#stories to tell. to hear. things to see. things to share

[edamameimei]

everything you wanted

"you're just thinking it's a small thing that happened, the world ended when it happened to me."

pairing: daniela avanzini x reader (childhood best friends!au)

synopsis: after an unexpected accident shakes their world, your friends make it their mission to carry out what seems to be your 'final wish.' however, what they discover goes deeper than anticipated.

feat: winter from aespa, soobin and yeonjun from txt

so much angst im so sorry. there are points where it's kinda fluffy, but do not be fooled. loosely based off the kdrama 'move to heaven,' more specifically, episode 5 (ifykyk). CW: character death, kissing, swearing

wc: 4271 words

now playing: we hug now - sydney rose

It was any other night for you. 

After consuming a copious amount of caffeine, you are finally done studying. You look at your watch, sighing tiredly when the screen displays 2:00 AM. You rub your face with your hands. What you thought would be a short study session became much longer than anticipated. You didn’t realize how behind you were. 

You slowly stuff your laptop into your bag, zipping it up then swinging it over your shoulder. You yawn as you make your way toward the library exit. When you walk outside, you can’t help the quiet, ‘fuck’ that escapes your mouth. 

It’s a torrential downpour tonight; your measly hoodie was the only thing you had.

You put your hood on, shaking your head as you walk quickly to your apartment. It was only a couple blocks away but in this weather, it might as well feel like years. You keep your head down as you walk, shivering with every step. You’re relieved when you finally get to the crosswalk that leads straight to your apartment building.

You step out onto the street, not thinking to look both ways. It was late and your brain was fried, having any rational thoughts at this point is impossible. 

But as you keep your head down, your eyes trained on your feet, you don’t notice the headlights getting closer. You don’t hear the rev of an engine or the music that blasts loudly from a vehicle. You just wanted to be in bed already.

You don’t notice until you hear the ugly screech of the tires. 

You look up, your eyes immediately widening when you realize. You raise your hands, the world going silent in a blink of an eye. 

You meet Daniela Avanzini in the 8th grade.

You were tasked with tutoring the younger student due to your above-average knowledge of the subject she was struggling with. The only thing you know about the girl is that she’s quite loud, very sociable, and is terrible at science– things you are not. 

You sit in the classroom waiting for the girl. Your nose is in yet another book, so entranced by the story that you don’t even notice when she walks in. You only look up when you hear the chair next to you being pulled out. When you see her, you immediately freeze. 

She was undeniably the prettiest person you have ever seen. 

She holds her hand out, smiling widely, “Daniela Avanzini.”

You grab her hand and shake it. It almost feels like a promise. “Y/n L/n.” 

Your closest friends stand at your apartment door, a sad silence surrounding them. 

It felt wrong. Going into your apartment with you nowhere to be seen. 

But, after the funeral, your parents asked them to go through your things. They asked for your awards, certificates, medals, but nothing else. The rest is junk. It enraged them to think that’s all you ever were to your parents and even after death, it’s still the same. You often complained about them, telling stories about how they pushed you to be just like them. But you were nothing like them. You were just as hard working, that much was obvious. But you had your goals set on something else. It wasn’t medical school nor your research in the labs. But it was something you kept to yourself, never once sharing with your friends. 

And they are determined to figure out what that was.

Winter leans down, removing the mat lying in front of your door. She picks up the key, shaking her head with a chuckle. “For a genius, what a stupid place to keep a key.” Soobin laughs and so does Yeonjun. They watch as Winter unlocks the door. At the same time, they all realize that you will not be inside waiting for them. You will not be three energy drinks in, studying at your desk. You will not be lying on your couch, cozied in your blankets with a book. You will never be in this apartment again and it doesn’t make sense because it’s yours. 

Soobin walks in first and the others follow suit. They stand in the hallway, taking it all in. After a few moments of silence, they walk into your room. They’ve been in your apartment almost a thousand times but this time it felt unknown. What usually feels homey now feels desolate without its warm presence. The feeling intensifies when they walk into your room.

The bed wasn’t made. It was as if you were there this morning. 

The thought almost makes them want to turn around. The desire to leave everything untouched becomes unbearable. At least then, there would be evidence that you were there. It wouldn’t matter how long ago, you would be there and you would be alive. 

Your desk was littered with papers, some crumpled up while others had words scratched out with a pen. The trashcan was filled with coffee cups and energy drink cans. Yeonjun walks over to the nightstand, spotting your ID badge. He picks it up and stares at it for a moment. 

Y/N L/N. 4TH YEAR PRE-MED INTERN. EMORY MEDICAL RESEARCH CENTER. 

His lip trembles as he looks at your ID photo. “We were gonna graduate in three months…” He shakes his head and pockets your ID, wanting it as a keepsake. It’s a weird thing to have sentimental value over; but grief does that unfortunately. Yeonjun turns around and walks back toward Winter and Soobin. They found an empty spot on the floor to sit, not wanting to sit on your bed. Yeonjun sits next to them and takes a deep breath. He lets out a shaky sigh. “Well. This is really fucking weird.” Winter laughs. She tries not to let the tears brimming her eyes to fall. She looks down at her lap and whispers, “What now?” 

Soobin shrugs his shoulders. He leans back, propping himself up with his arms. He looks around your room with a sad smile. “We find what we’re looking for.” 

You are known as an academic weapon to your teachers and peers.

You aren’t a natural by any means. It takes a lot of sacrifice to be as smart as you are. Other kids your age are going out and having fun while you are at home, studying for an exam weeks away. The determination was built into you, wired this way by your parents who believe in nothing less than perfect. You had a destiny to fulfill and you were dedicated to it. If it meant long hours of studying at the library, in study hall, or at home, then so be it.  

But your favorite study spot by far is on the bleachers. 

It sounds ridiculous because it is. It doesn’t make sense for you to like it so much. It’s the noisiest place to be, especially after school. The constant yelling from the football team, the shrill of a whistle every five minutes, the cheerleading squad repeating the same routine over and over again. The bleachers were an overstimulating nightmare. 

But it gives you the best view of Daniela Avanzini, your best friend in the entire world. 

You learned more about the Latina through the many tutoring sessions in middle school. Even after she began to improve in science, Daniela insisted on still meeting with you. You learned she was very dedicated to dancing and performing. She wanted to become a star. For the first time, your life wasn’t consumed by formulas and medical terminology. You secretly lived vicariously through the girl, seeing her chase a dream that was all hers. You had no dreams. 

You just had to get into medical school. That’s all you knew. 

After some convincing (and her not willing to let go of you when you were desperately trying to make your way toward the school’s library) you finally made use of the time waiting for Daniela to finish cheer practice. You wouldn’t admit it, but after a couple of weeks, it has become one of your favorite places. Watching Daniela cheer became a new hobby of yours. She shined on the field, her bright smile lighting up the student section even when their football team loses yet another game. The feeling you get watching her is the same when you attend her dance competitions. You feel proud to be her best friend. And you even feel special when you are always the first person she runs up to when they’re over. 

Daniela never lets you forget how important you are to her. 

And in return, you’ve never missed a football game when she started on the team last year. You haven’t missed a cheer competition nor a dance competition. Every single thing Daniela participated in, you were there. She always urged you to do the same, to join an activity so she had something of yours to go to, but you always had the same excuse. You were just too busy. And why should you? You’d miss the way Daniela looks up at you in the bleachers after practicing well. The way she smiles as if looking for approval. And you’d always smile back because she always does well. 

After practice ends, you always wait for her outside the locker room. When she comes out, she makes a beeline toward you, interlocking your fingers immediately. She would always look up at you with a smile, her dimple evident in her cheek. She asks, “Did you like what we did today?” And even if it’s always the same thing, you always nod, squeezing her hand gently, “Of course I did, sunshine.” The nickname never fails to make her giggle. You called her that once during one of your tutoring sessions in middle school, and she never let it go. 

She pushes your glasses up on your face, leaning up to place a lingering kiss on your cheek. When she pulls away, she giggles, grabbing your hand again. She pulls you toward your car. “Come on, make yourself useful and get me ice cream!” You roll your eyes, allowing her to drag you. You playfully respond, “What do you say, sunshine?” 

She giggles again. “Please make yourself useful and get me ice cream?” 

You didn’t need the please. You just wanted to hear her laugh again. 

Your friends return to Soobin’s apartment after digging around your apartment for hours. 

They sit on his couch and in front of them on the coffee table is a locked box. They found it hiding amongst your old medical textbooks underneath your bed. They were always curious about this box. They’ve watched you put things in it before but your friends always respected your privacy, never asking about it or bringing it up. But they knew whatever was inside held the answers to their question. 

The only problem is the lock on it. 

Yeonjun suggested picking the lock (“We don’t know how to do that.” “YouTube is our best friend, you know?”) and Winter says to break it open (“How do you intend on doing that?” “Just… Smash it open?”) but Soobin feels it would only be right to figure out the combination. When he says this, Yeonjun raises his eyebrow. “Are you serious? We don’t even know what’s in here. And you think we can just figure out a combination?” Soobin sighs. He knows it sounds stupid, but he already feels bad for invading your personal life like this. After a few seconds of silence, Winter picks up the box. Soobin reaches his hand out, scared she may try her idea, but she pushes him away, fiddling with the lock. “Trust me! Let me try something…” 

The two boys watch Winter work on it. Their eyes widen when they hear the lock click open. She pulls it off, surprised as well. Yeonjun leans over, the shock evident in his voice, “How’d you figure it out that fast?” 

Winter shrugs, looking down at the box in her lap. “I tried their phone passcode. 0701.”

It’s your senior year, and your feelings for Daniela have evolved to a point where they have become distracting. 

Your parents have noticed your lack of focus on your studies. Being the child of two well-known doctors in Atlanta made it even more difficult for you. There was a title to uphold and a pressure for you to be just like them. Before meeting Daniela, it was something you’ve accepted. You had your entire future figured out before you were even born. After meeting Daniela though, the free spirit that she is, made you realize there’s a lot more to life than the expectations your parents set for you. 

There were days where you’d stay longer in study hall, attempting to study for your AP classes. But it would be immediately forgotten once Daniela joins you. On the days where she isn’t at cheer or dance practice, she would join you wherever you are. She’d sit next to you, taking out her homework or the latest book she had begun reading. She would put her glasses on and get lost in her task, while you took glances at her shamelessly. 

It always confused you on why she’d spend all her free time with you when she had her own life to live. 

When you arrive at school in the mornings, you’d find her standing at her locker talking to her friends from cheer or class. The moment she spots you, she’s ending the conversation and attaching herself to your hip. No one at your school understood your friendship with Daniela. You were always so quiet, so timid. Daniela was energetic and everyone knew her name. But no one would ever see one or the other, they always saw you and her. And that’s how it always was. 

Until one morning. 

You walked into school expecting to see Daniela at her locker. However, you spot her on the other side of the hallway. She stands with a boy you recognize from the football team. You watch as they interact and your stomach drops when she places her hand on his shoulder. You see them laugh together and you have to will yourself to look away when you see her light up at whatever the boy says. You walk quickly down the hallway, avoiding her eyes. You don’t stop when she calls your name. You just keep going, ignoring the stinging in your chest. 

It goes on like this for a week. And then two weeks. Then suddenly, you’ve stopped keeping track of how long it has been since you talked to Daniela. You have exams and projects to focus on.

You walk out of study hall, your eyes on your phone as you walk toward the exit. However, you bump into something– or someone more like it. When you look up, your eyes widen. 

It’s Daniela. 

She has her arms crossed and she is glaring at you with that intense look in her eyes. You check your watch, noticing she should have been on the bus to go to the game 15 minutes ago. You’re about to say something but Daniela pushes you, successfully knocking you back a couple steps. You look at her surprised. The Latina steps closer to you, jabbing a finger into your chest. “What the hell has gotten into you lately?” You look away from her, your voice shaking slightly, “I don’t know what you’re talking about…” She scoffs, crossing her arms again. Her tone comes out even harsher than before. “You’ve been avoiding me. I thought you were just busy with everything but you haven’t even answered my texts! You won’t even look at me anymore, what the hell is going on?!” 

You look at her, exasperated. “Dani, I don’t need to always–” 

She cuts you off, yelling, “Don’t call me that!” Her words make you roll your eyes. You try to walk away but she grabs your wrist and stops you. You turn toward her, your tone firm, “Let me go, Daniela.” But once the words leave your mouth, you regret them immediately. Your eyes soften when you see how hurt she looks. Tears are threatening to spill from her eyes and her lip trembles. She whispers, her voice cracking, “What did I do wrong?” The desperation in her voice breaks your heart. Knowing you’re the reason makes you feel worse. You shake your head, taking a deep breath. “You didn’t do anything wrong, sunshine.”

She wipes her eyes and you want to reach out and wipe her tears for her. She looks up at you, her eyes glistening. “Then what’s up with you? You’re supposed to be my best friend…” She shakes her head and looks down at her feet. “I don’t know what I’d do without you, Y/n.” 

Her words knock the wind out of you. Without a second thought, you grab her by the waist, pulling her in for a kiss. She doesn’t respond at first. You begin to think that you’ve ruined everything, that you’ve lost Daniela completely. You’re about to pull away but she grabs your shirt and pulls you closer. Her lips move against yours desperately and it makes your knees weak. 

For the first time in your life, you have something worth fighting for. 

On top of everything lies an envelope. 

Yeonjun grabs it. He takes a deep breath and opens it slowly. His hands shake as he pulls out two pieces of paper. 

One is a one-way ticket to Los Angeles. 

The other is a concert ticket. 

Winter takes the concert ticket from his hands, studying it. She can’t help the giggle that escapes her lips. “Katseye?”

Your first semester at Emory is a nightmare. 

After years of being able to breeze through any assignment and project, you now find yourself struggling to keep up with the demands of what it takes to be a pre-med student. 

You’re consuming more caffeine than you ever did in your life, there are days you’re not even sure if you ate anything besides a granola bar you found at the bottom of your bookbag, and amongst all of your fellow pre-med colleagues, you feel somewhat inadequate. 

You’re sitting at your desk in your dorm when you hear your phone begin to ring. You want to ignore it knowing your exam is in the morning, but your eyes briefly land on the name. You grab your phone, answering it immediately. You lean back in your chair and smile. “Hey there, sunshine.” 

“I’m outside.” You sit up, your eyes wide and your heart beating out of your chest. Your smile gets wider as you stand. “Are you serious?” She giggles, responding, “Come outside and find out.” You speed walk toward your door, your hand on the door knob but Daniela stops you. “Nuh uh. It’s cold out here, put on a sweater.” You roll your eyes, groaning, “How do you know I’m not wearing one?” The silence on the other end is the only response you get and it causes you to sigh, quickly grabbing one of the hoodies you threw on the ground earlier. You sprint downstairs and hear Daniela laughing on the other end at your excitement. You run out the door and spot her immediately. 

You run toward your girlfriend, wrapping your arms around her waist. You spin her around and her loud squeals cause you to smile even wider. When you put her down, you lean in, kissing her softly. She places her hands on your cheeks, deepening the kiss. You pull her closer as if you were scared this was all a dream. After a few minutes, she pulls away, looking at you with stars in her eyes. You kiss her dimple before pulling her back for a tight hug, burying your face in her shoulder. You murmur, “What are you doing here?” 

She giggles, running a hand through your hair. “To see you, dummy.” You pull away slightly to look at her in surprise. “You drove almost an hour to see me?” She nods, wrapping her arms around your neck. She leans in and kisses your nose. “I missed you…” You pull her in for another tight hug and chuckle. “I missed you too, sunshine.” You hold her close, your worries disappearing. You’re about to ask her to come inside but she speaks up, saying, “I do have something to tell you.” You pull away, your arms still around her waist. You notice the excitement in her eyes and tilt your head in curiosity. “What’s up?” 

She takes a deep breath. She speaks softly,  “Do you remember that audition I was telling you about?” You light up at her words, nodding quickly. “Yeah! Did it go well?” Daniela bites her lip and nods. You hug her again, shaking her excitedly. You remember how nervous she was for her audition, but you knew she’d do well. She always does. 

However, you notice a shift in her mood. You pull away, placing your hands on her shoulders. You look at her worriedly. “That’s a good thing, right?” Daniela looks down when she hears your words. She whispers, her voice barely audible, “I’m going to California.”  

Soobin continues sifting through the box and pulls out a stack of letters that are neatly kept together with a rubber band. Yeonjun and Winter lean closer to him, watching as he pulls the rubber band off with caution. He goes through the letters and notices they are all addressed to you. They’re all dated and signed off by the same person. 

‘Your Sunshine.’

Yeonjun grabs one of the letters. Unlike the others, this one was mailed to you. He opens it, taking it out of its envelope. “This one is from three years ago…” Winter looks at it, her eyes scanning for anything important. She sits up straighter when she reads the words ‘Dream Academy.’ She reads the whole paragraph aloud: “I know you’re not happy about me going to Los Angeles. About me being on Dream Academy. But this is everything I’ve ever worked for. I can’t give it up for anything, I’m sorry. You have your dream and I have mine.”

Soobin looks at her with a raised eyebrow. “What does that have to do with anything?” Winter grabs the envelope that contains the two tickets. She holds it up, waving it around, “Y/n was going to Los Angeles–” Yeonjun cuts her off, adding, “Yeah? They got a job at the UCLA Medical Research Center there… That wasn’t that surprising.” Winter rolls her eyes, continuing, “They weren’t just going to Los Angeles for a job, dumbass. They were going for whoever this is.” She opens the envelope, taking out the Katseye ticket. “And I think it’s someone from this group.” 

Yeonjun leans back against the couch, chuckling. “You’re joking right?” Winter shakes her head. She looks back at the letter, putting the pieces together. “Dream Academy was the survival show that created Katseye… It just makes sense.” And no one can deny it, it certainly does make sense. But it all seems so far fetched. If anything, they could be putting together a story that doesn’t exist at all. They sit in silence, not knowing what to do with the information in front of them. Winter sighs and puts the letter down. She looks at the two boys with a determination in her eyes. 

“There’s one way we could try… Seeing if I’m right.” 

Daniela breaks up with you over the phone. 

It wasn’t a long phone call. But it did enough to crush you. 

She tells you that the distance is too much to handle. She tells you that she needs to focus on training. She tells you how she can’t be distracted. 

When the phone call ends, you can’t help but feel you’re back at square one. 

You sit in your dorm, taking a glance at your anatomy textbook. You push it off your desk, tears spilling from your eyes. 

An hour later, they move their investigation to Winter’s apartment.

They sit in her room, waiting patiently for your phone to charge. It was given to her by the police when they came to break the news of the accident. Your driver’s license still had the address of when you and Winter lived together in your second and third year at Emory, which led to her being the unfortunate one to know what happened first. 

She was also the unfortunate one to identify the body.

The sound of your phone turning on fills the silence of the room. They turn their heads, looking at it. Your lockscreen was all of you together during a trip you all took last spring. You’re all smiling widely, holding each other close. Even through the cracks on the screen, the photo still emanates a happiness that they are afraid of never getting back. 

Soobin grabs your phone and looks at the others, his hands shaking. They watch him unlock it ‘0701’ and swipe for your contacts. He sighs in relief when he sees you haven’t blocked the contact he had been looking for. 

‘Sunshine <3’

“What if they pick up?” He whispers, looking up from your phone. Winter shrugs and keeps her eyes on her lap. She speaks quietly, “I guess we’ll see.” Soobin nods and looks back down at the contact. He taps on it, putting it on speaker for everyone else to hear. 

To their surprise, the person answers on the first ring. 

“Y/n? Are you okay?” 

a/n: i literally have no clue how this idea came to mind considering I watched the drama like two years ago but hey! heartbreaking content! i lowk don't recommend watching it bc it is so sad and it took a lot of mental energy for me to finish but it was so good. watch it if you'd like some context, esp episode 5 but u rlly don't have to.

also, ik this was pretty long so there will be a part 2! stay tuned!

requests are open

[trippinsorrows]

dreamland: the rough patch

authors note: idk. i wanted to write something. this is what came out of my opening google docs. been sitting on this concept for a while anyway, so why not?

not really tagging anyone, cause idk, this is too short for a taglist. if ya see it, ya see it. 😭

warnings: angst

*** gif belongs to @dejameflorecer ***

words: 1.7k (see, i can write short shit!)

