#so surprised these came out early this week when hannah's came out the day before

[threedotsfromstardom]

New promo pictures for sebastian's episode next week, coming out at 9pm est on tuesday!! his genre is a heist (a la ocean's eleven)!

[ts1m1kas]

Original Ask: i just kinda had the idea, to actually connect them, that when she wakes up again (i know the boss just gave her a little about of time to leave work, but maybe he just changed his mind 😅) she actually tells him that she can stay for the next game (anon/hannah)

Word Count: 928 words

(author's note: can be read as a part 2 to this fic or as a standalone !!)

Y/N began to stir from her sleep when the early morning sun streamed through the hotel curtains. She could feel the weight of her boyfriend’s arms around her waist as she turned to look at him. Robin’s face was relaxed and his eyes were still closed with peacefulness adorning his features.

Surprisingly, Y/N didn’t feel tired at all, even though she had endured a long, tedious flight the day before. In her opinion, finally being back in Robin’s embrace was enough to re-energize her.

Leaning over to the bedside table, Y/N grabbed her phone whilst being careful not to wake Robin. When she unlocked it and began to go through her notifications, there was one that stood out. Her boss had emailed her and explained that she could take the next week off of work to attend her boyfriend’s next game.

Y/N couldn’t believe what she was reading. As she typed up a very thankful response, a plan was forming in her mind. Her idea was to keep this newfound information a secret from Robin and then surprise him by turning up to the game. Shooting a quick text to Florian explaining the situation, she got him on board. 

Now she just had to keep it a secret.

After scrolling on her phone for a while longer, Y/N noticed Robin’s eyes flutter open. He blinked a few times as Y/N turned her phone off and then brought his hand to his face to rub his eyes.

“Morning liebe, did you sleep well?” Robin croaked out, his voice was always much different in the mornings, his German accent far more prominent.

“Mhm, I always sleep much better when I’m with you.”

Robin tightened his grasp on his girlfriend and buried his head into the crook of her neck. He began pressing soft, featherlight kisses to the skin of her neck, ignoring his girlfriend’s squirming and protests.

“It tickles Robin, stop,” Y/N said letting out a small giggle.

He moved his head and tilted it so he was looking at Y/N, “I can’t believe you have to go home before the game. I really wish you could stay.”

Y/N suppressed a knowing smile, “I know baby, but my boss won’t authorise it. I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault schatz,” Robin said sadly.

Her boyfriend’s sad expression and demeanour broke Y/N’s heart, but she knew the surprise would be worth it in the end.

The couple’s ‘final’ day together flew by quickly and it wasn’t long before they were tucked up in bed together again. Robin had been extra clingy with his girlfriend all day, the thought of her going home upset him more than he would like to admit.

When morning came, Y/N had all her belongings packed away and was standing at the door saying goodbye to Robin.

“I’m gonna miss you so much liebe, I hate saying goodbye.”

“I’ll miss you too Rob, so much.”

The pair exchanged one last hug before Y/N opened the door and headed towards the lift at the end of the corridor. Robin watched her walk away with unshed tears glistening in his eyes. Unbeknownst to him, Y/N only travelled one floor down to the room Florian was staying in so she could leave her bags in his room.

Plans were discussed and Y/N booked a taxi to take her to the stadium. Florian said goodbye and headed outside to get on the team bus with the rest of the players. He noticed how downcast Robin was but he feared he would expose the secret if he talked to him.

Meanwhile, Y/N was travelling to the stadium to get seated in the family area. She was wearing one of Robin’s jerseys and the excitement she was feeling was barely containable. Once she finally pulled up outside the stadium, she thanked the driver and headed to her seat.

From her position in the box, she could see the players emerging from the tunnel. Her face lit up when she spotted Robin walking onto the pitch. Pride swelled in her chest as she watched him sing the German national anthem with his teammates.

The game itself was relatively stress-free and Germany won by 2-0. The player’s wives, children and parents filed onto the pitch to congratulate their loved ones. Y/N followed suit, searching for her boyfriend in the huge crowd. 

When she spotted him talking to Jamal and Florian, her heart skipped a beat, “Robin!”

At the sound of his name, Robin looked around confusedly, wondering who had called out for him. Before he could even figure out who it was, Y/N ran towards him and threw her arms around his waist. Looking down, Robin’s eyes widened when he realised who was currently hugging him.

“Y/N? Liebe what are you doing here? I thought you went home?”

Y/N stared up at her boyfriend with the biggest smile on her face, “Suprise! My boss let me have the next week off so could watch a couple of your games and-”

Before Y/N could even finish her sentence, Robin leaned down and smashed his lips into hers. The ferocity of his kiss nearly made Y/N lose her balance, but Robin quickly held onto her waist to steady her.

When they broke away, they were both panting in an attempt to catch their breath.

“I love you so much,” Robin stated, “No wonder I played so well tonight, I had my good luck charm here all along.”

[ambrossart]

Paper Men: Ch. 27 - Preview

In this preview, Evelyn feels insecure after Henry Bowers insulted her spirit week outfit. Please note, this is an early draft, so it's a little rough. I'll have everything smoothed out before the full release.

Evelyn hunched over the vanity and glared at her reflection in the mirror. 

She thought suddenly of getting ready for school that morning, of the strange rush of excitement she had felt when her toes first touched the carpet. Evelyn padded to her closet and saw Tabitha Criss’s sunshine-yellow dress draped beautifully on a wire hanger, its bright, bold color a striking contrast to the rest of her girlish wardrobe. An enchanted smile touched her face as she stared at it. She reached out to feel the fabric and her hand jumped back with a nervous jerk, as if it had accidentally touched something hot on the stove. Evelyn brought that same hand to her mouth and giggled a child’s silly, spontaneous giggle. Then she pulled out the dress and laid it neatly upon her floral quilt.   

It stayed there for an hour while Evelyn styled her hair and experimented with her makeup in the bathroom: dusting fine layers of blush across her cheekbones, testing out different shades of lipstick and then wiping the color away, painting on eyeshadow, drawing on eyeliner, leaning into the mirror with her mouth popped open like a goldfish, struggling to comb a fifth layer of mascara onto her frustratingly thin lashes. Then Evelyn returned to her bedroom and slowly, carefully, put on the yellow dress. She placed one foot inside the garment, then (with a little wobble) the other, pulled it over her legs, over her hips, and pushed her hands through the three-quarter sleeves. 

When Evelyn stepped in front of her bedroom mirror, she was met with a sight that made her feel dreamy with wonder. She turned slowly to the right, to the left, then leaned forward to fluff out the curled ends of her hair. As she drew back, she thought, Wow… I look quite pretty, and that made her giggle, too.

Then Evelyn thought of the bus ride to school, when Hannah-Beth had said she looked incredible, that she looked like she belonged on a magazine cover or something. There was a moment when Evelyn had wanted to give Hannah-Beth a shove and say, Oh, don’t be silly… but then that same warm, delightful feeling came over her, and all she could do was smile. She liked hearing her best friend compliment her. She liked walking into school and seeing her fellow students turn their heads just to look at her. For once, not having their first reaction be, Oh, great, here comes Little Miss Busybody, ready to ruin our day. 

But these were the pastel-colored thoughts of a naive little girl. The next ones came from a darker, more cynical place—a place that made Evelyn’s heart tremble with doubt. 

She remembered sitting in her seventh-period English class. She remembered staring at the chalkboard while she took notes and, out of nowhere, feeling this hot, heavy weight bearing down on her. It made her feel frightened, helpless, and exposed. She turned around and saw Ashton Griphin staring at her from the next row over, his eyes searing into her skin like a branding iron. Evelyn twisted away from him, feeling dirty, feeling ashamed, feeling every bit like the horrible word Henry Bowers had called her. She crossed her arms over her chest, drew in her legs, and prayed for the bell to ring. When it finally did, she quickly gathered her things and ran… ran right to this very spot.

Evelyn sniffed and turned on the faucet, started washing the invisible grime off her hands: soaping them, rinsing them, wringing them, soaping them again. Then, as the bathroom door swung open, she turned around and cried in a tearful, stuffy voice, 

“IT’S THE BOOTS, ISN’T IT? THEY CHEAPEN THE WHOLE LOOK!” 

Evelyn forced these words onto an unsuspecting seventh-grader, who had only come to the restroom for a smoke. The girl's blue eyes widened in bewildered surprise, then fell obediently to the white platform boots that wrapped around Evelyn's calves. 

“I think they look fine,” the girl said in a quiet, dispassionate voice. Then she turned around and attempted to leave. 

Evelyn stopped her: “Hey, you’re… you’re Beverly, right? Beverly Marsh, that’s your name?” 

The girl fell back a step and gave Evelyn a slow, reluctant nod.

“Well, I’m Evelyn—” 

“Yeah, I know who you are,” Beverly Marsh said. Her expression was guarded and untrusting, but not entirely unfriendly. In fact, it gave Evelyn a small glimmer of hope. 

“Right,” Evelyn answered, feeling a little embarrassed. She wiped the tears from her cheeks and smiled her usual bright smile. “Well, Beverly Marsh, now that we’ve been properly introduced, you’re welcome to say hi to me whenever you see me in the hallway. I know you probably won’t, but you can if you want. The rest of the upperclassmen might treat you seventh-graders like shit, but I don’t. I’d say hi back.” 

Beverly smiled softly and for a moment looked remarkably beautiful. “Okay,” she said in that polite, please-stop-talking-to-me tone that teenagers often used on adults. It was a bit of a slap to the face, but whatever, Evelyn took it on the chin and backed off accordingly, sending the girl on her way with a friendly wave of her hand.  

The bathroom door groaned as it swung open. Evelyn turned back to the mirror and started fixing her makeup. A moment later, she heard a small voice say, “Hey…” and she saw Beverly Marsh standing in the doorway. 

“Look,” Beverly said, “I don’t know what they said to you, but… whoever said it, they’re probably just trying to hurt you.” 

Evelyn swallowed hard and forced herself to nod. “Yeah, well… it worked.”

[geocait0815]

So for a prompt: it's been 6 months since Hannah was found and Jake and MC meet for the first time. It was not a planned meeting they just happened to be in the same place at the same time and written entirely in Jake's POV.

I absolutely loved this prompt! I hope you enjoy reading my take on it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

There is some minor spice. So anyone uncomfortable with this or to young to be subjected to it is hereby warned ;)

Sirens Call

I made it ouf the mine just in time. I stopped briefly to catch my breath when I suddenly heard an explosion behind me. This was not close, but the rumbling that followed told me, that more mine shafts have collapsed now. But there was another sound. “Fuck.” I had seen MCs message waring me about the arrival of the FBI. They had come to capture me. But I would not make it that easy for them.

Just as I dove behind a few fallen tree trunks, a helicopter flew by, almost grazing the tree tops. Its search light briefly illuminated the forest floor just a few meters ahead of me.

My luck was not going to last forever. I had to get out of here. Choosing a path through dense growth would provide me cover, but would also hinder my escape. Given that I am not very familiar with the surroundings, I decided to take the same path I came here, hoping to reach the motorcycle I had hidden, before steet blockades went up.

There was just one more thing I had to take care of before concentrating on my escape. I could not put this off any longer, as much as it hurt me. I pulled out my phone and initiated a script, an emergency plan I had set up already a while ago. This would strip all phones, I had been in contact with over the past couple ofd weeks, of all evidence of my existence. All chats, screenshots, calls and files were being deleted. Also MCs phone was being wiped. “I'm sorry, MC. I promised to never dissapear on you again. But this is for your safety and the safety of your friends and my sisters.” I said to noone in particular. Once I'm certain that my script did its job, I disassembled my phone, took out the SIM card, and wiped this phone as well. I'd be getting rid of both later.

“Farewell, my love.”

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

Six months later

Frustrated, I lean back in my chair, staring at the screen in front of me. Another lead that took me exactly nowhere. I get up and pace through the small room I am currently staying in, stretching my limbs.

During the last few months I have settled back into my old life, the way I was before MC came into my life. I went back into hiding, never staying in the same location for more than two weeks. By now I have crossed several country borders. These days I am staying in a small room in Budapest.

Every waking hour I spend escaping my pursuers while looking for the evidence that could clear my name. Occasionally, I check on the status of the investigations around Hannah and Richy. MCs name does not appear in any of the reports, to my surprise and great relief. I wonder if this is Alans doing.

Stepping to the window, I notice that the street outside is packed with people. This is not just the usual flow of tourists. Right, the receptionist had mentioneds a celebration earlier, there would be fireworks launched from boats on the Danube later thonight. Now is probably a good opportunity to go out and blend into the crowd to get some fresh air and clear my head. I might as well stock up on food and water.

Minutes later I am walking down a side street lined with small restaurants and bars. It is still early evening and the air is finally turning mild after a scorching day. I am heading towards the large Market Hall. At a corner I stop to observe the people around me for a moment, as they are enjoying their lives, celebrating the summer, drinking and dining. This feels alien to me now.

“MC, hurry up!” Am I hallucinating now? The call came from a blonde woman standing in front of one of the restaurants. She seems annoyed. I cannot spot who she was talking to. This is just a coincidence. I decide to move on and turn around.

And there she is. MC is hurrying in my direction. I should get away from there, even though she has no idea what I look like. But all I can do is stand like I'm glued to the pavement, staring at her in awe. She is even more beautiful in real life than on any the fotos I saw on her social media profiles. She wears a light summer dress and the way it accentuates the shape of her perfect body could drive me crazy. Her long hair flows freely down her back. MC walks right past me, close enough to catch the scent of her perfume and it almost knocks the air out of my lungs. Only when she disappears through the door of the restaurant, I realize that I am standing around in open public, staring like a moron.

I force my feet to get moving again. Of all the places in the world and with the myriad of tourists in this city, I still had to run into her like this. How often have I fantasized about finally meeting her and holding her in my arms. Now the moment came and I let it pass. I had to let her pass. My situation has not changed. She would still be in grave danger being with me. Not to mention that she probably hates me now. After I deleted everything and just left, she must think that I abandoned her. Or worse.

I need a drink. Against any better judgement I walk into the next best bar and sit down in a corner. I order a beer and spend about an hour internally arguing with myself. I have to get back to my room, pack up and get the fuck out of this city. But I don't want to. Her being so close to me affects me more than I could have imagined. There is one thought that keeps ricocheting through my head: I won't survive loosing her a second time.

By the time I step back out on the street, the daylight has dimmed. Despite all, my rational side has won and I am turning back towards my motel. Of course my plan is shattered into a thousand pieces again when I see MC standing at the side of the street. She is looking at the phone in her hand, seemlingly deep in thought. Suddenly, she takes a step forward not noticing a taxi speeding towards her.

“NO, MC!” I call out and sprint towards her. But I am too far away. Luckily, she looks up in the last second, stumbling back. I catch her, stopping her fall. MC looks up at me with a flustered expression. “Oof, thank you. I am such a klutz.” she says. “Hey, did I just hear you call my name?” a frown forms on her face. “What? No.” I help her back up and turn around to walk away.

“Jake, is that you?” I hear her say in a low voice. This stops me in my tracks. God, her voice is like a sirens call to me. Slowly I turn around again but I don't dare to look at her now.

A few awkward moments later I feel her hand on my cheek. "It really is you, isnt it?" I look up to meet her gaze. I could drown in those eyes. "MC.." my voice trails off, because I have actually not the slightest idea what to say right now. This is so much easier behind the screen. But now, with her standing right infront of me, my brain blanks. I wonder if she sees a blue screen in my eyes.

Then she hits me. "Where the fuck have you been?" Her question is emphasized by her swatting my chest. "Why did you just disappear? You promised me to meet, but instead you disappear into thin air! We were worried sick! Noone knew if you even made it out of the mine alive!" I let it happen until I notice bystanders starting to stare. To avoid more attention, I catch her wrists and press them to my heart. Tears are flowing down her cheeks. "MC, I am sorry I hurt you. But I had to vanish to escape from the FBI agents looking for me. I never intended to hurt you, but this was also for your safety." "Safety my ass! I've been waiting for you. You had every chance to at least let us know that you were safe."

"We can't discuss this here, out in the open." It is becoming more and more difficult for me to keep a calm voice. "Then let's go somewhere private. Lead the way." The look on MCs face blights any further discussion. So we get moving.

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

My eyes fly open. My motel room lies in darkness now. The sheets around me are in complete disarray. But I am alone. Was this all just a dream? What would be the odds of us actually running into each other here, in this city full of tourists. But why do I still smell her perfume?

I roll on my back and take in my surroundings. When my gaze reaches the slightly illuminated window frame, I see her and a wave of emotions rolls through me. Relief that she is still with me. Guilt over the tears I had to watch her spill because of my betrayal. Gratitude for her actually forgiving me. And then there is this warm, tingly sensation spreading through me when I think back to the things we did afterwards.

Our clothes are scatterd all over the floor. I spot her panties. This tells me that she is standing there at the window facing the main street wearing one of my shirts and nothing else. As quitely as possible I get out of bed and go to stand behind her. I put my hand on her thigh. Her skin is warm and oh so soft. I let my hand wander upwards slowly and sneak under the shirt, caressing her hip, then her belly. Continuing upwards, I cup her right breast, take her nipple between my thumb and index finger and gently pinch and roll it between them. MC sighs. God, that must be the sweetest sound I have heard. The way her nipple hardens between my fingers puts a smile on my face.

She leans back into me and I use my other hand to stroke her hair aside to gain access to her neck, where I start to nibble and kiss up and down. "The fireworks are about to start." She breaks the silence. "Mmmh?" I had completely forgotten about the events outside. I'm about to start a firework in here.

"Jake?" "Yes?" "What happens now?" I sense a sadness and concern in her voice. This tells me that she is not inquiring about the further activities of our night. She turns around, not breaking the contact between us and looks up into my eyes, waiting for a reply. "With all the attention we drew to us today, I can't risk staying here for much longer. I need to get moving very soon." The thought of parting ways with her hurts me.

Her next words catch me by surprise. "I want to come with you." "You can't be serious. I am on the run. You have a life to get back to." "I don't give a shit about my life back there. I haven't in a long time. I'm ready to leave everything behind." She states this calmly and it becomes clear to me that she is not saying this on the spur of the moment. There is no doubt that she put a lot of thought into this. "I'm sure you could find someone to provide us with new identities in this dark web of yours." she continues. I can't help it but chuckle briefly. "MC, I fear you are romanticising my lifestile a little." But she does not back down. "I'm serious, Jake. Let's just run away together and start over in some remote place. It does not mastter to me where we end up. As long as we end up there together."

It takes me a moment to mull over the words she just said. Bringing my hand to her cheek, I stare into her beautiful eyes. Her face is illuminated by lights changing colors from red to orange to blue and purple. People outside are cheering.

I know damn well that a decision like that should not be made in the heat of the moment. But what I am about to say is going to catapult both of our lives into an entire new orbit.

[corie-the-writer]

Come As You Are - Prologue

Prologue ---

Four Years Ago --

Hannah Walker stood behind the bar with her book displayed out in front of her as she was waiting for the beer and liquor to be delivered to the strip club that she had currently worked at. The dark haired woman had never in a million years pictured herself as a stripper or bartender at night while she attended college through the day to get her final credits to earn her bachelor's degree. When her parents had passed away almost two years ago, she had put her college life on hold, not having enough credits to graduate with the rest of her class. She could have blamed anyone under the sun for the circumstances that life had thrown at her, but she knew that it would do no good. She took time to grieve the loss of her family, while working at a small coffee shop to make ends meet while she coped with this new life that was thrown at her. 

That is where she met Tamila, who had told her that her boyfriend managed the strip club, and told her that she would be a good fit because of her dark hair, piercing green eyes and curved but slender body. Hannah had laughed off the compliment but when she had went home she had been curious as to how much a dancer could make in a night. 

She had a few bills that she couldn't catch up on due to the cost of college. She had thought about transferring colleges to finish up her credits, but she would have to spend longer finishing out her work if she had decided to transfer and Hannah did not want to chance losing any of her earned credits. 

The next time she had spoke to Tamila, she had sat the spunky redheaded woman down and told her about her situation, wondering if her boyfriend would be willing to work with her and Tamila had agreed to speak to Tyrone. She was surprised that Tamilia had shot a quick text to her boyfriend, and he had agreed to sit down and talk to the woman later that evening. 

Once Hannah had sat down with Tyrone, she was extremely grateful that the man had agreed to hire her as a bartender at first, knowing that the tips would be hers out right, that she would be paid under the table so it would not effect her chances of becoming a teacher once she was able to graduate from college. Hannah had never been more thankful for the understanding and compassion they had shown to her. 

"Girl...you about done with that college shit?" Hannah heard the familiar voice of Tiffany, a dancer who was a lot to handle majority of the time. 

"I have final exams coming up in about a month. Hopefully then I can graduate." Hannah explained as Tiffany plopped herself in a chair, "Need something to drink?" Hannah questioned politely. 

"Nah sweetie, I'm good." Tiffany answered, "Have you seen Brittany anywhere?" Tiffany questioned as she looked to her nails, "She was suppose to meet early to go over a dance routine." 

"No, I haven't seen her." Hannah glanced to the blonde woman and then turned her attention back to the book in front of her. 

At first, when Hannah had started working, there were a few girls that felt extremely threatened according to Tamilia, so they were incredibly catty towards her, but after a while, most of the women had grown to like the dark haired woman. A couple of the women had even taught Hannah how to dance so she could make a little extra cash a couple of nights a week which had helped her catch up on bills, and was now able to live comfortably without worrying. 

"Are you dancing tonight or bartending?" Tiffany questioned. 

"Just bartending." Hannah replied not taking her eyes off the book as she answered, completely missing Tyrone and two unfamiliar faces walking into the bar room. 

"Tiffany. Hannah." Tyrone spoke. 

Hannah still didn't bother taking her eyes off the book as she greeted her friend, "Hey Ty...still waiting on the delivery." Hannah stated as she flipped the page. 

"She's got final exams coming up..." Tyrone's explanation had the woman lifting her head and noticed the older gentleman with silver hair and piercing blue eyes, noticing the police badge displayed on his hip, and then the other man who was African American and rather tall, with the same badge on display, "These men have some questions for you, don't be a hassle Tiffany." Tyrone explained, "I'm gonna go call everyone in..." Tyrone added and Hannah furrowed her eyebrows at the sight of Tyrone's face noticing that something was extremely wrong. 

"I'm Sargent Hank Voight, this is Detective Kevin Atwater..." The older man introduced himself and his co-worker. 

"I'm Hannah..." Hannah spoke gently, looking down to her book to mark the page before shutting it and looking to the Sargent, "Is everything okay?" Hannah questioned. 

"We were wondering when the last time Brittany Lincoln was seen?" Hank questioned as the Detective took Tiffany a few feet away at a table. 

"Uhm..." Hannah thought for a moment, "I wasn't here last night, but I think she was scheduled to work, so the last time I saw her was Wednesday evening." Hannah explained, "Is she okay?" Hannah questioned quietly.

"Unfortunately no. She was murdered last night." 

"Oh my god..." Hannah frowned deeply. 

"Has there been anyone who has shown particular interest in Brittney while she has been here? Has she mentioned anything about a boyfriend, problems she was having with someone?" Hank questioned. 

Hank Voight had been under a lot of stress with three murdered women who had ties to local strip clubs that had shown up across Chicago within the last week. The bodies had been tortured and assaulted, so Voight realized quickly there was a serial killer on the loose and he needed to get ahead of the person doing this. He had split the team to check all three backgrounds of the women, and when he walked into Links Club, he did not expect to see the dark haired woman behind the bar studying. He especially did not expect to stumble over her beauty and the instant pull he had towards her. 

The man noticed that the woman was wearing a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt with her dark hair tied into a messy bun on the top of her head. He had to clear his throat for a moment when Hannah began to speak again. 

"No, I wasn't really that close with her to know details of her personal life. She was sort of private when it came to that stuff, not wanting to mix work with her personal life." Hannah cringed when Tiffany began to sob, feeling like she wasn't close enough with Brittany to have that sort of reaction, "Brittany hung out with Tamila a lot I think and a new girl that just started here, uhm..Candace." Hannah pointed out, "They might know more than I do about any of that." 

Hank gave a nod in understanding, jotting down the names that Hannah had given to him, "Has there been any issues here at work?" Hank questioned. 

"I mean not that I've noticed. Tyrone tries to keep me at the bar as much as he can unless one of the girls doesn't show up, but I haven't seen anything out of the ordinary and no one has really said anything." Hannah explained trying to think back of the past couple of weeks. 

"If you can think of anything else, please, don't hestiate to call." Hank stated, handing her his business card and taking a pen from the bar counter and scribbling down his personal cell phone number on the back. 

Hank wasn't quite sure what had possessed him to write down his personal number, but he had decided to just go with it as he excused himself to speak with Tyrone in his office. 

Hannah looked to the card and slipped the paper into her back pocket. Her mind was replaying every night she had worked, wondering if she had overlooked something. It was hard to tell because the bouncers were extremely good on keeping the women protected from men who had drank too much and got a little too handsy, then she remembered that she had taken the trash out and saw Brittany in an argument with a new bouncer that was around their age. Making her way out from behind the bar, Hannah headed towards Tyrone's office. 

"Look, we have reason to believe that there is a serial killer targeting dancers. We've had three  women's bodies come up within the past week." Hannah frowned at Voight's voice and gently knocked on the door. 

"What is it Hannah?" Tyrone questioned as the woman opened the door a little. 

"I uh...I just remembered I saw Brittany and that new bouncer arguing outside Wednesday night." Hannah explained looking to Voight, "I didn't think anything of it because Brittany gets a little crabby the later it gets, but I just found it odd because he's sort of distant and cold, unlike the other guys." Hannah stated. 

"Can you get me any information you have on file of this guy?" Hank questioned to Tyrone. 

"Yeah, absolutely." Tyrone answered opening his desk drawer, "He is suppose to be at work tonight." Tyrone replied handing Voight the file. 

"Look, we are going to have to people a couple of people undercover here. We have zero leads on what this person's motives are, what their next move is going to be." Hank explained and Tyrone nodded his head in understanding. 

"Whatever you guys need, we are more than willing to help as much as we can." Tyrone stated. 

Hannah stood awkwardly for a moment, realizing the severity of the situation that was happening in Chicago, feeling so badly about the women who lost their lives. What she didn't realize was how much her life would be changing moving forward now that Hank Voight had entered her life.

[nerdzzone]

The Aftermath

Summary: Dealing with the fall out of their first night together isn’t easy for Whitney Taylor or Chris Evans, but given the complicated results of their frivolous activities, it isn’t something they can avoid forever.

Chris Evans x OFC

Part One: Luckless Romance

Note: I was originally going to leave Luckless Romance as a one shot, but I had some requests for a part two. I had it all planned out in my head anyway so I figured I’d write it up to explain more of where our two lovely character’s heads were at!

Please let me know your thoughts! Or if there’s any other parts of their story that you’d like to hear about!

_____

When Chris woke up, the first thing he noticed was the throbbing in his head.

The second thing he noticed was the warm body curled into his side.

His initial reaction to that sensation was confusion, but as the events of the night before quickly came back to him, he was filled with an unignorable sense of dread.

He'd fucked up.

He'd spent a year burying his feelings for her to protect their friendship and all it took was a few drinks and flirtatious remarks for him to risk it all. He cared for her, there was no doubt about that, but he knew she didn't feel the same way. Clearly, she was at least attracted to him, but he'd hazard a guess that her loneliness was the driving factor in why she'd chosen to indulge in the activities they'd partaken in a few hours earlier. She’d had no luck in the dating scene, so she'd settled for him and now, when she woke up, she'd break his heart.

She didn't want him.

She didn't want the life that he could offer.

She'd made it clear that she found the world of Hollywood exhausting when she'd talked about her discontent with living in L.A. and that was a world he couldn't escape from. Plus, his fans had given her a hard enough time when she was just a close friend. If she was to become something more, they would tear her apart. He didn't want that for her and he knew that she didn't want that kind of hassle in her life either.

But he couldn't stand to hear her say it. He never did well with rejection and rejection from this woman - who he knew was absolutely perfect for him - was more than he could handle.

So, after carefully extracting himself from her grasp without waking her, he left.

He felt sleezy and awful not even saying goodbye, but he needed to quiet the noise in his brain before he could face her and he figured she would probably appreciate his absence. He knew firsthand how awkward it was to let down a one night stand the morning after so, really, he was sparing her just as much as he was protecting himself.

The heat outside was stifling already and made Chris realize just how desperate he was for something to quench his thirst. They'd drunk more than he normally did and he was feeling the effects. Perhaps that was why his mind was so fuzzy and unable to process what had happened, but he figured it was a safe bet that he could pin that on his anxiety.

And there were only two people who had much luck soothing him when his mind started racing: his mother and his brother.

He knew his mother would be disappointed in him if he told her what happened. He'd poured his heart out to her several times about the confliction he felt with his feelings for Whitney, he dreaded to think what she would say about him finally doing something about those feelings in such a reckless way and he was definitely too hungover to deal with her reaction to how he'd handled things that morning.

So, that left Scott.

Pulling out his phone, he glanced at the time and cringed. It wasn't even six thirty yet and with it being a Sunday there was a good chance that Scott was in a worse post-inebriated state than he was, but he took a chance and hit 'call'.

It took a few rings, but eventually Scott answered, his voice still groggy from sleep.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Scott," Chris greeted him as he crossed the street. He needed to flag down a cab to get home, but figured the quiet park across from Whitney's apartment was a better place for this conversation. No extra ears listening in. "I fucked up."

"Chris, it's not even seven o'clock in the morning. How badly could you have fucked anything up this early?"

He sounded tired and Chris felt bad, but he needed someone to talk to.

"I slept with Whitney."

There was a moment of silence before Scott let out a cheer.

"Finally!" He practically squealed, but then he paused as he took in what Chris had said. "Wait, how did you fuck up? Did you not use your best moves?"

"What? No, nothing like that," Chris' brow furrowed in annoyance. "I fucked up by sleeping with her at all. She's one of my best friends, Scott, and now that's ruined. It’ll never be the same, if she even wants anything to do with me now."

"Did she not seem happy about it? What did she say when you left?"

"Nothing," Chris admitted. "I left this morning before she woke up."

There was a moment of silence as Scott processed his brother's words.

"Okay, I'm starting to see where you fucked up. You shouldn't have done that."

"No, I fucked up by sleeping with her!"

Chris' tone was snappy and uncalled for, but his headache was getting worse by the minute and he was feeling exasperated enough without Scott's judgment.

