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carolperkinsexgirlfriend · 11 months ago

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Steddie Upside-Down AU Part 46.5

Posting the added Christmas part, which is entirely @queenie-ofthe-void 's fault. In the context of the story, this takes place just before Steve reconciles with Carol. We'll be back to our regularly scheduled programing tomorrow <3

Steve gets quieter and quieter as the days pass. It’s as if now that he’s not constantly bombarded with distractions, all they’ve been through has enough space to root into his brain and grow. Eddie doesn’t like it.

He’s curling into himself, smaller and smaller as he watches Eddie flit around the trailer from his perch on the couch. He never tries to join him or waylay him, never asks for anything at all.

All his neighbors are putting up their usual illegal trees and shitty old twinkling lights. It makes Eddie want to dig a deep hole and die in it.

He’d driven past the Harrington house last year on his way to Jeff’s usual Christmas Eve party. Their lights were white and classy, picture-perfect tree standing in the window, flaunting its opulence for all the world to see. Eddie remembers scoffing, turning up his tape as loud as it would go, hoping to disturb the Hallmark special undoubtedly going on inside.

Now, he wonders if anyone had been there at all, or worse, if it was just Steve, rotting on the couch, even more alone than he is right now.

He shifts his gaze furtively to Steve, grimacing when he sees the distant look in his eyes, trained on the television but taking in nothing at all.

“Hey, Harrington,” he calls nonchalantly, just to get a reaction. “Your folks coming home for Christmas?”

Steve grimaces, but his eyes focus and turn Eddie’s way, so mission accomplished. “Probably not,” he replies.

Meaning, they probably hadn’t been there last year. Eddie can’t believe he’s even thinking the thought, but he hopes Steve had gone over to the Perkins’ or Hagan’s houses, and spent the holidays surrounded by assholes full of Christmas cheer.

But Steve’s frowning down at his knees, so he doubts it.

Eddie and Wayne don’t usually bother with a tree, but they’ve still got their Christmas traditions. Wayne will come in from a late shift, and Eddie will have their traditional dinner of grilled cheese waiting for him. They’ll stay up late watching all their favorite Christmas movies, and then trade gifts as the sun begins to rise.

Eddie wonders if Steve has any traditions at all.

Then, he got an idea. An awful idea. Eddie got a wonderful, awful idea. With barely any forethought at all, Eddie walks over and takes Steve’s warm hand. “Come on, Steve,” he says, pulling on his arm until he gets with the picture and stands. “We’ve got stuff to do.”

Steve furrows his brow, but doesn’t let go of Eddie’s hand. “What? But–”

“No buts!” Eddie interrupts. He eyes Steve critically. His still-short hair looks greasy. Eddie’s not sure if he’s showered since Winter break began. A bad sign if he’s ever seen one. “Go shower and get dressed!”

Steve glares at him, but drops his hand, and walks to the bathroom without complaint. The shower turns on. Eddie rushes around, gathering his wallet and keys, stuffing his feet into his worn out boots. Once Steve’s done in the bathroom, he harangues him into getting dressed. He listlessly complies, tugging on jeans and bypassing his own clothes to tug on one of Eddie’s Hellfire shirts and Wayne’s coziest flannel, which he left draped across the back of his recliner.

Eddie herds him out the door and into the passenger seat of the van. Eddie turns the dials on the radio until he finds Hawkins’ one and only Christmas Station. The last dregs of Sleigh Ride pour out of the speakers at Eddie’s usual volume, Ella Fitzgerald’s dulcet tones serenading them.

Steve jumps at the volume, but otherwise doesn’t react. Rocking Around the Christmas Tree starts. Eddie sings it at top volume, bouncing in his seat to the beat. By the time they’re decking the halls with boughs of holly, Steve’s smiling, mouthing along to the words too quietly to be heard over the music.

Eddie reaches over, shaking him back and forth gently by the neck, trying to shake the ghosts of Christmas past right out of him. By the way Steve laughs, he thinks it may have even worked.

He pulls off Mirkwood, parking in the dirt between two trees, smiling brightly as he takes off his seatbelt and slides out of the car. He skips into the trees, pausing to wait for Steve. He hears the passenger door open and slam shut and Steve’s slow jog to catch up before he starts on his merry way again.

“What the hell are we doing, man?” he asks, looking down at his feet as they step over roots and fallen logs.

Eddie wonders if Steve feels that same drumming anxiety in his heartbeat that he feels. It’s the way the light passes through the trees, like something could come lumbering up between them and swallow them whole. Being back here in the woods with Steve by his side. Still, there’s something content bubbling up alongside the anxiety. No matter which side of Hawkins they're on, Steve’s still right by his side.

“Shopping!” he replies, beaming at Steve’s audible scoff.

“In the woods?”

Eddie wraps his arm around Steve’s elbow, pulling him familiarly into his side and holding him there. Steve doesn’t resist, just snuggles in, like Eddie’s that cute little teddy bear that now shares their bed.

“Well you see, Sir Steven,” he replies gallantly, make-believing that Steve really is a knight, and Eddie’s his loyal servant. “Those of the noble house of Harrington might pick out something perfect and green at Merrill’s lot, but us lowly commoners have to settle for what we can scavenge.”

“You didn’t even bring an ax.”

Eddie scoffs, shaking him lightly. “There’s those rich kid roots again,” he says, smiling conspiratorially over at him. “You think we need an ax for anything that’ll fit in the trailer?”

Steve rolls his eyes, but Eddie doesn’t even care. There’s life in them again. “It’s not rich kid roots that you’re going to be pulling out of the ground.”

Eddie laughs.

They don’t make it much farther before settling for a little sapling, already snapped. Eddie crows and finishes snapping it with his hands. It’s going to be a very Charlie Brown Christmas, and Eddie can’t wait.

Steve grumbles and groans at his choice, but when they get back home, he dutifully grabs the dinky pitcher from under the sink and fills it halfway with water while Eddie turns on the mixtape he’d made a few years back, full of his and Wayne’s favorite Christmas songs. Steve settles the tree in the living room, situating it in the corner so it won’t block the TV.

Eddie digs what little decorations he and Wayne have accumulated from the storage under the trailer, and they spend a good five minutes filling it with lights and garland. When the lack of bulbs becomes apparent, Steve scrounges through Eddie’s figurines, stringing them up and dotting them around the tree. It ends up looking a bit like they’d hung a bunch of tiny men to die, but Eddie loves it.

When Wayne gets home, he raises his eyebrow at the setup, but doesn’t comment.

Presents accumulate over the week leading up to the big day. A couple for Wayne, a few more for Eddie, a few more still for Steve. When Steve first sees his name scribbled in pen atop a box wrapped in scavenged advertisements, he looks like he’s going to cry.

Eddie and Steve trawl the shops, each picking up odds and ends for Will and the kids, and scratching both of their names on them. Harrington's payout is starting to run thin, but Eddie helps Steve pick out a few things from the record store for the Hellfire boys as well. Eddie can’t wait to see the looks on their faces when they fork them over.

He picks out a pair of mittens each for Nancy, Barb, and Jonathan, and looks especially proud of the World’s Best Mom mug he snags for Mama Byers, even as he blushes throughout the entire purchase.

Eddie catches him picking up a bottle of nail polish a few times, or a stack of baseball cards before he puts them down with a shake of his head and a world-weary sigh. He doesn’t ask who he was thinking about, doesn’t think he has to.

They wrap the presents side by side, forgoing bows and frills, and leave them stacked behind their little tree.

It all makes the trailer feel homey. Warm and safe.

Eddie plays phone tag with all their friends until he catches them all. Everyone bundles into the small space on Christmas Eve, exchanging presents while A Christmas Carol plays in the background.

Jeff and Doug maintain their manners, but the look of shock on Gareth’s face when he unwraps the new Metallica cassette that Steve hands him is a sight to behold. He sheepishly hands over a Hershey’s candy bar obviously bought from Melvald’s, but Steve just hugs him and takes a bite.

Will tucks Mama Byers’ wrapped present into his coat, lest he forget it. It’s loud and chaotic, but before he knows it, they’re all trickling through the door with well wishes and good cheer, off to continue the festivities with their own families.

When Eddie shuts the door on the last of them, he turns to find Steve looking sad and small.

Eddie claps his hands, aiming for big and bright. “Now, for the Munson’s traditional Christmas Experience.” He says each word with the weight it deserves.

Steve perks back up, spine straightening. “Traditional?”

Eddie nods, leading the way into the kitchen. “Uncle Wayne should be back soon, and I always make dinner,” he says, digging the ingredients out of the fridge.

“You can cook?”

Eddie scoffs, but then shrugs. “Well, I can make grilled cheese,” he says, plunking the butter and cheese onto the counter and grabbing the bread from its box. “And I heat up a mean can of soup.”

Steve scoffs. “You burn them every time, don’t you?”

“It’s tradition!” Eddie cries, but lets Steve hip check him out of the way and begin the preparations.

Eddie’d been twelve the first time he’d done this for Uncle Wayne. By the time he’d walked through the door, weary from a hard day’s labor, there’d been two sandwiches on the table, almost charred beyond recognition, and two luke-warm bowls of canned tomato soup. Wayne had said it was the best meal he’d ever had, and ate every last morsel.

The sandwiches Steve makes are browned and buttery, cheese melted just right in the middle. Wayne smiles when he walks in through the door, and they settle in front of the TV to watch The Grinch, meals tucked onto TV trays. The cheese stretches tantalizingly when Eddie pulls the two triangles Steve had cut it into apart. It’s the perfect sandwich. Wayne groans his agreement as Steve smiles into his traditional canned soup.

They watch Christmas movies all night, trying to find Steve’s favorites when he admits to never having watched most of them. And when dawn’s light starts drifting in through the kitchen window, Eddie bounds down to the dinky tree and passes presents out.

They open each present, one by one. Wayne tears up when he opens the World’s Best Dad mug that Steve must’ve bought, and Steve’s similarly water when he opens his own gift to find Wayne’s favorite flannel, pilfered often enough that it fits comfortably on his shoulders. Eddie outright laughs when he receives a mixtape from Steve. When Steve huffs in offense, he tosses the mixtape he made Steve at his head.

Steve smiles down at it, and spends the rest of the morning turning it this way and that way in his hands as he reads the track list and looks at the little drawings Eddie’d done by each song.

When they finally crawl into bed, his bedroom is much lighter than usual, but he’s too tired to care. Steve reaches across the scant inches separating them to grab Eddie’s arm and pull it into his chest like a security blanket.

Eddie sighs, content to close his eyes and sleep away the day.

“This is the best Christmas I’ve ever had,” Steve whispers into the quiet of the room.

Eddie scooches just a little closer, thinks of their dinky little tree and stupid thrifted presents, and whispers right back, “me too, Angel.”

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#steve harrington #steddie #my fic #eddie munson #steddie upsidedown au #i thought about posting it tomorrow but there's momentum building in the story rn and didn't want to do that to you lol

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jetskisonyourmoat · 7 months ago

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An old interview from 2007 ☺️

[credit to Twitter user who took photos of the interview]

Transcript:

Coldplay in scarves and woolly mittens. The Libertines as Dickensian street urchins, and REM's Michael Stipe as um, Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer. The NME Christmas cover has an illustrious tradition of rock stars arsing around in their best dressing up clobber for a day Some need gentle coaxing, some need a raft of costume. based ideas sent over by our art team before theyll commit. Others, like this year's Christmas cover stars Arctic Monkeys, have planned the concept and hired the outfits even before our tentative email request has had time to settle in their manager's inbox. "We want to be evil elves," came the return message moments later. "Not naughty elves, not mischievous elves. EVIL ELVES.” Which is why, one Wednesday afternoon in late November, we find ourselves at a north London photo studio strapping dynamite sticks to reindeers, impaling others with giant shards of metal, hiding a bomb in a snowman's hat and handing Arctic Monkeys bassist Nick O'Malley a mallet and then standing back as he sends carefully wrapped gifts shattering across the room. Of course, there were the annual set of complications in trying to co-ordinate a photoshoot of this magnitude: Alex Turner requesting the ‘smacked-up elf’ look from the make up artist, but looking more like a cherubic waif with every ring of dark eyeshadow applied, Nick shunning the hired-in pixie boots in favour of his own toe-curling pointers ("from Prada, thank you very much") and a minor tussle over which band member was going to get their ears stuck on first. That and the endless flutes of champagne threatening to sabotage the interview scheduled for straight after the shoot (“I feel very light headed and unsteady on my feet, NME," says Alex, wobbling).

Eventually we manage to steer them to a corner of the room where a Dictaphone awaits. By this time Nick, Matt Helders and Jamie Cook's costumes are on coat hangers and they're back in civvies. Only Alex has opted to stay as an elf, at least as long as the interview lasts. It's a heated hour that will see them debate the big topics of the year, consider their own personal highlights (Nick. "Glastonbury. NME: And your defining Glasto 2007 moment? Nick "Er, headlining the fucker") and lowlights (Mike Reid RIP). Before all that though, there's the small matter of destroying Christmas 2007 for everyone. Your favourite worst nightmare before the festive season is about to be unleashed.

NME: Hello, Nice costumes.

Alex Turner: "Thanks. You might say we dress up too much, But really, what is too much? It's good to escape your own face for an hour.

Matt Helders: "It's easier to hide behind a costume, isn't it? I felt in good spirits up there though - I’m not sure I was really feeling evil enough.

So what's Arctic Monkeys squad of evil elves manifesto for ruining Christmas?

Jamie Cook: "Go out on Christmas Eve.

Alex: "I heard a terrible story about a friend who went out on Christmas Eve once. This lad got hammered and, you know when you're hungover and, like, your thoughts and your mouth aren't connected properly? Well, he was eating his Christmas dinner and his nan were wittering on as your nan does, and he thought to himself. Oh, shut up Nan, you cunt. Then he looked up and everyone was looking at him and his dad went. I think you'd better just take your dinner upstairs and eat in your bedroom. He’d said it out loud (The table collapses in laughter).

Matt: "His nan was a cunt, though."

Alex: "So there's a way to wreck Christmas - call your nan a cunt. Actually. you should leave that out cos my nan buys NME more than my mum. My nan files her NMEs!

Matt: "So our real answer would be... I dunno, burn everyone's house down.

Alex: "Or, you know those Santa’s that come on a truck to estates and all the kids come to see them? Maybe you could hijack one of them as another Santa then rip your beard off

Matt: "....and punch the kids. Or the dad. There's nothing worse than beating kids dads up in front of the kids!"

Alex: "(Nodding) Nothing worse.

Moving on. What does a traditional Christmas entail round at Alex Turner, the only child's, house?

Alex: "Quality Street. That's the only tradition around mine. Other than that, just looking at the phone thinking. Can I ring them (points at other Monkeys) on Christmas Day or is that out of order?'

Matt: "Yeah. it is. (Holding hands up to each ear to mimick a two-way phone conversation between Alex and himself 'Do you wanna come round?' 'Al, it's Christmas Day. My nan's here.' 'Yeah. but I'm just sat here at home...' "

Alex: "We've been discussing how there's nothing to do on Christmas Day and maybe having some kind of party this year. Fancy dress, obviously. We were talking about having some sort of Ultimate Warrior party."

Matt: "Wrestlers weren't it?"

Alex: "Ah yes, wrestlers."

What are you doing for New Year's Eve?

Matt: "Last year was crap. I DJed in Sheffield at midnight. The first song everyone in that room heard going into 2007 was 'Boom! Shake The Room, which was a good feeling"

Alex: "That's something to be proud of. This year we've got nothing planned. We all go out together though; we were at that club."

Matt: "It rarely works, New Year's Eve. It's always such a fucking build-up."

Alex: Everyone's like, '(Whining voice) What are we doing now?' And then it fucking snows, doesn't it?"

Um, not where I'm from...

Alex: "It always snows round where we are"

Jamie: "It's not snow, it's sleet."

Alex: "I remember walking home last year in it and no taxis stopping for us."

Jamie: "Yeah, 'Im not taking you to High Green, mate."

Nick O'Malley: "I booked a hotel last year in Sheffield city centre and just stayed there."

Alex: 'Maybe well stay in this year. See Jools' Hootenanny and that."

What New Year's resolutions are you going to make?

