#okay as I was typing that in I saw a tag for “salad fingers” ??????

[call-me-strega]

[smoooothoperator]

untouchable

20: Lonely

Lando Norris x OC (Violet Sinclair)

same group friend, unrequited love, acquittances to lovers, ski trip, love triangle, life as lovers

Words: 5.3k

Warnings: Harry.

a/n: Happy Easter!!! I hope everyone had an amazing week! A little warning, the next chapter will be the last one! But of course there will be an epilogue and bonus chapters

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Day 1

Nurses came to check on her all the time to see her vitals, how her brain was going as well as taking a look at how her body was healing after the surgery.

My phone was blowing all the time with messages and calls, asking if I was alright. Just how I predicted, everyone saw the news and recognized my car. Workers from McLaren called me, my family and friends called too, drivers from the grid.

Everyone was worried about me. But none of them expected what actually happened. 

When the nurses changed her to the VIP room I reserved for her, Max and Pietra came with me, both of them bringing clothes for her and for me, as well as something to eat.

“You have to eat, mate” Max sighed, watching how I left the bowl of salad on the table, not even touching it.

“I'm not hungry, I swear” I sighed. 

“You didn't eat anything yesterday, Lando. Eat something, or at least drink” Pietra sighed.

I looked at them and sigh, grabbing the bowl and eating it under their gaze. 

“I don't know what to do… my phone is going to explode soon with all the notifications and calls” I sighed, looking at my phone. “What should I do?”

“Maybe write something you can send to everyone, as well as posting it on your social media” Max sighed. “Everyone is talking about the crash, mate. And they think it's you”

“I know” I sigh, brushing my hair with my fingers. “I just… What should I say? Hey, I'm okay but not my girlfriend who was actually the one driving the car?”

“I mean… Yeah? Just tell everyone that gladly you are okay, but unfortunately the one involved in the crash was Violet. And if you are going to write something for your media just ask for privacy. You know how the world is…” Max said, shrugging his shoulders.

I took a deep breath and looked at Violet. Her hair is messy and some locks are tinted in red. 

“There has to be a way of washing her hair” I mumbled. 

“I'll go ask a nurse, okay?” Pietra smiled weakly, walking out of the room.

I sighed and just scanned Violet's face with my eyes. The cuts were still there, her left eye was swollen. Her arms are full of cuts as well, maybe because she tried to shield her face with her arms. 

“I'm going to write a text” I sighe, grabbing my phone and watching all the notifications. “God… It's like I was dead for a night. I didn't answer none of them”

“It's okay, I'm sure everyone will understand” Max sighed, placing his hand on my shoulder. “Plus, I'm sure your fans know it's not you. You were streaming when it happened”

I smile weakly and nod, looking at the screen and typing something, then delete it. 

Hello everyone. I'm sorry I didn't answer any of you. I'm okay, physically, but mentally I'm not. It was true there was a crash and my car was involved, but I hate to admit that it didn't happen to me, the one driving it was Violet. We are in the hospital, she's unconscious. I hope everyone understands why I didn't reply to your text.

I showed Max the message and sighed when he nodded, copying the text and sending it to everyone that texted me.

“I don't know if I should call her family” I mumble. “I mean… she doesn't have a good relationship with them. But still, they are her family”

“Did they try to contact you?” Max frowned. 

“No” I sighed, looking at Violet. “They have my number, Violet sent it to them in case of an emergency… And I think this one is a big one”

“Then, if they didn't call you, don't call them. It was on the news, it's hard to believe that they didn't read about it” he said. “She said it herself, they only reach for her when they want something from her”

“I know” I sighed.

When Pietra came back with the nurse, she asked the three of us to get out of the room so she could clean and wash her hair.

“Come on, let's go walk a little” Max said, grabbing my arm.

I just let them guide me, feeling how my phone buzzed constantly inside of the pocket of my hoodie. I grabbed it, reading every message, smiling sadly.

“Some drivers want to come” I sighed. “Carlos, Oscar, Charles, Daniel, Max and Alex”

“That's good” Max smiled. 

“I don't know if it is…” I sighed. “I mean, I know they want to do it to cheer me up. But right now all I want to do is sit next to her bed and wait for her to wake up. I don't even want to force a smile”

“Then don't force it. They will understand. You don't need to be smiling all the time, Lando” Pietra said. “And you need to be distracted too, think about something else”

“I'm just tired” I sighed. “But I guess you are right”

Some hours passed. Max and Pietra left so I could have time with the other drivers, as well as letting me have time for myself.

“What if they come with their pity faces?” I sighed, holding Violet's hand. “I don't know if I can with that”

I sighed, shaking my head and looking at the door once I heard a few knocks on it, standing up next to her bed.

“Come in”

I took a deep breath, trying to put on the fakest smile I can put now, watching how the door opened slowly and hearing the quiet steps of Carlos and Oscar walking inside of the room. Somehow, I felt grateful they came first. They are the ones I trust the most lately. Carlos being my first teammate and my true friend in the paddock, and Oscar being my current teammate and someone I trust and I know I can rely on.

“Hey…” I sighed. 

“Oh, Lando…” Carlos sighed, walking towards me and wrapping his arms around me. “I'm so sorry… The other guys are outside, we wanted to come in first to see how are you”

“No, please” I mumbled. “Just… She's alive, okay? She's just sleeping”

“Of course” Oscar nodded. “But how are you dealing with this?”

I took a deep breath and immediately erased the fake smile. I looked back at Violet for a few seconds and sighed.

“I swear I thought I had lost her” I said with a sad smile. “When I received the call, I was in shock. I was repeating the words they said in my mind, over and over and over again. And on my way to the hospital I couldn't stop thinking about what would happen to me if she didn't survive…”

“But she's okay” Carlos sighed, placing his hand on my arm. 

“She's in a coma, Carlos… I don't know if she's really okay. I don't know if she's in pain, or scared” I said, feeling my eyes getting wet again. “I feel useless now, sitting and watching her, hoping that she wakes up”

“Hey, you are not useless” Oscar sighed, hitting my arm softly. “You are here, supporting her. And you are being so strong, mate. Staying here and not leaving her side, I'm sure she will appreciate it”

“I wish I could do more” I said looking back at her.

Day 2

Her room smells like flowers.

Yesterday, when the drivers came with their girlfriends, all of them brought flowers for her, as well as some other things to cheer her up once she wakes up.

“We know she loves reading, she got us into it” Carman said, smiling weakly. “So all of us got her a book”

“You didn't have to, girls” I smiled weakly, looking at the box they placed on the table with a few books inside of it. “I'm sure she will love it”

I sighed, looking at the table and standing up, walking towards it and looking at the inside of the box. When I opened it, I smiled weakly, watching her favorite candies inside of it as well as a few books I hadn't seen on her shelves yet.

“You won't believe what the girls brought you” I smiled weakly, sitting next to her and holding her hand. “The books you had in your wishlist. I think something like Fourth Wing and Iron Flame… Oh, and that one from the actress with seven husbands”

I looked at her, hoping that those words made her react. But of course, my delusional mind was being too naive. 

“Mom and dad are coming soon” I sighed. “Should I let them stay in the apartment? I don't want them to go around looking for a hotel knowing that I won't stay at home. You don't mind, right? I just… I can't leave you here alone”

I sigh looking at her hand, trying to feel her squeezing my hand as a sign. The doctor told me that anytime she could do that, she could respond and move her fingers. 

“Please, just move a finger… I'll go insane if I keep talking alone” I whisper. “Are you alright? In pain? You know I hate it when you are in pain…”

I waited some seconds to receive an answer, but I could only hear the beeping of the monitors with her heartbeat. 

The door opened and I sighed, recognizing the steps of my parents coming closer. I heard them leave something on the table and then walk towards me.

“Oh, God…” my mom sighed, hugging me. 

“How is she? How are you?” my dad asked, making me smile sad.

Everyone has been asking me that. My messages are full of people asking me how Violet is, how I'm dealing with it.

“Why is everyone asking that? It makes me feel like she's dead” I sighed. 

“I know, son” my dad sighed, sque my shoulder with his hand.

“I'm just… dealing with it, I guess” I sighed looking back at them. “I feel relieved somehow. The nurses that come say that she's recv well. The surgery went well and her brain activity is good. But they don't know when she's going to wake up”

“I'm sure it will be soon” my mom nodded.

I sighed nodding, hugging her and taking a deep breath. 

“You can stay in the apartment” I said, looking up at them. “It's like half an hour away by car… But at least you have somewhere to stay”

“No, Lando” my dad sighed, shaking his head.

“It's okay” I smile weakly. “I won't go… I will stay here with her. The nurses will arrange for me the extra bed so I can stay at night too. And you'll have food and somewhere nice to sleep. I'm sure won't mind”

They smiled weakly and nodded, both of them wrapping his arms around me. I don't want to break down, I want to be strong for Violet. I tried so hard the last two days to not cry while I'm in her room, but now feeling my parents’ arms around me, it is so hard to hold on to everything.

“I am so scared” I cried softly. “What if she doesn't wake up? What if things don't go well? What if I really lose her?”

“You won't, Lando” my mom sighed, rubbing my back. “Violet is a strong girl, she has a strong soul”

“Everyone is telling me that” I mumble. “But why can't I believe it? Why everytime I look at her I feel my heart shattering?”

“Because you love her, Lando. You love her and watching her this way makes you vulnerable”

I felt my shoulders shaking with every sob, feeling their hands rubbing my back and their arms tightening around me. 

Once I calmed down I got up from the chair and walked with them towards the table, watching the bag with lunch they left there. I sighed, opening the box and playing with the food in front of me.

“Somehow I feel that this accident made me see that I have to love the present with her” I said.

“Why do you think that?” my dad asked, frowning.

“We were talking about buying a house together” I sighed. “And I was looking for engagement rings. I just… I love her so much, but I was so focused on it and living my own fantasy with her that I didn't face reality. We have only been dating for six months, I can't take a big step like asking her to marry me…”

“It's soon, son” he sighed. “You two are young, just wait a little. Enjoy life with her”

“I know” I nodded. “Now I know…”

My mom looked at me with a weak smile, placing her hand on top of mine and sque it softly.

“Do you want to show us what you two were looking at?” she smiled weakly. “Maybe we can help”

“It's not necessary, mom” I smiled weakly, grabbing my phone and showing them the pictures of the houses we liked. 

“We want to” she smiled looking at my dad and both of them nodding. “We did the same with Oliver's first house with Savannah. We will do the same for you and Violet”

I took a deep breath and smiled, nodding.

I just have to face the reality. And unfortunately, my reality is that the love of my life is unconscious and I have to accept every help and hug I receive.

And in moments like this, I know who will be by my side.

Day 4 

Days were too long. So incredibly long.

My routine was so monotonous: waking up before the nurses came to check on Violet, get changed into comfortable clothes and then sit on the chair next to her bed.  

I wonder if Jon would be mad if I tell him that I'm skipping my diet and barely working out. Will he be mad? No, right? He knows me, he knows how I'm feeling right now. He knows that, right now, Violet is my priority.

“I think I'm going to read one of those books you are obsessed with” I said looking at her. “Just to feel close to you… Which one should I read? The one of that Feyre girl? Or the one that is a mix of The Hunger Games with Greek mythology?”

I looked at her, trying to find an answer and I sighed. The doctor said that her brain activity is going well, she's recovering. Slowly, but she's recovering.

“Well, A Court of Roses and Spines will be the one” I sighed, smiling weakly, grabbing my tablet and downloading the book, starting reading it immediately.

When Violet told me that a day can go faster when you read a book I always thought that she was exaggerating a little. Whenever she stayed in her office all day, I never imagined she could be starting a book in the morning and finish it at night. 

But now, reading the last line of the book, I understood how she felt. When I read the last word, the sky was already dark. 

“Oh my God” I whisper, looking at Violet. “Why did you never make me read this before? And the Rhysand that is in this book is the same Rhysand you say is your book crush? What the hell? How? Why? ”

I held my breath, trying to see a reaction. But again, I only heard her heartbeat as an answer.

“I wish you were awake…” I whisper. “God, now I see you so much in this book. I see you in Feyra, my love…”

I sighed, taking her hand in mine and bringing it to my lips, pressing a kiss on her knuckles. Her hand is cold, but somehow that doesn't scare me because she always had cold hands.

Maybe reading her favorite books made me feel closer to her, getting into one of the things she loves. Somehow, since we started dating, I learned new things about her every day, things I never knew I would discover before about her. 

And somehow, it made me miss her even more. 

“Please, wake up” I whisper. “I miss you so bad, Violet. I miss your smile and your laugh, even how you complain because I stay in the computer too long and I don't come to you to cuddle. I promise I won't stay up late gaming, just… Please, please, open your eyes”

Day 6

“Okay, you were right. Rhysand is good, Tamlin is not good”

When my parents came yesterday, they brought me the books I was reading. Both of them were surprised I started reading, something I barely did before meeting Violet.

“You know? Now I think I understand why you said that we are like Rhys and Feyre. And I agree” I sighed, holding her hand. “I see us… Maybe I should dye my hair black? Rhys has black hair and is tanned. I don't have purple eyes, but…”

I smile weakly, kissing her hand and leaving the book on my lap.

Her face is less swollen than a few days ago, she only has bruises now and scars of the cuts. Her doctor gave me a cream I can put on the scars so they won't leave a big mark on her skin.

I sighed and continued my reading, but I was interrupted by my phone receiving a call from an unknown number.

“Hello?” I sighed, frowning.

“I'm talking with Lando Norris?” 

“Yeah, who is this?” I frowned, swallowing thickly.

“I'm calling from the police department. We made an investigation about the car crash where your car was involved a week ago. And we would like to talk with you”

“L-look… I think right now is not the right time” I sighed, rubbing my face. “My girlfriend is in the hospital. I can't leave right now”

“It's related to what caused her crash” he said. “It wasn't an accident. It was intentional”

“What?” I frown, getting up from the chair and walking away from her bed. “What do you mean it was intentional”

“The brakes were manipulated. Someone manipulated them” he sighed. “We can investigate who it was”

Someone manipulated the brakes. Someone wanted to… No. Not her, the Audi is not her car. 

“Someone wanted me to crash” I said, swallowing thickly. “The car was mine”

“We will search for the person who did this” he nodded. 

“Can you please look at the street cameras around where we currently live” I said, swallowing thickly, somehow scared of what the conclusion would be. “I have been receiving pictures of someone invading our privacy, receiving threats. I think that person would be the same one that tried to…”

“We will work on it” he said. “Thank you for telling us that”

“Y-yeah, just please, get that person away from us”

I ended the call and sat on the table, looking at the wall in front of me, not believing what was happening.

Someone tried to kill me. Someone manipulated the brakes of my car to make me have an accident like the one Violet had.  Someone wanted me dead, and instead, Violet is there in the bed unconscious.

I didn't want to trust what my mind was saying, refusing to recognize the name that echoed in the back of my mind. 

Harry. Harry. Harry. Harry.

He wouldn't, right? 

Harry. Harry. Harry. Harry.

“Fuck” I gasped.

Eloise had the same crash she had. And what did she have in common with me? Violet. 

No, no, it can't be. He wouldn't do something like that to Eloise… Right?

My body worked alone and soon I heard the beeps of my phone next to my ear, and after that the same voice of the officer that talked with me minutes ago.

“I think I have a name” I mumbled. 

“Oh? Are you sure?” he said surprised.

“I wouldn't like to be” I sighed. “Harry Greyson. He… He was a friend of ours. But I think he did really bad things to us, to all of my friends. His girlfriend… My girlfriend's best friend died last year in December. They said it was because of the snow, but I wouldn't be so sure. Please, just find answers”

“We will investigate him. Thank you for the name” he said.

“Y-yeah” I nodded, swallowing thickly and ending the call.

Would Harry do this? He would do anything to have Violet, right? But… If he wanted her since the start, why never go for her? Why dating Eloise?

“Fucking hell…” I groan, messing my hair and looking at Violet. “I swear to God. If he did this to you, he's a dead man. I swear, Violet”

Day 8

I hated this. I hated the uncertainty of not knowing what was happening was killing me.

The police started an investigation, they looked at the street cameras that are near Violet's apartment as well as where Eloise used to live. But they never called me back to give me updates of it.

And to make it worse, a week has already passed since the crash.

“I hate this, love” I whisper while holding her hand. “I hate so much that I can't do anything to make you wake up. Are you even hearing? Can you hear me? Just move a finger please, because I think I'm going crazy. Will you wake up? What should I do?”

I was so uneasy. The calm part of me wanted to stay here and wait for her to open her eyes, holding her hand and whisper sweet nothings. But the mad part wanted to walk out and find Harry, get answers.

“What should I do?” I sighed, swallowing thickly when I felt the tears coming back. “I want to punch and kick the shit out of him. I want answers, Violet. What if he's not who we think he is? And I'm afraid of being right, but… What if he is the man that was stalking us? What if he was the reason Eloise died? What if he did everything because of you? Because he's sick and only wants to have you as his puppet?”

I swallowed thickly and looked at her. If I'm right… What should I do?

“He has to go to jail, Vivi..” I whisper. “Right? The police will call me soon, I can feel it. I gave them his name, just in case”

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. 

This is a nightmare, and it only will end once this finally ends.

The day passed slower than I wanted. Max and Pietra came to spend the afternoon with me, but that didn't stop my anxiety whenever I received a notification.

“What is going on?” Max frowned.

“I just…” I sighed. “The police called me. They said that the crash wasn't an accident. Someone wanted me to crash, hoping that I was the one getting in the car. And somehow that made me think”

“About?” he whispered.

“Harry” I sighed, shaking my head. “I don't know. I just… I don't know. His name somehow came to my mind and things started to click immediately”

“But, how?” Pietra frowned. “Why?”

“I never told you, neither Violet. Someone was sending me pictures of us. Someone is stalking us” I said. “And it has to be someone that knows where Violet lives. You two know it, and I highly doubt it would be one of you. Eloise knew too, and… she's dead. Who else knew where she lives?”

“Harry” Max nodded.

“Exactly” I sighed, swallowing thickly. “I'm not going crazy, right?”

They looked at each other and then at me, smiling weakly. 

“I have to find him” I said firmly. “For Violet”

“What? No. Lando!” Max frowned. “Going to him won't make Violet wake up. You are not an Avenger or something in the style”

“I know! But I need answers, Max” I said. “I need to know why he did everything he did”

“You are assuming he was the one that caused the crash” Pietra sighed. “You are angry, we get it. But please… Don't do something stupid”

I took a deep breath and looked away from them, fixing my eyes on Violet. I need to do something, I can't stay here with my arms crossed and waiting for a miracle.

And then my phone started buzzing, with the same number of the call I received two days ago.

“Hello?” I answered the call, swallowing thickly when I pressed the speaker button.

“We have him” the officer said. “Harry Greyson has been under arrest since this morning. You were right, he was the one that invaded your privacy and the one that manipulated your car”

“Oh, thank God” I swallowed thickly, sighing with relief.

“But he wants to talk with you. He didn't even call a lawyer. He only wants to talk with you” he sighed. 

“What?” I frown and took a deep breath. “Okay, I'll go”

I ended the call before Max could complain.

“Lando!” Max sighed, shaking his head.

“It will be safe. He's under arrest, you heard it” I said. “With chains and all, I'm sure”

I took a deep breath and stood up, looking at Violet. I don't know when she's going to wake up, the doctors said she should be already awake… Why is she not awake?

“Please stay with her” I asked them, grabbing my phone and wallet.

“You are joking, right? Come on, Lando!” Max exclaimed. “Don't do something you will regret”

“I have to, Max” I sighed. “I have to know the truth. I have to know why he did that. He wanted me dead! If I was the one in the bed, you would do the same, right?”

I took a deep breath and looked at him, watching how he lowered his head and sighed. I'm letting my anger take control of my emotions, and I absolutely hate the feeling of that.

“I'll come back, okay? Just… Stay with her”

Before they said anything I was already walking out of the room, feeling my heart beating strongly against my chest. This was the first time I'll leave Violet since she's hospitalized, and somehow that made me feel anxious.

What if something goes wrong while I'm not here? What if she thinks I left her? What if… What if, what if, what if…

But I was already on my way to the police station, getting out of the taxi and going to the reception and saying that an officer called me. And before knowing it, I was sitting in front of Harry.

“Well, well” he smirked.

“You did it” I frowned. “You manipulated the brakes of my car”

“What makes you think that?” he laughed.

“You are the only one left of our group that knows where Violet lives” I frowned. 

He looked at me with a grin that made me feel goosebumps. It wasn't the smile he used to have when we were kids, that mischievous smile he had whenever we planned something funny or when we made a prank. No, that was a scary grin with a gaze that only meant something bad.

“It's all her fault” he said seriously, but not erasing that smile. “She was the one that started it all. With that smile and that stupid behavior. If she kept smiling in that way to everyone, she would be in trouble. She smiled at me first, she chose me!”

I frowned looking at him. Is he being serious?

“But of course, those guys came” he scoffed. “What were their names? Oh, yeah! Jared the cheater, Michael the snob and Owen the…”

“Don't you dare to say it” I frowned, swallowing thickly, clenching my jaw 

“Whatever” he scoffed. “It was pretty easy to get rid of them at the start”

“What?”

“Oh yeah! It's really impressive how easy it is to make her believe things, hm? A picture sent by an anonymous saying that Jared is cheating on her but actually he's hugging his cousin. And threatening Michael was really funny, you should have seen how scared he was when I broke his car with a gold club. But Owen? Oh, Owen was harder than I thought, but the end was pretty satisfying. It was so disappointing noticing that he loved drinking, but he didn't even notice the powder on his shot as he drank it. And hearing her scream for help, panicking while the man she said she loved only wanted to have fun... I was so disappointed with you, actually. You, the man that was so crazy in love with her since you met her… You, who always tried to find a second to be close to her but couldn't hear her screwing for help”

I swallow thickly, feeling nauseous. He did this, all for her. I was right, and I hated being right in this. Hearing him talk this way was like talking with a stranger.

“Why?” I groaned, clenching my jaw. “Why did you do all of this?”

“Oh, because it's so funny! It's so funny watching how she runs back to me! How, after everything, that stupid smile was only to me!” he laughed. “But then Eloise started to get too involved. She wanted to spend more time with her, to have her all for herself. She invited her to that stupid trip you planned and wanted to spend time with her. And let's not forget all the times she tried to set you up with her. Why?! Violet is mine! Why would she want to spend more time with her?! And then you… You started to put stupid things on her brain. Telling her things about me! How dare you?!”

“Because you are crazy! You manipulated her!” I exclaimed, but he stood up and it made me flinch. Something about him scares me, maybe the fact that he was chained to the table or his gaze of psychopath. 

“You should be the one that got in the car and died!” he exclaimed. “Not her! It was easy with Eloise! But you… You did it! You killed her!”

“She's not dead” I mumbled. “She's not dead and she will hate you until she can't remember you”

“Nah, I don't think so” he smirked. “She will always come back to me. You will hurt her, maybe cheat on her with one of those models that walk around the paddock and then she'll come back to me. Right where she belongs”

I took a deep breath and grabbed my phone from the pocket of my hoodie, placing it on the table, in front of me. 

“She won't, Harry. Give up” I said, stopping the recording. “She's with me, she's happy”

It was so quick. The moment he got up again and tried to wrap his hands around my neck, two guards walked in and grabbed Harry by the arms, making him sit while he screamed. I just got up and walked out, with an intense need of throwing up as soon as I walked out of that room.

Never in my life I imagined he was able to do something like this. Never in my life I imagined he would kill someone and try to kill me.

The officers that walked next to me gave me a weak smile as they walked me out of the police station, talking to me. But I wasn't listening, not understanding what they were saying.

“Harry will be sent to jail” one of them said. “After talking to you he made a confession, he will go through a court, but that won't save him”

“Y-yeah, okay” I nodded, just wanting to get away from here and go back to Violet.

I took a deep breath and called a taxi, going to the hospital while looking at the screen of my phone. He really said everything, he really told me everything. 

How on Earth could he turn into someone like this? Why on Earth did he get so obsessed with Violet?

“I'm back” I sighed, closing the door of her room behind me. “Guys… I was right. He…”

“Lando” I heard her.

“Violet?”

taglist

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[hanniiesuckle17]

Stray Kids Reaction: First Date

A/n: this was such a cute idea! i hope you like it! (not thoroughly edited sry i cant spell and i type fast)

Requested by: @waningmoonbin​ ( thank you bb) feel free to request again!)

Tag List: @distrikt9​ @mini-meanhoe​ 

Bangchan:

Chan had been good friends with you for a very long time. You were quite honestly the nervous one when the night of your date finally came around. It was Chan. How could you not be nervous? You were still in utter shock he had asked you out in the first place. 

“Okay. It’s just Chan. It’s just Chan. Oh who am I kidding....it’s Chan.” You whispered to yourself. Your eyes raked over your outfit in the mirror. Before you could second guess yourself someone knocked on your door. You practically ran through your apartment. “Hi,” You said trying not to sound breathless.

“You look gorgeous,” Chan said leaning over and kissing your cheek. He left you no time to marvel at his actions because his hand enveloped yours and he led you out into the city. “I found this little restaurant the other day. I couldn’t stop thinking about how I wanted to bring you here.” 

You smiled seeing the little hole in the wall restaurant. It was dimly lit and very aesthetically pleasing to look at. Chan was a gentleman and pulled out your chair for you, his hand brushing over your shoulder as he rounded the table to his seat.

The two of you talked about literally everything, sharing tender looks from across the table. His laugh was probably the loudest in the small restaurant but neither of you cared. You loved making him laugh. He instantly made your nerves disappear. 

When the waiter placed the check on your table you immediately reached for it only to have Chan swat your hand away. “No. A lady does not pay on a date.” 

“Chan I can pick up the check I don’t mind.”

“No, let me pay, baby.” You blushed at the pet name and instantly let go of the check, Chan giving you a knowing smile. “Well...that’s a trick I’ll have to remember,” he muttered under his breath with the biggest grin, exposing his dimples. After he paid, Chan walked you to your door and left you with a kiss on the cheek, promising to take you out again very soon.

Minho:

Since both you and Minho had very busy schedules you decided to meet up at a cafe on a Sunday morning. Unfortunately, it was raining cats and dogs the morning you were planned to meet up. Throwing on a huge coat and pulling out your umbrella you ran to the nearby cafe and waited for Minho.

The warm air of the coffeehouse greeted you as found a booth open by the window. You watched the rain fall down onto the street as you waited for your date. “Are you ready to order?” A barista asked coming over.

“Uhh...no I’m waiting for someone.” She noticed the twinkle in your eye and gave you a knowing smile. 

“Ah! I’ll come back in a minute.” She said placing down two drink menus. You continued to watch the storm outside as you shed your coat. A flash of brown flew by your window. It backtracked and stood in front of you, a goofy wet smile on its face. Minho. He waved and tried to start a conversation with you through the window, most likely forgetting you couldn’t hear him and that he was standing in the pouring rain. 

You pointed to the front door of the cafe with a laugh hoping he would get the idea. He nodded, eyes turning to crescents and he rushed through the rain. The bell rang as he entered the shop. Minho took off his coat and slid into the other side of the booth. “Sorry, I’m late. The boys were being assholes.” He said shaking his wet hair. 

“It’s fine. I wasn’t waiting long.” 

Minho smiled at you from across the table and asked you about your week. The waitress soon returned and smiled at you before nodding at Minho and giving you a thumbs up. Thankfully he was too busy looking at the drink to see the exchange. 

“I’ll have an iced americano, and Y/n wants a chai tea latte with extra cream.” Minho handed the barista the menus and turned to find you looking at him weirdly. “What?” He asked unbothered by your stare.

“You know my drink order?” 

“Of course. Now let’s get this date started.”

Changbin:

Changbin really wanted to impress you. He was surprised you even said ‘yes’ to going out with him. Maybe you were confused and thought you were going out as friends. That would be so embarrassing. He internally cringed as he walked up to your door, hoping that wasn’t the case.

He put on his brightest smile to hide his nerves as he heard you start to open the door. “Hi, Binnie!” He drunk you in. You looked breathtaking. Just for him. All doubts from before were thrown out the window. “Where are we going tonight?” You asked looping your arm with his.

Changbin subtly flexed his arm under your touch and led you to his car. “Just a restaurant uptown.” Little did you know this restaurant uptown was the highest rated restaurant in the city...not to mention very expensive. Your eyes widened when you pulled up and a valet parked Bin’s car. 

“Changbin...this is not just a ‘little’ restaurant.” You said in disbelief. He draped his arm around your waist and smirked as you walked up and asked for your reservation. 

“Only the best for my girl,” Changbin whispered into your ear.

The host led you to a secluded booth in the back and Changbin slipped her a twenty to make sure no photographers bothered you. He handed you a menu and you tried to keep your eyes from bulging out of your head. The salad cost $27! Changbin must have seen you panicking about the prices and laughed. “Order anything you want, Y/n. I’ll pay.” 

“I’ve never even heard of half of the things on this menu.” Even in this fancy place, Changbin made it easy for you to laugh. He shrugged and made a silly face at you. 

“You ready to order?” The waiter asked coming back.

You were about to say ‘no’, but Changbin interrupted you. “We’ll do the tasting menu tonight and can we get a bottle of Merlot for the table?” Changbin winked at you as he handed the menu to the waiter. “You said you didn’t know what you wanted, so why don’t we try a bunch of stuff?” Changbin said reaching for your hand across the table. The rest of the night was filled with amazing food and great conversation.

Hyunjin:

Hyunjin wasn’t nervous one bit. He had confidence oozing out of him as he climbed the stairs to your studio apartment. He had waited all week for this. Felix helped him pick out the perfect clothes and Chan even gave him a pep talk before he left the dorm.

The sound of his knuckles tapping against the door filled the hallway. His fingers tapped nervously on the bouquet in his hands. “Hyunjin, hi-” You opened the door a beautiful smile on your face. Your eyes widened falling on the flowers in his hand. “Oh my gosh! Jinnie, these are gorgeous.” 

His fingers brushed yours as he handed them to you. “They are for you.” His heart was hammering against his chest seeing you inhale the flowers sweet aroma. “You ready to go?” You nodded and placed the flowers inside before linking your hand in his. The two of you hopped on a train to head to the amusement park.

The second you stepped into the park you ran straight for the cute little animal headbands and souvenirs. Hyunjin happily bought you two matching headbands and wore it around the park with you. His arms were around you the entire day, even on all the rides. 

While you waited in lines for the rides he stood behind you, arms wrapped around your waist and chin rested on your head. “Did you know turtles can breathe through their butts?” Hyunjin asked while you waited in line for the Ferris wheel. It was a particularly long line since the sun was beginning to set and everyone and their brother wanted a ride.

“What?”

“Yeah,” He said as the two of you moved to the front of the line. “I saw it on a video Jisung was watching. Wouldn’t it be so cool if you could breathe out of your butt?” You laughed as an attendant let the two of you into a car and it lifted you into the air. Being the dramatic dork Hyunjin is, he insisted on kissing you at the very top. 

Jisung:

Jisung was very nervous. He had been pining after you for so long, so when he finally got the courage to ask you out his whole body kind of stopped functioning when you said ‘yes’. Not really knowing what to do with himself, he shoved his hands in his pockets with a shy smile and said “Cool,” then ran away.

You found it quite precious. However, it was now the day of your date and Jisung had absolutely no plan whatsoever. He was walking up the stairs to your apartment trying to put together a last second nervous outline of what could happen.

All coherent thoughts went flying out of his brain when you opened the door. “Hi Ji!” You said waving and inviting him in. Just breathe. It’s fine. Everything is great. You aren’t going to have a panic attack, Jisung kept telling himself. You looked fantastic. You always did, but the fact that you put in a little extra effort just for him made his heart go crazy.

“So...I don’t really have a plan for today.” Jisung nervously stated, looking around the apartment he had been in many times. He watched you shrug and throw down the jacket you were holding onto the table.

“That’s fine. We can order in and hang out here if you want?”

 You smiled seeing Jisung’s body fully relax. His shoulders were obviously tense when he walked through the door. He nodded a timid smile on his lips. In all honesty, you were hoping to have some alone time with him rather than going out. “I can order some sushi or a pizza?” He said pulling out his phone.

You took the opportunity to grab his hand and drag him over to the couch. “That sounds perfect.” Jisung smiled when you sat so close to him, a hand on his knee. His nerves quickly went away as he talked with you, completely ignoring the horror film you had picked to watch. Every once in a while you would get scared and bury your head in his shoulder and Jisung would wrap his arm around you in a welcoming embrace.

“This wasn’t a bad date was it?” He asked hours later when he was leaving.

“No. It was perfect.” Jisung blushed feeling your lips press against his before you closed the door leaving him a red happy mess in the hallway. He would dance and jump down the hall back to his car.

“YES!” He said with a dramatic fist pump.

(my introverted bb omg)

Felix:

Felix was over the moon. He had your entire date planned before he even asked you out. He had been thinking about this for months. His logic was if he planned it out beforehand there was no way he could back out of asking you. He waltzed up to your door and waited for you to answer. 