"Alright, alright, calm down," Scott sighed. "If you want my honest opinion, I think you're overreacting. You two have always had a 'will they won't they' vibe about you. She's clearly just as interested in you as you are in her."

"Why 'clearly'?" Chris questioned. "She's never acted like she sees me as more than a friend."

"Uh, yes, she has. She blushes and giggles like a schoolgirl every time you compliment her, she practically drools at the sight of you and listens with hearts in her eyes whenever you talk. She's got it just as bad as you do."

"Don't do that," Chris groaned. "Don't put ideas in my head that aren't true."

"It is true. I wouldn't lie to you about that," Scott insisted. "I think this is just your anxiety talking. Go back to her place before she wakes up, hear what she has to say and go from there. She might surprise you."

"I'll think about it," Chris lied, knowing already that he couldn't face going back. "Thanks for answering. I'll let you get back to bed."

"Don't mention it," Scott assured him. "I know you're stressed now, but I'm happy for you. It's about time the two of you came to your senses."

Chris smiled despite his disbelief in what Scott had said. He laughed it off and said his goodbyes before walking towards the nearest road to catch a cab.

He saw Whitney's message a few hours later, but he ignored it. He needed to get his head straight and steel himself for however she chose to let him down before he would be ready to talk to her.

It took days for him to get to the point of acceptance, but she never messaged him again. So, working on the assumption that she was relieved by his silence or didn't care enough to demand any explanations, he got on a plane and headed back to Massachusetts with plans to spend the next few months drowning his sorrows and pushing her from his mind.

-

Three Weeks Later

My period was late.

For the last ten years of my life, my period had arrived with impressive reliability and now, a few weeks after having unprotected sex, my period was late.

It didn't take a genius to figure out what was going on. There was no doubt in my mind that I was pregnant.

"It's not that easy to get pregnant," Hannah insisted as we sat in my living room, counting down the minutes until the pregnancy test would be ready. "A lot of people who actually want to get pregnant have to try for months before it happens. It seems super unlikely that you'd get pregnant from a random one night stand."

"Yeah, but it does happen to plenty of women," I pointed out. "And knowing my luck, I would get knocked up by a man who then flees the state without another word."

Hannah winced as I paced in front of her.

"Still haven't heard anything, then?"

"Nope, nothing," I sighed. "I haven't reached out again, but he made himself pretty clear by leaving before I woke up and then ignoring my text."

"I just don't get it. He was so obviously into you. I would have bet money that you two would live happily ever after."

"You did bet money," I reminded her. "I'm still waiting for that thousand dollars you promised me."

"You didn't accept!" She smiled. "I owe you nothing!"

While I didn't really expect her to pay me, I was going to argue the point, but the timer we'd set for the test went off and snapped our focus back to the task at hand.

"Oh god," I groaned. "You read it. I can't deal with this."

Hannah nodded and carefully picked up the little stick before looking up at me with a grin.

"It's negative!"

I felt a wave of relief, but it was quickly replaced with doubt. I felt like I was pregnant. My period was late for the first time in years, I'd had sex without a condom and I was nauseous and my boobs hurt. It seemed too good to be true that it was all some kind of coincidence.

"What? Are you sure?"

"Yeah!" Hannah smiled. "There's two lines!"

Her words hit me like a truck as my stomach dropped.

"Hannah, two lines means positive."

"No, it doesn't," she insisted, reaching for the box. The fall of the smile on her face told me all I needed to know before she even spoke again. "Shit. Sorry, babe. You're pregnant."

I let out a groan as I flopped onto the couch next to her.

"This is a nightmare."

"Shall I get my shotgun?"

I raised an eyebrow at my friend.

"What?"

"For a shotgun wedding?"

I laughed at that suggestion, but shook my head.

"No, I don't want him to be forced into anything."

"Well, what are you going to do?"

"I don't know," I admitted. "It doesn't really seem real yet."

"Are you going to tell him?"

I looked down at my still flat stomach and nodded my head.

"Yeah, I'll have to. I know it's still new, but I want to keep it so he'll have to know," I sighed. "If he even answers my calls."

"He will," she assured me. "Or we'll fly out to Boston and you can tell him after I kick his ass."

The image that statement conjured in my mind pulled another laugh from my lips as I felt an overwhelming wave of appreciation for my friend. I knew that no matter what, she was in my corner and that was a comforting thought even in the midst of all the uncertainty that was swirling around me.

"Thanks, Hannah," I smiled. "I really appreciate all your support."

"Of course," she reached out to squeeze my shoulder. "Are you going to call him now?"

"No, I think I'll do it later," I informed her. "I want to wrap my head around it a little bit first."

"That's probably sensible," she agreed as a grin slid onto her face. "Wow, you're gonna have a baby, Whit. I know it's scary, but that's really cool."

"Cool isn't the word that I'd use. Try absolutely terrifying."

My earlier smile was still on my face despite my bleak words as I thought about what she'd said. It was somewhat good news. Definitely worrying, especially given my situation with Chris, but I'd always wanted to have kids so it would have been a lie for me to say that I wasn't at least a little bit intrigued by the idea.

-

When Hannah left my house, about an hour after we read the test, I planned on taking some time to fully comprehend the news before I shared it with Chris. However, almost as soon as I closed the door behind my friend, I remembered the time difference. Chris was three hours ahead of me which meant that even though it was only five o'clock for me, it was already eight o'clock where he was.

I felt the anxiety bubbling in my stomach as soon as I came to that realization because I knew that if I wanted to call him that day, I had to do it right away and if I didn’t call him soon, I was worried I’d lose the nerve.

I took a deep breath and went straight for my phone, dialing his number before I could change my mind, but I was crushed when he didn't answer. I waited a few minutes and then tried again, but still, there was no answer and I let out a growl of frustration as I frantically typed out a text.

Hey. Call me as soon as you can. It's important.

I paced around my apartment, the reality of the situation starting to creep in now that he, once again, seemed to be rejecting me. 

I didn't want to tell him news like this over the phone, but I'd seen the paparazzi pictures of him arriving at the airport in Boston so I knew that I had no other choice. However, if he wasn't even going to answer my calls, I'd have to get the news to him another way. My mind immediately started racing with all the possible ways I might have to break the news to him as the panic of potentially having to do this alone started to rise.

But luckily, all those concerns were irrelevant when my phone lit up with Chris' name on the screen.

"Hey," I answered quickly before he had the chance to change his mind and hang up. "Thanks for calling."

There was a moment of silence before he replied.

"Sure," he kept his tone cool and steady, but there was an underlying tension. "What's up?"

The sound of his voice brought tears to my eyes. This was it. This was the make or break moment and I felt my palms start to sweat as it hit me just how devastated I'd be if it didn't go well.

"I, uh, I don’t really want to tell you this over the phone, but I guess I don’t really have much choice," I started. "I got some news today that you have a right to know."

It seemed obvious to me what I would be hinting at considering our current situation and the silence that followed my words led me to believe that he had a pretty good idea what I was going to say. When he stayed quiet, wordlessly waiting for me to continue, I took a deep breath and dove in.

“I’m pregnant.”

I hadn't thought much about how I was going to tell him, but I figured there was probably a better way than blurting it out that bluntly. I cringed slightly at my harsh delivery as his silence was almost immediately broken and he started spluttering and stuttering, stumbling over his words until he managed to blurt out one clear sentence.

"Is it mine?"

A burst of anger flashed through me at such a suggestion.

"Yes! Oh my God, Chris, of course it's yours!" I insisted. "How many people do you think I've slept with in the last month?"

Maybe he thinks you're a slut, the voice in my head taunted me. Maybe that's why he left without a word.

That thought was enough to get the tears flowing and, when Chris didn’t answer my question, I let out a sob. I covered my mouth to hopefully stifle the sound, but I knew he heard it loud and clear.

"Shit, Whitney," he sighed. "That was a dumb thing to say. You just caught me off guard."

"Well, how do you think I feel?" I hissed. "I'm scared, Chris. What are we going to do?"

This time there was no hesitation before he answered.

"I'll get the first flight out tomorrow morning," he informed me. "We can talk about it then."

"Okay," I sniffled. "I'm sorry."

"No need to be sorry," he assured me. "It's just as much my fault as it is yours."

My emotions were overwhelming me by that point and I stayed quiet, knowing I'd fall apart if I opened my mouth to speak, but Chris didn't let the silence last too long this time.

"Are you, uh, are you gonna keep it?" He asked, sounding heartbreakingly similar to a small child asking his parents if he could keep the stray dog he'd brought home. "It's your call, but I'm behind you one hundred percent."

"I am going to keep it," I told him quietly. "But you only have to be as involved as you want to be."

"I want to be very involved," Chris answered quickly before letting out a sharp laugh. "Fuck, I'm gonna be a dad."

The sound of more laughter floated through the phone after that realization, but I couldn't tell if it was giddy or hysterical.

"You are," I agreed, feeling some relief from his reaction despite how complicated I knew things would be. "But we can talk about it all when you're here. If you really don't mind coming back."

"Not at all, this is important." He assured me. "I'll be there as soon as I can. I'll text you with the details as soon as I know."

"Okay, thank you."

He insisted that I didn't need to thank him before we quickly wrapped up the conversation.

There was a lot to say and a lot to discuss, but it wasn’t something to be talked about it over the phone. We needed to discuss it in person once we'd both had time to understand exactly what it meant.

And we needed to figure out what the hell we were going to do about us.

-

I thought having almost twenty-four hours to compose my thoughts would make things easier, but as I waited for Chris to get to my apartment I still had a lot of questions and concerns

But I had decided one thing for certain: we were better off as friends.

When we were friends, he didn't ignore my calls. When we were friends, he didn't run out of my apartment without saying goodbye. When we were friends, he hadn't broken my heart because I never gave him the chance. I was frustrated by his behaviour since the night we spent together and it made me angry. When I thought about it too hard, it made my blood boil and I wanted to tear a strip off of him for making me feel so used. When we were friends, I'd never felt more than a hint of annoyance towards him.

So, the only solution as far as I could see, was for us to stay just friends.

That would prevent any more heightened emotions and if we didn't do it that way, I would end up resentful and bitter. I didn't have much experience with children, but even I knew that those feelings would create a very toxic relationship for raising a child.

Which is why, as soon as he stepped into my apartment, I was on the defensive.

"I think we both know that we're better off as friends," I blurted out before the door was even shut behind him. "What happened was a mistake and now we just have to find a way to work together as friends."

Chris looked surprised, which I found surprising, but he recovered quickly and nodded his head. I'd be lying if I said that wasn't bittersweet. I didn't have the energy to argue with him, but part of me was definitely hoping that he'd put up a bit more of a fight.

"Yeah, I think you're right," he agreed after a moment of thought before changing the subject. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine," I shrugged. "A bit nauseous and very emotional, but nothing I can't handle so far."

"Good, that's good," Chris smiled. "Have you been to a doctor yet?"

"No, not yet. I have an appointment tomorrow."

"Can I-" Chris paused to clear his throat, looking nervous. "Can I come?"

I felt my heart flutter at the thought of him caring enough to want to come to a doctor's appointment, but I shut those feelings down as fast as they popped up. He cared for the baby, not for me.

"Sure," I nodded. "But it won't be very interesting. I think it's mostly just checking all my basic information so they can keep track and probably some blood tests and vitamin recommendations."

"Doesn't matter," Chris insisted. "I want to be there for it all. We're in this together."

Those words brought more tears to my eyes, but I blinked them back and looked away. In a move that I wasn’t expecting, Chris noticed immediately and took the few steps needed to put him right in front of me.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

His hands settled on my arms and the way he rubbed them would have been soothing if it didn't break my heart. How could this supportive, comforting man in front of me right now be the same man who slept with me and then never called me?

"I'm just overwhelmed," I choked out. "We really fucked up, Chris. How could we be so stupid?"

"I don't know," Chris sighed. "It was a dumb mistake, but we can make the most of it. We can do this."

"I know, I know," I took a deep, shaky breath to try and pull myself together. "It's just a lot to take in and I don't think it's really hit me yet."

"It is a lot," he agreed. "Here, let's go sit down."

I let him lead me over to the couch and then flopped down on it. He sat next to me, but we stayed quiet, neither of us really knowing what to say. After a few moments of tense silence, Chris finally spoke.

"I know this might be asking a lot," he started, the hesitation in his voice making me nervous. "But would you consider moving to Massachusetts?"

It wasn't an unexpected request. I knew Chris was happier there and considered it his home and I had told him how tired I was getting of living in Los Angeles. It was probably the better place for raising a child as well. I'd heard plenty of stories about Chris' childhood and it was pretty idyllic - full of experiences that children growing up in a big city like L.A. didn't often get.

However, it meant that I would have to leave my entire support system behind. All my friends and my family would be here and I would be completely alone except for Chris - who I wasn't even in a relationship with - and a child - who was hardly going to be able to provide much emotional support.

It seemed like the best option for everyone involved except for me and I wasn't sure that was a sacrifice that I was selfless enough to make.

I realized how long his words had been hanging in the air between us as I got lost in my thoughts and my head fell into my hands with a groan.

"I don't think I'm cut out for this," I whined, tears filling my eyes again as I felt a strange mix of emotions There was plenty of regret and with that came guilt because this poor child deserved a mother that didn't dread it's existence. "I'm not mom material, Chris. I don't have the instincts."

"It's all still fresh," he reminded me. "The instinct isn't instant. But I didn't mean to upset you, if you don't want to move to Massachusetts then we'll figure it out."

"No, no, it makes the most sense," I sniffled, lifting my head to look back up at Chris. "It's just scary. I don't want to leave my family and friends and I'll have to move soon if I'm going to so I can find a doctor, it's a lot to think about right now."

"It is, but I can ask Carly about a doctor. My family will support you one hundred percent."

I forced a weak smile, but I felt more nerves bubbling in my stomach.

"Have you told them?" I asked. "Does your mom hate me? I hope she doesn't think I'm trying to take advantage of you."

"No way!" Chris insisted with a chuckle. "She gave me a very stern lecture about being responsible, but I've talked about you enough for her to know you're not some crazed fan looking for a payout."

"That's good." I breathed out a sigh of relief. I knew he was incredibly close with his mother and I didn't want her to think badly of me. "I haven't told anyone yet, except Hannah."

"Downey's gonna kill me, isn't he?"

He shot me a sheepish look as he spoke, but I shook my head.

"Nah, I think he'll be thrilled. He loves babies and he's been teasing me about us getting together since the night we met," I informed him, watching his face for a reaction to that statement. There wasn't any. "He'll probably have a bet to cash in on as soon as I tell him the news."

"Well, that's reassuring," Chris smiled. "I think we'll have enough people who'll be mad at us..."

He was clearly referring to his fans and I cringed.

"What are you going to do about that?"

He shrugged.

"What do you want me to do?"

I took a moment to think before I answered him.

"I don't want you to publicly deny that the baby is yours," I warned him, knowing that I wouldn’t be able to bear hearing that even if I knew that he really had no doubts. "But I don't care if you don't make a big announcement. We can just let people draw their own conclusions."

"Making a statement might be better. It would stop the rumours from getting out of hand. There'd be an uproar, but it would eventually die down," he pointed out. "I'll talk to my team and let you know, but you should probably make all your social media private whatever we decide."

I didn't use social media much and I definitely never posted pictures of Chris, but even so I'd felt the wrath of his fans more than once after we were spotted out together so I knew how they could be.

I nodded in response to his instructions and another silence settled between us.

My mind was racing with questions that I wanted to ask. I wanted to know why he'd left, why he hadn't called, why he'd even slept with me if he really didn't see me that way. Part of me even wanted to cry and plead with him to give me a chance, to let me show him that I was good enough to be more than a friend, but I knew I couldn't handle the rejection. Whatever his explanation would be, it wouldn't change the situation and with everything else we had to deal with, I didn't have the strength for more heartbreak too.

-

When Chris left almost an hour later, we had a firm plan in place.

I would try to get out of my lease - or Chris would pay whatever fee I was charged for breaking my contract - and I would move to Massachusetts by the end of the summer to stay with him. I'd argued that point at first, but his reasoning made sense. He would be in and out once they started filming the last two Avengers movies so I would have the place to myself a lot, but when he was home he'd be able to help with the baby. After the first year, when the newborn phase was done, I would get my own place and we'd work out an official custody agreement.

He promised to come to as many doctor's appointments as he could and offered to pay for absolutely everything that I needed. I assured him that wouldn't be necessary, but I appreciated that he was already committed. Many men probably would have run for the hills in our situation or, at the very least, demanded a paternity test before they made any promises, but Chris was enthusiastic and supportive and I couldn't ask for anything more.

Well, I wanted to ask for something more. I wanted us to be together - I wanted us to be making plans to be a family, not to be co-parents - but I knew that wasn't what he wanted and I was determined to accept that. I needed to focus on counting my blessings and being grateful for what I did get out of our relationship instead of focusing on what was missing and unobtainable.

Even if it broke my heart and hurt me more than the loss of any other romantic relationship I'd ever had, I was going to make the most of it for the sake of our child. It didn't ask to be born into such a messy situation and it's safety and security were quickly becoming the most important things in my life despite the fact that it was hardly more than a bundle of cells at that point.

And as that thought hit me, I realized that maybe I wasn't as lacking when it came to maternal instincts as I had thought.

-

@maggotzombie @moonlacebeam @mizzzpink @zaylaugh @flowery-mess @flowerjewels @njrronaldo7 @hockeychick10 @partypoison00 @theladybiers @sidepieces @firoozehmoon @patzammit @sparkledfirecracker

[empire-of-wildfire]

HOLIDAY SURPRISE

A @starseternalnighttriumphant X @empire-of-wildfire CHRISTMAS MINI-FIC COLLABORATION

a/n: here’s the first part guys!! We hope you guys enjoy it! Sorry for those of you that saw this yesterday, I’m not sure why tumblr decided to post it almost 24 hours early. Send me or Hannah @starseternalnighttriumphant an ask if you’d like to be added to the tag list!

Cassian Laskaris’s personal phone buzzed in his jacket pocket, causing him to frown. Almost no one bothered him on his phone while he was at work, so he fished it out of the deep pocket and looked at the name that flashed on the screen. A sigh followed by a small smirk, he answered the call and put the phone up to his ear.

“Yes, Your Highness?”

“Funny,” Rhys answered, voice full of amusement. “I was just checking for cold feet.”

“Are you sure you meant to call me and not Feyre?” Cassian drawled.

“Hers are warm and currently playing footsie with mine.” There was a shuffle and Feyre’s tinkling laugh in the background. “I just want to make sure you’re actually coming.”

Rhys’s worry was genuine, but it still grated Cassian’s nerves. He had promised his found brother he would be there for his wedding, and Cassian was many things, but he never broke his promises to the people he loved.

“Yes, bastard brother of mine,” Cassian sighed, spinning in his office chair. “I leave in the morning. I’ll see your ugly face tomorrow.”

His door opened, a beautiful dark haired, deeply tanned skin woman walking in, her hips swinging. Emerie smirked at him, holding a folder, and he took his time dragging his eyes over her. She looked extremely good in that tight black dress and he wanted to—

“Are you still there?”

“Sorry,” Cassian muttered, leashing his dirty thoughts. Now wasn’t the time. “Yes, Rhys, I’ll be there. I have everything set up, I’ll see you around one or two p.m.”

He hung up before Rhys could say anything else, turning his womanizing smile towards Emerie. She had started at the firm less than a year ago, and Cassian knew he shouldn’t have spent most of the time fooling around with her. But she was a good distraction, and she didn’t want anything from him besides friendship with benefits. She was also the only woman that had lasted this long in the past four years since he’d left Velaris. Most women only made it a few weeks, maybe a month or two.

“Dinner tonight before I leave?” he asked as she handed him the folder containing his next high profile law case.

“My pleasure,” she purred, winking as she left.

-

Despite Rhys’s protests, Cassian had decided to rent a car and stay at one of the two hotels in Velaris. He hadn’t been home once in four years; he felt awkward even being back in his old stomping grounds without the subtle tension his presence in Rhys and Feyre’s home would bring. He didn’t fit in anymore, and though his brother would never admit it, Cassian knew it was better to keep a distance. And he knew Rhys and Feyre would be busy with wedding planning, and his intrusion in their house would probably create more stress since he was staying through Christmas until the day after New Years, their wedding on the very first day of the year. Rhys and Feyre were disgustingly romantic like that.

After checking into the hotel and letting Rhys know he was on his way, Cassian decided last minute to take the scenic route to his brother’s home. He wasn’t sure what had pushed him to do it; curiosity, maybe. He hadn’t been home in four years.

Velaris hadn’t changed much in the years since he’d been gone. Honestly it was like looking into a time capsule— everything was almost identical to how it had been when he’d blown out of town to chase his dreams. Driving through the small town, he was immediately transported back in time to his high school and college days.

Ahead on his right was the park where he’d met Feyre, Nesta, and Elain not long after the Archeron family had moved to Velaris. He still remembered that night perfectly: he’d been having a normal conversation with Azriel when Feyre walked over, her sisters in tow, and his entire world had stopped the moment his eyes fell on Nesta. She was without a doubt the most beautiful girl he’d ever seen. Dressed simply in a gray t-shirt dress and sandals, her long golden brown hair was braided around her head. Cassian remembered marveling, knowing that something so intricate had to have taken quite a bit of time. Nesta hadn’t appreciated the staring, and made sure to tell him as much as soon as she walked up to him.

He abruptly shook himself out of the memory, trying to focus on driving so he didn’t get lost in his past and the girl who still haunted his dreams even four years later. But then just a bit further down the road, there was the restaurant where he’d taken her on their first date, almost a year after he’d met her. It had taken him so long to get her to go out with him, he honestly thought she’d just agreed to get him to leave her alone. But that night he’d walked her to the door and he’d said goodnight, not wanting to push her too far. He had moved to leave when she’d grabbed him by the shirt and kissed him. Nesta was the kind of girl who knew what she wanted, even back then, and that first kiss broke and remade him all at once.

The entire drive to Rhys’s house was a lot of the same. He passed their spot, a hidden trail leading back to a small lake that he’d taken Nesta to after six months of dating, which was where they had their first time. He still sometimes got embarrassed at how awkward he’d been then. He passed the Archeron’s old house, now occupied by a different family, which was where he told her he loved her for the first time. Everywhere he turned, memories of him and Nesta haunted him like a ghost. It left him unsettled, that despite years of silence and trying to forget and move on, Nesta was still so much a part of who he was.

He was glad when he finally pulled Rhys’s driveway, able to put the memories of the past to bed and focus on the present. His excitement at being home increased exponentially as he got out of the car; he’d missed his brothers, and despite how infrequently they communicated he still loved his family fiercely.

He knocked on the door twice and within seconds it was opening. He hadn’t expected it to be the tall and lithe woman his brother had been in love with nearly a decade, but his grin was genuine as Feyre laughed in delight and all but jumped into his arms, hugging him tight. He wrapped a strong arm around her, hefting her up as he pushed further into their house. He set her down and he ruffled her hair when she looked back at him.

She batted his hand away. “I was worried I wouldn’t recognize you.”

He raised a brow. “I’m hurt. It’s only been a few years.”

Feyre rolled her eyes and turned towards the staircase. “Rhys, my favorite brother is here!”

Cassian laughed as Rhys came down the stairs, shaking his head. “Gone four years and you’re already trying to steal my fiancée, brother.”

The two hugged firmly, and Cassian tried to ignore the tightness in his throat. He remembered the last time he’d seen Rhys in person. It had been a year after he left, and his brother had all but begged him to come home. But Cassian had been so entrenched in his work, climbing up the ladder at the law office he’d joined, and he’d refused. It had led to a huge argument, and though it had long since been resolved, Cassian still thought about it almost everyday.

“It’s good to see you,” Rhys told him, clapping him on the shoulder. “I hope you’re ready for some wedding planning because we have about five more seconds before Feyre darling sends you out on a task.”

Feyre’s slim hand smacked Rhys’s arm. “I was going to ease him into it.”

Cassian huffed a laugh, meeting his future sister-in-law’s eyes. “Tell me what you need.”

Feyre rattled off that she needed him to pick up all the stationary waiting at the printing shop, place cards and thank you notes and custom signs to scatter around the wedding venue. She gave him the receipt and told him where it was, even though it was unnecessary. It seemed that nothing had changed in this small town, and that included the local printing shop. He was willing to bet it was still owned by the same old woman that had printed their graduation announcements so many years ago.

The shop was near the town center, and he parked on the side of the road next to the library. He got out and looked at the towering structure, knowing that it used to be the town hall hundreds of years ago when Velaris used to only have a few hundred people. Now it was the library, and his mind drifted back to spending summers there, doing book reports on books he never actually read. He remembered finding Nesta there the next week after he’d met her and her sisters, nestled in a quiet corner with a book in her hands.

He’d been surprised; he’d only known her for a week but she had struck him as the reading type. He remembered he had come up to her to talk to her and she’d hid the book behind her back, a light blush staining her cheeks, taking his breath away which he had tried to hide with a laugh. He’d managed to grab the book from her hands and saw that it was one of the smutty romances that were in the adult section that he and his brothers had snickered at as young teens.

A slight smile turned his lips up as he remembered how embarrassed and angry she’d been, and how she’d gotten him back by “accidentally” spilling her drink all over his pants during lunch. He’d been mocked for weeks.

He blinked, pulling himself out of the memory, shaking his head slightly. Gods, he was going to go insane if he stayed in this town longer than he had to. It was bad enough he was here for over a week. He’d have to stay holed up in his hotel room as much as possible if he wanted to escape wave after wave of memories and nostalgia that seemed to crash into him without any warning.

Cassian headed down the street and grabbed all the wedding stationary from the printing shop. Sure enough, it was that same old lady. And she’d been delighted that he was back in town, patting his cheeks and telling him to come by before he left. He’d given her his charming grin, but he’d left feeling… off.

The drive back to Rhys and Feyre’s house was a blur, trying not to let his mind wander as he pulled into the driveway. Hefting the large paper bags that held everything Feyre had ordered, he walked up the steps and reached for the doorknob with his free hand.

The door opened before his fingers even brushed the cool metal, a figure he’d almost mistaken as Feyre standing in the doorway. She was dressed in dark blue scrubs, her golden brown hair braided in that all too familiar crown around her head. Her smooth, flawless face froze in an expression of pure shock, her full lips falling open as she stared at him.

He knew his own mouth was hanging open, his heart in his throat as he met the steel blue gaze of the woman he had known better than he’d known himself. A woman he’d loved fiercely for almost seven years, a face that haunted his dreams even when he tried so hard to forget her.

He hadn’t seen her, handn’t heard from her, hadn’t even heard her voice in four years but Nesta Archeron’s silky tone still managed to raise goosebumps along his skin as she blurted out, “What the fuck are you doing here?”

-

@werewolffprince

@schmlip-scribble

@justgiu12

@westofmoon

@legallyhermione

@love-is-a-contradiction

@shyvioletcat

@oversizedbats

@superspiritfestival

@ladywitchling

@highqueenofelfhame

@disgreisful

@empress-ofbloodshed

@lovemollywho

@rocky99

[i-desire-jake]

Let's Dance (part 1)

Charecters : Jake and fem (mc) pairing. The DW group and a few imaginative Charecters.

Genre: Romance, fluff and comedy

Summary: It's an AU, where everyone from the group are high school students. They all are members of a dance group who are practicing for the annual function competition. The DW couple dance group.

Author's note at the end.

*music plays in the background*

-  Ok, let's start 1..2..3.....1..2...3.....1...2-

 - aaaahh!..... *Alex falls down on the floor*

-oh my God Alex! Are you okay?!

You ask visibly shocked and panicked after seeing your dance partner twisting his leg, falling to the ground the next moment and wincing in pain.

- Hannah! Call the teachers now. I think he's got a sprain.

You say crouching beside him and helping him to his legs.

* The teachers arrive and carry Alex to the medical room*

- oh my God. I just hope he is fine and not badly injured.

You say

- I hope so too. Hannah says.

You and all your friends in the group wait outside the medical room to hear from your teachers.

After a few minutes of waiting, your dance teacher finally arrives and mentions that, He's got a sprain and he won't be able to dance properly for the next few days.

You all go to his room to check his condition.

- Hey guys. He says with a sad smile.

I'm sorry Mc but I don't think I would be able to dance with you. You'll have to look for a new partner.

You crouch next to him saying

-It's okay. I'm just glad the injury is not severe and that you'll recover soon.

After chatting and gossiping with him for half an hour, you and your friends leave him to get some rest.

- what are we gonna do now? You ask Hannah and the group.

- we don't have anyone else to replace Alex. All other boys are already in some other group and the few who are left are either too blunt or too rough. Says Jessy.

Everyone starts thinking  as of what to do now. You were about to say that you'll quit when suddenly Hannah speaks loudly clapping her hands.

- I've got an idea, as of who will partner up with Mc.

Everyone stare at Hannah questioning.

- I think my brother will perfectly fit in the role. He doesn't know much about couple dance but I'm sure Mc will teach him. Hannah says giving a wink to you.

You blush at the mention of Jake. Everyone in the group knows that you have crush on Hannah and Lilly's half-brother Jake.

- uh... that computer nerd. Really?

Dan grumbles visibly annoyed.

- so what? He's good at what he does.  His dance partner Lilly says while nudging him with her elbow.

- so?? What do you think Mc? Hannah asks.

- umm.... I think...If Jake will agree.., then why not.

You stutter shyly.

- OK then. Let's ask Jake. He won't be able to deny me.

Hannah says while pulling you with her to Jake's classroom.

You both enter the class to see Jake focused on his computer and typing something.

-Hey big bro! Hannah says with a bright smile.

He turns his head to greet Hannah. But when his eyes meet yours, you both just stare at each other. You both break your gaze blushing when Hannah coughs to get his attention.

- Enough staring guys. Now let's come to the topic. Hannah says with a teasing smile on her face.

-uh... ummm...  Hi Hannah. You wanted something? Jake says in  embarrassment that he was caught staring at you.

- Actually yes. We want you to pair up with Mc for our upcoming annual function. Her dance partner Alex got a sprain this morning and so he won't be able to dance. Hannah said.

- but I don't know how to dance. Argues Jake.

- Please big Bro. I beg you. Mc is a good dancer but she won't be allowed to dance without a partner. It's a couple dance, she can't dance alone.

-But Hann-

- Please Jake... You speak looking him in the eyes.

He huffs but then finally agrees to it.

- yay!! Hannah cheers and leaves the room to you two.

- Thanks Jake. It really means a lot. But if you are not comfortable with it you can tell me. There's no pressure. You say to him in an understanding tone.

- No, it's okay. I'll pair up with you. It's just that I don't know much about dance. Jake says blushing.

