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stagbells · 1 year ago

Text

Written Work

From: @pollyannam3

To: @truffhollowell

Note: "Hello! I hope you're having a very merry holiday and enjoy this little thing! I loved writing these two, and this ship is very near to my heart as a Bretta lover and Teenage-Hornet Truther /j /j You enjoy!"

(Work link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gx8TO0IgolKbIl_XEK4FLgBSrO7I6hXkv9gu1hfTinQ/edit?usp=sharing )

Written work under read more

Bretta could hardly breathe as she held the picture to her chest. Her wings buzzed behind her, and she didn’t know how she ended up in this situation. Her head pulsed with a dull pain from lack of sleep. She could feel and hear her heartbeat. She-

“Bretta, are you going to stare a hole into my quills or are you going to come inside?” Iselda put her claw on her hip, beckoning the teen inside. She puffed out her breath and took tentative steps towards her. “Dear, the floor is not going to cave under you revealing spikes beneath. What’s the matter?”

Bretta looked behind her as if Iselda was interrogating her for some sort of crime. She went back and forth before speaking without a single gasp for air, “I need you to help me get ready for something really super important to me and If I don’t get this one right I might actually curl up and wither and or run away but I know I shouldn’t be so melodramatic but I need help-”

Iselda interrupted her by grabbing her shoulders, “Bretta! Bretta deep breath!” She put a claw to her chest and took a deep breath, instructing Bretta to do the same. The youth tried to copy but just held the stone picture closer to herself. “What do you need help with?” Iselda asked once the girl had an adequate amount of air in her lungs.

“I have…a date? Hangout? Prrrobably a date!” She waved her hands in anxiety, and Iselda could only stare at her with amazement. “Really?” She couldn't help but blurt. Bretta blushed, putting her knees together and holding the stone to her mouth. She cast herself away, shyly trying to hide.

“No no, that's great! That’s great, of course I’ll help you!” Iselda held out her claw to take the stone, “What’s this?”

“...I was wondering if you’d think I could find the materials to make…this dress I sketched?” Bretta hesitated once more before giving it over. “You know how to make a dress?”

“I dabble!” She smiled at Iselda as she looked over her sketch. It was a very elaborate puffy purple party dress. Bretta drew herself inside it but her sketch did not seem to reflect reality or her body type.

“...Honey, no. No, we do not have that kind of material just lying around.”

Bretta looked dismayed, but took the sketch back, “We can get something similar, but why do you think you need so much decorum?”

She blushed, and looked down, “My date, hangout thing…it's with…Hornet…”

It was like she told Iselda Dirtmouth was on the brink of destruction. She put her hand on her chest and gasped for her, “Oh!!!” She beamed in pride, moving around the counter in her slouch to give the girl a supportive squeeze on the shoulders. “The princess?!”

“Yeah-Yes-?” Bretta stammered a bit, and Iselda had to look at the sketch again. “We can get something, but not all of this. Your first date with this old kingdom’s princess, we can make it as special as we can.”

Bretta looked down, and tapped her claws together, “It's already so special being my first one…in general. It being with Hornet is just…so…it’s crazy.”

“Let me sort through some old boxes of mine and Corny’s and see what I can’t find!”

Bretta could hug Iselda again, but just held her hands to her chest, “Thank you thank you thank you!!!”

Iselda put an assuring claw on her back as she led her into their back rooms to search, a smile on both of their faces.

---

The smile didn't last long as Bretta sat on Iselda’s floor with a sewing kit. They had found her a decent size bit of purple fabric, but it wasn’t as much as they’d like.

Especially because she was trying to make a dress with no mannequin so she was trying to sew it around her arms. Iselda was watching her work blind, and kept offering to help but getting shut down.

“I want to make it myself!” She would say, and Iselda left it at that. Until Bretta dropped the needle and growled at herself, trying to find it. Iselda sighed, and said, “You’re frustrating yourself on purpose, kid. Let me help you, or you’ll have nothing to wear in the first place.”

Iselda knelt and took some of the fabric, but saw Bretta had bundled it up and was sewing it together incorrectly. She tried to pull it apart but it tore, making Bretta gasp. “No no no!” She snatched it back and tried to pull the thread back in. “I need this to be good for my date!”

“It won’t be if it can’t attach to your body. Bretta, is there even enough here to wrap around your torso?” Bretta looked down, and reevaluated what she had in front of her. She went quiet, and just sighed.

“Kiddo, you don’t need this to be perfect to have a good date. I’ve talked with that girl when helping her and her siblings when they were all injured.” She put her claw on Bretta’s shoulder. “She’s basically a sugar-free cake-pop in a simple red skirt who likes bread and journaling.”

Bretta thought about that, and thought about how this date came to be. How she was so flustered asking the princess if she’d like to accompany her on a walk to pick some mushrooms.

“She did…start talking about how she made some rye rolls that mushroom stew would go great with…It’s her uncle’s recipe-”

Iselda waved a bit, “That too, her family already loves you so there's no boon to gain by pretending to be extra fancy. That old coot of a shopkeeper and his kids love you, her siblings love you, her knightly father loves you.”

She had Bretta look at her, “This town loves you exactly the way you are. We can make this work but your vision has to change. Will you let me help you do that? For your happiness and not your need to make it fantastical?”

Bretta looked at her pretty fabric, and felt it gently. She looked up at Iselda, little tears pricking in her eyes. “Mhmh..” She nodded, and Iselda sat down next to her. “Good answer.”

---

“Is it done? Is it?”

The candle burned near low way faster than Bretta would have dreamed it to. Iselda was putting some finishing touches on the garment they created for Bretta. “It’s pretty much done! You girls best be safe in that fungal waste, I do not want to have to dust off my nail to come get you because you wandered too far into a pit of sentient mushrooms. If Cornifer’s stories are of any merit, which, why wouldn’t they be?”

Bretta spun around, facing her back to the door. “We will! Hornet knows the entire kingdom like the back of her hand, and I’ve learned my lesson about that place, yeah-” She chuckled sadly, eyes casting back to the floor.

“Awh, yeah, best be home before the candle burns completely out. I’d hate missing my usual customer in the morning because she stayed up too late getting mushrooms and making out with royalty.” Iselda ruffled the girl’s antenna, making her grab them in a blushy huff. “Iselda, we aren’t going to make out yet!”

“YET?”

Bretta gave a little yelp, pushing away from Iselda with an embarrassed squeal. “Noooo stop it!!!” She moved back, and waved her arms, “If I kiss her, that has to be right! It has to be!”

Iselda laughed, and Bretta was about to turn around and rush out with a thank you behind her because of the embarrassment. Before she could even process the thought of doing that, she heard a hum behind her.

“What’s to be right?”

Iselda shut her mouth. Bretta zipped around in fear. Hornet was standing there with a basket in hand; dressed exactly the same as she normally does but she had put on a white necklace. It was small on her, but still fit around her thin neck.

Bretta blurted, “Oh hi- Hornet! You’re gorgeous! I mean- You look good! I uh-” She looked down, already kicking herself in the mouth. She just put her claws together and gave her a giggle.

Hornet smiled, “Thank you. Your shawl is lovely as well.” Bretta blushed, holding her new purple shawl with glee. “Thank you!” She beamed and looked at Iselda as if extending it to her.

Hornet held up the basket, and said, “I made sure this basket was big enough for us to share. Mato and I weaved it not too long ago, and both he and my other father, Ogrim as you know, insisted we get plenty of thin stalky mushrooms for the stew.”

Bretta nodded, already excited because she’d get to hear Hornet explain what each mushroom was to look like.

Hornet looked at Iselda, and said to Bretta, “Are you ready? I’d hate to make you leave before you finish any purchases or business you need to carry.”

“Ah! No no, you kids go have fun. Be safe.” Iselda picked up a pair of scissors from the floor and stuck it in Bretta’s claw. “Don’t fall in acid, don’t do things I wouldn’t, etcetera, etcetera.” She gave the two of them a little push out the door, and Bretta just whispered another thanks to her. She couldn't tell but Iselda passed her a wink.

Hornet hummed, and offered her hand for Bretta to take. “Let’s make our way to the Stag then! My fathers are insistent we be home on time to make the stew together.”

Bretta took it, face already too warm. “We’re making it together?” “Of course. You forage, you get to skip the prep work. I will help with that anyways but let’s get on with it!”

Bretta smiled, and Hornet guided her away. She felt so happy just doing something simple with a girl she liked.

In simple clothes going to simple places to enjoy a simple stew. It was a date, but the nerves mellowed out.

They got plenty of mushrooms, plenty of laughs playing with them, and plenty of joy from each other's company. From giggles holding mushrooms to their face like they were hiding in bushes to getting distracted and tying bracelets to each other made of grass. Hornet sketched some of the mushrooms, and sketched Bretta posing with one.

They’ve never had more fun! It was just what they needed. Time to themselves and time to be kids.

Good food was also appreciated!

#bretta #hornet #stagbells #stagbells 2023 #hollow knight #written works

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lucky-clover-gazette · 2 years ago

Text

one for the books

modern bookseller au • 4250 words • teen

this is my second and final entry for the 2022 @fsadventanthology! look out for more amazing art and writing from the fandom throughout the month of december. a special thank you to @vagueandominousvibes for organizing this event and accommodating my panicked pms as i completely switched ideas at the last second.

"It began with strictly customer-employee interactions—Mystery Guy asked Vio if he knew any good books about dragons, and Vio asked if he was looking for something more Middle Earth or middle grade (the answer was both). The first actual purchase the guy made was a TJ Klune book—Vio forgets which one—accompanied by an experimental and exceedingly gory graphic novel. It was around the two-week mark that Vio noticed he never asked Green, or Blue, or even Red for recommendations or small talk. This idiot identified the most antisocial employee of the bunch and decided yeah, this is the one I’ll tell all about my middle school Warrior Cats phase."

read it on ao3 or under the cut:

Not even the independent bookstore is immune to shitty corporate Christmas radio.

For eighty-five percent of the calendar year, Vio and his coworkers are allowed to play their own music at a reasonable volume. The store manager is surprisingly flexible in the music she allows in the store—while Green’s lo-fi video game soundtracks and Vio’s classical music fit the whole bookshop vibe well enough, Blue’s fixation with 2000’s pop-punk isn’t nearly as appropriate. But still, Zelda lets him play it, and when it’s really dead she’ll even give Red the aux, even though his preferred tracks rarely come without an explicit content warning.

That exact kind of freedom is easily the best part of Vio’s job, really distinguishing the Bookseller Experience™ from other retail positions he’s held in the past. Here he’s encouraged to offer personal recommendations to customers, and write shelf talkers for his favorite books, and curate perfect playlists for long seven-hour shifts. He’s still working, and it’s still retail, but sharing his oldest and deepest passion with every stranger who happens to walk through the doorway never fails to feel special.

Except, apparently, during the months of November and December. Can he put up a uniquely themed display of underappreciated novels? Nope, every surface is reserved for bestsellers and regional gift guide selections. Can he play his own music? Not when customers can be so easily lulled into purchasing special hardcover editions by the crooning voice of Bing Crosby.

This entire holiday season, there have been two Grinches in the bookstore—one on the designated Seuss shelf, and the other behind the counter. Vio stands there now, absolutely miserable in a purple sweater and his well-worn scrunchie, counting down the seconds until he finally can close up shop.

“Got any fun plans?” asks Red, his only other coworker at the moment. Zelda and Green are off visiting Green’s dad a few towns away, and Blue took the day off to do some last-minute shopping. Vio, meanwhile, hadn’t even considered taking off Christmas Eve. It’s not like he’s getting holiday pay or anything, but it’s better than sitting around alone in his apartment. This is the first time in his life that he won’t be able to make it home for the holidays—thanks, retail—and he’s putting on a brave face about it, but…

“I’m fine,” Vio says, tearing apart a post-it note in his chapped hands. He watches the snow fall through the show window, equally charmed and inconvenienced in anticipation of his walk home.

“I didn’t ask if you were fine,” Red said, completely genuine and even a bit concerned. “I’d ask if you’re okay based on that answer, but, well, y’know.”

“Sorry,” Vio says, shoving the shreds of paper into his pocket. He regrets wasting it with his idle fidgeting, too ashamed to relinquish it to the recycling bin.

Red stares at him with a placating smile. “Actually, can you do me a favor?”

Vio raises an eyebrow, the yes implied.

“Wrap my gift for Blue, please,” Red says, grabbing a softcover book from the staff hold shelf. He’s been obscuring it for a week with a poster for the newest Louise Penny mystery, out of his fiancee’s sight and mind.

Jesus Christ. Red is only a year older than Vio, and he already has a fiancee.

“Special order?” Vio asks, admittedly pleased by Red’s request. Vio is, hands-down, the best gift-wrapper among the bookstore’s staff. He takes every opportunity to go to his little corner and do his little process and curl his pretty little bow and incidentally avoid actually interacting with the customers themselves. Very few things can fully get Vio in the holiday spirit, but give him a stack of six hardcovers and a fresh roll of non-denominational colored ribbon and he’s Mariah fucking Carey.

“Yeah, and it got here just in time!” He hands the book to Vio, who takes a second to examine. It’s a manga—no surprise there, Blue’s the go-to guy for that section—with some vaguely gay shit on the cover that they’d probably display in June.

“It was on backorder for so long,” Red explains as Vio begins his meticulous wrapping process. “He still thinks it is, with the supply chain, so I know this’ll totally blow his mind.”

“Do you think he got you a book too?” Vio creases the white-and-gold wrapping paper and reaches for the tape dispenser labeled ‘FOR GIFT WRAPPING DO NOT MOVE.’

“Maybe! Probably! We do get a 30% discount, so it’d be silly not to do gift shopping here.”

Vio knows all about that. He had shipped his parents’ gifts last week, hand-wrapped of course, with a little note that he tried not to make too melancholy. Otherwise, he wasn’t really on the hook for gift-giving or receiving. All of his college friends had left town after graduation, and most of them are working retail as well.

“Thanks,” Vio says, his voice softer than he’s allowed it to be all day. He’s been stuck for hours in this mental place between ‘Christmas Eve means nothing to me because I’m alone,’ and ‘oh my god it’s Christmas Eve and I’m alone.’

“Thanks for what?” Red asks, passing Vio the blue spool. Vio measures it with expert concentration and begins the exhilarating process of ribbonification (not a technical term).

“For asking me to do this,” Vio says as he uses a pair of scissors to curl a little bow. “I’m sorry I’ve been such a bummer all day, I know you probably don’t want to be here either.”

Red shrugs. “I really don’t mind, but I appreciate your saying so. I know it’s your first Christmas alone. I’d invite you to join me and Blue, but you don’t seem like the third wheel type.”

“No, I am not. And besides, you guys deserve a cozy romantic night together.”

“And you act like you’re so above Christmas stuff,” Red teases as Vio hands him the wrapped gift. “I bet you’d love to be all cuddled up with some cute guy by a fire.”

“Shut up,” Vio says, hiding his face behind his hand. Really? Is that all it takes to make his blush? Apparently so, and he hates it.

“I mean,” Red says, suddenly serious, “there is that guy. You know, the one who’s been coming in specifically to antagonize you for over two months.”

“He’s a customer,” Vio says, although of course he knows exactly what Red is suggesting. “He’s here for books, and I think he works down the street so it makes sense that he’d stop by often.”

“He must have been working a lot these past few weeks, then, and only on the exact days that you happen to have shifts.”

Vio didn’t know that part of it, and he’s sure his expression tells Red just as much. He still won’t take the bait, though, because the situation Red is suggesting simply isn’t something that would happen in real life. In a contemporary romance novel, sure, or a fanfic—but not in the real world, with an annoyingly handsome purple-haired enigma who can’t possibly be younger than twenty or older than twenty-five.

Not that Vio’s speculated about his age or anything, because that would be super weird. Even weirder would be for a service employee to hit on a customer, or vice-versa, so the age thing doesn’t even matter in the first place. There are just too many power imbalances at play between them, and so many unknowns, like the guy’s name and job and if he even likes men, or Vio specifically, because what a weird assumption to make based on vague flirtation—

“Okay, so you’re freaking out,” Red says, shaking Vio out of his… whatever that was. “And you’re shredding the wrapping paper.”

Vio looks down at his hands and groans. Dammit, again?

“Hey,” Red tries to calm Vio as he steps back from the counter. “Just try to relax. I’m sorry for teasing, I promise I don’t know anything more than you do. We’ve all just noticed, over the holiday season, that this guy seems particularly interested in your mystery book display, and, well, you. It’s sweet. We like when he comes in. We like seeing you happy.”

“That asshole doesn’t make me happy,” Vio argues, glancing over at the shop’s single current creative display. He’d adapted the idea from a popular Valentine’s Day tradition—blind date with a book—and the mystery titles, only described with a few selling points, have been selling surprisingly well. Customers seem to enjoy Vio’s bullet-point lists, giving them a clue right on the wrapping paper as to which books would be best suited for their loved ones. And Vio enjoys writing the short descriptions, especially for lesser-known books with particularly unfortunate cover designs. It’s a great little project, and in a lot of ways has gotten him through the sales season—except, there’s been one hitch.

Back in November, right around the time Vio had launched his new display concept, this random guy just started showing up to the store a few times a week. This isn’t abnormal customer behavior—every store has its regulars, after all—but this person in particular had uniquely annoyed Vio from the start. He’d just wander around the shop for like twenty minutes at a time, browsing every section in his stupid jacket with the stupid pins and stomping his stupid Docs on the carpet Vio had just vacuumed the night before, and forget the fifty-something customers who walked on the carpet before him, it’s always this person specifically who Vio resents for the mess.

And then the guy started talking to Vio.

It began with strictly customer-employee interactions—Mystery Guy asked Vio if he knew any good books about dragons, and Vio asked if he was looking for something more Middle Earth or middle grade (the answer was both). The first actual purchase the guy made was a TJ Klune book—Vio forgets which one—accompanied by an experimental and exceedingly gory graphic novel. It was around the two-week mark that Vio noticed he never asked Green, or Blue, or even Red for recommendations or small talk. This idiot identified the most antisocial employee of the bunch and decided yeah, this is the one I’ll tell all about my middle school Warrior Cats phase.

Once the display went out for the real holiday season, Mystery Guy had immediately gravitated towards it. He began to spend his entire visit poring over Vio’s descriptions, using what Vio assumes is prior knowledge and only sometimes the internet to make an educated guess. And every single time he’s visited since, he’s been able to clock at least three of Vio’s newly-added titles without fail.

Of course this nerdy game of cat-and-mouse has escalated over the past month, with Vio writing increasingly vague descriptions of the most obscure titles he can find. But Mystery Guy is apparently a fucking psychic, because he still manages to pin Vio down more often than not. He seems to enjoy messing with Vio, sometimes pretending to be clueless before pulling the title out of nowhere at the last second. Vio wonders how many tabs he has open in Safari, exclusively to search up niche books based on Vio’s descriptions. He kind of hopes it’s enough to crash the phone.

Vio has tried every genre on the shelf to stump this scourge of a customer—poetry, history, cookbooks, and most recently even romance, which is like his least favorite literary genre ever! He had to resort to fucking Goodreads to distinguish between these generic-ass books, each with a cover so uninspired it looks like it was designed using Canva in under eight minutes. It’s like every romance novel published after 2020 is a variation of one or more of exactly three premises—fake-dating, enemies to lovers but not really enemies, like they’re owners of rival bakeries or something, and/or Capital-H Horny. And because of the literal creature of darkness haunting his display, Vio has been forced to immerse himself in the world of trendy romantic fiction just to get ahead. The next time Mystery Guy visits the store, Vio will either finally outsmart him or literally tear him limb from limb.

He’ll have to wait for the new year for his victory, though. Undoubtedly Mystery Guy has better things to do on Christmas Eve than harass Vio. He probably has a partner, just like everyone else Vio knows, because cuffing season is real and people are desperate. Meanwhile, it’s like any potential suitor of Vio’s has to pass an entire emotional obstacle course to even be allowed to hold his hand, and there’s nothing Vio can tell his brain or body to make that less of a fucking problem. Him, cuddling someone in front of a fire like he’s in some lonely gay idiot’s cottagecore AU? Would admittedly be lovely, but not going to happen any time soon.

The sound of the store bell startles Vio to attention, and for just a second his heart lifts. But it’s just Blue out there, all bundled up in a parka and badly hiding a bouquet of roses behind his back.

“Oh, he didn’t,” Red says, already running to the door. He lets Blue in and envelopes him a hug, only groaning slightly when he makes contact with the thorns.

“Hi,” Blue says, passing Red the flowers and giving him a quick kiss. He cranes his head towards Vio, who just stands behind the counter like a moron. “Hey, Vio. Merry Christmas Eve.”

“You too.”

“What time is it?” Blue asks Red, although Vio’s the one in front of the computer.

“6:55,” Vio says. “If you want to take off, I can handle closing on my own.”

“Are you sure?” Red asks, his eyes sparkling as he already begins to pack up his things.

Vio nods. “I’m sure. It’s my gift to you.”

“Thanks, Vio,” Red says, clearly wanting to give him a hug but also aware of Vio’s prickly reactions in the past.

“Don’t forget the book,” Vio reminds him, nodding to the wrapped manga.

“What book?” Blue calls from the entryway as Red shoves it in his large reusable tote bag.

“You’ll find out later!”

It takes Red no time l to vacate the store, arm-in-arm with Blue, leaving Vio behind to wait out the last four minutes he’s required to keep the door unlocked. There’s no way a customer would come in this close to 7, not on Christmas Eve, not—

“Hey, Vio,” says a gut-wrenchingly familiar voice, somehow reaching his ears before the bell above the door. Mystery Guy leans in the doorframe, arriving with a freezing gust of air as he shoots Vio a grin. “Looks like you’re about to close, my bad.”

Vio rolls his eyes and crosses his arms over his chest. “You’re letting in the snow. You’ve got three minutes.”

Mystery Guy raises his eyebrows in genuine surprise, as if he hadn’t expected to get this far. He wears the same heavy black jacket as usual, with the pins Vio has never been close enough to make out, and wouldn’t you know it, his Docs are caked with snow and dirty rock salt. He steps fully inside and shuts the door behind him, matching Vio’s semi-defensive pose.

