#so i'm gonna go with her early tomorrow before i get on the road to go visit my friend out of town for the weekend

[army-of-bee-assassins]

my food stamps got renewed let's fucking go lads

[roosterforme]

The Younger Kind Part 24 | Rooster x Reader

Summary: When you and Bradley put some pieces of the puzzle together, you realize it was a blessing in disguise that you ran into Meredith. But in the early hours of Wednesday morning, Bradley is hanging on by a thread. How could anyone try to take Noah away from him?

Warnings: Angst, swearing, fluff, and age gap (18+)

Length: 4000 words

Pairing: Single dad!Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x babysitter!female reader

Check out my masterlist for more! The Younger Kind masterlist.

Bradley strolled out of work with Nat hot on his heels. "She's picking you up?" she asked, clearly surprised by the turn of events over the past few days. When Bradley saw you leaning against the Bronco in the parking lot, Nat gasped. "You let her drive your Bronco?"

"Yeah, I trust her," he replied, taking off at a faster pace to get to you. The expression on your face had him a little worried, and you looked tired, but he was so happy to see you. Because he'd been anxious all day.

"Hi, Natasha," you called out, waving past Bradley as he scooped you up in a hug. "And hi, Daddy," you whispered, next to his ear as he held you.

"Hi, Baby," he sighed, kissing your glossy lips. "I missed you. Did you have a good day?"

You sucked in a deep breath, but then Nat was there, and the two of you were chatting. But your face was pinched and agitated instead of smooth and perfect, and you were playing with your hands nervously. Bradley let you talk to Nat for a few more minutes, and then he softly kissed the top of your head. 

"Don't want to be late to pick Noah up," he told you, and then he gave Nat a hug and took the keys when you held them up for him. "You gonna tell me what's wrong?" he asked as he put the Bronco in gear.

"Why do you think something's wrong?" you asked casually, reaching for his hand. 

"I can tell something's bothering you, Princess. But I'm assuming since you just grabbed my hand that you're not upset with me.

There was a brief pause before you said, "I saw Meredith when I went grocery shopping this morning."

Bradley nearly swerved off the road. "This morning? You saw her this morning, and you're just telling me about it now?" he glanced your way briefly. What happened? Did you get hurt?"

"I'm fine, Bradley." You squeezed his hand and pulled it to your lips, pressing a soft kiss to his thumb. "I'm perfectly fine."

"I swear, she's trying to ruin my life," he growled. "Won't leave me alone. Thinks it's okay to go after you. I'm afraid I'm going to fucking lose it in the courtroom when I see her tomorrow."

"Bradley, let's just go home and have a nice dinner, and then we can talk about it in a few hours after Noah is in bed, okay? You need to stay calm."

But that proved impossible. Bradley watched you with his son, just as patient as ever. You alternated between making dinner and coloring with him while Bradley silently panicked. He had no idea how he could give this up. Even looking at Noah right now was painful for him. And when Noah asked him to get all three of the paper crowns, Bradley actually started crying.

"Sure, bub. Come help me find yours." Noah took Bradley by the hand and led him down the hallway to his bedroom. 

"It's in here, Daddy," he said, reaching for the yellow crown on his dresser and putting it on his own head before giving the bigger green one to Bradley. "Let's get the purple one for Princess." 

Noah climbed up on Bradley's bed, but he still couldn't reach it. Bradley pulled it down and handed it to his son. "Why don't you give it to her, but only if she's not trying to cook dinner, okay?" It was hard to speak with the lump in his throat as Bradley carried his son back into the kitchen. He had his nose buried in Noah's soft hair, inhaling his scent and holding back tears. "I love you," he whispered as Noah handed you the purple crown.

"Oh, are we all matching tonight?" you asked with a soft laugh. But your smile didn't quite reach your eyes as you looked at Bradley. 

"Yep!" Noah said as you slipped your crown onto your head. 

And then dinner was mostly silent. And if you thought it was strange that Bradley held Noah on his lap the entire time, you didn't say anything. The night was going too quickly. Bradley had spent weeks trying not to think about this day, but now here it was, and it was worse than he could have ever imagined. He could barely stomach the food you made even though it was perfect. 

"It's going to be okay," you whispered across the table. 

"How do you know that?" he asked in response. "How do you know this isn't the last night I get to do this?" Bradley kissed Noah's cheek and took a deep breath to calm his nerves.

You stayed silent after that, only whispering something sweet to Noah before you said goodnight to him. Then you let Bradley have some privacy to give Noah a bath and get him dressed for bed. He read seven books to Noah, and he was already asleep by the end of the last one. But he stayed on his knees next to the bed, brushing Noah's curls softly back from his forehead and kissing him a million times.

"I love you," he said, tears filling his eyes as he wandered back out into the hallway. You were cleaning up the kitchen, but when he found himself in the doorway, you gathered him into your arms.

"It's hitting you hard, I can tell," you told him, and Bradley didn't care if you saw him crying.

"I just feel like... all of this shit is beyond my control. I can only do my best. But that's still not good enough to ensure I get to raise my son, which is completely fucked up."

You guided him to one of the chairs and then climbed onto his lap. Your voice was so soft, Bradley could barely hear you. "I just don't see how anyone could take him away from you."

"Do you have any idea how often judges side with mothers over fathers? It's so unsettling, I don't even want to think about it right now."

You tightened your grip on him. "Then let's think about something else."

"I still can't believe Meredith was at the grocery store this morning," he groaned, rubbing his face.

You were quiet for a few minutes, and then you looked at him with your pretty face scrunched in frustration. "She said the strangest things to me."

Bradley was on high alert now. "What? What did she say?"

"Well, she made a comment about how your car is worth a lot of money."

"It's a Bronco, Princess. Not a car." He realized this was the first time he'd really smiled in hours, and it felt good. 

"Yes, I'm so sorry. She mentioned that your Bronco was worth a lot, and she said she was surprised you let me drive it."

He rolled his eyes. "Just because I never let her touch it doesn't mean you can't. She used to wreck up her little sports cars annually and then buy a new one. Doesn't appreciate the classics like you do." Bradley kissed your shoulder and listened to you sigh. "But I guess it's kind of odd that she said that to you. And honestly, I have no idea how much the Bronco is worth. Maybe like sixty thousand? I try to keep her running nice."

You scoffed at him, and then Bradley could practically see the wheels turning in your head. "I looked it up against your VIN number. In pristine condition, your Bronco is worth almost one hundred and fifty thousand dollars."

"It is?" he asked, completely shocked.

"It is," you confirmed. "You didn't know that?"

"No," he said, shaking his head.

"Meredith also mentioned some life insurance money?" you said a little reluctantly. "In an account for Noah?" He watched your eyes go wide as you quickly added, "I'm not trying to pry, and we don't need to talk about it-"

"From my mom," he replied, kissing you softly to let you know it was okay to talk about it. "I have my mom's huge life insurance payout. I never touched a cent, because it was too depressing. After Noah was born, I decided to save it for him. He can use it for college or for a house or.... I don't know, he can sail a fucking yacht around the world with it or something. But it's for him."

You gasped and said, "Bradley, I think Meredith just wants your money."

-------------------------

You watched him slowly shake his head as you scrambled off his lap and went to go get his computer from where you left it charging in the living room. When you brought it back to the kitchen, Bradley said, "Princess, she makes more money than I do. I just don't see how that could be the case. You should see where she lives in Oceanside. It looks like a mansion."

"No," she replied, opening up the tabs she had saved. "She doesn't live in Oceanside any longer."

"How do you know that?" he asked, wrapping his arms around you as you sat perched on his thigh.

You pulled up some property records you had found when you searched Meredith's name earlier. "She went into foreclosure last year and had to sell. She lives in an apartment in San Diego now."

You looked at Bradley over your shoulder, but he was completely silent now.

"What was the name of her company?" you asked, turning back to the computer.

"Coastal Business Development," he said quietly. And a shiver ran through your body. You had been correct in what you found. But now you kept opening tab after tab as he sat there with you. More new information was popping up left and right. She had tried to hide her name by using an LLC, but Bradley knew enough of the missing pieces to help you put it all together.

"She's bankrupt," you whispered, and he gently pushed your hand out of the way to open one last tab himself. You skimmed the court documents and said, "It sounds like she married her business partner, and he left her high and dry."

"Damn," Bradley gasped, going back through each tab about Meredith's real estate foreclosure, business bankruptcies, and personal interviews. You tried to push the computer away, but Bradley kept going back to the same tab, and now he wouldn't even let you minimize it.

"Don't read it," you whispered, pulling his hand away and turning to look at him.

His eyes were void of emotion now as he looked at you. "She was quoted saying she doesn't have any children."

"She doesn't," you insisted, taking his face in your hands. "Not really. But you do. Noah is your son, Bradley."

He let his forehead come to rest on your shoulder, but a minute later, his phone was ringing in his pocket.

"It's probably Nat," he said, shaking his head. "I can't talk to anyone else right now."

He handed you his phone, but you looked at the name and said, "I think you should answer. It's your lawyer."

"Tracy," he grunted, holding the phone up to his face and closing his eyes. You tried to slip off of his lap after a moment, but he held you in place. And then his tone sounded sharp and angry as he scrambled to put the call on speakerphone. "Can you please repeat that last part?"

You heard Tracy's voice clearly say, "You remember how I told you Meredith was in breach of contract with her lawyer? Well, she never paid the law firm. Not a cent. The firm dropped her at the last minute when her funds never materialized. I just found out today. Do you know if she has any sort of history of financial mishaps?"

"Yes!" you said before you could consider if Bradley wanted Tracy to know you were there with him.

Tracy was quiet for a beat. "Are you at home? I'll come to you."

--------------------------

When Tracy arrived after ten o'clock on Tuesday night, Bradley was practically having a nervous breakdown. The hearing was tomorrow. He and Noah were supposed to be at the courthouse in twelve hours. He felt like he was going to throw up.

But at least you were there, touching his hands and his shoulders and trying to make him feel better. You actually were helping him feel better. And then Tracy was in his kitchen with a huge bag, wearing gym clothes and eyeing you a little suspiciously.

Then she looked at Bradley and said, "Ignoring my legal advice, I see."

He sighed deeply. "Tracy, this is my babysitter turned girlfriend."

"Do not call her that tomorrow in the courtroom under any circumstances!" she said hastily. "Promise me, Bradley! I don't want us to end up looking like a pack of idiots when you point her out as your girlfriend."

"Wait..." you said, eyes wide. "You want me there tomorrow?"

"Yes," Tracy said, unloading folders onto the kitchen table along with her computer and a protein shake. "I already have a call in with the judge to have you added as a character witness. So be prepared to answer questions and give a statement if called upon."

"That's too much to ask," Bradley mumbled looking from Tracy to you. "I can't ask you to do that."

You looked at him like he was very slow and maybe a little naive. "You didn't ask me to. Tracy just told me I was. And I want to. If there's a chance I can do anything that might help, I'm doing it."

Bradley pinched the bridge of his nose and tried not to panic too much as you and he showed Tracy what'd you had found online. "Fucking hell," Tracy muttered, scribbling down notes. "I didn't know this was going to turn into a criminal hearing, but here we are." She scrolled through the property records and matched up tax identification numbers, taking everything a step beyond what you and Bradley had been able to do.

"A criminal hearing?" Bradley asked cautiously, but Tracy seemed to be in her own world now.

"Oh... she's slick," Tracy murmured. "Or she believes she is. You would think she'd have known her lawyer wouldn't fall for this. I wonder if she'll even have a lawyer tomorrow..."

Bradley reached for your hand on the table. "Can we just backtrack a moment? What kind of statement will she need to make?" he asked Tracy as he nodded at you. "And what will Meredith's lawyer be allowed to ask her?"

Tracy looked at his fingers intertwined with yours. "You'll just have to answer my questions honestly, without using the word girlfriend! And then Meredith's legal team is going to think it's open season on you as soon as they see your name was added to the docket. If we can even manage to have you added. So if you can't manage to answer their questions calmly and without crying as they try to shred you to pieces, then I suggest you learn how to overnight."

Bradley wanted to put an end to this entire thing, but you cut him off before he could start talking. "Do you honestly think I'll be helpful?"

"Absolutely. Could be the nail in Meredith's coffin, given all this new information."

"Then I'm in. Seriously Bradley, do not argue with us again," you told him, kissing his cheek while Tracy typed away. 

"Okay, I need some coffee. And then let's go over everything from the top," Tracy said, clapping her hands.

----------------------------

It was well after midnight by the time you coaxed Bradley into bed. These last minute revelations were something Tracy insisted were good for Bradley's case, but he was looking extremely apprehensive now. He was raking his fingers through his hair nonstop and pacing around. 

"You need to try to sleep," you whispered, pulling him down the hallway. "Let Tracy do what she needs to do, okay? She's going to be in charge tomorrow. She's good at this."

But he stopped short in front of Noah's door and let go of your hand. "You go get ready for bed. I'll be there in a minute." His voice was flat and his Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed before ducking inside the dark bedroom. You were worried, mostly about him. And about how Noah would do when being questioned by the judge tomorrow. You didn't have time to worry about yourself, so that was at least one good thing you thought of while you brushed your teeth. 

You were dressed in one of Bradley's oversized shirts and waiting in bed for a while before he came in. You helped him change out of his clothes, and he climbed into bed next to you. He didn't say anything except, "I love you, Princess," after he pressed a soft kiss to your lips. But he let you pull him into your arms, and pretty soon you were dozing off to the feel of his soft breaths on your forehead and his heart beating beneath your palm. 

When you woke to a pitch black room, you could tell he was no longer in bed with you. You found him sitting on the floor in Noah's room, watching his son sleep, and when you walked in, your bare feet silent on the floor, he looked up at you. Even in the dim glow from the nightlight, you could tell he had been crying again. But he didn't ask you to leave. He reached for you. 

"You're a good dad," you told him with a soft sob as you climbed onto his lap and wrapped your arms around his neck. "Noah is lucky. And I don't believe they could take him away from you. Away from all this love."

He kissed your cheek, and then he smiled softly as you brushed Noah's curls from his forehead with one hand and Bradley's with the other. "I feel like I can't breathe right," he whispered, and you could feel his pulse racing as you pressed your lips to his neck. "I don't know what I'll do if they take him from me."

"Stop it. They won't."

He was silent again after that, and the two of you ended up sleeping right there on the floor. When you woke up as Noah climbed out of bed just after sunrise, your hip was a little sore, and Bradley was still sleeping. 

"Morning, Noah," you whispered, standing and scooping him into your arms. You took him to the kitchen, kissing his chubby cheeks on the way.

"Do you live here now?" he asked, yawning as you turned on the coffee maker. 

"No. I don't," you said, hoping he wouldn't say anything like that when he was questioned by the judge in a few hours. "I'm just your babysitter." He just blinked at you before asking for breakfast.

About twenty minutes later, when Bradley walked in rubbing his back, he made a beeline for Noah while you scrambled some eggs and made coffee. Even the mug that said My Other Car Is a Super Hornet didn't make you smile today. You burned your mouth on the coffee, and you nearly knocked the pan onto the floor. Because every time you looked at Bradley, you were on the verge of tears. Maybe you weren't capable of being as strong as you needed to be today. Now the idea of standing up in the courtroom was laughable. You were going to ruin everything.

Bradley was calling your name, and when you snapped out of your daze, he said, "You need to eat, too."

"I can't," you whispered, shaking your head. "I can't." You left them alone and went to take a quick shower, happy you'd packed a variety of clothing when you stopped home the other day. You were supposed to have a mock interview with one of your peers over a FaceTime call today, so you'd packed a blazer and some nice pants. You'd just have to skip the interview. Honestly, school and searching for a job had been the last things on your mind recently anyway.

You let Bradley get Noah ready to go, and when it was time to leave, you looked at him, so handsome in his navy blue suit. "Will you drive? Please?" he asked, holding out the Bronco key for you to take. You simply nodded, but a moment later, you felt tears in your eyes again. He was sitting in the backseat next to Noah. You backed carefully out of his driveway and headed to the center of the city and the courthouse and Meredith and everything else that you wished Bradley and Noah didn't have to see today. 

--------------------------

The fact that Tracy was chugging a Red Bull and looked like she hadn't slept at all was only making Bradley feel worse as he carried Noah up the stairs in front of the courthouse. 

She rushed toward them and pointed at you. "You're on the docket. Get ready. Meredith supposedly has a lawyer, and I'm sure they've seen the docket update by now."

"Okay," you replied. You were nodding, but you looked as nervous as Bradley felt.

Then Tracy was patting Noah on the head. "Remember me?  I'm Tracy. We're going to do something a little different today, okay Noah? It might seem a little silly at first, because you'll be the only kid here! But you'll be allowed to color when we get inside."

You gasped. "I didn't pack him any coloring books!"

"I have some," Tracy said, patting her briefcase. You immediately looked a little calmer, and Tracy added, "But that's the sign of a good babysitter if you usually pack them."

"She brings me coloring books when she babysits me," Noah told Tracy. 

Bradley held Noah a little tighter. "Made sure I got you the best babysitter around, bub."

Just as Tracy cracked open another can of Red Bull that she procured from somewhere, she said, "Time to go in." Bradley didn't stand too close to you, and he didn't touch you. He followed you inside the front doors at a respectable distance, and you seemed to understand what needed to be done today. 

When Bradley's eyes settled on Meredith, she was already looking at him. And she was standing next to a tall man in a suit. "Well, would you look at that? She does have a lawyer today," Tracy whispered, crushing the now empty can in her fist and throwing it away before walking over to introduce herself to him. 

Bradley had to turn his gaze away from his ex, and he walked a little further away from you. The desire to touch you was strong, but he instinctively wanted to get Noah as far away from Meredith as he possibly could. Bradley's heart was pounding, and a wave of nausea passed through him. 

"Daddy, can we go home?" Noah whispered, wrapping his arms around Bradley's neck. "I don't like it here."

Neither did Bradley. He held his son and thought about Carole, and how she never let anything scary happen to him when he was a kid. He thought about losing everything by the time he was a teenager and about the fact that Noah had given him a fresh start. A reason to be happy. And it was because of Noah that he met you. When he glanced over his shoulder, you were watching the two of them with a soft gaze. 

"Pretty soon, bub," he replied, squeezing his son and pressing his lips to his forehead. "I'll take you home soon. I hope."

--------------------------

Next up is the showdown! Get in my asks with questions and concerns, but we may be nearing the end. Hope you enjoy your fic, @beyondthesefourwalls And thank you @mak-32 !

PART 25

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[annab-nana]

Scenario: told parents about SO and now you have to rope someone into it for the holidays with Eddie!!

ooo so i did this already here, but this time, i'm going to switch it around and have eddie ask her

warnings: not proofread, a bit long for a blurb

❀ masterlist ❀

"wake up! wake up! wake up!" eddie's voice sounded around you which was weird because you distinctly remember falling asleep at your house alone, not at eddie's. you would've written it off as a dream if you weren't feeling his hands on your shoulder and arm, attempting to shake you awake. when you cracked an eye open, you saw him standing over you, so no, this wasn't a dream.

"eddie, what the fuck?" you groaned as you grabbed your blanket and pulled it over your head to block him out.

"nope, not doing that," eddie told you, pulling the blanket out of your grasp before you could fully cover your head and placing it back where it was. you just groaned even louder and crossed your arms over your eyes.

it was too early for this shit right now.

"eddie, please don't take offense to this, but for the love of god, get out of my house right now."

"nope." you felt the bed dip beside you where he sat. then, his hands were on your arms and he lightly pulled them up to see your eyes.

"what time is it?"

he glanced at his watch. "5:47."

your eyes about popped out of your head. "a.m.?"

"yeah."

you propped yourself on your elbows and gave him an incredulous look. "okay, now i mean this offensively. get the fuck out."

"you don't even want to know why i'm here?" eddie asked and when he spoke, you finally took notice of the pleading look in his eyes. with that, you were a little more awake and willing to hear what he had to say.

letting out a sigh, you scooted all the way up to sit up fully and listen. "out with it, eds."

"you know how we're supposed to leave tomorrow to see my aunt in new york?"

you nodded, too tired to verbally confirm your knowledge of the plan.

"well, wayne talked to her a couple of nights ago to tell her he wouldn't be there until next week because he can't get off work, but we were still supposed to go tomorrow. but, she called last night and said that we should leave as early as we can today because they are gonna start doing some road work on the highway later today and that if we leave earlier, we'll run into less traffic. i tried to call you last night to tell you that, but you didn't answer."

"so we have to leave right now?" you inquired as you rubbed your eyes. you were glad you were mostly packed anyway. all you had to add were your everyday items.

"yeah, i'd like to. it's going to be a long drive anyway. the last thing we want is traffic slowing us down, especially christmas traffic at that."

"okay," you spoke before yawning and nodding. he didn't seem finished though. "is there something else?"

"yeah..." whatever it was, he wasn't chomping at the bit to share it.

you were getting nervous. "what is it, eddie?"

"when we were saying our goodbyes on the phone, she said that she was really excited to meet my girlfriend. i guess, from what wayne's told her, she thought that since we hang out together all the time, we're going out," eddie stated, letting his words hang in the air for you to piece together.

"but i'm not your girlfriend."

"i know that."

"did you tell her that?"

his lack of response wasn't boosting your confidence.

"eddie?" your tone was one of warning.

"i didn't realize what she said until after she hung up."

"eddie," you whined, leaning forward and resting your head on his shoulder for a moment before pulling back. "so, what now? you want me to play your girlfriend?"

when you said it, you were half-joking, but the look on eddie face read of complete seriousness. "oh, for fuck's sake," you grumbled under your breath.

"i'm sorry," eddie apologized, a begging undertone in his voice, "it's just that it's my first time seeing her since i was like ten and i don't want to look like an idiot. and she said she was excited to meet my girlfriend and i don't want to let her down, so please for me, do this. we're already pretty close as it is. we'll just have to embellish some things." when you silently looked off in consideration, eddie spoke up one more time. "come on, y/n. please. you owe me."

you cut your eyes back to him because he was right. you did owe him for saving you from a few bad guys at the hideout by pretending to be your boyfriend, but the circumstances were completely different. he was pretending for maybe a minute max. you were staying with his aunt for two weeks.

you hated that you looked back at him because it made it so much harder to not give in. his stupid big brown doe eyes were making it impossible to deny him even though you knew you were going to say yes. he knew it too.

"fine," you said softly and no less than a second after the word left your lips, eddie's arms wrapped around you tightly.

"thank you so much! i owe you big time."

"yeah, you do," you commented, a light chuckle following your words before you patted his arm. "alright, boyfriend, let me go so i can finish packing and change so we can leave."

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[ka0ila]

| Smoke Break

warnings - depression, smoking, angst, hurt, argument, sensitive topics, suicide attempt(lmk if theres more)

summary - you and seungmin had a messy argument, you thought you’d just take a small smoke break, but was it just a smoke break?

pairing - roommate!seungmin x depressed!reader

• m.list

© Ka0ila 2023 — all rights reserved. i do not allow translations, or any kind of distribution on other platforms. this is my only account.

i tried. i really, really tried.

i really tried to be better, not for me but for him.

i really tried believing everything will be merry if i just worked hard, i did.

but i’m breaking, breaking down pieces by pieces each day, hurting everyone around me, looking at all the disappointed faces.

i really tried, really tried be someone he’d want.

someone mature, successful, peaceful to be with.

but me? i’m depressed, struggling, and draining to be with.

he left 5 days ago for his business trip to Paris, leaving the house to me. i came back from work the day before he’s gonna arrive and find a messy apartment to myself. i sigh keeping my bag putting my hands on my face huffing.

i need to clean this, i can’t give him more reasons to hate me.

i had really fallen in love, but i know if i ever end up having him, i’ll completely ruin him. i can’t have anyone stay, i have no promises to make, i can’t even promise myself.

i pick up the pair of socks on the ground, followed by my old shirt and slowly steadily started cleaning the place.

i never really smoke at him, i don’t want him to know i smoke, it’s disgusting, but i’m so into it i can’t get out. a small smoke break won’t hurt? right?

i made my way to the balcony, mesmerised by the beauty of the skyscrapers and apartments. i always found myself coming back to new york. always. for some reason i always end up here, and i don’t hate it. i love this city truly, but i hate the memories attached to it. looking at a couple walking down the road i take a puff.

A second one wouldn’t hurt right? second became third, third became fourth, fourth became fifth, there was nothing to stop me, nobody to care for, no fear to get caught, then why stop?

“(y/n)?” i flinched, seungmin? but he wasn’t coming till tomorrow?

i hurriedly throw my cigarette out,

“seungmin? you’re early.” i try to act normal as a puff came out of my mouth.

“you’re smoking?” he frowned, it felt as if he was taunting. i didn’t say anything, words betrayed me, i stood there still.

“do whatever but not in my apartment.” he said scoffing. why was he being so mean? oh so he didn’t care at all? his apartment?

it hurt my ego, and i let it get the best of me.

“your apartment seungmin? where you are rarely in? sure. I will smoke wherever i want seungmin” i mock. he was staring at me, disappointed?

