#okay back to troye

[tschulijulesjulie]

wait ✋🏼 so you're telling me one of these songs is 3 years in only a couple of months and it's NOT Bloom??? 🤨

[alarrytale]

I am quite disappointed what Troye wore yesterday as I expected more from him and his outfit was too boring and plain - not that boring and plain as Nick´s but he could wear something more dramatic and fabulous. Now waiting if people gonna yell at him now that he looked "too straight" because he didn´t wear anything sparkly and flamboyant just like people like to yell at H these days. No, they won´t because he´s openly gay while H is closeted and gaslighting is happening from S*ny. But it´s nice to point out to everybody that even an openly gay man can wear something too ordinary, neutral-coloured and "straight-looking".

Hi, anon!

I liked Troye's outfit, but i get what you mean. I think people are so used to see him in colourful, feminine and flamboyant clothing, that this more classic, and more subtle feminine and gay outfit didn’t surprise and wow us that much. Still, i liked it. I don't agree that it's straight looking. It's just that with Troye we're used to more.

(Source/Source)

You know who never misses? Johnathan Bailey. Also, as much as i can't stand him, Gustav Witzøe;

(Source/Source)

[nolanhattrick]

#no but the thing is they could #I think Crosby talked about having an account when he was a teen #and some of the younger guys? #especially the Americans and Canadians #we'd just never know about it unless they accidentally go public about it #we just have to hope and pray that never happens #keep the fourth wall firmly in place #I'd delete my account and everything tbh

oh, my love... have neil and gillian and taylor and the brothers green taught us nothing? have the days of finding colton haynes in your replies or lorde reblogging your post with something incomprehensible added underneath really fallen so far into the past that we do not remember them? is the fourth wall truly so solid in 2024 that we do not remember 2012?

thank god nhlers don't have tumblr accounts

[jayflrt]

golden boy

❝ c’mon, this is exactly like the bahamas if you close your eyes. ❞

PAIRING ▸ lee heeseung x fem!reader

GENRES ▸ fluff, crack, best friends to lovers, summer romance au, rich kid au

WARNINGS ▸ profanity, underage drinking, heeseung is the biggest simp ever, and he calls you princess, mc has a stepdad, she is also a little spoiled in the beginning, tooth rotting fluff (like might be the fluffiest thing i’ve written), mutual pining ofc because this is a jayflrt fic, friends being insufferable (mainly 02z)

SUMMARY ▸ in the summer between high school and college, lee heeseung is determined to make you fall in love with the city of los angeles after your vacation plans in the bahamas fall through. somewhere between the lines, though, you end up falling for your childhood best friend.

WORD COUNT ▸ 16,375 words

PLAYLIST ▸ youth by troye sivan • tongue tied by grouplove • ribs by lorde • sanctuary by joji • cruel summer by taylor swift • stars by duncan laurence

AUTHOR’S NOTE ▸ i have been waiting AGES to share this one so i hope u guys like it !! ♡ also pls play stars by duncan laurence during the observatory scene if you’d like :’)

IT WAS THE FIRST DAY OF SUMMER VACATION WHEN YOU RECEIVED THE GOD-AWFUL NEWS.

“Your father and I are finally gonna have our honeymoon this summer!” your mother exclaimed, grinning excitedly as if she was expecting you to reciprocate the same energy.

Okay, maybe it wasn’t god-awful, but this was the one summer where you didn’t have to shoulder the responsibilities of being a student. Having recently graduated from high school, you were basking in the glow of finally becoming an adult and an incoming college freshman. You were finally free from AP exams, college applications, and the pressure of balancing academics and a social life. So, given all that, you were rather upset that your parents were leaving you behind before you had to fall into the routine of being a student all over again.

You didn’t mind having this talk. In fact, you were glad your mother was telling you in advance instead of just jetting away to another country and leaving a note behind. However, you didn’t understand why she had to have this conversation in front of your best friend, Lee Heeseung.

It probably didn’t help that you two had been joined at the hip since you were wearing diapers, but your families had gotten far too comfortable with each other. Just last week, Heeseung’s mom was asking you if you both had finally “tied the knot,” to which you replied by explaining that you had just graduated high school.

You were happy for your mother and stepfather, really. Your mother had experienced her fair share of bad relationships after your father left, so you were glad that she finally met someone so kind and genuine. You weren’t ever one to judge the men your mother brought home, but your stepfather always got brownie points for playing Mario Kart with you whenever he came over. Not to mention, he bought you the Nintendo Switch to play it on. He seemed to be the only man who didn’t feel insecure about your mother’s success and lavish lifestyle, so you only had good things to say about him.

While you were genuinely glad with the outcome of your parents’ relationship, that unbecoming, spoiled side of you was slipping through the cracks. Even your brain was shouting at you for complaining about having to stay in Bel Air for the summer. Yet, you were just far too frustrated with the bleak vision of your own summer to care about your parent’s honeymoon. In two weeks, you should have been vacationing in the Bahamas with a piña colada in your hand, not waiting for your parents to come back from Rome.

“That sounds so fun,” you chirped with fake enthusiasm, although you supposed it was easily detected due to your gritted teeth, “and that’s not gonna interfere with our trip to the Bahamas, right?” When she didn’t respond, you asked again, “Right, Mom?”

Your mother wore an uneasy look on her face at the sight of your displeasure, so Heeseung cut in quickly, “I think you should probably forget about the Bahamas this year, Y/N.”

“Heeseung!” you whined, sending him a sharp glare. He did not just tell you to forget about the Bahamas. “You’re supposed to be on my side!”

“Not around your mom, dude,” he muttered.

“He’s right, Y/N.” Your mother smiled as she placed her hands on your shoulders. “I mean, it would be good for you to stay here with all of your friends for once; I don’t think you’ve ever not left the country for the summer.” When you sulked, your mother tried to encourage you by gently squeezing your shoulders. “Heeseung and your other friends are here, and you have a car now! Yeji’s family moved to Irvine now, didn’t they? You can drive down to see her.”

You nodded, a little more encouraged. You and Hwang Yeji had been close ever since you met at Choi Jisu’s birthday party in middle school. When Yeji’s parents decided to move to Irvine, finding that housing was much more expensive in Los Angeles County, you were absolutely crushed. Plus, it wasn’t like Orange County was any less expensive, so you felt even more bitter about their sudden move. It wasn’t like you could drive and see Yeji whenever you wanted, either; the one hour drive felt like three with all the Los Angeles traffic.

You hung your head, dejected. “I guess so.” You turned your head to the side, noticing the snicker that Heeseung was holding back. After shooting him a dirty look, you looked back at your mother. “When are you leaving?”

“This weekend,” she responded, eyes fixed on her phone screen now. “I have to sort out my PTO with my boss today, though.” She kissed the top of your head and started heading for the door, heels clicking against the linoleum flooring with each step. “I’ll see you later tonight, Y/N! And make sure Heeseung actually goes home tonight!”

You shot a glance at your friend, who didn’t seem to have a care in the world in reaction to your mother’s words.

Heeseung tended to be scared of everything—everything except actually scary things, like biblically accurate angels or the wrath of his mother.

You gave your best friend a condescending half-grin, which he returned sheepishly. As of late, Heeseung had become notorious for staying out late with Jay Park, Jake Sim, and Park Sunghoon. (Yang Jungwon often joined them, but he was adamant about going home before midnight. Something about not wanting to miss out on his beauty sleep.) Everyone thought this was the beginning of Heeseung’s teenage rebellion (which was rather delayed), but then you discovered that all they did was play games in an internet café and occasionally use their fake IDs to get into VIP lounges at clubs.

When you heard the door shut, you circled around the couch to sit next to Heeseung.

“This sucks,” you said flatly. “Summer means an ungodly rise in temperature—hot enough to melt the skin off my bones, and I’d rather have that happen while I’m sunbathing in the Bahamas!”

“Do you realize how spoiled you sound right now?” Heeseung snorted, looking up from his phone where he was playing Cookie Run from the umpteenth time. You swore he was addicted to the game despite the numerous times he told you he was just playing it as a joke. Your best friend continued, “You should be happy for your mom instead of complaining about your summer being ruined.”

You sank back in your seat. You hated to admit it, but Heeseung was right; you were being uptight about this whole situation. You just couldn’t help but feel disappointed about the one thing you were looking forward to all year long.

Heeseung leaned closer so that you both were shoulder-to-shoulder, and he nudged you. You looked over and were met with his dazzling grin. Frankly, you were honored that you were graced with his attention in the middle of his Cookie Run gaming session.

“You can spend the summer with me instead,” he offered.

You snorted. “That was gonna happen, anyway. You spend all your free time at my place.”

“Why wouldn’t I?” Heeseung asked, brows knitting into a frown.

He looked at you so intensely that your breath caught in your throat for a moment. The proximity coupled with the shift in tone made you feel self-conscious, and you were scared that Heeseung was going to let some unspoken feeling slip.

However, his face broke into a mischievous grin. “You guys have a jacuzzi.”

You pressed your lips into a thin line and shoved him harder. This time, Heeseung was laughing as he fell against one of the cushions on his side. You grabbed one of the throw pillows and started pummeling him with it.

“You have your own jacuzzi, too, dumbass,” you retorted. “You’d know if you actually stayed at your own house for once! Also, you’ve lost your pool privileges here after you poured bubble bath in ours.”

“Come on. It wasn’t that bad.”

“You clogged our jets and we had to pay someone to get rid of the bubbles, Heeseung.”

“Jake was the one who poured the bubble bath in!”

“And who was the one who gave him the idea?”

Heeseung grimaced, and you were seconds away from reminding him how you took the fall for him when your parents asked what happened to the hot tub. Before you could, though, he spoke up.

“I was being serious, though,” he started, “do you wanna have a fun summer with me, or do you wanna stay bitter and do nothing?”

Something about Heeseung’s condescending tone was pissing you off. You stared at him before delivering one last blow with the throw pillow.

“Ow! What was that for?!” he exclaimed, rubbing his arm. You rolled your eyes at his dramatics; you didn’t even hit him that hard.

“I’ll see you later,” you told him, turning on your heel to head upstairs without seeing your friend out. “I have plans with Yizhuo now.”

You weren’t exactly sure how you became friends with Ning Yizhuo, but throughout high school, everyone knew the two of you came in a package deal. When you were in third period AP World History, everyone knew that Yizhuo would switch out of her second period section to be in your class; when you didn’t show up to calculus, it was no surprise that it was because you were ditching with Yizhuo; when Zhong Chenle asked Yizhuo out, he realized that commitment came with becoming your friend as well.

At first, you assumed that it was because your mothers were close, but that didn’t explain why you spent countless nights at her place and picked her up for school every single morning. Heeseung even once admitted that he was jealous of your friendship with her. He was drunk when he mentioned that, of course. He would never admit to that while he was sober.

When she got into a school on the west coast and you got into a school on the east coast, though, you thought your life was over. (When you figured out your meet-up plans were somewhat manageable, you felt a little better.)

On the bright side, you were stoked to attend Yale with your partner-in-crime, Heeseung.

“Wait! Let me drive you,” said partner-in-crime offered.

You turned to face him, wide-eyed. “It’s like a thirty minute drive, Heeseung. I’m going to her country club.”

Despite your protests, you knew that Heeseung would be more than willing to drive all the way over there. Hell, you could tell him you wanted to go to Las Vegas right now, and he’d somehow manage to arrange a trip for you two. You had never met anyone as spontaneous as him.

Now, though, you were trying to get away from him because you were a little bitter about his comment. On the other hand, you really didn’t want to drive alone, so you kept his proposition on the table.

“Oh, her country club? The one up north, right?” he inquired. “Can I bring Jake, too? We’ll just hang out at the mall while you do your thing.”

You mulled it over—not for long, though, because you found yourself caving easily. “Fine.”

You forgot that Heeseung bringing Jake meant that Jay and Sunghoon were coming along for the ride, too.

The three of them were squeezed in the back of Heeseung’s Tesla, with Jay incessantly complaining about how he had to take the middle seat. He even went as far as to compare heights, and Sunghoon used his one centimeter on Jay to his advantage. Jake remained silent for once.

You ran your finger along the smooth leather of your seat and snorted.

“Are you making fun of my car?” Heeseung asked with a chuckle.

“No, I’m making fun of how you dropped extra money for white seats.”

“And for the seven-seater.”

“What?!” Jay exclaimed, swiveling in his seat to look behind him. “And you still squeezed me in the middle seat?”

“Not my fault you didn’t look behind you, dude.”

Sunghoon and Jake proceeded to laugh at their friend, and you were about to do the same until you realized you had looked to see if Heeseung was laughing along with you. To your delight, he was. That, and the wind was blowing in his hair so perfectly. The golden sun shone across his face in a way that made his eyes crinkle up and his smile grow. You would always scold him for not having sunglasses on him, but, this time, you were a little distracted by how he glowed.

Heeseung then turned to you, one hand on the steering wheel and the other on his thigh. “What’s up?”

“N-nothing at all.” You coughed, tearing your gaze away to look ahead at the freeway. “Are we almost there?”

You just then registered how the backseat had gotten awfully silent, and when you turned to check on The Three Idiots (you deemed this title upon them back in high school, and it stuck), they all had Cheshire grins spread across their faces. It was a little scary, honestly. Their antics were nightmarish on their own, but what their eyes suggested was something that would haunt you. You fought down the heat creeping up your cheeks in an effort to appear indifferent, and you turned back to look at the GPS.

Ten minutes. You had to deal with them for ten more minutes. That was 600 seconds. Maybe you could tune out the testosterone if you counted down your arrival time.

To your relief, though, ten minutes passed by much faster because the four boys got into a heated argument over the superior boba shop in the Bay Area. You had to interject by reminding them that none of them were even from the Bay Area. Heeseung wound up going on a tangent about how he and Choi Yeonjun went on a day trip last weekend, which you would have remembered “if you were a better friend.”

You did remember, actually. Heeseung was texting you the entire time about Yeonjun forcing him to choose between him or a PS5. You presumed that Heeseung chose the PS5 because Yeonjun posted a black screen on his Snapchat story with the caption “dhmu” followed by a wilting rose and broken heart emoji.

(They wound up gaming all night afterward, anyway.)

The Three Idiots sensed tension from the back seat, so they started a new debate: the superior boba shop in Los Angeles.

You couldn’t believe that this was the depth of their conversations.

When you finally arrived at Yizhuo’s country club, you were being nagged by Sunghoon to get out of the car. He was eager to go to the mall and try out a new sushi place that everyone had been raving about. For someone who seemed to lack any seriousness, Sunghoon was extremely diligent about his frequent Yelp reviews; he even got promoted to the Yelp Elite Squad.

“Alright, alright, I’m going!” you complained, shooting Heeseung a withering look—a please save me from your friends, which he grinned at. “Bye, then.”

“Have fun, princess,” Heeseung called as you were closing the door, and you were grateful your back was turned so that he couldn’t see the look on your face.

(“Princess?” Jay questioned. “Did you just call her princess?”

“It’s an inside joke!” Heeseung rebuked.

“And were you just checking her out?” came Jake’s muffled voice from inside the car, and a bark of laughter followed immediately after from Sunghoon and Jay.)

You shook your head when Heeseung sped off as quickly as possible. You could picture it so vividly; he would be defending himself to his dying breath, cheeks bright red as his mouth ran. Although you found it funny, you knew that Heeseung was probably just glancing out the window to make sure you weren’t too close to the car before he drove away.

“Y/N!” Yizhuo called from the entrance. You turned to see her clad in a cotton shirt and tennis skirt, standing next to Zhong Chenle. “Did you think we were swimming or something?”

Yes, you most definitely did think you were going to be sunbathing by the poolside. With a sheer cover-up over your black one-piece, you were definitely not ready to play tennis with Yizhuo and her boyfriend. You even had your red heart-shaped sunglasses on your head.

You let out a petulant whine, taking your walk of shame over to the two. “I’m already in the racquet club, so why would I come here to play more tennis?”

Yizhuo shrugged, but the one thing you loved about her was that she was flexible with plans. “I’ll just change into my swimsuit, then. I’ve been wanting to sunbathe,” she said before handing Chenle her racquet. “Looks like doubles didn’t work out. Are you and Jisung good with playing singles?”

“I don’t mind as long as I win,” Chenle answered with a grin. “See you two later.”

He was clearly delighted because you were probably the only competition he had to worry about. You were sure Park Jisung would complain when he found out that you weren’t going to be his partner. Jisung was utterly hopeless when it came to tennis—or, rather, he was scared of anything flying in his direction.

Yizhuo grabbed her Prada leather tote bag, pulling out a white two-piece with a gold clip in the front after some digging. She excused herself to change quickly, and came back within five minutes. You were grateful she came prepared. For her, though, it was inevitable considering she drove thirty minutes most days to lounge around her country club with Chenle.

“They’re renovating the banquet room right now,” Yizhuo informed as she settled into the lounge chair next to yours. “I was going to invite you for the opening next week, but you’re gonna be in the Bahamas, as usual.”

“Yeah, about that,” you drawled, “vacation plans fell through, so I’m not going anymore.”

“What?” Yizhuo sat up, startling the server who brought over cocktails on a silver plate. “But you always go to the Bahamas!”

You gingerly took one of the cocktail glasses, mouthing your gratitude before turning your attention back to Yizhuo. “My parents wanna spend their honeymoon alone, and Heeseung thinks I’m acting spoiled.”

Yizhuo smirked against the rim of her glass. “How is it that Heeseung always manages to come up in our conversations?”

“He doesn’t!” you exclaimed. “He’s just always around, you know? Like a fruit fly.”

“Just like how Chenle’s always around?”

“Chenle’s your boyfriend; Heeseung’s just a gnat.”

“I’m telling you, Y/N, you and Heeseung are the dictionary definition of couple behavior. I swear, you two are meant for each other.”

You sighed. “Heeseung and I have been best friends since, like, forever. Our relationship is just… different from my other friendships.”

Yizhuo raised a brow, a coy smile still creeping across her face. “So how come you refer to everyone else as friendships, but with him it’s a relationship?”

“Psychoanalyze much?” You sent a mocking smile right back at her. “Can I not have a friend of the opposite gender anymore?”

“You can have one that doesn’t make heart eyes at you,” Yizhuo replied with a scoff. “I’m telling you, the guy’s head over heels.”

“Whatever.” You slipped your sunglasses down to rest on the bridge of your nose. You didn’t want to think about potential romantic feelings for your best friend that could threaten the stability of your life-long friendship. “Let’s circle back to what’s actually important: my summer.”

“Poor Heeseung.” Yizhuo tutted. “Bahamas over love.”

“Love can happen any time,” you said, “but the window of opportunity only opens once, and that golden period is the summer between high school and college. Think about it, Yizhuo! Every summer after this one is gonna be loaded with classes, internships, and work.”

“So, what’s your game plan?”

You pondered on her question. There were only so many options you had, and, clearly, going to the Bahamas was not one of them. Honestly, you hardly felt like a real Californian with the little knowledge you had about what you could even do around your area; all you could think about was the beach or Disneyland. Plus, with Yeji doing a summer program in Irvine and Yizhuo spending her days at her country club, you didn’t have much room for spontaneous activities with them.

Unless you wanted to spend every single day like you would on a regular weekend, you had to find someone who knew how to make things fun.

And, unfortunately, that narrowed it back down to Lee Heeseung.

You turned back to Yizhuo with a sheepish look on your face. “I think I have an idea.”

“Be my summer escort service.”

“Excuse me?” Heeseung nearly choked on the tea your mother made for him. You watched as he set the cup down as delicately as possible while his eyes welled up with tears. He hit his fist against his chest a few times before calming down. “I don’t think you know what an escort service entails, but I think I know what you’re getting at.” He grinned slowly. “You’re taking me up on my offer.”

You did a lot of thinking on the car ride back to Bel Air.

A lot of thinking during the time when Sunghoon wasn’t complaining about the quality of the sushi place they went to. You were almost inspired to write a negative review yourself because of how passionate he was.

“Well, it’s inevitable that I’m gonna be seeing you almost every day, anyway,” you said, “so we might as well make the most of it, right?”

“I knew you’d turn around.” Heeseung reached over and ruffled your hair. “I’ll make sure you have the best summer of your life, Y/N.”

Lee Heeseung excelled at virtually anything. You were sure he would surpass your expectations with these impromptu summer plans, too.

You deemed the nickname “Golden Boy” upon him for this very reason, and it had everything to do with the fact that Heeseung was absolutely perfect at everything he did.

For a while, you even coined a theory that he had been created in a laboratory, specially designed to be absolutely flawless in every way imaginable. Of course Heeseung was born rich, smart, and handsome. Some people were just born lucky into the world, and, when you were younger, it was harder to accept that. Heeseung grew up with the world at his disposal; he got everything and anything he wanted, but that didn’t necessarily mean he took his privilege for granted.

You had to admit that Heeseung was a hard worker when it came down to it. Although he was definitely affluent as a fourth generation trust fund baby, Heeseung made sure his parents were never disappointed with his results.

Throughout high school, he consistently ranked first every single year, always coming right above you after the semester ended. Not to mention, he had even been scouted by several Division 1 schools to join their soccer team. He was even published at the mere age of sixteen for the research he did with a college professor. And, with a face and personality like his, any reasonable mother would’ve loved for their daughter to bring Heeseung home for dinner.

Another thing he never failed to accomplish was making you absolutely flustered.

“Well…” You turned your cheek. “I always have fun when I hang out with you, so don’t let it get to your head.”

“Too late. It’s getting to my head.”

You groaned.

“Hey, we might as well have fun,” Heeseung tried. “It’s not like any of us are vicariously living through each other’s summer romances.”

“Whoa. You said ‘each other.’”

“Yeah?”

You shot him a questioning look. “You’re implying that you have a summer romance that I’m not allowed to live vicariously through.”

“What? No!” Heeseung frowned as he tried to do the mental gymnastics to piece together your reasoning. “I said—actually, you know what, it doesn’t matter what I said. Who cares about being cuffed? Let’s just enjoy the last moments of our youth.”

“You know what, you’re right,” you agreed, getting fired up just by his words. Maybe it was the realization that time was fleeting, but you were determined to have the best summer ever now. “This summer, I’m Percy and you’re Grover. No one’s getting in the way of our side quests.”

“Why do I have to be the half-barnyard animal sidekick?” Heeseung deadpanned. “Can’t I be Annabeth?”

“No, put some respect on a satyr’s title.”

Your best friend picked his cup of tea back up when it had cooled. He blew gently on the surface before taking a careful sip, and then confidently drank more afterward. He set his cup down again and held a finger up, signaling that he wanted a chance to speak again. You were half-expecting it to be about the damn Percy Jackson lore.

“Your parents leave soon, right?” he asked instead. You nodded in response, somewhat surprised about his inquiry, so Heeseung continued, “Do they need a ride to the airport? We could have a sleepover after.”

“I think—”

“We would love a ride to the airport, Heeseung,” your mother gushed from the staircase as she was lugging suitcases down, “but you’re going straight back to your house after taking my daughter home.”

Heeseung swallowed thickly. “O-of course, ma’am. Straight home.”

You pouted a little. “You’re not staying?”

He smirked a little at your reaction, and you were a little flustered and disappointed that you managed to inflate his ego even further.

“Nah, I’ll just—” Heeseung cut himself off quickly when he noticed your mother was suddenly towering behind where he was seated on your couch. “I’ll—I’ll go straight to my house, like I said.”

“Come on, let the kids spend some time together before college,” your stepfather chimed in, following suit with a suitcase of his own. “Y/N hardly ever gets to stay in LA for the summer.”

“We’re going to the same college, Dad,” you pointed out.

“Of course,” He walked over to ruffle your hair, and Heeseung stared up at him as if your stepfather was some respected higher power, “but you never know what could happen in college. People grow apart whether you like it or not, and the life of a college student gets busy, so you two might as well enjoy this summer.”

When all you could do was stare at your stepfather in horror, he added, “I’m not saying you’re gonna stop being friends! It’s just easier to spend time together now than it is in college.”

“That’s why I’m your daughter’s escort this summer,” Heeseung spoke up.

“Escort?” your stepfather pressed. “That’s… a little concerning. Keep it PG, you two.”

“It’s not like that!” you whined. “Anyway, Dad, don’t you have to get to the airport soon?”

He checked his watch quickly and nodded at your mother. “Y/N’s right. We should get going soon, honey. I’m gonna go make sure I didn’t forget to pack anything.”

With that, your stepfather jogged upstairs with Heeseung’s curious eyes following him suspiciously. When you nudged him, trying to figure out why he was mugging your dad for no reason, he grinned a little. He gestured for you to lean closer so that he could speak quietly.

You leaned in close so that your ear was by his lips, and Heeseung whispered, “He’s totally packing your mom’s honeymoon present.”

“How do you know?”

“Classic move. My brother did the same thing for his wife.”

You pulled away, covering your mouth with a shocked look on your face. You had to keep yourself from audibly gasping since your mother was only a room away. Your face broke into a little smile. Seeing someone care for your mother so deeply made you so happy, especially with how she was the one who usually put in the most effort in her past relationships.

All your life, you wanted a relationship that was the complete opposite of your mother’s; now, though, you aspired to find someone who loved you that much.

Speak of the devil. She was walking over as you and Heeseung exchanged mischievous grins.

“What’re you two smiling about?” she asked.

“Nothing!” You smiled and fixed her hair. “Have fun on your honeymoon, Mom. I’ll make sure Heeseung doesn’t get into trouble.”

“Hey!” Heeseung interjected. “I’m not even that bad! Honest-to-god, Jake’s worse than me—just ask Jay or Sunghoon. Actually, don’t ask Sunghoon because I think he has it out for me right now.” He paused before adding, “Now that I think about it, don’t ask Jay, either. Just trust me on this one.”

You scoffed. “Nice going, Hee.”

Your mother smiled, and you could tell that it was a little sad. “We’ll take you to the Bahamas next time, okay, Y/N?” She did a quick sweep of the room before leaning in a little and whispering, “By the way, your stepfather was really happy that you started calling him ‘dad’ the other day. I think he almost cried!”

You hated to admit it out loud, but you felt inexplicably happy at those words.

“I’m ready!” your stepfather called as he came down the stairs. “Do you have everything you need? Are we ready to go?”

“Ready as ever,” your mother answered and turned to your best friend. “Are you ready, Heeseung?”