“Can I help you?” Vio asks, picking up a post-it note and immediately putting it back down.

“Maybe,” says Mystery Guy, walking over to Vio’s mystery book display. “Looking for a last-minute gift for someone. Wasn’t sure if I was gonna have the guts to make a move until like ten minutes ago.”

“Girlfriend?” Vio asks, putting a hand on his hip. Mystery Guy shakes his head. “Boyfriend?”

“Not sure yet.”

It has to be the stupid romance books giving Vio brainrot, making him think what he thinks must be happening.

“Well, what does this… person… like to read about?”

Mystery Guy considers. “It seems like a little bit of everything. He has pretty varied interests. They can get kinda niche, honestly.”

“How niche.”

Mystery Guy picks up one of Shadow’s newly-added books, weighs it in his hands, and scans the description Vio wrote. “Looks like… a combination gluten-free and keto cookbook themed around 90’s sitcoms.”

“80’s. That’s not his thing, though, he probably just thought it was too obscure for annoying customers to guess.”

He examines a paperback from all angles, as if trying to see through the wrapping, and then reads the description again. “A graphic novel—no, manga—based on a popular Nintendo franchise that he describes as, and I quote, ‘significantly gayer than anyone would ever expect it to be.’”

“Well, whatever Bowser and Luigi get up to in their free time is their business.”

This makes Mystery Guy smile, like really smile, and Vio feels like he’s winning and losing at the same time.

“And let’s see,” Mystery Guy says, reaching for a mass-market paperback with a disproportionate-looking bow, “romance novels, apparently. He appears to be a big fan, based on the not-at-all snide or derisive commentary on the tin.”

Vio wants to protest Mystery Guy’s accurate interpretation of his writings, but he’s too busy being impressed that the guy knows how to use ‘derisive’ in a sentence.

“Would you, uh,” the guy begins to ask, stopping himself halfway through the sentence. Gone is the confidence, at least during this pause, and he proceeds with obvious caution. “Would he not be interested in… romance? As a genre?”

Vio shakes his head. “No! I mean, yes! I mean, what?”

“Because I—fuck, it’s gotta be past 7:00 at this point, and I had this whole plan to be all charming and suave but then I ran late in the storm and it’s like I’m standing here now and regretting every decision I’ve ever made up until this point, because you’re basically a stranger and in a position where you can’t turn me away and sure, in a movie this would be perfect, but in real life I’m just acting like a total creep—”

“What’s your name?” Vio asks, crossing over the room to join Mystery Guy at the display. Closer to him, Vio can see that his gloved hand is shaking. “It’s not very fair that you’ve been able to see mine this whole time, while I’ve had no choice but to call you unkind things in my head.”

“Shadow,” Mystery Guy says, and it’s not like it doesn’t make sense.

“Okay, Shadow, I’d be happy to help you find the perfect book for your desired recipient.”

They avoid contact, both staring at the wrapped volumes on the display as if they’re the most interesting things in the world. Vio selects one and slides it into Shadow’s hand, hoping that a solid object to hold will help keep him steady.

“He might not be a fan of the contemporary romance genre,” Vio says, genuinely surprised by the levelness of his voice. Maybe talking to dozens of strangers a day about books has made him immune to social anxiety, just as long as the topic of discussion is literary. “But romance can be found in nearly any story, in one way or another. He… it sounds like he…”

Shadow clears his throat. “It’s you, Vio, you can give up the bit.”

Vio shakes his head. “Nope, I committed already, I’m seeing this through."

“Fair enough,” Shadow says with a grin. ”Now tell me more about this guy, he seems cool.”

Vio wants so badly to continue the banter, but knows for the sake of his own comfort he has to press pause. He turns to Shadow with a serious expression. “Honestly, before I really start talking about him… he’d probably want you to know that he has a few minor concerns. He’d like to maybe learn what you do during the day, like for work, when you’re not busy antagonizing your local bookseller. What brought you to this town, what your ulterior motives were for becoming a regular at the shop, if you had any at all. He… he just wants to make sure you’re safe, and he apologizes if that’s an offensive thing to question.”

Shadow nods, seeming to understand Vio’s hesitation. “I work at a gallery downtown, just a few minutes away from the shop. I moved here after graduating art school because this happened to be where I got offered a job. It’s lonely being in your early twenties in a college town, so sometimes it’s nice to just sit in a cafe or browse my local independent bookstore and feel like I’m a part of something. It’s pure coincidence that, on my first visit to this bookstore, I read several shelf-talkers written by some nerd named Vio who seemed to have similar tastes to mine. So I took out a few of his recommendations from the library—sorry, I don’t have the space to own books right now—and thoroughly enjoyed them. I wanted to talk to him more about books, maybe even ask for his number, but I am not a master manipulator so I settled for being a pest instead. From there it just escalated, because it’s cute when he gets all pissed off, and I enjoyed the challenge he created for me with the wrapped books.”

Vio exhales shortly. “So, uh… if you were to ask for his number now… would it be just as a friend?”

“If that’s all he’s interested in, sure.”

“It’s not,” Vio says firmly. “He, uh, told me so.”

“Glad to hear it. Does he happen to have any favorite foods, or beverages, over which we could hypothetically discuss our tastes in literature on this snowy Christmas Eve?”

“Pumpkin soup and evil root beer.”

“What the hell is evil root beer?”

“Normal root beer,” Vio explains, “served in a fancy glass so he can gesticulate during his pretentious literary diatribes.”

“The fanciest glass I have is a Garfield mug.”

“Works for me.”

Both Vio and Shadow smile, and finally they come face-to-face. They’re not going to kiss or anything—not yet, anyway—but they both can feel the potential. They gaze into each other’s eyes like they’re romantic leads in a novel Vio would give one generous star, and it’d be tacky if it was anyone else, but not when it’s them. And while kissing doesn’t feel quite right in this particular moment, leaning forward to gently touch foreheads just does.

“I live like five minutes away,” Shadow mutters, unable and unwilling to move. “I usually feed Pinecone—my cat—around 7, so maybe I’ll head out now, grab pumpkin soup ingredients at the market on my way, and you can come over once the store’s all closed up.”

Vio nods, slightly disrupting the forehead touch that feels so inexplicably cosmically correct. It’s like, in any conceivable universe where Vio and Shadow both exist, they will inevitably end up just like this.

“What’s your address?” Vio asks, allowing himself to close his eyes. God, it’s been a long day.

“I’ve got a shitty one-bedroom apartment above the Tower of Spirits liquor store. I stole half of my furniture off the street after the mass exodus of college students in June.”

“You’ve really been here since June?” Vio asks, disregarding the furniture part because for some reason it also feels cosmically correct. “You must have been so lonely.”

Shadow nods. “Lonely, I’m good at,” he says, finally pulling away. “Believe me when I say, I’ve had lots of practice.”

Vio nods. “Yeah. Me too.”

“It’s the not being lonely that really freaks me out,” Shadow admits, and it’s like wow, that’s some deep shit to say when Vio just learned his name ten minutes ago, but haven’t they technically known each other for months? Shadow has already read some of Vio’s favorite books, and for Vio that’s about as intimate as passing second base—hell, even third, depending on the book.

And it could have been a truly beautiful moment between them—one for the books, pun intended—if only the goddamn Chipmunks hadn’t started singing about Christmastime.

“Oh, fuck this store radio,” Vio says, retreating behind the counter and pulling the plug. “I’ll see you in like twenty minute, I can Venmo you for the soup ingredients later.”

Shadow looks like he wants to argue with the Venmo thing, but just shakes his head instead. “Sounds good.”

“Oh, and wait,” Vio says, grabbing a pen and a post-it note, “what’s your number?”

Shadow gives it, and Vio knows this is one piece of paper he will never absentmindedly shred. At least, not until he has a second to enter it into his phone, and then it’s totally fair game.

Vio hears the ring of the bell and goes to lock the door behind Shadow. Through the glass he watches flurries of snow punctuate the pitch-black sky—and in it, he sees his own dark reflection. It’s just him, of course, a blonde guy in a purple sweater and scrunchie, still visibly tired but noticeably less miserable than he had been an hour ago. He sees a guy who isn’t alone on Christmas Eve, who probably won’t find himself anywhere near a fireplace but will most likely end up cuddling his months-long crush by the night’s end.

He gives himself a smile and decides he can skip the vacuuming tonight. Call it a gift to himself, although several closing tasks still stand between him and Shadow’s apartment.

Vio turns his back on the darkness and gets to work.

#fsaa22 #fsaa #fs #four swords #vidow #vio x shadow #red x blue #vio link #shadow link #red link #blue link #my writing #this could probably be rated gen but idk

53 notes · View notes

santoteez · 3 years ago

Text

Love Haul - Changkyun

Genre: Smut/Fluff

Idol: Im Changkyun of MONSTA X

Word Count: 4.5K

Warnings: NOT edited, swearing, oral m and f receiving, dirty talk, overstimulation, squirting, pwp, penetrative sex, reader is black fem (any warnings I forgot pls let me know im so sorry it is almost 1 am for me)

Tiana scowled as she watched Changkyun open shop. The blond-haired boy had rented out the retail space across from Tiana’s clothing store about a month ago, and that’s when it all started to go downhill. She watched as her sales declined while even her regulars browsed and purchased every garment on his walls. She rubbed her temples, leaning forward against the counter. What was so special about that store? Was there gold embedded in the stitching?

At that moment, Changkyun stepped out onto the sidewalk. He took a deep breath, running a hand through his bleached locks. His gaze met Tiana’s, their eyes locking for a split second. He sent a smirk her way, leaning against the mailbox.

Tiana’s scowl deepened as she looked away, opening the till.

“Close that drawer, because you know as well as I do the amount of bills in there hasn’t changed,” Amara called out from the stockroom.

“Don’t make me fire you,” Tiana grumbled.

“Over telling you the truth? That’s unlawful.” She walked up to the counter, looking out to the other store. “But seriously, Tee, I’ve never seen you this worked up over someone before. And I’ve known you for a decade.”

“I’m not worked up,” Tiana retorted, “I’m just worried we haven’t made enough to keep the lights on.”

“Don’t talk like that. Okay, maybe we’ve had a few slow days.” Amara shrugged.

“It’s going to be a slow month if that store keeps booming the way it is.”

“There you go worrying about that man again. How can you expect shoppers to think about Love-Washed if you’re not even doing it?” Amara pushed herself off the counter. “I’m going to count the inventory.”

“Again?”

“It beats standing here with the Changkyun Fanclub.”

Tiana pouted. Sure, the man was attractive, but that wasn’t the point. She wasn’t worked up about Changkyun, it was Duality she had a problem with.

While Love-Washed was a boutique with primarily feminine clothing and jewelry, Duality was a unisex and genderless outlet. Changkyun didn’t believe in clothing exclusively for one binary or the other; if it fits, wear it. This is what drove so many people to his store in the first place.

Tiana turned to the display stand behind her, removing the jewelry that was on it.

*ding*

Tiana froze. Was that the door? This was the first time someone had come into the store all day.

She stood up straight. “Welcome to Love-” She paused.

There, standing in the middle of her store, was Im Changkyun.

She sighed. “What are you doing here?”

He chuckled. “Tiana, why are you so mean?”

“I’m not mean, I just want to know why you’re here.”

“I’m shopping.”

Tiana narrowed her eyes at the much taller man. “What are you interested in?”

“Something pretty, but not too flashy.”

Tiana nodded, lowering to the display case in front of her. “I have these. Or maybe you’re in the market for a bracelet or ring?”

Changkyun scanned the variety of necklaces before shaking his head. “None of these are quite what I’m looking for.”

“Well, what ARE you looking for?”

He lifted his head, looking just past Tiana. “There was this necklace up on that shelf a while ago. It had a purple heart gemstone, possibly amethyst.”

“Oh,” Tiana’s eyes widened, “Yes, it’s here. I just took it down.” She turned, reaching into the bin next to her.

“Is there a reason you took it down?”

She shrugged. “It’s been up there for a while. No one’s bought it, so I’m switching it out for a new one.”

“So what do you do with them afterward?”

“Put them in the stockroom, either circulate them again or donate them. Did you want a bag?”

“No, that’s okay. How much?”

“$63.78.” Tiana swiped his card before handing it back along with his receipt. “Here you are.” She smiled.

“Thanks, neighbor.” He dropped the necklace into his pocket. “I’ll be seeing you.” He smiled, spinning on his heels.

Tiana watched as he walked out the door, crossing the cobblestone walkway before entering his store once more. She leaned forward, her head resting in her palm. Was the necklace for himself? A gift? Probably not a gift if he didn’t even need a bag.

She blinked. Why did she even care? It wasn’t her business. Exhaling audibly, she picked up her bin of jewelry and made her way to the stockroom.

2 weeks later, Tiana was flipping through a magazine when the door's chime caught her attention.

“Look who it is,” Her gaze returned to her magazine, “It’s been so long I was worried you forgot how to get here.” She said, sarcasm evident in her tone.

“Aww, Tiana. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you missed little ol’ me.” Carmela smirked, strutting up to the counter as if Love-Washed was her runway. “You know I could never abandon my favorite store.”

“Your favorite store you haven’t been to in almost a month.”

Carmela sighed. “Darling, you know I have to stay on top of trends. And Duality has been all the rage in the shopping center since it opened. Surely you understand.”

Tiana sighed. Carmela was an influencer with a big following, so she was the conductor if there was a new bandwagon.

“So what brings you in today?”

“Can’t you tell? Duality is closed, love. I came to see what’s new over here.”

“They’re closed?” Tiana furrowed her eyebrows, “I didn’t know that.”

“Well, it looks like someone is in there, but the sign on the door says they aren’t taking any customers.” Carmela shrugged. “Enough about them. Show me what I’ve missed in my absence.” She waved her hand around frantically.

Tiana pulled out the displays from the cabinet. Carmela may have only been there by chance, but she had to make money somehow.

Several hours and multiple customers later, Tiana found herself at the window at the front of the store. She squinted her eyes at the sign, but couldn’t make out the words.

“Amara, I’ll be right back!” She called out, not waiting for a response.

She walked through the threshold, her sandals clicking against the cobblestone. Up close, she made out the words ‘Closed for creative development. See you tomorrow.’ scribbled on the copy paper.

“Huh, they really are closed,” Tiana said, leaning against the door to peek in. The door suddenly swung open, and she stumbled through the threshold.

Tiana held her breath, scared that an exhale would turn into a gasp. The sign says it’s closed, but the door is unlocked? She looked around. There were no workers and Changkyun was nowhere to be found. Had the door been left unlocked by accident?

She walked further in, observing the garments along the walls, racks, and shelves. She noticed the flowy, white button-up Changkyun wore to her shop two weeks ago. She made her way to the marble stone counter, then passed that to a door that said ‘Authorized Staff Only.’ She pushed the door curiously and just like the front, this one swung wide open.

“What am I doing? This is ridiculous.” She said to herself. The sign clearly says closed, and yet here she was peeking into the backroom. Surely she wouldn’t be happy if someone did this at her store, so why was she here?

Just as she was about to turn around, walk out and forget she was ever there, something caught her eye. There, in the far corner of the room, was a sewing machine. It looked like someone had left it mid-use, as the fabric was hanging from the presser. Next to the machine, was a pile of paper sprawled across the table.

Tiana hesitated. She knew she should leave. It was wrong for her to be there, but something about those papers was causing her to gravitate further into the room. Were they sketches? Plans for his next collection? What was he working on?

‘I’ll just take a peek.’ She thought to herself. Yeah, she’d just take a look at what he’s working on, and try to understand his creative process for his collections. Then she’d walk back out and forget she was ever there.

She reached the table and thumbed through the sketches. Her eyes widened in awe. Changkyun was extremely talented if these were any indication. He paid great attention to detail and created his ideas with a wide variety of bodies in mind.

She nodded to herself. She had taken a glance at his work as she said. It was time to leave. She backed up only to hit a warm, firm chest. She froze as she watched a pair of toned arms circle around her and rest on the table, trapping her in.

“What do we have here?”

If it were possible for time to sit completely still, void of all movement, Tiana was experiencing it right now. Her insatiable nosiness led her straight to Changkyun’s arms. She was no better than a rabbit chasing a carrot on a string.

She turned around slowly, coming face to face with that godforsaken smirk she’s only seen from across the street numerous times before.

“Hm? You usually have a lot to say. You’re so quiet today.” He mumbled, his hand reaching up to grasp her chin.

Tiana instinctively tried to back up but it was no use, her lower back pressing into the table behind her.

“Hm, let’s see here. I know you didn’t come over here just to say hi. You don’t like me enough to do that.” He peeked behind her at the table. “Seemed very interested in my work. If I didn’t know any better I’d say you’re trying to steal from me.”

Tiana blinked. She scanned his features for any sign that he might be joking. Finding none, she refuted, “There isn’t a bone in my body that steals.”

“Oh? So it hasn’t crossed your mind the entire time you’ve been here?”

She sighed, refusing to meet his gaze. Okay, maybe she thought about it once or twice. But she wasn’t going to admit that to him.

“If you’re not going to talk, I’m sure the other merchants in town would love to hear how a fellow store owner was caught snooping around someone else’s designs.”

Tiana scoffed. “Like they’d believe you. That’s not even what I was doing!”

Changkyun raised an eyebrow. “Enlighten me.”

“I heard from Carmela that you were closed today, so I was trying to read the sign. But it was handwritten and hard to see, so I came to see what it said. I leaned against the door because I just couldn’t believe the store that nearly put me out of business is suddenly closed. That’s when I realized the door was unlocked and I stumbled in. It was the first time I’ve ever been in here, so I got distracted taking it all in. Before I realized what I was doing, I was at the staff door and then at the table letting curiosity get the best of me. Then you caught me and here we are.”

“Oh? So that’s the story?”

“It’s what happened.”

“Well, now that you’re here and you’ve peeked into my work, what do you think?”

Tiana turned back around. “There’s no denying your talent, that’s for sure.” It was true. From the sketches to the choice of fabrics, Changkyun knew what he was doing.

“A compliment. From Tiana herself?” He laughed when she smacked his arm. “Thank you. I’m hoping to get at least a couple of them done before showing my team. They get the last say on if I should make more to put on the floor or not.”

“You sew all of these yourself?” She asked in disbelief. There’s no way everything on the sales floor came from Changkyun sitting at this sewing machine.

“Don’t sound so surprised,” He chuckled, stepping towards Tiana. He closed the space between them, his chest flush against her back. She wondered when he found the time to work out with running a business. “I have a select few of my team members that help me with sewing once I’ve perfected the design, but most of them are sewn by me personally. A lot of things I’ve sold in the past were sewn by me since I didn’t always have a team.”

Tiana raised her eyebrows, clearly impressed. “Who would’ve known that you were more than a pretty face?”

He smirked. “I have a pretty face?”

“Like you don’t know.” She rolled her eyes.

“I do. I just wanted to hear you say it again.” He said, fingertips lightly grazing her arms, leaving goosebumps in their wake.

“W-what are you doing?” Tiana laughed softly, rubbing her arms.

When Changkyun didn’t respond, Tiana turned to face him, looking up. She locked eyes with him, the intensity of his gaze startling her.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

He leaned forward. “I’m going to kiss you. If you don’t want to kiss me, push me away.”

Tiana panicked as Changkyun came impossibly closer, eyes closed.

Was she really going to just let this happen?

Did she want this?

Sighing, her eyes fluttered shut. ‘Not the craziest thing to happen today.’ she thought.

Millimeters away from her lips, Changkyun opened his eyes slightly. Smirking when he saw her eyes closed, he let his lips crash onto hers.

When their lips met, Tiana’s stomach filled with what she refused to believe were butterflies. His lips and kiss were soft, a sharp contrast from the secure hold he had on her waist. Her hands found purchase in his golden locks, pulling him in closer. He obliged, large hands wrapping around her thighs. His lips trailed down her neck, light bite marks as evidence of his actions.

He caressed her cheek, his lips now beside her ear. “Do you wanna do something for me?”

Tiana looked at him through lidded eyes. “Something like what?” she whispered back.

He spun them around so he was leaning against the table. Tiana watched as he pulled his shirt over his head, flinging it across the room. Her eyes followed his hands as they made work on his belt buckle.

“Get on your knees.”

Now, normally, Tiana would tell a man to go to hell for such a demand.

But that’s not what happened here.

Instead, she sank to the floor without a fight.

“Hmm, look at that. So you do know how to follow instructions.” he laughed when she glared at him. “Come on, I’m just kidding.” He yanked his pants down, his cock straining against the stretchy material of his boxers. He pulled them down just enough to free himself, the organ slapping against his stomach. He ran a hand through his hair while the other beckoned Tiana with a ‘come hither’ motion.

Reaching her hand out, Tiana wrapped her hand around his cock. She took him into her mouth slowly, tongue swirling around the tip.

Changkyun hissed. “That’s it, baby.” He mumbled.

She bobbed her head as she tried to take him whole, humming when her gag reflex kicked in. He was the heaviest she ever had, the weight of him settling on her tongue.

“Mmm, you’re so fucking good at that.” He sighed, smiling when Tiana moaned against him. “Aw, you like hearing that you’re doing a good job? Who would’ve known that the mean woman from across the street would be sucking me off in my backroom? Does Amara know you’re over here with a face full of cock?”

Tiana moaned again, speeding up her efforts. She used her free hand to massage his balls, kneading them vigorously while she hollowed her cheeks, causing Changkyun to throw his head back.

She felt his cock twitch just before he said, “Come here.”

Once she was on her feet again, he pulled her in for a kiss, this time much sloppier and messier than before. He leaned her against the table before pushing all the sketches aside and sitting her in their place. “Lay back.” He said, unbuttoning her pants. Tiana could feel her heart racing as she lifted her hips, allowing him to slide them off her legs.

As if reading her mind, Changkyun rubbed her thigh soothingly. “Don’t feel nervous. It’s okay.” He said, kneeling before the table.

Pulling her panties to the side, he hummed in satisfaction at the dark patch that had formed at the center. “All this just from sucking dick? I think I like you more than I thought I did.” Sticking out his tongue, he licked slowly and languidly from her core to her clit, where he paused to suck harshly.

