#quarterback competition

[joeyfranchise]

𝟙𝟚 𝕕𝕒𝕪𝕤 𝕠𝕗 𝕗𝕚𝕔-𝕞𝕒𝕤: 𝕕𝕒𝕪 𝕠𝕟𝕖

under the mistletoe

lsu!joe x fem!reader

summary: you and joe can’t stand each other. what happens when your stubbornness meets his head on… underneath the mistletoe.

warnings: minors dni, 18+. cocky joe is always his own warning, kissing, spitting, p in v, semi-public sex.

word count: 4.3k

note: happy first day of fic-mas! what better way to start than with lsu joe <333

“yeah, i’ll be able to make it… i think,” you say into your phones receiver, struggling to slide your uggs on and talk on the phone at the same time. “sorry margot! i’m scrambling this morning!” you tell your roommate, turning her on speaker and laying your phone on the counter.

her cheerful voice fills the kitchen as she responds. “it‘s okay babe! i just heard about this party and we have to go to it before we go home for christmas this year! can you write it on the fridge calendar?”

as you listen to margot talk, you pop a k-cup into your keurig and begin brewing it, sliding your trusty travel mug underneath to catch all of the delicious liquid that you can only hope will get you through this day.

“yep, i’ll put it on there! december 21st?” you ask her, popping the cap off the dry erase marker that your white-board calendar holds.

“yes, that’s right. we’ll just have to watch our alcohol intake that night since we both have an early flight the next morning.” she laughs.

you write the event down and close the marker, placing it back in its holder. you fix up your coffee as margot continues talking, filling you in on the campus drama she’s already seen this morning.

“so anyways girl,” she raved, the smirk on her face evident in her tone, “i saw justin and joe this morning talking to the same girl. like get a grip. they’re probably having another weird competition again.”

you scowl immediately as you hear joe’s name. the quarterback and his best friend chatting up the same girl, how cliché. “god i cannot stand them!” you reply with an eye-roll, annoyance present in your voice.

you weren’t sure why you hated joe so much. maybe it was the incessant flirting he did with you and every other girl you knew. maybe it was how his friend group always made bets on who could “bag bitches” first, or maybe it was just the overly confident attitude that seeped from his pores. every class that you took with him, you dreaded, because you knew he’d be right there on his bullshit the whole time.

over time, he grew to dislike you as well, especially when he realized his advances wouldn’t work on you. you tried your best to avoid and ignore him, but he always made it difficult for you. he’d bump you as you passed by, knocking you and your books over into the floor. he’d stick his foot out in hopes that you’d trip. he’d send unsolicited dick pics just because he knew it’d piss you off. the joke was on him when you’d reply with laughing emojis or even the shrimp emoji.

margot laughed at your anger. “joe’s honestly kinda funny.” she says, only making you scowl even more. “oh am i?” you can hear him ask her, it becomes obvious to you that he’s made his way over to your best friend. “mhmmm.” she draws out, and you gag. you can imagine her twirling her hair around her finger as she flirts back with him. puke.

“hey princess, comin’ to the party?” he asks, clear that he’d taken margot’s phone. hanging up the phone on him is your answer. how could she be talking trash about him flirting one minute, and then flirting back the next. you roll your eyes for nobody but yourself.

you grab all your things and leave your flat, locking the door behind you as you head to class, ready to get the last few days before winter break over with.

☆ ★ ✮ ★ ☆ ☆ ★ ✮ ★ ☆

the days seem to fly by, which you’re thankful for, and you pack your bag at the end of your last class before break with a smile on your face. the party is tonight, which you aren’t really excited for, but you’re going for margot and to get at least a little tipsy.

you sling your bag over your shoulder and head out of the class, your stomach growling as you think of what you should have for dinner.

you’re lost in thought as you walk, and soon you’re running straight into a hard body. as you look up to apologize you realize it’s joe, so you close your mouth as quickly as you’ve opened it.

“damn, princess.” he chuckles, grabbing your elbows to steady you. “if you wanted a hug i could just give you one.” he winks.

“no thanks.” you say, shoving him off you. “i’m too afraid i’ll catch chlamydia or something.” his friend ja’marr laughs at your words and joe throws him a scowl.

“that’s not how that works.” joe snarks, raising an eyebrow at you. “but then again, you probably wouldn’t know, you’re probably a virgin.”

you stomp down hard on his toe. “actually no, i fucked your dad.” you retort, blowing him a kiss as you walk past, and farther down the hallway.

you don’t see justin and ja’marr losing their minds at what you said, falling into each other with laughter. you also don’t see how joe stares as you walk away, a mix of anger and pride written all over his face.

when you make it home, you can barely get your keys out before margot is throwing open the door and dragging you in, headed straight for her closet. she has about ten different outfit options laid out, and even some she’s selected for you, including a beautiful strappy red dress.

“help me pickkkkk.” she whines, rifling through all the clothes she’s strewn over her bed. you pick up a navy bodycon dress with shiny silver accents and hold it up to her frame, followed by a long, dark green dress.

“i’ve always liked how these two look on you, marg. pick one of them!” you say, trying to sound as chipper as possible. she holds them both up as she turns to look in the floor length mirror, examining them and trying to make a decision.

“ughhhhh, i don’t knowwww.” she whines again, and you’ve had enough. you snatch the red dress off the bed and race out of her room, headed for your own. you lock the door behind you, and you hear margot laughing as she knocks at the door.

“bitch!” she yells, amused at your antics. you step into your bathroom, hanging the dress on the back of the door as you slip your clothes off and turn the hot shower on. you tie your hair up, not wanting it to get wet, and you step under the hot stream.

the water hits your back pleasantly, the warmth working at the knots of stress you’d been holding in your shoulder blades. you lathered your body wash onto your loofah and began scrubbing, washing away the ick of your day.

you quickly check your body, rinsing before turning the water off and stepping out of the shower to dry off with your favorite fluffy towel. you lotion up, put on some perfume, and apply a quick layer of makeup - concealer, mascara, and lipgloss - before sliding the dress on and letting down your hair. the red fabric hugged your shape in all the right places, and you posed in the mirror as you admired just how good you looked.

you plugged the curling iron in and as you waited for it to heat up you ran out into your room to slide a thong underneath your dress, followed by putting on a pair of sparkly silver heels. you began curling your hair shortly after, and then you applied some hairspray, then a few accentuating pieces of silver jewelry.

once you were satisfied with how you looked, you spritzed on some extra perfume and unplugged the curler, wrapping the cord around it and shoving it back under your bathroom cabinet. you unlocked your door and went out to the kitchen to try and find a quick snack before the party. you settled on toast, popping a piece of bread into the toaster and pushing the button down.

margot stepped out of her room and joined you in the kitchen just as you were spreading peanut butter on your bread, and she spun around so you could critique her look. she wore the navy dress with black heels, and she looked incredible.

you took a bite of toast before speaking, “it looks great babe!”

she gagged as you spoke with your mouth full. “i can’t believe you’re eating that in a dress, my dress no less!” she scowled playfully.

“i like living life on the edge.”

you finished your food and washed your hands quickly, margot was ready to get out the door. you grabbed your phone and locked up, heading to her car so she could drive to the party. you left your phone in her car as you arrived, knowing you’d be staying sober and driving back home tonight. you had originally planned on drinking, but you changed your mind. leaving your phone was against your better judgment, but you did it anyway.

margot left her phone as well but she gave you her keys, knowing you’d be dragging her ass home tonight since you had to fly out in the morning.

as you walked into the party, you laid down the game plan.

“alright, let’s try to stick together, no unnecessary hook-ups. and please don’t drink too much. i’d also like to get home in enough time to sleep a little, and finish packing a few things.” you tell her.

she rolls her eyes and calls you a procrastinator before reluctantly agreeing. you head into the party, the loud music was already bumping through the house and making the floor shake. you knew this was a “christmas” party, but you didn’t expect anything less than rap music to be blaring throughout the frat house.

you stuck by margot’s side as she waded to the kitchen, ready to indulge in a few drinks. you politely declined all that was offered to you, and you kept a close eye on your friend as she began downing shots. after a few sips of liquid courage she finally wanted to dance, so she pulled you along until you were passing through the doorway into a giant room that had been transformed into a dance floor. red lights created a sexy scene, and a disco ball was hung from the ceiling, swirling around and creating a beautiful pattern along the walls.

unfortunately, you didn’t make it past the door. as you were headed one way, joe was headed another, and his friends blocked you both so neither of you could pass.

“the fuck are y’all doing?” joe asked irritatedly, shooting pointed glares toward his friends and to you. “seriously, move and let me through.” you said, just as angered.

justin and ja’marr laughed and smirked at each other, and you noticed margot giggling too as she pointed up to the top of the door-frame. hanging there, of course, was a bit of mistletoe.

joe spoke first. he shoved at justin, “dude, fuckin’ move.” he said.

you tried pushing past ja’marr, but he wouldn’t budge. joe shot you a dirty look. “come on, let’s get it over with then.” he said, annoyance very clear in his tone.

“hell no.” you refuse, crossing your arms in front of your chest. “i’d rather stand here all night than kiss you.”

joe’s face turns to what seems to be a genuinely offended expression, and he mirrors your pose as he challenges you. “oh yeah? alright then.” he says, sticking his bottom lip out and furrowing his brow as he shakes his head. “let’s stand here all night.”

you firmly place your back against the door frame as you make eye contact with him, and he does the same. margot is standing by with his friends, and all three of them are laughing hysterically.

“literally the two most stubborn people i’ve ever seen in my life!” she giggles, leaning on ja’marr’s shoulder.

“you think we need to stand and watch ‘em?” justin asks, looking over at margot. ja’marr answers before she has the chance. “nah, if there’s one thing i know about 9, he ain’t backing down from a challenge.”

“y/n’s the same way. she’d argue with a brick wall if it meant she could prove a point. she won’t budge until he does.”

justin laughs at their answers before ushering them off to the dancefloor, leaving you and joe alone to stare at each other with utter disgust.

you huff as you look at joe, and he smirks back at you, unfazed by your little display of attitude. people pass between you and stop to kiss under the mistletoe, on the lips, cheek, or forehead. the two of you also earn many dirty looks.

standing there is honestly easy - at first. the sheer amount of dislike you have for joe is what’s holding you upright, it has to be. you continue to shoot dirty looks at him, all of which he returns, but after a while your legs start feeling weak. you slouch, eventually falling into a sitting position, and you fix your dress along your thighs so nobody can see under it. joe takes the opportunity to tease you.

“just a quick peck,” he smarms, making a kissy face at you. “that’s allll it’ll take.”

you gag, mostly jokingly, at the thought. “i don’t wan’t your lips anywhere near me, burrow.” he laughs and shakes his head, continuing to stand there with his arms crossed.

you sit there for what feels like hours - it has to be hours, people are leaving the party now… and joe is still across from you, still crouched against the doorway. people have resorted to stepping over you both to get through to the kitchen, pecking each other happily as they cross. some of joe’s friends have tried to come save him, they’ve offered to kiss you so he could come play beer pong or hangout, but you won’t let them. you made this bet with joe, and you have to see it through.

you figured joe would break whenever a girl would come offer herself up to him, but he didn’t. he declined everyone that wasn’t you, and brushed all his friends off. you pretended that didn’t affect you… but the fact that he was doing all this because of some stupid rivalry you had with him turned you on as much as it pissed you off, not that you’d ever admit that to him.

as the crowd starts to dwindle down you get nervous, you really need to get margot and head home, but there’s no way you’re breaking and kissing joe. you look over and see her kissing ja’marr in the corner and you roll your eyes. joe seems kinda proud of his friend and a tiny smirk falls upon his lips.

you scoff.

“what’s your problem?” he asks you, sticking his foot out and kicking yours. “i really need to get going. margot and i have to fly out early and she’s over there sucking face. and i’m over here…”

“not sucking face?” he laughs, tilting his head slightly. “exactly.” you agree.

“look, if it’s bothering you that bad,” he shrugs, “i’ll give you a peck to get it over with. then you and margot can leave.” for a moment you think you can see a crack in that ‘fuckboy’ exterior. you aren’t sure you want to take him up on that offer, but you know neither of your friends will let you move from this spot if you don’t.

you think about it for a brief second, and reluctantly agree to let joe kiss you. you try to talk yourself down. i mean, it could be worse. at least he isn’t ugly.

“okay… fine. but you have to tell everyone you caved.”

“whatever you say, princess.” he lilts, already leaning in toward you. “don’t call me that, i hate it.” you snap, looking him firmly in the eye.

“why?” he teases, inching closer, “it’s what you act like. even now, getting your way so you can go home instead of standing here all night. you’re a spoiled little princess.”

you reach out your hand and place it on his chest, you definitely don’t want to kiss him now. that doesn’t stop him, though. he’s already almost there until finally, his lips are touching yours as his frame towers over yours a bit. you’re both still sitting on the floor, but joe stands up quickly and yanks you up with him.

your immediate reaction to the kiss is to squirm away, but joe doesn’t let you. he wraps his arms around your smaller frame and pulls you into him, caging you against his chest. his lips start moving against yours and after a moment, you start kissing back.

all the alarms in your head are going off, but you can’t force yourself to care now. joe is a really good kisser. your hands find their way to his hair, tugging slightly. joe pulls away for a quick breath.

“went from not wanting my lips near ya to tugging on my shit real quick, huh?”

you slap his arm, earning yourself a laugh. you wait for joe to lean back in, but he never does, and for some reason you feel hurt by it. you look over and see margot still occupied with ja’marr, and then you turn your attention back to joe. he takes in your expression before laughing, you look like a kicked puppy.

“what’s wrong, princess?” he teases again, sliding his hands back around your waist. “didn’t realize you liked me so much?”

“fuck off, joe.” you retort, but you’re laughing as you say it. you stand on your tiptoes to meet his lips again, and he obliges you. you move together in sync, and this time he keeps his hold on you, pulling you even closer.

“always knew you liked me, could fuck you under this mistletoe if i wanted.” he rasps. you moan at the thought. you aren’t sure what’s come over you. you didn’t drink anything… you aren’t usually desperate… maybe it’s something to do with the fact that joe said he didn’t want this just as much as you said you didn’t, but here you are both reveling in each other’s touch. it felt like you couldn’t get close enough to each other. he pushes your back against the doorway, finally moving his hands off your hips and tangling them in your hair.

the tip of his tongue dips into your mouth slightly, and you push yours back against his, sliding it along the roof of his mouth as you slip past his lips. before you know it, joe’s dragging you down the hall and into the first vacant room he can find before he’s throwing you down onto the bed and towering over you. you push up to unzip your dress, realizing you might want this just as much as he does, but he stops you by holding out a hand.