- Hey, I'll teach you, don't worry. We'll be a great partner.

You wink at him. You both chat for a little while then you leave him to his work after telling him about the schedule of the dance practice.

             ______________

*In the practice room*

You were stretching and doing a little workout before practicing to warm yourself a little and become more flexible.

When you turned around you saw Jake standing at the doorway staring at you. You cough a little make him come out of his little daydreaming.

- Hey! I'm here. I hope I'm not late. He says.

- No, of course not. I just came a little early for warm up.

So...um..... Why don't you change into something comfortable. Some clothes are kept over there, in the closet.

Jake glances down at his black hoodie and jeans then nods and leave the room to change.

When he comes back, you both start practicing.

You both were dance practicing. But from what it looked from outside it was more of him stumbling and falling over you and stepping on your toes.

-aah! Ouch!...

- I'm so sorry again Mc. I suck at dancing. He mumbles before moving away.

-Hey, it's okay. It's your first time. Everyone stumbles when they do this for the first time. In fact I think you are better than others. You assure him.

- Really? He asks.

- Yes really. When I first started dancing I was really bad at it. I stumbled over and fell on the floor for God knows how many times. Atleast you are better than me.

- OK OK. ... enough flattery let's continue. He says.

 He holds your one hand and the other snakes behind your back on your waist. You hold his one hand and keep the other on his shoulder and continue practicing.

*music plays in the background *

- OK,  1... 2....3......1....2...3....1- aaahhh!!

He steps on your toes so hard that you wince in pain and fall behind pulling him over you. What happens next is you lying on the floor with him on top of you. You both just stare into each other's eyes.

*Everyone in the room turns around at the sound and stares at you both surprised.*

Jessy covers her and her partner, Richy's eyes. Lily, Hannah and her boyfriend blush

You both only come to senses and realize what's happening when Dan grumbles - get yourself a room.

Jake awkwardly removes himself from you and mumbles sorry, with you following him in the aplogy process. You both look around and see some of your friends staring. Before you could explain the situation everyone starts laughing.

Jake and you just blush brightly and both look at the floor to avoid further embarrassment.

- Our computer boy knows romance too. Dan grumbles.

You give him a death stare and tell him to shut up

- uh...ummm.... I think our practice for today is over. We can meet tomorrow to continue. You mumble in embarrassment.

Jake just nods and then you both leave the dance room.

From the next day you both decide to practice somewhere more private so you both won't have to feel embarrassed with others staring at you.

Both of yours practice continued for the next few weeks before the annual function. Of course stumbling and falling over one another wasn't just a one time thing. You both made mistakes at starting but then you both became perfect in swinging your hips and moving your legs on the rhythm. The dance practice together brought you two closer to one another. You started spending more and more time with him.

You both would leave the class together chatting and smiling, go to the nearby cafe together and sometime you both just hold each other's hands and stroll in the park.

This dance practice definitely brought you two closer. You sometimes even wished to be his girlfriend. The others of course noticed your behaviour and would often tease you about this.

        ____________________

The day finally came. The day of annual function. Several competitions were held. Group dance competition, solo dance, singing, drama, dance drama and many more.

All the members of your group collected on the backstage. Everyone were holding their partner's hand.

They all were nicely dressed. Girl's were in knee length dress and boys wore shirts paired up with trousers or jeans.

Your eyes kept on drifting on Jake's.  He was wearing a deep blue shirt with black jeans . Jake was also just staring at your beauty. You wore a shimmery red dress which reached just a bit above your knee. You had a pearl necklace around your neck and a silver bracelet around your wrist.

- Now our next group of dancers are requested to come on the stage and enthrall us with their performance. This is a couple dance which will fill our atmosphere with love and romance. Please welcome them with a huge round of applause. The host announces.

* followed by a huge applause*

- looks like it's our turn. Let's go. Hannah says.

Everyone nods in agreement and moves to the direction of stage.

- I'm nervous. Jake says.

- It's okay. You don't have to be nervous. We are the best team. You squeeze his hand a little to reassure him.

Everyone in the group takes their respective position to start performing. The music plays in the background and everyone starts their dance.

After a few minutes,

*music plays in the background *

- I'm getting nervous again. Jake whispers when you both were swinging your hips and moving to the rhythm.

- It's okay. Just look me in the eyes and forget the rest of the world. Just focus on us and the music. Your body will automatically move. You say him sweetly.

You yourself were nervous but then you both just followed your advice and stared into each other's eyes.

You both don't know when the time passed. You both were so focused on each other that you didn't even realize that the music was coming to  it's end.

You only realized it when you heard applause and cheering from the background.

The ending song played..... you all swiftly performed the ending steps, bowed and left the dance stage when the music came to an end.

The anchor continued

* followed by a huge round of applause*

- wow that was indeed a mesmerising performance. It filled the air with love and roma-....

The background chatter continues when you all come back stage.

Everyone just starts chatting hysterically with their partners about their performance. They laugh, chat and even worries whether  their performance was good enough to win. Jessy even starts arguing with Dan, Richy and Thomas. Hannah and lily are in their own world chatting and giggling like kids.

When everyone is busy with their own stuff, Jake suddenly hugs you mumbling - I was so scared and nervous. I was sure that I would stumble and ruin our performance but you really helped. I can't believe that it's over and I didn't got a heart attack. Jake says laughing in your arms.

You return his hug pressing your head on his shoulder saying

- We were really good. I don't care if we win or lose, I'm happy that we gave our best.

- But I would prefer winning this competition than losing. You say laughing.

You both separate from each other and join the group in their non stop rambling.

           -------------

Your whole group waits in the audience room desperately waiting for the results to be announced.

- Jessy will you please stop tapping your feet on the ground. Don't you know nervousnes and anxiety are contagious..... Richy grumps.

After about half an hour, the host stands on the stage announcing the winners.

- That moment has come for which everyone were waiting for.  Our judges have decided the winners from all categories of performances.

* The host opens the envelope, taking out a glossy sheet of paper*

- So..... from solo singing we have two winners. The first one is ........ Amalya from 'rock n roll' and the second one is Mark from 'slow tides'. Give a huge round of applause for our winners.....

The award giving session continues untill  it finally comes to dances performances.

- Now it's for our dancers to get their awards. From solo dancers we have again two winners. They are............Leslie smith and Maria Blake.

- Now comes the announcement of winners from group dancers. We have seven groups from which only one group would be the winner. So, are you all ready???  The host shouts creating an atmosphere of suspense.

* The audience cheers and whistles*

- So, from group dancers the winner group is.............. The couple dancers of DW group......

* the audience shouts, whistles and clap their hands in approval and excitement*

You and your group rushes to the stage when you all hear that your group has won the dance competition. None of you are able to control your excitement. You all happily recieve the award enjoying the moment. When you all finally get off the stage, there's a big round of happy chattering and body crushing hugs.

Jake still looks surprised. He still can't believe that they have won the competition.

A/n:I wanted to post it as a one shot. But it exceeded the word limits, so I'll have post it in two parts. The second part will be posted as soon as I have completed it's editing.😉😅

And please let me know how it is. I have changed my style of writing. This fiction really took a lot of my time and effort. Please let me know😅.

Advices for improvement are always acceptable and appreciated.💕

[roman-writing]

bring home a haunting (1/12)

Fandom: The Haunting of Bly Manor

Pairing: Dani Clayton/Jamie Taylor

Rating: M

Wordcount: 11,511

Summary: Dani almost has her life together, when a familiar face arrives back in town after ten years. A childhood friends AU written with @youngbloodbuzz

read it below or read it on AO3 here

“The sweetest thing in all my life has been the longing — to reach the Mountain, to find the place where all the beauty came from — my country, the place where I ought to have been born. Do you think it all meant nothing, all the longing? The longing for home? For indeed it now feels not like going, but like going back.” - CS Lewis, Till We Have Faces

—

I: 1987

—

The sound of water sloshing through the pipes was a constant drone in the air. Dani stared at herself in the mirror. Her hand rested on the tap, holding it open. Steam crept in along the edges of the mirror as hot water continued to stream into the white porcelain bathroom sink, pale tendrils framing her face like smudged fingerprints against the glass. She was still dressed in pajamas, her hair a rumpled mess. There were dark shadows beneath her eyes. Her face felt puffy and her stomach heavy, but above all else she just appeared tired.

There was movement behind her. The bathroom door opened and her head jerked up in surprise as the door frame squared around Eddie's tall silhouette. In the misted mirror, his glasses seemed to reflect all light, obscuring half his face in a gleam like the sun glancing across the surface of a windscreen.

His reflection smiled. "You still getting ready?" he asked. "We need to go in ten, if I'm giving you a ride to work."

Abruptly, Dani twisted the tap, cutting off the flow of water. She cleared her throat. "Sorry. No. I'll — I'll drive myself."

"You sure? I don't know if your poor little car will make it."

"No. It'll be fine," she assured him, trying to sound far more confident than she felt. Never mind that the local mechanic had given her a list of incomprehensible ills that plagued her car the last time she had taken it into the shop after it had broken down again. "Thanks, though."

"All right," he said, but still he did not turn to leave. "You know, I was thinking. We should probably sell it."

"Hmm?"

Dani had opened the mirror door to reveal a jumble of bottles and toothpaste and toothbrushes, only some of which were hers. She scouted around for what she was looking for. Even after a few weeks, everything still felt so displaced. She struggled to find the smallest item these days, be it her favorite sauce pan or a bottle of — oh, there it was.

"Your car," Eddie was saying behind her. "Don't you think we should sell it? We don't really need two. Not now that we're living together."

Dani froze with her hands cupped in the water of the sink. She could see her own reflection weaving and waving from the disturbance until her face looked disjointed. Like some sort of Picasso. An eye here. A jaw there. Scattered into separate chambers.

Without answering, she leaned down and splashed her face, rubbing at her cheeks until a foam lathered, eyes squeezed shut.

"Well?" Eddie asked.

She bought herself a moment by rinsing the suds from her face and reaching blindly for a towel that she had perched on a nearby rail for just that very purpose. When she spoke, her voice was muffled through the cloth, "I don't know. I just think —" She lowered the towel and wiped at her neck. "Wouldn't it be inconvenient? You having to drive me around everywhere?"

In the mirror, his outline shrugged. "I don't mind. More time spent with you, right?"

She offered him a weak smile, drying her hands and folding the towel neatly back on its rack. “You’re sweet,” she said. “But really. I mean — What if I need to pick up groceries on the way back from the school? Or what if I want to visit your mother? Or —?”

“All right. All right. You win,” he laughed, softly. He came up behind her, hands settling on her waist, gentle but heavy all the same. “Just think about it. Okay?”

The steam at the edges of the mirror had begun to fade, and Eddie’s features came into sharp relief. Looking at their reflection was like looking at the picture in their living room where they were posed for prom. Eddie’s hands clasped at her waist, and Dani still with that deer in the headlights smile. It was almost perfect. It was almost enough. Being a fresh-faced fiancée. Wearing rumpled pink pajamas. Living together. Watching a life unfold before her as though it belonged to someone else.

She shrank away from him in order to turn around. “I should finish getting ready,” she said. 

He let her go but leaned down for a kiss. Instead, his glasses bumped the side of her face. Laughing, she pushed the glasses up his nose as he retreated with a wince. 

“Sorry,” he said. “I’ll see you tonight.”

Her hand was still lingering on the side of his face — scratch of stubble beneath her fingertips — and Eddie pressed a brief kiss to her palm before striding from the bathroom. Dani stood there, clutching her hand back to her chest, listening to his retreating footsteps down the hall. Something curdled in her stomach, though she hadn’t eaten anything yet this morning. She passed it off as hunger instead of guilt. 

Eyes squeezing shut, hand clenching into a fist at her sternum, Dani inhaled a deep steadying breath. Then, opening her eyes once more, she turned back towards the mirror and reached for a hairbrush. 

—

The coffee in the teacher’s lounge was always dark as sin and tasted of battery acid. Dani pulled on the tap, filling up her styrofoam cup until her hand burned and she had to hold it gingerly from the top with her fingertips. Enough creamer followed so that the coffee resembled milk more than the original brew. She tested it with a sip, crinkled her nose, and added sugar until it was barely palatable. It would still strip paint in a pinch, but it would also keep her going throughout the day. 

With a resigned sigh, she carried the coffee over to the round table in the back corner of the lounge, where her piles of notes and textbooks waited. The binders sported multi-colored tongues, every section marked with a tab and her broad loopy handwriting, and there was a satchel of pens and markers in every hue under the sky. Taking a sip of her cup of paint thinner, Dani pulled out a plain black pen. She trailed her thumb down the tabs until she reached the desired section, and flipped open to the correct page. There, she began to record her meticulous notes. She would pause every so often to flip through a textbook and double-check some figure or another that she had convinced herself she had forgotten.

The lounge was mostly empty but for her. It was still an early hour, even for her colleagues. Here, she felt like she could actually work. Back home she would inevitably feel like she had gotten in the way. Not of Eddie. Not usually. Though sometimes he would wander over to the table while she was trying to arrange a lesson plan and distract her with talk of banalities that always made her hand slip, that always made her lose her place on the page. Other times he would complain about how her work sprawled and took over the whole dining room.

Mostly it was the house itself. Still so fresh and new and clean, walls pressing in like a stomach lining. Spreading all her work notes out felt like she was intruding upon the space of the napkins and cutlery. As though all of the items people had bought them for their engagement were more at home there than she was. A house of cardboard boxes. Of clothes. Of china. Stuff. Things. Their things. 

Dani’s writing had slowed. She shook her head briskly and straightened in her seat. Another sip of fortifying turpentine, and she was scribbling away again. 

“Enjoy the summer holiday?”

Dani glanced up at the sound of that familiar voice. Hannah Grose, seamlessly elegant in a wine-dark skirt suit, stood with her hand on the back of one of the chairs around the little table. 

A smile broke across Dani’s face, and she said, “Yeah! And you?” She gestured towards the chair with her pen, adding, “Please.”

“Not much to report on the western front.” Hannah sat, delicately leaning her elbow upon the table so as not to disturb the sprawl of Dani’s notes. “But I hear that’s not the case in your camp. Congratulations are in order.” 

Dani could feel her cheeks strain with the effort of keeping her smile in place. “Thanks!”

“Well?” Hannah asked, her eyes agleam with warm curiosity. “Go on then. How did he propose?” 

“Which time?” Dani joked half-heartedly. When Hannah gave a little huff of laughter, Dani said, “No, seriously. He’s been asking me to marry him since we were kids.” 

“Well, congratulations,” Hannah said. “Do you have a date planned? Or is that still in the works?”

Dani fiddled with the pen between her fingers, repeatedly removing the cap and sticking it back on with a nervous jab. The plastic clacked dully against the unfamiliar band of gold around her finger. “Oh, no. Not yet. We — uh — we’re going to wait a bit. Eddie just started his new job, and I’ve — well. You���re the one who asked me to teach sixth grade this year. And I’m excited, but also I feel so unprepared for a whole classroom of twelve year olds.” 

“Don’t be nervous, dear,” Hannah said, and though her tone was soothing her small smile was teasing. “They can smell fear.”

Dani’s laugh was slightly too breathy and too short to be heartfelt. “Oh, I know. It’s just —” She made a flighty gesture with one hand, “— getting a new batch in. It’s always a little nerve wracking. There are so many names to memorize in the first week. And sorting out the dynamics of them all, how they interact, and — well, you know.”

“No, I don’t. Not really, anyway,” Hannah said. “I came up the ranks through an administrative route. Never had any classroom time to speak of.”

“Oh, that’s a shame,” Dani said.

Hannah gave Dani’s notes a nudge with her elbow. “What was it you were just telling me about the trials and tribulations of homeroom?”

This time when Dani laughed, it was far more relaxed. “The kids are the best part. Really. That’s why you do it.”

Hannah gave her a knowing look. “Yes. And that’s why I hired you.”

“Have I thanked you for that, yet?”

“Only once a year for three years.”

“My next gift basket is in the mail tomorrow, then,” Dani joked.

“Hang the basket and bring me a slice from the cafe instead.”

“With coffee?” Dani asked, grinning when Hannah wrinkled her nose at the idea. “You got it, boss.”

“Tea,” said Hannah primly, “is perfectly serviceable. Thank you. It’s eight thirty, by the way.”

Dani’s eyes widened and she checked her watch to find that Hannah was, in fact, correct. “Oh, shoot!” Hastily, she scraped together the loose papers, shuffling them back into their notebook. Tucking it beneath one arm, she snatched up her styrofoam cup and made a dash for the door. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Mrs. Grose.” 

“Don’t forget to bring back a receipt for the slice!” Hannah called after her. “You must let me pay you back this time!”

“Put it on my next remuneration review!”

—

The kids were all filing into class, and Dani was hesitating at the blackboard. She held the tip of a piece of chalk against the dark grain. Her hand had frozen on the final downward stroke of the 'M' when she thought — should it still be 'Miss'? 'Ms.'? What were the rules?

The sounds of children jabbering away behind her, chairs scraping, things being thrown, urged her into action, and Dani wrote the name she had always written before turning around.

"All right, let's settle down, please." She waited until twenty-five faces were turned towards her in relative silence — as good as she could hope for given the circumstances — before smiling. Then, she set aside the chalk and picked up a clipboard full of names. "Hi, everyone. I'm Miss Clayton. Welcome to homeroom. Let's go through names. Make sure everyone's here."

It was the same, she told herself even as she meticulously took roll. How different could a bunch of twelve year olds be to her usual ten year olds? She even recognized one or two names from when she had taught a previous class. One of her former students waved at her from the back of a row of desks, and Dani smiled in return.

She skimmed right over the roll call and into the first introductions to the year. It happened so fast, that she hardly even registered a familiar looking name on the list. The boy in question merely raised his hand upon his name being called out, and Dani forged on to the next. With so many new faces to memorize, she did not even pause to mull over the presence of a Michael Taylor in her class. There were too many of them. Always too many. She never could keep track. Always remembering faces, but never names. Maybe if there were fewer of them, she thought. Maybe if they were younger. 

They never were.

—

Even after two weeks back in the classroom, the bell ringing never failed to make Dani jump slightly. She nearly dropped her chalk from where she was drawing on the blackboard. Already behind her she could hear the scrape of chairs and the excited babble at the arrival of the weekend. 

Setting down the chalk, Dani turned around and began wiping her hands against her skirt. She had to lift her voice to be heard. “All right everyone, don’t forget your permission slips for a trip to the community library! If you don’t bring back a signed form, you won’t be able to go, and you’ll have to stay here! And, Michael? Can you stay behind for a minute, please? I want to talk to you.”

Michael’s head whipped around at the sound of his name. A few other students shot him odd glances and his shoulders crept up around his ears. He shoved his books and notes into his bag — a dark blue canvas with silver stars that looked like they’d been painstakingly drawn on — then slouched at his desk until the others had all left. 

Sitting behind her own desk, Dani brushed at the chalk handprints on her skirt — she was always a mess by the end of a school week; chalk everywhere — and gestured for Michael to come closer. He hesitated before pushing himself upright and walking forward until he stood in front of her desk. His brow was furrowed but his head was bowed, looking contrite, as though waiting for some sort of reprimand.  

Dani gentled her voice. “Michael, I just wanted to -"

"Mikey."

She blinked, faltering. "I'm sorry?"

"My name," he said very firmly for someone who stood with such a stoop. "It’s Mikey. I don’t like Michael."

With a smile, Dani said, "Of course. Mikey. You’re not in trouble. I promise.” With a light tap of her palms against the surface of the desk, she pulled out a piece of paper from atop one of the stacks and slid it towards him across her desk. “This is your homework from Monday. Do you remember this problem here? Number eleven?”

Shrugging at the weight of his backpack, he nodded. 

“Well, I kind of messed up,” she said, lowering her voice and leaning forward as though revealing a secret. “And I copied this problem from the wrong section of the book. The back section of the book, I mean. Most of the others didn’t even try to answer it, and those that did got it wrong. Except —” Dani tapped a finger against the edge of the page, “— for you.” 

Mikey did not say anything. His gaze remained dropped, as though he were studying his shoes.

“Do you know what this ‘x’ is?” Dani asked, pointing to the math problem in question.

Mikey shook his head. “No. I thought it was like a question mark?” 

“Yeah.” Dani smiled. “Yeah, that’s right.”

He glanced up at her, saw her watching him, and then hastily lowered his eyes again, shuffling his feet. 

Leaning her weight on her forearms, Dani said, “I know you’re a transfer student this year, and you came from somewhere out of state. Did your other schools teach you algebra by any chance?”

Again, he shook his head. 

“Okay.” She ducked her head down in an attempt to look into his eyes. “I told you: you’re not in trouble. I just wanted to know — do you like math? Because it seems to me you’re really good at it.”

“I guess,” he mumbled. His hand tightened around the strap of his backpack. “Can I go now?”

Dani toyed with the edge of the page of homework. Then with a sigh she leaned back in her seat. “Yeah, you can go. Have a good weekend.” 

He murmured some pleasantry in response, but in the next moment he was gone from the room so fast she thought she must have imagined it. For a moment, Dani frowned after him. She pulled his homework towards herself, studying the page. Mikey’s handwriting was cramped and messy, but there was no mistaking the fact that he had written every answer only once. There were no eraser marks to be seen. He even showed the steps he took to reach his answers. 

Her thumb traced over his name at the top right hand corner. Then, with a little shake of her head, she set the page back atop the stack of other papers and began to clean up. 

Even after the kids had mostly left, there were always a few stragglers left behind. Some trotted through the halls in packs on their way to whatever extracurricular activities their parents had signed them up for. Dani kept the door to her classroom open, and the squeak of their shoes echoed down the corridor along with the sound of their fading voices. Tilting her wrist to check the time, she pulled out the latest round of homework assignments that had been handed back to her earlier that day. The set she hadn’t had a chance to mark yet. 

Best to just get it done with now. Her car was clinging to the last vestiges of life and had landed itself back in the workshop earlier that week. She would be here a while until Eddie got off work. 

She grabbed a red pen and pulled the first page towards her. The pen flicked officiously as she scanned through the questions, barely pausing until she circled the final grade at the top and set the page aside in favor of the next. And so on. And so forth. It was almost relaxing. As relaxing as a known constant could be. She could always rely upon the dependability of homework that needed grading. Just like she could rely upon the dependability of death and taxes.

She glanced up only rarely from her work whenever a flurry of movement flitted across the corners of her vision. A bird darting from a tree branch here. A janitor sweeping the floors there. Dani paused to push her seat back from the desk and make small talk, asking after the janitor's wife and kids until he shuffled along with a wave, pushing his long-handled broom, which looked more like a breed of shaggy dog than a cleaning implement. She had almost finished grading the stack of papers, when she glanced out the window towards the street. She looked back down at the papers, then did a double take.

That was a student sitting on the curb. She recognized that blue backpack with silver stars. Dani checked the time again. Nearly four in the afternoon now. With a hum and a frown, she returned to grading, but her gaze would wander after each finished page back towards the window.

Finally, she capped the pen and set it down atop the finished stack of papers. She would need to enter those grades into the system later, but that could wait. For now, Dani swept everything into her bag before slinging it over one shoulder. Her keys jangled from their lanyard as she locked up and made her way outside.

Mikey was still crouched on the sidewalk when she approached. Her shoes clacked dully against the pavement, and he turned to look over his shoulder at who was approaching him.

Dani smiled brightly. "Hi!" she said. "You’re still here?"

Mikey nodded, but gave no verbal reply. Some sort of magazine was hanging loosely from his fingers, half open and tucked between his legs as though he had been caught red-handed.

Setting her bag down on the ground, she sat beside him and craned her neck to get a look at the cover he was clearly trying to hide. "Wonder Woman, huh?"

His cheeks flushed in embarrassment, and he refused to look anywhere near her direction.

"You know," Dani said. "I used to wait up at night to catch all the episodes of the show as they were airing. The Lynda Carter ones? You ever watch it?"

His eyes were wide when he finally turned to look at her. He nodded. "Yeah. I love that show."

"I recorded them all," Dani confided in a whisper, as though the two of them were in on a secret. "Still have them on tape at home, though I haven't watched them in forever."

"My sister gets annoyed when I rewatch stuff too often," Mikey said. He had straightened his legs, and now the comic book was sprawled across his bony knees to reveal a few inked pages.

She nodded towards the thin paper booklet. "I never read the comics, though. Are they any fun?"

It was like opening flood gates. Suddenly, she found herself being regaled about the entire publication history of Wonder Woman, while Mikey gestured wildly with the comic so that the loose pages rustled with every motion of his hands. His face came alight when he spoke. Dani listened with amusement. She perched an elbow on her knees and propped her chin on her hand, nodding along, asking appropriate questions. Once she asked what was obviously a dumb question, for he made a face and explained her error in great detail.

The early autumnal sun was slanting through the trees by the time a boxy silver sedan rolled up to the other side of the street. Dani could see a familiar mop of dark hair and the gleam of glasses through the windows. The car puttered to a halt, engine idling, and Eddie pressed down on the steering wheel so that the horn blared briefly. 

Dani waved in his direction and said to Mikey, “That’s my ride. Are you going to be okay out here?” She glanced down the street for any approaching cars. “Someone’s coming to pick you up, right?”

In answer, he held up the issue of Wonder Woman. “It’s okay, Miss Clayton. My sister will be here soon.”

“Okay, then,” said Dani. Slapping her hands on her thighs, she pushed herself to her feet, bag hanging from one shoulder. She walked towards the car with a smile and a wave back at Mikey. “I’ll see you next week!”

He did not answer. He was already nose-deep in his comic book again. Shaking her head with a small chuckle, Dani continued towards where Eddie was waiting for her, tapping at the dashboard. It wasn’t until her hand was on the chromed door handle that she finally registered what Mikey had said. 

A sister. He had a sister. At first she’d thought — well, a sister who got annoyed with a brother who hogged the television set would surely be a younger sister. But a sister who drove to pick him up from school was definitely not a younger sister. 

“Danielle, are you all right? You look a little pale.”

The sound of Eddie’s voice made her jerk half out of her skin. She hadn’t even realized he had rolled down the window. 

“Yeah,” she said, her voice catching in her throat. “Yeah. Can you just - Can you wait a second? I’ll be —I’ll be just a second.” 

Dani shoved her bag through the open window into her seat, then whirled around and marched back across the street. Her hands were clenched into fists at her side. She could feel the bite of her short nails into her palms. Something acidic boiled in her stomach, twisting it into knots, until she stood over Mikey, struggling to find her voice. 

“You said you had a sister?” she asked. “An older sister? And — And your last name is Taylor?” 

Looking puzzled, Mikey shrugged. “Yeah?” 

This was impossible. There was no way. For a long moment, Dani stared at him, his brown hair, his brown eyes, his narrow shoulders, the almost familiar shape of his nose and face. 

Dani cleared her throat and tried to sound nonchalant. “And what — uh — what’s her name?” 

With a quizzical frown up at her, Mikey turned a page of his comic book to where Wonder Woman was punching stars from one of her foes. “My sister?” he asked, as if it were the most bizarre question in the world. “Jamie. Her name’s Jamie.” 

“Right,” Dani breathed, feeling like she’d just received a blow to the space beneath her ribcage. “Right. Of course. Sorry. I’ll just — Bye.” 

Without another word, she turned on her heel and strode back towards the waiting car. She willed her breathing to even out, even as she felt something coil around her sternum and tighten with every step. Yanking open the door, Dani slipped into the car. She pushed her bag down to her feet and pulled the door shut behind her. 

“Everything good?” Eddie asked.

“Yeah,” Dani lied, her voice sounding oddly high even to her own ears. It was difficult to swallow; her throat felt too tight. A rush of blood flooded through her ears in a deafening crash. She stared fixedly at the reflection of her own clenched hands in the slanted windshield, willing them to relax even as her knuckles went whiter. “Fine. Everything’s fine.” 

And Eddie didn’t question it at all. He merely shrugged, put the car into gear, and drove away.

—

It stayed with her afterwards. Like a bruise upon her skin, blue and purple, tender to the touch. That cloying sense of the air too thick. Molasses on a hot summer day, the dark shadow that clung to her heels in sunlight, haunting her every step. She couldn’t breathe with it, couldn’t escape it.

Jamie. Jamie, here. Jamie, home.

Somehow Eddie didn’t notice. It completely passed him by, the way her eyes darted around as they stopped to pick up groceries, her clenched fists held tightly to her sides, consumed with the uneasy notion that she might turn around the corner and Jamie would appear, as if summoned by the gravity of Dani’s pounding heart. 

It should’ve been easy — like most things eventually — locking it away. Erasing it. She had managed now for years, days, months. Except now the very thought of Jamie being so near again, so tangible again, made her somehow indelible. As if she’d always been there. Waiting. As if she’d never gone. It felt altogether at once like being peeled and stripped away, down to an exposed nerve. 

Dani wished she could say she slept easy that night. Instead, after spending much of the witching hour staring at the ceiling, she finally succumbed to the sound of Eddie’s soft snores, his arm splayed across her waist, only to wake up feeling as if she'd been cracked open and hollowed out. Somehow, in between the moments of stumbling out of bed and driving up to the blue bungalow across town with Eddie in the small rental truck behind her, Dani managed to go through the motions of call and response. Her limbs moving, her mouth speaking all of their own accord, and she could only watch it happening. She pulled on the turn signal. The click of the light like an errant drip of a tap. It was only when she was cutting the engine to stare up at the house that was once hers, that something tightened in her chest, shunting her back to earth. 

Carson met them by the front steps where he sat in his studded leather jacket that he wore regardless of the weather, two takeout cups in hand. 

“Took you long enough,” he grumbled, standing and offering one of the cups to Eddie who reached him first. “Thought I was gonna have to drink these myself before they got cold.”

Eddie huffed a laugh, taking the cup. “Yeah, we wouldn’t want that,” he drawled before helping himself inside the house without a backwards glance, taking a long sip from his cup.

Carson stared after him for a moment before turning to Dani with a smirk, and said, “Someone’s in a mood.”

Managing a chuckle, Dani folded her arms around herself. “Yeah, he uh, he’s just eager to get it done, you know? Realtor wants the place empty by three today.”

“Well, in that case,” he said, holding out the last cup, his smirk softening to something kinder. 

“Oh, thank you,” she said, taking it. The brush of his fingers against hers was warm and welcome. “You didn’t have to do that.”

“Sure, I did,” he responded with a shrug, and nudged her to take a drink, “Go on.”

At the first sip of what Dani had thought was coffee was instead a sweet and rich hot chocolate. Her eyes went wide. 

Carson laughed at the expression on her face. “Thought you could use a little something sweet today.”