Tiana gasped, her hands anchoring themselves at the edge of the table. Her back arched off the table as Changkyun’s tongue danced skillfully and gracefully, alternating between short, swift licks and soft, lazy ones.

“Stay still.” Changkyun gritted through his teeth, wrapping his arms around both her thighs, halting all movement.

“It’s too much, can’t take it.” She whimpered.

“You can and you will.” He said, sliding two fingers deep into her wet cunt, curling them expertly.

“Fuck!” Tiana’s breath quickened as her thighs trembled.

Changkyun hummed, sensing her orgasm approaching. “Look at me when you cum.”

Sitting up, Tiana made eye contact with Changkyun, who had become a lust-filled mess. The entire bottom half of his face was glistening with arousal, his pupils were dilated and his gaze was fixated on hers.

“Baby, I’m gonna cum if you keep going like that.” She said, her body set ablaze from the heat this torturous pleasure was emitting.

Finally, the knot in Tiana’s stomach finally snapped and her whole body shook as her orgasm took over. She writhed when Changkyun had yet to stop sucking. She pushed his face away, watching as strings of her arousal stuck to his face, which he licked his mouth clean of.

“So fucking nasty, I love it.” She smirked.

“Only for you.” He replied, kissing her as he stood up. Shoving his hand into the pocket of his pants, he fished out a condom from his wallet.

“I see you’re prepared.” She teased.

He shrugged. “I have to be ready for when my sexy neighbor decides to come snooping into my store and ends up sprawled across my workstation.” He tore the packaging open with his teeth, working the latex down his length.

“You sure this is okay?” He asked

“Just fuck me already.” Tiana replied.

“Understood.” He slid her panties to the side once again, his cock centimeters from her entrance.

“You can take them off, you know.”

“I could,” He agreed, “but I lack the patience for that.”

Changkyun’s eyes fluttered closed as he sunk deeper and deeper into her cunt, groaning once he bottomed out. “Fuck, you’re so tight, baby.”

He lifted her leg to his shoulder. “I’m a bit desperate, baby. You understand, right?”

And then he set the pace.

Fast.

Hard.

Deep.

His thrusts barely gave Tiana a chance to catch her breath. The sound of skin and pleasure filled the room, the table screeching across the concrete floor from the sheer force Changkyun was exuding were all adding to the scenario.

“If it’s too much for you, you can always tap out.” He said, smirking.

Tiana glared. “Keep that advice in mind for yourself.”

“I’ll hold you to that.” He said, angling his thrusts to brush up against that special spot, making Tiana cry out, her heart speeding up and she had her second orgasm of the day. She exhaled, her head hitting the table with a soft thud.

“I didn’t know you could squirt.”

She furrowed her eyebrows. “I can’t.”

“You just did though?”

Sitting up, she inspected the table and sure enough, there was a wet spot on the light mahogany table.

Tiana shrugged. “It was probably you.”

Changkyun gave her a look then snorted. “Whatever you say.” Grabbing the back of her knees, he pulled her to her feet only to turn her around and bend her over the table.

“What are you doing?”

“You thought we were done? Cute.” He said, hands wrapping around her hips as he slid back in. He resumed his brutal pace from before, as if he never stopped.

Tiana whimpered. How the hell could he keep going after all this time? Her legs threatened to give out beneath her, still sensitive from her previous orgasm. She reached for the table, trying to level herself.

Changkyun yanked her back. “Where you going, baby? Don’t tell me you’re running away.” He left hot kisses across her back. “You’re taking me so well. You can keep going for a little while longer, can’t you?”

Tiana nodded, the pleasure and and his words a dangerous mix that had her teeter-tottering off the edge of a lustful cliff.

“Good girl.” He said, his thrusts slowing down significantly, becoming sloppier and sloppier as he approached his climax. Snaking his arm around Tiana’s midsection, his fingers rubbed quick circles on her clit.

“Shh, I know, baby. I know.” he said when she gasped, trying to wiggle away from his touch. “Just give me one more, then we’re done.”

Tiana’s jaw fell slack, a silent scream as her mind went blank and the world fell silent, overwhelmed by pleasure.

“You’re so fucking tight, baby. Your pretty little cunt sucking me in so good. You’re so fucking good.” Changkyun mumbled as he came into the condom. He fell forward, laying his head on Tiana’s back.

“Mmm, you’re heavy. Move.” She hit his head with her shoulder. “And you have to throw that out.” She said, referring to the condom.

“Alright, alright, I’m getting up.” He said, walking to the wastebasket and disposing of the condom.

Tianna finally tried to stand up, only to realize the amount of wetness between her thighs that dripped down to her legs.

“Huh, I guess the stain was me.” She mumbled, dumbfounded.

“Of course it was. Your cum is everywhere.” He said, bringing her her clothes. “There’s a bathroom back there.” He pointed.

Tiana mumbled a thanks before making her way there.

When Tiana emerged from the bathroom, Changkyun was sat at the table in front of the sewing machine once again, as if he didn’t just fuck her brains out.

“So now it’s back to work, huh?” She asked.

He laughed softly. “You’re beautiful, believe me, but I have to keep the lights on.”

“You do more than that I’m sure. The only reason I even had customers today was because you’re closed. I wish I knew a way to get people interested in me again.” She sighed.

Changkyun stood up, walking to a far corner in the room. He came back, fastening something cold to Tiana’s neck.

Glancing down, she noticed it was the necklace he bought from her two weeks ago.

“What are you doing?”

“I bought it because I thought it would look beautiful on you, but I knew you wouldn’t wear it out of hopes it would be sold. Sometimes the best mannequin for your merchandise is yourself. You see me wear my own clothes all the time. That gets me more customers than you think. Try it sometime, it sure beats tossing all your stuff in the backroom.”

“The brains and the brawn, you’re just the whole package aren’t you?” She teased.

“What can I say, it’s hard being this perfect but someone has to take on the burden.” He said feigning tiredness.

Tiana rolled her eyes. “Whatever.”

Changkyun stepped towards her, eyes set on her lips once again. Just as he was about to close the space between them again,

“Changkyun!”

“Kyun, are you here? The front door is unlocked!”

“Someone’s here!” Tiana panicked.

“Shit, it’s Jooheon and Minhyuk. They usually come check on me during my sewing days.”

“I have to go!” Tiana whispered as the footsteps grew closer.

“Through the back, come on!” Changkyun pulled her towards the bathroom, which had a small door that led to the back alley.

“Just go through here and make that first right, you’ll be right out front.” He said.

Tiana nodded, stepping through the threshold.

“Hold on!”

Changkyun grabbed her waist, pulling her in for one more kiss. “Okay, run, go!” He said.

“Changkyun!”

“Back here! Can I use the bathroom for two seconds?” He said, closing the backdoor.

Tiana made her way back into Love-Washed, where Amara was at the counter ringing up the customers.

“Look who finally remembered she owned a store.” She said, rolling her eyes.

“I’m sorry, I lost track of time. You can head back to the stockroom, Ama. I’ll take it from here.” She said, sliding behind the register.

“Hallelujah.”

The next day started just as any other. Tiana sat at the counter watching multitudes of people make their way to Duality. Just as she was about to do inventory once again, the door’s chime went off.

“You know, I’ve never been here, but now that I look, the stuff is so cute!”

Tiana turned around to see two friends in the middle of the store.

“Hi! Welcome to Love-Washed.”

“Oh! Good Morning! We came to browse the store since Changkyun from across the street is doing a sale.” The girls said as dozens more people from across the street made their way into Tiana’s store.

“A sale?”

“Yeah!” One of the girls said. “If we make a purchase here and bring him the receipt, we get 50% from his store! Although now that I’m here, I’ll definitely be coming here more often! It’s so nice to see the store owners here working together!” She showed Tiana the coupon, and sure enough it said:

‘Limited time offer! Make any purchase at Love-Washed across the street and receive 50% your next purchase at Duality! Must show receipt to receive coupon.’

Tiana smiled, handing the coupon back. “Well, welcome, and if you need anything, I’m here to help.”

The girls thanked her, running off to browse.

Tiana walked up to the display window, looking straight out to the window of Changkyun’s store.

There, she saw him at the register, handing out the handmade coupons to each patron. He looked up, meeting her gaze. He smiled, winking at her before helping the next customer.

“Excuse me?”

“Yes?” Tiana said, focusing on the customer in front of her.

“I couldn’t help but notice your necklace. It’s beautiful. Do you sell it here at the store? Purple is my favorite color!”

Tiana smiled. “Yes, actually. It’s a Love-Washed exclusive. I can also show you more from this collection if you’d like?”

“Yes, please!”

Walking back to the register, Amara came out of the backroom, confused.

“Tee, where all these people come from?”

“Across the street.”

“From Duality?”

“Apparently, everyone that shops here gets a discount from there.”

Amara glanced at Tiana, then smirked. “Okay, miss thang, I see you.”

“Me? I didn’t do anything!”

“Sure you didn’t. Well, I’ll be in the back if you need me.” She said, waving her off.

Tiana shook her head, looking out the window again. This time, Changkyun was at his usual spot by the mailbox, smirking her way. Tiana smiled, waving at him.

Maybe Changkyun as a neighbor wasn’t so bad.

#changkyun smut #changkyun fic #monsta x smut #monsta x fic #kpop smut #kpop fanfic #kpop fanfiction

162 notes · View notes

how-many-purples · 5 months ago

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GONCHTRODUCTION

Even as the flames of fandom quieted down, the spirit of Goncharov (1973) lives on in our most beloved of tumblr posts, the very place from whence it came. Because of that, my duty is to find how many times the greatest movie of all time appears in tumblr posts!

Feel free to send posts, songs, the entirety of the Goncharov (1973) script, or anything you want for me to count!

Gimmick blog inspired by @how-much-yellow @this-much-pink @pigeonfinder and many other cool blogs of the same variety!

GONCHARULES

Every "goncharov" in a post spelled out separately will be counted at the end of each reblog. If the word "goncharov" itself is in the post, it will be counted and tallied separately.

TAG-ONCHAROV

#gonch count - posts that have been read and counted!

#presented by martin scorsese - asks and submissions!

#winter leaves naples - unrelated posts (not counted)

#goncharov - posts related to goncharov

#not goncharov - posts not related to goncharov

FINAL TALLY

GONCHAROV goncharov GONCHAROV goncharov GONCHAROV GONCHAROV GONCHAROV goncharov GONCHAROV GONCHAROV GONCHAROV GONCHAROV - 12 goncharovs!

purple purple purple purple purple purple p - 5.16 PURPLES

GONCHTRODUCTION

Feel free to send posts, songs, the entirety of the Goncharov (1973) script, or anything you want for me to count!

Gimmick blog inspired by @how-much-yellow @this-much-pink @pigeonfinder and many other cool blogs of the same variety!

GONCHARULES

Every "goncharov" in a post spelled out separately will be counted at the end of each reblog. If the word "goncharov" itself is in the post, it will be counted and tallied separately.

TAG-ONCHAROV

#gonch count - posts that have been read and counted!

#presented by martin scorsese - asks and submissions!

#winter leaves naples - unrelated posts (not counted)

#goncharov - posts related to goncharov

#not goncharov - posts not related to goncharov

FINAL TALLY

GONCHAROV goncharov GONCHAROV goncharov GONCHAROV GONCHAROV GONCHAROV goncharov GONCHAROV GONCHAROV GONCHAROV GONCHAROV - 12 goncharovs!

#purple counter: something special edition #Welcome!#I love this blog so much #Goncharov will never not be funny to me

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pinkanonwrites · 3 years ago

Note

Can I request first years of twisted wonderland with a s/o or friend (your choice) who literally has a void of a pocket that is filled with candy? The candy flavor doesn't exist? They will casually pull out said flavor of candy out of their pocket. You want a candy that isn't sold anymore? Here is said candy.

I'll make it kind of ambiguous so it could be either a friend or a significant other! This is a really cute and unique request, so I hope you like it!

"I think I'd kill a man with my bare hands for some chocolate-covered cherries right now." Ace was sprawled dramatically across a couch in the Heartslabyul dorm lounge, making himself look as miserable as possible. "My mom only sends them on my birthday though... I'm dying out here!"

"You could try one of these." Ace felt you place something small and round on his forehead, and tipping it forward a little wrapped candy slid down his face and fell into his palm.

"Where'd you get this?"

"My coat pocket."

"Trying to buy my approval with pocket candy. I'm on to you, Prefect." Still, he unwrapped the hard candy and popped it in his mouth, letting his head thump dramatically back onto the couch. A second later though he popped back up, eyes blown wide and a smile beaming across his face. "It's chocolate-cherry flavored! That's so cool! Where did you buy these?"

"I dunno, wouldn't telling you just be me 'buying your approval?'" You teased.

"Nahh, c'mon! I was just joking! You're gonna tell me where you got these, right? Right? Prefect, come on!"

"Chocolate... eggs?"

"Surely you've had them before!" You laughed as you pushed a crinkling purple baggie into Deuce's hand. He stared at it, baffled, like he couldn't completely believe what he was seeing.

"Yeah, but... can't you only buy these in the spring? They're limited edition. It says so on the packaging." he pointed to the label and shot you an openly confused look.

"Let's just say I've got some special connections, hm? C'mon, I got them for you!"

He flustered, quickly tearing the bag open and stuffing a handful into his mouth. His expression tried to remain, but there was a blush forming on the apples of his cheeks and a sparkle in his eye.

"Thanksh..." He muttered around a mouthful of chocolate. "Theshe are really good."

"What's that crinkling in your pocket?"

"You've got a good ear! Though I'm not surprised. Here, try one of these." You put a golden brown hard candy into his palm, wrapped in a bright yellow wrapper. He gave it a hesitant sniff, eyes widening when the scent of cinnamon and pear flooded his senses.

"Is this... pear compote flavored?"

"A good nose, too! You got it. Tell me what you think."

Hesitantly, he unwrapped the hard candy and popped it into his mouth. After a moment, his eyes slid shut as his tail began to wag feverishly.

"Where did you buy these? They're... They're pretty alright." Judging by the way his tail wagged, he found them a lot more than 'alright.' But you weren't going to correct him.

"I can't give away too much, now can I? But I'll give you as many as you like if you just ask."

"Yeah, they discontinued 'em back when I was little, but Gran always had a big ol' bowl of these caramel apple gummies up on the kitchen counter! I wish I could have 'em one more time..."

"Oh, here! Try these!"

Epel's eyes all but bugged out of his head when you pulled a pack with familiar wrapping out of your jacket pocket and plopped a handful of caramel apple gummies into his hand. They were exactly like how he remembered, neon green and shaped like little apple slices with that strong, caramelly scent.

"How in the fresh fields o' honeysuckle did you find these? They've been gone for ten years!" He popped one into his mouth, a wave of nostalgia crashing over him as the sweet, tangy flavor filled his senses. It was nearly enough to bring a tear to his eye. You just gave him a small grin, holding a finger up to your lips.

"It's a secret."

"Hon, you can keep all the secrets you want if'n it means you'll be gettin' me more of these!"

"So it's a human gummied candy... shaped like a typical burger meal? What's the purpose of the design? Do they taste like meat?"

"No Sebek, they're just supposed to be cute! See, it's got all the little burger bits, like the bun and the tomato and the lettuce and stuff." You watched with barely contained amusement as Sebek carefully dissected the gummy burger on the table in front of him, peeling each layer apart to inspect it thoroughly. "I used to get them all the time back home, they're just supposed to be a fun novelty thing."

"Your love of such silly customs is baffling..." He paused to pop a layer of gummy into his mouth, chewing thoughtfully. "However, I can't say there is no appeal. I'm sure Father and Master Malleus would find these equally entertaining. I would like more."

"You can have as many as you'd like, Sebek."

#twisted wonderland #disney twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland imagines #twst #twst imagines #ace trappola #deuce spade #jack howl #epel felmier #sebek zigvolt #ace imagines #deuce imagines #jack imagines #epel imagines #sebek imagines #my writing #fluff #anon

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beomcoups · 3 years ago

Text

Birthday Confessions | JJK

𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 :Jungkook x reader

𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 :swearing, unprotected sex, oral (m and f receiving), backshots, dirty talk, masturbating, hair pulling

𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 :R (18+)

𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞 :smut, fluff, best friends to lovers au

𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬 :2.8k

𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲 : It's your best friend Jungkook’s birthday, and you have a crush on him. Will those feelings be reciprocated?

AN: I previously wrote this on my main but since I have switched over to this blog, I have re-edited it and deleted it from my other blog. Thank you @taegularities for reading over this for me 💜

Happy birthday Kook!

DING!

The oven’s alarm goes off, and you stop getting dressed and head to the kitchen to take the cake out of the oven. You look over the banana-milk-flavored cake and poke a small hole into it to ensure you thoroughly cooked the cake. Satisfied with the result, you place the dessert on the counter to cool off, setting another time to remind you to ice the cake, and you go back into your room to get dressed.

Today is your best friend Jungkook’s birthday, and you wanted to bake a cake for him as a birthday gift. He always raves about your baking, and you wanted to do something special for him. Since high school, you have known each other, and now you both are about to graduate from college.

He is going to be moving into the music business, whereas you are going to be an editor for one of the top, well-known publishing companies in the world. You two have been inseparable since the day you met in science class senior year in high school, and over the years, you started to like him more than a friend. His smile brightens your day, and his laugh is infectious. He is thoughtful, kind, intelligent, and very nice to look at.

You never thought to tell him how you feel as you did not want to mess up your friendship, but you couldn’t help but get green with envy when you saw Jungkook with other girls or when he talked to you about his many sexcapades. You wish it was you he was fucking until the crack of dawn and then some. You have lost count of how many times you masturbated looking at videos of Jungkook he uploaded on social media with his shirt off.

There was a time that he almost walked in on you, your favorite purple dildo nudged nicely in your wet pussy, tiny beads of sweat dripping on your face as you’d just experienced one of the biggest orgasms you’d ever had. He walked in, and you were able to cover yourself in time before he saw anything, relieved and slightly disappointed that he did not see you in that compromising position. You made it a point to make sure he never caught you like that again, but the burning desire between your legs stayed the same.

You decided to wear a black tank top with figure-hugging blue jeans, not exposing too much but enough to show off your figure. You opted to put your curly hair into a messy bun and add lip gloss to your full lips. You have always been confident about your looks, and you didn’t feel the need to add more makeup when you are just going to be at home. You put on your favorite cherry-smelling lotion and take one last look in the mirror before going back into the kitchen to clean up your mess. The timer goes off just in time, and you start icing the cake and topping it with bananas and strawberries.

Knock! Knock!

You jump a little, your heart skipping a few beats, carefully placing the cake on the table. You know it’s Jungkook, and you take a few deep breaths before opening the door and letting him in.

“It smells so good in here,” he comments as he takes off his shoes and sets his jacket on the coat rack.

You hum softly as you walk past him to meet him at the table to show him the cake you made for him.

“TUH-DAH!” you exclaim gleefully, pointing at the cake. “Happy birthday, JK.”

“Thank you,” he returns your excitement, rubbing his hands together.

You grab forks and plates and start cutting pieces of the cake together for you guys to eat. You watch him take a bite, watching the satisfaction form on his face as he takes his first bite.

“Geez Y/N,” Jungkook says in between bites. “You have always been a good baker. You are gonna be the end of me, I swear.”

You nod and smile, taking a bite of your own cake, satisfied with your own baking.

He talks to you about his day and what he did for his birthday, but you are only half-listening, distracted by the small bite of icing on the corner of his mouth. You can feel your center throbbing at the thought of his lips in between your legs, and just your luck; the a/c comes on and makes the room cold enough that your nipples start to get hard and visible through your shirt. You get up quickly and rinse off your plate and fork to put in the dishwasher.

You turn around, and Jungkook is right behind you, the small piece of icing still on the corner of his mouth. You instinctively wipe the bit of icing away, and a wave of shock runs through you after realizing what you did. You excuse yourself and go into the bathroom, eyeing the small piece of icing on your finger.

Your mouth salivates, and you put your finger in your mouth, savoring the taste of the cool icing that was blessed by being touched by him. Your mind trails to dark thoughts, and you take your other hand and slide it inside your jeans, brushing past your panties and reaching your nub. You rub yourself softly, electric shock running through your legs as you position yourself against the wall, holding your breath and biting your lip to hide your moans.

“Hey, are you okay in there?”

Jungkook’s voice cuts through your trance, and you stop immediately, turning on the sink water to wash your hands.

“I’m okay. I’ll be out in a second.”

You wash your hands intensely and leave the bathroom, finding yourself facing him on your bed.

He has been in your room plenty of times before, and so it’s nothing new to see him sitting there, so you take a seat next to him.

“So, what are your plans for the rest of the evening?” you ask cooly.

“Nothing really,” he shrugs. “I wanted to hang out here with you if that’s okay?”

“You know you don’t have to ask me,” you assure him.

You grab a remote and flip through your multiple streaming services, settling to watch a scary movie. You both get into the covers and feel comfortable like you have a million times before starting the movie. An hour into the film, you notice that his hands are slightly shaking, and his eyes look away from yours when you look at him.

“Are you okay, JK?”

“Yes… no. Well, I think so,” Jungkook’s voice cracks.

You pause the movie and turn to face him, now sitting up.

“I have something I need to tell you,” he says slowly, not meeting your gaze.

“Are you okay? What’s wrong?” you inquire, moving to the foot of the bed so you can look at him better.

“I’m fine. Physically I mean. I just don’t know how to say it….”

“For the love of God, Jeon Jungkook, what do you have to say to me—”

“I LIKE YOU!” he shouts, his voice filling the room like echoes.

You look at him, mouth open and eyes wide, shocked at his confession. He lets out a sigh of relief and grabs your hand, pulling you closer.

“I… like you, y/n. I’ve liked you for a while now. I just didn’t know how to tell you.”

You regain your senses, still in disbelief of what you are hearing. You move closer to him, absentmindedly rubbing his hand with your thumb. A small smile creeps up on your face, and a beam of happiness shoots out of you. You never thought in a million years that your feelings for him would be reciprocated, and you’re not stupid enough to not tell him how you feel.

“I was not expecting this, like at all,” you admit.