“nah, keep it on. slide it up.”

you do as you’re told, sliding your dress over your legs, wiggling your butt and arching your back so you can get it up over ass and hips. joe drinks in the sight of you, your smooth legs and gorgeous body. you’re insecure about yourself a lot, but he’s looking over you like a man starved as he licks his lips.

he doesn’t bother closing the door as he stalks toward you, pulling a condom from his back pocket with one hand while unbuttoning his pants with the other. you slide your panties down your legs and spread them open for him with confidence.

“fuck,” he gasps, watching as you dip your fingers down between your folds to gather some of your wetness and then you rub them in tight circles on your clit. you gasp as you touch yourself, your eyes following joe as he finally pulls his pants down far enough, fisting his hand along his admittedly large length. you always teased him about it in pictures, but it was big. he knew it, you knew it, half of the state of louisiana knew it. and to your dismay, it was prettier in person.

joe finally makes it to the edge of the bed, still watching you as you work yourself. you figured you’d be cringing at the lack of foreplay, or how his pants aren’t even all the way off, but you can’t bring yourself to care as he continues stroking himself before ripping open the condom and sliding it on. he gets on the edge of the bed by his knees and comes toward you a little, a hand extending out to run a finger through your heat and gather some of the wetness pooling there. he smears it all over his cock, and even though the condom is there, it still drives you crazy to see. “joe, come on before i back out.” you tell him, and you almost don’t recognize your fucked out voice.

the heat of the moment is so enticing to you both. his clothes are still on, pants down his legs halfway, and your dress is hiked up while you dig your high heeled shoes into someone else’s mattress. he finally leans forward and slides into you. you take a sharp breath, feeling more full than you ever have as he pushes in to the hilt.

joe barely gives you any time to adjust before he’s thrusting into you roughly. his lips find yours again and you gasp into his mouth. he pulls away slightly, allowing a drop of spit to fall from his lips into your mouth, which you take happily. you’re both moving sloppily against each other, but as joe brings his hand to your clit to flick his fingertips against it gently, you can’t bring yourself to even care. you’ve had sex with plenty of people and you’ve had orgasms before, but you’ve never experienced the euphoria joe is making you feel.

the warmth starts at the top of your head and it spreads throughout your extremities, into your fingertips and toes. you arch into him, your lips still moving together, and joe’s hips are still pounding into yours, shaking the bed against the wall. you cringe as you hear margot’s keys jingling in your bra. it doesn’t seem to bother joe.

with a few quick slips of his fingers over your clit, you’re cumming against him without warning, and harder than you ever have in your life. the tight squeeze around his cock as you cum is the catalyst for his own orgasm as he spills into the condom.

he pulls out of you with haste, ready to tie off the condom and discard it as fast as possible, hating how slimy it feels. just as soon as he’s moved you dart off the bed, grabbing your panties and slipping them up your legs before attempting to make a run for it.

joe pulls his pants and boxers up, tucking himself in and then runs after you, making it to the door before you. “pretty good, wasn’t it?” he jokes, and you roll your eyes at him before pushing past and walking back down the hall, headed for margot. he chases after you.

“okay, didn’t last as long as i normally would, but i mean, we could do it again, i could prove it. that was… you were…”

you press a finger to his lips as you pass through the very same doorway that got you into this predicament. your eyes study joe’s face as he nervously worries his bottom lip between his teeth. you’ve never seen him like this before, he’s shaken up, and you like that you’re the cause of it. you’d hate to admit it, but you would like to do this again. you point up at the mistletoe and joe takes the hint, pulling you in for another short yet sweet kiss.

“text me.” is all you say before walking over to margot, grabbing her by the arm, and dragging her out the door and to the car. you pull her keys from your bra and unlock it, opening the passenger door and shoving her in before going to the drivers side and starting the ignition.

margot slurs her words as she speaks to you. “wha’ happened? did’ya kiss ‘im?”

“i’ll tell you later, marg.” you say, eager to get home as quickly as possible. you park as quickly as you’ve pulled into the space and you help margot out, grabbing both your phones before you go inside, taking margot right to her room. she insists she’s okay enough to take off her makeup and undress, and she promises she’ll drink water before she falls asleep. you head to your room, shocked to see the clock on your phone reading 1:00am already.

you set yourself an alarm for six, and you undress quickly before sliding on some pajamas and settling in bed.

when you wake the next morning it’s to margot beating on your door. “wake the hell up, we missed our flight!”

you scramble out of bed, unplugging your phone and running out into the hall. margot stands next to her door, laughing at you as you panic.

“don’t just stand there, marg!” you shout, your voice laced with panic. “we’ve gotta get dressed, load our bags, call the airport—“

she cuts you off with a loud laugh. “relax, y/n.” she says between giggles. “we aren’t late. i just wanted to get back at you. how dare you sleep with the quarterback and not tell your best friend?” she shoves your shoulder.

you look down at your phone, realizing it’s only 6:10am. “bitch.” you laugh, running back into your room. you lock the door behind you again, and margot continues her laughter. “i need all the juicy details! literally every last second of it, you have to tell me everything!”

you weren’t sure how she even knew, even though you’re sure ja’marr probably texted her.

you roll your eyes at her even though she can’t see it as you head to your bathroom, ready to take a quick shower. you check your phone one last time before hopping in the water, noticing a text notification from joe, who you’ve affectionately saved as “fuckface.”

you don’t open it just yet, but you crack a smile knowing he’s messaged you already. what have you gotten yourself into?

all photos and dividers used are not mine. all credit to owners.

taglist: @slimshiesty @starsinthesky5 @kykysinlovewithafairytale @burrowdarling @joeyb1989 @loveyatopluto @toterry @unhingedfangirl @superheroprincess22 @burreauxsworld @definitelynotdomanique @samanthamark5 @superstarshitblog @fa1ry03 @wickedfun9 @xbriexx @venic-bxtch @burrowdarling @angels555 @idbe-theman @yelenasbraid @ladyluvduv @joeburrowshaircurl @joeybisbootiful @livinobx @blairsworld22 @jarring-behavior @joeyburrrow

[lixies-favorite-cookie]

⋆.˚ ☁︎ TEENAGE DREAM ☁︎︎ ⋆.˚

—sometimes at eighteen, young love is anything but a teenage dream.

genres・fluff // young love // awkward confessions // meet cutes. summary・love is embarrassing, especially when you're in high school. from the cozy coffee shop to the local campus, eight boys stumble through the awkward world of crushes—trying, and failing to confess to you. taglist ・@its-stayville-forever, @aris078, @emilywjinnie

a/n・I haven't been on here for a little while, but I wanted to do something silly and fun to celebrate 500 amazing followers! All of these ideas are still in the works, so the plots may change, but I'm having so much fun writing them. I get hit with a pang of nostalgia every once in a while, remembering my very first fanfiction, haha. If you want to be tagged in any of these, just comment down below or send me an ask—and always remember to support your content creators; it means the world to us!!

☁︎︎ COFFEE CUP ☁︎︎

BANG CHAN loved being a barista; not only did he get exceptional employee discounts but it was peaceful—he handed people their coffee, they said thank you and walked away—nobody ever bothered him. that is, until one night, ten minutes before closing, you walked in with your bright smile and garrulous chit-chat. It only took you one sentence to have him hooked, eagerly waiting for your next late-night visit. what is bang chan going to do when he finally works up the nerve to write his number on the sleeve of your coffee cup, only for you to toss it away without ever seeing it? (coming to your shelves December 10th)

☁︎︎ ROSE ☁︎︎

LEE KNOW was famous for being the star quarterback turned heartless bachelor—or so everybody thought. nobody could have guessed that the reason minho chased every woman away was because, hidden 60 miles from home, there was the animal shelter where he volunteered. the reason he drove an hour every day to nurture abused pets? you. what is minho going to do when, no matter how many roses he gives you, you just can’t take the hint? (coming to your shelves soon...)

☁︎︎ MOTORCYCLE ☁︎︎

︎SEO CHANGBIN. there’s nothing he loves more than his motorcycle—well, that’s not entirely true. he probably loves you more, but his motorcycle is certainly a close second. with prom looming, changbin finally gathers enough courage to ask out his long-time crush and childhood best friend. what is changbin going to do when, halfway through, he chickens out—and, in a panic, ends up ramming his motorcycle into your mailbox while trying to back out of your driveway? (coming to your shelves soon...)

☁︎︎ MY MUSE ☁︎︎

HWANG HYUNJIN has been in love with you for about as long as he’s understood the word love; stuck in the seat beside you since elementary school, hyunjin grew to adore the soft curves of your features. one day, in the middle of art class, he's struck with the urge to draw you. overcome with the fear of never getting the chance to tell you how he feels, hyunjin stuffs the picture in your locker. what is hyunjin going to do when he overhears you talking to your friends about the drawing—and you mention his enemy's name, and not his? (coming to your shelves soon...)︎︎

☁︎︎ LYRIC BOOK ☁

HAN JISUNG is dedicated to securing the top spot in his songwriting class, and nothing is going to stand in his way. that was, until three years ago, when you walked through the door, head held high, speaking of your goals as if they were already part of the present. jisung never thought there would be any competition—until there was. now, he doesn’t know whether to write songs about his overwhelming hatred or his overwhelming ardor. what is jisung going to do when, one day, you’re paired with him for a project, and you discover all the love songs he’s written about you? (coming to your shelves soon...)

☁︎︎ SUGAR AND SPICE ☁︎︎

LEE FELIX, the school's sunshine, the universe’s fallen star—nothing was going to get him down. well, except for you. no matter how hard he tries, felix just can’t form a sentence around you; his tongue twisting into sailor’s knots whenever you look his way. what is felix going to do when he tries to confess through a cake, baked fresh in the culinary class you share, but trips over his shoelaces and smears the cake all over your shirt instead? (coming to your shelves soon...)

☁︎︎ BASEBALL ☁

KIM SEUNGMIN worked with a focus nobody else seemed to reciprocate, constantly practicing to be the best pitcher this world has ever seen. his teammates respected him, his coach loved him, and the school only ever saw his poised manners—not the awkward teenager he really was. that is, until he meets you—equally shy and almost as painfully awkward, studying on the bleachers every day after school. there's something about your concentration, the self- assured direction you set for yourself, that makes him want you even more. what is he going to do when, one day after practice, he scrawls his number on a ball and chucks it toward you? and for once, the ball doesn’t go where he aimed. instead of landing in your lap, he nails you right in the forehead. (coming to your shelves soon...)

☁︎︎ THE BOOK WAS BETTER ☁︎��

YANG JEONGIN lived in the library. on the days when he wasn’t cramming for an exam, he was relaxing with a good book. the library had always been peaceful for him—a sanctuary that students rarely ever touched. that is, until one random morning, he sees you walk in—captain of the cheerleading squad, with your tiny skirt and sparkly eyelids, jeongin almost expects you to laugh at him and his pathetic seating arrangement—all alone. but then, checking to see if anyone’s watching, you pull a book from the shelf, and begin to read it. that's how it started—now, every day during lunch, you come and read your book, safe in the shadows, creating a home nobody else knew about. what is he going to do when he starts falling for you, through the notes he slips into your book after you leave? And what will happen when the wrong girl comes in and tries to take the book? (coming to your shelves soon...)

a special thank you to @jeonginsleftcheek who helped me flesh out all these ideas. I couldn't do any of this without you!! I hope you like these stories <33

[goldfades]

sweet on you headcanons: christmas at the burrow house (a little late but nonetheless, hope you enjoy!

Joe’s mom insisted on everyone wearing matching Christmas pajamas, even Hayes, who had a tiny red-and-green onesie with “First Christmas” stitched on the front. Joe grumbled about it but secretly loved the sight of everyone gathered in their cozy, ridiculous outfits

Hayes was the star of the day (per usual)

From the second Joe’s mom scooped him up in her arms, it was all about the baby. Joe didn’t even mind sharing the spotlight—he just stood back, arms crossed, grinning like a fool every time Hayes got spoiled with attention (and presents)

The day started early with the smell of coffee brewing and the sound of wrapping paper tearing. Joe’s dad handed out gifts while Hayes sat in your lap, wide-eyed at the flashing lights and shiny bows.

Joe helped Hayes “open” his presents, laughing every time Hayes tried to eat the paper

Joe spent part of the morning in the kitchen with his mom, helping her bake her famous Christmas biscuits. He kept sneaking pieces of dough, and you knew it was more about spending time with her than actually helping

At one point, Hayes joined them in his high chair, banging a wooden spoon like he was part of the process

The afternoon brought a light snowfall, and Joe insisted on bundling Hayes up and taking him outside for his first experience with snow

Hayes didn’t seem too sure about it, but Joe couldn’t stop grinning, holding him up to catch the snowflakes while you took so many pictures

After lunch, the Burrows did their traditional backyard football game. Joe’s brothers argued over who would have him on their team, and Joe jokingly suggested Hayes as the quarterback. You stayed on the sidelines with Hayes, cheering for Joe while secretly loving how competitive he got with his brothers

Dinner was classic and warm—ham, mashed potatoes, and every side you could think of. Joe made sure you got seconds before grabbing his own plate, and Hayes got his first taste of mashed potatoes, which he absolutely loved.

Before bed, Joe read The Night Before Christmas to Hayes in front of the fireplace. You sat beside them, watching the way Joe softened as he read, changing his voice for each part. Hayes babbled through most of it, but the moment was perfect anyway

Once Hayes was down for the night, you and Joe sat by the fire with mugs of hot cocoa, wrapped in one blanket. Joe leaned in, kissed your temple, and said:

“This is what it’s all about. Us, family, and making these memories.” And you couldn’t agree more

As you climbed into bed that night, Joe whispered, “Thank you for giving me all this.” His hand rested on yours, his expression soft in the glow of the Christmas lights. It was a quiet, perfect end to your day.

[pedgito]

wishing everyone a belated happy holidays and early happy new year! december was a hectic month for me so i didn't read nearly as much as i wanted to, but these are the fics i enjoyed in the time that i had. i went through a bit of a series binge early this month, as you'll see below. here's to all the fluffy, angsty, smutty goodness everyone is bound to cook up in 2025!

this key will help you figure out which fics are more your vibe, or if you’re just curious of the contents before you dive in:

smut = 🌶️, fluff = ☁️ angst = ☄️

total fics listed below: 18

✎ — 𝐉𝐎𝐄𝐋 𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐑

↝ hook 'em series by @joeloverture — 🌶️

Trying to get back at your cheating quarterback ex-boyfriend leads you right into the arms of his coach. You plan on staying there for a little while.

↝ smooth operator series by @penascigarette — ☄️, 🌶️

You didn't know why Joel was so different from your other clients. His voice was the first thing to catch your attention, followed closely by words so hot they lit a fire within you. Everything he said drew you to him like a moth to a flame; but that's the problem with fire. Someone is bound to get burnt.

↝ limits by @perotovar — 🌶️

So like, imagine a world where bulls evolved to be bi-pedal and can mate with humans, but it’s not a common practice. Don’t think too hard about it, just imagine you’re a new farm hand/stable boy and caught the attention of one of those bulls, okay?