The door being closed does nothing.

It muffles, but it doesn’t sound it out completely. Doesn’t provide the soundproof barrier prayed and hoped for by Leya who sits on her bed, her baby sister pressed up against her side, the story book of the night on her lap.

Though something tells her that Aroha isn’t paying attention to the tale of a beautiful princess and the handsome prince who came to save her.

She’s paying attention to something else entirely.

“And the princess said to the prince—”

“Leya?” 

The minute Aroha’s soft voice interrupts Cataleya from finishing her sentence, she knows what’s about to be asked. She just does.

Leya does her best to maintain her smile. “Yes, Roro?”

Aroha’s previously neutral expression slips into something solemn and almost fearful. “Why are mommy and daddy fighting again?”

Leya’s eyes shut. 

She knew it.

Knew it was only a matter of time before it was asked. Aroha may only be five, but she has eyes. Eyes that can see every time their parents avoid eye contact or minimally interact when in the same room. Can see every time it’s Leya who knocks on her door to read her a bedtime story cause mommy and daddy are “busy.” Ears that can hear the arguing that’s transpired more often than usual for their parents. 

Arguing that’s been happening the past two weeks. Increasing in frequency. And intensity.

But, Aroha is also only five, thus she doesn’t need to know all the ins and outs. Truth be told, Cataleya doesn’t either. She tries not to think too much about it, as it spikes her own anxiety. Causes her to face what could be a devastating reality. 

A knock on the door leads to it opening, followed by a set of faces. Leya and Aroha’s siblings. All of them. 

And, they all look the same sans Tama and Lina.

Worried.

Wordlessly, the kids load into Leya’s room, Lina closing the door behind them. Samaria is the first to speak.

“They’re fighting again.”

Leya casts a glance over to her twin, grateful for her sudden presence. Lina has always been much better at handling things like this.

“Couples fight sometimes, Aria,” she supplies, forcing a small smile. Leya and Tama see right through it. “It happens.”

Koa is the first to speak up, poking a hole in the defense. “But, they’ve been fighting a lot.” He looks over at his twin, prompting Kai to supply his own counter as well.

“And mom and dad never fight.”

Leya doesn’t say anything. That’s not necessarily true. She’s definitely seen them argue on an occasion or two. 

But….never like this.

It’s never been like this.

“They’ve just got a lot going on, you guys.” Tama attempts to cheer up his younger siblings, seeing the worry on all their faces. “That’s all.”

But, it’s Aroha who says and voices what all of the Reign’s kids are secretly thinking, just afraid to say.

Looking up at Leya, Lina, and Tama, her biggest siblings, she asks in the most innocent, heartbreaking voice, “are mommy and daddy gonna get a divorce?” Just hearing it makes Leya’s stomach drop. A shared sentiment for all the kids.

Still, she does her best to remain calm. “Aroha….” Cataleya closes the book, pulling Aroha onto her lap as the rest of the kids sit on the edge of her bed and the seats spread across her room. “Where—where did you learn about that?”

Aroha pouts, her voice so soft and sweet in nature. “My friend Raya’s mommy and daddy got a divorce, and now she only sometimes sees her mommy and sometimes sees her daddy.” Aroha’s eyes begin to water, followed by sniffling. “I don’t wanna live with mommy or daddy. I wanna live with mommy and daddy.”

“Oh, Roro….” Cataleya welcomes her into her chest, allowing her to silent cry, to let out her emotions. “It’s gonna be okay.”

“Mom and dad would never get a divorce….right?” A tentative, nervous question asked by Samaria but issued to the OG’s. 

“They would never split us up,” Kai says with a level of conviction that wavers and fumbles as he too falls victim to his fears. “Right?”

It’s only then when the indecision washes over to Lina that she takes charge. “No.” She says, voice firm, drawing the attention of everyone to her. “Mom and dad are not going to get a divorce. No one is separating us. We’re a family, and that’s never going to change.”

Tama nods, recognizing that even if he’s struggling with his own anxiety about the unexpected onset of his parents' marriage problems, there’s no need to worry his siblings more than they already are. “Lina’s right. Mom and dad love each other. They’re just going through something. They’ll figure it out.”

Words that seem to somewhat settle Samaria, Koa, and Kai. Aroha requires a little more consolation from Leya, gentle kisses pressed to the top of her bonnet covered head. 

But, as the Reigns’ children work to comfort each other, the cause of said distress continues, thrives, prolongs longer than necessary down the hall, behind closed doors but never out of hearing distance.

Not from the children.

“Roman.” Solana closes her eyes and rubs her temples. This all feels so circular. “I don’t understand what you’re not understanding.” Because, she truly doesn’t. “I’m just asking you to commu—”

“Communicate with you, I know,” he cuts her off. Solana focuses on him. He looks just as exhausted as she feels. “I heard you the first time, Solana.”

“Then why aren’t you doing it?” She snaps, shaking her head. “Why do I have to keep repeating myself?” Without giving him a chance to respond, she continues, pointing out, “it takes five seconds to text me and tell me you’ll be home late—”

“Yeah, well, sometimes I don’t have five seconds, okay?” He cuts her off once more, running his hand over his face. “I text you when I can, Sol. I always do.”

She scoffs, looking away before crossing her arms. “A half hour after dinner time is not soon enough, Roman.” She points out what was an issue once again just earlier this evening. “I’m worried about you. The kids are wondering where you are—”

“They should know I’m working,” he counters, adding with a level of a defensiveness. “You should tell them I’m working, so they don’t worry.”

“Yes, of course, I’ll just add it to the list of the other 50 million things I’m doing.” Solana says with all the sarcasm before switching back to seriousness. “Roman, I am stretched so thin right now—”

“And you don’t think I am?” He challenges. “Why do you think I’ve been getting back so late?”

Solana hesitates to respond, readying for a generic answer but ultimately settles on the truth. “I don’t even know anymore.”

If she didn’t have her husband’s attention, she most definitely has it now. Roman’s face drops. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

She doesn’t say anything at first, partially wishing she hadn’t let the intrusive thoughts win. But, with the genie out the bottle, there’s no backing away from it now.

“You’re secretive. You come home much later than you have before. You….you don’t talk to me like you used to, and and you—you haven’t touched me—” She stops herself, hating the emotion building up. One minute she was angry with him, and now she’s on the brink of tears. “I just don’t know what’s going on—”

“What are you accusing me of, Solana?” A pointed, straight-forward question that he answers for himself, the devastation, hurt, and anger all palpable. “What, you think I’m fucking cheating on you? Is that what you think?”

Solana shakes her head, standing up from the bed. This is too much. “I can’t do this right now, Roman.”

“No.” He stops her, moving before her, blocking her path from the bathroom. Her destination. “We’re gonna have this discussion right now—”

“I said I don’t want to, Roman.”

“I don’t care.” 

The wrong answer, because as saddened as Solana was before, she’s irritated now. Stepping past him, she stalks over to her dresser, pulling out a change of clothes. “I said no, Roman.” Swallowing, she turns around and matches his intense gaze. “You used to listen to me when I said that.”

A slap in the face. It’s evident in the hurt that flashes in his eyes. That’s heard as he replies, evenly, “and, you used to trust me.”

A devastating blow. On both ends. One that renders both silent for a good moment or two, before Roman is back at it.

“Solana, we need to talk about thi—”

“I can’t, Roman—”

“Avoiding it isn’t going—”

“They found something when I went in for my mammogram.”

Probably the most unexpected thing to leave either set of mouths and most definitelysomething Solana didn’t want to share. Not right now. Not like this.

Because the look on Roman’s face is something she can barely stand to tolerate. His tone and volume have shifted almost entirely. “Wh—what?” She looks away, the tears finally spilling over. “What do you mean they fo—”

“I have follow up testing next week, but in the meantime, I need to not deal with all this stress.” She clasps her hands together, taking a deep breath, voice cracking at the end. “So, when I say I can’t deal with this shit right now, Roman…I can’t deal with it.”

Solana could and maybe should give him more than that. Should elaborate on what is easily the biggest bombshell he—and she—have faced in a while. If, she’s even facing it, because the fact that she’s been sitting on such a thing for almost two weeks speaks volumes. Roman’s correct in that they need to talk, need to sit down and actually try to conversate without it turning into an argument. 

But, not tonight.

Tonight, she can’t and won’t think about anything. 

Because thinking about it means confronting what could easily be a terrifying reality. 

One she refuses to acknowledge.

Not….not unless it becomes something.

[calypso-rt]

Rafe x  A sweet kind Pouge!Reader: Kind of s1, with his hate against Pouges/still fighting too see them as equals. Maybe a oneshot-two shot? Reader’s having bad mental health/depression at the moment and so she decides to head out into nature and camp somewhere for the night to escape. Rafe is fed up with Ward who is constantly belittling him, needing a break and heads to nature to do the same. They both end up getting lost, and losing some of their equipment. Reader is plain and simple not a wilderness person and Rafe has bad luck. Their paths end up crossing and they are forced to be there for each other for the night, or well Rafe is the only one complaining, she tries to be cordial and friendly. Maybe his annoyance for her further effects her depression since she’s already feeling like a burden for existing. And maaaaaybe……..they have to share a sleepingbag together in order to keep warm and Rafe is the one who takes that step, not wanting her to be cold and starts feeling protective over her

A/N: what a creative request, I'm so honored you trusted me to create a story out of this. i've fallen in love with sweet pogue reader and rafe thanks to YOUU <3

out of the woods

-> S1 Rafe x F!Sweet!Pogue!Reader

RAFE'S POV

Rafe tells himself he’s not running.

He’s just... getting space. That’s all.

A break.

A second to breathe before Ward’s voice drills another hole into his skull, reminding him that he’s a disappointment. That he needs to step up. That no matter what he does, it’s never enough.

So, yeah. Maybe driving out here, parking his car on the side of a dirt road, and hiking into the woods wasn’t the most well thought out plan. But what was the alternative? Sitting in that house, listening to Ward’s condescending remarks over dinner? Watching Rose pretend not to hear it?

He needed out. Just for a night.

The thing is, Rafe doesn’t actually like nature.

Not in the let’s go on an adventure way.

But right now, the silence is the only thing keeping him from snapping.

He walks aimlessly, hands shoved in his pockets, jaw clenched so tight it aches. The sun is sinking behind the trees, shadows stretching longer across the ground, and he probably should’ve figured out where he was going before stomping off into the woods like an idiot.

He should go back.

But then he thinks about Ward, about the look on his face earlier, the disappointment etched into the syllable of his name, and Rafe keeps walking.

Because right now, being lost out here sounds a hell of a lot better than going home.

...

YOUR POV

You’re not sure when you got lost, but you’re here now.

And here is officially nowhere.

Like Rafe, you told yourself this would help. That getting away for a night, leaving everything behind, would give you the reset you needed. That if you could just be alone, away from the noise, the expectations, the constant weight pressing down on your chest, maybe, just maybe, you’d feel something again.

The forest is too quiet and your backpack is starting to feel heavier, pressing against your shoulders, and when you pull your phone out for the hundredth time, it’s the same thing: No Service.

You swallow hard, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in your chest.

It’s fine. You’ll be fine.

Then, just as you’re debating whether to keep walking or set up camp, a branch snaps behind you.

You whip around so fast it makes you dizzy.

And standing there, looking equally displeased to see you, is Rafe Cameron.

You freeze.

He stares.

For a second, neither of you say anything, just blinking at each other like you’re both trying to process this nightmare.

Then Rafe exhales sharply, running a hand through his already-disheveled hair. "No fucking way."

You swallow, the immediate panic of being lost momentarily replaced with an entirely new kind of dread.

Because Rafe Cameron hates Pogues.

And now you’re stuck in the woods. With him.

You offer a nervous smile, shifting your weight. “Uh… hey?”

Rafe looks you up and down, his lips curling. "Of course it’s a damn Pogue." He shakes his head, muttering under his breath. “This is just fucking great.”

Your stomach twists.

“I—um,” you clear your throat, forcing yourself to stay calm, “I think I might be lost.”

Rafe barks out a humorless laugh. “Wow. Shocker.”

You frown, fingers tightening around the straps of your backpack. “Are you lost?”

His jaw tics. “No.”

You glance pointedly at the overgrown path behind him. “Are you sure?”

Rafe glares. “I don’t need some Pogue thinking she’s smarter than me.”

Your face flushes. “That’s not what I—”

He lets out a sharp exhale, shaking his head. “Out of all the people to run into, it had to be you.”

You bite the inside of your cheek, willing yourself to not take it personally. You know how Rafe is. How he sees you.

Still, it stings.

You shift uncomfortably. “Look, I know you hate me, but I—”

“Hate is a strong word,” Rafe interrupts flatly. Then, after a pause, he scoffs. “Actually, no. That’s accurate.”

You blink, throat tightening.

Okay. Ouch.

You try again, softer. “I didn’t plan on running into you, either. But maybe we should stick together? Just until we find a way back?”

Rafe lets out an incredulous laugh, stepping closer, his height suddenly a little more intimidating. “Yeah? And why the hell would I do that?”

You hesitate. “Because… being alone out here is dangerous?”

Rafe just snorts. “I think I’d take my chances.”

Your stomach twists again, but you push through it, offering him the smallest, most tentative smile. “I don’t want to be a bother, I promise. I just think we’d be safer if we—”

“Holy shit” Rafe groans, tilting his head back like you’re the most exhausting thing in the world. “You sound so fucking desperate.”

Your breath catches.

Something cold curls in your chest.

You look down, trying not to let it show, but Rafe is still staring at you, eyes sharp, waiting for you to fold.

And maybe a part of you wants to.

But instead, you inhale, steadying yourself, and lift your chin just slightly.

“Okay,” you say quietly. “Well, I’ll just keep looking on my own then.”

You turn to leave, but something in Rafe’s expression flickers.

It’s quick. Barely there.

But when you take a step, he exhales sharply through his nose, muttering, “Jesus Christ.”

You hesitate.

"Fine."

Your lips part in surprise, but Rafe just glares at you again, like he’s already regretting it.

“But if you slow me down," he says sharply, "I’m leaving your ass behind.”

You nod quickly, relieved despite the venom in his voice.

“Got it.”

Rafe grumbles something under his breath and turns on his heel, marching through the trees like he knows exactly where he’s going.

You don’t know what’s worse, the fact that you’re stuck with him, or the fact that, despite everything, you still don’t totally hate the idea.

...

RAFE'S POV

This is a fucking disaster.

Not just being lost. Not just the dwindling daylight or the fact that his dad is going to lose his shit when he realizes Rafe never came home.

No.

The real disaster? The fact that he’s stuck out here with you.

A Pogue. A sweet one, which somehow makes it worse.

Because if you were loud, whiny, or even remotely annoying, he’d have no problem ditching you. But instead, you’re... nice. Soft-spoken. The kind of person who smiles too easily and looks at the world like it won’t chew you up and spit you out.

It’s infuriating.

Almost as infuriating as the goddamn raccoon currently running off with the last granola bar.

“You have got to be kidding me,” Rafe hisses, watching in pure horror as the little shit disappears into the underbrush.

You stifle a giggle.

Rafe whips around, glaring. “Oh, you think this is funny?”

You press your lips together, fighting a smile. “It’s kind of funny.”

Rafe exhales sharply, dragging a hand down his face. “This is unreal.”

It’s bad enough that he’s stuck out here, but now this? First, his phone battery dies, then he loses his flashlight in the river, and now a raccoon has robbed him.

At this rate, he wouldn’t be surprised if a bear showed up just to mock him.

You shift beside him, your small backpack looking laughably unhelpful in a survival situation. “Do you have anything else?”

“No, I don’t have anything else,” Rafe snaps, standing up so fast it makes him dizzy. “Unless you have some magic Pogue survival tricks up your sleeve, we’re screwed.”

You frown slightly, like his tone stings, but you don’t snap back. You just sigh, thoughtful.

“Well… we still have water,” you point out. “And I do know a few things.”

Rafe scoffs. “Yeah, sure.”

“I do!”

“Like what?”

You glance at the sky, then back at him. “Like how to navigate using the stars.”

Rafe blinks.

You cross your arms, lifting your chin just slightly. “If we can get to higher ground, I can figure out which direction is south. And if we follow that, we should eventually hit a road.”

Rafe stares at you.

Then, deadpan: “You read that in a book, didn’t you?”

You flush. “…Maybe.”

He groans.

“Hey!” you protest. “It’s better than nothing.”

Rafe rolls his eyes. “You really think some random survival tip is gonna get us out of this?”

You shrug. “Do you have a better idea?”

Rafe opens his mouth, then closes it.

Because no. He doesn’t.

And that pisses him off more than anything.

He exhales sharply, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I hate this.”

You smile, just a little. “You hate everything.”

Rafe glares.

But after a long pause, after another sharp exhale, another glance at the sky, he grits his teeth.

“Fine.”

Your eyes brighten slightly. “Fine?”

“We’ll do it your way,” he mutters. “But if this doesn’t work, I’m never letting you live it down.”

You smirk. “Deal.”

And just like that, you take the lead, heading toward the ridge in the distance.

Rafe follows, grumbling under his breath.

Because if there’s one thing worse than being lost in the woods it’s the fact that, just this once, a Pogue might actually be right.

...

YOUR POV

You two had stopped to camp for the night since it was far too dark to see much.

You really should have packed better.

The cold seeps into your bones, cruel and relentless, as the temperature drops lower than you ever could’ve anticipated. Your thin top does nothing to stop the shivers wracking your body. You curl in on yourself, trying to will warmth into your limbs, but it’s no use.

You’re freezing.

And Rafe notices.

Which is just great.

Because he’s already annoyed at being stuck with you, already made it painfully clear that you’re nothing but an inconvenience to him. And now you’re sitting here, shivering like an idiot, proving exactly what he already believes. That you’re a burden.

Like you don’t already feel that way every day. Like you haven’t spent the past few weeks drowning in that feeling, in the crushing weight of your own existence, in the nagging thought that everyone would be better off if you just disappeared for a while.

You left home to escape that. To be alone, to not feel like dead weight for once.

And yet, here you are, making things harder for someone else again.

You squeeze your eyes shut, pressing your lips together as you try to control your breathing. You don’t want to cry in front of Rafe Cameron. He already thinks you’re pathetic.

A sharp sigh cuts through the silence.

Then:

“For fuck’s sake.”

You flinch slightly, curling in tighter, bracing for more. More grumbling, more complaints, more proof that you shouldn’t even be here.

Instead, Rafe moves.

There’s some rustling, a lot of grumbling, and then something drops into your lap.

You blink, looking down at the sleeping bag he’s just shoved toward you.

“I’m not letting you freeze to death,” he mutters.

You stare.

Then, hesitantly, “I—Rafe, this is yours.”

“Yeah, no shit,” he snaps, already looking irritated with himself. “But you clearly didn’t come prepared, and I’m not gonna sit here and watch you turn into a fucking icicle.”

Your fingers clutch the fabric, hesitation curling in your chest.

You don’t deserve this. Not his warmth, not his help. You’re the reason he’s miserable, the reason everything always seems to go wrong.

You shake your head. “I’ll be fine.”

“Bullshit,” he huffs. “You’re shaking so hard I can hear your teeth chattering.”

You bite your lip. “I don’t want to be a burden.”

Rafe stills.

For a second, he doesn’t say anything.

Then, quietly, so quietly you almost miss it...

“You’re not.”

Your breath catches.

It doesn’t sound like a grand declaration. Doesn’t even sound particularly convincing. If anything, it sounds like he’s just as surprised by the words as you are.

But then he exhales sharply, like he’s pissed at the situation rather than at you, and runs a hand through his hair.

“Just—fuck, just get in the sleeping bag.”

You hesitate.

He glares.

“Now, Pogue.”

You huff but finally, reluctantly, do as he says, scooting into the sleeping bag. The fabric is still warm from his body heat, and you try not to shiver too obviously as it sinks into your skin.

It helps, but not enough.

Your body is still too cold, your fingers still too stiff, your breath still coming out in sharp, uneven puffs.

Rafe watches you for a second. Then curses under his breath.

“Fucking hell,” he mutters. “Move over.”

Your eyes widen. “Wait, what?”