Alex: "I want to learn how to cook food. I want to do a good curry."

Nick: "I want to get to a level of fitness synonymous with that of a boxer - just so I don't get out of breath walking up the stairs"

Jamie: "I want to grow a beard. I’m not shaving after today."

Alex: "Otherwise I'm allowed to punch him in the nose."

Matt: "I want to learn to do a back somersault and a front somersault."

Jamie: "Oh, and be able to dive into shallow water from a height and not hurt yourself."

Alex: "Yeah, flips, juggling. unicycling. I think were all always looking for improvement in our overall balance."

The coming year dealt with, it's time to turn the clock back and get Arctic Monkeys' take on the headlines that shook 2007. For this, Alex takes a more noticeably back-seat role in the conversation especially when the spectre of political allegiance rears its head and he actually goes completely mute. According to his press officer afterwards, having seen Arctic Monkeys branded Gordon Brown's favourite new band before he became Prime Minister, Alex is reluctant to say anything that any of the political parties could use to their advantage. From here on in then, Nick'n'Matt take over from Aln'Matt as the comedy double act. Meanwhile, Jamie will reserve his sole contribution to the conversation for an animated outburst about social networking sites in the workplace.

This Christmas marks the one-year anniversary of James Brown's death. Did he mean much to Arctic Monkeys?

Nick: "Yeah, we were big fans of James Brown."

Alex: "The first ever gig we did, we walked onstage to 'The Payback. And at college I had a pair of jeans I'd written on in red marker ‘I've got soul and I'm super bad!

Jamie: "He did as well."

Nick: "It was one of those things when you heard, you didn't want to believe it. A bit like Steve Irwin."

Alex: "Or Mike Reid. (Genuinely moved) Mike Reid, that really hit me that."

Nick: 'I don't think there was a big enough fuss about that as there should have been."

Matt: "I tell you when Ill be dead upset- and I don't really want to say it cos he's not dead yet, but I might as well get it all out -and that's when Bruce Forsyth dies."

Alex: "(Gravely) Ah, Forsyth."

Matt: "Cos I know I'm going to see it.. all being well my end."

Nick: "Touch wood."

Alex: "Cover the holes!"

Nick: "(To NME] Do you know where that expression comes from?"

Alex: "Apparently there's these little people who live in the wood. Like these little fairies that bring things that you say to life. So you cover the holes so they can't get out... Yeah, Mike Reid. I remember reading about that in the airport.

Then there was the Celebrity Big Brother race row early in the year. Did you watch any of it?

Nick: "We made a point of watching that. We wanted to watch where what's-her-name got kicked out. That said it all, and they didn't have any crowd there"

Alex: "Oh, Jade."

Jamie: "I thought Jade Goody and the one that was getting abused by her.

Matt: "Shilpa Shetty."

Jamie: "That's right. I thought they both played it bad."

Alex: "Jo from S Club 7 can fuck off I’d send her to jail Why? I just don’t like her; I think she came across horrible."

Nick: (Changing tact) “I texted one of those numbers to find out about touch wood (Reaches for beeping phone and starts reading) Touch wood is said to come from a mid-18th century story in which children being chased who touched wood were said, to be immune from being caught"

Matt: "I don't believe that. This has been wrong once before and thats when texted, to ask who's headlining Glastonbury and it said Eric Clapton. (Pumping chest out defiantly) It weren't - it were us!"

Of course the biggest music story of the first half of the year was Keith Richard revealing he'd snorted his father…

Jamie: "(Laughing) His ashes weren’t it?

Yep. What's the weirdest thing you've ever snorted?

Matt: "An eraser. That's not true actually I've witnessed it but never done it I wish I had. I didn't live enough at school”

What did you think of Keith's revelations?

Matt: "I think it was shortly after he said we were shit. He said something like the ["Load of cunts. load of cunts. Posers, rubbish was how Keef actually described the Monkeys, alongside Bloc Party and The Libertines in the same NME interview.

Keith said he didn't like The Libertines who reformed for one night only in April, with Carl Barât joining Pete Doherty onstage at London's Hackney Empire. Did you care?

Alex: "Yeah, I was interested in that. It was a 'should've been there moment, I imagine.”

Matt: "I’d have liked to have seen that.”

Nick: "They're one of the bands that a very young us were really into."

Would you like them to get back together permanently?

Alex: "(With just enough sarcasm) The greatest hits album were enough for me”

Jamie: "They didn't sling it out though did they? It was the label."

Nick: "I read something where Pete was saying he didn't even know it had come out.”

What about the new Babyshambles album? Were you fans of that?

Nick: "I’ve only heard a few songs, but the were good tracks."

Alex: "I liked it and I liked him on Friday Night With Jonathan Ross.”

Nick: "He seemed like a nice gentleman"

Alex: "I met him once. I was at this party in this club this time last year when we were recording, and someone who I’d never met said Oi! Come here and led me through this door and there was a studio and in this studio he was stood there with his top off."

Nick: "Topless?!"

Alex: "It were surreal. For a start there's a studio in a club, then there’s Pete Doherty and then he's got his top off he’s taller than you’d think.”

Matt: "I remember meeting him, as a fan actually, at a Strokes gig at Alexandra Palace I had my picture took with him and that’s when I realised he were tall."

In May, offices and schools across the UK began blocking students from using Facebook.

Alex: "I’ve never even been on Facebook"

Jamie: "(Antagonised) You know what? That’s fair enough if they should be workin’ or learning, not making take friends"

Matt: "What's the difference between…”

Jamie: "(Raising voice) No, but fair enough! You're fucking working!"

Matt: "Um, what's the difference between Facebook and MySpace?”

Please tell me one of the Arctic Monkeys knows what Facebook or MySpace are...

Alex: "I've never looked on them."

Jamie: "I haven't."

Matt: “I know what MySpace looks like, cos other people have shown me theirs, but none of us have actually got one.”

Are there any sites you do frequent?

Matt: "I don't mind The Hype Machine. I go on to search for remixes before they get heard properly."

Nick: "I got really into Wikipedia at one point. I read loads of things about joe Meek and Shack"

Alex: "He’ll read all these facts then casually throw them into conversation the next day."

Matt: "Askjolene.com is the biggest adult search engine in the world.. Just throwing that in there"

Gordon Brown - a big fan of yours, apparently - took over from Tony Blair this summer as Britain's 51st Prime Minister. How's he done so far?

Nick: "I've not really noticed any changes."

Matt: "It's neutral for me."

Who will you be voting for next time?

Matt: "I need to start evaluating, reading all their manifestos."

Nick: "I’ll Wikipedia them all and make a decision that way.”

The UK smoking ban kicked in on July 1. Has it bothered you?

Matt: "Nick's the only one of us that smokes."

Nick: "Oi, my mum reads this!"

Matt: "(Back-tracking hastily) Like I said, Nick doesn't even smoke."

Nick: "I agree with it, even though 1 do smoke. I think it's a good thing."

Alex: "You get weird smells now, I reckon."

Matt: "We were reading about that place where they give out free deodorant because you smell people more now in bars."

Nick: "It's a good way to meet new people outside I've found. And it someone's getting on your nerves you can just say. 'Right, Im going outside for a cigarette."

Alex: "I think it will become less strict in a few years. 'Cos like in New York they've had it a bit longer and they turn a blind eye to it some places there now.”

In August we had another music legend pass away; Tony Wilson.

Alex: "That were a right shock. I'm not a huge fan of the Manchester music scene. but enough for his death to mean a lot."

Nick: "I always imagine him as Alan Partridge, y know! Well, Steve Coogan in 24 Hour Party People. That's where I first got to know of Tony Wilson."

Alex: "(Looking glum) What happened in September, NME?"

You can have the Diana death inquest or Klaxons winning the Mercury Prize.

Alex: "Klaxons winning the Mercury Prize."

Matt: "You could say Klaxons winning the Mercury Prize if you want, or you could say us losing the Mercury Prize"

How did you feel about that?

Matt: "It were alright. It were a bit of a dent on my life."

Nick: "Well done, Klaxons. I wanted Dizzee Rascal to win it."

Matt: "'Yeah, Maths + English'"

Nick: "I thought it was Winehouse's though."

Alex: "But then I think Klaxons' album is more of an album than Amy Winehouse's album. Like, Amy Winehouse's album had some good tunes an' that. But I think as a thing, you can't really argue with Klaxons."

What did you think about Radiohead shocking the music industry with the way they released In Rainbows' this autumn?

Alex: "We heard Radiohead's riveting radio broadcast on the way home last night."

Matt: "I nearly fell asleep at the wheel!"

Alex: "I were nudging him! 'Keep your eyes on the road!"

Nick: "I think it was quite a clever idea for them. I think it works well for them cos their fans are the type of fans who’d probably really be into that concept."

Is it something you'd ever do?

Alex: "Nah."

Matt: "That'll be memorable 'cos they'd gone out of their way to do something different, but I don't think we need to. Obviously they don't need to either. They can afford to do stuff like that."

Alex: "They've done it now. You only need to do an experiment like that once. I don't feel like it was designed to change anything"

Matt: "They said themselves, 'It's not a template' See! I was listening last night."

Then at the end of the year, Led Zeppelin finally played their long-awaited reunion show in London. Did you apply for tickets?

Matt: "Nope. I would have gone if late Led Zep drummer] John Bonham was still alive."

Nick: "Oh, Matt."

Matt: "I'm not that bothered by them. It's not that big a deal."

Jamie: "Nah, it really is! (Laughing) Thats why a lot of people are going."

Nick: "I had a phase of being a big Zep fan. I remember I had a perlod of about six months thinking they were the bee's bollocks."

Which brings us right up to the end of the year. What great truths have Arctic Monkeys learned in 2007?

Nick: "We learned that we're really into finding out where expressions came from. So we learned where 'fill your boots' came from - it's where old, er-”

Matt: "Cavaliers."

Nick: "Yes, Cavaliers!"

Matt: "They'd get their place at the bar and once they were there they wouldn't want to lose it, so they'd piss straight into their boots so they could carry on drinking. They had big boots on, like. That's it. There's our great truths.”

Or are they? Can we trust anything that comes out of the mouths of Satan's Little Helpers? Perhaps it's all just an evil plot to make us urinate on our own footwear this Christmas. Or go on festive arson rampages. Or cause expletive-induced coronaries in the elderly. Whatever, Arctic Monkeys certainly wish you all a very scary a Christmas.

#The idea of them being tipsy whilst doing this interview is really funny to me #They were so silly back in the day #This interview is such a gem #alex turner #matt helders #nick o malley #jamie cook #arctic monkeys #fwn

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cetaitlaverite · 11 days ago

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Anything to Anywhere

Masters of the Air - John Egan x OC

happy 1st november. here's a christmassy chapter to celebrate. masterlist is hereeee <3

21. A Unicorn Indeed

The war didn’t stop for Christmas. In Stella’s experience, the war didn’t stop for anything. Flights for both 138 and 161 went out the same as they always did. Stella’s first flight with 161, in fact, was set for the 27th. She would be leaving Tempsford for Tangmere on Boxing Day.

Barely anyone had gotten leave to go home for Christmas. Guy had, after his nightmare time in occupied territory, and he left on Christmas Eve for a whole three days back at home in London. Most everyone else, though, including the air exec and the wireless operators and the medics and the nurses and the cooks and the ground crew, were stuck in Tempsford, where even letters from home would take months to get to them; all correspondence had to be addressed to the RAF head office in London to be picked up by a special courrier. No one was allowed to know where they all were, even family.

On Christmas Eve, all four girls in Hut 6 sat on Lucky’s bed in their pyjamas, talking about home. Lucky had given Stella her childhood stuffed bunny to hold onto and, in return, Stella had given Lucky Ralph. She sat fiddling with his paws as she spoke of the home and the family she’d left behind in Poland.

“On Christmas Eve, as you say - Wigilia is how we call it - we are busy all day to make sure everything is ready before the first star appears in the sky,” she was saying. “All of the food is cooked and all of the dishes are washed and the tree is decorated. We do not want to be doing any work after the first star is in the sky. And then we sit down to dinner with twelve different dishes and everyone must try some of all of them, but before we eat we must break the opłatek - this, I think, you call wafers. And we wish each other good luck for the next year. And then we eat.”

“You eat your Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve?” Houds asked.

“Yes,” Lucky answered, quirking an eyebrow. “We also exchange presents.”

“In England we do all of that on Christmas Day,” Houds said.

Lucky scoffed. “I know this. I have been living in England for three years by now.” She shook her head, pulling a face. “Strange traditions you have.”

“What about you, Babs?” Donny asked with an amused grin, turning to Stella. “How do you usually celebrate Christmas?”

Stella shrugged. She burrowed further into John’s jacket, zipped up over the top of her pyjamas in what she’d claimed was a bid to stay warm but was actually a bid to feel close to him. She set her eyes on Lucky’s stuffed bunny, currently sitting perched on the side of one of her calves as she sat cross-legged on the bed. “I haven’t celebrated since before the war,” she replied, “but back home my brothers and I used to pull names out of a hat and that would be who we would buy a present for. Then on Christmas Day we would have dinner the same as every other night but we would give each other our presents afterwards.”

Houds’ eyebrows were furrowed when Stella glanced up. “Did your parents not get you any presents?”

In an attempt to be subtle, Donny elbowed her in the ribs, but Houds complained so loudly about it that the effect was lost.

Stella chuckled under her breath. “No,” she answered simply. “My parents…” She trailed off. She hadn’t ever gotten so far as to tell John about her parents. If she told the other girls then they’d know more about her than John did, and she didn’t want anyone to know her better than John did. But then Lucky leaned her head on Stella’s bicep and peered up at her with her wide eyes and Stella forced the thought out of her head; she still didn’t even know if John was alive. He wouldn’t want her guarding herself from people in his name.

“My dad left when I was young,” she said, and now her eyes were on her sleeves, her hands having retreated into them. She ducked her head, trying to be subtle as she inhaled John’s lingering scent on his jacket, and then went on, “My parents didn’t want so many children but I suppose my mum was super fertile. They were both angry when they found out she was pregnant with me. From what my brothers tell me, they tried to hold it together and my dad managed just about long enough for me to be born but it went downhill afterwards. When I turned nine he decided I was old enough to go without a father and he left one morning, very casually, just walked past all of us out of the house and never came back.

“My mum,” she continued, “didn’t want nine children either, much less to have to try to raise us all and keep us all alive with no husband bringing home any money. So my brothers had to go to work and my mum started working as a maid, but we never had any money regardless of how much they were all trying to work. So, no, my mum didn’t get us presents. She worked as hard as she could just to put food on the table. So my siblings took care of it and we got gifts for each other and, when all of us had started working, we started trying to get her a gift, too.”

The other girls had been quiet whilst Stella was speaking, watching her closely, drinking it all in. They couldn’t comprehend, really, how this girl who had grown up so differently from them had landed herself in the same place. There were many men who had come from similar backgrounds to Stella in the RAF, yes, because the RAF was actively recruiting; it didn’t matter if you were a man who had never flown a plane before because they wanted to train you anyway. The RAF was full to the brim with working class men and boys, in fact, who had learnt to fly during the war and were now being promoted up to the brass.

But women? No. No one was elbowing anyone out of the way to train women to fly planes. There was ancestral money associated with female pilots because they had to have their fair share of civilian flight hours to even apply for the ATA.

Yes, Stella Finley was a unicorn indeed, a working class girl who had learned to fly against all odds and now found herself one of only four women who flew for the RAF. And now she was about to fly for Squadron 161, the most secret of them all.

It was Houds who spoke first. “So that’s why no birthday cakes,” she said simply.

In spite of herself, Stella laughed. “Right,” she confirmed. “And my birthday’s in November, so everyone would be saving up for Christmas presents anyway. No birthday cake for me.”

“What about birthday presents?”

“From my oldest brother,” Stella confirmed with a soft smile. “Will. He always got me a birthday present. And one year, when money was good and all of my brothers had started work, they scrounged up enough money to get me this.” She pulled down the zip of John’s jacket a few inches, then tugged down the neckline of her pyjama top and withdrew the chain around her neck, held up the end to showcase the charm hanging from it. A tiny little silver bird caught and glinted in the overhead lights. A hummingbird.

Lucky reached out to touch it and smiled. “Pretty,” she said.

