#nat talks Harry

[natreads]

planning a trip to london for june for the third year in a row lmaaaooo

[sushirrrry]

PART OF US - PART ONE.

a harry styles x original character, 4-part short-story. themes: dadrry, lhh, coming of age, contemporary romance set in NYC. CW: explicit sex, language, & conversations surrounding mental health. 20.4k words. follow me on twitter @/sadprose_em & wattpad @/sushirrrry for notifications. enjoy <3

Spring.

In a moment of panic, Sofia stopped.

"Fuck," Sofia dug into the contents of the small purse on her arm, knowing that she wasn't going to find anything deeper in the tiny clutch, no matter how hard she tried. "I forgot my phone."

Nat looked at her friend with an annoyed face as they approached the entrance to the bar, her feet slowing down to a a few steps before stopping completely.

"You're kidding me." Nat said, a grunt following, watching as Sofia searched through the small clutch that was quite obviously not holding the device, but merely a lipstick or two.

It wasn't there, but Sofia didn't want to have to go all the way back to her apartment for it if she didn't have to. Her eyes looked up at her friend who rolled her eyes right back.

"I'm sorry, Nat– we don't have to go back. It's fine, just make sure to keep an eye on me, please? I don't want to get stolen."

Nat grabbed Sofia's arm before linking them together as they walked through the doors of the building, almost just the answer that Sofia was looking for. The sound of their heels clicked together against the cement in a beautiful harmony– the girl's night out kind of harmony.

"You look incredible tonight so I would take it as a compliment, personally."

The martini bar where they would be meeting Nat's friend and coworker– who Sofia knew to be passionate about the espresso martinis in the city– Niall, was going to meet them on the rooftop bar.

Sofia had only decided to go because this wasn't just a one-on-one meeting with Nat and Niall, but a bunch of other people from Nat's office would be there, as well. Nat had asked if Sofia could tag along, which meant that Sofia was now dressed in some knee-high boots and a black mini skirt that fit like a glove.

Sofia was feisty but introverted; she knew what she wanted and would talk back to those who questioned her. She was excited to meet this friend of Nat's knowing she had talked about him in quite a bright light– even more so because she knew that this could benefit her, too.

"Remember, Niall's bringing that friend of his," She raised her eyes at Sofia, "From what I hear around the office, it's a friend that's quite easy on the eyes. Apparently, his presence at the Christmas party was way better than the shitty gifts our office tried to pawn off too."

Even in her best feeling, highest confidence moments, self-doubt trickled into the conversation.

"So, why do you think he'd even be interested in me? There's going to be so many more people there," Sofia asked. "Plus, how do you know he's my type?"

"I don't know what his type is," Nat looked at her friend as they stepped into the elevator, "But I can't imagine that you wouldn't be, even for a night."

Sofia pulled at the hem of her skirt, but Nat pulled her friend's hand away before giving her that look. The one that Sofia got quite often– it was a look of not just overthinking, but over analyzing any particular scenario that may arise. The elevator they had gotten into stopped on the top floor, the subtle noise of the bar ringing out as they walked along, and back outside.

Subtle breezes of the spring were feeling quite warm as the girls had been wearing skirts. Sofia's being a solid black, a long-sleeve blouse and leather jacket on top. She wore it with her favorite black boots that gave her a bit of height. Her dark hair cascades down her back; dark leather and dark, shiny hair that sparkles when the night light hits it.

The Brooklyn bar was one of Nat's favorites, she had been talking about going out all week. It wasn't that she was trying to get Sofia out of her comfort zone, but she knew that there wasn't anything to lose.

It was about taking chances.

She knew her friend was a good person– she had a sense of humor that not everyone understood but was appreciated by everyone, she had thoughts that bordered every side, and the empathy that she held was something that only a few people could ever relate to.

Nat felt that Sofia was special; Sofia felt she was misunderstood. When Nat had talked about Sofia in the office, Niall had seemingly believed that he had a friend that was quite the same. It was like shooting two stars had both been spotted in the same part of the galaxy.

This wasn't a set-up, if Nat was going to be asked. Instead, it was a coworker get-together that just happened to have eyes and hearts on a particular two. But as she tucked Sofia's hair behind her ears, and handed her a lip gloss for a touch-up, she knew exactly what she was getting her friend into.

"Oh, over there!" Nat had spotted her loudest friend, surrounded by a few others who were laughing at a joke they must've missed. Sofia had a tight smile on her face as they approached the small group; she didn't like meeting new people because she never knew how to start conversations, she just knew how to finish them and walk away.

Nat and Sofia were still linked in their elbows as they approached, Niall immediately noticing the two girls.

"Hey!" He exclaimed, the cocktail– as espresso martini, obviously– was icy in his hands as he gave a soft grin to them. "There you are."

"Here we are," Nat suggested, her eyes moving to the man a step behind Niall at the bar. He was facing the bartender as he seemed to be chatting the guy up, asking for specifics in the cocktail he ordered. He held the small toothpick with an olive in his fingers, twirling it around the glass.

Sofia had noticed him, but her eyes hadn't allowed her to stare too long at his side profile. Even if maybe she wanted to.

"Guys, this is my best friend– this is Sofia, I've talked about her plenty, you all probably know her life story" Nat giggled, before turning to introduce her coworkers, "Fia, this is Niall, Dana, Marie, and–" Her eyes landed on Niall's friend who had joined the conversation with a fresh martini held in his fingers. The way that his hands spread across the glass made Sofia's heart beat quicker than usual, almost skipping a few.

Niall looked back at his friend before introducing, "Sorry, this is my mate, Harry. We went to college together. He just moved to the city a few months back."

Nat bit her lip, Sofia couldn't keep her eyes on him as she felt the blush by just looking at the way his lips molded around the glass as he took a generous sip, before swallowing and nodding.

"Lovely to meet you." The deep voice of the man surprises them.

Sofia is taken by him, their eyes meeting immediately as she watches him shyly smile in her direction. It's a moment where Sofia feels eyes on her as if this was supposed to be more than it was– as if their connection was meant to be electrifying at first glance.

And she wasn't going to deny that there was an electric field that almost made her skin crawl with desire... but she wouldn't admit that.

"Great to meet you," Nat stuck her hand out and he graciously took it with a smile. "Where are you in the city?"

"I actually live around the corner," Harry tells her, his sharp accent is soft but bold– like a dark roasted coffee with cream, "I've been here about six months so I'm starting to really get used to it. Americans are kind of– no offense– bloody rude."

"America is built on colonialism, so I think rudeness is a bit inherent." Sofia stated; it was the quick wit that Nat knew. Her shyness came from within whenever she was able to get a word in, which made Nat smile at her friend's attempt.

Niall made an audible oof sound, holding onto his chest as if hurt by the comment. But Harry just tilted his head as he glared at her with the most subtle grin.

"I'm going to get a drink," Nat interrupted, looking at Niall and their other coworkers as Niall turned to follow her to the bar. Sofia felt her friend leave her side, leaving her standing there as she looked around the rooftop.

The only person standing still was Harry, who had already received his drink and was standing a bit closer to her now, possibly wanting to offer more conversation.

"Are you from here?" Harry offered, taking another small sip from the wide-rimmed glass.

"Uh, no," Sofia shook her head, "I'm originally from France. People think it's a speech impediment, but it's just because my dad refused to speak English at home, so I wasn't really able to practice it a lot, and it left me unable to pronounce my R's well."

Her long dark hair and soft features were gifts from her mother who grew up in Beijing, moving to France when she was eighteen– her father was French and Italian, which left her being a mutt of sorts. It was a mixture of culture and a radiance of knowledge that left her traveling the world at a young age to visit family here and there, but also experiencing everywhere below the surface level.

"Je connais un peu de français," Harry smiles before pinching his fingers together, "juste un peu."

Sofia's eyes lit up, giving her a small smile before she felt a tap on her shoulder.

"I got you this," Nat handed her the orange cocktail that had a small straw, before Sofia handed it back.

"I'm not drinking– I didn't bring my phone, so I don't want something to happen." She shook her head, watching as Nat moved her eyes between her and Harry both.

Nat looked up at Harry with a smile Sofia knew was laced with her own intentions, before handing the drink to him, "Maybe she'll take it if you offer it to her, then."

Harry's brows raised as he held the drink between his fingers, feeling the coldness before he watched Nat walk back through the bar. With the subtle movement, her friend had disappeared once again.

It left the two standing there alone again, which Sofia felt more of the pressure of the set-up currently occurring between the two of them. She wondered how much of this Harry had known, and how much he had been fooled too. The man in front of her was attending, though. He seemed quite intrigued with her, not trying to force his way out of a conversation just because it was a bit uncomfortable.

Harry's lip curled a bit, the smirk on his face becoming a bit more of a blush as he extended his arm to offer the drink back to her as her friend had suggested.

"So, would you like this drink, then?" He bit his lip, hoping that she would at least take this one from him. Her hand steadily took the drink from his fingers as she sheepishly shook her head.

"Sorry about all of them." Sofia muttered out, taking a sip of the cocktail.

When her eyes raised back to him, she noticed that he had been looking at her with an admiration that she wasn't entirely sure she had felt before. It was an honesty, like he had never told a lie, and would never think to.

For the first time in a while, Sofia felt seen– like he had really been taken with her. She stood with her hand wrapped around her drink, looking around at the scenery that surrounded them.

"So, you're French?" Harry licked his lips, his hand moved into his front pocket, the dark pants were fitting him snug, "You grew up there?"

"Oui," Sofia clicked her tongue, "Um, yes and no. We spent half the year in Boston and half in Nice. My dad was a banker, and he did a lot of work overseas. But we traveled with him to stay as a family. My mom was a stay-at-home mom, and she kept my brother and I. During the holiday, we would travel to see my mother's family who still lived in China. We were always on a plane, it felt like."

Harry nodded, listening actively to the story she told of her upbringing. She didn't know why she kept speaking so much, but feeling that he was actively listening made it feel upwardly special and like he didn't have anywhere else to be or anyone else to listen to.

"My last name is Treaveau." She offered him another small detail of her background. It may have also been a small detail that he could keep in his brain for trying to track her down later.

He wasn't looking for an out this time. That felt unusual to him, as he settled on the doe-like eyes mesmerizing him.

"That sounds like a lot. But really incredible." He told her, his words having weight to them like he truly believed that it was incredible. "What brings you to New York, then?"

Sofia took a deep breath as she feels like maybe this isn't the right time to have that discussion. Rather, she wants to keep the conversation as far away from Kendall as possible. But, it was her life story and the parts that she didn't want to discuss were seemingly always there.

But, she decides to just answer it without any further explanation: "I moved here with a partner after college and it just became home. Settled some roots here– my job, friends." With a quick nod, she took another sip to stop her from speaking any more on the topic.

Harry hummed, "I see." He shifted on his weight as he noticed the conversation that looked like it stopped as Sofia's body language pointed out that she was uncomfortable with that question, and, more fittingly, that answer.

He knew that from his interviewing he did, watching as the person in front of him started to redirect their body language or try to look away from him as if that would take the situation away. He knew when asking questions and trying to get a response, body language told it all. If he had one talent, it was being able to read someone– read their facial expressions and the way they interacted with him about it.

Instead, Harry offered a different type of way to ease her nerves.

"Would you like a different drink, then?" Harry asked, his fingers wrapped around the wide mouth of his own martini glass. He could see her eyes flicker as she smiled up at him. "Doesn't seem like you wanted the one your friend gave you."

"Um," Fia answered, a soft giggle, "I think I'm okay. This is fine. Not my preference. Not even really a huge drinker, but when I do, this wouldn't be what I prefer."

Harry hummed, narrowing his brows as he bit on his lip in response to her declining his offer, so he dug a bit deeper into it.

"What do you like, then?" He asked.

She purses her lips, "Long walks on the beach. The offspring of a long island iced tea and a sex on the beach."

Harry felt the edge of his lip tilt up at her quick wit at the ridiculous joke. His blood rushes a bit quicker, before he nods.

"In my part of town, we call them 'sex on long island'," He quickly joked back, the dry humor making her roll her eyes.

Instead, he licked over his lips and tried to make more conversation around her now. "So, why are you here, at a martini bar, if you don't like to drink?" He took a sip of his own, the sweetness of the vodka coating his tongue, "I'm certain there's more fun things for you to do in Brooklyn on a Friday night."

The fact was: she really didn't know why she was there other than she had been convinced it could be fun.

As Nat had persuaded her out of her apartment, she thought of all of the things she could have been doing tonight.

Staying home and watching the new season of Great British Bake Off seemed enjoyable enough, but her extroverted friend pushed further for her to come meet this friend of a friend of a friend– however the connection was. And while she wasn't disappointed– far from it– she couldn't answer his questions without smiling. He pushed back on her attempts at bits of flirting, meeting her at her own game.

"I was told I'd have a good time." She felt herself try to hold back the smile, hoping to make him sweat a bit. But she knew she came off a bit strong; her humor and her lightness didn't mix too well. "Is that an alright answer?"

Harry used his tongue to lick over his bottom lip as he stared up at her with the greenest eyes she had seen. The curls that settled on his forehead were messy, but placed properly. They were quite long, around his neck and shoulders.

The silk of his green shirt under the black blazer seemed like it needed a criminal investigation on the salesperson who sold him it, the longer she stared at him. It was opened to reveal he had tattoos across his collarbone, but not open enough for her to make out the design.

"Sure. You're welcome to make your own choices," he tutted. "Just trying to understand you, that's all."

Sofia rolled her lips into her mouth before she turned to the bartender, asking for a Diet Coke with a hint of lime. Harry smiled at the request, eyes staying on her side profile. She took another sip of her freshly tipped-off drink before returning her eyes to him, sparkling and flirtatious. She noticed the way he paid attention, knowing he wasn't trying to leave.

When she ordered, he nodded towards the bartender, "Put that on my tab."

Sofia looked up at him, shaking her head, "No– really, Harry–"

"I'd like another one of these," Harry smiled at the bartender, pushing his empty martini glass towards them, "Shaken, chilled glass, and filthy."

Her eyes darted to him quickly, but she was ultimately caught. He had already been staring at her. The martini was poured into the chilled glass before Harry thanked the bartender again. He took a sip before they started to move back out of the way, towards a standing table towards the edge of the rooftop. It overlooked down onto the streets; Sofia blinked a few times as she noticed the height, taking herself away from it, and setting her glass on the small table.

There was a breeze; it pushed its way through Harry's long hair settling on his shoulders as he looked towards Manhattan and the skyline that was illuminating the city. Not a patch of darkness in sight.

There was silence– an odd silence, because she knew that there were many people around them, music was playing, the city was below them, but her eyes were fixed on his side profile and the way that he stood in front of her.

Her breath hitched a minute before she let the bold words fall from her mouth. "I-I'd like to talk more about myself over dinner. If you're interested in understanding me, that is. You can ask me, if you want."

When she replayed the words in her head, she wanted to eat them all back and take them out of existence. Not only did they sound completely outrageous, but she knew how egotistical they made her sound.

Harry only stared at her, but his smile kept steady.

"I should, shouldn't I?" His accent rang out as he poked his cheek with his tongue. Her stomach flipped when the dimple in his smile popped. "That's a good idea, Sofia. To ask you to dinner. Why hadn't I thought of that?"

She breathed through her nose with a chuckle, "I didn't mean to sound so-"

"Forward?" He finished her sentence before taking another sip of his drink. The olives bobbed in the glass, his eyes just over the rim. "Something tells me you like being forward, but I think you're being a bit shy with me."

Sofia blinked a few times before she held her shoulders back, pressing away from his conclusion of her. "Where would you take me?"

Harry shook his head with a cocky smile that added blush to her cheeks. "Definitely not a martini bar, I'll tell you that much. What do you like?"

"There's that question again," Fia rolled her eyes, jokingly, but she shrugged her shoulders with no pressure, "Nothing too fancy, I guess."

"I can take you to the best chippy on this side of the Atlantic– up in the Financial District," Harry bites his lip as he tries to chuckle but his teeth bare a smile, "I know the area pretty well– I work up there, actually."

"Will it impress me?" She asks, scrunching her nose a bit.

Harry chuckles but shakes his head, "Don't know– you're very hard to read, so I'm walking on eggshells here. I'm trying to impress you, if that makes a difference"

"You're doing well, I'll tell you that– the only bone I'm going to throw at you, though." Sofia tucks some hair behind her ear as she realizes how hard of a time she's giving him. She takes a small step forward so her hip pops a bit. "I'd love to go to fish and chips with you, but I don't eat fish."

"Course you don't," He shakes his head, "You're killing me, you know."

"We all die eventually, I don't think I'm exacerbating it." Her humor stuck as Harry tilted his head back. Her eyes fell to the way that his curls bounced as they fell back a bit at the motion.

"My goodness," Harry shook his head with that eager smirk, "You're really good at this. And I'd like you to recede your statement because I do think you're exacerbating it. I don't feel as young as I used to."

"Good at standing my ground? Or good at fighting off misogyny while our friends think that I'll just fall into your graces like the start of a silly romance book?"

Harry's dimple popped and Sofia drew in a breath when she noticed how it changed his face. It was such a soft feature that drew away so much animosity and an unrelieved tension that she felt between her thighs.

"I'm sorry– is this not the start of our story?" He questioned her now, watching as she sighed outwardly. "Maybe it's sexist for you to think that you should be the one falling for me– I think I'm the one clearly begging at your feet here."

She liked him. Oh, she really liked him.

She knew instantly that she wasn't the type to take him home, but he was certainly the type that she would make an exception for if he suggested anything. It was a classic question in her own brain; was he just as charming behind closed doors as he was standing there in an open bar with a few drinks already in him? That she wasn't sure about.

But what she did know was that she was slowly watching as his walls were broken with every word she said.

"Is that a line that gets a lot of girls?"

Harry took a moment to stare at her. She shifted her weight, now under his eyes moving between her own as she nibbled on her lip as she waited for an equally witty response.

"I'm very enamored by you, Sofia." He told her softly, curiosity oozing from him.

Sofia tilted her head a bit as she questioned him yet again.

"Enamored or infatuated?" She bit back, but her smile kept her fiercely attractive to him. The energy was just a plus.

"Infatuation would suggest that there's a short-lived passion. I don't believe our story is short-lived," The vodka may have spoken there, but the tint of his blush was illuminating him.

"Oh, is that so?" She teased, leaning against the table then. "What makes you say that?"

Her eyes met his as Harry took in a breath. She couldn't have imagined the man in front of her being any more civil, any more kind to her. He maintained eye contact, blushing as she teased. She hadn't a doubt that he could be like any of the others she had dated in this city.

Something about him felt genuine; it felt like he opened his heart further than she was used to, maybe. She wasn't too sure, because his exterior would suggest he was a bit rugged.

His shoulder length dark curls were tousled and gave her the impression that he hadn't done anything about a haircut on purpose, not for lack of resources. His clean jawline was maintained and structured. But he was dressed well– he knew that he looked good, but without effort which worried her.

But she could tell that he spoke from the heart.

Sofia had no doubt he could have fallen in love easily– could have easily been the love of someone's life. So, in her brain, she wondered what on earth could have been wrong with him. He played the game with her– a game that was usually pushed back on rarely. It was a simple game of cat-and-mouse that only one man in a blue moon would understand.

But Harry kept eye contact, wanting more from her than she had been willing at first.

His body leaned in closer to her, sniffling as he found his footing close enough that he had practically pushed her feet apart with his own so they could be face to face.

"In my mirrorball, I see you and I have the time of our lives and not settling for anything that tells us to stop. I'm a visionary– I'm going to put my cards on the table and let you know what I want." The scent of his cologne flourished around her nose, pushing into her memory.

Sofia stares at the man for a moment when he stops talking, recognizing they had just met, and their connection had created such fire that she was certain it would spread wild.

There was no way that it could've been burnt out then; she watched his eyes follow her, almost obsessed as he stood in front of her, leaning on the rooftop railing.

"You don't even know me, Harry," She shrugged, "And I don't even know your last name."

"That's very true," He finished the last drop of the martini, taking a bite of the olive as he let his smirk take over when he chewed.

"The greatest loves of all time started that way, didn't they, Sofia Treaveau? With a bit of mystery and adventure? Do you need to know my last name to truly fall in love?"

She licked her lips, the taste of vanilla from her lip gloss on her taste buds. She nodded, letting her eyes fall back to him as she noticed a strand of his shouldered locks falling around his cheek as the breeze flew across them.

Her heart burned; the wildfire was spreading at an enormous rate. She had wanted to keep her heart from that feeling, but how addicting it was made her knee knock with his as they stood close.

"Then, I accept," She bites her lip, "I'll be ready tomorrow by seven. No later, or I'll keep the door locked."

Harry tried his best to keep his smile demure, but he knew that the heat of his skin had to be felt by her– the way his heart thumped was that one of a thousand earthquakes.

"I'll be outside your door at six fifty-eight, waiting to take you up the green line like every beautiful woman deserves." He raises his brows with a smirk. "Last week, I saw a rat the size of a raccoon."

Sofia hummed soft before she broke out in a few chuckles. "Wow, I cannot wait to see that– who said romance was dead?"

Harry shook his head with a large smile as he let his eyes soften to the way he looked at her. Sofia seemed the type he'd want to wake up in the morning to see; the type who were kind and subtle at first but open with large thoughts when you were able to chip past the exterior.

"How about I cook you dinner instead? I can come pick you up, we can go to the corner store, and I'll take you back to mine. It's a small place, but I think it may be a bit more..." He trailed off, trying to find the word, "A bit more intimate. And cheaper."

She smirked, looking at the way that his arm rested along the railing before she reached out to brush her hand against his, "So, I'm not worth a fifty dollar seafood platter, then?"

Harry shook his head, "Not if you're going to waste it."

Sofia bit her lip, smiling as she nodded her head. "I think that's a date, then."

Harry took a smaller step closer. "First time you actually said yes to me."

"Don't expect anymore tonight. I don't say yes unless I mean it." She tells him, sipping her coke.

An image quickly runs through his mind as he takes a solid breath in, but he blinks a few times to make sure it leaves so he doesn't get caught. He bit the inside of his cheek to feel some pain to try to get his kind off of how else he could get her to say yes.

Over and over and over–

"So, tomorrow at seven?" She interrupted his thoughts, his eyes meeting hers again.

"I told you," He smirked, "Six fifty-eight. And don't be late coming to the door, either."

Sofia exhaled, knowing the smile hadn't left her lips all evening. It was almost painful at that point; her cheeks hurt and she was a bit worried the blush would be permanent. It was a feeling she knew wouldn't last, but she looked forward to her cheeks hurting just a bit in the morning.

She nodded, "It's a date."

Harry rolled his lips into his mouth before he turned towards the city. He leaned against the railing, staring into the abyss of the lights. He breathed in, heavy, before humming out. Sofia did as he did, standing next to him. She leaned against the railing before tucking some hair behind her ear; the spring breeze gave her a bit of a chill.

"What if I'm a bit impatient?" He said suddenly, pushing away as he held onto the glass railing in front of him.

Sofia turned her head towards him, before she felt his hand on her wrist to request her attention. It was the easiest she had ever been to convince when he led her towards the bar. Their hands fell into place as he requested to pay for the bill, taking his card back.

"Where are we going?" Sofia said, a bit of uncertainty in her voice as she looked around. She didn't want to leave her friend without a bit of a notice– she had no way to get in contact with her.

Harry turned his head up after he signed the receipt, dropping the pen.

"We're leaving," He said, without effort, before taking her hand once again. He hadn't recalled that he had dropped it, but he had missed it. "I know a spot that'll be a bit more... private."

"I can't just leave," Sofia explained, chuckling with a bit of disbelief that he was leading her away, "I have to– I mean, I came with Nat."

Harry turned his head to look around, trying to see if he could find the group that had left them alone. He knew that they had to have been spying on them from another part of the rooftop, but he wasn't able to spot them.

"It doesn't seem that they're around, maybe they left. We'll be back. I'll get you home then you can text her." Harry promised, trying his best to get her to leave with him. He was ready to get out of the atmosphere and move onto seeing something else. He wanted to explore, walk the streets with her.

"Yeah, but," Sofia swallowed, turning her head to try and lay eyes on Nat, just to give her an update. It felt wrong to walk away with someone she barely knew– a bit irresponsible, really. A man, nonetheless. She hadn't felt uncomfortable in the slightest, but she was trying to protect herself.

Harry dug his hands into the front pockets of his pants, standing in front of her, waiting for her to come to a conclusion. His hand moved to her shoulder, giving a soft physical connection before he studied her.

"You can blame me. I take full blame if she freaks out on you." His voice was calm, but it was highlighted with desperation to get her to leave with him– to flee into another world, unknown.

He liked the unknown, which worked in his favor most of the time; it was something that was unagreeable in most of his life. His father would hate when Harry said he hadn't planned for that to happen, or that he hadn't thought of that before. It was just how his mind processed things– and being able to live a life where he didn't have to think about it made Harry feel more inclined to do that behavior out of a rebellion.

Stability was never something Harry needed to feel like he had been doing something right. Most of the time, he looked for spontaneity to keep his mind racing, finding people who were there for a season rather than the long haul. It kept his mind fresh.

