#might get high i dunno probably should take off makeup first cause i might just pass out

[cowardlycowboys]

tipsy yippee

[angelsandacceptance]

Genie of the Lamp

Chase and Harley’s plane touches down on the tarmac in Oahu, Hawaii. After everyone leaves the plane the girls head to their hotel with an ocean view. On the plane Harley had started rereading the Harry Potter series for the thousandth time. Chase, rather, had binge watched horror movies while cross-stitching (and has now made up her mind to never admit how many times she stabs herself).

 “This is the nicest place we’ve stayed in a while,” Harley comments when the two enter the hotel room. The room is quaint, but lavish compared to the motels they were used to staying in. This room had high, white walls, a large bathroom, with a jacuzzi tub and shower. Ornate mirrors hang on the walls opposite each bed, with a large flat screen tv in the center.

Chase sighs, running and landing on her back as she jumps onto one of the beds with a laugh. “This place is awesome! Ugh, just what we’ve needed. When’s the last time either of us had an actual vacation?”

“There was that week I decided to visit my family.”

“Yeah, but that was still a while ago. This is also like, real vacation. I mean, look at that view!” Chase points out the large window, spanning most of the far wall, curtains pulled back to display the gorgeous view; they can both see the beach, with the waves lapping at the shore, few people dotting the shoreline as they relax in the sun. Green, lush wildlife grows abundantly all around them. “We don’t see that everyday. Can’t tell you when the last time I was at the beach was.”

“Me either. I can’t wait to be in the ocean again.”

“Same! Let’s change real quick, then we can head down to the water.”

The girls change in their swimsuits, before grabbing towels and running down to the beach. Harley has to chastise Chase, who forgets to put sunscreen on and begins to turn pink within minutes.

After Harley is satisfied with Chase’s cover of sunscreen, which only helps to make her look somehow paler than normal, they race to the water. Chase grabs Harley in a bridal style hold, only to quickly drop her in the surprisingly warm waves. Chase, however, is not thinking clearly when she does this, because Harley’s arms are laced around her neck, dragging her into the water as well. They both surface, spluttering, wiping the water from their eyes. They both shriek and laugh at each other’s reactions as they dive further into the waves, splashing each other. 

***

The girls head to a food shack on the beach soaking wet, towels loosely tied around their hips, though not bothering to catch the water dripping from their hair. Chase brushes hers back with her fingers, pushing the accidental pink strands from her face (accidental because the die was purple but didn’t stick). Harley simply ignores her own Auburn-red hair, which drips slightly from her bangs. 

A waiter comes by, asking if they are ready to order. Having known what their first meal in Hawaii would be, they both nod excitedly. They each order fish and chips and Chase gets a fruity cocktail. 

“God, I love fish.” Harley says, eating a piece.

Chase, taking a bite of her cod, nods enthusiastically. “This is so amazing. Ugh, the boys are missing out.”

“Yeah, too bad Dean’s afraid of flying. If he wasn’t they might’ve come.”

“I don’t know. Sam did say that he didn’t want to go so far. But yeah, Dean probably could have changed his mind. I mean, c’mon dude I’m scared of heights and everything, but you don’t see that stopping me.”

“True, guess he’s just a scaredy cat.”

Chase laughs. “Don’t let him catch you saying that. It might hurt his feelings.”

“Then he’s a sensitive scaredy cat.”

“Another thing to not let him catch you saying.”

“Let him hear it. I’ve caught him saying worse about me.”

“Yeah, he probably wouldn’t say anything he’d just go in the corner and pout.”

“That would be hilarious.”

Chase nods agreeing, taking another bite of her food.

***

The girls got back to their hotel room to find a collective amount of 30 missed calls from Dean and texts from Sam saying he tried to stop him. Harley immediately calls him back and he picks up before the first ring. 

“Where the hell were you? I thought the plane went down!” Dean shouts.

“We just went swimming. Chill,” Harley says, trying to calm him down.

“Would it’ve killed you to call... Wait, you went swimming? What are you wearing?”

“Gross!” Chase yells into the phone.

Dean hesitates before defending himself, “Hey, I didn’t mean it like that!”

“You’re Dean, of course you did,” Chase says. 

“Maybe I’ll tell you later,” Harley teases.

Chase turns to Harley with wide eyes, mouthing, ‘Oh, we are so talking about that later.’ before turning back to the phone. “Don’t get any funny ideas there, Deano. I can and will kick your ass.”

Dean and Sam both laugh over the phone, Dean having obviously put the girls on speaker. 

“Ten bucks on Chase,” Sam comments. 

“Hey!” Dean exclaims.

“I’m so not getting involved in this one,” Harley says.

“So no one’s betting on me?”

“Course not, Dean. Why would they?” Chase laughs. The girls can both just imagine the pout on his face. “Look, now you know we aren’t dead, so can we go to enjoy our vacation please?”

“What if I want to talk to you?” Dean asks. 

“You literally could have come with us, but noooo. You’re too much of a scaredy cat to.”

“Hey, you’re afraid of heights, Chase,” Dean says in defense. 

“Yeah, but you don’t see that stopping me. I promise, we will talk to you later, okay?”

“I want nightly and morning updates!”

“Nightly,” Harley says, trying to compromise.

“And pictures,” Sam says. 

“Okay, okay, we promise.” “Good,” Dean says. “I will talk to you two later.”

The girls bid their goodbyes, then hang up, sighing in relief before looking at each other in disbelief. They both burst out laughing, thinking of how Dean is paranoid, but how it is also endearing. 

“Morning and night. I mean really? Once a day is more than enough,” Harley mutters.

“Really though. What does he think’s gonna happen?”

“Who knows what goes on in that brain of his.”

“Well obviously what goes on in that brain of his is ideas of you in a swimsuit.”

“Any girl in a swimsuit more like.”

“I dunno about that. He seems very keen on just you. However, I have to ask. ‘Maybe I’ll tell you later’ probably did not help him think about anything else. What was with that comment?” Chase fake shudders. “It was in front of me and everything.”

“I was just teasing him. It’s not like it meant anything,” Harley says plopping down on her bed.

“Right. It meant nothing. Nothing at all. I bet that is definitely the truth,” Chase says, sarcasm dripping heavily from each word. “Because thinking that you would say that and not mean it in any way would be preposterous. Of course I know you were teasing him! My point is you wouldn’t be teasing him without due cause.”

“I really would be though.”

Chase raises an eyebrow. “Mmmhmmm. Sure. Let me just call bullshit real quick.”

“Okay maybe I wanted him to think of me a little, but that’s it.” Harley says defending herself.

“Yeah,” Chase scoffs. “Just ‘A little’.”

***

The girls woke up the next morning, well, Chase woke up. Mainly because Harley didn’t know how to be quiet while she’s getting ready.

Sitting up onto her elbows, Chase checks her phone, groaning at the sight of a steady 7:21 staring back at her. She turns to Harley with a frown and creased brows. “You seriously couldn’t have waited nine more minutes for my alarm to go off?”

“Sorry, Scooby wasn’t cutting it for me anymore,” Harley says as South Nashville Blues plays at full volume in the bathroom and she does her makeup.

Chase, meanwhile, flops backwards onto her bed, simultaneously grabbing a pillow and covering her face. “Wake me up in nine minutes.”

“Six minutes now.”

“Wake me up in six minutes then!” Chase exclaims, her voice muffled by the pillow. 

“Fine,” Harley sighs, dragging the word out before asking herself, “Should I even bother doing my hair? It’s just going to get wet. We’ll probably get some photos on land though. Right?”

“I’m curling mine, then I’m not gonna care until after we get back out of the water. After that, I’ll probably just braid it.”

“I can’t stand when my hair’s curly. I think I’m gonna straighten it. Just in case. Hey, did you bring any hairspray? I didn’t pack any.”

“Oh yeah, I did. I wanted to make sure my curls stayed even if it got windy. Why? You don’t need it to straighten your hair.”

“Yeah, but you can use it to waterproof your makeup.”

Chase shoots up in bed. “Wait, really?”

“Yeah. I’ve done it before.”

“Okay, I’ve got to try this! I was just planning on skipping eyeliner, but now I don’t have to.” Chase gets out of bed, silencing her alarm before it could go off, joining Harley in the bathroom. 

***

Harley fiddles with the radio before giving up and playing something on her phone.

Chase groans, letting up on the gas. “Why is this car so touchy?”  She turns to Harley, gesturing slightly to the speedometer. “This car is so annoying! Jack would never do this to me.”

“It’s because it’s a newer car. That’s why it’s so touchy.”

Chase scoffs. “That doesn’t give it the right.”

“It’s just for a couple of days.”

“The audacity!” Chase exclaims dramatically.

“Calm down, it’s just for a little while.”

Chase sighs, continuing as though Harley hadn’t spoken. “Just like the audacity you have, claiming you don’t like my brother.”

“Hey, we're not in Jack. No talk about me liking Dean.”

Chase rolls her eyes. “Whatever you say.”

“Thank you.”

Sudden realization dawns on Chase. “Wait, you just admitted you liked him!” Chase refrains from screeching-but just barely. 

“I didn’t mean I liked him. I just meant you think I like him.”

“Ugh. Okay, okay, fine whatever. Be in denial. What’s our first scene gonna look like for pictures?”

“We could do a shot like the main poster for H2O.”

“Ooo, yes.”

“And then I brought my waterproof camera.”

“Wait, you did bring it? I forgot my polaroid sadly.”

“Yeah, I remembered thankfully.”

“Okay, cool. Now here we are! Surf  ‘N’ Shack. Think they sell food? I didn’t eat breakfast.”

“I’m sure they sell food.”

“Good.”

***

The girls smile, looking out at the wake crashing onto the shore. Plenty of beach is in front of them, but there is also rocky cliffs situated to their right. The perfect place to take photos. The girls had their rented silicone mermaid tails and struggled to put them on for longer than they would like to admit.

“That was exhausting.” Harley admits as she finally gets her tail on.

“That was… unpleasant. But the pictures will be well worth it.”

“They better be,” Harley says, flipping herself over so she’s not sitting on her dorsal fin.

Chase struggles to her feet, using the surrounding rocks to help her hop closer to the water. “This is gonna take a while,” she laughs after three hops. 

Harley starts crawling across the sand towards the water dragging her tail behind her. Chase laughs at her, before losing balance and falling over.

“It’s easier this way,” Harley chuckles.

“Well, it looks weird. Oh my God! I just realized. It is going to be so much harder to get this off when it’s wet!”

“I don’t know about that.”

“Well, it’ll definitely be more uncomfortable.”

“It’ll be weird for sure. Like shedding your skin.”

“I never asked, wanted, or imagined that mental image until now. So thank you for that.” 

“You’re welcome. Wait, we should take the H2O photo before we reach the water.”

Chase gasps. “That’s brilliant!”

“I have my moments.”

“You mean moment, because you’re never not brilliant.”

“Aww! Thanks!”

“Well duh.” Chase scoots closer to the water. “Now, let’s get this done with so we can go swimming!”

Harley takes the photo as her arms are longer. Then they continued to crawl till they reach deep enough water to swim.

***

“I’m beached! I’m a beached whale!” Harley yells as she reaches the shore.

“I’ll save you,” Chase shouts, swimming and then scooting up the shore to Harley. Then, she lays there, tired out. “Shit, now I’m beached.”

The two girls started laughing uncontrollably at their beached state.

“Best vacation ever,” Harley says between laughs.

“I’m just glad that we get to relax and nothing is going wrong.”

“Oh god, did you just jinx it?”

Chase shrugs, peeling her tail back a little at a time. “I doubt it,” she huffs. “Seriously. We are in Hawaii on vacation for Thanksgiving. We deserve a break. I’m sure God, wherever the hell he is, recognizes our efforts, and will grant us some peace.”

“Sure, like he’s been much help before.”

“Well, he will give us peace this week, or he will be punched very, very hard when I meet him.” Chase looks to the sky. “And that’s a promise!”

Harley begins trying to kick out of her monofin before pulling the tail skin down.

Chase shimmies out of hers, kicking her legs slightly, her hands brace on the ground behind her for support. “This is one of the most annoying things I’ve ever had to deal with.” Blowing the hair out of her eyes, she continues, “What’s on the agenda for tomorrow?”

“The spa and that hike to the Kaniakapupu ruins.”

“Oh, yes, a spa. That sounds like heaven.”

“It does, doesn’t it. I wanna get some gel nails so I don’t constantly have to redo them.”

“I want a fucking massage.”

“Honestly. I probably need one. Either that or a chiropractor.”

“Same. Or death.”

“You are not allowed to die on me.”

“No promises,” Chase laughs.

“Fine, but you have to come back.”

“That, I will figure out how to do. There’s no way I’m going to die and miss out on the rest of our adventures together. That, and Dean owes me twenty bucks and pie that he still hasn’t paid up for.”

“What bet was it this time?”

“Like, I don’t remember, a month ago or so, Dean told me I couldn’t eat a whole pie in ten minutes. I bet him twenty bucks and another pie. Guess who won?”

“You.”

“Oh hell yes. Anyway, you wanna get food? I could go for some good Hawaiian bbq right now.”

“Yeah, that sounds like a fun new experience.”

***

Chase puts the phone on speaker as the dial rings exactly one and a half times before Dean picks up the phone. “Chase! Thank God you called. I was about to get upset that you’d break your promise.”

The girls hear Sam sigh over the phone. “We saw those pictures you sent. You two look like you’re having fun.”

“You look hot.” Dean pauses. “Obviously I’m talking to Harley.”

“Wow, Dean. I feel so much better now,” Chase says sarcastically.

“You look nice too, Chase,” Sam amends. 

“Thanks, boys. We miss you too,” Harley laughs.

“Of course you do,” Dean says, “No one to cuddle with at night.”

Chase rolls her eyes. 

“You flatter yourself,” Harley retorts.

“I do,” Dean responds cheekily. “All the time. But guess what?”

“So do I?” Harley guesses.

“You flatter me too, wait- How’d you know I’d say that?”

“Because you’re predictable?” Chase guesses. 

“I’m not predictable,” Dean says feigning hurt.

“I thought you were gonna say I flatter myself actually,” Harley counters.

“Well, see, I’m not predictable.”

“You kinda are, Dean,” Sam says.

“My own brother, betraying me like this.”

“What am I?” Chase asks. “I’m your sister and you’re not as offended? Rude.”

“You’re rude saying I’m predictable.”

“Well, you’re rude because-”

“Guys, really?” Sam asks, sounding tired.

“What?” Chase demands. “He started it.”

“Well, you guys are weird. I’m gonna go wash the sand out of my hair. So, bye, love you guys,” Harley says before getting up and heading to the bathroom.

“Was that an invitation?” Dean asks, thinking Harley is still near the phone. 

“Ew, gross, goodbye,” Chase says, hanging up the phone, despite her brother’s protests.

Shaking her head, Chase lays down onto the bed, waiting for her turn in the shower.

***

Today the girls head out to a group tour of the Kaniakapupu Ruins. “When was the last time we went sightseeing?” Harley asks.

“Other than everytime you stare at Dean? Don’t know.”

“I don’t stare at him.”

“Yeah, okay, and I don’t- uh. I don’t. Shit, I totally forgot what I was going to say,” Chase says, turning a light shade of pink. “Anyway, these ruins sure are pretty!”

“Yeah, and so is the land around it. Absolutely stunning.”

“You’re stunning. Quick, go over there and I’ll take your picture!”

Harley goes to stand in front of a fallen archway and Chase takes her picture. “Your turn!” Harley says, stealing the camera.

Chase laughs, shaking her head, but strikes a ridiculous pose nonetheless, a hand on her hip, the other on the back of her head, sticking her tongue out at the camera. “Okay, now we should probably catch up,” Chase says, gesturing to the group a few paces ahead of them. 

The rest of the tour went as normal as possible with Chase and Harley around. At least that’s what the girls thought until they overheard their tour guide talking to someone else about how a girl, Megan Brown, didn’t come back from the tour.

“Excuse me, ma’am, are you saying one of the girls disappeared?” Chase asks, interrupting the tour guide, who seemed to be talking to a head officer of some sort. “Is the tour route going to be closed down then?”

The tour guide shakes his head. “No need. It seems every couple months when we do this tour, a couple people wander off and get lost. There haven’t been any signs of animal attacks or kidnappings.”

“And you haven’t thought to handle the situation more thoroughly?”

“Have you even looked into the disappearances?” Harley asks. 

“Of course,” the officer says. “But it isn’t anything you two need to be concerned about.”

“It seems that it is,” Chase continues. “If this happens so often, you’d think you would have a better handle on things.”

“As long as you two don’t wander off, you will be fine. You two girls run along and don’t get into any trouble.”

Harley and Chase huff, but listen to the instructions. 

***

As Chase and Harley enter the spa, they’re surrounded by three people each. Harley has one man along with one woman, while Chase is surrounded by two women, each of them in their early thirties at the latest. 

Chase and Harley give each other a thumbs up as they are led to their own spa stations, close enough to hear, talk to, and make weird faces to each other, in hopes of getting one to laugh. 

“I’m Kai,” the man introduces. “And this is Kayla. The two lovely women attending you are Sarah and Halola.” 

“Nice to meet you.”

“So where did you two come from?” Kayla asks. “And what are you here on? Honeymoon perhaps?”

Harley shakes her head with a laugh. “No, actually. Just vacation.”

“We just came for the early holidays. We were just at the Kaniakapupu ruins.”

“Oh! That tour. It’s always so...interesting to hear the stories once visitors come back.”

“How so?” Chase asks.

“Well, you see-”

Kayla is cut off by Halola, who says something rushed in what the girls assume is Hawaiian. Turning back to the girls, Halola smiles. “It is nothing. Just petty gossip surrounding people who aren’t smart. We really shouldn’t talk about it or bother you.”

“You mean the disappearances. Well, a girl went missing on the tour before ours.  Does that really happen often?”

“Sadly, yes,” Kai says, ignoring the rolled eyes of Halola and Sarah. “But really, what happens to them is just a legend told to tourists by us locals to scare you. Really, I wouldn’t think much about it, at least for the time being. Now is your time to relax.”

“What’s the legend say?” Harley asks.

Kai smiles. “Well, legend is, King Kaniakapupu had an affair with another woman who wasn’t his queen. Driven mad with jealousy and rage, Queen Kanua’pele killed both him and his lover. Distraught over how the queen let the kingdom go after his death, he haunts the ruins, seeking revenge on any person who dares intrude in his home.”

Chase and Harley stare at him, slightly unimpressed. 

“Huh. That’s a good story,” Chase says. 

“Yes, yes, a story and nothing more. Not even a good story at that.”

Kai shoots Halola a look. “Ah yes, because I’m sure you prefer the older beliefs.” Halola stiffens slightly. She relaxes within a second, however. 

“I simply don’t believe in ghost stories and you shouldn’t be telling them to visitors that already are aware of the very real disappearances that occur.”

“It’s alright,” Harley says. 

“Yeah, trust me. Not much scares us away,” Chase laughs. 

“Even so,” Halola continues. “At least relax and we can finish this process. Next, you’ll be having your massage and then manicures.”

Chase and Harley grin at each other, pushing the story Kai told them aside for the time being. Next, they were getting massages. 

***

“So, that was the best thing ever!” Chase exclaims, flopping backwards onto the bed. 

“Agreed! Today was awesome! Except for the whole we might have a hunt thing.”

“Uh, no. No, no, and no. I might have allowed myself to be curious, but this is my vacation, and I will not be working on it!”

“Fine, I’ll just go it alone on this one.”

“Yeah, also not happening. I know you can hold your own and everything, but I would rather not have Dean trying to kill me.”

“He won’t try to kill you.”

Chase raises an eyebrow. “Right. I guess he didn’t give you the same pep talk.”

“Seriously, Dean?”

“Yes, seriously! You leave her alone for a moment, I’ll kill you. And you better not be running off on your own either. You are to go, have fun or whatever, and then come back. NO hunts, NO jobs, NO nothing. Capisce?”

Chase rolls her eyes. “Why would either of us need to go off on our own?���

“Because it’s you and her. Somehow, you guys are gonna do something or you’ll say something and boom. You’re separated and she’s in trouble or you are, and then you’ll fix it.”

“So you think we would fix it though?”

“That won’t keep me from killing you if something goes wrong.”

“Of course, blame me!”

“That’s what I plan on.”

“Fine, fine, okay! I’ll be careful. We won’t go off on our own. We’ll keep you posted.”

“Good. Now go have fun. And call me when you land.”

Chase makes a face at him. “Yes, dad.”

“Wait, he said all that?” Harley asks.

“Yep! So now we know who his favorite is. And it isn’t me, his own flesh and blood,” Chase sighs dramatically. 

“Wow,” Harley says, so low it barely registers.

“I know, right? It’s like he doesn’t trust us!”

“He really said all that?”

“Yeah. He sure is a buzzkill.”

“So we don’t listen to him. I mean we rarely do anyway.” Chase pauses, thinking for a moment. “You’re right about that. But I still say we don’t get involved unless we have to, okay?”

“Just one last look around the ruins?” Chase glares at Harley before sighing loudly. “Fine, I guess. But we go with a guide and group again. If something happens on that trip, then we can investigate.”

“Deal!”

***

“I told you there wasn’t any reason to be here again,” Chase complains, staring down at the EMF reader. 

“Wait, do you smell something?”

“Does bullshit count?”

“No, it smells like metallic-y.”

“Thought you were gonna say sulfur there for a moment. But yeah. Smells like blood,” Chase says, glancing back at the group. She takes a head count, then frowns. “See anyone missing from the group?”

“The chick with the giant sun hat?”

“Yeah, and the tour guide.”

“He didn’t want us looking into the disappearances,” Harley points out.

“Yeah, and now he and another woman are gone. What should we do?”

“We should split up and look for clues.”

“You watch too much Scooby Doo. Honestly, best plan right now is to probably stay with the group and see if the tour guide comes back. What’s his name?”

“Paulo, I think. And yeah you’re right, about both.”

“Of course I am.”

Ten or fifteen minutes later, the girls can’t be sure, Paulo seems to have reappeared from nowhere. He stands with a few others, pointing out carvings in the pillars against the far entrance. However, upon further inspection, the woman who had disappeared along with him is still gone.

“Okay, maybe it’s a good thing we came back,” Chase relents. 

“Told you.”

“Oh, don’t pull that card.”

“I’m pulling that card.”

“Rude,” Chase pouts. 

“Well, I’m not the nicest person in the world.”

“Fair. To be honest, if you were, we probably wouldn’t get along nearly as much as we do. Speaking of doing, what do we do about Pablo over there.”

“Paulo.”

“Same difference.”

“Find out what he is and gank him,” Harley shrugs.

“Guess that ghost story is just that. A story. Of course, a ghost would have been too easy.”

“I don’t know some are pretty nasty.”

“Yeah, that’s fair. Still, we at least would have known what to do. Now, we don’t have many leads, other than that,” Chase emphasizes ‘that’, nodding her head at Paulo. “We should go back to the hotel and come back here tonight.”

“Agreed.” 

***

Harley takes up dialling Dean for the night. “Hey, we’re still alive,” she says as soon as he picks up.

“Good,” Dean says dead serious.

“Let a little laughter in your life. Jeez.”

“I’m good thanks.”

“Buzzkill.”

“I am a joy to be around.”

“Ladies, ladies, you’re both very pretty. Moving along?” Chase says breaking the two up.

“Duh, have you seen me?” Harley jokes.

“I have and I can’t help but like what I see,” Dean flirts.

“Oh shush, I’m not gonna be one of your one night stands.”

“I never said that.”

“It’s what you were thinking.”

“Sweetheart, you have no idea what I think of you.”

“Good things I hope.”

“More than good.”

“Ackomygodthatissoackkkeee,” Chase squeals in a high pitched tone, almost incoherently. 

“What was that?” Dean asks. 

“That was me puking because you’re disgusting, duh.”

“Yeah, right, okay.”

“I mean it was disgustingly sweet,” Harley says laughing, “I thought you didn’t like chick flick moments.”

“I don’t.”

“Suuuure you don’t. How’s Sam doing? I haven’t heard from him.”

“I’m good, just tired,” The girls could hear Sam say in the background. 

Harley rolls her eyes before saying, “We miss you tons.”

“I miss you guys too,” Sam laughs.

“I miss you moreeee,” Chase over exaggerates. 

“Yeah, probably,” Sam quips. 

“Ouch,” Chase mutters.

“Well I’m gonna let you guys go so Sammy can get some beauty sleep before he kills me,” Dean says.

“He’ll kill you anyway. You’re just that annoying,” Chase says.

“Says you!” Dean fires back. 

“Yeah, says me, the least annoying sibling.”

“You are so not the least annoying,” Dean says.

“You’re both annoying. Shut up!” Sam shouts from wherever he is in the room (his voice sounds muffled, as though buried in a pillow).

“Bye Dean, bye Sam!” Harley calls out.

“Can you believe the gall of that man?” Chase exclaims after the phone call ends. “The nerve?”

“I thought it was hilarious,” Harley says.

“Of course you did. You were still distracted about Dean’s previous comment!”

“Which one?”

“You’re actually asking me that? As if you haven’t been replaying that sentence in your head for the past ten minutes? Please. I’m not that dumb.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Yeah, sure you don’t.”

“I don’t!”

“Okay, okay, whatever you say.”

***

The two hunters stand in front of the ruins, flashlights illuminating the dirt path in front of them as they stare up at the crumbling walls of the old palace. 

“I guess we should sp-”

I swear to God, if you say the words “split up”, I’m going to super glue you to my side.”

“You got a better idea?”

“No,” Chase mutters dejectedly. 

“Then yes, we should split up.”

“Fine, but the moment something happens, call me, okay?”

“Duh. I’m not an idiot.”

“Jury’s out on that one. Let’s go.”

“Oh my god, you’re so rude.”

“You’re the one suggesting we split up so, am I wrong?”

“Yes, you are, because we’ll probably be fine.”

“We’ll see.”

***

Chase wanders down yet another corridor, softly humming AC/DC under her breath, a habit she has for when she’s nervous. Flashing her light against the walls turns up nothing, though the sight is pretty. 

Suddenly, after about half an hour, something flickers in her peripheral vision. She whirls around quickly, all sound being cut off. Cautiously, she walks over to the doorway she’d seen the movement coming from. 

She pokes the flashlight through the doorway first, before following with her head. She looks left. Nothing. She looks right. Also nothing. 

Chase sighs, placing a hand to her head, squinting her eyes tightly, as though that could make her headache disappear. Turning on her heel, she walks back into the corridor, only to collide into something hard. She stumbles back, before noticing she’d walked into a wall. 

She really shouldn’t walk with her eyes closed. 

She growls under her breath, walking through a high arch, leading into a large open space, equally as dusty as the past few rooms. She checks behind the large pillars, hoping to see some evidence of...anything, really. Just as she’s about to leave into another hallway, she spots a flicker of movement again. Turning her light to the center far wall of the room, she sees a large stage-like stone, atop it what looked like human remains of some kind. 

“Perfect,” Chase mutters, wandering over. “Just perfect.”

Chase grabs her phone, bringing up the name “Harley Quinn”, pressing the number. 

“Yeah? Find something?”

“Yeah. Human remains. You know, body parts, some bones. The usual.”

“Lovely,” Harley mutters. 

“Yeah, anyway, I think there’s something still here because I keep seeing movement. I don’t know, I may just be paranoid. But- oh for fuck’s sake.”

“What’s up?”

Chase whips out her gun, firing a couple shots at the figure looming over her, of course, making little headway in keeping it at bay. 

“You stupid Aladdin character looking ass,” Chase mutters, dropping her phone after the figure makes a swipe at her. The woman, djinn, grins at her, reaching out a hand.

“Chase? Chase!” She hears Harley’s voice shouting from the other side of the phone call, before her vision turns white.

***

Harley searched the ruins high and low for any sign of Chase before finding her phone on the ground. She pocketed it before surveying the area. She noted the body drained of blood. That and Chase calling the creature an ‘Aladdin character looking ass’ clued her into it being a djinn they were hunting. She headed to the hotel room pocketing a silver knife.

Harley drove to the nearest sheep farm. She picked the locks and found a lamb before calling Sam.

