about.

It was hard not to stare. She hasn’t seen him since she was seventeen. There was a moment when she thought her mind was playing a game with her. Maybe he was some other guy that looked a lot like Quinn. 

But that smile. She could recognize that smile anywhere. 

The girl sitting across from him was stunning. Probably a model, definitely someone who was not ordinary. She took a deep breath as she forced her gaze towards her friend, Ariana, walking towards her. 

Ariana didn’t say anything as she leaned against the table behind them. They shared small smiles before Ariana looked towards her phone screen and Y/N looked back towards Quinn. 

Seemingly infatuated with the girl across from him, he hasn’t noticed Y/N across the coffee shop. The thought that he completely forgot about her crossed her mind and stayed there. She watched as he tossed his head back at something the girl said to him.

“Y/N, lavender iced latte!” the barista called out. Y/N forced her gaze away from Quinn as she walked toward the pick up counter.

“Thank you,” she mumbled as she took a hold of the drink and stabbed a straw into the center of it.

Y/N met Ariana’s gaze for a second before she looked towards Quinn’s direction. This time their eyes met. 

She was frozen. It was almost as if she was starstruck. To any other person in the coffee shop, that’s probably what she looked like. His smile faltered as he continued to look into her eyes. He leaned back in his chair as he glanced towards the girl sitting in front of him.

“Ariana, oat milk latte!” the barista called out forcing Y/N’s attention elsewhere. Ariana walked towards the counter to take a hold of her drink. Y/N and Ariana’s eyes met before Ariana led the charge out of the coffee shop.

Y/N glanced behind her to see Quinn still looking in her direction. She forced her eyes shut before she spun around and walked out of the coffee shop following after her. 

She had to walk away. She had no choice. It’s been almost eight years since the last time she saw him. There has been a lot of life since then. She kept walking, half listening to the rant that Ariana was spewing out. 

“Y/N?” she heard from behind her. She stopped dead in her tracks. Ariana spun around, a gasp leaving her lips. She began smacking Y/N’s arm dramatically, begging for her to spin around. But she couldn’t. She couldn’t see him. Her eyes squinted shut again as his voice echoed in her ears.

It’s been years since she heard his voice say her name. She missed the way he said it. With so much admiration as if it was the best word in any language.

“Y/N, please,” he called out again. She pressed her lips together as she took a shaky breath. Slowly, she spun around. Finally stopping the smacks against her arm from Ariana. She met his gaze.

“Why does Quinn Hughes know your name?” Ariana asked in a hushed tone, yet Quinn could hear her loud and clear. Quinn chuckled softly as he looked over Y/N’s frame. He walked closer to them, his gaze only on Y/N.

“Ari,” Y/N muttered towards her. Ariana nodded instantly before she leaned back towards Y/N.

“I’ll cover for you, I’ll text you the story,” she whispered before she began walking away from them. Y/N forced a tight lip smile as she took a cautious step towards him.

“What are you doing in Vancouver?” he asked breathlessly, almost as if it was impossible to breathe. Her lips parted slightly as she looked into his eyes, he looked so tired. “What are you doing here?” he asked as he took another step towards her, their bodies were only a couple of inches away from one another.

“I moved here a few years ago,” she explained quietly. He nodded slowly, searching her features for something that she couldn’t quite figure out. “Quinn,” she let out softly. His entire body relaxed as his name fell from her perfect lips. His gaze traveled towards her lips for only a second.

“Few years?” he let out barely above a whisper. 

“Moved here for work,” she explained, awkwardly bringing the straw towards her lips as she glanced towards the concrete beneath her feet.

“Wow,” he let out, looking behind him to see the girl he was with waiting outside the coffee shop. “You did say it was your dream to move here,” he said while tossing his hands to the side. 

She nodded while chewing on her bottom lip. Glancing behind Quinn, she saw the girl starting to get frustrated waiting for him. “I have to get back to work and your date is waiting for you,” she explained as she began to step back away from him. 

“My what–” he muttered as he looked behind him towards the girl, “Oh um–” he let out, shifting his gaze back towards Y/N. She was already walking down the sidewalk away from him. Quinn let out a sigh as he reluctantly began walking back towards the coffee shop.

~~~

She sprailed out on the couch, a large blanket draped over her frame. She was half listening to the half time show of the Detroit Lions game. It was impossible to get Quinn out of her mind. She tried consuming multiple forms of media at the same time but nothing was working. She thought that watching the Lions would help but she was still distracted. 

The second half of the game began as there were five knocks against her door. She shot up, shocked to say the least. She was not expecting any guests or was she in the right attire for guests. Her frame was only covered with a hoodie and pajama shorts. She tossed the blanket towards the other end of the couch before she stood up. 

She took fast steps towards the door, her heart slamming against her chest. Delicately, she rested her hand onto the door as she leaned towards the peephole. She squinted slightly to see Quinn standing outside of her door. She pulled back, her mouth falling open as she unlocked the door. 

Quickly, she pulled the door open to see him actually standing there. She didn’t fully believe it was him standing there until the door was fully open to reveal him actually standing there. 

“Hey,” he let out softly. 

“How the hell did you find where I live?” she let out her face scrunched up in disgust. 

His mouth fell open as he took in a sudden breath. “You realize our moms are–like–still best friends right?” he explained while awkwardly running his fingers through our hair. “I’m honestly surprised my mom hasn’t told me that you lived here after all these years,” he chuckled nervously.

Y/N forced a tight lip smile before she stepped back, allowing him to enter her apartment. He shoved his hands into his pockets as he followed her inside. They let the door shut slowly behind them. His eyes scanned the room and instantly landed on the game on the screen. A smile formed on his lips before he dropped his head slightly.

She leaned against the countertop as she crossed her arms over her chest. She watched him shift his weight from one foot to the other. She took a deep breath as she tilted her head back. “What are you doing here, Quinn?” she asked barely above a whisper.

“Why didn’t you call me when you moved here?” he asked as he lifted his gaze. Their eyes met again, perhaps saying things that have been left unsaid between them for far too long.

“It wasn’t very high on my to-do list,” she mumbled, shifting her gaze towards the floor for a second before looking back up to meet his eye. He clenched his jaw as his cheeks slowly pinked up.

She took a deep breath as she shut her eyes, “My company needed people for the Vancouver branch and I volunteered to come out here. I was in a pretty bad relationship so when they were asking for volunteers I jumped on the opportunity. It wasn’t very high on my list to call another guy I had a pretty bad relationship with,” 

“I don’t remember it being bad,” he mumbled as he tilted his head to the side. 

“Quinn, come on,” she muttered as she let out a dry chuckle. He stepped towards her cautiously.

“I guess–uh–I think about the good moments more than the bad moments,” he explained as their eyes remained connected. She nodded. “Like–uhm,” he let out a dry chuckle as he ran his hand across his chin for a second. “The night we watched the Scream franchise?” 

“Which time?” she questioned with a small smile on her lips.

“The first time. Do you remember G and Jack leaving and making out in your bathroom within the first forty minutes of the movie?” he asked while chuckling. Her mouth fell open as she nodded. 

“How are they doing by the way?” she questioned. Quinn’s eyes widened as his breath caught in his throat.

“Wait, you don’t know?” Quinn asked. She shook her head slowly, “They broke up last year,” 

Y/N clenched her jaw as she tilted her head to the side. She took a deep breath, “That’s a shame, what happened?” she asked softly.

“Wait, why don’t you know this already? You and Georgia were inseparable,” he asked as he stepped towards her.

“We stopped being friends a few years back,” she explained softly. Quinn nodded slowly.

“I’m so sorry,” he let out. She simply shrugged, looking into his eyes to hear more of the story. “She thought that he was cheating on her and she wouldn’t let it go,” 

She nodded, “Was he?” she asked softly.

“Jack was so madly in love with her, he didn’t even think about another girl like that. She couldn’t get the thought out of her head,” he explained.

“That’s sad,” she muttered.

He nodded, “What happened between you two?”

She tilted her head to the side as she pursed her lips forward. Georgia flashed into her mind. Her friend for more than a decade. Every good memory was shadowed by months of arguments and perhaps shared hatred. Hatred may seem like a strong word but they were no longer friends or acquaintances. 

“Y/N,” Quinn let out softly as he took another step towards her, leaving less and less space between them.

“We argued over you, actually,”

“What?” he asked, furrowing his eyebrows harshly. 

Her mouth fell open as she met Quinn’s urgent gaze. She walked past him towards the fridge. He stood still as he scanned her frame. She opened the fridge and pulled out two bottles of water. He rarely drank soda in season, a detail she remembered him telling her years ago. 

“She asked for my opinion on her moving to Jersey with Jack. I told her that I thought she should go to college and try long distance. We argued but let it go. But then I moved to Vancouver, she accused me of moving here to be with you and that I was a hypocrite,”

“But you spent half your childhood in Vancouver,” he offered dumbfoundedly.

She handed him the bottle, “That’s what I tried to explain to her. I explained that it was for work and that I wouldn’t even be seeing you. But she was still so mad at me that I stopped answering the calls. Honestly I'm surprised she never asked you about me since she was so adamant that I followed you here,”

He took a deep breath as he shook his head, “She never brought you up but you and I were kind of a sore topic for a while,” he let out softly. She chuckled dryly. 

“You can say that again,” she muttered as she met his gaze. She took another deep breath as she took a hesitant sip of water. “Why are you here, Quinn?” she asked as she carefully put the bottle onto the counter beside her. Quinn squeezed the bottle in his hand slightly as he looked over her features for a second before dropping his head.

“That girl I was with–”

“You don’t need to explain, Quinn,” she let out while laughing awkwardly.

“I know,” he said as he stepped towards her, “It was a first date. I realized pretty quickly she liked the captain of the Canucks and not really me,” he explained, cringing at the words leaving his lips. 

She met his eye, squinting slightly as she looked over his features. The Canucks were her favorite team because of her grandparents. Of course, she’s watched the struggles the Canucks have gone through this season. The struggles Quinn has gone through this season. She hated watching him in pain, but the Quinn she knew was gone a long time ago. 

She saw how tired he was, how pale his skin looked. The resentment she had towards him was beginning to fade the longer he stood in front of her. The Quinn she knew years ago was definitely not the same Quinn in front of her.

“You looked like you were enjoying yourself,” she offered while pointing towards her couch; inviting him further inside of her apartment. She began walking away from him, taking the water bottle in her hand. Quinn followed after her swiftly, limping slightly in his step. 

“I was being polite,” he muttered. She chuckled to herself as she sat down on the edge of the couch. Taking a hold of her blanket and draping it over her lap, she glanced towards the screen to see the Lions winning. “Didn’t feel like being polite anymore after I saw you,” he explained.

“Oh?” she asked teasingly.

“You’re even more beautiful than I remember,” Quinn expressed. His cheeks pinked up instantly as it was evident the words slipped out faster than he intended.

She snapped her gaze back towards Quinn, seeing him already staring in her direction “Quinn,” she expressed, scolding him slightly. He fought off a smirk as he looked towards the TV screen.

“Still a football person I see,” he pointed subtly towards the screen. Her mouth fell open as she stared towards his side profile, seeing the smirk on his lips. 

“Quinn,” she said firmly. 

“I really think the Lions are gonna take it this–”

“Quinn, you cannot do that,” she let out urgently.

“Do what?”

“Barge back into my life and say that I’m beautiful. Not after the last time we saw each other,” she explained while trying to meet his eye but his gaze was still on the screen in front of them. “Quinn,” she let out again, sliding closer to him.

“It’s been–what–eight years since then?” he asked quietly. He kept his gaze on the Lions game. She hummed as she continued to look towards him; desperate to meet his gaze. 

“How many lives have you lived in those eight years? How many mistakes have you made in those eight years? Regrets? How much did you love someone else? Been loved?” he questioned, finally turning his head to the side. 

“I am nowhere near the same guy I was when I was seventeen. I can already tell you are not the same girl at seventeen,” He slid closer to her, scanning her features. Her lips parted slightly as she felt her breathing catch in her throat. He took a deep breath as he dragged his tongue across his bottom lip. 

“Very poetic of you,” she teased as she tilted her head against the top of the couch. Their eyes remained connected as he followed in pursuit. He laid facing her, chuckling softly at her words.

“Okay well–um–I read a lot more books since the last time we spoke,” he offered as a small smile landed on his lips. Her mouth fell open as she chuckled softly. “It’s true,” he said while laughing.

“What are you saying, Quinn?” she asked softly while brushing her hair away from her face. He pursed his lips forward as he fought off a grin. He shrugged. 

“I’m just saying, we are not the same people,” he expressed while scanning her features once again. Y/N squinted her eyes as she looked into his eyes, she nodded slowly. 

“You’re right,” she mumbled, “I work a corporate nine to five and you are the captain of a professional hockey team,” she offered teasingly. He tossed his head back and laughed.

“What has your life been like? I wanna know everything,” he asked as he reached towards her, he stopped himself as he brought his hands back towards his chest.

The announcers started yelling on the TV, they both quickly shifted their gaze towards the TV. David Montgomery broke free and started running towards the end zone. She tossed her hands into the air.

Quinn shifted his gaze towards Y/N, smiling to himself as he watched her grin widely. She let out a sudden giggle. He felt his heart beat rapidly, feeling like he was a teenager all over again.

Her smile soon faded as she looked back towards Quinn. “Do you want to hear something funny,” she offered as she scanned his features. She was very fond of the beard on his face, it suited him well. He hummed as he kept his head on the top of the couch. 

“You ruined the Canucks for me for a while,” she muttered. His eyes widened as an awkward laugh fell from his lips. “I couldn’t stand watching the games or hearing your name from the broadcast,” 

“That’s funny to you?” he asked while laughing.

“It is hilarious because of course my ex boyfriend would get drafted to the team I love,” she explained. He continued to laugh. “I couldn’t watch the games until you became captain,” she explained further.

He smirked as he took in a deep breath, scooting closer to her. Her breathing quickened as she watched his movements.

“You’re only saying that because that’s the first season we made the playoffs since the bubble year,” he teased, “You’re only a fan when we’re playing good.”

“And unfortunately you and your Norris trophy made my favorite team good and bearable to watch again.” she offered with a soft laugh leaving his lips.

“I don’t think unfortunately should be in that sentence,” he let out while shaking his head. 

“I think it is quite unfortunate,”

“Oh really?”

She hummed as a reply as she looked back towards the TV with a smirk toying to her lips. 

~~~

Quinn had left her apartment, with her phone number in his phone, around one in the morning. They spoke for several hours effortlessly. Sure, Y/N had resentment and anger towards him buried inside of her over the last time they saw each other. But it was eight years ago. She knew that she couldn’t stay mad at him forever.

But she had a new person that she was mad at. She was mad at her mom for telling Quinn where she lived. Which was insane of her to do, but it was even more insane to let him in. But here she was calling her mom to find out an answer.

It was her fourth attempt at trying to reach her mom and finally she decided to answer. “Hello, my beautiful daughter,” Louise said joyfully into the phone.

“Why the hell did you tell Quinn where I live?” she asked, wanting to sound harsh but she giggled halfway through the sentence.  Her mom barked out a laugh. 

“Do you know how hard it was keeping that secret from him every year! Oh and poor Ellen having to lie and say nothing to him. It was toture!” her mother explained while giggling. 

“You also could’ve told me in advance that my ex boyfriend would be showing up at my door,” she explained while rolling her eyes dramatically.

“Well what happened?” Louise asked in a sing-song tone. 

Y/N let out a long drawn out sigh before she explained that all they did was talk and reminisce from when they were teenagers. She explained that it was suprisingly easy. She thought that she would’ve been mad at him still but seeing him like that was like a breath of fresh air.

“So what does this mean?” Louise asked with a faint sound of clapping in the background. 

“Nothing! It means nothing, it was just catching up. That’s all,” she explained while chuckling slightly.

“Lame!” Louise let out dramatically. 

“Next time you would like to send an ex boyfriend to my front door, can you at least tell me beforehand?” she asked as she stared towards the phone screen, a pout to her lips.

“Well, it’s a good thing that I have only liked one of your ex boyfriends. The only one I think shouldn’t be an ex,”

“Mom, just because you and Ellen are best friends, doesn’t mean I need to be with Quinn,” she explained while rolling her eyes playfully. 

“Well, Christmas is coming up, are you able to come home?” her mother asked, seemingly changing the subject. But Y/N knew what her mother’s intent was with that question.

Her parents started celebrating the holidays with the Hughes family the year before her and Quinn broke up. Since her parents were still close with the family, they have celebrated every holiday together. She didn’t want to be around them and decided to celebrate the holidays with her grandparents every year since. 

It wasn’t all awkward and bad. It was usual for her family to visit Vancouver after the initial holiday to see them anyway. She didn’t mind that the holidays were different. It was her own fault, she didn’t want to see him. She was not going to let her break up affect the way her parents had their life. She has always been friendly with the Hughes family after the breakup, from the brief interactions she had with them over the years.

“Grandma and Grandpa were thinking about coming to Michigan for Christmas this year anyway. So yeah, I’ll be there. I have a week of PTO,” she explained. 

“Wait really?” her mother asked.

“Yes,” she let out with a soft smile on her lips.

“That’s so good to hear, saves us a trip to Vancouver,” her mother said chuckling. 

“It does,” she let out while laughing, “I gotta go, I love you Mom,” she let out with a smile on her lips. 

“I’ll call you tomorrow,” her mother offered. Y/N hummed before she hung up the phone. Quickly, she walked towards the couch and sat down. She reached towards the remote beside her and turned on the TV. Slowly, she turned on the Canucks game.

She wasn’t lying when she told Quinn that she started watching the team after he became captain. Although, she didn’t watch every game like she used to before he was drafted. She still enjoyed watching them.

She rested the remote onto the arm of the couch as she shifted her gaze towards her phone. She began to scroll through her Twitter feed. Her breath caught in her throat as the broadcasters called out saying that Quinn was down on the ice. 

Her gaze shot up towards the TV to see blood pouring out of Quinn’s face. Her phone fell to her side as her posture straightened. She felt her heart race as she watched him stand up, holding his hand against his face. Blood started dripping down his hand. 

It looked awful and painful. Her body shook slightly as she watched him dart down the tunnel. She pulled her knees against her chest as she draped the blanket over her lap. The broadcast showed an up close of Quinn and his shaky hand. She shook her head as she squinted her eyes harshly. 

Her eyes were glued to the screen, scanning each person on the ice. Reading and rereading each number for the next fifteen minutes, waiting for Quinn to get back onto the ice. She chewed on her bottom lip, as her heart was beating hard against her chest. Lifting up the end of the blanket, she snuggled it up to her chin as she waited and waited.

“We have some good news, Hughes is back on the bench,” the announcers said as they zoomed in on Quinn on the bench. He was wearing the bubble and his face was swollen and half stitched up. Her face scrunched up as she felt a phantom pain against her own lip. She couldn’t imagine how he was feeling, let out imagine still playing the game after that.

The rest of the game was hard for the entire team. It seemed like they barely survived, and Quinn looked like he was in so much pain. He did everything he could to push through the pain but the team couldn’t pull out with a win.

She was on the edge of her seat the whole game. It was probably the hardest game of hockey she’s had to watch in a long time. 

The game ended an hour ago and she kept staring at the new contact with a new phone number that belonged to Quinn. 

She took a hold of her phone, reaching towards the call button when there was a knock against her door. She furrowed her eyebrows as she placed her phone back down onto the couch cushion. Y/N tossed the blanket onto the corner of the couch before standing up. 

Brushing a few pieces of hair away from her face, she walked towards the door. She pulled the door open instantaneously to see Quinn standing outside of her door. His head was hanging low, avoiding her gaze.

“I was just about to call you,” she mumbled. He nodded as he kept his gaze low. “Quinn?” she asked as she stepped aside, granting him permission to step into the apartment. He stayed still, keeping his head low. 

She took a deep breath, staring towards his hesitant frame. He looked so exhausted and he looked like he was in so much pain. Without fully thinking it through, she reached towards him. Slowly, she stepped towards him while delicately resting her hand onto his shoulder. Carefully, running her hand along his arm.

Hesitantly, he lifted his head up to meet her gaze. Her lip fell into a pout before she wrapped her arms around his neck. Quinn’s eyes widened as his arms held up in limbo. She glided her hand through his hair as her other hand glided along his upper back.

“Y/N,” he mumbled through the swollen lip. 

“Just let it happen,” she whispered into his ear. He wrapped his arms around her lower back. He guided her inside of the apartment. She let the door swing shut behind them.

“Fucking hell,” he mumbled into her hair. Her back was pressed against the door as she continued to embrace him. Maybe it was to comfort him, or maybe it was because she needed him to be that close. It was like breathing cold air, almost as if you’ve been breathing wrong your whole life.

“I’m sorry for not calling,” he mumbled. 

“It’s okay,” she whispered as she continued to run her fingers through his hair. “I was going to call and see how you were doing,” she explained quietly. 

“Yeah?”

She hummed while pulling back slightly. He kept his hands onto her waist while she kept her hands on the base of his neck. “I’m sorry,” she let out as she stared towards his swollen lip. He shrugged as he glided his hands along her lower back. “Come on,” she slipped away from his grasp. He stayed still. 

“Come lay down with me,” Y/N said simply as she walked towards her bedroom. 

“Y/N,” he let out softly, staying near the door. “Are you sure?” he mumbled.

“Come lay down with me,” she let out again from outside of the door of her bedroom. He took a deep breath as he followed after her. She pushed the door open and pressed her back against it. He walked past her, standing awkwardly in the center of her bedroom. 

“Thank you,” he let out softly. She shut the door as she walked towards her bed. She climbed onto the center of the mattress. 

“Come on,” she let out with a soft giggle leaving her lips. She held her arms out waiting for him to lay with her. He kicked off his shoes before he followed in pursuit. At first, he sat at the edge of the bed, looking over her. “Will you just lay down,” 

He tried to let out a chuckle, but it caused an eruption of pain to web across his skin. He swallowed harshly as he laid beside her. She kept her arms out waiting for him to lay on her chest. He rested his head onto her chest as their legs entangled together. Delicately, she began to run her hand along his back.

“You barely came within two feet of me last night, what’s all of this?” he asked as he slowly shut his eyes, hoping to not scare her away.

She didn’t reply at first, she continued to run her hand along his back. Taking in the familiar smell of his cologne, it was elevated, perhaps a more expensive version. Her heart was beating rapidly as she continued to take in what was actually happening.

“I don’t know,” she mumbled out. He hummed as he glided his hand along her side. Careful in the ways his hands moved. “It was scary,” she let out barely above a whisper.

“Was it?” 

“Blood was pouring from your face, Quinn,” she said as she ran her fingers into his hair. 

“It wasn’t pouring from my face,” 

“Q–” she let out. 

Quinn wished he could smile because it would be a wide grin. He hasn’t been called that in years. He hasn’t been called that since they were last together. “I’ll be alright,” he let out. 

“I know but–” 

“Y/N Y/L/N, do you still care about me?” he muttered teasingly. 

She chuckled as she continued to glid her hand along his back. “You were my first love, Quinn, I’ll always care about you,” she explained. He hummed as he toyed with the end of her shirt, twisting the fabric between his fingertips. “And you were right,”

“Right about what?” 

“That we’re different people than we were at seventeen,” she explained, “I’ve been looking back a lot on that last week before you left,”

He was sitting in the corner of the couch in her home theater. Her head rested in his lap. Quinn wasn’t paying attention to the movie as his attention was on her. He ran his fingers through her hair. Carefully, twisting the strands between his fingers. 

