#next week's trailer looks so good I can't wait to see what Sam gets and the funky snake where they declare their names and titles and augh

[blueskiesandstarrynights]

I think there's smth so interesting about jammer, the leader, the one who wants to be what the people in his life need him to be getting creation magic and Evan, the one who always protects others, would die before his friends are hurt has the protective claw over his chest and k, the one who wants to spread information and help people and be everywhere all at once has the amplification magic I just- augh aabria iyengar the storyteller you are

[missvelvetsstuff]

Where ya goin, Star?

Biker Bucky Barnes x Rich girl reader

Summary: Reader meets Bucky when the truck hauling her show horses breaks down as she is trying to leave for an event and he works for the mechanic. Passionate, secret love affair ensues. After a confrontation with her father, Bucky decides she deserves better than a poor biker like him and leaves town with his friends Steve and Sam.

Three years later, reader is trapped in an abusive relationship and about to give up hope of things ever improving, when Bucky comes back.

Notes: This came into my head a couple of weeks ago after I heard Billy Joel's 'Uptown Girl' so I guess it's very loosely based on that. It has been clogging my head up and kept me from focusing on Guarded Heart so I had to toss it out here

Please let me know what you think. I have more planned but need to know someone will read and enjoy it, even a little bit, before I dig into this story any more cuz it's gonna get very angsty.

Chapter 1

Warnings: swearing, angst next chapter, SMUT!! 18+ ONLY No Minors

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

It was a hectic morning as Y/N tried to get everything together and on the road for her next event. The horses were loaded, her tack was polished, covered and set in the tiny tack area in the trailer. She had her riding habit, cleaned and pressed hanging in the trailer closet, helmet on the shelf above it.

Where was her lucky hair net? She was going crazy tearing her drawers apart looking for it. She hadn't competed without it in years and wouldn't stop till she found it.

As she was looking under her bed she heard a knock on her front door so pulled back and went to the door to see her mother standing in the doorway with her net. She jumped up and hugged her "Where was it, Mama?"

Her mother laughed and hugged her back. "Silly girl it was in my bathroom. Remember it got wet so you hung it up to dry."

Y/N shook her head "Oh my gosh, I forgot. Thank you for helping." She looked at the clock "Oh no! I have got to go. I'll see you on Friday mama."

"Good luck dear. I know you'll be amazing. I can't wait to see your new dressage routine on Friday." She kissed her daughter's forehead before Y/N bolted off.

Y/N climbed into the front seat of the truck with her groom and driver Clint. She looked over and smiled, holding up the hair net "Mama had it. I'm ready to go now."

Clint smiled "Alright kid, let's hit the road."

About an hour into their drive the truck started acting up and when they pulled off to look at it, it was smoking badly. They let it cool down but it wouldn't start back up.

Clint grimaced "I'm sorry kid but I think we're stuck." He grabbed his phone to call a tow truck for the truck and set up a truck to pick up the trailer.

When they arrived Y/N couldn't help but hover, nervous about Lulu. It had taken ages to train her to even go into the trailer and Y/N didn't want her stuck in it for too long. Charlie was fine in the trailer as long as he had hay to munch on.

When she found out Clint was going with the broken down truck and another driver would be hauling the trailer she insisted on talking to him while he was hooking his truck up.

"Hi. I'm Y/N. That's Lulu and Charlie in there and they're my best friends. Have you ever hauled horses before? You have to be careful they don't get knocked around too much. I'd be devastated if anything happened to them."

The man looked up at her with the most beautiful blue eyes she had ever seen and it made her knees weak. Then he looked her up and down and smiled. She felt her stomach explode with butterflies. Suddenly she was very shy.

"Hey doll, I'm Bucky. Don't you worry about a thing. I'll be extra careful with your horses. I promise."

His voice was so soft and soothing she couldn't do anything but stare at him, mouth ajar. She was no virgin but no man had ever affected her this way before.

"You ok there doll?"

She jumped "What? Oh of course. I'm fine" she gave him a shy smile and Bucky felt the butterflies too. For the first time in a while he was interested in getting to know a woman and not just into her pants. He chuckled to himself, remembering just a little while ago when they got the call and he bitched about spending the day driving some princess and her horse to some dumb show. Now he was thrilled that he would have the next couple of hours to talk to this girl. He realistically knew that a woman like her wouldn't have any use for a guy like him but that didn't stop him from thinking about the possibilities, in another life.

Clint came over to check on the horses and Y/N. He looked at Bucky warily "You take good care of them and don't cause any trouble."

He looked at Y/N "I'll meet you there this evening. Get them set up in their stalls and get us checked into the hotel. Early bed tonight, we have to get up early for a practice run since we will be too late tonite." He pulled her into a hug "Watch out for this guy, I've heard about him and his biker friends."

He helped her up into the truck and gave Bucky a threatening look before he left with Steve.

Bucky chuckled and Y/N felt her face heat up "I'm so sorry about Clint. He treats me like I'm 6 instead of 26. It's my father's fault, he's one of those cold overprotective types." She shrugged "My mom says it's how he shows he loves me."

Bucky smiled gently at her "At least he does something, my dad has been in jail since I was a kid."

She gasped "I'm so sorry. That must be rough." And gently touched his arm.

Bucky felt an electric thrill where she touched him and jolted then his eyes darkened looking her over.

She pulled back "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to overstep. I mostly work with horses and dogs and they respond well to positive touch. It's just a habit." She looked at her hands.

Bucky shook his head "It's ok, just surprised me. I don't mind."

She sighed softly, disappointed that he didn't feel the same electricity that she felt when she touched him. Of course he didn't, she thought, look at him he's like a god sculpted from marble and look at me... too tall, too curvy and always dirty from horses.

Bucky turned the radio on "You can pick out some music if you want, I can listen to anything."

He watched her out of the side of his eye while she looked for some good music. He had never seen anyone so beautiful, from the twinkle in her eyes to her leather boots she was perfect. She settled on a classic rock station and sat back, trying to look at him without staring. She could see through the too tight sleeves of his t-shirt that he had some ink on his right arms but couldn't tell what it was and was too shy to ask.

After a couple of songs had played she was able to push past the shyness and try to make small talk. They started with the weather and the conversation flowed to all manner of topics from there. The 3 hour drive passed in no time and they were both secretly disappointed when they arrived at the showgrounds.

Once the horses were unloaded and he had unhitched the trailer Bucky was hesitant to leave. He told himself it was out of concern for her safety "Are you sure you'll be alright, doll?"

Y/N smiled at him "Of course I'll be fine. I've been doing this since I was a kid and know most of the people here. Besides I'm sure you have better things to do than babysit me. I have to go get checked into the hotel."

She grabbed her suitcase and locked the trailer.

Bucky couldn't bring himself to leave "Why don't I drive you to the hotel and we can have dinner after you check in? I promise I'll get you back to your room early." It took a second for him to realize how that sounded "No, wait I don't mean like that. Not that I wouldn't want that but we just met and I-"

He stopped when he heard her giggle and the sound made him smile. He offered her his hand "Dinner?"

She smiled back and took his hand.

They ate at the restaurant in her hotel but she insisted on paying, having it charged to her room before he ever saw the check.

"That's not fair doll. You have to let me pay next time."

She felt her insides warm, did he really want to see her again. "Next time?" she flirted.

Bucky blushed and looked at the ground "I mean yeah. If you want."

"I'd love to." She handed him a business card "I know they're dumb but I'm supposed to be promoting our stable so I have to carry them."

Bucky flashed her the charming smile that could drop panties in the clubhouse "I'll talk to you soon, Y/N."

