#sitting in my car fuming but also laughing cause my mom passed it on the first try with english as her fourth language and im over here in

[prohaloplayer]

was literally so excited and nervous today walking into my naturalization appointment that i drove 2 and a half hours only to walk out on a failed civic exam can you believe this shit

[justoneofthoseghosts]

Break me + brettsey

A/N: To the anons who requested for this, I tried my best 🥲 Also, you know I love fluff so wow, this was really emotional to write but I do love a challenge so er, grab some tissues maybe.

Warnings: character death

Throughout the years, Sylvie has learned that life isn’t always fair.

No matter how hard she studied for the 2nd grade spelling bee, someone studied harder and got that big, shiny trophy. She had her first kiss at seventeen with a boy she thought she’d love forever but he ended up being a manipulative jerk, just the first of many who turned out to be frogs instead of princes. Her birth mom sought her out and just as they found their footing, she died at child birth.

But this one, it really takes the cake, Sylvie thinks.

She pleaded with Matt to get his cough checked out weeks ago, asking him politely when she noticed it getting more and more frequent. It crept in especially late at night in bed when they were supposed to be sleeping, instead, she would hear him try to stifle it so as not to wake her. He shrugged it off and told her not to worry, which is classic Matt. She should have known. Even after all these years, her husband is still so stubborn.

One night, when the coughing won’t stop, she manages to get through to him and he agrees to go to the ED. Sylvie grabs the car keys and leads him out the door.

They greet the new charge nurse, who brings them into a treatment room. Sylvie doesn’t think much of it as Ethan comes in and they make small talk and catch up with the ED chief, who at 70 seems to show no signs of retiring. He orders a few standard tests. They wheel Matt off to get an x ray while Sylvie goes to grab a snack from the vending machine.

When Ethan finds her forty minutes later, his face is grim. Her heart drops to the pit of her stomach and she knows it’s not just an ordinary cough.

Stage 4 lung cancer.

Matt Casey, retired CFD battalion chief has stage 4 lung cancer.

It’s like a cruel joke. Matt’s never smoked a single cigarette in his life but his career as a firefighter has finally caught up with him - all the fumes, the smoke, the dust have made their way into his lungs. Sylvie doesn’t cry while the oncologist takes them through their options. She’d gladly sit through a hundred rounds of chemo with Matt if needed.

Except he doesn’t want that.

They argue about it for several weeks. Matt says he wants to spend the rest of his days at home, maybe they can rent a cabin in the woods in Michigan where the air is fresh, the sky is blue and they can just be, waiting for the inevitable.

“Matt,” she starts to say, an edge in her tone. They've been going around in circles and Sylvie is ready to put her foot down.

Matt shakes his head, taking her hand and gently telling her what he's been repeating since that day they found out, “I’ve lived a full life. We have these great kids and grandkids. I can’t ask for anything more.”

Sylvie yanks her hand out of his grasp. She's had enough.

“What would you do if it were the other way around?” She yells, her voice trembling slightly. She doesn’t think she’s every screamed at him this loudly in all their years together but she doesn’t want to give up. She needs him to understand.

Matt sighs, running a hand through his now grey hair. After a beat, he looks her in the eye. She knows he can't lie and say he'll take it lying down if she were to tell him what he's been parroting.

“I’d be begging you to get the treatment because I couldn’t bear to live a day without you,” he admits quietly.

They hold each other’s gazes, neither willing to concede.

“Please, Matt,” Sylvie whispers as she feels the tears threatening to fall. She grabs hold of his arm, squeezing it. She needs him to fight, if not for himself then for her because she doesn't think she can handle life without him, not quite yet.

He finally relents, “okay, okay, we’ll get the chemo.”

He wraps his arms around her and pulls her close. Sylvie burrows deeper into his embrace, sobbing. She cries for the first time since they found out about the cancer and Matt rubs his hand over her back, comforting her.

Sylvie drives Matt to the hospital for his rounds of chemo while he jokes about shaving off his hair. One night, she wakes up to find his side of the bed empty and the light in the bathroom on. She peers in and sees him kneeling in front of the toilet, vomiting. She takes a seat beside him and quietly helps him, remembering their wedding vows.

In sickness and in health.

On the side, she starts to volunteer for the CFD’s firefighters cancer network, trying to raise more awareness on the dangers of such a noble job. She cheers with Matt one Spring morning when Gallo, Violet and Ritter decide to run the half marathon in full firefighter gear, in support of the cause. She’s glad that even if they’ve both retired, 51 still remains to be a part of their family.

Six months in, the doctor tells them that the chemo isn’t working as well as he hoped and the prognosis isn’t good. Sylvie still wants to continue but Matt sits her down one night after dinner.

“I think it’s time we just wait this out, Syl.” He tells her gently, interlacing his fingers in hers.

Sylvie wants to say no because this can’t be how it ends for him, someone spent his life saving people is about to succumb to a deadly, incurable disease. It really, truly is unfair.

But at the same time, she understands his request. He doesn’t want to put their family through another roller coaster ride of emotions, of uncertainty, waiting for the other shoe to drop. He’s saying he wants to take the reins and do it his way.

It reminds Sylvie of that quote from Harry Potter she read when she was younger.

To the well organized mind, death is but the next great adventure.

She didn't understand it at all at thirteen but she does now, glancing over at Matt and seeing the steely resolve in his eyes.

They’ve been together for over 30 years. They’ve built a home filled with love and kindness, full of laughter and running blonde children who all grew up to be exceptional adults with thriving careers. They have two wonderful, adorable grandchildren. She remembers what Matt told her, how he’s lived a full life.

She feels a tear slide down her cheek and Matt’s other hand brushes it away. She knows the next word coming out of her mouth will break her heart but she says it anyway because it's what's right.

“Okay.”

There’s something in the air, Sylvie thinks and her soul begins to fill with dread. Today, it seems, is the day. Matt’s been in bed for the last three days, not really able to move or eat much. Without the chemo, the doctor told them he had about three months to live and with each day that passed after that, Sylvie started to feel hope that maybe he had more to give.

It’s been a little over a year since the diagnosis. Sylvie’s trying to read a book while Matt is taking a nap. She’s distracted by her thoughts but hears him whisper.

“I think it’s time.”

She nods, her lower lip quivering. She approaches him and kisses the top of his head before making her way out of the room to make a few phone calls.

The house starts to fill with family and friends arriving to say their last good byes. Their kids are here, surrounding their dad and telling stories about how Matt always put them first no matter what. The remaining members of their second shift at 51 start to trickle in one by one. Sylvie told them it was going to be a celebration of Matt’s life, how she didn’t want them to mope around because it isn’t what he would want so they laugh and jest until late in the evening.

Matt kisses his grandkids one last time before they leave and Sylvie climbs into bed with him. He rests his head on her shoulder as she holds his hand and watches his eyes flutter close and his breathing gradually stop.

Sylvie recollects their many years together - growing from friends to something deeper, the first time Matt swung like Tarzan from the aerial after they got together and Sylvie telling him never to do it again and of course he did many more time and she never really stopped worrying, buying a house, their wedding day, the birth of their children, sending off each kid to preschool up until watching them graduate from college, meeting their grandchildren for the first time, celebrating personal and professional milestones together, cheering each other on.

She looks at her husband’s still form thinking yes, it has been a full life.

[zairapvrker]

Teeth: Vampire!Luke // Chapter 8

Summary: Luke knows the rules and his boundaries, he has respected them for centuries. He knows he should stay as far away as possible from every human on his path. But that was before she came along.

Author’s Note: idek, i just hope exams end soon even though i know it’ll be another month

series masterlist | regular masterlist

It had been silent since she last spoke. Beatrix hadn’t opened her mouth in a long while and seemed determined to keep her eyes - seemingly empty - locked onto the patch of grass right in front of her. He could almost hear the wheels turning in her brain. 

“So the myths and legends are true” her voice almost felt too loud in the silence that surrounded them and Luke nearly flinched at the sound. He looked at her, sitting with her arms around her body almost as if she wanted to keep herself from falling apart. The only thing telling him how much time had actually passed was the sky tinted with the beautiful colours of the sunset fading away.

“I’ve never encountered many witches if that can help you” he shrugged, his voice surprisingly not betraying the nerves that would’ve made him tremble if he were to be human. “Especially during the witch hunts” 

A distant, small smile made its way on her face, giving Luke some hope. “I should be heading home, I think my mom’s about three seconds away from calling the sheriff” she then said, standing up abruptly as if noticing just then how late it had gotten. The blond stood up as well, disappointment coursing through his veins.

“I’ll walk you” he wasn’t really offering, he would’ve done it anyway, no matter if she protested. Bea looked up at him, and for the first time in centuries Luke couldn’t make out what was hiding behind her hazel eyes. He stood there, dumbfounded, as she flashed him a grateful grin and started walking. Catching up in a millisecond, he walked by her side in silence - not really knowing what to say to her given that he knew things should be different by now,  knowing that she should remember. The town was pretty quiet, people and cars were still running around trying to get home but the silence between the both of them felt heavy with the weight of words left unspoken. 

“It’s alright to break” he found himself saying as they walked up the street her house was at the end of. She was still looking ahead of her, gaze shifting from the trees to the ground beneath her feet. Luke knew from the way her heart was beating that she was close to losing it, yet she still had so much to discover, and he couldn’t think of a better word of advice. Bea simply nodded, finally looking at him again just as they reached her house.

“Thank you, Luke” her voice was still quiet, just above a whisper. 

“I need you to know that no matter what happens, I’ll be here” Luke smiled back, yet again attempting to comfort her as best as he could. She was quick to look away from the intense blue of his eyes. In an inexplicable surge she let her hand shoot towards his, holding it in hers and intertwining their fingers. 

“Please don’t let me fall” she whispered, looking at their hands.A bright smile opened up on the vampire’s face. 

“Wouldn’t dream of it, Beatrix” The girl took in a sharp breath of surprise, her whole body stiffened, and finally she let their eyes meet again.  “How do you know my full name?”

“I think that that’s for me to know and for you to find out” he smirked earning a soft giggle back: a small victory in his heart. Bea let his hand go and started taking small steps back, looking at him until she disappeared behind the door. 

“Do you know how worried I’ve been, young lady?” Luke knew he shouldn’t have stayed behind to listen to her mother’s scolding, but it was stronger than him. “You could’ve told me you were going out to see your boyfriend, or you could’ve snuck out like every other teenager does, and let me live in blissful ignorance till you came back!” he smirked. Boyfriend. He could perfectly picture Bea’s shocked face and blushed cheeks. “He’s not my boyfrie- Where you spying on me?!” a low chuckle escaped him as he started to walk away, their bickering keeping him company until he was out of ear shot. 

-

Storming up to my room I tried to put behind me the yelling match that had just taken place in the living room, more important and pressing matters instantly coming back to mind. Luke was a vampire. Rubbing my face with a little too much force, I started pacing around my room whilst trying to get a grip on what really was reality. A vampire. Snickering in disbelief, I sat down on the edge of my bed, letting the thought marinate in my head until it stopped feeling like something out of “Twilight” and found its place into my reality. Somehow it wasn’t too difficult. I fell back onto the soft sheets of my bed, my hands were quick to come up to my head, fingers getting lost in my hair and pulling lightly at the strands. If I thought too much about the fact that I knew – had known? – a vampire an incredulous laugh would still spill right out of my lips. It felt like going crazy, trying to justify the existence of a myth into my life. The world even. What baffled me the most, aside from the fact that apparently supernatural beings existed, was a more personal matter. Something that probably only had to do with me, with us: how was it possible that through every lifetime of mine Luke would come and look for me, with the knowledge of it ending as badly as it did? Now that he’d found me, would I be doomed like every other time? How was it possible that every time he found me he’d risk it all just for love? That last word echoed in my mind, bouncing left and right. There was something else I needed to know, to find out. 

The next day at school I patiently waited for my friends to gather in our spot in front of the building, usually we’d converse until the bell rang and then reluctantly make our way to class, however today I was faced with a rather different sight.

“Hello” Luke appeared out of nowhere, his voice taking me by surprise and making me drop my notes.

“You’ve gotta stop doing that!” I slapped him on the arm lightly, probably causing zero real harm and bowed down to pick up my notebook. 

“Sorry” he let out an airy laugh, watching as I faced him again. He smirked as my eyes narrowed, clutching my notebook closer to me.

“You’re not” I sad then, his smirk only widening at my words.

“You’re right” the blond shrugged simply, then seemed to be distracted for a second, listening to something else. 

“Well, I better get going, your friends are making their way over” his lips formed a little smile and he seemed to debate, very quickly, his next move. “Have a good day” was the last thing Luke said before walking towards the school entrance, leaving me dumbfounded. 

He was right, though, when he mentioned my three friends coming. Soon enough they were in front of me, Michael and Calum seemingly wrapped up in a discussion of their own and Ashley just looking at them in mild desperation. 

As soon as her eyes landed on me however, a knowing grin made its way onto her lips.

“So” she started, dragging the o for a little. “What was Hemmings doing here?” she wiggled her eyebrows, making me inwardly roll my eyes.

“Saying hi and wishing me a good day” I simply shrugged, not seeing the point in lying.

“Sure, sure” she nodded, not convinced, when finally the two boys decided to include us in their discussion over which answer was the right one for our Maths homework, the only class the four of us had together. From then on, waiting for the bell to ring but also on our way to class, we started throwing around our answers, debating and going over every passage of the problem. 

Turns out, none of us had got it right and Calum even received a disappointed look from our teacher the second he’d tried to explain our misplaced calculations.

“I won’t miss this pathetic excuse of a subject one bit” he sighed, still enraged, as soon as the four of us stepped out of the classroom, earning giggles and nods of agreement.

“She could’ve at least been nice about it! Her job is literally to teach us, not yell how much of a disappointment we are” Ashley added, still fuming about her own interaction with the teacher over homework. 

“Well, it is eight in the morning for her, too” shrugged Michael, earning pointed looks from the rest of us. Dragging Calum away before he could start yelling again, this time his frustration directed towards the green-eyed boy, I laughed lightly watching a little colour flow back into the blond’s cheeks – clearly afraid of his friend’s temper.

“See you later!” I waved towards them walking towards the Physics classroom, the blue haired boy following and muttering under his breath. 

As we walked in and I took my seat behind Calum’s, I noticed that Luke wasn’t here yet. Since when do you notice? – asked the other part of my brain, quickly shushed as the blond in question walked into the door and shot me a wink as he walked by me. Calum was quick to turn around and face me with slightly widened eyes.

“When did Hemmings start to wink at you?” he asked in a whisper, leaning in close, still I knew the vampire would be listening. Or could he? Had I watched too many shows?

“He doesn’t” I opted for, but my friend only raised a brow at that. 

“Fine, I don’t know” I groaned quietly in mild irritation. 

“Now turn around!” I folded my arms over my chest as Calum put his hands up in surrender, giggling. Snickering I turned around myself, searching for Luke’s eyes – which of course were on us. “I heard that” he mouthed at me gaining an eye roll, but also making me blush lightly. Before I could think too much about the latest interaction, the teacher finally walked into the classroom demanding everyone’s attention.

The rest of the day went by easily, except every time I had to suffer through the sneaky remarks of my friends about the blond vampire. Luke was definitely up to something, always making sure to pass by me in the hallways, saying “hi” every time and even winking, at times. It felt like the heat that rushed to my cheeks whenever he did these sort of thins would never go away. 

“You know” started Michael as we were making our way to Calum’s car after the insufferable day spent at school. “I think you should really go over and talk to him” he nodded towards the other end of the small school’s parking lot, making all of our heads turn to see Luke standing there, busy with his phone. 

“Yeah, he’s been parading around you all day today” agreed Ashley, her knowing grin ever present. 

“He winked at her in Physics” added Calum.

“He winked at her all day” deadpanned Michael, making everyone giggle except me. I gave him a pointed look, but he just shrugged with a smile.

“Alright, I’ll go, but just to make you lot shut up” raising my hands in surrender I started walking backwards towards the subject of our discussion, earning a quiet cheer from the trio. 

“Ask him how’s his eye!” exclaimed my green-eyed friend, making everyone laugh and eliciting a groan for me. I seriously doubt his eye is anything less than perfectly fine. 