“We have to talk about it,” Quinn let out before he ran his hand down the side of her frame. He toyed with the end of the tanktop, lifting it slightly.

“We have four days, Q,” she offered, keeping her gaze on the TV screen. 

He tilted his head back, rubbing his thumb against her hip. “Baby, I won’t be here for New Years,” he let out.  Her body tensed as her breath caught in her throat. “I have a tournament that I can’t miss,” 

“Okay,” she let out barely above a whisper. 

“I can’t miss it, since it’s so close to the draft. Every game matters,” he explained further.

“I know,” she let out with her voice cracking slightly. 

“Baby,” he let out while gliding his hand up and down her frame slowly.

“So we won’t see each other until after the draft?” she asked as she sat up, keeping her body close to him. He froze as he began to chew on his bottom lip. For a few seconds, he avoided her gaze. “Right?” she asked quietly. He took a deep breath as he reached over and took a hold of her thigh. He pulled her closer to him, he started rubbing his hand along her skin. 

“The coaches at UMich want the team to go to campus during summer. They want us to do team bonding and build chemistry and stuff,” he explained, his voice got quieter as he spoke. She nodded slowly as she pulled away from him. “Baby,” 

“So we’ll just never see each other again? Is that it?” she said as she stood up from the couch. 

“No–we’ll figure it out!” he let out urgently. She crossed her arms over her chest as she started pacing back and forth. “You’re going to MSU and it’s only an hour away, we’ll figure it out,” he stood up, trying to stop her in her tracks but she kept avoiding him. 

“You realize that’s a year away right? A year without seeing you! I can handle a few months, I can barely handle a few months! Let alone a year without you, Quinn,” she let out, a sob climbing in her throat. 

“We can survive this,” he expressed as he took a hold of her arms. “Please,” he mumbled as he took a hold of her chin. Her lips fell into a pout as she tilted her head to the side. “Please,” he asked again. 

Quinn glided his hand along her jawline as he rested it onto the base of her neck. She took a shaky breath as she nodded slightly. “These last few days will be perfect, okay?” he let out softly. 

“A year is a long time, Quinn,” she mumbled and she pulled back. She crossed her arms over her chest.  She wiped her cheeks. “I don’t know,” she muttered. 

He reached towards her, pulling her towards him. Instantly, he pressed his lips against hers. She was frozen for only a second before she wrapped her arms around his neck. She jumped up and wrapped her legs around his waist. He took a hold of her thighs and guided her toward the couch.

“I think I was so scared of being alone, I hated when you were gone. I couldn’t imagine being alone for that long,” she explained. He continued to run his hands along her side, listening intently. “You were so mad that I didn’t want to go to UMich–”

“I wasn’t mad,” he interrupted. “I was sad that you didn’t want to go,” he explained softly. 

“I wanted to be with you, Quinn,” 

“I know,”

“I’m sorry for the way I spoke to you that last day,” he mumbled. 

“I know,” she mumbled as she ran her hand along his cheek briefly.

“Thank you for this,” he mumbled as he sneaked his hand beneath her shirt, gliding his hand along her hip. 

“I’m sorry I never called when I moved here,” she let out. He chuckled softly as shifted on her frame slightly. 

“It’s okay. I don’t think either of us were ready,” 

“Ready for what?”

“This,” he mumbled.

[thatdisasterauthor]

New disaster education graphic! Had to split it in half so tumblr wouldn't TOTALLY eat the quality. I'm going to put the full, unsplit version beneath a cut so if you want to share this graphic you can grab the whole one or the two halves, whichever works for you. As always, my disaster graphics can be shared anywhere on the internet that isn't making a profit, as long as my credit remains intact at the bottom! If you would like to license a physical or paid use of them, reach out to me on my website.

I've seen a lot of graphics about defensible space over the years, but I've never really seen one that does a good job of also explaining WHY the recommendations are what they are, so I've been wanting to make a graphic that dug into the why.

Alt text is also below the cut!

Alt text: Two halves of a single infographic. The background is dark gray. The top text reads "Why Does Defensible Space Matter?" in large yellow text. Below that is the text "When it comes to protecting your home from a wildfire, having defensible space around your home is one of the best things you can do. But why?" in black. Below that is the text "Wildfires move in three main ways:" in white.

Next there are three rectangles in a lighter gray, stacked one on top of the other. Each has a diagram of a small house on the edge of a forest. There are decorations on the porch, firewood on the porch, leaf litter on the roof, overgrown grass, trees growing right up next to the house, bushes, and the forest is crowded and overgrown.

In the top box, there is a fire moving along the ground, and the box is labeled as "Along the ground." In the second box the fire is moving through the tops of the trees, and the box is labeled, "through the crowns of trees." The third box shows a distance fire with lots of little embers being blown through the air, labeled as "Through the air via embers."

After that is the text, "The goal of defensible space is to make changes that impede each of these types of movement" in white.

Below that are the same three boxes as above, but each one shows changes you can make to impede one of these types of movement. The changes are listed under the box in a numbered list, with the numbers also in the diagram where those changes are reflected in the art.

The first box is labeled as "Impede ground movement" and has the following items listed:

Create a five foot zone around your home with no burnables using gravel, pavers, or other hardscaping.

Keep grass trimmed and well maintained in a thirty foot radius around your home.

Keep ground plants other than grass to a minimum and well spaced out.

Trim low hanging branches to prevent a ground fire from accessing higher portions of the tree.

The second box is labeled as "Impede Crown Movement" and has the following items listed:

Remove trees hanging over the roof and close to the home.

Thin trees within One-Hundred Feet of the home to reduce movement of flames between them.

The third box is labeled as "Remove Anything that can trap embers" and has the following items listed:

Clean debris such as leaves from off the roof of and around your home.

Do not store firewood or lumber near your home.

Keep combustible decorations That can trap embers close to your home to a minimum.

After that is a larger version of the house, but redecorated in a more fire safe manner. The door has been painted purple, there are plants visible inside through the window, and the outdoor decorations are made of non-combustible materials. After the house is the text "There are still plenty of ways to make your home your own while being fire safe!" in white.

Below that in a rectangle is the text "For more information on defensible space and how to create it around your home, visit: https://www.fire.ca.gov/dspace for a more in depth breakdown of how to protect each zone around your home."

The last text on the poster reads "If you are in the U.S.A. and experiencing disaster related anxiety, call the Disaster Distress Hotline at 1-800-985-5990 for support and resources. Poster created by Katy L. Wood ● www.Katy-L-Wood.com"

[neontiger]

the robin's nurse

♡ MDNI 18+

♡ Jason Todd x fem!reader

♡ Jason Todd needs you...more than he wants to admit. After an injury, it's on you to take care of him, and you know just what he needs.

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

It wasn’t the first call you’d received of that nature – you could remember that one clearly – but that hadn’t lightened the ache in your gut when it was Dick’s voice that greeted you from Jason’s number, sounding tired and worn out. Like he hadn’t slept.

The smile fell from your face. You’d nearly collapsed. No, the calls would never be easy.

Jason was fine, all things considered. A gunshot wound to the shoulder, clean through, and he’d been stitched up and bandaged at the manor, and could you pick him up? No, you couldn’t; you didn’t have a car. Not in the city. Too expensive, pointless, nowhere to park.

You were hiding in the bathroom at work to take the call. Somebody had drawn a heart on the wall with the initials A+L inside.

“Oh.” Dick made a noise, like surprise. How useless you were, you remember thinking. Couldn’t be there when Jay needed you the most. “Is it okay if I…well, he doesn’t want to stay here, but I can’t let him out on his own. Needs supervision. Otherwise…well, you know how he is. Is it okay if I drop him off at your place?”

You’d nodded. Silent. Swallowed the knot and repeated the affirmation out loud. “Yes. Yeah, that’s fine. It’s, uh –”

“I know your address.”

That was strange, but you didn’t question it. Dating one Robin meant the rest had to do their research. They probably checked your damn credit score.

You’d hung up; left work early. Your manager, Harry, wrote it down in his stupid ledger – marked up that you were leaving early again. It didn’t matter; by that time you were outside flagging down a taxi and readying your credit card, just so you could get there at the same time as Dick and Jason. Still, they’d beat you there, and when you shoved open the door to your apartment they both sat on your couch. The television had been on. The only light in the room.

It was hard to make out Jason’s face, but his arm in the sling was as obvious as the sun. He’d left the lights off on purpose so you couldn’t see exactly how bad he looked.

Dick stopped you from taking another step, stood over you and blocked your view of Jason. “Do me – us a favor and keep him on house arrest,” he said quietly. “If you need anything you can call me.”

“Yeah.” You nodded, unable to keep eye contact with him. “How bad is – it?”

“Nothing he hasn’t dealt with before. He’s just grumpy about it.” Dick crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m sorry I’m putting this on you. I’d do it, but I’ve got to get back to Bludhaven. Seriously, call me if anything comes up. If I can’t come, Barbara will.”

You nodded again. The knot in your throat tightened. Tears pricked the back of your eyes, tumbling down your cheeks even as you fought against them. Dick noticed – God, if a Robin never noticed, just this once – and his hand found your shoulder before leaving the two of you alone in the dark.

•───────•°•♡•°•───────•

That had been almost two weeks ago. You’d only made it two days as Jason Todd’s private nurse before Harry was calling you back into work on the threat that your job wouldn’t be there the next day. If only you had Wayne money, then you wouldn’t need the job…could stay home and watch the spoiled baby 24/7.

And Jason was an absolute baby about the whole thing. Getting shot had understandably soured his mood, and every question you asked was met with a grunt or a shrug. You’d never seen him so moody – though you knew him stubborn, always wanting to sort things out on his own, not wanting someone to take care of him or his problems – was that a middle child thing?

Or that other thing you didn’t like to think about.

Whatever it was, it was frustrating. He didn’t want help. He wanted to take care of himself. He wanted to get back out there, which wasn’t allowed in the slightest. You’d had to remind him multiple times. Teasing him was like throwing barbs at the wall. That usual cocky, smart-mouthed man you knew was too busy sighing and shrugging to meet your playful jabs. He’d locked himself away and you couldn’t find the keys to get him back.

The idea was born out of that frustration.

•───────•°•♡•°•───────•

You bought the outfit and toys before work at one in the afternoon, which felt like a strange time to be at a sex shop. You’d stuffed them into your bag and hid that in your locker, and your heart raced as you worked the dining room floor – no, more than that. You were fighting arousal as you took orders, knowing what was coming tonight.

You rush home – taxi again, despite how expensive, because your panties are already soaked and you can’t wait for the bus or the subway – no, you needed to be home with your cunt clenching around Jason’s cock an hour ago.

In the hall there’s a scent wafting from underneath one of the apartment doors – garlicky, warm. Not terrible but a little overwhelming. As you approach your door it grows stronger, leaving you to the realization that it’s coming from your apartment. You push open the door with your shoulder.

Jason glances up from the pot he’s stirring, where the smell originates from. “Hey,” he says. “I’m making dinner.”

You shut the door and hug your bag to your side. “I see that. Where’s your sling?”

His movements are slightly pained. “I don’t need it anymore,” he says, shaking his head. He furrows his brow at the pot. “How do you – it’s not getting thick. It’s supposed to be thick.”

“I’m going to change,” you say. “Potato starch is over the stove.”

“Supposed to be flour –”

“Potato starch!” You shout from the bathroom before pulling the door shut. Your fingers tremble in excitement as you pull out the dress – a latex nurse’s uniform in white with red trim. As quiet as you can you pull it on. The hem barely cuts beneath your ass but you forego panties anyway – what’s the point? You tug it down enough for the loosest of coverage and fix the top. It’s nothing more than a pair of triangles, and you admire the perfect spillage of tit in the mirror.

A red lip, white stockings that squeeze the fat of your thighs with pure lust, a red heel – God, you’d fuck yourself, if that was an option.

There’s a knock on the door while you’re in the midst of admiring yourself in the mirror. “Yeah?” You ask, squeaky with nervousness.

“I messed up,” Jason says. “I added the starch, but it’s chunky.”

It doesn’t matter, you think. Your hand rests on the door handle as you inhale a final, deep breath, before pulling the door open.

Jason’s mouth hangs open. Blue-green eyes drag over you, your body, the outfit – under scrutiny you feel silly – but he has to like it, right? His gaze lands on your breasts and lingers before continuing their assault, stopping on your hips before settling on your thighs for a few beats. He takes a step back and repeats the look with a drag back up before ending for good on your lips.

And he says nothing. Why is he staring like that? 

“Did you make a slurry?” You ask, feeling stupid. Asking about the sauce.

Jason blinks. “A…what?”

“Did you add water to the potato starch?”

He shrugs. His gaze flashes down to your tits then back up. He swallows. “Potato…what?”

You, in skintight latex, on display, gripping the door frame for life as your heart beats out of your chest. “You have to…add water. You can’t add it dry. It doesn’t work.”

“Oh.” He wets his lips. “Can we…uh…can we talk about…um…” He looks down at your body again. “This?”

Fire burns your cheeks. Stupid, stupid idea. “I thought…you know, ‘cause you’re hurt, and I’m like…I thought you needed some cheering up.”

Jason nods. “I’m very cheered up, princess. Very, very cheery right now.”

Finally you glance down. The grey sweatpants he’s wearing don’t hide anything. His cock strains against the fabric and your stare lasts longer than his did. It’s cut off by the beep of the oven timer.

“Noodles,” Jason says. Awkwardly he hurries to the kitchen to remove the pot from the stove and strain the noodles, as if dinner is still important.

You follow to check how badly he’s ruined the sauce, though what you’ll be able to achieve when your brain is filled with filth you’re unsure. You give it a useless stir when Jason presses against your back, grabbing your hand before it can land on the stove. His cock rubs against the slick latex covering your ass.

“I like it,” he whispers, in your ear. “I, uh…yeah, I like it a lot.” His breath shudders against your neck as his hand brushes up your thigh. Fingers grip the hem of your dress and softly tug as he presses you against the stove.

You grab his hand and silence him. “Nuh-uh. You need to follow the plan the doctor’s laid out.”

Jason pauses. “What?”

Where the line had come from you didn’t know – maybe the research you’d done planning this entire thing. You turn around and flatten your hands on his chest, holding him back slightly. “Please, sir. I need to give you…a thorough check-up.”

His eyes grow wide. “A check-up?”

The next line doesn’t come, so instead you take his hand and lead him to the couch in silence, point for him to take a seat. The cluttered coffee table is in the way and you shove it to the side. “Stay seated,” you say. “I have to get my equipment.”

“Equipment?” Jason grins. “You’ve got…equipment?”

You nod and walk away, returning to the bathroom to grab the bright pink paper bag of toys you’d picked up along with the nurse’s outfit. All charged and ready for use – that had been fun to do without anybody noticing the set-up in your locker. Returning to him, you kneel on the floor in front of Jason.

“Hold on.” He gets up and leaves you in slight confusion as he walks to the bed, but it's gone when he grabs a pillow. He returns and says, “Get up. You're going to hurt your knees…ma'am.”

With you comfortable, he takes his seat on the couch again, knees apart for you to fit between his thighs. You fight the urge to drop the act and just jump into his lap without preparation – as if you really need it anymore, slick dripping down your inner thighs at the mere sight of him. He slouches against the back of the couch, watching you in wait.

You wet your lips. “Remove your shirt, sir.”

Jason sits up to obey, peeling the fabric over his head in a swift move. You pinch your lips together, afraid you're drooling at the view of his hardened chest, the scars lining his otherwise perfect body...your eyes flash to the newest one, the puckered wound on his shoulder, still angry and red.

“Just my shirt?” He asks.

“For now.”

He chuckles, eyes on your fingers as they hold in them a pink bullet-shaped vibrator. Silent a moment later as he watches you press your nail into the silicone slightly to turn it on. His hands rest on his thighs, close enough to his almost painful erection that he can't help palming himself when you're not looking…just to relieve some of the pressure.

You sit up on your knees. The vibrator's quick pulsing movements tickle the tips of your fingers. “First, we need to see how, um…receptive you are.” It was in the video. You watched it so many times you have the moves memorized, and first…first you wet your lips, again, gathering spit behind them before getting the vibrator with your tongue.

Jason raises an eyebrow. He watched in fascination, following your fingers and the vibe. His body jolts with a grunted fuck when you press it lightly to his nipple. “Shit,” he sighs. “That's weird.”

You pull back immediately. “Sorry.”

“No, it's good.” He quickly course corrects, grabbing your wrist before you get too out of character. “Am I…receptive?”

You press the vibe to his nipple again. His entire body tenses and he lets out a strangled moan. “Very,” you say softly, rubbing gently around the pert bud. It's not something either of you had explored with him yet…but he seems to enjoy it. Slowly you drag the vibrator to the other nipple to repeat the process, his body tensing and jerking slightly with your teasing movements.

“Very good,” you say, a breathy whisper that brushes his skin, causing a shiver down his spine. “Your reflexes are good.”

Jason laughs, his abdomen flexing with the sound even as you trace the vibrator on a downward path. “What do you need to check next, ma'am?”

“Virility.” You tucked the vibrator under the waistband of his sweatpants. He straightens quickly at the proximity of the vibrations – so close to where he needs your touch – and grabs your hand. You pull the vibrator free. “Too much?”

Jason shakes his head. “Can you lower the setting?”

You press through the options until you find the softest buzz. “Take your pants off,” you order, a bit abruptly.

He lifts to slip off his sweatpants and underwear in one go, your greedy hands helping him tug them completely down his legs. “Getting impatient, huh, princess?”

You nod curtly, keeping eye contact with the beads of precum dripping down his shaft. “I have other patients to get to, sir,” you mumble.

His cock bobs with the burst of laughter he lets out. You clench your fist around the vibrator, fighting the urge to give up the tease and impale yourself on his length this very second. “Other patients?” He pinches your chin and wrenches your gaze up to meet his. “I thought you were my personal nurse.”

You say the first thing you can think of. “Your treatment is personalized. I don't offer it to the others, sir.”

Jason grins. “Reassuring. I won't interrupt again, ma'am.” He presses a kiss to your forehead before sitting back.

You reach into your bag for the bottle of lube and peel off the plastic to pop it open. Jason shifts as he watches, clearly growing impatient himself, as you squeeze a stream of the clear, viscous liquid on the head of his cock. He twitches in response as you work your hand around his thick length.

“Fuck.” He sighs, head falling back, as you give his cock a few pumps.

Your mouth is dry, but you speak anyway. He seems to like the talking bit, despite how awkward it makes you feel. “Feels healthy, sir,” you say, running your fingertips down the underside to his balls. He spreads his legs further for you to allow you to cup and squeeze, tensing as you do. Gently you place the vibrator against the underside of his shaft, on the spot near the head that drives him mad.

Jason's hips jerk up and he curses again. One of his hands grips the arm of the couch while the other tangles in your hair, not pushing, only holding. You rub gently with the vibrator as you lower your head to his balls, to paint small circles with your tongue. Another jerk up, his fingers tighten in your strands. Another groan and a fuck.

You suck gently as you play with the vibrator against his sensitive flesh. Jason moans softly, body tense against impending release. In your mouth his balls tighten, and you clench your thighs together, between them a slick mess of want. Without removing your mouth, you turn up the setting on the vibrator once.

He inhales sharply through his teeth and grabs your hand, pulling it away from his cock. “Stop, stop,” he pants. You sit back as he slouches against the couch, head tilted back. His chest heaves with heavy breaths.

“Jay, are you okay?” You hold down the button on the vibrator to shut it off. “I'm sorry.  Was it too much?”

“It's good.” He rolls his head to give you a lazy smile. “Too good. About to cum. Give me that thing.” He holds out his hand, palm up.

You give up the vibrator. He takes your hand and guides you into his lap, a knee on either side of his hip, his hands cupping your ass keeping you poised above his cock. He raises an eyebrow. “No panties, huh?”

“I didn't see the point,” you say. You rest your arms on his shoulders and smile down at him. “Do you feel better?”

He sighs. “I'm…I'm sorry. I've been a piece of shit to you lately. This injury…”

“It's fine,” you say quickly. “Or, maybe not. But Dick warned me, so I kind of expected it.”

“Just…” Jason rests his head back. His hands loosen on your ass and come up to your waist. “I don't like this feeling. It should be the other way around. I'm useless like this.”

“You're not useless. You're just…indisposed,” you say. “It's alright to ask for help sometimes. It shouldn't be, like…one person taking care of the other. It has to be mutual.”

Another smile graces his lips, pure and sweet. “Where'd you get your credentials anyway?”

With his hands no longer keeping you elevated, you sink down slightly to rub your swollen clit against the slick head of his cock. His fingers grip tighter on your waist. You lean in to whisper in his ear. “I'm unlicensed.”

His laugh is cut short as you sink down on him, taking his cock into your plush walls in one quick movement. Your sticky thighs meet his hips, and you pause to adjust and to finally kiss him. His lips part to accept your tongue, his own brushing over yours to explore the inside of your mouth.

You lift slowly, but find it hard to fully remove yourself from him, only capable of making it halfway up his cock before your pussy eagerly sucks him in again. He groans into your mouth and goads you on with slight movements of his hands, one gripping your ass again to direct you while the other disappears. You hear the buzzing a moment before you feel it against your clit.

You freeze and clench, squeezing his cock in your heat, the head grinding against that spot inside as he seeks to undo you. “That feels good, doesn’t it?” He whispers, his lips floating on yours. “Don’t stop now. Move for me, princess.”

It’s difficult to obey when all your body wants to do at this moment is disintegrate into pleasure, but you force your hips up and down again. His fingers and the vibrator never leave your clit, rubbing gently to increase the pressure as your core knots. You hold onto his shoulders for dear life, your face buried in his neck as you cry out.

His breath brushes your ear. “Do you want to come, sweetie? Me too. Gonna fill you up like you deserve…been so good, taking care of me…come with me.”

You nod against his neck, whimpering his name. The vibrations increase, pick up speed, and you try to match your movements to them even though your thighs burn and you can’t feel your toes. Jason’s hips lift to meet yours, desperate upward thrusts that spell the end of both of you.

It’s quick on your end – a rush and an unknotting in your core, and you keen against his neck, unable to lift any longer as your slick walls clamp down on his cock. His release drags on, pumping you full of his seed. He pulls the vibrator from your clit before it’s too much and holds you against him as his cock continues to throb and spill inside you.

You finally exhale. Swallow. Whine.

Jason presses the vibrator off and sets it aside to wrap your limp body in his arms. “I might need treatments…at least once a week,” he says.

You laugh weakly. “Uh-huh. You like it that much?”

“It’s a nice costume.”

“Mm.” You nuzzle against his neck. “You know what else is a nice costume?”

His laugh shakes through your body, and involuntarily your walls tense around his still-hard cock. “Maybe I’ll dress up for you,” he says. “Someday.”

[softspokendove]

A Second High

Boyfriend!Thanos x Female!reader

Your boyfriend comes home from getting high with his friends, the only thing on his mind is you and making you feel good.

—

You expected your boyfriend to be home late, but not this late. It was one of his usual nights of going out with his friends doing god knows what, rap battles, trashing cars and random stores, getting himself in trouble and having to send you a late night call from a jail cell. You’ve gotten pretty tired of asking what he was going to do and when he’d be back, you just knew to always have your phone on you and to finally enjoy your peace and quiet.