“Hello?” He asked, yawning.

“Hey. Do not put it on speakerphone. Don’t tell Dean it’s me.”

“Dean’s asleep. Why are you calling?”

“Swear none of this leaves this phone call first.”

“I swear. Now, what’s going on?”

“Chase and I were hunting a djinn, but we didn’t know it was a djinn yet so we didn’t have the proper weapons. Basically she got kidnapped by the djinn and now I have to murder a lamb and I’m freakin’ out man.”

“Okay, slow down. Chase got kidnapped?”

“Yeah, please don’t be mad.” “I’m not mad, just worried. Do you need backup?”

“No, I just need to kill this lamb, but like it’s so precious and sweet.”

“Who do you care about more? Chase or the lamb?”

“Chase, but the lamb is really up there.”

“Look, just stab it. You just need the blood. You don’t have to kill it.”

“Right, yeah, I can’t do that.”

“Yes, you can.”

“I still blame myself for all my fish dying after I cleaned their tank when I was in grade school. I still feel guilty about that shit.”

“That’s...okay, um just pretend it’s a werewolf.”

“I have aphantasia, Sam! I literally can’t do that!”

“Okay, then you’re just going to have to do it. Don’t think, just do.”

“Okay?” Harley squeezes her eyes shut blindly bringing the knife down until she hears the bleat of the lamb. She opened her eyes and saw the white of the lambs fluff turn red. The knife was coated in the lamb’s blood. “I did it, oh god, I did it. Fuck, I’m a monster. I mean I’m always a monster, but now I’m even more of a monster.”

“Harley, calm down. You’re not a monster.”

“Yes, I am,” She says, tears building up in her eyes.

Sam sighs, “Just do me a favor and go rescue Chase.”

“Right, yeah, bye. I’ll call you after I rescue her.”

“Alright, bye, Harley.”

***

Chase laughs, pointing mockingly at one of her best friends. Harley sits close by her side, twirling a knife. Setting the camera up to take another picture, Nathaniel flips off the moon. 

“Shit, this is not going to come out right. We should’ve picked a different night.”

“Hey, you invited me out, not the other way around,” Chase says. 

The horizon is surprisingly easy to make out, considering it’s eleven at night. The full moon illuminates the scenery, a small town in the distance, it’s lights twinkling lazily.

“Can you fix this for me?” Harley asks.

“Sure,” Chase responds, starting to braid Harley’s hair.

“Ah! Got one I actually like,” Nathaniel shouts in victory. 

“Hey, we wanna see!” Harley says.

Nathaniel bends down, showing the two girls a photo of them, sitting next to each other, looking out in the distance. You can’t see much detail, but the two are relaxed and enjoying themselves.

---

Chase runs through the house, getting chased by an overly loud man. 

“Dean, Dean, stop! It wasn’t me!”

Getting scooped up by her older brother, she dissolves into a fit of laughter, getting tickled in all of the worst places. “Then who was it?” Dean demands playfully.

“Sam, okay, it was Sam!” 

Dean lets go of Chase and turns to slowly look at their youngest brother. “It was you!”

Sam looks at Chase. “Snitch.” He takes off down the stairs and all three can distantly hear Bobby yell, “No running in the house, ya idjits!”

Chase watches on, taking deep breaths, laughing slightly still.

---

“I did it, I did it!”

“Um, hello?” Harley asks.

“Okay, fine, we did it.”

“Was that so hard?”

Bobby comes up behind the two girls, hugging them both. “I’m so proud of you two.”

“Stop, Bobby, you’re gonna wrinkle the gown.”

“You’ve already graduated, what does it matter now?” Dean asks, taking yet another picture.

“It’s about the pride,” Sam says. “You wouldn’t understand.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t understand. I may not have graduated from a fancy college like you three, but I am still the coolest one here.”

“Keep telling yourself that, Dean,” Chase says.

“Yeah, obviously, I’m the coolest one,” Harley adds.

“Okay, okay, I relent. Obviously, I am the coolest one here, other than my smartass fiancee.”

Dean wraps Harley up in a hug, while Sam and Chase roll their eyes, mouthing ‘I told you so’ to themselves.

“Okay, okay, I want one last picture of all of us,” Sam says.

Sam asks a random family to take a picture and they oblige. Sam stands at the very back, his arms around Dean and Bobby’s shoulders, while Harley and Chase stand side by side in the very front. Their smiles are wide, and their hearts content. They wouldn’t trade this life for anything.

   ***

Harley arrives at the ruins, african dream root in her messenger bag and silver knife in hand. She began searching in the djinn-eral area that Chase disappeared from. She found Chase’s phone before she found her in a cavern by the ruins.

“Chase!” Harley yells as soon as she sees her. She runs up to her friend's limp hanging body, and gently slaps her cheek trying to wake her up. It doesn’t work so instead she gently cuts her friend free and lays her on the cavern floor and takes out her IV. Harley then frees who she assumes is Sunhat Lady. She assumes as she has since lost her hat.

The djinn enters the cave and it takes a moment for Harley to place her heavily tattooed face. “Halola, right?” Harley asks.

“You remembered, I’m surprised.”

“I never forget a pretty face. Too bad I’ll have to kill you.” Harley frowns before lunging at Halola. She dodges and tries to grab Harley’s neck. Harley ducks and drives the silver blade through the djinn’s heart. Halola screams then goes limp.

***

“Chase! Thank god you’re alive!” Harley yells hugging her for dear life.

Chase moves away slightly, very confused.“Look, I know I said I was stressed about the job interview, but it’s nice to know you have so much faith in me. Could you possibly extract your limbs from me now?”

“No you don’t get it. This isn’t your life. We’re hunters. We were in Hawaii hunting a djinn when you got attacked,” Harley says extracting her limbs from Chase, “All this is fake.”

Chase looks at Harley with an increasing degree of bewilderment on her face as Harley continues to talk. “Uh huh, sure. And you and I haven’t been roommates since college, you’re not engaged to my brother, I’m not about to work for the high end firm I’ve been trying for years to get, and Sam isn’t a bad singer.”

“I’m sorry what?! Me and I’m assuming, Dean are engaged? Wow this is a weird world you’ve created.”

“Dean and I.” Chase gives Harley a blank look. “And no. Sam.”

“Me and Sam?! What the actual fuck!”

“Sam and I. And that was sarcasm, dumbass. How much sleep did you get last night?”

“None. Vampire remember.”

“Okay, so no more mixing alcohol and horror movies for you. Got it.” Chase stands up from her seat. “You should probably get some rest. You’re not acting like yourself.”

“I don’t drink. The whole murderous bloodlust thing doesn’t mix well with alcohol. And I am acting like myself, because I african dream rooted into your brain.”

“Okay, so do I have to go along with what I’m assuming is another improv thing or can I ask- what the hell is african dream root and what is going on?”

“Improv? Okay. Well african dream root lets you go into other people’s dream so you can talk to them-”

“Uh huh, sounds fake but continue,” Chase says, waving a hand.

“And you got touched by a djinn while we were on vacation in Hawaii.” Harley says increasingly impatiently.

“Wait, we went to hawaii?” Chase thinks for a moment. “Djinn. Djinn, djinn, why does that ring a bell? Isn’t that like a genie. Like Aladdin?”

**“You stupid Aladdin character looking ass,” Chase mutters, dropping her phone after the figure makes a swipe at her. The woman, djinn, grins at her, reaching out a hand.

“Chase? Chase!” **

Chase lurches forward, a hand on her head, as though suddenly dizzy.

“Yes! Thank god! Yes!”

“What was that?”

“My best bet? You remembered something from your real life.”

“This is my real life,” Chase says forcefully. “My name is Chase Winchester. I am a graduate from Harvard, I volunteer at the library, and you’re my best friend. I’m twenty-eight. I’m going to be your maid of honor. Bobby and Ellen are practically my parents and my two brothers are Sam and Dean. This is real,” Chase says, as though trying to convince herself more than Harley.

“No, it’s not. Travelling across the country in Jack is real. You relentlessly teasing me about the fact that I might like Dean. You totally crushing on Cas, and us saving the world. That’s real.”

“Who’s Cas?”

“An angel and a friend. He gave us pie.”

**“Harley? Chase? Are you two okay?” Cas asks. 

Chase nods, whilst Harley can barely breathe enough to answer, just putting a thumbs up. “Yeah, we’re fine. Why do you ask?” Chase asks nonchalantly. 

“You were running, screaming, and you’ve got burns on your arm.”

Chase looks down to see that the bleach that had spilled on her earlier had indeed burned her slightly. “Oh this is nothing. Harley got some in her eyes, so I mean. It’s whatever.”

Cas frowns at Chase. He moves one of his hands, both of which were still holding onto Chase’s biceps, and places it over the burns. A second later, they’re gone. 

“Oh, thanks. Anyway, you can let go of me now. I’m sure I’m less inclined to fall at the given moment.”

“Oh, right, yes. Of course, I’m sorry,” Cas stutters, stepping back. **

Chase clutches her head with both hands, her vision blurring and refocusing suddenly, leaving a nauseous feeling in her stomach.

“What the hell is going on?!”

“I think you wanted this life so bad you repressed your actual memories and now they’re coming back. But that's just a theory.”

“What?” Chase asks incredulously. “Tell me, if this isn’t real. What is? You?”

“Well, yeah, like I said I african dream rooted myself. Now I’m in your dream world.”

“Convince me then. Go on. Tell me what you know about me.”

“We met when I was twenty and you were twenty-one. We were chasing an orange eyed demon who went by Hank. We started helping each other on hunts. You won Jack, that’s our car, in a poker game a year later and we finally hit the road together and we haven’t looked back since. I also happen to know you have a folder on your computer that’s just pictures of me and Dean sleeping.”

“Wait, you know about that folder?”

“Yes, I know about that folder and it’s all perfectly innocent.”

“How? I hid it behind a folder of lore on poltergeists, which you never read about-” Chase cuts herself off, frowning. “I don’t know where that came from. I don’t have any folders on my computer like that.”

“You do on your real computer.”

“But-but- Keep telling me stuff.”

“We went to visit Sam at Stanford then went to go fight a sphinx. We hunted the demon that  killed your mum and dad. You found out I’m half vamp when I got kidnapped by some friendly vampires who were trying to prove a point. We have fought so many monsters together and this one is no different. You gotta believe me.”

Chase, confused and slightly dazed by the rush of images flooding her brain, notices Harley beginning to freak out. “Okay, say I believe you. Then what do I do?”

“Well, um, you have to kill yourself,” Harley says looking away, her voice strained.

Chase blinks. She blinks twice. “Come again?”

“You have to kill yourself.”

“Yeah, let me go take a long walk off a short pier. How am I supposed to kill myself? I haven’t shot a gun since I was twelve! I haven’t held a knife outside the kitchen ever. And I see no rope or high ledges because I'm not crazy!”

“Well, that’s how Dean got out.”

“You got something to help me then?” Chase asks jokingly, only for her eyes to widen as she sees Harley pull a silver knife covered in blood out of her jacket. “Okay, what the fuck?”

“I killed a djinn with it, and stabbed a lamb. So it’s not the cleanest blade ever, but it’ll get the job done.”

“You killed- you stabbed a- of course you did. Hand it over.”

Harley hands the knife over.

“Okay, Harley. I’m going to go through this logically. If you’re messing with me, you wouldn’t give me an actual knife. This is fake or you’ll somehow stop me and it’ll be fine. Or, if I’m dreaming, I’ll wake up because your brain can’t process dying so you wake up when you die in dreams.

“Or, or somehow. In some fucked up way, you’re telling the truth. Tell me. What is it worth to go back?”

“For starters you’ll die if you stay in here. And also none of the people here are real. None of this is real. Cas isn’t here. Trust me you wanna wake up.”

Chase pauses for a moment, fear reflecting in her eyes. Screwing her eyes shut, her face scrunched in concentration, she pulls the knife towards her, a stinging sensation rushing through her abdomen before she feels nothing.

***

Chase opens her eyes to see Harley hovering over her, worry etched onto her features. 

“Man, no need to look so worried. When have I ever turned down the offer to kill myself?” Chase jokes. Harley cracks a smile, shaking her head. “I know, I know, that was awful. Can we get going though? If we don’t call Dean in the next half hour, he’ll freak.”

“It’s kinda almost morning.”

“Wait, already? Shit. I’m still so tired,” Chase says, sitting up. She winces. “And sore.”

“It’s fine we’ll just say we had an early night. Let's get to the hotel and you can rest up.” Harley says as she shoots Sam a text.

“Wait, did you really kill a lamb successfully without freaking out?”

“No. Let’s just leave it at that.”

Chase sighs. “Figures. Let’s head back.”

***

Harley dialled Dean as Chase slept recuperating from her djinn ordeal. He picked up on the first ring.

“Before you say anything, sorry, we fell asleep early.”

“Bullshit! Y’all never fall asleep early!” Dean yells. Harley has to hold the phone away from her ear.

“Yeah, well we spent all day hiking, walking, and swimming, so we got a bit exhausted. Sorry. Look I just woke up, Chase is still out. What more do you want from me?”

“I want a lot from you, but right now I want an explanation.”

“You want a lot from me? Like what?”

“I want you screaming my name as I fuck you against the motel table.”

“Dean!” Harley yells. “I told you I don’t mess around like that.”

“I know,” Dean sighs defeated.

***

Chase and Harley sigh heavily, their bags falling off their shoulders as they slump against the wall. 

“Remind me again to choose a later time to fly out from wherever we are. I never want to get to an airport that early again,” Chase complains. 

Harley nods, grabbing her water bottle. “Where are the boys anyway? Weren’t they supposed to be here?”

“Who knows?” Chase rolls her eyes. “Dean probably got distracted by something. Or maybe they got lost. That’s something they would do.”

“The only place Dean gets lost is in New York,” Harley counters.

“Yeah, but Sam?”

“Yeah, but Dean’s probably driving.”

“Oh, I meant in the airport. God knows, they probably didn’t bother looking at the signs.”

“Probably not,” Harley sighs.

Chase sighs, sliding her back down the wall, settling into a comfortable position. “Tell me when they get here.”

“When,” Harley says as the boys round the corner. 

“What?” Chase opens her eyes to see Sam, an annoyed expression gracing his features, and Dean, an uncomfortable one on his. “Of fucking course.”

“Sorry it took so long; we thought we could beeline here, but it’s been a while since we’ve been in an airport,” Sam says, side eyeing Dean. 

Dean immediately just hugs Harley, who had opened her arms slightly, indicating she wanted attention. Sam helps Chase off the floor, before grabbing her bags. 

Harley and Chase share a knowing look, stifling a laugh that screams, ‘knew it’. 

Rolling his eyes, Dean kisses Harley’s forehead, before reaching down and grabbing her luggage.

Walking out of the airport, Dean and Sam pester them with questions about their trip. They, in turn, pester the boys about what they’d been doing in their absence. 

“I’m just happy we’re back,” Harley says, getting into the backseat of the Impala.

Chase nods, “Me too.”

[yukiobeyme]

can i plssss get some trans man mc who's proudly feminine headcanons with the boys? like to where you wouldnt even think they were trans but they're comfortable with their presentation, you feel? (maybe some trans Levi and mammon maybe not who knows i dunno-)

I will admit this was a little bit of a challenge, but I wanted to take a shot at it. I looked up for reference and I relate a little because I still like feminine things, but I think I turn away from them because I find it harder to pass. So with a mix of research and some of my feelings I made these hc. Thank you for asking for these, because I tended to do an insecure occasionally secure masculine trans man, so yes let's do a trans man who is confident and doesn’t mind if he is feminine cause he still valid af. Article I looked at is

 Please let me know if any of these come off inaccurate, not LGBT friendly or can be perceived as offensive because that isn’t my goal. I’m totally open to having this conversation in the comments or privately. 

 Trans man mc who's proudly feminine

You are a transman

But you didn’t strive for masculinity

You adore being feminine

You sometimes bind but you were fine and comfortable with your chest

You didn’t feel the need to confide to people’s idea of what a man should look like

It was based on the culture of toxic masculinity anyways saying a man should be a ‘manly’ man all the freaking time. It was tiring.

You didn’t mind too much when people used the wrong pronouns, you gently corrected when you bothered but you were a man and you knew it, so it didn’t matter what others think

Lucifer:

Does have a puzzling and curious look

But completely accepts you for who you are

Asks question, being cautious to not overstep any boundaries

It was cute but also a little frustrating, but you knew he was just trying to be respectful

You finally told him that gender expression comes in a lot of different ways

Which he agreed to and then followed up with how you do it, how comfortable you were

You told him it took a few years and maybe occasionally on Earth it was hard because people are rude when they don’t understand. Like why not just be a lesbian, sometimes when you are frustrated or had enough you can get by as a gay trans man. But you came to terms with it and realized it didn’t matter what others thought. You were you and those who matter wouldn’t mind and those that mind didn’t matter

He totally gave you a small smile at that, he was really happy you felt that way and was just comfortable in your skin

He felt more comfortable to give you the occasional compliment

You would totally try and see if he wanted to test out a more feminine style simply because when he was stressed, he come and watch you do your makeup occasionally. He said your movements were really strong and confident it was relaxing.

Would never let you do it though. Except maybe one he asked about eye liner (Honestly I just want Lucifer in eyeliner tbh)

 Mammon:

Asked the most question, some borderline offensive and insensitive

But you knew it because he cared and wanted to understand

In Devildom gender wasn’t a big deal here

But Mammon knew Earth and it customizes so he was just genuinely curious

Especially how men where perceived or should act

But most of these came from a place of him being trans and did get how you could do it sometimes

Because Mammon was a model and was always desperate to ensure he passed and always looked like a manly man

Mammon couldn’t truly relate but he offered modeling experiences that he thought kinda relate

Which maybe they did maybe they didn’t

But you enjoyed spending time with him and learning more about him

He would totally shyly ask you to do his makeup, especially if you wanted to practice

Either practice a new technique, product, or look

Totally enjoys it even if he denies it

But he liked to spend time with you and he actually enjoyed some of the looks you created

He ends up asking you for eyeliner and mascara recommendations

Mammon still asked questions and liked having discussions with you

And pushes his own thoughts, feelings, and opinions

Allows himself to embrace a little more of his feminine side

But usually with a lot of encouragement from you

His was on edge when he first wore a makeup look out

It was natural but it would be noticeable to his brothers

Expecting to be teasing but only Asmodeus commented on it

Saying it looked lovely and brought out his eyes

Which after you went back behind clothes doors

Mammon would be on that high for a long time

Enjoyed to indulge himself more often

Even went as far as getting a modeling gig that allowed him to be more feminine

It was his favorite gig he had ever done and he said you being there made it that much better.

Leviathan:

Wasn’t able to contain his surprise

But was quickly stumbled through an apologize

Because he didn’t mind

If he doesn’t have anime or manga with Femme Trans Men/ didn’t already know of any, he did his research and found some for y’all to bond over

And he used it for some education purposes, but asked you if it was accurate or not

He would eventually ask of the problems you face

He would eventually come around and said he has played with this idea he could possibly non-binary, but he tended to see himself as more transmasculine/ trans man but just wasn’t sure. He just knew he hated the idea of just checking a box for his gender

He disclosed how he was he was envious of how confident you were in feminine things

You totally dragged him on a shopping trip

You bought him stuff he liked and kept it in your room so he wouldn’t feel insecure if his brothers say it.

You ended up getting him a flower crown (I’m so sorry I couldn’t resist)

But you hang out a lot more and bonded with each other over anime, manga and even makeup

Levi won’t let you do his makeup, but he enjoys watching you

He says it’s really calming

You helped him push his boundaries

And telling him it doesn’t make him less of a man by enjoying feminine things

He would tell you, you helped him a lot with confirming his identity but you would refuse to take credit

Saying all you did was encourage him and create a place where he faced no judgment.

 Satan:

You casually mentioned it to him while he was reading

He simply hummed in response

Until it seemed to register with him

He was really sweet but casually with it

He asked how much people’s opinions impacted you

You told him it might get to you sometimes but you were confident enough in your identity and appearance that at the end of the day it doesn’t matter

He ends going to one of his many stacks of books and pulled out a book before sitting down beside you

He tells you it from the Celestial Realm, but it contained information about Devildom

He flipped to a certain page and read it to you

That angels didn’t have genders and only adopted a gender when they presented themselves to humans

And then he was up again finding another people

About gender identity and expression

And how there are cultures that have similar ideas

It was really sweet honestly

He said he just wanted to make sure you felt valid and while he didn’t understand what it was like, he understood the concept and completely accepted it

Whenever there was an event that required dressed up

You would do your makeup in his bathroom

He would read to you

Totally gifted you makeup look books as well as magazines that had feminine male in them

Just small things that show he thinks about you.

Asmodeus:

Probably the most understanding

He loved embracing his feminine side, so he had a better idea than most of the brothers

Says he desperate needs more shopping trips with you

Does your makeup or asks you all the time to do it

He honestly just loves and adores it

Completely hypes you up all the time

Wants (he says it’s a need) fashion shows

But you also help him embrace a more feminine style as well

He would tell you about how he always wanted to try dresses, skirts, things that always seemed forbidden to him

While he might not wear it in public, whenever you were behind closed doors, he would occasionally wear one and do fashion shows for you

Then it was your turn to hype him up because you found out he was actually really insecure

 Beelzebub:

Beelz never questioned it,

Was your hype man

Thoroughly enjoyed watching you get ready

And seeing your style

Would totally buy you things once in a while

He stuck more towards jewelry instead of clothes

But they were still cute pieces and kind thoughts

You would incorporate every piece into your next day outfit

Beelz reaction was totally work it

You would talk about it sometimes

He would hype you up or comfort you if needed

But a lot of times you were okay, you knew when you looked good and you identify was valid regardless of what others think

Would occasionally ask questions but nothing to extreme

Definitely made sure you felt love and valid at all times

 Belphegor:

It was during lazy cuddling

Like he knew your name and how you presented yourself

But never gave it much thought

His eyes widen in surprise but went back to be somewhat shut

He told you it was all fine, all good

He made sure you felt valid and loved from his reaction

But in the moment, it didn’t go beyond that

Also lets you do makeup

Actually, you were dared to do his makeup while he was asleep

And you took the challenge

When he woke up he was annoyed at first

But later he told you, he actually liked how he looked

Eyeliner/smokey eye became a thing for him

You would talk a lot of what you thought/felt/ and your experiences

He just wanted to get to know you more and this seemed like to be an easy way to do so

[the-silly-hippy]

Can you afford being healthy?

So let’s say my goal is to have optimal health, both physical and mental, what should I do? Off the top of my head I’m thinking gym, organic food, green smoothies, psychotherapy, social life, maybe supplements. All of which sound very expensive compared to staying at home watching TV and eating corndogs. So for a long time, I thought I couldn’t afford taking care of my health. But then I had to, so I got creative.

Health is an investment

The first thing to keep in mind is that taking care of your health now will save you money (and trouble) in the future. Being sick is expensive: medication, hospital bills, missing work, etc. I try to remember that every time time I want to go for McDonalds instead of.. anything else really.. to save a buck.

Time to hang out with friends

Taking care of your mental health also means having a social life and leisure. What do you need for that? Time. Why don’t you have enough time? Mostly because of work. Why do you have to work so much? Because life is so fucking expensive. So my logic is: if I need less things, and if I spend less on things I have to buy, that means more time for me. I’ll summarize this in two words: thrift stores and simplicity.

First, go for simplicity

Try to buy less stuff and when you want to buy, ask yourself if you really need it, that’s basic. To avoid feeling in a place of scarcity and lack, think of something you really do want, and make it your goal, your reward. So instead of thinking “I shouldn’t buy this, I don’t absolutely need it. That sucks, I can’t have anything nice

” You could shift that to: “If I don’t buy this dress that I probably wouldn’t wear much, it means I’m $45 closer my trip to Bali :D”. Consistently doing this keep you exited about your goal because, how often do we want to buy things we don’t really need? That’s right, you’ll have your reward in mind very often.

Simplicity in your products

I think that a good first step to take towards health is eliminate toxicity. To do that, what often makes sense is to simplify: go for foods that have the less ingredients, or that are totally unprocessed. Same goes for cosmetics. Look for products that only contain a few ingredients that you can recognize, or if you’re so inclined, you can even make them yourself, thus, saving more money. So, weather it goes on your body or in your body, a healthy and cost effective solution is to buy ingredients in bulk and start cooking.

Save on food and reduce food waste with apps

Get this: you install an app on your phone (Flashfood is one but I’m sure there are a couple others), and it shows you products that are close to expiration date that groceries near you are selling at a discounted price. I can’t stand seeing food go to waste, and my cheap ass just loves save 50%, so this concept really is pure gold for me. These apps allow me to have access to meat that I couldn’t normally afford, which allows me to pursue my quest for the best diet for my body (I used to be a vegan, I’m now on an API diet, what’s next?!). You can find vegetables, bakery, seafood, anything. I’d say I buy 80% of my groceries through these apps now. Buying in bulk and cooking? Well that is possible with the apps. Having a truck load of bell peppers will sure spark your creativity, as you have to use them before they go bad.

Freeze food

That brings us to the freezer. If you can get a second-hand freezer (I suppose some models consume less electricity, you might want to look for these), that might be the best investment you make this year. Because if you’re half as obsessed as I am about health and simplicity, there’s just not enough room in your standard freezer for all that healthy food you’ll buy at a 50% discount. See where this is going? Buy basic ingredients in bulk, cook huge batches, freeze portions. You saved time and money and you get to eat as healthy as you want to.

DIY your skin and hair products

You’re lucky there is a big trend on DIY products right now, so recipes are easy to find for pretty much everything you want to make. There are some ingredients that have multiple uses, like castille soap or baking soda for instance, so these are a good choice for a starter kit. I tried making solid shampoo and I must say it’s very satisfying to successfully wash your hair with a shampoo you made with your own two hands! And to know you’re not sending chemicals in the water, and in your scalp. And not buying another plastic bottle. And throwing it away when empty. The shampoo bar cost approximately $7 and will last for.. I dunno like ten million showers. I also make my own face serum with two ingredients: jojoba oil and tea tree. Speaking of oil (sweet almond in this case), it’s the best and cheapest makeup remover, period. I used to buy very expensive natural face care products but I was frustrated that there was no visible improvement of my skin. I wanted to test them on half my face for a couple months to demonstrate how ineffective they actually were but I never had the required discipline. If you don’t see noticeable improvement in your face after using a product for a while, stop buying that shit and just rub your face with oil. Because the one you’re buying probably contains mostly oil anyway and the rest of the fancy ingredients are probably in traces amount and completely useless. And don’t even get me started on the non-natural products. Ew.

Get rid of plastic

They say (the same “they” I always talk about when I don’t have sources) that if you store food in plastic containers of drink out of plastic bottles, plastic gets in your body and can cause health problems, hormone imbalance and whatnot. A good alternative are glass containers. The tupperware style with lids can be pricey if you buy them new, so the strategy here is: no stress, buy just a couple at a time when you find them at the salvation army and gradually eliminate the plastic ones. When I say eliminate I mean re-purpose or give to good will. As good hippies, let’s try to produce less waste! There’s also the very trendy mason jar, so practical to store food and – Pinterest shows us every day – anything you can think of.

Drink the best possible water

I’ve heard that tap water contains traces of birth control pills, antidepressants, antibiotics, etc. I don’t have the expertise to know if it’s true but it did scare me. I’m the kind of hippie that will avoid taking a small innocent ibuprofen if I can. I don’t want drugs in my body, unless it’s going to be fun and psychedelic. I certainly have a lack of scientific evidence about traces of drugs in the city’s water supply but my nose and taste buds tell me that chlorine isn’t something I should drink. There’s also fluoride in the water, that is arguably bad for you. These are the reasons I decided to stop drinking tap water. What are the alternatives? I had a Brita but it doesn’t eliminate much of the bad stuff. Plus, it’s made of plastic. The high quality water filters are just ridiculously expensive so my only option was to buy bottled water. Not small bottles, the big ones that are reused when you bring them back to the store. It felt weird to buy water when there’s plenty in the tap but, my god, does it taste better. And I’ve read it hydrates you better too. Hydration is a key component of health, that’s for sure, so if you can’t afford to buy water, still, drink a liter a day, you’ll be healthier than if you let yourself dry like a raisin. I hesitated to make that water bottle move for a bit because I thought I needed to buy a water dispenser, but it turns out I don’t need it at all. I just leave the bottle on the counter and I got used really quickly to flip that giant heavy thing. Now I can pour myself a shot glass of water without spilling a drop. No need to buy a machine. Also, it’s best to drink it at room temperature, and it’s empty within a week of two so I figure it doesn’t have time to grow bacteria, or algae or whatever happens to water when you let it sit.

