#luckily there was more strangers that came to help me. i asked for my phone so i could call my parents to at least let them know

[gatun-gatunesco]

...

[mykoreanlove]

If you’re an over-thinker, you’re an under-feeler

You had been isolated for the last couple of hours - ever since you came back from your doctor‘s appointment you were absentminded, too preoccupied with researching your newfound condition.

Your boyfriend checked in on you every other hour but didn’t dare to interrupt you. You were laying in your bed, scrolling through your phone, trying to find all the missing answers.

„Acid reflux… sour taste… sore voice…medication“, you mumbled under your breath.

Seonghwa watched you for the tenth time this evening - your forehead was creased with concern, not really understanding why your body was suddenly betraying you.

He loved you, he really did. You completed him in ways which he had never dreamed of: you were analytical, prone to detail and observant. But you were also prone to anxiety, in danger of getting lost in your own destructive thoughts.

„How many hours can one google this shit“, he muttered under his breath.

„Suffering…Surgery…Depression“, you coaxed as your voice broke from fear of what was about to come.

„Okay, that’s enough“, he sternly entered the room, sitting at the end of the kingsize bed.

„What is?“

„You doing this to yourself, y/n. We’re going to find a solution baby, but this is not it“, he folded his arms authoritatively.

„Seongie, please. I have to research this, I have to understand. I don’t want to be in pain anymore“, you sobbed quietly.

„I know, baby. But reading blog entries from strangers for hours only stresses you out. How many times are you overthinking the same problem? Like, that doesn’t help. Don’t you think?“

„No“, you snapped back.

Seonghwa knew that it was pointless to argue with you. After all, you were a thinking person whereas he was more of the feeling nature. How was he to distract you from your endless mind chatter?

Suddenly, an idea struck him.

He pushed the blanket away and started kissing your shins.

„What are you doing?“, you asked irritated.

„I am helping you getting out of your head and back into your body, princess. Just relax.“

„Seongie, I don’t want to relax. I want to read and think. I need to overthink, I need to focus on my fucking problem!“, you snapped desperately.

Seonghwa didn’t break eye contact as he was kissing upwards, getting dangerously close to your core.

„See baby, I know this is what you want. But it’s not what you need. What you need…“, he paused to take off your lacy panties, „is to take a break from thinking. Let me help you with that.“

Seeing your precious pussy made him inhale sharply. No matter how often he got to bury himself in between your thighs, he always cherished it like it was the first time.

The colours, the taste, the smell - he was biting his lip in anticipation.

„Ugh, fine“, you gave in and fell back on to the mattress. Seonghwa‘s hand slowly reached for your phone, placing it behind him.

„My poor baby. So stressed out“, he cooed in between your legs.

„Even your beautiful pussy is dry. That’s no way to live, don’t you think?“, he asked seductively.

Slowly, he placed wet kisses all over your core, taking his time to arouse you properly.

Luckily, that didn’t take long.

„So wet, so fast, princess“, he hummed in admiration.

„Like I had a choice“, you snapped back at him.

His cheeky giggles filled the whole room. He knew what effect he had on you and he loved it, thrived off of it.

„Even if you’re acting like a brat right now… I can’t think of anything else but eating you out. Isn’t that crazy, y/n?“

You pushed your hips against his face, ushering him to finally do it. His plan was working without you even realizing. You were no longer thinking about your doomed health, but his tongue circling around your clit.

„Seongie“, you whined.

„Yes, my love?“

He batted his Bambi eyes at you, playing innocent. You grabbed a fistful of his long hair and pushed him into your pussy, making it utterly clear that you were done waiting.

Like a real man he devoured all of you, instantly. His tongue slippery circling around your throbbing clit, his long fingers quickly pushing in and out of your heated entrance, turning you into a trembling mess right in front of him.

Your sticky juices were dripping down his cheek as he finally came back up, grinning from ear to ear.

He didn’t say a word but just watched. Your chest was breathing heavily, eyes shut and mouth wide open.

„Bingo“, he applauded himself. He got up swiftly and laid down next to you, grabbing your delicate hands and squeezing them lightly.

„Baby, what are you thinking about now?“, he asked smoothly.

„Not a single thing“, you answered truthfully.

„Not one thought?“

„No, it‘s like you fucked me brainless“, you mused.

„Shit, I like that“, he said with a big grin. „Can we, like, do that again?“

[seonghwa10ve]

Protector of my life|01

Pairing: ceo!Jungkook x bodyguard!reader

Theme: fluff , angst ,eventual smut, strangers to co-workers to???.

Synopsis: You saved a man when he was almost assassinated by two men but you save his life. What happens when you join an academy only for female bodyguards.

A/n: Finally started writing it and I hope you guys will love it and don't worry I'll be updating the rest soon anyways... enjoy 🥰💞

It was beautiful

The sky was so blue without clouds and the sun has never shun so bright in the morning making the view in the city with large buildings so breath-taking.

The cafe was rich with the aroma of coffee beans and the sound of the customers either ordering or talking to their loved ones was peaceful.

When you were younger, you always imagined having the best career and so many journeys you could dream of. But as some people say life is a bitch and that's how you ended up here trying to look for a suitable job but all of them were already taken.

Being the only child throughout your childhood was lonely but you got to understand yourself and even got a best friend , Yeji.

Yeji always had a cheerful personality till now and was always a supportive friend.

That's why you two became roommates. She came from a very wealthy family which is hard to believe that she actually made you her best friend. Yeji has been a humble human being since you two bonded. You didn't even know she came from a rich family until she brought you to her house when you two were in highschool.

When you came out of the cafe to head back to your apartment, You were lost in thought until you saw a man. He he was tall,had nice beautiful silky hair and was built because his jacket looked like it wanted to give up on him

You looked at his side profile while you were behind him but couldn't really see him properly. When you looked at his face again, you noticed a dot on his head not just any dot, a red dot.

When you looked at the direction the light was coming from you saw a guy with a cape and he wore a mask trying to hide his identity in the black car he was in and he was trying to aim the gun at the man in front of you. You did what any smart person would do and ran to him .

You pushed the man in the black suit which ended up with him falling down on the pavement with you on top of him how cliché

And that's when you heard the trigger and people on the street scattered while some stood in shock.

When you opened your eyes you first looked around for the shooter and he was nowhere to be seen. Then you looked at the man in front of you who you saved and oh gosh

He was absolutely gorgeous

He looked like he came straight out of a movie . He had a mole under his bottom lip with one piercing on his eyebrow and the other on his lip. His eyes were so memorizing .

When you you cleared your throat and stood up trying to find something to say or ask.

"A-are you alright sir?" You asked while trying to help him get up and he stood up dusting his suit that you're very sure costs more than your phone. "Yeah I'm fine don't worry. Thank you for saving me " he smiled at you with his cute bunny teeth that were pearly white.

"No need to thank me sir I was just saving someone's life" you said while you noticed a bruise on your arm and winced as you touched it. "I guess I should be the one asking you if you're alright" he lightly chuckled and look at you as if you two were not just strangers who met not even three minutes ago. "I'll be fine it's just a bruise. I'll clean it up when I get home."

"I should repay you for saving me." He insisted and you brushed it off saying that anyone could have done the same thing to him but he was stubborn and refund until you gave in. "Fine, okay you can just not today." You agreed and he smiled while walking away and he stopped his tracks and turned to look at you "I didn't catch your name by the way" he looked at you , hoping you would answer and luckily you did " I'm Y/n " you replied and he repeated it just to remember it . "I'm Jungkook, nice to meet you." He smiled at you "Nice to meet you too, Jungkook."

"So how did your day go?" Yeji asked while bringing the popcorn for the movie you two were about to watch." It was alright just saved a random guy in a suit" you explained while stuffing the popcorn in your mouth.

"Was he cute?" Yeji asked forgetting about the movie you were supposed to watch.

"I guess, I just feel guilty because you have to pay more for most of the bills that I was supposed to pay for." You told her while she looked at you a smiled "Hey Y/n, don't feel bad I actually saw a flyer a few days ago it was for a job asking for a bodyguard." You looked at her and she looked at you with sympathy in her eyes .

"Wouldn't that be for males or something?" you asked her while trying to process the information you were being told."No it's all genders plus they get paid at a very high amount. Why don't you try." She looked at you with convincing eyes and you wanted to protest but you though of the salary plus you took training way back when you lived with your parents.

"Okay .....I'm going tomorrow did you take a photo of it?" " Yeah I'll send it to you."

You woke up early , took a shower got dressed up and ate some breakfast before you went to the company .

The company wasn't far from the apartment so it didn't make anything better because you were nervous. What if the CEO was an old creep or something.

When you reach you were stunned by the huge building in front of you.

The sun only blinding your eyes due to the glass that the building had plus the big name of the company on top.

JEON CO

'Damn.....they surely get paid a lot here' you thought while entering the building. The lobby was even more beautiful than the outside of the building and you went to the receptionist and told her you came for the interview. She checked the system and you read her name tag Park Chaeyoung. She was so gorgeous and tall no doubt she would be a model. "Lim Y/n?" She asked "Yes that's me " "Okay, the interview is on the 20th floor and I wish you all the best" she bowed at you and you did the same before you left.

When you had your interview you were nervous and you hoped that this was the only chance you to avoid life biting you in the ass . "We'll tell you about our decision when we're done have a good day" The man who you found out was Mr. Kim Seokjin said and you left the building hoping for the best.

You went home, thinking about whether you would get the job or not while Yeji kept on encouraging you not to overthink and that everything would be fine.

After a week or two passed, You got a notification congratulating you that you got the job and man did you scream your ass out of happiness .

"Are you alright what happened did a thief try to attack you?!" Yeji came in full panic mode until she saw no one and was confused. "No I got the job!!!" You yelled out of excitement and she screamed while running to hug you. "Congrats bestie, see I told you everything would work out" she said while she was still hugging you.

You read the message out to her while you forgot to read one part and your smile turned into a frown. "What's wrong?" Yeji asked and you were trying to find the right words to tell her "I-i'm going to have to leave for two months and live with the rest of the other females." You said failing to look at her in the eyes or else you would cry ."Maybe I should just turn it do-" "Don't I'll be alright Y/n okay?" "I guess you're right" you said lowering your head trying to fight back tears

"Welcome ladies, today you're just going to arranged your luggage and mingle with your fellow co-workers but before that , I would all like you to meet the CEO of JEON CO."

People were all wondering who he was and everyone was thinking about all the things he would do to us .

"Sorry for delaying, Oh, hello everyone my name is Jeon Jungkook and I'm the CEO of JEON CO I hope you ladies will feel comfortable and please feel at ease." He bowed and smile at everyone while you looked at him wide eyed and he tried to hide that he was shocked too but he failed and you looked away.

No way the man you saved is your boss

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Part 2

A/n : I finally managed to write the first part but I'm wondering if I should have a tag list if so please tell me . 🥰💞

[daisyvisions]

Screw It In Tight - (j.b)

Summary: Just a normal day to go to the car shop and get yours repaired. Nothing out of the ordinary right? Well… not really. Your mechanic looks too hot for his own good. Will you be able to control your raging hormones around each other?

Word Count: 2.4k

Warnings: Smut (18+, minors DNI), mechanic!Jacob, strangers to lovers, unprotected sex (be safe irl!), clothed sex, major creampie, fingering, orgasm denial, French kissing, groping, teasing, pet name (sweetheart)

A/N: Happy Birthday to our heaven-sent Jacob! I had fun writing this and really felt in my element. Okay I mentioned there's a crotch zipper in the overall I know that's not how overalls work but fuck it HAHA enjoy 😘

On a fine Saturday afternoon, your dad tasked you with bringing his car to the shop to have it repaired. For a while, the car had been having trouble starting properly, taking a few tries to get the engine running before you could drive out.

In the middle of driving, it would make strange jittery sounds, making the car ride to the auto shop pretty nerve-wracking. Luckily, you made it there in one piece.

As soon as you parked and got out of the car, you saw a pair of denim-covered legs wheeled under another car. You walked towards the figure, suspecting that this was the person you needed to talk to about your car troubles.

“Uh, excuse me? I'm here to get my car fixed,” you asked. As soon as you finished, the mechanic wheeled himself out from under, pulling himself up.

He was all sweaty, hands covered in grease, wearing nothing under his denim overalls. His muscles all big and shiny from the sheen of sweat from the heat. He looked like he came straight out of an erotic novel.

Oh dear god…

“Hey, what can I help you with, sweetheart?” his melodic voice snapped you back from your trance. This can't be real…

“I-uh. I-I'm here to get my dad's car f-fixed,” you repeated yourself, stuttering like a fool.

“You're my 2 o'clock?” he questioned, wiping the sweat on his forehead and draping the hand towel on his shoulder.

“Yeah I'm yours. Ah- wait. No, I meant I'm your 2 o'clock”. You internally panicked as your cheeks started becoming warm. Your eyes tried to look somewhere for a moment other than his.

Get a fucking grip, you mentally cursed yourself.

“Uh-huh…” his eyes quickly checked you out before subtly licking his lips and smiling. Amused at how a pretty thing like you was all nervous.