“I’m sorry? Was this too much?” He starts to panic and gets off of the bed quickly.

He starts pacing back and forth and apologizing profusely for making you uncomfortable. You hate seeing him sad and disappointed, and you want nothing more than to make it better. You walk over to him and stop him in his tracks, softly tugging his shirt and kissing him. He takes a small step back, realizing what is happening, and kisses you back. His hands reach for the back of your head, and he takes out your bun, letting your hair fall down to your shoulders. Your need for him intensifies, and you pull his shirt over his head, revealing his toned abs that have made you weak for the past two years.

“Wait, does this mean you like me?” Jungkook asks with soft, pleading eyes.

“Yes… I do,” you confess, taking off your tank top. “I’ve liked you for a long time too. I was just scared to tell you how I felt. I didn’t want to mess up our friendship.”

He smirks and kisses you again. This time his kisses are hungrier, groans escaping his lips as he gnaws on your neck and unbuttons your jeans. You already weren’t wearing a bra, and he stops to look at you, your breasts jiggling a little as he pushes you on the bed. He gets on top of you, kissing you some more, and his cool hands slide into your panties and reach your core. You jump at the coolness of his hands, but that goes away quickly when he starts softly rubbing your mound, the sensation sending warm waves through your body.

“Baby, you don’t have to worry about messing anything up for me,” he whispers into your ear. “I’ve wanted you for a long time now, and I want to prove that to you.”

He stops his movements, and you whine at the sudden loss of his touch. To your surprise, he slides your panties off your body and opens your legs, his mouth salivating at the sight. He kisses your thighs softly, working your way up to your center, and he gives your bud a soft kiss before lathering you with his tongue. He’s all business, sucking on your clit and humming on it that makes your legs jolt at the sudden rush of pleasure you always dreamed about.

You grab the back of his head and ride his face a little, his tongue catching up with your movements while your free hand reaches your left nipple, pinching it softly. Your brain can’t form any words to compliment him as you are in a trance full of ecstasy, ready to burst at the seams. You feel that familiar fire burning in your stomach, and you warn him that you are about to cum.

“Go ahead. Cum in my mouth,” he says with his lips still on your clit.

You scream his name as you explode, your sweet juices flowing into his mouth, and he licks it all up until you are ripe with oversensitivity. You lift up your body a bit, and you thank him, lifting his head to look at the mess you made and kissing him back.

You can taste yourself on him, and you savor it, trailing your hands down to his member. You pull his jeans and his boxers down, revealing his arousal, already leaking with precum. You rub him softly, and without losing eye contact, get on your knees and give his dick a small kiss. He shivers a little, and you smirk, wrapping his mouth around his cock.

“You look so pretty when you do that,” he rasps, his grip tight on your shoulder.

Your hands are still on his dick as your head bobs back and forth, sucking him in as you satisfy your own craving of him. You love making him moan. It’s a deep gratification to see the power you hold over him. He pants as he calls your name, roughly tugging your hair and telling you how much of a good girl you are for taking him so well.

You never lose eye contact with him, and you remove one of your hands to start playing with yourself again. You feel him tense up, and you take him out of your mouth, spitting on his dick before putting him back in. He pulls himself out and lifts you up, throwing you on the bed with your ass in the air.

“I can’t wait anymore,” he pumps himself before sliding in. “I need to be inside of you now.”

You nod as you brace yourself for the impact his thick dick is going to have on your tight cunt. He slowly eases himself in, and you feel yourself coming undone already, but you hold on, not wanting to disappoint him. He suddenly pulls out and slams into you, causing you to scream out in pleasure and pain. He hikes your ass in the air some more as he pummels you, pulling onto your thick hair.

You moan with every deep stroke he is throwing at you, and you guide your hips with him to match his rhythm. The sound combination of skin slapping and moans fills the room, and you are sure the neighbors next door can hear you, but you don’t care. You open your eyes and look back at him, not being able to hide the pleasure he is making you feel any longer.

“Your wet, little cunt feels so good on this dick,” Jungkook grits your teeth. “I want to feel you explode all over me.”

He takes one of his hands and rubs your clit once more, and you feel electricity run through you as you feel yourself about to come undone. Your walls clench around his member as a wave of orgasm rushes over you, screaming his name as you grab onto the sheets, your words incoherent to anyone else but him.

Jungkook understands your love language, and his thrusts get sloppier, pulling out in a groan, coating all over your back. He collapses on the bed next to you, both of you catching your breath from the release you both had. You take a peek at him and he is looking at you, partly in disbelief that this really happened.

“Wow,” you said in between breaths. “That was—”

“Amazing,” he finishes your sentence and kisses you once more.

He goes to your bathroom and grabs a hand towel with body soap and wipes his territory off your back and wipes in between your legs. You grab his shirt and put it on quickly, leaving the room to go into the kitchen and get another piece of cake. You feel him come behind you and wrap his arms around your waist, giving you a soft kiss on the cheek.

“Well, this was one hell of a birthday gift,” Jungkook says gleefully.

“I guess you can say that,” you say sheepishly, taking a bite out of your piece of cake.

“I honestly never thought this would become a thing. Us, I mean,” you start. “I have liked you since forever, and it was so hard seeing you with other girls because I wanted to be them. You just get me in ways that no one else does. I don’t have to explain my jokes to you or my thoughts, because it feels like we are on the same wavelength at all times. You make me feel safe and at peace. I feel like home is wherever you are and when you are not around, I feel lost. I know I can be vain sometimes and moody, but you have never judged me for that. I know I am just rambling on, but I just want you to know how I feel.”

Jungkook stands there quietly, and you start to panic mentally, wondering if you said too much. Small tears start to form in your eyes, and you turn away, not wanting him to see the shame you feel for pouring your heart out like that. You begin to walk away when he grabs your hand and pulls you in his direction, kissing you once more.

The cake you had in your hand drops to the floor, and you rest your hands on his shoulder, sweetly kissing him back. You stay there for a few minutes, nothing mattering at that moment but you two. You feel your heart move in ways you haven’t felt in a long time, and you relish in that feeling, not wanting to lose it. His hands graze your face, and he breaks the kiss, looking into your eyes.

“Don’t run away from me anymore, okay?” he pleads, kissing you once more. “I’m yours. I feel the same way as you, and I’m not going anywhere.”

The feeling of comfort comes over you, and you nod, feeling okay with his response. You both notice the cake you dropped and burst into laughter. He tells you to go into the room while he cleans up, and you wait for him, looking for another movie to watch. Shortly after, Jungkook comes back, taking the remote and throwing it across the bed. He leads you back onto the pillows, lifting the shirt you are wearing, exposing your breasts, his eyes dark and full of sin.

“Round 2?”

#btsgoldnet #btshoneyhive #bangtanarmynet #bangtaninn #btswritersclub #kpopficsnetwork #kpopscape #kwritersworldnet #bts fanfic #bts imagines #bts scenarios #bts smut #bts fluff #bts angst #bts oneshot #jungkook fanfic #ksmutclub #noonasinnetwork

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duskholland · 4 years ago

Text

The Box || Tom Holland

summary ↠ you feel a mysterious object in tom’s pocket... word count ↠ 4.2k. warnings ↠ mildly suggestive, but this is just some very easy domestic fluff :’) a/n ↠ this is a rewrite of a fic I wrote back in 2018! I sat down just to edit it, but I ended up adding 2.5k and changing most of it. lmao. it’s very cute though. very gentle. I was in a proper state after watching cherry, and working on this soothed my soul <3 hope you like it!

if you want to read the original version of this fic, you can find the link for it here <3

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

You wake up to an empty bed and immediately get the suspicion that something is amiss. The sheets are pulled down, the duvet crumpled, and the mattress cool. As you draw your tired fingers over the space beside you, a soft pout finds your lips.

Tom’s away so often that he rarely skips out on the opportunity to cuddle you in the morning, and if he does, he’s always attentive in the way he pulls the duvet to your chin and tucks you in. He knows you hate to be cold, so he’d never usually jump out of bed so recklessly, leaving behind his uncovered side and your leg sticking out the duvet.

Perplexed, you yawn as you sit up. A quick glance at your phone confirms that it’s still early, and you find your confusion about your boyfriend’s disappearance quickly turning into concern. With a furrow to your brow, you slowly get out of bed, groaning softly as your tired limbs stretch and click. There’s an ache between your legs that makes you bite your lip, memories of the night before flittering through your mind like polaroids. You see flashes of a rose-tinted Tom, kissing up your thighs, panting into your shoulder, moaning sweet words of praise against your lips. He’d made you dinner, then laid you down, and you’d felt like the only person in the world as he’d cupped your cheeks and shown how much he loved you.

After pulling on a pair of leggings and a jumper, you find your curious feet taking you off in the direction of the living room. You hear Tom before you see him—the sounds of socks dragging over plush carpet filling the air. He’s pacing, half-naked, thick arms crossed over his bare chest as a few fingers stroke his chin. He’s in a thick pair of fuzzy purple socks, and rounding off the ensemble are some simple grey sweats.

When your boyfriend reaches the other side of the living room, he pivots and starts to walk back towards you, gaze vacant and fixed on the floor. There’s a tenseness to his jaw that you haven’t seen in a while, the valley between his brows pronounced and deep. Stress is obvious in every single part of his person, and it makes you so concerned that you decide to shatter his reverie.

With a gentle clear of your throat, you step forwards.

“Tom?” you say, voice soft. Your eyes widen as he startles, head snapping up, loose brown curls springing through the air. “Baby, are you okay?”

He blinks at you for a few moments, seeming to shake off the daydream as his lips pull into an instinctive smile. When he meets your eyes, the nerves on Tom’s face start to melt. He gives you a tight nod as he walks towards you, folding into your outstretched arms and immediately burying his face in the crook of your neck.

“I’m fine,” he vibrates, voice dark and husky like it always is in the morning. “Are you?”

You cup the back of his head with your palm, dragging your fingers through his curls in a way that soothes him. He’s so warm, his arms strong as they wind around your waist and hold you in a tight hug. Your heart beats a little faster at his question. He’s always been so attentive, even in times like these where it’s clear that he’s significantly worse off than you.

“I’m okay,” you respond. You press a soft kiss to his forehead, and he releases a quiet sound of approval, snuggling closer. “You weren’t there when I woke up.” You pause for a few moments, hesitating. “Is something wrong? Is this about last night?”

You know that Tom loves you. He shows you every single day that he adores you. He leaves your special mug out by the kettle, brings home your favourite snacks from the shops, does your dreaded household tasks unprompted. He looks after you when you’re ill, has all the names of your extended family memorised, and always does his best to coax a smile onto your face. His love for you is as obvious as the stars that twinkle in the sky.

Yet, he left you alone, and he’s stressed, and even as you’re voicing your concerns, you can feel him tug himself free from your embrace. It’s hard not to focus on the loosening of his arms and think about his odd behaviour from the last few days. Tom’s been on his phone more, acting scatter-brained and nervous. You don’t doubt his love, but with his life as hectic as it is, you worry about him.

“Last night?” Tom says. He pulls back, warm hands falling to your waist as he peers at you, shaking his head. “Darling.” He frowns. “Last night was amazing.” His lips pull into a slight smirk as he squeezes your hips, eyes glinting a shade darker. “I had fun. Didn’t you?”

You press a light kiss to his cheek, shifting both of your hands to cup his face. His skin is so soft beneath your fingertips. “I had a nice time,” you agree, pushing back the memories before you can get too lost in them. “You’ve been stressed recently,” you observe, treading gently. “You know you can talk to me, right? About anything.”

Tom closes his eyes, inhaling a quick breath. “Yeah... I know. I… Yeah. I’m fine.”

You play with a few strands of his hair, trying not to frown too much. “Are you sure?”

He pries open an eye, the honeyed hues of brown bringing you a sense of comfort. “I’m a little stressed at the moment. I have to do something today, and I… I’ve been thinking about it a lot, love… A lot.” He breaks into a breathless chuckle, swallowing nervously. “It’ll be fine. I know it will, but I… I can’t stop thinking about it.” Tom’s gaze shadows a little, and he swallows. “You do… You do love me, don’t you?”

“You have to know how much of a silly question that is.”

Tom bites at his lip as he sheepishly averts his gaze. “Yeah…” He’s sly as he gently pushes forwards to kiss your cheek. “‘Know you really loved me last night,” he rasps into your ear.

You roll your eyes, but you’re glad to see there’s some colour coming back to his cheeks. “What are you doing that’s got you so nervous?”

“Oh… Nothing.”

“Nothing?”

Tom looks a little perkier now as he glances at you. “Nothing,” he repeats. “Well, a secret,” he clarifies. “I can’t tell you yet.”

Immediately you pout. “But why?” you whine, pulling your hands away from his face. “You can’t say all that and then not tell me what you’re doing.”

“Yes, I can.” He grins as he steps back, only leaving you once he’s kissed your lips. He hesitates for a moment before adding, “I love you. So much, darling.”

“I know,” you respond, tilting your head to the side as you look at him curiously. “I love you too.”

“Good. Good…” Tom steps back, briefly glancing behind you to the living room wall. His eyes widen as he looks at the clock. “Fuck,” he mutters. “I need to go.”

Tom runs away before you have a chance to catch him, stumbling back into the bedroom as he mutters something about finding some clothes. You decide to leave him to it, a yawn reminding you of how early it still is. You wonder for a moment why he hadn’t mentioned he had an early call time last night, but he’s been so all over the place recently that it doesn’t surprise you.

As you wait for Tom to re-emerge, you walk over into the kitchen, flicking on the kettle. You can hear him whistling to himself through all the open doors, and the melody mixes with the sound of your teaspoon bumping against the ceramic of your mug. It’s your favourite one—Tom had brought it back from Paris for you.

You’ve just settled at the kitchen table when Tom bursts back into the room, properly clothed and considerably more at ease. His hair is a little wild, but he’s in a pair of jeans and a lilac hoodie, and he wears his smile with confidence.

“Did I tell you that you look gorgeous this morning, darling?” Tom murmurs. He springs across to you, grabbing his keys from the bowl on the counter as he goes. When he reaches you, he tightly cups your cheeks and presses a lingering kiss to your forehead. “Because you are, y’know? The most beautiful woman in the world.”

You chuckle as you sit back in your chair, cheeks aching from your dopey smile. “Thank you,” you respond. “You’re looking very handsome yourself.”

Tom pulls on his jacket and then reaches down, stealing your mug of tea and taking a long sip before you have time to warn him about how hot it still is. You watch as he splutters, cheeks burning red as he releases a yelp of pain.

“Fucking hell!” he yells, cursing a little more as he puts the mug back down. Tom sticks out his tongue, tenderly reaching up to poke at the tip as he winces. “Ow,” he whines, the word garbled around his open mouth. “It hurts.”

He looks very sweet standing there, and for a moment, you wonder how it’s possible to love someone so much. Your affections smother your chest, and you almost choke up as you’re briefly overcome with a sensation of utter adoration. It’s so intense that it almost hurts, but it aches in the most wonderful way.

You stand quickly and press a soft kiss to the tip of Tom’s tongue. He smiles and retracts it, chasing after your lips until he’s able to kiss you.

“It’s Harrison’s birthday party tonight,” Tom says as he steps back, shoving his phone into his pocket. “I’ll be back from set at 9, then we can go. Is that still okay?”

You nod. “Yeah,” you reply. “Have a good day doing whatever it is you’re doing.”

He smirks elusively, then presses a final peck to your cheek before turning towards the porch. “Bye!” Tom pauses in the doorway to look back and send you a few air kisses, and you pucker your lips and send a couple back. The front door closes with a gentle click, and your smile lingers on.

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

You think about Tom’s behaviour all day, flipping between confusion and adoration as easily as the wind changes its mind. When 5pm rolls around, you find your way back home, and you spend a few hours milling around before you get ready for the event.

With your dress on and your bag slung over your shoulder, you wait in the porch for Tom to pull up, scrolling through your phone with a crease between your brows. Time is ticking, and with every second your boyfriend fails to show, the nearer you get to being late for the party.

When there’s a bright burst of light and the crunching of gravel, you glance up to see Tom’s headlights douse the driveway to your house. You’re surprised when he clambers from the car instead of jauntily honking the horn as he’s taken such an irritating liking to doing. You watch him mess around with his jeans before hurrying along the front path, pushing open the front door a moment later and startling when he sees you waiting.

“Oh!” he exclaims wide-eyed. His hand drifts down to rest over the left pocket of his jeans. “You’re here?”

You pull a face. “Yes? Hello to you too.”

Tom grunts as he moves forward to kiss you hastily, jumping back when you try to pull at his waist and bring him nearer. As you’re left baffled by his behaviour again, he seems to swallow down a lump in his throat.

“Hi,” he corrects, smiling nervously. “I, uh… I’m going to go and change.”

You wince. “We don’t have time,” you point out, reaching out to gently tug on his sleeve. You turn around, reaching back to pluck one of Tom’s stylish jackets from a peg. You offer it to him with a smile. “Try this,” you suggest. “We really need to go, though, Tom. Haz won’t let us live it down if we’re late to another one of his parties.”

Tom hesitates. You watch as he digs his hand into his left pocket, clucking his tongue. “I… Yeah. Okay. You’re right.” His eyes flutter back to the main body of your house, but his reluctance fades when you nod and peck him on the cheek. He easily pulls off his hoodie before replacing it with the jacket, the red of the smart coat complementing his black t-shirt.

“C’mon,” you urge. “Do you want me to drive?”

He begrudgingly follows you out of the house, locking up behind you both before slipping into the passenger seat. As you navigate the roads, Tom keeps you company, nurturing a constant dialogue as he chats to you. He avoids all of your questions about his day and his mysterious engagement, redirecting everything you say into a comment about you and your activities. It’s cute how much he cares, but you get a distinct feeling that he’s trying to distract you.

Harrison’s birthday party is being held in a bar in central London, and you find him easily amongst the throes of people. Tom’s holding onto your hand, standing back, quieter, as you pass over your gift to his best friend with a smile on your face.

“Happy birthday, Haz!” you exclaim, beaming at the man. Harrison kisses your cheek as he grins, cheeks flushed from the booze and warm atmosphere. When Tom is noticeably quiet beside you, you squeeze his hand and glance back at him, raising a brow.

“Oh,” Tom mutters, blinking a few times. “Sorry,” he adds. “Happy birthday, Harrison.”

Harrison rolls his eyes. “‘S alright, mate. You already passed on your congratulations earlier. Thanks, though.”

Your friend is pulled away by his sister a few moments later, leaving you with a confused furrow to your brow. You turn around to look at Tom, tilting your head to the side.

“Wait, when did you see Harrison?” you ask. “Weren’t you at work today?”

Tom reels you in by the hands, knocking his lips up against yours and disrupting your words. “Doesn’t matter,” he soothes, rolling his fingers gently across the sides of your face. “Let’s just have a good party, yeah?”

You melt into him with ease. “Okay,” you agree. His lips are warm and seductive as he kisses you again, deeper, harder, stronger.

Something is in the air. As a pair, you make a few rounds of the party, but somehow, you always end up huddled in a back corner together. As the alcohol flows and your friends around you get less and less observant, it happens more often. It isn’t long until Tom’s tugging you down onto a secluded armchair in the corner of the artsy bar. Your lips find home in his, slotting together as they always do.

As you shift in his lap, part of you feels guilty for blowing off Harrison’s birthday, but another part—a darker, hungrier part—demands you stay exactly where you are. You’re awfully comfortable with Tom’s hands on your hips and your legs spread over his thighs, content with the shadowy lighting leaving you secluded from the rest of them.

“Oh god,” Tom moans, speaking against your lips as he kisses you between laboured breaths. “Fuckin’ perfect woman, eh?”

You suck on his lower lip, smirking as you feel him whine. He discreetly grinds up into you, and you bite back a whimper. “Tom,” you whisper. You move your mouth to his ear, stroking your fingers through his curls as you brush your lips over his tender skin. “We shouldn’t do this here. We can’t go home just yet.”

He groans, head dropping down to your collarbones. When you expect him to agree and help you up, Tom instead seems to decide that his time would be better spent marking up your neck. Your pulse roars through your ears as he takes time licking and sucking and biting your skin, stretching from the base of your neck all the way up, up, up, soft lips suckling below your ear. By the time he reaches your face, you’re squirming, heat pounding in your body as desire replaces any wish to stay at the party.

“We should just go home,” Tom pants, lips red and inflamed. Your fingers drag over them until he uses his tongue to lick over the pad of your thumb. “I can’t take being here.” His voice drops down to a low grumble as he shifts in the chair, “‘m so hard, sweetheart.”

Wanting to feel for yourself, you shuffle up his lap, eyebrows furrowing together when instead of feeling his hardness, your knee knocks against something firm lodged where his pocket is. Confusion replaces lust as you tilt your head to the side. “Wait, what’s that?” you muse, unable to believe that his arousal has manifested itself in his jean pocket. Intrigued, you poke the object, pressing harder as your brows furrow.

Tom’s eyes widen. “O-Oh, no, that’s something else.” His hands go down to your waist as he tries to gently push you off his lap. “Just ignore it.”

But your curiosity has been piqued, and before you can stop yourself, you’ve reached up and dug your fingers into his tight jean pocket. It’s dim and dark in your secluded corner, and you find yourself squinting as you bring the small object closer. Too focused on your task to hear Tom’s noises of panic, you pull it up into the air. As the first dredges of realisation wash over you, you’ve got it half-open, and it’s too late to stop yourself.

There is a glistening engagement ring embedded inside the silky black box, glinting magnificently.

Your jaw drops.

A few moments pass in silence, the air between you being filled by the songs coming from the bar. Your thumb wanders absently over the edge of the jewel as you peer at it, heart throbbing in the back of your throat. Guilt twists into you, mixing with your excitement and your shock, and you look up at Tom, tears pooling in your eyes.

He’s looking at you, nerves written all over his face. His teeth are bared, and his eyes are wide with shock, every inch of him seized up and tense. When Tom sees your tearful expression, he blinks a few times, clearing his throat as he tenderly reaches up to cup your face in a hand.

“Darling…” he starts, voice softer than before. He drums his index finger over your temple as he manages a tense smile. “What’s going on up here?”