Stella grinned. “Thanks.” She let all three of them have a look at it, then promptly tucked it back into her pyjamas and zipped John’s jacket all the way back up, burying her chin in it momentarily to restore the warmth she’d lost. “Anyway,” she said after a couple of moments, “Donny, how do you and Daisy usually celebrate Christmas?”

They carried on talking about Christmas traditions for a while and then they got to talking about life in general; how Donny had met Daisy and how long it had taken him to propose, what it was like being married and whether or not any of the other girls thought they might get married eventually. Houds declared that she would only get married if she found a man who would let her have her own bedroom and sleep in her own bed, and wouldn’t force babies upon her. She didn’t see herself as a mother. Lucky said she had always thought she’d marry one of the boys who had grown up on the same street as her, but that he’d been killed during the Nazi invasion of Poland.

“Now?” she said. “I do not know. If I fall in love I will get married. I am not worried if I do not.” She was sly as she turned her eyes on Stella. “But Babs will marry the man who owns the jacket, will you not, Babs?”

Stella sputtered a scoff. “I don’t even know if he’s alive!” she exclaimed when she found her voice, sitting bolt upright on the bed. “I’ve never even kissed him!”

“Did you ever want to?” Houds asked curiously.

Stella’s cheeks were on fire. She picked up Lucky’s stuffed bunny and held it in front of her face, shaking her head from behind it. “I’m not talking about this. For all I know he’s been dead for two months by now.”

“But you don’t really believe that,” Donny deduced. “It’s unlikely that it was the pilot who didn’t get out when there were so many parachutes from his plane.”

“He still might have been killed on the ground,” Stella pointed out. She wasn’t sure why she was trying to insist that John was dead - she’d spent many nights convincing herself he wasn’t, coming up with any and all arguments which would point to the fact that he had gotten safely out of the plane and had navigated himself to safety - but maybe she just wanted the others to come up with some new ones, to confirm to her what she hoped more than anything in the world: that John was still alive, was safe somewhere in Germany, a prisoner of war who was guaranteed to survive the fighting, as much as he would have hated to be locked up.

“If he’s a POW he’ll be fine,” Donny said, as she’d said many a time before. “The Nazis aren’t nice to them, from what I hear, but they honour the Geneva Convention. If your Yank gave himself up and went willingly he’ll survive the war. Will you kiss him then?”

Stella peeked out from behind the bunny to find Houds looking at her with raised eyebrows, Lucky wiggling hers, and Donny smiling wildly.

Throwing herself forward on the bed, Stella buried her face in Lucky’s duvet. “I don’t want to talk about this.”

“Have you ever kissed a man?” Lucky asked. She was audibly grinning.

“Yes!” Stella cried. She sat up only momentarily to throw a pillow at her, then flopped back over again at once.

“Who?” Lucky challenged, unphased as she set her pillow back down in its rightful place.

“I briefly had a boyfriend when I was a teenager,” Stella said, turning her face to speak more clearly, rolling her eyes. “I’m not completely innocent.”

“But you’re a virgin,” Houds surmised.

Stella scoffed. “Not that it’s any of your business but yes, I am.”

“Does John know?”

Lucky got the same pillow thrown back in her face for that one. “Yes,” Stella all but growled. “But I’m not at all sure why it’s relevant.”

Lucky was cackling by now. “I bet he is lying in his POW bed somewhere in Germany dreaming up all of the things he would like to do -”

“Shut up, Lucky!” Stella cried. Her cheeks were in flames. “I don’t want to talk about this! You might be making innuendos about a dead man!”

“He’s not dead, Babs,” Donny cut in, laughing. “I can almost guarantee it. And I can’t wait to meet him once this is all finished.” She was smiling widely when she reached over to pat Stella’s leg encouragingly. “Tell us about him,” she said.

Sitting up straight, Stella busied her hands with smoothing down her hair, fighting to calm the blush in her cheeks. Once she had collected as much composure as she was likely to get, she set to fiddling with Lucky’s rabbit’s ears as she ventured, “He’s very tall.”

“How tall?” Houds challenged.

Stella laughed. “I don’t know! Much taller than me. Maybe about a head taller than me.”

Donny nodded her approval. “Very tall for a pilot,” she acknowledged.

“Very,” Stella agreed. “And he’s broad, too. Wide shoulders and a strong chest. Big arms.” She flushed as she said it. She didn’t like to admit that she’d noticed his arms but she certainly had. She’d never seen them bare but she’d felt them when he’d carried her on his back. Even just the thought of them made her feel hot.

Lucky whistled. “Big arms,” she echoed. “Very attractive.”

Stella rolled her eyes jovially. “He has dark hair,” she went on. “I used to think it was black but it’s a very dark brown, you can tell when he stands in the sunshine. Curly hair. Long-ish at the front and short on the sides.” She was smiling as she spoke, now. “And he has blue eyes. Dark blue, but they shine brightly when the light hits them. And he’s always warm, even when it’s cold out. He hates to be cold but his hands are always warm.”

“What else?” Lucky demanded.

Stella nudged her affectionately. “He likes to sing, even though he’s terrible at it. And he likes to dance, too. He can be very opinionated but I can’t resent him for it because I’m exactly the same. One time we had a major falling out and we hated each other for weeks because of it, but even then he still sat with me in the infirmary after my plane got hit by flak, to make sure I wasn’t alone.” Stella sighed. Her eyes fell to the duvet, trying to make out imaginary patterns in its folds. “He’s funny and passionate and he cares so much about the people he loves. He always let me talk at him for hours on end about things he must not have cared about at all. He loves baseball - he supports a team in New York called the Yankees, even though he’s actually from Wisconsin - and he -”

She faltered, sniffling. She hadn’t even realised there were tears in her eyes until one had slipped out and fallen down her cheek.

Ruefully, sadly, Stella laughed at herself, hastily swiping away the tear. “He tried to tell me he loved me the last time I saw him, the night before his plane went down. And I wouldn’t let him.”

“Why?” Donny asked softly.

“Because I was afraid. I -” One more sad little laugh, one more shake of her head. “I didn’t think I deserved him. I wasn’t good enough for him. And I thought he’d figure it out eventually, so I didn’t want him to promise me things only to take them away later on.”

“Oh, Babs,” Donny sighed, giving her knee a squeeze.

Lucky flung her arms around Stella’s waist and burrowed into her side.

From the other end of the bed, Houds was smiling softly at Stella. “I bet he misses you an awful lot,” she said. “And I bet he loves you even more.”

Stella tried to smile back but she knew it fell flat. “I miss him so much,” she confessed. And I think I love him even more, too.

The pub was shut on Christmas Day, so everyone gathered in the mess hall to celebrate. The cooks had made a roast dinner and sat down to eat it with them, and Mouse had gone to the effort of securing Christmas crackers for them all to pull before they ate.

Everyone had to wear their silly paper crown and many a petty argument arose over colours. Stella didn’t mind what colour hers was - she’d never had a Christmas cracker before, never had a silly paper crown to wear - so she traded with three different people until everyone was happy with what they’d gotten. In the end, her crown was yellow, and the joke in her cracker was so diabolical it was actually funny.

The celebrations were loud and joyful. Stella had never known a Christmas like this. Even at Thorpe Abbotts Christmas had been a quiet affair, though she wondered whether that was still the case now that the Americans were there.

But here, at Tempsford with the Moon Squadron, this wild group of fearless pilots who ferried people and supplies illegally in and out of occupied territory knew how to celebrate. They had lost a lot of pilots this year, after all; they knew to be grateful when the opportunity arose to revel in the joy of being alive.

They drank the alcohol supply on the airfield dry as evening pushed into night, and pushed all of the tables aside so they could dance to the music on the radio. With flushed cheeks and a sore throat from so much laughter, Stella was spun around the dance floor again and again and again, and whenever she got tired she remembered how she’d spent last Christmas alone and reading in her hut and she decided to dance some more.

She thought of John when Goose suggested they all take turns singing. They didn’t have the instrumental versions of any music, so whoever knew the song on the radio would just sing loud enough to cover the original singer.

And John would have loved it. All of it. The wild revelry, the celebration of being alive, the alcohol and the dancing and the singing and the stupid paper crowns and the terrible jokes and how everyone told everyone else how much they loved them every five seconds.

When ‘Blue Skies’ came on the radio, Stella volunteered herself to sing before anyone else could. Because this was John’s favourite song and she couldn’t give him a Christmas present, not the way she wanted to, so this would have to do.

She sang loudly and without self-consciousness, even though she’d never much enjoyed singing, and Lucky stood up to join her as soon as she held an arm out to her to ask. And so the two of them stood with their arms wrapped around each other, singing at the tops of their lungs to cover Irving Berlin’s crooning, swaying in time to the beat. And Stella thought about John, tried to imagine him celebrating Christmas with Buck and Curt and DeMarco and Brady and everyone else who had gone down, and hoped, more than anything, that he might be able to feel that she was thinking about him, hoped that he might be thinking about her too.

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jongbross · 11 months ago

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Hiiiiiiii 👋

Can you write a Baekhyun fic? I'm not exactly sure what I want, but... While listening to Demi Lovato's song, something came to mind...

But you make me wanna act like a girl

Paint my nails and wear high heels

Yes, you make me so nervous that I just can't hold your hand

I don't like school fics so maybe a best friend au.

She and Baekhyun are best friends, and the reader thinks she's far from his ideal type. She's been in love with him for years but she's insecure and either Baekhyun is too blind to see her feelings or the reader is a good actor.

She's a great girl, but she struggles to see her own potential... Baekhyun is everything to her, and she to him. Baekhyun had noticed her jealous behavior for a while and became suspicious. He even caught her crying once. When he put the pieces together, he understood everything. After faced her, the reader tried to run away from him, but Baek was fast enough to catch her immediately.

pairing: byun baekhyun x reader word count: 1256 genre: fluffy but also angst? warnings: swearing, jealousy, reader getting on beakhyun's nerves a/n: i'm back at writing requests!! thank you so much for your patience, i hope you enjoy this <3

"i think she's flirting with you", you told baekhyun, looking at the waitress that just walked by the two of you and shot baekhyun the prettiest smile she could manage.

"she's not", he denied, not even bothering to look back. "she's working on christmas eve, so i bet she's just trying to get a nice tip."

it was a tradition, at this point. you and baekhyun had spent the last four christmas together, as a sign of how strong your bond with each other was - either it was at bucheon with his family, abroad with your family, or just the two of you, like that moment.

for this one, sick and tired of being single (in baekhyun's words), he decided to take you too for dinner on the night before christmas. 'i won't be able to go to bucheon this year, so we should have a date night, and then sulk and eat leftovers while we open our presents at my house the next day', he had said, a month previous.

and of course you accepted. not only was baekhyun your best friend, but also the one you loved; like, actually loved.

there wasn't much you could do about it, to be honest. baekhyun had always seen you as a sibling, and that alone was enough to end any hope you could possibly have. on top of that, came the fact that he was just so... ethereal; baekhyun was the definition of a keeper, and any person who could have him was literally the luckiest person in the entire world.

"you can possibly think that every single person that smiles at you is just being polite, baek", you chuckled. "that's why you're single again..."

"does it bother you that i'm single?"

you tried your best not to choke on your drink as your brain screamed 'no, i actually love it' as an answer.

"i mean, i can call her over and ask her out...", he said, teasingly. "but you would spend christmas alone."

you just rolled your eyes at him, going back to your food and pretending like you weren't holding back a smile.

baekhyun kept the conversation going, as well. he told you about his family, how sad his mom was that she wouldn't see you that christmas; you told him about your plans for the next year, what you wanted to achieve.

cause, you see, talking to baekhyun was so easy, feeling seen was the biggest problem here. he could repeat every single word you had just said for the last hour, but could he see that you were wearing a new dress just for him? could he see that you got your nails done in his favorite color just for him? could he see that you were there, dying for him to love you back?

over your third glass of wine, the waitress came back to your table, the same pretty smile on her face.

"would the couple like to order some dessert?"

"we're not a couple", you instantly said, facing your glass.

taken aback by your answer, the waitress hesitated to turn to baekhyun, only to see him as surprised as her.

"um... no, not for now", he politely said. "can we get some water though, please?"

she hummed in response, before turning around to leave.

"wow, that was quite harsh", baekhyun faked a chuckle. "are you okay?"

"sure."

"are you really sure?"

"yes, baekhyun", you rolled you eyes. "she was just trying to check if you're single so she can keep flirting with you. all i did was give her the answer she was looking for."

baekhyun frowned, leaning into the table to take a good look at you.

"are you drunk already?", he laughed. "i mean, she just wondered if we were a couple, it's not that deep, y/n. we're together on christmas eve, it's-"

"no one would mistake us for a couple."

"what? why not?"

"because!", you exclaimed. at the corner of your eyes, you saw the said waitress coming again with a jar of water. she placed it on the table in front of baekhyun, and then proceeded to smile at him again before walking away. defeated, you sighed. "i am me, and you are you. nobody could ever think about us as a couple, so... i don't know, you can just give in and ask her out if you want to."

baekhyun scoffed at you, watching you as you took another big gulp from your wine. he silently took in your moves, the way you poured yourself some water and avoided his gaze.

"why are you jealous?", he finally asked after a minute or two of silence.

"i'm not jealous", you defended yourself.

"then look at me", baekhyun waited for you to finally look him in the eyes. "now tell me you're not jealous."

it was your turn to scoff, grabbing your glass of water and drinking a bit of it.

"this is stupid."

"yes, it is stupid", baekhyun agreed. "i think it's so stupid that even at christmas eve you won't admit why you're being jealous, that you'll only be petty and try to push me onto other girls. i don't want them."

you looked at him, damning him mentally for the way he was sitting at his chair, for the way his angry eyes made your heart flutter.

"i'm giving you the chance to be true to both of us, y/n. please, take it, and tell me why you are so jealous. i need to hear you say it."

"why?"

"because it's christmas eve, i'm at this beautiful restaurant with the most beautiful girl. you're wearing a new dress, wearing my favorite perfume, and you did your nails yesterday thinking about me, didn't you? don't think i didn't notice", he sighed, leaning into the table once again. "if we can't confess to each other right now, right here... then i truly don't think we ever will."

you kept staring at him, trying your hardest to keep your tears at bay so they wouldn't ruin your makeup. you felt like you were glowing, like your chest was now swallowing you deep into an ocean of something that you couldn't quite describe what it was, but if you had to take a shot, you would call it love.

"how long did you know?", you whispered to him.

"since your birthday", baekhyun replied. "but you're a good actress, i'll give you that."

you chuckled, shaking your head in disbelief.

"i'm sorry...", you told him. "i'm so sorry. i'm pathetic."

"yeah, kind of", baekhyun joked, making you both laugh. "i'm just kidding. you don't have to sorry, if anything i should be the one apologizing. i've known for so long now, but my pride didn't let me say shit. i just kept pushing away every girl that came around, and praying that you would do the same to anyone who got close to you, waiting for you to confess. everyday felt like i was gonna have a heart attack."

you rolled your eyes. "who's pathetic now?"

he laughed out loud, eyes turning into big heart emojis as you looked at him. just as you were ready to speak, the waitress came up again, smiling at baekhyun.

"do you guys need anything?", she asked.

"yeah, um... could you bring me some chocolate ice cream, please? and for my girl...", baekhyun looked at you. the waitress followed his gaze, smiling at you just the same and, maybe, baekhyun was right all along - she wasn't flirting. "anything she wants, please."

#byun baekhyun x reader #byun baekhyun x you #byun baekhyun imagines #byun baekhyun fanfic #baekhyun x reader #baekhyun x you #baekhyun imagines #baekhyun fanfic #exo x reader #exo x you #exo imagines #exo scenarios #exo fanfic #exo baekhyun #exo #byun baekhyun #kpop scenarios #kpop imagines #kpop fanfic

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heavyhitterheaux · 11 months ago

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I'll Be Home For Christmas

First Lady of Private Garden Fic

Synopsis: It’s your first Christmas in Atlanta after moving back with Jack, and you become upset when Jack tells you that it'll be a white Christmas that'll be spent in Atlanta and not in Louisville

Pairing: Husband!Jack Harlow x Wife!Reader

Requested by: @hoodharlow 💖

Please Do Not Repost My Content Anywhere

I'll be home for Christmas, If only in my dreams

The clock had struck 9 at night as you had finished packing your suitcase, ultimately having to sit on it to get it to close as you started to make your way to the front door of the apartment that you shared with your husband and best friend.