“W-why do you ask?” you questioned as your eyes glued to your shoes.

“I was expecting the middle-aged man I was on the phone with to appear-” he paused while walking up to you and stopping just enough to have a proper distance in-between you two.

You looked up at him as soon as you saw his shoes in your peripheral. Oh, god, he's even more handsome up close.

“-but this is much better.” He smiled, making your knees buckle. He stuck out his hand in front of you. “I'm Jacob.” You reached out to shake his hand and told him your name in return.

He swore he's never heard a name sweeter than yours, repeating it back to you so he could remember how smoothly it rolls off his tongue.

“Okay, let's see the damage…” He clapped his hands together before going over to your car.

After a few minutes looking at the car parts in question, he closed the hood of the car and smiled back at you.

“Alright, so it's not that bad. Just need to adjust a few parts, then you can be on your way. I can get this done in a few hours, as soon as you get back,” he said.

“Oh-uh, okay,” you shyly replied. There was a quick awkward silence between you two.

“… well, if you don't have anything to do while waiting, you wanna keep me company instead?”

“I've never fixed a car before…” you replied.

“That's alright, sweetheart. You don't have to do the work. Just sit there and continue looking pretty for me while you hand me the tools. Sound good?” he smiled.

You instantly blushed from the compliment. He called you pretty.

You nodded in response as you seemed to forget what words were in that moment.

“Let's get to it then!”

Staying to “help” Jacob wasn't as bad as you thought. The more time passed by, the more you were getting to know each other better. From recent TV shows, music, literally anything under the sun. In-between, you would even ask him the different parts of the engine you see, and he happily explained.

You also noticed how being warm and gentle comes naturally to him every time he would give you a smile or laugh at something you said. Oh, you were starting to fall. Was this normal?

“So what got you into fixing cars?” you asked.

“Well, my uncle would always call me to either hand him tools or just watch while he would fix the car. Then one day he actually let me fix a car on my own, and I guess it just came naturally to me,” he shrugged while hovering over the open hood and tightening a loose screw inside.

“Would you be able to teach me sometime?” You smiled at him. He looked over his shoulder and smiled back, making your heart pound against your chest.

“Wanna try now?” he looked at you with excitement in his eyes.

“I don't know…”

“It's okay. I'll guide you. Come here.” He motioned his hand.

You slowly got off from the stool you were sitting on and walked towards him. He instantly handed you the wrench and walked behind you.

“You see that bolt there?” He pointed out the part in question, his other free hand lightly resting on your waist. You felt the warmth of his body radiating behind you. His voice was a little too close to your ear, making your spine shiver.

“Y-yeah…” you gulped.

“Just tighten that using the wrench, and we'll be done for the day.”

“Really? Just this last bit?” you looked over your shoulder to face him. His face was closer to you than you anticipated.

“Yeah! I'll let you finish the job.” He grinned.

You turned back quickly before he could see you blush like a little schoolgirl and did what he said. As you screwed the bolt in, you let out a very faint grunt that nearly sounded like a moan.

You felt his fingers press further into your waist and heard him mumble something under his breath that you couldn't catch.

“Is this good?” you asked.

He leaned his other hand forward to where you were holding the wrench, making his body push against yours as his bulge nestled in-between your ass.

“Tighter.” He whispered in your ear.

Your eyes nearly rolled back from the vibrations of his deep voice coursing through your body, attempting to ignore the slight throb in your cunt as you tightened the bolt until it was firmly set in its place.

“There!” you exclaimed.

“Good job, sweetheart.” He purred in your ear.

“T-thank you….” You felt your hands clamming up. You were ready to dash out of this place before you embarrass yourself any further.

Before things started getting awkward, you both took a step back so Jacob could finally close the hood of the car. You handed him back the wrench, and he walked towards his table to set it down.

As you wiped the sweat on your cheek, Jacob called out your name. The moment you turned around, he saw a small bit of grease on your cheek and chuckled before walking back to you with a clean hand towel.

“What's so funny?” You smiled back at him.

“You got a little something there.” He pointed to your cheek. But before you could react, he took the towel from his hand and wiped it gently for you.

Your breath hitched at the close proximity of his face with yours. You could feel his breath lightly fanning on your lips. Your mind was getting dizzy just from smelling his cologne mixed with his sweat.

His eyes shifted to yours after wiping the stain on your cheek. He felt the same electricity you felt. Your eyes glimmering naturally, putting him into some kind of trance the more he stared into them.

Without realizing it, he cupped the side of your cheek with his hand and leaned closer, his bottom lip grazing yours. You gasped at the light friction.

“Is this okay?” He whispered into your mouth.

You nodded as he finally leaned in to kiss you. You started wrapping your arms around his shoulders as his hands pulled you closer by the waist. You kissed each other as if you've done it before. Your lips fitting perfectly together like a puzzle piece.

As soon as you opened your mouth in between the kiss, Jacob didn't hesitate to snake his tongue inside. The wet muscle tried to explore the taste of you as you whimpered from the way it moved inside your mouth.

You returned the gesture, doing the same thing. Tongues molding into one another as he let out a groan. This continued for a moment until you both stopped to catch your breath.

He immediately spun you around and pressed your hips against the hood of the car, holding your waist in place as he pressed his hard on against your ass. His other hand brushed the hair on your neck aside as he litters your skin with kisses and light bites.

“Not gonna lie, sweetheart, the moment I saw you enter, I knew I was a goner..s'fucking pretty…” he mumbled against your skin, kissing the sensitive spot behind your ear. His hands started traveling towards your chest, squeezing the flesh of your tits as he continued to kiss your neck.

You continued to whimper from the sensations of his warm mouth and hands on you. Massaging your breasts and pinching your sensitive buds through your blouse. His hand let go of one of your breasts and rubbed the curve of your ass with his palm before he snaked it under your skirt.

His fingers immediately rubbed your folds through your soaking underwear. You felt his lips smirk against your neck.

“So fucking wet. This all for me, sweetheart?” he asked.

“Uh-huh…” you moaned out. Proper words becoming non-existent at this point.

You felt him push your underwear to the side, immediately dipping his middle finger inside your wet hole. He didn't take his time as he pumped his digit in and out of you. Hearing the squelch of your cunt, sending his cock to throb, the front of his boxers starting to become wet just like yours.

“M-more Jacob. Pleaaaseee….” you begged. He added another finger, pistoning them inside you like there's no tomorrow.

“Baby, I'm so hard for you- shit…” he groaned against your ear as he started curling his fingers inside you. He felt you getting close to your high as your moans started slurring and your velvety walls clenched his digits tighter. As you felt yourself at the very edge of your orgasm, he immediately pulled his fingers out.

“Wait-no!” you panted.

“Sorry, sweetheart, but I really wanna feel you cum around my cock. Is that okay?” he asked.

“O-okay…” you mumbled.

You started hearing the front of his overalls unzip behind you. He shoved his fingers inside your mouth, letting you taste your sweet juices as he pulled out his incredibly hard and heavy cock from his boxers.

He gave his cock a few pumps before pressing his leaking tip into your hole.

“F-fuckkkk” now it's his turn to stutter. It's only the tip of his cock inside, and you already felt so warm and tight for him, knowing he won't be lasting long as soon as he pushes his whole length inside you.

You didn't even have time to see what his cock looks like. But you could definitely feel it pushing all the way inside you, stretching you out so good.

Oh, he's a thick one.

“You okay, sweetheart?” he checked up on you.

“M-move…” and just like that, he started pounding his cock inside you. Burying himself so deep to make the tip of his cock kisses your cervix.

He wrapped his arm around your neck, flushing your back against his as he continued to drag his heavy cock in and out of your walls. The sounds of skin slapping and mixed juices squelching making lose his mind. His balls slapping against your ass as he gives you hard and deep thrusts.

“I-I don't think I can last long, sweetheart. I'm so close…” he groaned.

“C-cum with me.” you whined.

“Where?” he pants. His cock throbbing inside you as he aches for his release.

“Inside. Please, inside!” He let out a guttural groan as soon as he explodes inside you. His cock throbbing and twitching as he keeps cumming inside you. The type of load that is bound to rush out of your tiny hole quick the moment he pulls out.

He lightly kissed your neck to help you both calm down as he slowly pulled his cock out of you, making sure none of his cum dripped on your clothes or shoes.

“Stay there, I'll help you get cleaned up.” He tucks his member back inside his overalls before rushing to get a fresh warm towel to wipe you down with.

As soon as you're both done fixing yourselves, he hands you the keys and walks you over to your car. He lays his hand on top of yours as you reach for the door handle.

“Will… I be able to see you again?” he shyly asks, his eyes shimmering with hope. You place your index finger on your lips and tap them, pretending to look like you're in deep thought.

“Take me out on a date, and maybe you can.” You smile back at him. His heart instantly melts at that. He leans forward to kiss you one last time.

“Deal.”

“Hey kiddo, you're home late.” Your dad announces as soon as you close the front door.

“Uh- yeah, I decided to help the mechanic a little bit. You know, learn about cars.” You try to hold back a grin forming on your lips as you remember what had just happened to you a few moments earlier.

“That's good! So I believe you've met Jacob then?” your dad asks.

“Yeah, I did. He's very nice…” you smile.

“Good.” He replies. “You know… I think you should try going out with that fellow. He's a real gentleman. Might be your type.” Your dad suggests.

And that's when you chuckle. Your hot and steamy moment replaying in your mind,

“Yeah, a real gentleman alright…”

[pascaloverx]

Strangers?

Part Three

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Author's note: This fanfic is set in the creation of Jenny Han. Conrad Fisher and other characters mentioned in the future do not belong to me. I hope you like this fanfic, depending on how it goes, I'll decide if this fic will have more parts or just this one. This fanfic is recommended for all audiences, there will be no adult content in it, only possible inappropriate language and alcohol consumption.

You and Conrad come out of the water towards the people calling him. A boy and a girl, both looking relieved to find Conrad. I'm not sure what their relationship is, but they definitely seem to care a lot about Conrad. You feel like it's appropriate to pretend like you didn't just kiss someone you met hours ago. Even Conrad seems to have been bothered by the interruption but I'm wondering if he's with a frown because of the interrupted kiss or because of seeing this possible couple here.

"Do you know them?" You discreetly ask Conrad before emerging from the sea. You become so engrossed in the awkward atmosphere that you end up stumbling when fully out of the water. Luckily, Conrad grabs your arm, resulting in an insanely intense exchange of glances between you two. You step back, afraid that the girl staring at you might be the happiness Conrad mentioned earlier. At least, your near-fall helps Conrad ease his discomforted expression.

"He's my brother, and she..." Conrad speaks softly as you both walk towards the two people. But you immediately understand when you observe the glances between Conrad and the girl. She is his happiness.

The girl speaks anxiously as she looks at Conrad. "You turned off your phone and disappeared; we got worried, so we decided to look for you in possible hiding places."

"The intention of disappearing and staying unreachable is precisely to have no contact with anyone, Belly. It's nothing personal." Conrad explains.

"So, next time you want to disappear, send a message letting us know you're going to vanish, and it's not for us to worry." The boy says this time as he approaches and hugs Conrad.

"You worry too much Jeremiah, I'm your big brother not the other way around. You two shouldn't have come here. I wasn't even gone for twenty four hours." Conrad reprimands them, and they seem to disagree with what he says. You find it cute that they came here looking for Conrad, but you're concerned that they might have seen the kiss and jump to conclusions. Your mind can't stop thinking about unnecessary things. What if Belly is in love with Conrad and thinks he moved on because of the kiss? What if you enjoyed the kiss and want to repeat it, but can't because Conrad clearly has feelings for someone else?

"We're being rude here. Hello, I'm Isabel, but you can call me Belly, I'm Jeremiah's girlfriend, and..." She pauses for a moment, perhaps contemplating how to define her relationship with Conrad.

"I'm Jeremiah, Conrad's brother." Jeremiah tries to make the moment less awkward. I shake hands with both of them as they extend their hands to greet me.

"My name is Y/N. Nice to meet you." You say smiling, when you notice that something is strangely strange. Wait a minute... is Conrad in love with his sister-in-law?

"Now that everyone has introduced themselves, you can go back where you came from..." Conrad says, clearly lacking any sense of courtesy.

"Or you can stay here and enjoy this beach day. Although it's almost evening. But we can always make a bonfire." You say, trying to ease the obvious tension in the air. Jeremiah smiles appreciatively while Conrad looks at me in disbelief. Well, it's not like you invited them for a make-out session.

"We'd love to stay; it'll be an opportunity to get to know my brother's new friend." Jeremiah says, putting his arm around his girlfriend's shoulders. Belly seems comfortable with the idea of staying.

"So it looks like everyone is staying. I just need to find some dry clothes to wear. And I think I bought some snacks; I'll check if I left them in the trunk." You say as you gather your clothes from the ground. The ones that aren't wet are covered in sand.

"I'll help you. By the way, Jere, did you bring any spare clothes?" Conrad says, holding your hand. You feel something bubbling in your stomach, but you firmly grip Conrad's hand.

