#open wide tour 25 | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

kathlare · 2 months ago

Text

a gesture across time

Lando Norris x Amelie Dayman

Summary: Lando, distracted during a pre-race briefing at the Dutch Grand Prix, finds himself fixated on TikTok videos of Amelie performing in Mexico. Her success stirs up feelings he's been trying to bury, leading him to impulsively order yellow tulips for her.

Wordcount: 1.0 k

Warnings: just fluff

full masterlist // request over here!

August 25, 2023 – Zandvoort, Netherlands

Lando sat slouched in his chair in the team briefing room, trying to pay attention as the engineers and strategists went through the usual pre-race rundown. It was another humid morning in Zandvoort, the waves of heat rolling in through the windows and making the air feel thick. He glanced around, catching the occasional murmurs from his teammates and a few glances at the clock ticking toward the start of practice.

It was hard to concentrate. His thoughts kept drifting elsewhere. He didn’t even realize how long he’d been holding his phone in his hand, scrolling through TikTok. The screen flickered with video after video, but the algorithm had decided it was time for him to revisit a familiar face: Amelie.

Every other video was of her, performing for a massive crowd at the Foro Sol in Mexico City, opening for Taylor Swift at the Eras Tour. The clips were breathtaking: Amelie, radiant in a shimmering outfit, her voice soaring above the crowd as she belted out the lyrics to “Feather” under the lights, the Mexican crowd singing along. It was the culmination of a dream she’d been chasing for as long as he knew her.

Lando felt a knot form in his stomach. He didn’t know why it hit him like it did. It wasn’t like he hadn’t seen her perform before; he’d seen the clips, the snippets, the interviews. But this—this was different. This was her dream. The one she had talked about late at night, when the rest of them were playing games or chatting casually. Opening for Taylor Swift. Selling out arenas. The world loving her.

And now, there she was, making it happen.

He felt a wave of pride rush over him. It was almost overwhelming, like a flood of emotions he didn’t know how to process. He wasn’t even sure how to feel about it. They’d been through so much—their messy, chaotic relationship from 2020 to 2021, the fallout, the years of silence. And even though they hadn’t spoken in months, even though they hadn’t really been anything but strangers in each other’s lives since their last run-in in Monaco—god, he still cared.

It wasn’t supposed to matter. But somehow, it did.

Lando scrolled past another video of her, her smile wide as she waved to the crowd. Then a thought hit him—a flash of something impulsive, something that felt right despite how reckless it was.

Yellow tulips.

She’d always loved yellow tulips, he remembered. It was something small, something trivial, but it was something he’d learned about her back in their time together. A quiet moment on a balcony in Monaco, just after a long day, when she’d told him that yellow tulips were her favorite flowers. He could still picture the way her eyes had lit up when she said it.

Without even thinking about it, he started typing, pulling up the page for a flower delivery service. He was aware of the irony of it all. The thought of sending her flowers after everything—after the way they ended—felt like both a statement and a confession, a way to acknowledge that something had been left unfinished between them.

But he couldn’t stop. He filled out the details, unsure if he was just being impulsive or if he was actually making a move to fix something.

"Yellow tulips to the Foro Sol" he typed, his fingers moving before he could overthink it.

Lando stared at the confirmation screen for a moment, then exhaled slowly, as if he’d been holding his breath this whole time. He clicked "confirm."

There was no turning back now. The tulips would be sent, and he would have to live with the consequences. Two possible outcomes, he thought to himself: one, she loved them. Two, she threw them in the trash.

Neither scenario seemed ideal, but at least he could live with the fact that he’d tried. That he’d done something that wasn’t just about himself for once. It was for her. Maybe, in some small way, it was an apology, or a way to show her that, despite everything, he still cared.

—Are you even listening?— one of the engineers asked, breaking him from his trance. Lando blinked up at him, suddenly aware that everyone was looking at him.

—Yeah,— Lando muttered, clearing his throat. —Yeah, just thinking. Sorry.—

The engineer raised an eyebrow but moved on, continuing the briefing. But Lando’s head was still spinning.

He couldn’t explain it. He couldn’t explain why he still felt this pull towards her, why her smile in those TikTok videos made his heart ache. They hadn’t talked in months, hadn’t shared more than a few awkward moments in the past year. They weren’t friends, and they weren’t anything more than exes.

But still.

She was out there, living her dream, and he was here, in the middle of a Dutch Grand Prix weekend, trying not to think about her.

He didn’t even know what he expected from sending the flowers. Maybe it was a way to prove to himself that he wasn’t the same guy he was before. A way to show her he wasn’t the person who messed things up, that he could be better now. Maybe it was just the thought of her, still somewhere in the back of his mind, even after everything that had happened.

Lando sat back in his chair, a sudden tension in his chest. He wanted to believe that he was over it, that the years of silence had made him stronger, less affected. But it was hard to ignore how much he still cared. She was still her, after all. Amelie. The girl who had once been his whole world.

It didn’t matter that they were no longer anything.

The flowers would be delivered tomorrow. He would know soon enough whether or not she even cared.

But for now, he could only hope that somehow—somewhere—this would make her smile.

Maybe, just maybe, it could be the start of something new.

63 notes · View notes

todayontumblr · 2 years ago

Text

Tuesday, July 25.

Cillian Murphy: A Tribute.

Eyes you could swim in, but we should be so lucky.

He is a man utterly captivating in his beauty, and his enigma, with cheekbones so sharp, and so delicate, they could open your envelopes—and eyes wide, misty, and blue. These are eyes capable of summoning the most intimidating threat, or expressing the most paralyzing fear (they also represent the best, most prolonged stare on the big screen since Elijah Woods in The Lord of the Rings trilogy.) When he isn't busy being compelling to look at, #cillian murphy happens to be a pretty formidable actor, too. Indeed there are actors, and then there are Actors. Cillian is the latter. He is what we in the industry refer to as a Tour de Force!, which we exclaim with a cry and wild gestures of our hands. When Cillian Murphy is in a movie, chances are it's going to be good—but you know for a certain fact he will give it no half-measures.

Put simply, we love #cillian murphy. We have no choice, absolutely none at all, but To Stan. And best of all is the knowledge that he would absolutely hate this tribute.

So let's hope he never sees it x

#today on tumblr #cillian murphy #christopher nolan #oppenheimer #inception #peaky blinders #tommy shelby #cinema #movies #films

614 notes · View notes

blueiscoool · 21 days ago

Text

The Ancient Roman Statue of Athena Emerges After Nearly 300 Years in Hiding

After spending centuries on a British aristocrat’s estate in North Yorkshire, the marble masterpiece will be unveiled in Chicago’s Wrightwood 659 gallery later this weeks,

With an owl in the palm of her hand, a cloak adorned with a gorgon’s head and a warrior’s helmet upon her swept hair, Athena, as depicted in a Roman statue from the first century C.E., is a remarkable sight.

Now, for the first time in nearly 260 years, it will also be a widely accessible one.

This stunning marble depiction of the ancient Greek goddess of wisdom and warfare will go on public display in the atrium of the Wrightwood 659 gallery in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood starting on January 25.

William Weddell, the British artistocrat who purchased the statue of Athena on a Grand Tour of Rome

Before the Halsted A&A Foundation acquired the sculpture in 2023, it was tucked away in a rose-colored niche in Newby Hall, the North Yorkshire country house of William Weddell, a British landowner and politician who traveled to Rome to purchase it in the mid-1700s.

“By displaying the sculpture at Wrightwood 659, the foundation invites the public to see a work which has been largely out of general public view for nearly three centuries,” Karen Manchester, the curator of the Halsted A&A Foundation, says in a statement.

“Now, scholars, students and visitors will be able to study the statue of Athena closely and interpret it from many perspectives, including those of art history, restoration practices and gender studies,” she adds.

Among the most interesting features of this Athena is the 74.5-inch-tall statue’s hodgepodge provenance. Its head came from a sculpture carved during the time of the Roman emperor Augustus (31 B.C.E. to 14 C.E.). Meanwhile, its body was grafted from a statue dating to the reign of Claudius (41 to 54 C.E.), the ruler who conquered Britain, according to the statement.

The so-called "Halsted Athena" at its new home at Wrightwood 659, a gallery in Chicago

But this mishmash of marble wasn’t a scam to get the wealthy Weddell to purchase a seemingly intact statue of Athena. “Rather, many buyers preferred complete pieces, even if composed of unrelated parts,” Manchester explains.

When older parts weren’t available, sculptors would carve new ones, such as the so-called Halsted Athena’s left arm and a section between her jaw and chest. While these “pastiches” might confuse archaeologists attempting to trace an artwork’s origins, Manchester says they tell complex stories about art, taste and aesthetics throughout history, per the Observer’s Elisa Carollo.

The Halsted Athena emerges from the confines of Weddell’s Newby Hall at the same time that 58 pieces from the Torlonia Collection, a trove of ancient sculptures, travel to North America for the first time. They will go on view at the Art Institute of Chicago’s “Myth & Marble” exhibition, which opens on March 15.

Weddell’s own journey to Rome to purchase the statue reflects the practice of Grand Tours across the cities of the ancient world, popular among young British aristocrats. A painter who encountered Weddell on his Grand Tour of Rome once remarked that the collector had “[bought] such a quantity of pictures, marbles, etc. as will astonish the West Riding of Yorkshire.”

William Weddell and fellow British travelers as depicted by Nathaniel Dance-Holland, who remarked on the large number of antiquities that Weddell planned to bring home with him

Weddell and his fellow British travelers would have referred to the statue’s subject as Minerva, the Roman goddess, rather than Athena, “because they learned Latin in school, not ancient Greek, and therefore were familiar with the Latin names of deities,” Manchester tells Elena Goukassian of the Art Newspaper.

But the Roman statue distinctly depicts the Greek goddess, with her signature helmet and aegis, or sash-like cloak, draped across her chest.

“At the time these pieces were carved, the classical style was in vogue. In other words, ancient Roman customers wanted sculptures that reflected the look of ancient Greek and Hellenistic Greek,” Manchester adds.

Even in the first century C.E., when the statue took its complete form, Romans were harking back to an immemorial Greece. Now, the Halsted Athena’s voyage to the leafy avenues and art galleries of well-to-do Lincoln Park adds another chapter to its rich and complex backstory, stretching from Greece to Rome and from Yorkshire to Chicago.

By Eli Wizevich.

28 notes · View notes

thalialunacy · 9 months ago

Text

[for the @calaisreno May Prompts Tour, which affords me the opportunity to be supremely self-indulgent]

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) (11) (12) 13: laugh (14) (15) (16) (17) (18) (19) (20) (21) (22) (23) (24) (25) (26) (27) (28) (29) (30) (31)

Is this still the number for John Watson?

John pauses, thumb hovering. Before he can choose a response, another message flashes in.

It's Harry

He nearly drops the phone. Or maybe he nearly throws it against the wall. Hard to say.

His reflex to caretake wars with his lingering resentment of her absence. But he knows he would regret ignoring an olive branch… or whatever this is.

Everything okay?

No small talk, got it

Yes I'm fine, good in fact

and no I'm not going to ask you for money

He breathes in deeply.

I'm glad things are going well for you

And he is, at least in the abstract.

Thanks

I know this is the part where I'm supposed to ask how you are

But you know I'm pants at texting

Can we just have coffee or something?

John taps his phone to his lip absently and considers his options. A public reunion seems like it could be a volatile mistake, not to mention it's 7pm on a weekday. Sherlock is at the lab, Rosie is having her after-supper blanket time, and John is catching up on charting.

And to be honest, he's pretty bored.

Come to mine for tea?

Harry's three dots wibble for a while, which John supposes is fair.

Right now?

With my schedule, I have to take opportunities where I can

Okay, yeah, I'm free

He sends her the address, feeling both pleased and annoyed. One would think that hitting his own rock bottom would make him more sympathetic towards his sister. But really, it just piles helpless anger on top of guilt on top of anger, ad nauseum.

He's not even sure she knows he's a father, for Christ's sake.

Turns out, she doesn't. She walks through the door he holds open for her, and stops abruptly when she sees Rosie. 'Oh my God,' she breathes, staring. 'Oh my God. You--' She turns to John, eyes wide. 'She-- Johnny. She's yours?'

He nods, and despite everything, he feels his face curve into a proud smile. 'Her name's Rosie.'

'Can I--' Harry indicates the blanket with a sharp movement. 'Can I say hello to her?'

'Yeah, course.' He follows her, and folds himself down behind Rosie. 'Sweetheart, this is your Aunt Harry.'

Harry makes a bit of a squawking noise, probably at the 'aunt' bit, but tamps it down. 'Hi, Rosie,' she manages, her voice rough but determined. 'It's lovely to meet you. What are you playing with?'

'Avocados,' Rosie mostly manages to say, then holds one up for Harry without hesitation. Harry takes it with a giggle, and before long they're thick as thieves with a pile of emoting avocados between them.

Harry glances up at him when there's a lull. 'So. The dad life is treating you well, yeah?'

He hesitates, then nods. 'It is now.'