↝ the one you need series by @loliwrites — 🌶️, ☄️, ☁️

When you move into town hellbent on keeping everyone at an arm’s length, your neighbor Joel finds his way into your life.

↝ stay forever by @mrsmando, part one: stay while — 🌶️, ☁️

You & Joel finally reach jackson, and the life you’ve dreamed of becomes reality — with a few twists and turns along the way.

↝ i'm empty without you, so come grow within me by @chronically-ghosted — 🌶️, ☄️

With winter approaching, Joel takes stock of what he wants and what he has in his life. He wants you, but he’s not quite sure he has you, not in a way that only a life in Jackson can afford. Joel’s an old-fashioned guy, so he’s looking for an old-fashioned love…if he can only remember how to do it right.

↝ mr. winter by @kedsandtubesocks — 🌶️, ☁️

You wrote that letter to Santa as a joke (knowing he obviously wouldn’t answer it) until he does - and he comes with a proposition.

↝ through the glass by @murder-wife — 🌶️

Your neighbor, Joel, seems to have a revolving door of dates. He also doesn't seem to have a taste for keeping his curtains closed. You can't help but watch when it feels like he wants you to see what he's doing to them.

↝ but he's the one i want by @wheresarizona — 🌶️

All you needed was to see if your dad’s friend, Joel, had a spare key to your father’s house. Instead, you get railed within an inch of your life on Joel’s couch. 

✎ — 𝐃𝐈𝐍 𝐃𝐉𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐍

↝ shadows by @burntheedges — 🌶️

You were pretty sure the ship was haunted.

✎ — 𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐂𝐔𝐒/𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐋 𝐀𝐂𝐀𝐂𝐈𝐔𝐒

↝ guilty as sin by @ovaryacted — ☄️, 🌶️

Being the daughter of a Senator of Rome has it’s pros and cons, you lived comfortably while constantly being reminded of your insubordinate position in society. However, upon meeting General Acacius, your life changes as you begin to grow fond of him. The question is, will he reciprocate your feelings, or cast you out to suffer your impending doom of unwanted courtship?

↝ fit for a goddess by @ozarkthedog

You wear Marcus’s gold laurel crown while he worships you.

↝ propositio by @gracieheartspedro — ☄️, 🌶️

After assembling an army to win back Rome, you finally get to confront the traitor to your cause. General Marcus Acacius.

↝ foxglove downs series by @whocaresstillthelouvre — 🌶️

In the exclusive realm of elite show jumping, where wealth stretches as far as the polished estates, Marcus Acacius and Lucius Verus are locked in a fierce competition that reaches far beyond the arena.

✎ — 𝐅𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐊𝐈𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐀𝐋𝐄��

↝ nut vid with the sound on by @syd-djarin — 🌶️

You accidentally send Frankie a text that he wasn’t supposed to see.

✎ — 𝐉𝐀𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐑 𝐏𝐄𝐍𝐀

↝ helping hand by @/mrsmando — ☁️, 🌶️

You and Javi take a bath together.

✎ — 𝐄𝐌𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐎𝐑 𝐆𝐄𝐓𝐀

↝ reprieve by @hauntedhowlett-writes — ☄️, 🌶️

When angry, Emperor Geta seeks reprieve in his empress.

✎ —𝐄𝐌𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐎𝐑 𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐀

↝ death kink by @s-lverwing — ☄️

Devotion between you and Caracalla is measured in blood.

likes, reblogs, and comments keep the motivation alive, so if you’re taking a look at these for the first time, please leave a kind word for these writers or just reblog, even. support your writers <3

[blackynsupremacy]

TOUCHDOWN

CHAPTER 1

pairing: nicholas a. chavez x black!fem!reader

summary: your loathing for the sport of college football changes when unexpected sparks fly between you and the star quarterback.

contains: college au, fluff, quarterback!nicholas, strangers to friends (for now), slow burn, opposites attract, mention of partying, swearing, meet cute.

also starring: drew starkey as himself, justine skye as herself.

a/n: based on this request. this is my first request ever, so i hope you guys enjoy it! this will be a series because the idea of quarterback!nicholas has hella potential and i didn’t want to do lazy headcanons. dear taglist, my apologies if my tags are inconsistent! i be writing these sleepy as hell and sometimes i forget. please charge it to the head and not the heart. thank you all for the continued support!

tags: @oscarisaackissmykitty @greengoblinswifey @jkr820 @simply-lovley44 @elitesanjisimp @gxuxhdjdu @hnch33rios @niteskysx @xoxoglittergossip @titsout4nicholas @hoffmansgirl @hopefully-saturn @austeenbootler @supaprettyg @sabrinasopposite @thabiddie23 @sheydnni @venic-bxtch

the sun rays illuminate the orange, black, and white fan appearal as the roaring cheers of the crowd of the ecstatic student body vibrated and pierced through your ears as you were being dragged by your best friend, justine.

“come on, girl! it’s almost the start of the second quarter.” justine urged, trying to make her way through the crowd with you in tow. her brown eyes focus on the path leading you to the seats printed on your complimentary tickets.

“i don’t know what the hell you’re rushing me for, j! you spent all that time trying to find something to wear.” you retort with a scoff before taking your wrist from her palm in order to search for your seats. once you get a glimpse in the distance, you point.

“they’re over here!” you exclaim to your friend loud enough to hear over the cheering fans. begrudgingly, it was your turn to lead because you’ve barely stepped foot in this stadium.

all week, she had pleaded for you to go to this saturday’s game to support her boyfriend and wide receiver, drew starkey. you kept refusing her plea until she bribed you with the promise of paying for anything you desired from the concession stand. that had to be serious coming from justine because the prices weren’t very reasonable, so you gave in. you’ve met drew on a couple occasions and he was cool towards you for a football player, but you don’t really mingle with the crowd of student athletes at your college. you especially don’t like football or sports in general. it’s pretty ironic considering you’re the head football coach’s daughter, a fact that you keep under wraps from the student population and you wanted to keep it that way. it’s not like you didn’t hate the man. it’s just you and your father had never really seen eye to eye, he was all about athletics, strategy, competition, and winning. meanwhile, you wanted to express yourself in a way that didn’t have to do with his values. you’d rather be reading, writing, creating, vibing to your vinyls, or catching up on your favorite true crime documentaries. you wanted to be left alone to grow into your own identity, but your dad was just too pushy, so that pushed you away from his world of sports.

you were glad that drew had gotten tickets on the sidelines for you both because you didn’t want to call your dad about being here. as you took your seats, you could already hear the buzzer go off to signify the start of the second quarter. you gaze down across from the metal bars to see the line of players spectating from the benches along with your dad pacing across the turfed sideline with his arms crossed and a furrowed expression. you look to see the score, your college scored thirty-five while the opponent is gaining traction with a score of thirty-two. that was a first, this other team seemed to be a formidable force to be reckoned with. you can already tell that your father was going to pop off like that vein protruding out of his bald head. your eyes drifted towards the game, you saw the jersey number fourteen, who you recognized as your best friend’s beau and none other than number one, the quarterback, nicholas alexander chavez. he was basically the top man on campus as he was on the field from what you’ve heard. he had the full ride, the skill, the physique, and possibly the arrogance that came with such a package. you can’t say that know him, but you know of him because your dad had mentioned him numerous times in the past as if he were the son he never had— or, always wanted.

as you observed each play, you saw that drew and nicholas were putting in the best efforts they could to get the team to victory, but today didn’t seem to be their day as they were now tied up. nicholas’ frustration with how these guys were aggressively knocking down his boys was starting to show. he’s even fumbled the ball not once, but twice. he was really off his game. your father talks to the referee to call for a brief timeout. all of the players that were on the field retreat to where their respective teams reside. after huddling them into a circle, you knew it was anything, but a kumbaya. even through the amplified sound of the field, you can still hear your father viciously bark in each of his players’ faces, especially towards nicholas. nicholas stood there frozen as your dad’s finger aggressively prodded in his chest with every single word. the elder huffed out a breath and directed nicholas towards the bench to which he complies with a firm nod and proceeds to do what he’s told. your father tapped another player to take over before it was time for the game to resume. he obviously didn’t notice that his place on the bench was right in front of your seat, but just a few feet away.

“mmcht. that’s a damn shame. nick doesn’t usually get sidelined like that!” you heard justine say, you could see from the corner of your eye that she was shaking her head.

“you’re not wrong. i thought he was putting in work from what i’ve seen, but y’know how my dad be tripping—enough is never enough.” you nonchalantly respond, rolling your eyes. justine shifted the conversation and asked if you needed anything from the concession stand. delighted that she kept her promise, you put in your order and offered to watch the seats. now, that you were alone, you pondered when you gaze at the quarterback.

you’d never say it out loud, but now you were feeling—pity.

a heaviness resided in your chest as you watch who you thought would be this confident, egotistical person with the world as his oyster, carry himself in such a downcast, vulnerable manner. sure, you weren’t fond of the athletic scene nor students, but at the end of the day, they were human. no matter how many plays they ran, practiced, and drilled, there’s always a chance to mess up under this amount of pressure. as soon as nicholas plopped down on the bench, he exasperatingly removed his white helmet and shook the dripping perspiration off his chocolate tresses. with legs spread, he leaned forward as his elbows rested on his thighs. you couldn’t see his facial expression because he shamefully hung his head towards to the ground, his spine raised and lowered with every breath.

this was weighing on you with such intensity. a part of you wants you to mind your business and get this game over with, but another part is urging you to do something that you couldn’t even fathom. after making sure your father was preoccupied, you stand up from your seat and begin to walk towards the benches to the spot where nicholas was. it was strange, really—this was an event that you were indifferent to, but here you are, showing empathy towards someone you barely knew. that’s only because he’s been in the same spot you have. you chide your conscience to shut the hell up for a minute. with each step, you glance around to see if anyone else noticed nicholas’ dejection, but there was still a winning streak to hold up at this college, so the crowd was too loudly absorbed in the game to even care about the quiet turmoil on the sidelines.

this was way out of your comfort zone.

you thought you were going to suffer from a heart attack with the way your chest was pounding. the closer you got to him, the more you could see the tension in his shoulders as his fists and jaw simultaneously clenched. you take a second to read the scoreboard, your school had gained some points, but the opponent was still one point behind with clock of second quarter nearing its end. you’re right behind him and your hand looms over his shoulder as you’re in internal conflict with yourself. oh, what the hell? what have you got to lose? your palm tapped on his shoulder, you stop yourself from shrinking when he slowly turns to see it’s you. nicholas curiously quirked a brow at your presence, you were cute. he silently admired your earth toned skin, full glossed lips, and warm, but strangely familiar brown eyes. your face heated as you felt awkward under his gaze the longer he kept staring. besides football, you could see why he gets play on and off the field, but you had a task you needed to complete. for nicholas, it’s not like he didn’t mind the female attention, but he was in the middle of an athletic crisis, so if you were there to either chat him up or gripe about him not calling back or whatever, all of that could wait, but that sincere look in your eyes made him want to hear you out.

“hey…” you greet awkwardly, but raised your voice loud and steady for him to hear, “if i were you, i wouldn’t beat myself up over this. it’s only one game.” he ran a hand through his hair to keep it from sticking to his face,

“you think so? what makes you say that?”

his brows furrowed, pondering awaiting what you’re about to say next.

“one, you won’t die if you lose and two, aren’t you the one that got us most of these points in the first place?” you quiz by sarcastically counting on your fingers, your eyes flicker to the scoreboard. nicholas takes a moment to think on it and silently confirms your statement with a nod.

“okay, then. don’t let my—i mean, your coach get into your head, he’s just being—a dick, not that i would know.” you quip, still trying to keep your identity a secret, there’s a tension lifted when you hear him chuckle. the sound alone causes a small smile to form on your face before you continue to speak,

“i’m just saying at the end of the day, it’s one game, so don’t trip. besides, you may not know it. but you got value to this team, which is more than i can say for your teammates—except for drew.” intrigued, nicholas was astonished by this. here you were, this random, but cute, girl he didn’t know from a can paint approached to give him a—pep talk? now, there were all types of questions racing in his brain and he was certain that you had the majority of the answers. too bad that time wasn’t on his side.

“hey, i appreciate—” he started, but was instantly cut off by the assistant coach who called out from a distance,

“yo, chavez! you’re back in.”

that was your cue to go. a part of you wished that you got to hear what nicholas had to say, but another part knew that wasn’t possible given that he probably won’t even remember you. this was a huge school with many faces and your crowds just don’t happen to mix, so how could it ever be possible for you both to cross paths again? you send a dejected grin towards him,

“i gotta go. i’ll see you when i see you!” you quickly bade him farewell before he even got the chance to respond, which sucks because you couldn’t be seen by your dad talking to one of his precious players. you make it back in time to sit in your seat and justine happened to sit a few minutes after, carrying your concession orders in her arms. after she hands you your food, she begins to indulge in some popcorn as she observes the game.

“damn, that line was a hot mess! did i miss anything, n/n?” she questioned, her gaze turned to your direction. you didn’t want to tell her about the talk you had with the quarterback, so you played it cool.

“nah, but it looks like dad decided to put nicholas back in.” you respond, pointing to the field where the team are preparing to run another play. as you observe, you notice there’s a change in nicholas. he’s now playing harder than before, the speed in his legs could leave a trail of fire as he continues to dodge tackles and score touchdown after touchdown. the crowd in the stands gets hyped up each time when the home score gets higher with every second ticking by. you and justine were thoroughly impressed by nicholas’ new air confidence as you watched him jump with drew to bump their chests in pure excitement. you found it quite endearing. it was like time was flying as the game progressed up until half-time. while the spirit team runs to the field to prepare for their dance routine, you spectate as your father calls the boys over for a huddle, approvingly talks to them, and relieves them to recuperate on the benches. justine taps your shoulder to get your attention before she directs her thumb to the other side of the benches,

“hey, i’m gonna go talk to drew for a little bit. you wanna come with or…?” she inquires and you shake your head to decline.

“nah, i’ll just wait or go to the bathroom until you get back. say hey to drew for me!”

with a nod in response, justine stands from her seat to journey her way through the crowd to catch up with her boyfriend that sat on the far end. once she was out of view, you took the opportunity to leave your seat and see about nicholas. this time, you didn’t feel as worried as you did when you first managed to talk to him. this wasn’t very much like you, making an effort to talk to someone, let alone a guy for the second time within a span of several minutes. once you’re in the spot from earlier, you lean over the railing to tap his shoulder.

“yo!” you casually greet to him, raising your voice among the noise. nicholas turned instantly to find that it’s you again. with a piqued expression, he still never forgot the previous conversation, nor the questions he had for you.

“oh, hey.” he responds, turning his body fully to you as he chugged on the green gatorade water bottle, “it’s good to see you again—y’know i meant to say that i appreciate what you said earlier. are you like the school’s motivational speaker or something?” he playfully questions, a smile raises on his lips when you both chuckle.