“i have work (y/n) , not like you— fuck why am i even arguing with you? you’re just an useless roommate who can’t keep the apartment clean for 5 fucking days or have the decency to not smoke in the apartment.” he leaves.

i stare, stare and stare blanky. i freeze at his words, but i was really trying, i really was. i stood still, processing.

i felt something on my hand, water? was i crying?

i slowly walk towards my room’s bathroom, a cold shower bath would really help right now.

as i was laying in the bathtub, i go down and down, slowly, and i didn’t protest, i let it happen, i look at the ceiling, did i really want this? to live like this? fake hopes? pain? temporary happiness?

i said alot to her, i couldve handled it differently, fuck. i heard her open her room’s door, i saw her walk into the bathroom through the door creak. i should probably give her some space, fuck i felt guilty. i knew she wasn’t doing good lately and used it against her? thats not who i am i wanted to look upto me, to be safe with me.

time passed, i was growing anxious, was isn’t she coming out? it’s been 45 minutes, it’s worrying me. she always took quick baths, why is she still there. something inside me, an instinct, a voice forced me to go into the bathroom, it told me something’s wrong, i knew it.

“(y/n)? (Y/N)” she was deep inside the water, eyes closed, fuck fuck, hearing my voice she got up gasping for air.

she tried.. drowning herself?

“what the fuck are you doing?” i put my hand on her back to support her get up, she was crying, her eyes were red,

“i swear it wasn’t intentional i couldn’t.. i couldn’t stop it seungmin, i swear please” she was holding my hands, begging, whimpering and crying,

my eyes fall on her dark circles, then her sad eyes, then her dry lips, she lost weight? how did i never notice?

“it’s okay, it’s okay i’m here baby, it’s okay”

i pat her head slowly taking her in my embrace, kissing her forehead time to time, “it’s okay, i’m not mad, i know you didn’t mean it, you’ll be okay”

“let’s get you out of here, hm? let’s get you on the bed”

she looked so tired, so weak.

i pick her up and lay her down on her bed, dressing her up in fresh clothes. I lay beside her, gently caressing her forehead and hair, looking at her sleeping face. i place a small kiss on her nose,

“i love you seungmin” she mumbled in her sleep as she nuzzles into my neck,

“i’ve always loved you (y/n)” i said as i rest my chin on top of her head, soothing her hair.

posted after a while haha, felt like writing, getting it out lol, sort of a rant—? hehe.

likes & reposts are appreciated <33

[frankenstein-ate-my-left-shoe]

i'm outta my head over you Pt. 7

prologue (Pt. 1) | Pt. 2 | Pt. 3 | Pt. 4 | Pt. 5 | Pt. 6 | AO3 | playlist

this is the last chap of my steddie week fic!! i have a little blurb i may do for tomorrow's open ended prompt, but for now, here's the last @steddie-week prompt: misunderstandings

Robin stops him as they’re herding the gremlins into their respective vehicles. You’d think that after nearly five hours of spending the four barely adults’ money would be enough time at the arcade. But no. They’re all fighting them on leaving. As if they all won’t be asleep by the time they get home.

“Once you get it done, you may want to get up early.”

“Uh..what?”

“Steve always goes for a run at like ass o’clock in the morning.” she’s speaking low and fast to try and not draw attention to them, but their normal level of volume with one another is normally 100 times louder than this, so she’s really doing the exact opposite. “If you get up early enough, you can leave it for him while he’s gone.”

“Okayokay, I got it! Now stop making this weird.”

She looks around to find Steve already staring at the two of them questioningly.

“Oh shit… OKAY, YEAH, GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR DATE EDDIE.” she practically yells.

“What the hell, Robin? I don’t have a date!”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m sure it’ll be great!” she’s walking away already, shrugging like even she doesn’t know why the fuck she said that. “Call me when you’re home!”

Eddie smacks his palm against his forehead and turns to his van, not even daring to look at Steve again.

He finally does dare once he’s in his van and has started moving, giving Steve a ‘nothing wrong or weird here’ wave as he pulls away.

The expression on Steve’s face is indiscernible. Somewhere stuck between totally blank, and the most devastated look he’s ever seen.

Damnit, Robin.

He only ended up with Max in his van on the way back, so when they get back, he helps her inside, and resigns himself to staying up all night to finish the tape.

He pulls in next to Wayne’s truck at the same time his uncle is coming out the front door, a dufflebag in hand. 

“You off to work early old man?” and he asks as he gets out of his van, it’s only about 9 PM now and his uncle doesn’t usually go in until near midnight. 

“Yep, gettin’ some dinner with the fellas before we head in. Gotta leave shift early to go visit yer aunt.”

Ah. “That time of year is it?”

“Yep, I’ll see ya tomorrow evenin’, son. Don’t be getting into any trouble, y’hear?”

Eddie just shrugs. “You know me.”

“That’s exactly my point.” Wayne says with a crinkly smirk.

He gives his uncle a short hug, and Wayne kisses the top of his head with another ‘be safe’.

Then, because he’s agonizing about it, Eddie spends the next couple hours cleaning the trailer instead of picking the last two songs that will go on his side (listening to said tape while he does).

He’s still got some ideas from before, but only a couple good ones..and not all of them will fit in the time he’s estimated is left on the B side.

It isn’t until he gets to Be My Baby on his second listen through that he knows which one he’s going to add next.

After he’s got that one figured out and recorded, there definitely isn’t enough room left for the rest of the picks, so he adds the one he thinks says the most about how he feels about Steve, the one that says everything he needs to say.

-----

“Robin did say ‘ass o’clock’,” Eddie says to himself, glancing at the clock in his dashboard.

5:13. Yeah, that sounds right.

Eddie lets out a huge cracking yawn. Okay, he’s definitely gonna crash once he gets back to the trailer. He was so wired after finally finishing the tape, he couldn’t sleep even though he wanted to.

He makes it to Steve's street and parks up the road a bit (not wanting the rattle of his van to alert Steve to his presence if he hadn’t left yet), and walks the last leg. The tape in his pocket feels like it weighs a million pounds.

When he finally rounds the bushes at the front edge of Steve’s yard, Eddie feels every cell in his body seize up at once.

Nancy’s car is in the driveway.

What the–

Suddenly, the front door opens. He dives back behind the bushes, peeking through the leaves. You know, like a sane person?

Why the fuck is Nancy leaving Steve's house so early

Why is Steve only wearing those tiny fuckin’ shorts?

Oh no..

Oh shit.

There’s only one fucking reason

This is all wrong! Nancy knows he has feelings for Steve, was that not what that was at the arcade?

She’s with Robin, she didn’t refute it.

Oh fuck, he’s gonna have to tell Robin.

Eddie debates making himself known, let himself barrel over whatever awkwardness may arise, but he’s still got his heart in his pocket, addressed to Steve.. What’s he supposed to do with that then?

“Oh hey Steve, didn’t see you there! Just came by to drop off your very personal property that your best friend stole for me to defile! Nancy? Oh hey, you’re here! What’s up with tha–”

He’s startled out of his thoughts when the door of Nancy's station wagon shuts, the engine turning over. 

She pulls out, thankfully heading away from where he’s hidden.

Eddie watches until she’s out of sight, then jumps again when he hears Steve’s front door close.

Steve does a few hops in place from foot to foot on his front stoop (still shirtless), and starts off on his run the same way Nancy had gone. Had he been able to see shirtless, sweaty Steve whenever he wanted?? He just goes for runs like this every day? Why had no one told him??

‘Oh fuckin’ hell, shut up, shutup!!’ He yells at himself.

Now what?

Eddie sits in the grass in Steve Harrington’s front yard and stares at the back of his mailbox.

Does he still leave the tape? Of course he should, it is Steve’s tape afterall.

But what about the songs? Steve’s not gonna want his bullshit now…

He could go back to his van and re-write the note then come back and leave it. No, he wouldn’t have time now, Steve’s athletic, yeah, but Eddie’s been frozen in his front yard for a while now. He’d be back soon.

Fuck it. 

He’ll drop the tape on the front step, go back home and pack up his shit. Yeah. Good a time as any to get the fuck outta here.

Confessing your feelings to one of your closest friends who very obviously just got back together with his ex not even ten hours after you’d seen him and were very obviously flirting with each other?

Yeah. Not ideal.

Does he have the funds to get the fuck outta here? No. But he’s got enough for gas and he’s got a van. He’ll just load his mattress into the back and be gone before the rest of the town fully wakes up.

Good plan, Eddie’s brain. Thank you, rest of Eddie.

-------

Steve slows to a jog once he can see his house, cooling down from his run on the last little bit of his road, and stopping in his driveway to do some stretches back to the door.

He’s sinking down into his last lunge when he sees the little square of…something…sitting on the front step.

“The hell?”

He stoops down and picks it up, turns it over. There’s a piece of lined paper rubber banded around it.

Peeling off the band, Steve steps inside and unfolds the letter, leaning back on the now closed front door to read

“...oh no…” Steve looks down at the case in his hand. Now he sees why the rubberband was necessary, there’s another folded wad of papers shoved into the cassette’s case, now popped open without the band holding it together.

His heart, previously calmed down from his run, now beat wildly in his chest as he unfurls the short stack of paper.

He reads the first line, ‘8. I Was Made For Lovin’ You...’

“Holy shit.”

Steve books it up the stairs, he’s gotta get showered, he’s gotta get changed, he’s got one more song to add to the tape.

-------

Eddie’s just finished packing up his clothes when his alarm clock radio goes off, the 7am alarm still set for when he has to get up for school.

“...still don’t believe it, he was just leaving OH there must be some misunderstanding! There must be some kind of mistake…” blasts through the tinny speakers.

Nopenopenope, not dealing with that right now.

He slaps the clock around until it finally shuts off its maniacal teasing, and goes back to packing (and blinking away some wayward tears).

He’s just dropped the second bag of clothes and his sweetheart in her case by the front door and is contemplating if his mattress would actually fit in the back of his van, when there’s a knock on the door.

Eddie’s gut freezes mid-flip.

Oh no. Please n–

“Eddie, are you there? It’s Steve. Can I come in?”

‘Don’t move. Don’t make a single sound. Maybe he’ll think you’re not home and just leave.’

“C’mon man, I know you’re in there. You’re van’s out here.”

“Shit.”

Eddie trudges his way to the front door and opens it.

Even with floppy, just-washed, hair and an inside-out polo, Steve’s still the most beautiful person in existence.

“What do you want, Steve?” Wow. Even he’s surprised at how morose he sounds.

“I uh, I got your tape..my tape? I got your note. I added one more song and I thought, maybe, I could–” Steve looks down. “Are you..” his voice pitches high so he clears it. “Are you going somewhere?”

“Mhm.” Eddie can’t look him in the eye. He stares at the porch.

“Where are you–”

“Just going, ‘kay Steve? No need to worry about me being around anymore.” Eddie practically spits, still not looking up at his friend.

“Eddie, what are you–” he cuts himself off, his voice going soft. “Did you not mean what you said?”

That makes Eddie look up at him. Steve’s gaze is now cast downwards, staring blankly at Eddie’s packed bags.

“...I meant every word. Every song, Steve. But that doesn’t matter now, does it?” he’s truly mad now, who does he think he is, trying to act all glum like he wasn’t the one betraying his best friend.

“B-betraying my best–Eddie, what the hell are you talking about?”

Damn! He said that out loud.

“Just go away, Steve. I won’t tell Robin, but you definitely should.” Eddie moves to close the front door and turns back towards his room. He doesn’t hear it close, but he hears the creak of the floor when Steve follows him in.

Of. Course.

“Tell Robin what, Eddie? I already told her how I felt about you, that’s why she stole you the tape in the first plac–”

“Not that! You–” Eddie clenches his fists at his sides and spins back to face Steve. “That you hooked up with her girlfriend last night.” Steve’s face pales and Eddie continues on. “Yeah. I came by to drop off your tape; Robin thought I could leave it there when you left for your run. But lo and behold, what do I see when I come by? Nancy Wheeler’s car in your driveway at ass o’clock in the morning.

“Now, I may be a third time senior, but even I know what the fuck that means. Especially when, not long after I’ve gotten there, the Lady Wheeler herself waltzes out the door with Tiny Shorts McGee following her like a lost puppy.” he gestures at Steve, who’s still frozen in place by the door.

“So yeah, you can just burn those notes for all I care, I don’t even know why I still left it. Whatever. I’m leaving today anyway so you don’t need to worry about me pining hopelessly after you, ‘kay?”

Eddie’s chest is heaving, his eyes are burning with unshed tears, and Steve…starts laughing.

“I fuckin’ knew it!” There are tears spilling freely out of his eyes now. “You’re really good y’know, had everyone fooled. Even me! King Steve is alive and well, everyone!” Eddie spreads his hands wide and yells to no one.” I can’t believe you got me to fall for your good guy schtick. Get the fuck outta my house, Harrington.” Eddie points to the door, stalking forward.

“Eddie! Eddie, wait, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have laughed.” Steve puts his hands out and Eddie stops, crossing his arms and glaring. “Eddie, please, Nancy was only dropping something off for me.”

“Yeah righ–”

“She was! She came by that early because she’s driving to an interview this morning at a paper in Indy. She knew I’d be up for my run anyway, so she stopped to give me the revisions she made to my–you know what, hold on. I’m calling Robin.”

“Steve, I told you to get the fuck out of my house, not go further into it.”

Steve ignores him and goes to the phone, giving Eddie as wide of a berth as he can while he passes. He picks it up and dials.

“I’m not fucking kidding, Harrington, get the fuck out of here–” Eddie’s anger is multiplied tenfold when Steve holds out a finger to shush him.

“Hi Mr. Buckley, this is Steve. I’m sorry to call so early, but can I please speak to Robin? There was a last minute change to our schedule…thank you.’

Eddie watches Steve’s face morph from his customer service expression, to an admittedly frightening pissed off smile when Robin apparently gets on the line.

“Hey Robin! I found my Eddie tape! It’s the funniest thing, I came back from my run and it was sitting on my doorstep.”

Eddie can hear the muffled sound of Robin’s voice coming through the earpiece.

“I know, isn’t that crazy?” Damn, Steve’s passive aggressive voice is…something else. “He must’ve dropped it off while I was gone..why wouldn’t he give it to me in person?”

Steve waves at Eddie to come closer, and when he stubbornly doesn’t, Steve rolls his eyes and comes to him, stretching the cord across the kitchen as he does.

“Hmmm...maybe.. Or maybe something scared him off?” He takes in an over-dramatic sarcastic gasp. “Or maybe, my best friend and soulmate who stole the tape for him, told him to come by at the exact worst time! When she knew a certain ex of mine and current girlfriend of hers was stopping by before leaving to Indy and it scared him off!”

Steve tilts the handset out from his ear so Eddie can hear..there’s complete silence on the other end.

“That would suck, don't you think? Seeing your crush’s ex leaving their house early in the morning when you’re coming over to confess to them?” He continues.

“Oh. My. God. Steve!! I am so so sorry I–”

“Don’t apologize to me, apologize to Eddie.”

Steve grabs up Eddie’s hand and wraps it around the handset, forcing him to take it, then stomps off into the living room.

Eddie puts the phone to his ear and walks back to the receiver, Robin rambling in his ear the whole way. 

“--ddie, I’m so so sorry! I totally forgot Nancy was dropping off Steve’s paper this morning before she went to her interview! Please please don’t be mad at me, actually, scratch that. Be super mad at me, but definitely not at Steve, okay? I should have remembered, I should have told you, I should hav–”

It’s effective, he feels the anger draining out of him. “Robin, Robin! It’s okay, you’re okay.” Eddie glances over at Steve, who’s pacing up and down the short length of the trailer’s living room. “But now I have a very pissed off Harrington in my house right now…you got any survival tips for me?” he mumbles lowly.

“...Oh! I know, just go over there and kiss hi–her–stupid!” Eddie snorts through his nose, her parents must still be nearby.

“Got it, I’ll try that. Thanks Birdie…for everything.”

She sighs in relief. “You’re welcome, Doofus.”

Eddie slowly hangs up the phone, and turns to where Steve is. Now stationary, he’s got one hand on his hip, and the other is rifling through his hair nervously.

‘Yep. Buckley’s right.’

Eddie takes a deep breath and crosses to Steve in three short strides, grabs his face in both his hands, and kisses him deeply.

Steve responds immediately; he wraps one arm around Eddie’s waist, his large palm centered squarely on his lower back, and one around his arm, lacing his fingers into Eddie’s curls and cupping the back of his head.

Steve pulls their bodies flush and cants his hips into Eddie’s, tugs a breathy moan from Eddie’s throat when the hand in his curls tightens.

Eddie’s nose is pressed uncomfortably into the space between Steve’s nose and cheekbone with how close they’ve smushed themselves together, but Eddie can’t find it in himself to care. 

He’s kissing Steve Harrington. 

There’s a strong thigh slotted between his, and Steve Harrington is kissing him back. 

Eddie moves one hand down to clutch at Steve’s shirt, and pushes the other back, grabbing onto those short hairs on the back of Steve’s neck.

They finally come up for air after one too many teeth clashes, their foreheads coming together.

“Hi.” they breathe out at the same time, chuckling at the absurdity of it all.

“We’re kinda idiots, huh?” Steve says, looking cross-eyed between Eddie’s eyes. The hazel of his eyes sparkling with the movement.

Eddie chuckles. “Dingus and Doofus, remember?” he points to each of them in turn, only lifting his pointer finger out of the grip on Steve’s shirt to do so.

“Can I play you the last song now?”

and then they low dance in eddie's living room

Yay!! that's it, thanks for following along with this one!!! here's the last tags :o) @hellomynameismoo, @messrs-weasley, @manda-panda-monium

Here's some notes since it's the last part:

this is the most I’ve ever written in such a short time, I literally wrote each of these chapters the day before their day to be posted….most of it while at work lmao

Steve used a Sony C60 tape. i.e. there’s 60-ish minutes of space on it. before At Last, the songs on the tape totaled 55 min 55 seconds, a perfect amount left for Etta James (ending up at 58 min 54 seconds in total according to my spoofy playlist).

I know that the Eddie half of songs weren’t really…’Eddie music’, but in my head, Eddie likes music for being music. All music is good (like he said to Max in part 5). Plus, he wanted to put songs on the tape that he knew Steve would like/want to listen to.

steve asked nancy to make revisions on his nursing school application essay (he found he quite liked the process of taking care of eddie and wants to go to school for it!)

anyone else just recently realize that Take Me Home Tonight had an allusion to Be My Baby?? anyway, love that, wanted to make that a thing here :o)

and lastly, a couple of little things i LOVED about this fic that i didn’t see anyone else / only a couple people point out:

Steve singing the rubber duckie song to Eddie in part 5

Eddie literally giving Gareth the shirt off his back in part 2 when Tommy threw his pop on him (in my head, this is the same red buffalo check flannel that Gareth ends up cutting the sleeves off of and wears in S4).

that's all!! thanks for reading, friends :o)

[hypocriticaltypwriter]

HAPPY EARLY BIRTHDAY TO MY BESTEST FRIEND!!!! I was gonna post this tomorrow but I'm gonna be leaving off into the woods once more, so you get it a day earlier bbg 😘 ENJOY AND I LOVE YOU!!!💜💜💜

𝐆𝐢𝐟𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐆𝐚𝐥𝐏𝐚𝐥𝐬 @mjtheartist04 !!! 𝐆𝐨 𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐌𝐀𝐙𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟-𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐭! 𝐒𝐡𝐞'𝐬 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐚 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐮𝐛𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐭! :] 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐡𝐞'𝐬 𝐦𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐞 𝐬𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐭'𝐬 𝐚 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 🔫/𝐣/𝐥𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐥𝐥 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐳 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐃𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐧𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬.

𝐅𝐢𝐜 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝟏𝟔+, 𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐲 𝐤𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 👀 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞!

𝐄𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲!! ~𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐲🍒

“Hey, thanks for the ride home Emerson.” Rika speaks directly into Michael’s ear, her chin resting against his shoulder atop his leather jacket. He can’t see it as he kept his eyes trained on the road in front of him, but he could hear the smile in her voice. He has a hard time fighting off the small one tugging at his lips, lasting for only a second as he gives a loose nod, not verbally voicing a welcome.

He pulls his motorcycle off to the curb, the revving engine roaring to a slow purr as he hits the brakes slowly, sticking out one leg and using it to keep his bike upright as he awaits Rika to climb off.

She does, slowly unwrapping her arms that loosely hung around Michael’s hips, pulling her head away from his which allowed him to turn and watch her. Just in case she needed any help getting off, the the girl seemed to know what she was doing, getting off the bike with ease and her blue, worn-down sneakers hit the freshly watered grass of the curbside lawn beneath.

Michael seems to watch her the entire time, deep blue eyes trained her every movement as if to study her like some strange, new, being to him. In some ways, it was an odd sense of intrigue or protectiveness. But Michael was always hard to read, given he didn’t seem like he talked much, and when he did, the exchange was short.

Rika let’s out a sigh, her voice humming out a little as she turned to him, looking at her house only a couple of strides away, hands on her hips as though she was watching some story or scene unfold.

She stays like that long enough for Michael to quirk a brow, amusement tugging at his lips while his eyes darted from her to her front door. Did she know he was waiting for her to head inside before he left? Just to be sure she was safe. He hopes that wasn’t some strange, or creepy thing to do in Santa Carla, if anything he’d assume it was about damn near mandatory with the state this old run downtown was in.

The only sound that echoed in the darkness was his engine, still humming low. He wasn’t exactly sure if he should speak up or stay quiet, his jaw tensing and relaxing visibly as he tried to think what he was even supposed to say.

“Didn’t your mother ever tell you it’s rude not to walk a girl up to her front door?”

Rika’s voice was laced with humor, Michael’s head snapped toward her direction as he finally heard a noise that wasn’t his beat down bike. Her head was turned back to him, the dull glow from her porch light seemed to gleam against her dark, navy blue strands of hair, her half-lidded glance caused her dark lashes to hide glimpses of her multi-colored eyes, which glistened with amusement and some other feeling Michael couldn’t name… Something akin to anticipation…

No matter what it was, it made his heart leap into the back of his throat, causing his breathing to hitch.

He fumbled for a good second as he turned quickly to his bike, struggling to get a good hold on the keys to shut it off hastily, the low growl of the bike immediately going silent. He kicks down the stand on the bike, resting it firmly on the side of the road while throwing his leg over the side whilst sliding off of it.

He mutters a sorry, so quiet and faint you’d probably be unable to hear it if his bike was still on. But Rika hear it, and she let’s out a harsh breath through her nose, a silent chuckle as her smile only widens into a grin, seeing Michael fix his jacket a bit and pat down his pants as if to fix his already decent appearance. He then turns to her, watching as she makes a curt nodding motion toward her house.

“That’s more like it.” She teases, beginning to walk at a slow pace, before picking it up to a normal speed as Michael stepped to her side. She hears a dry scoff leave Michael, already sensing the eyeroll she got, but there was no ill intent in it.

The rest of the short walk to the front steps of her porch was quiet, only the soft sound of steps against the moist grass, before turning a little more toned when they land on the old, creaky, wood steps.

Michael stays on the cement, one foot on the first step of the porch, but the other stayed firm on the ground as he leaned against the railing, watching Rika ascend up the two other steps before she comes to a halt at the front of her door, turning to face Michael.

Her dark eyebrows raise in a bit of curiosity, eyes dancing along Michaels figure and back at the door. Her hands folded behind her back as she scuffed the front of her shoe against the porch. She’s waiting for something.

Michael didn’t move though, even if he seemed to know what exactly Rika’s intentions were. He awkwardly eyed her a few times, then looked down at his feet, some type of embarrassment or annoyance etched along his furrowed brows. But it isn’t directed toward Rika, in some way it feels like his raging emotions seem to be aimed toward himself.

If he’s being honest, he doesn’t really know why he doesn’t have the guts to meet her up on her porch. He’s not nervous, or panicked, but he’s anxious. He almost physically can’t get anywhere closer to her house. It feels as if he’s breaking some silent rule if he even takes another step. He knows he’s very capable of it… Yet it’s like his body goes into fight or flight if he even leans ever so slightly in the direction of the house.

“Hey.”

Rika’s voice pulls him away from his thoughts for the second time that night. But she seemed to have that effect on him. What surprises him most is how close she had gotten to him now. She’s standing directly in front of him on the front step, so she’s just a few inches taller than him with her newly added height, yet that doesn’t do much to effect Michael, only tilting his head up every so slightly to meet her eyes. His eyebrows were raised as if to ask what she needed as she got his attention back.

She gives a crooked shrug, lifting only one shoulder for a second as she looks over it, looking back out to behind the trees where there was a small hint of bright lights and colors leaking through the bundled shield of leaves, the boardwalk quite far, yet it felt so close in that moment.

“I’m glad you decided to show up tonight.” She says, turning back to look at him. “I know all the guys can be a lot sometimes… But they seem to like you. So do I.”