She eyes him, but doesn't ask about what came before now. Instead, she says, 'I'm just going to ask, alright -- who's the other parent?'

He raises an eyebrow. 'Why d'you say there is one?'

Her eyes twinkle. 'Because you do not have the fashion sense to have bought her this outfit. Your bird rich, then?'

He coughs. 'Well. No.'

She waits, though he can see she's trying not to be annoyed by his reticence. She's never understood people wanting to keep things private. 'No?'

'My… flatmate. He's able to buy her things I don't give a toss about, yeah.'

She blinks. 'You have a gay flatmate?'

John feels his ears heat up. 'I do, yeah.'

She seems weirdly impressed. 'You've come a long way from being a rugby lad, haven't you?'

He snorts. 'I'm learning how to do plaits, if you'll believe it.'

'She's not got enough hair for that yet.'

'Sherlock--the flatmate--insists it's a useful skill, though I've no idea why.'

She doesn't reply, and he looks up from where he's helping Rosie with her current avocado. 'What?' he asks, though he knows it's useless. Harry is no Sherlock but honestly, she doesn't have to be, because his emotions have always been written all over his face. It's a curse and a blessing.

'Oh holy shit,' she breathes out.

'Language,' he admonishes reflexively.

'Sorry, I mean-- Holy noses, Johnny.'

'Don't be smug.'

'Oh, I take no credit for this, I always knew the overcompensating locker room talk was hiding something.'

He rolls his eyes, but his lips are twitching. 'Yeah, insecurity about willy size.'

'Okay, ew, first of all. Second of all-- What the--' He gives her a warning look. 'Ever-loving heck.'

'Short version?' She nods quickly. He decides to also give her the slightly-less-mad-sounding version. 'Got married, got pregnant, had baby, wife passed away, realised I had feelings for my flatmate. Who is a man. And who is effectively fathering my child.'

She claps her hand over her mouth, and for a moment he fears she's going to cry, but then realises she's laughing.

'Oi, that's just not on,' he protests.

'But it's ridiculous!' She holds out a hand to him placatingly, speaking through continued laughter. 'It's lovely and sad and all that, but you have to admit--'

There are tears escaping the corners of her eyes, and he feels it begin to bubble up in his chest, too. Her laugh has always been a thing of beauty, of loud, annoying, contagious, unforgettable beauty, and he can't help it.

And she's right, really. It is kind of ridiculous.

He lets out his own laugh, finally, and reaches for her hand.

[❤️]

#it's gonna be MAY 2024 #May Prompts 2024 #MayPrompts2024 #BBC Sherlock #Parentlock

95 notes · View notes

simsjayla · 1 year ago

Text

jungwon x reader - you’re pregnant?

jungwon - 25

jungwon x pregnant! reader

genre - fluff

warnings - pregnancy, sex, baby bump

jungwon had left for a 3 month tour 3 weeks prior to you finding out that you’re expecting yours and his first child, most likely conceived the night before he left (let’s just say you two didn’t get much sleep that night) and decided to keep it a secret and tell him in person.

you had gone to both your 6 week and 12 week scan and had the ultrasound pictures in a gift bag, alongside a t-shirt which says ‘my daddy is a member of enhypen, beat that.’ and your pregnancy tests.

and now here you are at the airport, waiting for him to come and meet you. you felt a bit nauseous, not entirely sure whether it was your morning sickness or the worry of jungwon not wanting kids even though he had told you he wanted to start trying after the tour. you rubbed your ever-growing bump which was still relatively small. “i think your daddy will be so happy.” you say to your stomach.

as soon as you seen jungwon you began running towards him. he engulfed you in a hug. “i missed you so much baby.” he said into your hair. “i missed you more wonie.” he looked into your eyes lovingly and then leaned in to give you a passionate kiss on your lips. “it was so hard waking up every morning without you cuddling into my chest, keeping me warm.” you giggle at his words and run your hands through his hair.

“what’s this?” jungwon asked as he noticed the gift bag in your right hand. “you know you didn’t have to get me a welcome home gift.” he laughed. “i know but, it’s special.” “can i open it?” you bite your lip and nod hesitantly. he opened the bag slowly, looking at each item carefully as his cat-like boba eyes teared up.

“are you really?” he finally asks after a few moments. you slowly nod. “you’re pregnant? oh my gosh.” he immediately kissed you passionately before pulling away and hugging you. you hear him sniffling into your neck. once he comes away from your neck you see beautiful tears running down his cheeks and lean to wipe them away. “you have just made me the happiest man ever.” he engulfs you in another hug, refusing to let go of you.

he pulls away after a few minutes. “how far along are you?” “3 months.” “i missed so much,” he says guiltily and places his hand on your baggy jumper covered stomach and his eyes go wide as soon as he realised you have a bump. he lifts your jumper up to reveal your bump and he bends down to be eye level with it. “hi little one, i’m your daddy.” he places a few gentle kisses on your stomach before pulling your jumper back down.

once you two arrive at home he is still in shock. he lies on the couch and gestures you to come and lie with him. once you do he places his hands on your stomach once again. “i love you baby, both of my babies.”

#enhypen #yang jungwon #jungwon #dad!enhypen

175 notes · View notes

snowball-doie · 4 months ago

Text

The Type of Dad Poly!Ilichil Is

Made this for anyone interested in my poly!ilichil x oc book~~ This is the kind of dad they all are with their daughter, Reyna. If you guys have any questions, my asks are open! Hope you enjoy!

Johnny - suburban dad Makes everyone's food, packs Reyna's school bag, asks about her day, gets her settled in her car seat and makes sure she’s safe, gets her after school snacks. He’s the one on all her paperwork, so he’s gotta be there for everythingggggggg-- Dance recitals, sports games, pre-k graduation, etc.

Taeyong - tired dad Falls asleep everywhere in the house with Reyna laying on top of him. He didn’t get to spend much time with her when she was a baby because of his enlistment, so he does a lot to make up time with her now. Likes to spoil her with expensive gifts. Teaches her to dance. Front row for all of her school events and performances so he can record and take pics like an embaeassinglty proud dad.

Yuta - fashionista dad Picks out all of Reyna's outfits, buys all of her clothes, very critical of the outfits the other boys try to put her in whenever he's not around. Goes with her to the hair salon to make sure the stylist doesn’t fuck up his daughter’s hair— Loves to wear matching outfits with her omfg….. Very casual, so he only picks her up when she runs over to him and asks. Teaches her to speak Japanese, insists that she only speaks Japanese when talking to him. Takes her to Japan whenever she's on break from school. Loves to take her to concerts, having her run on stage before the show starts and the stadium is empty, making sure her noise cancelling headphones are snug on her head every time he runs off stage between sets, etc. Average rockstar dad things.

Doyoung - cuddle bug dad If he can’t sleep, he’ll steal Reyna from Ahri’s room and sleep with her in his room. He loves to watch her run around in her princess costumes omfg. He loves to make her laugh because he thinks her laugh is the cutest thing in the whole wide world-- She has a bright, wide, gummy laugh just like him. He’s just all around supportive. Buys stuffed animals for her, specifically bunnies. He does the chores around the house, he takes Reyna when Ahri needs a break, he helps Johnny with paperwork and any tasks for Reyna, etc. Basically just the back bone to everyone else’s dad traits.

Jaehyun - bestest dad in the whole world Loves to hold her and carry her around the house. Loves cuddling with her and watching movies with her. He takes her to work in the years before grade school starts, then he starts taking her on holidays and weekends when Yuta doesn't steal her away to Japan. He’ll have her run around practice rooms, sit in the board room chairs that are too big for her, watch as he records music in the music booths, etc. If he could take her everywhere, have her attached to his hip 25/8, he would. He loves doing everything with her.

Jungwoo - silly dad Sneaks her snacks, takes her to do fun things. Is very protective and will bat off all the little kids who try to flirt with her on the playground. Cries on her first day of school. Play date dad-- Drops her off at the other parents' houses, scopes out if it's safe or not, runs the interrogations (He will interrogate the kids, too, no one is safe from protective dad!Jungwoo). If it's a sleepover, he'll overpack her bags and sit in the car in the driveway for, like 10 min, worrying about her before he finally goes home.

Mark - late bloomer He’s figuring it out, he just needs more time… He’s a lil scared…. But when he’s missed her lots after tour or something, he’ll fight everyone else to hold her in his arms for hours to days on end. Haechan has a folder full of pictures and videos of Mark and Reyna sleeping or playing together. When Mark and Hyuck are on tour and he bring up missing her, Hyuck will pull out his phone.

Haechan - the most girl dad to ever girl dad Bro is obsessed with Reyna even before she’s born ok. Buys her everything she wants. Plays silly games with her. Will dress up as a princess for tea time. Makes silly faces with her as their silent love language. Spoils her to Hell and back because he doesn't want her to lift a single finger ever. If one of the boys tries to give her chores to do, Haechan will do them for her, even though he hates doing chores. Teaches her bad habits because it’s fun for them to do together even tho Ahri and Johnny beg him not to…

#op #fanfic #ahri thoughts #johnny #taeyong #yuta #doyoung #jaehyun #jungwoo #mark #haechan

30 notes · View notes

humblequestvinyl · 2 years ago

Text

mountain with a view

MOUNTAIN WITH A VIEW, EDDIE DIAZ X FEM!READER

APART OF THE ‘ROLLING UP THE WELCOME MAT’ SERIES

SUMMARY: after one too many late nights, y/n l/n is sitting at their kitchen table, debating if her and her husband's marriage is even worth fighting for.

inspired by mountain with a view, by kelsea ballerini

previous chapter, | next chapter,

lowercase is intentional! wc: 1.9k

warning: angst!!!!! swearing, marriage problems, trust issues (?) if there’s anything i missed let me know!

a/n: AHHH NEW SERIES W EDDIE <33! i'm so excited for this!! also my deepest apologies in advance bc i am so mean to eddie in this LMFAOO hope u guys enjoy <333

“COUNTRY STAR Y/N L/N HAS FILED FOR DIVORCE FROM HER HUSBAND, EDDIE DIAZ AFTER FIVE YEARS OF MARRIAGE.”

the voice of a news reporter flooded through the tv as photos of the former couple were placed on the screen.

“L/N on instagram asked her fans on instagram to be mindful, and that both parties are fragile, and to respect their privacy.”the reporter went on, before a photo flashed of the h/c girl, “L/N is currently gearing up for her fifth album release; SUBJECT TO CHANGE this september.”

the video came to a stop, and she saw her best friend standing in front of her, with a horrified look on his face, “you and eddie are getting a divorce?” her heart hurt. this wasn’t how she wanted him to find out.

“it was bound to happen buck.”y/n’s voice was strained due to all of the crying she had done for the past two months, with a heavy feeling in her chest, “you and i both saw this coming.”

“i didn’t.” evan buckley’s voice dropped, and y/n slipped the shades to the top of her head, revealing her bloodshot eyes, “never once did i see this coming.”

“this wasn’t how we wanted you to find out.”her voice cracked, playing with the strings of her hoodie, “eddie said he was going to call you about it.” buck’s eyes watched as the girl avoided his eyes, refusing to make contact with them, knowing if she did she would probably burst into tears.

“why did you file for divorce?”

(TWO MONTHS BEFORE.)

STARING OUT THE BIG OPEN WINDOWS OF THEIR PENTHOUSE,

y/n could see the sun rising as she finished making breakfast for her and her stepson, making sure to leave some for her husband in case he came home in time.

eddie diaz and y/n l/n had first met when she was 21, and he was 23, one kick-starting on their music career, while one had just become a single parent to a son from a former marriage. somehow, they still made it work. getting married at 23 and 25, going from texas, to los angeles, becoming a mother figure to his son chris, and making sure she could still go on tour.

they thought they had it all figured out, with everything working and a fixed schedule.

until they didn't.

so here she sat, waiting for her husband to come home while her stepson got ready for school, knowing she’d have to force a smile, make everything seem like it was okay, and be able to play the part of the perfect wife, perfect wife. it wasn’t until she smelt smoke that y/n realized the toast was burnt to absolute crisp, and was ruined, meaning she’d have to make more.

“shit.”she muttered, rushing to make more, as she saw chris come down the hallway, and she forced a smile, brushing her h/c hair out of her face, making sure to tie it back.

“did you burn the toast again?”chris asked with a smile, and y/n forced a laugh, nodding before she brought over a plate with pancakes and eggs on them. “unfortunately, i did. i’m making more right now.”

a knock on the front door came, before it opened, revealing carla, and she had a wide smile spread across her face as she came in, and y/n waved as the toast popped up, less burnt than before. quickly placing it on a plate, and putting it on the table, making it so chris would be able to get to school on time.

“you go get ready for the day, i’ll make sure chris eats.”carla told the 28 year old, giving her a soft smile, and y/n nodded, before rushing off towards her room, and grabbing the clothing she needed for that day.

walking into the bathroom after she had changed, her eyes glanced down, seeing a wedding band that wasn’t hers sitting on the counter.

it was her husband’s.

she felt anger run through her, with a million thoughts racing through her mind. why would he take it off? or why did he leave it at home? did he forget it? did he take it off intentionally before he left for work?

why did he take it off?