As I turned to face Luke still cringing at the quiet hollers coming from my friends, which followed my through the emptying parking lot, I noticed his small amused smile.

“Just to make them shut up?” he asked once I was closed enough, I rolled my eyes- again.

“Yes” I nodded. “What was all of that today?”

“All of what?” he feigned ignorance, his hands buried deep in the pockets of his leather jacket as he started walking towards the exit. I followed mirroring his action, although I doubted he hid his hands because he was shivering from the cold. 

“You know what” I lightly elbowed him, a little taken aback by the sudden urge to be this familiar with him.

“Well, I was just saying hi to my friend” he turned his head to look down at me due to the height difference between us. “And I rather like seeing you blush” he added, a Cheshire cat-like grin stamped on his lips. Now that he’d said it, there was no way I was going to be able to maintain a straight face or stop the heat from rushing to my cheeks. “Beautiful” he murmured still looking at me. 

Completely overwhelmed by his words, I steered the conversation into an entirely different direction. “So what happens now?” I asked, he raised a brow as if encouraging me to explain myself better. “What happens now that you’ve found me again?” I clarified, the question had rung in my head all night barely allowing me to get any shut-eye time. 

Luke looked tense, clearly familiar just as much as me with what could happen, and shrugged. “I’ll go to any length to keep you safe” he’d stopped walking, looking at me with such intensity I had no trouble believing the words he said. I nodded, resuming our walk.

“Where are we going?” the question almost came out of my mouth on its own, having danced around my mind for a little while.

“Do you trust me?” he asked back, offering me his hand to hold. It took less than a second for my brain to think of the answer.

“Yes” and I grasped his hand in mine.

tag list: @assumeimapenguin @rose-coloredmind @keithseabrook27

[dalamjisung]

someone to lose ✤ lee felix

word count: 2583

genre: angst, with a pinch of fluff

pairing: reader x lee felix

description: he couldn’t have you, but what if you just wanted to be lost?

You were there when he first moved in.

You hear the truck first, loudly shaking, parking, unloading. The memory starts with that, and with you, on your pretty yellow bike, dirty from the busy, fun day with your friends. Knees scrapped, smudge of mud in your cheek, and a curious glance was all it took– you had his attention first thing. His feet touched the ground, and his eyes found you. And you remember– because you are sure that you can’t ever forget– the disgusted look he threw your way. And you also remember– and this because your mom won’t let your forget– how you came home crying because you thought you were ugly. You were nine and that was kind of a big deal. Your mom hated Felix since then. 

You were there when he enrolled in your school.

It was just a couple of days later and you see him again, in a similar uniform to yours. His freckles pollute his face and you want to get lost as you count them, and you want to have to start again and get lost again. He was two grades above yours and barely spared you a glance as he paraded around with his brand new friends– another international kid and a kid that was a grade above yours and one bellow his. You learned their names that same day; Bang Chan and Kim Seungmin. They ate together at lunch and you stared at them with a dreamy look in your face, until you tripped and fell face first on the floor. Once again you came back home crying and hurt and humiliated. And one again your mother swore to protect you from the new kid in the block. 

It was a few years later, but you were there when he got his first girlfriend. 

And when he broke up with her. The whole school found out the very next day, interrogating him with questions that he clearly didn’t even know the answers yet; he was just 15, after all. It happened during lunch time– when it was decided that he broke up with her, and not the other way around; you, once again, were on your way to the football field, where you usually ate your lunch while doing the homework for the next class, and you saw him. Walking. Running. Marching… to you. He is fuming and you can feel the anger, but Felix just looks at you, then at your homework, and rolls his eyes. 

“Let me help.”

You didn’t say a thing, but you listened to every word as he explained the mathematical formulas. You aced your pop quiz the next day. But is appeared that he didn’t care. 

You were there as he grew– more.

And when he found a stray cat and took it home.

And when his mom got angry cause the cat ruined her sofa.

And when his dad returned home from a work trip in Australia. 

And when his dad went back to Australia and never came back.

And when he got beat up in the end of his Junior year in high school. 

And when he beat someone up in the beginning of his Senior year.

And basically every other moment because it is very hard to mind your own business when his window is just right across from yours. Or when he goes to your school. Or when this nagging feeling of him bothers you basically every second of the day. 

During the years that passed you had more interactions with him. Still not enough to apparently satiate your undying crush on him, but enough to actually make you crave more. They were all the same, though; something bad would happen, and you’d be the first one he’d run to because what could actually be worse than this, right now? You are sure he didn’t quite realize how hurtful that was to hear, but he laughed and the melody tone of his voice soothed the wounds away. One time it was a fight, with a new girl, boy, lover, friend– anyone– and he found you in the swings in the end of you guys’ street. He sat down as asked if you had any homework for the next day and, if so, to bring it there. Once again, you aced a quiz. Another time, it was just oppressed emotions; apparently his dad facetimed him– cause I only left your mother, Felix, not you,– and told him about the new wife that was pregnant with the new kids. So he marched to your house, politely ignoring your mothers angry glares, and asking if you had any subject you were struggling with. Enough said, your grades improved exponentially once Felix’s life got… well, complicated. He’d always come to you, study, calm down, and leave. Not talk; no heart to heart; not late night confessions. But still better than nothing. 

Safe to say, Felix’s life was at its peak– of fucked up. He had just hit the last stretch of his Senior year in high school and had to start thinking about colleges, and majors, and life, and adulthood. He didn’t want that. Not yet. He wanted high school a little longer, and he didn’t quite know why, but he does. And you? Well, you were in the final round of your Sophomore year, struggling with things that only get worse, and happy with things that probably will get worse, too. You had a friend or two, and you felt like you didn’t need more. You had the people that you love you loved you back, what else could you want? With the exception of a certain neighbor loving you back, that is. Jeongin and Jisung always said that they should be enough, and they are. But sometimes you just need an extra something that they can’t provide and that’s okay. 

It was during one of those nights– the ones that you feel incredibly alone, even though you have Jeongin clinging to your left arm as he snores in your bed, and Jisung mumbling in his sleep on your other side,– that you decide that you were done. It was time to take action yourself, cause you knew he wouldn’t. You sleep that night with sweet dreams of strawberry fields and Bowie’s songs. And Felix. Always Felix. 

You started off simple. A note. And not the lovey dove kind of note– no, you’d never!– but rather a friendly one; one that would uplift him that rainy morning because you know he needed it, because you heard his mom shouting and him crying and you weren’t about to just tell him that to his face so. A note it is. You leave it in his car during your free period, and you honestly couldn’t give two fucks if anyone saw you, cause you wanted it. You wanted Felix to know it was you. 

You are waiting in the field, sitting on your usual spot in the bleachers, with your chemistry book on the side. He finds you like that, bobbing your head to the song playing through your headset, school work set aside, lunch half eaten. 

“You need to eat,” He basically snarls as he pulled your headphones down. “Or else you won’t grow.”

There was a moment of silence before you spoke up. 

“I’m 16, Felix,” You frowned. “I haven’t been “growing” for a few years now.”

His face flushes red and he rolls his eyes. 

“Need help?”

“No, but I think you do.” You say and oh my god you did it you finally did it!

“What?” He chuckles, incredulously. “What do you mean?”

“I’m your neighbor,” You mumble, suddenly shy. “I see… and hear, a lot. And I’m not prying but I can’t really not listen when it’s loud and– well, that’s beside the point. What I mean is that I’m here to listen.”

“And who said I wanted to talk with you?”

“Me,” You shrug. “You come to me whenever something bad happens. To study, even though I am really not sure how that helps you, but let’s skip formalities. What’s happening?”

“What the…?” Felix is seizing you up and you know it. He’s done it so many times for you to recognize the sensation. “You are so weird, Y/N.”

“Meh, I’ve heard worse,” You joke and lean back.

“Who?”

“Who what?” 

“Who told you worse?” Felix asks and he is frowning. For a second, you want to tell him you. You did, with looks, and gossips, and actions. But you don’t. You just shake your head and laughs. 

“Doesn’t matter, Felix,” You say. “Talk to me.”

“What if I don’t want you?”

“Then you wouldn’t be here,” You clarify and you think that’s exactly what he needs; someone to clarify his own actions to him.

So he talks. His mom got angry because he asked if he could visit his dad and then shouting. And more shouting. And him crying and her leaving and him being alone. He hated being alone. And you nod; you nod not because you understand– you don’t,– but you nod because you hated being alone too and because you don’t want to say something and scare him away. So you silently listen to him, for ten, twenty, thirty minutes, until it’s class time again. 

This time, when you are walking to Literature and see him by the lockers, he smiles at you. Just a simple, closed-mouth grin. But it was more than enough to make you giddy for the rest of the day. You arrive home and run to tell your mom and she tries to smile, but ends up with a grimace, because oh god how she hated that boy. 

You wake up the next day and it dawns on you– you did it. You managed to talk to him like friends. Laugh like friends. Smile like friends. And it starts there; it starts with friendship. 

“Y/N!” Your mother shouts from the kitchen, hoping, for the first time in her life, that you were late and still sleeping. “Someone’s here for you.”

You come out of your room with you backpack, looking at something on your phone, when you hear his chuckle. In the morning. In your kitchen. And you are not dreaming; you even slightly pinch yourself to make sure. Felix is in your kitchen. 

“Ready?” He asks adjusting his bag on his shoulders. 

“Yeah, just… just a second.” You blush while kissing your mom goodbye and grabbing an apple. 

You guide Felix out of your house and awkwardly walks besides him. 

“Why…?” You frown, confused.

“Why not?” He laughs and grabs your apple, taking a bite, and giving it back to you. “We’re neighbors, after all. The walks to school don’t need to be lonely.”

And there it was. Once again, Felix didn’t want to be alone. And you were his choice. Last. First. Easiest. Convenient, if you must. But it was you and no once could take that away. 

You two talk about his Senior year so far and your Sophomore hell, and he laughs when you mention those stupid field trips the school took Freshman and Sophomores, and you tell him how it is basically all just an excuse to hook up with people when the teachers are asleep at night. He nods and agrees with you, earning him a slap on his shoulder and a chuckle from you. He tells you about Chan and Australia and, weirdly enough, his dad. He smiles when he mentions Australia, and a weird feeling takes over your body.  A not-so-good feeling, at that, but you simply push it away. 

For weeks, that is your routine: waking up, grabbing any kind of fruit, and walking with Felix to school. It evolved as days went by; first he started coming up to you to talk, then he started befriending your friends, and now, he even ate lunch with you. This was a dream come true and you were on cloud nine. Until college entrance exam day came by. 

Felix had been a ball of nerves and irritation because of it; barely studying and eating no more than the necessary amount to stay awake and studying. He was one of the top students of the school and no one knew where he was applying, not even you, his new rumored best friend. You would occasionally check up on him through your window, and watch him for a few minutes before sighing and minding your own business. But then you heard it all again; the shouts. This time it was worse; louder, more desperate, and then you heard it. Something breaking, shattering, maybe, and a door slamming. You count ten minutes; and then you follow. You know exactly where Felix will be and you take your time waking to the playground. He needed alone time but he also hated being alone. Funny. 

“You took long enough,” He gruff when he sees your shadow approaching and then he is on you.

You didn’t expect that; his hands on your waist, mouth on yours, bodies pressed against each other. He pushes you until your back is against the metal poles holding the swings up, and his hands explore– your waist, back, hair, until they settle; one on your neck and the other pulling the baby hairs you still had. His mouth moves way faster than you’ve ever had the power to imagine; passionate, intense, relieving. You knew what was happening, and you didn’t care. This was a hell of an upgrade from him helping you studied and you didn’t care. You didn’t care he was using you. You didn’t care that he was taking it all only to throw it out. You wanted this, in any shape, way, or form. And, unfortunately, this was yours. 

It takes a while for you two to separate. Your hands keep him close, though, and he doesn’t complain. He wouldn’t dare. 

“I’m leaving,” He winces at how harsh his voice comes out. “I’m leaving and here we are. What am I doing…?”

“I don’t care,” You shrug. “I had a feeling. That you’d be going… back. And I guess I was right?”

“How’d you know?” He mumbles, nose poking your cheek as his mouth dispersed kisses here and there. 

“You love it, Felix,” You sigh, letting your head fall to the side, basically telling him here you go. “I knew you’d be going back home.”

“This is home too,” He growls. “Home is here.”

“Meh, same difference,” You chuckle, enjoying the feeling of him. “You heart is there. It always was.”

“And where is yours?” He asks, breath hitching. You felt his heart speed up, nervousness taking over. 

You smile, in peace. “Right here,” And you let your palm fall on his chest. “With you.”

“Y/N,” He pulls back, nose touching yours. Eyes on yours. Mouths so close… “I’m leaving. I can’t have you… I can’t do that you. Or me.”

“Then lose me,” You whisper, pecking his lips. “Lose me, Felix, and let me find myself again, years later when you visit. I don’t need to be your forever, but… let me be your right now. Let me be your someone to lose.”

He nods. You see tears in his eyes and you kiss them away. You kiss the freckles in his face; the jutted lower lip; the button nose. Everything. Felix was here, now, and that’s all you needed. That’s all you’d allow yourself to need. 

-----------

hello lovelies! I’m sorry it took so long to post, I’m working on about five fics right now and this is the first one to get posted! Let me know what you think :)

[fxckbiscuit]

Day 9: Ichi-go Ichi-e | The City

“So is that an agreement? Let’s both die in the morning?”

SasuHina | Rating: T | @sasuhinamonth

Ichi-go Ichi-e (一期一会): a Japanese proverb embodying the philosophy that every second in an encounter should be highly treasured, for it will never occur again; “one time, one meeting”

2:03 PM

     “If I don’t ask you this, it will haunt me for the rest of my fucking life.”      “What?”      He looks at her nervously, frozen from where he sat, phrasing and rephrasing the words in his mind he wanted to say but just couldn’t. The train was moving slowly enough to make everything outside a wondrous streak.      Intrigued and a little nervous too, Hinata’s eyes gleamed with a hint of amusement at what he’s struggling with. They were seated across each other for the two-hour ride, aimlessly dissecting whatever idea stumbled upon their vagabond minds.      Now the train finally slowed to a stop. The afternoon sunlight bounced off the windows, lighting up the lounge car. He gets off on this station, she remembered him saying earlier.      “What?” she questioned again.      The burden was on him. She leaned back on her seat in anticipation. The doors to the train opened. People were boarding and unboarding. A warm bright glow hung in the air.      Her lips curved into a smile. He had to say what was needed to be said.      “I want to keep talking with you, if that’s okay,” he admitted as his eyes scanned hers in search for an answer.      “Yeah. Yeah, it’s okay. Me too. But don’t you have a plane to catch?”      Sasuke continued, “I have a little time to kill so how about this. Okay. Yeah, we just met but…Fuck. You want to get off the train with me? Maybe go see the city?”      The thought was a siren luring her to uncharted seas. She leaned over the table, half-smiling at the idea, her mind not entirely made up yet.      “But…what would we do?”