Sleeping is free

We underestimate the role that sleep has to play in our health so we often neglect it, but a good sleep hygiene can make a huge difference in your energy level, I’ve experienced it. I was always tired, couldn’t get through the day without a nap, couldn’t concentrate, I was unable to get up in the morning. Then a doctor prescribed that I take melatonin every night at 6 pm for two weeks, go to bed at 10, wake up at 7 and blast a light therapy lamp in my face for half an hour every morning. I did that and guess what? It. Worked. I didn’t follow the exact hours he prescribed and I’m not sure the melatonin had a good effect on me so I only took it for a couple days. So I think what does the trick is consistently waking up at the same time each morning, regardless of what time you go to bed. Occasionally I get only four hours of sleep and usually the next day I’d be unable to function. Now that I wake up at regular hours, I can go through the day and have so much energy that I even forget I got only 4 hours of sleep. A phrase he said about staying in bed later to catch up on you sleep stuck with me: it’s too hard for the system. It had not occurred to me that it could be difficult for the body to change its sleep schedule. I thought “as long as I get 8 hours I’m fine” or even “the more sleep the better, I’ll sleep 12 hours today”. So if you happen to have sleep problems, irregular sleep pattern or fatigue, set an alarm and get some light in the morning, see what happens. Hopefully your body will adjust to the schedule and you won’t need the alarm after a week, and your mornings will be less painful. Another thing I didn’t take seriously was avoiding blue light in the evening. But it turns out it’s serious, it really does mess with your natural sleep hormones. So I installed f.lux on all my screens. It’s an app that will cut the blue light out of your screen according to the time of day. My screen is yellow right now because I’m too silly to go to bed at a normal time, I prefer to write a blog post. I used to binge watch TV on my computer very late in the night and not feel tired. I realized after installing the app that it was the blue light that was keeping me up. Now I watch an episode and start to yawn, so that’s a good thing, less TV.

Meditation is free

According to every damn article I read or podcast I listen to, meditation is one of the healthiest thing you can do. Good news: all you have to do is sit there and breathe. Now that, you can afford. No time? A minute a day is still better than nothing. If you need a little help to begin, there are tons of free apps you can install. I use Breathe and Calm, which also has some nice sleep stories.

Functional training

Exercising at home requires more discipline, at least in my experience, but if you can pull it off, it means more money in your pocket. You don’t necessarily need those machines to have an effective workout. The weight of your body will do. Remember those good old push ups? Yep. YouTube will help you find some exercises ideas for what part of your body you want to work out. Weights can be found easily at thrift stores. Elastic bands offer multiple possibilities and are not too expensive. Cardio is important too so if running outside isn’t an option, because breathing smog will annihilate any benefits of working out, for instance, maybe look for a stationary bike in the ads.

You can still party

Even if you’ve decided that for health reasons, alcohol, sugar and carbs are to avoid, you can still allow yourself to have them every once in a while. Just don’t binge, and limit the damage. For example, I drink on rare but meaningful occasions and I choose low sugar and gluten free drinks like vodka-soda or gin-soda. That’s the protecting my health part, now for the protecting my wallet. Go to the liquor store and find the best value alcohol. Not the will-make-you-go-blind kind of alcohol, because that’s not healthy. Usually a big-ass bottle of average quality vodka will be a good price to quantity ratio, and will give you an occasion to let go of what the cashier thinks of you as a person. Vodka is pretty much tasteless so that leaves you more drinks possibilities. (plus, you can DIY perfume using vodka: avoiding chemicals on your skin and saving $200, yay)! Sugar in food now. It’s always best to choose natural sugars like honey, instead or refined sugar, or use stevia. Man, stevia is the best: it tastes like sugar, but it’s not. It’ll make your food taste sweet and do zero damage. Buy in a giant bottle to save money. Hell, you could even grow your own stevia plant! Let’s go crazy! You can also pour a drop in your vodka. Now that’s starting to look like a party to me! The use of the word honey and saving money just made me think of a fine browser extension you can use for online shopping. It’s called Honey and it can notify you when a product you watch goes on sale. It can also find and apply coupon codes for you. Here’s the only referral link in this article: my link to Honey. So, where were we. Sugar. When I stopped eating sugar, I bought dark unsweetened chocolat in bulk, thinking it would taste like dark 70% chocolate. Oh, was I wrong. It tastes bitter. That’s the only thing you’ll taste in sugar free dark chocolate. But it’s cheap to buy in bulk and I can control what goes into it, so from time to time I like to melt some in a pan, add stevia and eat that with bananas.

Let’s talk! What are your secrets to stay healthy and how do you afford it?

[wooyuwu]

Sweet

A/N: Ahh this is my first au! I’m sorry if this doesn’t flow very well >< I'm not the most skilled writer, but I have so many ideas for different stories that I wanna put out, and this is one I’ve had in my mind for a while! I actually began this back in December but forgot about it and never finished it until now sksksj. I hope you enjoy!! Expect more and better from me~♡

Pairing: San x fem reader

Genre: fluff, college au

Words: roughly 2.3k

The end of the semester was rough. Students were crazy busy finishing their heavy workload and final exams were just stressing everyone out, including you. But school is finally out now, and the holiday season has just begun. Your friends who were planning on visiting their families have already left campus, but the rest were still here. As were all of San’s friends, who have their families in town. In actuality, many students remained on campus due to that same reason, and to say that there were at least two parties thrown every week now was not an exaggeration.

It’s just a few days before the new year, and tonight Wooyoung is throwing a mega “after Christmas, pre-new year party extravaganza”, which was open to all. You weren’t huge on this kind of party, as the abundance of people in a small space usually made you feel anxious, but your friends begged you to go. "I agree, the party sounds hella lame; I mean, who names their party that?! But please go, _____!! I bet you it’s gonna be lit!“ is what your roommate, Leah, had told you, along with a wink. The name did make it sound like a high school dance thing, but Wooyoung for sure throws some of the best parties on campus, so you decided you might as well go.

You and Leah are currently squished in your other good friend, Mina’s, dorm restroom with 2 other girls, Irene and Yoojung, who along with you, are getting ready for tonight’s party. You opted to wear a short, black denim skirt that is covered with small rhinestones on the front with a tight black tank, along with your favorite black ankle-high boots and a choker to match. Leah is behind you, curling the ends of your hair as you are applying the final touches to your makeup.

"Should I go for red lip-tint or hot pink lipstick?”, you ask aloud to no one in particular.

“Hot pink, it’ll give you more of a pop” answers one of the girls, and hums of agreement follow. Hot pink it is.

“Hey, wait, what time does the party start?” Yoojung asks.

“Um like 11? 11:30? I’m not really sure” answers Leah.

“I can text San and ask” you say.

“Okay, thanks, ____”, Yoojung smiles, and you mutter out an ‘of course’ as you squeeze your way out of the restroom and head over towards the bedstand, where you left your phone to charge. You unlock it and press the messages icon to text your boyfriend.

You: Hey baby, at what time does Woo’s party start again?

Sanie ♡: 11:30. You’re coming, right?

You: Ok thank you~ and yup!!

Sanie ♡: See you soon then, my love 😘

You smile at the cheesy emoji and lock your phone, setting it back down.

“It starts at 11:30!” you yell out.

“And what time is it now??” Irene asks.

You check your phone and eyes go wide, “ it’s 11:18!” you reply.

“SHIT THEN WE GOTTA GO” Leah blurts, rushing out of the restroom to slip on her heels, followed by Irene and Yoojung.

“Is San going to pick you up?” suddenly asks Mina.

“Ah, no. I’m meeting him over there,”

“Okay, cool, let’s go then!” she replies, and you all rush out of the small dorm.

Entering the door of the house, you feel the floor rumble from the blasting music and people dancing. You look around and face Leah,

“Hey! Imma try to find the drinks,” you yell over the music.

“I’ll come with you!” she replies, and you nod, turning back around and start making your way towards the kitchen.

Accidentally bumping into various unfamiliar faces, you finally arrive at your destination, and your eyes go wide at the selection.

“What the fuckkk they went all out!” Leah laughs, eyeing all the different types of alcohol that cover the entirety of the kitchen.

“I don’t know what to get...,” you say before someone gets ahold of your shoulders and lightly shakes you.

“_____!! You made it~” you hear a male exclaim behind you. You immediately turn around are met with Yunho’s smiling face.

“Yunho!! Yeah!” you smile back, excited to see your friend.

“Having trouble choosing?”

“Actually, I am..” you giggle, “any recommendations?”

“Try my punch!! I made it with Mingi!” Yunho replies as he grabs your wrist and drags you towards the huge punch bowl in the corner of the kitchen. You watch him as he pours you a cup, and smile when he hands it to you.

“Here,” he says, “tell me what you think.” and sends you a wink. You take a sip and your eyes squeeze shut at the sudden taste of overly-sweet alcohol.

“It’s…strong..” you laugh, “but I like it."

Yunho smiles wide and gives you a high five, laughing, clearly proud of his concoction.

"What’d you put in it?” you ask, and Yunho sends you a mischievous smile. “Secret,” he says, and you nod.

“Hey, Yunho, where are the other guys?” you ask, referring to your boyfriend and his 6 other friends, whom you’ve all grown particularly close to.

He looks around and waves his hand towards the main room full with people dancing, “somewhere in there, probably.”

“I figured,” you laugh, “Sanie too?”

“I think so. He was looking for you, actually.”

You smile hearing that, and Yunho continues,

“Follow me! Let's go see if he’s in there." and he takes hold of your wrist again, pulling you behind him as he squeezes between people crowding the kitchen.

"Leah!” you scream out to your friend, who was pouring herself a drink, “we’re gonna go look for San!”

She smiles and sends you a thumbs up before bringing her attention back to her drink, and with Yunho, you exit the kitchen.

The main room is crazy filled with people, and you begin to feel a bit anxious just being there for a few seconds. People are dancing to the beat of the music blasting through the speakers, and just about everyone you bump into is sweaty and slightly drunk. You take another sip of the mysterious punch and continue following behind your friend.

Yunho stops in his tracks and faces you, “Hey! I found him!” he yells to you.

“Where is he?”

Yunho turns his head and points in the direction of the back of the room, to the large, glass-paned windows.

“Outside! With Wooyoung and Seonghwa-hyung.”

You try your hardest to peer over the people surrounding you, and as your eyes find the windows you immediately see your boyfriend standing outside, just like Yunho said. He is wearing black ripped jeans with a red button up shirt that you love on him oh, so very much. You let Yunho know you spotted him, and he continues to lead the way outside, once again pushing through the dancing bodies.

You finally reach the door that separates the backyard from inside, and Yunho opens it, allowing you to walk through first, and then closes it behind you. When you left the dorm 45 minutes ago, you felt fine, but being inside the stuffy house for as little as 20 minutes was enough for the outside air to now feel chilly, giving you goosebumps.

San, Wooyoung, and Seonghwa are all standing near the pool, holding red solo cups and talking to each other. ‘It seems like they are enjoying themselves tonight’ you guess by their smiles and Wooyoung’s bright laughter filling the cold air.

“Yoyo!! Guess who’s heereee~” Yunho yells out to the three boys as you two approach them.

They all turn their gaze towards you two and you smile brightly,

“Hey guys~”

“_____!! You made it!”, Wooyoung exclaims, and you laugh in response. San, instead, smiles instantly once he sees you, and in the meantime of you greeting Wooyoung and Seonghwa, he admires you with bright eyes.

“We thought you wouldn’t come” teases Seonghwa, only half-serious.

You let out a small laugh and reply by saying “Wouldn’t miss it for anything else,” and then turn to your favorite boy, San.

He wraps his arms around your waist and pulls you close, gingerly pressing a kiss to your hair. He looks down at you and gives you a sweet smile.

“Hey, baby.”

You blush at his pet name for you and smile back up at him.

“Hi, Sanie.”

“You look so pretty..” San says as he tucks a strand of your hair behind your ear. Suddenly, behind you, Yunho makes a gagging sound and Wooyoung bursts out laughing, doubling over.

“Get a room, you two!” Yunho teases.

“Don’t be a cockblock, dude”, replies Wooyoung, hitting Yunho on the arm. You start laughing, too, watching the scene in front of you.

“Yeah, go get your girl and listen to Wooyoung.” you counter back, and San let’s go of your waist. He instead reaches down and laces his fingers with yours,

“Alright,” he says to his friend, “let’s go find one, _____,” and he pulls you along with him.

“Wait, no I was jokin—” starts Yunho, before he’s cut off by Seonghwa and Wooyoung’s snickering.

You and San reach the door, and he grabs ahold of the doorknob to turn it. “Byeee~” he replies, and then closes the door behind you two, leaving his three friends outside.

The loud music surrounds you and San, and he looks around before pulling you towards one of the many hallways of the house. This one he leads you in is overall empty, only occupied by couples locked inside the rooms that lined it. You two walk deeper into it, secluding yourselves from the party. You lean your back against the wall and San stands in front of you.

“Did you dance yet?” he asks you, resting his hands on your waist.

“Nope,” you reply, “Yunho found me as soon as I got here and led me to you.”

He lets out a short hum, processing your words.

“Do you wanna?”

“Not really.. Do you?”, and ask back, and his lips curl up slightly.

“No, I’d rather be here with you like this,” he replies, causing a slight blush to dust your cheeks. You bring your drink up to your lips in an attempt to hide the shy smile forming on your face.

“What’s that?” San asks you while nodding his head towards your cup, watching you take a sip.

“Dunno,” you reply, “Yunho and Mingi made it.”

He scrunches his nose at your response and frowns, “Ew, don’t drink that.”

“Why?” you ask back, amused at your boyfriend’s reaction.

“Because who knows what the hell they put in there. A little bit of everything, probably.”

“It tastes like it.”

He lets out a short laugh and shakes his head, throwing you a few tsk tsk tsks,

“That’s red flag number two. Don’t you know this?” he teases, taking ahold of your cup and putting it down on the floor.

“What do you mean?” you laugh, curious to what he’s referring to.

“Do you not remember the last time you drank some weird shit they made? You were gone after one cup! I took care of you all night.” he says, and you knit your eyebrows together in confusion, earning an incredulous look from him. For Halloween this year Hongjoong threw a party, and of course, Yunho and Mingi offered to take charge of the drinks. Along with the array of liqour they collected for the party, they made a huge batch of their infamous punch, and you, innocent, little you, courageously tried it, unaware of it’s strength.

One cup was enough to get you shitfaced, and San looked after you all night. He was worried sick, afraid of you getting hurt and just wanting to sober you up, knowing you’d feel the aftereffects of the alcohol the morning to come. The fact that you don’t remember any of this happening just further proves his point that Yunho and Mingi’s concoctions shouldn’t be consumed, especially by you, his baby.

“Now I can’t kiss you,” he says, feigning a pout.

“Because you’ll taste the punch on my lips?”

“Mmhmm,” he hums, lightly brushing a few strands of hair from your face.

“That’s unfair,” you murmur, pouting back at him.

San stares at you with soft eyes, his face just inches from yours. You slide your now free hands up to his chest, looking back at him, feeling your heartbeat pick up its pace. He brings his right hand up to delicately cup your cheek and his eyes flicker down to your lips. Pretty, he thinks, appreciating how the pink shade you opted to wear compliments your skin tone.

“Maybe I’ll let it slide just this once”, he smirks and leans in, gingerly pressing his lips against yours.

His lips feel so warm, causing you to smile into the kiss, having missed the feeling of his soft lips against your own. As San molds your lips perfectly, you move your hand up to his nape and pull him closer to you. San in response wraps his left arm around your waist, right hand still cupping your cheek softly. He moves his lips against yours so slowly, kissing you so delicately and full of affection, causing butterflies to swarm your stomach. When he pulls back to draw in a few breaths, he rests his forehead against yours, and stares at you with twinkling eyes and a small smile,

“I could kiss you forever,” he whispers, lips still hovering yours. “I want to...” he trails off, and you pull him back in for another sweet kiss.

[crashdevlin]

Something More: Part Nine

Author’s Note: *THERE IS NO WIFE-HATE HERE! I <3 Danneel Ackles. (it’s completely understandable how she acts)* This is a sequel to Open. READ THAT FIRST!  Something More Masterlist

Summary: Reader is a no-name actor who has been lucky enough to land a role on her favorite show and a part in an anthology of Marvel Cinematic Shorts. Her star is on the rise, but the man who’s made her his mistress isn’t the only one noticing it.

Pairing: Jensen Ackles x Reader, Tom Hiddleston x Reader

Story Warnings: Open Marriage, mistress, breakups, angst, anger, jealousy, things get REALLY bad between Jensen and y/n…

Chapter Warnings: obsession, harassment, (Tom is worse than an asshole in this, A REMINDER THAT THIS IS FICTION!!!! I KNOW THAT TOM IS NOT REALLY LIKE THIS AND I WISH HIM NO HARM)

I woke up with Jay holding me close, peppering kisses on my neck and shoulder. “Mornin’,” I greeted, turning in his arms. “Time is it?”

“Twenty minutes past my alarm goin’ off. I’m supposed to be getting ready for the Gold Panel, but… I’m so comfy and happy… I don’t wanna leave this bed.” He pressed his lips to mine and both of our eyes fluttered closed. “Think anybody’d notice if I just didn’t show up?” He said it with a smirk, already knowing the answer, of course.

“Only every single person at the con and across the interwebs.”

“Damn. Should probably get dressed, then, huh?”

I nodded. “You’ve got a con to open and I’ve gotta find a pharmacy ‘cause somebody got overeager last night.”

“Hey, you didn’t tell me to stop and wrap it up, either, Baby Girl, so hush.”

“After how you ate me, my brain was not functional, Jay. I can’t be held accountable.”

“Well, I couldn’t think past you wrappin’ your hand around my dick, so… guess I’m not accountable, either.” He shrugged, rolling out of bed.

I stared at his ass for a minute before getting out of bed and beginning the search for my clothes. “Well, until I get on birth control, I’m gonna need you to start carrying condoms again.”

A foil square soared across the room and hit my stomach. “I had one, y/n/n. Just forgot to get it on.”

I shook my head. “Ridiculous man. You planned this and still didn’t put the damn thing on?” I stepped into my skirt. “Holding you accountable.” I pulled my tank top over my head and looked around. “Where are my underwear?”

“Dunno.” He shrugged.

“If I check and they’re in your pocket, I’m gonna scream. ‘Cause that’d be the most Dean Winchester-ish shit you could do.”

He smirked as he reached into his back pocket and presented me with my panties, hanging from the tip of his finger. “You love it when I’m like Dean. Fuckin’ fangirl.”

“Yeah… I do like when you act like Dean, most of the time. Can you get rid of the ‘crawl into a bottle to deal with hard times’ part of Dean Winchester’s personality, please?” I snatched my underwear from him and sat on the edge of the bed to slip them on under my skirt.

Jay turned to grab a comb and pull it through his hair. “Don’t break up with me again and we’ll be good.”

“Oh, that’s not a lot of pressure and a completely asshole thing to say.”

“You said you liked when I’m like Dean.” He turned around and smiled at me. “I���m not gonna drink like that anymore. Haven’t since you’ve been back. But, still, don’t break up with me.”

I slipped my feet into my sandals and bent down to do the straps. Jay was suddenly on his knees on the floor in front of me, fingers working across the buckles to secure the heel to my foot. I smiled at him as he started working on the second one. “Are we dating now, Jensen? Like, for realsies?”

He gave a scoffing chuckle, shaking his head, slightly. “For realsies. You can tell your friends about it and everything, Baby Girl.” He ran his hands up my calf as he stood. “I wanna tell all of our friends about us.” A tight feeling took up in my chest at the thought. “Hey. What’s wrong?” he asked, softly.

“I don’t know. Just… what if they think I’m the reason… what if everybody thinks I’m the reason your marriage-”

“Hey, no, no, no. I’m gonna make sure everybody knows that isn’t what happened. And hey, they like you more than they like Dee, anyway, so they’d probably take your side, either way.”

“But…”

He shook his head, leaning down to press his lips to mine. “It’s a mess, right? But we can get through the mess together. Long as you’re with me.” I nodded, standing and wrapping my arms around his neck. He smiled softly down at me. “I called you an Uber while you were sleeping. Clif’s gotta drive me and Jared to the con, so you’ll have to ride back to your hotel by yourself.”

I nodded. “I’m okay with that.”

“And we'll wait to tell everyone about us until you're ready, but… they all know how close we are, how poorly I took you, uh, dating Douchebag. I think most of ‘em know we're not just buddies.” He chuckled. “Actually, back in June last year, Richard straight up asked if you were my con cooch.”

I rolled my eyes. “Con cooch. How disgusting.”

“It's not his term, you know. It's probably old as you are.”

I scoffed. “And the N word is older than anybody alive, doesn't mean I gotta like people using it.”

He nodded. “You're right. I won’t use it ever again, and I will tell Richard not to use it, either.”

“Don’t tell Richard what to do. I’ll tell him it’s offensive if I ever hear him say it, but until then…” I sighed, looking up into his eyes. “Fuck. What was I saying?”

He smiled. “You were going downstairs to get in the back of some sedan driven by some hipster trying to make some money for pot.”

“Oh, yeah. That’s right.”

“I’ll see you at the con hotel, Baby Girl.”

I nodded and pulled him down for a kiss, before turning and heading out of the hotel room. Jared was in the hallway, walking toward Jay’s room. He grinned when he saw me. “That is not a Sunday morning outfit.”

“Yeah, fuck you, J-pad.” I chuckled, maneuvering around him.

“Yeah, I think Jensen and Genevieve might have a problem with that, kid,” he teased, grabbing my hand to stop me. “Everything’s good, though?”

“With me and Jay? Yeah. For the first time in months, I think… I think everything’s actually really good all around.”

“Good. I’m glad.” He nodded. “Gonna be fuckin’ funny if someone sees you takin’ the Walk of Shame from our hotel.”

“You’re hilarious. There’s already an Uber waiting for me downstairs. I’m sure I can get to it before anyone notices me.” I smiled, squeezing his hand and stepping backward. “See you at the Hyatt.”

It was uneventful going from Jay’s hotel to mine. Nobody seemed to notice my Walk of Honor and I was able to get a shower, get dressed, put makeup on and get checked out without incident. I called another Uber and had him take me to the closest Walmart. I stood in line a few minutes before getting in front of the counter. The woman in the white lab coat smiled brightly at me. “You’re y/f/n y/l/n, aren’t you?”

I cringed. This was the absolute last place I wanted to be recognized. “Uh, yeah. That’s me.”

“Are you here for that convention? You know your character on Supernatural is my favorite witch of the series. I had such high hopes for Rowena, but Tara is infinitely more relatable. I mean, Rowena was glamorous but Tara is so down-to-Earth.” I nodded, smiling politely. “Oh, and you know, I had a feeling that Tom Hiddleston’s nice guy thing was just an act. The way he grabbed you in that video, oh and I know you can’t say anything about it, Marvel’s probably got their lawyers just ready to pounce on you if they hear you say anything bad about… oh, I’m rambling, aren’t I? What can I get for you, sweetie?”

I cleared my throat and leaned forward, slightly. “I need a Plan B.”

“Oh!” Her eyes lit up. “Had a good night at the convention, did you? I’m glad you’re getting back up on that horse again!”

“Ma’am, please keep your voice down. Remember your HIPAA regs.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry, sweetie. I’ll get that for you.”

As she went into the back of the pharmacy to find what I needed, twitter gave me a notification. ‘Hey, maybe now @y/l/n_y/f/n has a shot’ with a video attached. I pressed play on a clip of the Gold Panel.

“Is there any truth in the report that Danneel filed for divorce?” the fan asked.

Jensen’s eyes went wide with shock. “Are you kidding me?! I just got served Friday. How do you people already know?” Jared reached out and patted Jensen’s shoulder. Jay sighed, his voice was resolute when he spoke. “This is the only question I’m taking about this. All right, I will walk if I get another one. So, here’s my piece on it. Yes, Dee filed for divorce. No, I was not surprised. No, I’m not happy about it, but I understand. If it were up to me, I’d keep fighting for us, but I guess Danneel just got too tired of my bullshit. She’s not gonna keep Birdie and the twins from me, we’re going to stay as much a family as possible. I love Danneel, always will… but sometimes… things don’t work out.”

Jensen ran his hand across his mouth and Jared stood to wrap his arms around him. The video ended when their embrace did.

I retweeted it with an added, ‘Thats really fn insensitive. Thats my FRIEND and hes obvi upset about this. Check urself for basic empathy before you send me shit. Thx’. I paid for the Plan B, along with a bottle of water to take it with, and tossed the packaging in the trash can outside the entrance. I took the pill while I waited for the car to show up. When I showed up at the Hyatt, Jensen was in the op room, Jared was doing his meet and greet, so I dropped my bags in the green room and waited for them. They’d come by the green room before heading back to the auditorium for the regular Sunday panel.

“Hey, Baby Girl.” Jensen dropped into the chair next to me, looking not at all as upset as he had in the video.

“Somebody sent me video of the Gold Panel.” I said, taking his hand in mine and entwining our fingers. “They already know about the divorce, huh?”

“Yeah, must have someone on the inside at the Travis County Courthouse.” He looked down at our hands, then looked across the room to our friends. “Take it you don’t mind our friends knowing, then?” he asked quietly.

“If they judge us, they judge, but we never did anything wrong.”

Jensen smiled and licked his lips. “I’d totally kiss you right now, but Kim an’ them just got done telling me how sorry they were about my divorce, so I’ll hold off on it.” He bit his lip. “Did'ya get that thing you needed?”

“That thing I needed ‘cause of you? Yeah, I got it.” I leaned my head against his shoulder. “The pharmacy tech recognized me, but it's okay. I made it pretty clear that I know my rights and if it ends up in the tabloids, I'm getting her fired.”

“Oh? When did you go diva?”

“Not diva, but I’m not gonna let someone violate my rights, rights they have a duty to uphold, so that they can gossip. I’m with Jared. Just ‘cause I’m famous-adjacent, that doesn’t mean people can walk on me.”

“‘Famous-adjacent’. You’re adorable.”

“Uh, Jensen, it’s time.” Stefani walked up, clipboard in hand. “I’ve already made the announcement that no one is to ask about… about Danneel. Um, they’ve pretty much acknowledged that they’ll be chasing you away if they don’t adhere to the pre-approved questions. Adam wanted me to let you know that, if you do have to walk out of the panel, he understands and he won’t make a big ruckus about your obligations, but he’d really like you to finish your ops if you choose to leave early.”

Jay smiled and stood, releasing my hand. “I’m not going anywhere. Even the tin hats don’t want me to leave, so they won’t ask about Danneel.”

“I can totally see the fan sites, though. ‘Danneel left Jensen because he’s gay for Jared. Genevieve is just holding out for show’,” Jared announced, smiling broadly.

“Ya know… that’s not funny.” Jensen smirked, though.

“Yeah, it is. It’s funny ‘cause it’s true. You know they’re already saying it. I bet if I pull up the tweet I got sent, there’s retweets under it saying that exact thing.” I pulled out my phone, but didn’t go to twitter. I didn’t need to. An unopened text message greeted me from a string of numbers my phone and brain didn’t recognize. I tried to delete it without reading it, just as I’d done the other ten to twenty texts I’d been getting every day. This one, though, was more involved than just ‘ungrateful whore’. This one read ‘Are you proud you’ve destroyed a family with your whore cunt?’

I bit my tongue, keeping my face blank to keep J2 from worrying about me, blocked the number and deleted the message. It wouldn’t matter. Tom would text from another number later. The man’s a bit of a Luddite, but given the right motivation he could obviously figure out how to text from random numbers online. Or he’d bought hundreds of disposable cell phones just to torture me. Honestly, I really couldn’t tell you which.