"In the trunk, you can take whatever you think is good for today." Jeremiah says smiling while whispering something to Belly who elbows him. You and Conrad head to your car and Jeremiah who coincidentally are next to each other. You stay torn between letting go of Conrad's hand and going to your car when you notice him watching you.

"Do you like my company so little? You even had to call for reinforcements." Conrad speaks in an amused tone, making an almost cute, hurt expression.

"One of us had to do this, you were a nice ass suggesting that two people who care about you leave." You say trying to be as soft as possible, even at the end you mumble "sorry but it's true" to Conrad who is expressionless.

"I just... wanted a break from being the guy who's getting over his ex-girlfriend who's currently his younger brother's girlfriend." You get a little confused but you start to understand the situation a little better.

"Now I feel like a pretty idiot. I thought you had an unrequited crush on your sister-in-law but it's worse than that. You're living a real life version of The Vampire Diaries." You try to lighten the mood with this silly comparison. At least it made Conrad smile a little.

"But I understand that you felt it would be polite to call them, I wouldn't have done that but I understand." Conrad says, getting a little closer to you, which leaves you feeling cold in your chest.

"You can't judge me sir"I didn't give you the whole context and I want you to guess". I did the right thing." You stare at him, getting even closer. Now you started to remember what you were doing before Belly and Jeremiah arrived.

"Do you think friends can kiss?" Conrad asks as he goes from holding your hand to putting two hands on your face. You don't respond with words but nod your head positively. Seconds later you kiss. A kiss with more intensity. A kiss that makes you want to fly, or whatever. You feel that Conrad is at least in that moment with his mind focused on you. And you're focused on him. You kiss for as long as possible until you both need to catch your breath.

"You taste like beer." You say, giving Conrad a peck, who gives you one in return.

"And you taste like chocolate ice cream." You laugh at the expression Conrad makes when he says that and then move away a little.

"So let's get dry clothes and food for the night with your brother and his girlfriend." You say looking at him. You then head off to what you hope will be a pleasant evening.

[vminjackbaddie]

Feeling Lucky

authors note: eye...haven't written a one shot in such a long time but his recent activity on ig has got me in shambles and I'd like the chance to try again. now forgive me because I've always written in first person but you can still pretend. also im super rusty so im sorry if this comes out cheesy lol I am not an expert for sure! lastly, please don't repost or claim as your own. I appreciate y'all pairing: female reader & jackson wang | 1st person word count: 3.4k+ summary: it's been a lot of trial and error: using dating apps in hopes you find a serious relationship and for the third time, you find yourself disappointed with someone, feeling cursed and very unlucky. to help get your mind off of things, you go visit your best friend at the bar with 0 intentions except to enjoy yourself until jackson walks in with his own group of friends. he's eyeing you, you're eyeing him but will either one of you make a move? or will you let your "cursed" theory ruin any chance with him? genre: mature | strangers to lovers au | angst | one shot | kinda soft | fluff warnings: 21+ ONLY! some cursing, making out, small mentions of heartbreak

“…and that’s exactly why I believe dogs are far superior to cats…”

He kept rambling, spewing nonsense. Is this really my life right now? How am I sitting here, listening to this man go on and on about why dogs are better than cats? Is this supposed to be life-changing information? Definitely not! And just for the record, cats are just as good—if not better.

To make matters worse, I wish I could say this was my first bad date in ages, but that would be a lie. A month ago, I signed up for a dating app, and while things started off strong, the past two weeks have led me to men with halitosis, nonstop misogynistic comments, and now this guy: a man who thinks his monologue is more interesting than asking about me.

Without hesitation, I pulled out my phone and decided to use the old bathroom excuse.

“Excuse me—sorry. Just give me a minute. I’ll be right back,” I said, trying not to trip over my heels as I pushed my chair back, ready to make my escape.

“Take your time! When you get back, we can talk about the ghost in my parents’ basement!” he shouted as I walked away.

I raised an eyebrow, knowing it was now or never. Ghosting isn’t my usual move, but it felt like my only option. Luckily, there was an exit door next to the women’s restroom, and I made a beeline for it. I attempted to call my best friend to fill her in on the disaster, but I reached her voicemail, followed by a quick text:

[Hey, I’m working. You okay?]

Ugh. I completely forgot she was on a shift at Oasis, a local bar. But that might not be a bad idea. I could definitely use some company and a distraction. I hopped into my car and rushed to get inside before he realized I wasn’t coming back, quickly texting her:

[Hiiii~ nvm! I’m coming by. See you soon!]

The message was brief, and as I sat at the first red light, I surprisingly didn’t feel guilty. Isn’t that awful? But honestly, while I felt bad about the first two dates, this third one confirmed that maybe my days with dating apps were over. I felt cursed—searching for real love for so long only to have every potential match turn sour as soon as we met. So tonight (and perhaps for the rest of my life), I decided to focus on enjoying myself.

Oasis wasn’t far. Within five minutes, I was in line to get in. While I waited, I noticed the coffee shop guy had bombarded me with at least eight messages, calling me every name in the book for bailing.

“Wow,” I muttered, scrolling through his barrage of insults.

“Looks like you dodged a bullet,” the bouncer said as I finally reached him.

“What? Oh yeah, he’s definitely a piece of work,” I replied, blocking his number while handing over my ID.

“You came to the right place.” He nodded as he returned my ID. While he recognized me from previous visits, I wasn’t in the mood to chat with another guy about my problems. I simply made my way to the bar.

“Danielle!” I called, spotting my best friend as I slid onto the first empty barstool. The bar wasn’t too crowded, but the dance floor was alive, and it felt great to soak in the energy after those awful messages.

“Another bad date?” she asked, handing me my favorite drink.

“Oh, it was so bad, Danielle! I just don’t know what’s wrong with me!”

“I don’t think it’s you. Sometimes men just suck, and dating app guys are a whole different level of awful,” she chuckled.

“I’m starting to think it might be time to give up.”

She sighed. “You always say that. But remember what I tell you: you’re more likely to find the right one when you’re not stuck playing 40 questions over a screen.”

She patted my hand for reassurance, and I felt a little lighter.

“Don’t beat yourself up—we’ve all been there. Just enjoy your drink.”

I nodded, acknowledging she was right.

“Okay, but no more than three drinks tonight. I don’t want you getting in trouble again for giving away too many free ones.”

We both laughed as I took a sip while she attended to the next guest.

About an hour later, I was on my third drink, and let me tell you, I was feeling it. “Slightly tipsy” was the best way to describe it, and I was really vibing with the music pouring from the speakers. However, I wasn’t much of a dancer. Sitting at the bar, swaying back and forth in my little bubble, felt just right. I could have kept it up all night, but then I heard an uproar from the dance floor.

Curious, I turned to see what all the commotion was about. Right in the center of the crowd was a group of guys dancing like nobody was watching, and they were good. But the one drawing everyone’s attention wasn’t the loudest or most flamboyant; instead, it was the guy making the subtlest moves. His presence alone was magnetic, giving him an air of mystery that was incredibly alluring.

I found myself standing up, inching closer to get a better view. I didn’t want to get too close—just close enough to appreciate his every move. But maybe that was the mistake, because as soon as I got within range, I was completely captivated. He wore all black: a fitted tank top, loose black pants, and sturdy boots. His shaggy hair was a striking lilac or lavender color, cascading over his forehead. It felt wrong, but the thought of getting his attention flickered in my mind. The only problem? I was supposed to be enjoying myself, not fantasizing about some guy.

“Y/N!” Danielle’s voice broke through my thoughts, and I turned to see her waving me over. That was my cue: stay away from him. After all, it was clear why there were at least ninety girls surrounding him—or so it seemed.

What I didn’t realize was that her shout had caught his attention too, because when I looked back just before walking away, we locked eyes.

“Oh god,” I mumbled to myself, quickly diverting my gaze as he flashed me a gentle smile. The only thing I could manage was a quick nod before I hurried back to the bar, eager to escape any further embarrassment.

“What were you doing over there?” Danielle asked as I settled back into my seat.

“Did you not see those guys? They were amazing!” I nearly pointed but caught a glimpse of him and his friends gathering at the other end of the bar.

“Those guys?” she asked, tilting her head in their direction. “Oh yeah, they’re here every Friday, or so.”

I rolled my eyes. “Of course.”

For some reason, that realization made him feel completely out of reach. I shouldn’t have even considered approaching him, but the thought lingered. Now, with him just ten feet away, it was impossible not to steal glances as I tried to finish what was left of my drink.

“Need another?” I heard a male voice say.

I looked over to find a glass of Hennessy right beside my hand. My gaze lifted to meet the exact guy from the dance floor, and I was shocked. Why was he talking to me? Where were his friends? Regardless, I needed to play it cool; I didn’t want to come off as desperate.

“No, I’m good,” I replied shortly. “This is my third one, anyway.” I barely made eye contact, taking another sip.

“Is that why you were almost on the dance floor?” he joked.

“Maybe. But how would you know?” I finally turned my body toward him.

He took a small sip of his drink. “I saw you—almost as soon as you walked up. I was waiting for you to join in.”

“I’m sure the other ninety women were more than enough for you,” I retorted.

“Damn. Don’t do that,” he said with a smirk.

“Don’t do what? Point out the obvious?” I chuckled. That’s when I really started to feel the liquid courage kicking in. To be honest, I had a lot of animosity toward men right now, and he was my first target. This could either go really well or extremely badly.

“I’m not just another girl for you to toy with, okay? You think I didn’t see all the smirking and body rolling on that dance floor? Keep it over there.” My finger landed on his chest. “And don’t bring your fuckboy act over here.”

He smirked again, taking another sip before resting his hand over my finger that was still resting on his chest. God, why was he so attractive? I’d said enough, so why couldn’t I just get up and leave?

“Let me be clear…” His voice was low and husky, and I barely noticed he had leaned in closer, making my hand rest against his chest. “If I had any intentions with the other women on that floor, or if I were the fuckboy you think I am, then why am I over here with you?”

His eyes searched mine as if trying to find something beyond the asshole persona I was attempting to project.

“Touche,” I responded, quickly pulling my hand back. I finished off my drink, trying to distract myself from getting lost in his gaze. “What’s your name?”

“Jackson,” he said with a smile, clearly pleased that I wasn’t trying to push him away any further. “And you?”

“Y/N,” I replied shyly, worried I might have ruined the rest of the conversation. Just then, another song played, and the crowd erupted again, making us both break our unannounced staring contest and look at the dance floor. The same guys he had arrived with were back out there, cutting loose. I noticed Jackson subtly mimicking their moves.

“You should join them!” I yelled over the music.

“Nah, it’s okay. I’d rather be dancing with someone else,” he said, slowly bringing his gaze back to me.

I rolled my eyes, smirking a little. “Could you be any more corny?”

“No,” he smirked, grabbing my hand and pulling me closer. We were chest to chest now, locked in each other's gaze. “But I’d like the chance to show you what I can do on the dance floor.”

I glanced back at Danielle, who had been watching the whole exchange. My expression should’ve been a dead giveaway for help, but instead, she winked at me. What the hell? She wasn’t helping at all.

“Come on,” he said, breaking our gaze and taking my hand. He led me to the dance floor. “I don’t expect anything more than for you to just feel the music.” He moonwalked to the center of the dance floor.

How could I possibly keep up with that? I barely had rhythm as it was, but that didn’t stop him from pulling me closer. The liquid courage needed to kick in any minute now because I had never been more nervous than I was at that moment.

He turned me around so that my back pressed against his chest, swaying slowly behind me, guiding my body to move in harmony with his. I felt as if I were in a trance, his hands exploring my waist in a way that was both respectful and undeniably sensual. His nose brushed against my hair, and I could feel my eyes fluttering shut, surrendering to his lead as I let the music envelop me. I placed my hands over his, turning my head slightly to bring his face closer to mine, anticipating the moment our lips might meet. But just then, the tempo of the music shifted, shattering the spell we were under. I smiled as we both paused, realizing that our moment had come to an end.

I turned to face him, and I noticed his friends slowly approaching from behind.

“Alright! We see you!” one of them called out.

“Get lost,” he replied, feigning annoyance, which made them all chuckle.

“Sorry, man! We were just about to grab another drink. You coming?”

He glanced back at me. “Yeah, actually. I’ll be right there.” They nodded and headed off, and he turned back to me.

“You know you don’t have to stick around. I wasn’t exactly nice to you a few minutes ago.”

He shrugged. “I can get drinks with them anytime.” He took my hand again and led me back to my original spot at the bar to order another drink. As we waited, he turned to look at me.

“But what was with all that attitude? Was it really just because of how you viewed me?”

I shook my head. “No... just... bad dates.”

He nodded slowly, as if he understood more than I realized.

“Men ain’t shit,” he started, his tone serious. “And I mean that. I don’t know what you’ve been through, and it’s really none of my business, but can I offer you some advice?”

“Sure,” I replied, still swaying to what we could hear of the music.

“Don’t assume every guy you meet is going to be like the last. I know that’s tough, but calling me a fuck boy was a bit much.” He whined playfully, laughter escaping him. “Though, I have to admit, it was pretty funny.”

“Yeah, I’m sorry... I really shouldn’t have said that—” Just then, my favorite song blared through the speakers. Tinashe’s “Nasty” filled the air, and the energy shifted.