This was your first holiday season in Atlanta, and you and Jack quickly decided that the both of you wanted to go home to Louisville to be with both of your families and decided to drive on the 22nd of December. Although you did still have family in Atlanta, you wanted to be with your parents and sister.

Urban had left two days earlier since Jack had a few things to finish up and instead of having to wait for the two of you, Jack just told him to go and that the two of you would meet him there.

You were halfway to the front door as Jack was watching the news and the weather segment was on and it looked to you that he was deep in thought. He turned around once he heard you and simply sighed.

“Um, babe?”

“Yes? Are you done packing? We have to stop for snacks too. I definitely need gummy bears.”

“Princess, I don't think we're going anywhere any time soon.”

This stopped you in your tracks as you looked up at him with confusion written across your face.

“Boo bear, what are you talking about?”

“It's supposed to be a bad snowstorm the time that we're supposed to leave and they said driving isn't a smart idea.” Jack quietly muttered and he could see your heart breaking in front of him.

“With how much snow they're calling for, there is no possible way that we're going to make it to Louisville.”

“But…”

“I know, babe. But I'd rather have us be safe.” Jack said as he noticed that your eyes started to water and immediately got up from the couch to pull you into a hug.

“Well, what are we supposed to do now?” You asked as you hugged him tighter before looking up at him.

“We're going to make the best of it and start our own Christmas traditions. Just because we aren't with our families, doesn't mean we're not a family. We're a family of two, aren't we?” Jack asked while looking at you and placing a kiss on your forehead as you nodded.

“I know you're upset, but we're going to make the best out of this. We have about an hour before it starts, so why don't we go to the store and get ingredients to make cookies? We can also make your mom's cheesecake and we can decide what we actually want to eat on Christmas.” You heard him suggest and you simply nodded.

You decided that you needed to change your attitude, because you were getting to spend Christmas with your favorite person in the world.

The two of you set out to the grocery store and got the ingredients for both the cookies and cheesecake and on the way there, the two of you were trying to decide what to actually make for Christmas dinner. You wanted to go the traditional route with what your mom would usually make, while Jack said that he would be satisfied with just having pizza which instantly made you roll your eyes.

The two of you compromised and decided to make homemade pizza on Christmas Eve along with the cookies while saving the more traditional dinner for Christmas day along with the cheesecake.

Later that night once you knew Jack was asleep, you sent a quick text to your mom as well as Maggie so that they would know not to expect either of you and also mentioned that as soon as you and Jack were able to do so, that you would make your way to Louisville, hopefully before the new year set in.

You were currently in front of the Christmas tree in the living room, wrapping presents for Jack and A Christmas Story was playing in the background when you heard his footsteps.

“Stop right there, Harlow.”

“What the? Baby, why are you up? It’s two in the morning.”

“I’m wrapping your gifts. I couldn’t do it while you were sitting next to me earlier, so I had to wait until you fell asleep.” You quickly answered while placing the last piece of tape on the wrapping paper that held a new pair of New Balance 550’s for him since you knew that those were his favorite.

“Princess….”

“Yes?”

“I thought I told you not to get me anything.”

“And did you honestly think that I was going to listen? It’s our first Christmas in Atlanta. I obviously had to do something. I don’t think that I went that overboard.” You said while looking at the ten plus gifts that you had already wrapped that were sitting under the tree with Jack’s name on it.

“I…. literally everything under the tree on the left has my name on it.”

“Hmm, okay so maybe I did but seeing the look on your face will be worth it.” You replied while getting up and tightly hugging him as he leaned down to place a kiss on top of your head.

“Well, if that’s the case, you need to go to sleep so that I can wrap your gifts.”

“Can I get a sneak peek? Or a hint?”

“No, you didn’t let me get one, so why should you?”

“You didn’t even ask. Closed mouths don’t get fed.”

“Well my answer is no, so to the bedroom you go.” You knew that he wasn’t going to budge so you simply just rolled your eyes and walked into the direction of your shared bedroom.

On Christmas Eve, the two of you were in the kitchen as you were pouring the brownie batter into the pan that you decided to make at the last minute while Jack was sitting at the island and licking the spoon.

“Hmm, this tastes almost as good as you do. Almost.”

“Will you behave for five minutes?” You asked while turning towards him and rolling your eyes while trying not to laugh.

“Behave? Me? I’m always on my best behavior.”

“Never mind. You are literally the most unserious person that I know.”

“I’m serious when I have you screaming when I’m knee deep in those guts.”

“JACKMAN!”

“What?!? Did I lie?”

“Help me make this pizza that you were practically begging for and cut the shit.”

“As long as I get to have you for dessert.”

All you did was stare at him before turning around and grabbing the ingredients from the fridge.

Once Christmas morning hit, it was around 5 AM and you were already bouncing off the walls. You looked out the window to see that it had snowed even more overnight and quickly decided that the two of you would definitely be making a snowman later in the day to add to the one that you had done the night before.

“Baby…” You said poking Jack’s cheek, but he quickly swatted your hand away.

“Five more minutes.”

“Uh no. I want for you to open your gifts and see what I got you. Move it Harlow.” You quickly responded as you pulled the comforter off of him which quickly had him open his eyes to roll them at you.

“And I thought you weren’t a morning person?” He asked as you made your way to stand in front of him.

“I’m not, but everyone is a morning person on Christmas, so come on.” You simply grabbed his hand as the two of you made your way to the living room and sat down in front of the tree and display of presents.

“Okay, open this one first.” You said while handing Jack a small box that he quickly held up to his ear and shook.

“Hmm, I already told you not to get me anything and this better not have been a lot of money.”

“Will you just stop being a grinch and open it?!”

Once Jack opened it, he was in awe at the sight before him.

It was a simple necklace that had KY hanging from it and he couldn’t help but to get the biggest smile on his face.

“That way, you have a little piece of home wherever you may go in the world.” You said as Jack then leaned over to kiss your cheek, making you smile.

“Thank you, baby. I already know that this is my favorite gift that you have given me.”

“But, you haven’t even opened half of them yet!”

“Doesn’t matter, I know that this one takes the cake. And I need you to open this one first, I definitely think that this one would be your favorite.”

Jack had handed you a decent sized box and you couldn’t for the life of you figure out what was in it, simply because you didn’t even ask him for anything that would require a box that was this big.

Once you started ripping off the wrapping paper, you simply gasped when you saw the words Birkin written in the middle of the box.

“Jackman Thomas Harlow, no you FUCKING didn’t…..”

“Y/N Y/M/N Harlow, yes I did.”

“But….”

“You have been obsessed with them since forever and I made it up in my mind at the beginning of the year that no matter what I had to do, my wife was going to see a Birkin under the tree this year. And there will be many more to come after this one.”

“This means a lot to me, so thank you.” You told him as you placed it back inside the box and moved it to the side to get to your other presents.

“Now, what’s next?”

It was around 11 PM when both of you were cuddling on the couch with It’s A Wonderful Life was playing on the screen in front of you as the two of you were sipping on eggnog and the different desserts that you had made over the last two days.

“How did we do for our first Christmas by ourselves?” Jack asked as he looked over at you and all you did was smile.

“I think we did good. We’re still married and the apartment is still in one piece.”

“Wait… were we not still supposed to be married?”

“Yes, Jackman. Relax. I just…. When you first told me that we weren’t going to be able to go home I was really upset, but I quickly changed my attitude because is there a better way to spend Christmas than with your favorite person in the entire world?”

“No, definitely not and I would do it all over again in a heartbeat. You’re the love of my life if you didn’t realize it by now and the only things that I want to do is love you unconditionally, provide for you, and keep you safe.”

“And I think that you’re doing an amazing job. No complaints on my end.” You said as you quickly reached over to kiss him.

“I figured you would say that since I got you a Birkin.”

“My answer would have been the same even without the Birkin!”

“I… I’ll let it go for now.” Jack responded as he grabbed another brownie and broke it in half giving you one.

Jack didn’t even finish eating his half as he quickly jumped up, leaving you confused.

“Babe?”

“Hold on, I forgot that I had one more gift for you.” He yelled as he made his way to your bedroom down the hall. Once he came back, he placed a blue jewelry box that you recognized being from Tiffany’s in your hand and you simply eyed him.

“You have gotten me more than enough.”

“And? Open it.”

You then came face to face with the most beautiful pair of diamond earrings that you had ever seen and quickly felt your eyes start to water.

“Baby….”

“I promised you when I got signed that I would buy you a pair of diamond earrings so I figured that it was about that time. Merry Christmas Mrs. Harlow.”

“Merry Christmas to the best husband that I could ever ask for.”

"And one more thing, babe."

"Hmm?"

You looked up to see Jack hanging a mistletoe over the two of you and you quickly tackled him while placing kisses all over his face.

"This is the best Christmas ever."

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#jack harlow #jack harlow fic #jack harlow fanfic #jack harlow x reader #jack harlow x black reader #jack harlow imagine #jack harlow fluff #jack harlow concepts #jack harlow blurb

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littlewriterfullofwords · 11 months ago

Text

Merry Christmas

Parring: Dr. Spencer Reid x gn!reader

Summary: You throw some Christmas party at your house where you show the BAU team your traditiona

Warnings: fluff

A/N: Hi! So, I'm currently in the 2nd season of CM, so there aren't more characters or anything, I'm new to the series, kinda, so please forgive. Second, the traditions in the ff are my country's traditions. Feel free to share yours in the comments!

"Merry Christmas!" Penelope opened her arms to hug you at the doorframe, big smile decorating her beautiful face. "Thank you for the invitation, sweetheart."

"I'm glad you came." You moved a bit to the side to let your coworker come in. "Make yourself at home, Pen."

"Sure will do." She winked at you and started to walk around your house, from time to time she was making nice comments about the decor.

The next person to come was Spencer. In a red sweater, Mr. "I know it all" greeted you with little, and cute, hand waving, his iconic move.

And after him, the others came in, in the order: Jason, Emily with JJ, Aaron and Derek.

"Your Christmas is a lot different than ours." Started Emily when you put another fish on the table.

"Yeah. Only 12 dishes? You have to try everything? That's insane." Murmured Derek with a glass of dried-fruit juice. "Where did you all get that from?"

"The Bible." Before you could answer, Spencer was faster. "You know, according to the Bible, there were 12 apostles so Catholic countries put 12 dishes on the Christmas table. They also leave an empty seat for an unannounced guest or, more spiritual, for those that had died."

"Yeah." You nodded with a smile. "That's right. Just the tradition, nothing more."

"Tradition is good." Whispered Gideon. "Tells a lot about the person."

"Once again, thank you for having us." Hotchner interrupted the info dump. "It might be a new experience for us, but that's life, right? We learning."

"Oh, stop. You making my angel blush!" Garcia petted your back in a soothing manner but with a smile on her face.

You were glad they came. Hey, they were family and Christmas is family time. You needed them now due to your family being all dead.

After dinner, came the present time! Everyone gathered in the living room and Derek, with a red Santa's hat, started to dispense the presents. Of course, he had to add something funny before giving it to the final owner, which has been making everyone laugh.

The atmosphere was amazing. It felt family-like and you didn't want it to go away any moment soon.

"It's party time!" Said Morgan, and with Emily by his side, they opened champagne and other alcoholic drinks they had brought.

Immediately , it reminded you of New Year Eve and the party your friends had always thrown. There was always lots of alcohol, music, dancing and many more.

"Let's go!" JJ grabbed your wrist and pulled into the dancing circle, you had no other choice but to join them, and you did.

Saying you weren't having the best time of your life would be a lie. You were so happy with those people, you were ready to call the your fucking family, and in your head you were. You loved each of them in your own way, and you hoped they noticed that. Well, they were profilers, they sure did.

The clock on the wall was showing 3:15am, with its quiet ticking interrupting the quiet carols. You turned off the tap in the kitchen and dried your hands. Everyone was asleep, either on the couch, armchairs or floor while you had been washing the dishes and cleaning after the party.

As quiet as possible, you came back to the living room with blankets and covered everyone with one, you didn't want them to catch a cold.

"Happy Christmas." You whispered with a shy smile before you started walking to the stairs.

"Happy Christmas, Y/N." The quiet voice of Reid's made you stop in the half way and smile again before you looked his way.

"I thought you were sleeping. Sorry if I woke you up."

"You didn't, don't worry." He shook his head with his innocent smile you liked so much.

"Would you like to join me for a movie?" You hesitated some time before asking that, it was your little secret.

"Sure." Spencer lifted himself from the armchair and came up to you, then followed you upstairs.

You had this thing, you needed to watch your favourite movie after Christmas Eve to fall asleep. It was hard to explain why only this time of year but you didn't complain. You loved the movie, so it was a pleasure.

"If you don't mind, we will watch 'The Nightmare before Christmas'." You said when you finally reached your room and turned on the TV.

"Whatever you want. I'm fine with that." Spencer sat next to you, on the floor by the bed and placed his head on his knees. "Did you know that Tim Burton only produced the movie, not directed it?"

"I read it somewhere. But thank you for reminding me that." A little smile appeared on your lips before you clicked 'play' and the movie began.

Only a few minutes of the movie passed and in the corner of your eye you saw Spencer rock back and forth.

"You know you can say that, right?" You whispered with your head turned his way and a smile. "That's okay. Go on."

"Did you know that Danny Elfman only voices Jack's singing, not his spoken voice?" With your permission, Reid lets out his kept breath, what made you chuckle, and he started to talk. "He also voices two other characters, Barrel and the Clown."

"Really? That's so amazing." You whispered. "It's good to have you by my side."

"Oh, that's... nothing big." Spencer scratched the back of his head in a shy manner.

You moved on with the movie, with Reid giving you some fun facts about it. And even though you knew all that, you'd been a fan since day one, you've been listening carefully like if you didn't know them. You loved listening to Spencer, you loved his knowledge and how passionately he was sharing it. You loved... Spencer. You liked it or not, you were in love with him and his knowledge.

Unluckily, the movie ended, so did your time with Reid.

"Thank you for your company." You said and turned the TV off. "And thank you for coming...to the party. I had the best time."

"We should be thankful." Chuckled Spencer. "You taught us a lot. We now understand more."

"Don't tell me you don't profile each other on a daily basis?" You joked.

"We do....At least I do. Especially Hotch." Reid looked at the open door as if Aaron was about to come in. "He's the easiest to read."

"True." You both laughed but immediately hushed it because you remembered about sleepyheads downstairs. "Especially his mood."

Your coworker smiled and nodded his head as an agreement.

You both were going along very well, even too well sometimes, from Emily's point of view (good meaning). She really often has been telling you, that you and Spenc were acting like siblings.

"If you want, you can stay here." You offered when Reid started to get up from the ground, you didn't think what were you saying.

"I-...A-... I'll go downstairs. I have my stuff there." He looked hesitant and a bit embarrassed, especially his eyes were hesitant.

"Sure." You nodded and watched him leave the room. "Spenc."

Seconds after him leaving, you called after him and ran up to him.

"Yeah?" Asked Reid with confusion.

"Merry Christmas." Shy kiss was planted on Spencer's cheek before you turned around and disappeared behind the door to your room.

"Me-....merry Christmas." Whispered the man while touching the place your lips touched.

#ff writer #ff #spotify #criminal minds #criminal minds ff #criminalminds #spencer reid #dr spencer reid #spencer reid x reader #criminal minds x reader

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gingiesworld · 11 months ago

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Meet Me Underneath The Tree

Leigh Shaw x GN! Reader

Warnings: Fluff

Taglist : @natashamaximoff-69 @canvascoloredin @wizardofstories @louxbloom @wandanats-goodgirl @the-ox-fan20 @ladyqueenxoxo @aemilia19 @wandaromamoff69 @mfd-101 @dorabledewdroop @marvelogic @dopeyouth @karsonromanoff @bimad @lizzieislife94x (if you want to be added to my taglist, please DM me or comment)

18+ MINORS DNI

Y/N and Leigh had been going strong for two years, two years since the fling between herself and Danny ended. Two years since she cut all ties with her dead husband’s family. Needing a new start herself, she found something in the new instructor her mom hired for Beautiful Beast. Y/N was a self defense instructor, helping the women who had paid to be taught self defense, Leigh had also noticed how smooth their voice was as they spoke. Considering what they taught, they had a gentle nature about them, and Leigh had experienced that for the two years of their relationship, even through the arguments that she had started, they remained by her side.

