#music on the weekends and karaoke on the weekdays

[maudiemoods]

The urge to dedicate my life to opening my dream business is so strong

[yourfavoritewitchbitch]

Badge Bunny - Part II

Gator Tillman x Fem!Reader

This can be read as a stand alone but find part I here!

Masterlist

Summary: A routine check at your bar goes sour. It may not be his fault, but you can certainly take out all of your frustrations on your boyfriend.

Word Count: 6.1k

18+ Minors DNI!

Warnings: Porn, with plot. Minimal use of Y/N. Reader is referred to as "Bunny" or "Bun". Toxic relationship (let's be honest here). Reader is physically assaulted at the beginning (not by Gator). Slight mommy kink. Switch Gator. Switch Reader. Light choking. Bondage. Oral (m & f receiving - face riding). Unprotected P in V (wrap it before you tap it!). Orgasm denial (m). Breeding kink. Creampie.

It was a quiet Thursday night at the Lucky Lizard Bar and Grille, more bar than it's ever been a grill. You have your regulars that have been coming here to escape for years after a hard day's work needing to blow off a little steam before heading to their respective homes.

Much like any other weeknight, about ten patrons sit at the bar and various tables in the dimly lit building.

Neons in mostly red and blue decorated the walls, reflecting those colors back onto the faces you served. The jukebox in the corner pulling up another old country song these geezers loved to hear.

Henry was behind the bar, as usual, while you waited on the tables.

It was more lively on the weekends when people your age tend to come out for karaoke when there was nothing else to do in this town on a Saturday night. That’s when the real tips came in and why you suffered these boring weekdays.

You were over in the corner to yourself counting tonight's tips totaling a whopping forty-two bucks.

Looking up only when you heard the familiar, grating voice of Sheriff Roy Tillman booming over the speakers, as two other deputies followed in behind him.

Henry was quick to turn the music off.

“Alright everyone, IDs out. Just a friendly, routine check.” He smirked, as he caught your eye.

Smug fucking bastard.

Henry spoke up, “What’s this about Sheriff?”

Everyone knows damn good and well that he never came to this part of town, let alone caught dead in this bar for a so-called 'friendly’ check or otherwise.

“Like I said Henry, just a routine check.” He motioned to the other two and they moved to start checking everyone.

You were glued to your spot, unsure of what to do. You were busy keeping your eye on Roy you hadn’t noticed Deputy Shelton walk up slowly beside you.

“ID,” he huffed out, as you turned to look up at him. He licked his lips as his beady eyes followed your curves down and slowly back up.

“I work here dipshit; I don’t have my ID on me.” You didn’t think before the words left your mouth.

“Sounds like we’ve got a problem here then.” He clicked his tongue. “See, Sheriff there got a tip this place is serving minors and we’ve got to make sure everyone’s of age. That includes you.” He stepped closer, crowding your space; the stench of his mentholated dip stuck between his lip hitting you as he spoke.

“Seein’ that I’ve never stepped foot in this shit hole before, you just look like some common bar whore t’me.”

He edged more into your space, making you take a step back further into the dimly lit corner. Further away from where others could see you.

“Ask Henry. He’ll vouch for me. Hell ask...,” you were cut off, squeaking with surprise as he grabbed your upper arm, getting right in your face.

“You back talkin’ me? No ID, and now you’re disrespecting an officer of the law? How stupid are you? I could arrest you right now and haul your ass to the station.”

“No, sir.” You timidly spoke, gritting your teeth trying to maintain some level of composure instead of ripping his head off.

He once again moved closer into your space, his hips pushing into yours. You had nowhere else to go, back hitting the rough wall.

“We can always remedy this situation, after hours, if you know what I mean.” His lips curled back into a nasty smile. You wanted nothing more than to wipe it off his face. “What do you say, baby? Out back, in the alley would do just fine. I’m sure you’re used to’ that.”

His lewd insinuation made your stomach lurch.

Before you could respond Roy spoke up behind him.

“Shelton, problem back here?” For once grateful to see him.

“Naw Sheriff, just this bitch tryin’ to say she doesn’t have an ID.” He turned to face the other man, a smug look plastered to his own face, no doubt happy with his work, grip still tight on your arm, surely to leave bruises, as he pulled you around with him.

You knew most of the deputies in town were aware that you and Gator were together. Shelton was one of the hardcore jerks stuck so far up Roy’s ass that he didn’t care to pay much attention to anything else. Maybe he didn’t recognize you, or maybe he was just trying to gain favor with Roy.

“Ah, Y/N. Pleasant surprise.” He nodded, tipping his hat toward you.

The grip on your arm loosened just a bit as Shelton looked back down at you, eyes widening at the realization.

“Y/N? Gator’s Y/N?”

“The one and only.” You spoke up, looking straight back at him, while wrenching yourself from his now weak hold.

You straighten your posture, gaze shifting between both men.

“We’re almost done here Y/N. You can get back to work serving these fine men of Stark County.”

“Sure, Sheriff.” You put your head down as you walk behind the bar to the storage area where you kept your things while on shift.

It felt like the eyes of the entire bar were trailing you. You were sure if you looked up, they would be.

Henry gave you a pitying frown as you passed him, before he gently touched your arm, halting your path.

“Hey, you can go for the night. I think most everyone will clear out after this. No one wants to be hanging around knowing the Sheriff could be watching for drunk drivers.”

You just nod and continue to the back.

You grabbed your phone from your purse, typing out a quick but effective text.

WHERE ARE YOU???

It only took a few seconds to see those three dots appear. Then disappear. Then reappear once more.

Outside. Back lot.

You let out a breath you hadn’t realized you were holding, hoping to God that he had somehow just gotten here and hadn’t been out there the whole damn time but in the back of your mind you already knew that answer.

Putting the phone away, grabbing your purse, and throwing your jacket over your shoulders you head straight for the back door avoiding going through the front walking past Roy and his goons. You could still hear them talking with Henry as you made your exit.

The chill of the night air bit at your bare legs sending a shiver up your spine. His truck was situated in his usual parking spot whenever he would pick you up from a late-night shift. You slammed the door behind you.

Feeling like your blood was boiling, you stalked over to where he sat behind the wheel. Seeing the end of his vape light up before you could actually see him, with the putrid fruity scented cloud drifting from the window.

“Bunny,” he began as you got closer to the window, but you cut him off.

“Are you fucking kidding me Gator? Please tell me you weren’t out here this entire fucking time?”

He looked down, his silence giving you the answer as you slowly nodded, lips pursed. You could feel the fresh sting of tears welling up behind your eyes as you looked away from him.

“I’m sorry. My hands were tied.”

Taking a step back, you really appraised him. This man who was fiercely in love with you but also took a back seat when it came to his old man.

You nod, “Yeah, I get it.”

You had made up your mind.

“Fuck you, Gator Tillman.” Flipping him off as you turned away, stomping toward the main road.

“Bunny! Baby, don't be like that!” He watches you walk away, knowing you were in no mood to listen to reason.

He slammed his fist into the steering wheel, “Fuck.”

He let out a deep breath while putting the truck into drive to chase you down.

You had accepted the letdown. Per usual, just another man not living up to your expectations. Words mean absolutely nothing without some action behind them.

Using your phone's flashlight to navigate the desolate road back to your house, it was going to be a long walk.

The headlights cut through behind you, casting your shadow well beyond your line of vision into the night.

The engine roared up beside you, as he slowed the truck to your pace but you kept a steady path forward, not giving him the satisfaction of looking over.

“Bun, come on. We both know you're not gonna walk all the way home. It's cold. Get in the truck.”

You ignore him, head held high, arms tucked around yourself shielding you from the cool weather as you continue a few more paces.

“Seriously? Just gonna ignore me? That's how it's gonna be? Fine. Walk home, stubborn ass. See if I give a shit.”

You scoff, knowing he'll stay here all night if it meant you'd make it home safe and sound. Bad boy but secret softie for you.

He was growing more impatient by the second.

“Baby, C’mon. I'll make it up t'you.” He pleaded.

You stopped. He perked up, hopeful but deflated when he saw your face once you turned toward him. Tear stained, reddened and flustered.

“Make it up to me? That shouldn't have happened in the first place! If I wasn't involved with you, Roy wouldn't even bother coming by that damn place!” You yelled out, now beyond frustrated.

He let out an over exaggerated huff as his foot slammed on the brake.

“Goddamnit Bunny! Get in the fuckin' truck. You're not walkin’ home in the dark. Take this as my last warning before I drag your ass in here.” He leveled his gaze. You knew he'd do it, as you had learned the hard way on more than one occasion.

“Fine.” You sighed, not feeling up to struggling any more than you had to, stepping over and opening the door. You hopped in and slammed it. The noise made him grit his teeth and shut his eyes, but he held his tongue.

You curled into yourself and crossed your arms. Ignoring his pointed look, opting to stare out the window instead.

The rest of the drive was filled with the hum of the engine and radio softly playing. He hadn’t bothered trying to converse with you. You’d talk when you were ready. He knew when he could push and this wasn’t one of those times, though he didn’t understand why you were so mad.

Roy had told him it was just an ID check, nothing out of the ordinary and he should just “sit this one, it's a conflict of interest.” Gator did as he was told knowing you’d be a little ticked but hadn’t expected this much bratty behavior.

He pulled up to your small house. Rarely ever staying at Roy’s anymore, instead calling home wherever you may be.

You didn’t wait for him to fully put the truck in park before jumping out, slamming the door once again.

He simply closed his eyes and took a deep breath to control his temper. It was going to be a long night.

You walked through the door and shrugged off your jacket, slinging it onto the couch. The leather suddenly felt suffocating when you made it into the house.

Walking into the kitchen, you opened the fridge grabbing a fresh beer; cracking it open and chugging back about half as you heard his heavy footfalls behind you.

Gator wasn’t stupid. Something was wrong. You rarely drank, given your job most days it was revolting to you.

He unzipped his vest, removing it before setting it on the back of the kitchen chair. Then removed his hat, running a hand through his hair that was now falling at the sides.

“Bunny, you goin’ to keep bein’ a bitch and ignore me all night or are you gonna tell me what the hell happened back there?”

You were mid-swig when the words left his mouth. You slowly lowered the bottle from your lips and set it on the counter beside you, composure starting to fail.

Turning on your heel, you lunged at him. Pushing him as hard as you could, but it only moved him enough to send him back a few inches.

“Fuck you, Gator!” You yelled; eyes full of rage but it only spurred him more.

He smirked, a crooked smile across his lips that only infuriated you more as he straightened back up to his full height.

“Fuck, I love when you get like this.” His voice now turning sultry, hand reaching for your left wrist still situated on his chest.

You blinked as your mind caught up with the insinuation. You reared your free hand back to slap him, but he easily caught it mid-air.

“That’s it, need to take it out on me? Need to use me?” He whispered lower. Eyes trailing down, catching your already heaving chest. Your body now betraying you.

“Huh Bun? That…” Stopping mid-sentence, his gaze softened as he dropped his grasp from your wrist, instead lifting his hand back up to your arm as his fingers traced newly forming bruises.

“Who the fuck touched you?” He didn’t look at you directly, still examining the finger shaped splotches of light purple.

Your gaze followed his, examining them yourself, swallowing the lump in your throat before looking back up at him.

“I… It was Shelton. He…”

“I’ll fuckin’ kill him.” His jaw tightened. You could see the tendons in his neck strain as he released a harsh breath. The gears in his head were already turning.

“Gator,” you spoke softly. “Baby, please. Don't do anything rash. I need you here with me right now.”

Reaching up to cup his face, making him look you in the eye.

You leaned up nuzzling your nose into his jaw, your mouth hot on his skin. The slightest stubble forming from the long day, scratching along your cheek.

Your lips working their way up, legs straining as you stood on the tips of your toes, reaching the shell of his ear, “Make me forget,” you whispered.

Your hand slowly slid down his chest, past his belt buckle. You took his already hardening length in your hand, giving him a teasing squeeze as he responds with a breathy moan, kicking up under your touch.

“Make me forget his hands were ever on me.” You kissed him lightly, letting your words sink in.

“Anything you want Bunny. I'm all yours.”

You pull back slightly, searching his face as he tilts his head looking down at you. His usual warm caramel swirls now turned into black pools blown full.

“Get your ass in the bedroom. Now, mama.”

Smacking your ass when you don't move fast enough, groping your cheek with his large hand pulling you further into him.

His turn to whisper in your ear. “Get those cuffs ready.”

He released his grip as you moved away from him, a smirk adorning your face knowing what was to come. Another sharp smack as he followed closely behind you.

As soon as you cross the threshold, to your shared room, he wastes no time.

Pressing his chest to your back, hands trailing your curves. One of his large palms comes to rest on your hip, the other wrapping around your throat as he pulls you back, halting your breath.

His prominent bulge pressing into the fat of your ass has you pressing your hips further into him as he groans.

His lips ghost the shell of your ear as he speaks.

“Tell me what you want Bunny. Tell me what you need.” Tightening his grip before releasing it. He wanted you to answer him.

Most of the time he took what he needed; you were pliant to him. On those rare occasions, you could make him speechless with the way you dominated him. It was always a push and pull. He didn't mind letting you take the reins.

“I need you to take off that stupid fuckin' uniform and lay on the bed.”

“Mmmmm… that's it baby. Good girl.” He placed a small kiss to your temple before releasing the hold on you and pulling away from you altogether. The cool air hitting your back where his warmth had just been.

You turned to watch him as he unlatched his thigh holster, laying it on top of the dresser.

You took a seat at the foot of the bed, crossing your legs waiting patiently for his little show.

He smirked, eyes trailing your legs, he was trying to contain himself. He knew this was about you. For you.

He unbuckled his belt and popped the button on his fly. Pulling his shirt free before pulling it up over his head. His broad chest now on display for you, had your thighs pushing further together. It didn't go unnoticed, but he didn't say anything.

He unlaced and kicked his boots to the side, finally letting his pants slide from his waist.

The bulge in his boxers had you salivating. He palmed himself, slowly tracing his thick outline.

“Like what you see?” He licked his lips, hooking the band of his boxers but you stopped him before he shed them.

“Stop. Leave ‘em. Come here.” You pat the empty spot beside you.

He raised his brow but obeyed. He strode over and sat with a bounce, as you got up. Your turn to give him a show. Knowing he was already rock hard; he'd be eating out of the palm of your hand.

You stood a foot from him, almost between his thighs but not quite.

Your fingertips traced your own curves, reaching the hem of your shirt and slowly lifting it to reveal the red lacy bra that always drove him crazy.

“Fuck,” he sucked in a harsh breath. “Do you know what you do to me?”

He tried to grip your hips, but you batted his hands away.

“Nuh uh. You can look. Don't touch.”

He nodded and leant back, attempting to rub himself once more but you grabbed his wrist.

“No, you can't touch yourself either. Be a good boy for me.” You whispered, hand resting on his cheek. “Go ahead and lay back.”

He propped himself back against a couple of pillows, lacing his fingers behind his head, eyes never leaving you as you shimmed your skirt down your hips.

He whistles low, “look at my pretty girl. C’mere baby.” He says as he nods toward his lap. His cock now straining and tented in his boxers.

You saunter over, crawling up the bed slowly toward him.

You lifted yourself so you could straddle his waist, but not dropping your hips, so you were hovering over where he wanted your weight the most.

You move forward, pressing your still covered chest into his. Nose nudging slightly against his before your lips collide.

He brings his hands to your hips with a bruising grip, pushing you down on his cock while his hips shift to meet yours. Grinding, so desperately trying to find the friction you both wanted.

You moan into his mouth at the feeling, his length hitting your clit just right.

“That's it, sweet thing. Let me hear all those pretty noises.”

You lifted up slightly, tracing his jaw with your finger as you spoke.

“Here's what's going to happen tonight. I'm going to ride this handsome face, but” you tightened your hand as much around his throat as it would allow. “If you even think about touching yourself or cumming, I will cuff you and leave you aching and begging all night.”

“Fuck, Bunny. I'll do anything for my girl.” He said as his eyes linger on your lips.

“I'm going to put that mouth to good use.”

He quickly shifted you from his lap, nearly shoving you off the bed in the process. You couldn't help the small laugh that escaped from his show of eagerness.

He scooted down, into the bed allowing himself to be more flat against the pillow.

“C’mon baby, don't leave me waiting. Use me. Use my face. You know you want to.”

You slowly hooked the lace between your fingers and slid them down your thighs as he watched you intently, licking his lips. You flicked them toward him with a giggle. He easily caught them, laying them on the nightstand.

You crawl back over to him and straddle his chest as he pulls you closer, hands digging into the fat of your ass. You grip the headboard to keep from falling forward.

“Don't take it easy either baby, set that pretty ass down and ride my fuckin’ face.”

You nod and lift yourself; he groans once your bare, glistening pussy is on full display in front of him.

“Fuck Bunny, she's dripping already.” Your lips slightly parted, putting you more on display, as you pushed your hips further toward him. “Fuck, look at her.”

You get no warning before he wraps his hands around your thighs and pulls you down atop his waiting mouth.

He licks a fat stripe from your sopping heat up to your clit. Finding your engorged nub easily, swirling his tongue. Your back arched into the feeling, grinding your hips down as you gripped the headboard tighter.

“Fuck, Gator.” You moaned out. You caught his eyes in between your thighs as he continued.

He was eating you like a man starved. Loving the taste of you on his tongue he could easily cum just from the taste and sight of you coming undone.

Laving his tongue between your entrance to your clit and back down. Savoring everything you'd give him.

It wasn't long before you felt that coil start to tighten. He was watching your face as best he could nestled between your thighs, as you began to scrunch your brows giving in to pleasure.

He took your clit in between his lips and sucked harshly, moaning around you from the way your body reacted to him.

“Baby, fuck!” You cried out, “Just like that.”

He didn't let up, tongue swirling, teeth scraping before sucking you in once more between his lips. You let go while screaming his name, blinded momentarily by the fireworks you swore were behind your eyes.

He sucked gently a few more times, before letting you grind your hips onto him as you came down from your high.

His grip loosened as you slid further down, sitting on his chest, as he started to sit himself back up. He donned a shit eating grin, your fluids slick on his mouth and chin.

You leaned over and fell into the mattress beside him, still trying to catch your breath. Chest heaving from the excursion.

Not giving you much of a reprieve, he started assaulting your neck with his mouth.

Trailing sticky kisses down, his saliva mixed with your juices, tracing your collar, sucking, then quickly soothing it with his tongue. Sure to leave fresh marks in their wake.

Slowly he moved lower, between your cleavage.

He suddenly pulled the fabric of your bra down, taking your already pebbled nipple into his mouth switching between sucking and biting.

You whined at the feeling, as your pussy began to once more throb with an ever-growing need.

His hand traced your stomach, just when you thought he was going to delve between your thighs, he removed his hand entirely.

You chanced a glance down, as he pulled his boxers out of the way and wrapped his hand around his cock. His perfect tip now red and angry, leaking a pearly bead from his slit that he gathered before easing his hand back down.

“Gator,” you say with a breathy exhale.

“Hmmmm?” He hummed without looking up, continuing his current ministrations to himself, while leaving hickies across your chest.

“What did I tell you about keeping your hands to yourself?” Your voice raspy.

He stopped, caught like a deer in headlights, he looked up at you with eyes nearly black. He knew what that tone meant.

“I'm sorry, Bun.” He grins.

“No, but you will be. Lay back and put your hands up, pretty boy.”

You had been waiting for the slip up. The moment he'd fuck up. He always did.

You stood, so he could make himself more comfortable, scooting back up into the bed, his head hitting the pillows as he raised both hands above his head.

“Gator, baby,” you slid the cool steel around one wrist and tightened it into place. “I think you enjoy this a little too much.”

He laughed out, as you clicked the other into place.

If anyone ever happened upon the set of cuffs left around the bed frame, they'd just assume he used them on you. He did some nights but they were mostly used on him. He got handsy, and sometimes you needed to teach him a lesson.

Once you were done, you started to ease your way down to his boxers. Fingers tiptoeing down his chest, his stomach until you reached the hem.

“This what you want, baby?” You teased.

He nodded, face flushed red, as he bit his bottom lip before finally answering, “Yeah. P… please.”

You eased the offending garment from his hips as he aided you by lifting and letting you guide them the rest of the way down his thighs before throwing them to the side.

His cock was sitting pretty, leaned against his abdomen.

His size never ceased to amaze you; thick, and long. Prominent veins running the length. He was perfect.

You eased back up toward him. Hands splayed on his thighs. Watching his cock flex from being so close to where he needed you.

Still wearing your bra, you finally removed it, as he let out a groan.

“Prettiest tits. How'd I get so lucky?” He hummed, mostly to himself.

You spread his thighs apart, seating yourself between them. He bucked slightly, as you heard the metal restraints hit the headboard. You eyed him playfully, but his eyes were already closed, fists clenched.

You lowered your mouth, as your tongue made contact with his shaft, he moaned out a pathetic whine, running it from base to tip. He threw his head back further into the pillows.

“This it baby? This what you need?”

“Mmmmhmmm.” He nodded, still not meeting your gaze. He was trying to stave off his release. This was about you right now.

Your mouth trailed kisses back down his length. Breathing in his heady, musky scent when you reached his balls.

You took one into your mouth, sucking lightly as your other hand teasingly kneaded the other.

“Oh fuck… shit shit shit.” His hips raised, dick bobbing with the motion, only spurring you further as you hummed around him.

“Bunny, baby, please.” He whined out.

You released him with a slight pop.

“Hmmmmm baby? Look at me and tell me what you need.” Your voice was syrupy sweet as you spoke, unlike the devilish way you were currently torturing him.

He already looked fucked out. His usually meticulous hair disheveled about. His lips parted, releasing shaky pants as he finally met your eyes.

“I…” he swallowed. “I need you to touch me. Fuck me.”

“That's it. Good boy.” You hummed your approval as your hand finally wrapped around his base, squeezing lightly.

“Goddamn,” he let out breathlessly, he pulled on his restraints once more to no avail.

You licked the dribble of precum leaking down the side of his head as he shuddered. Finally enveloping him in your warm, wet mouth taking him as far back as your throat would allow.

You began to bob your head, hollowing your cheeks and pumping what you couldn't fit.

He was panting, letting out moans. His noises only make you more wet, suddenly your cunt is clenching around nothing, making you well aware of your own neglected desire.

His hips suddenly jerked up making you gag around him, taking him further down your throat.

“Fucking hell. I… I need to fuck you. I'm not going to last like this.” He choked out. “Please baby. I need my cock in that sweet little pussy.”

You pull off of him, still holding his base with a firm grip.

“Fine,” you sighed, climbing into his lap situating your bare cunt so you were straddling his cock, but you didn't move.

You leaned over pressing a kiss to his chest, reaching in between you as you lifted your hips and lined him up to your entrance.

You pressed another kiss to his cheek, “I'm going to put you out of your misery, but it's because my neglected cunt is throbbing right now, and don't you dare fucking cum until after I've had another.”

He nodded, “Yeah, yeah. Promise, just need you.”

You slowly lowered yourself onto him, only allowing the tip to breach, you moaned in unison at the small relief.

You then began the descent, taking each inch little by little feeling every ridge and vein as his cock filled you to the brim.

He soon bottomed out, as your hips settled flush to his. It had you moaning out again.