I watched J2’s panel from the side of the auditorium. Jay kept his surly and unhappy act up throughout but every once in a while he’d look at me and smile, just for a second. It made me happier than was acceptable. But my mind kept going back to that text message. ‘Are you proud-’ I could hear it in Tom’s voice. I could imagine his ice blue eyes stabbing me as he placed blame on me for Danneel leaving Jensen.

God, but he was right. It was on me, wasn’t it? If he’d never met me, his marriage… I shook my head. This is exactly what he was trying to accomplish with his bullying texts.

Jay noticed. Of course Jay noticed I was stuck in my head. “What’s wrong?”

I shook my head. “It’s nothing, Jay.”

“You’re doin’ that thing, that deep thinking, worrying thing.” Jensen pulled me behind the curtain behind the stage and ran his fingers through my hair. “What’s wrong?”

“I prom-”

“Don’t lie to me, Baby Girl. You know I can’t let you go back to Florida with this sad sack shit in your head. Come on.”

My phone went off in my pocket as I opened my mouth to claim innocence, but when my body stiffened, Jensen just raised an eyebrow. I pulled out my phone and looked at it. A different string of numbers, back to a shorter message. ‘Homewrecking bitch’. I flipped the phone so Jay could see. “Just been getting some…”

“Tom. I’m gonna kill him.”

I shook my head. “It’s not a big deal. I’ll just get rid of it.”

“Will blocking the number work?”

I hesitated, then shook my head. “No, he's just gonna send it from another number. I've blocked every number he's texted from.”

“This is harassment, y/n. You need to report him.”

“I have no proof it's him, Jay. I can't accuse him with nothing to show for it. I’m just gonna get a new number when I get home. That’ll solve it.”

“I don’t like it.”

“I know. It’s fine, though. I promise I’m okay.”

“Fine.” He looked around, then leaned down to press his lips to mine. I pulled away, smiling up at him. “You get a new number as soon as you get back to Florida. Like, on the way home from the airport, get a new number, okay?”

I nodded. “Yeah. Go do your meet and greet.”

Jay kissed my forehead. “Don’t leave for the airport without sayin’ goodbye, huh?”

“Okay. Love you, Jay.”

“Love you, too, y/n.”

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

Changing my number worked. The texts stopped. Jay was the first person I texted from my new number, Jared second, my parents and nephew were a group text that was third, Connie was fourth. I started updating my contact information with everyone before I’d even made it back to my parents’ house… except Marvel. I emailed Marvel to tell them that my phone was out of commission and if they needed to get a hold of me, they would have to do it via snail or electronic mail. I didn’t want to risk someone at Marvel giving my new number to Tom.

The email that followed was one that made my stomach twist. ‘Miss y/l/n, please let us know when you have a new contact number. We need to set up accommodations for you for the People's Choice Awards, as you have been requested to present the award for best new series along with Sebastian Stan, Elizabeth Olson, and Tom Hiddleston. You can, of course, deny the request, if you want. Please respond as soon as possible.’

“So, Marvel has, uh, pretty much volunteered me to present at the People's Choice Awards… with Elizabeth and Sebastian and Tom.” I kept my voice steady as I looked down at my computer, where Jensen was in a Skype screen, but my legs were shaking with nerves. “I could tell them ‘no’, but this is a test. This is them seeing if I can handle being around him and I really thought I could do it, but now, I’m not so sure, but if I refuse they’re gonna get rid of me.”

Jay nodded, eyes soft. “What do you need, y/n/n?”

“I need you with me. I mean, I know you don’t usually go to the PCA, but the show is up for two and I just-”

“I’ll get Andy to give me the day off, fly to L.A., walk the red carpet with the most beautiful woman in the world.”

I scoffed, smiling. “No way is she available, but I’m free.” I took a deep breath. “Thank you, Jay.”

“Anything for you, Baby Girl.”

Jay couldn’t save me from rehearsal, though. I tried to stay away from Tom until I had to but he sought me out. “Please, go away.” I didn’t look up when he approached.

“You look good. How have you been?”

“Better now that you can’t text me all the time.”

“Will you look at me? You aren’t having this conversation with your shoes.”

“I’d rather be having this conversation with my shoes.” Tom tucked his fingertips under my chin and forced me to look at him and I flinched away, grinding my teeth together. “Don’t touch me.”

He smiled, softly, eyes soft. I shook my head, crossing my arms over my head. “Y/n, I think you misunderstand my intentions, my Dear, you-”

“I don’t misunderstand anything, Tom. And don’t call me that.”

“What? ‘Dear’?” He emphasized it on purpose. “Look, I've come to apologize and I think you owe me an opportunity to do such.”

I scoffed at the idea that I owe him anything. “Apologize? For what? Our relationship, or how you've acted since I ended it?”

“You mean since Jensen ended it, don't you?” He leaned closer to me. “You think I don't know what happened? You went to Vancouver and he told you his wife was leaving him so you got down on your knees for him like the whore you are and then you broke it off with me.”

“If you think that's what happened, then you don't know me, at all.” I took a deep, shaky breath. “And I'm not a whore. I never have been. You just treated me like one.”

Tom sighed, running his hand through his hair. Here comes the flip. “I’m sorry. Truly. I just… losing you has been a terrible experience. I know you aren’t. You’re the most amazing woman I’ve ever met. And you’d never be unfaithful, not after what Nathan did to you. I’m so sorry.”

The thing about men like Tom is they’re very good at what they do. They get what they want. Either through charm and manipulation or through violence and threats of such. The thing about women like me? We expect the darkness once we’ve seen it in a person. Once we know the potential is there, we are more than a little cynical in our dealings with them.

So, when Tom very politely and calmly suggested he take me to dinner so that the paparazzi could get pictures of us getting along, that that was the best way to show the execs we were okay to be around each other, it threw a big red flag, but I agreed. He was right, it was a great way to prove to everyone, myself included, that I could handle being around him, and if he kept up the charm instead of the obsession, it would be fine.

Jay wasn’t happy about it, but I promised him that I would be in public, with cameras on me, the entire time. “It’s the best way to deal with this. I will be completely on guard, Tom will be on his best behavior. I have to do this,” I said into Skype.

“You really don’t. If you want to, you know, face him, I get it. But you don’t have to do this.” He bit his lip. “You still want me to be there tomorrow?”

“Of course! Please, Jay.”

He nodded. “I’ll be there.”

“I love you, Jensen.”

“I love you, too, Baby Girl. My flight’s in at 11:35. You gonna pick me up?”

“Definitely.”

He smiled. “All right. You be careful. I wish I was there, I’d-”

“I know what you’d do to him. That’s part of why I’m doing this alone. I do love that you wanna defend me, though.”

“Cover your own ass, right?”

“Yes, sir.” I smiled at him and he blew me a kiss before signing off.

I didn’t dress up to go to dinner. I didn’t want to send any sort of romantic signals toward Tom. He did dress up. I looked like a bum sitting at the table with Tom in a clean pressed suit. I didn’t really care, though. The point was for us to seem like we didn’t hate each other, not that we were on a date.

When the waiter came up, Tom ordered me a tequila sunrise before I’d even had a chance to open my mouth. Flag. As the server walked away, I excused myself to the restroom and tracked down the waiter. “Hi. Uh, you know that guy I’m with?”

“Oh, honey, I know all about you and Tom Hiddleston,” he said, looking over my shoulder. “I run a gossip blog in my free time. Didn’t think you’d run back to an abusive relationship so quick, but who am I to judge?”

I scoffed. “I’m not going back to him. This is purely for the Marvel execs to see us together so they don’t take Sin away from me.” I sighed. “But he’s trying to get me drunk, and that needs to not happen. Okay? So, can you do me a huge favor and not put any tequila in the sunrises? Just orange juice and grenadine, swipe the rim with tequila so that it smells like liquor but don’t mix any in?”

He gave me a thoughtful look and pursed his lips. “When you finally decide to come clean about Tom’s abuse, I want an exclusive interview.”

“Deal.”

“Virgin sunrises with a tequila rim, it is. Here’s my card.” He pulled out a business card and handed it over. I tucked it in the back of my jeans and winked before heading back to the table.

Tom put the charm on for about an hour and a half, ordering me new drinks before I’d finished my old ones, smiling as we spoke, and it was easy to see why I’d fallen for him in the first place. If I weren’t on my guard, I might have fallen back into it. If he hadn’t tried to get me drunk, I might’ve fallen for it… If he hadn’t hurt me…

The server, Steph according to his card, brought me another drink and Tom looked at me, curiously. “That’s your fourth one, isn’t it?”

“Well you keep ordering me more!” I laughed, loudly, and I could almost hear the camera shutters going.

“But you don’t seem even slightly tipsy.” He chuckled, obviously confused.

“Oh, that’s ‘cause there’s no tequila in these.” I gestured to the glass in my hand.

His face fell. “What?” he whispered.

I nodded, excitedly, putting down the drink and picking up a breadstick. “Yeah! See, I, uh, I got a pretty good memory, Tom, and I remember telling you on our first date to Lava that if you wanted to get me drunk, tequila sunrises were the way to go. You ordering me a sunrise was a big red flag. Texas-sized once you started ordering more and more of them.” I bit into the bread and leaned forward, smiling. “You wanted me to get drunk, defenses down, get pictures of us getting cozy in the mags again, and, hey, maybe you’d get me in bed, right? ‘Cause it was so easy last time. And then I’d have to take you back or I’d look like the whore you think I am.”

I kept the smile, but my eyes and voice went cold. “This is the part where you’re supposed to apologize, tell me I’m misunderstanding. But I’m not, am I?” I shook my head. “I’m done with this, Tom. This is it. Look me in my eyes and hear what I’m saying. I am not afraid of you. I am not in love with you. You are not going to manipulate me or hurt me, ever again. I will continue to work with you, as needed, but beyond that… you don’t talk to me, understand?”

I stood when he didn’t respond, patting his shoulder as I walked toward the door. I threw a peace sign at the paparazzi and pulled my phone out as I walked down the sidewalk. “Hey, just wanted to let you know I’m out of dinner with Tom. I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow, but suffice it to say… I think I win. I think the game’s over and I win. Call me when you get done shooting. Love you, Jay.”