“So, you’re finally popping the question?” Amy asked Y/N as Leigh was teaching her class.

“Yeah.” They answered, a nervous smile on their face. “I know she has suffered a lot, but I want to be there for her, show her that she will always have something to breathe for.”

“She’s so lucky.” Jules groaned as she handed the ring back to Y/N. “So, what’s your big plan?” Y/N explained their plan to them, wanting to make the moment as special as possible. Soon enough cutting the conversation short when Leigh stepped out of the studio.

“What am I interrupting?” She questioned with a raised brow as she dried the sweat from herself.

“Nothing.” Jules answered quickly.

“Jules was just telling us what her plans are with Tommy.” Amy answered her confidently. “The two of them have decided to grace us with their presence this christmas.” Leigh beamed at her sister.

“That’s amazing.” She wrapped her arm around her shoulder. “It was too quiet last year without you.” Everyone chuckled as Jules sent Amy a glare.

Y/N had remained a nervous wreck leading up to Christmas eve. They had their doubts, what if she says no? What will happen to their relationship? But Leigh never failed to make them see that they are just as important to her as she is to them.

“Mom wants my help with the decorations.” Leigh told Y/N as she grabbed her coat. “She said something about Jules and Tommy coming around tonight and celebrating.”

“Ok.” Y/N nodded with a smile.

“I’ll be back in time for our little tradition.” She told them as she pressed a kiss to their lips. Y/N sighed as the door closed behind her, looking at the ring one last time before they made their own preparations.

“So, how is it with you and Y/N?” Amy asked her as the two prepared the food for Christmas dinner.

“It’s great.” Leigh answered her unsurely. “But I can’t help but feel as though they are pulling away from me.”

“How so?” Amy pressed on as Leigh wiped her hands on the towel.

“They’ve been distant with me.” She sighed as she rubbed her brow. “Maybe I’m just too much, my mood swings and outbursts are too much for them.”

“I don’t think that is the case.” Amy assured her as Leigh looked at the time. “I can see how they look at you Leigh, you are their whole world.”

“I just, I can’t shake this feeling like it may be the end.” She whispered shakily. “I don’t want this to be the end because I am so in love with them that it physically hurts me being away from them.”

“Tell them.” Amy told her. “Let them know everything you’re feeling.” Leigh nodded as she received a text from Y/N.

Meet me underneath the tree.

“I have to go.” Leigh sighed as she grabbed her coat, heading towards the little spot that had become theirs over the two year period. Her heart beat in her chest as she spotted Y/N in the distance, just staring out into space. “Y/N.” She breathed out, gaining their attention, watching as they took a shaky breath.

“Hi.” They smiled at her before continuing. “I honestly had a whole other plan for this, but then I figured here would be a better place.”

“No.” Leigh spat out, taking Y/N by surprise. “I am not letting you end what we have!” Y/N was shocked by the words coming from Leigh’s mouth. “We have worked too damn hard to be where we are now and I don’t want to throw that away because I love you. I love you so damn much and I can’t. I won’t lose you or what we have.” She closed her eyes as she took a deep breath, opening them to see Y/N down on one knee, holding a ring in their hands.

“Leigh, I never, ever want to lose you.” They started as Leigh took a shaky breath. “I guess maybe my nerves these past few weeks haven’t helped either of us.” They chuckled lightly. “I have known for a while now that my future is meant to be spent by your side, living each day together, maybe starting a family one day, but I know I need you in my life Leigh. I love you with every fiber of my being and I will love more and more with each passing moment. So, will you marry me?”

“Yes.” She whispered as her tears flowed freely, smiling as Y/N had put the ring on her finger, noticing her wedding ring and engagement ring were no longer on her finger from her previous marriage.

“Your rings?” They questioned as she cupped their face.

“I haven’t worn them for months.” Leigh told them. “I guess I felt ready to let go of Matt and focus on the life I will have with you.” They smiled before kissing her softly, holding her close as the kiss broke, pressing their foreheads together, ready to live for their future together.

#leigh shaw #leigh shaw x you #leigh shaw imagine #leigh shaw x reader #leigh shaw x y/n #leigh shaw x gn reader #leigh shaw x gender neutral reader #elizabeth olsen imagine #lizzie olsen x you #lizzie olsen x reader

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criminalmindsgonewrong · 11 months ago

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how does our team celebrate Christmas?

penelope: the whole goddamn shabang. she goes caroling, she bakes gingerbread and then builds her own gingerbread house, complete with people and a little gingerbread cat. she goes overboard with the decorations.

hotch: uses his time off and the Christmas season to do as many activities as he can with Jack. they go ice skating, watch Christmas movies, Christmas shopping, they go and see santa and watch parades. they visit haleys grave. he spends Christmas morning with Jack and then drops him with haleys parents for Christmas Dinner, making his way to rossis for adult Christmas which he's always a little sad about even though he has fun.

rossi: buys everyone really expensive gifts. hosts Christmas Dinner- doesn't cook, though. hires catering staff, whom he also buys expensive presents for (usually wine)

emily: takes pride in being the drunkest across the holiday season. Christmas eve, Christmas day, new years eve, new years day and every day in between. also buys everyone really expensive gifts. two years into working at the bau penelope finds out Emily doesn't put a tree up - something to do with her childhood hm - and buys her one, forcing the whole team round to Emily's apartment to decorate. it becomes a tradition.

morgan: decorates his house TO THE NINES in the weeks leading up to Christmas only for the lights to go dark over Christmas eve and Christmas day because he's in Chicago with his family. comes back to Virginia and spends new year with the team though.

reid: also misses out on Christmas day with the team because he spends it with his mom (once he moves Diana to Virginia, there are two extra seats at rossis table) spends new years with the team though, same as Morgan. penelope puts his tree up for him - he always claims he's too busy, and he pretends to be a little annoyed but really he's grateful. she doesn't make the team help with his because she knows how he values his space.

jj: santa, stockings and last minute holiday shopping. jj is The Worst - she's always roped one or more of them into Christmas eve shopping with her because she's not had the time. jj, will and the boys alternate spending Christmas with the team and with jjs family. they have Christmas morning at home, let the boys open gifts, then they go for a big family walk after breakfast and head either across the border or to the Rossi mansion for a feast.

#how do they spend christmas?#criminal minds #criminal minds gone wrong #incorrect criminal minds quotes #emily prentiss #aaron hotchner #ba-queue #jennifer jareau #spencer reid #derek morgan #david rossi #penelope garcia #bau

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seonghwanotes · 1 year ago

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new years eve | jeong yunho

pairing: yunho x reader

genre: fluff

word count: 953

a/n: this was originally a collab but i completed the ending bc the writer i collabed with had closed her acc so yeah, this had me thinking for a lil bit. ALSO THE GIF 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 im getting bias wrecked big time, i cannot imagine being yunhonotes 😭 (21 Aug 2021)

a/n: as i write this, it is 28th sept 2023 😭 had this in my drafts for a while, did not proofread at all so will just post this up for now x

It was finally the most awaited week of the whole year, Christmas week. It was a family tradition for everyone to start preparing for Christmas when December came by but this year round, you were away from your family and you were spending it with Yunho and his friends. Considering that everyone was busy with their own schedules and you finally got a break till New Years, you began your preparation a little later than usual.

But as usual, Christmas went by in a blink of an eye. Right after you had taken down the Christmas tree all by yourself, you let out a loud sigh, feeling a little sad. It certainly felt a little different since it was something you’d do together with your family members but it didn’t feel as lonely since you were with your loving boyfriend.

You grabbed your phone off the couch and took a picture of the now dismantled tree, sending it to Yunho who was at practice with the boys. Not even a second passed, he had seen your message and immediately called you.

“Oh, hello?”

“Y/N, how can you take down the tree without me helping you out? It must have been hard, especially with the upper part of the tree.” He scolded you, making you chuckle.

“Yunho, it’s fine. I was gonna do it by today anyway and I was free after you left so I just got it done. You would be home later anyway. I used a chair in case you were wondering.” You replied back, earning a sigh from him. You didn’t need to be next to him to see his pout and know that he was upset for not helping you out.

You waited for a bit as you sat down, grabbing your gifts you got for Yunho along with the gift wrapper. You set your call on speaker mode and put your phone down. You could only hear some of the boys whispering to each other but it wasn’t too audible since the background music was blocking their voices out.

“Okay, okay. I’m sorry I didn’t wait till you came home but tomorrow’s New Years eve! You know I don’t like keeping the tree up for longer than 3 days. Anyway, I’m going to the supermarket soon to get some stuff for our dinner tomorrow.” You told him, still not getting a response back. “Should I get champagne too?”

You and Yunho spent a homely Christmas together as everyone was with their family except for the two of you. It was not much but work has definitely made your lives much more busier, causing you two to not get presents for each other in time that you were doing it pretty late. Not that it mattered to you at this age but you felt bad for not carrying out a simple task.

You started wrapping your presents, occasionally glancing at your phone to see if he was about to end the call since he wasn’t answering you back. There was some light bickering among the boys but you couldn’t hear what they were talking about. “Jeong Yunho, If you wanted to help me out so badly, do me a favour and ask the boys what they would want for gifts or I’m wrapping vegetables for all 8 of you.”

Your threat seemed to slightly work as you heard Mingi chime at the other side of the call, “Ya, I don’t want vegetables this year. You better ask her for her size or I’m asking her myself!”

Size? Your size for what? You were about to voice out but Yunho cut you to it. “Well, that sounds fine. Go ahead, baby.”

“So you want me to get vegetables for them?” You questioned, earning a yell from Jongho.

“Y/N! Don’t listen to hyung! Get us what you feel like getting us except vegetables… what? Oh, no mint chocolate for Hongjoong hyung and Seonghwa hyung. We love you!” He yelled, making you laugh. These boys were enough to make you feel like you were at home.

“Not sure why I’m on speaker mode but okay.” You answered back, hearing someone getting a hard smack. You were about to end the call but stopped when Yunho called out. “Baby, wait! One more thing.”

“Yeah?”

“Your hand is almost the same as San’s right?” The question almost came out as a whisper, Yunho knowing you would get agitated at that question since your hands were the size of a child compared to his delicate giant ones.

“You know the answer already. Why are you even asking this? Are you getting me a bracelet from Pandora or what?” You asked him, sealing the gift wrapper with a ribbon on top for Yunho’s gift, which was a Rolex watch and matching rings that you’ve been eyeing for a while now.

A silence was heard initially, then a voice followed along. “Yeah, would rose gold do?”

Your cheeks flushed, “Ah, um, yeah. See you later then. Tell the boys to be early tomorrow. Oh, I’ll get 3 bottles of champagne then, okay?”

“Okay, sure thing. Yes, 3 is fine. I love you.” Yunho replied, sending a kiss through the call.

“Love you too.” You responded and ended the call.

One gift wrapped and there was more to go. You sighed, pushing them away for awhile and opened your laptop to surf the internet, making a list on what to buy for the boys, wanting it to be meaningful as well. Even if Christmas wasn’t as joyful as you wanted it to be, New Years was going to be the most memorable holiday you had in a while and you couldn’t wait for it to arrive.

#ateez #ateez imagines #ateez scenarios #ateez fluff #kpop #writing #jeong yunho au #yunho imagines #yunho fanfic #yunho au #jeong yunho #ateez yunho #yunho x reader #new years day

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thecapricunt1616 · 7 months ago

Text

The Bear & His Honey - Chapter 16

♡ Chapter Inspo: Call It What You Want (Reputation - TS) ; I want to wear his initial on a chain 'round my neck. Not because he owns me, but 'cause he really knows me. Which is more than they can say, I recall late November holdin' my breath, slowly I said "You don't need to save me, but would you run away with me?"

♡ Summary: Carmy x Winnie are finally calling things what they are after 3 months of beating around the bush, YAY!!!

♡ W/C: 10,775

♡ Posted Date: 04/05/2024

♡ A/N: Here we have chapter 16 - I hope you all like it! I have been stepping back and seeing where I want things to go, & I think I have generally a good idea now, so I was able to finish up the next 2 chapters finally haha. As per usual thank you for reading, remember requests for one shots are open - or even if you want to see WxC doing something specific let me know! I am here to please hahah one shots I've already written are on my masterlist linked below! Also - no one has asked, but I usually see people will read one chapter, then go back and read all of them 1-15, so if you want to be on a tag list so you can keep up w/ the story just tell me in the comments and i'll make one!!

♡ Warnings for BTC: Swearing, Speaking of smoking, Weed, Smut!, Nervous Carmy, Mushy fluff!!!

➵ 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭 ♡

➵ 𝐂𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐮𝐩 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 ♡

𝒲𝒾𝓃𝓃𝒾𝑒𝓈 𝒫.𝒪.𝒱. 🍯

It was a few weeks later, and the beginning of spring had well arrived. The trees were becoming green again, the flowers were blooming, and Carmy and I were still hanging out nearly every afternoon, and he was staying over nearly every night.

That Friday evening, around 11pm, after Carmy had gotten off his shift, he came over to mine and had a shower after we ate dinner that he had made us before he came over. Tonight had been a favorite - a true garbage plate per my request.

It was currently 1 am and we were snuggled up in bed, mostly I was watching a rerun of Criminal Minds, and Carmy was distracted by his phone, texting with someone back and forth.

“Did y’wanna come w’me to Richie’s Sunday? We do Palm at his usually. He’s been textin’ me about comin’ over a little earlier to help with the lamb.” He said and I looked up at him from my spot snuggled up on his chest, my cheek adorned with lines from his sweatshirt since it had been mushed there while I watched the show, my hands playing with the tie of his sweats absentmindedly so I didn’t pick my nails.

“Oh- yeah. Sure. I didn’t know you like- did that. Y’re…religious? I mean- I know the chain and everything but..” I gently play with the charm between my fingers. He smiled a bit, forefinger gently rubbing over the dark red marks in my cheek from laying.

“I mean- nah. Not really it’s more like..tradition I guess? Palm Sunday and Easter were huge when I was growin’ up. I guess it’s just an Italian thing, but it’s like- second Christmas. The whole family gets together and has a meal” he said and I nod.

“Well of course I’ll be your date baby. Thank you for asking, I assume we’re doing church? Like Christmas Eve if it’s a big thing right?” I ask and he nodded a bit.

“You don’t…you don’t have to go. I mean- I don’t go unless it’s Christmas Eve or Palm or Easter Sunday. So..but I get it if y’arent comfortable” he bit his lip nervously.

“No baby- no…I think it’s sweet. I grew up Catholic too, well- Irish Catholic. But- I was baptized, so I’m rightfully Catholic. So we can get married someday and not go to hell” I giggled and he snorts a laugh.

“Oh thank god y’re baptized baby, how could we ever marry if you haven’t devoted yourself to our lord and savior” he teased, earning a laugh from me.

“Does this mean I get to crack out my veil again? What do I wear? Well I know I can’t have my tits out - but like, color scheme for your church, still red?” I asked and he rubbed my back gently.

“Yes still red baby.” He kissed my neck, gently nipping at the sensitive skin. “I didn’t know you wore a veil. You were dedicated, huh? Such a good little Catholic” he teased, pinching my bum playfully.

I laugh a bit “mmhmm- my mom was serious about it. I used to hate it but since I stopped believing in the Catholic god- er- worshiping him, anyway, I just think it’s hot. D’you think we could sneak away to the bathroom for a quickie during the service? I’ve always fantasized about fucking in a church it sounds really hot.” I said causing him to laugh into my skin.

“Babe. Holy fuckin blasphemy you trying to get on the big man’s ultimate shit list?” He bites my shoulder playfully.

“Ohhhh we’re way past it Carm. Plus- since he’s so big and mighty and he’s the one that created my twisted fucked up mind- it’s really him who thinks it’s hot. So if he’s mad it’s not on me” I giggled, poking his cheek. “D’you have a bite kink I’m not aware of sir?” I teased.