4:55 PM

     “We never talked much, but it was alright,” he explained, picking up where he left off.      “Before my brother died, he liked to look at the night sky with me, which was deeper than any conversation, don’t you think? Anyone can talk to you. Anyone can look at you. But isn’t it quite extraordinary to have someone else seeing the exact same world you see?”      Hinata nodded in understanding, unsure of what to say.      There were cobbled streets and hundreds of joints. She caught a glimpse of a lavish, massive fountain that hardly seemed real—built into a palatial building, adorned with sculptures of godlike humans.      He ran a hand through his hair. “Well, now I told you my story. Might as well tell me yours.”      “Strange how we avoided this topic for this long.”      “I know. And now you owe it. You have to tell me.”      “But I don’t have one.”      “That’s bullshit. Everyone has stories”      “I guess, but it’s not good as yours. You got arrested. Arrested,” she argued, making sure to put emphasis on the word. He raised a brow at her dismissively. She gave in.      “Fine,” she said, rolling her eyes. “I’m married.”      Sasuke almost tripped over.      “You’re what?”      She looked at him for a moment, sizing him up. She watched different emotions flicker through his eyes.      “I said I’m married,” she flashed a smile of mischief. “…To boredom and distaste.”      Hinata could tell he dived headfirst into a state of relief.      He raised a middle finger to her.      “Oh, touchy,” she shook her head, cracking a laugh. “Anyway, anything relatively interesting that ever happened to me was because of accidents. Without those happy, little accidents, I’d be barely a person.”      A twenty-foot angel statue greeted them as they turned a corner. Up ahead they could already see the veins of the city, alive with the hustle of people.      “We’ve known each other for a little while now, and we’re stuck together so…here’s a little game. Uh, it’s all just questions really. I ask you a question, you ask me a question. Simple. Ready?”      “Yeah. Wait, we can ask any possible question right?”      “Of course. You go first.”      “Can you describe your first sexual feelings toward someone?” Hinata asked with a laugh. He shot her an amused look.      “Let me think…here, my first sexual feelings were consummated by an obsessive hookup with a magazine. Ever heard of ‘Playboy’?”      “Yes.” Her shoulders were still shaking with laughter when Sasuke dropped the next question.      “Right, what are the things that infuriate you?”      The sky was bright with yellows and oranges and pinks as they walked along the boardwalk near an amusement park buzzing with the noise of thousands.      He received a long, fuming sigh as a reply. “Boy, almost everything infuriates the shit out of me.”      “Yeah? Name some.” His eyes hovered over her short figure, glinting with mischief as he noted that his demand riled her up into a little ball of anger. As they walked around without definite aim, their conversation hummed with the city’s mid afternoon rush.      “I fucking hate men who tell girls what to do, like to smile or something. Hell, you’re just minding your own on a street, then suddenly a man tells you what the fuck to do as if you owe him something. I hate…”      Hinata took a deep breath and gripped the straps of her backpack, “I hate how people are dying fighting or caught up in a war conjured by people who don’t give two shits about anything. And it sucks that we don’t know what to do for them. I hate mosquitoes, I hate people with myopic views, I hate plane rides. Oh I hate those.” By the second, she grew angrier while he got amused.      Looking up at him, her face twisted in disgust as his smirk morphed into half a grin. Not a second later, they both blew up in a fit of laughter.      As they were calming down, she thought of a question for her new friend.      “Okay, my turn now right? What’s a��a problem for you?”      Sasuke looked at her and noted with deep concern that he found her endlessly fascinating. The thought frightened him.      “You. You’re a problem.”

6:38 PM

     “How long ‘til you leave here for the airport?”      “About six in the morning? Six-thirty at the latest.”      A breeze picked up, the tall grass on the little cemetery tilting away from it. He pulled his jacket over his shoulders to stay warm. The memorial park was still within the metropolis, the whispers of the city a constant sound. A rabbit ran past them on the wide staircase, descending to the array of old headstones ahead.      “I came to this exact place once as a kid,” Sasuke said, wandering around, eyeing the almost identical angel heads.        “Yep. I was with my mom. The groundkeeper told us most of the bodies buried here washed up from the riverbank,” he gestured to the patch of woods beside the grounds with Hinata following his gaze.      “Why did so many bodies wash up on the banks?”      “From boat accidents I think, and mostly suicides.”      “This idea of nameless, unknown people lost in the world, I always liked that. If none of the people you’ve ever known knew you were dead, they could only imagine what happened, give you a story weighing on both ends of a spectrum—the best and the worst…”      She tucked astray strands of hair behind her ears. He stopped by one grave.      “It’s similar to not being dead at all, no?”      “I remember this one. See, she’s twelve when she died, and I was that age too when I came here. Now I’m a decade older and…”      “She’s still twelve. Twelve forever.” Hinata finished his sentence. She fished out a pack from her bag, lighting up two sticks, and handed one over to Sasuke. It was eerie, he thought, how she could tell he wanted a cigarette.      But awful notions clouded his head, the lifeless twelve-year old left a bigger crater in him than he led on. The sadness of the setting sun seemed to have gotten to him. He exhaled. Everything seemed to be tinted with melancholy. He turned to her.      Just like that. His brain running a million miles an hour was halted in half a second.      He took in the sight of her.      He wanted so badly to memorize every detail. How old was she? What was her favorite book? Did she prefer coffee or tea? How many sticks did she light a day? What did she think of Tarantino movies? Maybe she liked Scorsese more? Has she ever been in love before? What made her get out of bed in the mornings?      While Hinata was finishing up, Sasuke tried to ransack his mind for the right words to say. Nothing came up. “Let’s get out of here.”

8:29 PM

     “From up here, you ought to think the city is alive—the streets are the veins, the people are the cells…It’s all a lovely, breathing chaos, don’t you think?”      Her eyes bored into the half-empty second bottle as she mused.      They were sitting on the edge of the bookstore’s roof, four stories above the ground. Sasuke thought they were so high up they were practically part of the night sky.      “Yeah, look…stars up above, stars down below. It’s tough to decipher where the other starts and where the other ends.” A beat closed in before he continued. “Pass me the wine?”      Hinata ignored him. She looked at the city beneath. Her entire world tilted. She closed her eyes, laughed at the way everything spiraled.      “Very gracious of you to call this shit wine,” she cracked him a smile. “It tastes like an open grave. We’re gonna be sick if we keep downing that piss. So let’s play. Best day, worst day.”      “Never heard of that one,” Sasuke responded, lighting the cigarette between her lips.      “’Cause I made it up, just now.” She said with a crooked grin. After drawing her legs up, she leaned forward and rested her arm on top of her knees, her pale skin the most vivid memory of his night.      “How do we play?”      With her lips slightly parted and a far-off look in her eyes, it occurred to him that she might be a little plastered already.      “Easy. We tell the story of our best day. Better narrator wins. Loser drinks. We tell the story of our worst day. Better narrator wins. Loser drinks.”      Remembering she was nursing a roll between her fingers, Hinata’s cheeks hollowed out a little as she took a long draw.        She wouldn’t look at him. He drank up her movements with idle fascination.      Taking a drag from his own, it also occurred to Sasuke that he might already be a little plastered too.      Hinata felt herself flushing under Sasuke’s gaze and tried to distract herself by blowing smoke rings. His stare was puzzling, just like him. It stirred up her insides in the most fascinating way, morphing her smoke rings into shaky, pseudo circles desperately pretending to be round.      Seconds later, she concluded that his laugh was one of the best sounds she has ever heard. “That was horrible. Here, like this.” Sasuke showed her. He cracks his mouth open and blew perfect ones.      As she followed his lead, only wobbling, sad-looking circles managed to escape her mouth. A fraction of his laugh was heard again. Hinata stifled the thought of the inevitable morning where his laughter would be nothing more than a half-remembered vision.      Inhaling for yet another try, she held it in for a few seconds.      Maybe it was the small high of the nicotine rush, or the light buzz from the cheap bottle, or something else, he didn’t know.      When she parted her lips with the smoke pooling out ever so slowly, Sasuke had wanted to kiss her.      So he did.      And she kissed him back as the smoke danced around their faces. When he pulled away a little, she couldn’t help but smile a bit.      “Is this okay?”      “Yeah. This is fun.”      “Wanna do it again?”      She was sold. The night was cold but the hand on her cheek was warm. They made out some more.      He pulled away again. His lips grazing hers as he asked.      “Wait, how do we know who’s the better narrator?”      She shrugged. “Guess we’ll just have to find out.”

10:16 PM

     “Come on,” he said, taking her hand. The night had become colder. Glowing orbs of car lights pierced strange patterns throughout the street.      She was slightly terrified of crossing the street since everybody there drove like they were stunt extras from a car chase in a bad action flick.      Another sharp turn took them down a busy street. They walked and drowned in the neon glow of the city, eyeing the vibrant buildings lit by hundreds of multicolored lights. The pubs were everywhere. Pubs with proper names like the Apple, Conspiracy Garden, Purple Unicorns, and the Aged Ship.      “Here we are,” he glanced over her, brushing his thumb against her knuckle.      “The Drunk Poet?”      “Let’s go in. You wanna go, yes?”      “Yeah, but why’d you pick this one?”      “I noticed it’s the only one offering discounts for students.”      Hinata couldn’t even see the bar from where they were. A wall of people guarded it and a haze of smoke hung over, as if it had its own climate.      “What are you having?” Sasuke asked. “I’ll go and get it. Maybe you try to find somewhere to stand?”      “A zigzagger?”      “Right. Okay.” He threw himself into the crowd and was absorbed. It came to his mind that this was the first time they were separated since they met just hours ago.      Squeezing herself in between bodies drowned in liquor and sin, she backed far into a wall for a little air. There was nowhere to stand, she thought. Pressing herself in close, she examined the wall fastened with hundreds of ripped pieces of paper.            ‘Let us go then, you and I            When the evening is spread out against the sky            To lead you to an overwhelming question…            Oh, do not ask what is it            Let us go and make our visit.’      Sasuke found her there, looking intently at the wall like a psychopath, reading the grimy papers like her life depended on it.      He carried a pint glass full of dark liquid coughing up tiny bubbles. Passing her the glass, she had a brief flash of the disgusting wine they had earlier. She shuddered. He placed himself next to her then looked up at the wall too.      “I like that one. Read it to me,” he said, pointing to a poem passage.      “’Stand at the window as the tears scald and start,’” he threw an arm around her shoulders, earning himself a blush across the bridge of her nose. She ran on.      “’You shall love your crooked neighbor with your crooked heart.’”      Her skin was alive with the feeling of equal parts wonder and doom.      “Hinata, I have a crooked heart. And you…” he bent down, giving her a light kiss on the chin. “…Are my crooked neighbor.”      He felt giddy so he smiled at her.      At that nanosecond, the world could have ended. And she still wouldn’t have moved from where she stood, staring up at him.      Sasuke averted his gaze, hoping she wouldn’t notice he was hopelessly hooked, and then buried himself beneath the scattered words again.      “I like that one too,” he said, distracting himself.            ‘What is the life of a human being—            A drop of dew, a flash of lightning?            This is so sad, so sad’      “I like it too,” she paused to think over the words. “But I don’t think I completely agree with it.”      “Why not? It’s true. We are so small. Life is so fragile. It’s an inevitable fight and we’re doomed to lose. Time is always never enough. I had to learn that the hardest possible way. All we are is a split second in the grand scheme of things. There’s no greater tragedy.”      “Maybe we’re all just little dewdrops and lightning flashes, born to a tragedy of being forgotten and passing too quickly. But I think there’s no bigger spectacle than that. I might be nothing more than a dewdrop, but maybe I can make ripples on the water or maybe tip over leaves,” she said, determined to disagree.      “You might be nothing more than a lightning flash, but maybe a little kid would catch a glimpse of you and remember you and make you feel like you’re not just one, but a thousand more. Sasuke, it’s not a tragedy at all, no?”

12:21 AM

     “Look at that lady.”      “What about her?”      “How do you think her story goes?”      “She helps run a food bank in her spare time. See her bag? It contains a small gift she just bought from the night market. It’s for the little girl who always comes by their truck. A lady of altruism.”      They were huddled on the topmost step of plaza’s stairway, overlooking the flea fair. The city twinkled with the string of lights hanging above the stalls.      “Perhaps she’s planning to kill her cheating lover. Not a gift on her bag, but a gun. She knows what a .44 does to a man’s dick. Now she’s this vengeful lady,” Sasuke countered. Hinata laughed.      She furtively pointed to a young couple. “The blue-eyed girl with the black-haired boy. They’re just about to go home from visiting the girl’s family in the next city from here. The girl works as a psychologist, but the boy is a fucking sloth.”      “Mm. Guy over there with the bowl cut…he wanted to be a monk and went to various monasteries. Changed his mind because all the monks did was ask if they could suck his cock.”      “Ahh. Sucking cock. Everything always comes down to that, no?”      He laughed. “You’re right.”      “About the cock sucking part?”      “No, no. About what you said in the cemetery. How you could make up the best and the worst stories for people.”      “They could end up anywhere if we imagined hard enough,” she muttered, pale eyes studying the ocean of people below.      “Maybe we could end up anywhere too,” he replied, feeling half out of his mind. Just a bit. It was nice.      She let herself imagine it—the crunch of browning leaves under their feet as they walked home, discussing magic in the universe, and cats, and ruling systems, and whatever the fuck there was to talk about. She imagined the cold hitting her skin when they arrive and don’t stay in their clothes. She imagined all the futures they might have, all the people they might become.      “Yes. We could. But this night is almost over, Sasuke.” She gave him the softest smile.      “Do you think we’ll see each other again?”      “I don’t know. The future is uncontainable.”      “Right. And unknown.”      “And finite.”      “And terrifying.”      “And beautiful.”      “So beautiful…”      “Let’s just pretend we’re going to die when the sun comes up,” Hinata propositioned.      The midnight streets were still awake with the cacophony of multitudes. He’s never been this far from home, and sitting right next to him was a girl he liked but cannot have.      “So we won’t be that lonely when we never get this night again, right? That way, I could imagine the best for you and you could do the same for me,” he said, accepting the loveliest of all tragedies—the quick, fluttering moment when their lives intersected, only to part and go their separate ways again.      He knew what she meant.      “Exactly.” Hinata looked at him, feeling both happiness and hopelessness sink in as the lights faltered beneath them.      Sasuke’s voice was just above a whisper, hoping to keep the next few words a little secret between them and the universe. “So is that an agreement? Let’s both die in the morning?”

5:50 AM

     “Let’s just stay here for a while and watch the world go by.”      So they lazed there—backs against a thousand blades of grass, fingers intertwined, staring up at a cloudless summer sky.      “This is it, Hinata. We’re going to die soon.”      “I know.”      “What could we do?”      “Take joy in it.”      She shifted on her side to burn his image on her mind: crooked smile, tousled hair, careful hands, eyes the color of the night sky.      He thought of all the dark. And the quiet. And the city. And her. And her eyes. And her lips. Mostly her eyes—her eyes looking back at his like there was something inside him worth seeing.      The buttons of her shirt were fastened all the way up. He subtracted three. He lifted a hand to trace her collarbones.      She wondered what it’d be like to memorize every line on his fingertips. He lifted his head to kiss her neck. Her fingertips grazed the grass and then his hair.      “Almost forgot,” reaching into his jacket, he drew out a piece of paper. “I got something for you.”      “Oh. You stole this from the Drunk Poet,” she glanced at him then laughed.      “Yep. You should call the cops on me,” he said, smiling. Silently, she read on.            ‘Loafe with me on the grass…            Loose the stop from your throat,            Not words, not music or rhyme I want…            Not custom or lecture, not even the best,            Only the lull I like, the hum of your valved voice            I mind how we lay in June,            Such a transparent summer morning’      Not wanting to catch sight of the rising sun, she laid on her stomach, whispering something.      “What did you just say?” Sasuke asked, placing a hand on the small of her back. The corners of her mouth turned up.      “Today’s a good day to die.”

Thank you for reading!!

Art: idontliveinatent Excerpts: T.S. Eliot, W.H. Auden, R. Akutagawa, W. Whitman Plot: R. Linklater

[eene-fangirl]

Monster House-ED Chapter 3 (An Ed, Edd n Eddy Crossover)

Grasping his beating heart, Eddy took a deep breath. In and out, feel the ground, you are safe.

Was he safe?

His whole room was dark. Checking the time, it was just after eleven o’clock at night. Did he really just fall asleep for five hours? It wasn’t even that late by the time he retreated to his bedroom. That happened on days when he was very stressed. One day after school about a few months ago, Eddy passed out and didn’t wake up until it was time for dinner. When his mother found out it only further worried her. Now he was going to have a heck of a time trying to fall asleep again.

The phone rang again, startling Eddy.

Ugh, why did Ed like to call late?

Wiping the sleep from his eyes, Eddy picked up the phone. “What do yah want, Ed?”

On the other line, something was breathing. It sounded like a low hum like a car sitting in the driveway.

“Ed, you tryin’ to mimic a monster again? Go to bed!” And Eddy hung up the phone. 

The phone rang again, louder than ever, blaring its incessant ring through Eddy’s ears. That noise was giving him a headache!

Eddy nervously glanced around his dark room. Even with the glow from his glow lamp sitting right near the table wasn’t helping anything. Darkness was darkness. And he hated it. The set of pictures of Old Man Jonny hanging up on his wall made his stomach squirm.

Reluctantly, Eddy answered the phone again. “Yes?” Eddy barked.