On Friday, the last day of the event Y/N smiled when she saw her mom in the bleachers as she she waited to start her routine. She looked around hopefully but didn't see her father, he never came to her events, always claiming he was too busy. She reminded herself to be grateful that he kept her and her horses in the lap of luxury.

Scanning the crowd she saw a pair of blue eyes and her breath hitched. Bucky grinned at her and winked. She couldn't figure out what he was doing here. She had talked about horses and shows and how excited she was to perform her new routine for the first time in front of judges. He seemed interested in everything she had to say but didn't seem to understand the horse thing so she was confused.

Y/N contemplated his appearance here while she waited for her turn and felt butterflies when she thought he might have driven 300 miles just to see her. She shook it off, he probably had to tow someone here or help with their car. A guy like him, a biker/mechanic covered with tattoos wouldn't be interested in boring her, whose life was horses and school.

When her number was called she took a deep breath and guided Lulu into the arena. Once she went through that gate, everything else faded into the background and nothing existed except for her and her horse.

After she was done she left the arena to thunderous applause and smiled feeling like she had done well. She took Lulu back to the barn and rubbed her down before putting her away. As she went to get Charlie ready for her next class, Grand Prix jumping, Clint strolled into the barn.

"Nice round kiddo. You should definitely place for that one." He paused and considered her for a moment. "Anything you want to tell me about your trip here? I noticed you have an admirer here today. Something going on there?"

She looked at him surprised, she had pushed the thought of Bucky away as soon as she entered the arena. "What do you mean? We chatted on the drive here and I bought him dinner to thank him for his help. I had no idea he would be here today.

I don't think he's here for me, probably had another tow or something."

Clint nodded "He seemed very interested in your round and left right after. Maybe I'm seeing something that isn't there but he looks at you like there is. Just be careful, from what I know of him he can be very charming but goes through women like potato chips. His gang has caused a lot of trouble and you don't want to get caught up in that.

I'm going to get something to eat, you want anything?"

She shook her head "You know I can't eat before a jumper class but could you grab me a tea? Lemon, no sugar."

Clint nodded "Got it, tea. We'll go out for dinner tonite."

She smiled "Fine but we have to make it quick, I don't want to miss out on the barn parties. You never know who you'll meet."

Clint groaned "I hate those damn parties. Putting up with those snobs isn't my idea of a good time."

Y/N had an idea "You don't have to stay with me. You can go back to the hotel and I'll just get a ride. I think Britt and Kyra are staying there too."

Clint looked at her skeptically "You hate Britt, remember? She moved in on that horse you wanted."

She rolled her eyes "Oh please, that was last year. I can be nice enough to get a ride. Don't worry Clint. I'm a grown woman.

Go get some rest old man, we have to hit the road early because I have lessons right after lunch." She shoved him gently.

He thought for a minute "Fine but call me if you need a ride. No taxi or uber."

"Of course Clint. I'll call you if I need one but I won't."

By the end of the day Y/N had placed 1st in her hunter jumper class and 3rd for dressage. After a brief chat with one of the judges, who she had known since she was a kid, she had notes on her weaknesses and a game plan to improve before the next event.

They went back to the hotel to get cleaned up and she ate dinner with Clint before he dropped her back off at the equestrian center.

Y/N went through the barn to make sure enough people saw her and a few pics were taken of her there. Then she wandered away from the festivities and pulled her phone out to reread the text from Bucky 'lmk when the coast is clear' and sent a reply 'I'm at the north entrance, it's empty'

She felt a chill when she heard his motorcycle roar up. Bucky stopped the bike and looked her up and down, admiring her black leather hi/lo trench with lace accents, white leggings and black thigh high boots.

He whistled "Damn doll, you look good enough to eat"

She winked at him "Maybe later" she looked him and his bike over "Got a helmet for me?"

He helped secure the helmet before facing forward so she could climb on. Once he was satisfied that it was secure she climbed on behind him, resting her hands gingerly at his hips.

Bucky smirked "You'll need to hold on tighter than that" and grabbed her hands so they met over his belly which pulled her flush against his back. Once he was satisfied. the bike roared out into the street and she gripped him tighter which made him smile.

They went to a small diner to have coffee and talk until Bucky looked at his watch and told her it was time to go. They climbed back onto the bike and headed out until they came across a movie theater.

There was a pretty big line for almost midnight and she commented "I hope this isn't Rocky Horror because I don't have my costume."

Bucky turned and grinned at her "That's not really my thing but this here is one of my favorite movies."

Y/N saw the poster, The Lost Boys, and smiled "Mine too. Sleep all day, party all night, never grow old, never die. It's fun being a vampire" and laughed as he joined her on the last line.

Bucky took her hand and pulled her up to the door, smiling at the doorman who let them in ahead of the line.

They already had assigned seats so she headed to the restroom and he went to the snack bar. When she came out of the restroom she had to look around to figure out which theater they were going to when he came up behind her and asked "Where ya goin, Star?"

Y/N jumped a little because he caught her off guard but laughed when she realized it was him. He put an arm around her, holding their snacks in a tray with the other hand, and guided her to the theater.

Bucky was a perfect gentleman during the movie, not going any further than putting up the arm rest and his arm around her to pull her close.

After the movie they walked back to his bike. He sat down and pulled her to him. "So now what, Star? It's almost 2, do you need to get back into the hotel? Or are you up for more."

Y/N looked at him and fluttered her lashes "Why don't we go back to the hotel and I'll show you what I'm up for"

Bucky grinned and kissed her hard on the mouth "Then what are we waiting for?"

When they made it to the hotel she warned him "I have my own room but Clint is right next door so we have to be quiet."

Bucky smirked "Lets hope the rooms are soundproofed"

As soon as the door to her room was closed Bucky pushed Y/N up against the wall and kissed her, his hands roaming all over her. "Too many clothes, Star" he moaned in her ear.

Y/N let out a little whine and pulled her hands back to struggle with the belt buckle on her jacket. Once she unbuckled it she grabbed the zipper and slowly pulled it down. Bucky helped her push the jacket off of her shoulders and his breath hitched when he saw the pale blue, lacey bra she was wearing.

"Damn Star." Was all he could come up with as he walked her back to the bed and sat her down. He pulled her boots off and then her leggings.

Bucky looked her up and down, seeing the thong that matched her bra.

"Jesus Christ, Star. You are just, fuck. You look good enough to eat."

Y/N shifted, uncomfortable with all the compliments, and covered her soft belly with her hands.

Bucky gently moved her hands and looked her in the eyes "No Star, don't hide from me. Not ever. You are the sexiest woman I've ever seen and I'm gonna worship you like the goddess you are. And you will take every compliment, every bit of affection and most importantly every orgasm I offer.

You understand?"

She nodded.

"No, baby. I need your words."

"Yes, sir." She replied softly.

Bucky growled and tore her bra right off of her.

"Bucky!" She protested.

He grinned at her "I'll buy you a new one" before he took a nipple in his mouth, distracting her while he suckled, nibbled and flicked his tongue against it.

Y/N moaned "Fuck that feels good"

He moved his hand down into her panties and growled when he felt how wet and swollen she already was. "Damn baby, this all for me?"

Bucky pulled his hand away and showed her how wet his fingers were before sticking them in his mouth and closing his eyes, moaning "Fuck Star your pussy is so sweet I need more" and she whined so he pulled away and gave the other one his attention.

"Stop teasing, Barnes. I need you."

Bucky smirked "As you wish, Star" he pulled away to quickly strip while she stared "See something you like doll?"