“Hey Y/n,” Felix said in a singsong voice. He leaned down a pressed a kiss to your cheek making you blush. You wrapped your hand around his and grabbed the backpack he told you to bring. 

“Felix, where are we going? Why did you tell me to bring all this stuff?” 

He pressed his finger to his lips and dragged you to his car. “Shh! It’s a surprise.” About forty minutes later, he parked in front of a water park. “Here we are!” He said racing around to open your door. After Felix paid for your tickets and got a locker for your stuff the two of you changed into swimsuits and raced into the park. 

“Last one in is a rotten egg!” Felix shouted before cannonballing into the nearest pool only to be yelled at by the lifeguard. You laughed and helped him out, his hair shaking like a wet dog. The two of you spent the day going on all the rides, eating snow cones, and lounging in the lazy river. 

“You having fun?” Felix asked as the two of you lay on a pool float sailing down the lazy river. Felix was spread out and you lay between his legs and on his bare chest. You nodded hand dangling in the water and sun on your back. Felix tangled his hands in your semi-wet hair and wrapped an arm around your waist.

There was honestly nothing better than just laying with Felix and talking about nothing at all. Even if random kids splashed you occasionally when they passed by. Felix used his foot to push the float away from the corner wall making you giggle as the float sped up temporarily. 

“Can this be our second date too?” You asked. “And our third, and fourth, and fifth?” Felix laughed out loud and splashed you with a little water.

Seungmin:

Seungmin wasn’t nervous, but he was a little anxious. He wouldn’t let the other boys see how excited he was to see you though. Seungmin knew he didn’t want to take you on a cliche date. He wanted it to be fun and colorful and different. 

“You ready to go?” He asked when you answered the door. You grabbed your purse and nodded. Hesitantly he took your hand and held it in his. You could tell Seungmin was a little shy when it came to physical signs of affection so you confidently laced your fingers with his.

Seungmin brought you to the Trick Eye Museum in Seoul and bought your tickets before leading you inside. The two of you goofed around, nerves quickly leaving the both of you as you played around the 2-D paintings and murals. Seungmin brought his camera and took silly pictures of you with the illusion paintings. He even let you take weird pictures of him.

The two of you laughed and goofed around with the paintings before leaving the museum and going to a nearby restaurant for dinner. The two of you sat on the same side of the booth and scrolled through the pictures in his camera. “You looked really cute here,” Seungmin said showing you a photo of you in one of the illusion murals.

“No, that’s just your fantastic photography.” You said wrapping your arms around his waist. A few minutes later your food arrived and you talked about Seungmin’s rehearsals and how the boys were doing. He told you funny stories about Han and Felix getting into trouble that had you nearly choking on your food.

After dinner was finished, Seungmin walked you back to your apartment and stood outside your door with you, hands shoved in his pocket. “So...I had a really good time with you tonight.” He said, shyly looking between you and the floor.

“I did too.”

“Would you maybe wanna go out again this weekend?” He grinned seeing your smile. You nodded and started playing with your house keys. Seungmin didn’t really get the signal and just looked at you like a cute puppy. Knowing he wasn’t going to kiss you, you leaned up and pressed one onto his cheek. When you pulled away his ears were bright red.

“I’ll see you this weekend, Min.”

Jeongin:

Jeongin was very nervous. He had never really dated before since most of his teen life was spent as a trainee. Chan had helped him come up with idea for his date and Felix helped him pack the picnic dinner Jeongin was planning on bringing.

At about seven o’clock Jeongin arrived, picnic basket and blanket in hand. He was dressed in a nice button-up shirt and jeans, his hair was even styled. Thank goodness he found a stylist before they left the company today. “Hi, Innie!” You said giving him a hug. He wasn’t expecting such a happy reaction to seeing him, but it didn’t go without thanks.

He offered you his arm before the two of you hopped on a train down to the Han River. It was dark by the time you got to the Banpo Bridge, but you noticed many other couples were seated or lying on the grass. Jeongin laid out the blanket and you helped him unpack the incredible meal Felix prepared. 

Just as you were about to start eating, the fountain on the side of the bridge started spraying water down into the Han River. You jumped and then watched the water show in awe. “Jeongin, Jeongin, Jeongin! Look! Oh my gosh! It’s pink! Wow, it’s so pretty!” You exclaimed watching the pretty water. 

“Do you like it?” He asked shyly.

“Yes, I love it.” The two of you lounged on the blanket talking about random topics and watching the water show. When the fountain shut off you stayed and looked at the stars, being able to see them better here than deeper in the city. “Innie, I’m having so much fun!”

“Me too!” He said looking over at you. “I really don’t want this to end.” 

You smiled and stole a piece of food from his plate. “Do you want to do this again?” You asked. Jeongin nodded giving you a bright smile. He reached over and took your hand in his.

“Yeah, I would really really like that.”

Requests are open my lovelies! Just send an ask!

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Masterlist

[radiantroope]

Something More || Topper Thornton

pairing: topper x reader

mentions: the pogues, rafe, kelce

requested: yes; anon asked “hi! can i make a request for a topper imagine. something like after sarah breaks his heart and you try to be there for him even though you’re a pogue so he’s an ass at first but then he just wants someone to listen to him and eventually he’s all crazy for you. fluffy? maybe a little smutty?”

warnings: angry!topper, verbal abuse(?), slight violence, angst, swearing, fluffy soft topper, SMUTTY SMUT SMUT AT THE END, unprotected sex (wrap it up kiddos), spanking

author’s note: this is unedited because it’s long as hell and i’m lazy but yeah, hope you enjoy🤪 i also think i went a little off from the request but i tried to keep it as close as possible!

masterlist | add yourself to my tag list

* this is not my gif! if it’s yours, please let me know so i can give you proper credit!!

You were at work when your phone started ringing in the break room. You were sat at a table, munching on a salad for lunch. Your eyebrows furrowed when you saw Kiara’s name across the top. The Pogues and you had an agreement not to call each other work unless it was important. You slid your finger across the bottom to answer and swallowed your bite of food.

“Kie? Everything okay?” you said as you held the phone to your ear.

“No everything is not okay!” she exclaimed loudly on the other end. You pulled the phone away from your ear in shock before bringing it back. “John B just brought Sarah Cameron over here. They’ve been macking behind our backs and he lied about it!”

Your eyebrows furrowed and you dropped the plastic fork into your bowl. Topper and Sarah had just gone to Midsummers together. You’d just seen them at the country club the other day because, as fate would have it, they got sat in your section. You had to watch them disgustingly flirt across the table the whole time you tried to wait on them.

“She was cheating on Topper?” you more so stated than asked in realization.

“Yes! He broke the most sacred rule, Y/N. Pogues don’t lie to other Pogues!” she shouted. You understood that she was more concerned with their friendgroup, but your mind traveled elsewhere.

You remembered seeing Topper arrive at the club shortly before you went on break. He met up with Kelce and Rafe to golf for the day. You needed to talk to him - make sure he was okay. He was supposed to be your sworn enemy by most standards, but you hated that damn rivalry. You didn’t understand why you all just couldn’t get along.

“I’ll deal with John B later,” you reassured the raging girl on the other end of the phone. Being one year older than them all, you’d been made honorary ‘mom friend’ of the group. You typically handled drama amongst the teenagers. “I gotta go, Kie. I’ll call you when I get off.”

Kiara bid you goodbye and you quickly hung up. You stood from the table and tossed the rest of your salad in the trash; it wasn’t that great anyway. You exited the break room and made your way to the dining area of the club. It was fairly empty, only a few tables occupied by club members. You spotted the back of a frosted tipped head at the bar and made your way over to him.

Topper was getting a few beers for him and the guys before they headed out on the course for the day. No one ID’d him, of course. The members of the club paid enough money to oversee this type of thing. Everyone just looked the other way.

“Hey, Topper, can I talk to you?” you asked as you came to his side.

He glanced at you with a furrowed brow and scoffed, turing back to the bartender, “Do I have a choice?”

You ignored the question and way he tried to brush you off. You shifted your weight on your feet and said, “I heard about Sarah. I just wanted to say I’m sorry. Are you okay?”

Topper froze completely in his spot. He knew word was going to get around eventually, it was inevitable and obvious. Though, he wasn’t expecting you to walk right up to him and say something about it - putting salt in an open wound. He slowly turned to look at you with a stone cold expression on his face.

“Why would you ask me that?” he practically growled, handing shooting out and gripping harshly onto your upper arm. “Did you come over here to gloat? Make fun of me? Rub it in my face that your little friend’s been hoeing around with my girl?”

“No I-” you winced as Topper squeezed your arm harder, “Topper you’re hurting me.”

The tall Kook released your arm, realization crossing his face but it was quickly replaced with a scowl again. The bartender put the beers on the bar and he practically threw the cash across the bar at him. He grabbed the beverages and turned to you again.

“I have your job in the palm of my hand, Y/N, don’t ever talk to me about that again,” Topper spat before walking away.

You had a frown etched into your features as you watched the blonde go. Your hand massaged the spot he’d grabbed subconsciously. When he was out of sight you dropped your hand to your side and sulked back to the break room. You were going to spend the fifteen minutes left of your break wishing you’d just kept your mouth shut.

•

The next time you saw Topper was at a Boneyard kegger. You hadn’t seen him at the club since that day. You hoped you never did. You desperately needed that job to keep you and your mom on your feet. You’d never be able to find another job that paid that well, especially if your boss spread word that you messed with the Thornton boy.

You made your way towards the kegs for a refill when a group of guys turned with freshly filled cups. You’d had your eyes cast downward on your feet as you tried not to trip in the sand. You nearly ran into someone’s chest when you looked up into the face of the boy you were trying to avoid.

“T-Topper,” you stuttered, taking a step back when you realized how close you were. “Sorry, I wasn’t paying attention.”

“Clearly,” Rafe snickered to your left, sauntering off with Kelce somewhere. Probably to find their next innocent and oblivious hookup to add to the notch on their belts.

You ignored the self proclaimed ‘Kook King’ and stared up at Topper. His jaw was set as he stared down at you. His eyes were swimming with something you couldn’t pin point. Regret? Guilt, maybe?

“You come over here to try and get me to talk about my feelings again?” he mumbled, raising the cup to his lips to take a large drink.

“No.. I just- Look Top, I’m sorry.”

Topper scoffed and rolled his eyes. His shoulder bumped yours as he walked past, but not before adding, “Stay the hell away from me.”

Pope, who’d been at the kegs handing out beers, came to your side immediately upon seeing you frown. The two of you watched the boy make his way to his friends and other Kooks.

“You okay?” the dark skinned boy asked, now looking down at you.

“Yeah.. Yeah, I’m fine,” you forced a smile to your lips and handed your empty cup over to be filled.

Unbeknownst to you, Topper watched you all night. He didn’t understand why you cared. He didn’t understand how you could still be so nice to him with the way him and his friends treated you and your friends. It was frustrating, really, this feeling in his chest that was pulling him towards you. Something about the way you looked at him, the way you were soft spoken but strong willed at the same time. He couldn’t shake this feeling of wanting to let you in.

•

It was a gorgeous morning. The sun had just completely revealed itself from the horizon, not a cloud in the sky. The waves were especially good. That’s how you found yourself down at the beach on Figure Eight. Their beaches weren’t as crowded since, let’s face it, the Kooks didn’t give a damn about surfing. You had a whole mile stretch to yourself. The only people you saw were a few joggers and dog walkers.

Your surf board glided through the waves effortlessly. You practiced some of the tricks JJ had been teaching you, nearly losing balance a handful of times. One wave took you by surprise and you tumbled through the water. You came up for air, choking on sea water, lungs burning. You could feel your muscles screaming at you despite the saltwater making your body feel exceptionally light.

You climbed back up onto your board, wiping your eyes and try and rid them of the burning sensation. You blinked away the mix of tears and seawater, looking towards the beach when you saw a familiar frosted tipped head. He stood shirtless, arms by his sides as he stared at you - a small smile on his lips that you couldn’t see from so far away.

As you slid onto your stomach and began paddling back to shore, you were half expecting Topper to leave. You were surprised when he didn’t, instead walking closer to you as the waves crashed around your legs when you stood.

“Didn’t know you were so good at that,” it was a half-assed compliment, but you still smiled.

“You wouldn’t know, it’s a Pogue sport,” you teased breathlessly.

Topper rolled his eyes, this time playfully as a smile again tugged at his lips. He watched as you stuck your board in the sand and undid the ankle strap. You sat down to take some relief off your aching legs and leant back against your palms.

“What’re you doing on this side of town?” he asked as he came down to sit beside you, keeping a good amount of distance between the two of you.

“The beach is less crowded over here. It’s easier to surf without worrying about getting run over by someone else,” you replied, looking over at the dirty blonde.

Topper’s skin was glistening with sweat and his muscles looked taught - not that you were paying attention. You figured he’d been on a run before stopping to talk to you. Only God knows why after the way he’d been treating you.

“You know, I didn’t mean the things I said to you,” his voice was softer now. His blue eyes met yours for a moment before he was looking back out at the water. “I guess.. I was just so angry at Sarah and John B. You’re his friend so I took my anger out on you.”

“Apology accepted,” you replied with a smile, even though he hadn’t outright said he was sorry. Topper’s gaze locked on yours and a genuine smile crossed his lips.

The two of you sat on the beach for hours, time slipping away from you as you talked. He opened up to you about Sarah and how heartbroken he was. He told you how his attachment to her was unhealthy and he wasn’t even sure if he was truly happy with her. He told you how he’s just ready to move on and figure out what real love is.

He opened up about his mom and how she expected so much from him. You realized the boy boy had a lot of pressure on him. He was going through more than a lot of people knew about, even his own friends. But you noticed how he sat up straighter and seemed more relaxed the more he talked. He was smiling and laughing with you, something you never thought you’d be able to say. You saw a twinkle in his eye that hadn’t been there before and it made your heart swell.

•

You and Topper had been hanging out quite regularly. He’d meet up with you after you got off work and you’d grab lunch or take a walk on the beach if it was late. You’d take long drives on your days off, windows down with music playing softly as you talked about everything - or nothing at all. He’d even helped your mom fix her car when it broke down on her way to work. It surprised you that he even knew anything about cars, thinking he just threw money at someone to fix whatever problem he had.

The Pogues didn’t know about your newfound friendship with the Kook. They assumed you were busy with work and your mom. Occasionally you had to pick up some extra shifts so your absence was nothing new to them.

The Kooks heard you’d been hanging around with Topper but no one had really seen it with their own eyes. They were whispers of gossip in the dark started by older folks seeing the two of you at the club or on the beach. Rafe had tried to ask his best friend about it but was brushed off as if he didn’t know what he was talking about.

When you showed up at the Boneyard for - yes, another party - with the blue eyed boy, everyone’s attention was on you. You were linked arm in arm as you treaded the sand down to the crowd of people. The whispers and quiet murmurs started. It was eerily quiet - those parties were never quiet.

The Pogues were by the kegs, staring wide eyed and mouth opened at the two of you. You could practically feel the uncomfort coming from John B and Sarah. If looks could kill, Rafe would have killed you both, Kelce stood beside him with his eyebrows scrunched together in confusion.

“Well this couldn’t be any more awkward,” Topper muttered, trying to stifle a laugh.

“It was your idea to come together,” you whispered back, glancing over at your friends, “They’re looking at me like I just killed their puppy.”

The two of you erupted into a fit of giggles, making your way to the kegs. Pope filled up a cup and hesitated as he handed it over to Topper. You kept the smile on your face as you looked between the Pogues. You took the next cup and took a sip as the tall boy unlinked his arm from yours.

“I’m gonna go talk to Rafe before he has an aneurysm,” he muttered in your ear, hand lingering on your lower back.

You hummed in response and nodded, watching him walk over to the Kooks before you turned back to your friends. Still, they were staring at you. Mixed looks of surprise, disapproval and betrayal.

“What the hell was that?” JJ was the first to open his mouth.

You shrugged a bit and smiled around the rim of your cup as you took another sip of the bitter liquid.

Kiara sat herself on one of the kegs and added, “Dont play coy with us, Y/L/N. What’s going on?”

“We’re just hanging out! It’s not a big deal,” you exasperated, free hand slapping against your thigh after you threw it up.

“You’re fucking Topper now?” John B asked, standing behind JJ with a disgusted look on his face. “That’s why you’ve been so MIA lately?”

You turned to the curly haired brunette and raised an eyebrow. A sarcastic smile painted itself across your lips and you tilted your head. “I don’t think you have much room to talk, do you? We’re not fucking. Don’t be an asshole,” you retorted.

A silence fell over your group, an uncomfortable one. You weren’t one to talk to friends in such a way but they’d backed you into a corner. They were trying to interrogate you, but John B was also running around with a Kook and even helped her cheat. You weren’t going to let them judge your choices when they weren’t much better.

As soon as Topper walked up to his friends, Rafe couldn’t help the words flying from his mouth, “So you hang out with Pogues now?”

The shorter male scoffed and shook his head, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. He brought the cup he was holding up to his lips to keep himself from spewing a harsh remark in return.

“I mean, if you’re just fucking her, it’s cool bro, do what you want. But you two sure did seem coupled up. You don’t want some Pogue slut ruining your reputation, Top-”

“Don’t talk about her like that, man,” Topper snapped, staring his friend in the eye. Rafe raised his eyebrows and crossed his arms over his chest. Kelce stood awkwardly to the side, not wanting to include himself or pick sides between his friends.

“She’s not a slut and she’s not just some Pogue,” Topper continued to defend you, turning to look over his shoulder at you. He could tell your discussion with the Pogues was heated by the way you were talking with your hand and the clench of your jaw. “She’s a cool girl. She takes care of her shit and doesn’t let people’s opinions of her, change how she carries herself. Maybe if you actually got to know her instead of judging where she came from, you’d see that too,” he continued, looking at Rafe again.

The brunette Kook held his hands up defensively and muttered something like okay man, whatever. Topper turned to look at you once more, catching your gaze. You sent him a small smile and a single nod. He did the same. Despite how your friend’s felt from both sides, the two of you didn’t care. You were like two magnets being drawn together, a feeling neither of you had ever experienced before.

•

Your shift had just ended and walked out the doors to see the familiar Jeep parked out by the curb. You smiled and walked over, pulling the passenger side door open and climbing into the vehicle. Your hair had started to fall out of the ponytail you were wearing and you probably smelt of all the food you’d been handling all day. You rubbed a hand over your face tiredly and leant back in the seat.

Topper sat in the driver’s seat, taking a moment to stare at you before driving away. He had a small smile on his face when your eyes met. You let out a soft laugh and covered your face with your hand, mumbling, “What?”

The Kook shook his head, feeling his cheeks heat up at being caught. He bit the inside of his bottom lip as he pulled the car away from the curb and started driving. You turned to look out the window and noticed he was taking you farther into Figure Eight instead of the usual way to your house.

“Where are we going?” you asked and turned to look at him again. The sun was setting and casting a beautiful glow over Topper’s face. His tan skin being illuminated by the orange light made his eyes impossibly bluer.

“My mom’s on the mainland for work so I figured we could hang at my place,” he responded, glancing over at you. “If that’s okay! I didn’t even ask.”

You hummed and nodded, eyes drifting back out to the houses flying by. You’d only been to Topper’s house one other time since you’d started hanging out. You knew what it looked like though. The Pogues liked to crash house parties often and his had been one of them many times.

You arrived at the large house fairly quickly and Topper let you inside. You kicked off your work shoes by the door and followed him up the staircase. He opened his bedroom door and walked in ahead of you, quickly picking up some of his discarded clothes and tossing them in his hamper in the corner. The room was very minimalistic and tidy, probably his mother’s doing.

You walked over to the bed and sat down on the edge of the sea foam green colored duvet. He wiped the palms of his hands on his shorts and turned to you. Your hands were clasped together in your lap as your eyes traveled around the room. You looked so tiny compared to the large mattress and he could tell you were a bit uncomfortable - not wanting to dirty his space.

“You can take a shower. I know you probably want to,” Topper suggested, walking across the room and opening the door to his attached bathroom.

“Oh I- uh, I don’t have any clothes.”

Topper waved his hand in dismissal and opened up the bottom drawer of his dresser. He pulled out a pair of old basket shorts and a t-shirt. He put them on the counter in the bathroom and turned to you with a raised brow.

“I guess I don’t have an excuse now, huh?” you chuckled and stood up, entering the large bathroom.

“If you need anything just gimme me a shout,” he told you with a smile before stepping out of the bathroom and shutting the door.

You turned on the shower and got it to the right temperature, taking off your clothes and slipping under the stream of water. You let out a content sigh and basked in the warmth for a minute. The water pressure was so much better than what you got on the South side.

You quickly washed your hair with some of his shampoo and shockingly, conditioner. Most boys wouldn’t have that product. His body wash was sandlewood scented and you used your hands to clean your sweaty skin. You took an extra minute to make sure you were rinsed completely before turning off the water.

You grabbed a towel and thoroughly dried your body before stepping out and slipping on Topper’s shorts. They were big on you but thankfully didn’t fall off your hips. You slipped his shirt over your head and smiled softly as his scent swirled around you. You skipped out on undergarments - considering you didn’t have fresh ones, but you were comfortable enough around the Thornton boy to go without.

You opened the door while towel drying your hair and found Topper sat against his headboard. He’d changed into a pair of grey sweatpants and one of his old Kook Academy t-shirts. He was scrolling through Netflix, trying to find a good movie to put on when his eyes traveled to you. His breath hitched at the sight of you in his clothes, wet hair dampening the maroon colored material.

It’s as if his eyes were glued to your body, frozen on the bed with the remote clasped tightly in his hands. You tossed the towel into Topper’s hamper and made your way to the bed. His gaze was still on you as you stopped at the end and you chuckled.

“Take a picture, it’ll last longer,” you teased, climbing up onto the bed and crawling towards the pillows.

“Don’t tempt me.”

You were still on your hands and knees when you looked to the tan boy. He was staring back at you with an unreadable expression. His eyes were a darker, stormy blue. His eyes flickered between yours as he had an internal battle with himself. They drifted to your lips as you pulled your bottom one between your teeth.

“Can I kiss you?” Topper’s voice was softer now, eyes meeting yours once again.

“I thought you’d never ask,” you replied through a grin and shuffled closer to him.

The Kook’s hands dropped the remote, one finding the back of your neck and the other meeting your waist. Your lips met awkwardly at first, noses bumping. You pulled back with a soft laugh and tilted your head, leaning in slowly this time. The kiss was soft and tentative. Your lips moved together in synchronized motions.

Topper’s hands pulled you closer until you were sitting on his lap. The room was heating up by the second as your hands roamed the toned planes of his chest over his shirt. You tongue swiped at his lips while tilting your head to deepen the kiss. His large hands wrapped around your hips before sliding up and feeling at your waist.

You hadn’t realized you’d started to grind down against the Thornton boy until you shifted and made contact with his half hard cock. He gasped into your mouth and pulled away from your lips. His pupils were blown wide and his cheeks were pink. You looked something similar, lips swollen from the pressure of his against yours. He had grabbed onto your hips tightly and held them while his chest moved with his soft pants.

“Y/N..” Topper hesitated. He didn’t want you to feel like this is all he wanted. The two of you had spent so much time together, he felt so stupid to shut the idea of being with you down all those times just because you were a Pogue. You knew him better than his own mother at this point. You helped him get over Sarah and learn to love himself again - and in turn, start to fall in love with you. He didn’t want you to feel like his rebound or a fling. He wanted you; all of you.

Your read Topper’s thoughts through his eyes, feeling your heart swell. Your hands came up to cup his cheeks and bent down to press a sweet kiss to his lips. Your mouth trailed down his jaw until your soft breath was at his ear, making a shiver run down his spine.

“I want you, Topper,” you whispered, a hint of desperation laced in your tone.

The sound of you saying those words alone had his cock fully erect. A low growl sounded in his chest when you ground your hips against him once again. He flipped the two of you, your head nestled in the pillows as he hovered over you. Your legs were bent at the knees at both sides of his hips and his pressed his length against your clothed heat. You mewled at the touch, fingers sliding into the frosted tips of his hair.

He dipped his head and attached his lips to your neck, sucking dark marks into your delicate skin. Your head tilted to him better access fingers tugging as his soft locks as he found your sweet spot. Topper groaned softly, one hand sliding under your - his - shirt. His thumb and pointer finger rolled your perked nipple, causing your back to arch.

“Stop teasing,” you whined as he lifted his head and smirked down at you.

“Patience, babygirl,” Topper muttered, pushing himself up onto his knees. He pulled his shirt off your body and hummed as he took in the sight of your exposed chest.

The obvious tent in sweatpants made your mouth water. You reached down and wrapped your hand around his clothed cock, palming him through the garnments. He let out a strangled groan as he twitched in your hand. He quickly ripped off his own shirt, giving you a chance to admire his muscular body as he worked on getting your shorts off.

Topper couldn’t hold back anymore. He’d been longing for this moment since he realized his feelings for Sarah had diminished. You’d been waiting for this moment since he apologized at the club. You’d always found him attractive and as the two of you got closer, your feelings for him only intensified.

“You’re already wet and I’ve barely started,” he breathed as he spread your legs open for him and admired your glistening pussy.

You bit your lip and tried to get Topper’s sweatpants down his legs but from your angle, it was almost impossible. You huffed in frustration and laid back against the pillows.

“Topper, I’ve been waiting for this for too long. Please, take your pants off and fuck me already.”

The Kook didn’t argue. He wanted nothing more than to lay down and devoure you of everything you had; make you cum repeatedly on his tongue. But with the way you were practically begging for his cock and dripping arousal on his duvet, he couldn’t wait to fuck you into next week.

He pushed his sweatpants and boxers down far enough for his cock to spring free, not even bothering to take them off completely. He hooked one of your legs over his forearm and tapped the head of his length against your clit then dragged it through your folds to your entrance. The corners of his lips twitched up as your juices coated him. He guided himself inside of you slowly then put that hand on your hip.

A soft moan left your lips as Topper filled you up, sighing in relief when he bottom out and held your hips as close to him as he could. He had his jaw clenched, eyelids fluttering as your walls hugged him perfectly.

“You’re so fucking tight,” he groaned softly as he began thrusting slowly. He’d pull back until the head of his cock was the only thing inside of you, then press the whole length of himself back into you.

You whimpered in response, displeased with his slow pace. Your hands traveled up the expanse of his abs, leaving goosebumps in their wake. When you reached his pecks you dragged your nails back down.

“Fuck me like you mean it, Top, please. I need more,” you begged the gorgeous boy above you.

His eyes left where the two of your bodies met and locked on yours. They were cloudy with arousal and a smirk spread across his lips, replying, “As you wish, princess.”

Topper’s hips snapped forward as he started fucking you faster. The sound of skin slapping on skin filled the room as well as your moans. The grip he had on your hip was bruising tight and his cock was brushing your g-spot with every thrust. He grunted as he moved your leg and put your ankle over his shoulder, bearing his weight on his free hand.

You brought your other leg around his hip, crying out as he started pounding against your g-spot now. The coil in your stomach was winding up fast. Topper felt your pussy clenching around him and he moaned.

“Gonna cum on my cock already, baby?” he asked, bringing his hand off of your hip to rub quick circles against your clit with his thumb. He watched your eyes roll back, mouth falling open as pornographic, sinful moans escaped you. “That’s it, cum for me, Y/N.”

Your legs shook as the euphoric orgasm wracked your body. Topper slowed his thrusts as you road out your high bending down and sucking one of your nipples into his mouth. You whined and arched into his mouth, nails scratching at his shoulder blades.

He pulled out suddenly, leaving your body cold and empty. You opened your eyes to see him shimmying out of his sweatpants and boxers. He was lazily stroking himself with one and the other grabbed your leg to turn you over.

“Hands and knees, babygirl,” he demanded, pulling your hips up once you were on your stomach.

You had barely gotten your knees situated before he was plunging his length back inside of you. You propped yourself on your elbows and gasped as he set a brutal pace, one hand pressing into your lower back on the spine. Watching your ass bounce with each of his thrusts had Topper in a daze. He couldn’t take his eyes off of your bottom half and his other hand came down on one of your asscheeks roughly, causing him to groan as he watched it shake.

At this angle you could feel him so much deeper than before. All of your senses were on overdrive after your first orgasm, now he was slamming against your g-spot at an ungodly pace. Your second orgasm was approaching faster and faster and you couldn’t stop your pussy from clenching right around him.

“Yes, fuck yes! Right there, Topper, don’t stop!” you moaned out, the side of your face pressed into the bed and muffling your voice slightly.

The Kook let out an animalistic moan, hands gripping tightly to your hips as he pulled you back to meet his thrusts. They were getting sloppy, but he tried to keep his pace the same, letting his head fall back as he felt his own release approaching.

“F-Fuck,” Topper groaned, squeezing onto your hips, “I’m gonna fill up this tight pussy, baby. Shit, I’m cumming.”

The two of you released almost at the same time, you reaching your second high just before him. A cry of his name left your lips as your juices coated his swelling cock. His hips stuttered as thick ropes of his cum filled you up. He slowed down, using your tight walls to milk himself as he chanted your name like a mantra.

You fell limp on the bed, causing Topper’s softening cock to slip out of you. He watched his cum slowly drip out of you, making a mess onto your abused cunt and his bed. He got up from the bed and went to his bathroom to grab a washcloth. He came back and gently cleaned you up then himself.

The Thornton boy helped maneuver you under his sheets, smiling at the dazed look in your eyes. He stripped the comforter off his bed and made a mental note to wash it in the morning before climbing under the sheets beside you.

He pulled you into his side and wrapped his arms around you, kissing the top of your head when you rested it on his chest. He brushed your hair off your shoulder and let his fingertips trace gentle patterns onto your bare skin. The silence didn’t bother either of you - just content being in each other’s embrace.

“Hey, Top?” you muttered sleepily into the golden skin of his chest. He hummed in response and you continued, “I really like you.”

Topper couldn’t hold back the grin that invaded his face, throwing his head back for a second in joy.

“Hey, Y/N?” he copied you, waiting for you to hum in response before he tilted your chin up. He planted a loving kiss against your lips then the tip of your nose and whispered, “I really like you too.”

tagging my ✨rafe sluts +1 topper slut✨: @letsgofullkook​ @sortagaysortahigh​ @queenk00k​ @jjmbanks​ @ims0golden​ @jjsmentalpolaroids​ @jjmaybcnks​

[fanfics-for-you]

Jinxed // Spencer Reid x Reader

Gender Neutral!! (Spencer Reid is a bi icon and you can't tell me other wise.)

In which the Reader just wants to talk about their feelings to some of their best friends, who they think will give them the best advice. But, they can't seem to get a word out without a certain Doctor interrupting.

//||□○□||\\

It was a really long case, and honestly you'd never been more tired in your life. But, Garcia had plead that you visit her and update all about your "adventure" with the team.

See, you actually tended to stay at the BAU headquarters with her but with your odd ease with children -and knowledge about early psychology-, Hotch had you tag along.

You ended up getting the last detail needed to find the perp, and you were very proud of yourself. Other than that though, you had spent almost all your time with Reid.

Hotch, although he asked you to attend, wouldn't let you anywhere near the field because of the lack of experience. This meant you were at the local police station, as you said helping Reid with linking locations and finding out more from the Encyclopedia that is his brain.

You worked together well, which was both good and bad, depending on if factored in the raging feelings for the Doctor. It was never said out loud though, you didn't want to have the chance of the smart man listening in.

You needed to tell someone.

"Y/N!" Garcia chirped, as you waltzed out of the elevator, your body aching for sleep.

"Hey, Garcia," you muttered, trying to focus on each step in front of you, and also not be rude to your peppy pal.

"C'mon, honey-" she ushered you, wrapping an arm around your shoulders as you simply followed, oddly entranced by her sweet perfume, "-I'll get you some snacks. Mama Garcia's here."

You chuckled lightly, but found yourself humming, "I could marry you Garcia!"

"Oh, you wish, my darling-" she opened the door to her techie room, and she sat you in a chair, "-but I'm too good for you."

"'Course you are," you smiled, crossing your legs in the rolly chair, "-anyway, what's on the menu, G?"

She spun around in her chair, clicking her pen, "Ah, ah, ah. You spill, and you get some banana bread I made yesterday, for reasons you don't have to know."

You groaned, rubbing your temples, "What do you want to know?"

She scooted close to you, "I already know everything about the case, but I want to know the juicy stuff. Like, maybe... the fact that you were with Reid every time he called me? That's interesting, don't you think?"

You rolled your eyes, a small smile echoing on your features, "Hotch didn't want me on the field, and Reid was just there too, why is that important?"

Garcia raised her eyebrows, "You know why that's important, don't try to fool me."

You rolled your eyes, hiding the growing smile on your face, as you spun in your chair to tame your laughter.

Garcia held the chair, forcing you to stay still as she spoke, "So? What happened?"

You smiled, throwing your hands up, "Fine, you got me. I think I'm in love w-"

Garcia interrupted, eyes wide and jumping up from her chair, "Shh!"

She was focused behind you, at the door, and you felt your stomach drop at the idea that he stood there-

"You're in love, Y/N?"

