#making a nice breakfast and biking to school early in the morning while it’s still cold out | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

warpriest-writings · 3 years ago

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Red eyes on Grandmother's grave.

Sticks broke under her feet, running as fast and hard as she could but it felt like running through jelly, her feet caked in heavy mud.

“Someone! Help me!!! Please!” She cried out but couldn’t hear her own voice.

Before her was the pair of sharp, red eyes out in the middle distance. She couldn’t make out a face; she wasn’t even sure if the eyes were attached to anythin, just floating there, haunting her. Those hungry, starved eyes that wanted to devour her. The eyes just hung there as she sat there frozen.

“What do you want!?” she screamed out, but again her words came out silent.

The sharp, red eyes narrowed, then rushed towards her as a hand reached out at her.

With a difficult, almost pained, inhalation of breath, Patsy woke with a startled jump, accidently knocking her kitty out of bed.

She gasped, “Bean! Come here. Mweh, mweh.” She made kissy noises to her large Maine Coon. Rubbing her fingers together as she did so attempting to soothe Bean and entice her to come back into the bed. Not that Bean needed much convincing; no one in the Desoto household could remember a single night that cat hasn’t slept in Patsy’s bed. By the time she got Bean back in bed and started petting her, Patsy had almost entirely forgotten her nightmare about the...was she running? Regardless, after several minutes of kitty snuggles, she checked her phone, loathing to discover that it was 5:53, merely thirty minutes before her alarm would have gone off anyway.

Of course, she wouldn’t have been lucky enough to wake up from her scary dream at a reasonable 1:17, or even a moderate 3:32. Good, god given times in the early morning a girl could go back to sleep too. Patsy sighed and entered an anxious state of contemplation, debating getting in the shower now and getting that out of her morning routine or laying there, blissfully enjoying the time before she had to get up for real. An absolute miserable time that went on in her head until her alarm went off. Ah, yes, neither productive nor relaxing. Thank you, Anxiety.

Getting out of bed with a less than encouraging groan, Patsy began her morning routine. Feeling emotionally and mentally exhausted by 6:45 AM, Patsy walked briskly down the stairs while putting her long and bouncy kinky hair into a ponytail.

“Morning, Mom!”

Her mom, Elana, looked back at her as some toast popped out of the toaster, “Hey, Sweetheart!”

Joseph, her dad, poured two cups of coffee before handing one to his wife as she handed him the plate of now buttered toast. “Hey, Pats. Finished your homework last night?” Giving Elana a quick kiss.

“Course, Dad,” she said, silently beaming that her parents were still happily married after nearly sixteen years; it was more than could be said about several of her friends at school.

Her mother was the manager at a local small diner, it was a nice little place, near enough to her school that Patsy would usually walk there at the end of the day and hang out with her friends or finish her homework before her mom’s shift ended at six when the night manager came in. Her father worked from home, and studied. Technically, he was still a student at the University of Illinois, but he worked a lot of sub contracted programming and coding jobs on the side. Once she asked him why he was still in college and his reply was, “Sometimes people are just...nervous about getting out there, and sometimes you just so happen to be very good at filling out grant applications. Your momma has a steady job that takes care of us, and my work on the side makes sure we stay in the green.”

“Need a ride to school today, Pats?” her dad said, snapping Patsy out of it.

“I’m good; I kinda want some time to just think,” she told him.

“It’d be nothing, it’s getting colder out and I love driving my babygirl to-”

“Joseph,” her mother interrupted.

He backed down, “Alright, alright. Letting Pats be all independent.”

“Thanks, Dad. I think I’ll have breakfast at school today, I’m going to get going,” Patsy said.

Joseph began reaching into his pocket, “Need money?”

“I’m good, I still have twenty from helping out at the diner.”

“Now hold on, that’s your money. It’s our job to feed you,” he said, and offered her a five, “Take it, and make sure you grab an apple or an orange or something those school food scientist freaks can’t turn into half-baked prison sloop."

Patsy nodded, “Okay, okay.” She took the money, then gave her dad a quick hug and kiss on the cheek, “Love you, mom. Love you, dad.” Then grabbed her backpack from a kitchen table chair and made her way to the door, only partially catching what her dad was saying about Patsy being braver than he was for voluntarily eating school food.

From her house it was roughly a twenty-minute walk to school. Normally, she would have jumped at the opportunity for a quick ride to school, but her mind was still preoccupied by that dream. Most of it was lost, faded just beyond her consciousness’s reach. Those red eyes; Patsy could still see them crystal clearly in her mind. She could almost feel them on her back now. Patsy shuttered at the thought.

As she walked she barely heard the wizzing of bike tires until they were right behind her, lost in her thoughts Patsy made a sound reminiscent of an “Eek!” and jumped off to the grass beside the sidewalk. The biker slowed to a stop, “Miss. Pascala, are you alright?”

He knew her name? Patsy looked at the biker, as she had been largely looking at her moving feet up until that point and the fact that from her perspective the biker was right in front of the morning sun, she had to squint and couldn’t really make out his face, “Uh, yes. I’m sorry, who are you?”

“Hmm?” he took off his helmet, revealing quite the head of curly locks, “Miss. Pascala, a little out of it this morning?”

As her eyes adjusted she suddenly realized, “OH! Mr. Morales, sorry. It was all sunny, and I was kinda lost in my thoughts, and I’ll just stop talking now.”

Her history teacher looked at her with a bit of a raised eyebrow, “I shall see you in the third period, Miss. Pascala, have a pleasant walk. Homework is due by the end of class.” He awkwardly coughed and rode off, quickly moving into the bicycle lane of the road.

Sometime later, after what is by all rights and definitions a poor excuse of a breakfast that would send Mr. DeSoto into a rambling state of disbelief that this was the best that taxpayer money could do for feeding America’s youth, as well as Patsy’s first hour math class (math first period of the day, she was convinced that the school gods hated her) and her second period economics class where they learned..something, Patsy was sure of that. She remembers taking notes and everything. There was a presentation with slides and everything, so they must have learned something...So after econ was her history class with Mr. Morales.

She liked Mr. Morales, more than her math teacher that’s for sure. “Math is the language of the universe.” She was taking English and French and frankly didn’t feel like she had time for a third language course. Mr. Morales was different, he got swept away with the subject sometimes and seemed to have a real love for it.

“We can learn much from history, but the people who made it weren’t trying to teach morals, and they weren’t thinking about just how important that what they were doing took place in 1776, or during the first or second half of the twelfth century. The past is made up of the actions of people who were concerned with living their lives, and if what they were doing was the right thing to do, or the right thing for them.” Mr. Morales said on the first day of school. He was also just a bit odd. His thick curly hair, a trait he described as indicative of his strong greek heritage, was peppered ever so slightly. Otherwise he held onto his youth remarkably well. looking closer to mid twenties rather than late thirties.

After the class ended, Patsy went up to her teacher, “Uh, Sir, excuse me.”

Mr. Morales looked up from his tablet from which he often powered through novels, “Hmm, yes, Miss. Pascala?”

“I was just going over that pop quiz you handed back today and I would have gotten one hundred percent if you didn’t mark my answer for question two wrong.” She said,

He set his tablet down, “That is usually how people do not get full marks. Allow me to double check that.” He held his hand open.

Patsy handed him the paper, “You see, I’m certain the correct answer is B and I’d like to get full credit.”

“Third century B.C. Yes, you are correct. I’ll be sure to update the gradebook and parent portal to reflect this. Thank you for bringing this to my attention, Miss. Pascala, I imagine I marked everyone else who answered as you did as incorrect as well.”

He handed her back the quiz after remarking her score and immediately wrote a note he then stuck to his computer monitor.

She excused herself and left with a bright smile, making her way to her next class, and then on and so forth with her day. As she was heading towards her computer typing class after lunch (which was not notably better than the breakfast, it is a wonder that these children survive long enough to eat microwaved ramen in college dorms.) She accidentally bumped into the Principle as she was turning a corner.

“Ooft!” She said, feeling like she walked into a lumpy brick wall.

Principal Robertson cleared his throat and looked down his nose at the young lady, “It is not becoming to run down the hails and blindly around corners.”

He had been the principal at her school for well over fifteen years now, and he seemed to live for it. Participating in school spirit events and playing along with the dress up days, at least he did last year. No one wanted to really mention it but over the summer he lost a lot of weight and his skin got paler...greyer was almost more accurate. Hushed rumors said he was diagnosed with some cancer or another but refused to stop working while on chemo and Patsy wasn’t sure what to think of it all. Looking down at her now she wasn’t feeling very comfortable.

“I, uh, I really need to get to class.” Patsy said

The sickly Principal sighed a heavy breath, “Just slow down.”

“Right, of course. Thank you Mr. I mean, Principal Robertson.” With that she took off, carefully walking not-to-quickly.

Passing around the next corner and with her computer lab in sight Patsy let out her own sigh of relief. The bell ringing just steps away, “Whyyyyyyy?” Patsy said in a hushed, exasperated tone.

She quickly rushed into the room and to her seat, hoping maybe she wouldn’t be marked late. The class lesson began and she got to work with her typing program.

“Hey, Patsy,” Her friend Abby said, “Think your mom would give me a ride home after her shift at the dinner?”

“Course, Abbs.” She replied, “You getting anywhere with these?”

“Not really, my hands know the keyboard but my words per minute is garbage.” Abby said.

“My words per minute is fine, but I have to force myself to type the way that we’re supposed to. It doesn’t help that at home I always just type with my pointer and middle fingers.”

“You type a lot at home?” She asked, “Are you writing something?”

She nearly jumped out of her skin, “No! of course not...I just look up a lot of random stuff when I’m bored.” She must never know.

Abby raised an eyebrow, “Mhm, right.”

Over the intercom the school receptionist called out, “Pascala DeSoto to the Principal’s office, Pascala DeSoto to the Principal’s office.

Abby winced, and tried to give her a reassuring smile.

She tried to return it, her thoughts were racing. Surely she wasn’t being called down to the Office for accidentally bumping into the Principal in the hallway was she? Why wouldn’t he just take her there right after she did it then? Maybe it wasn’t about anything she did at all. Oh God...what if her dad accidentally started another grease fire trying to make home fries? What if Mom got into an accident on her way to the dinner? Her mind was a beehive that someone just punted halfway across a football field.

The receptionist must have noticed the worry on her face and gave her a very sweet smile, “Don’t worry about it too much, Sweetie. Just keep your chin up and remember none of this will matter in ten years.” Reassuring words, either her parents were fine or she was just as unsure why she called down Patsy as she was herself.

Bracing herself mentally, Patsy opened the door and pushed it to the magnetic door stopper that held it open.

“Closer the door behind you, Miss. DeSoto.” Principal Robertson said.

Her stomach did an uncomfortable flip, she wasn’t sure why she was feeling so destressed over this. She hadn’t done anything as far as she could remember or mentally justify. She closed the door, getting a last glimpse of Mrs. O'Riley, the nice receptionist.

Run! Every nerve in her body screamed out but she moved forward to sit in the chair opposite Principal Robertson at his desk anyway. He spoke up; she only saw his lips move, the words not landing correctly in her ears.

“I’m sorry, Sir. Could you say that again?” She asked.

His brow furrowed, “I do not care for repeating myself, Miss. Desoto.”

She sank in the chair. “Sorry.”

“And do not mumble. Speak clearly or not at all!”

Patsy sat back up in her seat in shock, “Principal Robertson, I don’t think you’re allowed to speak to me like that.”

“Do not speak back to me, you’re the one in trouble here.” He said venomously.

Trembling she stood up, “I need to go.”

He got up as well, “I think not, DeSoto. You’ve been hiding really well, tricked everyone but not me.” He licked his upper lip.

A full body chill ran through her entire being and oddly, in retrospect she felt, Patsy really wanted her kitty Bean there. She said, “Principal Robertson, you can’t be serious right now!? Think….think about your wife!”

Robertson frowned hideously, “That bint isn’t important.” He smiled, which was so much more disturbing to the young lady, “not like you, DeSoto, you have been worth all of my effort and patience.”

He reached out for her when the door opened, “Principal Robertson,” called out an all too reassuring voice, “I was wondering if you had the chance to look over those field trip papers I….” His hand less than two inches away from her, Patsy’s whole body was trembling but she couldn’t make her legs run.

Mr. Morales stood in the open doorway, his eyes moving quickly from Patsy to Robertson. “Miss. Pascala, behind me.” He said putting himself between them.

The Principal scowled in frustration, “I’m not entirely sure what you think you are doing, Linus. You are acting like I am some sort of threat to the girl.”

“This doesn’t look good, James.” Mr. Morales replied.

Robertson scowled deeper, and Patsy in that moment of fear and confusion thought his scowl pulled unnaturally at his skin.

Mr. Morales raised his hands defensively, “What are you?” Striking a serious tone with his voice that she had never heard from her history teacher before. It was a cold voice that set her skin on edge almost as much as Principal Robertson had.

Before her eyes the late fifties Principal of clear declining health grabbed Mr. Morales and threw him against a glass case containing various trophies for academic and sports accomplishments. Patsy left out a loud scream and Mrs. O’Riley’s own scream wasn’t far behind.

Later the police officers that responded to the Receptionist's call would ask Patsy what happened next, and she told them the truth. It all happened so fast she wasn’t sure what exactly happened. Mr. Morales, who had bruised ribs, and some cuts from the glass but was thankfully otherwise alright, shouted something that didn’t make sense to her at Robertson and the Principal ran off. She didn’t get to hear what Mr. Morales told them but they questioned him for a good long while.

School was cancelled early and parents were furiously calling the school board and the district for answers. There was a warrant issued for Robertson, and some people were threatening to pull their kids altogether. No one wants their kids to go to the school where the principal threatened a fifteen year old girl and assaulted a teacher.

Superintendent Wilkens sent a parent portal wide email that a warrant was formally filed against Mr. Robertson and the police had opened an investigation. In addition to Resource Officer Thomas three more Iron county police officers would be stationed at the school for security and rest assured that school would be open again Friday.

“No, no...this is ridiculous. My daughter was threatened by that man.” Patsy’s dad said to the Superintendent’s secretary. “Don’t put me on hold! ….Yes, I believe that you do have another call coming in. I….” he sighed heavily, and tossed his cellphone into the living room sofa.

“Sweetheart.” Elana said, putting her hands tenderly on Joseph’s shoulders.

“We worked with that man in the ice cream socal last year, Laney.”

Just out of their sight, sitting against the hallway wall Patsy hugged Bean. Now more than ever the tridactyl kitty gave her some comfort. She kept replaying it over in her mind, Robertson’s face looked so...uncanny valley. Elana had tried to reassure her that it was just her mind playing tricks on her, wanting to think that he was somehow less than human because of how he was acting.

Her phone buzzed, touching the wall it tapped rapidly and loudly and Patsy reactively tried to grab it before her parents noticed.

“Pats? Babygirl, I thought you were laying down.” Her dad said, walking over to her, flipping the hallway light on. “Well, I thought you were scrolling through your phone, pretending to be laying down.”

She gave Bean a little squeeze like when she was littler, “I tried, but I couldn’t take a nap.”

“It’s okay, Pats. How'bout I make up some of my famous root beer floats?”

She slowly nodded, “That would be good.”

“Come on, Patsy.” Elana said, “We can sit at the table while your father makes us a feel better treat.”

She got up and walked over to the kitchen table, Bean closely trailing her like always. “Hey, think I could maybe sleep in your guys' bed tonight?”

Elana quickly glanced at her husband, the pair of them sharing a whole conversation in a moment.

“Of course, Pats.” Her dad said, “I’ll sleep on the couch tonight.”

“It’ll be like when you crawled in my bed when you were little after a nightmare woke you up.” Elana said.

Her father was scooping ice cream into three tall milkshake glasses as Patsy pulled Elana into a hug, “Thank you for being my mom.” she said softly.

Elana returned the hug, remembering the first time Patsy told that to her and felt the sting of tears in her eyes. She was Pascala's mom, there wasn’t any doubt of that. She didn’t give birth to Patsy though. Her birth mom and Joseph’s first wife passed away when she was less than six months old, an oncoming driver didn’t stop at the red light as she was going through the intersection on her way home from work. Elana was her birth mother’s best friend and Patsy’s godmother. After the funeral she just kept helping Joseph out with Patsy, eventually moving in with them. Joseph and Elana married when she was seven, but she had really always been her mom.

As frustrated as he was with the situation, Joseph did his best to cool down and help Patsy feel better, telling his corny dad jokes he spent hours and hours looking up at his computer desk.

He spent almost a half hour that night checking and double checking that every door and window was locked that night, as well as making sure their security system was armed. Unlike Patsy, who almost couldn’t sleep without Bean snuggled next to her, Elana found the heavy cat overly warm but she gritted her teeth through it for Patsy’s sake.

The next morning, Thursday, the day after her high school Principal threatened her, assaulted a teacher and just disappeared. She woke up to the smell of her dad making eggs, over cooking them. Elana always made them a little runny. Everything seemed to run by a little slowly. Like she had been jerked out of a deep daydream and couldn’t pull herself entirely out of her own head.

Around noon she and her mom were watching a cartoon as Joseph entered the room on the phone, “I see, well, thank you, Linus. Yes? I’ll ask her now, we were planning on going to the diner for lunch anyway.” He pulled the phone slightly away from his face and turned to the pair on the sofa, “Pats, Mr. Morales is out of the hospital. He asked if it would be alright if he met us at the diner today.”

She let out a huge sigh of relief hearing he was out, that meant he was okay, “Yeah, that sounds good!”

Joseph put the phone back to his face, “She’s okay with it. We’ll see you there at one. Yep, bye, it was good hearing from you too. And...thank you, Linus.” he hung up and put his phone into his pocket. “He said the superintendent pushed the school’s opening back to Monday, I guess we angry few can make a difference.”

Elana pulled her legs onto the sofa and sat cross legged, turning towards him, “That’s great! I think that’s what WIlken’s should have done from the start, but hey. So we’ll be eating with Patsy’s english teacher?”

“History teacher.” Patsy said, correcting her.

“Linus is also one of my work associates, but yes. He just wants to check in with Pats.”

She nodded, “Alright, I’m going to take a quick shower before we go.”

She gave Joseph a quick kiss on the cheek as she left the room, her husband replacing her spot on the sofa.

Patsy gave her dad a big hug. “So Mr. Morales is alright?”

“Some cuts and bruises but he sounded alright, he didn’t talk about himself much.” Joseph said.

Before long they were sitting down as Margret, one of the servers at the diner, was bringing over a pot of coffee for Joseph and Elana and a Shirley temple for Patsy. “Hey, Patsy.” the retirement age waitress said, “How’re you holding up?”

“I’m okay, Margret.” She said, putting on a cheerful voice.

“That’s the spirit, I’ll be sure to bring you over the biggest slice of cake.” She said

“Yay cake!”

Elana laughed a little, “We’re going to wait to order, Margie. We’re waiting on another person.”

The older waitress nodded her head slightly, “Sounds good, Laney. I’ll be back in two shakes with your refreshments.” With that she was off to serve some of the other customers, or guests as corporate would like they be referred to.

The three of them chatted while they waited for Mr. Morales, while they did Patsy’s thoughts drifted to the bizarre notion that when you see someone you only ever see at school, or school related events that when you see them out and about in everyday life the person is suddenly almost unrecognizable. Like in those children sitcom shows where someone says “Wait, you mean teachers don’t live at school??” or something else mildly insulting to the audience about their perceived intelligence. Still, Patsy wondered if it was going to be super weird seeing Mr. Morales not just outside of school, but on purpose outside of school. He normally dressed in clean but not ironed dress pants and some sort of long sleeved shirt, either a button up or a sweater; would he be wearing a rock and roll band t shirt and shorts? What if he wears his curly hair in a manbun outside of work? The horror.

It was almost a disappointment when Mr. Morales showed up in tan dress pants and a blue sweater, as well as a sling that held his left arm, some bandaging on his cheek with some purplish bruising around its edges.

“Linus,” her dad said, “Glad you could make it.”

“We’re both just so grateful for what you did yesterday.” Elana said as her husband scooted further into the booth, making room for him.

“Oh, I only did what any good samaritan should have in the situation.” Mr. Morales said, sitting down. “Ah!” He smiled at the pot of coffee sitting on the table, “May I? I’m afraid I skipped my usual morning cup...come to think of it, skipped most of my usual morning routine today.”

“Go ahead, refills are free.” Patsy said.

“Are they?” He asked with a smile, awkwardly pouring himself a hot cup.

Margret returned, prompting her mom to say that they’ll probably need a few minutes for Mr. Morales to decide what he wants.

“Oh, go ahead.” The teacher reassured, “ I know what I want, a short stack of pancakes, and two pieces of bacon on the chewier side.”

“Oh, alright!” Elana said, “Brunch it is then, I guess we’re ready to order. Patsy, you go first.”

Patsy put in her order, a belgian waffle with strawberries and a lemon poppyseed muffin. Her father ordered the same as Mr. Morales, but he wanted his bacon crispy. Elana ordered two sunny side up eggs and some toast to dunk in the yolk. With that Margaret took off again.