“Fuck baby, you're so big.” You were trying to give your pussy time to adjust but he snapped his hips up into you, ever impatient.

“Ow, fuck Gator!” you whined out, looking back down to him.

“Quit bein' a fuckin’ cock tease. Bounce Bunny!" He growled.

You raised your hips, obliging him. Alternating between bouncing and grinding.

Sounds of shared pants and moans mixed with your slick cunt filled the room.

“Yeah, mama. That's it. Use my cock. Take what you need. Is’ all yours.” He started blabbering, tuning out half of what he was saying.

“Shut up Gator!” You'd suddenly had enough of his mouth.

You reached over and found what you were looking for, shoving your wadded up panties past his lips. When your taste hit his tongue once more, he couldn't help from moaning around them as his eyes rolled back.

You continued to ride him just the way you both liked. Warmth blooming in your abdomen, but not quite what you needed.

Raising up so you could toy with your clit, you rubbed circles to your aching nub while still trying to maintain a rhythm as you close your eyes focusing on the feeling.

A few more rolls of your hips and well-orchestrated pressure to your bundle of nerves and you were teetering on the edge.

You were wound tight, as the sounds of Gator fighting the fabric still in his mouth started to be more apparent, but you pay it no mind.

You were tipping over the edge once more.

Harder than before, your pussy clenched around him. Almost strangling him, he let out a few more muffled moans, but you knew he hadn't cum.

You rode it out with a few more grinds, your clit now becoming too sensitive. Your body slumped forward, hands splayed out across his chest, as you tried to control your ragged breath.

He was finally able to spit the fabric out with a huff.

“Bunny, look at me.” He spoke.

When you didn't respond right away, he bucked his hips again making you falter, but it gained your attention as you met his eyes.

“Hey! Unlock the cuffs.” His eyes grew darker, he needed to fuck you. Make you fall apart beneath him.

“Now! Get the fuckin' key.” He hissed through gritted teeth.

He was done playing games. You let him slip from you, moving your shaky hand quickly to the side table pulling the drawer open and producing the key.

He watches your every move, eyes full of hunger. The key slid into the lock and unlatched easily. As soon as his wrists were free, he was on you.

He flipped you both easily, so you were now on your back. Knocking your thighs apart to accommodate him, grabbing your hips and pulling you further up he slid his cock back in with one swift push to the hilt.

“Oh… Fuck!” Your back arched, screaming his name as he pulled nearly all the way out only to push back in setting a near brutal pace in your now overstimulated cunt, his head kissing your cervix with each push.

He watched your tits bounce with every thrust, as his eyes slid lower watching his massive dick split you open over and over again. The sight of the creamy ring at the base of his cock from your juices was driving him mad.

Your eyes rolled back, as you fisted the sheets beneath your hands, trying to ground yourself.

He leaned forward, hand moving around your throat pinning you under him.

“Look at you, all dumb on my fuckin' cock. Mmmmm. You… you think it's funny teasin’ me all fuckin’ night?” He asked but knew you were too far gone to actually answer. He couldn't stop the words from spilling out.

“That's it, sweet thing, takin’ this cock so fuckin' well.” He thrusts harshly, making you cry out once more.

He pistons his hips up slightly, so he could abuse that spot inside you he knew would have you seeing stars in no time as you fluttered around him. He tightened his hold on your throat, cutting off your air slightly.

“That's it baby. She's practically sucking me back in now. You can give me one more, right?”

You whimpered.

Unsure if you could but when he started talking to you in that condescending tone and his cock shoved so far up your pussy you could practically feel him rearranging your insides, it really was only a matter of time.

“C’mon baby. Cum with me.” He was watching as your face started contorting, a mix of pain from overstimulation and pleasure. Your mouth fell slack, nothing but whimpers falling from your lips.

“I… I’m close, Bun,” his rhythm faltering slightly.

He raised up, removing his hand from your throat, as you gasped for the air you didn't know you were missing.

He brought his thumb down to your clit, drawing harsh circles.

“Gator, no…ugh... fuck, fuck, fuck.” It was too late. Your orgasm hit you like at full force. You hadn't even felt it building, it was just there.

Your pussy clamped down around him once more as you came with a scream.

“Shitshitshit. There… there she is.” He was able to mumble out as his own release came crashing down.

“Take it all mama. Every single drop. That's what you want, hmmmmm… Fuck… Make sure everyone knows your mine. No one will EVER fuckin' touch you again.”

He filled you, rope after rope painted you from within. He hadn't cum this hard in a long time. He felt like a man possessed, wanting nothing more than to claim you, breed you. Show everyone you were his.

He collapsed on top of you. Head laid on your chest.

You were both sweaty and spent but neither one cared as you both tried to slow your erratic breathing.

Soft pants, shared breaths. He stayed like that for a moment before his softening cock slid from you. He looked up at you then, a small smile and doe eyed.

He began to pepper kisses between your breasts. Lips skimming the various marks that he had left. Kissing the fading red splotches where his hand had been around your throat.

“These are the only kind of marks that are allowed be left on you." He whispered, easing up the rest of the way as he found your lips. You moved languid against each other, savoring the taste of his tongue on yours.

When he’d had his fill he rolled over beside you, pulling you with him.

You laid your head on his chest as he reached down to pull the covers over you both. His arm wrapped around your middle, holding you tightly as he kissed the top of your head.

“You got nothin’ to worry about Bunny. I'll take care of it. Take care of you. Promise.” He whispered, barely hearing him as you let sleep take hold.

You hadn't felt it when he slipped away while you were peacefully off in Dreamland.

Finally returning in the wee hours of the morning with dawn quickly approaching the mattress dipped with his weight as he crawled back in beside you.

He wrapped his arm around your waist and pulled you back into his chest, as he hid his face in the crook of your neck breathing deeply and releasing a heavy sigh.

And when you both woke with the sun filtering through the curtains you didn't mention his bloodied and bruised knuckles that weren't there the night before.

And when Deputy Shelton hadn't shown up for work the next day or the entire following week, you didn't mention that either. It was none of your business.

[starrayblogs]

Not So Rock-Hearted || Floyd (Trolls) x Reader

a/n: hey! another one :3 lots of playful stuff in this chapter, i feel like i kinda wrote floyd out of character? but honestly if you really think about it, i don't think he was ever a shy guy so hm... well, have a fun read! likes and reblogs are appreciated as always

✩ previous chapter

ii. The Music's On

It’s the first day of the weekend. Barb agreed to let you ride to Pop Village every weekend to catch up with Viva, but that you’d need to be back by the morning of the weekday. Now you’re on your way to Pop Village with the sun high in the sky.

The sun was starting to set by the time you saw a pod. You pick up the speed on your motorcycle and start to see more pods. You’ve arrived back in Pop Village. Now, you have to look for Branch’s bunker. Poppy suggested having a party there to catch up quietly with just a small group.

You receive a few whispers and pointing fingers as you ride through the place, and you pick up the pace. You park your bike by a big stone, a bit further away from the pods, that has a rug that says ‘Go Away’. You chuckle at it.

“Now, where is Branch’s bunker?" You talk to yourself, stepping away from your bike to head to the village. Until you see a familiar troll with pink hair, not forgetting the white fade too. You raise your hand and give a small wave, which he returns with a smile. “Floyd, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Great. I just have a small question, do you know where Branch’s bunker is?” You ask.

“Oh, it’s… It’s right behind you.” He chuckles, pointing behind you.

You turn behind you and look at the rock up and down. “Pretty hardcore…” You give a nod of approval. “You got invited to the party too?” You turn back to him.

“Of course, I wanna catch up with my brothers.” Floyd walks past you to walk to the bunker. You follow behind him. You watch as he knocks on the rock, which produces a hollow sound like a door.

“Okay, this rock can’t bring me any more surprises.” You wave your arms away from you. A section of the rug slides open to reveal a set of eyes, causing a startled ‘what the!?’ to come out of you. Floyd hides his chuckle behind his hand.

“The rug had a surprise for you.” He comments.

“Real funny, Cotton Candy.” You roll your eyes at him while smirking before meeting the eyes under the rug.

“You two finally made it.” The entire rug slides away and reveals Branch, who motions for you two to hop down. You look to Floyd to see if he’d go first, but seeing as he doesn’t take the opportunity to jump right ahead, you jump in.

“You think you can follow that?” You cross your arms as you look up at him.

He lets out a snicker before jumping down like you. You give him a nod before turning to Branch. You watch him place the rug back in place before pulling a lever. The floor beneath you starts to move downward. “Man, you just get cooler.” You direct your eyes to Branch, leaning on the lever.

“Thank you.” Branch says, grateful, even giving a little bow. You chuckle. 

The platform stops, and you notice that you’re back on the ground, in front of a small group. There’s JD, Bruce, and Clay all together and poking around the stuff on the walls. Viva and Poppy are sitting on the floor, talking and giggling with each other.

The three of you catch the attention of the rest, who cheer at your arrival. Viva hops from the floor and rushes to hug you. “You’re finally here! We can get this party started!” She moves her arm around your side, walking you with her to Poppy.

“Welcome! We brought snacks, oh- and there’s a karaoke machine if we want!” Poppy pats the floor next to her before pointing to the mentioned karaoke machine at the side. You hum, removing your guitar strap and propping the instrument against a nearby wall.

“Snacks? You guys should’ve told me, I would’ve brought something.” You chuckle, taking a seat next to Viva.

“Please, it’s okay! Here, have some menudo from Bruce’s cantina.” Poppy gets up as quickly as she returns with a bowl for you. You nod your head as a thanks, blowing away the steam.

“Oh my gosh, I have so many questions! First of all, hello? You’re a rock troll! How’s that work?” Viva asks, sitting cross-legged and leaning forward to you.

“Oh, me too. I would’ve never thought you were one of us.” Poppy adds, lying on her stomach with her face in her hands.

“Well, I don’t know either,” you shrug. “Since I got to Volcano Rock City, I never really sang or did pop anymore? Kinda left it behind me…” You take a bite of menudo, nodding your head in approval at its deliciousness.

“Why did you go to Volcano Rock City?” Viva asks.

“I didn’t. At first, I left Pop Village to look for you…” You look quietly at Viva for a while before clearing your throat. “I lost hope after a while, but I didn’t want to go back to Pop Village. I didn’t want to see King Peppy after he lied about no troll being left behind. Next thing I know, I'd get left behind if there was another attack.” You scoff until you notice both of their connections to the man. “No offense, by the way.”

“None taken!” Poppy and Viva say in unison. “I get it.”

You nod your head. “So, after a few days wandering about in the wild, Barb found me. Took me back to her place, and I learned all about the different kinds of trolls.” You take another bite. “Then, I got a sick makeover.” You motion to yourself with a smile.

“You know, I haven’t really heard the other kinds of music…” Viva purses her lips, making eye contact with you.

“Viva, no.” You laugh, pointing the spoon at her. “I doubt there’s even a rock song in that karaoke machine.” You scoop up some menudo into your mouth.

“But you have your guitar!” Viva protests, and you raise a brow at her while you chew.

“You know, I don’t think I’ve actually heard a full rock song either.” Poppy encourages Viva’s prompt, which causes you to facepalm. Both of them begin to place their hands together in a pleading motion.

“What’s all this about?” Clay approaches your little circle.

“They’re trying to get me to sing a song.” You roll your head back to meet his eyes, before lazily facing the two girls again. “Still not happening, by the way.”

“Aww, amiga, please! It’s been a while since I’ve heard you sing too!” Viva shakes her conjoined hands at you, and you laugh a little.

“My voice is gonna be completely different from what you remember.” You prolong the last vowel with a playful smirk. “You might not like it.”

“What’s this I hear about singing?” JD joins in, along with the other Brozone bros next to him. You let out a mix of a groan and a laugh.

Poppy giggles, sitting up properly. “You’ve got an audience now, come on! You can’t keep us away from that rock’n’roll!” She says, raising her fist in the air.

“Mhm, mhm, yeah.” You set your finished bowl of menudo to the side. Eventually, almost all of them start to encourage you to play a song, and you keep nodding your head in amusement until you make eye contact with Floyd.

There’s a small smile on his face that pulls at you. 

You clear your throat and look away as the group quiets down for you to hear him speak. “You can’t follow up your stunt earlier?” He says with a teasing, but encouraging tone.

“Ha, of course, I can.” You send him a quick smile before rising from the floor, ruffling up your hair more as you make your way to pick up your guitar.

“Yes!” Viva cheers, even jumping from the ground a bit. “Wait, what stunt?” She turns to Floyd, who looks away and shrugs his shoulders.

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you about my voice.” You point at Viva as you wear your guitar strap, adjusting the strings to make sure they’re good to play. You watch as Brozone sits down next to the girls, forming a little audience in front of you.

“This is exciting.” Bruce comments, and you chuckle. “I wonder what rock sounds like.”

“It sounds like this.” You start to play the notes of the opening on your guitar, breaking eye contact with them to focus on the music. Your foot taps to the rhythm, and your body rocks a bit.

Here I am Rock you like a hurricane

You can hear the ‘oh’s and ‘wow’s from the trolls in front of you, making you smile a bit.

Here I am  Rock you like a hurricane

You raise your head and exaggerate your expressions to the lyrics, leaning forward to interact with them.

My body is burning, it starts to shout Desire is coming, it breaks out loud Lust is in cages ‘til storm breaks loose

You smirk, pointing the headstock at a certain troll on the floor while you play the strings. You tilt your head to the side as you sing the following lyrics.

Just have to make it with someone I choose

You don’t look away when Floyd’s eyes noticeably widen, his posture straightening at the sudden pin of attention. You quickly pull the headstock away from him and focus back on performing the song, occasionally picking him out of the crowd again more often than the others.

You finish the riff and raise your head with a smirk, breathing heavily as you receive applause. “I hope you all enjoyed your premiere dose of rock’n’roll.” You pose the signature rock sign, before placing your guitar away again. 

“That was…!” Viva starts, but she stammers to find a word, before letting a hand out to you. “What is it you say!?”

“Sick?” You smirk, placing a hand on your hip.

“That was sick!” Viva’s arms raise to the sky again, a grin on her face. “Your voice is so booming, I would’ve never thought you could sing like that back then!” She waves her hands happily.

Your smirk turns to a soft smile at her words. “Thanks, Veev.”

“I was totally not expecting that.” Clay comments. “That was awesome!”

You tilt your head toward him and cross your arms. “I think I get to encourage a performance now.” You smirk, which makes the troll’s eyes widen in surprise. “Brozone, right? I’ve never heard a single thing from you guys.” You remark, setting your guitar up on a wall.

You watch as the brothers look amongst each other, considering if they should perform or not. Your eyes drift from Clay to Floyd, who immediately meets your eye. You smirk.

“You think you can follow after me?” You ask, and he gives a sided smile with a tilted head, before turning to his brothers again.

“I mean, why not? It’s only fair.” He encourages them, receiving an affirming response.

“While the night’s young.” You spread your arms to the side as if handing them the stage, walking forward to sit with Poppy and Viva as the audience. “You too, you know?” You tell the girls.

“Oh psh, that’s easy.” Poppy giggles. You watch as the karaoke machine is messed with by JD, who is finding one of their old songs to sing.

Eventually, they conclude and position themselves for the song. As the karaoke is set to go, their harmony surprises you as it overpowers even the set instrumental of the machine.

You watch them perform with a relaxed smile, your hands leaning behind you as your head slightly bops to the beat.

Did anybody notice?

You watch as Floyd dances in the center, making eye contact with you. He extends his arm in your direction with a smile and a glint in his eye.

The energy just shifted When we dropped in, ooh Let it drop in

You let out a small laugh to yourself as your shoulders rise to your neck. Your smile only widens when you subconsciously find your eyes focused on him throughout the entire performance.

Viva purses her lips when she looks at you, who doesn’t even notice her gaze. She turns to her sister, nudging her side and glancing at you again. Poppy follows her eyes, looking at you and where you’re looking. 

Poppy lets out a soft gasp, and Viva grins. Unknown to you, they gossip with each other while the music plays for the night.

✩ next chapter

[germany-tourism]

Top Sightseeing Places and Fun Things to do in Germany

Apart from being an economic powerhouse, Germany is also a popular tourist destination. Though the country is decades ahead of others when it comes to modernity, it has still preserved its rich history and traditions and this is what draws so many people to get a Germany visa online and have the best vacation. If you too are considering this place, here are the top sightseeing places and fun things to do in Germany:

Neuschwanstein Castle

Ever wondered about the castle used in Disney’s parks’ logo? Where is it from? Is it real or is it fictional? Well, it's real and it is located in Fussen town in Germany. The Neuschwanstein Castle is famous and there are many tours in a day that take you to witness the beautiful interiors, the towers, the battlements, and spectacular views from the castle.

Brandenburg Gate

Berlin’s most legendary structure, the Brandenburg Gate has been a part of Germany’s history ever since it was made. It was used as a dividing point in the Berlin Wall and before that, it was destroyed in WWII, and before that, during King Fredric William II’s time, it was used to direct traffic. The side column gaps were used by regular people and the royals used the centre pillar gaps. This impressive structure is beautiful and modelled after Athens’ Acropolis, and is one of the best things to see in Berlin.

Jewish Museum

One of the most important Berlin places to visit, the Jewish Museum is a museum dedicated to German Jews and the atrocities they faced during the Holocaust. The museum’s architecture is unique as it looks like a lightning bolt from the top. Apart from historical exhibits, the museum also hosts many creative artworks by famous artists from around the world. The museum’s architect, Daniel Libeskind, also happens to be a descendant of a German Jewish family that was killed during the Holocaust and the location of the museum is on a former Jewish settlement.

Mauerpark

For wonderful, fun activities in Berlin, Mauerpark is the place to go. During the weekdays, you can enjoy some peace, tranquillity, and greenery. You can also enjoy art as a piece of the Berlin Wall in the park is an open canvas for all artists. On the weekend though, all the fun activities start. The park hosts karaoke sessions where anyone can belt their heart out to music, and there are also flea markets featuring the most unique products at a steal. This place is a must-visit if you like to have fun.

Nuremberg City

The city of Nuremberg is one of the best cities to visit in Germany. The city is home to many educational institutes that attract students from all over the world. Therefore, it is one of the most globalised cities in Germany and you can experience an amalgamation of many cultures in this one city. One of the best times to come here is during Christmas as there are many colourful and joy-inducing Christmas markets all over town full of food, drinks, and merriment. Other important attractions here are Kaiserburg Castle, Germanic National Museum, Nuremberg State Theatre, Hauptmarkt, and Loch Gefangnis Prison. There’s a lot to see and do here.

Berliner Fernsehturm

The Berliner Fernsehturm is the tallest structure in Berlin. This place is a TV tower that stands at a staggering height of 365 metres, which is almost 1200 feet. The tower also has an observation deck at a height of 20 metres (656 feet) from where you can get a panoramic view of Alexanderplatz, which is one of the most popular tourist areas in Berlin thanks to attractions like World Time Clock, Alexa Shopping Mall, and Museum Island. Once you are done getting awed by the Berliner Fernsehturm, you can also enjoy your time in Alexanderplatz.

Though the above-given list mainly has listed attractions in Berlin, there are many others around Germany. You can visit cities like Munich, Frankfurt, Hamburg, and Dusseldorf. Each city has its own culture and tourist-friendly attractions. Also, don’t forget to enjoy the food and drinks in Germany that are popular all over the world. This country can make for an amazing vacation.

[kekoma]

— semi as your boyfriend.

can’t imagine not crushing on this man. hope you enjoy.

many many thoughts with this man.

so many that it hurts in good way.

first of all, semi MOST LIKELY named one of his guitars after you.

and i’m not talking about some ordinary guitar that he may occasionally play or anything— nah, i’m talking about the most expensive one that’s gorgeous.

takes the utter most care of that guitar since he plays it often and no one is allowed to touch it.

def learns the songs you like and covers them because this man has bomb ass vocals. i said what i said and won’t take it back.

or he just plays the melody, asking that you sing instead (if you’re up to it)

when semi isn’t covering/playing songs for you then he’s writing them about you.

you’re his sole inspiration for most of the songs he ends up creating and you’re also the first one to hear it before anyone else too.

also something to point out— he creates most of those songs during the night when you’re around.

semi knows most late nights can pull out the strangest topics but it can also open you and him up at the same time when it comes to emotions.

so he’ll be staring at you from his computer chair with his guitar resting on his lap, listening precisely to every word that slip pass your lips as you laid on his bed; rambling about your emotions and how you’re thankful that the universe has put you two in the same timeline.

suddenly he starts strumming a soft tune that makes you feel like you’re floating and turning those words you said not too long ago into something lyrical, something that you two will understand but those that hear it would need to decipher (because there’s no way he’s making it easy for outsiders to understand)

AND if you know a few things about music, can sing well from taking lessons/taking a chorus class in school and/or play an instrument then semi is going AWOOGA 😍 

def can see him wanting to collab with you or asking if you could be his hidden vocals/use your voice in general (meaning he would ask you to record a fake voicemail or say his name a certain way so he can put it in the song)

although if you aren’t comfortable with that concept then he understands and won’t push you to do anything.

whew let me move on because i could literally go on and on about this man being musically talented.

anyways, semi def creates a bunch of playlist for you. 

each one having a description for why it was made and the feeling he wants to give off with it.

something i feel like he may also do is send over songs he currently listens to and says you should listen to it too so you both feel more connected.

BUT really stepping aside from music.

he’s extremely caring and respectful towards you.

truly studies you, making mental notes about everything and makes sure he avoids cause any discomfort.

when it comes to caring— semi semi here might go out his way to show you through his actions if he feels his words and physical touches may not be enough.

i’ll say he’s a bit clingy— dude loves being around you no matter what.

for sure invites you to his volleyball practices and games.

you’re his lucky charm and he enjoys the thought of knowing you’re supportive of him when it comes to volleyball.

also he’s supportive of anything you do as well, even shows up to your events too (but if it clashes with a volleyball then he won’t be able to go obviously but he makes it up by ordering food in and asking you to tell him all the details about what happened)

now i briefly brought pda earlier and its about that time to talk about it... does eita like it?

yeah he does but it’s not very common in public.

the best you’ll get from him is holding hands, small pecks on the lips/cheeks and ONCE in a blue moon will he wrap his arms around you from behind.

there’s no real reason for why he’s like that but hopefully you’re understanding.

now in private; he does a bit more pda. kisses become a bit more frequent, won’t pass up the chance to hold you in his arms through cuddling or whatever.

side fact: semi definitely likes when you’re in between his legs, your back pressed against his chest and the guitar would be settled on your legs— basically teaching you how to play (if you ever asked him to)

“where do i place my fingers next?”

“right here... you’ll bring your pinky up a bit but keep these two fingers on the the second fret.” he’ll carefully move one of your fingers just to put them in the correct place.