“I LOVE THIS SONG!” I shouted, letting go and fully immersing myself in the music. Whatever liquid courage I had left finally surfaced, and I danced like I’d never danced before. I was so caught up in the moment that I didn’t even notice Danielle bringing him another drink; he simply stood there, a huge smirk on his face, watching me.

“Is somebody gonna match my freak...” I began to sing loudly, draping my arms over his neck and leaning in close, letting my hands glide slowly over his chest.

He watched intently as I continued belting out the lyrics. The way he sipped his Hennessy while keeping his gaze fixed on me made my stomach flip. Somehow, I managed to maintain my composure, still singing and letting my hands roam lower, tracing over his abdomen, which made his breath catch.

“Easy...” he murmured, and I couldn’t help but smirk. I had no idea what was happening, but I was enjoying every moment.

I leaned back into his space, my arm wrapped around his neck as the chorus looped again, the constant refrain of “I’ve been a nasty girl” echoing in my ears. I sang every word, body rolling against him while his free hand trailed down my side and rested at my waist. With his other hand, he finished his drink and set the glass down, then placed his palm at the small of my back.

We were mere inches apart; I could feel his breath against my lips, and it made me freeze as the music began to fade into the background. At that moment, I was intoxicated by his scent, and there was no way I could back down now. I’d been in his face for nearly three minutes, singing about being a nasty girl—what else could I expect?

“You singing all of that makes me want to do a lot more than just dance with you...” he whispered. “But that would be disrespectful on our first meeting.”

Good god. At this point, he could have done anything to me; a man who shows respect is the sexiest thing a girl could ask for.

“Then what can you do that wouldn’t be ‘disrespectful’?”

I knew I was asking for it, but I couldn’t help myself. At this rate, I wanted him to make a move.

He chuckled softly, brushing his nose against mine as our faces inched closer together. One hand cupped my face, while the other rested on my hip. I felt his body draw nearer, moving slightly as the music began to swell again, creating a bubble around just the two of us. I slowly closed my eyes, fully aware of what was about to happen. The build-up was intoxicating. I could have closed the distance myself, but something urged me to savor the moment. He began to turn my body until my back was against a wall, his hands landing on either side of me, brushing his lips against mine. When I opened my eyes, I saw him glancing between my eyes and my mouth, so close I could nearly taste him.

My hands moved to cup his neck as we tilted our heads, our lips nearly meeting once more. He was teasing me mercilessly, and damn, was he good at it.

“May I?” he asked, brushing his nose against mine again. There he went again with that respect.

“Please,” I nearly begged, and he slowly closed the gap between us, finally kissing me after what felt like an eternity of anticipation.

Our lips moved in perfect harmony, just like how we danced. His hands slid from the bar back around my waist, while mine fumbled to find their place. I felt most at ease tangling one hand in his hair while the other rested at his side. The kiss deepened as our tongues battled for dominance, making me want to nibble at his bottom lip to tease him even more. But just like that, it was over. He pulled away, leaving me craving more.

We were both breathless, but it was more than worth it. I even heard Danielle cheering quietly behind me, which made us glance at her and shake our heads in amusement.

“I’m sorry. If I’d kept going—”

I raised a finger to his lips. “It’s fine,” I smiled. “There’s always next time.”

He nodded. “I hope it made your night a little better.”

His smile was enchanting, and I could tell he genuinely meant it, which made me feel incredible.

“Mission accomplished.” I gave him a quick peck. “Now, stay in touch.”

“Wait. You’re leaving?” he frowned.

“No!” I laughed. “Danielle’s my ride home since I’ve had a couple of drinks.”

“Smart. I like it,” he teased, locking his gaze with mine again. “Care to dance once more before the night ends?”

“Are you sure you don’t want to get back to your boys?” I asked, noticing them still on the dance floor.

“Look, those are my best friends. I can dance, drink, and whatever else with them anytime,” he assured me. “They’ll understand if I keep dancing with you. And while this may be our last dance tonight, I hope to see you again, outside of this bar.”

I felt a blush creeping up my cheeks. Who would have thought one bad night would turn into something so lucky?

“Deal,” was all I could think to say before he pulled me back out to the dance floor, where we danced until the sun rose.

[drabbles-mc]

Crumbling

Hugo Martinez x F!Reader

Warnings: 18+, angst, language, established relationship, emotional hurt/comfort

Word Count: 1.4k

A/N: watched season three, episode 4 of narcos today and I'm not okay about it. since i can't go and stay by the sea to recover, i must simply write angsty fanfic instead 😔

Narcos Taglist: @garbinge @sizzlingcloudmentality @panagiasikelia @616wilsons @hauntedforsst @mirabee @buckybarneshairpullingkink @boomclapxox @nessamc @southotheborder @supersanelyromantic @padbrookcottage @mysun-n-stars @raincoffeeandfandoms @justreblogginfics @ashlingnarcos @proceduralpassion @artemiseamoon @cositapreciosa @hausofmamadas @narcolini @the-hinky-panda (If you want to be added to any of my taglists, please let me know!)

You almost didn’t hear the ringing of the phone in the next room over the sounds of the radio and you cooking. Luckily you were turning the heat down on the stove, the sizzling in the pan quieting just enough to let the sound reach your ears. You turned the stove down just a little more before walking away to answer the call.

“Hola?” you answered, holding the phone up to your ear with one hand while you wiped the other on your apron.

“Hola,” he responded from the other end of the line. His voice was quiet, the way it always was, but you heard the strain in it that wasn’t usually there.

“Hugo?” you said his name like a question even though you knew it was him. “Todo bien?”

“Sí,” he said, a lie, but still nodding to emphasize it despite the fact that the two of you were miles apart.

“Estás seguro?” you asked, worry seeping into your voice. “You sound…” you trailed off, not wanting to say sad but not sure how else to describe his voice.

You could hear the slow, deliberate breath he took, trying to adjust his tone but not quite getting there. “I’m okay. I’m,” he cleared his throat, “I’m leaving soon—coming home.”

Your brows knit, turning your wrist so that you could look at your watch. “Leaving?” You chuckled softly, trying to keep things light to ignore the knot forming in your gut. “Early for you these days.”

He hummed, almost-amusement. Not quite a laugh but it was something at least. The best he could give you. “Want me to find somewhere else to be?”

Despite the attempt at humor, you could still feel the heaviness through the phoneline. “No, no. Come home. Ven a casa.” You paused, smiling slightly to yourself before tacking on, “Pronto.”

Despite the weight in his chest and the burning sensation in his eyes, the ends of his mouth curved just slightly into the smallest smile. “Por supuesto.” He pressed his lips together for a moment, fighting to keep his tone in check still. “Te amo.”

You chose not to comment or ask further about the gravel in his voice. “Te amo mucho.”

Once the two of you said your goodbyes, you hung up the phone and went back to making dinner. Your mind turning over all the possibilities of what could’ve happened that made him sound like that. Hugo wasn’t a man who was a stranger to the hardships that came with his job, with the world that he had to navigate. Some days it hung heavier on his shoulders than others. But it had been a long time since he sounded like that.

The house was much quieter by the time he got home. Dinner was done and you’d turned the radio down. It was quiet enough, in fact, that you heard him walk inside. Heard the door shut, the first couple heavy footsteps while he was still in his boots, the softer footsteps that followed once he left them by the door.

You didn’t want to make a fuss when you didn’t know what was going on. But even so, it was impossible for you to hide your concern. Subtle had never been your style, anyway. So when you heard the floorboards creak beneath him as he stepped into the kitchen, you couldn’t help but to turn around and face him with worry all over your face. Brows creased, lips turned down into a small frown, you were the human embodiment of the question, “What’s wrong?”

His shoulders dropped slightly at the sight of you, sagging as though from your expression alone he knew that he wasn’t going to be able to try and have this conversation later. “Amor…” he trailed off, shaking his head the entire time.

Your frown deepened as you walked over to him. Bringing one hand up, you cupped the side of his face, thumb tracing along his cheek as he eased into your touch. “Qué pasó?” you asked quietly.

He shut his eyes for a long moment before finally opening them again and looking at you. They were glassy, tinged with red and you knew that it wasn’t from exhaustion alone. All he could do for a moment was look at you. He knew, deep down, that while what happened was going to change a lot of things, it wasn’t going to change anything between the two of you. You were steady—always had been. That wasn’t why he was hesitating. There was a different layer of finality once he said it out loud to you. A different weight than his brief exchange with Peña only a short while before.

“Hugo?” you said when you saw him getting a little too far away inside his own head. When he looked at you again, really looked at you, you repeated your question. “What happened?”

There was no delicate way to break the news. “I had to turn in my badge.”

The soothing movements of your thumb across his cheek stopped, hand stilling as all the breath got let out of your lungs. “Wh-what?”

He gave a small nod, breaking eye contact as he rested his hands on your hips, fingers fussing with the fabric of your skirt. “Sí. They apparently found documents,” he took a deep breath, “that said I took money from Cali.”

The word apparently was doing all the work in the world that it possibly could. Your worry and sadness quickly cloaked itself in anger as your hand slid down to rest on his shoulder. “That’s ridiculous.”

He nodded in agreement, but still shrugged knowing there was nothing to be done about it now. “And yet…”

“That’s, that’s,” there were no words that could properly articulate all the thoughts and feelings coursing through you. “How could they?” You shook your head. “Those motherf—”

“Amor,” he cut you off, voice still heavy but the amusement in his eyes over how quickly you got fired up on his behalf was almost enough to balance it out.

“I’m not taking it back,” you said with a shake of your head.

He let out a tired chuckle at that. “I know.”

Your face softened again the longer you looked at him. Placing your fingertips underneath his chin, you tilted his head up so that he was looking at you rather than back down at the floor. “I’m so sorry.”

You saw the way his entire body shifted at the sound of those three simple words. The weight of it all, the emotions, all the things he typically addressed in private when no one was around to see, it all forced its way to the forefront. There was no hiding any of this from you, there was no handling this on his own. Leaning in, he let his forehead press against yours.

Finally, he nodded. “Me too.”

Tilting your head slightly, pressed your lips to his. The kiss was gentle, brief. Extra reassurance that you were there. Your hand slipped down until your palm was resting against his chest. Despite it all you could feel the ever-steady beat of his heart beneath it. Consistent, even in the midst of the mess.

Bringing your hands back up, you let them interlock behind his neck. You kept your voice quiet. “Whatever’s next, we’ll figure it out.”

He gave a small nod, only knowing that it happened because you could feel it as his forehead was still resting against yours. He wanted to have something else to say. I love you. Thank you. I can’t believe it all came to this. But he couldn’t force the words out from the back of his throat. Instead, he wound his arms around your waist and pulled you in closer. Leaning in, he let his forehead drop so that it was pressed against your shoulder. You took a deep breath, another wave crashing over the two of you. Hooking your chin over his shoulder, you let one hand come to rest on the back of his head, the other resting between his shoulders.

There was going to be more—more to say, more to figure out, more long nights and layered emotions. But more would be a problem that the two of you could start facing tomorrow. For now, the two of you helped keep each other upright underneath the weight of the world that was currently crumbling down around you.

[fadingreveries]

The Royal Romance, Bk1 Ch1: Once Upon a Time (Pt. 5)

Click here for the TRR retelling series masterlist for more chapters! 🏰

Story Summary: In this novel-style retelling of TRR, beloved scenes with original commentary from the Choices stories including your favourite group of royals and friends will be expanded upon. Contains extended commentary and scenes from the original story, in-depth descriptions of bonus scenes, and premium choices and outfits.

Chapter Synopsis: Love awaits in the royal court of Cordonia as Riley competes for the Crown Prince! Will she accept his proposal, or will someone else win her heart?

Word Count: 1.8k

Disclaimer: All rights to original commentary, scenes, and characters from The Royal Romance series reserved to Choices and Pixelberry Studios. No copyright infringement intended.

~ ~ ~

Liam and Drake caught up to the rest of the group where they stood under a lamppost on the sidewalk. Liam couldn’t help but look up at the skyscrapers. He had never seen buildings taller than the palace in Cordonia before. At the corner of the street, Riley fiddled with her phone. 

“So how far is the walk?” Liam questioned, wanting to know where else their adventure was leading them. 

“We’re not walking there actually. It’s pretty far away. I called a car on my way out of work, so it should be here in a second,” Riley explained, before glancing back down at her phone again. 

“Wait, you can afford to have a car on retainer?” Maxwell asked, before he caught himself. He cleared his throat with a little frown. “I mean, obviously. I also have one too. Because Beaumonts always travel in style.”

Luckily, Riley didn’t notice his odd answer and instead giggled. “Um, okay. It’s a rideshare, so not really mine.”

“A what?” Maxwell blinked in confusion. 

“A ‘rideshare’? You know, like a cab? Do they not have those where you’re from?” Riley explained. Maybe these guys had never even heard of shared transportation before or maybe they had never ridden a taxi before. 

Nodding, Maxwell replied, “Oh, of course they do… but it’s not like any of us would have any reason to use them.”

“Why’s that?” Riley questioned, curious.