She smiled at him over the plastic top and took another longer sip. “Thank you,” she said, “For coming. You didn’t need to, but —”

“— You needed some extra muscle, which I’ve plenty of.” His grin seemed rueful. There lingered in Carson more of the boyish youth that Dani had seen in Eddie so many years ago. He wasn’t as gangly or as broad-shouldered as his older brothers, but he was always, without fail, a comforting presence in an otherwise rowdy O’Mara household. 

“And yet none of your other brothers showed up, I see,” Dani said. 

“Yeah, well,” Carson shrugged against his leather jacket, hands stuck into the pockets. “Guess, I’m just the only responsible one.” 

“I knew there was a reason why I liked you best.” 

He winked and lowered his voice. “Don’t let Eddie hear you say that.”

With a snort, Dani reached out and ruffled his perfectly coiffed hair so that it more resembled Eddie’s unruly curls. He ducked his head and swatted her away with a whine of complaint. She laughed when he stepped away to carefully fix his hair in the reflection of her car window. 

“You leave your pomade at home again?” Dani teased. “Thought you never left without it.”

She could just make out his face in the reflection, nose scrunching up as he raked his fingers through his dark hair until it was suitably tamed. The door of the house one over opened, and a young man strode out, wearing a bathrobe and clutching a mug of coffee. Immediately Carson straightened, as though he’d been tapped with the wrong end of a cattle prod.

Dani waved. “Hi, Jason!” 

Her neighbor lifted a desultory hand while he fumbled with his letterbox. “Last day?” he asked, voice raspy with sleep.

“Taking the last of it now,” she said. 

Jason shut the letterbox and scooped up the newspaper that had been tossed onto his lawn earlier that morning. “Let me know if you need an extra hand.” 

“I should be all right. That’s what Carson’s for.” She gestured with her hot chocolate towards Carson, who had his hands jammed back into his pockets and was now leaning against her car with an odd expression on his face.

Jason glanced over and nodded, no more than a jerk of his chin up, before walking back into his house with the newspaper tucked under one arm. The muscles in Carson’s jaw were clenched, standing out like the ropes of a sailing ship. 

After the door to Jason’s house had swung shut, Dani asked, “I thought you two were friends?”

Carson grunted a wordless note. “We had a falling out a few months ago. Anyway —” He turned on his heel, grin back in place, and started making his way towards her house. “Show me the heavy stuff. Come on!”  

By the time they first made their way inside, Eddie was already hauling out boxes filled with her things. The tops and sides of each cardboard box had been painstakingly labelled in Dani’s hand, the letters neat and blocky. Carson slipped by Eddie with an exaggerated pose as if squeezing through a tight space as they passed one another in the door. Eddie paused, arms laden, and turned his face to Dani while she climbed the steps leading up to the entryway. The extra step allowed her to press a chaste kiss to his cheek and, mollified, he continued on his way towards the truck. Once inside, she found that Carson was already heaving an armchair up with his hands. She moved out of the way so he could trot after his older brother, leaving her momentarily alone.

The house was bare. Most of her things had already been carted away the week before. The transition into their new shared home had been gradual, just like everything else in their relationship. Eddie settling in first and coaxing Dani along as though she were a particularly nervous show dog that had slipped the collar. Looking around now, hands on her hips, Dani felt like an intruder. Like she was an archaeologist who had wandered into someone else's burial site with a rusty torch and hammer.

It almost looked bigger now that it was so empty. Her footsteps echoed too loud on the wooden floors, the sound traveling further and longer. The bare walls once peppered with paintings and photos now like a skeleton expanding its ribs, waiting to expel her in one long sunken breath. Her thumb gradually drifted to her mouth as she took it all in, biting hard at her nail and skin, fixedly eyeing the spot where once a small reading nook used to be. 

The sound of footsteps behind her was harsh and loud to her ears. “Hey, what did I tell you about that?” Eddie said from beside her suddenly, his hand gently pulling Dani’s away from her mouth.

She swallowed heavily and pulled her hand carefully back to hold into a fist by her side, and said, “Yeah, I know. Sorry. I just —”

“I don’t like you hurting yourself,” he said, frowning. She couldn’t help but let her shoulders slump at the concern in his eyes, and only managed to give him a tenuous smile and a nod. “Look, we’re almost done. Soon we’ll be out of here in no time and we can finally just focus on our home. Just let me and Carson do all the hard work.”

“I can help,” Dani said. “I want to help.”

He sighed. “Danielle -”

“I have my inhaler in the car. I won’t keel over and die,” Dani said.

“Hey, Ed, buddy, what happened to that deadline, huh?” Carson said, leaning heavily on the wall and pointing behind him to the kitchen, “You gonna help me with this thing or not?”

Eddie rolled his eyes, and briefly placed a hand on her shoulder before disappearing into the kitchen with muttered grumbling. Dani grinned after him before catching Carson’s eyes, chuckling and shaking her head as he winked at her before following Eddie.

“Gotta give her a minute to breathe, Ed.” Carson’s voice was soft, but still Dani heard it all the same and wrapped her arms tight around herself. 

Clearing her throat, she strode off in the direction of her old bedroom. The bed had been taken away and put in their new spare bedroom for guests who might come to visit. The carpet still bore indentations from where the posts had once sat. Eddie had already been in here; the boxes were gone. Dani glanced around for any last remaining items that might have been forgotten. The closet door was slightly awry, and with a frown she pulled it fully open. There was a single wire coat hanger hooked on the bar that stretched across the closet. Her hand reached out to take it, when she froze.

There, tucked away into the corner beneath one of the built in shelves, was a small wooden box. She could hardly remember the last time she had seen it, let alone opened it. A layer of dust covered the top. Kneeling down, Dani pulled the box out and into her lap. She blew the dust off and had to wipe a bit more with the edge of her sleeve. It was made of plain wood with a bronze latch fastening the lid shut. Her thumb teased the corner of the latch. She worried her lower lip between her teeth before steeling herself and lifting the lid open on squeaky hinges.

Nestled inside were a series of photographs, faded with age. Something clenched in her chest as she touched the first one with trembling fingers.

She and Jamie looked so young, and they were. Barely fifteen. Jamie's arm flung around her shoulder, arm outstretched to snap the photo while she pressed a kiss to Dani's cheek even as Dani laughed and elbowed her ribs. Swallowing down the urge to be sick, she slipped the photo aside to see the next. Jamie was younger still. Her arms were outstretched as she balanced her weight on the narrow steel bar of the abandoned train tracks beyond the fields that surrounded the town. Dani could remember the day she took this with crystal clarity. The days of summer in those years had been longer somehow, stretching on into warm endless nights. 

She was a furtive grave robber, flicking through picture after picture, exhuming a past that she hardly recognized herself in now. And pictures weren’t all that were stored here. There was a band shirt that had been half eaten by moths over years of neglect. An old Zippo lighter with scratched edges along the chrome plating. A necklace that was actually just a worn old half dollar coin pierced through and hung from a cheap chain. A cassette tape labelled Jamie’s Mixtape (1978) in a messy slanted scrawl, long missing its protective case. And finally, an old battered copy of Valley of the Dolls, where if she were to flick it open, she would find a pressed blue morning glory hidden among the pages. 

She gently ran her hand over them, still trembling as if the living memories within the treasure trove thrummed under her skin with its own heartbeat. 

In the distance, she could hear footsteps and the back and forth between Carson and Eddie in the living room as they manoeuvred a couch through the front door. When the footsteps drew closer, approaching down the hall, Dani hurriedly stuffed everything back into the box and shut the lid. 

Carson leaned in the doorway. At some point he had shed his leather jacket, so that now he only wore a white undershirt that was two sizes too small, tucked into his jeans. “You good here? We’ve loaded the last of it into the truck.”

“Yeah,” Dani said. She pushed herself upright, clutching the box to her chest as though it were an heirloom. “Yeah, that's everything.” 

His eyebrows rose and he nodded towards the box. “What do you got there?” 

Dani’s grip tightened. She could feel the grooves of the box pressing into her skin. “Nothing important.” 

—

Dani went about her routine on edge. At the supermarket, gripping the shopping cart between her hands and turning down the different aisles. At the gas station, stepping out of her beat up old car to work the pump. At the school, peering out the window at all the parents dropping off their kids in the parking lot. At the local cafe nearest the elementary school, picking up a newspaper and a slice for Hannah. Hoping for a glimpse of Jamie and dreading any encounter with her all at once.

Except Jamie never appeared. And Mikey sat at the back of the class, doodling in his notebook, not paying attention but knowing all the answers regardless whenever Dani called on him to participate. She could always see him after school sitting on the curbside and reading a new comic issue, or thumbing through a book from the paltry school library or scratching at his homework with a pencil. Not once did Dani loiter long enough to see him get picked up, and she felt a stab of irritation that he should be left alone for so long. But it wasn’t her business, and he got along well enough with the other kids during recess. 

Dani was still stewing silently over the whole affair at dinner with her future in-laws. She sat at the dining table, chewing at the skin of her thumb, with Carson at one elbow and Eddie at the next. Mike, Judy’s soft-spoken stooping husband, sat at the head of the table, while Judy herself set the last of the platters down and invited everyone to tuck in. 

“How’re the kids this year?” Judy asked as she spooned peas onto her plate. 

Dani made a noise in the back of her throat, before lowering her hand into her lap. “Yeah, they’re great! I — uh — I actually have a transfer student.”

Judy made a sound to indicate that she was still listening even while she passed a platter across the table to Eddie. 

“He’s really smart,” Dani continued. “I don’t really know what to do with him. He — well, he always looks a bit bored, to be honest.”

“Don’t they have some sort of advanced program for kids like that?” Mike asked. He had already tucked into the food even though his plate was only half full. 

“I’d need to talk to the parent or guardian first,” Dani said, her stomach flipping at the thought. The peas had made their way around the table to her now, and she slowly scraped the last of them onto an available corner of her plate. Swallowing heavily, Dani concentrated hard on the steady movements of her hands, and said, “Judy, I don’t suppose you’ve heard of anyone new coming to town?” 

Judy’s mouth was full. She frowned thoughtfully as she chewed, and swallowed before answering. “No, I haven’t, now that you mention it. I’ll have to ask around the ladies at the book club if they’ve seen anyone.” 

Any hope Dani might have nursed of learning something new about Jamie’s presence in town flickered out like a snuffed candle. “Thanks,” she said, already feeling the conversation wander towards other topics. “Can you pass the salt, Carson?”

—

Sitting here in her Sunday best with Eddie’s warm hand in hers and a book of hymns in the other, Dani was sandwiched in the pew between her fiancé and her mother. Karen smelled sharply of cheap mall perfume, her dress pressing in tight on her ribs. The priest’s voice echoed from his place declaming near the altar, but Dani wasn’t listening. She was too preoccupied with the way her heart pounded in her chest, the clench of her stomach and the restless nerves that someone might have seen her. 

She hadn’t planned on going to the movies yesterday, not at first. Not until she had seen the ad in Saturday’s morning paper, an art house theater two towns over advertising a one-time showing of Desert Hearts. It had caused such a stir in the community a few years ago that any curiosity Dani had felt toward it had died and shriveled up inside of her. Yet her Saturday afternoon had been free, and Eddie had been mercifully busy after helping her move the last of her things. 

And now Dani sat in the same church she’d been going to her entire life, feeling like a marionette whose mouth was puppetted by invisible strings as she joined the others in song. The priest leading them through a hymn wasn’t the same man who baptized Dani as an infant. The bench she was sitting on wasn’t the same she sat in week after week. The woman on her right was virtually nonexistent. The man’s hand she was holding loosely in her left wasn’t the same man who she grew up with, he wasn’t the boy who asked her again and again to marry him. 

This Dani, this new Dani, lied to her fiancé and drove an hour out of town the day before with a whispered prayer on her tongue for her car to just hold on for once, for just one more day to see a film that left her blushing scarlet and her stomach dropping not uncomfortably, sitting alone in the dark with a carton of untouched popcorn. This Dani would return to her car, and her first thought would turn to whether this would be the kind of movie Jamie would have picked as her choice of their weekly film showing — knowing immediately that the answer would be 'yes.’ And just as abruptly as the thought appeared, she promptly squashed the idea of even contemplating such a question. 

Dani’s voice faltered, wavering over the words as a flash of guilt washed over her when the heat returned to her skin. She looked up at the cross, hanging on the back wall over the priest’s head, and glanced furtively at Eddie to see where he was in the verse, praying no one had seen her stumble. When service finally ended, and the ritualistic gossip on the front steps had been entertained, she allowed herself to be led outside. Eddie’s hand was warm and steady, completely enveloping her own, pulling her to the warm air where it finally felt like she was able to breathe again. 

She felt a heady rush of relief when her mom begged off brunch, claiming to suffer from a headache as she walked to her car with a half-hearted wave. Relieved two-fold when Eddie needed to run off to the office for preliminary work for Monday, kissing her on the cheek in a goodbye that she barely registered before rushing off to his car. Until she was only left with Judy. 

“So,” Judy asked, and for a brief terrifying moment Dani thought she might know, she might have finally seen her. In the end though all Judy said was: “How about that lunch?” 

Judy linked their arms, pulling her in close until all Dani could do was smile and say, “Lead the way.”

The bistro Judy directed them to was relatively new, Dani had passed it multiple times over the last couple weeks but had never actually gone in, always driving by with casual curiosity and a bemused but charmed smile at the name: A Batter Place. 

“You’re gonna love it,” Judy said, guiding Dani in with an arm linked in her own, “Their macaroons are to die for.”

Gamely, Dani smiled along to Judy’s enthusiasm as Judy pointed to various fixtures of the restaurant, steadily ignoring the strain building in the back of her neck. It wouldn’t be fair to say that Judy made her nervous. There were too many good intentions behind her warm eyes and her warm hugs, always with her hands full of containers of hearty food, always holding on a little longer than Dani expected, like she was afraid Dani would drift away. Judy, she knew, at least cared. 

Perhaps that was why, after settling in their seats and ordering their lunch, Dani hid her hands under the table, fingers trembling as they picked at the skin of her thumb. 

“So, how have you been, honey?” Judy asked over her cup of coffee, smiling that kind, good-intentioned smile. “I feel like I’ve barely seen you since school started up again.”

A small pressure valve released in Dani’s chest, and she finally allowed herself a real smile. “I’ve been keeping busy, and well — you know how it is with a new school year. This year especially is different.”

“Because of the higher grade?”

“Right. And I just — I want things to be perfect, you know?” Dani said, and chuckled ruefully, “Though twenty-five twelve year olds will certainly be a challenge.”

This she could manage. This she could at least be grateful for, the way Judy allowed the conversation to steer towards something that filled Dani with a sense of purpose, smiling proudly at her over the din of conversation around them with no mention of Eddie or long overdue wedding planning. 

Judy took a pointed sip of her coffee. “Well, I know you like the challenge, but you can’t forget to take care of yourself,” she said, her lips pulling into a familiar smile. One to be used when nearing a cornered animal. Dani’s stomach sank, when Judy continued, “Now, I know you and Eddie need time to get used to living together, doing all the things couples have to learn to do alone but, you don’t have to steer clear of the house forever. I know we all recently just had dinner together but —”

Dani glanced away. 

“— You could come over at any time. Like yesterday! What were you up to yesterday? I would have made lasagna for you.”

“Oh, uh —” Dani gave a nervous breathy chuckle, hoping to hide the grimace at the memory of the two women who had stared brazenly at her when she had exited the art house theater yesterday, Dani in her too bright blouse and high jeans, looking frazzled and out of place. She took a long sip of her coffee, hoping to hide the same feeling under her skin now. “You know. Busy.”

Judy waved her explanation away with that same smile. “Oh, well, never mind that. It doesn’t matter now. There’s always next weekend,” she said, and her hand reached over to clasp Dani’s before she could hide it again. “I’m just hoping I get more time to spend with my favorite future daughter-in-law before things get too crazy. Wedding planning and teaching a class of twenty-five kids is one thing, but thinking about raising a baby is another.”

A moment passed before Dani could process the words. A baby. Of course. 

“Oh,” was all Dani managed to say, a polite smile frozen on her face as Judy’s grip on her hand tightened in a way that anyone else would have found comforting. The hand that Dani so wanted to pull away, to press against her chest. A pressure building inside her ribs, pulling her skin taught and straining at the edges. A ringing in her ears that sounded more and more like the whistle of a tea kettle or the whine of an over-revved engine. 

She was only saved by the grace of their food arriving, the pressure abating to something manageable as Judy freed Dani’s hand to make room for their plates. It gave Dani the opportunity to down half of her coffee, hot enough to scald, and to clench a fist under the table, her nails pressing hard into the soft skin of her hand.

At the first bite of food, Judy hummed and sank back into her seat. “Now that is delicious,” she said, gesturing with her fork. “Go on, take a bite.”

Dani took advantage of the moment, letting the previous topic of conversation pass over them untouched as she pulled her own forkful of food in her mouth. She blinked in surprise. 

“Wow,” she said after swallowing, sharing an incredulous chuckle with Judy. “That is really good.”

“I’m telling you, this new chef knows what he’s doing,” Judy said with a grin, as if she had known exactly how Dani would have reacted. 

It should have been comforting, being so well understood. And for the most part it was. Afterall, Dani had spent much of her youth at Judy’s table, being fed day in and day out as if she were Judy’s own. Always having a safe haven. A home away from home, where she would be welcome. No questions asked. It should have been an absolute solace. Yet somehow, she couldn’t shake the feeling of being made of glass. As if she were standing there and Judy was looking right through her at someone else that didn’t exist. 

The bell attached to the door rang as it swung open, and the sound drew her back to the table, almost startling her. She swallowed down an unexpected thickness in her throat, ignoring that steady pressure in her ribs, and shared another unassuming smile with Judy, taking a second bite. 

“We should come here again,” Dani said, hoping to alleviate some of the pressure that was building in her lungs. 

“Then it’s a date. Next Sunday.” Judy smiled wide. 

It was so easy, making Judy happy, making her smile wide and bright like she’d won the lottery. It was something Dani was good at, pleasing others. The very thought of speaking up and potentially ruining the moment was enough to cause a vein of dread to thread its way through her. Yet something in that moment caused Judy’s smile to flicker, the sound of the bell ringing again as the front door swung open with a squeak of unoiled hinges. Judy’s eyes glanced over somewhere behind Dani’s shoulder and they slowly widened to an expression Dani had only seen once before — when Eddie announced their engagement during family dinner. 

“Jamie Taylor?” 

Dani tensed and turned around, and sure enough, there she was. Jamie Taylor herself. Dark jeans, big work boots, and a brown jacket, strolling into the bistro like she’d never left town. Like the air from Dani’s lungs hadn’t been sucked out by a gut punch releasing every single pressure valve at the very sight of her. 

“Oi, Sharma! Whatever happened to you saying you could fix those hinges without my help?” Jamie’s voice rang clear across the room.

“Danielle, honey, you didn’t tell me that Jamie was back,” Judy said in a rush of breath, already out of her seat and walking toward Jamie like a woman on a mission, as if there wasn’t a hurricane forming within Dani’s chest. As if a swell of feeling wasn’t rushing through her as she sat unmoving with wide eyes attached to the lines of Jamie’s back, to the curl of her hair, unchanged, unkempt, and yet completely different. 

Whatever Dani had expected to feel upon hearing that voice again, it wasn’t to feel all of it at once. She didn’t know which feeling to land on, watching Jamie turn at the sound of Judy’s voice, catching sight of the familiar lines of Jamie’s face as they twisted in surprise and fell into a charming smile as Jamie conceded to a tight hug from Judy; the fluttering of happiness, the rush of anxiety, the desperate desire to flee, the shock that belied the anger and muted resentment. 

In the end, Dani just sat there, unable to move and unable to look away. 

The pair pulled out of the hug, with Judy briefly and affectionately framing Jamie’s face with her hands like she used to. And Jamie rolled her eyes good naturedly with a crooked smile, burying her hands in her pockets. It was like no time at all had passed. They were teenagers again, and Judy was sending them off back home from dinner with warm hugs and piling their hands with leftovers in tupperware. 

When Judy gestured over towards their table towards Dani, it was all she could do to not run and excuse herself to the washroom, to not slip out the back door. But it was too late, tension coiling in her body as Jamie’s head turned towards Dani and their eyes finally met. 

It was suddenly incredibly hard to breathe. Dani blinked, and the look on Jamie’s face at the sight of her — startled, mouth agape — was gone, and all that was left was something entirely unfamiliar. A polite placid smile as Judy talked her ear off, answering Judy’s questions and gesturing across the counter towards a handsome man with a thick moustache wearing an apron. Even so, Jamie only had eyes for Dani, her gaze occasionally roving back, her expression unreadable. 

Before Dani could do more than stare, Judy was guiding Jamie back to their table, a hand on her back. Dani’s stomach twisted itself into a knot at their approach. Her heart began crashing against her ribs until it was all she could hear. Jamie was looking at her with that crooked grin, and Dani didn’t know what else to do but stand from her seat, faintly dazed, a hand brushing against invisible lint and wrinkles along her sky blue dress. 

“Look who I found!” Judy said as they pulled up to the table, as if Dani hadn't been on the verge of a nervous breakdown in the last minute. The last decade, if she were being honest with herself. 

All Dani could do was give a trembling smile. “Jamie,” she said, almost breathless, the name feeling foreign on her tongue. “Hi.”

Jamie’s grin shifted into something like a smirk, gaze drifting over Dani so fast that she felt it on her skin like a flash fire. “Danielle,” she said, and Dani’s smile faltered. “Been a minute.”

“It has,” Dani said in between barely gritted teeth, the feeling in her stomach souring. 

“I was just telling Jamie how this is the first time I’ve brought you here,” Judy interrupted, oblivious as ever. Jamie’s smirk dropped back into something softer, an eyebrow quirked and her head tilting curiously. “How today of all days, that we all walk in the same restaurant together. It must be kismet.”

“Don’t know about that, Mrs. O’Mara. Was never much one for kismet,” Jamie said with a shrug, looking so much like she’s sixteen again that a dull pressure returned to Dani’s chest. “World’s too chaotic for that.”

“And yet here you are.” Judy shuffled back into her seat and gestured to Jamie. “Come, come sit. Just for a while until your takeout is ready.”

It was only by the grace of luck and Judy’s affection for Jamie, that she gestured toward the chair next to her instead of Dani. Jamie didn’t argue, taking the seat, and Dani following after, almost a second delayed from the shock of it all. She could feel Jamie’s eyes on her as she settled in her chair, but Dani kept her attention low and focused on her food, feeling distinctly like she was in a dream.

“Danielle, truly, I can’t believe you neglected to tell me Jamie was back,” Judy admonished with a teasing grin. 

She clenched her teeth. Dani had a hard time believing it herself. “Must’ve slipped my mind," she said.

“How long have you been back again, honey?”

“About two months now,” Jamie said. At the admission, Dani finally pulled her eyes away from the table to look up at Jamie, lounging back in her seat like she had all the time in the world, noticeably avoiding Dani’s gaze.

Two months. Two months, and not even a phone call. Not even a letter. Dani took another heady swallow of her now lukewarm coffee in an effort to ground herself. Some things just never changed, she guessed. 

“We were so worried when you left, after — after everything, especially. We all were. I thought about you for so long afterwards. Kept you in my prayers,” Judy said, and while the words were sobering with the memories of those days, Jamie’s expression remained unchanged, detached and ambiguous, the corner of her mouth quirked. 

“Then I guess I have you to thank,” Jamie said, “All that praying must’ve done something good. Mikey and I have been getting on quite nicely, if I do say so myself.”

Judy gasped, a hand clutching at her chest. “Oh, Mikey! That sweet boy, how is he? Oh, I can’t believe it’s been so long. He must be — what? Eleven now?”

“Twelve actually,” Jamie said, then chuckled. It was something new. The way her eyes turned just a bit brighter, her smile more gentle, as she reached into her pocket to dig out a beat up leather wallet, flipping it open towards Judy. Judy gasped again, holding onto the wallet with a laugh. “Twelve years old and already reaching my chin," Jamie continued. "The little gremlin’s gonna have me beat by next year at this rate, I swear.”

“He’s wonderful,” Judy said, her eyes alight with emotion, “Gosh, he looks just like you. Except for the eyes, those sweet brown eyes. He’s definitely going to be a heartbreaker.”

“Not on my bloody watch,” Jamie grumbled. 

“Have you seen him yet, Danielle?” Judy held out the wallet to Dani, who had to refrain from recoiling back, as if Judy was holding out a live snake. 

“I have,” Dani admitted quietly, “He’s one of my students, actually.”

“Oh, so that’s what all those questions were about the other day,” Judy said, and tapped Jamie playfully on her arm resting on the table with her wallet. “What did I tell you? Kismet.”

Jamie flipped the wallet shut and returned it to her pocket. “Mikey did mention the name once or twice. Miss Clayton this, Miss Clayton that, and I thought: what are the chances?”

Dani swallowed down a scoff and the bitterness brewing in the back of her throat. Her left hand ached from clutching it so tight in her lap, knuckles white, crescent-shaped grooves in her palm. She stretched her hand out and ran it through her hair, her fingers trembling as they smoothed down the gentle waves and curls she put in that morning. 

“Ah, so he’s done it then,” Jamie said, apropos of nothing. She leaned forward on the table, staring so abruptly and intently that Dani shifted away in her own seat slightly, hoping she hadn’t noticed. 

It was the first time Jamie had fully addressed her since that singular hello. Dani frowned, that ever present knot in her stomach twisting tighter. “Sorry?” 

“That nice big shiny rock on your hand.” Jamie gestured down to the aforementioned rock, and sure enough, there was her engagement ring, shining bright against the afternoon light pouring through the window. “Must’ve cost a damn fortune.”

Dani had thought the same, when Eddie had dropped to his knee, proffering up the box where the ring lay, his face flickering through a wide array of emotions — adoration, anxiety, hope. At the time all Dani could think, staring down at the large square cut diamond, was that it looked heavy.

“But isn’t it gorgeous?” Judy gushed, reaching out to grasp Dani’s hand to pull it closer for Jamie to see. Dani breathed out an awkward laugh at the sudden motion but let herself be dragged along. “I went to help him pick it out, and — gosh, well, we all know how many times he’s asked over the years. Our Danielle always liked to keep him on his toes. I just about died at the news when they officially announced the engagement a few months later.”

Jamie whistled low. “I can imagine,” she drawled.

Judy continued to ramble about the announcement. She released the hand that Dani tried to surreptitiously and swiftly return under the table, hoping to hide the desire to shrink under the table as well. Meanwhile Jamie seemed to be only half-listening, watching Dani with a tilted head and a sharp glance that left Dani feeling like a strip of overexposed film. Her eyes strayed to Jamie's old scar against her will, landing on the long stretch of a pale line that started from her lower lip and descended down towards her chin. It was usually hard to see, but today it was easy to find in the light of the room.  

Dani swallowed thickly and glanced away. 

“So, how’d he do it?”

“Mmm?” Dani looked back up, a little dazed. 

Jamie’s head tilted pointedly towards her. “Ed,” she said. “How’d he go about it this time? To be honest with you, I had my bets placed on senior prom night, like he’d always planned. Flowers in the park after the dance, and all that rubbish.”

“He told you that?” Dani frowned. 

“Wouldn’t shut up about it.”

“Oh.” Dani fiddled with the ring, glancing down at it. “No, it was um — “ She smiled, a frail subdued thing, only to fold her right hand over it, covering the diamond so that it dug into her palm, “ — it was during a dinner date.”

Jamie lifted an eyebrow. “In public?”

Dani nodded. “Yeah.”

“Christ,” Jamie breathed, looking somewhat horrified. 

“Language, sweetie,” Judy piped in, seemingly instinctively. 

And like clockwork, Jamie ducked her head sheepishly. “Sorry,” she said, not looking sorry at all. 

Judy laughed, patting Jamie’s arm. “Gosh, just look at us,” she breathed, her eyes shining as they bounced between Dani and Jamie. “I still can’t believe it. Me and my girls back together again. Who’d have thought?”

Dani breathed out a chuckle, her cheeks aching from the force of holding a smile in place, not knowing what else to say. And what could she say, really? That none of this felt familiar? That it all felt so wrong? That after years of absence, to finally be just arm’s length away from Jamie, only to feel like she was meeting a stranger wearing a familiar face?

No. No, that wasn’t right. She worried her lower lip between her teeth, but Jamie had never stopped watching her. A shared look passed between them and it was there, finally, that she found something warm and tangible. The ghost of a memory of sitting across the table from each other at Judy’s during dinner, sharing a secretive knowing smile, while Judy gushed over Dani’s help in the kitchen, or admonished Jamie for yet another skinned knee. A smile pulled at the corners of Dani’s mouth, slow and real. Jamie blinked, her gaze softening as she mirrored Dani’s smile, and for the first time in a long time, Dani felt something in her chest unspool.

A bell rang. Jamie glanced away, and the moment was gone, leaving Dani chilled in its absence as if she had stepped out from a warm building and into a storm.

“That’s my cue,” Jamie said, sounding just as she had before, as if nothing had transpired between them. “Can’t let the kid starve without some lunch.”

She moved to stand but Judy’s hand held her in place. “Don’t think you can get away again this time without at least letting me give you my number,” Judy reprimanded not unkindly. "We got a new one at the house, you'll be surprised to hear."

Grinning crookedly, Jamie said, “And I imagine you’ll be wanting mine, then?”

Judy pulled out a pen from her purse and waggled it back and forth. “You know me too well.”

Grabbing a spare napkin, Judy jotted down a series of numbers. “Now don’t you forget to give me a call, all right? I want to hear all about your time away,” she said, handing over the pen and napkin for Jamie to rip out her piece, and note down her own number. Dani’s eyes strayed down to the confident, angled numbers, just barely able to decipher them from her vantage point. “And I hope you know, you and Mikey are welcome any time over for dinner. I want to meet that young man. See if he’s anything like his older sister.”

The words were fond, but Jamie snorted all the same. “Don’t you worry, Mrs. O’Mara. He’s my better half.”

Dani rose to her feet out of politeness when Judy stood to give Jamie a parting hug. For a terrifying moment, she thought Jamie might expect one from her as well, but Jamie only lifted her eyebrows and nodded before turning towards the counter to collect her order. She didn’t glance in Dani’s direction again as she left, pushing through the glass door and striding off down the street with the breeze in her hair. Dani watched her go, jaw aching from how hard she was clenching her teeth together.