“It just seemed so...out of nowhere.” Patsy said, suddenly.

Surprised, Elana reactively gave her a side hug, “No one ever expects these sorts of things to happen, Sweetheart. All that matters is that you’re safe.”

“Principal Robertson wasn’t...normal, right?” She asked, addressing her teacher.

Mr. Morales avoided her gaze, looking down into his coffee.

“Pats, Robertson wasn’t the man we thought he was, or he changed or something messed up.” her dad said.

“You saw his face too, right Mr. Morales, you asked him what he was.”

Her parents, worried for Patsy, then looked to the teacher they invited out.

“Miss. Pascala, I don’t know what had gotten into him, or what had become of him. That certainly wasn’t the man I have worked with for over two years now, but rest assured. He wasn’t some abnormality, he was a man, a man who revealed himself to be quite the monster.” Mr. Morales said finally, just as their food arrived.

To her parent’s relief, Patsy dropped the subject. They ate and her dad asked Mr. Morales how she was doing in his class.

“She is an ideal student” he told them, “Attentive, curious, she has a mind for nuance, and seems to genuinely want to understand why people did what they had done in the history lessons.” Which unfortunately made her quite uncomfortable, like she was in a parent-teacher conference all of all of a sudden.

As Patsy began to withdraw into herself, Elana asked her, “So, Patsy, is there anything else you’d like to do in town today before we head home?” She hoped to bring Patsy back to the surface of her own mind.

“Huh?” Patsy asked, she heard what her mom said, but her brain hadn’t really processed it yet. Something it usually would do about a split second after someone repeated what they said to her. “Oh, uh...well I was hoping we could go swing by grandma’s grave?” She stated her request with the inflection of a question. Her grandma wasn’t buried very far from where they lived. However, she knew that her dad always had a hard time going. He stayed in the car when they visited her grave a couple weeks before school started.

Joseph swallowed hard, but nodded, “Of course, babygirl.”

Mr. Morales raised an eyebrow, “I didn’t realize you had family buried here. I was under the impression that your family moved here from Louisiana.”

“We did, but Joseph is from here originally, we moved back here after his mother got sick.” Elana explained.

Mr. Morales turned his gaze back to his coffee, “I see.” Patsy could see his eyes darting swiftly like he either realized something or was thinking very swiftly. She felt like she could relate. “Miss. Pascala, Joseph, Elana. Please do not take me for overreaching but I’m not sure it is safe for the three of you to go to a location like that right now. If Robertson is following you it would be quite the place for an ambush.”

“Linus, don’t speak like that in front of my daughter.” Joseph said, something of a warning in his voice.

“No, dad, it’s alright.” Patsy said, “Mr. Morales, do you really think it’s a bad idea to go to the cemetery?”

Mr. Morales looked to Joseph, who wore an expression that clearly said “Be careful how you say things.” He looked back at Patsy, with a small sigh, “I think, perhaps you should at least wait under after school starts up again Monday? Thank you all for this lovely meal, but I think I should be going. This should cover my food.” He swiftly got up and pulled his wallet out and with just his right hand awkwardly pulled out some bills. Leaving forty dollars on the table as he took off.

“I think you scared him.” Elana said simply, pouring herself another cup of coffee.

They ultimately didn’t go to the cemetery, to both the annoyance and relief of her father. In fact they stayed in for the rest of the day. Watching TV, playing a popular kart racing game which Joseph began quite smuggly. Only to lose to his daughter because of an npc driver launching a nuclear option that blasted him back to third place less than half the track away from victory.

Patsy told her parents that she felt comfortable enough to go to bed in her own room that night, and Elana made chicken parm hero sandwiches. All in all the day drifted by quickly after their lunch with the odd Mr. Morales. It was almost 10 at night when she finally told her parents she was going to bed, and they reaffirmed their own tiredness from the day and wouldn’t be up much longer themselves.

Of course, Patsy wasn’t really going to bed.

She stayed up for hours, just to be sure they had actually fallen asleep. Her dad. Patsy disarmed the security system and left the house, heading straight for the cemetery. She had to see her grandmother’s gravestone. Something about how Mr. Morales reacted just didn’t sit right with her. It had to be around 1:20 in the morning now and it was very dark and while it was brisk out during the day her fingers quickly started going numb and she could see her breath.

The ground of the cemetery was hard and bumpy from thawing into wet muddy ground under the sun during the day. Patsy walked through the cemetery at a brisk pace, wanting to get to her grandma's grave and back before her parents could wake up to find out she snuck out of the house...or worse she was taken by Robertson. The made her stomach clench up, and she began regretting this whole idea. There was a rustling in the bushes and she began to sprint, she felt like running home and forgetting all of this but she was painfully aware she was heading right towards the grave.

She came to a quick stop, looking down at the engraved stone. Ellinore DeSoto, 1961 to 2017. She knelt down, tears building in her eyes. Deep down she knew coming here now was a mistake, her grandma wouldn’t want her sneaking out of the house in the middle of the night, especially not under the current circumstances.

She sniffled, alright she got to the gravestone and proved exactly nothing. Time to get home as fast as she possibly could and swear off stupid impulsive decsions forever.

The wet smacking of lips that made her skin crawl.

“Pr.principal Robertson?” She tentatively asked, standing up and turning towards the gross sound. Her eyes widened in grotesque terror as she looked at the swollen thing that only scarcely held the appearance of her principal, the purplish grey skin stretched uncomfortably tight as the creature smiled wider than nature as she knew it allowed.

“Pascala Desoto,” It still spoke with Principal Robertson’s voice. “So courteous of you to come to me, now we may continue your...disciplinary measures, young lady.” The creature stuck out it’s purple tongue which extended down past its belly.

Patsy wanted to run, scream, anything, but her legs refused to move. Her body frozen. It walked up closer to her, and it’s foul breath was like a thick miasma that made her lungs clench up and burnt her throat, she couldn’t even tremble in fear.

“Speechless, DeSoto?” It leaned in and inhaled deeply by her hair, it chucked out as it spoke, “Yeeheeehesss. Your flesh will do, your form will do.”

Over the creature’s shoulder Pascala saw another, and the ghoul’s smile turned into a scowl. Apparently it noticed him as well. It wrapped it’s unnaturally large hands around her, its index finger on her shoulder and its pinky on her waist. Turning to face him it snarled out, “This is my Witch, get your own.”

The man stepped out of the shadows into the moonlight, the beams catching on his glasses, “Let her go, Corpse eater.” He held a revolver in one hand, and an old medieval looking sword in the other. His arm wasn’t in the sling anymore and he didn’t look injured at all.

“Morales, I knew I should have crushed your throat when-”

Her teacher cocked the pistol and aimed it right at his head.

“G...go ahead. I am not something you can kill with a bullet.” The ghoul said smugly.

“In your state it will hurt, it’ll be a whole world of agony.” Morales said, calling the monster’s bluff.

It took a slight step back, balking out a grunt in some fear. “We can split her! I don’t need her blood!”

Patsy’s eyes widened at the suggestion.

“Don’t worry, Miss. Pascala. This thing won’t harm you...and survive.” His voice was cold again, and she couldn’t help but feel an intense fear. Maybe from the slight tremors she felt through the ghoul’s hand, but somehow she knew that this thing that used to be her Principal was terrified.

“I can’t go back to the corpses people bury, they poison them, and every time I feed I whimper in agony for years, only to need to feed again, the cycle is torture! Have mercy!” The ghoul begged.

“You do not want my mercy, Corpse eater. It is at the end of my sword.” He began walking forward.

The ghoul released Patsy and pinched her throat, “Another step and I’ll break her neck!”

Reactively she reached up at the monster’s finger’s “I don’t want to die!” she sobbed, were she in a more clear headed situation she may have realized she can move again.

Mr. Morales paused, scowling back at the hellish beast.

“That’s right! You...you have a fondness for her, your student, HAH! So long as I have her in my grasp you won’t risk harming her.” The ghoul grinned hideously in it’s little victory.

Her history class teacher inhaled sharply, then said, “If you are going to do something, now would be the time!”

Principal Robertson the ghoul frowned, “What are you playing at?!”

Out from the bushes a large orange cat ran up much faster than Patsy had ever seen in her life and pounced on the ghoul’s forearm, clawing and tearing at it. The ghoul released her and she dropped, quickly and frantically crawling into an upright sprint several yards away from the monster.

Bean used the ghoul as a springboard and sprinted over to Patsy. The Ghoul was screaming and clutching the wounds the cat had left on it, as Morales lunged forward and with a clean swift strike cleaved the monster’s head from it’s shoulders.

Patsy’s breaths were short, and she pulled Bean into her arms as she tried to calm down. Morales wiped his blade off on the grass before sheathing it and steeping over to his student as he holstered his gun.

“I’m sorry, Miss. Pascala.” He said, “Are you alright?”

“What, what was that!?” She asked, looking at the ghoul’s limp body.

He paused, like he was unsure he could answer, “...Is there any world where you could accept that this was all a bad dream?”

She shook her head, “No, I have nightmares all the time, this is real.” Patsy looked at her teacher and gasped, she tried to step back but only fell backwards. “Those eyes!”

Mr. Morales sighed, and pulled his glasses from his face. His eyes were a hungry deep red. “Please, Miss. Pascala, I mean you no harm. You have my word, my oath as a man who has spent his very long life guiding the minds of the youth, and protecting everyone who I find in need of help.”

She tried to steady her breath, with Bean in her arms she felt much bolder and confident, “Those eyes, I’ve seen them in my nightmares, I trusted you and you’re another one of those things!” She pointed to the ghoul.”

He was taken aback, and gestured at his face, “You’ve seen these eyes in your dreams? Miss. Pascala, I assure you I am not a corpse eater.” He grabbed his lip and pulled it up, revealing a long and sharp fang. “I am a vampire, and amazingly you seemed to have augured my presence in your dreams.”

She stared at the fang with wide, slightly horrified eyes. “...Huh.”

“Huh. That...is a first.” The Vampire said, “I imagine you have questions, and you deserve answers. Especially if you refuse to accept this night was just a bad dream.”

She nodded, “I don’t think I’ll ever be able to, trust me I’m trying. Still here, next to my vampire history teacher.”

“Very well, Miss. Pascala. This ghoul was hunting you because you are a Sorceress, and whoever gave you that cat was as well. Seeing as how that animal is a Familiar, your Familiar.” He said, “Monday, come to my class after school, and I will tell you more. For now just go home, you’ll be safe there with the cat. I need to clean this up before anyone comes by and finds it.”

It was be a difficult thing to believe that Patsy would just accept things at that, that she would just go home and enjoy her long weekend with her folks, and she could just scratch Bean behind the ear knowing she was some magical protector her Secret Sorceress Grandma had given to her as a little kitten. That she could be nearly eaten and just go back to bed. All that can be agreed upon is that Patsy got out of bed the next morning around 10:30, that she took a shower and had slightly runny scrambled eggs for breakfast. Another thing that can be certain is that Patsy would never doubt what happened, what she saw and what she heard, and that the story of Pascala DeSoto, The Sorceress of Illinois had only begun.

End Chapter

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#Red Eyes on my Grandmother's grave #wip #paypal

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markleesthighs · 4 years ago

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Can you make another jaemin x BOY reader? Since he looks so good and badboyish with his new raven black hair, can you make one where jaemin is the only son of a mafia leader who gambles, drag races, and other reckless underground stuff and the boy reader is a pure, fragile, and perfect ballet dancer and honor student, an only son of an ambassador. Like a dangerous boy meets a delicate boy or like romeo and juliet? Thankieeeeeee!🖤🤍

-aw this is so cute this concept... *chefs kiss*

Forbidden Moonlight

You attend one of the most prestigious art schools in the country. Everyone there had to go through rigorous testing, students needed to be academically and artistically smart and creative. You and your peers were the top 5% of the country where you’d all grow to be famous artists after you graduate. But there was one student who you were confused about was Na Jaemin. Apparently he got into school because of his amazing graffiti art and gambling skills. You got into the school from your amazing ballet performance and you being at the top of your class with perfect grades. You were the only son of an ambassador so your family had high expectations for you. Specifically, they support you for dancing but they push hard for your academics. Every grade you receive you have to report to your parents so they can keep track of your progress. You arrive to dance classes early, always volunteer for every club or in class, and keep up the best grades in the grade.

You were perfect as people say, and you got asked out by several guys in your class but you always kindly reject them simply telling them you don’t have time for a relationship. Jaemin on the flip side was just as popular as you, getting confessions from guys and girls but he also rejected them always saying his catchphrase, “you couldn’t keep up with me.” Rumors spread that he was a mafia leader and already had a spouse and kids but you didn’t know what to believe. Your parents would have scolded you for being distracted by silly things. Yet you still found yourself intrigued by him, he was everything you weren’t, a troublemaker, laid back, and competes in drag races instead of doing any work. You always wondered how he stayed in your school, despite his work ethic.

One night you went out to pick up a study snack from a local restaurant with a sweet old lady who would always give you extra of whatever food she sold. When you walked home you were staring at your phone, listening to music when you accidentally bumped into someone.

“Oh, I’m so sorry...”

You looked up to see a man at least a foot taller than you and had a huge build, he could definitely crush you would his fingers if he could.

“HEY watch where you’re going twerp!”

“I’m really sorry, I’ll just go-“

“Oh no you’re not! You need to learn your lesson!”

He grabbed you by the collar and brought you aside to the alley where he pinned you agains the grimy brick.

“You’re going to regret bumping into me-“

“Let him go...he’s worth a lot to this city.” A voice called.

“Boss??”

“Jaemin??”

“How do you know the boss??”

“That’s none of your concern, Sebastion, now go back to work.”

“Come with me y/n, you’re coming.”

“Wh- I gotta go back-“

Before you can say anything you were suddenly on his motorbike riding to his mansion. You got off his bike and were fathomed by his luxurious lifestyle, you expected him to live in a messy apartment for some reason. You walked in as you were greeted by a bunch of maids taking off your jacket and giving you heated slippers and a face towel. You kindly thanked them as Jaemin plopped down on his couch. You shyly walked over to join him.

“Here’s the deal, y/n, you’re dad owes me something of mine, and I need to keep you here as leverage got it?”

“Are you seriously expecting me to the calm about this? Jaemin this is crazy, my mind is circling...”

“Well...” He moved closer. “There’s no chance of me letting you go...willingly at least.”

Your face heated up smelling his light cigarette breath.

“But I assure you that you will be treated like a king here since you are my guest, so you might as well get comfortable.”

Jaemin got up and grabbed your hand giving you a tour, from olympic sized pools, bowling alley to shooting ranges and torture rooms. The tour ended at the bedroom, Jaemin’s bedroom.

“You’re going to be sleeping in my bedroom, since I don’t trust the other guys in the house if you’re alone in the room, all of them are horn dogs. I’ll leave you alone to refresh yourself.” Jaemin left and closed the door.

You were freaking out having a meltdown in the bedroom pacing back and forth. You decided a shower would calm you down, you undressed and stepped in the shower. You smelled the musk of Jaemin, it was warm and comforting, the complete opposite of his appearance. You dried and realized there were not pajamas for you. So you threw on one of Jaemin’s shirts and sweatpants. You opened the bedroom door to let Jaemin know you were done.

Jaemin turned and saw you, barefaced, raw, and he thought you looked breathtaking. It was a different look, and he liked what he was seeing. He went to shower and when he walked out he saw you staring at the night sky while sitting on the bed. He admired you looking at the moonlight the bright moon gleaming against your skin, the light shining though your irises and the reflection of the moon in your eyes. He snapped out of it and asked you if you were going to bed. You quietly nodded and tucked yourself in facing away from Jaemin. You didn’t know what to think, you were speechless about the situation.

Jaemin sighed and joined you in bed but he couldn’t fall asleep. He just keep watching you, making sure you were asleep and sleeping well. Despite the plush and lavish sheets you were shivering, from the cold room and a bit of anxiety. You didn’t know what was going to happen tomorrow, your father is the type to send a whole army after you, you didn’t want anyone to get hurt. Jaemin snapped you out of your thoughts.

“Cold?”

“Y-yeah a bit, but I’m fine.”

You felt a warm embrace, Jaemin’s wrapped his arms around you tucking his head into your neck. It was comforting, warm, and nurturing. Your shivering calm down and you felt yourself drift off to sleep. While you were asleep Jaemin kissed you temple

“Goodnight, y/n.”

You woke up to some giggles by the maids cleaning up Jaemin’s room. Your vision was blurry but you noticed you were facing Jaemin as he was holding you in a warm embrace. You stared at Jaemin for a minute, his face was calm and serene, and his hair was a little messy. You smiled playing with his hair as he groaned in pleasure. A maid came in a rang a bell as Jaemin woke up confused.

“Master Jaemin, it’s time for school.”

He got up and sighed as he collapsed back into bed. You tried to get out of bed but Jaemin kept trying to pull you back in.

“Get up sleepyhead, you gotta show me your closet.”

Jaemin lazily got up and opened his finger print locked closet. It opened up to dozens of racks and shelves of designer clothing. Jaemin walked over to two bags one from YSL and one from Fendi.

“I asked one of the maids to pick an outfit from you I didn’t know which one you liked so you can pick one.” You peeked in each box and chose the one from YSL, putting it on in the dressing room and you walked out to see Jaemin shirtless. You apologized but he told you to stay and brought you closer. Your eyes traced his body.

“Take a picture it will last longer baby.”

You blushed hard and looked away. Why did he make butterflies appear in your stomach? He put on the rest of his outfit and sprayed his cologne and you were still looking away from him. Jaemin grabbed your chin and pecked your cheek.

“You have a beautiful face don’t hide hide it from me.”

You pecked his lips

“Well if you didn’t make me so flustered I think I’d look at you more often.”

That made Jaemin’s eyes go wide in shock.

“Don’t test me now baby, or will I have to show you how to play nice?”

You rolled your eyes as you walked passed him. He chased after you as you both ate a light breakfast and walked outside together holding hands. He gave you a helmet and he held your hand and made you wrap your arms around his waist. You arrived to school with a bunch of eyes all over you two. You were averting gazes but Jaemin held your hand as you both walked. You smiled at him as you walked together. You got gazes of jealousy and shock. You walked into class and Jaemin held you close squeezing your hand in reassurance.

“Would Mr. y/n l/n please come down the the front office please.”

You looked at Jaemin in confusion but he let you go alone to the office. You walked in and saw your father and mother standing there next to the principal. They led you into the principals office.

“y/n as you know you went missing last night according to your parents, once we were notified that you arrived on campus we contacted your parents. If you don’t mind, would you mind explaining to your parents where you went?”

“Did they drug you? Did they harm you?” Sobbed your mother

“Were you threatened? Do you know how worried we were how reckless are you?!” scolded your father.

“Well, I was with Na Jaemin, he helped me that night after I was being harassed. Is there anything you need to explain to me, dad, regarding Na Jaemin? Does that name ring a bell?”

The principal stepped out by simply saying that he won’t be involved or eavesdrop on family affairs and he shut the door.

“y/n, the Na family is the most powerful mafia family in the country right now, I have to meet and do deals with them to maintain the safety of this country. Last night I made an offer to Jaemin, and he accepted it saying he would return you to school the next morning.”

“How’d you know where I was?”

“I received intel from a mafia member who saw you with Jaemin.”

“What did you offer Jaemin?”

“That’s none of your concern, from now on I want you to stop affiliating yourself with him, he’s too dangerous for you. I forbid you from seeing him off campus, y/n.”

“WH-“

“As your father and guardian, I need to do what’s best to protect you and keep you on a clear track. No more boys no more mafia business.”

You felt as if you were going to cry, how were you going to tell Jaemin? What is he going to do? What if him and you father go to war? You couldn’t have that you’d have to choose. So who will you choose?

part 2

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pbandjesse · 3 years ago

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Today was a surprise day off. I woke up early this morning to a text from Beth from the nursery. Apparently there was an exposure so the school was closed for the day. And I was off the hook.

I was so pleased. I texted James and went right back to sleep. I slept for 2 more hours and felt so much better when I got up.

James was off on a bike ride with their friend Gabe. So I got to have some time to myself.

Surprise days off are great. I find it's a lot easier for me not to feel guilty about free time. I slowly got up. I got dressed. I felt cute and cozy. I had cake for breakfast. I did my knitting. I was in a good mood.

But my hair still smelled bad from the tgel. So I tried washing it again. It would get better. And it basically gone now but I was still upset and my hair is a little dry now. Still frustrating.

I got back in bed and enjoyed just laying around. James would come home cleaned up. We would hang out. They watched a video while I played pokemon snap. I didn't realize I still had so much more game to unlock. After beating the big boss I thought I was basically done so it's nice I'm able to go back and still accomplished new things. I even opened a new area! So that was cool.

I was a little unsettled though and wanted to go out. I kind of just wanted to go for a drive but invited James to go for a long ride out to Columbia to go to the 2nd Ave. Honestly I don't think I even really wanted to. But also I did. I wanted to do something and that's the only thing I could come up with.