“then you’ll strum. i’ll let you try it without my help this time.”

literally would smile when you do it, finding himself falling deeper in love with you than before.

semi adores that you’re willing to learn something he’s very passionate about it and appreciates you for even taking the time for it when you could do other things.

vvv soft and we stan that here.

moving on— lets talk about nicknames really quick.

drumroll please 🥁🥁🥁 

top nicknames: my melody/melody, love, angel and occasionally he’ll toss in lotus along with bambi. 

had to keep it cute and interesting <3 semi isn’t going for the basics.

something to mention, we’ve all seen the way he dresses in casual clothes... now you can either a) hype him up about his clothes to the point he’s no longer concerned about how tendou says he looks uncool or b) help the boy out with his style just a bit. all up to you cutie.

heh now let me discuss dates right because whew~ dates with this cutie? hits deliciously.

of course most of the dates are music related so tickets to a concert is on there, going to certain places (such as a park with others and a little picnic set up) to see free performances from new/upcoming artists and etc.

“that last set was actually good, don’t you think so melody?”

“yeah~ i liked the emotions the singer had in her voice. it really connected with me but what do you think?”

“same thing as you. however, did you notice how they had a shift in the cords that created the perfect harmonic? and it wasn’t completely soft too.”

“now that i think about it, my ears didn’t catch on the first time but yeah. oh look! the next act is going up~!”

but when he isn’t dragging you out for that then he mainly takes you out for a drive/walk around the city, cafes, those karaoke places that also serves food, shopping and stay-at-home dates which he tries his best to make them fun (there’s probably more but im just naming a few here)

dates are normally chilled with him and always fun so we loving it.

bonus: semi FOR SURE has you as his lockscreen. no doubt about it.

he loves waking up to your picture in the morning or even checking the time because he gets to see how adorable his love is.

also on his sns (instagram mainly)— he has a highlight called ‘me and my melody 🎶🤍’ which is filled with a bunch of pictures of you two together.

the pictures are so cute that they end up on Pinterest and everyone starts  spamming your dms with “so 👀 does your boyfriend have any siblings?”, “can you drop a tutorial on how to get a fine boyfriend like yours?”, “ayo 😳 think i can have him on the weekends and you get him for the weekdays?” and much more crazier things we won’t mention here.

another bonus: probably sings you to sleep if you’re having trouble sleeping. don’t try fighting me on this because i won’t allow it.

ANYWAYS, to conclude this before i have complete semi brainrot— dating this man is a 10/10 and it’s worth it.

we love semi eita over here <333

© all content belongs to kekoma 2020. do not repost, modify or translate.

[nugnthopkns]

hold me like that

word count: 1.6k

warnings: explicit!fem reader, soft wedding vibes

recommended listening: it's all coming back to me now | celine dion

a/n: guess i go here now. got inspired by that video where the avs sing their go-to karaoke songs and tbarrie does not disappoint

Tyson has always had this magnetism about him.

You felt it the first time you met him. It was a sleepy Thursday night in Denver, and your friends had convinced you to join them for a few drinks to celebrate the long weekend you’d all found yourself faced with. You weren’t huge on going out on weekdays, but you did have Friday off because the building that held your office was undergoing construction. Instead of forcing everyone to work from home the company decided to create a long weekend, and you were incredibly grateful. It had been a hard couple of weeks with project deadline after deadline, but that was behind you now and you could kick back and relax. Plus, your friends offered to foot your bill, so how could you say no?

The dive bar you had found yourself crowded into was hosting a karaoke night. It seemed like every patron was scrambling to get a turn at the mic, but you sat at a table off to the side and just cheered them on. Your friends did their best to convince you to do a rendition of ‘Wannabe’ with them but you refused, staying in your seat while they made fools of themselves in front of hundreds of people. Somehow, Sarah had gotten the crowd to join in, and it turned into a giant sing-along. Laughter tumbled from your lips as you watched, and once they finished you whistled loudly, clapping along with the rest of the crowd. The four of them took dramatic bows before they exited stage left. They tumbled back to the table as the emcee called for the next participant.

“Tyson? You’re up next!”

Chants of his name erupted from a group of men across the bar, and one of them peeled off to hop onto the stage. He smiled brightly at the crowd and gave a timid wave before turning to his friends and flipping them off. Their laughter echoed off the walls and you joined in. However, your laughter was less in good spirit and more of the awestruck variety. The man in front of you had kind eyes and gently tousled waves that just suited him. His smile made you want to get to know him better, and you found yourself drawn to him. The opening piano notes of a ballad fluttered through the speakers as you watched intently.

“There were nights when the wind was so cold,” he crooned, and the pitch of his voice surprised you. It took a few more lines for you to realize he was imitating Céline Dion, though rather poorly. Everyone in the bar was enthralled by the performance he was giving, and you spotted more than a few girls near the stage who were trying desperately to get his attention.

The group he came with continued to shout their support, but it was hard to understand them due to just how much they laughed. Prepared to go all out for the chorus, Tyson ripped the microphone from its stand and walked to the edge of the stage. “When you touch me like this, and you hold me like that,” he sang, and turned in the direction of your table. Boldly, the stranger pointed directly at you as he continued in the ridiculous accent. “I just have to admit that it’s all coming back to me.” At the end of the sentence, with his arm still extended, Tyson winked at you.

He continued to sing and the rest of the crowd joined him, but you were too shocked to form the words. You sat there dumbfounded until the end of the song, when you came to your wits just enough to join the applause. Tyson took it all in stride and gave the same wave he offered at the beginning of the performance before he shuffled off the stage. Instead of rejoining the festivities at his friends’ table, the brunette made his way through the crowd towards you. He stuck out at hand once he stopped in front of you, and spoke with the softest demeanour you had ever encountered.

“I couldn’t help but notice you from up there. I’m Tyson.”

Your insides melted at the sound of his voice, and you choked out a reply as you tried to figure out a way to stay close to him forever.

☼☼☼☼

He’s the same way now, a handful of years later. No matter what room you're in or how many people are between the two of you, one soft smile from Tyson has you slinking across the space and into his side. Friends and family laugh at how you’re always found close to one another, but they truly don’t mind because the love between you is palpable. It took you both an incredibly long time to find the happiness each other brings and no one is going to try and take it away from you.

It’s late in the evening, the sun having dipped behind the mountains hours ago, but somehow you’re still stuck repeating the same thank you spiel to wedding guests as you walk around. Tyson is nowhere in sight, but you’re sure he’s doing the same thing. No one informed you how much time you’d actually spend separated from your newly minted husband on your wedding night – if you had known you would have cut the guest list down dramatically.

You slip from the conversation you found yourself in with Tyson’s aunt and grandmother and head to the balcony of the rustic ski lodge you rented for the ceremony and reception. The fresh air greets you like a welcome friend, but it’s chillier than you expected. Wordlessly you pull your husband’s suit jacket tighter around your shoulders and stare at the idyllic landscape in front of you. Though you no longer live in Colorado, Tyson’s job landing you in Edmonton via a short stint in Toronto, you knew you had to get married here. It was your home for so long and your closest friends still reside in the state. Besides, it has that low-key feeling that is an exact replica of your relationship. Everything is easy in Colorado, just like it’s easy with Tyson.

There’s a rustling behind you that signals someone else has appeared on the balcony, and you don’t have to turn around to know it’s Tyson. The air around you has warmed up significantly and there’s a prickle of electricity at the base of your neck that flickers whenever he’s around. A pair of strong arms wrap around your waist, and you lean back into the body they belong to.

“Hey there stranger,” Tyson says softly, tilting your head gently to press a delicate kiss to your lips.

“Long time no see,” you hum in response. “I didn’t know I’d never get to see you once we were married.”

He throws his head back in laughter at your grovelling, and you swear you’d be content if that was the only sound you heard for the rest of your life. “We have a lifetime ahead of us baby, I think we can let your nieces have a few dances with me.”

You know he’s right, but you’ll never admit it. Time doesn’t feel quite as fulfilling when it’s spent apart from Tyson. A comfortable silence engulfs the little bubble you’ve found yourself in, and Tyson says pressed to you as you point out the various constellations littering the night sky. Astronomy was a hobby you picked up one season to keep the loneliness at bay while Tyson was away, but it stuck and he listens to you ramble about the stars as often as he can. The silence is so peaceful, filled with so much love, that you think about never returning to the reception area.

“Do you remember the first night we met?” you whisper, nervous about disturbing the tranquil atmosphere.

“How could I forget? You were the most beautiful girl in the room.” It’s your turn to laugh, but Tyson insists. “I’m serious babe. Gabe had pointed you out when we walked in, but I was too much of a chicken to do anything. I kept waiting, hoping you’d go up and sing a song so I’d have a reason to come talk to you, but you never did. The guys gauded me into doing that ridiculous Céline Dion impression, and I only did it to catch your attention.”

Surprise laces your features. “Why have I never heard this version of events?”

“Because it’s stupid.”

You turn in his grip as gently as possible, looking him in the eyes. “I don’t think anything you do could be considered stupid Tys.”

“Even that one time at Worlds where I cut myself wrestling with Simmer?”

The sparkle in your eyes only intensifies as you giggle. “Maybe that,” you sigh, “But nothing else.”

Out of things to say, probably because he knows that was an incredibly stupid moment, Tyson leans down to close the distance between your lips. The kiss isn’t unlike the ones you’ve shared all day – sweet and full of so much love the grinch would snuff up his nose. However, it’s also different. It manages to convey a thousand words Tyson would never be able to vocalize about how thankful he is for you, and you revel in the feeling. You’ve never loved someone as much as you love him and it’s clear he’s in the same boat.

Eventually you pull away, a bright smile taking up much of your face as you rest your head on Tyson’s shoulder. When Tyson came out to find you he didn’t shut the sliding door properly, and the piano melody that started it all makes its way to your ears. Tyson’s laugh rumbles in his chest and you feel it against like a sunshine beam on your cheek. Wordlessly he begins to sway in time with the music, and you follow his lead.

“I love you,” he says with the same amount of conviction a judge does when giving a sentence.

Your response is automatic, and the easiest thing you’ve ever done. “Forever and ever.”

[bachpanschool]

HOW TO MAKE WEEKENDS DELIGHTFUL FOR TODDLERS?

Kids need time and they demand parents to go to a park or watch a movie together. The weekdays are a tough and busy time for both parents and kids. But weekends can be fun and exciting and offer a much-needed break for both of them to gloss over their relationship and boost the happiness within a child. Parents don’t realize the importance of childhood and its perks unless the child grows and turns into a teenager. You will then think about how quickly the child has grown. Every weekend can be an opportunity to spend quality time that can help in the complete development of the child as well. The child’s mental health is also affected by the space he/she gets during the week-offs. Parents-children relationship building is an essential ingredient of a healthy and happy life. If your kid is friendly with you from the beginning, it can be a booster for things to come in the future. Weekends are not only about spending some time, childhood is the phase that deserves the pouring of joy and delight that the kid would cherish forever. Kids experience that joy in preschools but the time at home should be worth remembering. Parents who have enrolled their kids in any Play School in Hoshiarpur would be aware of the joy that their kids experience while they learn.

Arrange a Movie Night

Movies excite kids and they can relate to the characters, especially if it is some cartoon or an animated movie. Parents can arrange gatherings of their friends and their kids to make it more happening and cheerful for the kids.

Create Blanket Forts together

Kids enjoy little things and building a fort can be adventurous for them. Also, it can enhance their thinking capabilities and crafting skills. The blanket fort can be the whole world for the kid and it can be overwhelming as the parents can relate to the house they have built for themselves. Preschools arrange such activities to boost creativity and cognitive skills within the students. Similarly, the habits can be boosted at home by arranging activities like building blanket forts. Every Preschool in Hoshiarpur will offer such an environment for your kid that improves skills and sharpens their learning as well.

Sing-Along in Karaoke Night or Bake

Music is refreshing and if you are singing it can take you to another world and boost confidence in a child. Capture them with your camera while they sing as it will be a memory that you will cherish in the future. Singing together can encourage the bond and the joy experienced by the kid is seamless. Baking cookies can be another fun activity. Kids love the taste and the taste motivates them to be involved with dedication. Teachers at any Play School in Hoshiarpur would conduct such activities that make them friendly with the kids so that making them learn becomes easy.

Visit a Museum or Zoo on Sundays

An education trip that is filled with fun and quality time with family would have a great impact on the minds of the children. Kids are curious and exploring new things around them would be a great boost to their minds and enhance their thinking and logical capabilities. A museum can teach them about important things and there can be a lot of questions in their minds that increase their interaction with parents too. It can be entertaining at the same time to explore some unknown things at the museum. On the other hand, a zoo is a must-visit place to explore a beautiful side of our nature. Knowing about animals and wildlife has its benefits and frequent visits can be very informative and enlightening for the kids.

Go for picnics frequently

A family picnic that has lots of fun games and food would be an ideal one to nourish the childhood of your kids. Make sure you repeat it frequently and give your time to your kids which is very much important in their growth and mental well-being. Kids’ Schools arrange such picnics to make the kid learn several things but they can’t be as frequent as a parent can be. Parents need such refreshing time with their kids at least once a month. You can take ideas from the kids’ schools to arrange activities at the picnic and can even visit a Nursery School in Hoshiarpur to know bout the process in detail.

Read more at

Play School in Jalandhar

Play School in Ludhiana

Play School in Mansa

Play School in Moga

Play School in Mohali

Play School in Pathankot

Play School in Patiala

Play School in Phagwara

[cakesunflower]

Catharsis [Local Musician!Calum] One Shot

Catharsis—The purging or release of emotional tensions, especially through kinds of art or music.

A/N: this is 19.3k of local musician!Calum and i hope you guys enjoy it! i loved writing this, bc it’s, in my opinion, softer than most of what i’ve written. also, the lovely moodboard is by my even lovelier friend @softforcal!!! happy reading, babies

There was a local artist in Annette’s favorite cafe, a musician, who’d captured her attention from the first strum of his guitar and the captivating voice he sang with the second she heard him. Blue’s was known for its dedication to giving the local talent a platform, paying them to sing for customers if they had what it took. And this guy, this brown haired, tattooed singer who alternated between performing covers and originals, had captured the hearts of all of the regulars—Annette included. It was because of him that she’d sometimes be late to work or classes if he happened to be playing, completely enraptured by his performance and his smooth rasp sounding over the dull chatter of customers. Not that anyone really talked over the sound of him—Calum Hood was just too captivating to ignore.

Annette was never sure what exactly it was that had her stopping in her tracks every time she heard him sing—if it was the deep lilt of his voice that managed to carry every note he meant to hit, or if it was the lyrics he sang when he introduced a song he wrote himself. Songs about love, loss, healing, and everything in between that hit a little too close to home every time. Honestly—Annette began giving more thought to what Calum must have gone through to be able to write such deeply personal songs that seemed to resonate with everyone than she did to the coursework she should have been focusing on.  

Maybe she was being creepy. Maybe she should’ve stopped lingering in the back of the cafe after she got her order of either a strawberry iced tea or just coffee to lean against the wall and watch Calum strum a guitar and sing—her personal favorites were original songs he’d written like Never Be, Everything I Didn’t Say, The Girl Who Cried Wolf, and Moving Along and his covers of Stay by Post Malone and Blink-182’s I Miss You—and just moseyed on along to go to class or her shift at the store instead of looking like some stalker. But Annette couldn’t help it—she was a fan. Granted, she was no expert in the music industry, but Annette liked what she listened to, and there was no doubt in her mind that Calum was insanely talented. She knew everyone who came to Blue’s who was lucky enough to witness him perform, and the management that loved the patrons he was drawing in, would think the same thing.

There were often moments where she wished she grew the confidence in saying something to him—just a mere compliment of how good he was or something. It wasn’t like he was a world known musician, maybe a kind comment from a stranger would’ve made him smile, at the very least. But there was something about Calum that made him appear like the rockstar that he was probably meant to be. With his unruly dark curls, domineering height, tattooed skin, and sharp eyes that took in every face in the crowd, not to mention the overwhelming artistry that seemed to just ooze out of his pores, Calum Hood was a stature Annette wasn’t entirely sure she was prepared to approach. Sure, she’d seen people compliment him after he got off the stage with his guitar being gripped by ring clad fingers, had gotten glimpses of almost reserved smiles she felt were too quiet for someone who owned such loud talent, but she knew she wasn’t ready to actually face him herself.

So she listened and admired from afar, even though she desperately yearned to do so much more.

“You look like you got an hour’s worth of sleep last night.” Annette huffed as she shot Luke a look, settling down in her seat once he took his backpack off and dropped it on the floor so she could sit. Apparently a few days into the semester and some students thought it was okay to steal her unofficial-official seat.

Annette leaned back against the chair once she had her laptop in front of her and had taken off her favorite red framed and lensed sunglasses and Beats, letting out a drawn out sigh that carried the weight of her exhaustion. “Because I think I did,” she responded tiredly, the silvery tone she normally spoke in coming out as a heavy drawl. “Work didn’t let out until ten and I had a paper due at midnight and then Poe got sick and—” Annette cut herself off with a complaining groan, though she kept the sound quiet as people filtered into the classroom, sinking into her chair. “I’m ready to drop dead, honestly.”

“At least it’s the weekend, right?” Luke responded with an encouraging raise of his eyebrows, knowing Annette only worked the weekdays as he tapped his fingers against the sleek top of the desk. When she crossed her arms over her chest, closing her eyes and nodding, Luke offered a smile. “Couple of my friends are throwing a party in the East Village tonight. Bring whoever you want, yeah? It’ll be fun.”

Opening her eyes, Annette looked at her blue eyed friend, smiling at his offer as she modestly replied, “I wouldn’t wanna intrude—”

Luke snorted out a laugh, shooting her a look as their professor entered the room. “You’re not intruding if I’m inviting you. It’ll be great—there’s a karaoke machine.”

At that, the tattooed girl sputtered with her eyebrows shooting up as she instantly shook her head. “I don’t sing.”

He rolled his eyes, lifting his hands to gather up his blonde curls and pull them back into a bun, the too hot temperature in the classroom making even his barely shoulder length hair impossible to not tie back. “Then you can watch the rest of us act like idiots.” Raising his eyebrows he asked, “You in?”

Annette thought about it for a moment; she had planned to curl up in bed with Poe at her side and her laptop on so she could get some writing done, having barely any time for it with work and classes already kicking her ass. But, honestly, she wasn’t entirely inspired or motivated to actually sit and bust out a few words; maybe a party and being around people would help with that. She was always looking for new inspiration to hit, so maybe this would be good. She’d been in a bit of a rut lately, always ending up staring at a blank page or not knowing how to continue with what she already had. It was starting to get frustrating; stepping away sounded like the way to go.

So she smiled at Luke and nodded, “I’m in,” before sending a quick text to her roommate-slash-cousin Colin to recruit him for tonight. If anyone was willing to accompany her to a party, it was him.

When Annette reached for her plastic cup of strawberry iced tea, sipping the drink through the straw, Luke’s eyes dropped to the cup before humming, “I love Blue’s. They’ve got some great talent.”

She grinned, eyes dropping to the cup that said the restaurant’s name in script and the color of its namesake, as she played with the clear straw. Calum’s face flashed through her mind, the sound of his voice singing through her ears as she responded in absent thought, “I know.”

As the class settled, Luke propped his elbow on his desk and leaned his cheek against his palm, quirking his eyebrow as he asked, “You’ve got a favorite?”

Annette bit the inside of her lower lip as their professor pulled up the PowerPoint for today’s lecture. Oh, she definitely did have a favorite.

*****

“Hey, come inside for a sec.” Luke’s voice pulled Annette from her conversation with his friend Ashton, his friend Michael’s girlfriend Crystal, and Colin. The four of them were on the balcony of Ashton’s apartment, a few other people lingering about as the music playing from inside flowed outside to where they stood. Annette had only gotten to the party about twenty minutes ago, and had already met most of Luke’s friends, including his girlfriend Sierra, and so far she was enjoying herself as a refreshing September breeze tickled her skin. And she was enjoying the tequila, too. She looked at Luke, who was in the doorway of the balcony with a drink in his hand. His eyes met Annette’s as he added, “There’s someone I want you to meet.”

“Uh, yeah, sure,” Annette responded slowly, unsurely, as she excused herself from the little group she was among. She walked towards Luke, who stepped back into the apartment to let her inside as she held her half empty glass of a margarita, raising an eyebrow at her tall friend. “Who’re we meeting?”

“A good friend of mine,” Luke smiled as they maneuvered their way through the living room, heading towards the kitchen. There were many people around, not as suffocating as a bustling house party that Annette was used to as everyone enjoyed each other’s company, danced to the music that was playing, though not entirely resembling a rambunctious frat house. Annette liked this better. Shooting her a dazzling, dimpled grin, Luke added reassuringly, “You’ll love him.”

Her curious expression never washed away as she nodded along, letting him lead her towards the kitchen. They stepped up towards the center island, which was decorated with a nice spread of cups and bottles of various kinds of alcohols and mixers, and stopped in front of a guy with his back turned towards them as he fixed himself a drink. His broad leather jacket covered back hindered Annette from seeing what he was making, glancing at Luke who smiled.

“This is Calum—Cal, this is my friend, Annette,” the blonde introduced, gesturing between the two people, and upon hearing his name, the man in front of them turned around, but it was long before Annette saw his face that she realized who he was. Right when Luke had said his name, realization clicked in Annette’s mind as she recognized the back of the guy’s head of short curls, now that he had been named.

Brown eyes met Annette’s bluish-brown and suddenly she found her heart in her throat because she’d never been this close to him before. Never had she been given the opportunity to look at his dark eyes, always standing at the other side of the cafe to merely listen and watch him play. But it was no surprise that the brown of his eyes, so dark that they almost melted into the pupil, was just as bewitching as the sound of his voice as she felt her throat dry when she looked into them. Annette had known Calum was tall as he towered in front of her, though his height was not entirely as domineering as Luke’s—she doubted anyone’s was—yet still she felt small in his presence.

Whoever invented the phrase tall, dark and handsome probably pictured Calum in mind.

His lips quirked up, a polite smile lifting his cheeks as he gazed at her. Annette could feel her body flush even though he wasn’t even doing anything. “Nice to meet you,” Calum spoke, his familiar voice just as smooth without a microphone amplifying the hint of a rasp in which he spoke with. He’d been lifting his cup as he spoke, taking a sip once he was finished and Annette noticed how his eyebrows furrowed subtly as he continued to look at her. Lowering his cup, lips glistening from his drink, Calum thoughtfully remarked, “I think I’ve seen you ’round before.”

Oh, her heart had found residency in her throat. He recognized her, and no matter how vague his recollection may be, the mere acknowledgment that she was a familiar face to him was exciting. Annette wasn’t entirely sure if it was because she was pathetically enamored with a guy who wasn’t even a celebrity, though he felt like one to her, or if it was because of how ridiculously attractive he was. Maybe because he was just so talented and actually being able to speak to him was ridiculous to her. Maybe it was all of it.

“Uh, at Blue’s, maybe?” Annette offered, pretending as though she had no idea where he could’ve possibly seen her before, knowing full well that’s exactly where. The way Calum blinked in realization was too adorable.

“Annette’s seen a bunch of your performances, dude,” Luke chimed in, a knowing tone lilting the smile in his voice and it wasn’t until Annette glanced at him, saw the glint in his blue eyes, did it click in her mind what he was doing. She couldn’t even help the way her eyes narrowed at him, though Luke was smart enough to keep his gaze purposefully locked on Calum.