Judy sat, and Dani followed suit as though she were simply mimicking Judy’s movements. “Jamie Taylor back from the dead after ten years. Imagine that.” Judy chuckled to herself and picked up her fork. “Feels just like old times, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah,” Dani breathed. “Just like old times.”

[lilxberry]

Perfectly Oblivious - Zach Dempsey

Synopsis;

You are certainly oblivious to Zach’s feelings towards you, as he is with yours. A misunderstanding leads to a confession from both ends.

Warnings: lil bit of angst maybe, language, low-key slow burn. I dunno, Bryce lmao. May be shitty due to this being my first bit of writing.

Words: 3,139

Pairing: Zachery ‘Zach’ Dempsey x Reader

_______________

With an aggravated groan, Y/N stretched her limbs out whilst throwing a deadly glare towards their phone, which continuously blared out the awful sound of their alarm. Exhaling a long, sleep ridden sigh, she threw her warm, comfy covers off and proceeded to remove their fatigued body from the mattress to turn off the overly annoying tone that continues to taunt them and start their day.

Finally turning off the alarm that so rudely awoke them from their dreamy slumber, Y/N notices the text from her best friend Tony, notifying them that he'll be there to pick them up to head to school in 15 minutes.

Which was sent 10 minutes ago.

"Shit."

_______________

Just as Y/N finished running around like a headless chicken trying to get ready for their day at hell, ahem, I meant school, the purr of the famous 'stang accompanied with a quick double honk of the horn could be heard just down the driveway of their house, notifying her of Tony's arrival.

Quickly doing a mental checklist, she gave herself a small nod of approval and ran straight through the door, speedily locking it behind them and sprinting down to the car.

As Y/N reached the red, metallic stead, she noticed a certain leather jacket clad friend not so successfully hiding his amusement over his friends' rushing about. Playfully narrowing her eyes at the boy in the drivers seat whilst settling into the front, Y/N spoke in an unamused tone. "Shut up."

"I-wha-I didn't even say anything," he spluttered slightly whilst trying to keep from bursting out with laughter when replying to his friend whose appearance was slightly dishevelled. Starting the engine of his car back up, he smirked slightly as he pulled off, side-eyeing his company for the ride. "I see you've had a wonderful morning."

"Fucking brilliant," she replied, rolling her eyes, trying to hide her own amusement.

"Hey! Watch your fucking language, kid!" Within moments of Tony's reply, they simultaneously exploded with boisterous laughs, so much so that if Y/N threw her head back any further, their skull would be through the headrest of the car seat.

Soon calming down from the ridiculous early morning banter, Tony glances towards his best friend resting her elbow on the car door, dangling their arm out the window and enjoying the breeze, he smiles and speaks up, breaking the blissful silence. "Sooooo, when are you going to ask out Dempsey, huh?"

Y/N flushes slightly, a soft pink tint rising up her neck and onto her cheeks, the tips of her ears feeling uncomfortably hot. "I am NOT asking him out, I'll look like a damn idiot T." they reply, shaking their head vigorously. "It's just friendly banter and homework talk between us anyways, no actual indication that the tall bastard likes me."

"Tall, handsome, bastard." He blatantly 'corrects' her, as if stating a well known fact, which it most definitely is. Chuckling slightly, he continues. "You haven't seen the way he looks at you when you aren't paying attention. He's got it bad, baby and so do you. So God help me, if you don't do something soon, I sure as shit am going to interfere like you won't believe." he finishes, shaking his head slightly with slowly pulling into a parking spot in the lot at school.

Letting out an exasperated yet sad sigh, she grabs her bag and gets out of the car, waiting for her 'short-stack' pal to exit the vehicle himself before linking her arm around his and make their way towards the entrance of the school.

_______________

As they walked through the doors together, arm in arm, they are greeted by the regular bustling school body of Liberty High, occupying both sides of the hallways as they either loiter or obtain their textbooks needed for their classes of the day.

Once further into the busy building, Tony and Y/N part ways and head to their respective lockers to collect their own books for the day. When Y/N reaches her locker, she feels a gaze upon her as she focuses on collecting her books. As she's about to close her locker, the one and only Zachary Dempsey  appears beside her with a blinding smile that makes her swoon and weak at the knees.

She meets his eyes and notices the bright shine behind them, filled with happiness but also a hint of something else she can't quite put her finger on. Brushing the thought off, she returns the smile, beaming just as brightly at the taller male.

She chuckles softly, containing a hint of amusement and nervousness as she greets him. "Hey Dempsey."

"Y/L/N."

"And what do I owe the pleasure of being graced by your immaculate presence?" She giggles softly at her over dramatized question.

Zach shares a small chuckle with the girl. He looks down slightly to hide the inevitable flush of colour to his face. Though she quickly notices, she neglects the idea to bring it up and the corners of her mouth turn upwards more so slightly, smiling to herself victoriously.

"Well I was wondering you'd allow me the honours of walking to class with you fair maiden." He replies in a cheeky tone, speaking with just as much of a dramatized tone, looking back up to meet the gaze of the girl in front of him again.

She snorts out in laughter but quickly flushes with embarrassment, eyes widening slightly at the action. As she avoids his gaze, nervously playing with her fingers in hope of it comforting her in her time of embarrassment, his smile widens, believing it's the most beautiful and quite possibly the cutest sound he has ever heard a human make in the entirety of his existence. He gazes upon her adoringly but of course, she doesn't notice.

Deciding to help her out, he stands from his leaning position against the locker and looks at her expectantly as he speaks. "Well m'lady, will you allow my to escort you to communications class?" He raises an eyebrow as she looks up at him with a soft smile, blushing even more profusely. She nods her head and finally closes her locker as she starts walking along side him. He smiles victoriously and slings his arm over her shoulders as they continue walking to class, pulling her into his side.

'This is going to be a great day', they both so happened to think to themselves as they head towards their destination for first period.

_______________  

As the weeks progressed, Y/N noticed a slight change within Zach's behaviour around her. First came the sweet, kind gestures like carrying her bag as they walk to class together, then the flirty comments, making her blush madly as she would smile up at the basket ball player. But then it soon developed to more shared touches, his fingertips lingering on her skin, goosebumps rising along her arms and making the hairs on the back of her neck stand.

His touch feather light and delicate, as if she was the most precious, fragile thing in the world, sending a tingle up her spine every time they came into contact.

Y/N also noticed the way his jaw clenched whenever she laughed at Foley's jokes or when she became engrossed in a conversation with Atkins and gave him her undivided attention. He wanted that attention so badly for himself but that's something she certainly didn't see.

All these actions between the two often put the thought of "Does he actually like me back?" into her mind but she is just as quick to dismiss them with a shake of her head.

Surely he only likes her as a friend. Right?

_______________

Y/N was heading towards the parking lot to meet up with Tony, her ride home, when an ear studded Jeff in all his decked out in letterman jacket glory jogged up to her and slung an arm over her shoulders, taking the poor, unsuspecting girl by surprise and making her jump slightly.

Looking up, she meets Jeff's gaze and gleaming smile as he chuckles. "Jesus Jeff, you scared the shit out of me." She huffs and pauses momentarily, holding her hand over her heart before resuming with walking, Jeff still slung over her two shoulders.

"Sorry Y/N/N." he laughs boisterously at her pouty expression.

"We need to put a fucking bell on you or something so you can't sneak up on people like that." She suggests playfully.

Jeff continues to chuckle, responding with a small shake of his head in amusement. "Are you saying I'm a pussy, Y/N?" He retorts back, giving her a slight smirk. "I wanted to know if you're coming to the party tonight at Bryce's."

"Yeah, I'll be there. For some reason, Jess and Hannah are actually pretty excited for it so they're forcing me and Clay to go. They've even roped T into going too somehow." Rolling her eyes, she smiles up at the boy.

"Glad to hear it. I'll see you later then." He winks at her and starts to walk away when he shouts back with a mischievous glint in his eye. "AND WEAR SOMETHING SEXY!"

She laughs loudly as she finally gets to Tony's car and climbs in, throwing her back on to the back seat and heading home ready to start preparing for the party later that night.

Throughout their interaction, Zach watched the whole thing from his spot in the parking lot next to his car with furrowed eyebrows and a clenched jaw. His fists balled up so tightly by his sides that his knuckles turned a ghostly white. To say he was pissed would be an understatement. Jeff knew of his not so little crush on Y/N and wanted to know what he was playing at. hell, he encouraged him to ask you out most of the time.

One way or another, he was finally going to ask you out tonight at the party. 'Before someone else does first', he thought bitterly to himself.

_______________

Y/N gives herself a final once over in her full body length mirror, admiring her outfits that accentuates her features perfectly without being to revealing and uncomfortable. She beams at the handy work of her hair that works beautifully with her outfit for the night. With a pleased smile and a nod of her head, she grabs her phone and heads downstairs to wait in the living room for Tony to finally pick her up.

As she waits on the sofa, viewing her friends snapchat stories, she notices a certain tall, dark haired basket ball player in the background of Monty's snap talking to who she deducts to be Jenny. She notes how blissfully happy he seems to be while Jenny grasps at his biceps, pushing her breasts up and towards his arm, obviously flirting immensely.

With a disheartened huff, she locks her phone and continues waiting for her friend in silence.

'I knew he didn't like me, she's obviously his type'. Her saddening thoughts consumed her mind until the familiar rumble of an engine snapped her out of her revere. She grabbed her phone, making sure she had everything she needed before heading out the door, locking it behind her and hopping into the car, NOT looking forward to watching her long time crush have a girl hang off his arm all night like the worlds most irritating koala ever.

_______________

Walking into the party, the music reverberated throughout the room, adding a thumping pressure on her chest. The music pounding loudly in her ears, she heads towards the kitchen, ready to have her first taste of alcohol that night, which will hopefully help her avoid him.

Upon entering the kitchen, Bryce, who was surrounded by a few other jocks, including Scott and Monty, took notice of Y/N and beckoned her over with a loud greeting and use of her name.

She looked up at the boy and gave him a small, sheepish smile. "Hey Walker." She may not like him greatly but she sees no harm in being civil as he did so too.

"Glad to see you came." He gave her a slight smirk, pulling his bottom lip in-between his teeth.

"Looking good Y/L/N!" Monty complimented loudly over the high volume of the music, giving you a once over with his eyes, looking you up and down. Scott seemingly doing the same.

"Uh, thanks guys." She flushes, more so from feeling uncomfortable under the stares of the jocks she had no interest in sticking around by. "I'm just gonna-uh-get a drink." She gives a tight lipped smile as she squeezes past and gains access to the beverages.

Finally finishing grabbing a drink, she makes haste towards the backyard where she assumes her friends would be. She unfortunately didn't find her friends and was greeted to the sight of a overly tipsy Zach playing beer pong with irritatingly loud Jenny cheering him on. Y/N rolls her eyes at the sight and speedily heads towards the opposite end of the yard.

Sighing, she sits on one of the few sun loungers surrounding the pool, starring sombrely into the amber liquid in her red solo cup. If the drink was a few shades darker, it would be like staring into his eyes, the eyes she wished would look at her filled with love and adoration.

Taking a big gulp, she chances a glance over towards where they had set up the game of beer pong, hoping to get a peek at the guy in question, although she didn't know whether she would like what she'd see.

To her surprise, Zach was already looking over in her direction with a sour face to match her mood. She quickly glanced back down, returning to glare and her drink in hand before taking another big gulp. She felt his gaze burn holes into her and she shifted uncomfortably.

Without so much as a warning, Zach had apparently made his way over without her noticing and sat down beside her on the sun lounger, startling her slightly.

"Hey." she greeted softly, fiddling with her nearly empty cup, basking in the awkward atmosphere, feeling the air surrounding them thick with tension.

"So, where's Jeff?" He questioned bitterly, causing her to furrow her eyebrows in confusion towards the boy sat beside her.

"What? Why would I know where Jeff is?" The confusion she's experiencing crystal clear in her tone of voice just as much as her expression, staring at the boy quizzically.

His jaw clenches slightly and he downs the rest of the liquid within his cup. Sighing heavily as he turns his body towards her, he has an unreadable expression on his own perfectly sculpted face, causing her to frown. "Because you're dating. Or are you messing with his feeling just like fucking mine." He snaps at her slightly. You open and close your mouth repeatedly, shocked by what you're hearing. Before you can ask what he means, he continues, slurring slightly from his consumption . "Yanno, I really like you, like really like you but you clearly just love messing guys around and fucking with their heads. First you lead me on, then you claw your way to Jeff. You've probably lead on half of the fucking school. You're just a bitch like the...rest..."

Zach trails off as he sees the tears building up and threaten to spill from your eyes at any second and he realises what he's done. He shakes his head vigorously with a sad expression upon his. "I-I-I didn't..I didn't mean that...I-I'm sorry..."

He kneels in front of her, taking Y/N's small hands into his larger ones and kisses her knuckles repeatedly, muttering apologies, so quietly that she barely hears them escape his mouth.

"Wh-uh-why wou-would you say tha-at?" She hiccups as she questions his hurtful words. She sniffles slightly and allows some of her tears to fall and roll down her cheek. The sight breaks Zach's heart and he berates himself in his head for hurting such a sweet and an amazing person. In truth, he knew she did nothing wrong but with his overthinking combined with his alcohol consumption, he couldn't help himself.

"I'm an idiot, I don't know, I am SOOOO sorry." He brings his hands up to cup her cheeks and wipe her tears away gently with the pads of his thumbs. "I've definitely ruined my chances now, huh?" He chuckles dryly, a lump forming in his throat.

She looks up at him shocked, cheeks stained with tears that slowly start to dry up. She sniffles and gives him and incredulous look, shaking her head. "You've got to be kidding me." She chuckles softly at his confused expression. "Do you know how long I've wanted to be with you. Jesus fucking Christ Zach. I thought you didn't like me so I sure as shit didn't make a move. I thought we were just friends with weird interactions and banter." She shakes her head, hiding her face in her hands as she lets out a small frustrated groan.

Zach removes her hands from her face and smiles up at her. "How could you seriously not realise that I like you? I made it way too painfully fucking obvious." He lets out a breathy laugh as he slowly moves closer to you. "You are so perfectly oblivious, you know that right?"

Y/N flushes a light pink as she giggles softly, slowly meeting him halfway, alternating between looing into his eyes and staring longingly at his lips.

"Are you sure you want this?" He asks, barely above a whisper, afraid that he would ruin the moment if his voice raised a decibel higher.

Without answering, she closes the gap, pushing her soft, plump lips on to his slightly chapped ones, savouring the moment between the two. She slowly moves her hands up and around to the back of his neck, playing with the hair on his nape as his left cupped her cheek and right gently held on to her waist.

Cheering and wolf whistles sounded not too far to the side of them near the house. Breaking apart slightly, the two saw a small gathering of their friends being over excited about their kiss. Y/N caught sight of Tony and he sent her a cheeky, sly wink. She giggled softly as Zach shook his head, trying to hide his beaming grin.

"Yeah! Get some Dempsey!"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP BRYCE!" Everyone simultaneously shouted altogether, silencing the perverted party host.

Y/N and Zach go back to looking at each other, both of their eyes filled with adoration for the other sat in front of them. The share a cheek splitting grin before leaning in a sharing a final kiss before Zach stands up and extends his arm out, offering his hand to Y/N. "Come on m'lady, I think we need another drink."

_______________ . . . . . Okay, so I know this wasn't the best, I honestly didn't know where I was going with this. I'll probably be able to formulate a better story if I have an idea on what my story is actually going to be about lmao But seriously, if you've read this, then thank you. I'll be uploading as often as I can (when I'm not swamped with college work), and that means I'll slowly improve. I'd love to get some requests. I can work on them in my spare time and I think it'll be fun to see what others want.

Constructive criticism is gladly welcomed :D

[rouiyan]

𝘊𝘏𝘖𝘊𝘖𝘓𝘈𝘛𝘌 𝘔𝘐𝘓𝘒 [ 𝘩.𝘳𝘫 ]

synopsis: in a town where the seasons always seem to come a little early and the stars seem to shine a little brighter, two introverted idiots, only extroverted for each other, fall in love.

✧ huang renjun x (fem.) reader (mentioned jaemin x reader) ✧ childhood best friends to loverz

✧ genres : fluff, angst, slow burn ✧ word count : 8.4k ✧ disclaimers : swearing, as in h-e-double-hockey-sticks and probably a darn and a damn

✧ author’s note : another one of my fics that’s based off of an obscure item that i somehow managed to romanticize heavily. anyways, this one was written for the lovely hannah (@moonbeamsung​) who said (in some network bio) that she wanted to live in a childhood friends to lovers au so here we are. (please also ignore how this is ever so slightly reminiscent of ‘this shirt of his’) enjoy!

huang renjun. he's tiny, impudent, childish, and not to mention, he's two months younger than you! huang renjun, the boy whose legs are currently kicking at your own from the side. huang renjun who, when you look to your right, has a lopsided smile on his face while he pretends to listen to your teacher drone on about the days of the week. 

you lean in his direction, "would you quit it?" the boy looks over at you, nods, stops for a few minutes, then returns his incessant kicking. anger is lashing across your four-year-old countenance as the teacher calls out that recess is about to begin. you're the first out the door.

to say that you had no friends was an understatement. you had no friends and the other children liked to gang up on you. so when you take the opportunity, as the first one out the door, to run to the slides, the most vied for playspot on the whole playground, you're not surprised when renjun sneaks up behind you. well, you aren't surprised but rather unaware of his presence, until he pushes you, shoves you, absolutely rams you off the top. in the span of four seconds, you've pummeled down the slope at lightning speeds and instead of just hitting the ground, the sheer amount of force that was exerted from one four-year-old to another is astoundingly clear as you fly up and off the bottom ledge of the slide, soaring across the air before landing in a heap on your elbow. the wood chips of the playground floor that you've landed on dig harshly into your calves and one side of your face. 

you don't let on nearly as much as it hurts when the teacher rushes over and asks if you're okay, if you needed to go to the nurses' office. you nod at her while biting back tears of stabbing pain and embarrassment and, to even more of your horror, she assigns renjun to accompany you to the nurses' office claiming that, "the two of you need to work it out anyways."

face pulled into a scowl and lips twisted into a frown, you limp next to the boy who, even now, finds it his job to ridicule you by purposefully walking fast, he knows you can't keep up. "y/n, you idiot," your mouth drops open at the i-word, "we're never going to make it in time at that pace!"

in reality, you're two steps ahead of him, "huang renjun, i am so going to tell on you."

as it so happens, the bell that rings at the end of the school day not only signals your leave, elbow patched up and held in a sling, but also the arrival of parents, specifically mrs. huang. your teacher beats you to it, guiding the woman by the elbow to the side, a small conversation of nods and creased brows. renjun is next to you, watching as well, but his fingers are fiddling with his sweater sleeves and his nose is scrunched in anticipation—no, dread.

"i didn't mean to," his voice is a bare pipsqueak, the two of you all know he tells tales far from the truth. rolling your eyes, you doubt refuting his claims will ever be as easy as now with his mom sneaking worried glances in your direction, scalding ones in his, "yeah sure, huang. tell that to my broken elbow."

"it's not broken, you're just exaggerating-"

his mom turns in his direction, walks, low heels thudding softly with each step. she's quite the nice woman, you were somewhat sure about that though her face was drawn stern at her young son. she crouches by his side and though you feel a slight outburst oncoming, she turns to you instead, smile taut but polite. "y/n, is it?"

you nod.

"i apologize, first on behalf of my son, and second for my own incompetence in raising him," she gives him an eyeful, turning back to you again, "how is your arm, sweetie?"

you smile up at her because, unlike the boy beside you, she is nice. you forgive her, sweetly, telling her your arm would heal soon and well. she leaves with a gentle pat on your head and a strong arm on her son's own elbow. 

it's the next day when renjun is still sitting beside you, the usual scowl on his face replaced with a sheepish grin, snaggletooth and all, as he slides a carton of chocolate milk your way. "this is the one you like right? the brown one?"

you take it from the table and fold back the top, as you had learned, folding forward once again so an opening would slit. taking a sip, you give a hesitant nod somewhat in his direction. truth be told, chocolate milk was not your favorite, certainly the pretty pink strawberry one was, but a part of you didn't have the guts to stand up for yourself and say no, he was apologizing after all, not outright bullying you.

renjun doesn't kick your shins during class, he doesn't so much as utter a word to you, but when recess is called, and yet again you're out the door first, straight to the slides, the boy makes sure he's right behind you, and not for the purposes of shoving you off this time. he sticks around, and it stays that way.

you get your first pair of glasses at the ripe age of seven, only after you'd exclaimed to the class, rather sheepishly, that you couldn't answer the question because the board was too blurry for reasons you'd yet to comprehend. only at the optometrists office did you start to understand the purpose of glasses in the first place.

the next day in class, renjun, who was still your seatmate, pointed and poked fun. you laughed along with him because, well, because it was renjun that was making fun of you. the same reasoning could be applied when later in the day, when a terribly hubristic boy in your class, several inches taller than both you and renjun, had dared to punch you in the face for having such odd, turquoise frames, a pattern you never purchased again. to much of your surprise and even his own, renjun had punched the seven-year-old duche right back in the face. it was actually the chin from his angle, but hey, it's the thought that counts.

you let renjun choose the next pair of glasses you got, and though his preference was much differing to your own, you wore it for the next year and a half until your eyesight worsened once again. 

renjun steals at your food, and gets his hand smacked by the teacher, so you pass him the carrots, which you abhor and he passes you the chocolate milk, which you adore. it's as simple as that, and it stays that way.

fingers wiping at your glasses with the bottom hem of your shirt. you're sprawled back onto renjun's bed, hiking your feet onto the footboard. "what happens when we die, jun?"

the boy swivels in his chair to face you, feet planting at the exact moment. twirling the pen in hand, he places the tip of it at his chin and glances up towards the ceiling in what you think to be rumination. turns out, he's mocking you as always, "hmm, i don't know, why don't you test it out?" you play along gladly, "it'll take a zombie apocalypse to wipe me out, i'm telling you. and when and if that happens i'm bringing you down with me."

your best friend discards his pen back into the abyss of textbooks and notes on his table. he stands and walks and plops himself down on the bed next to you. the two of you are the same height, especially seen when laying down. he's yet to grow past you and you've yet to stop teasing him of it. in fact, you're just about to do so when he beats you to the chase, eyes on the ceiling once again but actually deep in rumination this time, "i hope we get matching tombstones, sorta like best friend necklaces but like- much more cool."

it's the first time you notice the brisk palpitations of your heart when in the aftermath of renjun's words. his words that were also so carefully thought out, witty but not insensitive. eleven-year-old you couldn't bring yourself to accept the fact that renjun was proving to be much more than just your designated bff. cheeks aflame, you turn your head to the left to catch his eyes already on yours. a gulp, a blink, a shift of your sights later and you finally have the words to respond. "that's only if we're not eaten alive first."

you can't help but imagine if the person you were buried by wasn't renjun, and just some man that you'd get to know in college and marry because you're too old to particularly care about notions of love. you can't help but imagine growing up with someone other than renjun by your side. you can't help it but you also struggle to, the reason behind that being you simply can't imagine. (how confusing!) renjun's all you've ever known and you doubt he could ever be replaced in your records. but as much as you wish it to stay that way, it's only a matter of time until things happen, until high school happens, until puberty happens.

it all starts when renjun bounds into your room on the first day of school, seven thirty on the dot and more than ready to take on the day after the absolute feast your mom had cooked up for the two of you. he's about to rattle on about girls and how they always take so damn long to get ready when his mouth is clamped shut at the sight he's met with. the sight he's met with being your reflection in the mirror. 

you forgot to mention to him that you'd gone to the optometrist a few days back, not for a new pair of glasses but to get your first pair of contacts instead. a great struggle came with getting them in and out but with practice, you'd managed to avoid outright stabbing yourself in the eye, hence the perfectly fitting lens right this moment as you blink out the excess solution. in the mirror, you glance in the reflection at the door of which renjun is standing in front of. you fail to notice the dumbstruck look on his face and rather, exclaim in glee at how for once, you could see him in full clarity without anything sitting atop your nose and getting caught in your hair.

renjun only nods along and stares for a lot longer as you collect your backpack lain across your bed and sling it across one shoulder, beckoning the bewildered boy to follow as you led the way to the garage where your mom was waiting in the car. and even in the car, he fails to conceal his gaze that seems to never leave the glistening of your eyes. in his third period, the only class that you sadly do not share with him, his mind is still playing over and over the look of glee that graced your features in a way he's never seen before. or maybe he has seen it before, and this sudden surge of newfound feelings is just an indication of him going crazy. yeah, he decides as he sets his tray down at the table you'd agreed to meet him at for lunch, he's definitely just going crazy, nothing new.

well apparently, you'd experienced something in the new because you're currently across the cafeteria, waving frantically at him for you to join the table you were sat at. renjun narrows his eyes though it's plainly obvious that you had made friends with people other than him. not that he minds, he's actually glad that you've ventured out of your social anxiety enough to get along with others. it's something that he's always been worried about ever since he stopped bullying you himself. he finds that he's still worrying, for other reasons, especially when he walks over to find you next to a girl and two boys, all of which looked to either be of a year older or just a thousand times 'cooler' than him. he looks over at you, who though is seated at the end of the table, fits in perfectly. with a tight-lipped smile, renjun slides in to your right and almost quivers under the gaze of your new friends as they introduce themselves.

he comes to know them as this: jaemin, the one that overtly flirts with you, donghyuck, the one that never stops talking, and jennie, the one that you seem to closest to, although only knowing each other for just a few periods at most. lunch ends in a blur of conversation, none of them seem all that interested in renjun himself, moving on rather quickly after your introduction of him, but they sure are interested in you. that's what it seems like to him, when in reality, you notice that most the times you've look over at him, he's as quiet as never before. you wonder what's gotten into him.

you trail renjun to his locker during passing period and with a hand holding it open for him and another leaning your weight on the locker beside him, you speak over the hustle and bustle of the hallways, "sorry about that." he gives a light glance your way before shoving a biology textbook into the back slot of his backpack, and eyebrow crooked, "sorry for what?"

"i mean, i did say we'd eat lunch together, i just didn't think that…"

"that you'd make some friends?"

"yeah-"

"it's fine, y/n," he gives you a fond smile, "i'm actually glad that you made some friends."

you scrunch your nose at his response and the solemnity that lined your voice is gone, replaced with your usual, playful and upbeat tone, "geez, i didn't think you'd want to get rid of me already, the first day isn't even over!" he slams the locker door shut, almost chopping off your fingers in the process. you draw them back insticutally with an, "oop!" and renjun gives a chuckle and a ruffle to your hair, "come on, let's get to class before we're late."

he takes the seat next to you in biology, and also in ceramics the period afterwards, and really, you hope it stays that way.

the cafeteria is particularly empty today, most the kids have gone to the school assembly that wasn't actually mandatory but had to be advertised as so in order to get people to go. you pride yourself for being one of the few people in your school who knew that fact and as your eyes rove the span of the room, they stop at a familiar silhouette of a boy that you could never mistake. something about how you didn't know he was going to be here and that he was sitting alone made your heart uneasy. 

you set your tray in front of him before he could comprehend who you even are, "renjun, hey, can i sit here?" it's unfathomable, the way you have to ask him but there's the inkling in the back of your mind that tells you it'd be more awkward if you didn't. you wonder how the hell the two of you have reached a point in your relationship where you had to ask to be in each other's presence. and as far as you know, renjun is still your best friend.

"yeah, sure. you're not at the assembly?"

shaking your head, "no. well, seeing as you're here i assume you also know that they're not mandatory, huh." renjun nods his head. truthfully, he did not know and the only reason he was here was because he thought it was mandatory which meant that you would be there. and wherever you were he sought not to be, for reasons that he only he was privy to. that's what made this whole situation unbearable because as you prattled on about your day, he himself giving the bare minimum of reactions and responses, the tightening knot in the pit of his stomach seemed to grow. 

it grew exponentially, just watching you talk about your chemistry exam, and then your friends and then...this, "what about you, jun? how's your love life?" he's always been good at concealing his inner emotions around you, he knows what you notice and what you don't. sometimes being in love with your best friend has its perks, he supposes. "love life? you're serious?"

"yeah, i mean," you lean forward across the table, uttering under your breath so that the four other people in the cafeteria wouldn't hear, "we're in high school now. remember what we talked about?" renjun scoffs at that, at how high school y/n and middle school y/n still shared the same idea that first relationships were supposed to be reserved for the first two years of high school. he gives you an incredulous look, "we're not even a semester in, geez."

"so that's a no, like a no for 'nothing's going on'?" the glimmer of hope that glints in your eyes is indeed caught by the boy, your own first love, but his intuitions, the ones that were wrong from the start, prevents him from seeing into it any further. "yeah, nothing's going on. you?"