We would also need to go get groceries. But first we went to the thrift store.

I did have fun. But man. They are out of their mind with some of these prices. I found a north face jacket for $50. A box for $30. A broken seashell for $3??? I did get a few more candle sticks. One even has wedding bells. And I found an adorable little ceramic wax melt house. I also got a bucket hat and a small umbrella, two things I had been looking for on ebay this week. The hats a little small but I still really like it.

One of my favorite things of the day though was a fisher price music box record player from 1971. I love when toys have their dates on them still. And this one still worked! It was missing the records but I found them for really cheap online and I am excited to have this little thing. I think I had something similar when I was a kid. Maybe it was just a tiny record player and not this one but still. A really cool find.

We went to the grocery store next. Some stuff was cheaper then last time. Some was more. I accidentally bought veggie chicken burgers again when we already had those. But that's okay. We spent to much money but we have been trying hard to eat a lot at home. James is good at buying 'real food's and I am good at buying snacks and quick food. Which is great when my hands are shaking and I can't wait an hour to eat. We are a good team.

We headed home. And got everything inside. Which is when my hands started shaking and I had to eat a yogurt really fast. James would make me a sandwich but I felt very lightheaded all of a sudden.

I put all our stuff away. Chilled on the couch. Enjoyed the sandwich. Cuddled James. It was a cozy late afternoon.

I would play a little more Pokemon. And soon James would be getting ready for their fantasy baseball draft. And Brandon would come over eventually.

I would finish my last set of prints finally. And do a few watercolors. But I was tired and a little cold and my tummy hurt just s bit. So I went back to bed.

I watched videos on my phone for to long. Went to say goodbye to Brandon after the draft. Fed Frenchy. And took a shower.

Now we are in bed. My ear is a little swollen. But I feel alright beyond that. I'm at the museum tomorrow. I'm leading the cannery and I'm not happy about it. But it's fine. It will be fun I'm sure. I hope you all have a great night tonight. Take care of each other. Sleep good!!

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ethereal-bang · 4 years ago

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Best Friend’s Brother’s Best Friend

Characters: Felix x female reader, Bang Chan, an OC

Words: 4.4k

Type: strangers to lovers, smut (kinda? suggestive), some major fluff cause I’m a softie for Lix

Request : Hey! I would like to request smth but the fluff/smut scenario is complex (u can just ignore it if its too much for u😊) U are Bang chan's little sister's bestfriend n one time he comes back for vacation from korea w Felix n he proposes him to come sleep over, this day u r also supposed to sleep over at Chris' sister's, so u meet him n Felix for the first time. There's smth obvious between u n Felix, things go on n turns out also heated (sry i didn't know how to explain all of this🥺) Thank U☺️

Requests Are Open!

Warnings: mature content, not explicitly smut but things get pretty heated (will be pretty vanilla. dry humping, heavy kissing etc) Do Not Read if you are under the age of 18. This piece of work is intended for mature audiences only

You’ve always loved the summer. The feeling of freedom, no responsibilities and the exciting prospect of unknown adventures always brings a smile to your face.

Today is the same way. You take in the feeling of the sun warm on your back, the breeze through your hair as you ride your bike across town. The first day of summer has come, and you can’t wait to spend your days with those you hold dearest to you, like your best friend Mia.

Mia has been your friend since you were three years old. It started as two toddlers running around the playground together, your mothers keeping a watchful eye as you run through the grass and chase butterflies until your little legs give out. Many playdates were spent that way, slowly forming a bond that you knew would continue on through time and fallen leaves with the changing of each season.

Each year that past brought you new experiences. New classes, birthdays, crushes, heartbreak-- everything the two of you could've gone through together, you have. Your families even, are attached at the hip this point.

Take her older brother, Chan for instance. Only three years older than his sister, he took on the protective older brother role for you as well. Driving you to practice, helping you with homework, you name it. Although he can be a little annoying sometimes, as “big brothers” can be, you wouldn’t trade your friendship with him for the world. Which was why you were heartbroken when he was signed to JYP and off to South Korea, to pursue his dreams of making music.

You were proud of him, absolutely. He had worked so hard his entire life and you knew he was destined to do great things. The airport send off was sad, but promises of facetime calls and letters sent brought you slight comfort.

Years went on, and your friendship with Mia, as well as Chan, never changed. Now graduated from high school, this summer was the most exciting one yet. Going off to college in the fall was daunting, but knowing that you wouldn’t have to worry about it for at least another three months meant that you could truly relax, and take in the newfound freedom that comes with being an adult.

Well, kinda.

You pulled up on your bike in front of Mia’s house; the large front porch with the cutest little swing out front reminding you of all the times you spent with her there after school. Images of hours spent running around the front yard and 25 cent lemonade stands fill your head as you make your way to the front door, not even bothering to knock because you knew Mia was home.

Setting your shoes at the door, you call out for your best friend. “Mia? It’s me, Y/N!” you say as you peak your head into the living room, finding no signs of life. “In the kitchen!” you hear her say and you immediately turn around to walk through the doors.

When you walk in, your heart soars as you spot a certain curly haired boy standing with her at the counter. “Chan!” you scream and basically knock him over. It’s been at least 4 years since you’ve last seen him, and the surprise makes your day better already. He gives you a hug and laughs his signature laugh, and you can't believe he’s actually here. “WHY didn’t you tell me you were coming home?!’ you say as you smack him on the shoulder. He pretends to be hurt and rolls his eyes. “Then it wouldn’t be a surprise, dummy” he says. It’s only then that you realize there’s someone else in the room.

You look over and immediately recognize Felix. You were obviously a fan of Stray Kids, how could you not be? This was the first time you’d met any of the other boys in person, though, and you blushed when you realized he was even more handsome than the videos made him out to be.

His blonde hair frames his face perfectly as he looks up at you, and you take in the way his freckles paint his face like the most beautiful constellation in the sky. You take in the shape of his nose, and his lips, the cupid’s bow prominent and his lips turned upwards into a shy smile. You realize that you’re staring, and the blush on your cheeks darken.

Chan clears his throat, aware of the awkward atmosphere as he laughs quietly. “Right, right. I forgot you two have never met. Y/N, this is Felix. Felix, this is Y/N, Mia’s best friend.” He says, gesturing between the two of you. Mia makes eye contact with Chan as the two of you awkwardly say your hellos, wiggling her eyebrows, and he waves her off. “It’s nice to finally meet you.” you say and stick your hand out. He stands up and does the same, shaking your hand softly. “It’s nice to meet you too! I hope we can get to know each other,” he says. You were no strange to how deep his voice is, but hearing it in person is completely different. The timbre of his voice sends a feeling up your spine that you haven’t felt in a long time. And then it strikes you. They’re here, not in Korea.

“Wait, why are the two of you here? N-not that I don't WANT you here or anything I just- you’re normally an ocean away an-” “Relax, Y/N,” Mia says, cutting off your confused rambling before you can dig yourself into a deeper hole. “Chan is home for a vacation and decided to bring ‘Lix along! Isn’t that exciting?” She says, glad to have her brother back home.

“Yep! The company decided we all needed a long break since we’ve been working so much this year, so we’ll be here for the next two months!” Chan says, and you beam. The whole summer! This opens up a brand new world of possibilities. “So,” you begin, all three of them looking at your expectantly.

“What do we do first?”

____________________________________

The first few weeks of summer are always the most exciting. Everything is a first. Movie nights, late night trips to the local diner, and catching fireflies in the backyard seem just that much more fun. You also got the chance to reconnect with Chan, and build a new friendship with Felix.

Felix is an excitable soul. Always one for random adventures, the anticipation of the day’s activities always evident in his eyes that seem to sparkle at every moment. When it came to sleepovers, the two of you always seemed to be the first ones awake. This led to many early morning (if you call 8 am early) impromptu breakfasts together, sitting the Bang family kitchen and talking about anything and everything. Felix is incredibly funny, always having a reference or a joke up his sleeve no matter the conversation.

Take yesterday, for example. The summer carnival in town is in full swing, and Mia thought it would be a great idea for the four of you to go. You get up bright and early and head over to their house, knocking on the door excitedly. Your breath catches in your throat when Felix opens the door. He had clearly woken up not too long before; His hair still a little messy, and a sleepy smile adorns his face when he realizes it’s you. You can’t help but giggle, he looks so cute in the early hours of the morning and it makes you want to reach up and push his puffy cheeks together. “Oh, h-hey y/n I didn’t know you’d be here so soon...I-I’m gonna go get dressed,” he stutters, letting you into the house and then rushing upstairs.

____________

Once everyone is ready to go, you all pile into Mia’s car and head over to the carnival. The car ride is filled with singing along to the radio, windows down and taking in the sights of the city as it slowly wakes up. Something about the summer brings everyone outside, you think to yourself as you pass families sitting in patio areas for a nice breakfast and people out walking their dogs through the city streets.

Pulling into the parking lot, you bounce in your seat with excitement. It’s just opened for the day, and you can see the rides begin to move and lights turning on, adding to the atmosphere. You’re sat next to Mia in the front seat, but you can see Felix through the rearview mirror. Your eyes meet for a split second and you turn away, noticing the way his eyes sparkled when they met yours. “He’s probably just excited about the fair,” you think to yourself, shrugging it off.

Chan and Felix are the first two out of the car, followed by Mia and then yourself. The walk to the ticket booth was short, but was filled with Chan’s excited noises as he talked about everything he wanted to do while at the carnival. It was the first time he’d been in almost 5 years, and he said it was something he had missed while overseas.

Waiting in line at the ticket booth, you take in your surroundings as you wait for the others to buy their tickets. People have now actually made their way inside, and you can hear the music coming from the various games and rides all around you, along with the screams of the people already on some of the rollercoasters.

You’re broken out of your thoughts by Felix’s deep voice, hearing him say “2 tickets, please” to the lady at the window. Confused, you tug on his sleeve and look at him. “Felix,” you start but he smiles and shakes his head, opting to wrap your hand around his own arm as he says “Don’t worry about it, I got it.”

You feel butterflies in your chest at the action, but try not to let yourself be so easily affected. Instead, he pulls you along with Chan and Mia, and you make your way into the park.

“So...what do we ride first?” Chan asks. He looks over to you and Felix’s intertwined arms and raises his eyebrows, giving Felix a look that luckily you didn’t see because you were too busy trying to decide if you wanted to play a game first or go on one of the rollercoasters instead.

“Let’s go play one of those first!” Mia chimes in, spotting one of those games where you throw a baseball to knock down some bottles. She’s always been the competitive type, so it’s no surprise to you as she walks over to the games, teasing Felix that he doesn’t stand a chance up against her.

This declaration of war seemed to spur something on in Felix, determination in his eyes as he watches Mia knock nearly every bottle down. She looks at him as she’s handed her prize, a little pink stuffed monkey from the middle shelf that she holds dearly to her chest. “Beat that, Felix.” she laughs as he steps up to the game booth.

You stand beside Chris and Mia and watch as Felix begins throwing the baseballs. With ridiculous precision, he knocks down two bottles. Then another three. Then another two more. You’re all watching in surprise as Felix knocks the rest of the bottles down with his final baseball, eyes wide and Mia pouting, realizing she’s been beat.

The bell dings, and the carnival worker cheers as he tells Felix to pick anything from the top shelf. He grabs a plush, cartoon cat toy and immediately turns around and hands it to you. “Here, you can have it,” he says, a blush adorning his cheeks. Your expression mirrors his as you take the toy and hold it close to your chest. Mia and Chan both roll their eyes at the innocent display of affection. Neither of them can believe that the two of you are so absolutely oblivious to each other’s feelings.

_______

Many rollercoaster rides and carnival food later, the sky is beginning to grow dark. The day was spent playing rock paper scissors to decide who rides with who, who pays for food, and who holds the other’s things when the ride won’t allow everyone to ride together. It’s the most fun day you’ve had in a long time, and you’re thankful that you get to spend it with the people you hold dearest to you.

The sun slowly setting is making Felix look absolutely beautiful, and you have to stop yourself from constantly staring at his skin and the way the sunlight makes his freckles stand out even more than normal.

Once you return to the Bang residence, everyone goes off to do their own thing; Mia to take a shower, Chan to play some video games, and you decide to go to the backyard. Opting to sit on the bench off the back porch, you smile as you see fireflies blinking throughout the yard. Moments like these were your favorite, the calm breeze through your hair as the air is still a little sticky; once the sun sets it will cool down, so you put up with it for now.

You’re a little surprised when you see Felix come to join you outside, you thought he had been playing games with Chan upstairs. “Hey,” he says with a smile. You nod your head and he takes a seat next to you. “Penny for your thoughts?” He asks as he notices the far away look in your eyes.

“I’m just thinking about how much fun this summer has been. How much today has been. Thank you for the stuffed animal, by the way.” You say with a blush on your cheeks. He rubs the back of his neck, feeling embarrassed and a little nervous. “Oh, yeah, no problem I mean, I know you like cats so..” “Yeah..” you say, both of you trailing off into a comfortable silence.

“You know,” you start off, “I’m really glad Chan brought you back home with him. It’s nice to finally get to know you,” you say quietly. Felix smiles and moves a little closer to you. “Yeah? I agree. I’m glad I came with him, too.” he says. He’s close enough to you on the bench that your shoulders are touching, and the proximity makes you nervous. You can feel him looking at you as your eyes wander across the back yard, watching a bunny run into the bushes. You turn to look at him, and he’s so close that time feels like it’s stood still.

He’s moving closer towards you, and your breath catches in your throat. Is he about to kiss you? Your mind is going haywire. His lips are less than an inch away from yours, and you close your eyes out of reflex. One slight move and he could jus-

“Hey guys! Let’s go get dinner, Chan says he’s paying.” You and Felix jump apart as Mia is suddenly at the back door. Scrambling to your feet, you can’t look Felix in the eye, embarrassed by almost getting caught with what was about to happen. “O-oh yeah, sure!” Felix says, just as startled as you are. He lets you head in the door before him, and you try to shake the butterflies when you remember the feeling of him so close.

____________

Today, it’s Mia who wakes up before the boys do, so the two of you wander into the kitchen, making breakfast for everyone before Felix and Chan wake up. Mia passes you the pancake mix that she’s just finished making, and you sprinkle some blueberries into the batter that you’ve put on the griddle. “Who’re the blueberries for?” Your best friend asks as she cuts some more fruit to put out for everyone. “Oh they’re for Felix, he likes blueberries,” you say as you absentmindedly wait for the pancake to cook enough to flip over.

“You know, Felix seems to have taken a liking to you,” she teases, popping a piece of watermelon into her mouth. You roll your eyes at her, a sense of false hope spreading in your chest. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” you say, hoping that you can convince her and possibly yourself, that there’s nothing there.

“Come on y/n,” she starts, “the two of you literally ditched me and Chan the other night to sit outside and stare at fireflies before dinner. And don't think I didn’t see how close he was to you when I came outside! You just need to say something to him already. I’m begging you.” She watches you take the pancake off the griddle and place it on a plate, grabbing the bowl of pancake batter and starting on another one.

“I don’t know Mia, maybe he wasn’t trying to kiss me! Maybe I just had something on my face! Felix is a nice guy he’d do that kind of thing for me,” you reason. In your mind, it was so far from believable that Felix could have any type of feelings for you. He’s and idol, surrounded by some of the prettiest and most talented girls around, there’s no way he’d settle for someone as normal as you.

“I see those gears turning in your head, y/n, don’t think too much of it otherwise you’re just gonna make yourself sad. He IS a nice guy, but I also can’t lie to you and tell you he doesn’t look at you the way Chan looks at every dog he’s ever seen,” she laughs.

You were about to open your mouth to argue, but you’re saved by the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs. Chan comes first, Felix following close behind. Both of them have clearly just woken up, probably from the smell of the pancakes that you just remembered you were making. Luckily, you noticed just in time to take them off the stove and put the remaining pancakes on everyone’s plates.

“Good morning sleepyheads. Glad you could finally join us,” Mia jokes as she places the boys’ plates in front of them “Ooooo blueberries!” Felix says as he takes a look at the pancakes on his plate, and Mia shoots you a knowing look. You kick her under the table, and remain quiet as breakfast begins.

_________

The four of you decided that staying inside was the best course of action, the summer weather was in full effect today, and none of you wanted to face the July heat. The day was spent making lemonade, sharing youtube videos and playing multiple rounds of uno, laughter filling the house because Chan and Felix were hellbent on making each other lose (which Felix did. A lot.) It was so normal, you had almost forgotten about the little moment you had with Felix last night. Almost.

Later in the afternoon, Chan speaks up all of a sudden. “Hey, Mia, remember we need to head over to Auntie’s house really quick, like Mom asked us to this morning.” He said. Looking confused, Mia walks into the living room to look at him. “What are you talking about? Mom didn’-” she stops her sentence when she sees that Chan is looking at her urgently, eyes flitting between you and Felix, who are currently engrossed in a movie on TV.

Catching on quick, Mia nods her head. “Oh, yeah, that’s right. Auntie’s house.” You look up when you hear her voice. “Auntie’s house? That sounds fun, let’s go!”

“No!” Chan says quickly, and now he has Felix’s attention as well. “It’s a...family thing,” Mia says, trying to save her brother’s ass so they don’t get caught. “Right, right. It’s a family thing so you can’t come we’ll be back see you later!!” Chan say as he pulls Mia out the front door. Raising your eyebrows, you question your best friend’s weird antics as they shut the door. “Ooookay,” Felix laughs once the front door closes. “What do you think they’re problem is?” You question and turn back to Felix. He looks a little nervous, and you’re unsure why. “No idea,” he says quietly and turns back to the tv.

He’s sitting far away from you on the couch, and the urge to move closer to him is growing stronger by the minute. You try to control yourself and focus on the movie, but it’s getting harder as you replay the moments from yesterday in your mind. You try to get comfortable where you’re seated, but for some reason no matter how you sit, you can't manage to stay still for more than 10 seconds.

Felix looks over at you occasionally, wondering if you’re uncomfortable being alone with him. There’s no way, right? You’ve spent plenty of time alone with him in the past month and a half, if he had made you uncomfortable, you would’ve said something, right? And why did Chan and Mina just run out like that? He doesn’t remember ever hearing their mom mention anything about going to their aunt’s house this morning. Was he just not paying attention?

You’re still moving about on the couch, and curiosity peaks in Felix.

“Are you okay?” Felix asks, looking over when you move for the fifth time in half a minute. “Y-yeah! Yeah I’m ok. Just a little cold,” you say, trying to play off the situation. He shifts a little in his seat, wondering if he’s really about to do what he’s thinking about doing. And before he knows it, he opens his mouth and is doing exactly what he was afraid to.

“I mean,” he begins hesitantly, “you can always..come sit over here with me, if you want. No pressure! But you know..if you want to,” He blushes, but extends his arm against the back of the couch, an open invitation for you to cuddle into his side. Thinking about it for a moment, you figure there’s no real harm in doing so, wanting to satisfy your need to be close to him in hopes that it'll stop the feeling in your chest.

You were wrong, it doesn’t help the feeling in your chest at all. If anything, it magnifies it ten fold. You scoot over to Felix’s side of the couch, tucking yourself into his side and getting comfortable. You relax in his hold, and Felix feels a sense of relief wash over him.

You try to get back into the movie, but just as you get comfortable again, a very intense romantic scene begins in the movie. The two characters are about to meet their inevitable downfall, sharing a dramatic declaration of their love. The desperation in their voices are evident, knowing that if this so happens to be the last moment they ever have on earth, then they’ll be okay with it knowing that neither of their feelings were unrequited. .It doesn’t help that Felix keeps looking over at you every thirty seconds.

You feel Felix tense, and he turns to look down at you, your head now rested on his shoulder as you got comfy in his embrace. He wants to hold you like this forever. He panics a little, realizing how close your faces where when you turned to look up at him. He looks into your eyes and immediately melts, it reminds him of the other night, when he was just so close to finally kissing you. All he would have to do now, in this moment, is grab your jaw and pull you forward and then he’d be kissing you.

So that’s what he did.

It was a quick kiss, and Felix pulls away just as quickly as he pulls you in. “I uh..I am so sorry. I don't know what came over me if you never want me to do that again I won’t and we can forget that it ever happened I am so sorry,” he rambles, and you laugh at him. “Felix,” you say, turning to face him properly, “You have no idea..how long I have wanted you to do that.” You confess, cheeks turning red. He giggles. Giggles. That’s all the incentive you need to pull him back to you and capture his lips in another kiss.

You move to straddle his lap, your hands tangling in his hair and his immediately landing on your hips. You want to stay with him like this forever, you’ve decided. Running your hands through the soft tresses makes you realize that no one has ever made you feel the way that Felix does. He is home to you, and you know immediately that you don’t want anyone else. He moves to touch the skin that’s exposed right at the bottom of your tshirt, and a content sigh passes your lips. Felix uses the moment to slip his tongue in your mouth and you just let him take over, too lost in the feeling of him to fight for any type of dominance.