She nodded "all of it."

"It's all yours doll" he told her softly as he kissed his way down her torso until he ripped her panties off and sat back to look at her pussy, wet and swollen and twitching for attention.

"Please Bucky!"

Bucky felt like he might blow just from the view of her body and the sound of her beautiful begging so decided to put both of them out of their misery.

He buried his face in her pussy and started devouring her, licking and sucking her clit, fucking his tongue into her until she came, squealing his name, and soaked his chin and neck.

When he pulled away, face shiny from her slick, he took a minute to enjoy the fucked out look on her face before grabbing a condom, putting it on the lining himself up, rubbing his achingly hard cock through her juices until the tip caught on her twitching hole and he heard her gasp. He eased his way in slowly, fighting back the urge to bury himself in one thrust because he wanted to feel and enjoy every bit of her.

Y/N whined as he filled her, almost afraid he would be too much but the stretch was perfect, filling her completely. She moaned softly, trying not to be too noisy, and felt his cock pulsing inside her. It almost felt like he was getting harder, the thought making her even wetter.

"Fuck, Star, pussy is so God damn tight and wet and warm, I could stay here forever with you wrapped around me."

Bucky kissed her with everything her had, all teeth and tongues and passion. Then just barely rolled his hips, seeing if she was ready for him to move and she moaned into his mouth.

"You ready for me baby?"

"Yes Bucky, please."

Bucky slowly pulled out and slammed back into her, groaning "I can feel your pussy grabbing onto me, pulling me back in. Like you needed some good cock. Shit, so good."

They built up a rhythm and she bit on his shoulder to keep from screaming how good he was making her feel. Like no one ever had before. She came again and felt like she had left her body.

Bucky held her hands beside her head, thrusting and rolling his hips until she was almost crying, exhausted but needing more. "So good Star. I need one more from you. Need to feel this sweet pussy milking my cock before I can cum."

Y/N shook her head "It's too much, I can't."

Bucky tskd at her "Of course you can. I know you want to because my pussy is squeezing me so tight and getting wetter. Just let go and give it to me."

He reached between them to rub gently on her clit and that was all she needed. Her body froze up and her grip on him became so tight he couldn't move so he just ground his hips against her and let go.

Y/N buried her face in his shoulder and whined to keep from screaming, squirting all over his chest and thighs.

Feeling her cum was all Bucky needed and he groaned before filling the condom. He stayed still for a moment to catch his breath.

He kissed her again, this time it was less urgent but still as passionate, then pulled back to look at her in awe. Usually when he was done he was out the door or sending her on her way but he didn't want that with her. For some reason he wanted to hold her all night which was something he never did. He wanted to see her face in the morning with messy hair and bad breath, he wanted-. Didnt matter, this night was magic but he knew a girl like her wouldnt want a guy like him for real. Fucking the bad boy was one thing but he knew he wasnt the guy that a girl like her would settle down with.

He pulled out, disposing the condom, and pulled her to his chest. They both dozed off until her alarm went off.

"Bucky? Bucky. Its time to go. I have to get up to go home and Clint will be awake soon."

Bucky groaned but got up and went to use the bathroom. He came out to see her halfway dressed in sweats and a t-shirt.

"Dressed again already? Next time we'll have to plan so we have more time." He grabbed her around tbe waist and pulled her close to him hefore kissing her softly.

Y/N bit on his lower lip. "You gonna call me or should I forget you exist?"

Bucky shook his head "You're not getting rid of me so easy. I'll call you. Soon" he kissed her one last time then haphazardly pulled his clothes on, not noticing his shirt was inside out. As he threw on his leather jacket he flashed her a wink. "I mean it" and walked out the door.

[mlobsters]

supernatural s15e7 last call (w. jeremy adams)

this bit with eileen is cute

DEAN It means I got to... I got to get out of here, okay? I just... I got to... I'm gonna take a drive, clear my head. SAM Alone? DEAN Yeah, you know, you and Eileen, you guys are having fun. I don't want to spoil that, you know? SAM Yeah, go, go. Clear your head. Eileen and I have stuff to do. DEAN Yeah, I'll bet you do. Yeah? Hmm? SAM It's not like that. I-I-I meant looking for Chuck and Lilith and... DEAN Sure. Got it. Um, okay, but if, uh, things go your way, just make sure you put the sock on the door so I know.

throwing a love interest at sam real fast out of the blue and i'm like hey wait slow down what now? and i mean, we're not completely blindsided, they set up the flirty thing between them before she died and all. but having her pop back up, sam turned into a witchy genius and finished rowena's spell licketysplit, magicked up her a fresh body and now they're getting drunk at night and making hangover breakfasts in the bunker in the morning. that's a lot. and dean bolting out of there too to stay busy and let them be alone. anyway, solo hunt and lying about it, that always goes well

i dunno, man. i'm having a hard time believing dean would be okay with dumping his cell off no questions asked just walking into this bar

i don't think i'm in the right mindset to watch dean flirting and gallivanting living his swayze road house dreams

next day, not sure it's improved (i've been sick [stomach variety] coming up on a week, i am so tired of this) but maybe i can get it done anyway.

i gather this dude christian kane must be a music friend too since i guess they have a bandmate in common, steve carlson? i tried to watch leverage but it didn't grab me, i think it made it through a season or so? and funnily enough, the music kind of put me off 🥴 the cheesiest of heist music

i watched the trailer for road house from 1989 (because apparently there's a new road house (2024) with gyllenhall) and wow. something about bouncing people in pleated pants. i probably would have enjoyed it when i was teenager but i think i need the modern sensibilities of the remake if i'm gonna enjoy a big ridiculous action movie that focuses on just punching the shit out of each other :p

the tone of this scene where sam's about to kiss eileen is just weird. the music is kind of.. mushy wistful, like the mushy music theme but different. and there's a lot of awkward exchanging of looks. and then sam gets clued in what eileen's talking about. i'm just really not picking up what they're putting down. but get a big dramatic interruption with cas popping back in.

also fucking netflix and its caption placement is consistently awful.

CASTIEL Good. I've been thinking about that gun, the, uh... the Equalizer? When you shot God, it fired a piece of your soul.

his SOUL. sure. SURE

DEAN Man, so I don't think I've seen you since Sammy was in college.

gotta tally up all the hunters they mentioned he worked with while sam was in college. think richie too? sure there's others

from 3x04 sin city SAM Not too bad. How do you two know each other? DEAN You were in school. RICHIE It was that succubus, in Canarsie right?

CASTIEL No, but I am sure I can't heal the wound. Maybe I can probe it. SAM Probe it? CASTIEL Study it, see if it can lead us to Chuck.

jamming his fist into sam's chest rooting around for his non-existent soul, sucking the leftover angel grace out of his neck with a needle, what's a little probing of a soul wound from god

DEAN Okay. One, three bottles of Jaeger is nobody's friend, and "B," they were twins.

may have just yelled, BRO! DAMNIT! lol i thought we were done with the 1, B (A, 2) thing that drives me up a WALL whenever it comes up because i can't find the paul reiser mad about you reference to him doing it despite being quite sure that he used it a lot in that show

LEE Whoa, no, they were not twins. They were triplets, uh, and we split them up fair and square.

dean and dudes and triplets.

from 10x01 black DEAN Okay, see, the deal was we howl at the moon -- no time stamp, no expiration date. CROWLEY We've howled. We've bayed. We've done extraordinary things to triplets, all of which have been massively entertaining. I will treasure our Flickr albums forever. But now it's time for us to accept what we are and go back to work.