“bye n/n!’chris yelled, breaking the girl out of her thoughts, and she gripped the counter, trying to keep her anger under check. “have a good day at school chris!”she yelled back, and the front door slammed, as she took a deep breath in.

it was a few moments before she walked back out towards the kitchen, noticing everything was put away, except for the burnt toast. opening up her refrigerator, y/n grabbed the butter out, and brought it over towards the kitchen table, before spreading the butter against the toast, and taking a bite out of it.

her eyes scanned back over the mountains as the clock struck 7:30 am, realizing her husband was over three hours late coming home, and had missed seeing his son in the morning for the second time that week.

it killed her. it absolutely killed her that he wasn’t coming home, and she was the one who was carrying all of that weight on her shoulders, trying to keep this marriage going when it was all one sided. she felt like a glass plate, and was breaking into a million pieces.

hearing boots come towards her, her head snapped towards it, seeing her husband eddie diaz walking towards her, before placing a kiss on the top of her head, with no words spoken between the two. the tension in the air made her uncomfortable. it was so thick that you could almost cut it through it with a knife.

it was a while before any words were spoken between the two, and when they were, they were laced with anger and confusion.

“you left your ring at home.”y/n spoke up, taking another bite of the burnt toast, afraid to see the look her husband was giving her, “and you were late coming home again.”

“i forgot it when i left.”eddie admitted, glancing over at his wife for a moment, before looking back at his plate of food, “and i was finishing up something with buck.”

wrong. he wasn’t with buck, because buck had texted y/n back at five, saying he hadn’t seen eddie since he left his shift at 4am.

“what? you don’t believe me?”eddie questioned, as y/n got up to throw the toast away, keeping silent for a moment, debating on how to handle the situation, before she shook her head no.

“i don’t believe you.”y/n admitted, placing the plate in the sink, avoiding eye contact with him, and she could feel the anger radiating off of him, “because buck texted me at five that he hadn’t seen you since you left your shift at four.”

she saw eddie freeze, knowing he had gotten caught into a lie, and y/n had seen right through it. he wouldn’t be able to hide whatever he was away for.

“okay fine, i wasn’t with buck.”eddie admitted, causing y/n to lean up against the kitchen counter, facing her husband to read his body language.

“so, where were you?”

“i don’t understand why you need to know.”eddie shrugged, getting defensive, causing y/n to read all the red flag, “it doesn’t matter to you at all.”

“it does matter to me eddie.”y/n spoke softly, fearing of an argument breaking out, but it was enviable with the two. “i want to make sure you’re not sitting in the goddamn morgue.”

“well guess what, i’m not.”eddie spewed, catching y/n off guard, “i’m standing right in front of you, trying to eat breakfast while you’re bothering me.”

“because i want for you to realize that i’m worried about you.”she told him, and she could tell he was dismissive, “i wait up for you every night, only for you to not come home until chris is about to leave for school.”

“and i never asked you to do that.”he stabbed his eggs with his fork, and y/n tensed up, “that’s your own doing for staying up and waiting.” y/n gave him a look as she took his words like gut punches, making her absolutely sick, “maybe you should just stop staying up and waiting.”

“maybe you should come home on time.”y/n shot back, folding her arms as she watched him closely, “to the family you have. to your son.”

“i do!”eddie defended, and y/n shook her head, “no you don’t! for the past four months you’ve been late coming home after every single shift eddie!”

“you’re forgetting your ring, you’re not coming home on time and you’re distant.”y/n pointed out as eddie brushed past her to put his plate in the sink, and walked towards their shared bathroom, slipping his wedding band on, “there! are you happy now?”

“no i’m not!”y/n exclaimed as eddie started to change, and she followed him, “we’ve been in and out of therapy for the past three years and absolutely nothing has changed eddie. i’m so tired of it.”

“i mentally cannot handle another year of us being just fine.”y/n whispered, causing eddie to snap his head towards her, with a shocked look spread across his face, “what are you trying to say?”

“i want a divorce.”y/n spoke aloud, making all of her feelings real, and she saw eddie’s face fall.

“you want a divorce? all because i’m taking extra shifts to try and provide for our family? to pay for the mortgage for the house you insisted we had to have.”he shot back, and y/n felt her anger bubble over, causing her to snap, “you don’t even pay for the house! i do! it’s under my name and everything! not yours!”

“i’m the one who pays for the cleaners, the groceries, the electric!”she yelled, as the two stood in their bedroom, one that hadn’t felt like theirs in months. “i feel like i’m the only one who’s doing all the work all the time because you’re never home!”

“you loved me way more at 23 than you do now eddie, and that's a fact.”she told him as she brushed past him to pack a bag, “i cannot keep doing this anymore.”

“you’re just like your parents. giving up way too easy on our marriage.” eddie swore, and y/n felt something snap inside of her. “first off, don’t you dare talk about my parents! secondly, i have tried for months to get through to you.”

“you’re the one who never came to nashville when i called you begging to hop on that flight, one i paid for by the way!”y/n exclaimed, zipping up the bag she had packed, “i knew you had the week off and didn’t have chris at all and you still refused to come.”

“i’m done trying eddie.”she finished, before storming past him and walking towards the front door of their penthouse.

“so you’re done?”he questioned as she grabbed her car keys, and opened up the front door, staring right back at him with tears in her e/c eyes.

“this is when it’s over for me.”

#eddie diaz fic #eddie diaz fluff #eddie diaz x y/n #eddie diaz #eddie diaz x reader #eddie diaz angst #eddie x reader #911 spoilers #911 on fox #buckley diaz family #evan buckley #evan buckley x reader #rolling up the welcome mat

356 notes · View notes

giuliadesu · 2 years ago

Text

you are 25 when you hug 'tsumu for the first time.

...& THEN?

it was almost time. your apartment was a complete mess: two big suitcases laid open on the floor of your living room, while a backpack had been sitting on the cushions of your couch for the last couple of days. in the bedroom and in the kitchen there were boxes ready to be filled with the belongings you’d decided to bring along with you.

in a few days you would finally leave your country for good, a one-way ticket for japan bought months in advance. it felt incredibly liberating: the country of your dreams, where you unwittingly found a family and where you’d hopefully spend the rest of your life was waiting for you.

on the small console table near the front door sat all your documents: passport, approved visa, papers needed to start the process of obtaining citizenship, the last two paychecks and the note from the bank — last but not least the plane ticket. surreal. that was one word that could describe the hectic chaos of emotions swarming both your heart and head.

the owner of the small bookshop where you’d worked in the last five years (a lovely korean lady in her sixties) agreed to take your plants and to see you off at the airport on the day of your departure. looking around, all the green friends you’d seen grow in the last few years were bundled together, ready to meet their new home. a small smile graced your lips, happy to know they would’ve been well cared for and you’d receive regular updates on their growth.

then you still had to say goodbye to the owner of the apartment, who lived just next door; after that, all the tasks that still bound you to the city would be completed, setting you free to begin your new life.

YOUR LOCATION, 04:15

it was early, way too early for your likings. groaning, you stretched under the sheets, the tank top riding a bit over your ribcage. your hand tentatively moved over the duvet searching for your phone so to turn off the alarm. a few notifications arrived during your short slumber: a few messages from atsumu (who had absolutely no idea of the fact that today was the day), one from osamu, while the last one was from the wallet app, letting you know that your digital ticket was now available.

you chose a comfortable fit for the long journey — black leggings, ‘tsumu’s shirt and sweatshirt, the most comfortable pair on nike you owned. everything was ready; the bookstore owner would send your boxes over once you’d found a more permanent solution compared to an airbnb, while the two black suitcases were finally closed and next to the door. touring the various rooms one last time, you made sure to have taken everything with you.

several hours later, you were flying over vast mountainous regions, the plane directed towards incheon airport, where you would have to spend about an hour before the last leg of your journey.

a small yet sincere smile graced your lips when the hostess announced it was almost time for landing. you knew exactly what you would’ve done just a few minutes prior to boarding on the japan airlines airbus a350 — there was a certain someone you just had to call.

bubbling with adrenaline, you made your way towards the gate and opted to stay standing in front of the tall floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked the runway. was this the same adrenaline atsumu and the others felt before a match? the feeling of being invincible and ready to do anything?

taking a deep breath, you went over to the setter’s contact info. you felt giddy inside thinking that now you were in the same timezone, for the first time in five years. it was almost 11 pm, you called.

“hey bubs, what’s up?”

“hi ‘tsumu, are you still at practice?”

“yeah, but now we’re having a short break. although you know i’d drop anything for you.”

shameless flirt, you thought to yourself, smiling widely at this point.

“well, i have a little something to tell you: currently, i’m at incheon airport. in a few minutes i’ll board a flight that will bring me to kansai international airport-”

“what?!”

ŌSAKA, 01:40

exactly one hour and forty minutes later, you were at the baggage claim. as expected of japanese punctuality, your two very black and very big suitcases were delivered on time, so in just ten minutes you were making your way over to exit the claim area of the airport.

you had no plans, apart from reaching the bnb you booked. you didn’t know if the small bomb you dropped to atsumu earlier on would have made him magically appear in front of you, for one of those incredibly cliché airport reunions that were so popular in dramas. right now you were just too tired to think further, the almost seventeen hours of flight weighing on you. slowly, you tried to navigate through the sea of people that, just like you, wanted to leave the area to reach a place of rest. but, you underestimated how big kix would be; despite being incredibly well designed, it was not exactly easy on the brain of someone who was that tired. for a split second you thought about asking osamu to come pick you up, but the idea quickly left your mind as fast as it came — he was surely tired after a long day at onigiri miya.

you stopped in a little less crowded area, trying to collect your thoughts and figure out the best route to reach your bnb.

atsumu had never run so fast in his entire life. the moment you ended the call, he dropped everything at the gym, shouting half an explanation to his team before grabbing his sweatshirt and sprinting out of the stadium, catching the first available taxi and finally making his way to the airport.

despite being this late, there were still so many people crowding the area. how the hell was he supposed to find you? running a hand through his messy blond locks, he tried to follow a logical line of thought: first, you must’ve gone through the customs to get your visa approved, then surely you went to the baggage claim; his eyes frantically scanned the huge display, looking for the latest plane inbound from seoul. gate 41. of course it had to be the farthest one from the main entrance!

his instinct told him to go towards the columns where the vending machines were located. sure enough, you were there. with his clothes on. your backpack was sitting nicely on top of your suitcase, open as you rummaged through its contents.

atsumu smiled as he made his way behind you, his cheeks hurting from the emphasis of the movement. as he got closer, he could breathe in your perfume and the fragrance of your shampoo. seeing his surname plastered across your back did inimaginable things to his heart, adrenaline shooting through his veins at a thousands miles per second. then, quickly yet gently, he brought his hands to cover your pretty eyes, your back now flush against his sturdy chest — the 32 centimetres of height difference even more evident.

“hey bubs, welcome home.”

it all happened in a fraction of a second: you tensed, then quickly spun around to bury your face in his chest, while hugging him tightly.

“‘tsumu! what are you doing here? you’re supposed to be at practice now!”

“do you really think i could’ve stayed there knowing you were here? very funny, bubs.”

after staying in silence wrapped around one another for a few more minutes, you moved your arms to sneak around his neck; in the meantime, his hands went to grab you in the space between your buttocks and the posterior part of your thighs, hoisting you up. immediately, your legs went around his waist.

now that you were eye level, you both had a dashing, lovestruck smile adorning your features. you cupped his cheeks and booped his nose with your own. your thumbs were slowly caressing the apples of his cheeks, never breaking eye contact.

then, a small whisper, as if his hold on you could disappear just like in a dream.

“hi, i’m home.”

a small kiss on the tip of your nose.

“hi, welcome home.”

ŌSAKA, 03:00

atsumu insisted on having you at home with him. his hand never left you: while going to the taxi, with one he was carrying half of your luggage, the other was intertwined with yours; during the ride, you were nestled in his side while his fingers gently moved up and down your arm.

despite the very late hour, neither of you was tired — there were simply so many things you wanted to do now that you were finally sharing the same space. without thinking twice, atsumu carried your things to his bedroom, setting them nicely near his wardrobe for you to unpack the next day.

“hungry, bubs? wanna something to eat?”

when you happily nodded, he smiled brightly and ruffled your hair. then, he opened one drawer and pulled out a neatly folded shirt and handed it to you.

“go have a shower or a bath, whatever you fancy; i’ll fix you something in the meanwhile, yeah?”

“you’re the best, ‘tsumu, thank you!”

the sweet kiss you planted on his cheek (terribly close to his right snakebite) was all he needed before going to the main area of the house, where both the kitchen and the living+dining area sat in an open space. as he was about to leave the room, he turned back to you.