"well," you figure this is your chance to shoot your shot, as small of a shot as it may be, "me neither." what you didn't understand at that time was that boys, more specifically renjun, didn't take hints very well. he likes the facts and he likes them placed right under his nose. and what you didn't take into account was that by saying those two words aloud, you've in fact reprogrammed renjun's thought process to think the worst. and it really only gets worse and worse from there on out, until everything you've built up with him is suddenly, suddenly nothing.

you didn't study, plain as day as you stare at the blank whiteboard in the front of the classroom while virtually everyone else has their head downs, pencils scratching. there's three days until winter break, your first since high school has started and your sanity is definitely at stake. you look down, circle a two, a one, and two threes, and look back up, propping your chin upon a hand and tapping a finger along your jaw. perhaps a thinking pose with get your brain into the right mindset to dig for the right information. you're then reminded of how the information wouldn't be there in the first place. it might've been if you ever dared to listen in class. 

groaning aloud, seemingly the whole class turns to give you a look, a glare, even a questioning glance from your teacher who you're almost sure knows exactly what predicament you're in right now. huffing in equal parts regret and exasperation, you're the first to turn in the exam only forty minutes into the period. after all, randomly guessing the answers to two hundred multiple choice questions isn't all that hard when all you have to do is choose a number from one to three.

sitting back down with a soft thud, you debate sleeping for the rest of class but come to the decision that, one: sleep is for the weak, and two: you don't deserve to sleep after an exam, the only people that deserved to sleep were the people that stayed up late to study, not to watch corny minecraft videos under the blankets. it's not nice to judge other people's definitions of time and worthiness but you're really hard on yourself and the things you do for leisure, for obvious reasons.

body slumped over, you get the closest you can to sleeping without actually closing your eyes. in a classroom full of classmates, some friends and others acquaintances, you feel like you're left entirely to yourself, or your thoughts more specifically. they eat at you. and when your eyes roam and land on that one person, in the column to your left and four seats ahead, you can't seem to stop the spiraling. before you know it, renjun is all you can think about.

the way he twirls his pencil in his hand, you were there when he was watching youtube videos on how to do it. the pencil itself, you were by his side while he read out the reviews for it on amazon. the way he bounces his sneakers up and down in the most rhythmic fashion, the same fashion you'd always scold him for. the sneakers, the ones his mom bought him for christmas just under a year ago. you'd know because you were there too. eyes solely on him, you try your best to find one thing about him that you can't tie your name to before you realize it isn't possible. you know renjun through and through. you like to think you do.

but even with everything that you know, you wonder when you started to feel the tug in the back of your mind that kept whispering that he was moving on from you. maybe you were right to feel that way, the signs were all there. late night texts, facetime calls, hell, even instagram photo replies were scarce these days. and although he'd always chalk it up to his workload, you had to hold it in each time you wanted to quip back with the fact that the two of you were in freshman year, some colleges don't even count first year grades. talking to him at school wouldn't be so hard if he'd stop avoiding you, wherever you were he was not and whenever you'd ask to meet up, he'd give the vaguest of excuses. a general meeting for a club you've never heard of, a math study group with a friend you were sat right next to, a blatant lie. just as blatantly, you come to terms with the fact that it's time to accept and forget.

so when the bell rings and you see renjun rush to do his final, quadruple check, you simply move to put your things away. and when you see renjun return to his seat, eyes meeting yours for a split second, you look away with feigned disinterest. and when he turns to exit the classroom, you stop yourself from linking an arm and forcing conversation upon him. you simply follow in tow and turn in the opposite direction. you don't play into your desires because really, as much as you desire them, your fear of his distance is enough to draw a line. your fear of rejection is greater than any feelings you've ever held for him. isn't that how it always is?

sophomore year is two-thirds of the way through when you notice that renjun is taller than you by over three inches. that alone scares you, and saddens you, because it just goes to show that you haven't talked to him in so very long. his familiar smell and the way his fingers loop themselves in the straps of his backpack bring back a lot of feelings that would've made your heart swoon a mere year ago but now makes it stop dead in its tracks. sighing, you clasp your hands behind your back as your lips thin into a tight-lipped smile, "it's been awhile, jun. how have you been?"

renjun's eyes threaten to water at the sound of your voice. he swears the ground will open up beneath him and swallow him whole in response to the way you still call him 'jun.' the only thing he can do is grip his backpack straps a little tighter and try a little harder to conceal his emotions. after all, his efforts in doing so are what led him into this situation in the first place. "i've been good. you?"

with excess vigor, you nod, "i've been pretty good, studying and all that," you give a motion of your head to denote the obvious that was the building to the side of you. you just had to exit the library at the same time as him and his ride just had to be as late as your own. "so," your eyes snap back to him when he speaks, "how's it with uhh...jaemin?" nodding again, this time with less enthusiasm, as your ex-best friend notes, you prattle on, "it's going really well, seven months strong." 

oh hell, what was renjun expecting? even if you hated the living life out of your relationship, he doubts you would have laid it all out for him to see. the two of you haven't held a conversation, much less eye contact, for almost a year now. and by the looks of how your mom's car pulls into view just then and how you leave him standing on the curb with only a wave of your hand, it's about to be a year and counting.

your mom gives you a worried look as soon as the car door shuts behind you, "sweetie, was that renjun?" she veers the car out of the parking lot as you take one big gulp of air only to refute it back out in a dramatic huff. bounding your back against your seat, you strap on the seat belt and frown into the abyss, a clear devastation in your tone, "yeah it was."

"did you start the talking or did he?"

"i did! well, i thought that he would but he didn't!" with a click of her tongue matching the click of the turn signal, your mother gives you the briefest of glances, "darling, if he didn't want to talk to you then, then you shouldn't expect him to talk to you now."

"but it would've been even more awkward to just stand there."

the two of you shake your head for different reasons, your mother's just a bit more reasonable, "it's been a while, y/n. it's clear that he just didn't want to be your friend anymore. and plus, look at you, all moved on from your first love. your second one's quite the catch, huh?"

and she's right. you nod along with the thoughts that renjun's diminished presence was eye opening in many ways. one, it really was about time you got over him, two years was long enough. two, first loves were just that, the first and rarely ever the last. three, you barely had any friends. and four, your life didn't revolve around boys.

na jaemin asked you out three times before you'd said yes. you liked him more than enough during the first two tries but your hesitance was found in the way you didn't trust him nearly as much as you thought you should in a relationship. your phone pings from beside you and you lift it to see the same boy and the ridiculous contact name he had entered for himself, a nana with about fifty different variations of hearts following. 

a finger hovers above it, about to swipe and give a quick reply, when an incoming notification replaces it. the contact name is rather simple, huang renjun. you suck in a breath and immediately click your phone shut, shoving it back into the depths of your backpack. jaemin will have to wait for your damned nerves to calm before you can get to his text, the blockade being renjun.

it isn't until you're home, backpack slung on the footboard of your bed, changed out of your clothes and resting atop three heavy blankets that should've probably been exchanged in the wake of spring, that you steel yourself to look at the preview of your text.

let's catch up sometime, tell me when you're free. punctuation and all.

biting down on your lip, you note that the coffee in front of you, or rather just its aftertaste, is sickeningly sweet. looking up ahead, the regret that pools in your eyes is put full on display, unintentionally of course, but there nonetheless. you regret that you didn't text renjun sooner, that you broke up with jaemin on your one year anniversary, that you stopped talking to your mom about things that so obviously upset you, and that you simply took the path of misfortunes when it seemed like nothing else could possibly go wrong.

but the matter of the fact is that you did text renjun, and not out of desperation or to rekindle an old love that was never reciprocated. you texted renjun because after everything that had happened, you still have no idea where it all started to go wrong, you have no idea what you even did that could render such terrible circumstances and you have not the slightest clue as to how to get yourself back together. in short, in very short, you are in need of a companion and, for the better part of your life, that's exactly what huang renjun is to you.

as much as you would have loved to meet at a more secluded place, perhaps just your house, you also knew how informal that would seem of you after not talking to the dude for almost a year and a half now. he meets your eyes with his own, hesitant at first, but the smallest of smiles is soon to follow and you're left to wonder why, just like that, your world already seems to shift back into place and why his smile seems to make it all...make sense. 

"how are you now?" the laugh in his tone is bare but detectable only to you. being swaddled in familiarity really does a good number or two on your dampened mood. a smile hasn't chanced on your own face but you doubt it'll be long before it does, "pretty terrible, jun. how 'bout you?"

"about the same."

"same as me or...same as last time?"

"same as you."

the two of you nod, slowly and with eyes locked. his eyes are still on yours when he picks up his venti latte for a sip and even still when he puts it back down. yours are still on his when you do the same, and even still in the moments after when your voice breaches the silence once again, "so this is warranted."

this time only he nods, "you mean that this is necessary."

your response comes in the form of a smile, wide and exhilaratingly relieving, as if you've been waiting for a reason to smile and have, at last, been given one. your hands clasp around the paper cup, the contents inside warming your palms, a feeling that you welcome though the summer heat is fast upon you. the sun sets in the backdrop as your now reinstated best friend walks you home. it's nowhere to be seen when he drops you off at your doorstep and leaves with a mumbled, "goodnight, text me later," and the shuffle of quickened steps down your driveway.

that night, you stay up until the hours of early morning, texting the one person that's always had such a hold on you. sloppily spelled out text after text, you're bound to fall asleep until you do, but not before reading the last he'd sent. 

lets hang out tmw. no punctuation needed.

"i got your coffee, even added a ton of sugar," your eyes switch from the floor to the mug in your hands to the boy sat in front of you. instead of being grateful for the painstaking lengths you'd gone to trying to figure out how to get the coffee machine to work, renjun whines, "i only wanted a spoon of sugar."

"but you said you had to stay up late tonight," he takes the mug from your hands, fingers brushing and his eyes peering over the rim as he takes a sniff, "how will i get my caffeine if i can't even drink it?" shrugging, you take it back from him, "then i guess i'll just drink it."

"what? no, you have to go to sleep soon," renjun's brows crease in slight irritation at the proposition. your do the same, a mirror image of your best friend. when you've known someone for so long, slight nuances like these are always shared. "what are you? my mom?"

"no, but if i was, oho, you'd be damned," renjun grabs for the mug and this time takes a sip. he does his best not to scrunch his face when the sweetness hits. "i'm gonna go get ready for bed then, mom." his chuckles resonate from behind.

renjun stays up late to study and, seeing the score you got on the biology final the next day, you probably should have done the same. he looks back from his spot on the desk, the chair being positioned so that his back was to you. it's only been about fifteen minutes since you came from the bathroom with your retainers in and contacts switched out for glasses but it's just that gets his heart beating again, not so unfamiliar to the palpitations it underwent on the first day of high school, all those years ago.

he gets up and crosses the room, sock-clad feet careful not to make too much noise. you're slumped, half on the headboard and half sprawled across the bed itself, passed out already. bending over your figure, renjun slips the phone from your hands and sets it upon the beside table, he pulls your form further down the bed to prevent the worst type of neck aches in the morning, and he draws the blankets to your chin, tucking the ends beneath your figure in the same way you've always liked it.

then he crouches by your side and stares. he stares as your slow breaths fan across his face, lightly billowing the ends of his hair. he stares as the minutes on the blaring red digital clock on the bedside table fly by faster and faster. he stares until the glasses propped on the bridge of your nose bring back all the memories he'd sought to forget, when really, he could never let himself forget.

renjun remembers you crying about it to your mom, in second grade that is, after she'd picked you up with your nose all blotchy and red and renjun's tiny fists scathed. he remembers how much you hated them and wore them the least you could even though you needed them to see practically anything. renjun remembers at the age of eleven, he'd whispered in your ear on the first day of middle school, how much he liked your new frames. he remembers how you always kept them on when it was just you and him at sleepovers, or how you always told him that you didn't care what he thought of you because it was him, renjun. 

he still wonders if you feel that way though if not, he wouldn't mind spending more time with you to make it so. to renjun, you're presence is irreplaceable. and not because you make him happy, but because you also make him sad, because when you're angry, you don't mind that he's angry too, and that when the whole world is turned upon you, he's the only one that can ground you. to renjun, you're the only person that's capable of making him feel like the best and worst person in the world, at the same time, or not at all, or everything in between.

and if renjun has learned anything from his studies on the universe, it's that in the whole scheme of the world, the galaxies and galaxies so big that no one can even come close to fathoming their size, he is just as insignificant as anyone else on this planet. but he if he has found something, a someone, to which he can anchor his worth, his lifetime of feelings to, he has all the reason to live. renjun doesn't mean to be dramatic, but as a second year high school student he thinks he has all the reason to say that his reason to live sorta, maybe, possibly is you.

standing, he hooks two fingers under the sides of the frames of your glasses, lifting them off your face and folding them in a hand, careful not to smudge the lens, he places them on the bedside table as well. he goes back to studying but it doesn't last. how can it when all he can think about is you?

the you who he slips into bed next to instead of sleeping on the floor like usual. the flustered you who he wakes up to. the sleepy you who ruffles his hair before getting up and out of bed. the lovely you who brushes your teeth to the beat of whatever song is playing. the caring you who makes peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the both of you to share at lunch.

renjun sits in the back seat to your side, his mom smiles at you in the rearview mirror. somewhere in her eyes he can tell that she's glad you're back in his life. maybe because that's how it should've been all along. he looks over to you, now with your head stuck in your textbook trying to (futilely) get some last minute cramming in before the big test. his finger fidget with the loose threads of his sweater, he smiles. and it stays that way.

you're not a fan of the stars, at least not as avid as your best friend but you do your best to recognize the ones he's taught you and learn the ones he's teaching, right now. "that one? i thought that was the chameleon one…," renjun is not the slightest bothered, having the ability to go on and on about the heavens above even if no one was listening. he turns his head towards you, weight propped up on his elbows, "we're not even in the right hemisphere to be seeing the chameleon, y/n."

"oh," you turn your head to face him as well but instead of being on your elbows, you're flat on your back, the grasses that teem over the edge of the blanket brushing your right arm. "do you know how long we've been out here?"

"does it matter? we're literally in your backyard," he sits up to check his phone anyways. "it's barely one, let's stay out for a bit more."

"okay."

renjun lays back down, now also on his back and he stares in appreciation that the little city the two of you grew up in wasn't crowded with light pollution in the summer sky, almost as if him and his star fascinations were meant to be born here. the sounds of ten or so crickets are prevalent but not blaring and the light zephyr that sifts between the houses of your street meets your skin with a warm touch. you're fully convinced that summer nights belong to the young.

breaking the silence, you grasp onto the words that cross your mind in passing, "how was your day?" renjun's head swivels in your direction again. oh how easy it is for him to be sidetracked from his favorite pastime by his favorite distraction. "my day? wasn't i with you the whole day?" your right hand balls a fist of grass and pulls, the blades are plucked sleazily from the ground and fall just as sleazily as you release them into the wind. "well yeah, but like- how was it?"

"it was good, any day with you is a good day."

positioning your body so that it now faces him, there's suddenly many things that are crossing your mind and begging for you to voice them aloud. his curt but sweet answer leaves space for your inquiries. "are you ever going to tell me what happened?" he's turning to face you as well, the blanket beneath the both of you scrunching as he moves and the outlines of his face illuminated by the light of the lantern, a good fifteen feet away. "what exactly are you referring to?"

rejun sees his past being dredged up further and further with each coming word that tumbles from your mouth, "like a year ago." his heart beats a little faster and if he wanted to, he could mouth your next string of words. "you got all...i don't know, distant i guess." swallowing thickly, he can feel your eyes on him as he decides to come clean, half clean.

"that was- that was a weird time for me." a noise of confusion and a, "how so?" gets his brain working double time to feed your curiosities without bearing his heart to you. the mere prospect of telling you his undying love for you is undoubtedly out of the question. "i guess, i was having a hard time getting adjusted to school and i didn't have that much time for...us. that's what happened."

so huang renjun ends up tossing out a blatant lie, something he knows you weren't even close to accepting as the truth but also something he knew you wouldn't question. if he wasn't comfortable with letting you know then so be it. you nod. 

there are things that he wants to know as well, "then can i ask what happened with you and jaemin?" and for reasons all too similar to renjun's you also lie, "just kinda fell out of love with him. nothing spectacular."

but renjun knows more than he lets on. he knows from the rumors, things you've told your friends that have somehow made their way around the school, that have made their way to him. it still holds that he isn't all that trusting of silly gossip but the potency this one piece of information holds, the hopes, the desires, the dreams and the fantasies, it's not something he can so easily pass up. he knows that you broke up with jaemin because yes, you fell out of love with him, but that only happened because you were still in love with him, huang renjun.

where you live, september mornings, even still early in the month, have already succumbed to the edicts of fall. fog gags the clear air and renjun finds it difficult to see three feet in front of him. despite that, the road to school is still the same as always and though his mom was unable to drive him today, making it so he had to wake up half an hour early, he doesn't mind it half as much as he thought it would. in fact, he finds himself thinking more about you than anything on the lone walk there.

hands swinging back and forth, a little crazily in the absence of anyone else on the street, he passes by the convenience store a few blocks down from the school, the one that's open twenty-four hours a day and the one that you and him have been frequenting a lot at three a.m. when the midnight hungers start to kick in. the thought almost slips his mind before he has a chance to act on it.

you decide that junior year is the worst. not even halfway through your first period, the looming presence of empty resumes and college application preparations is already making you queasy. luckily, you share four of your classes with renjun who is currently in the seat next to you. he's focused, as always, while your ap us history teacher reads off of the syllabus to stall time. you really should be paying attention as well but the first day of school, especially one with renjun by your side, seems to transport you into the depths of your memories. your first day of freshman year. there's key differences though. 

let's start out with the obvious. renjun is now a head taller than you, much to your chagrin. he teases you about it just as much as you had when he was the same height as you. also as obvious, you're no longer on talking terms with jennie and donghyuck, whom have since stuck with jaemin. which leads to the biggest turn of events that distinguishes your first day in high school to your second to last, if such a comparison even mattered.

third period ends, this time ap english language, a class that you don't mind at all and are, in fact, so invested in the free write that was assigned that you don't notice that the bell has rung, or that all the people around you are either packing up their things or leaving. you don't notice renjun, who's still beside you, packing up his own things as well. his desk is completely cleared save for one thing, one thing that he picks up hesitantly and holds behind his back, entirely unsure if now was even the right time for him to be carrying through with his plan.

this plan of his had been meticulously thought out during his walk to school, an impulse driven thought that, if not successful, would guarantee a trashy start of his junior year. the corners of the carton are a little bashed up from being jostled around his backpack for so long and he hopes the contents aren't completely spoiled just yet.

your head snaps up in surprise as he crosses over to the front of your desk and you're even more surprised to see that the classroom is completely void of students, your teacher had even rushed out to make the most of his lunchtime. "oh shoot! we're not gonna get a spot at the cafeteria, jun!" with haste, you start shoving your belongings into your backpack, the pencil case still wide open as you toss it in. renjun himself recedes in his thought process, certainly there would be a better time. if only he lived on your side of town, maybe then he could do it while walking you home. or maybe if he had the last period of the day with you, surely catching you after class would be too difficult. or maybe it he should've done it yesterday after the two of you spent the whole night playing games, that would've worked out a little better tha-

"renjun, what's that you're holding?"

his hand that was once behind his back has now dropped to his side, escaping his notice, and you were bent over the side of the desk to yank your backpack closed, giving you the perfect view.

"oh, this," he overcomes his flustered state in a record time of three seconds. it's now or never, he thinks, "this is for you." renjun holds out a carton of chocolate milk to you. "picked it up on the way to school today."

you take it from him graciously, turning it over in your hands as the realization dawns on you, "wait, this is the same brand as- as that one." renjun licks his lips, he shoves his hands into his pockets, takes them back out, sets them atop your desk, "yeah, it is."

your bottom lip is tucked under your front teeth as you look up at him with thoughtful eyes, no longer of appreciation or revelation but rather…, "jun, why did you get this for me?" you fold back the top of the carton, as you had learned, folding forward once again so an opening would slit. bringing it to your lips, you take three sips, the container so small that that already amounts to over half its total.

the window of opportunity has never been set wider than now. you watch as your best friend gulps, visibly, as he blinks, purposefully, as a hand comes to the scruff of his neck and rubs at it, almost forcefully before twelve years of his pent up feelings are regurgitated into the empty english classroom. the cafeteria is surely packed now.

"i like you, y/n. i got it for you because i like you."

backpack left on the ground beside you, you take a step forward, one which he reciprocates with a step back. another step is taken and another until you're in front of him, the desk directly behind. swallowing your nerves, your eyes glisten in the garish yellow lighting, "that's- that's nice to know. because i like you too."

renjun licks his lips one more time before they're on yours, kissing you just as he'd dreamed of ever since he even knew what it was, what it meant. his hand on your waist is as decisive as his steps that push you back and back until your thighs hit the desk, you prop yourself up onto it. renjun uses his height to deepen the kiss, he duly notes the sweet tang of the chocolate milk on your lips and he loves it. he loves the way it tastes, he loves that it's his lips, his tongue, that's tasting it, he loves that it's your lips that he's kissing, he loves how your hand never leaves the spot on his waist, or the other one on his shoulder, and he loves how he gets to kiss you like this however and whenever from then on. or really, he just loves you.

and it stays that way.

copyright © 2020 rouiyan all rights reserved.

✧ end note — my many inspirations for this piece — the song around by niki, the kdrama 'reply 1997' an all time favorite, and of course, hannah! check them all out hehe... hannah babe, i hope you loved this piece as much as i love you. consider it a token of my love HASHAAs but really, you're such a wonderful presence in my life <33

[penaltbox]

flights, fate, and football games (4+1) - quinn hughes

*or 4 times you were in the same place and didn’t know it + 1 time you were in the same place on purpose*

if you like it let me know :) reblog it, send me a message, leave your thoughts in the tags. thanks in advance!

word count: ~3k

__

Same restaurant/Post playoffs 

You wave at your two best friends as soon as you enter the restaurant, surprisingly being the one who was late this time. You hit more traffic than you expected, but Pop’s was not to be missed. 

The little Ferndale restaurant was one of your favorites and you needed the time to wind down after the crazy week you’d had. You hear a guy’s voice behind you talking to the suddenly excited hostess as you walk past her to get to your table, but never glance back at who it might have been. 

“Wow, for once we aren’t the late ones,” Abby smiles, nudging Hannah with her elbow.

“Oh, aren’t you guys funny,” you roll your eyes playfully, but take a seat with them, “it wasn’t my fault though. Traffic was insane on the highway. It’s like everyone forgot how to drive at once.”

“I hit some traffic too, no worries,” Hannah smiles, glancing over your shoulder, “did you somehow miss those super cute boys that came in behind you though? The one was so your type.”

Your eyes widen a little as you turn around to quickly survey the area you’d just come from. There’s no one waiting at the front of the restaurant though, so you turn back with a frown. 

“I mean, I heard a guy’s voice as I walked in but I didn’t think to look back at him. Why? Was he really that cute?” You ask, looking around the restaurant to see if you could find who she was talking about. 

Abby sighs, “I can’t see where they went either but Hannah and I noticed them as soon as you got here. We should have got you to turn around somehow.”

You shrug, checking over the menu and deciding between a pizza or the bolognese instead, “I guess if I was supposed to have seen him then I would have.”

You would have looked around for him more but the waiter showed up and you were dying to get your hands on a glass of wine to start your weekend off. 

...

“Quinn, I swear if you don’t start talking to cute girls when you see them I’ll end your career,” Will points across the table. 

Josh holds his hands up and laughs, “guys, come on. We all know Quinn isn’t smooth enough to seal the deal anyways.”

This gets the other two laughing, but Quinn doesn’t find it as humorous. He rolls his eyes and tries to fight off a smile. He opts for focusing his attention extra carefully on the menu rather than fueling the fire that was already started. 

“Hey, by the end of summer you never know. Maybe you’ll be able to land a girl. It might take a small miracle, but we’ll help you out if we can,” Will grins, thinking it’s the funniest thing in the world. 

“Great,” Quinn nods, thinking matchmaker Will sounded like a living nightmare, “I’m sure that would go well.”

He tries to brush it off, but the thought lingers a little longer. He’d find someone one of these days. His mom always told him he shouldn’t rush a good thing. It would happen when it was supposed to. 

Your brother’s hockey practice/Early June

“I swear to god, Adam, you need to get moving,” you mumble, watching your brother get beat in yet another drill. 

The air inside USA arena was definitely colder than outside and you were wondering how you’d managed to get stuck picking him up that night. He seemed off though so maybe he’d asked your mom if you’d get him. Sometimes he needed to talk, and definitely not to your parents. 

The whistle blows loudly and you watch your little brother skate off with his head down. He’d been lucky to make the U17’s but you could tell he was struggling. It made your heart hurt and you knew the drive home would involve the long route that day. 

You wait in the lobby, responding to your group chat that had somehow blown up while you watched the end of the practice. You’re in the middle of a message when an oddly familiar voice catches your attention.

You pick up your head and look around just as a group of guys head down the stairs to the locker rooms. You don’t manage to see any of them but something about the voice you’d heard seemed to catch your attention for some reason. Where had you heard that voice before?

Adam comes barreling out of the doors, an annoyed look on his face, “let’s go.”

“Hi to you too, asshole,” you scoff, but the look on his face matches the tone he’d given you. Something was wrong. 

You grab your keys and walk out of the arena, glancing over at your only sibling, “Adam, what’s wrong? Wasn’t there another practice after that you wanted to watch or something?”

“No, some alumni guys rented the ice next and pushed the 18’s back an hour,” he mumbles, his hands dug down in his pockets. 

You reach over and ruffle his hair, despite the fact he’s well taller than you now, “come on, we’re getting ice cream before we get home. And you can tell me what’s got you so worked up on the way.”

A smile takes over his face finally as he reaches your car, “okay fine. So there’s this girl in my chem class but she’s dating a football player.”

“Ew,” you laugh, playing along with the story, “also if you’re playing like shit because you’re mad that a girl you like is taken then I’m kicking your ass”.

“Hey, it was one bad practice. Just don’t tell dad,” he looks over, “surprised you didn’t want to stay and watch the next practice though. You know it’s the guys who went on to play college and pros and stuff right?”

You almost smack him when you see how smug he looks, but you hold off for once, “the last thing I need is some trouble maker hockey player to deal with. I already have you.”

“Suit yourself. Every girl I know loves Hughes though,” he shrugs. 

The name sounds familiar but you don’t think twice about it for some reason. Of course you wanted a boyfriend but you weren’t sure you wanted your younger brother setting that up for you. 

…

“Try not to suck tonight, okay?” Jack laughs, shrugging his bag a little higher on his shoulder as he picks on his older brother. 

Quinn laughs and shoves him sideways, “try not to get run over. Are you gonna put any weight on this summer, bud?”

“You’re both getting lapped,” Alex interjects, walking between the two and entering the arena first. 

Quinn notices you leaning against the wall in the lobby and does a double take. Had he seen you before? Why did you seem so familiar? You had to be waiting for someone if you were there, he knew the 17’s had the ice, so maybe you were younger than he thought. 

He shakes off the odd feeling he gets from seeing you and turns to find his brother grinning. Quinn knows he’s been caught staring and he immediately bumps Jack into the wall. 

“Don’t even think about it!” He says, hurrying down the stairs as Alex holds the door. 

“I’m just saying!” Jack yells after his older brother, “I could go play wingman for you!”

Quinn thinks that sounds like the worst thing ever, if he’s being honest. The last thing he needs is to rely on his brother to set him up. He could see that going wrong in a million different ways. 

The airport/pre-4th of July

You sigh, slouching down in your seat a little further as you take a sip of your coffee. You wish your anxiety didn’t have you at the airport almost two hours before takeoff, but here you were. 

You watch a few planes take off, ignoring your surroundings for a little while as you wonder where the people might be going and why. You respond to a text from your aunt in Boston, who you were going to visit, and quickly get lost in your thoughts again. 

You let your eyes start to wander after a bit and they land on a cute boy a few rows over. He’s sitting with a few other boys around his age and you glance over at their gate. New Hampshire? What was even in New Hampshire? 

You watch him for a few more minutes, but shake your head before looking back out the window. You certainly weren’t brave enough to go talk to him and you didn’t want to get caught staring. Something about him seemed so familiar but you brush it off, figuring you were just imagining things. 

…

Quinn drops his backpack and sits heavily into the creaky airport chair, arguing with Luke about what they’d do first when they got to the cabin. There was no winning the argument but Luke liked to be a pest and Quinn had learned from being gone so much that sometimes he just needed to let his little brother bug him while he could. 

Airports were so boring and he’d luckily stalled enough that his parents didn’t have them all there three hours early for once. Quinn lets Luke “win” the argument finally, agreeing that they’ll go on the boat as soon as they get there. 

Quinn’s attention wanders and he looks around the airport, his eyes seeming to focus on the gate heading for Boston. His eyebrows pull together as he tries to squint and see the line of people boarding. He swears he sees a familiar face but he’s not so sure. 

There’s no way it was the same person he saw at the arena a few weeks ago, right? He blinks hard and suddenly he’s hit with a water bottle in the chest. 

“Dude are you good?” Jack questions him, waving a hand in front of the older boy’s face. 

Quinn looks at his brother quickly before checking where you’d been standing, only to find you’d already boarded the plane, “yeah, knock it off. Can’t you leave me alone for like five minutes ever?”

Quinn is mildly annoyed that his brother pulled the stunt when he did and he’d lost sight of you before he could be sure. Maybe you were from Boston and you were headed home. That wouldn’t explain why you were at USA arena unless your brother played there, too. 

He turns to Luke then, elbowing the youngest Hughes to get his attention, “do you play with any kids from Boston?”

Ann Arbor/football game/late August

You laugh as you try and keep up with Abby and Hannah, excited for one last year at the school that held your heart. You were convinced you could never leave Ann Arbor and luckily for one more year you didn’t have to. 

The weather was perfect that night as the first football game was set to kickoff in no time but the three of you had left a pregame a bit later than you planned for. You’re being rushed through the crowd by Hannah, who has a tight hold on your hand, when Abby suddenly veers off. 

“Hold on, I need to say hi to him!” She yells over her shoulder, causing Hannah to stop in her tracks and you to slam into her back. 

The two of you stumble a little but fix yourself, standing and watching where Abby had run off to. She moves to a group of guys and your stomach turns a little with worry, hoping she actually knew who these people were. 

You’re about to march over when you see the boy. The one from the airport. You shake your head a little, trying to make sure you weren’t imagining what you were seeing, but he really is there. Abby is talking to his friends and he’s got a soft smile that makes you want to know more about him. He’s not as outspoken as his friends and his hands are stuffed in his pockets like he’s not sure what else to do with them. 

Hannah catches you staring and laughs, “that’s Quinn by the way. I know you’re looking. Abby met those boys a couple months ago while she did her classes on campus. Can you believe they’re the ones we saw at Pop’s at the beginning of the summer?”

“They’re who?” You ask, your brain speeding through the memories, but all that keeps coming up is Quinn. 

Pop’s, the airport, and now here. Was he the guy from the rink too? Was that the voice you’d recognized. There was no way you’d been in all the same places for the last three months and never talked to each other or actually truly met. What kind of fate was playing around with you two?

You glance back over at Quinn only to find him looking at you, too. Your cheeks feel instantly hot and you bite your lip, looking away quickly. You hated that you reacted so quickly to something so simple. Maybe he was looking at Hannah, you tried to reason with yourself. Or maybe he recognized you too. 

…

Quinn is shocked when a bouncy little blonde runs up to Josh and says hello to him. She’s happy as can be and Quinn would be lying if he said she wasn’t cute. She quickly introduces herself and motions back at her friends, talking a mile a minute, when Quinn realizes he’d definitely met her earlier that summer. 

Her and her friends were going to the game but if the boys wanted to hang out after they’d be having a small party at their place and they were more than welcome to come. Quinn gives Josh a little nod when the taller boy checks with him for plans and Josh smiles at the girl he’d been talking about for weeks now. 

Quinn looks around the crowd of maize and blue, looking for the friends she’d mentioned, and his eyes freeze on one in particular. You’re so familiar in that moment and suddenly you’re the prettiest girl he sees there. It was the same feeling as the rink, the airport, and now here in Ann Arbor. What were the chances that he’d ran into you this many times but never talked to you? 

He sees you and your friend watching in their direction and he catches your eye. You blush and bite your lip, making him smile right away. That had to be the cutest thing he’d seen in a long time. He forgets that Abby has mentioned her friends and he’s about to walk over and talk to you when Josh grabs his arm. 