"We don't–" Harry started, thinking that this would be how he left her that night. He would leave, telling Niall that it hadn't worked out.

Sofia interrupted, "No, let's."

He stared at her for a moment, looking around before he felt her take his hand that time. She placed her fingers between him, holding them firmly.

"Are you sure?" Harry asked her, looking around at the crowd.

It hadn't occurred to him that he really hadn't seen Niall or any of Niall's friends for a bit, which made him a bit leary that they had moved onto a new spot without them anyways. It would figure as such, because he had known that Niall was going to set him up like this from the moment he had mentioned the words 'and this girl is coming'.

Harry didn't do much dating– it hadn't interested him. Talking and getting to know people was the most extent that he went through, which was fine to him. If he ever brought a girl home, it was always going to be for her best interest. Maybe she was going to try and get home but was alone and too drunk– half the time Harry just took her home so she'd be somewhere safe.

But there was a light about Sofia that allowed his mind to wander about the possibilities of what it would be like if she was around– in his space, in his aura.

There was a great deal of satisfaction and happy wonder that came with those thoughts.

Sofia had breathed out, pulling his hand closer to her as they started to walk towards the elevator on the way down. When it dinged, the two of them stepped into the small space to head back down onto the streets.

The vibrant hum of the city greeted them when they made their way back out of the tall building—distant cars rushing by, the occasional burst of laughter from late-night revelers, and the soft rustle of trees stirred by a gentle breeze. The air was cool, carrying with it the smell of distant rain and the earthy scent of summer that felt so far away. Sofia inhaled deeply, savoring the moment, feeling the weight of the crowded rooftop bar lifting from her shoulders.

The streets weren't deserted, but they were limited to the night dwellers now; the amount of bars around this particular area were sparse.

Harry walked beside her, his hands tucked into his pockets now that they had released their hands from one another, a relaxed smile playing on his lips.

"See? Isn't this better?" he asked, glancing at her from the corner of his eye. Their pace had a slow marvel to it, the sound of her clicking heels echoed through the narrow sidewalks.

She looked over, a small smile forming. "Yeah, okay. Maybe you were right."

They wandered through the streets in comfortable silence for a while, the rhythmic sound of their footsteps keeping time with the quiet energy of the city around them. Every now and then, Sofia would catch Harry glancing over at her, but he didn't push the conversation especially when they both seemed to find a bit of satisfaction in the quietness.

He seemed content just to be walking, taking it all in. It was something she liked about him—his ability to be present without needing to fill the silence.

After a few blocks, neither of them had made a solid suggestion on where to go or where they had been heading, they found themselves in front of a small park nestled between two buildings. It was a quiet spot, they had noticed that a person was walking their dog, with a few benches and a street light casting a warm glow over the cobblestone path into the small corridor.

Harry stopped, gesturing toward one of the black, metal benches. "Want to just sit for a minute?"

Sofia nodded, and they sat down side by side, the city stretching out before them but feeling a world away from the noise and lights of the rooftop bar. She leaned back against the bench, her body relaxing further with each breath.

"Tell me something," Harry said, breaking the silence, his voice soft but curious.

She turned to look at him. "Like what?"

"Something you don't normally share," he replied, his tone easy but genuine. "Something about you."

Sofia raised an eyebrow, a playful smirk forming on her face. "Why do I feel like this is one of those questions that ends with you telling me something poetic?"

Harry laughed, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "I'll tell you something poetic, sure. But you first."

She considered it for a moment, unsure where to begin or what she could say to this stranger sitting next to her that had a lingering smell of vanilla and tobacco. It wasn't often that someone asked her to share something real, something beyond the surface-level conversations she usually had with people.

With Harry, though, it felt... safe. His attention to her never dwindled, it never made her feel stared at or under a microscope. It made her feel... looked after. Listened to.

She fidgeted with her fingers for a minute before she took in a deep breath, trying to imagine what she could say to him in this moment that would ultimately feel worthwhile. Something that would allow their time together to be meaningful. The sound of the leaves in the night breeze took her focus for a moment.

"I guess... I don't always feel very confident and comfortable," she said after a pause. "Like, I put on this front—smiling, laughing, having fun," She looks at her hands in her lap, "Going to martini bars with my friend when I really just wanted to stay home and watch Great British Bake Off. But sometimes, it's not really how I feel. Sometimes I'm just... faking it to make it easier for myself." She glanced away, surprised at her own honesty, but she felt a weight lift as soon as she said the words.

Harry didn't respond right away, just nodded slowly, taking in what she'd said. "I get that," he said after a beat. "It's hard to let people in, isn't it? To show them the stuff beneath the surface."

She met his eyes again, a quiet understanding passing between them. "Yeah," she murmured. "I guess it is."

For a moment, they sat in silence, the intimacy of the moment lingering in the space between them.

Then Harry shifted to make it so he was turned towards her a little more, his eyes searching hers, his voice softening. "You know, I probably would have chosen Great British Bake Off, too." He bites his lip with an urgent smirk trying not to overpower him, "But I could take you to get a box of biscuits and it might give you the same feeling."

Sofia's breath caught slightly at his words, at the sincerity in his voice but the same goofiness she was trying to stop herself from blushing at. It was as if he could see right through the mask she wore, and yet, instead of being afraid or pushing her away, he seemed to lean in closer, making her feel comfortable.

"Okay, well, now it's your turn," she said, her voice light but her heart racing a little from the vulnerability hanging in the air.

Harry smiled, looking down for a moment, like he was gathering his thoughts. He clicked his tongue, analyzing what was behind his brain. When he spoke again, his voice was low and thoughtful.

"Alright. Here's something... I guess I've always had this thing about time. I feel like I'm always trying to make the most of it, like it's slipping away too fast. Maybe that's why I wanted to leave the bar earlier. I hate wasting time and just standing around, especially when I feel like there's something more out there, something better. I don't want to miss out on it."

Sofia watched him, feeling a sense of quiet understanding settle between them. "That's why you wanted to leave," she repeated, the words soft as they fell from her lips.

Harry nodded, his gaze steady on hers. "Yeah. And," He shrugged, "Because I wanted to be with you. Just... you."

Her heart did a small, unexpected flip at his words, the weight of them settling deep within her. There was no pretense with Harry, no games or lines. Just truth. And it made her feel something she hadn't felt in a long time—safe, but also seen.

She smiled, a small but genuine smile, and leaned back against the bench. "I'm glad we left," She told him, "And that was very poetic."

"Me too." Harry said, his voice quiet but filled with meaning, "And I thought you'd like that."

He took in a breath as he watched her pull her jacket around her middle. It was a bit colder than he expected it to be, thankful that he had brought the blazer too. Harry chewed on his lip for a moment, pushing the hair from his face.

"You hungry?" Harry asked, noticing the way she hugged herself against the breeze. It may have been a way to get her out of the air, too. "There's a bodega down there. Best late-night snack spot in the neighborhood."

Sofia chuckled. "I guess I'm a little hungry, sure, but I don't trust bodegas unless it's the guy at the end of my block."

"Hey, don't knock it 'til you try it," he said with a grin. "They have the best sandwiches in the city. And I think I need something to balance all the vodka and olive juice currently swimming around in my system."

She smirked, the idea suddenly sounding perfect. "Alright, then, lead the way to the best sandwich in the city," She stood up, following in his lead, "I don't think the best sandwich is in Williamsburg, but I will try and trust you."

"Have I been wrong at any time tonight?" Harry asked, shoving his hands into his pocket again.

Sofia thought for a moment, shaking her head, "Guess not. But there's still time."

Harry rolled his eyes playfully before knocking his shoulder against hers. "So, you're saying you're ready for a full night, then? It's only," He looked at the watch on his wrist, "Watch says eleven-thirty, but I think I could fill our time for the next six hours, at least."

"The longer I'm around you, the more time I have to search for when you're wrong." She pointed out, her hands in her jacket pocket. "So I would be very careful with your time with me."

Harry hummed, "Well, that's too bad," He shook his head, "I was looking forward to spending time with you. I'm having a good time."

Sofia felt her heart flutter a skip as she tried her best not to turn her head to meet his eyes. She knew if she would, she wouldn't be able to contain herself– holding back the smirk was just enough.

"I am too." She agreed, giving him the comfort and satisfaction she would have needed, too.

They continued walking, the glow of the bodega's neon Open 24 Hours sign drawing them in like a beacon– only the 4 had been burnt out; Harry pointed it out with a chuckle. The place was small and cramped, with shelves stocked high with every kind of snack imaginable, and the smell of deli meat and fresh bread filled the air.

A New York specialty.

"This is very classy," Sofia teased as they stepped inside, the pointed-toe boots clicking against the dirty tile, the bell above the door jingling softly.

Harry shot her a look of mock indignation. "Just wait. You'll see," He pushed the hair from his eyes, "The Queen of England recommended this place to me, actually. So I'd be careful with your mocking tone."

"Was this her last meal?" Sofia joked, which made small crinkles by Harry's eyes as he felt himself laugh quite hard at her dry humor.

He licked his lips, "Yes, actually. The Philly cheesesteak was her dying wish."

"Are we sure it's not what," Sofia whispered, pretending to cut her neck in an attempt to mimic out what she meant. "You know, offed her."

Harry's eyes widened, "That hasn't been disclosed, but I think you may be onto something."

He led her to the counter, where an older man with a thick mustache and equally thick accent greeted them.

"Hey, Pauly," Harry greeted the man, his arms crossing over his chest as he looked at the menu that very well could have been a novel with the amount of writing that was on it. He squinted, trying to read it as Sofia tried her best not to be overwhelmed with the options.

"Late night?" The man asked, eyeing them with the knowing look of someone used to night owls wandering in after hours.

"The only kind of night I have." Harry replied, already scanning the menu board hanging overhead. "Can we get two of the specials, extra pickles on both, with tiger sauce and chips on top– well, fries, I guess."

Sofia raised an eyebrow at his order combo, biting her lip at the crazy menu item.

"You'll thank me later," Harry said, flashing her a grin before a thought popped into his head which erased the smile, "You're not vegan, are you?"

Sofia shook her head with a laugh, "No– no, I'm not. This may turn me vegan, though."

As the man prepared their sandwiches, they wandered down one of the narrow aisles, picking out a couple of drinks– Harry went with an Arnold Palmer, Sofia got a ginger ale out of the fridge that had burnt out lights. The fluorescent lights above buzzed faintly, casting a soft, familiar glow over everything. It felt almost like a private moment, even though the world around them carried on.

When the sandwiches were ready, Harry paid for their meal and grabbed a pack of cigarettes and a lighter to go along with the meal. He thanked Paul generously before he led the way and pushed out of the small store with a brown paper bag in his hands. The lights of the streets were dim; the roads were slow and calm.

The night had grown even quieter, with only the distant sounds of the city lingering in the air. Harry had moved a few feet down, settling himself on a front stoop before Sofia watched him with surprise.

"We're just going to sit here?" She asked him, looking up at the door, knowing that this was someone's home. "I think this is considered loitering."

"Is that an issue?" He asked, pulling a sandwich out wrapped in foil, and handing it over to her. "We're just eating quickly, I'm starving," He scooted over a bit on the stoop, "You can sit."

Sofia felt a burning sensation in her chest when their shoulders touched; there was an electric force that ran through her body as they touched. She took the sandwich from his hands, opening it and noticing the mess that was about to ensue.

When she turned to Harry, he had already taken a bit before throwing his head back in a pleasurable sensation, "Fuck, that's good. So needed."

Sofia felt her cheeks turn hot at his reaction, not wanting to comment further on it because she was afraid of what would happen if he caught her staring at him. Instead, she unwrapped her own sandwich, tucking her hair behind her ears to get it out of her face before she took a bite of her own.

It was truly one of the best sandwiches she'd ever had in her life– she could feel the way that Harry stared at her as she tried to interpret her thoughts, nodding a bit as she covered her mouth.

"Okay, I'll admit it," she said, covering her mouth as she spoke between bites. "This is really good."

"Told you," Harry replied, taking a bite of his own. "You've got to trust me on these things."

There was the silence, again. She felt it as they sat and ate their meal, shoulder to shoulder. Harry ate his rather fast, crumbling up the foil and the paper before he wiped his hands with a napkin and threw it all back into the brown paper bag. Sofia finished hers up too; he took her trash from her without asking, before throwing it in the house's garbage can closest to them.

"I should be getting home soon," Sofia told him quietly as they sat on the stoop.

She watched Harry digging into his blazer pocket and pulling out the cigarettes and lighter he had just purchased at the bodega. His hands slipped a cigarette out of the container before he lit it and took a drag.

"I can help you get you there," Harry told her softly, "I'll follow your lead, then."

They meandered slowly toward Sofia's apartment, the food warming them from the inside out as they found themselves in a slower pace than even previously before. Sofia had never taken the time to study the streets, the trees and the neighborhood around her. There was something so simple and intimate about it—walking together in the quiet of the city, sharing bites of their sandwiches and laughing about little things, the world around them fading into the background.

Harry cracked a few jokes, asking her simple questions about what she did for work and what she thought about climate change. He asked her about her life and her family's ties to Asia and she told him about how her favorite animal was a frog and she thought they were misunderstood.

As they turned onto her street, Sofia slowed her pace, feeling a mix of contentment and something else—something she couldn't quite name. Her apartment was just a few steps away now, but she wasn't ready for the night to end even just hours before she wanted it to be over as soon as it had started.

"This is me," she said softly as they reached the front of her building, a modest but charming old brownstone nestled between two larger apartment complexes. It had a couple of steps before it led into a few cut apartments.

Harry stopped beside her, his eyes lingering on the building for a moment before returning to her. "Nice place."

"Yeah, it's home," she said, smiling as she looked up at the familiar windows. She pulled the strap of her bag on her shoulder as she awkwardly moved to stand in front of Harry. He was taller than her, his hair hanging on his shoulders as he stared up at the building. His hands were pressed into his pockets as he stood with a careless nature about him.

But then Harry seemed to hesitate, his expression shifting slightly, like he was trying to read the air between them. He stepped a little closer, his voice soft and steady. "I don't know about you, but I had a great time tonight."

Sofia felt a warmth spread through her at his words, the sincerity in them making her heart beat a little faster. "Me too," she said quietly, meeting his gaze. "I'm glad we left the bar."

He smiled, a small, almost knowing smile. "Yeah," He bit his lip, "Me too."

The silence between them stretched, comfortable but charged, as if the night had been building up to this quiet moment. Sofia found herself standing a little closer to him, their bodies just inches apart now, the space between them humming with unspoken possibilities.

Harry broke the silence first, his voice a little lower now. "So, are we still on for tomorrow, then?"

Sofia's smile lingered as she looked up at him, her chest tightening in the best way possible. "Maybe," she teased lightly. "Depends if you can find something better than those sandwiches."

Harry chuckled, shaking his head slightly, but there was something softer in his eyes now, something more serious beneath the humor. He stepped even closer, his voice dropping to almost a whisper. "I'll take my chances."

For a brief moment, neither of them moved, the world around them completely still. Sofia could feel her pulse quickening, the space between them almost nonexistent now. It felt like they were the only two in the world now– silence around them, no cars on the streets, no people on the sidewalks.

Until a few raindrops hit her nose softly; her focus was taken from him, looking up at the sky as she noticed that it had started to rain, raindrops falling above them in an early spring shower.

And then, before she could second-guess herself, Sofia stood on her tiptoes and kissed him—just a light, fleeting kiss, the kind that hinted at something more but was gentle and sweet for what it was. When she pulled back, Harry's eyes were still closed for a second, his lips curved into a surprised but satisfied smile.

"Well," he said softly, opening his eyes and looking down at her with that familiar spark of mischief, "that was unexpected."

Sofia grinned, feeling a little breathless. "Guess you should start expecting the unexpected."

Harry laughed, his voice warm and full of something Sofia couldn't quite place but liked all the same. "I'm starting to get that."

They stood there for a moment longer, the quiet settling back in around them. Then Sofia took a step back, before she took hold of the railing up the steps and towards the door to her building, "Goodnight, Harry."

"Goodnight, Sofia," he said, still smiling as she slipped inside.

As the door clicked shut behind her, Sofia leaned against it for a moment, her heart still racing from the kiss, from the way the night had unfolded so unexpectedly. She couldn't stop smiling, couldn't stop thinking about Harry and the way he'd made everything feel... easy. She hadn't felt that way in some time.

She hadn't felt security like that in a person in quite a while.

After Sofia had walked through the door, Harry had come to the conclusion that he hadn't even asked the simple question of getting her phone number. He raced up the steps, taking two at a time, before knocking on the door that had simply locked behind her. Sofia's attention grabbed as she looked at him through the glass of the front door that sat between them.

When she went to open it, she was hesitant about what he could have been wanting.

"Need something so soon?" She joked.

"Yeah," He grabbed his phone before handing it in her direction, "I realized I didn't get your number– figure maybe, I don't know– like it feels like we had a good time and maybe I'll text you in the morning."

There was a sense of nervousness that Sofia had felt from the interaction, almost like now that he was standing in front of her he was a bit embarrassed by the urgency that he had felt to knock back on the door when he would be back here in less than 24 hours.

She blinked a few times before she shook her head, "I'm– I'm sorry, I don't just give my number out," It was a rule she had put in place for herself because she knew how many times she sat around wondering when someone would text her. It was a part of her confidence that she didn't want to ruin, especially with the way she was feeling about Harry now.

Digging into her purse, she found a lip liner that was a dark shade of brown before handing it to him. Harry took it with a bit of confusion before Sofia pulled her jacket off of her shoulders to expose her forearm.

"You can write yours down, though," She offered, watching as he held the pencil in his hands. His fingers slipped around the small item, pulling off the cap before writing the 10-digits on her forearm. A small 'x' followed after it before he topped the pencil with the cap and handed it back to her.

"You have to promise to text me," He smirked, "Because I don't know that I can live with the embarrassment, if I'm honest."

Sofia held the jacket on her arm, trying to make sure that it dried down, not smudging.

"I know how it feels to be embarrassed like that– so you have nothing to worry about." Her voice was soft as she stared at him, looking at the way that he held himself between the door and the frame.

"Great," He nodded, feeling excited by her sincerity, "Goodnight, then."

"Goodnight." Sofia said again, a soft tone in her voice as she watched Harry shut the door behind himself. Her breathing became far more rapid as she was able to let go of the breath she felt like her chest had been holding.

And as she climbed the stairs to her apartment, she knew this wasn't the end of the night– her brain was far too engulfed in the events of the night for her to fall asleep now. It felt more like the beginning of something new. Something she hadn't quite been expecting—but now, couldn't wait to see unfold.

Spring had a way of creeping in unnoticed, a quiet promise beneath the chill of lingering winter air. Just like the way Harry had slipped into Sofia's life—unexpected, but inevitable, like the first bloom pushing through thawing ground. Their meeting felt like the start of something new, the kind of newness that hummed beneath the surface, waiting for the right moment to emerge, to be felt in full.

The city around them mirrored the changing season, shaking off its cold, gray layers and coming to life again. Streets that had been barren now buzzed with the energy of renewal, of second chances.

And in the same way that spring awakens the world with its subtle touch, Sofia found herself waking up to something she hadn't realized she was missing. With every conversation, every shared glance, Harry became like the warmth of the sun after a long winter—steady, inevitable, drawing her out of the quiet hibernation of her own guarded heart.

The warmth of the sunshine was a gift to her cold, unwilling heart.

As she made her way to her room, she passed by Nat's room, seeing that the door was open and the light was on. The clicking of her heels would give her away immediately– and did, as Nat ran towards the doorway. The smile on her face told her everything she needed to know.

"Tell me everything." Nat demanded, but Sofia just shook her head, making her way past her door and into her own bedroom. Not a word more; keeping it to herself felt like the only way to make sure that it had been real.

As she laid back on her bed, the smile never faltered. Her heart never stopped beating at the highest rate– she felt she could become sick with every thought of him. The way he smelled, the way his green eyes shone in the dim streetlights, the way he walked, talked, pondered through his way of life.

The forgotten phone had been laying on her small vanity; she grabbed it, putting his number in quickly before writing out a small message– a photo of her arm included.

Sofia: Guess who?

Only a few seconds went by; he had been waiting for her number to pop-up. Harry had settled himself on the curb only a block away, waiting to see if he would hear from her. When the message from the unknown number came up, he couldn't believe it.

It made him smile, made his fingers shake with anticipation as he lit another cigarette.

Harry: I know it can't be Your Majesty, the Queen. She died eating a bodega cheesesteak. RIP.

Harry: I hope it's someone named Sophia.

Sofia rolled her eyes, but felt the satisfaction laying deep within her.

Sofia: Ooof. Minus 3 points. I spell it with an F. Sofia.

Harry: God fucking damnit. Of course you do.

He drug the smoke of the cigarette, watching as her message came up. When it did, he stared at it, wanting so badly for the night to replay over and over and over again. It was an inevitable feeling that he hadn't truly felt in a long time.

Sofia: Looks like I end the night with you finally being wrong... victory is so sweet.

Sofia: Goodnight :)

___________

Harry hadn't felt the way he felt at the moment in quite some time. It had been a while since there was a pep in his step rather than a drag of his feet. It felt good to be able to look forward to something, and he had been looking forward to this since he shut the door behind him at Sofia's apartment last night.

He looked forward to being able to see her again. Even in that one night, he had felt that there was an immediate connection. Some may call him crazy– but being a hopeless romantic did that sort of thing. It enabled you to make decisions and think about the future in a way that didn't make any sense.

The walk to her apartment, from what he had gathered using his phone map, was quite close to where his apartment was settled now. They both lived in Brooklyn, which made getting to her a lot easier. He wasn't sure if she lived alone or with roommates; Harry did, though, which made him happy to know that they would be going back to his place. While their spaces weren't entirely large or spacious, he knew that he didn't have any reason to be nervous to show her what he had.

Harry had a one-bedroom, practically a studio as his bedroom door didn't shut entirely. He kept it open most of the time, since it was just him.

When he had approached the door to her apartment building, he texted her a quick message to let her know that he was outside. The day was a bit cloudy, there had been some rain the evening prior once they had left the rooftop bar– thankfully, afterwards, and not during. The spring air was rolling through New York, but it still had hints of chill in the air.

Harry wore a dark flannel shirt overtop of a plain white shirt that had a few buttons down the middle. His black jeans and Nike trainers were a bit rugged, as he was one to wear down his clothes quite well. He didn't like the feeling of new clothing, it was a bit too constricting. To his body and to his wallet.

It wasn't that he struggled with money– he didn't, really. His family helped him with a few things while he was just starting out his career. But there were certainly incidentals that Harry's eyes widened at when he saw the bills coming in the mail. It was a strict, harsh reality whenever he realized that the freelance gig of journalism needed to come to a close. He needed to really settle with a company rather than the continuation of contracting positions.

It wasn't helpful to know that his income was a bit of a harsh topic with family, he knew how it would impact him in the future. He was twenty-seven now, with a whole world ahead of him. He was a bachelor– for the moment, at least. He was having fun and able to figure these things out now. He didn't want to have to settle down or to put pressure where there wasn't any.

It was okay now– it felt fine.

When Sofia popped out of the door, he gave a quick glance at the effortless look of her. She was wearing a long-sleeved button down, a steel blue, with a pair of denim that hugged her closely. A pair of white trainers on her feet, as she came out of the building with a bag over her shoulder and a hairclip pinning back the dark locks from her face. The make-up was practically blush and a bit of chapstick; she looked like she hadn't tried at all, which made his heart skip a beat at the idea she wasn't nervous. It made him twice as much.

She sounded a bit out of breath as she approached him, her smile the same as the night before.

"Hi," He said quietly, watching as her eyes trailed over him.

"I think it's seven," Sofia looked at the pretty, gold watch that settled on her wrist, "It's seven twelve."

Harry pursed his lips as he grabbed the cellphone from his back pocket. He gave a once over to the message that he sent her before pointing out the time that the message was sent.

"Six fifty-eight, I believe." He smirked before he watched her cross her arms with a playful eyebrow raise. "I told you that you'd be the late one, not me. Probably spraying some perfume and making sure your hair was perfect for me. And it is, so I forgive you for being so late because you look very beautiful."

Sofia hummed, "I guess I'll let you off the hook since you said I looked beautiful," When she smiled, there was a small dimple at the base of her chin as she looked back at him with her deep brown eyes that had small, feathered out lashes, "You don't look so bad yourself."

"Appreciated." He told her before he turned on his foot.

They were heading down the street to one of his favorite local grocery stores. It wasn't a place that he shopped often, really only when he was trying to impress someone because their selection was quite niche and for restaurateurs who were looking to elevate their dishes.

Their small talk went from one part of the planet to the other, talking about her favorite bagel place that she would get a macchiato from on rainy mornings or a pizza shop that Harry had on his list to go to but hadn't yet.

When they reached the store, Harry grabbed a basket at the front before they walked into it and Sofia looked around.

"I've never been here," She commented softly. A small amount of radio played in the background as Harry smiled at the cashier that he had recognized.