Maxwell’s eyes widened. Bertrand was right. He really needed to watch what he was saying sometimes. He started stammering, “Oh! Uh… because we’re… um…”

Before Drake could tackle Maxwell to shut him up, Liam cut in with an excuse, “Because… we normally use our own cars like normal folk do.”

“Yeah! I drive it!” Maxwell added, feeling grateful for Liam’s quick thinking. Then he made the decision to add on, “No wait! We all have separate cars that each of us use.”

“And know how to drive,” Liam stated, trying to keep himself from blowing their cover. 

“Smooth,” Drake mumbled, giving them both another deadpan look of his. 

Thankfully, a large, black SUV pulled up to the curb next to the group. Since Riley was distracted flagging it down and opening the door, Liam and Maxwell collectively breathed out their own sighs of relief.

“Our carriage awaits,” Riley remarked, gesturing to the car. 

“Woohoo! A car!” Maxwell excitedly cried out, the only words that came out for how much he looked forward to a rideshare in America. 

Tariq, on the other hand, was pleased to see something that felt more like home. “Luxury leather!”

Liam looked over the SUV with a nod of approval, smiling. “It does look rather spacious.”

“Wait, wait, wait! We can’t do this!” Drake interjected, as everyone in the group turned to take in his frazzled expression. “We don’t know the driver! Liam can’t take a ride from a stranger!”

“Oh, why not?” Riley froze in her spot, worried that something was wrong. 

Drake flashed her a smile that was probably meant to be reassuring but came across as mildly unhinged. He grabbed Liam’s arm, hauling him back and whispering urgently, “Bastien will murder me if you get into an unsecure vehicle with an unknown driver!”

Riley hesitantly got out of the car, concerned. “Um. Well if you guys don’t want to take a rideshare, then that leaves the bus.”

__________

After a few moments at the bus stop, a bus stopped in front of the group. The bus driver opened the bus doors and waved the party inside. “Bus 2015. Going downtown!”

“Ooh, there’s a conductor! Do we need tickets?” Maxwell asked, enthralled by the idea of taking a bus like the common folk did. 

Drake shook his head, correcting him, “You’re thinking of a train.”

“Well, you still need to pay…” Riley stated matter-of-factly with a grin. 

This made Maxwell frown, as he halfheartedly said, “Ooh, ‘paying’...”

The bus driver informed them, “You can just tap your credit card on the reader to buy a SingleRider ticket!”

“My which on the what now?” Maxwell instantly replied, suddenly looking alarmed as he went through his pockets. 

“Allow me, Maxwell,” Liam answered, flashing a friendly smile to the driver. “Five passengers please. Do you have change for a hundred?”

The driver paused in her seat, looking confused. “Dollars? No.”

“Oh,” Liam simply said. Then he gave the one-hundred dollar bill to her with his smile back on his face. “Then keep the extra!”

Riley, Liam, and his friends walked past the bus driver who looked very happy to let them board. They sat down on the blue cloth seats of the bus before the bus started up again and drove down the busy streets. 

“I’m sorry, we don’t get out much,” Drake apologized to Riley, trying to excuse his friends’ peculiar behaviour. 

“I’m starting to gather that…” Riley responded, thinking to herself before giving them all a friendly grin. “But it’s certainly been an adventure so far.”

__________

At the destination, the bus dropped them off at the nearby beach ten minutes away from the bustle and rustle of the city. Everyone piled out of the limo at the beach, and the guys headed off towards the ocean. 

“We should build a bonfire,” Drake suggested, glad to be somewhere more refreshing and less stuffy compared to the crowds they had been surrounded by all day. 

At this comment, Tariq eyed Drake scavenging for dry wood and frowned. “I’m not doing manual labour.”

“Sorry, I forgot who I was talking to. What I meant was, I’ll go build a bonfire,” Drake corrected himself, resuming his search. 

Maxwell, on the other hand, was ecstatic with the new location of the bachelor party. He hollered out, “This place is awesome! Skinny dipping!”

“Keep your pants on, Maxwell,” Tariq pleaded, not wanting to see anything resembling undergarments or worse, underneath them. 

The sky had turned a deep indigo colour with streaks of pink and purple from the sun finishing its descent across the horizon. There were white clouds painted across the sky, shining in the reflection of the ocean’s dark blue and turquoise waters which lapped onto the shores of golden sand. 

“Thank you for bringing us here. I can tell the guys are enjoying themselves already,” Liam thanked Riley, as he admired his friends exploring the undiscovered gem of a beach. 

Riley thoughtfully observed Liam beside her, before commenting, “I bet you’re used to putting everyone else first.”

“And why would you say that?” Liam questioned, turning to look at her with an air of curiosity. Other than his most trusted friends, no one had ever paid attention to him outside of how he brought pride to Cordonia. 

“I can tell. I’m good at reading people…” Riley simply said. She focused her attention on Liam, wondering how he felt at the moment with the new change of scenery. “Now forget about your friends. What about you? Do you like it here?”

Smiling to himself, Liam quietly murmured, “I love it.” It was nothing but the truth. Here, he felt as if he could hear himself think more clearly. He relished the light breeze in the air and the sound of the waves lapping gently onto the shores. 

“It’s my secret spot, so I’m really trusting you,” Riley mentioned, bumping her shoulder against Liam’s. It was a spot she frequented when she wanted a moment to herself to breathe and temporarily put down the weight on her shoulders on the ground. It seemed like Liam needed that as well. 

This fact touched Liam’s heart, as he smiled at her with a sense of gratefulness. “I’ll do my best to be worthy of that trust. Though there’s just one problem… How am I supposed to buy you that drink?”

Jokingly, Riley tapped her finger on her chin as if deep in thought. Then she told Liam, “You’ll think of something. Or maybe you’ll just keep owing me.”

“Fair enough,” Liam agreed. Riley was witty and charming, he had to give her that. “So what should we do?”

“We should… climb up the cliff!” Riley excitedly suggested, pointing to the small hill near the shore. 

Liam’s mouth hung open, as he asked in surprise, “Way up there?”

“Try to keep up!” Riley teased, as she made for a running start with Liam trailing close behind her and laughing in amusement. 

Finding handholds and places for her feet, Riley quickly scaled the cliff face. Once she reached the top, Riley panted, trying to catch her breath as she grinned. “Did it.”

She turned around, extending a hand down and helping Liam up to join her. Gratefully, Liam took her hand and soon found himself facing Riley. Time seemed to stand still as the two gazed into each other’s eyes, which shined brighter directly underneath the soft light from the moon and in the other's presence. 

“Thanks,” Liam responded, a little flustered as he dusted his hands off on his pants. 

Up here with only the two of them, Liam allowed himself to truly observe Riley. He saw her eyes twinkle with excitement as she took in the simple beauty of nature around them. He noticed her wavy black hair bend in the wind, as she brushed a few strands away from her face. 

But when Riley turned her head to face him, Liam knew this wasn’t a silly little crush anymore. Her look gave him butterflies in his stomach but a warm sense of comfort coursing throughout his entire body. He didn’t even know it was possible. 

And maybe, he realized, she was the one he was missing all his life. 

Riley smiled, looking out at the breathtaking view of the shores, the ocean, and the sky around them. “What do you think?”

“Huh?” Liam said in confusion, snapping himself out of his daydream. 

“The view. Worth the climb, right?” Riley asked once more, before craning her neck back up at the stars above them. 

“Oh, definitely,” Liam agreed, the warm smile never faltering on his face. 

For a moment, they both looked out, watching the moonlight play on the waves below as the wind moved through the clouds. From where they were, they felt closer to the stars which shone brilliantly in the sky. Then Riley shivered, which Liam immediately took note of. 

“Cold?” Liam frowned, taking note of the hair on her arms stood up in goosebumps. 

“Maybe just a little…” Riley admitted, giving him a shy look as she wrapped her arms around herself.

“I see that the guys got the bonfire going. Let’s head back down and warm up…” Liam suggested, as he made his way down the hill and helped Riley down.

~ ~ ~

Click here for the TRR retelling series masterlist for more chapters! 🏰

Tag list: @kingliam2019 @princess-geek @karahalloway @twinkleallnight @tinkie1973 @tessa-liam

[stvlti]

Snippet from my untitled Blue Beetle & Teen Titans rejects fic :)

Click. Snap. Click. Snap.

They're sat inside a Big Belly Burger, waiting for their order of fries. A female singer he doesn't recognise croons Spanglish over weirdly retro beats on the speakers. Eddie is fidgeting with the catch on his now-useless slider phone, out of nerves or boredom, he doesn't know.

The first thing they did once they got into town was to buy a mobile phone. It's strange, but there aren't many payphones around, and whatever happened to them while they were in the Bleed and subsequently in their fall back to Earth must have fried their cellphones. Luckily, he found one of those rundown stores selling spare electronics for cheap that accepts cash and doesn't ask questions. At least one thing hasn't changed.

Click. Snap. Click. Snap.

The phone they bought is a palm-sized thing with a wide touch-screen, one of those smart-phone models that only came out last year, and yet the store owner seemed almost happy to part with it. "It's ancient," he'd said in a comfortingly thick accent, "I was about to chuck it out with the garbage. I'd sell it to you for free, chiquito." Things only get stranger from there. It took less than a minute for Khaji to jail break the phone and recalibrate itself to the local network. They tried his family's numbers again, even tried the Titans Tower secure line, but no dice. What Jaime found on the internet was even less reassuring.

Click. Snap. Click. Snap.

"Hey, Eddie."

The fidgeting stops.

"Could you go grab us some drinks? I need a minute alone with the scarab."

"Sure...?" Eddie throws another glance at Jaime, not quite hiding his worry as he slides out of his seat.

[ You were vexed by his opening and shutting of his phone case. ]

"I didn't realise it was state the obvious hour."

Khaji Da does not respond. Jaime rubs his temple.

"Sorry, sorry. Yes, I'm stressed. Tell me you have some good news, at least."

[ You are still alive, as is Eddie Bloomberg. You have enough money to acquire sustenance for another week, during which I can help you find a job and — ]

"Khaji. I need to get home."

[ You are technically in your hometown. ]

"But it's not the El Paso I know. Right? Tell me I'm not crazy."

[ Jaime Reyes is correct. Based on our quick search of the government domains, social network platforms and news sites, the Reyes family never lived in El Paso. There is no record of your parents or extended family in the state registry. Your name does not exist in the class registers of your high school. Your sister— ]

"Also doesn't exist! I know! I got it the first time." Jaime looks over to the self-service machine. What is taking Eddie so long? "I asked you for good news, Khaji."

[ Actually, your sister exists. Milagro Reyes, age 18, enrolled in Edge Keys High School. According to her posts on Instagram, she was last seen at the Kord Centre Mall — ]

"Did you say eighteen? And where the heck is Edge Key?"

[ I have some more good news. While there is no record of your other family members in the state of Texas, a Reyes Auto Repair Shop was recently removed from the business registry in Edge Key, Greater Palmera City. ]

"What? We have to go to Edge Key!"

"What's Edge Key?" Eddie sets a tray down, almost spilling the two extra-large cups of soda balanced precariously on it. The fries look tiny in comparison.

"That's what I'm trying to find out. Khaji, can you — hold on, I'm syncing you to the phone so Eddie can see."

The phone lights up, and Jaime expects Khaji's words to crawl across the screen like text messages the way he's done the few times Jaime tried to sync the scarab to his old phone via blue-tooth. Instead, the phone starts talking in a lady computer voice.

"Your scarab was a chick this whole time?" Eddie exclaims, the half-chewed fry in his hand forgotten.

"What? No! I didn't even know it could speak like this."

"I simply utilised this phone's built-in text-to-speech system. It is not my problem that the manufacturers could only imagine AI voices as female."

"I think it just insulted every super-computer in the cape community..."

"Anyway, the coordinates?"

[ There is one last thing you should know before you go, Jaime Reyes. The Blue Beetle was last sighted in Palmera City six hours ago. ]

The boys pause and look at each other.

"Show me, Khaji."

And on the screen of the phone appears a crisp, 4K picture of a guy in a costume that looks exactly like him, mid-flight in the streets of a city he's never been to.

[rayne-storm]

But Hold Me Tight and Fear Me Not

AUgust 1 - Dark Fantasy

Fandom: 10th Kingdom

Summary: Virginia x Wolf

Virginia, due to her father's gambling addiction, is promised to the king of a fae court. Wolf, for his part, is unsure of this arrangement.

A/N: I might do more with this in the future, but I like this as a jumping off point. Also, yes, I know that 10th Kingdom is, technically, already a Dark Fantasy. Oh well.

"Listen, Virginia, I know it's not ideal, but-"

"But nothing, Dad! You're saying you tried to sell me! Like, like some cheap hooker or something! Hell, did you even haggle, or was it a relief that anyone would pay anything for you to get rid of me?"

Virginia Lewis was furious. Tony, the man who claimed to be her father, was saying some extremely problematic shit. In his gambling addiction he'd lost a lot of money (nothing new), they couldn't afford this apartment any more (nothing new), but he'd found an ingenious way to save them (nothing new):

He sold Virginia (ALARMINGLY NEW).