You cursed under your breath, and spun around to lock eyes with the familiar brown eyes.

"Reid! Hey, what- what are you doing here?"

You tried to act as normally as possible, which was a bit hard because what if he heard the whole conversation? What if he was repulsed? This would not end well-

"I-" Spencer paused, holding up two takeout bags, "-I got you some dinner, you hadn't eaten during the investigation so... I thought I'd get you something."

You smiled, standing to retrieve the food with a curious eye, "Is this...?"

"Your favorite," Spencer hummed, "-I hope so. I know you get it more frequently than your sandwiches, or salads from anywhere else. So, I assumed-"

"Thank you, Spence," you hummed, taking it from his hands with a careful smile.

The silence lasted for a breath longer than it should have, as you waited for Spencer to say anything that could mean good news. It was getting more awkward by the second-

"And," Garcia jumped up, rushing beside you in a split second, "-you don't get to know a thing about what we were referring to, Mr. Smartypants. That's patient-doctor confidentially."

Spencer scrunched his eyebrows, turning to Garcia with his eyes, "...but you're not a... doctor?"

"It's a metaphor Spence," you shook your head, hard-eyeing Garcia to the side, "-she's just saying the secret is an unspoken one."

"But-" he paused, doing that scrunch thing with his nose -like he always does when he's confused-, "-that's an actual medical practice... It's unusual to ever be used as a-"

"Reid!" Penelope groaned, "Y/N is the only person in the BAU, who trusts me with their secrets, you're not ruining that for me."

"Wait, what do you mean only one? Why-"

Spencer nodded, a shine in his eye, "Well, that's kind of a given. You statistically slip-up with secrets about... 68% more than any other BAU member."

You raised a brow, "Where are you getting those statistics?"

Spencer cleared his throat, a light flush brushing onto his cheeks, "I do my research, and just because I sit at my desk and read most of the time, doesn't mean I don't hear things, really."

You and Garcia raised your eyebrows a bit in surprise, as the boy wonder seemed to play a mastermind villain. That was new.

"So," Garcia spoke, "-what I'm hearing is that you know all about the juicy gossip in the office? Reid, why don't you tell me? It's always the one they least expect-"

"Your research?" you spoke, branching off on a completely different conversational topic, "Reid, who do you think is the safest to confide in? Scientifically, of course."

Reid paused, watching you for a second, "Well, Hotch is definitely up there, but his empathetic skills are kind of lacking. Garcia is the opposite, she has the empathetic view, but also, can't stay quiet about it for long."

Penelope rolled her eyes, "No, need to profile me, you sweet, sweet nerd."

Reid continued, placing his take out in his satchel and moving his hands to visualize it -you guessed, "Emily is a good bet, but once she's drunk, it'd be safe to assume the secret is compromised. Derek is also a good bet, but... um, I'd imagine he'd be pushy and teasing."

There was something different about that one, as he stuttered it out in a bit of frustration. He'd definitely told Morgan something and recieved the bad end of the deal.

You looked up to Garcia, and she read your eyes with a look of agreement. Pulling out her phone and wandering back, she mouthed 'On it!' as her fingers went typing away.

"JJ, well," Reid continued, unmoved by the fact that Garcia had left their conversation, "-she's probably up there as well, but if push comes to shove, she'd definitely just... motherhen you until you shared it. I would be a plenty good candidate, I don't think I've ever shared a secret within the BAU-"

"But-" you interrupted him, your eyebrows furrowed, "-you have a tell, Spence."

Spencer pursed his lips, eyes darting slightly, "I do?"

"Uh, yeah-" you muttered, falling back into the extra chair Garcia had pulled for you, "-your face is full of tells. When it's a happy secret, like... Rossi's surprise birthday party! You have to hold back a smile constantly. A secret that's got you genuinely worried about someone? You glance to them like every five minutes, and your eyebrows furrow way more than normal. A sad secret? Your eyes are just like a sad puppy's, and you allow more physical touch."

"I-" Reid opened his mouth, but you continued, not even noticing the wide flush spread across his cheeks and tips of his ears.

"When it's a really big secret? That's when nervous or odd Reid comes out. You either dart your eyes/can't make eye contact, and you clasp your hands a lot. I assume, to stroke your palm, as a sense of comfort. Or you undereact to everything surrounding that secret, which just causes more suspicion, by the way-"

You finally looked up to Spencer, who was -at this moment- looking like he was about to implode. His face was bright red, and you thought it was really cute but also, you felt terrible for putting him through that.

You stopped, pausing, "Oh God, I'm so sorry, Spence. I didn't mean to offend you-"

"What?" Spencer blinked, his eyes no longer glazed over, "-Oh! No, that was... fascinating really! You don't even necessarily have to stop, if you don't want to. Not that I like it, or anything. NoT THAT I don't like it either, it's just-"

At this point, you'd fallen victim to your own blush, as Spencer rambled over something that did seem that big but he was getting redder by the minute-

You enjoyed this a bit too much, actually.

To be your saviour once again, Garcia screamed as high-pitched as she could.

At such a noise, you almost fell out of your chair, you got up so fast, "G? Everything okay?"

Garcia looked up, "Uh, yeah. Totally, definitely. It's just ya know- a spider, yeah."

You raised an eyebrow, as Reid -who now stood beside you- spoke in a questioning tone, "On your phone?"

She bit her lip, throwing her eyes between you and Spencer, "Yeah, uh totally nothing to do with you guys. Derek sent it to me as a prank, and it doesn't have a single bit to do with the two agents right in front of me, right now."

You furrowed your eyebrows, "Are you sure everything's alright?"

Garcia spun to her computer, "Oh, of course! Why wouldn't everything be alright? It's uh- Nothing's wrong, and nothing's going on. I don't know anything about the secret romance that may or may not be going on in the office. Nope, not me."

You glanced at Reid, who although he had a few of the tells you spoke of earlier, shrugged his shoulders.

"Um," he spoke, confused, "-Penelope, what are you talking about?"

She was basically sawing down on her lip now, as she opened her mouth and then shut it again, and finally closed her eyes, "OUT! Both of you out, I... I can't handle this monumental information with you both standing right in front of me. So, scram!"

You opened your mouth, "What? You wanted me in here, Penn. I don't und-"

Garcia grabbed your shoulders, "If you love me, take the beanstalk boy, and exit this room."

"But, I-"

"Please."

You sighed, picking up Spencer's take out, and grabbing his satchel's strap with unhesitant ease, "Come on, Spence. We gotta go."

"O-Okay," Spencer noted, following close behind you without hesitation, you two just trusted each other. It didn't take much.

You pulled him out into the BAU hub, and finally let go of him, spinning around to talk about that odd experience.

"So, Spence-" you grabbed, a rolly chair from a random desk and sat in it, placing your food in your lap, "-what do you think that was all about?"

"Probably a secret," Reid blurted, he'd seemed a little off as he said that, doing the same as you and pulling a chair to sit.

"Oh," you pursed your lips, digging in your bag and pulling out the container, "-who do you think it's about?"

Spencer looked at you, a bit baffled, like he'd expected you to pick up on something, but you hadn't.

He shook his head, tossing his wonderous hair as he did so, "Could be anyone, I guess."

He fidgeted with his food, picking his fork into the dish and quietly muttering something you couldn't quite hear.

"Spence?" you hummed, as he looked up to you, "-everything okay with you?"

Spencer paused, blinking, "Huh? Oh, yeah. I'm fine. Just tired, actually."

You frowned, "Man, is there something on my face? God, everyone has been weird around me today."

Spencer perked up, "What do you mean?"

"Ever since the big break," you spoke, a little worried, "-everyone's been looking at me weird. Like they know something I don't."

"Oh," Spencer echoed, watching your face fall slightly, "-well, actually. There was an... officer in the Chicago Department. He had a crush on you, and was really obvious about it. The team thought it was funny you didn't notice."

You raised your eyebrows, as Spencer didn't make eye contact and a quiet blush swept across his cheeks, "Really? Wow. I'm not surprised, I... uh, never pick up on those cues."

"Was there-" Spencer added with a slightly hardened tone, "-Was there any cop there you were hoping it'd be? You don't have to answer, I'm honestly just curious-"

"No, uh-" your eyes flashed up to him, "-not there. All of those guys were... weird."

He laughed, eyes lightening up a bit, "So, you're picky, huh?"

You smiled, "Maybe so, Reid, maybe so."

|//□◇□\\|

It was early morning and you were to stay at the BAU for a case, as usual. However, this time Rossi was staying too.

Something about getting his book finished and to the publisher on time, he'd avoided the plane ride and now, sat with you gazing over the large table with case files spread hastily across it.

It was a gruesome case, one where Garcia practically gagged just presenting it to the team. You honestly couldn't think about the specifics, without doing the same.

"So, Rossi-" you spoke, eyes skimming over a victim's file, "-what do you think the symbol branded on t-"

Rossi didn't look up, as he spoke, "When are you going to tell him?"

You raised your eyes, splitting a confused smile on your lips, "I'm sorry, what?"

"Reid," he clarified, his eyes steadied on the pictures scattered across the table.

You stuttered, your face a tinge of red, "I have no clue what you're talking about."

Rossi added, finally looking up, "You know the poor boy doesn't have the guts, Y/N. You're kind of hard to read as well, so you're probably going to have to make the first move."

"I-" you muttered, low and under your breath, "I don't know how."

"For him? It's simple," Rossi addressed, his hands up as if he was selling a new invention to you, "-you just have to be honest and straightforward, little one. Tell him that-"

A voice spoke up, "Tell who what?"

Rossi stopped, his eyes darting to the new figure in the room, "I thought you got on the plane, boy wonder?"

"Yeah, Spence," you spoke, raising a brow and trying to cool your cheeks, "-what's up?"

"I uh, forgot my passport at home," he hummed, his eyes anywhere but on yours or Rossi's.

You scrunched your eyebrows at Rossi, who just like you had the same idea. There was no way that was the truth.

Rossi cleared his throat, "Uh, Y/N, we'll continue our conversation elsewhere. And Reid-"

Spencer looked up at him, with his head tilted like a little puppy. He was insanely cute, you honestly don't know how he worked himself into the FBI with how much he'd seemed so... innocent, really.

Rossi continued, "We'll talk about this later, capiche?"

Spencer nodded, eyes caught up in the evidence scattered amongst the table, "Yes, sir."

||//■○■\\||

"Yeah, and then, the guy came up to me and said-" Emily narrated, each member on the edge of their seat, as she'd told her -one and only- blind date story.

"Y/N?" Hotch spoke, tapping the doorframe of his office, signaling you to come in.

Tapping Penelope's leg, you made her promise to tell you the rest of the story, if you missed it, and waltzed right up the stairs to his office.

"Hey," you smiled, a dash of concerned, "-what's going on, sir? Is everything alright?"

"I needed to run something by you," he spoke, intelligent and in no way was his voice odd so that you could dissect it, "-please, sit."

You nodded, immediately taking you're place in the seat across from his desk, "Of course! What am I looking at?"

Hotch spoke, as he carefully moved to take a file out of his desk drawer, "As one of our press/legal employees, there's been an edit to a section of our contract, and I wanted you to be one of the ones who ensures everything is correct within the document."

"Oh, it's my pleasure, sir-" you hummed, taking the file out of his hand, "-am I taking this home? Or?"

"No," his eyes flashed to the door, "-it's a pretty small edit, just read it over and let me know. You can preferably sit in here and read it."

"Oh, okay," you hummed, a little confused, but your eyes settled on the document.

'Inner Office Relationships:

Now, available if properly addressed to the supervisory agent of both parties.'

"Um, Hotch," you mumbled, eyes scanning across the full-fledged page, as only one difference stuck out to you, "-is this about...?"

"Office relationships? Yes," he confirmed, eyes lingering on you -with a slight pass to the door, "-so...?"

"So, what, sir?" you questioned, flipping the file open and closed as the awkwardness in the room peaked.

"You and Dr. Reid," he spoke, eyes telling all, "-it's been adjusted for the betterment of the BAU, specifically you two."

"I-" you blinked, unsure of what to say as you'd never seen Hotch this way.

"Listen, Y/N, just-" he paused, careful and concise, "-if it happens, please inform me for the sake of th-"

"Sir?" Reid waltzed in, a file filled with papers in his arms as his eyes stayed trained on them, "I've skimmed these documents, and the only difference I can really see between the two, is that office relationships are allowed, as long as you inform your su-"

His eyes moved up from the papers, and upon landing on you, he tripped and the file came crashing down. All the papers fluttering in the air, as he simply muttered, "Oh."

"I-I, uh, apologize, sir-" he scrambled, his ears burning a bright red, as you leaned down and picked up some of the papers with him, "-I didn't realize, you'd had company in here. I'm sorry for interrupting."

"Reid," Hotch smiled at him, "-it's fine, Y/N here, was reviewing the same document as well."

"Oh," Reid said again, ultimately trying to hide into himself, as he ashamedly picked up the fallen papers.

You paused, holding the stack you'd gathered, "Uh, actually, sir. I'm just curious, but why was that change made to the document? Do you know?"

"Actually," Hotch glanced at the other Agent in the room, "-someone sent in a request to change the document."

You raised an eyebrow, tilting your head slightly, "Oh, do you have any idea who did that?"

Reid, who had been bent slightly under the table, shot up and rammed his head into a smaller table by a couch that lined the wall.

"Ouch..." he muttered, cradling his head with hand and you immediately jumped up, concern brimming under your fingertips.

"Jeez, Spence!" you stood on your tippy-toes to get a good look, "-I don't think you're bleeding, but we'll have to get you some ice for that, just to be safe."

"Yeah," Spencer laughed nervously, his voice strained as he side-eyed Hotch, "-we should obviously go that. We can't stay in here."

In a few short minutes, Spencer was ushering you out and as you stepped out, you watched all your coworkers unabashedly act like they were not watching the whole time.

You groaned, briskly grabbing Spencer's hand, and dashing on by the the break room. You'd rather not hear anything any of them have to say at this moment, unless it was Emily's story. That was all you'd wanted to hear-

"Uh, Y/N?"

You blinked, as Reid motioned to his head, and with a swift glance to your connected hands, you blushed, "Oh, sorry, Spence. Got distracted."

He laughed, as you carefully slipped your hand out of his and scurried to get a bag, some ice, and some paper towels. Or maybe just find an ice pack in the fridge?

"So," you addressed, as you skimmed the freezer for an ice pack, "-what was that about?"

"What?" Spencer asked, until his mind clicked and he added, "Oh, I just... I don't know, I got a bit nervous, er- surprised."

You smiled into the fridge, -finding an ice pack buried under some peas, or something, you weren't sure-, "It was you who requested the change, wasn't it?"

"No," Spencer squeaked, and you could only imagine the tips of his ears getting redder.

"You can't lie to me Spence," you hummed pulling off a few paper towels, and wrapping the around the ice pack, "-remember?"

"Anyway," you continued, walking towards him, "-I don't blame you, there are some very attractive people in this BAU. I'm just curious which one you're trying to sweep off their feet Doctor Reid?"

"It's-" Reid stuttered out, gently taking the ice pack from you hands, "It's not like that."

"My money's on JJ," you spoke with a tongue of hurt in your tone, as you locked eyes with those familiar brown ones.

"What?! No," Spencer practically yelled, "-she's married!"

You shrugged, "Doesn't stop most guys."

"Pfft," he chuckled, throwing up his freehand, "-you don't think I'm one of those guys, do you? I mean, look at me!"

He motioned down to his sweater vest and perfectly placed tie, and somewhere in your head you had to disagree.

You smirked, getting up and exited the room with a shake of laughter, "It's always the ones you don't expect, Reid, it's always the ones you don't expect."

||//◇●◇\\||

It was the team's night out, everyone was at a dimly lit, crowded karaoke bar. Although, you didn't quite prefer crowds, you wouldn't have it any other way.

Derek and Garcia were out dancing on the floor, Hotch and JJ were at home with their respective families, Rossi went home early, Reid was never one to attend these outings, and you and Prentiss sat in a booth, tired but still wanting to drink.

She sipped on her small glass, eyes locked on you with a glance you'd grown familiar to.

You smiled, a bit of a confused one as always, "What, Em?"

Prentiss raised her eyebrows, "So, I heard about the Reid thing."

You rolled your eyes, "What Reid thing?"

"Don't," Emily tipped her drink to you, with a teasing grin, "-I'm a profiler, Y/N, don't underestimate me."

You raised a brow, knowing there was no possible way that Reid would end up here, you were safe, "Fine, what do you want to know?"

"Well," Emily looked out into the crowd, and then back at you, "-why haven't you asked him out?"

"It's-" you paused, gnawing on your lip, "-complicated, Prentiss."

She opened her mouth, looking back at you, when it suddenly turned into a gasp. And you didn't even have to look back to know what was going on.

"What's complicated?"

Emily's eyes widened, "Woah, Reid! You never come to the karaoke nights with us, I'm- I'm so glad you came!"

He scoffed, obviously lying, "I go to tons of parties with you guys. All the time."

"Yeah, no, Spencer-" Emily added swirling her drink around, as she eyed the book in his hand and bottle of water, "-you don't."

You furrowed your brows, Spencer had frequented quite a few of them -in your presence at least, wait. Had he only showed up when you did?

Emily practically read your mind, as Spencer sat just beside you, "You only show up when Y/N says they're going to be there, hotshot. And I could probably get proof of that."

"I-" Spencer paused, clearing his throat, "-I don't know what you're talking about."

"Sure, you don't," Emily hummed, as she stood, "-I saw a hot girl on the dancefloor, I'm going to go talk to her, lovebirds. Talk to you later!"

You shook your head, laughing, "How wasted do you think she's going to get tonight?"

Spencer paused, "Usually, I'd say 9 times out of 10, she ends up puking on the floor, or leaving with someone else."

"So, maybe the chances are in her favor with that girl, huh?" you smiled at him, for just a second and peered over the glass.

He grinned right back, a glint in his eye that you hadn't recognized, "Yeah... Maybe, just maybe he does."

You hadn't thought much of the pronoun change with the loud, boisterous music, and with your heart fluttering at the wide grin -that was just utterly contagious-, let's just say you were... a little distracted anyway.

//||♡◇♡||\\

It was the obligated BAU dinner night at Rossi's, he was talking about some sort of pasta. You could tell it looked kinda like lasagna, but you wouldn't dare say that to the older man's face.

He'd probably have you kicked out, if you did.

You wouldn't blame him, either.

"Y/N!" Rossi exclaimed, his face a wide smile, "I can trust you to know what oregano is, right?"

"Uh," you paused, trying to take a minute to think, "-yes? I think."

"Good," Rossi hummed, "-take Morgan, and go pick up some from the Deli's down the street."

You chucked, catching the keys thrown your way, "Yes, sir! But I better get the first piece of that bread, mister."

Rossi winked at you, "If you come back with oregano? Consider it done."

With a pep in your step, you waltzed to the living room where a few familiar faces sat. Derek was there, his arm slung around Penelope, and Reid was bent over in laughter.

You blinked, refocusing on the task at hand -you could stare at Reid later, "Hey, Derek?"

All three people looked up with distant smiles, Reid's eyes twinkled like they always did, as Morgan answered, "What's up, my sunshine?"

You laughed, "Rossi has assigned us to pick up some oregano, you coming?"

"Always with you," Morgan grinned, his bright, teasing grin that you'd grown familiar with.

"Alright," you rolled your eyes, "-let's go then, mister. I'm sure Reid can occupy Penelope, no?"

Reid blinked, like he was knocked out of his trace, "What?"

Derek laughed, smacking the tall man on the back, "You heard them, Reid. Keep my girl satisfied, pretty boy."

With a laugh, he pulled an arm over your shoulders and smiled, "Our chariot awaits."

You nodded, and followed Morgan out the door, you'd had about 30 minutes until the store closed anyway.

The car ride was silent, as Morgan pulled into the driverseat, his driving would get you there faster and neither of you wanted to miss such a meal.

"So," Derek hummed, hands trained on the wheel, "-do you-"

"I swear to God, if this is about Reid-" you threw your hands up, rubbing your eyes.

"What?" Derek raised his brows, "What about Reid? I was just going to ask if you'd decided on a pet to adopt, sunshine."

"Oh," you paused, a bit surprised.

"What's-" Derek grinned, his eyes obnoxiously shining, "What's going on with Reid?"

"Well, uh-" you rubbed your hands together, "-basically everyone in the BAU has tried to 'confront' me about him."

"Oh," Derek hummed, "-is it about you two being lovebirds? And that pretty boy has no way of being the one to make the first move."

You sighed, "Not you too."

Derek shrugged, "What? You guys are obviously just dancing around each other, and we're a team of profilers. It's not hard to see you two."

You pursed your lips, "If so, why can't Reid read me?"

Derek mumbled, "What do you mean?"

"If it's so obvious," you hummed, quieter than necessary, "-then why doesn't he do anything about it?"

"That's a question for Reid, sunshine," Derek hummed, "-but we all know he's not particularly good at social cues."

"So?" you hummed tapping your inner leg, "I'm surprised we haven't been interrupted yet, actually."

Derek furrowed his eyebrows, "What?"

You chuckled, shaking your head, "Uh, everytime I talk about my feelings, Reid always pops into the conversation before I can even speak."

Derek scoffed, "How many times have you tr-"

He was interrupted by his phone buzzing, and a familiar name shining onto his screen. His eyes widened, as you sighed. It happened yet again.

"Speak of the devil," Derek gasped, with a small smile and clicking on the call, "Hey, pretty boy. You're on speaker."

"Oh, hey!" Reid was scatterbrained, his words quick like when he was nervous, "Rossi wanted me to go with you guys, I was told to call you before it was too late."

"Not that I don't enjoy your company, Reid-" you spoke, carefully, "-but why would you need to be here?"

"Yeah, sunshine here-" Derek spoke, looking at you with a raised eyebrow, "-has a point boy wonder."

Spencer continued, his voice raised to a slightly higher pitch, "Uh, maybe ask Rossi?"

"Sorry, Spence," you shook your head, working it out in your head, "-we're not turning around. It really doesn't make any sense, we're almost at the store now."

Derek grinned, one you knew he wore specifically for Reid, "Yeah, and to me, it just sounds like pretty boy here has a case of jealousy. Nothing too urgent."

"I-" Reid echoed, defensive, "-uh no, that's not what's happening, Rossi did-"

You raised an eyebrow at the uncharacteristically not Spencer tone of Spencer's voice, mouthing to Derek, "What's that about?"

Derek snickered, but he didn't explain. As usual.

"Listen, Reid-" Derek added, his voice steady with an air of teasing, "-although Y/N is very irresistible, I will refrain from stealing them away from you."

"I-" Spencer's voice spoke, exhausted and a bit defensive, "-I never said Y/N was mine, Morgan. Rossi just wanted-"

"That's enough, boy wonder-" Derek hummed flipping the phone to his ear, "-you're off of speaker now."

You watched as Morgan carefully listened to the distant hum of Spencer's voice, and a giant smug grin slipped across his face. One that just screamed that he'd tease Reid later.

Derek winked at you, as he responded with a telling gleam in his eye, "So Rossi did tell you to come, but after you annoyed him in to doing so? Still sounds like jealousy, kid."

There was a loud yell on the other end, a bit of a frustrated tone, you could tell. Derek had done it once more, Reid was frustrated.

"Hey, baby girl-" Derek spoke as smooth as butter, "-I'm sorry you had to take his place, but can I politely ask you to tell pretty boy to man up?"

You snorted, confused but at this point, you'd found bliss in the unknown. With such a big secret, you'd easily began to understand that silence was key in most areas.

With a sigh, you'd turned to look out the window and your feelings mustered in your chest. Another fail.

//||♡◇♡||\\

It was an exhausting morning, although no case had spiraled into your department, everyone was busy wrapping up previous paperwork. Including those with families, which you found to be absolutely devastating.

You kept glancing up at JJ, she seemed exhausted and she had the cutest little boy at home -who not to mention was Reid’s godson. Henry was an angel in every aspect of the word with what little you’d interacted with the boy, you’d still die for him.

Plus, watching Reid interact with him? He’d be a great Dad, just based on that.

Not, not necessarily with you. 

It could be, you’d pegged Spencer as one who would adopt. His wonderful brain probably knew all the statistics of orphans and chances of mishaps in birth and percentage of abandonment in this city. You’d actually only wanted to adopt too, so maybe you were just projecting-

Okay, re-center.

You blinked, watching as JJ’s stack of papers kept growing and you kept imagining Henry getting sadder by the hour... You had known since coming back to the team, and being the lead in the communication and press department, she’d really been weighed down.

You’d had the sort of specialist as well, dabbling in the press, and you definitely didn’t have any loving husband and child at home. With a sigh, you raised up from your spinning chair, taking a longing look at your small stack and approaching JJ.

Clearing your throat, you sat in a chair by her desk with a smile, pretending to dust off the stack, “You’ve got your night made, huh?”

JJ lightly chuckled, “Yeah, all of these are for various press releases in the past few weeks. It’s really a nightmare.”

“Do you-” you pursed your lips, thumbing through the one on top, “-I know I’m not the Jennifer Jareau, but I’ve worked in press and pretty sure all of your conferences are taped somewhere... Do you think I could pick these up for you?”

JJ blinked, pausing for a second, baffled, “You’d... You’d do that for me?”

“Well,” you rolled your eyes, playfully, “-more like for Henry, but...”

JJ chuckled, “Right, of course. I’ll just... go ask Hotch? And this means so much to me, you don’t even-”

You waved her off, “No, let’s just say you owe me one? That fair? To be honest, I was just going to go home and binge a few episodes. Like the cliched unsuccessful adult. Plus, I don’t have a cute little family to go back to. So... I want to do this for you.”

JJ paused, “Okay, but I do owe you one, for real. No take-backs.”

You nodded with a smile, patiently following JJ with your eyes -you’d had a habit of ensuring everyone you’d known got to their next location safely, it came with the job. Just at the base of the stairs, JJ ran into the familiar man you just couldn’t get out of your head: Dr. Spencer Reid.

Their words were hushed, Spencer trying desperately to keep it at a low volume, and JJ seemed to be well... mother-henning him. Derek walked up beside you, just as JJ started to motion towards you -quite vividly, actually. 

She was pointing her eyes to you, you saw her mouth your name a few times, and now she was... pointing at you. It took everything in you, not to laugh actually.

You spoke to Derek, with a sarcastic tone, “You think they’re talking about me?”

Derek chuckled, “You might be confused with the potted plant, sunshine.”

You snickered, going back to look at them, and now JJ was motioning you to come to her. Like angry mother, when you’d stayed out past curfew.

Raising your eyebrows to Morgan, he muttered with a smirk, “Someone’s in trouble.”

You shoved him over, as you made your way to the perhaps frustrated woman who had been motioning to you just earlier. Spencer was still standing there, awkwardly, actually, with quite the flush to his face.

“Uh-” you spoke, locking eyes with JJ, “-what’s up? I thought I was just going to go do your files, I-”

JJ grabbed your wrist, looking at Spencer with a stern eye, “Wait here, Reid. Don’t move. Y/N, can you step into the breakroom with me?”

At this point, the entire BAU was watching the interaction. Even Garcia was poking her head out of her tech room, and the rest were huddled across the room. You glanced to Spencer for some sort of explanation, but he just blinked at you with those once loved brown eyes.

They were on thin ice right now, because JJ seemed to be offended.

“I’m confused, but-” you met JJ’s eyes, quietly, “-okay...?”

JJ wasted no time, dragging your arm away, as you frantically said goodbye to him with a small smile. You always had to smile at him, it was like on a checklist in your head. You read somewhere that it helps people fall in love, it was probably scientific.

Sliding into the breakroom, she closed the door and slid the blinds down. You chuckled lightly just at the pure frustration on her features, Spencer must’ve said something really... offensive? He didn’t seem the type.

“So,” you spoke with a raised brow, “-can I ask questions now?”

JJ paused, anger dissipating from her furrowed brow, “Uh yeah, about that...”

“Let me guess-” you hummed, tired from the day, “-you can’t answer them?”

“Yeah,” JJ responded, carefully, “-hey, are you okay?”

You paused, actually debating in your mind, “Yes, I’d say so.”

JJ stared at you, “I... I don’t think so. Is it the Reid thing?”

You chuckled, a little hopelessly, as you sat at one of the small table, “It’s jinxed to talk about it, JJ. I’d be careful.”

“Jinxed?” JJ slid into the seat across from you, with a look of concern gleaming in her eye.

You raised an eyebrow, “Everytime it happens, Spence butts in.”

She scoffed, “You know, I think those might be coincidences. There’s no way that it could- Crap.”

You smiled wide, just out of the corner of your eye, you could see brown eyes slipping through the blinds. Spencer wasn’t that sneaky.

JJ was speaking kind of out of the side of her mouth, “Y/N, act shocked. I mean, jaw dropping.”

“Jaw dropping?” you spoke, raising your eyebrows and covering your mouth with an air of urgency.

JJ lips turned up, as she bit back laughter, “Perfect.”

Uncovering your mouth, you raised a brow, asking, “What is this for?”

“It’s to make Reid think we’re talking about something in particular,” JJ responded, her face barely flinching at the mention.

“And,” you added, “-lemme guess? I can’t know what.”

“Yes, I’m sorry,” JJ began, as the brown eyes vanished from the window, “-but, on the brightside, he’s gone! And we can continue our conv-”

Suddenly, the door burst open and -who would’ve guessed- Spencer came tumbling in like the clumsy man he is.

You blinked, turning to JJ with a tired smile, “You were saying?”

Spencer grinned, sheepishly, and spoke in a lighter tone than normal, “Uh, hey, you guys! I didn’t know we were having a meeting-” he slid into the seat beside you, “-anyway, so what are we talking about?”

JJ blinked, a little astonished at the very unSpencer-like behavior, lucky for her, you’d been dealing with this for ages and came prepared.

“Henry,” you answered, with a questitive tone, “-why? Should we be talking about something else, Spencer?”

Spencer blinked, turning towards you and on cue his ears went pink, “I uh- maybe?”

You laughed, continuing despite your own cheeks burning a bit, “Oh, you mean me picking up JJ’s work? That’s also mostly for Henry... Why do you need to know, Spence?”

JJ added, “Actually, he was talking to me, earlier, as I’m sure you saw... and he wanted to help you with the work? I don’t know why he went to me, but-”

“Oh,” you spoke softly, you turned to him, “-well if you have no plans, I’d really appreciate the help.”

“Pfft, plans?” Spencer echoed, face bright red at this point, “-I don’t... I’d never-”

“I’ll take that as a yes,” you raised an eyebrow, standing up from your chair with a smile, “-and JJ, thanks for the talk. I’ll just go grab those files off your desk.”

JJ smiled at you, “Again, thank you so much... I don’t know how I’ll repay you.”

“I’ll figure it out for you, Js” you laughed, slipping out of the room with a sigh of relief. Thank god you were out of that situation.

And just on the brink of peace, Derek spoke up, “What was that all about, sunshine?”

“You have to tell us!!” Garcia added, enthusiastically just like with everything else.

You groaned, playfully, “Not you two! You know my weaknesses so well.” 

They stared at you, expectantly.

“Plus, it was about nothing-” you spoke, making your way to JJ’s desk, “-now, if you’ll excuse me... I have work to do.”

Garcia pouted, skipping away to her room with a look in her eyes that implied she’d ask questions later, and Derek shrugged it off.

With your back turned, you organized the stack on JJ’s desk. Trying to break it into two different stacks, making them even -despite knowing Spencer would 100% be faster.

Adjusting your grip, you heard the door close just behind you -that was the breakroom- and prepared yourself for either of them in your company. Taking the newly organized stack, you walked to your desk with as much energy as you could at this point.

Just as you sat down and pushed a stack onto Spencer’s desk -he was helping-, Derek’s voice caught your ear. 

“Hey, you excited for your blind date tonight, pretty boy?”

You froze, looking up as Spencer looked nervously at you, “I actually promised Y/N that I’d help th-”

“Spence?” you asked, a little confused and a dash heartbroken, “-I thought you didn’t have any plans? I can pick these up on my own-”

Spencer scrambled, “Well, I actually-”

You interrupted, pulling the files back on your desk, “You just promised me Spence, go on your date. I don’t want to intrude-”

Spencer tried to speak up, “Y/N, wait-”

“Spence, come on-” you laughed, “-you can’t tell me you’d choose paperwork over a date? They could be the love of your life, Spence. Go on the d-”

“I’d rather be with you!” Spencer exclaimed, his face flushed to the max, “-I’d rather be here with you.”

“That’s my cue to leave,” Derek’s eyes widened, stepping back out of your view and you were a little speechless, honestly.

“Oh,” you laughed, pushing down any hope that may have risen in your chest, “-of course, Spencer Reid would choose paperwork over a date.”

Spencer sighed, “Oh god, how are you so oblivious and so cute doing it?”

“I uh-” you answered back, as your face fell red, “-what?”

Words began slipping past his lips, “I want to spend every waking moment with you, Y/N. Not just... not just paperwork.”

You swallowed, your mouth moving but no words coming out. The floor had literally been ripped out from under you, and you felt like you couldn’t breathe.