"I come here when I'm looking for gold," Harry grabbed a few peppers from the vegetable stand before he mulled over the zucchini and eggplant.

Sofia grabbed a bottle of red wine from one of the shelves across the way, placing it in the basket. Harry looked down and smirked at her before she started to walk away, obviously filling the basket with her own priorities.

"Thought you didn't drink?" Harry questioned, placing an eggplant in the basket before following her towards the back a bit.

"I don't," She shrugged, "But I like the idea of you taking me to your apartment to cook me dinner while we each hold a glass of red wine and talk about first-world problems. Like how we have an obstructed view from our tiny apartments, but then you show me the fire escape where you sit and have a cigarette every once in a while."

Harry grinned to himself as he placed some garlic and a can of tomato paste in the basket, still perusing the shelves.

"That sounds like a particular experience. I don't know if that's how it's going to go," He shrugs, "But I can definitely show you the front stoop where I smoke my cigarettes at three AM when I get home from the bars. It may not have the best view, but I think it's charming."

Sofia turned her head, nodding. She grabbed a small block of gouda, placing it in the basket and Harry continued to smile as she felt comfortable enough to add her items to his order. It was kind of cute, in a way, he thought.

It meant she felt comfortable enough with him, and he liked that their chemistry had led them here.

Once they were finished shopping, he had gathered the items at the counter in two paper bags, one on each arm before Sofia pushed the door open for his ease. They had moved in the opposite direction than they had just come, so that Harry could lead them back to his place instead.

"You haven't really told me what you're making me," She eyed him, "Should I be surprised?"

Harry rolled his lips in his mouth before he shook his head and gave her a small smile, "Don't believe so. I think it's actually quite predictable, but it's one of the best things I make, which is just strictly to impress you because you are very hard to impress."

Sofia chuckled a bit as she placed her hands in her back pockets as they walked. "No, I'm just particular and want to make sure that I'm choosing wisely."

"Some may call that picky." Harry looked at her, holding the bags against his sides as he teased her.

Their conversation was easy and flowed, but she felt appreciated that he was able to do so. She hoped that he held tough conversations just as well, without the jokes or the teasing elements.

This was just her way of coping– to make sure that all conversations were light and held together with a piece of beautiful ribbon. Once the ribbon was undone, nothing was pretty anymore. Conversations that weren't held together were messy and unkempt; it was an element of relationships that she hated because she had run from them so often. Her family dynamic felt that way half of the time.

"Fine, you caught me," She shook her head, "I'm picky. But that should boost your ego quite a bit."

"Trust me," Harry told her, nudging her shoulder a bit to get her to turn right down one of the streets, "My ego is fucking over the moon as I get to walk down the street with you right now."

"Oh, please," She rolled her eyes, matching his smile as he nodded undoubtedly. "That's a bit dramatic."

They reached Harry's apartment building; it looked quite similar to some of the townhouses, but Harry walked right into the door as he unlocked it. It had a long staircase as they walked into the front area, it was quite dark when they arrived before Harry nudged her to go up the steps.

"It's the first door on the left." Harry told her before they walked up the small building before Sofia took one of the bags from his arms so that he could unlock the door properly.

Once inside, Harry threw the keys in the small dish by the door before he tread inside. Sofia closed the door behind her, taking in the area before placing the grocery bag on the small kitchen island inside. It was a small apartment, a bit bigger than hers. She liked that it had natural lighting, that it didn't feel dark. She liked that Harry had a sense of style, an element of cleanliness that most of the men she dated didn't seem to have.

It was a solid apartment with warm lighting and felt safe to her, in a way. But there may have been other elements present that kept her feeling that way.

"Would you like some wine, then, so I can explain to you about my front stoop?" Harry offered as he pulled the bottle from the bag. He examined it for a moment before giving a nod of approval as he took two glasses from his cabinet.

"Only if I can see your obstructed view first."

He placed them on the counter, using a corkscrew, and removing the cork out before handing it to Sofia.

"Hopefully you like this because it was twenty-seven dollars and you're picky." He cheered towards her, raising his glass a bit before he took a small sip.

"Cheers." She started softly with a giggle before taking a sip. It was a quite bold red wine, but something about it made her tongue salivate when she held it in her mouth. She felt Harry look at her with a lop-sided grin as she hummed to herself.

"Think I could've gone with the sixty dollar bottle," She told him, watching him shake his head.

Sofia wandered around the small apartment as Harry started to prepare the dinner. He threw a towel over his shoulder as he started to chop some vegetables rather precisely. She noticed the photos of him, the way that he kept memories around his apartment like he wanted to fill it with every ounce of who he was. She was rather impressed by it, knowing that she could've just gotten all of his information from walking around the living room a few times.

Her eyes peaked into his bedroom as the door had been open; Harry caught her.

"Interested?" He asked, her eyes narrowing as she noticed the dimpled smile that kept onto the tray of vegetables he had been chopping. He had returned to looking at his task rather than her, but his eyes lifted back to notice that she was slowly making her way around.

"I am quite interested in how old that blue comforter is and if that's one from an old college dorm room." Sofia started with a plain face before Harry acted as if it had knocked him back off of his feet. "Because if it is, I don't believe I am interested, no."

"Damn," He shook his head, "That hit me where it hurt."

Sofia shook her head, "You didn't answer which means it's not the answer I want to hear, either."

Harry wiped his fingers on the towel on his shoulders as he grabbed a baking dish and started to lay a layer of sauce on the bottom of it, before quickly arranging the chopped vegetables. Sofia sat on a stool at the small island, one of two that were there. They were mixed-match, which made her smile as she took another sip of the wine before she realized what he was doing.

Her eyes trailed him as he concentrated on how to place the pieces neatly.

"Are you," She squinted at him before he looked at what he had been doing, to her, "I told you I grew up in France and you decided to make me ratatouille?"

Harry shrugged as if a bit offended by her reaction to him, "It's a meal based off of one of the most critically-acclaimed films of our generation, so I think you may be jumping the gun a bit with thinking it's always about you."

Sofia swirled the red wine in her glass before she looked at Harry, "You think they named the meal after the film? The cartoon about a rat?"

"Put some honor on his name– Remy." Harry's sense of humor echoed as he tried to keep a straight face before he bit into one of raw peppers that hadn't fit into the dish.

"And you should know, I'm making this for you because it's the meal that got me to be featured in The Sunday Times once in college. I wrote a review about this restaurant in London that I went to as an intern and it was the first time I really felt like," Harry swirled his own wine around as he tried to think of the emotions that came with that small feat. "I really felt like I had made it. I was in a big city, I was doing cool stuff. It was just one of those things that brought a lot of comfort to this meal and it's one that I make sometimes just to really," He thought for a moment, "Don't know– remember that I'm doing well. And that I'm happy."

It was a moment that Sofia had not really been prepared for, as she hadn't seen that soft, kinder side to Harry. They were being playful, they were flirty and harmless– but something about his words made her listen harder. He was proud of himself for an accomplishment, and she nodded in acknowledgement.

"I'm sure that was a huge deal for you," She nibbled at her lip, tasting the cherry red wine, "Is food what you write about mostly?"

Harry hummed to himself as he thought of her question, "Yes and no," He told her, "I'm a contracted freelance writer at the moment, which means I'm working at this magazine for six months and then they can directly hire me or let me go. It just depends, but I'm not super worried about it."

Harry stuck the dish into the oven, setting a timer on his phone before he threw the towel onto the island. He took the glass by the stem, moving towards the small living room space that was only a few feet ahead of them.

"But yeah, I mostly write about restaurants, the food industry, and the service industry. It's a field that interests me– I want to travel more and learn how to cook different cuisines, but I don't know. I guess the world is at my fingertips, and I always keep it a steady distance so I don't go too overboard with my dreams."

"You have a very wise way with your words, Harry." Sofia's voice was petite, her words were feeling heavy on her tongue as she realized how much the wine had started to take over her. She didn't know how to feel, but she knew that she felt good. She felt ultimately warm and composed gratitude that she was feeling safe in this space with a man.

That wasn't always the case. Her eyes were always on the door, always looking for a way out because that felt safe. That felt more secure than staying. Sofia had one foot out the door at all times because that was the only way she knew how to be.

"I'd hope so," He told her, "How else am I supposed to keep buying you fancy dinners and wines if I don't have a career? I think I need words to keep going on that."

She smirked, "You've already made this a more-than-once kind of thing?"

Harry leaned against the counter, holding his hands on it as he stared at her and nodded a few times. "I don't think this feels like something I want to stop right now," His honesty is refreshing, "Unless you take a bite of the dinner and absolutely hate it, then we might have to part ways."

Sofia finished the rest of her wine, draining the glass before she set it down on the countertop. She removed herself from the stool she had been sitting in before making her way to the small couch that sat against the wall in his tiny living room.

She noticed the stacks of books and DVDs that covered the wall, her eyes moving over them. They told a story of who he was, what he consumed. She settled onto the couch, feeling his presence behind her as he moved to do the same.

They discussed their time in the city; what each of them liked the most about it, what they despised. She told him about her days in college– she had attended a small state school right outside of Boston, where she had grown up mostly. Her high school years were spent in the United States, mostly. She was a good student, she loved learning. Her dreams of being an event planner were more than anything college could have taught her, and she realized that when she started to really make life decisions.

It was when she met Kendall that things had started to take a turn; it was then that her dreams and her hobbies were met with cynicism, not hope. She wanted to start her own business, to create special moments for people who needed that extra bit of joy in their life. Planning parties, birthdays, holidays, celebrations– these were moments in people's lives that made it exciting to be a human being.

It was nice to celebrate being alive every once in a while in a small gesture of kindness, and she loved being a part of that for people.

But her partner was unsupportive, he was pessimistic about that being a career path that would help them advance into the world that they wanted to live in. Sofia didn't come from money– her family was very middle class, but was given the opportunity to travel. They didn't have expensive things, they had memories. They had each other, and that was worth much more than the luxury items that Kendall was used to.

She couldn't help him live the life that he wanted to live because she wasn't making the income that he was. But she was happy. She was excited to go to work everyday. That was the difference, she felt. She had an okay apartment, she had okay clothes and items that worked to the best of their ability– Sofia was living a life that she had wanted, finally.

And something about the used couch, the broken spines of novels that lined the walls, and the mix-matched items that sprawled around Harry's apartment told Sofia that he had the same values that she did.

Harry shared about his working-class family back in England and how they were proud of him, but they also left more to be desired when it came to support. They had told him to stay in London for a bit longer, possibly climb the career ladder in England, instead. But Harry wanted to be more than that, he wanted to take chances.

His father called him irresponsible, his mother had told him that she was angry with his choices to move abroad. They still loved him– maybe that was why it hurt so much more when they said those things about what he was looking for. It may have been quite irresponsible, but Harry knew what he wanted and was going to try to make it work.

If it didn't work, he would have to pick a different path. It wasn't that hard to navigate life when it was just yourself you have to worry about, though.

The smell of roasted vegetables and herbs filled Harry's small apartment, a warm and inviting contrast to the crisp evening air outside. The countertop with his stools was set simply, two plates and glasses of wine, but it felt cozy, intimate. Sofia sat on the couch, watching as Harry moved around the kitchen to try and make sure everything was ready.

"So, ratatouille, huh?" she called over to him, a smirk tugging at her lips. "Didn't realize you were aiming for Michelin stars tonight."

Harry grinned, stirring the pot on the stove. "Hey, I've got hidden talents. Just wait 'til you try it. You'll be saying "Yes, Chef" by the end of the night."

Sofia snorted, leaning back and crossing her arms. "I highly doubt that, but I appreciate the enthusiasm. What is it they say? Confidence is half the battle?"

Harry turned around, giving her a playful look. "Confidence and a really good recipe, which, for the record, I stole from my grandmother. So if you don't like it, you're basically insulting a sweet old lady."

She laughed, rolling her eyes. "Nice try. Don't think I won't tell her the truth."

He shook his head, ladling the ratatouille onto their plates with a flourish. "Okay, Gordon Ramsey. You're gonna love it. Or at the very least, pretend you do to spare my feelings."

A moment later, he carried the plates over to the tabletop and set them down with an exaggerated bow. "Your dinner, madame," he said in an overly formal voice, pulling out the random barstool that made him laugh thinking about the fact he picked it up from a random street sale.

Sofia raised an eyebrow as she took her seat. "Such a gentleman," she teased, eyeing the colorful medley of roasted vegetables—zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes, peppers—perfectly layered in neat little rounds. It actually looked pretty impressive, but she was trying her best to keep her cool about it.

"I only aim to please," Harry said with a wink, sitting next to her and grabbing his fork. "Now, come on. First bite. Let me see if my future as a chef is secure."

She twirled a piece of zucchini onto her fork, pretending to inspect it carefully. " Color looks great, has a good softness to it without being mushy. Alright, moment of truth," she said, before taking a bite. The flavors hit her all at once—the sweetness of the tomatoes, the earthiness of the vegetables, the hint of fresh basil. She let out an appreciative hum, nodding slowly as she chewed. "Okay, okay. Not bad."

Harry's eyes lit up. "Not bad? Come on, give me more than that."

Sofia laughed, taking another bite. "Alright, fine. It's delicious. Happy?"

He pursed his lips to the side in an attempt to break her smile, watching her delicately as he squinted to try to see into her. Sofia was playing a harsh game with him, and he wanted her approval more than he could admit. Even though he knew how she felt, he wanted to hear her say it.

Approval meant everything to him, even if he knew that she was just giving him a hard time.

"Very," he said, taking a bite himself, his expression smug. "Told you I had hidden talents."

She grinned, shaking her head. "Well, consider me impressed. Just don't expect me to call you 'Chef' any time soon."

"Not yet, but give it time," Harry said with a wink, raising his glass of wine. "To culinary greatness... and to not burning down my kitchen."

Sofia clinked her glass against his, laughing softly. "And to not burning down your kitchen," she echoed, taking a sip. As she did, she glanced across the table at him, feeling the warmth of the evening settle in.

There was something so easy about being with Harry, about the way they could joke and talk, and share a quiet meal. It felt... right. Comfortable, yet filled with something more. Something she was slowly realizing she didn't want to let go of anytime soon.

"Tell me other things you do well." She inquired, taking another bite, covering her mouth as she chewed. She moved onto the next question as he found himself wanting to give a certain answer, but shaking his head instead.

She could tell as he started to blush a bit red at the suggestion that lined his brain.

"Uh," He picked at a piece of the eggplant before licking his lips, "I'm very good at crosswords," He told her, "And building things."

"What kind of things?" She asked, taking a sip of wine to wash down the dinner.

"Anything. It's actually kind of nerdy," He tilted his smile, "But I love building, like, Legos. I always have. I'm very step-oriented. Guess it's why I like cooking, too. There's just a lot of steps."

Sofia cleared his throat as she narrowed her eyes to her plate, before looking back up at him through her lashes. "Would you say you're," She paused for a minute, "Good at following directions, then?"

Harry cleared his own throat, chewing a bit slower as he leaned on the island a bit, body folded in half as he looked at her a bit more directly.

"I'm very good at following directions, yes." He suggested, nodding a few times.

The blush on Sofia's cheeks was noticeable now, too, as she found herself giggling just a bit to herself at his answer. She hadn't noticed that the wine may have gotten to them a bit, but it was starting to feel incredibly warm all of the sudden.

"What about you?" He asked in return, watching as she tried to think about the question. "What are you good at?"

Sofia swallowed, licking her lips. "I'm nurturing, I think. I think I'm caring and I'm honest, maybe to a fault. But I think to the people I love, I'm their number one fan. I'm really good at throwing a birthday party and showering my people with love. Again," She paused, "Maybe to a fault."

Harry licked his lips a bit, tucking some hair behind his ears before pushing the sleeves to his flannel up a bit. "That's a bit more deep than playing with Legos."

Sofia smirked a little at his comment, "I'm also very good at picking things up with my feet. I think my toes are quite nimble."

A laugh broke out of Harry that made Sofia start to giggle as well as he covered his face with his hand; he winked at her jokingly, "You'll have to show me later."

"Oh, great. Another guy in New York with a foot fetish," She jokes, "I share something personal to me, and you go and make it sexual."

He finishes the bite off of his fork before placing his fork down on the plate, "You're the one who shared the foot fact. I'm sure they're lovely. You've kept 'em covered up around me, though– little tease."

Sofia laughed at his banter, taking another sip of her wine before she saw the way that his eyes shined at her. She hadn't felt this safe in a while– she hadn't felt this relaxed. She recognized it could've been the wine, but she knew that it was just the way that they spoke to one another. He was extraordinarily normal, caring. He was mature, but not to a fault.

The air in Harry's apartment felt a bit stale now, but it may have been the fact that she was feeling the heated attraction coming directly across from her. Her leaning into the kitchen island was done unwillingly as she realized that they had started to naturally come together as they finished their meals a bit more quietly, then.

Once she took her last bite, she placed her fork on the plate and looked up at him, "Final review is that I'd say this is a Michelin five-star restaurant and I'd definitely come back."

"Restaurants can only have up to three Michelin stars, so I take that as the highest compliment." Harry explained before taking her plate and placing them both in the sink for washing later.

"Damnit, I was trying to impress you." She explained, finishing her second glass. The wine had started to make her head a bit dizzy at that point, which made the goofy smile on her face more noticeable as she tried her best to keep composed.

Harry reached for the bottle, pouring the rest between them as he stared at her directly again. The night had started to grow darker outside; the dimness of the lights in his apartment created a warm atmosphere as they sat practically in darkness with little rays of string lights and side table lamps that he had turned on.

Harry grabbed a lighter from a drawer behind him, lighting a few candles in the kitchen to add a bit of light and warmth to the space before he turned to her and bobbed his head to the side, aiding her to follow him.

"Come check this out," He stated, taking the wine and the lighter with him as he moved into the bedroom. It was practically dark except for the window that overlooked the city. There were dancing, twinkling lights below them, they radiated off of the street from the rain on the road. It was a view he was happy with, as it didn't back to a wall or to a small courtyard behind the apartment space.

He pushed the window up, moving to sit in the windowsill– straddling it to keep himself balanced as his foot hit the fire escape on the other side.

"I thought you told me you didn't have a fire escape," Sofia laughed, mirroring him.

She held the wine in her hands as she felt the breeze on her face, watching as the lights illuminated over his face. Harry grabbed a pack of cigarettes from the floor before taking one and lighting it quickly. The flame to the lighter shone over him, her eyes fixed for a moment.

"I don't think I said that." He explained, "I told you I'd show you the front stoop, so I could be a bit different– that was just to impress you. I think I'm over trying to impress you now, though."

Sofia raised her brows as she took the cigarette from his fingers. The smoke blew back into his face as he tried to blow it away. She took a drag, humming as she held the cigarette between her fingers. He didn't take her as the kind to smoke, but he liked the view as she sat across from him.

"Already done trying to impress me on the first date." She shook her head, "I knew you were too good to be true."

The sinking of Harry's dimple in his cheek brought her heartrate up as he took another sip of the wine; they had finished the bottle quickly, which was a good choice on her behalf. He rattled his brain as he saw the way that the lights shone over her skin. He couldn't help but want to caress it, feel her for himself. But he refrained. He didn't want to move too soon or to push too hard.

With time, it would happen, he thought.

But right now, he wanted to take his time with her. Get to know her properly. Get to know what she liked and didn't like, her favorite spots to go on walks, her favorite place to get a croissant in the neighborhood, her favorite way to drink her coffee.

Harry wanted to ask the questions that he didn't know if anyone else asked her.

"Cause I've realized that all the impressing I've tried to do hasn't really worked on you," He explained, he shook his head a little bit as he pushed his shoe a bit to touch her calf. It was some of the intimate touching that he had been working on pushing; Harry was intimate, he was a skilled lover with a love language that exceeded personal space.

He bit his lip, "You're literally the first person in a really long time that I've been able to be myself around."

Sofia stared up at him, flicking the ash of the cigarette before handing it back to him. She leaned forward a bit, his hand moved to grab it before their hands touched just a bit. Her eyelids fluttered a bit with heaviness at the feeling of his index finger gently moving across hers and the way that they both stared at the interaction was enough to make her breathing hitch.

"Is this, uh," She rolled her lips into her mouth as she let her own index finger move across his. She watched the small interaction before his other hand dropped to her knee just a bit. The feeling of his fingers caressing her just enough that she felt secure and safe was enough. "Is this the first chapter of our story, then?"

"Do characters usually kiss in the first chapter?" Harry asked, his voice just a bit raspy as he scooted himself a bit forward, letting his hand move towards her jaw. The way that her head rested against the windowsill was out of comfort, out of letting him take the control which she hadn't imagined that she could have let him have.

"I think that only happens in the movie version," Sofia teased, her voice low.

Harry scoffed, "Damn, and the movie is never as good as the book."

"I guess we have to keep reading to see what happens." She laughed a bit, quiet, even though they were the only two alone.

"Yeah," He laughed, "Keep reading. Promise the book gets better."

The sound of the honking horns, the chatter along the streets– it added to the way that both of his hands wrapped around the sides of her face to pull him closer. He smelled like tobacco and vanilla, the cigarette burned between his fingers as Sofia held onto his thighs as she leaned forward into it. The scent of him and the feeling of his lips against hers were far too heightened from the wine.

Her senses were higher in some elements, lower in others. She had tried her best to try and level herself out, but his tongue licked at her bottom lip and it interrupted all thought.

She tasted sweet like the wine, as he would have imagined. The feeling erupts in him as he had thought about doing this all night and finally feeling as if the moment had come to him in the perfect timing.

Harry fell too hard, too fast. But his values and ideals never changed. He wanted to love– wanted to be loved and to feel the support from someone who was never going to let him down. Harry ached for the love of someone, he had never truly been himself around someone before. He didn't think that being himself was good enough.

He wasn't the man who was going to support the family, he wasn't the person that had all of his shit figured out. That's what scared him the most about being in a relationship; as he sat here, leaving gentle kisses along Sofia's lips, he felt the urge to scream that he had finally found someone who looked at him just a little bit differently.

He had found someone who had opened up a part of him that he had been hiding away for a long time. Sometimes, it only took one night– one decision to change it for the best.

As they pulled away for a moment of air, Harry's forehead leaned against Sofia's for a moment as she tried to catch her breath. She felt a sense of relief leaving her chest, knowing whole-heartedly that he had given her a night that she wasn't expecting. She wasn't expecting to leave here tonight with a smile or with the hope that harbored in her belly; she expected the disappointment.

Her lips tasted like his, and her heart raced at the thought of his lips all over her. Everywhere, all the time.

Her breathing stabilized a bit before she spoke again, shaking her head with disbelief.

"You're right," She nodded. "That was a really good book."

Her eyes were heavy as she watched the smirk of his lips; his face closer to hers as their noses practically brushed together.

"Just wait then," He said, his accent raspy and full of grit as he kissed her lips gently once again. "That was just the first chapter."

_____________

hiiiiiiiiiii <3

even if you're not obsessed with them, I am!

ily you guys for loving me & keeping up with all of my antics ugh thank you, thank you!! remember this is a short story so we're gonna move fast with time but I will try my best to cover as much as possible <3 let me know what you think so far!!!!

love you!!!!!