You roll your hips against him and a deep groan comes from his chest. You kiss him a little harder, and his labored breathing matches your own. You were now immensely glad that Mia and Chan were nowhere to be found.

His lips move to your neck, and the noise that comes from you does not go unnoticed by him. He’s guiding your hips against his now, bucking up into you and you’re getting lost in the feeling of him. Looking at you, Felix just wants to thank every god that has ever existed for letting him be with you in this way. In this moment, you are the only thing that exists to him. Even if he has to leave in a few weeks to head back to Korea and his idol life, his heart belongs here with you. And you'll wait for him each time, you know you will. This felt like destiny, and you’ll be damned if a body of water comes between you and him ever again.

________

Mia and Chan take their sweet time coming back to the house, deciding to go get dinner and hoping that their idiot lovestruck best friends have finally gotten themselves figured out. They walk through the door and smile as their met with the sweetest scene ever. You and Felix are asleep on the couch, completely wrapped in each other.

Needless to say, the state of Felix’s hair and the dark markings on your neck are enough for the two of them to silently fist bump as they walk to their respective bedrooms.

________________________________________________________________

A/N: Oh my goodness. If you’ve made it to the end of this, thank you for reading! I really hope this lived up to your expectations Anon >.<

Masterlist

#WELP two computer crashes and one loss of my sanity and it's done!#felix #stray kids scenarios #stray kids fluff #stray kids smut #felix scenario #ryn's work: felix #ryn's work: stray kids #stray kids

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jewish-space-laser · 5 years ago

Text

Miles & Black Coffee - Part Two

“If you’re thinking about taking the high road,

I can tell you that you’re doing it wrong,

There’s a better of way of letting it all go,

‘Cause you’ve been running from the feeling too long….”

-Highroad by Sir Woman

Hiya everyone! Sorry this is up a bit late, inspiration really just runs on its own clock. I’ll keep this short- giant thank you to @oh-honey-styles @andwhenshesays @for-fucks-sake-h for beta-ing and being so so SO supportive. If you haven’t read their fics yet, go check them out! As always, I adore feedback! (4.1k words)

xoxoxoxoxoXO Tile

You and Harry would never be friends. You were up and down, night and day, oil and water. You just didn’t mesh. He was your roommate’s insufferable older brother, and that is all he would ever be. Well, at least that’s what you thought before….

the one with campfire conversations, cabin getaways, and enemies that were never really enemies after all.

Read Part One here!

TUESDAY

Charlie was still sleeping soundly on her side of the bed when your alarm went off, so you tried your hardest to sneak out of the room without making a sound. Spending all day in the sun yesterday had been amazing; your heart felt full, your muscles were relaxed, and you were ready to do it all over again.

Unfortunately, you also felt a bit gross. Between the warm weather, lakewater, and sunscreen, your skin was feeling like it needed it a good rinse. The thought of showering in the showerhouse wasn’t exactly thrilling, but it was that or the garden hose, so you gathered up your shower caddy and a change of clothes before making your way out of the main cabin.

It was a beautiful morning, the perfect setup for another day of summer. Dewy blades of grass tickled your ankles as you cut across the lawn, a pleasant chill running through you at the contact. You’d tried to wake up early enough to have the shower house to yourself, not wanting to have an awkward run-in with anyone before you’d had a chance to fully wake up.

From the look of it, you’d succeeded. You listened for signs that anyone else was out and about, but all you could hear were the sounds of birds chirping and bugs buzzing, the nature around you having yet to be disturbed by rowdy college students.

Smoking on the boat the night before had turned out to be a great idea. The group had stayed out till the moon was the only light in the sky, only turning in when none of you could stop yawning. You hadn’t slept that deeply in a long time; it felt amazing to be so rested after a full school year of late nights and early mornings.

When you finally reached the shower house, you moved to pull the door open to have it swing forward and smack into you. You stumbled backwards, balancing yourself against the wall as you stared wide eyed at the person who’d nearly knocked you over.

“Whoa, sorry,” Ryan rushed apologetically, “I didn’t think anyone else would be up this early.”

“That’s okay,” you gulped, “I didn’t think anyone else was awake, either. I wanted the showers to myself.”

“I was thinking the same thing,” he chuckled, running a hand through his wet hair, “I’m all finished though, so it’s all yours.”

“Thanks,” you giggled, “how was the water pressure?”

“Honestly?” He shrugged. “Better than I expected, but not great.”

“Lovely,” you sighed, slinging your towel over your shoulder. Ryan dragged his eyes down your frame quickly, a small smile playing at the corners of his lips. You blushed as you realized that you were still in your pajamas. At least they were somewhat cute, little blue shorts with rubber duckies printed all over them and a plain white tank top.

The two of you were quiet for a moment, switching places so you were standing in the threshold of the shower house. He was too cute, sleepy eyes squinting in the sun as it grew brighter out.

“So, um, I was thinking of checking out this hiking trail today,” he blurted, cheeks tinted red, “Archie was going to come with me, but he drank his weight in white claw last night, so I’m thinking he might be too hungover to stomach it.”

“Where’s the trail?” You questioned.

“It’s on the other side of the lake, about two miles north. We were just gonna borrow a couple bikes from the shed,” he explained, playing with his hair some more, “but anyway, I was like, well, I was wondering if maybe you would wanna join me. I’d hate to go alone.”

“I’d love to!” You said eagerly. When he smirked at your excitement, you tried to play it cool. “I mean, uh, yeah. That sounds like it could be fun.”

“Great,” he chuckled, “I was thinking of leaving around eleven, gives us time to relax and have some breakfast. The trail itself should only take a couple hours, but there are a few detours I wanted to see. Is that cool with you?”

“Sounds awesome,” you nodded.

“Fantastic. I’ll find you in a bit?”

You nodded, bidding him farewell as he made his way back to the guest cabin. The moment the door shut behind you, you let out a quiet squeal. It hadn’t even been twenty-four hours, and already you had a date with a cute boy. Plus, you were genuinely interested in the hiking trail; if it was anything like the forest around the cabin, it was sure to be gorgeous.

Ryan was right about the shower pressure. It was enough to make you feel clean and refreshed, but certainly left much to be desired. At least there was hot water.

By the time you made it back to your room, Charlie was up and about, playing upbeat music on her phone speaker and digging her toothbrush out of her bag.

“I can’t believe I forgot to brush my teeth last night,” she pretended to gag, “I literally passed out so hard. Didn’t even hear you get up this morning.”

“It was a long night,” you laughed, feeling amused as you watched her flit around the room to get ready for the day.

“And it’s gonna be another long day,” she sighed, “long, but fun. Olivia and I were gonna tan on the docks for a bit, if you wanna join?”

“Actually,” you tried to act nonchalant, “Ryan and I are going on a hike.”

You sat on the corner of the bed, sucking your lips into your mouth to keep your giddy smile at bay. You were really excited though, and Charlie seemed like just the right person to gush to.

“Ryan, huh?” She said, face scrunching up in confusion. “I would’ve thought you’d want to spend as much time with Harry as possible.”

You widened your eyes, letting out a loud burst of laughter that had you wheezing. “Harry? No way!”

“You and him aren’t a thing, then?” She asked, zipping her suitcase shut. “He was asking after you at the bonfire yesterday, and then insisted that he should check on you when you didn’t come down.”

A frown formed on your face. You specifically remember him saying that he’d just been using the restroom. Why would he want to check up on you, anyway? Surely he was just using it as an excuse to bother you. It was his favorite activity, after all.

“Well, no, we’re not a thing,” you said firmly.

“Ryan’s cute, too,” Charlie shrugged, “James and I had a moment yesterday, too, so hopefully we both get our cute summer romance this week.”

“Ooooh, James?” You waggled your eyebrows, happy to change the subject. Charlie flushed, biting down on her lip.

The two of you gossipped for a while longer, with Charlie organizing all of her belongings while you lounged on the bed. It was nice chatting with her; you weren’t the closest, but you’d always gotten along really well.

New romance, new friends, sunshine and nature. You could already tell that this was going to be a week to remember.

~~~

By the time you made your way into the kitchen, almost everyone had already had breakfast. Dishes were piled high in the small sink, streaks of what looked like pancake batter smeared across the countertop. You hated when people didn’t clean up after themselves, but you chose to ignore it for now.

What you couldn’t ignore, however, was Harry, who was sitting by himself at the table. He was also pouring a bowl of cereal, which wouldn’t have been a problem if your name wasn’t written across the box in black sharpie.

“Is that your cereal, Harry?”

You had a hand planted on your hip, eyebrows raised expectantly as you awaited his answer. He lazily glanced up from his phone, looking you over from head to toe before shrugging.

“Dunno, found it in the cupboard,” he muttered, jamming a spoonful into his mouth.

“Interesting, interesting,” you droned, biting the inside of your cheek, “did you stop for a moment to think that it might belong to somebody else?”

He shrugged again, not bothering to look away from his phone this time as he chewed slowly. You could tell he was holding back a smirk from the way his dimple indented into his cheek. He knew what he was doing, he always did.

With a huff, you walked over to him and snatched the box off of the table, turning it around and pointing at your name in bold letters.

“I wish you’d asked,” you snapped, opening the cabinet with more force than necessary to grab a bowl.

“Just figured we were all sharing food,” you heard him say.

You wanted to rip his breakfast out from under him, anything to get a reaction, but you just took a deep breath insead. Getting you worked up is exactly what he wanted, and you’d never give him the satisfaction

“If you’d read your sister’s e-mail, you’d know that any food that isn’t labelled is up for grabs. That cereal has my name on it.”

“Sorry,” he shrugged again, “I don’t really look at my e-mail.”

“Clearly,” you rolled your eyes.

He didn’t respond, and even though your skin was crawling with irritation, you figured it was best if you stopped talking. Even though he was being a pest, this behavior was relatively tame for him, and it would be a shame to ruin a perfectly good morning with a fight.

Well, that’s what you told yourself before you opened the fridge.

“Harry,” you warned through gritted teeth, “did you finish off the milk… and then put the empty carton back?”

“No,” he locked his phone, crossing his arms over his chest and grinning, “there are a few drops left in there.”

That was it. The absolute last straw.

“You are literally the most inconsiderate person I’ve ever met,” you seethed, shaking the empty carton in his direction before throwing it into the recycling bin. It didn’t seem to phase him.

“I think-”

“I don’t really care what you think,” you interrupted.

“-that you’re being dramatic.”

You were scowling so hard that your cheeks were beginning to hurt, but you couldn’t help it. Not when he was pushing your buttons in all the wrong ways. You dumped your bowl of dry cereal back into the box.

“I’m not being dramatic,” you hissed, “you’re just being a dick, but what else is new.”

“You really need to calm down,” he snorted, “a bunch of us were going to break out the kayak and race across the lake, do you wanna join?”

You weren’t sure where he’d gotten the idea that you’d want to spend more time with him, so you just shot him a dirty look, deciding to just skip breakfast. Sure, you were starving, but anything was better than spending one more second in Harry’s presence.

“I have other plans,” you snarled, turning your back to him and leaving the room.

“Really?” He asked, following you down the hallway. “Do they involve… I dunno, pulling the giant stick out of your ass?”

You practically growled, stopping so suddenly that Harry nearly ran into you.

“No,” your voice was strained, “Ryan asked me to go hiking with him, if you must know.”

For the first time all morning, the unbearable smirk on his face dropped into a frown.

“Just the two of you?” He prodded.

You narrowed your eyes at him. Why was he suddenly so interested?

“Yes, just the two of us,” you sighed, turning to walk away again, “now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to be as far away from you as possible.”

He didn’t follow you this time, but you could feel him watching you go up the stairs. It bothered you to no end that he could get you so riled up. Next time, you would walk away at the first sign of trouble, because he truly wasn’t worth your energy.

Once you finished packing up a drawstring backpack with the hiking essentials, it was just about to time to meet Ryan, so you made your way over to the guest cabin. On the way there, you saw Harry pulling a kayak off of a metal rack, passing it to James like it weighed nothing. He looked a bit ridiculous, with his tie-dye shirt and a bandana in his hair.

“Hey,” you jumped at Ryan’s voice, “you ready to head out?”

You didn’t spare Harry a second glance when Ryan started raving about this amazing waterfall that he wanted to see. The day could only go up from here.

~~~

The rain had come out of nowhere.

It had been blue sky for miles for the entire hike, but the second you got back to the bikes at the trailhead, dark stormclouds had already started sprinkling. It had quickly turned into a downpour, soaking through your thin t-shirt in record time. Ryan wasn’t much better off as he pulled his helmet off, hair matted down on the top of his head.

Not to mention, it had been extremely buggy. Even with bug spray, they had been relentless. You were sure you had at least twenty bug bites all down your arms and legs.

Despite everything, you’d enjoyed yourself. You’d stayed out even longer than you planned, sitting by the waterfall and chatting. As soon as Ryan found out that you skipped breakfast, he’d given you half of his sandwich. He’d been a complete gentleman, taking your hand frequently to help you over a rough part of the trail, and even though neither of you specified, it felt like a date.

Conversation with him was easy, which was a major improvement from your awful morning. In fact, you barely even thought about Harry all afternoon, so distracted by Ryan and his nature commentary. The only time he’d come up was when you stopped for lunch.

“So what’s the deal with you and Harry?” Ryan had asked.

“Ugh,” you’d snarled, taking a pull from your water bottle “can we talk about literally anything else?”

“Oh,” Ryan had raised his eyebrows, “so, you’re not together?”

Immediately, you had choked on your sip of water, slapping your chest until you stopped coughing.

“Together?” You guffawed. “What on earth gave you that idea?”

He had blushed crimson, playing with the hair on the back of his head. “He talks about you a lot… and sometimes I notice you watching him.”

His comment had confused you, but you’d shrugged it off, assuring him that you and Harry weren’t, and never would be, together.

Now, the two of you were ditching your bikes in front of the cabin and sprinting towards the door to escape the awful weather. You found yourself giggling as you stumbled into the kitchen, wet, muddy footprints trailing behind you as you dropped your pack to the ground. It landed with a loud squelch, which only made you laugh harder.

“I had a lot of fun today,” you said, “I’m really glad you invited me.”

“Really?” He chuckled, catching his breath. “I thought it was a bit of a disaster, between the mosquitos, the rain… the mud….”

You both laughed, shaking your heads at your bad fortune. You were being truthful about having fun, though. Even though the day hadn’t gone according to plan, it was exactly the kind of adventure you’d wanted.

“Whatever,” you shrugged coyly, “I had good company.”

Ryan’s cheeks flushed crimson, and a sweet smile crept up his face. Even with mud caked across his neck, pine needles in his hair, and angry pink bug bites down his arms and legs, he still managed to look adorable. When his eyes darted down to your lips, you stepped forward.

“I’m really glad we’re both on this trip,” he said softly, placing a hand on your waist.

“Me too,” you whispered, leaning in closer.

Just as your lips were a hair away from brushing together, a crash from behind you had you jumping apart in alarm. You yelped loudly, your heart stopping for a beat before you spun around to face the culprit.

Of course it was Harry.

The first thing you noticed was his sunburn; all he was wearing was a pair of light gray sweatpants, so you could see how pink his chest had gotten. He resembled a deer in headlights as he stared at the floor below him, which was currently covered in the broken remnants of a shattered plate.

“Sorry,” he slurred, tip-toeing out from where the ceramic shards had scattered. Once he was clear, he stumbled over to the broom closet, swinging it open harshly as you and Ryan watched on awkwardly. After digging for a few seconds, he emerged with a broom and dustpan that looked like they were older than you.

“You scared us,” you bit out, heart finally slowing down to a normal rate.

“Oops,” his shoulders lifted in a shrug, He turned to start sweeping, but quickly did a double take. “What hap-… you guys look horrible. Why are you covered in mud?”

Irritation took over you as you watched him gape drunkenly at where you and Ryan were standing. Not only had he interrupted what was sure to be an epic kiss with Ryan, but then he’d nearly given you a heart attack by sneaking in and dropping the plate. Sure, it was an accident, but that didn’t make you feel any less angry. And now here he was, telling you that you looked horrible.Your foot started tapping against the floor rapidly on its own accord.

Just as you were about to chew him out for being a complete thorn in your side, he stumbled forward and hissed, lifting his bare foot into the air.

“Harry, you’re stepping on glass,” Ryan warned, rushing forward with a worried expression over his face, “and you’re barefoot. Why don’t you start getting ready for bed… I’ll clean this up, okay?”

He took the broom from Harry, shooing him away from the mess. You knew it was the responsible thing to do, but part of you was still disappointed that your moment with Ryan had been ruined.

“Will you help me up the stairs?” Harry asked you sheepishly, half-limping over to you, “can’t get the glass out of my foot….”

“Well, don’t try to take it out here,” you sighed with an eye roll, “let’s go up. We’ll have to clean it, too.”

“Aww, y’gonna take care of me?” He smirked.

“Don’t push your luck,” you snapped. He held his hands up in surrender, but you still wanted to slap the smug look off of his face. You turned to Ryan, who was still sweeping the plate shards into a pile, and shook your head apologetically. “See you tomorrow?”

He nodded, a sad little smile on his face. You made yourself a promise that you’d kiss him next time you were alone. It was only the second day, after all; you were positive that you’d find another moment. For now, though, you had to deal with a certain drunken fool, who was currently limping down the hall, tripping every other step as he tried to grip the wall for support.

“Hold on, you dimwit,” you sighed, rushing forward and slipping a hand around his waist.

“Ooh, we’re getting cosy,” he hummed. You weren’t going to dignify him with a response.

Harry’s skin was warm to the touch, a bit sticky with sunscreen but still smooth. You tried to ignore the shock that ran through you when you felt his back muscles shift… you knew he was in good shape, but you hadn’t expected him to be so… firm. Your mouth went dry.

He leaned practically his entire weight on you, nearly forcing your knees to buckle. Fortunately, you were able to find your balance and walk with him, taking one stair at a time.

“Now who’s being dramatic,” you muttered.

“What’s that s’posed to mean?” Harry slurred, frowning in your direction. He had one arm slung over your shoulder, and the other hand gripping the railing as he hopped on one foot.

“You called me dramatic this morning,” you reminded him, “and now here you are, needing help up the stairs because of a teeny piece of glass….”

“Heeeey,” he protested, stopping in his tracks to look down at you properly.

A scoff escaped you as you rolled your eyes, gesturing for him to continue hopping. You were nearly at the top now.

“Is there a first aid kit somewhere?” You asked, relieved when he removed his arm.

“Yeah,” he scratched at his head, “I packed one, but it’s still in my room.”

Honestly, you were a bit surprised that Harry packed a first aid kit. You’d never stricken him as the responsible type; Callie had always seemed more put together despite being younger.

You followed his hobbling figure into his room, which was much cleaner than you expected. He clearly hadn’t changed it much since he was young, evidenced by the lego figurines lined up on his shelves. There was also a cute framed photo of him and Callie at her high school graduation, which was admittedly adorable.

Getting the splinter out of Harry’s foot hadn’t been a problem, but cleaning it was another story. First, he insisted that he could do it himself, but then he accidentally got neosporin all over his bedsheets. Then, he wouldn’t stop flinching away from you when you tried to stick on the bandage, claiming that he was ticklish.

“Can you please just cooperate,” you sighed.

“Can’t help that it tickles,” he giggled, twitching away from your hand again, “your hands are too soft.”

If he pulled away from you one more time, you’d rip your hair out. This was not how you foresaw ending your night.

Eventually, finally, he stayed still long enough for you to finish. You glared at him as you gathered up the bandage wrapper and used alcohol wipe. He was gazing at you with wide eyes, bandana slightly crooked on top of his head.

“Did I interrupt something downstairs?” He asked all of a sudden, sheepishly looking out the window.

“Yeah,” you exhaled, shaking your head in frustration. “You know, Harry? I don’t understand what I did for you to hate me so much.”

He squinted his eyes in confusion, as if he had no idea what you were talking about. As if he hadn’t spent countless hours intentionally getting on your nerves.

“What’re you talking about?”

“Please,” you laughed sarcastically, “It hasn’t even been two full days here, and you’ve already called me a wet blanket, eaten my food, and ruined the end of my date. You do nothing but antagonize me… why?”

He opened and closed his mouth several times, and it was then that you remembered how truly drunk he was. He probably wouldn’t even remember this in the morning. You don’t know why you’d asked him about it in the first place.

“I mean, I…” He stuttered, apparently unable to articulate his thoughts.

Truthfully, you didn’t even want to know.

“Maybe we should just stay away from each other,” you told him, “I’m not a huge fan of you, and you clearly have a problem with me….”

He looked completely taken aback.

“Just… go to sleep, okay?” You pinched the bridge of your nose. “I left the painkillers out, so… take those in the morning if you want.”

You were waiting for him to say something, but he just sat there, silently gaping at you with cloudy eyes, so that’s how you left him. He was still staring at you when you fleetingly made eye contact on your way out the door, but didn’t say a single word.