“Y/N?” Spencer wandered closer to you, eyes scanning the area and seeing the crowd building in front of the elevator, “-Here, come with me.”

“O-Okay,” you laced your fingers with his, as he dragged you into the breakroom once more, where JJ left apparently.

The two of you sliding back into the chairs from before

You blinked, as Spencer let out a breath, and you sat in silence for longer than you felt was comfortable. So, you decided to do something about it.

“So every waking moment, huh?” you smirked, with a bit of timidness in your tone.

Spencer smiled, his ears turning bright red, but he was oddly the most calm you’d ever seen him -leaning back in his chair with a warm look in his eyes, “If you want too? Maybe?”

You grinned, quietly extended your hand to meet his across the table with a small smile, “How about dinner first?”

Spencer scratched the back of his neck, with a nervous grin and took your hand across the table, “Of course, yeah... Yeah.”

“Not today though, Dr. Reid-” you hummed, “-if you don’t remember, you promised a certain person some help with some paperwork?”

Spencer played along, tapping his chin, “You know what, I think I might remember...”

“Oh, come on-” you laughed, pulling him from his chair, “-you big goof...”

“At least I’m your big goof,” Spencer added, as you pulled him off his feet.

“Yeah, of course,” you smiled, stopping in your place,”-but we really need to get to work, Spence.”

He smiled, his cute cheeky smile that you loved, “You’re right, we should get going.”

“Like actually though,” you broke the mood, “-we don’t wanna stay here all night, Spencer.”

“Oh, of course, yeah!” he responded, waking up from his daze, as the two of you prepared yourself for the night.

But hey, at least you were spending it with him, and maybe... just maybe you wouldn’t mind “every waking moment” either.

[svu-ncis-criminalminds]

Undercover Part 2

Part 1

Here’s part two of our story. I hope you all enjoy it, let me know! 

Your brother and sister-in-law were as tolerable as they can be on the taxi ride to the resort the wedding was at and where you’d be staying. When you got there though the bile rose in your throat at the sight of your mother, sister, and her soon to be husband waiting for you. Sonny felt you tense up next to him and grabbed your hand squeezing it gently.

“Alright?” He asked, nudging his shoulder into yours.

“Alright.” You breathed.

You got out of the car and braced for impact.

“Y/N!” Your mother called, coming to you. You didn’t expect a hug, your mother wasn’t the hugging type, but she did grasp the front of your sweater tugging when you got to you. “You wore this on the plane?”

“I’m comfortable.”

“You can be comfortable and fashionable, it’s possible.” Stopping yourself from pinching the bridge of your nose out of frustration you just nodded and stepped back.

“Mom you’ve met Sonny, my partner, he’s also now my boyfriend,” The words felt funny in your mouth, but they made you smile slightly every time you said it. “Sonny, you remember my mother.”

“Call me Monica, please.” She greeted, and Sonny put down your suitcase to out stretch his hand just like he did for Cody and Anna. Surprisingly your mother took it with a tight lipped smile, the most you could usually elicit from her.

“Monica, good to see you again.” He was so good with people, you admired that about him daily on your job as he talked to victims and witnesses, but it was different watching him try it on your mother. Finally the attention turned to your sister who was practically bursting from her skin waiting to talk about herself and the wedding.

“Hey Maddison.” You greeted.

“Y/N. Y/N’s boyfriend.” You wanted to snap at her that he had a name but it was late and you were tired.

“Are you hungry?” Your mother asked, glancing at you up and down. “The buffet has a salad bar.” You wanted to scream.

“Mostly tired. We’ll call in some room service.” Your mother continued to eye you but shrugged. She handed you the key and everybody wished everybody a goodnight before you practically dragged Sonny into the hotel and towards the elevator. Once again from prying eyes you dropped your shoulders and groaned.

“They’re not that bad..” Sonny tried to assure you but you just shook your head.

“They are,”

“Okay so they are. But I see a pool and a hot tub. And we’re gonna get some room service, and we’re gonna relax for the first time in a long time. I even got a new bathing suit!” You snorted. You got to your room and used the key card to let yourself in, Sonny let out a low whistle.

“I’m sorry, are we the ones getting married.”

“Not yet,” You don’t know where the comment came from but you flushed and Sonny laughed, going to flop down on the nice big king sized bed wrapped in pristine white linens. There was a sofa area and a balcony with big windows overlooking the ocean. It was gorgeous. You peaked into the bathroom and saw your plan for the evening.

“I want a bath.” Sonny came up to your side and whistled again.

“That’s a pool, doll.”

Sonny found the room service menu and sprawled out on the bed, you perching next to him to read over his shoulder.

“Is this on your ma’s dime? If so I want the lobster.” You smirked.

“Make it two.” You wound up getting two entrees and a couple apps to split and a big bottle of white wine. The food arrived fast and it was hot and delicious, exactly what you needed. You two sat on the bed facing each other and eating and drinking. The wine was going to your head and you felt giggly and light, swaying slightly as you laughed at one of Sonny’s impersonations of your siblings. He always knew how to make sure you were having a good time. Sonny was drunk too, you could tell by his flushed cheeks and the fact that his usually kept hair was a mess from running his fingers through it. You wondered if you’d have the chance to do that.

“Hey,” Sonny broke your thought and brought your attention away from his hair.

“Huh,”

“Why ya staring at me?” He asked wiggling his brows, and you smiled, shoving the last bite of calamari into your mouth.

“I like your hair messy,” You admitted and Sonny’s blush on his cheeks deepened and spread to his ears. Suddenly a light went on and he grinned.

“You still want that bath?”

“Oh, I forgot. Yeah?” Sonny leapt up.

“Put on your bathing suit.” He pointed at you, staggering over to his own suitcase and opening it hastily.

“What?” You almost squeaked.

“You think you’re gonna have all the fun? There’s another bottle of wine in the mini fridge, we can drink it in the tub. It’s got jets, Y/N. Jets.” He was serious. Oh my god, he was serious?

“You’re serious?”

He stopped, bathing suit in hand as he looked at you, he shrugged and smiled almost sheepishly.

“Why not? When will we get the chance again.” He was right, when would you get the chance again to pretend you both were in love.

“Alright.” Sonny grinned and walked towards the bathroom.

“Get changed and get the wine, I’ll get the bath ready.” Bath ready. Bath with Sonny. The door to the bathroom shut to let you change in peace and you felt your head spin. Slowly you got up and went to your suitcase, opening it and taking out one of the bathing suits you brought. You glanced around the room and listened as the sound of running water started from the bathroom. You breathed in deep and stood up, changing quickly. You stood, feeling exposed briefly before your nervousness was replaced by giddiness. You grabbed the bottle of wine from the fridge, ignoring the price tag. You knocked on the bathroom door and Sonny called back, “Come in,”

You opened the bathroom door and stepped in before closing it behind you. The room was steamy from the hot water of the tub, which was still filling up with water and the bubbles Sonny added.

“Bubbles?” You grinned. Sonny grabbed the bottle of wine from you and set it next to the tub.

“Only the best for you.” Sonny looked at you, eyes briefly glancing down and over your body before training on your eyes again like it didn’t happen. And maybe it didn’t and you were imagining things.

“You’re too good to me.” You murmured and Sonny chuckled. He grabbed your hand while you got in the tub so you ‘didn’t slip’ before climbing in on the other side so you were facing each other. The tub was huge, plenty big for you to both sit, legs only touching. I mean there was so much leg on Sonny you weren’t surprised by the contact, but you were surprised about the heat it brought to your gut. Sonny took a big gulp of wine right from the bottle before passing it over to you. You drank from it and allowed the alcohol and hot water to ease some of the tension from you.

Sonny shifted down in the bathtub, so just his upper chest and head were above the bubbles. This meant more of those long legs pressed against yours. You flushed, thankful for the room being hot so it would be barely noticeable.

You handed the bottle over to Sonny who happily drank from it before waving it around slightly.

“This is really something, Y/N, I feel so high class, I didn’t know you were rich.” You winced slightly at his words giving a small shrug.

“They’re rich. I’m not. My mother didn’t agree with my major so she didn’t pay for college. I moved out when I was 19 and stopped taking any money from them. Not that they ever really offered it, besides the occasional condescending remark about borrowing capital. Whatever,” You shrugged, “That’s family for ya,” Sonny handed the bottle back your way, frowning slightly.

“No family doesn’t do that. You’ve got plenty of good family back home. Me, Fin, Rollins, Liv and even Barba on his good days” You smiled at that, sipping again from the bottle.

“You’re right.” Sonny grinned.

“Course I am, I always am. Though your sister-in-law is right” He said gravely.

“About?”

“Two detective salaries, I can’t let you borrow capital.” He mimicked your mothers fake voice and you snorted, shaking your head. You were happy while stuck on a family trip. Something that hadn’t ever happened before to your knowledge, and it was all because of Sonny Carisi.

“Thank you,” You smiled, passing the bottle back to Sonny who took it happily, you watched him drink, adam's apple bobbing. You swallowed. This was getting to be too much.

“Anytime, Y/N.”

“You wanna be my boyfriend anytime?” You asked, unsure why you would ask that. You knew the answer. And yet Sonny faltered, mouth slightly open as he looked at you. There was something there for a moment. Your eyes met over the expanse of water and bubbles between you before it all came to a rude and sudden end. Someone was pounding on your hotel room door.

“What the hell?” Sonny asked, “Don’t move.” He jumped out of the bath and you gaped at him for a second. Wet and glistening, his muscles were tense from the sudden interruption. You imagined your hands on those - cut it out you shook your head watching him wrap a towel around his waist before going out of the bathroom and to the door. The pounding never stopping. Sonny looked into the peep hole and quickly opened it.

“Monica?”

“Where is my daughter!” She part shrieked part sobbed.

“Mom?” You gasped quickly getting out of the tub and wrapping a towel around yourself in time for her to burst into the bathroom.

“Y/N!” She barely even glanced at the fact that you and Sonny had been found both seemingly bathing together.

“What’s wrong? What’s going on?” You asked, one hand holding the towel up, one hand going to her arm. Sonny stood in the bathroom doorway, eyes wide.

“Your sister! Oh god it’s horrible, we need to go to hospital you need to come!” She cried. Your eyes shot open wide and you shook your mom slightly.

“What? What’s wrong?” Sonny was already moving out of the doorway so you could push past him to go get dressed. “Mom, did you call 911?”

“No, Ed is going to drive her.”

“Why is her fiance waiting for me??” You cried, turning away from your mother and Sonny, damn them both, before ripping your swimsuit top off and tossing it. You kept your back to them as you pulled on a t-shirt. You kept the towel around your waist and took your bottoms off before pulling on a pair of jeans and letting the towel drop. When you turned around the bathroom door opened and Sonny came out in a pair of jeans before grabbing a t-shirt. Your mother was standing with the door to your suite open, she ushered you both out.

` You could hear your sister's shrill voice carrying down the hallway as she screamed at her fiance but you couldn’t quite make out exactly what the argument was until you got to the door and your mother let you in. You stopped dead in your tracks, first shock washed over your, then anger, then you burst out laughing. Everyone in the room turned on you.

“It’s not funny!” Your mother cried.

“Mom!” Your sister screamed.

“Don’t laugh at your sister!” Your father scolded. You nodded, raising your hands in defeat.

“Alright I’m sorry, it just.. Took me by surprise!” In front of you your sister was crying through red and puffy eyes. And a red and puffy everything else. You continued to try not to smile.

“It looks like an allergic reaction to me.”

“Of course it is,” Your brother snapped at you, “We didn’t call you in here because you’re a doctor, Y/N.” You glared. “We need to go to the hospital. She needs steroids if she’s going to want to look normal by the wedding.” Your sister burst back into hysterics.

“Okay?” You asked, glancing at your mother who was trying to console her, “Well I’m here, now go to the hospital,”

“You’re coming.”

“Why! I can’t drive, I've been drinking.” Your mother patted your sisters back.

“We’re going as a family! Your sister needs support!”

“Oh lord, okay fine alright we’ll all go. You go in Ed’s car, Sonny and I will order a cab and meet you there in like 20 minutes. Alright?” You asked, grabbing a box of tissues and handing them to your sister, “Come on, let’s get moving.” It was a fiasco getting your family down to the lobby and out to the rental car. You got everyone packed in and closed the door, leaning in the open window. “We will meet you there.”

“Be fast!” Your mother called from the backseat with your sister before the car pulled out with a screech leaving you and Sonny standing in the quiet and dimly lit parking garage. You turned and looked at Sonny who had wide eyes, making you laugh.

“Sorry about.” You waved your arms around, “Everything. I wish I could tell you that my family isn’t always like this but… we kinda are.” Sonny shook his head, brows knitting together.

“Don’t apologize. It’s.. I mean it’s entertaining.” You laughed at that, pulling your phone out to order yourself an uber to the hospital before your mother had a conniption fit.

“That’s one way to put it, sure.”

---

Tags : @thejediprincess56 

[writingwithadinosaur]

“Alibi” - Oneshot

“Alibi” - Oneshot

My Masterlist - Here

My Tag List - Here

Malcolm Bright x Reader, Gil Arroyo x Daughter!Reader

Word Count: 2,000-ish

Key: Y/N = Your Name, H/C = Your Hair Color, E/C = Your Eye Color

Warnings: Mentions of murder, cursing. Large chunks of text in italics mean that it is a flashback.

Summary: After your boss is murdered, you are brought in as a suspect. In order to prove your innocence, you have to reveal a secret to your father. 

Author’s Note: This was one of those ideas that hit me like a train right as I was about to go to bed, so I scribbled as much as I could down and tried to make sense of it the next day.

We’re also gonna pretend that Gil and Jessica aren’t a thing cause then that would make this story a bit awkward.

This is not beta read, so let me know if there are any mistakes! 

If you would like to be tagged in any of my future pieces, check out my tag list above and let me know! And as always, feedback is greatly appreciated!

<3

- DreaSaurusREX

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

“So, (Y/N), got any news for me?” Your boss, Mr.Naruski asked from his desk chair, casually weaving a pen in between his fingers. It was lunchtime and you had gotten salads from the meditarrian place that he liked.

“Well, Simon wanted to move his meeting with you to Friday, but there would be no way to do that unless we add another 4 hours to the day. Oh! And Mrs.Krewnshe asked me if--”

“(Y/N), sweetheart! We are on our lunch break! Which means I don’t want any news with my clients unless it's urgent. I meant news in the world of the best secretary in New York!” 

You couldn’t help but roll your eyes a little bit and smile. Mr.Naruski was a true blessing when it came to employers. He owned his own architecture business in New York and somehow wasn’t a complete asshat like some of your previous bosses. He and his wife were incredibly caring and truly understood that you had to be a human in order to work with other humans. The respect you got here was well worth the daily commute!

“Well, if you really want to know... My boyfriend set up a nice, and very last minute, date for us tonight.” You couldn’t hide the true smile that spread across your lips. Mr.Naruski leaned forward and raised an eyebrow.

“Oh? And where is this ‘nice’ date happening, if I might ask?” 

“I’m not sure. He wouldn’t tell me. All he said was to be ready by 6 because we have reservations for 6:45. But I have a feeling it’s that new modern industrial place that I was telling you about. He knows I love to walk past it and appreciate the details. While I don’t think I’ve ever said out loud that I like it or would like to go inside, he has a great ability to read me.” 

Your smile grew a little more as your eyes drifted slightly down, thinking about all the times your boyfriend picked up on the smaller details in the past. He was good with surprises. Mr.Naruski watched how this interaction brought out your best side. The two of you finished your lunches and got back to work. 

Your boss had one more meeting this afternoon. It was with a company called Jetlan Inc. From the small bit of conversation you heard as Mr.Naruski escorted his guests out, it was a successful meeting. He turned back to you once the door was closed and let out a relieved sigh.

“I take it everything went well?”

“As well as I could. They are going to take tonight to mull it over and then give us a call tomorrow. So expect Samuel to call at some point.”

You wrote down a little reminder to yourself on a sticky note “May get call from Jetlan Inc.” and placed it near your desk’s phone. You went back to typing out the schedule for next week when Mr.Naruski tapped a finger on your desk.

“How about you leave early today, (Y/N)?”

“Are you sure, sir? I can stay and help with the final prep for tomorrow’s deal if you want. I should also probably finish this schedule.”

“I think I can handle that on my own. And you can add your final touches tomorrow. You,” He stood up and walked around your desk and held out his hands. You put your hands in his and he helped you up before grabbing your coat from the coat rack. “Have a date to get ready for.” 

You couldn’t help but laugh. It was almost unbelievable to have a boss that really cared about your personal life as much as your professional one like he did. You just slipped on your coat and grabbed your purse, knowing that when Naruski made up his mind, it was set. He opened the door for you and put a hand on your arm.

“He told me to ‘love with my whole heart, but be smart enough to know when to use my brain instead.’ I think it was his way of saying ‘Be safe and have fun.’” 

A small but sad smile worked its way onto your face at the thought of him being so supportive. You felt a wave of tears coming, so you finished up your story to try to stop them from falling. 

“After that, I thanked him again, and I left to go back to my apartment and get ready. The next time I saw Mr.Naruski was the next morning, behind the crime scene tape blocking my office, dead.”

You couldn’t believe that just 24 hours ago, you were happily talking to your boss about your date. And now he was dead. Murdered in his own office, two hours after you had left. You were being questioned at the NYPD by none other than JT Tarmel, Dani Powell, Malcolm Bright, and your father, Gil Arroyo. 

No one spoke, they were taking in all of the details of your alibi. It felt like forever before Malcolm broke the silence. 

“Are there security cameras in your office?”

“Yes. There is one in the main office where my desk is positioned, one in Mr.Naruski’s office, and one in the hallway outside our door.”

“Great. We can check those. They’ll show (Y/N) leaving and should have a timestamp on them that we can check.

The team did their own little nods, still thinking about your alibi. They wanted to trust you, but they needed to think of every possible thing that could have happened, or if they could find any evidence to the real killer.

“Who did you go on a date with?” Dani was sitting about 6 feet to your right, a bottle of water in her hands as she leaned forward, elbows on the table. 

“I don’t see how my dating life is relevant to my boss being murdered in his office.”

Lies. You knew why she was asking. It was a major part of your alibi and it’s the only other way that they could concretely cross you off of the suspect list. JT jumped in to try to diffuse the situation, none of them aware of how much you didn’t want to share. 

“It's just another way that we can confirm your alibi, (Y/N).” 

You could see Gil adjusting his stance as he leaned against the wall to your left. You couldn’t bring yourself to look at your father, already feeling his intense stare boring into you. 

The room was silent, but the anxiety in your chest made it feel like the room was half of its real size. You kept your posture as straight as you could while you focused on your hands that were unconsciously fidgeting on top of the table.

“Tell us the kid’s name, (Y/N).”

“Why can’t you just check the cameras like Malcolm said? That’ll show when I left at around 4:30 yesterday afternoon and when I came back today for my shift but saw the tape instead! You could even check my apartment’s security cameras!”

“Woah! We will, (Y/N). We just want to be able to cover our asses and yours.” JT tried again to calm you down, everyone know seeing how uncomfortable the idea of sharing the details of your date made you. 

Your leg started to shake under the table, that was your cue that your anxiety was getting bad. You lock eyes with Malcolm. He sees how much you’re struggling and just gives you a short nod. You knew what he was trying to say, but you really didn’t want to agree. Malcolm then took a deep breath, trying to get you to do the same. You looked down and tried to take a deep breath in.

“Why can’t you just answer the question, (Y/N)?!” Gil didn’t yell, but you could hear the annoyance in his voice. It was the final hit that broke the last of your defenses.

“Because it's Malcolm, alright?!” 

Even you were a bit shocked at the slight frustration and exasperation in your voice. As everyone let that fact settle in their brains, you closed your eyes and took a couple deep breaths, trying to accept the fact that it was out in the open now. Malcolm made his way behind you and put a comforting hand on your shoulder, lightly rubbing this thumb to try and soothe you. You opened your eyes and stared at the center of the table, your hands now clasped together. 

“Last night I left work early to go get ready for a date with Malcolm Bright. He took me to that nicer place off of 47th that has the grey brick exterior with the iron corner details. We went there to catch a break from our lives because it's been so hectic lately and we haven’t had much time to just sit and enjoy each other’s company.” 

Our reservation was for 6:45 under Malcolm’s name. You can check with the manager there, go into their electronic reservation system, and see that we checked in and everything. Or Malcolm may have some sort of confirmation email. Now do I need to go into detail about what we ordered or what cocktail I was drinking, or am I good?”

You slowly looked up to meet your father’s eyes. You expected something upset in his eyes, but instead, they were very professional. He looked from you to Malcolm, who in turn nodded, confirming your story. Gil audibly inhaled through his nose and exhaled through his nose and he rubbed a hand down his face.  

“No. You’re good, kid.”

You look back to your hands and close your eyes, focusing on your breathing. You weren’t hyperventilating, but you definitely felt a weight in your chest. 

Dani and JT looked at each other, unaware of what to do in this situation. Malcolm looked from you back to Gil, his face slightly pleading. Gil quickly tilted his head towards the door, a small sigh of relief coming from Malcolm as he moved his hand to your arm and leaned down to quietly talk in your ear.

 “C’mon, (Y/N). Let’s get some air or something to drink, okay?”

You nodded and stood up as Malcolm grabbed your coat from the rack near the door. You took yours and slung it over your arm as Malcolm opened the door for you. Before you could leave, Gil spoke up.

“I will be seeing the two of you in my office in an hour though. We need to have a chat.”

You just nod and leave already knowing what this “chat” is going to be about. Malcolm was reaching for his coat when Gil’s voice resonated again.

“Malcolm, take care of her. Go to that shop around the corner. They have those little pastries she likes. And make sure your both are back here soon. We’re not done with this.”

“Will do.” Malcolm nodded and quickly left and caught up with you, walking you safely out of the NYPD.

With that, there was still a semi-awkward air in the meeting room. Dani quietly fiddled with her water bottle and let out a “Well…”

“Heh! Yeah. That was somethi--” 

Before JT could get further, Gil pointed at him and sternly said “Don’t.” JT just raises his hands in defense and backs off. Dani couldn’t help but smirk a bit at the sight of JT getting called out. 

“So where do we go from here?” Dani calmly asked the room. 

“We need to get the security footage from the office building and (Y/N)’s apartment complex. Get in contact with the restaurant owner and see if we can check their reservation system, if not, ask Malcolm if he has any email from their reservation.”

“On it.” JT confirmed as he left the room to head to his desk and start working. Gil leaned on the table, thinking for a moment. “What do we know about this Jetlan Inc.?

~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tags:  @malindacath @shadowfoxey @whovianayesha @melconnor2007 @ashenfallsof @geeksareunique @all-by-myself98 @sj-thefan

[nekojitachan]

Hmm, another chapter update! We’re starting to get somewhere. I think after the next chapter there will be a time jump (that or the one following). Yes, plotty things.

Anyway, here you go. More ‘The Real Thing’, the Andreil Raven soulmate fic that does or does not exist.

Some twinyard drama, some spilling of tea, some of Nathan’s terrible parenting skills.

Previous chapter can be found here (and which links to other chapters).

*******

“So, off to some fancy party this weekend?”

Andrew gave his brother a look of long suffering which made Aaron grin. “Right, try not to have too much fun,” Aaron teased before he ran off to catch up with his friends. Andrew clicked his tongue then went on his own way, displeased at being reminded about the damn banquet that weekend.

The Ravens would have their fifth game of the season on Friday, and it was time for the northeastern district’s fall banquet; Andrew wasn’t pleased to deal with either things, but at least the first was a home game (against Binghamton) and would only last a couple hours, while the second was an overnight ordeal at Penn State.

He suspected that Tetsuji wouldn’t let them off-campus to have ice cream and hit a few bars.

At least Andrew shouldn’t have any problems shutting the goal against the Bearcats, who weren’t nearly as good as they liked to think they were. He was mentally reviewing some of their players’ stats when he met up with Ben on the way back to the Nest, who complained yet again about the fact that they weren’t allowed to take any dates to the banquet (‘I mean no offense, if I was into guys you would be… okay, you’d still terrify me but you’re not half bad looking, but I’m nineteen and it’s such a waste of a paid hotel room’).

They studied in their room for a while then went off to practice; Andrew was surprised to find Nathaniel (and Moreau) hovering by his locker, both of them already in their uniforms, hair slightly damp and mussed as if they’d recently practiced.

“Ooh, look at the two lovebirds,” Loiseau called out, which made half the locker room snicker.

Federov leaned over from his own locker to leer at Nathaniel. “What, is shorty not giving it to you good enough, Nate? You need-“

Andrew didn’t look away from his soulmate as he grabbed the prick by the throat. “Do you have any complaints?”

Nathaniel’s blue eyes widened slightly, while Moreau was quick to hide a faint smile. “None, other than your snoring.” He had to speak up a little over the choking sounds Federov made.

Andrew huffed as he clenched his fingers deeper into Federov’s throat. “I told you, you’re imagining things.” He finally looked at the backliner, whose face had turned a bright red. “See, no complaints. Now go away before I cut your tongue out for lying.” He dug his fingers in even more for a moment before he let go then shoved a gasping Federov away.

There were various mutters of ‘crazy’, ‘headcase’ and the like, but Andrew didn’t care, not if the others finally learned to leave him and Nathaniel alone. “You need to get your hearing checked out,” he said as he pulled off his shirt.

Nathaniel was looking away with a slight blush to his cheeks when Andrew glanced back, his red undershirt in hand (interesting). “My hearing’s fine. Enough lame jokes.” Once the shirt was on, Nathaniel looked back at him and leaned forward. “Be careful,” he said in a quiet voice not meant to carry far. “Riko and Kev are already out on court, and it’s not going well.”

Andrew glanced at Moreau, who gave a slight nod, then grinned, the expression wide and a touch sharp, as he reached out to pat his soulmate on his tattooed cheek. “Later, sweetpea. Your honeypie has to work first before we can have our fun,” he said out loud to throw off the Ravens still watching on.

If Andrew was a more delicate soul, he might be a bit perturbed, even downright unnerved, by the chilling look Nathaniel gave him just then. “I know how to debone you as if you’re nothing but a big fish,” the redhead threatened before he spun around on his heel and stomped away.

Moreau didn’t bother to hide his smile (a true rarity) as he nodded. “He does, too.” He gave Andrew a jaunty wave before he went after his partner.

Aw, apparently, they’d moved on to the flirting stage, how sweet.

Despite the threat, Andrew appreciated the warning when he finally got out on court, where he found a scowling Riko and a quiet Day doing drills; it appeared they had a contest going to see who could knock over the most cones. Judging from the numbers Akagi called out, Riko was in the lead… but Andrew saw at least one shot that Day usually had no trouble nailing any other time that he somehow flubbed just then.

Oh well, Kevin Day wasn’t any concern of his.

Tetsuji seemed to be ignoring the contest going on between his nephew and protégé, and called the Ravens forward to start practice; after warm-up exercises and drills, Andrew found himself part of a scrimmage with Nathaniel and Moreau in front of him while Engle and Saunders attempted to score goals.

It wasn’t so bad when Andrew didn’t have to deal with Riko, but he wisely kept that thought to himself, especially when he could hear the way that Riko’s ‘teasing’ remarks to Day crossed the line from friendly to vicious. He noticed how Nathaniel would tense at the mocking laughter and the various versions of ‘you suck’s, but for once the redhead seemed to be listening to his own advice since he kept his mouth shut and focused on Exy.

Riko and Kevin were still whacking balls when practice was over.

Andrew caught up with Nathaniel on the way to dinner to (slowly, making his intent clear all the while) ‘pin’ his soulmate to the wall, a scant inch between their bodies and Moreau a glowering presence nearby. Pretending to nuzzle Nathaniel’s left ear with his hands on the wall next to the younger man’s hips, he breathed out the question that had been on his mind the last few hours. “What’s going on with them?”

Nathaniel drew in a slow breath and raised his left hand toward Andrew’s head, only to loosely cup it when Andrew nodded. “Press asked Kevin more questions after their pro game last night,” he whispered. “He got more airtime.”

Andrew arched an eyebrow at that ridiculous bit of information, which prompted a slight nod from his soulmate. Well, someone had a fragile ego, didn’t they? Before he could say anything, though, he fought not to shudder as Nathaniel’s fingers tentatively slid into his hair.

That… shouldn’t feel so damn good.

“If you two don’t mind, I would like to eat soon, while I still have some miniscule appetite left,” Moreau sneered.

Andrew jerked away from Nathaniel, whose face flushed with embarrassment while he snapped something sharp in French at his haughty partner. “How about you try to eat with a broken jaw?” Andrew asked with a ‘smile’.

“Fillet you like a fish,” Nathaniel warned as he motioned for Andrew to follow him and Frenchie into the dining hall.

“I knew you liked me,” Andrew taunted as he tagged along.

“You have a death wish,” Moreau muttered while he shook his head.

Perhaps.

So did Ben; he gave Andrew a bright smile and a two thumbs-up gesture when he noticed that Andrew ate at the same table as Nathaniel and Moreau, even if he had to suffer through the two of them talking about the statistics of various teams and how best to manage the new drills that Tetsuji had sprung on them. Used to being ignored (at least by his soulmate), he was surprised when Nathaniel pulled him aside after dinner to talk to him privately.

“Be careful at the banquet this weekend,” he murmured while Moreau stood guard. “Riko always has to put on a show, to prove he’s in charge. Don’t give him a reason to do that to you in front of everyone.”

Before Andrew could say anything, Nathaniel whisked himself away, leaving only a feeling of warmth and a craving behind – a craving for Andrew to dig his fingers into dark auburn hair, to brush his lips against a full bottom lip that taunted him….

Perhaps it would be a good thing, to get away from his soulmate for at least a night.

Nicky sent along various types of articles on how to behave at a social gathering, which Andrew basically deleted without reading.

Friday’s night game went the way he expected it to go; the Bearcats played dirty, but they weren’t anywhere near the Ravens’ skill level so were sent home with an embarrassing loss. Andrew once again put in more effort than he liked while out in the goal, but somehow it was worth it when Nathaniel sat next to him on the bench during the game and joined in on mocking the opposing players, when he let down that prickly guard of his and acted like an almost normal teenager.

When he teased Andrew about his snoring when they were back in Nathaniel’s (and Moreau’s) room later that night, when he once again reminded Andrew to be careful at the banquet and (jokingly – Andrew realized that by the way the left corner of Nathaniel’s mouth hitched the slightest bit) asked him if he knew the difference between a salad fork and a teaspoon (one has these spiky bits and one is all smooth, you know) until Andrew threatened to smother him with a pillow.

(He may have fallen to sleep with the sound of his soulmate’s laughter ringing in his ears.)

Tetsuji, the bastard that he was, made the team do their usual workout and morning practice before they cleaned up and piled into the buses that were to drive them out to the middle of bumfuck PA for the banquet. Nathaniel fussed over Moreau and, surprisingly, Andrew before they left (Tetsuji also made them dress in their black and red dress clothes since they were to appear ‘perfect’ upon arrival), and snuck a few of the ‘good’ energy bars into Andrew’s left pocket before he walked away.

It wasn’t often that Andrew gave much thought to the whole ‘soulmate’ bs, but… but maybe there was a reason why he was stuck with Nathaniel Wesninski.

Maybe.

He slept most of the time on the bus, and read one of Nicky’s ‘suggested’ books the rest of the trip (it was another A/B/O novel, a sappy affair about a strong, blond Alpha swooping in to protect a struggling brunet omega which in no way reminded Andrew of Erik and Nicky). Once they reached Penn State, Riko made them line up per their numbers and inspected them, demanded that they straightened out their clothes and fixed their hair until they were ‘Raven’ perfect before he ordered them to fall in step per the way they’d practiced (actually practiced, oh how Andrew had blamed his laughter on the meds that day) before they headed into the stadium.

(The prick also took a moment to remind them to be on their best behavior that night, his attention lingering on Andrew as he tapped three fingers against his chin.)

Riko was arrogance personified to Penn State’s captain, who didn’t appear to care for him (or the Ravens), either. Yet they were stuck at the same table as their division ‘rivals’, which meant that Andrew sat next to Moreau while Riko and Day (along with various other Ravens) traded insults with the pussycats. It was almost enough to make him want to stab salad forks into his ears (and yes, he knew what a fucking salad fork was).

Better yet, stab a salad fork in someone else’s ear….

He was picking at his bland chicken breast and steamed vegetables (he would gladly maim someone for a pizza right then) when the pussycats’ captain gave a mocking laugh and nudged the young woman sitting at his side. “What did I tell you? No one wanted to come as dates for these stuck-up bastards.”

She laughed as well, as did the majority of the pussycats; Andrew noticed that most of the players had a guest beside them, which meant there were almost double the amount of people on their side of the table compared to the Ravens’. “Probably don’t even have any soulmates. Who would be unlucky enough to be stuck with someone like them?”

“Yeah, tied to an Exy-playing machine that doesn’t know how to have any fun for the rest of their lives, who would want that?”

“How could they even tell which one is their soulmate? All their symbols would probably be an Exy racquet or something equally boring!”