Rafe doesn’t repeat himself. Just shoves his way into the sleeping bag beside you, and suddenly, it’s small. Too small.

Your heart lurches into your throat as his body presses against yours, heat radiating from him in a way that makes you go still, breath hitching.

It’s awkward. Stiff. Rafe keeps as much distance as possible, jaw clenched, muscles tight.

You don’t blame him. You wouldn’t want to be stuck pressed against you either.

Minutes pass. The tension is thick, the silence heavier than the cold.

Then, gradually, Rafe shifts.

He exhales, like he’s battling something within himself. And then, with an irritated grumble, he moves closer, wrapping an arm around you, pulling you against his chest.

“Just shut up and go to sleep,” he mutters.

You don’t say anything.

Because, despite everything, despite the hostility, the insults, the fact that he hates Pogues, he’s holding you.

Keeping you warm.

And for the first time in weeks, you don’t feel completely alone.

...

RAFE'S POV

The silence is... weird.

Not that he expects nonstop talking from you, but usually, you have something to say. Some little comment, some naive observation about the world that makes him roll his eyes. Usually, you're at least trying to be optimistic, to be annoying in that soft, persistent way.

But right now?

Right now, you're just quiet.

And he doesn’t like it.

Not that he cares.

Because he doesn’t.

It’s just that he’s used to you pushing back. Even when he insults you. Even when he makes it painfully clear that you have no business being stuck together out here.

He frowns, staring up at the sliver of sky visible through the trees. The stars are bright. Cold. Kind of like the way you feel curled up beside him: small, shivering, barely taking up any space at all.

He should probably say something.

Not something nice, obviously, but something.

"Didn’t think you could go this long without complaining," he mutters. "Almost impressive."

There’s a long pause.

Then, you speak quietly, barely more than a whisper:

"Didn’t want to be more of a burden than I already am."

Rafe freezes.

Something in his chest twists, sharp and sudden, like a knife slipping between his ribs.

He shouldn’t care.

You're a Pogue. You're not his problem.

And yet.

It’s a familiar feeling, isn’t it? The weight of being too much, of never measuring up, of being an inconvenience to the people who are supposed to care about you. He’s spent years swallowing down that same bitterness, hearing it from his dad’s mouth over and over until it sank into his bones.

But it’s different, hearing you say it about yourself.

Because you're—

You're just...

Fuck.

Rafe exhales sharply. He doesn’t know how to comfort people. Doesn’t even know why he wants to. But before he can think better of it, before he can convince himself to just shut up and let it go, the words slip out.

"That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard."

You stiffen slightly. He can feel it, the way your body tenses, like you had expected him to agree. Like you're used to people agreeing.

Rafe grits his teeth.

"You’re not a fucking burden."

You don't say anything.

Don't argue, don't push back, don't believe him.

And maybe that pisses him off more than it should.

He doesn’t let you respond. Just shifts slightly, his grip tightening around you, his arm pulling you a fraction closer. Like if he holds on tight enough, it’ll force you to understand.

You exhale softly, a small, exhausted breath. Then, finally, you relax against him.

Rafe stares up at the stars.

His usual frustration feels distant, drowned out by something heavier. Something he doesn’t know how to name.

All he knows is that he hates the way that sentence sounded coming from your lips.

And that if anyone ever made you feel that way, he might actually kill them.

...

YOUR POV

The first thing you register is warmth.

Not the biting cold from last night, not the shivers rattling your bones, but actual warmth, steady and solid against your back.

The second thing you register is movement.

A slow, deliberate shift, like someone trying not to wake you.

Your eyes blink open to the soft gold of early morning, sunlight filtering lazily through the trees. The sky is still streaked with traces of pink, and the forest hums with the sound of waking birds.

And then you realize...

Rafe is still holding you.

Not tightly. Not like last night, when his grip had been almost protective, but enough that when you shift, his arm instinctively tenses around you before he seems to catch himself and pulls away.

For a second, neither of you say anything.

Then...

"You drool in your sleep."

You blink, turning to squint up at him.

He’s already sitting up, rubbing the back of his neck, but there’s a smirk tugging at his lips.

You huff. "Do not."

He raises an eyebrow, glancing at his shoulder. "Uh, yeah, you do."

Your cheeks heat as you sit up too, trying to gather the mess of your tangled blanket. "Well, you talk in your sleep."

Rafe snorts. "Bullshit."

"Swear on my life. You were mumbling about stocks or something." You bite back a grin, tilting your head. "Weirdly on brand, actually."

He groans, dragging a hand down his face. "Kill me."

"Not before breakfast."

That earns you an unimpressed side-eye, but there’s no real bite behind it.

And that’s when it really hits you.

Something is... different.

Rafe is still Rafe: gruff, impatient, rolling his eyes at every other thing you say, but there’s something softer now, something lingering just beneath the surface.

Maybe it’s the fact that he doesn’t snap at you when you try to help pack up.

Maybe it’s the way he hands you your stuff without a single sarcastic remark.

Or maybe it’s the fact that when you mention using a new strategy again to navigate back, he actually listens.

He still complains about it, obviously.

But when you point out the right direction, he follows without arguing.

Progress.

By the time you finally spot the road in the distance, your body aches, your hair is a mess, and you’re starving.

But you’re... weirdly okay.

And Rafe?

Well.

He doesn’t seem as eager to get rid of you as he did last night.

You glance at him as you both step onto solid ground again, brushing dirt off your clothes. He looks over at you at the same time, something unreadable flickering in his expression before he scoffs.

"You look like shit."

You sigh dramatically. "Wow, what a charmer."

He smirks, but it fades just as quickly. For a second, he hesitates, shifting his weight.

"Need a ride?"

You blink.

He nods toward the road, where his truck is parked just up the hill, miraculously not stolen or trashed. "Back to the Cut, or wherever the hell you came from."

Something in your chest flutters.

Not because of the offer itself, but because of him.

Because you’re pretty sure that last night, he would’ve left you to figure it out yourself.

But now?

Now, he’s offering.

You tuck your hands into your sleeves, biting back a small, knowing smile. "That depends," you tease. "Am I allowed to touch the aux?"

Rafe exhales sharply, shaking his head as he starts toward the truck. "Christ. I take it back."

You laugh, trailing after him.

Maybe you’re still just a Pogue to him.

But maybe Rafe is starting to realize it's not as black and white as it had seemed.

[butterflydm]

Scattered WoT rewatch thoughts (1x01-1x04)

This includes spoilers for s3, because my rewatch is adding some context to my thoughts for season three and the spoilers we know so far and book spoilers through Lord of Chaos:

1x01

I do think it's likely that Egwene's Accepted Test is going to mirror the scene with Liandrin gentling the man from the cold open, but Rand being in a river ties it more to Egwene and the Two Rivers. Egwene has been very associated with water so far, from needing to trust the river in s1 to undergo the rite to officially become a woman, to a jug of water being the symbol of the battle of wills that she has with Renna in 2x06.

We have been watching Egwene's and Rand's paths diverge from each other from their very first scene together - the first time we see them kiss (and have implied fade-to-black sex) basically is a play from Rand to buy himself a little more time with Egwene before she breaks things off with him. Afterwards, she tells him that their futures aren't going to be aligned with each other. We even see her reject his symbolic romantic gesture of giving her a berry, which he used to give her when they were younger.

Rand will later say that Selene is the first woman to see him as a man and it does feel like his relationship with Egwene is very tied up to his boyhood.

So, s1 has an ep1 post-coital scene where Egwene's abilities separate her from the possibility of a future with Rand, so we may see this mirrored (if you'll pardon my choice of words) in 3x01.

First Finn foreshadowing for Mat: the tiny noose-like bits of thread on Fain's wagon.

The Rand & Egwene on a cliffside rock scene is another one that we know gets echoed in s3, with Lanfear taking Egwene's place and changing the narrative.

I really like that Nynaeve's feelings about the Two Rivers are grounded in her personal relationships (Rand has also been hearing a lot of things about the AS to make him wary, going by what Tam says about them).

Mat provides gambling, alcohol, and fostering emotional sharing in the relationship between the three boys. And we see them showing care and concern back to him.

I really do love how the show took the concept of Bel Tine and tied it into the world mythology of the Wheel and reincarnation. Very good philosophical setup for the future. Wheel keeps turning and we keep trying to do better than the last time.

We also see Nynaeve's loneliness in the Bel Tine scene, which is what Rand talked about when he was talking about what Egwene choosing to be a Wisdom would mean - no family of her own.

Overall, the show does such good job of showing how this mountain village has held onto the old ways without even realizing the depth of what those ways mean.

The battle is so well done. The fear and panic of the villagers at first, and how Moiraine helps them. I am also going to stand up and say that i think that having (and killing) Laila was a good choice! It shows us the cost of the Trolloc attack, it sets up Perrin's fear over his own battlerage, it sets up Perrin's overprotectiveness over his love interest without making wild overprotectiveness just a Two Rivers trait. And it really made all the show-only reactors that I watched sympathize with Perrin instantly. It was a solid change.

Rand undergoes the first of many "my parents weren't what I thought" when he sees how well Tam fights with a sword.

I love that we see our EF5's courage so strongly but in different ways.

Our first glimpse of weaves and of Aes Sedai working together with their Warders! And we see how effective they can be together. We're going to see the limitations of Warders in s3, I think, because they don't help much in a Power vs Power battle, but for most trouble that an Aes Sedai has been able to get into before now, they were very useful!

Also: Egwene is wearing a bracer on her left wrist here that is very much like the one she wears in s3 (and that does kinda echo the sul'dam bracer).

Rand mentions earlier that stories say a single Aes Sedai is said to be able to turn the tide of a battle and we get to see that here when Moiraine pulls down the Winespring Inn to hurl the stones at the Trollocs.

Poor in-denial Rand here, who does not want to believe what his dad confessed to him on their journey to the village.

Rand, Egwene, Moiraine, and Laila all in blue here, in the aftermath of the attack. Both Rand & Egwene cover up their blue shirts with brown sheepskin coats for their journey out of the Two Rivers. Mirrors!! Foils! Following parallel but separate paths, which is part of why they can't be together.

Rand knows that this about him but he can't admit it to himself. I love it when stories continue to add depth on a rewatch.

1x02

We saw the danger of the Shadow in the last episode, now we set up the danger of the Whitecloaks. Another scene that gains depth on rewatch, as show-onlys will later realize that the Whitecloaks are murdering a healer here, once they find out more about the Aes Sedai. They are zealots.

"Sometimes brutality is the only path to mercy." Yikes!

This episode also brings in the evil of Shadar Logoth, a more ancient example of purely human evil that is not driven by the Shadow or Darkfriends. The city that ate itself alive out of paranoia and self-isolation from the world. A cautionary tale for what the Two Rivers could have become.

We get first lessons in Aes Sedai Oaths here, both their limitations and the ways to find loopholes around them. We also see that Rand confronts Moiraine publicly while Egwene also confronts her, but privately (because Moiraine is also clearly more comfortable having private confabs with Egwene over any of the boys - she's no Red but still has a wariness about men could channel).

Is this Egwene and Mat's only conversation? (And they are quickly joined by all the others)

We see Mat trying to lighten the mood, while Rand begins to show hints of leadership, wanting them to form a plan in case Moiraine turns on one of them.

I like the change that the show made in the Three Oaths, giving them a solid origin based in history - and tying it to Hawkwing also ties it to the Seanchan. The White Tower chose to leash itself to specific rules, while the women in Seanchan were forcibly leashed by their government.

Moiraine must feel so hopeful when she realizes that Egwene can channel and so the world might get a Dragon who can't go mad from saidin.

Genuinely, it is so baffling to me how some people watching the show were calling Rand clingy and trying to hold onto a dead relationship when it's literally Egwene sending the mixed signals and trying to cuddle up to Rand here, the episode after she broke things off with him.

Rand and Moiraine's first fight! We're going to get more of this in s3 as well, I believe. Moiraine trying to direct and control them, while Rand wants to actually know the endgame and what her plans are.

Poor Mat & Perrin forced to witness the fight afterwards between Rand & Egwene.

Mat is so good at defusing emotional conflict. He is the one who gets Rand to level out after the disagreements with Moiraine & Egwene.

We are shown the division in the Whitecloaks here - the Questioners being the true zealots, with the regular Children being willing to bend on matters of Aes Sedai.

Rand is gonna glare a hole in Moiraine's back.

The ruined bridge! Love all the old ruins in the Two Rivers area.

Mat again shows his emotional intelligence by starting the sing-along to boost spirits among the group. And we get a little history lesson. Fingers crossed for Mat singing again in s3!

Also: this scene made me cry during this rewatch.

We're briefly told here that they've been traveling for days, before the night when they go into Shadar Logoth.

Rand and Egwene work through a bit and come to better terms over the course of this episode but their main conflict of being on fundamentally different paths is not resolved. I'm guessing this will get echoed in s3 but they will actually fully accept and come to terms with their separate paths.

Perrin's first wolf encounter! ❤️

Once again, we see Mat reaching out to one of his friends to help them process - Perrin in this case, offering him a dagger that Laila had made for Mat and returning it to Perrin. I hope we get to see some of that in s3 with his friends in ep1. Mat is so sweet to his friends.

S1 - Rand goes to a dead city with Moiraine & Egwene; s3 - Rand goes to a dead city with Moiraine & Aviendha (based on the trailers).

Mat getting drawn to the dagger. Man, that is gonna fuck him up. My poor sad wet cat.

Our first plot-mandated split up - I do understand why we don't get a second Cauthor road trip since they did get all this time and focus together in s1, but I am definitely hoping that the change means we'll get them together again later on the series, hopefully spending time with each other in s4 (if we get it, etc). And I hope for a couple of good scenes before they part ways in s3.

1x03

We learn more about Nynaeve's grit and cleverness in the opener, as well as revealing that Trollocs will cannibalize their injured companions.

Nynaeve is such a badass here. 💖

I love this credits sequence so much. I understand wanting to spend every moment of the episode runtime but it's just so lovely.

Lan being impressed by Nynaeve tracking them. 💖

The Great Cauthor Roadtrip has begun!

"They say all roads lead there." "That's not how roads work." I love them so much.

Perrin & Egwene's roadtrip also begins. I do quite enjoy their scenes together even if I'm not getting the shippy buzz from them. But Perrin & Egwene both trying to light the same fire and not being certain who did it in the end... I hope we get a continued connection between them in the future (iykyk).

This episode is where we can clearly see Nynaeve's healer yellow under her warrior green. Perfect, no notes. All the scenes between Lan & Nynaeve in this episode are pure gold.

We can also see more clearly how Lan has a fancy pattern on the shoulders of his outfit.

Ishamael trying to suss out which of the ta'veren is the Dragon via dreams. Perrin dreams of Ishy here but Egwene doesn't seem to. The wolves herding them to safety in the scariest way possible lol I love them. They are probably trying to talk to Perrin but he can't see their visions yet.

Our first glimpse of an Aiel (dead in a cage). It really sets the tone for the town as a whole.

Hello, Thom! And Dana has her eye on the boys from the beginning. I do love Thom's song here and, of course, what it implies about Thom's sympathies towards men who can channel. I'm hoping for at least one good convo about Rand between Mat & Thom in s3.

Mat's keen emotional intelligence in display in previous episodes gets turned like a knife against Rand in this one and it hurts a lot.

"Someplace new, you can be anything you want. And no one's gonna know the dirt you were born in." We'll see Mat indulging in this idea a bit at the start of s3, I think.

Our first hints of Perrin's overprotectiveness post-Laila's death, and Egwene pushing back and offering compassion that Perrin doesn't feel like he deserves, and refusing to let him risk himself for her sake - they go together.

I think we got Aram confirmed for s3, so looking forward to his reunion with Perrin and how they might interact.

Egwene getting covered with the shawl of many colors.

Dana is such a good compilation of "every darkfriend on the road" that Mat & Rand encounter on the road.

Lol at Rand being so snippy over Mat when we know he actually thinks extremely highly of Mat. He's just mad at him right now because Mat is being an asshole for what seems to be no reason.

Our first hint that Siuan and Moiraine got a relationship upgrade comes when Moiraine whispers a pained "Siuan" when she's really out of it. Also they did a great job of making Moiraine look on the edge of death.

We get to see more of Thom's compassion when Mat encounters him at the dead Aiel's cage. Love our little lesson about Aiel here - and our first open hint about Rand's heritage, as Thom tells us red hair is rare outside the Aiel Waste.

"If you're going to take from the dead, the least you can do is bury them."

First mention of the Stone of Tear and the Lion Throne of Caemlyn.

Dana going for the kiss - start of a pattern there, the Shadow trying (and succeeding in s2) to deceive their way into Rand's bed. And she genuinely likes Rand too, but is still willing to betray him.

Our first hint of Rand using the Power, when he breaks the reinforced door.

I really like that they used Dana to give us Ishamael's philosophy. Break the Wheel to stop the pain of the world. I like that Mat encounters this again with Ishy at the end of s2 and we see him reject it.

Okay, Thom never openly tells either of the boys that he thinks they're the Dragon but he overhears their conversation with Dana and also assumes right away that it's the madness troubling Mat in the next episode.

Hi, Logain! I like how both Nynaeve and Logain are used to create doubt in Moiraine's mind over the accuracy of the prophecies.

1x04

Logain does a good job showing us all the scary foreshadowing for what the Dragon will be capable of. What Logain does to one country, Rand is supposed to do to the world, essentially. We see both the power and the madness here.

"What does a crown mean to the Dragon Reborn?"

Logain knows and believes in the prophecies and believes that he is truly the Dragon, with the voices in his head urging him on.

We do see Logain fighting and winning against the corruption here, healing the king instead of killing him.

I love what they've done with Logain so far in the story. I don't think we've seen any spoilers about him in s3 yet but I would not be surprised to see him.

We get to learn a lot about Aes Sedai in this episode, with Nynaeve as our main vehicle for learning the lore, which is great because of her prickly relationship with Moiraine.

The war party to capture Logain is comprised of Green & Red sisters and this is an authorized operation that we can directly compare to the unauthorized operation that Liandrin and her fellow Reds carried out in ep1. Logain is captured and shielded, not gentled on the spot. Then he is meant to be taken back to the White Tower for trial - I'm guessing this is actually meant to determine if he's the real Dragon Reborn. False Dragons get gentled and the true Dragon stays shielded until the Last Battle, to keep him from using the Power and going mad from the corruption.

Liandrin is so snippy and petty with Moiraine. I kinda do feel like she tried a flirtation with Moiraine in the past and got shot down.

I really love how the show gave the Warders their own subculture and community. We did not get enough of that in the books at all. A+ improvement.

We find out here how secretive Moiraine & Lan are around other Aes Sedai & Warders. We also learn that Liandrin is pushing against the Amyrlin's decrees and that there are rumors spreading about the unsanctioned gentlings.

Aram is lovely and charming. The show also did a really good job making the Tuatha'an endearing.

Rand and Mat bonding over their mutual paranoia towards the rest of the world: oh dear.

"I always knew women couldn't see men's weaves..." setting out right here that there is a distinction between the two Powers.

I like Alanna & Moiraine's friendship. And Alanna does a good job setting out the Green Ajah mission statement - the Battle Ajah, to prepare for the Last Battle.

Alanna worrying that the current Tower policy about the Dragon is too aggressive and might lead to the Tower gentling the Dragon Reborn and dooming the world.

Liandrin starts her work on trying to get to Nynaeve. Not sure if she already knows anything about the Two Rivers ta'veren or if she's just looking to subverting someone traveling with Moiraine.

Rand taking charge of the situation to de-escalate, while Mat continues to slip.

Lol at Liandrin being the one to tell us the Blues are ~just spies~ and then to give us the official line on the Red Ajah philosophy - the magic cops, basically.

Liandrin also makes it clear here that men are not welcome under the Red Ajah's tent.

Tying the Way of the Leaf into the reincarnation cycle of the Wheel makes so much sense and rally solidifies it and grounds it into the world.

Rand starts to worry that something is really wrong with Mat here. The little girl offering Mat the Birgitte doll is so sweet.

Rand trying to rationalize what's happening with Mat, and Thom tries to gently led him to the idea that Mat can channel. Very good conversation, because Rand is torn between not wanting to believe it of himself but part of him knowing that it's him, and his worries over Mat. Rand hears about the consequences of being gentled here, and then sees both gentling and mental illness up close in s2.