“Yep.” He got up from the couch, spinning his car keys around his fingers. “Come on, Y/N. Time to say bye-bye to mommy and—ow! Don’t hit me!”

The car ride to the airport wasn’t too long, but you and Heeseung fell into an uncomfortable silence while your parents were gushing about their vacation plans to each other. They weren’t even sitting next to each other. Your mother sat next to you in the back seat and your stepfather sat in the passenger’s seat to accompany Heeseung, but they were still going back and forth. You nearly considered asking your stepfather to switch seats with you so that you wouldn’t be caught in the crossfire of their incessant flirting.

When Heeseung pulled up to the drop-off zone, however, your parents pulled themselves together in record time. You received two kisses on your head from each parent after they got out of the car.

“Heeseung, let’s walk together for a bit,” your stepfather called. When you exchanged a shocked look with your best friend, your dad clicked his tongue with a laugh. “Just until the gates over there. I need some help carrying my bags.”

Heeseung, floundering for words, wound up not saying anything and scrambled to get out of the car to help him out. The conversation seemed to be light and easygoing, but you were craning your neck out of the car window to get a glimpse of what the hell was going on.

“Mom,” you whispered harshly, “tell me Dad isn’t telling Heeseung something weird right now. He’s still traumatized from the time he was interrogated about being my Homecoming date last year.”

Since neither you nor Heeseung had actual dates for the Homecoming dance last year, he made you a poster and asked you to be his date at your doorstep. At the time, you two were binge watching Parks and Recreation together, so he used that as inspiration for your poster: Please don’t REC my plans and say KNOPE to Homecoming. You vividly recalled being impressed by how neat the handwriting was only to be told later that Yeji helped Heeseung make it.

“I’m sure it’s nothing.” Your mother waved it off. “You should be more worried about how Mrs. Lee calls us in the middle of the night and asks where her son is. That’s gonna traumatize your friend.”

Wow. Lee Heeseung was already a pain in the ass to begin with, and only now you realized how his mother had it a thousand times harder.

“Have a safe trip, okay?” you told your mother after you helped her bring the rest of her bags to the gate. “And—don’t worry—I know when the gardener's coming by, so I’ll be home to let him in.”

She smiled fondly and kissed your forehead. “I’ll text you when I land,” she said. “Have fun, sweetheart, but not too much fun.”

“Mom!” you complained, cringing at whatever she was implying.

Heeseung and your stepfather were already at the front doors, and your best friend’s eyes lit up at the sight of you. You wondered if he needed saving from your father, and you confirmed this when you noticed him cower a little after shaking your stepfather’s hand.

“Heeseung,” your mother started, “thanks for bringing us here. I made brownies in the afternoon, so make sure Y/N gives you some before you go home.”

“Brownies?” Heeseung turned to you with a grin and thanked your mother profusely. “I hope you guys have a fun trip.”

After you all exchanged goodbyes, you and Heeseung headed back to his car. You were able to watch your mother and stepfather disappear into the crowd, a strange feeling lingering in your chest. You weren’t sure what it was, but you supposed you felt a little lonely. This was the first summer you were spending without your parents, and you weren’t sure what to expect.

As if Heeseung could read your mind, he said, “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure you have a fun summer.”

“It better be the best summer of my life.”

Heeseung laughed and opened the passenger’s side door for you. “Then let’s start now.”

“Huh? Right now?”

“Let’s get bingsu,” he said. Come to think of it, you were craving shaved ice; you had mentioned it to Heeseung last week. “You said you were hungry, right? And then we can go home and dig into those brownies your mom made.”

“I never said anything about being hungry.”

“But you’re hungry, right?”

The corner of your mouth twitched before breaking into a little smile.

“Alright, let’s go.”

In all honesty, you didn’t expect anything special from Heeseung. That was why you had your own plans laid out for the coming week, and first on your agenda was going shopping with Yizhuo in Beverly Hills. Since your best friend was so adamant on spending the summer with you, though, you let him tag along.

“I hate you,” he muttered through gritted teeth as you handed him yet another shopping bag—Armani, this time. Heeseung was carrying at least six of them, letting them dangle off of his arms. “I said I’d show you how to have fun, not be your butler.”

“You said you would be my summer escort service.”

“Not like this!”

“Y/N, I swear,” Yizhuo started in a low voice, only loud enough to hear (although you wished you didn’t), “he’s like your boyfriend.”

You sped up to walk ahead of Heeseung, and Yizhuo matched your pace. Your poor best friend was lagging in the back, trying to keep up with the weight of your spending spree in his hands. Even though you told him virtually everything, this was a conversation that you couldn’t let him hear.

“He’s just my escort this summer!” you defended.

“His dad’s the senior vice president at Apple. You really think Lee Heeseung would just agree to be anyone’s manservant?”

“Well, I’m not anyone; I’m Y/N, and Heeseung and I have been best friends since forever, so it shouldn’t be surprising that he wants to spend time with me.”

“I’m just saying, it’s a little strange.”

“Yeah, yeah.” You waved off her concerns and pulled out your phone. “By the way, is the group hanging out tomorrow or something?”

“I kept seeing it in the groupchat, but I wasn’t sure whose house it was at,” Yizhuo replied. She turned and called, “Heeseung! Do you know whose house we’re all going to?”

“Tomorrow?” he asked.

“Yeah.”

“Mine.”

“Yours?” you chimed in. “I thought Jake said it would be at his place.”

“He backed out ‘cause his cousins are visiting this week,” he clarified, “so I offered mine. My parents are going out of town, anyway, so why not?”

You were surprised that Heeseung was willing to host. Most of the time his house was the absolute last resort because he hated cleaning up after everyone. For this reason, it was normally at Jake’s house because he was the only one who would tidy up himself without nagging everyone else (read: Jay Park).

You always went to Heeseung’s place on your own. There were never times where the entire group hung out there together, so it felt like everyone was encroaching on your space with Heeseung.

Even though it was his house, technically.

“You’re coming,” Heeseung added, pointing straight at you with narrowed eyes.

You frowned. “You can’t decide that for me!”

“You agreed to let me be your summer escort service, so it’s within my power,” he argued.

You made a frustrated sound. “Fine. It better be fun, though. I’m sacrificing my Pretty Little Liars marathon for you.”

Heeseung rolled his eyes. “We can just watch it together.”

“Lovebirds!” Yizhuo interjected. “I would’ve called Chenle if I knew I was gonna be a third wheel.” Both of you turned to her with wide eyes, watching the blonde’s lips curl up in a small smirk. “What?”

“That’s not what any of this is,” your best friend grumbled.

“Oh yeah? Then why are you blushing?”

Heeseung shook his head, completely turning his face away from you. You managed to catch the tips of his ears flaming bright red. It was rather easy to make Heeseung flustered, so this wasn’t something out of the ordinary, but, for some reason, you felt butterflies in the pit of your stomach.

He walked ahead, saying something along the lines of, “Let’s just keep shopping!”

You and Yizhuo exchanged a look before hooking arms and bursting into a fit of giggles.

Yizhuo called after him, “We’re going to Miu Miu next!”

Slumber parties with your friend group sounded cute and tame, in theory. Add six men into the mix, and they became slightly terrifying.

“This is why we need to make plans in our group chat without the men,” Shen Xiaoting muttered to you with her eyes fixed on Heeseung’s flat screen TV. “This is not the girls night I was envisioning.”

Your friend group of eleven (excluding Yeji, who was away for the summer) was currently playing their ninth round of Mario Kart 8. You were all taking turns, though, since the game only catered to co-oping with four people. Frankly, you were starting to get tired of the game after about five rounds. You were hellbent on beating Jay, who was talking smack about how terrible you were at gaming, but it turned out that he was no better. You ended up beating him in the first race itself, and now you were just waiting for them to wrap it up.

“Fuck,” Jake hissed once Choi Beomgyu used his blue shell on him. Jake had been consistently winning every game he played despite everyone trying to get him in last place; in the last round, Kim Minjeong made a valiant effort to use most of her Crazy 8 items on him.

You were surprised that Jake showed up in the first place. Everyone suspected that he would be stuck at home because of his cousins visiting, but he somehow managed to get his way out of it. Although he was late, he showed up at Heeseung’s door with a pillow and a handle of cheap vodka. It probably tasted rancid, but there was no room for anyone to complain.

“Get the item box, get the item box!” Chenle yelled. “But you’re kind of screwed if you don’t get a super horn or a super star.”

“So, when are we wrapping up Mario Kart?” Nakamura Kazuha asked, sighing in frustration after being hit with a shell for the umpteeth time.

“Uh, after this game,” Heeseung replied.

“And how many more rounds is that?”

“Three.”

“Jesus Christ.”

The only girl in your group who enjoyed gaming was Yizhuo, but even she was tired of the seemingly endless rounds. Since the boys were going along with the girls’ plans later on, though, you had to be patient. Appease them with Mario Kart, and then the rest of the night was yours.

Somehow, you managed to grit your teeth and sit through the next three rounds (won by Jake, Yizhuo, and Beomgyu, respectively). Afterward, Jake got up to grab the case of Mike’s Harder on the kitchen island. He proceeded to open it up and hand each person a can.

Xiaoting cracked open her can and asked, “How’d you even buy these? Didn’t your dad confiscate your fake or something?”

Around a few months ago, Jake’s dad had caught him wasted at one of their charity galas. Apparently, the Sims didn’t care too much about their son drinking, but they were furious about Jake acting disorderly in front of their guests. Naturally, Jake was grounded for a month and got all four of his fake IDs confiscated. He deeply missed the one from Connecticut where his name was printed as Nathan Fielder, even though Jake looked nothing like Nathan Fielder.

“I got Vernon to buy them for me,” Jake said, “and please don’t remind me about the fakes. It still wounds me to this day.”

You remembered you used to have a little crush on Vernon Chwe, who was a senior when you were a freshman. When he graduated, you almost cried actual tears, but you stayed strong when you went to congratulate him after the ceremony. You figured he would have been a little freaked out if you started breaking down out of nowhere.

Jay, who was inspecting the handle of SKYY Vodka, let out a scoff. “Vernon? Then you could’ve at least asked for good vodka.”

“We can just make mixed drinks,” you spoke up, scrunching up your nose at the memory of blacking out because of alcohol during your prom afterparties. “Plus, it’s not like we’re actually trying to get drunk tonight.”

“Yeah.” Heeseung stood up and rested his arm on your shoulder. “Y/N and I can make the drinks. The rest of you can help put snacks out. Someone can put a movie on, too.”

Since everyone was impressed with Heeseung taking the lead for once, the plan was set into motion. While Kazuha and Sunghoon bickered over which movie to play, the rest of your friends brought out different snacks for the movie. Arguably, you and Heeseung had the hardest job, but you didn’t need any extra hands for drinks. By the time it took you two to finish eleven mixed drinks, they probably would have settled on a movie.

You looked back to see Heeseung eyeballing a shot into a glass cup, and then he proceeded to down its contents. You cringed when you saw him drinking. The last time he got drunk resulted in you trying to calm him down after he went on a long rant about how he just ate sushi, and the alcohol in his system would cause the raw fish to start swimming. You had to convince him that no, vodka would not bring an already dead and sliced-up fish to life.

Heeseung’s face soured and he pushed the handle aside. “Y’know what, let’s just take something from my parents’ liquor cabinet. This shit is vile.”

“You got triple sec and decent vodka?” you asked. “We could make Lemon Drops.”

“You read my mind.”

“You weren’t even thinking about that, were you?”

“Not at all.”

While you and Heeseung were making the drinks, though, you noticed some giggles coming from the living room. You raised your head to see about five of your friends look away as fast as they could. It hit you before you had time to process what was going on; they were making fun of you and Heeseung together.

You had no clue why. Sure, Heeseung and you had some strange moments here and there. But you two were just making drinks, for crying out loud. Nothing about the situation warranted this reaction from them.

You side-eyed Heeseung to see if he noticed. Thankfully, he was just focused on pouring the right amount of vodka so he didn’t accidentally kill anyone. You, on the other hand, were fighting down the heat rising in your chest.

After a brief war between you and Yizhuo, consisting of you glaring at her and her smirking at you, you ended up setting down a glass and sighing.

“Heeseung,” you said, “go crazy with the vodka in the rest of their drinks.”

“Huh?” he asked, genuinely contemplating whether or not to do it.

“Pour as much as your heart desires,” you muttered and set down six of the Lemon Drops on a tray with a little too much force. Without sparing him a glance, you picked up the tray and went to the living room to hand everyone their glasses. While you handed Yizhuo hers, though, you whispered, “I despise you.”

She grinned. “What? Still denying you like him?”

“I don’t like—”

“You like someone?” Heeseung called from the island, completely frozen in place.

You turned and stared at him, mouth agape.

Chenle spoke up, “No, she likes y—”

You kicked Chenle’s shin with enough force to shut him up, and he grunted before he could continue his sentence. Satisfied, you turned back to Heeseung and shook your head quickly.

“They’re just being idiots,” you explained. “Hurry up with the drinks. We’re watching My Best Friend’s Wedding.” You did a double take and turned back to Yizhuo, harshly whispering, “Why the fuck are we watching My Best Friend’s Wedding?!”

Yizhuo removed Chenle’s hand from her knee and stood up to loop your arm with hers. “Come.”

“Where are we going?” you asked, but she was already dragging you away from the living room. “Is that movie supposed to be some sort of sick message?”

“Oh, good. So you’re aware.”

After making some excuse about needing your assistance to get something from her bag, Yizhuo walked with you to the foyer until she turned on you. You nearly tripped backward over one of the boys’ shoes, so you used the wall to regain your balance.

“Tell me what’s going on between you two,” she ordered.

You let out a sound of exasperation. “Yizhuo, for the last time, Heeseung and I are just friends. That’s all there is to it.”

“I’m just saying, the two of you are going to college together and all, but you have to sort out your feelings before you end up figuring them out after Heeseung finds someone else,” she said. “I mean, what’re you gonna do when Heeseung starts dating someone else? He looks decent enough to pull, so there’s no telling what’s gonna happen when he’s cut loose in Yale.”

You snorted. “He’s already cut loose. I highly doubt Yale’s gonna change anything.”

“You never know. I just don’t want you to realize your feelings too late—you know, when things get messy.”

You both were silent for a few seconds before Beomgyu called, “Y/N, Yizhuo, we’re gonna start the movie!”

“Coming!” you responded.

You chose not to respond to your best friend because you truly had no idea what to think, but it did leave seeds of doubt in your head. It almost distracted you from the fact that Heeseung grabbed your arm and pulled you to sit down next to him. This was bad; you were quickly becoming overly self-conscious of every little thing he did, and that would not bode well for your friendship.

Whatever, you told yourself. Push it down.

“Are there any more pillows?” you asked, scanning the room to see that everyone seemed to have one except you. You looked back at Heeseung and narrowed your eyes at his throw pillow. “Give me yours.”

“What? No way.”

“I wanna lay down,” you whined. He was really the only person you could act a little spoiled around. “Give me your pillow before I—”

Before you could finish, Heeseung threw his arm around you and pushed your head down so that you were laying on his lap. You were startled with the sudden gesture, but you didn’t complain. He was comfortable, after all, and you two usually watched movies like this in your house. So, you adjusted your position a little and continued watching the movie, making a mental note to scold Heeseung later for being all touchy in front of the friend group.

What you weren’t used to, though, was the way he started threaded his fingers through your hair.

You did the only thing you knew how to do in order to deflect; you showed Heeseung a TikTok of a baby otter. Your volume was all the way down, but you still bookmarked the video.

“Look,” you whispered, holding up your phone. His gentle fingers did not stop running through your hair, but at least you could hold onto his friendly hum of acknowledgement. It was the only thing that made any of this feel remotely platonic. “It’s a little guy.”

“Oh, it’s so cute,” Heeseung mused. “Kind of reminds me of you.”

Screw platonic.

He just grabbed platonic and drop kicked it to the next dimension.

That was it. You were going to put your phone away and ignore Heeseung for the rest of the movie. The rest of the movie would be watched in complete silence. In fact, you weren’t going to spare Heeseung any attention for the rest of the sleepover.

That didn’t end up happening, though. Ten minutes later, you cracked and started commenting about the movie to Heeseung. Unbeknownst to the others, you two ended up texting each other messages that threatened to make you burst into laughter. Even though you were sitting right next to each other, you felt like this made your conversation feel like a little secret, like even Heeseung wanted to keep what you two had to himself.

When the movie ended, you two were surprisingly still awake, although there were several moments where you were tempted to doze off on Heeseung’s shoulder. Minjeong, Beomgyu, and Jay were still up, and they were taking pictures of Chenle and Yizhuo to send to the group chat. You immediately separated from Heeseung, feeling a little terrified that you two would be the victims next. However, the others were so preoccupied with Chenle’s arms wrapped around his sleeping girlfriend and their foreheads pressed together.

“Should we wake them up?” Kazuha asked.

“Nah, let them sleep,” Heeseung answered and stood up. “I’m gonna brush my teeth. You guys can use the other bathrooms—just not the one in my parents’ room.”

Minjeong stretched as she let out a yawn. “Alright, I’m gonna wash up, then. I’m exhausted.”

After Minjeong, Beomgyu, and Kazuha left the room to get their bags and wash up, you stared at Heeseung. Your best friend looked confused until you pointed toward his glass.

“Chug it,” you said with mischief dancing in your eyes.

“You’re kidding. It’s bedtime.”

You mocked a pout. “You’re gonna waste the drink I made just for you?”

“Oh, come on—we made it for everyone!”

“But I definitely made this one.” You took the glass and held it out to him, which he ended up taking reluctantly. “I wanna see you finish it.”

After a wince, Heeseung tilted the cup back and downed the contents. Although his face scrunched up, he relaxed once he had finished swallowing it down.

“That was actually pretty good,” he said.

“See? When have I ever let you down?”

“Honestly? Many times.”

You elbowed him in the side. “Hey!”

“Kidding!” Heeseung held his arms up in surrender before wrapping them around your waist. Another gesture you weren’t quite used to, but you went along with it. There was something funny about Heeseung; nothing he did ever made you feel the slightest bit uncomfortable, but sometimes you weren’t sure if it was meant to be friendly. “Let’s go brush our teeth.”

“I can just use the bathroom on the second floor.”

“Huh? Just use the one in my room,” he said. “Come on.”

You hesitated before following your best friend upstairs. First of all, you were feeling overly-conscious about going into Heeseung’s room with him. Secondly, you weren’t too enthusiastic about the fact that you had to use a man’s bathroom.

To Heeseung’s credit, he kept his room and bathroom mostly spotless. Sure, there were a few sweaters piled over the head of his chair and some books left scattered across his desk, but it was definitely cleaner than Jake’s mess of a room. You remembered Yeji stepping across his piles of dirty clothes left on the floor, as if they were hazardous to her health.

As soon as you stepped into the grand bathroom, you realized that you had forgotten your toothbrush. It wasn’t the first time this happened, so you knew to just take one of the unopened toothbrushes from the drawer. However, Heeseung told you they moved some things around, so you wound up searching for the spare toothbrushes for around five minutes.

It was almost ridiculous how Heeseung needed a bathroom bigger than a living room.

You two brushed your teeth side-by-side. Heeseung occasionally cracked jokes that made you giggle and tilt your head back so that your toothpaste wouldn’t dribble down your chin. When that happened, he reached over and wiped your lower lip with his thumb, despite your complaints about how gross that was.

But, to you, it wasn’t really all that gross.

If only Heeseung knew how his actions made your cheeks burn hot under your skin.

The next week was interesting, to say the least.

Heeseung wouldn’t let you rest for a second. You were going out with him every single day, having to see his face from sunrise to sunset. Even when it was nightfall, he would just invite himself over to your place and crash on your couch.

You pointed out that you had a perfectly tidy guest room for him to use, but he insisted that he preferred your couch. You didn’t mind him sprawled out across the cushions because you could take as many pictures of him sleeping as you pleased. You would show him your collection later when he woke up, and Heeseung would get embarrassed to the point of tickling you until you were in hysterics and gasping out that you would delete the pictures from your camera roll.

At this point, it was almost like you two were living together. Even though his parents were out of town, you felt slightly anxious about one of the adults in your parents’ circle discovering what you and Heeseung were up to. Not that it was anything scandalous.

But, you had to admit, you were having fun.

On Monday, Heeseung took you to the beach. You complained incessantly about waking up at six in the morning for cold water and sand all over your clothes, but you managed to drag yourself out of bed. Still, Heeseung had to put up with your grumbles and groans until you were energized enough to stop complaining. All it took was Heeseung feeding you a granola bar and making you coffee while you did your hair.

“C’mon,” he told you, the wind sweeping his hair to the side as the first rays of sunlight shone bright against his glowing skin, “this is exactly like the Bahamas if you close your eyes.”

“Uh-huh.”

You rolled your eyes at him, but you spent the entire day at the beach with Heeseung, anyway. You finally warmed up to going into the water with him, letting him take your hands and guide you deeper until the water was up to your waist. At one point, a particularly heavy wave pushed him closer to you until you both were chest-to-chest. You had to hold onto his bicep to keep yourself from floating away. And you swore you caught Heeseung checking you out in your bikini later on, but he turned away with pink-tinged ears immediately after.

Later, when the sun was starting to set and you retreated from the water to curl up in your towel, you sat on your large beach towel and waited for Heeseung to bring over food from the food trucks. The tide was getting higher, so you had to move yours and Heeseung’s belongings further up the sand.

Heeseung returned with two takeout boxes of tacos, taking a seat next to you with a relieved sigh. Since you two hadn’t eaten a proper lunch, you had been waiting for this meal all day. You were properly tuckered out from all the swimming and beach volleyball, so you dug in immediately.

“Good?” Heeseung asked, watching you eat with a small smile on his face. He must have been impressed that you practically inhaled your first taco in under five seconds.

“Good,” you confirmed, voice muffled.

With the back of your hand shielding your eyes, you looked off into the horizon to watch the sunlight ripple across the water’s surface.

And, yeah, maybe it was a little like the Bahamas.

Just a little.

You didn’t expect Heeseung to wake you up on Tuesday morning and drag you to an empty field. Although he told you that he had a surprise for you, you didn’t think it warranted being woken up at 5:30 a.m. without a clue of where you were going.

“Alright, close your eyes, okay? It’s a surprise,” Heeseung said, gesturing for you to cover your gaze. You found it adorable that he was fumbling so much, so you closed your eyes with a grin. “Keep them closed—hold on.”

“Heeseung, how much longer?” you whined.

“And,” he drawled, stretching out the syllable, “open!”

When you opened your eyes, towering over you was a 60-foot tall hot air balloon, its brightly-patterned nylon reflecting the bright sunlight. You boggled at its impressive size—absolutely massive. The pilot got down from the basket, walking over so that he could greet you two and provide a rundown of safety measures and procedures.

An hour later, you were in the sky, eyes sweeping over the expanse of Los Angeles. You were never that great with heights, but, somehow, you weren’t too afraid as you peered down. Heeseung stood beside you, keeping one hand on the small of your back as he pointed out different landmarks he recognized.

“I’ve never seen LA like this!” you yelled over the wind, cupping your hand around your mouth so that Heeseung could hear you.

He grinned. “Isn’t it beautiful? Makes the city actually feel peaceful for once.”

You wouldn’t dare admit it but, all the way up in the sky, thousands of feet above ground level, what made you feel like you were soaring was Heeseung’s arm slipping around your waist.

On Wednesday, Heeseung took you fishing. You absolutely hated the idea, but once you had the fishing rod in your hands, you were determined to catch the biggest fish. Heeseung ended up catching more than you, but the two fish you caught were stars in your eyes. By the end of the day, you were laughing hysterically as Heeseung’s hat got stuck in your hook and was flung into the water.

On Thursday, Heeseung took you to play mini-golf. You had gone golfing before with company executives and their kids, but this was different. You didn’t have to show off or try to be the best one there; you just had fun and laughed whenever your best friend missed the ball. You two ended the day by going to an arcade and playing almost every game inside.

By Friday morning, you were exhausted. Your limbs were aching when you woke up the next morning, but Heeseung promised to actually let you rest over the weekend. Tonight was Yizhuo’s country club’s party to celebrate the opening of their new banquet hall, so Heeseung only planned one thing for the morning so that you would have time to get ready for the party later.

Pushing your red Jacquemus sunglasses onto your head, you fixed your best friend with a puzzled stare. He was acting weird all morning, from nearly snapping at you for trying to open the trunk of his car, to staying silent when you asked where he was taking you.

For a moment, you wondered if this was the climax of a horror movie where the killer drove you to a quiet place to get rid of you. Your suspicion raised more when Heeseung parked by a marina with a hiking trail nearby.

This is where your body’s being dumped, you concluded grimly.

But, then again, this was Lee Heeseung. He cried when he was eleven because there was a spider on his backpack; he didn’t have the heart to hurt anyone, especially not you. In fact, you recalled when he nearly passed out in middle school because he thought he caused you extreme pain once. (It turned out to be your period cramps.)

“Are you gonna tell me where you’re taking me?” you asked, exasperated. “If we’re swimming, I’m gonna tell you right now that there’s no way I’m getting my hair wet before the party.”

Heeseung chuckled. “Don’t worry your pretty little head, princess. We’re just going for a spin on the lake.” He nodded his head in the direction of the yachts lined up by the shoreline. “Jog your memory?”

When your gaze landed on the gorgeous white yacht gleaming under the sun, you couldn’t help but gasp at its glorious sight. Heeseung had gotten the yacht for his birthday last year, but he never had the time to actually use it. One reason was because he didn’t trust his friends to not trash it, and the other being that he wanted his first ride on it to be special.

Your face burned. His first ride was going to be with you.

“Shut up.” You were gaping at the sight before turning to your best friend, who looked smug while he parked his car. “Shut up. You’re actually letting me go on your yacht?”

“Yeah, why not?” He tried to brush it off as something casual, but your heart was still doing cartwheels and flips. “It’s about time I went out on it.”

You two walked down to the harbor together, your hands sometimes shyly brushing and pulling away swiftly. There had been moments of thick, unspoken tension throughout the week, but you didn’t have the courage to bring it up.

Once you two reached Heeseung’s yacht, he firmly slapped his hand against the smooth, brilliant white surface. “Carver c52 Command Bridge,” he gloated. “Isn’t she beautiful?”

You snorted. “You talk about boats the same way old white men do.”