From what you knew about him, that was out of character. He always had something to say, another jab, another comeback, absolutely never letting you have the last word. And his eyes… the way he’d been staring at you, like he was offended and guilty and confused. You’d never seen him look like that before.

As you got ready for bed, you tried to shake the entire interaction off. He was drunk, he probably had no idea what you were saying. The entire conversation wouldn’t even matter in the morning.

Yet, for some reason, the image of his wide eyes and crooked bandana were all you thought about until you drifted off to sleep.

~~~

If you made it this far, thank you! What do we think? Any thoughts, theories, questions, comments? Let me know! Until next time, xoxoxoxoxox Tile

#harry styles #harry styles fanfic #harry styles imagine #harry styles fanfiction #harry styles fic #harry #styles #hs #enemies to lovers #love triangle #m&bc #miles &black coffee #m&bc2

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noladyme · 4 years ago

Text

The Crown Princess of Charming - part 2

Welcome to Charming - its name says it all. Cat needed a fresh start; and though she hadn’t planned on that being in the arms of the crown prince of this little town’s bikerclub - that was what happened. This Charming CA would either be the death of her - or a whole new life.

Rated M

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The following Monday, I got up early; excited for my new job – and admittedly still reeling from the night I’d had at the clubhouse with Jax. He’d texted me before I even got back to motel; and when I looked at my phone in my room, I blushed. - thanks for coming tonight. Miss you already – J I’d answered immediately. - I’m sure there are crow-eaters enough at the clubhouse to hold you over ;-) 5 minutes later my phone vibrated. - None of them taste like pancakes. Or have your pretty eyes. I was grinning like an idiot. - Goodnight, Jackson :-) - Night, babe ;-)

I’d spent the Sunday relaxing and watching bad tv; once in a while answering a text from Jax. They were mostly just thinking of you, messages; a few of them with raunchy subtext – but they kept the fire in my belly burning.

This morning I put on my favorite knee-length summer dress. Even though it was October; California was still hot; and the dress was cool enough to make the heat bearable; but still conservative enough for work. I decided to leave the top button undone. Now shame in flaunting the ladies, I smiled to myself. My necklace on, and a light makeup – and I was off.

My “new” chevy ran like a dream, and I arrived to my first workday in style – if you consider classic cars and dog-smell, style. My new coworkers were all friendly; and there was a bouquet of pink roses on my desk when I walked into my class-room. There was no card attached.

Last period was 6’th grade English. During roll-call, I noticed Opie’s daughter – Ellie – at the back of the room. I sent her a knowing smile; and her lip twitched in response. She seemed shy. After 45 minutes of analyzing The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe; class was dismissed. Ellie walked up to me, once all the other kids had left the room.

“Miss Rose?”, she said quietly. “What’s up, Ellie?”, I smiled. “Lyla wants to know if you can come over for coffee tomorrow”, the girl said. “Tell her I’d love to. At your house?”. Ellie nodded. “Lyla’s kind of my stepmom”, she muttered. “She’s nice”, I smiled. Ellie smiled. “Yeah, I think so”. I packed up my things to finish for the day. “So, after school tomorrow?”, I asked. Ellie nodded. “I’ll give you a ride home then”, I said. “You can show me the way”. The girl grinned at me.

As I left my classroom, I was met by by the principal. “Mr. Thoms!”, I said. “Please, Catherine, call me Ray”, the man smiled. “Ray”, I grinned. “I just stopped by to see how your first day went”, the man said. “It’s been great. The kids are amazing; and you’ve all been so welcoming. Thanks for the flowers on my desk!”. Ray looked in to my classroom. “They’re lovely, but I don’t think we got you any flowers”, he smiled awkwardly. “Oh… must have been some of the kids”, I said. “Must have”, the principal answered. “Well; once again, welcome. I think you’ll be a good addition to the staff. I know there was an issue with your records, though…”. I flushed red. “Yes. I… there was a misunderstanding at my old school”, I said. “I promise you won’t have any problems with me, sir”. Ray nodded, and clenched his jaw. “I’m sure we won’t… nevertheless; I’m afraid you’ll have to do regular drug-testing”, he said. “I’m sorry, Catherine, but it’s out of my hands”. I nodded. “I understand. I’ll do whatever’s necessary”, I said. “But I must admit I’m confused. I thought those accusations were erased from my records”. Ray shrugged. “I received an addition to them l this morning. I was told they’d been forgotten in the transfer”. I frowned.

Ray shook my hand; and smiled. “Don’t worry. We all have our pasts to deal with. It’s the teacher you are now that matters”. He walked to his office; and left me behind – deeply confused; and extremely frustrated.

---

The next day I had coffee with Lyla at Opie’s house. He had left on some club business, the night before.

“Is it hard to just sit here, and not know when he’ll be home?”, I asked, sipping at the perfect cup of caffeine she’d made. “This is good!”, I added. “Thanks. I used to work at a coffee-shop before I went into the business”. She didn’t mention what that business was. She continued. “It is hard, but I know his brothers have his back”. I frowned. “Why do they need to have each other’s backs? Lyla sighed. “What they do… it’s not always legal”. I nodded solemnly. “What about TM?”. She shook her head. “Being a mechanic doesn’t exactly pay well”, she smiled. “They do have the studio going for them”. “What studio?” “Cara Cara”, she said quietly. “Porn. It’s where I work”. I almost choked on my coffee. “I knew I recognized you”, I smiled. She seemed uncomfortable for a second. “I love your work”, I added. Lyla chuckled. “I didn’t think you’d be a fan of porn”, she grinned. “I have the internet”, I laughed. “But I’ll stay away from your movies from now on. It’d be weird, seeing as you’re Ellies stepmom”.

We laughed for a while. “You heard from Jax since the party?”, she asked. I nodded. “We talk… He texted me this morning. Just a hello”. She smirked. “He likes you”. “He doesn’t know me”, I muttered. “He knows enough, I think”, she replied. “I haven’t seen him like this before. He’s usually a one-night kind of guy”. I bit my lip nervously. “We didn’t…”, I muttered. She put her hand on top of mine. “Still… he’s different around you”, she said. “Softer”. “I’d hope not”, I smirked. Lyla widened her eyes at me and chuckled. “Slut!”, she giggled. I shrugged.

Finishing our coffee, and saying goodbye to the kids – lending Ellie my copy of Coraline – I left Opie’s house, and walked over to my car. I could have sworn that I locked it, but it was open when I got there. “Weird”, I muttered to myself; but it was old, and I figured something was wrong with the locks. I’d have TM take a look at it.

---

Once at the garage, I was met by Gemma, who was carrying Abel on her hip. “Hey, sweetheart”, she smiled. “Chevy treating you ok?”. I smiled and nodded. “Yeah, but I think something’s wrong with the locks. I locked it, but it was open when I got back”. Gemma frowned. “That sounds weird… let the guys take a look at it”, she said. “Coffee?”. “I just got here from coffee with Lyla”, I said. “Still amped on caffeine”. Gemma chuckled. “Well, this little guy kept me up all night”, she said, and bounced Abel on her arm. “So I’m having a cup. Follow me”.

Gemma told one of the guys in the garage to look at my locks, and we walked into her office. ��Could you take him?”, she said; and lifted Abel of her hip; handing him to me. “Uhm… yeah”, I said; taking the baby in my arms. “Hey little man!”, I smiled at the beautiful boy.

Gemma nearly downed a full mug off coffee in one go. “Wow; he did keep you up”, I laughed. “He’s like his dad – always at it at all hours of the day”, Gemma grinned. I frowned, and sat down on the little couch; still holding Abel in my arms. “Doesn’t he live with Jackson?”, I asked. Gemma nodded. “I take him when the guys need to do some work”, she said. “Jax’ll be back in a little while. Probably having had less sleep than me”.

Abel began fussing; and I shushed him, kissing his forehead. “You better get used to that, if you’re sticking around”, Gemma said earnestly. “I… don’t know what… it’s new”. Gemma nodded; and looked at me softly bouncing Abel on my arm; holding him against my shoulder. “You’re good with him”, she said. “Who?”, I smirked. “Both of them”, she said. “Keep it up”.

We talked about this and that for a while – Gemma letting me in on the story with Jax’s father, and how he’d passed away from a motorcycle accident. She seemed sad about the loss; but made it clear she was happy with Clay. “He’s as stubborn as an ass; but I’m even more so”, she smiled proudly. “He started the club with JT – Jackson’s father”. “And now Jax is the VP”, I said; feeling Abel fall asleep in my arms. “Yeah”, she smiled. “I guess that’s how it goes”. I nodded.

A bearded mechanic stepped in to the office. “Gem’; I can’t find anything wrong with the lock. Are you sure you locked it, miss?”, he said to me. I frowned. “Must have turned the key the wrong way…”, I said. Gemma narrowed her eyes at me. “It’s been a long couple of days, huh?”, she said. “Day’s. Weeks. Months…”, I chuckled, and handed back Abel to her. He was fully asleep. “I’m gonna take off. What do I owe you?”. “Not a thing”, Gemma smiled. “See you later, Cat”. I nodded. “See you”.

I drove back to my motel room, and made myself a light dinner; exhaustion taking over me in spite of the coffee Lyla had made. I went to sleep early; hearing motorcycles driving down the street outside.

---

I woke up to my phone ringing. “Hello?”, I rasped. “Hey, Cat”. I could practically hear Jax’s smile through the phone. “Hi”, I answered. “What’s up? What time is it?”. “7 am. I’m outside. Buy you breakfast?”. I stumbled out of bed. “You’re outside?”. He chuckled. “Yeah. Come on. The guy at the reception is giving me the stink eye”. “I’ll be there in 5”, I said. “See you”. He hung up.

I threw on what was cleanest – jeans, tank top and a cardigan – and grabbed my workbag. I decided mascara and eyeliner would have to do today. Jax was just going to have to deal with the dark circles under my eyes. I brushed my teeth, and was out the door.

Jax was leaning against his bike; when I got outside. His eyes lit up when he saw me. “Hey, darlin’!”, he grinned. He put one hand on my waist, and another on my cheek; pulling me in for a light kiss. “You smell nice”. “I call it eau de just got out of bed”, I chuckled. “Hot”, Jax jeered. I made a pfft sound; and took the helmet he handed me.

He drove us to a diner near my school. We got in a booth; Jackson deciding to sit next to me, instead of on the other side of the table. The way he sat was almost protective. He put his arm behind me; and shielded me from the window. “Is something wrong?”, I asked. He frowned. “Nah, it’s nothing”, he said. “Just wanted you close”. He kissed my cheek.

We ordered coffee and waffles; with enough chocolate syrup to feed a small country – Jax’s exact words to the waitress.

“How’ve you been since last time I saw you?”, he asked. “Good. Work’s busy”, I said; trying to look sincere. “Why don’t I believe you?”. He narrowed his eyes at me. I sighed deeply. “They’re making me do mandatory drug testing because of my records”. He frowned. “I thought you got that erased”, he said. “Me too”, I muttered. “It’s fine, though. Ray’s been good about it. I’ll do tests every fortnight for 6 months, then once a month for the rest of the year”.

He took my hand. “I’m sorry, darlin’”, he said quietly, and kissed my knuckles. I smiled. “I’ll be ok”.

Our food arrived not long after; and Jax chowed down as if he hadn’t eaten in days. “Hungry, huh?”, I grinned. “Hell yeah. I haven’t had proper meal since the buffet at my moms party”. I pulled a face. “Aw, man. I missed a buffet…”. “It was good”, he teased. “I get it though. I was coming on a bit strong”. I blushed. “I didn’t mind”, I muttered. He squeezed my thigh. “Good. I’ll keep it up then”. His words sent delightful shivers through my body.

We chatted about our last couple of days; with Jax making an impression of Abels face when he’d tried to feed him mushed peas the night before. “I’m telling you; the kid looked at me like I was trying to poison him!”. I laughed. “At least he’s not pushing peas up his nose, yet”, I grinned. “What?”, Jax laughed. “I had a 6’thgrader do that at lunch on my first day at the school”, I said. “His friends dared him. He got it so far up there, I had to have him do a handstand; as I tried to get it out”. “You’re a hero, babe”, Jax grinned.

We enjoyed the last of our coffee; as Jax put my hand to his lips again. “I know this is still really early; but there’s something here – right?”, he said; looking at me earnestly. I bit my lip. “I think so”, I said. He slid his index finger under my chin, to raise it – and kissed me softly. “I want to give it a shot. I know you’re new in town, but… I dunno”. “What?”, I asked. “This is going to sound like a bad movie; but I think you were meant to come here. I was meant to meet you”. He kissed me again; and stroked my cheek. “I’m not going to pressure you in to anything; I know you’ve had enough of that in your life”.

I sighed, and turned my face to kiss his palm. “When you’re around I feel safe and happy”, I said. “And I really like spending time with you… and your kid”. He smirked. “Yeah, Gemma told me you stopped by TM. Got the little dude to fall asleep within minutes”. “I hope I don’t have the same effect on his dad”, I smirked. “I’m sure you’d be able to keep me up all night”, Jax chuckled. I bit my lip, and blushed.

The waitress came over with our check, and we got on Jax’s bike, so he could drive me to work. We said goodbye with a long kiss – making some kids walking by drop their jaws. “Bye, Cat”, Jax whispered in my ear. He didn’t drive off until I was inside.

---

At the end of the school day, Jax had promised to pick me up again. I was waiting in my classroom as promised; when Opie showed up – filling out the doorframe. “Hey, Cat”, he said. “Jax was held up, so I promised to give you a lift home”. I hid my disappointment, and smiled at him. “Thanks, Opie”. “No worries”, he said. “I’m picking up Ellie too”.

We walked down the hall. “How’s she doing?”, Opie asked quietly. “Ellie?” asked. He nodded. “I haven’t known her any longer than a couple of days”. Opie sighed. “Can you say anything?”.

I bit my lip. “She’s ok, I think. She’s really trying to improve her schoolwork; at least in my class”. “Well, she likes you”, he smiled. “Told me to read that Caroline book to her”. “Coraline, yeah”, I smiled. “It’s a good one”. “Could you find us another one?”, the tall man asked. “We almost finished it already. I know she’s too old for bedtime stories…”. “I’ll look at my collection”, I smiled. “And you’re never too old for bedtime stories”.

Opie stopped me just before the main doors of the building. “I’m worried about her. Kenny too”, he muttered. “They lost their mom. They have every right to be acting out or feeling sad… so do you”, I said. He sent me a crooked smile. “I guess so”. I put my hand on his shoulder. “Look, Opie…”, I began. “From what I’ve been told about your kids… Ellie is a perfectly strong and healthy pre-teen. She’s got a lot to work through; but she’s doing it. It’s not going to be ok tomorrow… but maybe the day after. You know what I’m saying?”. He nodded at me, and smiled again. “Thanks, teach’”. Opie squeezed my hand. “You’re a good one”.

---

Opies house was on the way to my motel; so he dropped of his kids with Lyla, before driving me home. He walked me to my door; a move I thought was kind – if a bit overprotective. “Promised Jax”, he smiled shyly. I nodded.

My door was unlocked. My breath hitched a bit, before I stepped inside. On the nightstand stood a vase with a dozen pink roses. I breathed heavily; and grabbed the card attached. - A dozen roses for my Kitty Rose. J.

“Jax ain’t never been much of a poet”, Opie chuckled. “It’s not Jax”, I muttered. “Will you get rid of them for me?”. Opie frowned. “Sure…”, he said. “Is something wrong?”. I shook my head. “No. It’s nothing. Really”. I tried to smile. “I’m just allergic”.

Opie narrowed his eyes, and took the vase. “See you around”, he said. “Put on the security chain, ok?”. I nodded. “Bye”.

As soon as I had put on the chain, I called the motel reception. The woman on duty told me she’d accepted the flowers from a delivery-guy; and that she’d put them in my room herself. She was sure she’d locked the door; and apologized profusely. I thanked her, and hung up. He’s not here, I repeated to myself. He’s not here…

About 15 minutes later, my phone rang. I picked it up hesitantly. “Yes?” “Babe, are you ok?”. Jax’s voice was worried. I exhaled deeply. “Yeah. I’m fine”. Jax wasn’t satisfied with my answer. “Ope said you were out of it”. I didn’t answer. “Cat? Talk to me”. “Flowers”, I said. “H-he sent me flowers”. I could hear him grind his teeth in rage. “Stay there. I’m coming to get you”. “Jax, no”, I said. “I’m fine. He’s not here”. “Cat, I’m not gonna…”. “Stay where you are, Jackson”, I insisted. “Opie said you were in the middle of something. I’ll see you around, ok?”. His voice shifted. “Are you mad at me?”, he asked. “No, Jax… I’m just… It’s been a long day. I need to get some rest”. “Yeah”, he muttered. “Sorry I wasn’t there”. “It’s ok, babe”. I tried to show my smile in my voice. “I know you would have been, if you could”. He sighed. “Yeah, I would”, he said. “Jax, I need to take a nap”. My head was spinning from exhaustion. “Ok. I’ll call tomorrow”. “I’d like that”, I muttered. “Bye”. “Bye…”.

---

I got a good morning text shortly after I woke. I was relieved, as I’d been worried, I’d pushed Jax away after our conversation.

- Good morning, beautiful. The kid just puked on my sneakers; and I thought of you. - That’s flattering. Good morning to you! - It was green. I think it’s the peas. Your tits looked amazing in that tank top yesterday. - Try potatoes instead. Thanks. So did yours. - My tits? Yeah, I try. - Have a good day, Jackson ;-) - I will if I get to see you at some point.

I was hoping he’d have time to see me that day – with all his business dealings.

My wish was fulfilled that same afternoon. Ellie was giving me back Coraline; and I lent her Pippi Longstocking. “I know it’s about a 9-yearold; but it’s really good. Give it a chance”. Ellie smiled and thanked me.

“Hey!”, someone said from the door. Jax was smiling brightly at us. “Your dad is outside, Els’”. The girl whispered bye, and walked by Jackson, earning a kiss at the top of her head from her dad’s friend. “See you later, sweetheart”, Jax smiled at the girl.

The lanky biker walked in to my classroom. “Wow”, he said. “It even smells the same”. I chuckled. “Your old classroom?”, I asked. “Yeah”, he smiled. “It hasn’t changed much”.

He walked up to a table in the back; wiping the surface. “Ha!”, he called out in glee. “Even the same desk”. I walked up next to him, and looked at what he was smiling about. Someone – probably Jackson himself – had carved the words Jax SOA into the surface. “Badass”, he chuckled.

I laughed. “So nothing’s changed, huh?”, I smiled. He put his hand on my cheek. “Well, the teacher didn’t look this cute”, he smirked; and leaned in – pecking softly at my lips. Heat went straight to my core; and I shook myself – clearing my throat. “I need to finish up”, I smiled, biting my lips. “Yeah…”, Jax muttered, and slid his other hand around my waist; kissing me again. “I think I remember there being a broom closet down the hall…”. I chuckled. “I’m not getting fired the first week of work!”, I said. He exhaled. “Ok”. He kissed my cheek, and stepped away.

I packed up the rest of my things, and we left the room. Walking down the hall I sent a friendly hello to a coworker. She looked from Jax to me, and smiled knowingly. “You’re pretty famous around here”, I said. “Yeah… I set the bleachers on fire once”, he said, almost proudly. “I’ve set a few fires myself”, I smiled. He looked at me in wonder. “You?”, he chuckled. I looked at him with mock menace. “There are things you don’t know…”. He slid his arm around my shoulder. “I’m sure there are, darlin’”.

Once outside, Jax walked me to my car. I saw Ellie getting into a truck with Opie; and waved at them. Ellie smiled, and waved back, and Opie looked at his daughter with pure love. “He seems nice”, I said. Jax nodded solemnly. “He’s my best friend since we were in diapers. I trust him with my life”. His eyes were earnest and warm.

“Why did you decide to drop by?”, I asked. “I missed your face”, he smiled. “And, I gotta leave town for a few days”. I bit my lip. “Where are you going?”. He shook his head. “Best you don’t know”, he said. “Not everything I do is… auto-parts”. I nodded. “I kind of figured that out on my own”, I muttered. He looked at me nervously. “Is that a problem?”, he asked. I shrugged; not knowing what to say. “You’re not the only one with a past… but I doubt mine is as dark as yours”.

I bit my lip; and he stroked my cheek. “If you want to pull out of this; I get it”. I shook my head. “We just started this”, I said. “Can we just figure it out as we go?”. “Sure”, Jax smiled; and leant in to kiss me again.

Our lips were like made to meet. He nibbled at my top lip, as I suckled at his lower one. He groaned against my mouth. “Shit, Cat”, he breathed. “You’re making it hard to walk away from you”. I smiled; and pecked at his lips once more, before pushing against his chest; forcing him to step back. He squeezed my hip for a second before letting go. “All right”, he said. “I’ll call you, ok?”. I nodded. “When will you be back?”. “Sunday, hopefully”, he said. “See you then?”. “Sure”, I smiled. “Take care”. He raised his chin at me, and grinned. “Always”.

Jax got on his bike, and drove off.

---

The next day dragged along. Jax called me in the evening, but sounded very far away, and like he had his mind on other things. “Sorry babe. Things are… busy”. “I get it. Just be careful, and call me tomorrow”. I heard a loud pop; like firework. “I will. Bye”. He hung up.

Saturday; I went to lunch with Lyla. It was good to have a new friend; Lyla was funny and intelligent - and she had the best advice on getting the tastiest caffeine kicks. I didn’t hear from Jackson all day.

He neither called or texted Sunday morning or afternoon either. I was getting nervous that he’d changed his mind; and even more nervous that something had happened to him. Finally – at around 5 pm – my cell rang. I didn’t recognize the number. “Hello?”, I said. “Hey, darlin’”, Jax’s voice sounded. “Hey…”, I answered with relief. “Sorry I didn’t call before. It’s been a day…”. He sounded tired. “Are you ok?”, I muttered. “Yeah, just happy to hear your voice”, he answered. “I’ll be back in town at around 8 pm. Is that too late for a drink?”. “What, at the clubhouse?”, I asked. “Yeah”, he said. “I need to drop off some stuff there”. “I’ll be there”. I heard him sigh in relief. It made me smile. “Good… I missed you”, he said. “I’ll see you there”, I smiled. “See you, Cat”. He hung up.

At 8.15 I arrived at TM. I’d walked; hoping for a ride home from my knight on his mechanical steed. Jax was smoking a cigarette on the picnic table where we’d shared our first kiss. He looked tired.

When he saw me, he stood up, and walked over to embrace me. His arms enveloped me; as if he was drawing energy from me. He smelled my hair. “I missed you, dollface”, he muttered; and lifted my chin to kiss me. I pecked his lips softly; putting my hands on his firm, flannel-covered chest. “You’re never gonna settle on a nickname for me, huh?”, I smiled. “How can I, when you’re all the things I call you?”, he smirked; and met lips again. “Let’s get you a drink”.