"Nothing is more dangerous than a man who knows the past." Appropriate for both Rand & Mat!

Having Nynaeve hang out with the Warders so that we can learn more about them is so good.

And our first poly relationship hints!

I like that we get to see Moiriane doubting herself and her path, questioning the prophecies. And Lan reassuring her that they're on the correct path, reminding her of the dreams and the Trollocs, that Logain doesn't fit what they know about how old the Dragon should be.

This story that Ila tells is going to echo in s3 as well, as we see the Aiel come up against this choice and the split between them happens as some of them pick up a spear while the others do not, choose to stay true to their original culture instead.

"Have you lost him?" "No. No, I would know if I had." Egwene still thinking about Rand, as Rand was thinking about her last episode.

Rand waking up and making that promise to Mat. Awww. "No matter what happens, I'm here."

The show really has set out such a strong foundation for Mat & Rand's friendship, so while them not being together in s3 isn't my favorite adaptation choices (though I do think I will probably love Mat in Tanchico) they do have a very solid foundation of relationship work already put into them.

We got Perrin's Ishy dream, now we get Rand. Perrin is hammering away (at Laila's body?), Mat is wandering around with a bloody red hand, and Egwene is yoinked away by Ishy. And Rand wakes up from that into a waking nightmare of seeing Mat surrounded by a murdered family and then leaving Thom behind to save Mat & himself. Genuinely, not having a good day.

Thom was already ride-or-die (or believe them to have murdered a family under the influence of the corruption but still be willing to help) for the boys here.

I imagine the pitch Liandrin is giving Kerene here is the same slippery slope that the Reds went down originally - these men are too dangerous for us to risk carting them all the way back to the Tower.

Nynaeve and Lan bonding over lost family. Very sweet moment. Cried a bit here too.

I do think this fight is serving as big foreshadowing for Dumai's Wells. The Dragon captured by the Tower, his forces rallying to free him, him breaking out to join the fight. We'll just be on the other side of the battle that time, as Perrin (and hopefully Mat, in this version, fingers crossed, come on, let him actually be Rand's general for more than ten seconds!) fight to free him from the Tower embassy, while Rand fights to escape.

In addition to Kerene's death, we see a Red sister shot up with arrows too, though maybe she lives.

Nynaeve's AoE heal that probably made Moiraine less inclined to believe that Egwene could be the Dragon, because of how strong Nynaeve is.

[georgiapeach30513]

With Your Touch, Part 9

Summary: Lloyd has a decision

Pairings: Lloyd Hansen X Reader

Rating: explicit

Warnings:  explicit language, explicit sexual content, D/s dynamics, restraints, unprotected sex, creampie, teasing, 18+ ONLY

Word Count: 4.2K

Previous

Series Masterlist

“Lyla Bee,” you smile at the sweetest little baby you’ve ever seen. Her head turns to look at you. Her mostly gummy smile with two bottom teeth cheeses up at you. Lyla’s cheeks squish up so high that her eyes are squished as she giggles.

You give her smooshing kisses onto her cheeks over and over again, “Tell daddy good morning.”

“Lalalalalalala,” she repeats over and over again before cracking herself up in laughter. Looking back up before turning back towards you.

“No, tell daddy good morning.”

“Mamamamamamamamama,” more repetitive syllables, but not what you want her to say.

“You gotta tell daddy good morning.”

“Da!” She squeaks, smiling at you before looking back up. “Da! Da! Da! Da!”

“That’s my girl! You said it!” You can’t stop kissing over her squishy little cheeks, ready to cry at her being able to screech Da! Turning back towards the front you smile at your phone, “Good morning, daddy. Me and this sweet Lyla Bee had a late morning, huh?” Lyla jabbers along with you, telling her side of the story. Smart angel baby.

“But today we’re going to plan her first birthday, and I’m not taking no for an answer. I don’t care if it’s just us two and the baby girl, we’re having her a beautiful birthday. You could always invite Ari,” you know when he gets a chance to watch this video he’s going to be cocking up an eyebrow. He both loved and hated when you brought up his partner in crime.

“Tell daddy bye. We’ve got to make some breakfast for this bumble bee. Ooh! Note, maybe we should do a bumble bee theme for her birthday. Ooh, since daddy thinks you’re the queen bee, maybe that should be your theme,” Lloyd chuckles as he watches the video. You had said bye, and now are off on a tangent talking about her birthday that she wasn’t allowed to have because he didn’t want her to get older.

It had nothing to do with not allowing people to celebrate his daughter, and everything to do with keeping her this little and cute. And you look positively delectable being a mom. The things he wants to do with you once Lyla goes to bed is animalistic. He has claimed you in every way that he can think of. And your obedient self trusts him to not hurt you. Both physically and mentally. That thought fills him with so much pride and need for you.

He’s unaware if you know exactly how much power you hold over him, nor does he care. He doesn’t think you have it in you to be a manipulator. You hold the power, but you also guard it. Are protective in your way for Lyla and him. He’s never had someone be protective of him, and it makes him feel — things. Things he can’t fully comprehend.

“Are you watching that again?” Lloyd locks his phone, and glares up at Ari. His giant friend just smirks as he looks at him. “Oh, you’re acting like seeing that fine piece of ass with your daughter doesn’t turn you on?”

“She is a fine piece of ass, but she’s more. That’s not why I’m…”

“Yeah, you’re in love with her. You don’t have to tell me. It’s quite obvious, and I won’t say anything to anyone else. Your secret of being in love is safe with me,” Ari is aware that it’s not a prideful thing, it’s a protection thing for you and Lyla. The less people knew, the less you became a target, “What’s this I hear about sharing her with me.”

“I didn’t say that,” Lloyd glares at him. “It was a heat of the moment pillow talk.”

“Talking about my dick to your girl seems a bit weird, no? How is my dick making it into your pillow talk?”

“We are talking about our daughter’s first birthday. Not what I say to make her squirm,” Ari starts to open his mouth, and Lloyd makes a buzzing sound, holding up one finger. “Eh! If you can’t contribute to the plans of Lyla’s party, I want you to keep your flopping jaw closed.”

Ari chuckles, shaking his head. The teasing is definitely over. Lloyd can be funny when he gets flustered and pissy, but when it comes to you and Lyla, he’s insufferable. “So what are you going to do with Roman?”

“I want him to see just how in love, respected, and safe his daughter is,” Ari’s interest piques as he lifts his brows, and leans closer. “He thinks I am only using his daughter for sex, and while the sex is impeccable, there is more to us than that. And one day that beautiful woman is going to walk around with me, and I’m holding Lyla, and the other hand is on her swollen stomach. Roman will see the two of us in love, and realize that his daughter is worth more than he ever could have imagined, and that’s when I will destroy him. I will make him regret the day that he ever thought he or any man could make her feel inferior.”

Your submission should always be a choice, and not a demand of fear of retaliation. Roman was a bastard that treated you as a commodity. The Verb was a prick for thinking he could lay his hands on you. It didn’t bother him in the slightest that you hadn’t thought of a viable way to dispose of him. Maybe it’d do The Verb some good to see you growing with Lloyd’s seed. Give you something that he never would have been man enough to do.

Maybe seeing you happy could do him some good. Lloyd takes a deep breath as he leans back, “I’ve got the perfect idea.”

“Are you going to show The Verb a sex tape of you and your gorgeous Dolly?”

“Why are you calling her gorgeous?” Lloyd’s eyes narrow as he leans in closer to his friend. “She is.”

“I noticed,” Ari’s grin turns devilish as he leans back in his chair. “Just ravishing.”

“Shut the fuck up.”

“Oh, no. I saw you, heard you. Those teasing words. Are you looking for a third so early in your relationship?” Ari’s chuckle rumbles out of his chest as Lloyd rolls his eyes, and turns in his chair. “I mean, if you need help showing her how to get stuffed.”

“I don’t.”

“Then don’t offer what you won’t deliver,” the two men sit in silence for too long as Lloyd stares at nothing at all, and Ari just smiles at his friend. His irritation quickly turns into visions of Ari just watching your wrecked face. You are too much of a good girl to ever let him touch you, weren’t you? But making him watch you, Lloyd might be able to get on board with that.

“Where do you see yourself in five years?” Ari asks, interrupting Lloyd’s thoughts.

“What?”

Ari nonchalantly shrugs. It is long past having this conversation with Lloyd. He couldn’t keep you and his daughter, and live this life. Lloyd has more money than he could ever want. Investing smart. Everyone knows the high life he enjoys having, he needs that security. “In five years, where are you in life?”

His eyes go blank. Visions of you, Lyla, another toddler girl, and a swollen belly dance in his mind. He’s with you every day. Away from the city, away from the killing and uncertainty. Just his family.

“Yeah,” Ari interrupts Lloyd’s train of thought, and he gets a pouting glare. “Just as I suspected. You realize the risk you give both of them by continuing this life.”

“This is what I know. And I didn’t ask for them — this.”

“Neither did they. But isn’t that how the best love stories start? Unexpected and raw, but also real?” Lloyd sighs, nodding his head. Yeah. It truly was the best love story. Completely unexpected, and the two of you knocked him off his feet, and made him feel things he never thought he would.

”Have you ever asked her what she wants? Surely she doesn’t just want to be an au pair,” Lloyd grunts. It’s the tenth time Ari has pissed him off in one conversation. “I’m sorry, a mom. What if she wants a bookstore, a flower shop, a…”

“She can have it,” Lloyd says with no hesitation.

“A coffee shop that the mister and missus run together. Lyla, busy helping when really she's just playing. A cute little baby bouncing around in a swing because you two can’t stand the thought of being away from each other. Or what was it you wanted to do when you were a boy? A professor,” Lloyd scoffs, rolling his eyes at the stupid ideas of a too young boy. Life happened, and he just rose up the ranks of the life of crime.

“I’m sure your pretty little wife would love to see you bend her over a desk. Punishing that pretty ass before you fuck her stupid.”

“Get out of my fucking fantasy,” both men release an airy laugh. Lloyd looks at the desk in front of him. He couldn’t continue on with this life. “I could do it, you know?”

“I know you could. Just as much as I can join your freakish little fucking games with your girlfriend. And I do mean fucking,” Ari gives Lloyd a wink, who returns the gesture by throwing a pen at him.

“Shut up.”

“You brought it up.”

“I was teasing her. Seeing her get all embarrassed and heated is,” Lloyd glares at Ari. “Oh, shut up! I like to see her squirm.”

“You have a sick need to humiliate, but she likes it,” Ari shrugs. Who is he to judge yours and Lloyd’s kink.

“Yeah, you don’t get to come home to her fucking a copy of my dick while I eat dinner,” his eyes grow distant again. Imagining his favorite show to watch while he eats. Seeing you get off, while simultaneously begging for his real cock, and to just fuck you is the best form of entertainment.

“You should invite me over one night,” Lloyd’s foot goes in between Ari’s legs. Connecting to the seat of his chair, he pushes the chair back causing an uproar of laughter from Ari. “You really are a bastard.”

“You offered!”

“I wasn’t serious.”

“It’s just new. You’ll change your mind,” Ari chuckles as Lloyd walks away from the conversation. Annoyed. Intrigued. Irritated. Turned on? No. Definitely not. Maybe not. Maybe a little.

——

Lloyd opens the door to his home, and quickly turns the alarm back on. It is too quiet. He worked late. Really it was having time to think about what Ari had questioned him about. Being your cute self, you left a dinner plate in the fridge. He isn’t hungry. Just hungry for you.

With a bit more gusto in his step he heads towards your bedroom. He’ll check on Lyla after he wakes you up with an orgasm. It’s been such a long day, and he could use something sweet on his tongue. The peaceful sound of your sleep sounds plays softly under the door.

Now, he could burst through the door, and wake you up with fear. He could crawl up the bed, and plant himself between your thighs, or he can make a trail of kisses up your body before he melts into you. Forgetting the work he does while basking in your warmth. It didn’t matter to him what he did because it was going to be with you.

Opening up the door, he slinks closer to the bed. Starting to peel off his clothes, until the most perfect and beautiful sight he’s ever seen comes into view. Lyla tucked so close to your body while your arm drapes over her. Cuddling the baby into your body. It’s cruel he didn’t get to fall asleep with the two of you.

Seeing just how quickly you took her into your life, and made her yours eases his darkened soul. You didn’t birth her, but you are the most integral part to her raising. He has missed so much time with her, and you. And each day he chooses to live in this life is another day that he misses his family. One day could potentially miss everything. The risk of the job is becoming too real for him.

He could miss her first sentences, her first steps without assistance, her personality coming through. He might miss out on her first day of school, the first person to break her heart, the first date. He shudders thinking of that aspect. Lloyd could risk the possibility of making more adorable babies with you. Forgoing the chance to have a family with you. The ability to give her siblings. It’s a risk he isn’t fully willing to take anymore.

He had too much here. Right in this bed is his life. Not the money, the thrills, the heavy rotation of women. This is the most comfortable and fulfilled he’s ever been. It isn’t worth it anymore. Ari is right.

“You could put on your pajama pants and get in the bed with us.”

“You could meet me in the shower.”

“Lloyd, the baby is sleeping,” playfully he sighs. He’ll take a quick shower, and get back to you. It isn’t worth it to stay away from you. Or her. How did he get here? To a time where he got excited about going home, or wanting to get to work late because he is too busy spending extra time with his girls.

His mind is set. He doesn’t need the job. Investments have been made. He can live an honest life. Maybe. The two of you could have a store. Or do absolutely nothing for a while. Just enjoy each other.

Stepping back into the bedroom, he slides into the spot behind you. His arm moves over your hip, and he lays a hand on Lyla. Her lips pucker out a bit before wiggling close to you, and you give her a kiss to her forehead. “You smell good,” you hum.

“Stop wiggling your ass on me.”

“But you’re warm, and smell good.”

“If you want to keep snuggling our daughter, you better quit. Because I will make you take her to her room, so I can fuck you long and hard,” gasping, you peek behind you to look at him. “Don’t look at me like that. It’s not a threat.”

“Fine,” you exhale, starting to close your eyes again. It just feels so much more comfortable when Lloyd is in the bed with you. There’s a rightness to it.

“Is there anything you wanted to do before you got here with us?”

“An art gallery,” whispering, you give Lyla another kiss. It’s a simple answer, and if Lloyd did any light digging into your college degree, he’d know you wanted a life in the art world.

“I will buy you an art gallery,” you snort out a laugh, and his hand moves from Lyla to your breast, and he pinches your nipple. You bite your tongue to not make too much noise. “I’m serious. What if I let all this go? It’s just you and I. A very chic art gallery. Lyla growing up around this rich and creative life.”

“You’re serious?” Did he really say what you think he said? Give it all up.

“Yeah. I don’t think I can continue to be away from you. I’d like to think we’ll have another baby bee or two. I can’t do that if I’m dead. I don’t want to continue to bring all this ugly fear and possibilities into our home. I have enemies, and lots of them. I put you and our children in danger. I can’t have both that life and you. And it’s you and her that I have to choose.”

Lloyd’s face buries into your neck. Nipping along your sensitive skin. Feeling at ease with his decision. He’d get everything situated. He’d give you your dreams, since you have given him his. Being out of this life, and everyday with you, just makes complete sense.

“You sure you don’t want to put Lyla Bee in her bed?”

“No, hers seeping. And hers is really cozy and comfy and warm on her mommy.”

“I love hearing you talking like this,” he shifts slightly, placing his mouth at the shell of your ear. Exhaling just enough to awaken your core, “But I will wake you up with my dick inside you.”

“The baby,” your voice trembles as you try to remain still. You just never know with Lloyd. It’s what makes him so exciting.

“I’ll get her all cleaned up, fed, and in her own bed. I know why you have her in here with you. My needy sweet girl. You are so touch starved, and I love giving you attention. Especially touching you,” how are you supposed to fall asleep now? How can your body get turned on that quickly, and now how are you going just left to drift off. “Get some sleep. You’ll need it.”

“You can’t say things like that, daddy.”

“Shhh…”

Frustrating. He can whisper those things in your ear, setting you on edge. Making sure you wake up horny and ready to take him. Fine. You’ll just wait for when he gets Lyla fed and asleep in her own bed. Like he could be stealthy enough that you don’t wake up with them.

—

You failed.

You failed miserably. You slept through Lloyd waking up, and tending to Lyla, getting her in bed, all while you slept. “Lloyd! Untie me!” His grin turns sinister as he shakes his head no. “Daddy,” you make your voice weak, hoping it entices him to do just that. Not being able to hold him is just cruel.

“Don’t daddy me. You earned this. Do you remember your safe word,” narrowing your eyes, you nod once. “Then say it,” you wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. “There’s my stubborn girl.”

His boxers are so tented. Straining from his hard length, and if he’s just going to stand there, making you drool over his cock that is pressing so hard against its confines then he is cruel. Your lower lip puckers out as you look down your body. At least you’re still dressed. “Daddy.”

“How much does she need me,” the infuriating thing about this man is his need to talk about you instead of to you. His knee presses into the mattress and yanks your thighs apart before crawling in between your legs. Noticing the glint from his knife too late as he cuts away your satin shorts, and moves up to your shirt. He could have just unbuttoned that. But why would he do the easy or normal thing? No, he just likes to cut them off.

“Shh, I’ll buy you some more,” he whispers, running the blade down the middle of your body. The icy coolness from the metal leaves chill bumps in its wake.

He peels the shreds off you, and drops them onto the floor, before his darkened eyes peer up at you, “No panties?” Your response is a glare. Wishing he’d just get a move on it. “Hmm,” he settles between your legs and gazes up at your weeping cunt. “What has got her so wet? My, my, my. She is soaked. I wonder if it’s me or just being tied up. Or,” he glances up at you with a murderous smile.

Sticking his tongue out, he licks a strip up through your center, moaning in satisfied hunger. “I knew it,” he does it again, but keeps his tongue hanging out of his mouth as he pulls up. A string of your arousal connects the two of you as he keeps those blackened eyes on you. “You’re ovulating.”

You shake your head no with a smile. He’s crazy. Insane. You are on birth control. “Are you so filled with lust you don’t even remember what we decided?” Oh. That. “We decided you would stop taking your pills. Now, here’s where we are now. The chances are higher for you to get pregnant. Before we get started, and you’re filled with desire and not brains, do you want me to come in your cunt, on you, or your mouth. It’s a big decision, I know.”

It is a big decision. Because his warmth inside of you feels so good. He snaps his fingers, “Don’t go into that space. You’ll get fucked regardless. But where am I putting my cum?”

“I don’t — I don’t want to decide.”

“Then I’m wearing a condom.”

“Why?”

“Because you aren’t in the right mind frame to make this decision. You’re acting on just your body‘s feelings,” he’s right. But there are other options of birth control. It doesn’t have to just be pulling out.

“Come in me, and then a morning after pill,” Lloyd nods towards the dresser. Of course he’d have one ready. “You’re not questioning me?”

“Why would I?” Yes, you get the contradiction. You stopped birth control, and now are using an alternative. But you just can’t think past wanting to feel him. “When you’re not tied up, and spread eagle, maybe you’ll think differently. But you just want me to fuck you and fill you with my seed, huh?”

“Yes, daddy.”

“I do really like looking at this pussy though. She looks gorgeous, all wet, and ready to take me. Lyla is dozing off with her lullabies playing and you are just ripe for the taking.”

“So take me,” your threat or warning, whichever, is enough for him to position himself. Lloyd runs his aching, throbbing cock through your folds, while you stare at him sheepishly. “I can’t touch you.”

“I just enjoy seeing you squirm,” he responds before crashing into your warmth with no warning. Leaving your head to lean back as the utmost pleasure of having his length fill you up with a sharp pain. Taking him is a hard task. “Don’t you ever get used to me, Dolly,” he grunts before pulling out, and spearing hard back into you.

You whine as he bottoms out. Jerking on your restraints as you try to ground yourself with his body. “It’s a bit of an effort,” he starts to pull out again, and slams into your wet heat. Your toes curl at such a harsh intrusion, and you want more. “But I still think your pretty little cunt was made to take me.”

