#so i asked her where the regular one i use is she said we're out. i said do we have any other foaming ones I need them to be foaming ones

[2-kamikou-1]

i am so fucking pissed off

[sistertotheknowitall]

Some Guy Bingo

Masterpost.

Nearly three months into (what Jason called) The Haunting, the siblings kinda started a game. (“Either we're haunting him or he's haunting us, I haven't decided yet." "Considering he's the one appearing randomly, I'd say he's haunting us.")

Technically Tim had started it with, “five bucks says Danny went to class today.” (Gotham university was having an out break of fear toxin curtesy of Dr. Crane.) However, it was Jason who kicked it off with, “ten if he says something about actual scarecrows.”

Dick had snorted and said, “fifteen if it’s a personal experience about a farm.”

“I call bingo if he makes a vague statement on agriculture.” So it was actually Steph who started it.

“Bingo? We were placing bets.”

“Unlike you Hood, some people don’t get adopted by money.”

“As if Bruce doesn’t give you an allowance.”

(“As if he didn’t offer to adopt you,” Tim tacked on.)

It became a running joke where they started calling out "bingo if -" whenever they had to go out on a call. The joke had later formed into a running game when Danny had told Cass, “fighting gods is a pass-time, it is humanity that the real fight is against.” (He had trip over a curb and laid on the ground for several minutes before she asked if he was okay.) She said it wasn’t the most concerning thing he said to her and Steph chimed in claiming, “on a scale of one to ten that statement rates at a three.”

Jason had asked why Cass and Steph always got the weird ambiguous statements and he got cryptic shit about his “soul”.

(Damian had pointed out that at least he wasn’t being constantly referred to as a baby.)

I Call Bingo, which they still played whenever a situation required more than one of them, became “on a scale”

Dick was sure that “having given up on optimism, I find your enthusiasm to be overly bright” should be ranked higher then “I don’t like two-stepping but I’m from the mid-west, so do you know how to line dance?” (Danny and Duke had gotten into an awkward side step where they kept blocking each other.) Damian said the wording seemed passive-aggressive but the tone was too positive to be rude so he gave it a three. Jason said it sounded like a bad pick up line and gave it a two.

They often debated and defended the score they gave with Barbara chiming in over coms. She had never met Danny as Oracle but he was a regular at the public library. He was always polite and respectful and had quickly become one of her favorite patrons. Like Steph and Cass she also got odd statements but hers felt more like half-hearted jokes.

Bruce didn't always join in on their game but it wasn't surprising to see the occasional score placed in their reports. (They had a file dedicated to Danny's remarks. Originally it was to keep track of what they knew about him but at this point it was just to let the others know what he said this time.) Alfred was roped into it even if he didn't really participate unless asked. ("Hey Alfie, what would you give 'i'm glad i don't have to fight my food to eat it but if Batburger keeps giving me the wrong thing I'm summoning Lunch Lady.' Cause Tim says two but I think it's a five.") (He gave it a four.)

Post 4

[makeitmingi]

When Flowers Bloom In The Dark [Chapter 2]

Genre: Romance, Mafia!AU, Violence, Angst, Slow burn

Pairing: Hongjoong x Reader (y/n)

Characters: Florist!Reader, Mafioso!Hongjoong, Mafioso!Seonghwa, Mafioso!Yunho, Mafioso!Yeosang, Mafioso!San, Mafioso!Mingi, Mafioso!Wooyoung, Mafioso!Jongho

Summary: When you appeared and wept at his mother's funeral, Hongjoong found himself wanting to find out more about you. A regular girl, who owns a flower shop in his territory and has a relationship with the mother that he hasn't spoken to in years, why hasn't he ever noticed you before?

[Warning(s): 18+ for violence, use of weapons, smoking, alcohol consumption, slight gore, gang affiliation, tattoos and character deaths. Minors DNI. This is a work of fiction and does not represent the Ateez members in real life.]

Word count: 3.2K

With an iced tea in hand, you unlocked the glass doors of your shop and entered. You turned on the lights, placing your tea on the counter and your bag in your locker. Since you were the only worker here, there was no one else to use the lockers but you.

"Roses, tulips, carnations..." You grabbed your notepad to check the incoming deliveries today. The first thing you did was check on your plants and water them.

"You're growing well." You smiled softly, seeing the plant that you sprout, moving the pot away from the direct sunlight.

"(y/n)?" You heard the familiar voice of your supplier at the back door and went over.

"Good morning, Mr Lee. Do you have any surprises for me?" You giggled. You had a good relationship with all your suppliers, they always helped you bring in quality products.

"Well, besides your usual orders, I have some hydrangeas if you would like." He climbed into his truck.

"Here." He pushed the bucket to show you.

"Oh, they're absolutely beautiful. I'll take them." You smiled. He nodded and helped you bring everything in, he usually knew where everything went.

"Sunflowers aren't selling too well." You shook your head in disappointment, seeing your sunflowers there.

"Sunflowers aren't trendy anymore. Have you seen what's on the internet? My daughter told me that girls are content with just bouquets of baby's breaths now. How times have truly changed, right?" He chuckled with a click of his tongue. You nodded and moved the roses into the refrigerated area.

"It's a minimalist thing, no? Bigger isn't better anymore. No one comes in for traditional bouquets anymore." You sighed, going to the cash register to get the money.

"Tell me about it... And this should be everything." Mr Lee said, glancing over the flowers that he brought in.

"Thank you, this is the payment." You handed the money to him. He nodded and placed it in his pouch.

"Also, Mr Lee. I remember you mentioning that Mrs Lee keep getting her hands burnt when she's working at her restaurant. I made her an aloe balm. This should help soothe the burns." You held the tin out.

"Oh, you're too kind, (y/n). Thank you so much for making this." He patted your shoulder.

"Have a nice day. See you next week." You walked him out.

"See you." The both of you bowed to each other and he jumped into his van before driving off. You returned to your counter and began your work for the day.

"Let's see..." You checked the online orders that you had and printed it out for reference.

Moving to your work bench, you began to prepare the flower preparations for each other. You trimmed the stems, removed the excess leaves and cut thorns away before wrapping them up with either cellophane or tissue paper.

"Hello? Are you open?" The bell above the door jingled. A girl walked into store, carrying a pot with her. You cleaned your hands and walked out to the front.

"Yes, we're open. How can I help you?" You smiled.

"My fern seems to be wilting and I can't seem to revive it. Can you help?" She asked.

"Let's see what's the issue." You escorted in. She placed the pot on your work table and you inspected it. The girl patiently waited, watching you as you checked it.

"From what I see, the soil isn't draining water properly. It's retaining too much water and suffocating the roots of the plant." You said.

"What? Can that happen?" She blinked.

"Yes, so that suffocation prevents the roots from absorbing the vitamins and minerals. You should mix a well drainage soil of this ratio and move your fern in." You wrote the ingredients down.

"And I can find this at the plant store?" She asked, reading through what you wrote down.

"You should be able to find the components. But if you don't mind waiting, I can mix some for you to take home." You offered. Hearing that, she let out a sigh of relief and nodded her head excitedly. You went to your storage area to grab the different soil components that you need.

"Peat moss, sand and potting soil." You mixed the components into a bag, adding some fertiliser as well since the fern currently lacked essential nutrients.

"For two weeks, put two drops of this plant reviver into the soil even if you are not watering it." You handed her a small vial.

"Thank you. Actually, do you mind repotting it into the new soil for me? I'll pay you." She requested.

"Alright." You took the fern out and got rid of the old soil. You poured the new soil in, creating a well to put the fern in. After that, you loosely covered the roots with the soil.

"Done." You smiled, removing your gloves.

"Thank you. This is actually my mum's plant and I'm helping her take care of it. I know nothing about plants." She said in embarrassment.

"No worries, the plant should be fine from here. If there are anymore issues, you can come back." You chuckled and rang up her bill. She nodded and paid.

"Thanks again." She bowed and walked out of the shop. After that, you went back to preparing your orders. There were some pick ups today so you wanted to make sure that everything was in order for a smoother pick up.

"Hi, I'm here for a pick up?" A guy walked into the store.

"Sure, can I see your order number?" You asked. He showed you the confirmation email and went to retrieve his order. It was a flower box instead of a bouquet.

"Just make sure everything is okay for you before paying." You said, rounding the counter to the cashier.

"Do you mind changing the ribbons to pink too? She really likes pink." He requested.

"Of course." You grabbed the ribbon. With pink flowers, you wanted to add contrast with a different coloured bow but since he wants it to be pink, there was no issue with changing it.

"That's better. Thanks." He handed you his card.

"I wrote the congratulatory message as you stated in request email but if you'd like to write your own message. This is a spare card, on the house." You handed him the blank card.

"Thank you, I don't know what else to write but if I come up with something I'll add it." He rubbed the back of his neck with a sheepish smile. You hummed and rang up his bill, writing the invoice and handing him a copy, along with his credit card. With a grateful bow of his head, he left the shop.

Before you knew it, the clock hit 1pm, with customers coming in to buy, place advance orders or collect orders they've placed.

'Closed for lunch.'

You sat behind the counter with a tired sigh, taking out your lunch box. Your meals usually consisted of sandwiches or leftovers from dinner the night before.

Which was why Mrs Kim would usually come with food for you, always disapproving of how your eating habits.

RING!

"Sorry, we're closed at the moment." You said from behind the counter, not looking at the door. But you didn't hear the second ring of the door opening again so you stood up.

"Oh!" Your eyes widened in surprised as Hongjoong stood there, looking around the shop.

"Hongjoong sshi..." You blinked, maybe you were dreaming. Maybe your guilt was too much that the male was appearing in your dreams.

"Good afternoon, (y/n) sshi. Is this a bad time? Should I come back at another time?" He asked with a slight tilt of his head, fingers resting on the buttons of his blazer. You shook your head, reaching to get a tissue to wipe your mouth.

"It's fine. What can I help you with?" You came out from behind the counter to properly greet him. He patiently waited as you pulled a chair for him to sit.

"Please, would you like something to drink?" You offered.

"No, I'm fine. Actually, (y/n) sshi, I came to apologise for my reaction during my mother's funeral." He stood back up.

"What? There's nothing for you to apologise for, Hongjoong sshi. I should be the one apologising, I overstepped and said too much. It wasn't appropriate of me." You bowed deeply.

"You didn't overstep at all. Your intentions were good, I reacted poorly." He bowed back.

"No, you're grieving, it's normal." You smiled softly.

"Thank you for understanding." Hongjoong held his hand out but remembered that it was bandaged and cursed under his breath, hiding it and putting his other hand out for you to shake. If you were phased by his injury, you didn't show it. You smiled and slipped your hand into his to shake.

"I should go and let you carry on with your meal." He said once you both let go.

"No, it's fine. You can stay if you'd like." You smiled softly. He let out a small hum and continued to look around your shop, observing all the plants around.

"So, this is where my mother hung out?" He asked, picking up a stalk of rose from your work bench and twirling it.

"Sometimes... She would come for lunch or tea. We would just chat over food." You replied awkwardly.

How much were you supposed to say about Mrs Kim to her own son? You didn't want to sound like you were boasting about your time with her either, that wouldn't do any good.

"I see." He said, placing the flower back down.

"Hongjoong sshi..." You rubbed your arm, unsure of how to continue this conversation.

"Sorry for making you uncomfortable. Just... The truth is, you know a lot about my mother that I don't. You've spent time with her while I didn't so I can't help but feel curious. My relationship with her wasn't as good as she made it out of be." He informed.

"Oh. Hongjoong sshi, it's not my place to judge you or your relationship with Mrs Kim. Whatever relationship I had with her is vastly different from your own." You said.

"You're very kind, (y/n) sshi." He complimented. Your cheeks heated up in embarrassment.

"I should go." He stood up.

"Wait before you go. Your bandage, do you want me to help you replace it?" You pointed. Hongjoong looked down and saw the blood beginning to seep through.

"It's fine, I shouldn't take up more of your time." He shook his head.

"Not at all. I can help if you'd like." You offered. With a soft sigh, Hongjoong sat back down.

"I'll go get my medical kit. Be right back." You told him and went to the back room to get what you needed. You also took a salve that you usually used for wound care.

"I'm not a doctor but I am first aid certified and I study medical plants in botany so you don't have to worry." You smiled and took a pair of cutters to cut away the bandages that Yeosang had wrapped around Hongjoong's hand. Hongjoong quietly observed you, not saying anything else while you focussed.

"I made this salve for wounds. It should help with soothing the wounds and healing." You explained, cleaning the blood.

"Do you always make your own medicine?" He asked.

"No, I just make simple stuff. I'm still learning." You giggled, tucking your hair behind your ear before applying a thin layer of the salve over the cuts and wounds.

"Does it hurt?" You looked up at him. He shook his head and you sighed in relief.

"You can bring that home with you to apply when you change bandages. I have some more." You explained.

"You do a better job than my brother." Hongjoong said after observing how you properly wrapped a new bandage around his hand and secured it in place.

"You should remove the bandage after 3 days to let the wounds breathe and dry." You said.

The entire time, you never once asked Hongjoong about how he got injured or acted differently. You treated it like any other scrapped knee and healed him. Usually, people would be scared or ask him how he got injured like that.

"Thanks." He looked at his newly bandaged hand.

"You're very welcome. If you see signs of infection or get a fever, go to a doctor." You advised. He nodded and took the small pot of salve, putting it into his pocket.

Will he use it? Probably not. But he saw how dedicated you were and for some reason, didn't want to disappoint you by not taking it.

"Bye, Hongjoong sshi. I'll see you around?" You blinked at your own words, uncertainty in your voice.

"Have a nice day, (y/n) sshi." He didn't address it, merely bowing his head and leaving your shop. You let out a long exhale, feeling like you've been holding your breath the entire time.

"Ah!" You suddenly remembered the silk handkerchief that you had washed and in your bag.

"Too distracted." You scratched your head and went to the counter to eat a few more bites of your lunch before you had to reopen.

You were not too bothered that you hadn't returned the handkerchief to Hongjoong. Even if you did feel guilty, you had an inkling that you would be seeing Hongjoong again soon. What ate at you more was how foreign Hongjoong spoke about his mother, like she was a stranger that he didn't know.

"Hongjoong, where are you?"

"I went out to run an errand, Seonghwa. Don't worry, I didn't drive. I got the driver." Hongjoong sighed, sinking into the backseat of the Rolls Royce he was in.

"I'm not worried about that. I just wanted to make sure you didn't do something dumb like blow up a building."

"Geez that happened ONCE, let it go... And I'm going to work, I have to go to my club." Hongjoong said, looking at his bandaged hand.

"You don't have to go back to work right away, Hongjoong. The boys and I can take over while you take a few days. You've needed to take a break for a while."

"I'm the leader of Ateez, Seonghwa. I don't need all of you to take over my work." Hongjoong replied.

"But..."

"Yes, my mother died. But sitting around isn't going to bring her back to life. I still have roles to fulfill, I'm not going to let anyone strike us just because I'm down. There are people counting on us, relying on us." He continued.

"Alright. Stay safe then, Hongjoong. I'll see you at the docks meeting at 5pm?"

"Yeah, thanks Seonghwa. I'll see you later." Hongjoong hummed and hung up. The car stopped before Hongjoong's club and the manager came out, opening the door for him.

"Good afternoon, Mr Kim." The manager bowed. The club wasn't open yet so Hongjoong could get some administrative work done.

"Get me a drink and come up to the office." Hongjoong said, walking into the club.

"Yes, sir." He bowed. Upon his entrance, all the workers stopped and bowed down to greet their boss This was the main club Hongjoong worked out of so they were used to seeing him around.

"Give me 10 minutes. No one is to enter." Hongjoong told the guard who stood by his office door.

"Yes, sir." The guard bowed.

Hongjoong entered his office and sat down in his chair. There were some things he needed to do and catch up on privately, without any interruptions. As the leader of Ateez, he had to keep track of the other Ateez members and their work, on top of his own. But the boys always did their work so it wasn't hard on him.

*KNOCK KNOCK*

"S-Sir?" Hongjoong heard the timid voice of the club manager outside his door, making him look up from his phone where he was sending messages to Yunho.

"Has it been 10 minutes?" Hongjoong asked back, tucking his phone into his blazer pocket.

"Yes, sir." The male on the other side replied.

"Come in." Hongjoong said. The door opened and the male came in with his iPad and Hongjoong's whiskey in hand. Hongjoong nodded over to the chair and the manager bowed, taking a seat opposite him.

"Update me." Hongjoong took a sip of his drink. The manager began to update Hongjoong on the business.

"We have been thinking of letting our bartending apprentice go. He had been drinking on the job and getting drunk." He informed.

"Who?" Hongjoong leaned forward.

"This is his profile. The next page has some employee complaints and customer complaints that were logged." The manager informed, pulling up the ex employee's profile and handing it over to Hongjoong to look it over.

"I won't read this, let him go. I won't let anyone be caught lacking in my business. One complaint is as good as ten. Make him compensate for what alcohol he took." Hongjoong instructed.

"Of course, sir." The manager nodded, taking back the iPad and going through the other updates.

"Continue to manage necessary manpower and suppliers to the club. Revenue is still good." Hongjoong told him.

"I will. Thank you for giving me this responsibility, sir." The manager bowed from his seat.

"This is the list of VIPs coming. As usual, make sure they are well taken care of." Hongjoong slid over the list of VIP names and the dates that they would be coming.

"Of course." The manager folded the paper and put it in his pocket.

"You can go." With that, Hongjoong waved him off and he left. Hongjoong may seem cold and merciless but he treats his employees right, at least those that do their job well. He is a perfectionist and always wants the best, there shouldn't be anything that's lacking when it came to his business.

"Send Wooyoung and San for that private poker game. That's wheret they'll meet our informant." Hongjoong said to those that were in the group call.

"Oooh, I can get a new suit done." Wooyoung's focus and excitement was obviously on other things.

"What about the governor meeting that's coming up, hyung? Are you going with Seonghwa hyung?" Jongho asked.

"Seonghwa should go with Yunho. They know how to work the charm. Plus the governor's wife seems to favour Yunho." Hongjoong thought out loud, making the other laugh.

"No one can resist that face." Seonghwa chuckled.

"Yunho's ears just turned bright red." Yeosang informed and the others could hear Yunho's yell of protest in the background.

"Wait, what time is Seonghwa hyung and Hongjoong hyung settling the issue at the docks? I want to tag along, I could use some action. It'll be fun." Mingi asked.

"Oh! Me too! If Mingi's going, I want to go!" San agreed. Hongjoong could hear Seonghwa wanting to interject but it was ignored. Hongjoong and Seonghwa could never fight the younger ones, they were simply outnumbered.

"You guys always make a mess when you get involved... This time, call your own clean up crew." Seonghwa hissed.

"You gave in way too easily, Seonghwa ah." Hongjoong laughed and leaned back into his seat.

"I already have enough to think about. I have to pick my battles. Plus, if they can handle it for us, I won't risk getting blood on my new coat." Seonghwa said.

~

Series masterlist

[xomakara]

Sweat and Seduction

(re-posting from my old account seulrinnie-rinrin/xomakara-secondary)

SUMMARY | You're a yoga instructor that teaches yoga and well-being. When the girls in your class get distracted by Yeosang, a regular gym client, you can't help but fall for him too.

PAIRING | Yeosang x Reader

GENRE/CONTENT/WARNINGS | gymrat!Yeosang, yogateacher!Reader, non-idol au, smut (with some plot), consensual sex, vaginal sex (wrap it up y’all!), oral sex, dirty talk

RATING | Mature, Explicit, 18+, NSFW, MDNI

LENGTH | 4,119 words

TAGLIST |  @yeostinys

NETWORKS |  @cromernet (reuploaded so only tagging nets that haven't reblogged it yet)

AUTHOR’S NOTE | Took me a bit to write this so I hope it turns out well. I hope you all like, comment, reblog since it would mean the world to me.

Here's the original request:

“Girl, look at him.”

“Oh my god, he’s so hot.”

“You think he’s single?”

You looked at the man that the girls from your yoga class were oogling over. He was wearing a tight fitting black muscle tank with gray sweatpants. You knew who he was because every other day they made some sort of comment about how good looking he was or how great his body was. The one that really caught your attention was when one girl said ‘I want to lick his abs all day long.’

Not that you don't blame her. You had thoughts like that about him too.

Kang Yeosang was a regular at your gym and you’d often see him about three or four times a week. He’d always work out at the same time and leave at the same time. Some days he would bring his equally attractive friends with him but most days it was just him. His beautiful face and rock hard body really stood out amongst the rest of the guys there. Most of the guys in the gym usually dressed up a bit but Yeosang stuck to more basic workout wear which really highlighted his features.

A lot of women probably felt the same way you did about him, wanting to be close to him and feel the strength he exuded. It wasn’t an easy task for him though, being a muscular hunk in a fitness center where everyone has good looks and muscles.

You always noticed him.

He noticed you too.

So when the girls started acting like little teenage girls and asking if he was single, you couldn’t help but overhear them as you finished stretching after your yoga class. You waved as some of the women in your class, happily married or taken, went on their way while the clearly single ones lingered around trying to get a glimpse of Yeosang again.

You walked up to the front desk and leaned against the counter to look at your friend who was finishing up checking in a client. Ari, your friend, shook her head as she looked at the girls that were still waiting for Yeosang to come back.

"Looks like they're at it again." She muttered.

You shrugged, "I'm already used to it. They did that when they saw Seonghwa a few weeks ago. Now he comes and works out at night only."

Ari laughed. "I don't blame him. The girls in your yoga class are horny as fuck."

You laughed. "Only the single ones."

"What about you?" Ari asked, a teasing smile on her face.

"What about me?"

"Aren't you horny for him too?" Ari nudged you. "I see the way he looks at you and the way you look at him."

"Pfft. He's just a regular here. Of course, we're going to look at each other. I teach classes here, remember?" You scoffed.

"That's not what I meant and you know it." Ari said. "He's so damn handsome. Just imagine if he wanted to… explore those muscles with you. Wouldn't you be down?"

"I mean..." You paused for a moment before answering. "Maybe... If he came on to me then sure, why not? But until then..."

Ari grabbed your hand and gave it a squeeze. "Do you think you'd be able to turn him down?"

"With a face and body like that..." You bit your bottom lip. "Hell no. I'll take whatever I can get."

Ari laughed. "Well good luck my friend. You'll tell me all about it, won't you?"

You grinned. "Yeah, yeah. You have my word."

You watched as Ari chased out your students since your class was over. It wasn't time for you to leave the gym yet, so you were helping some of the staff disinfect equipment and do last minute cleaning. While you were wiping the handle of the dumbbells, Yeosang came walking towards you.

The hair on the back of your neck stood up and goosebumps spread across your arms as he walked closer to you. His body language seemed casual, but you could tell something was different about him today. There was something else behind his eyes, like he was determined.

“Ms Y/N?” You heard his deep voice call out your name and you couldn’t help but shiver at the sound of it. You slowly turned your head and found yourself staring into his dark chocolate brown eyes.

“Yes?” You replied, suddenly feeling very nervous. What was wrong with you? This guy is just another normal customer at the gym!

“By chance, do you have any openings in your yoga class?” Yeosang asked. “Preferably anything at night or with your married students because I’m worried that the single girls in your morning class would jump me.”

“Sure. Come by tomorrow afternoon after my last class. We’ll discuss the details then.” You smiled at him.

Yeosang nodded and flashed you a dazzling smile before heading off to work out somewhere else in the gym.

Ari was by your side in an instant. "Ohhhhhh, did I see you talk to Mr Hunk? What did he say? Did he ask you out?"

You shook your head. "He wants to take one of my classes. That's it."

"Ouuuuu." Ari nudged you. "You'll tell me all about it, right?"

"Yes. Definitely." You laughed. "Now go help somebody else. I've got work to do."

As you continued working, you kept thinking about Yeosang and the possibility of teaching him. Not many men had this much confidence to approach you directly without being creepy. That coupled with his physical appearance meant that he would likely have no problem doing yoga poses during the class and showing off his rock hard body.

His muscles and stamina could easily rival yours.

And maybe you’d get a good workout in yourself along the way.

The next day, after your yoga class, you had an idea. You were curious if Yeosang was the type of man who could keep up with you or not.

"Hey Yeosang, do you mind sticking around for a few minutes after class?" You asked, watching him carefully. "I need someone to try out a new pose with."

Yeosang looked at you curiously. "Sure, no problem. I'll be here."

"Great. Thank you."

After everyone left the room, you pulled Yeosang into the back to discuss the details of him joining your class. You explained to him that you needed a male volunteer so you could have him try out the different poses and make sure that it was suitable for both genders. He agreed and the two of you walked back to the front of the gym.

"Are you ready to try some of these poses?" You asked him.

Yeosang smirked and nodded.

"Okay, let's start with a simple one." You said, getting into a position and waiting for him to copy it.

Yeosang followed your lead, mirroring you. His eyes never left yours, making you blush slightly.

"Alright, now try the next one." You told him, demonstrating the pose.

Yeosang took a step forward and reached down, placing one hand on the floor. Then he placed his other hand next to his foot.

"Perfect." You praised him, smiling widely.

Yeosang stayed there for a moment before lifting his head up and staring into your eyes once more. He moved forward, his lips inches away from yours. Your breath hitched and you swallowed nervously.

"How did I do?" He asked quietly, his breath ghosting over your skin.

"Good job." You whispered.

"Thanks." He mumbled. "What's next?"

You gulped, your mouth suddenly dry. "Um... let's try something harder."

Yeosang nodded, keeping eye contact.

You led him through the rest of the poses, taking your time with each one. Yeosang watched intently, making sure to follow every direction. You tried not to stare at his body too much, but it was difficult not to.

His shirt clung to him tightly, emphasizing his broad shoulders and muscular chest. The sleeves of his shirt stretched tightly across his biceps, showing off their impressive size. He wore loose fitting black track pants that hung low on his hips.

After the last pose, Yeosang sat down beside you. You glanced over at him, seeing him wipe the sweat from his forehead.

"Well done. You've got a natural talent." You complimented him, trying to act normal despite the butterflies in your stomach.

"Thanks." Yeosang said, a faint smirk playing on his lips.

"It's getting late. Why don't we call it a day?" You suggested, standing up.

"Okay." He replied, standing up as well.

"See you tomorrow?"

"Yeah, see you tomorrow."

As soon as Yeosang walked away, you let out a heavy sigh.

Holy shit.

You didn't expect him to be so fucking attractive.

It took a lot of self control not to stare at his ass while he walked away. You wanted to touch him so badly.

Your heart rate was racing and you could feel heat spreading throughout your body. You couldn't stop thinking about his beautiful face.

His lips.

His strong jawline.

His muscular arms.

You were absolutely smitten with him.

And you had no idea how to deal with it.

The next day, you met up with Ari to talk about the situation.

"Oh my god." She gasped when you told her what happened. "So you're gonna start teaching him every night? That's amazing! Are you excited?"

"Yeah, but I don't know if I can handle it." You groaned, covering your face with your hands.

"Why not? What happened?" Ari asked, her brows furrowed.

"He's so fucking hot." You whined, leaning forward and placing your head on the table.

Ari giggled. "Everyone in the whole gym knows he’s hot.”

"I know, but it's different. I've never had a guy affect me like this before." You sighed, shaking your head. "I can't focus on anything else when he's around."

"Maybe it's because he's a new student?" Ari suggested. “I mean sure he’s a regular gym rat but he’s new to yoga, isn’t he?”

"Maybe." You mumbled.

"Look, just take it easy. Don't overthink it. Just enjoy teaching him yoga. It'll be fun!" Ari assured you.

You nodded, sighing.

"Alright! Class is done for the day!" You called out to your class, waving goodbye to them as they exited the studio. "Good job everyone!"