It was surprising to find out the longer you dated him the more clingy he’d let himself get around you. Everywhere you’d look he’d always be near you in some sort of way. When you’d let him he’d always have his hands on you, just a simple touch of his hand on your thigh calmed him. What surprised you even more was how he was beginning to prefer being with you to his friends.

He used to be so excited to go out and get high, just doing about anything he wanted. But now whenever his friends would text him he’d ignore it or make some kind of excuse. You brought it up one time, asking him why he hasn’t seen them in a while, all he did was shrug and continue toying with your hair. His friends started to pick up on it and were getting annoyed. This time they came over instead of texting and practically dragged him out of the house to come hang out.

Here you were laying in bed, tiredness being long forgotten as your mind runs with worried thoughts about Thanos. You know he can take care of himself and he’s always been fine all the other times they used to hang out; maybe his clinginess is rubbing off on you. As you roll over for the 10th time your heart jumps as you hear a key being put inside the front doors lock. A huge sigh of relief flowing out of you at the sound of your boyfriend’s feet stumbling through the living room.

“Baby?”

You go to reply back but see him walking into your shared bedroom, his face lighting up at the sight of you. “Hey baby, were you sleeping?”

You shake your head, “no, I can’t fall asleep.”

He puts a small frown on his face at your words. “You need some help?” Thanos didn’t need you to answer as he already starts climbing into bed and wraps his arms around your waist, tugging your body towards his. He shoves his face into your hair and inhales your smell, letting out a little hum.

Your curiousness gets the best of you, “so what did you guys do?”

He brushes your hair out of your face and tilts your head so you can look at him better, “the boys tried getting me to rap battle this one guy.” He shakes his head and fiddles with the strap of your tank top, “I wasn’t up for it, so we just smoked and hung out.”

You give him a little smile as you cup his cheek, he leans into the simple touch. “I wanted to come home hours ago, they took my car keys.” He leans down and plants a gentle kiss on your lips, “I missed you.”

You return the kiss, “I missed you too.”

“No, like I really missed you.”

He doesn’t let you move away from him and pulls you closer. His lips returning to yours but making the kiss last longer than the one before. A little noise creeps up his throat and hits your ears. His hand moves down towards your waist and pulls it towards him.

The need for oxygen becomes too much, you try to pull away but instead earn a whine from Thanos as he continues to follow your lips. “Baby I need to breathe.” He reluctantly obliges and kisses down your chin to your neck, sucking the skin around your pulse. You let out a small sigh at the sensation and lean your head back to give him more room. He pushes you backwards on the bed and hovers above you as he continues to attack your neck.

His hands slip under your top and roam around your stomach and sides. The little noises you let escape your mouth encourages him further as he sucks harder, starting to leave bruises on multiple parts of your neck. When he goes more down towards your collar bone you let your fingers tangle through his hair and give a small tug earning a deep groan from him.

He uses his teeth to pull your tank top down to let your boobs free, his mouth immediately attaching to one of your nipples, his left hand toying with the other one doing the same motions that he does with his tongue. “Mm Thanos.” He moans in response to his name sounding so good and whiny coming out of you.

When he feels you starting to squirm and get impatient he lets go of your boobs. He slowly lowers his body down to where you need him, leaving kisses on your body in his way. As he reaches your panties he gives them a kiss, his lips hitting your clit through the fabric causing your breath to hitch.

“I missed you so much princesa.”

His fingers curl around the straps of your panties and start slowly sliding them down your legs, he throws the material somewhere in the room. Your cunt being in perfect display for him.

“You look so pretty, I can’t believe you’re mine.”

Before Thanos could stop himself he starts kissing your cunt as he would kiss you. His tongue peaking out through his lips and hitting your clit just right. Your fingers give his hair another tug as you try to lift your hips up towards his face, seeking more attention. Thanos smiles at your neediness and gives you what you want, the only thoughts running through his mind are to make you feel good.

He parts his lips and licks strips up and down your cunt collecting all your juices. He sucks your clit into his mouth and uses his tongue to run patterns on it. After a few moments he lets your bundle of nerves go and sticks his tongue inside of you, getting a full taste of just how sweet you are.

He groans, “Fuck baby you taste so good.” His tongue goes as deep as it can inside of you as Thanos tries to get everything he can of you.

When he comes back up he goes to give the same attention to your clit as before, but this time he pushes a finger inside of you so your walls have something to clamp down on. Your cunt spasms around his finger, you feel yourself getting to your brink but you just need more.

“More please.”

Thanos hums at your begging and gives you another one of his fingers. Your walls stretch around two of his digits as he increases the pace of his tongue on your clit. His other hand moves up towards your chest and starts toying with your nipples, the pleasure mixing with your lower pleasure. The tightness in your stomach starts to get stronger as your cunt starts pulsing in his mouth.

“There you go sweetheart, cum for me.”

Your noises get louder the closer you get to your release. You subconsciously push his head deeper into you as your other hand grips the bed sheets. You feel his tongue tracing letters on your clit.

T

H

A

N

O

S

And again on repeat.

This brings you to your edge. You let out a high pitch moan as your cunt gushes around Thanos’s fingers and into his mouth. He lets go of your clit so you don’t get too sensitive and moves back down to lick up the remainder juices.

He moves back up your body when he’s satisfied and pushes his two fingers inside of your mouth, letting you get a taste of yourself. “See how good you taste?” You nod your head as you suck on him.

“I could live off of you. You’re like a high that I never come down from. I’m never leaving you.”

-

A/n: let’s be real here, Thanos is definitely the guy that loves giving his girlfriend head and tracing his name with his tongue on her.

[temis-de-leon]

.

Going out with your friends from class sounded like a fantastic idea when you accepted the invitation days ago. After a too-long sleep marathon with Belphie, you were well-rested and in need of escaping the house, so going for a walk and getting some fresh air was way more tempting than you would ever admit out loud.

And it wasn’t like you were regretting your decision, not entirely, anyway. Sure, it was the fifth time you yawned in fifteen minutes, and no amount of harmless gossip could keep your attention, but the chairs were comfortable, the wind smelled like the baked treats from a nearby shop, and the background music felt like a lullaby.

Judging by your friends’ faces, thankfully, your tiredness came across as more endearing than annoying. You’d make sure to apologise properly once you were a bit more conscious, but for now, you would give yourself the satisfaction of feeling the softness of the cushioned backrest while the comforting voices around turned into white noise.

It wasn’t until one of them gently shook you awake that you realised you had fallen asleep in the first place.

“We’re going to the bathroom real quick” said the succubus with a hint of amusement, barely rolling her eyes when you silently raised a thumb before laying back again.

This time, you forced yourself to stay awake, painfully aware of your vulnerability each time you were left alone for one reason or the other. You had friends, fans and an entire group of the most powerful demons behind your back, sure, but not everything was nice, and it was wise to keep an eye open.

An even an ear sometimes.

Less than a minute had passed when the familiar sound of feathers and soft caws landed beside your head and hurriedly begged for your attention, but it wasn’t until the hard beak poked your cheek that you finally decided to fully open your eyes.

“Hi!” you offered softly, unable to hide your smile any longer. The crow jumped in excitement, eager at your recognition.

“Hi” it responded with its high, strangely nasal tone.

You weren’t sure if the crows had learned to talk on their own or if Mammon had taught them the easy words, but it never failed to make you giggle. You wished, however, that you could differentiate the birds so you could call them by their given names, but if they weren’t bothered by it, then neither were you.

A sudden brightness in its clenched foot made you sit straighter, and you tried not to coo when the crow offered the object, immediately dropping it in your open hand without a second thought.

“What do you have there…?”

“Hello” it said, nuzzling the corner of your lips with its beak.

The second of the two words it knew, probably.

You caressed the object carefully and took little time to realise what it was: a stone. Although grey and pokey in some places, it shone slightly iridescent under the light, showing the rainbow when you tilted it at a certain angle but resembling a normal pebble in any other position.

Now, who could’ve sent you a pretty rock via crow, you wondered…?

The image of Mammon giving orders to his pets for such a silly reason made you giggle, again making the crow bob its head with joy.

Suddenly, too soon, you heard and recognised the voices of your friends coming out of the bathroom. Not wanting to hear their teasing about your relationship with the second brother, you quickly closed your fist around the stone and swiftly hid it inside your pocket.

Dating a thief certainly had some perks.

“Tell him I said thank you” you whispered to the crow, placing a kiss on top of its head before letting it fly away.

Your friends returned and sat by your side, excited by your state of wakefulness. What they didn’t know, however, was that your mind was too occupied to fall asleep again, thinking of available places in your room for your new gift.

For a demon like him, Mammon could be such a romantic…

.

.

Main Masterlist

Taglist: @ilovecandys2010 @ollieoven @kingofspadesdelusion @whimsybloom

[thatonesonicfanfictionwriter]

Here me out-

Shadow the hedgehog x a reader (who is an experiment) who was recovered from a lab when team dark had to go on a mission to a abandoned lab. Shadow finds the reader in a statis tube and as team dark clears the area and g.u.n goes to pull the plug on the reader to kill her not wanting the risk a new experiment running around. However shadow isn't having seeing his own old pains from his time in the ark in the reader being an experiment. He convinces the commander to allow the reader to live on the conditions shadow looks after the reader and trains them himself. As the soldiers wake the reader up, shadow helps them to stand and they leave the lab shadow promising to help look after them and to not let them end up like maria.

“I Promise to Keep you Safe”

Pairing: Shadow the Hedgehog x Experiment Reader

Requested: Yes (by an anon).

Description: When exploring an abandoned facility, the last thing anyone expected to find was an experiment. And Shadow wasn’t going to let anything happen to you.

Notes: Ooh, this one is cool! Hope you enjoy!

(Reader will be gender-queer, using multiple pronouns.)

(There will be references to my villain organization, R.M.P. If anyone wants to know more about it, let me know!)

(The reader has a “name,” but they give themselves a different one later on.)

(Not proof-read/beta-read.)

– – – – – – – – – – – –

“This place gives me the creeps,” Rouge mutters.

“Understandable. But it needs to be investigated. You know what happened here,” Shadow says.

“AFFIRMATIVE,” Omega booms. “THEY WILL PAY FOR HARMING SO MANY MOBIANS.”

“I know, I know,” Rouge says. “Doesn’t stop it from being any less creepy.”

“Let’s just keep moving,” Shadow states.

Team Dark, along with multiple G.U.N. members, including the commander himself, keep moving, eventually coming across a locked door. On the front, there’s a sign that reads “Project A.C.E.”

Two of the agents nod at each other before using their body weight to force open the door, pointing their guns inside the room.

Once they deem it safe, they motion for everyone to come in.

“I DETECT A LIFEFORM THAT IS NOT ONE OF US,” Omega booms. “THEY SEEM TO BE PARTIALLY ROBOTIC, LIKE THE TENREC AND THE FENNEC FOX.”

“It is called R.M.P., the Robotic Mobians Project, for a reason, hun,” Rouge states.

Shadow seems to place his hand on a capsule filled with a red liquid, a black shadow being inside.

“I found what we were looking for,” Shadow states. “This must be Project Ace.”

Commander Towers lets off a nod.

“Agent Parker, pull the plug,” Towers states.

“Are you serious?” Shadow asks, getting in front of the capsule. “We just found them and your immediate thought is to kill them?!”

“We don’t need another experiment running around, Shadow,” Towers states. “Move out of the way.”

“Over my dead body,” Shadow spats. “We helped all of those other mobians that were harmed by RMP, and you just want to kill this one?”

Towers lets out a sigh.

“Fine,” he says. “But they are your responsibility. You will train them and house them. End of discussion.”

“But, commander-” an agent starts.

“I said end of discussion,” Towers states. “Agents, move out. Agent Shadow, I give you the order to wake Project Ace.”

Shadow salutes as all of the agents, including Rouge and Omega, leave the room.

He turns back to the capsule and looks around the room for any sort of code, quickly finding one on a nearby document. He puts the code in the keypad and the capsule opens, the red liquid seeping into the ground as you open your eyes, stepping out before bowing.

“Greetings, I am A.C.E., your Assistant Companion Entity,” you say. “May I know your name?”

“You can refer to me as Shadow,” Shadow states. “And no need for the formalities.”

“Understood,” you say, stopping your bow.

“Come with me. We’re getting rid of whatever programming this horrible place gave you,” Shadow states, exiting the room, you in pursuit.

This better have been worth it…

[hyperfocusthusly]

Falling right into you

@bucktommyfluffebruary - Day 16 prompt: AU: Didn’t know they were dating

Notes: pre-relationship, getting to know each other, accidentally dating they’re just too oblivious to see it, minor injury | rated: G | words: 3.5k

All of my love to @leashybebes for listening to me yap about it and giving me the motivation to get on with it! Also shout out to @livelaughlou and @bybobbysbeard for saving me with their Die Hard knowledge when I made the frankly insane choice to include in this fic a film I’ve never seen 🫶🏻

[Read on Ao3]

———

It had been a long day. None of their calls had been anything too serious but it had been relentless. Every time Tommy had laid his head down on a bunk pillow he had been interrupted by the alarm. He felt heavy, right down to his bones. He had made it home, but between the sleep deprived grittiness of his vision and the way his hands felt like they were made of lead, manoeuvring his key into the lock was proving difficult. He stepped back and cursed, squeezed his eyes shut, trying to clear some of the fog building up in his brain.

As he opened them again the door clicked open, it took him a moment to register that someone was stood in the doorway. Someone was inside his house.

“Hey, long shift?”

Evan, Evan Buckley, his brain supplied. 118, Howie’s friend, he’s staying here because frat houses are not conducive to sleeping well enough to be an effective first responder. Tommy lets out a sigh, he could have used being alone tonight.

“Something like that.”

Evan steps back from the doorway and Tommy comes into the house, it smells great, Evan is always cooking something and, as Tommy has discovered, he’s pretty good at it. His stomach rumbles. He looks over at the pot on the stove, bubbling with a rich red sauce, thinks about the reheated leftovers he had set aside for dinner, if he even gets that far. A shower was the first priority. The ones at Harbour were fine for a quick rinse, but he longed for the quiet solitude of his own bathroom to truly wash away the day’s grime.

When Tommy re-emerges he feels a bit more human and a bit less grumpy about his decision to share his home with a practical stranger. He goes to the kitchen, it appears empty until Evan pops up from behind the kitchen island, making Tommy jump.

“Oh, sorry!” He is holding two plates, uses one to gesture towards the pot on the side. “Do you want some? I’ve made way too much for just me.” Tommy can’t deny that it looks and smells incredible, he thinks about declining but cooking is not his forte and he could do with some good food right now.

“Yeah, if you’re sure that’s okay?”

Buck grins, it lights up his whole face, makes his bright blue eyes sparkle.

“Of course, I’ll bring it over.”

They sit down at the table together, while they’re eating Evan tells him about the last shift he had, getting used to the routine and workings of the firehouse. Tommy nods along, it’s all familiar to him. He offers little pieces of advice as they go.

Once they’ve finished eating Tommy clears away the plates, he’s loading the dishwasher as Evan comes alongside him and starts running the tap into the sink to wash up. They clean up in companionable quiet. With all the jobs done Tommy heads towards the stairs, he turns to Evan and gives him a quick half wave.

“Goodnight, thanks for dinner.”

“No problem, glad you liked it.”

He gives Evan a parting smile and goes up to his room, settling quickly under the covers. He can hear the light sounds of Evan padding around the living room. He doesn’t mind it, the house feels more comfortable somehow, less empty. Maybe having a housemate isn’t such a bad thing after all.

——

Spring has started to show itself and Tommy has decided that today was the day to throw himself into a full house clean. With Evan’s help it had taken half the time it usually did. Finishing up in the kitchen, Tommy is on his knees bent around inside the corner cupboard wiping out the last of the dust.

“You doing okay in there?”

“Yeah.” His voice comes out muffled. He shuffles out, his hair is sticking up everywhere. Buck offers his hand and helps Tommy up. He leans over and drops the cloth he had been using in the sink. He wipes the back of his hand across his forehead. “Now I know how a TV dinner feels.”

The reference goes straight over Buck’s head, confusion spreading over his face.

“Oh come on, it’s Die Hard.”

“I’ve never seen it. It’s a Christmas film right?”

“A- a Christmas film?” The incredulous tone of Tommy’s voice makes Buck feel immediately like he’s got something fairly wrong.

“Does it not happen on Christmas Day?”

“Well yeah.” Tommy is gathering up the cleaning supplies from the counters, putting them back in their respective cupboards.

“But it’s not a Christmas film. It’s just a film that happens to occur at Christmas.”

Buck scrunches his brow.

“Riiight.”

“Okay, okay, come here.” Tommy takes Buck by the elbow and leads him into the living room. He goes to the DVD lined bookshelf and starts skimming through the titles.

“Sit down” he calls over his shoulder. “We’re watching it right now.”

Buck smiles to himself, it’s been a few weeks, but he finally feels like he’s starting to crack into Tommy’s shell.

“Yes sir.” He makes a mock salute and flops down onto the small couch.

Tommy rolls his eyes good naturedly, sits down next to him and starts the movie.

He can tell it’s coming, but the shot that kills the first hostage still makes Buck flinch. His leg bumps against Tommy’s but he is too involved in the movie to really notice. Tommy notices though, the soft press of Evan’s sweatpants and the warmth radiating from him is hard to ignore. He takes a deep breath and tries to concentrate on the TV.

It isn’t until the scene moves on that Buck realises his thigh is still touching Tommy’s. His gaze flickers down to where they’re pressed together, is it weird to stay like this? Should he move? The couch is small, not really designed to hold to grown men with any additional room and Tommy hasn’t made any indication that he wants Buck to move. He decides that it’s probably been too long anyway, doing it now would be more awkward than not, right?

——-

By the time Hans Gruber is falling backwards out of a shattered glass window Buck feels like he’s been on a rollercoaster.

The credits start up and he looks over at Tommy,

“Definitely not a Christmas film.”

Tommy stares at him for a second before bursting out laughing.

——-

The next day Tommy gets home from his shift and dumps his bag down by the island, comes into the kitchen to see what Evan was making for dinner. It had become a routine of theirs, not that Tommy minded. Evan was far better in the kitchen department than he was. He was starting to find that he enjoyed having someone to come home to.

He goes to the fridge, it had been hot that day and he was in desperate need of a cold drink.

“I’m sure that cooking without a shirt on is probably a hazard of some kind.”

Evan is fiddling with the scale settings, carefully measuring out ingredients before mixing them together in a saucepan.

“Oh yeah,” he looks down at himself quickly, as if he had forgotten about his bare torso. “I-I can go and get one if it bothers you?”

Tommy waves a hand around the open fridge door.

“No it’s fine, as long as you don’t burn yourself.”

“I have no intention of doing so.”

Tommy chuckles,

“You of all people should know that nobody intends to burn anything.”

Buck laughs,

“That’s true.” He wavers for a moment, stirring the contents of the saucepan, like he can’t decide if he wants to say something.

Tommy watches him carefully.

“Hey did you know that Bruce Willis wasn’t the first choice to play John McClane?”

“No, I didn’t.” Buck face lights up with the knowledge that he’s giving Tommy something new.

“Yeah, he was like sixth in line, they offered it to bunch of people like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Burt Reynolds, Harrison Ford before they gave it to him. Apparently because he was in a show called Moonlighting at the time which was more like a drama comedy thing? They weren’t super sure he’d be a good fit for all the action.”

“Hard to imagine anyone else doing it now.”

Tommy watches Evan, he’s bouncing on the balls of his feet, radiating energy. “Wait, how did you know? I thought you said you’d never watched it before?”

“I hadn’t.” Evan grins and slips past him to get to the fridge. He tries not to think about the bare heat of Evan’s bicep as it brushes past his own. “I was listening to this podcast at work today.” He comes back past, waving the stick of celery he had retrieved as he talks. “While we were restocking the engine, it was really interesting - apparently McClane wasn’t meant to fall so far in the elevator scene, he was supposed to stop at the first vent but when they short the stunt man slipped and fell further than he was meant to.”

Tommy isn’t paying as much attention to Evan’s words as he should be. He is watching the muscles in Evan’s back move as he chops the vegetables on the counter in front of him. The up and down of his shoulder, the flex across his shoulder blade when he has to press down through something harder. Selfishly imagining what it would feel like to feel those muscles shift under his hands, to press a kiss to the juncture of Evan’s neck while he’s cooking, rambling about a film he had no interest in before yesterday. A film that he went and researched because he thought Tommy would like the extra information. He squeezes his eyes shut, scrubs a hand over his cheek. He needs to get a hold of himself. Evan is straight. He’s has never talked about anything other than women as far as Tommy can remember and even if he wasn’t, it’s not like he would be interested in Tommy anyway.

He was so lost in his thoughts that he hadn’t noticed Evan turn to face him, the stream of consciousness coming to an abrupt halt. He realises that he hasn’t listened to a word Evan had said in the last few minutes.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to zone out I just-“ he not sure how to finish the sentence. ‘Sorry I wasn’t listening, I was too busy thinking about biting your traps’ didn’t feel at all appropriate.

“It’s okay.” Evan’s voice is smaller now, his shoulders have dropped, something unreadable on his face. “I talk to much, I don’t blame you for not-”

Tommy takes a step forward, he see the hurt in Evan’s eyes, cast down to the floor.

“It’s not that.” Before he knows what he’s doing he’s reached forward and wrapped his hand around Evan’s wrist. “I was just somewhere else, which is on me, not you. I want to hear about it.”

Evan chews on his lip, fingers curling up in his palm, up towards Tommy’s hand.

“Really?”

“I promise.”

Evan looks up and meets Tommy’s reassuring gaze. He swallows, can feel something in the air like crackling static. He can feel Tommy’s hand curled around his arm, drawing him in. He feels himself being pulled into to Tommy’s space, he just wants to be closer and closer -

He’s so lost in the moment that the alarm going off on his phone makes him jump clean out of his skin. He fumbles with it on the side, the noise finally stopping. He looks back but the moment is gone, Tommy quickly lets go of his arm and mumbles something about going to set the table. Buck watches him leave the room. He looks down at his arm, the residual heat still clinging there. Tommy is a good looking guy, sure. Buck can appreciate an objectively attractive man, but he’s never considered it any further than that. He furrows his brow and runs his fingers along the inside of his arm. That hadn’t felt very objective.

——-

Buck is stood in the grocery store staring at the vegetables section. He glances down at the list. ‘potatoes’ is scrawled there in Tommy’s slanted handwriting. Buck sighs, Tommy had done the meal planning this week because Buck’s shifts had been long and exhausting, which was sweet of him. Normally it’s Buck’s job, one of the things they had agreed on when he moved in. Recently things had become a little looser, Tommy had started picking up the jobs than Buck was too exhausted to get to and in return Buck had done the cleaning allotted to Tommy this week. They were beginning to cross over more, it is starting to feel like living with a friend rather than emergency bunking with Chimney’s old colleague.

He fidgets, can still feel the ghost of Tommy’s fingers curling around his wrist, can still feel the desire to hold his in return. He remembers the charge in the air, the sudden, overwhelming desire to close the space between them to lean in and-

He is jarred out of his thoughts by someone clearing their throat next to him. He looks across and realises that he has been holding up everyone else who needs to get theirs.

“Sorry.” He mumbles and shuffles out of the way. He’s probably overthinking it, considers that he might be the only person who thinks this much about type and variety of potatoes. He pulls out his phone anyway, flicks open Tommy’s contact. He’s hitting the call button before he can talk himself out of it. It rings and rings.