“Mmm no you just taste good, and y’so cute it just makes me wanna fuckin bite you I can’t explain it” he bites down on my neck gently, running his tongue over my skin.

“Awwww you have cute aggression?” I gently play with his curls and he chuckled into my skin, his breath causing goosebumps to appear.

“That’s a thing?” He questioned and I nod a bit, a wide smile adorning my features.

“It’s super sweet. Like…when I was at college studying, I took my first round of psych credits, and I guess that uh…when we see something that’s cute, or makes us really happy we wanna like squeeze it or bite it because we’re so overwhelmed with how cute it is that we’re like…searching for an outlet almost? But yeah, so thank you I guess. I do have the urge to just” I take his forearm, gently biting down and giggling into his skin and he chuckled.

“Y’can bite me. Maybe not in public so we don’t look like a couple’a freaks, but this is ok” he said and I released his flesh

“Oh yeah I’m just gonna bite you in front of all the staff at work next time I see you. I’ll do it when you’re really angry” I teased, lacing our fingers together and resting our hands over my tummy.

“Ugh no work talk right now baby today was fuckin’-” he rubs over his face with his other hand “remind me to never trust Richie with shipment ever again.” He grumbled, grabbing his phone to resume whatever he was doing. I mentally rolled my eyes.

Really, Richie? The one time. One time, that Carmy decides to let someone else start the day- and sleep until 5 am instead of 4- he fucks it up somehow.

“ ‘m sorry baby. You want a massage? It’s getting late. Maybe it’ll help you sleep, how’s your back?” I asked gently, rubbing his forearm.

He sighed a bit, putting his phone on the wireless charging pad on the nightstand that had begun living there since he had been sleeping over. “Hurts..Think I pulled a muscle ‘er somethin’ in my shoulder too, fuckin bags of rice were on the lowest shelf and I didn’t use my knees at all apparently” he said and I sat up, grabbing my massage oil from the nightstand.

“Alright roll over mister, no more work talk tonight, got it? Were Resting our brains now” I kiss his cheekbone and he nods tiredly, tugging off his sweatshirt and laying on his stomach.

“No more work talk” he agreed with an exhausted sigh. I warmed some of the oil in my hands, kissing the little freckles along his back as I did so and he hums softly.

“Okay so where should I start on the map baby?” I asked him. I had taught him the system my mom and I used to use when she’d give my brother and I massages as kids, where you tell a state on the map so she could better gauge where it was hurting.

“Fuckin’… Vegas to the Carolina’s. It hurts so bad babe” he said and I gently felt over his lower back, this was usually where we started, unless Wyoming and Nebraska which were more his mid back was hurting him worse, that only happened when he went too hard at the gym, though.

“It’s probably Texas. Usually Texas, babe” I said, gently working my thumbs with light pressure from the middle of his lower back outwards and he lets out a groan.

“Fuck Texas” he muttered into the pillow, causing me to giggle a bit.

“I’ve never been, I hear they have great Mexican food.” I said, adding a bit of pressure as I got to his hips where he held a lot of his stress.

“Mmm I’ve been- shit” he hissed as I work at a knot at the back of his hip. “Fuck- keep going babe- ahhh mmhmm- yes” he grumbles. I added more pressure and he sighed gratefully. “Thank you” he said softly, resting his cheek on his forearm, eyes fluttering shut in bliss.

“You’ve been? Lucky! Did you try the Mexican food?” I asked, dragging the pressure across his lower back and he moans out quietly.

“Mmhmm…Dallas…ACF conference- went in November. They do have great Mexican food. And the drinks are enormous, crazy strong for how cheap they were.” He said.

“Ooo that sounds like my kinda place. We should go on a trip sometime, if I could ever afford it that is. But a road trip would be fun” I gently rub up to his mid back.

“You don’t have t’pay anything baby, I didn’t know you wanna travel- where d’you wanna go? I just have to get the time off. That's the problem, not the money. But what’s y’dream place y’wanna go?” He asked.

“Anywhere. Well, anywhere with you. I’ve never been on a plane before, I took the train here. Cause my Grammy wouldn’t let me take a plane, since our Grandpa died in one- she says they’re bad luck. But I’ve always wondered what it was like. It seems fun. Are airports fun like they make it look in the movies?” I smile a bit, gently massaging over his ribs.

“No. Totally not. They don’t really put airports in tv and shit after 9/11 if you’ve noticed because now they’re a fuckin’ nightmare- but I mean…not as shit as being on a train for what- 30 hours babe? Y’not doin’ that t’go do that nanny thing right? I don’t want you sittin for 30 hours with y’hip.” He said and I shrug a bit, continuing to rub over his mid back with the pressure I knew he liked.

“I set a timer on my phone, and get up and walk around every 20 minutes, So it doesn’t hurt so bad. Also- it’s like…50 bucks cheaper so. 50 bucks toward my next therapy session” I say simply.

“50 bucks?! Baby. No. I’m buyin’ y’ticket and you can get there in 2 hours, so I can have you for an extra whole day. No arguing. It’s done” he said and I laugh a bit.

“Oh so you boss me around now?” I said and he smirks, looking at me over his shoulder.

“Hasn’t that been established? That I only make you do something when y’too stubborn to allow me to help?” He asked and I kiss his lips gently.

“Control freak” I teased, starting on his shoulders and his eyes flutter shut in bliss.

“Consider it payment f’r all the massages I’ll need when you get back. I dunno how I’m gonna manage babe it helps so much. Fuck ah- yes. There- there honey” he groaned as I drag my thumb with a good amount of pressure in the dip of his shoulder blade.

“Y’know you can see a real masseuse, Bear. You don’t have to torture yourself until I’m home again” I said, adding a bit more pressure and he whimpered, burying his face in the pillow.

“Mmm- don’t wanna” he said into the fabric as I work his other shoulder the same way. “Holy shiiiit. Baby. Fuck- fuuuuck me.” He moaned and I laughed a bit, rubbing my thumbs up to the base of his neck and back down. “Mmm shit- fuckin’ hurts soooo good”

I laughed at his bear like grumbles “Jesus baby. Thank god I don’t have roommates they’d think we’re sex addicts with the way you moan when I give you your massages” I straddled his hips as I work from the balls of his shoulders in towards his neck.

“Mm not my fault you have tiny magical hands” he teased and I laughed.

“Do not make fun of my little hands. I can’t help it, and it makes my life tedious” I joked, gently using the knuckles of my thumbs to release the tension in the sides of his neck.

“How is me calling your doll hands magical, making fun of them?” He said and I smiled, pinching his arm gently.

“May I remind you Bear who’s mercy you’re at right now?” I bite down on his neck playfully and he chuckles.

“My favorite girls” he counters and I smiled big, a blush creeping to my cheeks.

“You are a big flirt” I sat up, continuing to work at the base of his neck.

“I am being accused left and right t’night, of crimes f’which you have zero admissible evidence” he teased and I laughed, covering my mouth to not wake up the neighbors.

“Okay- we’re watching way too much criminal minds and SVU lately, admissible evidence, babe?” I shook my head, working on rubbing his biceps in sections since they were quite large.

“Not my fault I wake up f’work and it’s still on. That shit can’t be givin’ you good dreams babe. Y’need to turn it off” he said and I smiled a bit at his concern.

“Oh, and you when you go home, and turn on YouTube cooking videos until you pass out, that’s not giving you bad dreams about work?” I mused and he hums.

“No. Cause I usually don’t watch the English ones, my italian is spotty, which makes my Spanish shitty. And our French lessons have only gotten me so far. So- if my eyes are closed, nothin but noise” he countered and I roll my eyes with a smirk.

“And how do you know how much of everything to put in?” I ask curiously, massaging over his biceps.

“By the look” he replied as if that said anything at all.

“So, if I right now, gave you my water bottle- you could tell me how much water was in it?” I snort

“Depends, is there ice?” He asked and I raised my brows.

“ Carmy you can’t just- I mean you can guess. But you’ll have no form of accuracy.” I said and he hums.

“Think of it like Cooking is biology, and baking is science babe. 2 different sides of the same coin. I don’t need accuracy, I need flavor and balance. A good chef doesn’t solely stick to a recipe. But a good baker always sticks to a recipe. F’r cookin’ It’s about what the dish wants. F’baking it’s what it needs. So yeah I’m confident I could give you a fairly accurate measurement by look” he explained and I gently massage over his wrists, paying extra attention to them because of all the repetitive motion he did at work with all the chopping and stirring and whisking.

“Mmm I love it when you get all sexy technical chef on me” I kiss the top of his hand lightly and he smiled a bit.

“Well I’ll tell y’anythin y’wanna know angel” he said, covering his mouth with his hand as he yawned big. “Mmm. Y’always put me t’sleep” he mumbled.

I giggle a bit “that was the point. Geez like a colicky baby sometimes, so overtired y’can’t sleep” I said and he snorts.

“Mmm this is my favorite part” he rolled on his side as I took my place next to him and he lays his forearm over my tummy so I can lightly drag my nails across it for him.

“Spoiled, spoiled little bear” I teased, obliging him and gently dragging my nail across his skin with a featherlight touch causing goosebumps to appear.

“Mmhmm, the most spoiled” he said and kisses me sweetly I hummed softly, cupping his cheek and gently rubbing my thumb over his cheekbone.

“Just one more day” I said when he pulled away, alluding to his Sunday off.

“One more.” He said softly and snuggled into my chest as I continued gently caressing his arm, my other hand tangling in his muss of damp curls and scratching his scalp as I usually did to help him fall asleep.

This had been our routine for the last 2 weeks now, he’d come over after working out, we’d eat dinner, he’d have a shower, then we’d sit on the balcony and smoke together, then come in and get in bed, I’d give him a massage after cuddling for a while, and stroke his arm and give him scratches to help him fall asleep, since the first night I did it for him he was out in less than 10 minutes, (which was an all time record for him) - and he’d be little spoon until he fell asleep. Then when I eventually did as well- we’d wake up in the morning with me having stolen the title of little spoon once more.

He nuzzled his face in the crook of my neck, his warm breath hitting my collar bone. I focused on the tv and continued stroking his arm gently, a few minutes went by like that before he muttered a half asleep “night honey” bringing a small smile to my lips. “Night Bear” I said softly, brushing his curls off his forehead and gently kissing it, lingering for a moment before resting back on the pillow and continuing to stroke his arm gently.

I was woken by the sound of Carmy’s first alarm that he’d nearly knocked his phone off the nightstand trying to silence, before groaning tiredly and plopping his arm back around me, pulling me closer to him.

“Morning” I said softly, my eyes still closed.

“Mornin’ babe.” He said quietly, planting a soft kiss to my jaw. He’d been setting his alarm for 4:00 instead of 4:30 for the past week or so, so we’d get a little bit of snuggle time before he had to get in the shower.

“How’d you sleep?” I asked, lacing our fingers together and turning to face him, wrapping my leg between his and hooking them together.

“Alright. My back feels a lot better, thanks for the massage honey. How’d you sleep?” He rubbed over his face, yawning which caused me to catch it and yawn myself.

“Course love. I slept okay, had a really weird dream, wanna hear about it?” I ask and he smiled lazily, nuzzling his face into my neck.

“Mm. Always” he said softly.

“So-“ I giggle softly at the absolute bizarreness “so, Syd was there- oh I’ll have to send her a voice note about this. But Syd was there, and we were at my middle school? But it was here, in Chicago. And it wasn’t my middle school, it was a hospital? But my teachers were there. Well they weren’t my teachers they were strangers, but I like knew they were my teachers, ya’know?” He chuckled a bit into my skin.

“Okay, and what were you and Syd doin baby?” He questioned.

“Literally Carm- playing with a Ouija board? Like?” I laughed a bit, causing him to follow suit.

“Who were you trying to get ahold of?” He asked.

“I don’t know! But it was like scary lookin. I don’t even - oh! Yes! That’s how I know it was a hospital cause we were in this dingy like basement, and there was a gurney? Like. I dunno. Oh! And she was like” I laughed, shaking my head. “She was like Winnie- they’ll know the right ingredient. Like- like we’re summoning the dead for recipe advice? But she was so stressed like she was dyyying to find out what they had to say” I said and his chest vibrated with laughter.

“And yeah, that was it that’s the dream- dream Syd, and real Syd, both are OCD about recipes to the point of insanity” I said and he shook his head, planting a kiss on my temple.

“Thanks f’r sharing babe. Y’know, maybe the dead could help us out with recipes- dream Syd could be onto somethin’ ” he joked and I gently play with his sleep tousled hair.

“Mmm I think the only ghost that would give a shit about food they can’t eat- would be you and Syd baby. I can totally see that. Us hanging out in the afterlife, and you’re like ‘but honey, if I help them and tell them it needs more lemon it’ll be so good’ “ i mimicked him doing my best Carmy impression and he snorts a laugh.

“I do not sound like that, when did I turn into a fuckin- southside chain smokin’ uncle?” He teased and I laughed, poking his cheek playfully.

“Not too far off, you’re a north side chain smoking uncle in real life, so I guess the accent was a little off” I said and he rolls his eyes.

“Yeah yeah. I’m down to half a pack a day now I wouldn’t call that chain smokin anymore” he mused, kissing my neck with open mouth kisses, trailing down to my collarbones.

“Mmm Bear?” I question and felt him smile into my skin before biting down gently in the fleshy spot between my neck and shoulder.

“Mmhmm?” He mumbled, his teeth still gently clamped around my flesh.

“It’s 4:09” I said, gently scratching his scalp with my nails.

“So that means we have..21 minutes, no?” He questions and I raise my brows with a smirk.

“And what are we doing with this twenty one minutes, Bear?” I muse and he lifted the covers, crawling underneath, and getting between my thighs.

“Don’t they say breakfast is the most important meal of the day?” he asked, kissing over my pantyline in the way that made my breath hitch.

“Real breakfast, baby. Which you refuse most the time” I told him, gently pushing his curls back, watching as he carefully slips my panties to the side.

He licks a stripe up my heat with the pad of his tongue, stopping at my clit and applying more pressure, open jawed, rubbing his tongue messily back and forth. I whined in pleasure, my head dropping back to the pillow.

He hooked my knees over his shoulders, pulling me closer by my hips and gently sucks on the sensitive bud that was now getting firmer and more prominent, flicking and smoothing his tongue over it in small circles, earning hot moans of satisfaction from deep in my chest.

“Oh-“ I breathe out, my voice coming out as more of a squeak then anything and my hips buck involuntarily as a jolt of pleasure cracks through me at his actions.

“Mmm so fuckin sweet” he grumbled into the slick flesh, the vibrations causing my core to clench around nothing.

“Holy fuck Carmy” I gasp as I felt his tongue lapping over my enterence, thrusting his tongue inside in one swift motion, humming in satisfaction as he felt me squeeze tightly around his tongue and I tugged his hair between my fingers.

“Ah- shitholy-fuckingchristCarm” I moaned out as he nudged the bridge of his strong nose against my clit with a pressure that was gonna drive me right over the edge- and fast.

“Mmhmm- mmhmm” I nod quickly, biting my lip hard as I feel that all too familiar tightening in my stomach, the pool building quickly and the dam walls getting ready to snap, all of my muscles tightening and my thighs quivering.

“Breathe” he reminded me gently, reaching up and grabbing one of the hands that had taken grip on his hair, lacing our fingers together and squeezing my hand gently.

I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding, “sorry” I mumble sheepishly and he continued, humming happily into my slick when I gasp in a enormous breath as he flicks his tongue wildly over my clit, pressing my hips into the bed to make me remain still with his other forearm.

“Oh- oh- fuuuck! Ah- ahh! cumming! Yes- yes!!!” I cry out, squeezing his hand tightly, my head thrown back in bliss and spine arched off the bed.

“mm- shit- fuck- too sensitive” I whine, as he continued the rough assault on my clit, digging my nails into the back of his hand.

“I think I can get another one babe - cmon be good f’me, please?” he said lowly, his voice coated in thick, honey-like lust.

“Ah- fuck-fuck- okay- mmmmillbegood” I slur, my thighs pressing against his temples and ankles locked behind his head.

He removed his forearm from my hips. “Y’gonna be a good girl, mmm? Y’gonna stay still f’me? Er do I need t’keep holdin’ you?” He asks and I shook my head.

