#louis water spill

[tangerinequeen19]

[louisupdates]

Oh for fuck’s sake.

Louis spilling water 💦 on himself. 505, FITFWT24: Montevideo [15.5.2024] 📸 johaishome livestream

[mukharnews]

भारत टी 20 मैच जीत कर वर्ल्ड कप अपने नाम किया | T-20 वर्ल्ड कप भारत जीत | Mukhar News | #t20 #news

[happy74827]

Butterflies

[Harvey Specter x Female!Reader]

Synopsis: You know you’re screwed when you feel them fluttering in your chest {GIF Creds: jeysuso}.

WC: 717

Category: Fluff

For all my Harvey lovers out there, I made a cute fluffy quickie (I’m seeing a lot of my fics being swarmed with love so why not add to it 🤗)

『••✎••』

It happened over a bottle of bourbon. A spilled bottle, actually. But a bottle of bourbon nonetheless, and that is important to note.

You didn’t mean to spill the alcohol all over your date, but he had made some comment about how you shouldn't be wearing a dress with a plunging neckline, so you just… happened to tip the entire thing over him.

The man was furious, of course, but he left pretty quickly after that. And you were left with a mess on the floor and a waiter hovering at the side, asking if you wanted another bottle.

You told him no. You just wanted to go home.

You didn't want a new date; you didn't want to sit at this stupid table with the stupid white tablecloth, the stupid, gaudy candlesticks, or the stupid waiter with the stupid, expectant look on his face.

"Miss?"

"No, thank you," you say, a little more firmly, gathering up your things and leaving as much cash as you can on the table. If you were smart, you'd have brought an umbrella, but you're not smart, so you'll just get drenched like an idiot.

But, fortunately for you, the person calling your name knew you well enough to know you weren’t that smart.

Before a drop of water could even hit your hair, a tall, dark figure steps out in front of you and blocks the downpour. Some might consider this a gentlemanly action, but you knew the man, and he was hardly ever gentle.

"You're welcome," Harvey says, a smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"You're a pain," you reply, but you're grateful for the cover.

"And you're dateless. So, I see two options: we can have dinner and a drink back at my place, or we can do dinner and a drink back at mine."

You can't help but laugh. "Did you use this on Scottie? I see why she left. That line was bad."

"You're not going to ask how I knew you were here?"

"Nope. You probably had Louis stalk me."

"Don't talk about the puppy like that."

"So you did have him stalk me!"

"I prefer the term 'make sure you were alright,'" Harvey replies, and he holds out his arm to you. "Guy was a douche. Let me buy you dessert to make up for it. And I don’t mean in the biblical sense, although that can be arranged, too, if you'd like."

"Harvey, you’re such—"

You turned to him, ready to tell him exactly what you thought of him, but the words died when you met his eyes. Those same eyes that allured you into taking his offer at Pearson Hardman. The same eyes that made you agree to work with him on the case despite your better judgment.

In a flash, you saw the whole thing: your first meeting, the cases, the laughs, the looks, the touches. And now, the moment.

When you were younger, the term butterflies had never really made sense to you. The idea of feeling them in your stomach seemed ridiculous, and yet, there you were, feeling them for the very first time.

They were all fluttering around inside of you, and all you could think was, "Oh, no."

And as if the universe had heard you, it suddenly stopped raining, and you both stood there in the middle of the street, the moon casting a warm light on your faces.

Harvey noticed it, too, and his expression softened. His usual cockiness was replaced with a gentle concern. "You okay?"

You nodded, biting your lip. "Yeah."

Harvey reached up and brushed a strand of hair away from your face, his hand lingering a moment longer than it needed to. He gave you that signature grin and asked, "You look like a velvet cake kind of girl. Am I right?"

He was right.

Goddamnit, he was right.

And as he swaddled you in his coat to keep you warm as you both went back inside, the anger and confusion you felt earlier melted into a quiet, warm glow.

Date night had not gone according to plan, but when his lips met yours and your hands slid through his soft, brown hair, you realized that, perhaps, sometimes, it was good to deviate from the plan.

The butterflies seemed to agree.

[evilgwrl]

Neighbour!Simon Riley x Reader

Girl Next Door (Seven)

CW: Jealous Simon, oral sex (m receiving), cum swallowing, praise, bit of spanking

Previous Chapter, Next Chapter

The morning air was gentle, a soft ray cast through an open window, blinds not shut. The tickle of hair brushed against your stomach, the scent of cotton and whiskey brushing past your ear as your eyes fluttered open.

Simon was warm, the pudge of his belly radiating against your back. You stirred, a soft groan leaving your head as your brain racked, throbbing with an arrogant hangover. Your body was compliant, sticking to the sheets as you wriggled, a quick hand grabbing at your waist.

“Stop wriggling like that,” Simon snapped, voice tense with slumber.

“It’s how I wake up,” you yawned, pressing at the static in your eyes as he laughed against the back of your neck.

“It’s waking me up too,” the evident hardness of his boner flushed against your ass. Your face stilled, movements stopping as you squeaked out an apology.

There was a gentle tick from cicadas outside as you walked into the garden, the bristle of hot air against your bare thighs as you nestled a cup of coffee into your palms. The flowers were bright, transcendent colours flickering across a simple green as you rested against a porch chair.

The English air was a windless ruin, the scent of the sun blazing against wood filling the air as you shielded your eyes, treading along grass as your hands tipped a metal can of water onto the flora.

“Gardens nice,” a voice said.

Simon’s hips hung low with a towel, distinct V-line disposing into the cotton as a delicate trail of hair followed. You swallowed, visibly.

“Thank you,” you gawked, eyes slightly wide as you breathed in the image of him, iris’ soaked in arousal.

“You want to grab breakfast?”

“And they call him Soap?” You giggle, mouth crinkling as your eyes closed, squinting as Simon explained his task force to you, or the men you indecently exposed.

“Gave it to ‘em because of how fast he cleans out a room.”

“And why do they call you Ghost?”

The name was strange leaving your mouth, the foreignness of someone so different to the military speaking it sending a chill through him as he maintained composure.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?”

The café was bustling, the bricks stacked with corny quotes and pictures of regulars, the mint counter littered with coffee grounds and spilt milk. Eyes wandered on the bulky man next to you, but he didn’t pay attention, simply watching you as you spilled workplace secrets.

The croissant you were scoffing down crumby as it collected on the side of your lips, the tickle of pastry paying you no mind as you rambled. Simon took in the way your eyes darted back and forth when you spoke too much and the way your hands displayed actions when you wanted to emphasise something.

He noticed how your nose twitched slightly as you sucked in deeper breaths than normal, and he noticed the light fluster of blush across your cheek when he gazed at you.

You scrunched your brows together as he looked at your lips, his own creasing up slightly with amusement.

“What?” You said, confused before a calloused thumb reached out and rubbed at the side of your lip, speckles of crumbs falling from your face as you groaned.

“I had food on my face the whole time and you didn’t tell me?”

“Didn’t wan’ interrupt your gossip session.”

The environment felt stagnant apart from the two of you, his thumb still pressed against your cheek with a light pressure, umber eyes seeping through his sockets as he memorised every crease of your skin. His ears hissed with a monotone ring, too focused on the speckles of shade that fell between your facial apertures.

“You’re-“

“Y/N?”

The voice was familiar, yet foggy, an immediate sense of dread running through you as you stared at Louis, his body clad with a flannel shirt and scuffed-up jeans. His face was bright with a smile, arms wide as you stood, awkwardly waving.

“You ran off too fast last night,” he prattled, wrapping his arms around your waist as he pulled you flush against him. You pulled away in an abhorrent manner, turning around to face Simon, a scowl crossing his face.

“Had to deal with something,” you muttered as Simon raised from his seat, towering over the pair of you as he cleared his throat.

“Ah- sorry mate, you must be?” Louis yakked, his chest puffing slightly as he faced the larger man.

Simon nearly scoffed into the air, “Simon.”

“It was nice seeing you, Louis,” you smiled, lips tight as you grabbed at your neighbour’s wrist gently.

“Before you go,” he jerked, grabbing onto your shoulder softly, “I was wondering if you wanted to go out again, y’know, us two?”

“I don’-“

“She’s fine.” Simon’s voice was sharp, every syllable cutting through the thickening tension, barely visible cloud of discomfort clouding around your table as you excused the both of you, mingled bodies hustling out of the crowded corner store.

Your smile was amused, shoving at the muscle of his bicep, “She’s fine?”

The look from the Lieutenant was dirty but playful, almost tempting you to argue with him, luring more of his possessive words out, “Don’t need another man eating the pussy I ate, do I?”

The words rolled from his tongue in a motion of filth as you slapped his chest, a boyish laugh sounding from him as he opened the car door for you. The drive home was windy, the usual speckle of trees greeting you as his long fingers wrapped around the stick shift as he focused on the hardened tar before him.

Your thighs, covered by a gentle sundress, were wet, a combination of arousal and sweat leaking from your panties as an evident dark patch pressed against your heat as you shifted uncomfortably. Horny eyes glanced down to his jeans, an evident strain bulging close to his zipper as you swallowed.

Tantalising fingers stroked the flesh of his arm gently as he smiled at you before they fell onto his lap, groping lightly at the hardness of his thighs, a slow trail teasing his crotch as he coughed.

“What are you doing, sweet’art?” His voice tight.

“Returning the favour.” The jerk of his car was immediate, hazards flickering in the distance as he pulled down an emptier road, dirt skidding against the tyres as he halted.

Your fingers were quick as they unzipped his pants, his hands swatting yours away as he pulled them down, large curvature poking through his briefs, precum soaking across the tip as you kissed your teeth.