We walked in to the clubhouse; which was a lot less crowded than the last time I’d been there. In the light of the room, I saw that Jax had a bruise on his cheekbone. “What happened?”, I asked. He shook his head. “Business deal that could have gone better”.

I saw that both Happy and Juice’s faces were bruised; and Chibs was stitching up a wound on Tig’s shoulder. “Jax…”, I said. He took my hand. “Don’t worry about it”, he smiled. “We’re fine”. I sighed. “Is this normal?”. “Lately, more so”, Jackson muttered. “Can we just have that drink now? I want to think about something else”. I nodded.

We had a beer together; Jax’s hand resting on my knee as we sat by the bar. He let his thumb stroke my leg, sending small warm signals to my core. I bit my lip. “Do you need a ride home?”, Jax asked. I noticed the clock nearing 10. “Don’t you have to get home to Abel?”, I said. “Mom’s got him until tomorrow”, he smiled. “Then, yeah. Thanks”, I smiled.

---

We drove back to the motel.

Jax walked me to my door, holding my hand all the way. “You gonna be ok?”, he asked softly. “Yeah…”, I said; running my thumb across his jawline. “Do… you want to stay?”. He raised his brows at me. “You know I do, darlin’”, he said. “But, like I said a couple of days ago… I don’t want to push you into doing anything you’ll regret”. I sighed. “I… had a couple of days to think”.

He exhaled deeply and gave me a crooked smile. “If I go in to that room with you, we both know what’s going to happen”. “Would it make you think less of me?”, I asked. “Not at all”, he said honestly. “But you have to be sure, because if I… I don’t think I’ll be able to stop myself”, he chuckled.

“Then come in. And don’t stop”. I grabbed a hold of his cut; and pulled him in for a kiss. He groaned against me. “Shit, babe… what are you doing to me?”, he muttered against my lips. “Nothing good, I hope”, I smirked.

I opened the door, and stepped inside, waiting for him to follow. He bit his lip, and his blue eyes searched mine for a second – before he stepped inside, closing and locking the door behind him.

“Why?”, he asked. “Because whatever I don’t know about you, can’t outweigh what I’ve seen so far. You’re a good guy, and I think…”.

He interrupted my sentence by kissing me; and pulling me flush against his body. “Let me know if you change your mind at any point”. I nodded. “Don’t worry”, I smiled. “Just keep kissing me”. He smiled brightly, and put a hand behind my head; pulling my lips to his again. Our tongues met; and the soft touch of his, sent shivers down my spine. What else can you do with that tongue?

Continuously kissing me; he backed me towards the edge of the bed. I felt it against the back of my knees; and almost fell backwards; Jacksons hand on my back the only thing keeping me standing. He shrugged off his cut; leaving him in his blue flannel and a t-shirt. I ran my hands up his torso; relishing in the sensation of his firmness – and then pushed his shirt down his shoulders, helping him take that off as well.

Jackson grabbed the hem of my top; and pulled it up. I raised my arms in the air, so he could pull it off me. He looked down at my chest. “Yeah… that’s just about the most perfect thing I’ve seen all week”, he smirked. “Just about?”, I teased. “You’re still wearing a bra”, he said. He ran his hands down my sides; stopping at the tattoo on my left rib. “You’re inked”, he smiled. “I’ve got a few”, I answered. “I’ll have to go exploring”, he said; pulling up my hand to his face, kissing the tiny one on the inside of my wrist.

I tugged at his t-shirt; and he pulled it off quickly, leaving his torso bare. Abel was written in intricate lettering on his chest. I stroked my fingers across it, and smiled warmly. He caught my smile with his lips; stroking my arms. “Here’s another”, he said, finding the ink on the back on my arm. “That all?”. “Yeah”, I said. “No, wait. There’s one on my foot”. He pushed me down to sit on the bed; leaving me face to face with the growing bulge on the front of his jeans. “Which foot?”. “Right one”, I smiled.

He crouched down in front of me, and pulled of my right ankle-boot and sock. “Cute”, he said, sliding his index finger over the tiny lettering on my foot. It tickled, and I giggled. “Sorry”, he laughed. “It’s fine”, I said; and pulled his head towards me to kiss me again.

He tugged at my lower lip, and I brushed my fingers down his back. Moving his lips to my neck; I could lean forward and see the large tattoo there. He nibbled gently at my skin; and a rush of blood went to my core; making me moan a little. “Did I find your spot?”, he breathed. “Mhmm…”, I said, biting my lip “I’ll keep that in mind”, he chuckled.

He stood up again; and I hooked my fingers into his waistband. His breath caught, and I felt the fabric twitch from his growing erection. He undid his belt-buckle for me; and I unbuttoned his jeans; tugging at them. He pulled them off; and was now standing in front of me in a pair of white boxers – pitching an impressive tent. I bit my lips in glee; and wrapped my hand around his clothed member. Jackson gasped. “Shit, babe. I’ll let you play with it all you want, but I want you naked first”.

He pushed me to lie down; leaning over me – supporting himself on his elbows – to put his lips to mine. He put a hand on my breast; and kissed and nibbled at the lace on my bra. “Can I take this off?”, he asked; his eyes searching mine. I supported myself on my elbows, and his hands slid behind me – unhooking the unwanted garment. He pulled it off me, and stared at my breasts in wonder. “Wow…”, he said. “That is… something”, he muttered. He pushed my breasts together; and wrapped his lips around my nipple, tugging at it softly. I gasped at the sensation. Sparks flew straight from my nipple to my core, and I mewled in response.

Jax began kissing down my stomach, ending up at the waistband of my jeans. “I guess asking is kind of redundant at this point, huh?”, he smirked up at me; and I grinned at him. He unbuttoned my jeans; and tugged at them; as I lifted my hips, to help him maneuver them off me. Quickly discarding my other boot and sock; he pulled of my pants completely; throwing them behind him. I was now laying before him in nothing but my panties.

He looked me over, and narrowed his eyes. “You said there was no more ink”. His fingers stroked the small tattoo on my thigh. “Woops”, I smirked. “Forgot”. He tsk’d at me. “How am I going to be able to trust you’re not hiding anything else?”, he said; and squeezed the skin around my tattoo; making me jolt from the sweet pain. “There really isn’t”, I laughed. He hooked his fingers into my panties; tugging at them. “Need to be sure…”, he muttered; and pulled my underwear off me; leaving me finally naked. He raised his brows, and smiled crookedly. “That’s… better than a tattoo”. I giggled in response.

Jackson slid his hands up my thighs; letting his fingers rest on my hips – his thumbs stroking my soft curls. He exhaled deeply. “This right here… I could get used to this”, he smiled; and kissed the soft skin just above my pubic hair. His warm breath against my private parts, made me jolt again. He lowered his lips to my folds; and placed a soft kiss on my bud. “Shit”, I mewled. I heard him chuckle; and his tongue flicked against the bundle of nerves – before he gently slid his finger between my labia; stroking up and down. His tongue replaced his finger; taking the same path. I put my hand on his head, grabbing at his hair. “Don’t worry; I’m not going anywhere”, he smiled against me; before continuing his slow assault on my folds.

His finger began tracing the outline of my entrance. I was gasping and moaning. My walls were already throbbing from want. His finger made its way inside me; soon joined by another. Jax flattened his tongue; and licked upwards; before his lips closed around my nub; suckling at it. “Jax…”, I gasped. “Mhmm…?”, he mumbled; not taking his lips away from their target. “Just… more… don’t stop”.

My legs were twitching; and he used his free arm to hold down my hips. I looked down at him; and his eyes were smiling devilishly at me. He suckled a bit harder; and his fingers crooked – pushing at my front wall. “Please…”, I breathed. “Mmm…”, he responded.

The fingers inside me pushed harder and faster; though still carefully. He was trying to figure out what made me tick. His tongue massaged my labia, and he flicked it over my clit, drawing a loud moan from me. My walls clenched around his fingers; and I came undone. I cried out, as I orgasmed against his face. Jax lapped up my juices, and slowed down his movements again, letting me ride out my pleasure.

He looked up at me. “How was that?”, he smiled. “Holy shit”, I gasped, and laughed. My body was trembling; and he climbed up next to me; gently pulling his fingers out of me in the process. He wiped his face and beard of my juices; and kissed me gently. I wrapped my leg around his hip; and ran my hand down his torso; palming his penis. My arms and legs we’re still shaking slightly; and I massaged his bulge. “Do you want…”, I began. “Some other time, babe”, he smiled. “Gives me something to look forward to. Right now; I want to get inside you”. He stood up and pulled down his boxers; making me gawk at the perfect specimen in front of me. “I’m ok with that…”, I smiled, and bit my lip.

I moved back on the bed; so my feet were no longer on the floor. Jackson crawled over me; his hardness poking at my thighs. He stroked my cheek; and I pulled his face down to kiss him; running my tongue across his lower lip. “Careful. This might end sooner than I’d want it to”, he groaned. I chuckled; and took a hold of his penis; guiding it towards my warmth.

Making his tip slick with my juices; I pushed him against my entrance. He slid into me slowly – letting me adjust to his size. “Shit, you’re tight”, he breathed. “Maybe you’re just big”, I moaned. “Keep talking, baby. I’m liking the words coming out your mouth”, he chuckled; pushed into me fully – bottoming out.

We moaned in unison. Jax began moving; grabbing my thigh, to put my leg around his hip. His thrusts were controlled – gentle. My hands on his back; I could feel his muscles working under his skin, as he pulled his body back and forth on top of me. I pulled him towards me; wanting to feel his weight. His chest touching my nipples made me moan.

Jax moved his hand from my thigh to my ass-cheek; digging his fingers into it. “Let me know if I’m too rough”, he panted. “More”, I breathed, and he smiled in response; bottoming out again. “Oh… God!”, I mewled. “It’s just me, babe”, Jackson chuckled. “I’m liking this look on you”. He kissed me deeply; and I ran my nails down his back; feeling his hardness fill me up perfectly.

Jax pulled out of me; leaving me aching for more. “Turn around”, he whispered. I rolled over; and he ran his hand down my back; before squeezing both my cheeks. “Perfect”, he said; and kissed the dimples at the small of my back – before guiding me to get on my knees; chest still on the mattress.

Jax pushed in to me again; hitting that perfect spot his fingers had found before. I cried out in pleasure. “Good or bad?”, he asked. “So good”, I panted. He chuckled behind me; and began thrusting again; putting more force into his movements. “Baby”, he gasped. “You…”. He couldn��t finish the sentence; but continued thrusting.

I was grabbing on to the pillow, and lifting my head – making my back arch for him. “Goddamn”, he moaned. He grasped my butt-cheek again, before giving it a light slap. “More”, I mewled. He laughed, and spanked me harder.

I tightened the muscles in my core; drawing a gasp and a hiss from Jax. “Do it again”, he moaned. I repeated the move. “Shit, babe”, he gasped; and pushed hard into me.

His hand moved from my ass to my front; finding my clit, and stroking it to the rhythm of his thrusts. Soon I didn’t need to clench my muscles on purpose; as he was drawing me nearer to my undoing. I cried out as I came for a second time; clenching hard around Jax’s cock – which made him thrust in to me with relentless want. He was moving towards his own high.

“Shit, Cat. You’re gonna make me…”. He cried out; and came inside me.

I was still clenching around him as he gently pulled himself out, and laid down next to me; sweaty, and with a grin on his face. “Wow”, he panted; and pulled me towards him; kissing my forehead. My body was trembling from the pleasure I’d just felt. “Yeah”, I breathed; trying to control my breath.

Looking down his naked body, his eyes went wide. “Crap. I didn’t ask…”. “The pill”, I said. “And I’m clean”. I smiled. “Me too”, he smirked.

He kissed my lips, and wrapped his arms around me, holding me close. I tried to pull away. “I want to get cleaned up”, I muttered, smiling crookedly. “Let me get it”, he said, and stepped out of the bed, walking naked into the bathroom. “Gotta piss anyway”. “Prince Charming”, I chuckled. He laughed at me, over his shoulder; and closed the door to the bathroom behind him.

I laid on the bed; still panting – when my phone rang in my jeans pocket on the floor. I crawled across the bed to get it. There was no caller id. “Hello?”, I said. “Hi, kitty”, a voice I recognized breathed. My whole body froze. “You can’t call me. My number is unregistered”, I said with bated breath. “Yes, it was hard to track down you down”, the voice said. “But, you know – my job gives me a few perks”. “I don’t want to talk to you…”, I said. “Catherine, listen… I know we’ve had our differences. But let’s move beyond that, ok? Did you get the flowers I sent your school? I sent some to the motel as well, just in case. Congrats on the new job!...”.

I hung up. I heard Jax flush the toilet, and wash his hands. He stepped back into the room with a wet washcloth for me. Seeing my expression, his eyes went dark. “What’s wrong?”, he demanded. I looked at the phone in my hand. “He…”, I began. I started breathing heavily. Jax took the phone from me, looking up the call list. His lips drew back in a snarl. “Was it him?”. I nodded, on the verge of tears.

Jacksons expression softened when he looked at me. He climbed onto the bed; and wrapped his arms around me – holding me impossibly close. “Hey, hey… it’s gonna be ok. He can’t get you here”. “H-he sent flowers to my job”, I stammered. “He knows where I am”. Jax kissed the top of my head. “No more running, baby”, he said. “You’re with me now. You’re safe”.

He gently cleaned me off; and tucked me in. “Will you stay here?”, I said. He smiled warmly. “I’m not going anywhere”, he said quietly; and got under the covers with me – wrapping his body around mine.

After a few minutes of heavy breathing; and Jax running his fingers through my hair – my body relaxed. “You should take a personal day tomorrow”, he said; his baby blues looking deeply into my eyes. “I can’t”, I said. “I just started… I have to go on like everything is normal. It’s the only way I’ll…”. I shook my head; unable to finish my sentence. Jackson sighed; and chewed his lip. “I’ll drive you to work tomorrow”, he said. “I need to stop by my house first; see the kid”. “I don’t have to be at work until 10”, I said. “Good”, he smiled. “Gives me a little more time with you”.

He kissed me softly, and stroked my jaw. I ran a finger over the bruise on his cheekbone. “I like you, Jackson”, I whispered. “I like you too”, he smiled; and put his forehead to mine. “Get some sleep, doll. I’ll be here in the morning”.

I slept better than I had in a long time, that night.

---

#jax teller #jax teller fic #jax teller x oc #jackson teller #jackson teller fic #sons of anarchy fic #sons of anarchy

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foreveralwaysanauthor · 3 years ago

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Clouds of Contemplation

October 24, 2021

Prompt - Fog

Characters - Miles, Royce, and Bentley

Notes - Takes place before Miles leaves for St. Pete Beach.

Mornings were the best time of day if you wanted to be alone. When Miles was still in school, he’d get up at the crack of dawn so he could get ready, get his brothers ready, make breakfast, and walk to school all before seven. Since his graduation in the spring, however, he’d taken to getting up later. Once in a grand while, he’d still get up early and ride his bike down to the beach. He could’ve easily walked the distance as it wasn’t very far from their house on Duffy Street, but the feeling of the wind in his hair was far better than the occasional breeze walking offered.

Today was one of those few mornings.

Miles had a hard time falling asleep the night before, having been screamed at by his father for not picking up more liquor while he and the boys were at the store. Royce had spoken up for once, telling off their father for asking children to buy alcohol illegally, and, needless to say, it hadn’t been received well by the man. Words were thrown around and Miles had just barely managed to push Royce out of the way of their father’s fist, getting himself decked in the process. It was going to be a nice shiner. Miles had observed it in the mirror before leaving and, thankfully, it was still only red, but it was definitely tender.

He left a sticky note for the boys so they wouldn’t worry if they woke up and he was still gone before grabbing his bicycle from the garage and leaving. It was foggy that morning which wasn’t unusual as they lived near the water, but it seemed thicker than usual. It didn’t bother miles much as he sped past the supermarket and across the street. He chained his bike to a light pole on the edge of a parking lot as he usually did and made his way to where the grass met the sand.

Normally, there was at least a couple of people walking their dogs or fishing leisurely, but today there was nobody on the beach, a rare commodity indeed. Miles took his backpack from the metal rack on the back of his bike and brought it with him as he took a few steps into the sand. After sitting on the grainy ground, Miles brought out his sketchbook and some pencils, determined to distract himself for at least a little while before he had to go back home and face his (most likely hungover) father.

A few minutes passed with Miles doing nothing more than staring out at the water, attempting to find where the sea ended and the fog began. It was soothing to hear the waves push and pull against the shore, lulling Miles into a sense of security and calm. He preferred it here; not far from his brothers, but far enough from his father and the cares of the world that he could breathe clearly. Inhaling the ocean air, Miles pressed his pencil to the paper and began to draw.

What he was drawing, he wasn’t sure but, for the record, he never was. Just like with Bentley, art just seemed to happen. It wasn’t something he had to try very hard at. He knew from a young age that his brothers would be like him in certain ways. Bentley was artistic - heck, getting the kid to leave the house without something to draw on other than his own clothes was a miracle. Royce was an author - the now thirteen-year-old was always reading or writing short stories and journaling, jotting down ideas on his hands if he had no paper.

Miles paused his drawing, staring out at the sandy shore as some seagulls landed nearby. A part of him wondered if their mom would watch them and smile as they realized their talents, after all, they’d gotten them from her.

Royce took after their mom in looks - with his curly brown hair and deep, caramel eyes, that much was sure - but his way with words was something their mom had passed on in a way. She was never an author per se, but the stories she’d tell them before bed or during storms would come alive so well, it was a wonder she wasn’t some magical being who could make stories appear before your eyes. Eleven-year-old Bentley was forever following in their mom’s footsteps when it came to art. Miles could remember multiple times he’d come home from school and find her drawing or painting or scribbling designs on the cuffs of her jeans. Miles was lucky in the aspect that he had both of those talents to call his own. Perhaps that was why he got along so well with both of his brothers and their mom.

She must have been rolling in her grave watching their father turn from a loving, kind ex-military man to a man who was always ready to fight his own children over a single drop of alcohol. Miles was the only one that really remembered what their father used to be like. Perhaps that was why he fought so desperately to keep the man sober. It hurt more than words could explain to see him go from a man who would put aside anything and everything to talk with his boys to a man who seemed to detest the very sight of them. Where had they gone wrong?

Miles quickly shook the thought from his head and turned back to his drawing; it wasn’t their fault that their dad turned to drinking after their mom’s death.

For a while, the man seemed fine to Miles. He was depressed, sure, but otherwise appeared fine to the then eleven-year-old Miles. He’d still set aside time for the boys, take them to the diner before school, and bring them to the beach every weekend. Within a year, though, it began to change. Once in a while, he would wake up to his dad hovering over him with a look in his eyes that made Miles flinch back against the sheets. The three brothers began to call times like those “military time”. Their dad would talk to them the way a commander in the army would and expected them to understand the terminology he used. It was a confusing time, but their father would apologize every time he realized what was going on and it would all go back to normal for a while.

Not long after that started, he met up with some of his army friends for a drink, leaving the boys with a babysitter and telling them he’d be back by a certain time. He had even promised them that when he came back, he’d teach them some songs on the guitar. That night, however, he seemed off. Miles didn’t know how exactly to decipher the man’s behavior at the time - heck, he still couldn’t - but the man stumbled into Miles and Royce’s room (Bentley still had a bed in their parent’s room at the time) and told them that he’d had a rough night with his friends and to go to bed. That night seemed to change a lot of things.

By the time Miles was thirteen, he’d gotten accustomed to the occasional slap or graze of knuckles across the face, but made sure to keep his brothers from experiencing it at all. It’s what brothers do, right? At first, he didn’t fight back much, expecting it all to come to a stop someday and they’d all go back to the normal, happy family they’d once been. It wasn’t until a Bentley came up to him one day and asked him why their dad didn’t like them like the other kids’ parents did that Miles realized that couldn’t happen.

It was an innocent question, but it had no innocent answer.

Miles sighed and laid back against the sand, staring up at the fog-riddled sky. This was supposed to distract him, not make him think more. How could he get away from thoughts like these if even his favorite spot couldn’t prevent them? It didn’t take long for Miles to come up with an idea to solve his problems.

Running away was never an option before. He’d wanted to finish school, save up money, and take his leave when he was ready to start fresh far, far away from their father. The only thing that stood in his way was his love for his brothers. He couldn’t provide for them with the measly $113 he had socked away. That was barely enough to cover rent in their current house, never mind food, gas (for a car he didn’t have, but would need eventually), and other expenses. There was no way he could drag them with him if he left.