“nah, i just call things as i see it—i see that you got your mojo again.” you shrug, glancing towards field then back to the quarterback.

“damn right! we’re so close to winning, then it’s off to the championship before we know it.”

believe it or not, you found his enthusiasm for the sport to be charming.

“i bet it feels good.”

“what does?”

“to win—like, all the time.”

“honestly, it’s not all what it’s cracked up to be.”

“after witnessing the verbal ass whooping you got from your coach, i’ll take your word for it.” you both laugh again, nicholas sends you a curious stare.

“don’t you think it’s strange that we’re carrying on a conversation and we haven’t even asked for each other’s names?” he questioned, using the towel around his neck to wipe the sweat from his face. “i’d like to at least know the name of the motivational speaker and give her a proper thank you.” there he goes with that charming smile again, but he had a point. you guys were just talking and the thought never crossed your mind. you playfully rolled your eyes,

“since you’re dying to know, it’s y/n.” you went straight to the point of not revealing your last name, you doubt you’ll see each other again, so why bother?

“cute name. it’s nice to meet you. i’m—” he starts to introduce himself, but you cut him off.

“nicholas chavez. you’re quite popular here.” you matter-of-factly state, almost chuckling to play it cool. there’s no way in hell this dude just complimented your name so effortlessly like that. his face is painted with surprise followed by a soft laugh of his own,

“so you knew my name the entire time, huh?” he asked, quirking a brow.

“yeah, just didn’t want to give you that satisfaction. don’t you believe in mystery?” you joke, a smirk rose on your full lips before glancing at the scoreboard for the time—it was about five minutes until half time was over. shit, you kind of wanted to stay longer, but you had to bounce back to your seat before justine or worse, your father found out where you were.

“it was good talking to you, nicholas, but i gotta go!” you say as you hastily back up from the railing. a pang of dread pinched at your chest when you saw his face deflate to one of—disappointment? did he not want you to go? you brush those thoughts out of your head, you had to be hallucinating.

“hey, y/n! wait i—” nicholas was cut off by the buzzer and he watched as you were already on your way back to your seat. damnit, there was one more burning question he had, but now, he had to focus on securing this win.

the third quarter progressed still with the two teams neck and neck. it was now two minutes til’ the last quarter, your school’s team only needed to make it through one field goal to seal the deal. you, your dad, and the crowd sat in anticipation when the ball had been set on the field. it was now on nicholas to determine the team’s victory or failure with just one kick. you don’t know why you were so invested in this game, but you wanted him to make the goal. these last few seconds seemed to go in slow motion as nicholas’ foot drew back then swung forward with a force to connect to the ball, bringing it several feet in the air to send it to its desired destination between the slingshot shaped structure. at only three seconds, everyone, including you and justine were hyped all the way up once was the ball was deemed as going through the goal successfully.

you felt relief wash over you, not only for your college winning the game, nor that it was finally over, but that nicholas could go on about his day without the pressure from your father. as you and justine make your way out of the stadium, you can see her typing away on her phone. she seemed preoccupied as a mischievous smile rose on her face when you entered the parking lot. the sound of her giggles fill the air when you both enter the car. now, you had to see what’s up because it was genuinely freaking you out,

“justine, what the hell is going on?” you inquire. your best friend looks at you from the corner of her eye as she swiftly pulls out of the parking lot.

“drew’s having a party tonight with the team at his frat house to celebrate.” she replied, keeping her eyes on the road. you cross your arms and shrug. you didn’t really care for the college party scene because there’s always some bullshit, so you kept your distance.

“so? he’s always having one, what’s so special about it?”

justine playfully rolls her eyes, but she just couldn’t contain her smile.

“he told me to bring you along because there’s someone who wants to see you there! he didn’t tell me who, but it’s definitely someone from the team. aah, oh, my god! we gotta get you ready right now, girl.”

you sat there quietly, trying to piece this puzzle together. who’d want to meet the most lowkey person of this college at a party? then, you realized after retracing to the first conversation you had with him, you mentioned your association with drew.

it all became clear: it was none other than your school’s quarterback, nicholas chavez, who was requesting for you to be there. just when you thought there wouldn’t be a chance in crossing paths again, now it was your chance to step into something unexpected.

[ramp-it-up]

Sugar, Cubed

Photo found on Pinterest

Summary: I revisited Sugar and the boys from the Sugar is Sweet séries, and let me tell you. Bucky and Steve sure have grown up from their college days. They are no longer playing around. And they are coming for you. How do you choose? And do you have to?

Word Count: 3.5K

Pairings: Steve Rogers x Reader; Bucky Barnes x Reader; boss Tony Stark x reader

Warnings: 18+ Only, Minors DNI. Not Beta’d. Read at your own risk. Roommate/Co-worker au, S MUT! Angst, little bit of slow burn. Main character injury, allusions to sex, sexual tension, indecent proposal, caught between two lovers trope, idiots in love, Tony being Tony, truth or dare, talk of voyeruism, possibility of group sex, eventual polyandry.

A/N: This is related to the Sugar is Sweet au, but can be read alone. This is part one, part two will be posted next week. I hope you like it. This is part of Falloween 2024.

I no longer have a taglist. Please follow @rampitupandread and turn on notifications to learn when I post! 😘

I Do NOT Consent to my work being reposted, translated or presented on any other blog or site other than by myself.

——

You met the two most hated men in your life while you were living together as recipients of the prestigious Stark STEM Fellowship at NYU.

There was an instant spark when you met James Buchanan Barnes and Steven Grant Rogers, best friends from childhood. They sarcastically named you Sugar because of your initial rudeness, but the nickname just stuck around after you warmed up to them.

In the Stark Fellows program, life was hard work and hard play. Soon it was down to just you, Bucky and Steve, and life was a dream with parties, booze, and almost anything you wanted, as long as you lent your minds to the work.

Tony Stark tolerated anything that would keep productivity high. He knew that all work and no play would make Bucky, Sugar and Steve dull scientists.

So he encouraged you three to play. And funded it too.

Steve and Bucky were so protective of you, their sweet Sugar. The sexual tension that came with living with them was heady stuff.

You basked in the glow of Bucky and Steve's attention, while observant of the lines of partners at their bedroom doors and the competitiveness between the football quarterback and lacrosse captain.

You swore that neither Bucky nor Steve would ever win you, no matter the plays they made. But they each had you sprung in different ways. And they were so damn competitive.

They both wanted your heart.

It was only a matter of time before you gave it to each of them.

You fell hard for Bucky first. And it was urgent and intense.

But after just a year together, Bucky accepted a position with Stark Labs in Bucharest for a term that stretched into two years as he completed grad school at Politehnica. It happened without warning. You were angry at his choice and trapped in New York by your own contract with Stark for graduate work. 

You and Bucky were over. And you were heartbroken.

Steve’s waiting arms were open, and it was effortless and freeing to realize that the golden boy was the one who truly loved you. And he’d always been there. Your heart healed. You thought.

According to social media, Bucky seemed to love his new location, extending his contract beyond the initial year-long contract to finish his degree. It seemed that all he did was work.

Not that you were stalking his IG or anything.

He didn’t communicate with you directly, and with Steve only intermittently. It was like he’d erased his best friend and his best girl from his life. 

It made sense, since his best girl was now his best friend’s girl.

Then, during his second year, Bucky's stay in Romania was cut short,  he came back to New York, although not in the way you imagined.

Bucky had been critically injured; losing a limb. Tony made sure he had the best care, flying with Bucky to Wakanda for experimental surgery and overseeing his recovery. 

You found out via a social media after Bucky was back in town, and not from Tony or anyone else.

You were livid.

You raged at Steve, who had lied to you that he had to go to London for two weeks for work when he was actually in Wakanda at Bucky’s bedside.

The betrayal ran deep.

You and Steve were done after that, although you continued to work side by side at the labs. You felt as if Tony was trying to drive you over the edge, having you work around the clock with your ex. But he didn’t care. He had some insane theory that the tension would yield better results.

Each day, you longed for the hour that you could go to your posh new quarters in Stark tower. Although it was lonely, at least your apartment was private, and you could unwind in peace. Your days were tense, but predictable.

Until they weren’t anymore.

——

One afternoon, the hairs on the back of your neck stood up as you stared into the monitor to watch the results from the latest compound analysis roll numbers across your workstation.

“Hey there, Sugar.”

You froze, looking up and out over Manhattan through the window above your station. You couldn’t believe it, but you saw a pale reflection of him in the mirrored glass.

You slowly turned around.

Bucky looked good, his pale complexion not all the result of the blue gray skies over the Hudson. His face had grown more angular, his hair was shorter, and his eyes seemed older, but outside, he was the same Bucky. 

You didn’t know what you were expecting. 

Bucky Barnes seemed whole, except his left hand, the “golden arm” that was the pride of Bobcat football, was now black and gold metal. 

Vibranium. 

You stared at it as it reached for you.

“So I don’t get a hug?” 

Your eyes moved to his face while Steve cleared his throat and reminded you that he was there. You tried to forget his existence most days, but Bucky walking into your lab had erased him from your mind completely. For a moment.

“Sugar–”

You cut him off.

“Fuck you, Grant.” 

You looked back at Bucky with tears in your eyes.

“And fuck you, James.”

Despite your epithets, you threw yourself into his arms, sobbing with emotion.

“How could you…?”

You whispered it into his suit coat, your fingers digging into the material at his back as you cried into his shoulder. Bucky held you tight against him, and he felt harder, more solid. 

You realized that under all of the anger and hurt, you were mainly just relieved that he was alive.

Over two years of anxiety and unprocessed feelings were coming out, and Bucky rocked you as your body heaved. Steve came up behind you and hugged you both.

For a minute you relished the feeling, being held by the only two men that you ever had feelings for. You felt safe. But then you remembered the secrets and the lies, and anger flooded you again. You twisted out of their grasp.

“Don’t get any ideas, assholes.”

You moved away from them and wrapped your arms around yourself, suddenly cold.

“Do you know how worried I was? No one gave me any information. At all. I had to find out from social media. I felt like a fool, Bucky.”

You scowled at him.

“And you. You knew that, Cap. And you lied to my fucking face.”

You glared at Steve.

You looked from Steve to Bucky, who shared a guilty glance with each other. 

“That’s my fault, Sugar. I– I made Tony and Steve swear not to tell you.”

Your dark haired ex boyfriend looked at his shoes as he rubbed the back of his neck with his new hand. He held it up and looked at it and then at you.

“Didn’t know how you would feel about this.”

You ignored the uncertainty and hurt in his eyes.

"What do you want? A cookie? A pat on the head?  A tear? You are not going to make me feel sorry for you. Not when you let everyone else but me in on your secret."

You cocked your head and gazed curiously at the new appendage, then back at him.

“Bucky, I am stronger than you think. And I loved you.”

Both Steve and Bucky winced at the word ‘loved,’ but both for different reasons.

“I would have accepted you anyway you came. And I would have been by your side while you recovered. But you didn’t want that. But it looks as if you’re fine.” 

Steve sat back down at his workstation, resigned. You shook your head at him. If it wouldn’t have cost you a million dollars, which you didn’t have, you would have walked out of Stark Industries and moved across the world. But you had work to do.

“You’re interrupting our work here. You need to leave.”

You wanted him away from you like fire.

“That’s what I’m tryna tell you, Doll.” 

Bucky strolled over to the locker area and took off his coat, grabbing goggles and a lab coat.

“I’m reporting for duty. Tony assigned me back to the New York lab.”

—-

Tony leaned against the bar in his office, after he downed the drink that he’d offered you and that you’d refused. It was only 10:46 am. You were trying to hand in your resignation. Or at least ask for a transfer to a new location.

“And just where do you think you’re going to go, Sugar?”

You glared at your boss. Bolstered by anger, this was the least intimidated, and most angry, you’d ever been at him.

“Paris, maybe? Tokyo? Hell, even Des Moines. I’ll take anything. I need space.”

Tony shook his head. 

“I need you here. The productivity with Barnes back is about to be through the roof.”

You just stared at him incredulously.

“You’re not thinking with your brain. Your heart and what is pounding between your legs are in the way.” 

Your mouth dropped open.

“...But the tension between you Barnes and Rogers will make me a lot of money. I’ve studied you since your freshman year. I know what makes you tick, what motivates you to do your best work. And the numbers don’t lie. Being right in the middle of Bucky and Cap makes lots of money for Stark Industries.”

You stared out at the view of New Jersey, outraged.

“Besides. I have the exclusive contract over your mind, body, and soul for the next seven years. Might as well make the most of it.”

You sighed and took the drink Tony offered you this time.

—-

Bucky Barnes was the most infuriating man you’d ever met, second only to Steve Rogers.

Your brain was scrambled when you weren’t working, so you worked that much harder to stay in control. You hated when Tony was right.

Here you were, flanked by two gorgeous men whose work clothes only accentuated their powerful bodies. Bodies that you knew very well. Your tongue had traced every plane of each of them. Your hands explored their broad shoulders and taught, muscular frames. Your fists had clenched their throbbing cocks and you had accepted them inside you. 

No matter how mad you were at them, you couldn’t get them out of your mind.

Imagining Bucky crashing his lips to yours as he backed you up against a wall made your core throb. And dreaming about Steve’s hands around your thighs as he lifted you onto a lab table made your nipples tingle.

Working in between them in the lab was torture for your neglected body and soul. You were doomed to work in  between the two men who’d fucked you most thoroughly and recently.

You didn’t even want to think about your heart.

You ignored the lingering looks in their blue eyes, the way they gentled their voices when they spoke to you, and the way they tried to come in contact with you for no reason. The number of times fingers lingered over passed specimens, the way space became so tight that they had to squeeze behind you in the lab, and the uncomfortable number of times you ended up between them in the equipment closet made you lose your breath.

Steve and Bucky never pressed you for anything, and all you had to say was ‘excuse me,’ for them to move out of your way, but it was untenable. You would give neither of them the satisfaction of getting upset. You managed made it through work and home to your brand new vibrator every night after long days of fighting their pheromones in the lab.

After a week of forced proximity, you were experiencing the forced Stark Industries Happy Hour. As you waited for your drink at the bar, you thought it strange that Tony had never made them mandatory before Bucky came back. That was quite the coincidence.

You wanted to pace yourself with your drinking as you realized that you had to stay there for another couple of hours to get the bonus that came with attendance. The word ‘happy’ and the names Bucky Barnes or Steve Rogers did not go together, so you participated in each round to numb the desire that was plaguing you. 

For someone so smart. You were so clueless sometimes.

—-

As you rode the elevator in Stark Tower to your apartment later that evening, it seemed as if the elevator was moving extra slowly. You didn’t know if it was the tequila affecting your senses, or an actual malfunction, so you asked FRIDAY for analytics, but for some reason, she said you didn’t have clearance for the answer.

You were mad and mute for a minute, trying to clear your head for the security code. It was then that one of your fellow passengers, who you were trying to ignore, broke the silence.

“Okay Sugar, truth, or dare?”