Your hand was quick to grab at his erection, letting the intimidating length rest in your palms as you watched him through hooded eyes. He was quick to rid his undergarments, healthy cock springing out as it slapped against gentle curls.

The head was flushed a light red, pearly silk collecting as you swiped a thumb across it, a gentle hiss leaving his lips. Your mouth was quick to lean down, a glob of spit landing on his shaft as your hands worked against his cock with a smooth pace, gentle groans eliciting from him.

Your mouth was warm, bathing him in instant pleasure as full lips suckled at the tip, tongue running along his member with ease as you welcomed him down your throat.

Simon’s fingers wrapped around your hair, working it into a messy ponytail as he bucked upwards, a choke sounding from your stuffed throat.

Your ass was flushed in the air as he leaned his chair back, dress pooling around your tummy as the fabric fell down the plushness of your thighs.

“Good fucking girl, so good at taking me, ain’t you? Bet this is nearly as nice as your pretty pussy.”

His words spurred you on, your mouth working faster along his dick as you held a tight grip on the remainder, another hand grabbing gently at heavy balls as he delivered a harsh spank to your exposed ass, panties wedged into the puffy lips of your pussy as you whined against him.

“Gonna fill this pretty mouth up, fuck- take you as mine. You gonna let me do that, baby?”

You nodded against him, cheeks hollowed around him as you traced a thick vein, earning a deep groan from him.

The windows fogged, dirty evidence surrounding the car as you gagged, slobbering down him as you hummed, feeding him down your mouth that would no doubt bruise later.

His hand was groping at your flesh, watching the way it melted into his palm with every slap, tender flesh jiggling against him. It was a sight for sore eyes as he guided you along his length.

His balls were taunt, desperate to release as you continued your pleasurable torment. “This mouth was made for me- Jesus Christ-“

With a final gag down his cock he was coming, your mouth rushed with the taste of tangy salt, a loud moan purring through his chest as you swallowed, pulling up with a pant as your tear-streaked eyes fluttered up at him.

“Fucking beautiful, ain’t you?”

[dailytomlinson]

Louis spilling his water bottle - 15.05

[blouisparadise]

Today we have the fourth part of our hurt/comfort rec list for you! There are tons of amazing fics on this list that we hope you'll show some love to. If you missed the previous parts, you can find part one here, part two here, and part three here. If you enjoy our rec lists, please be sure to like and reblog this post to help spread the word. Happy reading!

1) Wanna Feel the Edges Start to Burn | Explicit | 6,111 words

Harry gives him a gentle smile. “Feeling a little bit better?” Louis nods tentatively. “I think so yeah. Thank you so much for being so kind, but you really didn’t need to do this.” He lifts his unfortunately still shaky hand and runs it haphazardly through his hair. “It was just a spilled tea, I totally overreacted. I’m a bit embarrassed to be honest.” Harry scoffs. “Are you kidding me? Don’t be. I saw the whole thing, that guy was way out of line. You didn’t do anything wrong.” Louis gives him what he’s sure is a watery smile. “Erm thank you. I wouldn’t normally admit this to a stranger, but you’ve already seen me cry today so what the hell?” He forces himself to let out a weak laugh. “The thing is, my period is due any day now and sometimes the birth control pills make my emotions go a little haywire. I think that’s what happened.”

2) To Love Without Reason | Explicit | 8,894 words

“Come on in, soldier,” Louis pats Harry’s chest and walks away, leaving Harry to follow behind. Harry stands in the living room, looking around at Louis’ dwelling. Family pictures placed high on a shelf, certificates of Louis’ practice, and other trinkets that make Harry entirely too nostalgic. “I have to warn you,” Louis says as he puts the kettle on, the water droplets from his hair trickling down the golden skin of his back. “The door jams if you lock it so you'll have to leave it ajar.” Harry acknowledges with a soft hum, too entranced by Louis’ glistening skin to form a coherent reply.

3) Wanna Do Nothing With You | Explicit | 9,606 words

The accident happens in the stupidest way possible. One minute Louis is demonstrating a skateboard trick he’d just learned for Lottie, the next he’s waking up in a hospital. He’s told that he wasn’t unconscious the entire ride, but he has absolutely no recollection of it. One second he’s fucking around in his own garden and the next he’s being assaulted with the strong sterile scent of a hospital. So. There’s that.

4) Let Me Be Your Good Night | Explicit | 10,520 words

Louis goes on a shit Valentines date and Harry's the cute waiter who takes him home

5) For The Love Of Biscuits | Mature | 16,574 words

Note: This fic is locked and can only be read by AO3 users.

The thing about hybrids is that their animal instincts make them jumpy. And quite often lends them to being owned. Harry Styles wasn't looking to purchase a half-breed. But sometimes things just happen. And owning a fox/human hybrid was something that happened.

6) Works Like A Charm | Explicit | 18,088 words

Ever since Louis joined the team in fifth year, a few facts have become set in stone. One: Louis is the best chaser in Hogwarts. Two: Harry is the best beater in Hogwarts. Three: They do not get along. So it’s really unfair of Liam to think that forcing them to spend time together as Louis recovers from his injury will make them the best of friends. The last thing Louis would do is get along with that git.

7) Soup Of The Day | Explicit | 19,958 words

It had been the single minded goal for them since college and seemed simple enough. 1. Study hard. 2. Open their dream restaurant. 3. Take the culinary world by storm. What could possibly go wrong?

8) Under The Rain Or Under The Snow | Explicit | 20,667 words

Christmas AU where they broke up a month ago but Harry shows up at Louis’ childhood home for the holidays. Louis didn’t tell his mum about their breakup so staying with them is not ideal. Harry stays.

9) Heart Eyes | Explicit | 21,467 words

Harry is a dedicated sentinel with a strong aversion to demons, and Louis is the lovesick incubus who will go to any lengths to win Harry's heart.

10) It Was All By Design (‘Cause I’m A Mastermind) | Explicit | 21,986 words

“You can’t be serious. You think I would be so awful to work for - you would rather quit?” “Don’t be all high and mighty about it,” Harry scoffs. “Surely you would do the same.” “I’m not being high and mighty. It’s called being professional.” “Really?” Harry pushes. “You’d work diligently under me with no complaints? You’d do whatever I asked of you?” “That would be my job, so yeah.” Harry shakes his head. “I’d work you so fucking hard,” he says slowly, “that you’d have to quit.”

11) Thrown To The Wolves | Explicit | 21,681 words

Louis is a human living in the Styles' wolf pack who can't stop getting into trouble, and Harry is the soon-to-be alpha who thinks keeping Louis at arm's length is the safest option.

12) Letters To June | Mature | 41,150 words

It's 1915, Europe is in the middle of the Great War. Omega Louis decides to join the Letter Home Project to become someone’s penfriend. Through this he meets a lovely soldier who hasn't got anyone else to send a letter to. Along with his letter, comes a picture of the most handsome alpha Louis has ever seen.

13) Catch Me If I Fall | Explicit | 47,099 words

Lovers when on the stage but bitter rivals as soon as they step off, Harry and Louis have butted heads from the moment they first met. Locked in a stalemate that they hope to ride out until graduation, things take a turn when Harry learns that Louis is hiding a secret.

14) As We Are | Explicit | 48,268 words

Louis doesn't think much when he's asked to meet up with the alpha of the pack two hours from his own - he figures it's business as usual. But Harry Styles is anything but usual.

15) Once Burnt, Twice Shy | Explicit | 52,644 words

Louis and Harry are polar opposites in every way. Where Louis is a bestselling author from the city, Harry is a small-town firefighter who’s never left his home. Where Louis is spontaneous and spirited, Harry is introverted and calm, never straying from routine. When an ill-fated accident and an exceptionally intelligent tabby bring them together, they are forced to confront their pasts and forge a better beginning for themselves. Will sparks fly, or will it all go up in flames?

16) Of Lost Things | Explicit | 57,890 words

Louis comes with a familiarity Harry has never felt with anyone else before. After their fateful meeting, their chemistry became undeniable, and soon after, Harry had felt like he hit the jackpot when it came to finding the person he would spend the rest of his life with. But all relationships come with their own unique problems, and Harry soon realizes that their relationship is no different. When their problems go from unordinary to nearly bizarre in nature, he takes it upon himself to find an answer to their troubles. What he stumbles upon are terrifying coincidences between his and Louis’ story, and the ill-fated mythological couple, Orpheus and Eury. But it’s all they are; just coincidences, ones that feel as frighteningly familiar as Louis. Except… what if none of this is a coincidence? What if everything Harry has always seen as fiction is true, and myth—or rather, history, is about to repeat itself?

17) Sink Into Your Sunlight | Explicit | 79,562 words

In the grand scheme of things Louis did believe in love, what he didn’t believe was that he would ever find it in his life time for himself. Low and behold he would find it with someone he didn’t anticipate, now it was just a matter of having it work out the way he dreamed of.

18) Invisible String | Explicit | 84,726 words

Louis swears on his life that that man came out of literal nowhere and he thanks each lucky star for having good breaks in his car. This strange alpha also happens to be the most beautiful being Louis has laid his eyes on. For some unknown reason, the omega feels safe around the alpha. It might seem strange, but you can't always explain why or how things are the way they are. All you can really be sure of is that they happen for a reason. There's a higher power (call it what you want) that knows better and definitely knows more than you do.

19) Wind Beneath My Wings | Explicit | 93,131 words

As an omega carer that works at a rescue and rehabilitation centre for feral alphas and omegas, Louis has experienced all sides of ferality. So Harry- a cold, near mute, non-receptive alpha- was a challenging case for everyone at Phoenix Rehab Centre. Louis wasn’t expecting to feel drawn towards an aloof Harry, or to form a slow bond with him. He certainly was not expecting for his entire life to change in unforeseen ways.

