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cherryswisherz · 1 month ago

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wilshire

paige x azzi

warnings: kissing, cheating, heartbreak, cursing, semi happy ending, most of this is written as a flashback, long as shit for no reasonnnn

it's the 2024 wnba draft. azzi's my plus one. nika and aaliyah are getting drafted tonight and i'm trying to keep my cool. because tonight is about them, not about me, not about azzi, not about our summer of utter fucking confusion.

lights from cameras flash. i smile, i mog, i pose. reporters are shoving mics in my face asking stupid questions as i guide azzi off the red carpet with my hand in a respectful position on her back. we have to find the girls before the draft starts. azzi wants to meet them before so it's not awkward at the after party. i'm trying to tune everything out but 6 words take me back to june and i freeze in my tracks.

"what's going on between you two?"

met you on a saturday knew it was somethin' soon as you spoke it eye fucking across the table, don't think anybody noticed you asked me if I was coming to the city you from maybe we should kick it, i was interested that would be dumb, if i denied

"paige..." that was the only thing she'd said directly to me all night. the rest of the time she'd spoke to everyone, answering their questions about how she met ethan, what her major was, etc.

i'd been staring at her as she did this. studying the way she spoke with her hands, the flutter of her lashes, the bounce of her curls. her voice was so sweet and she always smiled when she wasn't talking so i could see her perfect fucking teeth.

"where you from?" someone, i couldn't remember who, asked and she threw a glance my way, looking me dead in my eyes for a split second.

i knew where she was from. we played against each other every year in high school. i was a year ahead of her. we never really paid attention to each other off the court, but i knew she was a killer player and an acl injury during her junior year took her out of the game for good

"uh- i'm from virginia. arlington county." she smiled as she cut her chicken. "me and paige played each other before i had to quit." she looked at me again, longer this time, and i damn near melted into the chair before she put her attention back on the conversation.

"yeah she gave me a run for my money." i laughed, and that made her look at me again. she seemed confused, probably because i hadn't spoken this entire time.

"my schools giving you a run for your money." she giggled and it was the most perfect sound i'd ever heard. "they say you're gonna be back when you guys play us next month. any truth to that?"

the competitive side of me took over when i answered her. "yeah i'll be back to tap dance on yalls ass in your own arena."

"i guess we're in trouble then, huh?" she asked, her big brown eyes boring into mine.

you and i make sense, you stayed back at my telly we was chattin' 'til morning, vibration was heavy i wasn't drowning or yawning that's when i told you my feelings you told me you felt the same but you got homie you dealin' with damn, i didn't know, that's a bit unexpected but i get it, it's whatever, least i can do is respect it

after that dinner, azzi and i hadn't stopped texting and facetiming. it felt wrong because she was my friends girl, but i couldn't leave her alone. i wanted to be near her even if i couldn't see her in person until my team played hers.

as predicted, we beat their ass and i made sure to remind azzi of that the whole ride back to her apartment. and when we got there, i took off my hoodie and plopped onto the couch.

"so what we doing tonight? you wanna go out or stay in?" i asked her, praying she said stay in because i was dead tired.

"definitely stay in." she said, sitting beside me on the couch. "lets put on a movie or something."

and we did. we put a movie on. now did we watch the movie? no.

we started talking, just yapping about any and everything. i was totally wrapped up in what she had to say, whether it was about school, or music, or anything really. i wasn't even tired anymore, she had my full attention.

but then the conversation shifted to basketball and azzi's mood shifted with it.

"sometimes i try and run 1v1 with ethan and for a second, i forget that my leg is fucked. for those 45 minutes i feel like everything is how i planned it to be." she looks at her knee poking out of her ripped jeans, then she rubs her scar. "and then i stand on it the wrong way and i remember that i'm not a player anymore. just a fan." the crack her voice forces me to grab her and pull her into me, letting her sob into my chest.

"az, you'll always be a baller. that shit's in your spirit ma." i almost wanna cry with her. "and even though you can't play anymore, you're one of the most beautiful people on the planet. and you're smart and you could do anything you wanted to do, basketball be damned."

a few minutes passed and she sniffled, looking up at me, and i got lost her red eyes and wet lashes. our faces were so close together, i could feel her breath on my nose.

"i really like you azzi."

fuck. i shouldn't have said that. she has a boyfriend. her boyfriend is my fucking friend she's probably stra-

"i really like you too p."

oh?

"but i'm with ethan. and he's good for me."

oh.

anyway, convince him to bring you to me so we can kick it right in front of his lenses, since nothing here is malicious you sat by me in that movie we went outside for them doobies we walkin' off when we talk man, that nigga not fucking stupid

"you should bring azzi to storrs with you." i suggested to ethan. "does she like horror movies?"

"uhhh yeah i think so..." he trailed off then scard the hsit out of m. "AZ! YOU WANNA COME WATCH A MOVIE WITH US?" i guess she asked who all was coming. "JUST ME AND PAIGE!" and then i guess she said yes. "okay paige, we'll be there in like 30."

at the movies, in the five minutes i was waiting for them, i checked my hair 4 times, rearranged my jewelry twice and made sure my breath didn't smell like lunch. and when they got there i choked on my spit because azzi was wearing a sundress that hugged her in every right way.

i honestly dont think there could be a wrong way.

when she hugged me she whispered "i missed you." in my ear and dropped a light kiss on my neck that left me flushed.

in the theater, i sat between her and ethan but we didn't really pay him any attention

"you look really good paige." azzi whispered to me.

i looked down at my basic ass outfit (wifebeater and sweats), that i spiced up with jewelry and some fire shoes. "girl, this is lightweight." i whispered back.

"yeah well you look good in anything."

"you look good too az,"

"you think so?" she's fishing.

"if your boyfriend wasn't next to me we wouldn't just be talking right now." i laughed, taking her bait.

i got a laugh out of her and then she moved to hit me on the leg, but i caught her hand and tangled out fingers together, looking forward at the screen. she didn't move her hand. just set both of ours in my lap. and we stayed that way for like 15 minutes until she leaned into me and whispered again.

"i hate horror movies, and he's snoring." she laughed pointing over me at her boyfriend who was knocked the fuck out. "can we leave?"

"yeah i got you." i thumped ethan on the head, causing him to jerk out of his sleep. "yo. wake up, you're loud as hell. ya'll go home."

when we left the theater we walked out in silence but when we stared to say goodbye, azzi cleared her throat.

"actually, i wanna get something to eat really quick so, e, you can go home." she placed her hand on my shoulder, squeezing a little. "paige can you take me home after?"

my heart sped a little at the thought of being alone with her but i kept it P because her literal boyfriend was right next to me.

"uh yeah if that cool with you?" i asked, not because i needed his permission, but because he's my friend and i wanted it.

"yeah of course." he nodded then dapped me up "goodnight p."

"night." as soon as he was gone, i rubbed my hands together and looked down at azzi, catching those brown eyes in a way that made me think i never wanted to lose them. "so... where we boutta eat because im hungry as hell."

"im not actually hungry, i just wanted to spend time with you." she said, putting her hands behind her back. "but you live here, so you pick."

"oh word?" i raised my eyebrows and put an arm around her shoulder, turning so we were side by side as we started walking towards my car. "imma take you to my spot."

"take me anywhere you like." she said, opening the passenger door, leaving me looking over the roof of my car, trying to keep it together until i got in the driver seat and began to queue a few songs.

then i got a text.

ethan: tell az to bring me a to-go plate

ethan. FUCK.

said you can't fully be into me 'cause you with him then why the fuck when we link it's like he doesn't exist? they all know that we're friends but we both aware that it's more everything i got, if you say the word, then it's yours

the party was loud as shit. i was drunk as shit. azzi was drunk as shit. ethan was nowhere to be found.

"paige i have to peeeee." azzi whined into my ear.

"okay come on." i shouted, guiding her to the bathroom, which was empty.

while she was in the stall, i drank some water from the faucet, because i was so fucked up and i think that's why i haven't been able to stop thinking about her.

about how fucking hot she looked in her outfit. about how long her natural lashes were. about how soft her lips looked. about the heat radiating from her body as she danced with me.

shes so fucking pretty.

"oh my god i feel so much better!" she shouted into the universe as she came out of the stall and started washing her hands.

i think i just wanted to be close to her again because i moved behind her and hugged her from behind. with my head in her neck, i kissed her softly moaning quietly, "you smell so good, az."

she turned around in my arms, facing me and i kept kissing her neck, moving to her collarbones, then i pulled away and we just stared at each other for a second.

it was like a silent conversation, asking each other "are we really gonna do this?"

and i guess the answer was yes, because azzi leaned in and place a single peck on my lips, then pulled away with the speed of light.

but one wasn't enough. so i leaned back in and enveloped her lips with mine. our mouths moved in perfect harmony, giving me everything i'd wanted since that dinner so long ago. she moaned into my mouth, and i picked her up, placing her on the sink behind her.

we just kept kissing, caressing each others tongues, rolling our bodies into each others, both of us enjoying the way the other person felt.

....until she pulled away, pushing me back when i chased her lips.

"paige we can't." she said, trying to catch her breath.

"azzi..."

"i have a boyfriend, paige." she sounded kind of sad as she said it.

"i know az." i said, walking back up to her. "but tell me there's nothing here." i grabbed her hands. "tell me, that these past 3 months, you haven't felt what i feel."

"you know i do paige. i wouldn't have kissed you if i didn't." she looked at me with tears in her eyes.

you told me when you're with me it's like heroin told me that your confidence went up since we befriended

"when im with you, i feel like i'm floating. like it's just us and that's all i'll ever need. you're-" she sniffled. "you're the only person who gets how much not being able to play fucking sucks. and you made me feel better about it. you make me feel like so much more than a fan, or just a person in the stands. and no one's ever made me feel that way."

and told me that you didn't wanna hurt him

"but ethan, p. ethan is my boyfriend. hes your friend. and he's so good to me. he loves me. and i can't do that to him."

why we doing this?

"so why kiss me then azzi?" i asked. "why the fuck would you let me touch you, or say the things we say, or let me buy you shit? why did you fucking kiss me?!"

it was harsh, i know but she fucking played me and i was pissed.

told me this a awkward situation and you just wanna be through with it

"i don't know paige. and i'm sorry." she kept crying. i assume she felt guilty, and i couldn't give less of a fuck. "this isn't easy for either of us. but i think we should just be friends. i don't wanna lose ethan, but i don't wanna lose you as a friend either.

i snatched my hands out of hers and back away from her so fast, you would have though she had the plague.

"friend? azzi. you were never 'a friend' to me. i liked you as soon as i saw you in that fucking restaurant. and i tried to be respectful. i tried to respect your relationship but you were the one who made me think you wanted me. you were the one lying to your fucking boyfriend to spend time with me. sneaking into the bathroom to facetime me at 11 at night. you were the one who kissed me. you. it was all fucking you. and now... now youre asking me to be friends? fuck outta here bro." i said, then walked out of the stall and out of the bar.

i know you could be it and everyone around me that care about me can see it i could fuck a trillion bitches every country i done been in men or women, it don't matter if i seen 'em, then i had 'em but with you, it's a feeling

i was still plastered, so i had nothing but time to think about the situation.

i knew azzi and i could be great, if she just gave it- gave us- a chance. i knew she wanted to. i knew she felt what i was feeling. i'd have known even if she didn't say it. i also knew she didn't feel for ethan, what she felt for me. but she felt an obligation to him. why? i have no idea. but i just wish she would have made up her fucking mind before sticking her tongue down my throat.

and i know what you're thinking.

she just wanted to smash.

and that's not true. me and azzi aren't a quick fuck.

i mean i'm not opposed to a quick fuck. it wasn't a secret that i was bit of a slut. i mean can you blame me?

d1 athlete, making bank off NIL money. and every girl in every city i went to, wanted a piece of me. who was i to deny them?

so yeah i guess you can say i got around, but none of that mattered when it came to azzi. she wasn't just a groupie looking for a quick fuck, or to be a basketball wife. she was a baller. if anything she wanted to live vicariously through me and compete again. and i was willing to let her do just that.

azzi was the object of my affection for three fucking months. i knew everything about her. i fucking craved her. i knew it was wrong. i knew she was my friends girlfriend. but i couldn't quit her.

my teammates could tell that i had feelings for her too. anytime i was on the phone for more than 10 minutes, they knew it was hr. they picked on my for it, calling me a simp. kk nicknamed me 'sidepiece' which was a nice change from 'community strap' but it stung worse.

whatever.

fuck her.

you said you told him the truth and you never lied now he lookin' at you with them eyes we never crossed the line but he got every right to be a little pissed off he you picked up, y'all got in argument he got his shit off

two weeks after the bar incident, i'd somewhat gotten myself together. figured out how to sleep without her goodnight text. found new favorite spot to eat. slept with someone without seeing azzis face. i'd found a new routine.

and then it all went to shit.

"azzi? its 9:30 at night, why are you calling me?" she answered my question with a sob. "azzi baby what's wrong?

"paige... he- he knows.." she cried into the phone.

"who knows what, az?"

"ethan!" more crying. "he-he-he asked me out no where if you and i had something going on."

"shit."

"and i couldn't lie to him paige. i told him we never had sex, but-but i told him how i felt about you, and that i kissed you and he just went off." she was crying so hard, i could narely understand her. "he said he should have known not to trust me around you when i told him i was bi, and that you couldn't let him have one thing, and that he couldn't look at me and- and- and-" she started hyperventilating.

"azzi baby i need you to calm down for me. breathe babe." i mimicked the way she should breathe and got her to calm down enough to listen to me. "azzi. i'm gonna come get you. send me your location and just stay there and stay calm."

"okay..."

i never drove so fast in my fucking life.

i picked you up, your energy off your lips really dry, something is off you asked if i gotta, i asked if you gotta we tripping on our words nobody is lying, hakuna matata we sat in the car and cried for an hour

as soon as i got to the starbucks azzi was at, i looked at her through the window and my heart broke for her. she was in pajamas and a bonnet. those beautiful brown eyes i'd grown so fond d were red and swollen, lashes wet with tears. her soft lips weren't soft anymore. they looked dehydrated, that's how much she'd cried.

when she got in the car, she didn't say anything. just played with the sleeves of ethans hoodie.

"do you-" "i'm so-"

we spoke at the same time, then waited for the other to say what they were gonna say.

"i'm really sorry paige." she whimpered. "i never meant for any of this to happen. i never meant to hurt you or him. and i shouldn't have called you after what happened." she broke down again. "god i'm so fucking sorry." she cried with her head in her hands.

"hey..." i rubbed her shoulder, "it's fine. you made a mistake and it's okay. "

"i'm so sorry." she just kept sobbing. she was too upset to hear anything i was saying. "i love you too much to have done that to you paige. im so sorry."

and time stopped.

she WHAT?!

she said she loved me. she said- no. she's hysterical right now she doesn't realize what she's saying.

ignoring the pit in my chest, i bring her closer to me, making us both lean over the center console. her head fell perfectly into my chest and she let everything she had out.

as i held her, and felt her whole body shake as she cried, my heart shattered with hers and shed a few tears with her.

on god, i love that girl i'm a sh-, i'm a bad person like, i'm in the wrong, i'm a bad person i had no ill intentions, though shit, everybody got hurt i got hurt

i never meant for any of this to happen. i pride myself on being a good friend, and being loyal to those who are loyal to me.

and the one time it really mattered, i had to fall for my friends girlfriend. and he really like her too. i think if i hadn't fucked it up, they could have been great. but i did. and it's ruined.

and all this for what?

for ethan to be hurt? for me to lose a friend? for azzi to feel like shit? for me to have to act like i'm not hopelessly in love with azzi?

and i'm mad private with this side of my life cause people are weirdos, and i just try to keep anyone i care about in the shadows safe from the commentary and spotlight and thoughts cause it's just a story for the people outside of it but i guess you're just another chapter in a book

and here we are, at the 2024 wnba draft in support of my teammates. 3 days ago, i would have been here alone.

but azzi needed a pick me up and i would rather her be her friend than nothing at all.

so instead of breaking down about what could have been on a red carpet, i smile, lean into th mic and say,

"azzi is one of my closes friends. she was supposed to be one of the greats and if she hadn't gotten hurt, she would have been drafted next year. so i just wanted her to see it in real life because she's so much more than a fan. she deserves to be here with us."

i looked at her and smiled, pulling her to the back rooms of the building where nika and aaliyah were getting ready.

but between the two of us....

i would shoot someone in the face if it meant azzi would light up like that again.

niyah speaks: here we areeeeee s/o my tyler fans CHROMOKOPIA 10-28 !!!! i'm finna do yall requests over the weekend because i have nothing else to do so... be prepared!

taglist: @patscorner @riyahtheballer @mattslolita @thaatdigitaldiary @1onescu

@mrsengstler @kmoneymartini @sageworld @darkskinchristiandiorpostergirl @justliketoreadsowhat @authentic-girl03

#uconn wbb #paige bueckers #uconn #aubrey griffin #paige bueckers fic #spotify #paige bueckers smut #wcbb #tyler the creator #wilshire #Spotify

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nightprompts · 13 days ago

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&. 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐧 (𝐞𝐩𝐬. 𝟏-𝟒) 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬.

( dialogue prompts taken from episodes 1 - 4 of max's the penguin (2024), created by lauren lefranc. feel free to edit and change as you seem fit.. )

❛ i see you've made yourself at home. ❜

❛ so this new deal you got going... maybe i can help. ❜

❛ you know what i like most about you? you are who you are. you couldn't change if you tried. ❜

❛ you got a girl? good looking guy like you... ❜

❛ can you imagine? to be remembered like that? revered? ❜

❛ you really think people’d make a float of your dumb face and march it down the street, chanting your goddamn name? ❜

❛ you messed with the wrong fucking guy on the wrong fucking night. ❜

❛ you’re gonna do everything i say. or else i’ll murder you and, uh... anyone you care about. ❜

❛ what do you think of this? it’s a little air freshener. aqua paradise. you smell it? ❜

❛ we used to go there every day in the summer. you know, we’d mix the flavors for a suicide. you ever mix the flavors? ❜

❛ i ain’t trying to get in your business, but... i need an alibi. ❜

❛ i asked for extra pickles, and they give me two? so what, a normal amount of pickles is one? makes no goddamn sense. ❜

❛ there’s a nice sunrise behind you. you should take a look. ❜

❛ i could help you with whatever it is. whatever you need, whatever it is, all right? ❜

❛ well, maybe it’d be useful, keeping you around. for now. ❜

❛ but if you step out of line just once, i swear to god, i’ll gut you like a fucking fish. do you understand? ❜

❛ all right, listen, if i don’t come out... nah, i’ll be fine. you’ll be fine. it’s gonna be fine. ❜

❛ you know, maybe you don’t like me. that’s fine. i’m an acquired taste. ❜

❛ i’ve been rehabilitated. ❜

❛ you’ve really moved up in the world, haven’t you? ❜

❛ are you nervous? i’d hate for you to feel nervous with me. ❜

❛ you know, people underestimate you, but not me. i’ve always known you were capable of more. ❜

❛ this city is meant to be yours, sweetheart. what are you gonna do to get it? ❜

❛ the world wasn’t built for guys like us. that’s why we gotta take whatever we decide is ours. ❜

❛ but i gotta know. no bullshit. can i count on you to pull through? ❜

❛ i know who you are. i know what you are. i don’t work with people whose loyalty is for sale. ❜

❛ i’m gonna run this goddamn city. and i want you in on it. ❜

❛ i'm not safe. i'm home. ❜

❛ very, very convenient that, all of a sudden, you’re on my side. ❜

❛ you are scrambling for whatever dignity you have left and you’re hoping i will save you. ❜

❛ rough night, detective? ❜

❛ i refuse to let these old fucking men push me aside again, like i’m nothing. so, i’m going to take from them now. ❜

❛ you in? ❜

❛ let's dance. ❜

❛ you act like wanting more is a bad thing, but, i mean, don’t you want a better life than this? ❜

❛ are we, uh, kinda... partners now? ❜

❛ i mean, you fucked up. huge. but you learned, right? ❜

❛ whaddaya think the new clothes are for? you’re my guy. can’t have you lookin’ like a schmuck. ❜

❛ and from now on, you want something, you ask for it. ❜

❛ how’s anyone supposed know your worth unless you tell ’em, huh? ❜

❛ man of the hour, i was just thinking about you... ❜

❛ you do anything stupid, i’ll sense it. ❜

❛ that’s why you’re here. you seem to know everybody’s business. so, now’s your time to shine. ❜

❛ you’ve got a good thing going here. i’m really happy for you. ❜

❛ i know you’re not right in the head. i mean, that’s pretty damn clear. but i’m not scared of you. ❜

❛ you think i’d come here empty-handed? come on, we both know that if i ever truly left you hanging, there'd be a bullet between my eyes. ❜

❛ i got a real opportunity for you here, but it’s kinda hard to focus with a gun pointed at my face. ❜

❛ you got fight in you. you gotta let it out. ❜

❛ you’re fun at a card game, or over drinks, i’ll give you that. but people don’t keep you around because they think you’re smart. and they sure as shit don’t trust you. ❜

❛ i wouldn’t ask you to do this if i didn’t know you could handle it. i believe in you, kid. ❜

❛ i can't tell who wants this move. me or you. ❜

❛ i want this for you. ❜

❛ what you did to me. was it worth it? did you get everything that you wanted? ❜

❛ you wanna go, what are you waiting for? fuckin’ go. ❜

❛ you coulda left whenever you wanted. but you chose to stay. how about you ask yourself why. ❜

❛ i fucked you over. that what you wanna hear? ❜

❛ i’m fuckin’ sorry for everything that’s happened to you. ❜

❛ you meant something to me. still do. ❜

❛ i don’t know where to go from here. i don’t know how to trust you. ❜

❛ you need a cigarette, take the edge off? ❜

❛ a lobotomy couldn’t take the edge off. ❜

❛ when the time comes, i want you to take my place. i want you to run this family... if that’s something that would interest you. ❜

❛ they know you're mine. they'll do as i say. ❜

❛ why would you do this now? picking away at old wounds... you know how it upsets me. ❜

❛ you still haven’t told me what you want for your birthday. ❜

❛ i don’t need your advice. i don’t care what you think. no one does. you are my driver. that is all you are. so stop talking and drive. ❜

❛ listen, i get that you’re angry, you know. but i was just doing my job, looking out for you. ❜

❛ i’m not gonna make it in a place like that. i’m gonna die in there. ❜

❛ it’s okay to be scared. i was scared at first, too, but it’s not so bad here. you get used to the noises. ❜

❛ a woman beat the shit out of me while everyone stood around and watched. so, yeah, i had an incident. ❜

❛ i don’t know how to convince you i’m sane when you’ve already made up your mind about me. ❜

❛ i told you i’m fucking innocent. ❜

❛ i’m gonna get you something to eat. if you wanna get cleaned up, there’s a towel and a change of clothes in the guest bath upstairs. ❜

❛ i trusted him... when everything in my body told me not to. i should have killed him when i had the chance. ❜

❛ you abandoned me. ❜

❛ i left because i had to. because i could. i know you didn’t have that choice, but I’m here now. ❜

❛ you don’t have to pretend with me. ❜

❛ i haven’t forgotten, you know? the way you looked at me. so curious. ❜

❛ what did it feel like? to get to watch a person unravel? and now, you’re numbing yourself as punishment. ❜

❛ they think i'm broken. i'm not broken. ❜

❛ i'm not the one who's sick. and neither are you. the world is. ❜

❛ for the first time, i have hope. ❜

❛ to new beginnings. cent’anni. ❜

#the penguin #sentence starters #dark sentence starters #angst sentence starters #ask memes #inbox memes #roleplay memes #writing prompts #dialogue prompts #rp memes #random dialogue #tv

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sunflowervoltwentyeight · 2 months ago

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Happy 28th! Here is my September 2024 fic rec, organized by word count, from longest to shortest. You can view my other fic recs here. Enjoy!