Again, breathing, mixed with a low growl of an animal was on the other end. This was ridiculous! “Very funny, Ed!”

Now it was his turn. Pressing the buttons, Eddy prepared for his own ruse on Ed. Ever since he and Ed were kids they’d always call to act like monsters. It was fun. But Ed never did it this late.

The phone rang on the other line. Waiting impatiently, something caught Eddy’s attention. He could hear a phone ringing. And it was close by. Like, right next to him.

Feeling chills run up his spine, Eddy turned to his window.

Across the street, the house was staring into his soul with its glassy window eyes. It was so faint but the phone was definitely ringing. Lifting up his window, the noise was louder now. Who knew a phone ringing could be so alarming. Now he knew how those people in horror movies felt. Eddy’s breath hitched in his throat. Just like the line on his phone, it kept ringing, and ringing, and ringing. The house... was calling him...

“BOO!” Someone’s hands painfully clapped down against his shoulders. Turning around, Eddy screamed when he was met with the smashed face of a chicken with tire tracks covering it.

The person under the mask laughed mockingly, pointing a finger in Eddy’s startled face. “Happy Halloween, dork!”

And then, Marie walked into the room switching on the light. Briefly glancing at Eddy to make sure he was okay, Marie laughed in that annoying high pitched voice. “Nice one, Kev!”

Removing the mask, a young man with long, very tangled ginger hair appeared. Taking an orange hat out of his pocket, he placed it right on his head. Eddy’s nose turned up when he saw his terrible crooked teeth. Clearly, someone had never heard of going to the dentist! His ripped pants sagged and he smelled foul. Like a smell Eddy knew very well whenever his brother disappeared to be alone in his room.

“Hey, just ‘cause I’m not allowed to have people over doesn’t mean you can!” Eddy confronted Marie.

“Relax! He’d just here to keep me company! This is Kevin,” Marie introduced.

“Sup, dork!” Kevin tilted his head as if to greet him.

“He’s a professional biker.”

Kevin took out his wallet. Right in front of his picture of Marie was a bike.“Yeah! Wanna see some pics of the gorgeous gal?”

“You actually carry around a picture of your bike?” Eddy turned up his brow.

“Hey, don’t insult her!” Kevin spat. 

Marie also rolled her eyes. “Anyway, aren’t you up way past your bedtime?” Marie stood over Eddy trying to intimidate him.

Eddy shook his head. The phone was still ringing from across the street. “No, you gotta see this! Listen!” He told Marie, placing the still ringing phone in her hand and pointing across the street at the house.

Marie turned her brow up, unphased by the predicament. “Uh... wow, you called the neighbors. Good for you.” And turned the phone off and closed the window.

“No, he called me!” Eddy’s voice cracked.

“Who called you?” Marie asked briefly alarmed but annoyed at the same time.

“Old Man Jonny! P.S. he died today!”

“You lie!” Kevin confronted pointing a finger in his face. 

“No way! He died and now he’s haunting me!” Eddy claimed.

Kevin stared mesmerized at the house. “Wow, a phone call from beyond the grave. Word!”

Eddy noticed Marie and Kevin look at each other. Clearly, they didn’t believe him. Who did?

Then Kevin burst out holding his arms out in a ghoulish fashion. “OOOOOOOH!”

“Seriously, are you trying to be Marley? That guy isn’t even scary. I’m serious!” Eddy fought with them. No, his mind was no messing with him. That’s what his brother always tried to do.

Turning up his nose, Kevin spied something that made his eyes light up. “Oh, you’re serious?” Kevin took the magazine that was sticking out from underneath Eddy’s pillow.

“Hey, that’s mine!” Eddy jumped up trying to get his magazine. Kevin waved it over his head just to further mock him. Then he opened up the pages.

“What is that?” Marie turned her nose up.

“Did you know he was serious?” Kevin asked the girl on the front cover of the magazine.

Eddy jumped, trying to retrieve the magazine. “Come on, give it back!”

“Sure, but first, do you mind?” And Kevin started licking the pages.

“Gross! Stop!”

“Wait, wait, somethin’ wrong!” Kevin alerted pressing his ear to the page. “Yeah, they’re all havin’ trouble breathing due to rippled pages! Let me handle it!”

Kevin ripped up the magazine, shredding it to pieces.

“Hey, stop! My bro gave me that!” Eddy’s breath caught in his throat. Unaware that he had fallen on to the ground, Eddy’s insides shivered. Bro...

“Hey, Kevin, knock it off! Downstairs, right now!” Marie point to the door. Briefly, she glanced at Eddy to make sure that he was okay. She was about to bend down to his side to make sure he was okay. Was this the episode that Eddy’s parents were warning him about if one were to ever happen?

Kevin sneered, laughing at Eddy. “Looks like playtime’s over! See yah, dork!”

And Marie and Kevin left the room, leaving Eddy alone. He just stared at the ripped up pages of the magazine at his feet. The magazine was his brothers. He gave him his collection of magazines. Did that mean... he cared?

Fuming, Eddy collected the ripped pages. Holding them over the trash can, his fingers refused to let the pages go. So, instead, he just placed them on the desk with his investigation notes. Why? Why did his life end up this way? Was he really wasting his whole life away when he could have been out playing sports?

Why was this so hard? His brother had only been gone for a year and yet it still felt like he was here torturing him. Seeing him was out of the consequences. Of course, it’s not like Eddy really wanted to see him.

Just then, Eddy caught something peculiar. The last time he looked at the house wasn’t the shade on the window up?

And then, the shade flew up revealing the dark glass staring back at him.

Cowering behind the drape, Eddy mentally kicked himself. Slowly, Eddy caught the slightest peak at the house, just barely making it out. Now, the shade was closed again.

This was crazy. Something was wrong. There was something up with that house. And he couldn’t inspect the situation alone.

Reaching for his phone, Eddy waited and waited, pacing the room.

“Hello?” Ed answered on the other line. Just from the loud noises in the background, Eddy knew in an instant that Ed was playing a video game.

“Ed, you gotta meet me at the construction site right now! Where are your parents?”

“Well, Mom is still out and Dad passed out on the couch two hours ago,” Ed responded somewhat uncomfortable.

“Okay, meet me there! Pronto!”

Now, all Eddy had to do was sneak passed, Marie. Like that would be a problem. Unless she was actually going to do her job tonight.

As he descended the stairs, Marie and Kevin’s bickering grew louder. They were in the other room. The TV was on but they weren’t paying any attention to it. They kept the room dark. This was going to be too easy.

“Aw, come on, Marie! Lighten up!” Kevin groaned.

“I said no!”

Eddy didn’t even want to know. He was listened in on one, out of many, of his brother's dates.

Finally, Marie sighed in exasperation. “You know, I saw an ambulance on my way here today.”

Eddy saw Kevin took a swig from a bottle he knew very well. “So?”

“So, maybe Old Man Jonny really did die!”

“Yeah, and the guy is so weird! He was a mental case! Not to mention, evil!”

Again, Marie rolled her eyes, annoyed. She even hugged her legs, sitting at a distance on the couch from Kevin. “Don’t say that! The guy was just misunderstood. He was old.”

“Oh, really, Marie?” Kevin sat up catching her attention. “When I was twelve, I had this bike. Awesome bike. It was so pretty. The chains were rad! And you should have seen the brakes on that thing...”

“Get to the point!” Marie whacked him with a pillow.

“Fine! I could ride that baby for miles. And then one day, it got caught in the grass right over there,” Kevin pointed out the window across the street at the house that was staring back at them.

Marie gently smoothed his face. “Aw, did he take your bike?”

“Yeah, he takes whatever lands on his lawn! But, you know, there were rumors that he didn’t live in that house alone.”

“Who lived with him? Was he married?” Marie asked.

“He had this friend. And everyone knows what he did to him.”

“What? What did he do?” Marie asked crawling forward on the couch in anticipation.

“He killed him... and then he ate him!” Kevin threw himself on Marie to which they trampled off the couch out of sight.

Rolling his eyes, this was a good chance for Eddy to sneak out. As Marie threw Kevin out of the house, Eddy left out the back door.

“Come back when you learn some respect for women!” Marie huffed. 

“What’s her problem?” Kevin took another swig of his drink, swaying as he walked down the pathway.

The house from across the street sat in place, staring at him.

“What’re you lookin’ at?” Walking over, Kevin happily stood on the property, trespassing on Jonny’s land. “Hey, I’m on your lawn! What’re you gonna do about it?”

Kevin threw his bottle across the lawn and then ripped up the grass shouting.

Catching his attention, the door to the house opened. In the doorway... his bike!

“Righteous!”

As if he were in hypnosis, Kevin walked right up to the house with this childlike smile on his face. He hadn’t seen his old bike in years. It hadn’t aged a day.

Touching the handles, the happy feeling immediately subsided when Kevin was pulled inside the house, disappearing. 

[youmeansammy]

You Bring Trouble: Chapter 3.

-Trigger warnings: Cursing, drinking, violence, hint of drugs, hint of sexual assault (Dallas arrives before anything serious happens so no worries).

You climbed over the chain link fence. It was just as Dallas had shown you two years ago, that was the first time he had invited you to the Drive-In. You had known each other longer than two years, but Dal never took much notice of you until that point. It wasn't something you had taken personally since Dallas had come from the hard streets of New York.

Who could trust anyone after dealing with the crimes and gangs of a big city?

 You didn't feel anything for Dal at that point. The only information you had learned about him was Ponyboy saying he was more trouble than any guy in Tulsa, which was a bold claim to make. Now that you know Dallas, you can't say confidently Ponyboy that was wrong.

 Although, that night you sure felt alive around Dallas. He talked more than you had heard in the years of you visiting the Curtis family, and boy, it was thrilling. He was interested in your life before Tulsa, although he didn't ask at first because as he said “You don't go digging in somebody's business that they don't want you in,” but thankfully Johnny was there and brought up an opening of the conversation.

 It was asked some, but you didn't say a lot about your family that night, all you could bear to mention was your mom left after a month of having you and pops was locked up. After that, you told stories about people you use to hang out with and places around your (state/country) that you liked.

 The vibe of the night was something else. It felt as you had no worries. Tonight, you wanted to feel that again, no worries. It reminds you of greasers you know regularly telling you to get buzzed to take the edge off, but you tend to think how much that helped uncle Jerry. Though you’d never speak of it out loud to anybody, it's just something you laugh off and move on.

 It's not that you haven't had a drink before, you had your moments of stupidly stumbling your way home after a night at places like Bucks. The fun of it ran cold after a few months of it all. Well, that and the fact it almost got you killed by a pair of socs.

 You were staggering home after a night of drinking at this bar named Cherry's Knot. The place was sure trashy just like the name, but hey, that's why they let underage kids drink there. You happened to be a few blocks down from your street when a car pulled up behind you, that's when two guys started to harass you. You slurred a hell of a lot of curses and insults, but they laughed it up since you were too drunk to walk at a decent pace. There was a point where they were dragging you into the car. It was like you gave up because, at that point, you weren't putting up a struggle for the two creeps. They could've taken you if it wasn't for Darry Curtis saving the day like he was some Superman. His truck came flooring down the road once he turned the corner and saw the view in front of him, you jolted back to reality when you heard the truck screech as the brakes slammed hard.

He came out of the truck with the look of someone that could kill. It could raise the hair on anyone's neck. It was all very foggy for you, but you swore he broke one of their noses that night. You don't remember much of it, but you do remember waking up on the Curtis couch for the first time. That was also the first time Darry lectured you, but you weren't mad about it. You just needed someone to care at the time. It sure showed when Darry was fuming about the stupid choices you made that night, which was weird because that was the first time Darry had any heartfelt talk with you in general. He had heys and how are yous, simple stuff, but he was a busy man since the Curtis parents had just passed. Once Darry got quiet after his rambling, you did something that you two both needed at that moment. You just hugged him and it was a silent moment for you both. You never talked about any of this with anyone.

 Now that you had arrived at the Nightly Double Drive-In, you didn't care to watch a movie. It was more of just hoping you saw someone familiar enough to have a conversation with, catch up with some of the greasers who hang around here.

You walked into the movie snack shack and followed the line to grab a coke.

 “Well, why don't I buy that for you?” The boy in front of you said with a sleazy look on his face.

 “Because you can't buy my time like a hooker on the corner, now get lost.” You said coolly before taking a sip of your coke.

 “Whatever tramp,” You watched as he threw change at the employee behind the cash register before storming his way off.

 “I admire a woman that can deal with these hoods,” The boy behind you spoke. He had black hair slicked back with a simple white muscle shirt making his natural dark hair color pop.

 “Well, don't admire too long, I have a thirty-second policy.” You showed off a prideful smile before handing over the change for the Coke.

 “What happens after the thirty-seconds?” He followed you outside the snack shack, his voice oozing with amusement.

 “I don't know, but I can say you don't see any guys around to tell you either,” You jokingly warned.

 “You're something else babe, what's your name?”

 “(Y/F/N) (Y/L/N),”

 “Nice name, I'm Ronny,”

 You mumbled thanks towards him before sipping your Coke; you couldn't help but notice him tagging along beside you. This kind of encounter was common for places like this. You always had to keep in mind that most of these men wanted to get in your pants, you couldn't lie, you enjoyed the attention as long as it didn't go too far.

 “How does this sound, you come to join me and my friends behind the sheds?”

 It was not a surprising offer, Ronny was a hood after all. There were three sheds for storage at the Drive-In near the far side of the fence. It wasn't a place to watch the movie, but it became more of a hangout for rowdy hoods. It got to the point that management put old picnic tables out there just to produce more business from the poor suckers of the wrong side of town.

 Nonetheless, you followed Ronny towards the shed and found his group of friends. There was a couple essentially swallowing each other's face on one side of the bench, and the rest of the three were a bunch of guys bickering about some woman named Stacy.

 “Hey, idiots, shut up for a second why dontcha.”

 “Who's the broad?” A blonde one with too long of hair spoke with his eyebrows scrunched.

 “(Y/N), I met her in the shack. She's cool guys, no sweat,”

 “I'm Gary, here have a seat,” You looked him over for a moment. He had green eyes, a chiseled jawline, brown hair, and overall good looks. He looked less sleazy than Ronny, which made you feel more at ease about sitting next to him, so you did.

 “You from around here?” He said before taking a sip of some cheap beer bottle.

 You shook your head before saying the name of your (state/country).

 “You don't say, must be a big change from Tulsa.”

 You had sat with the boys for a while now, the five of you talking about different pointless things like cars, schools, socs, and people you knew. The couple from earlier had left after fifteen minutes of you joining the table. It was clear they had other concerns in mind.

 “I'm telling you, she's using me for the free fries,” The blonde one muttered before throwing his bottle cap across the grass attempting to hit a tree.  

 You didn't have time to say anything before you felt a rough hand slide up your skirt. It all felt as if it was happening so slowly, yet, it was happening all too fast. You screamed out and shoved Gary away from you hard, quickly getting up from the picnic table.

The three greasers looked slightly confused between you and Gary, although not entirely as surprised as you were.

 “Is there a problem?” Gary asked before standing up and stalking his way over towards you, causing you to back up in response.

 “Yeah, yeah there is a fucking problem. You tried to feel me up with your dirty hood hands, that's the problem.”

 “Come on broad you know you liked it,”

 “What the hell gave you that idea? I don't like anything about you because there's nothing to like.” You snapped back.

 You felt yourself bump into the wooden shed and a rush of dread went through your body. You looked at him before deciding to make a run for it, but maybe he wasn't as stupid as he looks because he slammed his hand on the shed blocking you in between him.

“Get away from me,” You pushed him hard, but he was built like a rock. Well, he was drunk, so he seemed like a rock.

“Let's go to my car, come on sweetheart,” He was smug in his words, his two arms blocking you against the shed being close enough for you to feel his breath against your face. It reeked of beer.

 “I said get off of me, you stupid fucker,” The other day had taught you a valuable lesson, never forget your knife. You gulped hard and without much thought from the pure rush of fear; you pulled out the blade from your jacket and stabbed him once good in the stomach.

 He stared at you, and his eyes had grown large. He groaned out in pain before grabbing you by the neck and throwing you to the ground. You shrieked before scrambling to get up, your feet finally cooperating with you.