20) You Were My Because | Explicit | 109,089 words

Note: Please be sure to read the tags and any warnings.

Louis has battled the demons of his past for years now and has little hope of finding happiness for himself. Especially now that a school reunion is taking place and the memories of his school days are suddenly coming back with full force. But after rain always comes sunshine, in Louis’ case in the form of his old schoolmate Harry. A story about healing, friendship, finding trust and love.

21) Drops of Jupiter | Mature | 121,826 words

In a small, sleepy town ruled by prejudice, Louis Tomlinson runs his grandmothers shop for the occult. He finds comfort in his tarot cards, his friends, and a dog that he doesn't have room for. He thought the worst he'd have to deal with would be bigotry, until a new sheriff arrives with a headstrong little girl that's impossible not to fall in love with. But what happens when a string of break-ins leads to a brutal attack, and the towns' darling is murdered right under their Sunday hats? A murder that just so happens to bear the same modus operandi as similar homicides in neighbouring states. Has the killer been circling Virginia, or is he a local of Lavender Hills? And what will Louis do when the charming Sheriff Styles starts to suspect him of such a heinous crime?

22) Sewn Into You | Explicit | 167,485 words | Sequel

Harry Styles thinks soulmates are a fairytale, or in other words-a lie. He has no interest in entertaining anything that has anything to do with the very name that had been etched along his collarbone since his eighteenth birthday. Louis Tomlinson won't be answering to another alpha for the rest of his life if he can help it. Fuck happy endings, his soul mate can choke on it. Problem is, Harry needs a personal assistant to save his family's business, Louis needs the cash to officially move off of his childhood best-friend's couch. They can manage. Surely, nothing will go wrong.

Check out our other fic rec lists by category here and by title here.

[louistomlinsoncouk]

Louis spilling water on stage in Montevideo, Uruguay (via romolivera's Instagram story) - 15/5

[themultifandomgal]

From 2010- The Brit Awards 2013 Highlights

2013

Part 28

Nervously I sit down in my seat straightening my dress as I do. I sit between Zayn and Liam because Harry and I aren’t allowed to sit next to each other according to management

“You ok?” Zayn asks me as I take a sip of water with shaking hands

“Yeah just… nervous I guess”

“How’s your headache?” Harry asks from across the table

“Not great. I know it’s going to kill after tonight. I’ve got some more paracetamol in my bag if I need it”

“Just make sure you definitely have your in ears in. Even if you can’t hear us or yourself” Niall says

“But then I’ll sound terrible”

“Na we’ll keep you in time done worry” Louis says giving me a smile

“Welcome to the 2013 Brit Awards” the announcement starts and we all go quiet.

“Now look who I’ve found over here at this table, One Direction. How are we guys?” James Corden asks sitting in between Zayn and Louis

“Very well very excited” Louis replies into the microphone James is holding

“Now last year we had a chat and the next day you were going to play in America for the first time. Your now the biggest band in the world. You’ve had 2 consecutive number ones in America alone. Is it a bit much to take in?”

‘Yes imagine having many teens looking up to you as a role model and having the media pick out ever flaw and having haters online who have never met you spill nothing but lies and hate towards you and on top of that all of your friendships and romances are public so you never get a break’ is what I would like to say, but James holds the microphone to Zayn who says

“Erm yeah it’s massively overwhelming and we can’t thank our fans enough. They’re the people who got us to where we are so we owe it all to them”

“Now your performing later on tonight. Your performing your comic relief single which is currently, did you know it’s currently number one in 63 countries. I don’t even know if I can name 63 countries. Niall can you?”

“No” he replies shaking his head

“Your going back on tour right? YN when does that kick off”

“We start tour literally this weekend here at the O2 and we’re really excited”

The boys are in jeans and leather jackets while I’m in tight leather trousers and a cute white top. Music for One Way Or Another (Teenage Kicks) starts and we practically jump on stage

“One way or another I’m gonna find ya. I’m gonna get ya, get ya, get ya, get ya. One way, or another, I'm gonna win ya I'm gonna get ya, get ya, get ya, get ya” Harry starts the song glancing over at me before giving me a little nod

“One way, or another, I'm gonna see ya. I'm gonna meet ya, meet ya, meet ya, meet ya. One day, maybe next week. I'm gonna meet ya, I'm gonna meet ya, I'll meet ya” I sing. Thankfully I can hear perfectly fine but the lights aren’t doing anything for my headache at all. I walk down the stairs slowly, but since the boys get down the stairs quicker than me Harry runs back up and takes my hand to make sure I don’t slip while singing

“I wanna hold you wanna hold you right” I take the higher harmony again not helping my head at all. During rehearsals I’ve been told to prolong a high note which I haven’t done yet because of my headache and nausea

“I get teenage kicks right through the night” thankfully I am able to hold the note causing Harry, Louis and Niall group hug me and jump around the stage

“Brit Awards 2013 make some noise for YN!” Liam shouts. At the end of the song Harry once again helps me up the stairs before we are dropped back down.

“And the winner of the global success award is my 5 little brothers and little sister One Direction!” Robby Williams says into the microphone on stage. We all stand up from our seats and hug one another before heading on the stage

“This is really is mind blowing” Louis says taking the microphone from Robbin and holding the award “we have have to start off by thanking our incredible fans. They have been just been unbelievable and we wouldn’t be here today without them”

“This is absolutely amazing thank you so much. I just want to say thank you to our record label and Sony and Syco” Harry and I both give each other other a look when Liam mentions Syco “and to modest our management” I look down at my feet making sure I don’t eye roll. I know Liam has to say this to keep the peace but I really wouldn’t be thanking them “also our parents are in the house tonight so I just want to say thank you to all of them. Thank you so much!”

[obsessedwithtoomanythings]

MUD

Pairing: Leon Kennedy x Reader

Warnings: Mentions of a suspect attempting to drown reader (she's a cop) but it is not detailed. Love confessions. RE2 Leon being as precious as always.

Words: 320ish

Author’s Note: Day 5! I struggled with this prompt for a bit to be honest.

MUD - soft, sticky matter resulting from the mixing of earth and water.

Your pants are crusty, dried mud sticking to your jeans from mid-calf downward. The clean tile floors below your feet mock you with their cleanliness, and suddenly the dried earth on your arms and face begins to itch, begging your nails to relieve the annoying sensation.

“Y/N! Are you okay?” Leon’s voice crosses the office clearly, Lieutenant Branagh chuckles audibly next to you as you turn to see the rookie crossing the room with a far more concerned pace than he usually uses.

“I’m fine, Kennedy. It wasn’t a big deal,” you lie, the water still burning your lungs as you speak. The hospital cleared you, but it doesn’t stop the rising anxiety that bubbles in your throat like the chilly lake water had.

“Since when are you and the rookie on a first-name basis?” Branagh mumbles before quickly entertaining himself on the other side of the office.

“Are you okay? Louis said the suspect tried to drown you?” He asks again, worry practically dripping from his words. You take a moment. Are you actually okay?

“No. I’m not okay.” The words are whispered, so quiet that it’s a miracle that even Leon heard them. He looks at you, the corner of his mouth turning up in a reassuring smile before he speaks.

“How about I come over tonight? We can get take-out and watch a movie or something?” You nod, but the words spill from your lips before you can stop them, tears flooding your eyes as the fear becomes palpable on your face.

“I was so scared that I was gonna die…” Leon wraps his arms around your shoulder, pulling you into his chest. Thump thump thump of his heartbeat in your ears, reminding you of how alive you still are. “I was worried I would never be able to tell you…”

“Tell me what?” His chin moves against the top of your head as he holds you.

“That I’m in love with you.”

[tangerinequeen19]

The Twisty Spritzy: A Louis Tomlinson Drama in Four Acts for @sunshineandlyrics [alternate angle]

[louisupdates]

Louis Tomlinson spilling water, FITFWT24: Montevideo [15.5.2024] 📸 romolivera IG story

[murfpersonalblog]

IWTV S2 Ep8 Musings - Loustat (Spoilers) Pt1: Breakup

Trust me, Lestat wasn't thinking about your stupid suit, Louis. Yes, Carol Cutshall said the gold symbolized Louis as the sun that drew Lestat to him; but the main thing was him pulling that sword-cane on Paul. THAT is what might've changed things: PAUL. Most importantly, the what-if about Paul not having died, and what that might've changed or not (IMO, not much--Lestat would've just kept "hunting" Louis longer, till he found his chance).

At 50? Would Lestat have WANTED Lou? Doubtful. Louis would've been married with kids by then, desperately holding on to what little money he'd've gotten as a failed farmer & pimp (cuz he wouldn't've had the Azalea or Lestat's money); probably in debt just to keep the DPDL estate; even as his mom resented him, and Grace probably wouldn't've been able to marry Levi without a dowry, so who knows how she'd've acted. What SPARK would old!Lou have that would've even made Les interested in him? These questions are MOOT.

"Doomed by the narrative."

I'm still confused about Claudia's diaries, and where they were in 1973--I'm assuming this was just a lie fed by Armand that they were scattered b/t Paris & NOLA.

SKILL ISSUE. Louis ALWAYS has a contingency plan!

I'm so bummed we didn't get the Tower Scene, or get to physically SEE Lestat being tortured by Armand. But oh well, at least we get to see Magnus' Tower, and hear what Magnus told Lestat b4 Les was Turned.

And this is a crazy accurate line, considering Armand said that ordering the humans to say "Banishment" took all of his strength which I KNEW was a freaking lie! XD

You should see them in Dubai when Danwrecks Armand's whole set!

Les calling himself a disappointment--YOU ARE. (Nordic blondes, dirty blondes, and the worst one: a FRENCH blonde.) Chile, no one knows why you do what you do.