You open and shut your mouth a few times before finally finding the words.

“I’m sorry,” you manage, voice thick. “I…” You take a breath, looking away. Your mind starts to spin, suddenly kicking back to life as you recover yourself. “Wait… Why have you got this in your pocket? Did… Oh. Did you get this today?”

Everything makes sense. His nerves all week, his pacing this morning. The fact he’d left suspiciously early and met up with Harrison without you. Tom’s conflict when you’d pushed him out the door instead of letting him enter your house and stash the little black box before leaving for the party.

“Yeah,” he admits, running a hand through his hair. His chest is rising and falling quickly, his jaw still tense. “What do you think? Do… Do you like it?”

You nod wordlessly before looking up at him, lower lip wobbling. “I ruined it,” you lament. You fall forward, groaning as you rest your forehead on Tom’s shoulder. He chuckles, dusting the top of your head with light kisses as he hums.

“You didn’t,” he assures you. “I’m just a twat and didn’t hide it properly.” He falls silent for a few moments, warm hands wandering your back. “Y/N, darling… You… You would want to get married though, yeah?” His voice is light and high-pitched and full of so much uncertainty it makes you bolt upright.

“Tom,” you say, voice soft. You balance the box between you and reach up to take his face in your hands, admiring his handsome features with your fingers. “I would love to marry you,” you whisper. You feel yourself well with emotions again, but you let them build. You don’t mind if he sees you vulnerable.

Tom releases a deep breath, his own face twitching as relief ripples across his eyes in the form of light tears. He leans closer and kisses you very gently, his mouth soft and tender as if he’s savouring it. When Tom pulls away, he keeps his forehead pressed to yours, the tip of his nose cool against yours.

“I love you so much,” he says slowly. “Every day, I wake up beside you, and I wonder what I did right to deserve being loved by someone as wonderful as you. I hate being away from you, and I think about you all the time.” Tom cracks a soft smile, his voice quivering. With trembling fingers, he reaches between you both and picks the box from between you both.

You gasp softly as he pulls back, squeezing your hip softly before holding the box out in front of you. The diamonds sparkle, blurred by your tears.

“Y/N… I didn’t plan to do this tonight, and I know this is sudden, and I know you deserve a proposal a thousand times more romantic than… than at Harrison’s fucking party, but I can’t wait another moment.” He swallows as he pulls the ring from the bed of silk. Tom’s gaze is unwavering as he looks back to you, speaking passionately. “There’s nothing else I want in life apart from you. I promise that I will love you for the rest of my life, darling, if only you’ll let me. So…” Tom’s lips pull into a small smile. “Would you do me the honour of marrying me?”

The world stops, and everything fades until it’s just you and Tom and the ring held between you. Without hesitation, you nod your head, two stray tears dripping down your face.

“Tom… You could ask me to marry you anywhere, and I’d say the same thing.” Your heart pounds in your ears. “Yes. I would love to be your wife.”

Tom releases a strangled sound of relief, and you both look down as he hurries to push the ring down your finger. It’s cool against your skin, but before looking at it, you find yourself leaning in to kiss him. Both of you are smiling, and you think he’s crying too. His hand shakes as he holds yours, and when you pull away to admire the ring, Tom loops both arms around your waist.

“It’s so pretty,” you muse. You roll your thumb across the glittering gem. You feel so warm inside your chest. “Did you pick this out yourself?”

Tom makes a noise of disagreement. He cuddles in closer, burying his face in your neck and leaving a few soft kisses to your skin.

“Haz helped, and so did mum. Thought she’d have better ideas than him.” Tom pauses, and you feel him smirk against your neck. “I was right.”

Your heart softens a little at the revelation. “Do you think he’ll be upset that we’ve upstaged him at his party?”

Tom peels back from your neck, pressing his lips to your jaw as he chuckles. “Let’s...maybe not mention it tonight.”

You run your hand through his hair, eyes catching on the way the diamond cascades with shards of light. “Okay,” you agree. You lean closer to kiss the tip of his nose. “Are you sure you’re not mad I ruined this?”

Tom shakes his head. “Absolutely not, love. If anything, this just makes it more special.” He shoots you a toothy grin. “Don’t know what I’ll do with all the stuff I bought to use in the proposal, though.”

You smirk softly. “Well, who says you can’t do two proposals?” you say, intending for it to be a tease, only to widen your eyes when Tom’s entire face lights up. “Wait— babe, I was kidding, you don’t need to do another—”

“Shhh.” Tom cuts you off with a kiss. “Pretend that this conversation never happened.”

“What, even the proposal—”

“No.” He’s grinning, eyes dancing with amusement. “You’re marrying me.”

Your lips twitch as you give him a slight nod. “Yeah. And you’re marrying me.” Tom kisses you again, and you fall back into his lap with ease. For a few moments, you make out with him, the temperature in your body rising until you remember what started off the conversation, an eternity ago. “Can we go home now, Tom?”

He’s a little slow to respond as he chases your lips, but the smile you share feels like dawn breaking for the first time.

“Yeah,” he agrees. “I’ll take you home, fiancé.”

And you like the sound of that. You really like the sound of that.

“Okay, fiancé.”

Judging by the unstoppable grin that finds Tom’s face as he hears you speak, you have a feeling that he likes the sound of it too.

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ *:･ﾟ✧

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

:’))) im going to be rewriting/reworking a few of my older fics! if there are any in particular you’d like to see refreshed, lmk?

lmk what you thiiiiink !!! <3<3<3<3

masterlist + taglist through the link in my bio wahey :D

#have you guys ever burnt your tongue on tea? one of the worst experiences ever #tom holland x reader #tom holland fluff #tom holland x reader fluff #boyfriend!tomfic #tom.sfw #fluff #i wrote the party scene whilst watching a stream last night and when i tell you it was A Mess . i fixed it tho #in a long term commitment mood 2day

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whaleofatjme1920 · 3 years ago

Note

[Rose, Creepypasta/Marble Hornets, she/her, 21, Romantic (pre-established relationship with Tim/Masky), first letter]

{The letter is actually a Valentine's Day card. The front is some art of a tea cup with flowers in it, on the inside of the card it says “You’re my cup of tea!” along with a handwritten message.}

Happy (late) Valentine’s Day, My Darling!

This card is probably reaching you well after the actual day, and that’s partly my fault. It took me too long to write what I wanted to say.

I know that Valentine’s Day is a cheesy holiday, but I still wish we could’ve spent it together. I would’ve made us breakfast, or dinner, or both. We probably wouldn’t have gone out. Going out on Valentine’s Day is hell and trying to get seating anywhere nice is impossible. But a nice day in would’ve been wonderful.

I miss you terribly, I miss being in your arms. I want to be able to sleep in your embrace again. I know you’re busy, I know you don’t have a choice, but that doesn’t stop the frustration. I would give that boss of yours a strongly worded piece of my mind if I had the chance. Though you know that already.

This isn’t really a “Valentine’s” message anymore, is it? I suppose I’ll wrap this up before I run out of room. I love you so much, my dear. You mean the world to me. I’ll be here waiting for you when you return. I always will be.

Yours always,

Rose ♥️

[Disclaimer: Letters To Those You Hold Dear (Valentine's Edition) is a special event I'm holding from February 13th - February 23rd 11:59 PM. Find the guidelines HERE so you can send a letter or two to those you hold dear <3.]

Hey there sweetheart,

Receiving letters from you always makes me week, whether it's themed or not given the holiday. Honestly, I forgot we even had a proper holiday. This has been a lovely reminder of well, you. Thank you so much for the mug. It's really thoughtful of you. Toby accidentally broke my other one by knocking it off the counter.

I missed you a lot. No matter how cheesy the holiday, I would have loved to spend it with you. I would have loved to do some stereotypical things, get some really nice dinner. Y'know, I would have managed to get something nice for us? I'd move mountains for you - and the car when it's snowing.

I wish I could see you soon, and I'm really sorry that you're frustrated. I wish I could take that frustration away from you. Really, I feel the same way. While I would never have the nerve to actually tell the big guy off myself... I think it'd be amusing to see you attempt it. I imagine you'd be pretty good at getting him to shrivel up. He does that sometimes. I think you'd find that more than amusing.

I adore you, Rose. I'm sorry that I haven't been around enough to see you. I'm trying to get some time off to see you, but I'm... I'm busy. I love you, you know that? More than you could ever know.

Always yours,

Tim

[Attached with the letter is a cluster of yellow and pale purple flowers tied together neatly. There's also a stereotypical heart shape box of chocolates.]

#letters to those you hold dear #tim wright headcanon #tim wright x reader #masky headcanon #masky x reader #creepypasta x reader smut #creepypasta headcanon #marble hornets x reader #marble hornets headcanon

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fanficsbykay · 3 years ago

Text

Seven Days

Summary: The Clique's Six annual reunion is coming up and so are a lot of secrets and changes. Can one week bring friends closer together, or further apart? Find out in Seven Days, based on the Mary J Blige song. Rucas Centric. Joshaya; Smarkle;

Word Count: 2,190

Chapter 1: A Friend of Mine

MONDAY

She tossed the thin dark purple cardigan on and listened to Maya rant about the inconvenience of their impromptu reunion. Riley giggled as Maya waved off a euphemism about Farkle and Isadora flying in late that evening. Riley grabbed her keys and shuffled Maya towards the front door. Maya groaned and leaned back into Riley’s arms purposely making it hard for the bubbly brunette to move her.

“Maya,” Riley chastised and the blonde smirked.

“Oh come on Riles, do we really need to go get party supplies? It's just us six!” Maya groaned.

“Maya it's been a year since all six of us were together! Aren’t you excited to see our friends?” Riley pouted.

“Yeah, I guess,” Maya said and rolled her eyes.

Riley knew it was a front, and that Maya was just as excited as she was. Despite being close the clique six had spread out across the continent for college. Maya and Riley stayed true, and both got into NYU. While Riley went to Steinhardt for English Education, Maya found her calling at Tisch for Collaborative Art. Although in different programs, they became roommates in a cramped two-bedroom, a gift from their parents. Their friendship never wavered and if anything it got stronger over the last few years. As their junior year ended they wanted to celebrate with their best friends. In just mere months they would be college seniors, and then off to more school or careers.

“Farkle got us a suite,” Riley teased and Maya grinned.

“A suite? Okay, Minkus, guess that business degree is working after all,” Maya mused and stood up straight.

As the girls found their place at NYU, Farkle and Isadora found their place at Stanford University. Although Princeton University was their goal, they both realized the move across the country would do them good. It was no surprise that both of them had done well successfully that they were graduating before their friends. Farkle in the fall will be attending Stanford Graduate School of Business and Isadora will start her Ph.D. program in Neuroscience. Another reason for their motley crew of friends to come together.

“It's more like a graduation gift from his parents,” Riley said and led Maya out of their apartment.

“I can't believe those two geniuses are already going to their second degrees, I barely think I am going to make it out of my bachelor’s,” Maya groaned as Riley locked the door.

The two linked their arms together and Riley giggled.

“Maya you're doing great in school, As and Bs,” Riley exclaimed.

“It's only because I am actually interested in school now, why couldn't we just jump to college?” Maya asked as they walked down the stairs.

“That's not how life works,” Riley said as they left the apartment building.

Loud city noises blare down the streets and the crowds shuffled through masses of New Yorkers. Both girls leaped into the mass and followed the flow down the street.

“I hope Party City isn't crowded,” Maya said as Riley smiled brightly.

A benefit of having an apartment in Union Square was that everything was close by to them. They could pop in, get some supplies and grab lunch all within walking distance.

“I doubt it, no major holidays, just some graduations in a few weeks,” Riley said.

“So … we talked about Smarkle, is there a particular someone you would like to talk about before we see them?” Maya teased.

“Zay? I heard he might double major,” Riley shrugged.

“What is he? Can he?” Maya asked as Riley nodded.

“I mean he is a dance major, maybe he wants to do something in that field but more,” Riley said.

“Sounds like a lot,” Maya mused.

“I know but it's Zay, and Duke is letting him do it, why not take advantage?” Riley said

Zay’s college choice was a surprise to all of them. They knew Zay was eclectic and loved to do different things, but they all assumed he would go back to Texas. He threw them for a loop when he decided to go to Duke University in North Carolina for Dance. They knew he liked ballet but didn't think he would take it on as a major.

“Wait! You deflected! You know who I was talking about Riles. A certain cowboy down in Texas,” Maya teased.

Lucas.

Lucas’s choice was no surprise to Riley, she knew what he was interested in since they were in the seventh grade. So when he announced he was going to Texas A&M Riley was excited for him no matter what. They decided it was in their best interest to break up and stay as friends. Allowing one another to explore these new waters without being weighed down by a significant other. However, it didn't matter to Riley as she never found anyone to match Lucas on any level. Sure she went on dates and flirted around, but nothing was serious. No one was able to make her feel like he did.

“Lucas?” Riley asked.

“You said Huckleberry’s name, that's a big step for you,” Maya said with a grin.

“I always say his name, it's you who insist on these nicknames, Maya we’re twenty-one now. Don't you think it would be a good time to drop the nicknames?” Riley asked.

“What and miss out on annoying moral compass, do you know me Riles?” Maya fake gasped and Riley chuckled.

“Yes I do, and to answer your question, there’s nothing to talk about, Lucas and I are friends, with the exception of Smarkle, we are all friends,” Riley said and directed Maya into Party City.

“You two were always more than just friends,” Maya said as Riley dragged her towards balloons.

“Why are we getting party supplies again?” Maya groaned.

“Well while we are just becoming seniors, Farkle and Izzy are graduating. I thought it would be nice to have something like a little congratulations thing during our reunion,” Riley said as she perused gold and silver balloons.

“Do we have to get gifts?” Maya asked.

“I’m getting them cards, and I got them each something small, just a congrats thing. You don't have to, you know how I feel about gift-giving,” Riley said with a smile.

“You love it you fruit loop, I guess I’ll look for something here,” Maya sighed and followed Riley down the aisles.

As the girls scoured the store for supplies, they kept the conversation light about their friends. Catching one another up on information to prepare for the annual reunion. Maya laughed as she picked up small party favors and found two keychains for her friends.

“Look one for each of them, the dollar sign for Farkle, and the brain for Izzy,” Maya said as she jingled them.

Riley playfully rolled her eyes and smiled at her best friend. However, she knew the two would love Maya’s gift and treasure it because that is what friends do.

“I have a special order to pick up,” Riley said as she walked towards the counter.

“Special? Oh, Riles, what did you do?” Maya asked as Riley talked to the cashier.

Riley emptied her basket of balloons, candy, and streamers. She smiled as the cashier revealed a bag with Stanford University decorations.

“Of course,” Maya said.

“It's going to be so much fun,” Riley said as the cashier rang up her things.

“Fruit Loop, look I am going to the other cashier to pay for this, don't get any more supplies,” Maya chastised as she walked away.

Riley playfully rolled her eyes once more and smiled as the Cashier scanned the items. Riley’s eyes caught a glimmer of gold and she saw a gaudy gold plastic necklace with a horseshoe. She bit her bottom lip in complementation and took the plunge.

“Could I get that too?” Riley said as she pointed to the necklace.

The cashier rang it up and gave her the total. Riley swiped her card with no hesitation and smiled as she was handed the bags. Maya had sauntered over with her small bag and raised her eyebrows.

“Got everything?” Maya asked as Riley nodded.

Riley sat at her desk as she edited her final paper for class. One click and she would officially be done with her junior year. However, she couldn't stop herself from continuously changing the ending. Something felt off, and she didn't know what it was. She glanced at the clock and saw it was well past 11:00 PM, and she was exhausted. She rubbed her eyes and stifled a yawn.

Her phone vibrated and she glanced at it. It was a text but who it was, surprised her. She didn't know why he would text her so late but he had to have a reason. Sure they chatted outside the group chat but it was mundane, and not so late.

Lucas: Hey you up?

Riley: Unfortunately, is everything ok?

Lucas: Yeah can I call?

Riley hesitated but ultimately confirmed that he could. Before she knew it, her phone was ringing in her hands. As she took a deep breath she picked up the call.

“Hey,” She whispered.

“Hey,” Lucas responded.

“Hey,” She repeated.

“I thought we grew out of that,” He chuckled.

“I thought so too,” Riley said as she leaned back in her seat.

“Sorry to call so late it's almost midnight over there right?” He asked.

“Yeah but it's fine I was up, I was working on my final paper,” Riley said as she scrolled through the document.

“Riley Matthews hasn’t finished her homework, oh no the world is ending,” He joked.

“Oh stop it, I have till tomorrow midnight to submit it but I wanted it done before … the reunion,” Riley said.

“That's the Riley I know, am I interrupting? Do you want to finish it?” Lucas asked as he cleared his throat.

Riley paused and leaned back in her chair. A part of her did want to finish the paper, but the other part of her wanted to know why he called, especially this late.

“I think my brain is fried, I know something is wrong, I just can't put my finger on it, I can talk. What's up?” Riley said as she tried to make her voice sound light.

“I kind of wanted to hear your voice,” Lucas said, his voice deepening.

“My voice?” Riley questioned.

“Yeah … I just needed to hear it. Talking to you has always been easy Riley, and I thought I would call one of my best friends,” Lucas said.

Riley could tell something was wrong, but just like her paper, she couldn't put her finger on it. She twirled some hair around her finger and listened to him.

“What did you want to talk about? Tomorrow?” Riley asked.

“I’m excited to come home,” Lucas said and Riley could feel her heart race slightly.

“Texas isn't home?” Riley asked.

“No it isn't, not when everything I love is back in New York,” Lucas said

“Like your friends,” Riley said.

“Yeah but a particular one in mind. Plus I wouldn't feel so lost, and I think … I need to be found” Lucas said his voice lofty and Riley bit her lip.

“Are you okay Lucas, you sound … off,” Riley asked as he chuckled.

“You definitely know me the best, yeah I’m good, I had a drink and I think … it's getting to me. Don't mind me, I’m sorry for interrupting. Goodnight Riley,” Lucas said and hung up the call before Riley could say anything.

Riley looked at the phone puzzled at what just happened. She thought about waking Maya but she decided against it. Instead, she crafted a long but well-intended text to the Texan. She needed him to know she wasn't judging him and that she was there for him.

Riley: Hey, you sounded off. I know you said you drank but, it didn't seem like that was what was going on? You know you can talk to me always if you want to call back we can talk about what's bothering you. I hope you're okay Lucas, I’m always here for you.

Riley sent the message and returned to her paper. She glanced at her phone every few seconds and waited to hear it vibrate back but it didn't. She sighed and started to type up her conclusion, so she could finally finish her paper. As she saved the document and uploaded it to her college portal, she checked her phone. Still nothing. As she submitted the paper, she got up from her seat and went to the bathroom to do her bedtime routine.

Lucas crossed her mind with each task, and she wondered if tomorrow it would be easier to talk. She hoped all was alright, and she wished he would have told her what's wrong. As she finished her routine she bounded for her room. She flicked her light off and crawled into bed exhausted from the day. She grabbed her phone to plug it in to charge when she saw a new alert. She swiped through to see a response from Lucas.

Lucas: I love you.

#rucas fanfiction #rucas fanfic #Rucas #gmw fanfic #GMW #girl meets world fanfiction #girl meets world #joshaya #smarkle #riley matthews #riley x lucas #lucas friar #maya hart #Josh Matthews #isadora smackle #farkle minkus #zay babineaux #charlie gardner #gmw fanfiction

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that-one-weeb-but-starwars · 3 years ago

Text

My Love| Echo pt 3

Note: i'll edit this later, my mouth hurts from wisdom teeth removal but wanted to get it out for you.

Warnings: No real warnings, but there is a semi spicey scene and mentions of nudity towards the end, but doesnt go into too far of detail. And Echo's legs are cannoned a bit lower than tcw meaning yes Echos got an ass, but his legs and thighs stuff like that are still metal so

Reader: Male

Part: 1 | 2 | 3 | 3.5 | 4 | 5 | 6

Master list

Y/n watched the boys try there food. They're faces lighting up as the room became silent, people busy digging into there food.

Y/n ate his own, his hand on Echo's thigh under the table, Echo's leg touching Y/n's.

"Ma'm this is way way! Better than rations!" Wrecker cheered.

"Im glad you like it so much, so tell me boys. What brought you over here?" Margie asked.

Hunter swallowed his food, "well we wanted to meet Echo's boyfriend Ma'm, we had no idea they had been dating for so long."

It was lucky for the group that talked they stayed together, near the head of the table where Margie sat, a small kid or two down from her.

"Echo's been nothing but a delight. To both my son and my family." Margie praised, "he's a good kid, Im assuming he gets it from his older brothers?"

"Oh...uh." Hunter spoke.

"He's older than us." Crosshair responded for the group.

"Oh?" She smiled, "you learn something new every day."

She looked at Y/n who nodded and smiled, "Yep."

"So where are you boys staying?" She asked.

Oh shit. Was the only thing Echo could think of. His brothers? Staying here?

"Oh we have our own place." Tech responded, "We live in a building complex called the Marauder."

Well that was a lie.

"Wait. Isn't that the name-" Y/n was cut off when Hunter kicked him.

"Ow.."

"Sorry. Foot must've slipped." Hunter responded his head slightly jolting towards the side, Echo was lost in his food, eating small spoon fulls, he was listening inteny even though he tried to cover his easedropping up.

"Oh! Yeah!" Y/n chuckled, Echo's frame slightly picking up.

"Oh. Nice place then?" Margie spoke.

"Oh..uh yeah. Decent..just a bit cramped but we don't mine." Hunter told, "we do alot of delivering off world too, so we work a decent amount...Echo! Echo here works the hardest. He may not be the strongest but he sure knows how to uh-"

"Pack a crate! And log the ports data. He's also a skilled mechanic!" Wrecker joined in.

What were they doing? Fake Prasing him? Why?

She smiled, "You boys seem like you like your jobs."

The boy's nodded, Y/n watched as Tech, Hunter and Wrecker hyped up Echo. The boy's trying to support Echo, "and you? Crosshair was it?"

Crosshair stopped from putting a spoonful in his mouth, "Oh. I.-" he looked at Echo infront of him, "I have a long way to go, a lot to learn."