You allowed him to help you into the yacht, gripping his hand tight as you stepped onto the deck. You hadn’t questioned it before, but as soon as Heeseung let go of you, he set down the picnic basket so that he could spread out the blanket.

You helped him with the corners of the blanket. “What’s this?”

“Well, I thought we could sail out a little and then have breakfast on the deck,” he replied coolly, as if the sincerity of his words wouldn’t make your heart twist painfully in your chest. You really didn’t deserve such effort from him, and it almost made you feel guilty that you had acted so spoiled before. “I’ll go start the engine. You can just enjoy the view.”

However, you followed him to the cockpit. Heeseung raised a brow at you, but you giggled as you took a seat behind him, watching as he stood at the helm, fiddling with some controls you knew nothing about.

“You actually know how to operate this thing?” you asked.

“My dad taught me,” he explained. “I’m not licensed, though, so I don’t think this is exactly legal.”

“Not like that’s stopped you before.”

Heeseung grinned to himself. He started up the yacht’s engine by pressing a button on the dashboard. You watched his hands fly across the levers and controls before he started turning the wheel to steer out of the marina.

“You wanna head out to the deck?” he called out over his shoulder, but you just took the empty seat next to him. “Don’t you wanna sunbathe? Or you could check out the stateroom.”

“Nope,” you said, resting your chin on the palm of your hand as you watched him. “I’d rather wait for you.”

Sometimes, you’d almost catch Heeseung getting flustered. He’d always laugh and rub his nose, looking away shyly before anyone caught onto his awkwardness. The same reaction was unfolding before you right now, and you couldn’t help but smile like an idiot yourself.

You wondered if he ever felt butterflies in his stomach, too.

Once Heeseung had driven the yacht out far enough—far out enough in the water where the water was still and no one was there to disturb you two. You both headed out to the deck again. He took a seat to lay out what he packed in his picnic basket, and you removed your sundress so that you could tan a little in your bikini.

“Champagne?” he offered, holding up a bottle of Dom Pérignon that he most definitely stole from his family’s wine cellar.

You pulled out the two wine glasses in the basket and held them out for Heeseung to pour your drinks, smiling wide as he tipped the bottle. “Yes, please.”

“See, you wouldn’t be able to experience this if you were in the Bahamas right now.” He pushed his sunglasses up onto his head. “We didn’t get to hang out like this any of the past summers.”

“As if we don’t hang out almost every day.”

“But this is different!” he argued. “It’s summer. It’s not like we’re making impromptu plans to New York and flying back home a day later to study for an exam. We have all the time in the world right now.”

He was right, in a sense. You and Heeseung were always together, but you two never really got to spend long days together like this. You two got to make plans without involving anyone else in the friend group for once, and it was a lot more fun than you had expected.

“Do you think we’d be this close if we weren’t rich?” you asked after a while. Heeseung raised a brow at your question, so you clarified, “I’m serious! We wouldn’t be able to do stuff like this—flying in hot air balloons, driving yachts, going to country club parties—if we didn’t have rich parents.”

Heeseung crossed his arms behind his head and pondered, looking up at the sky with a wistful expression. He hummed before answering, “I’d like to think that we’d make it work the same way everyone else does.”

“Really?”

“Yep.”

“What if… you were rich and I wasn’t? Or vice-versa?”

“Yeah, I mean…” he trailed off for a moment, eyes cast down as if he was trying to find the words on his tongue. Then, he continued, “I think I’d be happy doing anything with you, even if all we could do together was sit at home and watch TV.”

Whatever response you had prepared at the back of your throat had died on your tongue. All you could do was look at him helplessly, wondering why his words were making your heart beat faster than when you were thousands of feet up in the sky days ago. You wondered why such gentle words from your best friend had roused a violent storm in your heart.

The wind picked up, sending your hair flying every which way. Heeseung reached out to brush a loose strand of hair away from your face, fingers lingering on your cheek as he pulled back. You went completely still, chest frozen mid-breath as he pulled away.

“You had something in your hair,” he mumbled, quickly scrambling to offer you a caprese skewer. If you looked closely enough, you would’ve noticed that his ears were bright red. “Eat quickly before the food gets stale.”

“I don’t think food normally goes stale that fast.”

“Shut up.”

There was one thing about formal gatherings that all trust fund babies could agree on: only get drunk behind your parents’ backs.

They definitely knew what was going on, but they paid no attention as long as their children were staying safe and not embarrassing themselves. When you were much younger, you would always catch sight of the older kids sneaking away to get drunk in the bathroom, but you never understood the excitement they felt until you became a freshman in high schooler, being dragged away by Yeji to drink with the older kids.

Back then, you were doe-eyed and curious as Vernon would pour shots for you in moderation. Now, you were nearly gagging when Yizhuo handed you a shooter of Pink Whitney.

You two had locked yourselves in the bathroom with Xiaoting, Kazuha, and Minjeong as Yizhuo pulled out various shooters from her purse. It was fine for you to drink wine with the other adults, but you were all certain that the adults would frown upon you drinking hard liquor in front of the other guests. So, the five of you snuck away to get drunk secretly.

For the past fifteen minutes, as you all were downing shooter after shooter, the girls had been pressing you about something going on between you and Heeseung. After he posted you on his Instagram story, showing off his boat in the process, you were bombarded with texts that you were only able to ignore until you got to the party.

A loud knock at the door nearly scared you out of your wits, causing Minjeong to bark out a laugh at the sight of you flinching.

“Occupied!” you yelled, although the syllables slurred together strangely.

“It’s us!” came Jake’s voice. “We’re going drunk golfing.”

You frowned and stepped aside to let Yizhuo open the door for Jake. He scanned his surroundings nervously before shoving his fists into his pockets and stepping into the girls’ bathroom.

“Jake,” Xiaoting started. Although her face and neck were completely red, she focused her eyes on him to keep a serious tone. “We need you to tell us if Heeseung’s into Y/N or not.”

“Xiaoting!” you complained.

“You know what, I’d like to know, too,” Jake replied with shocking enthusiasm. He leaned against the crystal sink, folding his arms across his chest. “Screw drunk golf; this is way more fun. Y/N, do you have feelings for Heeseung? ‘Cause everyone wants to know if—”

“Jake, we didn’t bring you in here for girl talk,” Minjeong cut him off with a wave of her hand. “We brought you in here for answers.”

He let out a childish whine. “But I wanna be here for girl talk.”

“Wait, but answer his question.” Yizhuo turned to you with a wide grin on her face, handing you yet another shooter—probably to make you more honest. You seriously wished you could call Chenle over to put a leash on your friend. “Do you have feelings for Heeseung?”

Did you? You had never been so confused about where you and Heeseung stood until this week. You two had always been close—always did everything together—so why were you feeling conscious about everything now?

But, despite all of your confusion, the one thing that was clear to you was that you felt something for Lee Heeseung with every beat of your heart.

Everything he did, everything he said—you weren’t sure what it was that had you so intoxicated on his attention, but you knew you would’ve felt sick to your stomach if he did the things he did with you with any other girl.

You felt it whenever you saw him lounging around your house, digging into the brownies your mother made as if he lived there. You felt it whenever someone told a joke and the two of you made eye contact with each other first, hoping to see if the other person found it funny, too. You felt it whenever he touched your hand and called you princess, unaware that your heart was fluttering pathetically in your chest.

His smile, his laugh, his happiness—you wanted to be the cause of it all.

You caved with a defeated sigh. “Yeah, I think I might actually have feelings for him.”

A collective cheer erupted in the bathroom, the sound echoing for a few seconds after. Jake stood up just to high-five Yizhuo so hard that the impact left their palms stinging, and then Yizhuo proceeded to scold Jake for putting his full force into the high-five. You pinched the bridge of your nose with embarrassment flooding your chest.

Jake decided to abandon the boys’ plans to go drunk golfing and spent the next ten minutes discussing strategies to get you and Heeseung alone. He had integrated himself into your circle so well that he almost seemed like one of the girls. You slowly backed up into one of the stalls during their conversation, starting to feel horribly nauseous and lightheaded. You were pretty sure that Yizhuo handing you shooter after shooter was starting to have adverse effects on your body.

“How about we tell him that Y/N’s puking in the bathroom and he needs to—” Minjeong cut herself off as soon as she heard you retching by the toilet. “Oh, wow, she’s actually puking in the bathroom.” She turned to Jake after opening the door for him. “Go get Heeseung.”

“If you let me join girl talk next time,” Jake bargained.

“Are you seriously negotiating with me in this situation?”

“Yes.”

Minjeong groaned. “Okay, fine, Jake, we’ll invite you the next time we have girl talk. Now go fetch Heeseung.”

“On it!” he agreed quickly. “Don’t die, Y/N.”

“I’ll try not to” you croaked out weakly, your head hanging between your knees as you willed yourself to not barf out your guts.

“Are you okay?” Kazuha pouted as she rubbed your back in soothing circles. “This is all because you kept making her drink, Yizhuo.”

“I didn’t make her,” she retorted. “Y/N, do you need water or anything? I can ask someone in the kitchen for liquid IV, too.”

You shook your head. “No, just bring Heeseung here.”

They shared a secretive giggle, but you didn’t care. You felt way too sick to mind the girls teasing you. You even tried to distract yourself on your phone, but the bright screen just made you feel worse. You closed your eyes and leaned your head back against the wall, groaning miserably.

It had really gotten to the point where you didn’t care that you were sitting on the country club’s public bathroom floor. It was all fancy and sanitary, of course, but you would normally feel icky about this sort of scenario playing out.

You weren’t sure how long it had been, but eventually, you heard the door opening and the rest of the girls rushed to make sure it wasn’t someone outside the group. You heard them ushering Heeseung inside, explaining what had happened to you before they left the bathroom.

Heeseung knocked on your stall as a formality but let himself inside, anyway. The crooked grin on his face upon seeing you only made you turn your head away and sigh in exasperation.

You turned your head back to face him when you heard his shutter go off.

A scowl was plastered across your face. “Did you just take a picture of me?”

Heeseung snickered. “Yeah, I’m posting it on my story. Right after the one of you looking all pretty on my boat.”

“You’re supposed to be here to help me.”

“That’s why I brought soda,” he replied, holding up an entire bottle of Sprite. You were confident he snagged it from the kitchen, which you were pretty sure would result in Yizhuo scolding him for treating the country club like his house. “Anyway, why’d you drink so much? Just because I’m driving you home doesn’t mean you’re allowed to give yourself alcohol poisoning.”

You settled back into your previous position with your head between your knees. This way, Heeseung wouldn’t be able to see how stupid in love you were. There was absolutely no way you could tell him that you were mindlessly drinking while you were spilling your feelings for him.

“Where’d the girls go?” you asked instead.

“I told them to go drunk golfing while I took care of you.”

“Don’t you wanna go play, too?”

Heeseung shrugged. He took a seat on the floor next to you, not minding the indecency even though he was sober. You felt like your heart was going to explode if he kept doting on you like this.

“I can always go play another time,” he said. “Plus, I’d have more fun if you were there.”

You both went quiet for a moment. The weight of Heeseung’s words only made your heart feel heavier, and you weren’t sure how much longer you could go pretending that you only cared for him as a friend.

Then, your stomach started churning and twisting with the need to puke out your guts again, and the silence was filled with your retching. Heeseung rubbed your back sympathetically and held your hair back while you hunched over the toilet seat again.

This was definitely going down as one of your most unflattering moments.

“Want some soda?” Heeseung tried.

You shook your head.

“Drink some water, then—here,” he said, handing you a red solo cup that was filled to the brim. “I stole it from Hoon.”

Reluctantly, you lifted your head to accept the cup from him. When you took a sip, though, you just ended up hawking and spitting out the contents into the toilet.

Trying your best not to gag, you got out, “Not water—vodka.”

“Oh, my bad.” Heeseung frowned, inspecting the cup. “Why’d Hoon pour this much? No wonder he drove the golf cart into the lake.”

After throwing up basically everything in your stomach, you started to feel dizzy all over again, stumbling and wobbling all over the bathroom until Heeseung had to hold you upright. He had already gotten Yizhuo’s approval to drive you home for the night, but there was no way you were making it to his Tesla in your heels. Heeseung had you hang tight while he ran to his car to get your Dolce & Gabbana rubber slides, knowing there was no possible way for him to carry you out to the car without the adults getting suspicious.

You felt much more comfortable in your slides, so you walked out hand-in-hand with Heeseung while he held onto your heels. Although you felt bad about leaving Yizhuo’s grand opening party early, you figured that it would be more shameful for her parents to see you in this state.

You had greatly underestimated the power of alcohol.

After you had walked up to about three different cars that weren’t Heeseung’s (including Jay’s Mercedes Benz, which started going off once you pulled on the handle), he had finally grabbed you by the shoulders and manually directed you to his Tesla. You giggled as you got into the passenger’s seat, allowing him to buckle you in and watch over you as he called Jay to turn his car alarm off.

Heeseung shot you a glance as he drove out of the country club’s gated entrance. “You’re going straight to bed when we get home.”

“Don’t wanna.”

He surprisingly gave up fast on trying to convince you. “What do you wanna do, then?”

“I dunno.” You shrugged. “Anything. Wanna bake cookies? Or watch a show?”

“Down for a show. Don’t know if I trust you around kitchen appliances right now,” he answered. After letting out a giggle, you caught Heeseung’s smile illuminated by the moonlight. “See? Aren’t you having more fun than you would’ve had in the Bahamas?”

“I wouldn’t ask this question after I nearly got alcohol poisoning.”

“The important thing is that you didn’t.”

You snorted, but something fond unraveled in your chest. You rolled the window down and looked outside, watching the bright lights of the city twinkle and shine under the inky black sky. You remembered all the skies you watched with Heeseung this week—the hazy gray in the morning, the bright blues of the afternoon, and the faint peony glow at sunset. And, yeah, you would’ve given up the Bahamas any day for this.

“Yeah,” you answered him, though you weren’t quite sure if he could hear you over the wind, “I’m having a lot of fun, Hee.”

Two weeks flew by far too quickly.

You were dumbfounded when you realized your parents were coming back the next day. You had spent two entire weeks solely with Heeseung, and you were having so much fun that you totally lost track of time. You were so caught up in your adventures that it had completely slipped your mind that summer would eventually come to an end.

Heeseung suggested that you two spent your last night doing something special. You had no idea what that meant, but you went along with whatever he had planned.

Apparently, he had been wanting to take you to see the stars, but you didn’t realize that he meant the observatory until you were in his car, parking on the steep slope of a hillside.

“It’s so far,” you complained.

He tutted. “It’s a five minute walk, princess, and it’s worth it. Trust me.”

You hesitated before grouching again, “It’s cold.”

Without another word, Heeseung took off his sweater. You tried to peel your eyes away from his white shirt that kept hiking up as he did. He passed it to you, and you couldn’t do anything but accept it because he was already getting out of the car. You wanted to hand it back to him because you knew he would be cold (made evident by the goosebumps that pricked his arms), but he profusely refused. He seemed perfectly content at the mere sight of you joining him.

He waited as you slipped on his sweater, the biggest grin stretching across his face. You were a little blindsided by how blinding Heeseung’s smile was, especially under the glow of the moon. Your cheeks heated up a little when you smelled faint traces of his Blackberry & Bay cologne in the fabric.

“You’re microscopic in my clothes,” he teased. You started walking a little faster to catch up with your friend, but his comment made you punch his shoulder.

“Oh, shut up.” You waved off the comment, but part of you liked how the sleeves of his sweater fell past your wrists. “We used to be the same height in, like, middle school.”

Heeseung barked out a laugh. “That was so long ago! Look at our height difference now.” Before you could anticipate his actions, he stepped in front of you and compared both of your heights.

You looked up at your best friend, raising a brow at his comment. Of course you were aware. Maybe at one point you denied it, but that was when you both were in elementary school and Heeseung would tug on your hair because he sat behind you.

Being this close to him made you a little nervous. After realizing that you had feelings for him, it was becoming difficult to keep them at bay. It was very clear that Heeseung had become much more masculine over the years with his buffer chest, muscular arms, and deeper voice.

And he looked extremely attractive.

“Yeah, I know you’re tall,” you replied flatly. It was normal for Heeseung to tease you, but whenever he did so in public, you always felt your heart squeeze in your chest. Then, he’d brush it off, and the feeling would fade out like bubbles floating to the ground. “You know, giving me your sweater and messing around like this probably gives people the wrong idea, right?”

“Oh… does it?” Heeseung mumbled, voice an octave higher than usual, and he turned his face away before you could detect the dust of pink across his cheeks. “By the way, have you been to a planetarium before?”

“Nope.”

You had always heard of the large domes that showcased the night sky. People sat underneath as a narrator droned on about stories from the past and the history of the universe. However, you hadn’t ever actually been to one, although you almost would’ve if you hadn’t gotten grounded before a class trip, resulting in all of your friends going to a planetarium show without you. You remembered Yizhuo was texting you throughout the entire trip, complaining about virtually everything that was going on and telling you how much she missed you.

“You’re kidding,” Heeseung’s eyes went round. “No way! You’ve never been to a planetarium?”

“Well—”

“Oh my god,” he continued, absolutely astounded. “Have you even lived?”

“I’ve just never had the chance!” you argued. “It’s not like anyone’s ever asked me to go to one. Plus, if there’s anyone I’d go with, I’d rather just go with you.”

Silence.

You and Heeseung had been settling into a lot of awkward pauses lately. It always followed some odd comment or action between you two, like when he got extremely close to you on the yacht. You still had no idea what exactly his intentions were during that whole ordeal, but your heart had never raced so fast.

Eventually, your silence was broken by an employee ushering you and Heeseung to walk past the velvet ropes and into the observatory building. You both were still silent upon walking in, but when you saw the signs pointing to the planetarium, you nudged your best friend’s side.

“It says the next showing starts in five minutes,” you pointed out.

“Fuck.” He slapped the pockets of his jeans, feeling for something solid in them. “I have my tickets—somewhere. Give me a second.”

Thankfully, he managed to figure out that he saved his tickets to his Apple Wallet. The sign stating that the shows were sold out nearly made your heart drop, but, of course, Heeseung had planned this out well in advance.

As always.

“Where should we sit?” you asked when you walked into the room, looking up at the dome-shaped ceiling in awe.

“Anywhere.” Heeseung grinned at you. “All we have to do is lay back and stare at the sky, so wherever you wanna sit.”

You both settled with two seats in the middle. It was smack dab in the center of the dome, right where the screen curved. Heeseung made a comment about how this was the ideal spot because it felt like you were getting sucked in by the stars.

When the show started, you gazed up at the screen in complete awe. Swirling nebulas and galaxies were painted across the night sky, blinking down at you. The narrator’s soothing voice made you feel absolutely immersed, and you had to grab the arm rest whenever the animation started speeding through the universe.

Heeseung booed when they showed Earth, throwing up a thumbs-down and then quickly shoving his hand back into his pocket, as if the planet would take offense.

And you realized you were in love with him.

You didn’t know why it hit you right then and there—a person droning on about space overhead, glancing over at your best friend to see him gawking at the solar system—but you were certain you would never feel this way with anyone else again. The feeling stampeded through your body, making your blood rush and your bones feel light. You were engulfed in a fire that burned only for Heeseung.

It felt so simple, yet all the more complicated. You were in love with your childhood best friend—the person who had been with you through everything.

It wasn’t like fireworks. Not a splash of ice cold water or like you had been kicked in the chest. It was more like slowly sinking in quicksand, not even realizing how deep you were until you were completely submerged.

You had been in love with Golden Boy for a long time now.

Later, after the show was over, he took you outside to overlook the city. Apparently, it was quite the sight to behold from this high up. You were still gushing on and on about the planetarium show, but as soon as you took a glance over the railing, you forgot all about the wonders of space.

Now, looking over all the bright lights really made it feel like the City of Angels. You were completely captivated by the sight. It was different from how it looked from the hot air balloon; everything was so miniscule from that height, but you could see how far the city stretched from here. The lights blinked past the horizon, and you were certain this was your first time seeing stars down below instead up in the sky.

Heeseung folded his arms onto the railing and tucked his head in them. “You can’t get this view anywhere else.”

“It’s beautiful,” you said, hardly audible.

“Yeah,” he replied. You wondered if he was talking about the stars above or the city below, so you turned your head to catch where he was looking. There was an alarming spike in your heartbeat when you realized he was looking at you, but Heeseung didn’t look away this time. “It really is.”

You never fully appreciated how gorgeous Los Angeles—never really looked past all the traffic and smog and crowd. The bustling city was tiring to keep up with at times. You saw it more as the city of burnouts than the city of stars.

But here, where the stars weren’t in the sky but down below, you realized that the brightest star of them all was the one right next to you.

It was Heeseung.

“You don’t still wish you were in the Bahamas, do you?” he asked suddenly, which spurred you to start laughing.

You stared up at him with incredulity in your eyes. “Hee, I never once wished I was in the Bahamas when I was with you.” You nodded to yourself. “I’d say you made this a successful summer.”

Your heart flipped in your chest when you saw those gleaming eyes and bright smile of his. It almost lit up the sky brighter than the city of Los Angeles itself. The way he was looking at you made you forget everything you were saying.

“Actually,” he started shyly, “there's something else that could make this summer perfect.”

“What’s that?”

“Will you go out with me?”

The question knocked you off orbit, electrifying every nerve in your body like it was cut wire. You weren’t sure what expression you wore on your face, but the shy look on Heeseung’s face was plunging you deeper in that inescapable quicksand. Of course, your friends had suspected this all along, but hearing it yourself was entirely different. You felt like you were glowing brighter than Polaris.

“I’ve liked you since we were kids,” he started to explain after gauging that you still needed time to process his words. “It’s not like I just felt this way overnight. I was just trying to make the right choices so that I could stay by your side for as long as I could. I mean, I’ll always be your best friend, Y/N, but I also wanna be something more than that to you.”

“And it’s okay if you don’t feel the same way,” he continued. “I knew that this could possibly ruin our friendship, but I also knew that if I didn’t tell you how I felt, then I would’ve been lying to you through college, too.” He sucked in a shuddering breath. “It’s only ever been you.”

Change was hard. You’d been at war with your mind for a while now over starting something new with Heeseung. Although it was unfamiliar and new, and although you were scared of things potentially not working out, you still wanted to try for him.

“You don’t have to worry about ruining our friendship.” The words were on your tongue like a pearl. Your soul leaked out of your body, straight into the Earth, then seeped back into you with newfound bravery. You blinked back tears that dared to spill and sounded so stupidly breathless when you confessed, “I’m in love with you, too, Hee.”

His eyes were as wide as saucers, unblinking. “You are?”

His voice was soft, imploring, almost desperate, so you stepped closer and cupped his cold cheeks with your warm hands. Heeseung’s gaze seemed faraway, but he placed his hands over yours, as if he was trying to make sure you were real.

“I don’t think there’s anyone else out there who would rent an entire hot air balloon just to make sure I wouldn’t miss the Bahamas.” You laughed, a moonstruck grin on your face. “And, for the record, I’d choose you over a stupid vacation any day.”

You had been waiting to see his face break into that dazzling smile of his where his eyes crinkled at the corners. Instead, Heeseung just gazed at you longingly before he placed a hand on your cheek and bent down to kiss you.

His mouth moved with yours carefully, almost like he was too scared to go any further. You moved your hands to loop around his neck, drawing him closer so that you could slowly deepen the kiss. You were grateful that Heeseung waited to match your pace, and soon he was dropping his hands to grab at your waist and pull you closer to him, too. It sent butterflies straight to the pit of your stomach whenever he smiled between kisses, mumbling something about how pretty you were or how he had been waiting to do this forever.

Sometimes, you realized, feelings didn’t need to be expressed through words. You didn’t need the confirmation because with Heeseung’s lips pressed to yours, you felt like you were glowing brighter than the stars above.

You supposed you could say your parents were a little shocked to come back home and discover a major change in your relationship status.

You had to give them the rundown of what happened, of course. It wasn’t very hard to do, considering you had reiterated the same story to Yizhuo about a hundred times until she was satisfied. Thankfully, your other friends just needed to hear it once to fully grasp that Heeseung was now your boyfriend. For Yeji, you had to bring out a whiteboard just to draw everything out to her over FaceTime.

As you broke down what happened while your parents were in Rome, you noticed the silver necklace on your mother’s neck that glimmered whenever the light caught it. You smiled to yourself when you realized it was probably your stepfather’s honeymoon present, and you were grateful that your mother was able to experience such a wonderful love herself.

“See?” There was an excited gleam in your mother’s eyes as she bit into one of the chocolate chip cookies you and Heeseung made for them last night. She pointed the cookie in your stepfather’s direction. “I told you they’d get together!”

“I thought so, too!” he agreed. “That’s why I had that little talk with Heeseung when you two dropped us off at the airport.”

“That’s what you guys were talking about?!” you exclaimed, jumping up to your feet and then sinking back down in your seat with your hands covering your face. “I knew it was gonna be something embarrassing.”

“Oh, honey, don’t say that. Have a cookie.”

“Thanks, Mom,” Heeseung, who had been silent the whole conversation, spoke up. He reached over and took the cookie from your mother, but you smacked his hand lightly while he was bringing it to his mouth. “Hey! You almost made me drop my cookie!”

You huffed. “She was talking to me, idiot.”

You were honestly over-the-moon that dating Heeseung was this easy. You worried about having a boyfriend and having to go through the hassle of introducing him to your parents and waiting for them to warm up to him. With Heeseung, though, he was already like family in your household, so nothing felt too different.

Except that your parents could outwardly tease you both now.

Since you were in his parents’ good graces, too, everything seemed to click for you two. Both of your parents were planning to go out for dinner sometime this week to celebrate your new relationship, which you felt was a little over-the-top. You suspected that Mrs. Lee was hoping you would be her future daughter-in-law.

They were even planning on renting a Airbnb together for yours and Heeseung’s move-in at Yale. It was almost terrifying how everyone in your life seemed to be fully on-board for this relationship.

Not that you were complaining, though.

“Are you guys going somewhere now?” your mother asked, eyeing Heeseung’s white button-up that you were wearing over your swimsuit. “Make sure you wear sunscreen. It’s supposed to be the hottest day of the year.”

You checked your bag to make sure your sunscreen was, in fact, there. Heeseung took his baseball cap off to put it on your head, which made you crack a smile.