That's right, don't let him up for effing oxygen!

EXACTLY.

Lestat was turned on the whole time (who said that!?).

No one cares.

TRUE! That's the most honest thing Armand said all season, wow.

AKASHA NAME DROP, STFU LFG

Marius never told Armand about TWMBK for a reason--hed've spilled the beans quicker than Louis about "Bruce" being Lestat. XD But Lestat's bragging a little too much though--even MARIUS burned with Akasha's blood in him, so.... 🙄 They won't DIE, but it WILL eff them up.

CRAZY important line--strong(er) vampires have to be WILLING to die in the fire for it to stick? Like Lestat said in QotD: he will ALWAYS "fight for life."

That doesn't actually count for much when you've been regularly starving yourself since 1910. 🙄

What a way to go, lbh, these vamps are effing gorgeous.

PETTY BOOTS THE HOUSE DOWN! 😂

Yeah, about that--but FLEX!

Ouch

GO AWF, KING LOUIS! FLEXXXXXXX!

Louis said REPLACEMENTS!!! ALL the Antoine(tte)s and Davids and Quinns and whoever TF that bum was in NOLA--PALE PROXIES! And yes I AM taking that racially, too! The blacker the berry the sweeter the juice! 😜

Water in a sieve; don't worry. It's the PRINCIPLE of the thing--go sit in the corner for 70+ years and keep having "a think!"

YOU would know better than anyone!

Imma save the big reveal and the reunion for Pt2; I think I'm gonna hit the image limit soon.

[shreddedleopard]

Okay I saw this on a post on my recommended and decided to nick it because dhdjsjdjdjs THIS IS SO GOOOOD.

“put ur Spotify on shuffle and write down the first lyric of the first ten songs that come on, post the poem that results” (character playlist edition)

(Okay I tweaked slightly for some to include first two lines so it makes more sense but UM)

• William James Moriarty edition:

Time to put my medal on

Whose blood to spill?

Sick thoughts

We might just be unkind

Double, double, double

Down

I thought I saw the devil this morning

Looking in the mirror

Regrets collect like old friends

When I was a boy, I didn’t care ‘bout a thing

I can’t forget what we’ve been through now

Murder lives forever and so does war

This is the end, hold your breath and

Count to ten

A dozen crows and then some on the

Rhododendrons.

• Louis James Moriarty edition:

Draw the cat eyes sharp enough to kill a man

All my friends are heathens, take it slow

I’m in the rafters looking down

Are you insane like me?

Be careful making wishes in the dark

Our coming of age has come and gone

I don’t even know myself at all

I’ll make it through the rainy days

I’ll be the one who stands here longer than the rest

To carry on for you

(Screaming thanks for those last two Spotify??)

• Sherliam Edition: (I got carried away shutup)

Remember those walls I built?

Well baby they’re tumbling down

Wise men say, only fools rush in

These are the moments that mean the most

Feeling you closing in, brushing against my skin

I’m giving you a night call to tell you how I feel

Once upon a time, the planets and the fates and all the stars aligned

I wasn’t jealous before we met

I’ll sing it one last time for you

What would I do without your smart mouth.

Sun is gleaming on the water, nothing but the after in our gaze.

(Again WTF I am deceased)

Gonna tag a bunch of people because I adore this, feel free to ignore or if you’re not tagged you wanna jump in, please please do!

@xokiddo @hergan416 @user-needs-new-hyperfixation @methpring @alabaster-moon @tachikoma-x @memento-yuumori anyone else I missed I’m so sorry I suck remembering tumblr usernames LOL but join in!

[prouvaireafterdark]

Practical Ethics || Chapter Ten

In which Armand and Daniel talk. 

| One | Two | Three | Four | Five | Six | Seven | Eight | Nine |

Also on AO3!

***

When Armand wakes, he leaves Daniel sleeping soundly in his bed. He goes about his morning routine the same as always—shower, pray, eat, work—but throughout it all his mind returns again and again to all that transpired yesterday. 

It’s the unknown that bothers him most. He chastises himself for not having the forethought to exchange numbers with Lestat so he would be able to text him for an update on how Louis is doing. It’s too late to do anything about that now, though. He’ll simply have to wait and hope the department is kind enough to send an email to let them know how Louis is recovering. It happened on campus, after all. Word would have gotten around and the decent thing would be to let everyone know Louis is okay before any rumors get out of control.

At that thought, Armand checks his email. He finds no new messages in his inbox save the one from Marius he’d marked unread on purpose as a reminder to finish his work. 

Perhaps after the weekend there’ll be an update, he thinks hopefully.

Without any news, he tries to take solace in the fact that the doctor did not seem overly concerned. Besides, Lestat is surely keeping a close eye on him. However dubious his dedication to his studies is, if anything does happen to Louis, Armand knows Lestat will stop at nothing to get him the help he needs.

Louis will be fine, he tells himself as he opens Marius’ email. You, on the other hand, won’t be if you don’t have this finished for Marius by the end of the weekend.

The threat of Marius’ ire is motivation enough to get started. Armand settles down to work at his small kitchen table without much further distraction.

The afternoon sun is high in the sky by the time Armand hears Daniel groan from the other room. 

His fingers pause above his keyboard at the sound. After a brief moment of deliberation, he rises from his seat and heads down the short hallway that leads to his bedroom. 

Armand lingers at the threshold, leaning against the doorjamb as he watches Daniel wake up properly. It never fails to hold some sense of fascination for him, seeing the man he loves still soft and warm with sleep, his curls sticking up at odd angles. Mundane it may be, but after the harrowing day he had yesterday, Armand considers the sight a pleasure that should never be taken for granted.

Unaware of Armand’s presence, Daniel lies motionless in bed. He’s on his back, his arms raised above his head on his pillow like he’s just stretched and is too lazy to move just yet. Sunlight peeks through the closed blinds on the window by the head of Armand’s bed, casting striped shadows across his body. He’d borrowed one of Armand’s graduate student union shirts to sleep in and as he shoves the covers down to his hips Armand sees that the hem has ridden up nearly to his bellybutton. 

Daniel reaches blindly for the bedside table a moment later, his hand nearly knocking the bottle of Advil Armand had left there for him off the table. He manages to grab it before it rolls too far and with another groan he sits up at last. He opens the bottle and shakes it so a few pills fall into his open palm before he reaches for the tall glass of water sitting on the table. He takes a few greedy gulps before he even puts the pills in his mouth and it’s at that moment that he catches Armand watching him from the doorway.

“Holy shit,” Daniel jumps, nearly spilling his water on the bedspread. “How long have you been standing there?”

Armand laughs and steps into the room. 

“Not long, I assure you,” he says on his way to the bed. He climbs onto it and stretches out beside Daniel on top of the covers, his right elbow propping him up as he continues to look at him. 

“See something you like?” Daniel asks him when the attention becomes too much, his lips curled into an amused smile.

Armand smiles back. 

“Always, beloved,” he tells him, quite seriously, and he’s pleased to see a pink flush brighten Daniel’s cheeks. He has the sudden urge to pull him down to his level and kiss him, but he resists for the moment. He puts two fingers to the bottom of Daniel’s glass instead and encourages him to raise it up toward his lips. “Now be a good boy and take your medicine.”

Daniel glares at him, but Armand knows the heat behind his eyes is most assuredly not from anger. 

“It’s not fair when you call me that,” Daniel says before he does as he’s told, popping the pills into his mouth all at once before taking a sip of his water. 

“When I call you what?” Armand asks, his eyes glued to the way Daniel’s Adam's apple bobs in his throat with each swallow. “‘Beloved’ or ‘good boy’?”

“Both,” Daniel tells him once he’s drained his glass and set it back on the bedside table. He pushes Armand onto his back then and slides down the bed so he’s looking down at him from mere inches away. “You could get me to do anything for you when you call me that and you know it.”

Armand thinks again about Daniel’s frequent drinking, the drugs he takes to study or just unwind after a long day, and the damage he must be doing to his body every time he does it. He wonders if a few well-placed ‘beloved’s would be all it would take to get him to stop, or even cut back. He doubts it very much.

“If only that were true,” Armand sighs as he reaches up to cup Daniel’s face with his palm. His morning stubble scratches softly against his thumb as he strokes a line over his cheekbone. “You’re more stubborn than you give yourself credit for, I fear.”

Daniel laughs at that. “Pot, meet kettle,” he says, gesturing between the two of them.

Armand cocks his head to the side. “What does that mean?” he asks.

“It means that of the two of us only one was stubborn enough to follow through on breaking into his professor’s office even after the other tried to tell him that that was a terrible fucking idea,” Daniel says.

“I wouldn’t say it was a terrible idea,” Armand disagrees. 

“And how do you figure that?” Daniel asks, a deeply skeptical look on his face.

“I learned something. A few somethings, actually,” Armand points out as his eyes dip down to the chain around Daniel’s neck. His fingers follow, pulling the amulet out of his shirt so he can see it. “In the end, it’s what brought us closer together. It’s what made you mine.”

Daniel looks down at where Armand’s thumb is running over the A embossed on the amulet’s face and huffs a soft but incredulous laugh. “I was already yours, Armand,” he reminds him.

“Perhaps,” Armand concedes, “but I didn’t know that I was hurting you. I didn’t know what you needed from me. For getting us to have that conversation, I’d say the whole ordeal was more than worth the trouble.”

Daniel bites his lip as he stares at him for a charged moment, his chest rising and falling with one heavy breath before he surges down to kiss him with so much raw feeling Armand doesn’t even mind that Daniel hasn’t brushed his teeth yet. He drops the amulet and gives himself over to the kiss completely, letting the whole world fall away for one brief but blissful moment.