His hips piston into you quickly. Over and over he pounds into your body, and you can’t do anything, but take it. Take his heavy cock. Take every inch of him. Every jolt of his body pushing into you, you take. “Such a good sweet girl. You’re not even arguing with me. You like my cock too much, huh?”

“Uh huh,” with that admission he fucks into you so hard you feel him in the depths of your soul. His body becomes one with you. The most vulgar way that you can think of to accept that the two of you are one. You are a team, never to be split. Together forever. This is the man that you will live for and die with. The man that will burn the world down if it means saving you and his family.

He’s it.

He’s everything.

And yes, you do take him so well.

Even the slight tinge of discomfort feels amazing as your cunt stretches to accommodate him. You will get to experience him, this life, a new life, all of it forever. Have more adorable babies. Have a life you’re happy in. A life you’ve dreamed about. Away from the violence and secrets. A life that you’ll be okay with raising a family. A life different than the one you were raised in.

This is it.

All you’ve ever wanted.

Right here in this home.

Right here in your body.

“Stay with me, Dolly. Don’t you go all dumb before I come inside you.”

“Daddy, I love you.”

“Love you, too, baby,” he’s so deep into your body, you feel his head swell as he empties his load into you. “Mmm,” you sigh as his warmth fills up your swollen pussy.

He leans forward to kiss on your forehead, while his hands undo your cuffs. Your arm drop free, and you pull him close to you. His lips still press warmly against your cheek as he starts to pull away. “Don’t go.”

“I was getting the pill.”

“It can wait,” he shuffles to lay beside you, but pulls you on top of him instead. “It can wait until next time.”

“That’s not how it works.”

“Then don’t worry about it.”

“What — changed your mind?”

“Just this once. Once a month,” his brow cocks up, and he smiles. “Once a month you get to have unprotected sex. The rest of the month, you pull out,” he says your real name, but you cover his mouth. “Unless you don’t want to. Then you can wear a condom,” Lloyd shakes his head. “Would you be okay with it if I happened to get pregnant?”

“Dolly, I’m okay with whatever you want to do. My life is yours, and pretty sure it has been since the first moment I saw you. I’m all yours. However you want this to go. Just don’t tell me to go away.”

“I’d never.”

And you wouldn’t. Not ever.

He is yours, and you are his.

And with your touch, you changed his entire world. His entire being.

Forever.

The End, friend. Or is it...?

Next

Masterlist

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[iyoonjh]

Beyond Plus Ultra! – The anatomy of falling in love

Chapter 1: See You, Space Cowboy... Or Not

wc: 4370 words

“That's what I've been telling you, dude! If Kai had just closed the portal, none of this would've happened!” Heeseung repeated for what felt like the thousandth time in the last 48 hours.

“But he didn't close it!” Beomgyu replied, shoving another bite of sandwich into his mouth. Soobin could’ve sworn he heard Beomgyu smirking, enjoying every moment of watching Heeseung lose his mind over a Dungeons & Dragons disaster.

Beomgyu couldn't care less about the stupid D&D portal that Hueningkai failed to close last Saturday. The guy was all about chaos and disruption, and the fate of the fictional world? Well, that was clearly secondary. Heeseung, on the other hand, was serious about D&D as an ancient monk guarding a holy relic. For him, their weekly session was like attending mass... if mass had dice and dragons..

“And that’s why you’re a Bard and I’m a Druid. You suck,” Heeseung said dramatically, stealing a bite from Beomgyu’s sandwich like it was the most important thing in the world. “Don’t come crying to me when the dragons burn the entire city on Saturday.”

Beomgyu grinned. "Not my problem, bro. Kai let them into the portal, not me."

“We're actually fucked,” Leehan said with quiet dread, knowing full well that the responsibility of keeping the gates of Mistfall safe rested on his wizardly shoulders.

Soobin, who usually listens attentively to his friends' discussions, was on cloud nine, his curious eyes following a certain group of girls across the cafeteria. He couldn't help it when his gaze landed on you, it was a common occurrence to him anyway, his eyes always landing on your figure. Soobin has taken a few classes with you since you both started university three years ago. You were a PoliSci major as he majored in Photography, therefore the possibility of you and him sharing an elective or two always lingered. The boy wasn't certain what it was about you that made him always perk his ears up upon hearing your name. But anyway, there he was, yet again, looking at you as you laughed along with your friends. Soobin wasn't into you or anything like that, he knew very well where he stood, therefore he would never as much dare to allow himself to think of you as anything other than the prettiest girl he has ever seen. After all, he was just Choi Soobin, a quiet boy with good grades and legs way too long to not be awkward. 

You, however, were everything Soobin was not. You were the kind of person who belonged in the cool crowd. Your friends consisted of a group full of millionaire heirs and socialites, owners of luxury cars and hosts of extravagant parties - which, of course, he was never invited to. Daughter of famous musicians, son of the most successful CEO in the country or son of a famous footballer, you name it, your friends draw attention in any room they walk into. Everyone knows them and wants to be associated with them for different reasons. 

As he kept staring at the way you attentively listened to Yunjin's story, Soobin couldn't help but over confirm his thoughts about how two people most definitely could belong to entirely different universes. 

“Hello? Earth to Soobin!” Beomgyu snapped his fingers in front of Soobin's face. “We’re talking to you, Soobie. Boobie.”

“Oh, sorry, what?” Soobin blinked and shifted his attention from you to his friends, dragging himself back from his daydreams.

“You’re worse than Sunghoon, man. Thought we lost you there.” Heeseung pointed at him dramatically. “I was just asking if you could cover my shift at the shop on Thursday. Kai needs my Genshin collection for his stupid AV club project, and I will not let him get his greasy fingers on my action figures unsupervised.”

“Yeah, sure, I’ll do it,” Soobin said, gulping his yogurt down like it was the last thing keeping him grounded. Beomgyu rolled his eyes at how nice Soobin was to everyone.

“You're too nice for this world Boobie, if I were you I'd be charging him a pack of ramen per hour, maybe having him do my laundry”.

“Laundry sounds nice... But I guess I could use some snacks for the shift,” Soobin mused, eyeing Heeseung, who tossed a melted Snickers bar at him, the chocolate almost liquid due to the high temperatures late this May. 

“There, have some choco,” Heeseung said, casually.

“I have a straw somewhere,” Leehan said, laughing as he fumbled for a destroyed plastic straw he had stolen from the canteen. “I use it to spit paper balls at people. Good times.”

“I’m good, thanks, Leehan,” Soobin said, turning back to watch as the last few members of their group entered the cafeteria.

Yeonjun marched over, speed-talking to Sunghoon, who was nodding without much care. Taehyun, still in his football gear, sat next to Soobin, throwing his bag onto the floor dramatically.

“He officially lost it” the midfielder said, dropping his bag at his feet, followed by Hueningkai.

“What happened now? Did his favorite AO3 author forget to update their My Chemical Romance mpreg fanfiction?” Beomgyu asked, earning a round of laughs from everyone except Yeonjun, who was too busy fixing his freshly dyed cherry-red hair.

“How can you joke at a time like this?!” Yeonjun screeched, already spiraling.

“Here we fucking go,” Hueningkai murmured from the sidelines.

“I mean, why does Jay Park have it out for me?! Does he spend every single second of his day plotting ways to ruin my life?!” Yeonjun continued, as if the entire world was conspiring against him. “What does he have that I don’t?!”

“I can name a few things…” Soobin said, casually passing Yeonjun a can of diet coke to calm his nerves. 

“Dude’s loaded,” Sunghoon added, eyes narrowed.

“Fuck him and his stupid jawline,” Yeonjun huffed. “What does he do with that stupid side profile, rip guitar strings with it?”

Soobin snorted.

“He’s behind all the bad juju that’s been happening to The Stroker Mucus!” Yeonjun yelled, finally cracking under the weight of his own delusions.

“Are you implying he impregnated Jihoon’s wife just to spite you?” Heeseung teased, and, to everyone's shock, Yeonjun actually seemed to make sense of the statement.

“He could've! It’s so suspicious how Jihoon became a father right when auditions for the summer festival opened!” Yeonjun pointed dramatically, as if he had just solved the greatest conspiracy in history.

“Yeah, okay. You’re delusional,” Leehan remarked, sounding absolutely done.

“I might be delusional but Jay is stupid” Yeonjun finished, audibly gulping on his diet coke. 

Yeonjun was one of Soobin's best friends, along with Beomgyu, Heeseung, Hueningkai, Taehyun, Leehan and Sunghoon. He was currently a literature major but it was just a matter of time until he switched again, knowing very well his true passion lies with his band. The Stroker Mucus was his passion ever since he founded the band three years ago as a result from a drunken night at Leehan's basement. Yeonjun was the front man of the emocore band, as Beomgyu played the bass and Hueningkai was on the drums, and a 28 year old guy named Jihoon used to be their guitarist until he had to drop the band because his second wife got pregnant - which everyone, except from Yeonjun, saw coming. After all, they met at the gas station near the intersection of Pomme Avenue and Francis Street, which by common sense was known as the worst gas station in town, so obviously nothing good would have come out of this partnership. 

Soobin chuckled quietly, wondering if he was in the most dysfunctional friend group ever. Either way, he was definitely happy to be just Soobin in this chaotic mess. The quiet guy, observing, always finding solace in the weirdest corners of the universe... like when you laugh at something one of your friends said.

"Alright, that was very mature, guys," Kai said, finally stepping in to calm the madness. "Maybe we should hold auditions. There are tons of students at this uni. Someone’s bound to come through."

“And if no one shows up?” Beomgyu asked. “We kidnap Jay, ransom him for money, and hire Slash to play guitar for us?”

“Slash as in the curly haired one?” Taehyun asked, brow raised.

“Is there another Slash?” this time Sunghoon looks confused. 

“Yeah, that guy who drives that old Ford Anglia around Papa Johns, he's Slash” Soobin explains. 

“That's the Slash we will be hiring?” Hueningkai asked in disbelief.

“No, you moron, I’m talking about the biblically accurate Slash,” Beomgyu cut in, rolling his eyes like he was tired of explaining things.

“We won’t be hiring any Slash, for God’s sake,” Yeonjun groaned, like he was about to break under the weight of his own absurdity.

On the other side of the cafeteria, you and your friends were engaged in a conversation quite different from the one taking place at Soobin’s table. Summer was approaching, and final exams were closer than ever, which meant it was more than time to start making plans for the break. This year, all your friends were incredibly excited because it would be the first time since you started university that everyone would be spending the summer together in the college town you all lived in. No private jets to the Bahamas or first-class flights to Paris with plans for a quick stop in the Greek Islands. No, this year, the group had agreed to stay in town and, at most, take a trip to the beach at Jake’s family house. 

"That's why I think it's a good idea to start spreading the word that the party will be on June 1st. We can't risk someone else throwing the first party of the summer," Karina said, like she was plotting the world’s most important heist.

"Well, it's not like anyone would dare anyway. Jay, your parents are leaving on the 30th, right?" Giselle, the pink-haired girl who could make eating a carrot look cool, asked him.

"Yup, early morning flight. Alright, Sunoo, you're in charge of spreading the word". Jay said, clearly assigning the real work to the one person who could actually do it. Sunoo started typing at the speed of light, probably already sending invites to everyone in his contacts.

You chuckled as you watched the whole situation unfold. As an introvert, it was impressive to you how your friends handled the preparations for a party that was still three weeks away like they were in some kind of military operation. You found it funny how important being the first to host a summer party was to them, you could not quite comprehend but you always supported them. 

"Thanks, Sunoo. You're a lifesaver," Jay said with a grin. "We're thinking about having, like, a hundred people show up, right?"

"Yep, got it covered," Sunoo replied, still typing furiously.

"Fuck, I'm a bit all over the place, my accounting test is in a week, and I still need to go over the songs we're putting up for the Summer Festival." Jay sighed dramatically, like the fate of the world rested on his band’s setlist for the festival.

“Chill, I'll help Sunoo with spreading the news and just sign us up with All About Words and Dense, it's the bangers dude” Yunjin reminded her bandmate, who rolled his eyes as if they’d had this conversation about twenty times already.

Jay’s band was the most popular on campus, so you believed that no matter what they played, it would be a hit. Even that terrible song Jake insisted was a banger—Turbulence—which no one, no one was brave enough to tell him was a complete trainwreck.

“You guys are a trio” Karina pointed her long nails at Jay and Yunjin “You should wait for Jake's opinion before agreeing to anything”. 

As if summoned by the sheer mention of his name, Jake walked over, freshly returned from soccer practice, accompanied by Jungwon, who, as always, looked like he had pushed himself harder than everyone during training.

“My opinion on what?” Jake asked, his eyes landing on you with that casual smile he always had when he wasn’t pretending to be a David Beckham.

“Please, for the love of everything good in the world Jakey, don’t say Turbulence,” you begged dramatically.

“Your opinion on what songs your band should play at the Summer Festival,” Sunoo explained, like it was no big deal.

“Definitely not Turbulence,” Jungwon muttered from the side, earning a snicker from you.

Your friends continued their chaotic debate, laughing over Jake’s precious Turbulence, while you found yourself trying to keep from being dragged into the whirlwind. But then Jungwon, ever the student body president and your best friend, slid into the seat beside you, handing you a strawberry milk along with a small note like it was some kind of diplomatic peace offering.

"What’s this?" you asked suspiciously, raising an eyebrow.

"Strawberry milk, dummy," he laughed as you rolled your eyes, amused by his antics. Receiving strawberry milk from him was something he had been doing for you ever since you became friends.

"The paper!" you clarified, holding up the slip with an address written on it.

“It’s the address of that manga shop Taehyun mentioned last week,” he said, casually as if it were no big deal.

“No way?!" You stared at the address like he had just handed you a treasure map leading to hidden gold.

"For real," he chuckled. "It was such a coincidence, right? I happened to mention to Jake that I was looking for a manga shop near campus, and Taehyun overheard. But hey, I hope you find what you’re looking for!"

You were literally vibrating with excitement. The manga shop. The Jujutsu Kaisen volume you needed.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” you exclaimed, clutching the slip like it was the most valuable thing you’d ever been given. “I should be studying for my econ final, but screw that, I’m going after class! You coming?”

“Nah, can't do it, we're having extra practice, Jake has gone nuts” Jungwon tells you, making sure Jake hears him calling him crazy. 

“Tell Riwoo to score more goals and maybe I'll consider giving you all a day off” he scoffed.

“Yes Cap” Jungwon mocks Jake. 

⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂ ⠂⠄⠄⠂

It was a slow afternoon at the manga shop. The bell above the door had barely jingled all day, leaving Soobin, Beomgyu, and Heeseung to lazily watch the dust settle in the aisles of manga heaven. The summer weather was so hot that the fan across the room could barely do its job. Beomgyu, as always, was entertaining himself by convincing Soobin to participate in an impromptu game of “guess the most absurd manga plotline.” He’d just finished his suggestion: The Adventures of a Samurai Who Also Happens to Be a Pancake. Soobin didn’t even know how to respond to that one.

Heeseung, on the other hand, was deep in a Genshin Impact binge on his phone, which was only interrupted by occasional stares at the piles of manga around him, as though plotting how to restock it in the most logical and “incredibly nerdy” way possible.

The shop was practically empty, save for them. That is, until the door jingled, and Heeseung's head snapped up like a dog hearing a treat bag rustle.

He’d seen her first.

Y/N.

Heeseung blinked, not quite believing his eyes. It was her. Y/N. The Y/N. The one who had practically owned the campus since day one. Not only was she popular—she was untouchable. Her reputation alone walked into rooms before she did.

And yet here she was, stepping into their little manga shop, a world so far removed from her glamorous reality that it felt… wrong. Like a glitch in the matrix.

What is she doing here?

Heeseung wasn’t the kind to make a scene. He sat up straight, pretending to be totally chill, but there was an undeniable twinkle of surprise in his eyes. As casually as possible, he leaned toward Beomgyu, who was pretending to read a manga with absolutely no intention of absorbing any of its content.

“Is that… is that Y/N?” Heeseung whispered, his voice barely louder than the rustling of pages.

Beomgyu, too engrossed in his own self-made chaos, blinked, his head turning in the direction Heeseung was gesturing. It was like he hadn’t processed the reality of it until now.

“Fucking hell that’s her,” Beomgyu muttered, still holding the manga upside down. He wasn’t even trying to hide his shock. "What in the—what’s she doing here?"

Heeseung was already a step ahead, his eyes tracking her as she casually strolled past the aisles. Her eyes flickered over the shelves with the cool detachment of someone who knew exactly where to find what they wanted. But then—there it was—she stopped at the display for Jujutsu Kaisen.

Soobin, who had been quietly observing the whole scene from behind the counter, looked up. He saw Y/N standing right in front of the Jujutsu Kaisen display like it was some kind of shrine, inspecting volumes with the grace of someone who definitely knew what they were doing, and his heart skipped—no, stopped—for a solid 10 seconds. Soobin couldn’t breathe. And then there was the fact that Soobin’s shirt—the one with Gojo's face on it—was probably the most embarrassing thing to wear in front of someone who actually knew the series.

Oh my god.

He thought he was going to faint. Y/N? Y/N, the girl who never even looked at him twice? The girl who was always surrounded by her popular friends? And now, she was here... at his workplace... eyeing the latest volume of Jujutsu Kaisen? Her very presence seemed to make the store a thousand times cooler—which, in Soobin's case, was kind of terrifying.

“Soobin,” Heeseung whispered, his voice dripping with disbelief, “she’s literally right there.”

Beomgyu, still processing, added, “Yeah, I mean, I thought we were dreaming, but… nope, it’s real. She’s standing in front of the Jujutsu Kaisen shelf. Does she… know about it?”

"How should I know?" Soobin squeaked, feeling like he’d just been hit with a truckload of reality. "She probably thinks Gojo is just a cool character or something..."

“Is she a Jujutsu fan?” Beomgyu asked, tilting his head, clearly bewildered. He didn’t know what to do with this information. The thought of someone so… untouchable like Y/N having any connection to the world of manga seemed impossible.

Heeseung, ever the nerd detective, tried to piece the puzzle together. “I mean, she’s probably just here because it's the most popular series right now… but then again, we have a lot of people who don’t know the first thing about the series and still grab it because of the hype. Maybe she just saw the show? Does she even watch anime?”

Beomgyu, after his own shock has passed, took this as his cue to start a disaster. He leaned over to Soobin, whispering, “I bet you $10 you can’t go talk to her.”

Soobin’s eyes bulged. "What the fuck?! No! Why would I—?"

It didn’t help that Soobin's brain was playing a cruel game of freeze-frame. He stared at her from across the store, mentally trying to figure out whether to approach or just hide under the counter and never come out. Soobin was practically dying of secondhand embarrassment. He had no idea what to say, how to approach the situation, or how to stop feeling like his entire life was flashing before his eyes.

Just then, Y/N turned, her eyes catching his.

For a second, it felt like the universe conspired to make everything painfully awkward. Soobin could barely breathe, his palms getting clammy. She saw me looking. Oh my god, she saw me looking!

But then, instead of making it awkward (which, in Soobin’s mind, was always the likely scenario), Y/N did something completely unexpected.

She walked straight over to the counter, clearly unaware that she had entered Soobin’s personal social nightmare.

Soobin’s heart rate doubled. He didn’t even notice that he was gripping the counter so tightly that his fingers were turning white.

Y/N’s smile was casual, and her voice was calm as she spoke, her tone that soft, confident kind that made everyone stop and listen. “Oh hi, is the new Jujutsu Kaisen volume still in stock?”

Did she really just ask me that?

Soobin blinked, trying to gather his thoughts. He had to answer—he had to. This was his chance, his moment.

He reached for the shelf behind him and grabbed the volume, his hands trembling. He handed it to her with a forced calmness, trying to appear like he wasn’t internally combusting. “Here you go... It just came in this morning.”

Y/N took the manga from his hands with an easy smile, and Soobin was certain his face had just melted off. She didn’t seem weirded out at all. She just seemed… normal. Like this was just another transaction.

“Thanks,” she said, and then—before Soobin could blink—she added, “Soobin, right? We had a class together last semester.”

She knows my name? Soobin’s brain nearly exploded. “Yeah! That’s… that’s me! From… um… the Society and Art class. The one about… uh…”

“Right, the one where everyone fell asleep,” Y/N finished for him, her grin widening. “I remember you had a really cool camera though.”