- em

[moneymartin]

teen gf Shauna headcanons pleaseee

🐶 - losergf!shauna hcs

warnings: mostly fluff but a lil smut under the divider :p

a/n: i know u didn’t ask for loser but shauna shipman is soooo loser girlfriend u cannot tell me otherwise. kinda messy and trash… i’m so sleepy rn i’m writing this half awake nd lowk a lil drunk UGH

taglist: @deerlottie @ultrone

my brown eyed beautiful baby where do i even start.

def the most athletic yj i will stand by this till the day i die

MUSCLE MAMAAAA

rolls up the sleeves of her flannels so you can see her muscles pop 😮‍💨

not a gym freak though but she works her arms 100%

cuddlebug fosho

little spoon and you can argue with me about that all you want this girl loves to be held

when she big spoons though she’s burying your face into her chest all the time

she plays with your hair tho no doubt abt it

even when you’re cuddling her instead

super soft kisses all over you while you doze off

sleeps after you do just to make sure cause sometimes you end up sleeping a lil too hard and she needs to make sure you aren’t dead

well thats what she thinks.

wakes up early even though she sleeps the latest out of the both of you

when you sleep for way too long she ends up full on wrestling you until you wake up

music geek

she def loves the smashing pumpkins, radiohead, the cranberries, the cure, mazzy star, jeff buckley, pavement, the cardigans. artists and bands of that genre

had a walkman like nat’s that you guys share on walks together

also has a vinyl player that she keeps at hers so you could listen to music with her when you come over

writes about you in her journal while she listens to the music

also writes these cute little love letters for you and she’ll write what songs she listened to while writing

sleepovers all the time though she’s one of those girls

drives you all over the place too

no matter how far so that you know she truly loves you

she goes absolutely nuts when you’re wearing her clothes i fink

esp her flannels

the moment you’re seen wearing one she can only think about taking it off of you cause it looks so good 😞

loves when you wear her jersey too

or her letterman jacket

funny sock gal

wears the one w monster faces on em or something like that

south park socks… hmo

SMARTY PANTS

got accepted into brown for a reason

she’s always helping you with assignments in case they’re too hard

she runs through them so fast though it actually baffles you to how she can do it

book geek too

has probably read harry potter a million times

edgar allan poe is her main dude she def likes poems and stuff from him

genuinely has a momma instinct

before you even get sick she tells you to be careful with the cold

and you don’t listen.

so you do end up getting sick and she has to take care of you until you’re all better

babies you but is also teasing you cause you didn’t listen to her warnings about it 😭 she could tell beforehand that you were gonna get sick

unlike lottie i think shauna has the ability to cook and stuff like that

not a 5 star chef but she’s good enough for you

being touchy in her public is her thangggg

you guys are always touching somehow

pinky holding, interlocked arms, holding hands, her just grabbing your wrist. she’s always gotta hold you no matter whaaaat

not very possessive but definitely a jealous person

makes it known she’s jealous w her attitude

has those anger issues we all know it

is not afraid to make a scene in front of a bunch of people she will cuss someone out for even looking at you

but she’s just jealous cause she’s really insecure :( poor girl my god

she thinks that the people you talk to are better than she’ll ever be

you have to reassure her countless of times so she can feel better about herself cause she’s always questioning you abt it

she loves little make out seshes behind the bleachers

its def the thrill of being caught like she loves that so much 🥸

when she kisses you she isn’t rough i think she’s very gentle actually

caressing your jaw and cheeks so you know she’s there and its not just some dream 😭

loves sitting on your lap while kissing cause it makes her feel like she’s the one in charge

also cause your hands are always in the spots where she wants them without her having to ask

biting…

teeth marks EVERYWHERE!!!

dom fosho but that’s not relevant rn

during arguments this girl is ruthless

not because she wants to hurt you but it’s because she’s always bubbling up

bottles up everything cause she’s afraid people won’t listen to her

but she’ll apologize eventually after if it looks like whatever she said got to you

won’t mean anything she tells you she just gets so mad at everything cause she can’t express herself as well :(

she regrets it so fast too like she’s immediately saying sorry afterwards

def a lace girly

loves showing off her new sets for you…

red black and white are the favs

OUUHHH

whiny as fuck but also holds her noises in cause she thinks they’re embarrassing

PANTER AND GROANER FOR SUREEEE

switch i think

like if she really wanted to she could top you but she’d rather be a power bottom

have you ride her strap or whatever…

its blue.

loves when you eat her out though cause she gets to pull on your hair

makes you talk her through it and when you’re topping but when she tops shes SO bold

she loves when you praise her thats the only thing she wants to hear from you during it

makes you kiss around her tits for sure

thats where she always wants you to be

when she’s jealous you’re constantly asking if she’s okay which leads into an argument

meaning that it’ll probably lead into really hot angry sex from her

the car scene really spoke to me

initiates everything too

anyways i’m done i’m so tired

[widowpunx]

So freaking happy someone is writing wandanat, I get so tired of all reader insert stuff. Can you write one where G!PNatasha takes Wanda to her first club to celebrate her birthday and some hot dom starts hitting on Wanda and it pisses Nat off and so naturally she ends up getting really possessive and they end up having fantastic drunk sex and Nat figures out that Wanda may be a little kinkier than she realized.

I'm having a super rough day so that would really be a silver lining in all of it.

My Favorite Need

Pairing: Wanda Maximoff/Natasha Romanoff

Rated: Explicit [Just 18+]

Words: 3,614

This work contains: Explicit Sex Scenes. Natasha Romanov Has a Penis, Fingerfucking, Vaginal Sex, Dirty Talk, Drunk Sex. Possessive Natasha Romanov, Sub Wanda Maximoff, Dom Natasha Romanov, Jealous Natasha Romanov, Wanda is a Tease.

English is not my first language. Sorry for any mistake

Hope you enjoy and makes your day a thousand times better

Wanda had no plans for her birthday after all the unfortunate events that happened the last few weeks, like escaping the raft and becoming an international fugitive but her teammates decided to cheer her up. Steve baked her a birthday cake, Sam gave her the last two books of the Harry Potter saga of which she was a great lover and Natasha gave her a nice black leather jacket and a nice silver necklace with a pretty scarlet jewel which were to Wanda's liking, she loved leather jackets and the necklace was a nice gift. Wanda couldn't help that nice flutter in her chest when Natasha placed the delicate necklace around her neck.

For the first time in a long time Wanda was very excited about her 26th birthday. The surprises seemed to be endless as Natasha decided to invite her to a nightclub for the first time. She was anxious to meet a nightclub for the first time in her life, it could be a fun place to dance. Natasha assured her that this nightclub was the best in Prague. Steve didn't agree with the girls going to a public place like that as it might attract attention but Natasha assured him that she would take care of Wanda. While Steve and Sam would be watching the surroundings of the safe house Natasha and Wanda would be celebrating.

Wanda wore a black dress that Pepper had given her on her last birthday. The dress highlighted her figure and her red hair, she wore black makeup around her green eyes to make them shine even more. Natasha picked her up at the old safe house and gave her a warm hug.

"Happy birthday, little witch." Natasha told her with a sweet crooked smile as her eyes moved up and down admiring the young sokovian girl's beauty. "You look beautiful."

"Thank you," Wanda told her, smiling back and trying not to blush. Natasha looked great just in black jeans, combat boots and a black leather jacket and her red hair shining and flowing down her shoulders.

"Come on, I'll show you what a real party is like. Just you and me and vodka to celebrate this very special occasion." Natasha told her, leading Wanda out of the safe house where a black audi was waiting parked on the street.

They arrived at the place and got in without having to wait, thanks to the fact that Natasha knew the owner of the nightclub. The nightclub was full of people, strobe lights all over the place while the hard beats of the music makes every part of Wanda vibrate. Natasha took Wanda's hand and led her to the dance floor. Natasha started to move to the music, and Wanda felt a little awkward as she didn't know how to dance, however Wanda let herself go as she felt Natasha holding her close and swaying to the music.

Wanda smiled broadly as she felt a happiness fill her chest, for a moment she forgot that she was a wanted fugitive and instead she was a normal girl enjoying her birthday. Natasha and Wanda drank some vodka to start the night, however by the fourth vodka Wanda started to feel dizzy but happy.

The happiness inside her increased as she noticed Natasha looking at her with sparkling eyes. Wanda wondered if Natasha had realized her feelings. Wanda had felt more than friendship for the spy for a long time but after Natasha released her from the raft her crush became more intense. Wanda wanted to tell her how she felt, but she didn't know how.

She didn't want to risk embarrassing herself and end up heartbroken if Natasha didn't feel the same way. Worse yet Wanda was afraid of ruining her friendship with Nat. Maybe Natasha just saw her as a little sister.

"You want a beer this time?" asked Natasha, after dancing to several songs.

"Yes, please." nodded Wanda as she finished her vodka tonic, her cheeks a little flushed. "A beer sounds great."

" Wait here, I'll get the beers." Natasha told her with a smile, before going towards the bar.

Wanda was left alone on the dance floor, and took the opportunity to look around. She saw many people dancing and drinking minding their own business and everyone seemed to be having a good time. Meanwhile, a drunk man approached her from behind and whispered in her ear.

"Hey, beautiful, what are you doing alone in a place like this?

Wanda was startled and turned to see who it was. She had to make a great effort not to use her magic and throw the drunk guy into the air. He was a tall, muscular man with shaved head in a red shirt and tight jeans. He had an arrogant smile and red eyes that looked at her as if she was a piece of meat.

" I'm not alone." Wanda said, trying to get away.

"Who are you coming with?" asked the drunken man, taking a step forward, "Where is your date? I don't see it anywhere.

"On the bar getting us some drinks," said Wanda nervously. Her heart was pounding as she fiddled with her fingers, a clear sign of nervousness in her.

"Well, while your imaginary friend comes back, why don't we dance a little?" the man said, taking her by the waist and pulling her closer to him. His accent was harsh.

Wanda felt uncomfortable and scared at the same time. She could use her magic but she didn't want to make a fuss and putting Natasha, Sam and Steve at risk if someone called the police. It was unpleasant when the man pressed her against his body and brushed her face with his. She tried to pull away, but he was stronger than she was. Wanda needed her magic.

"Get away from me." Wanda mumbled, her body all tense."

"Come on, doll. Don't be shy," the drunken man said, winking at her. "I can get you out of here and take you to my apartment if you want."

"I don't like you. I'm not crazy to go with drunk idiot like you." Wanda hissed this time not noticing that a very angry Natasha was walking towards them.

"I like it when bitches like you act tough. In the end they're the ones begging for more cock" the man had a nasty grin on his face.

Wanda was about to respond to the asshole for that disgusting comment but a familiar voice interrupted her. "The girl said to let her go, asshole!" Natasha shouted at him, her voice clear and loud over the pounding music.

"Who are you?" said the drunken man confronting Natasha.

"She's my girlfriend." This time it was Wanda who answered as her face reddened at what she had said. She couldn't believe she had said that. Maybe the vodka in her system made her say such nonsense. Internally she was screaming. "Oh shit! Oh shit!" praying that Natasha wouldn't get mad at her for saying they were girlfriends.

Fortunately Natasha played along as she stepped in front of Wanda.

"Girlfriend? Ha ha ha ha I don't believe you." the man said, teasing the two but his smile faded when Natasha pulled Wanda close and kissed her. The first touch of Natasha's lips against hers sent her to heaven. Wanda was speechless, for a moment she forgot how to breathe. She couldn't believe what was happening, it seemed like the world had stopped around them. Natasha was kissing her. It was what she had dreamed of for so long.

As a smile appeared on her lips, Wanda opened her mouth allowing Natasha to deepen the kiss. They kissed passionately, and forgot about everything else. The heat of Natasha's body pressed against hers was totally intoxicating, Wanda didn't want this moment to ever end. Natasha's lips tasted like vodka and cherry. Wanda realized that Natasha was a fucking good kisser. The man looked at them with rage and helplessness, fortunately the security of the place arrived and took him out of the nightclub.

Natasha was the first to break the kiss to the bad luck of Wanda who could spend all night kissing Nat. The redhead whispered in her ear. "Come with me."

Wanda didn't have time to answer she simply followed Natasha who led her up some stairs to the second floor of the club where there were some private rooms with beds and big curtains at the entrances to offer some privacy to those couples who wanted to have an intimate moment

"Oh god! What are you doing, Natasha?!" Wanda gasped as Natasha pressed her up against the wall.

"So did you say you were my girlfriend, right?"

"Sorry, Nat. That was a very stupid thing to say." Wanda began to apologize. However she couldn't believe the peculiar situation she found herself in.

"No need to apologize, little witch. I actually like the idea of you being my girlfriend." Natasha chuckled as she used her body to press Wanda against the wall. The witch almost groaned when Natasha cupped her left tit and gently squeezing it. Wanda gasped as Natasha laugh and pressed warm kisses on her neck.

Natasha has had her eyes on the Sokovian girl ever since she joined the team, but with every battle and every moment with her only served to make Natasha realize that she loved the girl. Wanda was sweet and smart, and incredibly gorgeous with a pretty face and bright green eyes, and also a gorgeous pair of large tits and a sweet ass. It was just a crush she said to herself the last two years but after what happened with that drunken asshole she'd decided that she would try to make Wanda hers.

Wanda couldn't help but feel a little excited when Natasha pulled down the cleavage of her dress and exposed her bare tits. The touch of Natasha was something more. Everything was happening so fast but at the same time so slow. She wanted to have something really intimate with Natasha. She would be lying if she said no. Wanda has spent whole days fantasizing about Natasha. Her fantasies and desires had only gotten hotter since she discovered Natasha's secret.

One sleepless morning Wanda made herself a cup of tea and started wandering the halls of the complex but abruptly stopped when she noticed noises coming from one of the gyms. Glancing inside she saw Natasha hitting the punching bag. Wanda's mouth went dry as she noticed the view of a very sweaty Natasha practicing some boxing moves. She liked to see the way her arm muscles bulged out. Suddenly her jaw dropped when noticed the outline of a prick on her shorts. Natasha had a penis! The realization almost made her faint. Wanda has never been the same since she discovered Natasha's secret.

Wanda groaned as Natasha pressed her hard against the wall and more forcefully rubbed her stiff nipple. The sokovian witch felt a surge of excitement as her mentor pressed her strong body up against hers. Wanda inhaled sharpy as soon as she could feel a huge bulge rubbing against her crotch.

"Oh god!," Wanda said with wide eyes, her legs were shaking. Natasha's bulge was huge and stiff. Wanda can feel it throbbing against her crotch. She was embarrassed to feel her panties all wet at this point.

"Can you feel it, uh?" Natasha murmured with a smile as she watched Wanda's flushed face.

Wanda didn't have the courage to respond however she nodded as her cheeks grew even redder. She stopped breathing when Natasha took her right hand and slide it down her crotch where her bulging prick was.

"Oh Nat!" Wanda gasped in response as she felt the huge bulge in her jeans. Natasha was awakening a side in her she never knew she had. There was a pleasant tingle between her thighs, and soft throb in her clit. She realized that she was getting wet, very wet under Natasha's touch.

Natasha wasted no time and removed the leather jacket that fell to the floor a minute later leaving Wanda's chest exposed to her eyes with only the small silver necklace with the scarlet jewel adorning her neck.

"Bozhe moi, what a pretty tits," Natasha said, squeezing Wanda's beautiful tits. She couldn't help but pinch her left nipple. That only turned Wanda on. As she continued to kneading her tits, the redhead witch began to get all hot. It was then Natasha slide her free hand slowly worked down her flat belly to the hem of the dress Wanda was wearing.

Wanda shivered when Natasha pressed her soft lips against hers and gave her a hot wet kiss. Natasha was tasting Wanda's mouth and devouring her moans as she began to tug at her wet red panties with her hand. Not wasting time Natasha quickly pushed her index finger into her drooling pussy and began sliding it in and out.

Suddenly Wanda groaned as she threw her head back in pleasure. "Ahhh!" It was a blessing that the loud music of the club drowned out her moan, otherwise they probably would have heard her all the way to the dance floor.

Wanda was breathing hard as Natasha smiled and her finger buried deeper into her pussy. In seconds she began to wildly moan and spread her legs wider as the finger fucked deeper and deeper into her tingling dephts.

"You're super tight, Wanda! What a tight honey pot you have down here, baby!" Natasha hummed in her ear as as added another finger and explore the depths of Wanda's sweet pussy. She couldn't believe how wet the gorgeous witch was, her hand was bathed with her sweet pussy juices.

Wanda was enjoying the pleasant fingerfuck. She was almost was almost there! Ready to cum! Natasha's touch on her pussy were sending thrills up and down her spine. Her head was dizzy and spinning. Not even realizing what she was doing, Wanda giggled and reached down and began kneading Natasha's throbbing cock with her hand.

"Oh yes! Touch me! Yeah! Yeah!" Natasha encouraged her with a devilish smile curving her lips. "Open my pants and pulled out my prick."

Wanda no necesitaba que le dijeran dos veces. She just nodded and bit her lower lips, with her right hand she began to unbutton the pants and lower the zipper. Wanda noticed Natasha's prick seemed to swell and throb as she lowered the zipper. It was a surprise to notice that Natasha didn't wear any underwear, so his huge cock burst out from its confines. Wanda almost drooled as she saw Natasha's beautiful prick protruding from her crotch. It was long and thick with blue veins around it.

Wanda inhaled sharply and grabbed her hard prick as Natasha laughed softly and continued to explore Wanda's wet pussy, playing with her clit. A soft moan fell from her mouth as Wanda began to jerk on Natasha's cock. It seemed to throb in her hand, as the tip drooled droplets of transparent pre-cum.

"Like it, huh?" Natasha asked. The hot flush now covered Wanda's neck and tits.

"Oh yeah! Feels so good!" Wanda nodded in approval and began to moan as she approached orgasm. Her hand wrapped around Natasha's throbbing prick."I love your fingers in me. It feels so good"

"I love to play with your pussy, baby!" Natasha whispered as Wanda continued to jerk her aching cock. She groaned in appreciative ecstasy and began to spread hot kisses on Wanda's neck as she added the third finger and fucked her.

Wanda was ready to reach her climax, and she suspect that by the way Natasha was groaning and kissing her neck, she was ready to cum too. She could hear the slurping sound her fingers were making in her wet pussy. It was sexy to hear that. She couldn't contain herself any longer.

"Oh, Nat! Mmmm that's nice! Mmmm!" Wanda gasped, her throat was dry, her body was melting. Finally she came, moaning and giggling. It was then she felt Natasha's prick throb and spewing cum all over her hand.

Wanda looked down just in time to see Natasha's cumming. She kept stroking Natasha's cock for a long time. It seemed as if she would never stop cumming. Certainly Wanda was amazed at the amount. Her hand was a mess, some ropes of semen fell on the carpeted floor.

"God, that was sexy!" Wanda thought with a smile. She felt an incredible urgency of kneel and lick all Natasha's creamy semen. Without thinking, she put her wet fingers in her mouth and tasted Natasha's semen. She was surprised how delicious the creamy seed tasted, it was a little salty, but it still tasted so delicious.

"Taste good, little slut?" Natasha just laughed in response.

"Uh huh" Wanda nodded with her fingers still stuck in her mouth. Still horny, Natasha gently pushed her down on couch in the middle of the room and said: "Now you horny little slut, it's time to fuck you."

Wanda fell on the couch and watch the dominant redhead standing over her, her thick cock hard throbbing in the air. She hummed softly and grabbed her huge cock and guided it to her glistening cunt hole. "Fuck me hard! I need it so bad! I'm all wet and ready for you!"

For a moment Wanda couldn't believe what she had said, after all, the woman before her was her mentor. But her emotions and her urgent needs were too much for her, and at the moment she just wanted to get fucked by Natasha's huge cock.

"Tell me who do you belong to? Come on I want to hear you say my name!." Natasha had a seductive smile on her face , her hand wrapped around her throbbing prick.

"To you. Only you." Wanda replied shakily and noted the delight in Natasha's eyes as she guiding her prick and inserted the bulbous cockhead between the lips of her pussy. Seeing the lustful expression on Wanda's blushed face, Natasha slowly shoved the inch after inch of her thick cock into her warm tight pussy.

"Ohhhh! Fuck!!" Wanda had to closer her eyes and moaned as Natasha lunged forward, sending her thick cock deeply into her. She was enjoying the new stimulation so much but she thought that she was going to be split in two by Natasha.

Natasha groaned and pulled back for a moment and gave the gorgeous witch a moment to adapt the size before she fucked her. Wanda was shaking up and down as Natasha slowly withdrew her cock till only the tip remained, then she slide it in and out. Slowly she began to stablish a constant hard rhythm. 

"Ohhhh goddd!" Wanda groaned in delight, for the hard thrusts she began to have delicious effects on her semi-naked body. She couldn't believe the sensations that were filling her body. The initial discomfort was vanishing and turning into pleasure as the veiny shaft was slicing through her inflamed and glistening folds.

"Oh, baby! You're so tight and hot for me!" Natasha growled and began to speed up her thrusts. She smiled as she felt Wanda's quivering legs raise up and encircle her ass. Wanda was also smiling but mostly groaning as her feminine hips rose to meet each of her hard thrusts.

Holy shit! Wanda had never been more excited. Natasha was satisfying her more than any person in the world. Natasha was hitting all the sweet spots within her as goosebumps covered her skin.

"I'm cumming! Oh Natasha! I'm cumming!" Wanda giggled happily as her body began to shiver. Her nails raked across Natasha's strong back ass as she pulled her closer. "Cum in me! Oh yes! Give it to me!" She moaned in ecstasy as her drooling pussy convulse and tingle. All the situation was amazing. Her body was burning with intense happiness, her sticky pussy juices ran down onto her inner thighs. Natasha continued fucking her with a devilish smile on her face.

Wanda she was ready to cum again. She climaxed twice in the previous fifteen minutes, but she was ready to cum again. What an incredible experience! Natasha was grunting with eyes closed and pumped her prick into her spasming pussy. Wanda squealed in delight at the sensation. She wanted to feel Natasha's semen filling her pussy and painting her depths..

"Oh, baby, your pussy is so tight, I'm gonna shoot all my cum into you!" Natasha growled as she began to fuck faster into her pussy. "Would you like that?"

"Ohhhh yesss!!" Wanda groaned in delight and closed her eyes, loved the way Natasha was forcing her huge prick into her, each penetration was delicious, splitting her in two and leaving her breathless. Her own orgasm was building and ready to explode like a super nova.

"Faster, baby! ... Fuck me harder and faster!" Wanda was giggling as Natasha give her a few rough thrusts into her cunt and then a torrent of semen exploded from her aching prick. "Oh that's good! Mmmm!" Wanda babbled, her words came out in short heavy breaths. She felt the warm semen filling her and then her tingling pussy dephts around Natasha's cock. For a moment Wanda wished she would never stop cumming as her own orgasm engulfed her body. Wanda was shaking violently and struggling to breath, feeling Natasha's semen ran freely out of her pussy and down her ass.

Finally, Natasha kissed her on the lips and pulled off her semi hard prick "If you don't mind I'd like to continue exploring that kinky side of you little witch."

"I don't mind at all." Wanda laughed tiredly. Her first fuck with Natasha made her eager to repeat more experiences with Natasha. Just having this woman to satisfy the intense desires in her. At the end of the day her 26th birthday turned out better than expected.

[onceuponastory]

twelve minutes - bucky barnes x reader

But for now we stay so far 'Til our lonely limbs collide I can't keep you in these arms So I'll keep you in my mind - you and i by PVRIS

Plot: Almost a year after their breakup, Y/N sees Bucky Barnes again. Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Female!Reader (past) Warnings: Mentions of a breakup and heartbreak, angst without a happy ending. Bucky being a shitty boyfriend. As always, if I miss any triggers, please let me know! Notes: So You and I by PVRIS, one of my favourite songs ever, turned 8 on Friday, and I had to write another fic for it to celebrate (please ignore I'm a few days late) so here we are!

Not beta'd, so any mistakes are my own.

One night, Y/N stands outside the Avengers tower in the cold New York air. A chilly wind blows, and she shivers. She can still hear the party inside, the muffled music and laughter. Maybe she should just go inside? Isn't that better than being out here, alone and in the cold? 

But just as she’s about to turn back, she shakes her head. She didn’t even want to come tonight. Although the Avengers are still her friends, a party attended by her ex, Bucky Barnes, was not the ideal way to spend her night. But Natasha whined and begged for her to come, promising her she’d have a good time and it wouldn’t be that awkward. Unfortunately, it was just as awkward as Y/N expected. In fact, it was worse.

Sure, people still spoke to her, but she could tell they all had one question on their lips, one she was not willing to answer: "So, when are you and Bucky getting back together?"

And so, Y/N left. She types on her phone, ordering an Uber to take her home. Sighing, she wraps her jacket around herself as another chilly wind blows. Soon, she’ll be home and can eat her sorrows in ice cream. 

“Leaving so soon?” A familiar voice asks. One that Y/N was hoping not to hear tonight. 

“Hey Bucky.” He looks different from the last time she saw him, almost a year ago, now. Just over ten months, in fact. Not that she’s counting or anything. He’s bulkier, no doubt an effect of Steve’s constant early morning runs. Each time he left their bed, he promised to come back, kissing her cheek softly. Even now, her skin tingles just thinking about it. Bucky smiles, brushing some of his longer hair out of his face. 

He looks good. 

He looks great, actually. She can’t deny it - he still looks as attractive ever. Deep down, something registers in her gut. It’s a strong, passionate longing feeling, the same one she used to have whenever she thought of Bucky. One that she thought disappeared a long time ago. But seeing him now is reigniting that feeling. Desperately, she tries to bury it.

“Good to see you again.” He murmurs, a sign that he’s feeling just as awkward as she is. After all, how often do you run into your ex at a party you didn’t even want to go to? “Nat never said you were coming.” He looks around, a brow raised. “Where’s that boyfriend of yours? She said he’s a lawyer.” Of course she fucking did. She’s going to kill her next time she sees her. “Can’t imagine he’d pass up a moment to spend time with you.”

“We um. We broke up. Well, he dumped me for his secretary, actually. So… yeah.” She’s immediately embarrassed, not meaning to spill her heartbreak to anyone, let alone Bucky fucking Barnes, her ex of all people. Honestly, part of her reasoning for coming tonight and hopefully dragging Harry along with her was to make Bucky jealous, show him that their breakup wasn’t affecting her that badly. 

And look how well that turned out. 

But her wounds are still raw. Perhaps, after suppressing her feelings for so long, she simply needed to release and express her frustration and pain to someone. And Bucky just happens to be the one she’s letting it out to, the welcome respite she’s needed for so long. That's how things used to be between them. Whenever something was wrong, Y/N and Bucky relied on each other for comfort. They would spend hours in each other’s arms, talking about their problems until they felt better. Y/N still aches for that comforting grasp, even now.

But now, things are different. Including her and Bucky.

Especially her and Bucky.

“Oh. I’m sorry to hear that.” He sighs. “I’ve fucked up, haven’t I?” 