He closes his eyes and considers what kind of insane voice mail he is about to leave for the poor unsuspecting guy who kindly lets Buck live in his house when Tommy picks up.

“Hey Evan, everything okay?” He sounds out of breath.

“Oh uhm, yeah everything’s fine I was just-” Buck pauses, Tommy is still breathing heavily on the other side of the phone.

“Are you okay? I’m not interrupting anything?” He hears Tommy shift around.

“No, I was just working out, trying to squeeze something in before we get called out again.”

“Oh, okay.” Buck’s mind is suddenly so far away, images of Tommy working out, muscles pumping, sweat running down the thick column of his neck, damping his collarbones, rivulets making their way between his pecs and-

Not for the first time that day, Buck is pulled out of his thoughts by someone clearing their throat.

“Evan? You still there?”

“Oh! Yeah, sorry. I was just calling because-” He swallows nervously, suddenly afraid that Tommy can somehow read his thoughts. He glances back at the potatoes, wonders how he ended up here.

“I am just at the grocery store,”

“You’re doing the shopping?”

“Yeah, I had some time and nobody really wants to go shopping on their way home from work so I just thought it would be easier if I did it.”

“Oh, uhm, thanks.” There is something unreadable in his voice, panic flutters through Buck’s chest, but before he can spiral out too far Tommy’s voice comes back into his ear.

“I appreciate it, you’re right, nobody does want to go shopping on their way home.”

Buck can’t help but smile.

“And as for the potatoes, I can’t say that I know specifically, usually I just grab whatever is closest.”

“What do you need them for?”

“I was just going to make wedges.”

“Okay, so probably like a Russet then?”

“If that’s what you think is best.”

“Yeah it’s got a good skin and it’s more starchy so the inside will be fluffier and-” He stops himself, hears Tommy chuckle.

“I’ve never known anyone to know so much about everything.”

“Well it’s important Thomas.” He hears the pout in his own voice. Tommy laughs again.

“It sounds like it is, I’m sure I’ll hear all about it when I get home.”

“You sure will.” The sound of the station alarm cuts through the call.

“Oh shoot, gotta go.”

“Yeah of course, be safe.” It slips out of Buck’s mouth so easily.

“I will, see you later.”

——-

A few day later Buck is lounging on the couch in a pair of boxers and slightly too long jumper, the only things he could be bothered to put on after his post shift shower, when he hears the handle of the front door.

He tenses. Tommy is on shift until 7pm so it shouldn’t be him and he isn’t expecting anyone else. The door rattles slightly, like the person on the other side is having trouble getting in. He can hear two different voices outside. His heart starts to pound in his chest. He glances around for his phone, curses when he realises that it’s upstairs on charge. Instead grabs the nearest thing to hand and raises it in front of him. He takes a deep breath and plants his feet ready for whatever is coming through the door.

Finally the handle swoops down and the door opens.

There’s a moment of silence.

“You planning to hit me with that?”

Buck lets out a huge breath and drops his arms.

“Tommy! What the hell, you are definitely not meant to be home yet!”

There’s a laugh from beside the front door,

“Wow Kinard, Hell of a home security system you have here.”

Buck looks at his chosen defensive object, a stainless steel water bottle as it turns out, maybe not his best choice.

“Hey now Luce, be nice to him, he was ready to defend my home.” He looks at Buck with a sparkle in his eye, he tilts his head as he takes in Buck’s chosen outfit. Lips quirked up in a smile. Buck suddenly feels self conscious, he tugs on the hem of the jumper.

“I wasn’t expecting you home yet.”

“It’s fine, I should have called. I wasn’t really expecting to be home yet either but-” He gestures up towards his head and Buck registers the thick white bandage covering a large portion of Tommy’s forehead, curving down around his temple. Buck all but drops the water bottle and rushes over. How could he not have seen that immediately?

“God, are you okay?” Without thinking he takes Tommy’s face in his hands, looks more closely at the bandages, counts the tiny cuts that are scattered across his cheek.

Tommy protests the attention a little, but makes no move to get out of Buck’s grip.

“I’m fine, Evan.” Buck furrows his brow and keeps cataloging Tommy’s injuries. A cut above his eyebrow catches Buck attention and he gently swipes back a loose curl to get a closer look at it.

“Evan.” Tommy’s voice is soft now, gentle. Buck realises that they’re only inches apart, he can feel Tommy’s warm breath ghosting across his cheek.

“Okay so I only have one question.” They both startle as if they’ve forgotten they aren’t alone.

“Why did I have to bring you back when you apparently have a perfectly good boyfriend at home? Does he not drive?”

Buck takes half a step back, his hand slips a little, but doesn’t break contact with Tommy.

“I- I can drive.” Tommy holds his breath, waits for the denial. It shouldn’t hurt so much he thinks, to hear it out loud. He squeezes his eyes shut.

He had let himself hope, ever since Evan had spent a whole 2 hour movie squashed into his side. Since they had started having dinner together, spending the time they weren’t on shifts closer and closer. He shouldn’t have let himself believe there might be a chance, waits for Evan to deny Lucy’s assumption of their relationship.

But he doesn’t.

“Right well, whatever is going on here-” he can hear the teasing in her tone, “I have to get back to work.” There’s a clatter of keys and the door clicks shut behind her. Tommy feels frozen in place, Evan’s hand is still cupped around his jaw. Tommy opens his eyes and Evan is just as close as he was when he closed them. There’s something in his eyes, bright and hopeful.

“You didn’t tell her you aren’t my boyfriend.”

“Well,” Evan’s tongue darts out nervously, “what if I wanted to be?”

“You want to be my boyfriend?”

Evan’s eyes soften impossibly at the hint of disbelief in Tommy’s voice.

“I do.”

“I want to be yours too.”

“Glad we’re on the same page.”

Buck inches closer, tilts his head up. It seems so obvious now, as their lips meet. Tommy’s hand is brushing up his arm, coming to rest at the juncture of his neck. The kiss is soft and gentle, makes Buck feel like he’s unraveling in the best way. So clear what the feeling was when he was obsessing over the places where their bodies touched on the couch. When he was working to make Tommy laugh, going after new information just to be able to give him something. Calling in the middle of Tommy’s shift just to make sure he was getting the right potatoes. Buck smiles against Tommy’s lips, they part minutely.

“Something funny?” Tommy’s voice is barely a whisper.

“We really have just been accidentally dating haven’t we?”

Tommy huffs out a laugh, Buck feels it where his hands have found themselves against Tommy’s back.

“Mmm, I do think that’s what has happened.”

Buck drops his head, slides into the crook of Tommy’s shoulder.

“I’ve never accidentally dated anyone before.”

“Well I’m more than happy to be your first.”

Tagging some beloveds (as always let me know if you want to be added or removed);

@loulou-land @loucifersbitch @dark-alice-lilith @mmso-notlikethat @laundryandtaxesworld @hippolotamus @bucksaiga @sad-girl-hours23 @evansbuck-ley @typicalopposite

@moonydanny @teenmaximoff @bucksboobs @ohithankyou @bi-bi-buckleys @rubydaiquiri @hellion-child @aringofsalt @sweaters-and-silly @theotherbuckley @comfortingevanbuckley @epiphainie @wikiangela @bidisasterevankinard

@sunnywithachanceofbi @blitzynatural @big-urchin-energy @fyrehose @buckleyskinards @owlgirl495 @honeyloulou @setmeatopthepyre @salty-autistic-writer @thecarrott

[monstera-modd]

Ok so I saw someone make a DCxDP prompt post about trans Danny working in a cafe or coffee shop? Idk but anyway! He had Dani with him as his kid and eventually caught the eye of Jason/ red hood right! So I made one based off of that

So imagine Danny, wanting to take a break from being king and what not sees this smoke filled city and goes “hmm yess I love it!” And settles in the Bowery, essentially making it his new haunt.

He runs a cute little cafe called C&R (coffee and room) Danny still having a his obsession with space and protection, but it’s aimed more towards young adults and kids (but extends to kids he dubs as his even if they’re like 40)

He takes in basically any kid that need a place or someplace to stay, his only rule is if he takes you in you work the cafe with him and he pays for their time (him being the ghost king, he has a LOT of money)

So I imagine his cafe/ apartment set up like, the cafe as the main floor and then you take stairs up into the living room and to the left is the dinning, to the right is the kitchen. Keeping right there’s a hallway the leads to Danny bedroom with an en suite, there’s also a spare/ guest bath in the hall. Now going left you get to the bedrooms and bath for the kids, at the right end of the hall you have 4 single dorm style bedrooms and on the left you got 5 family or friend rooms each with two bunks or a bunk and a bed.

All together Danny can house up to 19 kids if he wants, so that being said when he takes in these street or abused kids he grows attached and eventually ends up adopting or fostering them, and they all ADORE Danny; view him as their Dad/ brother/ uncle.

Now we get to the dead on main part!

So one of Danny kids mentioned to one of their friends, who mentioned to their friend, who told on of Jason’s ally kids that there was a middle aged mad taking in kids and making them work for him. Obviously this man is hearing red flags and goes to investigate, thing is he can tell as soon as he steps food in the Bowery that he’s being watched.

Imagine his surprise to find a man around his age (25? 27?) who is good looking as fuck, with the same hair style and loved/ takes care of street kids! This mad checks damn near all his boxes.

So Danny invites Red Hood inside to talk and grab a bite (he’s smitten already) he’s asks his kid Rory to bring up some cookies and drink please!

Now while they’re up and talking Danny hears a scuffle downstairs and immediately going to check, he finds some men harassing one if his foster daughters (use to be a working girl.)

Now there’re some rules for Danny cafe

Be polite and respectful to staff

Don’t matter who you are or what you do, no fighting in the store

Kids take priority and are under Danny’s protection

Any rule broken above will result in Danny (6’4 build like a brick house) beating you’re ass

So with that all down these guys broke pretty much the only rules he has, so while other customers and red hood watch Danny fucking knee guts them and tosses them out with warnings of disembowelment if they come back.

And that’s pretty much all I’ve got so far

Danny with his kids and Jason with his they can then become one big happy family!

[nephilimeq]

Come Fly With Me

Prompt: Surprise

@bucktommyfluffebruary

AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/62721625/chapters/161852191

Tommy let out a sigh as he stepped through the front door of his house, having just gotten off the shift from hell. Normally he loved being in the air—but after the stunts he’d had to pull that day, his entire body felt like one big bruise, and he had no desire to do anything for at least twenty-four hours.

“Hey, babe, is that you?”

Evan.

“I’ve, uh, I’ve got some great news! Like, you won’t believe how awesome it is, I can’t wait to tell you about it,” he called out to him, and Tommy just blankly stared into space, absently kicking the door shut behind him as he let his duffle bag hit the floor with a dull thud. His boyfriend’s enthusiasm was sweet, but the airman found that he couldn’t return the energy and simply grunted back at him as loudly as he could, dropping all of his things just inside the door, kicking his shoes off and leaving them lying haphazardly in the entry way as he made his way towards the living room…

…and then he collapsed face first onto the couch in a tired heap.

He lay there for a while, debating whether or not he should simply fall asleep right then and there, every part of him saying that he should—but his mind scolded him, telling him that his back would hate him for it, and he knew that it was right.

Though that didn’t change the fact that he was far too comfortable…and then he heard footsteps coming from the archway into the living room and absently lifted a hand and waved it, saying in a muffled voice, “Hey, sorry, tired,” and he heard his boyfriend chuckle and say, “Yeah, I can see that. Sorry, babe.”

He then felt a warm hand on his lower back, and he hummed in the back of his throat.

“Mmm, feels nice…” He relished in the touch, and then blearily asked in an attempt to try and engage in conversation, “Wha’s your news?”

“Nothing, never mind. It can wait until later,” and Evan’s light touched turned into a firm, massaging stroke, and Tommy moaned, his mind blue screening and all he could focus on was the way his boyfriend was giving him a much needed massage, eventually bringing in his other hand and removing every inch of the stress of the day from his body. He didn’t know how long it lasted—but it was long enough that his stomach softly grumbled, and Evan chuckled.

“Want me to heat up some leftovers?” he suggested, and Tommy nodded.

“Yeah, would you? I’m just so tired…though the massage seriously helped,” he replied, slowly rising up onto his elbows and casted a look at his boyfriend over his shoulder. “But seriously, before you go get the food, what was your good news? You sounded really excited…”

Evan shook his head.

“It can wait.”

He thought about pushing—but then decided that if Evan said it could wait, then it could wait. He was starving.

Less than twenty minutes later, his boyfriend had brought them both plates from the kitchen laden down with his leftover pasta casserole, and Tommy managed to find enough energy to sit up straight and enjoy every single bite of it, letting out a contented sigh as he popped the top button of his jeans after putting his plate down on the coffee table in front of them, and then propping his feet up on the edge and giving the younger man a loving glance.

Smiling, he said, “I think I might go up another pant size because of you,” and patted his stomach, thinking about the ring that he’d ordered and how he couldn’t wait to get it onto his finger in the next few weeks.

Hopefully.

Evan gave him a half-hearted smile…and then he said, “Hey, uh…I wasn’t going to ask, but about a week ago you took a phone call, and you said you were switching shifts with Lucy this past week—but I heard a man answer the phone when you made the call. I-I don’t want to sound insecure or-or suspicious, but I was just wondering if—if you…”

Tommy felt his breath catch. Shit. That was the phone call he’d received about the ring being ready, and since he’d ended up switching shifts anyway and working exactly when he said he would be working, he didn’t think anything of it—but now his boyfriend had questions and he needed to answer them without tipping him off about the truth…and said, “Yeah, okay, it wasn’t Lucy who called, but I did end up switching shifts with her, so I didn’t lie about that. So, let’s just say…it’s a surprise and I want you to trust me.”

He gave his boyfriend a look.

“Yeah, okay. I can do that…especially since I have a surprise for you, too,” Evan said, giving him a sly look.

“Yeah? What kind of surprise?”

At that, Evan moved his own plate to the side and grabbed at the airman’s hand and gently squeezed it and said, “I, uh…I’ve been looking around at some places, trying to find some information about helicopters and stuff like that…and, uh…well, I found this.”

He pulled out a piece of paper that he’d folded up into his front pocket and handed it to him.

Tommy arched an eyebrow and looked down at the paper, squinting slightly because he didn’t have his glasses—and then Evan said, “Oh, wait, here,” and reached over and grabbed his glasses from the end table on his side, and he smiled as he slipped them on in order to read the paper…

…and then just about swallowed his tongue.

Right there in black and white ink was the words explaining that all he had to do was sign on the dotted line and he would have full ownership of his own personal helicopter and it would be kept at an airfield only half an hour from his house. The payment plan was easy and—to put it in simple terms—was the best fucking goddamn deal he had ever seen for such a high-end machine. Tommy stared at it, baffled, trying to wrap his mind around it.

“Evan, how…how did you…? The-the down payment alone…”

“I saved up for it. I’ve had some money set aside for something like this for a while now,” he softly admitted, giving him a shy smile. “I’ve been texting with Sal, too, and he mentioned that you’ve been looking for a helicopter for a long while, and this…well, it just so happens that I know someone in the business and used a few of my old connections to find something that you would like, and asked Sal to confirm it…so…you like it?”

Without hesitation, he leaned in and pressed a hard kiss to his lips, one hand wrapped around the back of Evan’s head, and as he pulled back he said, “I have never been so in love with you than I am in this moment,” and Evan chuckled.

“Really? Well, if I knew that finding you a helicopter would earn me this, then I would have done it sooner…”

They shared a smile.

And then Evan added, “You wanna take it up?”

--

Tommy still couldn’t believe it as he steered the chopper through the air with his boyfriend in the copilot’s seat, still trying to wrap his head around the fact that Evan had somehow managed to find him the best deal he had ever seen on such a high-end machine.

The feel of the rotors thumping above his head reminded him of Evan’s heartbeat.

“God, this is so cool!” his boyfriend exclaimed over the headset, and the airman grinned and replied, “Hey, I told you when we met that I would show you a good time!”

It was the next morning after Evan had told him the news about the helicopter, and he was almost giddy with euphoria as he turned them over the dunes and headed back towards the airfield. They had been up in the air for almost an hour, but the bird had been taken up with a full tank, and now it was time to take her back in. There was a familiar sense of freedom as he banked low and wide, purposely angling out over the water, and he wondered if Evan could feel it, too.

Just as he thought about him, Evan suddenly said, “Hey, maybe we could use this for a date night sometime. What do you think?” and Tommy said, “Yeah, sounds like a plan,” already knowing exactly when and where it would be, the thought of a ring being involved making him grin like an idiot.

He was grateful for the size of the headset as it blocked some of his face from him, keeping his boyfriend from figuring out anything too quickly.

It had been next to impossible to make his plans to propose to him when Evan was so focused on him—mind you, he loved the attention, but it was like trying to hide a brand new chew toy from a dog that was constantly following you around all the time. He knew the metaphor was a bit rough, and he didn’t like comparing his boyfriend to a dog, but when they were together, Evan was surprisingly—persistently—almost always in his personal place.

Again, not that he was complaining.

Actually, he kind of loved it.

“You really have an amazing job, babe,” Evan said, taking him out of his head, and he replied, “Evan, we have the same job,” and shot him a sideways glance, and his boyfriend shook his head and said, “No, not really. I mean, we both fight fires, but you…you’re up in here in the sky almost every day seeing things that most people will never see. You have the chance to do things that a lot of people only dream out, you know? It’s really…it’s really somethin’ else,” he finished, sounding genuinely amazed, and Tommy smiled.

He couldn’t wait to marry him.

He finally brought the chopper back to the airfield, landing it with all the skill of someone who had done it over a thousand times before (he had), and as they made their way back to the main gate, he grabbed at his boyfriend’s elbow and tugged him into a corner and then planted a heavy kiss on him, pinning him to the wall as he used his mouth and body to tell him how grateful he was for the amazing, insightful gift.

“Mmf, what…what was that for?” Evan said, pulling back slightly, and Tommy smirked and rubbed his thumb against the base of the younger man’s neck and retorted, “That was for being the most amazing boyfriend ever. I still can’t believe you did this for me, Evan…”

His cheeks pinked and he ducked his eyes.

“Yeah, well, I guess I thought that you deserved it, you know? After everything you’ve done for me and for all the lives you’ve saved over the years, it just seemed like you should have something like this,” he said with an earnestness that made the airman’s breath catch in his throat.

He then used his thumb to tilt Evan’s head back up and levelled his eyes on his.

“You…god, I love you so much,” was all he could think to say…

…but apparently it was enough as his boyfriend’s eyes lit up and he gave him that smile of his that made his heart skip a beat every time he saw it—and Tommy couldn’t help himself and leaned back in and kissed him a second time, this time allowing his thigh to slip between his legs and his hands to wander down to his ass, hoisting him up slightly, using the wall behind them as leverage, thrilled when Evan let out a needy moan and ground down slightly against his leg.

He then panted out against his lips, “Won’t we…won’t we get caught?” and Tommy smirked and said as he pushed his thigh tighter against him, “We’re the only ones here, right now, so no. Wanna fool around?” and he grinned.

God, he loved him.

...he couldn't wait to marry him.

[women-in-ssports]

FOREVER AND A DAY

Chapter 8 | Unspoken

The shrill sound of Aubrey’s voice cut through the air during basketball practice, as she counted again for what felt like the hundredth time. Azzi was starting to feel like she might lose her mind. Aubrey's voice, sharp and unrelenting, echoed in her head like an alarm that wouldn’t stop ringing.

“That’s 32!” Aubrey called out, eyeing Azzi with a knowing smile.

Azzi, already exhausted from running drills and working on defense strategies, furrowed her brow. “What do you mean, 32?”

“Flirting,” Aubrey added, almost too casually, as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

Azzi froze for a moment, trying to force the blood from rushing to her face. Flirting? Was she really doing that? She glanced over at Paige, who was on the other side of the court, chatting with Nika. But then it hit her—those moments weren’t in her head. Those subtle touches when they passed each other, the lingering glances, the way they talked and laughed just a little too closely.

“Shut up, Aubrey,” Azzi muttered, trying to sound nonchalant, even though her heart rate was suddenly offbeat.

Aubrey shrugged, smirking as she picked up her basketball again. “You know it’s obvious, right? I mean, come on. You two are practically joined at the hip these days.”

Azzi gritted her teeth but didn’t respond. She focused on her feet, moving into position for the next drill. There was a strange feeling settling in her chest—something between excitement and dread, like the edge of a cliff that you were about to fall off of, but you weren’t sure if you wanted to.

PARTY

That night, the team attended a huge house party at Ethan’s place, one of the most popular spots for everyone in their social circle. It was the kind of party that was too loud, too crowded, and too full of people from different circles to feel comfortable, but still, everyone showed up. Caroline and Nika had dragged Azzi along, even though she wasn’t much of a party person. She didn’t want to seem like a buzzkill, so she went, if only to keep up appearances.

The music was loud enough to vibrate the walls, the smell of alcohol and smoke hanging in the air, and the strobe lights flashing in every direction made it hard to focus. But Azzi couldn’t get past the tension that had been building up inside her all week.

Paige had been acting strangely. They barely exchanged a word as Azzi walked through the door with her friends. When she did see Paige, her eyes were glued to Joseph, her ex.

As Azzi sipped her drink and tried to make small talk with Aubrey and Caroline, she kept noticing the way Paige and Joseph seemed to slip into their own little world, just like they used to. Every time Azzi looked for Paige, she was right there with him, laughing, talking, and looking as comfortable as she ever had. It made something twist uncomfortably in Azzi’s stomach, a feeling she couldn’t quite put into words.

“You good?” Caroline asked, nudging her shoulder.

Azzi blinked, snapping out of her thoughts. “Yeah. Just... I don’t know.”

Caroline didn’t need to ask further, her knowing glance falling on Paige and Joseph. “Is it just me, or are those two acting a little...” “.. To cozy!” Azzi said cutting off Caroline. Caroline looked over at Azzi with a knocking look that she knew Azzi would ignore.

Azzi avoided looking over at them again, but the fact that Caroline noticed made her feel a little less crazy. She shook her head, trying to laugh it off. “I don’t know. It’s probably nothing.”

But in the pit of her stomach, Azzi felt like it wasn’t nothing at all.

At some point, Caroline had the brilliant idea to play a round of ding-dong ditch—the ultimate schoolyard prank. Azzi hadn’t played it since she was younger, but something about the opportunity to escape the house and the tension made it seem like the perfect idea. They slipped out the front door, running down the steps to hide behind some bushes, trying to stay unnoticed.

But then Azzi froze.

There, on the front lawn, stood them.

Her heart sank, and she immediately turned to Caroline. “I—I need to go.”

Caroline raised an eyebrow, but before she could ask why, Azzi turned and ran. She couldn’t explain it, but watching them together—hearing their laughter, seeing how at ease they were with each other—was too much. She barely made it a few steps before she doubled over, the sick feeling in her stomach finally taking over. She vomited onto the grass, her body shaking with the force of it.

“Azzi, are you okay?” she asked, concern creeping into her voice as she reached out to hold back Azzi hair

“C’mon,” Paige’s voice called from behind her, softer than expected. “Let’s go.”

Azzi wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, trying to hide the sting of her emotions behind her usual humor. But the feeling of being left out lingered as they walked away, the laughter from Paige and her ex still echoing in her ears.