It was like a weight being lifted when I turned back toward the restaurant and saw Tom walk out. He looked at me, but walked forward to hail a cab, not coming after me. I win.

~~~~~~~~~~

I had never been so excited to put on a dress as I was to put on the cobalt blue metallic Theia gown. Like, not even my wedding dress made me as excited as the gown I put on to walk the red carpet with Jensen… in his light blue suit with his thin grey tie. He actually fucking stared when I walked out of the bathroom. I spent hours on my hair and makeup and locked myself in the hotel bathroom for the last half hour before finishing. His eyes went wide and his jaw dropped a little and, honestly, I have never felt more beautiful. “Wow. You look amazing.”

“It’s not too much? I mean, when I did the premieres, Tom always made me go less. He didn’t want me to ‘look like a harlot’.”

Jensen rolled his eyes. “If he so much as speaks to you without needing to, I’m gonna kill him.”

“No, you’re not. Don’t wanna get your suit dirty.”

“Fine… but if he touches you…”

“I can take care of it. Calm your protective side, honey. I handled him yesterday, I can handle him today.”

“‘Honey’?” He smirked. “Since when am I ‘Honey’?”

“Since calling you ‘daddy’ is weird for both of us if it’s not a joke and Jay is a nickname, not a pet name and you, my wonderful boyfriend, deserve a pet name.”

His smirk became a genuine smile. “I fuckin’ love you. I’ll take ‘Honey’.”

We rode to the awards show in the back of a Towncar. Jensen helped me out and we walked down the carpet, taking questions from reporters as we went. A few asked why we were there together and Jensen let me answer them. “See, this guy here, this is my best friend. I told him I had to present an award and asked if he’d come with for emotional support and he was here, man. Like, how many folks would move their whole schedules around to take their friend to an award show that she’s not even getting an award at?”

“She didn’t even have to ask. Soon as I found out her ex was gonna be here, I wanted to be here.” Jay bit his lip and looked around, almost like he was trying to find Tom.

“And we’re not causing any trouble, right, Jensen?” I said, pointedly.

He pursed his lips and nodded. “Right. We don’t start trouble.”

“Do you end it?” The reporter asked with a smile.

I grabbed Jensen’s arm and tugged on it. “We’re not ending anything except this interview, okay? Come on, we gotta get inside.”

I had to go to the restroom, so I left Jensen at our seats and walked away. When I got back to my seat, Jay held out his phone. “You’re welcome.”

“What’s this?”

“Some of the proof you keep sayin’ you don’t have.”

I pressed play on the video, which was taken with the selfie cam of the phone that was obviously sitting in Jensen’s lap as it recorded. “How did I know she would show up here on your arm?” Tom’s voice came out of the phone.

“Probably the same way she knew Marvel would protect you and I know that she’s gonna destroy you as soon as she decides Marvel isn’t worth her effort if they’re gonna cover for a predator.”

“But Marvel hasn’t been protecting me. The only one protecting me is y/n. She’s said repeatedly that I did no wrong. Why do you think that is, I wonder?”

“Ah, is this the part where you tell me that, despite the fact that you were horrible and abusive and controlling and forced her into a S&M relationship she didn’t want, despite the fact that when she left you you grabbed her so hard she had bruises for weeks and then started harassing her through text messages until she changed her number and tried to get her drunk last night so that you could take advantage of her... despite all that, she’s still in love with you?”

“Of course she is, even if she doesn’t realize it. Love doesn’t die so quickly… and she is mine.”

“No, jackass, she’s not. She’s not yours. She’s not mine. She is her own woman and she doesn’t want anything to do with you.” The picture jostled as he stood and the camera settled on the bottom half of Tom’s face. “She doesn’t want me to cause a scene, so walk away before she gets back.”

Tom gave a slight smile. “I never should have let her go back to your little show.”

“She’d still be under your thumb if you hadn’t.”

“She’ll be under my thumb again, don’t worry. And when she returns, I’ll show her exactly what happens to a slave that runs away from her master.”

“Walk… away… now.”

“There are far too many cameras upon us, Jensen. You wouldn’t want to embarass y/n publicly, would you? I can say from experience, she hates the media speculating about her life.” Tom chuckled. “Enjoy her while you can. She’ll come back to me, eventually.”

I swallowed and handed the phone back to Jay. “He didn’t… he didn’t even try to deny any of it. He’s so… He really thinks I’m gonna go back to him?” I shook my head.

“Dude’s delusional.” Jay smirked as he tucked his phone into his jacket pocket. “You really know how to pick ‘em, don’t’cha?”

“Well, one outta three ain’t bad.”

“Yeah, it is. That’s 33%,” he said with a smirk.

“Well, I only need one to work out, right? One good guy.” Jay reached out and grabbed my hand. “In case you were wondering, you’re the good guy.”

“Oh, good. I was worried.” He chuckled, bringing the back of my hand to his lips.

OPEN/SOMETHING MORE

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[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #212

“counting bodies like sheep to the rhythm of the war drums.”

Have you ever fired a gun? No. Have you ever tried archery? No. What’s the longest you’ve ever gone without sleep? A day or so. Do you have any scars? Whew, a lot. I scar easily tbh, though me being so so pale probably contributes to making them more noticeable. Are you a good judge of character? I don't really know. I think so, but then again I'm very very paranoid when meeting new people and look TOO deep into how I expect someone to be. Can you do any other accents other than your own? Just British. What is your favorite accent? British generally, but I find French sooo pretty with girls, then Scottish is cool. What is your most expensive piece of clothing? I have no clue. Probably my leather boots. Can you curl your tongue? Yes, surprisingly... I just tried and I can with the slight curve in my tongue ring. Most used phrased? Probably "what a mood" or something like that lmao. Most used word? Besides the words in most sentences, I'm sure it's probably "fuck." How long does it take for you to get ready? Am I taking a shower? Then just like... less than 20 minutes. Without a shower, it's like less than ten minutes. Do you suck or bite lollipops? Both. Can you name all 50 states of America? No. I'm a sad American. Have you ever started a rumor? No. How fast can you type? I took a test awhile back for a job application purpose and it's 72 or so wpm. How fast can you run? I can tell you NOT FAST without even trying. Color of your bedspread? Navy and black. Have you ever had a really bad haircut? I don't think so. What brand, color, and type is your favorite eyeliner? I don't have one. Do you wear eyeliner? If I ever wear makeup, that's the one thing I will wear. Was there ever a time in your life when you couldn’t cry? Yes, probably early 2017. I was so numb until I started to "feel" recovery. Even as I got better, I had a hard time crying. Last year was a pretty "I can't cry"-type time, too. What’s your favorite type of yogurt? Not a fan of yogurt. What are your favorite type of calendars? I don't have one? Do you have a full-length mirror? Yes. Do you have a piggy bank? No. Do you remember your locker combinations from high school? No. What’s your favorite DIY crafts YouTube channel? I don't watch DIY crafts. Would you rather sleep on the top bunk or bottom bunk? At my current age, bottom. What kind of popcorn is your favorite? Probably caramel corn. But buttery and salty is great too. Does your town have a big fountain in it? No. What is your town known for? Probably nothing. Do you know what you want to do for your next birthday? If yes, what is it? Hm. That's a long ways off, idk. All I know is it'd be great if Sara was here. And then there's the yearly urge to get a tattoo that day lmao. What is the last new thing you discovered that was really good? I think The Shining. Watched it for the first time and loved it. What would be the best surprise you could receive right now? Hey could I have money right now. Were there any subjects in school that were really easy for you? If so, what? English/Language Arts. Did you ever skip a grade or get held back a grade? No. What is the best hairstyle you’ve ever had? I love what I currently have. Do you think you look better with dyed hair or natural hair? Dyed hair. Do you think your look better with curly hair or straight hair? Straight. Do you have bangs? No. What’s your favorite rock band? I'd say Marilyn Manson. (I'm excluding metal, 'cuz that's a different story.) Who’s your favorite country singer? I don't mind Tim McGraw. Did you try the unicorn frappuccino, and if yes, were you a fan? I didn't. When you look at your baby pictures, do you recognize yourself? Actual baby pictures, usually no. Has your hair color changed since you were a toddler? Yes; I was born dirty blonde. Do you wear matching socks? Yeah. Do you decorate for Halloween? We don't really anymore. What is your favorite thing to do in the pool? Just swim around, relax. Have you ever taken a picture at the perfect moment? I think so. What color(s) eyeshadow do you wear the most? Only ever black. Do you see yourself as a sensitive person? I'm extremely sensitive. Do you still leave/receive voicemails? Yes. Are you a festive person? Do you enjoy holidays? I'm not very festive, no. The only holidays that really excite me are Halloween and Christmas. What is your favorite subject to learn about? Meerkats. You’re feeling down - do you listen to sad music or happy? Sad. It usually comforts me/makes me feel less alone. Even though I might cry. Is there a song or artist that you secretly enjoy, but don’t want to enjoy? I like a decent number of Blood On The Dancefloor songs. Has your parents' taste in music in any way affected what you like? Yes. When I started getting into rock naturally, I began listening to my mom's CDs, and that's when metal stole my heart. You’re looking for some new music - what’s your preferred way to discover? YouTube recommendations. Do you still own any CD’s/records/tapes? Mom has CDs. She may or may not have tapes from when my sisters and I were really young for memory's sake; we had a lot of kid ones, like Raffi. Do you ever hear a new song on TV that you like and find it? When I watched TV, yeah, rarely. Do you watch the news? No. What about the weather channel? No. What’s your favorite holiday movie? Maybe Hocus Pocus. How do you feel about adult cartoons? I don't have an opinion. Do you still watch shows that you grew up watching? No. What about movies that you grew up with? Yeah. Do you identify with any organized religion? No. If so - is it how you were raised, or have you found your own? I was raised Catholic, grew to simply a Christian, then left that behind a year or more ago. Have you ever protested or been on strike? Does not eating at Chick-fil-a count as some kind of "protest?" That place was hard to let go of, but nah man, I'm not supporting your business when your higher-ups contribute to anti-LGBT efforts and such. Is gun control necessary or no? Some degree of control absolutely is. Are you happy with the political state where you reside? HAHA no. Should abstinence or sex education be taught in schools? Education, but I do believe in heavily advising smart sexual decisions such as not just doing it with just anyone. Have you read the book 13 Reasons Why or watched the show? I read the book. Should shows like this be available to everyone or could it be a trigger? Fuck the show. Do you like animals? Of course. What is your absolute favorite food? Probably pizza. Do you have bad anxiety? If so, do you take any kind of medication for it? You don't know the half of it. I literally cried the first and last day of my last job because I couldn't find the gloves when I needed to. So yeah, I take meds, but I don't think either do very much, honestly. Who was the last person you felt you were wasting your time on? A former best friend. I cared when she didn't. One thing you’ve experienced that you thought you never would have? I never in a million years thought I was going to have a bad - traumatic - breakup when I was kid because I "knew who to pick." I was so sure. What was the last thing someone said to you that kept repeating over & over in your head? The guy who helped in basic training with me saying "well that was a waste of my time" when my co-worker told him what was going on with me. Literally, it won't get out of my head. If a random person were to look through the photos on your phone, is there anything you’d be embarrassed about? lmao I have Mark wallpapers stored, my friend. Don't find my collection. How often do you have late nights out? Never. Ever. Do you currently have any mixed feelings about someone? As far as friendships go, yes. If you could, would you work from home? Do you think that would make you more or less productive? No no no no no. I want a job to get OUT of my house. I know I'd be less productive, too. What were you like in middle school? Weird and probably annoying. If you could give one charity a million dollars, what charity would you donate money to? I'm not sure. I'd have to look more into ones with causes I'm passionate about. Most likely something about conservation. Would you ever be an organ donor? I am. Which do you think is harder: realizing you haven’t changed or realizing you have? The former. Is there something that you really need to do, but can’t seem to get motivated to do it? Plenty of things. Have you ever won some sort of prize or prize package from a contest? What did you win? Yeah, a few. I don't remember most; I only really remember the Silent Hill one I've mentioned before. What is something you’re surprised hasn’t been invented yet? A cure for cancer, I guess? I dunno. Most disturbing movie you have ever seen? Probably The Entity. Has a life goal or dream ever come true for you yet? If yes, what is it? If no, do you think you’ll achieve it? lol by golly do I wish. I don't fucking know if I'll achieve any. What one thing has always bothered you, but seems to bother no one else? I get legitimately bothered by people going in/out the wrong door. Do you still own a VCR and VHS tapes? No. What’s your favorite color gummy bear? I don't care. What is the sexiest part of the opposite sex’s body? Shoulder blades why do I love shoulder blades????? Where do you sing the most, in the car or the shower? I dunno. Ever hurt yourself playing Wii? Probably. Do you have freckles? Not on my face. I did as a kid though. Weird. How many languages can you say “Hello” in? Three. What’s the last video game you played? So not computer? I believe... The Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon? Or Shadow of the Colossus. I don't remember. Can you do the alphabet in sign language? No. Do you like your feet? I don't like feet to begin with, and I don't like mine. My feet are so dry and callused to HELL from when I used to walk all the time. I need to see a doctor to get rid of the worst ones on my toes honestly because they annoy the fuck out of me because ugly. Candles or incense? Incense. Reason behind the last time you laughed until you cried? I don't remember. Are you one who brags a lot? I don't have anything to brag about. Do you face your problems head on or do you run away from them? Depends on the problem, I guess... What is the latest you’ve stayed out before? I remember there was one night in particular with Jason where he dropped me off like... really late. Around 3 or later in the morning. I don't remember why I got home so late. Are you confrontational? AVOID! AT ALL!!!!!!!!!!!! COSTS! Do you stand your ground? Usually. Who do you know without a doubt cares about you? Mom, Sara, and Dad. Have you ever caught yourself talking in your sleep? For the past year and more, I've started sleep talking frequently... and yeah, I've woken up in the middle of doing it plenty of times. Did you do anything stupid/anything you regret today? I probably do something stupid every day. Little things like procrastinate on everything are certainties. Have you ever switched primary care doctors? Do not. Get me FUCKING started. On the doctor who kept me on a medication that resulted in gaining like 150 pounds and blaming it all on me. Yeah, I switched. If yes, what was the reason? lol see above. Do you ever sleep on your bedroom floor just for fun? God no. Sleeping on the floor is a last resort. Are you worried about your current financial situation? LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL Do you know anyone who’s had a stillbirth? Probably. Who was the last person you know (or that you know of) that died? Uhhh I'm not sure. Possibly the old lady Mom watched. Do you need a new phone? Desperately. Would you rather get a big tattoo or small tattoo? A big one. Do you identify as a supernatural being..i.e., unicorn, alien, goddess…? Uh no. What’s one thing you are tired of seeing or hearing about on Facebook? Guys I don't understand the "me and the boys" meme laskdfjalwier make it go away. What theme do you want for your wedding? Halloween-ish. What theme would you choose for a baby’s nursery? Idk. I don't want kids, so this isn't something I think about. What color would you paint a baby girl’s nursery? Pastel pink. Not for stereotypical reasons, my favorite color just happens to be pink and I think it's cute for a baby. Does your first crush know that he/she was your first crush? No. Which family member did you get your height from? Mom and I are pretty much the same height. Do you like your butt? NO I have a pancake ass. Who was the last friend of yours to have a baby, and what’s the baby’s name? An old high school friend recently had a baby named Jaspen. Are all of your friends having babies right now? I think most of my old friends have at least one kid by now. Do you know anyone who’s given birth to twins? Yes. Growing up, did you listen to country music? Yes, when my older sister started controlling the radio. Do you have a gazebo at your house? No. Where were you going the first time you rode a plane? Ohio or Michigan. Do you like tomatoes? Not really, no. The only time I ever have was fresh ones with bacon and light mayo on a sandwich. What’s your favorite brand of bottled water? Essentia. Do you have any ceramic animals in your house or outside? Why is there a small dolphin in the corner of our back yard?????? What annoys you more: slow talkers or slow walkers? Slow walkers. Have you ever been to a night club? No. If you had a warning label, what would yours say? Something about being prone to anxiety, I guess. Do you believe in reincarnation? No. Do you believe in horoscopes and zodiacs? Not in the slightest. What is your MBTI personality type? INFP Can your dog roll over on command, if you have a dog? No. Is the ocean or sky prettier? Sky. Are you androgynous? No. Do you like to kiss others’ foreheads or hands for platonic reasons? No. Well I kiss my niece's and nephew's cheeks when telling them bye, but they're the only ones. What is the youngest age you can remember back to? I have at least one memory from when I was two. Did you wear your hair in a ponytail today? It's too short for that. What job would you NEVER take, even as a last resort? Slaughterhouse worker was the first thing to come to mind. If you broke your computer, would you be able to fix it on your own? No. What was the shittiest hotel you’ve ever stayed at and why? I don't think I've stayed in a bad one... What was the first kind of alcohol you ever tasted? A daiquiri. Do you use any styling products on your hair? No. Do you have a favorite local band? Who are they? No. What’s the most confusing book you ever read? Even though it's my favorite book, Johnny Got His Gun takes the cake here. The way it's written is very confusing, though I think I get why Trumbo chose such a style. Do you like your personality? I like some things, hate others. Are your legs long or short? I'd say they're proportional to the rest of my body. How many phobias do you have? A lot. Where do you think your last ex is right now? He's probably sleeping since he works 3rd shift. What’s the most beautiful thing you’ve seen in the last week? I don't know. Probably the sky during a car ride or something. Who was the last person to comfort you as you cried? My mom. When was the last time you felt like throwing up? A week ago or so when I had an anxiety attack the night before my first day of work. I got myself so worked up. Have you ever had to wear a hairnet? For the two fucking hours I lasted at my last job lmao. Do you use the Facebook chat often? No. Do you own a robe? What color is it? Nope. Who ended your last relationship? Me. Do you still remember your first kiss? Yeah. Are you happy with where you are relationship-wise now? Yeah, other than being long-distance. How many kids do you want to have? None. Have you ever purposely given someone the wrong number? No. Who’s the last person you smoked weed with? I haven't. Though by this point in my life, I wish NC would catch up with the times and legalize it medicinally because I've given up enough to turn to that for my anxiety. Who was the last person you talked to, other than family? My old VR coach. When was the last time you flew in a plane? Last December. Is there a girl you absolutely can not stand? No. At least not off the top of my head. Ever had a person who was obsessed with you so much that it scared you? No, I was that person lmao. Has anyone ever mistaken you for someone else? Yes. Say your last ex walks up to you and hugs you, what do you say? We're still friends, so. At the current time, a random hug from him would probably make me cry though because he's not very affectionate and I haven't been stable for days. I need the comfort alsdjfakljwer Who was the last baby you held? It's probably been like a year since I've held a baby when I was still friends with Colleen. But y'all my sister is pregnant & next year GUESS WHO I'M HOLDING. Do you have any siblings that moved away to college? She did, but she's long since graduated. Who was the last person who cried around you? I'm sure it was Mom. What was the last thing you cried about? My life. Who’s the last guy to give you roses? Tyler. Would you rather have nice eyes or nice lips/smile? Smile, I suppose. Do you have a common first name? Yes. Do you like your middle name or your first name more? My first, I guess. Do you wear more rings or necklaces? I always have a ring on. Have you ever been engaged? No. Can you see your veins through your skin? In some areas. Did your parents let you have pets when you were a kid? Yes. Do you like spicy chips? Yes. What band was on the last band t-shirt you wore? Metallica. Do you have any tattoos on your arms? Yes. Have you ever owned or known someone who owned a black cat? Both. Who scheduled your last doctor visit? My mom. I don't drive, so she drives me around, and so things have to fit into her busy schedule. So she just does it. Do you have any holiday themed socks? True shit, I think most of mine are, lmao... Like you know, socks are a common gift on Christmas. What’s the last funny movie you watched? Idr. Can you remember your parents’ birthdays? Yes. What piercing do you like most on the opposite sex? I'd say it depends on the person, but in general, I suppose snakebites? What brand of hair dye do you prefer to use? Splat is the only brand that has ever stuck to my hair. Lasted months. Did/do you ride the bus to and from school? Only Jason's junior and senior years sometimes to go to his house. Are you any good at applying make up? No. I have tremors in my hands, and it makes it an absolute nightmare. Are you someone who likes to make simple things difficult? I certainly don't try to, but I somehow always end up doing it. What’s your favorite Thanksgiving food? Rolls and honey ham. And that is /literally/ it. I don't like Thanksgiving food. Do you like Techno music? Yeah. Is your second toe longer than your big toe? They're like the exact same length. Do you say "merry Christmas" or "happy holidays?" The former. Who do you talk to on the phone most often? Mom. What’s the best concert you’ve ever been to? I've only ever been to Alice Cooper, but it was great. I'm supposed to be seeing Ozzy plus supposedly Judas Priest and Megadeth (you're not allowed to die, Dave) next year, and that. That will be. My preview into Heaven. I will sob. How did you meet your best friend? Over YouTube via the meerkat RP community. Do you need money to be happy? Try living really poor and come back to me claiming money can't ever buy happiness. What is something you do well? Dig way, way too deep into absolutely anything and everything. What’s a good idea you’ve had recently? I've started to count calories on top of fasting. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Ahhhhh, cinnamon rolls. How far in advance do you prefer to plan? For most things, a few days or a week. Bigger things, maybe like a month+? How many slices of pizza do you usually eat? 2-3, depending on my appetite. Would you like to live in a different country? If so which one? I wouldn't move there, not with all my family and such here, but I think living in Canada would be better sometimes. Do you prefer the aisle, middle, or window seat on a plane? I strongly prefer the window seat; I've found that if I'm not looking out the window and the plane changes altitude or direction (takeoff is the worst), I get VERY dizzy. I usually always wind up in the middle seat, and there and in the aisle seat, I have to close my eyes at times like those. What’s your favorite song from a movie? As far as original songs, probably "Be Prepared" from The Lion King. A goddamn beat. What’s your favorite city? I haven't been to many. Idk. Who was the last person to ask you to hang out? Did you agree to hang out with them? Hell, I have no idea. Is there a food that you eat basically every day? What food is that? I usually have a granola bar as a snack or even just a meal in place of breakfast or lunch. Is there a food you eat that others find weird or gross? I grew up sometimes eating waffles with peanut butter and syrup as Dad loved it. It's definitely different, but it's absolutely delicious. What was the last fast food restaurant you went to? Did you get anything? If so, what? I think Sonic? I got a double bacon cheeseburger. I fell in love with their burgers. Can you remember the first video game you ever played? What about your first video gaming system? I'm not sure, but it was probably Spyro The Dragon. My first gaming system was a PS1. The last video game you played - did you play alone or with someone else? Alone. If there is a disc in your computer, what disc is it? There isn't one. Do you shut down your computer every time after you use it, or do you leave it on? I leave it on. Do you know anyone who has ever been in a movie? Who and what movie were they in? What was their part? No. Describe the last shirt you saw that you really liked. Where did you see it? Omg I saw this shirt online of a really cool demonic pig that said something like "Save the animals, eat humans." It was actually a vegan shirt, but I nevertheless wanted it, lol. I support veganism, but yeah... I could never do it. But anyway, it was too expensive. Do you live in a very diverse community? Not really, no. Do you know anyone who has had salmonella? Did you ever have it yourself? What about e-coli? No; no; no. When was the last time you brought a pet to the vet? What was wrong with it? Sigh. We put Cali down. Something ruptured in her abdomen and there was also a mass on her liver or gallbladder, and her abdomen was filling with blood. It compressed her lungs so much she could barely breathe. Surgery was extremely expensive, but more importantly, we were told it likely wouldn't save her. Do you get motion sick easily? If so, does it prevent you from going on any rides at amusement parks? I've never gotten motion sickness, but I don't risk that shit with amusement park rides or boats out at sea. I'm terrified of vomiting. Do you have any bug bites on you right now? If so, where? No. Have you ever made your way through a corn maze? No. Name something that you used to do with your family that you no longer do with them or at all? Easter egg painting. Have you seen Inception yet? Thoughts on that movie? I never saw it.

[god--baby]

what isn’t and what should be ch6 (nsfw)

vic criss x ambiguously gendered reader

this fic’s masterpost

my general masterpost

previously on: henry comes back. you all go to the quarry. on friday, you go to gretta’s party. patrick gets laid twice. you blow vic again. patrick decides he wants some dresses.

summary: you and patrick and vic go shopping for dresses and skirts. you all go to Henry’s land to distract him from his chores. you and vic fuck. 

word count: 5053

tag list:  @bowers1989 @hyperdontia2580 @badbitsh13 @candy-grape@cmonsonnyboy @zudyblr @not-uh-author @apossiblegentleman@violetdawn-k @the-official-trash-can @bellacherries @kotabug1211 @sarah-bow-beara @baddestbitchmgk @milevenandreddiefordays @somesayimvague@xoteaguellif3 @jordan-writes-occasionally @iwritefanficnotprophecies@painfullythiqq @mads---world @thegirlyouworryabout @liddlehoneybee@madhatterweasley @littleevilme03 @noctsgay @ordinarily-weird@alwaysforgivingneverforgetting @agespenst @pixelcube0@bettertohaveneverlovedatall @yaboicringe @turtlebabeparadise @rakelmaria @soyoucanthrowmetothewolves @serpent-princess @illegalcryptid@sugarfree-sugarbaby @softcrybabyboy @snek-shit @purplezebra68@cutegoat-boy @xxmcr-trashxx @zabee113 @hana-the-bored-idiot @reddie-freddie @spiderman-2013 @catastrophictyranny @lgaristocat @muppmeep@pngash @cheesy-nachos @hearthellkandi @idoticcabbage @cordysblog@leoniabitch @shamelessvegas @itsjulzandmydiamonds @extrasadbish@smallcheez-its @mikki-dee24 @octosapiens @maybe-lucky-clubs@sociopathicpiglet @sweettravelmuseumslamp @1975pxris @mylove-mylord@butternutsitstandsforrbutternuts @puffkitten-lexa

Grumbling, you got out of Patrick’s bed. He tapped his fingers on the card table in the corner that served as his desk until you were standing, stretching.

“Finally,” he grumbled.

“Hey,” you snapped. “Not everyone can be up at the crack of dawn like you. Did you even sleep?”

“I slept enough,” he said dismissively.

“Oh, that’s right,” you said. “’Cause you got fucked.”

He grinned, then. Finally, a smile. No matter how terrifying it came off, you treasured smiles from him.

“Yeah,” he said. “’Cause I got fucked.”

He was always able to knock out for a few hours if he’d had sex recently. It was strange, but you hoped he got laid more often. If only so he’d sleep.

Running your hands through your hair, you said, “just us today?”

“Nah. You can invite your boyfriend.”

“Ugh.”

When he said it like that, it made you want to stay away from Vic. Which is probably what he wanted, anyway.

“I’ll invite him, but only ‘cause he’s good with clothes,” you said. “Be good.”

“I won’t hurt your precious boy toy,” he said, his grin growing.

You gave him a look.

“He’s still just Vic. You know that, right? Just ‘cause we’re together doesn’t change that he’s a part of our crew.”

“Oh, he’s still a part of it. It just… shifts things a little.”

Rolling your eyes, you shook your head and left his room.

Unwilling to put together a new outfit, you put on the clothes you’d worn to the party last night. They smelled like a party — smoke and sweat and faintly, sex.

You grinned and got dressed. When you were done, you went to the bathroom to brush your teeth and found Patrick doing his face up. Today, he was wearing the rings he saved for when he was in a more dangerous mood than normal. A ring on almost every finger, silver and heavy. You thought of them as the Fuck You Up rings.

“What’s up?” you asked, toothpaste suds in your mouth.

“Hm?”

“The rings.”

“Oh, them,” he said.

“Yeah, them.”

“Figured it might be good. Just in case someone doesn’t like me wanting to get all pretty.”

You spat out the toothpaste in your mouth and swished your mouth clean.

“You are pretty,” you said. “A dress is just extra.”

“I know.”

He smiled at you in the mirror and you smiled back.

You left the bathroom as Patrick was putting on mascara. You went to your room, getting your phone and dialing Vic’s number.

He picked up after a few rings.

“’Lo?”

He sounded sleepy. You’d probably woken him up.

“Hey, babe,” you said.

“Hey, baby. What’s up?”

“Patrick wants to go shopping. Skirts and dresses. Wanna come?”

He made a thoughtful noise.

“Just… you got a good eye for clothes,” you continued. “Figured it couldn’t hurt.”

“And some people might not appreciate what he’s doing,” he said. “Three is better than two.”

You smiled, grateful he wasn’t leaving you out of a fight that hadn’t happened yet.

That hopefully, wouldn’t happen.

“Yeah,” you said.

“I’ll be there, soon. Want me to see if I can get the car?”

“Sure.”

“Love you,” he said. “Bye.”

“Bye.”

You went back to the bathroom to wash your face just as Patrick was leaving it.

“You know,” you said. “It’s gonna be hard to find shit long enough for you. You’re so tall.”

“Mm,” he said.

He went to his room, hunting through his pile of clothes. He found a shirt and changed out of the one he was wearing, humming. You watched him comb through his hair with his fingers.

You watched him, and you wondered. Skirts and dresses. Makeup.

He was becoming himself right in front of your eyes.

Turning away, you wiped at one eye, going back to your room, picking up your phone as it lit up.

10:34am. From: Vicky

Got the car baby. be there soon.

Grinning, you put your boots on.

Vic was there soon, honking the horn of the Trans Am to let you know. Patrick stuffed his lip gloss in his jacket pocket as you patted yours to see if — yes, you had your wallet.

And then you left. Patrick got in the front seat as you hoisted yourself through the window into the back. You leaned in and kissed Vic on the cheek once you were settled.

“Hey, baby,” Vic said.

Patrick sighed.

“Hey,” you said.

Then you leveled a glare at the back of Patrick’s head. He was the one who said Vic could come along, after all.

As if sensing you were getting pissed with him, he turned and grinned at you. Shaking your head, you leaned back in your seat and took a cigarette out.

You arrived at the only small department store Derry had to offer, Bella’s, and got out, stretching. You took a deep breath and Patrick smiled at you, eyes empty.

You wondered, for the millionth time in your joined lives, what he was thinking. You smiled back, shaking your head.

Patrick led the way into the store, you close behind and Vic pulling up the rear. He headed straight for the ladies’ section and found the dresses, pushing through them.

“Jesus,” he said. “What am I, the mother of the bride?”

“You probably need the teenage section,” Vic said around one of his fingertips, which he was chewing on.

You all looked around you, unsure of where to go. Truth be told, you’d never been there before. You thrifted for everything. You spotted a clerk, stocking across the store in the baby section, and you split from Patrick and Vic to go talk to her.

“Uh, hi,” you said.

She looked up from the onesies she was folding.

“Hi!” she said. “How can I help you?”

“I’m looking for dresses and skirts. For a teenager.”

“Okay,” she said. “You’re looking for the junior section. It’s right next to the ladies’ dressing rooms.”

“Oh, um,” you said, looking around.

She pointed across the store. You followed the line of her arm until, sure enough, next to the dressing rooms, there was a small section full of racks and shelves, decked out in every color of the rainbow.

“Thank you so much,” you said.

“You’re not gonna be causing trouble today, are you?” she asked, offhand, as she went back to work.

You flushed. You had been sure that she had no idea who you were.

“No,” you said. “No.”

“Good. You need anything else, come find me.”

“Okay,” you said, walking away.

You went back to Patrick and Vic and pulled both of them by the hand across the store to the junior section. Patrick smiled, finding the tall rack of clearance dresses, paging through them.

“Anything in particular you’re looking for?” you asked.

“It’s gotta look good with my boots,” he said. “If I can’t wear my boots, I’m not wearing it.”

Vic snorted. Patrick fixed him with that dead-eyed stare.

“What?” Patrick asked.

Like he really cared.

“Just… I dunno. That’s gotta be a first.”

“For this store, maybe,” you allowed.

“This store,” said Patrick, taking out a dress and holding it at arm’s length in front of him, “isn’t gonna know what hit it.”

You grinned.

He turned the dress so you could see the front of it. It was mostly black, sleeveless, with a stripe of turquoise blue around the neck, waist, and bottom hem. You tilted your head to the side and narrowed your eyes, thinking.

“I like it,” you decided.

“Simple is good,” Vic agreed.

Patrick turned it around so he could get to the tag.

“It’s a number size,” he said. “What the fuck.”

You held back a laugh.

“Hold it up to your body,” Vic said.