Still, the need for damage control was prominent, and as Annette forced herself to drag her glare away from Luke and wipe it off by the time her eyes met Calum’s, she managed to say, “Just a few.” Nobody had to know she was downplaying the fact that she watched as many of his performances as she could. Coming off as a stalker wasn’t the kind of first impression Annette wanted to give off—not that she even knew there’d be an impression to give off in the first place. Damn it, Luke. Was he trying to embarrass her? Free hand nervously sliding into the back pocket of her shorts, Annette found herself adding truthfully, “You’re really good.”

Calum nodded, the smallest of smiles upturning his pressed together lips, and Annette couldn’t help but feeling as though he was forcing himself to do so. Like he appreciated the compliment, but it also didn’t mean much to him. “Appreciate it,” he responded, because he had to, because it was etiquette, and Annette felt something uncomfortable stir in the pit of her stomach. Uncomfortable, embarrassed, and, frankly, affronted. Though she wasn’t too sure she had the right to feel that last one. Calum’s eyes shifted over her head, looking at something behind her as he raised unexpressed eyebrows and his cup as well, using a finger to point at something as he added quickly, “Excuse me, there’s—I’m being called over.”

He walked around her and while Annette knew that it was probably nothing personal against her—they didn’t know each other for it to be—she still felt her skin flush with an embarrassed and mildly offended heat of being brushed off like that. Her lips pressed together, staring at the spot Calum had stood in, wondering if she was even allowed to feel this way because Calum was only someone she enjoyed listening to at Blue’s. He didn’t owe her a conversation or anything. Yet the offense of his less than polite behavior, no matter how brief the interaction, still had her stomach twisting uncomfortably. And then it would cycle into her reprimanding herself for being so sensitive.

Fuck. Why couldn’t she just figure out and agree on what she was feeling?

“Shit—Sorry about him.” Luke’s apology pulled Annette out of her thoughts, and she looked up at the friend she’d only recently made to see Luke frowning over in whatever direction Calum had walked off in. He looked down at her blue eyes meeting her slightly darker ones, the disappointment clear in his irises as he let out a breath. “He’s normally not like that, I swear. I don’t know what’s up with him.”

Annette gave a dismissive shake of her head, offering Luke what she hoped came off as a reassuring smile. Because she had a feeling Luke knew exactly what was going on with his friend, but he didn’t owe her an explanation. Just like Calum didn’t owe her a conversation; maybe Annette was just being overly sensitive for no reason. “Never meet your heroes, huh?” she said jokingly, and she half meant it. Calum wasn’t her hero—that just sounded ridiculous and overdramatic. He was just some guy who played at her local cafe, that’s all. Still, this wasn’t how she’d imagined their first meeting to go—not that she really thought she’d actually get the chance to talk to him.  

Luke let out an airy chuckle, and Annette could tell he felt just as miffed and even slightly embarrassed about that brief interaction as she did. But it was whatever. Not a big deal. “Come on, let me get you a refill,” Luke said after glancing at her nearly finished drink, and she grasped onto that change of topic with both hands and stepped towards the countertop full of drinks.

As he made Annette her drink of choice of a Malibu, she noted the purse of his lips and a small smile quirked at her lips. “It’s not a big deal, Luke,” she told him truthfully. Sure, Calum basically walking away wasn’t what she’d thought would happen, but what could you do? Annette wasn’t one to hold grudges or hold onto any negative emotions for too long. Life was too short to be bothered by something for too long.

Luke glanced at her from where he stood on the other side of the counter, a whole head and a half taller than the girl next to him making her own drink, and shot Annette a small smile. “So much for first impressions, huh?”

*****

“Oh, there’s Annette.” Calum glanced up from his laptop from where he was doing his composition homework, gaze landing on Luke sitting across from him at their table in Blue’s. But his blonde friend was looking off to his right and Calum followed his gaze, eyes landing on the mention girl.

She stood on line to order, her red Beats deafening her to the world around her as she kept herself busy on her phone. For a moment, Calum found himself wondering how he’d never seen her around before; she was gorgeous, with thick blonde hair that curled at the bottom, a couple of tattoos inking the skin of her left arm, and a smile he’d gotten to see the other night at Ashton’s party before he’d abruptly left the conversation. Something Luke had reprimanded him on after the fact.

Calum watched her as she took a step forward on the line, adjusting her headphones before returning her attention to her phone. He looked away as well, brown eyes meeting Luke’s blue ones, blinking at the expectant expression on his friend’s face. “I think you should apologize to her.”

Eyebrows scrunching upwards, Calum scoffed as he leaned back in his seat and asked, “What for?”

Luke shot him a pointed look, aware that he didn’t have to answer that question because Calum knew the answer. His interaction with Annette had been quite brief all because Calum hadn’t really wanted to engage in a conversation. It hadn’t been anything personal against her; Calum had just wanted to stick to those he knew, be around his friends who already knew him well enough to know if he acted cold, it wasn’t their fault. It was just the mood he was in. That day hadn’t been the best, and after Luke introduced him to Annette, Calum had spent the rest of the party escaped up onto the roof, with the only thing keeping him company being his cigarettes.

“Listen, man,” Luke spoke up before Calum could say anything, letting out a sigh and crossing his arms on the table. He looked at him with an almost hopeful expression. “I wouldn’t care if it was anyone else, but Annette’s my friend, alright? And when she told me you were her, like, favorite musician here I thought it’d be cool if you two met. So when you brushed her off it just—it didn’t leave a good impression, you know?”

Pursing his lips, Calum took a breath at Luke’s words. The knowledge of him being someone Annette genuinely enjoyed listening to actually did make him feel like a bit of an asshole for the way he’d just walked away from her. Though, to be fair, if he’d stuck around then their interaction may have gone worse.

Just wrong timing, Calum figured. He always appreciated when people at Blue’s, or anyone really, told him they enjoyed listening to him perform. It gave him the push to continue on doing so, to come to Blue’s whenever he could and get up on the small stage and sing his songs and covers for the patrons. Calum figured he’d probably still do it if he wasn’t getting paid; the money was just a bonus on top of the positive feedback he received.

Yeah. He was kind of a jerk for brushing off someone who’d done nothing except for compliment him.

With Luke’s gaze burning into him, Calum let out a heavy breath of, “For fuck’s sake,” before pushing back his chair and standing up. He ignored the happy smile on Luke’s face as he made his way around the spread out tables, figuring the sooner he apologized to Annette, the sooner Luke would get off his back.

He got to where Annette was standing just as it was her turn to order, and Calum worked quickly as he pulled out his wallet and just as the cashier, Rick, told Annette the total, Calum announced his presence by offering his card and saying, “It’s on me.”

Annette blinked at him, startled, too surprised to object at the sudden offer as Rick, obviously knowing who Calum was, took the card and completed the transaction. Once Calum’s card was returned, he put it back in his wallet and shoved the leather accessory back in the pocket of his pants, gaze finally sliding over to Annette who was staring at him in bewilderment.

Her lips, pink and glossy, parted. “You—” she began, only to cut herself off as she glanced over her shoulder and stepped to the side, Calum following suit, to let the next customer place their order. Calum followed Annette to stand at the end of the counter where her order would be placed, watching as she took her headphones off and let them hang around her neck as she looked up at him. “You didn’t have to do that.”

Calum shrugged, hands shoved into the pockets of his bomber jacket as he told her, “Consider it a peace offering. I hadn’t given the best of impressions at the party.”

He watched as Annette rolled her lips into her mouth, tapping her nails against the back of her phone as she considered his words. Her gaze, then, went around Calum’s friend to look at something behind him, and he noted the subtle quirk at one corner of her mouth as she lifted her chain. “Is the peace offering your idea or Luke’s?”

The musician pursed his lips, knowing she was valid in asking that question. What was more was that she didn’t make it sound rude, just genuine curiosity as her gaze met Calum’s once more, the questioning clear in the way she raised an eyebrow. Pressing his lips together, Calum let out a quick breath through his nose before answering her truthfully, “It was Luke’s idea that I come over. The drink really is on me.” Realizing he hadn’t actually done what Luke had asked for him, Calum added, “But I am sorry for acting the way I did.”

To his surprise, Annette twisted her lips to the side before giving a shrug. “You don’t have to apologize, honestly, though I appreciate it. It’s not a big deal—definitely not something to feel bad about.”

For a moment, Calum kept his gaze on her, eyes twitching ever so slightly to narrow as he considered Annette, trying to see if she genuinely meant her words or was just saying them to be nice. He wasn’t going to lie—he kind of agreed with her. It wasn’t a big deal, and while he was sorry for dismissing her the way he had and while he could’ve been nicer, it was too short of an interaction for him to feel an immense amount of guilt for. Sure, their first meeting was only cut short because of Calum himself, but wasn’t he allowed bad days? He’d only come to the party because his best friend was throwing it, and it made Calum feel less like a loser to have the reason of wanting to have fun so he could drink, and he really hadn’t been in the mood to meet new people and entertain them. What was so wrong about that?

Unlike Luke, Annette’s answer seemed to be absolutely nothing.

Maybe he got lucky with such a forgiving person.

Before Calum could say anything, Rick had called out Annette’s name and she received her iced coffee, turning to look at Calum with an appreciative smile as she held up the clear cup. “Thanks for the caffeine.” Her smile was sweet and still Calum felt something uncomfortable twist his stomach as she added, “I’ve got class. I’ll uh,” Annette paused, eyes darting before she looked at him once more, “see you around.”

She gave a nod before stepping away, fixing her headphones with one hand as she turned around and walked to the door, ignoring the way Calum’s gaze burned into her back. The frown involuntarily pulled his eyebrows together once she left, feeling a bit unsatisfied over an interaction he hadn’t really wanted to partake in the first place. He hadn’t really wanted to apologize, but there had been a part of Calum that felt a bit badly about their initial meeting, so he listened to Luke and now. . . It kind of felt as though Annette didn’t really care enough.

The tables seemed to have turned and it was unsettling.

*****

“This is a cute idea,” Annette hummed as she entered Blue’s after Sierra, Colin and Luke right behind them. She’d never come to the cafe during the nighttime, eyes taking in the place that looked transformed, unfamiliar than to what it looked like during the day. There were blue string lights lining the edges where the walls and ceiling met, providing the only light in the cafe save for the white spotlights on the stage. It was more crowded than normal, a pleasant buzz of chatter in the air as well as the occasional whir of the blender behind the counter as the employees made the drinks on order.

Apparently Blue’s, along with paying local artists to perform at their cafe during the day, had a showcase kind of thing every other month—which Annette had been oblivious to until Luke brought it up a few days back. Blue’s had all the artists they paid come together for one night every other month and perform for the patrons and would get paid extra, and sometimes there would be people who worked at record labels and scouts always looking for new talent in attendance, which Annette thought was pretty cool and a good opportunity for exposure.

“I’m surprised you haven’t come to one of these before,” Luke said to her as they walked in, him standing taller than everyone else as his eyes darted around in hopes to find the friends they were here to meet.

Annette huffed, a bit miffed at her own ignorance of this kind of event. She loved watching all of the musicians Blue’s employed, so being able to watch them all in one night sounded so great and she’d been missing out on it. Next to her, Colin snickered. “You’d think being a groupie for all the performers you’d know about this.”

That invited a round of laughter from Luke and Sierra, and Annette made a protesting sound before elbowing her cousin’s side, though it didn’t erase the all too amused smirk from his face. People around them moved, either talking to others or trying to find a table, and Sierra suddenly spoke up, “There they are.”

She started moving, the rest of them following after her as she led them to a table where they spotted Calum, Ashton, Michael and their girlfriends. They’d joined two tables together, enough to fit all nine of them, and greetings were thrown about as the four of them reached the others. Annette settled down on the chair next to Ashton after he gave her a friendly side-hug as Luke spoke up, “You ready, man?”

Annette’s gaze drifted to Calum, who sat on one end of the table, furthest from her as he offered a nod. He looked at ease, comfortable in a black and white Elvis shirt with the neckline lined by his chain necklace, hands resting on his lap beneath the table. Unsurprisingly, he looked good, Annette instantly noticed; she’d offered him a brief greeting when they’d arrived—nothing against him, truthfully, but because she figured that’s what he’d want.

When he apologized to her the other day, Annette knew it was Luke’s doing—a fact she’d flicked him off for the next time they had class together. To be fair, Calum had looked a bit miffed for his off-mood when they’d met, and the more Annette had thought about it after, the more she realized she had no reason to actually be embarrassed or anything. People were allowed bad days, they were allowed to turn down conversations if they weren’t feeling up for it, especially if it was with a stranger. It hadn’t been the most pleasant of first meetings, but it wasn’t something Annette couldn’t get over. She’d learned, over the years, what things were worth lamenting over and what were small enough to let go. Her first meeting with Calum had been the latter.

Still, him coming up to her to apologize to her had been kind of unexpected. But then she figured out Luke had been the one to push Calum to do it, and while Calum hadn’t delivered a half hearted apology, Annette could tell he wasn’t a hundred percent keen on doing it. And, in some way, him being forced to talk to her a second time was more embarrassing than the first time. She kind of hated her ability to read people so clearly up close. If the action had an off switch, Annette would keep it taped.

So, naturally, when she joined the group—after Luke’s inspired begging for her to come along—she’d greeted Calum with a quick and friendly smile before settling on the stool. No more forced interactions this time around.

“Yeah,” Calum responded to Luke’s question, leaning forward enough to prop his elbows up on the low table, linking his ring clad fingers in front of him, the metal of his chain bracelet hitting the wooden table as he rested his hands down. With a shrug and a small, brief smile he added, “’S not a big deal.”

It was a modest response, Annette noticed, which only reminded her of how comfortable Calum probably was on a stage, even a small one at some cafe chain in New York. She’d certainly witnessed his ease when she caught a performance, but to actually be within his company right before he went on stage was a side she never thought she’d be privy to, and was taking in intently. In the presence of his friends, Annette could see the relaxation of Calum’s broad shoulders, dark eyes almost gentle as he listened to his friends chatter around him. He didn’t look on edge like he had the night of the party, eyes darting and fingers around his cup tight; right now, it was easy to pick up on the air of calmness that surrounded Calum like a bubble.

“Are you performing anything new?” Michael questioned, sitting directly opposite of Annette.

Letting out a breath, Calum subtly raised an eyebrow as he responded, “I’d have to have something new written to perform it.” With a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders, Calum added, “Think I’m gonna go with San Francisco.”

Before she could help it, Annette chimed in, “That’s a good one.”

She pressed her lips together after the comment slipped, though it was an honest one. Annette had heard Calum perform that song a while back, thought the lyrics and guitar and his voice were lovely when he played it, and the prospect of listening to it again was exciting. Except she hadn’t really meant to make herself known, her words drawing Calum’s attention towards her as his brown eyes met her bluish ones, like he hadn’t expected her to say anything, either. Annette fiddled with her thumbs under the table, forcing her closed mouth to lift into the smallest of smiles at Calum as a way of appeasing his intense stare.

But Calum offered a small smile, a real one, as he responded with a simple, “Thanks.”

Soon enough, the small exhibition started, and Blue’s fell silent as the first performer of the night got up on stage. A couple of them were familiar faces for Annette, having seen them during the occasions where she came by and Calum wasn’t playing, but there were also a few she hadn’t ever seen before. Everyone was pretty good, had their own style and genre of music that they worked into the welcoming environment of Blue’s, and Annette found herself swaying gently to every person’s song or ballad.

And then it was Calum’s turn to go up, being introduced warmly and familiarly by the manager as a household name, and their table’s cheers were the loudest as he picked up his guitar and headed towards the stage, returning Luke’s fist bump as he made his way up. Annette shifted in her seat, as if physically preparing herself to listen to Calum perform a song she’s heard before. She felt as though her eagerness and excitement was radiating off of her, the sensation familiar as it was what she experienced whenever she came to pick up some coffee before work or class and Calum was at Blue’s, right up on the stage like he was right now.

The entirety of Blue’s was dark, save for the blue lights for the ambiance, and the bright lights on Calum as he settled on the stool in front of the microphone, his sleek guitar on his lap. Annette’s eyes were glued on him, much like everyone else’s, but unlike the rest of them, she was taking in every detail her eyes would allow her to. She observed the way his tongue poked out to swipe his bottom lip, rolling it into his mouth as he made sure the microphone was leveled. The bright lights shone against his skin, glinting against the chains he wore, and Calum needed a second to adjust his eyes to the beams and Annette wondered if he could see the faces waiting for him as his gaze swept over in front of him.

With his left hand holding the neck of the guitar on his lap, Calum offered a close mouthed, humbled smile. “Evenin’, everyone,” he started, his voice amplified by the microphone as the deep and gentle rasp of his voice resounded. “I’m Calum and, uh, tonight I’m gonna play an original called San Francisco.” Annette watched his right hand move into the pocket of his pants, pulling out a guitar pick as he offered another quick smile. “Hope you like it.”

Calum started playing the chords to the song and Annette took in a quiet breath as the familiar tune reached her ears. Then Calum leaned towards the microphone, lips parting as he began singing lyrics that he’d written, and Annette wondered if she was the only one feeling goosebumps rise on her skin at the sound of his smooth, rich voice resounding around the cafe. Unlike the other times Annette has watched Calum perform at Blue’s, it was utterly silent as everyone’s attention was on him as opposed to when he played during regular business hours and there was a quiet buzz of chatter.

Now, though, everyone was listening to him, their focus solely on him as his ring clad fingers effortlessly played the guitar, and Annette was completely entranced as she watched him, lips parting absently as she listened. The emotion Calum sang with made his performance all the more enchanting, and not for the first time did Annette wonder what experience Calum went through to write a song like this—something she wondered every time she heard him perform an original song.

Annette was creative in her own right, could make up stories and characters and create a whole world out of them, but writing a song wasn’t something she could be able to do. And she was always left in awe when she listened to the songs Calum chose to share, many of them about love and then losing that love, and it often ached Annette’s heart when she listened to them. The pain he delicately and beautifully described in his songs was almost familiar to Annette, having faced loss in her life before, and she often found herself wishing Calum hadn’t had to deal with something like that. Which was ridiculous, because she didn’t know him, and life wasn’t that simple. That didn’t stop Annette from wishing it was.

Next to her, she could feel Ashton lightly drumming along to Calum’s song with his hands slapping against his thighs under the table, head subtly bopping to the music. Although she didn’t want to take her eyes off of Calum, Annette still glanced around, took in the way everyone in the room was hooked on Calum and his music, and she felt a smile tug at her lips. She didn’t know him, but she was proud.

*****

“What are you drinking?”

Annette looked up at Calum once she heard him, patiently waiting to get the bartender’s attention, and he watched the way she blinked at him once before raising her eyebrows gently. Then, with a small smile, she asked, “Are you apologizing for something?”

Pressing the tip of his tongue to the back of his bottom teeth, Calum let out an airy chuckle, knowing she was referring to when he bought her that iced coffee as a way of making up for his behavior at the party. “No,” Calum told her truthfully, left elbow resting against the bar top as he faced the shorter blonde girl. “Just, uh, tryin’ to be nice, I guess.”

Calum had no reason not to be nice to Annette, and since she was basically Luke’s new best friend, Calum knew he couldn’t be an asshole to her without reason. She’d never given him a reason to act the way he did, and she really was a nice girl from what he could tell. Calum had seen her during his performance earlier tonight, had seen the way her eyes seemed to be glued to her in unabashed awe, and it only made him further understand that she genuinely did enjoy his music.

Just because he was miserable more than half the time, didn’t give him the right to treat others like that.

He saw her smile widen just a bit at her words, eyes flickering to the row of bottles behind the bar before telling Calum, “Rum and Coke.”

Flagging the bartender down, Calum relayed her order and added in his own. They were at a bar a couple of blocks away from Blue’s, the group of them shifting over after the performances were over around ten at night. The weekend permitted them to go out, though Calum didn’t plan on staying too late.

“So be honest.” He dragged Annette’s attention once more, and Calum could just barely see the hint of dark blue that lined the outer of her otherwise brown irises. In that moment, he absently decided she had the most interesting eyes he’d ever seen. “Did you think I was an asshole when we first met?”

“I—what?” The startled laugh that Annette released upon hearing Calum’s question wasn’t entirely expected, her eyebrows shooting up as she leaned back a bit. But he kept looking at her, raising his own eyebrows to let her know that he was, frankly, asking a genuine question, because he wouldn’t be surprised if she did. When Annette realized how serious he was, the smile on her face faltered a bit as she shook her head. “No, I didn’t. That’s just—that would be an extreme reaction, Calum. I’m not that sensitive.”

He bit the inside of his cheek, finger absently prodding at the bartop, nail scraping against a crack on it. “But I did, like, make you feel bad, didn’t I? To some extent?”

Annette looked at him, and Calum tried to remain neutral and unaffected by the subtle narrowing of her eyes as she took him apart with her gaze. She was trying to figure him out and Calum couldn’t find it in himself to be annoyed because she was doing it so. . . Kindly. Her gaze was gentle, welcoming, like she didn’t want to alarm him or put him off as she tried to figure him out. Calum wondered what kind of magical fucking powers Annette possessed to keep him feeling comfortable even as her mind picked him apart. Maybe it was the glittering of her eyes, or the soft way she looked at him. Because even with her thick blonde hair and long lashes and tattoos, she still reminded Calum of soft.

“Are you trying to make yourself feel guilty about it again?” Annette asked, and this time Calum did feel himself freeze at her words. Had it really been that easy for her to figure him out? Or was she just generally that good at reading people? She gazed up at him, earnest and true. “Because I told you, Calum, it wasn’t a big deal. It happened and it’s over. Honestly—it’s not a big deal.” With an easy, light laugh, Annette added, “Don’t make it seem like you, like, bitched me out or something. It’s all good.”

She was terribly easy going, Calum realized, as the bartender handed them their drinks. Not the type to hold a grudge, it seemed.

Honestly, Calum wasn’t entirely sure why he was bringing it up again, wasn’t sure where the lingering guilt was coming from—or if guilt was too strong of a word. Maybe he just still felt bad? Especially after he saw how much Annette seemed to enjoy his single song performance at Blue’s. Through the bright spotlights at the cafe, Calum had been able to make out the faces of his friends once his eyes had adjusted, and while their encouraging smiles had been expected and welcome, Calum had also took in the way Annette had been watching him.

It unexpectedly warmed him. He knew it wasn’t the heat from the lights.

So, yeah. He suddenly found himself wanting to start a clean slate. Even if he started off thinking he didn’t care.

It was something about her eyes. Calum was certain of it.

“Come on,” Annette cut through his thoughts, lifting up her glass with an easy going smile lifting her pink lips. “To friends of friends.”

At that, Calum let out a quiet chuckle, quirking an eyebrow as the bar buzzed around them. The music was loud and people were chattering all over, but Calum’s eyes were on Annette’s smiling ones. “Think we can cut the middle man out here,” he told her with a small smile of his own. Annette raised her eyebrows, soft smile ever present, as Calum raised his glass as well, clinking it with hers as he corrected, “To being friends.”

*****

When Annette received her drink and turned around to head towards the door, she stopped when her eyes landed on the familiar face sitting at a table near the windows. It wasn’t hard because Calum was already looking at her, laptop in front of him but gaze on her as he raised his hand in a single wave, and Annette felt a smile tug at her lips.

She made her way over to him, because now she could, now they were friends. Ever since the event here at Blue’s and their conversation at the bar after, a friendship had been established between the two of them, discarding their first meeting all together in hopes of moving forward. He leaned forward in his chair as she approached him, arms folded and a small smile tilted his lips once she got to him.