"The youngest then?" She questioned.

"Yeah..." Crosshair responded bringing the food to his mouth.

"That's a sweet little bussniess you all have then," she congratulated, "We'd have to work with you one day, we have a business of our own."

"What's the bussniess if I may ask?" Tech questioned.

"Well our main bussniess is a food bussniess, you know selling buying, producing, but recently we've started a non-profit organization for battle droids."

"For battle droids? Clankers?" Wrecker asked.

"Thats what them clone boys call them," She smiled, "we basically rehab them, and send them back into the world, most as servants, translators. Small things."

"That's uh well..."

"I know I know. But here we believe that everything stands a chance." She contuined, "Echo has helped us alot on efficent repairs."

Echo nodded as he put a spoonful in his mouth.

"We have one that takes care of the animals in the small barn." Margie told, "Y/n! Have you showed them the animals dear?"

"No ma. This is only the second room they been in." Y/n informed.

"How dare you not give them a tour!" His mother spoke fake harshly, Y/n chuckling his mom soon following after.

"Oh mommy dearest I ask your humble apologies even though I don't deserve it. I suppose I'll sleep outside in the barn."

The two laughed as they smiled at one another.

"I'll show them around afterwords. Prepaired for your world to be rocked." He told the boys infront of him.

"Well I welcome you to the family boys. Its always a pleasure to have another few join the bunch!" She cheered.

"Thank you." Hunter spoke.

She smiled for a final time return to her food as did the others, small talk. Kids started asking to be excused, when excused they took there dishes and walked into the kitchen to clean there dishes and put them on the drying racks.

Echo finished before Y/n asking to be excused he got up with his dishes and went to clean them. Wrecker asked next, he being excused as he grabbed his own things and left.

Echo was along cleaning his dishes, his plate flat in the sink as he scrubbed the plate with one hand.

"Wanna hand?"

Echo turned his head, "oh. No. Im good."

Echo turned back towards his plates.

"Echo. Im. Im sorry." Wrecker apologized, "he's better than any lady you could date."

"Oh. Uh." Echo spoke, "thanks..."

"I didn't mean to hurt your feelings." Wrecker told him.

Echo frowned, "I. I know Wrecker. I shouldn't of yelled at you."

"We've should of waited for you to explain."

Putting his dishes on the drying rack he turned to Wrecker who stood next to him, Wrecker's dishes sat on the counter patiently waiting for his turn.

"It's. Okay." Echo responded, "I, I forgive you, at the end of the day. I'm the only one dating him. Right?"

Wrecker smiled, "So. We're okay?"

Echo nodded, quickly being picked up in a hug as he chuckled, patting Wrecker's shoulder.

"Now do your dishes before Y/n's mom cuts your head off." Echo joked waving smally to him.

Echo walked back out, going down the hall and too the living room, the room filled with silence as he collected the cups from eariler.

Bent over setting all the cups down accordingly there was a whistle, a soft one, not loud enough for anyone to hear if they weren't in the room.

"Would you look at that ass." Y/n spoke, Echo standing straight as he turned around, "aren't you a gifted fellow?"

Echo chuckled, "You should be careful what you say in here."

It was Y/n's turn to chuckle.

"Why's that?"

"Why do you think?" Echo questioned as he watched Y/n walk forward, grabbing his hips and pulling Echo closer.

"All I do is tell the truth," Y/n smiled.

Echo's arms drapped on Y/n's shoulder's, Y/n holding his hips.

"Now this is something we shouldn't be doing in here." Y/n teased.

Echo smiled, "One kiss never hurt anyone?"

"Oh?"

Y/n smiled, leaning down kissing Echo. His hand running through Y/n's hair, Y/n pulled away from Echo, foreheads resting on one another.

"I love you." Y/n told him.

"I love you too." Echo smiled.

Y/n pulled him into a short kiss, "You wanna sit on my lap again baby?"

"Gladly-" Echo was cut off again with a kiss, a chuckle filling his mouth from Y/n.

"Get a damn room!"

Y/n pulled away, glaring at the teen.

"Well Enzo. I am in a room! So get out of it!" Y/n argued, Echo's head in Y/n's shoulder.

"Well mom wants you to give those guys a tour." Enzo responded.

"Alright." Y/n spoke, turning back to Echo, "Later baby."

Echo was give a kiss on the lips, Y/n grabbed the tray.

"I can do that," Echo spoke stopping Y/n.

"How about you can do this one day, when we have our own home." Y/n spoke, "you know when we're married and have a little farm."

Echo flushed deeply, a farm? With him and Y/n all by themselves? Sounded...sounded. amazing.

Y/n pulled away from him tray in hand, "come on let's give that tour."

Echo followed Y/n dropping off the tray and then taking the boys around, introducing them to all the kids, big, medium small to twilek, zabrack, human to torguata. All of diffrent personalities. Some reading on there bed, some working out, some listening to music, others playing with dolls and action figures.

And then there was his room, nothing special, Echo and his favorite record in sitting still as the song had finished, a box of records tucked under the small table the record player sat on. The sheets a dark purple his pillow cases a matching dark blue a window at the far end.

"Please come in." Y/n responded offering them to come in and look around.

They filed in, the room fitting all them comfortably.

"It's quiet simple," Tech explained, "Your personality is a bit more bubbly so I was expecting something wild."

"Like that?" Crosshair questioned.

"Like what?" Tech responded turning around to face the wall behind them.

The wall was filled with photos, drawings and dried flowers, a vintage theme, branching off into its sub groups.

"There it is." Tech repsonded adjusting his glasses.

"Please feel free to look around." Y/n responded.

Crosshair stood next to Wrecker as they looked at the photos.

"Hey! It's Echo! Look!" Wrecker cheered as Crosshair peered over, the photo of Echo asleep on the couch, kids knocked out with him, "and Kamino!"

"How's you get a picture of Kamino?" Hunter questioned now also looking at the photos.

"Echo here got it for me." Y/n smiled as Echo rubbed the back of his head, "Its not just my memories up there- Hey! Lets get our own photo up there!"

Y/n got up going over to his desk as he lifted the top up pulling the old porloroid out.

"Echo." Crosshair spoke as the clone came over, "wanna explain this one?"

Echo looked at the photo, he clearly knocked out in Y/n's bed, his back bare hinting towards what had happened before hand, the blanket covering to his mid back and down, his arms tucked under a pillow permentatly fluffing it up as his cheek was baired into it.

"Not bad." Crosshair spoke nudging his brother, he was trying.

"Here is is new film and all." Y/n smiled going towards the group, "Come on! Gather around."

Y/n smiled as the group akwardly grouped together infront of the window. Looking at the group he rushed over, pushing them closer together.

"It'll be on a timer so I only have a few seconds." Y/n told them walking back over, "ready?"

"Uh sure?"

Y/n quickly pushed the button rushing over to the group, he quickly stood next to Echo. There was a click as Y/n rushed back over. The photo coming out the bottom as Tech rushed over intrested.

"Oh nice its comin through already." Y/n smiled, soon waving the square around as he walked over to his desk picking out a red and black thumb tack.

"Hmm..." y/n spoke rushing over to the wall looking around, "hah! Echo come here! Help me put this up."

Echo walked over as the boys watched him hand Echo the image and tack.

"See right there." Y/n pointed a spot above the door, dead center towards the ceiling.

"We'll move this one." Y/n said pulling up an old photo besides the light switch "up there."

Handing Echo the old photo they swapped Y/n pinning the new one with the group with a smile.

"Ready?"

"Yeah-"

Echo was grabbed by the legs, Y/n picking him up as Y/n grabbed the back off his thighs.

"A bit higher." Echo spoke as Y/n pulled his arms back, tight on Echo's thighs he pushed the clone upward, his thighs now trapping Y/n's face as Y/n's hands vanished behind Echo's kama skirt.

"Got it?" Y/n asked his chin resting at Echo's belt.

"Yeah." Echo spoke, his face red as he cleared his throat.

"Ready?'

"No- Y/n-" He spoke as Y/n laughed walking towards his bed, "Y/n! Y/n! I'll kill you don't- Ah!-"

Y/n tossed the trooper on the bed he bouncing as he let out a grunt, Y/n only chuckled turning back towards the boys, "come on i'll show you that barn they were talking about."

Y/n lead the boys along to the backyard, showing them the small barn his father worked on fixing a small animals leg, waving a B-1 droid showed up in a happy matter the others ready to fight.

"Master Y/n!"

"Please Y/n is fine B." Y/n smiled, "Boys this is B. He helps with the animals."

With an akward introduction the batchers kept there distance, but with the end of the small barn came the end of the tour. It now late in the hours of the day as the boys made there way our. Excusing themselves for the night.

"You'll have to come back." Y/n smiled.

"If its okay with Echo and your mother. " Hunter spoke, "and you of course."

"We'd be delighted to have you again." Y/n smiled, "Please. Come anytime with Echo. Or by yourselves. We're open doors."

Hunter nodded, the batch saying there goodbyes and thanks once more. They started there way away from the home, Tech staying back, "I suppose not all regs are regular after all. And that's good."

With his last comment Tech rushed to join the others.

Echo stayed behind with Y/n who smiled as the boys vanished.

"Now. That we're. Alone." Y/n teased.

"Alone? Really in this house?" Echo teased back.

Y/n chuckled, "as alone as we can be."

Echo smiled as Y/n closed the door.

"I'll go make some more milk and honey, you. Go get ready to cuddle." Y/n ordered playfully.

"Thats something I can do."

Him and Y/n unfortunately went separate ways, Y/n cleaning the cups and pot setting them to dry as one of the old B-1 droids would put the mass of dishes away during the night.

He pulled out another pot, putting it on the stove filled with the sweet liquid he wipped the tray clean, putting a fresh set of cookies on a small plate and two cups. Just in time as the pot started to whistle, pulling it off the stove he turned the gas off and went to his room.

Holding the tray in one hand he opened his door, "hey hope you didn't miss me too..."

Y/n's frame filling the door way, but froze seeing Echo's bare back facing him, a blanket sat high waisted on him as Y/n quickly stepped in, quiet with his steps he locked the door behind him, Echo now standing up and facing Y/n the blanket still around his waist.

"I uh..." Echo responded with a flush, "thought...you might like this first..."

Y/n flushed as Echo dropped the blanket, setting the tray on the nearest surface big enough, the floor flush against the wall besides the door, he walked over, kicking his shoes off in the process.

"Baby you have no idea how much I like this." Y/n told him, Echo's gaze away.

Maker. Y/n took his thumb to Echo's chin, Y/n's soft skin lightly tapping up Echo's chin to look up at him. Holding Echo's chin in place with his thumb and index finger Y/n smiled smally, his eyes filled with love for the pale male infront of him.

"Y/n. I..." Echo trailed off.

"Shh..." Y/n hushed softly, his thumb running down Echo's lip and back to his chin, "You don't have to say anything..."

Echo raised on his toes, leaning up to kiss Y/n, Y/n leaned down, the first kiss was almost shy, there lips only pressing together in sweet presence of one another. The small kiss leaving Echo breathless. They pulled away shortly. Another one soon be initiated, Y/n nudging Echo to sit down softly, he following Echo's movements, Y/n sitting besides him, the kissing barely any more intense, Echo swinging a leg over Y/n's straddling the taller male.

Y/n held the small of Echo's back, the two's makeout session growing in heat as Y/n's hands running down Echo's back and to his ass, where he gladly let his hands rest of Echo's warm skin while they kissed.

It was soon for breathe they pulled away, Y/n attaching himself to Echo's neck. Echo's hand through Y/n's hair as he hummed against Echo's pale skin, earing a soft mewel.

"Y/n...take me...take me away..." Echo whispered, Y/n laying Echo down on his back, his lips never movinv from Echo's shoulder.

"Take me away...Y/n..." Echo meweled softly, the words spilling from Echo's vocal cords once again.

Y/n stopped momentarily to lean up into Echo's ear, "only if I can come along baby..."

The night was filled with passion, hair being pulled in pleasure, moans dripping off each others lips, ripped from there vocal cords in call for the other one. Pleads drawn from the bottom as Echo left a few new scratch marks on Y/n's back, along with a line of hickeys following Y/n's collar blade to sholder. Y/n did the same, leaving hickies along Echo's body, where skin met metal.

Echo laid flat on his stomach now, his head turned towards Y/n. Y/n held a stupid large smile on his face, his finger's interlaced with Echo's.

"That was somethin else babe." Y/n told him softly, "Parched after the time of your life?"

Echo chuckled as Y/n pulled himself up, and out of bed. Echo receiving a pleasent veiw of Y/n's behind with one side having present marks, they currently defined and fresh, marks both darker and lighter spotted Y/n's back, mostly towards his shoulder and nape of his neck.

Echo watched Y/n pick up the tray and make his way back to the bed setting it on the nightstand, climbing back in the covers as Echo nuzzle up to Y/n.

"Clingy now are we? Let me pour you a cup atleast." Y/n chuckled.

Pouring them both cups Echo was handed one cold cup, "Thanks."

"Mhmm," Y/n acknowledged the two cuddled up, "shame its cold. Must sat for too long, needy thing arent you?"

Echo flustered, but took a risk himself, "Could still be longer."

"Oh? And what are you gonna do that I haven't done to you?" Y/n teased, Echo took a heavy drink, hoping it would bring him energy later taking Y/n's he sat it on the nightstand next to his own side of the bed.

Echo pushed Y/n onto the bed flat, the covers still hiding Y/n's lower half.

"I haven't rode you." Echo told boldly.

Y/n smirked up at him, "You're right you haven't,"

Echo's leg's swinging over Y/n, "Think you can handle me?" Echo questioned.

Y/n chuckled, "Baby you have no idea what I'd endure for you." Y/n sat up, holding Echo's face with a hand.

"Lets see then." Echo responded Y/n biting his lip as he pushed the covers down with a foot.

Y/n was pulled into a kiss, his hands running up and down Echo's back as Echo pushed him to the bed, the kiss never breaking.

Read the Next Part here if you like smut or stay generally sfw here

#star wars #the bad batch #sw: tbb #star wars: the bad batch #echo tbb #tbb echo #echo x male reader #star wars echo #bad batch echo #the bad batch echo #echo the bad batch #x male reader #lil smutty my bad #oof #i liked how this turned out

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where-theres-smoak-2 · 4 years ago

Text

10 Little Things I Missed in JATP The First Time Around.

So after binge watching Julie and the Phantoms in one day naturally the first thing I did was go back and watch it all over again and on the rewatches I noticed some things that I didn’t the first time around. Now I’m a few months late to the party so most of these are probably things that most people have already spotted but I figured I’d share them with you anyway just because I love how much detail they put into this show and I need to fangirl about it lol. Obviously there are spoilers.

1) Missing Persons. In episode 1 when the boys are eating the hotdogs, behind luke you can see his missing person poster showing that his parents were looking for him and trying to get him to come home which is honestly just heartbreaking and tears at my soul.

2) Signs, all the Signs. In episode 2 when they go to check on reggie’s parents and find the bike shop the name of the bike shop is ‘Petals on the Beach’. Julie’s mum was in a band named ‘Rose and the Petal Pushers.’ Then in episode 5 when we see Willie at the Hollywood Ghost Club we can see that he has a flower pin on his jacket.

I don’t know for sure if it’s a dahlia or not but it does look like it is to me. Then in episode 6 when Luke goes to see his parents there is a vase of Dahlia’s on the counter behind them. Obviously these flowers link to Julie’s mum and I think it’s interesting that these three things are being linked to Julie’s mum. My theory is that these are connected to each of the boys unfinished business somehow and Rose is leaving hints for the boys. I also think their unfinished business might link back in someway to their parents. We know that they all left their parents on bad terms. Reggie’s parents were having troubles and were close to divorce, Alex’s weren’t accepting of his sexual orientation and Luke ran away leaving on bad terms. We’ve seen a little bit of resolution in Luke’s regard but the other two still haven’t had any. I also don’t think its any one thing that’s their unfinished business but more like a collection of milestones they need to resolve.

3) Fire, Water and Leather Vests. In episode 6 when the band performs finally free Julie is wearing her mum’s vest, its the same one we see Rose wearing in episode 1 when she meets sunset curve.

Since then either rose or julie has added doodles to it. One of the doodles looks like flames, fire is a symbol of rebirth or resurrection. Another of the doodles looks like waves/ water. Water is a symbol of both life and freedom which makes it kind of perfect for a song called ‘finally free’.

There is more fire symbolism in Stand Tall with the special effects behind the band showing fire like imagery. Throughout the performance it shows glowing embers and fireworks.

Which is also similar to the firery effect made by the lights in the background of their Finally Free performance.

These along with other symbols of rebirth and resurrection is obviously connected to how the boys were brought back to ‘life’ again by Julie but also how they brought Julie back to life too.

4) More Doodles. Again sticking with episode 6 when we see Julie drawing on her microphone she is drawing a birthday cake which is meant for Luke. We know that she only seems to draw things that are important to her on the microphone the other doodles include a rose and a dahlia obviously symbolic of her mother, the words double trouble which links her to Flynn, the words I’ve got the music and music notes, this is her connection to music. Then the final thing she draws on it is the birthday cake which shows how Luke is important to her. I also think its important that she does this right after learning more about him and seeing a deeper side to him, I do think this is when her feelings for him really deepened.

5) Braided Together. This is one that I think alot of people noticed but the braids in Julie’s hair in both I got the Music and Stand Tall are the colours of the three boys, red, blue and pink. Again showing how intertwined all of their souls are with each other and with music. I think it very much represents how the boys brought music back into her life.

6) The Power of Purple. Both Caleb and Julie have the rare power of being able to make ghosts visible to lifers and most likely have other mystical powers too if that last scene with the band glowing and being able to be touched by Julie is any indication. Both of them wear the colour purple.

The colour purple symbolises magic, mystery and spirituality. I do feel like Julie and Caleb are the opposite sides of the same coin. They both posess similar powers but they are using them for very different reasons. I think they very much represent the living and the dead. Julie kind of brings people back to life whereas Caleb draws people to the otherside, the afterlife.

7) Greek Mythology. Speaking of the afterlife, in episode 5 when at the Hollywood Ghost Club, Caleb encourages the boys to eat some food, on first watch this just came across as a kinda funny scene but when I rewatched it I realised something. I actually think this is a nod at the myth of Persephone and the pomegranate seeds. In greek mythology if you ate or drank anything in the underworld then you would be trapped there forever. Obviously we know not long after eating Caleb brands the boys with his club stamp forcing them to make the decision of joining his band for eternity or being destroyed by the jolts. He decieves them just as Hades decieves Persephone.

8) Full Circle. Both the band’s first performance (Bright) and last (stand tall) starts with Julie on stage alone unknowing that the boys are going to show up. In the first performance she doesn’t know yet that they can be visible when on stage with her and in Stand tall she thinks they have been destroyed by the jolts already. It brings her journey full circle.

9) Maternal Ties. The first time we see Luke perform and the last he has the same scarf tied around his arm.

He also has this same scarf in his back pocket during finally free both the performance and the episode as a whole. My theory is that the scarf belonged to his mother. During Unsaid Emily when you see him packing and arguing with his mother the scarf is in his back pocket. You can see it in his back pocket again during unsaid emily when he is singing as a ghost if that makes sense.

It tends to show up, from what I can tell, either when Luke is having a big moment like the night that was suppose to be sunset curve’s big break at the Orpheum or Julie and the Phantoms performance at the Orpheum. Or when it has something to do with his mother like in episodes Finally Free and Unsaid Emily. I think he carries it as a good luck charm.

10) Butterflies and Roses. In episode 7 during the edge of great performance the butterflies on julie’s top are the colours of the band. Red for Reggie, blue for Luke, pink for Alex and purple for Julie. Butterflies are a symbol of transformation and again another symbol of rebirth and resurrection. Also during the final performance Reggie has butterflies and flowers on his vest. Luke has roses on his guitar strap (also skulls but lets ignore that for now) and Alex has a rose in his suit jacket.

Again the butterflies are symbolising the rebirth of the group but also could be to do with that transformation the boys go through at the end where they can now be touched. (I have soo many questions about that scene.) Also we have the roses which again shows the link to Rose and how she brought Julie and the boys together.

Like I said I’m sure most of these are really obvious but I get excited about little details like these and the producers really did do an amazing job at weaving them throughout the show. I’m sure there are even more that I’ve missed so if you know of anymore please feel free to enlighten me. Still keeping my fingercrossed for a season 2.

Edit: I found more fun little details and yes I am obsessed, part 2 can be read here if anyone is interested.

#julie and the phantoms #julie and the phantoms spoilers #jatp speculation

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laws-yellow-submarine · 3 years ago

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Uhhhh hi? Lol I dunno if anyone remembers this, but this past May I mentioned I was going through quite a lot, and at the time I had a Hazel-focused Mother's Day angst one-shot half-written, that never got finished.

Well, it's 3:30 am, and it's finished! 😃 this was written on my phone, so it may not be well edited, and I can't guarantee it's 100% in character; but it was cathartic as hell. I won't be including this in Together With Fruit (it just doesn't fit anywhere), but I will say it's 100% canon to Hazel’s character/story. That being said, you don't have to read it if you don't want to - it's a little heavy, imo, and I won't be offended if people skip it.

But without further ado, I present: The Problems with Mother's Day

TW/CW: Parental angst, estranged parent relationships, mentions of death, feelings of inadequacy (if I need to add anything lemme know!)

Word Count: 2,052

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From the moment Hazel opened her eyes, she knew it was going to be a long day. The skies were cloudy, the waves choppy, and her roommate’s face was about ten inches away, smiling a little too sweetly.

“Ahh!” she yelled, jumping back in bed. “Nami, what the hell?!”

“Oh good, you’re up!” Nami chirped at her, doing nothing to alleviate the suspicion in Hazel’s gut. “I need a favor!”

“I told you before: if Luffy gets his head stuck between the railings, it’s better to just leave him there or he’ll never learn his lesson.”

“No, no, not that, silly!” Hazel glared further at the young woman, suspicion thoroughly piqued. “See, it’s Mother’s Day! Normally, Nojiko and I have a tradition of cooking a big breakfast, but since she’s obviously not here, I was wondering if you’d like to join me?” and then she flashed the biggest pair of puppy dog eyes Hazel had ever seen. Which was saying something, considering how often Ace had tried to use that on her when they were kids.