Some of your students left quickly, wanting to get home to spend time with their family. Others stayed behind to chat. You welcomed them to stay and socialize a little longer but your mind kept drifting to Kang Yeosang.

It had been a few weeks and while most people enjoyed learning yoga and meditation, Yeosang seemed to take pleasure in challenging himself. At least that’s what you assumed seeing the way he worked so hard during your classes. He’d push himself to the limit and beyond. Whether it was practicing his leg stretches and balance or using light weights to challenge his core strength, Yeosang took your class seriously and tried to better himself.

Seeing someone appreciate your teaching like that always brought a sense of pride and happiness to you.

“It feels so good to stretch and loosen up after sitting at the computer all day.” A girl in her early twenties said as she stretched out her legs. “I swear it makes my back hurt less.”

You chuckled and nodded. “I totally agree. You should come to my evening class next week. Would you be interested?”

The woman nodded enthusiastically. “Of course! You’re so amazing Ms. Y/N. I love coming to your classes.”

Another woman came over to you and clasped your shoulder. “Your students seem to adore you. How long have you been teaching?”

“This will be my fifth year actually.” You replied. “Why do you ask?”

She smiled and gently squeezed your shoulder. “You deserve a big promotion or raise or something. Teaching others is your calling and you make us all feel so special.”

“Thank you.” You blushed.

“You’ve got such a positive aura around you and your presence seems to make everything so peaceful. You must have some kind of magic powers or something.” The woman giggled.

The compliments were nice to hear. Even as a young adult, you could understand how people responded to you. You didn’t consider yourself special, especially compared to the yoga teachers you’ve met throughout the years. However, the fact that people related to you made you happy. Your job isn’t exactly a typical 9-to-5 office job either.

Working in a school was fine for the first two years but then you became bored of having to sit through endless meetings and pointless lectures about students and parents. It was only when you began teaching yoga classes and participating in the training of new instructors that you found meaning in your life again. Seeing the transformation of people that first come to class as a total stranger and end up leaving a few hours later as a happier, calmer person was priceless. Being part of someone’s journey to becoming healthy and mentally stable was truly rewarding. You waved as the remaining students left the studio.

"Ms Y/N."

That deep voice snapped you out of your thoughts. You looked up and found a familiar pair of brown eyes staring back at you.

Your heart stopped.

Your mind immediately went blank. All you could focus on was that one word that you'd heard from his mouth.

You turn to look at Yeosang, the black muscle tank he wore hugging his body tightly, revealing every bulging muscle and ripple of toned skin. His perfectly sculpted abs were visible through the fabric and even his skin tone appeared darker against the stark dark material. His slightly messy hair covered his forehead, framing his face.

Everything about him screamed sexy and you instantly felt a stirring in your pants. As if you weren’t aroused enough already from having to stare at him throughout the entire class. You cleared your throat awkwardly, looking away as you mumbled, “Ah, Yeosang.”

Yeosang couldn't help but run his eyes over your body and even though he had just finished a grueling workout session, he was still dripping with sweat. Your outfit clung to your curves and his gaze lingered at the jade green crop top that exposed a sliver of cleavage and hugged your chest. The yoga pants you were wearing were form fitting, showing off your perfect ass.

There was no doubt that Yeosang knew exactly how fucking hot you looked.

"That was a great class," he says, his voice deep and smooth as velvet. "You have a real talent for teaching."

You feel yourself blushing even more deeply, pleased by the compliment. "Thank you," you reply, your voice a little hoarse. "I'm glad you enjoyed it."

"I especially liked the way you emphasized the connection between the body and mind," he continues, stepping closer. "It's a very sensual approach."

Your heart is pounding in your chest as you feel the heat radiating from his body. "Well, yoga is all about exploring and embracing our senses," you respond, your voice steady, although your insides are quivering with anticipation.

Yeosang's smile widens, and he leans in closer, his breath tickling your ear. "I think you're right," he whispers. "And I'd love to explore more of those senses with you."

Your breath catches in your throat as you place your hand on his chest, feeling the steady thump of his heart under your palm. "I think that can be arranged," you murmur, your voice low and inviting.

Without another word, Yeosang takes your hand and leads you out of the gym, his fingers gently entwining with yours. The touch of his skin against yours sends sparks racing through your body, and you can feel your nipples hardening, pressing against your sports bra.

He takes you to his place, a cozy apartment just a short walk away. As soon as the door closes behind you, he presses you against it, his lips crushing yours in a passionate kiss. You moan into his mouth, your hands roaming over his broad chest and down his strong back.

He breaks the kiss, trailing hot, open-mouthed kisses along your jawline and down your neck. "Let me worship your body," he whispers, his warm breath fanning over your sensitive skin. "Let me show you how much I've wanted this."

You nod, unable to form words as you're overcome with desire. Yeosang kneels before you, his strong hands sliding up your thighs, lifting your legs and wrapping them around his waist. His lips find the sensitive spot just behind your knee, and he kisses and nuzzles the delicate skin, sending shivers up your spine.

His fingers skirt the hem of your yoga pants, and with slow, deliberate movements, he peels them down your legs, exposing your bare pussy. You gasp as the cool air washes over your heated skin, and your eyes close as you feel his hot breath on your most intimate place.

Then, his tongue, wet and warm, laps at your clit, sending shocks of pleasure through your body. He teases the sensitive bud, circling and flicking it with the tip of his tongue, driving you wild. His fingers find your hole, and he slides one long digit inside, curling it to find that sweet spot that has you crying out.

You clutch at his shoulders, your fingers digging into his strong flesh as he works his magic on your pussy. With each stroke of his tongue and finger, your pleasure builds, coiling tighter and tighter in your core. You can feel the orgasm building, a tidal wave of sensation ready to crash over you.

"Come for me, baby," he murmurs, his voice thick with desire. "Let me taste your sweet cum."

At his words, your climax hits, washing over you like a tsunami. You cry out his name as you shudder and tremble, your juices flooding his waiting mouth. He licks you clean, savoring every last drop.

After your release has passed, you sag against the door, breathless and satisfied. You gaze up at Yeosang, a smile playing on your swollen lips. "That was..." you trail off, unable to find the right word. "Incredible."

"Let's not stop there," he murmurs, taking your hand and guiding you through the apartment. He leads you to a bedroom where a queen sized bed sits in the corner. The comforter is smooth and inviting, the perfect contrast to the solid wood bed frame.

Yeosang kisses you once more, deep and tender, tasting of your juices and his own spicy scent. With deft fingers, he tugs your sports bra up, setting your breasts free. His lips find your nipples, sucking and teasing the hardened peaks as his hands roam over your body, exploring every curve and valley.

"You're so fucking beautiful," he breathes, pulling you flush against him so that you can feel his hardness pressing against your thigh. "I want to see all of you. Every single inch."

You oblige, stepping out of his grasp to remove the last bits of clothing on your body. You feel no shame or hesitation, only pure, primal desire. Yeosang looks like he wants to devour you whole.

Once you're fully nude before him, Yeosang begins removing his clothes as well. It takes everything in you not to whimper at the sight of his hard cock springing free, bobbing heavily between his legs. Your core aches with need, and you step toward him, wrapping your hand around his thick length.

Yeosang groans, his head falling back as you stroke him. You take the opportunity to place hungry kisses along his neck and collarbone, before trailing down to his muscular chest. Your tongue darts out, flicking his nipple, and he shudders in response.

"God, baby, you're driving me wild," he murmurs, gripping your hips and pulling you even closer.

"I want you," you whisper, your eyes shining with desire. "I want to feel you inside me."

With gentle but eager hands, he lifts you, pressing you against the mattress, your legs wrapped around his waist. Slowly, teasingly, he guides himself into you, filling you inch by inch. You moan loudly, your head falling back as you feel him stretch and fill you.

"So fucking tight and wet for me," Yeosang groans, rolling his hips, the movement sending delicious sensations coursing through your veins. "So fucking perfect."

You move with him, matching his rhythm, each thrust sending sparks of ecstasy through your body. You grip his strong shoulders, holding on for dear life as your passion grows. Your voices ring through the air, a mixture of moans and cries as the pleasure mounts.

Your toes begin to curl, your muscles beginning to tighten as your release grows ever closer. "Fuck, Yeosang," you gasp.

"Yes, baby," he growls, thrusting deeper, hitting that sweet spot inside you.

"Harder," you pleaded, your nails digging into his shoulders.

His hands find your ass cheeks, squeezing roughly, his hips smashing into yours, taking him even deeper than ever before. "You sure? You want more?"

"Oh god, yes," you whimpered, your eyes rolling back as his cock drags across that sensitive spot again.

With another sharp thrust, you can feel your release building within you, white-hot and desperate. Yeosang can feel your walls tightening around him, and his movements become almost frantic, driving the both of you closer to the edge.

"Y/N, you're so fucking good," he moans, his voice low and deep. "You like it when I fuck you like this? You like the way my cock fills you, stretches you?"

"Oh god, Yeosang, yes!" you cry, the filthy words spilling from his lips driving your pleasure higher than ever.

Yeosang grips your ass tighter, his fingers sinking into your flesh, as he picks up the pace. With each powerful thrust, he hits the deepest parts of you, sending waves of unadulterated ecstasy rushing through your body.

"That's right," he groans. "Come for me, Y/N. Come all over my cock."

"Oh, Yeosang...oh, fuck...I'm gonna...I'm..." Your words trail off into a loud cry as you feel your orgasm wash over you like a tidal wave. Pleasure crashes through every inch of your being, rippling through your core and leaving you weak and trembling.

Yeosang can feel your pulsing walls tightening around his throbbing cock, and it's more than he can bear. With a few last, savage thrusts, he finds his release, his hot seed shooting inside you, filling you completely. His hips stutter to a stop as his release washes through him, and he collapses on top of you, spent and utterly satisfied.

The two of you lay there in each other's arms, breathing ragged and hearts racing. For several moments, there is nothing but blissful silence. Finally, Yeosang speaks, breaking the tranquil stillness of the room.

"Y/N..." he trails off, shaking his head as a small, wondering laugh leaves his lips. "That was unbelievable."

You laugh along with him, feeling light-hearted and joyful. "You were pretty unbelievable yourself," you murmur, snuggling closer into him, breathing in the heady, masculine scent that lingers on his skin. "But honestly," you continue, smiling up at him, "I think I've got you beat. There's nothing like sex after yoga."

He raises an eyebrow. "No?" he says teasingly.

You shake your head, giggling as his fingertips trace idle patterns on your naked back. "Nope," you reply, your tone mischievous. "Nothing beats that feeling of relaxation, that deep satisfaction and contentment, knowing your body is now completely in tune with itself."

"That sounds pretty intense," he muses, nuzzling your neck, the warmth of his breath sending tingles along your spine. "And you know what? I can get down with intense. How do you feel now, after...all that?" he asks, his gaze meeting yours, full of heat and curiosity.

You pretend to consider, your brows furrowing in thought, before a wicked grin curls your lips. "Pretty damn incredible."

A pleased hum rumbles in his throat and a devilish twinkle appears in his eyes. "I guess I'll have to start coming to your class more often then," he murmurs, bending to capture your lips with his.

Your kiss is gentle and lingering, filled with emotion and understanding. After a few moments, you reluctantly pull back. "You sure about that? Might give everyone the wrong impression."

"Let them look." He smiles, kissing you deeply.

His warmth envelops your naked form as he wraps his arm around your back, his other hand settling over your breast, giving it a playful squeeze.

With your bodies tangled together, limbs entwined, you forget all about the outside world and lose yourselves in each other's company. You drift off to sleep, safe and comforted in Yeosang's embrace.

[jinnie-ret]

destined at the VMAs

stray kids x musician!reader (platonic)

genre: fluff

content warnings: none.

word count: 1.7k

summary: a musician under the name CLOVER is starstruck when she meets her favourite group Stray Kids at the VMAs, only to find that they're big fans of her too

This imagine is written in first person under the name of an artist called CLOVER.

As voted for by you! Make sure follow to have a say in regular polls for what I'll post next!

Or if you have any ideas you want to see them you can send in asks!

Hope you enjoy!

MAIN MASTERLIST

"Okay guys, I'm really excited right now because we have the one and only CLOVER, all the way from the UK and making her debut American television appearance here at the VMAs!" an interviewer for Entertainment Tonight introduced me to the camera whilst other celebrities arrived and walked the pink carpet.

"Hi!" I greeted her politely and waved at the camera. I felt so excited to be here at the VMAs, my first time in America and it was on such a well known awards show, I couldn't believe it. I hoped my fans liked my bold type of outfit too, a beautiful black gown with a daring slit up the side where it rested against my thigh.

"Welcome to the US, CLOVER! We're so happy to have you here, how are you finding it?" the interviewer asked me, holding the mic out.

"It's big. America is so much bigger than I expected it to be, especially compared to back home," I said with wide eyes, wearing a shocked expression on face which made the woman opposite me laugh.

"That's right, you've come all the way over here from England, right? How excited are you to perform here?" she asked me.

"I'm incredibly nervous, if I'm honest haha. There's so much talent here so I just hope that people will enjoy what I bring too," I smile, wiping my hands down on my dress awkwardly. I really hoped the camera didn't somehow pick up the sight of my sweaty palms.

"Well I've seen some of your performances before and let me just say, I'm a big fan myself!" she confessed, which made me heart feel warm.

"Wow thank you so much!" I blushed, hands clasped together now. I really couldn't stop fidgeting with them.

"I mean, you've been nominated for best new artist! That must feel amazing right?" she smiled at me.

"It really does, to be nominated for an award, let alone perform here is just beyond my imagination. Like Ice Spice, Peso Pluma, Pink Pantheress my UK sister is nominated too! It's crazy!" I exclaim, hoping I'd meet my fellow UK artist too, not realising that later on I'd meet a different honorary British artist.

"Speaking of, is there anyone else you're excited to see here today?" the interviewer leaned towards me, like she was ready for any gossip.

"Wow, pretty much everyone!" I laughed, "but I'd have to say Demi for sure! I'm excited to see them perform I've loved their music for years! Also Maneskin and there's Stray Kids and TXT too! I'm so excited for Stray Kids oh my god..." I ramble, waving my hands in the air as I talk excitedly, unable to hide my big smile.

"Stray Kids certainly seem to be stealing everyone's hearts this year, I spoke to them earlier, and... wow," the interviewer laughed with me, and it felt like having a conversation with a friend at that point.

"I don't blame you haha," I giggled.

"Well, thank you so much for chatting with us, CLOVER, we'll see you out there later tonight, best of luck!" she smiled at me before turning to the camera and ending the interview. I waved bye to her and the camera and walked round the corner, heading backstage with my manager and taking a deep breath in.

It all felt so surreal, I was sure I caught a glance of Taylor Swift and waved and smiled at her, shocked to have gotten the same actions returned and squealed, unable to help myself as I jumped around and bumped into someone behind me.

"I'm so sorry!"

"Oh my god sorry!"

We both apologised at the same time. And when I turned around to see who it was I thought I was going to spontaneously combust right there and then.

It was Felix of Stray Kids.

"Felix?!"

"CLOVER?!"

What. The. He knew who I was?

"Oh, you know Stray Kids?" he asked me shocked, an adorable expression on his face as he helped me rebalance myself, I was wearing heels after all.

"I should be asking you the same question, I've been listening to you guys for years!" I gushed, probably embarrassing myself a bit but Felix didn't seem to react to that, seeming to get excited himself.

"You have? Wow... Stray Kids are such huge fans of your music, we really love your songs," Felix happily explained to me, still holding onto my hands as he waved them excitedly.

"No way... that's insane!" I couldn't put everything I was thinking into words.

"Tell me about it," he laughed, pulling his hands away to scratch the back of his neck.

"Felix!" the other members walked over, not noticing me at first, which was lucky otherwise they would have seen me looking at them like they were ghosts.

"We've been looking everywhere for you!" Bang Chan patted his shoulders, speaking in Korean and then turned to see me, a shocked expression painting his face.

"Sorry I didn't mean to be keeping Felix," I then spoke back in Korean, some of the members seeming to jump back in shock at hearing their native language.

"Woah, CLOVER?! Wait, you speak Korean?!" Han bounced on his feet, beaming at me.

"Yeah my best friend is Korean so I ended up learning it, definitely helped when watching you guys. This is just like a dream, I can't tell you how amazing it is to meet you guys!" I felt myself getting almost hyper by seeing them in front of me.

"We could say the same to you! We're all big fans of you!" Changbin stepped up, whilst some of the other members stood back nervously.

"If I'm being honest I didn't believe Felix when he told me that," I shook my head in disbelief.

"Well believe it now," Seungmin laughed, seeming to feel more comfortable now.

"I'm so hyped to see you guys perform tonight! How are you feeling?" I asked them, feeling more confident now as the ice had been broken.

"I think we're nervous but we're going to do our best out there," Lee Know shyly admitted.

"We could do with some words of encouragement, could you say Stray Kids hwaiting?" Han asked cheekily.

"Han we've just met her, don't scare her away," Hyunjin did his iconic laugh.

"It's fine, it's fine haha. Stray Kids hwaiting!!!" I cheered for them and they all clapped for me after, making me blush and hide my face.

"Your Korean is really good," Jeongin commented.

"Thank you, well, like I said, it's all thanks to my friend. She's so cute, she'd cheer me on before every gig I used to do like, CLOVER hwaiting!!" I share, hoping they wouldn't find it weird how I'm rambling on.

"Hahaha, that's cute, is she a stay too?" Bang Chan asked hopefully.

"Oh, big time! She's the reason I got to know your music and watch your variety stuff too," I nod back at him. They all let out sounds of amazement.

"You watch our other stuff?" Changbin asked shocked.

"Yeah! I'm a big fan of SKZ Code!" I admit sheepishly.

"Wow that's a good friend you got there," Seungmin nods, smirking.

"She's the best, she's supported me through my music the whole time," I grin, thinking about my best friend. I wish she could have come to America with me but she was too busy.

"Are you planning on releasing any new music soon?" Felix asks me.

"Well, I'll let you in on a secret, I'm working on some right now!" I fake whisper to them, but it didn't really matter. I was speaking to them in Korean at this point so it wasn't very likely anyone backstage would expose the fact.

"You are? Wow I'm looking forward to it already, you have such a unique sound," Han praises my music, making me a hold a hand over my heart.

"Wow that honestly means a lot coming from you guys. You have such a unique sound too and it inspired me to go with the direction I really wanted to in my music," I compliment them, seeing their eyes light up.

"Thank you! Have you ever thought of collabing with another artist?" Changbin asks, seeming to be hinting at something as Minho pats his shoulder warningly.

"Well, now that you've brought it up, I've always wanted to make some songs with you guys," I confess shyly, blushing even more when they all ask 'really'?!

"That would be amazing, I think we could create something great together," Bang Chan nods, a more professional tone as he thinks about their music.

"Perfect! Well I have to go now, but I could get our managers to exchange numbers?" I say, realising I should be getting ready to find my seat.

"We'd love that!" Felix claps his hands together happily.

"Great! Well it was lovely to meet you guys!" I wave as I start to walk away, before I turn snack around quickly and call over to them, "oh, by the way Han, thanks for representing us British Stays, your accent is the best," I daringly tease, giggling to myself as I walk away.

I felt like I was on cloud nine. I met my favourite people in the world... and we were going to try and collab together. It really doesn't get better than this.

Except it does.

For my performance I had changed into a beautiful green dress to match the nature filled scene behind me, performing one of my songs called 'Salvia'. It was a reassuring song to comfort a partner, before the scene behind me started showing dying flowers as I transitioned into a song called 'Rotten to the Core', the pure opposite of the first song. As I ended the performance I saw Stray Kids up and applauding for me, and I smiled and nodded in their direction.

Then I saw them perform too. And the remix they did blew my mind. I was so happy they were getting recognition from other artists too, who may not have seen them before. And I returned my admiration for their performance as I gave a standing ovation of my own, seeing them look my way too.

It all felt like a dream. The future was really looking up, especially with a collaboration with my favourite people in the midst of it all.

[loveesiren]

Doing It All For Us (Pt. 5)

Masterlist

Rafe Cameron x Reader

Summary: Midsummerrrssss and sex :P

Warnings: Smut, language, alcohol,

Word Count: 4.5k+

Midsummers had finally arrived and you were ecstatic. Courtney had been telling you all about it for years and it always sounded so amazing. The fact that you'd be walking in with the Cameron's made it even more exciting.

In the short amount of time you'd been on the island, you'd become the official Kook Queen. People feared you and that fueled your fire. Even though your dad was never around, everyone knew who he was and respected him.

You'd made a reputation for yourself. You weren't one to fuck with. You were loyal to your friends. And you and Rafe were a packaged deal. When it came to him, you were a lioness, ready to protect him at all costs. He did the same for you.

"You look amazing!" Courtney gushed as she looked over your dress. It was light blue, to match Rafe's suit. Floor length and silk, it hugged your body just right. Slits coming up both sides, dangerously close to exposing you. Your breasts pressed against the fabric perfectly, showing just the right amount of cleavage.

"Thanks, Court! So do you!"

You and Courtney sported matching hair. Straight and long. Simple, but the two of you made it look breath taking. You decided against your regular gold body jewelry and opted for the silver necklace Rafe had gotten you. A diamond studded R hung from the simple chain and it was absolutely gorgeous. You were proud to wear it. Proud to make it known that you belonged to him.

"So, are you nervous to meet his family?" Courtney asked.

"Yeah, kind of," You admit. "I just hope they like me."

"What's not to like?"

"I don't know, maybe the fact that I'm a violent junkie who's richer than everyone on the island, including them." You say, anxiety coating your voice.

Courtney sighs. "Listen," She starts as she picks up your brush and runs it through your hair. "You're strong and smart as hell. You hold your own and you'd do anything for Rafe. Just be yourself. They are going to love you."

You smile at her in the mirror and nod. "Okay," You agree.

"Y/N?" You hear Rafe call from downstairs.

Your stomach drops. "Fuck, I'm not ready for this."

"Here," Courtney says, pouring you a shot and handing it to you. You throw it back quickly and ask for another. She pours you one and you drink again. "Now go be the bad bitch you are!" She says, pressing a kiss to your temple.

You and Courtney make your way downstairs. You stop in your tracks when you see Rafe. Holy shit. His hair was slicked back, blue suit and bow tie, flowers in his hand. You swear you'd never seen a more perfect person in your life.

Courtney ran and jumped into Kelce's arms. You snapped out of your trance and walked over to Rafe. You could see a nervousness on his face.

"Oh my God," He said. "Y-You look like an angel."

You bit your lip, looking down to hide the red glossing over your cheeks.

"You don't look half bad yourself, Cameron." You said with a nervous giggle.

"What are you two like in the fourth grade?" Kelce asked. Him and Courtney laughing at your nervous exchange.

Rafe shot him a look.

"We're gonna head out," Courtney says, pushing Kelce towards the door. "We'll see you guys there!"

"Uhm, these are for you," Rafe said as he handed you the bouquet of pink and black roses. Your favorite.

"They're beautiful," You say with a smile. You walk over to the kitchen and grab a vase. Setting the flowers up in the middle of the island.

"Baby," Rafe says as he walks over to you. "You look so fucking perfect."

Before you could say anything, his lips were pressed to yours, kissing you hungrily. You knew you were going to have to fix your lipstick but you didn't care. You brought your hand up, running your fingers through the back of his hair and you pulled him deeper into the kiss.

"Hands where I can see them," You heard your dad enter the room.

Rafe backed off quickly, holding his hands up in surrender.

"Dad," You hissed. "What are you doing here?" You hadn't even heard him come in.

Your dad just laughs. "Don't worry, son," He says, placing a hand on Rafe's shoulder. "I don't own a shot gun."

Rafe relaxes with a nervous chuckle. "Good to see you again, Mr. Y/L/N."

"Please, call me Elliot." He says with a smile. "I assume you are taking my daughter to Midsummers?"

"Uh, yes sir. We were just about to head over to meet my family."

"Dad," You interrupt. "What are you doing home? I thought you were gone this week."

"I head out again in the morning," He said. "But I have a few business strategies to run by some folks at Midsummers tonight. Including Mr. Cameron." He says as he looks to Rafe again.

"I-I'm sure my dad would appreciate that, Sir." Rafe says with a smile.

"Okay, well, we have to get going," You say as you pull Rafe towards the door. "See you tonight, dad!"

"Drive safe!" He calls after you.

Once you reach Rafe's truck, he pulls the door open for you and helps you in. Once he's in the drivers side, he lets out a sigh of relief.

"Sorry. I had no clue my dad was going to be home."

"It's okay, baby girl," He said, placing his hand on your thigh. "Just, caught me off guard is all."

You smile at him. "You look so handsome."

He looked away as his cheeks turned bright red, making you giggle.

"Let's go," He said, starting the car. "Rose will kill us if we're late."

____________

"Wow," You said as you pulled into Tanneyhill. "This is beautiful."

"Yeah, uh, Rose works really hard on the garden."

Rafe goes to get out of the truck but you stop him. "Rafe?" You ask, a tinge of fear in your voice.

"Yeah, baby? What's up?"

"Uhm...What do your parents know about me? Do they know about the...uh...the overdose." You ask disappointed in yourself.

"Y/N, baby," He starts, cupping your cheek and brushing his thumb across your skin. "Look, I have no idea what they've heard but I know they will love you. And we are both clean now. That's what matters."

You smile at him. You always got lost in his ocean eyes. The way his eyes could change from a calm sea to a hurricane in an instant was one of the many things that turned you on about Rafe Cameron.

"You ready?" He asks.

You shake your nerves away. "Yeah, I'm ready."

Rafe comes around and helps you out of the truck, being careful of your dress.

You cling to his arm as he walks you up to the front door and into the house.

"Dad!" He yells as you enter the home.

You swallow your nerves and put on your confident front.

"You're late," A young girl scolds at she enters the foyer.

"No, we're not, Wheeze."

"Who's this?" She asks, looking you over.

"Wheezie, this is my girlfriend, Y/N. Y/N, this is my youngest sister, Wheezie."

"Nice to meet you," You beam.

She offers you a small smile. "You too,"

"Wheezie, go tell your sister it's time to go." A tall blond walks into the room, fiddling with her earring. "Ah! You must be Y/N!" She squeals as she comes over and hugs you. You were taken aback but returned the hug. You watched as Rafe rolled his eyes. "I'm Rose!"

"It's really good to meet you!" You say with a big smile. Happy that his family was taking to you well.

"Ward! Y/N and Rafe are here!" Rose yells. This makes your stomach turn slightly. Rafe has told you all about his father and you know how badly he wants his dad to accept him.

"Coming, honey," Ward says as he steps out of his office. You could feel Rafe tense up at the sight of his father. You brush your thumb over his, reminding him you're there. "Son, good to see you," He says as he approaches you and Rafe. Then he turns to look at you.

"Dad, this is Y/N." Rafe says without hesitation. "She's my girlfriend."

Ward gives you a kind smile. "Y/N Y/L/N," He says. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm looking forward to meeting your father tonight."

"He's looking forward to it as well, Mr. Cameron." You say, confidence filling your voice. You knew your dad had influence over the island. Whether Ward really liked you or not, he was going to respect you. And seeing the way you clung to his sons arm seemed to make him almost proud. The fact that his son was now dating you gave him an instant in to doing business with your dad.

"Y/N! Rafe!" You heard Toppers voice cut through the moment.

You turn to see him and Sarah descending the stairs. "Hey, Y/N," Sarah says. Offering nothing but a glare to her brother.

Topper approaches you and gives you a hug and dapping Rafe up.

"Are we all ready to go then?" Rose asks, impatiently ushering everyone out the door.

"I'll drive Y/N, Topper, and Sarah." Rafe offers.

"Okay perfect. We will meet you all there." Ward says.