“Yeah, we’re going to the beach,” you said. “Yizhuo and Chenle wanted to spend the day at Santa Monica, and then we were gonna head over to Jungwon’s house.”

“Well, have fun.” Your mother moved to the kitchen to grab Tupperware to package the cookies. Your stepfather followed her in to help her out. “I’m sorry we couldn’t go to the Bahamas this year, but the beach has to be the next best thing, right?”

You shared a grin with Heeseung, and his eyes crinkled beautifully at the corners. “Yeah, it’s exactly like the Bahamas if I close my eyes.”

AUTHOR’S NOTE ▸ thank you for reading all the way to the end if you made it this far !! :’) i have always wanted to write pure fluff without any room for misunderstandings or angst LOL and heeseung is just the perfect embodiment of bff2l ♡ i hope you enjoyed reading this as much as i enjoyed writing this !! 

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[angelicdanvers]

STRAWBERRIES & CIGARETTES | luke castellan.

pairing: luke castellan x fem!reader

summary: y/n and luke share strawberries and sweet moments together. the events of the series do not occur; 'tis essentially an au :) inspired by strawberries and cigarettes by troye sivan. wc: 2.1k key: n/n = nickname

taglist: @repostingmyfavs @rinisfruity14 @soobin-chois @alorastvr @amortencjja | pm or comment to be added <3

a/n: this is just pure fluff! i hope you have a great day/night <3

“n/n, babe, we’re here.” luke gently tapped his girl’s shoulder, watching the moonlight elucidate her features.

stirring awake, y/n turned towards her boy, a soft yawn escaping her lips. “was i asleep for too long?”

luke shrugged, “just enough i’d say. i don’t mind, it was peaceful.”

“hey!” she feigned offence, whacking him lightly on the arm. “that’s very rude.”

“hey,” he sarcastically deepened his voice, “not my fault you talk nonsense, lass.”

y/n stared at luke for a good minute before cringing. “don’t do that again, i beg of you.”

“you beg of me?” luke smirked, tilting his head down slightly, the shadows contouring his face. 

“SHUT UP,” y/n practically yelled, fluster running through her body. “i’m gonna stash you in the trunk and drive back to camp.”

“too bad,” luke said, taking the keys out of the ignition and dangling them in front of her face. chris recently taught him a magic trick and this was the perfect moment to make use of it.

“the keys,” he quickly performed the trick, “are gone.”

y/n sent him a blank expression. “okay.”

“hey! that was a great magic trick!” he defended, knowing underneath her stoic look rested a look of adoration. 

all in the meanwhile, y/n turned around and began shuffling into the backseat through the gap between her and luke. “are you gonna join me back here or not, lukey?”

“once your ass is out of my face, yes.” 

rolling her eyes, y/n situated herself in the back of the camaro, leaning her back against the door and folding her knees up on the seat. she watched as her boyfriend lightly struggled to get through, but quickly caught onto her method of adjusting the seat first to allow more room.

within seconds, luke was in back, resting his head on y/n’s chest as she played with his hair. luke slowly slipped his arms around the girl’s waist, holding her tight as he focused on the sound of her breathing. 

carefully looking up, he placed a soft kiss to her collarbone, bringing a slight tinge of red across her cheeks. it wasn’t as visible, but luke could feel her body warmth fluctuating.

“you’re beautiful,” he muttered against her skin. “you’re so damn beautiful.”

“you’re handsome,” y/n replied. “i’m surprised they’re letting you walk free when being this handsome’s illegal.”

luke grinned idiotically against her skin. without thinking twice, he hauled himself up along with y/n, placing her on his lap. looking up at her, he admired the way her eyes engulfed his, how her lips pursed, how her nose had a light scrunch when she grinned. 

y/n could never understand the hold luke had on her. she was infatuated with his every move, her love growing everyday despite reaching the max a very long time ago.

pulling him closer, y/n feathered a kiss upon his lips, to which he responded eagerly. as they fell into a comfortable embrace, the two couldn’t fathom leaving each other’s lips for even a second. 

but as time dwindled on, they knew they couldn’t get too comfortable else they’d lose focus on their surroundings and any incoming danger. breaking their session, luke leaned his head into y/n’s chest, now focusing on the rhythm of her heartbeat.

“want some strawberries? mr. d’s kids gave me two pints of them and some melted chocolate. hopefully it hasn't solidified by now,” y/n asked, realization hitting along the process.

luke nodded, a toothy smile playing on his lips. he carefully shuffled to the left side of the car as y/n moved to the right, grabbing the little picnic basket resting on the floor. “wanna take it outdoors?”

luke looked outside, scanning the area for any obvious threats. so far, nothing. “sure, i’ll grab the blanket from the trunk.” the couple ventured out and onto the grass with their necessities, unable to pry their eyes away from each other and/or the beautiful stream and meadow before them.

placing the picnic blanket down, luke grabbed the basket from y/n and began sorting things out. “y’know,” she started, watching him carefully, “i can’t wait to do this once we have kids, too.”

a visible blush overtook luke’s cheeks, and he fought back a gigantic smile. “why is that?”

“i don’t know, something about you looking like a 1950’s housewife right now is making me go feral.”

luke paused and raised an eyebrow, both of them stifling a little cackle before y/n contained herself and continued. “no, i guess just thinking about us having our own little family and being able to do things like this is a very sweet thought. they’d be all over us and give us absolutely no privacy, but they are a symbol of our love.”

luke couldn’t hold back his grin as he looked up at his girl. he has, unapologetically, always thought of how their kids would look like, what their names would be, the little trips and things they’d do as a family — and he’d tell all of this to chris. 

after all, he was the one who played cupid and got them together. luke couldn’t help but still have him as his best-best man. 

“i’d love nothing more than that,” he laughed, reaching for y/n’s hand which she accepted immediately. “they’d be very sweet children. crazy, but sweet.”

y/n’s smile stretched from ear to ear, and she leaned in to place a chaste kiss on luke’s forehead. “one day, castellan.”

“one day that’ll be your name, too, l/n.”

y/n softly giggled, trying to hide her excitement and happiness. biting her bottom lip to refrain herself from going even more ballistic, she reached over and dipped a strawberry into the chocolate. “oh wow, this isn’t dry yet.”

luke wiggled his fingers in front of her, “magic.”

shaking her head and laughing, the two began snacking on the berries and talking about the latest news on olympus, in camp, and even american politics.

“wait, so clarisse and chris might be a thing?” y/n gasped as luke filled her in on the latest camp news. “how did i not notice,” she deadpanned, gawking at the news after.

luke nodded, his eyes wide. “honestly, i think they’d be cute.” y/n agreed, laying down on her side and leaning on her elbow to prop her head up. “i think percy may like annabeth.”

luke stared dead ahead at her, raising his brow seriously this time. “what?”

“hey, i think it’s probably a mere crush,” she defended. “plus, they’re little, they won’t care about any of that until they’re older.”

“percy better treat her right if that is the case,” luke warned. “that is if annabeth reciprocates, too.”

“good point,” y/n noted, “but do keep in mind that this is the same boy who will do anything for his mother. he’s bound to treat a girl right.”

luke smiled at that, interlocking his fingers with y/n’s. “he is a great kid.”

“he definitely is.”

luke looked down at his wrist, the watch reading nine, realizing it was a bit past the time they were planning to leave. “we should get going now, love.”

y/n pulled a face, “oh shoot, you’re right.” she quickly got up and packed the food, tossing the car keys to luke.

luke was puzzled. “wait, how’d you get the keys?”

she smirked, mocking his finger wiggles, “magic.”

“there’s no way you outsmarted the son of the god of thieves —“

“suck it up, buttercup,” y/n responded, walking away with the basket and leaving him dumbfounded.

luke rushed after her with the blanket, and they carefully placed their stuff in the trunk. the sudden chill in the air brought goosebumps to y/n’s arms, but she paid no mind to it. her boyfriend, on the other hand, did notice.

“okay, off we go,” luke said, both of them entering the car. just as he turned on the ignition, there was a low rumble alerting them. “was that the car or something else?” y/n cautiously asked, looking outside.

“i’ll check it out, stay here,” luke’s voice was low as he hopped out. y/n rolled her eyes as she followed after — there was no way she’d let her boyfriend go out alone when there was potential danger around them.

“y/n, really?” he cocked his head to the side.

she shrugged, moving to stand beside him. listening carefully while staring at luke, her mouth formed into an ‘o’. “it’s the car. we gotta check the hood.”

“damn, nice ears,” he complimented, unclasping the hood and looking closely at the engine. y/n raised a brow, “would be sad if i didn’t considering dad’s hephaestus.”

luke paused, “oh yeeeah!” y/n shook her head and whacked his arm again with the back of her hand, chuckling lightly. moving closer to look at the engine, she muttered a quick “ah.”

“are we screwed?” 

“nah, bud needs an oil change. we got any?”

luke nodded slowly. “i think we do in the back?”

y/n sprinted to the trunk, popping it open and looking closely. in the far back rested the oil, and just enough of it. she was terrified there wouldn’t be enough for a good second.

grabbing the jug and funnel, she ran back to her boyfriend, lightly shoving him out of her way. luke was mesmerized as he watched his girlfriend work away on something that was effortless for her. 

despite the heat of the engine, the goosebumps didn’t leave y/n’s skin. luke felt like a shitty boyfriend for not doing so sooner, thus he instantly took off his blue flannel and rested it on her shoulders, letting it wrap around her body on it’s own. y/n smiled at the gesture, soaking in the warmth.

“okay, i think we should be good to go,” y/n commented after a brief moment of silence. luke went ahead to put the items away as y/n ran to the stream to quickly cleanse her hands. 

“i’ve got your handkerchief, by the way, babe!” luke yelled, letting his girl know in case she forgot.

“thank you, love!”

y/n sprinted towards luke, opening her arms a little. he could tell what she was up to instantaneously; he stashed her handkerchief in his pocket and stepped a metre or so away from the car.

just as she neared him, luke opened his arms and ran to her, catching her as she jumped and wrapped her legs around his waist. their laughter filled the air as he spun her around, both their smiles illuminated by the moonlight.

luke softly placed y/n down against the car door, leaning down and pressing his lips against her’s. responding without hesitation, the two kissed for a mere moment, pulling away and resting their foreheads on each other’s.

“this is nice,” y/n whispered. “we should do this more often.”

“we should,” luke agreed, placing a kiss on the tip of her nose. 

the drive back to camp was amicable, but the second they entered the big house, they were met with a confused mr. d and percy.

“why do you guys smell like cigarettes?” the latter asked, his blue eyes full of curiosity.

“why are you with mr. d?” y/n lightly retorted.

mr. d rolled his eyes at percy, “that’s not tobacco smoke, peter, that’s car smoke. what’d you two do to the car?”

“nothing!” luke chimed, “it’s perfectly fine. just needed an oil change is all.”

“the oil was fine, did you do anything on the hood?” he asked, trying not to be exposed near chiron for failing to commit to his duty; he was ordered to let the hephaestus kids know half the vans and cars needed an oil change three weeks ago. 

“gods, no!” percy responded horrifically for them, “not this here, not right now!”

“nonono nothing happened!” y/n reassured, but before she could say anything more, luke stepped in. “why lie, n/n? you know it’s true.”

he had a smirk growing on his face, one y/n was terrified to see but could tell there was a reason beneath the layer of insinuation. 

“bah, forget it. that car belongs to you two, i don’t even wanna be near it!" mr. d cringed as he left the room, unwilling to hear any more.

percy’s eyes darted back and forth between the two, suspicion rising. he lowered his voice, “you guys lied just to keep the car didn’t you?”

“no, not at all,” luke replied convincingly, following with a quick wink.

y/n laughed at both the boys, the three soon walking down towards camp. 

that long night felt like an endless daydream.

[v6quewrlds]

❝ birthday boy, a. iosivas. ❞  ‎ ‎ ┉  

‎ ‎ ⁎⠀┉⠀summary: the birthday boy's turning 25. it's only right he gets his present.

‎ ‎ ⁎⠀┉⠀author's note: okay so boom, storytime. this idea hit me exactly five hours ago after i saw a clip of troye giving vinnie a lap dance on tour. immediately thought about subby!andrei which is perfect bc i wanted to write a bday fic for him anyways. so i hope y'all enjoy. she's short and sweet <3

‎ ‎ ⁎⠀┉⠀warnings: smut, please do not interact with my work if you are under 18. language, sexual content, lap dance, grinding, handjob, blowjob, a hint of sub!andrei, description of ejaculation.

‎ ‎ ⁎⠀┉⠀pairing: andrei iosivas x reader.

‎ ‎ ⁎⠀┉⠀word count: 1.9k.

You stepped out of the shower, the steam enveloping your naked body like a warm embrace. The scent of vanilla and musk filled the air, a tantalizing hint of what was to come. You toweled off with a hum to yourself, your passion twists clinging to the dampness as you walked into the bedroom, your bare feet whispering on the plush carpet. You glanced at the bed, where Andrei, your boyfriend, lay sprawled out, scrolling through his phone.

He looked up at you, his brown eyes smoldering as he took in your freshly scrubbed skin. "You're killing me, baby," he murmured, his hand unconsciously adjusting his growing erection through his pants. "I can't wait for this surprise anymore."

You giggled, your full lips curving in a knowing smile. "Patience, birthday boy," you sang, your voice a velvety purr. 

You strutted over to the dresser, your naked curves swaying with a seductive grace. From the top drawer, you pulled out a black lace lingerie set, holding it up against your body in the mirror. The reflection revealed your dark areolas and the promise of more to come. You slipped on the lingerie, feeling the material hug your curves like a second skin.

Andrei's eyes followed your every move, his breath hitching as he watched you change into your underwear. His dick strained against the fabric of his pants, a silent plea for release. You noticed his struggle and couldn't resist a little tease. You turned to face him, throwing your passion twists over your shoulder without a word before reaching for his Bluetooth speaker on the nightstand.

Andrei's eyes widened in anticipation as you reached for his phone, the light from the bedside lamp casting shadows across your body, making you seem to glow. Without a moment of hesitation, he handed it over, your manicured fingers navigating to Spotify. You hit the play button and a sultry R&B melody filled the room.

The first notes of your sex playlist hit the air, a bass line that vibrated through his chest and straight to his lower half. His eyes never left you as you turned the volume up just right, a knowing look on your face. He recognized the first track immediately, your favorite song that never failed to set the mood.

You strutted back over to the bed, your hips moving to the rhythm as if the music lived in your very bones. Andrei's eyes traced the lines of your body, the silk of your skin glistening under the soft light. He cursed to himself, his gaze devouring every inch of you.

"Sit up," you ordered, gesturing to the edge of the bed. Your tone was playful but firm, leaving no room for argument. Andrei did as he was told, his legs trembling slightly as he followed your command, his heart racing.

You positioned the speaker just right, ensuring that the music surrounded you both. You stepped closer, your movements fluid as water, and began to sway in front of him. The beat of the song matched the rhythm of your hips, which rolled in a mesmerizing dance that made Andrei's mouth water. You placed one hand on his shoulder, your nails digging in slightly as you ground yourself against his thigh. He released a breath, his cock jumping in response.

Your other hand trailed down your body, teasing your skin as you moved. Andrei watched, his eyes following the path you took, his own hand twitching with the desire to do the same. The room grew hotter, the air thick with lust as the music grew more intense.

The second song began to play, an impossibly slower song. You stepped closer to Andrei, your thighs parting to straddle him. You placed your hands on his shoulders, your nails digging in slightly as you began to grind against him. He groaned, his dick straining against you, desperate for contact.

"Take your pants off," you breathed, your voice low and commanding. 

Andrei's hands shook as he unbuckled his belt, his eyes never leaving yours. He slid his pants down, revealing his boxer briefs, the fabric tented with his arousal. You licked your lips, a wicked glint in your eye.

Your hands traveled down your stomach, your fingertips grazing the edge of your lace panties. Andrei could see the dampness already soaking through the fabric, a testament to your own desire. He groaned, his hips bucking up to meet yours as you slid closer, your wetness brushing against him.

"Not yet," you whispered, a mischievous smile playing on your lips. 

You leaned in, your breath hot on his neck as you kissed him lightly. Your teeth grazed his earlobe, sending a shiver down his spine. "First, the full show."

The music was a siren's call, guiding Andrei's eyes as they traced the lines of your body. He watched, his breathing ragged, as you reached behind your back and unclasped the bra. It fell away, revealing your firm, round breasts. They bounced slightly as you moved, your hardened nipples peaked with arousal.

"You're so beautiful, princess," he murmured, his voice thick with need.

You giggled, the sound low and throaty. "Thank you, Drei," you said, leaning in to kiss him, your breasts pressing against his bare chest. Your hand snaked around to the back of his neck, pulling him closer. The kiss grew deeper, your tongue slipping into his mouth to tangle with his. Andrei groaned, his hands sliding around to cup your ass, his thumbs grazing the damp fabric of your panties.

The third song kicked in, a rhythmic bass that had you both grinding against each other. You pulled away, a glint of mischief in your eyes. You stepped back, placing a hand on his chest to keep him seated as you turned around. You bent at the waist, your ass high in the air as you slid the panties down, revealing your toned backside. You looked over your shoulder, your eyes sparkling with excitement.

Andrei's breath caught in his throat as you stepped out of the lace, leaving it in a pool at your feet. He took in the view of your bare pussy, already glistening with excitement. The music grew more intense, and you began to dance again, your movements slower and more deliberate. You knelt to your knees, your ass swaying as you grabbed the base of his cock through his boxers, your nails scraping gently along his length.

He groaned, his eyes rolling back in his head as you began to tug at his boxers. Inch by torturous inch, you revealed his hardened shaft, until it sprang free, standing proudly against his stomach. Your hand wrapped around it, your grip firm but gentle as you began to stroke him in time with the beat.

Andrei's hands clenched the bed, his chest heaving with each stroke you administered. The room was alive with the throb of the bass. Your grip tightened, your thumb tracing the precum beading at the tip of his cock. You leaned in, your warm breath fanning over his shaft, and whispered, "You want me to suck it?"

"Fuck yes," he hissed, the words barely leaving his mouth before you took him into your mouth, your lips wrapping around him like a warm, wet glove. Andrei's eyes rolled back in his head, the sensation of your tongue swirling around his head nearly sending him over the edge. You sucked him deep, your cheeks hollowing as you took him to the back of your throat. The sight of you eagerly pleasuring him was almost too much to handle.

Your hand kept rhythm with your mouth, your nails lightly raking his thighs as you worked him. Andrei's hips began to move, thrusting up to meet your mouth, his control slipping away as the music swelled around the two of you. You moaned around his cock, the vibrations sending waves of pleasure through him. He watched in the mirror across from the bed, his muscles tensing at the sight of the back of your head bobbing up and down his length, your twists flowing down your back.

The music grew more intense, and you pulled away, panting. "Take these off," you demanded, pointing to his boxer briefs. Andrei complied, his cock bobbing free as he kicked the material away.

You straddled him again, this time with your slick pussy pressing against his thigh. Andrei groaned, his hands reaching for your hips, but you slapped them away playfully. 

"Not yet," you purred, your breath warm and sweet. Instead, you reached for his chin, tilting it up to meet your gaze.

Your eyes searched his tensing features, the music a pulsing heartbeat in the background. Andrei's own heart hammered in his chest, his anticipation a tangible force in the air. You leaned down, your breasts brushing against his chest, and kissed him hard. Your hand wrapped around his throbbing cock, stroking him from base to tip in time with the beat of the music.

"I wanna give my birthday boy the best present," you murmured, your voice a siren's whisper that sent another jolt of need through Andrei's body as he moaned painfully. You continued your movements over his shaft, watching as he groaned out. 

His brown eyes closed as he whispered, "You're the only present I need, baby."

"Gonna come for me, birthday boy?" You taunted, your hand moving faster, your thumb circling the sensitive ridge of his head. Andrei's eyes snapped open, meeting yours, and he nodded frantically, unable to form words through his lust. The room was a symphony of his heavy breathing and the bass of the music, your bodies moving in perfect sync to the rhythm.

"Come for me, Drei," you encouraged, your strokes now a blur as you watched him, his eyes locked on yours. His hips bucked, his body begging for release. He was so close, so very close.

And then the dam broke. Andrei's body tensed, a moan ripping from his chest as he came, spurts of hot cum landing on his stomach and chest. You slowed your movements, your hand milking him through the last of his orgasm, watching with a smug smile as his cock twitched and spasmed in your grip.

The music switched to a new song, something slower, more sensual, as you climbed off of him. You stood to your full height and leaned down to kiss him again. He tasted himself on your lips and groaned as you deepened the kiss.

"I love you," Andrei murmured against your mouth, his breathing still heavy. Your smile grew wider as you broke the kiss, your eyes sparkling with satisfaction. You leaned over him, your breasts brushing against his chest as you reached for a towel, his hands reaching to steady your hips. You wiped the evidence of his release from his body, your movements gentle and tender.

"Thank you, baby," Andrei managed to say, his voice still thick with pleasure. Your eyes softened as they met his, a soft smile playing on your lips as you leaned back in to kiss him again, your tongue dancing with his in a slow, passionate dance.

"I love you too, baby. Happy birthday," you murmured against his lips, your breath sweet and warm. Andrei's eyes fluttered closed as he savored the taste of your mouth, feeling a sense of peace wash over him, the afterglow of his climax lingering as his muscles relaxed.

[l4ndonorizz]

aquarium date gone wrong / oscar piastri x reader

pairing: oscar piastri x reader

song: troye sivan - wild

summary: what was supposed to be a fun and relaxing date at the aquarium with osc takes a hilarious turn when he accidentally slips into the touch pool. between laughter, playful teasing, and the sparks that have been building between you, the night turns into something far more memorable than either of you could have expected—ending with a kiss that makes the unexpected mishap worth it.

wc: 1k

The aquarium was quieter than usual, the soft blue glow of the tanks casting a serene, almost magical atmosphere over the hallways. You and Oscar strolled side by side, your fingers brushing against each other every now and then, sending a little jolt through your body every time. You hadn’t yet worked up the courage to hold his hand, but it felt like only a matter of time before one of you made the first move.

“This place is amazing,” Oscar said, his voice full of awe as he gazed into the huge tank filled with colorful fish, sharks, and stingrays gliding effortlessly through the water. “I’ve never been to an aquarium like this before.”

You smiled, enjoying how fascinated he seemed. “I figured you’d like it. Plus, it’s more fun than the typical dinner date.”

Oscar chuckled, his gaze still glued to the fish as they swam gracefully through the water. “Definitely. Plus, it’s hard to beat walking around with you.”

You felt warmth creep up your neck at his comment, your heart doing a little flip. Oscar had always had this effortless way of making you feel special, and tonight, under the soft lighting of the aquarium, it felt like something more was beginning to bloom between you.

The two of you continued walking through the various exhibits, chatting easily and stopping to admire the different sea creatures. It wasn’t until you reached the touch pool area—a large, shallow exhibit where people could gently interact with certain sea life—that things took an unexpected turn.

Oscar, ever curious, leaned over the side of the pool to get a closer look at the stingrays gliding beneath the surface. “You think they’d let me take one of these for a ride?” he joked, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

You laughed, shaking your head. “I think you’ve had enough fast things for one lifetime.”

But before you could say anything else, Oscar took a step back—and straight into the “Caution: Wet Floor” sign placed a few feet behind him. His feet slipped on the slick surface, arms flailing wildly as he tried to steady himself, but it was no use. In one swift, clumsy motion, he lost his footing entirely and toppled backward—right into the touch pool with a loud splash.

Water sprayed everywhere, and for a moment, everything was silent as you stared at him in shock, trying to process what had just happened. Oscar blinked up at you from the shallow water, his hair soaked and his shirt clinging to his chest. His stunned expression was almost too much to handle.

“Well... I guess they do let you swim with the fish,” he muttered, half-laughing, half-embarrassed.

You couldn’t help it—you burst out laughing, the sound echoing through the quiet hall. “Oh my God, Oscar! Are you okay?”

He sat up, water dripping from his clothes and hair, giving you a sheepish grin. “Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. Just... wet. Very wet.”

You reached for his hand, pulling him out of the pool while still giggling. “You’re never going to live this down, you know.”

Oscar took the towel offered by a nearby staff member, shaking his head as he wiped his face. “Yeah, I figured as much,” he said, wrapping the towel around his shoulders. He looked at you, his smile growing as he caught your eye. “But at least I made the date memorable, right?”

You smiled back, your heart fluttering at the way his eyes lingered on yours. “I guess I can’t argue with that.”

The two of you walked towards the exit of the aquarium, Oscar still dripping a little, but his mood light and playful despite the mishap. The cool night air hit your skin as you stepped outside, the rain from earlier leaving the streets glistening under the streetlights. You glanced at him, noticing how the dampness had made his curls even messier, how his wet shirt clung to his muscles in a way that made your stomach flip.

“I don’t know how you managed to make even falling into a pool look cute,” you teased, nudging him with your shoulder as you walked side by side.

Oscar laughed, running a hand through his wet hair. “Yeah, well, I aim to impress.”

“You’re definitely succeeding,” you said, your voice softening as you glanced up at him, feeling the weight of your words hanging between you.

Oscar’s playful smile faded into something more serious, his eyes locking onto yours. For a moment, the world around you seemed to disappear, leaving just the two of you standing there, inches apart. His hand brushed against yours, and this time, neither of you pulled away.

“I’ve been wanting to do this all night,” Oscar murmured, his voice low, almost nervous, as he leaned in closer.

You could feel your heart racing as his fingers intertwined with yours, the warmth of his touch sending shivers down your spine. “Do what?”

Without answering, Oscar gently cupped your face, his thumb brushing softly against your cheek. The tension between you grew, thick and electric, until finally, he closed the distance, pressing his lips against yours in a kiss that was soft at first but quickly grew more intense.

Your hands slid up to his shoulders, pulling him closer as you melted into the kiss, the world around you fading into the background. There was nothing else—just you and Oscar, the warmth of his lips, the steady beat of his heart under your hands.

When you finally pulled away, both of you breathless, Oscar rested his forehead against yours, his eyes still closed. “I guess that’s one way to end a date.”

You laughed softly, your fingers still tangled in his hair. “Definitely better than watching you fall into a pool.”

Oscar grinned, his eyes sparkling as he pulled you in for another quick kiss, this one filled with more confidence, more promise. “Next time, I’ll try to stay on dry land.”