“feel free to leave all your things around, both in the bathroom and around the house!”

now alone in his room, you sat on the floor. was it all real? or were you stuck in a wonderful dream? in case of the latter, then you had no intention of waking up. coexisting with atsumu in his space with him felt so natural and spontaneous, as if you’d always lived together. deep inside, you were squealing like a little child.

“okay, i need to stop. time for a shower!”

you rummaged a bit in your suitcase to fetch a pair of shorts to wear under the shirt and your toiletries. the warm water rolling over your body relaxed your muscles, tense from all the hours you spent crammed in a plane. also, the branches of eucalyptus that the setter kept in the wetroom gave off such a pleasant fragrance that did wonders to soothe the beginning of your headache.

clad in the way too big shirt and a towel around your neck to prevent your wet hair from dripping water everywhere, you made your way over to the kitchen. you stood for a bit in the doorframe, admiring the view: atsumu was in front of the stove, where a pot of water was boiling, and several ingredients sat on the countertop. he had ditched the sweatshirt as soon as you got home, so you could see the muscles in his arms flex for any single movement. with a small smile gracing your lips, you made your way over; once close enough, your right hand went over his back to rest right between his shoulder blades.

“that doesn’t look like a quick snack, mind if i help you?”

“oh no no no. you sit on the counter and look pretty.”

with that, atsumu wiped his hands on a towel, before picking you up by the waist and gently sitting you on the surface right next to him. effortlessly. the setter resumed his ministrations: chopping the scallion and the mushrooms, while the lotus root was simmering before being stir fried with the tofu. after having drained the noodles, he put them in another pot where coconut milk was simmering with some soy sauce; once the other ingredients finished their trip in the pan, they joined the noodles in the pot. a few more minutes and a big, steaming cup of vegetarian ramen was on the counter.

with the bowl in hand, atsumu came towards you, stopping between your legs. his right hand was holding a pair of chopsticks, with dangling udon and a bit of scallion on top.

“say ahhh.”

you leaned in close, graciously accepting the food in a single mouthful, a dashing smile lighting up your features.

“oh my gosh, it’s delicious! when did you learn to make this? and how did you know that it’s my favorite dish?”

“well, you mentioned it once three or four years ago, and after that time i asked ‘samu to teach me… y’know, in the eventuality we’d meet one day.”

your expression became even softer when noticing the slight blush adorning the tip of his ears. your hands went over his holding the bowl, retrieving also the chopsticks in the meanwhile. when you spoke again, while mimicking his actions and offering him a bite, your voice was barely above a whisper — but, considering how close you were, it was more than enough.

“and look at us now, together in your kitchen as if we’d been together for years.”

“honestly, bubs, i think it’s high time we fix that, yeah?”

after the incident with the pictures of almost two months ago, atsumu started shamelessly flirting with you, leaving no doubts or room to misinterpret his feelings. and you, for once, decided that it was worth it to also let him know that yeah, you felt the same way and everything was perfect like this. in a sort of silent mutual understanding and agreement, after realizing for just how long you had been loving each other (at this point it was way more than a simple crush), it was okay to skip a few steps along the way.

when atsumu started to lean in close, his hands coming up to cup your cheeks, you wasted no time in sneaking your arms around his neck, lovingly caressing his nape.

and then it happened. at half past four in the morning, while in his kitchen, with an empty bowl of delicious ramen long forgotten next to you. ‘tsumu’s lips were on yours, ever so gentle and delicate; the cold metal of his piercings was a stark contrast with your own skin.

neither of you could stop the smile growing on your features. everything was just perfect. small laughs were exchanged in between kisses and pecks, with the soft light of the overhead kitchen lamp as the only source of illumination.

“gosh, i love you so so much…”

an almost inaudible whisper against your mouth, as gentle thumbs caressed your cheeks, a smile so bright it could’ve rivalled the whole galaxy.

“me too, ‘tsumu. i love you so much.”

ŌSAKA, 15:49

when you opened your eyes you were greeted by the warm light of the afternoon coming in from the huge window of the bedroom. the skyline of the city was perfectly visible, as the apartment was located on the last floor of a building. when you tried to stretch, you felt someone stirring and complaining about your sudden movement. lowering your gaze, you found atsumu resting his head comfortably on your chest, while his arms were tightly wrapped around your waist. he was wearing only a pair of grey trunks, too tired after his shower to put on anything else. lovingly, your hands found their way on his back and in his hair, gently massaging his incredibly soft locks — despite the frequent rounds of bleaching in order to achieve his desired color.

“hey sleepyhead, good morning.”

“five more minutes, please…”

you simply laughed a bit, leaning down and pressing a kiss to his forehead. at that the setter perked up, a lazy grin plastered across his face as he pressed his lips to yours.

“that was the best night of sleep i’ve ever had, bubs. ‘m so glad you’re finally here with me.”

“mhmh, i’m not going anywhere.”

you spent the next half an hour cuddling in bed (as if you’d done something different ever since you got into bed), whispering sweet nothings and deciding how to spend the rest of the day.

“i think tomorrow i’d like to meet your team, if it’s okay with you. and maybe this weekend we could go to onigiri miya with your mom, suna and aran? oh, but i have to get them something first. ah, and maybe i should first go to the government office, to start my citizenship application, just so i can be su-”

atsumu interrupted you with a sweet and innocent kiss, before looking at you with the most serious expression you’d ever seen on him.

“hey, marry me.”

“w-what?!”

you were shocked, but not necessarily in a negative way: you had been dreaming of such an occurrence ever since he gave you the necklace with his surname on it. and you knew for certain that both of your feelings were stronger than ever, and would not falter anytime soon. it was just a sudden thought to voice, but after the developments of the last 24 hours, it was not a complete surprise.

“i mean it when i say that i love you. and i’m not afraid of marrying you on the spot. i’ve loved you silently for so many years now that i’d be ready to change my whole life to accommodate you in it. and sure, maybe we’re skipping a few steps along the way, we’re rushing things a bit, and i don’t even have a ring with me right now. but… marry me, please?”

and what were you supposed to answer? your heart belonged to him.

you cupped his cheeks, lifting his face until you were eye to eye. while his expression remained serious, you could see in those chocolate eyes a bit of doubt; he was probably wondering if he’d crossed a line, if such a thing was too much. after all, marrying a professional athlete was no easy feat — you’d have to be shielded from prying eyes, and his training hours kept him away from home most of the days, not to mention when he would have to attend away games. but you knew; in all those years it became obvious, and not once it became a problem in your eyes.

so you simply kissed him again and again, feeling his strong body relaxing in your hold.

“yes.”

a couple of hours and a call later, you were in the office of the legal person who would sign your marriage certificate within the government building. they agreed to process your request of citizenship as well, considering that you’d automatically gain it as you were marrying a japanese citizen.

“... and what about the surnames? have you decided how you want to deal with them?”

your answer was quick and full of pride.

“i’ll be taking his; my previous one can be disregarded completely.”

atsumu squeezed your hand, from where your intertwined fingers were resting on his thigh. you turned to him with a dashing smile.

the two of you signed the documents, then the employee did the same and handed you your papers and the certificate.

“you will receive your new passport and documents in five days, directly at home. just make sure to give the courier this paper once he arrives.”

you both thanked the man and left the office, still hand in hand. atsumu was holding the tote bag containing all the papers as you made your way back to his motorcycle; then he looked down at you, pulling you in for a side hug.

“hi, ms miya.”

“hi, mr miya.”

before going to dinner in a nice ramenya, the setter insisted on stopping by the jewellery shop where he had your necklace made. the old owner recognized immediately the delicate piece you were wearing around your neck, and was very pleased to know you’d never removed it for three years straight and it still didn’t show signs of wear.

“so, what brings you youngsters here today?”

“we’d like to purchase a set of wedding rings. the simplest you have, in platinum, sizes xs and m.”

with a happy look on his face, the man went to the back of the store and came out a few moments later holding a small box in his hand. upon showing it to you, it was clear that was exactly what you were looking for.

you ended up exchanging your vows and rings in a secluded booth at the restaurant, a fuming bowl of ramen in front of you, ready to be shared, like the rest of your lives.

thanks to the friendship hinata had with kenma, you started working as a game designer for bouncing ball, albeit remotely from home. mama miya almost fainted when you both shared the news of your wedding that weekend at onigiri miya — the shop had been close for the day, allowing a gran reunion between the msby team and some of their friends. everyone was delighted to finally meet you in person, knowing that this was probably the beginning of weekly meetings all together.

that year atsumu and other msby members got drafted to be part of the olympic team. and when they won gold, your relationship became public: you launched yourself off the bleachers of the olympic stadium of tokyo, ready to jump into the waiting arms of your husband. and at that point all the world could see the red ink embedded on both your left wrists, as well as the shining bands adorning your ring fingers.

JUST TAKE IT SLOW, ONE DAY AT A TIME

previous | masterlist

honorable mentions

@arquitecturadelanada | @bagladyk | @cup-of-fluff | @kyopmi | @ohtokki

taglist

212 notes · View notes

inhalerupdates · 29 days ago

Text

💥 NEW SHOW ANNOUNCED

“Finally we are coming to Greece. We can’t wait to see you all in July. Tickets on sale now.” Inhaler via IG!

#💥#inhaler #inhaler dublin #inhaler band #elijah hewson #eli hewson #josh jenkinson #robert keating #bobby skeetz #ryan mcmahon #open wide tour 25 #ig post

7 notes · View notes

gard3nias · 9 months ago

Text

03| The exploratory stage

⤎ previous page | ❃ | next page ⤏

wc: 5.35k

date: 25/05/2024

mdi // masterlist // playlist

—Now playing: Her Dreams by Luca D'Alberto ✫

Summer mornings are always fresh. You won't find icy leaves and wet grass like in spring, but you'll surely take a hoodie with you to then discard it for the rest of the day. September falls partly in this season and is known to be warm. It's not as hot as July or as rainy as June. It's just warm.

It was early in the morning, very early for anyone to be awake if not for work reasons, especially if the person is a student who'd gladly sleep till late in the morning. Daphne knew that too as she turned in her bed, left to right and vice-versa. She wanted to stay in bed some more but simply couldn't. Sleep had left her lying awake under her newly washed blanket.

It was around six in the morning. Already bright, bright enough to shine through the windows and into her room. Daphne loved it. Loved the look her room has on an early summer morning. The ambience made her want to be active—like the scent of brewing coffee in the morning. The light didn't bother her in the slightest—it was the main reason she'd wake up early, but that was the sole point back then. Now that she was used to it, she moved her attention to the room's look rather than the eye-slashing feeling of light immediately awake.

At the end of the bed was Luke peacefully sleeping. Outside branches waved along with the soft breeze. On the bed, Daphne had just sat up and was adjusting her hair, and the movement caused the dog to wake up alert. "Ooh! You're here too," Daphne cooed, playing with Luke and Loki simultaneously. Immediately, the latter, who had slept on the ground, hopped on the bed to place his muzzle on her knee and be cuddled more. The owner obliged and spent the following moments cuddling her dogs and going on about how she found them adorable but soon enough, the early morning urge to pee settled in and she had to leave the dogs to ease herself.

Outside her room, she noticed how silent the house was, so she checked the time that didn't spark any surprise in her. It was like her body was set to wake up this early, even when it was not needed. The latest she'd woken up was a quarter past six.

Once she had settled herself, hushing the dogs to keep quiet and make no noise, she tiptoed downstairs. Like her bedroom, the place was well-lit—curtains would wave with the breeze, and light would shine more. She first helped herself with a glass of water from the sink, and after downing that, she opened the little window above it. She intended to open it wide, but the strong wind immediately changed her idea.

Like she had suspected earlier, outside was chilly. Once she had rinsed the glass off, she prepared herself a cup of latte, starting with prepping the coffee machine. Soon enough, the machine was on, and while the coffee brewed, she returned to her room to take a hoodie, book, and agenda.

In the meantime, the dogs had calmed down—Luke went back to sleeping, and Loki was on the couch. Once her drink was ready and she was dressed accordingly, she entered the backyard and sat on the swing on the veranda.

Since school wasn't on yet, her agenda was quite empty, all pages pretty blank but she had things she had to take care of before it began again: she had to go shopping for school supplies. She had already prepared the list back when she was in the city, but she'd managed to tick off very few things before she moved. That day, she hoped to go shopping with Cleo's help since she'd offered to give her a town tour.

Checked her phone, and it was close to half past six. Since she didn't know exactly when her friend normally woke up, she decided to wait till seven before texting her.

Looking at Cleo's contact in her phone caused her to smile, recalling their hang-out the previous day. She didn't know if to classify Cleo's hatred for books as funnier than their debate on cats and dogs.

Which one is better? Cats or Dogs? Funny debate, honestly.

It's funny because they had stated multiple times which one they prefer. Cleo's a cat person, and Daphne's a dog person. No argument allowed. But yeah, they still went at it and argued about which one was easier to take care of, which makes the worse mess, causes, or conceals stress or makes a better lifetime friend.

Cleo was very determined to make her point come across while Daphne always specified that both animals have their good and bad sides so they can't be compared.