“Come on, we have to go this way to get to the field,” Josh says, nodding in the opposite direction of the girls. 

Quinn is about to argue, but sighs instead, “yeah, okay. Did you say we’re seeing them again later?”

+1 Your friends set you up/late August/post football game

“You wouldn’t stop staring at him. Don’t even try and lie about it now!” Hannah accuses, pointing her finger at you. 

You feel like you’re dying of embarrassment and Abby can’t stand up straight because of how hard she’s laughing over the situation. You were being bullied by your best friends and none of you could contain your laughter over it all. There were more than a few people watching the scene as you made your way around the field, trying to find which section your tickets were for. 

“Stop, I don’t even know him!” You say, though it’s only a partial lie. 

Abby snorts a little and carefully wipes a tear away from the corner of her eye, “holy shit, my stomach hurts from laughing so hard. Yeah, Quinn is awkward as hell but I think you two would be amazing so you’re definitely meeting him tonight.”

She’s quick to pull out her phone and text Josh, already making a plan with him to get you and Quinn cornered in the same area. You can’t fight her on this. Once Abby set her mind to something it was going to happen so you were just along for the ride at this point. 

The football game goes by too fast considering it was the last first game of the season you’d ever get as an undergrad, but the three of you are in such good moods that you hardly have time to be sad about it. 

You leave the game a few minutes early to try and beat some of the crowds as you head back for the house you all shared. You almost forget the boys are coming over as you head to the kitchen and grab a drink. You figured you had a little while before they’d show anyways. 

Popping the top of your can, you take a big drink and sigh. You hear Abby’s little giggle behind you and you whip around confused. You’re suddenly face to face with Quinn and you immediately blush in embarrassment. 

“Uh, hi,” you stutter, giving him a little smile even though you wish the ground would open up and swallow you whole. 

“Hi,” he says, and you know immediately that he was the one you’d almost run into so many times that summer. 

His smile is just as nervous as yours and you get why Abby had called him awkward before. He fidgets with his hands as he stands in front of you but it’s endearing somehow. He’s not overly cocky or trying to impress you somehow and yet you’re completely on board with getting to know him. 

He’s a stranger, technically, but he feels so familiar that you laugh a little. Quinn’s eyebrows furrow over the noise but he doesn’t actually ask. 

“Sorry, it’s just… did you want a drink or something?” you offer, trying to keep yourself from getting giddy over having him in front of you after all the months of fate making sure you dodged each other. 

His smile gets bigger then and he seems to relax, “yeah, that sounds good. Maybe I could steal you too and get to know you? If you want anyways.”

You nod, not hiding your smile anymore, “I think I’d really like that. It’s nice to finally meet you.”

[namluve]

paring: namjoon x reader

genre: smut with a hint of plot!

rating: 18+

warnings: unprotected sex (keep it safe), hard dom!namjoon, sub!reader, rough sex, rope bondage, orgasm control, orgasm denial, over stimulation, oral (f receiving), fingering (f receiving), use of toys, use of harness, ice play, degradation, use of whore, praise, pussy slapping, ass play, slight size kink, mentions of alcohol, mentions of masturbation, use of colour system, squirting, cum play, OC crying bc she is so over stimulated, a little aftercare  

word count: 7.0k

summary: namjoon found out you had faked an orgasm. to say he wasn’t pleased would be an understatement. 

note: thank you hannah @spicykoreantatertots​ for betareading it, couldn’t have done it without you and also thank you heath @shadowsremedy​ for your love and support. it really meant a lot! also, everyone at HQ who knows what bed leg means, thank you so much asdjhgj. it’s been sitting for a while but here is the best smut piece i’ve written so far (if you ask me). enjoy! 

Prior to your night out, Namjoon accidently found out you faked an orgasm a week ago. He was on your phone, scrolling through the photos the two of you had taken together when your friend texted you at the worst time possible. 

Amanda [02:12 PM]

- Did you talk to him about it? 

- Does he know you faked it?? 

And that is the story of how Namjoon found out. He had been angry, of course, but mostly hurt that you would not tell him about it. 

The last couple of days, up until the evening out with your friends, Namjoon had been more distant with you. It hurt, you wanted to have him close to you after all. So, you decided to explain to him this morning why you had faked it, and also why you did not tell him about it. 

Honestly, it was embarrassing to you. You had been so close to the edge the entire night, your orgasm just around the corner, but something was off. Your mind was not in the right headspace at the time. You could not quite focus on the sex, ending up with faking your orgasm, rather than just telling Namjoon the truth. 

He wished you would have just told him. So did you. But in the moment, you made a split-second decision. Even though Namjoon understood that, he still wished you would have just told him. 

On your night out with your friends he was his normal self, although, a little bit more touchy than usual in public. The two of you had not had sex for a week, so you did not think much of it. But it was all a part of his plan to remind you to never do something like that again. 

You were surprised that Namjoon ordered you to go to the bedroom once the two of you came home, and wait for him there, naked. As you started walking towards the bedroom, he disappeared into the kitchen. 

Namjoon came into your bedroom about five minutes later, you were sitting at the edge of the bed, naked. Hands on your knees and eyes low. Not speaking unless you were told to. Just how Namjoon had trained you. He smirked, loving how you did exactly as he told you to. Just like any other night. Except this time Namjoon had some other plans. 

Firstly, he went over to your wardrobe and pulled out the rope the two of you had bought a couple of months prior. Choosing the rope over the silk told you he was tying you up for punishment, not reward. 

“Lay down, legs spread.” You obeyed his command at once, turning around to crawl up the bed when you heard his voice again, “No no, stay at the edge.” 

Laying down at the edge, feet on the floor, you really wondered what Namjoon had in store. No matter how many times the two of you got intimate, you always wanted to cover yourself up while Namjoon was still preparing. While you were nervously waiting for what was about to come. Your hands started moving up but Namjoon caught it as he was untying the rope. He hated when you covered yourself up. Always wanting to have you on display for him and him only. 

“Are you really trying to make it worse for you princess?” You put your hands down beside your body immediately, but Namjoon just shook his head. The damage was already done. 

“Guess I really do have no other option than to tie you up. Here I was going to give you a chance to be a good girl.” Namjoon had no plans of that whatsoever, however, he loved to play games with you. Letting you think this night could have gone differently, that you had any other options at all under his mercy. 

“Hands up,” he spoke, and you did as you were told. Excitement filled your body, sending tingles down your spine and to your core. Taking hold of your hands, he spun the rope around your wrists, just like he had done many times before. Then he tied it and made sure you would not be able to get out of it. He had chosen the longer one of the three ropes the two of you owned, the one that was supposed to be used for full body bondage, originally in order to span the length of the bed. 

“Scoot up,” he told you and as always, you listened. You loved being his good girl after all, craving his praise even when punished. Scooting up with your hands above your head proved to be more difficult than you thought and Namjoon chuckled at your struggle. Barely making any progress on the matter he spoke again, “that’s enough princess.” He just wanted to see you struggle, see you be in need of his help. 

You felt a tug at your wrist as Namjoon secured the rope around the bed frame, your hands now tied together at your wrist, resting above your head and lastly, tied to the bed frame above you. Satisfied with his work, Namjoon took the second rope that he had placed on the bed in his hands. 

“Legs spread.” You did not need to be told twice, breathing heavily as you could not wait until Namjoon would start to play with you. You spread your legs. Pussy now full on display for Namjoon but all you could hear was a disappointed ‘tsk’. 

“How am I supposed to tie your feet to the bed posts if you can’t even spread them wide enough for the rope to reach?” At Namjoon’s words you tried spreading your legs even further apart, which you could. Not by much, but at least some. Looking at Namjoon’s face you could see he was still not completely satisfied, although he did not say anything. Namjoon squatted down in order to reach your legs, tying them one by one to the bed posts. 

With hands above your head, legs spread, feet tied to the end of the bed, you were in Namjoon’s hands. In this vulnerable position, you felt incredibly exposed but also very turned on by the fact that you were at his mercy. With a smirk, he took off his pants and shirt, getting more comfortable for what he was planning to do with you. You could see his semi hard cock as your eyes landed on his groin area, mouth-watering at the thought of how Namjoon would punish you with it. Namjoon on the other hand, had no plans on giving you his dick tonight, at least not any time soon.   

He got on top of you, looking into your eyes as he asked, “colour, words.” 

“Green,” you answered him. Knowing that ‘words’ meant you were allowed to speak. 

“Good girl.” Namjoon did not say anything after he praised you, which meant he allowed you to be vocal tonight. No holding in moans or pleas. Today, you were free. 

You got excited. Usually, you were not allowed to make sounds so early on when the two of you played and you were happy that you did not have to hold anything in. Namjoon saw the happiness in your eyes and he almost turned soft. Cute, she really thinks this is some sort of reward, he thought. Namjoon, after all, knew that the only reason he allowed you to be vocal tonight was because he wanted to hear you beg. Plead for mercy. 

And so, with that Namjoon started with the punishment he had planned for you. His fingers trailing up and down your thigh, going a little bit higher each time he brought them upwards, soon almost at your core. 

“Fuck… you look so pretty tied up like this,” at Namjoon’s praise you clenched your hole around nothing, his words affecting you and making you crave him. He smirked, looking at your pussy as you tried to raise your hips, with little success, barely moving upwards due to how tightly you were tied down to the bed. Namjoon got up from the bed, now standing in front of you, leaving you exposed and tied to the bed without his warm presence. 

“Aww… What is it princess? Are you feeling neglected?” Namjoon teased and you let out a whine as you pouted. 

“Yes… please sir, do something,” you plead as Namjoon got down on his knees, a mischievous smirk on his face. 

“Oh I will princess. Don’t worry about that. You will plead for my mercy before I’m done with you.” Inhaling a sharp breath at Namjoon’s promise you felt yourself start to drip down on the bed sheets as Namjoon watched your pussy, two hands on each of your thighs making their way up to your core. 

“Such a messy pussy,” Namjoon commented and you felt your cheeks turn red, clenching once again around nothing, desperately wanting to have something filling you up. Namjoon noticed this and he let out a low chuckle. 

“Such a messy whore, can’t wait to get her pussy filled up, can she?” Trying to get any friction at all to your core, you try to close your legs. Without any success of course as Namjoon had both of your ankles tied tightly against the end of the bed. 

“You’ll get what you deserve, don’t make this harder for yourself. You won’t get out of here for a while.” With that said Namjoon began to finally touch your core, slipping two fingers easily inside of your pussy to gather wetness as he made his way up to your clit, circling it at a slow pace at first. 

Soon he picked up the speed, making you whine and moan uncontrollably as your orgasm approached. As you felt the high build up, you started to beg for Namjoon to let you cum. 

“Please sir... let me cu-cum… I-I’m so c-close.” 

“No,” and with that he removed his fingers from your core, taking your orgasm away from you. Whining, you let a single tear out of frustration leave your eyes. Turning your head to the side, panting as you tried to calm down. 

“Let’s see how many ruined orgasms you can take before you beg me to stop.” 

Half an hour later and Namjoon was still not done with you. You tried closing your legs several times, but he had you all tied up, hands tied together to the bed frame, legs open wide tied to the foot of the bed. Eyes closed, tears at the corners of your eyes from all the denied orgasms. 

"I'm sorry," you cried out for probably the hundredth time this night but Namjoon just slightly shook his head, getting up from laying in between your legs to lay on top of you. 

"You're not," he said, grabbing your jaw with his hand, your eyes now wide open and staring into Namjoon’s as he continued, "but you will be." 

And so, he continued his punishment, trusting you to use the safe word whenever you needed to. His latest idea was bringing the ice cubes he prepared earlier from the kitchen. The break you got while Namjoon was getting them was well needed. Feeling as if your body was on fire. 

When Namjoon came back, he placed the bowl of ice beside you on your nightstand. Then he started by slowly dragging an ice cube over your swollen nipples as you arched your back and cried out, so sensitive to his touch. Closing your eyes because of the overwhelming feeling, you whined out a plea, almost pleading for him to stop.

"You even told Amanda about it… but not me," Namjoon was continuing to run the ice cube down your body, holding in between his fingers as he laid down beside you. In your defence, you really did tell your best friend everything. 

"Do you know how that feels? To find out your girlfriend's been faking orgasms and talking to her friends about it instead of her boyfriend?" You wanted to correct him. Using all your strength to form a sentence in between your whimpers and moans. 

"It was... only... one..." Namjoon stopped you before you could even finish your sentence, his hand giving you a light slap on your pussy. The stinging making you jump up and squeal, the ropes tied to your hands and feet not leaving much room for your body to move.

"I don't think you understand the situation you're in," he began, his touch leaving your body completely as he stood up from the bed. Looking down at you, Namjoon crossed his arms and 'tskd' at you before putting the ice cube in his mouth. Letting it melt in his mouth a bit before pulling it out. Turning your head, you could finally see him through your blurry, tearstained eyes. A devilish smile on his face.  

"You misbehaved, badly, and I need to make sure you learn your lesson so that this will never happen again," Namjoon said with a low voice. Your legs were shaking, and you tried closing them, as you had thousands of times tonight but just as all the other times, you were unable to. Not even an inch. Slumping your body down to the mattress, exhausted, feeling as if you had no more energy left, Namjoon could sense that you were almost at your breaking point. He decided to put the ice cube down in the bowl among the others. Sweat starting to drip from your forehead as you breathed heavily.

“Colour,” he demanded, and you answered, “Green,” in the hopes that he would make you cum. Hoping your punishment would finally be over and you would finally get to cum.

Instead, he opened the drawer next to your bed, as he had probably done about seven times already tonight or more, pulling out yet another toy. This time, one of your favourite ones. The wireless bullet vibrator that could be controlled through an app on Namjoon's phone. His one last punishment for the night. 

Normally, you would be excited to see it, knowing what mood Namjoon usually is in when he brings it out. Tonight, you just hoped he would have a tiny bit of mercy on you. As Namjoon went over to the wardrobe to pick out one of your harnesses, you knew that was not what he had in mind as he had chosen specifically the one that is really good at keeping the small vibrator on your clit. 

"This is just the beginning baby girl, if you only knew the ways I have imagined to punish you... Ever since you walked around the house with that ridiculously short skirt the day after I found out you had faked it. You had no idea how mad I was," he told you as he put the harness on you that went over your hips and around your legs, "but you will know because you won't even get out of bed when I'm done with you. I can promise you that." 

You believed him, you already felt like you would not get out of bed tomorrow. Thank God it was Saturday and you did not actually have to get up and do anything. Your legs were already incredibly sore, countless times had your body tried to close them when Namjoon brought you over, over and over again to the edge. Never letting you fall over it. 

Namjoon picked up your phone, unlocking it and opening up the app for the wireless vibrator. The thing with this model was that if you connected the vibrator to the one that it would be used on as well, it had a button for you to use, in case you needed everything to stop. Pressing the button meant turning off the vibrator, immediately. A way for you to use the safe word essentially, if Namjoon was not in the room. 

As he placed your phone in your hand, you quickly realized Namjoon would continue out his punishment. Just probably from somewhere else. He had done this once before, when you were out at a party and he had to stay at home to finish some work. In the beginning of the night you did not feel anything, so after a few drinks you completely forgot about it. It was not until Namjoon was done with his work and bored that he turned it on. Safe to say, you were home within half an hour, begging Namjoon to properly fuck you. 

“Press it whenever you feel like you need to, okay princess?” You nodded at his words. Normally, Namjoon always wanted a verbal response from you but he knew how sore your throat must be by now. Placing a kiss on your forehead, Namjoon whispered. 

“You are taking your punishment so well,” another kiss, now placed on your cheek, “such a good girl… but I’m not done with you yet.” 

Meeting his eyes, you saw how his face had softened. A whole new aura presents around him. He was back to his usual soft dom self, you thought. 

“I’m gonna leave you here princess and turn on the vibrator occasionally while I get some work done. Okay?” You weakly smiled at him as you nodded. 

“Yes sir… I’ll be good,” you whispered. Voice sore from all the crying and moaning. Namjoon softly kissed your lips for a brief moment before pulling away, resting his forehead against yours. 

“You always are… My good girl…” He cooed before pulling away, looking at you with so much fondness that your heart skipped a beat. Knowing you are his, and he is yours. 

His warm presence soon left you and Namjoon got out of the room. Leaving you with the vibrator on your clit, tightly pressed by the harness, tied up to the bed with no way to leave. Unless, of course, you reached your limit and pressed the button on the phone that would end it all. 

For the first fifteen minutes, nothing happened. You could hear Namjoon was in the shower, probably jacking off from being so painfully hard the entire time he had played with you. That was how your mind started to wander, imagining your boyfriend in the shower, his brows furrowed together, his cock in his right hand stroking it slowly. Circling his fingers around the tip, dragging his precum around. 

You needed to cum, you needed to cum now. Wiggling around as much as you could, you wished for Namjoon to turn on the toy. At this point you did not care if you came without his permission. You desperately needed to. 

So, when Namjoon got out of the shower, you felt the vibrations of the toy for the first time. Painfully low vibrations that stayed on your clit for about ten seconds, not nearly enough what you needed in order to cum. 

It went on like that for over ten minutes. Namjoon would start the toy for a few seconds, turning it off for a minute or two before turning it on again before he stopped, and you heard his footsteps outside of the bedroom. 

As he opened the bedroom door you turned your head towards him, squinting as your eyelids felt heavy against your eyes. Your body exhausted from the countless times you had been brought up to an orgasm, only to have it ripped away from you. Namjoon carried a tray with a glass, lotion and a bowl as he walked into the room, placing it on the nightstand beside you. As he took the phone from your hand and placed it on the tray you closed your eyes, your body relaxing. The punishment was over. Of that you were sure. 

“You did so good princess,” Namjoon cooed as he began to untie the rope around your wrists, “such a good girl taking her punishment so well.”

Once he was done untying your wrists and gently pressing kisses all over them, he moved on to your ankles, untying the ropes that held your legs open and took off the harness that was around your hips. Placing the harness and the toy on the floor beside the nightstand. You winced at how sore your legs felt as you started to move them and Namjoon shot you an apologizing smile.

“You did so well baby girl, you can rest now.”

“No,” you firmly said, shocking Namjoon.

“No?” He questioned and you continued.

“I need to cum sir. I need to cum so bad. Can I please cum? Please sir, I promise I won’t lie to you ever again. I promise I’ll be good,” pleading as Namjoon watched you slowly sat up, being at eye level with him as you made your last plea, “please let me cum on your dick.”

Namjoon’s cock twitched in his pants and he felt himself growing harder by the second as he listened to your pleas. Still, he was afraid you would not be able to handle it, considering this had been the hardest punishment you had received yet by him.

You on the other hand, knew what you wanted. You wanted to cum, and you wanted to cum now.

“Are you sure baby girl? You don’t have to do anything to please me. I’m already pleased that you took your punishment so well.”

“Yes sir, I’m sure. Fuck… just let me cum. I need to cum,” you emphasized. Hoping Namjoon would just get to it before you took the matter into your own hands, literally.

Namjoon furrowed his eyebrows together, watching you as he reached out his hand so caress your cheek and you leaned into his touch. Craving the intimacy he had not been giving you all week. Looking into your eyes, searching for any doubt on your part, Namjoon studied you for a second before making his decision. In your mind, you were afraid of yet another punishment before you could get what you want, afraid that the slip up of the word ‘fuck’ would get you in trouble. Namjoon was never a fan of swear words leaving your mouth when the two of you were in your roles.

“Okay princess… But know that the next time you swear I won’t let you off the hook so easily,” he promised, and a smile lit up on your face, “now how do you want me? Tell me exactly baby or you will get nothing.”

You thought about it for a second. You wanted him close. As close as you could have him.

“I… I want you on the side,” you whispered out, your shy submissive nature coming back. Namjoon continued to caress your cheek, looking deep into your eyes.

“Yeah? What else baby? Tell me more,” he encouraged, and you closed your eyes for a bit.

“Behind me… Want you to hold me,” you whined out and he chuckled, eyes still set on yours.

“Does my princess want to be held? Want me to make love to her?”

“Please sir… Please make love to me…” With the soft-spoken words that left your mouth, Namjoon could never say no to you.

“Okay princess,” and with that, Namjoon’s hand left your face to take his shirt off. When his white t-shirt hit the floor, you could not help but to marvel at the beauty that was right in front of you. His defined shoulders, breath-taking chest and stomach that made you want to worship it all. Hesitantly, you brought up your hand, eyes going up to look into Namjoon’s again. Finding them instantly as he was already watching you.

“May I… Can I touch you sir?”

“You may do whatever you want princess, this is all about you,” his words were soft, filled with care, lust and love. As you began to trail one hand down his chest towards his v-line, he grunted, brushing away the hair that was covering your neck and started to place gentle kisses.

“I’m all yours,” he whispered, and you moaned when he kissed you just below your ear, working his way up to your lips.

“Show me… please sir… show me,” you begged as you moaned and Namjoon knew exactly what you wanted.

Meeting you in a gentle kiss, Namjoon took the opportunity to worship your body with his hands. One of his hands rolling a nipple between his fingers, making you gasp at the sudden pleasure. The other resting at your hip, drawing small circles on the skin. Pulling away from the kiss, he let go of your nipple, a whine at the lack of lost escaping your lips as he caressed your cheek.

“Lay down on your side for me princess.” Obeying his orders, you laid down on the bed as you heard Namjoon taking his pants off behind you. The zipper on his jeans going down, the rough material making noise as he dragged it down his legs until it was thrown somewhere on the bedroom floor with a thud.

Laying down behind you, you felt Namjoon’s hard cock pressed against your ass as he took his arm around you, pulling you in closer to him. Your body was sweaty, and you almost felt bad for Namjoon who had just gotten out of the shower. Keyword, almost. Now that he was here, behind you with his arm wrapped around you, body pressed against yours, you could not help but to think that he will manage.

Pressing a kiss against your back as he wrapped one hand around his cock to guide it to your entrance, you inhaled a sharp breath as you felt the head nudging your entrance.

“Shh princess, need you to relax. Don’t want to hurt you okay?” Namjoon whispered in your ear and you took a deep breath. Letting your tense shoulders fall down and finally relax for the first time this evening.

Namjoon kept pressing kisses against your back, moving closer to your neck where he nibbled on your ear before whispering the words you wanted to hear for so long.

“You ready for me princess?”

“Yes sir,” you moaned as you tried to relax as much as possible. Knowing what a stretch it was every time Namjoon entered you. Knowing today, after all the edging, you would most certain be tighter than usual. All you could hope for was that the wetness dripping down your thighs would help him as he entered you.

Still holding his cock in his hand, Namjoon began to slowly push inside of you. Letting go of his dick once the head was fully in, he wrapped his arms around you. His face was nuzzled into your shoulder, letting out a small groan as he was more than halfway in. The wetness making it easy for Namjoon to stretch you out with his big cock, the slight burn you thought you would feel nowhere in sight. Only feeling pleasure as he entered you.

As soon as he bottomed out, you whimpered, arching your back as you tried to push him further inside of you. As you arched your back you created space between you and Namjoon and he was having none of it. He hugged you tighter, wanting you to be closer to him and not further away as he cooed into your ear, “such a good girl, taking sir’s cock so well.”

Kissing your neck as one of his hands went to play with your breasts, you sighed in relief. Finally, you would get what you had been craving all night. Namjoon’s touch and being able to embrace it, being able to cum from it. This was heaven and you let all the pleasure you were feeling cloud your mind, not thinking about anything else besides what you felt in the moment.

“Let me know when I can move.”

“Mhhm, you can move, please…” Even in your fucked-out state you did not forget to ask Namjoon nicely. Just like the good girl you are, he thought.

“Okay princess, let me know if it gets too much yeah?” You mumbled a ‘yeah’ back to Namjoon right before he started to slowly fuck your tight hole, having to take a hold of your hip from stopping you rocking back into him, wanting him to go faster, chasing your own orgasm the second he entered you. His hand still playing with your boobs, rolling your left nipple between his fingers. 

“So… fucking… tight…” Namjoon mumbled to himself but you heard it, his head still resting on your shoulder. Letting out a small moan at his words, Namjoon smirked, knowing you had heard what he said.

“My princess likes it when I call her pussy tight huh? Because it is. It is so fucking tight. I can barely even fit in you princess,” he whispered in your ear, earning a soft moan from you as he continued, “This is all I was thinking about while I was in the shower. Me, fucking your tight pussy. Hearing your sweet moans, seeing your fucked-out face. I came to the thought of your pretty face looking like this while I pounded your pussy.” His words were just turning you on even more, that is, if that were even possible right now.

Your suspicion had been right. He had been jerking off earlier while in the shower. Knowing you made cum, made him so turned on that he could not wait any longer and took matters into his own hands, literally, made you proud and happy. Happy that you had the same effect on him, as he had on you.

As Namjoon kept slowly fucking into you, going a little faster than before now, you could not help but picture him in the shower. Water dripping down his naked toned body, brows furrowed together as his hand pumped his cock vigorously. Clenching your pussy at the thought of it, you heard Namjoon let out a low moan behind you as you squeezed tight around his cock.

His grip on your hip tightened as he pounded harder into you, not faster, but harder. Wanting you to squeeze around his cock for as long as possible. The moans that came out of your mouth were sinister and Namjoon was proud of the fact that he was the one causing them.   

“I bet you would let me do anything right now as long as you got to cum. Am I right princess?” Namjoon felt the urge to make you even more fucked out. Wanting to hear you plead once again, just as you had done when he gave you your punishment. You had looked so sweet, so fucked-out from all the pleasure you were receiving. Tears had been leaving your eyes from all the stimulation you had been receiving and that is where Namjoon wanted to have you again. Crying out from all the pleasure you were receiving, not being able to escape it as you laid on your side flushed against him.

Moaning out a ‘yes’ you felt as Namjoon slipped out of you and you cried out in frustration.

“I know baby, I know,” he cooed as he let go of your breast, sneaking down his hand between your bodies, fingers playing around in your wetness. Namjoon had something else in mind, wanting to try out his theory and make you plead. Still wanting you to regret ever faking that orgasm with him, making you cum so hard you would not even dare to think that thought ever again.

His fingers moving upwards from your pussy, grazing by your asshole where he began to circle one finger around the tight rim muscle. You shuddered, letting out a small whimper.

“Oh,” you sighed, as Namjoon smiled into your neck.

“Yeah? Would you let me play with your ass while I fuck you princess? Fill both of your holes?” The thought excited you and you could not help but to nod, the thought of having both of your holes filled making you back your ass slightly into Namjoon’s hand.

His fingers left your ass as they went back to his cock, holding it as he entered you again before going back to your ass, still slick with the wetness he had gathered. His pointer finger circling around the rim of your ass before he slowly pushed it in while he thrusted into your pussy with his cock slowly, earning a moan from you. The feeling overwhelming. The slight burn completely masked by all the pleasure you were feeling. He stayed still once his finger was two knuckles deep, wanting to give you time to adjust.

“Colour?” He asked, wanting to be completely sure that you still wanted this even though the two of you had done ass play before.

“Green sir,” you choked out. It felt like your whole body was on fire from all the stimulation you were receiving. It felt like heaven and hell at the same time.

With your consent, Namjoon started to slowly trust both his finger and cock slowly into you earning a long moan from you. His cock brushing against your g-spot with his long slow strokes and it did not take long until you were at the edge again. You needed something more though, you needed your clit to be stimulated.

“M-more… please…” Not finding any better words to use, you tried to beg Namjoon to touch your clit. Namjoon however, took it another way.

“Need more yeah?” He asked as you nodded, thinking his other hand would go to your clit. It did not. The arm he had been using as support to lay properly on the side next to you went under your neck, under the arm you had laying on the bed and stopped at your right boob, grabbing it harshly. You arched your back, trying to escape all the pleasure you were feeling.

“Is that enough princess?” He asked and you shook your head without even thinking.

“Greedy princess… Your wish is my command,” and with that, Namjoon added another finger in your ass, “is that what you wanted?”

You moaned as he slightly picked up the speed, his cock stimulating your g-spot, his two fingers stretching your ass, making you feel so full as his other hand played with your now swollen nipple. It was too much, way too much than what you thought you could handle. Yet, here you were, receiving pleasure you had never even dreamed of before.

This was all that took to push you over the edge, making you cum for the first time without stimulating your clit at the same time. Body shaking, tears falling down your face as your broken moans escaped your mouth, so loud your neighbours are most definitely hearing them. Your pussy squeezing around Namjoon’s cock deliciously, making him moan.

“Fuck princess… I can’t hold it…” Namjoon slipped his fingers out of your ass and you winced before choking on your spit. His hand had quickly found your hip and he was now fucking you at a relentless pace through your orgasm.

You started seeing stars, cumming so hard it felt as if you were peeing. Namjoon was chasing his own orgasm as he fucked you through yours, dragging it out so long it almost became painful before he came, grunting in your ear, holding your boob tightly in his hand. His load filling you up deliciously as your thighs started to feel unreasonably wet once you came down from your high.  

“Wow…” Was all you could say as Namjoon started to plant kisses on your shoulder. Gentle kisses filled with love as he slipped out of you. Closing your eyes, you tried to control your breath and calm down from all the intense pleasure you had been feeling. Come down from the height of one of the most intense orgasms you had ever felt.

As Namjoon sat up, letting you turn to lay on your back to rest he noticed the wet patch on the bed by your legs.

“Holy shit.” Upon his words, you opened your eyes to look worrying at him. He turned his head to meet your gaze, immediately seeing the worry in your eyes.

“Baby… did you just squirt?” Looking down, you saw the wet patch on the bed, your thighs feeling wetter than usual. You had just squirted for the first time with your boyfriend. As the realisation hit you, you turned to look at Namjoon, searching for his reaction. You were a little embarrassed as this had never happened before, at least not with Namjoon. You did not know how he would react.

Going down, Namjoon pushed your legs apart so he could make himself comfortable between them. He was in awe. Your glistering wet pussy with his cum dripping out of you on display for him. Only for him. You, on the other hand, was still confused, unsure what to say or do.

“Wha…”

“So fucking hot.” Namjoon cut you mid sentence, answering your questions all in one. At his words, you clenched your pussy, the sight of him in between your legs heavenly. As you clenched, a gush of his cum spilled out from you and Namjoon swore at the sight of it, bringing his hand up to your core.

With his index and pointer finger he gathered his cum, only to push it back into your pussy. Fingering you slowly to push it further in. A moan escaping your lips from the overstimulation as you closed your eyes, not being able to do anything else except trying to focus on breathing.