“It’s okay.” She lies, but knows that if she dwells on it too long, she’ll start sobbing in front of him. Her chest tightens in an all too familiar way. This is what people like Bucky Barnes do. They come into your life and leave a mark. Once they’re gone, you work so hard to heal yourself and make a new life, and then they come back in and destroy everything all over again. And she won’t put herself through that again.

“Looking back on it now, we just weren’t a good fit. Or at least, he didn’t like me as much as I liked him.” The heat on her cheeks deepens, as if she’s embarrassed to admit falling in love with and getting her heart broken by someone like her ex. To admit that she subjected herself to so much pain and heartbreak yet again. But thankfully, Bucky doesn’t mention it. 

“Honestly, it’s his loss. You deserve better.”

“Thanks.” And again, silence envelops them. She wonders if he’ll start talking about their breakup, or continue ignoring the enormous elephant in the room. And honestly…. she doesn’t know which she’d rather have. To lay everything out in the open, or just ignore it all again, pretending everything is fine. When her eyes drift back to him, he’s not looking at her anymore, and despite how angry she was at Bucky for what happened, and how much she likes to kid herself that she doesn’t care about Bucky anymore, it still stings.

Deep down, she wants him to want her, like she wants him. To still want her, even now.

“Can we talk?” He asks suddenly. She already hates the idea of being forced to spend time with another ex so soon after losing another relationship, but there’s not much else she can do. And honestly…. She misses Bucky a lot.

“Sure. You have….” she peers down at her phone screen, the light illuminating the space. “Twelve minutes.” Bucky raises a brow.

“Twelve? That’s very… specific.” He chuckles awkwardly. Y/N doesn’t laugh. 

“It’s how long until my Uber arrives.” 

“Oh.” There’s disappointment lacing his tone, which Y/N picks up on. She stares at him, waiting for his response. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry for what happened between us.” 

“Okay. Me too.” She nods. Bucky raises a brow. 

“...That’s it? Y-You’re not going to say anything?”

“What can I say? You said that you’re sorry for how it ended, and so am I.” She shrugs. “There’s no point in beating ourselves up, Bucky. We just never worked out. You were always too busy, and after a while I just stopped waiting for you. The fights got too much, and we just stopped loving one another.” Honestly, she never stopped loving him. But it’s better to lie and tell him that the feeling is mutual than waste all her tears on someone who actually stopped loving her. She stopped being important to him and was no longer the key priority in his life. Missions were his priority, followed by dinners, drinks, and world trips with teammates - things she stopped being invited to. As an Avenger, he can't refuse to save the world, but she thought she mattered to him. Realising she didn't hurt her deeply.

So one day, she decided enough was enough, and… it was over. And she’s missed him terribly since then.

“You really think I stopped loving you?” Bucky frowns. There’s a strange mix of guilt and accusation in his tone. Y/N nods. “Well, I didn’t. I never stopped.”

Y/N gasps, and his revelation makes her heart pound. What if this is a good sign? A chance for them to make things right? “I thought you did. I thought you stopped caring.” For a moment, she wonders how he’ll react, if he’ll take her into his arms again, and whisper sweet nothings. Maybe they’ll finally make things right.

Instead, he turns defensive. “I didn’t. And it’s not all my fault, you know. I did try to make it home to you, but you didn’t understand how busy I was sometimes.” He snaps, sending a fresh strike of pain through her already damaged heart and destroying all hope she ever had of them rekindling their relationship.. 

“You had a funny way of showing it.” She retorts, rolling her eyes. Anger flows through her veins, overtaking her last shred of guilt. Why is it her who has to fix things first? To be the villain, the one who has to admit that they’re in the wrong? Angry and bitter tears sting at her eyes. “But yeah, whatever. It’s my fault our relationship fell apart.”

Immediately, Bucky regrets his words. “Look, that’s not what I meant. I’m sorry.” He hates that this is what they’ve come to now, unable to speak to one another without anger, bitterness and hurt feelings. But maybe this is a chance to make things right? A whole twelve…well, probably ten minutes, now. “And I’m sorry if it seemed I wasn’t trying hard enough. I loved you a lot.” He sighs. “I still do.”

“I never stopped either.” She admits, and Bucky’s eyes widen.

“Really?” He gasps. “W-Well, do you wanna get a drink somewhere? Or some dinner?”

“Wait.” She raises a hand, cutting him off. She sighs. “Not tonight.”

“Tomorrow? I’ll wait. We can go whenever you want.” He urges. But Y/N just can’t ignore the feeling deep inside her, of guilt and apprehension. What if she lets him back in and it happens all over again? If she gives him all of her heart and gets it back broken, yet again? She’s already been through two heartbreaks in this lifetime, and she can’t go through that pain again.

Especially not one caused by Bucky. 

“I’m sorry. I can’t.” She whispers, biting her bottom lip. Bucky frowns, confused.

“What do you mean? W-Why not?”

“Because I can’t do this again.” She whimpers, her voice cracking. “Our break up destroyed me, and I’ve just been through another one. Another break up between us would actually finish me off.” She shakes her head. “Maybe one day we can talk…but not now.”

Bucky opens his mouth, ready to speak. But he nods. “I understand.” He sighs. He keeps his gaze on her, his blue eyes imploring and hopeful. Suddenly, the sound of an engine approaches. Y/N sighs. “Guess my twelve minutes are up.” Bucky chuckles nervously.

“Goodnight Bucky.” She says, getting into the car and closing the door. He watches her go, looking crestfallen. She looks out of the window, locking eyes with him.

“You okay?” The driver asks. “Need a minute?” Y/N’s heart aches, and her chest aches. 

“No.” she murmurs. “You can keep driving.” And then they pull away, and Bucky fades into the distance.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

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[fandomnerd9602]

Fake, Right?

Wanda Maximoff x Nerd!Reader (High School AU)

For @aloneodi

“I do not!” Wanda Maximoff finds herself stating to the rest of the group she called her clique.

“It is so obvious, Maximoff” Yelena states before chowing down on her mac and cheese.

“There’s nothing wrong with it, Wanda” Natasha chimes in, “(Y/N) is cute. Your best friend for so long. It’s almost like a romance story”

Wanda rolls her eyes, “What about you and Bruce?” Natasha blushes at that remark.

“Fine!” Wanda huffs, “if it pleases you all, I’ll go out with (Y/N) and I’ll prove there’s nothing there!”

“The only one you need to prove it to is yourself” Natasha snickers.

Wanda leaves her gal pals and heads over to you.

“I need you to date me” Wanda takes you by the shoulders.

“hello you too” you smile.

“Natasha and Yelena think that I’m in love with you and I need to prove that I’m not.”

“So a fake date?” You look confused.

“Yeah. Fake. Can you help?”

“Uh sure?” You find yourself at a loss for words.

“Great. Pick you up at seven” she gives you a sisterly hug before rejoining her popular friends.

You’d do anything for Wanda. She was a good friend of yours for as long as you could remember. But a fake date just seemed a little off.

Wanda rejoins her friends. Natasha giggles as Yelena rolls her eyes.

“Enjoy your evening, lovebird” Natasha giggles.

“Shut up” Wanda rolls her eyes at the redhead.

You got ready for your fake date. A simple attire set up. You wrapped your lucky Hufflepuff scarf around your neck.

A familiar honk outside your door got your attention. You walk out just as Wanda strolls up to you in her favorite red hoodie and yoga pants.

“You look better than I do” Wanda giggles

“Come on” you smirk, “you could make a 50s sitcom outfit look amazing”

Wanda actually blushes. “So where to?”

“Wanna grab a burger and shake?”

“Sure thing, Hufflepuff”

“I’m surprised you’re not wearing your Slytherin scarf” you shoot back.

“Hufflepuffs and Slytherin only cause mayhem together” Wanda socks your arm playfully.

“Then let’s cause some tonight” you laugh.

You and Wanda make your way to the local diner. Wanda just about devours her whole chocolate shake.

“It’s been forever since I had one of these” Wanda practically moans as the shake runs down her throat.

“I missed these times” you admit. “I know you got the popular crowd now-“

“I could never sideline you” Wanda interrupts. “Nat and Yelena are fun but I can’t talk with them about the things we talk about”

“I don’t mind” you shrug. “I still see you every now and then. It’s not like you’re on Mars.”

“I missed our hangouts too.” Wanda shrugs “I feel like I changed so much”

“Oh really? Favorite vinyl?”

“Florence and the Machine. Lungs. Dog Days are Over”

“Okay. Favorite show?”

“Dick Van Dyke Show”

“Favorite movie?”

“Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone”

You smile, “sounds like the same old Wanda to me”

“Wanna hit the record shop?” Wanda bats her eyes at you.

“I was hoping you’d ask”

You and Wanda make your way to the records shop. You spend the next hour rocking out to old vinyls and just enjoying one another’s company. Wanda felt so free. No cliques. No standards. Just her and you, allowed to be yourselves.

Your last stop was the movies. You just bought the closest showing you could. The movie was terrible but laughing along with Wanda made it worth watching.

It was close to midnight when Wanda pulled up to your house. Wanda didn’t want the night to end. Something about being with you just felt right.

“I had fun tonight” you smile at your best friend. Wanda giggles in response.

“Glad I could get you out of your shell, Hufflepuff” she laughs.

“I wouldn’t mind doing it again, Slytherin. Maybe next time we could have a Harry Potter marathon”

“I’ll bring the popcorn and soda” Wanda giggles.

“Well I’ll see tomorrow Wanda.” You walk up the steps of your house. Part of you doesn’t want this night to end either. You turn and look back at the young witch.

You look at her, she looks at you. And for the second time in a long time, Wanda feels a certain longing in her heart. A longing for you to come back down those steps and kiss her.

Sadly you walk up and into your house. What Wanda didn’t know was the strong urge you felt to go back down and kiss her goodnight.

As she walks away from your house that night, all Wanda could think was of how good she and you fit together. She could spend a whole lifetime with you and never grow tired. Well Tony did have that party coming up next week. An idea was brewing in that young witch’s mind.

Tags: @aloneodi @lifespectator @xxxtwilightaxelxxx @supercorpdanbeau @scarletwitch-n7 @deafeningsharkslimeempath @kingofthelizardpeople @jacelion @family-house-of-m

[imbored1201]

Slumber Party & Prankss

Master list

Summary:  You and the ladies were finally having a slumber party to get away from the men but little did you know, Sam and Bucky were up to something

Word Count: 929

Pairing: Wandanat x reader

Warnings: Spiders, Bucky and Sam pranking reader, Wanda kicking their ass for it, Talks of drinking

“Okay ladies, I have the popcorn, the drinks, the candy, am I missing something” Pepper asked as she set down everything on the table of the living room. “The real drinks Pepper, we need alcohol” Valkyrie said as she sat down on the floor. “No, no drinking tonight ladies, you guys do that every day when you reunite” Wanda and Nat looked at you and Carol, Valkyrie always dragged you two into drinking on the rooftop. 

“What movie are we watching, anyway?” Carol asked as she scrolled through the movie options, “I wanted to do a Harry Potter marathon” Pepper answered making everyone protest. “Oh come on guys, we only watched the 1st and 2nd one last time, you can’t just watch the first two and stop” “Yes you can” Nat said smiling as Pepper kept arguing. Little did you guys know. Sam and Bucky were planning something. 

“Who are we going to prank though?” Sam asked, making Bucky shrug. They were sitting in Sam’s room playing video games, Bucky of course still confused on the controls. “Can’t prank Pepper because Tony will cut our budget, Carol will destroy this whole tower if we do something, Valkyrie literally has no fears and isn’t scared to kill us, Nat and Wanda are too scary. Y/N?” Sam looked a little scared, “Wanda and Nat will kill us if we did that, unless we get her away and bribe her not to tell them after,” Bucky nodded, “What is she scared of?” Sam smirked, “Spiders, fucking terrified of them, should have seen her when Peter brought his tarantulas this morning,” “Is Pete still here?” Sam nodded, “He’s in the lab with Tony,” Bucky stood up and started walking to the lab. “Let’s do some negotiating,” 

Bucky and Sam were able to bribe Pete into giving them his tarantulas and were deciding on where to set it up. After some arguing they decided to do the prank in Sam’s room. They put them in Sam’s bathroom and Bucky grabbed them out of their container and set them down. They decided they were going to go down there and ask you to come check out some of Sam’s outfit ideas for a “date” he had. 

Once they stepped foot in the living room they were quickly met by protest from all of you. “Did you not see the no boys allowed sign outside” Carol said as she threw popcorn at them. They held their hands up, “We just need Y/N” Sam explained, making you raise your eyebrow. “Why?” you asked as they expected you would. “I have a date tomorrow, and I need your advice on some outfits, you know how bad Bucky’s fashion is” all the girls let out a ‘ooo’ sound at Sam’s statement. “Okay Sammy, let's go then” you jumped up and skipped out of the living room. 

“Who’s the lucky person?” you asked, “oh, someone I met at the park, um, Y/N” he asked, getting nervous about pulling this off. “Yeah, Sammy?” you asked. “Can you get my tie from the bathroom?” you shrugged and did it. Bucky walked close behind ready to close the door, “Where is i- HOLY SHIT. SAM THERE'RE SPIDERS” You yelled ready to run out but Bucky closed the door before you could and held it closed. “BUCKY. NO” you yelled crying as you banged on the door. You quickly jumped on the sink and stared down at the spider’s that were just crawling around minding their own business. After a couple of minutes they finally decided it was enough and opened the door. 

“Wanda! Nat!” you yelled and ran past them once they opened the door, “Wait Y/N” Sam yelled as Bucky zoomed to you and grabbed you and shut your mouth before you could get to the elevator. “Y/N, stop” Bucky whispered in your ear and felt bad as you cried more. “Calm down” he comforted but little did they know, you were telepathically communicating to Wanda. 

It wasn’t long until you guys heard the elevator beep and then came out an angry Wanda and Nat who looked at the scene of Bucky holding you down with a hand over your mouth and Sam trying to bribe you with money and tickets to see Taylor Swift. “What do you think you're doing?” Nat demanded as Bucky and Sam quickly got up looking terrified. You started laughing at their faces and took the tickets and money from Sam. “Wanda! Nat! Look, tickets for Taylor’s concert” you giggled as you ran over to them. You were supposed to buy some but the day they went out you guys got put on a 2 week mission so by the time you got back they were all gone. Wanda pulled you into a hug and wiped your tear-stained cheeks, smiling a bit at your happiness. 

“Why don’t you go back to the sleepover hun, Pepper is putting on Harry Potter” you cheered and ran off again completely forgetting about the trauma you just got put through. 

“I’ll give you a five second head start” Nat smirked as she saw Wanda’s eyes were glowing, she was going to let Wanda handle this one. She stepped back and watched as Wanda flew through the hallways and laughed as she heard the boys scream of terror. 

This was probably one of the most unforgettable slumber party you've had, but at least you got Taylor Swift tickets and Wanda and Nat knew they were going to be dragged along and you were going to spend all their money on more merch. 

[lemoncrushh]

That Sunday, That Summer

Summary: Kelly's roommate Bianca talks her into participating in a celebrity charity scavenger hunt that Harry Styles surprisingly attends.

Warnings: None! This is pure fluff!

Word Count: 6.1k+

A/N: Inspired by the Nat King Cole song. Harry x OC, written in first person. Originally posted in 2020 (I was not writing reader fics then).

If I had to choose just one day...

I hadn't planned on going. Sundays were usually reserved for me time. And this particular week had been grueling; I needed the day to chill and unwind. Besides, the new novel I'd decided to pick up on my way home on Tuesday was calling my name.

But Bianca had insisted I join her.

"It's for a good cause," she whined that Saturday evening after dinner as I loaded the dishwasher. "You'd be helping people, and isn't that what you're all about?"

I chewed on the inner side of my cheek. My roommate knew my weaknesses and soft spots.

"I hear a few celebrities are even joining in," Bianca added, wiggling her eyebrows.

I chuckled. "Celebrities are interested in spending their Sunday going on a scavenger hunt?"

"If it's for charity, yeah. Besides, we have an odd number of people who've signed up. If the teams aren't even, it won't be fair!"

Turning to look at her, I put my hand on my hip. "And what if I show up and so does someone else, and it's still uneven?"

Bianca rolled her eyes and groaned. "Pleeease Kel! You'd be doing me a huge favor if you go!"

"Why's that exactly?" I questioned.

"Because...I sort of already signed you up."

So that Sunday morning in early June, I reluctantly got out of bed way before the time I normally would, and by nine a.m., I was standing in an empty parking lot next to Bianca as we waited for instructions. The sun was still behind a cluster of clouds, allowing for a mild morning, but I knew within a couple hours I would be sweating through my t-shirt.

"So...when do we get this show on the road?" I asked Bianca impatiently.

"I think we're still waiting...on some people..." she muttered, looking around at the group that had gathered before gesturing toward the tall woman wearing a headset and holding a tablet. "Then Marla will divide us into teams."

"Great," I sighed.

"C'mon girl, it's gonna be fun," Bianca smiled, looping her arm through mine.

Holding back a yawn, I watched as Marla turned suddenly, and a string of people exited the building behind her.

"Holy shit!" I exclaimed, recognizing the familiar faces.

"I told you!" Bianca giggled, squeezing my arm.

"Yeah but...I didn't think..."

It wasn't completely unheard of to come across a celebrity now and then. Not in Los Angeles. I'd seen a few since moving there. But they'd usually been out of reach, just a glimpse for a millisecond before I had time to digest who it was, and they were out of sight.

I caught the blush in Marla's cheeks as she turned toward the crowd again, and the line of famous faces took their places on either side of her.

"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you so much for coming!" she announced into her microphone. "For this very special event, for a worthy cause, we've had the overwhelming pleasure of recruiting these six very kind, and very generous people to join us. Please give a warm welcome to..."

My mind was in a fog. I heard Marla announce the names, each celebrity nodding and waving, but it sounded far away, like at the end of a tunnel in some celestial world in a dream. This couldn't be real.

But yet, here they were. Right in front of me. Swallowing hard, I finally made my own connections in my brain as to whom they were: a mix of actors, musicians and other personalities. But it was the man who stood on the far right that I was most in awe over. Dimples displayed on his cheeks as he smiled, dark stubble adorning his handsome face, curls all a mess around his head resembling a disheveled halo, he looked like an angel.

"Can you believe Harry fucking Styles is here?" I suddenly heard Bianca squeal in my ear, like the pop of a balloon.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I exhaled through my teeth.

"I actually didn't know for sure. There were rumors, but I didn't wanna get my hopes up."

The two of us listened to Marla as she explained how the game was played, and what the ultimate goal was. Though it was a competition, we had to remember it was for charity, and to have fun.

"We will now divide into six teams," she said before addressing the celebrities again. "If the team captains wouldn't mind calling out the names on your lists."

The first actor took the mic, calling out his team. Neither Bianca nor I were called. I felt her arm slip from mine as she took my hand instead, threading our fingers. Three more celebrities created their teams, leaving just two, with Bianca and I yet to have made a team.

"I think I'm gonna be sick," I muttered, trying to take in a deep breath.

"I feel ya girl," whispered Bianca. "But hey, even if we don't get Harry, it's okay, right?"

"Of course," I chuckled, though it was a feeble attempt.

When the woman standing next to Harry read off her list of names, and Bianca and I were not on it, I felt like I could pass out.

"Please tell me you had something to do with this, B!"

"I swear, I didn't!" she promised with wide eyes. "I helped with the scheduling and all, but I didn't have anything to do with the teams or the celebrities. I'm not that lucky."

"I guess that means the rest of you lot are mine," I heard Harry say with a giggle.

Bianca and I eyed each other, letting out giggles of our own. Calling out the final names, I heard Harry say ours, his sweet accent making mine sound better than I'd ever heard it spoken before.

In a momentary daze, I'd forgotten what to do next until I felt Bianca jabbing me in the side to get me to move. Following the other members of our team, we gathered near Harry as he began to greet everyone individually. Mentally shaking off some nerves, I psyched myself into believing he was just another person, like anyone else.

"Hi, I'm Kelly," I said when it was my turn, holding out my hand.

"Hello Kelly, I'm Harry."

I shouldn't have looked at his face then, because his eyes were blinding. Like magnets, they seemed to pull me in until I felt as though I was melting down a precipice of oozing syrup and honey. Nope, definitely not like anyone else. Help.

Whether I'd muttered the word aloud or not, I'll never know, but Bianca came to my rescue as she introduced herself as my friend as well as a member of the charity organization. Releasing my hand, Harry smiled and shook hers, declaring he was happy to meet us all and have us on his team. After Marla made her final announcements, Harry turned to his group, cutting the tension by making a joke and causing us all to laugh.

"Let's have fun, alright?" he suggested, lifting the papers in his hand and handing them out. "Looks like there's some pretty easy things on this list, others not so much. But we'll do our best."

"I already have something on this list," announced another woman on our team, reaching into her purse. Producing a Dum Dum, she beamed. "Lollipop!"

"Good job, Trisha," grinned Harry. "Hold onto that, and we can check that off our list."

Trisha's face went red as she dropped the candy back into her bag and drew an X on her paper. I smiled to myself, knowing that not only was she proud of her finding, but that Harry had remembered her name so quickly.

"Now, shall we venture out?" Harry asked, turning for the sidewalk.

With unanimous nods, the five of us followed Harry, stopping at the corner.

"Are we supposed to stay as a group?" asked one of the men, whose name I'd learned was Donte.

"I don't think we have to," replied Bianca.

"No, that's up to you," Harry turned to face us. "We just don't wanna double up on anything. That would be a waste of time. So if you wanna split, we'd have to divide up the list."

"I think we should stay together," I piped up. "At least...for now."

"Me too," added Trisha.

"Alright," Harry grinned, our eyes locking again. "Let's see how it goes together for the first hour or so. Then if we need to split up, we will."

Nodding, I bit my lip. I could tell Donte was not happy with my decision, but we'd only just started. I didn't want to risk being separated from Harry already. This was the most exciting thing that had ever happened to me.

As we walked, we all chatted a bit, though it wasn't that easy with six people. The sixth man who made up our group I finally learned was Trisha's fiance, Brian. He was pretty quiet, and I assumed he'd only tagged along for Trisha's sake.

"So it looks like the only rules are that we can't purchase anything," I heard Harry say from the front of the line. "If we find anything we can't take with us, we can take a picture of it."

"Oh good, 'cause look!" I exclaimed, pointing to a chalkboard sign that stood outside of a restaurant. "Ice cream!"

Harry and the rest of the team looked at the sign, noticing the big multi-colored chalk drawing of an ice cream cone. Then turning his head back to me, his green eyes sparking, he smiled, making me melt once again.

"Good one," Harry nodded. "Very clever."

"Thanks!" I beamed, standing up straight with pride.

"Mind taking a picture of that, Kelly?" he asked me.

"Oh, sure," I fumbled with my crossbody bag, digging inside for my phone as the sound of my name from his pillowy lips made me weak in the knees. Finally, retrieving my cell, I snapped a couple of pics from different angles for good measure. As I zipped up my bag again, lifting my head, I saw Harry marking off his list, the rest of the team walking ahead. Looking up at me, his lips stretched into another winning smile.

"Hey guys," I suddenly heard Bianca call. "There's a boutique here. We could probably get one of the shopping bags."

"Oh yeah," I muttered, grabbing my list. We needed three different shopping bags.

"Come with me," she ordered, a slight smirk on her face.

Bianca quickly took me by the hand and led me inside the store, leaving Harry and the others outside.

"Go girl!" she cheered in a loud whisper.

"What?"

"He's into you!"

I rolled my eyes incredulously. "Oh, give me a break."

"I'm serious! After you found the chalkboard, he couldn't stop looking at you. He was still checking you out when I turned around just now."

"He was not checking me out," I scoffed.

"Whatever girl, be in denial." Traipsing off to the register, Bianca asked the cashier for a shopping bag. I pretended to be interested in a display of scarves until she reached the door and gestured for me.

When we stepped outside, however, the crowd seemed to have multiplied. Glancing around in confusion, I quickly learned why. Harry had been spotted. Watching the handful of people getting their photos taken with him, the rest of us waited by the curb.

"Is this gonna happen all day?" inquired Donte.

"He's famous, dude, what do you expect?" said Brian, surprising us all. "It was only a matter of time."

"Yeah, but our time is limited. And if we have to keep stopping..."

Harry strode up to us then, his tall frame casting a shadow on the sidewalk. "Sorry about that. I was trying to hurry it along. Sometimes they get a bit chatty."

"No worries," I smiled.

"I have an idea," Bianca offered. "I say we go ahead and try to mark off all the things on the list that we know we have to do as a group. Like all the group photos and stuff. We can probably get the other two shopping bags as well. Then we can split into pairs."

"Pairs?" I whispered, earning me a wink from her.

"Sounds good to me," Trisha shrugged.

"Me too," Donte echoed.

"I say we head across the street," Bianca pointed. "We can probably get the rest of the shopping bags, and maybe someone can take our picture with someone in uniform."