--

DEAN Trust me, uh, bigger doesn't always equal better. Besides, who's gonna look out after the little guy? God certainly isn't. LEE Damn, brother, that's dark. DEAN Yeah, it's been a rough, uh... it's been a rough decade, Lee.

understatement of the century

(wiki)

The band at Swayze's Bar is a band made up of the Supernatural crew called The Impalas that has played together for many years. Here they are called "The Texas Impalas" and are made up of Perry Battista, Tracy Dunlop, Dave Webb, Cam Beck, and Chris Glynn Jones.

that's neat. i'm glad at least we got some dean singing that wasn't intentionally cringey. i feel like this episode is fan service, but dean/jensen is the main fan in question lol

SERGEI Small thing. CASTIEL What is it? SERGEI Sam is... dying.

of course he is! he's almost dead or actually dead CONSTANTLY. jesus.

and dean's buddy acting shifty, of course. also rolling my eyes that they had this friend insist that the car was raptured based on no info

SERGEI Ah, well, there you go. Most wounds want to be healed, to be whole. But this, this wound is different. It goes down to his very soul. But also out into the world. From what I can tell, his soul, it's connected to something or someone somewhere. Except, as you probed deeper, you forced the soul to stretch from Sam's body to... EILEEN Where? SERGEI I don't know. But now it's like a rubber band. If it is stretched too far, too long, pop, it snaps, and Sam dies.

LOL sure. they've destroyed my suspension of disbelief i just can't haha and castiel's face made me laugh

and now cas just had supposedly bobby?? watching this rando's niece so he could threaten with killing her to get what he wants? sure!

LEE Well, not the old me, anyway. I wasn't kidding about Arizona. What that thing did to that family, those kids, it stuck in my head. If evil like that exists in the world, then guys like you and me, we ain't ever gonna win. The best we can do is just have a little fun. The last Hunt I did, the one right around here, I found something.

very logical and sense-making

LEE You don't, Dean? I am you. I'm just you that woke up and saw that the world was broken. DEAN Then you fix it. You don't walk away. You fight for it.

dean-o gets to remember the lesson that he does actually care and is willing to fight even if it's unclear what's god pulling strings vs his distinct choice

LEE Why do you care so much, Dean? DEAN Because someone has to. LEE Well, then... I'm glad it was you.

uh huh. insert another eyeroll lol. ugh. i'm being an asshole but they lost me :p

SAM Dean, Chuck is weak. I think we can beat him. I think we can beat God.

okie doke. team free will whatever dot whatever, back at it

[caranfindel]

Episode recap/review: Walker 1.14

I didn't expect to recap 1.14 and yet here I am, still avoiding my unfinished Summergen fic. I'm actually writing this in real time, as I watch the episode. So for once I'm not pretending I don't know what happens. I literally don't know.

We begin with Cordell and Grandpa clearing up the crime scene. How much do I love Cordell saying "Daddy?" A lot. And not in that way, you perverts. It just really brings out the Texan.

Liam is in bed, recuperating. He gets a call (note that he calls himself William professionally, which is news to me, and I like it for whatever reason) from someone asking for a comment, which he starts to angrily refuse before Gramma Walker grabs his phone and hangs up. Gramma Walker going all Mama Bear for Liam is also interesting, and unexpected. But Liam says "I can take care of myself" and she says "No, you can't. None of you boys can." And then looks sadly out the window, where Cordell and Grandpa are taking down the crime scene tape. I just have to think "none" and not "both" means she's thinking of poor dead Hoyt, who she obviously loved like a son, if not more so. (More evidence for the Hoyt is her lovechild file? Maybe.)

Geri shows up, wearing an unnecessary cowboy hat and Hoyt's old jacket. She's bearing Hoyt's last will and testament, written on a bar coaster! Oh, my heart. And in case you can't read it:

If I get shivved in the shower or some old horse kicks me upside the head. For real Liam stamp it and everything - I leave everything to Geri/"Geraldine Broussard"/angle [sic] face sweet lips etc. So that plot I bought over in Tanglewood is for her and whatever I got in my pockets or elsewhere. See ya in the next life.

Angle face!

I'm not sure this would stand up in court, since he didn't even sign his last name, although it is witnessed by William Walker. Anyway, it's a moot point, because the land Hoyt intended to give Geraldine "Angle Face" Broussard is transferring to new owners, effective tomorrow. Which makes no sense. The deal fell apart because he died, and yet it's so soon after his death that the police tape is still up. New owners wouldn't be in the picture that quickly. Reverting to previous owners, because it was owner-financed? Sure. But not new owners. (Whatever, Caranfindel. Move it along.) She asks Cordell to go with her to gather his personal belongings. And to bring the kids. Hmmm, let's see how Stella can mess this up. (Tanglewood is 71 miles from Austin. Of course I looked it up.)

But first, Cordell has to sign paperwork to begin his leave of absence. So he didn't actually intend to quit. I mean, we all knew he'd be back, but I kind of thought he was, at the time, intending to quit for good. Does Connie the HR person have a big old crush on him? There is hand touching and deep, serious gazing.

Touch him, Connie. Touch him for those of us who cannot.

Micki is sitting right outside the conference room where he signs his papers but still acts surprised that he's in the building. Did she not smell the rosemary mint shampoo as he walked by? He thanks her for the flowers and apologizes for not calling her back. And then cancels their lunch plans so he can go off with Geri and the kids.

Someone said this on Tumblr, and I think it bears repeating here. It's interesting comparing Cordell's grief, over his wife and now his best friend, to Sam's grief. Cordell is clearly deeply affected, and is also clearly moving on. Sam is just unhinged.

Elsewhere. The gang stops for lunch and reminisces about Hoyt dressed as Santa, wearing assless chaps. Well. That's memorable. (Also, I know people who did the whole leaving horse manure and pretending it's reindeer poop thing. Some people are just a lot more into Santa than I was.) Trevor (Travis? Whatever) called Stella. She's apparently avoiding him. Probably a good call, sis. Maybe the only one you've made in 14 episodes. (To be fair, I didn't watch the first four.)

Micki shares tacos with her boyfriend, whose name I can never remember, having been stood up by Cordell. She tells him Cordell seemed "off," which is great now, Micki. Why didn't you pay more attention to that feeling last week? The BF thinks Micki herself might be off, because she misses her partner. And she calls him family. Captain What's His Face comes to talk to Trey (that's his name, dammit) and asks if he knows a guy who goes to the same physical therapist's office. Friends, when I've done PT, I don't even know people who go to my therapist, let alone just go to someone in the same office. But maybe folks in Austin are just friendlier than they are round these parts. Oh, wait. The guy is missing, and was last seen in a heated discussion with Trey? What's up with that, Trey?

Tanglewood. Cordell asks the nice lady (realtor? owner?) about Hoyt's "personal affects," and she says "they are probably out grazing." Because Hoyt's personal effects are four horses and a llama. Which Geri owns now. "Where am I going to board four horses and a llama?" she asks. Cordell is oddly befuddled (and adorably, cause y'all know how I feel about befuddled Jared), as if he didn't live on a ranch. With horses. The family business, remember? The kids are entranced. I would be too. It's a damn cute llama. One of the mares actually nursed the llama, so they're family. (Watch out for falling anvils.)

Micki's house. Trey says the "heated discussion" was the missing guy showing him a judo move. Captain asks Trey to ride along and help him investigate, and poor partnerless Micki asks if she can come with.