Soobin could barely breathe. “I, uh… yeah. That was me. I do photography. Sometimes.”

“Nice,” Y/N said, nodding as if she totally understood. She slid the manga into her bag after swapping her card, not in a hurry to leave but clearly still with some level of casual coolness. "I'll see you around, Soobin."

She turned to walk out, leaving Soobin standing behind the counter, completely dumbfounded. Beomgyu and Heeseung were both staring at him like they had witnessed a rare, mythical event.

Heeseung’s voice broke the silence, deadpan: “Soobin… Did that just happen? You just had a solid 10/10 social interaction with Y/N and you didn’t spontaneously combust".

Beomgyu looked at Soobin, still unable to contain his grin. "Bro, you’ve officially made it. You're not just the awkward guy who reads manga in the corner. You're the awkward guy who reads manga in the corner and talked to Y/N. Progress."

Soobin was still holding onto the counter, completely shell-shocked. His hands were still shaking, his heart still racing, but for some reason, his chest felt… lighter. Like something had shifted.

Still, all Soobin could hear was the echo of Y/N’s words in his mind: “I’ll see you around, Soobin".

And for the first time in forever, he allowed himself to believe that maybe, just maybe, she would.

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As soon as the door jingled behind her, Y/n exhaled a long, shaky breath. Her hands, still clutching the new Jujutsu Kaisen volume like a lifeline, trembled ever so slightly. She had made it out. She was alive. But—oh god—did she just talk to Soobin?

Okay, Y/n. Calm down. It was just a conversation. You’ve done worse.

The moment she stepped onto the sidewalk, she pulled her hand through her hair, the summer heat sticking to her skin. It was sweltering outside, but all she could think about was the interaction inside. She was still holding onto the manga like it might fly away if she let go.

You’ve gone to parties with friends, been to big social events, but this? This was different. This was… her own decision. A decision to go to a small manga shop on a random Wednesday and buy a manga. Alone.

Y/n bit her lip, walking down the street with hurried steps.

It wasn’t just the place. It was Soobin. He had looked… surprised when she walked in. That much was obvious. He was probably not used to seeing her in a place like that.

She knew she had a reputation. She wasn’t that oblivious. Y/n was popular, yes. But… she wasn’t like them—the loud, outgoing ones who lived for every social interaction. Y/n liked her own company. The thought of meeting someone new, making small talk, stepping out of her comfort zone—it was always a little nerve-wracking. So when she saw Soobin behind the counter, looking all... shy, her own anxiety kicked into overdrive.

But he was nice. She hadn’t expected him to be so normal, so... genuine. And the way he’d been so careful with the manga, how his hands shook a little when he handed it to her—it made him feel real. Not just the guy she saw in the back of the lecture hall or in the hallway between classes, too quiet to stand out. He seemed just as nervous as she felt.

And that smile. When she’d said his name, when she’d mentioned the elective they’d shared, he seemed to light up. Was that… was that for her?

Am I overthinking this?

She pulled her phone out of her pocket and stared at the screen, but it was just an instinct. Her thumb hovered over the keyboard, like it would make her thoughts go away.

Y/n laughed softly to herself. Yeah, he’s cute. I’m probably just imagining things. I’m probably going to be too awkward to even remember what I said in five minutes anyway.

But then, as she passed a small cafe on the corner of the street, she caught a glimpse of her reflection in the window. And there it was—her cheeks were actually a little pink.

Stop it, she told herself. But a smile crept onto her lips despite the inner voice trying to shut it down.

Y/n looked at the manga bag in her hand and sighed in defeat. Okay, maybe I am just a little bit excited. It’s fine. I survived. And maybe—just maybe—it’s time for me to come out of my shell a little.

She glanced at the sky, and for the first time in weeks, she felt like maybe, just maybe, she was ready to step out of the comfort zone she’d built around herself.

And next time, maybe I’ll ask him about his photography.

masterlist | next

profiles: d&d saturday mass group | bling bling losers

author's note: heyy guys, sooo first chapter is here! how did you guys like it so far? please let me know what you guys think, and tysm for tunning in really it means a lot <3

taglist: @heejamas @mingyustar @wintereals @mimimiloomeelomi @wonderstrucktae @delirioastral @gomdoleemyson @i03jae @irishspringing

[tarnishedxjudgement]

Larsa listened, his mind lingering on the scars he had seen on Basch’s face. He had never thought much of them before. Why would he? A warrior, a captain, a man who had fought in wars and battles, of course, he would bear marks of his trade. It was the nature of his position. Scars were nothing unusual.

But now, hearing Ashe speak so plainly of Basch’s suffering, he felt a slow, creeping horror coil around his heart.

Tortured.

Starved.

Denied food, denied sleep, denied light.

For two years.

Larsa had never thought to question where those scars came from. But now he knew that the cut above his brow, the faded lines on his cheek, the ones he hadn’t seen but now imagined, were hidden beneath his armor.

His stomach twisted. How could anyone do such a thing to Basch? To Basch who would take off that red jacket and drape it over sleeping Vaan and Penelo when they wouldn't be able to get any cloth while camping? His hands clenched into fists at his sides.

“That’s monstrous.” He said aloud, voice tighter than he intended. “Utterly, completely monstrous.”

Basch was his uncle.

His uncle.

It was such a strange thought. He had never had an uncle before at least not truly. His whole life, family had meant his father, his brothers, his mother, and now… Now, it was something else entirely. Basch was an ally, a mentor, and a friend, but never had it occurred to him that they shared blood. That Basch had stories to tell... Stories of his father, stories of the brother he had known, stories of a world before Larsa had even existed.

Ashe was right.

There were things Basch could tell him. And now, Larsa thought, he was ready to listen.

“I think.” He said, smoothing down the fabric of his tunic as if to steady himself further. “That I would very much like to see Basch right now.”

There. A change of subject. One that would not linger too long on Ashe’s grief.

And if he was being honest with himself, he was eager. For answers. For stories. For anything that might make sense of what had been thrown so suddenly into his lap.

“If I can walk across the room, surely I can manage a visit, no?”

Larsa did not expect to be unfrozen at all, let alone in the future. When he had snuck upon Gabranth's ship set for Pharos he did it to ensure the peace would be possible. The last thing he remembered was running towards fallen Gabranth and then... Light. (Marvel AU) - tarnishedxjudgement

@tarnishedxjudgement

Noah didn't have the same abilities and resources in this time period with which to inform himself of anything and everything that was going on around him. He was in the dark, most of the time, unless directly informed of things, a condition he hated. Being at the mercy of others he neither knew nor trusted for information was not a position he usually found himself in.

It was the reason he hadn't known about Drace being found after him until she was brought one day to the training compound. Inexplicably, after executing her in his own timeline, here she was again, seemingly from another. The entire experience was wholly jarring, but not nearly as jarring as losing his only son.

So often had Noah thought of Larsa in the months following his revival in this strange time. Thoughts invaded his peace, his sleep, his ability to function, until he found himself so erratic and unhinged that he did not recognize himself anymore. Even Drace found it difficult to comfort him, and she had always been a master of that feat. There was no closure to be had, no second chances, no going back... and that knowledge was eating Noah alive from the inside out.

But once again, information had been kept from him, and yet another arrival from Ivalice to the Avengers compound was neither expected nor necessarily wanted. Would it be another Dalmascan? Gods forbid a Rozarrian. And the way the people of this time seemed to think that all Ivalicians got along and would be happy to see each other was beyond irritating to him. Nevertheless, when he was specifically summoned to greet this newcomer, Noah begrudgingly left his quarters to do so.

What he saw... stopped him dead in his tracks. Within seconds, his expression betrayed him, and within a few more, he was on his knees, his legs giving way in disbelief of the sight that lay before him. It was little Lord Larsa, looking just as he did when last Noah laid eyes on him, perfect as can be.

He knew he should say something, but words betrayed him as well as his own legs had. Instead, he merely stared, the absence of his helm serving to display to the boy all the shock, confusion, and relief at seeing him standing there. Finally, he forced out the only two words he felt he could say without falling apart.

"My lord..."

[heretical-cogitations]

Chairon x gn!reader

Word count:  ~880

I haven’t seen too much written about him and think he deserves more love, so have this: how I can see yours and Chairon’s relationship starting and how you end up convincing him to bed you. Once again, I already have more, I could write about….

Warnings: MDNI 18+, intercrural sex (thigh fucking), Chairon being the most loving and sweet man, very brief mention of oral and fingering.

Please let me know if I’ve missed anything!!

I can see a relationship with him starting surprisingly naturally, he is the type to always greet the baseline around him and strike up small conversations, he is aware of how in awe they are of him, but he just likes yapping.

Then he meets you and you both just seem to click together. Chairon finds himself actively seeking you out, wanting to know more.

He starts looking for little things to bring back to you when he is deployed, little gifts that come with stories he can share.

Eventually this leads to you forming a romantic relationship in private, both sneaking around, to not get caught. Despite him being so careful, his brothers can tell something has changed. Chairon can’t really school his expressions well especially in the eyes of fellow astartes, and so when he is pressed about why he has been creeping away in the night he crumbles pretty quickly, gushing about you.

He is so much larger than you in every way and could so easy kill or seriously injury you without even thinking about it. So, he is petrified of being intimate in anyway with you in the beginning, it’s not at all for lack of want.

Numerous innocent kisses turning into soft moans, roaming hands and heavy petting before he abruptly stops, apologising that he can’t continue.

No matter how much you protest he won’t hear it, so you have to get creative.

Your first attempt is suggesting oral, which Chairon is excited to give but refuses once again to receive. More of your little meetings go by tension twisting tighter and tighter until you mention intercrural sex. That seems to snap that rising tension weeks if not months of skirting around what you both want crashing down full force.

He has you on your back ankles grasped in one hand, pulled to rest on his shoulder, hips held suspended in the air to be level with his own as he lathers his cock in lube before slowly inching it into the smooth embrace of your thighs.

Breath stuttering as he feels his length grind against your sex. Eyes fixated on the apex of your thighs, watching the head of his cock appear with each thrust precum smearing across your abdomen.

He realises this is close to how deep he would reach if you took all of him inside you, the revelation causing a deep groan to rumble out from him spare hand roaming the expanse of your chest to rub a thumb over that spot.

“S So beautiful, my sweet, I have craved this for so long, thought about you for so many nights.” Interrupting himself every few words with soft moans thrusts gaining speed and force, eventually bouncing you up with each slap of his hips against your arse and thighs.

Your own moans growing more needy and erratic only encouraging him to continue at tis punishing pace.

“O oh C Chai p please, I It feels so good, need more.” You sound angelic to him, hips bucking up against him.

“What do you want, sweetheart?”  hand travelling up roving over and up your body ending at your cheek cupping it, thumb rubbing lovingly over the skin beneath. Hips still grinding pace unfaltering.

Your legs are pushed closer and closer to your chest as he leans down, body curling under him to

“N need you i inside me p please.” You moan out arms wrapping around this neck pulling him as close as you can your plea repeating over and over as he pushes you closer and closer to your climax.

A low growl emitting from him, his head knocking forward forehead resting against your own. The deep timbre of his voice cut through your begging “My light, there will be time for t that in the future… I I can tell you are close, so am I.” hot breath fanning across your cheek. You pull him impossibly closer head nodding, moaning into the crook of his neck.

Your hips crashing together, as you buck up uncontrollably against his as you cum, a series of pitched moans of his name spilling out of you as you bit down into the skin of his neck. Legs trembling with each white-hot jolt of pleasure that burst through you.

He’s quick to follow hips press yours down squashing you under him as he spills his seed across your stomach, pooling where you are folded, face nuzzling into your hair as he sighs out your name.

You both stay tangled for a moment, basking in the afterglow of your orgasms.

Sitting up Chairon unlatches your arms from his neck before gently removing his grip from your ankles pressing soft kisses against them. “You were amazing, as always my dear.”

“As did you, my lord.” You hum in return serene smile spread across your features.

After this, it is less of an uphill battle to get him into bed, than it was before.

Able to coax him into fingering you with 1 then 2 and ultimately 3 of his fingers over multiple different occasions each followed with him fucking your thighs.  

He has developed a bit of an obsession with your thighs because if this.

Eventually, you convince him to actually fuck you.

But that is for another day…

[7-penguins-eat-icecream]

aventurine going undercover at veritas prime uni fic idea

OK LETS BUCKLE UP. THIS FIC IDEA HAS BEEN CONSUMING ME FOR SO LONG BUT I HAVE NO IDEA WHEN I CAN START THIS GUY (trying to finish my current fic before committing to this guy) so i just need to lay this plot bunny into the world lol

Main idea: there is an internal issue going on at Veritas Prime, the uni Dr Ratio works at, which is lowkey stressing him out. I think it would be a matter similar to the Ruan Mei and Dr Ratio quest in that it could be a kinda structural issue that Dr Ratio cannot solve as an insider because it would spook the culprits too much (i'm thinking of a baby cult or smth like that, similar to the banana memetic thingy in HSR too). As you can tell, this issue is just a vehicle to put Aventio into Situations. I'm just creating a problem at this point hah

Either way, Aventurine gets pulled into this of his own free will after seeing how stressed his situationship has been recently

They decide that Aventurine, as a great actor and an outsider to VPUni, could go undercover as a student there, especially as the second semester is starting so he could easily pose as a mid-year transfer student from another uni (international student? Or rather interastral student lol. I forgot the words bruh).

Now a potential problem (for Aventurine's emotional state hahahah): Aventurine cannot conceivably pose as one of Dr R's students because their accidental sexual tension would be so potent that rumors would spring up ASAP. Put these two guys together and EVERYONE will know that there's something going on between them

and like i need aventurine to make friends with his peers... this man NEEDS friends i am not kidding. also aventurine could occasionally trauma dump (only the most out of context stuff, e.g. yh i nearly died a couple of months but its whateverrr, and maybe yh i once homoerotically pulled a gun on myself and made a stranger watch. we're in a situationship now ahaha) and maybe get some support from people who aren't Ratio? like maybe it would be easier to share his feelings if he isn't viewed as a stoneheart who knows.

and ofc a bit of emotional turmoil because he gets imposter syndrome 😍

And maybe he would go by kakavasha, as he initially thinks that the past/his name is dead to him, so it wouldn't affect him much 👀however, he later realises that he actually quite likes being referred to as that (or the angstier route: he hates it). So why would he even choose Kakavasha in the first place? Well honestly a) I can't think of another name b) neither can aventurine

so like what would aventurine even be studying whilst undercover? honestly like he COULD become a finance bro and study economics or whatever... but hear me out. What about philosophy?? Not only was penacony's story very deeply intrenched in each of the cast's respective philosophy, I feel like aventurine may choose it because Dr R has a phd in it,, he wants to be at lteast a bit closer to the man because he is down BAD for him (on the other side, i think ratio would be quite pleased that aventurine chose that lol)

-> also like i've never studied philosophy but the vibes i get from it is that HOW you present your respective argument is probably more important than the argument itself?? Like i just think that Aventurine IS very cunning and would probably do well in an argument especially if he managed to pick up some stuff from Ratio as well lol (if someone knows what happens in philosophy classes pls let me know if this is even remotely correct)

also i think a really interesting thing to explore would be all the different sides of Ratio,, like the students would place him on such a massive pedastal and aventurine would be forced to review his relationship and finally see just how much Ratio actually cares for him ಥ_ಥ

i have no more thoughts about this fic idea, but at the end ofc aventio get together

-> maybe the friends that Aventurine pick up accidentally see them get together and are like: omg is that Kakavasha's situationship...? Wait does that mean he pulled a gun on our teacher on the first meeting???

If you've read this far thanks for reading!! hope it amused you

[terrortwinunicorn]

Wepa! It's A Wedding

Damian's POV

I woke up the next morning to see y/n nestled beside me, still lost in dreams. Today, we would be telling the last part of our Angelo and Ginger wedding story, but obviously, knowing Demi, she'll want to hear about y/n being Sandy and me traveling across the state to be at her opening night performance, Bruno and Claudine's fortieth wedding anniversary, and Angelo's fourteenth birthday party. We still had so many more memories to share.

Y/N moans lightly and not her normal morning her joints are stiff moan. It's not even the moan I earn while we make love. It's her something bad is happening moan. She whimpers in fear before she let out a blood curdling scream. Her eyes flew open and she sat up so quickly she gave me whiplash. She's panting and tears were streaming down her face.

I quickly sat up and wrapped her in a hug. She hugged me so tight that I felt the breath temporarily leave my body as her body slammed into mine. She is crying uncontrollably and shaking, and I rub her back.

"Baby, what's wrong? What was the dream about?" I asked.

"It was him again. He was chasing me but it was different. He hurt you and Luis; I had to watch him do it," she cried. "He then grabbed me, throwing me to the ground and he, he, he, he," she starts to hyperventilate.

"Shh. You're safe," I soothe "He is in jail remember?" I remind her gently. She nodded but didn't say anything "And besides I would kill him with my bare hands. He would never get near you," I kissed the side of her head laying back down and holding her "I promise you. He will never be able to get near you."

"I, I, I, I, I'm so sorry Luis," she cries as she holds me close.

"It's okay, amor," I kiss the top of her head. "How about you and I take a relaxing bath? It's only seven. Maybe a warm bath will help calm you down."

She shook her head. "No. Just hold me," she sniffles.

"Okay. I will just hold you," I said. She snuggled into me. She sighed and it sounded like she allowed the weight of the world off her shoulders.

"Gracias amor de mi vida," she whispers, her fear slowly seeping into the air. I continue to hold her and rub her back. I kiss her forehead as she holds onto me.

"Eres bienvenido, amor de mi vida," I said as there's a knock on the bedroom door. "Enter," I said.

The door opened and Demi poked her head around it. "Everything okay? We heard the most terrifying scream."

"Everything is fine. I just had a bête noire," y/n said quietly as we still laid in bed.

"A what?!" asked Demi entering the room.

"Bête noire," y/n laughs lightly, "It's French for black beast. Black beast is basically a being invading your dreama causing a nightmare," she explains as Demi sat on the end of y/n's and my bed.

Demi put a hand on my foot, probably thinking it was y/n's, and squeezed it. "My God y/n, your foot is HUGE!" she said.

"Sis that's my foot," I said.

"Sorry," Demi said making the oops face as she removed her hand.

"My foot is here," giggles y/n as she wiggles her foot under the covers.

Demi put her hand on the correct foot and squeezed it. "You okay?" she asked, y/n.

"I'm fine. I am very lucky to have Luis here this time," y/n pats my chest.

"Do you have those *bête noires* often?!" Demi asked.

"Not as often as I used to," Y/N admits. "But they do reoccur, especially around the same time every year. Luckily, Luis isn't as busy with house shows anymore."

"We all aren't. House shows are few and far between now," said Demi "Which is nice because we actually have some down time."

Y/N nods "I like it because I get more snuggles," y/n grins as she snuggled into me.

"That's one of my favorite things too. Plus, I get to spend each night practically with you in my arms," I said, kissing y/n's forehead, making y/n sigh softly.

"I will give you two some time," said Demi "You want me to make breakfast?"

"How about we go out for breakfast for a change?!" I asked.

"Can we go to Delicioso Desayuno?" asked y/n, sitting up and looking down at me with a huge smile.

"What is Delicioso Desayuno?" asked Demi.

"Only the best Puerto Rican breakfast outside of Luis's or Mamá's," said y/n looking at Demi.

Demi laughed lightly "I'll take your word for it," she said.

"They have the most amazing tortilla de plátano, quesito, and they have the second best mofongo after Mamá's," said y/n licking her lips, and I can tell whatever fear she had was now gone.

I chuckled "Let's go before you start to drool," I said sitting up.

Y/N subconsciously wipes her mouth "I'm not drooling," she said.

"I know that, but you're about to. Let's go there, get you your amazing tortilla de plátano, and quesito," I said, kissing her cheek.

"I'm going to let Matt know we're going to breakfast," Demi said, standing. "I'll give you two time to get ready."

🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷

Delicioso Desayuno

I parked the car and we all exited y/n's SUV. I took y/n's hand as we walked to the entrance of one of y/n's and my favorite restaurants. We actually stumbled upon it years ago when we first moved to Orlando.