Patrick did it. It was off. You could hear Vic hold a sigh in as he stepped up to Patrick and adjusted it so the waist was where it needed to be. The chest was just a little too big.

“Something smaller, then,” you said.

“But I want this one,” said Patrick.

“Pat. Neither of us know how to sew. Find that dress in a smaller size.”

Grumbling, he put the dress back and flicked through the rack, trying to find that same dress, just a little bit smaller. He found it after a minute, making a triumphant noise. He held it up to his body, and it looked perfect. You stepped in and took it from him, looking at the size so you’d know what to look for.

He threw the dress over his shoulder and kept looking.

You grabbed Vic’s hand and squeezed it before pulling him to a different clearance rack, this one with skirts on it.

In ten minutes, all the racks had been looked through twice. Patrick had a small collection of dresses and skirts, as well as a shirt with a mandarin collar and ruffles on the front. You didn’t see the appeal of the shirt, but for some reason, he was attached to it.

Patrick, all his items in tow, turned and marched right into the ladies’ dressing rooms, getting one. Vic looked at you, eyebrows high. You shrugged.

Through the curtain, you could hear Patrick humming as he undressed. You watched his feet as he took off his boots and then his pants, then put his boots back on, stepping into a skirt.

In a moment, he whipped open the curtain and stood there, arms open, a grin on his face. You smiled back.

The skirt was straight, waist-high and long enough to just barely cover his knees. It was red plaid, with yellow and green and white threads through it.

“Well, not with that shirt,” said Vic.

“Obviously,” said Patrick.

The shirt was, indeed, horrendously wrong for the skirt.

“What shirt would you wear with it?” Vic asked. “You gotta have something at home you’d wear with it. Or we’re not getting it.”

Patrick scowled.

“Plain white. I know what I’m doing.”

Vic held his hands up in surrender.

The next few minutes were a whirlwind of Patrick trying things on. The plain black dress with turquoise accents came last, and he called your name through the curtain. Then he stuck his head out.

“C’mere,” he said. “Zip me up.”

You smiled and pushed the curtain to the side, going in to the cramped and now ridiculously messy dressing room.

You zipped him up, pushing his hair out of the way of the very top of the zipper. Then you patted his shoulder and took a small step to the side to look around him at both of you in the mirror.

With his makeup, the dress looked right. Even with his boots and his shaggy hair. He looked right.

“I look beautiful,” he said.

“Yeah,” you said, voice hushed. “You do.”

You wanted to say you were so proud of him, but you didn’t.

Some things don’t get voiced, even when they should be. Some things just couldn’t leave your mind, leave your mouth.

He smoothed his hands over the dress, starting at his chest and down to his hips, his legs. He smiled.

Then he opened the curtain so Vic could see.

Vic grinned, clapping slow.

“That’s the best one,” he said.

“I know,” said Patrick.

He did a short spin, the skirt of the dress belling out slightly with the movement.

“So what’s the verdict on everything else?” you asked.

Truth be told, you were a little antsy about paying for all this. You hoped you’d have enough money.

“Well, I don’t love half of it, so all that can go,” said Patrick, closing the curtain.

He reached for the zipper and swore. You unzipped him and he stepped out of the dress.

“Okay,” you said. “So, what are we keeping?”

“The red dress, the plaid skirt, the ruffle shirt, and that black skirt with the pleats.” He paused. “And this dress.”

“Okay,” you said.

He got dressed as you gathered up the stuff he said he wanted. You looked at the tags, grateful for the heavy discounts they were all under.

Then you went and bought them. The cashier looked confused as to who you were buying them for, but said nothing as Patrick gave her a scary grin.

You pulled out your cash, finding yourself five dollars short. You swore and, as easy as you please, Vic pulled out his wallet, laying a ten on the counter.

You sent him a reproachful look, but he just stared back. Sighing, you let him put his arm around you.

When everything was in one big bag, you left. Patrick surprised you by climbing into the back seat, immediately pulling off his boots. You shrugged and got into the passenger seat, glancing over your shoulder as he changed into that black and turquoise dress.

“So,” you said as Vic started up the car. “What do we do now?”

“Let’s go to Henry’s,” Patrick said, turning his back to you. “Zip me.”

You zipped him.

“You sure you wanna look for trouble today?” Vic asked, putting the car in drive and pulling away from your parking spot.

“If I look good, there’s nothing I don’t wanna do,” said Patrick, pulling his boots back on.

He looked up and grinned at you, and you smiled back, shaking your head.

“What about Butch?” you asked.

“Henry said he’s out all day. He’s just doing chores.”

“What about Belch?”

“He’s still got a few hours on the clock,” said Patrick. “His fault.”

You snorted. Vic put his hand on your knee as he drove.

You drove in companionable silence out to Henry’s land. Henry was nowhere to be seen at first glance. All getting out of the car, you began a slow circle of the main part of the land.

The main part of the land, including: the house, the barn, the silo, and the pig pen.

You found Henry out at the pig pen, sitting on the fence and looking down at his pigs, Bip and Bop.

“Hey, Hen,” Vic called, holding your hand.

Henry looked over his shoulder at all of you, his eyes turning hard for a moment before he hid it, and hid it well.

“Hey,” he called back. “What’re you guys up to?”

He got in his pocket and fumbled with his phone. It was only when silence fell that you realized he’d been listening to music. Country, to be exact.

You held back a grin. He liked to pretend he was all about raunchy rock, but the boy liked country.

Nothing wrong with that, of course.

He climbed off the fence and came over to all of you.

“We went shopping,” said Patrick.

“Right, ‘cause you’re acting like a girl, and all,” said Henry.

“Henry,” you reproached.

“Hey, he can do what he wants,” Henry said, spreading his hands. “Long as I don’t have to start opening doors and shit for him.”

“Yeah, don’t worry about it,” Patrick said.

You looked at him. He looked bored.

Looking closer, you caught a little bit of something you’d never noticed before, but surely, knowing what you knew now, it had always been there.

He looked hungry. And determined.

Holding back an eye roll, you said, “so what do you guys want to do?”

“I gotta joint,” said Patrick, hunting around in his jacket pockets.

“Right. Of course you do,” you teased.

He grinned at you. You grinned back.

“I can’t fuck around for long,” said Henry. “Chores.”

“What, talking to your pigs counts as a chore?” Patrick asked.

“I was feeding them.”

“You were talking to them. Does your old man know you use them as therapists?”

Henry scowled.

“I don’t need a damn therapist,” he said.

“Hey, there’s nothing wrong with needing help,” you said easily, messing with him.

He shot you a look. You gave it back, raising your eyebrows.

Unexpected, he laughed.

“You’re a fucking piece of work, you know that?” he asked.

“Learned from the best,” you said, glancing at Patrick.

Patrick grinned, reaching out and mussing your hair.

“C’mon,” he said. “Let’s get high. When the joint’s done, you can get back to being your dad’s slave.”

Henry scowled again, but followed as Patrick led the way out to the barn, where the hay loft was waiting for all of you.

They walked side by side, you and Vic pulling up the rear, holding hands.

“So,” said Patrick, quiet.

“What?” asked Henry.

“What do you think?”

“I think,” said Henry slowly, “I think you better hope and pray my old man don’t see you like that.”

“I’m not scared of him.”

Henry didn’t answer that.

“Besides, that’s not an answer. What do you think?”

“Patrick?”

“Yeah?”

“Don’t be weird.”

“That’s still not an answer.”

“I think you look fucking gay, okay? Happy?”

“Incredibly.”

You looked to Vic, only to find him watching you with a question on his face.

“I’ll text it to you,” you whispered.

He nodded.

When you all got up in the hay loft, Patrick lit the joint, took two hits, and passed it to Henry. As he took a puff, you pulled out your phone.

12:06pm. To: Vicky

Patrick’s got a thing for Henry. Wants him to fuck him. We’ll see I guess

You heard Vic’s phone go off. He pulled it out as the joint was passed to you. You watched as he smiled and texted you back.

12:06pm. From: Vicky

What a disaster

You grinned as you exhaled the sweet, heady smoke.

“C’mere, baby,” Vic said, taking the joint from you.

He took a hit and reached up to hold your face. You opened your mouth and he shotgunned a hit to you. Closing your eyes, you sighed, exhaling the smoke. He ended it with a kiss, and you smiled into it.

“Cute,” Patrick drawled.

“Shut it,” you and Vic said together.

Looking at each other, you laughed.

“Fuck, I love you,” Vic whispered.

Henry snorted, plucking the joint from Vic’s hand.

You just smiled.

In half an hour, all of your phones went off together. You pulled yours out to see what was up.

12:41pm. From: Belch

Got off work early. Where the fuck is Amy?

You started laughing, and found you couldn’t stop.

“Baby — baby, oh my god,” Vic laughed.

He was also staring at his phone, shaking with laughter.

“We fucked up,” you chuckled.

“Jesus, yeah we did,” Vic said.

Patrick pulled his phone out, finally, and shot a message out into the group chat.

12:42pm. From: Pattycakes

Walk out to henry’s. we’re high

12:43pm. From: Belch

Jesus fuck fine

You all laid down, finishing off the joint and talking and laughing. You pushed yourself up on your elbows so you could look at everyone, and found Henry’s eyes on Patrick’s hand, where he was playing with the hem of his dress. In a moment, Henry looked away, finding you watching him. He scowled at you, and you lifted an eyebrow at him. He shook his head and you shrugged.

You laid back down and Vic pushed himself over to lay his head on your stomach. Sighing, you ran your fingers over his scalp, through his hair. He hummed, taking your hand and putting it to his mouth, kissing your fingertips, your knuckles. Closing your eyes, you let him, enjoying that little expression of love.

You wondered when you’d be able to tell him you loved him, too. If you ever would.

Surely, you would.

You fell asleep like that.

Some time later, you woke up to Vic kneeling beside you, his hands cradling your face.

“Baby,” he said. “Wake up. Belch’s here.”

“Mm,” you grumbled. “I don’t wanna.”

“C’mon,” he said. “He’s gonna take us back to mine.”

“Okay,” you sighed. “Okay.”

You got up and climbed down the ladder into the barn, following as Vic pulled you by one hand out to the Trans Am. Belch, sweating, leaned up against the driver’s side of the car.

“What was so important that you needed Amy?” he asked.

“You didn’t tell him?” you asked Vic.

“Nah,” he said. “Didn’t seem important.”

“We took Patrick shopping,” you said, looking around, finding Patrick and Henry on the porch, talking quietly. Patrick made Henry laugh, and Henry shoved him, roaring.

“Huh,” said Belch. “That explains… the dress.”

“Yeah,” said Vic. “There’s more where that came from.”

“Patrick!” you yelled.

“What?” he yelled back.

“C’mon, Belch’s taking us home.”

“No. I’m staying here.”

You heard Henry say huh?

“I’ll see you tonight,” Patrick said.

You held back a laugh, shooting Vic a look. He handed it back with a grin.

In tandem, you and Vic lifted yourselves into the back seat and Belch got into the driver’s seat. You laid down, your head in Vic’s lap, his fingers in your hair.

You woke up as the car pulled to a stop.

“We’re here, baby,” Vic said.

You groaned, rolling so your face was hidden in his lap.

“Aw, c’mon,” he said. “You can do it. C’mon.”

“Don’t wanna,” you said.

“If you don’t get out, I’m going back there and pulling you out myself,” Belch said with a laugh in his voice.

“Ugh, fine,” you said, pushing yourself up to sitting, then hauling yourself out the open window.

Vic laughed, watching as you clumsily found the ground.

“Hey,” you said, pointing at him as he followed you out of the car. “I’m doing the best I can.”

“I know, baby,” he said.

“Yeah,” you said, stretching as Belch put the car in drive again and pulled away. You waved goodbye, knowing he would be watching in the rearview.

“C’mon,” Vic said. “Looks like my parents are out.”

“Cool,” you said, following as he pulled you into the house and up to his bedroom.

When you got there, you flopped back on his bed, feet on the floor, hands over your eyes.

“Why are you so sleepy, baby?” Vic asked, laying down beside you.

“Ugh,” you said. “I don’t fucking know.”

He chuckled. Then he pulled your hands away from you face and kissed you, rolling over so he could hover over you.

It was such a sweet kiss. Slow and soft. Grinning into it, you slipped your tongue into his mouth and he let out a quiet moan, his hands tangling in your hair. He ground down on you and you slid one hand between you, raking your fingernails over his pants, over his crotch.

“Baby,” he groaned, pulling away from you.

“Yeah?”

“I wanna — you make me wanna — fuck.”

“What?” you asked, grinning.

You leaned up and licked at his lips, playful and sweet.

“God, I just. I wanna fuck you,” he said.

“Yeah?” you asked. “Do it.”

He pulled back, looking your face over.

“Are you… you sure, baby?” he asked. “Are you… ready for that?”

“Yeah,” you said, soft. “I’m ready.”

He got off of you, pulling you up off the bed after him. You watched, head tilted to the side, as he took off his clothes, starting with his shoes and ending with his pants. He left his boxers on, and you smiled, stepping in to him and hooking your fingers into the waistband, slowly pulling them down.

His cock was still mostly soft, and you got to your knees, giving the head just the smallest lick before you looked up at him.

Looking down at you with nothing less than adoration, he stood, his mouth open, watching as you took his cock into your mouth, swirling your tongue around the head and pumping the last few inches with one of your hands. You closed your eyes, memorizing the feel of him in your mouth, and you heard him sigh before he put his hands in your hair again, gently pulling.

“Never wanna forget this,” he said.

“Mm?” you mumbled, your mouth still full of him.

“How pretty you look with me in your mouth,” he said. “Fucking gorgeous.”

You smiled with your eyes up at him, pulling off wetly.

“I’d look better with you fucking me,” you said. “I’ve heard that’s when I look my best.”

You’d actually heard it from a girl you’d fucked around with a long time ago. But the statement still stood.

“Baby,” he said, petting your hair, slow. “You always look good. I don’t know if I could pick when you look the best.”

“I guess we’ll just have to see, won’t we?” you asked, getting to your feet and yanking your sweat-damp shirt off over your head.

“Yeah,” he said, reaching down to undo your pants and pull them off, getting to his knees to help as you stepped out of your shoes and then your pants.

He pulled your underwear down last, getting them to your ankles before he leaned in and licked at you. You sighed, closing your eyes and putting your hands in his hair.

“Vic,” you moaned after a particularly good lick. “Vic, babe, we gotta — if you keep doing this —”

“I know, baby,” he said.

He got to his feet and pulled you to the bed. He sat down and pushed himself away from the edge so his feet were on the bed.

“Want you on my lap,” he said.

“Okay,” you said, soft.

You crawled onto the bed, into his lap, wrapping your legs around him. He wound an arm around your back, lifting you up.

“Wait,” you said. “Do you have protection?”

“Oh, Jesus,” he said.

For a second, you were scared. Worried that you’d have to stop, that this wouldn’t be your first time with him, that it would have to come later.

You should have known better. He was one of your boys. They kept condoms around like food and water. You never know when you’ll need one.

“Yeah, just, it’s in the side table,” he said.

You crawled out of his lap, to where the table stood at the side of the bed. Opening the drawer, you found an odd assortment of condoms. Half unfinished packs and singles you couldn’t imagine where he’d gotten them.

You chose one at random and brought it back to him.

“You got such a cute ass,” he said as you knelt in front of him.

Grinning, you handed him the condom, and he ripped it open with his teeth. He rolled it on and beckoned you back into his lap. You got in his space, throwing your arms around his neck and kissing him as soon as the condom was on. You put your legs back around him and he lifted you up. You positioned his cock at your hole and sunk down on it.

Taking a deep breath, you rolled your hips in a circle. He grinned at you, then lifted you up on his cock and dropped you.

“Oh,” you gasped. “Oh my god.”

Picking you up again, he dropped you. And again. And again. You closed your eyes and put your head back as he fucked into you. He pulled you down on him and kissed your neck.

“I think —” you started. Then you shook your head.

“No, what’s up?” he asked.

“I think I could love you,” you said.

“Well, you know I love you,” he said, picking you up and dropping you again. “You don’t have to love me too soon.”

“Fuck,” you muttered as he did it again. And again. “But I — I think —”

“Shh,” he said. “It’s fine. You can tell me when we’re finished.”

Shaking your head, you pushed him back so he was laying flat on the bed, pulling your legs up so you were straddling him. You started riding him, hard and fast, and he put a hand to you, stroking you.

“Look so damn good riding me, baby,” he said.

“Yeah? Told you.”

He laughed and then gasped as you moved your hips in a circle. Then you went back to bouncing on his cock.

“Come down here,” he said. “Kiss me.”

You went down and kissed him, holding him with a hand on either side of his neck. He slid his tongue into your mouth as he adjusted his legs so he could keep fucking into you at this angle. Then he slipped a hand between you and went back to stroking at you. Gasping, you propped yourself up with your hands on either side of his head so he could reach you better.

It didn’t take long for you to come.

“Vic,” you moaned. “Vic, oh my god.”

“Shh, baby, I got you,” he said.

And then he pulled you down on him as he came with a groan, screwing his eyes shut.

You pulled off of him and laid beside him, running a hand over his stomach, his chest. Humming a tune you’d picked up from Patrick as you did. He turned his head to look at you, his eyes half shut, a smile on his face.

“I think I could love you,” you said.

“You could?” he asked.

“Well, I might just love you.”

“You might just?” he teased.

“Hey,” you laughed. “I’m trying to be like, emotionally vulnerable, here.”

“I know,” he said, rolling to face you. “Let me get rid of this condom before we talk.”

You huffed and let him do it, watching as he carefully took it off and tied it before throwing it away. Then he came back to you, lying on his side, running his fingertips down your chest, making you shiver.

“I think I love you,” you said.

“You don’t have to,” he said.

“But —”

“No, listen. Listen to me. I love you, and you know that, right?”

You sighed. “Right.”

“You just…. Just barely started thinking of me like this,” he said, gesturing in between the two of you. “Don’t worry about loving me too fast.”

You opened your mouth, and he cut you off, putting a finger over your mouth. Rolling your eyes, you let him talk.

“No,” he said. “Don’t worry about it. When you know, you’ll know, and you can tell me then. Until then, you like me, and that’s enough for me.”

“Are you sure?”’ you asked around his finger, which was still on your lips.

“I’m sure,” he said, taking his hand away from your face.

“Cool,” you said.

“Cool,” he said. “Kiss me?”

So you did.

[thecreativeangel]

aut neca aut necare: IV

Peter Parker x Fem!Reader

*Please don’t plagiarize my work, thank you :3*

Summary: Peter hasn’t been talking to you for two weeks now, which is cool. It’s all good. He’s only your best friend of like seven years. No biggie. 

Warnings: Peter kinda being a shady bitch. The angst begins. Reader is  becoming  e d g y

Words: 2.3k

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The weeks were passing too quickly. You’d hoped that Peter would interact even a little, to slow down time like he did when it was just the two of you in his living room, watching old cartoons on a Sunday. Classes with him were the same as classes without him; boring, dreary, etcetera. Peter had little intention of talking with you. Or Ned, apparently, because Ned would follow him everywhere in a desperate attempt to gain his attention. You were alone. It made you guilty, that the mention of Ned’s name caused a bitter pang in your chest. Ned didn’t try to avoid you like Peter seemingly did.

“It’s the most annoying book I’ve ever read,” MJ complained, The Pearl by Steinbeck resting on her lap. Peter didn’t look up from his computer, merely humming to signify he was listening. MJ sent Peter a withering look which he’d see if he looked away from the damn computer. She turned back to you and shrugged. “I mean, let’s say we ignore the shit descriptions. Kino is such a conceited prick. He treats his wife like shit for trying to advise him. Actually, now that I think about it, Juana reminds me of that hero chick who the New York Times likes to bash.”

You felt Peter stiffen in his seat and chose to ignore him like he was you. “Okay Michelle I know that you know her name-”

“Yeah, it’s a stupid name-”

“I mean the people started calling her that, so blame them.”

“It’s a makeup brand!”

“-and did you just use John Steinbeck to suddenly shift conversation to Nyx?”

She sniffed daintily, tugging at one of her baby hairs. “And if I did?”

You laughed at her fake nonchalant attitude. “Oh my god Michelle.”

“Right, let’s see what people think,” she roughly shoved Peter’s shoulder, making him release a high pitched yelp that resounded throughout study hall. “Parker, what d’you think about Nyx. She’s cool and all, but the name. It’s dumb.”

“I don’t get why you like her so much,” Peter said gruffly. “Haven’t you read the New Yo-”

You interrupted him. “We’ve seen that thing. MJ says it’s bull and I believe her. Don’t you think that Ritter guy sounds a bit biased?”

“Maybe, but what he writes is true,” Peter said. He focused back on his computer, typing as he talked. “She robbed a store on Fifth Avenue…”

I didn’t rob it, You thought, deflating slightly. I STOPPED a robbery, then put most of it back. Stupid cameras caught me with ONE watch and reporters ignore the actual robber completely. AND WHO ROBS VERSACE? Walk a bit and you’ll get to Tiffany and Co.!

“...and the United Nations Headquarters!” Peter exclaimed, shocking you out of your thoughts.

“No one saw her sneak in.” MJ noted, confused at why Peter was suddenly so against Nyx. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly. 

“Wait hold up,” you broke in, feeling your palms become sweaty. “W-what happened at the U.N.?”

“Nyx stole from the U.N.’s library,” Peter explained patiently. “She took something from the historical sciences section. No one knows what it is yet, but they think it’s a record of ancient power sources. Prehistoric relics. What old civilizations worshipped. Supposedly it’s from before people knew what a god was, so it’s kind of a big deal.”

You wiped your hands on your jeans and tore the laptop from his hands before he could protest. Of course, as soon as you started typing “UN” the autosearches read “UN headquarters broken into”, “UN delegates can’t work anymore?”, “UN building in shut down”. You clicked on a random article and sure enough, there were shaky pictures of the glass library, dark blue smoke leaking from its open doors. But it wasn’t your smoke; Nyx hadn't entered the building at all. You’d been framed.

“Is there any video?” you asked, praying the squeak in your voice wasn’t audible.

“No,” Peter replied, taking his computer back rather forcefully. “But I’m sure it’s Nyx. I mean, blue smoke? She’s been getting more careless and this was her breaking point, her greatest achievement so far- Or maybe she’s innocent. Dunno, I’ve been watching Shane Dawson.”

Shane Dawson made a conspiracy theory about me? Should I be honored or… Your fingers gripped the armrests to the point that your knuckles were beginning to sting. That night you’d gone out angry; Mum wasn’t calling back, and her assistant left an unpleasant voicemail. You forgot to buy food after hours of homework and ate at Seven Eleven. Not your most dignified moment. So when your silver wristlet began to vibrate, projecting an image of those suspicious trucks moving out of New Jersey for the first time in weeks-

You flew to their location.

The “mission”, distraction, whatever it was- failed. You felt even worse after, coming back into the empty apartment at 2 a.m.

“Kim doesn’t like her either,” Peter said offhandedly. “Been really quiet about the explosion at Stark Labs, but she says she’ll tell me why soon. She hates talking about Mr. Stark. I just wanna be there for her, y’know? No one deserves to be alone like she was.”

Your insides felt like liquid nitrogen, so cold they were scorching. “You’re acting like an idiot.”

Peter frowned, his eyes searching yours. “What?”

“I get that you like her, and that's cool, but it’s getting sad,” you deadpanned, drawing your gaze down to the messages poorly carved into the table (even fancy schools had idiots who got bored). “Why’re you so obsessed with her when you won’t even ask her out? S’ not like she’s interested in you.”

MJ’s snapped up, ridiculously wide. She hastily picked up The Pearl from her lap and practically shoved her nose into the pages, hiding from the conversation. The words left your mouth a grumbled and bunched together, but Peter heard everything. His gaze on you was steely.

“We’re dating,” he said tonelessly, another blaring warning you missed. “Kim asked me out a month ago.”

“Oh.” you managed weakly.

There were several seconds of painfully awkward silence before you snapped, mumbling “It’s not like I’d know that.” under your breath. You pouted slightly, probably acting like a complete child.

“W-what do you mean ‘you wouldn’t know that’,” Peter mused, throwing his hands up. “I told you last week.”

“That’s a lie,” you retaliated. “I’ve barely talked to you this month! So-rry for not wanting to intrude on your little fantasy when she’s around.”

“Why are you like this?” Peter asked honestly. His normally serene expression turned to a scowl. “The moment I get over Liz- Actually no, you’ve been weird all year!”

“I’ve- I'm not acting weird- and you, that's- don't even have the right to say th-” MJ looked over her book so only her eyes showed and shook her head. You faltered. Have I been acting differently? Has everyone else noticed?

“Whatever. Nothing's wrong. It's just puberty or something.”

Peter watched you wearily, scanning for something. “Good. Awesome. Now could you please be quiet?”

“So you can finish your little article about Nyx?” you scoffed, rolling your eyes. “You’re just salty that Spiderman, everyone's favorite hero used to be friends with her.”

Peter flushed pink. “I’m talking to Kim about it, not writing an article.”

“Bet you’re gushing about how Nyx deserves to be put to death sentence.” you said. “Since you suddenly hate her so much. For no reason.”

“For good reason, but you’re too in love with her to see it. Look, I’m sure Spiderman will catch her soon,” Peter said through gritted teeth. MJ sunk down in her chair, shielding herself from the argument. You didn’t know if anyone was listening in, but you were too angry to care. “And when he does she’ll confess, and this will all be over.”

“Catch her? They’re partners!”

“D’you- d’you actually Spiderman would be partners with a criminal?”

You wrinkled your nose at him, suppressing a cynical laugh. “Spiderman used to be a criminal! ‘Member when he cut Staten Island Ferry in half?”

Peter seemed pissed off by this, and you wondered why he idolized Spiderman so much. “He wasn’t a criminal! He helped people!”

Your fists clenched under the table, hearing the light overhead start to buzz, the glass cracking. Magic crackled quietly around your wrists like sparks electricity. “There is no proof that Nyx stole from the U.N.-”

“Well, yes, there is,” Peter pressed. “How can’t you see it? No one else leaves blue smoke besides her! I think Nyx should be sent to jail, because that’s where criminals go.”

Jail. That’s not too bad. Jail might have decent food. “At least you don’t want her killed.”

“Depends,” Peter said airily. “On whether she hurts Kim again.”

He didn’t bother to add “Oh, and you, Ned, Michelle…and May of course. Y’know. My blood relative who I very much love, Aunt May.” Nope, it was just Kimberly. Kimberly, Kimberly, Kimberly. You tried to sympathize with him, really you did, but this young love bullshit was irritating. Besides, your young love wasn’t going too well.

“Psh, so what would you do?” you asked. “Go to your damn internship and tattle to Spiderman? Have him hunt Nyx?”

There was a sense of disbelief in your words, but Peter’s gaze remained set. His brown doe eyes gleamed with determination and protectiveness. None of it was for you. 

“If I have to,” he shrugged. “Yeah.”

So in other words, you’d do anything for her, you thought sourly. Ouch. That hurts a bit. Peter dropped the solemn face so quickly you wondered if he ever looked solemn at all. Might have been a figment of your imagination, just trying to get you to be angry with him. He sent you a lopsided, innocent smile that made your blood boil. You didn’t know why, didn’t want to know why, but at this moment he had no right to go back to his cheerful state. Not after saying those things.

You looked back down at your black jeans and picked at a loose seam. The way he looked when he spoke about Kim… The chivalry, warmth and protective nature. Seven years you and him had been best friends, and he never looked at you that way. Not when you were pushed into mulch by a bully in 5th grade, or when you were harassed by 15 people in 7th, or when a girl had the audacity to call you a prude bitch in 9th. (Apparently you were a prude for admitting that you’d never been kissed, but joke’s on her. It’s junior year and you still haven’t been kissed, so… That’s depressing.)

Your thoughts strayed, but there was one common observation: Peter liked you, cared for you, grew up with you, but he’d never look at you with as much adoration as he did to Kimberly. But it’s worse than that, isn’t it... You dug your fingers into your thighs. No matter how close I am with Peter, he’d always choose her over me. Fuelled by venomous thoughts, you spoke before thinking.

“God, why do you hate her so much?” you huffed. “It’s like she’s the one who killed your parents.”

MJ almost fell over as she shot up, grabbed everything she could and sped out of study hall. Your eyes shot open at your own statement, heart starting to beat frantically. Shit, why did I say that?! Peter’s head jerked up, staring at you. You didn’t want to describe what flashed across his face, didn’t want to keep looking at him. You wished you could slap yourself so hard it reversed time and that slip-up never happened but your gaze was locked with Peter’s, and neither party was backing down.

When he spoke, his voice was barely above a whisper. “Take it back.”

You didn’t blink. “Peter.”

“Take. It. Back.”

“I’m sorry,” you breathed, hating the way your words sounded; like a strangled, dehydrated cat. “Peter, it slipped-”

He only looked at you, jaw clenched so hard you could see the muscles twitching. Your eyes began to sting, feeling the pressured need to cry build up beneath your eyeballs. “Peter I said I w-”

“Fuck you.” he spat.

That single, short sentence was enough to make you clamp your mouth shut. It was two words dripping poison onto your body, melting skin wherever drops landed. He stood up, shoved his books into his backpack so fast his hands seemed to blur and before you could even move he disappeared through the door, heavy footsteps slowly fading away.

You were still sitting, holding your knees which were exposed because of the ripped jeans, hands shaking and staring at at the door through which he left. Even if the entirety of study hall knew how badly you just fucked up with your best friend, you didn’t care. Judging from how quiet everyone suddenly was, they all knew anyway. But you stayed perfectly still, shoulders tense, clutching your knees until your nails made little semi-circles appear. Soon, they broke the skin and tiny dots of blood surfaced, and you still didn’t move. Your chest moved in fast, small movements, like an animal that was being hunted.

When the embarrassment of your actions finally reached your fogged up mind, you frantically shoveled books into your backpack and fled the room with your head down. A few drops of red ran down from the aching cuts in your exposed knees and disappeared into the black fabric of your jeans. They hurt. You deserved it.  

I messed up, I messed up, I messed up, I messed up, I m-

Authors Note: Sorry ‘bout not posting, but depression just kicked in like a motherfucker and I needed time to get used to the feeling. There’s also some stuff about my summer credit course, that gets in the way too. Hope people still care to read this. Byee-

Tags List:  @4-a-m, @miss-glitch, @runs-with-sciss0rs, @lubrielx, @reddiesteddiespaghetti, @wheezygreens,  @everythingthatisrandom, @mcheung0314,

[emosnakeboy]

I’ve Done Everything to Deserve This (Version #1)

Prompt: I’ve done everything to deserve this, but why here, why now, why in front of him? (found it on my dash by @thrown-out-pasta) (am going to write second different one because this prompt speaks to me) Ship: Romanic/Pining Logince, mentions of Logicality Warnings: angst was implied. humiliation, hatred, bullying, mentions of maybe home abuse, etc

Roman really did try his best to be a good person. 

It didn’t look like it from the outside, but then again, not everyone can be overly friendly like that kid Patton O’Connor. The idiot was going to get himself hurt one day from being too outgoing. He was fairly new. He hadn’t learned his lesson yet. Roman had been trying to teach him, to show him what would happen to him if he didn’t reign himself in a little. He showed O’Conner as quickly as he could, bringing up his own old memories in the process. He went light on him, very light by the school bullies’ standards. He didn’t wanna hurt the kid. Just... warn him. He’d left Patton in the bathroom after, the kid shaking with sobs as he tended to his few wounds, a foreboding message playing in his head: just step back, or it’ll only be worse for you.

That was a far kinder treatment than that emo kid had received. The freak was always drawing. Roman hadn’t exactly seen it as a bad thing when he first noticed it, but when he noticed emo boy wearing long sleeves and lots of makeup, he resolved that the bullies had determined that he needed the punishment. Roman didn’t want to get beat up. Roman did what he had to. He really hoped the bullies would never find his love of theater.

Timber Creek High School was an awful place. Roman wished it wasn’t like this, but if you didn’t agree with them, then they didn’t agree with you. And if they didn’t agree with you...

... you’d be sorry.

Today wasn’t at all going in Roman’s favor. He’d been late to class due to the stupid rain, and that had earned him a detention. He tried to stay on the bullies’... less bad side... but unless there was a nerdier kid in detention, Roman would be getting a nice beating from them today. 

That Patton kid seemed like a good option. If he could get O’Connor into detention, he’d escape unscathed. 

He managed to do just that at lunch, and in a very public and fun manner. Roman had it all worked out, and he used a variety of clues to perfect his plan.

Patton O’Connor had a very obvious crush on Logan Torres, a huge nerd (that Roman may or may not have also had a very obvious crush on) who used his lunch to study in the cafeteria. That bit of information was crucial. Logan didn’t usually eat in the cafeteria; Roman had observed this in the years he’d spent at Timber Creek High. Patton would have no idea. Logan spent this particular lunch period next to Emo Kid, although both of them remained silent as Logan read his books and Emo Kid doodled away. Roman made sure to sit at a table in between Patton and Logan, yet not too far away from either of them. He also made sure to bring a paper airplane to lunch.

The airplane hit Patton in the back of the head, and as he turned around to pick it up from the floor Roman smiled. Roman watched Patton mouth the words that he’d written: Any chance you could toss something to eat over here? I’m rather famished, but I can’t afford to buy anything to eat today. -Logan T. He watched Patton’s face light up, watched Patton take half of his probably-homemade PB&J sandwich without thinking, watched Patton ready his right arm -