Rafe helps you into his truck and Topper and Sarah climb in the back. Sarah seems less than happy to be here but you couldn't care less.

"Y/N," Topper says, leaning forward and offering you his flask.

"Oh thank God," You say as you take the flask and begin to chug.

"Hey, Top?" Rafe says as he backs out of the driveway. "Don't get my girlfriend wasted." He scolds.

"Just gonna get a little buzzed," You promised your boyfriend before handing the flask back.

Rafe smiles at you as he drives. His arm rested on the center console and you ran your fingers over his open palm.

"They like you," He said, grinning from ear to ear.

"They like her dad's money," Sarah scoffs.

"Sarah," Topper hisses.

"What was that?" You turn and look at her.

"Oh you really think you're anything special? Rafe's just dating you so my dad will let him back into the house." Sarah spits.

You feel Rafe's hand on your chest, pressing you back against the seat as he slams on the breaks.

"What the fuck, Rafe!" You hear Sarah yell.

Rafe turns around and points his index finger in her face. "Don't you EVER say some fucking dumb shit like that again, Sarah!" He says, chest heaving. "You don't know shit about me or my relationship and if you wanna keep running your mouth I'll kick you out right here and you can walk your sorry ass to the club."

You smile, loving the way Rafe stands up for you.

He turns back around and places a kiss on your cheek before settling back into his seat and driving off.

You can hear Sarah and Topper bickering in the back seat as Rafe clutches your hand tightly. You run your fingers over his skin in attempts to calm him down.

As much as you didn't want to believe it, Sarah's words lingered in your head.

When you pulled up to the club, it was already packed with people. Sarah and Topper got out to meet up with Rose and Ward. You began walking with them but Rafe grabbed your wrist and pulled you back.

"Y/N, listen," He said, his eyes following Sarah as she walked off. "I don't know why Sarah is being such a bitch but I need you to know what she said isn't true."

"I know, Rafey," You said as you reached up and fixed his hair.

"Baby, whether my dad says I can come home or not I really don't care. As long as I have you I'm happy. There is nothing I want more than you."

You smile up at him. You believe every word he says. Sarah hasn't liked you from the beginning and you know her and Rafe had never been close. She was just trying to get under your skin.

Rafe cups your cheek and pulls you into a kiss. You smile against his lips as you savor the moment.

"Rafe!" Wards voice cuts through the air.

You pull away from each other quickly. Your cheeks turning red as you'd been caught for the second time today.

"Coming, dad!" Rafe shouts back. He holds out his arm to you and you link yours through it and smile up at him. "Shall we?" He asks.

People began clapping as the Cameron's entered the party. Rose and Ward walking in first. Rose's golden head piece making an instant talking point.

Topper, Sarah, and Wheezie just behind them.

You and Rafe walked in last and all eyes instantly fell to you. Rafe stood tall and proud knowing he had the islands prettiest girl hanging on his arm. You took confident strides, smiling and waving at people as you walked by.

"What an entrance," Courtney said as you approached her and Kelce. You flipped her off. She chuckled and handed you a glass of wine. "So, how was meeting the family?" She asked as she pulled you slightly away from the boys.

"It went really well for the most part," You said. "But Sarah..." You said as your eyes trailed to where her and Topper were arguing.

"Yeah, she's always been a bitch."

"She said Rafe was only dating me for his fathers approval." You confessed.

Courtney snorted. "That's a load of fucking shit. Rafe's been drooling over you since the second he saw you."

You smiled at her words. You knew deep down Rafe really loved you.

"I think...I think I'm going to do it. Tonight."

Courtney's eyes widened. "Really?! Oh my God I'm so proud of you!" She said as she brought you into a hug. "Are you positive you're ready?"

You nod your head excitedly. "I love Rafe so much. I want it to be him."

Courtney gives you a genuine smile. "I'm really, really happy for you, Sunflower. Rafe's a good guy. I like him."

You beam up at her. "Me too."

You feel Rafe's arm snake around your waist as he pulls you close and kisses the top of your head. "What are you ladies talking about?"

"Oh, just girl talk!" Courtney shrugs.

"Greeeeat," Kelce intervenes. "They're probably talking shit."

"Exactly." You confirm with a shit eating grin before sipping your wine.

"Man, fuck this shit!" Topper said as he approached your little group. He stole Kelce's drink and downed it quickly.

"Alright, alright, guess we're getting shitfaced." Rafe laughs.

"Your sister's a bitch man," Topper snarls.

"Tell me about it," Rafe says, taking a sip of his beer.

"She's cheating on me. I know it."

"Fuck Top, I'm sorry." You said, resting a hand on his shoulder. "You deserve better."

Topper laughs. "I, uhhh, I'm pretty sure it's John B."

"What?" Courtney asks. "She's sneaking off with a fucking Pogue?"

"Why can't they just stay on their goddamn side of the island?" You add as you glare over to where Kiara and Pope were standing.

"Come on," Courtney says dragging you to the dance floor. "Let's have fun!"

_____

You were smiling up at Rafe as you swayed to the music. Feeling lost in the moment when people started clapping again.

You look over to see your dad entering the party. You sigh and lean your head into Rafe's chest.

He smiles and runs his fingers through your hair. "We should probably go say hi." He says.

You nod in agreement. "Fine,"

You make your way over to where your dad and Ward were talking.

"Ah, there they are!" Ward says as you approach. "He places his hand on Rafe's shoulder. Beaming with pride. "Elliot, this is my son, Rafe."

"We've met!" Elliot smiles. "Spends more time at my house than I do," He laughs.

Rafe smiles uncomfortably.

"You two seem to have gotten really close," Ward smiles at you.

"Yes sir," You respond. "Rafe's been really great to me since I moved here. Your son is really special, Mr. Cameron." You smile up at Rafe, lacing your fingers with his.

He glows at your words. "I love you," He mouths.

"I love you, too."

"You help your father out with the business, Rafe?" Your dad asks.

"I, uhm, I-"

"He does!" Ward interjects. "He's been on a bit of a break, you know, to be there for Y/N. But now that she's doing better I think he's ready to get back to work."

Your father looked at you, slight disappointment in his face at the fact that the island knows about your overdose. You bite your lip as your eyes fall to the floor.

"Well thank you for being there for her," Elliot says. "It's nice to know she's in good hands when I'm away."

"Of course, sir." Rafe says. "I'll always be there for her."

"You kids go have fun," Elliot says. "Ward and I have a lot to discuss." He smiles.

"See you later dad, Mr. Cameron." You nod in their direction before pulling Rafe away quickly.

"My dad wants me back at work," Rafe said with a smile.

"That's great, babe! He seems proud of you."

Rafe gushes, smile wide on his face and it makes your heart swell to see him so happy.

Courtney and Kelce come stomping over to you. "JJ's here," Courtney announces. You glare in JJ's direction as you see him pass something to Sarah.

"You know? I could go for a drink. What about you Kelce?" Rafe asks.

"Yeah, I'm feeling a bit thirsty myself." Kelce responds.

You and Courtney watch as the boys head off in JJ's direction.

"When will they learn?" Courtney sighs.

"RIP to JJ," You laugh as you watch the boys take off after JJ and chase him through the club.

"So," Courtney says as she turns to look at you. "Did you tell Rafe you wanna do the dirty tonight?" She teases.

"No. I want it to like happen naturally."

"Are you nervous?"

"Kind of. I mean yes and no. I just want to make him feel good."

"Remember what I taught you," Courtney winks.

Topper approaches you, drink in hand, wearing a look of irritation.

"What happened, Top?" Courtney asks.

"Saw Sarah talking to someone. When I asked her about it she denied it but it's so fucking obvious."

"You can do better, Top. If she wants to be a Pogue then she can go live on the Cut." You say.

"I'm sorry for what she said in the truck," Topper says.

"It's not your fault she likes to run her mouth, Top."

"Yeah, but she's wrong for that. I was there the night Rafe saw you for the first time. If that wasn't love at first sight then I don't know what is. He hasn't shut up about you since."

You couldn't help the smile that spread across your face.

The three of you turn to look at the commotion that suddenly started. JJ was being dragged from the club by security.

"Hey baby," You heard Rafe say from behind you as he wrapped his arms around you and rested his chin on your head.

"What'd you guys do?" Courtney laughed.

"Just told him where he belongs," Kelce said as he stood beside her.

"Safe travels back to the Cut!" Courtney yelled as the four Pogues walked away from the club.

You turned around in Rafe's arms and wrapped your arms up around his neck. "What do you say we go back to your place?" You suggest, giving him lustful eyes as you pull your bottom lip between your teeth.

Rafe smiles down at you knowingly. "We're gonna head out guys," He announces, not taking his eyes off yours. "We'll see you tomorrow," He begins to usher you out of the party before you could even say bye to your friends.

"Subtle," Kelce chuckles.

Courtney smiles as she watches you walk away, skipping happily alongside Rafe as the two of you hurry out to his truck.

____________________

The ride back to Tanneyhill was full of sexual tension. You were both quiet for the short drive back but you could feel yourself getting more aroused with each passing second.

Rafe helped you out of the truck and led you inside. The rest of the Cameron's were still at the party so you had the house to yourselves.

The second the door closed behind you his lips were on yours. Kissing and nipping at your lips down to your neck. You jumped up and wrapped your legs around him. He gripped your ass tightly as you went at each other hungrily.

"Take me to your room," You breathe. Rafe did as you asked, careful not to trip up the stairs as he carried you.

Once you were inside his room he put you down. Still keeping his lips locked on yours as he ripped his jacket off and threw it to the floor. He brought his hands up to cup your face. "I love you," He whispered between kisses.

"I love you too, Rafey." You smiled. You reached behind you and unzipped your dress. Rafe watched you as it fell to the floor. Staring at you intently, taking in all of your beauty.

You stood before him in your bra and panties and bit your lip. He loosened his bow tie and unbuttoned his shirt, adding it to the growing pile of clothes on the floor before picking you up and carrying you to the bed. He let out a moan as you sucked at the sweet spot on his neck, leaving as many marks on him as you could.

He unhooked your bra and pulled it off of you slowly. He kissed his way down your neck and chest before sucking on your left nipple, palming the other one as he did.

"Fuck, babe." You moaned. You could feel his erection growing against your core.

"Is this okay?" He whispered against your skin.

"Yes, baby, please keep going." You beg.

Rafe kisses you down your stomach, running his fingers over your clothed pussy. You squirm beneath him, silently begging for him to do more.

He places kisses up and down your thighs. Feeling his breath on your skin sent shockwaves through your body. You felt him tuck his fingers under the hem of your panties and pull them slowly from your body. You were completely exposed to him now.

"So fucking beautiful," He says against your skin. "I want to make you feel so good."

Before you could say anything his tongue was exploring your folds. "Holy fuck!" You cry out at the sensation. Your fingers found his hair and you grasped onto him for dear life as he tongued circles around your clit.

Your legs were over his shoulders and you were afraid you were going to suffocate him as you climbed to your high.

"Oh...my god," You moan. "I'm gonna...I'm-"

You couldn't even get your words out as you reached your orgasm, your body vibrated as you squirted on Rafe's face.

You gasped and clamped your hands over your mouth, completely embarrassed at what you'd just done.

Rafe looked up at you wide eyed and smiling. "Holy fuck, that was hot." He panted.

"I'm sorry! I didn't know I could do that!"

Rafe crawled back up your body and pressed his lips to yours. "Do NOT apologize. You're fucking amazing." He says as he licks his lips. "You taste so fucking good."

You smile and pull him in to kiss him again. His hands run freely up and down your body and you can't deny that you want him. Need him.

"Rafe," You whisper. "I need you."

Rafe pauses for a moment, lips hovering over yours as he looks you in the eyes. "Are you sure, baby?"

You nod eagerly. "Yes. Yes, please." You find yourself begging again.

He smiles and quickly stands up, ridding himself of his pants and boxers.

You bite your lip with both nerves and excitement as you take in his size.

He climbs back into the bed, pulling you under the covers with him. He places kisses all over your face as his hand strokes your hair.

"You really want this?" He asks, unsure of himself.

"Yes, Rafe. I'm in love with you. I want it to be you." You respond.

He presses a kiss to your forehead. "I'm in love with you too." He says. He positions himself between your legs, running his tip through your folds. "It's going to hurt for a second, babe." He told you.

"I know."

"I'll go slow,"

"Okay," You nod, clinging to his biceps.

He lines himself up at your soaking entrance and slowly pushes into you.

"Ow, ow, ow!" You cry as your fingers dig in to his skin.

"Do you want me to stop?"

"No, keep going." You demand.

Once he bottoms out he stays still, smiling down at you. "Are you okay baby?" He asks as he lets you adjust to his size.

"You're fucking huge," You laugh.

Rafe smiles and kisses you again. You run your fingers through his hair as you enjoy the feeling of him inside you.

"Do you want me to move?"

You nodded needily. "Yes, please."

He pulled out slowly and pushed back into you again. The first few thrusts hurt but as he kept going it began to feel good. Really fucking good.

"Go faster," You breathed.

You kept your hands tangled in his hair as he rested his head against your shoulder, thrusting into you faster. He brought his thumb down to circle your clit and and your breath hitched at the sensation.

"Fuck, baby, I'm close." He whispered in your ear.

"Me too, oh my God."

You wrapped your legs around his body as you climaxed together.

His thrusts got sloppier as he released himself inside you. Your body vibrating under his.

Rafe was still inside you as you both fought to catch your breath.

"That was fucking amazing," You sigh.

Rafe pulled out of you and laid on his back beside you. "I'd do fucking anything for you," He admits, eyes closed and a smile wide on his face. "Are you okay? Does it hurt?"

"A little bit." You admit. You run your hands over your legs, feeling the wetness that lingers there. "Fuck, I'm bleeding." You say as you bring your hand up to examine it.

"That's okay. That's normal, baby. Let's go take a shower." Rafe says as he gets out of the bed.

You scoot towards the edge of the bed but Rafe picks you up and carries you to the bathroom.

"I'm sorry," You whisper as Rafe sets you down and starts the shower.

"Sorry for what, baby?"

"I'm bleeding everywhere." Your eyes begin to water.

He turns to you and cups your face, forcing you to look up at him. "Sweetheart," He begins. "You were a...a...you were a virgin. Bleeding is normal."

"I just don't want to make a mess."

"D-do you regret it?" Rafe asks, his voice almost pitiful.

"No!" You say without hesitation. "No, I don't regret it, baby. I'm just...overwhelmed." You give a small laugh.

"Let me take care of you, pretty girl." He says as he pulls you into the shower with him. He sits down and pulls you back against him.

You lean back and rest your head on his shoulder as he slowly spreads soap over your body.

"Do you realize how perfect you are?" He whispers in your ear. "I'm the luckiest man in the world."

"I can't remember what life was like without you," You confess. "Please don't leave me."

"Leave you?" He scoffs. "I can't live without you, Y/N." He reaches down and takes your hands in his. Rubbing his thumbs over your fingers. "One day I'm going to put a ring on your finger."

You smile at his words. "Endgame baby."

"Endgame." He promises.

[clarisse0o]

Camp Wiegman-Part 48

Lucy Bronze x Ona Batlle

Alternative Universe : Military School

Words: 7K

TW: Violence

Masterlist

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Saturday, February 6th; 8:30 PM - At Miller's.

I don't feel very comfortable being here. Miller's house is packed. After getting out of the pool, Mapi received a message from him, inviting us to his party tonight. Surprisingly, our friends were tempted to go. I didn't expect Lucy to be one of them; she usually prefers to keep me away from parties. The fact that she's coming with me must change things a lot. So here we are, standing in front of the house, frozen, unsure if we're going in or not. I don't know about the others, but for me, that's definitely the case. The music is so loud it's making the walls shake. It's a typical college party, the kind we all know. Just on the porch, we can already see a dozen young people with red cups or cigarettes in hand, maybe even joints.

"I feel like I'm going back five years," Ingrid comments.

"That's probably true," Mapi giggles, earning a glare.

"Is this a fraternity?" Lucy asks.

"Oh no," Mapi laughs. "It's Miller's house, a friend of ours. His parents are often away on weekends, so he takes the opportunity to throw parties. Since it became a regular thing, his parties ended up becoming well-known."

"So, are we going in, or are we just going to stand here staring at them like idiots?"

The girls look at me, astonished. I was the one who wanted to come the least, so it's no surprise. However, I feel really stupid just waiting here. Besides, if we don't go in soon, I might end up turning back because of overthinking. Memories of my last parties are starting to resurface. If Lucy knew this was where I woke up with a rubber band around my arm, she might not have agreed to come. Ingrid and Mapi are the first to move forward. Lucy gives me a smile, which I return. I grab her hand as she extends it to intertwine our fingers. It's comforting to have her by my side tonight. We follow the girls through the crowd. Some people look at us like we're oddities, while others whistle at us. I chuckle as I see Lucy roll her eyes at their futile reactions. Initially, I always saw Lucy as a party girl, given how badass she seemed, but after getting to know her, I realize it's quite the opposite.

"Are they always like this here?" she murmurs.

"Are you overwhelmed?" I tease.

"No. I was just wondering if students are the same everywhere, but it seems like I have my answer."

"I've always said it gets worse every year."

"You're right. That's one more reason not to leave me alone tonight."

"I wouldn't dream of it."

I press against her to accompany my words. She wraps her arm around my waist in return, kissing my temple. I feel safe by her side, just as Lucy seems reassured, given how tightly she's holding me. What bothers me is that she doesn't seem very comfortable in this environment. We walk through the hallway where I greet a few high school acquaintances who recognize me. I glance around to make sure Feli isn't here. I sincerely hope she's given up by now. I don't know how I'd react if we ran into her. I take a deep breath at the thought. We're interrupted when Lucy has to take my hand again to navigate through narrower passages. She leads the way, firmly holding my hand. This gives me a chance to enjoy the view. I haven't had many opportunities to see Lucy in anything other than her uniform, but it's definitely worth it. I love her style. Right now, she's dressed all in black, which must clearly be her color. A sweater, jeans, and little boots that accentuate her already well-toned legs. It's safe to say she's irresistible. I feel almost pathetic in my black skinny jeans and denim shirt. I look back up at her face when I sense her turning around. Her expression makes me realize I've been caught red-handed. I blush with embarrassment, and fortunately for me, we arrive in the kitchen. This is where the guys usually hang out at the beginning of the party. It seems that's the case tonight as well.

"And here come the queens of the party!" Wick comments when he sees us. "Hey, girls... And you're accompanied too."

He looks at us all one by one, lingering first on Ingrid, then especially on Lucy. I frown, forcing Lucy to lean back against me.

"Go elsewhere, Wick. She's already taken," I reply sharply.

Lucy chuckles, wrapping her arm around my waist again. I don't find it funny. Wick is a big flirt when he's single. As far as I know, he doesn't have anyone right now, so he better not try to get close to my girlfriend. No one will get close to her, not tonight, not any other day. She's mine now. Under the laughter of our friends, Wick stammers an apology as he realizes our relationship. I never really showed off with Mapi back in the day, but I won't hesitate to do so with Lucy. We do a brief introduction before Miller speaks up.

"Well, welcome, and make yourselves at home. We're happy to see our girls accompanied," he smiles. "The girls will show you around; they're regulars here."

"We gathered that," Lucy mutters.

"We were thinking of heading out if you'd like to join us," he continues.

"We'll grab a drink first, and then we'll join you," Mapi announces, looking at us to give us a chance to object.

"Yeah, no problem," Miller finally responds. "See you soon, then."

Our ritual remains intact. We each go our separate ways, stopping at the drinks table while the guys head out. I don't worry about Mapi, who prepares my drink as usual.

"What can I get you, girls?" she asks after handing me my drink.

"Definitely not the same as Ona," Lucy grimaces after sniffing my drink. "What did you put in there?"

I smile at her expression. Something tells me Mapi made my drink strong.

"Do you want a taste?" I joke.

"No, thanks. But I think one drink is enough for you."

"Come on, it's not that strong!" Mapi protests.

"It's not up to you to decide," Lucy retorts.

"Oh, don't be such a wimp, Miss Picky. We'll show you what real fun is like here in Barcelona!"

"Hey, don't say that," I interject. "That's not what tonight is about."

"Of course," Mapi replies, rolling her eyes. "Your responsible one is here, and you're going to play the goody-two-shoes."

"Don't push it," I exclaim, playfully hitting her arm. "I've just decided to be reasonable."

"Sure," she mocks. "And the drinks?"

"Two beers will do," Ingrid replies.

"Pff. You guys are no fun," Mapi comments as she opens the two beers.

Having gone out with them before, their choice of beer no longer surprises me. It seems to exasperate Mapi, though. She probably expected something different from tonight.

"Times change, Maps."

I give her a wink, grabbing Lucy's hand to pull her outside with me. I needed some fresh air with all the people starting to suffocate me. We join my friends around the patio table.

"Hey, Ona! I didn't think I'd see you here again."

"Hey, everyone. And you're Alex, if I remember correctly, right?"

The poor guy gets booed by his friends because of my response. It's hard not to remember him. He was Joan's friend's brother.

"Um, yeah, that's right," he sulks. "I hope you still remember me. We met in Manchester."

"Yes, I remember very well. You tried to hit on me and convince me to reply to your messages."

Once again, his friends roast him because of me. It wasn't my intention. I just wanted him to understand that I still wasn't interested. I sit next to Lucy, who had found a spot, and smile when she immediately places her hand on my thigh. I catch Alex out of the corner of my eye, looking at us strangely. He must have figured it out. I don't pay him any more attention, preferring to focus on Mapi and Ingrid, who have finally settled in front of us. Now that we're seated, I take my first sip of my drink. I quickly regret it. I force myself to swallow the liquid that almost ended up being spat out.

"Damn, Maps! What did you put in this?!"

"The usual. Why?" she teases.

"No, this is not the usual! It's super strong!" I complain.

"Wimp," Ingrid mocks.

I hand her my drink, challenging her to take a sip. She laughs, raising her beer.

"Sorry, I've already got my drink. You only have yourself to blame for trusting Mapi to make your drinks," she replies, making my best friend laugh.

I grumble, giving them a grand middle finger. They've really hit it off.

"It's not like I didn't warn you," Lucy adds.

"I have to admit," Mapi chimes in. "I was afraid you'd stop her from drinking it, but I'm glad you didn't. Her face was priceless!"

"You learn through experience," Lucy teases.

She pulls me closer when she sees me pouting. That was really not cool. Lucy takes advantage of my mood to steal a kiss, which instantly cheers me up. She takes my glass and places it on the table.

"How about we go get you a new drink, hmm? I'd rather you have something else. »

I nod while smiling. We apologize to the others before heading back inside. Lucy stands by the table while I prepare myself a new drink. I opt for vodka with orange juice, measuring it much more carefully this time. I glance at Lucy, who seems completely absorbed by what's happening in the living room. People are going wild to the music. She turns back to me, tilting her head with a small smile when she notices me.

"So, this is the kind of party you like to attend?"

"Let's just say it's Mapi's thing, and I've always gone along with her."

"But you've grown to like it. You seem comfortable in this environment."

"Let's just say I've gotten used to it," I reply, shrugging. "I don't care about all these people. If I'm here, it's only for my friends who make it a good time."

And that's the truth. It's the only reason I used to enjoy coming. There were times I didn't come and later regretted it. I always felt like I missed out on the best moments, like I was excluded for not being there to share in the latest craziness.

"And you? Did you go to parties when you were in high school or college?"

She takes a sip of her drink, covering her little smile. A few days ago, she confessed to me that she was a bit of a nerd, but I still have a hard time believing it.

"No. I wasn't very popular, and I have a rather rational mother. I guess she passed those traits on to me."

"You can be rational and still go to parties."

"True, but it wasn't my style."

"Not even in college?" I ask, surprised.

"Well... Jenni did try to take me to a few parties when we were in Manchester. It was at a place like this that I met Kiera," she admits.

"I see..."

"I went with Jenni sometimes, but those weren't the places I preferred to go."

Now that I know all this, I understand better why she didn't like knowing I was here alone. Kiera was a junkie who used drugs at parties after all... She must have been afraid I'd do the same. I push that thought away to avoid dwelling on it here.

"So, what's your thing then?"

"My thing?"

She smiles again and finally looks at me. I nod.

"I prefer going to bars, restaurants, or the movies. Things like that. It might be more boring than parties full of drunk people for you, but it's what I enjoy."

"I don't find it boring at all. After everything I've been through, it'll probably be better for me to move on to that kind of gathering."

"I don't want to stop you from doing what you love."

"You're not stopping me, Luce. If my mom wanted me in this school, it was so I could find myself and grow, and that's exactly what's happening thanks to you."

"That doesn't mean you have to adopt my lifestyle. It's okay to have different styles."

"I know, but you were right about one thing. Parties aren't the best places for a former junkie, so I can make some concessions."

"Hmm..." she smiles behind her beer. "Then let's enjoy it. Do you want to dance?"

"I'm not a big fan of dancing," I giggle.

"Oh, come on. You could make an effort. Come on."

I glance at her hand for a moment, biting my lip. Her offer is very tempting.

"It's just that I don't really know how to dance. I don't want to embarrass myself."

"Ona, no one here knows how to dance if you watch them," she laughs. "Please. I really want us to dance together."

"I'll need several drinks first, in that case."

"Definitely not," she says, grabbing my hand. "I'll show you that we can have fun without drinking."

I groan as she pulls me toward the living room. We quickly find ourselves among strangers dancing together. I feel uncomfortable being here. Lucy tries to reassure me by placing my hand on her waist and smiling at me.

"Relax," she whispers.

She lets go and starts moving her hips in front of me. Damn... She must want to kill me. I'm practically frozen by the provocative scene she's giving me. She syncs with the rhythm of the music. I snap back to reality when she places her hands on my waist to get me to move too.

"You know, you'll look more ridiculous if you let me dance alone. Maybe I should find another partner."

"Definitely not," I growl.

She chuckles and slips her hand around my back to pull me closer. We're so close that I can feel her breath brushing my cheek. The tension is strong. So strong that I grab her neck without warning to claim her lips. It's been a long time since I felt such a powerful desire. Lucy softens our kiss to make it less rough. I then bury my head in her neck to collect myself.

"Let go," she murmurs to me through the music. "I'll take the lead."

I could almost believe she's talking about something other than dancing. She probably is, since it's clear she'll be the one leading our relationship. As she said earlier, she's the one with the rational nature. I don't doubt that she'll find our balance. In a surge of confidence, I wrap my arms around her neck to feel even closer to her. We've never been this close outside of a bed after one of my anxiety attacks. She pulls back slightly to look between our bodies moving in sync, thanks to her hands on my waist and one of her legs between mine.

"You told me you didn't know how to dance. That's not the impression you're giving."

"It's because you're guiding me," I giggle, making her shake her head.

"No. Your body moves very well. You just don't have confidence in yourself."

She's probably right. I enjoyed dancing when I was in high school. That's why Mapi insists so much when we're here. I brush her neck with my nose, focusing only on her presence that gives me the confidence I was missing.

"Ona...?"

Our bubble is burst by the one person I wanted to avoid tonight. Of course, she would be here... I force myself to turn around to make sure it's her.

"Finally, I was starting to lose hope!"

She tries to touch me, but Lucy steps in front of me, pushing me behind her. Feli doesn't seem pleased, furrowing her brow. Recognizing those eyes perfectly, I cling to Lucy. I can't tell if it's to protect myself or to stop her from tearing Feli apart, given the way she's looking at her.

"Who is this?" Feli asks harshly.

"Her girlfriend," Lucy answers before I can.

Feli's eyes narrow even more as she looks at me. Reflexively, I pull Lucy back, and this time it's out of fear that I do it. I recognize the signs of Feli when she gets angry.

"Please," I murmur to Lucy, tugging on her sleeve.