"I think you two are really going to enjoy it," y/n said as I opened the door, ushering y/n through before allowing Demi in, and I followed Matt in before rejoining y/n.

"I do too," I said, lacing my fingers with y/n's as we walked up to the counter.

"Cuántos?" asked the greeter behind the counter. (How many?)

"Cuatro," I said. (Four)

The greeter grabbed four menus and silverware and led us to a table. He set down the menus and silverware.

"Your waiter will be with you shortly," the greeter informed us.

I held y/n's chair. "Gracias, amor," she said as she sat.

"De nada, mi hermosa esposa," I said as I sat beside y/n while Matt held the chair for Demi.

"Thank you, Babe," said Demi as she sat across from me. Matt sat beside Demi, and across from y/n.

"You're welcome," said Matt as the waiter walked over to the table.

"Hello. My name is Shawn. I'll be your waiter today. Can I start you off with something to drink?" he asked.

"Coffee," said Demi and Matt together.

"Orange Juice," said y/n.

"I'll have the same as the beautiful lady to my right," I said smiling at y/n as Shawn wrote down our drink orders before hurrying off.

"So," said Demi as she began studying the menu, as "Before Your Love" by Kelly Clarkson plays over the restaurant's speakers. "When are we going to hear about the wedding?"

"We can start after breakfast," I said. "Or," my attention is drawn to y/n, who was singing quietly but loud enough for our table to hear.

Demi smiles softly as y/n begins The Power of Love by Céline Dion. She is absolutely absorbed in the menu, she doesn't realize she's singing.

"Does she?" Demi asked quietly as Matt looked over the top of his menu. His eyebrows raised but he smiled nonetheless.

"Nope," I said as y/n sings along with the song, "She's doing better. Otherwise, she wouldn't be singing."

"Don't talk about me like I'm not here," Y/N said as the waiter placed her juice down.

"Just drink your juice, Shelby," I laughed.

Y/N glanced over at me, a small smirk on her face. "Clever M'Lynn," she teased.

I let out a hearty laugh before kissing her forehead. "Doing better, Babe?" I asked.

She nods as 'I Swear' by All-4-One began. Y/N and I both started laughing. Demi and Matt were looking at us like we had gone bonkers.

"This was supposed to be the song that played while," y/n began, "You'll see. It's part of the wedding."

"Then can we start?" begs Demi.

"After breakfast. On the car ride back home. For now, let's talk about something else, like how you two will be leaving after today's story, allowing y/n and me to have newlywed time," I interject with a raised eyebrow.

"I think that's fair," said Matt. "They literally had their wedding night alone. We have been at their place for nearly two weeks."

"Okay. But I still want story times," said Demi.

"As long as you limit the interruptions," y/n smirks.

Demi opened and closed her mouth. "Fine," she grumbles.

"Then we can make Tuesdays story times. Since you work Mondays, Demi, Matt goes to work on Wednesdays, and Luis works Fridays. And weekends are date nights for Luis and me," says y/n.

"Sounds fair," I said "Especially since I have to travel on Thursdays for the following day."

"Sounds fair to me too. You come home early on Tuesday. We have dinner together, whether it be at the Martinez's or our place," said Matt, and y/n giggles lightly beside me.

"What?" I asked.

"The Martínez's," she grinned. "I still can't believe that."

I smiled. "Me either," I admitted.

"Te amo, esposo," she said, cupping my cheek as I rest my forehead against hers.

"Te amo, esposa," I said, pressing a quick kiss to her lips.

"You know you two make me have to see a dentist on the daily with all the sugar you two dish out," Demi teases playfully.

Y/N giggles as she looked at Demi. "Sorry Sis," she said. "But what can I say," she looked at me before placing her hand on top of mine. "I can't help myself."

"Sugarpie Honey Bunch," I chuckled and Matt and Demi exchanged glances before they shrugged.

🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷

We ate breakfast and had small talk about how odd it was that Demi and I were no longer travel buddies. How working on Fridays made it hard for Y/N and me to have little weekend getaways unless she came with me. The conversation was light and easy.

As we approached y/n's SUV, Demi ran ahead to the car, with Matt hanging back with us as y/n and I walked hand in hand, after y/n had gotten sick by the entrance and puked in a bush by the corner of the building where she had run to.

"You okay?" Matt asked y/n as he carried the leftovers. Demi was busily unlocking the SUV and getting it started so we could just get in and leave.

She nods, but I could tell she was not doing too well. The nausea was brought on quickly, as was the tossing of her cookies all over the bush.

"That poor bush," mutters y/n.

I chuckled, "Babe, I think it's been through a lot worse than you upchucking on it. After all, this is Florida." Y/N gave me a weak smile as I wrapped an arm around her shoulders and kissed her forehead. "Let's go home."

She nodded as I helped her into the SUV. She buckles as I got into the driver's seat.

"You okay y/n?" asked Demi.

I pulled out of the parking spot and headed down the road.

Y/N nodded, "Fine. I don't know what happened. I normally can eat tortilla de plátano without any problems. But today," y/n paled, "Luis, stop the car!"

I slammed on the brakes and quickly pulled over as y/n unbuckles before she opened the door and spilled her guts onto the pavement below.

"Babe," I said placing a hand on her back. She shook her head.

I glanced into the rear view mirror and saw the comcern etched across the faces of Demi and Matt.

"Y/N?" said Demi.

"I'm fine," she said as she sat back up and buckled "Can we just go home? I wanna change into comfy clothes and walk down memory lane well this portion of memory lane."

"Of course," I said, taking her hand and lacing our fingers before kissing the back of her hand. "Thank God we got ginger ale at home."

Y/N sleepily looks over at me and nods; when she was ill, it took everything out of her.

🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷

We arrived back at our place, y/n's and my place. She went upstairs and took a shower before changing into something more comfortable.

"Feeling a bit better, amor?" I asked as I opened my arms. She sat beside me and snuggled into me.

"A bit. But I would feel better listening to you tell the story of Angie and Ginger's wedding," she said, laying her head on my chest before draping her arm across my torso.

"Okay," I said, kissing the top of her head as she snuggled even further into me, a content sigh leaving her lips.

Demi brought in some ginger ale and saltines for y/n. "Here you go, sis," she said before sitting beside Matt. "Alright, time to finish the story."

"Thank you, sis," said y/n taking a sip of ginger ale.

"You're welcome," said Demi, as she settled back into the sofa.

"Okay. Fourth of July fell on a Monday in two thousand and five," I began.

🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷

Monday, July 4th,2005

Y/N and I woke up the same way we fell asleep. Tangled in each other's arms and stark naked.

"Mm,Morning," I said as y/n's eyes fluttered open.

Y/N settled into me "Morning," she murmured as I kissed her cheek.

"How did you sleep?" I asked.

"Well after we fucked?" she blushes "Like a baby. Your dick is definitely a good pacifier."

I chuckled but blushed "Thanks," I said kissing her cheek again "But we have to get up, dressed and over to the Ottomanos in hour."

"Mm. What if I want to spend time here with you?" she murmured as she grabbed my hand, kissing the palm.

"As much as that sounds like heaven on Earth, we are part of the wedding," I said as she snuggled into me more.

Y/N grumbled lightly, "Fine," she said as we untangled ourselves.

We reluctantly got separate showers and dressed before heading downstairs, where Pops has made homemade sausage and egg sandwiches.

"Those are so you can eat and run," said Pops.

"Thanks," we said.

"I will see you two later at the wedding," said Pops "Your garment bags are hanging up by the door."

"Thank you Señor Martínez," said y/n.

"You're welcome y/n," Pops said.

"Luis, I will meet you later. I have to go over to Bruno and Claudine's because Ginger and her bridal party need to be at the venue to get our hair and makeup done." She kissed my cheek before grabbing a breakfast sandwich and left.

"Luis, before you go, I need to talk to you," Pops said, gesturing to the chairs.

"What's up, Pops?" I asked as I sat down.

"I don't know how to start," he said.

I gulped "Is everything okay? Are you sick?" I asked.

"No. I'm fine. Perfectly healthy," he said but paused as he massaged his temples. I know he was trying to figure out how to tell me what he needed to say. "It's about last night."

"Last night?" I asked, suddenly feeling as if the air had been ripped from my lungs.

"Yes. I, well I heard you and y/n," he said.

I felt my heart leap into my throat. "You heard us?" I asked.

"I did. Were you two at least safe?" he asked.

"If you mean did we use a condom? Then yes we were safe," I said slowly "Pops don't let y/n know you heard us. I will let her know."

"Fine by me," said Pops "But you better head to the Ottomans now."

"Okay. I will see you at the wedding then," I said.

"See you at the wedding," he said.

I walked from the kitchen to the front door, grabbing my garment bag before leaving the house.

🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷

I arrived at the Ottomano residence just as y/n and Bianca were leaving to get on the limo bus.

"Hey there," I grinned, "Got a sec?" I asked while taking Y/N's hand.

"Uh, now?" asked y/n. "Luís, I kinda gotta get on the bus," she gestures to the bus as Bianca climbed onto it.

"It's kinda important," I said.

"Okay. What's wrong?" she asked, her demeanor changing. "I know I heard your pops stop you from leaving."

I rubbed the back of my neck. "Yeah, that's why we need to talk. I'm just going to lay it out there. Pops heard us being intimate last night."

"He what?" asked y/n all color instantly draining from her face.

"Pops heard us having sex," I said.

Y/N let out a breath of air that sounded like she was deflating a balloon. She swallowed hard before looking at me. "So he heard us. Was he? Is he upset?"

"No. He just wanted to make sure we were safe," I said, "I reassured him we used protection."

"Good," said y/n as Bianca calls y/n's name from the bus. "Luis, I gotta go. I will see you at the end of the aisle."

"You will," I smiled before she pressed a kiss to my cheek and ran down the stairs to the bus.

I jumped when a hand was slapped on my shoulder. I spun to see Salvatore. He was already in his tuxedo. He was the best man..

"Hey, everything okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," I said.

"Good, then get in here. You have to get dressed. We have to be at the venue shortly," said Salvatore.

"Oh okay," I said.

🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷

Arriving at Serenity Springs where the wedding and reception were being held, the place was abuzz with activity.

Angelo and those standing up for him, myself included, were led to the groom's quarters. The wedding was taking place outside at the gazebo in the center of the gardens.

I am lost in my own thoughts when I get a poke to the ribs. I looked around; it's Angelo.

"Bro where did you go?" he asked.

"Nowhere and everywhere at the same time," I said, buttoning my shirt cuff. "How are you?"

"Nervous but thankful this is almost over especially I can finally tune out Karen," he said.

I snorted back a laugh. "But you still have to put up with her. She's, after all, your mother-in-law after you say I do and Layla's grandmother."

"Don't let her hear you say the g word. She'll eliminate you where you stand," said Angelo, as Salvatore helps him with his tie.

"Heaven forbid she's recognized as a grandmother. Is that why Layla refers to her as Karen?" I asked.

"Yup. Layla calls Ma and Pops Gammy and PawPaw, but Karen and George?! They're Karen and George; neither one wants to be referred to as grandma and grandpa or anything else that makes them sound old," explained Angelo.

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"They sound great," Demi said with a hint of sarcasm.

"Karen and George nearly had a stroke when Layla had her daughter, Tegan, last year. They said they're too young to be great grandparents," y/n murmured as she snuggled into me. I rubbed her arm and she sighed contently.

"Does Ginger allow grandma?" asked Demi.

"She does. And Claudine is Nonna," y/n explained.

Demi's eyes teared up at Nonna. "How sweet," she said with a smile.

"You okay?" asked y/n.

"Yeah. I just love that Tegan has a Nonna too," said Demi.

"Teagan is lucky to have Claudine," y/n said.

"She is," I agreed.

"Back to the story!" said Demi.

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The guys and I were watching the guests arrive and being seated by the wedding planner's assistants.

"How many people are coming?" I asked Angelo.

"On my side one hundred. On Ginger's side? Only two hundred and fifty," said Angelo.

"Three hundred and fifty people? Holy fuck," I said.

"Yeah. Hence why Ma and Pops said, if you want that many people, you should pay for the wedding," said Angelo.

"And they actually agreed to that?" I asked.

"You have never seen Ma angry, have you?" said Angelo.

"No," I said.

"Let's say it's not pretty," said Angelo as we are led outside to get ready to head down the aisle.

The wedding planner's assistant lined us up: Angelo at the beginning with the officiant, Salvatore behind them, and I was behind Salvatore, with six other men behind me.

The wedding planner's assistant taps Ginger's brother on his shoulder, signaling for him to start down the aisle, as Four Seasons began playing.

After Ginger's brother, Harrison, there were two friends of Angelo's from his work: Daniel Hartman and Jack Lauren. Then, his cousins on his mom's side: Ezra Grant, Keegan Grant, and Jeremy Dugan, and then me.

As I walked down the aisle I spot Pops and he gives me a smile and quick wink. I give him a smile and a quick nod. At the top of the aisle I stood in front of Jeremy who is 5'9" so the height difference was noticeable and I caught Karen out of the corner of my eye looking like she sucked on a lemon.

I shook my head, trying to hide a smirk as I saw Karen lean over to George, gesturing to me, and he nods as he mumbled something to her.

The first to come down the aisle were friends of Ginger's: Laney Hilton, Mallory Madison, Jayne Carrington, Michelle Graham, Ashlee Prescott, and Catherine St. James. They wore dresses of aquamarine. That's when my eyes fell on y/n at the top of the aisle. She looks gorgeous in the spaghetti strap, tea-length (so I'm told) A-line dress.

"Wepa," I said under my breath as Salvatore leaned back.

"She is gorgeous, isn't she?" he asked. I just nodded as my eyes were on y/n and y/n only.

Salvatore chuckled lightly as he moved back, and I caught y/n's eye as she winked at me. I felt my cheeks grow warm, so I knew I was blushing. I quickly winked and mouthed, 'You look gorgeous.' She blushed lightly and mouthed back, 'You look caliente.'

Once Ginger's best friend Tiffani Chance walked down the aisle, the song swelled into the wedding march. Ginger appeared at the top of the aisle. George had refused to walk Ginger down the aisle, so she stood there alone. I saw Angelo let out a slow breath as Layla waved at Ginger.

"Hi Mommy!" Layla called out, making everyone chuckle.

Ginger waves and blows Layla a kiss. Angelo quickly wipes away a tear. I caught y/n out of the corner of my eye. She smiles brightly as she dapes her eyes with a tissue.

Once Ginger made it to the top of the aisle. Ginger stopped.

"Who gives this woman to be married to this man?" asked the officiant.

George grumbled as he stood "Unfortunately her mother and I do," he said before sitting.

The officiant looks at Ginger and Angelo who both signal to continue.

"If anyone can show just cause as to why these two should not be wed, let them speak now or forever hold their peace," the officiant started.

We all looked at Karen and George. They kept silent so Angelo took Ginger's hand and helped her up the stairs of the gazebo.

"We are gathered here today to join Angelo Michael Ottomano and Ginger Alison Fitzpatrick in holy matrimony," the officiant continues, "Angelo, do you take Ginger to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health as long as you both shall live?"

"I do," said Angelo.

"Ginger, do you take Angelo to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, as long as you both shall live?" asked the officiant.

"I do," said Ginger with a smile as tears began to fall.

"Angelo and Ginger have chosen to write their own vows," said the officiant, and Karen scoffed in her seat. Y/N turns her head, and I see the fire light in her eyes.

"Stuff it, Karen," y/n defiantly spats. "Let them do this. It's their wedding, not yours!" Karen looks at y/n, and y/n stands her ground. "Try me!"

Karen huffs and settles back in the chair. I smirk and cover my chuckle with a cough, as does Salvatore.

"Angelo and Ginger face each other and join hands," said the officiant. They did as they were told, "And begin when you want."

Angelo nods to Ginger telling her to go first.

"Angelo, when we met on the first day of kindergarten, I never imagined I had met my future husband and the father of my beautiful daughter. But today, as we stand before family and friends exchanging vows. I am the happiest I have ever been. Not only do you provide me with endless love, but also endless laughs and blessings. You make me happy and I honestly can't wait to walk into this new chapter in our lives. I love you more today than I did yesterday and I will love you more tomorrow than I do today."

Ginger smiles and I catch y/n dabbing her eyes. She looks at me and I wink at her. She blushes lightly as she looked at Ginger and Angelo as he took a deep breath.

"Ginger, you're the love of my life. When we met in kindergarten, I will admit I had the worst case of puppy love. As we went through the years and our bond grew closer, so did our love. I knew you were my forever. Now today, as we pledge our love to one another, I'm looking forward to the next chapter with you beside me. I love you, Ging," said Angelo.

"The rings please," said the officiant as Tiffany and Salvatore hand him their respective rings. He placed them on his book before holding one up, "The ring is a symbol of undying love. It has no beginning and no end. Angelo, please place this ring on Ginger's left hand and repeat after me..."

"Ginger, I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and faithfulness," said Angelo, sliding the ring onto Ginger's finger.

"Ginger, place this on Angelo's finger and repeat after me..."

"Angelo. I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and faithfulness," said Ginger sliding the ring onto Angelo's finger.

After that, Angelo and Ginger turned to the officiant. "What God has joined together, let no man put asunder. By the power invested in me by the great state of New Jersey, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Angelo, you may now kiss your wife," said the officiant as Angelo gave Ginger a sweet kiss before the officiant pressed on. "It's my pleasure to present to you the new Mr. and Mrs. Angelo, and Ginger Ottomano."

Angelo and Ginger turned to the guests, who rose to their feet, applauding, while Karen and George didn't. Angelo and Ginger had their hands interlaced as the processional music began. They walked down the steps before getting Layla from Mrs. Ottomano's lap. The small family walked up the aisle.

Salvatore offers his arm to Tiffany, and she laced her arm through his. I was up next, offering your name my arm, and she smiles at me as she laced her arm through mine.

"By the way, Squish, you look breathtakingly gorgeous," I whispered, as we walked up the aisle followed by the rest of the wedding party.

"Pookie, you're looking pretty caliente," she whispered as the wedding planner and his two assistants directed us to a small garden.

I chuckled as we got ready to take more photos while the guests had a cocktail hour. After about an hour or so of taking photos, we headed into the venue and to a small room to await introductions.

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The Reception....

Y/N and I are waiting with the rest of the wedding party. The DJ was hyping up the guests before introducing us. "Gettin' Jiggy With It" by Will Smith began.

"Introducing the wedding party," began the DJ, "Harrison Fitzpatrick and Laney Hilton," as they enter the ballroom. This continues until "Luis Martinez and y/n y/l/n." Y/n and I enter, dancing and laughing.

After Salvatore and Tiffani are introduced, we lined up to create a gauntlet: guys on the left, girls on the right. We raised our hands, creating an arch as the DJ began 'Celebration' by Kool and the Gang.

"Introducing Mr. and Mrs. Angelo and Ginger Ottomano!!!!!!" the DJ announced as Angelo and Ginger ran down the gauntlet and onto the dance floor, with the wedding party joining them as we all danced.

After the burst of energy we head to the wedding party table set up just behind the Sweetheart table for Angelo and Ginger. Y/N sat between Salvatore and me. To my left was another bridesmaid, Catherine St. James.

"Today has been fun," said y/n as she took a drink of water.

"Well, you certainly made it entertaining by putting Karen in her place," I smirk, as does y/n.

"That's why it's been fun," she laughs as she gives a sarcastic wave to Karen, who was staring at us.

"Y/N, stop," I playfully scold.

"What? I was waving to our dear Karen," she giggles as she brings the glass of water to her lips again, taking another drink.

I smirk and chuckled, "You are having way too much fun with this," I said.

"Moi?" y/n said, feigning innocence.

"Yes you," I said nudging her playfully.

"The bar is open," announced the DJ.

"You want your jack and coke?" I asked y/n.

"Actually, can you turn that into a piña colada? Because why not?" she quipped.

"You want two? One for each hand?" I chuckled, and Y/N's smile was like sunshine.

"Nice Garth Brooks nod, Luis," she chuckled, "but let's not go overboard, one is plenty!"

"One piña colada on the way," I said, kissing her temple before standing up.

I walked to the bar.

"What can I get you?" asked the bartender.