Godless, Graceless, and Young by kiddle / @bluejeanlouis (110k)

Seattle, Washington, 1991

It takes a special breed to have a slacker persona and still be a millionaire rockstar. Harry is about halfway there. He's the guitarist in a Seattle grunge band that could finally be headed somewhere, but he's also been sleeping on his bassist's sofa for the last three months and has been fired from every day-job he's had. Money doesn't equal success, but it does pay the bills.

When a job offer and a new lead singer stumble into Harry's life, he might be getting a lot more than he bargained for. Like a couple of extra gigs and a boy who can teach him more than just how to mix a few drinks, and it's gonna take a few band brawls and a whole lot of heart-searching to get there.

He's gotta have one somewhere...

Coax the Cold by mediawhore / @mediawhorefics (86k)

England, 1897.

English Professor Louis Tomlinson’s passion for the occult has been a source of mockery and derision for most of his life. When he hears whispers of a travelling freak show newly established in London claiming the existence of a monstrous sea hybrid, half-man, half-fish, Louis sees it as his ticket to credibility amongst his peers. The summer he spends undercover working on the show, however, gives him much more than that.

Late Nights and Good Intentions by princelouisau / @princelouisau (71k)

“About last night,” Harry says suddenly, as if he’d been debating on whether to say anything. Louis whips back around to look at him.

“Do not finish that thought,” Louis says just as abruptly.

Harry looks at him oddly, as if assessing him. With a small frown, it seems the assessment is over. “I only wish to say that you do not have to dwell on it. The rest of the men will surely forget by tonight.”

“And you?” Louis asks, raising an eyebrow. “Will you forget?”

“I will remember every second of it fondly,” the Lord says, no trace of a tease in his words. or, a Victorian era au where Louis pines for his overprotective older brother’s very charming best friend.

For You, I Would Ruin Myself by wildestdreams / @thelavendrhaze (54k) WIP

It was the perfect last day of summer. They built sandcastles, wrote their names in the sand, and caught crabs, which they eventually let go when one of them pinched Louis and he was near tears. Afterward, they swam in the ocean, splashing each other playfully before moving toward one another in sync, lips pressing together in sweet kisses. When their skin turned prune-like, they returned to shore, laying out on their towels beneath the bright sun, snacking on fruit and chocolate while talking about everything and nothing.

At some point, Harry had shared, “I think this has been my favorite summer yet.”

“Why’s that?” Louis asked, a smile peeking out as though he already knew. He looked so pretty and cool with his sun-kissed skin and black Ray-Bans covering his eyes.

Harry rolled over on his towel until he was half-pressed against Louis and placed his palms on top of Louis’ chest, tucking his chin over them. “Because I had you.”

Harry’s unrequited crush on Louis turns into a whirlwind summer romance, only to leave him heartbroken in the end. Years later, a return to his hometown forces Harry to confront his past and the one person he was running from.

Tarnished but so Grand by tilthesundies / @tllthesundies (32k)

Louis hides in places. Harry always finds him.

I'll Be Your Love Tonight by dinosaursmate (20k)

“I don’t know how I’m ever going to walk away from you.” “So don’t.” Harry ran a fingertip over Louis’ thigh. “Stay with me.” - It's the summer of 1999 and Louis Tomlinson has been abandoned at a house party. A dispute over Smirnoff Ice and several night buses later, Louis is unsure how he'll ever walk away from this lovely, curly-haired boy.

Green in the Morning and Blue Afternoon by wildestdreams / @thelavendrhaze (14k)

“Harry,” Louis whispered beside him.

Harry hummed, his hand coming up to stroke Louis’ back. Louis was still on top of him, his body sagging against Harry’s, heavy and warm, and Harry loved it.

“I don’t think it was a one off.”

“Me either, Lou.”

or a Friends AU.

A Few of My Favourite Things by sweariwouldnt / @sweariwouldnt (8k)

Harry and Louis do cat sitting.

#28th appreciation #september fic rec #monthly fic rec #larry fic rec #fic rec #hlcreators #read

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bartxnhood · 8 months ago

Text

talk fast | c.t.h

calum hood x fem!reader

summary: you both agreed to no strings attached, right?

warnings: oh boy tons of drinking (sorry), smoking, language, brief mentions of sexual activity (nothing explicit), and sexual innuendos.

w/c: 13k

a/n: hi my loves !! this one is a long time coming, i’ve been working on this since september. i started school in november which put a halt on all of my writing, but now that i graduated expect more from me. :). to all of my calum lovers, this one’s for you. p.s: if this does as well as i hope it does, i may consider making this a series on wattpad.

a/n pt.2: shout out everyone who helped my write this. esp @valentiyne you guys are amazing. 🩷

requests open

not proofread

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you weren't a stranger to relationships, and you'd had your fair share of them over the years. which you were aware that everyone else did, but you weren’t really serious about relationships. you didn't want to be with someone who didn't envision a future with you or who didn't share your goals.

your friends often told you that you should let loose and enjoy yourself, but that was not the life for you.

you had been in a very healthy relationship with someone you had known since college for the past few years. however, as time went, he became increasingly open about his needs for different things and eventually ended his relationship with you.

you went into a deep depression after the breakup, you didn't leave your apartment for weeks, you only showered maybe twice, and you couldn't remember the last time you ate anything other than instant noodles or ice cream.

what else could you do while you were wasting away? you had imagined spending the rest of your life with him, and now he’s gone.

your life seemed to change overnight.

while your friends and family around tried being there for you, you had pushed them so far away that they had just decided to give up on you. except, your best friend, olivia, finally dragged you out of your bed and forced you to shower so you could go out for the night with her.

“you need to get out, have fun, and forget about that jerk” she states, standing above you as she glides eyeliner on your eyes. “you’re hot, you’re fun, you have a great personality. i’m sure we can find you someone tonight!” she adds while finishing your makeup.

“olivia…” you sigh then look into the mirror, watching as your friend painted your face with a determined look in her eye. “no. we’re gonna have fun, we’re gonna party and get drunk. kay? you need this.” she grins, resting her head on your shoulder looking at you in the mirror. “now, go change into the outfit i brought you.”

"where are we going, anyway?" you ask, pulling at your skirt, which was riding up as you moved. you loved olivia, but some of her dress choices made you uncomfortable. "my brother got us into the pre-release party for the band five seconds of summer," she adds, gazing down at her phone for directions to the club, a hole in the wall on broadway. "what?!" you exclaim, your eyes widening. "how did he do that?" olivia laughs and clasps her arm around yours. "well, when you have a brother who manages a band, you kinda get vip treatment," she spoke with a grin. "plus, I told him how you've been feeling down, so he talked to the guys and they said it was fine," she chuckled softly, as the two of you continued your journey to the club.

the entry to the club was immediately visible due to the brilliant pink, purple, and red lights illuminating the street, as well as record posters in the windows. "this has to be it," olivia says as she opens the door for you, walking in after.

this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so you should be excited, right? but you couldn't shake the nagging guilt on the inside.

it’s okay to move on, right?

olivia leads you to the bar and orders a couple shots, "to your drop dead ex and a new beginning!" olivia cheers, toasting the glasses and the two of you downing the liquor.

you were about to start speaking when you were interrupted by olivia's brother, mark.

"it's been a long time, y/n!" he welcomes you with a shout. “how’s it going?” he asks, you see olivia roll her eyes and turn to her brother. “mark, we were having a conversation.” she states matter of a factly.

"i know, but I just wanted to introduce you to some of my buddies," the tall ginger says, stepping to the side and revealing four taller men. mark introduces them, "this is luke." he had blond curly hair, ocean blue eyes, and a white button-down shirt with the top button undone.

"michael," he said, his pink hair slicked to the side, a black snapback on, with a small wave of his hand in greeting. "ashton.” he had curly hair like luke, but it was fashioned in a 60’s greaser type of way, he smiled at you warmly, extending his hand for you to shake, the two of you nodding in acknowledgment of the other. "last- but not least, calum."

your gaze met his brown eyes, his chocolate curls resting just above his eyes as he looked you in the eyes. he was dressed in a white button-down shirt with black stripes that complemented his tanned and tattooed skin. he softly whispered "hi" as he squeezed his lips together in a smile. you smile back and nod. "hi.” calum's gaze lingers longer than he would have preferred, but he couldn't help himself. no way, not with you dressed like that. the way the black skirt clung to your hips and the dark blue halter top left nothing for the imagination

“guys this is my sister, olivia, and her friend, y/n.” mark says, pointing to the two of you, bringing calum out of his daydream. “nice to meet you guys” you say, offering a warm smile and they all nod to you. “are you staying for the show?” ashton inquired, olivia nods. “of course we are! wouldn’t miss it for a thing.” she gently nudges your arm, you laugh softly and nod.

"great, can't wait for you all to hear the album," ashton says, as the other three nod in agreement. "well, I have to get them backstage, but I'll see you later, okay?" mark replies, and you and olivia nod as the group disappears into the busy room.

as the show began, olivia tugged you closer to the stage, two rows back. the lights dimmed and you heard a huge cheer from the audience as the four boys you had just met took the stage.

your gaze was drawn to calum, who seemed engrossed with the music. how he made it appear so easy while looking so nice. you kept an eye on him for the majority of the night, but your mind was elsewhere.

you had found your way to the bar after the show had concluded; it was a terrific show, as expected, but seeing the band live was a weird experience, and you just couldn't enjoy yourself given your circumstances.

you found yourself reminiscing on your relationship during songs like "lie to me" and "why won't you love me," wondering whether you would have said something different or been more open to him. maybe you’d still be together.

you finish the drink you ordered and search the crowd for your best friend, but when you can't find her, you return your attention to the empty glass in front of you watching it being filled.

"was our stage set really that bad?" when you hear a voice, you quickly look up to find the person who is speaking. "i saw you, you seemed unhappy," calum adds, leaning on the bar. you shook your head and let out a breathless laugh. "no, it was actually very good," you say with a smile.

calum's gaze lingered, he leaned forward. "but? you were definitely not having a good time." you shrug and allow the bartender to refill your drink. "well, i got dumped not too long ago." "so", you trail off, messing with the glass in your hand.

"just not in the mood for a party, i guess," you shrug, and you hear calum hum. he switches his weight from one leg to the other. "actually, you looked pretty hot on stage," you cover your mouth and widen your eyes. "oh my goodness...i." you can't help but giggle, "i'm so sorry," you shake your head, and then gulp the last of the drink in the hopes that it will provide you with some liquid courage.

"you think I'm ‘pretty hot’?" he asks, his brow furrowed and his tongue protruding from the inside of his cheek. "no..i.." you sigh, removing some of your hair from your face. calum chuckles "no, no. you said it, you think I'm hot," he says in a teasing manner, crossing his arms with a quirked eyebrow.

calum would be lying if he said he didn’t think you were attractive as well. he had been eyeing you all night and figured, why not have some fun?

“what are you doing after this?” he asks, stepping a tad closer to you. now, he was just a few inches from your side and you caught wind of his cologne. you look down at the empty glass again, wondering what you’d say. you knew what he meant, and you had never done anything of the sort.

“well that depends” you answer, looking up from the glass and letting your eyes meet his. “well, i was kinda hoping you’d want to leave here with me” calum suggests with a smirk. you smile, figuring you could let lose for one night. “sounds great.”

it was just one night..right?

your eyelids flutter open, and you immediately feel a piercing pain in your temple. you groan silently and look about until you realize you're not in your bedroom when you peek over your shoulder, you notice a figure.

he was facing you, on his side. his curls were brushed back, his lips were slightly parted, and his arm was resting on your waist.

"oh, shit.." you think as you sit up against his headboard, drawing the loose sheet closer to your chest. your mind is filled with images from the previous night. meeting him, and then their brief talk in the bar. you rubbed your temples, still reeling from what you'd done.

you had slept with calum hood.

you had to get out of there because you couldn't believe what you'd done. you were never the type to do something like that. you attempted to remove the sheet so you could hurry up and put on your clothes from the night before and go home. however, while you were doing so, calum's arm gently tugged on your waist. "stay.."

when you looked at him, his eyes were still closed. you didn't move, feeling frozen as your gaze landed on the arm that framed your waist. you couldnt lie, calum was very attractive.

eventually, you finally managed to break free from his touch, and you threw on your clothing while searching for your phone and handbag. you discreetly opened and closed the door, making your way through the house to the front entrance.

you come to a halt as you pick up your shoes, pondering whether or not to leave your phone number for him. but you tell yourself that you'll never see him again, opening the door and walking out.

you order a lift home and finally check at your phone's alerts. olivia left almost twenty messages and made thirty phone calls. you tell her you're okay and on your way home.

you opened your front door to find olivia racing towards you. "where the hell were you?!" she exclaims, her eyes wide open. you hush her with a "shh," dropping your shoes beside the door. "i texted and called you!" "i know, i know," you remark as you pass by her to your room. "you can't just leave like that!" she exclaims as she follows you.

"olivia.." you sigh and stand in your bathroom, removing the last of your makeup from the night before. "i'm sorry okay, i was drunk and he was right there in front of me." "who?" she asks as she leans against the doorway. "calum.."

there was radio silence for a split second before you glanced to olivia, who erupted. "you slept with calum hood!?!" she exclaims, lunging for your arm. "calum hood?!? the one from five seconds of summer?" you closed your eyes, your head still throbbing, and her ranting only made matters worse. "okay, yes? i was drunk, and he came up to me for a moment...and the following thing led to another..."

"you slept with calum!!!" the ginger laughs as she claps her hands and softly jumps up and down. "oh my god!! my y/n is getting some!" you groan, throwing away the makeup wipe while moving past her. "oh, god. ew!" you exclaim as you enter your bedroom in quest of your pajamas. "tell me everything!" she says as she sits on your bed. "uh..no.." you say as you begin to change.

"just...leave it, im not going to see him again," you say as you brush your hair after changing. "what?! didn't you leave your phone number or something?" "no, olivia, it was just one night," you shake your head. i don't plan to see him again, okay?" you reinstate by placing the brush on the dresser. "ugh, you're no fun!"

"you should be happy about this, you're one step closer to moving on from your asshole ex-boyfriend!" exclaims olivia. you take a step out of your bedroom, looking over your shoulder at your ginger friend. you smile sadly, "i don't think I'll ever be able to get over him."

"we are going to be late!" olivia yells as she tugs you out of bed. "i don't want to go," you protest, but the ginger pushes you into the bathroom. "get yourself ready and meet me outside, okay?" she smiles and goes away.

you sighed as you stood in front of your mirror and went about your business. wash your face, then apply skincare, makeup, hair, and finally your clothes. this consisted of a cropped white shirt, a black skirt, and boots. for the nightlife scene, this was your typical go-to.

you grab a leather jacket and your money on your way out the door to meet with olivia. “great, you're done!" she grins and grabs your arm. "and looking as hot as ever," you sigh, "i wear this every time we go out, olivia. this isn't anything new." you explain, and the two of you start walking up to the bar. "yes, but being single looks good on you... you look happier." she beams. you shrug and continue going, laughing as you say, "whatever you say."

you two arrived at the bar, which was already quite crowded with people you knew, and said your 'hi's and 'hello's' as you walked through the crowd to reach your normal friend group. this was a birthday party for one of your mutual friends; you were invited because you knew a few people there, but you didn't intend to stay long. after only a few drinks, you were dipping.

"hey, i'm going to get a drink, do you want anything?" you ask olivia, who was in the midst of a conversation. "um, no, i'm good for now," the redhead responds softly. you nod and turn around, headed for the bar.

you take a seat on a bar stool and order your usual, then pull out your phone and scroll for a few minutes as you wait for your drink.

"fancy seeing you here," you hear from behind you. when you turn around, a familiar face greets you.

calum hood.

you gaze at him for a time, blinking slowly, wondering why the hell he was at this party in the first place. how did he know your friend group?

"what? like what you see?" he laughs and walks up to the stool next to you. you discreetly giggle, rolling your eyes as you notice your drink in front of you. "you're full of yourself, calum," you say as you sip your drink. "well, you weren't thinking that when you were in my bed a few nights ago, were you?" he says, lifting his eyebrows as he speaks, attempting to elicit a reaction from you.

"oh god.." you mutter. calum follows you as you push yourself off the stool and onto the club floor. "come on, I was joking." when you hear his remarks, you shake your head and spin around to tell him off, but you freeze when you realize how close he is.

calum gazed back at you, his chocolate eyes piercing into yours. the way his wavy hair fell just above his eyes. you couldn't think straight when he was wearing a tight-fitting black t-shirt that emphasized his muscles- or how nice he looked in those black plaid pants.

calum hood was fine, and he knew it.

"you're a jerk," you reply, eventually jerking out of your daydream. as he steps closer, you can smell the tequila dripping from his breath. "oh yeah?" you say, nodding, "yeah." "well, you won't be saying that when you're in my bed again."

as you stare into his eyes, your grasp on your cup tightens. you couldn't take your eyes off him.

"fuck you."

he takes pleasure in your reply and leans in, his face right up against yours, whispering, "maybe later, sweets." then calum walks away, leaving you on the dance floor.

you find yourself back with olivia and your group of friends, scarfing down the drink knowing you needed to be intoxicated for the night ahead of you.

"i saw that," she says, as the two of you sway to the music. "what?" you inquire, attempting to appear clueless. "calum hood, hitting on you!!" she rolls her eyes. she giggles and pokes at your side. "no, it was nothing," you promise, moving her arm away. "whatever you say," she sings.

while you were on the dance floor with your friends, you were pretty intoxicated, and you knew he was watching you. you tried to ignore the sense of his eyes burning holes in the back of your skull. he observed your hips swaying to the music and the way your hair layed against your skin. It was driving him crazy.

flashes of you in his bed, your skin gleaming with sweat, the softness of your lips against his, or the touch of your nails on his back that sent thrills down his spine.

normally, he would never return to someone with whom he had a one-night encounter, but he couldn't get enough of you. he hasn't stopped thinking about you since that night.

you'd had enough of his glances and decided it was time to face him.

"stop" you say as you approach him. he blinks and asks, "what?." you sigh and roll your eyes. "i know you're staring, stop it." calum laughs and sets his drink on the bar. "i don't know what you're talking about, pretty." you sigh and rub your temples. "don't act innocent, i saw you." you say. he shrugs and leans forward. "oh, I'll show you innocent"

"calum, we can't do this," you say, looking him in the eyes. “It was only once." you say, as if attempting to persuade yourself. "oh, yeah?" you cross your arms and nod. "because it seems you don't believe that." calum retorts, his hand coming to rest on your hip.

as he moves in closer, you catch the scent of his cologne combined with the booze on his breath, which sends a shudder down your spine. you see flashes of his figure hanging over you from a few nights before. you couldn't possibly lie to yourself because you think about it every day.

"i know you want me.. i see the way you look at me," he continues. "come on, let's have some fun." his thumb was tracing circles on the fabric of your skirt.

you look into his eyes, your stomach flipping. you didn't want to give in, you didn't want to become someone you weren't. but that was calum fucking hood, and you couldn't resist him when he looked at you like that. "fuck it," you state.

you gaze at the sleeping figure beside you, his breathing calm and steady. you couldn't help but feel bad, so you told yourself you wouldn't hook up with him again. you told yourself you'd never see him again. he was a celebrity, and you were just a city dweller who happened to get caught up with him.

you lie there for a moment, admiring calum. how could someone look so lovely while sleeping? you yank the covers off your legs and frantically dress to leave him yet again.

you collect your shoes at the exit, stand for a moment debating whether or not to leave your number, but you decide not to because this is the last time you'll see him…

right?

from that night forward, you felt like the universe was messing with you because calum appeared to be at every party, club, or bar you went to. he'd approach you as if nothing was going to happen, as if he was teasing you in some way- but it always happened.

those nights, you'd always end up in his bed, never yours.

you couldn't help yourself; no matter how hard you tried to pretend you despised him, you couldn't keep the mask up because you always caved and went home with him.

it became a habit; you'd go out with friends or by yourself, secretly hoping calum would appear in some way.

some nights, you weren't even there to drink, just to be there.

it was the same thing every time: you'd pretend to despise him because a small part of you wanted a serious relationship yet couldn't get enough of him. he made you feel alive. your ex never made you feel that way. the only person who ever made you feel *loved* was calum. you both knew it was only for fun, but it made you wonder if it might ever turn into anything more. you were always silently wishing you had left your phone number all those times, wondering if he would have called or texted you.

plus, you were aware that your friends, particularly olivia, were becoming suspicious. you had recovered quickly from your split following that first night with calum. she knew you’d leave with him at those gatherings but she didn’t stop it because you seemed to be doing better and you were a lot happier.

so far, calum was treating you right. at least, when the two of you were hooking up. so she never made any effort to stop what was happening.

for what felt like the hundredth time, you were back in his bed. instead of looking at him, you've turned your gaze to the ceiling. you know you should leave because it's about noon and you need to get home because you have plans with olivia later that day. you groan, running your hands over your face before getting out of bed and hunting for your clothing, all scattered along the floor.

"since you obviously don't want to stay," he spoke suddenly, causing you to pause in the middle of putting your shirt back on. calum raises up to rest on his elbows as your head spins around. "how about we just agree that this is a no-strings-attached situation," he suggested. you finish putting on your shirt and take your place at the foot of the bed. "calum.." you sigh,rubbing your eyes.

"y/n, just listen and consider it. we can keep doing what we're doing without making any commitments."

you stare at him, his hair was messy, he wasn't wearing a shirt, and you couldn't help but admire his physique. you lean down to grab your shorts, responding while you did so, "i'll think about it," before throwing on the rest of your clothes and leaving his bedroom. as you close the door behind you, you hear him sigh.

your hand was on the doorknob as you stood at the door, but you stopped yourself from opening it. you hated yourself as you reached into your bag for a pen and a random scrap of paper to jot down your phone number. you retrace your steps and leave it on his kitchen island. then you disappear from his home once again.

you unlock your apartment door and walk in, closing it behind you. you enter the kitchen, putting your bag on the counter and grabbing a water bottle.

"where have you been?" you jump out of your skin when you see olivia behind the refrigerator door. "what the hell, olivia!" you exclaim, nearly spilling the bottle. she's standing with her arms crossed with an intense stare. "did you hook up with him again?"

you move out of the kitchen and into your room, closing the fridge. "no, I don't know who you're talking about." you respond, but olivia isn't having it. "stop lying. you were with him last night and the nights before." "so?" you grumble.