Granted, he could take off, find a place to crash, and a good, stable job before bringing his brothers into the mix, but who knows just how long that would take. Would he really want to risk leaving them to deal with their father’s… well, everything? He quickly concluded that no, no, he wouldn’t. Maybe he could find a way to ensure their protection if he left. Maybe he could get a friend of his to let them stay over on weekends until he came back, but that would be very confusing for the boys and hard to explain to his friends, wouldn’t it? But, if he got out now, he could make a name for himself and set everything up for his brothers ahead of time.

Miles slowly sat up and brushed some sand off of his shirt. Maybe leaving wasn’t such a bad idea. All he had to do was find a good opportunity to sit down with the boys and talk it all over. If they were against the idea, Miles would forget all about it and go back to life as normal until he was eighteen when he'd offer again. Maybe then he’d have enough money saved up and could take the boys with him wherever he’d go. Maybe he’d go further south; there was an article in the paper he’d read a while ago that said people with breathing problems have it easier down south. That would help Royce’s asthma a lot. Florida was about as far south as he could go. Maybe he’d go to the coast; somewhere with a beach and some good people. A place where no matter how hard you tried, the people would love you no matter what and could never find it in them to hurt you in any way.

“Heh,” Miles laughed to himself. “Too bad nothing like that exists outside of a fairytale.”

“What doesn’t?” a voice asked from behind him, making Miles whip around, finding himself face-to-face with both of his brothers.

“What’re you guys doing here?” he asked quickly, hoping they hadn’t been standing there, watching him contemplate his inner monologue for too long.

Bentley grinned and sat next to Miles, taking the sketchbook from his brother and flipping through the pages. “We found your note. Dad’s sleeping in the living room so we snuck out the window to come and be with you.”

Miles nodded, smiling as Bentley picked up one of his pencils and began doodling on a blank page. Royce nudged him from his other side as he found a spot on the sand to sit on and leaned against Miles. “What were you talking to yourself about?”

“Oh,” Miles breathed, “just an idea I had.”

“What’s the idea?” Bentley asked. Miles relished in the shimmer in Bentley’s steely blue eyes as his eyes twinkled like stars. “Is it about Halloween? Does it include pirates or mummies? Or pirate mummies?”

Miles laughed and ruffled Bentley’s hair. “No, Benny,” Miles sighed, “sadly, no pirate mummies this time.”

Bentley mock-pouted for a moment, but his usual smile returned soon after as he and Royce took in deep breaths of the salty air. Royce peered up at Miles before glancing at Bentley. “Is this about last night?” Royce asked softly, sheepishly meeting Miles’ gaze. “I’m really sorry about that, Miles. I didn’t mean to let it go that far, I just wanted him to stop. I didn't think he'd actually try to hit me. I'm sorry you got hurt again.”

“I know, baby,” Miles said with a small smile. “You don't have to apologize for something you didn't do. I’m proud of you for speaking your mind. Next time, I'll stop it before it gets anywhere close to being physical.”

“I don’t want there to be a next time,” Bentley claimed, staring out at the water. “It’s scary when you guys yell and get smacked around.”

“I know,” Miles said, agreeing wholeheartedly about the situation being worrying. “That’s what I was thinking about. Maybe we should leave.”

“Like skip town?” Royce offered. “Drop everything and leave?”

Miles nodded slowly and inhaled deeply, wanting to clear his thoughts and get them in a coherent order before speaking, “It’s just an option. I wanted to talk it over with the both of you, anyway.”

Bentley and Royce looked at each other around Miles. Royce shrugged as Bentley told Miles that they were ready to have this conversation too. After all, it wasn’t as though the younger Murphy brothers hadn’t already been wanting a way out of the situation too. They knew the road in front of them would be long and tiring; something they’d need both time and money for. While they had a surplus of time, money was a bit harder to gain traction with when they were only thirteen and eleven. After laying out all of the pros and cons, Miles made it clear to the boys that he’d help them as much and as often as he could and would make the effort to come and visit them often enough that they’d feel like he never left in the first place. Then, before they knew it, they’d be living with him far away from their father in a place that would be far safer for them than the house they were currently in.

A million thoughts raced through Miles’ head as the boys sat in near-complete silence, the only noise being that of the ocean and the occasional bird. Perhaps he should’ve held off on this idea. Maybe he should’ve done some research and thought more about how this would impact them all. Perhaps it wasn’t such a perfect plan. Why weren’t they saying anything to him about it? Why did they look so stone-faced? It didn’t suit them in the slightest. Oh, gosh, he probably should’ve kept this idea to himself or brushed it off as a silly pipe-dream.

What felt like an eternity, but was only a few minutes, passed in silence, Royce and Bentley sitting rigid and blank-faced on the sand across from each other with only Miles separating them. Royce glanced in the direction of their house and, while he was completely unable to see it from their current position, the contempt on his face was clear. Bentley sighed and looked to Royce as the middle brother relaxed slightly and met his gaze. Miles swallowed thickly as his two brothers met gazes and seemed to nod in something Miles hoped was an agreement. Bentley and Royce glanced up at Miles before finding their ways into their brother’s arms, squeezing him tight as the two of them spoke in near-perfect unison.

“We’re in.”

#foreveralwaysprompts #writing #writing prompt

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peach-pops · 4 years ago

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morning commute || akaashi x reader

Summary: TIMESKIP where Akaashi saves the reader as she’s walking across the street

Word Count: 1.4k

Author’s note: This is just a small lil thing I whipped up because meet cutes are always so fun to write! I’ll be cranking out more ‘meet cute’ stories with other haikyuu boys as well!

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As unpredictable city life could be, Akaashi had the perfect routine that he had followed every morning to ensure he arrived to work on time.

Once he left his apartment, he would stop by his signature coffee and bagel shop that was a little ways in the opposite direction of his office building to order his daily breakfast. By now, the employees knew his order so well that by the time he walked into the shop, his order was already freshly made and waiting for you on the counter.

While walking back into the direction of his office building, Akaashi would pop in his headphones and pick up on whatever podcast he left off from the day before, usually something surrounding true crime or pop culture. On the way to his commute, he would quickly eat his bagel and weave through the sidewalk efficiently as if it was second nature.

Akaashi had gotten a job an editor for Shonen Manga Magazine, one of the biggest publishing offices in Japan. It wasn’t his dream job but his passion for writing allowed him to see that there was still so much time to get higher up in the ranks and for his age, he was already excelling.

His desk faced toward the busy street and while it was usually packed with people going to work, he kept his curtains open as a part of his morning routine because of a certain someone.

Every morning around 7:55am, you would always walk by his office building with a coffee in one hand and your laptop bag in the other.

You would always look up from your phone to smile sweetly but it was nothing more than that. It was as if you both recognized your busy mornings and even if it was just for a moment, Akaashi liked seeing this beautiful stranger walk by his window every morning.

Words were never spoken between the two of you but Akaashi was okay with it, for now.

So every morning like the one before, he would sit at his desk and wait to greet you like a well-oiled machine but today was different.

You exited the coffee shop you went to every morning but as you were putting headphones in your ears, your phone started to ring. You hardly ever got calls this early in the morning, especially since most of your friends were still asleep by then.

You checked the caller ID and once you saw your roommate’s name, you picked up the call,” Tetsuro? Is everything okay?”

“ Talk quieter I have a headache,” Kuroo groaned from the other side of the phone,”Can you pick up acetylsalicylic acid on your way home from work today? My head is throbbing like crazy and I don’t think I can make it to my labs today.”

“ Please just say aspirin,” You sighed as you ripped off a piece of your bagel,” we get it, you’re in medical school big whoop. Anyway, sure I’ll get your stupid acid whatever because I’m a good friend.”

“ Thank you, I’ll make it up to you when I become a doctor and save your life one day- Oh! Look at this picture I found of us in high school! Kenma found it when he was moving his boxes the other day, I’ll text it to you.”

“ Ugh, I’m already cringing,” You said as you looked down at your phone but continued to walk down the sidewalk. When the photo popped up, you let out a laugh,” oh my god Kenma’s hair! I miss his hair like that!”

“ Nah, I think he looks better with his hair long. I’ll send another one hold up.”

Like every morning before you, you found yourself walking in front of Shonen Press and you locked eyes with the attractive gentleman through the window. You smiled sweetly back at him and even gave a small wave of your hand.

You might’ve had a small crush on the Shonen guy and even your friends had teased you about never making a move but you weren’t going to be teased for having a crush on a stranger.

You turned your attention back to your buzzing phone to look at the new photo that Kuroo had sent and you shrieked,” EW! I can’t believe I let you cut my bangs-”

Akaashi was always known to be observant, it was practically in his DNA and evolved over the course of his high school volleyball career. That’s why he was the first to notice how distracted you were and that you hadn’t stopped at the crosswalk.

His blood ran cold as he looked on towards the street and he could see a taxi coming at you, almost in slow motion.

Akaashi cursed under his breath as he practically scrambled out of his office and ran out of his building towards you.

You didn’t even notice the pavement cave in as you stepped right in front of the bike lane without looking up from your phone. It wasn’t until you heard a loud car horn that you looked up and noticed you were right in the path of an oncoming taxi cab.

Like a deer in headlights, you froze as you clutched your phone in your hand tightly as if you were accepting your fate and braced for impact. Before the car could hit you, Akaashi wrapped his arms around your frame and pulled you back, away from the street.

The momentum sent you falling back into the chest of your savior and the two of you landed safely on the sidewalk with a hard thud.

There were a few gasps but some people still walked around the disruption without a second thought.

Akaashi panted frantically as he looked across your face to make sure there was no harm done. He wanted to check the rest of your body but he was too afraid to move you off of him.

You squeezed your eyes shut, still in fear, until you felt a hand press up against your cheek in a worried manner,” Miss, are you hurt anywhere?”

You opened your eyes as you came face to face with the same gentleman you had smiled at for the last couple of months every morning. Your noses practically grazed each other’s softly as you tried to regain your breath.

You couldn’t even speak, you didn’t know why you felt so nervous so you only shoo your head at him, earning a small smile back.

“ Okay, that’s good. I’m going to help you up now, okay?” Akaashi reassured you as he carefully lifted you back onto your feet, his hand still resting on your waist,” are you sure you’re fine? I can call an ambulance or I can take you to the hospital?”

Akaashi couldn’t take his eyes off of you, even though you were visibly shaken up, you almost seemed to lean into his touch. He didn’t even want to think of the possibility that if he was only a second too late...

“ I can’t believe you just saved my life,” You said softly as you looked back at the street in disbelief,” I-thank you. Thank you so much I think I owe you for the rest of my life. Thank you, thank you!”

You were sure you were still in shock but that didn’t stop you from throwing your hands over his shoulders and pulling him into a tight hug. Akaashi tensed at your offering but hugged you back as if you two had been friends for years.

“ Are you sure you’re okay, miss?” He asked again as you pulled away.

“ Y/N L/N.”

Akaashi smiled as he repeated your name outloud to hear how it sounded out of his own mouth.

“ Keiji Akaashi.”

“ Well Keiji Akaashi, it’s nice to officially meet you,” You said as you awkwardly stuck your hand out to shake his hand as if formalities were now somewhat important,” I’m sorry we had to meet like this but I heard shared trauma bonds people.”

Akaashi chuckled as he looked down at your hand and shook your hand. This was by far the weirdest way any two people had met and yet, Akaashi thought it was oddly fitting that the two of you would finally connect like this.

He looked down at your laptop bag and picked it up to hand it over to you before he noticed your spilled coffee.

“ You know how you said you owe me for the rest of your life?” Akaashi asked as you eyed him suspiciously but nodded,” well maybe you can thank me over coffee sometime if you’re willing to. Just be sure to stay off your phone during the date, yeah?”

“ Okay but it’ll be my treat. After all, I owe you remember?”

115 notes · View notes

vancilocs · 4 years ago

Note

Radu and aaron and poly roomies?

five in total

who...

likes to go on drives to nowhere in particular

I think both honestly, it’s very calm and you can listen to music, hold hands maybe. Though I think Ace likes it more

Mateo won’t mind if there’s music and talking (also obviously he doesn’t drive). Sometimes he’ll come along with Wolf on his bike too

is in charge of the radio or playlist in the car (and what do they play)?

Ace probably has a wealth of mixtapes for every occasion, though there’s songs that Radu likes too, playlists Ace has made for him specifically etc.

Wolf probably has driving music, every person I know who drives a lot has one. But everyone can contribute

reaches over to hold the other’s hand

Used to be Radu when nervous but now both just because (sometimes still because of nervousness, sure)

Mateo prefers to link arms or hold someone by the elbow whenever outside so he expects someone to help a man out

is more likely to hog the bed

Neither really, Aaron is bigger but he doesn’t spread out much

For someone comparably small in a very large bed, Quinn tends to take their space

favors lazy morning sex

I dunno if favor but it’s fine for both, throw the kid to school and come home to spend a little more quality time in bed. Start the day off right

I don’t think anyone really.

likes to drink their coffee or tea outside in the mornings

Little too bright and early for Radu to do that. Self-conscious

I could imagine Quinn doing it

reads the paper or watches the news

Both, why not. Check phone for what’s happening, eat breakfast while the news are on

Mateo likes listening to someone read through the most interesting parts

feeds and takes care of the stray cat that hangs around the house (and pretty much makes it not a stray)

Honestly Isaac, Leon and Minnie would have a little friend project

If anyone then Quinn

chooses the color of paint for the walls

Come to a mutual understanding but Radu takes a lot more time making a decision

Quinn would probably want to change it to something bright, Wolf would keep it neutral, Mateo... does not care

comes home with the weirder work stories

Ace coming back from a gig at the bar

Probably Wolf, if he wants to talk about it

takes long baths

Radu to calm himself down

Maybe Quinn. Or Wolf, if he needs to relax

has the full skin care routine

Nnneither really

Quinn

gives the other a massage when they seem tense

Ace, he stronk but gentle

Sometimes Mateo, it’s a gift and you better appreciate it. He’ll sooner give a face massage than a back or god forbid a fullbody one

is more easily turned on

Probably Radu. Ace puts a hand on his thigh and he’s like ok thats it

I think Quinn because they’re the most adventurous and excited with this whole new world they discovered. Or Wolf, even if he doesn’t mean to

prefers to kick back with a drink in the evenings

Radu has stopped drinking altogether but doesn’t mind if Ace goes out with his buddies and has some booze, or has like a shot of whiskey or one/two beers at home

Mateo does like a glass of something nice sometimes. Relaxing. Wolf is straight edge and idk about Quinn

stays up too late reading

I don’t think either

If Wolf gets that crossword flow going...

is the deep sleeper

Of the two, maybe Ace

You can roll Mateo off Quinn and he won’t wake up

#damn i need to reinstall xkit to be able to put tags directly into asks again #long oc thing #i think wolf might combust if mateo gave him a fullbody massage #while mateo would just be like damn boi he THICC BOI

7 notes · View notes

artificialqueens · 4 years ago

Text

And Everyday: When Life Gives You Lemons, Put Some Vodka in Your Lemonade (Crystal Methyd/Gigi Goode, Jaida Essence Hall/Jan Sport) - Campvanjie

AN: This was originally written for a fic exchange, and posted to AO3 under my now deleted account there on May 1st, 2020. Reposting here, because I’m proud of it, and am clearing old S12 fics from my Google drive. I’m the original author of this work, and there’s absolutely no plagiarism going on!

Summary: Gigi needs a soft place to land after her quarter-life meltdown, and Crystal realizes the happily every after she gave up on, might not be totally out of reach. Meanwhile, Jaida and Jan work on restoring an old barnhouse; because marriage begets home improvement.Prompts: Parenthood AU, Enemies to Lovers, Idiots in Love, and Angst all used to varying degrees.

CW: conversations around divorce/child custody and (past) bullying behavior, character mentions (non-specific) mental health issues as the reason for a past breakup.

“- Ugh, anyway, it’s like 3:30, he’s almost an hour late and I don’t know why the fuck I even got all dressed up just to sit at court being looked at like I’m some cheap bitch-”, Gigi grumbled into her phone. It was pressed against her cheek as she tried her best to juggle her purse and a extra-large coffee held in her other hand, her livid glare captured perfectly in the harsh, white light of the bathroom mirror across from her.

“I dunno, maybe because you have to be there? Kind of the mom thing to do.”, Crystal told her, static edging into her voice.

It was a long-distance call after all, and Gigi had fought against her fingers dialing the number almost by muscle memory. She had only relented once she had gotten through the packed hallway of the courts complex, and almost collapsed into what seemed like the only empty bathroom.

Call Crystal, had been the only thing she could think of do, in between beating her palms against the cool, brick walls, and shaking with sobs she refused to shed for fear of ruining her makeup.

Without missing a beat; Crystal had picked up, her voice always high and slowed, syllables enunciated in a way that had trained Gigi into asking for coffee, like it was spelled with a K, calling her son’s name, with the E in the middle a sharp, upward spike.

Crystal, Gigi realized with a start; was who had taught her to gulp in her breaths to hide herself crying, and shove her fist into her front pocket, to keep herself from shaking so much.

“I know. I know you’re right. I just- God, I’m so sick of it. It just want this all to be over so I can go back to what’s important, and stop feeling like my entire world is crashing down around me."

Crystal laughed, a little too dry for it to be genuine. "Hey, Gigi?"

"Hm?"

"If you- if you wanted, maybe you and the little munchkin could visit? Come see me in Missouri, maybe it’ll get your mind off things."

Gigi’s hands stopped underneath the stream of lukewarm water flowing from the faucet, her eyes meeting her reflection in the mirror. She looked like shit, no matter how much her carefully applied façade remained in place, her gaze jittered around the small room and she had never felt so truly tired in her entire life.

"Seriously?"

"Yeah. I mean, me of all people should know something about everything falling apart."

Less than an hour later, Gigi found herself dialing Crystal’s number again. She stood outside the courthouse, her glasses misted from the early- evening rain shower as she waited for her car.

Relinquished. She didn’t know whether to laugh, or cry, or take her parents up on their offer to live in their Florida timeshare and disappear off the face of the planet, too.

"He’s not coming because he filed paperwork to relinquish parental rights two weeks ago. In the eyes of the law, it’s just the two of you.”, her lawyer had told her, after finding Gigi just outside the bathroom. Jackie Cox was always dressed in tweed, pastel, pantsuits, dark hair coiffed in buttery smooth curls at the top of her head, her lips pursed in a thin, straight line, as though she was perpetually exhausted.

Gigi supposed that, being one of the city’s longest-serving family court attorneys would do that to you.

“I don’t know how I missed it on the dockets, but I should have told you first.”, Jackie apologized; her hand warm and steady at the small of Gigi’s back as she walked her client back up the hallway.

Gigi grunted, shrugging her shoulders underneath her jacket. “It’s fin- It wouldn’t have changed anything, Jackie. Really, thanks for everything."

She let herself lean against Jackie, letting one of her oldest friends wrap her arms around her, breathing in the scent of Jackie’s honeysuckle perfume on the courthouse steps.

"I’m sorry this happened-”, Jackie started, and Gigi could feel her heart sink to her stomach.

She had never done well with pity, least of all when she truly deserved it.

“Don’t be. Please, just don’t.”

“What are you going to do now?”, Jackie asked, as Gigi stepped out of her embrace, surveying the street before them that was quickly filling with cars and bikes and buses as the work day finished and school let out for the day.

“Right now? Get in an Uber and hope they don’t charge me triple for being late at daycare again.”

Crystal picked up on the fourth ring, and Gigi could hear the sound of a sink running in the background. Water splashed against metal, and the distinct sound of another woman’s voice, screeching with laughter, buzzed through the speakers of Gigi’s phone.

“Whoo- chile, I’m telling you if you come any closer with that flour, I’m gonna-"

"Shit. Sorry.”, Crystal had muffled the phone against her chest, the static only cutting out when Gigi was sure she had ducked into another room.

“How quickly can you get that guest room set up? I’m pretty sure we can make it for tomorrow if I drive through the night.”

“Mom- Mom it’s twelve-thirty-five. It’s way, way, way past your bedtime!”, Destiny crowed from his carseat, kicking at Gigi’s back. His blonde curls were plastered to the side of his face, lips dusted with salt from the bag of chips that Gigi had let him pick out form himself at their last rest stop.

Their entire lives had fit neatly into the sickeningly suburban five-seater that his father had insisted on, the largest luggage case filled with her son’s clothes and bedsheets still having enough room to jostle under his bare feet.