“Fancy seeing you here,” Annette greeted with a teasing grin, standing beside the round table.

Calum chuckled quietly, lifting his hand and tilting his head to let his fingers mess up his slightly unruly curls. “You headed to class?” he questioned, looking up at her with dark brown eyes that reminded Annette too much of chocolate.

“No,” she responded with a shake of her head. “I just finished a shift, actually, and I needed my after-work caffeine.”

He quirked an eyebrow as he asked, “So you’ve got nowhere to be?” Her smile returned at the knowing tone of his voice, felt something pathetically flutter in the pit of her stomach as she hummed out a no with a shake of her head and he gestured to the empty seat across from him. As she settled down, Calum’s eyes took in her drink visible through the transparent cup, and he raised his eyebrows before letting out an amused scoff. “That’s the. . . Froofiest drink I’ve ever seen.”

Annette let out a protesting, mock-insulted laugh as she defended, “Hey, don’t make fun of my drink.” She took a sip through the straw, watching Calum watch her with scrunched eyebrows raised and a bemused expression on his face. “It’s a passion iced tea. With blackberries.”

Calum, still, was not still not impressed. “It’s purple,” he deadpanned.

With a scoff, Annette said with a small pout, “Don’t make fun of my froo-froo drink.” Jutting her chin at his cup, she narrowed her eyes challengingly and mocked, “What about you? Black coffee is boring.”

Calum wasn’t offended or apologetic. “It’s normal. No froo-froo.”

Annette’s smile returned, unable to keep the teasing lilt in her voice. “Everyone needs a little froo-froo in their life.” She couldn’t hope to keep a serious expression on her face, the laughter bubbling past. Annette’s chest tightened happily when she managed to get a laugh out of him in response. A breathy, raspy sound that was short yet did show his amusement with the conversation. She wondered what he sounded like when he laughed with everything in him.

Their conversation moved on as Calum asked her about work, the noise of the cafe melting into the background, breaking every so often when the barista at the counter called out a customer’s name whenever their drink was ready. Annette had realized that talking to Calum, once she adjusted her nerves, was pretty easy. He was easy to talk to, once he decided he wanted to actually hold a conversation, and Annette felt pretty good about the fact that he actually wanted to talk to her.

That was probably pathetic, she knew, but she couldn’t bring herself to care.

She liked talking to him, liked listening to the sound of his voice when he wasn’t singing, just as smooth and rich as he engaged with her. Calum talked leisurely, like he was in no rush, and he listened just like that, too. As if he had all of the time in the world to listen to whatever Annette was saying, and it was a complete change from when they met that first night. And it only proved to her that she’d caught him on a bad day, that the Calum from that party wasn’t how he actually treated people, but the one sitting across from her was a more honest and true version of him.

The way he stared at her as they talked was something Annette knew would take some time getting used to. His dark eyes stayed on her lighter ones, as if he was taking in every detail while also listening, and Annette often found herself with a dry throat, in need of clearing it to keep herself grounded. It was dangerously easy getting lost because of Calum’s stare. She wondered how many others had fallen victim to it.

“The Great British Baking Show? Really?” Annette asked incredulously, eyebrows raised as a disbelieving grin spread at her lips. She was gaping at Calum, who huffed with arms crossed over his chest as he frowned at her, though no true defiance was present.

“Why’s that so hard to believe?” he returned, obviously not getting why his admittance to one of his guilty pleasures was so shocking.

Annette laughed, good humored and melodious as she gave a shake of her head. “I just can’t picture you watching something like that. It’s just—there’s no image in my head,” she said with a laugh, her words only causing Calum to roll his eyes.

“Come over one day and then you’ll be able to—”

“Liana!”

Calum instantly cut himself off as the barista’s voice cut through his words, prompting Annette to raise her eyebrows in slight startlement at the unexpected stop. She watched him, eyebrows lowering slowly into a frown as his dark eyed gaze remained behind her in the direction of the counter, all previous lightheartedness completely vanishing from his expression. Brown eyes wide, there was a hint of alarm swimming in them as Calum pressed his lips together, the muscle in his jaw jumping, clearly looking like a man who didn’t like what he was seeing. There was a rigidness in his features, tight and uncomfortable with drawn together eyes lifted and worry reluctantly seeping into his eyes as well.

His lips parted, still looking behind Annette as he quietly breathed out, “Fuck’s sake.”

Calum’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he clenched his jaw once more and Annette grew more concerned over his suddenly irate demeanor, looking like he wasn’t sure if he was exasperated or just wanted to disappear from sight altogether. Hesitantly, Annette asked, “Are you okay?” Slowly, she turned around to see what he was staring so intensely at. “What’re you looking at?”

It wasn’t that busy during this time in the late evening at Blue’s, so Annette’s gaze went directly towards one of the few women she saw standing in the general direction Calum had been staring at. She was pretty, with dark brown hair just a little past her shoulders and legs that looked spectacular in the jeans she was wearing. The woman stood talking to a guy by the counter and Annette guessed he was waiting for his order or something, and with a curious quirk of her brow, she kept her questioning gaze on them as she asked Calum, “Do you know her?”

“Yeah,” came Calum’s response, slow and gruff, his change of tone as surprising as his fallen expression. “You can say that.”

As if hearing Calum’s voice from where she stood, Annette caught the way the woman’s head turned and gaze looked right past her—and right at the man Annette was sharing a table with. Even from where she sat, Annette saw the recognition flash across the other girl’s face, eyes narrowing ever so slightly before they widened in realization.

And then Annette watched her touch the arm of the guy she was with as she said something to him, before she began making her way over, and Annette’s eyebrows raised as she turned back in her seat to face Calum and matter-of-factly said, “Yeah, ’cause she definitely knows you.”

Her gaze finally landed on Calum, who looked like he wanted to be anywhere but at Blue’s in that moment. Annette could tell he was struggling to school his expression, the tightness born out of frustration and something else fighting to make itself known on his face, and she couldn’t help but frown at him. Clearly whoever the woman making their way over to him was, was not someone Calum wanted to deal with as his hands wrapped around the edge of his laptop screen, and Annette was briefly worried he was going to snap it in half just as the woman stepped up to the table.

“Calum, hi.” She spoke in a friendly tone, though without even knowing her, Annette could pick up the subtle hesitance lying underneath. Glancing up at her, she saw the girl—Annette guessed her name was Liana, given that was the name that had Calum getting all closed up—nervously grab the strap of her back with her free hand, the other holding her drink. Her honey colored eyes swept over to Annette, a small smile present. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to interrupt.” She looked back at Calum once Annette offered a no worries type of smile. Was it bad to say she was curious as to what was going on? Looking back at Calum, Liana said, “I just saw you and I, uh, wanted to come say hi.” She bit her lower lip hesitantly. “How are you?”

Liana seemed to genuinely want to know, and Annette’s eyebrows lowered ever so slightly as she watched the two of them. Calum had leaned back in his seat, arms crossed over his chest, and Annette had a feeling it was his way of defending himself from whatever weight this conversation was about to bring. Annette felt as though she was intruding, but getting up now would be too obvious and awkward.

“We’re not friends, Liana.” If Annette had thought Calum was cold towards her during their first meeting, it made that interaction look impeccable in terms of Calum’s demeanor now. She eyed him, silent in concern, at the edge that had bit into his tone and the way his eyes were suddenly void of all emotion. It was unnerving how good he was at that; like Calum had just flipped a switch and was able to hide everything he was feeling that had the chance of showing itself on his face. It was all gone, replaced by uninterested blankness with the creeping edge of dismissal and irritation. Those were the only emotions he allowed to convey, and Annette forced herself to remain a quiet presence. His gaze was sharp as he looked at the standing woman. “Wasn’t our last conversation meant to be our last?”

Annette pursed her lips, her gaze suddenly dropping to the table in front of her, like if she didn’t look at the two people, it’d be like she wasn’t listening in on the way Calum was completely shutting Liana down. She fiddled with her fingers in her lap, feeling the tension suddenly increase tenfold following Calum’s words. Annette understood that she had definitely caught Calum on a bad day the night of the party, because Liana was definitely not someone Calum wanted to be around at all. Annette felt bad for her; she hadn’t felt too great after Calum had walked away, she could only imagine how Liana was feeling.

There was a history there, that much was obvious, and Annette justifiably wondered what could’ve happened that had Calum talking to her like that.

Annette could see Liana shifting uncomfortably from her peripheral. “Come on, Calum,” she tried again, this time a nervous laugh escaping her. “It’s been—”

“Five months,” he cut in. Annette glanced up at him in enough time to see him say, “’S not long enough.”

She took a quiet breath when she noted the stare Calum was wearing: sharp, unforgiving, unapologetic. Annette wondered how Liana was still standing in the face of it, figuring that if she was on the receiving end of it, she would definitely turn and run away just because of the utter heat his glare was radiating. Holy shit—what had Liana done that warranted her such a hostile reaction from him?

Annette managed to look up, her gaze going to Liana, who had a defeated expression on her face that made the seated blonde feel sorry for her. Liana’s throat worked, her cheeks flushing an embarrassed pink, and Annette wondered why the woman didn’t snap back at Calum for speaking to her like that. Annette probably wasn’t one to say something like that, given how Calum had walked away from her the first time, but to be fair, their interaction wasn’t anywhere near as intense as this one. It was brief, quick, like ripping off a bandaid. This was almost too painful to watch.

Just as Annette thought that, she saw a shift in Liana in the way she tightened her jaw, blinking back the hurt Calum’s words enticed as she lifted her chin. With a calm tone that allowed for her own edge to creep in, Liana said to him, “If you remember the last time we spoke, then you remember what I said to you.” Her eyes gave him a once over, the corner of her lips quirking into the smallest of sneers, like she was disappointed but unsurprised with what she was looking at. “But I guess you didn’t listen. As usual.”

Annette saw the instant reaction Liana’s words invited on Calum’s face, the way his dark eyes narrowed instinctively, like he couldn’t believe what she’d just said. His jaw tightened. Like he was fighting to keep himself from reacting but couldn’t. Liana’s words, the meaning lost on Annette, clearly struck a harsh cord with Calum as his shoulders straightened, lips thinning as he fought the words threatening to escape.

But before Calum could say anything—Annette was sure she wouldn’t want to hear it—someone stepped up next to Liana and said, “Ready to go, babe?”

All eyes shifted to the newcomer, the guy Annette had seen with Liana earlier, as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. He seemed oblivious to the tension as he smiled at Liana, gaze sweeping over Annette and Calum as a second thought. He offered both of them friendly smiles, one Annette returned automatically before her gaze flickered to Calum instinctively, because she felt as though she needed to keep an eye on him.

And she was right to, because otherwise she would’ve missed the tightness of his jaw and the way his throat worked as he eyed the guy, or, more accurately, eyed the way his arm was around Liana. She watched Calum take in the sight of the couple, her eyebrows twitching together in a curious and concerned frown as she tried to figure out what Calum was feeling in that moment. To say he was bothered would be putting it lightly; he almost looked uncomfortable, defeated. . . Not surprised as he let out an airy scoff, nodding to himself as he leaned back.

His gaze dropped to his laptop screen, pulling one corner of his lip into his mouth, looking completely finished with this conversation and Annette frowned at him. What the hell was going on?  

“Yeah,” she heard Liana say, her voice growing tight with agitation. “Bye, Calum. Sorry to interrupt.”

They left, their footsteps growing faint the further they moved away, melding into the low hum of the cafe as they exited, leaving behind an awkward silence Annette wasn’t sure how to ease. She took a look at Calum hesitantly, pulling her lower lip into her mouth as she caught sight of him staring out the window to his right. The lights of the city reflected against the glass and his dark eyes, but the outside world melted into the late evening night as Annette watched the clench of his jaw and hardened eyes.

She had no idea who Liana was, but it wasn’t hard to connect the dots that there was some kind of intense history between her and Calum, and whatever Liana meant by her words had hit Calum more than he wanted them to. Annette parted her lips, hesitant, before pressing them together again. She found the courage quickly to gently ask, “Are you okay?”

Calum was silent for a moment. Then it was like something snapped in his head, motions quick and jerking as he shut his laptop, grunting out, “I need a drink.” His gaze dropped to the half finished cup in front of him, frown deepening. “Somethin’ stronger than coffee.”

Annette’s eyes widened slightly, eyebrows raised as she watched him shove his laptop in his backpack before shouldering it as he stood up. Her eyes followed his movements and Calum paused when he noticed her still sitting, watching him. He raised an eyebrow, impatient as he questioned, “You comin’?”

“Uh.” She gaped at him, not entirely expecting the invite, not when he seemed so agitated. His grip on the strap of his bag was tight, and Annette figured he’d want to be alone since he seemed so upset. But if he was about drink in a pissed off mood, Annette would rather keep an eye on him. “Yeah, sure,” she quickly confirmed, feeling as if she took too long to answer, Calum may change her mind.

He waited as she stood up and pulled her jacket back on, grabbing her bag as she followed him out of the cafe. It was chilly, unsurprisingly, as they stepped onto the sidewalk and began making their way down, but Annette was quick to realize they weren’t walking in the direction of the bar they’d been at a week ago.

She eyed Calum as he walked along next to her, just a subtle pace ahead due to his longer legs, his dark eyes staring straight ahead as they went. Annette hesitated on opening her mouth but after they walked a few blocks in nothing but silence save for the buzz of the city around them, she slowly asked, “We’re not going to Mack’s?”

Calum licked his teeth. “If I go to a bar I’m gonna blow all my money. Better to raid my own supply,” he answered steadily, eyes shifting to glance down at her. “You cool with that?”

Annette raised her eyebrows as a way of agreeing. “Yeah, ’course.”

So she stayed quiet as she followed Calum through the city, finally reaching the apartment complex after they walked a few blocks, took a subway ride, and then walked another two blocks. The entire time, Calum had remained silent and Annette kept her arms crossed as every step closer they got to his place, the more she wondered if it was a good idea to go with him—if he even still wanted her to come along. He was clearly not in a good mood and Annette wasn’t sure if he still wanted her company, but she stayed silent. After all, Annette was still kind of wanted to keep an eye on him if he was about to drink.

Her body felt tense with nerves as they stood in the elevator, side by side in complete silence, until they stopped in front of a door that Calum unlocked and opened. He stepped in behind her, flicking on a switch to light up the living room, and Annette took in the dark grey couch facing a TV, windows not quite floor to ceiling but large enough to provide optimal natural light if the blinds weren’t drawn. It was an open plan kitchen and hallway leading towards the bedroom, probably, and Annette admired the apartment. It was simple, with hints of personal touches like concert posters and a shelf full of books and records in the corner, along with a bunch of plants placed strategically.

The sound of keys clattering startled Annette, head turning to see Calum’s hand retract from a small table behind the couch where he’d dropped his keys. She felt awkward, no doubt, given that this was her first time at Calum’s place, as Calum shrugged off his leather jacket and dropped it to the couch before making his way towards the kitchen.

He cast her a look as he went. “Whiskey?”

She followed him with her eyes before pulling out of the brief trance and shrugging off her own jacket. She followed him. Annette wasn’t entirely sure if she’d regret this, but she didn’t quite care in the moment. “Sure.”

The apartment was silent save for the clinking of the Jim Beam bottle and glasses Calum pulled out, placing them on the counter. It was a full bottle, untouched, and Annette felt an uneasy twist of her stomach at the thought of Calum potentially wanting to finish it all tonight. Had his conversation with Liana really affected him so much?

Annette kept her gaze on him, noting his features completely void of any expression as he uncapped the bottle and poured some in each glass. He lifted one of them, dark eyes finally meeting Annette’s light ones as he held the glass out to her expectantly. She took it, offering a small smile as she found herself asking, “What’re we toasting to?”

Calum paused, lips parting to roll his lower one in, tongue swiping over it as his gaze averted thoughtfully, free hand braced on the counter. Then a wry smile curled at his lips, head tilting as his eyes met Annette’s, the sarcasm in both his gaze and voice as he declared, “To being emotionally unavailable.”

That was not at all what she was expecting. Annette looked at him, eyebrows raised in bewilderment as Calum flashed her a derisive smile while clinking their glasses and taking a sip of his drink. But Annette kept staring, wondering why the hell Calum would say something like that—and the way he said it, too. Like he was mocking someone else’s words, ready to spit on them and shove them back in the face of whoever had uttered them.

And she watched as Calum downed the contents of his glass, throat working as he swallowed and sucking in a breath through his teeth as he eyed the now empty glass. “Right, come on,” Calum spoke up, looking at Annette as he grabbed for the bottle with his free hand and walked around the counter. He jutted his chin. “Let’s plant that image of me watching The Great British Baking Show in your head.”

“Uh—” Annette sounded, trying to wrap her head around what was happening. She frowned briefly. “Okay,” she finished slowly as she turned and followed him.

They settled on the couch as calum turned on the TV, and Annette sipped at her whiskey as Calum switched to Netflix. The sweet mixed with smokey taste tickled her throat as Calum played the first episode of one of the seasons.

Annette tried not to think of how. . . Strange this was. She hadn’t exactly planned on watching some baking show while drinking whiskey in Calum’s apartment, and yet here she was, wondering how the hell she ended up here. It didn’t help that Calum’s words were swimming around in her head, drowning out the sound of the TV as she wondered why he toasted to being emotionally unavailable.

They were silent, much like they had been since they left Blue’s, the only sounds emitting from their surroundings as the hum of the city was replaced by the TV. Annette watched Calum from the corner of her eye, sipping her drink and feeling it run smoothly down her throat once she grew used to the taste. He watched the show, slouched on the couch as he sipped from his own glass and kept his gaze glued on the TV, curls brushing across his forehead that Annette itched to push away.

She had so many questions.

But for now, she finished her drink, licking her lips and taking a breath before holding her empty glass out to Calum. He looked at her and then at the glass, lips quirking with a small grin she hadn’t seen since Liana had showed up, a sight that almost jump started her heart, and poured her some more whiskey.

*****

Annette wasn’t really drunk, but saying she was a hundred percent sober would be a lie. She felt slightly lighter than before, laying on the couch with her head resting on the armrest and knees bent so her legs didn’t go over Calum’s lap. He was still in the same position as they had started, slouched on his head of the couch, only this time he was hugging the now empty bottle of whiskey.

“Oh, shit!” he exclaimed, startling Annette as she lifted her head to look at him. Calum was pointing to the TV, eyes wide and lips curling into a wide grin as he waved his hand in such a comical way that Annette couldn’t keep in her amused laugh. “Her biscuit tower fell! She’s fucked!”

Her gaze returned to the TV where a contestant’s tower of biscuits did, in fact, fall over as she scrambled to race against the clock to correct the mistake, and Annette couldn’t keep her laughter in because of Calum’s overreaction, too drunk to keep himself quiet as he guffawed. She watched him, feeling the giggles come a lot easier now that there was some alcohol in her, admiring the flush of his cheeks due to the entire bottle he’d finished after she only had about three glasses.  

Annette wasn’t entirely sure how long she’d been at Calum’s apartment, laying on his couch and watching British people make baked goods as he let out drunken comments and laughs every now and again. When Annette had told him she couldn’t find an image in her head of him watching this show, she’d been right; but now, all she could see was Calum dropping comments of dough not proven for long enough or cakes that looked like a toddler iced them. And it was hilariously unexpected, bringing a lightness to her chest every time he said something. Clearly he spent some time watching the show, and it only kind of made Annette’s heart beat for him a little faster.

When she checked her phone, she sucked in a breath to see that it was almost one in the morning, and if she hoped to wake up for her nine o’clock shift tomorrow, she needed to head home now. So Annette sighed as she blinked slowly, a mixture of slight tipsiness and sleepiness as she pushed herself into a sitting position, running her fingers through her blonde hair to push it back.

“I should head home,” she said, her voice soft against the TV as she shifted to get her feet to touch the ground. Her sneakers were next to the couch as she bent to grab them and shove her feet inside.

“Already?” Calum shifted next to her, sitting up and Annette looked at him, feeling her heart jump at the frown lowering his eyebrows and pout on his full lips to go with the whine he’d spoken with.

Letting out a gentle laugh, Annette responded, “I’ve been here for four hours, Calum. It’s time for bed.”

“Well,” he dragged out the word as he looked around for the remote before finding it and pausing the show, shoulders slumped as he asked her sadly, “why don’t you sleep here? It’s late and—”

“I’ve got work early tomorrow,” Annette told him, her voice kind and heart warm at his offer. God, she’d stay here any other day. But neither of them were completely sober, and work the next day really was killing the mood. The way Calum was pouting at her, drunken and adorable, wasn’t at all helping her in any way, working against her to make her want to stay. But she couldn’t. She’d stayed to make sure he was alright, and while he was drunk, he seemed to be okay. Maybe she’d tell Luke to check on him tomorrow. “I’ll take an Uber. I don’t live far from here anyway.”

Annette stood up, blinking once as she made sure she had her footing, the lightheadedness present from the whiskey. Shrugging on her jacket, she pulled her hair from under the collar and looked down at Calum to see him staring up at her. His dark eyes were glazed over, cheeks and nose flushed cutely, and the sudden urge to kiss him that overcame Annette threatened to rob her of her breath. She needed to get out of here.

“Text me when you get home?” Calum questioned as he stood, and he had less balance than Annette, unsurprisingly, as he let out a quiet whoa with raised eyebrows as he dropped the empty bottle on the couch and grabbed the back of it to keep himself upright.

Annette let out a laugh as she began making her way towards the door, Calum right behind her once he got his footing. “Will you be awake when I do?” she questioned teasingly after opening the door, stepping into the hall, and turning around to face him with a raised eyebrow.

Calum let out a scoff of a laugh—was it a scoff? He almost blew a raspberry—as he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the doorframe—whether it was just an absent action or because he couldn’t keep himself upright, Annette wasn’t sure. Being a bit tipsy was inhibiting her ability to read people. Still, she admired how fucking good he looked in his simple black full sleeved shirt, the fabric of it straining against his biceps since his arms were crossed, and across his chest.

“For you?” Calum questioned as a response to hers, raising his eyebrows as a lazy, boyish grin lifted at his lips. It was a smile that easily had Annette’s heart jumping to her throat, though it didn’t compare to the way a glint danced across his dark eyes when he finished with a factual, “Of course.”

Her cheeks flushed, warmer than the whiskey ever made her as she ducked her head, fighting off a smile, and Calum grinned at her reaction. He tilted his head, leaning it against the doorframe as he watched her, his gaze burning into her wonderfully. When Annette looked back at him, at the relaxed features he was finally expressing and the easy, yet drunken, smile on his lips, she suddenly felt the question that had been nagging her fall at the tip of her tongue.

She wanted to keep it in, to not ruin the moment, but Annette crossed her own arms across her chest and gently asked, “What was that about being emotionally unavailable, Calum?”

There had been no lead up or preemptive move before she voiced that question, but Annette had been keeping it in since the moment Calum had made that toast. Her curiosity itched at her, and with the bit of whiskey running through her veins, it gave Annette enough of an excuse to finally utter it.

She watched as Calum registered her question before his eyes closed, lips lifting into a smile as he let out another scoff while ducking his head. He looked at her once he straightened, curls once again falling over his forehead, and Annette was surprised there was no trace of the dry, humorless smile that had been on his face when he made that toast.