"so?!", she exclaimed, you can't tell if she's really mad at you or just acting this way, she repeats. "you're having an fling with a celebrity! you have a habit of hooking up with him. surely something has to be there." she follows you to your room, standing in your doorway as she questions you.

"it's nothing, olivia. we just happen to be at the same location at the same time. okay?" you explain while looking for some clothes to change into.

"i call bullshit. you were never like this, until you met him." she continues, making you sigh. "it's just a distraction, okay?"

"I just...I don't know," you shrug, unable to express your feelings. "i'll meet you later, okay?" you turn away from her.

"actually…i have a date tonight," olivia confessed. "im sorry, but i'll have to cancel." she frowned. "that's fine," you say sympathetically over your shoulder. “have fun, and please text me when you get home, okay?" olivia nods, singing, "i will, love you hot stuff" she passes by you to leave your shared apartment.

you're sitting on your sofa with a container of leftover takeout from a few nights ago after freshening up. olivia had somehow gotten you hooked on a cringe-worthy television show.

you were already two seasons in and couldn't recall a single episode. calum had made your memory fuzzy. you couldn't get him off your mind. you remained curious about what he was doing when you left. did he think of you the way you thought of him? did he ever wonder what you did when he wasn't there? though you convinced yourself you were just being delusional.

…right?

calum glances at the scrap of paper on his kitchen counter, his fingers tapping near his phone, unsure whether to wait to message you. calum was well aware that what he was doing was probably not wise. because, after all, hooking up with you was just for fun, right? so why was it so difficult for him not to think about you? why were you so difficult for him to forget? it was just intended to be once, but now calum thinks about you whenever he gets the chance.

calum sighs, picks up his phone, and starts punching in your phone number. he has no idea what he's doing, but he doesn't stop himself from sending you a message.

- ‘hey, it’s calum’

you're standing in the kitchen right now, washing your hands, when your phone dings. your heart sunk as you looked over and said the message. you swiftly withdraw your hands from the sink, grab a towel, and dry them.

you take out your phone and read his message. You stare at it for a moment, unable to believe he actually messaged you.

-‘hey’

you respond as you stroll over to your sofa and sit on the cushions. you weren't anticipating anything from him because he'd practically established that the two of you were only in it for the fun of it and that was it. no strings attached. you don't hear from him again for the time being.

you're disappointed, but you return your focus to the television, hoping to forget about the singer on your mind.

you haven't heard from olivia in hours; she should've been home by now, but you guess she went to the guy's place she was seeing.

you get up from the sofa and grab your phone; all of your anxiety fades as you open your phone to calums' contact information and call him.

It rang several times before he answered. “hello?”

“hey, calum sorry if i’m bothering you”

“no, you’re good. what’s up?”

“i was just wondering if uh…if you’d want to hang out?”

"what do you have in mind?"

you laugh, "not like that"

you can hear him laugh in amusement, “sorry- yeah, sure. there’s actually this party tonight and i wasn’t going to go since i didn’t have anyone to go with. would you be down for that?”

you pause for a moment, picking at your fingers. “sure! that sounds great” you answer.

“nice, i’ll send you the address to ashton’s place and i’ll meet you there. see you tonight, sweets.”

you arrive at ashton's house, sitting in your car for a few minutes as you ran your options through your head. ‘was this a smart decision? were you planning to do this?’ you groan, taking your phone, and bag then exiting the car, heels clicking as you approached the entrance.

when you opened the door, you were greeted by the smell of alcohol and loud music. you stroll past the crowd near the entryway and start looking for the person you came here to see.

you notice him in the kitchen with his bandmates, he noticed you as well. with a tiny smile on his lips, he motions you over to the group.

"hey," you speak softly now that you're standing close to him. "hi," he greets, unconsciously placing his hand on the small of your back. "guys, i'm not sure if you remember, but this is y/n," he reminds before re-introducing you to the rest of the band.

"are you mark's sister's friend?" michael interjects, you nod. "yeah! i was the one in the blue top that night," you smile, everyone nods in acknowledgment. "well, i'm glad you could make it, if you need anything just let me know." "thank you," you nod nervously, then glance up to calum.

he offers to take you around and introduce you to some people to make you feel more at ease.

"i'm going to get something to drink, you want anything?" you make the offer to calum, who is seated on the sofa, he responds with a simple, "sure." you nod, heading to the kitchen by yourself, leaving calum with his buddies.

"how long have you two been together?" someone seated next to calum asked, he turns to see it was ashton's girlfriend. "oh, no- we aren't together." he responds, but her reply is unexpected. "are you serious?" she asks, calum nods. "no way," she whispered, astonished as she takes a sip from the crimson solo cup. "what?" calum questions.

"there's no way you two aren't together," she says again, "the way you look at her. i'm not sure what the two of you are up to, but you should figure it out," she concludes, chuckling. calum simply stares at her, her attention drawing elsewhere.

he thought about what she said the entire time you were gone. did he actually act that way? did he treat you as though you were his girlfriend? did he look at you in a way that suggested you two were dating? no… you two were just hooking up. nothing else.

he had no idea you were back until you spoke up. "here.." you offer, handing him the drink. calum looks up takes the drink you offered, "thank you sweetheart" "anytime, sugar" you chuckle and go for a seat, but all of them are taken… okay, so you would just stand up for the time being. when calum notices this, he reaches for your waist and pulls you down onto his lap. you look down at him, confused, “what are you doing?” he looks up at you with those eyes.

those big brown eyes that made you feel as if you were on cloud nine. calum looked at you like you were the only girl in the universe.

at least, that’s what you told yourself.

“i’m not just gonna let you stand there.” he answered with a cheeky smile.

people started to leave after a few hours. you were still sitting on calum's lap as everyone else congregated in the living room, talking about whatever and playing drinking games.

you get up from the calum's lap, leaving your drink behind to walk to the restroom down the hall. you approach and knock, hearing someone in there. you stand a few steps away from the door and pull out your phone to pass the time.

after a few minutes, calum finds you. leaning his arms against the wall, effectively caging you between his arms as he stands in front of you. "whatcha doing?" he demands, boxing you in and staring at you. "I'm waiting for the bathroom," you say, glancing up at him.

"you know..." calum pauses, coming in closer. "my house isn't too far from here, and i have a bathroom..so..you can just use it there," you sneer at his offer, "how convenient.." you respond, just above a whisper.

you push yourself off the wall and past calum, leaving him speechless. "where are you going?" he asks, his arms at his sides. "your place. you coming or not?" you grin as you peer over your shoulder.

calum chuckles quietly as he approaches you and wraps his arm around your waist. he was nearly dragging you to the door. "sorry guys, we have to run!" he grabs your bag, carrying it for you before dashing out the door with you.

the others could only chuckle to themselves and smile knowingly as the two of you dashed away.

you're back in his bed, and you know it before you open your eyes. the smell of his bedsheets let you know you were back. the warm vanilla smell invaded your nostrils as you stretched and opened your eyes to find yourself staring at a familiar ceiling. you check over your shoulder for calum's sleeping figure, but he's not there.

you carefully sit up, bringing the sheet along to cover your chest and rubbing your eyes with your other hand. only then do you spew calum standing at the doorway wearing only basketball shorts. "good morning, princess," he says, and you groan, feeling a headache coming on. "i'm making breakfast if you want to stay," he says before walking out the door. you sigh as you get out of his bed and seek for your clothes before leaving his room for the kitchen.

you notice pancakes and fruit on a plate waiting for you. as he stands and consumes his food, you take a seat at the kitchen island. It's quiet for a few minutes before he speaks up.

"so i was thinking.." calum begins. you raise your head to look at him. "i know we said no strings attached but what if we expand the deal?" you lift your brows, confused as to what he was on about. "what do you mean?" you inquire. "at parties, we could be each other's automatic plus one. that way, we won't have to worry about who we go home with." you look up at him, then down at your plate, shifting some of the food about.

"i don't know, calum." you let out a sigh. you want to say yes, and you want to be around him at all times- but you just can’t confess it. "i'm just tired of being ditched by the guys at events, and i wouldn't mind if you were the one to fill that spot," you gaze up, your eyes meeting his. "okay...i'm down," you nod, and calum smiles. "great."

you continue eating as silence fills the room, you don’t really know how to keep a conversation with him since you two only hung out at parties. “when’s your birthday?” he asks. you chuckle, “what happened to no strings attached?” you ask, taking a drink of your water. “well, we can be friends with benefits. friends can know things about each other” he rebuttals. you look at him, finally caving. “y/bd” you answer, calum nods. “that’s coming up” you shrug, “its a couple months. what about you?”

“january 25th” he answers. “happy belated birthday” you reply and he laughs. “so you do have a heart.” you rolls your eyes, “oh whatever.” you can’t help but crack a smile.

calum admires you, how you still manage to look beautiful even in the makeup from the night prior and your hair is a mess. calum wants to be your friend, he wants to know stuff about you other than how you are in bed. he looks down at his plate, knowing he shouldn’t be thinking of you as anything for than his fuck buddy.

“what’s something you’ve always wanted to do?”

you think for a moment, your free hand is now supporting the weight of your chin. “hmm..i’ve always wanted like a big birthday bash.” you answer, “but i just never had the opportunity or people to go with” you add. he nodded, making a mental note.

———

calum proceeds to ask you out every other night, claiming that he doesn't want to be alone. of course, you went, but it simply muddled your sentiments for him. because he made it apparent that you were just friends.

so what was it about him holding your hand at parties that got you so worked up? or when he'd hold your back as you walked through a crowd of people. you'd have to convince yourself to stop staring at him for so long before anyone noticed.

you opted to see someone else on the side in the hopes of sorting out your feelings because the only reason you had feelings for calum was because he was the only person you had been seeing this much, right? furthermore, calum had made it obvious that there were no strings attached.

"hello?" you answer the phone as you go inside your apartment after getting home from work. "hey! "I'm sorry if i'm bothering you," calum says over the phone. "no, i just got home from work. you're fine!”

“how are you?" you ask, placing your keys on the table.

"i was just wondering if you're free tonight?" he inquires. you sigh and open your refrigerator to see if you have any snacks. "um, actually i was going out with a friend tonight…" you speak, and on the other end you hear him sigh, "okay! if your plans fall through, let me know." you smile to yourself, "of course," and it gets silent for a bit as the two of you are at a loss for words, "well, i'll let you get ready then..." "alright...bye..." you say as you pull the phone away from your ear and finish the call.

calum sighs as he tosses his phone to the opposite end of the sofa and rests his head back. he knows that he should not be disappointed; you have your own life, and calum was only a little part of it, just as he had his own life but knowing he wouldn't be able to see you tonight hurt. so, instead of moping about, he decided to ask his bandmates if they wanted to hang out for the night.

however, the night was uneventful; luke had met a girl, michael was conversing with someone, and calum was left alone with ashton.

"isn't that the girl you're seeing?" ashton says unexpectedly, motioning towards you at the bar. calum looks over his shoulder and sees you talking with a guy.

calum is hurt, but he turns around and shrugs as he faces ashton. "we're not seeing each other, i don't like her like that," ashton chuckles as he sips his drink, "sure you don't," calum moans, "mate, cmon.."

“you’re lying to yourself, mate. maybe you don't say you like her, but your eyes say everything." ashton spoke, calum knew it was true. he did like you, but he was unsure if you even considered him more than someone just to hook up with. you had been giving him mixed signals, because one night you were all about him but the next day you wanted nothing to do with him.

calum peers over his shoulder once more, this time observing that the guy that was now touching you, his hand on your leg, inching higher and higher. calum considers ashton's words and walks away from the table he was at towards you.

the way he felt was enough confirmation for his feelings for you. he wanted to be more than just a friend you sleep with. he wants to the be the person you come to during your darkest times, he wants to know your favorite songs, he wants to know your favorite movies, food, candy, animal, he wants to be your person.

“so when were you going to introduce me to your friend?” your head whips around to find calum standing behind the bar stool you sat at. “calum?” you blink before turning back to your date who had now removed his hand from your thigh. “you know him?” the man questions, eyeing calum.

“uh…he’s just my-“ calum cuts you off, “boyfriend” he finishes for you. your eyes go wide looking at calum again, you were about to open your mouth but calum beat you to it. “and we should be heading back now” he reaches for your waist, grabbing your purse and escorting you out of the bar.

"what the hell!?" you yell outside the bar, shoving him away from you. "you can't do that, calum! we're not exclusive, we are not dating; we're just friends who occasionally hook up" you hear calum chuckle and it sends you over the edge.

you huff and begin to walk away, but calum follows you and drapes his arm over your shoulder.

"youre mine and i don't share"

"where are you taking me?" calum walks next to you, instinctively leading you to his car. "home," he says, unlocking his car door and allowing you to enter before closing it and walking to the driver's side.

within a few minutes, you realize he's heading in the opposite way. "calum this isn't the way to to my place" you're saying. "I know," he replies, looking over at you. "i never said which home"

‘get ready, im coming over’

calum takes out his phone. he thinks nothing of the message you just sent him, presuming you're coming over to visit him. however, when you came and kept honking the car horn for him to come outside he was a bit thrown off.

when calum walks outside, he puts his phone and wallet in his pocket while walking over to your car. as you roll down your window, he leans in. "get in, we're going shopping," you say, music still playing and a smile on your face.

"why exactly do you need me for this?" calum inquires, his brow furrowed. you reply, "well considering you'll be the one taking it off i figured you might want to help me pick out something" while grinning. despite his flushed cheeks, calum takes a step back, unlocks the car door, and hops inside.

you took calum to the mall and modeled for nearly two hours while looking for the right outfit for your birthday. it had been two hours of no success until one of the last stores you visited had this leather skirt you had been eyeing for a while.

calum couldn't take his eyes off of your body when you emerged from the dressing room. both the halter top you chose and the skirt perfectly complemented one other. you drawled, "sooo?" hoping for a positive response. he answers right away, "yes." when you looked down at yourself, he speaks up again. “that’s the one, you have to get it.” and you couldn't help but laugh. you nod and examine yourself in the mirror before returning to the dressing room to change into your clothing so you could check out.

you happen to pass a leather jacket on your way to the register. and it just so happens to go well with the skirt. additionally, you observe that calum is examining it longer than anything else you have so added in the store. you made the choice to pick it up, do your best to estimate his size, and continue moving forward to pay.

on the way back to your place you pick up takeout since it was getting late in the evening and you both were starving.

when the two of your arrive home, you get comfortable on the sofa and begin picking out a movie while calum is in the kitchen sorting out the food before bringing it all into the living room. you picked out a movie and the two of you eat in peace, enjoying each others company.

afterwards, you had started cleaning up all the empty containers and throwing it away with the help of calum.

“will you put the skirt on again? i forgot what it looks like” calums asks and you laughed, looking over your shoulder. “seriously?” he nods. you pause for a moment before rolling your eyes and sigh, “fine.”

you walk out of your bedroom in the skirt but you hid something behind your back, looking a bit shy. which was unusual because you never acted like this around calum, so he knew something was up. “y/n, what’s behind your back?” he asks in a teasing tone and you begin walking towards him slowly. “okay, so, don’t be mad but i may have picked you up something too..”

she grins bringing the jacket from behind her and handing it towards him.

“i—y/n/n please tell me you didn’t buy this leather jacket for me” you take a few steps forward. “i’ve never heard you say please before. this is new.” you say, smirking. calums rolls his eyes but he can’t help but smile and you continue, “but yes i did. i saw you eyeing it so i grabbed it”

he tries to hide his smile. “well go on, put it on” you help him into the jacket and it’s then when he notices. “did you get this so we could match?” he says laughing. “no i absolutely did not! i just wanted to do something nice for you” he quickly responds “you didn’t have to go through the trouble of getting more clothes sweetheart. taking some off would’ve had the same effect” he chuckles. you playfully hit his chest and say “you’re insufferable.” you look away but then looks back smiling.

“but yeah maybe i wanted us to match a little bit. sue me” he grabs your waist and pulls your closer, you feel his thumb drawing circles on your exposed skin and it sends shivers down your spine. “well i certainly appreciate the thought, sweets. now we just need an occasion to show up everyone” calum teases, leaning in. his lips only inches from yours, you feel your cheeks warm up. “calum..” you warn but he continues to close the space between the two of you. “it’s just one kiss..”

you hate your birthday, it was the one day of the year you always found yourself to be the most miserable despite having people who loved you around. you still felt so unhappy.

“y/n, are you ready? you can’t be late to your own party!” olivia calls out from the living room. you exit your bedroom, meeting her in the room. “i’m ready, im ready” you say, throwing your bag on your shoulder. “y/n..” you hear olivia sigh, she takes a few steps towards you and puts her hands on your shoulder.

“lighten up. i know you hate your birthday but this year im not

letting you be miserable. kay?” she gently shakes you enough for you to crack a smile and nod, “good” she says, linking her arm with yours.

“now let’s go before people think you bailed your own birthday party.”

the two of you arrive to the same club where you had first met calum yet this time, the atmosphere was different.

no purple, pink, or red lights. no promotional posters in the windows. instead, you see white paper decorations and warm fairy lights.

you enter the bar in front of olivia and hear a loud uproar of people cheering as you did and some people even popping confetti. you couldn’t help but laugh as you walked through the crowd, seeing all of your close friends standing around celebrating you.

olivia was also giddy, knowing she had planned this whole thing along with calum.

“you guys didn’t have to do this!” you said over the music after you saw the cake sitting in the middle of the room, you’re beaming with joy. for the first time in a long time you were excited to be celebrating your birthday.

you spent time greeting people and thanking them.

some of these people you haven’t seen in years and it made you feel like things were finally getting better.

just as you were about to catch up with some old friends, the lights dimmed and you heard some light strumming from the nearby stage.

you look over seeing four familiar figures underneath the red stage lights.

“hello everyone,” luke begins, adjusting the mic. “if you all don’t know, we are five seconds of summer” the crowd roars at the name drop and some people are playfully hitting your shoulder not knowing your tied with the band.

“we just wanted to say we are truly honored to be back at the place we showcased our recent album, and of course to celebrate the birthday girls special day.” .

“so, happy birthday, y/n. we hope you have a wonderful year.” luke beamed.

the set was at least forty-five minutes long, they had played mostly their new stuff off the youngblood album but dropped in a few older songs.

you were over the moon.

to say you had five seconds of summer perform at your birthday party? that’s huge.

you never thought you’d end up in this position.

to say you had personal connections to people as big as calum, or even the whole band for that matter.

tonight was a night you’d definitely never forget.

standing outside the club, you watch the people inside dance and get lost in each other. the whole scene was almost melancholy- the way everyone was there to celebrate you. the night was near ending and you felt so cramped in there, you thought you'd spend the last few hours of your birthday catching your breath.

"hey you" calum voice interrupts your thoughts, a cigarette between his fingers as he watches you from a close enough distance. you furrow your brows, "didn't know you smoked"

he quickly flicks it to the floor, stepping on it a few times before picking up the trash.

"Is it a turn off?"

"no no i just didn't know" you shrug and look back up at the sky, "i don't think i know anything about you aside from you're good in bed and you like whiskey" he chuckles now, stepping closer to you and placing his hands on your waist.

"well, ask me anything you want"

you watch as he looks away for a moment, searching for the perfect question.

"if you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?"

your eyes don't leave the sky as you think, long and hard about the question. "i’d love to see paris... it's been my dream since i was a child."

you could feel his hands loosen from your waist, he steps infront of you and stared down at your face with a smile. It's almost like he's thinking of what to do or what to say next.

“paris?” he repeats.

you nod, tilting your head to the side, studying him. "what about you?"

calum had now completely removed his arm from your waist as he leans down to rest his elbows on the metal railing.

“considering i’ve toured around the world, ive been to plenty of amazing places” he says, looking back to see if you were looking at him.

“i don’t have just one, too many places, not enough time to explore” he answered.

you nod, looking away towards the city. the nightlife in downtown los angeles was a lot lively than normal.

probably because your birthday fell on a friday this year, so all of the bars were jam packed and faint music flooded the streets.

you inhale, about to say something as your turn your attention back towards the brunette.

“y/n! cmon!” olivia grabs your wrist pulling you inside and away from calum, towards the large cake so you could blow out the candles.

“come on birthday girl, make a wish!” olivia cheers along with everyone standing around. you laugh, “okay okay!”. you blow out the candles and everyone begins to cheer. olivia hugs your side and giggles, “what did you wish for?” she asks. you grin petting her head, “if i tell you it won’t come true, will it?” your eyes flicker between calum and olivia as you speak.

you hear olivia groan in annoyance. someone amongst the crowd, you guess ashton, you could recognize that arm anywhere, points to the cake and says, "birthday girl gets first pick!"

you finally see his figure merge from behind someone with a plastic plate and knife. "what piece does my girl want?" ashton continues.

you examine the cake once more and point to a corner piece smothered in the purple icing with a kiddish like grin on your face. ashton's nods and begins to cut you a piece.

as it nears the end of the night and the bar slowly begins to empty out, you've found yourself at the bar watching everyone says their goodbye and share a hug with you before leaving the building.

the music was faintly playing now, compared to when you had arrived eariler.

solo cups trashed the floor, paper plates and napkins scattered the bar table. you look down at the glass setting in front of you as you swirl around the liquid contents. you didn’t even notice calum approaching.

“how was your birthday?” he hums, sitting next to you.

“good” you smile, resting your head on your hand. “tonight was good. you did great on stage.”

“yeah?” calum raises his eyebrows, you see a playful smirk forming on his lips. “mhm, very rockstar.”

calum laughs at your comment and then the two of you fall silent, watching as some people begin cleaning up the mess.

“can i talk to you?” calum questions, turning his focus back to you.

you nod, “yeah, of course”

“in private.” he adds.

you raise your eyebrows , wondering what he needs to say that he can’t in front of your friends.

“sure”

calum takes your hand and leads you towards the back door, which you had no idea was back here.

when he opens it, you see a patio with a string of fairy lights surrounding the area.

“you’re going to think i was stalking you or something, but this just happened by chance. i swear.” calum stands you in front of him as he reaches in his back pocket and hands you a plane ticket.

“we’ll be in paris on the first leg of our tour and i had an extra ticket.” he stated. you look up at him wide eyed, then do a double take to make sure you were seeing it right. “calum..what? i…i just i can’t just-“

“i want you there.” he adds.

“i want you in paris with me, hell- i want you on the whole tour with me. please, take it” he offers it to you again, making you take it.

“oh my god” you mutter, looking down at the ticket now in your hand.

“the flight is in two days, i know it’s hella last minute but i figured its now or never” calum speaks softly.

you’re still at a loss for words, your body working faster than your mind as your wrap your arms around calums figure. “thank you so much” you say into his shoulder.

“anytime” he hums, hugging you back.