Splat. The sandwich hit emo kid in the back of the head. He wheeled around, anger apparent on his face. O’Connor blanched as Emo Kid took a scoop of baked beans off his lunch tray with his hands and threw it at Patton full-force. It hit the poor kid square in the face, splattering on the other once-peppy kids seated around Patton. 

Only a few more seconds had passed before it was an all-out food fight. 

Roman sat back and laughed at the chaos he’d caused. He didn’t want to get too involved; oh no, that would ruin the rest of his plan.

A teacher soon stopped the fight. “Who started all of this?!” she yelled, looking around at the kids in the room. Many flinched away from her glare.

Roman assumed an innocent demeanor, raising his hand slightly and pointing towards Patton. “O’Conner threw the first sandwich, Miss.” 

The teacher didn’t acknowledge Roman’s presence. Instead, she rounded on Patton, who was terrified, shaking, and covered in baked beans.. “Detention, O’Connor. For the rest of the week.” Roman held in a snicker as she whirled around and left the room.

He thought he was home clear.

Then the end of the day came.

Roman was packing his things up, ready for detention now that he wasn’t going to get beat up. Maybe he’d be able to get some homework done before he had to go back home to the woman he had to call “mother”. Maybe his day wasn’t so bad.

He was just about to head to room 421 for detention when he was shoved against a line of lockers abruptly. “Price, you’re in for it now,” a menacing voice hissed as firm hands held him in place by his shoulder and throat. The hall around them suddenly seemed alive with curious teenagers who wanted to know what had happened.

“What... did I... do?” Roman gasped out, winded and almost unable to breathe. He made eye contact with the person holding him to the wall, and he felt his heart stop at the sight. 

Remy. One of them. 

Roman was toast.

“How. dare. you.” Remy seethed, his dark eyes glimmering angrily from behind his sunglasses. “You framed him. I watched you do it. Probably also the one to beat him up a few weeks ago.”

“Wh...at?”

Remy’s lips curled in disgust. “You hurt my cousin. Got ‘im landed in detention, too. You’re screwed, Price.”

It clicked in Roman’s head suddenly. Remy O’Connor. Patton O’Connor. Cousins. And probably why Patton never really had more bruises after that one lesson Roman had taught him.

Oh, god, Roman was royally screwed.

“Didn’t.... know,” Roman gasped, his hand moving up to the hand on his throat. “Pl..ease....” 

“Price, I dunno why you did what you did- wait... just one second. I bet that’s why, isn’t it? You were worried that he was gonna... I can’t believe it.”

Believe what? Roman thought bleakly, his vision beginning to spot. I did what I did to keep him safe. And to protect myself from this. 

“You thought he was gonna try to take Torres’s heart, didn’t you?”

A string of curses flew through Roman’s brain. He only could hope that Logan wasn’t around, couldn’t see what was happening, and hadn’t heard that last statement. He could hear the people whispering around him, and he realized that it didn’t matter. Logan would hear about it anyway.

Remy leaned in close to Roman’s ear. “See you in detention, Price,” he said, his voice cold and promising. Terror shot down Roman’s spine. Remy released Roman suddenly, and he dropped to the floor in a limp mess. He bit his lip, hard, to keep from crying out as Remy kicked him in the ribcage. Tears sprung to his eyes as he tasted blood in his mouth. He let his eyes fall shut as he lay there, feeling helpless. He heard the crowd dying down, and he could pick out Remy’s unmistakable footsteps in the mess of people leaving the previously-excited area. 

After a few minutes, Roman opened his eyes and struggled to sit up. He winced at a stabbing pain in his chest, hoping that nothing was broken yet. That pain didn’t seem to hurt at all when he saw the only person remaining in the hall.

Logan. Fricking. Torres.

I’ve done everything to deserve this, but why here, why now, why in front of him?

He stared down at Roman, eyes wide and face unreadable. Roman couldn’t look away from his gaze, wondering what was going on behind that emotionless mask he wore. Did he feel sorry for Roman? Would he want to help him? 

“You... you’re a monster.” The words pierced his heart. Logan’s expression darkened. “You’d really hurt someone just because you’re scared of them taking me? You.. don’t even have me. You’re a terrible person. Maybe next time you should just, I dunno, ask me out before beating up an innocent kid over it. Maybe I would’ve said yes before today.” As if this wasn’t bad enough, Logan finished with one last blow that rang through Roman’s ears throughout the rest of his beating.

“I’ll never say yes to you.”

oof i never write angst or logince can you tell

whatever here you go tumblr do what you will

some people who wanted to be tagged/who might like this:

@romanochez @adultmorelikeadolt @romanticsanders @theeternalspace 

[artificialqueens]

Something Borrowed 10/10 (Witney) - Miss Bianca & jazz

Summary: This was going to be Courtney’s first visit to her childhood home in five years, and she’d made a lot of plans. Obviously, none of them had included falling into a whirlwind, summer love affair with her father’s 28-year-old fiancée, three months before the planned wedding. But sometimes, things just happened.

Miss Bianca’s A/N: We did it, y’all. Six and a half months, ten chapters, 65k words, countless nights spent sharing a doc and a brain, and we’re at the finish line. I want to thank every one of you that’s been with us since the beginning, and all of the people who joined in partway through. Thanks for sticking with us and motivating us. And most of all, I want to thank jazz, my partner in crime herself, for listening to this idea and taking the leap when she asked me if I wanted to write it together. Saying yes was the best decision I ever made, and now, I’m not sure I could say no to her even if I tried.

jazz’s A/N: I’m not crying, you’re crying. (Just kidding I’m totally crying, come cry with us @artificial-jazz & @willamdelrio.) (Also, would it really be right if Miss Bianca’s author’s note wasn’t 3 times the size of mine????) <3

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9

“So, listen, baby, here’s how it’s gonna go down.”  

Willam let go of Courtney’s hand, flipping down the visor to peer in the mirror and starting to clean up her makeup with a tissue and spit. She was still talking, and it was probably important, but all Courtney could hear was that pet name echoing in her head, Willam’s voice just a little bit raspy as she said it.

Baby, baby, baby.

“Courtney.” Willam snapped her fingers in front of Courtney’s face, and Courtney jumped.

“What?”

“Did you hear any of that?” Willam asked rhetorically, the corner of her mouth curling up in an affectionate smile as she glanced over at her.

“No,” Courtney admitted. She laughed despite herself, letting the sound bubble up from deep in her chest.  

Willam sighed, feigning exasperation, and glared at her halfheartedly.

“You keep calling me baby,” Courtney explained. “And it’s distracting, and I love it. I love you.”

“You’re gonna pout if I don’t say it back, aren’t you?” Willam said, scraping lipstick off the corner of her mouth with a thumbnail, and Courtney nodded. “Fine. You’re really cute, and I love you, too.”

“Good.”

“Are you gonna pay attention this time?”

“Obviously.”

Willam flipped the visor back up, apparently satisfied with her appearance.

“Okay,” Willam started. “I’m gonna go back upstairs, socialize for a little longer, and then leave with Dave. When we get back to the house, I’m gonna tell him that I changed my mind, and can’t marry him. I won’t explain why, so if we’re lucky, he won’t disown you, too. I dunno how long that’ll take, but I’m pretty sure that I’ll be out on my ass as soon as that ring is off my finger, so we gotta be ready to leave as fast as we can.”

“What about me?”

“You’ll drive the Jeep home, park in the front driveway, and pack your things,” Willam replied. “If there’s anything you can leave, do it. We’ll need the space for my stuff.”

“So I just wait?”

“Yes,” Willam said. “You pack, and wait up for me. ‘Cause if you leave without me, I don’t –”

“I won’t,” Courtney cut her off. “Don’t be dumb.”

Willam grinned and leaned across the console to press another quick kiss to Courtney’s lips, hand cupping her cheek.

“What about Farrah, though?” Courtney asked, grabbing Willam’s hand and holding onto it tight, like Willam might run off if she didn’t. “I think she knows something’s up.”

“I’ll throw her off somehow, I dunno,” Willam shrugged. “And she’ll drive back with me and Dave.”

Courtney found herself shaking her head absentmindedly, biting down on her lip to suppress her smile. This was serious business, she knew – Willam wasn’t one to make this type of call on a whim, without fully committing – but she couldn’t help it.

This was really happening: Willam was here with her, now, and they weren’t going to be apart for much longer. Courtney mentally repeated the notion to herself to assuage the uneasy feeling in her gut, the one that made her wish that she didn’t have to wait until later tonight to know that Willam was safe, that they were finally good to go.

For the first time since Courtney had known her, Willam would be a single woman, and they wouldn’t have to hide anymore. She clung to that idea, trying to push away her nerves.

“We can go to Seattle,” she blurted out.

Willam stared at her for a moment, seeming amused.

“We can go anywhere you want, baby,” she said finally, squeezing Courtney’s hand.

“I have a friend who lives there,” Courtney explained, her cheeks feeling warm under Willam’s soft gaze. “She’s really cool. We can stay in her guest room for awhile, and just be… together.”

“That sounds good,” Willam said, the grin growing on her face informing Courtney that it was way more than just good. “Call her when you get back home.”

“I will.”

Willam reached across the console to rest her free hand over their joined ones, staring down at the tangled fingers with that rare smile of wonderment that she only ever seemed to share with Courtney.

The longer Courtney thought about it, the more perfect it seemed. Seattle would be a fresh start for the both of them, and they already had an easy in with Adore. Getting ahead of herself, Courtney envisioned spending rainy Seattle Sundays with Willam, in bed with the windows cracked.

It wouldn’t be anything like their time together in L.A., Courtney realized, different even than the week they’d spent alone in the mansion without having to worry about being caught. She pondered what Willam would look like under the overcast skies, and imagined kissing her in the cool rain, the water soaking through their hair and washing away the leftover loneliness from all the years spent without each other.

“Fuck,” Willam said roughly, glancing up to meet Courtney’s eyes. “I don’t wanna go.”

Courtney frowned slightly. “What do you mean? I thought…”

“No, no,” Willam shook her head. “I don’t wanna go back upstairs, I mean. Don’t wanna go anywhere without you there.”

Courtney blinked rapidly, feeling as if she might cry again at any moment. Another I love you was on the tip of her tongue, but this time she chose to keep it to herself, settling instead on playfully raising her eyebrows.

“You’re not going all soft on me now, are you?” Courtney teased.

She watched Willam’s shoulders relax at that, eyes rolling as she pulled Courtney in for one last kiss, simple and tender. Willam didn’t seem to be in any hurry at first, content to just feel the press of Courtney’s lips against her own before she deepened the kiss, as much an apology as it was a promise.

It took everything Courtney had to finally pull away. Soon they’d have days and weeks and months to do nothing else but this, she reminded herself, pecking the tip of Willam’s nose lightly.

“I’ll wait up,” Courtney whispered.

The corners of Willam’s eyes crinkled as she smiled, and then she was pulling open the door and hopping out of the car. Courtney watched Willam leave, smiling herself as the other woman repeatedly glanced over her shoulder towards the Jeep.

Once the elevator doors closed behind Willam, Courtney leaned down to pick the keys up from where she’d dropped them and clambered over the console to sit in the driver’s seat. Her whole body was buzzing as she started the engine, any trace of exhaustion quickly forgotten as the adrenaline began to set in.

She tucked the hair framing her face behind her ears and reached to adjust the rearview mirror, glancing at her red-rimmed eyes and blotted lips, which were slightly swollen from kissing. Although it felt wrong to leave Willam on her own here, Courtney knew that Willam could handle herself, and knew that she had a job to do. With that in mind, Courtney threw the Jeep into reverse and peeled out into the Los Angeles night.

She turned the radio off and on and back off. Willam’s car felt too big and quiet without her in it, and Courtney wished she could call her to check in, to hear her voice again, all thick and smoldering and full of emotion.

But she did know who else she could call.

At a stoplight, Courtney hastily unlocked her phone and tapped on one of her favorited contacts, putting the call on speaker before resting the phone on her thigh and waiting anxiously for her friend to pick up.  

“Hey, bitch,” Adore laughed, an easy chuckle that dissolved into a fit of coughs. Courtney heard Adore rearranging herself on the other end, and she pictured her smoking a blunt out on her balcony, charcoal on her fingertips from whatever piece of artwork she’d undoubtedly been crafting prior to Courtney’s call. “It’s been a minute.”

“Hi,” Courtney said, pausing. Suddenly, she didn’t know where to begin.

She felt like she should ask how Seattle had been treating Adore, should apologize for letting life get in the way of talking as much as they used to.It had been hard trying to stay in touch with the other girl once they lived far apart, since so much of their relationship had been tied to them being together physically, in one way or another.

“What’s up, babe? You good?” Adore prodded.

“I…” Courtney trailed off, trying to figure out how much to disclose. She knew what Adore sounded like stoned as opposed to sober, and she also knew that Adore wasn’t the best at processing a lot of information all at once, particularly when she was high.

“Court?”

“I’m good, yeah,” Courtney finally exhaled. “The summer’s been fucking crazy.”

“Mmm, I know,” Adore agreed comfortably, not bothering to question what Courtney meant.

“Hey, Delano?” Courtney decided to get straight to the point, knowing that catching up with Adore would be far easier in person.

“Huh?”

“If I ask you for a favor right now, are you gonna give me a real answer?” When Adore made a confused noise, Courtney continued. “Like, will you remember what you tell me, or are you too out of it?”

“Oh, oh,” Adore laughed. “Don’t be dumb, girl, of course I’ll remember. What do you need?”

Courtney took a deep breath, her hands tapping on the steering wheel as she waited at a red light. Her friendship with Adore had always been fun and easy – and quite a bit more affectionate than normal, at that – but that was all a part of Adore’s crazy appeal. She could go with the flow like the best of them, and Courtney knew she could count on Adore to come through when she needed her most. She hoped that same principle would still apply even with Willam in the picture.

“You know how you always used to try and get me to visit you? Like, ‘you should come crash at my place’ and all that?”

Adore hummed her acknowledgment.

“Well… I want – actually, I need – to come crash at your place,” Courtney finished.

“Yo, seriously?” Adore’s voice got noticeably louder, and Courtney swore she could hear the other woman grinning.

“I don’t know how long I’d be there,” Courtney said, chewing on her lip. “It’s sort of hard to explain, but I like, need a place to lie low for awhile, and I thought of you.”

“Duh, of course,” Adore agreed. “You can come stay however long you want, baby, I have an extra room and a couch that’s pretty comfy considering I got it for free from my landlady and her fifty seven cats.”

Courtney smiled, imagining her and Willam in their own shared bedroom, with nothing to disturb them aside from Adore’s music and friends outside the door. She pictured curling up to Willam’s side on the couch as people flitted in and out of the room, not a single one of them glancing twice at Courtney leaving open-mouthed kisses on Willam’s neck as Willam’s hand crept up her thigh.

“There’s just one thing,” Courtney said, swallowing.

“Yeah?”

“I wouldn’t be coming alone.”

Adore sucked in a breath on the other end of the line, and there was a moment of silence, Courtney nearly drawing blood from biting down on her lower lip.

“Shit,” Adore commented, drawing out the syllable. “You finally got a girl, huh?”

“Yeah, I think so,” Courtney replied, relaxing a little bit as she realized Adore’s tone didn’t seem upset in the slightest.

“Think so?”

“Like I said, it’s hard to explain,” Courtney sighed.

Courtney turned a corner and watched as the houses began to look more and more like her father’s. It occurred to her that this might be the last time she’d ever drive this way, the last time she entered the neighborhood that had raised her and then changed her twice over. Adore was quiet, but Courtney could hear her breathing, picture her dark eyebrows drawn together as she tried to put the pieces together.

“Wait, she’s the reason you’re hiding out?” Adore asked finally, but it was more of a statement than a question. “Damn. Who is this girl, Court?”

“It’s not about anything illegal, if that’s what you’re thinking,” Courtney reassured her. “Even though I’d probably do illegal things for her, if it came to that.”

The words had come out before Courtney could even really think about what she was saying, and she winced slightly. It was true – she’d absolutely thought about harming people on Willam’s behalf – but it hadn’t needed to be shared.

“You’re in fuckin’ deep, then, aren’t you?” Adore laughed after a pause.

“We just need to get out of L.A., and I hoped we could stay with you,” Courtney continued quickly. “If we can’t, that’s okay, and we’ll figure something else out. Wherever we end up, we’ll be better off than we are here.”

“No, you can bring her, too,” Adore said agreeably. “Can’t wait to meet the chick Courtney would kill for, it’s gonna be a party.”

“Party,” Courtney mocked, snorting quietly. “You’ll be meeting her sooner rather than later.” She trailed off as she approached her father’s house, pressing on the brakes and pulling into the driveway carefully. She idled there for a moment, eyeing the mansion. It looked different now, cold and unforgiving, and Courtney shivered.

“I’m not sure how long it takes to get to Seattle by car, but we’re leaving as soon as we can,” she finished, bringing the phone up to her ear. “And thank you. Really.”

“Anything for you, babe,” Adore replied. “I’ll see you when you get here.”

Courtney nodded as if Adore could see her, giving her a quick love you before unbuckling her seatbelt and gathering her things with a renewed sense of urgency. For all she knew, Willam was leaving with Dave right this very moment, while Courtney was wasting time stewing in the car when she could’ve been packing up her stuff.

Or, rather, their stuff. For their new life in Seattle.

Courtney’s heart skipped a beat, and she practically ran into the mansion, taking the steps two at a time on the way to her bedroom.

She’d have to admit that she’d miss her room here, at least a little bit. Courtney kneeled down to pull one of her suitcases out from underneath her bed, smiling to herself at the tattered crop top that caught her eye, no doubt shoved under there after Courtney had torn it off Willam’s body at the beginning of the summer. It seemed like so long ago now, and Courtney’s chest ached at the memory.

This room had been good at keeping secrets, and as she moved to pick through her dresser drawers, Courtney was grateful for that. Some of Willam’s t-shirts had gotten mixed in with Courtney’s own, and she almost laughed to think that there was a time not so long ago when that would’ve infuriated her. She folded the clothing into haphazard rolls now, shoved them into her luggage to create as much space possible for all the shoes she knew she’d have to fit.

She’d come to Los Angeles with an almost ridiculous amount of stuff, clothing and knick-knacks and accessories. Most of it hadn’t even been unpacked, as she discovered when she pulled out another suitcase, still full of purses and jackets. Looking at it now, Courtney couldn’t even fathom what she’d been thinking as she packed for the visit.

The majority of it had never been used, and would never be used, bought with her father’s money in a desperate attempt to fit in with the L.A. business elite, people who she was now allowing herself to hate not just secretly, but with her entire being.

Shaking her head, Courtney emptied the suitcase onto her bed carelessly, sorting through it slowly for the more expensive items to sell if need be. That time in her life was over, permanently, and she couldn’t wait to shed the remnants and finally be free.

It had taken longer than she’d expected, but Courtney had managed to fill another entire duffel bag with the necessities – some of Willam’s best lingerie, her softest jeans, the thigh-high boots that made Courtney practically salivate – before the nerves really started to set in. She’d heard a car pull in the driveway a little while ago, and then footsteps in the hallway.

She assumed that Willam was talking to Dave now, telling him that the engagement was off, but Courtney hadn’t been given an update, and she couldn’t know for sure. She had hoped that Willam would give her some sort of information, a text, even – anything to let her know that things were progressing the way they were supposed to. She found herself checking the time impulsively, watching the minutes tick away slowly.

Another hour later, and Courtney was ready to crawl out of her skin.  Her brain kept conjuring images of her father at his angriest, memories of his arguments with Willam and even her mother, loud enough to hear from the other side of the house. She couldn’t hear any yelling now, and that nearly scared her more.

Courtney sank down onto the bed, messy and covered with clothing and accessories. It was well past midnight, still with no word from Willam, and Courtney turned her phone over, watching her hands shake just a little bit as she did so.

Across the room, a piece of cream colored fur caught her eye from where it poked out of her closet, a welcome distraction. Courtney got up and padded over, hesitantly reaching to pull the door open. She brushed her fingers over the fur, and Willam’s coat fell off the hook and into her arms.

She hugged it to her chest, burying her nose in the soft material and breathing in deeply, hoping there were still hints of Willam’s perfume hidden by the collar. She smiled slightly as the scent brought her back to all the times that kissing Willam had turned into just hugging her, face tucked into her neck, comfortable and content.

There were three gentle knocks on the door then, and the coat slipped from Courtney’s grip, landing heavily at her feet. With her pulse racing, Courtney walked over, swallowed hard as she let her hand linger on the door handle.

“Yes?” she asked nervously, hoping beyond hope that it was Willam on the other side.

“It’s me.”

Courtney’s heart skipped a beat at the sound of Willam’s voice, and she opened the door in one swift motion.

Willam was still in her dress and heels from earlier, a backpack dangling from one hand and her other arm wrapped around herself. She looked drained, her face expressionless, and Courtney tried not to panic as she moved to the side to let Willam in, closing the door behind her.

“Will?” Courtney murmured. “Is everything okay?”

Willam’s eyes snapped up to meet Courtney’s, and the corner of her mouth curved up in a small smile.

“Yeah,” Willam said, dropping the bag and holding up her left hand for Courtney to see. The ring was gone. “I did it.”

As soon as the words left Willam’s lips, Courtney felt her entire body relax, air filling her lungs as she finally allowed herself to breathe again. The urge to tackle-hug Willam was strong, but Courtney managed to restrain herself, noticing how Willam seemed unsteady, her legs shaky. Instead, she reached for Willam’s hand, tears prickling in the corners of her eyes as she trapped Willam’s slender fingers between her own, this time with no cold metal and sharp stone digging into her skin to remind her that Willam wasn’t really hers.

When she looked back up, Willam was staring at her with a softness that Courtney vowed to commit to memory, her smile sweet and almost indulgent.

“You can hug me, baby,” she said, her voice affectionate. “I did it for you, after all.”

Courtney bit her lip, blinking rapidly to stop herself from crying. Willam tugged on her hand, and that was all the confirmation that she needed to surge forwards and wrap her arms around Willam’s waist.

She felt Willam’s quick intake of breath as much as she heard it, and the other woman was frozen for a moment before her arms wound around Courtney’s neck, body practically melting against her as she relaxed. One of her hands worked its way into Courtney’s hair, fingers winding in her curls and tugging gently to make Courtney sigh against her skin, the sensations reminding both of them that this was real, and not just some opportunistic daydream.

Courtney tucked her face closer into Willam’s neck, squeezing her eyes shut. The scent of her perfume was a thousand times better on her skin, and Courtney pressed her lips to her pulse point, smiling as Willam let out a quiet chuckle in response.

Willam pulled back briefly to glance over Courtney’s shoulder, noticing the wreckage of bags packed and unpacked for seemingly the first time. “Hey, you started packing,” she acknowledged sweetly, slotting her hips against Courtney’s.

“And I’d be almost done by now if you didn’t have so much shit,” Courtney joked, releasing Willam and resting her hands on her waist. “Seriously, all the stuff you have in my closet?”

“Yeah, I really filled it up, didn’t I?” Willam laughed.

“It’s like you knew.”

Willam cocked her head to the side, and Courtney continued.

“Sharing closet space? That’s couple-y as fuck, Bill. It’s like you were planning on –” She stopped, appraising the mischievous grin spreading across Willam’s face.

“Guess I was getting ready to run,” Willam shrugged. “Even if I didn’t know it.”

“You,” Courtney said, brushing her lips against Willam’s, “are unbelievable.”

Her eyes sparkling, Willam caught Courtney’s chin, tilting her face up and leaning in to kiss her for real.

After they broke apart, Courtney dug through the duffel bag with Willam’s things to find her a t-shirt and shorts to change into. She managed not to watch as Willam stripped, wanting to stay focused, but once the other woman had stepped out of her heels and changed into the more casual clothing, Courtney couldn’t resist pulling her into another kiss, endeared by how much smaller and younger she seemed like this.

Courtney lost track of time after that. As she continued packing, Willam perched on the end of her bed and filled her in on the main themes of her conversation with Dave, the largest take-away being Dave’s warning that she’d better not be here when he woke up tomorrow. Courtney decided not to press further than that, figuring they’d have all the time in the world to delve into it later on. Now, Courtney’s biggest obstacle was concentrating on the task at hand – without getting distracted by the woman watching her with that adoring expression on her face, all smiles and bright eyes, practically begging to be touched.

More than once, Courtney gave in, usually just pausing to lean down and kiss her in between trips from the closet to the luggage. After one such exchange, Willam managed to pull Courtney down and onto her lap, holding her waist as Courtney straddled her, the kisses growing longer and deeper until Courtney swore she could taste salt. When she finally paused for air, Willam was blinking back tears, her smile widening as she stared up at Courtney.

Courtney almost spoke, but there was nothing to be said, so she closed her mouth and simply smiled back. Willam leaned in again, but this time, her lips brushed past Courtney’s jaw and she buried her face in Courtney’s neck, arms winding more tightly around her.

Closing her eyes, Courtney let Willam hold her, allowing herself the brief break from packing and rushing and thinking to smile until her cheeks hurt, to bask in the realization that they’d both be getting their happy endings after all.

“Wait,” Willam interjected, lifting her head. “Where the fuck are we actually going?”

Courtney laughed, realizing that in the midst of all this craziness, she’d forgotten to update Willam on the Adore situation. “We’re all set for Seattle, my friend’s expecting us.”

“Seattle,” Willam repeated wistfully, more to herself than anyone else.

“So get off your ass and help me finish packing so we can get going.” Courtney pinched her side playfully, spurring Willam to squirm off the bed and to her feet.

The urgency of their situation wasn’t lost on Courtney, who could picture her father seething in the master bedroom before settling on sleep instead. Courtney certainly had no interest in being present when Dave awoke in the morning to update her on the status of the wedding, and she was grateful for Willam’s extra set of hands, which made the process move exponentially faster – bringing them one step closer to getting out of there for good.

Willam double-checked the bathroom to make sure they’d gotten everything important, assisted in closing the largest of the suitcases by sitting on top of it as Courtney zipped the bag shut. Courtney was impressed at how relatively light they’d managed to pack, figuring that they’d have plenty to wear between the two of them and that most everything else was replaceable. It was a nice image, Courtney had to admit – the thought of sharing her wardrobe with Willam, seeing her wear one of Courtney’s sundresses around Adore’s apartment.

It was nearly 2 AM when Courtney hauled the final suitcase over to the doorway. Willam was back in her spot at the foot of the bed, and Courtney walked over to her, her whole body feeling jittery with excitement and nerves. She held out her hand, and Willam took it, bouncing on her toes as she stood, the two of them staring at each other for a moment.

“Are you sure?” Willam spoke up finally, her voice tentative.

“Sure about what?”

“About this, about us,” Willam said, her eyes searching Courtney’s face.

“It’d suck if I wasn’t,” Courtney replied with a chuckle. “All of our stuff is probably mixed together now, and there’s only one car for us to leave in.”

“Court…” Willam sighed, looking down. “Are you sure that this is what you want? That I’m what you want?”

Courtney bit her lower lip, squeezing Willam’s hand as her heart clenched just a little in response to the words that Willam hadn’t said. She hated that Willam still had to ask questions like this, hated that she hadn’t realized yet that Courtney was the lucky one.

“Of course I am, love,” Courtney said, smiling and hoping that Willam would see the sincerity in her face. “Weren’t you listening to my speech?”

Willam pressed her lips together, nodding, and Courtney could see the smile starting to form. Courtney let go of her hand and moved to turn away, reassured that Willam’s doubts were assuaged for now.

“Hey, Court?” Willam’s voice was quiet, and Courtney faced her again.

“Mmm?”

Her cheeks grew warm as Willam stepped into her space and reached up to frame her face with careful hands, gaze wandering over Courtney’s features sweetly.

“I love you.”

She said it softly, deliberately, like it was a secret – even though it didn’t have to be anymore.

Courtney’s breath caught, and Willam leaned in closer, lips pressing against the corner of her mouth before moving to meet Courtney’s in a gentle kiss.

Willam loved her – a break-off-the-engagement, follow-you-to-a-different-state type of love – and Courtney was nearly dizzy with it as she reached down to grab a duffel bag and a suitcase and began the process of loading up the Jeep. Willam slung her backpack over her shoulder, plucking a smaller suitcase from their conglomeration of luggage to carry downstairs.

The house felt eerily quiet, although Courtney supposed that was a good thing. The rest of the world was more than welcome to sleep while she and Willam made their escape to Seattle. Still, Courtney eyed the door to the master bedroom warily as they crept down the staircase, trying to be as stealthy as anyone possibly could while hauling so much extra weight.

Aside from a side-comment groaned under Willam’s breath about chipping a nail, their first few runs to the car were mostly quick and easy. They were nearly ready to go, Courtney figured. Making her way back inside to grab the final round of bags from the foyer, she tried to refrain from pinching herself.

If it weren’t for Farrah standing at the top of the staircase in her pink nightgown, hair piled on top of her head and one hand clasped over her mouth, Courtney would’ve thought that their plan was going a little too smoothly.

Farrah looked from Courtney’s bedroom door – left ajar to reveal the evidence of their imminent getaway – to her half-sister and Willam, hands linked together in the foyer.

“Please don’t freak out,” Courtney whispered urgently. She took a step closer toward the staircase with an arm outstretched, as if she had to approach Farrah with caution. She hadn’t considered Farrah’s role in all of this, how she could very easily ruin things by telling Dave what she’d seen, and now Courtney’s mind was racing a mile a minute.    

Farrah’s eyes were wide, but as she slowly lowered her hand from her face, Courtney could see her wide, open-mouthed smile.  

“I think we broke her,” Willam mumbled.

Before Courtney could reply, Farrah was darting down the stairs with a muted squeal and throwing her arms around both of them in an overly enthusiastic bear hug that should’ve been impossible to achieve, given her small stature.

“Oh my god, I knew it, I knew something was up!” She had released them, and was talking rapidly in a hushed voice, the huge smile still on her face. “I’m so happy for you, this is so cute! One of my aunts is a lesbian – well, she’s not really my aunt, but I call her that – and some people think it’s weird when pretty girls are gay and stuff but I don’t, and now I know three of you, and it’s just so cute, and you better invite me to your wedding someday because I’ve never been a bridesmaid and I really wanted to.”

Courtney stared at her, open-mouthed, and Willam started laughing.

“You’re a much better sister-in-law than mother-in-law anyways,” Farrah added, grinning at Willam.

“Thanks, Farrah,” Willam said, and she sounded genuine for the first time underneath her amusement.

Farrah turned to Courtney quickly then, like something had just dawned on her. “Does Dad know?”

“That I’m leaving with Willam? No,” Courtney said. “He has no idea.”

“I’ll pretend like I don’t know anything,” Farrah replied, gesturing between Courtney and Willam with a finger, “about this.” She giggled, clearly proud of being let in on the secret.

“So you’ll cover for me?” Courtney asked, almost baffled at Farrah’s reaction.

“Duh,” Farrah said with a shrug, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “That’s what sisters do.”

Courtney smiled despite herself, feeling an impulse to hug Farrah for the first time since she’d met her. She squeezed Willam’s hand instead.

“Try to keep me in the will, then,” Courtney said with a laugh. “You’ll be the favorite daughter after he realizes what went on right under his nose this summer.”

“Ew.” Farrah scrunched her face. “I don’t wanna be his favorite.”

“He’s filthy rich,” Willam pointed out. “Don’t you think we all deserve some of that once he’s gone?”

Farrah looked at Willam, nodding solemnly as she considered the statement. The three of them stood at the base of the staircase, huddled close and hushed, and Courtney had the distinct feeling that things were finally falling into place, right here, illuminated by the soft moonlight filtering in from outside.

“You guys,” Farrah half-whined, pulling them in for another hug, this one tighter than the first. “I don’t wanna hold you up, just – I’m so into this. And you better text me.”

“Promise,” Courtney said, and she meant it.

With a kiss on the cheek, Courtney sent Willam out to start the car, taking one final look around before reaching for the last of the suitcases. A few months ago, she realized, the scene wasn’t all that different: Courtney standing in the foyer, bags in tow, just waiting for something to happen to her.

Courtney looked over her shoulder toward the Jeep, smiling as Willam adjusted the mirrors, and shut the heavy front door behind her.  

—–

It was the speed bump that woke Courtney up. She furrowed her brow, momentarily unsure of where she was, only aware of the darkness past her eyelids and the car slowing down.

“Aw, fuck,” Willam cursed softly.