Her blunt confession pulls Michael’s gaze from behind her to lock with her eyes once again, feeling that weird feeling at the back of his throat again, causing his heart to beat to fierce for comfort, vibrating against his tonsils.

Her tan skin goes a little rosy in her cheeks, biting the inside of her cheek as that sweet, tooth-rotting grin of hers starts to grow, spreading across her lips that now suddenly, Michael can’t seem to take his eyes off of.

“Thanks.” Is all Michael seeming to get out, clearing his throat a little as he reaches a hand up to run against the back of his neck, catching a few curls of his hair in between his fingers before he pulls away, his hand falling to his side. “I’m… I’m glad I met you too.” He says. That ghost of a smile reappearing.

Rika’s eyes seem to gleam brighter, but it’s almost like her own body produces the twinkle rather than the light from her porch step, which flickers ever so often. “Yeah?” She breathes out softly, inching a bit closer to Michael. He doesn’t make any move to pull away.

He nods. “I wasn’t feeling all that welcome in this town for a while… It’s kind of hard to adjust.” He starts, feeling his gaze slowly fall back to the ground as he continues, some burning want or anticipation starting to flood his chest, making it hard to breath. “But that night when I met you on the back of Paul’s bike I… I guess I thought maybe living here wouldn’t be too bad.” He dryly laughs at the end of his statement. It’s awkward, it’s almost shy, but it has the butterflies in the pit of Rika’s stomach going haywire.

She responds the the statement with her own shy giggle, running a hand through her fluffy blue bangs, before bringing her gaze toward Michael again, who had yet to look at her, purposefully keeping his eyes glued to his shoes.

She bites her lip, feeling that warmth running up her spine, blooming on her face in a faint, rosy blush, even turning the tips of her ears the pink shade. She makes another move, just inching as slowly, and closely as she possibly can, getting to a good enough space she’s close enough to place her hands against his chest.

She can feel his heart beating just as fast as hers, almost in sync. His chest rising and falling slowly, before immediately stopping as he felt the two hands being gently placed against his shirt.

Michael meets her eyes once more, lips slightly parting as if he wanted to say something, but he can’t find the words, his mind going blank. He almost feels his legs give in under him as her hands slowly creep up to his bare collar bone, her warm skin against his while her arms slowly wrapped around the back of his neck, pulling her body close to his.

The second he felt her body press against his, his hands slowly find their way up to her waist, resting comfortably against her curves. Rika doesn’t pull away. If anything, it tells her she can move in a little closer.

Her eyes dance along every detail on his face, always finding them falling back to his lips. Her face inches closer to his, and his does the same, getting so close she could feel his warm breath against her lips, causing hers to quiver into a small smile. Her eyes slowly closed, finally going in for the kill.

Her soft lips meet his rough, slightly chapped ones. Michael doesn’t hold back, instantly kissing back, his arms fulling snaking around her waist and bringing her closer, one hand at the small of her back and the other resting between her shoulder blades.

Michael feels as though she’s stolen his breath, and the only way he can get it back is directly from her. He never pulls away as his eyes begin to shut, the feeling of her in his arms was almost otherworldly.

Rika’s heart started doing cartwheels, dancing against her ribcage. She’s almost afraid he can feel her beating heart against his chest. Her arms stay firmly wrapped around the back of Michael’s neck, one of her hands reaching up to tangle itself in his dark hair, running his fingers along his scalp.

Michael let’s out a low hum and the sensation, craning his head at slightly angle just to kiss her deeper, only parting their lips for mere seconds before bringing her back in. It was almost like a drug, intoxicating yet he couldn’t bring himself to pull away or give her up just yet.

One hand slowly creeps up to rest against the back of her neck, causing her to tilt her head just to slightly, mimicking Michael’s actions. The other hand slowly goes back to her hip, two of his fingers slipping through the belt ring of her jeans, while his thumb gently ran under the hem of her green sun shirt and white t-shirt, stroking over the skin of her hip.

Rika almost feels lightheaded- and she’s not sure it’s from the fact she has to gasp to get a few breaths in when their lips part for a few moments. She can feel how hot her face is, and she’s a little embarrassed when he pulls away to see her as red as a tomato. But she won’t worry about that just yet. Right now is all that mattered… And she hopes later doesn’t come for a long time.

It feels like she met the guy a week ago, yet she’s already head over heels for him.

Michael’s hand against her neck slowly makes it’s away against the side of her face, his fingers tracing over her jaw, taking in as much of her touch as he can, like he can’t just open her eyes and look at her himself. He takes a second to tug a strand of her navy hair behind her ear, taking the chance to keep his palm gently placed against her cheek, using the better hold, and beginning to gently bite at her bottom lip- causing him to feel her smile against his lips.

And then as soon as it had started, it ended.

Michael felt a sharp cold spike through his hand before it grew hot. Stinging. Burning. The pain jolts across his palm and almost feels like liquid fire starts crawling through his veins, aching to his middle arm.

He let’s out a pained yelp, instantly pulling away as he growls out muffled curses, clutching his wrist as if to cut off the pain from reaching any farther. It doesn’t work. His hand stays balled into a fist shaking rapidly as he slowly turns it to where it would be palm out, but he himself can’t seem to pry his own fingers open, their almost locked in that position. A faint smoke leaking through his closed knuckles.

He breathes heavily through gritted teeth, a cold sweat starting at the back of his neck as he got his bearings back, chest rising and falling slow, but heavy and labored. Both the pain and the fact he was just taking a second to breathe from that make out session from earlier were getting to him.

“W-what’s wrong?” Rika speaks up finally, her voice full of worry and guilt, almost afraid she was doing something wrong. It was then Michael realized he must have pushed her away a bit as a sudden reflex to the pain, his gaze darting back up to her, his eyes wide and intense with just as much confusion and fear.

“Michael?” She asks again, her hands that were held up in defense slowly falling, yet still pulled back into a position as if she’s ready to come to his aid the second he gives her the okay to touch him. But he doesn’t respond, he only looks back at his hand, feeling the numbing pain that was keeping his hand cramped in a clenched position begin to fade, his fingers relaxing enough for him to slowly pry it open and see what on earth had happened.

He feels that sweat building at the back of his neck trickle down his spine, leaving a cold shiver. He’s been burned.

There’s a red, blistering imprint on the palm of his hand, small hints of blood and singed skin curling around it. The perfect shape of a cross emitting the faint trail of smoke from his hand.

His mouth opens ever so slightly, swallowing down the sudden lump in the back of his throat. His eyes seem to grow wider at the sight, blinking rapidly to try and see it disappear, see it all just a trick of his mind. But it stays. It’s real.

“Michael?” Rika speaks once more, her voice softer, like she’s more scared of him than worried.

He looked back up at her, his breathing hadn’t calmed yet, and his teeth still gritted together. He can probably understand why she was getting a bit fearful, he’s not sure he looks all that nice right now. She was intimidated.

But he can’t tear his eyes away from her, he can’t shake the odd sensation of unease that starts to emit from her, as thought that feeling he had when she wanted him to join her on her porch began to creep back, and it only worsened as his eyes fell to her earrings, swinging just a bit by her ears as the silver gleamed against the light… They were crosses.

Michael looks back and forth from his hand to Rika’s earrings so fast it’s almost comedic, but he sees the imprint, the exact same size, almost like a puzzle piece.

He couldn’t even stand to look at them, the light was so faint beaming against them, yet it felt so blinding, almost like it was burning his eyes. He closed them, swallowing down the pain as his Adam’s apple bobbed slowly. He shuts his jaw tight, only squeezing his wrist tighter.

What’s happening?

Why now?

Why him?

“What’s going on?” Rika’s voice grows a little firmer, wanting to get an answer, and she wants one now. But it’s obvious this is getting to her, there’s that slight shake in her voice that gives away how truly nervous she really was.

“Michael…”

That whisper… So quiet and yet so loud drowned out Rika’s voice in a matter of seconds, Michael slowly lifting his head to look out in the distance. The place they had just left only a few minutes ago.

“Michael…”

“Do you hear that?” Michael asks, slowly shutting his hand into a tight fist once more, shielding the wound from Rika, but he does his a little in pain as the already calming ache is brought back tenfold. He rises from where he was leaning against the railing, slowly stepping back down onto the sidewalk, and looking out through the trees, searching for the voice, the person chanting his name. The multiple voices beginning to chant his name, all uncoordinated and almost headache inducing.

“I don’t hear anything…” Rika responds, watching Michael stumble onto her lawn, her fingers gripping the railing tightly as she looks out to where he was looking, brows furrowing and her lips forming a tight frown.

She squints, trying to look for anything- or anyone that could be making Michael act so strange… Or maybe he was completely crazy? That idea made her just a bit queasy.

She is immediately startled as she hears the sudden sound of an engine roar to life, making her jump a little, instantly spinning in the direction of where she saw Michael had hastily climbed back onto his bike, harshly kicking the stand back and pulling his bike away from the curb so he would be able to turn.

“Michael?!” She shouts, hurrying off her steps as she watches him, only getting an apologetic glance from the boy before he has his sights trained straight toward where the boardwalk stays illuminated in the distance.

“I have to go.” He shouts back, revving his engine just a bit as he turns around and readies to ride out. “I’ll see you around!” And he doesn’t even hear another word out of her before he takes off down the road, so fast that by the time Rika had blinked away her shock and alarm, he had already disappeared from her view, but she could hear his bike’s engine grow fainter and fainter.

And with that, he was gone. Leaving both he and Rika with too many questions, that would truly never get their answer.

[zippidi-dooda]

"So, you're saying all we have to do is ask your old friend for help?" Ruby questioned after hearing her uncle's statement.

Jaune smiled, ready to head down the road toward this friend. "That's great! And they're just along the way? We should keep going then."

Qrow chuckled dryly, looking down at the dusky road beneath their feet. "Not so easy, kid."

"Why? Are they far, far along the way?"

"In that case we should set up camp now and set out early in the morning. It'll be safer that way." Ren suggested, nodding at the setting sun on the horizon.

"No, no, it's not that. They run an inn the next town over." Qrow corrected. "We'll reach it by nightfall."

"Then what are we waiting for? We can get help and score a warm place to stay the night!" Nora chirped.

Exited at the prospect of a soft bed to lay on after weeks of sleeping on the stiff floor and a potential ally to add on their quest to save Remnant, the group picked up their pace, traveling ahead of the reminiscent crow.

"There's a big guarantee they'll say no. I messed up big time the last we met. The last thing they said to me was that they hate me."

***

You shook your head, laughing at the barkeep's jokes. They were terrible to be sure, but you always found his way of cheering others up to be charming.

"You know, you're gonna have to come up with new jokes soon. You've said that last one a thousand times already."

The barkeep rolled his eyes, reaching for another glass to polish. "Well it seems to be a hit with the guests."

"They're just being polite with you."

"Whatever. Oh, uh, Y/N? You wouldn't mind if I took the day off tomorrow would ya?"

"Of course not, Busch. You're always on top of everything, not many reasons to say no." You gave him a sly smile, leaning across the table. "What's the ocasion this time? Am I gonna get ta see a love sick puppy when you get back?"

"I'm not obligated to answer that."

"Aw, not even gonna share a little detail with your nicest boss?"

He scoffed. "Nice my ass. Yer gonna pile the work on me when I get back."

"Hey, I haven't done that to you. Yet."

"Ha ha." Busch flicked your forehead. "I'm gonna really enjoy my time Y/N free tomorrow. Now get outta here, ya got guests comin' in."

"Alright, alright. I'll leave ya alone the rest of the night."

"Thank gods."

"Don't miss me too much!" You smiled, heading towards the entrance to greet the newcomers.

"Welcome! If you need a safe place to stay the night or just a few directions, you're in luck! I'm Y/N, how can I help ya?"

"... hey, Y/N. Long time no see."

Your heart seemed to stop as the oh-so-familiar voice flooded your ears.

A voice you didn't want to hear again.

"... Qrow ...?"

A man you didn't want to see again.

A scowl settled on your face and you stood still, eyes locked with his. Their captivating shade of bourbon blush failed to bring you the joy they once did, only stirring up a mountain of memories you had tried hard to forget.

"You got a lot of nerve showin' up here. Leave. Before I force you out."

Qrow smiled snidely, taking a step closer. "Now that's not much of a warm welcome is it? It's a miracle you still got this place up and running with that attitude. Listen, Y/N, I know you don't like the idea of helping me, but we need your-"

"No, Qrow. I have no interest getting caught up in your messes anymore. You're a skilled huntsman, so whatever it is that's going on I'm sure you can handle it on your own."

He furrowed his brow, stepping closer to you. "Y/N, you don't understand, it's not just me now. Since Beac-"

"Enough! I don't want to hear it," You placed a hand on the hilt of your weapon. "Now just walk outta here peaceful before-"

Suddenly, a young girl clad in a red cape jumped between you two, arms spread out defensively.

"Stop! Look, Lady, I don't know what my uncle did to you. You probably have every right to be upset with him. But the world is in danger and we can use any bit of help we can get. We were hoping you could provide it to us. We're not here to hurt or endager you or the people here. But if it comes down to it, we won't go down without a fight."

You studied the girl for a moment. Her features were akin to those of the flighty huntsman she came with, the most remarkable trait of all being her, "Silver eyes ...."

Finally, you took notice of the rest of the group of teens that had entered with Qrow. They stood with weapons in hand, braced for a fight, eyes tracking you cautiously.

The way they held themselves proved they were more than prepared in ways of combat. But their clothing and worn out expressions stood out. They were tired. They might have been traveling for days and were in need of proper care.

You looked to Qrow one last time.

He looked weary too, eyes trained on the hand that held your weapon.

He never liked doing anything with groups, much less groups composed of people more than likely to impede him.

He wouldn't have been with them without good reason. And he most certainly wouldn't have come in search of you if he hadn't already failed in a search for others.

With a sigh, you closed your eyes, pinching the bridge of your nose. "Busch! Make me a drink, would ya? It's gonna be along night."

***

I don't remember where I was going with this so here's as far as I got when I first wrote it

Uncle Qrow is great

[lovebillyhargrove]

Wake me up when July is around

Chapter 17/? "Flammable"

***

"This fucking February is gonna stay for-fucking-ever and fucking everything's gonna be buried under this fucking snow," - Billy's muttering to himself, grunting with effort as he heaves another full shovel. He's done so much shoveling in the last few days, he thinks it can actually be his new life calling. If he ever gets tired of California's perpetual sunshine, he might move to Alaska and shovel snow there till the end of time.

Billy's made a couple of extra bucks this way, too - their neighbor to the right, old Mrs. Deville pays him to clean her walkway daily. Billy's kinda okay with her, she seems like a sweet old lady. He remembers, back in August, when their family first arrived in Hawkins, her garden was still full of blossoming rose bushes, and the smell they gave off was amazing.

What ?? He kinda liked the roses' scent, flooding the street. Is that a crime?

Hargrove has no idea who lives in the house to the left, it looks rundown and abandoned.

Winter and especially February in assfuck Indiana continue to constantly surprise him. Apart from usual snow, total absence of sunshine, sleet, slush, normal ice on the roads, hailstorms, freezing rains and horrible biting winds, resulting in black fucking ice - which still remains Billy's most vivid impression he'll keep in his memory for a loooong time -

Did he mention it getting dark at five fucking thirty?

Fucking icicles ?? - Billy never even knew words like that before, they weren't part of his fucking vocabulary!

It being slippery everywhere?

Frostbites? Irritating sniffles?

You name it. And what is more,

Snow starts falling every.

goddamn.

day now.

Billy was unaware of what snow shoveling even was before they moved here. He then was introduced to this exciting activity in December last year. Not that he minded it much, doing it only once in a while. But these days - when did he sign up for this shit - he has to shovel the driveway and other surfaces around the house much more often than he used to. He has to do it every day at home and during his shifts at Mr. Dailey's repair shop. Plus the nice Mrs. Deville's walkway. Billy has a feeling he's shoveling 24/fucking 7 now.

On the bright side, it can be considered as a workout, it's not that bad. Billy can swear, the muscles in his arms and torso, in fact, in his whole body, are becoming more and more defined with every passing day. Who needs barbells when nature's giving you the perfect exercise.

He looks fine as hell.

It's just that, apparently, he has also started talking to himself, like an old grumpy dude. Shoveling is monotonous as fuck.

He belongs in the loony bin.

Oh, one day Billy gets in a snow blizzard on the way home from the repair shop he works at. That's something else entirely.

There's a huge one raging in the north of the state, Hawkins is going to get only its faint echoes.

They turn out to be enough to disrupt the life of the entire town.

His boss insists that they close the shop early, before the snowstorm is supposed to hit, although Billy doesn't quite grasp what the big fucking deal is at first.

"Kid, go home. You and your car won't do shit in what's about to come."

Do I have to? I don't wanna

"Tomorrow you don't have a shift, right? I'm pretty sure we're gonna be closed."

When Billy's approaching Cherry Lane, the snowstorm overtakes him. It's only the beginning but

That's some truly devilish shit.

The wind is already very strong and is picking up its speed by the second. When Billy climbs out of the camaro, holding the door so it doesn't fly the fuck away, he can't even open his eyes properly because snow is getting blown into his face, not letting him see anything.

He has to literally fight his way to the entrance.

Later on the wind turns to be more severe, and the storm is even more intense. The whole house is shaking.

Fucking weather.

Max is excited, the shitbird. She peeks into Billy's room late in the evening with a frightened expression on her face, like she's in awe of what's happening outside.

"School's gonna be closed tomorrow."

"Says who?"

"It was in the news. They are expecting more than 6 inches of snow, and they won't be able to clean all the roads in time."

"Great. Now shut the damn door."

Max is lingering in the doorway

"Aren't you scared?"

"It's just snow and wind."

"Do you think it can blow our house away?"

Billy snorts

Would've been interesting

"No, Max. It's not that strong."

How old is she, for fuck's sake. What is this "Wizard of Oz" bullshit.

Max is still standing there.

"Go sleep. It's gonna be fine in the morning."

***

Max was right. Billy's munching on cornflakes and listening to the morning news. No school. There's at least eight inches of snow covering the roads.

Billy was right, too. The weather's good in the morning. The blizzard died down during the night, and Billy has three options now: to clean his room, do homework for next week or grab a fucking shovel.

Neil leaves him no options.

Chop chop, son. You know what to do.

When Billy steps out of the house

First, it's like his eyes get slashed.

It's too bright.

Second, when his eyesight more or less adjusts to all the light, Billy loses his breath for a second.

It's unbelievable.

Everything is covered with a white glistening blanket. The sky is the bluest blue, it's clear and cloudless and

The sun. After weeks of hiding behind the clouds

The sun is finally out.

The sharp pain in his eyes fades away, but he's squinting cause the sparkling snow, the radiant sun, the cerulean sky - it's too much, it still blurs his vision. There is no wind, it's quiet and peaceful. As if the nature has let all its rage out and has calmed itself down.

Wow.

It's .. magical.

Like, really.

The news people weren't kidding. It looks like all fucking eight inches. The temperature is around 29 F, and the snow hasn't started melting yet, but with this sunshine, it's gonna get warmer soon, which means the snow will get heavier.

There is no camaro standing in the driveway. There's a full-ass-size mockup model of his camaro made of snow. It looks cool. Means more work for Billy, but who cares. Neil parked his Buick in the garage yesterday. Of course.

Billy puts his face up to the sun. It feels warm, like he's seeing an old friend.

He gets a sudden idea - he can actually call his buddy in California right the fuck now, tell him about the snow. He tried calling him once a couple of weeks ago, but no-one answered. Billy has some change in the pockets, it won't buy him a long conversation, but he wants to hear his friend's voice, even if for a minute. He sticks the shovel in the snow heap and walks to the payphone. There is one a couple of blocks down.

Billy doesn't simply walk. He makes holes in the snow with his boots, every step it's like falling down a little, but the solid ground has got him, it doesn't let him fall any further.

Hargrove opens the phone booth door with difficulty cause of all the snow blocking it, picks the receiver up. He knows Nick's number by heart. The line beeps and his friend - Billy recognizes the voice in an instant - picks up

"Hello?"

"Hey, Nick."

"Hey .. oh my god. Holy shit, Billy ??"

"Yeah."

Billy has missed his past life so much, he's smiling and wants to cry and wants to be there, where his friend's voice is.

"Billy, it that you? You've disappeared off the face of the earth, why didn't you call?"

And before Hargrove can answer the question

"When are you coming back?"

"I was uh .. thinking, July?"

"But you wanted to hit the dust the moment you get your diploma?"

"Yeah I just .."

"Wait, did you find someone there?"

"No, fuck off! No, that's .."

That's an impossible notion

"Tell me the name!"

"Nick, it's not .. you know me, I'm not uh .. looking for anything like that. I just wanna save enough money before heading back, you know .. for my own place and shit."

"But you're crashing with me for the first couple of weeks, right? Till you're all settled?"

"That still on?"

"Of course."

Billy wants to cry even more.

"How are you and Kelly doing?"

"We've been great. Going to prom together."

Ah, yes. The prom. Being in a relationship means you get excited about stuff like that. Thank god it's not Billy's case.

"Good."

To be honest, he'd die to go to prom with his friends in San Diego. Get stinking drunk, get soaring high? Do something outrageously stupid?

"Kel's been asking about you, why you never call."

"Yeah it's like uhm .. new place and .. busy. You can't even imagine how much snow I've shoveled in the last few days. Like .. it's fucking everywhere. They cancelled school today because of it, can you believe it?"

Nick is laughing, bright and happy, and Billy wants to run, run, run there. Away from here.

"The fuck is this, man! Hey uh .." Nick's voice is getting more serious. "How are things with you and your dad?"

"It's fine. Yeah .. it's okay."

"Okay."

"Why are you at home? Aren't you supposed to be at school yourself?"

"Yeah .. Jack got sick, parents are at work, I'm babysitting. Fuck, I just need to make it till graduation, man."

Jack is Nick's little brother. He's three or something.

Nick isn't exactly doing good at school. Doesn't make him a lesser friend.

"Graduation is just around the corner. You'll make it, come on."

"Yeah."

"Hey I think we're gonna be disconnected. Was nice hearing your voice, man. I'll call again soon. Say hi to everyone from me."

"Just don't disappear completely, like maybe you can leave your phone number where I ca .."

Beep beep beep

Billy puts the receiver back and walks out of the phone booth. He's not in a hurry. He's walking slowly, eyes half closed from all the dazzle, the brilliance.

Billy's still keeping his face up, gentle winter sunrays caressing his skin.

He's smiling.

Summer's on the way.

***

Saturday night is Valentine's Day party at Andy's house. There's this special buzz in the air that's sending out a warning - it's gonna be wild and everyone is gonna get hammered tonight. Kids haven't had a party for ages, they've been staying at home with parents and siblings for two days straight cause of the blizzard, and tomorrow is still the weekend. It was a close call, with Andy's parents considering delaying their trip to visit friends due to the storm but thank heavens, gods have been merciful to the Hawkins youth. They let them have their fun, Andy's mom and dad leaving on Saturday early in the morning. Major roads have been cleaned by then, parents have a beast of a truck, and it's good that they are going south where there's less snow.

Billy arrives late.

After the shift he does some - yaay. - shoveling, he has shoveled the whole goddamn Cherry fucking Lane already, and then he takes his time in the shower and in front of the mirror. Billy decides on wearing dark grey jeans with a couple of rips on the thighs and a navy blue button down, just a teeny bit tight, it's a slim fit, hugging his biceps, waist and chest just right. Even though it's winter Hargrove leaves three buttons undone.

Fuck, does he look great. Like candy. As always, though. Billy's puffing his lips a bit, ogling his own reflection. He'd kiss himself on the sexy mouth if he could. He'd definitely totally fuck himself if he had an opportunity.

Billy is afraid Neil's gonna give him crap about something but, luckily, his dad's watching a baseball game and drinking beer, Susan is sitting close to him on the couch, flipping through cookery magazines - domestic fucking bliss - and Billy doesn't exactly notify anyone that he's leaving.

Maybe, once in a lifetime, Neil's pleased with all Billy's fucking shoveling. Maybe he just doesn't give a shit about his son tonight.

Either way, Billy gets dressed, goes out of his room, grabs the jacket, opens the front door quietly and is out of the house. He's walking towards his car that he has wisely parked down the street.

Like hell he is not going to that party.

He wants to see Harrington.

Remember?

A party means there's is a chance we are alone in a room, pretty boy. Just you and me.

When he gets to Andy's house, the night is already in full swing.

As soon as he opens the door,

Like a virgin

Comes blasting

Touched for the very first time

Like a virgin

When your heart beats next to mine

Billy also hears Roy's voice bellowing somewhere close "Pure fire! Whoo!"

He's drunkenly stumbling out of the kitchen in front of Billy

"Hey man, you got any vodka on you? I'm trying to carry out an experiment."

That guy is definitely a virgin.

"Nah." Billy moves past the funny dude. What has he got on his mind tonight.

It's Valentine's. Love is in the air. There are red heart shaped balloons floating around.