“cmon cal! we gotta head back.” michael can be heard from the bar.

the australian pulls away and offers a warm smile, “see you in paris..” he says and walks off. “bye..”

you’re quick to whip your phone out and text olivia before heading back to your apartment partment

“youll never believe what just happened”

“is this a good or bad thing”

“uhh good? i think? i hope so”

“well dont leave me in the dark what happened”

“calum gave me a ticket to paris” “WHAT, Y/N THATS HUGE. are you gonna go”

“i mean, id feel bad if i didnt. i hate how easy it is for me to like him.”

“we’re so having a debriefing when you get home.”

the plane ride was long and tiresome, eleven hours of being so uncomfortable in the seats and having someone next to you who had no regard for personal space. plus, you just hated planes in general.

but once the plane landed, you felt a wave of relief and soon enough you were off the plane and navigating your way through the foreign airport.

once you get to baggage claim you wait for your luggage and once you have it, you begin looking around for a familiar person.

you round a corner and finally see the one you had been searching for. “there’s my pretty girl” calum says, as his eyes lands on you as he makes his way towards you.

“i look awful calum” you laugh as his arms wrap around you tightly. “no such thing” he says into your hair before pulling away. “how was the flight?” he adds, taking your luggage from your hand then linking his free hand with yours while leading you out of the airport.

“long” you laugh tiredly, as you watch him load your bags into the back of the car.

the uber back to the hotel that calum was staying at was nice, being able to see nice scenery before you’d sleep for the next twelve hours.

the plan was, you’d sleep for as long as you could until calums show tomorrow, then hopefully, you’d be well rested and enjoy his concert and have a few days in the city to spend with him.

still only as friends..right?

while you start unpacking, calum was helping. “when are you going to sleep?” he asks, taking your now empty suitcase and putting it next to his as you were folding and putting the clothes in the dresser. “probably when i get done here.” you say closing the drawer to the dresser.

“no, you’re not” calum says, causing you to stop and turn to him. “what?” you blurt, harsher than you wanted. “what do you mean ‘no’”.

“i mean no because i’m taking you out tonight.” “calum” you try to interject but he doesn’t let you. “were going out tonight, no ands, ifs,or buts. kay?” he says, walking towards you. “and be sure to wear that skirt, you look good in it.” he whispers into your ear.

“what skirt?” you ask, trying to act oblivious.

calum scoffs a little, “you know the one.”

you finish swiping the last bit of mascara onto your lashes and close the tube, then check yourself in the mirror once more wanting to make sure you outfit was good enough.

“you done?” you hear calum voice ring the hotel room into the bathroom. “yeah!” you yell back and grab your lipstick, touching up your lips before throwing it and a gloss in your bag and exit the bathroom .

“you look great” calum grins, walking towards you. his arm snaking around your waist and pulling you closer. you grin, taking notice just how good he looks in leather jacket. “so do you, mr.rockstar.” “yeah?” he smiles, you nod. “yeah. you ready?” you ask. “yep let me get my wallet”

the night was nearing an end, you walked down the street next to calum, luke and sierra followed behind the two of you. calum had taken you all over the city, to nice cafes, his favorite spots from the last time he visited, and a museum. it was truly a wonderful day in the city of love.

the four of your turn a corner and suddenly you’re shocked by the bright dazzling lights of the eiffel tower.

you’re starstruck, you must’ve stopped in your tracks became calum looks back at you, “you comin’?” he grins, holding out his hand for you to take.

you felt like a kid in a candy store as you approached the structure. it felt like something out of a dream. you weren’t sure why you loved the idea of being in paris, but you were here now. standing in front of the famous landmark in the world, it was so beautiful you could cry.

“wow..” you speak breathlessly. the twinkling lights reflected in your eyes, the way it stood out against the dark sky, it felt like the most magical thing you had ever seen.

you’re quick to take your phone out and snap a couple pictures, not wanting to forget this moment. it would be something you would talk about forever.

“hey y/n-“ sierra taps your shoulder. your spin around and face the girl, “mm?”

“care to take a pic of me and luke?”

“sure!” you take the phone from sierra as the couple poses in front of the sight. “i’ll take a couple so pose however you want” you smile and begin snapping pictures of the two.

luke and sierra were a good couple, they complimented each other very well. and from what you’ve seen of sierra she was a good friend and good girlfriend to luke.

“check those, make sure you like them” you hand the phone back to sierra so she can check them.

“perfect! thank you so much!” sierra beams looking at the photos then up at you.

“do you want some with calum?” she asks.

you look over at calum who was already looking at you. “um, sure!” you hand your phone to sierra.

you and calum stand next to each other and let sierra snap a couple pictures together. luke is standing behind sierra watching as she makes sure to get all the angles.

“beautiful!” she exclaims with a wide grin as she hands your phone back to you so you could check the pictures.

you swipe through the pictures awhile calum looks over your shoulder.

“god damn” the australian begins, “we look good together.”

and it was true. you did look good together. maybe you could picture being with him more than his ‘friend’.

your eyes flutter open to the soft rays of the sun peeking in through the sheer white curtains of the hotel room. “morning, pretty” you hear calum say causing you to look over your shoulder where he sat on the opposite side of the bed.

you groan quietly, rubbing your eyes as you slowly sit up to lean against the headboard. “mornin” you reply followed by a yawn. “what time is it?” “noon” calum answers, turning off his phone. “damn” you reply knowing you’ve slept almost a whole day. “sorry” you say but calum shakes his head, “don’t apologize, you needed the rest. plus, you’ll be well rested for tonight” he grins, you shake your head and playfully push his shoulder.

“what’s on the agenda for today?” you yawn again, and calum leans back on the headboard. “well, we have to be at the venue at two and soundcheck is at three”. he says, checking his phone for the time.

“good, gives me plenty of time to get ready” you say, reaching for your phone. “do you want to leave with me or do you wanna just come whenever you’re done?” you shrug thinking about how long it’ll take you to get ready. “i might just uber after i’m done that way i don’t have to rush.” you start, ripping the cover off of your legs. “plus it’ll give me enough time to make sure i look good for you tonight.” you say with a grin before getting out of the bed and making your way to the bathroom.

calum laughs before calling out to you “you’re a tease, you know that?” you smile to yourself using water for your shower. “always!” you holler back.

you’re sat in the back of an uber staring out the back passenger window. the venue isn’t very far from the hotel so the ride wasn’t too bad. when you arrived you saw the line of fans outside all waiting in queue you smiled to yourself, feeling proud of the band, and calum.

you step out of the vehicle and walked around like a lost puppy trying to look for olivia’s brother, mark.

you take the time to see everyone waiting in line dressed in their best and looking beautiful.

“oh thank god” you start, spotting the blonde man. “y/n! you made it!” mark smiles, pulling you in for a hug.

“yeah, thank god, i almost got lost.” mark nods and begins leading you down a long corridor until reaching the dressing rooms. “i figured you’re here for calum?” you look up, staring at him for a moment before blinking. “that obvious huh?” mark laughs, then hands you a vip laminated lanyard. “keep this on you, have fun and enjoy the show.” he adds as he pats your shoulder.

you watch as he walks away, taking a deep breath as you open the door peeking your head in. you see the guys spread out in the room until calum looks up from his phone to greet you.

“its about time you got here, i was about to worry.” he says, now pulling you into their dressing room. his tan arms wrap around your figure and you get a whiff of his cologne.

he keeps you close to your side as the other guys come up to greet you. “was it hard to find?” calum inquires, you shrug, “i walked around the building until i eventually found mark and now im here” you laugh. “probably a little late, traffic was crazy”

calum smiles, “all good, at least you’re here now. that’s all that matters.” he says, slinging his arm over your shoulders.

“all right guys, they’re all ready for you” some stage manager, you had to guess, said as they popped their head in the door.

you separate from calum as he fixed his in-ear-piece and grabs his bass. you smile at him and give him a thumbs up and watch as he followed behind the other three.

“are you sierra and y/n?” and woman enters the room, her dirty blonde hair was cut to about her shoulders but it was obviously growing out. she had a welcoming smile and comforting aura. the two of you nod. “perfect, i’m hannah i can take you guys to your seats!” she beams and then the two of you follow her out into the arena where she showed where the two of you would be at.

side of the pit, calums side, so it was actually perfect for you. “are you guys going to be on the rest of the tour?”

“i will” sierra smiles. then hannah turns towards you.

“oh, i don’t know yet” you laugh, taking a swig of your drink.

“well, i’ll be on the tour with the guys so if you every need anything just look for me.” she smiles again. “enjoy the show!”

it was incredible to see, they were truly in their element. each of the acting as if they were born to be on stage.

“wow!” michael hollers about midway through their performance, taking a small break in between songs. luke is still strumming quietly in the background. “paris, how the fuck are we feeling?!” the crowd erupts in loud cheers.

“it’s great to be back after so long” he continues, then takes a glance at his band mates. “how are you all liking paris?”

“good, i love it here” luke answers, earning a few hollers from the crowd.

“how you liking paris, cal?”

“what about the view here? it’s such a beautiful place” luke interjects.

“you seen anything nice lately, calum?” luke continues

“yup, the views in my hotel room are amazing.”

your heart stopped, it was subtle. just enough for only you to notice. he was definitely mentioning you.

“do you mean from?” luke chimes.

you can faintly see calum smile as he laughs into the mic, “yup, my bad.”

“alrighty then.” michael pauses, luke had taken a few steps back from the mic but could still be been laughing.

“then how about you introduce the next song?”

“the next song is for all those who end up meeting someone and know it won’t be more than just having fun. and they’re okay with that. talk fast.”

you wondered what it looked like from their perspective. you turn to face the crowd and you’re overwhelmed with what you see. people screaming their lungs out to the lyrics, some dancing with their friends, you even see some people crying. you also see some signs. some more creative than others, and some sweeter than others.

you manage to spot one that made you a little uncomfortable; “call me red with the way i be riding hood”

sure, clever, but it made you realize that if you had a shot with calum, what’s stopping him from hooking up with any other fan when you’re not around?

shit.

maybe you did like him more than just a fuck buddy.

during the next intermission you and sierra had made some small talk until you overheard some girls next to you in the pit talking about calum.

“oh i’d totally fuck him.” she says nonchalantly. “i bet you i could easily pull him by the end of the night, i just need to find my way in.” she giggles.

you shift on your feet and turn to sierra who also heard it. “welcome to my life..” she raises her eyebrows then take a sip of her drink.

you sit in silence on the uber ride back to the hotel. calum sat to your right, you knew he was looking at you and he wanted to ask what was wrong.

did you have a bad night?

was the show bad?

the whole way back to the hotel you hadn’t spoken one word to him. you didn’t even look at him.

why did you feel like this?

calum wasn’t even yours. you had no valid reason to be angry.

except you did.

you were afraid that he would want someone else, that you were easily replaceable. you couldn’t deal with that, you couldn’t go through another heartbreak.

you should’ve known that messing with him would’ve lead to this, but you were naïve and wanted something to distract you from your ex boyfriend.

your feet seem to have a mind of their own as you storm past calum and out into the freezing cold.

"y/n/n, cmon don't be this way", he laughs innocently while pacing himself behind you.

you don’t say anything except press the elevator button and wait impatiently for the doors to open. you really couldn’t tell anyone why you were being so stubborn, hell, you didn’t even know why.

once the doors opened you were quick to slip in and press the button to your floor. you stand with your arms crossed, staring blankly at the metal. doors. you were quietly wishing he would say something, anything at all.

“y/n?” he tries reaching for your arm but you shrug him off. “not in the mood cal.” you reply. you knew you were being stubborn and very annoying.

he hasn’t given you a reason to act this way towards him.

you knew you were overreacting. plain and simple.

*ding*

the elevator doors opened and you walk through the hallway towards your bedroom. you scan the keycard and open the door letting calum follow behind you like a lost puppy.

you throw your purse on the bed and take your jacket off. “y/n. please.” you hear him sigh. calum feels guilty and he doesn’t even know what the hell he did. but whatever it was he was going to fix it. he couldn’t take you being mad at him like that.

“why dont you go bother someone else, looked like there was plenty that would love to be in your bed” you hiss, the words spilling from your lips like venom.

calum stops in his tracks, also removing the leather jacket from his shoulders and tossing it on the bed. “what?” he asks, dumbfounded.

“don’t play dumb, cal.”

“i don’t know what you mean, y/n.” he bites back.

“i mean, if you can sleep around with me what’s stopping you from sleeping with your fans?” you confess.

calum just stares at you, “what? what are you talking about?” the bassist was genuinely confused, you had never reacted, at least, not when he was around.

“the people at the show, cal. the signs, their outfits, the way they talk about you-“

calum cuts you off, “look, i don’t know where this is coming from or why you’re acting like this but-“

“i’m acting like this because it was never just about being friends with benefits calum!” you confess, staring at him intently. “i can’t keep acting like im okay with not being able to love you. i don’t want to be hurt again. not by you”

everything came spewing out of you like a waterfall. all the months of pent up frustration and confusion had finally found its way into the world.

you were so frustrated you didn’t even realize what you had said, you turn to look out the window and stare at the lights from the city.

calum doesn’t say anything, racking his brain to make sure he heard you right. you said you loved him, without really even saying the three words.

“you said you love me.”

you look over at him, “what?”

“you just said you ‘can’t keep acting like you don’t love me’.” he repeats.

you shake your head and look away from him. “i didn’t.” you try to get him to leave it alone.

“you did” he sighs, coming next to you and takes you by the shoulders and turns you to face him. “you practically said you love me.”

“calum-“

“i love you too.” he smiled. “i don’t know if that means anything now but i do. i have for a while.” he confessed.

“y/n, you’re nothing like i imagined you would be. when i met you that night in the bar i thought you’d be like all the other girls, which i know doesn’t help, but; this has been the best past year of my life and i think of you more than someone i fuck occasionally.” calum is looking into your eyes. “you’re more than that, y/n/n.”

there are tears welling in your eyes, you shake your head. “i don’t want to be hurt again. i don’t think i could take it.” calum nods, reaching for your hands.

“i understand, but trust me when i say that id never do anything to hurt you, okay?” calum assures, “you’re everything and more.”

*buzz*

*buzz buzz*

you groan and reach for your phone, opening one eye to look at the notifications. you have over ten messages and five calls from olivia. you sigh, wanting to ignore her antics but maybe it was an emergency. you unlock your phone and see all the messages.

‘girl check instagram.’

‘what time is it there’s

‘are you asleep?’

‘omg omg y/n!!!!’

‘you’re not gonna believe this.’

‘girl i’m freaking out !!!!!’

‘y/n please check your instagram.

‘you’re gonna flip.’

‘ please wake up.’

‘i’m calling you’

you sit up in confusion and then check your other notifications to see over hundreds of notifications from instagram. “what the hell” you croak and then open the app.

‘calumhood tagged you in a post.’

you swipe through the pictures until you see the very last picture which was you standing in front of the eiffel tower with your back turned to him admiring the view and then you saw the caption; “they say paris is the city of love <3”

you practically shoot up from your position staring wide eyed at the phone. you read some of the comments in a panic.

‘lukehemmings: it’s about damn time’

ashtonirwin: finally! don’t hurt my girl;)

calumhood replying to ashtonirwin: your girl?

ashtonirwin replying to calumhood: yep:)

michaelclifford: called it!

sierradeaton: you posted the pic !! omg !!!

5sos_updates: the last slide omg!?!? also last night was crazy!

iheartcalumhood: who’s the girl?

“calum??” you say out, hoping he was still in the room.

you hear the bathroom door open. “yeah?” he asks walking around the corner only dressed in a pair of basketball shorts.

“why did you post that?” you ask showing him the instagram post. “i wanted to prove to you that everything i said last night is true”

you blink, staring at him with little to no expression. “your first thought to do that was post me on your instagram?”

“uhh i guess? should i not have done that?” you crack a smile and look down at your phone, “i cant believe you, cal.” you say, falling back on the bed to scroll through more comments.

“can’t go back on it now” he says, standing at the foot at the bed.

“you’re stuck with me forever” he says crawling on the bed, hovering over your figure. “really? because ashton said i was his girl. sounds like you have some competition, hood.” you state, showing calum his comment.

he takes your phone and tosses it somewhere else on the bed. “nope, you’re my girl forever and always.” he hums leaning in to leave kisses on your neck which earned giggles from you. “calum!”

#5sos fan fiction #5sos smut #bartxnhood asks #bartxnhood writes #5sos imagine #5sos fanfic #5sos #calum hood angst #luke hemmings fanfic #luke hemmings x reader #calum hood blurbs #calum hood #calum hood fluff #calum hood 5sos #calum hood fanfic #calum hood x reader #calum hood imagine

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maplegracefour · 6 months ago

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You - Schlatt song fic

* ˚ ✦ Song: You - dodie

Summary: A summer fling. Or was it?

Warnings: Alcohol (minor mention)

Word Count: ~1200 words

Author’s Note: This is very much a vomit on a page moment, I missed the old school 2014 ukulele music I would listen to as a teenager and this came to mind as I was listening. It’s quite choppy and maybe a bit confusing. I’m not really happy with it but enjoy it regardless if you’d like :)

I told you I was looking for some empathy

Well you fooled me

Just, a touch and a thought and I was gone

May 4th 2024, 22:46

Parties weren’t your thing. But alas, if you were going to live in LA, if only temporarily, you had to live the LA lifestyle. At least that’s what your friends said in an attempt to sell you the idea of attending. Funny how as soon as you got there, none of them were anywhere to be seen.

Working on a long-term project that had shifted your life trajectory had seemed worth it at the time, but standing on your own in the corner of some sort of ass-kissing festival seemed like hell on earth. You hadn’t even noticed a figure standing beside you until he spoke.

“You don’t look like you’re having a good time.” He murmurs, nursing a plastic cup of some mysterious liquid.

Your head turned, spinning to greet the smug smirk of JSchlatt himself. You leant back against the wall, gripping your drink a little tighter. “I’m not.” You responded, nonchalantly.

He paused, as though thinking of the exact right thing to say. “Anything I can do to change that?”

“You can answer a question.” You turned to face him, one shoulder against the wall. You two were way closer than you’d expect two people to stand and why did no one tell you that this man is so much more attractive in person? “Why does this place just feel like a massive dick measuring contest? Does anyone here have just an ounce of empathy?”

He laughed, a large belly laugh. The sound was like music to your ears, much to your dismay.

And now someone’s gonna get to know the better you

When I was supposed to

Why did it have to be you?

September 8th 2024, 15:22

It had hurt much more to leave than you ever had expected it to. Staring out the window of the long-haul flight, your mind was preoccupied. It was hard to even look back at what happened.

How could he just say nothing? How could he pretend that nothing had happened between you? Was it really all just a bit of fun?

I guess

Now the next time there’s an opportunity

I’ll tread more carefully

My heart’s running out of cellotape

October 13th 2024, 19:24

You tried dating, you tried every single app that suggested being able to build any sort of connection. Anything to fill the void inside you that he had left there.

Even if you got on with them, it just wasn’t right. You couldn’t let yourself open up, many of them fizzled away after dry texts. The ones that you had a date with, you can’t remember a single one that called you again afterwards. But you didn’t care.

After him, no one ever made you feel the same.

You know

How is it I’ve never felt that way before?

I was so sure

It wasn’t going to be you

July 2nd 2024, 10:41am

There had been no apprehension. You two slotted in together like you had known each other for years. You spent almost all your time together. Schlatt postponed his flight, telling Ted that it was to work on the podcast, or he wanted to host a couple meeting in person. But Ted knew it was to spend more time with you.

“Hey man, where’ve you been?” Ted asked, looking up from the couch when Schlatt walked into his apartment. Schlatt waves him off, grumbling something about needing to sleep.

“It’s the middle of the day, the fuck you been doing?” Ted continued his questioning to no avail as Schlatt ignored him and walked into the spare room.

Days of hanging out, cooking you dinner and absolutely thrashing your ass at Mariokart turned into late nights, whispering about your goals and dreams. And then those whispers became sweet nothings, heavy breathing, gasps for more.

Neither of you intended it to be this way, you had insisted that you were just friends. But, that’s not the way it was, was it?

Why do all the red flags,

Just look like so much fun?

I have a habit of

Searching for the damage

To share my love

August 19th 2024, 21:59

You had started to feel more. You couldn’t help it. How could you not?

You knew it was a bad idea, confessing. You’d be gone in a couple of weeks. You had been psyching yourself up for the past few hours whilst curled up on the couch with him, limbs tangled together and a throw blanket draped over you both.

“Jay, can we talk?” You asked, pulling yourself up from his grip to sit opposite him.

He frowned, arms reached out as if you were still in them. “Uh, yeah. What’s going on?”

“I wanted to know where we stand.”

“Oh.”

“Oh?”

“I just thought we were kinda just messin’ around.” He said, scratching the back of his head. His eyes were darting around, avoiding yours. “Nothing serious.”

“Yeah, cool.” You shook your head, a weak laugh escaping your lips.

“You sure? You seemed pretty serious for a sec there.” He said, looking you up and down.

You laughed again, a nervous habit you had as you shook your head again. “Nah, I’m okay. I just wanted to check that we were on the same page.”

I promised to be numb

But somehow you were the one

Now to unwind

Months of a good time

September 8th 2024, 14:41

You noticed the distance immediately. Schlatt went from being at your AirBnB everyday to every other day. Then it was once a week. For a couple hours a time, you would do your business and he would be out, sometimes before you had even made it out of the bed.

He didn’t even say goodbye in person when you had to fly home.

When that flight took off, you knew that this was the end. A single summer in your life that meant everything turned into a couple months that you just wish you could forget. But he was always in the background of your mind.

People will tell me that I messed up

And it wasn’t love

And I’m secretly hoping they are right

September 16th 2024, 17:22

Confessing to your friends from home seemed like a good idea at the time but they immediately were sceptical.

Of course, it was just a classic case of a fuck-boy. It was a fling. It should have meant nothing. The next best thing will come along soon.

But something in your mind told you that it couldn’t have been. There was something more there, there had to be. You had been checking your phone almost obsessively.

Just one text. But there’s just radio silence.

Because

Whatever it was, it was wonderful

But non functional

November 22nd 2024, 02:37

Your phone was buzzing. Who the fuck would be calling you at this hour?

The screen read ‘unknown’, making you frown. It could be anyone. But you knew who you were hoping it would be. You reached over your bed, picking up the phone and clicking that little green button.

“Hello?” Your voice was raspy, throat dry.

“Did I wake you up?” Oh fuck. Oh shit fuck shit. It was him.

“Yeah.”

“Sorry.” There was silence for a moment, like he was unsure of what to say. “Could I just talk to you for a few minutes?”