It's all I can manage to say, but Lucy must have understood my distress signal. She takes a step back, which immediately triggers Feli, who literally explodes.

"No! You're not going to run from me again!"

She tries to get close to me, but Lucy acts, shoving her away forcefully.

"Don't come near her. She doesn't want to see you or talk to you. Don't you think you've hurt her enough already? If you loved her as much as you claim, you'd do well to never contact her again."

"What business is it of yours, you little bitch? You don't know anything about what we've been through," she snaps.

"I know enough to convince Ona to take you to court."

Those words were too much for Feli, who decided to lunge at Lucy. I scream, closing my eyes to avoid seeing what happens next. I expected an imminent impact since I was standing right behind Lucy, but nothing happens. I slowly open my eyes, and what I see petrifies me. I expected to find Lucy on the ground, but it's quite the opposite. She's overpowering her... Feli, my ex, who traumatized me for years. This seems to enrage Feli even more as she tries to hit her repeatedly. Lucy dodges her punches one after another with great agility. She waits for her to lose steam before landing a punch on her cheek. Faced with this action, which I didn't expect at all, I cover my mouth to keep from screaming again. The blow was so strong that Feli stumbles backward, completely shaken. From the look of her, she must not be sober right now.

"That's for drugging Ona at a party. And this..."

She hits her on the other side, making her lose her balance again. She doesn't wait for her to regain her senses before grabbing her by the collar. The silence that reigns makes me realize the music has been turned off.

"And that's for daring to touch her. Now, stay away from her. Otherwise, she won't hesitate to press charges for what you did to her and for harassment too. Do I make myself clear?"

Feli is so stunned and intimidated by Lucy that she nods frantically. I knew she was intimidating, but not to the point of making my enraged ex give in.

"Good. Then stay out of her life, or I'll destroy yours by making sure you end up in jail," she threatens her.

"Oh my God, Ona."

I turn toward Mapi's voice as she immediately pulls me into her arms. I'm too shaken to understand anything. She steps back to examine me, keeping her hands on my shoulders.

"Are you okay?"

"I think so," I murmur.

"Let’s go," Lucy announced, extending her hand to me.

I took it without hesitation. Given her mood, this wasn’t the time to refuse her anything. I glanced over her shoulder to see Feli watching us with sorrow.

"We're coming with you," Ingrid said.

"There's no need," Lucy replied. "Enjoy the evening. We'll meet back at home later."

"Please take care of Ona," Mapi conceded.

"That's my intention," Lucy reassured her with a small smile.

We wished them a good evening, and then I let Lucy lead me toward the exit. The crowd that had formed had dispersed, and the music had resumed. I forced myself not to look back. It was a relief to finally be outside, where I could breathe again. I still couldn't believe she had hit her—twice, no less.

"Thank you..." I murmured once we were far from the house.

"You shouldn't thank me," she sighed in frustration, rubbing her forehead.

"You defended me."

"I'm not proud of hitting your ex, Ona. Even if she deserved it, it makes me feel like I'm just like her."

I stopped abruptly, making her do the same since our hands were still linked.

"You're nothing like her, Luce. You have nothing in common with her. Feli was violent and angry. You're not that kind of person, as far as I know."

"That's all the more reason to take her to court," she retorted. "I really don't understand you on this!"

I bit my lip, staring at the ground. I couldn’t give her an answer to that question. Feli had been a part of my life. No matter how much she hurt me, I still care about her.

"She's not a bad person deep down," I murmured.

"Oh, so hitting her girlfriend is being a good person!? When will you open your eyes, Ona? This isn't the Feli you met! If you do nothing, she won’t hesitate to hurt others, if she hasn't already! Is that what you want? For her to hurt other people!? Because I can assure you that’s what she'll do now that she knows she’ll never have you again!"

Lucy had never yelled at me like that before. Sure, she had scolded me, but never like this. I still didn’t dare look at her, now that tears were in my eyes. She was right. Of course she was right. When was she ever not right? She sighed again as she approached me, cupping my face in her hands. She must know me well to instinctively wipe my tears away with her thumbs.

"I know it’s painful, honey, but it’s the truth. I just saw Feli for the first time, and I can assure you there's nothing good in her. All she wants is to make you feel guilty for leaving her, so you’ll go back to her. Is that what you want?"

I shook my head and threw myself into her arms. Of course not, that’s not what I want. She pulled that trick on me for months. I literally collapsed in her arms. Everything I had kept bottled up since our encounter finally spilled out. I would have preferred to do this at home, but it was inevitable that the subject would come up on the way. I tried to speak, but nothing coherent came out, making her hold me tighter against her.

"Shhh. Calm down. I'm sorry for being so harsh, but it’s the only way for you to open your eyes."

"I-I don't want to... Y-you know that, right?"

"Of course I know, baby. But if you really want to move on, you have to take action. She won’t leave you alone otherwise."

I resigned myself to nodding. I had to do it. I’d been putting it off for far too long.

"D-don't leave me."

"Never. We’ll face this together, okay?"

I clung to her desperately, nodding again. She was my lifeline. Without her, I would have drowned in an endless ocean. She kissed my temple and rocked me until I pulled myself together.

"I'd love to stay here holding you forever, but I’m sure your bed is much cozier. Besides, my hands hurt."

I pulled away from her and wiped my cheeks with my hand.

"Sorry for thinking only of myself... Let me see your hands," I murmured.

"Don't apologize. And as for my hands, you can see them when we get to your place. Then it'll be your turn to take care of me... The idea of having a personal nurse sounds quite appealing."

I smiled at her attempt to lighten the mood. It wasn’t surprising that she was in pain. Having dealt with Feli myself, she must have used considerable force to destabilize her twice. She was really strong.

"Let’s head home, then... It’s my turn to take care of you. And even if you were joking, it’s non-negotiable."

"Is that an order, Princess?" she teased.

"Absolutely, Commander."

"Then let’s hurry. I can’t wait to be pampered by you."

I kissed her tenderly before we finished our walk without another word, staying close to each other. I appreciated the way she held me against her. I felt like I belonged. It was as if I could already see my whole future. It only took two weeks apart for my world to fall apart. She had become my everything, my reason for living, to the point where it was almost frightening. We arrived at my place, where a royal silence reigned in the hall. Well, that was until Joan came to greet us as we took off our jackets and shoes. It was so early that she was still awake. She was quickly followed by a very surprised Sophia.

"You're already back?" she asked us. "It’s only ten o'clock."

"Yeah... The party wasn’t that great."

I lied to avoid worrying her over something so small. She didn’t seem to question it. Lucy, on the other hand, remained silent, much to my relief. Sophia would have panicked if she knew the truth and would likely have insisted on making a diagnosis before I could even explain anything. I smiled when Lucy hugged my brother at his request. That was something new I hadn’t expected from Joan.

"Still up, huh?" she asked her.

"I was just about to put him to bed," Sophia admitted.

"We'll take over then. Thanks again for watching him tonight."

"No problem, Ona. What time are you leaving tomorrow?"

"Same as usual. Early in the morning."

"Well... I guess I'll see you next time then."

"We'll be back, I promise. Now go home, you’ve earned it."

"Thanks," she smiled. "Sleep well, girls."

"Good night to you, and be careful on the road."

"I will."

We exchanged a hug, and she gave Lucy a friendly nod before leaving. As for us, we headed upstairs, leaving Joan in my girlfriend's care. They went to my room while I searched for a pajama for him, as he had declared that he could still sleep with us. Given the circumstances, I would have preferred that he leave us alone tonight, but I said nothing since we already see each other so little. When I joined them, I found them deep in conversation. The bond between them was working out wonderfully, which delighted me to no end.

"Here, Jo," I said, handing her the pajama. "Can you get dressed by yourself? I need to take care of Lucy."

My brother pouted at my request but accepted without protest. Lucy smiled softly at me and let herself be guided to the bathroom, where she sat on the edge of the tub. I took her hands in mine and noticed that her knuckles were extremely red. I bit my lip, imagining the pain she must have felt.

"It’s not that painful," she reassured me calmly.

"Don't move, I’ll be right back."

Without another word, I went downstairs to fetch an ice pack for her. When I returned, my brother was keeping her company while brushing his teeth. The sight made me smile. It was the first time I didn’t have to fight with him about it. She gave me a smug smile when she saw what I had in my hands.

"Really, Ona? I'm not in that much pain, you know," she teased.

"Don’t argue. I promised to pamper you tonight, so you’re not allowed to protest," I replied in a mock-threatening tone.

She chuckled and nodded, not losing her smile. Before starting anything, I glanced at my brother to see how he was doing. He was wiping his mouth.

"All done," he said proudly.

"Go to bed, we'll be there in a minute."

He nodded, smiling. He then rushed into my room. I closed the door behind him for some privacy. As soon as I did, Lucy pulled me between her legs, making me let out a small cry of surprise. She smiled at me with that goofy grin again.

"So, where do we start, nurse?"

"Stop, it’s not funny," I giggled, playfully pushing her shoulder. "Come on, give me your hands."

Her hands, which had been caressing the back of my knees until then, slid to the sides and moved up to my waist. I grabbed them before they could go any higher and looked at her sternly.

"That’s enough, bad girl," I warned her as best I could. "Be serious for a moment!"

"Bad girl, huh?" she grinned, crossing her feet behind my legs. "Is that how you see me now?"

This action brought us even closer, making me blush. She was distracting me from my examination. I let my thumbs gently caress her knuckles.

"Of course not... Does it hurt? »

"I already told you it doesn’t."

"Put the ice pack on them anyway, please. They’re very red."

"Anything my princess wants."

I realized she was lying about the intensity of her pain when I tried to flatten her hand in mine. I looked up to see her grimacing, even though she was trying to hide it. I bit my lip to keep from commenting. This was definitely not the right time.

"Hold this. I’ll see if I have any cream to help with this," I said, placing the ice pack on her hand.

She held the ice pack without saying anything. The roles had changed drastically in such a short time. If she did this, it was for me, so I could only be grateful. I searched through all my drawers for the tube I had brought back from Manchester. A victorious smile spread across my lips when I finally found it. Even though I’m a doctor’s daughter and studied in this field, I don’t doubt that my care won’t be as good as hers, but I’ll do my best. I’ve always thought that it takes a certain instinct to take care of people. As for me, it’s clear that I don’t have any. 

Returning to her, I noticed that she had alternated the ice pack between her two fists. I took over as I moved back between her legs to apply cream to her first hand. I made sure not to look at her to avoid being unsettled.

"Why does she call you 'Oni'?" she asked suddenly, making me chuckle at the memory of that story.

"I’m not really sure, actually. I think she was confused that we don’t have the same last name so he wanted to give me a nickname to feel close to me. »

"Oh... So she has her father’s name?"

"Yes. His name is Joan Pascual."

"And your mother?"

I sighed at that question. It was a rather sensitive topic, but I played along and answered.

"She kept my father’s name. I never really understood why, knowing that they’ve been divorced for several years."

"Maybe to keep the same name as you?" she guessed, making me shrug.

"I don’t really know."

"And what about him?" she redirected the conversation. "Do you like him?"

I didn’t need more information to know she was talking about Marcus. Her change of topic wasn’t the best, given what I think about him. She seemed to understand because she removed the ice pack to stroke my cheek.

"You don’t have to talk about it."

"I will talk about it," I said, taking her hand again to give it the same gentle caresses as the other. "To be honest, I don’t have anything against him specifically, but I had a hard time accepting the relationship he had with my mother."

"Why?"

"I thought it was too soon. My mother wasn’t even divorced yet, and then, she didn’t tell me about it. I found out when I saw them in bed together... Imagine what that does to a troubled teenager..."

She nodded in understanding. The fingers of her free hand stroked the back of my knee like earlier.

"You weren’t a troubled teenager... You had the right to be hurt, confused, and angry about discovering that. How is your relationship now?" she continued, gently pulling me closer to her.

"Strange. I never really accepted it, but I was lucky to have him as a stepfather. He always tried to ease my relationship with my mother, and he’s always been a good father to Joan."

"How would you feel if he married your mother?"

I froze for a moment at that question. Of course, I had already thought about their marriage. I had already wondered why they weren’t married yet. After all, they’ve been living together for almost ten years now, and they have a daughter together.

"I’m not really sure... Better than a few years ago, for sure... If my father were still here, he would have told me to accept it because he would have been happy for them."

"He must have been a good man."

"He was," I said, wrapping my arms around her neck. "You remind me a lot of him, if you want to know the truth..."

"I doubt that. He seems much wiser than I am. Anyway, I’ll support you in all your decisions, no matter if I think they’re right or not."

"See, that’s exactly why you remind me of him," I giggled. "He used to say the same thing. I wish you could have met him... He would have adored you."

"And I imagine I would have adored him in return."

"Enough about me. What about your adoptive parents? Was it always smooth sailing?" I joked. "You’ve never told me much about them."

"There’s not much to say. My mother seems cold and strict at first glance, but she’s really kind. I wouldn’t be who I am now without her."

"I’m already dreading the first meeting," I muttered. "She’s going to terrify me..."

"Definitely," she laughed. "She loves to scare my partners. She always does that to see if the person will let themselves be intimidated or not."

"That must be unsettling..."

"It is," she smiled. "I’ve never seen anyone stand up to her."

I groaned just thinking about it. I know we’re not there yet, but if we stay together long enough, I’m sure I’ll meet her one day.

"Don’t worry, baby," she said. "She just keeps that tough exterior to make sure the person is right for me. Then she’ll warm up over time."

"Her opinion matters to you, doesn’t it?"

"A lot. No matter how much I cared about someone, she always opened my eyes when it was someone bad."

"Should I be worried...?"

"Of course not," she smiled. "You’re not a bad person; she’ll see that. But if I can give you some advice, don’t let her walk all over you... Otherwise, you’re doomed," she laughed.

"Oh my God," I muttered in despair. "Finding the right balance will be tough. Tell me your dad isn’t like that too."

"Oh no, he’s the opposite. He’s a bit naive, gentle, calm, and very caring."

"You must have your father’s heart and your mother’s character then..."

"I’ve never seen it that way, but you’re probably right."

We exchanged smiles after her response. She slowly leaned in to capture my lips. The kiss was very gentle and restrained. She timidly asked for access to my mouth by teasing my lower lip with her tongue. I granted it willingly. My stomach flipped in response to this unexpected affection. With her newly freed hand, she gently moved it up to my stomach. I immediately realized she had placed it on my bruises, which I could hardly feel anymore. She pulled back to whisper softly.

"It’s my turn to put on some cream."

"I already applied some this morning..."

"The more you apply, the faster it will heal. Isn’t that what you want?" she arched an eyebrow.

"Fine," I resigned, though I pouted.

I would have preferred to get back in bed now, but there was no point in arguing when she was right. She smiled victoriously as she grabbed the tube of cream.

"Lift your shirt."

I took a deep breath and decided to take it off entirely. After all, it wasn’t the first time she’d seen me like this. My action surprised her. She lifted her head to find my eyes.

"Come on, do your job..."

Without a word, she started applying the cream to my bruised stomach. She took great pleasure in doing it thoroughly.

"On your face too?" she murmured when she was done.

"I need to take off my makeup first."

She nodded, letting me move to the sink. I quickly removed my makeup, reminded of the situation I was in. When I turned around, she was looking at me in a way that made me blush. Her smile slowly widened.

"What is it?"

"Nothing... I’m just happy to be with you, that’s all."

"We could have been together sooner if it weren’t for your behavior," I teased.

"I have a feeling you’re going to remind me of that more than once," she laughed.

"That’s the only mistake you made, so... yes, definitely."

"Come here, you little rascal, so we can finish up."

I laughed, knowing full well she was joking. At least the tension had time to dissipate before our night. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been sure I’d sleep well. I returned to her so she could finish the job before putting away the cream. I went to brush my teeth, giving her time to change. As for me, I did it in the walk-in closet where there was enough space. We came out of our rooms at the same time.

"Do you want to watch a movie?" I suggested.

Our evening had fallen through, but that didn’t stop us from continuing it. To my surprise, she shook her head.

"I’d rather we go to bed. We can watch one during the flight."

"Okay," I agreed, looking at my bed.

I sighed when I saw my brother in the middle of my bed. It was going to be more complicated than expected to spend our night in each other’s arms. He must really like Lucy to have placed himself there.

"You’ve got to be kidding me," I muttered. "We can always go to another room. There’s no shortage of them here."

"Don’t be silly," she giggled. "He’d be upset if he didn’t find us here tomorrow morning. Hang on, I’ll move him."

"Be gentle; he can be a light sleeper when he wants to be."

To our relief, she managed to move him without waking him up. She motioned for me to lie in the middle, and she quickly filled the last space in the bed. The light was quickly turned off, and Lucy’s arms tightened around me. A sigh of contentment escaped me as she kissed my forehead. I snuggled up against her, trying to close any gap between us.

"Going back to school is going to be hard," I murmured with a groan, making Lucy laugh.

"It’ll be over soon," she said, holding me a little tighter. "The hardest part is behind us now."

She was right. We were closer to the end than the beginning. I leaned up to reach her lips. Then I settled back into her arms, where I truly felt I belonged. Our evening didn’t go as planned, but it ended much better than it could have.

[helloalycia]

𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 𝐈 𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐊 𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐃 𝐓𝐎 [𝐓𝐖𝐎] — 𝐋𝐔𝐂𝐘 𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐘 𝐁𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐃

summary: as your relationship with Lucy Gray grows, it becomes a little harder to keep it a secret from your dad, especially when Mayfair has something to do with it.

warning/s: mentions of minor violence and the Hunger Games obvs.

author's note: okay so the song mentioned in this part and the next is called ‘forever & always’ by zeph, which i chose for the lyrics, not necessarily the rhythm as it’s not a folk song. But i did imagine it in a more lucy gray-style, so i thought it worked! plus it’s a really good song and i’ve tagged it below if you wanna have a listen :)

one / three / masterlist / wattpad

Being in a relationship with Lucy Gray was all I could have dreamed of and more. Of course, it was a complete and total secret from my father, who could never know I even befriended the girl let alone dated her. It meant sneaking around was a regular thing for us, to my dismay, but she didn't seem to hate it.

I was visiting her home one Saturday, hoping to spend some time with her since it was a lovely day. Even if it meant helping out the Covey with some chores or simply rotting away inside, I didn't mind as long as it was with her. But she seemed to have other plans when she answered the door and kissed me hello.

"I was just about to come get you," she said with an excited grin. "I have a date planned if you're up for it."

I quirked a brow curiously. "Oh, really?"

She curled her fingers between mine as she nodded, humming. "Best part is, your daddy won't find us neither."

i couldn't help but laugh at the prideful expression she wore. "That sounds perfect, Lucy Gray."

And just like that, she grabbed her guitar case and a basket before leading me into the meadow behind her house.

"You gonna tell me where we're headed?" I asked her, taking the heavy guitar case from her hand as we walked.

"This one has manners," she teased, making me nudge her in the arm as she continued, "To the lake. I got a whole day planned."

We chatted about everything and nothing as we strolled through the woods. Having grown up in town and having no need to visit the meadow or woods, I was a little unfamiliar with it all. But I knew that I felt at ease immediately, finding the scent of the earth and the view of the trees and ripples of sunlight peeking through the leaves to be refreshing. Lucy Gray reminded me of it all, I soon realised, of nature, and it only made sense why she put me at ease, too.

We soon reached the lake, which she'd told me about many times, but it looked even more beautiful than she was able to describe. She wasn't wrong about my dad not finding us here, that was for sure.

After setting down her guitar case in the cabin beside the lake, which she told me was nobody's in particular but the Covey used it when they were out here, I watched as she grabbed a cloth bag from the basket and led me outside.

"You ever been foraging before, darlin'?" she asked with an amused smile, already knowing the answer.

"I have not," I said, somewhat entertaining her teasing.

"Then we can start there," she said with a girlish grin, before tugging me by the hand into the trees.

Through vast experience and knowledge, she knew all the spots to take me to then showed me which plants were edible and which weren't. We collected a bunch of edible roots in our cloth bag, conversing in between, and I was growing accustomed to nature as we worked. Personally, I found it was an activity made even better because of Lucy Gray, who was as radiant as the sun was as it shimmered down on us. She looked so carefree, and I couldn't stop stealing glances at her.

"Oh, Y/N, come here!" she called to me as I was picking some berries from a bush she'd confirmed was safe.

"One sec," I said, tying off the bag, before heading to Lucy Gray not far behind me.

She was kneeling down into some taller grass, before glancing back at me with a delicate smile. Waving me over, she returned her attention to whatever was in front of her, and I had no choice but to kneel beside her. As soon as I saw the snake coiled around her right hand however, I fell back onto my butt reflexively, startled.

"You're okay, she won't bite," Lucy Gray said between a chuckle, resting a hand on my leg and meeting my eyes. "She won't harm you if you won't harm her."

I swallowed thickly, trusting her words but also still very much scared of the brightly coloured snake before me. This was normal to her, as evident by her nonchalance and intrigue when handling the snake, but the opposite for me.

"Lucy Gray, I don't think I–"

"You trust me?"

I blinked, eyes glued to the snake, as if it would come at me if I dared look away.

"Hey, sweetie, over here," Lucy Gray coaxed my attention away, and I relaxed slightly when I saw the way she smiled at me. "You trust me?"

"Of course I do."

She nodded. "Then come here, slowly. I promise she won't bite."

Knowing it was awfully embarrassing to look so terrified before something so small in front of someone I liked, I sucked up a breath and kneeled beside her again, though not letting go of her left hand which was still on my leg for assurance.

"They're harmless," she said softly, admiring the snake as it stretched up her hand. "I love 'em because of their bright colours."

"Naturally."

She chuckled, glancing at me sideways. "You're doin' good."

"Uh-huh..."

Again, she chuckled, before lowering her hand into the tall grass and watching as the snake uncoiled itself before shooting away. I released a breath I didn't know I was holding as Lucy Gray helped me stand up.

"Thanks for not runnin' away," she said appreciatively. "I know snakes aren't everyone's thing."

I shook my head. "It's okay. I'm scared, sure, but they're not that bad with you."

Her smile widened and I wasn't sure what I said to make her so happy, but she kissed my cheek and began to walk away. I followed after her, eyes acutely aware of any tall grass around us now, until we reached the lake yet again.

After grabbing some fishing rods from the cabin, we sat at the edge of the dock and cast our lines, hoping to catch something good for an afternoon picnic. I'd never been fishing before, so Lucy Gray was, expectedly, much better at it than I was, catching a few small fish that wouldn't be filling on its own. It wasn't until I felt a tug on my line that I grew hopeful, eyes widening.

"I think I've got something!" I exclaimed, before standing up to get a better grip on the rod.

"Pull back and gently wind the rod," she encouraged brightly, standing up too.

I did as she said, but whatever I had was a strong swimmer and pulling me forward slightly. So much, in fact, that I almost stumbled over the edge and into the water, making me drop the rod completely to catch myself.

"That was close," I said with a racing heart, but knowing I'd need to somehow collect the rod now.

"Can't you swim?" Lucy Gray asked with a mischievous smile, and that should have been my first hint. 

"I can, but I wasn't planning to get my clothes–" I didn't even get to finish because all she had to do was nudge me slightly and I lost my footing, falling straight over the edge and into the lukewarm water.

My first instinct was to swim upwards, head resurfacing as I spat out the water from my mouth and wiped my eyes. Lucy Gray's laughing caught my attention, and I raised my brows with disbelief.

"Seriously?!"

"You had to get the rod somehow," she joked, and I shook my head disapprovingly before grabbing the rod that was floating beside me.

After Lucy Gray accepted it, she surprised me by jumping in next to me, still fully clothed, and splashing me in the process. Again, I wiped my face and narrowed my eyes at her as she resurfaced, eliciting more laughter from her.

"Oh, c'mon, it was funny," she tried to defend, swimming up to me and wrapping her arms around my neck. "Plus, don't you feel nice and refreshed now?"

I sighed, unable to stay mad at her when she was grinning at me so carefree. "I suppose so."

She leaned forward and pressed a kiss to my lips. "Knew it. Now let's stay here for a little longer then I'll catch us a real fish and we can start on some dinner. Sound good?"

I nodded in agreement, and we did just that. It was fun to just be able to swim around and do nothing but enjoy each other's company. My heart was full as Lucy Gray filled the forest with her laughter. Between the terrible jokes I told and her contagious happiness, she was just so bubbly, and I couldn't blame her because I felt the same.

She ended up catching a big enough fish for the both of us and, using the roots and berries we picked earlier, we cooked up a lovely little bit of dinner to share by the water. I'd eaten some pretty good food, by District 12 standards anyway, thanks to my dad's job. But this was truly the best thing I'd ever eaten in my life, no doubt because of the company also.

Just as I finished rinsing our plates off in the lake, I heard Lucy Gray leaving the cabin with her guitar case in hand.

"Come here!" she called, waving me over.

I left the dishes to try on the basket before joining her where she was sat under a tree, pulling out her guitar.

"Am I about to get my own private concert?" I asked playfully, raising an eyebrow.

She rolled her eyes, though a smile ghosted her lips. "I'm startin' to regret this."

I chuckled, crossing my legs and getting comfortable opposite her. "No, go on, I'm all ears."

The truth was, I'd never get tired of listening to Lucy Gray sing, and to have her sing just for me would be a downright honour.

"I actually wanted to show you a song I was workin' on," she said in a matter-of-fact tone. "I haven't finished it yet, but I was just too excited to show you and thought today would be perfect. I hope you like it."

It took me a second to realise that she'd written the song for me, and my playful nature subsided momentarily. "Wait, what? A song for me?"

"Well, duh," she said with a laugh, before strumming her guitar gently, tuning it. "Remember, it's not finished, so be nice."

Still surprised she'd written a song for me, I could only nod in response. She strummed for a few more seconds, trying to settle on a pitch, before clearing her throat.

"Love songs are fleeting,

but the melodies stick with you.

I have learned your heart,

and memorised the tune.

It's my favourite,

I'll sing it in any occasion.

It'll be my soundtrack,

beyond our youth..."

I was entranced by her voice, the softness of it and the way it carried towards me like a siren to a sailor. She was always beautiful, but when she was singing, it was something else entirely.

The tune played aloud as she strummed gently with her fingers, and her eyes found mine, a brief smile on her lips before she continued to sing.

"Every note you hum,

is a classic through and through.

I'll add them to a list called

'All Things I Look Forward To'.

It's my favourite,

even if no one will play it.

I only want a future

filled with you..."

She strummed a little longer, a delicate tune that was a little different to her jauntier tunes she performed at the Hob, and then she left her last note hanging and finished. My heart was suddenly racing, in a good way, and I was embarrassed by the tear that escaped my eye, rushing to wipe it.

"Well, gee, was it that bad?" she joked, but I still felt the need to shake my head quickly.

"No way," I told her, meeting her eyes. She was more nervous than she was letting on, so I grabbed her hand and squeezed it gently. "Lucy Gray, that was beautiful. Is that really how... how you feel?"

Her cheeks turned pink and she avoided my eyes with a shy smile. "Of course. The song's not finished, but I wanted you to hear it. To know that you mean a lot to me."

I nodded slowly. "You mean a lot to me, too. Nobody has ever said such heartwarming things to me before, let alone written them into a song for me. I'm honoured."

Her smile relaxed as she met my eyes again. "I'm glad you liked it."

My heart wouldn't stop beating so fast, not when she was sitting right there, making me forget the world existed. I couldn't stop myself as I leaned forward, taking her bottom lip between mine.

Nobody had ever made me feel the way she had, and though I'd never truly experienced it before, I decided that this had to be what falling in love felt like.

There was no other word for it.

"... and I thought I liked the colour, but it just reminded me of that time she threw up on my favourite shirt."