“I love you,” Daniel tells him when they part, his forehead pressed to Armand's, his fingers tangled in his hair.

“I love you too,” Armand says. 

He leans up with his eyes still closed and blindly steals another kiss, a softer one this time. When they part, Armand looks up at Daniel and sees that his eyes are wet with unshed tears. 

“Hey,” Armand says, his brow creasing with concern. “Are you alright?” 

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Daniel reassures him with a watery smile, but Armand is not so convinced when he rolls onto his back and stares up at the ceiling. “Just a lot going on in my head right now.”

With graduation so close and no job yet secured, it isn’t hard for Armand to imagine why. Still, he doesn’t like the tension lingering in Daniel’s body and he likes the space he has put between them even less.

Armand joins Daniel beneath the covers, seeking to get close to him again. As he does, Daniel lifts his arm in invitation and Armand presses himself to his side. He wraps an arm around Daniel’s waist and throws a leg over his thigh. He hopes his presence is as soothing to Daniel as Daniel’s is to him, but if it isn’t enough to distract him from his troubles, Armand, regrettably, has another card up his sleeve.

“Well, I have something to tell you that might cheer you up,” Armand begins.

One of Daniel’s expressive eyebrows raises in curiosity at that.

“I’m listening,” he says.

Armand takes a fortifying breath, mentally preparing himself for the gloating to come. Daniel is lucky he loves him so much.

“You were right,” Armand tells him at last. “Lestat is Louis’ husband.”

Daniel blinks at him and then laughs, his head thrown back and his mouth stretched in a wide grin. Armand decides in that moment that to see him smile like that is well worth any pride he has to swallow.

“I fucking knew it,” Daniel says, turning his head to gaze back at Armand. “How’d you find out?”

“He came to the hospital as Louis’ next of kin,” Armand explains.

“Hospital?” Daniel asks, his expression twisted in sudden confusion, and it is then that Armand realizes how much of this story he has left to tell.

He sighs and begins to tell it. 

“Well?” Armand asks once he’s finished and Daniel is staring at him in silence. “Aren’t you going to say ‘I told you so’?”

“Uh,” Daniel says intelligently, his brow drawn tight with concern. “I’m a little stuck on the part where you had to hold Louis’ head together while the ambulance got there and then spent the next several hours at the hospital consoling your arch nemesis.”

Armand grimaces a little at Daniel’s synopsis of his day. 

“It wasn’t so dramatic as that,” he protests, but then remembers the way Lestat had burst into the ER wearing a period accurate 18th century costume and screaming at the receptionist and wonders if Daniel perhaps has a point. 

“Still, I mean, fuck,” Daniel says, staring at him with wide, sympathetic eyes. “Are you okay?”

Armand blinks at the question, taken off guard by Daniel’s reaction.

“Why wouldn’t I be?” he asks. 

“Why–?” Daniel starts before he changes tack and continues, “Armand, someone you care about got hurt and you spent hours not knowing if he was going to be okay. And on top of it, you had to sit with his husband, who you hate, while he was an inconsolable wreck. That’s a lot for anyone to deal with.”

“‘Whom,’” Armand corrects him automatically. 

“What?” Daniel asks.

“Its ‘whom,’ not ‘who.’ Lestat is the direct object of the verb in the relative clause,” he explains with all the insufferable pedantry of the philologist who trained him. “And I don’t hate him. I just find him insurmountably irritating at times.”

Daniel looks unamused. “Would you stop deflecting for five minutes and hear what I’m saying?” he asks.

Armand sighs at that. “I hear you,” he says. “And yes, it was horrible and terrifying and I hated every minute of it, but I wasn’t the one who ended up in the hospital. I wasn’t the one who had to sit there and wonder if the man I love more than my own life was going to make it through the night.” 

He staunchly ignores the way his own voice begins to shake the more he rehashes it all, the pain of it burning a hole in his chest he plans to fill with as much of Daniel’s love as he can stand. 

Daniel purses his lips like he wants to say something, but isn’t sure how. Armand cuts him off at the pass and leans in to kiss him softly on the mouth.

“I’m fine, Daniel,” he insists when they part. “I’m just happy to be home with you.”

He watches Daniel melt at that, won over by Armand’s words in spite of how he wanted to argue. Armand takes full advantage, curling tighter around him and resting his head on his chest. 

Daniel sighs, Armand’s head rising and falling with the movement, and begins to play with Armand’s hair the way he likes, gently curling the inky dark strands around his fingers. Armand closes his eyes and lets Daniel’s touch ease the tightness that’s been coiling around his chest. 

He thinks that’s the end of it, that Daniel has let it go and is content to simply let them enjoy each other’s company for a while, but he speaks again a moment later.

“I wish you’d texted me back,” Daniel says, his fingers scratching pleasantly across his scalp. “You don’t have to do everything alone, you know. I would’ve come to sit with you while you waited.”

Daniel’s words are touching, but as Armand tries to imagine it—an inebriated Daniel calling an Uber to drive him to the hospital, or worse still, taking his own car in his haste to be with him and getting himself into an accident—an unpleasant shiver runs down his spine. 

“It’s best that you didn’t,” Armand says, not unkindly as he tightens his arm around Daniel’s waist. “You were not exactly in a state last night to deal with my problems.”

“Sorry,” Daniel audibly cringes. “You were gone a while and I was nervous and, well...”

Armand understands what he’s trying to say. In the months they’ve known each other, he has learned that Daniel often overindulges when he’s feeling stressed and once he starts, it’s difficult for him to stop if he’s left to his own devices. There is one thing he doesn’t understand, though.

“Why were you nervous?” Armand asks him, opening his eyes and lifting his head off his chest to look at him. 

Daniel bites his lip, but doesn’t answer. He looks adorable, to be fair, but it worries him to see. 

“Daniel?” he presses.

“We don’t have to talk about it now,” Daniel says. 

If Daniel had hoped that that response would calm Armand’s worry, it does not. Armand sits up properly, Daniel’s hand falling to the mattress as it slips from his hair.

“What’s going on?” Armand asks him.

Daniel takes a deep breath and sits up so they’re on the same level before he speaks.

“I’ve been thinking about your offer,” he says at last. 

Armand doesn’t have to ask him which offer he means.

“Oh,” he says, his own belly twisting with nerves suddenly. “And?”

“And,” he starts, smiling as he reaches for Armand’s hand and threads their fingers together, “I wanna take you up on it. After graduation, if you still want me to… I’d like to move in with you.”

Armand’s vision fills with light, warm and golden with little swirls of pink. The thought of it—of coming home to Daniel every day, of sharing and building a life with him here in this apartment that now feels so empty the moment Daniel leaves—has his heart nearly full to bursting, his apprehension from moments before nothing but a distant memory. 

He can’t help himself—he practically pounces onto Daniel’s lap, straddling his hips as he smothers him with kisses. He lets go of Daniel’s hand to cradle his face between his palms and Daniel’s arms come around his waist, holding him close as he kisses him back with equal fervor.

“You were nervous about telling me that?” Armand laughs at him when he finally brings himself to pull away, looking down at Daniel’s smiling face with affection so strong Armand is sure there must be cartoon hearts in his eyes. “I love you, you ridiculous boy. Did you think I might have changed my mind?”

Daniel laughs, but the smile in his eyes begins to dim slightly as some unknown thought tempers his happiness.

“No,” he says, looking down as if suddenly finding the V of Armand’s neckline very interesting. “It wasn’t you I was nervous about telling—am nervous about telling.”

“Then who?” Armand asks, not understanding the issue.

It takes a moment for Daniel to meet his eyes once more, and when he does, he confesses, “I’m nervous about telling my parents.”

Ah.

“They don’t know you’re bisexual, do they?” Armand guesses, letting his hands slip from Daniel’s face to rest on the sides of his neck. 

“No,” Daniel confirms. “I didn’t even know I was bisexual until you came along.”

Armand raises his eyebrows skeptically at that. While it’s true that Daniel was relatively inexperienced with men when they met, Armand knows for a fact that he wasn’t his first.

“Don’t look at me like that,” Daniel pouts. “Sucking dick for drugs in bathroom stalls isn’t the same thing as falling in love. Being in denial about my attraction to men was a lot easier before I met you.” 

Armand’s eyes soften, oddly charmed by that statement. “I’m flattered.”

“You should be,” Daniel tells him and that smile begins to come back, bit by bit. “It was only through your relentless determination to drive me completely insane that I had to face the facts.”

Armand laughs. “You say ‘relentless determination’ as if you didn’t put yourself in my path at every opportunity.”

“I did no such thing,” Daniel denies.

“Oh no?” Armand asks. “Then what do you call sprawling out on the grass in the middle of the quad?”

“Enjoying the sun,” Daniel answers. “You should try it sometime.”

“It was November,” Armand counters. 

“Global warming’s a bitch, huh?” he shoots back.

“Alright,” Armand laughs with a shake of his head. “Then how about working at the front desk of the library for weeks even though we both know you hate customer service and would rather be reshelving book returns?” 

“We were short staffed,” Daniel shrugs.

“And studying at the table by the window of the Starbucks across from Trinity Hall?” Armand presses.

“They’re insanely overpriced, but their coffee is excellent,” Daniel answers.

“Yes and there’s another location on the other end of campus that’s closer to the student newspaper’s office,” Armand argues. 

“I needed to get my steps in,” Daniel deadpans.

“Daniel,” Armand laughs, leaning into his space until their foreheads rest together.

“What?” he asks, trying and failing not to laugh along with him.

“Admit it,” Armand insists. “You wanted to be chased. You wanted me to find you again or you wouldn’t have made yourself so easy to find. If you want to blame your bisexual awakening on me, fine. I will gladly wear that as a badge of honor. But let us please not pretend you weren’t begging for another taste when I ran into you in the Commons after Khayman’s Halloween party. If you truly were trying to avoid me, you certainly wouldn’t have looked at me like that when I found you.”