I really hope I don’t love you

#jschlatt x reader #schlatt x reader

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umlewis · 29 days ago

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lewis hamilton is interviewed during the press conference on media day [part 1/2], brazil - october 31, 2024 (transcript under the cut)

Interviewer: "Why don't we start with the honorary citizen of Brazil? Lewis, you're back in a country you love, at a circuit you love, where you've had a lot of success in the past. Just how excited are you, ahead of this grand prix?" Lewis: "Good afternoon, everyone. I love coming here. I've been really excited about the trip and just getting back. Every opportunity I have to spend time here, you learn more about the culture, you are able to engage more. I know the Senna Foundation did an amazing event last night, with all the great work that they're doing. And it's just the colors, it's Ayrton, it's the culture, the people. So you really vibe off that through the whole weekend." Interviewer: "Lewis, you say it's Ayrton. There's a very special thng happening on Saturay evening here. You're gonna be driving his 1990 McLaren. How special is it for you to commemorate him here at Interlagos?" Lewis: "Well, I mean, every time we come here is an opportunity to do that, and I think so many of the drivers also do that. But I never in a million years thought I would get to drive Sanna's car here, so when… I remember someone contacted me… My manager told me about it, and I jumped at the opportunity. Back in the day when I was at McLaren I did get the chance to drive the MP4/4 around Silverstone, which was incredble, and… But just the thought of driving that car around here… I remember the races when he finally won here and held the flag, and yeah, it'll definitely be quite an emotional experience, and I hope people are here to see it. I had a helmet made with… Just his helmet, made for me, but I don't know if we're using that one tomorrow. But I think the initial hope was for it to be a suprrise. So I had an all-white suit and his helmet, and I'd go out and drive the lap and it would just look like it was him out there. But somehow it got out there and [laughs] it's impossible to keep things quiet." Interviewer: "Lewis, it's a manual gearbox. How's your heel-and-toe-ing these days?" Lewis: "I'm always heel-and-toe-ing, so… [laughs] No, it used to be really good when I was younger, and when I did the MP4/4 I was able to do it back then. Something I miss. I wish we had that in Formula 1. I mean, the two-pedal thing is just not exciting, and they need to bring back the HBOX. It was awesome." Interviewer: "Look, let's bring it back to Mercdes now, what's happening this weekend - a sprint weekend. It was the best combined performance for the team since the summer break, last weekend in Mexico. Just how confident are you of getting a good performance here?" Lewis: "'Confident.' I mean, it's been a very turbulent year. I think we always arrive with confidence and with a positive mental attitude, but the car is just… I don't know how… I'm sure it's similar for the other drivers, but there's glimpses of hope, and then things swing back and forth-whether it's tires, whether it's the aero-so you enver know what you're gonna get. I always feel like Forrest Gump when I say that. But then yeah, I'm hoping the car… The last race was really positive for us, in terms of the end result, but through the weekend was definitely… George's crash during the weekend, and then I started with a bad start of the race but then got better towards the end. So there's definitely potential within the car and we're always looking to just fine-tune it and hope we can extract more from it, and I'm hoping with the new surface here maybe we can have a better race."

#lewis hamilton #f1 #formula 1 #brazilian gp 2024 #fic ref #fic ref 2024 #brazil #brazil 2024 #brazil 2024 thursday #franco colapinto #lance stroll #sewis #with george #(note to self: seb was at senna foundation event last night)

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verfound · 3 months ago

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FIC: "Of Lost Luggage, Shirts, and Other Things" (MLB; Lukanette; LBSC Lukanette Month 2024)

@lovebugs-and-snakecharmers is doing a Lukanette Month for September 2024, and we all just kinda tossed some prompts in the disco to compile a list? We ended up with 71 prompts, so I decided I’d roll some dice to pick a prompt, do a twenty minute (ish, bc we all know sometimes they run away from me) sprint, and try to get some short fics out this month?

(This one is also kinda @rierse's fault, based on a prompt she dropped in the disco about someone wearing their own merch. 😂)

Read on Ao3

Prompt 69: Airport

Luka stared at the woman behind the desk with…honestly, he wasn’t sure what expression was on his face. He was going for disbelief, but with how exhausted he was – and how long the last few days had been – it was probably something more akin to disdain.

He was, admittedly, probably doing a fairly decent impression of the Captain’s scowl.

It wasn’t her fault, he reminded himself. She was just the messenger. You don’t shoot the messenger.

…he was in desperate need of a coffee. And a shower. And some clean fucking clothes.

(And a T-S specialty, because the airport Cinnabon Crusher had bought him as an apology was still sitting too heavy and too much on his stomach, even nine hours later.)

“What…do you mean…” he started, slowly, closing his eyes and forcing himself to take a deep, calming breath, “…you lost…my luggage?”

“I am so sorry, M. Stone,” the poor girl said. She looked like she was about to piss herself – which was probably fair. He was still new enough that she probably hadn’t heard of Luke Stone yet. Most likely, the poor girl just saw ‘Stone’, saw the VIP party his ticket had been attached to, and remembered the horror stories he was sure she had heard about Jay over the years. She was probably expecting a wild crocodile to come barreling out of boarding, ready to chomp her head off for daring to lose a Stone’s luggage. “It…it appears it’s not here. It…looks like it might be in Barcelona?”

…they hadn’t been in Barcelona since the beginning of the summer tour. How the shit had his suitcase traveled to Barcelona from New York, when the rest of them had made it to Paris just fine?

“We can have it back to you in a few days,” she said. “I am so sorry, M. Stone, but –”

“It’s fine,” he said, his jaw clenching uncomfortably as he held up a hand. God, he just needed to sleep. And a shower. And a clean fucking shirt – he’d smelled like bad Indian takeaway since New York, thanks to Crusher. “Just…call me when you have it.”

He slumped away from the counter, rubbing his hands over his face. A throat cleared nearby, and he looked up to find Penny holding a shirt up for him.

“It’s not ideal, but at least it’s clean,” she said. “Until you get home.”

“They lost my bag,” he said. There was a niggling in his stomach, an unpleasant reminder of…his eyes widened as he stared at Penny. “…Penny. They lost my bag.”

“I know,” she said, putting her hands on his shoulders and squeezing. “Breathe, Luka. It’s all right. We’ll get it sorted. Luggage gets lost all the time – it’s not the end of the world.”

…it felt like it. Penny knew just as well as he did what was actually in that bag and how very important it was that it was not lost.

“Penny –” he started, but she shook her head and pushed the shirt into his hands.

“Go change,” she said. “Go home. Get some sleep. I’ll track down the bag, and it’ll be back in no time. Everything will be fine.”

“It’s a sign,” he groaned, dropping his head back into his hands. “Penny, Gina flew out specifically to give me that…oh my God. Oh my God. Gina’s gonna kill me. Tom’s gonna kill me. It’s –”

“Stop that,” Penny said, swatting his arm. “Go home. Sleep. Catch up with your…Marinette.”

…he almost smiled at that. Almost, because as much as he loved the sound of ‘his Marinette’ she was only going to be his Marinette if that damn bag wasn’t lost, which it currently was. God, this day couldn’t get any worse…Penny rolled her eyes and pushed him towards the exit.

“Change. Sleep. Stop freaking out – this means nothing, Luka!” she called as he wandered off. “It’s going to be fine!”

…he wished he could believe her. Usually, he would. But he had too much riding on that damn bag – like the rest of his whole damn life – and he couldn’t help but wonder if losing the bag meant everything really was about to fall apart.

. : .

It didn’t take him long to change his shirt. The other one – the one Crusher had spilled his curry on before the plane took off – went straight into the bin. It was probably stained beyond saving, anyway, and it was just an old white shirt. He could easily replace it.

But when he tugged the new shirt over his head and stared back at his reflection in the mirror of the airport restroom, he couldn’t help but think maybe the curry-stained shirt was preferable.

There was no way Penny could convince him that the only clean shirt in his size they had extras of was the summer tour shirt. He looked like such a tool, walking around with his own face slapped on his chest.

He was not awake enough for this, he thought as he scrubbed his hands over his face. Coffee. He needed coffee. If he was going to make it home, he needed coffee.

Airport coffee wasn’t always the best, but it was still better than nothing, so he found himself shambling towards the food court before making his way into the city. It was probably for the best, anyway – he’d have a time finding a cab now, and the others were probably already on their way to their respective homes.

…like he would be. If the stupid airport hadn’t lost his stupid luggage with the stupid…

He was going to be sick.

Maybe coffee wasn’t the best idea after all…

“Oh my God,” a voice gasped in front of him. His brow furrowed, his expression scrunching. That voice…there was something familiar about it, but he couldn’t quite place what… “I love that artist!”

…fuck.

He did not have the mental fortitude to deal with fans at the moment.

“Oh my God,” he said, his voice maybe a tinge more sarcastic than he had intended, “yeah! Me, too!”

There was a beat – a longer-than-necessary pause – where the person had grown uncomfortably silent, and he sighed as he shook his head.

“…sorry,” he said, rubbing his eyes. “Long flight. Yeah, um…he’s ok.”

He finally looked up at the fan, and his brow furrowed as he stared at her. Large, dark sunglasses covered her face, and her short hair was tucked into a bright pink scarf. She was dressed simply enough, in short pink overalls with a white shirt underneath – but there was something…familiar about that shirt. Something that was trying to click in his jetlagged brain but just wouldn’t.

Something he felt he should recognize about the bits of green – leaves? – peeking out over the top of the overalls.

“More than ‘ok’, I’d say,” she sniffed, her lips turning in a frown. “Though he’s kind of being a butt right now. Might make me reconsider how cool I usually find him.”

“…that’s…fair,” he said, nodding. “Again. Sorry. Long flight.”

“It’s a shame,” she said, sighing as she turned away. There was a bag at her hip, and he would swear he watched it snap shut without her even touching it. What the hell…? “Usually, I’m a pretty big fan. I’d even venture to say his biggest, though I know some people who would fight me for that title.”

She looked over her shoulder, and her cheek moved in a way that made him think she had just winked at him. He blinked, his brow furrowing again as he tried to focus on her. It was…kind of hard, when she was kinda blurry and there seemed to be two of her.

“Anyway,” she said, stepping forward as the line moved ahead of her. “I’d heard his flight was coming in today. I was hoping to surprise him, big fan that I am. But traffic was terrible, and I heard I just missed him…and how bad that flight actually was.”

She heaved a longsuffering sigh, and he shook his head as he scrubbed at his eyes again. That voice…

“So I thought I’d get him some coffee, but you see how long this line is,” she said, turning back towards him. “I’ll be lucky if I catch him at all at this rate. Don’t you – mmf!”

The pieces finally clicked into place, and he grabbed at Marinette’s wrist to tug her against him. He bent her back, slipping her shades onto her head as he kissed her stupid. Her hands gripped at his shoulders, and he would swear her foot even popped behind her.

“…about time,” she giggled at him. He chuckled and shook his head before stealing another kiss.

“Asshole,” he huffed, rubbing their noses together. “You were enjoying that entirely too much.”

“You’re adorable when you’re jetlagged,” she teased, her hand coming up to caress his jaw. She frowned at the touch before tapping a finger against his skin. “You need a shave.”

“Flight from hell,” he sighed, sagging against her. “…forty-eight hours from hell.”

“Penny said they lost your luggage,” she said. A throat cleared behind them, and she rolled her eyes before pulling him out of line with her. He whined as they lost their place, but she leaned up to kiss his jaw. “You know their coffee will taste like feet, anyway. Let me get you home. We can stop at my parents’ and get you some proper food.”

The mention of her parents had his stomach seizing all over again.

“…your dad’s gonna kill me,” he groaned, dropping his forehead on her shoulder. “The suitcase, Marinette. They lost my suitcase.”

“It’s ok,” she said, laughing as she patted his back. “Penny said it’s in Barcelona – it’ll be here by tomorrow. Day after at the latest.”

“No, but I can’t see your parents until I have the suitcase,” he said, shaking his head. “Tom already knows – he’s expecting…I can’t…”

“Luka, Luka, hold on,” she said, placing her hands on his face to try and steady him. She smiled as her thumb brushed beneath his eye, and he took a deep breath to try and calm himself. “What’s going on? It’s just a suitcase. You have clean clothes at home – ones that don’t scream I’m an Egocentric Rock Star.”

She was teasing, he knew, but it still made him frown as she poked the face on his chest. His face still scrunched as he caught her fingers.

“Hey,” he said, “I happen to love the person who designed this shirt. Lay off.”

Her smile warmed, and she pulled his face back to hers for another kiss.

“She loves you, too,” she whispered against his lips. “But it’s still a little tacky wearing your own merch, don’t you think?”

“If it was one of the other shirts – with the album logo or lyrics or something – it wouldn’t be as bad,” he sighed. “It’s just because it’s the stupid tour shirt, with my stupid face on it, that makes me look like a stupid idiot.”

“Hey,” she laughed, hugging him tight, “you’re anything but. Stop being so hard on yourself.”

“I lost my luggage, Marinette,” he groaned, pulling her close. “I lost the ring. How could I lose the ring? I was supposed to hold onto it until it was safely on your finger, where it belongs, but now it’s lost in stupid Barcelona and you’re gonna say no and –”

“…Luka,” she said, her voice suddenly too-quiet with an odd edge to it. He hummed, and her hands fisted in his shirt and tugged. “Luka.”

She pulled back, staring up at him with wide eyes that had no right to look as beautiful as they did, not in the shitty airport lighting. She tugged on his shirt again, and he frowned as she swallowed.

“What?” he asked, shaking his head to try and clear it. She swallowed again, and he was distracted by thoughts of wanting to bite her neck.

“What ring?” she asked, and his eyes widened as his brain finally started to catch up to him.

…shit.

#miraculous ladybug #luka couffaine #marinette dupain-cheng #penny rolling #lukanette #endgame lukanette #lukanette endgame #ml fic #ver fic #lbsc lukanette month 2024 #prompt: airport #sleep drunk luka #luka couffaine is a fucking idiot #luka couffaine is not having a good day #mistaken identity #rock star luka couffaine

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entertext · 10 months ago

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HGSN 24-3

Chapter (Japanese)

(Please hit the green thumbs up at the end of the chapter to show support)

Rough translation by me

Yoshiki: ...Haha

Yoshiki: ...So it was a clichéd human-sacrificing village huh?

Yoshiki: Of course...you'd hide that...

Hikaru: But I don't need heads or anything to grant wishes

Hikaru: Why?

Yoshiki: In the end, the "sin of the Indous"...

Hikaru: I can't remember...That part's still all fuzzy.

Yoshiki: Ugh, there's no one else who was close to Hikaru's dad and seems to know some stuff...

Yoshiki: ...No, there...is one...,but...

Principal: And now let us sing the school song

Chorus: Over the blue~~mountain range~~♪

Chorus: Soars Tenbanzan―♪

Hikaru: (It seems like a ton of people's lives have been offered to me.)

Hikaru: (But it kinda makes sense)

Hikaru: (Honestly, if anything, it feels right...)

Hikaru: (If we continue to understand more about Nounuki-sama like this)

Hikaru: (Will we find a way to reduce the impurities?)

Hikaru: (If that happens, will I be able to stay like this for good?)

Hikaru: (The thing that poses the most danger to Yoshiki isn't the impurities, but...)

(sfx: gulp)

(sfx: rattles open)

Asako: How sneaky of you, skipping out on the ceremony

Hikaru: If I say I was taking a dump, they won't get mad

Asako: Summer break starts tomorrow

Hikaru: Yeah, you gonna do the homework?

Asako: I always finish it in the first week, but Yuu-chan always does it in tears on the very last day, haha.

Hikaru: Haha, I'll make sure to do it too. Studying's fun

Asako: Hey, y'know.

Hikaru: Yeah?

Asako: You really aren't Hikaru, are you?

Hikaru: ...

Asako: I saw you on the second floor staircase landing a while back.

(sfx: head scratch)

Hikaru: .... Ah

Hikaru: Asako, y'know...even before...that kind of thing

Hikaru: You really shouldn't say it to me directly...It's stupid

Asako: Yeah

Hikaru: You gonna tell?

Asako: I won't

Asako: Not a soul.

Asako: Hikaru not being Hikaru is scary and weird. Yoshiki knowing that and acting the same as usual is weird, too.

Asako: There's no way I could do that...It's like...everything's weird

Asako: But, y'know...for some reason, I can't bring myself to completely hate the current you, 'Hikaru'.

Hikaru: Even though I messed up your right ear?

Asako: Oh, right, that was you...

Hikaru: I'm sorry about that, Asako. I already promised Yoshiki that I wouldn't do anything to you anymore.

Hikaru: And that I wouldn't kill anyone else...

Asako: Ahaha....you really aren't human.

Asako: Hey...Is Hikaru still alive somewhere?

Hikaru: No.... This body is already a corpse

Asako: Oh

Asako: *sniffles* I kinda already...

Asako: thought that was the case...

Asako: Uugh...

Asako: Uuuuu

(sfx: rubs)

Asako: Uu...uwaaaaah...

P10

Hikaru: (Ah...that's right)

Hikaru: Sorry

Hikaru: (Hikaru should have had everyone be sad over him like this)

Hikaru: (Because I'm here, no one will be sad like this)

Hikaru: (That may be what Hikaru wished for)

Hikaru: (But if I wasn't here, maybe Yoshiki would have been sad with everyone else, and it might not have been as painful as it is now)

Hikaru: (And then maybe everyone would have been able to look forward)

Hikaru: (And think about college and stuff)

Hikaru: (And have fun...)

Next chapter: 2024/02/13

Twitter Extra (link):

After becoming 'Hikaru', he has a bit of a tendency to get up close and personal regardless of gender. It's the same as the tendency of humans to quickly pet cats.

#hikaru ga shinda natsu #the summer hikaru died #rip yoshiki having to talk to his dad to solve the horrors (tm)#asako ;_;

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gentlebeardsbarngrill · 6 months ago

Text

06/05/2024 Daily OFMD Recap

TLDR; RhysDarby/TheCryptidFactor; Taika Waititi; David Jenkins; Leslie Jones; Vico Ortiz; Erroll Shand; Samson Kayo; Ruibo Qian Samba Schutt; SOFMD Crew Fundraiser for Queer Elders; SOFMD Crew Guide to Call in to Menace Max; AdoptOurCrew - Articles On #DontStreamOnMax; SonnetforBonnet - Hope for OFMD; National Park Service; Fan Spotlight; Pride Month; MerMay2024; LoveNotes; Daily Darby/Today's Taika;

== Rhys Darby ==

Rhys is on The ParaNormal Life with Dan Schreiber today! When two paranormal podcasts collide!

youtube

== Taika Waititi ==

Taika out with Rita and VasJMorgan :)

Source: BeachersMadhouse Instagram

== David Jenkins ==

Chaos Dad reposted an OFMD ad from BINGE... apparently OFMD is streaming there now!

Source: David Jenkins' Twitter

== Samson Kayo ==

Some rare footage of our beloved Samson!

Source: Samson Kayo's Instagram

== Samba Schutte ==

Samba sending out some love to his costars/writers/directors! "A beautiful shoot with the incredible @mintmilana, written and directed by the lovely @valerieandchaney, with a bunch of beautiful people, where I get to play a fantasy man (makes sense, makes sense….)😶‍🌫️💫✨ #film #indiefilm #bestlife"

Source: Samba Schutte's Instagram

== Erroll Shand ==

Are you ready to see Erroll Shand in #TheTwelve this July? You can watch it on Binge!

Source: Erroll Shand's Instagram

== Ruibo Qian ==

Some sketches of our Pirate Queen out on the town <3

Source: Ruibo Qian's Instagram Stories

== Vico Ortiz ==

Vico's new movie SPARK starts screening on June 24 in LA! You can visit https://www.thefilmspark.com/ for tickets and information!

Source: Vico Ortiz Instagram Stories

== Leslie Jones ==

Leslie's out with the LA Sparks <3

Source: Leslie Jones Instagram Stories

== Save OFMD Crew: SAGE ==

The SAGE Fundraiser (for LGBTQ+ Elders) is now live! This fundraiser is tiered so as more goals are met, there will be more to come!

Source: Save OFMD Crew Instagram

= MORE BELOW THE CUT =

== Save OFMD Crew - Week 1 Call In Guide ==

Wanna help menace max on the phone?

Find out more here: SaveOFMDCrewMates Tumblr

== AdoptOurCrew - Articles ==

More #DontStreamOn Max Articles. Thanks @adoptourcrew for catching them!

Tech Radar Article

Hot New Hiphop Article

Source: AdoptOurCrew's Tumblr

== Hope for OFMD ==

Our awesome crewmate @sonnetforbonnet shared this article from Metro regarding Netflix picking up an axed show with a 100% Rotten Tomatoes Rating. There's hope for Our Flag Means Death yet!

Source: SonnetForBonnet's Instagram

== National Park Service ==

Our crewmates at the National Park Service are at it again! Check out their instagram post to learn more about Night Skies and Moonglow!

Source: National Park Service Instagram

== Fan Spotlight ==

== Cast Cards ==

Today's cast cards is one of our other directors-- Andrew DeYoung! Thank you @melvisik for highlighting him as well :)

== Pride Month ==

Another lovely piece by our friend SpencerDoesArtt for Pride month <3 Can't wait to see what they get up to this month!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by spencer (@spencerdoesartt)

instagram

== MerMay 2024 Prompts ==

Seeing some more of the mermay submissions still coming in!

== GooGooGoJob ==

More MerMay from the talented @googoogojob. Wow, this is absolutely stunning!

Source: @googoogojob's Tumblr

== Eros The Artist ==

Day 27 was The Chain! The fantastic @erostheartist re-made the Fleetwood Mac album in Lucius and Pete's image! Love it!

Source: @ ErosTheArtist's Tumblr

== Love Notes ==

Hey lovelies. I hope everyone is having a good Thursday! It's almost the end of the week! Have you had enough water today? Have you had a snack lately? Please remember to hydrate especially as half the world is coming into summer months!

Today I wish I had more time to write something but I'm once again a bit behind. Gonna send a love reminder from someone else today. Rest well crew <3

Source: MyNames_Ellen's Instagram

== Daily Darby / Today's Taika ==

I'm sure I've done both of these before but they are happening again, so there. Gifs courtesy of my darling @ofmd-ann, may your pillows always be soft and cool.

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skybluewritings · 2 months ago

Text

Tell when did your winning smile begin to look like a smirk? Steve Harrington x fem!reader Part 1/2

Summary: (Name) and Steve were best friends growing up, spending every summer together at the villa in Martha's Vineyard. But what happens when they inevitability grow apart and meet again at the age of 23?

Warning: Some mentions of alcoholism, sexist language

Word count: 10k

Note: Hello everybody! A heads up there’ll be details in this that I’ve possibly gotten incorrect about the US I’m not from there so please be nice!! This was also written for the fun of it and there’ll be a bit of the old miscommunication trope but we move guys. This is for the three people that are still reading Stranger Things fanfiction in 2024 I see you and raise my glass to you. It’s also in part inspired by the summer I turned pretty, let me know in the comments if you’re team Jeremiah or team Conrad the age old debate. Anyway enjoy!

She remembered the first time she had met Steve Harrington. Their fathers had been roommates in college but had lost touch after graduation. They then reconnected in their 30s and decided that the perfect way to catch-up was a trip to the Harringtons’ beach house in Martha’s Vineyard.

She had sized up the boy in front of her, he was small and had brunette hair that his own mother seemed to keep trying to smooth down. Her grip tightened on her pool floatie.

"This is Steve. Remember daddy told you about him?" Her mum reminded her.

Her dad had indeed told (Name) all about Steve. How they were the same age and he was so sure they'd 'get on wonderfully'. She had been cross since her holidays were usually just her and her parents, not her dad's 'college roommate' and his family.