Everyone's drunk. Kissing couples are everywhere. Music's incredibly loud and setting the right mood.

You’re So Fine

And You’re Mine

Make Me Strong

Yeah You Make Me Bold

"Billyyy !! Finally, where have you beeeen?"

Jennifer's bright red lips are aiming for his mouth

but he turns his face away, getting kissed on the cheek instead.

God, she's plastered already.

For some reason Billy's not psyched about kissing her tonight.

He's got someone else on his mind. Billy's scanning the dancing crowd. There's a bubbling sensation in his belly and a weird feeling as if his lungs are drawn tight, not letting him take a breath with a full chest

His eyes

Searching searching searching

Where is he?

Harrington is in the living room, playing beer pong with the guys. He and Tommy are teamed up against Andy and Danny. The two teams are neck and neck, and whoever scores a victory, they're gonna win by a nose.

Steve's wearing dark blue jeans and a toffee brown light sweater. His hair is styled to perfection. He looks like expensive caramel that you wanna take in your mouth and suck on. Roll around with your tongue, listening to its gentle clickety-click on the teeth.

The pretty boy is busy. Alright.

There's a group of teens - mostly juniors and seniors whose hearts aren't taken by anyone in particular - playing "Cupid's Arrow" that's just like a Valentine's version of Spin the bottle. Billy's too old for that.

Besides, Jennifer is hanging on his arm.

"Babyyy, let's go dance!"

Hargrove grabs a can of beer, shotguns it cause he needs alcohol in his system, fast, and they get in the middle of the chaotically moving mish-mash.

***

After some dancing, drinking the second can of beer and getting handsy with his Valentine, Hargrove notices that King Steve has decided to join the rhythm-crazed crowd. He's not alone, of course, the red haired chick's following him everywhere. Are they like, official boyfriend and girlfriend now? Has Billy missed some gossip?

I don't know what you've got but it plays with my emotions

I want you so much

Darling I want to hold you near

Want to whisper sweet and tender in your ear

Well, it is Valentine's, so the music's all sentimental cheesy trash

Can't stand the thought of you with somebody else

Got to have your love got to have it all to myself

I say yeah yeah yeah yeah

Billy is smiling at Jennifer. It's not like he's already drunk, but the rush and the excitement are getting into his bloodstream. Also things got a bit more thrilling with Harrington dancing just a couple of feet away. Billy can't help it, it's like he's radio tuned onto him, his head starts whirring as soon as the asshole gets close

Want to be your lover lover

Want to be your lover lover lover boy

All of a sudden Billy feels someone's back fucking .. rubbing on his. It's like .. okay, the living room is packed and sometimes you touch a body, and a body touches you, but this .. this was done intentionally

Billy's turning his head slightly to see who's so cocky here, crossing the border, invading his space

He sees Harrington's caramel sweater right behind him. It looks like the dude's just dancing, all innocent and focused on his date.

It is crowded.

Too far gone it's hard to stop

Baby you're my dream in motion and I won't give up

Teasing me with your fire

The moment Hargrove thinks it's all in his mind, Steve's getting closer again and his shoulder blades are lined up with Billy's

He feels Harrington's heat

Which spreads all over Billy's body like wildfire

Fuck fuck FUCK

The fuck he's doing

Your're the one I desire

Got to have your tenderness all to myself

Hargrove remembers those couple of seconds when Steve was on the gym floor, and Billy was hovering over the guy, clutching his hand - that moment when he was twitching from head to toe as though he was being tasered

Is Harrington feeling it now too? Or is it only Billy?

The heat is gone, and then it's back again

Hargrove's between heaven and hell.

Want to be your lover lover lover boy

They keep dancing like that, backs touching occasionally. There's nothing weird about that, no-one's gonna pay any attention, the floor is a tight space.

I want to be your love

Gotta have your love

And I can't stand it

Who the fuck is responsible for the music tonight.

Oh no the dumb song's finishing, but the one that's coming up seems to be even worse

It's a ballad, so it means that they're gonna do a slow dance. Ugh, shit goddamnit. Maybe it wasn't a good idea to come to this party after all.

It's not fun, it's fucking torture. Billy is pulling Jennifer closer - guess it's walk the walk and talk the talk - and she's wrapping her arms around his neck, her tits pressed tight against his chest.

I gotta take a little time

A little time to think things over

Do they have to romantically look into each other's eyes for the whole damn dance? Bleh, Billy never liked the slow ones. Get drunk, let the energy out on the dance floor, suck face, get a release, done. Go home, sleep like a baby.

Through the clouds I see love shine

It keeps me warm as life grows colder

Thank god Jennifer is resting her head on Billy's shoulder now, he doesn't have to stare at her face anymore. He quickly looks around and

Sees Harrington and his new girl kissing.

Passionately.

There's another kind of fire whipping through Hargrove. It doesn't just burn, it turns everything black and toxic

Just like that, with a snap of the fingers, Billy's mood is ruined.

The song's getting worse.

I want to know what love is

I want you to show me

The crowd of wasted teenagers are chanting along

Christ al-fucking-mighty, when is it gonna finish

I wanna feel what love is

I know you can show me

Jennifer's hands are sliding over Billy's shoulders, down his back. All over his ass.

Okay, uh .. he needs a break. His dick is hard but it's not because he's getting felt up by the girl in his arms. He needs a breath of fresh air.

I've got nowhere left to hide

It looks like love has finally found me

"Honey, I'll be back in a second."

Bathroom break. Or something.

I wanna feel what love is, no, you just cannot hide

The words of the stupid song are chasing Billy as he's hurrying up the stairs.

***

He's in the bathroom, behind the closed door, looking at himself in the mirror.

What did you expect, huh? What exactly did you expect, fool? That you're gonna come to the party, and the moment you cross your eyes with his majesty, you're gonna go upstairs together and jump into bed?

Billy's scoffing at his naivety. He opens cold water, washes his face.

Life seldom gives you what you really want.

It's pointless. Him having any kind of expectations for this stupid party is ridiculous.

On his way out of the bathroom, Billy decides to sneak into a quiet room and have a smoke. Alone. A couple of rooms are locked, probably already occupied by horny couples, and there's one at the end of the hallway, that turns out to be open, dark, and empty. Perfect. It's Mr. Goldman's study, obviously. Billy's not gonna make a mess. He just wants to have some quiet time. He opens the window, finds an ashtray on the mahogany desk and lights up a cigarette.

He can still hear the music booming downstairs. The night is dark and the air, flowing through the open window, is nippy and sobering.

What does Billy want? To kiss King Steve again? What for? How many kissing sessions will be enough? Does he want to do something more with him? Is Harrington even up for it? He seems happy with his new girlfriend.

What more does Billy want? To touch Steve's dick? To suck his dick? How far is he willing to go? Billy's not even sure himself.

It all started with the itch, with the contempt, with the hostility. It transformed into this vague want, the want for what ?

It's not worth the trouble. Billy has nothing in this suburban town that he's having a remotely strong feeling about. No strings attached. Nothing to miss when he's gonna be driving away from here.

Let it stay this way.

Hargrove's finishing the cigarette. He needed this clarity.

He opens the door and bumps into Harrington who's loitering in the hallway. The hell he's doing here? Waiting in line for the bathroom? Waiting in line for a free room to get his hands up that girl's skirt?

Without any warning, Steve's grabbing Billy's hand, and dragging him back into the study, where it's still dark and empty and .. cold. Sobering. Harrington clicks the lock and Hargrove is suddenly pressed against the wall.

Lyrics of a song from downstairs are reverberating through the room. You can actually make out the words up here, Billy just zoned out completely when he was alone thinking

It wouldn’t hurt her if she didn’t know, cause

When it gets too much

I need to feel your touch

"Why didn't you call?"

The fuck Harrington wants?

Steve is looking at him like a lunatic

I'm gonna run to you

Billy's holding the frenzied gaze. One more second, and he's gonna push Harrington's away, put an end to whatever this is

"Didn't feel like it."

Steve's not saying anything anymore, he straight up tries kissing Billy's lips

He's wasted. The way he just goes for it, is unhinged

He smells like alcohol and lust

I’m gonna run to you

I’m gonna run to you

Cause when the feelin’s right I’m gonna run all night

Billy's dodging the kisses. Steve's hands are sliding up and down his abs

"Stop being a priss, Hargrove. Don't you wanna have a little fun?"

Harrington's voice is hoarse and so sexy

But you’re the one that always turns me on

You keep me comin' round

"Thanks, I don't want leftovers." Billy's standing like a rock, King Steve can't honeycomb or sweet talk him into anything tonight.

"What?" Harrington's whispering on an exhale

And a second later, almost mockingly, with a smirk

"Are you jealous ?"

Eyebrows raised high.

Billy's glaring at Harrington. He has just talked some sense into himself to keep all his unclear urges in check, why is this motherfucker making all his efforts go to waste?

What the fuck !??

Billy digs his fingers in that soft caramel sweater that wraps Harrington's slender figure so elegantly

Takes full fists of it

I’m gonna run to you

I’m gonna run to you

In a flash, it's Harrington whose back hits the wall, hard

He's wincing from the unexpected pain

"Listen, fuckhead. I don't know what your game is, but I don't like it. Stay the fuck away from me, I've had enough."

Hargrove articulates every word clearly, hoping that all of them will sink in King Steve's carefree brain.

Billy slams him against the wall again, just to get the message across, once and for all, then lets him go, unlocks the door and leaves Steve alone in the dark room

Run to you?

More like run from you.

***

The party is still raging but Billy's not in the mood for dancing anymore. He makes himself comfortable on the couch downstairs and lights another Marlboro. There are people around, and a minute later Jennifer finds him, sits close and asks for a cigarette.

Hargrove's throwing his head back and takes his time inhaling and exhaling the bitter smoke, watching it go up. It calms him down.

A couple of minutes later Harrington drops on the armchair standing near the couch, the red-haired girl sitting on his lap. They are making out, tongue and all, giggling stupid

Steve's kissing Nicole, hands gliding over her legs, but has his eyes fixed on Billy. The king is so drunk, he's not even subtle about it.

Billy's dick stirs in his jeans, and Jennifer's hand explicitly touches his thigh

"Let's go upstairs?"

Billy's suddenly tired. Physically. Of fucking everything. Maybe it's all the shoveling, taking its toll on him. He's exhausted and he wants out of here. It's time to go.

"I'll go get a beer."

Jennifer keeps Hargrove under surveillance as he's walking in the direction of the kitchen.

There, in the kitchen, a special kind of entertainment is about to unfold. A fire show, apparently. Roy is trying to ignite fucking punch. Like, literally. He's been calling it "fire" the whole evening, so at some point he decided it's okay to try to light it up. Tina is shouting

"Someone, get a fire extinguisher! He's gonna burn the house down!"

Some people are laughing, some are waiting for the whole bowl to go up in flames

Roy is sticking a torch lighter in the punch bowl, but nothing burns. He then opens a bottle of vodka and is pouring it into the mixture

"For the sake of science!"

"Stop freaking spiking it, Roy!" Someone's shouting and the guy stops, tries setting it on fire again.

The experiment fails. Of course. What a stupid ass.

Billy can't watch this clown.

"Dunston, you dumbass, it won't work. The drink will catch fire if it's minimum 40 per cent alcohol in volume. Pure vodka will burn, as will rum, absinthe or tequila. Or whiskey."

Billy grabs the half full bottle of vodka, finds two clean shot glasses and fills them up

"Hit the lights. Usually vodka burns a clear blue flame, but it's not too bright."

There's still enough light coming from the living room for everyone to see what's happening. Billy takes out his usual lighter, sets one shot on fire, then the second. He's right, the fire's not very strong, but there are two beautiful light blue rings on the kitchen table.

"Alright. On the count of three, cover the glass with your hand to extinguish the fire, and as soon as it's out, drink up, you got it?"

Roy's nodding.

"Won't it burn?"

"A little. I'm doing it with you, man."

"One, two, three, go!"

Hargrove puts his hand over the shot and then downs it in a flash. The vodka is hot, it goes down like molten glass

Roy's still standing there with his unsure hand over the second shot.

Fucking pussy.

"Seriously, Dunston?"

"I tried, dude, I almost did it, but it fucking burnt my palm!"

"Hold the glass."

Billy's putting his own hand over the flame

"Now drink!"

Roy's gulping it like a champ but then comes

"Owww !! I burnt my tongue! Fuck! It's hot! Or my throat! I don't know! It hurts !!"

Jesus fucking christ

What a town of pussies.

"Ow ow ow! Someone, call 911!"

"Are you out of your mind, Roy ?? We're all drunk here!" That's Tina again

No need to call 911.

Hargrove is taking Dunston by the shoulder

"Come one, man. I'm driving you to the hospital."

Roy's looking at him in disbelief.

"You would?"

Perfect excuse

For Billy to leave the party early.

They are passing Jennifer

"You know how you're getting home?"

"Yeah." She looks disappointed. Not Billy's problem.

They get outside, Roy's holding a hand over his mouth

"Oh my god, dude! Am I gonna get a third degree burn? Am I gonna get a tissue transplant?"

"Yeah, definitely. Shut up, Dunston. Get in the fucking car."

What a wuss, jesus. Hargrove starts the camaro and they get going.

"Where's the hospital?"

"Uh .. on Main Street? Like .. ten minutes from here. Ow."

Billy turns the cassette player on. "Seek and destroy" by Metallica starts playing.

He just wants to get home.

After about five minutes Roy looks at Billy like a puppy and says faint-heartedly

"Uhm .. Hargrove? I'm actually uh .. feeling much better, bro."

What the fuck?

"Don't fucking bro me."

"Huh?"

Billy's considering stopping the car and kicking Roy's ass out, leaving him on the side of the road

"Can we just drive back to Andy's?"

"Are you fucking kidding me, Dunston?"

Billy's taking a deep breath.

Sure. I'll drive you back. Only because it works out for me, buddy.

It's actually great. Much better than going all the way to the fucking hospital. He'll get home quicker and he'll still bail the party.

Billy's turning the camaro around, the back of the car drifts into a huge pile of snow. Roy's face turns sour

"Hey, asshat. Don't even think about puking in my car."

Roy is throwing a fearful glance at Billy

"Dude. I'm not an animal."

Billy drops Roy off and heads home. Jennifer must be pissed at him. Of course she is. He ditched the party, he didn't deliver, didn't bring her home.

Whatever.

***

Billy is stopping in Cherry Lane, but at a distance to their house. He's taking out a cigarette. The lighter clicks, and there's this distinct sound of tobacco crackling when the drag is especially deep and delicious. It's quiet, and he's not turning the music back on.

Is that disappointment? Hargrove was waiting for this party to get his hands on Harrington once again, and he had the chance, why the fuck did he say no?

He saw them kissing and, somehow, that was tonight's game changer.

Billy's fucking

Jealous ?

Steve asked him if he was. Mockingly. It was what, funny to him?

Is that what it is?

Billy's not jealous. It's not jealousy, it's just that .. it irks him, to see Harrington's arm coiled around some girl's waist, his tongue sliding in and out of her mouth. It's ..

FUCK !! He hits the steering wheel, once, twice, three times, grabs it so tight, his knuckles hurt

What the fuck is happening? He doesn't want any of that. God, why .. the moment Billy thinks he's in control, something reminds him that's he is, in fact, not.

What a bunch of bullshit.

***

***

Looks like while all senior students of Hawkins high were having fun on Valentine's Day, Nancy Wheeler and Jonathan Byers had something else going on.

It's Barb's funeral on Wednesday.

On Monday Steve gets up and gets down for breakfast to find his mom listening to the morning news.

" .. Ms. Holland's almost decomposed body was found in the woods more than half a year after her vanishing. The police haven't closed the case yet, but despite the major breakthrough, there is, unfortunately, no accurate information about what happened in June 1984.Theories have emerged among Hawkins citizens that this gruesome death could be connected with a leak of toxic substances from Hawkins laboratory, but the laboratory management and city authorities call such rumours unfounded and causing unreasonable panic. The police are leaning towards the version of a wild animal attack, however, the circumstances still remain unclear. Barbara Holland's funeral will take place on Wednesday, February 19th."

Thank god his mom is at home right now. Steve feels an unpleasant chill running down his back and fear beginning to stir inside him.

"Honey, are you going to go?"

"Yes, mom. I think I should."

At school Steve finds his ex-girlfriend who he hasn't talked to in ages.

"Hey uh .. Barb's funeral?"

"Are you going to come?"

"Yeah .. yeah of course."

He didn't know the girl well, just .. really, just her name. But he's connected to the whole story, he feels like he needs to do it.

Steve also has the right to know what went down. Since he's actually in on the supernatural stuff going on in Hawkins.

"Do you want to tell me more about it?"

"I can. But not right here. Meet me and Jonathan after school?"

"Yeah."

Tommy sees them talking and looks at him strange.

Hagan wants to catch up after classes, dish about the party and this and that, but Steve tells him he needs to take some notes from Nancy, so no. Steve suspects Tommy is feeling a lie in his words but there won't be any open confrontation this time.

"I'll drop by your place later, alright?"

Tommy's fine with that.

"Sure."

Nicole isn't talking to him cause, as far as Steve remembers, she's pissed at him for flirting with Tammy Thompson at the party. He may be guilty as charged. By the end of it, he got drunk to the point of unconsciousness and passed out on Andy's couch.

Bummer.

***

Steve later learns that Nancy and Jonathan - with Hopper's and Mrs. Byers' help, apparently, - found Barb's body in the Upside Down.

What's Upside Down?

Lucky you, if you don't know. Cause Steve does now, and the knowledge doesn't make him any happier.

Nancy seems more at peace. Like she's finally found closure.

"I've uh .. actually wanted to ask .. Who else knows about this thing? This whole thing? The other dimension and the monsters?"

"Just us and .. some kids, but that's it."

Us, okay.

"Wait, you said, kids ??"

"Yes, Steve."

It's a highly confidential matter, and some frigging kids know about it?

It all started with Will, Jonathan's brother because he was kept in the Upside Down for a week. Mike, Nancy's brother, knows it cause he's Will's best friend. A couple of more of their friends as well, because they are very tight, it's like their gang or something, and they all helped free Mike from the Demogorgon.

"Demogorgon, that monster ..? Are there others?"

No-one knows, they hope not, but they aren't sure. Can never be sure with supernatural stuff like that.

Steve gets it. Later during the day he visits Tommy, they stay in his room talking and Harrington feels a bit normal again.

On Wednesday, a quiet grey day, he attends the funeral. There aren't many people.

A couple of girls from school that used to be Barb's friends. Inconsolable parents. Chief Hopper and Joyce Byers. Nancy and Jonathan. Mrs. Wheeler and some Hawkins moms that are friends of family. The priest, Mr. Jones.

Steve's been at funerals before, when his grandparents passed away. He was little at that time, and didn't understand much.

He's never been at a funeral of a person his age.

It feels wrong.

Abnormal. Like something went very wrong in the way the world is supposed to work.

There are some unpleasant looking people Steve has never seen before. They are all dressed in black, and they all look like they don't have a heart. These ones are definitely from the government. Steve hopes he'll never see them again.

He's been doing so good lately, but of course, all of this is having its impact on him.

They are all prey.

Life and death, they walk hand in hand. You never know what's waiting for you around the corner. It's terrifying.

***

It's Friday evening. The week has been a lot. Having looked into death's ugly face, Steve wants to feel alive.

Steve could call Nicole, but she's angry at him. He doesn't want to apologize for nothing and listen to her mindless chatter.

He could meet up with Tommy but he can't share with his best friend the stuff he wants to. He can't talk with anyone about what happened, except for the people who are already in on the whole secret. Half of these people are, apparently, kids whose existence Steve has a very vague idea of, his ex-girlfriend, who has a new boyfriend, and Harrington doesn't have any desire to see either of them.

Hopper and Mrs. Byers are adults.

He knows who might make him feel good again, give him that special thrill. Like a jolt of electricity. Like a pull, to bring him back to the surface.

Seeing Hargrove doesn't require a conversation. They've only exchanged not more than a hundred phrases in total in what .. half a year? For the most part, they were insults and names. The closest the boys were to having a usual talk was at Christmas, and it was super brief anyway.

Steve doesn't need to talk with him.

What he wants is to be close to him, for a moment.

Some inexplicable strength and .. integrity emanate from Hargrove. When Steve's in his vicinity, it flows over him, like a tide. His broad shoulders, wide palms, the strong bull-like neck. Steve wants to bury his face in his neck and just breathe. Breathe in his scent. Feed on his energy.

They don’t need to talk for this and, if you come to think of it, there’s nothing for them to have a conversation about, really. Hargrove is not his friend. He's just a passerby, stopping in Steve's town for a year and then probably leaving in an unknown direction.

***

It's already late, and most likely, Mr. Dailey's garage is gonna be closing soon. Steve can ask about uhm .. Hargrove's shifts. Old man won't get suspicious or anything, Steve will just say that uh .. he was impressed with Billy's work and wanted to bring his friend's car for a check. Something like that.

Harrington goes to the repair shop. As he's driving closer, he spots Hargrove's Camaro, parked outside. Steve's not nervous, not at all. Just didn't expect Billy to actually be there. Maybe that's luck. Steve reaches for the glove compartment and takes something from there.

He gets out of his car, walks up to the open door. His heart is beating faster than usual.

"Hello? Mr. Dailey?"

Hargrove is crouching near the wheel of an old dodge pick-up. There's also a ford escort standing nearby. Steve leans on it.

Billy's standing up slowly.

"I'm closing up. Mr. Dailey went home."

"Oh. Hey. He trusts you that much?"

"You wanted to talk to him?"

"No. I mean, yes."

Billy's getting hot under Harrington's stare.

"What do you want?"

"I was thinking .. my car needs an oil change."

Harrington probably doesn't know anything about cars beyond having its oil changed regularly. However, it seems he has no idea how often if should be done.

He's such a dumbass, he's so pretty, it's infuriating.

Standing there in his unzipped jacket, hands in pockets, hair all slicked back in waves. Looking too clean, too neat, a fucking rich pampered baby. Billy's wearing his coveralls, he smells like machine oil, a grease monkey

"You don't need a change. I did it like two weeks ago."

"I know."

Billy looks Steve straight in the eye, and Harrington stops blinking.

"So what do you want, Harrington?"

Steve's gaze rakes over Billy's face and stops at his lips

"You know what I want."

Fucking hell. Billy's blood runs cold. And then, a second later, it runs fucking hot, like fiery lava.

Those lips drawing him in

Like a vortex

Harrington took him by surprise, Billy wasn't prepared to see him here

He's taken off guard. That's why

He fucking hopelessly wants to kiss the lips.

Why is he so weak for this bitch?

He's also absolutely not ready for this. Like this. Out in the open, he's not drunk, he's not initiating it. Harrington's taking the reigns, and Billy's knees wobble.

He came all the way down here for this.

Drove across town for this.

Billy turns around, wiping his hands on a piece of cloth, goes to his jacket, hanging on a peg, and takes out a joint.

"Wanna split?"

"Sure."

"Can't smoke in here."

"My car? I forgot to turn the engine off, it's uh .. warm in there?"

You forgot to turn the engine off, who does that.

They get in the backseat of Steve's beamer. It feels weird. Billy's fingers are shaking when he's lighting the joint.

Like a virgin

Touched for the very first time

He passes it to Harrington and their fingers brush lightly

His whole body jerks.

"I told you to stay away from me."

"When?" Steve throws his head back a little, taking a drag, holding the blunt with his long delicate fingers

Billy's watching his Adam's apple go up and down. He wants to know how it'll move under his lips, under his tongue

"Valentine's?"

"I uh .. I think I drank too much that night. Couldn't remember much in the morning."

That kinda explains his visit.

"Why should I stay away from you?"

There's a faint smile on Harrington's lips

Billy doesn't answer.

He's at a crossroads. He's inhaling the bittersweet smoke.

Hargrove can once again tell Steve to fuck off. Bust his nose if he's gonna be dense about it.

Or he can see how far he, Billy, is willing to go.

Their fingers keep grazing when they pass each other the joint, and Billy's heart keeps on pumping blood into his dick. His abdomen aches.

It's almost finished, Billy takes the last drag, and then one more, burning his finger pads, cracks the door open to throw what's left of it on the ground and the moment he's closing the door and turning to Harrington

Steve throws himself at Billy

Their teeth clash

And they don't kiss first

They bite.

It's becoming gentler, both of them close their eyes, the kisses are deeper, the hands are braver

How far is Billy willing to go?

Harrington's hands are all over his body

Feeling, squeezing

Steve lets out the most pathetic whine

And Billy's putting his palm on Harrington's crotch

He is so fucking hard.

He needs him under.

Hargrove grabs Steve by the shoulders and now it's Billy who's pressing him into the seat. Of course, it's cramped, of course, it's uncomfortable, but neither of them gives a fuck because both

Are burning.