You looked at him as Steve watched you both. 

“I said, truth, or dare.”

“Truth is Bucky, we’re not kids anymore.”

“So you pick truth. You don’t get to pick the question, though.”

Bucky ignored your ire.

“Which one of our cocks is better, mine or Steve’s?”

Your eyes widened and you gasped as Steve interjected,

“Buck…”

“What, Punk? Remember she rated them before she experienced them. Did that hold out? Or did she tell you that you were the 9.9 too?”

Steve rolled his eyes and went back to watching the floor count, mouth set in a thin line. You had not, in fact, told Steve that he was the 9.9. 

“Stop being a little shit, James.” 

You were rocked, memories flooding back, dysregulating your nervous system even more.

“So you’re saying you won't answer the truth?”

You crossed your arms and legs as you leaned back against the elevator wall. You looked up at the floor indicator lights, trying to stop the emotions from getting to you.

“You can pass. Or you can take a dare, Sugar.”

You huffed, fighting the urge to just say pass. Some lingering adolescent urge refused to let you.

“This is so fucking ridiculous.”

You spoke it outwardly, but you were talking to yourself, to your riotous body, which was reacting to these two men in this enclosed space in the most alarming way.

Bucky was watching you intently, but Steve hadn’t turned around, just replied in that voice of his.

“Those are the rules, Sugar. You should probably answer the question or take the dare.”

You closed your eyes and took a deep breath when you realized what this was. You were dealing with male egos and competitiveness. And they wanted to know the answer, hear you talk about their cocks when for some reason the agave gods were making you horny.

You had to get out of there. 

“You’re not making stupid bets and putting notches in the bedposts any longer. Bucky, we were together, and then you left. I thought it was something that it was not. Then Steve and I got together. I loved you both and in return, you both played me. You both won.” 

Steve turned around and faced you as Bucky advanced closer. He licked his lips and you wanted, no you needed, to run.

“You think I didn’t love you, Sugar? Shit, I worshiped you.”

The sensation of Bucky’s firm body crowding you in bed, taking up the mattress, leg wedged between your thighs while he delivered hot kisses and a slow grind against your clit came out of nowhere. You missed it. You wanted it again. But you lifted your chin as you straightened your spine, determined to resist him.

“You left me.”

“Stark made me!”

Bucky’s blue eyes were wide with emotion.

“‘S’okay Buck. She doesn’t believe I loved her either. Even though I always have. And I caught her when you were gone.”

You looked up at Steve and saw the hurt, and you were preparing not to care, but the feeling of Steve naked against your back, his hands roaming all over you, whispering assurances and praise as he rocked inside and made you come apart in his grip almost made your knees buckle.

You had to move, so you pushed at the rock hard wall of them and they let you move them to get to the elevator controls.

“Why. Won’t. This. Thing. Move!?!?”

You pushed too many buttons at once as Steve and Bucky tried to stop you. The only thing that stopped was the slow progress of the elevator. The small room jolted to a halt, and you stumbled, right into Bucky and Steve’s arms as everything went dark.

“Well now, Sugar. You should have just taken the dare.”

Bucky’s sass enraged you and you cursed and batted their hands away from you as you reached for your purse to find your phone.

—-

A half an hour later, you were all sitting on the floor, Bucky’s jacket beneath you and Steve’s jacket around your arms because the climate control was off. There was no telling how long it would be before someone would find you.

There had been silence since you realized you had not cell phone signal and cursed for 3 minutes straight. You were more than sober now.

God, you wished you were drunk.

“Answer the question. Or take the dare, Sugar.”

This time it was Steve.

“Your fucking competitiveness is so annoying, you know that? Can you two accomplish anything on your own, just for your own pride? Or altruism? Or shits and giggles?”

You could feel their eyes on you in the dark. You fought against them in the darkness, or you were just fighting the darkness, because the lack of sight was enhancing your other senses, and lord you didn’t really want to feel those right now.

“Truth. Or Dare?”

Bucky’s velvet voice was undeterred. You shook your head at it.

“Fine. If it will get you to leave me alone. Dare.”

“I dare you to give up control.”

The response was immediate, as if he were waiting for you to say that.

You groaned, a sound that sounded to sensual, even to your own ears. You were going for annoyed.

“Bucky, it’s late. I’m tired. I’m stuck in an elevator with my two exes. This is a nightmare. And you’re daring me to give up a concept?”

He chuckled.

“Not the concept of control. I think you know exactly what I mean. Give me control. One long weekend. It will be just like when we were roommates. But without the endless teasing and blue balls. This time you give us both that we deserve.”

“What the hell are you talking about, Bucky?”

Your head turned toward Steve, whose voice was on edge.

“I get to watch. You and Sugar, Steve. And direct. And participate…and we find out who is the best…”

“Hold on…”

You could feel Steve shifting in his position on the floor.

“Are you talking about….? Watching me and Sugar… what–?”

“Really Bucky? Do you have a metal brain as well?”

You wanted to fight, but them touching you was out of the question. Bucky was pure chaos.

“If we do this, what would that accomplish?”

“The fuck are you entertaining this nonsense for, Steve? Who the fuck–”

Bucky interrupted your rant.

“Well, you’ve entertained both of us, Sugar, haven’t you? Teased us. Toyed with us. Played us against the other. Wore our clothes and nothing else, slept between us in our bed. Teased us with that body well before we could really do anything about it.”

You dropped your head in your hands, exhausted, as Bucky continued.

“And then, when you finally granted us between your legs, one by one, there was always this spector hanging over the bed, or the floor, or the counter, or the lawn that we fucked on, wasn’t there?”

Bucky paused and you heard the bitterness in his voice. 

“The other one of us was always in the closet or the bushes, or in your head, weren’t we?”

"Don't blame me for your twisted predilections, Bucky."

“What about your predilections, Sugar? You’ve played us against each other long enough. Don’t forget. We both know what gets you off.”

Bucky’s voice wrapped around you in the dark, and you wanted to climb on and ride it as your clit began to pulse. You cursed your body’s reaction to him.

“We know what gets you off hard. Steve told me everything. And it was the same as with me. Your fantasies, Sugar…”

Steve spoke up.

“Bucky, this is uncalled for…”.

"Stop being such a boy scout."

“We know you, Sugar. What we don’t know is who you like the best. We deserve to know.”

“Bucky…”

“It would give us all closure, Steve.”

“You’re crazy, Bucky.”

“Put up or shut up, Sugar.”

Suddenly the lights came back on and you scrambled to stand up as the elevator started again, this time moving at normal speed. You looked between one man who was flushed red and the other who had a smirk on his face.

The elevator stopped and the doors opened, as you bolted out, you replied to Bucky.

“Why don’t you just fuck each other? That will kill two birds with one stone.”

——

Next part: Simple Sugar

Let me know if you like it! 😊

[v6quewrlds]

Okay okay dad!Joe content: Joe and baby girl at family day and she has dad and all her uncles wrapped around her little finger 🥰

joe followed closely behind amara as she bounced from player to coach to staff member, her little arms flailing as she giggled and pointed. you watched with a smile that never left your face, your heart swelling with pride and joy. you knew joe was feeling it too, despite his stoic facade.

the bengals' locker room had transformed into a whirlwind of laughter and chatter as the families of the players and staff mingled. the scent of freshly cut grass and the distant murmur of the stadium speakers filled the air, a comforting backdrop to the chaos of family day.

amara's eyes lit up as she spotted ja'marr's familiar face, her favorite player after her daddy, of course. she squealed at the sight of him, barreling towards him. he scooped her up, spinning her around as she shrieked with delight. you couldn't help but laugh as you saw joe roll his eyes playfully at the sight of his daughter's unbridled affection for his teammates.

"look who's got a fan club," you teased, walking over to join them. joe slipped an arm around your waist, his eyes sparkling with pride as he watched amara tug on ja'marr's beard, the wide receiver wincing slightly through his rapid-fire questions which were answered in earnest.

"looks like i've got some competition, actually," joe replied, his voice warm with affection.

"you can't be #1 all the time," you hummed, leaning into joe's side, your voice light and playful.

ja'marr chuckled, gently pinched amara's cheek, earning a giggle in return. "it's tough, joe, but you've got to admit she's got taste."

"hey, i taught her everything she knows," joe said, feigning indignation, which only made you laugh harder. "and she's definitely got my moves."

"daddy, up!" amara demanded, reaching for joe after deciding she was tired of ja'marr and his questions. he grinned and swung her into the air. she giggled as he spun her around, her chubby cheeks flushing with excitement.

"alright, pumpkin," joe said, setting her down with a gentle bump. "let's go find some snacks—"

before he could get the words out, amara had already dashed off again, her little legs carrying her toward sam hubbard and trey hendrickson. the two defensive ends looked up from their conversation and sam immediately dropped to one knee, his arms wide open.

"there's the people's princess!" he boomed, catching her in a bear hug.

trey chuckled, shaking his head at the sight. "you're going to have to start training her to tackle, joe," he said, tickling the toddler's side.

"already on it," joe replied with a laugh. "she practices on me every night." you subtly elbowed him, and joe shot you a sarcastic smile. "what? it's true."

your little family made your way to the snack table, where a spread of treats and drinks lay in wait. amara's eyes widened at the sight of cupcakes topped with miniature footballs. she pointed eagerly, and you picked one up, handing it to her.

"just one," you warned with a knowing smile, but amara was already digging in, her tiny fingers covered in frosting.

as you munched on various salty and sweet snacks, the team's head coach, zac, approached, his expression was soft as he watched the children play. "your little one sure knows how to work a room," he exclaimed to the two of you.

you couldn't help but agree. "she's got more charm than the two of us combined," you murmured, wiping a smudge of chocolate from amara's cheek. she rested in joe's arms, giggling as he pretended to take a bite out of her cupcake.

zac chuckled. "it's a good thing she takes after her mother's extroversion," he continued, giving joe a playful nudge. the quarterback rolled his eyes while you snickered. "keeps you on your toes, huh?"

joe nodded, brushing away a stray chocolate curl from amara's face as she squirmed in his arms, spotting orlando making faces from across the room. "every minute of every day," he said, a hint of affection in his voice.

[tj-crochets]

Thanks everybody! I texted my mom about this and she was like "Yeah, I'm not surprised you're ambidextrous, I am and at least one of your siblings is too" so it turns out like at least half of my family is ambidextrous and that's probably why I thought that everybody could do all those things

Thinking about my neurology appointment again, I have another weird question for y'all! My neurologist was surprised and said it was weird I was right handed, which I am assuming is because of the reflex and grip tests she did, not because I give off a left-handed kind of vibe Wait I was going to ask if it was weird that I, a non-ambidextrous person, hit and kick evenly with both right and left sides, open doorknobs with whichever hand is closer, and use the foot pedal for the sewing machine with whichever foot it ends up nearer but can't write with my left hand But I just tried it and I can write with my left hand??? Like, not as neatly or as quickly as with my right, but it's clearly legible and not difficult to do. Have I been ambidextrous this entire time??

[elly-grace]

Friends don’t look at friends that way

Pairing:Joe Burrow x reader

Word count: 1505

September 2014

Today was your first day at Athens High School, but you weren't a freshman. Your dads business opportunity has led you here for your senior year. Only knowing the people on the dance team, which you were a part of. You honestly didn’t know them well enough to call them friends yet. The only person you knew on a personal level was your new neighbor Joe Burrow.

Joe was the quarterback on the football team, but he didn’t act like a football player. He was kind unlike any other football player you have had interactions with. He was smart as well. You could have an intellectual conversation with him.

Suddenly you are pulled from your thoughts by a knock on the front door.

“Let’s go Y/N don’t want you to be late on your first day.”

You and Joe had grown close over the summer. Often hanging out on the weekends.

“Coming, geez give me a minute.” you yelled through the door going to open it.

Once out the door you locked it and got into Joe's car. Of course Kid Cudi was playing in the background.

“Our schedules are the same,” You said after examining his schedule.

“That's cool!”

Joe knew that already he made sure he had the same classes as you. He enjoyed your company, but he would never tell you that. You could tell he was behind the identical schedules.

“You did this, didn't you?”

“Maybe,” You gave him a ‘I know it was you’ look and he sighed. “Yeah.”

“I mean thank you, I guess”

You both laughed as he pulled into the school parking lot.

“See you in class.” you said closing the car door. You didn’t want to walk to class with him or walk into the building with him because of the amount of attention it would attract. So you hurried inside and hoped that no one saw you get out of his car.

When you made it to your locker there stood Lacy the captain of the dance team.

“Hey, just so you're aware practice is on the field tonight. We have a game on Friday and the boys won’t be there till later.”

“Okay thank you.”

She walked away and you put your books in your locker and headed to class.

The only bright spot of your classes was actually having someone to sit by. Joe made sure to save you a spot in every class, even during lunch. But the school day was soon over and practice was in full swing.

The boys walk out of the locker room during your last run through of the halftime routine. Once Joe saw you he couldn’t keep his eyes off of you. His friends took notice.

“Ohhh does Burrow have a crush on the new girl?”

“No, we're just friends.”

“Friends don’t look at friends that way man.” His team mate said then patted his back.

January 2016

Joe and You both ended up at Ohio State, both of you were buckeyes. You made it on the dance team and he was on the football team. Although he was redshirted he showed up to every game and every practice. There you guys met one of your best friends Sam Hubbard. He was part of the football team with Joe. They instantly became friends and Joe introduced him to you and things clicked. The three of us soon became an unbreakable trio. Often spending your weekends together, most of the time you guys just went to get coffee. You guys tried to go to the bar one time, but never again. Joe and Sam would get extremely protective over you, Joe even punched a man who hit on you. Your movie night tradition remained which now included Sam.

Both of them showed up to all of your dance competitions and performances. You showed up to all of their games. But today was a huge day, they both flew out to Florida to support you at nationals.

You were extremely nervous, you couldn’t focus. You were shaking running through the routine in your head over and over again. Joe saw this and knew he needed to help you out.

He ran over to you and gave you a huge hug, upon feeling Joes touch your nervousness faded. Your teammates took notice of your reaction to seeing him.

“Hey, you got this! I’m gonna go sit by Sam but I want you to know that I believe in you.”

He then turns his back and walks over to Sam.

“Wait, are you two together?” Sarah asks, pointing Joe out.

“No, we're just friends.”

“Really? Because friends don’t look at friends' way.”

You sighed, you knew she was right. You did have feelings for Joe but you two could never be together, it just wouldn’t work.

“And friends don’t do what he just did for you. I can tell he loves you.”

You tried to shake the thought from your mind. Joe couldn’t have feelings for you. Could he? No he could have any girl he wanted, he didn’t want you.

August 2018

Today was a rough day, Joe was leaving for LSU, he decided to transfer after being redshirted his entire career at OSU.

“Come visit me, I’d love for you to see me play.”

“I promise I’ll come see a game. If not this season then next season.”