“And how did I look at you?” Daniel asks, the pitch of his voice dipping lower, as if in anticipation of what Armand’s answer will be.

“Like you said yourself earlier,” Armand answers, craning his neck to the side to whisper the words in his ear. “Like you’d do anything for me.” He takes the silver hoop earring dangling from Daniel’s ear between his teeth and gently tugs, quietly delighting in the soft gasp he elicits. “Like you’d let me do anything I wanted to you.” 

Armand feels Daniel’s pulse quicken against his fingertips, feels his hips shift beneath his weight, and when he pulls back to look at his beautiful face he sees his mossy green irises nearly swallowed up by large, doe-like pupils and a rosy flush high on his cheeks. 

“Yes, just like that,” Armand praises him with a tender smile, his eyes hooded as he watches his own thumb run along the edge of Daniel’s parted lips. “I challenge anyone to try to resist this face. I’m sure Helen herself would weep with jealousy at the sight of you.” 

“Fuck,” Daniel groans, his fingers tightening their grip on Armand’s waist. “And you say you didn’t seduce me.”

“Oh, I never said that,” Armand responds, smiling with teeth. “I just said it wasn’t very hard.”

Daniel laughs at that, a sudden, sharp sound that bursts from his chest without permission. 

“You’re such a dick,” he says.

“Lucky for me that’s one of the things you like about me, then,” Armand quips.

Daniel laughs again before he leans in to kiss him once more. Armand has half a mind to push him back against the mattress and find new ways to distract them both from their troubling thoughts, but there’s something he needs to make sure Daniel understands first.

“There’s no shame in wanting who you want, Daniel,” Armand tells him when they part. “You know that, don’t you?”

“I know,” he nods, but his smile dims again in a way Armand does not like.

“Then why are you worried about telling your parents?” Armand asks him gently. “Do you think they’ll have a problem with it?” 

Or is it me you think they’ll have a problem with? he almost continues, but he dares not speak the words aloud. It is not the first time it has occurred to him that his half-Armenian, half-Irish Catholic boyfriend’s parents might not approve of their only son being involved with a Muslim man, but Armand is not sure he’s emotionally prepared to receive the answer to that question today. 

Daniel sucks on his bottom lip as he thinks about it.

“They’re New York Democrats so probably not,” Daniel says, his voice lifting at the end as if in a question. “My grandma would have if she were still alive, but she was a born hater who had a problem with pretty much everything so that’s not really saying much.”

Armand huffs a laugh at that.

“But, you know,” Daniel continues with a shrug. “Just because they don’t complain about pride parades congesting the city doesn’t mean they’ll be happy to hear their son is moving in with his boyfriend.” 

“I’m sure they’ll love you no matter what,” Armand assures him. 

“And if they don’t?” Daniel asks, looking lost in a way Armand has never seen him.

Armand places a kiss on Daniel’s forehead before he wraps his arms tightly across his shoulders and holds him close, his cheek resting on the top of Daniel’s head. 

“Then I’ll just have to make up the difference,” Armand says. 

Daniel’s arms circle his waist once again. Pressed this close, Armand can feel each rise and fall of Daniel’s chest, each beat of his heart as he processes what he has told him. 

“You really think you can do that?” he asks quietly, whispering the words against the hollow of Armand’s throat.

Armand’s heart aches at his question, at the uncertainty and vulnerability in his voice.

“Of course I can,” Armand tells him softly, but with conviction. “I have a lot of love to give, Daniel. To you most of all.”

Daniel’s grip becomes so tight it’s nearly painful as he lets out a harsh breath against his skin, but Armand says nothing more. He only runs his fingers through Daniel’s curls as he takes a moment to compose himself again.

When Daniel pulls back from their embrace, his cheeks are wet with tears. There is a powerful need in his eyes too, one as well-worn and familiar to Armand as a pair of old boots. It is as if he can hear Daniel’s voice in his own head, whispering, begging him to touch him, to kiss him, to love him, now and always. 

Armand has no intention of ever disappointing him.

He gently kisses the tears from Daniel’s flushed cheeks before he leans in to kiss him on the mouth. Daniel’s lips are pleasantly warm against his own and this time when Daniel opens his mouth to deepen the kiss, Armand lets him, his own need for intimacy nearly overwhelming. 

He loses himself completely to the heat of Daniel’s mouth, to the way his fingers grip at his waist and run along his back, to the feel of him warm and solid beneath him. He’s so focused on Daniel, Armand doesn’t even notice how hard he’s getting until strong hands haul him even closer by his hips so he can grind his cock against Daniel’s belly. 

He moans, taken off guard by the sudden burst of pleasure he feels at the friction. Daniel’s mouth curls into a satisfied smile against his own as he goes in for another kiss, his palms sliding down to cup Armand’s ass over his sweatpants. 

Armand nips at Daniel’s bottom lip in retaliation and the smug grin drops from his face as he groans, his grip on Armand tightening for just a moment while his lip is caught between his teeth. 

Armand reaches for the hem on Daniel’s borrowed shirt then and breaks their kiss to pull it up and over his head, desperate to feel him skin to skin. Once his shirt is off, Armand pushes Daniel down by the shoulders, sending him flat onto his back. From this new perspective, he can see how Daniel’s lips have become red and wet where Armand had bitten him. It gives him an idea.

“Hey,” Daniel pouts, moving to sit up again, but Armand just pushes him back down with his hands planted on his chest.

“Stay there,” he tells him with a firm, but loving voice.

Any further protests Daniel might have made die in his throat immediately as he does as he’s told. 

“Good boy,” Armand says, rewarding Daniel’s obedience with a smile as he strips off his own shirt and tosses it to the side to deal with later.

If Daniel’s eyes weren’t nearly black with desire before they certainly are now. Armand doesn’t give himself long to enjoy the view before he follows him down to the bed and pulls him into another feverish kiss. 

Daniel is quick to touch him again, his hands warm against Armand’s cold skin as they eagerly travel the expanse of his back and try to pull him even closer. Armand begins to rock their hips together, grinding his cock against Daniel’s through their clothes. It’s good, but not nearly enough to sate the desire coursing through him.

It’s not long before Armand begins to trail warm, wet kisses down to his neck. Daniel must sense Armand’s intentions because his breath begins to come quickly then, his heart racing with anticipation as Armand lingers there, lavishing his sensitive skin with attention with his lips and tongue. 

“Please,” Daniel begs him after a few moments of teasing, leaning his head back onto the pillow and baring his throat to his mouth.

Armand smiles at Daniel’s impatience. They’ve only just started and the begging has already begun. Were this any other time, Armand would draw this out, make him wait for it that much longer, until he was so wound up he would pop like a bottle of warm champagne at the first press of Armand’s teeth. 

Right at this moment, however, he can’t think of a single reason to deny him. With one last tender kiss to his throat, Armand finally gives Daniel what he wants and delicately sinks his teeth into his flesh—not enough to break the skin, but just enough to hurt. 

Daniel moans, arching his neck into the bite, his cock so hard beneath him he must be leaking through his boxers by now. 

Armand soothes the pain with an open-mouthed kiss before he does it again on the other side of his neck without warning. 

Daniel keens, higher this time at the unexpected pain, and as Armand runs his tongue over the indents left by his own teeth, Daniel calls his name. 

Armand ignores him at first, thinking it only an impassioned exclamation, until he hears him say it again a moment later.

“Armand,” he pants, restlessly squirming beneath him.

“What is it, Daniel?” he asks, lifting his head to look at him. “What do you need?”

“I need you,” Daniel whimpers, his hips rolling insistently upward, seeking friction. There are tears gathered at the corners of Daniel’s eyes, but that’s not unusual when they play like this. 

“I’m here,” Armand soothes him. 

He shifts to the side of Daniel, one leg still thrown over his thigh to give himself more space. The sheets have migrated well below their hips and as he looks down Armand can see now the small damp stain spreading across the front of Daniel’s tented gray boxer briefs. 

Daniel lets out a plaintive noise at the new distance between them, but it’s shortly followed by a soft gasp as Armand slips his hand beneath the elastic waistband of his underwear and wraps his hand around him, his thumb circling the slippery head of his cock.  

“How do you need me, beloved?” Armand asks him, his voice low as he spreads the precome weeping from his slit down the length of his cock. He starts to jerk him off nice and slow as he continues, “I’ll give you anything you want. Do you want to finish in my hand, just like this?” 

Daniel shakes his head. Armand kisses his cheek before he places his lips at his ear.

“How about in my mouth then? Or with me inside you?” he asks, listing the options as they come to mind, before he finally adds, “I’ll even let you fuck me if you want to.”

Daniel’s cock twitches in his grip as soon as he says it and Armand hides his smile against the curve of Daniel’s jaw. It was an impulsive suggestion, but the thought of it fills Armand with a need he hasn’t felt in a very long time.

“Is that it, Daniel?” he asks as he presses a kiss to his throat. “Do you want to fuck me in our bed?”

Daniel lets out a shuddering breath. When he shifts to meet Armand’s eyes there’s something hesitant about his expression, the desire he’d just been experiencing taking a back seat for the moment.

“You know I do, but…” Daniel says, his voice tentative like he isn’t sure how to put his thoughts into words. “Are you sure you want me to?” 

It’s no wonder why he’s asking. It’s not something he’s ever offered Daniel before. In fact, the one time Daniel had brought up the idea of switching early on in their relationship, Armand had shot him down immediately. 