“Next time?” you teased, raising an eyebrow. “Already planning the next one?”

He shrugged, his grin widening. “If you’re up for it.”

You smiled, leaning in to kiss him once more. “I’m definitely up for it.”

[ruewrote]

𝑖 𝑠𝑒𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢.

PAIRING: 3A!denkikaminari x gn!reader WARNINGS: sad denki, no use of y/n GENRE: angst to fluff SONG INSPIRATION: there for you by martin garrix & troye sivan WORD COUNT: 1.1k

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you notice denki has been quieter than usual all day. normally, he'd be the one cracking jokes and keeping the energy up, but today there’s a different air about him. it’s subtle, the way he avoids eye contact, the forced smiles, the way his shoulders seem a little slumped, but it’s slight but it's there. and what bothers you most is that no one else seems to notice. the others laugh and carry on, completely oblivious to the shift in his mood.

he stands up suddenly after a group conversation winds down, muttering something about needing to head back to his dorm. no one questions it, letting him go without a second thought, but you can't shake the feeling that something's wrong. you watch him walk away, disappearing down the hall, and a few moments later, you decide to follow.

after giving him some time alone, you make your way to his room. his door is closed when you arrive, and you hesitate for a second, wondering if he needs more time to himself. but the image of his unusually downcast expression sticks in your mind, and you gently knock on the door before letting yourself in.

denki’s sitting on his bed, staring out the window, lost in thought. his usual electric energy is nowhere to be found. he turns his head when he hears you, surprise flickering across his face.

"hey..." he says quietly, his voice lacking its usual spark. "didn't think anyone was gonna come by."

you give him a small smile, closing the door softly behind you before stepping further into the room. "i noticed you were kind of off today," you say gently, sitting on the edge of his bed, keeping some space between you. "i just wanted to check in. see if you're okay."

for a moment, he doesn’t say anything. his gaze falls back to the floor, and his fingers fidget nervously with a loose thread on his shirt. "i'm fine," he mutters, though the way he says it makes it clear he's not. "it's stupid stuff. i don’t want to bother you with it."

“denki…” you tilt your head, your voice soft but firm. “you can talk to me. you don’t have to pretend like everything’s fine when it’s clearly not.”

he lets out a short, bitter laugh, still avoiding your gaze. "i don’t know. i just feel like... everyone’s moving forward, getting better, and i’m stuck, y’know? i try to keep up, but i’m always messing something up. like today, in training... i fried out again. everyone laughed. and i don’t blame them, i mean, it’s what i do, right? screw up and turn into an idiot." he laughs again, but it’s empty, and his shoulders slump a little more.

your heart aches hearing him talk like this. denki always seems so carefree, so full of confidence, but now, sitting here with him, you can see the cracks in the facade he puts up for everyone.

“denki, you’re not an idiot,” you say, your voice filled with sincerity. “you’re one of the most hardworking people i know. you’re always pushing yourself, always trying to get better. and yeah, sometimes things don’t go the way you want, but that doesn’t mean you’re not improving. you’re not stuck.”

he finally looks at you, his eyes filled with doubt. "it’s just hard sometimes, you know? feeling like i’m always the one who messes up while everyone else is just... better."

you scoot a little closer, your voice gentle as you say, “you’re not alone in feeling like that. we all struggle sometimes, even if it doesn’t always show. but i promise you, no one thinks less of you for having rough days.”

denki takes a deep breath, and some of the tension in his body seems to ease. he leans back against the headboard, his hands resting in his lap. “i just... i guess i didn’t think anyone really noticed. i’m always the ‘happy-go-lucky guy,’ right? i don’t want people to see me like this.”

“i’m so sorry that i didn't realize it sooner,” you say softly, meeting his eyes. “and it’s okay to have off days. it doesn’t make you weak or anything like that. it just makes you human.”

his eyes shining with a mix of emotions, hope, disbelief, something like gratitude. “you really mean that?”

“of course i do,” you said, squeezing his hand gently. denki’s gaze dropped to your intertwined hands, his thumb brushing over yours almost absently. “i just… i don’t wanna be behind, you know? i want to be taken seriously, like everyone else.”

your heart ached at the vulnerability in his voice, the raw honesty that he usually kept hidden behind his carefree smile. you shifted closer, wrapping your arms around him in a gentle hug. he stiffened for a moment, then melted against you, his head resting on your shoulder.

“you’re appreciated so much more than you think, denki,” you whispered, your voice fierce with conviction. “you have so much to offer. i’m so proud of you, and i’m so lucky to know you.”

he let out a shuddering breath, his arms tightening around you like he was afraid to let go. “thank you,” he murmured, his voice barely audible. “i…i really needed to hear that.”

you held him close, your hand gently stroking his back. “i’ll always be here for you. whenever you need to talk, or just…need someone. i’m here.”

he didn’t say anything, he didn't need to, he just held you tighter, his breath warm against your neck. for a long time, you sat like that, wrapped in each other’s arms, the noise of the common room fading away until it was just the two of you, cocooned in a bubble of quiet comfort.

eventually, he pulled back, his eyes red but clearer, the tension in his face eased. “i’m sorry,” he said, his voice still a little shaky. “i didn’t mean to dump all this on you.”

“don’t apologize,” you said firmly. “you’re allowed to feel how you feel, and you’re allowed to talk about it. i’m honestly glad that you did.”

“you’re…you’re really cool, ya know?”

he smiled, a real, genuine smile that made your heart swell with relief. “i’ll try to believe it.”

“that’s all i ask,” you said, squeezing his hand. “just…try to see yourself the way i see you.”

his smile softened, his eyes shining with something warm and tender. “i’ll try,” he said again, his voice quiet but steady. “and…thank you. for being here. for listening. it means a lot.”

“always,” you said, your heart aching with how much you meant it. “i’m always here for you, no matter what.”

he nodded, his gaze lingering on yours for a long, another quiet moment. then he shifted, leaning forward to press a gentle kiss to your forehead, the touch so soft it made your breath catch.

“thank you,” he whispered one last time, his voice filled with all the things he didn’t know how to say.

you knew that, whatever happened, you’d always be there to remind him of just how incredible he truly was.

comments and reblogs are appreciated ♡

© ruewrote 2024.

[myillicitaffair]

One of your girls | Carlos Sainz Jr

Summary: carlos and his lover being involved in a chaotic dynamic that comes crushing down after a misunderstanding.

Warnings: english not being my firsts language, smut, oral (f receiving), angst, toxic behaviors, swearing.

Notes: this is only the first part, lmk if you would be interested in reading the next one xx

Credits: the gif used belongs to formula one’s oficial giphy account and the inspiration for this fic comes from the song “One of your girls” by Troye Sivan.

MINORS DNI!

My sleep is interrupted by the rays of sunshine streaming through the airy window curtains, the intrusion forcing me to open my eyes.

I focus my gaze on the figure cuddled up next to me, laying on his side. The soft summer breezes playing with his already messy short waves.

I delicately watch his pacific state, the movement of his naked chest with each inhalation, his relaxed features matching the small opening of his mouth.

My fingertips search for the smooth exposed skin, slowly caressing his back, savoring the moment.

A guttural sound dies in his throat at my subtle touch, fidgeting as he feels the dissipation of his sleepy haze.

“Good morning”- i pronounce once he faces me, a small smirk forming on my lips.

“Good morning indeed”- he replies mockingly.

My torso nests in between his strong arms, finding comfort in the manly fragrance irradiated by his heat.

His lips start brushing my cheek, going down my jaw until he comes across my neck, where he starts placing wet kisses. A tingle runs through my spinal cords with anticipation.

I swiftly raise my hands to his stocky shoulders, touching every inch of his sun soaked complexion.

“I have to leave, busy day ahead…”- he says, untangling our limbs and getting up to hop in the shower.

I know this is my cue to leave soon as I hear the muttering of hot water hitting the bathroom tiles. If I didn’t know better, I would wait for him to come out the shower… past experience makes me grab my clothes, scattered all over his bedroom floor, and hurry out the door.

———————

I know I shouldn’t be doing this. After all, it´s only causing more harm than good, but a part of me can´t help but succumb to the despair of not having him near me.

Here I was, standing on Carlos´s doorway late at night; palpable tension as I knock on the all too familiar gate preceding his apartment.

There´s no denying it, I´m desperate for us to connect, even if it is at the sacrifice of my own feelings. Who cares if tomorrow morning I´m pushed away again? All that matters now are those big doe eyes staring down at me, pulling me towards him, making me ache all over for his touch.

“Wasn´t expecting you tonight”- he states while piercing me with his gaze.

“I´m sorry if now is bad timing, I ought to have an early night anyhow…”

Million feelings flashing through my mind, only one main character in all of them.

“No, it´s okay. Come on in!”- He interrupts my self-deprecating thoughts, inviting me into his house.

I look around while stepping inside, noticing papers cluttered all over the living room, scathed dirty mugs sitting on the coffee table, his usually flawless work attire bunched up near the corner of the chamber.

“Didn´t have time to tidy up”- he excuses himself while facing me.

I realize I failed to notice his fatigued demeanor, the dark circles framing his tired features.

Reaching out for his sharp cheekbones with my fingers, I try kissing his baseless worries away.

Innocent pecks rapidly turn into passionate making out, all tongue and touchy grabs that linger with time.

Still entwined in a fight for dominance, he leads me back to his couch, pushing every folder out of the way and placing himself on top of me.

His calloused hands streak down my skin, stripping me off of every piece of clothing they stumble with across the way. I find myself reaching for the collar of his white t-shirt, trying to free him of his garments.

Leaving behind a trail of heat, his touch reaches for my underwear, glancing at me through his eyelashes asking for permission. I nod frantically, eager to feel his attentions where I need him the most.

His mouth reaches for my sensitive nub, flicking his tongue while devouring my glistening slit. My fingers automatically tangle in his hair, bringing him closer.

His throbbing erection dry humping my leg while eating me like a starved man. The familiar crescendo starts quickly growing on my lower stomach, accompanied by desperate moans and grunts.

The tension surrounding his home´s environment snaps by the answering machine´s high pitched beeps, anticipating a new incoming message.

“Carlos, it´s me again”- a female voice announces- “You promised you´d call me back as soon as possible. I know you´re there, love, would you please just pick up?”

I sit back up against the couch´s headboard, indignation flowing through me as tears start accumulating on my eyes.

I cover my abdomen with my discarded top, getting dressed as fast as possible.

“I can explain”- he states, trying to get a hold on my wrists.

“I don´t want to hear another fucking excuse, Carlos”- I spit my answer back, filled with venom.

Reaching for my purse, I take one final look at his still naked silhouette.

“I´m sick and tired of being just one of your girls! I honestly can´t do it anymore… not when I spent the whole time we´ve known each other in love with you”- I confess, out of breath by the sobs torn from my parted lips.

“If you could just listen to me, I promise you I…”

“Save it!”- I interrupt, blinded by anger while I twist the doorknob on my way out.

Running down the hallway, I don’t even attempt to hold the uncontrollable whimpers that fill the unbreakable silence. Hopping on the elevator, willing to go back home with an unamendable broken heart, I can´t believe how I stupid I was to ever believe he could reciprocate my feelings.

[justsomerandomfanfic]

Look At You - Eddie Munson X Female Reader

Title: Look At You

Eddie Munson X Female Reader

Additional Characters: Reader's friend, Hellfire Club (Mentioned), Reader's mother, and Chris (OC)

Loosely Inspired By: One Of Your Girls by Troye Sivan

WC: 11,764

Warnings: Parties briefly mentioned, vomit briefly mentioned, alcohol (teens mentioned drinking), drugs, Reader's a bit shy in the beginning, movie references, nicknames, Reader's mother is emotionally/verbally/mentally abusive, fear of needles, friends to lovers, yelling, crying, cursing, teasing, banter, flirting, very brief mentions of food issues, angst, and fluff

You scrunched your shoulders closer to yourself, your hands clutched your book to your chest with an iron grip as your friend dragged you into some party. Your senses were overwhelmed by the loud pulsating music rattling the entire house, echoing and reverberating throughout your body as you pushed through the hordes of drunk teenagers; the smell of vomit and alcohol made you scrunch up your nose in disgust.

It was the perfect combination to make the night miserable; the smell, the noise, and most importantly, the people. You were not very much of a people person. When meeting someone, or talking to someone new, you were quiet; shy. But, once you grew comfortable with the person, you would talk and talk. 

Parties were the bane of your existence, and so was your friend. You loved your friend dearly, but you hated when they convinced you, more like peer pressure, you into going to dumb parties. You got out of them somewhat, faking an illness or your need to finish your homework, but that would only help you for so long. You could've been home, eating junk food, watching ‘Labyrinth’ for the ten millionth time as you idolized Jennifer Connelly.

Your sweet daydreams were quickly cut short though as your friend pulled you into the main room full of sweaty teens, dancing wildly around each other as the lights from the ceiling threw shadows all over the place. You cringed at how much louder the music had gotten as ‘You Spin Me Round’ played from a large speaker in the corner of the room. 

Your friend's hand around your bicep shook, gaining your attention. You turned to them, seeing the bright smile on their face and the excitement in their eyes. You'd feel happy for them, but you were very overwhelmed and uncomfortable at that moment.

"Hey!" They called over the music, their body already dancing to the music slightly. "I'm going to say hey to Brian and Allison. Go to the kitchen and get a drink, you need it! Loosen up and have fun for once!"

You had to suppress the urge to roll your eyes as you watched your friend leave you, rushing to a small group of teens, red solo cups and beer bottles in their hands. You felt fear engulf you, your whole body growing cold as you looked around the room rapidly, your eyes darting at the dancing teens and the bright party lights. Your heart began to race in your chest, you couldn't breathe, and it was all becoming too profoundly difficult to stay in that room. You mustered up the strength to push through the crowd, as if going through a maze of people you tried to squeeze through; finally making your way out the back sliding door.

Breathing deeply as you stood outside, you let out a breath of relief. Your head spun a little bit, feeling dizzy at the sudden change in environment, but you tried your best to stay calm. Looking down at your hands, you let out another breath, glad your book made it out of that warzone without a rip or tear.  

"You okay?" You heard a voice speak up, much louder than the music pumping behind you; muffled by the sliding glass door. You quickly turned to the voice, seeing a guy leaning against the wall of the house, knee bent and foot pressed against it; his hands stuffed in his pockets. He was looking up at the sky, not even looking at you. You stared at him before you looked around you, no one else was outside, aside from you and him.

You swallowed thickly, "Me?" You asked, turning back to the young man, slightly shrouded by the awning; casting him in a dark shadow.

"You're the only one out here with me, correct?" He asked, pushing off of the wall to turn and finally look at you. "You looked pretty frazzled when you came out." He then added, making you narrow your eyes at him slightly.

"Why do you care?" You asked, normally you were so forward when talking to new people, but you were really annoyed, tired, and wanted to go home.

"I'm not like those brain dead zombies in there," He said, stepping into the light, finally allowing you to see who you were talking to. "I'm Eddie."

He had long, curly dark brown hair, brown eyes, and a rockstar type of style. You watched as he pulled his hands out of his black ripped jeans pockets, noting the rings adorning some of his fingers as he crossed his arms; noticing his leather jacket with a denim vest over it. It looked homemade, with rips and tears; patches of rock bands and pins. He was cute, you'd give him that. Looking back up at his face, you realized that you should've been talking a while ago.

"I- I'm Y/N." You introduced yourself, noticing a small tin box of some kind hanging from a clasp from his belt loop. "And I'm fine."

This... Eddie, just smiled at you, chuckling, "I'll believe that when I see it. You're shaking like a leaf." He mentioned, making you look down at yourself, seeing that you were in fact shaking. Well, mostly your hands. You clutched your book tighter, trying to stop them.

You looked up at the sky, or what you could see of it, away from Eddie and the partygoers. "I'm fine." You repeated softly, and Eddie hummed, looking you over.

"Not a party person?" He asked, and you remained silent as he continued, "Or people person? I mean, I get that. I don't care for it either." He shrugged as you looked at him again.

"Then why are you here?" Only to watch Eddie smirk, leaning his side against the side of the house.

"I could ask you the same." He said with a laugh.

"Touche." You mumbled as Eddie sighed softly, glancing off to the darkened yard before looking back at you.

"I'm here on business, but you... What about you?" He asked, and you sighed, looking back up at the night sky; seeing a few stars past the dark clouds.

"My friend dragged me here." You began, biting your lip briefly, "I didn't want to go, if they didn't take me I would-"

"Be cuddled up in a comfy blanket, watching a romcom or something?" Eddie interrupted you, and you shrugged one shoulder up.

"More or less. That is usually my evening. Relaxing or doing homework." You answered, growing more and more comfortable with Eddie as you talked to him. “But I’m not really a romcom kind of girl.”

Eddie hummed, before he grabbed the tin box at his hip, opened it, and pulled out what you assumed was a blunt. You assumed right as he brought it up to his lips, pulling out a lighter from his back jean pocket. He flicked it open with his thumb, before pushing down the thumbwheel. He did it a couple of times, with no luck of any flame. Sighing out his nose, he leaned his head back against the wall, frustrated. You stared at him, pursing your lips as you slowly dug into your pocket, pulling out your own lighter. Testing it, you pushed down the thumbwheel, sending out a little orange flame. 

Eddie looked up at the sound of your lighter, "Wow, do you think you could give me a light here?" He asked you as you shut your lighter, pushing your finger over the metal cover, feeling the engraving.

Walking over, you moved your book under your arm as you stopped in front of Eddie. Flicking open the zippo lid, you created the flame as Eddie reached down to grab your wrist. You were surprised at how gentle he was as he raised your hand up, moving the end of his blunt to the open flame. Standing so close to him, he already smelt like cannabis, but also, surprisingly, strawberries. Letting out a puff of smoke through his nose, Eddie let go of your hand. You immediately missed the warmth, as the cold autumn air chilled your wrist. You quickly pushed that thought out and took a step back.

"Thanks, babe." Eddie winked at you, making your face warm up at the sudden nickname.

He then took another deep breath, letting out the smoke into the night air; you watched it swirl into nothingness. "You smoke?" He asked abruptly, breaking the silence between the two of you as if he didn't feel the awkward tension that you felt crawling down your spine.

"Ew, no. No. It's my father's." You explained swiftly, and Eddie nodded.

"Wicked," Eddie nodded, taking another drag from his blunt. "Better than my lighter for sure. Broken shit. Gotta get a new one." He mumbled to himself as you watched him.

"You know that's, like, bad for you, right?" You spoke up, “It could kill you.” Your nose scrunching up at the terrible smell as Eddie shrugged.

"Eh, that's just what society tells everyone.” He countered, “Besides, it calms me down, and believe me. I need to calm down." Eddie laughed out before he paused and turned to you, twisting the smoking blunt between his fingers. "I can put it out if you're uncomfortable though... Smoke and all." He offered and you shook your head. You didn't really care that much, you'd probably leave soon anyway; try and find your friend before they get too drunk and go home. Eddie let out the last bit of smoke before he dropped the dead blunt to the ground, crushing it with the heel of his white Reebok sneakers. "So," He began, stuffing his hands into his jeans pockets again. "Tell me about yourself, Y/N." 

You turned to him, bewildered that he was still trying to talk to you. You didn't mind it, but normally people didn't talk to you long. Either getting bored of you or the conversation. And normally, you wouldn't be talking to strangers, especially guys. Especially a guy that you barely knew. And who was cute, but that was beside the point. "What's there to know?" You asked skeptically, watching as Eddie shrugged again, his head tilting to the side a bit.

"Well, I've never seen you around school before, which is crazy since I feel like if I saw you, I would've remembered meeting you." He stated, “Plus,” He added, “You seem like a fun girl to talk to." He pointed out, taking you back slightly. "I'd like to get to know you; if you’d let me." He finished, making your cheeks flush in shock and embarrassment. 

"You... You want to get to know me?" You asked, bewildered and beyond dumbfounded as you watched Eddie nod his head with a smile on his face.

"I think you're pretty cool, so yeah... I'd like to get to know you." Eddie repeated, and you shook your head.

"I'm not that cool. I mean, we just met, like, ten minutes ago. How can you think I’m cool in that short amount of time?" You asked, making Eddie sputter out a laugh.

"Not cool? Impossible. Your style alone is cool, babe." He gestured to your attire with a hand before stuffing it back into his pocket; it was getting colder, but you didn’t seem to notice.

You looked down at your clothes, your rainbow-striped sweater, blue flared jeans, white socks, and your red hightop Converse. Nothing special, it wasn't like you looked as cool as him. Him and his punk leather, rockstar attitude. He was probably in a band or something. You looked back up at him, clutching your book as you spoke shortly, "Thanks. I like yours too."

Eddie's eyes widened slightly before he gave you a toothy grin, "Why, thank you, my lady." He bowed, making you laugh - a snort escaping - covering your mouth with your hand as his eyes lit up and he stood back up straight. Bringing a hand up, he ran a hand through his hair, his jacket sleeve moving up as he did so. Your eyes widened as you saw his arm, seeing a tattoo on his skin. 

"You have a tattoo?" You asked in awe, as Eddie nodded.

"I actually have five." Eddie corrected, pulling down the collar of his band tee to reveal a tattoo on his chest, near his collarbone.

"Five? Wow," You replied, "I've always wanted a tattoo, but my mom is really not okay with them."

Eddie watched as you walked over, leaning against the wall beside him. "Really?" He asked, amazed by you as you nodded, a small smile on your face.

"Yeah, she thinks that it’s devil crap or something. I just think she needs to be more open minded." You replied, before looking up at Eddie. “And it may sound silly, but I never really knew what I would get if I got one… I just knew that I really wanted one - Something - anything.” You shrugged, shuffling the soles of your shoes on the patio concrete before continuing, "If I may, could I see the one?" You inquired and Eddie was happy to answer, pulling his sleeve up to show you his bats. He watched as your eyes lit up, your hand reaching forward, but freezing. You look up with your big eyes, looking right into his brown ones with uncertainty. "May I touch it?"

Eddie just smiled, "Go for it." 

You reached out, before pressing your pointer finger along the small bats, outlining them. Your warm touch sent a shiver down Eddie's spine making him hold his breath as he watched you carefully. His brown eyes followed every movement of your finger, goosebumps appearing as your finger brushed against his skin. You were so gentle, kind; it made Eddie's chest feel warm. 

"Did it hurt?" You asked, bringing your hand back to your side as you sputtered a short laugh, "Of course it had to of had to, silly questions."

Eddie shook his head, clearing his throat as he slid his sleeve back down. "No, not silly at all. It did hurt, especially my puppet master one, but the least of all was the bats."

You hummed with a small smile, "That's the one thing I'm scared of. I'm not good with pain. Needles scare the crap out of me." You admitted and Eddie’s grin widened, one of his shoes gently knocking into one of yours.

"Well, if you ever want to break some rules, I know a place. And, I'd be happy to tag along." Eddie softly offered, making you pause for a second, before nodding your head.

"Yeah, I'll keep that in mind." You laughed, making Eddie’s grin soften slightly. You looked down at your wrist at your watch, seeing the time, your eyes widened, "Oh, goodness. It's very late. I need to get home."

"Need a ride?" He was quick to ask, not wanting your conversation to end, as you bit your lip, glancing inside the house through the glass sliding door; you were unable to find your friend in the crowd. You didn't want to have to go in there and find them. So, weighing your options, you looked up at Eddie. 

"Yeah, a ride would be great."

~~~

From then on, you and Eddie were inseparable. Joined to the hip. At school, you ate lunch with him and his club friends, your chair incredibly close to his as you laughed along to something Eddie had said. You even stayed after school when Eddie had his Hellfire club, watching beside him - usually sat upon the cushioned arm of his throne, as he looked over his game as the game’s Dungeon Master.

Every day was a new experience for you. Spending time with Eddie made you forget all about your problems and worries at home. You found it easy to slip into normalcy, laughing with him and joking around. You never thought you would find someone who made you so happy, someone who made it so easy to just be yourself; without the fear of judgment or disappointment.

Eddie had such an easygoing nature about him, always having fun. There was something different about him that made you feel comfortable. And it wasn't long until you realized you had feelings for him. Which really scared you. These feelings... They were dangerous. But… You couldn't help it. 

However, it did land you into some inner tumoral. Sometimes, your mind would begin to blank, your thoughts dwindling until all you thought about was how you wanted to run your fingers through his hair or press your lips to his. But just being able to simply sit next to him, listening to his voice, feeling his presence; was enough. That was enough for you.

~~~

Eddie pulled into your driveway, turning off the engine once parked. Turning to you, he watched as you unbuckled and grabbed your bag from between your feet; double-checking your bag to see if you had everything. You then turned to Eddie, seeing that he was already looking at you, startling you slightly, but making your cheeks flush.

"You got everything, babe?" He asked and you nodded, leaning over the middle console to press a kiss to Eddie's cheek.

"Thank you for driving me home, Eds." You replied and Eddie rolled his eyes jokingly.

"Y/N, baby, no need to thank me. It's what best friends do. I’ll call you when I get home." He shooed you along, making you laugh as you opened your door and hopped out. 

Walking backwards, you waved goodbye as Eddie pulled out of the driveway, a bright smile on your face. Once he was out of sight, you let out a happy sigh, turning around and heading up the steps to your home. Finding the door already unlocked, like it was most days, you walked on in with a smile on your face. Kicking off your converse, you dropped your backpack at the stairs before passing the living room and heading to the kitchen.

"Y/N." Your mother's voice rang out, making you pause midstep, going back to the living room where your mother sat in her armchair, book in hand. She took her reading glasses off the bridge of her nose, closing them, and placing them on the small table beside her. She then stared at you, a frown on her face, her hands interlaced in her lap, "Have you been with that boy again?" Her tone was stern and demanding, making you bite your lip nervously as you looked down at the ground.

"Yes... Mom, I—" Before you could continue, she cut you off with a wave of her hand.

"Don't 'Mom' me. That boy is bad news. I told you to stay away from him." Her voice rose slightly in pitch and volume with each sentence.

"But-"

"And don't tell me how you feel about this, he's the devil! Playing those- those demonic games-”

"He's not the devil!" You shouted suddenly, causing your mother to jump slightly and stare at you. "I like him, okay?! I like him more than anyone I've ever met! He's my best friend and I can't just not hang out with him anymore." You finished your voice breaking as tears formed in your eyes.