“Ill be still, promise” I said quickly, squeezing his hand gently.

“That’s my girl” he brought his mouth back to my clit, slipping two fingers in my entrance and curling them expertly into that amazing spongy spot he seemed to have memorized by now, that I could somehow never manage to get to so well on my own.

“Holyfuck” I groaned, tugging his hair taut and he moans into me, the vibrations on my over sensitive clit dragging me to the edge and leaving me dangling there.

“Ah- fuck mmm-d’that- keep doin’ that Bear pleeeease” I begged as I tug at his hair harder, earning a deeper moan out of him. My hips snap back into the mattress, twitching and shaking as I mewl and whine through my second orgasm, my back arched and hand leaving his hair to grip the sheets so I wouldn’t hurt him as I held them in a white knuckle grasp.

His alarm goes off for 4:30 a few moments after my thighs stop quivering in pleasure and hips finally stilled. He messily wiped his wet chin, mouth, and the tip of his nose on my thigh, slick with my arousal, before placing a gentle kiss on my mound, and popping his head out of the sheets, casually hitting the stop button on the alarm.

“Thanks f’breakfast honey” he joked, getting out of bed and stretching his back, before giving me a peck on the lips and heading off to the bathroom, leaving me fucked absolutely dumb.

“Anytime” I said tiredly, feeling exhausted once again after only a few hours sleep and being feasted on so intensely, and so early in the morning.

He left the bathroom door cracked so Persephone wouldn’t scratch the whole time trying to get in and investigate what he was doing, and I heard him start the shower before I rolled back over and fell asleep.

I was awoken by sweet gentle kisses about 45 minutes later, feeling the icy metal of his chain brush over my chin as he pressed lingering kisses on my forehead. “Hey sleepy” he said softly, rubbing my side.

The smell of his cologne and minty toothpaste hits my nose and my eyes flutter open. He was sat next to me, backpack and hoodie already on.

“Already?” I whine, laying over his lap and nuzzling my face in his tummy, breathing in his scent and wrapping my arms around him.

“Mmhmm. But 3:30 yeah? I’ll come pick y’up from the library we can have lunch in the car?” He gently runs his fingers through my hair in the way that made me sleepy, and my eyes flutter shut once again subconsciously.

“Can’t you call out sick?” I mumble into his sweatshirt and he chuckled. This was the same conversation we had nearly every morning.

“And do what princess? Mm? Follow you to the library and sit around while you put away books?” He joked and I huff.

“Yes. Exactly that.” I said and look up at him, puckering my lips, knowing I wouldn’t win this battle possibly ever unless he was actually sick.

“Mmhmm I’m sure y’boss would love to just have a chef loitering around all day waiting for her star employee” he teased, leaning down and giving me a sweet, tender goodbye kiss.

“Be safe.” I said softly when he pulled away, cupping his cheek and rubbing over his cheekbone with my thumb. He leaned into my touch, sighing softly and eyes fluttering shut.

“Always. We have a big catering order today, so if I don’t text back that’s why. What do you want f’r lunch in case I forget to ask?” He took my hand, gently kissing my palm.

“Mmm- dunno. Surprise me, nothin’ spicy but you knew that” I said, covering my mouth as I yawn.

“Surprise it’ll be then baby” he leaned in, kissing me once more before pulling away and rubbing my stomach signaling it was that dreaded time.

I sigh, sitting up off his lap and giving him a big hug, kissing his cheek with a smooch “have a good day baby” I said softly into his damp hair, kissing his head once more before letting him go.

“Thank you angel, lock the door behind me please” he said and I nod, following him to the door and see Persephone was sat on top of his shoes in the hallway.

“See I think Persephone says you should stay home too” I smile and he shook his head with a grin.

“Not t’day snowball” he picks her up, kissing her head and he licks the tip of his nose, causing him to scrunch it adorably.

“Ugh fish breath” he mutters and I giggle.

“She looooooves her Carmy, isn’t that right little baby?” I scratch her chin and he plops her in my arms so he can slip on his sneakers.

“Mmhmm and I love her too but duty calls, stinky” he tells her in a sweet voice and kisses her head once more before pecking my lips once he had his shoes on and opening the door.

“And put some panties on Winnie the Pooh” he said in my ear, spanking my bum lightly before heading down the hall.

I laughed “Sorry- I’ll make sure to put your leftovers away sooner next time” I call after him teasingly, shutting the door behind me and clicking it locked.

I was in the Young Adult section at the library, putting returned books back on the shelf, when I felt my phone start buzzing in my bra. I fished it out, abandoning my cart of books I’d yet to put away, quickly heading to the employee back room once I realized it was Carmy.

I clicked green answer button. “Hey Bear! How’s the-“ he cuts me off suddenly.

“Hey- um- hey. I need like- a huge favor baby”

He said nervously. I put a concerned hand on my hip, nervously pacing the break room. “What is it love? Are you ok? Are you hurt?” I asked, already on edge due to the anxiety lacing his tone.

“No- no I’m ok- it’s uh. Syd. She’s….fuck I’m sorry - her stomach? Something about her stomach. She’s in the office right now, she can like- barely move but she doesn’t want to go to the hospital and uhh.” I could see him in my mind nervously shaking his hand and pacing.

“Okay- okay I’m coming. Is it like a girl tummy ache- or something different?” I asked, grabbing my purse and light jacket I’d worn, quickly putting it on as I held my phone pressed to my cheek and shoulder.

“No - no way honey. This is like- she can barely speak - I’ve never…I’m scared baby.” He said, his voice cracking a bit.

“Shhh. It’s ok, it’s ok, Bear- Syd has had stomach ulcer problems in the past, I need you to get her to try and eat something, ok? Shes gonna say no, but she has to eat- the acid in her stomach is irritating her. I’m coming. I’m grabbing an Uber right now, breathe baby. It’s all gonna be fine” I said and he took a deep trembling breath.

“Ye’…yeah. Ok. Okay, I’ll see you baby, be safe” he said and I sigh softly.

“Always” I said softly and hung up. I shoved my phone in my coat pocket, untucking my hair and heading to my bosses office.

I lightly knocked, waiting for her ‘come in’ before nudging the door open.

“Hey- Family emergency, I have to head out. Could you let Jessie know I left some returns in the YA section?” I ask and she nods.

“Hope everything’s ok, call me if you can’t make it in Monday.” She said and I nodded.

“Thank you” I told her before shutting her office door behind me.

The Uber ride to The Bear was torturous, I’d texted Syd thrice - to no avail. She was constantly pushing herself so hard- that she was making herself literally burn from the inside out. I’d told her time and time again, from everything I’d learned in my 3 years at college- stress can literally kill you, and that she should really take some time off before she seriously injured herself- but unfortunately she never listened.

I got out of the car when we’d barely come to a full stop, rushing to the front door, stepping inside and seeing Sugar at the host stand. “Oh- thank god- Carmy is freaked out Winnie- he literally is convinced she’s dying- can you go cool him off? Please?” She begs and I nodded quickly, heading behind the counter and pushing the back door open to the loud kitchen.

Everytime I was here during the day, I made it a point not to come in this way because the environment made my skin crawl. The noise, the lights, the crashing of pans and pots, the yelling, the sudden bursts of flames while various chefs flambéd dishes that would singe your hair if you weren’t paying attention.

I swallowed thickly “uh- oops! Sorry” I squeak, quickly getting out of a foodrunners way as he briskly moved past me, shoving the door open with his hip and heading to the front of the restaurant with a large tray of food he held with one hand over his shoulder.

“Uh- behind you? I’m behind you!” I tried to call over the noise as I pass various people. Usually if I came through the front, Carmy greeted me and people parted for us like Moses and the Red Sea- but without his presence, I was just another body in here and no one seemed to even realize I was there.

I finally made it back to the hall where the offices were, taking a deep breath to center myself before pushing open the door.

Carmen was knelt in front of the big comfy couch in Sugars office, offering Syd some water.

“Winnie- if you don’t get your boyfriend the fuck away from me- I’m gonna peel off his skin and enjoy it” Syd said through gritted teeth.

“Syd- Syd- eat. Y’have t’eat.” He pleads and I shut the door to silence out all the noise.

“Carmy” I said softly and he looks up at me, concern and worry written all over his face. “Take a walk, yeah? Go have a cigarette ok?” I said gently and squat next to him, rubbing his shoulder that was hard as a rock with all the tension he was currently holding.

“No- no. She’s sick Winnie. She’s just bein’ a jagoff because she hates bein’ cared for. Cmon syd” he looks at her and she glared back at me with the fire of 1000 suns, a look that if I was quite honest- scared me slightly.

“Bear” I gently play with his curls, earning his attention once more. “What Syd needs right now, is the energy in the room to be calm, and you’re literally vibrating with anxiety. Please, f’me? Go relax. Ok?” I said and kiss his temple.

He huffs and got up, leaving the room with a hard closing of the door, but not quite a slam. I look at Syd, and before I could start, we both hear Carmy going off

“I’m steppin’ out f’r 5 FUCKIN MINUTES- If that GOD DAMN DIRTY BOWL I ALREADYTOLD SOMEONE TO WASH IS STILL SITTING AT THE EXPO WHEN I GET BACK HEADS WILL ROLL FUCKERS. MOVE. IM NOT FUCKIN’ AROUND T’DAYISN’T THE FUCKIN’ DAY “ he barks before we hear his heavy footsteps stomping off down the hall and a harsh slam of the back door.

Syd rolls her eyes and I gently sit next to her. “See what I have to deal with? And you wonder why I’m - fffuuuuck oh my gooooddd” she groans, keeling over and laying on my lap as she clutches her stomach. “Fucking kill me. Oh my god- kill me please” she moaned in pain.

I gently rub her arm, digging through my purse and taking out one of my vials of RSO I kept in there for emergencies. “Here, Y’gonna have to go home- but..it’s gonna make it stop” I told her.

“Give it. Give it. Whatever it fucking is. I’d literally take heroin right now holy shit Winnie it feels like I’m being stabbed” she said, hands shaking from how much pain she was in.

“Open.” I told her, tilting her face towards me. “Tongue up” I said when she opened her mouth and I squirt a decent glob of oil under her tongue.

She closed her mouth, nose scrunching at the taste “what the fuck is that weed?!” She mumbles and I nod.

“Mmhmm, well kinda- don’t swallow. Let it sit until the pain stops enough that you forget about it and wonder why your mouth is so full of spit” I teased, gently dabbing her sweaty forehead with a napkin from my purse.

“Thank you” she mumbled, closing her eyes and sighing softly as she waited for it to kick in.

“He was really worried, Syd.” I said after a few minutes of silence, when I knew the pain had started to dull since her hands had stopped shaking.

She shook her head in annoyance, unable to speak yet because of the oil and scrunching her nose as if to say ‘he shouldn’t be.’

“Y’re his only friend. Other then me, and Richie. But Richie raised him. Of course he’s gonna worry for you. Especially when you’re like- near the point of vomiting blood because of how bad this is getting. You have to do the surgery, Syd.” I said and with that she swallowed, sitting up and looking at me.

“No- no. Winnie. No! I’m- I can’t. I can’t and I won’t. It’s not even that bad and I’m not vomiting blood miss theatrics- I’m not gonna take 3 weeks off work to do a stupid surgery that isn’t even guaranteed to find anything wrong! What if they go in there and find nothing and I’m back at square one- and out of work for THREE WEEKS?! I can’t leave Tina yet, she- she’s. No. I can’t let her drown. Carmy too- a-and Richie. We can’t-“ I inturrupt her

“Sydney.” I said in a dead serious tone. “Y’need to get it. This is literally like - this should not even be a discussion at this point! The reason the doctor wants you to have it is because before they can just give you all these medicines to fix your gut bacteria that’s all shot from fucking stress- it’ll hurt you more on the very slim chance you don’t have a stress ulcer, but it is something with your stomach, Syd. It’s an exploratory surgery they don’t do those for no reason.” I said as Carmen came in and his eyes nearly fell out of his head.

“Surgery?!” He exclaims and slams the door shut behind him. “What? Syd- what’s going on. This isn’t a stomachache you didn’t just eat somethin’ that’s not agreeing with you. What is it, Sydney” she said and I crossed my arms, sitting back and letting her do the talking.

A slow smile grows on her face, and she covers her mouth with her hands as she begins to giggle. Fair to say the oil has now done its trick.

“Have I ever told you, when you get mad, there’s this vein in your forehead- and- it’s- it’s so funny” she said, causing me to start laughing with her.

Carm’s eyes flickered to mine. “What the hell did you give her?” He asks and I shrug with a smirk.

“Somethin’ t’make her floaty, and” I shield my mouth from Syd so only Carm could see “agreeable” I mouthed and he smiled a bit, shaking his head.

“Syd.” He looks at her.

“Caaarrrmeeennnn” she replied in a sing-songy voice “I need to get back to the spice mixture for my cod now- but this was a great chat guys. Winnie- you’re the best” she said and got up, heading towards the door.

“Noooo ya’ don’t” Carmen stops her, spinning her around by the shoulders and leading her back to the couch. She groaned dramatically, sitting down next to me once more. “What is this about a surgery, Syd?” He asked, pulling up the rolling chair and sitting in front of us.

“A stuuuuupiiiidd surgery Carmen. Stupid. Doctors wanna slice me open and prod around hoping they find something. And then when they don’t i'll be stuck at home with my dad glued to my bedside, for no fucking reason, and I’ll loose three weeks minimum of work. And that’s if they find nothing. If they do find something, I’ll have to schedule another surgery and I’ll be out for SIX weeks.” She said and Carm nods, rubbing over his face for a moment as he thinks.

“And how long have they been buggin’ you t’get this surgery, Syd?” He asked finally, brushing his hair back and looking at her seriously.

“Mmm….” She crossed her arms, averting his gaze “7 months” she mumbles.

“What?!” Carmen leans forward in disbelief. “Say that- say that again? I know y’didnt just say you’ve been dealin’ w’this f’r a fuckin year” he said and she shrugged.

“They reccomended it a year ago, they’ve just been hounding me for the past 7 months. It’s really not that bad, Carm.” She said and he shook his head, getting up and going over to the filing cabinet silently.

“What are you doing?” Sydney sits up as he opens a drawer, thumbing through different file folders before popping out what looked to be a blank information sheet of some kind and plops back down in the chair, rolling over to the desk and beginning to fill it out with a pen.

“Carmen - what are you” she stood up, looking at the form he was filling out “no” she said, ripping it from under his pen and crumpling it up, throwing it in the wastebasket next to the desk. “Fuck you. No” she seethed.

“What’s going on?” I sit up.

“Syd- there’s like 50 million copies, I really don’t want to do it like this, but I know you aren’t gonna do it unless I make you do it.” He said and got up, walking back over to the same filing cabinet.

She followed him, holding the drawer containing the forms closed with her hand. “No! Carmen are you fucking kidding me?! You aren’t my fucking parent. Stop! We are equals here! You can’t do this” she said and he shook his head, resting his hand atop the cabinet.

“Sydney. This isn’t a discussion, are you really gonna make me say it, you’re really gonna push me?” He asked lowly.

She crosses her arms, “say it.” She countered chest quickly moving with rapid angry breaths.

“As your partner. I’m ordering you, mm? It’s an order, Sydney. Y’gonna go to the back, Y’gonna empty out your locker- because y’not gonna be around here for a while, and you are going to come back to this office, Y’gonna take the short term disability form I give you, Y’gonna call them, file. it. I will be checking, and then, Y’gonna schedule whatever fuckin procedure you need, and when your doctor clears you to come back in the kitchen, then, and only then will you return to work. I’m being more then fair, considering you’re making me force you t’do this, so I’ll be paying you your full wages while you’re out. Even though, im gonna have to train 3 dumb fucks to even-“ he shook his head, sighing deeply. “T’even keep us runnin’ half as well. So there. There. You wanted me to fuckin’ play mean mentor partner there ya go.” He said before opening up the drawer, plucking out another blank form and sitting back at the desk.

She scoffs, looking to me. “You’re just gonna let him do this?” She narrowed her eyes at me, brows furrowed with anger.

“Syd- this..this isn’t my restaurant…you only answer to-“ Carmy cuts me off.

“Do not. No. Sydney, out. Step the fuck out, now. Y’not doin’ this t’her. She fuckin-“ he shakes his head, rubbing his eyes before pointing to the door.