TAKING AZZI HOME

Back at Azzi’s house, the night became a blur. She couldn’t remember how they got into bed, or when they’d changed into their pajamas. But Azzi lay there, staring at the ceiling, feeling a strange tightness in her chest. Her thoughts were all over the place—about Paige…

Paige had settled in on the bed, just as she had so many times before. They always kept their distance, each girl on her own side of the bed, a safe space between them. But tonight, the silence felt different. Paige shifted closer, her body instinctively curling behind Azzi. Azzi could feel the heat of Paige’s skin against her back, the soft rise and fall of her breathing.

Azzi blinked, confused, as she woke up, feeling something was... off. It wasn’t just the awkwardness of last night, but something deeper—something more pressing.

She didn’t remember when they had gotten so close, or why her heart was racing now. She could feel Paige’s hand around her waist, drawing her in, and before she could stop herself, she turned, meeting Paige’s gaze.

Paige’s eyes were wide, vulnerable in a way Azzi had never seen before. Without thinking, Azzi leaned in.

The kiss was slow at first, tentative. But then, it deepened, both girls finding the rhythm they never realized they had.

It lasted longer than either of them expected, but eventually, Paige pulled away, her face flushed, her eyes clouded with confusion.

“I—Azzi, I... I’m sorry,” Paige murmured, her voice shaky. “We shouldn’t have done that. You’re still drunk. Let’s just get some sleep, okay?”

Azzi’s heart thudded painfully in her chest as Paige rolled away from her, leaving her in the cold space of the bed. She didn’t know what to say—how to explain the mix of emotions she was feeling, or if she even had the right to.

PAIGE POV

“You know, Paige, we were good together. We could be good again. I miss us.”

I rolled my eyes, pretending to laugh it off, but inside, I felt a pang of frustration. Why couldn’t he just get it through his head that we were done? That I wasn’t going to go back to him, no matter how much he pushed?

“I’m not in the mood for this right now, Joseph,” I said, trying to keep my voice light, but I felt the heat of annoyance creeping up my neck. I needed to get away from him. Needed to be anywhere but here with him.

He stepped closer, a soft, pleading look in his eyes. “Come on, Paige. We had something special. Don’t tell me you don’t feel it too.”

The words felt like they were pressing on me, each one weighing heavier than the last. I couldn’t deal with it. Not here. Not now.

“I’m fine, really. I just need to go talk to my friends,” I said, turning to leave, but his hand reached out and grabbed mine.

“Paige,” he said, his voice low, but firm. “We should talk. Really talk. I know you’re not over it. I know you miss me.”

I jerked my hand out of his grasp, a little too harshly, but I didn’t care. The space between us was too much, and I needed air, needed to breathe without him crowding in on me.

“Joseph, please,” I said, forcing a smile that didn’t reach my eyes. “We’re not doing this.”

I finally pulled myself away, walking quickly toward the door, hoping to escape the conversation before it spiraled further. I needed to get outside. I needed to breathe. The house felt too small, too stifling, with Joseph lingering around me, trying to pull me back into something that wasn’t even there anymore.

Once I was out in the yard, I took a deep breath, feeling the cool air fill my lungs. It was quieter out here. Less pressure. I just wanted to be alone for a moment to clear my head. But before I could even take a second to process, there he was again. Joseph, standing right in front of me, looking entirely too comfortable, like he belonged here.

“Paige,” he started, his voice that familiar mixture of sincerity and manipulation. “We can’t just pretend nothing happened. I miss you. I really do.”

I blinked, caught off guard. I hadn’t been expecting him to follow me outside. I had hoped I could at least escape the conversation for a little while longer, but no, Joseph wasn’t going to let me go that easily.

“I think you’re mistaken,” I said, my voice tight. I crossed my arms, hoping the gesture would make me seem more confident, like I had everything under control. I didn’t. Not at all. “I’m not interested in getting back together. I’m happy with where I am now.”

Joseph took a step forward, his eyes narrowing, his tone shifting. “Who is it that you’re with then, Paige? Is it that girl?” He raised an eyebrow, his voice laced with something I couldn’t quite place. “What’s her name again? Azzi?”

I froze at the mention of Azzi’s name. Of course, he would bring her up. He had always been possessive like that, trying to control every part of my life, even the people I spent time with.

“What about her?” I shot back, trying to keep my voice even. I didn’t want to let Joseph see that his words bothered me, that his jealousy was digging under my skin. “Azzi is just a friend. And I’m not yours anymore, Joseph. I told you that already.”

His expression darkened, and for a brief moment, I almost regretted standing my ground. I could feel the tension building between us, thick and heavy, but I refused to back down. This wasn’t a conversation I wanted to have with him. Not now. Not ever.

“I’m sorry, Joseph,” I said, my voice more resolute now, “but I don’t want to talk about this anymore. We’re done. Please respect that.”

I turned to leave, determined to put some space between us, but as I walked away, I could feel Joseph’s eyes on my back. He wasn’t done trying to get me back, but I had made up my mind.

But just as I walked further from the house, a voice broke through my thoughts.

“Paige?”

I froze, and for a second, my heart sank, thinking it was Joseph again. But when I turned, I saw Azzi. She was standing there, her face pale, her eyes wide, looking like she was about to say something. Then, without warning, she staggered forward, clutching her stomach.

“Azzi?” I gasped, watching as her face contorted in discomfort. She barely got a few steps before she bent over and threw up violently onto the grass.

My heart dropped. “Oh my god, Azzi, are you okay?”

She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, looking embarrassed but barely able to stand. “I… I think I just drank too much. Ugh, I feel terrible,” she muttered, swaying slightly.

Without thinking, I rushed over to her, gently placing a hand on her arm. “You need to get home. Come on, let me help you.”

Azzi was barely coherent, and I could see she wasn’t really in any state to get back to the party, let alone drive herself anywhere. She looked at me, eyes glassy, and nodded, too exhausted to argue.

I led her back to the car, helping her into the passenger seat. I didn’t care that I didn’t want to be at the party anymore, either. My concern was solely for Azzi in that moment.

When we got to her house, I helped her out of the car, feeling an unexpected sense of protectiveness rise up in me. I knew she wasn’t drunk in the usual sense, but she was definitely unwell, and she needed rest.

She stumbled as we made our way inside, and I guided her up the stairs to her bedroom, where she collapsed onto her bed, groaning softly.

“You should sleep it off,” I said, my voice gentle as I sat next to her on the bed. Azzi gave me a tired, half-smiling glance, and I couldn’t help but feel a little closer to her in that moment.

I pulled the covers over her, making sure she was comfortable, and then took a seat in the chair beside the bed, trying to figure out what to do next. There was a strange warmth between us, an unspoken bond that made everything feel more intimate than I expected.

Before I even realized it, Azzi shifted over on the bed, tugging at the covers. “Paige, just... come here,” she said, her voice barely audible.

I blinked, surprised, but before I could respond, Azzi patted the space next to her. I hesitated for just a second, then, with a soft sigh, I crawled into the bed next to her.

It felt natural, like I was meant to be there. Azzi’s body was warm, and she instinctively curled up against me, resting her head on my chest. I could feel the steady rise and fall of her breath as she snuggled in close, her hand landing on my waist. I didn’t think about how this might seem, how it might change things between us. I just let myself stay there, my heart beating faster in a way I couldn’t explain.

I knew we were both exhausted, emotionally and physically, and the quiet of the room, mixed with the comfort of each other’s presence, made me feel safe. The feeling of her close to me—of our bodies fitting together so easily—was so comforting that I couldn’t bring myself to move.

She pulled me even closer, and I let her, my body reacting to the closeness without fully understanding why. I felt her fingers gently tighten around my waist, and something shifted inside me. The moment felt charged, but I didn’t know how to label it, whether it was simply a physical connection or something deeper.

I didn’t say anything at first. I just stayed there, with her nestled into me, letting the minutes slip by. But then, as time seemed to slow, I turned my head slightly, catching her gaze.

Azzi’s eyes were closed, her face relaxed, but there was an underlying tension that I could feel. She shifted again, this time so she was facing me fully. I could hear her breath quicken, but she didn’t move away. Instead, her gaze locked onto mine, and for the briefest of moments, it felt like everything around us disappeared.

The sound of my heart pounding in my chest grew louder, filling the silence.

Slowly, as if drawn by some magnetic pull, I leaned in. The kiss was soft at first, tentative. But when Azzi’s lips met mine, I felt a jolt of energy rush through me. The warmth between us surged, and the kiss deepened, slow and hungry, as if we were both trying to figure out what it meant.

It lasted for a while, with neither of us pulling away, caught up in something neither of us had expected. But then, just as quickly as it had started, Azzi pulled back, her eyes wide with a mix of confusion and something else—something I couldn’t quite place.

“Paige,” she whispered, her voice shaky. “I… I don’t know if I should have done that. We are drunk let’s go back to sleep.” Paige almost whispered touching Azzi cheek and turning her in her arms.

I could barely form words, my mind racing to catch up with what had just happened.

The air between us was heavy, both uncertain and filled with a new kind of tension I hadn’t known was possible.

The night stretched on in quiet, awkward peace. But as I lay there beside her, her hand still resting lightly against my waist, I couldn’t shake the feeling that things between us had changed in a way I didn’t understand yet. What had just happened? What did it mean?

But for now, I would just stay by her side, letting everything settle until I could figure it out.

NEXT MORNING

The next morning, the team had a youth event to attend, and the tension between Azzi and Paige was palpable. Azzi kept her focus, hanging out with the girls, even going with Caroline on the golf cart to grab signs for the event. She was trying to act normal, trying to push aside the mess of emotions from the night before.

Paige, however, was distant. She barely looked at Azzi, and when she did, her eyes were guarded. Azzi didn’t let it bother her. She had her friends, and she was going to enjoy the day, no matter how awkward things felt with Paige.

But then, something changed. Paige’s face went pale, and she rushed off, practically panicking.

“Aubrey, have you seen Azzi?” Paige’s voice was sharp, and everyone looked around, confused. No one had ever heard Paige raise her voice like that, especially not at Azzi.

Caroline exchanged a glance with Azzi, both of them on edge.

“No, I haven’t seen her,” Aubrey replied, clearly concerned.

“I’m right here,” Azzi said moving into Paige’s view. “I have to go home.” Paige said matter of factly.

The whole group piled into Azzi’s car to drive Paige home as the event wrapped up. The tension in the car was thick, but Azzi couldn’t help but wonder—why was Paige acting like this?

DROPPED PAIGE OFF

As they pulled out of Paige’s driveway, Azzi noticed something odd—Paige had left her phone in the car. “I’ll take it to her,” Azzi said, trying to sound casual as she grabbed the phone and headed up the walkway.

When she looked up, though, she froze. Through the kitchen window, she could see a girl—around their age—sitting at the table in Paige’s house. The sight made Azzi’s heart race for all the wrong reasons. Just as she was about to turn and leave, Paige emerged from the front door.

Azzi froze, feeling caught in the middle of something she wasn’t sure she understood.

“Thanks, Azzi,” Paige said as she reached out for her phone. “I’m sorry for yelling earlier. I had an unexpected guest—my ex,” she said, gesturing toward the house. “My dad was calling me to come home, and I just lost it.”

Azzi swallowed hard, ex?, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in her stomach. “No problem,” she said flatly, her voice a little too cold.

Paige gave her an apologetic smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “I’ll talk to you later?”

Azzi nodded, her heart heavy as she turned to get back in the driver’s seat. Paige went back inside without another word.

As Azzi drove off, the silence in the car felt heavier than it ever had before. She couldn’t shake the image of the girl in Paige’s kitchen. Was it just her ex, or something more? And what did it all mean for her and Paige?

For the first time in a long time, Azzi wasn’t sure where she stood.

PAIGE POV

As Azzi pulled out of the driveway, I couldn't help but feel the familiar stir of annoyance bubbling up inside me. I crossed my arms over my chest and stared at my house, my fingers tapping against my sides in frustration. The air around me felt too thick, too suffocating, and I was doing everything I could to ignore the uncomfortable knot forming in my stomach.

What the hell was Bianca even doing here?

I hadn’t spoken to her in ages. Not since the last game of my freshman year, the one that still lingered in my mind like an unhealed wound. The one where everything had come crashing down around me. I couldn't forget the way the whole thing played out. I had watched, helpless, as my girlfriend at the time—Bianca—had kissed a girl from the opposing team. The moment I saw it, I felt the ground beneath me shift, like the universe itself had just betrayed me.

I’d known something was off between us, but that... that had been the final blow. Bianca had tried to deny it, of course. She tried to tell me it wasn’t what it looked like. But how could she deny it when I had seen it with my own eyes? The way their lips had met, how it felt like everything I thought I knew had just shattered.

I didn’t say anything to Bianca right then. Not at the game, not afterward. It felt like there was no point. We didn’t need words anymore. I could feel it in the way she avoided me, in the way she couldn’t even look me in the eye the next day. The trust had been broken beyond repair.

The worst part was that Bianca had made it clear she wasn’t sorry. She never apologized for what she did. Not once. And Paige still stayed with her right up to the day she moved here to her new school.

[bunnyinthecherries]

𝕡𝕣𝕖𝕥𝕥𝕪

𝐼𝓃 𝓌𝒽𝒾𝒸𝒽 𝐿𝓊𝒾 𝓀𝓃𝑜𝓌𝓈 𝑒𝓍𝒶𝒸𝓉𝓁𝓎 𝒽𝑜𝓌 𝓉𝑜 𝓁𝑜𝓋𝑒 𝑜𝓃 𝓎𝑜𝓊. Based on this request.

TW: smut

Luigi has quickly become your own safe space. You've read countless poems about someone turning into a home, somebody becoming your secret hide away.

Sometimes, you can't believe how much you love him. Your love started ordinary, no spectacle and no special occasion. You weren't perfect, you still had to heal, you didn't fully love yourself. But Luigi made you see how much that did not matter at all. You had him and that was enough.

Some dinners, a hug only for you and always the right word to calm your mind. Only one thing was missing: sex. Not that it was required. You and Lui had touched on the subject. You told him you'd never had a boyfriend - no one had ever been worthy of your time. He laughed, feeling honored to be the chosen one to step into your mind and soul.

He said he'd done it a few times, but only when he really liked someone. You agreed too. Like both of your consciousness were made out of the same material. He says he doesn't want you to feel like he will take something off of you. That you're complete and that, after you have sex, your life will be the same.

It will be more like giving something to each other. Like loving someone so much you want to bite them. You looked at him weird. Sure, you were horny and your boyfriend was hot. But that talk made no sense. You were still nervous. How would it even happen? Where? How do you ask to be touched and where do you touch? How do you compete with him?

You'd been dating for a few months and, of course, some make out sessions were heated and his hands would travel up your back. But he always sensed your discomfort and would laugh, kissing your forehead. You were frustrated: you wanted it, but every time it was about to happen, you wanted to run and hide.

He was, of course, understanding and a sweetheart about it. He told you the moment would just come. You would just feel it. He was sure you loved him and he would die for you. So it was only natural that, one day, you'd just fuck. Easy for him to say.

You had sleepovers at his house, sometimes to cuddle and sometimes to crash after a party. In the beginning, you bought new underwear and meticulously shaved and applied moisturizer, knowing you were too nervous to even look up to him every time his arms picked you up when he kissed you.

Eventually, you were just comfortable with him. You had called countless friends: some had booked a hotel, others had done it drunk, others in a car and one even said "I just got it done with".

That was absolutely not what you wanted. There were a lot of worries in your head as you accepted another night at his place. He picked you up, smelling delicious and wearing a sleeveless white shirt that made his skin look golden and your insides turn. He followed the routine: placing a hand on your tight and occasionally switching to hold your hand and kiss each and every one of your fingers.

You had an expectation. You wanted him. It had to happen, because it was all you were thinking about. His little stubble, the curve of his neck, his chest and his tummy, it all made you tingle in all the right and new ways and you wanted more. You finally understood what he meant about wanting to bite someone.

You wanted him to be so close you'd cease to exist individually. You loved him so much you wanted to give him pleasure. You craved him so much you wanted to be the reason for him to lose his mind. You were almost sure he could hear (and feel) your thoughts.

It happened quickly. It wasn't, again, a big moment. You didn't press a button. You didn't have your fancy lingerie on and there were probably a lot of places in your body you felt like you should have shaved. Blame it on the media.

But Lui seemed pleased, in a trance even. He'd been over his kitchen counter, brewing some coffee for you, when you just hugged him from behind and kissed his back muscles. "I think I want to do it now", you whispered. You weren't dumb. Your body was responding to him, to his pretty face and all his masculinity. You felt wet and hot even before he touched you. He asked you, of course, if you were sure, but as he kissed you, he could feel the answer inside him too.

He confessed how he always wanted to do this, how he's been trying to control himself. He says how he's always strived to not need much and to live independently and how you came to change that. How you were his most precious thing.

You were laid on his bed, messy between the sheets, in scent intoxicating you. Not just his cologne, but him, the smell of him and his voice is like another soft touch, as he asks you.

Will you let me, pretty?

His hands push your shirt up and you can't help but laugh. It's an involuntary reaction to the excitement you feel. How amazing to be here, with him, just you two. Nobody would ever be able to take this sweet moment from you and as his hands cupped your face, lifting your chin to kiss all over your neck, you were sure. You were about to be his, in the most freeing way possible.

I'm wearing embarrassing underwear, Lu.

You comment, almost in a whisper, as he looks at your chest. It seems like he's not even listening to you.

You actually should just be naked all the time.

He places a soft kiss between your chest, using his right hand to slide off your bra straps, taking it off. He takes time with your nipples and the wetness and warmness of his tongue are enough for you to make your first ever sound. You're immediately taken aback by it, apologising.

Why'd you ever need to apologise for something like that, baby? Please, don't be quiet. I want to know how I'm making you feel.

You smile softly at him, but still too shy to reach out and touch him. He takes his shirt off and, for the first time, you're skin on skin and his warmness seems to pick you up and embrace you. He's smells so distinctively him that you're moaning again, muffled by him kissing you and biting your lip.

He's trying hard to take it slow, for he has thought about his a lot. You look down at his jeans and you see the outline, you know what it means. It feels good to be the one to make him hard. He catches you staring, his attention leaving your chest for a moment. You laugh, embarrassed again.

I...would like to touch you.

You whisper and, right after, you hide your face in your hands, mortified. Lui smiles, cupping your face again.

I will help you princess, tell you what I like. But first, it's about you.

He asks over and over if you'll let him and you're just nodding in anticipation. He's taking off your pants now and his fingers feel electric. It's amazing how he seems to always know the next step. There's a spot on your not so sexy panties, and he's thrilled. He laughs. You worry.

Is...is that gross? Or like, wrong?

Lui's smile fades and he feels like a little bit of an asshole.

No, angel, no. I'm just so amazed that this is happening. I can't believe we're about to do this.

He should be used to it, no? You think.

I think you don't really know how much I want and love you. And the fact that you want this, making you so wet, is driving me insane.

You smile, and it's really all you can do as he's gently pulling your underwear down and you can see him slightly tremble. He pulls your legs apart.

Will he like it? Will you feel and taste good? You don't dare to look him in the eyes as soon as you feel his breath between your legs. He's grabbing your thigh, making you lift your right leg a bit. Just the feeling of being there, exposed, is enough to make you smile again. You're so excited.

I can't believe how pretty you are.

The next second, his nose is on your clit and you feel the warmth and wetness of his tongue. You feel like you've entered a new world. All you can do is really let your head fall back on the pillow, his smell hitting you again.

You don't know how he can be so good at this, how he sees to know exactly where to trace his tongue. His licking and moaning into you and it's making you want to grab onto him. He was right, it was instinct.

He moans a little louder when he feels your hands on his curly hair. His left hand - the one that's not grabbing at your flesh, leaving a mark - he slides it up, meeting yours. As his tongue drags circles, you grab his hand.

You're being louder and it's getting deliciously louder to breathe. He stops for a second, looking up at you. Your wetness leaves his chin glistening in the soft light and his eyes are kind.

Does it feel good, princess?

You're catching your breath and nodding, grabbing his face, desperate for a kiss. But not yet, he seems. He looks at you, face red and flushed, full lips from biting them so hard and he knows he needs to give you your first orgasm.

I think you could make me cum just from looking at you like this.

He breathes out, getting back to his mission.

You taste so good, I thought about this so many times and it's so much better, you're so perfect.

You wish you could talk back and articulate how good his tongue feels reaching your insides, but you can't. When the the texture of his tongue meets your clit, it doesn't take long for it to be over. You feel it at the bottom of your tummy, but the sensation starts at the tip of your feet and ends in your head. It's so intense that you just sit up and grab his head harder, closing your legs on his head. You can hear him moan louder when you collapse on the bed again.

You took that so well, you're my perfect girl. Was it good, baby? Did I make you feel good?

Yes, Lu. It was really good.

You could cry.

Do you want more?

You nod in desperation. He smiles sweetly again and lays on his back. You look at him, unsure about what to do.

Come here.

You obey, reaching out to him again and you kiss him. You really can't think so you hope your kiss will tell him how much you want him. His boxers are wet and he grabs your hand.

Do you still want to touch me, honey? I'd like it...a lot.

You nod again, no thoughts in your head as you feel the wet fabric and the warmth of his dick. This was it. You pull his boxers down, biting your lips and focusing on the painting on his wall.

You can look at it, you know?

He's messing with you as he grabs the back of your head.

Just feel it, baby. I need you to touch me, so bad. Your hand is going to feel so fucking good, I know it.

You cough a little. His words, on his velvet voice, make you all ready for another orgasm. You have to control yourself too, but it's hard. You look down at him.

H-help me.

You whisper. He grabs your hand and, suddenly, you're touching him, feeling every vein and his length. He's warm, wet and big. And he's closing his eyes as he guides your hand to move. His brows are furrowed and soft moans escape him.

Slowly, you learn a pace he likes and he lets you do it alone. You can just focus on his beautiful face and feel how much he wants you. You've never seen him so vulnerable. At your mercy.

You take a deep breath and, remembering every fan fiction you've read and movie you've watched, you reach down. He's staring. And his cocky smile tells you he knows what he's about to do.

Lu, don't look, please.

Baby, how can you forbid me of the most beautiful sight of my life?

Just let me...

You're closer now, and he feels your breath on his dick and you feel more drops of his wetness on your fingers.

I just want to try it.

The thought of you wanting to taste him sends Lui into a spiral and he nods, closing his eyes.

I won't look, pretty. I promise. Just, please...

He tastes salty and it sends a shock of pleasure into you. He's muttering curse word after curse word. You can tell you're making him feel good.

Slowly, you lick him and he's being very vocal about how nice it feels. You keep a hand wrapped around him and try, as much as you can, to take him in your mouth. It feels you up deliciously and, after a few tries, Lui is gone.

God, please, baby. Just let me fuck your pretty mouth. Ok? I'll be so careful. Please.

You nod and he finally looks at you and he feels like he's going to finish right on your face. But he can't. He grabs your hair very gently, sitting up. His other hand cups at your ass, still carefully.

He pushes the back of your head and soon enough, he's hitting the back of your throat, making your eyes water. It's strange but still delicious to feel him filling you. You can feel yourself getting wet again, especially when you hear him moan.

You're being so good to me, angel.

He whispers, wiping the tears in your eyes. After a few thrusts, always soft, he pulls you up and you catch your breath. You're laughing and crying at the same time, overwhelmed with pleasure. You wish you could do more.

You're so big.

He smiles, wiping your mouth and bringing his finger to his mouth, sucking it. You feel a rush of love and just hug him, kissing each of his moles on the side of his face.