Your mother blinked several times before standing up, walking over to you.

"Oh, my darling honey," She began as she cupped your cheeks in her hands, "It's not safe for you to get involved with those types of boys.” The cadence in her voice sounded like she was speaking to an errant child. “Now, I better not see you around him any longer or we might have to move again." She ended the conversation, pinching your cheek before she left for the kitchen.

You watched her leave, tears streaming down your face, completely heartbroken as you rubbed the cheek she pinched. She didn't understand Eddie, and she never would. But her threat frightened you. You knew that if she caught you with Eddie, she would move the two of you away again. She did it once, she’d do it again. 

Grabbing your backpack, you headed straight to your room, forgetting about that snack you wanted as you shut your door. Dropping your bag, you finally let go, your chest rising and falling rapidly as you fell onto your bed. Laying on your stomach, you smashed your face onto your pillow, letting out a small, muffled sob as you began to cry. What else could you do? Before you could even start brainstorming ideas, you jumped slightly when you heard your phone ring, reaching over you, grabbing it, and bringing it to your ear.

"Hello?" You asked, clearing your throat and hoping you didn't sound as sad as you were.

"Hey! Babe! How's my favorite girl doing?"

Eddie.

Of course, it was Eddie. He said he was going to call you.

Your eyes widened as you struggled to sit up straight, "Eddie, you have to be quick, my mom could be listening." You whispered, hoping your mother ignored the phone but you still felt uneasy as you clutched the phone with a death-like grip.

Eddie pursed his lips in thought as he leaned against the wall of his trailer by the wall-mounted phone. You had only told Eddie about your mother once, but Eddie could tell from that one time that your mother was a tough subject for you, so he never pressed you further. Even though he had a lot of questions.

"Okay, okay! Don't worry, babe, alright? I'll be quick. Promise." Eddie assured, hearing movement on the other side of the line, "I just wanted to let you know that the meeting next week has been moved to five. Henderson has a dentist appointment or something after school."

You hesitated, biting your lip. "Okay, that's good to know. Thank you, Eddie." You spoke out with a breath.

Eddie began to twirl the phone cord between his fingers, his eyes staring at an old, discolored spot on the floor by his feet, "Are you okay?" He asked, and it seemed like a dumb question to him. Of course, you probably weren't okay. The way you sounded over the phone, he could hear how upset you were.

You paused, biting your lip, trying to think of anything, anything, to say. "What makes you ask that?" You replied. You hoped he wouldn't notice the slight shake in your voice.

"You sound kind of down," He replied, his voice low, his eyes focused on the discoloration, "I know I can't see you right now, but I bet you got a frown on that pretty face of yours." You sighed, and even though you still felt pretty terrible, hearing his voice, and just him in general, was enough to lift your spirits a little. You didn't think that you would fall even deeper for Eddie, but there you went. It was like your heart belonged to him already. You heard a bit of shuffling on his end before he spoke once more, "I know I said that I'd be quick, and I will, so... I'll see you tomorrow?" You could almost hear the hopeful tone in his voice; though, there was a hint of unsureness lingering there.

"Yeah..." You muttered, "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Goodnight, babe."

You let a small sigh escape you, "Goodnight, Eds."

Hanging up the phone, you hoped to god that your mother wasn't listening in as you slid yourself further onto your bed, your back pressed against the headboard. You wrapped your arms around your knees, resting your chin on them, your bottom lip trembling. Tears slowly began to trickle down your cheeks, leaving tracks in their path, and you buried your face in your arms, allowing yourself to become engulfed in darkness.

~~~

The next morning, you woke up groggy. Clearing the little crust away from the corners of your eyes, you sat up with a small groan. As you got ready for the school day, you tried to remember when you fell asleep last night, but you couldn't remember. Walking to one side of the room, you opened your small dresser, grabbing a pair of pants before starting to really get ready for the day.

You sat on the edge of your bed, fixing the cuff of your red jeans as you leaned to the side slightly, peeking out your bedroom window. Seeing your mother's car gone and missing from the driveway, you let out a small breath of relief, your shoulders dropping. 

Sliding your black studded belt through your belt loops, you walked over to your closet. Shuffling through your many hanging shirts of various colors, your hand paused on one, near the back of the closet. Pushing the shirts on their hangers to the side, you pulled the black shirt off the pole and towards you. Holding it up, you couldn't help but smile, your free hand coming up to grasp the soft fabric; rubbing it between your fingers. 

The shirt was black with the main print being a graveyard. Rows and rows of cross-shaped tombstones stood, a pair of red hands loomed above, holding strings that dropped down and connected to some of the tombstones. The words, 'Metallica' was in silver in the middle of the shirt, while 'Master Of Puppets,' was printed at the bottom of the illustration.

It was Eddie's and you may or may not have stolen it from him one of the times you visited him at his trailer - and he didn't mind. You usually wore it to sleep, but the scent, which was so perfectly Eddie, had begun to fade, which made you sad. Slipping it off the hanger, you replaced your nightshirt with the band tee, feeling a wave of comfort wash over you as it covered your body. 

Grabbing your backpack from near your bedroom door and your denim jacket from the hook, you headed out into the hallway, and down the stairs. As you slid on your black Converse, you side-eyed the clock on the wall, seeing that you did not have enough time to eat before you began your trek down to the high school. And so, with a hungry stomach, you slipped on your backpack and headed out the door.

~~~

As the school day went on, you felt as if you were drowning. Your classes were boring and monotonous as the teacher droned on about the Civil War, giving no real attention to the class except for a few snickers from the students behind him as he wrote on the chalkboard. When the bell finally rang, you quickly packed up all your things and rushed to leave the classroom, eager to get out.

Unfortunately for you, the halls were packed with students, meaning that you could not make your escape without brushing against others. You sighed, running your fingers through your hair as you looked around, hoping to find an opening to get through.

Finding a small opening, you took your chance, speeding through, you maneuvered through the crowd as people gave way to you. Your heart rate increased as you pushed through everyone, making your way towards the cafeteria. Once inside, you let your eyes scan the room, quickly spotting Eddie sitting with his club members. Making your way over, you couldn't help but feel giddy as your legs carried you over to him, unable to hide the huge grin forming on your face.

Turning his head, Eddie's eyes met yours, they brightened, a smile growing on his lips. Standing, he met you halfway, letting out a small grunt as you threw yourself into his arms. Eddie hugged you tightly, wrapping his arms around you and lifting you off the ground as he spun you in circles; making you laugh as you held onto him. When you both stopped spinning, Eddie set you back on the ground. Closing your eyes, you allowed yourself to enjoy this moment, savoring the warmth he provided as he held you close to your chest; rubbing your cheek on his denim vest and leather jacket combo. 

Looking up at him, he was already looking down at you, his eyes roamed over your face. You gazed right back into those chocolate-brown eyes of his, feeling the anxiety and sadness just melt away instantly. "Hey." You breathed out quietly, smiling as he pulled you closer to him, his hands finding their place on your waist.

"Hey, there, babe," He spoke softly, moving a stray piece of hair behind your ear. "Looks like somebody missed me." He teased, earning a light slap on his upper arm. 

Rolling your eyes playfully, you pouted, "Of course, I missed you, Eds." Eddie chuckled as he nuzzled his nose into your hairline, breathing in the sweet smell of your coconut shampoo.

After a moment, you felt the side of your face buzz, feeling eyes on you. Looking over, you huffed, gaining Eddie's attention. Eddie followed your eyes, seeing his club members staring at you and him. Half of them were trying to muffle their laughter, making Eddie glare at the group. 

"What are you airheads looking at? Get back to eating, nothing to see here." Eddie spoke out, his gaze never leaving yours. His tone was firm. With a shrug, the group turned their heads back down to what they were doing, not wanting to draw any more attention than necessary. "Come on," Eddie spoke softly, only to you, "Let's get out of here." You nodded your head, following beside him as he led you out of the cafeteria.

Stepping outside, you and Eddie walked out into the woods by the school, stepping over tree roots and walking around bushes and trees, you finally spotted the old picnic bench. Sitting down, you tucked your legs under the table as Eddie sat down with his legs on either side of the bench; facing you.

After a couple of minutes of silence, Eddie smiled over at you, "Look at you. You look beautiful today. Especially in my shirt."

You laughed lightly, feeling your face flush, "Thanks, Eddie."

"No, I'm serious," He continued, scouting a smidge closer, "I should give you my shirts more often… Actually, just take all my clothes. I don’t need them.”

You shook your head, grinning as you glanced around the woods, "You wouldn't get them back if you did that." You pointed out with a laugh.

Eddie chuckled, shaking his head a bit, his bangs falling into his eyes slightly, "Maybe, maybe not." Eddie replied, turning his body so that his arm was leaning against the table, propping his head up on his hand, "But you do look beautiful today."

"That's the second time now. How many times are you going to compliment me today?" You asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Well," He chuckled, his mouth twisting upwards in amusement, "I can't seem to stop myself."

Your eyebrows raised slightly as you stared down at your lap, you bit your lip. You could feel your heart beating faster, pounding loudly in your chest, your ears feeling slightly warm. You doubted that you would ever get used to hearing him say those things to you. You cleared your throat, glancing back at him, "So," You trailed off, "How was your morning?"

He grinned, chuckling, "Boring, without you." He huffed, "I wish we had the same classes."

"Me too." You nodded your head, "I think History would actually be fun if you were in my class." You muttered, shrugging a shoulder, "I could hardly pay attention."

"Well, you wouldn't pay attention if I was in class with you." Eddie joked, causing you to chuckle slightly.

"You're right." You giggled, fidgeting with your fingers in your lap, watching as the wind blew through his dark, curly locks. "You're such a bad influence on me." Immediately as you said that, your smile slipped, turning into a small frown. Even though you were joking, that was what your mother thought he was.  

Eddie leaned forward in his seat slightly, his elbow resting on the table, as he watched you intently, studying the expression on your face, "Y/N? Hey…" Eddie questioned quietly, reaching out and taking your hand in his. "What's wrong, babe?"

You swallowed hard, trying to avoid his gaze as you answered, "Nothing," You cleared your throat, "I'm fine."

Eddie pursed his lips, narrowing his eyes, "I know you're not." He scooted closer, interlacing his fingers with yours, "What's going on?" You looked up at him, you returned to biting your lip. "Do you wanna talk about it?" He asked. 

"It's my mom..." You replied softly, running a hand through your hair, "She doesn't like you."

"A lot of people don't like me, sweetheart." Eddie replied nonchalantly, squeezing your hand lightly as he gave you a lopsided grin.

You huffed, "I know. But, she doesn't want me to hang out with you anymore. And when I told her I wouldn't stop spending time with you, she got all mad. She told me that I shouldn't be friends with someone who's... The devil. That you’ll brainwash me." You whispered, looking down at the table, "I- I don't know what to do... I mean, she made me move that last time I made friends with someone she didn't approve of... I don't want to leave. I don't want to leave you." Sighing deeply, you shut your eyes, tears burned behind them as you finished, "It hurts, Eddie."

Silence filled the air between you two. A minute passed before you heard a sigh escape his lips. Opening one eye, you glanced up at Eddie, his brows furrowed in frustration. Leaning forward again, you watched as he reached out, brushing his hand across your cheek; wiping away the lone tear that managed to escape your eye.

"Y/N..."

"And- And, I don't care what she thinks." You whispered, shaking your head. "I just dont- I don't know what I'd do without you." You admitted, sniffling slightly as you stared at him; your brown eyes meeting his chocolate ones.

The corner of his mouth curved upward, a genuine grin spreading across his face, "I don't know what I'd do without you, babe." As he spoke these words, he brought your hand up to his lips, placing a soft kiss on the center of your palm. "You make this shit town a whole lot better."

You blinked a few times, noticing how close you and Eddie were to each other, your cheeks flushed as your heart started racing once more. Licking your suddenly dry lips, you opened your mouth slightly, but no sound came out.

Eddie's eyes were trapped as he observed every detail in your face. The slight hint of your freckles, cheeks, and back to your bright, shimmering eyes; your lashes still wet from your prior tears. His half-lidded gaze then flickered down to your lips, and his tongue traced his bottom lip nervously. As Eddie's gaze lingered on your lips, a mix of emotions swirled in his eyes. Unbeknownst to you, Eddie had always harbored a special adoration for you ever since the night you both met at that dreadful party that you'd been dragged to. He had never met anyone like you before.

His heart would flutter every time you bantered back and forth and the way you would shyly smile in his presence only fueled his hidden affections. In those stolen moments where your eyes met and sparks seemed to fly, Eddie couldn't help but wonder if you felt the same way, buried beneath the layers of playful teasing and genuine friendship.

As you sat there, hand in hand, Your breath hitched as the atmosphere between you and Eddie crackled with an undeniable tension as you sat there, the weight of unspoken words lingering in the air. In a moment of daring courage, you both leaned in, hearts pounding in sync, unsure of what the next second would bring.

As your lips drew closer, a mix of nerves and anticipation enveloped you. Eddie's gaze softened, his usually mischievous eyes now filled with a vulnerability that mirrored your own. The world seemed to fade away, leaving just the two of you, suspended in a moment that felt both surreal and inevitable.

And then, in a flutter of breath and hesitancy, Eddie's nose brushed the side of yours, his hot breath caressing your cheeks. Your hand shook slightly as you brushed the tips of your fingers against his cheek, your eyes fluttered as your lips met in the middle; your hearts beating frantically in unison.

Your lips moved together slowly, gently moving against each other as you both explored the taste of each other, each moment was perfect. Every sensation, every smell, every sound seemed amplified. It felt like you were floating in a bubble of bliss, forgetting about everything but each other.

Pulling away, you kept your eyes shut as you pressed your forehead against his, feeling his bangs brush against your eyelashes, a giddy smile finding its way to your features, “Were you serious when you said you give me more of your shirts?”

Eddie chuckled lightly, “If it means I get to kiss you again, then sure.” He mumbled against your lips as his left hand cupped your cheek, his thumb caressing your skin.

You smiled, pressing a soft kiss to his nose before pulling away slightly, your eyes gazing into each other. "Can I have that other Metallica one? The one with the electric chair?" Excitement was clear in your voice as Eddie chuckled, nodding his head, you grinned widely, your eyes sparkling with happiness. 

"Look at you…” He muttered, seeing your smile before answering your question, “But, of course." He winked, causing your smile to widen as he leaned forward, his mouth barely grazing over yours, "Anything for you." He murmured before closing the distance between the two of you once again.

~~~

"Are you sure about this, babe?" Eddie asked, his hands holding the steering wheel tightly, driving his van in the next town over from Hawkins. "I mean, you don't have to do this just to piss off your mom." 

"I'm not just doing this," You shrugged a shoulder, glancing over at him from the passenger seat, "Don’t you remember me telling you how much I’ve wanted one when we first met?”

"Do I remember?" Eddie asked himself, a small grin growing on his face as he glanced over at you, your eyes meeting his before he turned back to the road, "The way you looked at me when you saw my tattoos... How your eyes lit up, and the smile that crossed your face... The way your lips parted... The way they looked so soft..." Eddie trailed off, "Yeah, no... I don't think I remember." Eddie shook his head as you felt your cheeks burn from his words, making you shake your own head, biting your lip. Oh, how he teased you...

Watching as the many trees passed by, you hummed before continuing, "It sounds like you weren't even paying attention." You answered, amused, resting your elbow on the van's door armrest, holding your head up by the palm of your hand. 

Eddie smirked, "Maybe I was too caught up in you to listen to what you were saying," He countered, raising an eyebrow as he glanced over at you for a brief moment, watching as you rolled your eyes, amused.

"If that's true then I doubt you've been listening to anything I have been saying. I swear I have to snap you out of staring at me every five seconds, Eds." You laughed lightly, your eyes falling back on the window as you continued humming under your breath.

"Not my fault you're so beautiful that I can't take my eyes off you, baby." He muttered flirtatiously.

"Shut up," You giggled, throwing your head back against the van's headrest, "You’re making me blush!"

Eddie didn't say another word, a large grin on his face as he pulled up to the familiar tattoo parlor. 

As you unbuckled yourself from the passenger seat, Eddie quickly got out and rounded around the front of the van. Opening the passenger side door, Eddie dipped into a low bow, stretching his free hand out to the side as he gave you a grin, "My lady," He spoke in a rather posh voice.

Placing a hand on your chest, you placed your free hand on top of his as you batted your eyelashes mockingly, pretending to gasp, "Oh, my," You spoke, mimicking him, "What a gentleman." You said as you stepped out of the van.

"Only for you." Eddie answered back, your hand staying in his as the both of you began to walk to the front, glass door.

As you both walked a couple of feet, you stepped up onto one of the curb stops, walking carefully so as not to fall; Eddie's hand in yours, watching you as you stepped toe to toe on the cement block. "What are you thinking of getting?" Eddie then asked, as your eyes stared down at your feet.

"I think I'll keep that as a surprise until this artist friend of yours asks..." You muttered with a small smile, coming to the end of the curb stop, stepping off, and looking up at Eddie as he grabbed the door handle of the parlor door.

"Well then," Eddie opened the door, the bell above it jingling, "I'm excited to find out what it is." Entering the parlor, Eddie waved at the man behind the counter. The man was tall, in his late twenties you assumed, and had a remarkable similarity to Kurt Russell from that 'Escape From New York' movie. "Hey! Chris!" Eddie exclaimed as this 'Chris' just gave Eddie a grin, pressing his palms against the counter.

"Hello, Eddie. Brought a friend, I see." He turned his bluey gaze to you, offering his hand as the two of you stopped before the counter, "Hey, name's Christopher, but you can call me 'Chris,' He spoke as you shook his hand, "I can only assume either of you came to get a tattoo. Unless you missed me." He joked, making Eddie huff, his eyes rolling as he flopped his arm over your shoulder. 

"You assumed correct, Chris," Eddie spoke, pulling you into his side, "My lovely girlfriend wants a tattoo."

Christopher hummed, nodding his head, "Well, you came to the right place." He clapped his hands together once before pressing them back against the counter before him, his eyes turning back to you, "What did you have in mind? Flowers, some sort of animal, a quote? I can do practically anything."

You just smiled, your mind already picturing the tattoo image that you had in mind. "I want bats." You answered simply, the side of your face burning as Eddie's head turned swiftly to stare at you wide, surprised - and in awe - eyes. 

Chris's grin curled into a mischievous one as he quickly glanced at Eddie and back to you, "Bats... Hmm, yeah, I can do that. Let me quickly come up with a sketch." He then spoke, sitting down in the chair behind the counter and pulling out a small sketch pad and pencil.

Eddie just continued staring at you, "Bats..." He muttered softly, "You want bats?" His question was filled with disbelief.

You shrugged a shoulder, your hand coming up to hold his hand from your shoulder, "I like bats."

"You like my bats," He whispered proudly, emphasizing on the third word as you smiled coyly.

"I love your bats," You repeated teasingly, squeezing his hand in yours before releasing it to reach up and push a strand of hair behind his ear, "I feel like you should've seen this coming."

Eddie just huffed, raising his free hand to grab yours from his hair, cupping your hand to his cheek; continuing to stare at you adoringly as he nuzzled his cheek into your palm. "I thought you were going to get something from that movie you like or something..."

"Hmm," You hummed, your thumb brushing against the soft skin of the apple of his cheek, your eyes drifting, spotting the little freckles that were dotted there, "That might be a good second tattoo idea."

"You really got the key to my heart, babe," Eddie spoke, his voice sounding full of what you could only think was a deep sense of love as his warm brown orbs gazed into yours, causing you to let out a small giggle, your thumb rubbing circles around his cheek.

"And you got mine, Eds." You mumbled as his eyes dropped to your lips, just a mere breath away until Christopher popped his head up from his sketch pad.

"Sorry to interrupt," He grinned, his mischievous eyes gleaming, standing from his chair as the two of you pulled away from each other slightly; Eddi's arms still wrapped around your shoulders. "What do you think of this?" Chris then asked, showing you the sketch he had gone, and immediately, your eyes widened, as did your smile.

"It's perfect!" You cheered, feeling a rush of excitement run through you as you stared down at the sketch. It was of Eddie's bats, drawn the same, but flying in a slightly different pattern; more horizontal. It was perfect and you couldn't wait for the masterpiece to be permanently printed onto your skin.

Chris pulled the sketchbook back, "Great, you two lovebirds can follow me to the chair." He spoke, as he led you and Eddie to his station.

As you walked, you took that time to look around the parlor, seeing the walls covered in posters and framed art depicting different types of tattoos. The room was bright, but not blinding and everything was done in black, white, and gray tones. Taking a seat on the later chair, Chris slid over another wheely chair, the same as his, for Eddie to sit on as he gathered his needed materials from a separate room. 

Eddie held your hand as you laid your arm on the chair's armrest, gently squeezing your hand as you continued to look around the room at all the different tattoo designs. "Are you excited?" He asked, watching as your eyes flickered from design to design, a smile still on your face.

"So excited. But I'm still nervous. I'm trying not to think about the needle."

"Hmm, yeah," He hummed, following your line of sight, "I'll be here the whole time. You know that you can take a break at any time. Just let him know."

"I know," You nodded, looking over at him, "But I can do this. I mean, I've been waiting for this ever since I was twelve."

"I know," Eddie mimicked you softly as Chris came back over with the tattoo gun and inks needed. 

Setting the items down on the table, Chris grabbed some gloves, sliding them on, "Alright, where did you plan to have it?"

"Right here," You gestured to just below your collarbone, and Chris nodded as he got the items ready on the tin tray beside him, organizing them.

"Alright, I just want to let you know that it might be painful, or it might not. Some people say it just feels like someone scratching the same spot over and over, and some don’t, so I just wanted to warn you about that." He spoke, opening the ink bottles and pouring a couple of drops into a small, plastic cup, "I try and make this as pleasant of an experience as possible for everyone who comes in. So if you need a break, you can take it. If you need a snack, I got a mini fridge, and if you need me to change the radio station, I bet Eddie will go and change it for you." He finished, before twisting his wrist, warming it up. "Are you ready to begin?" 

You nodded, "Yeah."

~~~

The tattoo was perfect. You thought it was gorgeous. And when Eddie first saw it after Chris was done, his first word was, ‘Wicked.’

Seven little bats decorated your soft skin, and even though you had gone through a lot of pain to get them, it was incredibly worth it. Chris and Eddie were right, and it did hurt, but not as much as you thought it was going to hurt. Your mother, after you had told her of your wish to one day get a tattoo and tattoos in general. She said that it was a way of signing your soul over to the devil. That was the reason your mother moved you away to Hawkins, your mother found out that a friend of yours had a tattoo. But nothing she said really deterred you from wanting a tattoo. 

And four months later, you sat in your room with Eddie, a movie randomly playing on your small television across your bed, whilst you read a book and Eddie's head leaned on your shoulder. He was staring at the TV, not fully paying attention to it as he played with the fraying hem of your shirt... That you stole from him. 

You continued to read, your book taking you to a far-off world with elves, wizards, and hobbits. Eddie had recommended the 'Lord Of The Rings' series, letting you borrow his set, and you couldn't have been happier. You were in the second book, almost near the end; you couldn't put it down. Even though it was long, and the author really liked to describe anything and everything, you enjoyed how easily you seemed to fall into the fantasy world of Middle Earth.

Sighing, Eddie scooted impossibly closer to you, growing a bit bored. His hands were tingling slightly with the want and need to do something, anything. He wished he had his baby with him. His other baby. While you were reading, he could've been practicing a few songs, but his visit to your house for the first time was not planned.

You had told him that your mother was going out to play Scrabble with a few friends for the night, and that she wouldn't get back until pretty late. So, you took Eddie to your place. You were excited to finally show Eddie your room. Even though it wasn't anything like his, Eddie still loved it. 

When he walked in, he knew it was your room. Your desk was pushed off to the side, near the window. Folders, notebooks, and other various items were neatly placed there. The shelves that contained your many, many books were on the other wall, next to your closet door. The bed looked comfortable too; with a plush, fuzzy faux-fur blanket that covered your gray sheets, accompanied with gray pillowcases on your pillows. 

Your room was nice, open, and bright. And it made Eddie feel calm; safe. 

Letting out a dramatic sigh this time, Eddie pushed himself up slightly, lifting and turning his head to press his nose into your shoulder, his eyes staring at what he could see of the side of your face with sad, puppy dog eyes. 

"Bored?" You asked softly, thumbing the page over. 

Eddie pouted, "Yeah… How could you tell?"

"This is the ninth time you sighed in... Oh, I don't know... Ten minutes." You spoke glancing at the circular clock on the wall and down at him before back at your book. "Just let me get done with this chapter and I'm all yours."

"Okay..," Eddie sighed, watching as you continued to read, his fingers returning to play with the hem of your shirt.

After about five minutes, or what felt like hours for Eddie, he started to become restless again. Shaking his socked left foot side to side from where it lay on your bed, he curled his fingers around your arm, his nose occasionally rubbing your shoulder as he started to hum the tune of 'Fade To Black.' Shuffling up again, the slight movement caused his hands to move down on your long-sleeved shirt; unintentionally pulling the collar of your shirt down a little. 

Immediately, Eddie's eyes were glued to the bit of black ink poking out from beneath the stretched collar of your shirt. His finger moved upwards, lightly tracing the outline of what he could see of the bat, his pout quickly turning into a small grin. Unable to really help himself, Eddie felt himself being drawn towards it. As if it was calling out to him. Before getting it, you had told Eddie millions of times how much you loved his tattoos, all of them, but especially his bats. 

He probably had a small inkling - or suspicion - that you had plans to get something similar, but he never gave it a second thought, until now. You loved his tattoo so much that you got one like his permanently tattooed onto your skin. You loved him so much that you got something that reminded you of him... Permanently tattooed onto your perfect skin, and somehow he could barely breathe.

Letting out a shallow breath, Eddie leaned down, pressing a soft, lingering kiss to the top of the bat's wing, what he could see just peeking out from the collar of your shirt. It was enough of a distraction, for him to not notice when your hand paused in the air, millimeters away from flipping to the next page. Pressing his warm face into the equally warm skin of the crook of your neck, Eddie sighed; finally feeling the fast beating of your heart against his cheek.

"You're killing me, Eddie." You huffed, shutting your book and setting it on the bedside table before looking over at what you could see of Eddie; his face still dug into your shoulder. "You're acting way too cute." You chuckled, reaching up to run a hand through his hair, breaking away small knots.