Billy unbuckles the belt and unbuttons Steve's pants - just like in his dream, just like he's been imagining it. He slides the zipper down and Harrington is bucking his thighs up, trying to bring his pants down a bit

Hargrove's impatient. He gets his hand into Steve's underwear

Like he wanted to

Into the heat

Oh my god

Into the slightly sweaty hairy heat

Billy's feeling dizzy, he has no control whatsoever - what fucking control, he has none

He's spinning on ice

The last coherent thought that's flashing through his mind is

He's making a mistake. That's for sure.

Yet the chemical reaction has been set in motion and Billy's about to catch blaze.

He suddenly stops but Steve looks at him with those pools of darkness, whispers

"Come on .."

And Billy .. he gives in, completely.

He is slowly, gently, taking the other boy's hard dick in his hand, making the sensation register in his mind

Then grips it tight, and gentle caress yields to confident roughness

He's holding Steve's dick

Like his own when he's jerking off.

It's fucking cramped, but it's also so hot, in the backseat of King Steve's car

Billy's moving his hand up and down, relentless and quick, and his lips find Steve's again

They are kissing, kissing so wild, sucking on each other's tongues,

A mix of their smells. Perfumes, machine oil, cigarettes, weed, mint gum, sweat ..

Billy wants to crush him under his weight

And Harrington doesn't seem to mind, oh no, the guy is a needy bitch, because he's pulling, pulling him down, on top of himself, like he wants Hargrove to cover him whole

The warmth of Steve's dick, the wetness, the absolutely deranging tenderness of skin

It's all ..

Oh god

Billy's trying to give himself some friction with his right hand

And, really, they both don't need a lot of time

He could count the minutes by the fingers of one hand only. Or even seconds. He's not sure

He feels Harrington's body twitch and shudder, his moans getting stuck in his throat

He stops kissing Billy, throws his head back and Hargrove gets to stare at the dancing Adam's apple again

Billy's palm is covered in Harrington's hot cum, and that sensation pushes him down the cliff

His own body jerks uncontrollably

And it's .. it's quick and

It's over, and Hargrove's backing up, wiping his hand on the coveralls, opening the door because he needs air

He sees a pack of Parliament on the front passenger's seat and he's reaching for it, taking a cigarette out, he needs to give his fingers sometimes to do, they are back to shaking

And Billy fucking hates it,

Since when did he become such a trembling pile of jello?

"Give me one."

Billy's not sure how to look at Steve's face again.

Like a virgin

He does, look. He's not a coward. He gives him a cigarette and even clicks the lighter for him, regretting it immediately because Steve looks

Fucking royal. Like Billy's just serviced the King.

Reclining in the seat, so relaxed, so .. so fucking pretty, with the puffy bruised lips

With hair a mess and zipper still down, and black underwear on display

FUUUUCK

"Hey, do you still have my number?"

Billy's shrugging his wide shoulders like he can't really remember, like it's not important

"No, I don't think so."

They smoke in silence.

They get out of the car, first Billy, then Steve.

Harrington is zipping up and closing the belt. Billy slams the door of the beamer

"What did you do with the note?"

"I put it in my fucking secret journal where I write poems and keep wilted flowers and shit, Harrington. How the fuck should I know? I don't keep trash. Probably threw it away."

Harrington purses his lips. Looks a bit offended.

It's fucking awkward.

Billy heads inside the garage. He's not gonna say bye or any stupid shit like that. In the garage he gets down on one knee, the front of his underwear wet and sticky, starts putting the tools away. He hopes Steve's gonna go now, and he's relieved to hear the sound of the beamer taking off.

***

Billy needs to change his clothes, close the place up, check the lights and stuff. He's not gonna think of anything now. He's not gonna think of anything ever. He's still fucking blushing, cheeks running feverish

Like a virgin

He still thinks it was a mistake. A delicious, much wanted mistake.

Billy goes into the back room, undresses, takes off the underwear and wipes his belly and pubes with it. Puts his usual clothes on, jeans feeling cold on his naked ass and balls. Grabs the dirty boxer briefs, turns the lights in the room off.

Heads for the door, takes the jacket off the peg, stuffs the underwear in its pocket. Looks around to check if everything's okay, hits the light switch, locks the place up. Normally his boss is the last one to leave but tonight his wife called him home earlier, some family stuff, Billy didn't pry.

***

When Billy's back home, he takes the jacket to his room. He closes the door, digs into the jacket pocket, pulls out the underwear and together with it, a piece of paper falls out. Billy tosses the briefs on his bedside table and picks up

A note.

Déjà vu.

A phone number in black ink

And

FUCKING CALL ME

In capital letters now.

Billy's scoff is full of contempt

He's sitting down on his bed, holding the paper

Again? Steve has done the same move with the note, again ??

What a stupid dork. Lame game, amigo

When did he even find time to slide it into Billy's jacket?

Fucking sneaky asshole

If it's so lame, why is it working?

Cause look at Billy smiling.

The second time this week, no less.

Stupid Harrington. The motherfucker is even kinda .. cute. Sometimes.

Oh my fucking god.

A spoiled rich boy who's sexy, mean, pretty and .. fucking cute now. And never leaving Billy's mind. Despite all his attempts to keep a clear mind about it.

Harrington shows up and leaves a mess.

It's a problem.

What's worse, it looks like the problem isn't going away, isn't resolving itself. It's taking even deeper roots.

So many things in goddamnforsaken Hawkins that Billy's never had the experience of dealing with.

Like jerking off King Steve in the backseat of his beamer.

He's not gonna think about ramifications of his actions.

Shower and sleep.

Hargrove cums again in the shower recalling tonight's sensations. It wasn't enough, he doesn't feel satisfied. In fact, he's feeling hornier than ever.

[0nlythrowharrybeaux]

Wonderful World - Part 4**^

It's finally here! Ugh I'm bummed I didn't meet my deadline of Monday, but I have the worst hay fever and my eyes itch and watered so much that I couldn't see and I took a benadryl and it knocked me out for a while 🫠 any way, here it is!

Series Masterlist

Warnings: talks/arguments regarding break ups and infidelity, female masturbation, bullying scene w/threat, and arguments about parental neglect.

WC: 10.2K

P.S. I realized I never put a reference picture for Wesley (Celeste's dad), it's gonna be at the end of this part before the tag list:)

The drive was quiet between Harry and Rebecca. He was feeling tense and irritated more than sad. It was strange really. Rebecca didn’t even seem to notice as she was texting away on her phone with a small smile on her face and he just knew that she was talking to Eddie. She had lied about him being single for some reason…almost as if hearing he was taken would somehow appease Harry, he didn’t act like a taken man. And well, Harry had really not acted that way either tonight, he had taken liberties with Diana that he truly shouldn’t have. He never intended to end his relationship over this crush on her though, but it seemed that his relationship was already heading down that road anyway. He cleared his throat and this made Rebecca glance up at him briefly before continuing on her phone.

“Are you gonna be spending the night like we planned?” He asked and she sighed and put her phone down.

“I don’t think so…” she said as she turned to face him, “Have a lot of prep to do for Monday.”

“Well tomorrow’s Saturday… you’ll have Sunday.” He reminded.

“I’d rather go to bed early on Sunday so that I can be well rested on Monday, I’ve got to be in court then.” She said and he hummed.

“OK. But before you go are you going to tell me where you actually were for twenty minutes tonight?” 

“I told you that my mom cal-”

“Oh please…” he mumbled and she sighed.

“Look, you’ve been weird all night and-”

“I’ve been weird?” He asked glancing to her when they stopped at a red light, “You straight up lied about your co-worker’s relationship status to me and for what?”

“Well you’ve been all weird since you saw that text when there wasn’t even anything wrong with what he said!” She scoffed and Harry rolled his eyes with a frown and turned to her again.

“I get it if he texted you that at a decent hour, but it was nearly 10:30 at night when we finished dinner. What the hell am I supposed to think? And don’t give me some shit about how he knows it was late because I teach on Tuesdays when you fucking forget I teach on Tuesdays.” He said and she sighed, “Just…tell me what’s on your mind. You’ve been really distant for a while now and-”

“I‘ve been distant?” She asked with a frown as he turned on his street and she sighed, “Ever since you opened your practice you’ve been holed up in there all the fucking time!” She vented, “And then you just had to go and apply for that teaching position on top of what you’re already doing-”

“Don’t flip this on me, Becs.” Harry said as he pulled up into his driveway, “I’ve been bored! What else am I supposed to do? You’ve been obsessing over work over the last year and constantly bailing on our plans from putting work first, so of course I went and took another opportunity that would keep me occupied-”

“Harry, that’s part of our arrangement. Work first, we both agreed on that.” She said as he put the car in park and turned to her as she looked at him firmly as he scoffed.

“Our arrangement?” He questioned her phrasing wryly and she sighed.

“You know what I meant.” She said and he shook his head and before he could respond his phone started ringing and his car’s screen lit up indicating it was Henry and Harry picked up his phone and locked the screen, silencing the ringer before he looked to her again.

“You know what I think?” He asked, “I think that at one point our relationship really started becoming just an arrangement to you, I don’t know when that was, but I wish you had told me about it when you decided that.” He said and she was about to speak when he spoke again, “I’m not done.” He said and she sighed, “If you haven’t already cheated on me with that twat, Eddie, you’re definitely thinking about it and that really pisses me off.” He said to her as she frowned, “If you don’t want this any more just come out and say it.” He said seriously and she shook her head, not really sure what to say as she licked over her lips.

“What do you want me to tell you, Harry?” She asked before letting out a defeated sigh.

“The fucking truth! That’s it!” He almost shouted it at the top of his lungs because how hard could it be?

“Fine.” She said and he swallowed thickly before he nodded, “I…slept with Eddie. On Wednesday.” She admitted and he looked away from her and scoffed, “And that’s why! You act like you don’t care! Actually scratch that, you don’t care about anything that I do! You don’t care about my career, about my aspirations, you don’t seem to be understanding of how I need your support on my journey!” Harry’s phone started ringing again and it was Henry again and he switched it onto silence mode with a groan before continuing the conversation.

“What?! I go to the dinners and the schmooze-fests, and meet so many fucking city officials that I practically know who chose the fucking color of the garbage bins! What more do you want from me?! I don’t get it!” He shouted as he lost his patience.

“I don’t invite you just as my date, Harry. If you don’t see the opportunities there then that’s on you! You don’t want to do something bigger with your life? You could sit on the board at the hospital or attend more panels to give insight to the elected officials about mental health and be known for the good you’re doing out there!” She shouted back.

“Do you even hear what you’re saying, Rebecca? Where’s the sincerity in doing something good if you just want to be recognized for it? I don’t delve into the political aspect of my career because I don’t care about it! I do what I can by my patients, OK? I help them and I know that. Yes, our institutions are not at their best, but why would I waste time pushing and shouting at a bureaucratic brick wall when I can be making a difference in some people the entire time?” He asked and she sighed, “Why do you think I decided to open my own practice instead of joining an established one? I want to make an impact on people my way. I’ve been there for you in the ways that you’ve asked and-”

“Well it’s just not enough! OK?” She shouted in exasperation, “You’re not even upset that I slept with someone else, Harry. You don’t care enough at least he cares.” She said flatly and he shook his head as he shrugged.

“Well, I’m sorry, I guess our arrangement truly isn’t working out.” He said flatly before getting out of the car and shutting the door harshly as he headed up to his door. He pulled out his phone and saw another missed called from Henry and a text asking him to call him back when he got the chance. Harry couldn’t help but notice that neither of them were crying, they were just seemingly venting about how annoyed they’ve been at each other this whole time. He heard her door close and her steps rushing up behind him.

“So that’s it then?” She asked and he turned around and sighed.

“You cheated on me. You can’t stand there and act like there’s a way forward after everything you’ve just told me in there.” He said pointing to the car and she frowned.

“You’re not even going to try and fight for me? Just gonna hear that and give up?” She asked and he shrugged, “Are you even in love with me?” She asked and he looked off to the side before looking to her.

“I…I’m really trying to be.” He said honestly.

“Wow…” she exclaimed flatly before turning around and starting to walk to her car.

“Why are you trying to make me feel like shit for that? After everything you’ve said you expect me to believe that you’re in love with me?” He called after her and she turned around.

“You’re right. I never was either.” She admitted.

“Rebecca, listen to me.” He said coming up to her and grabbing her hands, “I do love you and I care about you and I want you to be happy-”

“Why couldn’t you be honest with me about those feelings before I went and…fuck!” She cursed with a frown.

“Because I truly was trying to make it work with you! I wasn’t going to give up yet. If I were getting to that point I would’ve told you.” He said and she nodded.

“I’m sorry I cheated.” She said looking into his eyes.

“Did you feel bad about it?” He asked and she looked down to the ground and sighed, “Well, that’s a no.” he chuckled and she glanced up at him to see that it wasn’t even sarcastic, he was genuinely laughing at it.

“I really tried to if that helps at all…” She said, quoting him from earlier and this led them both to laugh softly, “I’m serious though. It wasn’t even planned and afterwards I didn’t feel like I thought it would and I was just working up the courage to…to say it to you. That’s what made me feel bad, knowing that you didn’t deserve that.” She pouted slightly as she spoke and squeezed his hands, “Today I was talking with Eddie about how I was going to talk to you about it and we ended up making out. That’s where I was.” She finished and he nodded, “You don’t seem upset.”

“Neither do you.” He stated and she shrugged.

“I guess we were both just trying…” she said softly.

“Guess so.” He hummed, “So maybe it’s a good time to tell you that Henry and I both didn’t like him and hoped that our paths would never cross in an escape room again.” He said and Rebecca sputtered on a laugh, “We were gossiping about it with Diana.” He confessed.

“Yeah, he was kind of in shambles…” Rebecca said, “While we ummm, confess things…I will probably never do an escape room again.” She said and Harry laughed, “It’s the fucking worst.” 

“You’re alright at it though.”

“Yeah, because I solve problems all fucking day, the last thing I want to do on my nights off is solve more problems. Stupid ones too.” She giggled and he shrugged.

“Yeah, fair enough.” He said.

“And you know, that Diana girl, she said something tonight that led me to having that chat with Eddie. I was complaining about the bar, you know I hate that bar.”

“Oh boy, do I…” he chuckled.

“I was basically telling Grace get used to it because you’re gonna end up here anyway. I don’t know why you guys talk though options if you’re always going to end up there, but anyway… I was telling them that you liked it because it gave pub vibes and she was basically saying that it was nice of us to still come here because it was probably really nice for you to find something like that here that reminds you of home and she just put things into perspective for me. Like she’s a fucking stranger and had a lot more consideration and care for what matters to you than I ever did! And that’s what made me realize that I needed to tell Eddie to just give me a bit of time to break things off between us.” She explained and Harry bit over his bottom lip to suppress the smile that threatened to break over his lips at the thought of Diana sticking up for him like that. “I guess what I’m trying to say is that…maybe I have been a bit selfish in this relationship. I know you’ve been so understanding and patient with me and entertaining all of my feats to get my foot in the door somewhere and well, you deserve someone who will do the same for you and who makes it about you too. Someone who can look past their own shit and just do things that make you happy simply because they make you happy and not complain about it.” She said and he chuckled.

“I think we all deserve that, love.” He said and she smiled, “Well thank you for everything, I’ve learned a lot about local government.” Harry said and she giggled.

“Yeah, I’ve learned a lot about…I don’t even know…that’s bad isn’t it?” She asked and he shrugged.

“You’ll do better next time.” He assured as he let her hands go and she nodded.

“I really am sorry about all of this.You really do deserve the world, Harry. I hope you don’t forget that.” Rebecca stated and he smiled.

“Thank you.” He responded before she walked off and got into her car and he headed inside once she took off. 

As she drove away Harry felt like a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders somehow, she probably felt the same. He remembered that Henry had called him a bunch of times, so he pulled his phone from his pocket and called Henry back and he answered almost immediately.

“Hey man.”

“Hey, what’s up?” Harry asked and Henry sighed.

“I’ve ummm…I have to tell you something and it’s not good news.” He said and Harry frowned in concern.

“Oh, OK. Are you alright?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. But I just need you to know because I respect you and I love you and you deserve better-”

“Is this about Rebecca and Eddie?” Harry asked as he scratched at his head.

“Ummm, yes.”

“She beat you to the punch, man. She told me and she literally just left we ummm, we ended things.” He said.

“Oh, thank god. I had no idea how I was going to break that to you.” He said and Harry chuckled, “You don’t seem too torn up about it.”

“I’m not, neither was she… I kind of told her that I’ve been trying to be in love with her and just…can’t? She felt the same and so we just ended it.” He explained.

“Well I hate to say I told you so but she did say that you being together was very convenient and well…you know how I felt about that.” Henry said and Harry chuckled.

“Yeah, she called it an arrangement while we were arguing a bit so…” Harry mumbled. He then swore he heard someone in the background asking if he was alright, “Is that Grace?” 

“Yeah. She’s the one who saw Eddie and Rebecca outside.”

“Oh, that’s why she suddenly wasn’t feeling so well…poor thing. You can tell her that I’m alright and that I really like her, I think you guys will be great together.” Harry said and Henry smiled.

“Thanks, man. I appreciate that.” Henry responded, “And well, I know that maybe it wasn’t everything you thought it was, but you still just ended a relationship, so if you need absolutely anything you know I’m here for you. Day or night.” Henry assured.

“Thank you, I appreciate that. Love you, man. Talk soon.”

“Love you, good night.” Henry said before they hung up. 

As Harry got ready for bed he couldn’t help but think about Diana again. Yeah, he was single now, but that didn’t make her any less attainable and it sucked. Part of him wanted to tell Henry about how they knew each other and maybe he would if it got too hard or tempting for him to be around her. The nice thing now was that he didn’t have to feel guilty for being into her.

*********

Diana woke up her body so tense that it ached a bit, she was hot and worse than that, she was so turned on. She could feel her arousal slicking her up to the very tops of her thighs. She rolled over and saw it was only 6am and she groaned as she threw an arm over her face as her body continued to buzz. This wasn’t good… she had just had a sex dream about Harry and as much as she knew she had to dispel the thoughts, she was squeezing her eyes shut clinging on to whatever memory she had of it. 

“Fuck it.” She whispered and sat up to dig around her bedside drawer and found her little clit sucking toy, it was only appropriate for the dream she had, had. She pressed it on before slipping it under the covers and moved her sleep shorts aside. She whimpered quietly as soon as her clit got sucked into the little opening of the toy and she opened her legs a little wider as the sensations started to take over.

In her dream he had been holding around her waist the way he had at the bar, except that in her dream they were in her office at the campus. His body was pressed against hers, she could feel that he was hard as his hand started wandering lower. She squeezed her eyes shut to try and remember the feeling as she pressed the button on her toy to increase the pressure of the sucks. She exhaled shakily as the pleasure very quickly started to expand to the rest of her body from her core. She moaned quietly as she envisioned how he kissed her neck while fiddling with the button on her trousers, “Can I feel how wet you are for me?”, he had asked in her dream, right up against the shell of her ear. She increased the pressure of the sucks again as her free hand bunched the sheets beneath her in a fist, the way she had done to his hair as he opened up her button and fly in her dream.

“Mmm, yes…” she whimpered as she envisioned the way two of his fingers slowly dipped down over her. She envisioned how his fingers had tickled down her labia before dipping into her slicked up crease and feeling her arousal pooling out of her entrance. He had moaned in her dream, right into her ear as he started to pet over her hole, slicking his fingers up before sliding them up to swirl over her clit. Her stomach started to tense up and her ears to roar as the blood rushed to her head with her breathing now becoming shallow as she continued imagining his fingers pleasuring her. It was the next part of the dream that had her going insane.

Suddenly she was leaning against her desk, gripping to the edge of it with one hand and the other woven into his hair as he licked and sucked at her clit fervently while his fingers drove in and out of her steadily. She was alone at home right now and could make all the noise she wanted, but in her dream she was at her office at work and she was fighting to keep quiet, occasionally being shushed by him before he’d smirk at her the way he had the night before. She moaned a little louder as she pushed the button to increase the pressure once again and she started panting and arching her back up just in the slightest as the toy and her imagination worked in perfect tandem to push her over the edge. Her whimpers increased just slightly in volume as that bubble of pressure in her core finally burst and she started melting as her feet pressed her up, her hips raised off the mattress just a bit as she tossed her head back and quietly came undone. Her body was covered in goosebumps as she kept the toy to her clit, powering her through her orgasm. And just before she pulled it away she squeezed her eyes shut and pictured him again, this time in her bed and his lovely, deep voice washing over her beautifully, “Fuck, that’s it. Don’t stop now, you’ve got one more in you, baby. C’mon, just be good for me and give me one more.” 

With that image in her brain she focused on the pleasure underneath all of the sensitivity and quickly started to build to another orgasm. This one was more intense and she couldn’t help the yelp that slipped out of her mouth as the pleasure started to overwhelm her. Her legs trembled and her fingers hurt from the death grip she had on the sheets, but it felt too good to stop as those tingly and beautiful feelings came over her in waves until she had effectively worked through her pleasure and in a panic pressed her finger down over the little button, gasping when the two seconds it took for the toy to power down felt far longer than that. She inhaled deeply and exhaled shakily a few times as her eyes slowly blinked open, all blurry and heavy as she picked a spot on the ceiling to stare at as she slowly came down from the beauty of it all.

What am I doing? She thought to herself as the lovely feelings started to morph into guilt and sadness. Guilt because he had a girlfriend and sadness because even if he didn’t, there was no chance for them, he had confirmed that again tonight before they left, especially now that she knew that he too had an unprovoked curiosity and attraction towards her. It was best that this was the last time she entertained anything that had to do with Harry in her mind. She wasn’t going to indulge again, she needed to set her sights on possible things.

After her orgasmic bliss had turned to post-orgasmic shame Diana couldn’t sleep so she decided to just clean up and go for a walk or jog around the neighborhood to just expel any remaining tension from her saucy dream. It was about 7:45 when she made it back home and she hopped into the shower. 

She made breakfast and then checked her classes for any submissions on their homework assignment system and she did see a few in there that she then worked on grading. She had been so entranced in reading someone’s paper that the chime of a notification made her jump up in fear and she exhale and rolled her eyes as she reached for it and saw an instagram message from Gabe, the history professor who was kind of her friend and asked her out on Wednesday. She opened it up and smiled when she saw a picture of a cup of coffee from Café Flores, apparently she told everyone about this little place.

g.klein88: You were absolutely right about this place. 15/10. EASILY.

Diana smiled as she typed out a response.

DianaBel__: I love being right haha

She proceeded to click on his story to see what he had been up to, it was about 9am now. Her eyes went a bit wide when she saw a tagged video of him presumably after surfing. His wet suit was half-off, rolled down enough to show off his chiseled abs and strong chest, he was waving the “hang-loose” sign to the person who had been recording and then the video’s owner was in the frame showing their own “hang-loose” with a bright smile before it cut out. 

“Well damn…” she whispered and then saw that he was typing.

g.klein88: I had a feeling you would appreciate hearing it lol. Have you given any more thought to my invitation to go out?

Her eyebrows raised, boy he was direct. And she did like that because she tended to be rather oblivious to people’s intentions most of the time. And well, she hadn’t really, but after her incident this morning she needed to just focus her attention elsewhere.

DianaBel__: Why yes, I have and I’m definitely open to it…

g.klein88: Well are you free now? 

She grinned as she read his message and well, she was… she just needed to pick Celeste up whenever she texted her.

DianaBel__: I am…what did you have in mind?

This is how Diana ended up downtown. She was walking up to Gabe now as he waved at her from a few feet away. He had suggested the farmer’s market, it was casual and they could walk around for a little bit and chat while running a bit of errands. After greeting each other with a hug and some very bright smiles the two were walking side by side as they headed into the market.

*********

Harry may have been subconsciously thinking about Diana because he swore he heard her laughter in his surroundings. He ignored it and smiled as he finished paying the local honey lady and just as he turned around he heard it again and as he started to look around he saw her, head knocked back as the laughed at some guy freaking out about something and after a few seconds he was chuckling along with her and then she tip-toed and wiped something off of the man’s chin with a friendly smile and he seemed to thank her before they walked off side by side. Harry couldn’t deny the reason for why he felt his heart shriveling in his chest and his stomach tightening up in a knot that made him feel nauseous. The disappointment he felt suddenly laid heavily on his chest and the smile that had been adorning his face had vanished.

He continued following them, not intentionally, but his car was in the lot, it seemed they were heading there as well so he reached into his tote and put in his AirPods before blasting some music and speeding past them with a small group of people. It’s not that he was upset at her, there was just no way he could get introduced to this man she was with. He was still processing his breakup with Rebecca while simultaneously juggling what he had felt when he saw Diana with this mystery man. He was just having a hard time balancing these seemingly juxtaposed situations all on his own, he didn’t need a closer look at whatever this was to her.

*********

As Gabe walked Diana to her car she could’ve sworn that she saw Harry down near the end of the parking row, but across the street. She couldn’t see well from far, so she squinted her eyes a bit to try and make sure it was him. He was in a white t-shirt and some jeans and he was wearing some kind of yellow hat on his head. Diana smiled as she watched him loading up his totes in his car.