Please tell me you're ready for me, princess. I can't wait to have you.

You nod.

We'll do it together, ok? It's just me and you, honey.

He leans back on the headboard. You're straddling him now, as his dick is right between your legs. You're shaking. You want him so badly.

You're just going to sit on it, ok? I'll help you and we'll go at your pace. It'll be perfect baby, I promise.

You look at him and his hands are on your waist. You lift yourself a little, enough so his tip is right at your entrance. He's so excited you can see his mouth slightly open. He's quite literally drooling for you.

He grabs your hand and places your other one on his shoulder. Then, he grabs your waist, pulling down. Just his tip feels like an explosion. You moan in a little bit of pain, your insides burning.

He waits. And you're the one downing yourself on him, slowly. You're soon crying, choking on all the emotions. It burns, he's big and it's so amazing to feel yourself so complete and full.

You were made for me, I swear. You're going to take it all, aren't you pretty?

You desperately want to, so you cry and moan at the same time, a sound you've never made before.

Take your time, sweetheart. We have all night.

Slowly, he's moaning louder, as he's deeper and deeper inside of you. When his dick is completely buried in you, you cry again, your legs shaking. You grab his neck.

Lu, it's, it's so good.

You're panicking. He hugs you tightly and adjust himself, hitting you just at the right spot, making you moan his name. He's in heaven.

I know baby, I know. It feels so good, right? I'm going to fuck you so good, I promise.

You can only nod, feeling him warm and pulsating inside of you. Without pulling out, he lays you down and, finally, you feel all his weight on top of you.

He grabs your hands above your head, intertwining your fingers. He kisses all over your face, whispering praise after praise.

Lu.

You call.

Tell me, my love. You're so tight around me, I just want to pound into you, I swear. You're so soft and you smell so good, I can't believe you're mine.

He's moaning. You can't believe he's yours either and that, again, you're the one making him feel like that.

Please, you...you can move.

He looks you in your eyes.

You want me to move? Yeah?

He does, slowly.

You nod, crying and moaning again. A mess beneath him.

Tell me. Let me hear your pretty voice telling me you want me to fuck you.

You laugh, too shy to say it. It's dirty. It feels almost profane to ask that. He looks at you, smiling.

Please, fuck me.

You whisper in his ear, and you both laugh, because you're desperate for each other and it's all so primal and intimate.

Soon, he's thrusting into you. He moans your name over and over. He fits into you perfectly. He grabs your leg, to wrap it around him, which makes him cry out a moan to. You're closer than ever, as close as possible.

It doesn't take long for your orgasm to hit you. It's perfect, because now you're full of him. You bite his shoulder, crying, tears spilling, his name lingering on your lips. He feels you tightening around him, but he doesn't stop.

He cums minutes later, like a gentleman should, on your tummy. You feel his and marked forever, but in the perfect way. All he can do his kiss you and hold you close.

A bath and lots of water lately, you're back on his bed and he's massaging all over you back and tummy. You'll wake up sore and, from then on, want it all the time, all over again.

Gang, I fear this sucks, forgive my soul, I've never done this. Was listening to Father Figure while I wrote it. Thank you George Michael and I hope this lame ass thing can live up to your expectations, dear @mmtoner. Send me some requests!

[heroesrest64]

Chained (But It’s Not So Bad)

Chapter 2: Companions (But Only One Friend)

Chapter summary: After joining the Chain, you try interacting with the boys, to various degrees of success

https://archiveofourown.org/works/63108673/chapters/161784505

Chapter under the cut :)

You’re walking side-by-side with Wild, catching him up on your journey so far. He’s got your Purah Pad in his hands, clicking through your pictures as you explain. Despite how long you’ve been adventuring, Wild finds your camera roll to be barely filled, with hardly any pictures outside of the ones from this world.

“Wondering where the rest of my pictures are?” You interrupt yourself to ask. Wild rubs the back of his neck bashfully as you take out a charm string. It’s still got plenty of space for more charms, the four already clipped on glow a disabled sheikah orange. “Robbie made these for my adventure. They’re filled with each worlds notes and pictures. He called them Sheikah Download Cards. SD cards for short.”

Unclipping one from the string, you hand it over to Wild who seems to immediately realize where it goes. Although the Purah Pad has a simplistic design, the controllers have a sleeve that can be unlatched with a hook towards the top of the device. The left controller has a small storage space while the right has a card reader. Wild takes out the correct card, handing it over to you gently before inserting the one you gave him. The card lights up blue, and your Purah pad chimes before revealing all of your notes from the Hyrule you last went through.

“A map?! Teleportation spots?! Where did you get these??” Wild practically screeches, and you snatch the Purah Pad before he can start waving it around.

“Teleportation spots?” Warriors questions at the same time Legend gasps out “A map?!”

Suddenly the two heroes are walking in step with you, one with a questioning look on his face, the other lit up like you’d told him the Harvest Festival was coming early.

“Uhm.” You glance away nervously, turning your attention back towards Wild. “You remember the Skyview Towers Purah and I have been working on? Their beta design was meant to be small and portable, easily set up. Purah didn’t like how small they were turning out to be and scrapped them. Since they were being stored at my house, I took the time to upgrade their functionality.” You drawl, opening an app on your Purah Pad and reaching inside the blue screen.

Out pops a cylindrical device with a drill-like design at the bottom. There’s a few confused hums, but Wild seems to recognize the device.

“Sheikah Scanner. It works now?” He asks, taking your Purah Pad when you hold it out for him. Rather than answer, you place the device on the ground, drill side down. It immediately digs in, and although unseen, you know the drill part splits open like a flower and a system of cables act like roots, digging even deeper, connecting to the very earth itself.

“Would anyone like to do the honors?” You offer jokingly, nodding your head at the Purah Pad in Wild’s hands. There’s a few beats of hesitation from the group at large before Legend steps forward. You suppose his curiosity over a potential map outweighs his caution of the unfamiliar technology.

For a few seconds, it’s obvious Legend doesn’t know what to do. He flips the Purah Pad over in his hands, looking for a way to slot it into the Sheikah Scanner. Eventually he notices an oval shaped protrusion on the top of the scanner, and an inverted plug in the Purah Pad. Shrugging, he plugs it in, and quickly releases the device like it burned him when the scanner lights up blue, the pulsing lights trickling up and into your Purah Pad. A whole new map pops up, a misshapen circle filled mostly with black dots indicative of trees, but with a yellow line cutting through- a main road. There’s also a cluster of red dots surrounding the scanner, blinking in and out in pulses.

“What are those red dots?” Legend asks, frowning as a few come closer to the scanner in time with Time and wind stepping closer to check it out.

“They’re us. Ten dots, then party members. The Sheikah Scanner takes readings from vibrations in the earth, relaying them back to the Purah Pad when relevant. I can up the sensitivity and it’ll even tell us where animals are. For now though, it only tracks larger vibrations, anything around the weight of a bokoblin or heavier will show up on the scanner.” You hum, fiddling with the device and re-inserting this world's SD card. A larger map immediately uploads, showing off the expanse of this world's Central Hyrule. More red dots pop up, some staying stagnant, some taking up a marching order, some ambling about in an aimless pattern.

The larger map also comes with a few more markings, places whose names you’ve learned in your travels. Everyone's eyes settle on a nearby village, and the Inn marked in the middle of it.

“We were traveling for a few days before coming across that last gate…” Sky tilts his head towards Time, looking for his approval. The older hero sighs, but nods.

“Okay. We could use some rest in an actual bed. Does everyone agree?” There’s some affirmative mumbles, and soon you’re all on the road to the village.

There’s perks to traveling alone that you don’t notice until you’re in a party. Before, you could stop dead in your tracks to pick at plants on the side of the road or try to catch a bug sunbathing on a rock. This Hyrule is so different from yours, and each new plant and animal catches your fancy. The foxes here are calmer than the ones you’re familiar with, and their coats are speckled shades of brown. Mushrooms that look similar to your Hylian Shrooms carry traces of poison not suited for ingestion, but could be used medicinally if you could combine it with some medicinal herbs in the area.

Those sorts of observations are easy to make when traveling solo, but these heroes walk with a purpose, slow yet methodical. Silent and controlled. You feel clumsy in comparison. A baby deer trying to get its legs under it.

It’s better with Wild in the group. His gait is familiar. Just as easily distractible as you are, but his focus will flit from one thing to another while yours tunnels to one specific curiosity.

You do try to restrain yourself, placating your curiosities with thoughts that you’ll be able to check stuff out on your own.

Just as the thought appears, though, you vanquish it from your mind. You’re part of a party now. When the group rests, you rest. When the group moves, you move.

As much as it pains you, stopping to study the wildlife isn’t an option anymore.

~~

The village comes into view a couple hours before sundown. The group picks up their pace, excited to rest and soon gather their bearings. You’re towards the back of the group, Hyrule and Four on either side of you.

“How are lodgings usually split up?” You ask, tracing the designs on your Purah Pad.

“Usually, two or three in a room, depending on the space. Did you see how big the Inn was?” Four answers, then returns the question.

“Decently big. It’s a trading town, with a bunch of stalls all around. We should stock up, rest for the night, then head out.” You hum, and there are a few hums of agreement that fall into awkward silence. Not knowing what else to do, you start looking for a way out of the conversation.

Wild is chatting amiably with Twilight, and you speed up, catching Wild’s hand and his attention. He glances at you, eyes flicking over your body before smiling gently. His fingers intertwine in yours, and the two of you walk side by side the rest of the way into town.

~~

Lodgings are easy enough to procure. You’re set up with Wild, Twilight and Wind. Hyrule, Legend and Sky get the second room while Four, Time and Warriors get the last lodging.

The next conflict arises when trying to decide who gets the beds.

“Two beds, four of us. I personally think our new companion should take the cot.” Twilight drawls, but you shake your head.

“I was in this village only yesterday while the rest of you have been on your feet for days. The beds should go to you guys.”

“Researcher, you haven’t traveled in almost two years, an easier rest will ease your body.” Wild argues, and you roll your eyes.

“Could say the same to you, appointed knight.” Wild sighs, but can’t refute.

“Why don’t we just share? Me n’ Twi, the newbie and Wild.” Wind pipes up, and, feeling chided for childish behavior, everyone mumbles their agreements.

There’s a knock on the door, and Wild opens it to reveal Warriors. The knightly hero explains that he, Legend, Sky and Four are heading to the trade depot to pick up supplies, and asks if anyone else wants to join. Wind agrees, and you follow after.

[ava-of-shenanigans]

Full English Translation of the Kahun Papyrus's "Tale of Horus and Set" (the Horus/Set gay sex papyrus)

The "Tale of Horus and Set" is two surviving "pages" of a Middle kingdom papyrus that was found at the site of Kahun/El Lahun with the rest of the "Kahun Papyrus"/"Kahun Papyri" collection. It's pretty small, and one page is almost completely destroyed, but what can still be read of it is a version of the Horus vs. Set lettuce myth. There is some debate about whether it is a piece of a magic spell or of a longer narrative. If was part of a spell than the story was probably not very long, but if it was a narrative text then this would be the only surviving part of a a much larger story (perhaps similar to the Contendings of Horus and Set).

This translation was done by me. I speak Middle Egyptian, although I am not an Egyptologist. As far as I'm aware there is no publicly available full English translation of this story (there was the original Latin one in 1898 and then some partial English ones you can find in various papers), so I've created this for anyone who's curious. While doing this, I tried to find as many other translations as possible to compare notes, and have left notes to explain where other translations disagree with me.

Most of the first page is so destroyed that what’s left is basically just gibberish. The gibberish looks something like this:

(1) … him (2) …he/his [something] (3) …that, with regard to it, is made(?) (4) …this [some type of person?]. I, moreover, will give (5) …to you against the stomach. Look, you (6) …[something] which has been repeated, without that, when I give (7) …stomach. You are upon the water, giving…

Sadly Egyptian is a language where meaning depends heavily on context, so brief snatches of only a couple words like this could have many, many different meanings depending on what the other words around them were.

The fragment proper begins on the last line of the first page.

(8) Then the Majesty of Set said (1) to the Majesty of Horus, “How beautiful your two buttocks are! Make wide (the space between) your two feet!…” (2) Then the Majesty of Horus said: “Wait, so that I may tell this [to my mother.” And he returned] (3) to their house. Then the Majesty of Horus said to his mother, Isis: “[What should I do?] (4) Set [has come], so that he may ‘become acquainted’ with me.” Then she said to him: “Be careful! Don’t approach him about that. [But], after he tells you that (5) again, you must say to him: ‘That would be utterly too difficult for me, because you are too heavy. (6) My strength will not bear your strength,’ you will say to him. "Then, after he has given you strength, (7) you must shove your fingers between your buttocks. Indeed [it] will cause… it to him like… (8) ...Indeed, it will be highly sweet upon his heart… (9) this semen which comes forth from his phallus, without letting Ra see." (10) [Then the Majesty of Set said:] “Come, do not [be afraid] of me (11) … I [will stop] that which I produce."

The papyrus becomes more damaged and disconnected as it goes on. It seems like Isis is advising Horus to "catch" Set's sperm in his hands, so it can't get inside of him, similar to what he did in The Contendings of Horus and Set, but since the end is so disconnected it's hard to tell if there are any significant differences in how that plays out here from Contendings.

The word the story uses for "strength" is pHty, a word that specifically means male sexual strength or strength with a sexual connotation. Ancient texts frequently describe Set as having a lot of pHty (he is often called aA pHty, "great of strength"). pHty sounds similar to pHwy, the word for "buttocks," so “My strength will not bear your strength” is wordplay, it sounds a lot like "my ass will not bear your strength." That line could also be read as "my strength will not be equal to your strength" since rmni can mean both "to support" or "to equal."

In “Homosexual Desire and Middle Kingdom Literature” by RB Parkinson, which has a section about this story, Parkinson believes "strength" in the line "after he has given you strength," may be referring specifically to Set's semen or phallus, (so “giving strength” means Set penetrating Horus.)

At the very end of the fragment it seems like Set shows back up again (there's a divine name determinative there but the divine name itself is missing). What he says is very unclear, but for the sake of completeness I have tried to make an attempt at filling it in. In the original 1898 Latin translation (from "Hieratic Papyri from Kahun and Gurob"), Petrie guessed that the first thing Set says might’ve been “don’t be afraid of me,” which fits the context, although I’m not sure what word would be used for "afraid" there. Given that there’s a force/activity determinative visible in the second thing he says, although the rest of the word is missing, I have made an extremely tentative guess that he’s promising to pull out.

The two big places where my translation deviates from other translations are right at the beginning:

After complimenting his ass, the second thing Set says to Horus appears to be wsx rdwy.ky, and what that is supposed to mean in this context is very hard to decipher. Parkinson translated it as “broad are your thighs,” but I don't think it makes sense to use rdwy to refer to thighs, it seems to always be used to mean feet and feet related things, not other parts of the leg. So I think it is more likely that this referring to stance, and what he's saying means something like "widen your stance" or "spread 'em."

In response to what Set has just said, Horus tells him to "sAi" (𓊃𓅭𓄿𓀸𓂻), which my dictionaries tell me means "wait." The 1898 translation has something like “Away with you!, I will tell that to my mother!” here, which is iconic, but that’s because Petrie didn’t recognize this word and had to guess what it meant; because sAi looks like sAw (𓊃𓅭𓄿𓀸𓀜) a word that means “beware!,” but with a 𓂻 legs determinative, he guessed it to mean "go away." (He explained his reasoning in his translation notes, it's pretty cool to read). Parkinson translates it as though the word just was sAw; he has Horus say “watch out, I shall tell this”, so I think he assumed the legs were a mistake. But "wait" also works in this context so I don't see any reason to assume it wasn't intended.

I was able to read this papyrus using Petrie's scans and hieroglyphic transcriptions from the plates volume of Hieratic Papyri from Kahun and Gurob, linked here. The plate for this papyrus is on page 24. (You may notice that the hieratic scans have different line numbers than the transcriptions; I've used the numbers on the scans.)

To make it easier for people to check my work if they want to, I've also made this alternatively formatted version, showing the translation line by line beside the hieroglyphs. The glyphs have been reformatted slightly to be all horizontal and left to right. I've marked the parts where my transcription differs from Petrie's in red:

[taevbears]

Acorns & Thimbles - 01

I met the devil by the window, traded my life Temptation touched my tongue, spread the wings of desire

⤑ pairing: hoseok x reader ⤑ genre: faerie au, yandere, dark fantasy ⤑ rating: 18+ ⤑ word count: 5.7k ⤑ warnings: YANDERE/DARK ROMANCE, manipulation, blackmail, mc is often called "darling", faeries are evil creatures in this world lol. nothing too crazy in this chapter but, uh... it does get pretty crazy lmao. ⤑ note: happy birthday, hobi ♡ if i were to have a coin for every time i'd post a mini-series on a member's bday, i'd have 2 coins. which isn't a lot, but it's still funny that it happened twice💀. anyway, i've been working on this story for literally over a year, and i've finally had the drive to complete it! i'm so glad to share this story with you, and i hope you all enjoy!

Chapters 01 | 02 | 03| 04 | 05 (End)

Your grandmother is an odd, old woman, closed off from the rest of her small, quaint town with her little cottage on a hill.

She’s become skittish and grouchy, raising her gravelly voice and cursing animosities in the air. Weary neighbors whisper their growing concerns, bearing witness to her arguments against invisible foes.

More than once, someone had found her in front of her yard, squinting at the ground beneath her frail hands and feet. Alarmed, they’d cross the iron gate to help her up, only to realize she’s there with purpose. Meticulously, she’d count the number of leaves on clovers out loud, grumbling under her breath as she desperately tries to find one with four.

It seems that with her age, her mind is starting to deteriorate. She’d walk around town with her clothes inside-out, leave fresh milk, butter, or cream out by her front door to rot instead of putting them away, and pocket random things like iron nails, red jaspers, packets of salt, and small bells and chimes.

“It’s a shame to see her like this,” one of your younger brothers confides. It’s been decided that your poor grandmother can't live on her own anymore. That she needs someone to take care of her.

“Yeah,” your other brother agrees with a long sigh. “Nana wasn’t always like that.”

In fact, your grandmother had always been so full of life and joy. Despite her wrinkles and graying hair, she was a child at heart, witty with a silver tongue, and made the long stays at her home fun when you were all children. The nursery, where the three of you slept, had a toy box with wooden swords and costumes, a collection of fairy tales she'd read to you all before bed, and a large window with a thin curtain that was always open.

Growing up, your parents had to work a lot and often left you and your brothers under her care. Your childhood is full of fond memories of make-believe adventures for hidden treasures, running barefoot across her lush garden and pretending to fly, and listening to her wonderful stories about mermaids, pirates, dwarves, elves, and faeries.

Your imagination was so vivid as a child, surely influenced by your grandmother and her long tales. Sometimes, you still see pieces of your time at her cottage and your thrilling expeditions of pretend. Fragments of following the leader through the thickets and foliage of a beast-filled jungle, of playing house in an underground bunker and punishing your unruly sons with vile, sticky-sweet medicine, and meeting the very creatures who inhabit the dream-like island located second to the right of the north star.

One of those inhabitants, if you could recall correctly, was a boy.

A faerie, to be more precise.

His skin was golden like the warm rays of a summer sun. Pointed ears folded over a hat you sewed for him one day, and he refused to take it off since. He always had a bright smile on his heart-shaped lips, and had a contagious laughter that could make flowers bloom.

He was a friend to you. Maybe something more.

He'd tuck wildflowers in your tangled hair when you slept on his lap, teach you how to fly and fight so you’d triumph over your enemies together, and come by the nursery window each night so he could sneak you out and take you on another adventure.

Then, one day, the window to the nursery was closed shut. The curtains were drawn together, and you were no longer waiting for him to take you away somewhere.

Because like all children, eventually, you and your brothers started to grow up.

The visits to your grandmother’s cottage became less and less frequent. The memories of that place and that boy long-forgotten like a distant dream.

School kept you occupied through your youth. Then, you attended college and studied hard to earn your degrees. Then, you applied for jobs and worked through shifts. You made friends over the years – ones who aren’t lost boys or creatures from fairy tales – and spend a lot of your time with them. You’ve even met a couple boys that taught you love when you got together, and taught you heartbreak when it didn’t work out. You became independent of your parents and made a home for yourself, and before you knew it, you realized that you had grown up as well.

Both of your younger brothers are well accomplished with their lives. One is married with their first child on the way. The other is studying abroad in a foreign country. Neither of them, however, would be able to take care of your poor grandmother full-time.

So, rather easily, it was decided that you’d be the one to move in and look after her.

It felt like a blessing in disguise.

You’ve become a writer with the intention of creating novels of fantasy and adventure. Instead, you work in a soul-sucking office job, where the company berates young women like yourself and it feels very much like a boys club among the staff. The friends you made, you hardly keep in touch with now, as all of you have become too busy to meet up with each other more than a few times a year. And after a recent messy breakup, the place you shared with your ex is no longer your home, and you can’t afford to live on your own with your current measly paycheck.

A fresh start at a place that you once grew up in feels like a miracle.

You could start all over. Never having to look back at the burdens and troubles that have been weighing you down and keeping you from flying.

After talking to your family about it, and eagerly insisting that you’d be more than happy to take care of your grandmother, you packed your bags, quit your job at the office, and quietly moved away. Gone with the wind as your next adventure unfolds.

“Good luck, sis. Let us know if you need anything.”

Your brother gives you a hug when he drops you off at your grandmother’s cottage. It’s a big change, and it’s been years since you’ve last been here. But as you grab your bags and turn to face the old cottage, perched up on the hill, with an iron gate around the flourishing garden of vividly-bright flowers and lush greenery, the nostalgia hits you like a wave.

Memories of your childhood, your play-pretend adventures with your brothers, and the wonderful stories your grandmother would tell all flood back to you like arms of an old friend welcoming you home after a long time apart.

Your grandmother greets you and your brother with tight hugs and remarks of how you’ve both grown up. It almost seems like she’s her old self again, quipping at your brother and asking how his wife is doing. You let them catch up and take the opportunity to settle in.

Not much has changed from what you remember. The aromatic notes of herbs and teas your grandmother likes to brew still linger in the house. The antiques she’d collect are still on display, and the furniture she has are a bit worn and outdated. Even the nursery that you stayed in as a child hasn’t changed much: the toy box is still there, your brother’s teddy bear is on the bed he used to sleep in, and the window with the thin curtain is still shut.

The floor creaks as you slowly walk around the nursery, reminiscing on the old furniture and dusty toys. Yet, your gaze keeps drifting toward the window and the little latch that keeps it shut.

How many times have you sat by it and daydreamed about that world of make-believe? How lonely had you been to longingly gaze out of it and wish to meet an imaginary friend that’d keep you company? How often have you used it to look at the stars and wish – and hope – to be taken away and leave all your childish worries behind?

Before you know it, you’re standing right in front of it.

You draw back the dusty curtains and let light flood in.

“Don’t open that window, dear.”

You nearly jump in surprise, quickly turning to see your grandmother had come to the door. “Hi Nana. Why not?”

She doesn’t answer. Rather, she simply stares at you for a long moment, almost as if she’s lost in her own thoughts. But her eyes shift. You realize it wasn’t you that she was staring at, but the window. When you turn to face it, you see nothing there.

“Don’t open the window,” she repeats firmly. “He’s been waiting for you to open it again.”

“Who is?” you ask, thoroughly confused.