—Now playing: Boy in a Water Globe by Slow Meadow ✫

The latest book she's been reading was in her hands, "Self-portrait in Letters" by Anne Sexton. One of its quotes was intriguing enough to push her to get the book. She'd just got into the platform Tumblr that summer and found it lovely how she could go book fishing by simply reading quotes and citations from them. Most of the books she had read in the last three months were found thanks to Tumblr. She'd just started this book because the whole process of moving forced her to use her time differently or, at least, not like she usually does.

Following her handmade bookmark, she quickly resumed reading.

The breeze was chilly but not the chilly that produced goosebumps of discomfort. It was the type that worked in favour of your homeostasis. Nicely fresh. It blows through your hair, caresses the back of your neck, softly moves your clothes, and engulfs your body in a lovely bubble. The bubble in movies, made of glass, defies gravity and welcomes a soft bed where you can sit as you observe the world around you move when, in reality, you are the one.

Anyone would wish for that, but it doesn't exist. The bubble was the breeze, pushing through every space around Daphne, running in the space between her knees, her arms, her clothes, her body, and the swing. A flat pad covered the swing's surface while she leaned on the pillow behind her. The swing stirred as she adjusted her position, her slippers by it.

Daphne loved living like this, waking up on a late summer morning, welcomed in a fresh and silent environment. It made the temptation to open a book so irresistible. She never fought against it, though. Always succumbed to it. Gladly. Happily. Proudly.

Birds chipped. Dogs barked in the distance. Tree crowns waved with the wind filling the environment with whistle-like sounds. Everything together formed the perfect background track for the life Daphne wanted to lead.

She turned the page. The paper softly scraped through her fingers, fingers that quickly moved back to her hair to play with the strands, twisting and twirling as her eyes sucked in the content that filled the book in her hands. She carefully read each word without skipping through. Imagined every scenario described. Unconsciously nodded when she related to them. Furrowed her brows when something left her in disbelief or confused. Bit her lip to suppress her anger towards injustice or anything that annoyed her. Giggled when anything amused her. Changed position occasionally.

She went on like this for over half an hour, but if you were to ask her, she'd never claim it to be above half an hour. Felt too fleeting to have been that long, but don't blame her, she'd easily lose track of time whenever she fell into her comfort zone.

Her me-time was interrupted by the soft vibration coming from her phone. Fighting against her wish, eyes seemingly super-glued to the pages, she took her phone and checked the notifications.

Cleo: girl, you up?

Placing her bookmark between the pages without closing the book, she unlocked the phone and replied to the message.

me: been up for a bit

Cleo: for a bit? At what time do you get up?

me: early bird remember?

Cleo: whatever Cleo: get dressed, let's go shopping

She smiled. Cleo's demanding-not-so-demanding tone was amusing, but she was glad they both wanted to do the same thing that day. Agreeing and deciding what time to meet, Daphne closed the book, wore her slippers, and went inside.

She greeted her dad by the kitchen counter, waiting for his coffee to be ready. He greeted back, eyes droopy because of sleep. Daphne noticed it and asked him about it, and it turned out that he'd been waking up with a headache lately despite the amount of sleep he would get. The two talked about the possible reasons that first were simple shoulder shrugs and then were found in the stress moving must have caused him. Once they were done, after a little moment of silence ran through, Daphne updated her dad on her plan for the day. He nodded and expressed his happiness for seeing her enjoy her new-yet-not-so-new home. Daphne calmed the father, telling him that there was nothing for him to worry about but, being married to her mom for over thirty years implied absorbing some of her traits as he insisted, desperately trying to explain himself like her mom does.

—Now playing: Tutti I Colori Della Mia Vita - I Won't Let You Down by Zucchero ✫

She went to her room, dropped her things on the desk, and beelined for the shower, which she quickly left. Once she'd finished her self-care routine, she went to her room where she stood in front of her open closet eyeing every piece of clothing she had and mentally combining them till she made the outfit that satisfied her taste for the day.

A ballet-style white shirt, a brown mini-jean skirt, and that was it. Everything was topped with rings, bracelets, necklaces, and a tote bag containing her belongings. She focused less on her hair and makeup, lightly applying concealer, a subtle red tint on her lips, and holding her hair up with the help of a hairclip.

Like clockwork, Daphne was hopping down the stairs by the time her mother had placed the last cup of milk on the table. "And where are you going looking all cute and lovely?" she asked as she sat down. Daphne softly giggled as she sat down too and, after dipping and eating the biscuit, she answered: "Cleo and I are going to town today. Shopping,". Her mom's seemingly warm-cheeked smile was so nice that the silence that ran through felt comfortable.

"I'm so happy you're happy," she warmly spoke. Daphne sighed, complaining about how her father brought the same thing up and repeating multiple times that they both had nothing to worry about. "I'm just happy. Can't I be happy that you're happy? My daughter is happy!"

"I never said that, but, truly, I'm happy but happy as in... the normal happy, I never changed. I wasn't sad—"

"But you were kind of upset about moving here, weren't you?" Another sigh from the daughter's side, and she dismissed everything and focused on her breakfast, "You see... that you did change,"

"Mom," she whined with a mouthful of biscuits before briefly expressing her love for them. "Okay, whatever. I'm still happy that you're happy,"

"Hmm, me too. I'm happy that you're happy that I'm happy," Daphne giggled as her mother rolled her eyes. Once they've both come down from the laughs and a few bites later, the mother changed the topic: "Do you have enough money to go shopping? Do you want more money? I have money. You can also ask your grandparents. They won't even—"

"Mom... I'm fine. Don't worry. I don't overspend. You have nothing to worry about. " They talked more about people, things, and life before Cleo knocked at the door.

"I'm coming right up!" Daphne announced, hurriedly finishing her milk and grabbing her stuff. A peck on her mom's cheeks, her feet in a pair of Dr Martens, and she was out.

"Good morning!" Cleo sang in falsetto, welcoming her friend in her arms. Her perfume filled her nostrils. She was dressed in a white sundress with brown cowboy boots and a bag hanging by her shoulder. Hairpins decorated her head. Daphne greeted back as they walked out of the compound and the neighbourhood.

"We will have lots of fun today because there's the market. It's basically like an open-air thrift store where you can find things that you most likely won't find in supermarkets," Daphne nodded as her friend started the tour, not just talking about the market they were heading to but also about the way to the bus stop.

"So the terminal bus station is not so far away from here, and this is to make you understand how far out of the town we are. Whenever we catch this bus to school, we're coming down on the terminal in town,"

"Ooh, so we're so close to travelling terminal to terminal every day." They had trekked down the hill road that entered their neighbourhood and were now on the side of the road, heading to the bus stop. The clock's hour hand was inching closer to ten. The fresh breeze from before had been replaced with warm sun rays.

"Trust me when I tell you that if you miss the morning bus before eight, you'll not get to school unless you ask for a lift from your parents." The season and the hour implied an empty road for them to walk side by side.

Despite the years that ran through from the last time Daphne came here, their chemistry never faltered, and soon enough, they were engrossed in conversation talking about anything and everything. The road had no sidewalks but was large enough to have a designated area for pedestrians. The wind was now lighter as the sun grew brighter.

Ahead of them was their destination. The bus stop, slightly raised from the road level, welcomed a bench sheltered in case of bad weather. Arrived, Cleo slid onto the bench. Daphne sat beside her immediately after. As explained previously, only one bus led to the town and backwards reason why only one bus number was written on the little board. "Did you ever have to run to catch the bus?"

"Fuck yeah! I run like a crazy person. It rarely happens but no worries because the driver usually sees me running and waits a little if they get to the stop before I do. Guess they know how important it is for me to catch it,"

"I guess they just know the bus doesn't pass quite often so they understand you'd be left stranded if you missed it and since they can tell your age, they know you're a student and therefore being stranded wouldn't do you any good," Daphne reasoned. Thanks to the shelter above them, and the hour of the day, the bench wasn't scorching hot like it's expected to be in summer.

"It's not really about that. The town is tiny, everyone knows everyone kind of. On the first day of school everyone will be staring at you because they all know you're new," Daphne gasped, hoping that her friend was joking but she wasn't. The town was small, especially if you lived in the centre—less if you lived in the outskirts like them.

They waited ten minutes before they saw the bus coming from afar. Classic bus. The main colours were sky blue and grey with pretty wide windows. They could see the subtle heat waves around it as it got closer. With Cleo stretching an arm out, the bus stopped for them to get on. An air-releasing sound and the doors slid open.

From the front door, they beelined for the empty seats at the end of the bus fighting to keep their equilibrium as the bus was already moving. Once settled, they went back to talking about everything like it was usual for them. The world around them slid like a filmstrip.

TIME SKIIIIIP

—Now playing: Occhi by Zucchero ✫

Taken the bus some minutes after ten, and since the journey was normally an hour long but shortened because in summer the stops don't always contain passengers, by a quarter to eleven they had reached the town centre and were now heading to the market, a few stops ahead.

The journey before reaching the town was devoid of human presence. It seemed lifeless, yet not entirely so. There were trees, fields, and farms, but very few humans aside from those working in the fields or boarding the bus. Daphne, initially preoccupied with her thoughts, didn't observe her surroundings as she usually did but had to once they reached the centre due to Cleo's tour.

Unlike the previous morning, the town was wide awake: the streets were filled with people, all shops were open, cyclists slid through, and the sun shone bright. Cleo explained that the place was this crowded because school season was approaching and therefore many people came on the bus at the next stop. Two more stops and they were at the market.

Before Daphne could ask about the crowd that came on, Cleo spoke: "Two-thirds of these people are going to the market. Today is tame. You'll hate it when school starts. The market bus stop is right before our school, so whenever we get on the bus back home, it's always packed."

The tarmac was soon replaced with concrete pavers. The sound of tyres was not smooth anymore but rather crunching. The new pavement was a sign of the nearby market. Daphne scanned the streets with her eyes. A flower shop here. A bookshop there. A little supermarket on the left. A bakery on the right. In some parts, the road seemed to narrow and leave no space for the bus or pedestrians. Sometimes, it appeared someone was about to get run over, but everything was fine. Her eyes were tricking her. The next stop was in a large square surrounding a huge church. The number of people that went down was proportionate to the ones that got on the bus. Once everyone was in, the doors closed, and the bus proceeded towards the next stop, their destination, the market. The board at the bus stop had a list of all the bus stops. The highlight of the bus position was getting closer to the name at the top, the terminal, the school.

The bus was no longer as quiet as it had been when they got on at home. There was chatter among the passengers, each person going about their own business in their way. Some spoke in hushed tones, others spoke loudly, and some didn't speak at all. Some were seated, others were leaning on poles, and some were standing.

As the bus got closer to the market, the people sitting readied their belongings, took their bags and made sure not to leave anything behind; the ones standing didn't move closer to the doors because everyone knew that the bus was going to empty itself once it'd reached the market stop. Above their heads, hanging by the ceiling, was an electronic panel that said the time, the name of the next stop, and if the next stop was booked or not. It was. Someone had pressed the red button placed on the poles, but it wasn't necessary: both the passengers and the driver knew that someone, at least one person, would come down at the next stop.

The large square was round. In the centre was the church while, from each of its non-existent corners, roads led to neighbourhoods, schools—the kindergarten, the elementary, middle, and high schools—and the market. The bus stop was at the beginning of a wide street, an asphalted road that ran through a park. On each side of the street were rows of stands. This place was the liveliest spot in town: people shopped, jogged, read, ate, or simply relaxed in the park.

The doors opened and everyone gradually came down, all heading straight into the street, a wide sign hanging by both sides of it that said "Opes Nostras", Our Wealth—just like the robotic voice announced before the bus doors opened.

—Now playing: Centro di Gravità Permanente by Franco Battiato✫

With arms entangled, Cleo and Daphne walked on. The bus rode to its next destination.

The place was noisy, not what Daphne had been getting comfortable with at home but not foreign to her since just two days ago, she was still in the city where noise was the main accessory.

Each stand offered different things although the majority was about clothes. One sold undergarments, the other vintage jewellery, and one modern jewellery. Some sold fruits, common and exotic ones. Some sold veggies that were most likely collected from the farm the same morning. The stands that sold clothes were also divided into vintage and modern clothing. A stand sold handmade pots and ceramic kitchen tools. They stopped at a stand that sold magazines because Cleo needed a source of inspiration whenever she crocheted. They soon found a stand for school supplies where they remained for a bit. Cleo followed Daphne's list since she hadn't made herself one and was scared about forgetting something.

By the time they left, their bag was almost full, but the shopping wasn't finished yet. Cleo bought herself a pair of sandals, leaving Daphne perplexed. "Summer's basically over. You're not going to use them, so why buy them?" she questioned,

"They're cheap as hell right now because summer's ending. In July, you wouldn't find them at this low price," Cleo explained.

Daphne bought herself another tote bag of her taste uniquely designed with hand-sewn flowers—also because they needed it to carry all their purchases. They bought matching cardigans perfect for the upcoming season. Daphne got herself a few accessories while Cleo bought some beads.