Tanglewood. Apparently Hoyt's personal affects also included gear for the four horses, because everyone is saddled up. Geri doesn't seem like an experienced rider - she keeps her hand on the pommel of the saddle, which I always heard was a rube move. (At least she's not clutching the saddle horn. No shade. It's hard not to. It's a perfect handle and it's just right there.) Cordell, of course, rides perfectly, as he does everything perfectly.

Everything except his job. And raising his kids. But do I care about those things? Not so much.

Geri thinks the llama looks unwell. What is she, a llama expert? A veterinarian? And what are they doing on this trail ride anyway - taking the herd back to the Walker ranch? It's 71 miles away! It's an hour and a half driving! How will they get the truck? Why didn't Cordell just say "let's go back to the ranch and get Daddy's cattle trailer?" WHY.

(No one cares. No one but you thinks about these things.)

Stella is on her phone, but it turns out she's (allegedly) re-reading Hoyt's last text, not chatting with friends. And then she says she was "responsible for everything." Oh, wait. We're going there? Stella is finally going to face the music? Cordell says it's not her fault, but they're interrupted by the llama, who apparently is in distress. Cordell wants to leave him at a random homestead. Permanently? Like, "excuse me, ma'am, but can you take this llama?" Or just while they get the horses home? I dunno.

August doesn't like this, because the llama and the horses are family. Geri distracts him by claiming Hoyt wanted him to have the jacket she's wearing, although I find this rather dubious, because why did she wait so long to mention it? Why is she wearing it herself? It's a lucky jacket he won from a tarot card reader and card hustler named The Mystifying Mehar, who was "infamous for getting out of trouble because of that jacket." Cordell then asks Geri to go off with the kids while he hangs back and tries to ditch the llama. Oh no, Cordell, don't do that. He's family!

Back at the ranch, Grandpa chases off some more journalists. He also ignores Gramma's concern about his cancer.

Trail ride. We skipped the whole bit where Cordell found someone willing to take in a goddamn llama, caught up with his kids, and told them what he did. They're mad that he wouldn't even try, and then Stella impulsively rides off, almost falling into a revine.

Team Sassyboots 2.0 questions the missing guy's wife. Turns out he left a note. Doesn't sound like he's as missing as they thought. He said he would "fix everything," i.e., their upcoming foreclosure. They check his workshop and find evidence that he was a military contractor, and apparently this means he should have no money problems whatsoever, because they don't understand how money works. His gun safe is empty, so they figure he's on some kind of "black ops" job. And if it's going to be complete by Monday, I assume it's something local, and not a military operation.

Walker Ranch. Someone who is Liam's "political opponent" comes to take care of him? And he's bringing barbeque? Is it poisoned? Gramma says Liam can't have barbecue because he's on bedrest, as if one had anything to do with the other. And... Grandpa wants to go mushroom hunting with her? Is that what the kids call it these days?

Trail ride. Cordell found someone to keep the horses. Temporarily? I'm still confused. Stella and Geri talk about Hoyt, and Stella asks about her forgiving him. Thinking about some forgiveness toward your own bad boy, Stella? She says "the two of you were always kind of like the dream to me," which is odd considering they were off-and-on, while her parents were very much on, and definitely seem more like couple goals. But okay. Stella confesses again that she is responsible, and Geri says "you let love in, maybe; that's your worse crime." I wonder if Stella blames herself for the fake truck crash that started the whole domino effect, or if she even realizes that's what happened. Obviously Geri wouldn't. Hmmm, I wonder what August thinks about all this?

Walker Ranch. Whoever this political opponent is, he must be a family friend, because he gave a toast at Cordell and Emily's rehearsal dinner. "Hey, when did your brother have such long hair," he asks, looking at a picture of the happy couple. Liam is growing facial hair again. I like it. Opponent suggests the spicy barbecue will put hair on Liam's chest and Liam tosses it aside and says "no, dammit, after I spent all that time waxing?" And Liam might drop out of whatever race he's in. I don't really care about that part. Let's talk more about Liam's chest.

I love that they can use actual Padalecki family photos as Cordell and Emily photos. No bad Photoshop needed!

Team Sassyboots 2.0. I don't really care about this missing guy either. Skipping it. You know, I understand this is meant to be an ensemble show, and Jared Padalecki and his stupid pretty face and long legs are not going to be in every scene. But Micki working a case with her boss and her boyfriend just bothers me and I don't want to be a part of it.

Trail ride. They're bedding down in the barn for the night? What the fuck? Where are they? Why didn't they just drive home? I'm so confused! Cordell and Geri talk about Hoyt some more. Cordell makes an awkward comment about "us together" and then amends it to mean all of us together, as in you and me and the kids camping right now, not, like, you and me together together, and then does a little eyebrow thing like whoo, good job, talked your way out of that one. NO, CORDELL, YOU ARE NOT AS SMOOTH AS YOU THINK YOU ARE. Anyway. There's a lot of guilt about poor dead Hoyt. Cordell tells Geri her name is still on the Sidestep lease (lease? I thought they owned it?), as if being part owner of a bar is always going to be a good thing, with no liability at all. And they don't kiss, for which I am grateful. The horses are really acting up. I hope nothing's happening.

Cordell checks on the horses and apologizes to the mare for leaving the llama behind. He realizes he made the wrong choice. "You know what," he says. "Let's go fix this."

I adore him.

Walker Ranch. Grandpa and Gramma have been mushroom hunting and are now getting silly. Um, what kind of mushrooms did you two find? And then Grandpa says "tonight's about Hoyt," which I do not understand. "I saw the joy he gave you," Grandpa says. Yes, Grandpa, and do you not find that even a little bit fishy? And then he decides to build something.

Trail ride. Cordell went and retrieved his llama! He is precious. I love him so much. He has some pratfalls in the same ravine that almost caught Stella, and then his family shows up and rescues him. (Can I point out that his "a-ha-ha" laugh is the same one we heard when he opened his gift from Dean in "A Very Supernatural Christmas" and I'm not sure it appeared in any other episode?) August offers the Lucky Jacket to use as a llama harness to haul the little guy out of the ravine. Oh, and it turns out the llama is about to give birth.

And, while I'm skipping Team Sassyboots 2.0, it's hard to ignore that Micki is now in a UFC fight. That might have been an interesting story after all. Y'all can fill me in.

Walker Ranch. They're building a little stable. Because this big horse ranch doesn't have enough stables. Liam, who was bedridden to the point of not being able to eat barbeque yesterday, is now helping build. He gets a text from his former fiance, who wants to talk. And Grandpa has decided to treat his cancer. Happy endings all around!

Micki's house. She says she was passive-aggressive with Walker because she's afraid of losing him. I get it, sweetie. He's someone you don't want to lose.

Trail ride. August is carrying the newborn llama, wrapped in the Lucky Jacket. Geri wants to cut out before they get to the ranch. She's going to ride the bus home? Seriously? Isn't her car at the Walker Ranch? She and Cordell talk abou their unfinished business. Yeah, like the fact she was probably involved in your wife's murder? That unfinished business, Geraldine? Grandpa meets them before they get to the ranch and informs them he has a strict no-llama policy on the ranch. But luckily, he just built an alpaca stable. They’re alpacas, not llamas. So, Geri called him, but how did he know they were alpacas? Did she send pictures? I am so confused. Anyway. The new family goes into their new home. They name the baby alpaca Hoyt, of course.

Little Hoyt, guys, he's the sweetest thing.