I blinked, trying my hardest to care about what one of my classmates was telling me over a drink at the Hob. How I'd ended up in a conversation with him was beyond me, but it felt rude to just walk away.

"Hey, isn't that Billy Taupe with your girl?"

At this, I tuned back into the conversation, confused. Following my classmate's gaze, I saw Lucy Gray standing by the bar, drinking from a glass of water and trying her very hardest to ignore Billy Taupe, but he was adamant on speaking to her. I would have left her any other time, knowing she could handle herself, but she'd mentioned recently how he'd been annoying her and trying to make things right despite being in a relationship with Mayfair. And because of this, I approached them calmly.

Lucy Gray spotted me and relaxed a little, but if Billy Taupe noticed me, he didn't acknowledge me in the slightest.

"Lucy Gray, can we go somewhere private?" he asked her desperately.

"Why would she do that?" I answered him, quirking a brow.

He glanced at me sideways, irritated. "It's none of your business."

"Hey, don't talk to her like that," Lucy Gray scolded him. "This is over, Billy Taupe, now leave me alone."

"It's not," he retorted.

"I'm saying it is," I told him in a warning tone. "Now go."

Scoffing, he finally turned to look at me. "Don't you have some whorin' around to do?"

Before I could even register his words, Lucy Gray slapped him sharply across the face, surprising even me. I opened my mouth, taken aback, as he widened his eyes and touched his face. He looked from me to her, and as soon as his expression contorted into a scowl and he took a step forward, I didn't think, I just shoved him backwards so he couldn't hurt her. That was probably the second mistake from the two of us, as he immediately stumbled back into someone with a drink, making them drop it.

"Oh, shit," I mumbled, before grabbing Lucy Gray's hand and making a beeline for the exit.

In no time, a fight broke out and the once calm, lighthearted atmosphere of the Hob turned into a violent, rough boxing ring. After some shoving and avoiding the odd swing, Lucy Gray and I successfully managed to make it outside unscathed, away from the rowdiness.

I was bent over, catching my breath, as I witnessed several peacekeepers nearby rushing in to break up the fighting, and then I looked over at Lucy Gray questioningly.

"Did you really have to slap him?"

She straightened up, having caught her breath. "He doesn't just get to talk to you like that."

I sighed, a reluctant smile on my lips. It was nice of her to defend me, but starting a fist fight wasn't on my schedule for the evening. She began to smile too, the two of us amused with what just went down, but our happiness was short lived when Mayfair came out of nowhere, spotting us.

"There you are!" she shouted angrily.

I swallowed hard, losing my smile. "Mayfair, look–"

But before I could sweet talk my way out of it, she was already yelling for the nearby peacekeepers to get us, and there was no way for us to escape this time.

I chewed on the inside of my cheek as my dad paced back and forth, his anger threatening to burst out. Stupid Mayfair and her stupid big mouth. Because of her, Lucy Gray and I were sat before him in his office at the peacekeeper's base.

"Witnesses say they caught you both arguing with Billy Taupe," he finally spoke, stopping to look at me with a disappointed stare. "Then all hell broke loose."

"It wasn't her fault," I defended Lucy Gray, not wanting her to be punished because of my father's irritation with me.

"What the hell were you doing there, Y/N?!" he asked. "You're supposed to be at home! It's–" he checked his wristwatch, "–almost midnight!"

I avoided his eyes awkwardly, trying my best to sound believable. "I just wanted to hear the Covey perform and I knew you'd never let me go. It was only tonight. But then I saw Billy Taupe harassing Lucy Gray and I stepped in. Just tried to do what was right, like you taught me."

Okay, maybe a little on the nose, but it could work.

He sighed deeply, shaking his head. Deliberating momentarily, he finally said, "Go home, Y/N."

I raised my brows. "Lucy Gray too, right?" He narrowed his eyes warningly, but I continued, "Dad–"

"Now," he ordered in a voice that meant I wasn't to argue.

I glanced over at the quiet Covey girl beside me, and she nodded reassuringly.

"It's fine," she said in a low voice. "Thanks."

I frowned, feeling guilty, but was forced to obey my father and leave. As I closed his office door behind me, I lingered for a few seconds longer.

"You should stay out of trouble, Miss Baird," he told her authoritatively. "We don't tolerate–"

"Y/N, c'mon," my father's second in command found me listening, stopping me from hearing the rest of their conversation.

I nodded reluctantly, hoping Lucy Gray wouldn't be punished, and followed the peacekeeper outside.

My dad hadn't uttered another word about the Hob incident when he came that evening. I was waiting for him to yell at me or punish me or something, but he didn't. it wasn't until the next morning, after half my night was spent thinking of Lucy Gray, when my mum told me I was grounded for the next month, only to leave the house for chores. School was finished for the summer now, so I wouldn't even be able to see my friends and Lucy Gray that way.

It was annoying, especially because I just wanted to check on her, but I couldn't exactly fight my punishment when I was caught red handed.

That same morning, my mum forced me to accompany her to the markets to pick up some things. I was lucky enough to see Y/BF/N hanging around, also buying some things, and subtly slipped away to see her as my mum asked about some carrots.

She instantly pulled me in for a hug, mumbling, "I was sure I'd never see you again. I heard what happened last night."

"It wasn't intentional," I said with a sigh. "But I'm grounded for the next month, so you won't be seeing me much."

"Y/N, you've gotta be careful," she said in disapproving voice. "No more sneaking around. You're lucky it was just a fight and your dad didn't find out everything else."

"I know, I know," I mumbled, glancing over my shoulder to see my mum still talking to the vendor. "I should get back to my mum. She might kill me if she sees me doing something other than helping."

Y/BF/N tried not to laugh as she nodded. "Good luck, Y/N. I'll see you around. Please, try not to get an extended punishment."

"Yeah, yeah."

By the end of the first week of my punishment, I couldn't take not seeing Lucy Gray anymore. So, I concocted the perfect plan to visit her on the way back from nipping to the markets for my mum, sneaking a detour to her and the Covey's place in the Seam. I could always use the excuse that there was a queue at the meat stall if my mum asked why I took so long.

After buying everything I needed, I headed straight for Lucy Gray's, anticipating seeing her. I hoped she wouldn't be upset at me, though I wouldn't blame her if she was, considering my father was the one who had punished her. Or, at least I was assuming he had.

When I knocked on her front door, I held my breath until she opened up. As soon as she realised it was me, she exhaled deeply before pulling me in for a hug. I returned it instantly, closing my eyes and savouring her presence.

"I'm so sorry I couldn't see you sooner," I said quickly. "I've been grounded and I wasn't allowed out. How have you been?"

She shook her head. "It's okay, I've been okay. He didn't do anythin' when you left, just yelled at me a bit then sent me home with a warnin'. I think he was just annoyed at you."

I frowned, but was relieved she didn't get the brunt of it. "Good. I mean, not good obviously, but it could've been worse."

She cupped my cheek, thumb rubbing gently on my cheekbone. "I'm sorry you got caught. It was Mayfair. She's still pissed at me and now you by association."

"It's not your fault," I told her, taking her hand and kissing it gently. "Have they been annoying you still? Her and Billy Taupe?"

"Not since then, no."

"Good," I breathed out with relief, before hugging her again. "I can't stay for long. My mum will be expecting me back. I'll try to visit when I can, but I won't be able to sneak out for at least another month."

She chuckled quietly. "It's okay. Try not to get in trouble, darlin'."

I cracked a small smile. "I'll try."

My punishment ended quickly enough and everything returned to normal, kind of. My dad had bigger fish to fry with work, and seemed to forget about my mishap at the Hob, so his suspicions of me disappeared and I was able to sneak out again sometimes. My mum was satisfied after my punishment and didn't suspect a thing afterwards.

I enjoyed another few weeks of my relationship with Lucy Gray before the energy in District 12 grew rotten once Reaping Day arrived. It was the tenth annual Hunger Games which meant a boy and girl would be chosen to fight to the death with tributes from the other eleven districts. It wasn't a happy time, for obvious reasons, and it was the worst part of the summer break. It was a slim chance of being picked, but a chance nonetheless, and all I could think about was who would be chosen.

The morning of the reaping, my parents pulled me into a group hug at the breakfast table, and I couldn't help but hug them back.

"I'm praying for you," my dad mumbled as he kissed the top of my head.

I smiled a little, hoping to reassure him, but I knew it wasn't genuine. It was a hard time for everyone today, but I always pitied my parents the most, knowing if I was chosen, they'd have nobody left and, somehow, the thought of leaving them alone was scarier than facing the Hunger Games.

My dad left sooner than my mum and I, needing to make sure all the peacekeepers were doing their job in the square where I'd be lining up soon. And then after my mum and I finished eating, she walked me down to take my place. After exchanging a final hug with her, she went to join the other parents in the crowd and I was left to find my place with the other sixteen-year-old girls.

Before I could even attempt to, Lucy Gray found me. I was going to ask her how she was, even wish her luck, but I didn't get chance to as she approached me with a determined expression before kissing me hard. I accepted the kiss, though when she pulled away, her hard stare met mine.

"I'm in love with you," she said the words we'd never uttered to each other before.

I widened my eyes, surprised, but a peacekeeper broke us up before I could reply, and we were separated though in the same line. Of course, it soon made sense why she'd chosen now to tell me how she felt.

She was chosen as tribute.

It all happened so quickly after that. Lucy Gray's name being chosen, the snake she threw down Mayfair's back, the mayor slapping her onstage and in front of the cameras, her song of defiance, and then her getting ushered into the Justice Building never to be seen again.

She was really gone. She'd been chosen to participate in the Hunger Games, which clearly had something to do with Mayfair, and I would never see her again unless she won. I could barely believe it, still in shock, even when the reaping ended and everybody began to disperse or rejoin their families.

"Y/N, I'm so sorry," someone said, and I turned to see Y/BF/N approaching me with a frown, pulling me in for a hug.

I was admittedly still in disbelief – denial if you will. Because she couldn't just be gone, not when she'd told me how she felt only minutes ago.

"Y/N!"

It was my dad. Y/BF/N pulled away as he found me, soon taking her place. Again, I was too awestruck to return the gesture. Lucy Gray. My Lucy Gray. Gone.

"I'm so glad you didn't get chosen," my dad said with relief. "I'm sorry about your friend, but I'm glad it wasn't you."

His words only bounced off me. I was too numb to acknowledge much more after that, stuck in my own head as my mum appeared and began to lead me home. I was quiet the whole way, trying to replay the events that had just happened. Only when I reached home and went to my bedroom did I finally realise all I'd lost in a single moment. And that's when the tears finally arrived.

How could she be gone?

I was swinging on the swing gently, next to Y/BF/N in the park. I appreciated her company, feeling a little better having someone who understood the severity of what Lucy Gray being gone meant to me.

"She might have a chance," I muttered with a broken voice. "She could hide. Wait it out."

"Maybe," Y/BF/N said softly, but I knew she didn't agree. It didn't matter though. Hope was all I had left at this point.

Since yesterday at the reaping, I couldn't help but think about what Lucy Gray was doing. Was she scared? Was she strategising? Did she stand a chance against the other tributes?

Fucking Mayfair and her jealousy was the cause of this, it had to be. Why else would Lucy Gray throw a snake down her dress? It meant she must have known. It explained why she told me she loved me before going in. She'd discovered Mayfair's plan. Why didn't I tell her I loved her too? Now she'd never know.

"Do you wanna go to the Hob tonight?" Y/BF/N asked as I continued to sulk.

I shook my head. I wasn't sure I could ever go to the Hob again, not when it held so many bittersweet memories of Lucy Gray and I. It was where I'd made my first move on her, where I'd watched her perform many times, where we'd shared our first kiss. How could I step foot in there again without seeing her everywhere?

After spending some time lost in my thoughts with Y/BF/N to keep me company, I left to go home for dinner. But before I made it there, I found myself making a detour for the Seam, where the Covey lived. I hadn't spoken to them since before the reaping, and if I was taking Lucy Gray's fate hard, I could only imagine how her family were feeling.

Only after I knocked on did I realise I had no idea what to say. What if they didn't want to see me? Or if I said the wrong thing? What if I–?

"Y/N," Barb Azure said once she answered the door. "Hi."

I swallowed hard. "Hey, Barb Azure. I– I just wanted to stop by and see how you were all doing. I'm sorry for not showing up sooner... I'm so sorry about Lucy Gray. And I just want you to know that I'm here if you–"

She suddenly hugged me, and I was glad because it said more than words could. I relaxed into her embrace, feeling comforted in our shared grief. I wasn't alone, even though it felt like I was at first.

"I'm sorry too," she muttered apologetically. "I know she meant a lot to you. We're here for you too."

I nodded, squeezing her tight.

[asarajaa]

hi sarah 🥰

it’s so hard to find regular blue lock writers omg

can i make a request? it’s alright if you can’t tho

can i request the reader meeting chigiri’s mother and sister after the u20 match? i feel like it’d be so funny bc they kinda embarrassed him during the match by calling out to him lmao 😭

imagine him getting embarrassed by them in front of his gf (who they didn’t know about until they saw her at the u20 match, she’s like the manager of bllk) and he tries to drag her away but ends up getting teased by his sister 🥰

Hii, ikr? I'm dying to find a good bllk ffc author 😩

Just woke up, had breakfast and went straight on it 🫡

Hope you like it!

Warnings: Implied fem!reader Words: 627 Disclaimer: English isn't my first language so I apologise for any mistakes or misunderstandings!

The stadium buzzed with excitement as the U-20 match between Blue Lock and their rivals reached its climax. Chigiri's performance on the field was incredible, his skill and determination evident with every move. Meanwhile, in the stands, you watched intently, the official manager of Blue Lock, cheering on the team you had grown so close to.

As the match concluded with Blue Lock's victory, the players celebrating in the field with the enthusiastic cheers of the crowd as background. You couldn't be more proud of them, a bunch of teenager boys- your teenager boys- just win against profesional team. Chigiri, in the middle of celebreting his win with his teamates, locked eyes with you.

You smiled brightly, so brightly that your watery eyes were half-closed by your big smile. Chigiri start running at your spot in the stands, ready to start a conversation with you.

"Hey, we win" he said breathlessly, a broad smile on his face as he reached you.

"I know, baby! You did it so well I'm so proud of you!" you replied with enthusiasm, jumping to give him a big bear hug. "You guys did it! You guys won- and you're my guys! My boyfriend just won against Japans u-20!

Chigiri just laughed as he lifted you off the ground and spun you around.

Before your conversation could continue, a voice interrupted from behind. "Chigiri!"

Letting you down, you turned around and you saw a woman approaching, her features mirroring Chigiri's in a softer, maternal way. Beside her was a younger girl, who bore a striking resemblance to Chigiri.

"Mom, Sis," Chigiri exclaimed, a mix of delight and apprehension in his voice.

His mother's eyes twinkled with pride. "You were amazing out there, sweetie! We're so proud of you."

Chigiri's sister nodded in agreement, but whe her gaze shifted to you she grinned mischievously. "And who's this? You're not gonna introduce her to us?" she asked, her tone playful.

Chigiri's cheeks reddened slightly. "Uh, this is y/n," he introduced, glancing at you nervous but happily. "She's the team manager... and my girlfriend." He ended up with a big soft smile

Both his mother and sister looked pleasantly surprised. "Oh, we didn't know you had a girlfriend!" his mother exclaimed, her smile widening.

"And a beautiful one!" his sister continued while she gave you a smile. "Damn, Chigiri," she teased, her eyes dancing with amusement. "You never told us you had such good taste in girlfriends."

Chigiri's embarrassment finally showed, and he tried to subtly nudge you away. "Mom, Sis-please." he muttered.

Chigiri's face turned an even brighter shade of red, much to the amusement of his family. You couldn't help but chuckle at the scene unfolding before you.

"It's a pleasure finally meeting you, Chigiri has told me a lot of things about you." You decided to step in, giving them a little but a respectful bow.

His mother beamed. "Well, it's lovely to finally meet you too. You must come over for dinner sometime."

"Who knew that the boy who used to make dance shows for his family would get a girlfriend? Where did our little singer, dancer and hairdresser go huh?" His sister said teasing.

Chigiri shot you an imploring look, silently begging for some form of rescue. But his sister only grinned wider, clearly enjoying her older brother's predicament.

As you exchanged pleasantries with Chigiri's family, you couldn't help but feel a surge of affection for this young man who had captured your heart. Despite his embarrassment, seeing him interact with his loved ones-and knowing you're one of them made your heart skipped a beat- filled you with warmth. Maybe, just maybe, these unexpected family encounters would be a new chapter in your relationship with Chigiri—a chapter that both of you will be expecting with enthusiasm.

Idk what I just write, I did my best so here you go :)

Please, feel free so send more request! I have a whole month free 'cause I'm getting recovered from a surgery so I have a lot of time.

26/04/24

© asarajaa — Please, do not copy, translate or reuse my work without my permission.

[janeyseymour]

La Cosa Nostra- pt 11

cowritten with @schemmentis

Part 1. Part 2. Part 3. Part 4. Part 5. Part 6. Part 7. Part 8. Part 9. Part 10.

Summary: Melissa's pissed with recent news, the Feds are back at it, and you go to a place and person to find some comfort.

WC: ~2.05k

At this news, Melissa quickly slips into the seat on the other side of Dom's table. “Are ya crazy? I told you they've already torn this place to shreds, and you want to bring the money in through here?” She hisses as she leans more into the middle of the table. “Listen, losin’ the salon is already bad enough. You know what it did to Y/N when you took her off it.”

“That didn't come from me, Mel. I just had to deliver the message. You know that.”

“I don't care who it came from. You knew, and you did it just the same. Now you have the coglioni to sit here and say we should run it through here. I already ain't gonna forget the slightin’ of my wife, youse know that- the lot of you. You wanna tell me I gotta run this shit through my restaurant? Then tell me. Don't act like this is some proposition, Dominic. Tell me what to do, and I'll handle it. ‘Cause you and I both know how this shit works, but I am tellin’ you,” Melissa points an index finger at the man across from her sternly. “Right here, right now, I am tellin’ you; this fucks up my restaurant and youse all are gonna have a much bigger problem than the fuckin’ Feds, capisce?”

Dominic's face remains neutral, though there is an amused glint to his eyes as his palm shifts along the head of his cane. He nods quickly and respectfully to Melissa. “We want things to go well even more than you do, kid.” He says softly.

Melissa leans back in chair, arms crossing over her chest. She raises an eyebrow, silently urging him to say what he needs to say. 

“We'll work out the details on our end. You only have to make sure you're here when the money comes through. Simple as that.” Dom says. He sighs when Melissa still merely stares at him expectantly. “Sí, sí. We're telling you this is how it's gonna work from now on. Clear out a spot in the office in the back. Nobody else needs to know it's anythin’ different than a regular shipment comin’ once in a while. None of it happens if you ain't here. This is big, Lissa. They're trustin’ you.”

“Like they trusted my wife?” Melissa spits out as she pushes herself out of the chair. “Texts only. They call and wake up my girls while they’re sleepin’, I'll take one of my bats to their kneecaps.” She adds on her way past Dom in his seat to storm back toward the kitchen.

You raise a brow as you watch your wife storm into the back and Dominic starts to slowly make his way out. You grab one of the other servers milling about, silently asking them to keep an eye on your girls while you go check on the redhead.

When you get into the back, she’s slamming her fist into the linoleum counter where they prep the food. Her hand is already bruising, and you take her fist gently into your own.

“My love,” you whisper as you hold her hand in yours.

“Let me go,” she hisses.

You shake your head, refuting her request. “You’re hurting yourself. You know I can’t let you do that.”

“I don’t give a shit,” she grumbles as she starts to curl her other hand into a fist. You grab the other one before she can even think about causing damage to that hand.

“Melissa.”

“They’re usin’ the restaurant as their new front,” your wife tells you quietly. “Said that it’s what we have to do, and they trust me… that we’re in the clear because the feds saw how busy we are and that we bring the girls around here, so it has to be safe.”

“I’m not letting you do this,” you tell her. “And I’m not letting them put the girls in danger.”

“We don’t got an option, Y/N. I told Dom I would handle it,” Melissa sighs as she leans against you. “And I will. You just… take care of the girls. No matter what happens.”

“Melissa, don’t talk like that- like you’re gonna die.”

“I’m just being realistic. You did the same when they were using the salon,” your wife says softly. “We both knew that if something happened, I’d have to keep the girls safe. But now, it’s on me, and I know that you’d do the same if something were to happen. We don’t have a choice.”

“Fuck,” you whisper again. “Shit.”

“Get… get the girls out of here, and tell them that I’ll be home late tonight,” your wife runs a hand over her face. “I have to make it work here.”

“No,” you say softly. “I’ll… I’ll get someone to come pick them up so I can help you.”

“Y/N,” Melissa grits out. “Go. I can handle this.”

You give her a look, one that tells her she doesn’t have to do this- that you’ll handle it. You don’t want to have her be the one in danger.

But she just shakes her head and insists you get the girls out of here- just in case Dom did give the two of you up, and he’s setting you up for failure. The girls cannot watch their mother(s) go down.

You cradle her face in your hands, kissing her a few times. “No more punchin’ things, hey? Can't have you bustin’ up those pretty fingers more than you already do.” You whisper. “I'll take care of the girls. You do what you gotta do.” When she nods, just a little, you kiss her one more time before finally turning away.

You gather your girls with a thank you to the server watching them for you. 

“Mam! We have to wait for Mommy!” Cat is insisting as you walk with both your girls out the front door.

“Auntie Val needs Mommy's help tonight, sweetheart. So, we're gonna go home and make sure everything is cleaned up and nice for her, okay?” You speak to your girls though you're glancing around the parking lot on the way to your car.

You take note of Dom's car pulling out but don't see any cars with sirens or lights careening into the lot afterward. You carefully buckle your girls into the backseat. When you're shutting the back door after making sure they're both safe, you look around again on the walk around to the drivers side. There's nothing different or out of the ordinary. No sign of agents or officers. Which means Dom has only done exactly as he said he did.

You slip into the driver's seat, throwing your seatbelt on. You swallow as you carefully pull out of the spot and towards home. Dom telling the truth is maybe worse than if he had flipped. They're really putting this on Melissa and Twelve Tables. Part of you despises it. The amount of risk it puts on your wife. You know it intimately. The other part, the part that grew up in all this and doesn't know anything else, that part is proud as hell. It isn't anything to turn your nose up at to be entrusted with the process of mafia money. It speaks volumes. Volumes that equally excite and terrify you.

Danik and Shaw are back at the precinct, contemplating everything that Dominic told them- that you and your wife had nothing to do with the murder of Bobby. He told them that even if you did have something against the man, you could never do anything- you rescue wasps because you don’t have the heart to kill them despite the fact that your wife is always screaming at you to kill the damned demons. They go over the fact that you bring your twins into your restaurant, you take the girls to church with you, you always are on time to get the girls to and from school. If you were a part of the mafia and mob that dealt with things pertaining to ordering hits and murder, you wouldn’t be such dutiful mothers.

But they also know that you never brought the girls into the salon- they’ve only ever seen the two girls with you at the restaurant. And that is a bit suspicious in their eyes. So, they plan to head back to the salon the following day.

When they get there, you aren’t there- which is unusual. You’re almost always there, and they know that. Instead, Tony is out on the floor with the other stylists. But you are nowhere to be seen; your car isn’t even in the lot. And it isn’t in the lot because you’re somewhere else.

You’re sitting in the sanctuary of your church. After dropping the girls off at school and leaving your wife to her restaurant turned mafia front, you go to the one place where you can find some sort of solitude- because even now your home reminds you of everything happening in your world.

There’s no service today, so you find yourself sitting in the back pew by yourself, looking up at the ceiling. You’re speaking silently to whatever God is out there to please spare your family from all of the heartache that you can only imagine is in your inevitable future. Finally, you bow your head, and you begin to weep silently. 

You’re shaken out of your thoughts when you feel someone slide into the pew next to you and wrap an arm around your shoulder. Your eyes pop open in surprise, and when you look next to you, Barbara is sitting there.

She doesn’t say anything. She doesn’t ask why you’re here and not at the salon or at the restaurant. She doesn’t mention that she knows what the two of you do outside of your legal businesses. No- she sits in complete and utter silence as she holds you gently. And you can’t do anything about it. You can’t explain why you’re here in a puddle of your own tears, not without giving away what she already knows to be true. So you don’t say anything. You just continue to cry out your fears and worries over everything while clinging to the shawl that Barbara has draped over her shoulders. And when you pull away, you let out an ugly, choked out laugh.

“You probably think I’m crazy.”

“Crazy? For coming to the one safe little corner of the earth where you can feel anything and do anything and not be judged for it?” the woman asks you. She shakes her head silently. She takes your hand in her own, and together the two of you pray. You don’t realize that she is praying for the same thing that you are, but she is. The two of you silently pray that you’ll somehow get yourself out of this mess- that your family will be able to return to some sort of normalcy- or better yet turn a new leaf and start a new life where there is no mafia or mob, no illegal businesses that put everyone in harm’s way.

And when you lift your head, hers is still bowed for a few seconds before she lifts it with a quiet, “Thank you, God.” And then, as if nothing happened, she pats your hands gently with her own and goes on her way. 

You take a few deep breaths once Barb is gone. Carefully trying to get yourself together. You wipe at your cheeks and eyes, focusing on the distant altar at the pulpit. You sit in the last pew, breathing deep and slow. Staring at the large depiction of Jesus on the cross behind the altar. Slowly, you feel the serenity you were hoping to. You don't know that praying will do anything, actually change anything, but it's at least felt like getting it off your chest. In a way that doesn't jeopardize your family or anyone else. You suddenly understand Barbara's devout faith. You can't say that will ever be you but you get it. You make the sign of the cross over your head and chest as you finally rise from the pew and slowly make your way out of the quiet church.

TAGS (and let me know if you want to be added!): @thesapphictimelady @marvel210 @itisdoctortoyousir @morgana-larkin @thesamesweetie @doesthatsuggestanythingtoyou @marvels--slut @gwennybriggs @megamultifandomtrashposts @lemz378 @http-sam @melissaschemmentisbranzino @imaginesmultifandoms @sexysapphicshopowner @lilfartbox1 @maybe-a-humanbean @imlike-so-gaydude @sapphicxrat @a-queen-and-her-throne @sunsol-22 @notinmyvocab @melanielaufeyson @dvrkhcld

[the-badger-mole]

Worst Cooks in the Nation

It was strange having a school rivalry somehow spin out of control and become fodder for a reality competition series, but that is exactly where Katara and Zuko now found themselves. After culinary school, they had gone on to become big names-Katara with her globally popular online cooking show and Zuko with his first restaurant earning three stars in it's opening year. They were prepared to never see each other again after graduation, but someone-Katara suspected her friend and Probending promoter Toph, while Zuko smelled his uncle's interference- had gotten into the ear of the executive of the food and travel network who had approached Katara to syndicate her cooking show. She had somehow gotten word of the intense rivalry between Chefs Katara and Zuko- along with some video that neither of them had known existed- and it had given her a brilliant idea.

The woman talked fast, and neither Katara nor Zuko knew how, but by the end of the meeting, they had agreed to two seasons of Worst Cooks in the Nation. The regret set in immediately.

"So..." Katara said, as they walked through the parking lot towards her car.

"Yeah..." Zuko agreed. He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Who even took those videos in the first place?"

"Probably Chan," Katara said scowling. "That guy would mind any business that wasn't his own."

"I remember," Zuko's face twisted into something like a grimace. "Still, who records an onion chopping contest?" Katara stopped walking and looked up at Zuko incredulously.

"Chan!" She rolled her eyes. Zuko gave a weak chuckle.

"I guess he's the one who filmed you dumping that salad dressing on my head," he said. "Or that time I let your stone lobsters loose."