You don’t know who she’s talking about, or why it would matter when the window is on the second floor. But when you turn to face your grandmother again, she’s gone. 

Your brother left hours ago, and you’ve finally unpacked the last of your belongings after an exhausting afternoon of cleaning, laundry, rearranging some furniture in the nursery, and cooking dinner for you and your grandmother.

She follows you around all day as you catch her up on how you’ve been doing. It feels nice to connect with her again. She’s still a great storyteller and seems happy to be in your company. But there’s a worried look on her face when she thinks you’re not looking as her eyes drift to something unseeable over your shoulder.

“Are you sure you want to stay there?” she asks as you help her settle in bed. She suddenly looks uncomfortable with the idea of you being in the nursery.

“I’ll be fine, Nana. Don’t worry.”

“Don’t open the window,” she reminds you before you wish her goodnight.

Luckily, you can still fit in your old bed, although it is clearly designed for a child. You grimace a bit at the heart-shaped frame and the faded green paint, and make a note to yourself to start looking for new furniture soon. You send your other brother a picture of his old teddy bear, and he exclaims how he remembers it once he had a chance to see your message. Soon, that led you to face-timing both of your brothers and showing them all the old toys and costumes that are all still in the room.

“I should’ve stayed and helped move some of them to the attic,” your brother remarks with a slight shake of his head. “Maybe I’ll stop by this weekend and do that.”

“I don’t know. I kind of like seeing them here,” you admit with a fond smile, opening a tiny drawer. Inside are stools of thread, loose buttons, pins in cushions, and other sewing tools. You rummage through the drawer and realize you’re missing a silver thimble.

However, in its place, you find something else.

“What’s that?” your brother asks when you pull out what looks like an old necklace. Hanging on the black, leather thread is an acorn with a hole in the middle.

“I don’t know,” you reply, holding it up by the thread. Your pulse quickens, your heart remembering something that you can’t place the memory of. Yet, somehow, you know that it’s yours. “Did either of you give this to me?”

Both of them shake their heads and shrug. If neither of them gifted it to you, then who…?

Outside, you hear a strange sound. Like the whistle of a flute. It sounds close, yet far away at the same time.

“What’s wrong, sis?” your brother asks, seeing your perplexed expression from his phone screen.

“I thought I heard something,” you tell them, standing by the window now. Through the glass pane, you can’t see anything, and your free hand touches the iron lock that keeps it closed. Was it a bird? What was it doing, crowing at this hour of night?

“What did you hear?”

“I thought… I heard…” you slowly answer, pulling on the latch and the lock clicks open. You slide it up, and the wind gathers, seeming to assist you at that moment, letting the window fly open. A chill runs up your spine as a cold breeze pass, but all you hear now is the rustle of leaves and the distant sound of a dog barking. “It’s probably nothing.”

The wind dies down, but you still shiver. Suddenly, you remember your grandmother wanted you to keep it closed. You stand on your toes and pull the window back down, unaware of how the shadows seem to shift around the nursery as it shuts with a soft thud.

“Sis?” your brother calls out to you, and you’ve almost forgotten you were still on the phone with them.

“It’s nothing,” you repeat, more to yourself than to them. Perhaps it’s the paranoia of disobeying your grandmother’s request, but it suddenly feels like someone is watching you. 

When you sleep that night, your dream is vivid. More than it’s ever been in a long time.

You dream of swords clashing and cannons firing amidst a grand battle against a ship of pirates for their buried treasure. You dream of a mermaid’s lullaby in a moonlit lagoon, and how she knows all the secrets of the dark waters. You dream of elven wanderers and their ancient traditions, bearded dwarves and their brave expedition into a skull-shaped cave, and a group of handsome men cloaked in animal skins as they enjoy their meal in a woodsy hideout. You dream of faeries glowing like fireflies as they dance together with the moon and stars above them.

“I missed you.”

The voice that whispers is familiar, but belongs to someone you can’t quite put a face to.

“What is this place?” you find yourself asking, sitting on a pink cloud and looking at the island below. A little world that you strangely feel attached to. It feels nostalgic. It feels like home.

And it feels like it’s beckoning to you. Compelling you to warm its cold, icy seas after so many winters without you. To bring light into the world where it’s been so dark without your presence. To stay forever, and never leave this world again.

Someone is with you. A friend, you think. The person the voice belongs to. The one who rules over this world you dream about.

His skin is golden like the summer sun, body lean and strong as he wears clothing made of leaves and vines. A coy smile curves on his familiar heart-shaped lips.

“You don’t remember, darling? This place is ours.”

You wake before you figure out who it is. Or what he meant.

Sunlight shines through the nursery window, and a breeze gently blows in.

You frown as you stare at it.

You’re certain you had closed it before you went to bed. 

For the first time in a while, you open your laptop, pull up a blank document, and write.

You write about the dream you had: the peculiar island and the strange creatures that inhabit it. You write about their adventures, and the magic that faith, trust, and pixie dust can bring. You write about the feeling of floating and how thinking happy thoughts can lift you in the air.

You write about the boy you saw and what you can remember of him.

Then, you stop. The room is silent without the tapping of your keyboard. For a moment, you stare at what you wrote and frown.

Somehow, trying to remember the boy in your dreams feels strange. You can recall the clothes he wears, the way being around him feels like basking in the sunlight, and the small dimples on his cheeks that look like tiny hidden kisses that reveal themselves when he smiles. But you can’t remember his face. You can’t remember his eyes.

It feels like you’re searching for a memory. Even if you’re certain you just made him up.

Was he based on someone you knew as a child? An old classmate? Someone you wanted to be friends with?

It doesn’t seem like it. Yet, whoever that person is in your dream, he must have been important to you.

“This place is ours.”

You save the draft and close the laptop with a sigh. What did he mean by that? And why did it feel like he was actually in your head?

For the next few nights, you have the same recurring dream. You see glimpses of that island: the mermaid lagoon with crystal clear waters, the dark and damp caverns of the skull-rock cave, the giant trees with deep roots that hide hidden houses for faeries and the lost boys, and the grand ship the pirates use to hunt for treasures. You hear the sound of twinkling bells from the tiny faeries, the sound of laughter in the woods, the song of pirates as they sail the sea. You smell the firewood of a large bonfire the elves made, the strong stench of alcohol the dwarves share with each other, the salty air of the island where water meets shore. Your dreams become so vivid, you could almost swear you’re there.

“This can all be yours if you wish it.”

The next time you see him in your dreams, you’re no longer floating on a pink cloud above the island. You’re on the island now. Your bare feet touch the green grass and dirt. You feel the cool, sea breeze against your hair and skin. You see flowers bloom prettily, drawn to the warmth of the person behind you.

His arms wrap around you, pulling your back to his chest. Being in his embrace doesn’t alarm you. Rather, it feels familiar, like he’s held you like this before. You find yourself melting into his touch.

When he kisses your cheek, warmth lingers on your face. Somehow, that feels familiar too.

“Who are you?” you ask him this time.

His kisses trail down to your neck now. His lips on your neck are something different, but not unwelcome. A soft sigh falls from your own lips and you feel his smirk against your skin.

“A friend,” he tells you. He places a kiss on your shoulder now.

“I meant your name.” 

He laughs. And something stirs inside your heart, like a magic spell has been cast from the sound. “That, you’ll have to work a little harder for, darling.”

And before you could turn and look at his face, you wake up.

When you dream of him, he’s always just out of view. Yet, always with you wherever you go. Like a shadow.

As soon as you open your eyes, you grab your laptop and flip it open. The document is already on the screen as soon as you log in, and while the dream is still fresh in your mind, you write everything you remember: the adventure you went on this time, the part of the island that he showed you, what you guys did there, what was said.

What his name is…

Your fingers type it out. Without thinking about it, without even realizing what you’ve done. And suddenly, the answer is there before you.

Four letters that form one name.

Hope 

“My darling,” your grandmother begins, sitting on her rocking chair by a warm fire. “Do you remember the rules I taught you?”

You pause what you’re doing. The water in a large pot continues to roll into a boil as the red sauce you’re making heats the fresh tomatoes, meatballs, and herbs.

At first, you think it’s about the window at the nursery. The night you arrived here, you only opened it for a minute before you quickly closed it again. Surely, your grandmother was sound asleep then. She couldn’t have known that you opened the window, right?

“What rules, Nana?” you ask her, adding the pasta noodles into the boiling water.

“The rules about the Fae.”

You stop again. “The Fae?”

“The first rule,” she begins as she continues to rock on her chair. “Do not draw the attention of mischievous faeries.”

“But—” You part your lips, almost pointing out to her that faeries aren’t real. But something stops you. Somehow, telling her that feels like a lie.

“The second rule,” she continues. “Do not tell them your name.”

Names hold power to the Fae. You remember that much from your grandmother’s stories.

“Like Rumpelstiltskin,” you mention, recalling the tale of a naïve girl who gets out of a bad contract she later regrets by learning the little spinster’s true name.

She nods her head. “The third rule. Do not lie to them.”

Guilt starts to creep up on you for opening the window at the nursery. Although she hasn’t mentioned it again, a part of you is paranoid that she somehow found out about it anyway.

“Sounds like the moral of a children’s story,” you comment, half-joking as you finish up making the pasta. It’s nearly finished.

“The fourth rule,” she goes on more sternly, a small frown on her thin lips. “Do not accept gifts, food, or favors from the Fae.”

“Right,” you mutter, turning off the heat of the stove and serving the meal.

This rule, you know as well.

Your grandmother has told you stories of how faeries lure lost souls into the woods, trapping them into their world. Of bargains that don’t go as planned, leading to a price to pay with one’s servitude and torture to the tricksters. You’ve seen strange reports of mysterious disappearances and rings of mushrooms and pebbles left behind, of people entranced in a waltz-like dance as they edge toward the end of a cliff and slip to their deaths, and of people who’ve tasted the food and drinks of the Fae and later find themselves poisoned from the sticky, sweet indulgence.

“And the fifth, but most important rule of all,” she finishes, turning to look you in the eye. “Should you find yourself in their debt, you must give something of equal value in return. Only then will your debt be repaid.”

You sense the worry in her voice, and it occurs to you then that she knows. You had opened the window, let something in that you shouldn’t have, and whatever it is now targets you. The dreams, and now the rules about the Fae.

“Nana, why are you telling me this?” you ask her, helping her to her seat on the table.

“So you could learn from my mistakes.” She is quiet for a long moment as you serve her plate. She doesn’t seem to want to eat as she looks at you with guilt in her eyes. “I have a confession, my dear.”

“What is it?” you ask, settling down on your own spot on the table.

“When I was young, there was a place that I went to. A wonderful world full of adventure. I didn’t want to grow up. I still wanted to play and have fun, and not think about grown-up things like work, bills, and raising a family.” She grimaces as she thinks about how foolish she was then. How she loves her children and her grandchildren more than anything now. “I made a deal with the faeries then. I didn’t want things to change. I wanted to stay the same, but once I started to grow up, I realized that this wasn’t what I wanted anymore. So I made a new deal with them.”

Neither of you have touched your plates. You look at your grandmother with a small frown. “What was the deal?”

“I would take back my contract, grow old and allow time to resume normally again, if they leave my children alone,” she admits with a frown. “I fell in love with your grandfather. I knew we’d be married and have a family together, but that wasn’t good enough. A change of contract means nothing to them when the family I was going to have meant everything.”

You feel your chest tighten. “So, what did they want?”

“They wanted you,” she tells you sullenly. “The first-born of my kin from the child they couldn’t have.”

“That’s… quite a story, Nana.” You’re not sure what to say, or how much of it is true. Things like dealings with faeries, contracts, and such are all make-believe. Isn’t it?

“I just want to remind you of those rules, my dear,” she replies with a sad smile. “Before he tries to take you from me again.”

You don’t believe in faeries.

But your grandmother does.

Perhaps, as a child, you once did too. Mischievous by nature, you’d once claim that they’re the reason your hair gets tangled in the morning when you wake up, or why you seem to keep misplacing your things. Your brothers would call you silly and forgetful, but your grandmother, upon when you had first told her about these minor inconveniences, suddenly looked at you with worry.

That day, when you were still a child, she had tightly held your hand and told you the five rules. The five things to always remember when dealing with them.

However, you were just a child. Following rules seemed boring to you when the temptation of adventure came to your window every night.

In the shadows, the one called Hope would silently watch you as you played with your brothers, jumping on the bed and swinging around a wooden sword as you’d re-tell your version of fairy tales – ones that often involved defeating treacherous foes and overcoming difficult obstacles, but always ended with a true love’s kiss.

Embodied as a boy around your age, he slipped through the open window and personally invited you to his world of adventure. He liked your stories, he liked that you could prove you’re just as tough as your brothers and could fit right in with his group of friends, and he liked how you had a sweeter, softer, motherly side of you as well.

Every time he took you to that place, he didn’t want you to leave. Yet, you always had to.

You’d worry about your brothers when they weren’t with you, or you’d be afraid your grandmother would forget about you and shut the window before you could make it back home. You had school, a family, and a home here – you couldn’t stay with him all the time like he wanted you to.

So, Hope brought between worlds with the condition that you’d come back.

And for a while, you kept your word, meeting him again by the window the very next night.

Until one day, you didn’t.

The nursery window had been shut and locked, and you and your brothers had returned to your parents to grow up and forget. Your promise with the faerie had been broken.

You find yourself with your laptop open again, reading through the notes you’ve jotted down every morning after you’d wake up. Tabs are open on your browser on websites about the Fae, and your grandmother’s illness is starting to make sense to you.

It’s not the air she’s scolding and warning to get away from her. There are reasons she’s seeking protection in forms of four-leaf clovers, inverted clothes, and carrying objects of iron with her at all times. That the dairy and sweets she leaves by her door are an offering to appease them so they won’t cause her and her family harm.

Because she can see them.

Wisps of light that float out in her garden at night, lingering hauntingly until the dawn breaks. Forms of small animals like squirrels, mice, and birds that come to her door for old buttons, pretty stones, and shiny objects. Tiny, mischievous winged humans that can spoil food before their expiration or hide keys and coins when no one is looking.

Faeries.

For some reason, they’ve been harassing your grandmother lately. Perhaps, they’ve been bothering her longer than you thought, angry that she had taken you away from them and that world they wanted to keep you in.

And now that you’re here…

“So, you figured it out?”

You gasped, turning to the source. By the open window, as the ends of the curtains float with the wind, the one called Hope stands before you. Only, he isn’t a boy anymore.

Rule #1: Do not draw the attention of mischievous faeries.

The man before you is tall and thin, with a sharp jaw and a perfect nose. The apples of his cheeks rise with his heart-shaped smile. His skin is golden, glowing warmly like rays of the sun. The tips of his ears are a little pointier, and sunlight seems to naturally highlight his hair and brown eyes.

Faeries, as you’ve researched, come in different forms. Sometimes as small animals. Sometimes as nymphs, sprites, wisps, and pixies. Sometimes, however, they appear to you in a strange form. Human. Visible.

Only strong faeries can do that. Like kings and queens of the Fae.

He looks at you curiously, and although it should alarm you that he suddenly appeared in your room, it doesn’t.

You know him. You’ve seen him in your dreams.

Rule #2: Do not tell them your name.

“Hope?”

His smile widens, almost devilish. “Hope? What happened to Hobi?”

“Hobi,” you repeat, and somehow, that name sounds familiar on your tongue as well. “Is that what I called you?”

“You don’t remember?” He feigns hurt, placing his hands on his hips and shaking his head a little. “You sure changed a lot since the last time I saw you, darling.”

“Darling,” you echo, feeling your heart stir at the pet name. You remember him calling you that in your dreams as well. Is that what he always called you?

Rule #3: Do not lie to them.

The faerie moves closer to you, frowning as he looks you in the eye. Your heart pounds nervously as you hold his piercing gaze. “You’ve forgotten all about me, haven’t you?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. We’ve never—“ you start, but you catch yourself. You have met him. Considered him a friend, even. The dreams, the memories of your childhood. How much of it was real, and how much of it was make-believe?

Rule #4: Do not accept gifts, food, or favors from the Fae.

“Well, it doesn't matter,” he states, finally backing off. “You’re here now. I can show you all the things you’ve forgotten again.”

That paradise island. The one that you’ve been dreaming so often about. A small part of you can’t believe it’s real and not just some figment of your imagination. That this faerie could actually take you there.

“At what cost?” you find yourself asking.

The faerie smirks. “Clever.”

A commotion comes from downstairs. You hear the distinct sound of twinkling, like the chimes of a small bell. Following that, your grandmother’s voice.

“I told you to stay away from me!” she snaps from downstairs. A crash of a shattering plate, flung to a wall. Thuds of other things being knocked over as your grandmother continues to yell at the faeries to leave her alone. Alarmed, you jump to your feet, ready to rush down to help her. But the presence of the faerie intruder makes you stop in the middle of the room.

How long has she been enduring them on her own until they drove her mad? How far will they try to break her until they get what they want? How much longer can she still protect you from them?

Rule #5: Should you find yourself in their debt, you must give something of equal value in return. Only then will your debt be repaid.

You turn to the faerie. “If I go with you, will you leave my family alone?”

“If you wish it,” he simply replies, but his mouth twitches in a small smile. You feel like you’re falling right into his trap.

The commotion downstairs gets louder. Your grandmother is shrieking as she tries to chase the faeries out, her voice desperate and exhausted from their illusions and magic. You want to stop it for her sake.

“If I go with you, will I see my family again?” you ask, thinking about your brothers, your parents, and your grandmother. A sudden wave of déjà vu hits you, as if you’ve asked him this before. You fumble awkwardly with the memory, trying to grasp it.

“What about my brothers?” you ask the boy by your window, looking at their sleeping forms. He doesn’t seem enthusiastic with the idea of bringing them with you. “And Mother, and Father? Nana will surely find out too.”

“There’ll be mermaids,” he tells you, smiling as your eyes light up.

“Mermaids?” you echo, thinking of how amazing it’d be to meet one.

“Pirates.”

“Pirates!” you exclaim, then quickly cover your mouth, nearly rousing your brothers from their sleep. He wants you to tell the ending of your Cinderella story yourself to his friends, and in exchange, he’ll take you to a magical place.

How easy it was for him then, when you didn’t know any better. And how terribly naïve you were, making deals with the devil by your window.

You hear your grandmother shouting your name now, trying to make her way upstairs. The faeries, it seems, have suddenly stopped bothering her. They’ve quieted down, but she knows that something is wrong.

“Forget them, darling. Forget them all,” he whispers, coming up behind you. His lips brushes against your ear as your pulse races, kissing you as lightly as the wings of a faerie. “Come with me, and you’ll never, never have to worry about a thing again.”

Your grandmother’s shouts are getting closer. You can hear her running up the stairs as fast as her frail legs can take her.

You turn to face the faerie behind you. He stands so close to you, you could kiss him. “Never is an awfully long time.”

Your grandmother is an odd, old woman, and there are five rules that she taught you, in hopes that you’d remember them when facing the Fae. Since you were a child, she’s protected you and your brothers from the devilish creatures she sees, from the one in particular that has staked his claim on you.

It would be nice to say she made it to the nursery on time. That all her charms and rituals of protection are enough to repel him and banish him from her home.

But as she opened the door to the nursery, you were gone. Vanished into thin air, just as she feared.

All that’s left is the gentle breeze that blows the thin curtains from the open window.

Thank you for reading ♡ Comments & reviews are greatly appreciated!

Masterlist | Next

[imagine-notnatural]

This is set to be after the events of this post, sorry about the out of order posting

Anyways! More on Janitor! Readers (mis)adventures!

When you first arrived on base Michael thought he’d be stuck with a stick in the mud. And for sometime he wasn’t wrong. You went out of your way to avoid too many interactions with him and everyone else really, keeping quiet, letting conversations die, purposely avoiding tasks that required working with him, etc. You were coverless book and your title was incredibly boring so he wasn’t even going to try to crack you open. He didn’t even think the two of you would end up getting along.

But all it took was a graveyard shift, some cereal bars,and him telling you the order in which he poured his cereal for you to decide that you’d die on your hill and disagree with him for the two of you to become friends.(Later inseparable)

Back to now.

It wasn’t often a job called for both of you to work together. So when you’d received the call on your radio to meet with Mikey, you knew you’d be waking up the next day completely sore.

You’d been giving a task that would require the both of you. You were asked to clear out one of the buildings before some of the mechanics had to use it the next day. Michael was practically beaming when he entered the break room to find you reading the board for your charge.

“(Name)! You ready for backbreaking labor?!”

“Born ready, Big-Mike. Brought us snacks and everything,” you gesture to the inside of your olive green jumpsuit. Which is filled packets of pretzels, gummies, and protein bars. You held a couple cold drinks in your hand.

“Ugh! Yes! Do you need a house husband? I could be one if you’re going to be ”

“Not my type. I need my men to have more meat on them-“

“Nope- don’t like this- Let’s go!” He quickly stud up to grab a kart and headed towards the door. You chuckled and followed after him

“I noticed you have a couple pins on your bag when you came in today, did you start to collect them?” Michael asked, pushing forward the cart.

“I did actually. I found one on the street the other day, and when I went to go buy groceries from the farmers market today there was someone with a pop-up. I ended up getting a Perry the Platypus and Doctor Doofenshmirtz pin set and a pin that says ‘Ticket to Pound Town’ I'm planning to give as a gag gift-”

"Isn't that beastiality?" Michael asked with a grimace on his face.

"I can't stress this enough, Mikey, it's two separate ones and one is a gift."

“Oh okay...You know, one of my favorite Doofenshmirtz quotes is the one where he goes ‘It all began on the day of my actual birth, both of my parents failed to show up’”

“Mine’s where he goes ‘If I had a nickel every time I was doomed by a puppet, I'd have two nickels. Which isn't a lot. But it's weird that it happened twice, right?”,”

Michael chuckled, “ I like that one too.”

The two of you continue to chatter on as you make your way to building.

You grab your keys as you arrive at the hangar. Once You'd unlocked and opened the door, you proceeded to turn around to help Michael lift the cart over the door's frame and get it inside. Just as you entered the threshold, you couldn't help the shiver the went down your spine.

"What is it?" Michael questioned, seeing as you'd twitched as you enter the building.

"Nothing, I think I'm just cold." You answered, trying to shake off the unease.

"Come on, if you go high and I go low, we'll probably finish faster."

The two of you nodded in agreement and went your separate ways. Michael grabbing a ladder and you clearing out miscellaneous tools and machinery.

"You should set that stuff outside, if you get the main door up a lil' you'll be able to set it out there." Michael called from the latter.

You took a glance at the front where the hangar's main entrance was, that shouldn't be that hard, you thought to yourself. You let Michael know you'd be right back as you walked over to the side of the door with the lock. You moved through the random assortment of boxes and

You stood frozen, staring down at the creature at your feet. Praying to whatever could hear to keep you from this fate. Alas you were left to fend for your own.

“Michael.”

…

“Michael”

Its antenna twitched innocently. Its beady little eyes shimmered under the the light. Its sleek black grey body reflected light as though it’d been polished.

“Michael! Mike- MICHAEL!”

“(Name)?”

. The beam of light from the overhead fixture seemed to follow it like a stage light follows its cast as it began to scurry, it could almost hear the sound of Tchaikovsky’s Swan lake beginning to play in the background-

“MICHAEL GET OVER HERE!” You jumped back, too frightened to turn around and give it your back. Michael rushed to you, his expression panicked then it turned disapproving as he saw what caused this reaction out of you

Feeling the earth beneath it tremble, it took to the skies

“IT’S FLYING MICHAEL- MICHAEL- AHHH! WHY IS IT FLYING?!”