Andrew propped his chin up on his right hand while the pussycats continued to make fun of the Ravens, while beside him, Moreau huffed quietly but didn’t show any emotion. However, Riko didn’t seem to be handling the jabs as well (perhaps because prick knew he was a piece of shit and didn’t have a soulmate of his own).

Normally, anything that made Riko feel bad was a good thing in Andrew’s book, but he inwardly tensed when that one smile came over the prick’s face; judging from the murmured curse in French and the way Day stilled, he wasn’t the only one to realize that things had taken a turn for the worse.

Riko leaned forward as if to tell a secret. “The reason we’re champions, unlike your team, is that we know when to remain focused and when to indulge ourselves. Right now?” He cast a disparaging look at the young woman in the deep blue dress who sat next to the pussycat’s captain. “Even though you and the others don’t present much of a challenge,” he sneered, “we don’t allow ourselves to be distracted during the season.”

One of the pussycats’ backliners scowled and shook his head. “You just won’t to admit that no one wants you.”

That prompted a laugh from most of the Ravens. “No one wants us?” Riko clapped Day on the back, who scoffed at that statement. “When we’re already on a pro team, unlike any of you? When our seniors already have teams offering them contracts?” Federov and others grinned and nodded while more pussycats scowled. “We could have our choice of dates and already have our soulmates waiting for us, but this is work and so there’s no need to inflict so much boredom upon them when it’s not necessary. It’s bad enough that we have to do endure it.”

“You’re an asshole,” Captain Pussycat snarled, which was the truth but not much of a snappy comeback.

“An asshole who’ll beat you yet again this year,” Riko said with a pleased smile.

“An asshole who probably doesn’t have anyone to celebrate the victory with,” a dealer shot back as she rubbed the soulmate mark on her arm; she was too far away for Andrew to make out the symbols. “You need a soul for that to happen, and it’s clear that you Ravens don’t have any.”

Riko’s smile took on a too-sharp edge while various Ravens laughed. “Again, why inflict losers like you upon them? Since they’re our soulmates, they’re just as driven as us and are busy, but you’ll see one of them soon enough. Isn’t that right, Andrew?”

What the hell was the prick doing now? Andrew sat up, the drugged smile flattening as he gave his ‘captain’ a blank look. “It’s right that there’s no need for him to have to deal with these assholes,” he said, a clear warning in his voice.

“Hmm, but dear Nate will have to deal with them next season, just like Thea dealt with them until she graduated, isn’t that right, Kevin?” Riko sat there and outed their soulmates as if it wasn’t a big deal, when he had no right to; Andrew’s left hand clenched around the pathetic knife provided for dinner when he felt a kick to his right ankle.

“Don’t,” Moreau whispered. “Nat.”

Andrew almost stabbed the French bastard for interfering, almost told him to mention his soulmate’s name… but the damage was already done, wasn’t it? Riko had deflected the pussycats away from the fact that he didn’t have a soulmate, and now the other team (and soon the rest of the division once word spread) was busy talking about which other former Ravens might be soulmates.

Andrew would much prefer everyone was busy talking about Riko’s ‘unfortunate’ death, but was held back (barely) by the clear warning to Nathaniel (and by extension, to Aaron).

(He was also disgusted about how part of him felt a bit smug over how everyone knew Nathaniel was his soulmate.)

Ben took one look at him when they were finally allowed to return to the hotel at the end of the too long night and didn’t ask him to share any of the alcohol he’d brought along.

Moreau made certain to stay between him and Riko the entire time they were at Penn State and on the drive back to Edgar Allan. It was a good thing (for everyone stuck on the bus with him) that Andrew had just taken a fresh dose of his ‘happy’ meds before he received a text from Aaron, who had somehow heard about him finding his soulmate (word traveled fast, it seemed).

There was a lot of swear words and angry emojis, and eventually Aaron got to the point; if Andrew was messing around with his soulmate (he wasn’t), then Aaron was free to search for and have a relationship with his soulmate (when found). Andrew reminded his twin about his many terrible decisions made in the past, about how Andrew had to clean up so many messes, and received another furious text.

/U can’t keep me from her/

Andrew turned off his phone, unwilling to deal with such stupidity at the moment.

He just wanted to crawl into his bed and sleep the rest of the day (actually, he wanted to beat the shit out of something), which was unlikely since Tetsuji would put them through at least one practice before calling it a day, but upon entering the Nest, Moreau mumbled something about finding Nat and went off in such a rush that Andrew found himself following without any thought.

(Just for the hell of it, he wasn’t worried or anything.)

Nathaniel was in the room he shared with Moreau, seated at his desk as he studied. At first, he didn’t react to them entering the room, then finally raised his head from the book he’d been reading when Moreau called out his name. His partner hissed as if in pain upon seeing the bruises which marred Nathaniel’s pale skin, the blackened left eye and split lower lip, while Andrew felt a rare fury rail against the drugs swirling around in his veins.

“Nat, what-“

“Get out,” Andrew told Moreau as a manic smile tugged the corners of his lips upward as if hooks had been implanted in them. When Moreau stared at him in confusion, he grabbed a fistful of black material and shoved Moreau toward the door. “Get. Out.”

“Who do you-“

“Jean, just go,” Nathaniel said, his voice quiet and stripped of almost all emotion except a hint of exhaustion. “It’ll be fine.”

Moreau paused for a moment before he clicked his tongue and yanked his t-shirt free from Andrew’s grip. “Don’t hurt him,” he warned before he left.

As if that was possible; oh, Andrew wanted to hurt someone, all right, but not his soulmate. Oh no, he wanted to tear apart whoever had left those bruises on Nathaniel.

“Who was it?” he demanded to know as he forced himself to go sit on Moreau’s bed instead of on Nathaniel’s desk; he suspected that his soulmate needed the space right then (he needed the space right then).

Nathaniel was quiet while he bookmarked the page he’d been reading then leaned back in the chair; he began speaking before Andrew repeated the question. “My father was here this morning.” He winced as he skimmed his fingers over his bruised cheek. “Word got out fast about us being soulmates soon after someone posted it on an Exy forum last night.”

Andrew considered that for a moment while his hatred for Nathan Wesninski grew even more potent. “He beat you because I’m your soulmate.” Nathaniel gave a slight nod. “Why?”

“Because… because,” Nathaniel sighed as he got up to fetch something from the minifridge between his and Moreau’s desk; a fresh ice pack, which he wrapped with the towel he’d used on an older pack set on the desk. “He already knew you were my soulmate, Tetsuji told him after you were recruited, he was just… annoyed, I guess you could say, that the news got out.” He didn’t look at Andrew as he applied the pack to the left side of the face.

There were likely one or two explanations for that. “Is he angry because of my past or that I’m a guy?”

The question made Nathaniel look at him. “Uhm, the latter.” He toyed with a pen left on his desk as if nervous. “I mean, it’s not a big deal, two guys being soulmates, but he’s… well, even though he’s washed his hands of me, I guess he still thinks it makes him look bad. Makes him look like less of a man, somehow.”

So he made himself feel better by coming here to beat up his son, what a ‘man’. “My cousin’s father is like that,” Andrew confessed. “Has some weird belief that Nicky’s soulmate being a guy is a bad thing. He’s doing much better now that he’s living with Erik in Germany.”

For some reason, that bit of truth made Nathaniel smile, just a sliver of a curl. “Really? Are… are they happy together?”

“Disgustingly so,” Andrew admitted. “Once he finds out about you, he’ll be hounding me for information because he believes all soulmates should be happy together.”

“Oh.” That seemed to confuse Nathaniel; he glanced down at his lap and attempted to nibble on his bottom lip before he remembered why that was a bad idea. “Jean… Jean told me that there were good soulmate bonds, but I only know my parents and….”

“And it’s not good,” Andrew guessed; he better understood why Nathaniel had freaked out on him that one day.

“No.”

“Nicky and Erik have a good one.” Such a good one that he thought that the universe was mocking him with his own mark, was showing him something so perfect that could never be his.

Now… now he was beginning to wonder.

As the anger gave away to something warm and aching, he found himself on his feet, which made Nathaniel stare at him. “I have to go unpack.” He motioned to his duffel bag, which he’d left by the door.

“Yeah, practice will start soon.” Nathaniel gave him a weak smile. “Back to Penn State for an away game.”

More fun time with the pussycats; Andrew would have to put some real effort into that game, and wouldn’t get much time alone with Nathaniel while off his drugs.

Still, everyone knew Nathaniel and him were soulmates now (for good and bad), knew that Nathaniel was off-limits. He just… he just needed to figure out what do next.

(He knew what part of him urged him to do, which didn’t help things. He needed to be smart about what he did next, and for some reason… he didn’t feel very smart when around Nathaniel.)

*******

Yep, we’re getting somewhere.

Did you know that the pro team that Kevin and Riko played on while in university was called the Baltimore Wildcats? How many times I’ve read the Kathy Ferdinand interview scene and hadn’t realized that Nora did actually name that team? Oops. Which makes one wonder WHY Baltimore, hmm? Weren’t they signed with another team as well? Besides the US Court (which wouldn’t have demanded time until the Olympics). This is another reason why I don’t think the whole 18 hour days make any sense....

Anyway, thanks to those who do read this.

[jaspers-levis]

Continuation Two: Dusk

TW: Self-image, allusion to eating disorders, abuse mention

PSA: The point of this story is not that the reader has value as a woman because of Paul’s attention. Everyone has value. Period. Size, shape, orientation, identification, race, religion, etc are all things that make us who we are but do not define our value as a human being. You don’t need a significant other to believe you have value before you suddenly have value. The point is, sometimes we as humans struggle to see the truth already in front of our own eyes. Our loved ones are there to remind us that no matter what the voices in your head say, you are perfect just the way you are.

Continuation Two: Dusk

Paul Lahote x female reader

“Ugh!” you grunted, your hand slipping from your waistband as you tried desperately to shimmy into a too-tight pair of shorts from last summer. The jean material would barely fit over your hips, shockingly snug despite the fact you were sure you hadn’t gained that much weight over the last year. You tugged one last time, only to hear the material rip. “Damn it!” Sighing, you slid the shorts down your legs and pulled them free, falling back onto the bed in defeat. It hadn’t been that long since you’d been able to fit into those shorts easily, and the size was already on the larger side in your mind. How could you possibly have gained so much weight in such a short time?

Nothing would fit you beside your largest pair of athletic shorts and even those were snug; you took a deep breath to hold back tears and failed. For years your ex had ridiculed you over your size until you obsessed over every calorie, every crumb on your plate. You’d prided yourself on dropping sizes every few months, until you’d gotten to your ‘goal size’. It was an incredibly unhealthy point in your life, both mentally and physically, but if it was possible for you to make your ex happy in some small way it meant one less way he could hurt you. Now it was a hard to break habit to value your appearance by the number on the tag, a habit you’d thought you’d dropped until now. Hot tears slipped down your cheeks and dripped into your hair, sticking it to your face.

Your phone buzzed beside your head, despairingly you smacked the covers until you found it.

hey babe, be home in a few. dont forget the bonfire 2nite!

You groaned, smacking your forehead lightly. The first bonfire of the summer with the entire pack celebrating the official start to the season was this evening; the weather was supposed to be warmer than it had been in the last few months so you’d pulled out your summer wardrobe in the hopes that everything still fit. This was the last pair of shorts you tried on and everything else was similarly too small… your heart sunk. You wanted to wear something cute to the bonfire, but nothing seemed to fit. 

It normally wouldn’t be such a big deal, but Emily and Kim were both small and athletic and always wore clothes that highlighted their form. Quil’s new imprint Hannah was tall and slim, with a river of striking black hair and a fondness for crop tops and short shorts that showed off her endless legs. It felt like every other female you knew was fit and perfect--besides you. You knew it wasn’t a good idea to compare yourself to others but it was hard when you were constantly surrounded by supernaturally attractive men and their similarly attractive significant others. Why couldn’t you be slim and perfect too? You felt like a chubby little frog next to them… 

“Babe, I’m home!” Paul called from the kitchen, the front screen door slapping shut behind him. Hastily you sat up and swiped at the embarrassing tears dripping down your cheeks but it was too late. “Honey, what’s wrong?” Paul was at your side in an instant, his warm hand sweeping your hair over your shoulder and resting against your neck.

“Nothing, it’s fine,” you muttered, turning your face away. “My dumb shorts don’t fit.”

“Oh,” you heard the frown in his voice and he picked up the offending garment from the floor. “These ones? Well baby, these are tiny! No wonder they don’t fit, they’re practically a children’s size.”

“But I used to fit in them just last summer!” you cried, turning to him and grabbing the shorts. “How did I get so fat??” You thrust yourself up from the bed and went to stand in front of the full length mirror. “I used to be so tiny, I never had a problem fitting into anything. Now I’m just a chunky little gremlin…”

“I’m sorry, what?” Paul asked incredulously, coming up behind you and yanking the shorts from your hands and chucking them forcefully into the corner of the bedroom. He slid his hands under your shirt and wrapped them around your waist. “Honey, no. For one, you’re tiny still, especially compared to me,” he chuckled and gently kissed your neck. “And secondly, who the fuck cares? We’ll  buy new shorts.”

“It’s not that, I should be able to fit into them still! How could I have let myself gain so much weight?!” you sniffed again, glaring at your shape in the mirror and seeing every slice of pizza, every spoonful of ice cream, every piece of bread…

“Seriously? You’re not overweight!” he retorted, his dark eyebrows pushing together.

“Compared to Kim, and Hannah, and, and, and everyone else I am!” you sobbed, trying to pull away from him to hide your shame.

Angrily he spun you around and cupped your cheeks to look into your eyes. His hands trembled slightly, the only betrayal of his weakened control. “Y/N. You are NOT overweight. You are HEALTHY. You’ve gained weight because when I met you, all you had in your fridge was a bag of salad and a carton of eggs. Do you know how happy I am to see you fill out? Do you know how much it made me nervous that you would forget to eat for a day? I look at you and I see someone who is happy and healthy now. Every inch of you is perfect.”

Startled at the raw emotion in his voice, you hiccuped. Paul’s eyes were serious and dark in above his russet cheekbones, but not without love. Tenderly he wiped away tears with his thumbs. “I love you for better or for worse, no matter what you look like, no matter how much you weigh or what size you are, no matter what you do with your hair or if you wear makeup or not, or if you wear nice clothes or sweats,” he whispered, pressing his lips to yours in the barest imitation of a kiss. He pulled away and smirked suddenly. “But luckily, you’re exactly my type, and I think you’re hot as fuck.”

You giggled at that, leaning into his touch. “So you don’t think I’m fat?”

Paul rolled his eyes and pressed his face into your neck, nipping delicately at the sensitive skin there. “No, you’re delectable,” he growled, pulling the two of you back onto the bed with you on top and slipping his hands under the ragged t shirt you wore to caress your back. “And tempting,” he kissed your collarbone. “And perfect,” he pressed his lips to the hollow of your throat. Planting hot kisses across your skin, he began to lift your shirt, his eagerness abruptly making itself known against your stomach.

“Thank you,” you whispered shyly, ducking your head against his shoulder. 

He growled softly and paused in his attempts to undress you. “For what?”

“For helping me remember my value, even when I struggle with it. I… haven’t always been good at remembering that my size shouldn’t matter.”

“I know, sweetheart,” he smoothed the hair over the back of your head. 

“What do you mean, ‘you know’?” you leaned back and frowned.

“Honey, I’ve seen photos of you from the time that you were with your ex, and you’ve mentioned he’d abused you. It’s not hard to make the leap,” he pushed himself up on his elbows and swallowed a shudder. “I swear to everything that is holy, if I see that fuckwad ever again I will rip his fucking teeth out one by one and make him eat them like candy.”

“Okay, well we’re not going to let that happen, for legal reasons,” you laughed and smacked his chest.

“Mm, well, you better hope he doesn’t show up again because I can’t make any promises,” Paul shrugged unremorsefully, but calmed enough to stroke his fingers down your bare thighs straddling his waist. “All I can do for now is make sure you know how loved you are, how smart and funny and strong you are, and remind you that I love every piece and part of you just the way you are.”

Your heart squeezed in your chest, suddenly overfull of adoration for this fierce, wise cracking, temper-losing, enormous giant of a man who had a tenderness to him that belied everything his friends and family knew about him. Looking down at him, all you saw was the love in his eyes, the truth in everything he said. Paul had fought hard and earned every bit of the trust you placed in him, trust you had always had difficulty in placing in another person. While you believed in the imprinting mechanics having seen it first hand, it had taken you months to trust Paul in spite of your supernatural bond. Now, for the first time, you felt yourself truly letting your guard down, having shared your last and most shameful weakness. And he loved you, despite that. “I love you so much,” you smiled shyly and bent to kiss him lightly.

“I love you more, honey,” he returned your smile before deepening the kiss into something smoldering and languorous. Paul kissed you like it was the first time, the last time, and every other time in between, worshipping every inch of your skin with his lips and hands until you were burning up with desire. No matter that you didn't have anything to wear to the bonfire, it was likely you wouldn’t make it there before dusk anyways...

[hystericalweenie]

Just Another Day at the Office Series - New Experiences

George MacKay x Reader Series

Part Three: Little Things

Masterlist

Summary: Y/f/n Y/l/n had found herself stuck in a scenario she’d never thought she’d ever have to face: she’d been catching feelings for a coworker. While she attempted to adapt to her new job and work load, she also had to get used to these new feelings and figure out what the fuck to do with them. George made her want to take risks, she didn’t care about the potentiality of a broken heart with him, because falling in love with him made it seem worth it. Is George falling for Y/n too? Will he be able to reciprocate her feelings?

a/n: I have absolutely no personal experience in magazine/journalism career, so the information in this fic will be provided with the knowledge I have conducted from research. With that being said, please don’t be mad if this is not accurate!!! Since you guys seemed to like the text messages between Y/n and George, I decided to include a chunk of them, since there weren’t any in the last part. 

Warnings: This is a slow burn fic, their relationship won’t happen in one night, so if you’re not into that, check out some of the beautifully written imagines that you can most likely find under the george mackayxreader tag. I might eventually write some of my own too :P At least one person’s saying “fuck” and there’s some sexual! tension! up! in! here! Digital penetration (fingering lolz)

12:36 am, George: I cannot stop thinking about you.

My stomach churned with butterflies, but I wouldn’t let him know.

12:38 am, Me: Creepy, much?

12:38 am, Me: Kiddingggg :P

12:40 am, George: Haha. Very funny. 

12:41 am, Me: Have you gone back to rehab to visit your friend?

12:43 am, George: Yes, Dean and I went yesterday after work. He’s not doing very well, but I know he’ll get better. Addiction is very scary.

12:44 am, Me: I can’t imagine. It must be hard seeing him so sick.

12:45 am, George: It is, but you’ve made all of this a lot easier for me to deal with. You make me forget about every single little flaw in life. 

12:47 am, Me: Then I guess I’m doing my job. 

12:48 am, George: You distract me too much sometimes, especially after last night. 

12:49 am, Me: Really? Huh, I wonder why, that’s weird.

12:51 am, George: *insert eye roll*

12:52 am, Me: It’s time to get emojis, old man.

12:53 am, George: Nah

12:53 am, George: Unless you want to show me how to install them this weekend?

12:55 am, Me: Sounds like a plan, grandpa

12:56 am, George: You must be into older guys then, huh?

12:58 am, Me: Yup, I have a bingo kink

12:59 am, George: Gross. 

12:59 am, George: I’m not thaaat old, I’m only 27.

I was twenty-four. Was that weird? Would he think that’s weird?

1:00 am, Me: When’s your birthday?

1:02 am, George: Next week, actually. March 13th.

1:03 am, Me: You doing anything to celebrate?

1:05 am, George: Eh, probably not. Dean and I might go to a bar or something, that’s what we’ve done in the past.

1:05 am, George: You’re welcome to come along if that’s the plan.

1:07 am, Me: I’d like that a lot, actually. I won’t get plastered this time, I promise.

1:08 am, George: Mhhhmmm.

1:08 am, George: It’s getting late, you should go to bed love

There it was, again. Love. I melted in my bed.

1:09 am, Me: You’re the one texting me!

1:10 am, George: You don’t haave to respond. 

1:12 am, Me: But I want to.

1:13 am, George: See, there’s the problem.

1:14 am, Me: Is it a problem?

1:16 am, George: Yes, because I’m making you lose sleep.

1:17 am, Me: I don’t mind.

1:18 am, George: You’re making this harder for me, Y/n.

1:20 am, Me: Fine. I’m going to sleep.

1:21 am, George: *insert me sticking my tongue out*

1:22 am, George: Good. Goodnight, love.

I woke up the next morning with dark rings underneath my eyes, but they were well worth it due to our conversation; I’d found out that George was twenty-seven years old and his birthday was on March thirteenth, making him turn twenty-eight the following week. I wondered if our slight age difference would make things weird, I hoped it wouldn’t. 

I went to work that morning with extra concealer on my face, and a sleek black pencil skirt with a dainty blouse. I rolled through New York traffic, waved at the receptionist once I’d arrived at the building, and made my way to the second floor with the not-so-speedy elevator. I welcomed my desk, waving at silently at Dean before stretching my hands and typing my results from the experiment. 

The CBD oil experiment had gone pretty well; I used it only temples after coming home from work with a headache and I’d definitely noticed a difference. I spent the entire morning rewriting everything over and over again, wanting to perfect my first article and impress the HBIC that Connie was. 

When lunch had rolled around, I decided to head to the small cafeteria to see what they had in store for me that afternoon, hoping it’d give me some energy to finish writing the article. I decided to go with my regular salad, picking out the toppings, as I heard footsteps behind me. I turned around noticing the presence of Faith, the small ginger haired girl I’d met on my first day. I smiled at her, before returning back to my salad. 

“I meant to tell you before, but your idea for your experiment is really good, I’m kind of shocked at how well your first pitch is, actually,” she admitted with a smile as she opened some cabinets, scavenging for food.

I blushed at her compliment, turning my face to look at her.

“Thanks, Faith, that means a lot coming from you,” I beamed at her. “Your article of your interview with that producer from The Bachelor was amazing!”

I saw her cheeks tint pink as she turned her body to me after finding a small bag of chips.

“Really? You couldn’t tell that I was nervous during the interview?” she asked worriedly, her thin, groomed eyebrows knitting together anxiously.

I shook my head. “Not at all! It was perfect.”

She chewed on her lip before smiling at me.

“Thanks, uhm, maybe we could work on something together sometime? After the article you’re working on right now, of course,” she suggested. 

I grinned at the girl.

“Of course!”

“Okay! I’ll see you around, Y/n.” She exited the room with a soft smile, and left me to finish my salad. 

I was glad to have finally made a girl friend, especially someone who could potentially help me with my writing. I finished my salad-making, returning to my desk and immediately conversing with Dean.

“So,” I began, shoveling the lettuce into my mouth. “Any new office drama we can talk about while we’re on lunch?” 

The people that usually sat beside us had gone off to some restaurant down the block from the office, leaving Dean and I by ourselves at the table.

“George heard two people goin’ at it in one of the conference rooms earlier,” Dean shared with a laugh, his blue eyes softening in humor.

Hearing him mention George made me wonder if George had told Dean about me. I brushed this thought off, knowing it’d result in unnecessary anxiety.

“Do people usually have sex in the office?” I asked, lowering my voice.

He shrugged.

“Sometimes, I guess, but George works on the third floor with the most empty offices, so he hears about it more than me, I’m sure.”

I shoveled more salad into my mouth, as I pondered what it’d be like having sex at the office. Having sex on one of the empty conference tables and risking someone coming in or hearing, or doing it on a desk after everyone’s gone, the building empty and the bright lights of New York lighting up the office through the windows; my legs were quivering at the memory of George’s tongue and imagining how he could fuck me at the office. It’d be so scandalous, so risky, but why did I like thinking about it?

“Y/n?”

I brought my head up to the brunette, observing his confused expression.

“What?” 

“I asked how the article’s going,” he repeated.

Shit, did I space out that bad?

“Oh, it’s going well,” I stammered. 

“Don’t be nervous about it, I’m sure Connie’s going to love it,” he reassured me, his expressions softening with concern.

I was not just spacing out due to anxiety from the article, but I led him to believe so because I was sure as hell not going to tell what I was really thinking about.

“You’re right,” I agreed.

I shoveled the last of the lettuce into my mouth, the fork lingering in my mouth as I thought of George’s lips; I missed the taste of him. 

I wondered where his office was; I wanted needed to see him. I needed to feel his lips against mine, I needed to feel his hands explore my body, I needed something to relieve the aching between my legs. 

“I’ll be back, I’m going to go to the bathroom,” I announced, grabbing my phone and quickly exiting the office. 

I scurried into the elevator, pressing the third floor button and opening my front camera on my phone to perfect my appearance. I ran my fingers through my hair, teasing my roots to make my locks look tousled and sexy. As the elevator stilled, the doors opened, and I headed down the hallway, hoping for a sign that had George’s name on it for navigation. There was an open room with tables of desks like my floor, but it was much smaller, revealing the small amount of people in the art department.

It led to a hallway with several rooms on each side, as I slowly walked down and turned my head to each door in hopes of seeing his name or his face somewhere. I was finally introduced to a wooden door with “George MacKay” written on it. My cheeks flushed, and I knocked on the door with my knuckles. I heard footsteps as my heart raced, his door swinging open and revealing his face. 

His hair was in perfect form, his locks styled effortlessly while he was dressed in a light blue button up and slacks, his blue shirt making his eyes look even lighter. His shirt fit his torso just right and his sleeves were rolled up, revealing the veins that trickled up his arms. I licked my lips at the sight of him, as he fisted my shirt and pulled me inside of his office, kicking his door closed.

“I have to say, this is the best surprise I’ve gotten in a while,” he muttered, his eyes looking me up and down. 

His hands wrapped around my waist, going to my lower back as his face inched towards mine. I felt his warm minty breath welcome me, already relieving my craving for him. I moved my nose to gently nudge his, before my lips attacked him. I couldn’t hold back anymore; George took away any self control I'd had in the past. 

My hands went to cup his face before snaking around his neck. I felt his hands travel down to my ass, squeezing it, causing me to moan into his lips. I pulled on his hair instinctively, slipping my tongue into his mouth. He began walking, making me walk backwards until my back hit the desk. I pulled away, as I sat myself on it without thinking, scrunching my skirt up to my waist so that my legs could open for him to stand in between them. He stood himself between my legs once I’d given him access, staring at me momentarily. His cheeks were flushed and his lips were swollen as he stared intently at me.

“What do you want to do, Y/n?”

I chewed on my lip. There was no way in hell that George and I’s first time would be at my work. But, I needed a relief; the ache between my legs was too much, almost painful at this point. 

“Can you make me feel good?” I whimpered confidently, my fingers threading through his locks as we looked at each other.

His eyebrows furrowed and he nodded, his cheeks turning pink at my request. 

“How do you want me to make you feel good, love?” he asked, his hand coming up to cup my face. 

He slipped his thumb between my lips, surprising me. Without thinking, I swirled my tongue around his finger and gently sucked on it. His eye lids drooped as he watched me in awe, probably imagining my mouth on his cock. I opened my mouth as he removed his thumb and I looked at him innocently. 

“Your fingers, George. Please,” I begged.

Still gazing at me, he lowered his hand, pushing my panties to the side with his index finger. 

“Your wish is my command,” he whispered, the pad of his thumb running down straight to my clit.

My hips bucked at the action, and he attached his lips to mine to swallow all of my moans. He rubbed circles on the sensitive bud before running his finger through my folds. My fingers knitted themselves into his hair as he teased my entrance, driving me absolutely insane. His finger slid into me easily due to how wet I was, how wet he had made me. He pulled his lips away from me, using his free hand to insert a finger into my mouth. I sucked on it, as I tried not to let any moans escape my mouth while he attached his lips to my neck. His thumb began picking up its pace, his finger curling into me faster. I gently nibbled on his fingers as my stomach began to twist, my legs sticking straight outward and trembling. The delicious pleasure was building and building, and I wasn’t sure how long I could last. 

“You gonna cum, angel?” 

Angel.

I cried out against his finger with a closed mouth, hitting my climax as I came undone onto his fingers. My jaw went slack as I rode out my high, fingers threading themselves and pulling on his hair for dear life. My body spasmed against him, overwhelmed with pleasure. Once my legs finally relaxed, he slowly removed his fingers from my heat, and latched his digits into his mouth. He hummed, sucking me off of his fingers as I watched him in awe. He removed his fingers from his mouth, before grabbing some tissues off of his desk.

“I’m gonna clean you up, okay, love?” He informed me, looking at me for permission.

I nodded, watching as he got onto his knees and began gently wiping my pussy with the tissues. My breath hitched at the contact, sensitive after my climax. I watched him as he looked intently at my heat, concentrating, as he strategically cleaned where I’d been dripping. 

“I wish I could’ve cleaned you up with my mouth, love, I hope you know that,” he admitted, looking up at me. 

I whimpered, looking down at him as he gazed at me with innocent blue eyes.

He pressed his lips against each side of my inner thigh, before standing up and tossing the tissues into his trash can. He returned between my legs, moving his palms to cup each side of my face.

“Y/f/n Y/l/n, you’re going to be the death of me,” he confessed with a chuckle. 

“Rest in peace, George MacKay,” I joked. “Cause: Y/f/n Y/l/n being too sexy.”

“That's for damn sure,” he moved to peck my lips, his fingers pulling down the bunched up fabric of my skirt. I held onto his shoulders as I stood up, needing extra support for my weak legs. 

I flattened the skirt, adjusting my top as well. “How do I look?” I attempted to brush through my hair with my fingers.

“You look perfect,” he smiled, pecking my lips again. “I wish we could see each other after work this week, but I’m supposed to visit Andrew at the rehabilitation center with Dean until he starts improving.”

My eyebrows furrowed and I brought my hand to his bicep, ignoring how muscular it felt.

“It’s okay,” I reassured him. “You have to be there for your friends.”

He looked down at me, his expression softening as I watched him examine my features. 

“Thank you, Y/n,” he said softly, his eyes returning back to mine. “You’re one fucking amazing woman.” He grinned, crinkles appearing next to his eyes.

My cheeks flushed as I fought back the urge to melt straight into the floor; I felt like I could have passed out if I hadn’t forced myself to remain composed and on my two feet. 

“I’m not all that special,” I assured him. “I’d say I’m pretty much just an average millennial woman.”

He rolled his eyes. “But you’re not,” he argued. “You’re so fucking intelligent and determined, it truly baffles me. Most adults go into work, because they have to; you come into work everyday, prepared to blow everybody’s fucking minds, no matter what it takes.”

He brought his hand up to his face, the pad of his thumb stroking my bottom lip. “You have these little quirks, like, you chew on your bottom lip whenever you’re nervous or focusing on something.” He poked my cheek with his finger, causing me to smile. “You have these adorable little dimples.” He tucked a piece of hair behind my ear. “You roll your eyes all the time, too, which could get you in trouble one of these days, love.”

I fought the urge to roll my eyes, not wanting to prove him right. I shook my head instead.

“You’re stubborn too,” he added, noticing my expression. “But, I think you’re the most kind and forgiving woman I’ve ever met; I don’t think I know someone who could forgive their roommate for the shit she’s done to you,” he admitted. “But you want to see the good in every person.”

My eyebrows furrowed at the accuracy of his observations.

“How do you know all of this?” I interrogated, my eyes squinting in suspicion.

He smiled softly. “I notice all of the little things about you, love. They’re hard to miss when I’m with you.”

I bit back my giddy smile. “I notice a lot of the little things about you, too, George.”

He stepped closer to me. “Like what?” he chided with a smirk.

I brought my fingers to the sides of his eyes–careful enough not to touch his bruised eye–mimicking his previous actions. “The crinkles by your eyes whenever you smile or laugh.” I moved my finger to his nose, gently running along the bridge of it. “The way your nostrils flare whenever you’re concentrated or confused.” I poked the small freckles that were sprinkled along his nose. “These adorable freckles.” I could see him blush under my touch. My fingers went up to trace his right eyebrow. “Your eyebrows furrow whenever you’re focused on something.” My fingers moved down to his arm, tracing the veins. “The way your veins travel from the backs of your hands to your forearms.”

My palm moved back up to his face, cupping his cheek as I stared into his blue piercing eyes that gazed back at me.

“You’re incredibly loyal, and as much as you may not want to admit it, you’re hardworking and you love your job.” I stroked the small freckles along his cheek with my thumb. “I notice all of the little things about you, too. They’re hard to miss whenever I’m with you,” I rephrased his words sincerely with a whisper. 

I watched his Adam’s apple rise and fall, as he gulped and stared at me with an intense expression. 

“You’re everything I’ve ever wanted, Y/n.”

[maaaaaatryoshka0325]

Tourniquet - Han Jisung Gang AU Part 2

(Part1) (Part3) (Part4) (Part5) (Part6) (Part7) (Part8)

Waking up whenever you want on your day off from both work and school was a blessing. You stretched with a smile and slipped out of bed, heading for the shower. You washed your face and hair and did yourself up a bit, looking in the mirror feeling satisfied.