 You rushed past the shed building before a man knocked you to the ground, this time it was Ronny. He grasped the blade from your hand and threw it as far as he could.

 "Get the fuck off of me! Get the fuck off of me!" Your fist connecting with the side of his head, you struggled to fight his hands that tried stopping you from continuing to strike the side of his face.

“Will you calm the fuck down.” He barked out aggressively.

 “Son of a bitch,” A familiar voice called out full of anger. You felt someone pull Ronny off of you and it felt as you could breathe again. You didn't realize that you had been crying throughout this whole event, but your face was covered in dirt and tears. It wasn't your most attractive moment in life. You watched in horror as Dallas beat the hell out of Ronny. It wasn't the fact that he was striking Ronny, it was how angry Dallas looked in this second. That was the real horror.

 "Kid, we need to get outta here," Dal spoke before grabbing your hand and pulling you to your feet. The world appeared somewhat blurry after you saw blood on Dally's hands. You had watched Dallas fight plenty of times, to the point you lost count, but this wasn't just roughing someone up. This time it was intense, it had spoken a message.

“Dally, is he alive?" You stuttered out the words to the point you hardly could get them out.

 “What's it matter,” his voice was cold as he pulled you along with him towards the chain-link fence to bail the scene.

 “Dally,” your voice broke as you started sobbing.

 “Yes, he's alive. I didn't kill him, I should've though.”

He rushed you over the fence before pulling himself over. The two of you heading in the opposite direction of the town and toward the nearby neighborhoods. It made you recognize that Dallas Winston has bailed more crime scenes in his life than the local Tulsa police have arrived at in their careers. He stirred up trouble because he loved the trouble.

 The world around you was shattering. It was a feeling that had passed overwhelmed, it was indescribable.

 “Dallas, I'm going to go to jail, I stabbed one of them!” You grabbed him by his arm to stop him from stepping any further. You needed a moment to collect your thoughts, breathe, and face everything that was happening.

 “Alright, calm down kid, you're not looking too good.” He cleared his throat as he took in your surroundings. The two of you reached a solid way off from the Drive-In, but it wasn't enough to make each of you comfortable.

 “Do you think you killed him?” Dallas said without much emotion. The question and response took you off guard. You knew that Dallas had seen and done a lot in his life, but how could he remain so calm? Did Dallas deal with this before or was Dal just this fearless of a guy?

 “I don't know... It was only a single strike to the stomach. He seemed more pissed than anything,”

 “Who was it anyway?”

 “Some hood, Gary Davis.”

 “I wouldn't stress it, that guy is always coked up or selling it. If he lives, he won't report you for that reason alone.” He replied before removing a cig from his pocket and handing it over.

 “Dal, I don't smoke, you know that.”

 “Sure looks like you should start tonight,”

 You rolled your eyes before stuffing the cancer stick in your jacket pocket. Dallas had lighted his own as he started walking down the street again, this was your hint that time was up.

 “Where are we going?” You asked as you followed close behind him, he looked attractive smoking his cigarette after a fight. You always kind of liked watching him de-stress after getting into it with somebody. He was rough, tough, and mean. It made you admire him.

 “I'm taking you home,” He replied as smoke escaped from his lips as he spoke. You could catch it in the street lights. Dallas Winston was quite the sight when you least expected it.

 “No!” You said quick. You just dealt with someone trying to attack you, if you went home now after leaving Jerry full of anger, you wouldn't be able to win that fight. “I don't want to go home,”

 “Well, where do you wanna go man?” He stopped and studied you over. It made you feel uneasy knowing he was taking a good look at you, what if he didn't like what he saw. Hell, you realized how much a mess you must've looked after rolling around in the dirt with Ronny.

 “I-,” You raised the sleeves of your jacket in an attempt to clean off your face, hoping it did you at least some justice. You felt two hands cup around your wrists lowering them before you watched Dallas raise his own hands to your face.

“Here,” He gently rubbed the palms of his hands against your skin rubbing away the dirt from your face. The two of you stared in each other's eyes for a moment. Neither of you said a word. You could only wonder if his heartbeat was pounding as hard as yours in this second. He didn't look so mean at this moment. He looked lovable. How many thought about Dally that way? It sure didn't seem like many.

 “Wherever you go, Dal. That is if you don't mind it,”

 "I don't mind it doll,"

Authors note: I know this chapter was kind of intense. I want to include some intense chapters throughout this series because I feel it resembles the story of The Outsiders to some level. Not everyone is a bad person at heart, but not everyone is a good one either. It also resembles that sometimes shit hits the fan in life. I hope you guys won’t mind. Plus what’s a story without some drama?

Anyway, send me feedback lovelies.

Taglist:  @smilexcaptainx @dxloverpunk @r-e-d--m-i-s-t--m-o-n-s-t-e-r-s @parkerspicedlatte

[our-jensen-ackles-love]

Flashes; Chapter Three

Summary: Playboy Jensen Ackles is hurting his television show’s image. Every time he promised to get his act together, it’d last for about a week before pictures emerge of him half-drunk with some broad on his arm. Fed up and desperate, his agent decides their only hope to save some face is to write up a contract with a nobody girl who could use the money while getting to play the role of Jensen’s girlfriend.

It was only for a year and it was only for the photos. 

But feelings don’t always follow the rules, do they?

Catch Up Here

Warning: Swearing, mention of porn 

Word Count: 1840

FEEDBACK IS AMAZING. AND REALLY KEEPS ME GOING!

Chapter Three

“I need to come with you?” You asked, dumbfounded before snatching your dress out of his grasp and taking a good couple of steps back. It might be the lingering hangover you were fighting, but standing too close to him was clouding your judgement. “Don’t you think that last night was enough?”

Jensen stared at you again, looking like he was thinking his next words through carefully. “Believe me, this isn’t my choice,” he said coolly while graciously turning his gaze to the door, letting you take advantage of dropping the sheet and slipping back on the dress.

Feeling a little less exposed, you slipped your straps over your shoulders eyeing him questionably. “Then let’s just call this what it is and go our separate ways.”

He looked back over at you, and for a moment you caught what almost looked like disappointment cross his face. “It isn’t that easy, Y/N. This – this is what my agent is requesting from us.”

You stared. And you stared hard. Clearly Jensen was a man who had money, like the housekeeper kind of money, but he had an agent. An agent for what? “Is requesting of us?”

Now you both just stared at each other. His eyes bore into yours, like he was trying to size you up with whatever was going through his head. And while you were trying to comprehend what was happening, all you could focus on was how you could easily lean up and kiss him; something you wished you remembered more of from last night.

Seconds passed by slowly, before Jensen cleared his throat and glanced anywhere, but at you. “I don’t know what to tell you other than we need to head over to my agency.”

Your brain was still running on overdrive, so autopilot started to kick in. “Can’t I go home and change first?”

He brought his hand to the back of his neck and you watched as he rubbed the spot ever so gently. “I don’t think that would be the wisest decision until after we speak with Henry.”

Giving him a very slow nod, you absently started to head back over to where you left your phone on the edge of the bed. “Um, I need my purse and my heels.”

“I believe those will be waiting for you downstairs, by the door.”

“Ah,” you answered, feeling another blush creeping up while trying to remember why you would have just absently thrown your valuables off to the side while in a strangers house. “Well then, I guess we should go.”

The walk to through the flat was oddly numbing, like the curious part of you wanted to take a look around and get a feel for the man you had just spent the night with, but then the other, incredibly ashamed, part wanted to get whatever this was over with. As you approached the main door to the place, you saw an older woman, probably close to her late fifties with greying dark hair and the kind of dark eyes that have most likely seen more than she wanted to admit walk through this apartment, waiting with what looked like your heels and handbag from the night before.

You offered her a small smile when you took them, to which gave you a courteous nod. While you were slipping your heels on, you heard her tell Jensen that Cliff was waiting in the car down below. She also mentioned something about coffee and Tylenol before scooting you both out the door quickly.

“She seems nice,” you mentioned casually, watching Jensen from the corner of your eye. “I don’t think I would have mind being escorted out by her.”

You heard him give a gruff laugh before pushing the downward button for the elevator. “I can’t complain, she’s almost like a second mom here in New York.”

You both stepped through the threshold when the elevator came up and dinged open before you. Not knowing what time it was, you thought it seemed a little odd that no one else was waiting on the other side of the sliding, metal doors. “I take it you aren’t from here?”

Feeling him turn his gaze to you, you focused steadily on the laminated buttons before you. “Do you really not know who I am, Y/N?”

“Am I supposed to?”

Not having to glance over at him, you knew that he was smirking at you and hard. Plus, it helped that you could see some of his reflection in the door. “No, I guess not. Just surprised is all.”

You chewed the inside of your cheek, trying to think through your next question carefully. The elevator ride came to a smooth stop and the doors slid back open to reveal a glass lobby and the sun barely peeking out from between the surrounding buildings.

“Seriously?” Jensen groaned to your left causing you to look over and see him staring at the main entrance with nothing, but pure hatred fuming from him.

Following his gaze, you turned to see a line of people who looked to be bundled up and waiting for something outside of the building; kind of like when people go to midnight premieres of movies. As soon as the two of you stepped out from the cabin of the elevator, you heard what sounded like a shrill scream and were blinded by several lines of flashes in your general direction.

Still a little dazed and confused, you felt Jensen slip his hand into yours and tugging you in the general direction of the doors and where people seemed to be shouting for his attention. The loud clicking from cameras and shouting of random questions, was not helping your hangover in the slightest. “Y/N, I’m going to need you to move quickly. Just follow my lead, okay?”

You were pretty sure that you replied, but doubt that he heard it over the heady noise surrounding you. As soon as you exited the lobby, you were met with loud roar of questions and crisp, fall morning air.

“Jensen, Jensen, who is this?”

“Jensen, what do you have to say about Danneel dating Richard?”

“Hey you, you, what is your name?”

Just as quickly as the two of you had left the building, you found yourself safely tucked away into a black SUV with Jensen sitting next to you. A tall, husky looking man, who you could only assume was Cliff, reached an arm back and handed Jensen a carry out tray with two to-go coffee cups.

Handing you one, Jensen turned his body towards you. “Sorry about that.”

“Okay,” you took the coffee, taking a deep breath into the steam and allowing the smell to hopefully uncloud your brain a bit. “Who the hell are you?”

“What do you mean?”

You stared at him, trying not to let the self-assured look that his green eyes were giving you distract from the fact that he had fucking paparazzi waiting for him outside of his flat. “You have a housekeeper, you have a driver and you have a slew of people who seemed to stalk the very place you like to bring strange women too.”

He offered you a shrug before sipping his coffee carefully. “I’m an actor.”

“What kind of actor?”

He opened his mouth, revealing some teeth and ran his damn tongue along that damn bottom lip of his. “Does it matter?”

Having started to take a sip of your own coffee, you glared at him while you swallowed. “I would like to think that I didn’t go home with a porn star last night.”

Jensen gave you a heavy laugh, one that echoed through the large SUV. “Darlin’,” he said slowly, catching his breath and giving you a chance to notice the hint of southern drawl in the word. “If I was a porn star, I would be severally offended that you don’t remember last night.”

“Then can you just fucking tell me?”

He still couldn’t fight the cocky grin on his face, but sadly the driver, who you were going to call Cliff even if that wasn’t his name, had put on the brakes and announced that you had arrived at you location.

Now with some caffeine in your veins, you couldn’t calm the swarm of butterflies that were erupting in your stomach.

--

The girl pictured before you had her arms wrapped around the man in front of her, pulling his mouth as close as humanly possible to hers. Her mess of hair was wrapped around one of the man’s free hands while the other was very comfortably cupping her ass. The picture was cringe-worthy and incredibly indecent. You couldn’t imagine what that girl’s mother would say if she saw the photo splayed out on the front cover of some magazine.

“So, as you can see, this doesn’t look very good,” the petite framed man with greying hair and frown lines, stated a little too calmly from across the long, glass desk. “I was able to stop some of the productions with other magazines, but this is going to be nationwide before noon.”

Jensen, who was sitting in a leather chair next to you, seemed like he was bored already of this conversation. You, on the other hand, felt like you were being lectured by the headmaster of an all-girl Catholic school. “This is going to be nationwide?”

Henry adjusted his glasses on his nose, eyeing you compassionately. “Yes Miss Y/L/N.” He gave a light cough, eyeing Jensen questionably before turning his attention back to you. “By noon, we can expect that people all over will know your name.”

“When the fuck are you going to tell me who you are?” You asked, turning your whole body to face Jensen.

He leaned forward, looking more amused by the minute. “My name is Jensen Ackles and I am actor for the show Supernatural.”

Supernatural sounded oddly familiar to you. You were pretty sure that Janet had mentioned to you several times that you should watch it, but the first episode alone had given you nightmares for three days.

“I don’t believe it.”

Jensen sat back, moving his eyes down your legs before focusing back in on Henry. “Well, believe it, darlin’.”

Ignoring the goosebumps that started forming at his offhand glance, you turned back towards why you were even here to begin with; despite the fact that you had a million questions running through your head. “So, what does that mean?”

“To be honest, it doesn’t look good for Mister Ackles,” Henry said calmly, once again looking at you with a certain kind of empathy. It was the kind that wasn’t sitting well in your already queasy stomach. “So that is why I asked you here today – we have a proposal for you.”

Gingerly, Henry slid over a very official looking paper. At first glance you would have never expected that this would be the single most important paper you would ever read; this was the one that would change your life forever.

TAGS: @supernatural-bellawinchester @luciathewinchestergirl @supernatural-teamfreewillpage @nanie5 @wanderer-08 @kbl1313 @squirrelnotsam @allonsy-yesiwill @mirandaaustin93 

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[lifeofbouyd]

Mr. Davis

Dear Bouyd,

I wasn’t always a sex addict; after all, I started out curious and innocent just like any other girl. Church on Sundays, school till Friday and homework and house chores on Saturdays. For years that was the only life I knew and I never felt like I was missing out on a thing. I was considered a nerd for most my school years and due to that I never had a boyfriend. There were many I’d let fuck me but I guess they saw right through me. My tenth-grade teacher, on the other hand, was the only guy who gave me compliments; made me feel all important and shit. Even on my worst days, he made me feel pretty. He’d say shit like; “you’re glowing today, I like your hair, I wish all my students were like you, I think you’ll be a good wife someday”. Hearing him say that made me feel like nothing was impossible and this helped me to excel in his class. Mr. Davis stood almost seven feet tall with well-built arms and a broad chest. “The mouth dripping man” they called him. You couldn’t help but stare, even if you tried. He received multiple love notes daily from random girls offering heads, pussy and three sums. To be honest I wanted to suck his dick too, but I never had the guts to say so. I guess it’s cause I haven't raised that way; “no dick to yo face” mama would always say. Who was I to go against that? She had already lived her life so I guess she had a valid reason to say that. But still, I wanted to swallow his snake and choke on it like those girls in pornos.

I wanted him to be the one to take my virginity but I couldn’t even ask him for his number. Shit, the task seemed impossible. I noticed he was into the sexier girls in class; he’d watch their ass and bite his lips. His dick was always stretched across his pants like a garden hose which made me imagine how he sprayed most the teachers and the badass bitches in class. His name was written all over the girl's bathroom; the doors, the walls and even the mirror. He was like peas in rice and peas, a key ingredient. I was minding my own business in the bathroom one day when some girls came in. I overheard Rochel yapping about how she went to his house twice and they had great sex. Knowing her I really didn’t doubt it; she was the school’s pussy or the “come to help us” as most the boys called her. She was sexy, pretty and smart but also a badass bitch. I wasn’t the kind to wear makeup or fuss about how my hair looked, but that all changed when Mr. Davis told me I should take pride in my attire as I do in my school work. What a son of a bitch, if I didn’t like him I’d probably slap him across the face. I took it as a compliment though because he said it with a smiling face, and to be honest; I would do anything to make him happy. I went home that weekend and had my mom transform me. New hair do, tighter, shorter clothes and smelling like a Victoria Secret splash mom had bought me months before. Heads turned that Monday morning. For a second they thought it was a new girl. They looked from head to toe then toe to head.

Mr. Davis: Sammy, what happened to you over the weekend?