His nose bumped against yours as he raised his face from your shoulder, an innocent smile on his face, "What do you mean? I'm always cute."

"That's true," You agreed, moving forward and pressing a sweet, short kiss to his lips. "Now," You pulled away slowly, placing a small amount of space between the two of you, "What do you want to do? Since you're so bored."

"Well," He grinned mischievously, "I have a few ideas."

Tilting your head to the side slightly, "Really?" You questioned with a raised eyebrow, feeling your stomach twist as his eyes glanced down at your awaiting lips for a moment, "Care to share?"

"Mmhm." Eddie hummed, his hand raising to cup your cheek, his thumb brushing against your bottom lip, before cupping the back of your neck, bringing your face ever closer to his; allowing his gaze to drift down and down until his eyes landed on your mouth once more.

Before either of you could continue, a sudden knock on the bedroom door brought both of you back to reality; your door opening and revealing your mother. She had come home early.

Your eyes widened as you sat bolt upright in bed. Eddie shot up beside you, his eyes wide as well, as your mother's jaw dropped, her eyes widening in shock before they turned into eyes of pure anger.

"Y/N!" She yelled, making you flinch as she turned her eyes to Eddie, "And you! Devil boy! Out of my house, you spawn of Satan!" 

Eddie hopped up from your bed, grabbed his shoes, and hastily slipped them on. You stood up from the bed as well, your mother's eyes stared at him like a hawk, all the while Eddie couldn't help but grin. You moved over to the window, pushing the pane up as Eddie almost strutted over. 

Despite what was happening, you couldn’t help but admire him.

Shrugging on his leather jacket, he gave you a quick kiss on the cheek, making your worried expression turn into a loving smile. "Bye, babe."

"Bye, Eds." You breathed deeply as your mother rushed over.

"No! No! Get out, Devil boy! Out!" He waved a pointy finger as Eddie slipped out of your window, landing on the lower side roof and down to the ground. Once he was out of sight, your mother turned to you; a sliver of fear rolled down your spine as her eyes glared daggers at you, her arms crossed. "And you, young lady, are in very big trouble." She seethed, "I told you- I forbade you from ever speaking to that boy again! And you have the nerve- the- the audacity to bring him into my home! To have him in your room! You- you- you-" She began, stuttering over her words angrily, her hand waving in the air by her face; her cheeks were red. As she continued to stutter, her eyes glanced down, seeing the hint of black against your skin. She paused, frozen before she reached out and pulled the collar of your shirt slightly, just enough to see one of the bats that was etched onto your skin peeking out from under your shirt. "Is that..." She raised her free hand, licking her thumb before rubbing the bat; whatever it was, it didn't fade, or spear... It didn't come off. She pulled away, "You... That devil child has infected you!" She cried angrily.

You swallowed nervously as she continued to talk, your mind running over every possible way you could get out of this emotionally and mentally unscathed, "Mom. I am an adult. I can get a tattoo-"

Her eyes flashed dangerously, "Stop right there. Don't you dare say another word." She growled, "He has brainwashed you. He took you and corrupted your mind, and you will pay dearly for it." 

You watched as your mother stalked away, "Mom..." You spoke, but she ignored you, reaching for your phone sitting on your bedside table, "Mom!" You cried out, watching as she reached for the cord of your phone and yanked it straight out of the wall.

Jaw dropped, and you continued to watch as she collected your phone into her arms before turning to you, "You will not get your phone back until I deem it suitable. I may regret this, but I will give you one last chance. I rather like this town. I would be upset to leave it so soon." She spoke before leaving your room, shutting your door behind her. 

Huffing out a breath, you felt your eyes burn. The tears threatened to spill from their confines as you turned towards your bed, dropping yourself onto it, letting the tears finally fall.

Eddie stood in front of the bathroom mirror, his hands gripping the counter edge tightly as he stared down at the counter itself. He wanted to call you, see how you were doing, and cheer you up like he always knew how to, but he knew that it would be too risky.

So, he stood, his fingers tapping the underside of the counter as he thought. He wished things were different, and he wished that your mother didn't hate him. But everyone hated him, and he wished that he was used to it. But you didn't hate him. Not even close. He needed you, he needed your support and encouragement, he needed your love and warmth; just as much as you needed him.

He sighed, sliding down onto the floor, and leaning his back against the bathtub; the cold surface chilling his back. Closing his eyes, he tilted his head back against the rim of the tub, letting out a sigh. 

~~~

Your mother watched you like a hawk for the next couple of weeks. Everywhere you went with her, she was close beside. And she followed you wherever you went; store, arcade, everywhere. Everyone you spoke to, she would know about. It was like she was everywhere. But, she wasn't.

She couldn't go to the high school, no matter how much she tried to convince the Principal to let her. 'My daughter is in danger,' she would plead, only for the Principal to reply with, 'There is nothing to worry about.' Nothing to worry about? Your mother was fuming. You wondered how she would’ve done it either way, since she had a job and all.

And so, the only time you could see Eddie was during the school day, which was less time than you liked. You didn't share any of the same periods, and could only see him during the couple of minutes before class, during the half an hour lunch, and the few minutes after school before you had to walk home. Your mother even forced you to quit your 'Drama Club,' which was actually the Hellfire Club.

Sitting on the picnic bench out in the woods, the same bench you and Eddie shared your first kiss - and many more - you leaned against Eddie's shoulder. Lunch had started less than ten minutes ago, Eddie had eaten some of the fries and drank his chocolate milk, but you had hardly touched yours at all. You hadn't touched anything all morning; you simply pushed the plate of mush around. You could feel Eddie's curious glances burning into the side of your face as he looked down.

"You gotta eat, baby." He moved his arm, wrapping it behind you, his hand rubbing up and down on your arm, "Come on, take a bite." He cooed softly, leaning down a little bit so that his nose brushed against your cheek. You shook your head quickly, pushing your plate of untouched food away from you, "Y/N." His voice came out in barely more than a whisper.

Taking a deep breath, you opened your mouth to speak, "I will for you." You muttered, reaching out and grabbing the sweet roll from your tray, "Only for you."

"That's my girl." Eddie brought you closer to his side, pressing a kiss to your temple. "I know life is pretty shitty right now, but we can get through this. I promise you, once we graduate, we will get out of this town."

You humphed softly, a small smile growing on your lips, "If you graduate," You teased lightly, making Eddie gasp in faux offense; his free hand coming up to his chest.

"If I graduate? Baby, 86' is my year." He winked, causing you to giggle a little, making his smile grow bigger. You rested your head back against his shoulder, the two of you contentedly eating your food.

After a moment, you paused, "What if we left now..?" You shook your head on his shoulder as Eddie paused his own eating, "Nevermind. Silly question."

"Not silly at all." Eddie spoke, the both of you being brought back to the night you met at that party, "Not silly at all." He repeated, thoughtfully.

~~~

Your mother came home from work on an early Wednesday evening, dropping her purse and keys down on the table near the door as she slipped off her heels. "Y/N! Dear, I'm home!" She called out, checking in the living room, but not finding you there. Walking to the kitchen, passing the dining room, she called out again, "Did you take the beef out like I asked?" Entering the kitchen, the beef was not out on the kitchen counter, and the dishes in the sink were unfinished. Letting out a deep, irritated sigh, she moved to the stairs, placing her hand on the banister, "Y/N!?" With no answer again, she quickly made her way up the stairs, entering the hall, and pushing your door open. 

She gasped, seeing your walls stripped of your posters, your shelves empty of your books, and your bed coverings missing from your bed. Rushing to your closet, she slammed it open, finding empty hammers in your empty closet before doing the same with your dresser; empty. She ran a hand through her hair, her body turning, and her eyes surveying the room with haste. Where were you? Where did you go? Were you with that boy? Damn...

Hearing the sound of a van pulling into the driveway, and a door opening, she ran to your open bedroom window that faced the street, her hands held onto the windowsill with a death-like grip, her eyes wide with anger and shock as you hopped out of the van; Eddie's van. Speaking of the Devil boy, he came around from the other side of the van, his arm looping over your shoulders. You just stared up at your mother with a triumphant grin, crossing your arms, and jutting out your hip.

Your mother stood stunned and speechless as she watched you uncross your arms, you then placed them to the side of your head, your pointer fingers pointed up; mimicking horns as you stuck out your tongue at her. Eddie watched you, a proud grin on his face - flattered - admiring you proudly.

Her expression quickly changed, becoming filled with fury, while Eddie gave your mother a grin, waving his hand. "Goodbye, Mrs. L/N!"

Your mother watched as you and Eddie then started to get back in the van, and finally, she spoke, "Y/N! Get back here this instant! If you get in that van, you are no longer my daughter!" She exclaimed angrily but only watched as the van's engine started up and the two of you sped away down the street.

You laughed in the passenger seat, throwing your head back against the headrest, Eddie glancing over at you with a smile; laughing along with you, happy to see you so happy.

You sighed as you calmed down, feeling adrenaline rush throughout your veins as you ran a hand through your hair before you turned to look at Eddie; resting your elbow on the middle console, palm resting on your cheek.

"So," You began, your smile never dwindling as you gazed up at Eddie, "Where are we going to go?" You asked, excitement filling up your heart.

Eddie shrugged, glancing over at you with a matching grin, having a double take when he saw your smile. You looked beautiful… As always. The setting sun was shining on you, bathing you in the most perfect light. His smile softened, "Look at you..." He muttered, "You're all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed." He finished before he reached over the center console, and grabbed your other hand in his. Bringing it to your lips, he pressed a gentle, yet loving kiss to the top of your knuckles, keeping his eyes on the road.

"Look at me..." You replied, your voice taking a soft tone, a warm smile playing on your lips. 

---

Main Masterlist | Stranger Things Masterlist

[castielswap]

Okay, but you know how at some concerts the artist will play a surprise song? What if, and hear me out, at BroZone concerts, they would play surprise solo songs.

So, at some point in the set, they take a pause. Thank the fans for coming out, for showing out, and then they interact with the crowd a bit. Think either 5SOS hyping up the crowd or Niall Horan reading fan signs.

Then the lights go down, and the crowd goes silent in anticipation because they know what's about to go down. They have a 1/5 chance of getting their fave BroZone bro to sing a solo song, and it's completely random.

Who knows how they even decide who gets to sing a solo. Maybe they play rock, paper, scissors? Or draw straws? The point is that it has to be completely random, and they decide right before each show. Just to make it fair.

Once the lights go back up and it's just one bro on the stage, it doesn't matter which bro it is. The crowd goes absolutely apeshit. Every. Single. Time. Even when it's not their favorite bro, because they know that the solo vocals are going to serve.

JD singing something like Dial Drunk by Noah Kahan. Bruce would definitely serve some love song type of vibe like All of Me by John Legend. Honestly, I'm not sure about Clay, but I like Dreams I see by Kid Cudi, so 🤷🏻‍♂️ Floyd is giving alternative so as much as I love Troye 🙂‍↕️ I got give him Love is Embarrassing by Olivia Rodrigo. Branch would 100% bring out Poppy and sing a duet, no doubt. I'm thinking Lover but the Niall Horan version ft. Fletcher. Or Older with Luke Hemmings ft. Sierra.

I'm just rambling at this point, but god, I can't 😭 I got so many headcanons for these little guys.

[braidlottie]

give me a call if you ever get desperate.

pairing: mommy!lottie x transmasc!reader

summary: after a long day at the compound, lottie gives you a call to relieve some of her stress.

tags: smut, nsfw, 18+ (minors dni), phone sex!!!,,, mommy kink, vibrator, fingering, masturbation, the use of “mommy’s boy/good boy/little boy”, mommy!lottie bein soft as always :p

wc: 983

taglist: @antlerbf @deerlottie @theyellowjacketschewtoy @girltwinklater @kessellluvr @lotties-ashwagandha

title inspired by one of your girls by troye sivan

it was just any random night. you were on the couch, your feet kicked up, playing some video games. you were waiting for lottie to get home. which seemed like forever.

she said she would be late today, but you didn’t think “10 pm” late. your phone rang on the other side of the couch, and you stretched to grab it.

it was lottie. you smiled, pressing the green phone button and holding it up to your ear.

“hi, mommy.”

“hi, darling.” you knew she was smiling on the other side. “miss you.” you pouted, pausing your game. “i miss you too, my sweetheart. we’ve had some new people join the community and i’m completely swarmed with paperwork. that's why i had to come in so early this morning.”

“i’m sorry.”

“oh, don't be, darling. it’s not your fault. just, tell me about your day. i need to get my mind off of this for a little while.”

“i slept in and woke up at 12, then i ordered pizza, and i’ve been one the couch ever since. playing video games.” your eyes drifted to the pizza box on the coffee table, a few slices that you left for lottie in case she was hungry when she got back.

“well, that sounds fun. better than the day i’ve had.”

there was silence for a moment before lottie spoke again. “i bet you look so adorable right now. what are you wearing?” she questioned, her voice low and scratchy. you scoffed playfully, your cheeks burning. “uh, just a white tee and those new sweats you bought me. and some socks.”

“no underwear?”

you tipped your head back and groaned, smiling bashfully at the ceiling. “stopppp. you know what i mean.”

“i’m just messing, baby.” you heard some background noise on the phone before lottie spoke again. “you should take those pants off for me.”

“mommy...”

“do as mommy says, sweetheart.” the switch to her mommy voice was turned on now, and you knew it wasn’t turning off any time soon. raising your hips off the couch, you pulled down your sweats with your free hand, just to your ankles. “they’re off.”

“that’s my good boy.”

your briefs were getting a little too tight, sticking to your cunt as you got wetter (and harder) for your mommy. “i want you touch yourself for a little while. can you do that for mommy, sweetheart?”

“yeah..” you put lottie on speaker mode before you brought the pads of your fingers to the small tent in your briefs, rubbing the cloth-covered head in little circles. a shiver went down lottie’s spine when she heard you whine. your whines got louder and once your hands went into your boxers. “oh- fuck, mommy.”

“that’s it, such a good fucking boy. mommy’s boy.” she got up and locked her office door, feeling herself getting aroused by your sweet little moans. “why don’t you go get your new toy, hmm? that’ll get you to cum so hard for mommy.”

“mm.. okay, mommy.” you left the phone on the couch, taking off your the rest of your clothes before going to the bedroom and grabbing your vibrator and coming back to the living room, this time, laying back on the couch with your legs spread and stretched out. without even telling lottie you were back, you clicked on the buzzing toy and rested it on your t-dick, gasping at the feeling.

“keep making those pretty little noises for mommy.” lottie’s hand pulled her kaftan open, taking it off and hanging it on her chair, finally rubbing her throbbing, aching clit, letting out a desperate moan. “mommy?” you couldn’t believe she was touching herself at work.

“oh baby, mommy just couldn’t help herself. you sound so sweet. it was driving me crazy.” she let out another moan that was a little higher than the last. she shut her eyes, just picturing the thought of you rocking your hips against that vibrator-

“mm- mommy, ’m gonna cum.” you turned the toy to the highest speed, your back arching off the couch. “wait for me baby. mommy’s so close.” you knew lottie’s panties were soaked, you could hear the squelching noise of her wetness as her fingered herself. “mommy, please…”

“oh, i know.. i know, baby boy. is it hard? is it so hard without mommy there to help you, huh?”

you whined, tears pricking in your eyes. you were nodding when you realized lottie couldn’t see your reply. “y-yes. i need you. i’m gonna- fuck.” your breathing was fast and sharp, letting lottie catch up to you. “hold it for me, darling, you’re doing so good. mommy’s getting so close.”

your poor little cock couldn’t take the feeling anymore, your brain getting so fuzzy and your stomach filled with butterflies. lottie’s moans made you even needier, wishing she was next to you instead of 30 minutes away at work.

“shit- i’m cumming, baby. cum with mommy.”

the two of you released simultaneously, your moans clashing together. it was music to your ears.

after the climax, it was silent expect you the sounds of heavy breathing. you threw the toy on the carpeted floor, turning over on your stomach. “you okay, baby?” lottie was trying to collect herself as well. you hummed, burying your head into a throw pillow.

“feeling sleepy?”

your eyes fluttered shut, smiling contently. lottie could read you like a book, even when she couldn’t see you. “nuh uh.”

“i know you are, my baby. i’ll leave the rest of this work for later.” you heard her gathering her things. “i need to see my little boy. think you’ll still be awake when i get back?”

you opened one eye to stare at the phone. “maybe not.” you slurred, lottie’s chuckle faint. “i love you, good boy.”

“love you too, mommy.” you mumbled sleepily, lottie hanging up so you could get some rest.

[enkas-illusion]

One of Your Guys

One of Your Guys - Part 1/3

Fandom / Pairing: Jujutsu Kaisen / Choso x f!reader

Rating: NSFW/Explicit - MINORS DO NOT INTERACT

Content Warning: Fluff, kissing, language, hurt/comfort, slight make out

Chapter Summary: You rant to your friend Choso about your crush and things take an unexpected turn when he confesses something that catches you off guard.

Author's Note: Hello, this is my first attempt at a short story. All characters are in their mid 20s. This is a pure cheesy, sappy, in-your-feelings vibe condensed into a 3-part story. If you enjoy it, feel free to like, reblog or comment; I’d love to know your thoughts. Thank you for reading! 

~ Eren's Birdie

Song Dedication: One Of Your Girls by Troye Sivan

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

“I really hate to be that person but… I told you so.” 

You look at your friend with narrowed eyes, fighting the urge to roll them at him. If you knew you were in for a talking-to when you called Choso over to rant about the shit-show that you call your love life, you would’ve reconsidered it.

His face shows no sympathy for his poor heartbroken friend as he leans against your kitchen counter with his hands crossed at his chest. And rightly so, why would he anyway? Afterall, he’d told you to confess your feelings to your crush before it was too late and now here you are, admitting that ‘too late’ had arrived sooner than you’d expected.

“I know but I was scared of ruining our friendship, okay?” You sigh as your shoulders slump down. He simply shrugs at you as he walks towards the microwave when it beeps. His back is turned to you and a few seconds pass as you observe him following the usual routine.

You wonder whether making hot chocolate can be fixed into one's muscle memory. In that moment, you believe it might as well be the case for Choso as he takes the hot milk out, pulling the spoon out of the drawer while simultaneously grabbing the cocoa container from the shelf above him.

You want to laugh at how ridiculous it all seems. It’s not just the ritual of making hot chocolate, but the ranting sessions along with it that have turned into a daily occurance. How many times have you made your poor friend listen to you crib about your unrequited, unnoticed love for your best friend, Satoru?

In your defence, Choso was the one who’d initially annoyed you to death to get the info out of you. The genius that he is, Choso had figured out that you liked Satoru based on the way you interacted with the latter at a common friend’s house party. If someone were to ask Choso, he would tell them that your eyes would quite literally turn into heart shapes whenever Satoru talked to you.

“I’m sure you’d understand how I’m feeling if you were in my shoes.” you add as he stirs the spoon in the mug. He stills for a split second before continuing the movement. 

“Chosoooo say somethin-” you trail off when he turns around to look at you as if he’s fed up with your bullshit.

He walks towards you and hands you one of the mugs before making his way to the living room. You mutter a small ‘thank you’ as you follow behind him. When you’re settled on the sofa, you sit with your legs folded on the seat to face him as he leans back on the opposite end.

As he takes a few sips of his hot chocolate, he can see your brain working overtime to come up with a summary to explain all that you’re currently feeling. He almost finds your struggle to speak up adorable, when usually you always have 10 things to say and then some more.

“Fine, tell me exactly what he said.” Choso breaks the silence to give you an opening.

Your eyes soften with relief at his statement as you take a sip from your mug, “So… yesterday Satoru had invited me to a common friend’s house party but I had declined since I wanted to sleep the weekend away. And when I woke up in the morning, I opened Instagram to scroll a bit as usual and saw Satoru had added to his close friends’ story. I figured it’d be the usual party snaps… I was already feeling the fomo of not going so I clicked on it right away… and what do you know??? THE FIRST FUCKING PHOTO is of this pretty girl on his lap and he’s kissing her cheek. I swear it felt like my heart had dropped to my stomach.” you pause to take a few sips.

“Wait so based on a single snap, you assumed he’s dating her?” Choso frowns, visibly confused.

“No, of course not! Since Satoru often does get touchy like that with me as well, I did not want to assume so I replied to the story. I said something on the lines of ‘congrats on getting the girl big man, don’t forget about me though ahahaha.’”

This time you pause to observe Choso’s expressions and he’s visibly cringing hard. “Don’t say it… I’m aware how pathetic it is.” you pout as you fidget with a thread that’s sticking out of the sofa pillow. 

Choso swats your hand away to stop your fidgeting before he gently squeezes one of your feet with his free hand that isn’t holding his mug. “Poor baby,” he teases as he rubs circles over your skin, “Go on, I promise I won’t tease you.”

“Well, he read that within seconds and I got a call from him. He sounded a bit reserved at first as he broke the news to me… apparently, they’d been talking to each other for about a month… I had no idea,” you take a deep breath as it pains you to say the next sentence, “Last night, Satoru kissed her and confessed his feelings. Turns out she feels the same way for him so now they’re together. I said congratulations and cut the call… he sounded so happy.”

You turn your face to avoid Choso’s gaze, trying hard not to let the tears slip from your eyes. He moves closer to you as he places both of your mugs on the coffee table. He pulls you by your wrists, guiding your arms around his waist as his own wrap around your shoulders. As your face rests on his chest, you start sobbing silently.

“Shhh, it’s okay, it’ll pass.” he tries to console you, brushing his fingers through your hair.

“What if I don’t want it to pass? I should be happy that the man I consider to be my best friend has found such a perfect girl for himself, but here I am, wishing it were me instead. Am I a bad friend for feeling that way?” you look up at him, still teary eyed.

“No, you’re not a bad friend. Your emotions are all over the place because something unexpected has happened. You weren’t anticipating this so you’re hurt and it’s okay to feel sad. You’re here crying in front of me instead of trying to sabotage his relationship or whatever… that is proof enough that you’d rather deal with the hurt than hurt other people.” you sigh as you listen to your friend’s soothing words. 

You rest your head on his shoulder as you close your eyes. Choso rubs your back gently before adding, “You’d only be a bad friend if you refuse to wipe your tears and snot off my t-shirt later. I’m not even kidding, I want this shit washed with that soft fabric conditioner you have, all crisp and ironed to perfection!”

You slap him where your hands were resting on his lower back, causing him to let out a tiny wail. It causes you to laugh for the first time after having been sad all day long.

Choso moves away, breaking the hug to create some space between as he hands your not-so-hot chocolate back to you. His knuckles rub your cheek to wipe the wet trail that had been left behind by your tears. He opens the palm of his hand to rest it against your cheek gently.

“I know you may not feel like it now, but you’re going to be fine.” he smiles as he reassures you.

You place your hand on top of his as you lean further into his touch, finding it a little too comforting. In an attempt to take the focus away from your problems, you ask him, “Have you ever liked someone who didn’t like you back?”

“Hmm…you.” he nods. You smack his hand away as you sit up straight.

“Choso! Be serious! You never tell me anything about your love life! You’re always joking around.” you complain.

“That’s because there’s nothing there to tell! I tell you about all the other aspects of my life cause they’re much more entertaining than my love life.” he answers with a tone of sincerity. You pout, not convinced.

He rolls his eyes at your persistence and adds, “Well what do you want to hear about? Would you rather have me talk about all the Tinder dates I fuck and never see again?”

You scrunch your face at the crudeness of his words, “Nope.”

“My point exactly… anyway do you want to watch something?” he asks as he grabs the remote. You nod as you both gulp down the remaining of your drinks. You get up and take the mugs to the kitchen to wash them while Choso scrolls away on Netflix.

When you return to sit next to him, his arm grabs your waist to pull you in closer to cuddle as he presses play. You rest your head on his shoulder as it begins. When you realise what he’s playing, you tilt your head up to look at him. “Really? Bridgerton?”

“Yeah… and season 2 cause it’s the better one. We literally have the whole evening to binge” he states, unprovoked by your almost condescending tone. You decide not to tease him about it. 

Before you realise it, hours pass by and you’ve binged half of the show. As the characters were introduced, Choso filled you in on the details and it almost felt like you hadn’t missed season 1 at all. There was additional unnecessary commentary that came along with his explanation of plot points, but you weren’t complaining.

Spending time with your friend like this, where the heartache you felt this morning seemed dull in comparison to laughing at his lame jokes, is exactly what you needed to relax. You let the chatter in your brain melt away and instead focus your awareness on the present moment – a task that had almost felt impossible before you’d asked Choso to come over in the afternoon. 

Cuddling so close to him, you notice the smell of his perfume is a lot stronger. You breathe in his scent, a smoky wooden smell with just a tiny hint of something sweet to it. It’s a distinctly familiar scent you’ve grown accustomed to ever since the two of you began cuddling together during your frequent movie nights. The dynamic you shared with Choso was similar to your relationship with Satoru, minus the romantic feelings you had for the latter. 

Choso’s right arm rested around your waist while the other rubbed lazy circles on your knee, whereas your right hand was resting on his chest with your torso leaning into his side. And while there was an unspoken agreement that even cuddling with Choso was platonic; your flatmate, Mia, was certain that it was only a matter of time before something would happen between the two of you.

You’re grateful she’s not at home for the weekend to tease you about tonight. If she saw the two of you right now, the teasing you’d have to endure would be insufferable. You smile to yourself when you think about it.

When you get to the scene where Anthony goes feral over Kate’s scent, you joke about how you feel the same way about Choso’s perfume.

“You like my perfume?” he asks, surprised, making sure he heard you right.

“Always have.” you admit, “I know it’s oud, but what’s the sweet floral scent with it?”

“Jasmine.”

“Oh… I like it. It’s perfect, not too sweet, not too harsh.” you say, trying not to be too obvious as you try to sniff at his t-shirt. Before you get a chance to do so, he leans back and shifts his torso to lean in closer to your neck instead. 

“Are you wearing any right now? I never really noticed your scent.” he speaks softly and you can feel his breath on the side of your neck. You pull back instantly, feeling flustered and hot. You blink a few times before you shake your head side to side. He chuckles as he goes back to his original position, his focus shifting back to the TV. 

Is he seriously oblivious to how close you two just were or does it simply not faze him at all? 