“Fuckin- go. Go before I say shit I’ll regret. Leave. Now.” He orders her and she left the office with a loud slam of the door.

I sighed, dropping my head back on the couch and closing my eyes, wanting to melt into a puddle on the floor.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry baby” he sighed, the soft sounds of pen on paper filling the silence.

“Not your fault” I mumbled, crossing my arms.

“I-it is. Babe I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be bringin’ you into this shit. It’s not fair, she’s your friend” he said.

“Exactly- she’s my friend. I love her, Carm. She’s a hard headed fuck at times, but it’s because she loves being here. She just- has this idea that I have some semblance of control over what you do” I took off my shoes before sitting crisscrossed on the couch.

He snorts a dry laugh, shaking his head. “Well. I mean, not full control- but I listen to you” he gives me a small smirk and I roll my eyes.

“In our relationship of course. But I can’t honestly give you advice about that. Shes gonna cool off and apologize, to you too babe. Shes gonna realize we just want her better” I sighed softly.

He nodded, continuing to fill out the form. “I get if you don’t wanna sit around here, want me t’drive you home?” He asked.

I shook my head “why not? Well if I can stay back here. I don’t like being in the kitchen like at all” I said and he chuckled.

“Why? Too busy?” He asked

“Too busy, too loud, too bright, to many stabbey things, too many people, too many smells, too much yelling.” I said, pulling my kindle out of my purse. “But back here I have a comfy couch, my books, and my bear. So, I’m ok here” i smile a bit and he rolled over, giving me a peck on the lips.

“Thank you f’comin, honey. Really” he tucked my hair behind my ear.

“Baby, any time. If you’re ever scared, or need to talk, or just- I dunno…need a hug? I’m here. That’s what I’m for.” I said and he kissed my nose sweetly.

“Then I’m the luckiest guy alive” he said softly before kissing my lips in the way that gave me a feeling of a swarm of monarchs being trapped in my chest.

“Oh you are the mushiest ever” I said and kissed the cute little moles on his cheek.

The door slammed open and Syd comes in “give it.” She snipped, outstretching her hand.

Carm rolls back over to the desk, handing her the form and she plucks it from his hands. He sighed, crossing his arms over his chest and they look at eachother in silence, almost like 2 lions deciding if it was worth it to continue a fight over dominance.

“Please.” She said quietly after a few moments, her big brown eyes teary.

“Syd” he said softly, signing to her ‘I’m sorry’ over his chest and i bit my lip, looking out the window, trying to appear uninterested so that they could have some semblance of privacy.

“Then I want you to get your back checked out. Fair is fair, Carmen.” She said shakily.

My eyes flicker back over to him and he sits back in his chair, rubbing over his chin for a moment as he thought. “Fine. Fine. I’ll go to the doctor. Back pain is different Syd you know this. But fuckin’ whatever. I’ll go if it’ll make you get Y’r surgery” he said and she nodded once.

“Fair is fair” she outstretched her hand for him to shake, and he rolled his eyes.

“Really, we have to seal this with a handshake?” He asked.

“Fair, is fair.” She replied and he shook her hand firmly.

“And I’m sorry” she said to me. I nodded

“It’s okay, I know this is…it’s hard, kid. I get it. But did you have to give me the near impossible task of getting him to the doctor?” I tease with a smile.

The faintest upturn of a smile replaced her frown and she shrugs. “It’s his deal to go through on. I’ll be checking.” She repeated his words from earlier and he gave her a smug smile.

“And how will you do that? You don’t know what doctor I see, or if I’ll just go to an urgent care and have some random ass doctor write me a pain pill prescription and that’s it.” He countered.

“Oh- because I have eyes on you at every angle.” She told him. “I’m always watching.” She teased, closing the office door behind her when she left.

“What- is she gettin’ daily reports from you ‘er somethin?” He asks and I laughed, shrugging a bit.

“Mmm. Not reports. I don’t like tell her everything, but- mood reports” I giggle and Richie opens the door.

“What the fuck are you doing?! How are we gonna run this shit without Syd?!” He shuts the door behind him and looks over to me. “Sorry sweetheart, nice t’see you” he gives me an apologetic smile before turning back to Carm. “You let her go?!” He asks and Carmen looks at him as if he had 3 heads.

“Let her go?! No, jagoff. I told her to take short term, I’m paying her full wages as long as she needs, and she’s gonna be back when she’s fuckin’ better.” Carmy explained.

“Short term? Short term termination? Short term what?!” Richie asked frustratedly.

“You IDIOT. SHORT TERM DISABILITY!” He shouts at him and I flinch.

“Carmen” I said sharply, he quickly looks over to me.

“That scares me. Please. You don’t need to yell, Bear- also- you aren’t an idiot, Richie. He’s just…in a mood.” I said softly and Carm’s cheeks flush red.

“ok” he muttered, turning back to Richie. “It’s-“ he takes a deep breath. “It’s fine. I have it under control. What I need you t’do, is ask Nat for the login shit for the recruiting website she used to find the runners and shit. Can you handle that f’me while I figure out how this shits gonna work while Syds out?” He asked him calmly, but I could still…feel him. His energy. He’s way too wound up.

I wish I could just tell him to come home, talk it out with him, I knew all of this rage was just him burying his fear. He was so fucking scared.

“I can. I can do that” Richie nodded, rubbing the back of his neck. “So- so what’re we doin’ what’s the fuckin plan?” He asked and I give him a look.

I knew he had to get out of here or Carm was going to rip in to him just because he could. “Richie, Syd just left- like 5 minutes before you came in here? Carmy is still working that out…can you- can you do me a favor?” I asked and his brows raised in surprise.

“Yea? Yeah. Wha’dyou need?” He asked.

“Can you go get that stuff from Nat and then make me a grilled cheese? Eva said you make really good grilled cheese. So Carmy can have some quiet time to figure this out, and you guys can tell everyone what’s going on together.” I look at Carm.

“Because you don’t have to do everything alone, you’re a team. Breaking difficult news is hard, but when you have the people you love with you, it can make it easier to bare the weight.” I said, looking directly at Carmen.

Carm nodded, swallowing thickly and biting at the inside of his lip nervously. “Sure- yeah. She uh…she said that?” Richie asked and I smiled, looking over to him once again.

“She specifically said - ‘My daddy makes the best grilled cheese in the whole wide world’ “ I told him and he smiled a bit, a light blush creeping to his cheeks.

“Alright well the kid has quite the flare f’dramatics, but I can make a pretty good grilled cheese. Comin’ right up” he said and headed back out to the kitchen, shutting the door behind him.

Carm got up, locking the door, before coming over to the couch and laying down with his head in my lap. I knew he didn’t have the confidence to ask, so I gently start scratching his head in the way that he liked and his eyes fluttered shut. He let out a deep sigh, like a pressure valve releasing so it wouldn’t explode.

“So let’s make a plan, baby. I don’t think you need three. I think you know that but you’re planning for someone to drop” I said softly, gently stroking my nails through his hair.

“Cause someone will drop babe it’s how it fuckin goes. If I hire 2 we’re gonna be left short when one quits because they aren’t as good as the other one.” He said.

“Well why do you say that, baby?” I asked.

“Because no one’s gonna fight to be the best when they inevitably find out they’re a temp” he said and I furrow my brows.

“Carmen. You weren’t planning on hiring someone without telling them right?” I asked and he got quiet. “Carmen. Are you kidding me?! Absolutely not! Oh my god that is so- so mean baby!” I said and his cheeks heat.

“Well who the fuck is gonna wanna work here when we already have a full fuckin staff?!” He asked annoyed.

“Because you are the best fucking restaurant in Chicago, are you kidding me baby?! Just like you sent Richie to Ever to gain experience? There are fucking talented chefs Carmy, ones like Richie who don’t have the time to save and go to super nice culinary school like you did and garner that expirience. There would be a line out the door if you were honest and said ‘hey who wants a 2 month opportunity at a luxury fine dining restaurant that’s been nominated for best new restaurant by the JBF in its first year open’ “ I told him.

He was quiet for a moment, thinking it over. “I guess” he mutters.

“Babe cmon we can write the posting together. We don’t even have to do all this today. Don’t rush, y’know what would be a good idea?” I ask. He hums in response. “I think, that you should go back out there, work as usual, keep Syd’s stations covered best you can, and we can have a nice Sunday together, relax, recharge, and then we’ll have Palm Sunday dinner with the family, and then on Monday, you can come in fresh and rested with a great plan on what you’ll tell everyone with Richie.” I explain.

He contemplated for a moment, looking over at the desk in thought before looks up at me, “thank you.” He said softly. I gently caress his cheek with my knuckle.

“Nothin’ to thank me for, Bear.” I said and he took my hand, placing a gentle kiss to my knuckles.

“There’s too much to thank you for. We’d be here forever” he mumbled against my fingers with a small smile.

“You’re getting mushier by the day” I ruffle his hair and the doorknob jiggles.

“D’you still want this?” Richie calls from outside.

“Yeah! Sorry” I said getting up when Carmen got off my lap. I opened the door and Richie offers me a plate with 2 grilled cheeses.

“He hasn’t eaten” he said so only we could hear and I nod.

“Thank you, best cousin ever” I took the plate.

“Course, anytime. Oh Carm” he looks to him “user is MBerzatto87 password is fuckin password234.” He said and Carm chuckled a bit.

“I coulda guessed that shit. But I guess I was hopeful he gave more a shit about cybersecurity” he shook his head.

“RICHIE. DID YOU TOUCH MY ORANGE ZEST?!” Tina shouts from the kitchen and Richie heads back

“What the fuck would I need orange zest for?” He yells back as I shut the door, locking it once again.

“How do things always go missing?” I giggle a bit, sitting next to him and placing the plate on his lap, taking one of the sandwiches and taking a bite.

“Cause people at the same stations doin’ the same thing will think they already did their orange zest, and just take it.” He said, staring at the plate on his lap. “Also I’m not hungry” he put the plate on the desk.

I shrugged, putting my sandwich back on the plate. “Okay” I said, brushing off my hands before grabbing my kindle again and continuing to read.

“What- what’re you doin’ babe. Eat” he said, putting the plate on my lap.

“I’m not hungry” I said, not looking up from the page.

“Yes you are, you - you don’t ask for food unless you’re hungry, Winnie.” He said.

“Mm- I like it when we eat together. I don’t wanna eat by myself so, my appetite is gone.” I lie with a shrug.

“Y’really gonna be difficult right now?” He asked and in response, I playfully stuck out my tongue before going back to reading.

“Oh you are a child” he huffs, picking up the untouched sandwich and taking a bite.

“Oo! I’m hungry again!” I teased, grabbing mine as well and taking another bite.

He snorts a laugh, rolling his eyes. “Y’re lucky y’cute” he said before taking another bite.

I smiled, “I love winning you over. It’s my favorite game” I said teasingly.

“Yeah yeah, I’m just saving myself, you turn into a tiny demon when you’re hungry. Especially on your cycle” he said and I laughed.

“You’ve learned your lesson though so you don’t have to meet that demon again as long as you keep us fed.” I peel off the crust, setting it on the plate.

“You don’t like the crust?” He asked.

“No…well- I don’t know..really. I didn’t as a kid, but Chris did, so I always gave it to him. Never stopped” I said, staring at the crust on the plate as I got lost in memories of sitting in the school cafeteria with Chris over lunch, carefully peeling off the crust after taking my first bite and putting it on the top of the empty ziplock he’d taken his sandwich from.

“That’s sweet. I’m sure he’s happy you still leave it for him” he said. My heart melts at the sentiment and I gently kissed his cheek before resuming eating my sandwich.

“I don’t like pickles, so when we were kids- Mikey always picked em off for me.” He says quietly and I looked up at him. It wasn’t often that he brought up stories about Michael, so each one I safely tucked away in my mind where I’d never forget.

“I love pickles, I could eat a whole jar if you let me. I’ll always take unwanted pickles” I smiled a bit.

“Ahhh ok. So you’re a sour person not a spicy person. It’s usually one or the other” he said before finishing off his sandwich.

“Yes- exactly. You like spicy stuff? We haven’t eaten a single spicy thing” I said and he nods.

“Love spicy shit. But you don’t, so doesn’t really matter” he shrugged.

“Wha- Carmy. No! No you can eat spicy things, I feel bad. I don’t want it to always be what I like. Just like- make mine less spicy” I said.

“It’s fine babe, I try spicy stuff here all the time. Plus the food I like with a ton of spice in it is usually Indian and Filipino and shit where the whole profile is about the heat and the spice so-“ I inturrupt him.

“You like Filipino food?!” I asked and he nods

“Yeah- why, do you?” He asks and I nod happily

“My neighbor! Ms.Mendoza! She’s from the Philippines! Before you started bringing me dinner I’d usually stop by her place because she always made too much and asked me if I wanted it, you have to talk to her babe she’s like- amazing! I’m sure you guys will have so much in common she loves cooking- and she has like all these connections back home in the Philippines and they send her spice mixes and stuff for her to try. You have to try this stew- she calls it um..” I think for a moment “inew? Inihaw? Yeah- I think that’s it. Inihaw na leimpo! “ I said excitedly.

“Oh- the lady- the lady I met?” He asked and I nod.

“Yeah- I…I never asked- was she there when you got there?” I asked

“She- well” he chuckled. “Almost knocked me out with her cane cause I guess she thought I was trying to break in, cause I heard you screamin’ and I was trying to pick the lock, I told her I was a friend and she didn’t really believe me, but then she saw the flowers and she nearly dropped the keys getting the door open.” He said and my cheeks go pink.

“I’m…I’m sorry- she’s like….such a grandma. She’s been hounding me about a boyfriend since I moved in don’t mind her pushyness about it. She’s been trying to hook me up with her friends grandsons left and right” I finished off my sandwich.

“Well, she can stop looking now right?” He asks.

I brushed my hands off before nervously picking at my nail polish at the question. “What does that mean?” I asked and the room went eerily silent for what felt like minutes.

“Cause’…” he trails off. “Are you…are you still seeing other people?” He asks and I look over at him.

“No. No, Carmy. No just you..are you?” I asked and he shook his head. “So…what does that mean?” I asked biting the inside of my lip nervously.

“I…I dunno…” he looked at the clock. “I uh- I have to get out there, you still wanna hang out here?” He asked.

I swallowed thickly, realizing that I didn’t want to be here all day if he was just going to run away.

“So…what Syd said. You’re- you’re my boyfriend now?” I asked and he went pale as a sheet.

I stare at him, waiting for a response, and he opens his mouth like he was going to say something but he closes it again, nervously rubbing his lips together.

“Well- are you?” I ask.

“So- so Y’re like…my girlfriend now?” He asked.

“That’s my question, am I your girlfriend?” I asked and he shrugged.

“I guess? I dunno…I’ve never done this I just…kinda assumed?” He said rubbing his neck nervously.

“Well- I don’t remember you ever asking me…” I nudge his knee with mine gently.

“You didn’t ask me to be your boyfriend either!!” He said.

“Because I knew you’d freak out! And like- Y’re a masculine guy Carm I didn’t wanna make you feel insecure!” I exclaim.

“Okay fine! Will you be my girlfriend?” He asks, a small smile on his lips.

“Hmmmmm….” I put my finger to my lips, pretending to contemplate. “Of course I will dummy” I pull him into a deep wanting kiss and he hums happily, gently rubbing over my hip with his palm.

“Y’know y’mine baby I tell you like every day” he said, his breath fanning my lips.

I look up at him, biting my lip to contain a grin. “I dunno…I thought you said it just t’like..please me when we fool around, I didn’t know you meant it.” I said softly.

“I’d never say something I don’t mean baby, everything I tell you I really mean” he leans in, kissing me again. But this kiss was sweeter, somehow more intimate then the last. It felt…truthful.

I gently cup his cheek, humming softly and he pulls away when the doorknob to the office starts to jiggle and someone pounds on it.

“Chef?! We need more hands out here if we’re gonna be gettin’ this order out on time are you with us?” Tina calls through the door.

“Duty calls” he sighs softly. “You know where to find me baby” he kissed my forehead sweetly before heading back out to the kitchen.

➵ 𝐍𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 ♡♡♡

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