Joe smiles and gives you a hug, once he pulls away he walks to the car. You waited until his car was out of sight then you ran to your room and started crying. Robin noticed and followed you.

“Sweetie, what’s wrong?” She said rubbing your back as you continued to cry.

“I think I’m in love with your son, and he doesn’t know I exist in that realm. He thinks of me as his best friend and that’s it.”

Robin knew the two of you loved each other. She had a similar conversation with Joe about a month ago. She couldn’t tell you that though. She just offered you a small smile and continued to comfort you.

First day of school

Today was going to be incredibly tough. You had to walk into school without Joe and Sam. You kept your head down, only paying attention during classes. You walked down the hall until you hit something hard.

“I’m so sorry.” You said keeping your head down.

“No worries. What’s your name?”

“Yeah, Im Y/n. What’s your name?”

“Cody, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“You’re on the football team aren’t you. You look kinda familiar.”

“Yeah, I’m the tight end.”

“We’ll nice to meet you Cody but I gotta go”

“Wait can I maybe get your number?”

You smile and nod, grabbing a post it out of your bag and giving him your number. Then walked away.

It didn’t take long for you two to start dating, Cody was kind and sensitive. You went to every game, although it felt weird supporting a different number than Joes.

You were so busy with Cody you sort of forgot about your promise to Joe. You didn’t visit him and definitely didn’t see a game. But you did continue to call him every night.

After a few months Cody started getting really jealous of your relationship with Joe. He ended up making you block Joe's number. You listened to Cody, you thought you loved him. But by April you were sitting in your dorm crying because he broke your heart.

There was only one person you wanted to text, but you couldn’t bring yourself to text him. You had been avoiding him for a month what would he think if you reached out to him?

So you texted Sam, who responded right away. He came to your dorm with ice cream and movies. You sat and talked for hours, before Sam told you to text Joe.

You called Joe but he didn’t pick up.

Summer before Joes heisman season

Joe came home and didn’t even walk into his house. The first thing he did was go to your house. He let himself in using the hidden key. He was upset and hurt but most of all he was worried about you. Walking up the stairs to your room he heard crying. He opened the door and ran to you and hugged you.

“Shh it’s okay.” He said soothingly while brushing your hair.

“How can you be so nice after what I did to you?”

“Sam filled me in, am I hurt yes. But you are the most important person in my life.”

“I- I didn’t want to but, he made me.”

“Shhh I know, I know.”

You cried harder. You missed Joe so much, you missed his embrace.

“Don’t ever let a man make decisions for you again. You are strong.” He cooed in your ear.

You pulled away and looked him in the eyes.

“Joe?” you asked

“Yeah?”

“Friends don’t look at friends this way.”

“Friends don’t look at friends this way.” He said then kissed you. It was full of passion and need.

Thank you @funnyjb for proof reading ♥️

[burreauxwrites]

28 Things I Love About Joey

—————

writer’s block is so crazy y’all … i wanted to do an joe x reader birthday blurb, but i do not have it in me, especially because i have finals this week :[

BUT BEAR WITH ME, because i hope to have chapter 2 out for my fic sometime soon (the prologue and chaper 1 are in the masterlist!) and i’m hoping it’s a bit longer in length.

but we’ll see. IN THE MEANTIME, let me celebrate pookie’s birthday with 28 things i love about him :] IT’S JOE DAYYYYY 🧡

1. he’s so talented! the it boy, in terms of quarterbacks. he’s him.

2. he’s introspective, always taking time to think about what he says

3. his emotional intelligence !!! in a world where football can be competitive, he never takes his anger out on others.

4. he speaks highly of his other teammates! other qbs place blame on their teammates, but joey points out their strengths and how they improve

5. despite being quiet and reserved, he’s a nerd! his love for like batman, spongebob, and dinosaurs even is adorable

6. he doesn’t necessarily pay much mind to what people say about him. that’s attractive asf in my opinion!

7. the care he has for the younger fans! whether it be signing a ball or whatever, he’s just always so sweet to them :(

8. he’s just a natural leader. with the small mic’d up moments we do get, he’s always hyping up the others

9. his friendship with ja’marr (they’re basically married but that’s neither here nor there)! two peas in a pod fr!

10. his eyes !!! they are just the prettiest shade of blue to me <33

11. his hair! whether it’s the long brown hair with the droopy bit, or the buzzcut, his hair always looks flawless!

12. his chest. a chest of steel if you ask me.

13. his thighs. perfect for riding imo but we’ll save that for a blurb or two

14. his hands!!! his hands may be small (according to him), but damn, are they attractive.

15. the small habit he has of swaying back and forth in pressers. i tend to do that too, so to see someone else do it makes me feel less self-conscious 🥺

16. the extroverted side of him that does come out with friends! seeing him in hard knocks and talk about his bat mobile with tee and ja’marr was so cute

17. his grumpy moments!! we all get mad obv, but he’s literally the human version of grumpy bear sometimes and i think that’s adorable

18. he’s a smarty pants! when lsu joe talking about physics…yup <3

19. his love for cincinnati :( the way he talks about cincy is so sweet, you can tell he loves the city

20. his generosity and love for helping people out! he always talks about helping out with poverty and mental health and that warms my heart <3

21. his humility! i know we all hate how hard he is on himself, but at the same time, he’s just so humble :(

22. his words about gun control and women’s rights! when i first found out he had made a post against the overturning of roe v wade, i was surprised! most athletes don’t seem to really speak on those things, but he did 🥺

23. his love for his parents <3 idk if he was a mama’s boy, but hearing him talk about his mom is so cute :(

24. his SMILEEEE 🥺🥺🥺 his eyes do the little crinkly thing…ohhh my heart 💔💔💔

25. his determination!! he’s always determined to improve and that’s really attractive to me.

26. him in compression shirts. yum.

27. him smoking cigars…i don’t normally find smoking attractive but when HE DOES IT???? phew…

28. joey as a whole!!! he’s sososo amazing and deserves the world

once again, HAPPY JOE DAY <3 i hope he knows that he is so loved and that so many people look up to him. he’s so sweet, smart, sexy, and just stunning altogether. he deserves the absolute world and all of the happiness in it. love you joey b <3 🧡

[fryingpan1234567]

DC high school au… mayhaps…..

I’m not sure if anyone’s done this before

But I’m doing it now

So the JL, right. These are famous alumni who made school history and now obvi they’re billionaires and reporters and museum owners but they’re not superheroes— just regular people

Liiike Clark Kent was the best quarterback the school has ever seen

Oliver Queen essentially revolutionized the archery team

Diana Prince convinced the school to start a fencing league

Barry Allen slayed both track and any and all chemistry competitions thrown his way

Arthur Curry… I shouldn’t have to say anything about his swim team career. That’s where he met his wife

Bruce Wayne was one of the smartest people probably ever, especially to grace that building

And so on and so forth

Anyways so these people are famous, and they’re up on the walls and display cases and shit

The staff!! Was so thrilled!! To be getting their children!!!!

(The principal counted down the days on his calendar after the news hit that Brucie adopted his first kid)

So.

Dick and Barbara are seniors. Dick is the cheer captain and Babs WAS on the team until a fun little accident that has her wheelchair-bound. (It’s fine, she discovered she actually likes computers better. She’d hacked the entire security system one day at lunch because she got bored)

Dick is kind of the queen bee of the school, which is hilarious, because he KNOWS but refuses to let it get to his head. This man will start water gun fights in the hallways for fun

Jason and Cass are juniors

Jason is one of the drama club’s absolute best (singing and acting). He played Billy Flynn in Chicago, Prince Charming in Cinderella, Aladdin in… yeah. He slays pretty hard

Cass is on the dance team and regularly misses class for some competition or another. Sometimes, when cheerleaders and the dance team collab on stuff (like assemblies), she actually likes the pompoms. She does not like the skirts.

Tim, Steph, and Duke are sophomores— people are s c a r e d of these three

Tim is known for constantly having a stockpile of energy drinks in his locker; sometimes a few of his friends get access to it. He’s also terrifyingly smart. And he’s got a bike. SOPHOMORE YEAR. TIM WHAT

Steph’s whole entire TikTok presence is lifting/ workout challenges against any poor scrub who tries to go up against her. She can lift the same amount as Jason Todd. That gives her a very confident “don’t fuck with me aura” around school, which is good, because she’s got zero interest in any guy there anyways (bi f pref queen)

And Duke… Duke is the golden boy, so the first time you see him in a sparring match with any of his siblings (they do that for fun at lunch), you’re very shocked to see him holding his own against Cassandra Cain and Stephanie Brown. He also slays

Damian is the only freshman in his family. Jason and Tim make fun of him endlessly

It is pretty impressive that a freshie organized the biggest fundraiser the school has ever seen— and it was for local animal shelters. Nobody knows how he did it. Probably intimidation. You never know with that kid

Now the superfam. Ohoho, yes, these legends go to that school too

Kara is a junior, Kon is a sophomore, Jon is a freshman. They’re all on the football team (their dad comes to every game🥰)

Did anybody expect a woman or freshman to land on the varsity team the first year either of them tried out? No. But they made it anyways. Good for them

And football is just so different from their day-to-day personalities, sometimes it gives people whiplash

Kara pretty much runs the broadcast and yearbook teams, and she does it along with dominating the football field and gym

Conner looks like he’d deck you for looking at him wrong (I mean he might but like he won’t… probably), and he’s like. He makes good fashion choices. He’s the Bad Boy, which is funny considering his nerdy bf is the one with the motorcycle

Jon is fluffy?? So nice?? Sir who let an actual decent person on the varsity football team?? When someone spots Dami wearing his letterman at some point, they become the most popular couple at school. As freshmen. Slay for them tbh

Donna Troy is a senior. Fencing and beauty pageants is a weird combination. But she knows she’s pretty and she’s gonna make damn sure everybody else knows too

Cassie is a freshie, but she’s already on the fencing team as well and several people have seen her sparring with Damian (wHERE did he get KATANAS), and it looks like a couple of war gods who happen to be fifteen are fighting to the death for a few yards of shitty grass behind the school

Conner Hawke, Artemis Crock, Emiko Queen, Roy Harper, and Mia Dearden are the archery team captains. Yeah, there’s five of them, yeah, the coaches couldn’t pick because the kIDS ARE BETTER THAN THEM

(Ollie laughed so hard he fell out of his chair when they came home and told him that)

Roy is a junior and definitely brings his bow everywhere he shouldn’t. He also “accidentally” shot Jason once. Whenever someone asks about their meetcute they just laugh until the person gets scared and runs away

Conner is a sophomore but a bitter old man in his soul. What a king

Artemis is also a sophomore and everyone thinks she’s Ollie’s favorite because she’s like a mini-him, but Ollie doesn’t actually HAVE a favorite and she finds this claim hilarious

Mia, third sophomore, has a very strange attraction to the color yellow. She LOVES it. And she actually pulls it off, how awesome is she

Emi is a freshman but gets along with Dami pretty well, which isn’t surprising considering their matching deadpan humor and lowkey murderous rage constantly

Jackson Hyde broke Arthur’s record for fastest lap on his fourth try. He spends more time at the ocean than literally anywhere else

Wally West and Bart Allen are technically not related?? They’re like. Cousins. But Barry ended up officially adopting Wally (long story)

Anyways they’re actually cousins with Jesse Quick

The three of them DOMINATE track and field/ cross country/ physics club (yeah you read that last one right don’t even with me)

Wally is a senior and working towards becoming a forensic scientist for the cops. When someone asks why the fuck he wanted to do that to himself, he always jokes, “I’m not fast enough to be a serial killer so I guess I’ll help catch ‘em” and everyone is scared

Bart is a sophomore but should be a freshie, because he’s almost a full year younger, except that he skipped fifth grade and went straight to sixth. Tim and Kon pretend to be his adoptive parents and it’s like a soap opera watching these three act out a dramatic divorce arc

Jesse is a junior (alliteration go brr) but a younger one (summer birthday WOO) she definitely takes after Barry, especially in speed

SO people call their friend groups chaotic. What are you gonna do, go up and fuck with any of them? Bad idea

For fun, these assholes run a fight club after school with betting and rosters and everything, with anyone who signs up. FOR FUN. Once the batkids learned their dad has a black belt in like six different martial arts, it was all over

They say it’s a good workout

They’re probably not wrong, but still

Who the fuck wakes up and chooses violence on all their friends and family all in good fun to make MONEY OFF OF BEATING THEM UP

The most viral videos taken from their school is a push-up contest with all eight batkids, seven competing, Babs filming

Cass won.

LET me know if you want more for this. Because I’m gonna write more. But if you had specific suggestions or characters or scenarios or questions, I would love to write them

Good morning/ night/ 4am!! (PS BACK TO SCHOOL WOO)

[kirbabes]

yall pls request 😭

another yandere hcs post bc i was bored!!

so sorry if its too long

yandere jock hcs!

yan! jock who is your school's prized quarterback and has never lost a game.

yan! jock who sees you in the crowd at his game and immediately falls in love with you.

yan! jock who talks you the next day during class and asks you to have lunch with him.

yan! jock who invites you to his next game, but is disappointed when you tell him you have plans that day.

yan! jock who performs poorly during practice because all he can think about is you.

yan! jock who notices how his teammates look at you in the halls as you pass by their group and hates the way they stare at you.

yan! jock who starts to slack off during his next game, until he sees you watching him in the crowd.

yan! jock who turns the game around and beats the opposing team to make sure he impresses you!

yan! jock who asks you about your plans you had that day and melts when you tell him you cancelled them to watch him play.

yan! jock who follows you around like a lost puppy after the game.

yan! jock who carries all your stuff, holds doors open for you, and pulls out your chair for you, like a true gentleman.

yan! jock who scares off any competition with his 6'2 muscular frame, and then showers you with attention immediately after.

yan! jock who comes to any of your extracurricular events when he has free-time to support you! he's your biggest cheerleader, literally.

yan! jock who is ecstatic when you ask him out on a date. he doesn't care where you guys go, he'll pay for everything as long as you're with him!!

yan! jock who spaces out when you talk to him and just looks into your eyes with a stupid smile on his face, thinking about how much he loves you.

"h-huh? oh, yeah i was listening! what did you say? uhh.. um... hehe.."

[ruby-winchester24]

Kenny and Stan X Cheerleader reader headcanons

{fem reader} {sorta nsfw}

Kenny

he gets an instant boner when he sees you in your skirt.

during the homecoming week he gives you his jersey for the game, seeing you in his jersey that is too big and your small skirt, he’s going feral.

when he is out on the sideline he is only watching you cheer.

he is always messing up his plays because his head isn’t in the game.

after games he comes over to you and hugs you (and squeezes your butt)

but he always smells bad

when he sees you being tossed in the air he is mesmerized.

all of the guys are jealous.

he wants to fuck you in your cheerleading uniform let’s be real.

stepped on your foot with his cleats once and broke your toe😭

comes to your cheer practices.

you wash his jersey for him because he probably doesn’t have a washing machine.

motherfucker is fast so he is the starting linebacker.

during football season he is clean off weed so he doesn’t get kicked off the team.

well he tries.