Thanks to Daphne's whines—and the weight of the bags in their hands—they put a stop to their spending and went in search of a restaurant to have lunch at. "Normally, I'd trek to this restaurant, but with these blocks in my hands, I can't so let's wait for the bus." Cleo's explanation made sense. Daphne didn't even dare question it... yet. Almost thirty minutes later, they saw the bus come from their home direction.

"Do you know that maybe we could've been there already if we had trekked?" Daphne complained as the bus was waiting at the red light before coming to the stop. Before she could lay another complaint, Cleo drug her so they could cross the road and go to the other stop, the same one they came down from over an hour ago.

Since the stop after Opes Nostras was terminal, it meant that the bus would be empty and therefore had more free seats for them to have. Daphne complained again, all in good fun, claiming it was useless since their next destination was very close, but Cleo wanted to sit so badly. Exactly, the bus offloaded at Opes Nostras bus stop, so the girls were nearly the only ones on board. The driver quickly took off again, and this time, Daphne and Cleo almost tripped, but they maintained their balance and laughed it off as they took a seat close to the doors for obvious reasons.

—Now playing: Rotolando Verso Sud by Negrita✫

A turn on the left around the church and another on the right and the bus was riding on a road that cut through a very wide plot, entirely reserved for the schools—a neighbourhood strictly for schools. A few meters in, the first school was in sight. By its bright colours, anyone could tell it was the kindergarten. Every kid in the town, whether they lived in the centre or not, came to this kindergarten. Every child from kindergarten to high school came to these schools. In front of the school, across the road, was a wide park designed for the kids. The same went for the elementary school, not so far away from the first one. The middle and high school were further in, the latter placed on a short hill.

But all this is what you see from the terminal, which was just at the beginning of the long road on the right. The bus stopped, opened the doors, and left them like that, allowing more fresh air to rush in. The driver came down for their break while Cleo proceeded with the tour.

"You see that walnut-coloured building with white windows? That's our school. We don't know which floor our class will be on yet but trust me it won't be on the bottom floor. That's for freshman students,"

"Oh, so we're going to be in the same class?" Daphne inquired as she looked at the building, "Yeah, because our class has the least number of students."

The smell of cigarettes recalled Daphne's attention from the school as she searched for the source which she found in the driver who, despite the distance from the vehicle, was smoking but was soon done and came back.

They closed their cubicle, turned the bus on, closed the doors, and took off. As they made a U-turn into the town square, Daphne observed her new school from a slightly better position where she saw the closed gates.

—Now playing: Supernatural by Ariana Grande✫

Once they came down to their destination, what led their feet forward wasn't their brain but mostly the hunger rumbling in their stomachs. Above their heads was the restaurant's name: El Grillo's Cuisine.

After requesting a table, settling down, and ordering their lunch, despite the rumbling that wouldn't stop until food went through their mouth and into their stomachs, Daphne finally committed to observing the place around them.

They were outside, right before the entrance. Above their heads were strings of bulb lights connected from wall to wall, creating the enchanting place you'd gladly dine at in the evening.

The restaurant was just a few steps away from the bus stop in a quiet neighbourhood. It was situated in a fenced plot, entrance marked by a moderately tall gate. A short, flat-stoned path led to the first entrance on the left, passing through a small room that opened up to the courtyard in front of the second entrance. The room had arched doors on both sides. The courtyard was adorned with tables and numerous plants scattered throughout the area. The combination of greenery and the red bricks of the rustic exterior gave the place an oddly cosy and Mediterranean look.

The interior followed the same theme as the exterior: rustic brick walls, arched openings connecting the various areas, vines twisting around the parapets and warm-coloured lighting from wall sconces and pendant lights.

The place wasn't crowded nor completely deserted, or at least that's what Daphne could conclude since she was sitting outside. The tables outside were set in alternated rows of circular and rectangular wooden tables with no covering. In contrast, the inside contained only rectangular ones covered in two mats, one smaller than the other, placed in different angulations. A solid colour one topped by a checked one.

"Guess who owns this— Oh, sorry. I'm dumb. You'd never get it right. This place belongs to the parents of one of the rich kids in our school. This year, they're going to be seniors," Cleo began, furiously munching on the bread already at the table. "There's like this circle of friends, rich as fuck friends. Their parents contribute to the maintenance of the school. They live in the outskirts of town, like we do, but in enormous houses that occupy enormous plots," Daphne's eyes slightly bulged out imagining, "All of them are the combination of hot, cute, sexy and drop-dead gorgeous and I'm not joking or exaggerating. The boys..." she squealed, "Like... they're all so hot especially the one that has dark hair— I mean two over three do but there's this one I find really attractive—"

"Wait, wait, slow down. I'm left at the combination and now you're immediately talking about your crush," Daphne chuckled, "Crush? I can't define him as such yet because I just like his looks. Never got the chance to talk with him,"

"Okay, whatever. So there're three boys..."

"And two girls. The boys are Jungkook, the one I find hot, Taehyung and Jimin. The girls' names are Adrielle, the smartest and prettiest girl of all— Ooh, you've got competition— and Avyanna, a hot and sexy freak like a literal freak. The type of girl to say fuck school, let's party all night and, again, I'm not exaggerating."

"Oh, so they're all hot, sexy and beautiful—"

"And rich," Cleo pointed out, "They have like second, third houses spread around from the countryside to the beach. These kids know each other since they were babies basically so yeah socializing with them is weird and makes you feel immediately like an outcast,"

"Because... you've talked with any of them?" in the meantime, the waiters came with their orders and served them lunch, "Yeah... not exactly though. I heard from a few classmates who trained in the basketball team with the Jungkook. They said that before and after training, the rest of the group is always there and they have a weird aura around them that tells you you're not invited," she explained quickly before going at it with her food.

"Voices then. You're not sure,"

"You wanna make friends with them?" Cleo inquired with her mouth full of pasta, "Not exactly. I just don't like having prejudice." They stopped talking for a few moments to eat a bit before nature was dominant above other things. "You know, Taehyung and Adrielle are crazy smart. Adrielle is the standard of a student who's certainly going to be accepted in an Ivy League school. Taehyung's the same but people say he seems more down to earth and less anxious with it,"

"I'm similar to Adrielle for that. School likes playing with my anxiety—"

"Now, that's the problem. Y'all shouldn't let school be such a big priority and even place it above your mental health. Playing with one's anxiety ain't no fun," Cleo stated before filling and emptying her glass of water, "Yeah... but a good academic performance is what assures me good mental health. I don't know if you get me,"

"No, I don't. There are tons of other things outside of school that can get you feeling happy and fulfilled. For example, you like reading and I guess that brings satisfaction," Celo was multitasking, jumping from downing her food to talking about serious issues to describing her schoolmates. Daphne's hunger seemed to have faded away since she let her food sit longer than her friend did. "It does but I like having a good academic performance as well. Not as much but I certainly do," Cleo simply shrugged because the hunger was too strong for her to put aside and talk some sense into her friend.

"Whatever. So you said they're seniors and you feel attracted to the dark-haired one. You're going to shoot your shot this year? It's your last chance because if they're this stinkingly rich, I bet they'll be going to prestigious universities once they're out of here," Daphne spoke after taking a few bites out of her food. "Yeah... but also no. I don't want to force it and there are no situations that imply me being in the same room with him so I don't know. Probably going to keep it as an admiration from afar."

—Now playing: Over The Moon by The Marias✫

Their shoes crunched the little stones under their feet as they walked out of the restaurant and the neighbourhood. The noise of cars slowly increased the closer they got to the exit.

The weather was warm, perfectly merging with the soft breeze blowing through their hair and calming their body temperature. A little walk after they'd reached the bus stop and sat on the empty bench.

The hour hand was moving away from two. The cars passing by weren't as many as in the morning. The same went with the half-empty bus. The civilians went to Opes Nostras in the morning so after lunchtime, no one was at its bus stop waiting to go home.

For the second time that day, the girls walked down to the extreme back seats, indirectly claiming them. Heavy bags set aside, they didn't indulge in a conversation: Daphne brought the same book she was reading in the morning and Cleo continued working on the project she'd started the previous day. It was like their bodies were set to behave like this after lunch. Enjoying each other company while enjoying their hobbies.

⤎ previous page | ❃ | next page ⤏

19 notes · View notes

popentertainmentconcertreviews · 4 months ago

Text

Orville Peck, Nikki Lane & Vincent Neil Emerson – The Met – Philadelphia, PA – October 18, 2024

It was a fantastic night for Philly country and Americana music fans because Orville Peck made the ninth stop on his Stampede Tour at the Met. Along with Peck, incredible country acts Nikki Lane and Vincent Neil Emerson lit up the Met stage.

The first act of the night to take the stage was Vincent Neil Emerson. Emerson released his first album in 2019 and has gone on to release two records since then, each one as incredible, if not better, than the last. As soon as he and his band began playing, the room filled with excited energy. Emerson played hits including “25 & Waistin’ Time,” “Road Runner,” and “Hang Your Head Down Low.” It was such a treat to see an opening act light up the room like Emerson and his widely talented band did.

Up next was Nikki Lane, and boy, was her set electric. The vibes instantly shifted when she took the stage. The amount of confidence and talent that Lane exudes is immeasurable. She played a good mix of older and newer songs including “Try Harder,” “Denim & Diamonds,” “Jackpot,” and “Send The Sun.” If you’re a country music fan and haven’t checked out Nikki or Vincent’s music before, I highly recommend both of their discographies.

After Nikki’s set, it was finally time for the man himself, Orville Peck, to take center stage. The lights went down as Bob Dylan’s “All the Tired Horses” began to play, and the Met erupted with jubilation and excitement. Peck and his band stepped on stage and played the first track of their set “Big Sky,” from Peck’s 2019 debut studio album Pony. He kept the Pony vibes going with the next song “Turn to Hate.”

The feelings at an Orville Peck show are easily the most positive and accepting that I may have ever experienced. Although the demographic was varied, everyone came together to celebrate country music with their favorite artist. The Met was filled with kindness, acceptance, and appreciation. It was incredible.

Up next, Peck sang “The Hurtin’ Kind” from his latest album Stampede, followed by “C’mon Baby, Cry” from my personal favorite album of his, Bronco. After performing “No Glory in the West,” Peck began opening up about his mental health, sharing that these shows are some of the first back after taking time off to take care of himself. He went on to share that he’s now “happier and healthier” and he’s been “in his whole life.” After stating that this is one of his favorite songs from Bronco, Peck began to play “Hexie Mountains.” Fans came together to express the love they have for the song by singing the lyrics word for word back to Peck. It was a beautiful experience.

The rest of the set was a great mix of songs for OG Orville Peck fans as well as new, featuring hits recent and old including “Dead of Night,” “Daytona Sand,” “Bronco,” “Old River,” and more. If you get the chance to see Peck on this tour or any in the future, do it. You will have an amazing time, hear some amazing music, and have a night you won’t forget.

Kayla Marra

#Orville Peck #Nikki Lane #Vincent Neil Emerson #2024 #Concert Reviews #The Met #Philadelphia #Kayla Marra

8 notes · View notes

bearr02 · 2 years ago

Text

Safe and Sound |Chapter One|

Pairing: Hybrid!Ot7 x F!Reader

Chapter warnings: None :)

Summary: You have worked at a hybrid rehab and adoption center for years, enjoying being able to help people others only seen as their animal side. You thought you might end up taking in one or two, what you didn’t expect however, was to take in 7.

Genre: fluff, angst, eventual smut, non-idol au, hybrid au, strangers to friends to lovers au,

Word count: 1.8k

Member’s hybrid types: Namjoon: Bear, Yoongi: Bobcat, Hoseok: Ferret, Jin: Wolf, Jimin: Red panda, Jungkook: Bunny, Taehyung: Marble fox

Next - Masterlist

Beep beep, beep beep! Beep beep, beep beep! You groan as you reach over to turn off your alarm, stretching your limbs with a sigh before laying on your bed for a moment. A smile slowly makes its way onto your face as a thought comes into your mind. ‘A new hybrid is arriving today.’ With the thought in mind you spring up and move toward your closet, excited to meet the new resident.

You’re out of your apartment to make it to the facility with about half an hour before they’re set to arrive when you get there. You don’t know their gender yet, but what you do know is they’re a wolf hybrid.

The drive to the facility takes about 25 or so minutes, and once you’ve arrived you enter and head toward the room that will soon be occupied. You were given the task of readying the room and making sure it was livable, you were given a few things they like so you made sure to include them.

You’d been focused on getting the room ready that you were startled when you heard a knock on the door. You walk to the door, opening it to see one of your co-workers, Yujin. “The wolf hybrid just got here, he’s out in the lobby. Mr. Dubose wanted you to give him a tour since you’re better with hybrids than most.” He smiled at you, making you return the smile. “His name is Kim Seokjin, by the way.” He says before walking away, you yelled a ‘thank you!’ Before he got too far. You scan over the room one last time before exiting and shutting it behind you.