She'd never had trouble making friends but meeting new people made her nervous. She hated how parents forced you to play with other kids just because they were your age. At eight years old she already plenty of friends, why did she need anymore?

"For god’s sake darling perk up a bit?" Her mum sighed, ushering her forward.

"Hi." The boy-Steve said.

"Hello." She replied back, voice a little quieter.

Her mum rubbed at her temples. "Vivienne would you mind watching the kids whilst I go take a quick nap? We've been travelling for god knows how long."

Vivienne Harrington smiled at her. "Of course, go get some rest."

Her mum stifled a yawn then pressed a kiss to (Name’s) forehead before she left.

"I’m just gonna be over there reading my book if you kids need me.” Vivienne told them, going to lie down on a lounger. She had a margarita in one hand and in the other a book named "flames of passion." That was a strange name, wasn’t fire just hot-not passionate?

"I have no idea what my mom’s book means either." Steve suddenly spoke as if he could read her mind.

"Why do you say 'mom' and not mum?"

He shrugged. "The same way you say 'mum' instead of 'mom'."

She nodded at him it was a fair answer. "Your accent is still funny though."

"No it isn't."

"Is too!"

"That's not fair your accent is definitely weirder than mine!" He said defensively.

"Be nice Steve." Vivienne called out.

Steve let out a huff. "I'm always getting in trouble, My dad tells me off the most though, for things I haven't even done. It's so annoying."

"We should just ignore our parents.” She suggested. Steve begun to grin at her and she was pleased to discover she liked the sight of it.

“You’re funny.” He said.

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝𓆝 𓆟 𓆞

There was a certain camaraderie between them back then. They were two lonely children in a massive villa, often pushed to the side when their parents wanted to drink barrels of wine and smoke Cuban cigars. It would have been an unbearably long summer if they had not quickly become such great friends.

She knew they were best friends when her mum took them to the fair and they won matching bracelets in some fairground game. The two bracelets had blue plastic beads, and had the initial of their first names in gold. She had the ‘S’ bracelet and he had the other. It may have seemed like nothing special, but they both loved that they had something that matched. It had solidified their friendship.

During the long months between those summers, they would have the occasional phone call. Her father tutted at her that international calls were ‘just too expensive’, this sentiment she wouldn’t actually appreciate until she left home and started making her own calls. She once proposed they write letters to each other, the summer they were 10.

“We should write letters.” She said to Steve, an ice lolly in her hand.

He scrunched his sunburnt nose as he thought. “Why can’t we just talk on the phone?”

“Our parents barely let us do that and besides it could be fun!”

“I don’t know-“

“Steve come on!”

“Well I don’t want to.”

Her smile faded. “Why not?”

He sighed. “I-I find reading kinda hard.”

“What do you mean?”

“Reading is different for me than for everyone else, the words get all-twisted up.” He looked away self-consciously and fiddled with his matching bracelet. “And it isn’t like I don’t try, I really do! I just can’t get it to make sense.”

They were both silent for a moment. Now that she was 10 they had moved onto more advanced books in school with words like: Inconspicuous or Ambiguous, that she had puzzled over before she knew what they meant. But for words to get twisted up? She had never heard of that happening to a person. But Steve was one of her best-friends and the last thing she ever wanted was for him to feel bad.

“I happen to know there’s a lot of things you are good at.” She said, causing him to gaze up at her. “You can do a handstand, you can name every character from Star Wars, you can do really cool doodles.” She let out a giggle at the last one. “I also remember you telling me how this year you hit the most home runs out of anyone on the baseball team and how great your grades in maths were. There you go!”

Steve begun to smile at her, he had the best smile out of anyone she knew. “Thank you.”

She slung an arm around her friend. “Who knows maybe we can sneak a few extra calls without our parents noticing?” He let out a laugh.

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝𓆝 𓆟 𓆞

Steve was the best holiday companion she could have asked for. Whether it was riding their bikes to go get ice cream or staying up late to watch scary movies praying their parents didn’t remember they were still awake. When they would arrive at the start of the Summer she would sprint down the drive way and fling her arms around him in delight. But when they hit 14 something began to change, it even seemed like her bracelet knew. The blue beads and gold S were fading in colour and the string fraying.

Due to her catching a bizarre summer cold they had to delay their arrival to Martha’s Vineyard by 2 weeks. That was 2 weeks lost hanging out with her best friend she only saw once a year, a sentiment she had melodramatically expressed to her parents when they had made the decision to delay the trip. So, when they finally arrived and she eagerly shot out the car she was disappointed to see Steve was not there waiting. Instead, she was sweetly greeted by Vivienne Harrington, who enveloped her in a gentle hug. She noticed Vivienne smelled vaguely of wine, which was odd since the adults didn’t usually drink until after midday. It was currently 9am.

As they pulled away from the hug (Name) peered around the drive.

“He’s off with some of the kids next door.” Vivienne told her knowing exactly what she was thinking.

“Kids next door?” She asked. “What happened to that old couple?”

“They sold their house to a family a few months ago, there’s a nice boy and girl in about your grade, he’s been hanging out with.”

This news made something in her stomach twist, she was quiet for a few seconds too long.

Vivienne placed a hand on her arm. “I wouldn’t worry though you’ll always be his best-friend.”

She managed a small smile. “Okay.” She of course loved her mum but Vivienne seemed to understand her more at times.

“Darling, can you come give us a hand with the suitcases please?” Her mum called out to her.

“I’ll be there in a second.” She replied.

“Go help your mom and dad and then you can give me a hand making some cookies.” Vivienne said, with a glint of mischief in her eye, a look that Steve had definitely inherited from her.

A few hours later the cookies were out the oven filling the kitchen with a scent so sweet she nearly forgot about the wine she had smelt on Vivienne. (Name) was perched up on the counter swinging her legs as she watched Vivienne place the cookies onto a large plate. A familiar footfall approached the kitchen and in strode Steve, he gave them both a wide grin.

Vivienne shook her head in amusement. “Steve you’re trailing sand all over the kitchen, clean it up or otherwise your dad’s gonna blow a fuse.”

“Sorry mum.” Steve apologised, even though he knew she wasn’t annoyed in the slightest. Vivienne Harrington could never be angry with her son.

“You took long enough!” (Name) exclaimed happy to see him but also a little pissed.

“My bad, I was surfing with Tyler.” He noted the confusion on her face. “Tyler’s from next door he’s a fun guy…” His voice trailed off.

At 14 she had begun to feel much more aware of the social hierarchy amongst kids of her age. And whilst she wasn’t really at the bottom she was most definitely nowhere near the top where Steve was. She knew if they went to school together they probably wouldn’t be friends, but in the summer all the usual rules were suspended. She didn’t mind Steve hanging out with people, she just had a nagging feeling that Tyler would cause Steve to realise he could do much better in the way of friendship.

“And he also has a sister-Margo, she’s even better at surfing than Tyler. I think me and Tyler were gonna head out tomorrow afternoon if you wanna come?” Steve gingerly offered.

However this was Steve she rationalised, he wouldn’t drop her for someone he’d known for a few minutes, when they’d known each other for years. And if he thought this Tyler and Margo were cool then they probably were!

She drew a breath in and forced herself to smile. “Sure, sounds fun. I’m sure I’ll really like them.”

“Great!” He happily said finally pulling her in for a hug. “I’m so glad your finally here, the past 2 weeks have sucked without you.”

So he had missed her after all! “I wanted to come sooner I swear.”

He pulled out of the hug and jokingly narrowed his eyes. “Are you sure you didn’t fake being sick in order to miss the horror movie marathon.”

Every June there was a day where a series of classic horror films were shown on tv, an event that scared them both, although Steve had always been better at hiding his fear.

She nudged him with her elbow. “Don’t pretend you haven’t been sleeping with your lamp on.”

He folded his arms. “Our rooms are right next to each other, so tonight you’ll see how wrong you were.”

“I imagine I’ll hear lots of crying instead then.” She teased making him playfully roll his eyes.

The rest of the day passed by in relative ease with the two of them catching up over what they had missed and by the time the next day came she was certain that they were going to have a great summer! Until she met Tyler.

Surfing had never been a sport she’d mastered. For one her parents had forbidden her to try it, stating it was far too dangerous and she could try when she was older. The couple of times she had sneakily tried on Steve’s board she had wiped out within seconds. So when it came time to meet up with Steve’s new friend she knew she’d be marooned on the shore whilst they glided across the waves.

“They should be here somewhere.” Steve said scanning the wide expanse of the beach.

In the distance a guy waved in their direction before beckoning them over, Steve jogged on ahead of her.

Steve performed some kind of handshake with the guy. “Hey man.” They chatted for a moment while she watched on feeling slightly awkward.

“Tyler,” Steve said as if he’d just remembered. “this is the friend I was telling you about?”

Tyler nodded at her as she introduced herself.

“How come you don’t have a board?” Tyler asked her.

“My parents won’t let me surf, I mean they don’t even let me ride a bike without knee pads. Maybe if you wrapped me in bubble wrap they’d let me!” She explained with a nervous laugh, Tyler didn’t seem amused.

“I thought you were gonna use mine?” Steve reminded her.

She shook her head, not in the mood to make a fool of herself. “Maybe some other time but thanks.”

“But you’re already in a wet suit… you’re just gonna watch then?” Tyler asked.

“Well yeah I guess.”

Tyler didn’t bother to reply. “Steve you go wanna go in?” He asked her friend.

Steve nodded. “Yeah let’s do it.” He looked to her for a moment. “Do you mind staying here?”

“No not at all!”

He stood for a moment looking hesitantly at her.

“Tyler, I’ll catch you up.” He said, Tyler clapped him on the shoulder and headed for the water.

“Steve go, I’ll be fine I swear.” She said in reassurance.

“Promise?” He asked sticking his pinky out, she laughed at the gesture.

She connected hers to his and firmly shook it. “Promise.”

He pat her arm before going to join Tyler in the ocean. Her fingertips grazed where he had touched her arm, her skin felt all tingly. She settled on the sand, pulling her knees to chest. She watched the two boys surf, feeling a pang of longing. There were so many occasions where she wished her own anxiety didn’t ruin things for her.

The boys eventually emerged from the sea talking animatedly about the waves and what days in the coming week would be best to go back out. She stood back up when they grew closer to her.

“Good I’m guessing?” She ventured.

“It was fucking amazing!” Steve exclaimed.

“I gotta head out but 9 at mine later?” Tyler said to Steve.

“What’s happening at 9?” She quickly asked, cringing at her eagerness.

“Not much, was just gonna have a few people over to hang out.” Tyler said then immediately turned back to Steve. “Will you be able to swipe some of that vodka?”

“Yeah I reckon it should be fine, no one’s really touched it in I don’t how long.” Steve then glanced to her. “Can she come too?”

She felt her face heat up, feeling like someone’s tag along little sister.

“Yeah if she wants.” Tyler answered flatly. “Are you sure it’s her vibe?”

Her ‘vibe’? What the hell did that even mean?!

She frowned and opened her mouth to reply when Steve jumped in. “It’s totally her vibe, we’ll both be there.”

When Tyler had finally left, she gave him a sceptical look. “You’re not really going to steal vodka are you?”

“Well, I might, what’s wrong with that?”

“The fact that you’re a dead man if your dad finds out.”

Steve grinned at her. “Only if he catches me.”

“Steve really, please be careful.” She warned.

“I will be.” He promised her.

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝𓆝 𓆟 𓆞

Clyde Harrington tended to be someone she had very little to do with. He was polite when they had to interact but had never showed very much interest in her beyond that. He only went on the summer trip to spend time with her dad, meaning everyone else mostly fell below his notice. And yet Steve simultaneously went unnoticed and noticed, finding himself getting laid into for the most miniscule of reasons. There was always some larger issue that every lecture circled back to, last summer it had been his grades in English. It was not as if she could really step in as her mum or dad would remind her to ‘respect your elders’. She could at least be grateful they scolded her far less than Clyde did to Steve.

She had finally selected a cute sun dress after an hour of trying to determine what outfit embodied having ‘a few people over to hang out’. She went to knock on Steve’s door to see if he was ready to leave but there was no response. She tried again, still nothing. She went downstairs to see if he was waiting for her there.

Downstairs was completely void of life and chatter, the adults had long since gone to the country club for dinner. As she moved through the kitchen, she started to hear faint voices drifting through the open doors that led to the patio. She figured out it was Steve and Clyde, wasn’t the latter meant to be out? She hung back not wanting to interrupt.

“Do I get to meet these new friends of yours?” Clyde asked.

“Maybe dad..I really should be heading out-“

“-I like the sound of this Tyler, he’s the sort you should be associating with.” There was the noise of ice clinking in a glass. “(Name) is a lovely girl, but I was beginning to think you were a real little bitch from the amount of time you used to spend together.”

Steve seemed to ignore the comment. “Shouldn’t you be at dinner?”

“I had to take a business call, I’ll go soon.”

“The same type of business call I overheard the other month?”

“I wish you would stop bringing that up.” Clyde snapped. “You know for a fact it meant nothing.”

“And yet you’re still hiding it from mom.” Steve angrily pointed out.

“I’ll tell her in my own way, it is none of your concern!”

“I’ll tell her if you won’t!”

“You do that and I send you to military school. You’re on thin ice Steven, best to not fall through.”

There was a pause.

“And take that bracelet off you look like a fucking girl.” Clyde hissed.

“I’ll see you later.” Steve cooly said.

Clyde hummed in response, the glass clinking again. Steve stormed into the kitchen before she had a chance to hastily leave. His eyes widened upon seeing her.

“I-I didn’t mean to listen I’m sorry.”

His jaw was clenched. “Let’s just go.” He muttered blazing past her.

She hurried after him as they left through the front door.

“Steve?” She called out as he walked ahead of her up the drive.

She grabbed him by the wrist forcing him to stop and look at her.

“What?” He sighed.

Nothing had really prepared her for this situation, she was usually great at giving advice but now she found herself speechless. So instead she settled for tightly winding her arms around his neck, he stood there limply.

“It’ll be okay.” She murmured.

“No it won’t. How can it ever be?” He whispered pulling away. “I-I don’t wanna talk about it can we just go to the party?”

She gazed at him in concern. “Are you sure that’s a good-“

“Can we please just go to the stupid party?” He snapped, eyes welling up.

She knew he was upset and probably didn’t mean it but she still felt a twinge of hurt.

She nodded. “Sure of course we can go.”

He took his bracelet off and slipped it into his pocket, she didn’t mention it.

When they arrived at the party she struggled to fully relax knowing how much pain her best friend was in every time he laughed slightly too loud at a joke or a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. She was surprised to find that Tyler’s friends didn’t end up being all too bad. Then again anyone was a major upgrade from him! Just when she was starting to have fun someone suggested they play truth or dare, Tyler snarkily remarked to Steve that he hadn’t played that game since the sixth grade. They were all sat in a circle, Steve was sat in the circle opposite her, he’d been avoiding her since they arrived. She fidgeted on the floor trying to get comfortable.

“Hey mind if I sit here?” A girl about her age asked Steve.

“Yeah, feel free Margo.”

The girl-Margo giggled at him as she sat down next to him, he gave her a bashful smile. She felt she should dislike Margo but her cute outfit was making it challenging to do so, she really wanted to ask where she’d gotten her skirt from.

“Truth or dare?” Tyler asked her.

“Truth.” (Name) cautiously said.

“Have you ever kissed anyone?”

“You know what skip me.”

“No skips.”

“Well no..I haven’t.” She admitted.

Steve finally stopped ogling Margo and looked to her.

“You’re kidding right? You’re what 14…” Tyler laughed.

She wished the ground would open up and devour her, like one of those giant sandworms from Dune, she’d recently read it.

“Steve I’m gonna give you a dare.” Tyler told him.

“Aren’t we going around the circle?” Steve replied, dread knotted in her stomach knowing where this may be going.

“It’s my party, my rules. And I dare you to kiss her.”

Her heart speed up, as she finally made eye contact with Steve, they were both in total abject horror. She didn’t hate the idea of kissing him but she was not about to have her first real kiss in front of a bunch of strangers.

“No.” She told Tyler.

“What?”

“I said no.”

She saw Steve let out a sigh of relief.

“Why.”

“Because I don’t want to.” She said with a glare.

The room grew tense as Tyler glared back at her, he let out a huff. “Steve, you’ll just have to kiss someone else.”

Steve looked around the circle, she hoped it would be anyone but- Margo leant forward and quickly kissed him. (Name) grit her teeth as they both pulled apart smiling shyly at one another. There were a chorus of ooos at the sight.

Tyler lightly punched Steve’s arm. “Not my sister man, Jesus!”

“She kissed me, I don’t know what to tell you.” This made Margo chuckle.

“See it’s not so hard.” Tyler smirked at her. “You don’t have to be such a fucking baby.”

She got to her feet. “I’m done, Steve are you coming?” She asked.

Steve glanced to Margo for a moment who had linked her arm through his. “I think I’ll stay actually..I’ll see you back home though yeah?”

Her chest felt constricted as she stared at her friend, she was too furious to even speak. She turned her back to the group and left the room as people snickered at her. She waited outside for a few minutes in case Steve changed his mind, but he never came. Humiliated and exhausted she gave up and went home.

When she arrived back at the house, she found Vivienne awake smoking outside the front door. “Sweetie how come you’re back so early?”

“I was tired.” She lied.

“Is Steve still at the party?”

“Yeah I think so...”

“Did you guys get in a fight?”

“Sort of, his friend was picking on me and he wouldn’t leave with me..”

“That boy.” Vivienne sighed. “I’ll have a word with him.”

“No, no it’s okay please don’t!” (Name) exclaimed. The last thing she wanted was to look even more uncool than she already felt.

“I’m sure you’ll make up tomorrow.” Vivienne assured her, she took a final drag of her cigarette then stamped it out with one of her wedges. “Come on hunny let’s get you to bed, everything feels better in the daylight.”

She nodded forlornly as Vivienne put a comforting arm around her.

“Doesn’t Clyde hate you smoking?” (Name) asked.

Vivienne waved a hand. “Believe me he’s done worse.”

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝𓆝 𓆟 𓆞

The next day came and Steve never apologised, if anything it felt like he was avoiding her. If he wasn’t going to bother with her then she wouldn’t with him! However, following three excruciating days of distance she’d finally had enough. One morning after breakfast, she caught him on his way to go surfing. She was reading by the pool and put her book down when she saw him. “Hey.”

“Oh hi.”

She held the book to her chest. “Where are you off to?”

He lifted up the surfboard, bracelet still gone. “Thought I’d go whilst the beach was nice and empty.”

There was a silence between them that for the first time felt uncomfortable.

“I’m gonna go..” He started to walk away.

“Wait.” She blurted out, he stopped. “I-I feel like you’re avoiding me.”

“I’ve been busy.”

“That’s a lie, you just don’t want to be friends anymore!”

“It’s not that I don’t want to be friends with you-I just think we need some time apart..” He faltered.

“Time apart? I should be taking time away from you with how you treated me at the party.”

“Look Tyler was out of line but that’s just what he’s like, it was a joke.” He explained irritation strong in his voice.

“I thought jokes were meant to be funny.” She snapped. “You should have stuck by me, I’m your best friend.”

“I’m sorry that I didn’t want to leave a good party because you were being fucking sensitive.” He snapped back.

“You know what Steve take as much space as you want, go be friends with that dickhead Tyler for all I care.”

He gave her a dirty look. “Grow up.”

“Says the pussy who nearly cried last night.” She hissed.

Hurt briefly flashed on his face, she wished she could take it back as soon as she said it.

“I didn’t mean that I’m sorr-“

“Just leave me alone okay?” He icily said.

When she was later alone in her bedroom she removed her bracelet and threw it into her bedside draw, slamming it closed.

The argument meant Steve spent the rest of their 14th summer off with Tyler and Margo. (Name) kept to herself, no matter how dull it was at times. She wanted to reach out but didn’t know how long it would be before she could.

One night in September it felt like it was time. She prayed he would pick up figuring it was late afternoon in Indiana, he would hopefully be back from school. Instead, she was met with the monotonous voice of Clyde Harrington.

“Hello?” Clyde asked.

“Hi Mr Harrington is Steve there?”

“Ah it’s just you. No he’s at basketball try outs.” He explained not sounding pleased in the slightest to be speaking with her.

She sighed. “Can you ask him to call me when he’s back?”

“Very well.”

She didn’t want to stay on the phone any longer than she had to.

“And-tell him I hope he’s enjoying high school, I know he was nervous.”

Clyde snorted. “My son nervous? Nonsense he’s made of stone like his old man.”

Despite how angry she still was with Steve she was annoyed to hear his dad speak about him in such a blasé’ manner.

“I think there’s more to him than people realise.” She replied bluntly.

“Watch your tone, or I’ll be having a word with your father.” He said gruffly. “Is that all?

“Yes-bye.” He hung up before she even had the chance.

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝𓆝 𓆟 𓆞

Steve never called her back and just like that they were no longer friends. It was like a punch to the stomach. By the next summer any remanence of the sweet guy she’d known had been erased. They’d begun to butt heads over the stupidest things: who got to call shot gun, who got the last piece of dessert, who knew the most about some inane topic.

As the years went by she grew used to hanging out on her own in the summer. Her routine changed without Steve in it, for one she was getting through twice as many books. The summer they were 17 he bought a vinyl player for his bedroom which made any reading she wanted to do in her own a challenge. He had been testing her patience more so than the previous few visits to the house. It had been three full years of arguments and snarky looks that had led her to banging on his door mere seconds away from strangling him.

Steve opened his bedroom, peering down at her in disinterest. “Yeah what?”

She gave him a blank stare. “You’re serious right? The music Harrington.”

Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours blared from behind him. “What music?”

“Always with the sarcasm.” She rolled her eyes. “Can you just turn it down?”

“What’s the magic word?”

“What?”

“The magic word.”

“What are we six?”

He smirked. “No but you’re acting like it.”

“If I say please will you turn it down?” She sighed.

“Sure.” He agreed.

“Fine. Please will you turn it down?”

He pondered for a moment.

“No.” He said before slamming the door in her face, she heard him laugh from the other side.

“You’re fucking insufferable!” She seethed kicking his door.

The summer only grew worse when she discovered Steve’s friend from home was coming to visit. It was a guy named Tommy, Vivienne had hesitantly described him as “very spirited.” He was probably spirited in the way of pulling the wings off flies, if Steve’s friendship with Tyler was anything to go by.

Tommy arrived in late July and would be staying until the end of August. She first met him at dinner one night. Steve and Tommy were the last to dinner, Steve was late for basically every meal. They looked as if they were in the middle of some elaborate story when they appeared at the table.

“I swear to god you crack me up!” Tommy laughed lightly shoving Steve’s shoulder.

They sat down at the table and Steve struck up a conversation with her parents, she had to give it to him that despite their differences he really knew how to charm them. It was obvious in how highly they spoke of him shaking their heads at what a shame it was the two weren’t as close anymore. She smiled a little to herself at how easily he was making her dad laugh.

“You got a nice smile there.” A voice said to her.

She looked up Tommy was staring straight at her.