Stan

we all know that Stan is actually good at football so when the news came out he was dating on it the most popular cheerleaders on the team you became the most loved couple in the school.

homeboy actually has control compared to Kenny.

he made his jersey number your birthday.

his favorite cheer uniform you have is your cropped long sleeve top with your tight fitting skirt with a slit in the side, and the top has the school abbreviation SPHS.

he is a try hard just to impress you.

when your cheering for just him he feels like the luckiest man in the world.

when the team loses he is so embarrassed because he didn’t preform well in front of you.

just hug him and tell him he did great, and he will sulk for a couple hours.

he is surprisingly very competitive.

i will say it again he leaves his football pads in your car so your car smells.

he has a picture of you in his football locker.

good luck kisses before the game are a must.

he makes you wear his varsity jacket on the day of a game to school.

quarterback ong.

keeps a flask in his football bag.

[solitary-bones]

so dndads live show St Paul! idk how much of this is a spoiler for anyone else going to shows so I'ma cut here!

we had!

- so many gay people in the audience that as I was walking in to the venue I said to my friend damn this is like a pride parade and a bunch of gay people in front of me were like TRUEE

- a live performance of both! dead and gone and rocks rock! it was so incredible. Beth and Will both POPPED OFFF!!!!!! they were so cool oh my god. and Freddie fucking shredded it on the electric guitar it was so sick.

- silly St Paul themed dad facts plus Ron just uhh thinking all manual labor is called a hand job.

- the people royally fucking up the dice roll (not my fault I was in the balcony I cannot be held responsible)

- the people absolutely manifesting the complete improv prompt as the live show topic. and all of the cast going into mourning over it (will fell to his knees on the stage so dramatically it was so funny)

- the cast deciding to do a DND game with their characters! Starring: Will Campos as Henry oak as Mr Chris (later Dr Chris), by the book health inspector! Matt Arnold as Darryl Wilson as Darryl, ex football quarterback now accomplished priest searching to remember all 10 commandments! Beth may as Ron stampler as Nor Relpmats, doctor (the best health inspector of them all)! and Freddie Wong as Glenn Close as Glenn The Closer, weed enjoyer moonlighting as a health inspector relying on his gut! Anthony Burch as Patrick as Patrick the shit (among other characters)!

- the audience not being able to stop being horny when giving suggestions for what their location, bad guy, and theme were gonna be (bdsm dungeon, just a guy from the audience named Patrick, and a 10 commandments dildo)

- an abundance of flashbacks and one single flashforward

- butt spanking competition to get past the second door (it is a bdsm castle ig)

-mr Chris tests to see if the floor has been cleaned recently and thinks it hasn't. Glenn the closers gut says it's fine but Mr Chris says if he tastes some of what's on the ground he'll be able to tell better. Glenn the Closer bites his fingers and Mr Chris is into it.

- Mr Chris finding a dead cockroach on the ground and revives it using CPR and mouth to mouth (Anthony is the cockroach and also when will tried to fake the mouth to mouth yelled DO IT PUSSY so yeah they actually kissed like twice at least) and revived it to ask about the cleanliness of the floor and found it not very.

- none other than paeden bennets on the second level, who Darryl proceeded to obliterate with a holy football. I'm not lying (not before asking how Patrick the DM knew about their friend Paeden who was long dead and us getting a lively npc on npc scene by Anthony of Patrick meeting Paeden and getting punched in the balls and saying "I'll never forget you")

- Test by the health inspectors to see if the blood of paeden would get cleaned up. all of the soots from spirited away came in with little mops to clean it and cleaned all the party. Glenn rolled to see if he's into it and got a 9 but the crowd gave inspiration and he got a 6, which is 69 so he was and wanted to stay there forever with the soots. Henry as Mr Chris used his persuasion to get Glenn the closer to leave the soots by saying that whatever they're doing he could do it better. because apparently they're ex lovers now. (Anthony yelled something about Will wanting to kiss another boy)

- Flashback reveals that they were highschool sweethearts but were going to health inspection schools on opposite sides of the US and were talking about how their relationship would progress from there when Mr Chris' secret lover barges in and informs them that they're pregnant and he's the father! Glenn the Closer gets upset and asks what happened and Mr Chris proceeds to another, extremely graphic, flashback where Ron the doctor commentates the uhhh conceiving of said child. and Glenn is understandably upset at the graphicness of this explanation about being cheated on. They end with bitter words, stating they're now nemesis in health inspection.

- Nor asks Mr Chris how long it's been since he saw his son Patrick. (not since birth lmao)

- they go up to the final level, find Patrick using the commandment dildo, on the 8th one I think, and upon seeing his absent father run in and ask "are ya winning, son!?"gets extremely turned off. he understandably asks what he's doing there after being absent his whole life. Mr Chris explains that he's finally ready to be back in his life, with his husband Glenn the closer, and his newfound belief in Christianity from Darryl the priest who's really good at football.

- Flashforward to Mr Chris and Glenn the Closer living together and apparently "they're bougie enough to have their own priest" so Darryl lives with them too. Nor comes to visit and we see the commandment dildo hanging above the mantle.

and that's that on that.

[cementcornfield]

Some of Tee and Ja'Marr's thoughts on the Tee Situation

Tee said to me 'right now I get to play with one of the, if not the, best quarterbacks in the game, I get to play with one of, if not the, best wide receivers in the game, that opens up so much more for me.' And then he said 'this offense is designed for so many different players to be spotlighted, the way that I am used in this offense so plays to my strengths.' And then he said to me, 'can you guarantee I can have that exact situation anywhere else?'

....

So do I think he's taking a home discount? No. But I do think that he is very very smart, he sees the whole picture out there...

....

It's very easy to compare this situation to what Ja'Marr had at LSU with Joe Burrow and Justin Jefferson. And Ja'Marr has said Tee is very different than Justin Jefferson. That every single minute with Justin Jefferson was a competition. That everything was who makes the more dynamic catch, who has more catches in practice, who runs faster? Everything was that way. Ja'Marr had to speak up and demand the ball a lot at LSU, because so was Justin. Ja'Marr told me that he doesn't have to do that in Cincinnati because Tee, and this is a quote from Ja'Marr, is one of the most unselfish humans you'll ever meet.

[petals2fish]

RIPTIDE

Read on A03 for July @jilychallenge prompt: surfing lessons and sexy wetsuits. This oneshot was too long and is now a three chapter story, so enjoy!!!

Summary: Nothing gets between Lily Evans and her board. Living near the beach with two roommates including her naggy older sister, she is up before dawn every morning to conquer the waves and count the days until the Morro Bay surf competition. Lily finds all she needs in the surf scene ... until pro quarterback James Potter comes along. Like it or not, Lily starts losing her balance - and finding it - as she falls for James.

“Don’t drift out too far!” Petunia’s voice mixed with the seagulls, “I’m not coming after you if you get sucked into a riptide!”

“You worry too much,” Lily shouted over her shoulder.

The ocean was an expanse of endless blue, wild and breathtakingly beautiful. She could lie on her board forever, drifting with the tide, staring out over the white-capped, ruffled waves. Occasionally, an otter would drift by, its serene presence contrasting with the sight of a dolphin’s fin cutting through the water. The waves were terrible for surfing that day but perfect for slipping away into her thoughts.

Her fingers swirled through the water as she hummed her favorite song from the radio that week. Her legs kicked up behind her, waving in the wind, her white-painted toes dipping into the water playfully every few minutes. Her red hair was unbound, the hair tie long retired to her wrist, allowing the ends to soak in the salt water. A heavy but contented sigh escaped her lips as she rolled onto her back, her gaze shifting from the ocean blue to the sky blue.

Lily Evans was born in California after her father moved to San Diego for his military career. Her early years were filled with the scent of plumeria and the sound of the ocean. But when her mother died, her father left the military and, unable to cope with the loss, left the world a few months later. He’d left sixteen year old Lily in the care of her older sister. Petunia and Lily couldn’t have been more different—Petunia was practical and grounded, while Lily was a dreamer with a love for the ocean.

As the sun climbed higher in the sky, its rays reflecting off the water, Lily noticed Petunia and Marley waving from nearby where they floated with their boards. The carefree moments of drifting were over; the wave meant it was time to face the responsibilities of the day. Lily sighed, knowing she couldn't delay any longer. The ocean, her refuge, would have to wait. She paddled back towards the shore, her heart heavy with the weight of reality pressing in once more.

"Come on, Lily," Petunia nagged as Lily leisurely paddled over to the girls. "We can’t be late again!”

"Yeah, yeah," Lily rolled her eyes, but picked up her pace because she knew they needed the job for the money.

Petunia was the oldest of the three girls, the skinniest, and always clad in her six-year-old one-piece and purple and black wetsuit. The purple clashed with Petunia’s dirty blonde hair and over-tanned, reddened face, but Petunia was a creature of habit. She’d wear the wetsuit to pieces if she had too.

"Come on," Petunia urged, practically racing for the shore, her thin arms carving through the water.

"Petunia we’re coming as fast as we can," Marley huffed, paddling in front of Lily but directly behind Petunia. "Chill, please, or I’m sneaking pot into the brownies this weekend."

Marlene, the youngest by only a month as she constantly reminded Lily, had curly black hair, thick expressive brows, and a beautiful golden tan. She was undeniably the hottest one, she got all the guys, even the ones she didn’t want. Marley only wore a bikini today, absolutely taking advantage of the warmer weather even though the pacific was still cold.

"One day I’ll bring home the big bucks and we won’t even have to ever leave the water," Lily shouted after them playfully, “I’ll have maids cook and clean for us all day so we can just surf.”

If Lily looked in a mirror, she'd see a face covered in freckles from her time in the sun. Her red hair was her statement piece, attracting attention and making her look more like she’d stepped out of Ireland than California. Her cropped rashguard was doing little to protect her from the sun or the waves, but she liked to show off the abs she’d worked so hard to get.

"Come on!" Petunia exclaimed, "I've seen children swim faster than you two!"

The girls reached the shore just as the first tourists started to arrive, equipped with their sunglasses and lawn chairs. Other locals were clearing out, unwilling to deal with tourists taking over the beach and sandbars. Lily wiped down her board, then began peeling off her rashguard, the fabric clinging stubbornly to her wet skin like a banana peel.

They didn’t have a car, but they managed to hitch a ride in Alex Graff’s truck, which took them halfway to the resort just up the beach. In Lily’s opinion, the resort was the nicest on Morro Bay. Built only ten years ago, its sleek design featured walls of glass that reflected the ocean and gave it a modern, luxurious appearance. As they approached, the building seemed to sparkle in the sunlight, but Lily dreaded heading inside because it meant it was time to work.

Being a cleaning lady in hotel rooms hadn’t been on her list of ‘most impressive jobs to have’ but it paid for the expensive shack on the other side of town where the girls lived together. The rest of the money went into maintaining her board, surfing competition fees, and what food money was left over. The girls tumbled into the staff locker rooms, pulling their maid outfits from the lockers as they laughed and ate apples Marley had nicked from the breakfast lounge.

“I’m going out with Vernon Dursley again tonight,” Petunia said as she pulled the gray dress over her body, her wet hair staining the fabric.

“Ew, that toolbag from Piper Tech Industries?” Lily wrinkled her nose. “Petty, you can do so much better.”

Petunia shrugged. “He’s making six figures a year, Lily, and one of us needs to marry well.”

Lily tossed her bikini top at her sister. “You act like I’m going to marry some slum.”

“Your last boyfriend was Raymond from the post office,” Marley sang from her locker, “and he’s as slummy as they come.”

Lily flipped Marley off while Petunia laughed. It was rare for those two to gang up on Lily. Usually, it was the other way around, and Lily hated it when it happened. Despite her frustration, she couldn’t help but admire Petunia’s determination and practicality. Petunia always had a knack for thinking ahead and making choices that secured a stable future, even if Lily didn’t always agree with her decisions.

Last week Lily had been forced to get an expensive plan B from the Wal Mart in the next city over because she’d let a stranger at a bar fuck her without a condom. Meanwhile, Petunia was on date number five with the IT guy from Piper technologies and they hadn’t even kissed yet.

Lily and Petunia were not the same.

The girls were stationed on the second floor, where there was currently an influx of professional football players enjoying the spa and amenities during the off-season. They were from the team in San Francisco, but Lily didn’t know much more than that. The only sport she cared about was surfing. Even as she started making beds, her eyes wandered to the window panes, constantly drawn to the sight of the ocean.

In just two weeks, the championship surfing competition would be held in Morro Bay. Despite training hard for the last year, Lily felt totally unprepared. She knew she could surf, and surf well, but she was so concerned that once she was up against the real professionals, Petunia would force her to give up her dream of going pro and make her focus on college instead. The pressure was immense. She felt torn between her love for surfing and the expectations placed upon her. Every wave she caught in practice carried the weight of her aspirations, and every wipeout felt like a step further from her dream.

"Hey, this room left us a tip!" Marley called from the bathroom, holding up a hundred-dollar bill where they could see it.

"What?" Lily and Petunia gasped, racing over to Marley to stare at the bill.

"Are you sure they didn't just forget it?" Petunia asked worriedly, snatching the crisp bill from Marley's fingertips. "I mean, this is a lot of money."

Marley shrugged, a grin spreading across her face. "I found it tucked under the soap dispenser. Doesn't look like an accident to me."

Lily's eyes widened, and she glanced around the room, half-expecting someone to burst in and reclaim the money. "This is crazy. Do people usually tip this much?"

"Not in my experience," Petunia said, still holding the bill like it might disappear any second. "But maybe these football players are just really generous."

"Or really messy," Marley laughed. "Maybe it's a bribe for not complaining about the state they left the rooms in yesterday."

"The rooms were pretty disgusting yesterday," Lily agreed, "I still can't decide if that was blood or ketchup on the walls."

All the girls shuddered then Petunia said, "This room wasn't bad at all this week, though."

“This room has been the nicest out of all of them so far,” Lily agreed. "Either way, it's a nice surprise. We should split it."

Petunia hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah, you're right. But let's be careful. If anyone asks, we found it and turned it in."

"Agreed," Marley said, her grin widening. "But we’re eating steak this weekend, ladies.”

The other rooms down the long hall hadn’t been quick cleans, and none of them had left any tips to keep them motivated. By the time they reached the last room, Lily was eager to be finished. She leaned against the solid wood door and knocked politely.

“Housekeeping!” she called out. When there was no response, she knocked again and raised her voice. “Housekeeping!”

When there was no answer, Lily pushed the door open and was immediately hit with a wave of unpleasant odors. She quickly covered her nose, her eyes stinging and watering, as she forced the door open wider. The sight that greeted her almost made her gag.