"A piña colada and Jack on the rocks," I said.

"You got it," he said, and went to work making the piña colada.

I felt a tap on my shoulder before a hand went down my back grazing my ass. I smirk thinking it's y/n.

"Cou-" I turned to see Lucia. "Oh, it's you. Never heard the term 'keep your hands to yourself'?" I asked.

"Oh you love it and you know it," coos Lucia as she took a drink through a stirring straw.

I rolled my eyes. "Maybe if it was y/n, I would, but you?" I raised an eyebrow. "Not so much. So what do you want, Lucia, besides wanting to grope me?"

"Oh Luis. Weddings are romantic," she coos as she runs a hand down my chest while I grab her wrist gently.

"For people who are together, which we are not."

"Oh, you're still on that? But silly, we are," she reaches up to touch my cheek, but I quickly step back.

"Don't touch me!" I said, looking at Lucia.

"But Luis," she pouts, "you used to like when I touched you." She steps forward as she reaches up to touch me again, but her hand is knocked away as y/n stepped in front of me.

"Lucia why don't you take a looooooong walk off a very short pier," sneers y/n.

Lucia scoffs as she placed her drink onto the bar "And if I don't?" she said stepping into y/n's space.

Y/N smirks as she expertly grabbed the nearly full drink Lucia sat down "I don't know you still might get a little wet," said y/n as she raised her hand and dumped the liquor onto Lucia's head. Lucia screams "next time Lucia leave Luis alone or you will be shoving a toothbrush up your ass to brush your teeth."

Lucia huffs as she walks away from us. Y/N turned to look at me. I chuckled, "You're a spitfire, do you know that?" I asked as the bartender set down our drinks.

"I've been told that," she remarked, as she sipped her piña colada, clearly enjoying the gossip.

I grabbed my jack on ice before kissing her forehead. "Let's get back to the table," I said, putting an arm around her waist, ushering through the stream of people that are waiting to get their drinks.

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After dinner, it was time for the dances. First up was the first dance. Karen nearly hit the roof since Angelo and Ginger chose 'I Swear' by All-4-One as the song for their first dance.

Y/N gives me a nudge and points at Karen, laughing, "She's gonna lose it; she's not thrilled about them picking 'I Swear' for the song."

"She's turning a nice shade of red," I chuckled.

Layla wonders onto the dance floor watching her parents sway to the song. Angelo and Ginger stopped and Angelo picked her up. They began dancing again. Y/N raised her camera taking a picture of the moment. I see the tears rising in her eyes.

"Crap," she murmured, using her cloth napkin to dab her eyes.

"You okay?" I whispered to her.

"Yeah. The moment just got to me. Lo siento," she said.

I smiled and said, "You've got nothing to feel bad about. I think it's sweet too," giving y/n's temple a kiss.

Y/N smiles at me before the DJ begins calling the wedding party. "Luis Martinez and Y/N Y/L/N," he called as I stood buttoning my suit jacket. I offered Y/N my hand, who smiled as she placed her hand in mine, standing. I led Y/N to the dance floor.

The DJ began 'You Had Me From Hello' by Kenny Chesney. I took y/n into my arms and we began dancing to the romantic ballad.

"Y/N?" I said as I glanced down at her.

She looked up at me, her gorgeous green eyes meeting mine. "Yes?" she said.

"Thanks for helping me out earlier," I said.

"You mean with Lucia?" she said. "No worries. I saw she wasn't getting the hint. No one comes after my bestie," she touched my cheek before caressing it with the side of her thumb, "I will always have your back, Luis."

"And I, yours y/n," I said.

"Siempre," she said with a smile, holding up her pinkie.

"Y para siempre," I said, hooking my pinkie with hers.

I bent down and kissed her forehead as we continued to dance. The song eventually ended and we walked back to the wedding party table as we watched Angelo and Mrs. Ottomano have the mother-son dance.

"Claude looks so happy and sad at the same time," y/n said.

"I know," I said draping my arm across the back of y/n's chair.

"I hope one day she can dance with you at your wedding, Sally," y/n said looking to Salvatore.

"One day, y/n. One day," Salvatore smiles.

"And I can't wait to dance the night away," y/n smiles "Especially with you," she looks at me "because obviously you're gonna be my plus one."

I felt my cheeks warm and knew I was blushing "That sounds like an amazing time," I said.

Salvatore chuckled "Y/N you're gonna be my best woman," he said as y/n turns to look at him a smile painting her lips.

"Really? Honestly thought you would ask Angelo to be your best man," she said.

"And have him plan my bachelor party? You have met him, right? God only knows what debauchery he would plan," he said. "You would at least take my wishes into consideration."

"Then it would be my honor," she said as Salvatore kissed her forehead.

"Luis, promise me you will be my plus one?" she begs as she turns to me.

"He will be a groomsman y/n," said Salvatore "He will be at your side," he nudges her.

She grins before looking at me. I raised an eyebrow, "Are you serious?" I asked.

"Deadly," said Salvatore. "We have known each other since you were thirteen," he said. smiles "I consider you one of my friends."

"Well then yes. I would be honored when you do get married to stand up for you," I smile.

"Fantastic," smiled Salvatore as did y/n.

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"And when Salvatore married Giovanni a few years ago we kept our promise," I said.

"And what was awesome about it is that Claude was just as happy dancing with Sally as she was dancing with Angie at his wedding. But Sally's wedding is another story for another day, mi amor. We got sidetracked," y/n laughs lightly.

"You're right. How about we skip to the garter toss and bouquet toss?" I chuckled. Y/N tilted her head up and smiled at me.

"I don't think they wanna hear that," giggles Y/N.

"Hi Demi Bennett-Adams. Pleasure to meet you," said Demi, extending her hand.

"Hi Demi. I'm Y/N Martínez, pleasure to meet you," Y/N giggles.

"I would very much love to hear about the garter and bouquet tosses," Demi said with a giant grin.

"You would?!" y/n teases. "I couldn't have guessed."

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"Single gentlemen come to the dance floor for the garter toss," said the DJ.

I stood up along with a couple of the other groomsmen, Ezra Grant and Jeremy Dugan, as did some of the guests. We headed to the dance floor as one of the wedding planner's assistants set a chair on the dance floor, just as Angelo led Ginger onto the dance floor.

Y/N and some of the other girls from the wedding party stood off the side of the dance floor as the DJ began Dancing In The Streets by Martha Reeves & The Vandellas. Angelo knelt in front of Ginger. Y/N covered her eyes as she knew Angelo would do something stupid. Y/N peeked through her fingers causing me to chuckle beside Ezra.

Angelo smiles at Ginger, gently lifting some of the material of her tulle skirt and placing it underneath. Y/N smirks lightly as she glances sideways at Karen, biting back a laugh as I turn to see Karen turning beet red. I quickly move from my spot over to Y/N.

"She is about to blow," I chuckle as y/n snaps a picture of Karen with her digital camera.

"I know, and I love it!" y/n giggles as I put an arm around her shoulders, kissing the top of her head.

"I can see," I smirk as she glances up at me.

"Luis, you can't tell me you don't," she says, elbowing me lightly as she snaps a picture of Angelo underneath Ginger's skirt. Claudine was cradling a thankfully sleeping Layla. "Thank God Layla is asleep."

I nodded, "Yeah," I said as I tilted my head. "What the fuck is he doing?" before looking at y/n.

"With Ange? I’m not ready for that rollercoaster," she chuckles, her smile making my heart do a quick tango.

I smile with a nod "That's true," I said as Angelo finally emerged from underneath the skirt with the garter in his mouth.

"Get your game face on for that garter! If I snag the bouquet, you’re on garter duty," she joked, giving me a playful nudge.

“Okay. Okay,” I said, putting my hands up as I chuckled, heading back to the group of guys getting ready to catch the garter. I stood behind them once Angelo turned his back to us.

"One. Two. Three!" said Angelo before throwing the garter over his right shoulder. I caught it. I see you cheer as it landed in my hand. Angelo laughed as I held up the garter.

“Now all the single ladies!” calls the DJ. The run for the bouquet became like a herd of elephants. I caught y/n as she was knocked off kilter.

“Thanks, Pookie,” she said with a smile as I set her back on her feet.

“De nada, Squish. Now catch that bouquet,” I kissed her forehead as she joined the group of single ladies.

I stood aside, watching Ginger shine on the dance floor to 'The Bitch Is Back' by Elton John, while Karen looked like she was ready to throw a tantrum!

Ginger faked throwing the bouquet a few times. A few of the girls knocked Y/N forward lightly, but she caught herself. I let out a breath of relief as I knew she wasn't hurt. When Ginger finally threw the bouquet over her head, it sailed right into Y/N's hand. Her mouth dropped.

“WOOOOOO!” yells y/n, holding the bouquet over her head. I chuckled as she ran over to me. “I did it, Pookie!!!”

“I can see that,” I chuckle.

“Now you,” she taps me with the bouquet on my stomach, “get to,” she taps me with the bouquet on the chest, a smile on her lips, “to put the garter on me!” She taps me with the bouquet on the shoulder as I put a hand on her hip.

“Better get ready,” I grin at her before Ginger and Angelo pulled us onto the dance floor.

“Let's go!!!” laughed Angelo as Ginger got y/n to sit onto the chair.

The DJ began playing "Hey Mr. DJ (Keep Playin' This Song)" by Backstreet Boys.

I began chuckling as Y/N blushes, covering her face as I caught her doing her "sexy dance" to it one Summer night in 1998, when I looked into her bedroom window at the Ottomanos from my bedroom as they looked into each other's rooms. I hooted, and she ducked under the window sill.

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“Please tell that story at some point!” said Demi.

“That was the summer of 1998; we will get to it eventually,” y/n giggles lightly as she sat up. “Babe, continue. I have to use the bathroom.”

“You okay?” I asked.

"Fine. I just have to pee,” she said, kissing my cheek. “Excuse me.”

I watched as she left, and I quickly turned to Demi and Matt.

“Where was I?” I asked.

"Getting ready to put the garter on y/n,” said Demi.

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As the bass of the song filled the ballroom of Serenity Springs, I began dancing, making y/n start giggling as she punched my shoulder while I got on my knees in front of her.

“Luis Berrios, you're trouble,” she shouted at me, but no one but me heard her.

“The best kind of trouble, y/n y/m/n,” I smirk.

She rolls her eyes before I kiss her cheek, and then I begin putting on the garter on y/n's leg. I felt my heart skip a beat as she looked me in the eyes while I do so. She winks at me. Once on, I stood helping y/n to her feet, and she began dancing to the song.

The DJ was watching y/n as she moved to the song, as some of the guys in attendance began cat calling and yelling 'Hey Mr. DJ keep playin' this song for me'.

“Dance floor is opened,” says the DJ as he began 'Kiss' by Prince. The wedding planner's assistant removed the chair, and y/n quickly threw the bouquet to Jaymes as he sat at the nearest table. Then, she grabbed my hand and pulled me onto the floor.

“I take it we are dancing?!” I said into her ear. She bit her lip and nodded as she began grinding against me. “Squish, remember our parents are here! Y/N, at least half of the guests on Angelo's side are your family!”

“And?” she asked looking at me as the dance floor was full of couples bumping and grinding “We are over eighteen!”

“Okay, fair,” I said as the DJ began "I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man" by Prince. Y/N squeaks as we began dancing, and Y/N was singing along.

Salvatore and Jaymes joined us on the dance floor and Salvatore and y/n began hopping and bopping along to the song. I continued to move as y/n bounced back to me as Salvatore was to her right and Jaymes was to my left.

“Pookie let's have fun!” she said as we groove to the instrumental interlude of the six minutes and twenty-nine seconds song.

“You’re right!” as the song picks up in tempo before 1999 by Prince began. I chuckled as Angelo played this non-stop from January first nineteen ninety-nine to December thirty first nineteen ninety-nine, as he made sure it played at his New Year’s Eve party that y/n also was at.

“Sally, did you arrange this Prince tribute?” giggles y/n as she leans towards Salvatore.

"Duh! It's Prince!" laughed Salvatore.

“Your reception better be non stop Prince and Michael Jackson songs!” she laughs.

“You know that's right Mio piccolo tesoro!” says Salvatore.

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“That night went on forever. Poor Pops stayed until the very end. After all, he was y/n's and my ride home,” I said, as y/n had rejoined us a while ago but had fallen asleep on my chest.

“Mm. That was one of the most fun weddings we ever attended, at least until Sally and Gio's,” she murmured as she stirred awake.

“But another story for our Tuesday story nights,” I said, kissing her forehead. “But for now, I think it's time we go to sleep.”

“I'm kinda sad to see this story end,” said Demi with a small frown.

“I know but we have Tuesdays to now look forward to. So first Tuesday where will it be our place or yours?” I asked looking at Demi and Matt as y/n sat up and stretched as "The Most Beautiful Girl In The World" by Prince plays softly in the background.

“It only seems right to host you two,” said Matt.

“I agree,” said Demi glancing at him before looking at us. “Next Tuesday we host you two.”

“What do you want us bring?” asked y/n.

“Just yourselves,” said Demi.

“Mm. 'Kay,” y/n yawns.

“Let's get to bed. We will, after all, be saying goodbye to our guests tomorrow,” I said.

“Like we agreed,” said Matt.

And just like that, the story of Angelo and Ginger's wedding week was officially over. But Storytime Tuesdays was only beginning.

Tag List: @eringobragh420 @magicalbuttertarts @madhatterbri @keekee-23 @loki69zowens @caramara3 @bloodlinesbabe93 @miss-kuki-nz @surdelcielo @elaineoneill570 @hotwheels1108 @violetpenguinkris @southerngothicpunk @silassstingy @beccalynns-world @twistedprincess-92 @80sprincess1 @hardcoredisneynerd @brideofinfamy @mzv11 @bangchansmami @mamis-girly

I hope you all enjoyed the Another Storytime series. Stay tuned for more in the Best Friends Series. 💜🖤

[themarysuep]

Nooo the last thing the MCU wanted to do was make Bruno her primary love interest. I’m not sure if you’ve seen it, but there’s a deleted scene where Bruno admits his feelings and Kamala shoots him down.

This was admittedly a really cruel scene, and I see why Marvel decided to delete it. But it really showed that the MCU writers had no respect for Bruno. It’s the fandom that tries to make everything about him. If you compare it to when he admits his feelings in the comics, this was a definite no from Kamala, instead of her beating around the bush. There’s also Nakia clearly shipping Kamala / Kamran and getting angry when Bruno tries to embarrass Kamala in front of Kamran. There’s even a hilarious scene where “bad, bad, bad, bad boy (come on)i wouldn't change you if i could” plays when Kamala looks at Kamran walking off. Clearly, trying to say fuck those comics lol. Bruno’s screentime in the MCU struck me more as being respectful to GWW’s writing as the source material, since she gives him all the attention when she writes. He was written as an accessory to Kamala in the MCU tbh. The show and all the promo was about Kamran.

If it were me, I would trust Nakia more than Bruno. She’s mature, opinionated, strong and understands Kamala’s religious values. She would be the person I would trust to help me because she’s just a strong force, you know? She would make me feel safe. Kamala admits in the MCU that she was scared to tell Nakia because she knows Nakia hates superhero types or whatever. But Nakia reinforces that she could never hate Kamala (and Kamran). She would do anything to help them. Nakia cares about who is behind the powers, who is behind the mask. A privileged person, or people who are targeted. It was a very ambitious exploration of telling a story about Muslims and real minorities. Qarin was a good arc. Would be cool to get a recurring character like that. I mean Josh was a pretty shit person from the first issue of Ms Marvel.

Yeah, Iman won’t entertain the current ships when she takes over unless it’s mandated. Sophie did appear in Spiderman right? They could actually do a little Miles/Kamala/Sophie thing to wrap everything up. Sophie and Kamala having lunch in NY like they’re seen doing before. They’re having a really good day and laughing. Sophie saying she was actually thinking about Kamala and how amazing she is, and she just really wants to share something with her. And it’s very clear that she wants to tell her she has feelings for her. Then Miles comes in frantically saying he wants to speak to Kamala. I’m guessing at this point, he’s dying on the inside because he’s kept it in so long. Kamala sees how stressed he looks so she asks Sophie to give them a minute and she walks away to speak to Miles. Sophie obviously gets annoyed and tells Miles to talk to Kamala later, about to cause a scene. Kamala, in character, tells Sophie not to be mean. Sophie eavesdrops while Miles admits his feelings, which kind of breaks Sophie’s heart because she was also trying to find the courage. She walks away and leaves, not wanting to hear anymore. Kamala will likely give Miles her same old speech about being too busy for relationships, or that she genuinely hasn’t thought about him in that way or that she’s been through so much lately and she can’t handle a relationship. Miles smiles and says it okay, but the last time he tried to tell her, she cut him off, so he really wanted to get it off his chest. And jokingly tells her, it’s just in case she dies again. We cut to Sophie not taking Kamala’s calls. Sophie is in her apartment, alone, and we see her holding something that belongs to Kamala (I think it’s canon Kamala stays at her apartment sometimes because she doesn’t have her dorm anymore?) and just shaking her head realizing that she’s changed her mind. She cuts Kamala’s call and texts her that she had to run off because she forgot she had a class. Kamala none the wiser, because who would think two people would admit their feelings on the same day lol, sends her a heart in acknowledgement….not realizing that it was actually a knife to Sophie’s actual heart.

I don’t think Iman vibes with Bruno tbh so I think the romance is kind of over while she writes. She will write him as a loyal friend, and it might be that Marvel tells her who to make the lead (Bruno) when she writes to entice more readers. I like Kareem the best for now. No one really competes with Kamran for me anymore though. I have MCU brainrot. Yeah, I’m not saying these writers are terrible but they’re not perfect either. I see a lot of the fandom believe that early comics were “perfect representation” and the MCU is messing things up. That’s far from the truth. I rambled A LOT, sorry.

So, Medusa might be the best heroic mentor Kamala's had? Like, she's kinda the only one that didn't disappoint her or tried to force anything on her, or was too stubborn to listen to her. Medusa's entire approach to inhumans outside of their city is to treat them like her subjects but doesn't expect them to treat her like their queen.

She opens Attilan's borders, allowing non-inhumans to live and work there if they want. She offers Kamala assistance when she needs it but never tries to push her towards her "side", and if anything during IvX listens to her and her friends.

When her powers started to literally melt her body it wasn't the X-Men who showed up to help, (actually it was kind of their fault that it happened in the first place) it was Medusa. And even though the chances of saving her aren't certain, she has such faith in Kamala's strength that she doesn't doubt that she'll pull through.

And I don't know, that's just kind of neat?

[lunasilvis]

2 months into 30.

Growing into somebody I can be genuinely, genuinely proud of. At night I rest well 🌛

[microwavetoaster-selfships]

Okay sooo...in relation to my last post, which I will try and not verbatim, I am considering having this blog still be its own thing for Cars and all that jazz, still serving as my 'main' blog. And then having a separate blog(ONE. JUST ONE.) Where I put alllll my nonsensical ramblings or gushing or whatnot over other characters there. So it will be two blogs total. Just this one serving the same purpose it always has, and then a second one that will just be a jambalaya of "Oh I wonder what Kane has dug up in the mines this time. Let's go find out!"

How I am going to merge everything from my other blogs, I'm....not too sure. Since it'll all be just one big bang of different fandoms that'll sway a lot from how much I am or amn't fixated on them, I probably won't go too crazy with making different links to things like my S/Is story with them or whatnot, and I will just cut it all down to one carrd so there's not like five different ones to read through.

I think I will keep the other blogs simply as archives, if you will, just because sometimes I like to look back at myself losing my own mind. But I won't post from those blogs anymore, they will simply just be...floating around.

[qangelbluebird]

Going from dead/non-updating media to technically-updating-but-games-take-years-to-make media to qsmp is wild. From nothing to “the link is still missing where is missing link<-(it’s been a year)” to “do you remember,,,, QSMP,,,, it’s been decades<-(it has been five days. It is coming back in another five days. You people are fascinating(pos))”

[enrapture]

stay alive.

[ourladyoftheflytrap]

People will come online fuming with hate and anger about Anything and expect everybody to instantly understand and validate them instead of being concerned about.... the genuine hate and anger. You know that behavior wouldn't fly in front of IRL strangers