Like an old car or some ugly chintz her grandmother would give her-

Grandmother.

She could go there.

Legally, she was an adult and there was no way in hell she'd just meekly obey whatever bullshit pedophile he'd sold her to (because no way did someone just try to outright buy an adult woman, right?). She could go stay at her grandmother's house and Tony could deal with his problems by himself.

He was still shouting something as she left, she was too angry and focused on leaving to hear it, slamming the door as she crossed it. Did it hit him? Hopefully.

She'd made it out of the apartment building and halfway to a park bench to call the old woman when someone in a brownish-grey robe appeared in front of her. Literally, out of thin air, and she walked right into them, crashing down hard, luckily not hitting her head on the ground.

"Ow, what the- are you okay?" She scrambled up to help them, but they hardly seemed phased, though they did take her hand as she overcorrected and stumbled forward.

"Virginia," the mysterious person said, voice soft but brooking no argument.

"Who's asking?" She asked, glaring, snatching her hand back. She rubbed her forehead, looking the stranger up and down.

"I am not asking, I am saying," they replied simply, shrugging their shoulders.

"Yeah? Cool. Sorry, but I need to go."

She moved to walk around them, but they followed her, blocking her way.

"Virginia, you have been sold to-" they began, but she whipped around, fist on their chest. She didn't strike them, but it was quite clear she meant business.

"No one. I don't know who the hell you are, or what bullshit my dad did, but I am not sold to anyone. Leave," she all but commanded, and shoved off, pulling out a flip-phone to call her grandmother.

The creepy stranger sighed, shaking their covered head, and followed behind. The robe's hood fell back to reveal and older man with piercing blue eyes and long, braided salt-and-pepper hair.

"Virginia," he began again, but she ignored it, walking faster.

Humans. Always so difficult. Though he remembered a time when he was so stubborn.

In front of her he appeared again, prepared this time to catch her before she fell, though she did scream something fierce.

"Forgive me, but it's not so simple," he said over her cursing him out and beating his chest.

"Let me go! Let me go right now or you're gonna regret it, asshole! Help! Hel-"

A hand on her head and a whispered spell sent her into a nice, compliant sleep.

As Rutger the Hunter made his way into the woods with the girl, he shook his head. Humans were always so stubborn, and this would certainly be far more than the council was prepared to deal with… but he quite liked her already.

-----

As the Hunter came in, bartered bride in tow, he tried to think of how this could end happily. The girl was a spitfire, and who would not take any kindlier to the situation now than she had earlier. Still, he could tell she would make an amazing queen, and an amazing bride for his king. His Majesty, King Wolfric Fenris Von Hood, was perceived often as cold and impassive, but the Hunter knew much better. The man had a heart as tender as a maiden’s, and could use someone like the girl to lean on.

The King, Wolf as he was known around the castle to the few that were close to him, watched quietly as the woman was set in a bed in the dedicated Queen’s Chambers. The Hunter bowed to him as he left, and Wolf entered quietly, to see the woman who’d been… purchased. To be his companion. He would help her escape, come the morning, but… he wanted to see her. To have at least a chance to dream of the maybes.

He remained a respectful distance away, but lit a candle to see her.

Oh.

She was beautiful. She had a boyish charm, some might say, but he only saw delicate, dainty, beautiful features. He felt his heart swell and then shatter. He had found his soulmate. And he could never have her. Not like this. No matter how much his heart sang that she was to be his mate for life. He hadn’t approved of the way she had come to his lands, and he couldn’t keep her in good conscience.

He wanted to leave. He needed to leave, before she woke up, and he saw her eyes, saw her fear and fury. As beautiful as it would be, most certainly, he didn’t know if he would survive that level of heartbreak.

But then her eyes opened, and for one brief, beautiful moment they saw each other, and he felt complete. But then, as he feared, she panicked.

“Who the hell are you? Where am I?!”

Ah, even her angry-fear was stunning. He fought down a soft coo of adoration, opting more to focus on calming his “bride.”

“Whoa, hey, sorry, I know this is frightening. I’m going to help you get out of here.”

That seemed to calm her down the slightest bit.

“It wasn’t a dream,” she gasped.

“No. I’m sorry. It seems… someone did some bartering on my behalf. It absolutely wasn’t my intention to… to trap some innocent maiden here like some kind of storybook monster,” he said, hanging his head.

Virginia, for her part, could almost see ears and a tail similarly lowered in shame, and through her anger and fear, felt pangs of… something. Against all of her best judgements, her heart seemed to trust this strange man in the room. Definitely more than she was ready to trust anyone else.

“What’s your name?” She demanded.

He looked up, tilting his head.

“...My friends call me Wolf. Just Wolf.” It’s all he felt he’d ever really amount to.

“Virginia,” she replied, sitting up carefully. A sudden dizziness proved that a bad idea, and the mysterious Wolf man caught her before she could keel over. Intriguingly, the action seemed to surprise him even more than her, and he quickly retreated.

“Sorry! Sorry, you probably don’t want some strange man touching you. I… I can get out of your hair while you sleep off the effects of Hunter’s spell, and then we’ll get you home,” he offered, standing.

She shook her head.

“No, no, please, I… I really would like not to be alone right now. This is… too much, honestly, but you seem like you won’t kill me or anything in my sleep. And I’ll feel better if I’ve got someone I can try to trust watching my back,” she said, rubbing her head. She stretched out under the very luxurious blankets, and decided that she’d get out of here, but might as well enjoy this creature comfort while she could.

Before she passed back out, she heard the softest little whimper, like a dog comforting their companion. It was sweet, and she felt a lot better going back under than she had coming up.

[ollieinoue]

Cemetery West Entrance 11pm [ @ogden-narrator ]

g: let’s play a game… g: there’s nothing quite like sneaking around and finding out info you weren’t meant to know. and boy, have i done a LOT of that. some might even consider it a bit of a hobby of mine. g: and tonight, you’re gonna get to see what fun it is too. see if you can sneak around on my level. i’ll even play nice and give you some clues. if you figure them out, well…you might just figure me out. g: pretending something - or someone - doesn't exist only works for so long, you know. g: the west entrance of the cemetery. 11:00 pm tonight. dress ready to rave. g: xx, g

If he was being totally honest Ollie was intent on ignoring the texts. He was about to tell G to just fuck off, and that they already owed him a clue when suddenly he got a flurry of texts from Sam asking him what people wore to raves. Well, that made this much more interesting. He didn't know if she was who was going to be waiting for him outside the cemetery but they'd cross that if it ever came up. Instead he just patiently helped her pick something out and bid her goodbye when she had settled on something, before turning back to pick out clothes for himself as well. Luckily a rave was nothing Ollie was a stranger to. A typical Saturday night for him, really. He pulled out a black and yellow leather outfit, throwing that on, along with some LED light up kitty ears, and a glow in the dark pacifier strung along a glow in the dark rainbow beaded necklace. Then he took some Molly because it was a rave, right? Putting some of that in his pockets he finally made his way out the door and into the dark. Luckily it took quite a lot to scare Ollie and he was more interested in the cemetery than anything else. He leaned against one of the entrance walls, pulling his phone up and playing a couple days in Stardew Valley when he heard someone else approaching, looking around, and holding up the light of his phone, on accident aiming directly into the persons eyes, to see who it was.

[aonoexpat]

Landing

05-02-2023

I finally have time for a more elaborate update!

The moment I entered Brisbane airport and saw the terminal for my Air New Zealand flight indicated on the screens, I was getting giddy with anticipation. The vibe at the airport was vastly different from that at Incheon and CDG. I only had a 1:35 layover, but was quickly greeted by a lady with that lovely Ozzie accent letting me know there was absolutely no need to rush. My gate would be right up the stairs, and everything was all right. I thanked her and went to empty out my water bottle for the next luggage check. The air flowing in through open doors or windows was hot and humid, and it had that tropical smell to it that instantly brought me back to my backpacking trip around Australia seven years ago. It felt a little like coming home 🥰

Even on the plane, people seemed much more cheerful and welcoming than on the previous flights. Other passengers were singing along to the songs playing during boarding, the safety video was stunningly beautiful, and during the flight I found out they have a little app on the entertainment system called 'seat chat', which allows you to message other passengers. I took some chances and randomly invited a couple of seats to a chat, and one of them accepted! We had a really nice chat and shared some amazement about the gorgeous views from the plane as we made our approach to Aotearoa:

I'd been worried for about thirty hours that my luggage wouldn't successfully be transported all the way with me, but to my relief it was one of the first to roll in. After getting through customs and biosecurity (which luckily allowed me to keep all of my items), I was kindly picked up from the airport by my friend ♥️ She drove me into the city to say hi to her husband, and then we headed to their home, where I am lucky to be welcome to stay for a while. The whole drive I was gaping out the window, in awe of both the hot weather and the hills and ocean. She hit me with a lot of cool information about the area, and my heart was just about ready to leap out of my chest! First impression: absolutely wonderful ♥️

After getting a much needed shower, I went into town with her to grab a bite to eat, and after that we went for a walk along the beach in the sunset:

In the supermarket later that evening a stranger came up to me and said they liked my hair so naturally I'm already IN LOVE with this place ☺️

It's funny how, when you're planning a move like this, you can feel like you won't find your way in a new place at all. Especially if I haven't travelled for a while, that's the one thing I forget the most quickly. It feels like you'd panic, or won't find a place to sleep at night, or won't find a job to support yourself. But then when you get there, and (if you're as lucky as I am) you have some people helping you get settled in, it all works out so easily. All those walls and fears come crumbling down in a single conversation, and it feels magical. You find out you still have your wits about you, you still have your skills and your intelligence, and you can still ask questions, get answers, and make sensible decisions that work for you. All of that applies no matter where you are. And of course it's still scary, don't get me wrong. It's a vastly unfamiliar environment, everybody drives on the wrong side of the road, I am actually having some trouble properly parsing Kiwi English, and living costs are high. But I'm reminding myself regularly that I have a whole year to find my way around here!

So after getting a good night's sleep, today I've gotten a local phone number, done some groceries (sooo many nice vegan products here!!) been invited to a board game night, have found several jobs to choose from when I'm ready, have looked around for accommodation options, figured out the public transport situation, have looked up open mic night events, and have found several second hand guitars online that I'm interested in buying :)

Looking forward to the next 363 days!

[phawareglobal]

Jane Sernoskie - phaware® interview 423

PHA Canada Patient Ambassador, Jane Sernoskie discusses her pulmonary hypertension diagnosis and becoming a mom through surrogacy.

My name is Jane Sernoskie. I'm 32 years young. I was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension in 2016. Luckily, it was a very fast diagnosis. I think within a week I had a plethora of tests and it was confirmed. The first doctor that saw me, he had me doing a stress test on a bike, and within 30 minutes he pulled out his phone and typed in pulmonary hypertension, showed it to the nurse, and he said, "I think this is what she has." It was confirmed that day with a echocardiogram that there was pulmonary hypertension. The following day, I was called by the Ottawa Heart Institute, the Pulmonary Hypertension Clinic, and I was brought in for a confirmation of that diagnosis. I was an athletic person from the get-go. I was into sports like soccer, hockey. It was during that summer that I was bringing in some furniture that I noticed I was severely out of breath going up a flight of stairs. Bending over, I would be out of breath. It was really my mom who advocated for me to check into this. So we went to the family doctor and asked to carry on with another doctor to do some more testing, and from there I was also asked to continue on with a stress test in November of that year. So from all that abnormal reaction to such simple kind of tasks, we found out pretty quickly that I had this unfortunately incurable lung condition. It was a huge shock. I don't really think I understood the magnitude of the disease that I had just been diagnosed with right off the bat. I was fortunate to be pretty stable in my lung condition from 2016, right up to about 2022 of this past fall, where I noticed a deterioration. I was on three oral therapies that were keeping me stable. However, in the fall of 2020, we were noticing a decline, and that's when we had to look into the options of things like IV, which are a whole other ballgame. But it's keeping me healthy-ish. It's slowing down the progression of the pulmonary hypertension. It was a shock to receive that diagnosis, because I had plans to be a teacher, I had plans to have my own family. All of a sudden all those plans and dreams I felt like came to a crashing halt. Now, it took me just a little while to get back on my feet. I still wanted to be a teacher and I have continued to be a teacher. I also still wanted to have a family just in a different way. We were very blessed to welcomed our son Luke about a year ago via surrogacy. We still have every intention of living life to its fullest just in a different way. Originally, we're looking into adoption through the CAS program here in Ottawa. We put our names in and there's a huge wait list for what we were looking for. In the meantime, we thought we'll cast out another net into the surrogacy world. It was just a Facebook post that friends shared, and quite quickly we were fortunate that someone approached us and wanted to meet up in a Tim Hortons and kind of hash things out. Very quickly we found that she was our little angel on earth here and she was going to help us. She was a complete stranger at first, but through time, she's now a family member and a godmother to our son. Motherhood has been a blessing and it's been a huge challenge as well. Unfortunately, maybe a month after the installation of the IV line into my chest, I suffered two strokes, so it's been a whirlwind of emotions and feelings this past year of the first year of my son's life. He has been a blessing because his spirit, his joy, his love, his innocence just pulls me out of some of the darker moments. My support system made up of parents, grandparents, family, friends have been crucial. We couldn't have done all this without them, especially during these past crazy months of health decline and the stroke scenarios that we've faced. My mom has been living with us for the past couple of months, and now we're on project independence where we're trying to build our ability to not have one-on-one with me, but one-on-one, of course, with our son, Luke. We're gaining confidence. We're gaining independence. We always know that we're well-supported by family, friends, and by neighbors as well. I think it's important to have a community around you that understands the struggles you're going through, and I think this pulmonary hypertension community here in Canada is such a family. I've met several people over the course of the conference and I felt like I've already known them, but we've never met in person. I's been a real blessing to actually see them in person and get a chance to connect and to just hug it out and share the love. Because as a community, we are very open and honest with each other, and we know we can support each other in the highs and the lows. While we were in lockdown, the opportunity to be online and meeting together allowed us to be more of a family, more fabulous together, if you will. It gave us a chance to share and to learn from each other and our journeys. I think I would've told myself in 2016, that self that was just being diagnosed, reach out to others, ask for help. You're not alone. There's a whole community behind you, and know that it's okay to not be okay in that moment. Let the emotions come. Let the emotions go. Don't feel like you have to be this strong person without any tears. It's natural to grieve, especially your old life, and start to welcome a new person that you will become. It's going to be filled with some blessings, and there'll be some curses or some curve balls, if you will, but you're not going to be alone. I'm really hopeful for this new medication that's coming out, sotatercept. It's on the horizon. I've heard some great things about it. I know clinical trials are going on and they're closed here in Canada. I'm holding out hope for more treatments, and one day a cure, that this will all be in the rear-view mirror and will not have to ever talk about pulmonary arterial hypertension again. My name is Jane Sernoskie, and I'm aware that I am rare.