You grabbed your bag and headed out the door and into the city. You decided to have a you day, You happily walked into a cafe and ordered your drink when you felt a presence behind you.

“Fancy seeing you here.” 

You jumped out of your skin and whipped your head around, seeing an amused Jisung.

“Jisung! You scared me half to death!” You huffed.

“Sorry! That was pretty funny though.” He chucked, a big, stupid grin on his face.

“Oh haha, yeah so funny.” You said sarcastically. 

“Well, I at least thought it was.” He giggled.

You rolled your eyes and ordered your drink, pulling out your wallet, when Jisung ordered his own on the same tab and paid for both.

“H-Hey you didn’t have to do that.” You said awkwardly.

He shrugged and smiled at you.

“I wanted to.” He said.

You both sat down as you drank your drinks.

“Thank you, Jisung. That was really nice of you.” You still feeling a little shy about him paying for your drink.

“No problem.” He said with a big grin.

You smiled back and drank your drink, your eyes wandering out the window. It was beautiful out, nice and sunny, and not a cloud in the sky.

“So what are you doing, walking around by yourself?” Jisung asked.

“Well, it’s the first day I’ve had off of school and work and could have some time to go out and about.” You said, tilting your head to the side. ‘What about you? None of the guys with you today?”

“Nah, they’re all busy or are too lazy and I didn’t feel like staying home and doing nothing.” He said.

“Oh, I see.” You said, looking at him from across the table.

He was pretty. He had nice, big eyes, a beautiful smile, a nice nose, and a pretty decent body. When he smiled, his eyes shone so bright.

“What made you choose to come to Seoul and go to school here?” He asked.

“I was just interested in the school, and I thought it’d be cool to travel, so I learned Korean and came here.” You said.

“Ahh, where are you from?” He asked.

“(country).” You responded.

“Nice! Chan and Felix are from Australia, but me and the others are from here.” He said.

“Were you born here in Seoul?” You asked.

“Nah, I was born in Incheon.” He said. “But Hyunjin and Jeongin were born here in Seoul.”

“Jeongin?” You asked.

“Really young kid, looks kinda like a fox.” He said.

You realized who he was talking about. Jeongin looked really young, and he had really big eyes and a sweet smile.

“Ahh, I see.” You hummed, drinking your drink.

“You know Hyunjin though, right?’ He asked.

“Kind of. He’s in my Korean class.” You said.

He chuckled, his eyes shining.

“I’m guessing you’re not one of the girls that swoons over him?” He asked.

“Swooning over him? He stared at me for a whole class period, that’s weird.” You said, rolling your eyes.

Jisung laughed and ran his fingers through his hair.

“Most girls would swoon if he even glanced at them. You’re pretty interesting.” He said, a big smile on his face.

“Interesting? I’m interesting for not swooning over your friend?” You asked, raising a brow.

“Interesting enough to tell him to ‘take a picture, a lasts longer.’” He said with a laugh.

Your cheeks flared up as you stared at him in shock.

“They told you about that?” You asked.

“Yeah, you had Chan dying of laughter.” He laughed.

“Oh my God.” You groaned, dropping your head in your hands.

“Hey, it was funny okay? I admire you for that.” He laughed..

“You admire me?” You asked with a teasing smile.

“Maybe I do.” He said with a smirk.

Your cheeks turned a light shade of pink as you rolled your eyes at him.

After you both finished your drinks, you threw out your trash and walked out the door.

“Heading anywhere special?” He asked.

“Nah, just window shopping.” You said.

“I thought only grandma’s window shop.” He said with a grin.

“Oh shut up!” You hissed playfully, pushing passed him.

“Hey, wait!” He said, walking with you.

‘Mind if I tag along?” He asked.

“Doesn’t that make you a grandma too?” You asked in a teasing tone.

“Well, I don’t like to brag but, I’m one hot grandma.” He said with a grin.

“Whatever.” You laughed.

You walked into a store and looked around, heading into the make up section.

“Wow, you ladies spend a lot on make up.” He said, looking at the prices.

“Yeah, it can be horrific, especially when it all adds up.” You said, looking at a few lipstick colors.

“Looking for a new color?” He asked.

You nodded as he bent down and looked at some.

“How about this one?” He asked, putting it up to your lips and looking at how it went with your skin tone.

“It goes great with your skin.” He said.

You looked at it and smiled.

“Yeah, it’s a pretty color too.” You said, taking the lipstick.

He smiled at you as you both continued to look around. You looked at a pallet and saw the sample pallet above it. You were about to use your arm when Jisung offered his own.

“Are you sure?” You asked.

He smiled and nodded as you rubbed the colors on his arm, looking down at the colors.

“Oh they’re pretty, and the consistency is nice.” You said.

You noticed a women watching you both, and she gave you a smile.

“You have such a nice boyfriend.” She said.

Your cheeks turned red at her remark, as did Jisung’s.

“W-We’re not dating.” You said, cheeks flaring up.

“Really? Well, you two would be cute together.” She said.

Jisung awkwardly scratched the back of his neck as you both bowed to her as she walked away.

“Well, that was awkward.” He said.

“Yeah, a little bit.” You said, trying to hide your red face.

You occupied yourself by looking at more make up before paying for the pallet and lipstick. You both walked out of the store as he turned to you.

“Are you hungry? Cause I am.” He said.

“Maybe.” You laughed.

“Don’t tell me your one of those girls that don’t eat in front of a guy.” He groaned.

“I’m not.” You huffed.

“Alright.” He smirked. “Impress me.”

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

You both sat in a diner, looking at the menu. Now that you smelled food, you were VERY hungry, and you decided to act on your bluff.

“Do you two know what you want?” Your waitress asked.

She was one of those “I don’t like my job but I need it” type of people, you could tell from her attitude.

“I’ll have the steak and mashed potatoes please.” Jisung said.

“And let me guess,” She said. “A salad for the lady?” 

“Thank you for worrying about my diet, but I think I’ll go with the double cheeseburger and fries please.” You said, handing her your menu.

You couldn’t help but catch Jisung’s smile. When she walked away, he giggled.

“Okay, I’ll be impressed if you can eat it all.” He said with a smirk.

“Don’t test me, cause I’ll actually eat it all.” You said.

“Looks like I’ll have to test you.” He said with a smile.

You rolled your eyes and giggled as you both sat there. You looked at his hands for a moment.

They’re pretty too.

You shook the weird thought out of your head as he looked at you.

“So, what made you want to do forensic psychology?” He asked.

“Hmmm. I was always fond of getting into people’s heads, like, to know what they’re thinking. I find it so interesting. And I’ve always had a fascination for serial killers and such. So I thought it’d be cool to get into their heads and learn why they did what they did, and how they felt before, during, and after.” You said.

His eyes sparkled as you talked, listening intently and looking at you with his big eyes.

“I love that. I think you’ll do great.” He said.

“What about you? Why did you choose business?” You asked.

“Uhhh.... Just something I’m good at.” He said.

You wanted to ask him why he had to think and why he was so hesitant, but the waitress dropped off your food and your eyes went wide at the size of the burger. You looked up to see Jisung smirking at you.

“Don’t be shy now, Y/N.” He said.

“Oh, I won’t.” You said, grabbing the burger and taking a big bite.

It was really juicy and you smiled at him as you swallowed.

“Wow, this is really good.” You said, taking another big bite.

He smiled and cut off a piece of his steak, sticking it in his mouth.

“Yeah, their food here is really good.” He said, chewing on the piece.

You nodded, and just about almost finished your burger, you start to become full.

“What’s wrong? Can’t act on your bluff?” He asked, smiling at you.

You frown and shove the last piece into your mouth, your eyes on his until you swallow. He sat there for a moment before he started to laugh.

“Okay,” He said, laughing. ‘I’m impressed.” 

When you both finished, you took out your wallet, but he shook his head.

“I got this.” He said.

“What? No, you paid for my drink earlier.” You said.

“I invited you out to eat, therefor I’m paying.” He said.

You were about to say something when he narrowed his eyes on you, actually looking quite intimidating.

“I’m paying Y/N.” He said.

“Fine.” You huffed.

He smiled and paid the bill before walking out of the diner with you. When you both got outside, it was getting dark.

“I guess I should head back home. I have work in the morning.” You said.

You turned to him and smiled.

“I’ll see you at school on Monday.” You said.

“Are you walking home?” He asked.

You nodded and he sighed.

“I’ll walk you home. You shouldn’t be walking home by yourself at night, especially with how crazy it’s been.” He said.

He was right. There had been multiple times people have been robbed around here at night.

“But what about you? You’d have to walk me home then walk all the way back to your house.” You said.

“I’ll be fine. Now lets get you home.” He said walking past you and towards your apartment.

You sighed and followed him, walking in step beside him. He was quiet for a bit, and you started to feel awkward.

“Jisung?” You asked.

“Hm?” He hummed.

“Thank you for today. I had a lot of fun. And thank you for walking me home.” You said.

He looked at you and smiled.

“No problem Y/N. Thank you as well for spending the day with me, I had a lot of fun too.” He said.

You smiled at him and he smiled back, making your heart skip a beat.

“U-Um, how far do you live from my apartment?” You asked.

“About a twenty minute walk.” He said.

“That’s far.... You walked me halfway, you should really head back to your house.” You said.

He looked at you for a moment, pausing and almost making you bump into him.

“Y/N, I’m walking you all the way home, got it? I won’t let a women walk alone when it’s dark outside.” He said.

Your cheeks turned red as you nodded.

“You have more of a chance of something happening when you’re walking alone for twenty minutes.” You said, not looking up at him.

He ruffled your hair and gave you a sweet smile.

“I’ll be fine, I promise.” He said.

You quickly brushed him off and continued walking, him directly beside you.

When you got to your apartment you turned towards him.

“Thank you, Jisung. I really appreciate everything you did today.” You said.

“No problem. Thank you for spending time with me, I had fun.” He said with a smile.

You smiled back and he ruffled your hair, turning away from you.

“Wait!” You called.

He stopped and gave you a questioning look.

“T-Take my number and text me when you get home.” You said.

He arched a brow and smirked at you.

“Already trying to make a move on me?” He asked, handing you his phone.

“You wish.” You scoffed, putting your number in.

He smiled at you and waved goodbye before walking away. You watched him disappear before heading into your apartment and heading into the bathroom. You washed and cleansed your face before getting into a pair of sweatpants and an over-sized shirt. Your phone dinged and you looked at an unknown number.

Unknown - I got home okay, though I was chased by a very enraged weiner dog.

You laughed at his text.

You -  A weiner dog? Really? They’re so tiny.

Unknown - Tiny and vicious. Like Changbin Hyung.

You started cracking up, remembering how short but intimidating his friend was.

You - lol, I can see you running from the weiner dog and Changbin

Unknown - whatever :(((

You - lol, thanks again. For everything.

Unknow - No problem. Goodnight Y/N

You - Goodnight Jisung

You rolled over in bed and buried your face into the blankets, allowing sleep to over come you., a small smile on your face.

[theasstour]

0210. Andante.

Friday, 11 March 2016

FIC PAGE | CHAPTER SYMPHONY | WORD COUNT: 9.3k

NB: alcohol, explicit language, sexual content

The room was quiet as Y/N glided her finger over the book before her on her desk while reading, her laptop softly playing Siegfried Idyll by Richard Wagner. The sun shone in through her room, the only light she needed as she was gathering quotes, sources, and information to add to her essay due next week. Sipping her cuppa, she stopped her finger as she found a good sentence to cite, quickly writing it down in her Word Document on her laptop before going back to the book. Whenever she was doing research for an essay, she always thought the reading part was the worst one. This was when she had to really pay attention and figure out the ins and outs of her essay. Once this was done, the writing bit flew by. Research was always the least exciting bit. Not that any part of writing an essay was exciting, but this part was particularly dreadful.

She sat back in her chair, enjoying the calming way the flute drifted through the air like a beautiful waltz. Dancing its way to her and doing wonders to her nerves. It was incredible how music could calm her down like this. While she held the cup of tea between her hands and sunk further down into her chair, she heard her phone vibrate with an incoming text message. She glanced over at it on the edge of her desk, where it laid next to a bottle of white wine and caramel muffins from Sainsbury’s.

Very early that exact morning, Tiana and Teresa had knocked on Y/N’s door. They knew she would be awake as she needed to work on her essay, so tapping lightly on her door to ask for her attention hadn’t been a problem. Tiana had been grinning from ear to ear, Teresa seemed less excited as she shuffled into Y/N’s room in her robe and curly hair resembling a bird’s nest.

“Happy birthday, babes.” Tiana had said, producing a bottle of white wine and a two-pack of caramel muffins. “Thought you’d need this today since you’re working on that dreadful essay.”

“Happy birthday, mate.” Teresa mumbled; eyes barely open.

“Not going to disturb your essay research, but here’s your birthday present.” Tiana put them on Y/N’s desk before giving her a hug. “Okay, we’ll let you be now. Good luck, and happy birthday.”

Teresa had disappeared out the door before Tiana had even managed to turn around to even attempt to leave the room. Y/N was left alone then, which was exactly how she liked spending her birthday. Both her flatmates knew this, hence why they had given her her birthday gift and then left her to her own company. Y/N guessed it was because of the added attention your birthday gave you, that it was the reason why she didn’t like spending hers in the company of others. Though she had gotten more comfortable in her own skin over the last year, she still didn’t appreciate attention she hadn’t asked for. The wine and muffins were therefore the best birthday gift Y/N could ever have asked for. Putting her mug down on her desk, she reached for the muffins and started eating one before picking her phone up to read the text. Her heart did a backflip.

Harry What’re you up to today? x

The essay was forgotten by the appearance of that name on her phone. Opening the text message, she read it over again before she began to type.

Y/N Right now I’m writing an important essay, but going out for dinner later.

Trying to tell herself that texting Harry wasn’t as big of a deal as her heart was making it out to be, she put her phone down on the desk again and turned back to her book. It didn’t even take a minute for Harry to reply, and only 10 seconds for Y/N to give in and read what he had sent her.

Harry Wicked. Mates treating you? Might have to come so I can do it myself.

Y/N So you can do what?

Harry Treat the birthday girl.

Harry Happy birthday, darling.

Harry Kinda wanna give you your birthday present right away.

Harry But part of it is in my mouth and the other is between your legs. So we need to physically be in the same room for it to happen.

Y/N could feel her whole face heat up with the massive blush that was moving in a warm wave over her.

Y/N Seems like we have to be in the same room soon then.

Harry Yes please.

Y/N Not going out with the flatmates, but you’re free to tag along regardless.

Harry With who?

Y/N My family. Byron, Hammersmith Grove.

She stared at her phone, waiting for Harry to keep on typing. He was always so quick to get back to her, always eager to keep the conversation going, but he suddenly disappeared. The reason was most likely innocent, like Finn knocking on Harry’s door to ask some stupid question about plagiarism in essays or Wade playing Sage the Gemini too loudly from his room, disturbing Harry as he did his uni work. Whenever they weren’t talking, she missed him, and that was why she felt her heart go heavy in her chest when Harry left her on read. Going back to her reading, Y/N managed to find another citation that might be helpful to strengthen her case in her essay, before Harry finally texter her back. She reached for her phone embarrassingly fast.

Harry No, you’re going to dinner with your family. Don’t want to intrude.

She frowned, never having known Harry to turn down a social gathering. He loved getting to know new people and being social, which was why she thought the text a bit odd. Biting her lip, she tapped in a reply.

Y/N You’re not intruding, I’m asking you to join us.

Harry It’s fine, Y/N, I’ll treat you some other time. Spend time with your family, you’ve been away from each other for a while.

And just like that, she was smiling again. He was so respectful of her space and her time spent with her family. He knew her family meant loads to her, Edward more than anyone in the world, so him stepping back meant the world. She did want him to come with, but she understood why he stood this one out. She gave the message a heart, threw her phone on her bed so it wouldn’t distract her again, and then she went back to reading more for her essay.

When Y/N walked out the front door and saw her familiar family car, it was hard not to notice how she was literally shaking with excitement at see her family again. The early spring evening was dark, leaving the streetlights to shine down on the car that still had its engine going and that held the people she held dearest. Tugging her coat, a little tighter around her, she did a mental check list in her head of things she should remember to bring before leaving the house. Her keys, wallet, phone, umbrella. She smiled to herself once checking off all the items on the small list, and then proceeded to walk down towards the car.

“Poppet!” Her father rolled down the window, the biggest beam on his face as he watched his daughter strolling down to him and the family. “God, it’s so good to see you, come here!”

Y/N walked over to him, giving him a hug and receiving a kiss on the cheek. Opening her eyes, she saw her mum sitting behind the wheel, holding her hand out for Y/N to take a grip of. She did, and Allison squeezed Y/N’s hand hard in hers before letting go. She jumped into the car, grinning at Edward as she closed the door behind her.

“Goose.” Edward said, giving Y/N a nod.

“Maverick.”

Y/N flung herself at her brother, hugging him tight as the car echoed with his laughter. He held her to him, sighing into her hair and not letting her go till George told them they had to get going, it would be hard to find a parking spot so they had to leave now. Y/N sat back in her seat, putting the seatbelt on and feeling herself smiling stupid big. Their mother drove them to Hammersmith where they found one lousy parking spot a few streets down from the restaurant. Y/N shoved her brother, listening to him talk about the cows and how their dad had just sown some new Christmas trees this passing week. To passer-byers this might sound like the most boring conversation in the world, but this was a normal conversation topic in the Pictor family. They discussed their farm and the little gossip of Hawkley most of the time, finding it more than highly amusing.

As they strolled into one of the burger chain restaurant, Byron, a waiter showed them to their table with comfortable space for Edward’s wheelchair and the rest of the family to sit back and relax. It was quiet among them as they looked through the menu, studying the different dishes and only ever talking if they said something along the lines of “You’d like this one”, something Edward and Y/N had a tendency of constantly doing.

“Right,” George said as they received their food some time later. “How is university going, poppet?”

Y/N examined her guacamole burger, feeling her stomach growl at the sight. “Good. Been reading for an essay due next week all day. My head’s hurting because of it so can’t wait to eat this in one bite.”

George laughed. “I’m glad it’s going so well.”

“Your father and I was so worried when we left you in London your first year, I remember.” Allison reminisced, putting some of her salad in her mouth. “You were so scared and alone. We genuinely didn’t think you’d last very long.”

“Cheers.” Y/N picked up her fork and knife, cutting into the burger that was way too tall for her to bite into without some help.

“No, not in a bad way!” Allison righted herself. “We just figured maybe university in the capital wasn’t for you, but you seem to have found your place after all.”

Looking up at her mother again, she saw her smiling.

“We’re so proud of everything you’re doing, honey. You’re the reason Edward himself applied for uni.”

“Mum.” Edward sighed. “That’s not true. I’ve always wanted to attend uni.”

“Ah, well, your sister’s great experience at university hasn’t exactly lessened your drive you go.”

Y/N smirked at her brother. “I’m your role model, aren’t I?”

“Shut up, you’re the worst person I know.”

They giggled, returning to their attention to their food. Shoving a bite into her mouth, Y/N chewed it as she tapped Eddie’s hand. He swallowed his own bite and glanced back at his sister.

“What?”

“Have you decided on which uni to attend yet?” She grinned at him, resting her chin in the palm of her hand and focusing all her attention on him. Edward had gotten an offer from four out of five universities, which was incredibly good considering he had taken a year off doing nothing. He had told Y/N about the news when he had heard back from all of them in February, but he had yet to talk her through his thought process in choosing the right one for him. It as a big decision, and she knew Edward knew that.

“Dunno.” Edward mumbled, eyes falling to his lap. “Kinda leaning more towards one than the others, but… dunno.”

“Alright then, which one?” Y/N cut another piece of her burger, putting it in her mouth as Edward started talking.

“University of Southampton,” he informed, still not looking up but rather at his hands as he absentmindedly dragged his index fingers back and forth over his thumbs. “Fine Art.”

“That’s great!” Y/N exclaimed before swallowing her bite, making her mum hiss at her to swallow before she opened her mouth to talk. “You know which uni to go for!”

“I’m not 100% sure yet, though.” Edward went back to his food instead of just staring into space. “Still need to think about it some more.”

“Why aren’t you sure?” Y/N furrowed her brows, not taking her eyes off of Eddie. “What’s on your mind? What’s holding you back?”

It took some time for him to answer. She could see him rummaging his brain for the right way to put it, as it he was scared she wouldn’t get what he was about to confess. It almost seemed like he was afraid she wouldn’t understand.

“I’m scared of choosing wrong.” He finally said. “What if I go to Southampton and it bloody sucks? What if Reading would’ve been a better choice for me, but I’ll never know because I went for Southampton?”

She sipped her Coke, shaking her head a little. “But you’ll never know unless you actually go somewhere.”

“That’s what dad’s been saying this whole time.” Edward groaned. “But where? I’m just so terrified of doing the wrong thing.”

“There’s nothing that’s called ‘doing the wrong thing’. You do what you want to do because you want to do it, and you don’t need a reason or any sort of rational explanation for it.” Y/N said, thinking back to that time a very special person had said almost the exact same thing to her. And now she was giving his advice to someone else as her own. “If you’re leaning more towards Southampton just because then that’s good enough and you should go.”

Edward took a long look at his sister, studying all her facial features and analysing her words. Gradually, a smile started spreading across his lips. “You’re saying I should go Southampton, then?”

“I’m saying you should go with whatever will make you happy.” She smiled back at him. “What’s the point of choosing something if it’s not going to make you happy in the end? You know going to uni is going to be worth it in the end, it’s just a matter of going and doing it.”

Edward’s smile turned not a full on beam, chuckling a little at his older sister before he took a huge bite of his burger. He swallowed. “You’re so mature, Goose.”

She huffed, rolling her eyes at him before she went back to her burger as well. “Haven’t I always been?”

“Nope.” Edward shook his head dramatically. “Since going away you’ve earned some new perspectives on things. You were the exact same as me before you chose and went away for uni, ain’t that right, dad?”

“Oh, yes.” George hummed into his pint. “You couldn’t choose between Battersea and… Swansea, was it? Can’t remember if it was that one or Cardiff you were debating between.”

Y/N let herself think for a second, finding herself clueless. “Neither can I.” She looked up at her family, huffing out a single chuckle. “Can’t remember the other universities I applied for other than Battie.”

Allison grinned. “You really love it here, don’t you, lovely?”

She nodded enthusiastically. “I really do. I’ve made so many friends, my course is great, my house, the experiences, the city…” she sighed lovingly. “Everything.”

“So you really mean it?” Edward asked, his sister’s eyes meeting his again. “I should go for it? Choose Southampton?”

Y/N wiped her mouth with the napkin beside her plate, turning her body in Edward’s direction and resting her hand on his armrest. “Do you think going to University of Southampton and studying Fine Art would make you happy, Eddie?”

It’s hard making life altering decisions. The looming threat in the back of your head that you might be making the wrong choice, or the big question of “What’s next” is ever-present when your life changes. No one wants to be in the wrong, because it means you have to start up again and walk up the same road you just did, only now doing a different turn than the time prior. Choosing the path of your education meant you’d have to work with the topic of your course for the rest of your life, something Y/N saw was one of Edwards’ fears. He was afraid he’d hate Fine Art. But Y/N knew that if it had intrigued him in the first place, then it must be something there worth experiencing.

He nodded.

“Wait,” George put his cutlery down on his plate. “Did you just decide what uni you wanted to go to?”

Edward looked at his dad, sitting up a bit straighter. “Yeah, I did. I’m 100% sure I want to go for Southampton and Fine Art.”

Allison squealed a little, clapping her hands together before getting out of her chair and jogging over to her son. Kissing his cheek, Edward giggled as he tried to push her away, and though he told her to stop, Y/N knew he secretly loved it when their mum was proud of him like this. George gave his son a high five and Y/N squeezed his hand.

The rest of the dinner went by rather quickly. They discussed Edward accepting the offer when they got home and applying for student accommodation, which he had already checked out because he needed a special room and a person to help him at all times. Once everyone was done eating and the bill was paid, the family walked to the nearest Amorino where George wanted to treat his family to an ice cream each, even though it was fairly cold out. Edward chose caramel and banana, Y/N copying him, and when George handed her the ice cream cone, he beamed at her.

“Happy birthday, poppet.”

She smiled, having almost forgotten what day it was because of how happy she had been to see her family and hear Edward settle on uni of Southampton.

“Thank you, dad.” She kissed his cheek, earning a quick peck to her forehead before George started pushing Edward’s wheelchair out of the store and back to the car.

Friday, 18 March 2016

The house was quiet, it was a fairly warm day, and the birds were chirping in the tree outside Y/N’s window. She was writing the last bit of her essay, really feeling like she was getting a grip of it, like this wouldn’t be the worst she had ever done. Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini was playing as she started reading through her essay to make sure it was actually making sense. It was to be handed in before 3pm, and though she had finished it two days ago, she had spent today adding, cutting, and editing the whole text before handing it in. She would check her resources after this, that they were all cited the right way and then, at last, she’d read it again. She felt so accomplished, and weather wise, it was such a good day. But the best part about today laid across her bed.

Harry was wearing skinny ankle grazer trousers in black and ecru stripe, a white tee shirt tucked into it, and black suspenders crossing at the back, and down his broad shoulders to hook at the trouser top in the front. His signature silver chain hung from his belt hoops, shining in the light from the sun and sticking out to her the second Harry had stepped foot in the house. Y/N had been vocal about her disappointment in him not wearing his glasses, to which Harry had – not so jokingly – told her he’d go back to his and take his contacts out if it’d make her happy. She had told him to get a grip and they had strolled upstairs to her room to do uni work.

“That one’s beautiful.” Harry said after a while of the two of them staying quiet.

She looked at him, noticing him gesturing at her laptop where the symphony was being played. “Yeah.” Glancing back at her document, she changed the date on some of her resources to make it seem like she had worked on her essay for a longer period of time than she actually had.

“Started listening to Le Cygne some because of you.” Harry admitted. “The one you played for me in your dorm room.”

“I remember.” She smiled, looking over her shoulder at him. The stare was held like that for some seconds, both beaming and not wanting to be the first one to break away. When Harry had arrived earlier, he had brought her a bouquet of yellow roses as a subtle birthday present, she knew. Together, they had put them in a vase and put it by her window like the time before when he had brought her yellow roses as well. They were beautiful and radiant, reminding her of Harry, and she found herself looking over there every once in a while when working on her text. For some reason, while looking at Harry and being happy, Y/N got an idea. “Want to drink some wine?”

Harry blinked. “Want to what?”

“I’m practically done with my essay, I got a bottle of wine for my birthday, and I have another one hidden away somewhere in the kitchen downstairs.”

He smiled. “You want to get drunk?”

“Well, why not?”

“Just the two of us?”

“Why not?”

“In your bedroom?”

She cocked her head to the side, biting her bottom lip. “Doesn’t it sound like a dream?”

Harry chuckled, shaking his head at her. “Finish your essay first, darling, and we might.”

Y/N pouted as Harry switched his attention from her and down to his casebook and notebook before him on the bed. Getting out of her chair, she walked over to her bed, laying down next to him and squeezing herself under his arm till she laid with her head just underneath his. Glancing up at him, she saw he was laughing, grinning down at her.

“Pay attention to me.” Y/N mumbled, looking down at his lips and up at him again.

“Hmm.” Harry hummed, rubbing his nose against hers. “No.”

“Why?”

“Finish your essay, and I’ll drink wine with you.”

“Oh, my days, Harry.” Y/N wiggled out from under him, annoyed at him not taking her up on her offer right away. “Why can’t you be stupid when I want you to be instead of all the other times?”

Harry laughed again, going back to his report. Silence settled over the two again as they worked separately. Music continued to play softly from her laptop, lulling her into deep concentration as she focused in on making all the small last finishes to her text. She walked downstairs to Teresa where she sat in her room working on the same essay to ask her a question, then back up again to continue writing. When she came back, she noticed Harry wasn’t there and quickly concluded he probably was at the loo. Not even a minute later, he came back with a bottle of wine in his hand and some of the Dairy Milk Buttons she kept in her cupboard in the kitchen. Harry sat down in her bed again, urging her to keep on writing and finish it before she talked to him again. She huffed but did as he said, knowing he was right. She heard him pack up his things and put them in his satchel before she focused in on her essay again. It took her some time – 30 minutes to be exact -, but Y/N handed in her text on Canvas and turned around to face Harry again. He was sitting against the headrest on his phone, looking up at her once she closed her laptop.

“Done.”

“That’s my girl.” Harry grinned, locking his phone. “Come play a drinking game with me, then, Miss Picot.”

Y/N giggled, bringing the other bottle of wine and sitting down opposite Harry in her bed. She noticed the way his eyes fell to her boobs, how the thin white crop top she was wearing left little to the imagination as she hadn’t bothered to put a bra on. She tried not to laugh.

“Right,” he opened his phone again, looking away from her. “I’m bringing Cheers out, what game do we wanna play?”

Y/N bit her lip, thinking a bit. “What would work best?”

“Most likely to?” Harry narrowed his eyes in question and she nodded her head. “Okay, first ques- Have you opened your wine bottle, ma’am?”

Y/N rolled her eyes. “Not yet.”

“Well-“ Harry motioned for her to do it, and she did, just because she didn’t fancy him arguing with her to. “Right, first one: most likely to vomit first.”

“You.”

“Me?!”

“I never throw up.” Y/N grinned.

“Neither do I!”

Y/N raised her eyebrows.

“Fine, I’ll take this one.” Harry grumbled, taking a swing of his white wine. “Most likely to go to a Britney Spears concert and buy a tee shirt- Me.” Harry took another swing, Y/N throwing her head back laughing at him.

“Want to see you wearing that tee shirt.” Y/N said, giggling still.

“Wouldn’t you?” Giving her a wink, Harry glanced back at his phone. “Have a sex doll under their bed.”

Before Y/N could say anything, Harry put the bottle on the nightstand and got out of bed. Confused, she watched as he laid down on the floor and snuffled his way under her bed.

“Your sip.”

With a hand on her tummy, Y/N laughed till everything hurt and Harry was back on the bed. While she came down from her laughing fit, Harry just watched with a smile on his face. He found her laughter so heavenly, like it was made up of what could closest resemble magic in this boring, mundane world. When she opened her eyes again to look back at him, there was something on Harry’s face she hadn’t seen before. He looked more than vulnerable; long passed defenceless, like what was right before him could break him into so many pieces it would be impossible to become the same person he was before. At the same time, what was right before him could right all the wrongs made in history of time and set fire to every bad thought. Both weak and the most powerful he had ever looked, Y/N thought.

“Next,” Harry said, looking back at his phone. “Have the highest phone bill. You.”

She didn’t bother arguing, so she just took a swing of the bottle and let Harry continue on.

“Enjoy rough sex the most.” He smirked, glancing up at her again. “Drink, darling.”

“Me? No, that’s got to be you.”

“You’re always the one asking me to go harder and faster.” He seemed quite satisfied with himself as he let his eyes fall to her bottle. “Drink.”

“Might be, but you love it when I do and give me double.”

“Fine,” Harry shrugged, still not able to help his smile. “Both drink.”

They did.

“Iron their underwear.” He pointed at Y/N, and once again, she drank without hesitation.

They continued like this. Harry saying a statement, and they either argued for a bit over certain ones or didn’t hesitate before taking a sip. Neither finished their bottle of wine, instead putting them on the nightstand when they got tipsy. It wasn’t that they wanted to get drunk, they just wanted to get giggly and be in each other’s company. Every time they did get drunk, they had to go out and be with their mates, and though that was nice, it was nicer being just the two of them. This way, they didn’t have to downplay just how needy they were for one another.

Y/N was sitting in the chair again, feet on her bed as Harry sat in the same position by the headrest. The music was still playing and for some reason, she couldn’t stop giggling. It was as if everything was funny, like no matter what Harry said or how she moved, it was funny. Harry had just sat there watching her for a bit now, studying her as she listened to the music. The silence between them was light, like it was meant to be there, and neither minded sitting in the company of the other and just being. Not having to say a single word, instead just exist alongside one another in the space of a quiet room.

“The camping trip,” Harry began, turning his phone on silent as Finn started blowing up his flat’s groupchat. “Given any thought to that and how many tents we might need.”

They had briefly touched in on it when they had texted over the last week, but they hadn’t discussed anything in detail. Y/N hadn’t given it much thought at all. She just knew it was at the end of the semester and everyone seemed eager to go.

“Do you think your father will let you go?” It was out of her mouth before she could so anything to stop herself.

Harry furrowed his brows, staring at her for a few second before, “I do what I want, Y/N.”

“Yeah, but Sai and Wade said your dad would give you a hard time going.” She explained a little too quickly.

“Maybe,” Harry mumbled. “But I’ll talk to him about it.”

“Sorry for bringing it up.”

He shook his head. “Don’t be. They’re right.”

She frowned.

“He will give me a hard time when I ask, but I know how to handle him. I’ve done this kind of convincing before and I’m coming camping.” He gave her a faint smile. “But I brought up the tents for a reason.”

“We have enough of them at the farm, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“No.” He sat forward, bringing his knees up and wrapping his arms around them. “Not why I brought it up, I assume you and your wilderness family have enough as it is.”