You make your way to the sitting area, seeing a nervous man playing with his finger with a stern looking guard standing beside him when you enter. “Mr. Kim?” You ask making the man look up from his hands. You offer him a smile making him smile back. ‘He seems nervous..’ you think to yourself as he stands up. “My name is Choi Y/n. I’ll be taking you to your room.” You say as you gesture down the hallway. “Hi..” he says meekly before following you down the hallway.

“If you ever need anything please let one of us know, we want to make sure you’re comfortable here.” You say as you arrive at his room, opening it and stepping back so he can enter. His eyes go wide at the size of the room, walking in and looking around at everything in it. “May I come in?” You ask making him turn around and look at you, nodding quickly. You enter, keeping your distance to not make him uncomfortable.

“I like it.” He says quietly making you smile. “Thank you, I was given a list of a few things you liked so I tried to incorporate them in your room.” You say making him look at you, eyes wide in curiosity. “You designed it?” He asked making you nod, smile widening. He smiles as he continues looking around. “I really like it.” He says again making you laugh softly. “I’m glad.” You say, watching as he walks to his bed, sitting on it as his eyes go wide before he falls onto his back.

“Are there any questions you have for me? About the center or to get to know me better?” You ask making him sit up. “How old are you?” He asks tentatively, scanning over your figure. “23.” You say making his eyes widen. “I thought you’d be younger, you look like you’re maybe 19.” He says making you smile and laugh softly. “Thank you, how old are you if you don’t mind me asking? I didn’t get much information.” You say making him smile, “I’m 30.” He says making your eyes widen. “I thought you’d be at least 24, maybe 25.” You say making him smile sheepishly. “Thanks.” He says as you look him over, ‘he does not seem 30’ you think to yourself.

“How long have you done this for? Your job?” He asks, no longer seeming nervous. “Hmm…about 5 years? Full time at least, I’ve helped out here since I was 14.” You say, taking him by surprise. “Any other questions? If not I’ll show you around. We ha-” your sentence was cut short because of Yujin.

“Y/n? We really need you. There’s a hybrid out back and he’s injured, we don’t know how bad yet.” He says making you spring up, worry etched on your features as you leave behind Seokjin and rush after Yujin to the hybrid.

You stop just before the door, opening it slowly to make sure you don’t spook the man. You see him huddled in the corner of the yard, a few others trying to coax him, yet he only watches with teary eyes as they race over everyone, making sure no one gets too close to him. You shut the door softly behind you, Yujin staying inside as you slowly make your way as close to him as he’ll let you.

“Hi..my name’s Y/n.” You say, his attention moving to you as he carefully studies your every move. Only his eyes are visible, knees pulled to his chest and arms laid on top of his knees covering his mouth and nose. You’re crouched down a bit away, making sure you don’t spook him too much. You look over his figure, seeing a deep gash on his side as well as a few cuts and bruises on his arms and face.

He slowly lifts his face from his arms, looking at you closely. “Could I take you inside? Your wounds look bad.” You say, yet the man curls in on himself more. “Too many people?” You ask making him nod. You turn around, gesturing for everyone to go back inside. There were only 5 people—including you—out here, yet it doesn’t surprise you in was too much for a hybrid in his condition.

Once everyone else is gone, you turn back to the man to see he’s uncurled from himself a bit more. “Can I take you inside now? If you don’t like it here you could leave, but it’d only be after your wounds heal.” You say, watching as the man slowly brings his arms down, letting his legs slip to the floor as well, wincing a bit after.

You slowly approached him, yet he didn’t make any move to run away.

When you’re in front of him, you look over his figure, seeing a few scratches where his clothes are torn in some spots. “Could I take you inside now?” You ask, holding out your hand, watching as he reluctantly reaches out and takes it making you smile. “Can I ask what your name is?” You ask softly making him look up at you, glossy eyes roaming over your features now that you’re closer. “J-Jimin.” He stutters, slowly standing up with you. You got up before him, helping him stand, being wary of his side.

Once he’s fully standing up, you guide him back to the building, still being mindful of his wound. You make it back to the building quickly, opening the door with your keycard using your free hand, Jimin’s hand in the other which he clutches tightly. He isn’t sure why he trusted you so easily, usually he’s weary of people, yet you somehow make him feel safe.

You lead him through the building, taking him toward a room you know is vacant and won’t be taken anytime soon so he could stay there. You unlock the door, pushing it open and letting him go in first. He examines the area, while he’s looking around at the spacious area you step in, leading him to the bed to sit. You grab your walkie-talkie and ask if someone could bring you supplies to clean him up.

He watches you as your brows knit together as you explain how injured he is after asked to know what supplies is needed. If he didn’t know better he’d say you’re concerned for him.

You look up at him making him quickly look away, missing the small smile that you bare. “How old are you?” You ask making him look at you again, you can see how he is reluctant to tell, and just as your about to tell him it’s fine, he speaks. “27.” He says making you nod, “what’s your animal? I’m sorry but I need to know just incase.” You say, smiling apologetically after he looks at you cautiously. “Red panda.” He replies making you nod.

You’re about to speak again before a knock at the door interrupts you. You get up and walk to the door, opening it and grabbing the medical kit from the girl. You thank her before closing the door, walking back to Jimin.

You move his arm from the wound on his side, noticing it looks fresh. “When did you get this?” You ask, looking up at him to see fear in his eyes before he looks away. “H-hybrid control..I t-think a few hours ago?” He says, not noticing the anger in your eyes. “I swear those assholes can’t comprehend hybrids are humans too.” You mumble under your breath making Jimin smile, you’re different to him. Usually people don’t care if a hybrid is taken by hc, yet you seem different.

He’s taken out of his thoughts by a stinging sensation in his side, making him yelp and jump back on the bed. “I’m so sorry but it needs to be cleaned.” You say apologetically, waiting until he scoots back to you, knowing he’s ready to go through it. You gently dab the cotton ball on his wound, exchanging the blood soaked one with a fresh one within a few seconds.

It takes a while to clean his side plus stop the blood long enough to bandage it, but once you do, you quickly bandage it and check with jimin to make sure it isn’t too tight. “No it’s good, it doesn’t hurt.” He reassures when you double check. You nod, checking over his face and arms, not wanting to check his chest or back quite yet incase he isn’t comfortable.

“I’m going to send in our doctor, I need to check in with a hybrid I was introducing here earlier. Alright? If you need anything please tell someone. If you’re only comfortable with me I can tell everyone if you talk to them to let me know.” You say making him nod. “Can I just have you? I don’t really trust anyone else.” He says, playing with his fingers as you smile. “Yeah of course. But you will have to be looked at by our doctor, I can probably spare a bit to be in here with you if that makes you feel better?” You offer making him nod reluctantly. You smile and grab your walkie-talkie, radioing the doctor.

Next - Masterlist

A/n: I’m sorry about any awkward parts, this is my first time posting instead of keeping it to myself so I haven’t gotten feedback before 😅. Feedback would be greatly appreciated!

#bts ot7 #hybrid #bts #namjoon #jin #yoongi #hoseok #jimin #taehyung #jungkook #safe and sound

249 notes · View notes

everythingpresley · 2 years ago

Text

Don't You Kiss Me Once or Twice - Chapter 25 (Part 2)

Character/Fandom: Elvis - Elvis (2022)

Prompt: Jessica Anderson is Elvis Presley's assistant and after months of working together, slowly something sparks between them. Friendship? Or is it more? [ Fem!Reader ]

Rating: Explicit/Mature (NSFW, 18+), Slowburn

|| Word Count: 3,763

Author's note:

Thank you so much for reading this story and supporting it, it really meant the world to me. I find it hard to believe that it’s officially done but Jess and Elvis and this story will always have a special place in my heart.

I really don’t know how to thank all of you for your constant support and love. Thank you also for being patient as these two navigate their way to each other.

This is the first story I’ve ever fully finished and it’s making me quiet emotional thinking about never writing Jess and Elvis together again but maybe I might write an Epilogue or something along the way.

Again, thank you so much!

Masterlist

Make sure to read Part 1

Don't You Kiss Me Once or Twice - Chapter 25 (Part 2)

Jess’ POV

The next few days were pure bliss between Elvis and me. We rarely left each other’s sides even when he had to leave for tour during the upcoming week. He forced me to join him on tour, not wanting to spend a week away from me so I agreed to join him and the guys.

I made the crazy decision to move without talking to Elvis but I needed to prove to him how much I loved him and that I wanted this to work. When I told Grace what I was planning to do, she supported me fully. So I took three full days to quit my job without a two week notice since I had a good relationship with my boss. I then sold most of my big furniture and packed up my things and left for Memphis. I was meant to land earlier in the day to have the time to talk to Elvis but I got there just in time to go over to Grace and Jerry’s place and get changed for the baby shower.

I was so thankful for the craziness that took over me because we wouldn’t be here right now, cuddled up in bed at Graceland after getting back from the two-stop tour.

I loved this man so much. We’re finally here. Together. And I was over the moon.

He was asleep on my pillow, right next to me. Him sleeping next to me rather than on top of me was definitely a rarity. He had his arm thrown over my stomach, his head almost on my shoulder.

I shuffled away from him slightly to fully look down and admire him. I moved some of his hair away from his face, his hair was getting longer. I preferred it shorter on him but he still looked super cute with the longer hair.

I don’t think I’ll ever get tried of staring at his beautiful face. His dark, long lashed fanned over his high cheek bones, hiding away his beautiful ocean eyes. His mouth was slightly open as he snored softly.

I leaned down and kissed his lips gently, before planting kisses all over his face. His breathing changed as I did, his lips turning up into a smile but his eyes remained closed.

He took me by surprise when he unexpectedly wrapped his arms around my waist and flipped us so that he was on top of me, planting wet, slobbery kisses all over my face.

I giggled and pushed against his chest “Elvis!”

“What?” he asked, continuing to kiss me all over my face “You don't want me to kiss you?”

“No.” I giggled.

“You don’t?” He gasped, looking at me with wide eyes.

“No!” I laughed “I want you to kiss me!”

“Good.” He frowned mockingly before leaning back down to kiss me once again.

He pulled away right as he was about to kiss me and raised his brow at me “Tell me the magic words first.”

“Please?” I mocked, knowing what he wanted.

He narrowed his eyes at me and poked my waist making me jerk away from him and giggle “Say it!”

“I love you, Elvis.”

He grinned and leaned down to kiss me but I dodged his kiss “Where are my magic words?” I asked him.

“Yes, I will fuck you Jess.” Elvis smirked.

I laughed and smacked his chest “Asshole.”

“I love you too, sweet girl.” He said and kissed me.

“Can we go on the horses today?” I asked, leaning against the bathroom door frame dressed in a pair of jeans and t-shirt, looking at Elvis as he stood in his robe, fixing his hair.

Elvis looked at me through the mirror “Hell no.”

“Please.” I whined, walking forward and wrapped my arms around his waist from behind.

“No, Jess. Please let’s not.” He frowned, continuing to fix his hair.

I pouted, looking at him through the mirror. He did a double take and rolled his eyes “We can go feed them.”

“Can I sit on one?” I asked “Just sit and you can guide the horse.”

He sighed and rolled his eyes “Fine but only for a few minutes.”

“Yay!” I jumped up and kissed his cheek “I’ll see you at 4, I’m gonna go to the diner and catch up with Janice.”

“Love you.” He blew me a kiss.

“Love you too!” I called as I walked out of the room.

It was nice to catch up with Janice, we of course did not lose touch while I was in New York. I made sure to call her every now and then and sometimes she would call me so we didn’t have much to catch up on except for the recent events which is I’m finally back in Memphis. Indefinitely. With Elvis, officially and with pure happiness.

Janice was happy for me as well as my family. Ella and Jack threw a “I knew it!” once I told them about Elvis and me but my parents were over the moon. They adored Elvis and were just happy for us.

I got home and rushed up the stairs to our room, taking two steps at a time. I had promised Elvis I would be home by 4 and it was already 4:30.

“There you are!”

“Hey! I’m so sorry I’m late. Thanks for waiting for me.” I said and quickly kissed his cheek, dashing into the closet to change into a sundress with a brown cowboy hat and brown cowboy boots to match Elvis who was already dressed in a blue button down, black pants and a brown cowboy hat and brown cowboy boots. The closet was fully rearranged for me, Elvis had to put lots of his old clothes that he rarely wears upstairs in the attic to make some room for my clothes and with the constant moving, I didn’t really have a lot of clothes with me.

“Let’s go.” I said once I stepped out of the closet.

Elvis outstretched his hand out for me to take. I smiled and took his hand, we walked together to the stables.

I grinned when I spotted Rising sun walking around and eating the grass, I dropped Elvis’ hand and ran towards him.

“Wear a helmet!” Elvis called after me.

I huffed and rushed towards the stables to grab a helmet then I walked over to Sun and Elvis who was already standing there, scratching Rising sun while smiling happily. I noticed Elvis’ knee shake slightly, which only happened when he was nervous or scared. I didn't know it scared him that much for me to get back on a horse.

I hung my hat on the fence and wore the helmet, snapping it on.