Waiting for the light to change, I saw the sun come out from behind the clouds for the first time that morning. I sighed, half wishing it would have stayed cool and overcast, but as we crossed the street, I caught Harry putting on his sunglasses, and I changed my mind.

We found the other shopping bags quickly, and as luck would have it, I spotted a woman in Army fatigues coming out of a coffee shop. She was taken aback when we asked her for a photo until we explained what we were doing. With a hesitant smile (and a hug from Harry), she agreed, so we all lined up on either side of her and asked a passerby to take our group picture (who also got one with Harry).

Within the rest of the hour, we were able to find a fast food menu, a napkin from a restaurant, a sale flyer, a photo of someone getting into an Uber, and a picture of a capital V.

"Um...how are we supposed to take a picture of everyone in one bathroom stall?" Trisha asked timidly.

Harry's laugh rang out like a songbird, and had I not been watching where I was going, I might've run into a parking meter. Removing his sunglasses, Harry's green eyes sparkled like diamonds in the sunshine, and the corners crinkled as he chuckled with glee.

"I actually have an idea for that," he began, pointing further down the block. "There's a restaurant down that way that makes amazing tacos. I happen to know the owner, and I also happen to know the men's toilet is very clean and has two stalls. I suggest we break for lunch - my treat, of course - and take our selfie while we're there."

I couldn't stop the smile from spreading on my face, not just from his generosity and cleverness, but the adorable way he pronounced "tacos".

"Aw man, I know that place," said Donte. "And you're right, they got some bad ass tacos."

"Then what are we waiting for?" asked Bianca. "I'm starved!"

Making a beeline for the crosswalk, Bianca and Donte led the group, followed by Trisha and Brian, leaving Harry and me to bring up the rear.

"Having fun so far, Kelly?" Harry inquired as we walked side by side. His close proximity sent electricity to my skin, and I found myself rubbing my right arm, though I was far from cold.

"Very much," I nodded, once again trying to psych myself out. So what if he'd smiled at me? He smiles at everybody. And he's...got a great smile...for heaven's sake! "This is very nice of you."

"Oh, it's my pleasure. I was beginning to think Donte didn't like me very much."

With a giggle, I looked up at him, noticing he'd placed his shades on his head, serving as a headband for his curls.

"I was thinking he wasn't too fond of any of us, to be honest," I commented. "But he seems to have mellowed in the last hour."

"Oh, so you didn't know him already?"

I shook my head. "No. Only Bianca. She's my roommate."

"I see," remarked Harry. "I was under the impression she was with him."

"Who, Donte?" I laughed. "No, they'd never met either."

Tilting his head, Harry seemed to study the pair far ahead of us, then looked back at me. "They seem to be getting along pretty well now."

Watching my friend, I noticed the way she was chatting with Donte, laughing at something he'd said before touching his bicep. If I knew Bianca - and I was sure I did - that was a signature flirting move.

"Yes, they certainly do," I agreed.

Just then, I heard the faint sounds of sneakers pounding on the concrete before I turned to see two young girls running toward us, their chests heaving.

"Oh my God, it's him, it's really him!" one of them screamed.

"Harry, look out!" I warned, afraid they were going to come right at him and knock him over.

"It's alright, love," I heard him say softly before he turned around, his hands out like he was ready to catch someone if need be. "Slow down, please."

"Oh my God, I'm sorry!" the first poor girl choked, already in tears.

"It's really you!" breathed the other one.

"It's me," Harry chuckled low, his kindness turned up a notch. "Hello. How are you?"

"Great, we love you so much!"

"So much! Your album is the best!"

"Thank you, I love you too. Please catch your breath," said Harry. "I don't want anyone to pass out."

"Sorry!" the first girl squeaked, still trying to get her bearings.

"Don't apologize. What's your name?"

"Alicia."

"Chloe," added girl number two.

"Alicia and Chloe, it's lovely to meet you both," Harry said sincerely. "Now, I have something important I'm working on, and I have to get going. Did you want a picture?"

"Please!"

"Yes, please. If you don't mind." Chloe clutched her sparkly phone case in her hand as I stepped up to her.

"I'll take it for you," I offered, holding out my hand. "So you can both be in it."

"Oh, thank you so much!"

With a nod, I took her phone as the three lined up for the photo, Harry putting his arms around each of the girls. Snapping several shots in a row so Chloe had a few to choose from, I then zoomed in a bit and took a few more.

"Here you go," I smiled, giving Chloe her phone back.

"That's so nice of you, thank you!" she said again.

"Of course, no problem," I declared just as I looked down and spotted the girl's shoes. "Harry, look!"

"Ah, you've done it, again!" cheered Harry, nudging my arm.

Alicia and Chloe both looked at us perplexed as I asked, "Mind if I take a picture of your shoes? I'm playing a game, and I need something with a zebra print."

"Um...sure?" Chloe replied hesitantly.

After snapping the photo, we thanked the girls who then thanked Harry again before waving goodbye. Resuming our trek up the sidewalk, Harry spoke.

"That was very nice of you, by the way."

"Oh, it was nothing. Those girls are just like me. I'm a fan too."

"Of mine?" Harry raised a brow.

"Oh heck no, Bradley Cooper!" I chaffed, side-eyeing him to see his reaction before letting out a snicker.

Despite the shake of his head, Harry's dimples were on full display as he laughed at my jab.

"You're funny," he remarked.

I threw my head back, calling out to the sky. "Oh thank God, someone thinks I'm funny! I'm the only person who laughs at my jokes."

With another chuckle, Harry placed his hand on the small of my back. "C'mon, Funny Girl, let's go. The rest of the team is probably already at the restaurant."

While I didn't consider myself a comedian, or even particularly funny, the fact that I'd gotten Harry Styles to laugh was the highlight of my day - perhaps of my life. And though his hand slipped from my waist as quickly as he'd touched it, the tiny gesture was tender and left a feeling of warmth on my skin, even through my t-shirt.

When we reached the restaurant, Harry held the door for me, and just as suspected, the group was already gathered at a table, munching on chips and salsa.

"Where were you slow pokes?" Bianca asked with an unspoken accusation.

Rolling my eyes, I explained about the fans just as Harry arrived at the table with a plump latino man in an apron.

"This is Frederico," he announced in a semi-believable Spanish accent, patting the man on the back. "He makes the best tacos in all of California. And he says we're welcome to as many as we like."

Frederico laughed and nodded in agreement, handing out menus to the table.

"A friend of Harry's is a friend of mine," he declared, making us all cheer.

Our team of six devoured more than two dozen tacos while we shared good conversation. Everyone was glad to hear any story Harry had to share, but he was good at shifting the topic to someone else, wanting to learn more about each of us. Just within that half hour or so, I decided I liked him. Not that I hadn't liked him before. I was a fan after all, despite my joke earlier. But now I was getting to know him a little bit personally, and the vibes he gave off were very pleasant and right up my alley.

"So after this, we break off into pairs, right?" asked Donte.

I took notice of the look he gave Bianca. I almost smirked until Harry's voice answered his query.

"Yeah, I think that's a good idea. That is...if Kelly doesn't mind being my partner."

My eyes wide, I bit my lip as I felt Bianca kick me under the table. Facing Harry, I thought I might melt down my chair like the queso we'd been eating. Though his expression looked nonchalant, not even a twitch of a smile on his lips as he rested his chin in his hand, his eyes seemed to dance with joviality underneath the fluorescent lights.

"Um...sure," I said casually, reaching for my soda. "I don't mind."

I caught a glimpse of his left dimple, pushed back by the tiniest of smirks just before he lifted his glass to his lips. I wondered to myself how long I could possibly continue to stare at him if no one else was at the table. But alas, we were not alone, and I could already feel the blood rushing to my neck as Brian reminded us we still needed to take that group selfie.

Rising from the table, I dropped my paper napkin onto my plate as I watched everyone else walk single file to the restrooms. Suddenly recalling my phobia of confined spaces, I worried I might not be able to include myself in the group photo. Wringing my hands, I grasped at the extra stack of napkins, already feeling myself sweating.

"You coming, Kelly?" I heard a voice ask.

I knew it was Harry's, but I didn't look up at him just yet. Instead, I merely nodded as I dropped the wad of napkins onto the table, slowly making my way around it. Inhaling slowly, I blinked and exhaled in the same fashion.

"Hey. You alright, love?"

"Huh?" This time I lifted my head, Harry's calm face coming into view as I tried to focus. His arm was reaching out for me as I hoped to God the tacos I'd just eaten weren't planning an unfortunate encore.

"Yeah, I'm...fine," I gulped. "I'm just...oh God, how embarrassing..."

"What's wrong, Kelly, are you sick?"

Shaking my head, I wiped at my brow. "No. Just...claustrophobic."

"Shit. We probably shouldn't do this then."

"No, I'll be fine," I argued. "I can do it. For the team."

Harry chuckled as he rubbed my arm. "It's just a game, love. It's one photo. We don't have to take it."

"Come on, guys!" Donte called from the men's room, holding the door open. "The stall is huge! We can definitely all fit in here."

Though Donte's affirmation was reassuring, it was Harry's hand that caressed my forearm from my elbow to my wrist that had the most calming effect. Taking another deep breath as I watched his ringed fingers travel up and down my skin, I nodded.

"Yes, we do have to do this," I told Harry. "I can't let down my team."

Beaming at me like a child at Christmas, Harry pulled me close, squeezing my body against his in a one-armed hug as he placed a sweet kiss on the top of my head.

"Such a trooper, you are," he murmured. "I've got you if anything happens. Stand in front of me, okay?"

Releasing myself from his hold, I gazed up at him and nodded with a smile. Then following Donte into the bathroom, I giggled when I saw the rest of the group already inside the stall. Taking a gander at its size, I felt dumb or ever being nervous. Still, I did as Harry had said, and stood in front of him, facing the stall door. Then because he was the tallest, only by an inch maybe, Brian was the one who lifted his phone and snapped the selfie, all of us looking up and giving our cheesiest grins.

Nobody needed to know, not even Bianca, though she was my friend, and it was probably undetectable in the photo anyway, but Harry had looped his arm around my waist right before Brian snapped the picture. He'd held it there as he'd lifted his other hand to make a peace sign, and continued to keep it there long after he'd dropped that other hand to push my hair from my neck to whisper in my ear, his breath tickling my flesh and sending my heart into orbit.

"You okay?" he asked, his lips practically kissing the back of my ear.

"Yeah," I whispered back.

Oh, yeah. I was more than okay.

"You mentioned you work at a law firm?" Harry inquired after we'd split into pairs and divided up the remainder of the list.

We were walking in a more residential area, and I was hopeful we might be able to find a few domestic items as well as plants or flowers.

"Yeah," I replied, "I'm a paralegal at a medical malpractice firm."

"And you enjoy it?"

I shrugged. "Can't complain. I never really set out to do it or anything, like it wasn't my life's goal. But I started as a receptionist and eventually took some courses and...it's a good job."

"How long have you been there?"

"Seven years." Stopping in my tracks, I pushed a strand of hair behind my ear as I gazed straight ahead. "Jeez, has it been that long?"

Harry chuckled, as I shrugged.

"Anyway," I continued, my feet taking me ahead as well, "like I said, it's a good job. I like the idea of helping people, so it's much better than say, working for a criminal lawyer or something. I'm not sure I could do it knowing the defendant is guilty of a crime."

"But if they weren't, you'd still be helping them," Harry commented.

"I suppose so," I tilted my head. "Some of these families though...they lost loved ones; they're grieving. We're able to give them just a little bit of peace...and that makes me happy."

"You're a good soul, Kelly."

Looking up at him, I smiled. "Thanks. So are you. That's why we're here, right? Or at least you are. I'll admit, Bianca dragged me here. But she knows my weakness."

"Scavenger hunts?" Harry snorted.

"No, silly," I cackled, unable to stop myself from lightly slapping his arm. He didn't seem to mind as his infectious smile remained on his gorgeous face. "Helping people."

"Ohhh, right," he giggled, lifting his finger to scratch his nose. That was when I noticed the adorable way the tip of his nose wiggled when he tried to talk through his laugh. I found myself itching with the desire to kiss it.

"And here I thought maybe you were here because of me," he remarked.

"You? I didn't even know you were coming," I confessed. "That was just...a pleasant surprise."

I caught a miniscule of a blush on his cheeks before he looked down and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Well, I mean...I'm no Bradley Cooper, but..."

Throwing my head back, I laughed heartily. "Oh my God, you're a dork!"

"Heyyyy."

Before I could rebuttal, something caught my eye to the left, so I wandered to a nearby gate where it looked as though the home owners had a garden. When I stepped closer, I saw them, my breath catching.

"Look, Harry!"

I felt his body standing behind mine as his hands wound around the iron bars of the gate. We stared in silence for a few moments, watching the bed of daffodils sway in the breeze.

"Wow, you're good," I finally heard him say.

"Thanks. They're my favorite..." I turned to face him, suddenly realizing how close he was, "...flower."

I could barely see the irises of his green eyes as he looked down at me, his focus on my mouth. I knew it was, because mine was on his. His body was pressed to the front of mine, my back against the gate. If I'd even dared to move, I wouldn't have been able to. His fists remained on either side of me, holding onto the gate as he seemed to lean closer, or perhaps it was wishful thinking. I wondered if he was going to kiss me. I wanted him to, and yet a voice seemed to sing inside my head, telling me to go on and kiss him. Suddenly, his eyelids blinked and his gaze traveled up my face to look me in the eye.

"Um..." he swallowed, "let's...take a picture...of the flowers, I mean."

Releasing his grip on the bars, he stepped back from me. I'd never felt such a cold chill as I cleared my throat and reached for my phone in my bag.

Harry and I continued on our quest after I took the photo, and though we still made small talk, it felt awkward. Or maybe it was just me.

After taking a photo of a lovely lavender wreath on someone's door, I decided to say something that had been on my mind since before the daffodils.

"Harry," I said, in front of the neighbor's hedgerow.

"Yes?" Turning to look at me, he noticed I had stopped. Then walking closer, his mouth turned down with a look of concern on his face. "Something wrong?"

"I just want you to know," I declared sincerely, "that I think you're way better than Bradley Cooper."

His beautiful eyes squinted a mere second before the gorgeous smile grew on his lips. His laugh was delicate, a mix of a chuckle and a giggle, more like a titter...a teehee? A sniggle? Is that even a word? Whatever it was, I adored it, and I was glad I'd caused it.

I dared to step closer to him just as he held a hand out and grabbed mine, pulling me to him.

"You're great, you know that?" he said to me, not really waiting for a response, though I gave one anyway.

"I am?"

With a nod, he brushed my cheek with the back of his hand before tucking my hair behind my ear.

"I'm really glad you came, Kelly," he conceded.

"Me too." And there went the melting all over again, the oozing of his words like maple syrup running down to my toes.

Harry held my hand for the rest of the afternoon, at least until we got back on a main road, where no doubt he could be spotted again. We'd managed to check off several more things from our list, leaving only a couple before calling it a day.

Meeting the rest of the team again at the restaurant, we headed back to the parking lot with our complete list. Donte and Bianca had had a lucky streak, finding all of their items. Brian and Trisha had only missed one.

Trudging as a team to our final destination, I felt fatigued, much like I did after leaving a concert at the end of the evening. I felt a bit melancholy for the ending, but still exhilarated from the experience. And my declaration to Harry hadn't been a lie. I was definitely glad I'd come. Just sad that it was over.

Even more sad that I might not ever see him again.

Turning our lists into Marla, she smiled and thanked us all for coming. Unfortunately, another team had won, managing to check off every single item and leaving an hour earlier. Though a bit of a disappointment, we knew what really mattered.

"Kelly," I heard in a raspy voice behind me as Bianca and I said goodbye to Trish and Brian, wishing them luck on their wedding.

Harry's eyes seemed to glow in the twilight as I turned to face him. Wordlessly, he took my hand, pulling me to the side and around a dimming streetlamp. I had a feeling he wanted to say our goodbyes in private.

"Harry, I had the best time with you today," I blurted first.

"I was gonna say that," he pouted.

"Sorry. I just..."

"Just what?" he asked, holding both of my hands.

"I just didn't wanna hear a but afterwards," I admitted.

"Who says there's a but?"

I stared at him, still waiting for the word, but it never came. I searched his eyes, as much as I could manage in the darkness. But all I saw was sincerity, like he was thinking the same thing I was. Lifting his right hand, he grazed my cheek just like he had before.

Go on, kiss him...go on and kiss him...

The seconds seemed to simultaneously freeze and speed up as I watched him lean closer, his other hand slipping under my jaw. His skin was warm against mine, the cool of his rings adding a tiny chill, enough to make me hum as I closed my eyes, just before our lips met.

Even though just moments ago various things had been going through my mind such as how my t-shirt and shorts were clinging to me and I needed a shower, or how I wondered how much money the charity had raised, or how I wondered if Bianca really was into Donte...none of that was remotely relevant as Harry's pillowy lips caressed mine, fitting with them like perfect puzzle pieces. Nothing else mattered as his hand slipped behind my neck and his fingers tangled in my hair while his mouth opened slightly to invite my tongue. And no other single notion in the world could have even compared to the way his chest rose and fell beneath my hand while my other one found the curls at the base of his neck as he groaned hungrily against my kiss.

"Mmm," I sounded when our mouths threatened to separate, still teasing the other.

"Kelly..." Harry breathed against my lips.

"Yes?"

Standing straight, he looked into my eyes. "Would you like to go out sometime?"

I blinked rapidly, knowing I'd heard him right, but still incredulous. "Like...a date?"

"Yeah," he nodded, his voice an octave lower. "I really like you and...I'd like to see you again. Spend more time with you, get to know you. Would you like that?"

"More than anything in the world."

The smile I knew to be his but that had come to be just for me that day tickled his lips.

"How's...Friday? Or wait, Saturday..." Harry reached into his pocket to pull out his phone. "I'm so sorry, love, this is so formal. But I have to check my schedule."

"No worries," I giggled.

"Ah, seems I have Friday and Saturday free. Which is better for you?"

"Friday," I answered hastily. "It's sooner."

His handsome face beamed at me as he clipped my chin with his finger and placed another quick kiss on my lips. "It is indeed."

We exchanged numbers, agreeing to text later to work out the details. I giggled when I noticed he put a taco emoji next to my name in his contacts.

"I look forward to it," he grinned before giving me one last kiss, this one soft, slow and sweet. "Goodnight, Kelly. I had a wonderful day."

"Me too. Goodnight, Harry."

I watched him walk toward the building where Marla still stood, stopping once to turn and wave. I blew him a kiss, perhaps a bit cheesy, but I didn't care. I figured he was into cheese. He gave me his dimpled smile before blowing one back, then disappeared inside the office building.

"Well, look at you, Miss I-Didn't-Wanna-Come!"

I scoffed playfully at my roommate as she walked towards me.

"It's amazing what one little Sunday can do, huh?" Bianca added.

Looping my arm through hers, I walked with her to her car.

"Thanks for signing me up, B," I said with a bounce in my step, despite my fatigue. "It wasn't so bad after all."

Darling, it would be when you smiled at me...that way...that Sunday, that summer...

Hope you enjoyed! Please like, comment, reblog or send me a msg!

MASTERLIST | KO-FI | FEEDBACK

[mariacallous]

When US senator JD Vance, an Ohio Republican, was rolled out as former president Donald Trump’s running mate last month, the move had several seeming aims. It was a nod to rich supporters like Vance’s patron, Peter Thiel; a way to present the electorate with a more youthful face than Trump’s; and a play for the working-class voters around whom Vance grew up, as he wrote about in his bestselling book Hillbilly Elegy.

All of this was almost immediately undermined when comments Vance made in a 2021 Fox News interview, claiming the country is being run by “childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives and the choices that they’ve made,” came to light. There was, it quickly became clear, more where that came from.

Among other things, Vance has suggested that people in “violent” marriages shouldn’t get divorced. In a 2021 interview, Vance criticized abortion exceptions for rape and incest, saying that the unborn fetuses in pregnancies resulting from these situation were seen as “inconvenient.” Vance has said that US representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez had a “sociopathic attitude towards family,” claiming that the New York Democrat said it is “immoral to have children because of climate change concerns.” (She did not say this.) Vance also suggested in a 2021 speech that adults who have children should get extra votes.

“We have to go to war against the anti-child ideology that exists in our country,” Vance told the Federalist in an interview in 2021.

Vance and the Trump campaign have dismissed these remarks as taken out of context, but like many other comments related to women that Vance, Trump, and their allies have made, they do not exist in a vacuum. In fact, they almost perfectly echo the rhetoric of accused rapist and human trafficker Andrew Tate and members of the online misogynist community. (Tate, the most prominent and influential of a group of professional misogynist influencers, has denied the allegations against him.) And the Trump campaign is not just passively repeating the misogynistic talking points of the so-called manosphere, but actively engaging with it to court the votes of isolated young men—a group to which both Trump and Vance have a history of attempting to appeal.

Examples abound. Tate has, for instance, called women who don’t want kids “miserable stupid bitches” while telling the misogynistic Fresh and Fit podcast, in an episode now deleted from its YouTube channel, that “life without children [...] is inane and it’s pointless.” He went on: “If you sit here and genuinely think you’re going to work your ass off through your fertile years and by the age of 54, you’re not going to be suicidal, alone with a cat, then you are dumb.”

Trump, for his part, is reported to have repeatedly called Harris a “bitch” in private and has called women “dumb” as well as “crazy” and “low IQ” on multiple occasions. (In the past month alone, Trump has called Harris “low IQ” and “dumb as a rock” at rallies and in social media posts.) Trump once referred to former White House aide Omarosa Manigault Newman as a “crazed, crying lowlife.” He also called her a “dog.”

Tate has repeatedly compared women to dogs, telling Barstool Sports’s Dave Portnoy in an interview in 2022, “You can’t be responsible for something that doesn’t listen to you. You can’t be responsible for a dog if it doesn’t obey you, or a child if it doesn’t obey you, or a woman that doesn’t obey you.” (Portnoy, who is known for his own misogynistic views, responded to Vance’s suggestion that childless adults should pay more in taxes on X: “This is fucking idiotic.”)

“President Trump has empowered women throughout his career as a businessman and in politics, promoting women to senior roles in both his company and campaign,” Karoline Leavitt, national press secretary for the Trump campaign told WIRED, labeling the premise of this article “outrageous.”

“It's shocking to see rhetoric typically reserved for the annals of internet forums repeated by some of the most powerful politicians in America,” Nina Jankowicz, the former Biden administration disinformation czar, who is now CEO of the American Sunlight Project, tells WIRED. “Well beyond the presidential race, these sorts of attacks aim to denigrate women and their value as human beings, and aim to encourage women to stay out of politics and public life. They have no place in our politics.”

Of course, it should also be remembered that both Trump and Tate have been accused by multiple women of sexual misconduct. Trump has been found in court to have sexually abused E. Jean Carroll, and just last week Romanian authorities opened another investigation into Tate in relation to accusations of trafficking women as young as 15.

Trump and Tate appear to be aligned on another subject: porn.

Tate, who is facing allegations of sexually exploiting women by forcing them to make pornographic videos for financial gain, has long railed against what he sees as the evils of pornography.

“As masculinity has plummeted, a whole bunch of men are simply not having sex anymore, and then they become addicted to porn, which is cucking, effectively,” Tate told Tucker Carlson in an interview last year. “Two people are having sex and you’re just watching it.”

Should Trump succeed in retaking the White House in November’s election, he could seek to criminalize porn, according to the 922-page Project 2025 document that outlines plans for a second Trump term. (While Trump has disavowed the document, it is the product of his allies and of former Trump administration officials. One of the report’s authors, Russell Vought, told undercover journalists from the Centre for Climate Reporting in a meeting earlier this month that Trump’s efforts to distance himself from Project 2025 were just “graduate-level politics.” Vance also wrote a foreword to a since-postponed book written by Project 2025’s architect, Kevin Roberts.)

“Their product is as addictive as any illicit drug and as psychologically destructive as any crime,” Roberts, the president of the right-wing Heritage Foundation, writes of pornographers in the document. “Pornography should be outlawed. The people who produce and distribute it should be imprisoned. Educators and public librarians who purvey it should be classed as registered sex offenders. And telecommunications and technology firms that facilitate its spread should be shuttered.”

The links between Trump, Vance, and figures like Tate and the virulently toxic incel community appear to be, at least in part, strategic.

As Trump’s own campaign managers have outlined his strategy, “secluded, MAGA-sympathetic voters who have proved difficult to engage,” as The Atlantic put it, are one of the campaign’s primary messaging targets.

To that end, a pro-Trump PAC has launched a $20 million campaign to reach young voters that was kicked off with Vance’s appearance on the Full Send Podcast hosted by the Nelk Boys, a group of four men who have a huge following among young conservative males.

The Nelk Boys have in the past hosted Tate as well as Nico Kenn De Balinthazy, another far-right influencer better known as Sneako. De Balinthazy has fantasized about being allowed to hit women as men were 50 years ago. In one video uploaded to TikTok, he was caught on camera hitting a woman and responding that she had “been acting up all night.”

On their podcast, the Nelk Boys have repeatedly defended the misogynistic rhetoric espoused by both Tate and De Balinthazy.