"Yeah, why was that guy so obsessed with filming us?" Katara made a face. Zuko shuddered and shrugged. This was new, he mused. Just having a regular, if slightly awkward conversation with Katara.

It had been years-five of them to be exact- since they had seen each other face to face. The bitter rivalry they'd let simmer through 4 years of culinary school had at the end boiled over in a frothy mess. They hadn't spoken a word of the mess they'd made at the end. The small bit of awkwardness between them was a nice surprise, all things considered.

"We're going to keep this competition friendly, right?" Katara asked. She looked up at Zuko with her wide, earnest eyes, tugging at her lip with her teeth. Zuko drew his hands behind his back and clasped them together tightly.

"We're almost thirty," he said. "I think we're past food fights and insults...right?"

"Right!" Katara agreed with alacrity. They walked along in silence for a while, passing row after row of cars.

"What about... that other thing?" Katara asked. She didn't meet Zuko's eye this time. She kept her gaze firmly on the ground a few feet ahead of them.

"The...other thing?" Zuko was grateful for the dim lighting of the parking lot. He could feel the back of his neck heat up.

"You know...we never talked about it, but..." Katara glanced up at him from the corner of her eye. Zuko was glad that she was walking on his left. The scar on his face would make the spectacular blush on his face less noticeable at least.

"We rarely talked about anything," Zuko said with what he hoped was believable nonchalance. "It was shouting matches or silent treatment with us."

"Then why did you kiss me?" Katara asked. Zuko froze midstep. He swallowed once, twice. Three times before he could form words.

"If I recall, you kissed me first," Zuko said. Katara's head snapped up, all the shyness was gone. She scowled at him.

"No," she said. "You definitely kissed me. I remember you were all up in my space, and I was against the counter at my work station and then you leaned in and kissed me." Zuko remembered that almost the same way, only in his recollection, Katara had leaned up to close the space between them. Then his arms had gone around her waist and hers had wound around his neck.

"I remember you holding onto me," he said quietly. "And pulling me back in when I tried to pull away."

"Are you saying I forced you?" Katara demanded. Zuko smirked at that. He could see the flush on her dusky cheeks, and realized maybe the red on his own face wasn't as unnoticeable as he'd hoped.

"No," he said. "I don't remember kissing you first, but I remember wanting to." Katara's eyes went wide, and her blush got hotter.

"Oh," was all she said. Zuko took a breath, shut his eyes.

"It was a long time ago," he told her.

"Yeah," Katara looked down at the ground. "I-I guess it was. I'm not even sure why I brought it up. It's just...if we're going to be working together, we should be on the same page, right?"

"Right," Zuko agreed.

"So...we're doing this?" Katara asked. "Reality TV competitions can get ugly."

"I promise, we'll keep it clean," Zuko said. "No food fighting. No below the belt insults. No...doing anything unfair."

"Smack talking's still allowed?" A half smile tugged at Katara's mouth, and Zuko resisted the urge to catch it with his own. There would be no doubts who would be the initiator here.

"I insist on it," he said. "I can admit it now, but your smack talk is pretty funny. It'll make for good TV." Katara's half smile grew into a full blown grin.

"Alright," she said. "Let's give them a show."

Based on the Bot Plot AU I wrote in Part 1

[sailingfireshipz]

Ok so this is my discourse in response to @stellariders post a while back. Linked at the end.

1. Kelly should have been captain 3-4 seasons ago and I'm tired of them using the excuses of paperwork or being behind a desk because I've seen Van Meter behind a desk & talking about about how backed up they are on cases which is PAPERWORK. When he is in the field, it's after all the "action" that they speak so highly of has already taken place & it's more so like solving a puzzle rather than running into a fire. Atp I'd respect it more if they said Kelly can't be captain because he can't be Stella's commanding officer at the same house.

2. I'm sorry. I love Hermann however I'm struggling with seeing how the hell I'm supposed to take him seriously as captain on a scene or call when they've NEVER shown him in that light. The last time I saw him really fired up regarding a call was the factory fire. Also they haven't shown an ounce of Hermann actually preparing or studying for the exam. So we're supposed to believe that the same Hermann that failed the LT exam how many times passes the captain test on the first try? OK...

3. Mouch doing more has at least been foreshadowed now for a while. The episode in which he saved that kid & Casey talked about the retirement age going up. Also, Mouch has at least been acknowledged by the CFD with a commendation back in S9 & helped out with Paramedicine. We've seen his journey & arc build a little bit more than Hermann, so even if it wasn't for a potential Stella pregnancy on the horizon, I could still rationalize Mouch wanting to do more. We've never seen that same arc for Hermann, so it makes it hard for me to get behind it.

4. The disparity in storytelling amongst the cast is starting to become problematic for me. Stella & Ritter are the main two that stand out to me in this moment, but I'm sure there are more examples. Ritter has been on this show in some capacity since season 7... there is absolutely no reason why he has been treated like a background player all this time & is just now starting to get an inch of more screen time when Carver has had MULTIPLE arcs of the course of his FIRST season & now this one. Hell Novak is in her first season as a series regular & we already know a little bit about her past & what makes her tick. Not even about to start in on Stella because yall already know how I feel about it however what I will say is Stella Kidd deserves more than 1 GOF episode a season & 1 episode where she's fighting for the underdog. All of her other stories are directly or indirectly associated with Kelly/Stellaride/ white men, causing her unnecessary grief.... Casey never had this many damn personnel issues in the 10 years he was on T81. I'll leave it at that.

5. I'd love for Squad 3 to get some new blood. Not saying I want anyone to go anywhere, but I'd love to see Kelly Severide have to navigate teaching & training someone new. Add another man or woman to the crew & let's really see how Kelly's leadership comes through.

Same for Engine 51... like i find it interesting that they gave Ritter up to Truck yet won't commit to Kylie joining Engine full-time. Like outside of Hermann, who the hell else do we now know on engine? No one..

6. I'm confused by how close Kelly & Pascal have gotten in such a short amount of time. Historically, Kelly has always been very reserved when it comes to change, especially change in power dynamics. I also find it interesting that they continue to isolate him for the other members that he's worked alongside for much longer yet have planted this Pascal & Severide relationship dynamic. We've been asking for Kelly & Violet since S11... hell the Kelly & Mouch episode we got in S11 was adorable. I'd take him, Ritter & Carver, yet we're getting him & Pascal who clearly has an issue with Stella, his wife. Feels intentional

7. If they are committed to not actually giving Stella an appropriate backstory, then they should at least commit to strengthening her bonds in the house. They did that really well in earlier seasons, like mentioned about her relationship with Enily Foster. Same can be said with Casey, Otis, Gallo, Boden & Kylie but none of those people outside of Kylie are on the show anymore. Felt like when Stellaride got married, they were like alright no more family dynamics with anyone else except for Kelly & thats so not fair to her character. She mentioned it to Boden that her real family is the house. OK, so let her actually build out more relationships with the people that are there now.

8. I know I'm a vocal Newman critic, but I also like to think I give credit where credit is due. I made a few posts ranting & raving about how S12 for what it was (short, needed to be executed quickly) was a REALLY good season. It's why I was so excited for S13, but we're 8 episodes in & i fear we've lost the plot. Like, i go into these episodes with such high hopes because the meat is THERE yet walk away from some of them wondering wtf was that. Like, I'm almost wondering if S12 was so good for her because it was shorter, so there wasn't much room for filler because it honestly fills like she doesn't know what to do with 22 episodes. Grant it, we have an entire back half of the season to go, so I could be speaking too soon. However, I don't know what to even anticipate for the rest of S13.. like i have concepts & my own personal wants, but I don't have actual faith that it'll come to life because everything she's teased thus far has been so far from expectations.

Damon had so much more potential. As a firefighter, brother, & brother in law. That baby convo could have touched on so much more of Stella's fear & what the actual cause of that dread she spoke about could be coming from. Violet could have actually apologized to Carver & explained her grief/ why that caused her to ice him out. Even if they didn't make up right away, it would have set the groundwork for what they'd work towards if they're actually endgame(sometimes i don't know). Ritter getting blown out of a window could have been dug into a little deeper. Even the blood program that Novak proposed a call linking to why it is so important would have just driven the messaging home.

I saw a tweet a while back that basically said it's not character or plot development if it happens off screen & we never see it. It feels as if recently a lot is playing in the background or off the pages that we're somehow supposed to know is going on without ever seeing or hearing it. I love this show, this cast & think if shows like the Law & Order franchise or Grey's can be on air for decades, then so can Fire. I really hope the back half of S13 kicks it into high gear & starts connecting dots for me because I want to get renewed for 3-5 more seasons! I'm simply not ready to let them go, especially when there's so much left in the tank they just need to have the right pieces in the right places to execute effectively. 😫

As always, thanks for coming to my rant session. Let me know your thoughts & opinions below. I'm always up for a healthy debate or yap session. Check out @stellariders original post here.

[helloheyhihowdyheya]

We're Shit Out of Luck, Munson

Eddie Munson x gn!reader

Masterlist Part Two

Summary: You're excited to take a trip north to Steve's cabin with all your friends. That is, until you're snowed in alone with Eddie.

Word Count: ~10.5k (I'm sorry)

Warnings: Swearing. Fluff. Improper knowledge of how a fire stove works. Sort of strangers to lovers? One Bed Trope!!!

A/n: This took way longer than I'd like to admit. I just couldn't get it work, but I hope it's good enough now :) Please let me know your thoughts! Love hearing from you all, and thank you for reading <3

--

The wheels of Nancy’s car churned up snowy roads under drifting clouds and floating snowflakes from above. In the rumbling backseat of her car sat you in the back, your head leaning toward the window. She drove, her bracelets jingling whenever she turned the wheel, while Jonathan sat in the passenger seat.

Some Fleetwood Mac song played through the old speakers, your head bobbing along as your eyes danced along the white landscape leading your way north – away from Hawkins and away from regular day-to-day life for just a few days. The three of you were planning to meet Steve, Robin, and Eddie there for an extended weekend away at a rarely used cabin Steve’s family owned. 

A knit hat hugged against your head, a heavy coat weighing along your body as you thought toward spending time with some you knew well – missing the days of standing doubled over again in laughter together every other day – and others you were excited to get to know better. 

Like Robin, who Steve had talked endlessly about how great the two of you would get along – though he seemed to especially say it after you teased or annoyed him. Or maybe like Eddie, your face quirking just a little at the thought.

You didn’t have anything against him, though you had only met him once. But it was just that you weren’t someone who would climb on cafeteria tables like he did back in high school or speak the way he did. You weren’t sure just yet whether his unashamed self put you off or impressed you.

Once your body had begun to ache from sitting for so long, you leaned forward, pushing yourself past the supplies containing clothes, food, movie, board games to rest a hand along Nancy’s shoulder. “Hey, we’re almost there, right?” you asked, peering at the map stretched across Jonathan’s lap.

He cleared his throat, stretching his legs before muttering, “Yeah, we should be there soon. It’s at the end of the road after we turn onto Lake Street.”

“Oh, is there a lake? Maybe we’ll do some ice fishing,” you suggested, humor in your voice as you leaned back into your seat.

Nancy let out a soft laugh, raising her eyebrows in a “maybe” sort of gesture and glancing to Jonathan.

He merely put his hands up. “You two feel free, but I think I’ll stick inside with all of my fingers warm and still connected to my body.”

With a smile, you returned to the view outside, watching it slowly change from straight county roads to winding dirt ones with trees growing thicker on each side. Swaying branches dusted off snow with each passing breeze.

Old brakes squeaked as Nancy pulled the car next to the cabin. Just as you thought about where the others were, Nancy muttered, “They’re probably not getting here until dark, if it’s those three trying to leave on time.”

You put down “chronically late” into your mental descriptions of Eddie and Robin, imagining Steve standing next to the car and waiting for them like the mom he often acted as. Spending time with the kids sometimes required a small escape like this, or at least it certainly seemed from Nancy’s urging to get away from Mike.

She huffed while getting out, but you just took it as a chance to get first pick at the cabin rooms. Grabbing your bag and hauling along food, you walked to the door as Jonathan asked, “Are we sure this is the right place?”

Glancing down, you saw a snowy welcome mat that said, “Live, Laugh, Love” – you turned around and shouted a giggly “Oh yeah.” Though all laughing died down as you tried turning the knob to open it… but nothing. Of course.

“Hey Nancy,” you called back to her at the car’s trunk, “Did Steve happen to give you a key to getting into this thing?”

You pressed your coat closer against your chest, trying to shield yourself from the wind, though the noisy breeze did nothing to hide Nancy’s sigh. “No, he didn’t. He said they’d be here in time, so it’d be okay.”

Pursing your lips, you nodded at the solemn information. Your breaths out made swirling white in the air in front of you as your boots creaked down the wooden steps. You searched around for a window that could be propped open and crawled through, but most seemed too high off the ground. The others refused to budge, even with all three of you trying to pull. Either they were locked or frozen shut out here.

A thud sounded out when your head rested against the cabin, slowly coming to terms with the rocky start to the getaway. Instead, you all were left inside the car, intermittently turning the car on to get enough heat going without wasting all of the gas. 

“Go fish,” Jonathan told you for what seemed like the hundredth time, making you mutter under your breath.

Your cursing only increased when Nancy asked you, “Got any eights?” You shoved your eight into her hands, ignoring her smug smile and ready to give up on this game. It’d been a couple rounds of her winning every single one.

All of your heads popped up at the same time as rumbling came from behind, eyes catching a large van pulling up on the other side of the front of the cabin. You breathed a sigh of relief at the unmistakable flowing hair of Steve through the passenger seat window after what felt like an hour. “Thank the lord,” you whispered before the three of you clambered out.

Nancy was the first to speak, her nose red like yours. “Steve, if you don’t open this cabin right now, we’re stealing it from you and locking you out.”

You guessed he would’ve had wide eyes and a surprised response, but he looked tired, nodding with a straight mouth. “Yeah, sorry about that,” he said, tossing the keys to her.

The wave and smile Steve your way had you returning them as you went to hug him quick. “You’re so lucky that’s all you’re getting from Nancy. Another half an hour, and you’d be getting much worse threats from me,” you laughed. 

As you turned to grab your things and finally find a warm blanket or bed or shower – something – he sighed out, “Hey, don’t blame me. Eddie here woke up late and was supposed to be the one picking us up. But I appreciate your kindness.” He rolled his eyes. “It’s good to see you though.”

“Good to see you too,” you said, patting his shoulder. And you meant it. That contagious smile and corny jokes were well-missed by you.

Making your way inside with your things, you wrapped your arms around yourself and grumbled under your breath things about Eddie that certainly didn’t help in his favor toward impressing you.

Stomping off the snow from your boots and slipping them off, you rushed through toward the rooms. You found three, which it didn’t take much mental math to figure out it’d have to be two people per room. Jonathan and Nancy would take one of them, leaving you with Steve, Robin, or Eddie. In the moment, though, you didn’t care too much as you picked a room at random and muttered your way into the bathroom with fresh clothes for a hot shower.

The steaming water dripped along your body, slowly warming your frigid fingers and toes. A long breath emptied from your lungs toward the smooth shower tiles, sending a warm shiver through your body. You weren’t sure how long had passed before you eventually turned the shower off, the leaky shower head dripping water droplets over and over again as you stepped out and dressed. 

You exited the bathroom expecting your bags to be right on the bed where you had set them. You had no reason to expect otherwise, until you were met with the chaotic sight in front of you.

Technically, your things were still where you had set them, but they – along with the rest of the bed, most of the floor, the wooden dresser – were covered in clothes, candy wrappers, toiletries, and… were those mini figurines? You only took one step into the room, making the floor creak below you, before a wild wave of hair popped up from the other side of the bed. 

Wide eyes stared into yours, big brown ones that nearly made you forget about the mess. That is until Eddie spoke up. “I uh, lost my Walkman. Tryin’ to find it before I go insane listening to their music.” He motioned his head toward the door with an unamused look on his face.

Listening for a beat, you heard music coming from the living room – which seemed to be “Material Girl” playing. Nodding, you looked around while asking, “Are you sleeping here?”

Eddie still rummaged through his bag as he muttered, “By the time I got in this woodsy cabin, everywhere else had been picked, and Robin was already nearly started the place on fire trying to start the wood stove before Nancy stepped in. So I guess?” He turned to you then. “Are we roomies?”

Between his lateness that caused you to sit in the car and freeze your ass off and having to now dig your things out from his mess, you pressed your mouth tight while thinking of your options. “I’ll be right back,” you told him, flashing a flat smile.

You didn’t give him time to answer before you left, seeking out Steve. You found him in the kitchen unpacking some of the refrigerated food. Walking right next to him, giving him a sweet look, you helped him put away some things.

His sigh filled the quiet space between you two. “What is it?”

“Have I ever told you how good your hair looks, Steve?” you asked.

“Of course. Now, what do you want?”

Groaning, you whispered, “I did not sign up for having Eddie Munson as my ‘snowy getaway’ roommate. Please switch with him. Or with me, I’m sure Robin is better.” You looked at her laughing in the living room while watching Nancy try to teach Jonathan to dance, unsuccessfully.

Steve let out a breathy laugh. “If you find uncontrollable snoring and sleep talking better, then maybe. But I already promised Robin I’d room with her. And you have those freezing fingers that I don’t want to wake up with on my back.”

“I promise I won’t do that, even if you are the greatest furnace I’ve ever known,” you begged.

He looked at you, stopping his unpacking and tilted his head. “What’s wrong with Eddie as your roommate? He’s not all that bad.”

You glanced back to your room to make sure he wasn’t listening. “I’m sure he’s not, but he’s been in there for two minutes and already trashed it. And I’m not exactly the type to share a bed with a stranger.”

“Well you could just talk to him. Or get to know him so you’re not strangers,” he offered, glancing toward the room. Your eyes followed, seeing that Eddie was walking out. You had meant what you said, that he wasn’t terrible – maybe you’d even like his sense of humor or laidback personality. But you already liked the rings wrapped around his fingers and the crinkles around his eyes – and all of that mixed with having to lay mere inches from him all night had you hesitating.

You quickly gritted out, “He could just sleep on the couch though” while bringing a smile to your face as Eddie approached.

Steve looked the same, leaning over to whisper, “Or you could.”

You’d seen the couch, a fancy one that looked as if it hadn’t ever been sat on. Your back hurt from just thinking about using it as a bed. There were no other quiet protests you could give before Eddie made it to you two, the chain on his jeans jingling with each step.

“Harrington, you seen a Walkman around here or in the van?”

Steve shook his head, sending his hair swishing along his face. “I’m sure you just missed it when shoving nearly everything you own into a single bag, Munson.”

“Except for extra underwear. I did forget those,” Eddie said with a sad sort of grin, though it turned happy at seeing your twisted face. “Just messing with you, roomie. Though I did forget toothpaste.” He pretended to bat his eyelashes, silently begging for you to share yours and only stopping once you gave in.

His hand patted Steve’s shoulder before walking away to ask the others whether they’d seen his Walkman. With a tight mouth, you just looked at Steve with pleading eyes.

“He can borrow some of mine,” he offered. 

You leaned your head against his shoulder in a silent “thank you” before making your way back to the room, planning to unearth your bag to settle in. To your surprise, most of Eddie’s things were cleaned up – or at least shoved to one side of the bed, which you appreciated as you opened up your bag, putting away your things into the drawers. 

This was okay. You’d only spend the nights in here, and that was only part of the day. You’d be having fun elsewhere the rest of this time out in the snow or sitting among friends in a nice cabin. This was still going to be a great getaway, no matter what came.

“Oh shit.”

Your head jerked up at the sound, your heart sinking for a moment at hearing Steve say those words. The music quieted down a little, sure someone had turned it down at the outburst. Making your way back, you found everyone else staring at Steve as he ran a hand through his hair.

“Anyone seen the packs of beer?” he asked, his voice low like he already knew the answer.

At everyone shaking their heads, Robin spoke up. “I thought you were bringing them.”

He nodded, putting his other hand on his hip – his classic mom pose. “Yeah, yeah I was. Except they’re back at my house, just sitting on the counter,” he sighed out. “I forgot them when running out of the house when Eddie pulled up.”

Groans echoed out in the space, a quiet “Way to go, Steve” from Robin joining them. 

“Well, how about a trip into town? That could be nice,” Nancy offered, clasping her hands together. “Grab some beer, check out the stores too.”

Jonathan peered out the window, pulling open the blinds. “It’s stopped snowing for a bit. Is it supposed to pick back up?”

You shrugged your shoulders like the others, none of you having bothered to check the forecast. “I’m sure it’s fine. Let’s get this road trip going,” Robin said with a toothy grin.

“We already had a road trip,” you said with a laugh.

“Well, a mini road trip then. Maybe there’s a Family Video there, Steve. We could use our double employee discount to get The Apartment for basically free.”

“Robin, you’ve already seen that literally a hundred times,” he responded.

“But not a hundred and one times.”

You smiled at the sigh he gave as opened up his hand to Nancy. “I can drive.”

Nancy nodded, digging out her car keys before throwing them to him. Most of the others started making their way to the door. Though it wasn’t snowing, you weren’t yet ready to weather the cold so soon again. 

“I might stick back here, if that’s okay. Stay warm for a little longer,” you told them, giving a small smile.

“Want us to pick you up anything?” Robin asked as she shoved a winter hat on her head. 

You waved them off, happy enough to just have the place to yourself for a bit of quiet before everything got going. But your body stilled when Robin turned to look past you, asking, “What about you, Eddie?”

“Besides beer? Nah, I’m good,” his voice sounded. You began to chew on the inside of your cheek, suddenly debating on joining the group after all. Your chances of relaxing went down to zero, instead launching in the other direction of keeping you on edge.

But Steve gave you a pointed look, as if telling you to stay and get along with Eddie. Between his flared nostrils and a breeze pushing through as the front door opened, a fresh wave of frigid air coming through, you just swallowed hard and nodded. You gave them a wave and locked the door after they left, soon watching it pull away.

You could hear your heartbeat in your ears as you slowly turned around, preparing yourself to say something to the near-stranger you shared this cabin (and bed) with. But all you saw was the tail-end of the towel sticking out of Eddie’s back pocket as he walked into the shared room, calling back, “Taking a shower” right before the door shut.

Standing in the middle of the cabin, staring at the space where Eddie had just been, your stomach twisted. This wasn’t going to be as easy as you thought. Leaving you with the empty rooms of the rest of the place, you grabbed a snack from the kitchen and the book you’d left on the counter. Taking a blanket thrown over the back of the uncomfortable-looking couch, you sat in a La-Z-Boy next to it, tucking your feet under yourself.  You weren’t sure how many pages you made it through before leaning your head back and slowly drifting off into sleep, the crackling of the fire and winds gusting outside weighing on your eyelids.

–

The second Eddie shut that door to shower, his mouth opened in a silent scream as his palms came up to his face. Only once he started the shower did he release a groan, fingers coming up to wind through his hair. He trashed the room of one of the most beautiful people he’d ever seen? God, he must’ve looked so dumb and selfish looking for his Walkman.

Where did he put that damn thing anyway?

And he saw the way you talked with Steve right after, probably begging him to switch rooms. A sharp pang ran through his chest thinking of you running to mother hen Steve to tattle on Eddie – all spiraling because he’d forgotten to set his alarm last night. He deserved a little slack, right?

He would’ve tried to make a better introduction if he knew he’d be meeting you. He was sure someone had mentioned it earlier, but after hours of listening to whatever Steve and Robin deemed “music” in his van before being unable to escape it even here, his mind wasn’t altogether there.

He’d stayed back from the beer run to shelter from more musical soundtracks, but he hadn’t expected you to stay too. So here he was, standing in the bathroom, head resting against the tiled wall as he thought of the least annoying way to share this room – or at least not make you hate him during this weekend. 

Eddie’s shower burned against his skin, scalding water dripping down him and washing away the bad start. The curls of his hair grew heavier as he washed it. At least this place had hot water. 

As he dried off and dressed, his lungs filled deep with breaths and emptied them fully, preparing himself to face you again. Silently opening the door, squeezing his dripping hair with a towel, he padded across the floor back and forth for a while. He wasn’t sure how long he’d spent arguing with himself on how maybe hash this out, occasionally taking breaks to tidy his things further – maybe that’d help? As the sun began to dip toward the horizon, he threw down his towel he’d somehow picked up again to find you and fix this. And find you he did.

His breaths grew much shallower, quieter, at seeing you curled up in that plush chair, blanket and book resting against your body. Though he knew if you woke up to see him staring at you, there was no way you’d stop hating him. But your chest rose and fell in even waves, your eyelids twitching once in a while, your fingers intertwined with one another. And as he was about to turn around and go back into the room to leave you asleep and content – without him – his eyes returned to yours one last time to find them already staring at him.

–

The scream you let out rang through the air, echoed by expletives from Eddie. Hand clutched to your chest, you gritted out, “Why were you staring at me? You scared the shit out of me!”

His teeth clenched together, eyes wide, as he nearly yelled, “You? You scared the shit out of me. Jesus… just came out to check on you, got a fucking heart attack instead.”

Eyebrows screwed downward, you replied, “Is that how you check on people? By staring at them until they wake up?”

“Whatever.” He rolled his eyes, though not quite as menacing as it could have been. “I’ll leave you out here to die next time, sweetheart.”

“Die? From what? The only thing that’s made me fear for my life was finding a mysterious man standing over me,” you scoffed, a hint of an incredulous smile across your face.

That made his face change, a growing smirk replacing his grimace. “Ah, so you think I’m mysterious,” he said, crossing his arms over his chest. He’d changed into a t-shirt and sweatpants, and your eyes flicked down to his forearms more than once. And maybe at the way his damp hair curled against his shoulders.

“Mysterious like a man wearing a trenchcoat at the end of an alleyway, maybe,” you told him with a hint of laughter in your voice, your gaze rising up to see his face screwed tight.

“Yeah, well at least–”

Whatever retort Eddie had fell flat as the phone rang right next to you. Your gaze went between it and Eddie’s for a brief moment before you threw off the blanket and your book just as he scrambled to it as well. But your hand reached it first, your other pushing him away from getting it.

Your fingers grasped the handle, rasping into it, “Hello?”

“He- hello? Can you hear us?” The voice crackled through the receiver, though it sounded familiar. But Eddie by your side whispered, “Who is it?”

“Robin?” you asked, ignoring him.

“Hey!”

“Where are you all? You’ve been gone awhile,” you said, though only guessing from how much darker it seemed outside.

“Oh yeah, about that. We’re in the middle of butt-fuc– Hey!” The sound of rustling and distant voices talking over one another on the other end erupted into your ear before Nancy’s voice came into focus.

“Still there?” she asked, a bit out of breath.

“Still here, Nance,” a smile evident in your voice.

She huffed out a breath before speaking up again. “We’re stuck here in town. Snow blocked my car in while we were shopping – we can’t get it unstuck no matter what we try–” More noise comes from behind before Nancy’s voice comes from farther away as she says, “We are not using Steve for traction.”

You assumed she said that to Robin, and you’d laugh if you weren’t waiting for the other shoe to drop. Nancy let out a long sigh. “No one can come get out to us today… or even a few days if the storm stays this bad.”

Your eyebrows lowered into a deep valley. “Storm?” you asked. You craned your neck toward the nearest window, unable to see much outside with the sun far down now. As you did, you caught Eddie’s face in the reflection looking stern, making you turn to him. 

He waved a hand at you, mouthing something that you only caught every other word of. You mouthed back “What?” but held up a finger as Nancy began speaking again – leaving Eddie with his arms crossed and jaw tightening.

“Yeah. Ugh, I was stupid not to check beforehand. But we’re not making it back tonight.”