Instead, Calum returned to leaning his head against the doorframe, looking down at her shorter figure with a reminiscent smile on his face. Maybe it was the alcohol in his system that allowed Calum to so easily confess, “Liana and I dated for a while and, uh, broke up five months ago because, according to her, I was too emotionally unavailable to be in a relationship with her. So she found someone who was.”

He ended with a single shrug and a roll of his eyes, but Annette frowned as she saw past that mask. She had figured there was some kind of romantic past between the two of them, but to see Calum still hurt about it had her biting the inside of her cheek, empathizing with him. She imagined being told that you weren’t emotionally attached to your significant other by them couldn’t have been easy, and Annette’s chest tightened for him. And as she watched Calum drop his gaze to the doorframe where his nail was scratched at it, arms still crossed, Annette knew Calum probably felt dumb for being upset about it. But she wanted to tell him he was right to. Him being upset was justified, in her opinion. She didn’t like seeing him like this.

“For what it’s worth,” Annette spoke up, her voice quiet and soft, eyes on him even though he was avoiding her gaze. The tall, broad man in front of her looked small as he tried to hide behind an invisible wall, like he was ashamed of having feelings. Ashamed of being the opposite of the very thing he’d been accused of. So she spoke gently, honestly, in the silence of the late hour. “I think if you’re capable of writing those beautiful songs and singing them with the kind of passion you do, then there’s no way you’re emotionally unavailable.”

The pure honesty in her words had Calum lifting his head, brown eyes finally meeting her bluish-brown ones as he ceased picking at the door frame, and Annette kept the kind smile on her lips as she noted the whirlwind of emotions that flashed across his pretty eyes. She saw them under the glaze of the alcohol as he gazed at her, the sleepiness from the alcohol disappearing for a moment to be replaced with an appreciation for her and her words.

Her statement was followed by a silence that settled upon them like a blanket, and Annette could feel the way the two of them were drawing close to one another under the shelter of it. Their movements were gradual, eyes locked and hearts thundering the closer they got.

Somewhere in the back of her head, Annette could hear a voice telling her to stop; to pull back and turn and leave, but she was quick to shush it. This may be a bad idea, but she didn’t care all too much in this moment. She wanted to ignore her head and listen to her heart, wanted to let her body draw near Calum’s as every second went back, hoping the whiskey in her veins didn’t cause her to lose her balance.

As soon as Annette’s gaze dropped from Calum’s, his dark eyes only alluring her more, and flickered to his lips, there was no going back. Because suddenly she was feeling Calum’s hands cradling her jaw, thumbs on her cheeks as he tilted her head up enough to capture her lips with his in a surprisingly tender kiss. Annette’s eyes slipped shut instantly, her hands gently grasping his wrists as she slowly moved her lips with Calum’s, the sensation of his savoringly sucking on her lower lip sparking a fire in her fueled blood that she voiced through a satisfied hum.

It was a slow kiss, getting to know the feel of one another’s lips as the faint taste of whiskey danced on their tongues and Calum’s touch burned wonderfully at Annette’s skin. She callouses of his thumbs were nothing compared to the warmth his touch provided, or the electricity shocking Anette to her very core as Calum kissed her tenderly.

They pulled away moments later, not because they wanted to but because they had to, air becoming a necessary evil. The kiss ended but their lips dragged against one another’s, noses fitting together and foreheads pressed as Annette kept her eyes closed. All she could hear was the pounding of her heart, feel Calum against her, and inhale the delicious scent of his woodsy, summery cologne and something else that was just him and maybe even more inviting. Annette had no idea what the hell just happened, but she was glad it did.

She couldn’t stay though, no matter how much she wanted to. She needed to go home and maybe think of what she’d just done on the drive back, and maybe hope that the tingling sensation of her lips never went away as she found herself squeezing Calum’s slender wrists under her grasp. “Um.” Annette let out a short, breathless laugh, lips curled into a flustered grin and squeezing her closed eyes before opening them. Her gaze immediately went to Calum’s lips, the ones she’d just kissed, the urge to do so again rushing back powerfully. Annette took a breath as Calum brushed his nose against hers, humming quietly in response, as she finally found the reluctant words, “I should go.”

Against her, Calum brushed his thumbs across her cheeks. His voice was low with an enticing rasp as he responded, “Sounds like a terrible idea.”

Annette let out another breathless giggle as her hands dropping from his wrists and lowered to where his arms were bent at his elbows. Somehow, she found it in herself to pull away, head tilting back ever so slightly to look at him, stomach twisting happily to see his brown eyes already looking at her. She couldn’t be entirely sure if he was looking at her so adoring because he truly meant it or because he was drunk, but Annette didn’t want to ruin the moment by thinking about it. God, she needed to go.

“I’ll, uh, text you when I get home?” Annette responded, her words coming out as a question as she peered up at him, unsure if the offer still stood.

“Please.” He sounded far too earnest for someone who was drunk, and it didn’t make falling for him any harder.

Annette reluctantly pulled away from him, hands dropping from him as he did the same, gazing licking as she offered him a smile. Calum returned it, boyish and lazy, as he crossed his arms over his chest like he didn’t know what to do with them now that his hands weren’t on her.

He watched her go, and Annette could feel his gaze burning into her back as she approached the elevator at the end of the short hall. It opened up right away, and when she stepped in and turned around, her heart jumped at the sight of Calum, leaning out of his doorway to keep his eyes on her. She saw him grin, raising his hand in a two finger salute as the doors slid closed, and Annette desperately wanted to pry them open and go back to Calum.

Trying to figure out if that was just a drunken kiss or if it meant something would only dampen her mood. So Annette put it of her mind, and only focused on the way her lips still tingled and burned from Calum’s own. The smile remained on her face her entire journey home, practically permanently glued when she texted Calum she reached safely, as promised, and he returned it with a semi coherent Good. Night, doll.

*****

“Your two favorite people are right here. What do you keep looking at your phone for, Hemmings?”

Calum’s tease received an absent smile from Luke, though it faltered quickly as a worried expression crossed over his face and he placed his phone on the table. “Just checking in on Annette,” he sighed, leaning back and propping his elbow on the armrest of his chair, running his hand down his face.

Upon noticing Luke’s expression, and hearing his words, the smile on Calum’s face lessened as his eyebrows drew together, gaze flickering over to Sierra. His confusion grew when he saw the understanding expression on her face, and Calum sat up as he looked at Luke sitting diagonal of him. “Is she okay?” he asked, wondering what could prompt Luke to want to check in on her.

Luke’s blue eyes met Calum’s brown, the hesitation that crossed over his face only making Calum anxious as he frowned impatiently. “It’s just—it’s a tough day for her,” Luke answered, hand running through his blonde curls, a nervous habit of his. When he took in the look Calum was giving him, wanting an explanation, Luke held back the ill-timed yet absent chuckle that almost threatened to escape him. Calum’s interest in Annette was obvious, was endearing, which was why Luke found himself admitting, “It’s the anniversary of her parents’ death.”

The expression on Calum’s face went from blank to disbelieving in under a second, Luke’s words registering a bit too painfully in his head. Painfully because it was unexpected and because once Calum understood the heavy weight behind them, he felt his heart drop to the pit of his stomach for Annette. For a split, desperate second Calum was hoping Luke was delivering the punch line of a sick joke, but the somber expression on his face—and on Sierra’s—told Calum his best friend’s words were that of a sad, horrible truth.  

He stared at Luke, incredulous and bewildered, eyebrows drawn together in a frown over widened eyes as he tried to make sense of what he’d just been told. The busy hum of the restaurant the three of them were in dissipated as a flurry of thoughts whirled in Calum’s head, driven by disbelief and even a hint of panic. Annette’s parents were dead and Calum had no idea.

Not that he had any business in knowing, because as much as this newfound information shocked him and even had his heart dropping, what astounded Calum even more was Annette herself. This girl who was kind of shy but had the prettiest, infectious smile had suffered a loss Calum couldn’t ever imagine going through. Of course he didn’t expect her to walk around advertising the painful fact, but knowing Annette carried something as heavy as that with her and didn’t let it show made his throat tighten.

Calum cared for her, more than he thought he would when they first met, his feelings for her growing unexpectedly and out of left field. Annette drew him in after Calum got his head out of his ass and started hanging out with her, getting to know her and her taste for weird colored drinks. She was quiet but chatted when she was comfortable, much like Calum, and the more he hung out with her, the more he realized how easy and effortless it was with Annette.

So effortless that Calum had no idea he was falling for her until the alcohol in his system pushed him far enough to kiss her. The fact that she reciprocated was thrilling.

At a loss for words, Calum licked his lips, throat dry as he asked Luke with his gaze dropping to the blonde’s phone, “Did she reply?”

The corner of Luke’s lips lifted as he disgruntledly clicked his tongue. “Yeah, she said she just got back from Jersey and was home now. Says she’s fine but, y’know, I’m worried.”

“Ten years,” Sierra murmured and Calum’s eyes drifted to her. Her dark eyed gaze was on the table absently, a sympathetic furrow in her eyebrows for the woman they were all talking about. Sierra pressed her lips together and gave a dejected shake of her head, finally looking at the two men as she let out a sigh. “That’s a big one.”

Calum barely knew Annette for ten weeks, yet he felt the powerful urge to be able to ease the ten years worth of pain she was probably going through.

Which is why after his late lunch with Luke and Sierra, he found himself standing in front of the dark green door of Annette’s apartment, lips rolled into his mouth as he debated on knocking. He’d texted her after he left the restaurant, his two messages of Are you home? and Luke told me being responded with Yeah, come over?

Now he was there, willing himself to knock. The last time Calum had seen Annette was two days after they’d kissed, and that was also two days ago. They were busy with work and school, and although they hadn’t seen each other, that didn’t mean they didn’t speak. It was as if nothing between them had changed when they texted, but there was an undertone present that reminded them of that moment at Calum’s door—as if they could forget.

Calum certainly couldn’t. He swore he could still feel the softness of Annette’s lips against his, taste the combination of whiskey and her watermelon flavored chapstick that he yearned for again. Kissing Annette had been an impulsive, drunken decision but it was not one he regretted. If anything, the alcohol pushed him to do something Calum had subconsciously been wanting to do for a while. Seeing Liana led him to wanting a drink, which turned into drinking a whole bottle of whiskey, which eventually led to him kissing Annette.

Seeing his ex hadn’t been the highlight of his day, but saying the day ended on a better note would be an understatement.

Standing in front of Annette’s door, though, Calum knew he didn’t want anything from her right now. He just wanted to be there for her. She may not have asked him to, and he feared he was imposing, but he cared about her in a way that tightened his throat at the thought of her hurting. Calum just wanted to offer any kind of help she may need. He wanted to try.

The door opened after his knuckles rapped against it twice, and Calum was greeted by the sight of Annette, his heart jumping into his throat. Her thick blonde hair was down in its loose waves, looking adoringly comfortable in an oversized sweater ready to swallow her with its sleeves too long and leggings underneath. Calum gazed at her, taking in intricate eyes and the long lashes framing them, as well as how her entire face had a flush to it. She’d been crying.

“Hey,” she greeted, and Calum felt the air rush out of his lungs as her lips quirked into a small smile. He didn’t want her to smile if she didn’t feel like it. Didn’t want her to smile at his expense. But he squashed that last thought when Annette’s eyes showed some relief, and she let go of the door knob when Calum took a step forward and lifted her arms. “I’m glad you’re here.”

He got the message instantly, pulling her in for the hug she was looking for with his arms around her shoulders, feeling Annette’s wrap around his torso. Her fruity scent enveloped him invitingly and Calum pressed his cheek to the top of her head, feeling her own press against his chest and her hands on his back. They held each other close, soaking in the other’s warmth, and Calum’s eyes slipped shut as he physically felt Annette let out a breath, the tension in her body seeming to release with it as she melted into him, the heaviness of her day, her life, weighing against her.

Annette’s voice was small, muffled against the material of his sweatshirt as she said, “I’m probably not the best company right now.”

Calum let out a gentle scoff, arms still around her securely, as he assured, “I’ll be here anyway.”

They eventually ended up on the carpeted floor of her living room, settled on the floor cushions with each of them nursing a cup of tea. Colin wasn’t home, the two of them having the apartment to themselves, the windows closed to keep the heat in as well as the noise of the city outside. It was quiet in the apartment, the only sound coming from the consistent ticking of the clock on the wall near the TV and the occasional clinks of Calum’s rings hitting the ceramic mug every time he adjusted his grip.

“I didn’t think I’d cry a lot today.” Annette’s voice was gentle, not quite shattering the silence but pushing through it. Calum glanced at her, sitting right next to him with their backs against the couch, but her head was slightly bowed and gaze was on her mug of tea. He saw the way the corner of her lips tilted, the smile humorless and not at all fitting her. “But ten years. . . It’s big, isn’t it? Feels like a lifetime.”

Calum stayed quiet, because she needed this. She wanted to talk and he wanted to listen.

“The first couple of years were awful, y’know?” she continued after drawing a breath, lips twisting to the side. “I was the angriest teen you’d meet.” Annette let out a short laugh at that, casting a glance at Calum, noting the attentive way he was listening, never looking away. She looked ahead, his gaze weighing on her comfortingly. “I was pissed that it was my parents who got killed in a car accident and that I had to live with my aunt and uncle and everything was screwed up. Twelve year old me was pissed and over the past few years, I decided I didn’t ever wanna feel like that again. Life was too damn short to stay feeling that way.”

Annette paused as she inhaled deeply, the tendons in her neck tensing as she blinked a few times, and Calum knew her to be fighting back tears. His eyebrows drew together as he watched her keep herself together, wanting to tell her it was okay if she couldn’t. Instead he rested his mug in the space between his thighs and reached his left hand over, grasping onto Annette’s right as he laced their fingers together. She looked down at the newfound source of warmth, a smile quirking at her lips.

“They missed out on so much,” she continued after swallowing with a quick frown. “Track meets, high school graduation, first love, first heartbreak, getting into college. All the things I took their presence in for granted and it hurt every time I went through those things and they weren’t there to support me but it got easier over time. But—” Her throat was tight, voice straining to fight through the emotions closing her up, and Calum felt the subtle burn in his eyes. He wasn’t an emotional guy other than on paper, but watching Annette reminisce the loss of her parents sent a shocking stab of pain throughout his body he hadn’t expected. It hurt seeing her hurt. She squeezed his hand, and he was quick to return the gesture. “Realizing it’s been an entire decade since they’ve passed is kind of. . . It’s unreal. And I hate that it just. . . Isn’t unreal.”

In that moment, Calum felt as though he understood Annette just a little bit better. Understood why she was always smiling and why she didn’t look like the kind of person who got pissed off easily—why she forgave him so quickly instead of being turned off by his behavior at first. She’d spent too long being angry and upset—rightfully so—that she minimized those kind of emotions in other circumstances where she knew she’d be better off just letting it go. The world was trying enough to give someone plenty of reasons to be angry; why hold onto shit that didn’t matter in the long run?

“Holding onto anger like that is exhausting,” Annette spoke up, an airy laugh escaping her as she did so, turning her head to look at him with that same smile she always wore, though this time a hint of sadness curved at her lips, accompanying the tired look in her bluish-brown eyes. Her long eyelashes seemed damp with tears. She offered a single shouldered shrug. “And holding grudges over the smaller shit doesn’t help anyone. When you allow yourself to move on from the little things, it kind of gives you room to make your way through the pain that feels like it’s always holding you back.” The something crossed across her glassy eyes, something akin to sheepishness that Calum caught before Annette quickly dropped her gaze back down to the mug. Quietly, she added in a mumble, “I probably sound stupid.”

“Nope.” Calum shook his head, instantly killing that train of thought before it could go off the rails. With his free hand, he moved aside his mug so he could shift his body to face him. He made sure Annette’s mug was out of the way as well as he grabbed onto her other hand, getting her to look at him. Calum’s expression was serious, but kind as he admired the softness of her skin touching his. “Saying you sound stupid is not giving yourself any credit for how strong you are. I can’t imagine going through a loss like that at the age you did.” He noted the way her lower lip trembled at her words, though she offered a grateful smile, and Calum squeezed her hands. “Your parents would be proud of you for pushing through, Annie.”

Something flashed across her eyes just then, something nostalgic and sad as her eyebrows lifted ever so slightly and a small smile curled at her lips. She looked down at their joined hands and let out a breathless puff of laughter. “No one’s called me that since my parents passed. They were the only ones who called me Annie.”

The guilt twisted at Calum’s gut as he tried to pull back, lips parting as he took a breath. “Oh—I’m sorry, I—”

“No, no,” Annette was quick to soothe, looking up at him with a smile lighter than the ones from before, this one not carrying the pain of her parents’ memory. It was a real Annette smile, the kind that rendered him breathless. She averted her gaze briefly before shyly murmuring, “I like when you say it.”

Her words had Calum smiling in return, seeing a glimpse of the shy and adoring girl he’d come to know, but this wasn’t about Annette making him smile. It was meant to be the other way around. So he tried in the best way he knew how.

“You know what else I know that you like?” Calum asked, raising an eyebrow as a smile quirked at the corner of his lips. Annette sniffled, tears gone and cheeks flushed, as she raised her eyebrows in question. His smile was gentle, kind, voice a soothing murmur as he let go of one of her hands to push some locks of blonde hair behind her ear. The back of Calum’s finger grazed along her cheek as he tilted his head down at her, soft gaze on her as he said, “I know you like it when I sing.”

Annette seemed to understand exactly where Calum was going with this, forehead smoothing out as the grateful smile on her lips returned, chest sinking as she let out a quiet laugh that Calum wanted to hear more of. He easily mirrored her smile, glad to see some of that light return in her eyes, as he briefly cupped her cheek before whispering, “Come on.” His words were followed by Calum shifting them, arms wrapping around Annette and pulling her into his chest, back against him. His arm was loosely across her collarbones and Annette held his arm in her hands and settled against him, feeling the line of his jaw against her temple as his other arm settled across her waist. His warmth against her had an instant reaction from Annette, relaxing her, and Calum brushed his lips against her temple before asking, “Any requests?”

Annette hummed, happy and comfortable, as her fingers tapped against his arm. “Are we talking originals?”

He chuckled, the deep sound vibrating against Annette. Calum couldn’t help but think how comfortable he was here, with Annette in his arms, her body providing more warmth than the tea. He was engulfed in her just like she was embraced by him and Calum was realizing, without pause, there was no other place he’d rather be. “We’re talkin’ anything you want, sweetheart.”

She was silent for a moment before saying, “That one song you had. . . It was really pretty. Uh. . . Waste The Night.”

Calum grinned, lips brushing against her temple once more. “Got it,” he said,taking a breath before he began singing the familiar sound. For the first time, Annette heard Calum just as him; just his voice, with no instruments nor the accentuating of a microphone. And it made this day a little bit easier.

*****

There was a regular customer at Blue’s who, upon sight, brought a grin onto Calum’s face without even trying. Whether it was when he was seated at a table and heard the jingle of the bell and saw her walk in, or when he was on stage and her face stood out in the small crowd—Calum’s eyes found hers and the smile she brought out was one he couldn’t ever hope to stop. It felt different. It felt good.

It was noticeable, the change in him, how the smile came more easily to his face when Annette was around. To the point where the employees at Blue’s noticed and made comments about it and instead of rolling his eyes. . . It only widened Calum’s smile more. And it felt real. He felt like himself before Liana and the heartbreak. He felt happy and good and it all had to do with Annette making him the happiest he could be for the past three months.

Stepping off the small stage at Blue’s, Calum took a minute to put his guitar back in its case before picking it up and walking over to the pretty girl sitting at one of the back tables, a smile on her face as he approached her. “Hey,” he greeted her with a grin, resting his guitar on the floor and leaning it against the table. Calum ducked to press a quick kiss to Annette’s lips, pulling away and standing straight as he raised an eyebrow at her. “I didn’t know you were coming today.”

“Of course you didn’t,” Annette hummed, shooting him a teasing smile as she leaned back in her seat. “Because no one volunteers to work on New Years Eve.”

Calum scoffed with a roll of his eyes, crossing his arms across his chest. “This doesn’t even count as work,” he pointed out, earning a light laugh from her. His gaze then dropped to the table and Calum smiled as he gestured to the cup. “And look, you even got your froo-froo drink!”

“Stop,” Annette pouted at him before breaking out into a grin as Calum shook his head with his own, the smile bringing out those adorable crinkles she loved. “Are you ready to go? We still have to get ready for Ashton’s party.”

“Yeah, let me go to the bathroom real quick,” Calum said and Annette nodded as he turned and went, disappearing towards the back of the cafe to where the bathrooms were.

She waited for him while busying herself on her phone, thought it was short lived when a voice spoke up, “I didn’t think he was capable of still smiling like that.”

Annette looked up, gaze landing on the woman standing by the table, her eyebrows drawing together as she tried to place the vaguely familiar face. It clicked suddenly as the crease in Annette’s forehead smoothed, realizing the woman who had spoken was Liana, Calum’s ex who’d told him, once upon a time, he was emotionally unavailable.

He’s told her about Liana, about how she’d found comfort and solace with some other guy when she was still with Calum. She reasoned that it was because she was lonely, because Calum wasn’t as invested in her and their relationship as she was, and maybe Calum should’ve tried harder, but it also didn’t give her a reason to run into the arms of someone else.

Annette had been angry on Calum’s behalf. But being with him now. . . Liana couldn’t have been more wrong about him.

Keeping her tone kind, as it always was, Annette responded, “He’s always been capable.” She reached for her drink. “It probably just took the right person to bring it out,” Annette added lightly, taking a sip of her iced tea through the straw.

Glancing up, Annette took in the way Liana raised her eyebrows at Annette’s sweetly delivered snide comment. She felt her heart jump a bit, not entirely one to make remarks like such directed at someone, but Annette wasn’t going to let Calum’s ex talk rudely about him to his back—to his girlfriend. Especially when Annette knew how much Liana hurt him, and while Calum got some great songs out of that heartbreak, it was something she uselessly wished she could’ve protected him from.

Annette wasn’t one to hold onto anger, but she was definitely capable of telling someone to fuck off—albeit, more kindly.

Trying to recover, Liana let out a forced chuckle. “It was just a joke.”

Annette pursed her lips, the sweet taste of her drink lingering on her tongue as she clicked it. “Oh, but it wasn’t.” She was surprised at herself for not feeling intimidated by the woman standing in heels over her seated figure, easily looking up at Liana with a cool expression. Surprised and proud of herself. “You don’t mess with someone and play it off as a joke. Especially if you see them better off afterwards.” One corner of her lip quirking up into an empty smile, Annette offered a single shrug as she added, “They’re happier despite what you did, not because of it.”

Liana looked disgruntled at Annette’s words, lips parting and eyebrows drawing together as she tried to find the right words to respond with. Annette doubted she had them. “You have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Maybe not,” Annette agreed with a nod, her eyes on Liana’s. “But Calum’s told me enough.” Annette’s eyes glanced towards the back of the cafe, hoping Calum didn’t come out just yet. “And from what he’s said to me, I know it’d be better if he didn’t see you.”