“We’re not savages.” Giggled Y/N, crossing her arms over her chest.

“I’d say anyone who lives 30 minutes outside any big city is the equivalent of a savage. Who doesn’t want to live close to an actual shopping centre?”

She laughed. “Oh, my days. Are you bantering?”

“Do you have a mall in Hawkely?”

“Well, no-“

“-Then I’m not.” Harry shrugged his shoulders, a tinge of jokes in his voice. “Changes happen where hordes of people live. And I need new clothes and jewellery at least once a week, hence the need for a shopping centre.”

Y/N shook her head at him. “You should come live in Hawkley for a bit. Would bring you back down to earth.”

Harry smiled. “Anyway, the reason why I asked about the tents was because I was wondering about the sleeping arrangements.”

She leaned forward in her chair. “What about them?”

“How many two-person tents do you have?”

Those words went straight to Y/N’s heart and then to the lowest part of her tummy. “A couple.”

“So, if Tiana and Teresa share one, and Wade, Finn, and Sai share a bit of a bigger one,” a lopsided smile settled over his lips. “And we share one, you’d have enough tents for that?”

A tingle started from the roots of her hair and swayed its way all the way down to the tips of her toes. She nodded, seeing his smile earn a hint of mischief.

“Can’t wait to fuck you in that tent.”

No matter what, the rasp Harry got to his voice when he made dirty promises or filthy statements, Y/N always felt it in her entire body. As if her entire body went through the shock of an earthquake, only it didn’t leave destruction in its wake, only lust.

“We’d have to be quiet.”

“I don’t give a fuck if people hear us.” Harry said, licking his lips. “You know I don’t.”

“But I do.”

“You’re also the loudest.”

“Okay, maybe I am! But-“

“-Bloody come here, why are you so far away from me?” Harry smiled. Y/N knew he loved to get a rise out of her, because whenever he did, she never held back, and he loved it when that happened. Groaning, Y/N got out of her bed and crawled into bed. Harry petted the space beside him, but when she was about to settle in there, he took a hold of her hips and placed her on his lap instead. “Now this,” he said, helping her nestle both her legs on either side of his hips. “This is what I’m talking about.”

“And what are you talking about?”

“What?” Harry said, looking from her lips and into her eyes again. “Talking about you being far away from me and now you’re not.”

She just huffed. “Sure.”

“Shut up and kiss me, will you?”

Their lips met while they were both still smiling, not able to keep serious while they were bantering back and forth like that. She rested her hands at the back of his neck while his came to her ass, not being subtle at all about how needy he was for closeness. He pressed her to him, wanting her so tightly against him he would have problems breathing. With a little alcohol in the mix as well, they were all over each other within seconds. She grinded against his trousers, he bit at her bottom lip, she tugged at his hair, and he slid his hands under the band of her tights to squeeze her bare arse. They worked like clockwork, never taking each other off guard like they had done in the beginning, but now knowing exactly how the other one moved, reacted, and liked it. She tugged at his tee shirt, asking him for permission to remove it. Breaking the kiss for a single second as he did, Harry threw it away blindly while placing his hand at the back of her head and the other the top of her neck, thumb caressing her jawline.

“Love it when you take control.” He mumbled.

“Do you?” She squeezed her thighs against his hips, letting him feel her hot core.

“So sexy.” He licked at her bottom lip, eyes hooded when they both opened them to look at each other. “But I’m not letting you be in control today.”

“Oh?” She raised her eyebrows, closing her eyes as he started kissing his way down her jawline and neck.

“Today I’m going to take my time.” He pushed her cardigan off her, throwing it to the floor, kissing his way around the tiny strap of her crop top. “Savour every last bit of you.”

She curled her hand in his har as he kissed along her collar bone, nibbling here and there. “And how are you going to do that while still being in control?”

Harry leaned back against the headrest, pulling her with him. He took her other hand, letting it trail up his thigh till he stopped at the very top of his trousers. Her fingers came into contact with something a tad colder than the rest of Harry’s body, and she instantly knew what it was.

“Like that.” He mumbled against her chest, leaving a wet kiss there before he moved his lips to her ear, “Take it off for me, darling.”

She unclasped it, feeling Harry bring his hands up and under her shirt, making their way to the front. His hands came to rest at her breasts, flicking his thumb over her nipple as she attached his chain completely from his belt hoops. She pressed her chest further into him, telling him she was impatient and wanted him to do more. Taking a firm hold of her back and bum, Harry held her to him as he flipped them around. Back against the mattress and Harry on top, stroking himself against her centre. He slid his hands up her tummy, her crop top rising as it rested against his wrists, fingers spread out to feel all of her underneath him. Noses touching and eyes locked, Harry dared her to watch him as he knead her boobs. Pinching her nipple between his index and ring finger, he watched her gasp. It sent a shock of sharp heat straight down to her centre, wetness already starting to form for him.

He left a lingering kiss against her lips before taking the tank top off her, throwing it somewhere that wasn’t the bed. Taking the chain from her hand, he twisted it around one of her wrists, and then the other.

“Is that too tight?” He asked, voice filled with a tad bit of worry that he had made her uncomfortable. “You’re okay with it?”

She nodded.

“And you’re okay with me tying you up?”

“Would’ve told you if I wasn’t.”

He smiled, bringing both her hands down to him. He moved the chain from around her wrists and left a kiss there, keeping his eyes locked with her as he did so. Right above where her pulse beat, his lips left a permanent kiss there it felt like. Even as the cold chain wrapped itself around both of them again, she still felt Harry’s kiss against her pulse.

He reached for her headrest, attaching the chain to it before he glanced down at her again.

“Alright? Comfortable?”

She nodded.

“Good,” grinning, he took a grip of her tights and underwear, dragging them both down her legs. “Because I’m not taking this sight for granted anytime soon.”

Clothing fell to the floor and Harry let out a heavy sigh as he stood at the edge of the bed, looking down at Y/N laid down and naked before him. Crossing his arms, he rested his right elbow in his left hand as he covered his mouth while studying her. Eyes slid from her tied up wrists and all the way down her body, taking in every single detail of her. Though Y/N loved it when he looked at her, this was a whole other level. He didn’t hold back now, wasn’t ashamed to just stare at her till doing anything else felt foreign. He turned her chair, sitting down in it and leaning both his elbows on his knees, and then his face in his hands, the smallest smile on his lips as he continued to look at her.

“Harry, what are you doing?”

He cocked his head to the side, not able to take his eyes off of her.

“Stop!” She laughed, feeling her entire body flush with embarrassment as she laid there naked before him, unable to do anything but let him stare at her. She rested her foot against the mattress, closing her legs and not giving him a look at the goodies unless he came up close.

“You’re just so bloody irresistible.” He said before he got up, getting the chocolate buttons from her nightstand and then walking back to the edge of the bed. He took his trousers and socks off before he opened the pack, grinning up at her. “Lay still. If one falls off I’ll bite, not lick them off.”

She watched as she placed a line of chocolate buttons up her right leg, hip, right above her centre, navel, all the way up her tummy, and then both her boobs.

“When you don’t have whipped cream and your darling doesn’t like strawberries, you have to get creative.” Harry said, grinning big as he positioned himself at the edge of the bed again. “Now, don’t move.”

She wasn’t able to answer him, too in absolute shock at what the two of them were doing. Hypnotised, she watched as he lowered himself, gliding his tongue over the bridge of her foot till he caught the chocolate. She bit her lip, the spot where his tongue licked against her skin where all her attention was focused. He moved up her leg, catching two buttons along her calf, one on her knee and three up her thigh. Taking his time now that he was all the way up her leg, Y/N felt him kiss her thigh before he pulled way, leaving a sloppy, lingering peck that made her cunt ache for him. He watched her intently as he continued on his journey, slowly licking one off her groin. She let out a long sigh, imagining what it would feel like if he had licked her pussy the same way. He continued, licking just above where she desperately needed him.

She moaned, the exact way she knew always drove Harry insane.

“Don’t move.” He mumbled, kissing the spot he had just licked. “Don’t want to get chocolate down there so I’m not going down on you.”

“Then bloody rinse your mouth and get on with it.”

Harry laughed, answering by licking the next button on his way up her tummy. She felt his hand on the inside of her thigh, sliding slowly up till it rested at her centre. Licking a button up from the middle of her tummy, Harry startled her by slipping a finger in between her folds, gliding it among her wetness.

“Harry.”

“Don’t move.”

He licked another one between her breasts, making sure he had her full attention as he slipped his fingers slowly inside her. She clamped her knees into his hip, moaning again. Hovering over her nipple, he licked it hard and slow, moving his finger with his tongue. Sliding it hard and slowly against the roof of her. He sucked on her nipple, circling his thumb slowly over her clit as he did so.

“Fuck.” She breathed, closing her eyes and letting her head fall back against her pillows.

Doing the same for her other nipple, Harry slid his finger quicker in and out of her as he sucked, moving his thumb to the same rhythm and harder this time around. This she felt was the effect of her saying ‘fuck’; a word she only reserved for the bedroom and to drive Harry so mad he couldn’t think straight. Feeling him against the inside of her thigh as he hovered over her still, sucking and nibbling and kissing her breast. Just above her nipple, Harry started sucking extra hard, and she knew what she was doing. His finger moved slower again, only to come back with one hard thrust every once in a while as Harry sucked and sucked and sucked on her tits.

“Harry, please.”

“What?” He said, slipping another finger in. “Not enough with only my fingers?”

“No.” She gasped.

“Hmm.” Harry hummed as he slid his fingers out, slipping them into his mouth while making sure she was watching him. “Let’s see what we can do about that, yeah?”

She watched him as he took his boxers off, biting her lip at the sight of his cock sticking out in the air between us. He reached for her nightstand where he had left a few condoms last time he visited, ripping one open and slipping it on.

“Don’t be too loud.” She told him as he nestled in between her legs again, her legs bent and hands sliding from her knees and down her thighs.

“I’m never loud.”

“Shut it, you’re loud as well.”

“You’re the problem here, darling.” Harry smirked. “No, I take that back. I love you being loud. That you’re not able to help yourself.”

She giggled.

“The only problem here is you being embarrassed of being loud.”

“I just don’t want Teresa to hear us and be awkward afterwards.”

“Tiana?” Harry frowned a little.

“Home in Bath for the weekend, but I just don’t want to-“

“-Teresa won’t care. If anything, she’s going to be happy for you, and you know it.” Harry tugged at her hips. “Are we done with this discussion now? Can we fuck and not care about anyone but ourselves?”

She giggled.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” Harry grinned. “Right, keep your knees bent like this, darling, yeah? Lift up.”

She furrowed her brows, but did as he said, shoulders keeping her up.

“You see, I want to go deep.” He muttered, kissing the inside of her thigh as she stood before him. “And like this I’ll be able to.”

He stood on his knees, slowly pushing into her as he leaned above her and forward. She bit her lip, groaning as he filled her up so familiarly. With one hand on the mattress and the other one snaking around her waist, Harry held her to him.

“You alright like that?” He asked again, eyes on her wrists and then down on her face again.

“Just fuck me already.”

Harry giggled, not needing to be told twice. He slammed into her, the chain rattling against the metal of the headboard. Gasping again, Y/N strained to keep her eyes open as Harry pounded into her, the loud slapping of skin against skin echoing through the room. Somewhere far away, symphonies were still playing from Y/N’s laptop, slow and soft against the rough and hard movements of Harry’s hips. Like Harry had told her multiple times, about not caring if anyone heard, she knew right away that it would be impossible for Teresa to not hear them anyway. The chain was making enough noise as it was, and it didn’t help that it was to the same rhythm as the loud slapping of skin.

“Yes.” Y/N moaned, glancing up at Harry. The right side of his lips tipped up, but it quickly disappeared as he focused on rocking in and out of her instead.

She smiled at him, suddenly noticing how numb yet incredibly sensitive her tits were. They were covered in love bites, and red marks from his nibbles and wet kisses. She loved the sight, like another reminder of how possessive Harry actually was. He never really showed it when they were around people – then again, the two rarely showed any particular interest in each other around their friends – so seeing this side of him when it was just the two of them excited her. It was so clear that he loved knowing she was his; loved reminding her that he was the only one for her. When he left these marks that stayed for days after, making loads so she’d see them all and know. It wasn’t like him to half-ass something, and it just went to show when he left marks on her. She wanted her to remember how intimate the two of them had been, and didn’t want her to forget anytime soon.

“Oh, my God.” Harry mumbled, letting a low growl leave his lips as he looked down at the place the two joined.

“Don’t stop.” Y/N said, closing her eyes as she felt the fire in her core grow bigger and bigger with each thrust.

Harry moaned, looking at her again, eyes automatically falling to her bruised tits. They stayed there, taking in how they bounced and, no doubt, taking endless amounts of mental images. Y/N didn’t mind, though. She liked the thought of Harry thinking about her long after they had separated, like she thought of him. Reliving moments like this over and over again till she felt her entire body aching for him. Dreaming of him and waking up sweating or gasping for air. Smelling him on some of her clothes and going straight back to the time they had spent together. It was impossible not to constantly think about him. He was her everyday now; her spare time and dreamy nights.

They changed positions. Her legs against his torso and on either side of his head, holding her legs in place and himself up as he fucked her even better now. More than once, she forgot she was wearing his chain around her wrists, so when she went to touch him, the chain would tighten around her and her hands would fall back against the bed. Regardless, she was very much enjoying Harry sweating above her, doing the most for her to feel amazing.

“Like that?” He would whisper, as he always did, and she would choke out a “Yes” in between thrusts and the filthy wet sounds the two were making together.

He was so deep inside her and it didn’t take long for either to come. Y/N came first, gasping and moaning and clinging to the chain till she felt her hands go numb. Harry came when she was on her way down, groaning as he looked down at her, eyes hooded as hair sticking to his forehead. They stayed just looking at each other till their hearts were done beating in their ears and till neither were panting hard anymore. Harry took the condom off, cleaned Y/N up, and freed her from the chain.

“Should use this again, yeah?” Harry grinned. “Me next time.”

She giggled, putting on a large tee shirt and laying down in bed again. Harry got his boxers on and the wo just laid in bed talking for hours. Y/N found herself thinking about the following year. As Harry gestured with his hands and she saw his tattoo, reminding her once again of his passion and everything he wanted to do with his life. How it was a dream of his to move to Brussels, and how he might be able to live there for a year. She felt selfish for not wanting him to go. She wanted him to stay in London with her forever. And that was another thing; would they be forever? They weren’t even a couple. Since they had briefly discussed it in the bathroom of that party over a month ago, it hadn’t been brought up again. As he talked away, she just looked at him, thinking about everything and everything they weren’t. Despite herself, she knew she was more in love with Harry than she had ever been with anyone else and ever would. That scared her, especially since there was no telling what the future brought.

“You’re looking at me.” Harry said.

“Isn’t it polite to look at someone while they’re talking?”

Harry grinned. “Maybe. But you’re looking at me like I’m going somewhere.”

She couldn’t bring herself to talk.

He rolled onto his stomach, hovering his lips over hers. “I’m not. I’m staying right here.”

Smiling, she nodded.

Thursday, 24 March 2016

Y/N put her violin case down on her floor and sat down by her desk. She had just come back from playing the violin bit for Wynter’s Final Project in the studio, and because she had concentrated for three hours straight now, she was exhausted. But she couldn’t be exhausted. She couldn’t be tired now, because being in that studio with Wynter, Y/N was reminded that she needed to start thinking about her own project. She felt her leg begin to shake with the nerves of it all.

As much as she loved making music, it was always hard to make her own. Finding the perfect balance, rhythm and notes was difficult, even though she had played thousands of songs in her lifetime, she always found it challenging to think of her own. Staring at a blank page before her, she was once again reminded of how long it took her to compose something. No notes, no pace, no nothing entered her brain to get her creativity flowing. It was like entering a once welcoming, lavish, and warm house, to now enter a vacant, dark, and cold one looking eerily similar. Y/N fumbled through the dark of the house, running her hands over the walls that had one time long ago been painted in stunning colours, but were now hidden away from the human eye in the darkness of an abandoned space. She continued on, walking up the stairs and trying to find the once familiar paintings hung on the wall along the staircase, but found none. A light could be seen at the top of the stairs. She walked a little quicker.

She glanced over her desk, eyes suddenly landing on a leather notebook. Reaching over, she suddenly felt that haunted house inside her head flood with light and warmth and laughter again. She opened the notebook, seeing the symphonies, solos, and sonatas she had written down in it shine back at her like hope often did when the world was dark around you. Opening her laptop, she quickly started playing each and every song that reminded her of Harry. As she listened to each of them, closing her eyes and disappearing from the world she was living in for a few minutes, something started taking shape. A slow and romantic symphony filled with trumpets, cellos, harps, a piano, flutes, bassoons, trombones, and, of course, violins. The violin would lead the whole song on, play the passionate melody her heart played every time she was around Harry. Looking through all the different tunes that had inspired her and that would inspire her; all the tunes that reminded her of someone that made her feel at ease and that held her heart, soul, and life in his hands, Y/N suddenly felt calm.

She could do this. She heard her Independent Project playing inside her head. Felt the notes drop from her fingertips and onto the paper before her. She wrote as quickly as she could, knowing that she needed to do so to remember it. Almost knocking her chair over in an attempt to get to her violin again, she threw the case open and got her baby out. She sat down by her desk, looking down at the notes she had just written down. The slow song she had heard only minutes prior was exchanged with a quick melody to resemble her heart every time Harry was near. When she finished, she could hear the next part of the score, so she found her pen and wrote it down. She tried different notes to see which one fit best, writing down the ones that did, and then proceeded to play the first part of piece. Not wanting to push it, she stopped there, but continued to perfect the little she had come up with already.

It was a long time since she had been hit by such a rush of creativity, and it felt so good to finally be producing something. Taking a deep breath, Y/N smiled to herself as she looked down at the paper, her fingerprints left in some of the notes from writing too fast, and other lines blurred from accidentally dragging her hand over the paper. But she understood what it said; what this meant.

Her eyes fell to the book beside it, a page open with a symphony that reminded her of Harry written down on it. Yet another smile took over her facial features, and she turned all the pages over, looking at each and every song that had inspired this piece she had just written. Running her fingers over all the pages, she let each word of reason for why all of these reminded her of Harry, soak into her once more. Ending up at the first page, she smiled at the yellow and green letters that made out the name she had given the book those months ago. The piece she had just written played in her head as her index followed each and every letter on that page. She smiled, biting her lip and finally feeling hopeful as she reached the end of the three words that helped her when she was in need. Symphonies of you, it said, and Y/N repeated the three words before closing the notebook, and playing the piece again.

FIC PAGE | COME TALK TO ME!

TAGLIST:

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[thatscalledtoughlove]

Didn’t Want to Fall in Love - 2: A Match...Or Not

It took almost a week before I got matched on the app I’d originally swore not to sign up for: Tinder.

        After hearing nothing from the other sites and ignoring the ones I got that I knew I would never get along with in person, I caved and got Tony to make me a profile. He snorted when I went through it at first. We also ended up matching, because he thought it would be funny. It was not.

         “Come on, Izzy!” he’d yelled three days after I made an account. “You need to start swiping right or we’ll never get anywhere! Do you want me to go out into the real world to meet people or not?”

         I gave an obnoxious groan in response. “Fine. Fine, I’ll swipe right on the next person to show up. They probably won’t be into me any—” We matched. Tony howled with laughter. I stared at the screen for five minutes.

         It wasn’t until after I got over my initial shock and took a better look at the profile that I realized I’d matched with someone eight years older than me. Sure, he wasn’t old by any means, and he had a nice enough face, but I’d been hoping to avoid a match for as long as possible.

         “Tony, he’s twenty-nine! There’s such a huge age difference!”

        My best friend just laughed some more. “Come on, Iz, we’re adults. Age doesn’t matter so much after you reach twenty. Veronica was almost five years older than me, and we lasted six months.”

         “So not helping.”

        He ruffled my hair, ignoring the glare I shot his way. “Just talk to him, see if you guys make a good match. Then you two can meet at a restaurant or something for a little date. Who knows, it might go better than you’d think.”

         “Yeah, I don’t think so. Still, I guess I have to keep true to my side of the bargain.” I glanced down at my phone again, looking at the picture of my match.

         His name was Paul, and in his biography, he said that he enjoyed late-night movies, the occasional glass of wine, and had a great love of history. At least we shared the habit of an occasional glass of wine, though saying my drinking habits were occasional was putting it lightly.

        I sighed, feeling Tony’s eyes on me the entire time I checked out Paul’s profile. After a few more minutes of procrastination, I opened the message that told us we’d matched. There was one single word from him.

         Paul: Hello!

         I scrunched my nose, peering up at Tony, who watched me with a grin. Shaking my head, I focused my attention back on my phone and typed in my response.

         Isabelle: Hi! How are you? It embarrassed me just pressing send.

        The next response came almost immediately. For the next hour, Paul and I talked about our interests and arranged a date for that night. Since it was a Tuesday, I told him the dinner would have to be an early one, as I had class the following day. He didn’t need to know that class wasn’t until two in the afternoon. Or that the possibility of me going home with him regardless was next to impossible, since my experience stopped with my shared kiss with Tony.

Six hours later, I sat in the passenger seat of Tony’s beat-down car. He kept reaching over to fix my hair and makeup, excitement still written all over his face.

        “You’re going to do great, Iz. I’ll be here to pick you up at around nine, okay? Then we can go home, and you can tell me all about your magical night.”

         I snorted when he said magical. “Don’t go too crazy in the apartment while I’m gone, okay? I’ll see you in two hours.” He smiled when I leaned over to kiss him on the cheek, grabbing my hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze before he let me leave the car.

         I waved bye as he drove away, taking a deep breath and straightening my dress before I stepped into the pub that was a few blocks away from my college.

         Paul stood up from his chair when he saw me approach, a smile spread across his face. “Isabelle, it’s great to meet you.” He fumbled around before pulling my chair out for me to sit down.

         “Thank you.” I found it hard to breathe. Once he’d taken his seat across from me again, I smiled back. “It’s great to meet you too, Paul. Sorry I’m a bit late.”

        Actually, I was right on time. He’d been early. I wasn’t sure if it was worse that I’d arrived just when we’d said, or that he’d been sitting here waiting for me at least ten minutes.

         “So, you’re still in college, are you? How’s that going? I never got the chance to go. My mom needed help paying the bills after my dad passed away when I was in high school. Things going good there?”

         I nodded, quietly thanking the waiter when he brought me a glass of water. When he was no longer within earshot, I answered Paul. “Yeah, I have one year left to go for my bachelor’s degree, then I’m thinking about getting a master’s degree after a year-long break. What did you want to study?”

        “Biology, actually. I’ve always wanted to be a zoologist. A veterinarian was the more realistic approach at that dream. But, life got in the way of education.” Paul had the kind of laugh that made you want to join. He also had auburn hair that lit up in the dim light of the pub. I found myself staring at him for longer than considered appropriate, admiring his clear green eyes.

         He seemed to notice my staring, the mood at the table shifting. A small part of me considered loosening up, letting myself go for just one night. I’d never been one for the thought of hooking up, but I had to admit Paul would be the one I’d consider forgetting those morals for.

         No, that would be insane. Drinking two glasses of wine with Tony before this date had been a terrible idea. I could already feel my rationality deteriorating.

         Paul cleared his throat, waving the waiter from earlier over so we could order our food. I asked for a simple hamburger with a side of fries. The salad here wasn’t the best, and I’d never been self-conscious eating around men.

          “So, as long as we’re discussing our lives, I guess you should know that I do have a child. A daughter, actually.” My eyes must have widened because he sat up straight. “Sorry, it’s just—I—you—it’s always best to be honest from the start, in case things go anywhere. I find that women appreciate it if I tell them at the beginning about my daughter.”

         There would not be another date. That much I could guarantee.

        I forced the dozenth smile of the evening and clasped my hands in front of me on the table. “Thank you for your honesty. I appreciate it.” I no longer had any unsettling thoughts about going home with him tonight.

        “Here you guys go.” The waiter reappeared, his name tag standing out against his uniform. I narrowed my eyes to get a better look. Zack. He seemed to notice me and looked over. “Enjoy your dinner.”

         I’d been to this pub several times over the years and had never seen this waiter before. He must be new.

        No sooner than we’d taken our first few bites of our burgers did Zack the Waiter appear again. “How’s the food? Everything okay?”

        Of course he asked this while I had a bunch of food in my mouth. When I attempted to answer, my response sounded muffled.

         “Yes, thank you” sounded more like a bunch of gibberish. I chewed fasted, quickly swallowing the food, and looked up at him. He looked like he wanted to laugh. “It’s fantastic, thanks,” I said, heat creeping up my neck.

         Zack smiled and bowed his head in the slightest of nods. “Great. Let me know if you need anything.” His eyes flickered to Paul for a second before he took off to another table.

          “So, Rosenberg, huh? What is that, German?” I noticed him look at my face, curiosity about my ethnicity reflected in his eyes.

        I nodded, wiping my mouth on the back of my hand without thinking. I’d definitely spent way too much time around Tony, my manners around someone who was a date were far from appropriate.

         “Yeah, it sure is. My grandfather is American, and my grandmother was a Heinz-57.” He raised an eyebrow and I laughed. “I mean she was a bunch of different nationalities. The only was she knew for certain was that her mother was Moroccan, and her father was at least a third Nigerian. People always ask me what I am, so I figure I may as well tell you now. My dad is also Korean.”

         “Huh” was Paul’s only response. Most of our small talk died out after that, and I couldn’t say it didn’t leave me with a sense of relief. Incompatibility would make it easier for us to forever part ways at the end of the night.

          Several times within the next hour, Zack the Waiter came to check up on us. He talked to me most of the time, almost seeming to forget Paul was even there. I noticed the glint of irritation in my date’s eyes when Zack came around for the fourth time within ten minutes.

        “We’re doing great, thanks. I’ll let you know if we need anything.” The hint of hostility in Paul’s voice didn’t go unnoticed by our waiter, who apologized before hurrying off.

         He did not come back to check on us again.

        “You said your dad was Korean?” This came up nearly forty minutes after I’d initially mentioned it. “Does that mean he took your mother’s maiden name?”

         The subject of many a debate within my family. “Yeah, he did. He has three brothers and my mom’s side is all girls, so they figured it would be nice to continue the Rosenberg name for another generation. Fortunately, I have two brothers, so the Rosenberg family will live on.”

         “I couldn’t imagine taking my wife’s last name.”

         My hand froze on its way to my mouth, a fry pinched between my thumb and pointer finger. “Why not?”

         Paul shrugged, his lips twitching. “The tradition is for the bride to take her husband’s last name, isn’t it?”

        I knew my smile was too wide to be believable. He had to know I was faking it. “Well, my father is secure enough in his masculinity to accept giving up his surname. Besides, he was the one to suggest it. I think it just proved how much he respected and loved my mom and wanted to keep her family name alive along with his. Now the Rosenberg and the Yeon last name will carry on.”

        He didn’t answer, instead giving a polite smile as a response. We spent the rest of the dinner talking about work and college, avoiding the subject of last names and ethnicity. I looked forward to never seeing Paul Hubert again.

         At the end of night, I received a text from Tony that he would be waiting for me down the street. He told me to take all the time I needed, adding a winking emoji at the end. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.

         “Are you sure you can’t come over for a little bit?” Paul stood less than a foot away from me outside of the pub, the money I’d given him for my own meal tucked away in his coat pocket. I’d insisted to reimburse him, knowing we would never see each other again and not wanting him thinking I’d used him for a free meal and some cheap alcohol.

         I nodded, trying to take as subtle a step back as possible. “Positive. My best friend is waiting for me just down the street, I don’t have the heart to make the trip here for nothing.”

         “I’m sure she wouldn’t mind. You’re really interesting, Isabelle. I’d like to get to know you more.”

         Code for: let me take you back to my place so we can sleep together. I’d watched enough movies and heard enough stories from Tony to know that.

         “Sorry, I really can’t betray her like that.” I started to grin at the knowledge Paul thought my best friend was a she, and quickly stopped myself. “I had a nice time, though.” Not really. We weren’t a great match.

         Paul nodded, shoving his hands in his pockets. He looked down at the ground for a moment. My heart leapt into overdrive when his eyes met mine and he started to lean in.

         Before our lips could touch, I ducked out of the way, pressing a quick kiss to his cheek. He seemed too stunned to call me back when I bid him farewell.

         I didn’t dare relax until Tony’s 2001 Ford Taurus came into sight, the hideous yellow paintjob reminding me of a taxi cab. This had been the vehicle he chose to drive around in since our junior year of high school. It was horrible, but it still reminded me of happy memories. Late nights driving home from the movies senior year of high school, early morning breakfast runs before class freshman year of college.

        Tony sighed as I slid into the passenger seat. “Okay, spill. I can tell from your expression this date was anything but magical.”

         “He insulted my parents!”

         He frowned, his brow furrowing. “How?”

        “Uh, let me think. He basically made fun of my dad for taking my mother���s last name. And then he said that he couldn’t imagine taking his wife’s last name, as if it’s such a terrible thing to ever consider that. Thank God I never have to see him again.”

         “You aren’t going to go on another date?”

        I turned to face him, my eyes narrowed into a glare. “He suggested we go back to his place to ‘get to know me more.’ As if I didn’t know what that really meant.”

         “Would it really be that bad? We live in a hookup-oriented world, Iz. Maybe you’d calm down and change your ideas about love and relationships if you just slept with a stranger.” His mouth said one thing, but his face said another.

        “And let me guess, you’ve hooked up with a bunch of random women?” I knew he didn’t believe in even kissing on the first date, which made it all the more confusing as to why he used online dating to find relationships.

         Tony groaned, starting up the car. “All I’m saying is that you’ve never cared much about that stuff anyway, so would it be so bad if you lived a little for once? It’s entirely your choice, of course.”

         “I’d sooner make a marriage pact with you than sleep with Paul.”

        He laughed, taking his eyes off the road to look at me as he pulled away from the curb. A loud thud cut him off and I yelped. We both turned to look at the front of the vehicle, and a familiar face stared back. It was Zack. Zack the Waiter.

         A string of curses flowed from Tony’s mouth as he struggled to unbuckle. I reached over to push the button for him, and he threw his door open without thanking me, rushing out to apologize. The headlights illuminated them both, their appearances nearly opposites.

         Zack the Waiter had light blond hair and warm brown eyes. He kind of reminded me of Mr. Handsome, except he was far more handsome than Mr. Handsome. I tilted my head to the side and studied his profile for a little longer. The lips that weren’t full, but also weren’t thin that were currently moving as he talked to my best friend who had almost run him over. I found myself drawn to those lips more than any other feature. Then, he glanced at me, and the illusion shattered.

         I straightened, fumbled around with my own seatbelt, and then joined the two men in front of the car.

        “It’s no problem, really. You barely even touched me, I just smacked my hand on the top of the hood.” Zack was trying to calm Tony down, who looked like he might experience a full breakdown.

         Tony shook his head, his eyes shining in the yellow glow of the headlights. “It’s not ‘no problem’! I almost hit you! Fuck.” He ran his hands through his hair, tugging on it so hard it pained me just witnessing it.

        Anyone who didn’t know Tony would think he was overreacting, but I knew the real reason behind his behavior. Over a decade earlier, his uncle had been in a terrible crash that left him paralyzed from the waist down. It had almost killed him. Ever since hearing the news, he’d always tried to take extra care when driving. Until tonight. When he’d been distracted, because of me.

         I stepped forward, past Zack the Waiter, and placed a hand on Tony’s shoulder. He turned and wrapped me in a hug without a word. Thankfully there was no one else around to witness this moment.

         “Hey, man, it’s fine. I wasn’t hurt, really. There’s no reason to get so upset.” Zack looked uncomfortable. His eyes met mine, and recognition filled them. “Oh, hello.”

         “Hi,” I said, patting Tony on the back, a wordless command to let me go. He did, and apologized to Zack again before walking back to the driver’s seat. Once inside the car, he rested his head on the steering wheel.

         Zack stared at him a moment before looking back at me. “Is he going to be okay? You’d think he’d sent me flying or something.”

         I nodded, clenching my hands in fists at my sides. “He’ll be fine. It’s a long story. Sorry about tonight. Both for inside the restaurant and what just happened. Are you sure you’ll be okay?”

         He sighed, giving me a fake smile as an answer. “I’ll live. Just make sure your friend gets home safe, okay? Looks like he needs comforting a lot more than I do. And don’t worry about inside the restaurant, this isn’t my first waiting gig. You weren’t the issue anyway. Have a great night.” Zack the Waiter bowed his head again before taking off in the direction of the nearest subway station.

         I considered offering him a ride, but decided that would be too weird. We didn’t know each other, after all. Instead, I went back to Tony and comforted him the entire ride back to our apartment. When we got inside, he went straight to his room, emerging an hour later with puffy eyes. I kept silent.

          Many hours later, he’d fallen asleep with his head in my lap, quiet snores filling the apartment as I stared at a wall. The events of the night played on a loop in my head. Paul’s contagious laugh echoed in my mind as I stared at the photo from Tony’s cousin's wedding, his cousin and his wife surrounded by their family. Tony’s uncle in the wheelchair, his attention on his son and new daughter-in-law, grinning like he didn’t have any worries in the world.