Elvis wrapped his hands around my waist and hoisted me up on the horse “You didn't need to do that.” I chuckled.

“Have you seen how small you are?” He rolled his eyes “Okay! Listen up!”

“I’m listening.” I replied.

“Hold. On. Tight.” Elvis said sternly “Let me see.”

I gripped the reigns on Rising Sun.

“Tighter.” Elvis grumbled.

I tightened my hold, not wanting to argue with him because I knew how tough it was for him to see me on a horse again.

Elvis gripped the reigns and started walking me around.

“You havin fun?” he smiled looking at me.

“Yes!” I giggled.

“Good.”

Elvis walked me around in circles for a few minutes before he looked towards the sun “The sun will start to set soon. Come on, I have something planned for us.”

“Okay.” I replied and let him help me jump down. Elvis walked Sun into his stall while I hung up my helmet and put on my hat back on my head.

Elvis took my hand in his once again and walked me towards the tree where we always sat. As we got closer I noticed a little blanket set under the tree with a little basket, some candles surrounded the blanket.

“What’s this?” I asked with a grin on my face.

“Picnics have always been our thing so I decided to have our first date back together, here, at our little spot.” Elvis said looking at me with a sweet smile.

“Elvis. This is so cute!” I pecked his lips before sitting on the blanket.

Elvis sat opposite of me and pulled the basket closer to him “I made us my famous peanut butter and banana sandwiches, some fruits and Pepsi’s of course.”

“Of course.” I chuckled, my heart warmed at the fact that he made those peanut butter and banana sandwiches and not Martha “Thank you, that’s so sweet.”

He handed me my sandwich and we ate as the sun became bright orange.

“You look so damn beautiful.” He sighed, smiling softly.

“Have you looked at yourself in the mirror?” I asked him, placing my sandwich on the paper plate and inched forward on my knees, cupping his cheek to kiss his lips “I love you.”

“I love you too.” He smiled against my lips.

We ate for a while, our sandwiches long gone before Elvis suddenly sprang on his feet “The sun is setting too fast.” he said in a panicked voice.

“Okay?” I asked, confused.

Elvis stretched his hand out to me “Come here.”

I took his hand and let him help me up. He gulped and took both of my hands in his.

“Jess-” He started

“Yes?” I asked, with a raised eyebrow.

He chuckled and shook his head at me “I love you so much, I never ever ever thought it would be possible to love someone as much as I love you.”

I gulped at his words, is this what I think this is? Or is he just letting me know how much he loves me?

“I don’t want to waste anymore time. I spent the first two years of you working for me falling deeply and madly in love with you and it hasn’t stopped. I fall in love with you more and more everyday.” He said, his voice cracking slightly and I could see the tears forming in his eyes. My own eyes also blurry with tears, my lower lip started to tremble.

He pulled back and reached into the basket and pulled out a ring box. He opened it the ring box and got down on one knee “Jessica Anderson, will you marry me? Will you let me be your cowboy husband and you’ll be my cowgirl wife?” He asked with a smile on his face and a tear rolling down his cheek.

I couldn’t speak, I could feel a lump forming in my throat, tears were already rolling down my face. I nodded excitedly with a huge grin on my face.

“Yes?” He asked, with wide eyes.

“Yes!”

He laughed and got up on his feet. I cupped both of his cheeks and kissed him, he grinned against my lips, one arm wrapped around my waist while his other hand still held the ring box.

“Wait, let me put the ring on your finger.” He said and pulled away from me to slide the ring on my ring finger.

“Wow.” I inspected the ring closer and it was a beautiful Emerald stone in the middle with little tiny diamonds around it, making it look like a green flower “Elvis, this is so beautiful.”

“I saw it when I was ring shopping for myself a while back and the Emerald reminded me of your eyes.”

My lower lip trembled again, I cupped his cheeks and kissed him once again.

“I love you so much, Elvis.” I whispered against his lips.

“I love you too, baby.” He grinned happily.

“You’ll be my cowboy husband?” I asked him as we cuddled under the tree, watching the sunset. He had his arms wrapped around me from behind, I was leaning back against him.

“Yes.” He chuckled and kissed my shoulder.

“I can’t believe you remember when I said that.” That felt like years ago, lots happened since then.

“I remember everything you ever told me.”

I turned my head and pecked his lips. I love him so much and couldn't wait to see him as a my husband and the father of my kids.

Elvis reached for the picnic basket and pulled out his favorite camera “Let’s take a picture.”

He outstretched his arm out, pointing the camera at us with my hand raised, showing off the ring as he kissed my cheek. He also took another one of us kissing.

The next two months flew by and soon our wedding was only a few days away. Elvis didn't want to wait, he wanted us to get married as fast as possible and honestly I didn’t mind it, I didn’t care about the when and where, all I knew is I wanted to be married to this man. As long as he was the one I was walking down the isle to, that’s all that mattered to me.

We had some tiffs with The Colonel regarding the wedding. He wanted it to be filmed for the public, obviously any possible way to make more money but I didn’t want that. I wanted a small, intimate, private wedding. Something special just to Elvis and me. The Colonel made it very obvious how much he despised that I was marrying Elvis, he also thought this would ruin Elvis’ image as being available.

I was upstairs when I heard something crash in the living room, I rushed down the stairs to see Elvis getting in The Colonel’s face and a broken chair was on the side of the living room.

“Elvis.” I said, unsure if I should interfere. I’ve never seen him get mad at The Colonel, he really respected him and believed The Colonel only wanted what’s best for him.

“Jess, go.” He replied, his eyes still on The Colonel, his nostrils flaring in anger.

“Elvis!” Vernon yelled.

I quickly walked to him and pulled on his arm.

“This girl is going to ruin everything we’ve ever worked for.” The Colonel said, pointing at me without sparing me a single glance.

“Ignore him.” I whispered and tightened my hold on his arm.

“Get out of my house.” Elvis said, his jaw clenched tight. He took my hand and walked towards the stairs, pulling me along with him.

Elvis let go of my hand once we were in our bedroom and started pacing and running his hands through his hair in frustration.

“What did he say?” I asked, carefully gauging his reaction.

“He was trying to get me to breakup with you.” He practically growled. I knew that wasn’t happening and I already knew how much The Colonel despised me so it was no news to me that he was trying to come between me and Elvis.

“I need to ask you a question.”

“What?” I asked him.

“Why do you hate him so much? Since day 1, you couldn't stand him.” Elvis replied.

“He takes advantage of you.” I replied in all honesty “He doesn't deserve you, I think you deserve a better manager.”

Elvis scoffed and shook his head “He’s the reason why I’m here right now. I owe him my career.”

I gulped, I know that Elvis doesn't like when someone disagrees with him but I needed to be honest.

“I know.” I sighed “Doesn't mean you don’t deserve better.”

Elvis sighed and pulled me into his embrace “Let’s just focus on us right now. We’re getting married in a few days and that’s all that matters.”

“Yes.” I sighed and wrapped my arms around his waist “We’re getting married.” I said looking up at him.

“I know.” He looked at me with a small, soft smile “You’re gonna be Jessica Presley.”

“Actually I think Elvis Anderson sounds better.” I replied with a cheeky smile.

Elvis smirked and tickled my waist. I shrieked and jumped back.

Our wedding was currently being held at Graceland’s backyard. We had two areas decorated, one for the ceremony that was held before sunset and the reception in a huge tent after sunset. The ceremony was very simple, we had white chairs lined up and a threshold at the end. I was buzzing the entire day.

My bridesmaids consisted of Ella, my sister, Janice and Grace. Elvis’ groomsmen were Joe Esposito, Jerry and Charlie. We were stationed in the guest bedroom right next to Elvis and I’s bedroom. We goofed around, took lots of pictures and got our makeup and hair done. For some reason I wasn’t as nervous as I thought I would be, I just felt super at ease.

My dress was so beautiful, Grace and Janice helped me pick it out. It was a long sleeve dress with a slightly open back and a long train but it was very sheer so we had to custom add a skin tone piece of material underneath. The dress also had crystals and embroidery all over. It was simple and beautiful. I couldn't wait to show Elvis.

I was standing at the end of the isle when the music started playing. Elvis turned his head from where he stood at the end of the isle with his groomsmen and my bridesmaids. I smiled under my vail and tightened my hold on my father’s arm who was walking me down the isle. Elvis smiled but I could see his lip quiver.

Oh he looks so handsome in his black tuxedo with paisley silk brocade and a bowtie. He looked so good.

My father kissed my cheek and handed me over to Elvis, his hand was slightly shaking and he had tears in his eyes despite the huge smile on his face.

I gripped his hand, my own hand shaking as well. He reached for my vail and tossed it over my head, revealing my face “Woah.” He whispered, his eyes widening slightly as his eyes quickly roamed my face.

We grinned at each other, both of us getting very emotional.

“Hi handsome.” I whispered to him.

“Hi beautiful.” He whispered back.

The vows were a blur, we didn’t write our own we just repeated what the minister said. Our eyes never left one another, it was like we were in our own little bubble.

“Do you Elvis Presley take Jessica to be your lawfully wedded wife?” The minister asked.

“I do.” He nodded, with a huge grin on his face.

“And do you Jessica Anderson take Elvis to be your lawfully wedded husband?”

“I do.” I replied, my grin matching Elvis’

“I now pronounce you husband and wife, you may kiss the bride.”

Elvis gripped my waist with one hand and cupped my cheek with the other, smashing his lips on mine and tipping me backwards as everyone cheered.

We danced the night away, the tent was covered in twinkling lights and beautiful white tulips on the tables. Elvis couldn’t keep his hands off of my backless dress.

“I love how backless this is.” he whispered in my ear, his hands caressing my exposed back as we slow danced once again.

“I knew you would.” I giggled “You loved the backless sundress I wore when we went to the honky tonk the first time.”

Elvis laughed and kissed my cheek.

“Mr and Mrs. Presley! Turn around let me take a picture of you two!” Grace yelled over the music.

I turned around in Elvis’ arms, he stayed behind me, his arms fully around me as we smiled for Grace’s picture. We had a camera guy to film everything just for us. Thank god The Colonel was only there for the ceremony and left after we said our I dos. Vernon danced with me with a huge smile on his face and thanked me for making Elvis so happy which made me tear up because that’s my only goal, it is to always make sure Elvis is happy.

Elvis started to kiss my shoulder and up my neck. He placed a hand on my chin and turned my face towards him and kissed my lips. His hands trailed up my stomach and almost was about to cup my breasts when I quickly pulled his hands down.

“Wow there.” I laughed.

“Oops.” He laughed.

“You forgot you weren't alone?” Grace laughed.

“I got lost in the moment.” Elvis replied, shoving his face in my neck like a shy little kid trying to hide. Grace and I both laughed at him before she left us to be on our own.

While everyone was dancing and drinking, Elvis and I snuck out of the tent and headed to our tree. We could still hear the music so we danced together for a while.

“Mrs. Presley?” Elvis said.

“Yes, husband?” I asked.

“Have I told you how beautiful you look right now?” he looked at me with shinning eyes with happiness and a soft smile.

“Several times, yes.” I chuckled, cupping his cheek.

“And I’ll keep reminding you, Mrs. Presley.”

“I love you.” I caressed his cheek.

“I love you more. I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you.”

“Me too Elvis. I’m so glad Ella was denied her scholarship.” I chuckled but I was dead serious because I wouldn’t have taken this job and I wouldn’t have fallen for Elvis.

Elvis shook his head no “I believe we would’ve met either way. I believe we’re destined to be together and our souls would’ve found another way to meet.”

My lip quivered for the millionth time today, my eyes becoming blurry with tears “I do too.” I whispered.

My hair which was previously wrapped up in a low bun was out of the bun and fully cascading down my shoulders. Elvis reached forward and tucked a piece of hair behind my ear “I’m taking a break for a while.” He whispered.

“What?” I asked, frowning in confusion.

“I’m taking a break and we’re gonna travel to wherever it is you wanna go to.” He replied.

“Really?” I asked, letting out an audible breath. Elvis never takes long breaks, The Colonel loves to work him to the bone “What about The Colonel?”

“I don’t care what The Colonel thinks. I wanna travel the world with my girl. Just me and you.” He smiled softly.

My smile matched his, I reached up and combed his hair away from his face “I love you so much Mr Presley.”

“I love you more Mrs. Presley.” he whispered, looking down at me with his eyes shinning brightly and a small, happy and content smile.

THE END

Taglist: @urrfavvana @girlblogger2002 @butlersluvbot @iheqrtaustin @dramaticpandabear @godlypresley @amiets2 @felis-haxb16 @marie73ep @scarlettlight06 @whatstruthgottodowithit @sassanoe @thatbanditqueen @18lkpeters @rjmartin11 @elvispresleyisfit12 @n0vaj3an @richardslady121

Let me know if you want to be added to the taglist!

#elvis presley #elvis presley x reader #elvis x reader #austin!elvis x reader #elvis presley x you #elvis x you #austin butler elvis #elvis presley x oc #elvis smut #elvis x oc #everythingpresley #austin butler

90 notes · View notes