“It makes you light up in a real pretty way.” Tommy smoothly told her.

“Thanks.” She replied, pleasantly surprised at the compliment.

“Anytime gorgeous.”

Steve frowned at both her and Tommy. “Stop being gross man.” He said to his friend in disgust.

She raised a brow at Steve “So someone flirting with me is gross?”

He gave her an exasperated look. “You know that’s not what I meant.”

She speared some broccoli with her fork. “Yes it was.”

“Stop trying to pick fights.” Her mum sighed at her.

“Sorry.” She muttered focusing on her dinner.

There was a pause. “As if you even know what flirting is.” Steve teased her.

Her grip on the fork tightened as she lifted it up. “Is it flirting if I shove this fork into your eye?”

“You’re utterly enchanting you know that?” He sarcastically said.

“That’s enough out of both of you.” Clyde warned. “Can you try get a long for five minutes?”

After a minute or so of the conversation returning to normal, she looked to Steve and secretly flipped him off a gesture he kindly returned.

“Hey hunny.” Vivienne said to her narrowly missing the exchange. “Have I told you about the event the country club are putting on?”

“What event would that be?” She asked.

“They haven’t done it in a few years but they’re putting on some charity gala towards the end of August. Loads of kids your age usually go, you should seriously think about it, I bet you’d have so much fun. Steve could even be your date!”

She let out a snort. “Steve really?”

He was pretty cute it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world to have him on her arm. Provided he stayed quiet the whole time.

“I’m a prize catch you could do much worse.” He said through a mouthful of food.

Tommy grinned at her. “I’m kind of with her on this one, sorry buddy.” Steve rolled his eyes.

“Anyway no pressure at all, just something to think about. We could even go shopping, just us girls.” Vivienne said giving her a wink.. She loved her mum but wished she was as fun as Steve’s.

Vivienne poured herself another glass of wine, spilling a few drops on table.

“Go easy love you’ve already had three glasses!” Her mum laughed.

Vivienne grinned and waved a hand. “Relax, we’re just celebrating Tommy’s first night here!”

Everyone laughed apart from her and Steve.

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝𓆝 𓆟 𓆞

Later that night she was sat with her feet dangling in the cool water of the pool. She hadn’t been able to sleep, the suffocating humidity making her toss and turn.

“Mind if I join?”

She glanced up to see Steve stood next to her, cigarette and lighter in hand.

“Yeah, go for it...” She said confusion lacing her tone.

He sat down next to her and lit his cigarette.

He offered the cigarette and she took a drag. “Thanks...” She handed it back to him.

“Do you see the constellation there?” He said pointing high in the sky.

She squinted, still perplexed about what was happening. “No I can’t see it.”

He leant closer to her, she felt the warmth radiating from him. “Just look where my finger’s pointing.”

She followed to where he was gesturing to. “I can see it now.” She told him.

“That one’s my favourite, it’s the Hercules constellation, it’s one of the larger constellations.” He explained. “Did you know it’s got one of the brightest cluster of stars?” He smiled to himself as he took a deep drag.

Seeing him so earnest for the first time in years, made her soften a little towards him.

She sighed. “Steve, what’s going on?“

“It’s bad again.” He slowly said.

“What is?”

“What do you think.”

She suddenly understood. “Right your mum.”

They’d never really spoken about Vivienne’s issues with drinking, it was something they’d silently acknowledged like every time she accidentally broke a glass at dinner or tripped up.

“Have you spoken to her about it?” She asked.

“I’m not doing that again, I tried it once we just got into a huge blow out over it.”

“And your dad?”

He gave her a wry smile. “No chance of that! He can’t be bothered to engage with it since he’s the entire reason it’s even happening.”

“He cheated on her again didn’t he?”

He nodded. “Yeah. How did you know?”

His forehead looked pinched she wanted to reach over and smooth it. She clasped her hand pushing the thought away.

“Remember when we were like 14 and I overheard that conversation between you and your dad, yeah then.”

“I-I remember that night.”

“Me too.” She said quietly, then drew in a deep breath. “I’m really sorry about calling you a pussy for nearly crying, that was shitty of me.”

“I probably deserved it.” He joked.

She wondered if he would take the chance to apologise in turn to her for, but the moment passed and he didn’t.

“Why confide in me? Why not Tommy?”

His face softened. “I just wanted to talk to someone who understood.”

Her lips parted as she stared back at him, she wished she didn’t still care so much about him.

“It’s late I should go to bed.” Her voice cracked as she spoke.

“Night.” He told her, as she stood up.

She smiled weakly in response. “Night.”

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝𓆝 𓆟 𓆞

The next day Vivienne took her into town to pick out a dress. From how animatedly Vivienne was speaking to her you’d never guess she was suffering through her husband’s infidelity.

“Vivienne is everything okay with you?” She carefully asked her.

Vivienne kept her eyes on the road as she drove. “I’m great, I’m about to go shopping with my favourite gal.” She replied affectionately.

“Are you sure? I’ve been getting this feeling that something is off..”

They stopped at a red light.

Vivienne glanced over at her. “You’ve gotta be more clear sweetie.”

“Did something happen with Clyde?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Subtlety be damned she thought!

“He cheated on you!” She exclaimed.

Vivienne’s face became sorrowful, the light turned green, they didn’t move.

“I’m gonna speak to you as an adult now, okay? My husband isn’t perfect he’s made god knows how many mistakes.” She briefly closed her eyes. “But the life he’s provided me with is good, safe and if you grew up the way I did security is everything. I have a place in the community, I have a son who needs me. So if it means having a husband that has the occasional fling then I’ll endure it.”

“But what is any of that worth if you’re unhappy?”

Vivienne didn’t respond. A car aggressively honked from behind.

She started to drive again. “Do you mind not mentioning this conversation to Steve?” She asked.

(Name) nodded. “Yeah of course.”

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝𓆝 𓆟 𓆞

The conversation after a few minutes returned to normal, mainly Vivienne talking at her about what discounts the store offered and what style of dress would suit her. By the time they reached the store she was relieved to be away from the suffocating atmosphere of the car. Vivienne saw a friend of hers also shopping in the store and went to go catch up with them. (Name) flipped through the different dresses on the rails, when she stopped at one that caught her eye.

“That’d really suit you.”

She looked up to see Margo a little further down the rail a dress slung over her arm.

“Thank you.” She said intrigued as to why Margo was suddenly speaking to her.

Margo seemed to be able to read her. “I realised we’ve not talked much before...”

“No not really, I do appreciate the compliment though.” She said warmly. “Are you going to the gala as well?”

“You mean being dragged against my will by my mother, yes I’m going.”

“I don’t know it could be kind of fun, we get an excuse to dress up cute and it goes to charity, could be worse.”

“I can always spike the punch!” Margo joked.

“I’m going to be sticking with you for the night then. Out of curiosity why talk to me now? I mean we’ve neighbours for years.”

Margo considered this. “My brother’s fucking annoying and I noticed Steve’s not hanging around you much these days.” (Name) deflated at the mention of Steve. “And I guess I felt bad about what happened when we were younger…I’m sorry.”

“It was a long time ago and also not your fault, please don’t worry about it!”

“Even so I’m sorry for kissing him, it was obvious you liked him.”

“What me like Steve? I mean I can hardly stand him.”

“I don’t know about now, but that summer I mean come one! You were so devastated I kissed him you had to leave the party.”

“I left the party because your brother excuse my language-was being a prick.”

Margo nodded. “My brother is a prick, but you have to admit that it bothered you.”

It had really bothered her, only a few years later had she realised why it did. However to confess to it out loud would make the pain of that memory even greater.

“Anyway.” She said changing the subject. “Did you want to hangout sometime before the ball?”

“Sure.” Margo grinned. “By the way, if it’s any consolation me and Steve only lasted about a month.”

She let out a laugh as Margo waved goodbye to her.

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝𓆝 𓆟 𓆞

“You’ve really never been to a beach bonfire?” Margo asked her.

“No, I never really had anyone to go with. They’re not going to burn me at the stake are they?”

“Not on my watch! Trust me it’s a really chill crowd you’ll like them I promise.”

“I’ll take your word for it but I’m leaving if I see a stake.” She joked.

Margo snorted. “My god how old were you last time you went to a party?”

“Literally three months ago when I was back in London. I promise you I do actually have friends just not in Martha’s Vineyard.”

Margo swatted her arm. “We’re friends now aren’t we?”

(Name) pretended to think for a moment. “I can vaguely recall meeting you. What was your name again?”

“Ha Ha you are hilarious.”

Her and Margo had hung out a lot over the past few weeks and she had to admit it was 10 times more fun than mooning about the villa reading some old paperback.

They finally reached the beach, there was a clump of teenagers crowded around a roaring fire, stolen beers in hand. She tugged at the neckline of her black mini dress beginning to worry that this was a bad idea.

“These are a few friends of mine.” Margo said introducing her to a few people who gave her friendly smiles.

“Hey.” She said to the group.

“Where are you from?” A girl asked her.

The guy next to her elbowed her. “Where do you think genius?”

“Don’t worry you’ll get used to the accent.” Someone said from behind her.

She turned to see Steve with Tommy in tow. They hadn’t spoken much since their short conversation at the pool.

“I think this beach might be a little small for your ego Harrington.” She mocked.

Tommy laughed at the joke causing Steve to glare at him.

He regarded her carefully. “Why are you even here? Didn’t think this was kind of your thing?”

“How would you even know what my thing is?” She said dryly.

Steve smirked at her and was about to respond when Tommy cut in. “I know what my thing is, it’s pretty girls in little black dresses.”

Steve’s smirk was completely gone.

Margo wrinkled her nose. “I think I just threw up in my mouth.” Steve gave her a small smile. She nodded at him and he nodded back at her.

What Tommy said was such a line but she was having fun.

She faked disappointment. “I actually think this may be more of a midnight blue, that’s not a problem is it?”

“Not all.” Tommy grinned. “Doesn’t stop me from wanting to go get a drink with you.”

“Sure, let’s go.” She said before turning to Margo. “Do you mind if I go hangout with him for a while?”

Margo gave Tommy a side long glance. “Have a good time, but I’ll be keeping an eye on him.”

“I’ll be fine.” She promised her friend. “I’ll see you later okay?”

Margo smiled at her and rejoined the conversation with her friends.

Steve stared at (Name). “What?” She asked.

“Nothing.” He muttered.

She followed Tommy to a cooler where he took out a can of beer and handed it to her. He cracked open his own.

“So are you gonna let me take you to this dance then?” Tommy asked, he took a swig of his beer. “I figured it was best to be upfront, you seem cool and I’d like to take you.”

“You’re sure you’re not taking me just to piss off Harrington?” She teased.

“Why should it bother him, he’s got his pick of the ladies.”

Something twisted and sliced into her stomach. She covered her displeasure by sipping at her beer.

“What do you like to do when your back in Indiana?”

“That’s a very open-ended question.”

“I meant like what do you do for fun?”

He grinned at her. “All kinds of trouble. Hawkins is a small town you have to make your own fun, there’s only so much basketball you can play and school you can endure.”

“Are you on the basketball team with Harrington?”

“For now. If he doesn’t get his grades up next year coach’s gonna cut him. It’s a shame he’s a great player, not the brightest tool in the shed though.”

She furrowed her brow. “I disagree, I remember he made some maths championship thing a few years back.”

Tommy snickered. “What back when he was like 10 and math was like 2 + 2? He’s always forgetting essays and skipping class. Not even a community college will end up taking him.”

“I happen to think he’s pretty fucking smart so.” She said sharply.

Tommy smirked at her. “I didn’t realise you had such a hard on for him.”

“I-I don’t have a hard on for anyone.” Her voice wavered. “And unfortunately that extends to you.”

“So no gala for us then?”

“That depends on if you keep making snide comments.”

Tommy put his hand to his chest. “Hand on heart, I will be the nicest son of a bitch you’ve ever met if you just let me take you.”

She looked at him sceptically.

“I swear!” He said. “What’ll take for me to convince you?”

She smirked as she thought of a fitting way for him to redeem himself. “You have to strip off in front of everyone and run into the sea.”

There was no way he would do it-Tommy begun to tug off his clothes.

Her jaw dropped. “You’re actually doing it..”

People noticed him and start to wolf whistle and clap the more he took off.

He was now stark naked. “I’m trying to win a date with a very pretty girl.”

She laughed in shock as he threw her a wink and went running into the sea. It looked like she had a date for the charity gala after all!

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝𓆝 𓆟 𓆞

The sun piercing through her blinds the next morning stole her from any sleep. She slipped on a bikini and with a coffee in hand decided to face the day since she was already awake. When she made her way to the pool she was surprised to see Steve was already there, lazing on a lounger, lost in the music from his Walkman. She settled onto one of the sun loungers, leaving an empty one between them. She lay her sore head on the plush cushioning of the lounger. She regretted that extra beer she’d had last night. He noticed her sit down and put his headphones around his neck the music droning out from them. He had a sudoku book in his lap, one page was completed the other full of random sketches.

“So, you’re going to the ball with Tommy then?” He asked curiously.

“You don’t beat around the bush do you.” She said, opening the magazine she’d bought outside with her.

“It’s odd you’d settle for someone like him after binging all those old romcoms growing up.”

“It’s odd you’re this bothered by one date to some country club event.”

“I would’ve taken you.”

“That’s a lie, because you never even bothered to ask me Harrington.”

“You didn’t even give me the chance to ask!” He said in mock disappointment.

She slapped the magazine down. “What’s your agenda here huh? You had a chance to take me and then you didn’t, why is this bothering you so badly?”

“Because he’s a dick okay.”

“But he’s your friend how can you just say that about him?”

Steve sat up straighter. “Tommy’s the guy you toilet paper the principal’s office with not the guy you go to a charity gala with.” She rolled her eyes, he took off his sunglasses. “He’s cheated on every girl he’s gone out with okay. Last year it was my friend Pammy, this year it’ll be you.”

She shifted in her seat, uncertainty kicking in. “Well-what does it even matter it’s only going to be one date.”

He gave her a wistful smile. “Because you of all people deserve the best one date.”

Her head felt light at the compliment but she snapped herself out of it when she remembered who was saying it to her.

“I’m going out with Tommy and that’s the end of it okay?”

“I did try and warn you, but it’s your choice to make.” He said in disappointment.

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝𓆝 𓆟 𓆞

The night of the gala came around, she studied her reflection in the mirror as she applied one last coat of lipstick. The dress was a gorgeous cerulean, the same shade as the sea on a particularly bright day. She ran her fingertips across the silky fabric, it flowed like water under her touch.

There was a knock at her door, she glanced to her clock it was most likely Tommy since he’d said he call on her at about 6. Despite the warnings she was excited to go. She wasn’t expecting to fall in love tonight but she’d have a good time!

The door opened except it wasn’t Tommy behind it, it was Steve. He seemed stunned as he took in her appearance, her face grew hot.

“Are you going to say anything?” She shyly asked.

Steve shook his head. “Yes-yeah, you look really-“

Tommy with impeccable timing made his way to her door. “You look really sexy.” Tommy told her.

She glanced momentarily to Steve who went from being dazed to irritated.

“Thanks... Shall we?” She asked Tommy.

Tommy held his arm out to her and she took it.

“We’ll see you there man.” Tommy called to Steve over his shoulder. “He’s riding with his mommy and daddy.” Tommy remarked to her, oozing of condescension.

They’d only been at the event for half an hour before Tommy was whipping out his flask and spiking their punch.

“Here.” Tommy said handing her a glass of punch.

She took a sip and winced.

“Can’t handle your drink?” He cackled.

“No I can!” She coughed. “I just didn’t expect you to pour in so much.”

“How else are we gonna make it through this event? This thing is nearly as dead as my hometown.”

She pursed her lips. “I think the gala’s pretty great.”

And it was, the ballroom was decorated beautifully, people were dancing and laughing, everyone but them seemed to be having fun.

“I’m giving this another twenty, then you’re on your own okay?”

She thought of some way to salvage the evening.

“Why don’t we go dance?” She suggested.

Tommy considered it for a second then nodded. “Yeah okay.”

They moved to the dance floor, the music of the band vibrating through the floor. He placed one hand on her upper back as they danced.

“You know maybe we should go somewhere more private after this.”

She tilted her head. “You mean like getting some food at a diner after the gala?”

He chuckled and gave her a sultry look. “You’re so clueless it’s adorable.”

“I’m not so sure what’s clueless about that.” She said defensively, even though she knew.

He leant in closer to speak into her ear. “Enough of the games baby, don’t you wanna go have some real fun.” His hand trailed down to rest on her lower back.

She pulled away from him but he kept his hold on her. “I’m not going anywhere or doing anything with you.”

“But what else has this been leading to between us? I thought the point of tonight was to hook up.” Tommy said lowering his voice.

“I thought we were just going to hangout and dance, not just go off somewhere and fuck?!”

“Come on don’t be so naïve of course that’s what was going to happen, especially with how you’ve been teasing me for the past few weeks.” He snapped.

“That was just some light flirting and even if it’d been more that doesn’t entitle you to sleep with me.” She hissed.

“I didn’t realise you were such a prick tease.”

She let out an angry laugh. “I’m not a prick tease, you’re just a dick.”

His grip tightened on her. “Enough messing me about let’s go.”

“No.”

“Seriously this is ridiculous!”

“I said no Tommy.” A few other dancing couples started to look their way.

“Come on you fucking slut.” Tommy snarled.

As soon as he said those words she stamped down hard on his foot, he yelped in pain releasing his grip on her. She dashed off the dance floor, dozens of eyes staring after her.

“Where the hell are you going?!” Tommy yelled after her.

She ignored him as she hurried out of the room, her vision clouding over as she weaved her way through the masses of people. In her haste she accidentally banged straight into someone, she was both relieved and humiliated to see who it was.

“You know how to make an entrance.” Steve laughed but he grew concerned when he saw how distressed she was. “Hey what’s the matter?”

The room suddenly felt too crowded and loud, as if every soul in the room knew about the conversation she’d just escaped from. She was too upset to even speak.

“Do you wanna go get some air?”

She nodded.

She was glad she’d bumped into Steve and not any of their parents. He carefully guided her through the rest of the room and out into the country club gardens. They walked a little away from any partygoers.

“What-what happened?”

“I can’t believe him.” She said quietly.

“What did Tommy say to you?”

She let out a shaky breath. “What didn’t he say? I refused his very sweet proposal to have sex and so he called me a prick tease then a fucking slut. I knew he was no prince charming but wow.”

Steve didn’t speak for what felt like minutes, his face was darkened by a silent rage. “And where did you last see him?”

“On the dance floor.”

“Brilliant, if you’ll excuse me.”

“Wait don’t do anything here!” She panicked. “Not at least until we’re home.”

“And why shouldn’t I?” He asked eyes blazing.

“Because your dad is in there with mine, and all their smug friends. If you start giving someone a bloody nose you will never hear the end of it.”

“I don’t care.”

“Well I do.” She argued.

He sighed. “Fine, but as soon as we’re back home I’m gonna punch him so hard all his teeth fall out.”

“Good.” She agreed sitting down on a bench. “You’re not going to gloat that you were right and I was wrong?”

He sat down next to her. “Nah I think I’ll let you off the hook just this once.”

“I just feel so embarrassed, because I believed for five minutes that someone was actually interested in me. Do you think I’m stupid?”

“No, I don’t think you’re stupid at all, I think that you’re 17, you liked someone and they ended up being an asshole. He should be embarrassed not you.”

She smiled at him sadly. “Thank you, Steve.”

He raised his brows at her. “You just called me ‘Steve’ for the first time in like three years.”

“Slip of the tongue, don’t go getting used to it.” She joked.

“That’s a shame, I miss hearing you say it. There’s a lot I miss.” He admitted.

“Me too.” She gently replied.

They both took each other in properly, he looked so breath taking in his suit it made her chest ache.

“For what it’s worth I didn’t even really like Tommy like that, I just enjoyed the attention.”

Their hands brushed and she saw his eyes briefly flicker to her lips. “He should’ve given you the respect you deserve, you look really beautiful and it shouldn’t be wasted on a guy like that.”

“You know the other day when you said to me that I of all people deserve the best one date? What did you mean by that?” She asked gazing up at him.

He placed a hand on her cheek. “Let me show you.”

Her eyes flickered closed as she begun to lean in.

“I mean wow this is unbelievable.” Tommy sarcastically said.

Her eyes flung open and she pulled away from Steve.

“You won’t fuck me but you’ll fuck him? The guy that can’t even read.” Tommy snorted.

“Tommy that’s enough.” She snapped.

“The hell did you just say?” Steve said getting to his feet and grabbing Tommy by his collar, this made Tommy laugh.

“Steve come on he isn’t worth it, let me talk to him.” She sighed.

Steve glanced to her and after a moment released Tommy, shoving him away so hard he nearly fell to the floor.

She walked over to Tommy. “You need to leave, okay? Head back to the house, pack all of your shit and go find a hotel.” She commanded.

“You know he has a girlfriend right.” Tommy said ignoring her.

“What?”

“Harrington’s got a girl back home, she’s cute too.”

She forgot about Tommy and turned round to Steve.

“You have a girlfriend?” She slowly asked.

He rubbed the back of his neck. “Yes. I only told friends from school, I didn’t want to make a big deal of it by involving my parents.”

She strode away from them without saying anything. She heard Steve call out her name but she kept moving.

“Come on, please we can talk about this!” He exclaimed.

She stopped and glared at him. “A girlfriend, you have a girlfriend and you were going to kiss me?!”

He looked at her guiltily. “I’m not saying it was right, but her and I have been on the rocks for a while. She was probably going to end things when I went back home.”

“But you’re still with her now!” She yelled. “Maybe it isn’t perfect between both of you but she is still your girlfriend. What’s her name?..”

“Nancy..”

“Well Nancy deserves better than you kissing another girl and I deserve better than to be some secret holiday fling.”

“You know you’re more to me than that.”

“If I was you would’ve done this the right way.” She cried.

“I can’t be like you okay and over think everything constantly. So maybe the timing wasn’t amazing but at least I was finally up front about how I felt.” He snapped.

“There’s nothing honest about your feelings, if there was we would discuss why we’re no longer friends.” Now the tears finally slipped down her cheeks. “I know that you haven’t had it easy with your parents and I’m sorry about that but I don’t recognise you anymore. That boy I met when I was eight years old never would’ve done this to me.”

He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I-I’m trying really hard to be better but it’s hard, it’s so hard.” He said voice splintering.

“I don’t want to hear anymore excuses, I’m done Steve.” She wiped at her eyes. “Do me a favour and tell my parents I went home because I felt ill.”

“Can I at least walk you out?”

“No. Please just leave me alone.”

He forlornly nodded. “Fine.”

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝𓆝 𓆟 𓆞

By the next day Tommy was nowhere to be seen, he’d either listened to her or Steve had forced him out. The remaining few days of the holiday Steve and her completely avoided each other, it was like that summer they were fourteen except so much worse. She had made sure to hangout with Margo before she flew home and apologised for disappearing from the event.