“Not at all?” You knew the question didn’t quite make sense, but your eyes flicked to Eddie for a moment, your heart crawling up your throat. All it did was make him whisper-yell at you to tell him what was happening. “What about all of your things here?” you asked, your voice much quieter. There was no way they’d be able to walk all the way back, especially if this snowstorm was as bad as she was saying.

You could practically hear the frustration laced through Nancy’s words. “After we walk to the one motel this town has, we’re going to buy toiletries and things. We’ll try again tomorrow and call you, but in the meantime, are you two okay by yourselves? I know you and Eddie don’t know each other too well.”

Glancing at Eddie again brought his patience to an end, his legs bringing him to your side and holding the receiver between both of your heads to listen. The proximity of his body so close to you all of a sudden had you stepping back, eyes merely blinking at him as you tried to answer, but the way he looked at you didn’t make words come any easier. Eventually, you let out, “Uh, yeah, we should be okay. We brought enough food to last us.”

His gaze held yours, his eyebrows raising high at your words. He mouthed, “Why?” but Nancy responded first.

“Good, good. Okay,” she breathed out, “Sorry about all this, but we’ll hopefully see you tomorrow then.”

You didn’t think Eddie’s face could’ve twisted further in confusion, but you were mistaken. “Yeah, see you, Nance,” you said, your own voice feeling distant from where your mind was at. The line clicked to an end after saying goodbye, the receiver falling limply with your hand.

Before you could even collect your thoughts, Eddie spat out, “Can you finally tell me what the hell is going on?”

Your head jerked back just an inch before your eyes rolled. This was going to be a longer weekend than you ever thought. Instead of answering him, you walked to the cabin’s front door, pulling it open carefully so the wind didn’t fling it off its hinges. Standing there, gazing out into the world, you felt Eddie’s feet walk across the floor until they stopped next to you.

With the front porch lights illuminating the way, you could see heavy flakes pelting down onto growing piles of snow. It wasn’t nearly as much of a surprise as to how their car had gotten buried so fast after seeing how much snow blanketed the world.

“They’re stuck – staying in town tonight,” you finally muttered. “They’re shit out of luck.”

He rubbed a hand down his face, fingers tangling in his hair as a groan rumbled up his throat. “No, we’re shit out of luck. Jesus.”

Despite the view of endless stars littering the sky, goosebumps started littering your skin. Your hands grasped the door handle and pushed it shut and locked before resting your head against the thick wood. 

“Well,” Eddie said from behind, making you turn and watch him shift from one foot to the other, his hands stuffed in his pockets. “At least we don’t have to share a bed anymore.”

You let out a mostly unamused snort, lifting your head to shake it back and forth. “That’s the least of your problems. They had all the beer.”

“Shit…”

–

The two of you had nearly started a fire and a fistfight in the kitchen while trying to make a late-night dinner. This cabin felt ancient, none of the appliances working how either of you thought they would. Eddie tried to come in to help, hoping it’d mend some sort of relationship between the two of you, but he ended up pulling off one of the dials. Instead, while he piled up logs high into the wood stove for the night, not knowing if any of what he was doing was right, you rummaged through food to make a couple sandwiches.

In silence, you two sat at a creaky dining table and ate a meal that wouldn’t fill you up and that would have you searching for snacks in the middle of the night. But he was having dinner with you, trying to not stare at you too much – though, part of him thought “How could he not?” There was a way you spoke, lived, breathed that had him strangely captivated and wanting to know more.

“So…” he started saying in between bites of his surprisingly delicious sandwich, “do you forgive me yet for scaring you?” He tried to sound sincere, but a wry smile rose along his cheeks.

Tilting your head, you told him, “Might be my memory, but I don’t quite remember you apologizing for it, Eddie.”

As his name rolled off your tongue, he couldn’t stop his face from flushing for a second. But his grin came back almost immediately. “Think it’s your memory then.”

“While how about you refresh it for me,” you said, looking at him expectantly. The crackling of the fire filled the air between you, its heat wrapping around his body while you waited.

A few emotions crossed his face, determining the right way to do this, before he finally said, “Sorry about it.” He shrugged. “Not sure you could blame me for staring me for staring at you, though I didn’t realize you were so jumpy.”

Eddie’s throat felt tighter as he swallowed down the risk he took to say that, but he’d say it a million more times if it meant to see the way you paused, your face turning shy as you looked away. 

“See…” you said, your voice returning to you as you pointed at him with your sandwich, “I don’t think that’s a very good apology. Not sure why it’d make me forgive you.”

“It came from my heart.” His hand came to rest on his chest, right above his heart with a solid thump. His fingertips felt the way it beat just a bit too fast for his liking. His apology wasn’t good, but it got you to talk to him some more, and that felt like enough.

Flat-toned, you told him, “Sounds like you should go to a cardiologist, cause your heart gives shit apologies.”

Dramatically, he pretended to stab a stake through his chest. “Great, now you’ve wounded me.”

“Clean up dinner and I’ll forgive you, okay?” You stood up with a smile you tried to hold back, only moving to the living room once he wordlessly nodded. “Thanks.”

He felt glad you weren’t watching at how fast he put the few ingredients away and tidied up the table. He glanced at you while you gathered up your things, your face a bit shyer as you approached him.

“Gonna get ready and head to bed. See you in the morning, yeah?” you said, making a pang hit his chest in a way that left him confused and nearly breathless. 

“Yeah, sleep well,” he muttered, hands back in his pockets and playing with the coins left in there. 

Standing in the cabin alone as your door shut, only accompanied by the hot fire and chilling winds outside, had Eddie walking to bed with too-loud thoughts. Had he won you over? The way his body seemed to care so much about the answer to that question didn’t help his tiredness as he climbed into bed.

–

Despite the constantly creaking house under the harsh force of the storm’s wind, the night passed quietly at first, only accompanied by your occasional tossing and turning. You went to Steve and Robin’s bed that night, leaving Eddie in the one you were supposed to share with him. You thought of your friends and hopefully what plans they had in store for all of you once they made it back tomorrow.

Robin had a million movie recommendations for the group to watch. Nancy brought games for you all to play. Mostly, you just wanted to catch up with everyone that you hadn’t seen in awhile, happy to finally find a time to be together, but look where you were…

Sleep came and went, and came and went again until you woke up a few hours later with a chill climbing up your spine. Your weary blinks barely did anything, the room soaked in dark. Though if you had been able to see, you would’ve expected to see your breath billow out into the air. 

How did it get so cold? Squeezing your eyes shut, you willed yourself to curl tighter against yourself and fall back asleep. But it evaded you, slipping away through chilled fingers and goosebump flesh. 

No part of your body agreed, but you slid out of the bed with a blanket wrapped around you. Your feet curled against the cold floor as you made your way to the fire stove, doing your best to not run into anything. 

In the dark, you could spot the last embers in the fire stove still dying out. Shit, you hadn’t been paying attention to where Steve’s family kept the logs. While searching in the dark for a light switch or the logs, pain erupted through your toe as you stubbed it against something. 

A subdued groan stuck in your throat, one hand over your mouth while the other went to your toe as you bent down. Breaths came from your nose in rough bursts, the cold air only making the pain worse. 

Feeling around, you vaguely recognized what you ran into as Eddie’s bag he’d brought out at some point last night. You silently cursed him before making your way to his room, exhaustion fueled by the cold weighing on your eyelids and shoulders, slowing you down.

Fingers wrapped tight around the blanket still, you knocked on his door once, twice, three times… you lost count when he didn’t answer. Fed up, you creaked the door open and whispered, “Eddie?”

Only once you repeated his name louder did he stir, his mouth releasing a groan from beneath the sheets.

“Hey, Munson. Where’s the firewood?” you asked, walking closer to him.

His hand came up to rub at his eyes. “Jesus,” he mumbled, “it’s freezing in here.”

He couldn’t see you roll your eyes, but that didn’t stop you. “Yeah, no shit, Sherlock. The wood stove burned out, where’s more firewood?”

“I used the last of it when I filled it. Thought it’d last us awhile.”

You didn’t want to absolutely lose it on Eddie, but the heat of your frustration felt welcome in your cold body. “You used the last of the firewood in a winter storm? Are you trying to get us killed?”

He sighed out, “I’m sure there’s more somewhere.”

“Where?”

“How should I know?” he asked, sleep still laced through all of his words. You envied him and wanted to strangle him. “We can look in the morning or call Harrington, okay?”

“And what, do we freeze until then?” you asked, pulling your arms in closer to your body. You weren’t sure you had enough layers to last you that long.

Shifting himself over, Eddie offered, “You could join me to share body heat or whatever, or you could leave. Either way, I’m falling asleep in the next 60 seconds.”

Your face twisted, nails digging into the softness of your blanket. Part of you wondered whether freezing during the night would’ve been better than sharing a bed with Eddie, the first thing you tried to avoid after getting here.

But his hand flopped over near you, and you could feel the warmth of him washing onto your thigh. With a final shiver through your spine that you blamed on the cold and nothing else, you grumbled, “Let me in. And watch your hands.”

He held up his hands as if to show you he wouldn’t dare, not that you really expected him to. Climbing into the bed, your body relished in being near him. Your tired muscles loosened with the heat as you curled against him while he laid on his back. 

“Shit!” Eddie nearly yelped as your cold feet accidentally brushed against the skin of his legs. 

“Oh suck it up and warm me, Munson.” You pressed closer to him still despite his protests, and despite the nerves firing inside you. Your blanket stayed wrapped around you like a burrito, acting as a barrier between your bodies at least a little bit. Maybe it’d be enough to let you fall asleep without overthinking all of this.

But the blanket constricted your upper half, so as you wiggled against Eddie to get comfortable, you brought your arm across his chest. Hoping that didn’t go too far, you began to ask him, “Is this oka– are you not wearing a shirt?”

Pulling back a bit, you tried to look him in the eye… and maybe lower. But the darkness obscured any glimpse. 

“Got warm when going to bed. Shirt’s somewhere on the floor. S’that okay?” For once, his voice sounded void of teasing. Instead, you could tell he angled his head to try and get a look at you as well.

Settling back against him, laying your head against his shoulder and pressing your body to his, you nodded. “Uh, yeah. Yeah, of course.” Was it okay? Your fingers rested along his ribs and unable to get the feeling of his bare chest out of your body’s memory.

The weight of his hand resting against your back and the slight tickle of his wild hair brushing along your face warmed more than just your skin. All of this breathed intimate, made you close in more than a physical way.

“Good night, Eddie,” you whispered. Your body began to relax as the chill left in favor of the blooming warmth he provided you.

Against your head, he whispered back, “Good night, sweetheart.” 

You thought sleep would be impossible while wrapped together with him, and while calling you those pet names, but the comfort of your breath falling in line with his had you tipping toward exhaustion. And though you seemed to be bursting with thoughts and questions, Eddie had vowed to go back to bed soon, so you shut your eyes to let him sleep, falling into unconsciousness within moments.

–

Eddie did not fall asleep soon, not even close to the 60 seconds that he had told you. Not with you snuggled this close to him, your soft breath sliding against his skin with each exhale. He was sure you’d fallen asleep then, little noises sounding from the back of your throat kept his mind racing and his body all too aware of yours.

When your thumb had rubbed back and forth along his skin, his brain went blank then burst back online when his stomach tingled. Did he really have god damn butterflies from that? At least it seemed he’d won you back over from pure annoyance to mild tolerance. 

He hadn’t told you, but he’d been cold too. Eddie absolutely wouldn’t have told you about the way his heart lept into his mouth when asking you to stay in the bed together. Or how wide his smile had gotten when you actually said yes. Each time you twitched, he feared you had gotten cold again or had some bad dream. But there you stayed, in his arms.

No part of him could tell what time it was by the time his tingling nerves finally settled and warmed. Dipping toward unconsciousness, he knew he’d sleep better than he had in a long time. And he did, with you pulled tight against him and refusing to let go.

–

The sun peeked its body up above the horizon. Light streaming in painted the frosting swirls adorning the window in a rainbow of shades. The absolute silence out here in the winter felt welcome against your ears. Through everything this trip had brought, at least you had time to sleep in. 

And Eddie took full advantage of that. As your eyes blinked open, you found him out cold – but he certainly didn’t feel cold. The first thing touching your awareness was the feeling of Eddie pressed against your back, the rising of his chest and pounding of his heartbeat. His arm wrapped across your ribs and came to rest his hand on top of yours. 

Silently, a soft smile rose on your face as his nose nuzzled against the back of your neck. Who knew he loved to cuddle so much? As each quiet minute passed, you seemed to care less and less about the minor ways he had annoyed you through this trip so far. Well, not completely – but at least this was nicer than bickering with him or being stuck outside.

Despite the chill still in the air, your body ached to stand and stretch. As you slipped from Eddie’s grasp, you glanced back at him. In the morning light drifting past the curtains, you could get a better look at him. But only a short one, not wanting a repeat of what he’d done to you yesterday. Facing you, your gaze took longer than you’d like to escape from staring at his arms and chest or how his hair cascaded across his face and onto the skin of his shoulders.

 He had nice shoulders.

Shaking your head, you opened the door to let him continue resting, which apparently he really needed. While he slept in through most of the morning, you’d managed to make breakfast, get washed up and ready for the day (and covered in many, many layers) and actually read this time – with the record player on its lowest volume. Through the busyness of work and college, you found it hard to capture (let alone appreciate) moments like these anymore.

You’d checked outside again and again to see whether the snow had miraculously melted since you last looked. But each time you pulled back the curtains, the blanket across the land still sat there – though snow continued to fall, it drifted slower now. Its quiet and undisturbed body looked peaceful, comforting in a way despite everything.

Though not unwelcome, the soft air broke once the phone rang. With quick footsteps, you went to it and picked up, rushing out, “Hello?”

“Hey, it’s Nancy again,” the voice on the other side breathed through the receiver.

Maybe you should’ve asked how she was or how she slept, you skipped past any pleasantries. “Any good news?” you asked.

The sigh Nance let out told you the answer before her words did. “Wish I had some. Everywhere within a hundred miles is facing exactly what we are. No one’s getting anywhere for a bit, barely even plows.”

You swallowed down a deep groan, your fingers tightening around the phone. “There’s no way you’re getting here today?”

“Maybe, if we’re lucky. I’m sorry.” And she did sound sorry, but she was the one stuck in a motel room in a tiny town buried in snow.

“Don’t worry… I’m sorry you’re roomin’ it in that motel for the time being. And with those two children,” you laughed out, breathing easier when hearing Nancy’s laugh too. You vaguely heard her say something else, but you turned to look at Eddie’s room to see the door open.

Your eyes roamed across his sleepy state as he walked toward you, the back of his hand coming up to rub against his eye as he yawned. His hair laid at odd angles, the curls raining down on a faded Judas Priest shirt he now wore, which hung down onto a pair of black sweatpants. You couldn’t quite look away, a warmth in your chest at seeing him in such a state. Only hearing your name through the phone brings you back.

“Sorry Nance, what was that?” you ask, shaking your head and keeping your gaze elsewhere.

“Just wishing you luck on your extended vacation with Eddie,” she said, a slight humor in her voice, almost as if she knew what just went through your head.

You nodded even though she couldn’t see – maybe she could apparently, or you were just that obvious – but you followed up with, “Yeah, good luck too. Keep us updated?”

“Of course,” she said, and your mouth pressed tight. Perhaps from missing out on this time with her or perhaps from the impending conversation with Eddie in a second. 

“Oh wait!” you said louder, “Please ask Steve where the extra firewood is. We’ve burnt through it.”

Nancy mused out loud, “We should’ve had one of you there when he explained all this. One second, I’ll ask.” You imagined her whispering to Steve while Robin was still asleep.

While sounds of shifting and moving went through the background, you watched as Eddie grabbed the blanket you’d been using on the couch and wrapped himself in a burrito. You turned away to hide your smile, thankful Nancy came back.

“Hey, he says it’s out back in a log rack. And that you only need to put some in the stove at a time, not too many or it’ll burn out faster,” she explained to you. 

You thanked her, and the click of putting the receiver back echoed through the room. A silence settled before Eddie finally asked, “They on their way back yet?”

Leaning back against the kitchen counter, you angled toward him as you answered, “Uh, no. Quite the opposite, actually. There’s a small chance they get back today.” Gesturing to the window with the head, you followed with, “Snow’s probably not stopping soon.”

You allowed yourself to glance back at him while he looked past the curtains, knocking his head against the glass with a groan. “This storm has a vengeance against my quest for beer.”

Letting a laugh out through your nose caused him to stare at you, eyebrows furrowing in a way to ask you what was so funny. Shrugging, you told him, “You certainly have a flair for dramatics.”

He crossed his arms as he stood tall. “Maybe you’re not being dramatic enough. We’re stuck here for a whole weekend.”

With wide eyes, you asked, “Oh, having to stay here with me calls for melodrama and agony?” Eddie’s face looked hesitant, even speechless for a second, until you were unable to hold back your smile anymore.

His eyes roll back, his usual demeanor coming back quickly. “You’re the one that didn’t want to share a bed with me, sweetheart.”

Your fingers came to pick at the hem of your shirt, eyes drifting downward. Your grin fell, throat tight as you struggled to explain yourself. “I, uh…”

His shrug followed with, “S’alright. We made up for it last night.” He let out a small laugh, one that didn’t quite ease your embarrassment. “Where’s this firewood though? Freezing my tits off here.”

That did get a giggle from you and let your shoulders ease a little. If Steve were here, he’d give you an “I told you so” about communication or whatever, but you were just glad Eddie wasn’t too upset.

Still, you couldn’t stop your sigh as you told him, “Firewood’s out back in some log rack apparently.”

Raising his eyebrows and pulling his blanket tighter, all he offered was, “Well, good luck. Have fun with that. I’ll be here to warm you up again when you get back.”

“Ahh… no. You’re the reason it burned out in the middle of the night. So if anyone is going out by themselves, it’s you, Munson.” You crossed your arms, letting the silence grow louder as you two stared each other down.

“Fine! We’ll both go,” Eddie gritted out, shuffling back to his room. You slipped on boots, a hat (or two), gloves, and your coat. You were plenty tired of the all too familiar chill aching through your body.

But as Eddie came back out, you barely contained an explosive laugh at seeing him covered up. A ratty sweatshirt bulged against him, clear that he wore many layers beneath it. And he at least had on two pairs of pants. 

“Not one word,” he muttered, about to grab his shoes when you convinced him to wear Steve’s boots he’d left here. You also spent too long forcing him to put on a hat – it would “ruin this perfect hairdo” he told you, but you won out.

You were sure the two of you resembled young children bundled up and unable to move well by the time you opened up the front door. The porch allowed you to open it at all, unlike the back door that had a growing wall of snow barricading it.

Both of your boots crunched as you walked around the cabin. Despite trying to shield your face from the wind that seemed to come from every direction, the view you had certainly didn’t get old. Thick trees weighed down with fresh snow all spanning for miles, looking like a scene out of an old Christmas movie.

Nearing the other side, you spotted a rack with a tarp over it, sure to be piled high with logs. Your freezing fingers clenched at the promise of warmth soon. Just as you were about to look for the logs, you felt a thud against your back along with muffled laughter. Eyes narrowed and jaw tight, you turned around to see Eddie very obviously looking away from you, pretending nothing happened – like he didn’t just pelt you with a snowball. 

But in his act, he didn’t see you bend down to form your own snowball between your gloved hands. Packing it tight, you pulled back your arm and let it fly, hitting him square in the chest as he turned toward you at the last second.

There was no stopping the shit-eating grin on your face at his mouth dropping open or the way his gaze steeled. The look pierced past all the ridiculous layers, making you feel a little less cold out there. The way his head tilted to the side, awaiting him to make some cocky comment that’d have you internally stuttering – it kept you still, even as he bent down.

“Oh, you are so fucked,” he told you, packing another snowball.

He had no idea how right he was.

The second he stood back up with his ammo, your legs took off in the other direction, feet slipping through the snow as you ran from him. Though the icy air sharpened against your face, your grin stayed, now accompanied by uncontrollable laughter as Eddie chased you.

Rounding the next side of the house, you slipped around the corner to press against the wall, hiding from his view. His own laughter grew louder as he followed, making your teeth sink into your lip to stop from letting out any noise.

As he ran full speed around the corner, which wasn’t that fast in knee deep snow that wormed its way into your boots, you jumped out at him. Your hands landed on his shoulders with a slap, forcing a scream from his throat and his hand to release the snowball.

But he flew back in surprise, his legs tangling with yours and bringing you both down into the sea of snow. White powder billowed up and around your bodies, some of it wiggling into your exposed neck and wrists.

And yet, you weren’t complaining as you landed with your body pressed against Eddie’s, half of your chest on top of his – your faces only a breath apart.

Perhaps you should’ve scrambled back, apologized, or even laughed at him for screaming, but you admired the snowflakes littering his dark hair like constellations against a night sky. Then you glanced to the soft red covering his cheeks and nose, sure that it came from the cold but hoped it grew from something more.

Eddie’s breathing rose and fell beneath you, pressing close and then all too far a second later. You thought you might’ve caught his doe eyes glancing toward your mouth, yours doing just the same, but as he shifted closer, more snow dipped on the back of his neck and down his coat.

“Shit!” he yelled, flying up to try and shake it out, breaking whatever had held you two together for that all too brief moment. 

You sat there with a smile, watching him scramble to rid himself of the quickly melting snow. Letting out a long sigh, you stood up and waited until he calmed before nodding your head back toward the logs.

Moment broken indeed as you began to sweat trying to grab as many logs in your arms as possible – no part of you wanting to trudge back out here. Between the two of you, there stood (balanced precariously, really) a sizable amount of logs to fuel the wood stove for a while.

Your body felt a little lighter as the layers of clothes dropped to the floor, your cold cheeks beginning to warm up back inside and out of the wind. This time, you loaded the logs and set the stove ablaze, declaring the spot directly in front as yours for the next half hour.

Eddie, of course, had none of that. He plopped himself next to you, pressed against your side – claiming “it had the most heat, stop hogging it.”

You didn’t stop, not when the still-warming skin of your arm goosebumped as it touched his. The veins running along his forearm occupied most of your thoughts while you two sat there in silence, only interrupted by occasional complaining of a different body part being cold and cursing of this storm.

“You warmed up?” Eddie asked, turning his head to look at you. 

If you turned to him, you’d get caught up in the deep brown of his eyes or how soft his lips looked, so continued staring at the flames in front of you. You’d been plenty warm for some time now, but if you told him that, then you’d have to leave his side.

But before you could speak, he brought a hand up to scratch at his neck as he continued, “Cause I was thinking we could watch one of those movies Robin brought.”

Oh, that you could do. “Yeah. You can pick, I’ll go search for that popcorn Nancy put somewhere,” you said, getting up and finding it before he noticed how scattered your brain was becoming. 

The TV came to life as kernels popped in the pan you shook on the stove. As you watched each one burst, the nerves of being with Eddie settled back in your body, sleeping against your spine. This weekend hadn’t gone as any of you expected, especially not with seeing this near stranger as cute, charming even – not that you’d tell him that.

And rather than watch The Apartment as planned, you realized you didn’t want Eddie to be a stranger anymore. So you pestered him with questions, not that he seemed bothered. You loved hearing about Uncle Wayne and the auto shop Eddie worked at, or his D&D campaign he was planning at the moment.  Not with that smile when you told him about your family, friends, and how work was going. He even vowed to fight your annoying coworker if he ever saw him in public – like you had promised to check out Corroded Coffin when you made it back.

“Like, I know we fight literal demons in our game, but are you sure Tanner isn’t one of them? I mean, who falls asleep in the only bathroom? And locks it!” Eddie said, shaking his head as he filled his mouth with more popcorn.

“Right?” you said in between salty bites, “But as long he doesn’t show up at The Hideout, I’m coming for your show next month.”

And you’d give him a million more promises if it meant making that look spread across his face again – excited grin, cheeks squishing up to make his shining eyes shut. Wow. Maybe you’d put too many logs in, the air feeling much warmer now.

But it was easy, so surprisingly simple to spend the day with Eddie. He played you some of his favorite songs while you both laid on the ground, heads next to each other but feet pointing opposite directions. Every time he bopped his head to the beats, his hair brushed against you. The way his hands shot up to play an imaginary guitar and softly mouth the lyrics had you holding back giggles. 

This time, he tried making you dinner. And he did make a surprisingly good plate of pasta – without burning the whole place down. While eating, he nodded along to what you said as if every word quenched some sort of thirst he had for listening to you, for learning everything there was about you. He had this air about him of confidence, but past that, in those soft moments, you saw him settle into a quieter form of himself – one that calmed you too.

And reaching the end of the night, you awaited his question. Whether you’d be staying in his bed again. The fire was fixed; it’d stay lit throughout the night. But the two of you threw on another movie, maybe just so you didn’t have to confront that just yet in case you would separate ways. Your eyelids drooped and you yawned so hard it shook through your body. And that tiredness made your decision just a little easier.

“Hey,” Eddie whispered, resting his hand on your arm and shaking it gently. “Let’s get to bed, alright?”

Your head had drifted down until it rested against his shoulder, so it ruffled his shirt as you gave him a few sleepy nods. Shutting the TV off, he grabbed your hand and led you toward the bedrooms. As he slowed at the split between the two doorways, you kept shuffling your feet, pulling him into his room. Not bothering with getting ready, afraid it would break the unspoken moment between you two, you climbed into the bed and took the leap, holding out your arm as he had the night before.

–

God, he took the space next to you so quick. But he kept his movements gentle, not wanting to rock you out of your sleepy state in case it woke you from this dream you’d created. Eddie settled in, wrapping himself around you and under the covers. Jesus, he spent all night working up a way to ask you for this.

A deep sigh loosened from his lungs that you had done it instead. Maybe it’d been the way your eyes lit up whenever he made you laugh before they shut as you turned breathless, clutching your stomach. Or how excited you got talking about your favorite show at the time, your hands flying through the air. 

It’s not that you were intimidating, but you sure made him feel intimidated – nervous that he’d say the wrong thing and make that beautiful smile drop. But it didn’t. He could still see it in the faint light coming from the hallway, and it only grew as he pressed his body against yours.

Eddie really wanted to stay awake, on purpose this time. To enjoy this time as he stroked a thumb along the soft skin of your hip peeking out from under your shirt. But your heartbeat pumped against him, your breath made his fall in line to yours like a steady conductor – leading him right into sleep along with you. And he followed you without question.

–

It was in the late morning that you it happened, it finally came together. Half-awake, you laid your arm on the one wrapped along your stomach. It pulled against you, bringing you closer to the chest behind you. You weren’t yet aware enough to recognize that you weren’t dreaming, that it was Eddie also on the cusp of sleep holding you.

Not until did his lips connect to the point where your neck slopes into your shoulder did your eyes shoot open, any bit of tiredness inside you disappearing in a moment. Your head turned back to look at him, seeing his own eyes shut before also blinking open at your sudden movement.

He glanced between where he’d just kissed and your face, a blush rising to his cheeks as his mouth opened and closed wordlessly. “I, uh… I didn’t mean to, I’m sorry, um…” he stammered out before pulling his arm and scooting back until no part of him touched you anymore.

You’d done it – you’d broken the tension in the ugliest way, and you felt cold without him there. Turning to fully face him, you rambled to try to fix this in some way. “No, no, it’s okay. Don’t be sorry, really I should be the one sorry for taking your bed and forcing you to sleep next to me–”

“You didn’t force me–”

“But it’s really okay because it was cold that first night and so it made sense. And we both weren’t really awake just now, and–” You’d gotten up now to pace, unable to look him in the eyes anymore. You didn’t want that extra space between you, but he’d done it first and maybe that’s what he actually wanted.

–

Shit. Shit. Shit. How could he kiss you in his sleep? What a god damn idiot. Though he understood why he did it, watching you pace and float through the room like some angel he felt undeserved to kiss.