For the longest time, the act reminded him too much of Marius and the ways he had taken control from him for Armand to ever wish to repeat it. He likes to be the one in charge these days, to be the one making decisions for himself, and it has been hard for him to divorce the idea that being fucked means being submissive—and being controlled—from his mind. As innocent as Daniel’s suggestion had been all those months ago, it had filled him with dread, fear gripping him suddenly and completely. He told himself he could never allow himself to be vulnerable like that again—not after how hard he’d fought to pick up the pieces of his heart and regain his autonomy after Marius abandoned him in Venice.

As he looks down at Daniel now, though, his heart full to bursting at the sight of him, it doesn’t feel like submission to offer him this. It feels like love.

“I’m sure,” he promises him. “I trust you.”

Daniel’s eyes soften at that and when he leans in to kiss him again, it’s gentle and sweet. Armand quickly deepens the kiss and before long the heat has built between them again, reigniting the need burning inside them both. 

“Okay,” Daniel pants when he pulls away, more to himself than to Armand before he looks him in the eyes again and asks him, “How do you want to do this? Maybe on your hands and knees? That was easier for me at first.”

The tiniest tremor of fear runs through Armand at that suggestion.

“No,” he shakes his head, the answer coming a little too quickly for it to sound nonchalant. “I need to see your face.”

I need to know it’s you, he thinks, but doesn’t say aloud.

Daniel gives him an easy smile. “Sure thing, boss,” he says. “How about you lie back for me then?”

Armand nods and rolls onto his back. He pulls off his underwear along with his sweatpants, kicking them both haphazardly to the floor as Daniel climbs off the bed and pokes around in his bedside table for a minute. He returns a moment later with a bottle of their preferred brand of lube and a box of condoms, placing them on the bed beside Armand.

Armand takes a deep breath as Daniel nudges his legs apart and moves between them. The pleasure he experiences as Daniel settles his weight on top of him and rocks their hips together is dulled by the nervous feeling suddenly creeping in on him. He tries to shove it down with a string of comforting affirmations—It’s just Daniel. There’s nothing to be scared of. He loves you, more than you deserve—but it’s difficult to ignore. 

“Armand,” Daniel says suddenly, interrupting Armand’s train of thought. 

He must have closed his eyes because he opens them now to see Daniel looking down at him, his green eyes warm and searching. 

“You with me?” he asks, leaning over him on his elbow so he can reach up with his other hand to brush the backs of his fingers over Armand’s cheek. His gentle touch tickles a little, but Armand is so disarmed by his question he barely notices. 

“Always,” Armand tells him, his voice scarcely above a whisper.

Daniel smiles softly and leans in to kiss him then. Armand feels the weight on his chest grow lighter with every reassuring press of Daniel’s lips. The distinctive scent of stale cigarette smoke and faded cologne that clings to his curls fills Armand’s nose once more and he finds a strange sense of comfort in it.

It’s just Daniel. There’s nothing to be scared of. He loves you, more than you deserve.

“Tell me if you need a break or if you want to stop, okay?” Daniel says when they part.

Armand nods distractedly, his eyes still glued to Daniel’s mouth. 

“Ah, ah,” Daniel chastises with a smirk and Armand’s eyes flick back up to Daniel’s, his brow drawn in confusion. “I have it on very good authority that communication is very important at times like this. Can you repeat that back for me so I know you understand?”

Armand rolls his eyes, but it makes him laugh too. He’s had Daniel do this for him many times before, just to make sure Daniel remembers he can say no or ask for a break if things get to be too much. With their history of miscommunication and Daniel’s occasional reluctance to share what goes on inside his beautiful head, it felt important that they make it routine to ensure Daniel is safe, especially during their more intense scenes. To see Daniel flipping the script on him, so to speak, is surprisingly endearing.

“I will tell you if I need a break or if I want to stop,” Armand tells him. “Does that satisfy you, Daniel?”

“It’ll do,” he grins wider with as much of a shrug as he can manage from his position. 

Armand rolls his eyes again and huffs another quiet laugh before he surges up to kiss the smile off of Daniel's face. This time, when Daniel's hips rock against him, the tension Armand felt earlier is nothing but a memory and a soft sound of pleasure escapes him, caught by Daniel’s kiss.

Daniel indulges him for a long moment before his lips leave Armand's mouth and move to his neck. He kisses a lazy path from his throat to his collarbone and finally down to his sternum. He feels one of Daniel's hands cup the defined muscles of his chest, his thumb flicking over one of his nipples before he turns his head and latches his mouth onto the other. 

Armand moans, his thighs dropping open a little wider around Daniel's waist as he starts to suck. He gives Armand a taste of his own medicine, alternating between teasing his nipples with his lips and tongue before tugging them between his teeth. It distracts him well enough that Armand doesn’t even notice the bottle of lube has been uncapped until he feels Daniel's slick fingers between his cheeks. He must have warmed the lube between his fingers first because it isn’t cold like he’s expecting when he rubs them over his hole. 

Armand gasps softly as Daniel’s finger finally breaches him. As familiar as the sensation was to him once, the stretch feels odd at first—uncomfortable, even—as Daniel starts to work him open with one finger and then two. He tries his best to relax and focus on the sucking heat of Daniel’s mouth on his chest instead, but his erection starts to flag a little anyway. It doesn’t help that Daniel hasn’t found his prostate yet—whether by choice or inexperience, Armand isn’t sure—and Armand begins to grow restless, desperate for the pleasure he knows Daniel is capable of giving him.

Something must show on his face because when Daniel lifts his mouth from Armand’s chest to look at him, he asks him, “How are you feeling?” 

“Okay,” Armand tells him, trying hard not to squirm. 

“Hmm,” Daniel hums thoughtfully, studying his face as he pushes his fingers back inside him. When he starts to pull them out again, he curls them toward Armand’s navel and asks, “How about now?” 

Bright golden sunspots burst behind Armand’s eyes as Daniel's fingers finally stroke over his prostate. 

“Ah, fuck,” Armand cries, his back bowing off the mattress, his hand clutching at Daniel's shoulder. “Daniel.”

Daniel laughs softly at the drama of his reaction, shifting up the bed to press a kiss to the corner of Armand's parted lips.

“What, you think I didn’t learn a thing or two from you?” he smiles, curling his fingers once more and dragging a heated moan from deep in Armand’s chest as he rubs against that spot inside him. “You've been a very thorough teacher.”

He looks entirely too pleased with himself, but Armand cannot bring himself to care so long as he keeps touching him there. 

“Don't stop,” he gasps, canting his hips into Daniel's touch.

“Anything you say, boss,” Daniel manages to answer before Armand tugs him into a proper kiss,  both hands buried in his wild curls.  

Daniel kisses him back eagerly and it’s not long before he has Armand writhing on three of his fingers, his cock once more a heavy weight on his stomach. 

“Enough,” Armand whines when the tension begins to build too much, reaching for Daniel's wrist to still his hand. “Please.”

“Please what?” Daniel asks him, like he doesn’t know, like it isn’t fucking obvious what Armand is so desperate for. 

Frustrated tears begin to gather in Armand’s eyes. This has to be revenge for their first night together, when Armand fingered Daniel in his small twin bed until he nearly bit through his own lip so the partygoers outside their door wouldn’t hear him begging for it. It had been fun for him then to delay the inevitable, to watch Daniel approach the edge again and again, so close to falling apart Armand could feel him tightening desperately around his fingers. The prospect of Daniel doing the same to him now, though, is almost too much for him to bear. 

“Fuck me,” Armand answers, too strung out to put much force behind the words. 

Though his voice lacks the usual power of his commands, Daniel obeys him all the same. With one more tender kiss, Armand feels Daniel’s fingers withdraw from his body before he sits back on his knees between Armand’s thighs and reaches for the bottle of lube he left lying on the bed. 

Armand misses his warmth immediately, hating how the cool air conditioning feels against his heated skin. He watches, propped up on his elbows, as Daniel rolls a condom down his cock and spreads some lube over himself with a loose fist. 

Just as he thinks Daniel is finally about to fuck him, he squeezes a little more lube into his hand and brings two fingers back to Armand's hole, slipping them easily back inside him. Armand is about to groan a complaint about how long he’s making him wait for it when he notices the focus in Daniel’s expression as his fingers spread more lube inside him.

He realizes then that Daniel isn’t dragging this out merely for his own amusement—he's trying to make sure Armand is ready. 

The thought strikes him mute for a moment. He doesn’t quite know what to do with that. No one he’s ever been with—not even Marius on his best day—has ever handled him with such care. 

“I won’t break, you know,” Armand says quietly.

“I know,” Daniel says. He curls his fingers just a little as he eases them out of Armand’s body, once more pulling a gasp from Armand. He leans over him then, their faces so close Daniel’s features start to blur as he says, “But that doesn’t mean I’m not gonna do my best to make sure I don’t hurt you.”

It’s hard to argue with that, especially when Daniel silences any protest he could possibly make by capturing his lips in a kiss. 

“Can you lift your hips for me for a second?” Daniel asks him when he pulls away.

Armand swallows the emotions rising in his throat and complies without a word. He lets Daniel shove a pillow beneath his hips, raising them so he'll have a better angle. Once he’s exactly where Daniel wants him, Daniel finally takes his own cock in hand.

Armand watches between his thighs as Daniel lines his cock up against his hole, his heart pounding with anticipation.

“Ready?” Daniel asks him.

Armand nods, not trusting his voice.

Twin groans fill the air as the thick head of Daniel’s cock pushes past Armand’s rim. If he thought Daniel's careful preparation was gratuitous, he was wrong. It doesn't hurt, but with every inch Daniel sinks into him Armand feels a little like he's being split open, like Daniel is carving out a space for himself inside him.

“Oh god,” Daniel moans, sounding every bit as overwhelmed as Armand feels. “Fuck, you feel so good, baby.”