“My princess really came without any stimulation to her clit while I played with her ass and tits? Fucking hottest thing I’ve ever seen and on top of that, she also squirted. Baby, I might have to edge you more often now if this is what happens.” You mewl at his words, feeling way too sore, you try to squirm away from him. Namjoon understood right away and removed his fingers from your core, crawling upwards to lay on top of you.

“Is it too much for my little princess?” He asked and you nodded.

“Yeah Joon… I think I’ve had it for days now,” you joked, and he smiled at you, placing a soft kiss on your lips.

“Think I’m gonna be able to keep my hands off you for days after you pulled this stunt?” He questioned, raising his eyebrows as you pouted.

“You had no problem keeping your hands to yourself for a week, think you can handle a few days.” You teased and he scoffed.

“Yeah but only because I was mad at you,” he told you truthfully and you put your arms around his neck, gently playing with the back of his hair.

“And now?”

“Now? Now I can’t get enough of you, gonna make you squirt every day,” he said with a smirk as he got off of you. Getting out of the bed, Namjoon quickly found his boxers and started getting dressed.

“Hey! No, you can’t do that! I won’t allow it!” You shouted as you sat up on the bed, watching as Namjoon made his way over to the bathroom. Upon your words, he stopped dead in his tracks, turning around to face you.

“Won’t allow it? Baby you’ll beg me to give it to you. We both know it,” he said with a smirk on his, capturing his lip between his teeth as he thought of the sight to actually get to see you squirt. You exhaled a sharp breath and Namjoon knew he was right when he meets your eyes. Desire burning in them at the thought of you underneath him, begging him to let you cum, to let you squirt.

“Now wait like a good girl while I get some towels to clean you up. You wouldn’t want to disappoint sir again would you?” Shaking your head, you waited patiently as Namjoon went into the bathroom to bring you two towels.

He came back with a one dry and one damp that he began cleaning your thighs and pussy with. You hissed as the cloth went over your clit. Namjoon let out a sigh, planting a kiss on your thigh.

“I’m sorry for punishing you so hard, I shouldn’t have pushed you so hard.” He sighed, feeling a little bad for edging you for so long.

“I’m okay Joon, I would have told you if it was too much.”

“You didn’t tell me when you faked it.” The silence that filled the room had you biting down on your lip to stop the single tear that wanted to escape your eye. You regretted not telling him so much. If he only knew.

“I know… I’m so sorry, I won’t ever lie to you again. I promise Joon.” You told him truthfully and he looked up at you.

“It’s alright baby, I know you won’t.” He said and you believed him, just as much as he believed you would keep your promise to him. Smiling, Namjoon got up to wrap the dry towel around your body. Holding his hand out for you to take.

“Come on, let’s run you a bath while I change the bedsheets baby.” Smiling, you took his hand in yours, letting him lead you to the bathroom with your legs still slightly shaking.

After filling the bathtub, Namjoon helped you into the tub and you looked up at him with warmth in your eyes.

“Will you join me Joon?” You asked, hoping he would say yes. Loving how he would always cuddle you in the bath, massage your scalp and kiss your neck. He did not always have the time, sometimes he had work to do and you understood that, but you could not help but to be a little selfish today. Hoping he would join you and work overtime tomorrow.

“Of course, I’ll be right back once I’ve changed the sheets.” Namjoon said as he kissed your forehead before leaving the bathroom. Smiling for yourself, you could not believe how lucky you were to have him in your life. Never ever, would you lie to him again, ever. 

[swagless-talks-alot]

Memories

Middle school. 

Rusty benches, rotting lockers, and prepubescent children. 

8th period is when I learned that he would be moving away. He would get to move out of this hell hole and move to a brand new country. 

"Are you ever going to come back?" I had asked as I unpacked my History notebook from my bag. But before he could answer, his loud ass friends entered the room.  Mark was the type of guy who wasn't immensely popular himself, but people knew him and he knew people. Most were either jealous of him, or loved him, no in between. 

I would say I was more on the jealous side. Not only was he on the dance team, my friends wouldn't shut about how "nice he is" or "how adorable he is" or "how good he is at math". 

"Have you read his poems? Apparently he has a poem book."

It's not just my friends either, it's my parents too. Unfortunately for me, Mark's parents and my parents are part of the same friend circle. Which means constant comparison. Ever since elementary school. 

But it's not like they were wrong. And it didn't help that I liked him either. It may have been my 13 year old hormones, or the fact that his smile seemed to light up the world around him, but despite how sickly jealous I was, I was so entranced. I remember crying after hearing a rumour that he liked someone one day. A weird occurrence as I never cried over anything. The rumour turned out to be false because I asked him about it the next day and he said "No, who is that?". 

We were what I would call acquaintances. One of my friends dated one of his friends in 6th grade for a week before breaking up in the most dramatic way possible. 

"You know, I heard they kissed once," I remember telling Mark. 

He replied with a grimace and said, "Eww that's gross, why would you kiss someone?" 

I remember laughing and telling him that it wasn't a big deal. 

After that, we talked once in a while. If we were in the same class, we would ask each other about homework or make basic small talk if none of his friends were around. 

And so, as History class ended, the 13-year-old boy came up to me. "Sorry for ignoring your question earlier, uhh I don't know if I'm coming back or not actually. I think I'm going to be living in Korea for a while," he smiled. "Don't tell anyone about it okay?" He said playfully. "Shhh". 

He giggled, put on his backpack, and ran up to catch up with his friends. 

And that was the last time I ever saw him. 

Honestly, I was glad. I thought that the source of my insecurities was gone and that my crush on him would disappear. I was a progressive child, so I got over him quickly, but unfortunately I still had my insecurities. I thought I would never cross paths with him again and as bittersweet as it sounds, I preferred it over the constant conflict in my heart whenever I saw him. I got over my insecurities slowly, throughout high school. My life without Mark Lee, was great, wonderful even. So then why, at the thought of seeing him again, run at the chance to intern at his company? My desperate ass didn't even search him up on google because I didn't want to know what he looked like now. My view of him is still of a 5'4 teenager boy, with a high pitched voice and braces. So when I was met with a guy who looked too handsome to be real, you could expect that I was taken aback. 

Mark, who I wasn't sure was Mark, was wearing a plain black shirt and some khakis. He also had light blue hair that looked really soft but also looked slightly fried, perhaps from the dye. 

"This is Mark Lee right, I heard you were the one who was supposed to show me to the intern manager or something."

"Uhh yeah! I'm Mark, nice to meet you. What's your name?" He said enthusiastically. 

He didn't remember me. Or he just wasn't sure. I didn't want to seem insane by saying I went to his old school so I kept quiet. 

"I'm Hannah Wang, I'm from Vancouver", I shifted my weight onto my other leg nervously. 

"Wait, Hannah Wang? Did you ever go to Westwood Middle?" Mark asked, his eyes lighting up. 

He remembered. Holy shit, Mark Lee remembered me. "Yeah, I was waiting for you to say something." I said as we walked into the recording room. "You uh, glew up a lot, I could barely recognize you." 

"Ah really? You glew up a lot too- not that you weren't pretty back then- I mean not like that-" Mark panicked.

"So you didn't think I was pretty?" I chuckled. 

We began walking inside the building, and the recording rooms became visible.

"No I mean you were, and still are- ahh" Mark's face was now 3x redder than it was before. 

“You’re bold, calling me pretty and all” I laughed as I scanned the posters on the wall. “Who are they?” I pointed to a poster of 10 men who looked around my age. I noticed that Mark was on it. He was wearing a race car? jacket and had black hair with blonde highlights. 

Mark, who was noticeably all flustered, took a moment to respond. “Ahh that’s the group I’m in… one of them at least.” 

I looked at him. “You’re in another group?” 

He nervously laughed, “Yeah it’s no big deal. I’m in this one, NCT 127, SuperM and NCT Dream.” 

“Well wow…” After all of these years, he was still out here doing the most. “I expected nothing less haha” I joked. “It must be hard.” 

“Yeah.. well I like being busy so it’s honestly very fun.” He said with a smile. “Wait, you’re interning at SM but you don’t know the groups?”

“Dude, I’ve been so busy I haven’t kept up with anything. My friend told me to apply for an internship here and I accepted it as a joke because I didn’t think I’d get in. I didn’t know you became a k-pop idol until like a month ago.” 

“Oooh” Mark nodded understandingly. He started walking to some of the other rooms. “Uhh I think I’m supposed to show you to Mr. Kim? He told me to tell you that he was sorry he couldn’t meet with you in person. There’s a slight chance he might be infected..” Mark frowned. “I’ll escort you to a room where you can meet with him. You came kind of early so I need to get the other two interns as well.” He turned to look at me.  “Does that sound good?” 

I honestly didn’t hear half of what he said because I was staring at his face. “Yeah yeah sounds good!” I centered myself again. 

We went to an auditorium which was quite huge but empty. I assumed press conferences were held here. There was also a huge projector screen at the front of it which had Zoom open. 

“You can just sit at any of the tables,” Mark said. “Oh yeah Mr.Kim asked me if you were vaccinated yet?” 

I nodded. “Yep all good and immune to the virus.” I smiled. 

And then he left and I was all alone in an empty black room. I didn’t realize I was holding my breath until I exhaled. (Yes and the floor is made up of floor.) I also didn’t realize how fast my heart was beating. Honestly, he hadn’t changed at all. Looking at him unlocked so much nostalgia of my younger days and I blushed to myself at the thought of the journal entries I wrote about him as a child. I wanted to talk to him about so much and I wondered why I didn’t reach out to him sooner. It had been an insanely long time since I last thought about my old “rival”, and I only started pondering it when I realized I would be interning at his company. Him becoming an idol wasn’t actually too surprising, my journal entries told me that he was into dancing a lot and I do recall him performing a Shinee song at one of our “family meetups”. I don’t have a lot of memories from middle school but that’s one that I can recall pretty vividly. He was doing it with 2 of his other friends and the performance was really funny because one of the kids fell and hit his nose on the edge of the sofa. I wonder if he remembered all of this. 

I was taken out of my thoughts when two other people, accompanied by Mark, walked into the room. They were a guy and a girl who both looked a little older than me and they didn’t look like they knew each other. They both took seats at separate tables. Mark on the other hand walked up to me. 

“I think the meeting will start in a bit.” He smiled. “I have to go but good luck with everything! It’s insane how we met again after like… 7 years? Dude, I miss Vancouver so much I really hope we can talk later and catch up on everything y'know?” 

I laughed a little, glad that he felt the same way as me. “Yeah definitely! So many things changed after you left, I swear to god it’s like a completely different place.”

“Yeah I visited once on tour-” his phone started ringing. “Shoot, they’re gonna kill me. I have to go, Hannah. Uhhh I’ll see you around?” 

I smiled. “Yeah I’ll see you around.”

[canyouhearthelight]

The Miys, Ch. 127

Annnnd a-one, and a-two, and a queue-queue-queue!

This chapter has one of my favorite things in the world to write - Interpersonal relationships (if you are surprised, I’m going to assume you are new here....).

Specifically, one of my biggest pet-peeves is when friends or siblings are written in a way that shows that the author doesn’t actually have any friends or siblings they are close enough to that all rules of societal politeness go whizzing into some far-off dimension as soon as they are in proximity.

When I get to write a chapter with such close friends/ersatz-siblings and also have @baelpenrose cackling and egging me on, it literally makes my whole day.

P.S: If anyone has wondered about the ages of the characters, several are clearly lined out in this chapter......

EDIT: Fixed some insane formatting issues.

“The food festival, Sophia? Really?” an incredulous voice asked before the door to my office even opened all the way.

I resisted the urge to scream, but did surrender to pinching the bridge of my nose and breathing slowly. “Hello, Arthur. Do come in. Long time no see.  Of course I’m not busy…” My one day each week to have a few hours to myself - no mentees, no assistant, even Tyche was off work….

“We saw each other last night when I came over for dinner after sparring with Conor, and  you’re never busy on Saturdays, Alistair makes sure of it.” He dragged a chair in front of my desk for what I felt was the sole purpose of putting his boots on my desk instead of the conference table.

“I thought you two didn’t even like each other, how did you - “

He waved a hand dismissively. “Enemy of my best friend’s enemy is my friend, that sort of thing. Anyway - “

“Did you just call me my own worst - “

“You are, let’s not pretend otherwise. Anyway.” Arthur arched an eyebrow at me and waited for any further objections, but I couldn’t think of any. “The Food Festival. It’s my one favorite tradition on this ship until armed combat becomes a spectator sport, and you are putting Parvati and Hannah in charge of it?”

After a beat pause to make sure he was done, I glared at him. “Everyone has asked me that, and I don’t understand the issue.  They’ve both helped in the past, even before they started training to replace me.  I’ve handed more and more off to them each time, and they did great! Plus, they have three months, it will be fi - Wait, why do you even care, Arthur?”

He held up one finger with the authority of a deity who would have smited me if he could. “One, Parvati Fletcher does not like mapo tofu. You do. Specifically, you like it from that one vendor who grows her own Sichuan peppercorns and uses them like they are an infinite resource. Two, I spend entirely too much time working with Zach Khan, and he won’t shut up about how stressed Hannah is. Three - “ I was seriously starting to get concerned he actually could smite me at this point - “As much as I love you in the most platonic way possible, you are an obsessive, compulsive perfectionist who insists on doing everything herself and running herself into the ground so that everyone else has the time of their lives. So why are you trusting this, the largest and oldest event on the Ark, entirely to other people?” Dropping his boots from the desk, he leaned forward, palms down until we were nearly nose to nose.

“Sophia Reid, I swear on any god I can kill if you are dying…”

“WHAT!?” I squawked, jerking back and standing so fast I knocked my chair over. “For the love of little fish, I’m not dying! I haven’t had a near death experience in four years, thank you.”

“Three, not counting the fact that there is a reason Alistair makes you drink anything through a straw anymore.”

“How did - Nevermind.” I shook my head and tried to focus on the topic at hand. “No, I’m not dying. Nor am I injured, having a midlife crisis, rethinking my life choices any more than I ever do, or so much as in possession of a stuffy nose.” Taking a deep breath, I rolled my eyes and started counting off before I could stop myself. “Conor and Maverick and I are fine. No, I’m not arguing with Tyche again. Yes, I’m still going to therapy. Else is fine. No new sentient plagues or rogue cult leaders that I’m aware of. Nor have I become immortal, queen of the universe, savior of humanity, pregnant by Noah, or possessed.” Carefully, I picked my chair back up and sat down.

“Good...to… know?” He gave me a funny look. “Who asked the most disturbing one?”

“Immortal or Savior of Humanity?” I asked for clarification. “Those were Maverick and Derek, respectively.”

The look only got worse. “I meant ‘pregnant by Noah’, but fascinating to see where your priorities lie….?”

“Oh. That was Charly.”

“Dammit,” he swore softly. “I had her pegged for ‘possessed’.”

“I’m pretty sure she is, but the suggestion that I am came from Tyche, on no fewer than 3 occasions, by 4 different entities. She seemed pretty hopeful that Else was potentially mind-controlling me in an effort to make me take a nap,” I admitted.

“That tracks.” A nod of approval prefaced the question I had been avoiding - successfully, thus far, I might add. “Now that you’ve ruled out every possible plausible reason that you would entrust this to literally anyone other than a clone of yourself, why?”

“Why what?” My face was composed in an expression of innocence so convincing that I probably deserved an Oscar.

“I can and will convince Charly to turn all your coffee to decaf, so help me, Sophia.”

Realizing that he was, legitimately, worried about me and at the limits of his usually-impressive patience, I held up my hands in surrender. “Fine. You get the scoop.  Please record this and send me the loop, so I can just flick it at people who ask, please?” When he nodded, I exhaled slowly.  “It is no secret to anyone that I never wanted this job. I made the mistake of establishing the Food Festival, which as you point out is the largest event of the cycle on the Ark - the last three years, literally everyone attended in some capacity.” When he opened his mouth to argue, I held up a hand to stop him. “Don’t get me wrong. I love the Festival. What basically started out as a potluck because we were homesick and needed to meet - you know, the rest of humanity - is a huge, three day holiday.  It’s amazing!” I spun in my chair, arms flung wide for emphasis, before stopping to face him. 

“It also consumes my life, for months, to prepare for.  And that’s just implementing changes to make it more accessible so people don’t miss out! That doesn’t include adding things to make it more interesting or keep it from getting boring, or whatever. I literally don’t have time to do any of that!”

“So, you’re inflicting this on them instead?”

“Inflicting?” I snorted.  “Hardly. This is their final exam, their capstone project, their dissertation.  If they pull this off, I will gladly hand the entire office over to whoever is elected, cheerfully and knowing the Ark is in good hands.  But, they have to pull this off.  It’s the only major part of being Councilor of Resources and Relations that they haven’t done yet by themselves.”

He rubbed his face, looking somewhat impressed. “That’s honestly not what I was expecting.”

“I don’t think it ever is, honestly.” I shrugged at the question he glanced towards me. “For Evan, it was coordinating the weapons exhibitions.  Charly managed to pre-empt her own by designing more efficient aqueducts and filtration for when we reach Von - you know, the ones that also produce light?”

“Of course she would invent glow-in-the-dark plumbing. Who else?” Something caught up with him. “Evania Josue got away with planning an event? Seriously?”

“Oh, that’s right… you weren’t on Level One…” I murmured. When he only looked more confused, I clarified. “She was Maverick’s co-pilot when we needed people to pilot the Ark, which was not designed to pilot manually, via dead reckoning, using cameras pointed out the few viewports we have, for several weeks after the sensors were sabotaged.”

“She was whose co-pilot?”

“You really never heard this story? You practically live with seven people who were there…”

“Usually I get the bits about ‘Sophia nearly got her brains bashed out’ and ‘that traitorous bitch’, then start tuning out while I try to decide what it would take to get Charly to teach me necromancy… If Evan was the co-pilot, then why is Maverick….”

“Not in line to replace any Councilors? Arthur, we know that would be a disaster for him.”

He nodded reluctantly. “Your younger partner is a nice boy.”

“For fuck’s sake, he’s thirty seven!” I groaned.

“Nice man, whatever,” he waved off. “Which is exactly what I would like for you as a partner. You need nice partners, and blunt siblings. But I see what you mean about him being a Councilor… he’d be miserable.”

“What was yours?” I asked mischievously, dropping my chin onto my hands.

That earned me a flat stare, until he finally surrendered when I didn’t flinch. “The Twentieth/Early Twenty First History curriculum.”

“Seriously?” That had literally been the first thing he had done when Eino tapped him as a possible successor.

“I didn’t budge on points even he admitted he would have, out of fear of offending people.”

“Which is a fear you very much lack,” I pointed out.

“The truth is the truth. Coating it in sugar only makes it taste worse.” He shrugged nonchalantly before suddenly looking dangerously like he was thinking again. “There’s two of them.”

“Yes, Arthur. Hanna and Paravati are, in fact, two distinct and separate women-type-lady-people.”

“Thank you, Fee, I was well aware.” I suppressed a growl at the nickname - he knew I hated it. “I meant, only one can win the election, smartass.”

“Better to be a smartass than a dumbass,” I muttered.

“Sophia, you are forty five. Please grow up just a hair?”

“Tyche doesn’t want to be HR forever, you know.”

That brought his mind to a visibly screeching halt. “Wait, what?”

“What what?” I asked. “She does it because she is phenomenal at it, but it isn’t her passion.  She only stuck around as long as she did to make sure I didn’t trip over a chair and brain myself while I was at work.  When I’m gone, she’s gone, loser take the spoils.”

He whistled softly before shaking his head. “It’s bizarre to think of you two retiring around the same time I’m just starting the position.”

“I’ll have been a Councilor for a decade when I step down,” I pointed out.  I almost included unless I die first, but that never seemed to be as funny as I thought it was.

“But you aren’t that much older than me,” he sighed dramatically. “Anti-aging technology is frustrating.”

“Annnnd this is a natural extension of your career, with a ten year break thereabouts the middle.”  My grin was so bright it made him scowl before I finally got a begrudging smile.  “Think of it as getting elected head of the school board.”

The groan he let out probably echoed for several levels throughout the ship. I had basically just pointed out that he was becoming that which he most hated.

Or not. He seemed to recover with a gleam in his eye. “Pfft. Dean of Students, at the very least.”

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[amostimprobabledream]

And He Walks With Flames (Dabi x Reader) - Part One

They say humans, in a strange, ironic twist of fate, owe their magic to demons. A thousand years ago, they walked the earth, wreaking destruction and chaos wherever they tread. Humans were no more than meat for the slaughter, or glorified playthings for their amusement. The first generation of humans to fight back against their monstrous oppressors did so by a peculiar, ancient magic. A power that could repel demons and bring hope to all humanity. A terrible war raged for the fate of the world and the humans managed to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. The demons were banished to their land of origin, sealed away in defeat. But seals don't last forever. While historians argue on how literal these legends may be, there is no denying that ancient creature have begun to stir, appearing in our world again with growing frequency. And soon there might- The last paragraph was torn away. "Oh, for god's sake," you tsk. Sunlight pours through the large, high window of your lecture room, dust motes dancing in the golden rays. Though you were engrossed in your book, once you look up, the spell is broken, and the clear sky outside once again has your eyes wandering to it. It seems that you are not the only one getting distracted, either - even the professor keeps tapering off at the promise of an afternoon outside in the gorgeous spring weather. "Well," the professor says, shuffling the papers in front of her. "That's all for today. Please revise over the material and we'll discuss it in further detail next time. You are all free to go." You're only too happy to comply, putting your things away and scrambling to your feet. Everyone else is hurrying to get outside, pouring down the stairs to the doors, chattering to one another as they go. Normally you love going to lectures, but it's just too nice outside to be cooped up indoors. You push open the doors and step outside, a muted sigh of pleasure leaving your mouth. Your university, the Royal Academy of Magic, has the reputation for being tough, but so far, you've been enjoying the work. Learning about the different faces of magic, its uses, and the history of it, it's all so very fascinating to you. You've been able to use magic since you were young, but it's studying it here that will really help you unlock your true potential, and hopefully give you a concrete idea of what to aim for with your career. So far there are so many options a magic-user might do that it's been a little overwhelming trying to decide. As you cross the lawns, grass crunching beneath your feet, you decide to swing by your dorm first to drop off your books - they may contain a lot of knowledge, but damn if they're not heavy - your mother pointed out that you've developed something of a slouch since you started studying here. "I'm back!" you call as you push open the door of your dormitory. "Huh?" Kendou looks up from her bed, where she has a couple of books sprawled out next to her head, notes scribbled in the margins of her notebook as she looks over her textbook. Her red hair spills down her shoulder, coming loose from its signature ponytail. "You're back early!" "Yeah, they let us out sooner than I expected," you reply with a shrug and a small laugh, dropping your bag on your own bed and stretching, wincing as a kink in your shoulder pops. "Oh, well, that's good timing, someone came by earlier with a message for you," Kendou says, pushing herself up into a sitting position, apparently deciding your arrival is a good a reason as any to take a break from studying. "Your mother wants you to go down to the Imperial Research Centre to get your father." "Did she come by here?" you ask in surprise. Normally your mother arranges to meet you after lectures or seminars if she wants to see you during the week, and she's a rather busy woman besides. "No, she left a message at the front desk and someone passed it along," Kendou shrugs. "But she also said you guys are doing something tonight, right?" "Oh, yes, I'd forgotten all about that!" you say, feeling silly that it could

possibly have slipped your mind - you love it when you get to go out for a meal with your parents and often it means one of them has some exciting news to share. "Thanks, Kendou, I'll head over there now." She grins and gives a little wave. “No problem!” You suppose it's fortunate that the Imperial Research Centre is only a short walk from the campus and that you're very familiar with the place, since your father's been working there for so long. Anyway, it's a pleasant walk, the way there is lined with rows of trees that are only a week or two away from growing from dark to light pink and shedding their blossoms. When the street is in full bloom, it's like there's been a wedding. You even find yourself humming as you walk, breathing in the subtle smell of flowers on the breeze, wondering to yourself if the blossom trees were planted before or after the buildings were founded, but either way, whoever was responsible for them made a good call. The Imperial Research Centre is a peculiar building, made of blue stone and with a roof that boasts four conical points, one in each corner, making it resemble a castle from bygone days just plopped in the middle of the city. There's an aura of mystery to it, too, hinting at the all-important, life-changing work that’s always going on inside. If ever cutting-edge technology is released to the public, odds were that the Centre had a hand in making it. The building is cooler on the inside than it is outdoors, powered by a system designed to spread cool or warm air throughout the entire building, depending on the system. You approach the front desk, wishing that you'd thought to bring a jacket, because it’s always cold in here during the warm seasons, and the receptionist glances up on you with a slightly dismissive expression on her face. It's probably because she thinks you're an overeager student or some hapless intern, it's very rare a researcher your age would be able to work here. "May I help you?" the receptionist asks in a cool, professional tone. "Yes, I'm here to see my father," you reply. "He's one of the vice executives here." You give his surname, and the woman pauses. Is that a trace of nervousness you can see? "He's downstairs in Containment Room 1A," she says, checking a sheet of paper on the desk, which is littered with various papers, random pieces of stationary and one of those magitech intercom systems that they use. They have something similar at the Academy too, though of course, the Centre get the most high-tech version of everything. "All right, thanks," you say, turning to head for the elevator. "Wait!" the woman cries out and you glance back, confused. "I'm sorry, but you can't just walk through here, especially to the lower levels! You don't have the clearance and it can be dangerous." You scoff in disbelief. You have visited your father here before, many times, and this has never been a problem for you before. You always just tell them who you are and then get a visitor's pass. You even know some of the codes to the doors, thanks to waiting around for your father to finish work so often. "Well, please can you have someone go fetch him for me?" you ask, going to reluctantly perching on one of the chairs in the waiting area. "Can't it wait?" the receptionist asks impatiently, and maybe it can, but her attitude is starting to piss you off, so you shoot her a frosty smile you've perfected after watching your mother pull a similar face at people who don't meet her standards. "No, it can't." The woman sighs but she dutifully presses a button on the intercom system and speaks quietly into it for a moment or two, while you idly pick at a loose thread on the chair you're sitting on. She then glances back at you, eyebrows raised. "A messenger has been sent down to speak to him. Hopefully he should be upstairs shortly." "Thank you so much." you reply sweetly, the last words with heavy emphasis. After that, the two of you sit in a mutually frosty silence, with the woman sorting through paperwork on her desk and occasionally

directing people who approach her desk to the correct floor (which seems redundant to you - why can't people just read the clearly printed sign on the wall next to her desk ?), while you flick through some glossy magazines without actually taking in a single word. But you're not leaving until you've spoken to your father. Minutes tick by and you start drumming your heel lightly on the floor, leg jiggling with impatience. You wonder if the woman just lied about sending a messenger down to the Containment Room in an effort to pacify you, in the hopes you'll just get bored and leave. You grit your jaw at the thought, ignoring how cold you're getting, sitting here doing nothing. After maybe ten minutes, a man in a lab coat approaches the front desk, leaning over to speak to the woman. "Kino, could you come with me a moment? Hannah can start her shift." "Oh, I'll be right there!" Kino says, flustered, getting out from behind the desk and following the man as he walks briskly down the corridor, without a backwards glance at you. No doubt her replacement will be along any moment - perhaps she's running late? But you don't plan on sticking around. As soon as the receptionist rounds the corner, out of sight, you spring up and walk briskly across the room to the elevators, stabbing the button and stepping through the doors. You don't bother to fight the smile that spreads across your face as the doors slide shut. ~ "Father?" There's always something slightly creepy about the lower floors. The orbs lining the walls that are designed to keep the machinery running in case of a power shortage cast an eerie glow in the corridors, washing everything with a pale blue light that makes it seem far colder than it actually is. It reminds you a bit of walking through a tunnel of ice. Your boots click on the stone floor as you follow the lights to Containment Room A1. Finally, you reach the double doors leading inside, flanked by two windows each side. You can see your father inside, his back to you, so you rap on the windows. Nothing. You try again with more force, hurting your knuckles, but he still doesn't turn around. Perhaps it's soundproofed, so whatever's out here can't disturb whatever's going on in there? You glance at the keypad next to the doors, but you've never been to this particular room before so the code for the doors on the upper level is unlikely to be the same one for down here. Then you see movement, shadows beneath the crack between door and floor, and the doors slide open with a mechanical swish and two scientists in lab coats come out, comparing notes and murmuring together excitedly. You slip inside before they can slam shut again, unwilling to stand outside in the chilly corridor for any longer than necessary. "Father!" you call out as you enter. But then you stop dead in your tracks. Ahead of you, trapped behind some kind of containment field...is a monster. "What-?!" you hear your father say in surprise at his daughter suddenly marching through the doors. "What are you doing in here?!" But you don't answer. You can't look away from what's in front of you, even if you wanted to. You know without being told that this is a demon, but it's certainly not what they looked like in any of your history books. A tall, humanoid being that is undoubtedly male and you can tell from where you’re standing that he’s tall. The demon's huge, black wings arch out from behind him, reminding you of a bat. Two horns jut out from a crown of spiky black hair, but aside from that, you're surprised by how… human he looks. Your cheeks warm up as you notice he is shirtless, peculiar burn marks covering over half of his body and seemingly crudely stitched together like a patchwork doll. Despite that, he's impressively sculpted, sinewy muscles on full display and you know that demons were said to be uncommonly strong. Your eyes drift further down, and you spot a whiplike tail wrapped around one leg, topped with a pointed barb at the end, like a club in a game of cards. His arms are in restraints and so are his

ankles, yet he doesn't seem stressed in any way, leaning against the back wall of his holding cell as though he's waiting for something. "What...is this?" you breathe out, finally turning to your father. "This is our latest research subject," your father replies beside you, also staring at the demon, though his expression is surprisingly somber, considering just how amazing it is that they have been able to capture and contain a demon. You've never seen a live demon before, and something tells you that the one before you certainly isn't any garden variety one. "Director Fuji is very excited about this. It's not every day you see a demon this high ranking." Slowly, the demon stirs, raising his head a little. You're perfectly safe outside the containment field, as well was the multiple other safety measures both inside the cell and out of it, yet the sensation of being watched makes your flesh break out in goosebumps. From beneath spiky fronds of hair, the demon's eyes - so blue they almost don't look real - stare right at you, his gaze alone rooting you to the spot, laying all your defenses bare and leaving you feeling bizarrely naked before that look. Watching you without once blinking or breaking his gaze, his lips part in a sneer to reveal two rows of teeth, the fangs sharp and white as an icicle. You find yourself holding your breath as your father speaks again. "Sweetheart, meet Dabi."