Breakfast. Political Opponent gives Liam a contribution. Oh, I get it. They're running for the same office, and he thinks Liam will draw votes away from his other opponent. Shrewd. Stella calls Trevor and says she might need to leave the past behind. And you are the past, Trevor. Cordell sees a truck pull up and runs out to meet Micki. She apologizes for holding a grudge over him leaving. She tries to shake hands and he hugs her instead. She thinks they can just be friends now instead of partners, and he says they're not friends, they're family. And then she oohs and aahs over the alpacas, which she recognizes immediately as alpacas and not llamas, and also points out that little Hoyt is actually a girl. Oops. Awkward. Cordell is surprised she can just tell. "Most people can." Yeah, you are the worst rancher's son ever. Then Cordell sees the fence is carved with a memorial to Hoyt. Aw.

He is also the sweetest thing.

So. Less drama than last week. More warmth. A ridiculous B story that was as annoying as giving Cas his own plot. Will I still watch next week? Yeah, probably. I have questions. How did Grandpa know they were alpacas? Where is the baby daddy? Can Cordell and his rancher father really not tell the difference between a male and female alpaca? Why is Geri riding the bus home, when her car is at the Walker's? Why is she avoiding the Walker Ranch? Will August ever get his own plot again?

It's just a shame that this episode didn't have any shout-outs to Supernatural, like the last one did...

[gretavanfleetlife]

Only Time Will Tell:

Chapter 8

AN: Hey guys, it’s sooo good to be back!😊Sorry for such a long wait for this chapter, I was on vacation. Anyway y’all are gonna need to pace yourself with this one, it’s double the usual chapter length and so much is happening!!! Love you all, thank you so much for your support, enjoy!💛🌻

Warnings: swearing

Word count: 4,700 words (lol oops)

Officially, it's been exactly one month since your best friends left Frankenmuth. You steadily raise a thick black pen up to your calendar and mark an 'X' through today's date. Your eyes skim through the rest of the month, landing on a date with a large red circle around it. You stare at it for a moment before gazing back at today's date and lifting your finger to count the number of days between today and the circled date. 12. You count again, hoping you counted one more than you should have. Still 12.

You toss the pen onto your desk and turn to skim through your record collection. Your fingers land on Bob Dylan, and you give a loose smile at the esteemed man on the album cover, who smiles back. Placing the needle carefully onto the record, you then cross your bedroom and collapse into a comfy, blue beanbag chair. You close your eyes and listen to the record spin. You remain perfectly still throughout the entire record, humming along to the dreamlike tune. You only open your eyes when you hear the record stop, the needle lifting itself upwards and returning to its resting place. You let out a heavy sigh.

"God bless Bob Dylan, a true legend," you smile, repeating Josh's timeless saying. You miss him terribly. You begin to wonder if he's been thinking about you as much as you've been thinking about him.

You lean your head back and stare mindlessly out the window. You consider sending Sam a text but quickly decide against it. Since he's left, you've been texting Sam almost every day, earning a harsh wave of guilt every time that you did.

The only other person you wanted to talk to more than Sam was Josh, but that wasn't going very smoothly either. You've tried calling Josh multiple times throughout the month, but each time the phone would loudly ring until you were eventually sent to voicemail.

You shift uncomfortably on the beanbag chair beneath you, feeling complete boredom rain over you. You've been bored all month without them, you just didn't know what to do. Only two weeks to go, less than that even. You know you'll survive for 12 more days, but their arrival seems to be taking an eternity.

You decide to try and call Josh again, dialing his number effortlessly. You listen eagerly to the phone ring against your ear. With each ring, your hope of an answer increasingly fades. The last ring chimes brightly as the phone gives a final effort to reach Josh before you're sent to his voicemail. You listen to you and Josh recite his voicemail that you recorded together years ago. A faint smile tugs at your lips, hearing Josh's joyful voice as well as your own encouraging you to leave a message at the tone. You sink further back into the chair with a sigh. He probably just doesn't have his phone with him again, as usual. Josh never likes to carry his phone with him, you recall optimistically.

You decide to try calling again in a few days, tossing your phone lazily onto the bed across your room. You try to remember a time before now that you've gone this long without talking to Josh, but you can't seem to think of one.

You miss him terribly. You miss watching the adorable pair of dimples appear on his face when you make him smile, how his eyebrows furrow when he concentrates on something, and how he always looks after you and puts you before himself.

You close your eyes, hoping with your entire heart that he's not ignoring you on purpose as you drift slowly out of consciousness.

-Sam's POV-

It's been a month since the last time I saw y/n, the last time I talked to her in person, and the last time I touched her. I'm certain that I would have gone crazy by now if it hadn't have been for our consistent texting. The one thing that keeps me from wanting to give up on the tour entirely and go back home is the promise she made me. She said she's gonna wait for me, and as long as that's true I'm willing to wait a little longer. I've been waiting for her for years, and although it still hurts, another couple weeks won't kill me.

I raise the bottle to my lips and take another long sip of beer, gazing up at my brother seated across from me. I need to know what's going on with Josh. The way he speaks to me is different now, although I can barely even explain it. He doesn't look me in the eyes as much when he talks to me, and our conversations are often much shorter than normal. When we're not recording or performing, he makes up excuses to be away from me, and they're fairly easy to see through. I've brought it up to Jake, and he seems to know much more about what's going on with Josh than I do. It's possible that Josh may have told him all about whatever's got him in this mood, although I have a pretty strong gut feeling it's just their twin telepathy thing. Either way, Jake hasn't told me why Josh is acting so weird, he's only told me not to bother him about it.

The four of us sit in our new trailer in peaceful silence. Josh and Danny share one couch while Jake and I lounge on the one opposite them. Josh is seemingly very busy writing music, scribbling down lyrics while he concentrates on the notebook gripped tightly in his hands. Jake downs the last of his beer with one swift raise of his arm. He stands up rather unsteadily from his seat beside me and announces that he's going to bed. Danny seconds Jake's actions, saying a quick goodnight and following him to the bedroom in the back of the cramped trailer. Calling it a bedroom is a stretch by any means, though, since its really only four pullout couches divided from the rest of the trailer by a thin curtain. Danny slides the curtain closed behind him and soon you hear both boys flop heavily onto their beds.

I steal a glance at my brother. Josh doesn't seem to notice that he's alone with me, or if he does he doesn't care. His focus doesn't break as he thoughtfully pours lyrics onto the busy page, his eyebrows furrowed in deep concentration. I relax backward into the soft couch, quietly taking another long sip of my beverage.

Another ten minutes go by and there hasn't been a single word exchanged between Josh and I. Normally, this is a scenario I have only ever dreamed of, causing me to feel slightly uneasy in the somewhat tense silence. I decide to let him finish writing without interruption, not wanting to distract him from writing a potential masterpiece.

Gentle snoring cuts through the silence of the trailer, coming from behind the far curtain. I can tell with complete certainty that the noise is coming from both Danny and Jake.

Looking up at Josh, I watch as he gently closes his notebook and places it on the coffee table along with his dull pencil. He leans back and sinks into the couch, lifting a hand to his mouth and softly tracing his lips in a steady contemplation. Josh's phone suddenly begins to vibrate on the small wooden table in front of him. His face falls into a frown as he leans forward to read the name of who is calling him this late at night. I watch his face fall as he reaches out, grabbing the phone and staring at it. Josh hesitates for a moment, and then slowly taps the screen. The vibrating stops and he shoves the phone quickly into his pocket. He leans further back into the couch and crosses his arms.

"Who was that?" I ask quietly, breaking through his dazed thoughts as he raises his head in attention.

"Mm?” he grunts, keeping his arms crossed while his fingers continue to gently trace over his lips.

"Who was that calling you," I repeat. Josh shakes his head and looks downwards.

"Oh just y/n, I'll call her back later," he says unconvincingly. He begins to stand up but I cut him off.