Learn more about pulmonary hypertension trials at www.phaware.global/clinicaltrials. Follow us on social @phaware Engage for a cure: www.phaware.global/donate #phaware Share your story: info@phaware.com @phacanada 

Listen and View more on the official phaware™ podcast site

[elizabethsway]

This month has been fantastic. From game nights to language exchange meet ups, to church potlucks, to movie nights. I've been so busy.

A few years back I was praying for change, as scary as that can be at times, and I told God I felt like I didn't have a passion or hobbies. I had was in a new place, had not made friends close by and only got to talk to one of my friends regularly and virtually.

I desired to have both a community in Christ and with the world around me but felt lonely. I literally just slept, watched TV and worked.

Occasionally I went out and I found some trivia and gaming events around town. I had went to a gaming event in a public library. The one really cool thing about "nerds" especially the ones that love boardgames, is that they earnestly want others to like gaming too, so they upon first meeting you will find a way to give you a list of every gaming place they have ever been to a long with the time, address and their phone number in case you want someone to join you.

I found many board gamers and places to have fun for free around my city and through it have people that know me by name. I suppose Cheers had that right when the theme song sang:

Sometimes you want to go

Where everybody knows your name

And they're always glad you came

But when COVID hit, it didn't greatly change my life but I felt like all the progress I made putting myself out there and talking with strangers had gone to waste.

But in this time I did get really close with my long distance friends and we talked every week of not more.

As restrictions lifted, the gaming community was hurt a bit. Before COVID, a game night was light if 80 people showed up, not it's like a max of 30. In some ways this has been a blessing. I get to know people better and play often with them with less people around.

That's one thing that Facebook made me realize, that no matter how many people you connect with, if you try to invest in all of them, you will spread yourself too thin. Having a one or two really close friends is all you need, but it is nice to have those extended friends they even call up at a moment's notice and hang out with even if you're not super close to them.

As life went on, I can't tell you way but I woke up one day nd deciy Korean sounded pretty and I wanted to learn it. For a month I tried Duolingo and to be fair I still use it, though it's not best for Korean. So after a month I looked online and saw that a registration opened to take a class through their government. I signed up so last minute, four days before class.

It was a bit chaotic. Our teacher had been in SoKorea and he had emailed everyone registered that he would be doing a zoom class the first time and then we would be doing in person the rest of the semester. But I signed up about like 4 hours after he sent out that email so he didn't know I existed at the time. Luckily another student came in person as well because their email had went to spam. With their help I got the link and we were able to start our Korean journey.

Since then I've met so many other people. The place I take my classes sent out an email back in September about free Korean movies playing in theaters. I signed up for two of the films and after the first film they had a open discussion about the film. Someone mentioned the topic that I was interested in and I wanted to further talk with them after the movie but it was so dark I couldn't see who they were just that they were wearing a black jacket with a white shirt.

So I tried to hustle out of the theater and find the person. I found a guy that looked similar and asked him if he was the one to ask the question in the theater. He said no and I was mildly mortified, but then he started picking up on the conversation and we had a good 2 hour chat, before I found out that he's three levels ahead of me in the same place I was learning.

After that I invited him into my world of Gaming and he's been helping me out with learning Korean. We both ended up going to the language exchange class as well as some gaming events this month.

And while at the exchange class I met some ladies who invited me to their Church. I went there and they had a potluck this past weekend. A lady from Spain and a girl from Ukraine were both at the church.

I got to listen to their experiences and had very good conversations with them as well as other members of the church that were more permanent.

I feel like the more I put myself out there the more connections I'm making, which seems obvious but sometimes I can just feel hard to make that first step of getting out there.

I met so many wonderful people and had fantastic experiences this month. We're even going to do the Korean version of karaoke (노래방) soon and I just went out to eat after getting involved in a Korean Foodie Chat room.

It may seem tough but I encourage you all to get out there, find hobbies that interest you.

If you are not sure what you're passionate about or if you have any hobbies, try anything. At least you'll know if you like it or not once you've tried it, which can help you eliminate things you don't like. And along the way you might find people that have a common interest with you. And after more than not they'll help you find other people with similar interests.

[profchamomile]

I had called Director Clavell to let him know I'll be in Mesagoza today, and he told me to stop by the academy. Which might be the root of how bizarre this trip is.

I called the flying taxi to take me to take me to the south gate. The flying taxi service was wheelchair accessible thankfully though I did have to ball Ignis for a bit.

I'm surprised no one who suggested I see Mesagoza ever warned me of this...

I get to the pokemon center right outside the southern gate and... Ah.

Not accessible. But manageable. (Shout-out to the center lady who offered to help.).

I go in and...

That's a high slope! Not accessible. Manageable, but only with Ignis and Queenie.

Once I GET to the top, I'm greeted with this.

Not accessible. Not managable. On my feet, that is. I probably could if I rode Ignis, but I wanted this to be an easy day for him.

Luckily there was a pretty gradual slope to the east. I found the east gate which DID look more accessible - at least from the inside. I'll have to remember to come through there next time.

As I make my way towards the center...

Not accessible. Manageable with Ignis for physical support. Not like I needed it apparently because halfway up I was telekinetically levitated to the top.

I'm greeted with this rather shy academy student with an Espeon by her side, saying she's sorry she didn't get to me sooner to help me up. I politely told her that I would've been fine getting up there on my own, and for future reference it would've been better to ask before having her Espeon do that for me. She seemed more apologetic, and while I tried to reassure her that I wasn't offended, she still seemed embarrassed. She offered to "jailbreak" my phone for me to make up for it, but I show her that it's already jailbroken.

That seemed to make her feel a bit better; she seemed impressed by the modifications on it. I knew a LITTLE bit about modding and coding thanks to an old friend, so we had an interesting conversation. This girl knew WAY more than I did, clearly.

But afterwards, I made my way to the center of Mesagoza, and I was admiring the mosaic work on the city's Pokémon Battle ground. I wish I had taken a picture because it's absolutely stunning!

This other student came up to me and immediately asked if I was looking to battle. Before I could answer she was already pulling out a pokeball; I had to stop her and tell her that my team isn't the battling type, and that I was just on my way to the Academy to speak with the Director. She understood, and offered to show me around the academy, but it seemed like that was the moment it registered in her mind that I was in a wheelchair. Because THIS was what was between the me and the Academy entrance.

Not accessible. And DEFINITELY not manageable without riding a Pokemon.

I was getting ready to ride Ignis when the girl suddenly called out to a friend of hers. Said friend brought out this... VERY large Pokémon that had a likeness to Cyclizar (apparently the Pokémon is called Maraidon though), and said that they could get me up the stairs easily.

While I'm used to having Ignis do that and don't usually like accepting help from strangers, I was faaaar too curious. And Maraidon seemed friendly enough; they were already putting their head in my lap for pets, which is something I personally don't mind.

So I took the offer. The ride up the stairs was surprisingly smooth; as though the wheels weren't going up stairs at all.

Maraidon rode me right to the entrance of the academy with Ignis carrying my folded up chair for me, and I made it inside.

I think the woman at the counter in the entrance hall could see my deerling-caught-in-headlights expression when I saw MORE stairs, and immediately assured me that there were elevators nearby.

She also said Director Clavell was a bit busy at the moment and will come greet me once he's free.

So now I'm in the entrance hall, which is FULL of books! Queenie's helping me find some interesting ones off of high shelves.

I have been having... The MOST bizarre experience in Mesagoza so far!

Not bad, necessarily. Just bizarre.

[im-just-a-mississippi-girl]

Meant To Be

Pairing: Sonny Carisi x female!reader

Category: Fluff

Word count: 3,807

Summary: A look back on Sonny’s relationship with you and the future with your daughter.

Warnings: Swearing, female reader but no description of reader, pregnancy, childbirth

Requested by: @1dluver13xx — thanks to this post!

A/N: I didn’t mean for this to get extremely long, but fluffy!Sonny, especially girl dad!Sonny is a big weakness. Basically, I got carried away. 😅 Hope you enjoy! ❤️

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Gif is not mine. Credit to owner

Dominick “Sonny” Carisi, Jr. always thought he’d have the stereotypical ‘all American, apple pie life’. You know the one: a spouse, maybe a pet, a cozy house, and a couple kids. At this point in Sonny’s life, he was beginning to question if it was in the cards for him, if it was meant to be.

All that questioning and uncertainty went out the window when he met you. He knew he’d marry you one day — as cliché as it sounds. You occupied his thoughts every minute of everyday since. He tried his hardest to stay focused at work, being a detective with Manhattan’s Special Victims Unit he had to stay focused, he had a very important job to do. He also tried his hardest to stay focused on his schoolwork, going to Fordham Law school was hard work as it was, but balancing law school on top of working at SVU was even harder. The man barely got enough sleep and missed out on a lot. He was alway afraid he’d miss out on love, but luckily, you crossed Sonny’s path one fateful morning.

It was early, 6:30 to be exact, when you placed your order at the café a few blocks from your apartment. You ordered what has came to be your favorite breakfast since discovering this little café on your walk to work one morning. It’s what you called a ‘hidden gem’ and recommended it to anyone that wanted somewhere cozy with a great atmosphere and even better food.

Once you had collected your order from the counter, you turned to make your way to the door when someone literally almost knocked you down. Thankfully, arms caught you before you could fall and spill your breakfast. “Oh my gosh! I am so sorry. Are you alright?” A concerned and equally panicked male voice asked, helping you steady yourself.

“I didn’t fall on my face and my breakfast is still in tact, so yes, I’m fine.” You attempt to make light of the situation. Looking up to see the man that ran into you but saved you from embarrassment, you all but freeze, taking in the handsome man’s features. He’s tall, slim build with darkish brown hair that has hints of grey throughout and gorgeous baby blue eyes. You were so taken aback by his angelic good looks that you didn’t realize the stranger had gone quiet as well, taking in your beautiful features in return.

The café began getting more crowded the longer the two of you stood there gawking at one another. A younger woman broke the apparent trance between you and this man — whose name you still didn’t know — when she needed to pass by to reach a vacant table.

The two of you stepped out of the crowded café making small talk as you did so. You found out his name is Dominick Carisi Jr., but he goes by the name Sonny. You gave him your name in return, smiling as he rambled about making it up to you somehow for almost ruining your morning. “Would you maybe want to meet back here a six this afternoon? I know a great restaurant on this street.” You offered.

“I’m not sure I’ll be able to make it with my job, but I’ll try my hardest.” Sonny informed. “I’m a detective with the Special Victims Unit so my schedule can be hectic and cases can take a while.”

“Oh I see. Well, how about I give you my number, and you can tell me if you can make it or not. We can reschedule if you’re still interested.” You suggested. You didn’t think about him being a detective, but you had a gut feeling that he was of some importance by the suit he had on. You quickly scribble your phone number on a sticky note you kept in your purse and hand it to Sonny when you were finished.

Sonny checks the time on his watch and you notice his eyes go wide. “Oh shit, I’m gonna be late if I don’t go right now. I’ll text you later about this afternoon.”

You nod, unable to fight the smile making its way to your lips. “Of course! You better hurry, don’t wanna be late! I’d feel horrible.” You ushered Sonny in the direction of the precinct. You hear Sonny laughing as you do so.

The two of you go your separate ways. You think about Sonny the reminder of the day and hope he stays safe now that you know his occupation.