She knew it was impulsive, and stupid, and half-expected the police to pull them over several states away, but as the highways emptied to nothing bur a ribbon of white lines that kept them on the right side of the road, Gigi became more and more convinced she was doing the right thing.

“My bedtime is five-thirty, kiddo. Yours is eight, so you get to stay up so much later.”, she joked easily, never having had Destiny for so many hours, all by herself in the years since he had started preschool.

“Wait, that doesn’t make sense! It’s eight at night and right now it’s morning! Nobody goes to sleep at five in the morning!”, he shrieked, and giggled at his own reflection in the rearview mirror.

“That’s when the garbage truck wakes up!”, he added. Gigi didn’t remember, if he had ever talked so much, his voice jarring and so different from the toddler babbles she had recorded, and kept on her phone to watch on her worst days.

Her textile studio had taken up her days, until her partners had grown tired of Gigi stumbling in at eleven in the morning, unable to force herself to care very much about their bottom line, and the grey, dull world outside until Destiny had come to kick her out of bed.

Afterwards, his father would take her nights, the pressure incessant that they be exactly what they looked like- a family that belonged in a catalog, with a perfectly dressed, perfectly quiet child, money to burn and success in spades; drinking from matching flutes of champagne while Destiny was left alone in his basement bedroom with a baby monitor and his collection of stuffed animals.

Gigi faltered in a sea of plastic smiles and shallow conversations, and at the end of the day, all of her friends who had warned her off marrying her senior-year rebound, giving her life over to the promise of a bright, empty future, had been right.

He wanted to live in a dream, where she was only ever a sidekick; their son nothing more to him than a prop to parade, an filled-in item on a checklist that he had given up without a second thought.

Gigi had named him Destiny, because she liked it first, but second, because it had sounded so good with his last name; that she had never even considered having to change it.

Destiny Goode was a name that sounded like a motivational quote from a caveman, and she briefly wondered, merging on to the next interstate her GPS system highlighted- if a six-year-old would remember his name if she changed it right now.

He could be a Garret, or a Jaden, just like every other boy at school.

A fresh slate with no more questions to be asked, and nothing left to tie her perfect boy to Gigi’s worst mistake.

“-So, she’ll be here at nine-thirty, and we’re all going to be nice as fuck and not make it weird, okay?"

Crystal smoothed down the pleats of her skirt with her palms, her legs crossed in front of her at the breakfast table, as her eyes flitted between Jaida and Jan, who both had forks in hand as they enjoyed the chilaquilles that Crystal had set out for their meal, knowing this was going to be a big conversation.

"Chile-”

“Okay, go back to the part where she broke up with you and then ended up married to darksided Warner-"

"Guys!”, Crystal protested, glaring down at her friends.

Jaida and Jan had bought the barn on her family’s property not even weeks after Crystal had agreed to put it on the market, the decrepit, white-washed wood tower an eyesore along the country highway.

They were the closest thing she had to neighbors, in the wide acres of rolling plains that separated everyone by miles along the road, and it hadn’t taken long for the three of them to grow close.

Together, they had carved a guest house out of the front entryway, laying water pipes and television cable; and were working on renovations to turn the barn’s hall into an event space, with glass lanterns hanging high along the rafters that Crystal remembered walking across like a tightrope when she was a child.

Jan drilled in heavy wood planks to form a catwalk that overlooked the barn floor, which you could reach from the outside fire escape, and Crystal had been thrilled to finally put her years of following behind her father to use, toolbox in hand as she sanded down the reinforced beams holding up the roof.

If Gigi hadn’t called her, Crystal and Jan had a day ahead of them of hauling the shingles from a pallet left by the side of the road, in Crystal’s truck up to the barn, while Jaida had her camera, and a full calendar of Senior Portraits to finish before the end of the school year.

“I know it sounds like a lot, but please, please, don’t make it weird. Gigi always…- She always needed everything to go perfectly, and I hate to say it but… I might be her only real friend. Like, ever.”, Crystal told them, biting down on the inside of her cheek.

Gigi, who for the past few years, had been nothing but a collection of memories that would fire in her brain occasionally, like a slight twinge from an old injury, would be back in the flesh at her doorstep, at any minute. Crystal barely had the time to recruit Jaida’s help in clearing out her guest rooms for Gigi and her son, much less process how she truly felt about offering up her home as their refuge.

Gigi had never responded to the birthday cards she sent for Destiny after his third birthday; barely ever logging into her Facebook page that had been filled with photos of the two of them through college; and seemed to abruptly be cut off after she had gotten married. Occasionally, something would trickle through, a vacation photo of her little family, and anniversary note, a first day at school and a post that asked everyone to go and follow her business page.

For all of the refreshing Crystal did, Gigi’s studio seemed to never upload anything beyond its logo and business hours.

“Nah, listen, I get it, babe.”, said Jaida, a tortilla chip hanging from the corner of her mouth. “People grow and change and we gotta meet them where they’re at."

She nodded towards Jan, who was gulping down her orange juice, with a fond grin. "If you would have told my queen bitch ass when I was in high school, that I would end up married to Miss Team Too Much, I would have stole your man and told the whole school some dirty secret.”, Jaida laughed. “Everybody’s dealing with something, and I was so closeted and angry I was acting a fool for free."

"You were never closeted.”, Jan piped up, her voice rising an octave from normal, making Crystal widen her eyes as she looked to her side.

“Glass closet, honey. Besides, my point is, it’s water under a bridge, whatever we do when we’re young. I love you now.”, she said, pressing a kiss to Jan’s temple as she rose to go take their dishes to the sink. “You ended up turning out to be an amazing woman. I’m sure Gigi’s just the same."

The sun was high over the horizon line when Gigi’s car rumbled up the range road, rocks spraying into the grass as her wheels skipped over the pockmarked dirt.

She had taken Destiny to a hotel waterpark with a free breakfast, the absolute joy and shock on his face more than worth being several hours off of the arrival time she had texted Crystal. He was asleep now, only dressed in a pair of shorts and his sneakers, the buckles of his carseat starting to chafe red against his skin.

Gigi turned left at the barn, towards the yellow-shuttered house she remembered visiting over so many spring breaks and reading weeks, surprised to see two workers, stacking pallets of shingles by the barn door. One was a gorgeous, darker-skinned woman, the sun glittering from the highlights in her hair as she waved over to Gigi, making her grin despite herself.

Crystal’s tiny town had always been welcoming, the huge open expanses of space seeming to make everyone all the more willing to seek a connection- though Gigi would have never guessed that Crystal and her family would ever do anything with the barn, which looked just a little less decrepit than she remembered, so many years later.

She parked by the balcony, just in front of Crystal’s truck, and shook Destiny awake, helping him into the first shirt which she could reach from his bag.

"C'mon, Des. We’re here. Are you excited to say hi to Mom’s friend? She stayed up all night to make you new room!”, she asked, watching as he took in the word around them.

“You have friends?”, he blurted out, so plainly that Gigi couldn’t keep a smile off her face, even if he had probably heard that from a TV show she probably shouldn’t have been letting him see.

“That’s not very nice."

Still, she kissed the top of his head, and helped him out of the car, his tiny hand feeling heavy in hers as they made their way up the stairs to Crystal’s door.

The balcony creaked under their feet, as Gigi raised her hand to press against the doorbell, Destiny tugging against her shirt, pointing up at the colorful strips of cut paper that still adorned the windows, the sun cutting what must have been a stained-glass glow inside the house.

"Snowflakes, like at school!”, he called to her, pressing his face against the windowsill before Gigi pulled him back.

“No, it’s called papel picado.”, Gigi corrected, remembering how Crystal had spent hours at her paper press in the basement of the art rooms in college, a mess of stencils spread across the desk, a chisel and mallet in hand as she studied the pictures her grandmother would send her.

Crystal’s tongue would poke out of her mouth, her pupils blown wide in concentration, oblivious to the darkening sky above her until Gigi would find her, at half-past midnight, standing still wide awake in the middle of confetti slices of cut paper piling around her.

They would kiss, exhilarated and young and alone together, and Gigi would never think anything was wrong until-

“Gigi! Geegs! Look who’s late to their own party!”, Crystal squealed, the door swinging wide open to reveal her; red-brown hair still as wild as ever, piled into a messy ponytail atop her head, and a smile so wide Gigi could see nearly all her teeth. Crystal sparkled with the same craft glitter that had always hung from her fingertips, her cheeks flush as though she’d run from one end of the house to the other.

Her eyes looked bright again, the memory of which was so foreign to Gigi that she took a moment to take it all in, Crystal’s bright skirt and her tight, sleeveless top looking all the more like relics of the summers they had spent together.

“Ahoy.”, she greeted, raising a hand to her forehead in a mock salute.

Crystal giggled.

Giggled, like she always had, and waved them inside with a flourish of her hand.

“Are you mad at me?”, Jaida asked, kicking open the toolbox that she and Jan shared.

They had watched Crystal let the storied Gigi into the house, and decided to occupy themselves with bolting down the side light fixtures in the barn, until whatever was probably going on between their neighbor and ex calmed down enough for Crystal to invite them in.

But, Jan’s temper had grown increasingly short through their day, her drill now clenched in a white-knuckled grip as Jaida held the ladder she was on steady below her, digging in the tool box for the next drill bit she would need.

“Why- the fuck- would I be mad at you?”, she said through gritted teeth, over the sound of the power tool in her hand.

“‘Cause you just said fuck, for one.”, Jaida muttered, her eyes rolling skyward. Her wife had always been a little dramatic, but there was nothing Jaida hated more than the silent treatment, far preferring a knock-down, drag-out, screaming fight to being frozen out for hours with little more than a sharp glance or a silent nodded sent her way.

Jan shrugged her shoulders, her favorite blue and red flannel shirt stretching deliciously tight across her back.

Was Jan teasing her? Was it all some kind of elaborate game that was intended to be finished in their bedroom?

“Well, whatever you’re doing, it’s killing the mood, babe.”, Jaida teased, hoping that Jan would get the hint.

Instead, she dropped the drill from her grip, clattering down the ladder as it bounced on the hard-packed ground. The battery pack popped from the tool’s back, not that Jan could be bothered as she stalked away, ignoring Jaida’s raised eyebrows.

“Hey- hey- you can’t just wreck stuff because you’re having a bad day!”, Jaida called after her wife, looking down at the mess of wires at her feet. “And I don’t know how to fix this shit so-"

She fell silent, as Jan’s steps echoed up the outdoor fire escape, her body disappearing until Jaida could only see the outline of her long, blonde hair, blowing in the wind from the balcony.

"Jan?”, she shouted, following her up the steps. “Hey, I know I fucked up, but you gotta tell me how otherwise I’m not gonna know how to fix it."

"Right.”, Jan scoffed as Jaida rounded the corner, the two of them facing towards Crystal’s house, where a second-floor light flickered on and off several times. “I forgot that everything’s so easy for you, I just have to spell it all out."

"Okay, what does that even mean?"

Jan glowered at her wife, crossing her arms across her chest.

"Why did you tell Crystal the reason you were a bully in high school was because you weren’t out?"

"That’s what this about? Baby-”, Jaida reached forward, her hand only barely touching Jan’s shoulder before her wife flinched away. “I was just trying to make her feel a little better about the whole thing, everything going on with Gigi. I don’t even remember if I was a bully in high school."

"Maybe I do.”, Jan snapped, her eyes flashing up in anger for a split second.

Jaida sighed, looking back over the horizon; where the sun was starting to dip at the back of scattered farmhouses and cottage homes littered accross the plains. “Look- I- I’m sorry and I shouldn’t have brought it up-”

“You’ve never apologized."

"You want me to say sorry?"

It had been years since Jan and Jaida had reconnected, long separated from the people that they had been as children.

Jaida had remembered Jan as an easy target from their first day in kindergarten, a tiny, loud girl who fell into a pattern that followed until Jan had left for college on a musical theatre scholarship, and Jaida had gone to play basketball for a small, comfortable liberal arts college in the heartland. When she had met Jan again; she was another person who shared the same name, at an alumni event where both of them had been invited to promote their respective colleges.

Where Jan had always worn her heart on her sleeve, the woman Jaida had married was confident, and passionate, witty and driven beyond belief.

She hadn’t had a second thought proposing to her, in the middle of the butterfly sanctuary at the zoo in the springtime, kissing her passionately without question at their Central Park wedding, their families both swaying together underneath the canopy of a white tent, to the music of the very first DJ they had found on Google.

"I just want you to- admit that it happened.”

“You’re acting like this was a big deal.”, Jaida groaned. “Baby, we were kids."

"It was a big deal. I thought about the stupid shit you and your friends said, for years after- and you don’t know what that was like."

"Okay- I-”

Jaida sighed, laying her hands on the railing that rounded the balcony, squeezing the metal rung tightly against her palms, the fight seeping out of her as she studied her wife, who looked on the verge of tears.

“Jan- baby, hey, I’m sorry. I’m really, really sorry.”

Silence fell between them, the sound of the crickets the only thing that cut in between their breaths. Jan buried her face in her hands, elbows resting against the railing beside her wife.

“I know. It’s just, that stuff adds up sometimes.”

She pressed herself into her wife’s shoulder, letting her head rest against Jaida’s arm.

“It adds up the other way around, too. Don’t think it doesn’t.”, Jan whispered, and Jaida finally let go of a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding in, her arm snaking around to rest around her wife’s waist. “It’s just a lot of work.”

“Then I’ll work on it, baby. Just tell me what you need.”

Gigi was surprised, at how instantly familiar Crystals kitchen was, breakfast leftovers heaped on top of Destiny’s plate while she quietly accepted a Diet Coke, sipping at the flat beverage as she finally began to relax. Gigi could tell her son was starting to feel sleepy, his eyes losing focus even as he kept lifting his fork to his mouth.

“Cielito.”, Crystal cooed, as she ruffled his curls, passing by the two of them as she moved to shutter the blinds in the kitchen. Destiny clearly thrived under the attention, and Gigi wondered if he had always craved touch, or if he was only a child who was excited by all of the new things around him. The heat was sticky, and Crystal’s brightly painted walls made the whole house look even more like an eternal birthday party, the fridge covered with photos and magnets.

Crystal had never learned to speak Spanish, at least as far as Gigi knew, having begged Crystal to help her pass her class for months when they had been roommates, but she supposed, she must have picked up more of it, with all the time she must have spent with her family afterwards.

“Where are you Mom and Dad?”, Gigi asked, swirling her straw in her Diet Coke. “I should say hi, right?"

Crystal shrugged. "We could Facetime? They were back in Mexico for a while after my Dad got sick, but right now they’re travelling Europe, living the old people dream. I’m sure my Mom still misses you."

Gigi took a deeper breath, her lips pursed as she watched Crystal dump dirty dishes in the sink.

"Is um- are you getting the barn demolished? I saw a couple people working on it outside."

"Oh, that’s just Jan and Jaida. They live there. I sold it a few months ago, and they’re trying to turn it into, like, a wedding hall. You’d love them- they’re the gayes-”, she paused, looking down at Destiny as he tipped his glass of orange juice into his mouth. “They’re super, super in love, and so gross."

Gigi could feel herself start to blush, even though she had started having that conversation with her son almost as soon as he had started to learn to talk.

"I usually have them over for dinner, so you can say hi."

Gigi coughed, swallowing the question that had been at the tip of her tongue since she had spoken to Crystal the day before.

"So? are you seeing anyone?”, she asked.

Crystal shook her head. “I’m not really looking.”, she said. “Still putting the cry in Crystal!”, she laughed. “And you were right, I wouldn’t want to put that on anyone else."

"I- ”, Gigi bit back her reply, not quite knowing if this was a talk she wanted to have, with her son arranging chips on his plate not two feet in front of her.

“Hey- buddy”, Crystal tapped on Destiny’s shoulder, nudging him with her hip. “Go wash your hands in the bathroom. It’s the one with the fish on the door and Star Wars on the curtain."

He looked back up at his mother, Gigi giving him a curt nod of approval as he skittered up the hallway.

"He’s a cute kid, you know? You’re doing a good job.”, she told Gigi, pushing the boy’s chair back in.

“Yeah… mostly not my job, but I’ll pass it on to our last nanny."

Gigi had stood with their plates, following Crystal to the sink where she happily plunged her arms into the hot, soapy bubbles, not caring very much for how her shirtsleeves got soaked in the water, navy fabric clinging to her wrists.

"Seriously. Gigi- look at me.”, Crystal reached around her, shutting off the faucet with a decisive clicking noise. “I don’t blame you for being twenty-one and not sticking around after I flipped out because I didn’t know how to deal with college, and real life and everything. It’s a day by day thing.”, she shrugged, reaching to open a cabinet and put the glasses in the drying rack away.

Crystal’s body was almost uncomfortably close, pressing into Gigi’s side like she remembered them being like, when they had shared their first apartment, having barely enough room for two people in between the fridge and the stove.

“Some days are better than others. But it’s-”, she paused, and smirked, her lips curling into the same wicked grin that Gigi could never shake from her memories, no matter how hard she tried. “No offense, but you’re not important enough for it to have been your fault."

"Oh, that’s how it’s gonna be, huh?”, Gigi couldn’t help but laugh, shaking her head. “Kick a girl when she’s down?"

"Or, some people just have shitty brain chemistry, and other people are assholes. Stop thinking it’s all on you all the time, you absolute flaming fuck-up.”, Crystal told her, her words softening behind her smile.

“Maybe don’t say flaming, but I did fu-"

Destiny padded back into the room, rubbing at his eyes. "Is it adult time yet?”, he asked, his tiny mouth yawning open. “Everyone’s saying all the bad words."

Crystal snickered, turning her undivided attention back to rinsing out the sink, her back turned to the both of them as if to say Gigi was on her own with that one.

"Good night, I guess.”, she muttered, shuffling across the tile towards him.

“See you tomorrow, Geegs. Just don’t forget, there’s always that.”

Gigi laid in bed with Destiny resting half on her chest, her son not wanting to leave her side, once the novelty of their adventure had worn off, and he had started to realize that there was a certain kind of permanence, to Crystal’s rainbow-colored walls, to the laughter from the kitchen that came from Jan and Jaida, who had eyed Gigi with enough suspicion to let it be known to her that she was absolutely not welcome in whatever little world they had built.

Okay, maybe the last bit was just in her head, and she could just introduce herself properly at breakfast the next morning- but she had still jumped at the chance to lock herself in Destiny’s appointed bedroom, pretending that he would need her to fall asleep, even though he had only wanted to cuddle before passing out completely the second that she dimmed the lights.

She scrolled through her phone, mindlessly as her son shifted in her arms, the message bubble beside his father’s name still lit up red with unread texts, that she skipped through to flick past her Instagram feed, landing on Crystal’s profile at the very bottom of her following list. The very first account which she had followed, years ago, and the very last that she kept up with, the creeping intimacy of being under Crystal’s roof, trying to piece together the life she had dropped out of, thicker than the heat of the air around her.

Crystal’s photos were all filtered through something that made them look brighter, more vibrant than the rainy afternoons and damp wetlands that they featured in the background, the captions all long, effusive essays about the importance of showing up to vote, or the beauty of the creek behind her house in the summertime. The most recent photo, featured her lying in a bed of sunflowers, grinning up at the sky, eyes half-shut against the sunlight.

Don’t look right into a solar eclipse!, the caption started, followed by at least a dozen laughing emoji faces, alternating with bright pink flowers. Sometimes life just punches you in the face, dummy! And you just gotta deal with it anyway. Don’t waste a second!

Gigi chuckled, locking the phone and laying it back on the bedside table, trying to move as little as possible as she turned off what was left of the light in the bedroom, and drew herself closer to her son in her arms.

His breathing was steady, his hands reaching for her hair in his sleep.

“Okay, kiddo. I got you.”, she said to nobody in particular, sinking lower in the sheets so she could tuck them tighter around him.

There’s always tomorrow, she could hear Crystal telling her, her voice clear as the dream Gigi was starting to slip into.

The next morning, she would start putting everything back together again.

#rpdr fanfiction #gigi goode #crystal methyd #jaida essence hall #jan sport #crygi #jaida x jan #lesbian au #hurt/comfort #parenting au #s12 #angst #fluff #campvanjie #tw mentions of divorce #tw mention of mental illness

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