"Josh, can I talk to you for a minute?" I ask hopefully. Josh slowly descends back into his seat.

"Uh, sure I guess. What about?" he shrugs. I place my beer bottle on the coffee table next to the tattered notebook and lean forward, resting my arms on my knees.

"Well, first I wanted to know why you've been ignoring all of y/n's calls," I wonder, noticing Josh's shoulders tense in anticipation, "It's been, what, a month now? Have you talked to her once since we left home?" Josh stares steadily into my eyes, seemingly hesitant on how to answer.

"N-no, I haven't," Josh stumbles, glancing at the floor. His eyebrows furrow as his gaze returns to meet mine, "but that's really not any of your business, Sam. I strongly advise you to leave this alone." I give a small laugh, unable to prevent it from escaping my lips.

"Oh, I'm pretty sure whatever's going on is my business too. Listen, Josh, I just want to help you get over whatever this is," I say, motioning to him, "that's all."

"Get over what?" he prods, crossing his arms and leaning back.

"Well for starters, you're ignoring your best friend, avoiding your brothers, including Danny, and for a month you haven't held a conversation with me that's lasted more than five minutes. Should I keep going? Or do you have an idea of what's going on now," I ask sarcastically, frustrated at how difficult Josh is being. He knows damn well how different he's been acting. God, Josh can be so fucking annoying sometimes.

"You have no fucking clue what you're talking about Sam," Josh spits, pointing at me angrily.

"Oh yeah? Enlighten me," I respond crossing my arms and trying my best to appear relaxed. Growing up with Josh has taught me exactly how to get under his skin just enough to make him confess anything.

"Alright fine Sam, if this is what you want, then here it is," he begins, his eyes narrowing and the muscles in his jaw clenching. My tactics seem to have worked, as I notice Josh speaking faster, concentrating less on what is actually coming out of his mouth. However, what I hear next disrupts my relaxed facade.

"Before we left, y/n told me all about how she feels towards you. Obviously, she's had a rough past dating experience so I didn't want her to get hurt again. Especially by some ignorant prick who's about to leave on tour for a month and a half," Josh says firmly, his voice raising the more he proceeds. I sit unable to move, shocked at the words that come flying out his mouth. "So I told her," Josh pauses dramatically. The way Josh edges me on makes me furious, but I manage to hold back my raging emotions.

"Told her what?" I ask, knowing it's what he wanted to hear, but feeling too eager to refrain from asking.

"I told her not go after you," he admits. I feel my face turn hot with anger, "in fact I asked her to promise me that she wouldn't go near y-"

"And what did she say?" I cut him off. His face visibly saddens.

"She agreed to the promise," he remembers quietly, as my heart sinks low into my chest. Everything makes so much more sense now, but Josh isn't finished. "And she broke that promise, but you already knew that," he says, shaking his head as I lower my gaze to the floor. Josh was talking much more quietly now, the former anger replaced by sadness as he recalled what had happened. "And that isn't even the worst part," he continues, seemingly lost in the memory to care whether he was telling me too much, "what hurt the most was when she told me nothing happened with you, again, and again, and again, right to my face. It hurt me. It really did," he stares across the room at me, "is that what you wanted to hear?" I swallow hard, not wanting to meet his gaze. He runs his hands across his face with a heavy sigh. Josh attempts to stand up but I cut him off again.

"Josh wait, hear me out," he pauses briefly before returning to his seat across from me. I meet his sad eyes with my own, "listen, you know me, better than most people. Do you really think that I would treat y/n like shit?" I ask, silently hoping that he'll say no. Josh opens his mouth to speak, but no words come out. He quietly shakes his head, and I know that I've gotten through to him.

"Look, I'm sorry that had to happen. You can hate us both for being together, or try and break us apart," I continue, "but I love her, and that's all I'm really concerned about."

-Time skip: 12 days later-

-Y/N's POV-

You wake up with a start, excitedly checking your phone for the time and reading 10:53 a.m. glare brightly back. You went to bed extremely late last night, unable to fall asleep due to the anticipation of your friends coming home the next day. You throw your comforter off of you and swing your legs around to sit up on the side of your bed. You stretch happily and let out a loud yawn. You decide to make a trip to the record store to buy some 'welcome home' presents for the boys. You change quickly and hurry outside toward the black pickup truck parked in your driveway. You hop in the vehicle and back out of the driveway, turning on the radio to your favorite rock and roll station. You hear the ending of 'Sympathy for the Devil' fill the silence of your car. Once the song finishes, the upbeat voice of the radio announcer fills the car.

"Alright, Frankenmuth, up next is a new song by a local and upcoming rock and roll band, Greta Van Fleet!" You gasp loudly as a familiar guitar riff fills the air. You crank up the volume as loud as the speakers will allow, singing along loudly to 'Highway Tune' as you speed down the gravel road and enter the town. A huge smile graces your face as you pull into the driveway of Siren Records. You park the car but remain seated until the song finishes, giving an excited squeal as the song fades to silence and the radio announcer returns.

You happily hop out of your car and enter the record store with a new skip in your step. Your mind feels extremely crowded with everything that's going on, but you still know exactly what you want to get for each of the boys. You're as familiar with their individual music tastes as you are with the back of your hand. Searching through the endless bins of records, you find your gift for Josh with ease, proudly picking up Nashville Skyline by Bob Dylan and tucking it under your armpit. As you continue to skim through the dusty records, you feel a vibration in your pocket. You reach for your phone and see who's calling you.

"Oh my god," you mumble, your eyes wide with anticipation. You fumble with your phone, almost dropping it as you accept the call and raise it quickly to your ear, "hello?"

"Hey y/n, it's me," Josh answers, his voice sounding deep and raspy through the phone. You've missed the sound of his voice the most, his greeting bringing a genuine smile to your face.

"Hey, Josh-" you begin before abruptly cutting yourself off. By habit, you almost called him 'Joshie', which you know would not have gone well judging by the last conversation the two of you had. He clears his throat into the phone, pausing for a moment. You grip the phone tightly as you hear muffled mumbling in the background.

"So I just wanted to ask how it's going, uh, back home," he wonders aloud.

Placing down your record momentarily, you make your way outside of the record store so as not to bother anyone inside with your private conversation.

"Well, it was incredibly boring without you," you smile, "Frankenmuth has never been so quiet." Josh laughs into the phone, and you feel your heart begin to beat faster. The sound is like music to your ears, you've missed making him laugh. You picture familiar dimples gracing his cheeks as his mouth tugs into a wide grin.

"That sounds dreadful," he chuckles.

"It was," you agree, "so when do you think you'll be home?"

"Around another half hour or so, I'd say," he estimates, making your heart flutter at the thought of their arrival.

"Oh that's fantastic, see you then!" you smile, feeling exhilarated and over the moon with joy, "bye Joshie!" You clap a hand over your mouth as you realize what you just called him. You close your eyes, bracing yourself for his response.

"Bye y/n, see you soon," he laughs before hanging up. You let out a huge sigh of relief as you shove your phone back into your pocket, thankful that he didn't scold you for using his nickname again.

A hand taps you on the shoulder, breaking you out of your daze as you turn around to see who it is. Your eyes gaze upward to meet Ethan's, as you force a smile onto your face. You were hoping to avoid him until school started up again, not wanting to interact with him after watching him make out with another girl at Josh's party.

"Hey! It's good to see you," you lie. Being friendly seems to be the quickest way through this conversation.

"Yeah, you look great," he says, visibly checking you out as you cross your arms in front of yourself in a weak attempt to stop his wandering eyes.