Trump has been interviewed several times by the Nelk Boys, labeling their work “important,” and was recently pictured alongside Sneako at an MMA event.

Trump also was recently interviewed by streamer Adin Ross, an ally of Tate’s who infamously inadvertently tipped off authorities about Tate’s plans to flee Romania. He was also kicked off Twitch for showing "unmoderated hateful conduct" in a chat and hosting the white nationalist Nick Fuentes. During the interview, Ross gifted Trump with a gaudily-wrapped Tesla Cybertruck and a Rolex, which some experts say may have violated campaign finance rules.

Trump’s misogynistic worldview has bled into other areas of conservative politics, too.

Even before Kamala Harris officially replaced President Joe Biden as the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee, the right was demonizing her as a “DEI hire” —a phrase Tate has used to criticize women in the past.

Prominent right-wing media figures have similarly made numerous misogynistic comments in recent months. In April, Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk blamed birth control for creating “very angry and bitter young ladies” and falsely claimed that the medication “screws up the female brain.” Alec Lace, a regular Fox Business contributor, appeared on the station last month and felt it was OK to call Harris the “original Hawk Tuah girl, that’s the way she got where she is” before adding that she is a “DEI vice president.” And just last month, Fox News prime time host Jesse Watters claimed: “When a man votes for a woman, he actually transitions into a woman.”

At the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee last month, the speaker list featured Dana White, who was caught on camera slapping his wife, and Hulk Hogan, who has been accused of physically abusing his wife. (Hogan filed a defamation suit over the claims but asked the court to dismiss it five months later.) It also included a number of conservative figures who have sought to blame the victims of sexual assault, such as David Sacks and Mark Robinson. The speakers also included Representative Matt Gaetz, the Florida lawmaker who has been investigated but not charged by the Department of Justice for allegations of being part of a scheme to traffic a 17-year-old woman.

“Women who know and work for President Trump personally, like myself, know he is encouraging and generous to the women around him,” says Leavitt, the Trump spokesperson. “Most importantly, President Trump’s policies as president uplifted women across the country because they brought down the cost of living and made our communities safer.”

[cowboylikeyouu]

intro post ⭐️

welcome :)

i used to be a german law student, but then i quit on a random tuesday & now i'm a full time fangirl until i go back to uni in october 2025!! my goal until then is to finish writing some long fics, but i'm a world class procrastinator so i can't promise anything.

💜fandoms💜

marvel (mostly mcu but i'm slowly working through some comics)

x-men

harry potter (both golden trio & marauders, although i'll always be more of a golden trio girly)

star wars (mostly og trilogy & mandalorian)

arcane

good omens (fuck neil gaiman)

our flag means death

IT

sherlock

-> i also started watching supernatural for the first time, so i'll probably talk about that as well, but pleeeease don't spoiler <3

💜ships💜

winterhawk

drarry

stony

dinluke

reddie

ineffable husbands

caitvi

gentlebeard

wolfstar

cherik

poolverine

any wlw ship that involves natasha romanoff but especially maria/nat/pepper

-> i'm a multishipper though, so you can pretty much talk to me about any ship, i can enjoy almost anything!! these are just my favs <3

the only exception is winterhawk, they're my absolute otp and i can't stand one of them being with someone else so please no ships involving clint and/or bucky except for winterhawk! especially no stucky.

💜other shows/movies i really like💜

how i met your mother, interstellar, shameless, hamilton, newsies, cats the musical, little women, httyd, dreamworks movies in general, disney animation, 10 things i hate about you, fleabag, scorpion, kingsman, the parent trap, dance academy, bojack horseman, she-ra, and a lot more !!

💜random things i love💜

coffee (comes with being a hawkeye stan)

the color purple (comes with being a hawkeye stan)

pizza (comes with being a hawkeye stan)

hozier

crocheting

funko pops

paulaner spezi

buying books & never reading them

cowboy like me by taylor swift

long hair bucky barnes

covering every inch of my room with posters & stickers

baggy pants

going to the cinema

long walks

all kinds of birds but especiall chickens & pigeons

most of my tags are pretty self explanatory i think, #tweet people w kindness has everything about my twitter fic and #first light everything about the winterhawk interstellar au i'm currently working on!

proshippers pls interact <3

[0nlythrowharrybeaux]

what about picture 4 for an angst to fluff type of thing!

OK, this is part 2 of THIS REQUEST where Harry is your childhood crush...

You had no idea what to do. You felt completely betrayed and shocked and hurt at what was going on. Both Harry and Nat had tried to talk to you before Nat just told Harry to go home and that’ she’d try again. But understandably so, you didn’t want anything to do to her.

*****

“How could you do that!?” Mandy scolded Natalie as she explained to her what was going on.

“Ugh, just hear me out!” She explained and Mandy sat and tried to keep her anger towards Nat in check, “Harry and I…know each other from before.” She explained and Mandy looked at her like she was crazy.

“What?!”

“Yeah…we met on a dating app while I did my year abroad in Italy. He was there on a long holiday and we matched and met up. He was so hot and nice and fun and we went out and he showed me the time of my life!” She explained, “We literally spent almost every day together for the 3 weeks that he was there. And like, we kept in touch for a bit after but stopped talking when he said he started to see someone else. I was heartbroken, but like we were just hooking up you know? So I got over it eventually.” She explained and Mandy frowned, “I even have pictures to prove it!” She said and Mandy shook her head.

“No, it’s alright. I believe you.” She said and Nat sighed.

“Like, it had just been so great, like a whirlwind romance and even though my feelings for him were gone I could never forget him! Like it was just such a wild and fun thing. When Y/N told us she wanted us to meet a childhood friend of hers and then he turned up I was stunned! It’s been two years since that happened, but like I said, I could never forget him! He messaged me after to see how I had been and we just chatted back and forth through the next day and that was all! I didn’t think to bring it up or anything because he wasn’t flirting or asking me out or anything, just legitimately catching up and I didn’t know that he’d be around so often. Then a few weeks later he finally asked me out and I said no, because Y/N had just told us about him kissing her the week before and how she had a crush on him!” She explained, “And I confronted him about the kiss and he said that he just did it without thinking about it, but I told him that was BS, but he said it was pointless anyway because her brother would be pissed and he didn’t want to ruin a friendship with Y/N or her brother so he was just gonna leave it alone.” She said through her tears and Mandy sighed.

“Why didn’t you just tell her that you guys knew each other? Or that you liked him too?”

“Let me clarify that I’m into him, but it’s not that deep. Like I wanted to talk to her as soon as he asked me out, but he said he would do it. Harry said he needed to talk to her about the kiss too and I just…figured he’d do it soon! I thought he had because there were a few days a couple weeks ago when I felt like she was avoiding me a bit and you know how she is when she gets upset, she just needs space to get over it. And maybe I just imagined that she was being odd with me because I just felt guilty about him asking me out or something? I wouldn’t have been seeing him the last few weeks if I knew he hadn’t talked to her about it yet! I just found out the day before your party that he still hadn’t talked to her and so I told him that if he didn’t do it in the next few days it was done.” She explained and Mandy sighed. “I feel awful about it, Mandy! Like I know I should’ve been more on top of it, but I just was so nervous about it. I’ve never been in a situation like this before!” She groaned with tearful eyes as she shook her head.

“What a mess…” Mandy said and Natalie nodded.

“I know, I know…and I’m not exactly sure what Harry said to her, but I swear, we barely hooked up last night! We’ve just been going out to dinner or just walking around the park and we went out to the midnight garden thing once with some of my friends! Like it hasn’t been like a weekly thing or anything like that because I was just really wary of doing too much, you know? But last night we were both a little drunk and he said he had told her so I just…” she sighed and shook her head. “She’s never going to forgive me.” Natalie frowned sadly.

“You know, Y/N isn’t that kind of person, Nat.”

“I know, but this is vastly different, Mandy! Like this looks so bad!” She sniffled, “I told him it wasn’t going to work.” She said sadly and Mandy frowned, “It’s too messy, like you said.” 

“OK, but you actually have a romantic history with him…she’ll understand.”

“She’s in love with him…it’s not just a crush and I think…he likes her a lot more than he lets on. I think I was just a distraction for him.” She said, “Like he’d always bring her up in some way and like…I feel stupid for not realizing it sooner.”

“Fuck…I’m sorry, Nat.”

“I feel like I deserve it.” She said and Mandy sighed, “I guess I’m just as naive as I was when I first met Harry.” She concluded.

“Or maybe he just knows how to play you.” Mandy said and Natalie sighed.

“Whatever, it’s over though. I would much rather try and earn back Y/N’s trust and friendship than to have some guy.” She said.

“Well that makes me feel like your priorities are in check.” Mandy said and Natalie chuckled, “Or was the sex that bad?”

“No…it’s…so fucking far from bad…” she said with a slight chuckle and Mandy winced.

“Well, I’m sorry you’re saying goodbye.” Natalie shook her head.

“I’m not. Like I said, as much as I’m into him, this friendship matters more.” She said with certainty.

*******

“Hey, how are you feeling?” Mandy asked you as she came into your bedroom.

“Like shit.” You huffed as you sat up. Your eyes were so swollen and your chest felt heavy, “Harry keeps texting, saying this is all his fault…”

“Well, I talked to Nat and it kind of is in like a technical form but…like obviously, she knows she did wrong in this, but things are not as deep as they may have seemed between them.” She said and you sighed.

“Really?”

“Yeah.” Mandy assured, “Do you love him?” She asked carefully and your eyes welled up.

“Yes…fuck!” You groaned and Mandy sighed.

“It’s alright…I think he might also be a bit confused about his feelings based on what Nat said. And like…I know you like to work through things on your own when you’re upset, but she really wants to apologize and explain this to you.” Mandy said and you sighed.

“I’m just not ready to talk to her about this. I’m more upset at him though for…making me feel like he was interested in me.”

“Well maybe he is and he just…got scared and changed course.” Mandy said and you sighed. You didn’t want to have any hope, not now. As you thought about last night’s events you recalled that he had tried to talk to you about more than just him seeing someone and you had cut him off because you were ashamed. Maybe that’s what he had tried to tell you, that he liked Nat. 

“But like, why wouldn’t Nat tell me she likes him too?” You asked and Mandy sighed.

“You need to talk to her about that.” Mandy said, you groaned as you fell back onto your mattress and she sighed.

“I feel stupid for being upset because it’s not like we have anything more than a friendship, you know? Like…I never made a move on him or anything, until yesterday when he shot me down and I…locked myself in here like an idiot.” You said.

“Rejection is hard, bub. That’s understandable. And if it makes you feel a bit better they were not all over each other at the party or anything like that. She knows you prefer space so she’s getting out of here for a few days.” Mandy shared.

“Oh, who’s taking her in? Harry?” You asked with a scoff and Mandy rolled her lips together for a second and she shook her head.

“Ummm, when he was leaving she told him things between them weren’t going to work out. So no, not Harry. Maybe someone from her program.” She shared and you frowned. Sure, your feelings were hurt, but if she liked him and he liked her it made you feel bad that she ended things with him just because of you.

“Wait, because of me?”

“Well yeah…the way you reacted kind of made her realize that you don’t just have a crush on him like you had told us…and she said that she’d rather work on fixing your relationship than making things work with him.”

“Mandy…” you sighed sadly, now feeling bad for this and she sighed.

“Look, the three of us have never had any issues. You can be mad at her and hurt for this, but at the end of the day we’ve all been the best of friends this whole time, you know? And she’s willing to sacrifice that for you and I, because we’re more important than a guy to her. And I’m not siding with her, but what I’m saying is that in order to get to the bottom of this you’ll also need to take a step, you know? Like she’s taken hers and done what she can to correct this and to give you time and space, so ball’s in your court.” Mandy said and you nodded. “I’m gonna go get some dinner, want anything?”

“Depends.”

“I’m getting Chinese takeaway.”

“Then no. You realize Chinese food here is a joke, right?”

“I can’t decide that until I’ve gone to America.” She reminded and you smiled, “Be back later, OK?” She said and you nodded.

You laid in bed for a bit longer as you thought about what Mandy had said. Natalie had never done anything sketchy or mean-spirited in anyway to you or Mandy in the past. She had always been so supportive and helpful and such a good friend. People made mistakes…and you wished she had just been more open from the start, but that was also kind of unfair of you to ask for because you were never open. You were never willing to talk about difficult things, you just liked to figure things out on your own, last night was the evidence. Harry tried to confront a difficult situation with you and you ran away. How could you expect someone to just talk about challenging things with you when you weren’t open to having challenging conversations? Yes, she hadn’t dealt with this in the best way but she had never done anything to make you question her friendship before. And you did want to know what was going on with her and Harry… you picked up your phone and texted Harry that you needed some space and he just said to take your time and that was that.

********

It had been three days and you had texted Natalie that she could come home. Your negative feelings had mostly faded, all that was left now were questions. Questions about what was going on and how anything between them had even unfolded.

“Hey.” She said as she came in with her bag to find you on the couch waiting for her arrival. Mandy had stepped out to give you guys some space to discuss, but you wished she had stayed, tough conversations were definitely not your strong suit - communication in general was not something you were great at.

“Hi.” You responded and she frowned right away.

“I’m really, really sorry, Y/N! I know I fucked up, but I swear, we weren’t fooling around this whole time behind your back! We just hung out a couple of times.” She said and you sighed.

“OK, but like how did this even happen?” You asked and she sighed as she sat across from you.

“We had a fling 2 years ago during my year abroad.” She explained and your eyes widened in surprise and now you felt even more stupid. That was before you even knew Natalie and plenty of time after you’d seen Harry last.

“What?!” You asked.

“Yeah, he was on holiday in Rome and I was studying there and we met on a dating app and just…met up and yeah. Like obviously, it wasn’t anything serious, he was just there in passing for a few weeks.” She explained, “And when I saw him again with you it was just surprising. And he didn’t ask me out until after he had kissed you and I said no! I swear I did, because he had just kissed you like a week before! Then he said he needed to be the one to talk to you about it and I stupidly believed he would do it right away.” Natalie shook her head and you frowned, “I just…let him handle it against my better judgement. I didn’t know he would be so nervous or take so long to talk to you about this. I’m sorry you had to find you the way you did, but that was the first time anything physical happened between us! Well like, this time around. He had said he talked to you and we were a bit drunk and one thing led to another.” She explained and you nodded in understanding.

“Mandy told me you ended it.”

“I did.” She confirmed.

“Why? He likes you, you like him-”

“Because our friendship matters more to me than whatever fling I’d have with Harry.”  

“But he wants you…”

“I don’t know about that…I do like Harry, but it’s more of a physical thing for us. Like we don’t have all that much in common otherwise. We’re attracted to each other, that’s all.” She explained, “But we’re friends! We do have a legitimate history and relationship. Like you also have with him. I think he wanted to be the one to tell you because you mean a lot to him. Like…he didn’t kiss you just because. Or at least I don’t think he did.” You sighed and shook your head.

“This is crazy, Nat…”

“I know. And again, I’m so sorry and I’m more than willing to be patient as we try and get back on track because I definitely should’ve done better. Well, if you still want to be friends.” She said and you nodded.

“Of course I do, Nat.” You sighed and she sighed in relief.

“Really?”

“Yeah. Like yeah, Harry means a lot to me, but like, you do too. It’s crazy you knew him before.” You chuckled and Nat nodded.

“Oh, I know. It’s a small world…I wanted to run away when I realized it was him but like, I knew it was important to you for us to meet and like…I promise you it wasn’t anything flirtatious or with other intentions when we first talked. It was just a catch up.” She said with a sigh and you nodded. “I should’ve said something. I’m so sorry for not saying something right away. I just…I don’t know, like it’s the past and when it ended I had been really sad over him. So I just…didn’t want to relive it when I knew that we weren’t like serious couple material. I would rather just interact with him as your friend than an ex-fling, you know?” She said and you nodded in understanding.“Confronting things is really hard for me too sometimes.” She admitted.

“It can be for everyone.” You assured.

“I just umm…I get it if you still need some time to get past all the feelings.” She said and you nodded.

“Thank you. And please move back in…I’m not like angry at you. I think I just…need to talk to Harry about it all.”

“Thank you. And yeah…I don’t know how he’s been either. How’s he been at work?”

“Just… glancing at me, hoping each day that passes is the day we’ll talk…” you mumbled.

“Well…I mean…how do you feel about him?”

“I…like him…a lot.” You confessed and Nat smiled, “I umm…I kissed him the other day when he was trying to talk to me. He ummm…he kissed me back for a second there.” You confessed and glanced up to Nat, she didn’t seem upset or phased by this information, “And then he stopped and told me that he was seeing someone. That’s all he said. He definitely didn’t say it was you. I mean…he probably tried to but I locked myself in my room, dying of shame…” you grumbled.

“I think he likes you a lot too…he’s just worried that it’ll make things weird between you two and your brother. He would always bring you up when he could…” Natalie said with a small smile and you shook your head.

“It doesn’t really matter though…I mean at the end of the school year I’m going back to America and he’ll be here so…it’s not worth getting hurt over, you know?”

“Oh, that’s right.” Natalie frowned.

“I forgot you don’t live here.” She said and you chuckled.

“Me too…but I mean, it could all just pass me by, you know? Like he’s just been someone I’ve had a crush on my whole life. I think I always will have a crush on him, like he’s that guy for me. But ummm…yeah I never even considered that I would actually get to be with him. So maybe that’s why when he kissed me I just…let my imagination run wild.” You scoffed.

“It wasn’t a kiss! It was a steamy snog-a-thon! And you don’t snog people you’re not into unless your absolutely plastered so…I don’t know, maybe you guys could make the most of your time here?”

“I don’t know, Nat… especially after this with you guys…like a part of him has to like you at least a little bit.”

“Sure. But the part that likes you is greater, or at least I think so, so it’s fine by me.” She assured and you pouted.

“After I had nearly a week long fit over you sleeping with a guy who’s not even mine to claim.” You groaned into your hands and she sniggered.

“He’s not mine to claim either. And well, given the optics of the situation it did look really bad. Not gonna lie…” she admitted, “But again, it’s not that deep for me. At least not anymore. Ask me two years ago and I would’ve probably dueled you for him.” She said with a smile and you cackled as she sat beside you and hugged you, “I’m kidding. I love you and I’m so sorry.”

“I forgive you.” You responded with a small smile as you relaxed into her hug.

“Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.” She hummed and you could feel her relief emanating off of her, “When are you gonna talk to Harry?” She asked and you shrugged.

“I’m just not ready for that.” You explained and she nodded in understanding.

**********

It had been three whole weeks and you still hadn’t even hinted at Harry that you’d have a conversation. And as time dragged on he had slowly but surely given up hope. He knew you were avoidant of difficult conversations and situations, but you seemed absolutely fine now which was what really was hurting his feelings. He at least thought that he meant more to you than just whatever had led you to just moving on like he was nothing to you. He thought that he meant at least enough that you’d be interested in hearing him out. He was currently in bed admittedly a bit drunk - a perfect recipe for disaster. And while he knew that you had asked him to leave you alone he just needed to apologize, it was killing him to keep all of this inside.

To Y/N: 

Hey, I’m really sorry for everything that happened with Natalie. I know how it looks but I never meant to lead you on or to get I between you and your best friend. I was just confused and I shouldn’t have done anything impulsive. I’m gonna save the explanation of how it went down because I’m sure she’s shared that with you, but I understand why you don’t want to talk to me anymore. I was an idiot, I know that. And as much as I wish you’d give me the opportunity to do this in person, I get why you don’t want that. I get the message, I’ll stop now. 

*******

It was inching on midnight when you saw Harry’s text and it felt that your heart sank into your stomach. What did he mean he’d stop now? Like stop being your friend? You didn’t even think about it twice when you slipped on a sweater and hurried out of the flat. You knew it was stupid to go hail a cab near midnight but you were really upset by his message and you felt so bad, even while deep down you felt that you had nothing to feel bad for. You gave the cabbie his address and you took off. 

There wasn’t much traffic since it was late so the drive was fairly quick and soon you were paying as the man dropped you off in front of Harry’s building. You made your way inside and to his door and knocked hard several times. It took him a bit to open it up but when you did he looked like he’d been crying and your anger melted away as you started to feel compassion for him creeping into you.

“What’re you doing here?” He asked you, clearly he had been drinking.

“You texted me.”

“Because you’ve been avoiding me like the fucking plague!” He said and you frowned, “I know that tough conversations aren’t something you like but I’ve had to keep this inside for three fucking weeks waiting for you to decide on when you feel up to talking to me. And I get it, we’re done, but I just needed to apologize. I’m sorry, I know you asked me to leave you alone, but it has sucked for me too! And I just…I miss how we were and I get that you’re over it-”

“Harry-”

“But I just needed to tell you that I fucked up. OK? I knew I should’ve talked to you sooner but I was worried that it’d ruin things between you and Natalie and I got nervous so I…just put it off. And well, I also didn’t want to hurt your feelings after we had…” he said and your eyebrows creased.

“Kissed?” You asked and he nodded, “Well you kissed me actually and I just…kissed back.” You clarified.

“Right.” He nodded, “Look, that was…wrong of me.”  He said and you felt your heart sink even deeper. 

“Oh…” you responded softly as you felt a lump forming in your throat.

“Wait, wait, wait that came out wrong!” He said quickly, “I’m a little drunk and I can’t think straight when I…when I’m around you.” He explained, “I know it’s fucked up and so immature but I needed a distraction and Natalie and I have…been together before and we had fun and like, I knew that it wasn’t going to move into serious territory and-”

“You explaining yourself is somehow making it worse…” you said and he groaned.

“I’m impaired OK! Just…give me a sec!” He said and you sighed, “When we reconnected and I saw how you’ve grown…god, that sounds weird…” he said and you sniggered, “Hey-”

“Impaired, I know.” You cut in and he nodded.

“I really quickly realized that I like you. A lot.” He confessed, “And admittedly, I freaked out because I know how your brother would react if he knew that I even looked at you in a way other than just his kid sister. But after everything went down a few weeks ago I realized that you’re an adult, I’m an adult, and we can make our own choices. I’m not a self-serving player like I used to be in university, though my recent behavior might prove otherwise.” He said as he rubbed the back of his neck.

“I like you too, Harry. But…maybe all of this is a sign that anything between us would not be a good idea.” You sighed and he frowned.

“Y/N-”

“Look at us…this is just not possible.” You said.

“Because I was too concerned about what everyone else might think about us but that doesn’t matter, does it? It’s just what I think and what you think about the possibility of us.” He said and you shook your head.

“Well, there’s that but ummm…it’s mostly because I’m graduating in a month and I’m going to be moving back home.” You reminded and he frowned.

“Oh.”

“Yeah.” You said with a small frown, “I think that’s why I’ve been so avoidant of you…because I knew that this conversation was going to suck in more ways than one.” You explained sadly, “Believe me I…have so many feelings for you but ummm…I just don’t think it’ll work out.” More than anything, his disappointment made you feel like shit.

“W-well what if you got a job offer at the firm?” He asked and you scoffed.

“Get real, Harry.” You said and he smiled.

“I am!”

“You’re impaired.” You reminded and he smiled.

“I am! By my feelings for you.” He said with a slight grin and you rolled your eyes playfully, “Look, I know that I’ve been stupid but I’m pretty sure I’m falling for you and I just have this gnawing feeling that I would regret it for the rest of my life if I never tried.” He said to you. You loved him…but how would this even work? It was guaranteed to be more pain than pleasure  for the foreseeable future.

“Harry, the last thing I want is to hurt you and for you to hurt me! I don’t see how we can do this without one or both of us getting hurt.” You explained. “I’m too scared to lose you…” 

“I get it.” He said quietly with a small pout and you licked over your lips.

“But I…might also be falling for you.” You said, “Or…maybe have already…fallen f-for you.” Your voice was a whisper by the end of your sentence and he was smiling at you.

“Well I may have also already fall for you if we’re being honest.” He responded and you smiled at him with hopeful eyes. “I’m so fucking drunk…there’s no way I would’ve been able to say that to you with such ease if I was even a tiny bit sober.” He confessed and you giggled and shook your head.

“Should we get you to bed?” You asked and he nodded.

“Please.” He sighed and you smiled and pushed him inside. 

Thankfully he was already in loungewear so you just guided him through his bedtime routine and made him drink a glass of water before he got into bed.

“You gonna get in with me?” He asked and you bit your lip.

“No funny business though.” You said quietly.

“Yeah, I pinky swear.” He said extending his hand out to you and you wrapped your finger around his for a moment, “Might still get hard though for…obvious reasons, but just don’t mind it and it’ll settle down…eventually.” He said and you chuckled as he smiled up at you from his pillow.

“Fine.” You responded and he immediately scooted over to make space for you. You switched off his bedside lamp and turned around, you felt his soft exhales just a few inches away from you. You bit your lip and just shook off any hesitation as you close the space between you two to kiss him. You could feel Harry smile into the kiss which ended it naturally. “Sorry.” You whispered against his lips breathily, “Broke my own rule.”