“What’re you smiling at?” Gabe asked and she turned to him.

“I think I know that guy, he’s an adjunct at the university.” She said and he turned to look at him as well.

“Hmmm, never seen him before.”

“Oh, he’s with the graduate students.” She explained as she looked again as he rounded to the driver’s side of the car. She wanted to call out to him but she had no reason to. They had just agreed that after their little conversation the night before everything was over so she just sighed and turned back around, “So ummm, I need to go pick up my daughter, but thank you for inviting me out here, this was nice.” She smiled with gratitude.

“Nice enough to want to do it again?” He asked and she grinned, “Blink once for yes and twice for no.” he said and she laughed.

“Yeah, I think we can give it another go.” She said and he grinned. Gabe was very fun and easy going, he was also a level of hot that she couldn’t deny, he was very easy on the eyes. Yet she didn’t feel a pull to him strong enough to stop her eyes from wandering and she needed him to know because it wouldn’t be fair to say yes to him and still be crushing on Harry, “But I do want to tell you that I’m not exactly sure that I’m looking for anything too serious.” She shared and he smiled, “What?” She asked and he chuckled.

“Nothing, I just like how straightforward you are.” He shrugged, “Also, let me tell you something. I’m…divorced.” He admitted, “It’s been…nearly two years now?” He said and she nodded in understanding, “It just wasn’t working out.” He explained, “It was largely issues with her family, they were very intrusive and not too happy that she married well, someone like me. I was just an adjunct at the time. She’s the VP of communication for a very famous production company, she was the breadwinner, her generationally wealthy family didn’t love my minimal contributions.” He explained, “I maybe got a bit mouthy with her dad for belittling me…turns out she was thinking the same thing he was, just…waiting for the right time to say it I suppose.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry.”

“It’s alright, I’m over it now. We were only married a year, I’m still learning to un-love her, thankfully I loved myself more than her though, at least enough to leave.” He explained, “So I get it, not being ready for something serious. I just feel you’re nice and getting to know you seems like a good idea.” He explained, “We’re just getting to know each other better, we don’t even need to call it dating.” He chuckled and she giggled.

“I mean, I’m not that ruthless.” She said and he smiled, “Let’s just…ease into it. See what’s there.”

“Yeah, that’s a good idea.” He smiled. 

They exchanged a few more words before hugging goodbye. As she drove over to Geri’s house she called Celeste to let her know she was on her way. She was excited to share her news with Celeste, that she’d gone through with the date she had been asked on. She’d definitely be happy that she went through it. When she arrived Celeste came out and settled into the car easily. She did seem very excited that Diana had gone on a date that morning, she still said she could do better and go for a nice dinner or something more romantic, to which she assured her that maybe in the future it could happen, but not yet. The rest of their weekend went back to the fairly normal routine to get ready for the week.

Celeste had therapy Monday and Diana recalled her steamy dream and well, her actions thereafter and she decided that she would wait in the car for Celeste’s sessions until her embarrassment passed. There was absolutely no way she could look in Harry’s eyes after what she had done.

**********

“Hey man, what’s up? How are you feeling?” Henry asked Harry over the phone as Harry made it into his house. He had been feeling down all day and while he knew he should attribute it to the end of his relationship, it had nothing to do with that.

“I’m alright at the moment. Was feeling a bit bummed earlier, but I just got back from a run, that helped.”

“That’s good, bud. Look if you need anything at all, I’m here. We should. Meet up for lunch or something this week? Maybe a drink if the week gets rough?”

“Yeah, definitely.” Harry assured, “How’s ummm, how’s Grace after having to see that?”

“She’s alright, she just felt so guilty knowing and not telling you.” He explained, “You know that I was always a bit skeptical of Rebecca, but ummm, I never thought she’d do something like that.”

“Yeah, you know in a way I’m kind of glad it happened this way because it just reaffirmed everything we don’t feel for each other. Infidelity sort of gave us a reason to not need to work through yet something else, to not settle.”

“Right.” Henry said, “You know H, waiting for the right person is definitely worth it.”

“Yeah, easy for you to say with a fresh new love.” Harry grinned and Henry chuckled.

“OK, there might be a small bias there but ummm…she’s the one H. I knew it from the first date.” He said and Harry smiled.

“That fast, huh?”

“Yeah, man.” Henry assured with a smile.

“So, how did you know?” Harry asked as he reached into his fridge to warm up some leftovers for his dinner.

“Well first off, everything was so easy. Like the attraction to each other was undeniable from the start. When we talk it just flows, like there’s not enough that I can learn with every conversation. I feel so happy when I see her or hear her voice.” He explained, “I don’t know, but it was one of those things that just felt right from the moment she came and told me about hitting my car.” He chuckled and Harry did as well, “After that first time that I looked into her eyes I just couldn’t stop thinking about her. It’s like something just clicked inside of my brain, there was a spark that woke me up.” He said and Harry hummed. He was covered in goosebumps because that’s literally how he was feeling about Diana. From the day he met her, there was just something about her that called out to him and it got harder and harder to ignore it.

“It sounds like you can’t miss the signs.” Harry responded.

“Yeah, you’d have to be an idiot to ignore them.” Henry chuckled and Harry smiled.

“Yeah, I guess so…” he accepted.

Monday went by rather slow for Harry, the one thing that was pushing him forward was getting to see Diana for whatever brief moment he got to greet her. After he bid farewell to his client he started to buzz with excitement, getting ready to greet Celeste and Diana. He straightened out his vest a bit before heading to his office door and opening it up. Celeste immediately stood from her seat and smiled at him.

“Hi Dr. Styles.” She greeted him and he smiled at her.

“Hi Celeste, where’s your mum?” He asked immediately and the second he realized what he had done he felt his stomach sink.

“Oh, she’s reading midterm papers in the car. Do you need to talk to her?” She asked and Harry shook his head.

“Ummm, you know I can just email her. It’s fine.” He assured as he plastered on a smile, “C’mon, lets head back.” He said and guided them back into his office. He sat down and she headed to the window.

“Dr. Styles?”

“Yeah?”

“Ummm, there’s a little cat out there on the fire escape, under your bench of plants.” She said and he immediately stood and headed over there, “It’s soaked.” She said and he frowned and peeked out the window as she moved out of the way to let him see. It had been raining on and off all day long and it seemed that this little guy was looking for shelter. Harry immediately unlatched the large window’s lock and opened it up and he crouched down to fit through it. Celeste watched on as he approached the cat who meowed as Harry approached it.

“C’mon, little guy.” Harry encouraged.

“Or girl!” Celeste said and Harry smiled.

“Yeah, just…c’mere cat.” He extended his hand gently and the cat sniffed it before getting closer. “Celeste, under the sink in the bathroom there should be a pack of microfiber towels, they’re blue. Bring one please?”

“Yeah.” She said and hurried off as the cat slowly started to come closer to Harry. It was shivering and it’s big green eyes were peering into his own with wariness.

“C’mon, I’m not gonna hurt you.” He said gently to the cat. 

“Here, Dr. Styles.” Celeste said from behind and he reached back to grab the towel she had brought him. He let the cat sniff him again and it started inching forward. After coaxing it a bit more it had come close enough that Harry could scoop it up. It protested at first with a few mews but Harry had it in his hold, wrapped in the towel.

“Can you take the cat?” Harry asked Celeste and she reached her arms out and grabbed the cat as Harry climbed back in from the fire escape. Celeste was drying the cat’s head and Harry smiled, “Does it have a collar?” He asked as he closed the window and she felt around the cat’s neck.

“Nope.” She said and he hummed.

“OK.” He said as she carried the cat over to the couch where she sat with it in her lap. It pressed closer to her body, seeking more warmth, “Let me get a dry towel.” He said and came back moments later and helped her swap out the towel.

“Well, she’s a girl.” Celeste said and he smiled, “What’re you gonna do with her?”

“I’ll probably take her to the shelter and see if she’s chipped.” He said and she hummed.

“And if she doesn’t have a home?” She questioned.

“I don’t know.” He said and she sighed.

“Well I think you should keep her around. She could be a nice emotional support cat for all of us coming in. You can name her something cute, like Misty.” She said smiling up at Harry and he chuckled.

“Yeah, that’s a cute name. Well, I will think about it.” Harry said and she smiled as the cat snuggled closer to her as she gently patted at her damp fur, “So today you were supposed to get a final decision on what was going to happen with Megan.” He said and she nodded.

“They changed her consequence to suspension instead of detention. So she got suspended for the week and the girls who were with her, her friends, they got detention for the rest of the month. Megan also has to see the school counselor once a week.” She said and Harry nodded.

“Well sounds like she needs it. How do you feel about it all?” He asked and she sighed.

“I mean good, but I don’t know what comes next. Like, I don’t think this has fixed anything, you know?”

“Well, that’s a valid concern, but we don’t actually know that yet, do we?” He asked and she nodded.

“Right. I just…I don’t feel better.” She explained and he nodded in understanding, “I feel like I still need to watch my back.”

“Well, now that the administrators know they’ll probably keep an eye out on Megan, to make sure he doesn’t retaliate, right?”

“I guess so.” She shrugged as she pet at the cat, “I don’t feel happy about it or anything yet.”

“Well, that might take a bit longer. You still need to settle into how things might change. For the better.” He added in and she nodded.

“What if things get better and I’m still not happy?” She asked and frowned.

“Well, that’s not abnormal.” Harry said, “It could be that you’re depressed for other reasons, but the bullying has been the most obvious stressor so we all just assumed that’s what it was.” He explained, “Is there anything else going on that we should talk about?” He asked and she sighed.

“I…I don’t know.” She said honestly, her eyes were on his and he nodded.

“Sometimes we can just get depressed, it doesn’t always have to do with something deep inside, you know?” He explained, “Whatever it is, we can work through it. From the conversation we’ve been having is it wrong of me to say that you sound… hopeless?” He asked and she shook her head.

“No, that sounds about right.” She confirmed, “What if this keeps happening, over and over again? Maybe we fix the issue this year but someone else comes and makes things hard again next year.”

“Well, I am going to tell you something you might hate to hear, but in life, sometimes shitty things just happen.” He said and she frowned, “But the good news is that with time and experience and family, friends, and other help, like therapy, you’ll be more equipped to deal with the hardships. That doesn’t mean that they’re easier to manage or won’t bug you as badly, but you will be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel even brighter than before.” He smiled.

“Well that’s good to know.” She said as she continued petting at the cat.

“Yeah. Do you have pets?” Harry asked and she shook her head.

“No. Mom says we’re not at home enough.” She said and Harry nodded in understanding.

“I see. You know, I don’t have a pet either for the same reason. When you think about it, having a pet is a lot like a kid or even just a friend.” He said and she chuckled.

“How do you mean?”

“Well, we dedicate time to them and look after them. We care for them like they’re a part of our family. We learn what it likes, what it doesn’t like. We learn how it communicates with us…does that make sense? It’s like another member of our family almost.”

“Yeah.” She said and he nodded.

“So sometimes when we get busy or things change we start to look after the members of our family less. We lose touch with others and sometimes ourselves.” He explained, “And I think that this year has brought a lot of changes to you, Celeste.” She sighed, “High school is a big change. Your mom got promoted, so she’s been busier, you’re having trouble at school…a lot of things have changed and it’s normal to not feel like yourself.” He said and she pouted a bit.

“You know, it was her idea, my mom’s, to put me in guitar lessons. The band teacher shows me stuff too. I don’t need private lessons. I like them now, but at first I really hated it.” She admitted, “She was busier during the summer and I think she just signed me up to get me out of the way for a bit.” She sighed and Harry frowned, that didn’t sound like Diana.

“Do you really feel that way?” He asked and she nodded.

“She got her job and she just…disappeared. She used to pick me up every single day and we would have fun and make dinner.”

“Have you talked to her about this?”

“No. And honestly, I don’t know if she’ll listen. Even now, with this thing with Megan. It doesn’t seem like she cares. Or like the second I started getting comfortable with you she feels like she doesn’t even need to come up here and support me.” Celeste said. And almost for the rest of their time in the session Celeste just spent it venting about how alone she felt now. She had friends to spend time with, but the closeness she used to have with Diana was slowly fading and to her it seemed that Diana now cared about her job more than Celeste, which Harry knew was far from the truth, but Celeste felt the way she felt. Once again there were tears and lots of hugging the fucking cat in her lap, which with each passing second looked like it belonged here more than not. 

Harry wasn’t sure if this was just a bad day, maybe they had a disagreement, or maybe she truly had been feeling this way for a long time but he couldn’t stop hearing her say that Diana wasn’t invested in therapy with her. That wasn’t the case at all, this was their fault. Diana wasn’t up here waiting for Celeste because of what they had shared on Friday night. He shouldn’t have touched her, shouldn’t have held her. He shouldn’t have been feeling jealous over her. The one thing he was afraid of had happened and his choices drove a wedge between Celeste and Diana. When Harry went home that night with the cat he felt quite defeated.

******* Tuesday Afternoon*******

Grace was running late on picking her up, so Celeste had spent some time practicing her guitar parts for the jazz band concert. She had just received a text from Grace that she was outside so she hurried to pack her music and guitar before running to the bathroom really quick. 

She was just washing her hands when the bathroom door opened and she glanced up through the mirror she saw two of Megan’s friends coming in looking angry. She backed up as they approached her and her breathing was heavy.

“You shouldn’t have snitched on Megan.” One of the girls said and Celeste swallowed thickly, she couldn’t even speak.

“I’m sorry.” She whispered, the breath was leaving her lungs and her hands started to go numb.

“We’re gonna get you back. So watch your back.” The girl hissed and she couldn’t help it as her tears started to fall. Her guitar case was leaning against the wall and one of the girls looked at it with a grin.

“No, please don’t!” Celeste begged as the girl approached it and then kicked at the center of the neck of the guitar and she gasped as she heard the wood crack loudly.

“Oh my god!”, “Let’s go!” The two girls laughed and rushed out of the bathroom as Celeste opened up her guitar case to see that the whole neck was cracked through. She felt more tears fall as she groaned in frustration. She knew this would happen!

She got it together for Grace, but Grace knew her well and she knew that Celeste had, had a bad day or she was just moody, so Grace warned Diana anyway. And when Diana got home Celeste just felt all her anger from her vent with Dr. Styles just come back fresh.

“Hi mamita! I’m home!” Diana called as she made it into the kitchen and flicked on the lights so that she could start on dinner. “I stopped by a Cinnabon on the way home!” She shouted, after Grace told her that it seemed that it hand’t been a great day for Celeste, she wanted to do a little something extra.

“Hi.” She heard the mumble behind her and she turned around to see Celeste looking through the Cinnabon bag, “Thanks.” She said and started leaving again.

“Hey, hey, hey!” Diana called after her and Celeste groaned.

“What?”

“What’s the matter?” Diana questioned.

“Nothing.”

“Doesn’t look like nothing.” Diana smiled and Celeste rolled her eyes. “Grace told me you had a bad day.”

“It wasn’t bad.”

“She said you were crying. Did those girls do something to you at school again?” She asked and Celeste shook her head but looked away, “Celeste.” Diana pressed, “How can I help if I don’t know what happened?” She asked and Celeste groaned.

“That’s the thing! You didn’t help you made everything worse!” Celeste shouted with so much rage she was panting and Diana frowned.

“What do you mean?”

“I never should have listened to you!” She shouted with exasperation and Diana frowned.

“Something else happened, didn’t it?”

“Mom-”

“I need to know, Celeste.”

“Yes! Th-they broke my guitar. But none of this would ever have happened if you wouldn’t have talked to the principal! They’re so pissed that I told on them!” She accused angrily, “And now they’re gonna pick on me even more-”

“We did the right thing, Celeste!” Diana shouted back angrily, “What more was I supposed to do? Watch them hurt you more?”

“Ughh it doesn’t even matter because I’m gonna be miserable now and it’s all your fault!” She roared, “This is all your fault! I hate you!” Celeste bellowed at Diana before storming out. 

Diana was frozen, as she felt her eyes welling up as Celeste’s stomps faded. Her hurt crawled up her throat and broke past her mouth in the sound of a sob. Her hands flew up to her face where she groaned loudly into them. She hated this. She had no idea how to fix this or what she had done wrong and she knew that the answer was not to get in a shouting match with Celeste She searched through her bag and pulled out her phone and dialed Harry’s office, she just need to talk to him. 

**********

Harry reached for his phone as it rang, alerting him of a forwarded call from his office. It rang out after a few rings and then he saw a voicemail notification and decided to just check it out. He brought the phone up to his ear as he waited for the audio to play.

“H-harry, it’s me.” He heard Dian’s voice clear as day sounding so, so defeated, “I really need to talk to you.” She sniffed, “It’s not an emergency, ummm, I’d just like to talk.” She finished and hung up. Harry sighed and threw his head back on his pillow. He started at the ceiling for a moment and shook his head before bringing his phone down and deleting the voice mail. They’d barely had any contact and it had already affected Celeste in some way.

******

Diana decided to give Celeste some time to cool off. It was nearing 10 at night when she knocked on the door and peeked her head in when a soft “what” sounded through the door.

“Cariño-”

“Mom, not now.” 

“Sweetie, we need to talk about what’s going on-”

“Why? Why now, mom?”

“Because I am worried about you!” Diana raised her voice, “I don’t know what’s going to happen to you next! And if there’s something I can do to prevent something worse-”

“Well you didn’t prevent anything! You made it worse! You meddled and now they broke my guitar and-”

“Sweetie, we can fix that quickly-”

“Yeah, so that I’m out of your hair again!”

“What? What are you talking about?”

“You just force me to do things so that you don’t have to waste your time with me anymore!”

“What? No, that’s not-”

“I don’t want to talk to you!”

“Fine!” Diana finally blew up and Celeste froze at her mom’s outburst, she had never heard her this upset. “You think I don’t care? That I just make everything worse? How’s this for worse? You’re grounded - phone and laptop handed over at 10:30pm until I decide. No friends over, even to study. And you are earning back the money it costs to fix that guitar.”

“What? Mom-”

“I have sacrificed my entire life for you because I love you. Even now, when you’re acting like a spoiled brat I don’t regret what I’ve done for you. But if you think I make everything worse, fine. Solve your own problems from here on out, because if you’re going to be ungrateful when I just want to help then I won’t help! I am done.” Diana seethed before storming out of Celeste’s room and slamming her door behind her hard. She was completely at a loss and she had no idea what she was going to do next. She laid in her bed, staring at the ceiling, willing sleep to come, but it wasn’t. Suddenly her phone started to ring and she glanced to it on her bedside table, she didn’t have the number saved in her phone but she picked it up anyway.

“Hello?” She whispered and then heard a sharp exhale over the line.

“Hi.” Harry’s voice came through the receiver and it made her skin come to life, “You called earlier?” His deep voice practically vibrated through the receiver.

“Yeah, it’s just…Celeste and I fought and I had a moment of weakness. Wanted to know what you had talked about last session.” She sighed, “It was a reach. I shouldn’t have done that.” She apologized.

“It’s alright. Are you alright?” He asked and she sniffled.

“Yeah, just…bummed. I lost my temper in the end and just went off on the poor thing.” She said and he frowned, “They broke her guitar today from telling on that other girl, Megan. She said it’s my fault.”

“Oh my god.” He said and Diana sighed.

“Yeah. I’ll let her talk to you about it next week, but just know it’s been rough.” She explained.

“Yeah, of course.” He assured. There was some silence before Diana spoke again.

“I ummm…I think I saw you the other day. Well it was Saturday at the farmer’s market?” She changed the subject and he bit his lip.

“Yeah? I was there in the morning.” He confirmed.

“Yeah. I thought I saw you loading your groceries.” She smiled as she recalled, “In a little yellow hat?” She asked and Harry grinned.

“Probably did. Sounds like me.” He said and she hummed. There was a short pause of silence before he asked his next question. “Why didn’t you come up yesterday with Celeste?” He inquired.

“I didn’t think you’d want that after everything we talked about Friday. Where we left things off.” Diana reminded.

“Right…I know.” He sighed and she smiled lightly. She felt it was hard to stay away from him too. “Want to know something?”

“Sure.” She responded quietly.

“My girlfriend? She was cheating on me, with Eddie.” He said and Diana sat up from her bed in shock.

“Oh my god…that’s insane! I’m so sorry. Are you alright?” She asked with concern.

“Yeah, I’m alright. We just…we’d both been searching for reasons to stay and ummm…our goals didn’t align from the start. We’ve been on two different pages, two different books even, for most of our time together apparently, so she found someone who was more in tune with what she wants.” He explained and Diana hummed.

“So you’re at peace with it?”

“More than I thought I’d be.” He stated with a chuckle.

“Can I tell you something?” She asked.

“Yeah, of course.” He replied, inviting her to keep talking.

“I…went on a date.” She said and he chuckled, ignoring the hurt in his chest.

“You wanted to tell me that?”

“Not necessarily you, just someone. I told Celeste afterwards on Saturday.” Suddenly everything started clicking about Celeste not being happy about Diana barely having any time for her. It worried her that Diana dating again would change everything between them, “I haven’t had the chance to chat about it with anyone.”

“And why me?”

“Because we’re not anything and you can be objective with me.”

“Not anything, huh?” He asked with a twinge of hurt in his chest, though his tone was playful.

“You know what I mean, Harry.” She sighed, feeling bad.

“Alright, what needs objectivity?”

“Just whether this is a good idea or not. On one hand I see how it can be. I hardly have a social life, I haven’t dated anyone in like two years…that was the last time I accepted an invitation from someone if I’m recalling correctly? And I mean, it could be good for me to…put myself out there. To have friends that aren’t Grace and my teenage daughter, or her buddies. It would be nice to have some company or to feel cared for in a non-platonic way. I mean, there’s tons of pros. But on the other hand I mean, there’s my job. It’s time-consuming, and Celeste…she’s dealing with so much and I want to be there for her first and foremost. Her wellbeing and happiness are my priority. So I’m nervous about introducing her to a partner and about changing our dynamic, it’s just been us two for so long…what if she thinks that I’m not happy with just us? Or what if she feels excluded?” she sighed in concern.

“Yeah, I hear you. But I reckon the right person would also consider and care for your child. It could be one of those situation where you introduce your partner as a friend first and work your way up?” He suggested.

“She’d see that coming a mile off… friend who stays the night?” She asked with a giggle and Harry giggled as well.

“Oh! So that’s the kind of thing you’re looking for.” Harry teased and she went all hot in the face, “You’re a cheeky little thing.” He teased.

“Oh my god…” she sighed.

“Hey, it’s OK, I’m not judging, but yeah maybe that would make things tricky with Celeste.” He chuckled.

“Yeah, it’s just at whatever point that happens at, it’s gonna be odd and a little uncomfortable.” She explained and Harry agreed.

“Well, I don’t know what to tell you, Diana… Objectively speaking? I mean, I think you’ll just need to be a nun from now on.” He joked.

“Oh god…” she giggled and he smiled, “So you’re really OK?” She asked after some moments of silence.

“Yeah, more than.” He was gonna take a risk, “So much so that as I laid in bed after Rebecca and I broke up, all I could think about was cherries.” He said and she felt her mouth go dry.

“Cherries?” She asked and he hummed.

“Mmmm, from your perfume. I could smell it on the jacket I was wearing and the scent just stuck itself in my mind until I went to bed. Was thinking about you, hoping that I didn’t hurt your feelings again.”

“You didn’t. I get it.” She said and Harry sighed, “Why are we acting like this is such a big deal? We hardly even know each other, Harry. Think about it. This is not a problem on its own, we’re making it a problem.” She said and he sighed. In a way that was true, they were freaking out because they found each other physically attractive. “Our best friends are in a relationship, we’re gonna see each other every now and again so how about we just reserve our non-shop talk to when we all hang out? I’m sure it won’t be often, at most once a month right? For the escape room?”

“Oh, so you are gonna join us?” He asked excitedly.

“Well yeah, I feel a bit obligated now that I know you’re a player short.” She reasoned and Harry winced playfully.

“Ouch!” He said through the line with a chuckle.

“I’m so sorry! I didn’t realize I was…don’t laugh at me.” She scolded in some embarrassment as she heard him laughing, “I truly was thinking about it in terms of the group. I’m sorry, Harry.” She assured as his laughter died down.

“I know. Just messing with you.” He confirmed and she felt a slight weight lifted off of her shoulders.

“OK, good.” She smiled as she stared at the ceiling, “You smell good too, by the way.” She spoke up softly and Harry smiled.

“Yeah?”

“Mmm-hm.” She confirmed with a bashful smile on her face. She was envisioning the feeling of his warmth wrapped around her like on Friday night. She wanted to be near him, to feel him hold her again, to feel safe in someone’s arms, a feeling she hadn’t had in ages.

“So this guy you’ve been dating…”

“It was one date, the farmer’s market. We’re gonna go out again this week I think. It’s new and I don’t know… I’m nervous.”

“About?”

“All of it.” She giggled.

“Well do you…like him?”

“He’s nice.”

“So no.” he chuckled and she laughed.