         I fell asleep on the couch, too worried about Tony to risk moving away from him. As I drifted to sleep, my mind wandered back to the restaurant. Only I didn’t think about Paul. A head of blond hair entered my thoughts for the briefest of seconds. I shook my head in an attempt to clear my mind, running my fingers through Tony’s dark hair.

         When I woke up hours later, I was in my own bed, the smell of Tony’s cologne still hanging in the air.

[easypeasybreezy]

Browsing the Archive

Ch 7- And They Were Roommates

Words- 2211

Rating- M

Summary- Sam and Gabriel share a dorm room in college, and Gabriel has a surprise planned for his roommate.

Tags/Warnings- college AU, language, uh Gabe is in a band lol

Today’s prompt was Roommates/Neighbors. I went with roommates. Beta read by the amazing @warlockwriter 

Read on Ao3 here ~

@sabrielevents

***

When Gabriel woke up this time, the first thing he noticed was that his grace was gone again. So much for Chuck feeling sorry for him. The second thing was that he felt, different. Not because of his grace, but something else that he couldn’t quite figure out. Then he saw his surroundings. He was in a small twin bed, with a desk at the foot of it and a set of drawers on the wall across from him. Behind him was a window that let in a bit of the morning light. On the other side of the room Sam was just waking up, his furniture set up the same way. At least they were back together this time.

Sam sat up in his bed yawning and Gabriel got a better look at him. “Aww Sammy,” he said, turning to face him. “You look just like you did the day we met.”

Sam looked confused for a moment, but then his mouth dropped open when he saw Gabriel. “Oh my god Gabe.”

“What? Why are you looking at me like that?” asked Gabriel frantically. Was there something wrong with him?

“You- you’re freaking adorable!” Sam exclaimed, his eyes wide. He jumped out of his bed and rushed to Gabriel.

“Huh?” Sam had started pinching his cheeks, a look of delight on his face.

“Look in the mirror,” he laughed, releasing Gabriel.

He slowly stood up from the bed and walked to the mirror that was hanging on the wall. When he saw his reflection he gasped, reaching a hand up to run across his face. That couldn’t be possible- he was younger!

“This doesn’t make any sense! I don’t even have a real body, I made it,” Gabriel said. As far as he knew, Loki didn’t age either, he just always looked the same.

“Well, we couldn’t be in a college dorm room if we looked like we were in our thirties or forties,” he said, getting up to stand next to Gabriel. “I think I’m about nineteen or twenty, so you must be the same.”

“We’re in college?” he said, looking up at Sam. “Hmm, maybe that won’t be so bad, we can go to a couple of parties.”

Sam chuckled. “I don’t know, I wasn’t really the partying type,” he said, then look of horror came across his face. “Oh shit!”

“What is it?”

“I have a test!” he exclaimed, running back to his bed and grabbing a backpack.

“How do you know?” asked Gabriel as he watched Sam throw stuff inside the bag. They weren’t actually college students, they didn't have a class schedule to follow.

“I just do, okay! I gotta go, I’m gonna be late,” answered Sam, and he ran out of the room, still in his sleeping clothes.

Gabriel watched him leave in disbelief, then shrugged and climbed back into bed. If he had a class to go to, he could care less about it. It was too early in the morning to be up anyway. He fell back into a light sleep.

A little over an hour later, Gabriel woke up to a slightly sweaty and exhausted looking Sam entering the room.

“I gotta take a shower, got all gross running to the test,” he said, throwing his backpack down on the bed.

“Mmm-k,” yawned Gabriel, and rolled over in the bed. He heard Sam leave the room but couldn’t fall back asleep. Apparently he had reached his sleeping limit. Gabriel sat up, rubbing his eyes, then heard a buzzing noise coming from his desk. He crawled across the bed to reach the desk where he saw he had got a text on his phone. Oh, this was interesting- the message was from Dean. Gabriel sent a quick text back, then decided to do some research on this world.

Sam returned from his shower a few minutes later, and Gabriel looked up from his phone and froze. His wet hair framed his face perfectly, and all he wore was a towel wrapped around his waist, showing off those defined abs. Gabriel couldn’t take his eyes off of him.

Sam reached in a drawer to get his clothes, then turned to Gabriel. “Have you moved at all today?”

Gabriel quickly averted his eyes. “Uh, of course I have! What, you’d think I’d lay in bed all day?” he answered, a blush crawling up his face.

Sam raised an eyebrow at him, then broke out into a huge grin. “Are you shy, Gabe?”

Gabriel threw his arms up with a frustrated 'ugh'. “The longer this keeps happening, the easier it is to slip into whatever part we’re supposed to playing!” he shouted, then pointed a finger at Sam. “Look at you! You just ran off to take a test for no reason!”

“You have a point,” Sam sighed, then he grinned. ‘I’ll change in the bathroom then so you don’t have to worry about your hormones.”

“Shut up,” Gabriel groaned, falling back on his bed. Sam laughed as he went to change.

Twenty minutes later, Gabriel found himself sitting inside a dining hall with Sam for lunch. Sam had made a trip to the salad bar and returned with an impressive mound of greens on his plate, while Gabriel had opted for the dessert section. He chose a couple slices of cake along with multiple cookies for his meal.

“Oh, I forgot to tell you,” Gabriel said in between bites of cookie. “I’m in a band.”

“Really? How’d you figure that out?” Sam asked, curious.

“I got a text message from this world’s Dean while you were in the shower, reminding me to show up for practice before our gig tonight. Dean’s the lead singer and guitarist.”

“That’s interesting,” Sam commented, stabbing at his salad. “What do you play?”

“I play bass,” he said, then at seeing Sam’s raised eyebrows continued, “Chicks love bass players!”

Sam snorted. “Sure.”

“That’s not all though. The drummer? It’s Crowley. And Charlie plays the keyboard.” Gabriel knew Crowley- they had crossed paths a couple of times, but that was it. They were more acquaintances than anything. And Charlie he had only briefly seen in the apocalypse world- he had never met their Charlie. Band practice would be interesting.

“Ok, that’s weird,” Sam frowned. “Also, can you even play bass?”

“What do you take me for Sam? Of course I can! There’s not an instrument out there I can’t play,” Gabriel answered with his mouth full of cake.

“Of course,” said Sam, eyeing Gabriel’s mouth disapprovingly. He then looked down at his phone. “I gotta go to my afternoon classes soon.”

“Why are you going to class?” Gabriel asked, waving his fork around. “We’ll only be here for one day.”

“Why are you going to band practice?” he shot back.

“Touché. See you at the show tonight?”

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Sam replied with a grin, then left the table, taking his empty salad plate with him.

Gabriel finished his lunch, then decided to go back to the dorm room. He told Sam that he could play bass, but he wanted to make sure he still had the skill. When he got to the room, he found the bass guitar and a small amplifier under his bed. Plugging it in, he gave a few experimental plucks on the string, then went straight into a bass line. It came to him easier than he thought it would. Tonight would be no problem. He messed around a bit, playing a few songs, until it was time to meet with the rest of the band.

They met at Crowley's apartment, and managed to practice one song before quitting to play videogames and drink beer. Gabriel found that he really enjoyed their company. This Dean was a lot like his Dean, only younger and less tired. Charlie was bright and funny, and Gabriel would have to seek her out if they got back to their world. And Crowley, he was quiet, but would chime in one a bit of sarcastic humor every once in a while that would get everyone rolling.

Partway through practice, Gabriel’s phone rang. “Hello, Sam,” he answered. “How was class?” 

Dean rolled his eyes and Charlie winked at him.

“It was good,” came Sam’s voice through the phone. “Biology was actually really interesting. How’s band practice?”

“Awesome! Remember to come to the show tonight, alright? Six o’clock sharp at the Student Union.” Gabriel wasn’t sure why he was so concerned about Sam being at the concert. All he knew was that he had a feeling that he needed Sam to show up.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be there,” Sam assured.

They said their goodbyes, and Gabriel got back to “practice”. The rest went by in a flash, and it was finally time for the show. Gabriel didn’t even know what songs they were playing, but he figured he would get by just fine.

“You still wanna sing your song?” Dean asked Gabriel backstage.

He was singing a song? Well, there was nothing to lose. Gabriel wondered how Sam would react. “Of course!” he answered Dean, who gave him a thumbs up.

Then it was time. They ran out on stage to applause, not too much, but Gabriel figured it was more than average for a band playing at the Student Union. Gabriel searched the crowd and was relieved to find Sam watching them.

“Hello Stanford! We’re the Impalas! Are you ready to rock?” Dean yelled through the microphone. The crowd cheered, and the band started their first song.

They played mostly classic rock, which Gabriel should have expected. Thankfully they had a set list taped to the ground so he could see what the next song was. He found himself enjoying playing the bass and getting into the music. Every once in a while he would look at Sam, who also seemed to be enjoying himself, and would sing along with some songs.

“Alright, next Gabriel is gonna take over the mic,” Dean announced about five songs in. He switched places with Gabriel and gave him a smile, and Charlie whooped from the keyboard.

For some reason, Gabriel felt that this moment was important- really important. Like something he had been planning for months, even though he had only been here for a few hours. He stepped up to the microphone and caught Sam’s eyes in the crowd, winking at him. Sam laughed, and gave him a wave back.

Then he looked at the set list to see what exactly he was singing. Shit shit shit. Of course it would be that fucking song. He tried to see if he could get them to stop, but it was too late. Crowley counted them off, and Dean started the guitar riff. Gabriel had no choice but to sing.

I never meant to be so bad to you

One thing I said that I would never do

A look from you and I would fall from grace

And that would wipe this smile right from my face

Gabriel kept singing, but couldn’t bring himself to look at Sam. He knew that Sam hated that song, and he hated what he did to Sam. Hopefully Sam would understand that the song was a mistake. There was no way he would have sung if he knew what is was. The song ended, and the rest of the show went by smoothly, except for the apprehension Gabriel felt after singing.

“Great job everyone,” Dean said as they went backstage, slapping Gabriel on the back.

“Woo! We were awesome tonight!” exclaimed Charlie.

“Haha, yeah,” said Gabriel. Then he saw Sam walk into the room.

“Hey Sammy!” greeted Dean.

“Hi Dean,” he replied with a smile.

Charlie grabbed on to Dean’s arm, pulling him away. “We’re just gonna, get ready for the after party.” They left the room, Crowley following them out with a small wave, and Gabriel was left alone with Sam.

“Sam, I’m sorry,” said Gabriel, walking up to Sam.

“For what? That was amazing,” Sam replied with a chuckle.

“For the song,” he said, frowning.

Sam shook his head. “That? I don’t care Gabriel, I’ve already forgiven you, remember? Besides, I listened to the words, it’s ok.”

Gabriel let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you,” he said, and gave Sam a hug. Then he realized something, and pulled away.

Sam gave him a questioning look. “What?”

“I don’t know what’s happening Sam,” Gabriel started, trying to put what he was feeling into words. “Today, and when I saw you in the crowd, it's like- it’s like I’m falling for you all over again.”

Sam smiled softly. “And what’s wrong with that? Sounds pretty romantic to me.”

“No, that’s not it,” Gabriel said, his voice starting to become panicked. “Everyday we just, fall into these different roles. What if we forget who we are and lose ourselves in these worlds, becoming whatever character we’re supposed to be?” 

“Gabe…” Sam’s smile faltered, but quickly returned. He took Gabriel’s face in his hands, rubbing his thumbs across his cheeks. “That’s not going to happen, ok? We won’t forget where we came from, I promise.”

Gabriel nodded, and Sam lowered his head to gently kiss him. Then the world faded into black around them.

[flying-elliska]

HS Reunion AU pt. 3/?

Heyyy I know we thrive on pain here ^^ but if you want a break maybe for a minute, here’s some more incredibly wish-fulfill-y fluff. They’re all thriving adults (for the most part), the reunion starts and Daphne has a surprise ! 

SAMEDI 17:44 

The day of the reunion dawns bright and sunny. They’ve just spent a lazy morning in bed, enjoying each other, only getting up after noon. Lucas promised his husband that this time would be for them, so he kept his itching fingers away from any keyboards or screens. Eliott made crepes with melted chocolate, deliciously decadent. They curled up together on their big couch, read, watched a weird documentary about deminer rats, and rearranged their utility closet. Lucas's still surprised about all the things they’d managed to lose in there, including four different brooms, one of Eliott’s best lenses hidden in an empty cereal box (why), a bag of onions that had taken on a life of their own, and an album of honeymoon photos they’d completely forgotten existed, maybe because it was the one where they both sported completely sunburnt noses after going off trail for a week in Nepal and looked like a pair of molting lobsters. 

The reunion is at 18. They will be having dinner in the old foyer, before going to party on a rented boat on the Seine. Lucas parks the car a few blocks away. He really wants them to have a little time to breathe and enjoy the sun before the madness starts.

It's a gorgeous early summer day, with a little breeze deflecting the heat and sunlight glittering on the water. It’s incredibly thrilling still for some reason, walking hand in hand with his husband along the Canal St Martin, this close to their old school.

Eliott can’t stop grinning at him either. He looks like a vision in his tight black turtleneck, camel longcoat swung over his shoulder, hair as wild as ever. His eyes are intense and full on mischievous, in a way that really does something to Lucas’ underbelly feelings. 

“Hey, so...things are heating up between you and that girl Chloe, huh ?” 

Lucas rolls his eyes. Of course he would go there, the asshole. 

“Yeah, she’s incredible. Woman of my life. Might ask her to marry me in the fall. I always wanted a honeymoon in Bali” 

“Bali, hm ? That’s cute. Are you sure she’s the one, though ?”

“Yes absolutely. She ticks all my boxes ! I mean, she’s such a ...female woman !  She even has breasts and everything ! I think. It’s amazing. Everything I need right there.” 

Eliott laughs out loud. Lucas loves that sound more than anything else in the world, and the fact that they can joke easy now about their earlier jealousies and mistakes feels very healing. 

“Love at first sight, then.” 

“Oh you know how it is, girl bumps into boy once, it must be true love.” 

“Stranger things have happened.”

“Are you talking about yourself now ?”

Eliott raises his eyebrows in a way that makes Lucas blush, then stops and pulls him closer, until their noses almost touch.

“I don’t know, do you have any boxes left for me to tick ? Or are you all ticked out ? Are you sure your boxes are being ticked appropriately ?” 

“Oh, okay, we’re playing it like that, dirty talk in the street ? I don’t remember that part.”

“Why don’t we make up for lost time ?”

“Wait, don’t you have an imaginary girlfriend, too ?”

“Nah. I’m not even playing at that.”

“Well then, you can tick my boxes anytime.”

Eliott smiles and wraps his arms around Lucas’ head, drawing him into a passionate kiss, unhurried and slow, that tastes like minty toothpaste and cigarettes. They have all the time in the world. Lucas thinks of his teenage self, who’d yearned for this so fervently even as the idea of holding another man’s hand in the street terrified him, and he kind of wants to do a victory dance on the spot. 

A few seconds or maybe minutes later, someone coughs loudly next to them. History repeats, apparently, but thankfully with better timing. 

“Well, I see you two are still as disgustingly in love as ever.” 

Emma is standing in front of them, an amused expression on her face. She looks good, if a little jet lagged - hair in a pixie cut, tanned, bag slung over her shoulder, looking as carefree and adventurous as ever. Lucas moves to hug her as if they’d last seen each other last week. 

“Glad to see you made it.”

“Daphne would have reached across two entire oceans to kick my ass if I didn’t. And you know, I figured my family might like to see me, accessorily. And you, still can’t get you past the Périphérique, I see ?” 

“That’s a gross overexaggeration. We toured half the world for our honeymoon.” 

“And let me guess, you’ve been shackled to your desks ever since ? Well, at least you’re rocking the “just rose from my coffin” look together.” 

“Oh, sorry, not all of us want to look like Australian beef jerky.”

They fall easily into bickering the rest of the way, insulting each other in a friendly manner. It really is like old times. The place hasn’t changed much, except for a lot more vegetation in the courtyard. Seeing it evokes a tangled knot of complicated feelings in him. They haven’t been back since graduation, really. When they’ve reached the gate, Eliott holds Lucas back for a moment, taking both his hands. Lucas can feel his husband is nervous. 

“You know, say the magic word and we’re out of there in a second, okay ?” 

Eliott leans forward muffles his laugh in Lucas’ collar. 

“How is this worse than Cannes, seriously ?"

"I almost wish there were paparazzi now, as distraction."

"Let's pretend there are and put our game faces on, then."

Eliott laughs again and ruffles through Lucas' hair, who protests but lets him do it. He always does.

From across the courtyard, he sees Manon come toward them. 

She looks better than the last time he saw her, when she was fresh from her breakup with some hotshot war reporter. He loves this woman, truly, that's his sister right there, but god he wishes for her own sake she’d grow out of her taste for passionate, moody assholes. And it's not the first time, nor the last, he feels he will have to help her pick up the pieces. But that's okay. She's always been there in his most difficult times.

And now she's there, standing tall, wrapped in a designer coat, rocking her signature red lipstick even though there are bags under her eyes and he knows this is the look she wears when she's pretending to be okay. He realizes then one of his goals tonight will be to make sure nobody bothers her about her love life. She's an amazingly accomplished woman. That's all anybody needs to know.

Eliott gives her an extra long hug. Those are the best thing in the world, and his husband has always been intuitive about these things. Good.

Together, they move towards the foyer.

Their old haunt is completely gone - the mural, their ratty old couch, all the things they'd painstakingly gathered together. The space has been merged with another room and is twice as large. Then again, it makes it possible to fit in enough tables, which might not have been possible back then. Their old beat down furniture has been cleared to make room for lush greenery and designer sofas, uncannily clean for a high school. It's been lavishly decorated too, with a banner, pastel streamers and golden balloons. In front of the window there is a buffet full of all sorts of drinks, salads and cakes. It's definitely too much for this type of occasion but then again. Daphne. 

When they enter the room, heads turn, and the gazes aimed their way are a bit too curious and insistent for his taste.  Well, they did end up being one of the most dramatic squads in their year, in the end, it was to be expected but...It’d better be admiration for his on-his-way to famous husband, and nothing else, because if he’s grown out of one thing, it’s suffering fools. He feels both Eliott and Manon’s grip on his arms tighten. 

A very enthusiastic Daphne appears out of thin air in front of them, as if on wheels. She looks like she stepped out of the pages of a magazine, baby blue dress, hair carefully plaited with little glass flowers, as peppy as ever. She welcomes them, kisses all of their cheeks and then directs them to their table, where they find little calligraphied tags to their names in the plates, before storming off again.

Their table is already half-full. Arthur is there, in a crisp suit, accompanied by a posh, bored looking brunette. He is pointedly not talking to Basile, sitting next to him. Lucas sighs internally. He'd really hoped that was over. Basile is accompanied by a vaguely bird-faced woman, who is wearing the exact same disastrous color scheme as him, brown and bright green and red. And then there's Imane, looking impeccable in her deep red scarf and elegant black dress, and her husband Yousef, in deep conversation. Finally, to round it off, there's two random people Lucas already feels sorry for.

They all greet each other. It's a little awkward. He's happy seeing Imane and Yousef though. It's been a while, what with their little daughter and Imane's company getting off the ground and his own crazy schedule.

Lucas gets a text from Yann saying he's going to be late. Basile launches into an explanation of his latest crowdfunding project, something about an app and cryptocurrency that barely registers. The room slowly fills up. Arthur talks about his family company's ventures into the South Asian market. Lucas slowly starts feeling like he wants to jump into the Seine. He didn't come here to witness how boring his friends have become and how adulthood is descending on them to make them into pre-mummified copies of their parents. He thinks he'd almost rather go back to hear college age Basile brag about all his conquests in graphic detail. Almost. And he can feel his husband tensing up next to him; he knows how much Eliott hates speaking about his work archievements, that it always feels like bragging to him, that he wants the work to talk for itself.

Thankfully, this is the moment Alexia chooses to make her entrance. Far from toning herself down, she's only become more colorful and boisterous over the years. Hair bubblegum pink, in a dress marked with a giant golden thunderbolt, she makes all heads turn in her direction. Lucas used to think she was a little obnoxious, to be honest, but she's like a breath of fresh air now. She plops into a chair at their table and immediately launches a debate about the worst part of the new foyer and if they could donate another paper toilet rolls sculpture. It's a relief from everyone posturing about their jobs. Although honestly, Alexia's probably the most successful of all of them. He can never wrap his head around what she does exactly, except that it involves millions of online followers, sponsorships in the US, dancing videos with cats and her own shoeline.

Eliott leaves and comes back with drinks for the both of them. They clink their craft beer bottles against each other and Eliott leans down to whisper in his ear :

"Too bad they took away our couch"

Lucas snorts.

"Fuck no, that thing was a health hazard when we were here already, can you imagine after ten years ?"

"I don't know, I mean. It could have been fun to recreate some memories after everyone leaves." Lucas chokes on his beer. If Eliott is trying to distract him, it's surely working.

Across the table he can see Arthur's date look at them with a contemptuous glance on her face. The woman exhudes as much fun as a bag of frozen broccoli. Petty, he plants a sloppy kiss on Eliott's cheek. If they've earned one thing, it's the right to not worry about what people think of their PDA, goddamn.

Daphne arrives at their table and sits down, slightly out of breath.

"Hey guys ! I'm so happy you are all here ! It's been a while, huh ? I have a surprise for everyone later, I hope you will all participate, I'm counting on you !"

For a moment Lucas is terrified she's going to quiz them on their lives or force them into some sort of weird bonding exercise. Then he sees the look on Basile's face and realizes they have worse issues to worry about. F*cking hell, they dated for a few months ten years ago, and he's still looking at her like she hung the moon, and right in front of his girlfriend too. It took him years to get over her, they were gross the first time, and if Basile does something stupid it's going to take the awkwardness levels from slightly unpleasant to excruciating for the rest of the evening.

Then a tall, beautiful woman with dark skin and long tresses comes toward their table, effortlessly elegant in a crisp white shirt with the sleeves rolled up. She puts her hand on Daphne's shoulder.

"Hey babe, sound's all set up."

Daphne blushes up to her ears.

"Hey everyone, uh. This is Sam. She's my work partner and also. Uh. She's going to be my wife."

The table erupts into shouts of congratulations, surprise and joy. Manon hugs Daphne, Basile's expression falls to the floor, and Alexia claps her hands laughing. Lucas isn't surprised, but he is proud. For a long time, Daphne was even deeper in denial than he was. And Sam looks awesome.

Lucas exchanges a smile with his husband. Maybe coming to this reunion was worth it after all.

[omgrachwrites]

Somewhere Across the Ocean (Tom Holland)

Pairing: Tom Holland x Original Character

Summary: Cassidy Porter has always had a hard time being herself, especially in front of her friends. She can truly be herself when she starts online talking with a sweet boy, Tom. But when he unknowingly walks into her real life it’s his heart that might be getting broken. Author!Tom, college au

Warnings: fluff, swearing

Words: 2145

A/N: Hey guys, I hope you enjoy this part even though it’s just to start things off! Please let me know what you think and let me know if you would like to be tagged, I love you all! xxx

next part | masterlist

Part One

Friday 8th June 2018

As soon as Cass walked through the impressive mahogany hallway in her dad’s house, the delicious scent of red onion and peppers washed over her. The smell of it reminded Cass of one of her earliest recalled memories. It had been when she lived with her grandmother and her father in the country in the baby blue house with the huge white washed front porch.

The smell of the vegetables reminded her of blood red sunsets and the smell of honeysuckle as she sat in her grandmother’s arms as she sang softly to Cass while her dad grilled beef burgers on the barbeque. It put a smile on her face, her dad was taking the time to cook again and that meant that he was in a pretty good mood.

“Hey! It smells amazing in here,” Cass grinned as she skipped into the kitchen and pulled herself up to sit on top of the white marble counter. Her dad Nick looked up from where he was chopping up some onions, a metal spoon in his mouth so his eyes wouldn’t water. Cass winced as Nick took the spoon from his mouth, the metal scraping against his top teeth.

“Thank you sweetie how was your day?” he asked, wrapping his strong arms around her, his nose nestled in her dark hair that smelled of coffee. Cass shrugged with a smile as she snagged a little bit of pepper, crunching it between her teeth with relish.

“It was okay I guess. Same old, same old,” she rolled her hazel eyes with a giggle, nothing exciting really ever happened to her while she worked since she was just a normal barista in a normal café within a bookstore, “some kid decided that he didn’t want his hot chocolate anymore so he spat it all over me, fun times.”

“You know, I can give you an allowance for college accommodation, you don’t have to do it all on your own by the way,” he smiled and Cass shrugged, she had always been pretty independent.

“It’s okay, you know I want to do it on my own,” she replied and Nick nodded.

She smiled before frowning in confusion as she absent mindedly glanced out the windows of the patio doors and onto the veranda. The table had been made up with unlit candles, the fancy ones that were set in crystal holders. There were three chairs seated around the polished wooden table instead of just two, they only ever ate out on the veranda on special occasions such as birthdays. Her eyebrows knitted together and she looked back at Nick who was looking anywhere but at her and he was nervously running his fingers through his shaggy blonde hair – Cass had been pleading with him for a while now to cut it.

“Dad?” she started slowly as she pushed herself off of the counter, Nick busied himself with preparing a side salad, “what’s going on?”

After a couple of moments he rubbed a hand over his face, “Megan is coming over for dinner, both she and I want you to meet her.”

“Oh,” Cass deflated slightly, her heart dropping to the pit of her stomach where it settled like a rock, “is that why you were disappointed when I told you that I want to live on campus?”

Cass wanted nothing more than for her dad to be happy, her mom had died when Cass was just a kid and she suspected that her dad hadn’t really gotten over it. However, Cass was very much aware of the types of women that were attracted to Nick; they were shallow, young gold diggers. Nick was the best-selling author of a couple of cookery books and he owned a couple of restaurants, he had kept his fortune pretty well.

“That’s part of the reason but the bigger part is the fact that you’re my baby girl and I’m not quite ready to let you go yet,” he beamed, his eyes getting slightly misty as he pressed a sloppy kiss to her cheek. Cass giggled, shoving him away playfully feigning a look of disgust, “I could really use your support tonight.”

He looked so hopeful that Cass couldn’t possibly refuse him, “yeah of course dad, let me get changed out of these clothes,” she smiled and he nodded.

“Okay, don’t spend too long on your computer speaking to that boy, I know what you’re like,” he winked. A laugh and a smirk was his response as Cass padded up the stairs.

A couple of months ago she was commenting on a forum thread about Harry Potter – it sounded geeky but she just loved the books and the movies, not that she’d ever admit it to anyone. She had started speaking to some guy called Tom from England. They clicked almost instantly so they started to converse through the private messaging function on the site. She knew her dad would worry about her talking to a stranger so she had told Nick that Tom was her friend in real life.

He was incredibly sweet but Cass had to admit to herself that he could be some sort of weirdo, she didn’t know how old she was or even what he looked like, she only knew his name. However, that didn’t stop her from grinning when she opened her messages to see that she had an unread message from Tom.

From: Tom Holland

‘So mad! I did that Hogwarts house quiz on Facebook and it told me that I’m a Hufflepuff; I’m definitely not a Hufflepuff right? I’m a cool Slytherin! Anyway, how was your day darling? Xx’

Cass giggled at his message and decided to toy with him just a little.

To: Tom Holland

‘I definitely think that you could be a Hufflepuff, you’re adorable Tom! Have some Hufflepuff pride man! I had a pretty boring day, but my dad’s girlfriend is coming over so meeting her for the first time will be a lot of fun. Not. How was your day? Xx’

She sent her message off and started to get ready for the night ahead, deciding on a nice white top and jeans. She sprayed her dark hair with a sweet smelling hairspray so that it would smell less like coffee - there wasn’t enough time for a shower. Cass checked her messages and saw that Tom hadn’t replied yet so she closed the lid of her laptop and she made her way down the stairs to help her dad.

He was pretty frantic when she entered the kitchen, “oh god! Megan is gonna be here in like ten minutes and I’m not even ready yet! Can you open this bottle of wine?” he babbled, thrusting a bottle of rose wine into her hands, Cass opened her mouth to try and calm him but she was blocked out by his frantic tirade, “can you set the table too?!” he pleaded, his eyes were the size of dinner plates.

Cass fought back a giggle; she knew that laughing really wouldn’t help him in this situation, “dad calm down. Please, I’ll sort everything, just go and get ready you really need to,” she gestured at his outfit that consisted of a white shirt, sweatpants and bare feet, thankfully one of Nick’s talents was that he could easily get changed in five minutes, Cass had no idea why he was panicking so much.

Nick smiled at her gratefully and pressed a kiss to her forehead before he all but ran upstairs. Cass popped the cork from the wine bottle and placed it back in the fridge so it could chill as much as possible before she set the veranda table with their finest cutlery. She couldn’t blame her dad for wanting to have dinner outside; the evening sun was so warm. The ringing of the doorbell a few moments later startled her and she internally cursed her dad for taking longer than five minutes to get ready.

“Fuck,” she muttered darkly, bracing herself as she as she pulled the door open.

Her eyes went wide for just a moment; the woman on the other side of the door was not at all what she expected. The woman, Megan had wavy brown hair that fell just past her collar bones, her makeup was very minimal, no inch of plastic surgery and she was only a couple of years younger than Nick. She was wearing a dark blue dress that flowed just past her knee, she was beautiful. Beautifully ordinary. Cass gathered herself and forced out a smile as she introduced herself.

“Hi, you must be Megan, I’m Cassidy but you can call me Cass,” Cass smiled, holding out her hand for Megan to take.

Megan beamed at Cass, her green eyes sparkling as instead she pulled Cass into a tight hug. Cass hesitated before wrapping her arms around Megan, returning the hug, “It’s so nice to meet you Cass, please call me Meg. You look really beautiful by the way.”

Dinner was actually pretty nice, it was nice to feel the warmth of the sun beating down on them and it was so nice for Cass to see the way Meg looked at Nick – like he put all the stars in the sky just for her. Cass actually liked her so far.

“Mm, this chicken is delicious, I can’t wait to have your famous brownies for dessert,” Meg grinned at Cass before she leaned over the table to kiss Nick. Cass smiled before playfully glaring at her dad for giving her secret recipe away, “so Cass your dad tells me that you’re doing Art at NYU and you’re pretty good, that’s exciting,” Meg smiled kindly before sipping from her glass, leaving a faint pink stain.

Cass’s smile faltered slightly while she played with her food, she wasn’t used to people – other than her dad – supporting what she wanted to do.

“Yeah, I guess so; my friends from high school that are attending the college want me to join the cheer team.”

Friends was a strong word to describe those girls, sure they were nice to her face but she was guessing that they were very bitchy about her behind her back. They were nothing more than trust fund brats that couldn’t buy their way into an Ivy League school.

“Oh yeah, you want to?” her dad asked with a smile before sighing when Cass bit her lip and dropped her eyes to her plate, pulling her sunglasses over her eyes.

“You know that you don’t have to do anything that you don’t want to do right?” Meg gave her a sympathetic smile, reaching across the table to take Cass’s hand, squeezing it comfortingly, “friends can be tough.”

Cass smiled at her, slowly slipping her hand from Meg’s grasp, she wasn’t really that comfortable with the whole stepmom thing already. Instead she changed the subject after sipping some of her raspberry lemonade, “so, what do you do for a living Meg?”

“Oh, I work in an elementary school for children with additional needs,” she paused, taking a swallow of wine, “it’s very challenging but very rewarding,” she smiled while Nick beamed at her with pride.

Cass grinned, that was such a selfless job to have, “I bet it is,” she replied, her respect for Meg rising considerably.

------------------------------------------------------------

The following evening, many miles away from New York Tom was only just replying to the message that his online friend had sent him. She really was something but he didn’t even know her name, he only knew that she lived somewhere in America. He chuckled, running his fingers through his curls as he started to type out his reply.

To: C.Rose

‘Please don’t call me adorable, it’s embarrassing, I’m really scary! Definitely more fitting for Slytherin! I’m just going to a party and I’m packing because I’m moving away for school in less than a week xx’

“Are you speaking to your girlfriend that actually might be a 50 year old man?” Harrison, Tom’s best friend snickered, leaning against the doorframe. Tom gave him a death glare as he logged out of the site.

“You’re a dick.”

“C’mon mate! There will be loads of girls at this party dying to shag you,” Haz smirked, clapping Tom on the shoulder.

“Like who?” he asked even though he really wasn’t that interested.

“Well, there’s Sammy, Abby, Claire, Faith, Emma, the list really is endless!” Haz sounded proud as he checked all the girls off the list. Tom scoffed, pulling on his jacket, even though it was summer it was still a cold night.

“What’s the point? We’re leaving for New York in less than a week.”

“Have a one night stand, love them and leave them! Wham bam, thank you ma’am,” Haz chuckled as they left the flat.

“Hey, Haz?”

“Yeah?”

“You really are an absolute arsehole.”

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@void-imaginations @marvelellie