Fast forward four years later and you and Sonny have been going strong. Sure, there’s been ups and downs like with all relationships, but Sonny never lets an argument go unresolved. Despite having a busy and demanding job, Sonny always makes time for you, wining and dining you, warm bubble baths with your favorite candles and flowers, you name it.

Sonny was so nervous when the big night finally came. He wanted everything to be perfect, asking Olivia and Amanda for help. The ladies didn’t really do much but point Sonny in the right direction.

He planned for quiet night in with you. He cooked a delicious Italian meal for two, wine and candles on the table. He timed dinner just right as you entered his apartment, stopping in your tracks as you smelt the food, your favorite Italian food to be exact.

“Oh my…” you trailed off, taking in the scene before you. Sonny setting the table, wine glasses and candles inviting you to take a seat, and you just now noticed soft music in the background.

“Come sit. Dinner’s ready!” Sonny beamed, gesturing to the table and all the food. You grin, still speechless but take your seat regardless. You didn’t recall any special occasion for this, but then again, Sonny was always surprising you with sweet and romantic gestures.

Once Sonny’s joined you at the table, you both fill your plates with the picture perfect food in front of yours. You knew Sonny was an amazing cook thanks to Mama Carisi and Sonny’s interest in helping her when he was younger. You took turns filling the other in on your day and enjoying the peaceful dinner.

After dinner, Sonny clears the empty dishes and returns to his seat, a gift in hand. “Close your eyes for second, doll.” He tells you. You give him a questioning look but do as told, he’s never steered you wrong before. With your eyes closed, you hear rustling next to you and you want to sneak a peak so badly, but you think better of it. “Alright, open those gorgeous eyes.” You hear Sonny, smile evident in his voice. Slowly opening your eyes, you look around, looking for anything different on the table but nothing. You feel Sonny’s hand gently rest against your cheek farthest from him and turn your head in his direction. You gasp seeing a sparkling piece of jewelry in his hand. Looking up at him in shock, you see Sonny smiling ear to ear, happiness radiating off of him.

You open your mouth to speak but no words come out. Your heart is racing and hands trembling, you can only imagine how Sonny feels. Is this really happening? Is this a dream? If it’s a dream, you don’t want to wake up. You’ve been daydreaming about this day for years. That day you met Sonny you felt a connection and after a few dates, you knew he was the one.

“Doll, these past four years have been the best years of my life and I want to keep that going. I want you by my side for the rest of our lives. You have no idea how happy, loved, cared for, and important you make me feel. I’ll never forget that day we met at that coffee shop, just like I’ll never forget everything in between. I couldn’t ask for a better partner in this hectic schedule I have. You’re always so understanding when I have to cancel or be hours late. I love when you swing by to bring me lunch on particular busy days, how well you get along with my work family and my real family too. You’re the sweetest, most thoughtful, and funniest person I’ve ever met, and that’s saying something, I mean have you met me?” Sonny teased, both of you laughing through the sweet tears that managed to fall. “Doll, will you do me the honor and marry me? I can’t imagine life without you. I love you more than words can describe.”

You were still speechless, tears still slipping from your eyes. All you could do was nod your head repeatedly. You watched Sonny slide the ring on your finger, wearing a smile so big your cheeks hurt. “I love you, handsome. I promise to be the best wife I can be.” You finally regained your voice enough to speak.

Sonny gently pulled you into a sweet, loving, and passionate kiss to which you reciprocated with your whole heart.

One year after the proposal, it was finally the day of the wedding — yours and Sonny’s dream wedding. You made sure that he gave his input and helped make decisions, it was his big day too, after all.

You were beyond nervous, not because you changed your mind but because you were terrified that you’d trip and fall or some other embarrassing thing would happen.

Olivia and Amanda were quick to reassure you it would all be fine and that, even if something crazy did happen, Sonny would never leave you on your wedding day — or any day for that matter. They both reminded you that you and Sonny were meant to be.

Thirty minutes later, you’re walking down the aisle towards Sonny, the love of your life. The moment Sonny sees you, he’s in tears, you took his breath away in that dress and he couldn’t believe this was reality and not some dream he’s had since you accepted his proposal. You had tears in your eyes as well for many of the same reasons, Sonny looked like the most handsome prince you’ve ever seen and this was really happening.

Once the wedding was over, the reception began. You and Sonny made rounds visiting your guests and thanking them for being a part of your special day. As the reception went on and heartfelt speeches were made, you and Sonny realized just how loved the two of your were. The remainder of the evening was spent laughing, eating, and dancing off into the night.

Two years after your wedding, you find out some big, life changing news — you’re pregnant. You and Sonny wanted to wait until you settled into the married life and your respective jobs became less hectic, granted Sonny’s job didn’t always stay less hectic but there were moments when it did.

It wasn’t until recently, the past three months or so, you and Sonny talked about kids, and finally decided you’d start trying. The two of you hadn’t had any luck unfortunately, until now. You stood in the bathroom of your home, jaw dropped as tears welled up in your eyes. You were in shock. Was this real or a dream? Is this test really true? You took one more test to be sure. Positive. You had to find a cute way to tell Sonny. You went to the Pinterest for inspiration, and low and behold, you found the perfect idea. You quickly found a website to customize the cutest onesie to say: ‘Surprise! Your going to be a daddy!’ as well as Sonny a shirt that says: ‘My jokes are officially dad jokes’. You laughed when you read that one and knew Sonny would love it. While you waited for the shirt and onesie to arrive, you casually bought a few small things to add to Sonny’s little announcement box. You bought a blank card and wrote him a little heartfelt note. You wrote about how much you love him and can’t wait to embark on this journey with him amongst other sweet words. You didn’t realize you were getting so emotional until you felt a tear slid down your cheek. You wiped it away and finished the note saying: ‘The only thing better than having you as my husband is our child having you as their dad. I love you — no — we love you!’.

Later on that evening, Sonny was finally on his way home, calling to see if he needed to pick up anything for dinner. You told him no and that you had it covered adding that he better hurry home for a surprise. Sonny laughed and said he’d be there shortly and that he loved you.

You quickly got everything set up and put the finishing touches on dinner, chicken spaghetti and breadsticks you picked up from the local bakery you and Sonny love so much. The table was set just as Sonny walked through the door. “Perfect timing, babe!” You giggle, grabbing glasses for drinks. Sonny set his things down by the door, giving you a quick peck on the cheek as he passes by you to wash his hands before joining you at the table.

Dinner was pleasant and conversation flowed freely, despite you being excited and a little nervous. You tried to keep your emotions at bay, but naturally Sonny noticed your demeanor. “Everything okay, doll?”

You look up from your plate and nod with a smile. “Couldn’t be better.” You grin, a gleam in your eyes. “When you’re done, you can have your surprise.”

Sonny was curious as to this surprise you had for him and slightly panicked too. It wasn’t his birthday or your anniversary. It wasn’t a holiday either so he was worried he forgot something important. He knew by the look you were giving him that you weren’t mad rather excited so that eased his thoughts. “Alright. I’m ready for this surprise. The suspense is killing me here!” He happily exclaimed.

You laughed and set the beautifully wrapped box on the table. Sonny carefully unwrapped the gift and opened the box. You watched as Sonny picked up the first item, the the dad jokes shirts. You watched him read the message and then look at you confused. You gestured for him to keep looking in the box. He did and pulled out the customized onesie. You could help but smile wide as Sonny read the message on it and jump up from his chair, tears in his eyes and a smile as wide as yours. “Are you — Doll, please tell me this ain’t a joke.” You got up and grabbed the handwritten card and told him to read it, tears in your eyes as well from watching the love of your life putting the pieces together and grasping that this was real. Sonny read the card, he was full on crying by the time he finished. He wrapped you up in a tight hug, lifting you slightly off the ground. The two of you were crying happy tears, after trying the past three months and not having any luck, the positive result was overwhelming for you both. “I love you and I love you too baby Carisi.” Sonny placed a soft kiss to your lips before placing a soft kiss to your stomach.

The rest of the evening was spent talking about the little one, anything from names to nursery decor to debating if the baby would be a boy or a girl. You said girl and Sonny said boy.

The whole pregnancy Sonny was right there with you and if he couldn’t be there he had his mom be with you. He refused to let you be alone despite you telling him it would all be okay. He was just worried about something happening or going wrong and no one being there to help you or take care of you and the baby. He saw enough horrific things at work, he didn’t need anything bad happening at home.

You got used to Sonny or Mama Carisi being there. As it turned out, you liked having the company and realized that Sonny had good intentions and just wanted to keep you and your unborn baby safe.

Finally, time came to find out the gender of baby Carisi. You were on the fence about doing the whole gender reveal thing and so was Sonny, but with some persuasion from Amanda and Liv, you decided to do a small one — just you, Sonny, his squad from work, and both your families and few close friends. Since Liv and Amanda persuaded you into this you put them in charge for the party.

As people arrived, you and Sonny went around videoing everyone give their guesses on baby Carisi’s gender. Majority of the guests agreed with you and said girl, saying that Sonny was meant to be a girl dad, especially since he grew up with all sisters. Sonny responded by shaking his head, laughing and replying with, “That’s the reason we’re having a boy!”, with a big smile on his face.

Liv and Amanda opted to have the reveal be done by a simple popping a balloon and having the blue or pink confetti fall out. The women decided to keep it simple since you and Sonny were not the extravagant, over the top type of people. You were happy with how the party all turned out, the girls really out did themselves. The two women rounded you and Sonny up to pop the balloon. Your guests crowded around, phones in hand ready to record the moment.

Sonny held the balloon and you got ready to pop it with the pin. The countdown began and when everybody reached one, you popped the balloon and everyone watched as pink confetti floated all around. You and your fellow team girl members cheered while Sonny and his team boy members jokingly booed. You threw your arms around Sonny, overjoyed with the news. When you broke the hug, you looked Sonny in the eyes and said, “See! You are meant to be a girl dad!”

The day you went into labor was what you called ‘calm chaos’ because while you were fairly calm, Sonny was stressed and panicking hence the chaos half of your made up term. Finally at the hospital, you and Sonny were taken to the labor and delivery wing where you were waiting to be fully dilated to begin delivery.

Sonny was by your side, holding your hand and reassuring you that it would all be okay. You were grateful to have Sonny in general but especially in this moment, you would have been freaking out without him. Sonny’s presence always made you feel calm, safe, and loved.

A couple hours later you were ready to push. Throughout the delivery, you all but broke Sonny’s hand and he took it like a champ, he had to grit his teeth and bite his tongue but he did it. Both your pain was thankfully short lived after delivery began. Baby Carisi made her arrival and you and Sonny were beaming with tear filled eyes. When you held her, you couldn’t hold back the tears and neither could Sonny. You were exhausted and Sonny noticed carefully taking her from your arms. “Rest, doll. I got her.” That’s all you needed to hear from Sonny before falling asleep, happy with your adorable little family.

Fast forward to present day, Sonny was playing tea party with his baby girl, the light of his life aside from you. You watched from the door way as your thee year old poured Sonny some more tea as her told her all about his favorite animal. You smiled and snapped a quick picture of the two before slipping away to make some lunch for the three of you.

Ever since the day the little princess arrived, her and Sonny were thick as thieves, always together the second Sonny walked through the door. More often than not you caught them passed out on the couch or the chair in your daughter’s room, her snuggled up on Sonny’s chest with his arm wrapped protectively around her. He was definitely meant to be a girl dad and you never let him live it down, especially since baby number two is going to be a little girl too.

Every time Sonny looked at your daughter playing or sleeping all he could do was imagine the teenager and young woman she would grow up to be. He pictured her being a social butterfly because at three years old, she always waved and smiled at anybody that passed her. Sonny wasn’t too sure about her doing that but he figured as long as he was there it was okay. He knew all too well how some people had sick and twisted thoughts about children and he was always cautious with his little girl out in public.

He would picture her doing all those typical kid things, participating in different activities until she found one she liked. Your daughter loved helping Sonny cook or you bake which led Sonny to picture her going to culinary school and ultimately owning her own restaurant or being some kind of professional chef.

The only thing that worried Sonny was the teenage years. He knew between you and him talking with her and her seeing what love and a healthy relationship was that she would be alright. He also knew that he’d drop anything in that instant to console her if a boy broke up with her. Broken hearts were the worst and Sonny knew teenagers would feel like it’s the end of the world. He also knew teenagers could be mean and he never wants anyone being mean to his baby girl so he knew he’d let her vent or cry as long as she needed all while quietly planning a daddy/daughter day that she would pretend she was too old for but was overjoyed about it on the inside.

Sonny also pictured his princess on her wedding day, how they would both be a crying mess because it’s a happy occasion but one that meant change, that she was officially a fully grown woman who was about to embark on a new adventure with her love just like he had done with you. Then his thoughts trailed to being a grandfather and how excited he would be, from being at his daughter’s side just like he had her whole life and like he had been with you to playing with his grandchild or grandchildren, spoiling them rotten just for his daughter to scold him. He wouldn’t mind though because he would be too happy with how his life and his daughter’s life turned out, thick as thrives and best friends until the end of time.

A/N: If you want to be added to the taglist, feel free to ask, message, or let me know in a comment!