There was just one issue.

“It’s Mother’s Day?” Hazel groaned, rubbing one hand over her face. Nami took her groaning as a sign of tiredness, and enthusiastically nodded her head.

“Please, Hazel? My sister and I do this every year, and I’d really like to share it with you!”

Guilt gnawed at Hazel’s gut. How could she possibly say “no” now?

“Sure, Nami...just,” she sighed, “give me a second to get dressed.” And then Nami let out a squeal, of all things, hugged the purple-haired girl around the shoulders, and bounded up the stairs.

Left alone, Hazel took a deep, shuddery breath. Then she took another one. Then another, on and on until they became steadier, and the world didn’t feel like it’d swallow her up right there. She stood up, padding over to the closet the girls shared, and quickly threw on a plain t-shirt and shorts; something she wouldn’t be upset about getting messy. She threw her curly hair into a messy ponytail, squared her shoulders, and with a firm nod of her head, she followed after Nami.

It was early, enough so that the sun had barely peaked over the horizon. With all the clouds in the sky, the seascape remained a rather dull blue, the orange of the sun’s rays blocked from view. Even Sanji, who normally woke up pretty early to get a start on breakfast, was still nestled deep in his hammock down below.

“How’d you manage to secure the kitchen for the day?” she asked as she entered the galley, deftly catching the apron Nami tossed her way.

“I told Sanji-kun I had something special planned, batted my eyelashes a bit, and he was convinced to sleep in for a day,” Nami explained, pulling the last of the ingredients from the fridge and setting them on the counter. “I’ve got the pancake batter covered, if you wanna get a start on the bacon!”

Hazel slid up to the counter, eyeing the array of food and utensils the navigator had set out. It had been a while since she'd made bacon - Luffy had a habit of stealing the still sizzling strips from the pan - but she dutifully set to work at the stove as Nami chatted on.

"One year, Belle-mere wasn't able to afford our usual breakfast ingredients, so Nojiko and I had to improvise," the younger woman was saying as she steadily dribbled pancake batter onto the skillet. "We snuck into the tangerine grove and picked as many as we could find, but we stuck to the smaller ones so they wouldn't be missed." Hazel hummed in acknowledgement, gut churning. "Nojiko set up an entire tray of tangerines cut into different shapes, but when Belle-mere tried to eat? Her face puckered up like this!"

Nami's face scrunched into an expression that resembled a dried up pufferfish, cheeks sunken in and eyes screwed shut, before she bust out laughing at the memory. Hazel smiled good-naturedly, piling more bacon onto the plate beside her, and Nami launched into another story.

"Oh! And then there was the year I tried to make the pancakes by myself for the first time! Normally that was Nojiko's job, but I convinced her to let me try," the navigator said, eyes far away as she expertly flipped another pancake. "The entire kitchen ended up covered in batter! I'm not even sure how it happened - I thought Belle-mere would be furious! I was so scared I hid in the closet, but I didn't realize I'd tracked flour behind me." Nami shook her head, smiling. "Belle-mere opened the closet door, took one look at me, and grinned this huge grin. She said it was the 'best year ever'..."

Hazel bit her cheek as Nami sighed wistfully. "Belle-mere was always saying that: it was the 'best year ever', no matter how much we ruined breakfast."

"Hm."

"Hazel, are you ok?"

"Huh?" Hazel glanced at her in surprise, then quickly resumed her task, tension coiling in her gut as she nodded. Just breathe, Hazel…

"Are you sure?" Nami asked, worry ringing in her voice. "You don't seem to be having much fun."

"I'm fine, Nami," Hazel grit out, flinching back as a drop of grease jumped out at her.

"No you're not! What's wrong?"

"Look, I said I'm fine, alright?!" Hazel snapped, turning from the bacon to glare at the young girl. "I just don't really give a shit about Mother's Day!"

Nami's gasp was accented by the galley door opening, their crew's footsteps halting as Hazel’s statement hung in the air. All at once, her anger fled, replaced quickly with burning shame at Nami's watery gaze. Swallowing against the lump in her throat, and the warmth growing in her cheeks, Hazel muttered a quick "sorry" before bolting from the room.

The others watched her go, breakfast momentarily forgotten, until the familiar thwap thwap of their captain's flip flops broke the silence, punctuated by Luffy’s excited cry: "Sanji! Food!"

--------

"I just don't get it!" Nami yelled as she sat at the table, anger, embarrassment, and guilt all warring within her. Hazel still hadn't returned to the kitchen. "It's just Mother's Day. It should be a day to celebrate!"

"I'm sure Hazel-chan has her reasons, Nami-san," Sanji said around his cigarette, unhappy that "his girls" were at odds. Luffy scratched under his hat.

"What's Mother's Day?"

Luckily for him, Luffy was used to the incredulous stares his crew often bestowed on him. Even Zoro was looking at him like he'd grown a second head. Wait. Could he do that?

"Even you should know what Mother's Day is," Nami scolded the boy as he inexplicably began to pull at the skin on his shoulder.

Luffy shrugged. "Nope!"

"It's the day you celebrate your mom!" Nami was met with a blank stare. "You know, the one who provides for you, even if it means she goes without."

"The one who encourages your dreams, and loves you unconditionally," Sanji added, a wistful look in his eye as he flicked his cigarette.

"The one who tells you stories, and tucks you into bed at night," Usopp chimed in, face alight with happy memories.

But Luffy merely raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Hazel already has a birthday, I'm supposed to give her two parties?!"

And then the room grew silent once more as the weight of his question settled on the others' shoulders. Nami felt her stomach clench, threatening to evict a breakfast she hadn't even eaten as she realized what had happened. She pushed herself to her feet, rushing out of the kitchen with barely a word to the others.

She had to find Hazel.

-------

Nami found her standing against the railing, on the complete opposite side of the ship. Hazel’s arms were crossed in front of her, the wind blowing through her loose, purple curls as she gazed out at the sea. The navigator approached slowly, suddenly nervous now that she was here. But before she could utter any apology, Hazel beat her to it.

"I'm sorry for snapping at you. That wasn't very fair, and you didn't deserve it."

Nami's brown eyes snapped up to the other woman's face, still not facing her, and swallowed against the growing lump in her throat.

"I'm the one who should be sorry," she said, leaning on the rail beside her. "I should have asked you first. I shouldn't have assumed you'd be OK with it."

Hazel shrugged. "You had good intentions, at least. It's the thought that counts."

"Is it?" But Hazel didn't answer, and the two slipped into a heavy silence broken only by the crash of waves against the hull. "What happened to her?" Nami finally asked, shoulders tensed as she waited for the older woman to either answer or scold her.

Hazel only sighed. "Honestly?" she clicked her tongue, shrugging her shoulders and biting her lip. "No idea. Don't really remember her."

"But if you don't remember…" Nami started, eyes lighting up as an idea struck her. "Then she could still be out there somewhere! Maybe we'll find her-!"

"I hope she's dead."

The finality of the statement struck Nami dumb, mouth hanging open in shock at the woman's deadened expression. There was no waver in Hazel’s tone, no room for any doubt that she meant it. "What…?"

Hazel laughed through her nose, a bitter sound. "Sounds horrible, right? Especially today of all days? But it's true." Hazel’s jaw clenched, her fists curling around the Merry's railing. "If she's dead, then it wasn't a choice. If she's dead, then she didn't decide to -! She didn't just -!" Her shoulders shook, breaths coming out in ragged gasps, unable to finish the statement.

Nami reacted without thinking, pulling the shaking woman into her arms without hesitation. Hazel's voice broke, heartache echoing between them as she gasped out: "why wasn't I enough?"

"Now you look at me!" Nami cried, pulling back to lock her eyes onto Hazel’s. "Don't you ever think you aren't enough! Just look at everything you've done! We're all here because of you, Hazel!"

Hazel rolled her watery gray eyes. "You're here because of Luffy - I'm just emotional support." But Nami shook her head.

"Luffy may have brought us together, but he only got to where he is because you supported him! He thinks the absolute world of you, he loves you - we all love you! And you've done all of this without her! Screw her!" Hazel dissolved into a new round of tears, and Nami pulled her back into her warm embrace. "New tradition: from now on, let us show you how much we appreciate you, whether that's through breakfast together, or leaving you the hell alone."

Hazel choked out a wet, shaky laugh, fingers clutching tightly to Nami's t-shirt as the tears flowed through her. Finally, they subsided, and as she leaned back Nami helped wipe the remaining tear tracks away. Hazel took a deep breath, then another, feeling lighter than she had all day. Then, her stomach growled.

"I think I'm ready to go back to breakfast," she murmured, too drained to be embarrassed. Nami just smiled, linking their arms together as she led the way back to the others.

When they entered the galley, the pair were separated when a rubbery figure launched itself at Hazel. Luffy wrapped his limbs around his sister, squeezing so tight it was a wonder she didn't break a rib. "Hazel! Sanji made you coffee! He wouldn't let me try it but I did anyway - how do you drink that stuff?!"

Hazel just smiled at his rambling, wiggling her arms free of her brother's embrace, surprising the boy when she hugged him back (almost) as tightly, and kissed him on the forehead. "Heeey!" He whined, pulling away to angrily rub at the spot she'd kissed. "What was that for?!"

"Nothing, just…I'm proud of you, Luff." The boy's face broke into a grin.

"Shishishi! I'm proud of you, too! Now, let's eat!"

Finally, the Straw Hats gathered around the table, digging into their meal with an excited frenzy. Sipping her coffee, Hazel nudged the woman beside her. "Thanks, Nami," she said, smiling easily after the events of that morning. "But, for future reference? On Father's Day, you may just wanna let me stay in bed."

#monkey d. hazel #one piece oc #one piece original character #together with fruit #one piece #one piece fanfiction #one piece fan fic #monkey siblings #monkey d. luffy #black leg sanji #roronoa zoro #usopp #cat burglar nami #straw hat pirates #yes it's a mother's day fic in October - sue me lol #leyna go to bed at a decent time challenge

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hanniiesuckle17 · 4 years ago

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Stray Kids Reaction: S/o Going/Is Vegan

A/n: So this was a little cracky but I hope you all like it! (sorry not thoroughly edited) lets be honest the boys have probably been on weird diets so they would probably be chill with it....except for Changbin....cause he loves his meat

Requested by: anonymous

Tag List: @distrikt9 @mini-meanhoe @poeticallyspaghetti @hanstagrams @desertofdessert @yangomangos @hoes4hoseok (Tag List is Open)

Chan:

“You’re what now?”

Your boyfriend asked flopping on the couch. He had come home to you cooking in the kitchen, a new smell filling your apartment. “Vegan.” The asparagus you were sauteeing in a pan smelled incredible...-to you. The substitute butter sizzled around the vegetables. “I noticed I haven’t exactly been eating well with my classes piling up. So, I thought I would just change my diet.”

Chan nodded and walked into the kitchen. You held up a spoon to his mouth letting him taste the food. His lips closed over the metal utensil and you watched him chew. His eyes popped out of his head and he nodded. “It’s so good!” You slapped his hand away from getting more. “Well, you know I’m all for a healthy lifestyle.”

Chan helped you finish cooking and the two of you sat down to eat. He watched with a smile as you poured yourself a glass of wine and took a sip. You met his stare and smiled. “What?”

“Did you check if that wine was vegan?”

You froze, fork halfway to your mouth. “Isn’t all wine vegan?”

“No,” Chan said with a laugh, sipping on his own wine.

Grabbing the bottle you scanned every inch of the label. Chan tried to stifle his laughter, creating ripples in red alcohol sitting in his glass. Sighing, you set the bottle down and pushed your glass away making Chan laugh.

“Welp...I don’t know what I’m going to do with the other three bottles I bought.”

“There are cheat days for vegans too.” He wouldn’t stop laughing the rest for the remainder of dinner.

Minho:

“I’m starving; are we there yet?” Minho asked adjusting the cap on his head.

Your hands swung between the two of you as you strolled through the streets looking for the food district. You had been shopping all day and it was well past lunch. “Should be just around the corner.” Each of you carried bags from various stores, but you felt happiest that his hand was wrapped around yours.

After a few turns, you arrived on the street full of restaurants. Your eyes scanned the signs looking for something suitable for you to eat. Minho began pointing at random restaurants, delectable aromas floating from their dining rooms. “What about sushi?”

“Meat.”

“Burgers.”

“Meat.”

“That place.”

“It’s korean barbeque, babe.”

“YES! The best kind!” You laughed and pulled him further down the savory smelling street. “What about that place?” You shook your head seeing photos of meat-based dishes on their windows. “Y/n, can we eat in the century?”

Minho trudged behind you, failing to pull you towards a pizza place. “Minho, you know I’m vegan.”

“Yes, I know. You’re a rabbit. But, I want meat.”

Changbin:

“Aren’t you hungry, baby?”

Changbin’s long fingers maneuvered the chopsticks to flip over a few pieces of meat on the grill in the middle of the table. You hadn’t been dating for long. He had invited you to meet him and Chan for dinner and you were not about to pass up time with him. “Um...a little.”

You watched Changbin and his friend happily chew on the juicy meat. He didn’t seem to notice your visible gulp and the goosebumps crawling over your skin. You were doing your best to ignore the distinct smell of the barbeque. “You want some?” He held a perfectly cooked piece out to you.

“Uh-...no thanks. I’m good. I’m actually vegan.”

Changbin stopped mid-chew. He turned to Chan before looking back at you. “Wait...what does that mean?” Changbin looked genuinely confused, his cheeks still stuffed with food. Chan apologized, flagging down a waiter and asking for something for you to eat. Meanwhile, Changbin still staring at you completely clueless.

“Dude...she doesn’t eat meat or animal products.”

“YOU DON’T EAT MEAT?” His eyes went wide in utter disbelief. It was hard not to laugh. “How do you survive?”

“It’s actually a really healthy way to live. Plus it’s better for the Earth.”

“But.....meat...” You smiled watching him stare at the plate of vegetables being placed in front of you by the waiter. “Meat....” He whispered again, looking between the grill and you plate.

Hyunjin:

“Y/n, do you have food?”

Your boyfriend was calling out to you from somewhere in the dressing room. You looked down at the bag of baked veggie chips in your hand. “Yeah! I’m over here, love!” Hyunjin shuffled over, his hair pushed back by a headband and setting powder lining under his cheekbones. “Baked snacks for a baking boy.” You said with a laugh.

He smiled sitting next to you. He reached over stuffing his hand in the bag and stuffing a few in his mouth without even looking at what it was. You watched his face melt into disgust. “Ew. What is that?”

Handing him the bag he looked at it like it was something from an alien planet. “It’s baked carrots and other vegetables.”

“Yes....but why....”

“You do remember I went vegan like two weeks ago?”

Hyunjin stared at you for a minute seemingly trying to remember the conversation you had about thirteen days ago. “Wait- so what did you do with the candy I gave you yesterday?”

He watched you shrug and look around the room. “I gave it Jeongin.”

“You just gave it to Jeongin?”

“Yeah, I can’t have it. I’m serious about this diet.” Hyunjin nodded and continued to stare at the bag of chips in your hand. You were starting to think he had spaced out on you.

“Does all your food taste that bad?”

Jisung:

“What’s for lunch, baby?”

Jisung came up behind you, wrapping his strong arms around your waist. His chin rested on your shoulder as he smiled down at your working hands. “Avocado toast with Roma tomatoes, red onions, and a vegan mayonnaise spread.”

“That sounds like heaven.” Jisung moaned behind you.

“It really doesn’t bother you that I’m vegan?” He shook his head and stole a thin slice of the avocado you were cutting.

“Not really. I mean-... I miss sushi sometimes...and cheesecake. But, I can have all those things at work or on special occasions. I don’t want to argue over a silly thing like this when you are obviously such a good cook regardless.”

You laughed and kissed his lips, backing him up against the counter. Jisung smiled, hands gripping your waist. “You really love me that much?” He nodded and kissed you again. “More than cheesecake?”

“Sadly...yes.”

You giggled, playing with the ends of his hair. “Okay, time to eat.”

Jisung cheered and watched you expertly plate the food. Your hands nimbly worked on delicately placing the avocados atop the other ingredients on the toasted bread. The two of you sat down side by side plates in front of you. You watched Jisung take the first bite, like usual. His eyes lit up before devouring his first piece of avocado toast.

“Don’t tell Felix...but you’re a better cook than him.” You laughed and lovingly placed your hand on his arm before eating your own lunch.

Felix:

“What are we thinking for dinner tonight?”

Felix was looking at a shelf further down the aisle from you. Turning back, he watched you shrug. “Um...I don’t know. What about we make vegan burgers?” Beneath the mask Felix was wearing you were certain he was smiling brightly.

“That sounds good.” He rolled the cart back over to you, tossing a few things in your cart on the way.

“We could do portabella mushrooms for the patty. Ooo! Do they have avocados?”

Felix laughed, watching you get excited about food. He was so happy that you loved cooking as much as he did. While he was surprised that you were vegan, he loved exploring new recipes with you. He was still shocked that he could now make so many things that didn’t even have meat or cheese or eggs.

“Lix, they have red onions on sale! Buy two get one free!”

His eyes widened seeing you holding two bags of the purple vegetable. “The question is,” Felix began, taking the bags and putting them in the cart. “Do they have vegan cheese here, or do we have to make a second stop?”

You shrugged, looping your arm through your boyfriend’s as he pushed the cart towards the cheese part of the store. Felix smiled at your little affectionate action. Going grocery shopping with you was always one of his favorite things to do. Granted, it took a huge chunk out of his paycheck because the two of you always got carried away. But, your fridge was always fully stocked and the two of you hadn’t had a bad meal since moving in together.

“They might have some. I did see a cool recipe for vegan brioche buns. I think we have the stuff for them at home.”

Felix nodded and pushed the cart towards the checkout. The two of you waited in line, your arms wrapped around his stomach. “I’ll bake, you cook?”

“Deal.”

Seungmin:

“So, you don’t eat meat?”

Seungmin stared at you questioningly. You simply continued to drink your tea as you sat across from your boyfriend in a cafe. “Or cheese. Or eggs. Or milk. Basically any animal products.” Seungmin nodded, trying to wrap his head around the concept.

“Not even beef?”

Your fingers played with the label on your cup. “No. No, beef.”

“What about steak?”

“Min, that’s meat.”

He nodded obviously still thinking. “So...” You sighed, ready for my questions. It was tiresome sometimes having to deal with a society that couldn't accept a diet without dead animals in it. “What do you eat?”

“Plenty of things. I’m actually a pretty good cook.” Seungmin sat on the edge of his chair completely invested in this fascinating topic. “I can make basically any meal you can think with a vegan substitute.”

“Anything?” Your boyfriend watched you nod. Seungmin took another sip from his coffee. His long fingers drummed across the table. “What about surf and turf?” He laughed seeing you roll your eyes.

His laughing stopped when you kicked his shin under the table. “You better watch it Mr. I’ll sneak into the dorm and stuff zucchini in your ears.”

“Not carrots?”

“No, I like carrots.”

Jeongin:

“No meat. At all?”

Jeongin stared stunned at the bowl in front of him. “Yep.” The metal of his spoon clinked against the white bowl. Unphased you continued to eat the amazing meal you had prepared.

“So...what is this? What are those dark chunks then?”

“It Eggplant, mushrooms, tofu, and rice noodles in a spicy Szechuan sauce. It’s good. Try it.”

It was almost comical watching Jeongin approach the dish. He sniffed the food on his spoon, a cautious look on his face. Hesitantly, he took it into his mouth and began chewing. You watched his facial expression waiting for the result.

Your boyfriend swallowed the food, pursing his lips, and nodding his head. “Okay, so it’s good. But, that says more about your cooking than it does about vegan food.”

The two of you enjoyed the rest of your dinner and Jeongin even helped you clean up. As you finished up washing the dishes you noticed Jeongin looking in your fridge. “Are you still hungry?”

He shook his head when he felt you hug him from behind. “There isn’t even cheese in your fridge!”

“Jeongin...that’s what vegan means.”

Jeongin still seemed to be searching your fridge for what he now knew would not be there. Still hugging him you watched as he opened up your freezer. You backed away, ears splitting from the high pitched scream your boyfriend let out.

“WHERE’S YOUR ICE CREAM?!”

Requests are Temporarily Closed!

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fiddlepickdouglas · 4 years ago

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Viva Las Vegas, Pt. 12 - Willie Alone

Summary: Sunset Curve AU, Willex, will he make it?, 5.2k

@trevor-wilson-covington is the bestie who makes these lovely edits, we stan supportive friends

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11

Day one down with no Caleb. Purple began to border the horizon. Hours of skating broken up with brief rests had Willie pretty tired. Sheldon seemed to be holding up pretty alright, even if he was stuck in the funny makeshift carrier Willie had made from a t-shirt to wrap around himself. Whatever town he’d stopped in was a little ways from the interstate, but it was nice being in a smaller place than a city for once. He actually couldn’t remember if he’d ever been to one.

Willie skated up to a cafe that doubled as an ice cream parlor and let Sheldon down on the ground. He hooked a leash to the cat’s collar but let it drag along the ground, knowing he would be followed. Entering the cafe, he sat at a table and leaned on its surface in exhaustion.

The night before already felt like so long ago. He’d spent all day debating whether it was smart to skate along the highway because it was an easier route to follow, or if he should take some back roads because they had less traffic and likely no cops. Seeing that shed light up was unforgettable. Willie hadn’t watched too many movies since he’d lost his memories, but it was a moment that had definitely felt like he was in one. Did he count as a fugitive now? He sort of liked the flavor of mystery and adventure that came with it.

Sheldon was up on his hind legs, pawing at Willie’s knees to let him climb up. Sitting back so his cat could leap into his lap, Willie cradled him with one arm. He thought about getting some ice cream and realized that he already missed the chamoy candy from Escobar’s bodega. It would’ve been nice to have a few more snacks on him. He’d get something in a little bit - standing up was going to make him feel sore.