Me: I put myself together as you asked

Mr. Davis: Wow, I love the look

In an instant, he undressed me with his eyes. I could feel the tension fuming from those bad mind girls, most of these bitches hated me for my brain but now they had my new look to deal with. I got in a fight in the bathroom with an ugly chick over who was prettier 🤦‍♂️. My first fight in years, and I defended myself but still got my ass kicked. If I wasn’t so focused on protecting my face I could have won the fight. I didn’t wanna go home with a swollen face after leaving like a princess. I had aches for day. Mr. Davis and I grew closer over the next few days as I stayed back in extra class each evening. I had no reason to stay back because I was damn good at my work. It was the only way I could get some extra attention; after all, it was free. I was dying to feel his wrath. I thought of all the ways I’d let him fuck me and all the things I’d do to him but I never had the guts to approach. I didn’t even have his number. The only thing I had was his class three times a week, and wild sex thoughts of him in my head. Most the chicks had already got his number and some even got his dick. Given the odds, I realized I was moving too slow. I needed a plan and I needed it quick. He knew I was into him and he knew I loved to read so occasionally he’d suggest a book for me then ask me to summarize for the class.

Mr. Davis: Sammy, I brought one of my personal Favourite’s for you today. Please collect it before you leave.

Now normally, he’d give me the book right there in class but this time was different. He waited until everyone left before digging down his one strapped leather bag 💼.

Mr. Davis: Sammy, you can't afford to get caught reading this book, and if you do get caught you never got the book from me.

He took my bag and slipped it in. You have the next two weeks off for the Easter holiday. Read it and let me know what you think. I didn’t even see the cover when he slipped it in, and I felt way too nervous to take it out and check. Why did he say that, could he be joking or did he want to see if I was a coward? Either way, I had to wait till I got home to find out. Curiosity became my best friend. I guarded my bag as my life depended on it. One sudden movement and I’d pop a cap in a “nigga”. As soon as I got home I opened my bag to view the book. My eyes popped when I saw the image on the cover; a girl in nothing but her bra on. Her womanliness was exposed and the title read, “How to Catch a Man”. I had never been so shocked in my life. No wonder he said what he said. I couldn’t help but laugh as I was so confused by this strange book. I was still a virgin, not even a kiss to my lips. Sigh, it’s not like he’d ever say anything to me like he wanted us to be together or anything, so why this book? I was confused. My body got tingly, butterfly tummy and cold chills. The first story had me hornier than I had ever been in my life. I had to sleep with a pillow between my legs. Jessica’s fantasy was getting fucked in the bathroom of a flying plane. To me, that’s just intense. She explained how she’d suck his dick, then stuff her head in the toilet and have him strike her hard. “I wanna push him off then suck his dick till he cums in my face, droplets down my throat”. That line alone was worth the read. My mind ran wild imagining Mr. Davis driving me and swallowing his babies. I spent my two weeks reading and dreaming. My appetite was supersized with the urge of losing my virginity to Mr. Davis. I had no idea how I’d do it but I sure as hell was not gonna miss the opportunity.

I got myself all dolled up for school the following week. I had planned to blow his mind one way or another if you know what I mean. I stayed back for extra class one evening with intentions of getting his number to pass on my feedback about the book, and probably beg some dick. I waited until I was the last person in the room before I uttered a word to him.

Me: I read the book.

He looked around to see if anyone had heard before answering.

Mr. Davis: What book?

Me: 😳 what is he really asking me, is he senile or something? I didn’t know what to say so I just kept staring at him as if I was lost.

Mr. Davis: 😏 I bet you liked it. If you’re finished I’d like to have it back.

I stood there staring at him wondering if someone had switched the book. He walked over to me slowly and reached for my bag, but I grabbed it.

Mr. Davis: Can I have my book, please?

Me: What book?

Mr. Davis: The book I gave you to read Teo weeks ago, the same book you just said you read. I hope you didn’t misplace it.

Me: What kind of book was it?

Mr. Davis: A sex book.

A smile slid across my as if I was the joker. I handed him the book and he started asking a few questions. Having him that close to me made me drip like a pipe. I kept staring at his lips while he spoke, I wanted to kiss him so badly. I grabbed him by the neck and laid one on him. I had never kissed anyone before, but I had years of practice kissing my hand. I opened my eyes to see him shocked; with a what the fuck just happened kinda face. He was looking at me as if had broken his car windshield or thrown his phone in water.

Mr. Davis: Are you ok, why would you do that?

I felt so ashamed I held my head down and grabbed my bag to walk away. He grabbed me by the shoulder and shouted, “sit down”. My nerves trembled as I’d never heard him with that tone. He closed the door then sat on the desk next to me. I wondered what was about to happen. I felt as if he was gonna give me a good cussing. He stared at me in silence for about a minute. His eyes trembled and he seemed a bit uneasy. To my surprise, he grabbed me by the neck and kissed me. Instantly my body gave in. I was sent afloat to cloud nine and he hadn’t even done anything yet. My eyes remained shut even when he stopped. My legs vibrated and my heart was beating like a drum.

Mr. Davis: I hope I don’t let you do anything you don’t want to do. If you want me to stop just let me know.

What the fuck was he saying? I needed his sick deep inside me, in my mouth and all over my face. I didn’t even answer him I jumped up and rolled his zipper down, trying to take his dick out. He grabbed my ass and ran his tongue in my ears and down my neck. By the time I flipped it out, it was rock hard, pointing up in the air and jumping as if he was cumin. I stroked it slowly with both hands and watched the head flick in and out. I just had to put it in my mouth. I ran my tongue over it like those girls with the banana 🍌 on YouTube before going throat deep. You know that feeling you get when the toothbrush goes too far while brushing your teeth? That’s how I felt as if I was gonna die. He looked at me and smiled; grabbing on my tits. I was wetter than the sea. I kept stroking and sucking till my mouth got tired. He slid my zipper down with his right hand while taking off my clothes with the left. As much as I wanted to fuck him I sure as hell didn’t want to get caught with my clothes off. I laid flat on his table and had him shift my undies instead. He rubbed his dick up and down, passing my tight entrance. “Slippery”, he whispered and smiled. If I hadn’t known better I would have thought I pissed myself. He stuck his tongue in my ears and slapped my pussy with his hard dick. I was dying for him to go balls deep. Kisses on my neck and a wet tongue running all over my cheeks. I exploded from the excitement I was feeling. He slid the head inside my creamy heaven and watched it run to his balls before stroking me sweet and tender. I trembled like a leaf in the wind. Front way, back way, sideway. I was getting dick for days. We fucked until I was numb, but even then I didn’t want to stop until he bust a nut. Out my pussy and in my mouth his dick went. Squeezing his pecks, scratching his balls and grabbing his ass. “Drip, drip, drip” went his kids down my throat.

It tasted like spoiled soursop or maybe it’s because I ate that “sour sour” a little before 😂. We were about to start again when the janitor pushed the door. Nigga turned Bruce Lee, acting like he was doing press ups. 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30. I couldn’t help but laugh although I was mad she interrupted my dick session. I smiled all the way home feeling like I had accomplished a mild stone. I had never gone home that late before and caused more drama than pleasure. I could hardly explain myself to my mom and that earned me several slaps across the face. I went to school the next morning looking like I had a conflict a beehive. Again, I became the class clown. And after giving him such high standard A+ pussy, I thought the nigga would have picked up for me. He acted like he didn’t know me and even made fun of me. I hated him so much, I didn’t even remember he had taken my virginity.

I bumped into him today and god damn, I wanna suck his dick all over again 🙄😔🤦‍♂️. I took his number but I don’t even know what to text and say. Fuck you Bouyd lol, do not judge me and do not post my name 😂. I want to fuck him so bad. “Bun mi man fi Christmas”

Yours truly,

Jade ❣️

[scarletsxwrites]

Just Kids

summary:

your relationship with steve has its ups and downs, but in the end, each of you will always come when the other calls

pairing: steve rogers x gender neutral!reader

word count: 2.3k

warnings: fluff, angst, mentions of injuries, mentions of alcohol, drunk!steve is out of character an asshole

note: this is based on this song, i recommend listening to it while you read (or just listening in general, because it’s a beautiful song); also, as a disclaimer, this is my first time integrating song lyrics in this way, so if it’s a bit clunky that’s why

Were we just kids, just starting out?

Being teammates usually didn’t leave a lot of room for a relationship. You were so hardened, so war-torn and traumatized, that intimacy sort of felt like sandpaper on raw skin. It was foreign; it felt wrong. Intimacy made you feel like a child, meek and helpless. Intimacy with Steve only increased that feeling by a thousand.

Didn’t we know then what love was about?

Still, the tension between you was palpable. When he asked you out, you said you’d think about it. At a great deal of prodding from Natasha and Wanda, and even an exasperated sit-down with Sam and Bucky (that conversation is for an entirely different day), you finally said yes.

Were we just foolin’? Playin’ around?

It didn’t feel too serious. You were just taking a walk in a nearby park. It was fall, you were wearing simple jeans and a brown leather jacket. Steve had donned something similar. Even when his hand found yours, you didn’t think too much of it. Sure, it was a date, but it wasn’t like he was proposing. He’d probably get bored of you eventually anyway. This was like a game, like cat and mouse.

When you got back to the compound, however, he turned to you and offered you that soft, unsure, genuine, beautiful smile. “Doll,” he began, his voice fading almost as soon as it had come. You chewed on your bottom lip. You didn’t dare speak. His hand found your face, fingers caressing you gently. You thought you’d hate it, but you didn’t. It was nice to be held, to be felt.

It was nice to be known.

“Can I kiss you?” He spoke, finally, an eternity - or maybe a few seconds - later. You nodded, lips parting slightly in anticipation.

His mouth found yours, softly at first, and you took a shuffling step forward. One of his hands settled on your waist, the other stayed anchored on your cheek. When you pulled apart, he bid you a soft goodnight and went inside, presumably to his room. You stood on the stoop for a moment and realized that you were blindingly, undyingly, absolutely head-over-heels in love with Steve Rogers.

Were we ever gonna get out of this town?

Retirement for Steve was bittersweet.

Move to Seattle.

Retirement for you couldn’t come fast enough.

Stay up all night.

You moved to a little apartment together, full of second-hand furniture and not quite enough space for two. It was perfect.

That was when bedtime was our biggest fight.

You spent your first night giggling and playing board games, watching movies and throwing popcorn at each other during the boring parts. Every time Steve proposed going to sleep, you’d goad him into just one more game, or ten more minutes. He’d give in without fail, because he couldn’t say no to you.

You didn’t go to sleep until the sun was peeking up above the horizon, a hesitant hello to your new life.

All in a moment, all in a sound. All in a day’s work, we’re tumbling down.

You found yourself sitting at the kitchen table, absolutely fuming. You glanced at the clock. It was three in the morning. Your anger and worry kept clashing in your gut, waging war against each other. One minute, you were thinking of the new asshole you would rip him as soon as the door opened. The next, you were mulling over all the horrible things that could have happened; had he gotten into a fight, a car accident, some other shitty situation?

Not only that, but it was the third time in a week that you had been in the same goddamn situation.

You were drawn from your mental war by the door creaking open and shuffling footsteps heading your way. He barely even looked at you as he walked past, just mumbled a hello and kept moving. He smelled strongly of booze, that much you realized; as he walked past you, it was like a wall of bar was hitting you in the face. In an instant, your concern died.

“Excuse me?” You spoke, your tone incredulous. Your eyebrows practically hit your hairline. He turned to face you, confusion written across his face. Normally, you’d laugh at that expression, bop him on the nose or press a kiss to his cheek. Now, your anger only grew; the nerve it took him to look confused at your words! You stood up, pushing the chair back so quickly it skittered from under you and hit the wall behind it. “Where the hell have you been?”

“I told you I was going out with Sam ‘n Buck,” he said. His words were slurred so badly you barely even understood them. “What’s the big deal?”

You scoffed. “The big deal, Steven, is that it’s three in the goddamn morning and I’ve been sitting here for fucking hours wondering if you were alive or hurt or dead! For the third time this week, no less!”

He leaned against the frame of the door to your living room, and you watched as he rolled his eyes. Had the absolute audacity to roll. his. eyes. The anger was licking at your insides, flames threatening to burst. “I’m a big boy, Y/N. You coulda gone to sleep.”

“And you coulda called,” you rounded the table, taking a menacing step closer. “You coulda sent me a text. Fuck! You coulda sent me a carrier pigeon and it would’ve been fine! Instead, you let me sit up until three in the morning waiting for you to get home, praying to whatever the fuck was listening that I would even fucking see you again!”

“Okay, mom,” he said. It was clear that your words were going in one ear and out the other. You flinched at the tone. How could he just not care? How could he be so casual about this? “Are we done here? I gotta get to bed.”

“God, you’re an asshole when you’re drunk,” your voice bordered on a sneer, the look in your eyes one of absolute disgust. “Yeah, go to bed, Steve. Don’t expect me to be here when you wake up.”

It was an empty threat, one you didn’t really mean in the moment. It was clear he thought the same thing, because he just shook his head and disappeared into your bedroom. You stood in the kitchen for a long while, staring blankly at the counter, blinking away tears. What was his problem? Your brain immediately jumped to the worst: he wasn’t happy with you, he was cheating on you, he wanted to leave, he didn’t want you.

When the tears fell, you took a shuddering breath and packed a bag, sending Natasha no more than a warning text to let her know that you needed a couch for the night. When you got to her place, she (and Clint, who surprised you as you walked in by calling a hello from the kitchen) welcomed you with open arms. She insisted that you sleep in her bed with the two of them; normally, you would have objected, but you didn’t think you’d be able to sleep without the warmth of another body, not after so long with Steve. You still laid awake most of the night, but at least their presences were comforting.

You didn’t drift off until the early morning. Your last thought was a memory, one of board games and movies and a happier day.

Down by the old school, trash in the street. Searching the eyes of the strangers we meet.

Time passed. You found yourself finding excuses to visit the compound more frequently, as well as excuses to leave whenever Steve entered the room. Wanda told you, frowning, that he had rejoined the team. You refused to acknowledge the pang of concern and fear you felt in your heart; what he did wasn’t your problem anymore. If he wanted to come out of retirement, that was his deal. If he got killed, it wouldn’t matter to you.

Asking will it get better? Will we be alone? Turning the wheels of our bicycles home.

You pushed down the creeping self-doubt until you got home every night, shoved the thoughts of you-weren’t-good-enough into the back of your mind until you could cry in your bed, alone. It was better this way, clearly.

You never considered the idea that maybe he was breaking, too.

Over the rainbow, out in the snow. Learning to walk with the sand in our toes.

Eventually the day came that you couldn’t escape the room when he entered, which was more by accident than anything. You were in a hospital room, visiting Sharon after an injury on a recent mission, when you heard a commotion from the hallway. You got up to check what it was, and your stomach plummeted when you saw Sam and Natasha rushing in, supporting a limp Steve between them. He was rushed off by nurses and you hurried down the hallway towards the two he had come in with.

No words passed between the three of you. Instead, you fell together; they clung to you tightly and you let them, stroking one hand through Nat’s hair and rubbing Sam’s back comfortingly with the other. You’d ask what happened later.

Truthfully, seeing Steve hadn’t shaken you as much as you might’ve thought. Of course, the injuries had triggered that familiar panic in your gut. But the sight of him, just him, hadn’t caused the rush of emotion from that night to come back; the anger, the fear, the anguish. You supposed you had moved on, learned to function. But still, you missed him. You felt the undeniable urge to be with him now, to card your fingers through his hair and wait for him to wake up, gently admonish him for whatever stupid thing he did but then say how grateful you were to see his eyes again.

You heaved a sigh, knowing what you needed to do.

Long to be tall, kissed when you fall. Hoping that someone will come when you call.

“Y/N,” Steve mumbled, drawing your attention. He’d been out since the doctors finished operating; this was the first sign of life besides the constant beeping of the heart monitor.

Your brow furrowed. His eyes hadn’t opened, he showed no signs of knowing you were in the room. “Steve?” You whispered, inching your chair a bit closer. “Are you awake?”

“‘M sorry,” he slurred, and you realized he was still out. He was dreaming about you. “Y/N, please, please… ‘m sorry, ‘m so sorry. Jus’ come back, please…”

“He’s been doing that since you left,” Sam’s voice in the door drew your attention from Steve. “Crashed on my couch a few times when he didn’t wanna be alone in your place. One night I woke up and went to get some water. I heard him doing that. He really misses you, Y/N.”