"Thanks," you say, a smile tugging at the corners of your mouth. You go on to talk about what you both have been doing this summer for a while longer, as you patiently wait for your conversation to end.

"So, uh," Ethan proceeds warily, "did you happen to get my text? I sent it to you a while ago, like, a couple of days after Josh's party or something like that." You frown and shake your head.

"No, I must not have seen it. Sorry about that, I'm just never really on my phone that much," you reply apologetically. That was a total lie as well, as you had definitely noticed that you had received a few texts from him a while back, but decided not to answer.

"No worries, I just wanted to tell you that I think you're the most beautiful girl I've ever seen," Ethan continues, taking a step towards you. He's standing so close to you now that you can almost feel his breath. You look down at your feet to refrain from rolling your eyes at his comment. You feel his hand lightly lift your chin up, forcing you to meet his gaze. He quickly closes the gap between you and leans in to kiss you. Before his lips can meet yours, you swiftly take a step away from him, stumbling backward. You weren't about to break another promise, the last one was bad enough. You look up at him with a look of insincere apology.

"I-I'm in a relationship," you hear yourself say. It seems like the easiest way out of the situation. His eyebrows furrow as he glares at you with confusion.

"Oh," Ethan sighs, "with who?" Your eyes widen and your heart begins to beat faster.

"Sam Kiszka," you blurt, feeling a familiar blush creep onto your cheeks as you realize what you just said out loud. You watch Ethan roll his eyes.

"Come on, really?" You frown and furrow your eyebrows as he shakes his head, "I'm way better looking than that guy." A sharp laugh escapes your lips as you smile up at him.

"Yeah right, have you seen Sam?" you say as Ethan's face falls, "you wish you even came close," you scoff, turning on your heel and walking back towards the record store. You swing open the door with a smirk plastered onto your face, finding where you left your Bob Dylan record and resuming your search.

After a few more minutes of skimming through the dusty bins, you settle on The Beatles' Revolver for Danny, Hot Rocks by the Rolling Stones for Jake, and none other than Van Morrison's Moondance for Sam.

After you pay, you hop back into your truck and check the time. The boys should arrive home any minute now, so you begin to drive back towards the Kiszka house. You want to see them as soon as you can, so you don't waste any time as you quickly speed down the dusty dirt road.

Pulling into their driveway, you park your car and wait for their van to drive in beside you.

Another ten minutes pass, feeling like an eternity before you see their van roll up to the house and park beside you. You jump out of your truck and run over to theirs just as Josh steps out of the passenger seat. In the moment, you forget all about your fight, immersed only in feeling ecstatic that Josh is home. You rush towards him and throw your arms around his neck. He doesn't hesitate to hug you tightly against himself in return.

"I missed you so fucking much," you say into his shirt as he grasps you tighter.

"I missed you too," he replies, pulling back while keeping his hands on your shoulders, "but don't think I'm not still pissed," he says with a smirk.

"I know, talk later, okay?" you ask hopefully. Josh smiles and nods.

"Okay," he agrees.

"What are we, chopped liver?" Jake says, causing you to tear your eyes away from Josh and walk towards him with your arms outstretched. He wraps his arms around you and pulls you in for a hug, rubbing your back gently.

"You didn't forget about me, did you?" he whispers in your ear, hugging you close to him.

"Of course not, are you kidding?" you grin. Suddenly, your hug is disrupted by Danny pushing Jake away from you.

"What the fuck," Jake chuckles, as Danny wraps his muscular arms around you tightly, forcing you into a soft hug.

"Shut up, it's my turn," he answers loudly as you laugh against his chest.

"It's good to see you, y/n," Danny beams as you hug him tighter in response.

He lets go of you and you turn towards Sam. Your heart flutters as you stare at him, admiring his seemingly flawless features. He looks even better than you remember as he closes the distance between you.

"Hey," he says awkwardly as you wrap your arms around his torso. He hugs you back, enveloping his arms around you and nuzzling his face into your neck. You close your eyes and smile into his chest in a state of total serenity.

"I missed this," he mutters quietly into your neck, too muffled for anyone but you to hear it, "I missed you." You feel butterflies swarm in your stomach and your heart skip a beat.

"I missed you too," letting out a content sigh and pulling out of the hug. You gaze at each other for a moment, both of you admiring the other. You hear Jake clear his throat, causing you to tear your eyes away from Sam and look towards the abrupt noise. The three boys were standing a few feet away, smiling at you and Sam. You blush, trying to think of a way to divert their focus from you two.

"Oh, I almost forgot, I have presents!" you say enthusiastically, heading to your car to hide your rosy cheeks. The boys exchange low murmurs of excitement in anticipation of receiving their gifts. You grab the records from your car and skip back to the group. You hand them out and smile as you watch each of their faces light up.

"No way!" Danny says as you hand him his. "Alright I've gotta hear this," he says as he gives you a quick hug and rushes inside to find a record player.

"Me too," Jake and Sam say in unison, hurrying to catch up with Danny.

"Thanks, y/n!" Sam calls while he runs into the house with Jake. You laugh at their reactions as you realize you're left alone Josh. You glance over at him, watching him study the album cover of his new record.

"You like it?" you ask as he quickly looks up at you with a wide grin, soft dimples appearing on his cheeks.

"You know I love it, thank you y/n," he says, but his smile soon fades, "can we go somewhere to talk?" You nervously scratch the back of your head.

"Of course," you reply. You follow him as he leads you to the backyard, each of you taking a seat on the porch steps overlooking the forest beyond their property. At first, neither of you speak, both of you gazing thoughtfully at each other not seeming to know where to begin. You both decide to break the silence and begin to speak at the same time. You apologize and Josh gives a small laugh.

“You can go first,” he speaks gently. You suck in a sharp breath and begin to explain yourself to him, apologizing every now and then. You tell him that although you may not deserve his trust, you are going to be nothing but honest with him from now on. Fiddling with your hands, you go on to say that you still like Sam, but you’re unsure what that would mean for everyone else.

You speak for a long time, words that you longed to say while Josh was gone pouring out of you without restraint. Josh stares attentively at you the whole time, listening to everything you have to say without interrupting. You finish speaking with a sigh and look up at him nervously. He smirks at you.

“Are you done?” he asks gently. You nod, swallowing sharply as he raises a hand to his face, tracing over his lips with his fingers softly. He gives a small sigh and looks to the ground, seemingly deciding where to begin.

“While we were gone, I talked to Sam,” he says steadily. Your heartbeat quickens and you anxiously bite your lip. “I gave it a lot of thought, and I realized that I haven’t been completely fair. I didn’t realize how much you mean to him,” he continues, your heart fluttering in your chest, “and come to think of it, if I loved someone as much as Sam loves you, I might have done the same thing.” He pauses, looking up at you with a small smile.

“And although I don’t think I’ll ever understand how you can find that freak appealing,” he says, causing both of you to laugh, “I do know that he’ll treat you right,” he smiles. You stand and move towards him, reaching down to him and hugging him tightly.

“I love you so much, thank you, Josh,” you grin, your eyes shut tightly as he accepts your embrace. He stands with you as you pull away, turning to walk with him back to the house.

“As long as you’re happy,” he grins at you, throwing his arm loosely over your shoulder. “But if you ever lie to me again-" he laughs, wagging a finger at you as you cut him off.

“I promise I won’t, under one condition,” you smirk, causing him to stop walking and look down at you with confusion.

“And what’s that?” he asks.

“I get to call you Joshie,” you say as he laughs loudly, mimicking your wide smile.

“Deal.”

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