“I didn’t say that. I’m just getting used to the idea of liking him.”

“That didn’t sound any better.” He assured with a grin and she groaned.

“You’ve got my head all mixed up.” She chuckled breathily.

“What? How? I’m just interpreting what you’re saying.” He chuckled.

“By saying things about…cherries and my feelings and just stuff like that…” she said and he smiled.

“Mmmm, I see. Sorry.” He apologized, “S’kinda hard to forget though.”

“Yeah.” She admitted, mentally willing herself to recall the feeling of his body encasing hers. 

“You said earlier that Celeste was your priority.” He said seemingly changing the subject.

“Yeah, she is.”

“So if you have 3 main priorities where are you on that list, Diana?” Harry asked and she grinned.

“Are you trying to therapize me?” She asked with a grin.

“No, it’s a serious question. The fact that you’re thinking about it is not a great sign, by the way.” He said with a smile and she sighed.

“Well, I can say with certainty that I’m in the top 5 priorities.” She laughed quietly and he hummed.

“I mean, it’s not uncommon for people to do that, don’t worry. I do it sometimes too. And I mean, I can’t pretend to fully understand what having a child is like, but I do know that for many adults with children it’s like they put themselves on the back burner until their kid turns 18, which is horrifying. And I mean, how is your kid supposed to learn balance if you’re not modeling that for them? Like when is the last time Celeste got to see you choose yourself and do something for you?” He asked and she couldn’t even come up with something.

“I don’t know, honestly.” She confessed.

“See that’s not good. I know you have many things to consider as you make choices, but every now and again throw something in there for you, you know? Something that’ll make you feel happy. Whether it’s dating or committing to the escape room thing-”

“Or talking on the phone with non-friends about friend things…” she added and he smiled.

“Exactly.” He agreed.

“Yeah, I will try…” she sighed. “Can I tell you something else?” She asked softly after a long moment of silence.

“Yeah. Tell me.” He responded as he stared at his ceiling.

“W-when you grabbed me, around my waist? On Friday?” She brought up nervously, “I haven’t been held like that in years. It was really nice and I’ve missed it. It’s what…prompted me to say yes to Gabe. I want that again.” She explained. Of course, leaving out that she kind of wanted more of that with him, but that wasn’t possible, so she needed to try with someone else.

“Even though you don’t like him like that?” Harry asked and she closed her eyes with a slight pout on her face.

“Well what else was I supposed to do?” She asked softly.

“I don’t know, but you did the right thing.” He said and she sighed. “Don’t get me wrong, I-I liked holding you. I liked how your body fit against mine. I liked smelling your perfume on my jacket for the rest of the time after and I-”

“Harry-” she interrupted.

“You can’t tell me that wasn’t seared into your brain for days after.” He interrupted her and she sighed.

“Of course it was, but-”

“So why are you calling and telling me about your dates? Why are you doing this?” He questioned with some hurt lacing into his tone and she sighed.

“Because I need you to know that I’m fucking trying!” She whisper-shouted, “I’m trying to do the right thing and not dwell on whatever weird tension or attraction exists between us. Even if…talking to you makes me happy.”

“Diana-”

“I can’t come first. Not this time, Harry. So don’t flirt with me or…touch me or talk to me about my perfume lingering on your clothes. Please.” She swallowed thickly and he nodded.

“OK.” He responded quietly, “Notice I didn’t apologize for it though.” He said and she smiled.

“I noticed.” She assured.

“Good. Just as long as it prompted you to do something for yourself, I don’t care. You deserve it.” He said softly.

“Thank you, Harry.” She hummed, “And thanks for even calling me back.”

“Yeah, of course.” He assured and she exhaled.

“Good night, Harry.” 

“G’night.” He responded before the line went dead. Diana suddenly felt so empty and defeated as she stared at her ceiling. She had hoped that speaking with Harry had brought some clarity but all it did was confuse her even more.

-

This is Wesley Beniot - Celeste's dad, Diana's Ex:

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[coffeecat1983]

Down the Road, pt 4

Also up in long format with pt 3 on Ao3 soon! (warning, might be triggering to some, coming out angst ahead!)

The weekend passed quickly. The graduation party was full of food, laughter, and gifts for the boys. From their parents, specially made coffee mugs that matched their favorite hats with their initials on them, and each had been gifted the newest handheld game system with a few games from their uncles as special treats. The shared card to them read 'you put in the work, now you've earned some play!' Throughout the party, Tony kept an eye on Luigi, and was glad to see his nephew seemed to be having fun instead of worrying about Monday evening. After things started to wind down for the night, he pulled Luigi aside. "Tomorrow when your dad gets home from work, he's been getting home early the past few days so it'll probably be before dinner. I promise, I'll be right beside you."

Monday evening. Tony was pacing in the living room, listening for the heavy footsteps that would signal Giovanni had come home. He nearly jumped when Arthur spoke behind him. "You gonna be okay tonight?" "I gotta be, I want to be there for Luigi." Arthur folded his arms. "You need me, just say so, I'm not afraid to step in." Before Tony could reply, his phone beeped. He checked the screen.

"It's go time." he muttered. "Just be on standby for the boys, would ya?" Arthur just gave a nod, watching as his twin left.

Tony felt his stomach turn. This hadn't gone well at all. The moment the words left Luigi's mouth, Giovanni's mood shifted, his expression darkening. The whole room felt tight, almost suffocating. "I had hopes you boys would both find good girls and settle down, then you hit me with this?" his tone was that low, angry voice that Tony and Arthur had grown up with. Hearing it again made Tony cringe inside. While his older brother had never been one for physical abuse, he would end up with harsh verbal and emotional attacks, often from not thinking before speaking. Giovanni paced a bit before stopping, arms folded. He was facing the wall that held the family photos. He stared at them for a moment, his gaze settling on the one of the boys goofing off with Tony and Arthur. "Giovanni," Tony started but stopped as his older brother held up a hand. "Enough, I don't want to hear it. Luigi, I think you better go stay with your uncles for a while." Luigi started trembling and Tony's heart sank. Giovanni, you have no idea what you've just done… he thought. "M-Mom?!" Luigi squeaked out. Marianna leaned in and lovingly took his face in her hands, pressing her forehead to his. "It's all right sweetheart, let me handle this." She gave him a kiss on the cheek before standing up, fists clenched in a mother's fury. "Tony, you and the boys are gonna have a sleepover while my husband and I have a talk." Her final words held a fierce fire no one had ever heard before. Tony urged the two over to the door, Mario keeping an arm around a now quietly sobbing Luigi. "C'mon, go across the hall, I'll get your nightclothes and things. Arthur and Marie will understand when you go over, you don't have to explain." Giovanni meanwhile went down the hall and into his and Marianna's room, shutting the door behind him. "Wait here, I'll get the boys things." Marianna said. Tony sat at the table, lost in thought. Before he knew it, Marianna was handing him an overnight bag that was stuffed full, and some cash. "All their things are in there, including their pillows. Take this and get everyone pizza, something to get their minds off this." "Thanks," Tony said, taking the bag. "Keep the money, I'll cover it tonight. Arthur and I got a couple comedy movies we've been saving for an emergency that we can play for em, too. You gonna be okay?" "I'll be fine. I've been waiting for this day." Tony froze. "Wait, you knew?" Marianna gave him a warm, sad smile. "He's my baby, I'm supposed to know these things." She glanced over her shoulder down the hall.

"I'll let him have his tantrum for a bit then go in." "Look, if you need either me or Art, call, okay?" "Thanks, and thanks for looking out for my boys." Tony just gave her a nod as he left.

Entering the apartment, he was greeted with the sight of Marie on the couch, holding a crying Luigi, whispering softly to him, telling him everything would be okay. Mario was in the other chair, looking almost shellshocked and Arthur was near the hall. He looked furious. "I'll kill him…" he muttered, going towards the front door. Tony dropped the overnight bag and grabbed his arm. "Art, don't." he pleaded. "Not now. Right now the boys need us, not a big fight. Marianna's handling Giovanni, and believe me, she's just as mad as you are." He ran his fingers through his hair, thinking. "Let's just get everyone settled, get a movie on, and then get dinner. We're gonna just take this slow, okay?" Arthur relaxed a little, glancing at his nephews. "Yeah, fine." he agreed. As Tony went in and sat next to Luigi, motioning for Mario to squeeze in by him, Arthur kneeled by Luigi's feet, placing a comforting hand on his leg. Tony put an arm around Luigi's shoulders, and his free hand went to Mario's shoulder. "Now I want you boys to listen. I know this is scary and it hurts, but we're all here for you both and we'll get past this, okay?" he said. "Your mamma is one tough lady, she'll get your dad to listen." "But what do we do?" Mario asked. "Right now? Nothing," Arthur chimed in, "you just be here for each other, take it easy, and try to relax. It might take time, but we'll get this figured out. And until then, you boys can stay right here with us."

To be continued....

By "CC"

[lover-girl-estxx]

Angst/fluff with teenager Nick 😇

Really?

(both 17) A/n:I don't know If this is what you wanted but here it is!

"what do you mean you don't think it's gonna work anymore?" I asked my brows together "us I don't think it will work" I sighed "Nick we've been together two years and out of nowhere it's not gonna work?! are you with someone else?" "what no!""then what!-" "I don't love you anymore!" he threw his hands up, I let out a breath "Y/n I-" "no it's fine" I bit my lip to keep my tears in, I stood up grabbing my bag before walking out of his room which means I had to go through Nate's room "you're leaving already?" he asked from his bed I nodded and kept walking "Y/n are you okay?" Nate said walking behind me "yeah" I walked out the front door "hey for real Y/n" "he broke up with me okay but i'm fine" "Y/n i'm sorry" "it's fine really," I kissed his cheek like always "i'll see you tomorrow" "you sur-" "yeah" I got in my car then only being able to go down the road before having to pull over and crying.

| Nick's POV |

I ran my hands down my face. It's for the best right? I mean she could do so much been and deserves so much better. I mean hes had to cancelled so many plans to train, and when they do hang out it's mostly them watching a movie in one of their rooms because that's all he could afford. How could she be happy with that? She deserves the fucking world and I couldn't give it to her right now and god only knows if ever.

"why did you break up with Y/n?" Nate said coming into my room "Nate.." I sighed "she was just crying out of the house why?" "Nate I don't want to talk about it" "that's not fare" "life's not fare so will you please stop" "Nick," Nate whispered "are you okay?" Nate knows about my mental Heath and I knew that's what he was asking, I nod "i'm fine can I just be alone for a bit" "better pull your head out of you're ass before your late".

| Next Morning |

my alarm went off at 4:00am,I sighed before hitting the off button. I sat on the couch putting my shoes on "where you going so early?" 13 year old Nina whispered half asleep "a run" "by yourself?" I nodded standing up "be careful Nickolas" I kissed her cheek " always. i'll be back for breakfast" she smiled and nodded. I ran for 2 miles nonstop before stopping at the beach sighing "fuck" I whispered.

We walked into the gym Y/n was sitting at the front desk where she always did, her dad Richard getting things ready for training. "Nick!" she yelled as I walked by "sign in" she added, her eyes were red and puffy wearing sweats and a Gracie Jiu-Jisu hoodie "sorry" I sighed signing in.

I watched Y/n talk to the new guy Tommy who looks about 24 "Nick eyes on the bag" Rich said. I stood across from this Tommy guy Y/ns back to me "you're locker is 36 and here's your lock" "thanks" he gave a small smile. "what did he want?" I asked "my name, number, address, my great great grandpa's birthday and my 10 year plan" she said turning to me, I rolled my eyes "what do you need?" she added "need to sign out i'm going to lunch" she handed me the clipboard "where you going for lunch?" "just that little diner on the corner" "okay well i'm hungry so i'm coming" she grabbed her wallet walking out the door holding it open "come on!" she yelled.

"what was it?" she asked across from me while eating a fry "what?" "make you not..love me anymore you don't just stop so what was it" she looked at me with sad eye's "nothing you did" "Nick give me an answer you owe me that," I stayed silent "Nick I won't be mad I promise" "it was gonna happen I just thought to rip the band-aid off" "okay," she sighed "you keep answering me without a real answer" "I don't know how to answer!" I shrugged "listen...I love you despite anything your telling your self in your head....I know that's why your doing this, it's not true. I want to be with you and I wish you could see yourself the way I do" "....you deserve so much better-" "i'm happy with us happy with the way we are" "I can't even take you on dates!" "who said I ever wanted a date? and you take me on dates!" "where?" "we go to the beach, the movies we go the the skate park" "those ain't dates" "yes and I like those, I just love spending time with you.....So what do you in you're heart not you're head" "be with you" "okay then" she moved to my side of the booth picking my arm up wrapping it around her "see you can't keep me away for long" she smiled up at me I kissed her head "yeah you have you're ways".

[chrisevanslovesposts]

Chapter 1

Harper and Theodore road there dirt bikes through all the trees before coming up to the road. They waited as the cars coming passed by them, as Harper watched the cars pass, she caught a glimpse of red hair. 

"Theo, that was Claire!" Harper told him as they rode their bikes across the road.

"You probably are just seeing someone who looked like her. What would she be doing here. People come here all the time for vacation. They probably just look like her." Theodore said as kicked his bike up into third gear riding off.

"No, I promise you." Harper tried to call after him but he already rode off.

Harper looked down the rode and saw the car rounding the turn then disappear. Harper sighed and drove back to the house. As she pulled up and shut her bike off she walked up to the house seeing Claire pull up and getting out of her car. Theodore pulled up beside Harper as she smiled and pointed at Claire.

"See! Told you." Harper said and he looked up at her.

"Oh, it really is." Theodore smiled. They watched her walk over to Owen, where he stood on a ladder working on the house, singing.

"Come on." Harper pulled Theodore by his arm making him follow her.

"Hey, Owen. Owen!" Claire called and Owen stopped hammering.

"Oh, boy." He said and put his hammer in his belt and turned and looked at her.

"Hi." Claire said

"Back for more, huh?"

"Can I buy your a beer?"

"Did you bring 'em, or do we gotta, like, go somewhere?" Owen asked

"Please?" Claire asked him and he climbed off the latter.

"Okay, let's go. Be back in bit, guys. You need anything you know what to do." Owen said tapping his watch as him and Claire walked to her car.

"We know. Hi, Claire." Harper smiled quickly walking over and giving her hug, Theo right behind her to give her a hug as well.

"Hey, guys. It's good to see you guys!" Claire smiled hugging them both.

"We missed you." Harper smiled up at her.

"I missed you guys too. I'm gonna take your dad out for a minute, but when I get back, if you guys are here, maybe we can go out for dinner." Claire said and they nodded their heads before watching her walk to the car and pull out of the drive way and leave. 

Harper and Theodore packed bags full of water, food, hats, and gloves before getting on their bikes and leaving. When the sun had started to fall they turned their head lights on and continued to ride around. When Harper came upon a tree house she stopped and turned her bike off. She grabbed a key that sat under a rock by a nearby tree before walking up the stairs and unlocking the front door. Walking in she hit the lights and quickly through some logs in the fireplace and started a fire to warm the place up. 

As the place heated up she walked to the second room and grabbed the gas can before walking onto the porch and turning the light on. She walked out to her bike and filled her tank till it was full then put the gas back in it's spot in the house. She walked into the small kitchen and grabbed a banana from the cabinet as she heard another bike roll up. She walked onto the porch seeing Theo roll up on his bike. He turned his bike off and as he walked up onto the porch he tried to take Harper's granola bar.

"No, go get your own." She took a step back from him.  He sighed and walked into the tree house and grabbed one for himself. 

"Nice and warm in there." He said as he walked out and shivered. The low tonight was 14 and the high was 29. The current temperature was 32 so slowly as the temperature dropped the pair didn't stay out as long. 

"Yea, first I did, we're gonna have to start, like, leaving that going when we leave or something. Everything will freeze." Harper said as she sat down in the rocking chair.

"No, I'm not burning down all my hard work, anything that can freeze, just bring to the house." He sighed sitting down beside her, "Oh, dad text me, earlier. We gotta get back early tonight said we had to wake up bright and earlier tomorrow morning." 

"I was planning on staying here tonight." Harper sighed

"Not tonight, I guess." Theo said as he checked his watch. He stood up and walked into the tree house before coming back out with two thermal jackets.

Taking off his big jacket and hoodie he slipped the thermal jacket on before putting everything else back on. He put a gaitor on, to cover his face, then a beanie and thermal gloves. Harper doing the same she walked in and threw water on the fire place.

"You fill your tank?" She called before shutting off the lights.

"Oh, no." Theo said walking back in and grabbing the gas can. He filled his tank before putting the gas can pack, making sure the fire was put completely out, then turned all the lights off. He locked the door then hid the key back before him and Harper got back on their bikes and road back to the house. 

Their father had put a lot of trust in them with their tree house. It was an hour away from the house, and he let them completely build it themselves. Told them that if they wanted one they had to do themselves. They knew how to, he had a house to build, he was't gonna build a tree house on top of that. So they went out picked a spot and started building. Now 3 years since they started, they still had a few things that need built, but it was practically a house. They had a small kitchen, a living room with a fire place, three bedrooms, they were rather small, they could fit a bed, and a small side table, then just a middle room, which was mostly storage. So it was a cute little tree house, they had running water, and eletric. They both built all themselves, except the eletric and water, Owen did help with that, but everything else had been them. They had to drive out till the tree were super thick and close together, and that was why it was an hour away from the house. 

An hour later when they pulled up to the house, Harper walked in and Theo went straight to his room to warm up. Harper peaked her head in her fathers room and he was sat at a computer watching it.

"We're back." She muttered making him turn and she could see the screen. It was him and blue when she was a baby. She walked in and hugged Owen before going to her own room and going to bed.

%

Harper woke up the next morning to her father shaking her awake. 

"Hey, wake up. Pack some clothes." He told her then turned and quickly walked out. She rolled over looking at her clock that read 4:3am. Sighing she got up and started getting around. 

Harper got changed into her outfit and packed some clothes. She walked out into the kitchen to see Theodore with a bag too.

Owen drove them to the airport and parked. They walked all the way through the airport to the otherside before walking out on the tarmack, where a charter plane sat. The pilot stood beside the plane with a smile.

"Don't tell where here." Owen told him before they all got in and sat in the back. 

"So, why are we here?" Harper asked

"We're gonna go save the dinosaurs from a volcano." Owen told them.

"What?" Theo asked confused 

"You'll see." 

They were sat in the charter plane for an hour before they heard voice. Once all the people had gotten their stuff in the back of the charter plane all the people got in, including Claire. Claire sat down not seeing them, making Owen sigh and she turned to see them all with big eyes. 

"Guys!" A smile spread across her face before two others got in the plane.

"Franklin, you wiener, get on the plane." A girl sat down.

"Didn't think you were gonna ever show up." Owen said shaking his head as a girl with glasses and a guy with glasses sat down. 

"Oh, um, this is Zia Rodriguez." Claire told them.

"Zia." Owen shook her hand as he moved to the front seat. Theo and Harper shook her hands with polite smiles.

"Hey. How you doing?" She asked

"Yeah. Real good. How are you?" Owen asked

"Good."

"Franklin Webb. Systems analyst." Claire said as the guy buckled hsi seat belt tight and grabbed his bag and held it even tighter.

"Nervous flyer?" Owen asked him.

"Would you ride a thousand- pound horse that's been abused all its life?" Franklin asked

"I rode my motorcycle through the jungle with a pack of raptors." Owen smiled

"We're not compatible." Franklin said shaking his head

"I did too!" Harper said from the back

"Me too!" Theodore told them.

"How old are you guys?" Franklin asked

"We'll, I'm 10, but I was 7 when I did it." Theodore told him and Franklin eyes rose in surprised.

"I'm 8, but I was 5 when I did it." Harper smiled sweetly at him. Franklins eyes went impossible wide at this.

"This is Owen Grady. This is his son Theodore Grady. And this is his daughter Harper Grady. They all work with the raptors." Claire told them as they all looked around at each other.

[ratilyn]

Holy shit have I got a surprise for past me. I'm now in uni which I wanted to quit this week but I got through it so easily, all I had to do was swallow my pride and anxiety and ask for some God damn help and now im excelling at it. I'm studying music production and song writing and I'm better at it than I thought. I'm coming up 9 months sober and my shifts at work have changed due to my studying so now I start early and finish early and this was all possible because I finally got my licence a month ago right before my birthday! I also saw my dad for my birthday for the first time in 5 years! And my whole family sat down and had dinner for my birthday and my dad, step mum, step sister and her fiance met my boyfriend which was incredible! They love him! I'm just so happy. I've been struggling emotionally this last week But yesterday and today have been so fucking good. And today a girl in my class who came all the way from America asked me if I'd like to study with her and some others in my class tomorrow outside of uni so I think that means I'm gonna have a few more friends!!! And once I get properly settled (even tho it's already half way thru the trimester) I'm gonna go on road trips with my two best friends and start seeing them more!!! We've been talking about all these road trips since high school and it's finally gonna happen! Then in a month my boyfriend of 2+ years and I are gonna go up to Darwin to see my dad! And then I'm gonna see my friends up there too! Everything is happening and it's so scary and exhausting but I'm so fucking excited! I've left a lot out because my mind is racing with excitement but I'm in such a fucking good place at the moment. My own house, my own car, I'm studying what I've dreamt of becoming since I can remember. I'm on my way to making my own music very soon and becoming who I know I'm supposed to be. I'm happier than ever ((: I am so fucking proud of myself. Everything I've been through as a teenager was fucking worth it. And my mum and i, the woman i swore id never see again after i left home, we're so close now. I almost lost myself but I made it out. I fucking made it!!!

[writingmochi]

cast: enhypen ✗ fem.reader

synopsis: what will you do if you’ve given a day to—meet; interact; part ways—dance with your shadow?

genre: different for each member, mainly slice of life, fluff, and angst

based on: music hindia’s “menari dengan bayangan” album (2019)

message from the moon: do remember that this is fiction and all the actions the idols do in these works do not reflect what they are in the real world. this is a non-priority anthology so all stories are standalone, won't have any schedule for deadlines, and will be written on my availability! also, i'm implementing a system called early warning as a way to tell what warning(s) might show up in the individual work and will be changed accordingly...

not gonna lie, i was trying to cover this up as a way for me to recommend indonesian indie music cause i'm very reserved about my identity (putting only asian and legal) but f it GUE ORANG INDONESIA (read as "i'm indonesian") and i'm a proud southeast asian. i'm probably the only indonesian active in enhablr (especially a writer) cause other SEAsians i know that are active are the filipinos, but, hey nice to meet you! dan kalo lo org indo jg, hmu!

taglist? right here

album tracklist (english translation of the indonesian title)

track 1: evakuasi (evacuation)

"selamatkan diri, oh evakuasi"

cast: sunoo ✗ fem.reader (mostly a sunoo solo piece but mc will show up through flashbacks)

synopsis: it’s been one year since your death and it is the day sunoo has been preparing for a long time. lights off and the moon hiding behind her blanket, he lit up the candle to start the day, 24 hours to celebrate your life

genre: college/university au, high school au (in flashback), slice of life, fluff (in flashback), and angst

early warning(s): major character death, depressive episodes, mention of cyberbullying, mention of suicide, mention of self-harm

track 3: besok mungkin kita sampai (maybe we'll arrive tomorrow)

"katakan pada dirimu, 'besok mungkin kita sampai'"

cast: trainee!niki ✗ seatmate!fem.reader

synopsis: graduation is such a melancholic concept, happy to finally be able to escape school, but sad that people will separate to their own road. it is no different for riki. on his graduation day, he spends one last day with his seatmate of three years before he pursues his career across the sea

genre: melancholia, hurt/comfort, coming of age, slice of life, trainee au, high school au, fluff, angst

warning(s): blood, some curse words, mention of bruises, pretty heavy life stuff even for a high school age

track 6: untuk apa / untuk apa? (for what / for what?)