“I miss him,” you said, finally allowing yourself to be honest. You looked back to Steve and ran a hand through his hair. His face relaxed slightly, his mumbling going from distinguishable words to soft, simple noises. “I miss him so much, Sammy.”

“He’ll wake up soon,” Sam spoke. “Tell him.”

And then he was gone.

You call, you call, you call.

When Steve finally woke up, you had fallen asleep in your chair. He looked at you for a long time and then he smiled, knowing what this meant. When you startled awake, he was still looking at you, that soft smile on his face.

You didn’t speak, just took his hand and looked at him and leaned in slowly, and the kiss was hesitant at first, just like it had been the first time. “I love you, I’m sorry,” Steve murmured. You didn’t dare pull back too far, so these words were spoken into the air between you.

“I’m sorry, too.” Your eyes found his. “Why?”

“I never had normalcy,” he said, and you were grateful that you didn’t need to explain any further. He knew what you wanted, what you needed. He always knew what you needed. “I never had domesticity. I finally had it, and I didn’t know what to do with it. It terrified me.”

You nodded, knowing how he felt. The hand that wasn’t in his found his cheek. “Try again?” You asked. He breathed out a sigh, something relieved and blissful.

“Please. Please, let’s try again.”

You call, you call, you call.

You became Y/N Rogers on a cold November afternoon, in a church packed with your family and friends. Wanda and Natasha, wearing bridesmaids dresses and holding bouquets, cheered you on as your now-husband pulled you in for a kiss; Sam and Bucky, dressed in expensive tuxedos with matching boutonnieres, did the same from across the aisle.

The reception was one of the happiest moments of your life. All you could see was Steve, the smiling guests around you; all you could feel was the euphoria in your veins.

You call, you call, you call.

“Peggy!” You called, the deck of your house creaking under your feet. “Sarah! Dinner!”

Twin heads of hair looked up from where they had been laying in the sand, laughing and talking in the way that only twins knew how. Peggy Natasha Rogers and Sarah Elizabeth Rogers came running into the house, leaving you to follow behind. When you entered the kitchen, Steve was putting your youngest, Samuel James Rogers, into his high chair. He reached for you, chubby fingers grabbing at the air as though to pull you toward him. You smiled and moved over to press a gentle kiss to his temple, greeting him with a warm “hi, Sammy” before you moved to make the twins’ plates.

Steve kissed you on the cheek as you stood together at the stove. His hand settled, briefly, on yours, his fingers dancing over the rings there. “I love you,” he said.

You grinned. “I love you, too.”

You call, you call, you call…

[shinnomew]

My lovely mom

Tldr: It took all day but she was able to have me burst into tears

So

I wake up on my own happy and well rested. Get dressed in a grey basic sweater and christmas leggings, dad mom and i go into the car to go food shopping. Mom's on a random cleaning spree so she HAD to clean the car. I got a letter for jury duty but I can't do it cause technically im in ohio.

So we get to Walmart and mom and dad are already fighting, nothing new. We get inside and its 10:59am, we walk around and mom is being a bitch. I saw cute pajamas for $15 but mom said no, that's fine. I got this honey i wanted because they never seem to have it and its my fav. Mom bitches the entire time how everything I buy goes to waste and says, "YOU will pay for this, not us!" Whatever, it's honey. But she says how entitled I am for getting the honey. We are down every single aisle and mom blocks the aisle every single time and refuses to get out of the way for others. This gets us all pissed, us at her and her at us for asking her to move to the side.

In the middle she decides she wants a sweat suit even though she got one yesterday at Boscov's. Well, she wants this other outfit, appeoximately $35. That takes forever and she yells at me for not being by her side the entire time, I hung around dad instead since he's calm. She finally meets up with us again and we go to the hygiene products. We are waiting for her snd she apparently was yelling for me, in a busy store, to help her find a product but I didn't hear her so now she's fuming. We go to check out and she forces the coupons in my hand saying to give them to the casheir NOW. I tell her, no, at the end. She flips and storms off to the car. Whatever.

We get to the car and because she decided she HAD to clean the car at that exact moment she somehow locked the keys in the car. We have a cart full of cold meat. Bright side, it's cold and sprinkling outside.

She bitches because she wants dad to go inside and get her cigarettes, he gives in and does.

We call for a guy to come help us out and dad has to go take money out, I go back into the store with him because I am freezing! She starts to yell and 'cry' because apparently dad and i are just going to talk bad about her behind her back. She always thinks this, idk why. She tells dad to fuck off and he calls her pathetic. And might i add she's been a bitch to us this entire time, dad has had enough. Mostly with her freaking out over me getting a cheap item while she spends everything else and acts like im the problem.

We get the car unlocked and go to Sam's Club. I see a great blanket but its $15 so mom basically laughs at me for wanting it (i didnt want to buy it, i just said it was super soft and warm). We pass pajamss and clothes and she gets ANOTHER $20 sweatsuit she doesn't need. She does this thing where she will buy new clothes, wear it once (if that) snd throw it in a room never to be worn again. I find these cute pajamas I like but they're $20, mom said I can get it if I pay her back with the only $20 i have to my name at home. I just put them back, whatever. Just pajamas. She was going to buy more but I got her out of the clothes section and we finally went food shopping. I also got some pads but she flipped because the coupon she had wasnt for the brand I use. Whatever.

We check out and go to Martins.

Well she wants to stop by Kmart real quick to run in and grab perfume. She goes in, time passes. I go in and pee, see her nowhere. Ok. She comes out 45 minutes later with perfume she said she didn't even want ($40 in total) and bitches over the line (which wasn't as bad as she said).

We finally get to Martins and mom says there is a Starbucks but I can't get any because I didn't bring my card. Dad gives me $5 to get a drink anyway and I get the drink and she flips out on me the entire time walking around the store.

She makes us stop by Sheetz after to get her a drink then we finally head home.

At home dad and I carry everything in and put it away, I ask mom if anything else needs done before I go upstairs. She says no.

I go up, clean the litter and finally sit down. She then goes into the room yelling about me to dad how I went straight to my room

So i put the clothes in the dryer and pee

Go back upstairs and 5 minutes later shes flipping a fucking shit downstairs screaming because she cant find thos fucking spray she uses. I look everywhere. She left it in the kitchen.

She then points to her mess pile and says, "uh, i think you can throw this away"

I go get moms clothes from the dryer and fold them all and set them on her bed. I then pee and moms talking on the phone, doing dishes in the kitchen, shit she only does when she has pills. She yells she wants the steps vacuumed TONIGHT. I forgot to do them yesterday, that is my bad.

But dads trying to sleep, ill do them tomorrow when she's gone and vacuum my room.

She flips. She said im lazy, i dont do anything in this house. Of course i wont vacuum, i dont do anything. I cant complain about my cousin not cleaning because i dont do shit. And so on. All screaming bloody murder.

"Just go upstairs and go on your phone like you always do! Dont help out like always!"

I go upstairs and now im crying. She just yells up shes done with my shit and i better not be watching tv

[lyricalremedy]

I Hope Not (Jerome x Reader) Part 1

I wanted to practice writing Jerome’s character more, so I wrote this. It was supposed to be a one-shot, but it turned into a 4 part short story. 

The POV changes often (sorry) and there’s some swearing throughout the 4 parts, just warning you all. Also, this takes place after the most current episode. Happy reading!

Y/N’s POV “Abigail!”

Supper was almost ready and my daughter sat in her bedroom, working on her latest drawing. I grabbed the potato masher and finished the last touch on our food. I wrapped the hot pads around the handles of the metal pot and carried it over the table. Our apartment may be small, but I’m thankful it’s large enough to fit a dining table. The counter in the kitchen is always messy after cooking meals.

The table was set with two plates, utensils, and a freshly made meal. Still no sign of a five-year old girl.

“Abi!-”

“I’m here! I’m here!” a small girl ran in and jumped into her assigned seat. “What’s for supper?” She sniffed the air and took the lid off the pot.

I swatted her hand away. “First, say grace.” I placed my hands around hers and we said our thanks for the hot food that we are granted with, while other families may not be so lucky. We let go of each other’s hands. “There’s mashed potatoes in the large pot and hot dogs in the smaller pot. Oh! I forgot the ketchup. Could you grab that, sweetie?”

“Sure thing, mommy!”

?’s POV Sirens blared around us. I had to admit: my companion moved fast for an invalid.

“Now where can we go?” he asked in a hush, obviously irritated. “The police are going to be looking for us everywhere. Did you even plan this far ahead?”

Ugh. He thinks I’m an idiot who can’t solve problems without making a scene. “I know what I’m doing.”

Red and blue lights flashed against the wall of the alley as a cop car rushed by. “Really?” he snapped. “Because it looks like to me-”

I shoved his tiny body into the wall. His feet no longer touched the ground, so he was finally up to my height. “Listen here, birdman. I got us out of that hellhole. If it wasn’t for me, you’d still be hearing the screams of the insane.” I dropped him to the ground. In truth, I didn’t plan our destination once we left Arkham. I only focused on getting the hell out. 

But then, an idea popped into my head. I grinned at my new ally. “I know exactly the place to hide out.” Towering over him, I asked, “how would you like to meet an old friend of mine?”

Y/N’s POV “Do you really need that much butter on your potatoes?”

“Do you really need that much ketchup on your hot dog?”

I couldn’t help but smile at our petty argument. Sometimes being a single mom was a stressful job; the bills certainly made that clear. But I wouldn’t trade Abi for all the money in the world.

As I stared in wonder at my growing girl, three knocks hit the apartment door. Abigail and I glanced first at the door then to each other. “I’ll get it-”

“No!” I shouted in haste. Abi plopped back down in her chair with a huff. I wasn’t expecting company at this time, and in Gotham, you can never be too safe. Even in your own home.

I arose from my chair and made my way to the door as another set of knocks rang.

?’s POV I knocked again, a little harder than before. She had to be inside. She lived here when I was taken to Arkham the second time. And she was hardly one to hide just because of a reunion visit.

“Are you sure about this? We’re sitting ducks in here.”

“Oh, come on. Lighten up, pal.” I chuckled. “If it’s not the person that I want it to be, then we’ll just kill ‘em and take the apartment for ourselves. Though, it’d be a shame if we didn’t have someone to share it with.”

“You don’t even know if your person lives here-”

A familiar face disrupted our conversation.

Y/N’s POV I couldn’t breathe. 

He was arrested. He was in Arkham.

He was at my door.

“Hey, doll.” That smile. “Did you miss me?”

Without a second thought, I pulled both men in through the door and locked it. I lean against the door in fear that my legs would give out. “Jerome, what are you doing here?”

He looked around the room before walking toward me. “Well, you see, we were just out for a stroll, and it’s starting to get dark, so we came here for a place to sleep.”

“Well,” I mocked. “You’re just going to have to go somewhere else.”

In seconds, Jerome pressed me against the door with an arm by each side of my head. His face closed in to mine. Oh Lord, his face: the ends of his lips pulled toward his ears and a large scar circled around the outside. His hot breath hit my lips as he panted in anger. “I’m sorry, did that sound like a question? Let me be more clear: we’re staying here for awhile. And you’re not gonna tell anyone.”

I couldn’t help my eyes from traveling to his lips. We’ve been in this position before. We both knew how it ended.

But before either of us could move, a small voice squeaked from beside Jerome’s leg. “Leave Mommy alone!” 

I forgot about Abigail. Shock rendered my body powerless. My fearless daughter punched the psychopath in the knee, but it barely phased him. If anything, he looked just as bewildered.

With my fuming little girl so close to Jerome, a murderer, the silence that followed was even more surprising. I’d never met nor seen someone cause the great Jerome Valeska to draw a blank. When he finally did find his voice, he only had one word to say, “‘Mommy’?”

Jerome moved away from me to get a better look at Abi. That slight motion kicked my motherly instincts into gear. I swooped down and ran toward the kitchen with her gripped in my arms. I glared at Jerome in warning.

“I didn’t know you had a daughter.” Jerome sounded broken. This killer who laughed at the sight of blood was now wounded by one word. Oddly enough, I found that more unsettling than his murderous ways.

Confusion. That’s all I felt. The hold on my daughter loosened, and I eventually set her down, but kept her close. Why did he care so much?

Jerome’s POV A daughter. Of course she’s married and has a child. What man would pass up the opportunity to have a lady such as Y/N? Here I thought she would wait for me; I promised her that I’d come back to her. That I’d love her always. I guess we’ve changed a lot since the first time we met at the circus years ago. 

It was like love at first sight, something I never believed in until then. She was a shining sun, her light and warmth felt by everyone who saw her smile. Her amount of sympathy was unheard of in Gotham. I swore she was an angel. A true gem I found buried beneath the dirt and blackness of my life. When Y/N found out about my mother and her ways, she begged me to leave with her. She would turn 18 in a few months, and then we could go wherever we wanted to in the whole country. The whole world. But I wanted to be free of my mother for good.

I should’ve seen this coming. When I visited her after I reawoke, she seemed relieved to see me alive, horrified by my face, and now that I think about it, a little...nervous. I came in the dead of night, far past the child’s bedtime. But something wasn’t right about the girl. I had a suspicion, but I needed one answer before I could put the pieces together.

“How old is she?” I asked.

Y/N tugged the girl to her side. “Five.”

I knew it. I stormed up to her and shoved the girl away. Placing my hands to Y/N’s throat, I lifted her until her toes barely touched the tiles. “You whore.” I breathed into her face.

“Mommy!”

“Jerome.” My fellow escapee prefered quiet confrontation. But frankly, Y/N had all my attention.

“J... please…” Y/N whispered in breathless gasps. Her whole body shook. “Please what, doll? Please don’t hurt the child that you had five years ago and never told me about? We started dating two years ago!”

Her hands began rubbing circles on my knuckles. The simple gesture caused me to let go of her throat. She used to do this when I was upset, usually by my mother. I never had to give her my reason for being angry. As much as she was concerned, I needed comfort from a stressful situation.

She kept my hands in hers, her delicate fingers made light outlines around each knuckle like clouds moving across the sky. Her thumbs pressed gently into my palms. I focused on her movements, trying my best to calm down like she had taught me years ago. 

“I met Abigail three years ago.” she spoke as lightly as her touch. “Her brother was my closest friend at the time, so it was no surprise that the two of us learned to get along. But it turned out that their family was extremely dysfunctional: the father was abusive, the mother ran away in fear for her own life, and the son, my good friend, began a life of crime. Eventually, the family was torn apart, leaving the four-year old to fend for herself. Without any family to care for her, I asked to take her in myself. Trust me, it was a lot of hassle and paperwork,” she smiled at the small girl. “But I wouldn’t trade her for the world.”

There it was: her inner beauty voiced in words. I could no longer contain myself. I pulled my hands from hers and grabbed her face. I hungrily kissed her mouth. I missed that sweet taste for so long, but something was off. She refused to kiss me back and seconds later, she pushed me away. Y/N was still gentle in her movements, but for some reason that hurt more than a staple in the face.

I looked into her sad eyes and knew before she even said it.

Part 2

[mamapeach7]

Daeul

Preview / Chapter 1 / Chapter 2 / Chapter 3 / Chapter 4 / Chapter 5 / Chapter 6 / Chapter 7 / Chapter 8 / Chapter 9 / Chapter 10 / Chapter 11 / Chapter 12 / Chapter 13 / Chapter 14 / Chapter 15 / Chapter 16 / Chapter 17 / bonus

Chapter 13

-

Oh Hanji sat tied to the old creaky bed with ropes around her wrists connected to the posts. Two of the still unknown men stood in front of her, arms crossed and eyes piercing through her head.

“He...He’s only my employer. I don’t even know who Daeul’s birth mom is!”, she reasoned as she desperately tugged on the ropes.

“If you don’t stop talking when we don’t ask you to, you won’t have a tongue to talk with!”, one of them threatened leaning extremely close to her face, Hanji practically breathing in his nasty breath which smelled of beef patties and beer.

She curled her face at this but tightened her lips as to physically gesture her sealing them.