She kept her gaze steady with Liana’s, not letting the other woman intimidate her. Annette couldn’t entirely believe the way she’d spoken, but when it came to Calum, Annette couldn’t seem to shut up. Defending him came naturally, easily, and she didn’t regret a single word that left her during that conversation. And she let Liana know that with the cool, unwavering look she was giving her.

Of course, Liana didn’t seem to appreciate it. She lifted her shoulders, as if giving herself a backbone, probably feeling good about having to literally look down at Annette, not that that made Annette feel small. In this moment, she wasn’t. With a sneer, Liana said, “Hope his feelings don’t crap out on him again. He can be dysfunctional that way.”

Annette clenched her jaw at that, quite literally having to bite her tongue from snapping back at the brunette who was now walking away. But Annette was quick to calm herself down as she released a breath through her nose. The playlist Calum made for her for Christmas, all consisting of new songs he’d written, all about her, and recorder for her to listen to, would easily prove Liana wrong. But that was for Annette to enjoy.

She hadn’t realized she’d been smiling until Calum was in front of her, tugging at the hem of his leather jacket as he raised an eyebrow at her. “What’re you smiling at, weirdo?”

With a laugh and a roll of her eyes, she shook her head and stood up. “Nothing. Just excited about this party,” she dismissed, feeling a calmness settle over her as Calum grabbed his guitar case and allowed his free arm to rest over her shoulders.

Hours later, Annette stood by the large windows of Ashton’s living room, her eyes taking in the city before them past the reflection of the inside of the apartment where the lights were on and people were mingling. The entire city was partying—it was damn near hell getting from her apartment to Ashton’s since everyone was headed to Times Square—but Annette appreciated being in the warmth and comfort of the apartment than the bitter cold of New York. She also enjoyed watching the vague flurries of snow falling from the sky, high above the skyscrapers around them.

As she swallowed her sip of whatever fruity, alcoholic mixed drink Luke had concocted, Annette felt a pair of arms wrap around her waist and a somewhat scruffy chin deliciously scraping against the skin of her neck. “You good, Annie?” Calum’s deep, quiet voice questioned, keeping her back against his chest as his voice ran smoothly—she’d rather hear that than the music currently playing.

Annette leaned her head back, the smile quirking up her lips at him and the use of the nickname as she placed her left hand on top of both of his, right hand holding the cup. “Mhm,” she hummed, tilting her head slightly to press her lips in a quick kiss to his cheek. She loved kissing his cheeks. “How much longer until midnight?”

Calum hummed thoughtfully as he unwound one arm from around her, digging into his pocket to pull out his phone and bring it around so Annette could see the screen that read 11:58. Annette let out an excited, almost childlike gasp. “It’s almost time!”

Chuckling, Calum pressed his own lips to her jaw, widening Annette’s grin as she felt his scruff scratch against her some more, adding to the sensation of his soft lips. “Why do you think I came to find you?” She let out a light giggle, turning in his arms to face him, though Calum’s arms remained around her. Looking down at her, Calum tilted his head and asked, “So did you decide on your New Years’ resolution?”

“I did,” Annette grinned, the excited glint returning in her eyes as she practically bounced on her heel clad fleet, Calum’s grip on her keeping her in place as he let out a small whoa, eyeing her cup warily, though the smile remained present. Annette already knew of Calum’s resolution, since he’d told her yesterday, which was to secure a proper job at the label he currently had an internship at. Annette knew he could do it. He raised his eyebrows expectantly and she pressed a hand to his chest. “I think this is the year when I’m finally gonna pull out one of the thousands of ideas in my journal and write that damn book.” She poked him, shooting him a knowing, pointed look. “I’ve finally got some inspiration.” 

Calum’s questioning raised eyebrows turned to surprised, excited ones that mirrored the brightness of Annette’s grin, her last comment sending his heart into a frenzy like she always did. The thrill she felt over her resolution brought a grin to Calum’s face, knowing that this was something she’s been wanting to do for a while, and planting the idea was the first step. “Seriously?” Calum grinned, widening so his crinkles appeared and he let out a delighted laugh. “Annie, that’s exciting, love.” He gave her a squeeze, eliciting a giggle. “I’m proud of you.”

“Proud of me?” Annette repeated with a laugh, tilting her head as she gazed at him, eyes glinting. “I haven’t even started. It’s just a resolution for now.”

“It’s the first step,” he told her firmly, giving her a look that spoke of how much he believed in his words and, more importantly, in her. His grin returned. “I can’t wait to read your first draft.”

Annette scoffed. “No way. You’ll get the final one,” she told him. Calum’s pout and whatever he was about to say next was cut off when everyone started counting down from ten, the announcement of the countdown even beginning something that they both missed. She shot Calum a wink, something that only made him grin as she started, “Ten. . . Nine. . .”

Calum shot her a wry grin, though the amusement lit up his dark eyes as he joined in with a teasing roll of his eyes, his hands pressed to her lower back as everyone’s voices echoed throughout the apartment. The two of them remained by the windows, glancing around to see everyone watching the TV that was playing the ball drop happening live, but Annette had seen it all the time—had even gone to it once with Colin and a few friends, a time she didn’t like remembering because of the chaos—and she would much rather be looking at her stupidly gorgeous, talented boyfriend.

He gazed down at Annette, the boyish, easy grin on his face finding home whenever she was around. It wasn’t at all difficult for Calum to admit to himself how he felt around Annette; she had him wrapped around her finger, and often had him questioning how he even fucking functioned before her. Being with her felt as natural as breathing, and every time Annette walked into the room, it was like coming up for air. All he had to do now was let her know and, unsurprisingly, he wasn’t scared.

Five. Annette’s free hand reached up, brushing away a curl from Calum’s forehead, the smile on her face ever present.

Four. He adored the blue that was just on the outer edges of her otherwise light brown irises—Calum could never tire of looking at them, framed with long lashes, dancing with a glint he hoped to find the meaning behind.

Three. After she basically ate her lipstick off, Annette made sure to put on Calum’s favorite flavor of her chapstick—watermelon.

Two. His heart was thundering in his chest, the excitement of the moment getting to him. But Calum knew it mostly had to do with the woman in his arms. It was always because of her.

One. There was so much swimming in his eyes, Annette could tell. So much that was rendering her breathless.

“Happy New Year!”

Their grinning lips met as cheers surrounded them, the entire apartment—and city—bursting into celebration as Annette leaned into Calum and the feel of his soft lips against hers. His arms left her waist so his hands could gently cup her cheeks, keeping her close as they commemorated the new year together, both secretly hoping this was just the first of many. It had only been three months, but they were ready for more.

Calum pulled away slowly, forehead still against hers, deaf and uncaring to the party going on around them as the warm of her cheeks tingled at his skin. He opened his eyes, smiling when he noted Annette was already watching him through hooded ones of her own, and the sight of her eyes and dazed smile made it all the more easy for the words to honestly spill out. “I love you.”

It was there. It was out for her to do with as she pleased. Calum’s heart was thundering in his chest but it was for Annette to have, and he felt his stomach twist in mild nervousness as he waited for her response. She didn’t even have to say it back, Calum realized, as she stared at him with those pretty eyes taken over with shock and disbelief. As long as she knew how he felt about her, Calum was fine. Because he hadn’t been good at this in the past, hadn’t been vocal about his feelings enough. And he would be damned if he let the same mistakes get in the way of his relationship with Annette.

Slowly, a smile lifted her lips and Calum watched her, just an inch or so of space between them, hands still on her cheeks as a gentle laugh escaped her. She felt warm under his touch as she mused, “Starting the year off with a bang, huh?” Her words had Calum letting out a breathless laugh, the nervous tinge to it not lost on either of them, and Annette’s expression softened. She leaned forward, capturing his lips in another gentle, slow kiss that Calum savored, the tension in his stomach easing. He felt himself come undone when Annette whispered back, “I love you too, rockstar.”

She loved him too. He’d always been able to breathe easily around Annette. Now he felt like he was fucking flying.

Her use of the nickname accompanying the very words he wanted to hear her say had Calum letting out a relieved laugh, pulling his lower lip into his grinning mouth as he stared at Annette. She called him that as if he wasn’t just some local performer at some cafe in New York, but Calum would be lying if he said he didn’t love it. She made him feel important, and she made him want to be someone who was worthy of how she felt about him.

Annette loved him and he loved her. They’d become each other’s inspirations, unwittingly and unapologetically—and Calum was ready to prove he was worthy of that title for her just like she already was for him for as long as she’d allow him to.

--

tags: @irwinkitten @glitterprincelu @sweetcherrymike @meetashthere @valentinelrh @softforcal @astroashtonio @hereforlukescruff @c-sainthood @novacanecalum @captain-what-is-going-on @angelbbycal @singt0mecalum @hopelessxcynic @lfwallscouldtalk @bodhi-black @findingliam-o @softlrh @calntynes @calumsmermaid @erikamarie41 @quintodosuniversos @longlastingdaydream @babylon-corgis @lukehemmingsunflower @spideyseavey @imfuckin10plybud @livibii123 @pastelpapermoons @malumharmonies @conquerwhatliesahead92 @rotten-kandy @metangi @neigcthood @ohhmuke @old-zeppelin-shirt @5sos-and-hessa @trustmeimawhalebiologist @vxlentinecal @pettybassists @vaporshawn @lu-my-golden-boi @buggy-blogs @visualm3nte @isabella-mae13 @dontjinx-it @lifeakaharry @neonweeknds @antisocialbandmate @ixcantxdecidexwhosxmyxfave @calpalbby @grreatgooglymoogly @sunnysideblog @cocktail-calum @miahelizaaabeth @madelynerin @dramallamawithsparkles @hzi0 @aulxna @mermaiden004 @theagenderwhocriedwolf @kaytiebug14 @hoodskillerqueen @bitchinbabylon @empathycth @xhaileyreneex @inlovehoodx @calistheloml @aestheticrelated @bloodlinecal @sublimehood @madbomb @raabiac @britnicole11 @outofmylimitcal @fluffsshawn @calumculture @sexgodashton

[johseon]

@reborndreams   inquired :      [ kiss ]   bokuaka  bestie !

their   time   is   always   finite.      bokuto  often  vocalized  the  opposite.    akaashi,  stop  worrying  about  the  future !   but  nevertheless,  his  brain  ran  rampant  despite  those  convictions,  his  own  misgivings.    if  he  could  turn  off  his  brain,  store  it  somewhere  safe  whenever  bokuto  was  around,  he’d  do  it  without  a  second  thought.    he  hated  the  doubt  that  he  found  strewn  everywhere.    truthfully,  akaashi  rarely  expected  others  to  be  in  his  life  for  longer  than  a  season,  perhaps  for  a  convenient  few  years.    everything  was  finite,  fixed,   &   loving  someone  else  felt  like  an  eventual  loss.    maybe  it  was  somewhat  akaashi’s  fault  too.    he  didn’t  reach  out  as  often  as  he  should.    there  were  aspects  of  himself  he  found  lacking,  such  was  true  for  everyone,   &   that  unerring  anxiety  was  at  the  pit  of  akaashi’s  own  internal  strife.

despite   his   birthday   in   its   beginning,      akaashi  hated  december.    it  was  the  first  month  when  the  air  grew  bitingly  cold.    for  what  happiness   &   warmth  it  provided,  he  missed  the  constant  company  of  the  sun.    he  disliked  the  constant  overcast  skies,  the  way  iced  coffee  lost  its  refreshing  comfort,  having  to  put  on   &   take  off  so  many  layers,  snow  boots  when  the  snow  fell  in  excess...    bokuto’s  absence  this  early  december  only  made  the  entrance  of  winter  even  more  dramatic.    though,  as  their  time  together  was  always  finite,  it  was  also  true  of  their  separation.    it  was  cyclical.    when  alone,  akaashi  found  himself  lost  in  a  daily  grind.  accepting  too  many  projects  at  work,  maintaining  a  home  by  himself,  caring  for  a  jungle  of  potted  plants  he  can’t  remember  amassing,  pushing  to  socialize  with  friends,  this  overbooked  agenda  helped  pass  the  time  until  their  eventual  reunion.    it  felt  much  like  trudging  through  wintertime,  waiting  for  spring  to  peek  through,  melting  away  the  sheets  of  accumulated  ice.

it   was   the  fifth   of   december,      that  precarious  date  that  felt  more  lonely  this  year  than  not.    maybe  i  should  visit  home  for  tonight...    no,  it  was  a  weekday.    his  parents  would  prefer  he  visit  over  the  weekend  rather  than  risk  a  scolding  for  missing  work.    or  worse,  falling  behind  on  the  numerous  publications  he  was  tied  to.    they  had  always  been  like  this.    be  it  for  his  mother,  father,  grandparents,  himself,  birthdays  were  always  weekend  affairs.    perhaps  that’s  why  a  birthday  on  thursday  felt  so  unceremonious.    even  as  an  adult,  akaashi  still  felt  tied  to  those  home  traditions,  ingrained  into  his  very  being,  even  if  he  knew  they  made  no  logical  sense.

he   had   accepted   his   fate.      after  thanking  everyone  at  work  for  providing  a  cake   &   a  gift,  a  small  figurine  of  his  favorite  character  from  the  current  shounen  he  was  editing,  it  felt  that  the  day’s  excitement  would  end  there.    meticulously,  he  scoured  every  social  media  post  made  in  his  honor,  finding  every  text  or  tweet  sent,  so  he  could  reply,  lest  akaashi  come  across  as  ungrateful.    another  paradigm  from  home,  the  care  for  one’s  outer  appearances  often  trumped  whatever  they  felt  internally.    be  stronger,  akaashi - kun.    the  world  is  an  unfriendly  place.

his   practiced   smile   was   infallible.      of  course  it  was,  given  how  it  was  honed  over  years  of  constant  practice.    his  coworkers  often  seemed  astounded  by  his  perfect  pokerface,  the  mask  that  only  truly  fell  around  them  during  drunken  work  banquets  or  karaoke  escapades.    the  politeness,  the  ambition,  the  kindness,  the  stoic  replies,  amongst  strangers,  there  was  no  real  akaashi.    at  the  end  of  more  exhausting  weeks,  he  tended  to  hole  himself  away  in  their  home,  drained  of  his  social  battery,  of  pretending  to  be.

this   day   wasn’t   that   cheerful.      it  rained  throughout  the  prior  night   &   somehow,  he  had  misplaced  his  umbrella.    running  late  in  the  morning,  akaashi  opted  to  run  through  the  freezing  rain,  hood  up,  to  the  train  station.    only  halfway  to  the  station  did  he  realize  that  his  packed  lunch,  onigiri  he  had  made  the  night  prior,  were  still  at  home.    he’d  buy  lunch  today,  it  seemed.    at  work,  while  his  coworkers  did  their  best  to  alleviate  the  day,  there  were  far  too  many  ongoing  issues  requiring  his  attention  to  warrant  any  celebrations.    he  appreciated  them  for  it,  though.    it  can  wait  until  the  weekend.    when  it  came  time  to  leave,  the  chilling  downpour  continuing  on,  akaashi  found  himself  with  no  energy  to  rush  to  an  empty  home.    the  train  ride  back  wasn’t  miserable,  although  far  too  damp  for  his  liking,   &   he  arrives  home  rather  quickly.

he   turns   the  key   to   the   front   door.      uncharacteristically,  it’s  unlocked  already,  drawing  a  frown  from  akaashi.    did  i  leave  it  unlocked  this  morning ?   he  certainly  remembered  locking  the  door  but  honestly,  with  the  exhausting  day   &   week  he’s  had,  wouldn’t  be  too  shocked  at  this  point.    sighing,  he  opens  the  door.   the  lights  are  on,  he  notes  with  further  annoyance,  congratulating  himself  on  a  higher  electricity  bill  for  the  month.    once  beyond  the  mustiness  of  the  wet  outdoors,  shoes   &   coat  off,  he  smells  food.    continuing  through  his  home,  feeling  so  foreign  at  this  moment,  the  kitchen  light  is  on.    he  hears  music  playing,  the  sizzle  of  something  hot  in  a  pan,  as  his  languid  walk  quickens  hastily.

he   often   missed   the   sun   in   winter,      just  as  he  missed  bokuto  when  his  love  left  to  travel   &   play.    no  matter  how  long  the  season  felt,  spring  always  came,  as  would  bokuto  coming  home.    

there   he   stood,      a  sentinel  draped  in  the  warm  lights  of  their  kitchen,  cooking  so  nonchalantly.    akaashi  uncaring  of  how  ugly  he  must  look,  with  pink  cheeks   &   wet  hair,  walks  forward.    bokuto’s  already  turned  around  to  face  him,  smiling  ever  so  heartily,  undoubtedly  smug  about  surprising  his  boyfriend  for  his  birthday.    he  opens  his  mouth  to  speak,  possibly  to  gloat,  but  akaashi  rushes  forward,  their  lips  colliding  in  a  moment  he’s  thought  about  for  weeks.    the  kiss  is  hungry,  demanding,  yearning,  but  bokuto  is  kind   &   allows  akaashi  to  continue.    it’s  as  if  he’s  afraid  something  will  arise  to  end  this  moment.    bokuto  is  so  warm,  wrapping  his  arms  around  his  treasured  other.    in  the  moment,  akaashi  forgets  about  his  day,  forgets  about  the  world,  melting  into  his  lover’s  touch  for  just  a  few  moments.    

akaashi   breaks   the   kiss   after   a   while,      gasping  for  a  few  seconds   &   collecting  himself.    he’s  already  decided  to  take  friday  off.    hands  holding  bokuto’s  face,  akaashi  inches  forward  again  for  a  gentler  kiss  which  lasts  just  a  tad  longer.    he  could  state  the  obvious,  how  he  missed  bokuto,  how  lonely  it’s  been  these  last  few  weeks,  but  perhaps  a  third  kiss  could  replace  any  words.

[silverlakeinspo]

                                  WHEEL OF FORTUNE

The music is pumping and people are gathered all around, waiting for the exciting chance to take the stage and spin the wheel. Is it going to be a great prize or a not so great outcome? Only one way to find out, so let’s hear it for our next brave souls!

The crowd cheers as the wheel starts spinning…the seconds tick by agonizingly as it turns and turns…stopping now… and the results are in…

Bobbie ( @soundlessglass​​ ) - Free makeover

Ever wanted to know the secrets of how those 90s girls kept their hair so gosh darn cute, but didn’t know where to start? How to master the perfect crimp, or all the cool ways to wear a fanny pack you didn’t even know of? Well, despair no more! After this hour with our resident makeup and style gurus, you will learn how to dress like the trendiest 90s fashionista out there, and master your dark lipliner and pencil brows. Offer redeemable 20th June - 20th July.

Ophelia ( @phedova​​ ) - Gum in hair

Well, this wasn’t how you intended to spend your evening. One minute, you’re having a ball in the karaoke rooms, totally in the moment during a Mariah ballad, the next you feel something sticky and wet on the back of your head. Maybe it was an accident, maybe it was intentional, but one thing’s for sure — time for a new haircut.

Billie ( @billie-g​ ) - At-home karaoke machine

If you leave tonight and long to return to the stage to belt out your favorite songs, we’ve got you covered. Everything you love about karaoke in a compact, slightly chunky yet technically portable format! It may be a bit of a hassle to drag home and a nuisance to your neighbors, but you just can’t put a price on the gift of song.

Eddie ( @eddiemcmvhon​ ) — Afternoon with Chuck DeLino

You’ve won an afternoon with Chuck DeLino, which will consist of a lunch at Cliff’s Edge, and post-lunch drinks at the bar, courtesy of Mr. DeLino. During this stimulating couple of hours, Chuck will run you through the gamut of his businesses, how to be a savvy Los Angeles homeowner, and how to expand your properties in the state of California and beyond. You lucky duck, you!

Emilia ( @emiliasmr​ ) — A year’s pass to Cinema Paradiso

Frankly, we’ve had fights break out over this one. A year’s pass to Cinema Paradiso? Who are you, Lucky Luciano? Of course, a few terms and conditions apply, such as a dollar surcharge for seeing a movie on Fridays or the weekends, but hey, weekdays are totally free! Your one year pass is activated on your first visit and valid for up to a year. There’s even a 10% discount on snacks and merchandise! A movie lover’s dream. 

Juno ( @junoalbright​ ) — Angry bobcat

Sometimes, life gives you lemons, sometimes... an angry bobcat. You only stepped out of Globos for a couple of minutes, whether it was to pay the parking meter or for an emergency 7-Eleven gatorade, who knows. What’s important is that you were leisurely crossing the road one minute, and blocked by a scary looking were-cat the next. In your haste to run the other way, because this bobcat was angry as hell, you dropped something. A favorite hat, a shoe, or even worse, your wallet — who knows. You definitely left something back there during your great escape.

Tyler ( @tylergolding​ ) - All-inclusive trip to Disneyland Anaheim 

Generously donated by one of our sponsors for the night, Chuck DeLino, you’ve won yourself and one lucky friend an all-inclusive trip to Disneyland! This mouth watering package includes: all-day passes to both Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure, a one night stay at Disney's Grand Californian Hotel and Spa, and a free spa package, all for you and a guest of your choice!

[leechanluvbot]

Seventeen as random aesthetics

My favourite thing in the world meets another favourite thing in the world :)) enjoy!

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

Seungcheol

4:02 am: laughing with friends, lilies, linking pinkies, late-night confessions, randomly calling someone you care about, random sleepovers, warm spring days, doing well on a test that you didn’t study for. 

Jeonghan

5:12pm: cuddling for warmth, lilacs, sweater paws, staying in bed all day, Tuesday afternoons, playful pranks with friends, blueberry pancakes, birds chirping, swinging arms while holding hands, being pushed into a pool by a friend, melting popsicles.  

Joshua

8:20 am: warm blankets, Sunday mornings, random guitar playing, jasmines, oversized sweaters, remembering an old song you love, giggling, jazz music, fairy lights, gentle kisses on the forehead. 

Jun

1:27 am: dancing in the rain, Friday night, flirting from across the room, wrapping your an around someone’s waist, suits with no shirt underneath, red roses, good friends that you haven't seen in a while, piggy-back rides, stupid puns that make you smile. 

Hoshi

12:55 pm: squishing cheeks together, laughing till you can't breathe, hydrangeas, back hugs, spontaneous facetime calls, late-night karaoke, Saturday nights, the breathlessness after something amazing happens. 

Wonwoo

8:09 pm: burrito blankets, spending the entire day at a bookstore, Wednesday afternoon, smell of fresh sheets, rainy days, buttercups, high fives that turn into hand-holding, practicing magic, pretty notes, random kisses on the cheek. 

Woozi

2:45 am: late night coffee runs, ocean waves, star watching, secret love poems, holding hands under the table, gardenias, lazy nights-in, the gentle sounds of traffic, carnations, lo-fi music, travelling spontaneously. 

DK

9:12 am: cats sleeping in the sun, sunflowers, walks in the park, randomly finding money, a ukelele playing, freshly baked goods, hugs that last minutes, breathlessness after a kiss, whispering in someone's ear. 

Mingyu

6:37 pm: bear hugs, daffodils, amusement parks, blushing, first crush syndrome, school sports teams, spontaneous excitement, jumping off a ledge into the water, rooftop confessions, cherry blossom season in Japan. 

Minghao

6:28 am: fashion runways, driving old cars, black and white movies, kissing under the bleachers, hopping fences, polaroid cameras, specs, funky sunglasses, hand-rolled cigarettes, gladiolas, spray painting walls, pep-rallies. 