"dan kau selalu bertanya, untuk apa?"

cast: barista!sunghoon ✗ barista!fem.reader

synopsis: every day, sunghoon walked to the cafe he worked part-time. head-heavy and stressed from the workload, he started to get a mental breakdown as you observe from the kitchen

genre: college/university au, cafe au, slice of life, fluff, and angst

early warning(s): college (and life) existentialism

track 8: secukupnya (sufficiently)

"bersedihlah secukupnya"

cast: jake ✗ guitarist!fem.reader

synopsis: jake’s mind can only sustain so much, wandering the city like a lost boy in neverland. that’s when he enters a music store one morning, hearing a wailing guitar at the corner of the store

genre: hurt/comfort, college/university au, college band au, slice of life, fluff, and angst

early warning(s): depressive episodes

track 11: membasuh (devote)

"bisakah kita tetap membasuh"

cast: jay ✗ fem.reader

synopsis: “home is where the heart is.” a quote you always remind yourself of whenever you go home to your country from school. but, you can’t reach home immediately when you choose a layover flight. that’s when you meet jay, an international student who is on his way to school, whose plane is delayed.

genre: college/university au, international student au, slice of life, fluff, and angst, airport setting (is it just me or does anyone also like the feelings you get when you're going to or at an airport?)

track 12: rumah ke rumah (house to house)

"pindah berkala, rumah ke rumah"

cast: jungwon ✗ fem.reader

synopsis: puppy love is common in people who are jungwon’s age, wanting to have someone that shares that intense feeling of romance. but, jungwon struggled more as he never got approved on a second date by the people that he went on first dates with. today is your first date with him.

genre: high school au, slice of life, fluff, and tiny bit of angst

track 15: evaluasi (evaluation) • part of the deep end collab

"bilas muka, gosok gigi, evaluasi"

cast: heeseung ✗ fem.reader

synopsis: heeseung can finally breathe after finishing the final leg of his solo tour, his manager gives him one day to explore london. that’s when he meets you, a traveller from a room next to his

genre: slice of life, drama, romance, musician au, tourist au, fluff, angst, set in the same universe as crossroads

inspired by: movie before sunrise (1995)

taglist: @beomgyumineiro @bubblejunnies @endzii23 @stayzentiny @reallysmolrenjun @msxflower @kayalayadayla @fluffyywoo

can't tag: @meowchikatt @ricepill

© writingmochi on tumblr, 2021-2024. all rights reserved

[kayssweetdreams]

A Wonderous Christmas Ch 4

The kids looked down at the small letter that fell, before Kaylo frantically tried stuffing it back into her pocket "You saw nothing!" She cried out, pretending that nobody saw it. Everyone stared at her with raised eyebrows. They knew a letter for Santa when they saw it. "I didn't know you still write letters to Santa." Emma perked up.

Kaylo shrunk down in her seat, her little holiday secret had been revealed. "Yep...I still do." She admitted "Please don't tell anyone else about it." She pleaded. "Our lips are sealed, but I didn't know that you still believed in Santa Claus" Trisha Jane said. Now it was Kaylo's turn to raise an eyebrow "We've all gone to a theater that is the threshold to another world, run by two maestros with powers. I'm pretty sure that Santa may or may not exist." She said bluntly. "Touché..." Trisha Jane admitted.

"Well, Maybe we're getting off track. After all, Leo still needs his Mom's present." Mei reminded "Mei's right. I'm still out of ideas..." Leo said, looking down. "Maybe we can go back to the Mall again?" Emma suggested. "No, We wouldn't be able to get inside the stores...Maybe we can try the districts!" Rebecca said. "I'm down to check around the various districts, As long as I at least find SOMETHING." Leo said, running out of ideas, and time.

"That might be a problem, the snow is startingto come down harder" Mei said, pointing at the flurries of snow now piling down. "Hmm...Maybe we should try tomorrow. When the snow stops..." Trisha Jane suggested, however, Leo shook his head "No! I need to find her a present!" He yelled out "Well I don't know what you want Leo...I have a feeling that most of the shops are gonna be closed for a while until the snow stops." Emma said.

"And besides! That'll give you time to see if your Mom wants anything!" Kaylo added cheerfully. Leo opened his mouth, but realized that she had a point, maybe now he could see what she REALLY wanted, and not just aimlessly guess. "Sorry Kids, I have to close early... Arwen can give you kids a lift, he had rented a Snowmobile for me, But only to get to and from Sugar and Spice." Catilin said, taking some leftover treats and putting them in boxes. "Alright! Let's get a move on!" Mei said.

The group headed out into the snow, towards the snowmobile, against the now roaring blizzard. "Stay together Kids,, I don't want you getting lost in the snow." Catilin said, getting behind the kids as a life line. The kids all piled in as the woman started the snowmobile, it's lights shining through the falling snow. "Alright! Now let's get ya back to your homes." She said, driving through the snow like a knight on a horse.

Thanks to the snowmobile, the kids were able to return to their homes safe and sound...but the same couldn't be said about the town. The snow had completely covered the streets and roads, preventing anyone from getting to or from anywhere. Leo walked up the stairs to his apartment, knocking on the door to get the attention of his mom.

"I'm coming!" Alice Craig's voice said from inside. The door opened to reveal the blonde woman, who smiled at her son's return "Leo! Thank goodness you're back! I got worried that you got caught in the snow." She said, hugging Leo tightly. "Yeah! It's good to see you too mom!" He strained, her hugging getting a bit tight.

Alice let go, and the two of them strode inside. Their apartment had its fair share of Christmas decor, sure it wasn't extravagant, but it was still beautiful. "I just got the last of the Christmas ornaments, so now we can finish decorating the tree!" She said, pulling out a box that read "X-MAS ornaments!" In childish handwriting. "Awwww! It's the ornament you made when you were 2!" She cooed, pulling out a handmade ornament that had 2 stick figures that read "Mewwy Cwismas Mama!" In crayon.

Leo blushed at the reminder of his past, when He remembered the task at hand: Finding the best present for his mom. "Um...Hey Mom, I was just wondering about something..." He started. Alice looked up "What is it Leo?" She asked, curious as to what Leo was going to ask, however, a small part of her was hoping it wasn't a repeat of last year before the "break up" with Mason, and he wanted some "space".

Leo opened his mouth, ready to pop the question, when a small paper Partridge went fluttering about the room, the "12 Days of Chistmas" playing as it did. The two of them watched the paper bird in awe, when it finally landed on Leo's hand, and then unfolded itself into a letter that read in fancy handwriting:

"To the Craig Residence"

Mei belongs to @sundove88

Rebecca belongs to @thehypercutstudios/@thehyperrequiem

Trisha Jane belongs to @lovelyteng

[let-them-read-fics]

Blackpink Reaction To Their S/O Struggling W/ Drug Addiction

Warnings / Misc. -- ⚠️ Sensitive Topic ⚠️, Hurt/Comfort, Fluff

A/N: Hey everyone! This request covers a sensitive topic that I haven't been personally exposed to, but I hope that I do it justice. I did my best to handle it with care and be as realistic as possible. Let me know what you think!

PS -- I didn't specifically name any substances or describe them in too much detail; I wanted to leave you room to picture whatever you had in mind, especially if you happen to be struggling irl.

👩 Also, I wrote this as Fem!Reader because nothing was specified. I hope that's alright, anon! Thank you for your patience :)

♡ Happy Reading ♡

🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

Jisoo

Discovered it after a few weeks of dating

She's amazing at reading people, so she had sensed that you were struggling with something; she just didn't know what. 

She wanted to wait for you to tell her about whatever it was, but one fateful day she witnessed something that explained it all. 

It wasn't meant to happen; she wasn't meant to see you like this. But, as fate would have it, Jisoo stumbled across something she never saw coming. 

Her footsteps grow louder as she walks her way through the house, peeking her head into various rooms in search of you. The two of you invited some of your mutual friends over, and they've all been curious as to where you slipped away to earlier.

"Baby, are you in here? Everyone's wonder--" 

The sound of the latch clicking out of place makes your heart drop and sets you into motion. Before you have enough time to fully react, though, Jisoo opens the bathroom door to find you sitting on the ground, attempting to shove a foreign substance into a plastic baggy. 

Your hands make quick work of moving it out of view and sitting up on your knees, but she picks up on what's going on. Her eyes land on the material as you shift it behind your body, looking up at her with wide eyes. 

"Jisoo--" Tears are already beginning to work their way into your eyes, slightly blurring your vision. Too many people have walked out on you after witnessing this, and the thought that she might go too is overwhelming. 

She keeps her tone level as she steps into the room and quietly shuts the door behind herself. "Y/N, please explain yourself." 

"I-I'm sorry Jisoo, I should've told you sooner." You shakily say, bringing a hand up to swipe away the few tears that've already leaked out. It's not usually like you to get so emotional so quickly, but seeing the pained look on her face is reason enough. 

"Come here," she utters, plopping down next to you and pulling you up against her body as she leans back on the side of the tub. Her fingers rub soothing circles on your back while you rest your head on her shoulder, lightly dampening the material of her shirt with your tears. "I'm not mad at you for this, but I need you to tell me about it. I want to help you, my love. I can't watch you hurt yourself like this." 

"Okay. Just promise you won't go," you softly say, the syllables of your words breaking here and there from the raw emotion you feel. 

"I'm not going anywhere, Y/N." She presses a light kiss to your temple for reassurance, and her heart breaks when she feels your hands grip at her clothes out of habit. How many times have people told you that and still left you in your time of need? She cradles you in her arms, realizing just how fragile you are in your current state, and tells you to take your time. 

With a steadying breath, you begin to explain your struggles. 

Road To Recovery

Constant check-ins

"Hey honey, we're at the studio now. Are you taking care of yourself for me?"

Helps you deal with the symptoms of withdrawal when they hit

Focuses on distraction and redirection as ways to help you cope

If you're at a party and feel tempted after seeing someone use, she leads you away to distract you from the urge

Helps you find safe alternatives 

Celebrates the little victories

"Yes, Y/N, 4 and a half weeks clean is plenty reason to celebrate. Now mark it on the calendar and get over here so I can put this hat on you." 

Playdates at your local dog café to keep your mind occupied (and bringing Dalgomie so he can make new friends, of course)

Takes you indoor skydiving. She wanted to find a way to give you an adrenaline rush while still being able to participate with you, so that was a happy medium. She battled her fear of heights to do that with you.

Not letting you lose hope if you relapse

"You're not a burden, and I'm not letting you give up on yourself. Not after all the progress you've made. I believe in you." 

Accompanying you to rehab and recovery meetings, if you want her to

Bringing you your favorite snacks and candies when she picks you up

"I got you a little something," she smiles, leaning over the center console of the car to kiss your cheek. "You deserve a treat, baby." 

Whenever you decide to tell everyone about your struggles and recovery journey, she's right next to you for support 

Spends all the time she can with you

Early on, she would get really worried when you missed her calls or took a while to respond, but eventually she got over her fears to some degree

Still checks up on you when she's away for work

"Sorry for missing your call, Chu. Dalgom tried to kill me when I was giving him a bath and I couldn't get to the phone in time." 

Overall, just a very proud girlfriend who sticks by you no matter what

After You've Recovered

Annual "recovery party" to commemorate your sobriety 

Sometimes you invite the girls and your other friends, and sometimes you prefer to just spend the day at home with Jisoo

"Look at how far you've come, my love. I'm so proud of you."

♡♡♡♡♡

Jennie

She would be the only one who figured it out on her own. She picked up on the signs fairly quickly and always subtly helped steer you away from any potentially tempting situations

If you two watched a movie that happened to have a triggering scene in it, she always noticed how you'd look away and subconsciously tense up a bit

"Hey, babe. This movie's kinda boring; why don't we watch that new Netflix documentary instead?" 

If the two of you were invited to parties that were likely to have a bunch of alcohol and drugs, sometimes she'd try to suggest staying in or doing something else instead

You eventually caught on to her diversion attempts, and sat down with her to have a talk. 

"How long have you known?" You ask, pulling your legs up towards your chest as you sit back against the headboard of your California King. 

"A few weeks," she starts, running a brush through her hair until it's untangled. Her damp locks stick to her shoulders as she approaches you, some strips slightly drier than others. "Were you ever gonna tell me?" She inquires softly, facing you as she sits down beside you on the bed. 

"Of course, Jen. I'm sorry that I didn't tell you sooner, I just… I was on my own with it before you. I didn't have anyone to turn to because everyone left once they found out." Your confession makes her chest ache -- it's a physical, honest pain that she feels as she imagines you battling such an unforgiving foe with no one in your corner. She places a warm hand on your thigh to comfort you, knowing just how much her touch helps when you're upset. "Hey, it's okay. There's no point in worrying about that now. I know it's hard to open up, babe, so thank you for doing this. I'm here to listen, alright?"

"Thank you, Jennie. I don't know what I'd do without you." 

"You'll never have to know, either, because I'm staying right here." 

"I love you," you whisper, leaning forward to press a kiss to her lips. 

"I love you, too," she sighs against you, preparing herself for the emotional night you're about to have. For now, she takes a moment to just pull you into her arms and rest her forehead against yours, finding comfort in your steady heartbeat. 

"We'll start whenever you're ready." 

Road To Recovery

Makes various arrangements to ensure that the media won't know of your struggles

Keeps things on lock, especially if you decide to remain private on the matter and not tell the world

If you make a public statement about it, she still does everything she can to keep you protected from the negativity. She knows first hand how tough it can be to deal with, so she never lets you face it alone

You both help each other work through things

"You're my rock, Y/N/N." 

"And you're my world, Jen."

Takes care of you during bouts of withdrawal 

Sings to you to calm you down and help you relax

Takes you to theme parks and rides all the big coasters with you so you can get a similar high that you did from the drugs. She gets to be clingy with you and spend the day having fun, so she doesn't mind it, and you enjoy it just the same.

Suggests fun activities for you to do together 

"We should visit that pottery place tomorrow! I've heard a lot of good things about it." 

You stick close together when you're in public, especially when paparazzi are near

Your presence helps with her anxiety, and you hold her close and tell jokes to keep her attention off of it

Random surprise celebrations waiting for you when you get home

"Hey Jen, I'm home." You announce, shrugging your coat off before hanging it up on the metal rack next to the front door. 

"In here," she calls from the kitchen, effectively pulling you in with that sweet voice of hers. When you reach the doorway and peek in, a dumbstruck smile slowly parts your lips as you see the set up she constructed. 

"Happy 3 Weeks" a multicolored banner reads, displaying the phrase above your dining room table where Jennie sits. "Surprise, honey," she says softly, glancing down at the cake she made for you as she scoots it closer. You approach the table and examine it, practically feeling your heart grow 10 sizes from the love you hold for your girlfriend. 

"Is this why you left practice early?" 

"Mhm," she nods, kissing your cheek before she reaches into a small gift bag next to her chair. "I'm so proud of you," she grins, sliding a thin, glittery headband into your hair. It has two springs attached to the top that bounce in every direction possible, surely making you look like a dork. 

"God, I love you." 

"You'd better keep that same energy after trying the cake. I think I might've added too much baking soda…"

You shake your head and pull her in, pressing kiss after kiss to her lips until she's grinning just as hard as you. 

Going on adventures with Kuma and Kai

Especially to dog parks and other national parks 

Helps you fill things out for rehab and doesn't let you get too stressed about it

Helps you regain confidence in yourself if you relapse

"This isn't the end, Y/N. You're strong, I know you can beat this."

Is right next to you through it all

After You've Recovered

Go on an annual vacation to get away from everything and celebrate your sobriety. You take the opportunity to escape the media and reconnect with each other

"Where to this year, Y/N? Bora Bora, maybe?"

Intimate celebration between the two of you on vacation, and then the girls throw you a party when you come back

♡♡♡♡♡

Rosé

You were really good at hiding your secret from people -- especially those that you care about most. You're always afraid that once they find out, they'll pack up and leave. 

Rosé was one of the first to actually stay

She had been fairly oblivious to your struggles since you masked that side of yourself well, but one day the two of you attended a little get-together at your old friend's house, and your dirty laundry was aired.

"Bro, come on, let's play Truth or Dare!" One of your old friends says, perking up at the fact that he remembered the game even existed. He's already a little tipsy, but so are some of the others. 

"I don't know, dude," you hesitantly start, missing the way that Rosé curiously raises a brow beside you. 

"Come on, we'll keep it tame." Another person adds from the couch opposite you, their voice low. You recognize her as Cho, a sort of frenemy from your high school years. Something doesn't sit right for you with the hint of mischief that shines in her eyes, but your friends' pleas eventually push the feeling away and you relent. 

"Fine, but if Austin gets dared to do some dumb shit like last time I'm dropping out." 

"Like what?" 

"Like what?" You ask back, disbelief evident in your voice. "Are you forgetting the fact that I had to bail you out after you got arrested for streaking down the neighborhood?" 

"Okay, fair point," Austin holds his hands up in surrender. "Just a few rounds." 

--

As everyone's once boisterous laughter finally dies down into quiet chuckles, you turn to Rosé for a quick kiss. She reciprocates and holds you there for a few more seconds, loving the way your lips feel against her own. As you brush your nose against hers and garner a sweet giggle from her, Cho interrupts the moment with a phrase that makes your blood run cold. 

"So, Rosé, has Y/N told you about the time she got arrested for drug possession? Word on the street is that she still can't shake her old habit..." 

Rosie feels the way you tense up at the question and pull away from her, cringing at the exposure you just received. The room goes silent, enabling a pen to be heard if it were dropped. 

"Hey," Austin goes to defend you, about to yell at her for bringing up such a difficult topic. 

"It's fine, Austin," you say, sticking your hand out in front of him to keep him from approaching her. The last thing you want right now is a screaming match about your struggles. 

Rosie finally speaks up after what feels like an eternity, turning to Cho to say, "No, but that's none of your business. And I strongly advise that you don't speak on her name like that again." She cuts her eyes at the other girl, sending an icy glare at her to show that she's serious before giving her attention to you again. 

When a few tense moments pass with no one really saying anything, Jackson, the host, speaks up. "I think you need to go, Cho." 

"Ah, what a shame. The fun was just starting," she mockingly pouts, stopping next to you on her way out the door. Rosé strokes the back of your hand to soothe you, tracing mindless patterns with her thumb until your shoulders relax and you look into her eyes. With Cho now gone, your friends decide to go out into the backyard and give the two of you some time to clear things up. 

"So, I guess we should talk." You start, pulling your legs up onto the couch to sit criss-cross. She studies the way that you begin to nervously fidget and drop eye contact, and the sight breaks her heart. 

"Your past is your past, Y/N, and I won't ever judge you for it. I wish she wouldn't have brought it up like that -- I really wish she didn't," she says, emphasizing the word to remind you of how upset she is with Cho, "But I can tell that you're still struggling. I want to help you get better, and I'll be here with you every step of the way, babe. You mean the world to me." She smiles sadly, trying not to think of how much it would hurt to lose you. 

"Okay," you breathe out, accepting the honest help that she's extending to you. You've been burned and lied to in the past, but you trust Rosé to stay true to her word and assist you on the hard journey laid out before you. "Let's start from the beginning," you say, preparing yourself to retell your struggles from the moment they began all those years ago. 

Road To Recovery

Takes care of you when withdrawal hits hard

Isn't afraid to take the day off if it's bad enough and she needs to

"Hey, Teddy. Tell everyone that I'll be staying home today, okay? I've already let the girls know, too." 

Reassurance to the max

"You're doing amazing."

Is your shoulder to cry on when times get tough

On a weekend trip, the two of you snuck away to the beach to go cliff diving. It was a thrilling experience, and you'll always remember that day with her

Helps you find healthier alternatives to your addiction that can make the transition easier until you fully recover

"Baby, look at this." She says, repositioning her laptop so that you can see what she's looking at. The two of you are sitting on the bed, and her legs are stretched out over yours. "These herbs are safe to smoke and they can help with a lot of your troubles. These over here," she says, pointing to a section of the screen, "help with stress and anxiety. They make it easier to relax." You nod, logging the information in your brain as you run a hand over her smooth skin to keep yourself calm. It's a habit that both of you love. "Thank you, Rosie. Nobody's ever done anything like this for me." You say, keeping your head down as you remember all the people that have left you behind in your time of need. 

"You'd do the same for me, and I'm happy to be here for you." She declares, holding one of your hands within both of her own. She cradles it delicately, just like she does your heart. "I'll do whatever it takes to make you feel my love. I'm not going anywhere, babe." She leans in, connecting your lips in a sweet kiss. 

Keeps your spirits up if you relapse

"You're not a failure, Y/N/N. This is just a setback, and we're going to get through it together."

One of her friends told her about a fun art class that's supposed to help people in recovery let go of some of their resentment and negative feelings, so she brought it up and you agreed to go

It was structured in two parts:

Part 1: Everyone went out to an old car lot that had various old vehicles, electronics, and other things to smash up. Once you let loose and relieved some of your tension, you collected scraps of the things you destroyed.

Part 2: With the scraps you brought back, you were told to create any type of artwork you wanted -- whatever felt right. Collage, graffiti, scrapbook, etc. At the end of the class, you were informed of the driving message behind it: Though the negative feelings and aversions you dealt with in the past may have left you feeling broken, you never really were -- you've always had the power to piece yourself back together and continue on.

After You've Recovered

Taking a month off work every year to travel and experience new things together. Usually consists of going to another city (or even country) and exploring their art museums and other artistics outlets 

The new experiences help remind you off all the reasons you want to stay sober, and they help her have new material for her songs

Lots of pictures and drawings to remember all of your adventures

Collect trinkets to hang up / display, especially around the holidays

The girls have a special celebration waiting for you when you return

♡♡♡♡♡

Lisa

She could tell something was wrong when your behavior started to change over the course of a couple weeks

She suspected other things, but after finding a substance in your bag while on a vacation trip, she was blind sided by the reality of the situation

"Hey Lis, have you seen my swimsuit?" You casually ask, strolling into your hotel bedroom in search of the item. "I thought I left it--"

Your words catch harshly in your throat, nearly making you choke from how quickly you cut yourself off. She's sitting on the edge of the bed with the baggy in her hands, and tears brim in her eyes. 

"Fuck," you wince, closing your eyes as you put your face in your hands. "You weren't supposed to find out like this."

"Why didn't you tell me?" She asks, staring straight ahead, though her eyes don't focus on anything in particular. Knowing you hurt her is bad enough, but seeing her like this makes the pain even more evident. 

"I was going to, I promise. But I've been trying to wean myself off of it," you begin to explain, slowly walking across the room until you're in front of her. You squat down and put your hands on her thighs, staying quiet until she meets your gaze. "I've tried to quit cold turkey in the past but it didn't go down well. I figured I could handle this on my own and not get you involved."

"Baby, I want to be involved. You've been different lately, and having you shut me out didn't help ease my fears. I want to be a part of this, okay? You can turn to me when you feel alone," she says through the occasional tears that roll down her cheeks, "It's my job to help you and keep you safe. So let me," she crouches down next to you as she says the last part, wrapping her arms around you when she notices your lip tremble. "I'm not gonna let this get between us," she says against your shoulder, reminding you of how strong her love for you is. 

"I'm sorry I waited so long," your words are muffled against her shirt, but she can hear how the emotion in them changes your voice slightly. 

"We have to start somewhere, and this is just as good a time as any. I'm right here, Y/N/N."

Road To Recovery

Sweet texts and reminders throughout the day

"Hey baby, have you eaten today? The girls and I miss you like crazy." 

--

"Don't forget about your check-up tomorrow. I already told my manager that I'll be taking the day off, so I'm all yours 😉"

--

"*image attachment* Question: Do you think Lego would look cute in this or do you think Lego would look cute in this? Because he WOULD." 

Stargazing trips to talk about how far you've come

Making treats for the cats together if you have a bad day

Sometimes your withdrawal leaves you with weird cravings, but she never hesitates to race to the store at any hour and snatch up your favorite treats

Learning how to cook together to keep you occupied and give you a hobby (plus she's always wanted to get better at it)

“If you fling that at me, I swear to God I'll--”

"Oops!"

"LISA!" 

Day trips to random parks and open locations to have little photoshoots when she has free days

Once took you bungee jumping for the experience and adrenaline rush

Bringing you into the studio if you're having a hard time and don't want to be alone

Always listens to you and shows how much she cares

Opts out of events if she suspects that drugs will be there to tempt you (considering you're always her plus one)

You still send her to enjoy herself at the events without you sometimes, though it does take a lot to convince her to leave you at home

"Okay, okay! But we're binging that new show when I get back." 

Makes you laugh often and cheers you up when you need it most

She's your sunshine

After You've Recovered

Considering that you're her muse and she's the artist that she is, she hatched a plan early on to document your journey to recovery

"One more, babe. Just like that." She instructs, holding the camera up to her eye one final time. "Perfect." 

"Alright, close your eyes and turn around." She commands while returning to the coffee table that sits in the middle of your living room. Her hands make quick work of putting the finishing touches on her gift for you while you patiently sway and hum to whatever song is stuck in your head at the moment. 

"Annnnnd done!" She shouts, approaching you with a wide smile tugging at her lips as she holds the book out in front of herself. "It's a photo album. I started it the day you told me you wanted to try and get better," she says, smiling softly as she slowly walks you through the beginning pages of the book. "I thought it would be nice to see how far you've come," her eyes remain glued to the pictures she took as she continues flipping, and she fails to realize that you're staring at her now. 

"I'm so in love with you. I can't thank you enough, Lis. This is beautiful." You shake your head in quiet disbelief, genuinely surprised that someone would work so hard on something for you. It shouldn't be a surprise with her though, considering how much she loves you, but it still baffles you sometimes. 

"This gift only shows a fraction of my love for you, but I'm happy you like it. This is nothing, baby; there's so much more where this came from. Thank you for letting me in." She captures your lips in a meaningful kiss, and finds it hard to pull away. You seem to be her drug of choice, but neither of you care to end that sweet addiction.

Annual trips to photoshoots and fashion shows

Being her favorite model (seriously, she could look at you for hours on end)

Always feeling so loved and cherished, no matter what the two of you are doing