–

As you glanced at him for just a second, you saw the way his fists squeezed the blanket between his fingers. Oh, how could you have been so stupid to misinterpret things, and now you’ve made him uncomfortable.

Taking a long breath, you finished with, “I’m sorry, Eddie.” Your hand clasped onto your other one as you shifted from foot to foot.

With a hand rubbing down his face, he shook his head. “I’m the one that kissed you, and you’re apologizing,” he laughed out. “I didn’t mean to do that, especially without asking or something first, Jesus.”

You barely heard his next words that he spoke to himself, but your ears held on to every word. “Maybe my subconscious had gotten into my thoughts…”

Your teeth dug into the inside of your cheek as you contemplated your next sentence, the rabid butterflies ravaging your stomach. Pursing your lips, you quietly asked, “So… you would have wanted to do that if we were both awake?”

And his face shot up, those eyes the color of melting chocolate meeting yours. He climbed from his side of the bed, shuffling toward you – one of his steps for every three of your racing heartbeats. “Yeah, of course. But I didn’t even ask if you wanted that…” he said, leaving his unspoken question hang in the air.

Fighting the smile trying to rise up, you said, “So, you should probably ask then, Munson.” And the kind light shining from his eyes turned brighter into a tall flame threatening to burn you both. There it was, that cocky way he had.

His hand reached to grab yours, giving it a squeeze before he finally said it. “Can I kiss you?” he whispered, gaze unsure of where to stay, definitely your mouth it seemed.

You tried to come up with a million different ways to say yes, to tell him that you couldn’t stand another second without him being pressed against you again. As your mouth opened, a creaking noise came from the front of the cabin, followed by voices.

“We’re alive!” Steve shouted as the group walked through the door and stomped off snow from their shoes. Other words shot through the air, destroying the haven the two of you had made. Dropping your forehead against Eddie’s, you sighed out a breathless “Yes” that fell flat against his cheek.

–

Fuckin’ Harrington.

--

A/n: ​Thank you so much for reading. Reblogging and commenting make my day (and make me love you), so I’d love to hear what you thought! <3

[carrinth]

I sometimes have Foxiyo ideas I haven't had time to get around to writing/drawing. Here is one:

In some AU where Palps bites the dust early, Fox becomes one of the most well-adjusted of all the commanders. He also starts dating.

Except, no one believes him.

Cody and gang arrive on Coruscant for shore leave after weeks of fighting and Fox is happy to show them around. But he can't tomorrow night because he's got a hot date with a senate coworker.

Yeah right Fox.

Whatever you say.

Months go by, the war drags on. Fox's command batch arrives again and they go for drinks but Fox has to split early because he promised his girlfriend he'd sleep more regular hours.

'Girlfriend'? Pfft. Someone is having delusion of grandeur.

Leave him alone guys, he's probably so bored being stuck out here he's having hallucinations.

Fox now officially hates his brothers. They are totally paying for their own drinks.

The war has ended! Clones are granted citizenship. Everyone gathers again for drinks and to discuss their future. Fox (hesitantly) declares he's going to ask his girlfriend to marry him.

Are you still on about that Fox?

He's really committed to this bit.

That's it. None of you bottleheads are invited to the wedding. >:(

A year goes by. During the anniversary reunion dinner, Fox is spotted carrying a smol blue baby.

Whose kid is that Fox?

Mine.

Seriously vod, you can't just go around kidnapping people's children.

It's MINE.

I think that's Senator Chuchi's kid.

Aww, you sweet on a senator, Fox?

Bite me and die, Bly.

Do you want us to ask if she's single?

NO.

Some time later, Fox is doing dishes with Riyo who glances at him with a sly look. Fox is SUSPICIOUS.

Your brother Bly just asked me if I was single. He said he was asking for a friend.

I do not see.

I told him no. He seemed quite devastated. 😏

Riyo...

Cody also told me that a certain former Commander of the Corrie Guard had an... admiration for me.

...

You have an 'admiration' for me, Fox? 😘

... Riyo we're married.

Still! ❤

Eventually, Fox encounters his brothers while he's out with Riyo. They are aghast.

You know she's a married woman right, Fox?

Fox... don't do this to yourself...

Fox ignores them. They grow more desperate. Riyo resolves everything by telling everyone they are married. People are mollified. But later...

Did you hear that Fox got involved with a married woman?

Yeah! And but then she dumped her husband to marry Fox!

No one understands why Thorn, upon hearing all this, bursts out laughing so hard he almost chokes himself. The former Corrie Guards all swear by this story and tell everyone that they are very happy Senator Chuchi made a honest man out of Fox and he'll be a good dad to her children.

What's this rubbish about stepfather? I'm their actual father!

Yeah! That's the spirit! You're their father, Fox!

Fox screams.

[justmeinadaze]

We're A Family Part 18 (Steddie X You)

A/N: This one is a wee bit different. They are experimenting in the bedroom but everyone is having a good time :)

Warnings: Dads Steddie and Mom Fem Y/N, SMUT, Pegging is the main thing here with all the regular smut that comes with these three, FLUFF and no angst!

Word Count: 4018

“So for handcuffs and a nightie, you drove two hours out of town?”, Eddie muses as he looks through the clothes at the sex store you three had traveled to. 

“I did because I love you.”, you grin. 

“Aw, that’s cute.” He smiles when you scrunch your nose playfully in his direction. “Is Harrington the test subject again or…?”

“I’m down for anything.”, Steve shrugs.

“Be careful what you say, baby.”, you sing as you hit him lightly with one of the whips you found. He chuckles as he jokingly wrestles it from your grasp and lifts you over his shoulder to carry you to where Eddie was browsing toys. 

“Are we that old? I don’t know what half this stuff is or for.”, the metalhead exhales as he picks up something random and flashes it towards you two before placing it back down. 

“What about this?”, you ask, showing them the strap on you found. “It’s a little intimidating.”

They hear your breathing stutter a bit as you continue to look at with fascination. “What’s intimidating? The thing itself or using it?”

“I mean…I’m not a guy. I’ve never had to…ya know.”

“Holy shit, Steven. It took about 8 years but we finally found something sexual that makes Y/N blush.”

Steve walks up behind you and wraps his arms around your waist as he leans his head on top of yours. “We can show you.”, he whispers making you lick your lips at his words. 

“O-okay.”

Eddie beams as he takes the box from your hands and bends down to kiss you. “So fucking cute.”

*** 

“Shit.”, Robin curses under her breath as Dylan beats her again for the thousandth time at his video game. “I’m not good at this! I have no hand/eye coordination.”

“All I hear are excuses.”, your son laughs. 

“Whatever. I’m going to hang out with the baby who doesn’t talk.”, she grins as she playfully pushes him to the side. 

“Mommy!”, Aurora shouts, running into your arms as you guys walk through the door. 

“Oh God.”, you brace as she jumps and you lift her into the air. “What’s going on, my love? Did you have fun with Robin?”

“Uh huh. Aunt Robin said a bad word.”

“Tattletale.”

“Why are you cursing in front of my kids?”, Steve teases as he plops himself down next to her on the sofa. 

“Why are your kids so mean? Especially that one.” She points towards Dylan who sticks his tongue out at her before focusing back on his game. “At least this one was nice to me. Weren’t you, James?”

He giggles and claps his hands at her smile. From Steve so far, James definitely inherited his big, beautiful grin and scrunched his tiny nose when he laughed which you absolutely adored. His hair was too short right now to see if he had the same smooth locks as his father but at the moment he seemed to be heading in that direction. 

“Can you say Robin? Roooobiiiiiiiiin.” Just like Ro had done when she was a baby, his only response was to headbutt her making her grunt jokingly as she passed the boy to her friend. “Alright that’s my queue to leave. See you buttheads later!”

After she left, you made dinner and then spent the rest of the evening relaxing with your family. Dylan sat in the corner with his headphones on as he strummed his guitar Eddie had given him from his own collection. You and Steve sat on the couch with your legs thrown over his while Eddie laid on the floor with James and Aurora as The Princess Bride played on TV.

“James…James…James, daddy’s hair isn’t like yours, dude. Ow.”, the metalhead whines as he tries to remain calm while the baby pulls at his hair. 

“James! No.”, Ro giggles. “You don’t pull hair. It not nice.”

“Yeah, tell him, sweetheart.”

“Mommy?” She calls your name and you answer with lighthearted hm. “When…when will I meet my…my true love?”

“Never. We’re going to lock you in a tower like Rapunzel.”

Steve tries to hide his laughter at Eddie’s joke as you make a face at his answer. “No, baby. I won’t let daddy do that.”

“You’ll have to catch me first, woman.”

You stick out your tongue as he chuckles. “I don’t know, Ro, when you’ll meet them but when you do I promise you’ll know.”

“How did you know?”

Both men’s eyes shimmer with delight and anticipation as they wait for your answer. 

“I just knew.”, you grin. 

“Oh, baby, come on. I know there’s more to it then that.”, Steve beams as you bite your bottom lip. 

“Was it love at first sight?”

“Yes.”, both boys responded in unison making you blush. Aurora looks at you with wide expectant eyes as she waits for your answer. 

“Yes, but mommy was hardheaded and had to make it complicated.”

“Comp-limated?”

“Complicated. Um, harder.”, Eddie explained. 

“Oh…why?”

“Because… I had Dylan and he was my main concern at the time. I wanted him to be happy.”

Her face furrows in confusion as she fully turns away from the tv. “I don’t get it.”

“What don’t you get, babe?”, Steve asks as he motions for her to come sit on his lap. 

“You…are Dylan’s dada…” Her tiny fingers point to his chest. “But, but, but mommy had him…before she met…met you and daddy?”

Eddie smiled when you heavily exhaled. 

“Oh, I was hoping we could skip the awkward questions stage.”, you mumble as you smirk. “Ed, you want to take this one?”

“Not really.”, he giggles. 

“Hey, Ro.”, Dylan calls her name and she shifts in her dad’s lap to face him. “You remember when you asked why dad calls grandpa Wayne instead of dad and we told you it was because grandpa took dad in when he was older than you?” She adamantly nods her head. “Kind of the same thing.”

“Ooooooooh…ok!”, Aurora exclaims as she shrugs her shoulders and shuffles back down to the floor to continue watching the movie.

“Are you a child spy or something? How do you do that?”, Eddie sarcastically asks as all three adults smile in his direction. 

“You people make it too complicated.”, he chuckles. “Just answer honestly.”

You toss a pillow in his direction that he blocks with his hand and tosses back. 

#############

“What are you smiling about over there?”, Steve asks as he comes into the bedroom and closes the door. 

“Dylan. I’m just always amazed at how smart he is, you know? I’m proud of him.”

“Yeah, he’s a good kid. Always has been.”

“I hope I didn’t make you guys feel bad with my answer to Aurora’s question. I WAS being honest. He was my main priority but I didn’t even think you’d be attracted to me. Two sexy single guys across the way from a single mom in the middle of a divorce…”

While you were talking, Eddie had come out of the bathroom and sat beside you on the bed. 

“I didn’t even really think about it until you came over that first time Charlie bailed on him.” You wrapped your arms around him as you leaned your chin on his shoulder. “You both made him happy. You made ME happy.”

The metalhead turned to kiss your forehead before wrapping his arms around you and lifting you on to his lap as he leaned back. 

“Ok, I’m done being sappy.” 

Steve laughs as he lays down beside the other man and takes your hand in his as he fiddles with your fingers. 

“I like when you get sappy.”, he grins. “That being said, did you two think about who the guineapig was going to be?”

“Why can’t it be both? Unless you think you can’t handle it, baby.” The way Eddie said that was in no way meant to be mocking. Since you got shy about it in the store and even now, they wanted to make sure you were comfortable. 

“God why does this make me nervous!?”, you giggle as you cover your face.

“Because you’re adorable.”, he smiled as he pulled your hands back down to his chest. “How about we go slow and we’ll talk with you the whole way through.”

“I like when you two talk to me especially since Stevie became a teacher. Sometimes you shift into that authoritative tone when your talking dirty and it’s hot.”

“I seriously didn’t even notice.”

“We did.”, Eddie chuckles as he grips your waist and flips you on to your back. “Why don’t you go get the thing while I get this beautiful girl ready?”

Steve playfully rolls his eyes as he gets up to look for the box you hid after coming home from the shop. The metalhead gently kisses you lips as his lifts off your shirt and runs his tongue down your body. 

“Just so fucking gorgeous. Isn’t she, Harrington?”

“Always.”, he winks.

As he slides off your pants with your panties, you squirm as he continues to kiss along your skin on the inside of your thigh, down your calf, and to your feet.

When his mouth wraps around your clit, your nerves melt away as stars cloud your vision. Eddie was always a master between your legs. You assumed it was because since he used his mouth 24/7 to talk to almost anyone and everyone that would listen, he could make it work for him during foreplay. He was also incredibly patient, slowing down and using every moment to taste every part of your sex, driving you wild. 

“Yes, Eddie, please.”

His palms came to up to press down your thighs, holding your legs open wide as he shoved his face deeper into you making you moan. Your fingers threaded through his hair as his tongue flicked in and out of your entrance occasionally shaking his head to allow his nose to brush against your nub. 

“Fuck, baby. Don…don’t stop. M’gonna cum.”

Your legs trembled in his grasp as the coil in your tummy snapped and you whimper his name, tugging at his wavy mane. 

“So fucking good.”, he murmured before glancing at the other boy. “Ready?”

“Yeah. Come here, honey.” Shakily, you slid of the bed and placed yourself between Steve’s legs at the edge. “Ok, step in here.” You cling to his shoulders as he guides your movements until the strap on is secure to your hips. “Good job, baby. Now this end goes inside of you. Let me know when you’re ready.”

“I’m ready.”

They both carefully watched your face as his hands held the base of the silicone material and eased it into your core. Your eyes fluttered closed as you moaned.

“Are you ok?”

“Yeah. You’re going—mmm—to laugh at me but it’s smaller than you two so it doesn’t physically hurt but—fuck—just the excitement of trying this…I feel like I’m going to cum again.”

They do laugh but not at you. They’d lying if they didn’t say they were ready to bust at any moment. Seeing you get nervous and giddy in the store made them hard mostly because they didn’t think they could have that effect on you anymore. Now that you were getting ready to use it and seeing your reaction had them struggling to keep any kind of control as their cocks pushed unbearably so against their pants. 

“Well, we have to get this cock ready since this side isn’t exactly smaller than we are.”

Spinning you around, he places you in his spot at the edge of the bed, removes his clothes, and sinks to his knees in front of you. Gripping the base, Steve spits on the tip of it making you groan at the action.

“How are you doing, princess?”, Eddie asks when the man wraps his lips around the toy and begins bobbing his head. 

“I-I can feel it. He’s making it move ev-every time he goes lower.”

The metalhead smirks as he brushes your hair back from your shoulder. “Deeper the better, right, babe? Go a little faster, Stevie.”

The man does what he suggests causing the dildo in your cunt to steadily move back and forth making you whine in pleasure.

“Fuck, Steve. Please…” Your fingers push through his hair as you pull it firmly making him mewl. Abruptly, you clenched your hand, holding him still as you thrust your hips forward making him gag and drool all over you. 

“Fuck me. That’s fucking hot. Don’t stop, Y/N. Keep-Keep fucking his face.”, Eddie moaned loudly as he pushed off his pants and rapidly began stroking his cock. “I need to cum, baby, I can’t wait.”

“St-Steve? Are you still ok?”, you asked and were met with a rush of his lips as he forcefully came up to passionately kiss you. 

“I’m so fucking fine, honey. Do that again. Make yourself cum.”

Placing your other hand in his hair, you clung to him as you thrust upwards, using him to chase your high. His own fingers dug into the meat of your hips guiding you till your vision was blinded and you came hard. Eddie whimpered next to you as you turned your head to see him release his seed on to his thighs. 

“Steve, baby. You, uh, you’ll have to go first. I need to recharge.”, the metalhead chuckles as he pats the bed beside him. 

Steve climbs up your body, kissing your sweaty frame along the way. “How do you want me?”

He smirks as your face becomes bright red and he leans down to softly kiss your lips. “Tell me, beautiful girl. How do you want to fuck me?”

“I want to see your face. I want to watch your face…” Nodding, he kisses you again before flipping over onto his back. “Eddie, can you help me?”

“Of course, sweetheart.” He gently moves you around till you’re in-between the other boy’s legs who in response opens and lifts them up for you, holding them up at the knee. With his palm on your lower back, he pushes you forward and as you take hold of the base of the toy, pressing it towards his entrance. “There you go, baby. You may feel a bit of resistance but that’s because pretty boy here is tight as fuck. Whenever you’re ready.”

Your eyes meet Steve’s silently asking for permission and when he nods again, you slowly begin to inch forward. 

“Oh fuuuuck…”, he moans as his head falls back against the mattress. “Ke-keep going, babe. It feels really fucking good.”

Your mouth falls open in a silent moan as you watch him squirm and fall apart underneath you. This is because of you and it’s making you clench tightly around the toy inside of you. 

“Yes, baby, you look so fucking sexy right now. You don’t—mmm—you don’t even know. Please…please, Y/N. Take me, baby, I’m yours.”

Your head hangs as you begin thrusting into him until fingers find your chin and tilt your eyes towards the man under you. 

“You said you wanted to watch him, sweetheart. He’s so handsome when he comes apart like this isn’t he?” Eddie leans over Steve’s cock and a line of spit falls on the tip before he reaches down to stroke him, matching your pace. 

“Oh fuck you, Munson.”, he groans as he cranes his neck back.

The metalhead grins as he leans in close and continues to whisper things in your ear. 

“You’re doing so good, baby. So fucking sexy taking him like this with your beautiful tummy glistening as you pump in him. Jesus, your entire body is gorgeous, just like his. Look at what you’re doing to him. You should try rolling your hips and press deeper into him.”

His hand guided you down to Steve’s chest who promptly encases you in his arms as you did what Eddie suggested. 

“Yes, baby. Faster, please. I’m gonna cum. Cum with me.”

Your sides began to burn as you did what he requested but you didn’t care. As your forehead fell on his, his pants warmed your face and you quickly covered his mouth as he moaned loudly. You both came at the same time, your body shuttering against his as you felt his spend hit your stomach. Leaning back, you continued to stroke him, elongating his orgasm as much as you could. 

“Ok, ok, please…please.” Steve reached for your hand as he begged you to stop. 

When you gradually pulled out, you collapsed against Eddie’s chest who in turn fell back against the pillows as he played with your hair and murmured praises.

“You did amazing, princess. Look at him. He’s in heaven right now because of you. Are you ok? Do you need some water or anything? Actually, I don’t know why I’m asking.” He reaches for the glass near the bed and places the rim near your lips. “Drink this, baby.”

You do as he says relishing the cool liquid as it slides down your throat. 

“I want to make you feel good to.”

“We can do again another time—”

“Please, Eddie.”

He chuckles as he kisses your forehead. “Ok, come here, my love.”

Turning you around he places your back against the headboard with pillows behind you so you’d be more comfortable. Steve sluggishly moved out of the way as you extended your legs, lying beside you both as he continued to watch with hooded eyes. 

“Alright, sweetheart, you did so well but I’m going to take more of the control here, ok?”

“I’m ok with that.”, you grin as he straddles his legs on either side of you.  

Reaching behind him, he took hold of the toy and slowly began descending onto it. 

“Fuck me.”

“D-Do you need lube or anything?”

Eddie aggressively shook his head, his hair blocking his face as he continued what he was doing till you felt his body against yours. Keeping most of the weight on his knees he began bouncing on top of you and a strangled moan left both your lips. Your fingers extended up to trail down his chest to his stomach as you took in the sight of him. Is this how they felt when you were riding them?

“F-fuck, Eddie. You look so—mmm—so good.”

Steve’s own fingers reached out trail the sweat down your throat to your tits as he played with your nipples, pinching them between his thumb and index making you whimper. You don’t know if it was seeing him like this or having the other boy touch you the way he was but your second wind suddenly came and took over. 

Grabbing Eddie’s waist, you pushed him off of you and to the side onto his tummy, climbing on top of him, and motioning for him to spread his legs. 

He moaned at your confidence, doing what you asked, and grunting as you slid into his ass. Leaning forward, you thrust your hips as his arm flew back to press his fingers into your thighs trying to guide you. 

“I want you to feel…what he felt…” You kissed along his shoulders, moving some of his hair away from his face. “Tell me what—mmm—what you need, baby. Please.”

“H-harder.”, was all he could get out, his jaw going slack when you pounded your hips into his. 

Pushing up on to your palms, you watched as Steve slid his hand into the boy’s hair behind his head and brought his lips to his. Their tongues mingled together as you fell against his back, rolling your hips as he groaned.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck.”, Eddie whined against the other man’s lips as he came, rutting his hips between you and the mattress. As he pushed back against you, it was enough to send you over the edge again as you pressed your face into his back and came as well. 

After pulling out of him, you tumbled on to your back as you both tried to catch your breath. Your hand blindly slid between your legs as you maneuvered the toy out of your now aching, overstimulated hole. When you finally opened your eyes to glance their way, you found them drunkenly smiling at you with half lidded eyes; Eddie still on his stomach with Steve resting his cheek between the other man’s shoulder blades. 

“I may need to start doing some crunches or something because my abs are sore.” Their grins grow as you giggle. “Did I do okay?”

The metalhead’s arm shot out to tug you closer to them, resting it across you as his palm pets your sweaty head.

“Better than.”, he murmured as Steve nodded in agreement. 

Silently, they roll out of bed and pick you up, bringing you to the bathroom to get clean. As the tub filled up, Eddie sat on the edge and helped you step out of the harnesses of the strap on. Once everything was ready, the three of you piled in as you cocooned yourself against Steve’s chest. 

“How did it feel for you?”, he asked as his palms roamed along your arms.

“I liked it a lot. More so watching what it did to you two. Did you like it because of the toy or because of me?”

“Both.”, Eddie answers. “You became more confident with it. It was sexy.”

“I wouldn’t say confident.”, you laugh. “I just wanted to make you feel good. I—”

“It felt good seeing us cum and knowing it was because of you.”, Steve finished for you. “We know the feeling.”

“I love you both…so much.”

“We love you to, sweetheart.”

The baby monitor in the bedroom pulls everyone from their blissful haze as James’s loudly comes through.

“I got him.” Steve rises as he grips your arm and helps you out as Eddie follows. 

While he changes the sheets, you quickly pull on some underwear and one of the metalhead’s shirts before hiding the strap-on in the bathroom making a mental note to clean it in the morning.

Right as you emerge back into the bedroom, Steve comes back with a wide-eyed baby who promptly falls into your arms. 

“Oof. What’s wrong, baby boy? You miss us?”

Once the bed becomes available, you climb into it and place James on your lap to lean against your knees as Eddie flops down beside you in his sweats. 

“Sir, it is after midnight. You should be asleep.” The baby babbles in his direction and reaches for his finger as the metalhead tries to poke his nose. “Nope. Nothing can stop me!”

As soon as the pad of his index fingers connect, James smiles wide in his direction. 

After you took the baby, Steve disappeared to heat up the bottle, shaking it as he returned and climbed in beside you. As you lay him between you both, he places the end into his mouth, trying to hold it with his little hands as Steve holds the end. 

“I remember a time when this frightened you.”, you smiled. “Obviously, there was no reason to be.”

James’s eyes began to droop as he rubbed his fist against them. You can’t help but giggle when you hear Eddie’s light snores behind you. 

“I think we’re all exhausted.”, Steve grins as he reaches out to pet your head. “Close your eyes, baby. I’ll sit with him till he’s done.”

As you shift your body further into the bed, Eddie flings his arm around your hip and tugs you closer to his chest as his face nuzzles into your shoulder. Steve’s eyes trace along the three faces of his family as his heart swells with pride. He tried remembering a time in his life when he was happier but the only things that came to mind were from the point when Dylan knocked on their door to now. 

When James finally fell asleep, he carried him back to his room and tucked him in. As he climbed back into his own bed, he caressed both your faces before snuggling up in front of you and holding your hand as he closed his eyes. 

############

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[that-one-enby-ranger]

Could I have a treat with the young O'Carrick kids? :D

"Be careful! You're gonna get us caught!" Young Ferris whispered feircly to his brother.

"I've done this more times than you have idiot," Halt replied. Ferris looked at him in shock.

"You've done this before?"

"Yes," Halt replied like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Lessons are boring."

Their younger sister Caitlyn looked at Halt offended. "You've gone without us?" She asked huffily.

Halt ruffled Caitlyn's slightly curly hair as he replied, "No offense Cait, but I didn't trust a five year old to sneak around like this. Plus you're kind of a nark. You'd probably tell mum and dad."

"Would not!"

"You would so," Ferris replied. "Is there anyone around the corner?" Ferris adressed his question to Halt.

"No, let's go." The three siblings were sneaking out of the castle to hide out in their special spot in the woods. Usually they wouldn't have to sneak out during the day, being able to easily walk out the castle walls, but at the moment they were supposed to be in their classes. It was probably going to be noticeable to their teachers that they were skipping as they were the only ones being taught by them, but consequences was something they could deal with later.

"What do we do about the guards out the front?' Ferris asked. Out of the three of them he was the most reluctant. Halt expected it to be Caitlyn, who was certainly the most obedient and wanted to make their parents proud, but surprisingly she was very on board with the plan.

"We can just walk past," Halt replied, shrugging. "They don't care. They don't know where we're supposed to be anyway so they'll just let us go."

"Not very good at their jobs," Ferris muttered.

"It's not their job to know what we're supposed to be doing at all hours. It's their job to keep people out."

"They're the best at it!" Caitlyn spoke up. Ferris grinned at his sisters enthusiasm. The three of them managed to get down to the courtyard and to the castle gates without anyone asking what they were doing. Halt was right about the guards, as when they got to them all they did was give a greeting and then let the kids walk right past.

"I still feel like they should at least ask where we're going," Ferris said once the guards were out of earshot.

"Just shut up will ya? Let's go." Halt grabbed Ferris by the wrist and pulled him in the direction to the woods to the left of the castle.

It was a ten minute walk to get to their destination. They had to climb over some thornbushes and move some branches out of the way to avoid getting scratched, and at one point they had to walk through a shallow river, at which Halt had carried Caitlyn across. Eventually they made it to a small cave.

The cave was barely tall enough for Halt and Ferris to stand up in, but fortunately for them they would sepnd most of their time in the cave sitting, and Ferris had gone through the trouble of setting down leaves to avoid getting dirty. When Halt had first discovered the cave, he had thought it might have been for some sort of animal. But as time went pass, there were no signs of any sort of creature living there, so Halt assumed it was safe and showed it to his siblings. Now they came to hang out in it on a regular basis, Halt apparently more often to skip lessons. It was their secret hideout, special to only the O'Carrick siblings.

"What do we do now?" Caitlyn asked, taking a seat between her brothers.

"Just hang out. There's not much else to do." Halt replied.

'Yay. I like hanging out with you two," Caitlyn said excitedly. She grabbed onto Ferris's arm and hugged it close to her.

"And we like hanging out with you, Cait," Ferris replied. He wrapped his arm around Caitlyn's shoulders and pulled her closer into his side.

"When you're not being a little narc," Halt put in. Caitlyn moved away from Ferris to punch Halt in the arm. As she was a scrawny little five year old it had absolutely no physical affect on Halt. The only thing it achieved was making her brothers laugh. They spent the rest of the day hanging out and talking in the cave, not going back to the castle until the sun was about to set. When they got back they were in trouble with their parents as their teachers had predictably told them that the kids weren't in class.

Other than that it had been a good day.

In this Halt and Ferris are supposed to be ten. I don't know if they act like ten year olds though because I don't know what ten year olds are like. They just seem to exist to me. I have yet to see a ten year old in the wild.

Hope you liked it and hope it was treaty. Regular treaty, not Will Treaty