“(Name), stop running! It’s just a-” the tables turned when it changed direction and headed for him,

“ah- AH WHAT THE-?!”

He quickly turned to the defense, swatting the air frantically. Michael’s words soon turned into incoherent screams as he missed the bug horrendously each time. However, he did not miss the fact that you had left him to deal with the roach on his own.

In tempo with the song in its head, it gracefully dodged every swat, not letting the giant deter it. It’s wings whirred in the air. Its trajectory decided.

“(NAME)! (NAME) hELP ME!” Michael screamed as he turned around to run,

“MIKEY RUN- MIKE, OH MY- MICHAEL I CAN’T-,” You were heaving heavily in a well lit area near the doorway.

“COME THIS WAY!” You cried out, rushing to the door and pushing it open,

The screech that left Michaels body was borderline inhuman as he ducked under the flying creature to get to the exit. He could feel the blood pumping into every muscle in his body worked in unison to get him out of there.

It felt like movie scene, Michael sprinting to the door as the flying cockroach speedily flew after him. You watched in terror as it followed after Michael, having whipped around once he’d managed to get past it.

You watched as Michael ran with all his might towards the door. You readied yourself behind the door.

You’d have to close it after him to save the both of you.

Michael dove through the door, yelling as he did“ CLOSEITCLOSEIT-“

“CLOSE IT!!”

You slammed the door shut once he’d passed through. The buzzing noise made by the flapping of its wings dulled by the thick metal door,

You put your back to the door and watched as Michael rolled over and lifted himself on his elbows, his eyes wide as they met with yours

You stared at each other for what felt like hours but in reality was only seconds

He was the first to crack, Michaels fearful expression had morphed into one of disbelief, then he began with his stifled laugh, and you, not able to not react, began to bite back a smile, then your heavy breath started sounding like laughing. You tried avoiding each others gazes but when you inevitably saw each others faces you couldn’t hold it together any longer.

First he began quiet, so did you. Then you couldn’t help yourself as you got louder, you tried covering your mouth but no avail. Seeing how you failed to keep it together, Michael laughed harder, then you did too.

It continued like that until you were both hysterical.

There was a lot of pointing at each other and keeling over while laughing so hard you couldn’t form coherent words.

“Aw fuck, HAH-, dude how are we gonna get shit done?” Michael wheezed out, finally sitting up. He dusted his elbows off and extended a hand.

“I don’t know but I’m not going back in there unless that’s shits gone,” You grabbed it and hauled him up, “I thought being scared of insects was ‘sTuPid’? Looked like you were just as scared as I was- if not more,”

“(Name), mate, it was flying at me,” he quickly defended, “it was coming straight for me! Of course it scared me!”

“Yeah but when I SAID-“

“YEAH YOU KNOW WHAT?! YEAH BECAUSE WHEN YOU SAID-“

As the two of you began your bickering, you both failed to notice the hulking figure that’d been watching the pair of you losing your minds for the last five minutes . Though who can blame you when his moniker is literally Ghost. It’s implied, I fear.

The pair of you were plenty distracted in your arguing. It wasn’t like he purposely had walked out of the building knowing he’d find the janitors seemingly fighting for their lives. it just happened. And now he was going to take note of it, but leave.

It was this motion that finally caught your attentions’. You paused in the middle of your argument with Michael. He quickly noticed and turned around to follow your gaze. When he saw who you saw, he quickly thought of a solution your problem.

You both turned back at each other, as Ghost’s broad back turned to face you and slowly began shrinking into the distance.

“ you know him, go, Ask him-“

“No I don’t?! I’m not asking him shit-“ you quickly denied

Michael grabbed you by the arm and whipped you around to face him, “ Then are you gonna do it?!” He glared,

“FfffAWK NO”

“WELL ME EITHER, so you go ask that big scary man to deal with it, nOW! HURRY! Before he goes!” He forced you in his direction. You stopped and turned around, you both had a silent battle of wills, your faces your weapons.

When Michael saw you weren’t budging, he merely grabbed the door knob and pointed at you then the door.

You wouldn’t, your face said

Oh yes I would, his seemed to reply

You glared at him before you turned around and began to jog to catch up to the lieutenant.

“Lieutenant- Sir! Lieutenant Riley! Wait-“

You had just turned the corner when you nearly bumped into the man.

As always you couldn’t see much of his face, baklava and what not. But you could see his eyes when he turned around and look down at you, he had a quirked eyebrow for a brief moment when he turned around

“What?” As if his figure wasn’t intimidating enough, that deep voice of his and the heaviness of his gaze on you surely were when your nerves were practically fried.

“Hi, Hello, good evening, uh, okay… I’d… if you have the time…there this- and I’ll-“

His eyebrows furrowed and you could explode right then and there

“ Wait okay,” you sighed, your hand squeezing the bridge of your nose, you dragged that same hand down your face before continuing,

“We don’t really know each other, I know this, you know this, but I need a favor-” your hands clapped together nervously, “ I restock y’all’s rec room in two days so whatever you want or need, I can get it for you, and if not that-“

For a moment he stood there just watching you squirm. Watching the way your face changed and how you continued to rattle on. You’re a fidgety speaker when nervous, just as Johnny had said. Your hands moving to accentuate your words or tug at the fabric of your jumpsuit. At this very second, one hand pointed a finger at him

“ and I’d say you at the very least owe me for the two times you scared the absolute shit out if me-“

He hadn’t even realized he’d zoned out starting at you until your hands handed on either side of your hips

“So you in or out?”

You started at each other for a few seconds before Simon nodded,

You mentally dropped to your knees in gratitude before thanking him quickly and having him follow you to the old hangar where Michael was pacing out side the door.

When he caught sight of the lieutenant walking after you, his face visibly brightened. “ You’re the best!” He whispered shouted at you as you neared,

You had half a mind to flip him off but decided against it. You continued to the door, and turned ‘round to ensure the giant had followed after you.

The big guy is impossibly quiet, you’d thought to yourself on your walk over. And now that you stopped at the door you’d realized you hadn’t heard a single step of his.

“It’s inside, we just need you to kill it-“

“Sir, if you happen on any others fell free to get those two while you’re at it.” Michael added, his hands balled into the pockets of his jacket.

“You shut up,” you pointed an angry finger at him before turning back to Ghost with a pleading smile, “ but also what he said,”

You could’ve sworn you’d heard an amused huff come from the giant.

He opened the door and stepped inside, closing the door behind him.

You and Michael waited silently beside the door. It was less than a minute before a sudden THWACK, made the two of you jump. Then it was followed by another, and then another, and following that another. It continued like this for five minutes; there was a sound of equipment being moved when a final THWACK was heard.

Ghost stepped outside with a folded up cardboard in his hand, you whipped around at the fight sight of a dismembered leg on it.

“It’s done,” was all he said when he shut the door behind him. “Get on with it,”

Michael was the first to thank him, nearing the door and opening it to look inside. Ghost grunted in reply and walked past him, not that Michael minded, too caught up in the massacre left begging to notice.

Simon dropped the cardboard on the ground before nearing you. At the sound of it, you turned around to face him, purposely not looking to his feet and instead focusing on his face.

“Thank you sir, really,” your eyes met his “ Any thoughts on how I can repay the favor?”

“ Wait and see NyQuil”

You visibly and viscerally cringed at the name,

“Yes sir, thank you sir,”

He huffed out a silent chuckle and began walking off.

Right then Michael poked out his head from the building, his face expressed awe,

“Ay mate you’ve gotta get in here- HEYWHAT THE-“

The rock you don’t remember picking up flew in his direction and dinged the metal of the building, only missing his dumb stupid face because he’d ducked back inside the building in time

“ I fucking told you not to call that shit! Now people are actually fucking calling me-“

“It’s COOL!” Michael yelled back

“No ITS NOT”

you throw a couple more pebbles before finally giving up. Despite your impeccable aim, it was no use if the bastard used the door as his shield.

You finally neared the door and pulled on it, you were met with resistance,

“ Mike open this door right now,”

“ so you can pelt me? No thank you,”

“ I won’t, I don’t even have anything in my hands,”

“ you’re lying,”

“ I’m not,”

“On our friendship you’re not?”

“Mhmm, on our friendship.”

The door creaked open. Michael’s body language unsure as he revealed himself to you. He quickly turned his eyes from your face to your hands, a sigh of relief escaped him when he saw them empty.

“ in all due respect, it’sa sick nickname”

“No it’s not. Shut up before I stone you to death, Mikey”

He smiled and moved out of the way, showing you in

“ yeah yeah just get to work scaredy cat,”

[himluv]

Amazing

Chapter 36 of Say My Name (Say it Twice) is here! In which, after dessert and coffee, Lucanis makes good on his offer to show Rook where he used to live.

Read it below or on AO3!

Suffused with warmth from both coffee and their conversation, Lucanis took hold of Embria’s hand and laced his fingers through hers as they headed back to the market. He still felt shy, touching her in public like this. In the back of his mind, he heard Caterina scolding him, telling him that a public display of affection would only make Rook a target. 

It would. He knew that. 

He also knew that anyone who came for Embria would die a slow, agonizing death at his and Spite’s hands. 

Protect. Our. Rook! The demon grinned at him from Embria’s other side. 

It was their new alliance, now that Caterina was safe. Something he knew he and the demon would always agree on. 

“So,” Rook said. “Where was this apartment of yours?”

“This way.” He led her along the outside edge of the market, nodding to a couple of merchants who recognized him. Then they stepped down into a small courtyard, a building tucked into its corner. It looked much the same as when he’d lived here. Plants in large stone containers and cheery lanterns hanging on either side of the door. A welcoming, well-kept space. 

He pointed up at a window on the second floor, on the right side of the building. “That one was mine,” he said, sighing. 

“Its’s pretty,” she said. “Unassuming.”

He smiled at her. “I liked that about it.” It had been nothing like the villa. It had been his.

“And it’s proximity to Café Pietra didn’t hurt.”

“Of course.”

They smiled at one another, their hands still intertwined. In another life, this would be the end of a date, perhaps with a kiss on his doorstep. Or, if he were feeling brave, maybe he would invite her up. But this wasn’t a romance novel. And this wasn’t his home anymore. 

The door opened and a familiar face peered out into the courtyard. “Master Lucanis?” The man, older and balding, stepped outside and smiled. “It is you!” He reached for Lucanis’s free hand and shook it. 

“Claudio!” Lucanis smiled and released Rook’s hand to add his to his former landlord’s enthusiastic grip. 

“I knew!” He said. “I knew you weren’t dead!” He shook his head and wagged an index finger in the air. “I did not believe the rumors.”

Lucanis frowned. “Why not?”

The man grinned at him. “House Dellamorte took over your payments.” He put his hands on his hips. “Why would they do that, if you weren’t coming back?” He glanced between Lucanis and Rook, then waved at them to follow him inside. “Come, come!”

Lucanis stared after the man, his mind racing. Then Embria took his hand and squeezed, leading him into the building he had once called home. 

“I kept the place tidy,” Claudio called over his shoulder as they climbed up the stairs. “But I moved nothing, Master Lucanis. It’s just as you left it.”

Lucanis’s throat felt tight. Dry. This didn’t feel real. Why would Caterina pay his rent for over a year? Why hadn’t she mentioned that the apartment was still his?

“Well,” Claudio continued. “Except for Pepita. Señor De Riva came for her not long after you left, sir.” He grinned at Rook as he slid the key into the lock of the front door. “I know nothing about caring for snakes.”

She chuckled, her smile warm and patient. Her hand in his was the only thing keeping Lucanis rooted in the moment. Judging by the reassuring brush of her thumb on his, she knew it. 

Home. He still had his home. 

Claudio opened the door and gestured them through. “Your key, sir,” he said, and handed the heavy piece of brass to Lucanis. 

He stared at the key in his hand with stunned awe. 

“It is so good to have you back, Master Lucanis.”

He said nothing to that, overwhelmed by this unexpected turn in the night. 

“Thank you, Claudio,” Rook said. 

The man nodded at her, then ducked out of the room, closing the door behind him before heading back downstairs. 

Lucanis looked around the room. It was as Claudio had said – everything was just as he’d left it. A year ago. A year since he’d stepped foot in this place. Since he’d cooked in this kitchen, or ate at that table. A year since he’d sat on this sofa and knit by the light of the fire. 

Spite flitted around the room, sniffing at anything and everything. Smells stale. Old comfort. Smells like. Lucanis!

Rook moved first, stepping further into the main living space. He watched her spin slowly, eyes roving over his belongings with warm curiosity. 

He tried to see the room through her eyes. Eyes with no history or attachment or confusion. The kitchen was small, but cleverly designed. While he wouldn’t want to cook a banquet there, it was better appointed than the Lighthouse kitchen, and Lucanis had enjoyed preparing meals for himself –and sometimes Illario – there. 

Within easy conversation distance, his small dining table sat beneath a simple chandelier. It was bare and looked lonely to Lucanis, as if it was incomplete without at least a wineglass or two. 

To the left of the dining table sat his sofa, its dark blue upholstery anchoring he room. It was flanked by baskets, one for finished knitting projects and the other for in-progress ones.  A low table separated the sofa from the hearth, and was a dark wood that matched the bookshelves on the far wall. 

Embria went to inspect the shelves, humming at some titles she recognized or was intrigued by. She glanced over her shoulder at him. “Have you read all of these?”

He shook his head. “Most are from my mother’s collection. I brought them with me when I left the villa.”

Maker, that had been such a fight between him and Caterina. That he’d wanted to move out at all had been cause for bitter arguments and stifling silences. Then he’d dared to take his mother’s things? Things Caterina had long ago packed away in a determined effort to forget that her eldest daughter had ever existed. She’d practically kicked him out of the villa after that, which suited them both just fine. 

“She must have read a lot,” Embria said. 

Lucanis smiled. “It was her preferred hobby.” One she passed on to him in the little time they’d had together. 

“And your father’s?” She still peered at the books, tilting her head to better read the spines. 

“Sailing.”

She chuckled. “Those are two very different hobbies.”

He could still hear his father teasing his mother for always bringing a book on board. But, once they were underway, he always kept her wineglass filled. His parents had doted on one another in their own ways. 

“They are,” he admitted. “And yet, they got on well.”

Embria smiled at him. “This is a nice place,” she said. “Cozy. Not like the villa at all.”

“That was my intention.”

“How long did you live here?” She’d moved on from the books to gaze at the painting above the fireplace. A gift from Viago when Lucanis had become a full-fledged Crow. 

He had to count back the years. “Seven, eight years?”

“Wow,” she said. “I don’t think I’ve ever lived in one place so long.”

Spite, who’d been bored with talk of Lucanis’s parents, perked up at that. “Rook. Leaves?!”

Lucanis glared at the demon once he had control again. 

“The Dalish are nomads,” she said. “We never stay anywhere for long.”

“And in Wycome?” Lucanis couldn’t help his curiosity. He wanted to know everything about her. 

She shrugged. “Rent’s expensive, even in the alienage. We moved a lot.” There was something dark in her tone, something guarded. 

Lucanis let the subject drop. “Come,” he said, reaching for her. “Let me show you my favorite part of the apartment.”

“It isn’t the kitchen?”

He rolled his eyes and led her down the short hall to the bedroom. Only once they were through the door did he realize he’d never brought anyone here. Even on their rare visits, he hadn’t shown Illario or Viago his room. 

He’d kept that for himself. And now, for Rook.

Embria pulled up short in a beam of moonlight. Across from the door, his bed stood against the wall, beneath a large and ornate circular window. 

It was a stunning and indulgent feature. All of his training and instincts screamed that such a window – above his bed, of all places – was a liability. A vulnerability. But, Lucanis had moved out of his grandmother’s house to separate himself from his work as much as possible. 

In this apartment, he wasn’t the Demon of Vyrantium, or even a master assassin. Here, he was simply Lucanis. And Lucanis loved this window. 

He pressed his hand to the small of Embria’s back. “There’s more,” he murmured at her ear. 

Her breath hitched at the brush of his words on her skin. She glanced up at him and licked her lips. “Show me.”

With just a gentle press on her back, Lucanis led her to a set of double doors at the righthand side of the room. He opened them to reveal a small balcony, just big enough for a couple of chairs and a little table. A perfect spot to enjoy a cup of coffee or glass of wine. 

The balcony looked out over a canal at the Coin and Financials District. Below them, the canal rippled with moonlight and the sounds of the market floated around them. He took a deep breath and finally felt at ease for the first time since they’d entered the building. 

“Lucanis,” Rook breathed. “This is gorgeous.” She leaned against the railing, looking out at the view. 

He smiled at her, pleased that she seemed to share his appreciation for beautiful things. He allowed himself to appreciate this view in particular. Embria’s back was to him, her elbows on the railing, the tantalizing slope of her back let his gaze slide down to her hips and backside. Her leather overcoat obscured her curves some, but Lucanis knew the swell of her hips under his hands, now. He knew exactly what he was looking at. 

“I can understand why you’d stay here,” she said. 

He shook his head to banish his lascivious thoughts. “What I can’t understand is why Caterina kept it.” He leaned against the doorframe and gave her a rueful smile. “She hated that I moved out.”

“Well,” she said, leaving the balcony railing to stand before him. “Teia said that Caterina never stopped looking for you.” She put her hand on his cheek. “Maybe this was a just one more tether to her grandson she wasn’t willing to let go of.”

It was a sweet thought, one altogether too generous for his grandmother. Caterina wasn’t completely heartless – he faintly remembered a time when she’d looked at her grandchildren and smiled. But, she’d kept whatever softness remained locked away from him for so long, he struggled to think she might be so sentimental about him as to continue paying his rent for a year. 

But, perhaps Rook had a point. Perhaps there was a hint of truth in her words. Something to consider, even if he wasn’t sure what to do with that truth at the moment. 

“Perhaps,” he murmured against her palm. He took her hand in his, pressed another kiss to her wrist. When he glanced over at her, her eyes were dark. 

Wants, Spite hissed. 

Lucanis pulled gently on her hand, and Embria fell into him with no hesitation. Her hand moved to cradle the back of his head as his fell to her hips. They kissed, easy and slow, with just a little heat.  She was so warm, even in the cool night air. He felt her body like fire against his. She tasted like coffee and cinnamon, smelled like summer. 

He deepened the kiss, his tongue tracing along her lips until her mouth opened. His blood cracked like lightning in his veins and suddenly nothing was soft or slow. Her hand tightened in his hair and he gripped her hips, pulling her hard against him. 

She moaned against his mouth, and Lucanis thought his heart might race right out of his chest. His right hand wandered up her waist, clung to her ribcage, his thumb brushing against the underside of her breast. 

Rook gasped, her head falling back. Instantly, his mouth trailed down her neck to find that spot he liked so much, where the column of her throat and shoulder met. Her scent was strongest there – salt and sweet and a little smoke – and Lucanis could not get enough. He kissed the spot and she shuddered against him. Then he sucked at the sensitive skin and she moaned. Encouraged by her sounds, he nipped at the spot with his teeth.

She cried out and jolted so hard against him that Lucanis stilled. Had he hurt her? But, her hands tightened in his hair, on his shoulder, and her hips rolled against him. She shook her head once.

“Good,” she panted. “That was good.”

He hummed against her skin, kissing where he’d bit her, and she sighed. Embria shuddered against him again, and Lucanis thought he might explode. 

“The bed,” he growled in her ear. She nodded, but they didn’t separate. They made their awkward way to stand beside the bed, hands and lips everywhere. He pushed her overcoat down off her shoulders, and she hurried to shrug out of it. Then she sat on the bed and let her hair down. 

He sat beside her and tried not to think too hard about the fact that she was here. In his room. On his bed. But he couldn’t keep the tremor from his hands when he turned her face to his again. 

“Hey,” she said, pulling back from his kiss. She brushed her fingers through his hair. “We go as far as you want. You’re in control.” She smiled at him, lips pink and swollen. Gorgeous. “I’m happy, no matter what.”

He searched her face for a hint of a lie, for judgment. But of course, Embria told him the truth. The only look on her face was desire and adoration. 

Lucanis kissed her, a little tentative, his hand on her neck. His thumb brushed along her jaw, and she took the cue, tilting her head back and permitting his tongue into her mouth. She moaned, the sound vibrating into his mouth, and just like that the fire in the pit of his stomach was stoked once more. 

They traded kisses, her tongue lacing with his until he ached. He leaned into her, and she lay back onto the bed beneath him. It took a moment for them to settle, shifting toward the center of the bed, but once they did, he lay between Rook’s hips, his elbows around her shoulders. 

The press of his hips against hers was so good. So, so warm. The pressure and heat so delicious against his arousal that he had to close his eyes and focus on his breathing. Mierda, he was trembling and they were still fully clothed!

“Lucanis,” she murmured. “Look at me.” 

He opened his eyes and looked down into hers. Her hair surrounded her face in an autumn haze, her lips were swollen and pink and her skin was flushed red. She was stunning like this, and he thought he would never tire of looking at her. 

She took his face in both hands and pulled him down for a tender kiss. “Okay?”

He nodded, but her brow furrowed. 

“Tell me,” she said. 

His throat felt dry. All of him was thrumming, his mind blank and buzzing. He couldn’t think, couldn’t focus on anything but her eyes, her lips, and where their hips pressed together. He opened his mouth, but there were no words on his tongue. 

Embria wrapped her arms around him and pulled him down against her. He turned his head so that his ear rested against her chest. She held him while he listened to her heart beat against his ear. He matched his breath to hers, slow and deliberate, until he finally relaxed into her body. 

She was so soft. Her body wasn’t just fever and pleasure, but comfort, too. He was a little embarrassed he’d needed the reminder, but the feeling passed quickly. He knew she wouldn’t hold it against him. 

“You know,” she said once his breathing evened out and the tension left his body. “I’m nervous, too.”

He lifted his head a little to peer up at her. “You are?”

She nodded. “I haven’t been… intimate with anyone in over two years. And I haven’t been with a man since I was a teen.” She didn’t look at him, but she ran her fingers through his hair as she spoke at the ceiling. 

“I’m out of practice,” she continued with a shrug. “It’s silly, but I’m worried I might not live up to your expectations. I don’t want to disappoint you.”

Lucanis propped himself up onto his elbows, hovering over her to force her to look up at him. He stared down at her, his brow pulled low. “You could never disappoint me, Embria.” He brushed some of her hair back behind her ear, and this time his hands were steady. “You amaze me,” he said. “Every day.”

She smiled up at him, the corners trembling and her eyes shimmering in the moonlight. She traced a fingertip along his lips, and then his cheekbone. “You amaze me, too,” she whispered. She trembled beneath him, and he knew it had less to do with desire than emotion. 

It wasn’t quite a confession of love. But it was very, very close. And there, in his room, it was exactly what they both needed to hear. 

Lucanis kissed her, and though his erection twitched against her heat and she gasped, it was a waning passion. He settled down against her once more, content to listen to her heart and to breathe with her. 

She held him close, running her fingers through his hair and humming softly. It was so soothing, so warm, that Lucanis dozed a little. 

“Do you want to stay here, tonight?” She asked after a while. 

He considered it, blinking the cloy of sleep from his mind. Then he shook his head. “Another time,” he said. He grinned up at her. “I have the key, now.”

She smiled down at him. “Let’s go home,” she said. 

He nodded, but, surely, she must know. Lying there in her arms, Lucanis was already home.