“It’s alright. I don’t mind.” He whispered back, his voice slightly cracking with his rasp, it sent a chill through your body. You pecked his lips before you turned around and settled against him and as he cuddled up closer you felt his cock bulging into your backside and you bit your lip, he felt quite big. “Sorry, love” 

“It’s alright. I don’t mind.” You said back to him and he chuckled, “Night.”

“G’night.” He hummed.

[ficsandgiggles]

Long Lost Sister (Natasha x Reader)

A/N: this was so so cute to write! Thank you for the prompt and I hope you enjoy it 💕

Word count: 1559

Warnings: None

It all started when you received a phone call saying that there was a family member who was eager to meet you. You couldn't quite process what was happening as you thought you grew up an only child with a family that was hesitant to bring you up, sort of like Harry Potter with the Dursleys.

You were grown up now, you've got your own job and currently renting an apartment, but admittedly, you were struggling, financially and emotionally. You were grateful for what you had, but all in all, you were lonely, sick of the same routine which drained you, so the fact that someone wanted to meet you, especially a family member, could be just the boost you needed to help you get more motivated for life.

The two of you texted for a bit before agreeing on a time and a place to meet up, you were pleasantly surprised to find out that the two of you only lived half an hour away from each other.

Presently, you were pacing up and down your small apartment, your anxiety racing as you tried to calm yourself down. You knew that your sister was on her way to you, all you knew was that her name was Natasha and that you got separated from her when you were only a few months old. It seemed like your first few months of life were incredibly traumatic, but the two of you agreed to not discuss that today and focus on building that relationship you always craved.

After what felt like forever, you finally heard a knock at the door.

You took in a deep breath, heading towards the front door, shakily opening it, you looked up to see a face that the whole world knew. You blinked a few times, innocently confused about what was currently going on.

“Y/N?” The all-too-familiar person said, obviously you knew who the Black Widow was, who wouldn't? But the fact that she called you by name and just appeared at your apartment was crazy for you.

“Uh… hi?” You replied in pure disbelief, you were afraid to jump to conclusions right now, there was no way that Natasha Romanoff was your sister.

“It’s nice to finally meet you… sis.” Natasha greeted gently, not pushing interaction at the moment. “May I come in?”

You nodded, eyes widening when she called you ‘sis’, you stepped out of the way so she could come in, closing the door afterwards. “Are you- what is going on? Is this actually happening?” You stuttered, trying to quickly process what was happening, but being grounded when you felt a pair of hands on your shoulders.

“Yes Y/N, it is, I’m your sister, it’s so good to finally meet you,” Nat said with a gentle smile, pulling you into a hug which you melted into. “There we go…” you heard her whisper as she rocked you from side to side.

The two of you remained in that position for a while, before she pulled away and smiled. “So, what do you wanna do?”

“Well… I got the Wii set up for some Mario Kart if you want, I can teach you how to play if you don’t know how or I have snacks and Netflix if you just want to talk and I don’t know-“

“Hey.” Nat chuckled and gave your side a quick poke. “You really don’t think I know how to play Mario Kart? Hawkeye’s kids make me play it with them all the time.” She said and got herself comfortable on the couch.

You smiled a little, flinching at the poke as you nodded, sitting yourself down next to her after setting everything up and passing her a remote.

“Right, sorry…” you replied awkwardly, grabbing the other remote and starting the races. After that, the two of you got on incredibly well, chatting casually and getting to the point of teasing each other. You were surprised about how quickly your bond was forming, and it made you so happy to finally feel less alone.

Your confidence grew and you playfully sassed Nat regularly throughout the rounds, making her smirk, quickly thinking of an idea.

“Hey, you know what else I’d do with Clint’s kids when they got cheeky?” She asked, putting a hand on your knee with a grin on her face.

Your eyes widened as the race ended, not knowing how this was going to go, so you shook your head innocently.

“This,” she grinned and squeezed into the spot above your knee, causing you to flinch and squeal in surprise, covering your mouth as you bit back giggles.

“Oh come on, Y/N, we both know that you’re sensitive.” She grinned and wrapped her arm around you, squeezing into your side to make you fall into her.

You gasped, shaking your head stubbornly as you already began wiggling around, still trying to process what was going on. First, you discovered that the actual Black Widow was your sister, and now she’s being super affectionate and playful with you. “I’m not!” You then tried to squeak out.

Nat rolled her eyes, trapping you in a hug and wiggling her fingers into your ribs, smirking as she peered around to see you burst into hysterical giggles. “Are toooo!” She teased in your ear before scribbling under your arms too, causing you to break into giggly laughter.

“Well, this is one way to bond with my sister!” The Black Widow grinned teasingly watching you squirm in her arms, both of you knowing that you didn’t hate the feeling at all, even though Natasha saying the word ‘sister’ around you never failed to surprise you.

“Nohohoho fahahahair!” You whined; blushing and giggling whilst gently pushing at her arms, even though you couldn't get away from the spy’s grip.

“Oh, but this is very fair.” Nat grinned and blew a raspberry on your neck. After wrecking Yelena and Wanda so many times, she knew what to do to get people giggling. Her fingers moved down to your belly and wiggled mercilessly, grinning as you squeaked with high-pitched laughter.

“Uh oh, this is a sensitive tummy.” Nat told you as if you weren’t laughing from her playful attack, blowing “ another raspberry into your neck to add to the torture.

“Okahahahahay quhuhuhuit!” You squeaked out, shoving at her hands since you were running out of breath. Natasha let you go, wrapping you in a hug. “That was adorable.” She smiled fondly and gave you another squeeze.

You regained your breath for a little bit, then turned to her with a grin. “Not as adorable as this is going to be!” You smirked, reaching forward and suddenly scribbling into her tummy, attempting to find out if she was sensitive.

The Black Widow flinched, her hands flying over her mouth to hold back any reactions that threatened to come out of her mouth. You raised your eyebrows. “Come on, we’re sisters, you can let go.” You tell her gently, poking around her ribs, sides and tummy to see if you could get any sort of reaction from her.

The second you poked near her armpit though, her eyes widened with a small smile appearing on her face. “Y/N, don’t you dare…” she murmured, although her tone and smile made you think that she was only joking.

“Hm… let me think about that… no.” You said and managed to wiggle your pointer fingers under each arm, smiling as Nat let out a tiny giggle, shaking her head but not quite stopping you.

“Oh, this is precious.” You tease, wiggling teasingly and watching as a few giggles slipped out of her. “Y/N!” She whined out, her face scrunched up as she gently tapped at your hands.

“Naaaat!” You teased back, continuing the underarm torture as the red-headed woman leaned away from you whilst more and more giggles slipped out of her mouth, choosing to let herself go a little since she wanted to appear more playful to you.

“Does this work for you too?” You asked, nuzzling your face to her neck and blowing a raspberry there, causing her to squeal and lean her head away, giggles coming out easier now since your fingers continued to torture under her arms.

“Quhuhuhuit ihihihit!” She whined, and you chuckled and did what you were asked, leaning into her with a cheekily smile as she rolled her eyes and wrapped you in a tight hug.

“Count yourself lucky, Y/N, I rarely let people see that side of me.” She told you with a smile, enjoying the physical comfort you were both giving each other.

“Can I… ask you something though?” You asked, looking up at her as she fluttered her fingers under your chin fondly. “Of course.”

“Why didn’t you tell me that you were the Black Widow?”

“Oh… I guess I was scared that you would be too nervous to meet up with me.” She admitted quietly, but you rolled your eyes and shoved at her.

“More like you were scared that I was going to kick your ass at Mario Kart.” You teased but squealed as you heard your sister gasp and tackle you to the couch again, beginning to playfully wreck you.

And that’s how the evening continued, full of games and laughter. You no longer saw Natasha as the Black Widow, but as your long-lost sister.

Tags: @tobiaslut @pegasusflight77

[1americanconservative]

About Those Trump and Harris National Security Endorsements

Military and national security endorsements speak volumes about the competence of the Trump/Vance ticket versus the ineptitude of the Harris/Walz ticket.

Mark Alexander

"There is a rank due to the United States, among nations, which will be withheld, if not absolutely lost, by the reputation of weakness." —George Washington (1793)

Over the last almost eight years, we have written about Donald Trump's considerable and well-documented record of domestic and foreign policy successes. This record stands in stark contrast to the Biden/Harris regime's abysmal record of domestic and foreign policy failures.

And again this week, Joe Biden declared that Kamala Harris was fully on board with his policies, saying, "She was a major player in everything we've done."

With "friends" like Joe Biden...

Harris affirmed that assessment when asked this week if she would "have done something differently than President Biden during the past four years." Harris replied, "There is not a thing that comes to mind in terms of, and I've been a part of, of, of most of the decisions that have had impact."

Really, "not a thing"? This from the "change" candidate?

The Biden/Harris mounting record of failures is precisely why the Harris/Walz ticket has nothing else to run on other than vilifying their opponent as a "threat to democracy."

Harris has established herself as a pathological liar, which is to say she tag teams well with Tim Walz, who, on top of his stolen valor record, also has a chronic problem with the truth.

In fact, this is precisely why, since Harris booted Biden to the curb, she has not held a press conference. Instead, she has been running a scripted campaign of deception, including mostly softball fan-base interviews.

Another way we determine the integrity of the Trump/Vance ticket versus the Harris/Walz ticket is to consider their endorsements. No, I am not talking about Elon Musk's endorsement of Trump or Taylor Swift's endorsement of Harris, though such endorsements do matter.

I am referring specifically to endorsements from military and national security officials and what those endorsements say about the respective candidates.

In September, Harris announced that a consortium of leftist deep state hacks issued an endorsement letter backing her. All you need to know about the integrity of that collective endorsement is that nine of the former top intelligence officials who signed on for Harris also signed the letter claiming, just weeks before the 2020 election, that Hunter Biden's laptop was actually a "Russian disinformation" subterfuge.

That letter was used by Biden's Leftmedia publicists as justification for the biggest pre-election media blackout in modern history. The purpose, of course, was to cover up the ChiCom and Ukrainian pay-to-play influence-peddling schemes involving the "Big Guy." That subterfuge suppressed what would have otherwise been an election-altering "October Surprise."

Ultimately, of course, it was determined that the laptop and the incriminating information on it did belong to Hunter, but not until the FBI had sat on the laptop for nearly a year.

As the Washington Examiner's Jerry Dunleavy reported in August 2022, "The FBI slow-walked its investigation into Hunter Biden's laptop, including telling some bureau employees not to look at the hard drive belonging to President Joe Biden's son, according to reported whistleblower disclosures made public by a top Senate Republican." That senator is Wisconsin's Ron Johnson, the ranking member of the Senate's Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations.

Notably, the aforementioned deep state signatories and others also seeded the fake "Trump/Russia collusion" conspiracy.

The Harris endorsement letter is built on the same fake Biden/Harris/Walz claims about Trump being a threat to democracy. But what is abundantly clear from the hacks endorsing Harris is this: She and Walz are a perilous threat to both Liberty and national security.

Demonstrating her profound ineptitude, when asked this week to name our most dangerous foreign adversary, Harris responded: "I think there's an obvious one in mind, which is Iran. Iran has American blood on their hands."

That would be the same Iran to which Barack Obama, Biden, and Harris have kept shoveling money. Recall that Obama/Biden loaded up a 747 freight liner with $400 million in palleted cash as part of their $1.7 billion nuclear appeasement (read: "empowerment") in the wake of the perilous Obama/Biden nuke deal.

For the record, obviously, the correct answer to the question regarding our most dangerous adversary is China. But to call out Iran and mention "blood on their hands" is astounding given this administration's bloody record in Afghanistan, Ukraine, and Israel. The slaughter of thousands of men, women, and children in those countries is on Harris's hands.

But she keeps reminding everyone, "I think the most important and most significant aspect of my policy perspective and decisions is my values have not changed."

The implications for our national security are nothing short of catastrophic.

On the other end of the national security competence spectrum, this week more than 200 former high-ranking military officers joined hundreds of other former national security and foreign policy officials (and, notably, Gold Star families) in endorsing Donald Trump in a public letter.

The letter affirms: "From a world at peace under President Trump, we are closer to a third world war than ever before under the Biden-Harris Administration. With multiple escalating wars around the world, an open border that allows terrorists to flood into the American homeland, and malign actors like China operating unabated, U.S. national security has been profoundly damaged by the failed policies of Kamala Harris and Joe Biden."

The letter also included 40 former U.S. ambassadors and hundreds of officials from prior Republican administrations.

However, if you want to read the strongest and most reasoned condemnation of Harris and affirmation of Trump, see "An Election Open Letter to All Americans" from Gen. B.B. Bell, U.S. Army (Ret.). Bell, who is also a signer of the Trump endorsement letter, is a longtime member of The Patriot Post's National Advisory Committee, and he served in uniform for almost four decades, including extended deployments overseas in both peace and war. He warned in summation, "For freedom's sake, please reject this Marxist march to insanity and thus the destruction of these United States."

Indeed.

For those contemplating casting a vote for the Harris/Walz ticket, as their body count mounts, this will be your last chance to wash the blood from your hands.

Semper Vigilans Fortis Paratus et Fidelis Pro Deo et Libertate — 1776

[darkmaga-returns]

John & Nisha Whitehead

“The most dangerous man to any government is the man who is able to think things out … without regard to the prevailing superstitions and taboos. Almost inevitably he comes to the conclusion that the government he lives under is dishonest, insane, intolerable.”H.L. Mencken

If the three-ring circus that is the looming presidential election proves anything, it is that the Deep State’s plot to destabilize the nation is working.

The danger is real.

Caught up in the heavily dramatized electoral showdown between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, Americans have become oblivious to the multitude of ways in which the government is goosestepping all over our freedoms on a daily basis.

Especially alarming is the extent to which those on both sides are allowing themselves to be gaslighted by both Trump and Harris about critical issues of the day, selectively choosing to hear only what they want to hear when it casts the opposition in a negative light.

This is true whether you’re talking about immigration and border control, health care, national security, the nation’s endless wars, protections for free speech, or the militarization of the U.S. government.

For starters, there’s the free speech double standard, what my good friend Nat Hentoff used to refer to as the “free speech for me but not for thee” phenomenon in which the First Amendment’s protections only apply to those with whom we might agree.

[mrs-johansson]

Chapter 6 - Dark Phoenix II - Emergence of conflagration

Part 1:

“It’s our biggest sighting of Klaue in six months. Our destination is Casablanca, Morocco. We all know he operates mainly in Africa. Our sensors have found Vibranium in the biggest amount yet. Our mission is to retrieve the Vibranium. Klaue has become one of our highest priority targets, if anyone messes up this mission I will fire them myself, understood?” Looked around the room of agents. There were about 10 agents plus Sam and Natasha. “We leave 0500 sharp. Vibranium is the strongest metal on Earth, so prepare yourself.” Everyone stood up and took their files before leaving the conference room. “I’d hate you to be my boss,” Sam walked up to me. “I am your boss,” I chuckled dryly knowing he still doesn’t think I’m his boss. “Okay, fine. Is there anything else for the mission? I’d like to be prepared,” he said and I looked up from the leftover papers. “You know your way around raids, we can use your experience with this many recruits. You have to take this seriously, Sam. I count on you in this one,” I said and he dropped his smile and put on a serious face instead. “Absolutely, thank you for trusting me with this.” I gave him a small smile and patted his shoulder before he left.

“Any notes for me?” Natasha leaned against the table, crossing her arms in front of her chest, a slight smirk on her lips. I looked her up and down before going back to the papers. “Notes… Romanoff, I don’t know if I could give you any useful advice. Just don’t vandalize my mission, I heard that’s kind of your thing,” I said without looking at her otherwise I would have laughed straight away. “Yeah, that’d be fun though. Anyway, I was thinking you and Katarina could come over later. I’ve got something for her,” she suggested and I chucked. “Natalia, you have to stop buying her new stuff every week,” I grabbed the papers and made my way to my office, Natasha following close behind. “But I love seeing her face when she's surprised. Y/n, she stopped abnormally fast, we need to spoil her while we can,” her arm gently snuck around my waist pulling me closer so she could leave a kiss on the side of my head. A smile came along my face feeling so much happiness and calmness in our relationship.

The last 6 months were a growing experience. Natasha and I started going to couples counseling. It was my idea and Nat was pretty skeptical about it at first, she needed some convincing but eventually she agreed to do it. After six months of doing it, she actually became fond of it. It keeps us in line I think.

Natasha and I haven’t moved in together yet which I think was a healthy balance to our relationship. We made sure to build it up securely and honestly, trying to be as independent as possible while also being in a loving relationship.

Of course, we spent all of our free time just us two and Katarina. We always try to spend some quality time together, either going to the zoo or some museum that Katarina could enjoy too.

So that’s been great, I love our relationship and I feel like we will be good.

Katarina had stopped growing fast and since the surgery, her hearing and speaking abilities became better and better. She’s gonna turn 4 in just a month and she’s the most amazing little human. Nowadays, she talks your ear off if you’re not careful enough. It became a tradition that every time Natasha was over at our place, Rina read Nat a chapter of Harry Potter.

Her abilities still don't fail to amuse us. She’s reading like she’s in high school and her vocabulary is insanely high. My dad has offered that he could teach her physics and math but I denied it. She’s 4. I want her to have a childhood. Watch her play the snow carelessly, scrape her knee on the playground, cry because she can’t stay up too late, or smudge her face into her birthday cake. I don’t want her to grow too fast unnecessarily. She deserves every little moment there’s to enjoy.

“What did you get her?” I asked Natasha while we entered my office. She took a seat in my chair very quickly. “A set of the Harry Potter movies. Special edition,” my mouth fell open, and looked right at her. “I wanted to get that for Christmas. Oh my god, you have to stop at least until her birthday. You’re gonna steal all my gift ideas,” I said. I packed away all the files and got my bag. “Fine. Ready to go?” She turned with the chair but did not care to stand up. “Just one more thing,” she stood up and closed the door before turning on the shades in the glass windows. “What are you doing?” I asked and she just walked back to me and took the bag out of my hand, dropping it to the ground, making me gasp. “That’s a really nice bag, why would-“ She cut me off with a kiss. Very unexpected at the moment but not complaining.

Her hands were quick to get a grip on my waist, moving to the edge of the table. I pulled myself back for a second, taking heavy breaths. “We need to pick up, Katarina,” I panted. “We have an hour, calm down,” Natasha kissed down my neck, hands roaming my body. “Thank god, I couldn’t have left this room,” I put my hands on her face and pulled her back into a kiss.

***

“I have to make this room soundproof,” I mumbled to Nat as she closed the door behind us. “Maybe next time keep it down a notch,” she bumped her shoulder to mine with a smirk on her face. “Maybe next time-“ “I hate that my office is next to yours,” Maria walked past us.

After I basically ran to the car and Natasha took her sweet time we finally made our way to Katarina’s school and picked her up. I ordered the groceries on the way and once we got to Natasha’s place it just arrived.

Rina ran inside the apartment as Nat chased her while I took the groceries from the delivery guy. “Wow, I’ve never delivered anything to an Avenger, you guys are really cool. Thanks for keeping us safe,” said the man, and I appreciated how nice he said it. “Our pleasure,” I smiled at him. “Is it possible for me to take a picture with you?” He asked a little hesitantly. “Of course, no problem,” I stood next to him and we took a picture before he said thank you and left.

“Was there a problem with the order?” Asked Natasha as I entered the kitchen. “No, he just wanted to take a picture with me. He was really nice,” I said.

Unpacked all the stuff we ordered and after a little while I cooked something real quick, not in the mood to make anything big. We sat down and ate then Nat spoke up.

“I’ve got something for you,” she said, pinching Katarina’s side. The little girl’s eyes widened and a big smile appeared on her face. “Really?” She asked. “Yup, stay here,” Nat stood up and went off to her room and a couple of seconds later walked out with a bag in her hand and a cheeky smile on. “What is it?” Asked my daughter curiously. Natasha handed her the bag and Katarina was quick to rip open the box and when she saw it she gasped loudly.

“Oh my god, yes!” She said excitedly and observed the package of Harry Potter movies like it’s a treasure. “Thank you,” Rina jumped out of her seat and was quick to shower Natasha with hugs and kisses. “You’re welcome, baby,” she kissed her head while hugging her close. “I love you, Natty,” Katarina mumbled against Nat’s shoulder and the smile that pulled on the redhead’s face was remarkable. “I love you too, Bean.”

The rest of the day went by really fast. Clint was nice enough to take Katarina to school so I could go to the mission in time so at 4 am sharp I was already at the HQ, preparing for our departure. Got my guns and knives ready and met with Nat and Sam at the deck ten minutes before 5.

“Be aware of the trainees. I don’t want any of them to mess this up or get killed on my watch, but stick to your mission too. Be safe and don’t do anything stupid,” I said to the two of them. “She’s talking to you,” Sam glanced at Natasha who scoffed at this. “She’s definitely talking to you,” she said. “I’m talking to both of you.”

At 5 we took off with the team, flying straight to Morocco. Our estimated arrival was 6 which was successful thank god because I didn’t want them to slip away this time.

“Sam, I’ve got you new glasses, you have to wear these,” I handed him a box and he took it with a smile. “Wow, a present for me,” he opened it but the smile dropped from his face. “They look the same,” he said. “Yeah, but they have a Vibranium sensor in them. It detects metal, which makes our job a little easier.”

“Okay everyone, it’s showtime. Team R leaves first then Team W and then Team S. Comms are on at all times, you see something you share, yeah? Don’t die,” I said then we were ready to go.

Nat left first with her team then Sam and lastly me. I was very protective of this mission because I’ve been after Klaue for the last six months and he always seemed to be two steps ahead of me.

I neared the main entrance with four agents behind me, Nat and Sam’s teams already making their way inside.

It was a bigger building than these compounds usually look. Security was way more advanced and a lot more guarded. “We can get through, but there are way more guards than we expected, Y/n,” heard Natasha over the comms. “Yeah, I got that. But I’m not leaving until I have Klaue.” “You’re the boss.”

[fandomnerd9602]

Company

WandaNat x Nerd!Reader (High School AU)

For @darthrue

You were best friends with the hottest couple at Avengers High: Wanda Maximoff and Natasha Romanoff. They were the most popular cheerleader and track athlete respectively and yet they considered you to be their closest friend.

Everyone thought it was odd. Cheerleaders associating with a lowly nerd like yourself. But you didn't care and neither did they.

You loved talking with them for hours on end. They'd tell you about some of their latest fun couple activities and small day-cations. You'd tell them all about your latest breakthrough in the scientifc realm or about your favorite fandom. Somehow they both had the same look of adoration for you in their eyes as they watched you explain the difference between Hawking and Harry Potter.

You went to conventions with them. Wanda and Natasha were both Slytherins while you were a Hufflepuff. Some would call it a bad combo but yet here the three of you were, having the time of your life.

Everything seemed normal for a while and then you started to notice something: Wanda and Natasha started talking among themselves more frequently, they'd share sideways glances at you but it was always talking. You didn't think much of it, lovers talking that's all.

Then one night, you got a text from Wanda asking for you to meet her and Natasha over at the Romanoff household. You quickly went over there.

You were greeted by a smirking Yelena, Nat's sister and pain in her ass.

"Hey (Y/N)" the blonde said, barely holding in a laugh. "The two are up in Natasha's room."

"Thanks Lena!" you began making your way upstairs.

"Good luck!" Yelena called back. Good luck? Whatever that meant.

You approached Natasha's door and knocked. Wanda quickly opened it up, wearing only one of Natasha's oversized sweaters, and pulled you in.

"Where's the fire?" you laugh. Natasha looks at you from the king sized bed.

"Thanks for coming by, (Y/N)" Natasha smiles as she slinks up to you.

"Have we ever told you how much we love you?" Wanda asks, gently caressing your hand. A common thing for her to do.

"I love you both too. " you shrug. "I wouldn't be hanging out with my two best friends if i didn't."

"No. I mean we love you" Natasha's hands slip around your neck. "Wanda and I are absolutely in love with you"

"But I thought-"

"We're still together, malysh" Wanda explains, "but we want you to join us."

"Just three people in love with one another." Natasha bats her eyes.

"So a throuple?" you ask confused. The girls only nod their heads.

"You're sweet, caring, and so unbelievably hot" Wanda purrs.

"But I'm a nerd, you're both cheerleaders and-" Natasha quiets you with a kiss.

"You are more than a label" Natasha whispers, "you are smart and loving. Exactly what we're looking for."

"So what do you say malyshka, will you join us?" Wanda looks at you with pleading eyes.

You didn't even hesitate, "yes. I love you both so much. I can't imagine going another day without either of you!"

The two girls laugh as they both embrace you and kiss you, it felt like pure nirvana. "Good" Natasha finally answers as she locks the door behind you, "you're not going anywhere else tonight."

First Wanda kissed you and then Natasha. After that it kind of blurred out into love and ecstasy.

The fellow students and peers can say all they want but when you, Wanda and Natasha walk to lunch together, or you cheer for them during games and cheer leading meetings, or they cheer you on during a scientific decathlon, you know you're home. You still go to conventions together and do movie marathons. The only difference is how Wanda and Nat snuggle into your sides now and pepper you with kisses. What else can be said? Three is a company.