Her family left a day before his and they could hardly make eye contact. She said her goodbyes to both Clyde then Vivienne who enveloped her in a hug. Then came Steve, neither of them were sure what to do or say, their parents were all busy talking amongst themselves.

“I know that everything between us isn’t great right now.“ Steve nervously began. “But you have to know how awful I feel..”

She folded her arms. “That still doesn’t change what you did.”

He nodded. “I know.”

His eyes were deep with sadness, she stared back at him in complete and utter pain.

“We need to go now if we want to beat the traffic.” Her dad called to her.

“Just a second.” She replied, before turning her attention to Steve. “A piece of advice, you once told me that I needed to grow up, maybe you should do the same.”

His mouth opened but no words came out, she gave him one last glance then went to the car, little did she know that would be the last time she would see Steve Harrington for 6 long years.

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝𓆝 𓆟 𓆞

#fluff #steve harrington #steve harrington x reader #steve harrington x fem!reader

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knockyasocksoff2022 · 3 months ago

Text

Motion Sick

Sicktember 2024 - Prompt #6 Dizziness/Vertigo

Words: 4,440

Pairing: Tanizaki Junichoru x Tachihara Michizou

POV: First person

CW: Mentions of nausea and throwing up, but no graphic descriptions

Junichirou’s Perspective

I can feel my stomach churning, and that familiar acidity rising in my throat. I’m going to be sick.

I knew I shouldn’t have come along, the agency didn’t even need me for this trip. It was Kenji who insisted that I come along so I wouldn’t miss the dolphins in the bay. He doesn’t know about my terrible motion sickness and being as spineless as I am, I couldn’t say no to him.

Now I wish I had.

It’s late afternoon but the summer sun is still high in the sky, the weather hot and sticky. My back aches and I feel lightheaded from being bent over the railing for so long.

Then I get an idea. It’s probably stupid, but no one is paying attention to me so I should be safe. I plug in my earbuds and press the dial button for the first contact in my phone. At first, the ringing is uncomfortably loud then the call is answered and his voice fills my ear.

“Jun? You good? You only call if there’s an emergency.”

I don’t answer right away, letting Michizou’s warm voice wash over me. I swallow thickly.

“Junichirou?”

“Sorry,” I whisper

“What for? You’re not hurt, are you? Why are you whispering?” Panic enters his voice. I shake my head before remembering he can’t see me.

“N-no. I’m-“ My voice fades out as my stomach roils, threatening to send its contents back up. I think I’d die if I puked while talking to Michi on the phone, that’d be way too embarrassing. I shouldn’t have called. “It’s stupid. You can hang up if you’re busy.”

“I’m not. I’m at lunch with Gin and Higuchi. I'm glad you called too, cuz they were being all disgustingly lovey-dovey. And I’m sure whatever you called me for ain’t stupid. What is it?” Despite the loud conversations around him, his voice is comforting.

“I . . . well, I’m getting motion sick and I think I’m gonna puke. I . . . uh . . . just thought that hearing your voice might distract me a bit.” It sounds dumb as I say it.

He doesn’t answer, the line crackles in silence.

“See, I told you it was stupid.”

“No, it’s not. Where are you? In a car?” His voice is calm now, with a serious tone and I can imagine his expression, cool as he thinks through the situation. The background is quieter now like he’s stepped even farther away from wherever he was.

“On a boat, we’re looking for evidence in a murder case that was dumped in the bay. The waves are bad today though, so . . .”

“So that’s why we’re whispering.” I can see him nodding to himself. I smile at the thought, “Where are your meds?”

“I left them at home,” I admit.

“Of course you did. I’d bring you some, but . . .” He laughs, the affectionate teasing sending warmth through me. “So what should I do?” The teasing turns to sympathy.

“Can we just talk? About anything.” The desperation leaks through as another wave rocks the boat.

“Sure. . . .” He hums trying to think of a topic, I find myself tapping out the rhythm on the railing focusing on it instead of the rocking of the boat. He ends the melody with a flourish, “Today I ran into Elise, you know, the Boss’s kid or whatever.”

I turn on the camera and nod, still not trusting myself to speak. Michi seems to get it.

“Yeah, well she somehow bribed him to wear not only a maid outfit but a nurse outfit and one of those supposedly “sexy” devil costumes. She showed us all the pics. It was a riot but I felt kinda weird looking at them, you know. Like it was an invasion of privacy, and also if the Boss knows I saw them he might give me desk duty indefinitely.”

I laugh, so hard that my stomach pain increases fivefold but it feels good.

“That’s the only really funny story I have for today, some other stuff happened too, we had an assassination job, but if you think you’re gonna puke maybe I’d best not tell you those. . . . Anyways, want me to make dinner tonight. I might need your help, but I can do most of it. I know being sick always makes you tired.”

I think I can speak again, I take a breath, sighing when I find my stomach has settled down considerably. “Yeah, I would like that, make it something light though, a soup or something.”

“Cool. And, uh, don’t feel bad about calling, I’m happy to help. And seeing Gin with Higuchi was making me miss you a lot, I miss you right now.” He sounds awkward, still new to expressing emotions so blatantly. My stomach clenches, not out of nausea, but wanting. Seeing him over the phone isn’t enough, I want his arms around me, his lips brushing my cheek.

“I miss you too, but I guess I should let you go before Gin and Higuchi get suspicious.” I’ll admit even I can tell I sound pouty, but I know the longer I stay on the call the more likely it is for one of the other agency members to catch me.

“Yeah, you’re probably right. But promise you’ll call me back if you start feeling bad again.” I can hear the worry in Michizou’s voice even as he tries to hide it. It makes my heart flutter in my chest.

“Okay,” I say the word but don’t hang up, neither does he. We exist for a moment in comfortable silence.

“They’re so wrapped up in each other I think we have at least another hour before they realise.” He rolls his eyes.

I smile.

He starts telling me about how Akutagawa was being creepy while referring to some short story about some gate, and I bask in the warm glow of his voice and enthusiastic facial expressions as he talks. Soon I’m laughing so hard I drop my phone, my earbuds yanked out of my ears. I can faintly hear Michizou complaining about how I “dropped” him.

I bend down to pick up the device but someone is already handing it to me. Kenji.

My breath catches and I feel nauseous again. Maybe he’ll be really nice and won’t tell.

He stares at the phone screen, and Michizou stares back, as if maybe if he’s still enough Kenji will think he’s just a photo. Or maybe he’s in shock. After a second he clicks off the camera and hangs up belatedly.

“Why were you talking to the Bandaid guy? Is he your friend?” Kenji asks it with no malice whatsoever, but if he knows he might tell the others, not realising the ramifications.

I think about asking who he’s referring to, and playing dumb but it’s too late for that.

“Oh, um, we were just . . . He’s my friend, but you can’t tell anyone okay.”

“Okay! Is he nice like Cool Hat-san?”

I snort at his nickname for Executive Nakahara. “Well, he’s nice to me, but he can be a little mean sometimes, you know.”

“Oh, he’s just like Cool hat-san then!”

“What do you mean?”

“Cool hat-san always seems so angry but one day I saw him and Dazai-san snuggling with each other through the window of Dazai-san’s dorm. And he must be a really good hugger because Dazai-san kept telling him not to stop. I was only walking by so I don’t know the rest, but they seem also to be good friends.”

I’m so shocked that I can’t answer for a whole minute. I’m not sure what the hell is going on between those two but I know they weren’t snuggling. Before I can form an acceptable reply, Kenji asks: “Is Bandaid guy a good snuggler?”

If I was drinking or eating anything I would have spit it out. I can feel my entire face heating up. I’m not sure whether I’m saved or doomed even further because Atsushi is walking over to me.

“Junichirou! What’s wrong? You’re all red!”

“Ohhh, I . . . uhh, I’m just seasick is all, I hate boats!” I groan again, patting my stomach to add extra effect.

Atushi nods, “Oh, I didn’t know. Are you alright? Should I bring Naomi?” He sounds unsure and cringes as he says my sister’s name.

“No!” It comes out too quickly, I force myself to sound calmer, “Don’t bring Naomi, I can handle a little sickness myself. I’ll be fine with a few deep breaths.”

“Are you sure?”

I nod.

Atsushi walks back towards the boat’s cabin.

“Maybe you should call Bandaid guy again, tell him to bring you some medication when we return to the dock,” Kenji says, too loudly, because Atsushi turns back around.

I expect him to make a scene but he just walks over calmly.

“Who’s ‘Bandaid guy?’”

“A friend.” I can hear the shaking in my voice. Atsushi hates the mafia, he’ll never trust me again if he were to find out.

He squints as if thinking then his eyes widen, he stares straight at me. He knows.

What should I do? What should I do? What should I do? What should I do?

“I see. Hope you feel better.” is all he says before walking off again.

WHAT? WHY? Isn’t he going to tell? How is he just okay with that?

Everyone else is so busy with the evidence being pulled up from the seafloor that I’m alone again.

The anxiety has turned back into motion sickness, even worse than last time, so despite already being caught once, I do the only thing I can think of, I call Michizou back.

He answers on the first ring.

“Worse?” he asks

“Yeah.” is all I can manage.

“How bad?”

“Bad.” I cringe at the croaky sound of my voice.

“Okay. What can I do?”

“Just talk?”

“Sure. I already told you most of the funny things. Does it matter the topic?”

“Nothing gory.”

“Hmm.” I hear him shuffling around, “How about this? It’s a collection of poems, I got it from my brother . . . it’s what they sent back when he, well, you know.”

He takes my silence and heavy breaths for a yes and starts to recite the poetry. I close my eyes and lay down on the boat deck soaking in his gentle words.

Kenji’s Perspective

After a long day, the boat is finally back in the dock and we’re all gathered at the rail where the ramp will drop for us to get back on the ground, all but one.

“What the hell is he doing?” Yosano-san asks, pointing to Junicihrou-san lying on the boat’s deck with his earbuds in. He looks serene.

“I dunno,” says Atsushi-san.

“I think he’s talking to a Band-Aid guy, or maybe he’s listening to music.”

Oops. What do I do now? I’ll have to apologise to Tanizaki-san for revealing the secret.

“Baindaid guy? Is he a doctor?” Yosano-san asks

“I wasn’t supposed to tell you that, but no, I don’t think he’s a doctor. I saw him on Facetime, he looked way too young.” I shrug.

I did recognise him, from the raids on the office, but I don’t know his name. I hope she doesn’t ask if I know him. I’m a terrible liar. Thankfully Atsushi steps up.

Atsushi’s Perspective:

I tap Kenji on the shoulder and he steps back.

If you’d asked me to lie even a few months ago, I’d have totally flaked, but these past few months of excusing for gaps in time have improved my skills greatly. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing.

“Maybe he’s a friend from school? The siblings go to the local High School, right? Surely the two of them must have some friends besides us to see when they’re not working? If not that’s sad.”

Yosano-san nods, a thoughtful expression on her face. “Maybe? But they’re pretty weird so I’m not sure. They've never mentioned anyone. If it is a friend, though, I’m glad. Maybe Noami will find a nice boy to get attached to instead of her brother.” She sounds doubtful. I don’t blame her.

“Eh, well just go and get him. I’m sure he’ll tell you if you ask.” Kunikida-san says

I can’t help frowning at this. “Yeah, he probably will.” It comes out louder and more bitter than I intended.

“What’s that face for?” he asks.

“He’s scared of Yosano-san, and you know it. It’d be unfair to use that against him. He probably doesn't want to tell us, so don’t make him, okay.” I’ve never snapped at him before, and I’m not sure if this qualifies, but I don’t want Junichirou to say anything he isn’t ready to yet.

Ryu told me about them as soon as they got together. And . . . I know that Motojirou-san has a massive crush on Yosano-sensei

She frowns back at me. “Okay? Jeez. What’s got you so intense about this so suddenly?”

“I- I, he just looks really relaxed. If he’s not in pain from the seasickness anymore, does it matter?”

“I suppose not.” She concedes, still looking very suspiciously at me. After a tense moment of staring, we both nod. The boat is almost to the dock, and Junichirou is still lying on the deck.

Kunikida-san is walking over to him, probably worried about his schedule, we were out here longer than planned. The last thing he wants is for disembarkment to be delayed. Poor Junichirou.

Kunikida’s Perspective:

I have patience for Junichirou’s affliction, of course I do, but if he doesn’t get up soon, we’ll have to carry both him and the evidence off the boat. I’m sure Kenji wouldn’t mind, but, still . . .

As I look down at him, it’s impossible to miss that he looks more serene than I’ve ever seen him, and on a boat of all places. His breathing is steady and even. He’s hovering on the edge of sleep. I wonder what he’s listening to. White noise maybe? Surely not waves?

I almost don’t want to wake him. Alas, it’s necessary.

“Tanizaki-kun, please get up. We’re at the dock now. You won't feel ill anymore.”

He doesn’t stir. After a moment I give him the lightest of taps with my toe.

“Mmm, Michi? No. Let me sleep a bit more, okay? I’ll have soup later.”

“Michi? Who’s Michi? It’s me, Kunikida-san. Your superior at the agency.”

He jolts up, eyes wide. Is this “Michi” his girlfriend? If so, I can see how that would be embarrassing.

“Wha– I-I’m so sorry. I thought, uh, I thought that you were, uh, my . . . brother. Yeah, my bro Michi, uh, you know.”

Brother? But, he has no other family members besides Naomi, as far as I’m aware.

I look him dead in the eye, daring him to continue. He powers down his phone, probably ending whatever audio he was listening to.

“Tanizaki-kun, you don’t have a brother.”

He blinks slowly, processing. “M-maybe I do . . .”

“Tanizaki-kun. I don’t really care who you were talking to, but you do need to get up. Come on.”

He looks distinctly relieved as I help him to his feet. He sways a little but seems alright overall.

When we return to the office, the President relives Junichirou of his duties for the day.

“Go home, Tanizaki-kun. Rest up.”

“T-thank you, sir.” Junichirou bows deeply, still looking a little shaken.

Poor boy. Today wasn’t easy on him. Kenji apologises for suggesting he come along as he goes, but Junichirou shakes his head, saying it’s fine, telling him not to feel guilty.

Junichirou’s Perspective:

It’s nice that Noami agreed to stay at the office to help out with paperwork in my place. Even a few months ago she would have never.

After lying down for so long, it feels odd standing up. My head spins and my legs feel heavy. I still feel hot with the embarrassment from earlier with Kunikida-san.

When I’m far enough away from the office, I pull out my phone and dial Michizou again.

The car park feels way too large, and heat radiates off the concretised ground. Since when did the earth rotate so fast? Maybe it’s just me?

“Hey, Jun, you hung up on me earlier, what happened? Are you back now?”

“ . . . Yeah, and I th-think I’m gonna pass out. P-please come pick me up.”

“Shit! Yeah, where are you?”

“Uhh, everything a bit fuzzy honestly.”

“Jun? Shit, uh, stay awake okay, er, sit down if you can, yeah?”

“Yeah.” I do, leaning against some stranger’s car. It does help. “I’m sitting, I’ll share my location.”

“Okay, I’m coming.”

I open my eyes to the screeching of tyres. It’s close, but I can’t bring myself to move, too afraid I’d only fall. Which I guess doesn’t make much sense since I’m already sitting.

“Jun! Hey, Jun, you good?”

Michizou stands over me. He crouches down, tucking my hair back.

“Hey, come on, let’s get up.”

He starts to lift me but his body is too warm against mine, I shove him off.

“Too hot.”

“Sorry. I’ve got water.” He holds out a thermos, I take it eagerly, almost dropping it, but it doesn’t fall, only floats. It’s cool. I watch it in awe for a minute.

“Jun? Are you alright? You need to drink.”

“Huh? Oh, yeah, I’m just a bit out of it.” I must be more ill than I thought, It’s obviously just Michi’s ability that’s making the thermos float.

“Okay, tell me if you feel sick again.”

“Yeah.” Carefully, I take a sip. The cool water does wonder, the fog clearing so quickly it makes me a little dizzy again.

“Better?”

“Much.”

“Good, I have meds at home, and soup too, you’ll need to eat.” He says as he opens the door for me.

I don’t realise that he’s given himself the driver’s side until I’m already under the safety belt, hand movements on autopilot.

“Wait, Michi, you know I have to drive. If I don’t I’ll get sick again.” I start to unbuckle the belt, but it’s a bit harder than usual, with so many straps. Michizou puts a hand over mine to stop me.

“Juni.” It’s a sweet nickname, one he almost never uses. I can count the number of times on one hand, and this is only the second. It makes me feel ready to melt. “You’re all dizzy and shit. Let me drive, yeah? We’ll be home soon.”

“But . . . I’ll get sick again.” It’s babyish of me, I know and I hate how whiny I sound but, “Michi, I really don’t want to be sick again.”

He leans over the console, hugging me from the side. He smells nice, and the motion is gentler than usual. He rubs my shoulder and runs his fingers through my hair. The small action does wonders for the blooming headache, “I know. But you’re not good right now. Just this once? You’re always fixin’ me up when I’m down, so let me help you today.”

His hands feel so good that my eyes start to close. He’s right, there’s no way in any universe I could operate a vehicle like this. And he’s a better driver than me on my best day, more experienced.

“Yeah, I’m dumb.”

“No, you’re not,” he assures. “Just close your eyes. I’ll wake you at home.”

When Michizou’s voice draws me from sleep I open my eyes to the sight of the out kitchen counter overhead light. It’s off, sparing me from a worse headache. Am I . . . on the counter? He must’ve carried me in and put me here. I blush a little. There’s something cool on my forehead, a flannel, I think. Do I have a fever? I thought I was just seasick, but maybe . . .

“You’re really warm, not a fever, but I think you got heat stress,” Michizou informs me, his voice drifting in from the bedroom.

“Oh,” Is all I can say. I notice that he’s stripped me down to my pants and tank top. I do feel better. “Why am I on the counter, though?”

He blushes this time, “I dunno, I figured the sofa would be too hot since you’re kinda sweaty.”

“Makes sense.” Our sofa is very warm, and covered with blankets that Gin and Ichiyou-kun gave us.

The room only blurs a little when I sit up. I wring the now slightly warm cloth out in the sink.

“Google said a cool bath would help bring down your temp and with the headache. How sick do you feel? Do you wanna eat first? Or can the meds wait.”

I consider myself for a moment. I’m still a little queasy. I was asleep so I didn’t get sick in the car, but the ride didn’t exactly help. The medication would bring relief, but I’m still worried whatever I eat might come right back up. I hate throwing up. You’d think it’d be easy after all this time, but it hurts. Maybe if I wait it out, the queasy feeling will go away. “Bath first, I think.”

“Kay, I’ll run the water.”

The bath fills quickly, and because I don’t have to wait for the water to cool, I can get in right away. It feels like heaven after all day on the hot boat deck. I just soak for a minute, listening to Michizou finish dinner in the kitchen. He’s not amazing at cooking, but he can make about five dishes really well, and soup happens to be one of them.

Michi was right, I am sweaty. I should probably shower.

Lazily, I drain the tub and turn on the shower nozzle. Standing up reminds my stomach of the boat, but the cold water helps.

“Soup’s done. There’s cucumber salad too, and watermelon cuz Gin went to the farmer’s market. I gotta cut it though.”

“Mmm, sounds good. I’m almost done.” I hope my stomach can take it.

“You decided to shower?”

“Yeah.”

“Feeling better?”

“A lot.”

I hear him start to return to the kitchen.

“Wait.”

“Yeah? Do you need help?”

“Could you wash my hair?” I’m grateful he can’t see me, it makes the request easier. I’m so used to having affection sort of forced on me by Naomi, as pure as her intentions may be, that it’s made me shy to ask for it.

“Sure, let me just wash my hands. Be there in a sec.”

I hear the tap shut off and Michi’s footsteps, almost silent across the wooden floor.

The door opens. He smiles, softer than his usual fanged grin. He’s holding a pitcher and a stack of clothes. I must’ve forgotten do get mine.

I sit, waiting patiently as he fills it.

“So, did your colleagues find the evidence they were looking for? For all that trouble, they better have.”

The phrasing makes me laugh. “You’re so formal sometimes.”

He looks down, focusing on the label of the shampoo bottle, “Yeah well, my mum had high standards for me growing up because of my brother, she beat it into me before I left. Some of it stuck, I guess.”

I smile, not that can take away all he’s been through, but I can try. “They did find it, I’m not sure what it was though.”

He laughs at that. “Tip your head back.”

I do, letting the cool water cascade over my head.

He helps me up.

The clothes in the stack are a mix of mine and his. I borrow from him so much it’s hard to keep track. Well, I say that, but our styles are actually quite distinct. I don’t care, not really. His black tee is well-worn and comfortable.

While I finish dressing, he dries my hair. It’s at times like this when our two-centimetre height difference is noticeable. He doesn’t have to reach up at all. It’s kind of hot, I won’t lie.

Thinking about food is one thing, but at the sight of it, I’m suddenly queasy. Not from motion sickness, per se, but just the anxiety that I’ll be sick again if I eat it, a vicious cycle.

“Michi, ‘m gonna-”

He helps me to the sink, rubbing soft circles over my back.

I haven’t eaten since breakfast, but since I managed to avoid being sick on the boat and in the car, it’s all coming back up. The smell and sight make me sick yet again until my mouth feels disgusting.

“Shit, you’re really not feelin’ good, huh? Maybe I should take your temp again.”

“N-no, m’ not ill. Just worried.”

He seems to get it, as he shifts his hands slowly, running them down my side until his warm palms are against my upset stomach. “I promise, food will make you better, it always does.”

“Y-yeah, I know. M’ just dumb.”

“You really gotta stop sayin’ that.”

“Sorry.”

“That too.”

“Sor- I mean,d pens’t this gross you out.”

“Not really, I’ve seen worse. Besides I’m used to it . . . oh, not from you. You’re fine, I, uh, just had this friend, you know. Anyways, are you good for sec? I’ll get water.”

(A/N: Fukuchi’s always getting hungover lmao)

I nod.

He brings a glass with ice, fills it and hands it to me. I swallow and spit, repeating the process until I can’t taste the bile anymore.

“Better?”

I nod again, still shocked by the rudeness of it.

“You need only eat a bit, just to have something in your stomach before you take the pills. I’m not keen on a repeat of last time.”

There’s that formality again.

Last time. I had a bug so I took paracetamol without eating, got sick then passed out in the bathroom for a few hours.

“Me either.” I let him lead me to the table.

True to his word, and what I know in the back of my mind, the broth is harmless. I manage nearly a whole bowl with a small serving of salad before downing the medication with tea.

“See?” He’s smiling as we settle down on the sofa, “You’re fine now.”

“Thanks.”

“No problem.”

Now that I’ve cooled down, I miss his warmth again. I pull him closer until he wraps his arms around me.

“I’m so happy that I have you . . . I love you, Michizou.”

Maybe he didn’t hear, but then he leans down, lips brushing my ear, and whispers “Love you too, Juni.”

Suddenly the film isn’t nearly as interesting, not as much as Michizou’s finger in my hair anyway, making me feel all warm and fuzzy. I’m tired today, and I dislike lying, but maybe I’ll tell the President I’m still not feeling so good tomorrow.

Gosh, the things we do for love.

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