Seungkwan

1:02 pm: light breezes on the beach, inside jokes, friends cheering you on, slow dancing, the warmth of sunshine, daisies, holding hands, gentle snoring, waking up and remembering its a weekend and you can sleep in.  

Vernon

7:30 pm: midnight drives, getting closer to close friends, mixtapes on walkman cassette players, flannels and beanies, young love, handshakes between friends, smiling at strangers and have them smile back, taking the subway. 

Dino

10:05 pm: baby’s laughter, nighttime swimming with friends, riding in a grocery cart, periwinkles, good selfie days, getting drunk on a weekday, winning a tournament, wrapping your arm around another person’s, snow days.  

[pillowfluffs]

Sing For Me Please!Kihyun

Pairing: Kihyun X Reader (gender neutral)

Genre: Fluff

Summary: You loved to sing but you always hid it from Kihyun until one day.. 

Author’s Note: I relate a lot tbh. I love singing but when nights with my family such as karaoke come, I don’t even sing.. Do you like singing? As always, feedback is greatly appreciated and please look forward to more works in the future!

Song Referenced: Ellie Goulding - How Long Will I Love You

Music filled your ears without effort, like the waves filling holes in beach sand. The rhythm of it flowed through your veins and swirled in your head. Your body swayed at the gentle sounding music and the soft vocals of the vocalist you were listening to. The sweet sound of Ellie’s voice as well as yours matching hers. You followed along to her song while it played on your phone with your earbuds in. The volume was just right where you could hear your own voice and hear the music. You sat in your shared bedroom folding laundry, even hanging some up. Most of it was your boyfriend, Kihyun’s clothes. He was away on tour and came back just two days ago. You insisted he should stay home and rest since he had about five more days before getting back to work for their next comeback, but he was determined to make up for the days he was gone. You didn’t know how he was going to do it and you didn’t know when either.

Today Kihyun and his members had an event to go to, or at least that’s what he said. Kihyun left around noon, kissing you goodbye and headed out towards the company. About an hour and a half later and here he was at the supermarket, struggling a little bit with pulling out a shopping cart from the long line of carts outside the entrance. He wore a simple white hoodie with black jeans and vans. He brought Minhyuk and Wonho along because they felt rather bored at the dorm. Kihyun put all his strength into trying to pull the cart out of the chain of carts, seeming like it wouldn’t budge. He had a bag of reusable plastic bags hanging from his shoulder.

Wonho and Minhyuk approached the struggling hamster after parking the car. They watched in amusement. “Need help?” Minhyuk offered, chipper than ever. He walked over, replacing Kihyun. “If I can pull this out, then that’s just sad, Kihyun.” Minhyuk shook his head at him. He wore Black jeans with a white shirt and shoes with a black denim jacket. 

“It’s hard to pull out!” He stepped aside, watching trying to pull it out. “It’s not just me being weak, and If I can’t then you definitely can’t!” He laughed.

Minhyuk grasped the handle of the cart feeling the cold plastic and metal. The smile on his face began to fade as he pulled, giving a few hard tugs. “Wait why is this so hard?” He began to pull harder, enough to shake the other carts with it. 

“See?” Kihyun joined again, helping Minhyuk. “It’s not just ‘cause I’m weak!” They pulled hard, their faces began to scrunch up. “Pull harder!” Kihyun could feel the time being wasted even though it had only been a few minutes.

Wonho stood on the side leaning on a railing, recording the two of them as he laughed at them. “You two are so funny,” his voice shook as he laughed, his smile spread all over his face, flashing his straight white teeth as his eyes formed crescents. 

“You give it a try then!” Minhyuk pushed Kihyun and himself out the way, gesturing for Wonho to try. “Here, give me your phone, I’ll record you since you recorded us.” He took Wonho’s phone and began recording. 

Wonho calmly walked up the cart, wrapping one hand around the handle and pulled. He wore gray sweatpants with a black shirt. The cart came out with ease, leaving another bright smile plastered on his face as he looked at the two dumbfounded younger members. “I got the cart,” he burst out giggling at them, taking his phone back. 

“Whatever, let’s just shop,” Kihyun mumbled in embarrassment, taking the cart and leading into the cold aired supermarket. 

“We loosened it for you.” Minhyuk playfully nudged Wonho, making him laugh more as he watched the two videos on his phone following Kihyun through the automatic glass doors. 

The three entered the market, faced with row after row of cash registers, some closed since today was a weekday so fortunately, it didn’t face the weekend rush of things. Music from a popular radio station played softly through the speakers. The white lights on the ceiling reflected on the white floor tiles, making the place look somehow brighter and cleaner than the warm sun outside. Some customers walked through the aisles pushing carts, some with baskets. The first section of the market they faced was the bakery.

You sang along with the song as it was on loop, fixing parts here and there everytime it played again. You took all the chances you could to sing whenever Kihyun wasn’t home, but the reason behind it made the most sense to you. He was the main vocalist of an idol group while you were his significant other. So far in your life, you had never done anything musically; you didn’t play an instrument, you never took any lessons for vocals. The only thing you did musically was take the mandatory music classes required to graduate. Well, technically, in high school, the school required you to have a fine art credit and you weren’t as confident with drawing and painting than music so in high school, you took piano classes, which later on, you got lessons for a few years for, but stopped when college came around. It was only then did you play the piano but only when you had absolutely free time which was still rare.

You put away the final articles of clothing into the drawers in your bedroom. You laid on your bed, thinking about any other chores you had to do before Kihyun’s return, which you didn’t even know when it was. “I cleaned the bathrooms, did the laundry and put them away.. Vacuumed yesterday..” You really had nothing else to do for the day since which meant you could just sing. You pushed yourself up, grabbing your now fully charged tablet, going down the stairs at a somewhat fast pace, going straight down the basement stairs. Your basement was tied in first place as your favorite room in the house along with your bedroom. It was so cozy and comfortable. Once down the staircase, there was a bookshelf taking up an entire wall, filled with books, half of which you read. In front of the shelf was a couch with pillows and blankets where you spent most of your free time reading if not singing. But this time, you weren’t going to read. You quickly pulled open TubeYou, a popular app letting you post or watch videos. You quickly typed in the search for “Ellie Goulding How Long Will I Love You piano” where a moment later, millions of results popped up. You clicked on the first video, posted by an account you were subscribed to. You sat in the corner of the basement at a grand piano where you faced the corner of a room, facing a window which looked into your backyard. You couldn’t help the smile growing on your face since the last time you played this song was when Kihyun was on tour and you had gotten significantly better. 

You paused the music playing on your phone, plugging your earbuds into your tablet, placing it against the music rack, pressing play. You followed along with the video, singing without Ellie’s vocals. You wished you could play this for Kihyun one day, considering he told you he always listened to this song when he missed you and it expressed a good amount of his love for you.

“So what else do you need to get?” Minhyuk and Wonho were preoccupied, slowly walking down the snack aisle as Kihyun walked through, scanning the list of groceries for the house and dorm in general and the ingredients he needed. The cart was filled with various meats and greens, along with some frozen foods in case they couldn’t go out to eat, nor did they have time to make a full meal. Wonho grabbed a box of protein bars, placing them in the cart next to the energy drinks.

“Don’t forget to get snacks for the others.” Kihyun glanced upwards, seeing Wonho place his snacks in. “Uhhm,” his voice was barely audible to them as they continued scanning for possible snacks to bring home. He paused the cart at the end of the aisle, glancing from his list and cart, pulling a pen out and crossing off things he had already gotten. “I just need to get noodles and broth,” he basically said to himself as the two were in the back, bickering about which snack was better. He tucked the list into his pants pocket along with the pen and made his way towards the noodle aisle, leaving the two behind.

He pushed the cart, glancing around at things on sale, looking up the signs which informed shoppers what each aisle contained. All of a sudden, his mind buzzed to you. He thought how much power you had over him and you hadn’t the slightest clue at all. He dreaded leaving you at home alone while he went out on tour, especially out of the country, which was almost all tours now. The distance, the different time zones where he would be awake and you would be asleep or you would be awake and he would be asleep. As much as you two made it work, he couldn’t help but feel like a burden to you. To be in a relationship where you two hardly saw each other. You, of course, said it a countless amount of times but meant it each time when you told him you understood. You even told him how you felt like the burden. He wouldn’t feel this way unless you didn’t flirt back to him. He looked up to see the aisle he needed to be in. He began turning into the aisle, along with the other two catching up to him, a few snacks in each of their arms, dumping them into the cart.

You sat at the piano, the song coming back with ease into your head so it was basic muscle memory. You couldn’t quite hear yourself that well with your earbuds. You paused the music, swapping your earbuds for over the ear headphones, beginning once again, hearing everything evenly. “A few more practices and then I can perform it for Kihyun..” you thought excitedly to yourself, smiling as you sang along with the music. You had known Kihyun for a while; he knew you better than you knew yourself, except for this little part. As much as you wanted to show him this side of you, you just couldn’t. You two were equals and treated each other like so. He never criticized you for anything except when you were sick, he would tell you “I told you so,” for not wearing enough layers, but aside from that, nothing else. You confused yourself.

“However long you say~ How long will I love you? As long as stars are above you, and longer if I may,” the softness and smoothness of Ellie’s voice suited yours perfectly. Her voice wasn’t too high so the song, fortunately, didn't pose a challenge. You were able to match her tone and pitch, or at least you thought. You weren’t a musical expert like Kihyun, but you hoped he would enjoy it. The song was instrumented beautifully with the piano accompaniment, though it lacked something small due to the nonexistent drums, this didn’t stop you. You kept singing the song and playing it on repeat in your own little world.

“Let’s get these all home quickly so you guys can get your ice cream back home before it all melts.” Kihyun pushed the cart towards the car in the somewhat barren parking lot. “Minhyuk, trunk.”

Without a word, Minhyuk pulled out the car keys, unlocking the car, holding a button which opened the automatic car trunk. He held the cart as Kihyun and Wonho began loading the bags into the car, closing it and returning the cart swiftly. The sun was at the beginning of the setting, giving off a golden light. Fortunately, they were ahead of rush hour, able to drive through the clear streets before they were filled with cars going home from work. Music played through the car, the two in the front jamming out as Kihyun sat in the back of his phone.

“They haven’t texted me..” Kihyun opened his messages, not seeing any new ones since he landed, which he found somewhat strange. He scrolled through the previous messages, rereading the messages you sent, talking about each other’s day. He pulled up his contacts, pressing on your contact to call you. He watched as they passed other cars and pedestrians, glancing towards the orange, golden, and blue skies. The phone continued to ring, only to end with an automatic voicemail. He remembered when you first got your new phone, you didn’t make an official voicemail since you said you hated your voice, especially a recording of it. Now thinking about you, he never really understood why you hated your voice since he found it so soothing himself, especially on nights when he couldn’t sleep so you would wrap yourself around him, telling him fantasy stories you made up right on the spot, drawing imaginary shapes on his chest or stomach.

The longer you played and sang, the better you felt. You were in your own little world, playing your piano, singing a song you knew meant a lot to Kihyun. You felt as if you gave this video most of its views since you believed you were the only one who played this video more than anyone in the world. You were soon able to play without following the video.

“Okay, it’s time,” you spoke to yourself, removing the headphones and shutting off the tablet, neatly moving them to the side. You turned off your phone, moving it to the side with the tablet. You didn’t need any distractions. You needed perfection for this song. You counted off in your head, beginning to play the melody, humming the beginning of the song before singing the lyrics. The lyrics were no challenge for you since they were memorized into your head after listening to it so many times. Now all you had to do was match the tone and pitch with the piano as you sang.

You had to admit, being a singer was no easy thing, especially the idols where they danced and moved so much; there was so much they had to do, memorize lyrics, memorize choreography, where most of the times, were made by someone else. You were astonished how Kihyun and his members did it, especially since they created their own lyrics, pouring their soul into everything they did and will do.

The car pulled into the familiar neighborhood, stopping and pulling into the driveway. “Do you need our help to bring stuff in?” Wonho looked back in his seat to see Kihyun already slinging bags over his arms with the keys to your house in hand.

“No, it’s okay. Get back home though, the ice cream isn’t as cold as before.” He began closing the trunk. “Bye.” He waved them off as they drove away, turning the radio back up. He walked toward your front door, four plastic bags in his arms filled with groceries and snacks. He slid the key in, unlocking the door to be met with the dim sound of the piano playing the recognizable song of Ellie Goulding. He walked toward the kitchen after removing his shoes, placing the bags onto the island.

“I guess they’re reading,” Kihyun wondered to himself as he began to place the groceries that needed to be refrigerated into your somewhat empty fridge. It wouldn’t be the first time he came home to you blasting music with the bluetooth speaker of yours as you read a book, but as he continued to listen, he heard the voice singing wasn’t Ellie’s. He paused immediately, slowly making his way towards the basement, following the music. He stepped down the stairs lightly, trying not to let them creak. He was met with you, playing the piano, singing along, a wide smile making his eyes turn into crescents as he sat himself down on the stairs, absorbing your voice and the way you played the piano.

“How long will I want you, as long as you want me to, and longer by far~ How long will I hold you, as long as your father told you, as long as you can~” Your voice was as smooth and honeyed as Ellie’s as she sang. Yours matched hers very well in Kihyun’s opinion. You couldn’t help the smile on your face grow as you felt very confident and content with how you were currently playing and singing it than your past few tries. “This is the one,” your smile affected your singing only a tad bit, but you were able to adjust to it.

Kihyun lifted himself up with the help of the banister, slowly and quietly making his way over to you so he stood behind you, looming over your shoulders. He was mesmerized with your long fingers as they played each chord and note perfectly. His cheeks were sore from his wide smile, but he couldn’t help it since he had never seen or heard you sing nor play the piano. He had to place his hands over his chest to calm his heart, afraid you would hear how loud it was pounding.

You let the final chord ring out, closing your eyes to listen as it echoed around the room off the walls. The sound of clapping and a sudden feeling of someone’s arms around your back startled you, making you shriek until you realized it was Kihyun. “Oh my god, you scared me!” You turned in your seat, staring into his eyes as he stood above you. A sudden heat bloomed through your entire body until you realized Kihyun had heard you.

“You sing so well!” He cupped your face with his hands with the biggest smile on his face. “Why haven’t you ever sung for me? We could do a duet.”

You looked at anything but his eyes, you couldn’t meet them. You sighed, placing your hands over his, removing them so now you held them. “I don’t like my voice, remember? And it probably wasn’t good anyways,” your voice was quiet, almost inaudible to him as you turned away, closing the fallboard over the keys.

“No, your voice was,” he paused as he sat next to you on the seat. “I don’t even know a word for it since it was so good.” He playfully nudged you. He knew your voice wasn’t something you loved, but now he just had more reasons to add to his list of why he loved you so much.

“Horrendous?” You played with your fingers in your lap, not wanting to look into his.

“Hey, no. The complete opposite. Your voice is my favorite, everything about you is my favorite.” He wrapped his arm around your shoulder, peppering kisses on your cheek. He knew your weakness and how to use it, especially in a time like this.

A warm feeling slowly spread from your chest, making you smile. “You know, since you told me about it, I actually wanted to play and sing the song for you.” You turned your head, playfully looking at him, adoring his features.

“Really?” He was flattered as he raised his eyebrows.

You nodded, resting your head on his shoulder. “I’ve been practicing singing and playing the piano again when you’re not home.”

“Woah, woah, wait just a minute. First of all, wow, my significant other is so talented, like me. And second, playing the piano again?” He emphasized the last word as he sat up, trying to lean his head forward so he could meet your face and eyes.

“Oh, yeah, I never told you but I’ve been playing piano since high school..” You lifted your head, looking into his.

His eyes were wide as well as his eyebrows still raised. “Any other surprises?” He broke out into laughter from his own voice.

You shook your head, your smile appearing once again as you intertwined your fingers with his.

“Well, I technically only heard half of the song so..” He squeezed your hands with his.

“I don’t know, Kihyun..”

“Sing for me, please?” He lifted the fallboard. “I’ll play, you just sing.” He gave you his puppy eyes, another thing you couldn’t resist. He played the first chord, looking at you with pleading eyes.

You sighed, humming the beginning note. He continued playing as you continued singing, spending the rest of the night playing more songs, singing them together.

~~~~~

Masterlist for more!

[la-belle-laide]

Long Island Gothic

How far is it? Fifteen minutes. Twenty seven minutes. Ninety-three minutes. Ten minutes on a weekday, forty-eight minutes on a weekend. Everything is minutes. There aren't any miles on Long Island. No space. Just Time.

Lost? Just keep driving. Eventually you'll end up in the water. We all end up in the water, someday.

The disease has infected just about everyone you know by now. Some don't even realize they have it. You cover yourself in spray every time you leave the house, but you know it's in vain. We All Have Lyme Here.

Through the dense trees, you see a figure stand up on hind legs. It has antlers. It hisses at you. Deer? Man? Deerman?

The City is out there somewhere, and you might get to it again one day. Maybe at one time it had a name, but now it's just... The City.

So you made it to The City! Great, party time! But you don't live in The City, do you? You live on Long Island, which means you have to go home, and, wouldn't you know? You missed that last train out at night. So now you have a choice: You could just stay in The City. Or you could take the train after the last train. You already know the one. You already know the sticky floors, the shouting, the arguing, the tuneless karaoke with no music. You already know what you must do. You must board The Drunk Train.

You're driving through Westhampton Beach and you pass a mansion. A second later, you pass a mansion. Then a mansion. A mansion. Mansionmansionmansion. Sionmansi ansionma ionmansionmansionman HABITTRAIL WITH WINDOWS TO NOTHING

You drive out to Montauk. There's a radar tower and a giant concrete cup in the ocean. You know the legends—time travel, mind control, monsters—but you've never broken through the “Do Not Enter” gates and entered Camp Hero. Of course not. Never. You never would; that's illegal. Why would you do a thing like that?

You're driving and you pass a farm. You pass a strip mall. You pass a mansion. Then a dairy farm. Then ten vineyards. You've only been in your car for ten minutes.

You know someone who has seen Billy Joel around town. Everyone knows someone who has seen Billy Joel, and yet you've never actually seen him. You start to wonder if Billy Joel is even real.

Brooklyn, Queens? What are those? Nope, never heard of them. They are Away.  

Endangered species on Long Island? A few, two-tree. Yes-yes Bub.

“Oh man, that's a hike,” you say. Anything past Riverhead going East or West, well, that's A Hike. Your loved-one calls you from beyond Riverhead, they are in dire need, it's urgent, they're bleeding out in a ditch. “Oh man. That's a hike.”

If you fall down on Shelter Island and no one's around to hear you, do you make a sound? Maybe you do, especially if you broke your leg falling off a cliff, but good luck getting to the hospital at 3 AM.

Montauk. The End.

[ddaavidgarciaa-blog]

HASWELL GREENS OFFERS THE BEST BROADWAY KARAOKE GAMES

Do you know why there seems to be a whole lot of fun in Times Square? Well, it’s because of the advent of new watering holes, one new watering hole that has contributed to this craze in times squares is Haswell greens. Haswell greens are a new pub in times squares that offers the most entertaining activities. Popularly known as an all in one pub, the haswell greens pub provides the best of everything, starting with an entertaining live music in NYC followed by the delicious cuisines on the menu as well as a couple of tasty craft beer. You can grab your favourite cuisine and craft beer on the menu while you enjoy a live music broadway.

For the live music session, there is always a whole lot of fun-filled performances from some of your favorite artistes, you can always choose your desired live music session and attend with friends, the live music sessions at the Haswell greens bar is always held during the weekends, so,. You can be sure to enjoy an entertaining Broadway live music after the weeks work. In addition to the entertaining live music session, Haswell greens beer hall also provides a couple of entertaining activities, they offer one of the best Broadway karaoke session, offering you the chance to be part of one of the liveliest singing contest.

With so many options when it comes to entertainment you might forget about what is available on the menu, well, in case you don’t know the Haswell greens beer hall has a lot of provisions for food lovers, the menu offers popular cookeries and tasty delicacies that will make you appreciate times squares. The Haswell greens bar offers the best food in Times Square when it comes to delicacies. You can make reservations for a delicious midtown bachelorette brunch or you could enjoy a tasty lunch in midtown. While you will discover some of your favorite dishes on the menu, the Haswell greens bar also provides some of the most sought-after craft beer, In case you are passionate about craft beer you will always discover that special craft pint you have always wanted on the menu.

The Haswell greens beer hall also provides fully functional spaces for special events, Are you looking for corporate event space in midtown? The Haswell greens bar offers some of the best spaces for your special occasion, whether you have intentions on hosting a birthday party, a business lunch or any other event, you will always find this place quite attractive.

Haswell greens beer hall is located in times squares, Broadway in NYC. The bar opens every day of the week and they offer you some of the most entertaining activities. You can check this bar on weekdays and also on weekends. In case you are interested in a Broadway live music session you should check out this beer hall and get ready for the best experience.

[realstey]

*🏡 SWADES DREAM VILLA, WADESHWAR 🏖 NR. LONAVALA*

♦️ *Amenities:*

★ 3 BHK villa fully Furnished

★ 30 ft * 15 ft lavish infinity swimming pool

★ AC in Bedrooms

★ 4 Bathrooms

★ Pvt. Parking

★ 15 to 20 Guests Capacity

★ Geysers for Hot Water

★ Restaurant/Cook in the premises

★ 100% Delicious ethnic food 🍲

★ Barbeque grill (500 extra charge with coal and little fuel)

★ Inverter for Power Backup

★ Genset Backup

★ Cleaning / sanitisation on daily basis

★ RO water

★ Music System

★ Karaoke sound system

★ Fully equiped kitchen

★ Refridgerator

★ 55" TV

★ Bhartiya Baithak at upper hall for discussions and enjoying music.

★ Carrom, Badminton, Chess

★ Safe, secure and spacious premises

★ Beautifully landscaped lawn and garden.

★ *DAM WATER TOUCH AND Complete backwater View of dam*🏖

♦️ *Timing:*

Check-in @01:00 PM

Checkout next day up to @11:00 AM

*Special Rates - Weekend - 16000/- Per Night* (upto 12 pax)

*Weekdays - 12000/- Per Night*

(Upto 12 pax)

(Weekend means - Friday, Saturday)

21.oct to 31 oct - 20000 per night

21.Dec to 29 Dec - 20000 per night.

Please call for 30 and 31 st December rates

Upto 12 pax only.

Note - Above Rates may attract hike or surcharge for long weekends and black out dates.

*Food charges Extra*

*Veg 900/- Per Person Per day*

*Non-veg 1200/- per person per day*

*Includes - Breakfast + Lunch + Dinner+ hi tea.*

Location : https://maps.app.goo.gl/DDMVae9KmbsALf6N6

[nhacly]

Dallas Karaoke | Kung Fu Saloon

Dallas Karaoke | Kung Fu Saloon

Each room can accommodate parties of up to 15 people, and features a comprehensive selection of songs from all musical genres, as well as a dedicated host who can set you up with all the hooch you need to belt out the high notes! Karaoke rooms are available weekdays from 4pm-2am and weekends from 11am-2am. A minimum reservation of 1 hour, and maximum reservation of 2 hours are available. The rate…