He wondered how Alex was doing. He’d chosen to go to L.A. in the hopes of at least finding him and the rest of his friends. That sense of closeness and familiarity that Willie had felt when they were at the Pearl had become everything to him. Even Julie and Flynn would be great to meet again - in fact, he wished he could give them something in return for allowing him the second chance he’d needed to find Alex. Then he could figure out where to go from there.

Finally getting up from his seat, he approached the counter for some ice cream, leaving Sheldon held down by putting a chair leg through the leash handle. A girl who looked too young to be working there came to serve him.

“Hi, what can I get for you?” she said politely.

Willie looked down at all the flavors underneath the glass. What he wanted to do was climb inside and get the cool-off he really needed.

“Uhhh...how about the - ” his eyes narrowed to be sure he was getting it right. “ - the swass?” As far as he could see it claimed to be a white chocolate flavor with cayenne pepper in it. He’d never heard of a spicy ice cream before.

The girl giggled behind the glass.

“How many scoops?” she asked, barely containing laughter.

“Two scoops, in a waffle cone,” he said, watching as she got it prepared. “What’s so funny?”

They traded hands as she gave him the cone and he gave her cash.

“Swass is short for sweaty ass. It’s a summer special.”

Willie snorted and laughed along with her.

“Nice!” he said, pointing a finger to accentuate the word. She held a handful of coins out to him. “Don’t worry about it, keep the change.”

Mood now lifted by his ‘swass’ ice cream (which was surprisingly delicious once he began licking it), he went back to the table. Sheldon kept watching him, eyes hungry for the unfamiliar substance. Willie watched in mild entertainment for a moment as he continued eating. Then he got the idea to move the ice cream around, seeing Sheldon’s eyes follow wherever it went. It made him giggle.

Holding the cone within reach of Sheldon’s face, he let the cat sniff at it for a moment before daring to take a lick. After a few more licks, Sheldon sat back with his mouth wide open in shock, and Willie felt bad for laughing.

“Did you get a brain freeze, buddy?”

Sheldon looked betrayed, and crawled underneath the chair and began cleaning his face. Some noise caught Willie’s attention and he looked up to see a small TV set up in a corner of the cafe. The news was on, and while he couldn’t clearly make out what was being said, he saw footage of a building in flames while a fire department was trying to put it out. Fear clenched in his chest as he recognized it. Lifting Sheldon’s leash, he immediately got up from his chair and headed out the door.

So avoiding public places was going to be the plan from now on. He didn’t know what was being told on that news story but considering that was definitely the shed from behind Caleb’s place...arson had awful consequences, and Willie didn’t like his odds. It certainly put a wedge in his plan to find shelter, but he could get creative.

Grabbing his board, Willie skated through the streets and checked out his best options while finishing his ice cream. It was getting late, and businesses were closing quickly. He didn’t fancy staying anywhere outside, mostly for the safety of his cat. After getting a good look around the town (or most of it at least), Willie had to pick between the movie theater or the laundromat.

He thought of trying the theater. The seats would be perfect to sleep in, and the dark stillness of an empty theater at night sounded so relaxing. But there was the question of getting in without having to buy a ticket or being kicked out after a movie was finished. That was likely to cause enough fuss with the employees for them to identify him. Scratch that off the list.

Willie made his way to the laundromat, albeit unwillingly. It was the only place open for twenty-four hours with no one to bother him about why he was there. As he went inside with Sheldon, he peered up at the yellow lights. There had to be a dark corner somewhere. A handful of loads were going, and they were all spread out so that the noise would bother him no matter what. However, a door toward the back caught his attention and he checked to see if it was locked.

To his surprise, it opened to reveal an empty office. He flipped on the light to get a better look. There was only a desk, chair, and empty bookshelves, as if whatever it was used for had been decommissioned or moved elsewhere. Dragging a finger over the desk, a layer of dust came off. The room didn’t look like anyone would check for a person in there, so Willie decided it was where he’d make camp.

Luckily enough, there was a lost and found area with the laundry of people who’d somehow forgotten to pick up their loads. Finding a blanket in the pile, Willie made sure Sheldon was inside the office with him before turning the light out and shutting the door. It blocked out the noise of the machines well enough. Using his backpack as a pillow, he laid down and pulled the blanket over him as best he could and sighed.

Thinking back to earlier when he’d celebrated being a fugitive...well, it certainly had its cons. As Sheldon nestled on top of his legs, Willie chuckled softly and tried to focus on falling asleep. The backwards dream was bound to happen again, and he wondered if anything about it would change now that he knew what it was really about. Aside from his memories of Alex and his dad, it was the best motivator he had now. He closed his eyes and let the sound of purring lull him to sleep.

Day three without Caleb. Note to self: never underestimate the amount of sunscreen, food and water needed on a trip, and bring a map. Packing light was a mistake. Willie was avoiding the highway now, but had taken a wrong turn somewhere after passing through that small town and thought he’d found somewhere to get back on track, but only ended up more turned around than ever. Now he was skating for miles on some back road with no cars or civilization in sight and was getting worried. He was rationing the water between him and Sheldon, and now that it was high afternoon and the July sun was beating down, he was worried. The food he had packed for himself was already gone, and he was pretty sunburnt.

He’d originally decided not to hitchhike because he didn’t want to be recognized and turned in, but now he was considering it was safer than wherever he was right then. If the laundromat had been rough, rest stops were much less desirable to sleep in.

Slowing his board down, he moved to the side of the road for a minute and set Sheldon down on the ground so they could both stretch their legs. These past few days had been hard, but he was determined to never go back to Caleb. He felt more like himself and a new person all at once, more than he had ever felt since he’d lost his memories. Even with desperation creeping under his skin, he didn’t regret it one bit. Sheldon rubbed against his legs and Willie opened his backpack and dug for some food.

“Here you go, buddy,” he murmured, laying the food down and massaging the back of the cat’s neck. “You sure are handling this better than me.”

All he got in response was content purring. Willie was grateful he wasn’t entirely alone. It wasn’t a usual thing for cats to travel, right? He wondered what made Sheldon so special.

Pulling out his water bottle, Willie saw that it was down to a mere gulp. As if to punctuate his disappointment, his stomach growled loudly. This was beginning to feel like more than a low point. The pain and fatigue started increasing as he sat in the dust, the notion of how lost he was settling in uncomfortably. Shaking the water bottle, Sheldon perked up and watched him pour some into his hand before licking it up.

Finishing the last of it, Willie was hardly satisfied. It was better than nothing. The heat was getting unbearable, though, and with how tired he felt it was a hard debate whether he should take a nap or keep trying to find shelter.

Stubbornly trying not to imagine the worst, Willie reminded himself of his goal. Find Alex, find somewhere to stay, and play it by ear from there. He even teased the thought of finding out if he still had a family. That didn’t sound likely, especially with the amnesia factored in, but this was the first time he could dare to dream bigger than the small life he’d had back in Vegas. If he did make it, it was all worth the strain he was feeling right now.

If - such a laconic, dooming word.

His legs felt too much like jelly to attempt riding again, though, and he pulled Sheldon into his lap. The cat made a few funny chirping noises at him.

“Sorry, buddy, I’m too tired,” he apologized. All the rubs against his shirt couldn’t renew his strength fast enough. Willie felt tears well up in his eyes and he couldn’t tell if they were from fear or exhaustion. Only a couple fell and immediately dried on his face.

He tried summoning the memory of Alex’s eyes, letting the ocean waves bring hope in a dire attempt to fight everything else. Their rhythm and focus remained preserved so well in his mind. If the world was made of hard, painful, unbearable things, Alex was the softness of respite. From bandaging his hand to running his fingers through his hair in comfort, there was a gentleness that made Willie believe in something greater than one day in Sin City. The waves grew and he dreamed of being washed clean and refreshed and like he could leave his soul at the shore forever and never be hurt.

They crashed over him again and again, like a lullaby. The sensation dulled the pain until he was numb. Nothing remained but the beautiful sea of green before him.

Willie didn’t know when he passed out or for how long, but he was jolted awake by feeling his body hitch up and down, like he’d gone over a bump. He heard the running of an engine and opened his eyes. A window beside him was down, and he looked directly into his own reflection in the rearview mirror of a truck. Turning to his left, he saw a person at the steering wheel through bleary eyes.

“Dad?” he muttered thoughtlessly.

“Sorry,” the voice of an older woman spoke. “Not your dad.”

Willie only blinked as he tried to orient himself. The woman had salt and pepper hair styled in a mullet and looked coarse from years of hard work.

“Pardon me for being blunt, but what the hell were you doing out there?” she rebuked. “With a cat!”

He immediately sat up in alarm, looking for Sheldon.

“He’s fine,” she assured. Willie nodded as he saw the cat sitting on top of a blanket in the back seat next to his skateboard.

“It’s a complicated story,” he told her.

“I bet it’s complicated,” she muttered in slight consternation.

There was a few minutes of silence as Willie’s mind tried to understand where he was.

“Don’t try to thank me,” the woman began speaking again. “It was only so easy to put you up in my truck after I saw you had no water, no food, nothing but a few changes of clothes and a wad of cash.”

“Thank you,” Willie said, embarrassed he hadn’t said it quicker.

“I said don’t thank me; I could’ve taken all your cash.”

He looked at her anxiously until her lip curled.

“Don’t worry, you’ve still got all of it.”

This lady was abrasive, but at least she was kind.

“I’m Bessie,” she said. “And if the name is right in your wallet, you’re William. Bet you go by Willie though.”

“How did you guess?”

“You don’t look like a William kind a’ kid.”

It was amazing how she could hold his attention so well without taking her eyes away from the road. Her intelligence was effective. It kind of made him smile.

“You hungry?” she asked. Her head nodded in the direction of a bag sitting between them. He smelled chicken and he hesitated for a moment, eyes darting between the food and her. “Go on, you can have some. I can eat more when we get to Roy’s.”

“Who’s Roy?” Willie asked, carefully pulling out a chicken wing and biting into it.

“It’s a motel. Me and my husband own it. And it looks like you’ll be our only guest tonight.”

“Oh,” he said through a mouthful of food.

“I apologize, but you need a shower,” she told him, wrinkling her nose. Willie only continued to chew in silence and bowed his head. He’d forgotten about that while he’d been focused on skating his way to freedom.

“So where is this motel at?” he asked after a few moments.

“It’s in Amboy. We’re a little ghost town out here. There’s only five of us, the rest are tourists. Sometimes we get Harrison Ford coming through.”

Willie raised his eyebrows, guessing it was impressive trivia. There were numerous names people used that he seemed to be expected to know, but unfortunately most of them he couldn’t keep track of. He silently ate his chicken, relishing in the taste.

“We’re almost there, so just sit tight and keep eating,” Bessie said.

He noticed she hadn’t mentioned anything about recent news, and while it was possible she knew about it, Willie didn’t think she would hold back her commentary if she did. He decided not to bring it up.

Not even ten minutes later they pulled up to the retro motel. Movement was agony, every bit of his exposed skin on fire. Sheldon lifted his head and meowed in curiosity as Willie opened the back door to get his things. Pulling his backpack over his shoulder, he scooped up Sheldon with one arm and grabbed his board with the other. He felt nervous claws immediately dig into his shoulder and he tried to soothe his cat the best he could.

“Shhh, buddy, it’s okay,” he whispered. It was a good thing he had a leash on.

“I have never seen a cat travelling with a skater before,” Bessie said as he followed her into Roy’s. “The things you get in this little town.”

She took him up to the main desk and pulled out a reservation book, licking her finger to turn the pages.

“Alright, let’s get you a room,” she murmured.

“I can pay to stay here,” Willie said shakily. She’d practically saved his life, and he hadn’t exactly counted how much he took from Caleb, but added onto his own money it was quite a stash. Bessie looked at him thoughtfully.

“If you insist,” she surrendered without argument.

Sheldon was sniffing everything and peering around, obviously wanting to explore.

“You can put him down for a minute, I’ll keep an eye on him,” Bessie told Willie, handing him a key and a bottled substance after he let Sheldon go. “You get yourself washed up and put this aloe on. I suggest you stay for a few days at least so those burns don’t get worse.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Willie heard himself say. Too late, he reconsidered the use of ‘ma’am’ but Bessie only smirked and shook her head. He wondered how often she picked up strangers and set them up at her motel, because she was so well prepared. Glancing at his cat, who was content to swat at some flies that had made their way inside, he went toward the room that matched the number on the key.

Showering hurt, even with cold water, but Willie tried to bear it as best he could. At least applying the aloe wasn’t too bad. He was glad he hadn’t skated with his shirt off because it wouldn’t have been any fun to try reaching certain parts of his back. Looking out the window of his room as he got dressed, the sunset was in its late stages. For a while, he simply sat on his bed and hugged his knees to his chest, watching it go down.

Now that he had time to slow down, Willie felt a huge weight finally lift off of his shoulders. He hadn’t been allowing himself to think about it as much since he was so focused on being on the move and trying to stay safe while he had Sheldon with him. Actually, he didn’t even remember when he’d crossed state lines. But he felt a little safer now. Caleb didn’t care enough to come after him all the way out here, he didn’t think. Burning down the shed had been a little dramatic, he admitted, but once people forgot the news it was probably miniscule in Caleb’s eyes compared to everything Willie had lost.

For a minute, a ball of anger grew inside his chest and Willie closed his eyes and breathed deeply in an attempt to cool it down. It was probably a good idea to take Bessie’s advice and stay a while since he was being given the opportunity. He got up and went back out to see how Sheldon was.

The cafe was quiet except for Bessie speaking on the phone with someone. Sheldon was near the cafe counter where someone had set out a bowl of water and a can of tuna. Willie went over to him and knelt down to pet him. Any motion was still a pain, but he made himself ignore it. Footsteps sounded from behind the counter and Willie looked up to see a large man with a mustache peering down at them. He appeared to be from somewhere in the Pacific Islands.

“You’ve got a nice cat,” the man said.

“Thanks,” Willie replied with a small smile as he continued running his hand from head to tail.

“Can I get you some water?”

“Oh...uh, yeah, thanks.” It was going to take a while to get used to people being kind. As the man left briefly and returned with a glass, Willie graciously took it and sat at a table. Like that, the man had disappeared and he almost questioned whether he’d actually been there.

He saw the napkins on the table and pulled one out of the dispenser. The only thing he’d actually learned how to make with origami was those little frogs, and he never seemed to use a proper piece of paper when he got the urge. Now, he didn’t have anyone to gift it to if he did make one. He sure wasn’t going to hand one to Bessie.

Just as he thought that, she came over to sit across from him.

“So what’s the plan, kid?” she asked, folding her hands casually.

Willie looked at her for a moment, unsure what to explain.

“Come on, something’s gotta motivate you to be going cross country on a skateboard,” she pointed out.

“Well,” he sighed. “I’m trying to get to Los Angeles.”

“And the bus just didn’t do it for you?”

Willie sat back, dumbfounded. Part of him knew that there were bus routes across the states, but he just hadn’t remembered that.

“Yeah, so fun fact about me: I only have a year and a half of memory, and I forgot about busses.”

Bessie raised her eyebrows, and then furrowed them.

“I’ve seen some things, I’ve seen some things, and I have seen some things. You are not something I have seen yet. I won’t ask for what your whole story is, but I can only imagine the convoluted circumstances that got you in your position.”

Willie bowed his head, unsure how he should respond. It was clear that she truly wasn’t aware of the news, though.

“Do you even know what you’ll do when you get to LA?” she asked.

“Not much,” he said, shaking his head. “But I have a start.”

“Please tell me you don’t plan to skate the rest of your way out of here.”

“Well, do I have any other way to get there?”

Bessie pursed her lips as she considered his words.

“I’d have my husband drive you out, but he just went out of town to do some business. We’re actually trying to sell the town, so once he finishes up his deal this place will be out of our hands. I can’t keep you here for long.”

The news made Willie realize just how inconvenient it was for her to have pulled him from the side of the road, and more guilt rose in his chest. He couldn’t keep getting in everyone’s way just by showing up.

“How soon is he supposed to be back?”

“A couple days. And then we’ll spend the rest of this week cleaning up and heading out.”

Feeling something touch his leg, Willie saw Sheldon had finished his can of tuna and come over to him. Picking the cat up and holding him in his lap, he looked at Bessie.

“You’ve been really generous,” he said. “You practically saved my life. I don’t know how to thank you.”

She shrugged.

“Ain’t much you can do but say it, and that’s okay. And maybe just rest enough so you’re in good shape before you get back on the road. Can you do that?”

“Yeah.” Willie nodded emphatically.

“Alright. Well, I’m going to turn in, but you hang in here as late as you like, although I don’t know what you would do.”

Willie only smiled as she got up from the table. He did the same, carrying Sheldon with him to the room. It was going to be nice having a bed and not being on the move from the second he woke up. Even with his skin continually on fire, he was able to fall asleep the moment his head hit the pillow.

The next day he woke up and it was already noon. Sheldon was meowing to be let out the door, intermittently coming up to Willie and nudging him with his head.

“Yeah, I get the hint,” Willie laughed.

He quickly got himself together before hooking the leash to Sheldon and heading into the cafe. There were two men he hadn’t seen the day before eating lunch. It was probably a good idea to eat, considering he had slept through breakfast. The large man with the mustache was at the cafe counter, and Willie was silently relieved he hadn’t hallucinated him. It appeared he had set out the bowls of water and food already for Sheldon, who immediately went to it.

“Hello, little man,” he said as Willie came toward him. “What can Big Bo get for you?”

“Are you Big Bo?” Willie immediately loved the name.

“Absolutely.”

“Well, I could eat anything, what do you recommend?”

Big Bo thought for a minute. And then he smiled.

“I’m gonna make you a nice burrito.”

Nodding and smiling, Willie watched him leave as he went to a table and immediately began folding napkins into frogs. After a while his face got itchy, and he realized his skin had begun peeling from the burns. That was going to be fun to handle. Big Bo brought his burrito over and then tried getting attention from Sheldon.

Most of the rest of the day was pretty boring. Willie rotated between doodling on napkins, playing card games with the deck Bessie pulled out from the motel office, and walking around with Sheldon. He was reminded to consistently use the aloe vera he’d been given. Boredom rose to the point where he helped Big Bo deep clean various appliances behind the counter in the cafe. By the time they had finished, it was just time to eat a late dinner and Willie was tired out from all the cleaning.

He took a shower and tried to lightly scrub off all of the dead skin. Sheldon curiously poked his head in and got a faceful of water, causing him to make a surprised noise and run off. Willie couldn’t help but laugh with a twinge of pity as he peeked out and saw his cat glaring at him from the bed. Honestly, he wouldn’t have managed to get this far without Sheldon. It felt good not to be alone, but also feel free to just be himself and still be followed out of sheer loyalty.

The bed was already so comfortable and inviting it made Willie sad that he couldn’t stay longer. Maybe in the future he could recreate something like this place - small and friendly, where he was always prepared to help poor strangers find shelter. There wasn’t much to do here, but he could play around with ideas for his own thing. He’d definitely add a skate park, though. A strange thought occurred where he remembered Caleb’s hotel being called the Desert Oasis - the irony of it all couldn’t have been more obvious.

For the first time in weeks, Willie had a peaceful sleep.

A couple days later, Bessie’s husband still wasn’t back in town. She didn’t seem too worried about it, but Willie could feel tensions building up for himself. He was slowly running out of ways to entertain himself while his burns were finally toning down into tan lines, and he was afraid he would wear out his welcome while she was waiting for the town to be sold. His backpack was already packed and ready to go, but it was mid-morning and he still felt unsure about when was a good time to leave. For now, he simply doodled over the top of the comics in the newspaper.

The door of the cafe opened. Willie didn’t bother looking up but he overheard the conversation.

“Well, I am surprised to see you here again,” Bessie was saying.

“Hello, Bess, how’s it been?” A man’s voice was heard speaking. Willie couldn’t tell where he recognized it from.

“Slow. Buster’s been out of town. I guess we oughta tell you we’re leasing the place so you’re not in for a surprise next time you want to fly out here.”

“Leasing the town? Well, that’s a shame.”

“Any day now.”

“Any day now? If I’d known this would be the last stop I make here, I would’ve planned better. I was just gonna go out to the salt flats for a bit and then hightail it back to LA.”

Willie peeked over his shoulder. He still couldn’t see the man’s face, but he felt his heart rate go up at the mention of Los Angeles. Not wanting to appear rude, though, he continued with his doodling and tried to tune out what they were talking about. Eventually the man left the cafe and it was difficult to tell if he was going to come back or not. If it took until later that evening, he was willing to wait to find out.

In the meantime, he let Big Bo teach him how to make his special dinner rolls. The man was very quiet but he clearly loved making food and it made the process more fun. Also, Willie enjoyed the way he got called “little man” because it came out sounding so laid back and welcoming. While they waited for the dough to set, Big Bo showed him some tattoos he had and explained the symbolism of each one.

“This represents Nāmaka, the Hawaiian goddess,” he said, pointing to a woman’s face surrounded by ocean waves on his bicep. “But to me she really represents the course of life. The tide goes in, and the tide goes out, and the good things and bad things do the same. What you and me do is just ride that wave wherever it takes us in life.”

Listening intently, Willie thought back to Alex’s eyes and the countless times he used the visual of ocean waves to bring him calm amid the turbulence. Big Bo had spoken a simple concept, but it was something more powerful than anything Caleb had ever said. Something in Willie’s heart felt like he could finally find a purpose outside of all of this chaos.

After they had finished making the rolls, Willie sat eating one while petting Sheldon when he heard the door to the cafe open again. Footsteps approached and suddenly, a man Willie recognized had put his leg up on the chair across from Willie and was leaning on his knee casually. Surprise seemed to slap him over the face when he realized who he was. Indiana Jones, Han Solo, the Fugitive himself looked down at him in a bomber jacket and jeans.

“So my friend Bessie tells me you’re in a rough spot, kid,” Harrison Ford said. Willie looked back in shock. “I’ve got my own plane out there right now. You want a ride?”

#julie and the phantoms #jatp #fanfic #jatp fanfic #willex #alive au #sunset curve #alex mercer #willie #luke patterson #reggie peters #bobby wilson #julie molina #caleb covington #sheldon the cat #harrison ford #viva las vegas #willie alone #fiddlepickdouglas

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