Armand opens his mouth to speak, but he can hardly manage more than an inarticulate groan. It’s like all the air has been pushed out of his lungs and all he can focus on is the all-consuming fullness inside him. He drops his head back against his pillow and tries to breathe through it. He reaches for his own cock where it lies trapped and leaking between their bellies, but Daniel lightly bats his hand away and wraps his own around him instead. 

“Let me,” he says and starts to stroke him, his hand still slick with lube. 

The glide of Daniel’s hand over his cock is the perfect distraction as he adjusts to the feeling of his cock inside him. A fire catches low in his belly that grows and grows until Armand is urging Daniel to move, his legs wrapped high up on his waist and his hands touching him wherever he can reach.

With a few experimental rolls of his hips, Daniel starts to find his rhythm, fucking him with increasingly strong, steady thrusts that have Armand panting for more. He shouts as the head of Daniel’s cock bumps his prostate, pleasure bursting in sunspots behind his eyes.

“Right there, baby?” Daniel asks him, and he doesn't wait for an answer as he does it again, angling his hips just right and tearing another moan from Armand’s chest. Daniel starts to fuck him in earnest then with sharp thrusts that make punched out little sounds fall from Armand's lips as his hand still twists around his cock. 

He watches Armand closely from above, as if committing every gasp, every moan, every sigh he makes to memory. Armand is no stranger to exhibitionism, but this is different. The attention makes him feel raw, flayed open and bare, as if his soul—not his body—is exposed for all the world to see. 

Except it isn't the world looking down at him with devotion in its eyes. It's Daniel, the person he trusts most, and there is such freedom in that, he realizes, in knowing that someone sees you, all of you, and loves you all the same.

“Kiss me,” Armand tells him, begs him, and Daniel is quick to follow orders, slowing his movements to a deep, dirty grind that has Armand's toes curling as he licks into his mouth. 

Armand kisses him until he can barely breathe. He’s gasping as they part, drawing in greedy breaths as he looks up at Daniel like he's the only thing that matters. The afternoon sun pales in comparison to the golden light Armand sees emanating from him as he hovers over him, his chest glistening with sweat as he drives his cock into him over and over, just where he needs it. 

Of course it does, he thinks, a little deliriously, as he reaches up to cup Daniel’s face in his hands, staring intently into his mossy green eyes. What is a mediocre star compared to him?

It’s that thought that echoes in his mind as he feels the tension in his belly coiling tighter, his orgasm rapidly approaching. His world narrows to the hot drag of Daniel's cock inside him and within moments, Armand is coming with hardly a sound, his cock jerking hard in Daniel's grip as he makes a mess of them both.

“That's it, baby. Come for me,” Daniel groans as he fucks him through it until Armand’s thighs are trembling on either side of his hips and he’s on the edge of overstimulation.

Daniel follows him over the edge a moment later, moaning into Armand’s neck and shoving himself so deep inside him Armand is sure he’ll feel him there for days. Armand holds him close as they both catch their breath, one hand raking his fingers through Daniel’s sweat-damp curls as the other traces patterns over his shoulder.

A small sound of discomfort escapes Armand as Daniel pulls his softening cock out of him. Daniel places an apologetic kiss to his lips before he moves off of him to sit up. He disposes of the condom, tying it off before dropping it in the trash can beside the bed. 

He feels uncomfortably sticky and in desperate need of another shower, but when Daniel lies back down on the bed next to him, Armand can’t help but seek him out again, rolling over so he can rest his head on Daniel’s chest, too loose-limbed to even think about cleaning up just yet. 

“So how’d I do?” Daniel asks him, his breath warm against Armand’s forehead as he wraps an arm around him, his fingers resting in the dip of Armand’s waist. 

Armand huffs a delirious laugh against his collarbone. 

“Ask me again when I can feel my legs,” he says, the dark hair covering Daniel’s chest tickling his cheek. 

Daniel laughs and presses a kiss to Armand’s hair. 

“That good, huh?” He asks, sounding wildly pleased with himself. Armand supposes that after that performance he deserves the praise. 

He lifts his head off Daniel's chest to look at him properly. His smile is smug, his cheeks are flushed pink, and his hair looks utterly ridiculous. Armand falls just a little more in love with him.

“It’s always that good with you, Daniel,” Armand tells him, his own smile impossibly fond.

Daniel pulls him into a kiss then. It must be their thousandth one today and yet it still feels just as powerful as their first. Armand stays close when they part, pulling back just far enough to see Daniel's face. 

“Are you feeling any better?” Armand asks him.

“Yeah,” he nods, and this time it is convincing. “Thank you.”

Armand tilts his head curiously at that. “For what?” he asks. 

“For what you said,” Daniel answers. “For being here. It means a lot.”

Armand doesn't know what to say. Before he can try to find the words, Daniel continues.

“And it goes both ways, you know,” Daniel tells him. “Whatever happens with Louis or Marius or whoever else is giving you shit, I'll be with you, okay? We can handle it together.”

Armand isn't quite sure what that would look like—not with the sort of problems Marius gives him on a semi-regular basis—but he must admit he likes the sound of it. 

“Together,” he promises and seals it with a kiss.

He rests his head on Daniel's chest again when they part, relishing the warmth and comfort of his embrace. He still has work he ought to finish before the day is over, but it can wait. There's always tomorrow, after all, and this moment feels too precious for him to ruin by getting out of bed right now.

It should come as no surprise, then, that he finds a way to ruin it anyway. 

He's mapping the freckles on Daniel's chest with the tip of his finger when Daniel calls his name.

“Hey, Armand?” he asks.

“Hmm?” Armand hums, turning his face up to look at him.

“Have you told your parents about us yet?” Daniel asks him. “Or are you in the same boat as I am with having to come out and everything?”

Armand goes very still. 

It’s a fair question. He can’t blame Daniel for asking it. Neither of those truths soften the blow to Armand's heart.

Because Armand has always been secure in the knowledge, at least in the flashes of memory he still retained, that his parents—wherever they were—loved him very much. It had been his sole source of comfort in the hellish catacombs he had once called home, the one thing his tormentors could never take from him. As he was forced to sleep on rough stone floors night after night and was savagely beaten for the crime of even mentioning their existence, he never let himself forget that somewhere in the world, his parents were looking for him. Somewhere in the world, they still loved him.

And as he considers the implications of Daniel’s question, it occurs to him that, were he to ever somehow find them again and tell them about his life—about Daniel—that there is a chance that that might no longer be true.

The wall Armand keeps in between the raw, jagged piece of his heart that mourns them and the rest of the world crumbles. A sudden, gaping emptiness opens in his chest, so wide and all-consuming he almost doesn’t notice the racing of his heart. The features of Daniel’s face blur beyond recognition and his voice, his beautiful voice, sounds warped and fuzzy as it reaches his ears.

“Armand?” he hears him say, a haze of confusion rounding out the edges of the consonants.

Armand opens his mouth to speak, but no sound comes out.

“Shit, was it bad?” Daniel asks, jumping to a logical, but incorrect assumption.

Daniel reaches up to cup his cheek, but Armand flinches at the unexpected touch. His eyes focus once more and he sees the way Daniel's brow is furrowed with worry, concern etched into every line on his face. 

The guilt he feels is crushing. He hates that he did that, that he'd ruined Daniel's happiness even for a moment. He needs to get away from him before he makes it worse, he needs to—

“I need a shower,” he manages to say, his own voice drowned out by the ringing in his ears. He climbs off the bed without waiting for Daniel to reply. 

He leaves his bedroom and crosses the hall to the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. He turns the shower on in the hopes that the noise will drown out the thoughts running through his mind too quickly to even articulate. 

When it doesn't work, he gets inside the shower. The water is ice cold as he steps under the spray, but Armand barely notices. He stands with his back against the cool tile wall and slides down to the floor, his knees pulled tight to his chest.

He can hear Daniel calling his name, but he can't find his voice to answer him. Faintly, he registers the bathroom door swinging open on its hinges. He can't bring himself to take his eyes off his knees.  

The water stops. A towel is draped across his back and shoulders. Warm arms wrap around him, holding him tight. He smells stale cigarette smoke and faded cologne. Bit by bit the world comes back into focus.

“Baby, what happened?” Daniel asks him, his tone sharp with worry and confusion. “Talk to me, please, what's going on?”

“They're gone,” Armand tells him, the words leaving his mouth as if he learned to say them by rote, his voice as hollow as his heart. “They're gone.”

[itsnotreal]

annoying any other surrounding friends/teammates with their consistent arguing PLEASE

“Okay, but that’s actually stupid.” Louis said with a roll of his eyes.

“That’s—?” Harry fish-mouthed. “How? Explain how that’s stupid?”

“Why would you use a paper towel to clean up the spilled water?” He opened a drawer in the kitchen and pulled out a cloth. “We have perfectly good hand towels.”

“It was convenient, Lewis.” Harry scoffed, threw the sopping wet paper towel at the other man, smirked when he had to dodge it. “Excuse me for not wanting to ruin Zayn’s laptop.”

“Well, you’re so environmentally friendly. Figured it would—.”

“Can you two shut up?” Niall interrupted, voice loud and exasperated.

Harry threw his hands up, “I didn’t even—.”

“We don’t care.” Liam interrupted this time much to Harry and Louis— from the quick glance they exchanged— surprise. “You two are constantly at each others’ throats. Either fuck or stay away from each other.”

Harry was at a loss for words so he just blinked a few times eyebrows scrunched in confusion. What? He didn’t want to fu—.

“I mean I’m down if you’re down.” Louis spoke up suddenly, thumb pointed towards the hallway.

“What?” Harry screamed.

Louis’ shrugged easily.