Courtney smiled, remembering, and opened her eyes.

They were pulling into a gas station that she didn’t recognize, the clear early morning sky just starting to show hints of light, almost unnoticeable compared to the tall neon sign that loomed above the car.

“I’m sorry, baby,” Willam said, and Courtney turned to look at her.

“Hmm?” she hummed in response, her smile widening as she looked at the other woman.

“About the speed bump.” Willam pulled up to the nearest gas pump easily, one hand on the steering wheel, and shut off the car. “You looked all peaceful and shit, so I wasn’t even gonna wake you.”

Curling her legs underneath her, Courtney leaned across the console, turning Willam’s chin towards her with gentle fingers. Willam inhaled, as if she was about to say something, and Courtney kissed her before she could get the words out, feeling Willam’s lips curl into a smile against hers.

“Don’t be sorry,” she said. “I don’t want to miss any of this, anyway.”

The fluorescent lights outside were sharpening the features on half of Willam’s face, a shadow forming under her cheekbone, and Courtney traced it with her thumb. Willam leaned into her touch ever-so-slightly, sighing softly through her nose. After a moment, Courtney leaned in and kissed her again, savoring the way Willam’s mouth fell open in response, lips soft and dry against hers.

There was something different about this kiss. It felt new, unhurried, and clean like the sky outside, unmarred by lipstick or liquor or the lies they had to tell themselves to justify it. Kissing Willam had always felt easy, she realized – but it hadn’t been, not until now.

“I’ll go in,” Courtney offered when they finally stopped for air, a smile tucked into the corner of her mouth and Willam’s cheek still cradled in her hand. “You get the gas, and I’ll get the snacks.”

Willam nodded, but made no move to leave the car, her hand coming up to press against Courtney’s, gaze moving over her face slowly. Courtney swallowed, watched as the corners of Willam’s eyes crinkled.

“Okay,” Willam said finally, pressing one last quick kiss to Courtney’s lips before turning to open the door. “Get me something with alcohol.”

“Bill!” Courtney laughed as she got out of the car.

“Fine, caffeine.” Willam rolled her eyes, a grin on her face.

As she walked towards the store, Courtney couldn’t help looking back at Willam a few times, reassuring herself that all of this was real, that Willam was here with her. She stepped inside and let out a long breath, still trying to adjust to the new emotions that had replaced the monotone sadness and hurt of the previous weeks.

It hadn’t even been half a day since she’d given her speech at the rehearsal dinner, since Willam had finally understood what she’d been trying to say during their fight. Since Willam had said she loved her too, and had agreed to run away with her.

And now, here they were, running away – only it felt a lot more like just running, smiles on both of their faces and fingers linked together in between the car seats.

Courtney grabbed bottled coffees from the cooler and picked out some snacks, grabbing what seemed to be vegan. As she walked towards the cash register, she peered out the door, catching a glimpse of Willam leaning against the Jeep as she waited.

They’d left the house without much fuss, Farrah standing in the doorway and wiggling her fingers at them. Traffic had been lighter than Courtney had ever seen it, and it was quiet in the car as they got on the highway, each of them seeming almost nervous to break the silence. It had been Willam who’d finally spoken up.

“Hey, guess what,”she’d said, and Courtney had looked over to see her grinning. “You’re my girlfriend now.”

Just thinking about it made Courtney smile wide enough that her cheeks hurt, and she fought the urge to blurt her feelings out to the sleepy cashier who rang her up, only barely managing to restrain herself. Smiling at him instead, she pushed the door open and jogged back into the parking lot, the plastic bag swinging from her arm.

“Hey, Bill, guess what?” she called as she neared the Jeep.

“What?”

“You’re my girlfriend now!” She came to a stop in front of Willam, practically bouncing on her toes.

Willam stared at her almost helplessly, her expression so sincere and so happythat it made Courtney’s chest constrict.

“Yeah,” Willam said, shaking her head and reaching up to brush Courtney’s hair out of her face, fingers dancing briefly across her cheek. “Finally.”

The horizon was turning shades of pink and gold as they climbed back into the car, and Courtney held Willam’s hand still on the gear shift, leaning over to press a chaste kiss to her lips before letting her put the car in drive and get them back onto the highway.

Courtney loved that she didn’t have to avert her eyes anymore, wouldn’t have to pretend that she wasn’t staring at Willam when she’d inevitably get caught. She took it all in – Willam’s wild curls in disarray from the wind blowing through the window she’d cracked open, her toned arms that looked impossibly tanner against the white tank top she had on – and couldn’t help but bring Willam’s knuckles up to her mouth to kiss, letting her lips linger against her skin for a few seconds longer than was necessary.

The corner of Willam’s mouth twitched, but she made no comment.

Somehow, that only made Courtney crave a reaction out of her more. Sliding her hand from Willam’s and onto her leg instead, Courtney revelled in the fact that she was allowed to do this now, without consequence.

And, god, how had she forgotten how warm and smooth Willam’s thighs felt underneath her fingertips? She moved her thumb in slow circles, impressed by Willam’s resolve to stay focused on the road while Courtney squeezed her own legs together.

Courtney knew that Willam’s concentration wouldn’t be too hard to break, if she played her cards right. They had spent weeks unable to touch each other, and Courtney had reached her breaking point.

They were more alone now than they’d ever been, and Courtney couldn’t stop thinking about how easy it would be to slide her hand further up Willam’s thigh and let her know how much she’d missed her. Raking her nails lightly over the skin, Courtney watched Willam for a reaction, satisfied when the other woman swallowed visibly.

“I’m trying to drive, kitten,” Willam said through clenched teeth, her voice low.

Courtney let out a shaky exhale at that, gripping Willam’s thigh tighter and leaning across the center console to press an open-mouthed kiss to the top of her shoulder.

“Babe…” Willam’s knuckles turned white on the steering wheel, and Courtney’s lips dragged up to her neck, tongue pressing against the soft skin.

“I want to kiss my girlfriend,” Courtney husked in her ear.

Willam’s breath caught, and Courtney slid her hand down to rest on the inside of Willam’s thigh, brushing against the denim of her tiny cutoff shorts.

“Well, fuck,” Willam said, checking her side mirrors hastily before veering the Jeep to the right and utilizing the emergency pull-off lane by the side of the road.

As soon as Willam had parked the car, her hands flew to Courtney’s face, nearly knocking the wind out of her altogether. The desperation that had been absent before was back in full throttle, and Courtney was already lightheaded from Willam’s biting kiss and fingers twisting in her hair, pulling slightly to expose her neck.

Willam sucked a hungry mark onto her pulse point, managing a brusque mutter of “backseat” against Courtney’s skin.

Breathing heavy, Courtney scrambled into the back of the car as she tugged her own shirt off, almost painfully aware of the bruise forming on her neck and the heat between her legs. Willam followed, launching herself between the seats and landing in Courtney’s lap, reattaching their lips before Courtney could even get a good look at her.

The weight of Willam against her made Courtney wish she was in a skirt like usual, so she could slip her hand between Willam’s thighs and let her ride her fingers. She ran her palms up Willam’s sides, then across her abs, and she needed Willam naked, now, inconvenient clothing out of the way.

In silent understanding, Willam lifted her arms to allow Courtney to pull her shirt up and over her head. Discarding the shirt, Courtney moved her hands to Willam’s back, working quickly at the clasp of her bra.

Willam dropped her head to Courtney’s shoulder, grinding down on her lap impatiently and letting out a groan as Courtney massaged her breasts with both hands.

Courtney hadn’t remembered Willam feeling so perfect, hadn’t remembered the sound of her moans lighting a fire in her like this before. She was a thousand times better upon rediscovery, and Courtney ducked to press a kiss to the exposed column of her neck, teeth scraping gently to make Willam whine.

“I wanna touch you,” she murmured, thumb rubbing over Willam’s nipple. “Need to touch you.”

Willam quickly moved to unbutton her shorts, but Courtney shook her head, wrapping her arms around Willam’s waist and turning to lay her back on the seat with her upper back propped up against the door. Leaning over her, Courtney replaced Willam’s hand with her own, unbuttoning the shorts and pulling them down along with her panties.

Teeth digging into her lower lip, Courtney took a moment to admire Willam. She was entirely naked, propping herself up with her hands on the seat, and her chest was heaving slightly, nipples darkened and stiff. Courtney knew exactly how oversensitive they were, and she needed them in her mouth, needed Willam to tug and twist at her hair until she was out of breath and they were both desperate and squirming.

“Fuck, you’re so gorgeous,” Courtney exhaled, watching as Willam squeezed her thighs together. “You don’t even know how much I missed having you like this, getting to see you like this.”

Willam deserved a soft bed, deserved to stretch out so they could take their time, deserved the very best Courtney could give her.

But, for now, this would have to do.

She nudged Willam’s legs apart, moving to crawl over her, pressing her lips against Willam’s abs and leaving a trail of kisses up between her breasts. Willam clawed at Courtney’s back as Courtney cupped her heat, her legs spreading wider in response to the touch. Not wanting to waste any more time, Courtney slid a finger inside of her easily, curling it and smiling as Willam moaned and lifted her hips.  

Leaning down to suck Willam’s nipple into her mouth, Courtney added a second finger next to the first, a shiver running through her as Willam slid a hand into her hair and pulled. Willam was sticky on her palm, and Courtney loved how she fucked back into her fingers, hips rolling in a desperate attempt to make Courtney move faster.

Dragging her tongue up Willam’s chest, Courtney started to place open-mouthed kisses on the side of her neck, all lips and tongue, sucking on the spot under the corner of her jaw. Willam whimpered, and Courtney moved her mouth to her ear.

“You’re mine, from now on,” she said, closing her eyes and kissing Willam’s earlobe. “You’re mine, and I’m going to treat you like you deserve to be treated. Like the beautiful, precious thing you are.”

Courtney felt Willam clench around her hand at that, and she sped up her fingers, pressing a thumb over Willam’s clit. Willam groaned, twisting her fingers tightly in Courtney’s hair, her head thudding softly against the window.

“Do you want to come, baby?” Courtney murmured, moving to kiss the spot below Willam’s ear. “I wanna feel it.”

Another moan leaving her lips, Willam nodded, her back arching so that her chest brushed Courtney’s.

“Tell me,” Courtney insisted, imagining the rasp in Willam’s voice.

“Please,” Willam managed, her voice nearly breaking, and Courtney let out a shaky exhale. “I want to, baby – fuck.”

Willam’s mouth fell open as she shuddered around Courtney’s fingers for what seemed like forever, and Courtney was there to ease her through it, whispering praise in her ear and leaving soft kisses all over the side of her neck.

She slowed down her fingers, but didn’t stop, thumb still moving gently over Willam’s sensitive bundle of nerves, fingers crooked inside her.

“I – I missed this so much,” Willam breathed, hips twitching against Courtney’s hand. “I almost – oh – I almost came to your room last night, after you got drunk…”

“Mmmm?” Courtney hummed against her skin.

“I wanted to kiss you so bad, baby.” Willam blinked slowly. “I thought about you, about doing this… for the whole damn rest of the day.”

“Oh.” Courtney shifted her weight, her body immediately reacting to Willam’s words. “Why, um. Why didn’t you?”

Willam reached down to pull on Courtney’s wrist, shivering at the absence of Courtney’s touch as she dragged their hands back up her body. Her lips parted, and she ducked her head to catch Courtney’s fingers on her tongue, sucking them into her mouth. Courtney softened on top of her, practically melting as Willam’s cheeks hollowed.

After a moment, Courtney tugged her hand away, cupping Willam’s neck gently instead and waiting for an answer.

“I knew that if I came back, I wouldn’t want to leave.”

Willam unhooked Courtney’s bra, tossing it aside before shifting down on the seat and rolling them both over with her hands on Courtney’s back. She lay Courtney on the seat and lowered her head, starting to place kisses across her chest.

“I couldn’t just have you one last time,” Willam said. “Because you’re addicting, and I’d just want more.”

She bit down lightly on Courtney’s collarbone and Courtney released a slow breath. As if she could read Courtney’s thoughts, Willam tilted her chin up to bite at the soft skin of her neck, not so gentle this time.

“There isn’t a last time with you, princess,” Willam murmured. “I taste you, and I never wanna stop.”

“You don’t ever have to stop,” Courtney replied. Her voice was shaky, and she wrapped her legs around Willam’s waist, trapping their bodies closer together.

“No,” Willam said, kissing Courtney’s bottom lip tenderly. “Not anymore.”

Willam let her hands travel down Courtney’s body, reading Courtney’s squirming as a welcome invitation to remove her shorts and press her lips briefly against Courtney’s panties, already soaked through with arousal.

Courtney moaned quietly at that, pushing into the touch, but Willam was already moving back up to place open-mouthed kisses across her abs, biting and sucking marks onto the skin.

“Willam…” Courtney half-groaned, drawing out the last syllable. “Please, baby…”

Willam didn’t respond, only pressing Courtney’s hips down against the seat with her palm to keep her still and dragging her tongue over Courtney’s nipple. She bit down, and Courtney whimpered, feeling the wetness start to rub onto the insides of her thighs.

“I wanna make it last,” Willam rasped. She ran her tongue over her bottom lip to break the trail of spit still connecting it to Courtney’s nipple. “Make you whine and beg for me first.”

“And I want you to fuck me,” Courtney replied, the words coming out all at once. “With your tongue, or your fingers, as many as you can fit, and stretch me – ooh!”

She cut herself off with a groan as Willam nearly growled, hand snaking between their bodies to palm her core roughly.

“You’re so fucking dirty, kitten,” Willam said, voice low. “I always forget, somehow…”

“Please, Will,” Courtney repeated, grinding as best she could against the friction. “I want – I need your mouth, baby, please.”

Willam cursed under her breath, her pupils dilating further as she looked at Courtney. Then, she started to kiss down Courtney’s chest again, her fingers digging into the dampness of Courtney’s panties just to make her squirm.

As soon as she reached her lower stomach, Willam tugged her panties down, shifting so that Courtney could help to pull them off. She leaned in, kissing the front of Courtney’s hip with such surprising gentleness Courtney’s breath caught in her chest. Before she could recover, Willam’s teeth dug sharply into the inside of her thigh, hard enough to leave marks, lips closing around the skin to suck off the wetness that had collected there. Courtney’s responding moan was absolutely filthy, so much so that she slapped her own hand over her mouth as if someone might hear.

“You can be as loud as you want, princess,” Willam coaxed, lips ghosting teasingly over her folds. “C’mon, lemme hear you.”

Courtney whimpered as she snaked a hand into Willam’s hair in an attempt to pull her closer, lifting her hips to fully offer herself to the woman who she was sure would be the death of her.

She thought she might’ve even said so aloud, because, the next thing she knew, Willam’s nose was pressing into her, tongue flicking out over her clit and sending a shockwave through Courtney’s body.

“Oh, fuck,” she exhaled, eyes fluttering shut instinctively. Willam hummed against her heat, smug, and Courtney quickly remembered that the only thing better than feeling this – the buzzing in her fingertips and her toes, the tight coil below her bellybutton – was watching Willam at work.

She marveled at the curve of Willam’s lower back, her bare ass just visible with her head bowed between Courtney’s legs. Her hair was splayed out in every direction, so touchable, so perfect.

Courtney couldn’t count how many times Willam had reduced her to a dripping, begging mess, seeming to do it almost effortlessly, always cocky. But this was different – every hungry press of her tongue seemed more effective somehow, as if each move was designed to take Courtney apart, shatter her into pieces. And Courtney craved it, the feeling of being utterly destroyed by something as simple as Willam’s mouth against her, trusting that Willam would put her back together again just as deliberately.

“God, don’t stop,” Courtney sighed, and it became a sort of breathless chant, until Courtney’s throat was hoarse and her toes were curling, until she wasn’t sure whether she meant don’t stop doing that thing you do so well with your tongue or don’t stop choosing me, needing me, loving me.

Willam raked her nails down Courtney’s midsection, giving Courtney just enough time to see the goosebumps forming in her wake before she sealed her lips around Courtney’s clit. Her head falling back, Courtney groaned, hips rolling up steadily into the suction, hands twisting in Willam’s hair.

Then, Willam’s tongue was pressing inside her, and Courtney’s responding whine was drowned out by Willam’s own drawn-out moan, muffled but still gorgeous enough to send a sharp spike of arousal straight down to Courtney’s core.

“Please, baby, don’t stop,” Courtney pleaded, struggling to keep watching as Willam looped her arm around to press her thumb hard against the sensitive bundle of nerves, rubbing rapidly. “Fuck, don’t stop, don’t –”

The words died in her throat as every muscle in her body coiled tight, heartbeat thudding in her ears, Willam’s rough treatment of her throbbing clit the only thing she could process. With one more pass of Willam’s thumb, Courtney’s hips were bucking once more, the surge of pleasure forcing her eyes shut as her climax overwhelmed her, swelled through her.

They stayed like that in the backseat for what felt like ages, wrapped around each other despite the scratchy upholstery and the soreness of their limbs. Other cars continued to barrel down the highway, close enough to hear, but not quite close enough to touch them. As long as she and Willam didn’t move, Courtney thought, they’d be frozen in this little bubble forever, completely satiated and warm with the windows all fogged up.

Willam’s fingers were running slowly through Courtney’s hair, chest soft under Courtney’s cheek, and as an arm wrapped tighter around her back, all Courtney could think was I love you, I love you, I love you. It took her a moment to remember she was allowed to say it out loud, speak the words into the warm skin between Willam’s breasts and hope they reached her heart.

“God, baby,” Willam sighed, and Courtney looked up at her. “I’m so fucking in love with you.”

Courtney was almost positive she’d never get tired of hearing those words, and the rest of the day proved her right. They made her heart flutter every time: when Willam said them again as they clumsily reclothed and relocated to the front seats, when she murmured them with glassy eyes as they crossed state lines.

Propping her feet up on the dashboard, Courtney settled in for the ride. Willam set her cruise control to ten miles above the speed limit, laughing when Courtney feigned concern.

“Since when do you follow the rules?” Willam quipped, giving her leg a squeeze as the automated voice on Courtney’s GPS alerted them to keep right.

By the time morning had turned to afternoon, the windows were rolled all the way down. Even though the music on the radio was nearly inaudible over the wind off the highway, Courtney could still hear Willam’s laughter – the kind that made her eyes crease, the kind that Courtney wanted to bottle up and save for later.  

It wasn’t quite riding off into the sunset. No, Courtney realized, it was something better than that.

It was Willam’s hand clutched in hers, firm and sure, the open road stretched ahead of them. It was the promise of another day together, and another after that. It wasn’t how Courtney had always pictured her happy ending – but then, this wasn’t really an ending at all.

It was only the beginning.

[thestoryof-officially]

Day 001 - thestoryof-officially

Day 001 PROMPT - The studious sweeper fell asleep inside a secret passageway in July to rebuild the cave.

Frankly, I find this prompt to be a mouthful, and it won’t be the last one. I did what I could, but truthfully I missed the “fell asleep” part and started to rush a bit at the end of the thing. Either way, enjoy! I hope I can be of some inspiration to someone out there. 

Word Count: 2,950

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I stopped a moment and wiped my brow. My hand came away drenched in sweat, but that was something I had already grown used to. We were nearing the summer solstice now in the states, and, really, this was probably gonna be the hottest July I’d experienced. 

That would make sense being that I come from far North. My family’s probably setting things up for winter vacation right now. I might normally be too, but I’m a study abroad student majoring in geology. I don’t know what possessed me to take summer classes, but here I am, in the middle of July, interning for a geologist 3 miles from campus.

To be honest, I was expecting to do more here than sweep away piles of dirt.

No, I’m not exaggerating. I was handed a 2 year old house broom and told to sweep away a pile of dirt, dust, weeds, and rocks. And that’s almost all I’ve been doing excepting paperwork. 

I’m on my third week of the internship, and the team I was integrated into is trying to reconstruct the cavernous inside of a collapsed tunnel. Apparently it’s a very popular attraction here, or it was starting to become so. Lakes inside the mountains, rock formations, things like that. A lot of it was destroyed when an earthquake hit about a year ago. I think it’s a shame, really. There were some wicked cool mineralized spouts within, from what I’d heard, and so much sedimentation you could have told thousands of years of geological movement just by looking at the walls.

As it turns out, “reconstruct the cavernous inside of a collapsed tunnel” actually means “clear away the debris and haul it to the professionals.” All we’re doing is clearing out the rock and dirt, and we don’t even get to examine or study it.

I mean, I can’t complain. I shouldn’t, at least. I did get to see a few small things inside while helping to wheel out barrows of material, but I’m not hardly learning anything. 

That doesn’t mean this doesn’t suck! This is like telling a kid you’ll take him to the candy store, but then not buying him anything. Even worse, the only candy within is a bunch of flavourless bubblegum!

Ugh. I guess it isn’t all bad. I really like my boss and my teammates. The people are nice, and the ones that seem otherwise are only as such on the outside. We all get along really well once introductions have been made.

“You have a minute, kid?” I’m pulled out of my thoughts by one such teammate- Cabe, standing at 6 foot and hiding behind a bushel of sandy, blond hair covered in dust, seems incapable of using my first name.

“Sure,” I tell him. “What is it you need?”

Cabe throws his right hand over my left shoulder, covering it entirely. Without looking away from the clipboard in his left hand, he says, “Boss says there’s another load at the upper Southwest tunnel entrance. I’m on today’s North side team, so I don’t much have the time, buddy.”

I sigh. I was only just barely getting done with this entrance’s load, now there’s another? But I guess I understand. They had the more… able-bodied men working on the North side team carrying out much larger loads, since that’s where most of the damage happened. It seems to be a particularly time consuming job, so I nod. 

“Alright,” I say.

Still not meeting my eye, Cabe grins and removes his hand to walk away. “Thanks, man!” he says cheerfully.

“Yeah,” I say quietly, squinting my eyes at him and shaking my head. “Whatever the boss says.”

I finish sweeping the pile of dirt into the tray as quickly as I can, and then begin to make my way to the Southwest tunnels. I have to walk around the entire cave system since I’m not allowed inside during hauling days, but I don’t mind too bad. As much as I hate the dirt and the heat, I think I’m figuring out the outer ring of the tunnel system faster than anyone else just by having to walk around the entrances so often.

“Ozzy! Hey! Workin’ that broom today?” I pass by another one of my coworkers and he points at me, jesting.

“As much as you your rake!” I call back to him as we pass each other in opposite directions.

I see another teammate up ahead, our Diana, pulling a wheelbarrow. 

“Need a hand?” I offer as I approach her. Diana smirks at me.

“Not today, Osmund, not today,” she replies. She speeds up and straightens her posture, just to elbow me as she strolls past. I laugh goodnaturedly and rub at my arm to humour her.

“You are strong,” I say. She barks a laugh and continues to walk away, and I wave at her over my shoulder.

This is a sort of game we’ve been playing between each other since we met. Diana’s very much a believer in women being seen as strong and confident, and she hates the idea that she be seen as naturally, physically weaker and in need of a man’s help. She’s very boyish in behavior, but much more intelligent than the rest of us who share that behavior, if not a little more impulsive. As is, I always pass by and ask if she wants some help, and then she always tells me no and starts to kind of show off in her own way. It’s very amusing.

I finally come to the split in the path between the upper and lower Northwest entrances, and take the one that goes uphill.

“Terrible shoes,” I mutter to myself. Every step my feet slide on the dirt path and it becomes a real chore just to get to the top.

After a moment of struggling I reach the tunnel entrance. True to Cabe’s words, there’s a massive pile of dirt ready to be swept into a bag sat beside it, which is pinned to the ground with a large rock so it doesn’t blow away. My job is to fill the bag, get the bag onto the pull-cart, and then lug the thing back to the loading bay next to our base tent. 

The tunnel entrance itself, though lit by sunlight at the very front, fades into pitch black darkness the further it goes. A faint breeze blows through and ruffles the bag on the ground, as well as my hair. It feels nice but creates an eerie wheezing sound in accompaniment.

“Time to get to work,” I tell myself.

What I don’t understand about this whole thing is why they can’t just load the bag themselves after dumping the pile. Or why I can’t have a shovel to get the brunt of it. I mean, I have my dust tray, but this is still ridiculous. This pile’s half as high as I am.

So I dig the tray into the pile and fill it to overflowing. Then, I dump it into the bag. I fill the tray again. Pull up the lip of the bag. Dump it. Fill. Dump. Again. 

The routine is mundane in nature and it’s very easy to grow tired of it. But it does allow for room to think. I get a lot of thinking done when I’m working like this because of how repetitive the movement is. I have to anyway, or the silence and lack of company would probably drive me insane.

Shove the tray into the pile. Pull it out. Dump it into the bag. And again. And again.

Several minutes pass and already I’m dripping with sweat. I must be seriously overworking myself if I’m this tired already; it’s only been two hours since the day started.

“Maybe I just need some shade,” I muse aloud. I walk around the pile and stand in the shade of the tunnel’s entrance, then continue my work. I become much more aware of the darkness around me because it seems almost to be a physical mass where it’s darkest, and it’s at my back. 

I find myself unable to think of anything and grow frustrated. Is this seriously how the day’s going to go? Or am I just that bored?

“Alright, maybe I just need a minute to myself.” So I sling the broom over my shoulder and walk to one of the cave’s walls to lean against. “This should do.”

I pat around the wall as I lean against it and wonder if it contains any sulfuric mineralization. The texture seems so gritty in nature, and the smell is rather odd. 

As I brush my fingers against the walls, I find little bits and pieces falling away and shifting, which is more odd than anything. Normally I’d think it to be dirt, but this time around the texture is just so off. It feels somehow unnatural, almost like… 

Well I dunno what like. Like it had just been smothered on. Like loose makeup, which seems quite unlike anything naturally occurring in terms of geology.

“What could possibly-?”

I turn around and kneel to the ground to continue my examination of this area of wall. It glitters a little, which tells me there’s definitely quite a lot of mineral material here, but it’s inconsistent on these walls. In some cases that’s understandable, but given the high humidity and the mineral rich sources of water within these caves, it would make more sense to me that the appearance of mineralization on the surface of these walls be much more consistent. 

Gently, I run my fingers over the wall, and I slowly stand to feel my way up and around the area. If I can find a textural differentiation somewhere here and determine a border for this particular occurence, maybe I can–

That rock just moved. It shifted a little, inwardly. Is this more damage done by the earthquake? Maybe a collection of loosened rocks that simply fit together as opposed to a tunnel wall? 

If that’s the case I need to inform my superiors immediately! This could mean the walls are very unstable and need re-examining! There may be much more here to uncover than we initially thought, which would make sense given this wide area of rock that I can find no other entrances for–

I should back away from the wall. I don’t want it to shift too much or fall loose- not only would that ruin my work with this load, but it could potentially cause great injury to my personage, which is something I would very much like to avoid-

Except that nothing else shifted. Just the one rock. If I test it again, maybe it’s just a chunk in the wall come loose…

So I walk carefully forward, setting my broom down on the ground, and with one hand I gently press on the same spot. The entire wall begins to move.

Er, no, just part of it. A section in the wall about twice the size of a standard door defines itself and I immediately jump away from the wall with a yelp.

But it doesn’t collapse. It doesn’t fall over. It stays there, a massive indent. I glance quickly to my left and right, confirming that I am alone, and I walk forward again. My curiousity is well and truly piqued, and so I press on the wall again. It presses easily inward and then stops. I give it an experimental push and it shifts to the left. 

“I’ve got to be dreaming,” I mutter. “There’s no way this is normal.”

I clap my hands together and rub them before I hunker low to give the wall a solid push to the left. It slides away and reveals to me another opening in the system, though not before showering me in dirt- or whatever the stuff I found on the walls was.

“Hello?” I question, leaning over and sticking my head into the entrance. It’s completely dark and empty from what I can tell. After a moment, when the echo from my empty greeting has faded, I reach to my back pocket and pull out my flashlight. It’s an old, dirty, yellow thing with a dim bulb, but when I turn it on it does its job and lights up another passageway.

And this one is definitely man-made. The entire way looks to be more rectangular than any natural cave, and there are lanterns hung every 20 feet or so on the walls.

“Ah, ha, ha,” I drawl nervously. “I’m going to get into so much trouble if I do this.”

For whatever reason, that doesn’t stop me and I begin to make my way down the corridor. It just looks like a long, endless, passageway that doesn’t really go anywhere or serve any purpose. I did once see a split that went off to the left, but following it led me to a dead end.

After about ten minutes I stop walking and sigh. “This is going nowhere. I’m just wasting time.”

I begin to turn around when I hear what sounds like faint laughter. I freeze and perk my ears, listening hard for it. I must have been going insane.

Oh, but there it is again! Accompanied by two other voices!

Curiousity re-piqued, I turn around and start speed-walking down the passageway. The voices grow louder and the darkness seems to become less, and I’m so anxious to know what or who’s there that I start to run. I land on my toes with every step, careful to be as quiet as I can, but my movements are becoming clumsy.

Finally I can see a bend in the tunnel and a faint light coming from around it. I slow to a walk and then begin to tip toe, hoping to peek around the bend without being seen.

“No, no, no! I think he legitimately just thought I was being serious or he wouldn’t have done it!”

A second voice burst into laughter. “Come on man, I knew your cousin was gullible, but there’s no way! He really took them out there? In the winter?”

“Oh that’s nothing,” chimed a third voice. “You know we once convinced him that butterflies were bad luck unless you dropped to the ground and retied your shoes each time one passed?”

A small chuckle escapes my lips before I can stop it and all three voices go silent.

“What was that?”

“From back there, I think.”

I’d been discovered! I clap a hand over my mouth and turn off my flashlight, backing away from the bend and hoping that I wouldn’t be spotted in the darkness.

A figure walks around the bend and stares past me, down the passageway.

And then his eyes land on me. “Ah-ha! Found ya, you bugger! Get over here!” He gestures for me to follow in an inviting way and laughs heartily, then turns back around.

I blink in mild surprise but shrug. Quickly I jog around the corner and see that the man who approached me was one of my superiors, who I’d never spoken to before. The other two men there, sitting on logs in front of a fire were-

“Cabe? Truman?” I blurt. All three men begin to laugh, and the one in front of me sits down on one of the logs on the floor.

“Have a seat, son,” he tells me, patting another log beside him. I comply and sit down. As I do, he holds out his hand to me. “Edwin. Cabe’s brother,” he introduces himself.

“Osmund,” I say in turn, taking his hand and shaking it firmly.

“Mm. Good name. Good grip. I like you,” Edwin says. I laugh.

“So what are you guys doing down here? Where is here, anyway?” I ask. Glancing around at them I realize each has a sac of some sort.

“Lunch break,” Cabe answers. As though to make his point, he lifts a half eaten sandwich from his sac and takes a large bite.

Edwin shakes his head in amusement. “Me and a few other supervisors had this back tunnel built a couple months ago. Tons of secret doors ya gotta feel for that lead into the other tunnels on this level. Makes gettin’ around easier, but we prefer to keep it quiet. Cabe and Truman here, “ he points and Truman waves with a cheeky grin, “stumbled upon a couple of those secret doors, much as I assume you did.”

“Ah, yeah,” I say, nodding. 

“Welcome to the club, man,” Truman says through a mouthful of food.

“Thanks,” I say awkwardly. “I’m not on break, though. And I don’t have a lunch with me. I should probably get back to clearing the load back at the Southwest entrance.”

“You’re gonna be such a nerd during the rest of your years at college, man,” says Truman. “Trust me, if you wanna get something from this, do like me and just enjoy your internship! It’s not all about work, you know. Any other Seniors would agree with me, I’m telling you.”

I stand up and shake my head. “Nah, man. I wanna learn something while I’m here. The fun is just a bonus.”

“Suit yourself.” Truman shrugs and goes back to eating. I smile and wave as I begin to walk away.

“I’ll see you guys later,” I say, turning back into the passageway.

“Strange fellow,” I hear Edwin say as I’m walking.

“Ah, he’s pretty chill once you get to know him,” says Cabe.

I smile again and continue to walk down the way, wondering if this means I can spend my breaks here, now. “Ah, that’s a question for another day.”