The room was a complete disaster. Clothes were strewn haphazardly across the floor, and half-eaten food was scattered on the sofa and beds. Empty beer bottles were littered everywhere, adding to the mess. To make matters worse, there were visible signs of someone having thrown up, with streaks and splatters of vomit on the carpet and furniture. The entire room reeked of stale beer and something far more foul.

“Oh hell no,” Marlene exclaimed, peering over Lily’s shoulder. “There’s no way I’m touching this.”

Petunia covered her nose and added, “We don’t have a choice, guys.”

“This is the worst I’ve seen in ages,” Lily said, stepping over a pizza box filled with half-eaten slices.

“Football players are gross,” Marley complained, carefully tiptoeing around the mess.

“This is just awful,” Lily agreed, her eyes watering from the stench. “I can barely stand it.”

“Come on Lily,” Petunia urged, trying and failing to look undisturbed, “help me make the bed.”

Lily walked over, with Marley trailing closely behind her, preparing to grab the other side of the white sheets that desperately needed a good cleaning. Suddenly, Marley cried out behind her, as if she was in pain. Lily spun around, expecting to find her friend nursing a bloody foot from a broken beer bottle. Instead, she saw Marley hopping up and down with a piece of plastic stuck to her foot.

“Get it off, Lily!” Marley pleaded, collapsing against the wall—one of the only clean spots in the room. She held her foot up and cried, “Ew, ew! It's stuck! It won’t come off!”

“What is it?” Petunia called from the other side of the bed.

Lily wrinkled her nose and grimaced. “Oh gross, it’s a condom.”

“Please, get it off!” Marley begged, hopping in place.

“Hold your foot still!” Lily snapped at Marley, pulling her gloves up higher on her wrists.

With a shudder, Lily peeled the condom off, her entire body crawling with revulsion at the thought of why it was so stiff.

Marlene slumped, as if she was defeated. ‘Fuck men.”

“I’ve had enough of this, we are not their mothers.” Lily grabbed the small trash can from the desk, acutely aware of Petunia and Marley’s anxious gazes as she headed for the door.

Petunia noticed the wild look in Lily’s eyes and warned, “Lily—”

Lily’s voice was tight with frustration as she snapped, “No,” without turning around. “I’m not touching this room, and I’m going to let the guest know why.” She strode purposefully to the elevator, her footsteps echoing her determination, while Marley and Petunia’s desperate pleas faded behind her.

Ignoring their calls, Lily exited the elevator and pushed through the back door of the resort. Stepping onto the beach, she was met with the mingled sounds of laughter, chatter, and waves lapping at the shore. Her shoes sank into the warm sand, and the salty breeze stung her cheeks as she scanned the area, searching for someone to blame for the mess she had just left behind.

Raising her voice above the ambient noise, she called out, "Is anyone from room 215 here?"

When no one responded, she made her way down the beach toward a group of men lounging on lawn chairs. She locked eyes with a hazel-eyed man wearing a maroon and gold baseball cap. His charming smile momentarily distracted her, but she forced herself to speak.

"Gentlemen, room 215?" she asked.

The hazel-eyed man glanced at the condom in her hand and the trash can in her other hand, his gaze lingering on the latter. "Nope," he replied, his eyes shifting back to her. “You okay?”

“Fine.” Before he could say more, she turned and headed toward the water's edge. "Is anyone from room 215 out here in the water?"

“What?” a pudgy young man in a white tank top shouted from his floating noodle.

“Suite 215? Is it yours?” Lily called out to him.

She could feel the eyes of onlookers behind her, their curiosity piqued. She tapped her foot on the sand, maintaining a face of cool, formal disgust—her best customer service expression. The man stumbled onto the shore like a clumsy sea lion, nearly colliding with her. She stepped back, keeping her composure.

“I’m in 215. What’d I win?” he asked with a grin.

“Hi, I’m Lily, the housekeeper for your rooms during your stay here at the resort,” she replied.

“Peter,” he said, still grinning.

“Do you have a sec, Peter?” she asked.

“Sure,” he said in a sleazy tone. “Take all the time you want, sugar-whooger.”

Lily bit back the urge to kick him where it would hurt. She lifted the condom she was holding into the air, and his eyes, along with everyone else’s in the vicinity, followed its trajectory. “Step one,” she said. Then she dropped the condom into the trash can she was carrying. “Step two.” She flashed a sickly sweet smile. “Got it, sugar?”

His friend, still in the water, burst into laughter. “You got schooled by the maid.”

Peter stuttered, “I’m on vacation. You don’t have to clean your own room on vacation…”

“You’re cleaning your room today, buddy,” Lily warned, “and every day after until you leave.”

“That's ridiculous–”

Lily gave him a crisp salute before turning on her heel. As she walked back up the sand, she caught the eye of the handsome man. He was sitting up, the sun gleaming off his tanned chest. She felt her stomach lurch when he smiled at her with a fucking look that promised her a good time if she stopped.

“Most people are scared to talk like that to our linebacker.” He said loudly enough that she couldn’t ignore his piercing gaze.

“I’m not afraid of anyone,” she responded with a small, mocking bow.

“Wait! Can I take you out for a drink?” he called after her retreating form.

“I’m too busy cleaning up your friends’ messes,” she replied, continuing on her way.

"Ouch." But he laughed a deep, pleasurable laugh that would make her toes curl if she heard it in private.

Whispers followed her from behind, “Don’t waste your time on her, she'd just a maid.”

"She's going to be in so much trouble."

Lily heard one of the girls that worked the bar who saw the whole encounter add, “Lily’s made grown men cry before.”

“My kind of woman.” Lily felt her cheeks reddened and she glanced back to see hazel eyes following her up the beach with interest.

Lily trudged back to the resort, her steps heavy as the weight of her confrontation sank in. That guest was furious and would likely report her to management. She wondered why she had let her temper get the best of her again. When she got back upstairs, Petunia and Marley were waiting for her with disapproving looks.

“What did you do?” Petunia asked, her voice faint.

“I took care of it,” Lily replied, placing the trash can in front of the door. “That guy will clean his own room.”

“You’d better not get fired,” Petunia hissed. “Rent is due, and we still have to come up with the extra two hundred for the Morro competition.”

“Lay off her, Pet,” Marley said. “She was only trying to help.”

Lily let the girls bicker, staying silent to avoid getting dragged into the argument.

As Lily wrapped up her work processing sheets in the basement, she found Mrs. Thompson, the maid supervisor, waiting by her locker with an air of stern disapproval. Petunia and Marlene stood behind Thompson, shaking their heads at Lily as if to warn her not to make any sudden moves. Word must’ve gotten around then, probably because of the gossip beach bar babes.

“Do you have any idea what you’ve done?” Mrs. Thompson’s voice was cold and accusatory. “That display on the beach was completely unprofessional.”

Lily shifted uncomfortably, her cheeks flushed. “It was disgusting. Did you see their room?”

“They are VIP guests!” Mrs. Thompson cut her off sharply. “They don’t pay good money to be lectured by a housekeeper about hygiene!”

“But there was vomit all over the floor!” Lily protested, her voice rising slightly.

Mrs. Thompson’s eyes narrowed with frustration. “And making a scene in front of other guests is how you handle it? What you did was completely out of line. You can pick up your final paycheck next week.”

Lily bit her lip, struggling to keep her composure. “I’m sorry. I just…”

“You’re fired, Evans.” Mrs. Thompson sighed, leaning back in her chair. Her expression softened slightly, but remained resolute. “You need to learn to manage your frustrations more professionally.”

Lily noticed Petunia angrily hissing into Marlene’s ear but forced her gaze back to Mrs. Thompson. “Please, we really need the money.”

“You should have thought about that before antagonizing a paying guest,” Mrs. Thompson said firmly. “Goodbye, Evans.”

With tears threatening to spill, Lily slammed her company card down on the bench, and stormed out of the locker room. She walked out to the back, where her surfboard stood propped against the wall alongside Petunia's and Marley's boards. The pink color was bright and horribly offensive (according to Petunia), but Lily had saved up all her money to buy it three years ago. It was supposed to get her to nationals in Hawaii after she won at the Morro Bay competition.

Right now, it felt like her saving grace.

Ignoring the fact that it was a private beach, she grabbed her board and walked for the water. Her little maid uniform rode up at her hips as she walked fast, aiming for the sea. She kicked her shoes off as she went, not even bothering to even untie them. The football players were in the middle of a beach volleyball game, and she caught the eye of the handsome black-haired boy again.

He offered half a wave from where he stood at the back of the pack.

She quickly looked away and leaped into the water, then onto her board.

She thought she heard Petunia chasing her from up the beach, but she didn’t want a lecture. Especially not a Petunia lecture. Paddling out, she made it to the break and caught the first wave she could. As she stood up, a feral laugh escaped her, mingling with the crash of the waves. Salty water fell behind her in the barrel, mixing with her tears.

No job. No security. Just the relentless pull of the ocean, offering a brief escape from the reality waiting on shore.

She considered letting the silver-white foam of the waves take her under. It would be easier than facing the earful waiting for her once Petunia got ahold of her. Ever since their dad had left, and Petunia had gotten sole custody, she’d taken the role of ‘big sister turned mother’ a little too seriously sometimes. Right now, Lily couldn’t bear one of those lectures, where Petunia somehow morphed into a perfect blend of their mom and dad.

Lily stayed out on the water longer than the football players stayed on the beach. By the time she abandoned the waves, the beach was mostly clear, save for a few families who had appeared once the men had gone. Lily barely noticed that her maid uniform was ripped up the side, revealing the curve of her hip. She was half-ready to rip the damn thing off.

She made her way up to the double doors, preparing to get her stuff out of her locker, when she remembered that she’d left her entry card inside… and her regular clothes. With a hiss of frustration, she let her forehead fall against the door, her hand pushing at the handle out of sheer hope.

“Are you alright?” a voice asked, laced with humor behind her.

Lily, her face burning with humiliation, turned around and found herself face to face with the hot guy from the beach. Gone were the straightforward views of his hazel eyes; now they were hidden behind a pair of sleek sunglasses. His baseball cap, which had shadowed his features before, was missing, allowing his jet-black hair to fall freely. He stood there confidently in nothing but gym shorts, his lean body perfectly sun-tanned and glistening in the sunlight.

"You," she blurted out, her voice a mixture of surprise and embarrassment.

"Me," he replied, a playful smirk tugging at his lips. Even with the sunglasses, she could sense the amusement dancing in his eyes. There was something infuriatingly attractive about his self-assured stance and the way he seemed to enjoy her presence.

She nervously tucked a strand of her fiery red hair behind her ear. "No, uh, sorry… just leaving."

Lily rounded the corner quickly, but the football guy was faster, following her down the side path with an easy, casual stroll.

"Nice surfing. I saw you out there," he said with a nod in her direction.

Lily felt her cheeks heat up. "Thanks," she muttered, unsure of what else to say. She quickened her pace, hoping to put some distance between them, but he easily kept up with her, his long strides matching her hurried steps effortlessly.

"Do you need help getting in?" he asked, gesturing towards the double doors she had just been leaning against.

She hesitated, her pride battling with her desperation. "No," she said firmly, glancing around the parking lot for a familiar car. Everyone had already left for the day. She'd have to walk back to the house, and the thought filled her with a sense of dread

"I'm James," he said, extending a hand towards her. "James Potter."

"Lily Evans," she nodded, shaking his hand briefly. His grip was firm, his palm warm against hers. Despite her initial irritation, she couldn't help but feel a spark of curiosity. What was he doing here, and why was he so interested in her?

"Are you waiting on someone, Lily Evans?" he asked, noticing her scanning the parking lot with a hint of desperation.

She sighed, letting her gaze fall on him again. "No, not unless you know someone who can drive me home."

"I can," he offered quickly.

"Yeah," she laughed darkly, "right."

"I'm not kidding," he said, his tone earnest. "Consider it a formal apology for my teammate. He's pretty disgusting, but he's the best linebacker we've got."

"Listen, no offense," she began, "I'm sure you're a great guy, but today’s been terrible, and I just want to get home so my sister can yell at me."

"You want your sister to yell at you?" he asked, a hint of confusion in his voice.

"It's bound to happen, so I might as well get it over with," she replied with a resigned shrug.

James raised his sunglasses away from his eyes so that they rested perfectly on his hair. “Why’s today terrible?”

“Your friend from room 215 got me fired today,” Lily said tersely. “He complained to my boss about the condom.”

A flicker of shock crossed James' face. “He did?”

“Yes,” she replied curtly. “So, forgive me if I’m not in the mood for flirting with guests.”

James ran a hand through his jet-black hair, looking genuinely pained. “Look, I’m really sorry about that. Please, let me help you. Do you need to talk to your boss?”

“No,” Lily said quickly, shaking her head. “I’m not looking for someone to swoop in and save me. I should have managed my temper better.”

James' expression softened, and his voice dropped to a more serious tone. “I saw that room. I ordered him not to come out until it was spotless again.”

Lily’s eyes widened slightly in surprise. “You did?”

“Yeah,” he said, nodding earnestly. “I didn’t realize the extent of the problem until after you left. I’m really sorry for what happened, I feel responsible for these guys; I am team captain after all. Let me make it up to you.”

“How?” Lily asked, her skepticism evident.

“You need money, I’m guessing?” he inquired. “Until you can get a new job?”

“I’m not having sex with you for money,” Lily said flatly.

“First of all,” James leaned in slightly, looking slightly hurt, “I’m disappointed that you think I’d pay anyone for that. Second, I was going to suggest something else entirely—surfing lessons.”

Taken aback, Lily raised an eyebrow, her surprise evident. “Why would a football player need surfing lessons?”

James shrugged, a small, genuine grin tugging at his lips. “I dunno. You made it look like so much fun, and I thought it might be a great way to improve my skillset.”

“Surfing lessons?” she repeated, disbelief coloring her voice. “You’re serious?”

James nodded, his expression sincere. “Absolutely. I’ll pay you one hundred dollars for private lessons, once a day, until the end of the month when I head back to training camp.”

Lily stared at him, trying to wrap her mind around the offer. “One hundred dollars a day? That’s more than I’m worth.”

And more than enough to finish paying for her slot in the Morro Bay surfing competition. Lily tried and failed to not look relieved, but she was, this was the best thing anyone could have asked her.

James chuckled, clearly pleased with her reaction. “I know it’s not what you expected, but it seems fair to me. My friend got you fired, and I can help you, so you don’t get an earful from your sister.”

Her eyes widened. “Well, this definitely wasn’t what I had in mind to escape her wrath. But if you’re serious, then sure, why not?”

“Great,” James said with a broad grin. “Let’s set up a time for our first lesson while I drive you home."

"Fine," she shifted her arm on her board as she started to follow him while joking, "but you have to promise not to fall in love with me."

He snorted and sent her a charged look before lowering his sunglasses back down. "Right. Whoever falls in love first, has to skinny dip in the ocean at midnight."

"I like my odds." She was rewarded with another one of his nice laughs.

Her odds weren't great.