Furrowing her brows, Hanji hesitated to speak, “H-He’s not the one who pays me…”

That was true -- Missus Chae pays her every other week. Her cheques don’t arrive through an e-transfer but in actual cheques in white envelopes, with “Oh Hanji” written in cursive which she always guessed was Hyuk’s handwriting.

The actual cheques were signed by him, always in black ink with an exaggerated “K” for Kwon, and a small “H” for Hyuk.

“I-I only make forty thousand won per hour, c-considering they provide me with f-food and shel--”

“Only?! Aren’t you ungrateful? Kwon Hyuk really is filthy rich to be paying a lousy nanny that much.”, the smaller man retorted scoffing at Hanji’s statement about her income.

“I know he’s a workaholic -- does money ever get sent to the house?”, they questioned as they began to lean closer to her once again.

“I-I have no access to that, no one does!”, she defended herself causing them to shake their heads in frustration.

Just then, the only woman entered the room with her hands swinging at her sides as if expecting something. “You got anything useful yet?”

When they shook their heads, she rolled her eyes and sighed loudly. “Listen up, skank. You wanna see the kid or not?”

Hanji’s eyes widened as she straightened her posture in anticipation. “Y-Yes! Let me be with him, he-he’s only two!”

Her pleads caused them all to laugh, as if three bullies were picking on the same victim. She always thought the whole two-against-one thing was a big enough issue let alone three-against-one.

“We’ll let you see him, alright. Just answer our questions--”

“I have been! I don’t know anything about how much Hyuk makes, I only work for his son! Now, instead of using this whole kidnapping act as a way of getting money why don’t you all find jobs suitable enough for forty year-olds and get on with your lives?”

Her retort earned her a hard slap across the face. Standing right in front of her was the larger male, his face now red and fuming with anger.

“Shut your tramp mouth. Now, let’s see how much you and the kid are worth to Kwon Hyuk.”

~

“Can you locate where it is?”, Hyuk asked eagerly as he leaned toward the laptop on his dining table. Around him stood Hanji’s sister, Jiho and the pair of officers.

“It’s literally in the middle of nowhere -- the nearest building is that old bed and breakfast but it closed down in 2013 and parts of it are demolished.”, one of the officers said.

Jiho sighed and backed away from the device as he furrowed his brows. Something about the deserted field was familiar to him and he felt as if he had seen it all before. Then he remembered a music video he had watched a couple years prior which took place in an abandoned run-down building much like the one the cop had said.

“H-Hyuk! Hyuk! I-I’ve been there, a friend and I visited -- it’s one of the sets used by an idol group, I-I keep forgetting which...Monster Z? W-What was it?”, he frantically tapped Hyuk’s shoulder.

“You remember how to get there?”

“Y-Yea, it’s just another twenty minutes passed your studio.”. They hurried into Hyuk’s car with a team of police officers trailing behind them as Hyuk, himself stepped on the gas toward the abandoned building.

His heart pounded in nervousness and what one might call fear as Jiho carefully checked their surroundings.

~

She heaved deeply, her chest rising and falling with each breath she took. Her temple now dripping with blood as she felt her left eye beginning to throb from the hard punch she had just received.

“You don’t want the kid hurt, do you? Well, neither does your arrogant employer.”

Grimacing, she mentally cursed at the people in front of her as she mustered a small voice. “W-Where...Where is he? What did you do to him?”

And as if on command, one of the remaining abductors entered the room with small Daeul in his arms -- wailing and trying to flail his arms but failed to do so thanks to the rope tape which gripped them behind his back.

He aggressively dropped him next to Hanji on the ground with a loud smack and a quiet crack, making her desperately try and crawl over to him despite her hands tied up. She wanted to scream. She wanted to yell the boy’s name and curse the people who had done this to them.

Instead she could only cry. She silenced her sobs as she dragged herself toward Daeul who continued to cry from the pain after having been thrown onto the ground and what may have been the result of a broken arm. Or a broken leg.

“D-Da…”

“Hanji!”, the boy cried loudly, still stuck on the ground.

The previous man stood next to the others who began to pull out handkerchiefs from their back pockets and wrapped them around their faces, only revealing their eyes. He also reached into his own pocket and took out Hanji’s phone, a device which came handy for Hyuk and the others.

“Password.”, he demanded.

When Hanji remained silent, he reached down to her level and grabbed her arm to place her thumb over the home button, successfully logging onto the phone.

He immediately accessed her contacts and tapped on Hyuk’s number, placing it on speaker.

Sitting in the driver’s seat, Hyuk felt a buzz from his back pocket. “J-Jiho, my phone.”

Awkwardly reaching into the seat and his friend’s pants, Jiho took the phone and his eyes widened. “I-It’s Oh Hanji.”

“Answer it, idiot!”, Hyuk boomed, making the other male quickly tap the “accept call” icon.

“Hanji!”, both Hyuk and Minji immediately called.

“Kwon Hyuk.”, an unfamiliar male voice replied, sending shivers down his spine.

Upon hearing both his voice and his name, Hanji and Daeul simultaneously called for him.

“Hyuk!”

“Abba!”

Once he had heard their voices, he slammed the brakes hard. He gripped the steering wheel hard and stared at his own phone, trying to keep his composure.

“L-Look, whoever you are, don’t hurt them...W-We already know where you’re located--”

“Good! Everyone’s already here, we’re just waiting for you to show up. But hurry, they won’t last.” The man on the other line quickly hung up, sending confusion and frustration running down throughout Hyuk’s body.

“Shit. Shit!”, he cursed as he drove as fast as he could, sending both Jiho and Minji slamming into the backs of their seats.

They arrived quickly, with Hyuk passing every red light with permission from the police car behind him. With no second thought, they all ran outside of the car and into the building which resided next to the vehicle they had located Hanji’s phone in.

The police entered first, armed with vests and guns as they searched the building. First level: empty.

“Stay behind us, sir.”, one of them commanded as they approached one of the first doors of the second floor. Knocking it down with his foot, the team barged inside to find the scene -- both Hanji and Daeul held back by two of the abductors and tape now over their mouths.

The others stood with weapons of their own, pointed back at the officers.

“Get down on your knees now!”, an officer shouted.

“You’re not the only ones armed, y’know.”, the only woman retorted with the handkerchief still on her face.

The head police was quick to act and shot her right in the foot, sending her to fall down and cry in agony. Her partner noticed a familiar man standing outside the room whose eyes pleaded with him.

“Kwon Hyuk…”

Hanji whimpered silently, eyes locking with the said male. His heart pounded against his chest upon seeing her and his son in this condition.

“Name your price. I-I’ll give you anything you want, just...Just hand them over to me.”, he pleaded with them.

They exchanged looks with Hyuk and one another, Hanji still holding onto Daeul tightly with the nasty stench of the abductors surrounding them.

The previous man looked at Kwon Hyuk intently, as if to finally make a deal with him and let his family go. Instead, he took a step back and extended his arm pointing directly to Oh Hanji’s head and cocked his gun.

The police took a step closer to him, ready to aim at the man himself as Minji tried to push past everyone to get to her sister.

And just then a gun fired.

--

Fun Story Fact #13:

The music video which Jiho was speaking of was Stuck by Monsta X.

[ruginite]

☁

SEND ME A SYMBOL FOR… Status: Acceptin’ 

☁  five times my muse has thought about yours, and the one time they do something about it.

          [ I can’t count the times I almost said what’s on my mind   ]

1 -

It’s cold. The streets alive and windows warm with lights and passing shadows. The thrum of time square can be felt even from here. From where he stands, leaned to at the mouth of the alley across the street from their apartment. A perfect view of the party going on indoors. Where its warm and probably loud with laughing and music jacked up to high.

It makes him smile, despite the cold and the snow starting to fall again on the already covered concrete jungle. He won’t go in. Won’t make his presence known. Mostly…because he’s just too tired. He hadn’t lied when he said he’d had to work. He didn’t think he’d be back this soon. Shy two hours too midnight, and just under another after touch down. So he won’t go in. Dead on his feet as he is. He’d just wanted to stop by. Anonymously check in. Make sure that at least one of them were ringing in the new year like they should.

Because he worries. Always thinks on. Everything always comes back to Duck. And a sigh hangs in the frozen air before him, disrupted only when he moves to leave. Walking off down the sidewalk, with not but his foot prints to ever indicate he had been there at all.

2 -

It’s hot. Hot as the back side of jersey. Waves rising off the side walk outside. And though there’s fourteen fans, the ac blasting and shelter from the sunlight; it’s no damn different inside than it is out. Not with the bay doors open like they are; to keep the lot of them from dying from fume inhalation. Still it’s the cause of him working half blind on the engine he’s leaned over. But thank fuck for small favors because at this angle? He’s got one hell of a view of his surprise visitor.

What? Sue him. He’ll blame it on the heat later, when he’s feeling marginally guilty about it. But it’s also not entirely his fault or the weather’s. It’s Riley’s too. Nobody asked him to stand there, chatting it up with Vinnie while he waited for Bastian to finish up what he’s working on so they could go to lunch. Nobody asked him too look as good as he does in button ups and slacks. And definitely nobody for this heat wave to make all of that stick to skin in places that are straight up sin.

Something however slices flesh rather suddenly, and his attention is pulled back to where it should be. A curse grumbled into the inner working of the car and he’s yanking his hands out. Shuffling off to rinse out the cut and tape it up. Because that’s another thing no body asked for. Blood all over the merchandise.

3 -

Every single syllable out of her mouth grates on his ears, like nails on a chalk board. But he keeps his seat. Knocks back the rest of his whiskey and raps knuckles on the bar for another round. Gaze cast away from his glass, picking a spot that’s inconspicuous but still leaves what he covets in view. And maybe for minutes he lets himself pretend.

Tricks himself into thinking the polished wood under his finger tips is really silk. That the scent of whiskey isn’t coming from his own lips. The clink of his glass being set back before him is really liquor drowned nothings in his ear that he doesn’t even know what are. That he’s not quite so alone in his own space. 

There you go, Boss.

But it’s all shattered by the bartender. He gaze torn away, back to where it should have been the entire time. And fingers wrap around the drink. Knock it back in it’s entirety before standing up. Dropping cash on the bar to cover what he’s had. He’s not leaving he just needs a little air. That isn’t permeated with everyonething he shouldn’t want. And feet shuffle him out the door. Ignoring the inquires as to his destination as he goes.

4 -

Usually he’s more of a spectator every year. Finding a good spot to watch the parade. Taking in the feel of it. Of for once not being the only one. Not being the odd man out. Of being surrounded by people he has something in common with. Surrounded by people born different from the fucking status quo just like he had been. Call it immature, call it selfish, call it weak–but it helps. Helps remind him that at least in some ways somewhere there’s people of his particular shade.

Riley enjoys it more than Bastian thought he would. Being the social butterfly the fucker is. Making event long buddies with the people around them. Something Bastian had never bothered to do. Because while being here made him feel part of something, control and habit had always kept him still inside his own little box. But Riley didn’t have that problem. And soon enough he finds himself in a crowded bar. Glitter and confetti in places he didn’t even know he had. Quietly convening with the group Riley’s attracted.

But for all the beauty around him, he’s blind to it. Though perhaps their new found company isn’t blind to him. And there’s a friendly little nudge, a knowing sort of nod; from the tiny woman on his right. And even Bastian knows what she’s implying. So much so that his ears turn red, that flickering embarrassed sort of smile coming and going from his face. Before he’s leaning in just close enough to respond at a volume only she can hear.

           “Friend zone.”

And honestly? He doesn’t really mind the subsequent pat she gives his hand; or the extra shot she buys him because apparently? She knows exactly how he feels.

5 -

Two a.m. and he’s jolting awake. Covered in sweat and lungs heaving. A groan because every nerve ending is just as on fire as it had been in the fantasy he’d been all been truly wound within. And feet kick away covers, find the floor as he sits up. Rough hands rubbing at his face, as he gets up. Shuffles to the bath room. Pisses out the rest of last night’s drunken stupor and moves out into the hallway. Down the back stairs and into the kitchen. Because his mouth tastes like the bottom of a whiskey barrel but as dry as a cotton mill. 

The fridge door is hauled open, a bottle of water pulled from, cracked open and sucked down. And for moments he just stands there. Leaned against the kichen island. Letting the images play back in his mind. Echoed by logical thinking that he’s got to let this fixation go. That it’s never going to happen. That he should just get the hell out of dodge for a while. Let this cool off, grow cold, and come back when the bridge has rotted. Because it would be better for everyone else in the long run. 

A sigh, that drags everything down; before he’s shuffling to the trash can to throw the bottle away. Though he stops mid step when a sound carries from the living room. Brows knitting and the bottle becoming something else entirely. Something that hit much harder than thin plastic. And he’s moving from tile to carpet. Bare feet silent as the dead. At least until…

God damn it, Duck.

The small bat is set on the coffee table, gently. The ice pack that had fallen to the floor (the apparent source of the noise) picked up and set aside as well. And he just stands there for a minute or two doesn’t he? Watching the asshole sleep. But soon enough he’s moving again. Pulling the blanket off his dad’s old chair, shaking it out, and easy does it–covers up his best friend. Shiner, bruised knuckles and all. He won’t ask in the morning, he never does. But that doesn’t stop his fingers from almost grazing the black and blue ring around Riley’s eye. Fingers that retract a hair before it would be too late. And feet will him to turn and climb the stairs again.

Back to his bed. Alone. Like what’s best for everyone.

6 - 

Once upon a time…it had been his favorite time of year. Back before his life had gone shit everything wrong. And honestly it’s been years since he’s seen a Christmas tree. That wasn’t in a store window. That was decorated by hand and maybe not at all uniform and color coded. And even for as awkward as he feels surrounded by all the things, he’s avoided since his mom died—there’s a warmth too it he can’t deny he’s missed.

Music isn’t bad either. Classic stuff mixed in with modern. And maybe he catches himself more than once humming along. Always too quiet for anyone but him to hear; from where he spent most of the night. Tucked by the window. People watching. And more or less being okay with it. It’s his friend’s lot, not his. Not that Bastian really has a lot. At least not one that’s much bigger than three people.

But even Christmas parties wind down. As maybe a little too soon, the last of the other guests are shuffling out the door. With himself still in the same spot he’s been haunting all night. A quiet good night that’s answered just a little louder by him. Before they’re all that’s left in the starkingly empty space. And he’s moving to help pick up a little. Throw away stray plates and cups. And it’s somewhere between clearing the coffee table and snagging a fork from the mantle that his attention is drawn elsewhere.

                 How about a drink? Saved the good stuff for us.

Honestly he probably looks a little funny. Standing there stiff as a snowman. Trash bag in one hand, the other hovering in the air above the fork. But he hadn’t exactly been prepared for the image. The image that was Riley standing there in the kitchen door way. A bottle of 30 year whiskey in one hand, and two glasses in the other. And over top his head? Jesus Christ’s balls but the universe just wasn’t damn fair. 

And there’s a war going on in his head. One screaming to say yes, the other to do something entirely different, and one more telling him to bolt for the damn door and not come back until he’d scrubbed the image from his memory. But there’s no scrubbing this away. It’s there now. Embedded with every other time, the universe had decided to place Riley in just the right place to taunt and tempt him into doing something foolish. 

But where every other time logic had won…maybe he’s had one to many tonight, to compensate for the crowd. Or so that’s what he’ll blame it on later. Because before he can really tell what he’s doing; he’s moving. The bag abandoned and the fork forgotten about. And where his feet should have stopped him they don’t. Where hands should have gone for the glasses they wind fingers into Riley’s shirt. Drag him down and into a kiss that shouldn’t be happening, if propriety were a thing right then. But it’s not. And Bastian holds it for heart beats before the need for air becomes a reality and he lets go.

Gaze tracking upward above Riley’s head, as he clears his throat and steps back. Hands driving into his pockets and blue finding the depths of the rug beneath his feet. His ears as red as the garland hanging around the door frame. Questions, cursing…something will come eventually, because Riley doesn’t know how not to talk but what else was Bastian supposed to do?

Andy had parked himself right underneath the spot Bastian had noticed he’d avoided all night. And he can only hope that somewhere if this all goes sides ways, that the little bits of green hanging precariously from the door frame can some how find away to dig him out of the grave he’s probably dug for himself. Because if not? 

                   Worst.Christmas.Yet.