You mentally slap yourself for misinterpreting his seemingly innocent actions. He leans back comfortably with one hand on top of the headrest and you shift back into his embrace. A few minutes pass before his hand behind you moves closer to caress your neck, you feel goosebumps rise on your lower spine as you move away from his touch.

“What?” he asks, confused.

Either this man is an idiot, or he’s fucking with you to rile you up. 

He pauses the show to hear what you have to say. “Don’t do that. It feels… ticklish.” you choose your words wisely. 

“Well, it wasn’t my intent- aww, are you ticklish?” he inquires mischievously as he raises an eyebrow. Before you can answer, he grabs one of your feet as he roughly yanks it, making your back fall flat on the sofa. You let out a shriek as he moves on top of you and cages you between his arms, ready to tickle you. 

You start yelling at him to stop, laughing hysterically as he tickles you. You try pushing him away but fail to do so as his muscular figure leans even closer to yours. You have tears in your eyes from laughing and after a while, you’re basically begging him to stop.

When he finally stops, he looks at you with a smug smile of victory on his face as your laughter slowly dies down. There’s a moment of silence when your eyes meet and you get a strange feeling in your stomach. Maybe butterflies, but possibly anxiety for what your instinct tells you is about to happen.

You notice Choso’s gaze move down to your lips and you mimic him. He involuntarily licks his lips as your breath hitches in your chest. He lowers his head till your faces are just inches away from each other and he gently nudges your nose with his. 

His left hand moves up to the side of your neck and he caresses your jaw with his thumb. You lift your head up at the same time when he leans down and your lips meet. His lips feel plump and wet as you close your eyes. 

Who kissed who first? You wonder but all of your thoughts keep getting lost before they have a chance to rise to the surface. The only thing occupying your mind is the way his lips feel on yours, your skin burning where he’s touching you.

His right hand grips your hip to push it down further into the cushions of the sofa. His hand on your neck moves down to your throat as he chokes you slightly, as if to test the waters. He smiles into the kiss when he hears you moan.

He takes the opportunity to slide his tongue into your mouth. The way his tongue moves has you entranced. His movements feel languid, yet they contain enough force to convey an intense passion. 

Your hands move of their own accord as they make their way to hug his shoulders. He breaks the kiss as his lips leave a trail of quick pecks down your neck. Your head tilts back to give him better access. He sucks on the spot just below your ear and your palms bundle up his t-shirt, creasing the fabric. 

You moan louder than you’d intended to when he bites the spot and his fingers dig into the meat of your thigh. You feel the heat rise to your cheeks as he licks a strip up along the front of your neck. He hooks your leg that he’s holding around his lower back and presses his hips down to grind against yours.

“Fuck… Choso-,” you say, out of breath. You can feel how hard he is through his sweatpants. He lifts his head up and his hair is all messed up, the smaller strands have escaped the bounds of his hair tie and frame his face in a way you can only describe as delicious. He kisses you on the mouth once again and you have to close your eyes shut to regain your composure. 

As much as you don’t want him to stop, you know better than to let the situation escalate even further. Your hands move to his chest and you firmly place them there but don’t push him away. 

Fuck. About time you tell him to stop.

You move your head to the side as you try speaking softly, “Chos-”, but he grabs your face to turn it back to him and bites your lower lip, continuing the kiss. You’re pretty sure he can feel your wetness as he grinds his hips, pressing against you. You groan at how good it feels.

You kiss him back, pulling him impossibly closer by his t-shirt. He pulls your bottom lip with his teeth again before releasing it. “Fuck… baby, you feel so good,” he groans as his hand pulls your t-shirt down and his face moves to your collarbone to leave another hickey. 

“Ahhh… Choso, please,” you moan at his touch. He comes back up again as he stares down at your neck, proud of the light mark he knows is going to turn dark purple later. He kisses you on the lips once again.

Before your desire wins over the rational part of your brain, you press your hands firmly to his chest. He leans back a bit as he understands what you mean. He reluctantly moves away from your face but his hands still hold you in place. His eyes look hazy and full of lust. By the way he looks at you, you’re certain yours don’t look any different either.

So much for not wanting to fuck up another friendship.

“We can’t...” you mumble, but clear your throat to speak up clearly, “Choso, we can’t do this.”

“Why not?” he retorts softly, his thumb moving across your bottom lip. You sigh as you grab his wrist to remove his hand. He moves his hand through his hair to push back the stray strands as he sits back up to create space between you two.

For a split-second, you find yourself missing his warmth before you sit up straight to look at him. You envelop his hand into yours and you hold it like that as he waits for you to speak up.

“This feels strange… I don’t want to make you feel as if I’m just using your body to get over Satoru. It already feels like I’m gonna lose him as my best friend, I don’t want to lose you too…” you trail off as you lower your head with shame. 

“What if I didn't mind you using me to get over your stupid crush?” he replies. It was the last thing you’d expected him to say. Your eyes widen in surprise as you look up at him.

“I think it’s pretty evident that I have a thing for you,” he continues as he looks down at his crotch. Your eyes follow his and you can see the imprint of his hard on over his sweatpants. You look away quickly, not wanting to ogle at the sight.

“It’s just your dick talking…” you almost whisper, not wanting him to hear your accusatory tone. He pulls his hand out of your grasp before running his fingers through his hair once again in frustration. 

You know you hit a nerve when he groans slightly as he speaks up, “Far from it… I’ve liked you for a while now. But you’re so blinded by your crush for that blue-eyed snowflake fuck that you can’t see anyone else. Least someone who can treat you far better than he does. Anyone can tell that you have a crush on him… Satoru knows, your eyes tell, he just conveniently ignores it. I’m not sure why you’re so crazy over him but it hurts me more than I'd like to admit when all you care about is Satoru this, Satoru that. Fuck Satoru! What the fuck is it going to take for you to finally see me?”

You’re speechless. Your brain feels like it has stopped computing altogether. 

What the fuck?

Even if you want to say something, you fall short of the right words. Your lips part to speak but close again. Choso notices this and his jaw tightens. He mumbles a ‘be right back’ as he gets up abruptly and makes his way towards the washroom. 

You’re still sitting in your place when he returns after a few minutes. The edge of his hairline is wet but he’s dried his face. As if washing his face had washed away his agitated state of mind, he looks more composed now.

“Choso..” you get up quickly and walk to him.

“It’s getting late, I better leave. I’m sorry.” he interrupts you. He turns away from you and walks towards the apartment door. You follow behind him quickly as you call out his name again. He knows how much you hate leaving things hanging in a limbo till the next meeting.

He turns around and cups your face with both his hands. They’re cold now. His eyes meet yours as he speaks, “It’s okay… I shouldn’t have sprung that on you like that. You’re going through your own shit. I shouldn’t add more onto it.”

He smiles and leans down to kiss your forehead. You try speaking up but he interrupts you once again. He does not want to give you an opening. He wants to leave things in a limbo tonight. He wants to remember the way your lips felt and not let it be overshadowed by your rejection that came after.

“We’re okay,” he presses and you know he’s not going to listen to you tonight. “Goodnight.”

You put your hands on top of his to hold them in place when you sense him pulling them away. He moves them away regardless and instead squeezes both of your hands. His touch feels so different from how it was just a few minutes ago and you want to cry.

You can’t help but feel as if you’ve ruined your friendship and you feel him slipping away. Maybe you’re being a bit dramatic but he’s being so formal and indifferent that it almost makes you feel sick.

“Hey,” he stops your train of thought, “I’ll see you later, okay?”

No, please stay. You want to say but you don’t dare to. You can’t… not with everything that just happened.

“Goodnight.” you force a smile at him and he squeezes your hands once more before leaving.

You stand there, staring at your closed door for a good few minutes before you turn the TV off completely and retire to your bedroom. Every single scenario and all the endless outcomes play in your head but above everything else, Choso’s confession of his feelings for you plays in your head on loop like a broken record.

You’re still unsure of how you feel about it as you fall asleep an hour later, still thinking about him. You hope in desperation that come morning, you’ll be wiser at deciphering the mess of your emotions a bit better.

MDNI banner: @benkeibear

[manicpixiefelix]

Me projecting but neurodivergent!L/N Siblings who need to decompress after every party or dinner their parents host at the family home. Retreating to the refuge of their bedrooms where they shrug off the uncomfortable clothes, scrub at their faces and hair, flop down on the bed or floor. Listen to music while gazing up at the ceiling, tapped out after forced smiles and pleasantries.

oh my GOD this ended up being 1.8k of pure oliver/felix/reader fluff ft. oliver & reader knowing each other so well they can communicate silently, reader becoming nonverbal after events, and the l/n siblings inviting felix to chill and relax with them in these moments after events because they know he understands and feels a similar kind of pressure to what they go through. also yeah big same on the projecting neurodivergent!L/N Siblings, esp. the reader, because Me Too. this got out of hand lol maybe i should have just published it as a full fic, but i love this au v much. i know including Fi probably wasn't what you expected but........ i had to sorry lol.

but also since this is technically an ask im gonna include a song for the vibe, which is Talk Me Down by Troye Sivan because Blue Neighbourhood will always make me emotional.

The first time Felix ever sees the two of you truly unmask is after one of the smaller gatherings his parents held early that first Summer. He's not quite sure when the shift occurred, but he very quickly became aware of it. Oliver by your side, and usually at least comfortable offering quiet additions to conversations for himself, started to simply murmur his thoughts to you, before finally becoming nonverbal. Somehow you were still able to interpret from the things he didn't say, but you were clearly growing weary too. Oliver gives thin lipped smiles, but at least he's given the grace to appear haughty by your shoulder; your smile never drops, but it doesn't reach your eyes.

For a brief moment that the pair of you have to yourselves, Felix watches a whole conversation pass between you and Oliver from merely a look that you share. You link your pinky with Oliver's, and he perches his chin on your shoulder; a brief moment of relaxation and serenity as you both let your eyes close, tension relaxing for a beat at you press your forehead to his. Felix has the strangest sensation, like he can hear the way you two share an I love you without either saying a single word.

You say good night to all the gathered guests, and Felix family, on behalf of yourself and your brother not too long after Felix witnesses the exchange. You get handshakes and kisses on the cheek, and Oliver makes sure, even if he remains quiet, to give winning smiles and kiss the older, sophisticated ladies on the hand like a true gentleman. Felix tries to ask if you're both alright when you get to him, last of all, and though you both smile, it's not quite believable. At least to him. But he lets you leave.

He makes his own exit soon after. Oliver's room is the closest to his, so it makes the most sense to go there first. At least he'd have some sort of excuse. He goes through his own room first, suit jacket haphazardly tossed on the bed and tie along with it, already unbuttoning several of his buttons to make himself more comfortable. Crossing the bathroom he strides confidently to Oliver's door and knocks.

No answer.

"Ollie, it's me," he says gently, "are you okay, you just seemed a bit -" the door opens very slightly and it's you peering back at him. You're not smiling. You're not... anything. You blink at him. Felix takes a moment to reassess the situation, then you open the door wider and you step back into the room, no longer watching him. Felix feels like he's intruding the minute he realises both you and Oliver have stripped down to your underwear; he's stumbling through apologies, suddenly bashful under Oliver's watchful gaze where he's splayed out on the bed, a tired kind of curiosity in his eyes. But neither of you seem particularly bashful yourselves, nor are you running to cover yourselves.

Felix watches you stretch yourself out on the bed beside your brother, looking up at the ceiling as you blindly reach for a single earphone you know will be waiting where you'd obviously left it on the pillow. He settles himself, tries to remind himself that you'd both let him in on this moment. You close your eyes.

"Is everything okay?" This time the concern is genuine. In this moment, Felix is surprised when Oliver appears to take the lead for you both. For just a moment, he reaches across himself to gently pet your hair.

"What is to give light must endure burning," he says faintly, before turning to Felix with that same, faint but tired smile, "thought you'd know what it's like to be the sun, Felix." And, yes, of course Felix knows what he means... except in situations where comparisons are drawn with the two of you.

Before he can ponder too much, however, you shift on the bed, almost imperceptibly, but Oliver purses his lips.

"I'm not pretentious," he says out loud, and Felix realises it's more for his benefit than yours; he often marvels at the strange, silent way the two of you can so clearly communicate. It happens again; you barely crack your eye open, levelling an indecipherable look at your brother as your lips quirk into the faintest smile. In response, Oliver rolls his eyes and tells you to shut up, though his tone is fond.

Then, after another moment, your gaze lands on Felix. Suddenly he feels it all, the exhaustion, the ache of keeping up appearances, the restrictiveness of the formalwear he's been coaxed into. Everything's too much, and the two of you, window open with a faint breeze, wearing next to nothing and allowing yourselves to just be after the pressure of performing, it sounds fucking heavenly.

"How are you going, Felix?" Oliver asks, following your gaze, almost like he can read Felix's mind. Maybe he can. Maybe that's how the two of you can operate so seamlessly, so unspokenly between each other. Both of you are looking at him now. He feels incredibly overdressed. He laughs awkwardly, but suddenly can't seem to look at either of you. The words get stuck in throat for a moment.

'Thought you'd know what it's like to be the sun, Felix' is what Oliver had said; not feel like the sun. To be the sun. Because you both know how the rest of Felix's life orbits around him, except for the two of you. You've so warped his reality, his own orbit, he's had no choice; Oliver is the moon to your sun, but what does that make him?

Binary stars; Felix is still the sun in his own life, but he could never match your gravity once he's come across you, nor could he escape it.

"Kind of like I'm burning, I guess."

As soon as he says it, he knows it was the right answer. Both you and Oliver shuffle away from each other, making distinct room between you on the bed, an unspoken invitation.

This is one of the big turning points in the relationship, Felix realises as he's undressing, trying to keep his heartbeat under control. He can't believe he's here, that this is really happening; this is nowhere near what he'd expected when he went knocking on Ollie's door.

"What are you listening to?" He asks awkwardly as he makes his way onto the bed from over the foot of it. You, eyes once more closed, pulled the earphones from the iPod by your side. Once you pressed play once more, Felix hears Amy Winehouse croon from the little speakers. He flops on his back between you both and stares up at the ceiling. It's strange, he almost feels like he's waiting for something to happen, though it does feel much freer with the breeze and only in his boxers.

After a beat, you let out a low, contented hum, shuffling closer to Felix, enough that you were able to press your cheek to his shoulder.

"Yeah," Oliver agrees quietly to whatever he'd gleaned from your movement and noises, "'s a lot to be out there in the world sometimes," to which Felix makes a faint noise of agreement. He feels your fingers wrap carefully around his arm, and your face turns to press firmer against his shoulder. Your lips are against his skin when you hum again, and he feels like his whole body lights up with the contact. Oliver, who's head is on the pillow beside Felix, turns to look at him; he's not smiling, but there's fondness in his gaze, unfiltered, so unused to how he usually looks at Felix, "you're always welcome here if you need time like this. We won't tell if you won't."

You nod against Felix's shoulder, Felix feels like he's about to pass out with how hard his heart is beating.

Because he knows you both, has seen you operate together in the world for the better part of a year in person, and years before in the tabloids before that. This exhaustion, this clear detox from an uncomfortable foray into society, is not something the rest of the world is ever allowed to see.

And you're inviting him into it.

Felix falls asleep there, between the two of you, on top of the duvet. It's the best sleep he's had in a very long time.

The next time it happens, he's surprised that you're both already so willing to include him in the routine. Saying goodbye to everyone else at the event, you simply give him a tired smile, and Oliver actually speaks to him directly, rather than through you the way he had been for the past hour, to pointedly wish him good night.

Five minutes later, Felix lets himself into Oliver's room, and finds the two of you, already down to your underwear, sitting cross-legged on the bed as you are gently removing Oliver's concealer and eyeliner with a makeup wipe. You've forgone earphones entirely and there's the tinny sound of some pop-punk band this time. You smile at Felix broadly, giving a little wave.

"I quite like this," Oliver says to you, though loud enough for Felix to hear. You nod in agreement. He has the distinct impression that you're both talking about him joining these moments of yours.

Sometimes things change, like your or Oliver will be sitting up with a cigarette or a book, and have the other's head in your lap, or one of you will be on the floor by the bed, and Felix learns not to worry, that you needed to simply not be touched in that moment. Sometimes that lasts all night, and Felix worries about either of you sleeping on the floor, but you both assure him it's normal.

Felix learns that Oliver likes playing with Felix's hair just as much as he liked getting his hair played with. He learns to identify whose taste in music is whose each time judging by the album chosen. He also learns how clingy you get, and how responsive you are to soothing touches; those are his favourite nights, with Oliver comfortable and content by his side, looking up at the ceiling and enjoying the music, while you're pressed up against Felix's side, head on his chest to listen to the heartbeat he keeps much steadier than he'd been able to that first night. His arm is around you and you have your own slung over him, legs tangled up with his, all but melting into him as he runs his fingers up and down your spine in a soothing, repetitive rhythm. You're practically purring.

These nights are quiet, he doesn't remember the last time any of the three of you spoke after Oliver's quiet aside on that second night. He gets used to the serenity, the lack of expectations, and comes to understand and appreciate just how badly you both need these moments. He doesn't think he needs them in quite the same way, but his head starts to spin when he realises that you both have started needing him there in these moments.

[dwntwn-strnlo]

opia. [m.st.]

── ⟡˙ ̟ matthew sturniolo x !reader

↳ synopsis. — not everyone is going to hurt you

↳ a/n. — this will contain a glossary at the end

↳ requested? — no

↳ cw. — use of 'y/n', crying, mentions of someone walking out of a relationship, unresolved ending, not proofread

walking out of your bedroom, you're met with a knock at the front door. startling your dazed state.

you rub at your eyes, harsher than you had intended. pulling your hands back to leave your vision blurry for several long seconds.

you don't want to answer the door, but you know if you're going to play this 'im fine' role, you can't ignore the gentle tapping.

more hurried knocks ring throughout your living room, finally sending you up to the wooden door. checking yourself in the mirror, you quickly pull your hair out of a claw clip and look through the peephole.

finding matt on the other side, hair wet from the light rain. his face shows worry, and slight panic.

letting out a hushed breath of air, you unlock the door and pull it open.

matts eyes immediately flash to yours, but you look at his car, avoiding his gaze. "are you uh- fuck." he mumbles, running his hands down his face. "I heard what happened with troye."

you shrug, switching your eyes to the ground. staring at the metal piece under the doorframe that separates your home from the world. "im fine. i knew he was gonna leave anyways."

when his breath hitches, you finally meet his eyes. he looks at you with a look that isn't intended to be hurtful, but it does. 'do you think im a dumbass?' his face read. but you aren't surprised that it hurt you. everything's hurt you the last few days.

"can i come in?" he queries, "or do you want space?"

shaking your head, you bite down hard on your lip. meeting his eyes when you unintentionally bring a metallic taste to your tongue. "don't give me space, please." you say softly, "space is that last thing I need from you right now."

his eyes glow for the split second it takes him to forget the circumstances in which he stands here right now. he nods gently, taking a step into your home.

you can't describe the rubatosis that floods your brain. the utter feeling of your heart pounding echoes in your brain and in your blood. threatening to burst out and let you hit the floor. you feel nervous. ready to fall to your knees with nausea, nervous.

shutting the door slowly, you search for the euphoric sensation of the rain pattering against your window, and your best friend standing in your living room.

turning to look to matt, his eyes soften as he finally gets a good look at you. rain no longer clouding his vision.

"tell me how i can fix this," he intoned, taking a cautious step towards you.

you bite back a laugh, you felt pathetic. you didn't even call matt, but yet here he was. coming to rescue you from your mentally draining ex boyfriend.

"you can't." you mouthed. your voice hushing itself to a heartbreaking whisper, barely audible over the television playing at a low volume.

watching the heartbreak in his eyes, you couldn't stand it. you were trying so hard not to cry in front of him but the opia was so frustrating.

he felt such an aenonic love as he stared at you. watching you make your way to the couch. sitting down with your knees tucked tightly up to your chest.

it hurt him to know that the person he loved so deeply felt hurt in the air of her own home.

"you deserve more," he whispers. "you look so run down, y/n."

"im fine, matt." you mumble. your voice still low and tremulous.

"lying is gonna get you no where." matt shakes his head, stepping towards you and kneeling down on the floor. taking your hands in his equally shaky ones. "you can look at me," he smiled reassuringly. bringing your knuckles up to his lips. "i promise you it's gonna be okay."

you met his eyes hesitantly. not sure how long you'll be able to maintain eye contact with him. "I can't do this, matt." you breathed. tears finally escaping and trickling quickly down your cheeks.

his eyes widen at your sudden sobs, pulling you close to him. "shh," he hushes lightly, rubbing circles into your neck with his thumb. "im sorry," he whispers. "im so, so sorry."

you couldn't bring yourself to speak. knowing your voice would break halfway through the first word anyways. you hugged matt as tight as possible; never wanting to let go.

"not everyone is going to hurt you," matt insinuated, pulling you deeper into his arms. carefully holding your head in his neck in an attempt to keep himself from crying too.

the boy stared tiredly up at the ceiling, biting his lip to keep himself from saying too much. keeping himself from telling you how much he hated calvin and how he knew he would hurt you, but he couldn't do that. he also couldn't mumble out the three words of affection. which hurt him. "im sorry," is all he could muster up, mumbling into your hair.

"please-" you husked, "please don't leave me too."

and that's all it took to break matt.

he tensed up in your arms, tears finally fighting their way out of his eyes. "I won't," he mouthed, you could barely hear him, but it was enough. "I promise I'll never leave you. you're my best friend, I'll love you forever."

he winced at his own words, only making himself cry harder.

he hated that stupid kid and his stupid face and the stupid way he made you fall in love and the stupid way he left you for a stupid girl. he hated the way calvin made you happy and not him.

"it's all going to be alright." matt hushed, pressing a soft kiss into the top of your head.

GLOSSARY

rubatosis - the feeling of ones own heartbeat

euphoric/euphoria - happiness

opia - the ambiguous intensity of looking someone in the eye

aeonic/aeonia - internally everlasting

TAGLIST

@thetriplets3 @stxrniqlo @ifilwtmfc @iha8you @oneirophobic @20nugs @gracietaylorsversions @fenoy7 @mlimmm @prettysturniolo @ssturniolo @gabbylovesreading @oh-toseewithoutmy-eyes @matthewmurdockswife @jellybeanbby

[imhappierthanever]

After the Sweat Tour

Warnings: Smut, use of strap, Billie, Charli and reader.

(Filing this under things I’m never going to tell Charli lmao)

__________________________________________

How did you get here? Those were your only thoughts as you were being led away from the concert.

Billie, your girlfriend decided to make an appearance at Charli’s sold out sweat tour L.A. to perform “Guess” with Charli, and you couldn’t have been anymore excited. You loved Charli and Billie knew you did too. And she knew what that song did to you.

After the show ended, Billie came and found you, bringing you backstage. You waved at Troye and saw Charli’s childhood best friends Twiggy and Sam as they congratulated Charli on another amazing show. You had met Charli before. Plenty of times. But for what ever reason, something about this moment felt…different.

“Me and Charli have a little surprise for you.” Billie said giving your waist a squeeze as she whispered into your ear, Charli staring dead at you.

“Okay.” You managed to choke out, feeling Billie grab your hand, leading you out of the room, and Charli following close behind.

“Where are we going baby?” You questioned your girlfriend. Checking behind you to make sure you weren’t dreaming when Charli was STILL there. You smiled at her as she caught up to you both. All of you sliding into a black SUV. Your mind was going wild. What were you doing? Where you going to the Sweat after party? Were you going to Charli’s house? Your mind burned with questions.

Not long after you found yourselves back at Billie’s house. You sighed, relief swallowing you, and some sort of comfort taking over you. You weren’t in the mood for some place new anyway. You just sang and danced your heart out and you were tired. You figured they were going to make something new together and you were going to watch but you couldn’t have been more wrong.

When you got into Billie’s house she pressed your body against a wall as Charli made herself more comfortable. “How would you feel if you had me and Charli tonight angel? Would you like that?” Billie asked, her blue eyes piercing your soul as her fingers began their journey on your body.

You loved Charli sure. You thought she was stunning. But you never let you mind go any further than that. You never knew you would end up in a situation like this one. And quite honestly, you didn’t think about anyone but Billie. So when you saw Charli undress, shedding all her clothing on the soft white carpet your breath caught in your throat. She was undeniably everything. You didn’t have to answer for Billie. Your body did for her. Your eyes told her everything she needed to know. And when she let her fingers slip into your lacy black panties, completely teasing you, gathering your wetness on her fingertips, you both knew a no was out of the question.

Billie used that same hand, caressing your body underneath your clothes, bringing her lips to your neck before she began to undress you, taking off her own clothing too, not wanting to waste time. Once you were all open to each other, she led you over to Charli who also began kissing you as she took you in her arms. Never in your wildest dreams did you think a moment like this could exist as she pulled you closer to her perfect body, easing you down onto the carpet.

Billie watched as she retrieved a strap. Your favourite one of course. She strapped it on, laying her body down as she pulled your body back towards hers. Charli was still kissing you, her tongue dancing with yours as her fingers traced circles around your nipples. You couldn’t think about anything besides the pair of them. Besides all three of you together and how amazing it all felt already.

Billie lined herself up to you, entering you earning a moan from deep within you. You arched your back, letting your hands rest on her upper half as her hands found your head, pulling back as she thrusted into you. Slow at first, letting you adjust. But soon turning into an ungodly speed they your hips soon followed.

Charli pulled you into her, kissing your lips, letting her hands caress your ass. Billie took this as her sign to sit her body up, spreading her legs more, driving her cock into you so perfectly as she used her hands to hold herself up. When she had enough of Charli all over you, she pulled your body back down, your back pressing against her perfect breasts as she continued to thrust into you.

Billie had always been selfish with you, so you couldn’t believe she even let someone into your alone time where she wanted you the most. But you couldn’t think of that right now. All you could think about was the way it all felt. Billie moving flawlessly inside of you, making you hers over and over again. Not letting you forget for even once second. And Charli, now running and punch in your clit as you thrusted into her face slightly. When Charli began to lick you, you thought you would fucking explode right then and there. But you didn’t want this moment to end. You would hold out as long as you could. Besides, you knew Billie and she wouldn’t allow it. You were going to be there all night. The three of you, trying everything. Trying each other. Having your very own little afterparty.